Black-Owned Brewery
by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman

June 4, 2024

Crown & Hops, Black-Owned Brewery, Lock Arms With Fellow Spirits Owners To Diversify The Industry

The breweries share resources, including a facility, to help with production.

A Black-owned brewery has joined forces with other diverse entrepreneurs to expand its reach in the beverage industry. Crowns & Hops Brewing Co. discussed its plan to connect with and elevate Black business owners.

The Inglewood-based company launched in 2019, but its founders, Beny Ashburn and Teo Hunter, swiftly realized the power in numbers. Wanting to grow their impact by uplifting others like themselves, they joined three other Black-owned breweries to start the Circle of Crowns Beverage Group.

“We always understood that what we were building at Crowns & Hops had the opportunity to be something that was industry-changing. There are very few entrepreneurs in the beverage industry, especially the craft beer industry, that were addressing diversity in the space,” Hunter told the Los Angeles Business Journal.

This diversity in the craft beer sector is much needed. Hunter stated that Black entrepreneurs only account for 80 of the 10,000 breweries within the United States. Given this, the Crowns & Hops founders started their business with virtually no expertise or guidance. However, they hope to alleviate this uphill battle for those currently on the journey.

“We’ve had to raise capital. We’ve had to create efficiencies,” explained Ashburn. “We can be a great adviser-consultant guide and help them build that foundation to be successful moving forward. We ourselves had a lot of help getting started, so it’s our opportunity to pay it forward.”

They partnered with fellow California company Full Circle Brewing Co., the nation’s largest Black-owned craft brewery and owners of Speakeasy Ales & Lagers and Sonoma Cider. Together, the cohort shares resources and business acumen to take their brands to new heights. Additionally, focusing on Black consumers within the rising craft beef space remains a priority for the group.

“What we’re doing is not just moving the needle in racial equity for our country, but it is really making an impact on the beverage industry as a whole,” shared Hunter. “People are looking for new consumers and how to find that diversity. For us, it is something that we believe is the future of craft beer.”

Crowns & Hops continues to see its success in action, as sales have grown at a 30% increase annually. With a greater influence in California, the brewery also plans to launch a taproom at LAX airport.

RELATED CONTENT: Top 5 Blacks in Brewery

Hyundai, Lawsuit
by Sharelle B. McNair

June 3, 2024

Hyundai Faces DOL Lawsuit After Being Accused Of Hiring 13-Year-Old Girl To Work Assembly Line 

'Instead of attending middle school, she worked on an assembly line making parts,' the DOJ said in the complaint.

A Hyundai manufacturing plant in Alabama is being sued by the U.S. Department of Labor for allegedly employing a 13-year-old girl to an assembly line—for 50 hours a week. 

The complaint claims the manufacturer hired the minor illegally in collaboration with another auto parts manufacturer and a staffing agency. The Labor Department wants the Alabama federal court to stop the companies from hiring children illegally as well as “surrender profits related to the use of oppressive child labor.”

“A thirteen-year-old girl worked up to 50-60 hours per week at a manufacturing facility in Luverne, Alabama, over a period of six to seven months,” the complaint said. “Instead of attending middle school, she worked on an assembly line making parts.”

The filing accuses the defendants of profiting off of “use of oppressive child labor” with consumers across the country unknowingly purchasing cars assembled by minors.

According to CNN, the child worked on machines that turned sheet metal into body parts for vehicles between July 11, 2021 and February 1, 2022. The allegation put all three companies in violation of child labor provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act.

“A 13-year-old working on an assembly line in the United States of America shocks the conscience,” Wage and Hour Division Administrator Jessica Looman said in a statement. “As we work to stop illegal child labor where we find it, we also continue to ensure that all employers are held accountable for violating the law.”

Child labor advocates are celebrating the agency’s actions to hold companies accountable for adhering to child labor laws, including in states working toward relaxing laws in place.

In Florida, a bill was proposed on Dec. 14 seeking to eliminate state guidelines for children, ages 16 and 17, on when they can work. Sponsored by Republican State Rep. Linda Chaney, HB 49 would also limit the ability of local government bodies to propose stronger regulations in their communities.

Laws in Florida currently make it illegal for employers to have minors under 18 work more than 30 hours a week throughout the school year, have them work during school hours, have them work between the hours of 11 p.m. to 6:30 a.m., or schedule older teens to work more than six days in a row.

Hyundai said it “took steps to fix the issue” and took preventable steps that hinders future employment of under-age workers.

“After we learned of the alleged supplier violations, we took immediate actions,” the statement read. “At our request, the suppliers involved terminated their relationships with the third-party staffing agencies even though those agencies had certified that they had screened and cleared individuals as being of legal age. In addition, we completed an investigation and a broader review of our U.S. supplier network.”

“Companies cannot escape liability by blaming suppliers or staffing companies for child labor violations when they are in fact also employers themselves,” Solicitor of Labor Seema Nanda said.

Close to 1,000 cases were being investigated by the Labor Department as of 2023, ABC News reports, involving 5,792 children nationwide, including 502 children employed in violation of hazardous occupation standards.

RELATED CONTENT: Investigation Found Tennessee Firm Hired Kids To Clean Head Splitters In Slaughterhouse

fight, delays
by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

June 3, 2024

Brawl Breaks Out Between Airport Workers And Passenger At Spirit Airlines Ticket Counter

The incident that took place at BWI Marshall Airport just outside Baltimore.

A May 28 confrontation at the Spirit Airlines ticket counter at Maryland’s BWI Marshall Airport led to some employees of the airline jumping on a man, The New York Post reports.

The clip, captured on a cellphone and posted on TMZ, shows the passenger, dressed in a T-shirt and shorts, going toward the desk, squaring up against two Spirit Airlines workers dressed in black. A male worker, wearing a white shirt, then comes from behind the counter and is seen striking the passenger. The other men grab the passenger. Another man, also dressed in all black, finally joins the fray as the instigator falls to the ground.

The three men dressed in black continue to pummel the passenger as the man in the white shirt holds him down. The video ends with the employees restraining the passenger.

Maryland Transportation Authority (MDTA) Police released a statement to The New York Post confirming the incident.

“Officers responded to the Spirit Airlines ticket counters at BWI Marshall Airport for reports of a fight. Officers identified five involved individuals. One individual suffered minor injuries. All involved parties were provided with victims’ rights and services information, including information about filing criminal charges at the local commissioner’s office.”

The budget airline said the incident that took place around 4:15 p.m. A spokesperson expressed the employees did not work directly for Spirit Airlines but were “employed by our vendor at BWI.”

“Our vendor has suspended four of their employees involved pending an investigation into the matter. We do not tolerate violence of any kind, and we will take appropriate action as necessary following the completion of the vendor’s investigation.”

According to the Post, the budget airline is no stranger to this kind of viral content. “Earlier this month,” the paper reported, “a Spirit Airlines flight attendant nearly got pummeled as she desperately tried to break up a fistfight between two men on a Boston-bound flight.”

RELATED CONTENT: Spirit Airlines Reimburses Family For Placing Child On Wrong Flight, But Doesn’t Offer Explanation

Winston-Salem State University
by Stacy Jackson

June 3, 2024

First Female Chancellor Appointed At Winston-Salem State University

As WSSU's new3 chancellor, Bonita Brown has dedicated the next few weeks to understand the university's and community's challenges.

Winston-Salem State University (WSSU) has appointed Bonita Brown as its 14th chancellor, marking a historic milestone as she becomes the first woman to hold the position at the institution.

After an extensive search, Brown was elected by the University of North Carolina Board of Governors, following her nomination by the University of North Carolina System President Peter Hans. WSSU confirmed that she will assume her new role on July 1.

Reflecting on her trailblazing appointment, Brown, who previously served as WSSU’s assistant attorney, expressed her determination to be a role model and source of inspiration, drawing from her experiences at other universities. “I always say female leadership is a little bit different from male leadership. So we’ll see how that plays out in the course of my journey here,” she said, according to WXII 12.

Chosen from a pool of 50 candidates after several rounds of interviews, the North Carolina native has prioritized higher education in the state and investing back into the community. Over the next few weeks, Brown plans to dedicate time to understanding the specific challenges faced by the university and the surrounding community before implementing her strategic vision.

“There’s a lot of challenges,” the new chancellor acknowledged. “And so I think for Winston-Salem State, we have to find our grounding, make sure we’re fiscally sound, make sure we’re offering our degree programs that are appropriate for this time and that our students leave with the skills and tools they need to be leaders and entrepreneurs.”

Brown follows in the footsteps of her predecessors, former chancellor Elwood Robinson, whose tenure concluded with his retirement in June 2023, and WSSU provost Anthony Graham, who has served as interim chancellor.

Prior to this appointment, Brown served as the Interim President of Northern Kentucky University, where she navigated a leadership transition and tackled university issues regarding finances and enrollment. As the university’s former Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer, she implemented “Success by Design,” a plan that resulted in more than a 5% increase in retention and persistence rates.

Tiny Desk, NPR Music, Tems, Chaka Khan, Kierra Sheard, Lakecia Benjamin
by Jeroslyn JoVonn

June 3, 2024

NPR’s Tiny Desk Is Putting On For The Ladies For Black Music Month

NPR Music is coming in hot in June in honor of Black Music Month and tapped an all-Black women lineup for the celebration.

NPR Music is coming in hot in June in honor of Black Music Month, and an all-Black women’s lineup has been tapped for the celebration.

On Friday, May 31, NPR unveiled the roster for NPR Music’s popular Tiny Desk series during African American Music Appreciation Month, and Black Girl Magic is on the menu. Tems, Chaka Khan, Tierra Whack, Kierra Sheard, Lakecia Benjamin, Meshell Ndegeocello, Brittney Spencer, SWV, and Flo Milli are the musical acts set to take viewers on a generational journey through music beginning June 3.

With a special theme of “Giving women their flowers,” each musician will receive their favorite flowers at the end of their performance to honor their contributions and legacy in music. NPR Music will also celebrate each artist through short-form Instagram video interviews highlighting their musical journeys and experiences.

“This Black Music Month, we’re giving the ladies their flowers! We’re releasing nine Tiny Desk concerts from Black women who’ve paved the way for what we hear today in Black music and others who are carving out their own paths,” Host and series producer Bobby Carter said.

“All of them are queens in their own right who represent a beautiful array of genres, generations and walks of life.”

Since its inception in 2008, The Tiny Desk concert series has grown to attract over 16 million monthly viewers, who contribute to more than 45 million monthly views. The most recent performers include dancehall superstar Sean Paul and singers Nelly Furtado and Ne-Yo.

Tems kicked off the all-female Tiny Desk series for Black Music Month, and her performance was published on Monday, June 3. Now in its 45th year, Black Music Month was first introduced by President Jimmy Carter in 1979 as African American Music Appreciation Month. Since then, June has been aimed at celebrating Black music’s influence on American culture.

RELATED CONTENT: The Roots Picnic: A Lesson On Longevity and Industry Relationships

The Retail Village at Sycamore & Oak, Washington, DC
by Daniel Johnson

June 3, 2024

Sycamore & Oak: A Thriving D.C. Retail Village For Black Businesses

The retail space opened in June 2023.

In June 2023, Washington, D.C.’s Mayor, Muriel Bowser, announced the opening of Sycamore & Oak Retail Village. The retail center would be owned by the members of the community and was intended by city leaders to be a space for Black-owned businesses to get the resources they are typically denied when trying to open and scale up their establishments. 

As PBS Newshour reported, the experiment in D.C. has been a resounding success as Keyonna Jones, the owner of Soufside Creative, an art and apparel shop, describes the village atmosphere as “a tribe, like a Black Wall Street tribe.” 

Jones continued, “Sycamore & Oak has been an incredible resource for myself and for my business, coming in here as a small business it has been an incubator space where we learn all the professional things.”

Despite the success of the Black-owned businesses inside the retail village, most Black-owned businesses are not the beneficiaries of such a targeted effort to help them succeed, and face struggles. 

According to Bridget Weston, the CEO of SCORE, a non-profit business mentoring program that also provides resources to small businesses, conversations with Black-owned business owners have left her with the impression that there is much work to do before parity in business is achieved. “From what I can see in my role and in talking with Black entrepreneurs across the country, unfortunately a lot of the challenges that they see as entrepreneurs are the same that they face throughout the nation because of systemic issues that persist.”

Weston continued, “Specifically Black-owned entrepreneurs had bigger issues with the lack of childcare, they had more challenges with people or either themselves, their family or their staff being affected by COVID-19, and unfortunately they also had less access to the funds that were available to them to help their businesses survive during the pandemic.”

Chris Pyrate, the owner of Chris Pyrate & Friends, a street wear apparel shop and art gallery located inside the retail center, indicated that he wanted to see the shop avoid the pitfall of gentrification that has been ravaging D.C. for years. “I love the fact that it starts off all local,” Pyrate said. “It could be an example of actually like being a destination in Southeast, without being a super like heavily gentrified project…without losing the accessibility [and] the feeling of that Southeast people are welcome.” 

Jones told PBS Newshour that she hopes that the village’s success continues and serves as a beacon for other Black-owned businesses, “I hope that Black entrepreneurs they know that they have a space within each other and within the tribe to thrive, they keep me sharp and they’re making sure that I’m working at my highest potential and I’m grateful for that.”

RELATED CONTENT: Fighting Gentrification In A Historic Brooklyn Neighborhood

Wanda Durant, Bowie State Commencement
by Stacy Jackson

June 3, 2024

Wanda Durant Addresses Bowie State Grads During 2024 Commencement

Mama Durant's commencement speech addressed her journey raising her sons and encouraged graduates to have a plan attached to their dreams.

Wanda Durant, the inspirational matriarch behind NBA icon Kevin Durant, delivered a rousing commencement address on Friday, May 24, before the Bowie State University Class of 2024.

Raised in the neighboring town of Capitol Heights, which she described as the “drug capital of the world” during her time, Mama Durant drew from her own life experiences as she challenged the graduates to view their success as a pathway for those following in their footsteps. “When I stand here and look at you graduates, I see myself, I see my sons,” she told BSU graduates at the spring commencement ceremony. Durant shared her journey of navigating fears and uncertainties and raising her two sons on her own. “I had to do what you did and continue to strive on,” she said, encouraging the graduates to have a plan attached to their dreams.

In her role as president of the Durant Family Foundation (DFF), Mama Durant has dedicated herself to uplifting underprivileged youth through educational, athletic, and social initiatives. The DFF website proudly showcases the foundation’s far-reaching impact, supporting young people nationwide and beyond since 2013.

Bowie State University’s commencement program hailed Durant as “a dynamic leader, a beacon of inspiration, an advocate and a force for change who uses her platform to empower champions.” It lauded her for disseminating messages of hope, resilience, and the power of belief throughout corporations, non-profit organizations, college campuses, and youth audiences.”

Durant’s remarkable odyssey and indomitable spirit are captured in “The Real MVP: The Wanda Durant Story,” a film produced by Queen Latifah that showcases her relentless efforts and profound influence as a genuine MVP.

Beyond co-founding and leading OUR Mothers Inc., an NBA mothers’ collective, Durant has graced prestigious platforms with her keynote addresses, including J.P. Morgan Chase, the Ford Foundation, Thomson Reuters, Brown Brother Harriman, and the Flamboyan Foundation. Her voice has also resonated at the White House United States of Women Summit and the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Annual Legislative Conference.

Wu-Tang Clan, Beverage
by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman

June 3, 2024

Wu-Tang Clan Celebrates Legacy With New Healthy Beverage

Wu-Tang announced the news ahead of their Vegas residency.

Wu-Tang Clan is celebrating their legacy and the anniversary of their debut album while announcing the launch of their new healthy beverage, in partnership with Hard.

The soft drink replacement brand announced the new flavor, HARD C.R.E.A.M., to toast the iconic Staten Island-based rap group. Moreover, the “Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)” collaboration will debut exclusively in Walmart stores nationwide.

“Celebrate 30 Years of Wu-Tang Clan’s legendary influence on music, style, philosophy, and flavor,” captioned the post in January. “Every fan has helped make Wu the legends they are, and they’re giving the love back to the world’s greatest fans.”

Containing B vitamins and natural flavors, the caffeinated beverage will also feature a vanilla cream without any dairy, gluten, or lactose. Its “C.R.E.A.M.” flavoring pays homage to Wu-Tang’s 1993 hit, which stands for “Cash Rules Everything Around Me.”

The news came amid their rap group’s first run of Vegas residencies. The hip-hop legends will continue their slate of shows at the Virgin Hotel’s theater in September.

This year has also provided more recognition for the rap group’s contributions to music, overall. Recently, Apple Music listed their debut album, and the namesake for their Hard collaboration, within their Top 100 albums. The music streaming platform also spoke to Rza, one of Wu-Tang’s founding members, on their long-lasting legacy in the craft.

“One of the reasons I think that this album is special for us, as Wu-Tang Clan, is that this is an album that didn’t take money to make,” explained Rza. “When you are making things that’s pure, it means something else as time goes on, the purity of it…”

Fans now have numerous ways to celebrate the timeless album from the rap group that helped pioneer hip-hop. As for the drinks themselves, a 12-pack case of this limited anniversary edition drink goes for just under $30.

RELATED CONTENT: New Wu-Tang Clan Album Confirmed for 20th Anniversary

Pinkster celebration, New York
by Daniel Johnson

June 3, 2024

Rediscovering Pinkster: New York’s Historic Black Festival Returns Amid Juneteenth Celebrations

Pinkster was originally a Dutch Pentecostal holiday, but enslaved Africans in New York and New Jersey adopted the tradition and it was considered as a Black holiday from the 1800s on.

As Juneteenth has entered the national consciousness, the attention has allowed some older regional celebrations to share a portion of the spotlight. Although Pinkster was originally a Dutch Pentecostal holiday, enslaved Africans in New York and New Jersey adopted the tradition, and it became considered a Black holiday from the 1800s on.

According to HudsonValley.org, Pinkster is traditionally celebrated between late May and early June, and for the early Black revelers, it meant a break from work, a chance to visit relatives and friends, and a chance to keep African traditions alive away from the eyes of their enslavers. 

In the present day, a measure by New York State Assemblymember Brian Cunningham to make Pinkster a state law is pending. Cunningham told USA Today that the holiday needs to be recognized because it is a key part of New York’s state history and allows for Black joy to be placed front and center. “We still found moments to come together and celebrate our collective history,” Cunningham said.

In addition to Cunningham’s efforts, Cheyney McKnight, a member of the New York Historical Society, is among several keeping the tradition alive. McKnight and a group of 11 marked the holiday in May by recreating a route enslaved Black people would have traveled. Ahead of the day’s travels, McKnight told a crowd gathered at the starting point of the route, a farmhouse in Manhattan, “There’s nothing like family. These people came together every year to congregate, to just have a good time. This shows their agency.”

Slavery in America was not just a Southern tradition, according to Andrea Mosterman, a professor of early American history at the University of New Orleans. “For more than 200 years, slavery was a regular part of New York life.” Mosterman also indicated to the outlet that slavery was “really integral to this society.”

According to Myra Young Armstead, a history professor at Bard College in New York, part of what effectively ended what was at that time the largest Black celebration in early Colonial American history was a fear that if the enslaved Black population kept meeting, they could secretly plot to rise and overthrow their white enslavers, similar to what had occurred during the Haitian Revolution. As a result, Pinkster was outlawed in 1811, and the tradition lost its position over the years.

Lavonda Nahon, an author and a public historian for the New York State Parks office, told USA Today that reviving the holiday is important because it preserves the dignity of enslaved people. “We need to take the shame that other people have placed upon us off by rediscovering things like Pinkster and celebrating them however we choose to. It’s vitally important that people went out of their way to remain human in their own eyes.”

McKnight agrees, telling USA Today her reasons for helping to keep the holiday alive revolved around her love for Black residents of New York. “I just kind of wanted it to be a gift to, you know, Black New Yorkers. It’s for them. And it’s not about educating white folks or the public about us. It’s about us.”

RELATED CONTENT: Jersey City’s Juneteenth Celebration Set To Be Bigger And Better This Year

Trump attacks, judge, Chutkan, trump
by Sharelle B. McNair

June 3, 2024

Majority Of Americans View Trump’s Guilty Verdict As The Right Move, Feels He Should End Campaign

Following the historic 34-count guilty verdict handed down on May 30, 50% of Americans think he should end his 2024 presidential campaign.

Former President Donald Trump earned the title of the first president to be convicted of felony crimes, and America thinks the jury got it right. 

Following the historic 34-count guilty verdict handed down on May 30, an ABC News poll, in collaboration with Ipsos, found that 50% think Trump’s guilty verdict on his hush money trial was correct. What’s more eye-opening is 49% think he should end his 2024 presidential campaign because of it. The four-time indicted politician is eyeing an appeal, stating on May 31 that “bad people” were behind the case and the charges against him. “If they can do this to me, they can do this to anyone,” Trump said during a press conference. 

“These are bad people. These are, in many cases, I believe, sick people.” 

Trump sat before a judge and jury in a New York City courtroom as the 34 verdicts were read related to falsifying business records on a payment made to adult film star Stormy Daniels prior to the 2016 election in order to keep her quiet about their alleged affair.

His trial has been the hot topic of the 2024 political season. Close to 50% of Americans think Trump’s charges were politically motivated, while 38% disagree. However, 51% think Trump did something intentionally illegal in this case, versus 12% feeling it may have been a mistake. Nineteen percent believe he did nothing wrong.

Of the 49% who think the verdict proves it’s time for Trump to shut his campaign down, the numbers don’t look too different from the 48% who shared similar thoughts in a poll from April 2023 – when the indictments were first handed down. 

Somehow, through all the verdicts, the former President’s favorability has remained stable at 31%; but not for all his supporters. 

According to Newsweek, a poll conducted by Echelon Insights between May 30 and May 31 found that the number of Black voters who were potentially voting for Trump had gone down – 27% to now 16%. Only 4% percent said they were certain Trump still has their support. 

The revelation comes shortly after Trump’s son, Eric, said the convictions now guarantee “certain segments” of the population are now more likely to vote for him. “For the first time, they realize that the system’s coming down, that he’s the victim, he’s the victim that oftentimes some of their communities were,” he said on Fox News on June 2.  

“And you see them swinging. Look at the African-American vote. That’s swinging over to Donald Trump in spades.”

Trump and his supporters once proclaimed that Black people are set to support him because they can relate to being discriminated against. His campaign team also thought the launch of $399 sneakers would help to snatch up the Black vote because Black people love sneakers. “So when you have Trump roll out a sneaker line, they’re like, wait a minute, this is cool,” Fox News’ Raymond Arroyo said back in February 2024. 

Regardless of his legal woes, several lawmakers are still vying to support the former President during the November 2024 election. Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) admitted that despite hush money convictions, he feels the Republican Party made the right move with their nomination. “Is it a good idea … that Donald Trump is the nominee? The answer is 100 percent yes,” McCarthy told CNN’s Manu Raju. 

“Will Donald Trump win this presidency? The answer is yes.”

×