The Colemans of Fairfield received a letter from insurance company Liberty Mutual announcing their home was no longer covered, starting Sept. 5, after 20 years due to the “condition of the property.” The couple was accused of hosting algae, mold/moss, and mildew, which “negatively impacts” the property. Corresponding with the letter, the company issued a satellite picture, confusing their solar panels for these growths. “I wasn’t sure from the picture they sent what specific area they were talking about,” Janice Coleman said.
“For customers of 20 years, this is a really bad way to be treated.”
Coleman’s husband, Anthony, thinks companies use strange tactics to save money. “I feel they made a decision based on technology just to reduce their portfolio and to offload our property as they are doing with thousands of others in the state of California,” he said.
An investigation by the San Francisco Chronicle revealed over 100,000 Californians were dropped by 10 of the largest home insurers between 2019 and 2024. According to CBS News, a woman named Joan Van Kuren had her insurance canceled by CSAA over debris found in her yard during a home remodeling project. “They said they flew a drone over the home,” Van Kuren said. The satellite photo sent to her showed an old planter filled with dirt — in the process of getting some rocks — and some old trees.
Homeowners who go through instances like these do have options. Karl Susman, an insurance broker with close to 30 years of experience, feels insurers should allow their customers to fix the problem and argue for their case if a mistake was made. He also admitted that companies are running scared and finding reasons to drop their clients due to a lack of ROI or return on investment.
“They don’t want to get slammed by the Department of Insurance,” Susman said.
“And believe me, they will if they’re not renewing you for a reason that doesn’t exist.”
In 2018, a state law was passed that put a one-year moratorium on companies that canceled the home insurance policies of customers affected by wildfires. Advocates and lawmakers at both the state and federal levels are pushing for regulations that give insurance customers at least 60 days to fix specific issues that an insurer may have with customer property.
After being dropped by Liberty Mutual, which, in a statement, said it doesn’t “publicly discuss the details of an individual underwriting decision,” the Colemans found coverage with a competitor but at a higher cost.
However, before, the couple hired a roofer to prove the stability of their roof, but Liberty Mutual decided not to reverse its decision.
Over 2.7M Georgia Residents Have Utilized Early Voting
Nationally, only 21% of voters have utilized early voting, which tracks, as most Americans typically wait until Election Day, Nov. 5, to cast their ballots.
Over 2.7 million Georgia residents have made their voices heard during early voting as of Oct. 26. The early voting period, which runs through Nov. 1, has seen approximately one-third of Georgia’s active voters cast their ballots, according to the Secretary of State’s office.
According to 11 Alive, Black voters are responsible for 34% of that total, comprising 704,561 votes, behind the 1,616,565 white voters, who make up 45% of the total voters. That figure for Black voters, however, represents a lower turnout than in the 2020 election, when 32% turned out at this point last election.
In keeping with political scientists’ predictions, women have outperformed men so far, making up 55.7% of voters compared to 44.1% for men.
Although older voters lead the way, there has been a slight increase in the turnout rate of the 18-24 age bracket. In 2022, a mid-term election year, Georgia had a 26% youth voter turnout, which has nearly been matched as of Oct. 28, coming in at 22.3%.
Per the Secretary of State’s office, there have been few reported instances of long lines at polling places, although some people reported waiting more than 30 minutes at some of the more popular locations in the state.
According to CNN, in 2020, Democrats enjoyed a wide margin over Republicans in 2020’s early voting period, but that could shift this election.
According to The New York Times, the five states with the highest percentage of ballots cast during early voting are North Carolina (42%), South Dakota (42%), Georgia (40%), Vermont (35%), and Florida (34%). Nationally, only 21% of voters have utilized early voting, which tracks, as most Americans typically wait until Election Day, Nov. 5, to cast their ballots.
The Times also noted that during the 2020 election, it was easier to cast a vote because of the pandemic, which may have contributed to the increased support for President Joe Biden.
However, restrictive voting laws passed by several Republican states, including Georgia, have stripped away that expanded participation.
According to Vox, early voting numbers are not necessarily valid predictors of what will happen on Election Day, particularly in a race where many polls have made it clear that no candidate has a decided advantage over the other.
“Honestly, I am worried that Donald Trump may do this time what he did the last time, and that is to challenge the legitimacy of an election whose outcome he does not like. The peaceful transfer of power is a hallmark of the American system of government. Never before have we seen the losing presidential candidate behave as Donald Trump did,” Warnock said.
He continued, “And right now, on the ground in Georgia, we witnessed over the last few weeks a state board of elections trying to set the table, as it were, for not certifying an election if they don’t like the results. Gladly, the courts have rejected their efforts. They then appealed. The courts rejected it again. But the spirit of that is in the air in Georgia, Pennsylvania, all over the country. And so we will have to remain vigilant.”
Biden voted on Oct. 28 not far from his home in Wilmington, DE, where voters lined the street. While in line, he chatted with concerned citizens and supporters, including an elderly Black woman in a wheelchair.
Unaware that the hands-on her chair were those of the President of the United States, the senior citizen shared a sweet moment as Biden took the time to greet her properly. The women looked to be pleasantly surprised as the president shared some words.
The touching moment grabbed the attention of social media users, once calling Biden “the greatest President of my lifetime.” Meanwhile, @dtheavenger on X said, “I would be bawling my eyes out.”
Other users took the time to highlight that GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump would never be caught in this type of sentimental situation with another elderly voter. “Trump would make fun of her disability. Joe honors and assists her,” @betseydbell said.
Trump would make fun of her disability. Joe honors and assists her.
After handing his form to the election worker and announcing, “Joseph Biden now voting,” poll workers highlighted some first-time voters in the room as cheers erupted. Casting his vote may have been a bittersweet moment for the soon-to-be 82-year-old, who, since 1970, has either been running for office or held office during the election cycle.
During the 2024 campaign season, Biden announced he wasn’t running for a second term and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris.
When voters outside the polling place asked Biden if he thinks Democrats have a good shot at winning, he said, “I think we will.”
Outside of Harris being the first woman and first person of Black-South Asian descent to serve in the Oval Office, if she wins, there is a new generation of Democrats on the ballot that Biden is excited about supporting. Biden family friend, Sarah McBride, hopes to be elected as the first openly transgender member of the U.S. House. If she wins, she will succeed Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester, who is on the ballot to be the state’s first Black woman to serve in the U.S. Senate.
Kamala Harris Urges City Of Brotherly Love Voters To Fight Hate During Campaign Stop
Spread love, not hate!
While Donald Trump was leading a hate-speech-filled rally in New York City on Oct. 27, Vice President Kamala Harris chose Philadelphia, known as the City of Brotherly Love, to spread love for voter support, Fox 29 reports.
Harris used her time to campaign at some of Philly’s hot spots, including the Church of Christian Compassion, Philly Cuts Barbershop, Freddy and Tony’s Restaurant, which specializes in Spanish cuisine, and The Alan Horwitz “Sixth Man” Center, a youth recreation center.
Her message was clear when talking to voters in the largest city in Pennsylvania, a critical battleground state.
“No one can sit on the sidelines. We are focused on the future, and we are focused on the needs of the American people,” Harris said. “Philadelphia is a very important part of our path to victory. It’s the reason I have been spending time here. But I’m feeling very optimistic about the enthusiasm.”
Each stop featured a new important issue for American voters. While speaking with Black men about how to improve racial representation in the education system at Philly Cuts, she admitted that teachers aren’t paid enough and the rise of student debt is real. Prior to that, she spoke before the Black congregation at Christian Compassion and used the story of the Apostle Paul, who overcame challenges to spread the word of Jesus, to touch on the need to overcome the amount of hate growing in the United States and push love.
“In hard times when we may grow weary in doing good, we must remember the power that works within us, the divine power that transformed Paul’s life, guided him through shipwreck, and sustained him through trials,” Harris said.
While comedian Tony Hinchcliffe attacked the Hispanic community and called the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico a “floating pile of garbage” at Trump’s rally, Harris spoke with supporters, including an unidentified Puerto Rican assistant district attorney at Freddy and Tony’s.
While they insult Latinos and Puerto Rico at the Trump Rally in NY, here is Kamala Harris talking with a young Puerto Rican Asst. District Attorney in Philadelphia about service and community.
She ended her time in Philly at a fan-filled rally. Harris had a number of famous supporters in the city including actors and Marvel superheroes Don Cheadle and Mark Ruffalo, who handed out Harris-Walz swag. Actor Robert De Niro also spoke, calling Trump a “piece of sh*t.”
With less than 10 days until Election Day, Harris and running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, are hitting the campaign trail hard to secure voter support.
According to WHYY, while Harris was covering Philadelphia, Walz visited Las Vegas, with plans to stop in Manitowoc and Waukesha, Wisconsin, on Oct. 28. The next day, Harris is scheduled to return to Washington, D.C. for what her team calls her “closing argument,” giving a speech from the Ellipse, the grassy space close to the White House where Trump spoke before an angry mob on Jan. 6, 2021.
The retailer took to Instagram on Oct. 24 to announce the decorated music and screen star as its newest face.
“Introducing American Icon @queenlatifah for Good American. Queen is a true trailblazer who has redefined the entertainment industry, breaking boundaries in music, film, and television,” the company wrote.
Captured by renowned photographer Cass Bird and styled by Julia Sarr-Jamois, the campaign features Queen Latifah in a fall-inspired look reminiscent of her iconic ’90s “Living Single” style with comfortably sized blazers and denim that she sports with a modern twist.
“What makes an icon? Being so good at being who you are that people say, ‘Damn, who is that?” Latifah says in the video campaign shared on Instagram.
“I stand for women. I stand for my beautiful Blackness. I stand for humanity,” she continued.
Queen Latifah was the ideal choice for the campaign, which honors trailblazing women who have defied convention to make a lasting impact and open doors for women everywhere, as noted by ABC News. The new icon collection, which includes sizing from XXS through 5XL, is priced from $59 for T-shirts to $269 for faux leather trenches.
“American Icon Queen Latifah is a trailblazer who has redefined entertainment — breaking boundaries in music, film, and TV,” Good American said in a statement. “With Grammy wins, an Academy Award nomination, and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, her legacy of strength and empowerment inspires all to embrace their individuality. We’re honored to spotlight her as a true embodiment of what it means to be an icon.”
The new campaign follows Queen Latifah’s announcement of the biopic she’s producing with her Flavor Unit Entertainment partner Shakim Compere, in partnership with Will Smith’s Westbrook Studios and Jesse Collins Entertainment. The venture highlights the significance of hip-hop and how it helped to launch their careers.
“We all came into this industry together, and Hip Hop has shaped each and every one of us,” Latifah and Compere said in a statement announcing the project and the partnership with their longtime friend Will Smith.
“Hip Hop’s impact has expanded beyond just music and has created a lasting impression on culture and society overall. It is a dream to be able to collaborate with friends and colleagues that have not only a shared understanding but are able to tell these stories that were the backdrop of our lives.”
The latest addition to her trailblazing portfolio includes receiving the 2023 National Medal of Arts award from President Joe Biden last week. During a private ceremony at the White House, Queen Latifah was one of nine recipients, becoming the second rapper, after Missy Elliot, to receive the high honor.
Missy and Queen received their awards together as the pandemic delayed the 2022 recipients from receiving theirs in a ceremony until this year.
“And a BiG CONGRATS to my sis @IAMQUEENLATIFAH, who deserve all the bouquets she also was honored today!” Missy tweeted. “Thank you for kicking down doors QUEEN for me & those after you🙏🏾🫶🏾”
New York Mayor Eric Adams Says Donald Trump Isn’t A Fascist
As concerns over Trump's fitness to be president mount, the beleaguered mayor stayed non-committal.
Embattled New York City Mayor Eric Adams, a Democrat, said ahead of former President Donald Trump’s rally at Madison Square Garden that he doesn’t believe Trump is a fascist.
According to Politico, on Oct. 26, Adams told reporters gathered at a press conference at the New York Police Department headquarters that he believes comparisons to Nazi leader Adolph Hitler are overblown. When asked if he believes, as does Vice President Kamala Harris and Trump’s former Chief of Staff John Kelly, that the former president is a fascist, Adams replied, “My answer is no, I know what Hitler has done, and I know what a fascist regime looks like.”
“But in the nine years that he has been running for or serving as president, Mr. Trump has regularly evoked the language, history, and motifs of fascism without hesitation or evident concern about how it would make him look,” political reporter Peter Baker wrote.
The Times added that “no American commander in chief over the past couple of centuries has so aggressively sought to discredit the institutions of democracy at home while so openly embracing and envying dictators abroad.” Additionally, no president “has been publicly accused of fascism by his own handpicked top adviser who spent day after day with him in the Oval Office.”
According to Politico, some of Adams’ reticence to criticize Trump is because Adams is courting his support amid floundering support stemming from a federal investigation into allegations of bribery and corruption.
A New York Times/Siena poll currently shows Adams polling behind both former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and New York Attorney General Leticia James among likely Democratic voters.
In addition, Adams is more popular with Republican voters, who are more likely to say that he has done nothing wrong. Democratic voters including Black and Latinx voters, once a strong bloc for Adams, have soured on the mayor since his 2021 victory.
The only presumed candidate in the race for mayor to comment on the poll was Jessica Ramos.
“New Yorkers lost faith in Eric Adams before the Southern District confirmed his corruption,” she told Politico. “It’s telling that he declined to show up to the first forum in the Bronx to defend his record and share his vision. He has the polling to show that working New Yorkers who depended on him have had enough.”
Written By Kevin Moore, founder and managing partner at Serac Ventures, and Darrel Frater, senior associate at Serac Ventures
As Black VCs, we have a lot of conversations with underrepresented founders and founders who lack traditional inroads into the venture capital industry. In recent conversations, one trend continues to emerge: fundraising is more challenging than ever, starting at the top of the funnel with Limited Partners (LPs).
Why has it become even harder for underrepresented founders? Why are they continuing to be overlooked by VCs? And why aren’t VCs able to get the money they need to fund diverse founders?
Although the funding process has always been difficult for women founders and POC-led teams, there was once a glimmer of hope of addressing the issue. After George Floyd’s murder in 2020, VC firms across the United States pledged to face the diversity problem, with many implementing DEI programs and leadership within their companies. However, only a couple of years later, in 2022, only 1% of VC funding went to Black founders, signaling that those promises were short-lived. Here are the five reasons VCs overlook underrepresented founders and how founders, VCs, and LPs can combat them.
They Can’t Relate
Investors spend less time on underrepresented founders’ product slides, 45% less time than teams without minority members. Diverse founders are creating products that white-male VCs don’t necessarily understand or maybe don’t feel connected to. In this macroeconomic climate, VCs are playing it even safer and will not invest in something that doesn’t immediately resonate as a solution to an existing problem with a market to back it. If the problem itself doesn’t evoke empathy, it will be hard to connect with the solution.
While it may seem simple, it’s important to find investors who will relate to the product you’re building. Look at their past investments and interests that align with your product idea. This will help narrow down a list of people most interested in hearing about your product, making the funding process more efficient for both sides.
Structural Barriers
In society writ large, BIPOC and women face general structural barriers to success. When something has been done a certain way for a long time, progress takes time.
Continued conversations and attention to structural barriers within VC can help move the needle forward. We need to have conversations on diversifying teams and why it is important to fund underrepresented founders.
California is the first state to bring attention to discrimination in VC. In October 2023, California passed a bill (SB54) that will require VC firms to report on their number of investments in diverse founders. Going into action in March 2025, VC firms will have to annually survey the companies in their portfolio for demographics, including race, ethnicity, disability status, and gender identity. The data will be put into a public database for any interested parties to see.
General network effects
Because of the structure of VCs, there are general network effects that add to the strain of structural barriers. VCs typically invest in their networks and if you have a network that isn’t diverse, it perpetuates bias. The reverse is true as well, where underrepresented founders don’t necessarily have investors and other important stakeholders in their networks.
Networking does not have to be transactional—think of it as building a community. It’s important to build relationships with allies and diversify your network. Attend industry events and conferences to engage with VC leaders and expand your professional circle. Even though an investor or founder may not be the right fit for your business right now, there’s no reason things can’t change in the future. No fund or organization alone can fill the gap; we need to collaborate to create real change.
Pattern Matching
Ultimately, VCs learn from decisions made throughout their careers, leveraging experience to help make business decisions.
Now that we’re no longer in the booming market, many pre-pandemic investor habits are cropping back up, including “pattern matching.” Even though VC is an outlier business, VCs look for certain founder profiles, backgrounds, and heuristics that justify success, often mimicking old patterns that are difficult to change. Investors spend more time on historically underrepresented founders’ team slides, an average of 42 seconds — but why? Investors are much quicker to say yes to a founder with a Stanford, Harvard, or MIT background, the three top schools for funded founders.
Be deliberate in pitch deck presentations to specific investors. Do your research and make sure the investors you’re engaging with align with you and your company — know their portfolio, beliefs, etc. Investors should also be aware of their pattern matching and how it can limit diversity and investment opportunities for their funds, limiting chances to outperform peers.
For underrepresented founders looking for capital, build a strong business that solves a key pain point to attract talent and capital. Think big. Very talented founders tend to be trapped in their small ecosystem. Think creatively, be disruptive, be resourceful. Be able to build with what is at your disposal.
Addressing the Root
The fundraising problem starts at the top of the funnel, with LPs with a lot of institutional money. Some want to invest in diverse, emerging managers, but their minimum check size is so large that they are often relegated to using intermediaries.
In recent years, there has been an exponential increase in the number of emerging managers targeting diverse founders, but the capital bottleneck prevents money from reaching them. One of the problems is that the intermediaries who are hired to allocate to emerging managers use the same due diligence framework to assess emerging managers as they do established managers. No one should ever lower their due diligence standards, but they can adjust them to consider aspects that contribute to that manager’s long-term success.
If emerging managers who have a stated mandate to back diverse founders are unable to raise institutional capital because of capital bottlenecks, this has a significant negative effect on the underrepresented founders they want to back.
Solving the funding gap for underrepresented founders is a complex problem. Some may argue that it’s a lot easier for newer, emerging VC firms to establish from the onset a strategy to include underrepresented founders than it is for older, established firms. Herein lies the irony. While it’s easier for newer firms to have a more inclusive investment mandate, they don’t have the resources or influence to change the funding gap challenges the VC industry faces today.
Rep. Ayanna Pressley Praises Biden-Harris Administration For Student Debt Relief For Struggling Borrowers
Strong advocates like Rep. Pressley are always needed!
Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-Ma.) celebrated the new proposed rules that will provide student debt relief to close to eight million borrowers facing hardships, calling them “powerful,” according to a press release shared with BLACK ENTERPRISE.
Pressley has been a vocal advocate of student debt relief alongside her colleague and fellow Massachusetts Democratic leader, Sen. Elizabeth Warren. The new rules came just weeks after Pressley sent a call to action for struggling borrowers to get the relief they needed.
“Government works best when it solves problems and alleviates hardships for the people it serves.” She said that this proposed rule to cancel the student debt for millions of additional borrowers is a powerful example of how the Biden-Harris Administration continues to do just that.
“This will have a lasting and life-changing impact for millions of borrowers who are struggling to balance student loan payments and medical bills, childcare cost expenses and more. The automatic cancellation provision is particularly notable and responsive to calls from borrowers and advocates alike.”
She thanked President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, and U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona for fighting student debt relief despite the many efforts of Republican legislators to kill corresponding legislation. “This is the type of leadership we need in this moment,” Pressley continued.
New regulations would prevent borrowers with continuous financial burdens from having to repay their loans. In addition to childcare costs, other identified financial burdens include medical bills, major expenses for caring for loved ones, and economic impacts from a natural disaster.
Pressley has been consistent in her push for relief. In April 2021, the congresswoman, Warren, and Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey curated a plan for Biden to cancel student loan debt up to $50,000 for American borrowers. She followed up by testifying during a United States Senate Committee hearing on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs to highlight the number of Americans struggling to repay their student loans going back decades.
“I’ve become all too familiar with the gentle tug of my sleeve or the panicked expression as I meet the eyes of someone drowning in student debt. The grandmother who was still paying off student loans. The young parent who can’t afford childcare or rent and her student loan payments. The teacher who fears losing his teaching license because he can’t come up with that monthly student loan payment, not even the minimum,” Pressley said before Congress.
“The student debt crisis is not naturally occurring. This crisis was crafted in these hallowed halls. Policy decisions were made that ensnared generations in the student debt trap.”
In mid-October 2024, Biden’s team announced an additional $4.5 billion in student debt relief for over 60,000 borrowers who applied for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program, which has had its share of issues in the past. Before Biden took office, only 7,000 borrowers received forgiveness through the program.
Over the years, the rejection rate was as high as 98% due to “administrative errors and difficult processes.”
Pressley has continued the pledge on the campaign trail with Harris. She has highlighted the dangers of Project 2025, which attacks the Department of Education and “Black jobs” at the federal level, like hers, according to The Bay State Banner. “He’s coming for actual Black jobs,” she said.
“There are three million federal jobs, and one out of every five of them is held by Black folks — so we’re talking about 600,000 Black Americans that stand to have their livelihoods impacted because Project 2025 calls for using executive action from Schedule F for massive firing of dedicated public servants to replace them with Trump loyalists and sycophants.”
Power Of The Ballot Bus Tour Stops Through Georgia To Rally Black Voters
This issue remains concerning for Democrats, who hope to keep the state blue after Joe Biden did in 2020.
The Power Of The Ballot Bus Tour stops in Georgia to rally Black voters as Election Day draws near.
The bus stopped at the Cobb County Civic Center in Marietta on Oct. 27 to encourage the critical electorate to make their votes count. According to Fox 5, speakers from Georgia Coalition for the People’s Agenda and Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. emphasized how Black voters in the Peach State can shape the presidential election.
“You have to be at the polls,” said the Coalition’s executive director, Helen Butler. “It’s time for you to exercise your right to vote. Never, ever give up that power.”
Native public figures like Love and Hip Hop: Atlanta’s Lil Scrappy also spoke to attendees about voting.
“Vote for this young Black lady, for this person we know is going to keep us where we need to be,” stated the rapper and reality star.
The push for Black Georgians to head to the polls comes as early voting has yielded less-than-stellar results in this demographic. While Georgia had a record-breaking turnout of early voters, the numbers for Black voters, who comprise one-third of the state’s electorate, have not matched. BLACK ENTERPRISE previously covered the low turnout for voters of color.
However, this issue remains concerning for Democrats, who hope to keep the state blue after Joe Biden did in 2020. Moreover, Georgia is considered to be a critical battleground state. Harris and Trump visited the Southern state several times during the election’s final weeks.
“They have to know that there are no barriers they can’t overcome,” Butler added. “Don’t be afraid. Don’t be intimidated. We are there to help you. We have lawyers on duty, so don’t listen to the misinformation, disinformation.”
Multiple organizations, such as the Legal Defense Fund and ACLU of Georgia, are combating misinformation for voters.
