WATCH: Dwayne Johnson Celebrates His Momma’s Birthday With Traditional Samoan Dancing
by Atiya Jordan

October 27, 2022

WATCH: Dwayne Johnson Celebrates His Momma’s Birthday With Traditional Samoan Dancing

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has got some moves – and by the looks of it, his mother, Ata Johnson, does too!

On Wednesday, the inseparable mother-son duo were celebrating Mama Johnson’s birthday with family, friends, live music, and traditional Samoan dancing. The Black Adam star posted to Instagram to share a special highlight of the momentous occasion.

In a heartwarming video, Johnson’s mother is seen stunned in a red two-piece skirt set, which pays tribute to her Hawaiian and Samoan roots. She danced away as the live guitarist, drummer, and dancer set the tone.

Johnson is also seen throwing money into the air above the dancer in acknowledgment of her graceful performance. It is a tradition that the Samoa and Tonga people do during special occasions.

In a sweet caption, Johnson wished his mother a happy birthday, calling her “the matriarch of our aiga,” which is the Samoan word for “family.”

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Dwayne Johnson (@therock)

“We all get such joy seeing you radiate and smile and proudly display our culture.” The caption continued, “Grace, beauty, dignity, respect and strength. You can feel the mana of our ancestors all around us.”

He went on to express gratitude for how instrumental his mother has been in “teaching” his three daughters: Simone Johnson, 21, whom he shares with ex-wife Dany Garcia, as well as Jasmine Johnson, 6, and Tiana Johnson, 4, whom he shares with his wife, Lauren Hashian.

Through the years, Johnson has proven that he doesn’t hold back in showing his mother his appreciation. Back in June, the former pro wrestler surprised his mother with a new home, and the gift brought her to tears, BLACK ENTERPRISE previously reported.

“When I was a little boy, I hated when my mom would cry. These days, I’ll happily take her tears of joy. I always say, if you got a good mom then you got a good shot at becoming a good, caring human being,” he wrote in a social media post.

Having surprised his mother many times before, he added, “but this one is special as she’s told me over and over these past few years, ‘After a lifetime of traveling, I want this home to be my last. That’s my dream.’“

Bags Raises $3M to Launch Funding Platform For The Culture
by BLACK ENTERPRISE Editors

October 27, 2022

Bags Raises $3M to Launch Funding Platform For The Culture

Bags has announced $3M in Seed funding as they launch the small business loan discovery and management platform built by and for the culture.

The new Bags platform is built to help diverse and women-owned businesses get the working capital that they need, understand the implications of debt financing, and manage their repayment process, all with lenders that have a vested interest in supporting the community the business aims to serve. The company has already helped hundreds of businesses save time and money finding the right funding for growth. 

Founded by Daniel Taylor, Ignacio Semerene, and William Hayden, the company’s mission is to increase access to entrepreneurship in diverse communities to create stronger local economies, better jobs, and generational wealth. Based on data from the Congressional Black Caucus, the median net worth for Black business owners was 12 times higher than for Black non-business owners in 2019.  These data show the power of entrepreneurship to advance wealth building within the Black community.  

“Access to capital is a core part of long-term business success, and in turn, wealth generation through business ownership. We built Bags to ensure every business can keep growing and feel confident they’ll find the funding they need.” said Bags CEO Daniel Taylor.  

In 2019, Taylor sold Asktipster, a social data startup, to Flowcode, without raising venture capital. Following the murder of George Floyd in 2020, he joined forces with Hayden, an IPG executive, and Semerene, Chief of Staff at Monzo, a UK fintech unicorn, to build a platform to increase approval rates and amount of funds disbursed to minority and women-owned businesses.  

There are 9.2 million minority-owned small businesses and 11.7 million women-owned small businesses in the US, and these segments are fast growing. Yet 99% of businesses will never raise venture capital, and, according to the Minority Business Development Agency, minority-owned businesses are less likely to be approved for financing than white business owners with the same annual receipts. In the current rising rate environment, diverse and women-owned businesses need access to fair funding that is hard to find through existing channels and unavailable from traditional banks.

The Bags platform connects businesses to mission-driven lenders, including non-profit CDFIs with a commitment to lend to minority and women-owned businesses at affordable rates. It is designed to reduce time and friction in the loan application process with integrated education and detailed guides on how to get approved.   

“We know that there’s cash in the market that is meant to reach diverse groups of entrepreneurs. Our job is to help entrepreneurs and mission-driven lenders connect with each other, and to ensure that business owners have everything they need to succeed with debt financing,” said Hayden, who leads growth and partnerships for the company.   

The company’s $3M seed round was raised from investors including Slauson & Co, Connecticut Innovations, and Schultz Family Foundation’s Entrepreneurs Equity Fund, following on previous investments from Altrinsic Global Advisors and angel investors Tim Armstrong, Owen Van Natta, Edith Cooper, and André Swanston, among others. The round brings total funding for Bags to $4M. 

“This new round of funding will enable us to reach more businesses and continue to build the best tools to help companies grow,” said Semerene, who serves as Head of Product.  

To learn more about BAGS and the work they are doing to help diverse business owners have an equal shot at success through access to capital, visit their website SecureBags.com or follow them on social media @Secure_Bags.

HUD Secretary Marcia Fudge To Host Virtual House Party In Support Of Millennial And Gen Z Homeownership
by Derek Major

October 27, 2022

HUD Secretary Marcia Fudge To Host Virtual House Party In Support Of Millennial And Gen Z Homeownership

Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Marcia Fudge will hold a virtual ‘House Party’ to share available resources and break common myths concerning the home-buying process.

According to a HUD release the ‘House Party’ is set to take place on Nov. 1 at 6:30 p.m. and registration for the event is open. The agency reports young homeownership has been in decline since the 1960s and is unattainable for many young adults who are already struggling.

Homeownership for Americans, in general, is difficult as increasing interest rates have climbed to 7% and are still increasing as the Biden administration tries to stop inflation without sending the country into a recession.

During the virtual event, Fudge will address and debunk myths on debit and credit as well as information on federal programs that can assist with down payments and more.

“Too many young people feel discouraged and intimidated by the homebuying process and HUD is here to help,” said Secretary Fudge in a statement.

“Thanks to student loan forgiveness, many young adults may have more money in their pockets and there are many resources available to help people realize the dream of homeownership. HUD and the Federal Housing Administration are dedicated to helping more young people realize their dream of becoming homebuyers and enjoying the wealth-building benefits that come with it.”

Fudge has been traveling the country, including Texas and Florida, where she awarded the Central Florida region $8 million in federal grants to fight homelessness. In 2022, 74.6% of white Americans owned a home compared to 45.3% of Black Americans. Additionally, the disparity between Black and white Americans is now larger than it was when the 1964 Fair Housing Act was signed into law.

The ‘House Party will also include several mayors of urban areas who will speak on their own efforts to facilitate young people purchasing homes in their cities. There will also be a Q & A session to highlight resources offered by HUD and its Federal Housing Authorities.

 

If at First You Don’t Succeed: Meet Former Teacher, Black Owner of $3.5M Intermodal Drayage Service
by Stacy Jackson

October 27, 2022

If at First You Don’t Succeed: Meet Former Teacher, Black Owner of $3.5M Intermodal Drayage Service

You might remember that growing up, people always told you to follow your dreams, but this entrepreneur who went from teaching to trucking proves what you can really do if you never give up.

Ashley Williams-Booker, the founder of Complete Logistics Service, switched her career path as a geometry teacher to start what is now a multimillion dollar asset-based company that supplies intermodal drayage services in Houston. In an interview with a source, Booker shared that she transports over 2,500 containers per year.

“I am in the intermodal industry, meaning that I assist with the drayage, which is the truck we pick up from the port,” Booker said.

“We deliver to the receiver or the shipper and we bring it back to the port or I pick it up from rail and sea.”

“I deal with the part of intermodal that basically is needed for every human to survive from tissue paper to what you order on Amazon, all that comes through sea and through rail. So, my niche is mastering the port and the railroads and making sure that everyone receives their product in bulk,” Booker told the source.

When the former educator was introduced to the trucking business by a friend, she became a quick learner, and made ten times her earnings as a teacher when she first launched in 2014. The business owner admitted that she faced several speed bumps after she first launched her venture that caused her to take a back seat and put her business on hold for an entire year.

“The box truck industry is very hard to survive because you’re limited on the amount of space and weight that you can put on your truck. So, for a load that will go for $1,500 in an 18-wheeler with a full 53-foot trailer, I would only be able to get $300 or $400 of that because I had a smaller truck that could only limit a certain amount of freight on it,” Booker explained.

“So, it wasn’t really the money, it was just the frustration of getting partial loads. I didn’t like it. So, I failed.”

Booker got back on track in 2018 and purchased two semi-trucks, which resulted in a $50,000 profit that she invested to bring long-term security for the company. From now financing trucks worth up to $60,000, to purchasing her own lot, Booker shares her success to inform others about the industry.

“So, I was able to purchase a 10-acre lot in what we call the mecca of trucking in Houston in the prime real estate area for trucking,” Booker said.

“That’s when I knew, I made it.”

“I am not different from my next-door neighbor or from anybody that I’m approached by. I’m just some regular person. I just took time out to invest in myself and invest in my family and you shouldn’t be afraid to do that either.”

Booker disclosed that her company is now worth $3.5 million.

She is the author of the book, Surviving Intermodal, and teaches others about intermodal drayage through her Surviving Intermodal Mentorship Academy.

Mother Wanted for Murder After 5-Year-Old Son Found Dead Inside Suitcase — She Believed He Was Possessed By ‘Powerful Demonic Force’
by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

October 27, 2022

Mother Wanted for Murder After 5-Year-Old Son Found Dead Inside Suitcase — She Believed He Was Possessed By ‘Powerful Demonic Force’

A young boy’s dead body was discovered inside a suitcase in Indiana back in April 2022.

This week, police officials revealed that the mother of the boy is suspected of being involved in his death and she believed that demons possessed her son. A warrant has been issued for her arrest.

According to WGN 9, a boy who was found in a suitcase several months ago has been identified as 5-year-old Cairo Ammar Jordan.

(Facebook)

His mother, 37-year-old Dejaune Ludie Anderson is being sought by police officers after arresting 40-year-old Dawn Elaine Coleman on October 19 in San Francisco. Authorities were able to lift fingerprints from two trash bags found with the suitcase that matched both suspects. A match of Anderson’s fingerprint was discovered on June 29, while the one that matched Coleman’s was found on July 25.

The Indiana State Police issued a release stating that arrest warrants were issued for both women on October 14 charging them with Neglect of a Dependent Resulting in Death, a Level 1 Felony, and Obstruction of Justice, a Level 6 Felony.

Court documents show that Anderson believed her son was possessed according to social media posts. Officials stated that the mother revealed through her Facebook and Twitter accounts between December 2021 and April 2022 that she believed her son was a demon and he needed to be killed or exorcised.

On January 5, she wrote in a post about hexes and curses, “protection spells” and “reversal spells” for Cairo. She also wrote, “I’m using my blood for this ritual.” Then on February 19, she posted that she had to raise her “frequency” to heal others and her ancestors. She was seeking to get in alignment to exorcise “a very powerful demonic force from within my son.”

There were also posts from March 15 and 18 as well as April 8 referring to different matters surrounding her beliefs about demons living within a child. She talks of telling her story through a book and podcast according to one of her posts.

After police officers brought Coleman into custody last week, officials released a second arrest warrant this week on October 25 that added on a murder charge for Anderson.

Digital Investment Platform Releases Robo-Investing App To Help Close Racial Wealth Gap
by Derek Major

October 27, 2022

Digital Investment Platform Releases Robo-Investing App To Help Close Racial Wealth Gap

Stackwell, the digital investment platform working to create generational change in the Black community, announced the release of a robo-investing app.

The app is reportedly available for download in Apple’s App Store. Specifically designed with the Black community in mind, the app aims to provide tools and knowledge for building wealth.

“The release of our app represents a significant milestone in the ongoing growth and development of our company,” Stackwell founder and CEO Trevor Rozier-Byrd said in a news release.

“We are now uniquely positioned to help more people in the Black community leverage the power of the stock market to grow long-term sustainable wealth and ultimately capture a massive market opportunity by becoming the trusted provider of end-to-end financial products and services for millions of Black consumers.”

According to CNBC, a little more than one-third (34%) of Black households held equity investments in 2019. In comparison, 61% of white families had equity investments that same year. One reason for this is the significant lack of financial literacy for Black Americans.

Stackwell’s app claims to be a simple, easy-to-use resource that provides users with the necessary tools to start investing. The app has a $1 subscription fee and a $10 investment minimum, increasing accessibility in the Black community.

The app includes automated investment portfolios, in-app educational content, and intentional design and science-based recommendations to help users achieve long-term goals.

In conjunction with the app’s release, Stackwell announced partnerships with several NBA and WNBA teams, including The New Orleans Pelicans, The Minnesota Timberwolves and Minnesota Lynx, and The Washington Wizards and Washington Mystics.

The collaborations will boost community engagement through specific programming and events and create more than 3,500 new Stackwell accounts with initial funding for local program participants. Stackwell will also contribute over $250,000 to support the advancement and wealth-building opportunities for Black students, entrepreneurs, small business owners, and more.

“Stackwell is invested in Detroit, Minneapolis, New Orleans, and Washington, D.C.,” said Rozier-Byrd.

“We are excited to get to work alongside our NBA and WNBA partners, each of which is at the forefront of the social and economic justice issues impacting their communities. Together we will drive significant impact and change by increasing access to wealth-building opportunities for the local Black communities.”

by Atiya Jordan

October 27, 2022

‘Music Is A Ministry:’ Tichina Arnold Set To Host First-Ever Paramount Music Showcase In NYC

Award-winning actress and singer Tichina Arnold will be bringing her hosting prowess to the upcoming Paramount Music Showcase in New York.

The first-of-its-kind event is set to take place on Thursday, October 27, at Chelsea Music Hall, where three rising artists from historically underrepresented groups will have the chance to perform and shine.

The Neighborhood star, who recognized her love and natural talent for singing at an early age, is honored to help launch the next phase of the artists’ musical journey.

“Singing was my first, well, is my first love and it’s the first gift that I realized that God gave me,”  Arnold told BLACK ENTERPRISE.

“It’s important that young emerging talent and gifted people have a platform, so Paramount is giving that to them.”

She continued: “So many people that love music, they live and breath it. I’ve always had a huge respect for music. So to have a platform for individuals, for them to showcase their talents and their gifts, what better way to do it than me host it?”

This invaluable experience also granted an opportunity for the selected artists, Pardo, Rellz, and Synead,  to receive mentorship with various influential figures in the music and media business. They were each assigned to Jessie Maldonado, SVP, Promotion & Operations, RCA Records, Charlie Adelman, Marketing Director, Crush Music and Bianca Nicole Edwards, Director of Marketing, Roc Nation.

“We as artists, these artists, you learn along the way, but you learn from the people who’ve already paved the path for you,” Arnold explained. “You have a lot of up and coming artists that have never even hit the stage. How do you know how to present yourself on stage? How do you know what to do on stage? Just because you know how to sing doesn’t mean that you know how to present yourself as a brand.” 

“Music is a ministry. I think that the artists that do express themselves through music should have an opportunity at that and they should have an opportunity at being seen and recognized so they can culminate and grow,” she added.

Well established in the New York theater scene, the Queens, NY native attended the Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts. Her theater credits include “The Me Nobody Knows,” “Hair,” “Romance and Hard Times,” and “Haggadah.”

Although she didn’t pursue the music industry, Arnold’s singing gifts have translated to television and film, like Little Shop of Horrors and her first award-winning iconic role of Pam on the hit sitcom Martin

But her success wasn’t without inspiration.

“I think it’s wonderful to have mentorship, but it’s important,” Arnold explained. “You can’t do it without mentorship. I’ve had mentorship from people that didn’t even know me, but I’m watching their careers. I’m watching how they move, I’m watching the choices that they make in their careers, and I’m allowing them to influence me and my decisions because I like the path that they’re taking or I see something in myself in them. 

“And I think it’s important that each one teach one, so I just always wanted to be representative of a Black woman who did the best that she could.” 

Throughout the years, the 53-year-old mom has devoted to supporting the arts and paving the way for many, including her teenage daughter, Alijah Kai Haggins. 

“My daughter, for instance, she’s pure example of she wants to be in the music industry. She wants to be a music artist, so I’m always looking out for opportunities for her as well,” said Arnold.

When advising young talent, she said she tells them: “You see the end result, but it’s all the work and steps and the process that it takes to get to the end result, but you always want to do good work. You want to be able to enjoy what you do.” 

 

Launch Your Online Learning Platform at 94% Off Thanks To Overstock Deals
by Black Enterprise Shop

October 27, 2022

Launch Your Online Learning Platform at 94% Off Thanks To Overstock Deals

There has been no shortage of interest from intrigued individuals looking to tap into online learning courses and materials. Over the past couple of years, there’s been an uptick in online learning that doesn’t appear to be tapering off any time soon.

The paradigm shift in learning hasn’t just affected the classroom. Leisure learners have also jumped on the online learning bandwagon. While the pique of interest has benefitted young and old students, it’s also become beneficial for those looking to teach.

Hosting an online learning platform is costly, not to mention also expensive. OnlineCourseHost.com has made it accessible to many. And this exclusive Overstock Deals offering makes that low price even lower.

For a limited time, you can purchase OnlineCourseHost: Lifetime Subscription (Pro Plan) for just $199.99. That’s a savings of 94% from its MSRP ($3,720).

Overstock Deals runs through 11:59 p.m. on Oct. 31.

OnlineCourseHost is the easiest-to-use online course platform on the market. Part of its allure is that those with little to no technical knowledge can still create courses. All that’s required to begin creating your course’s page is to fill out a simple form. From there, you’ll have a beautiful sales page up and running in no time.

Users can create their brand and URL. The platform also can create a free one if users are unable to come up with their own. Seamless online payments for your users can be made through PayPal, Stripe, or other popular payment gateways.

Your students will have a top-of-the-line experience through OnlineCourseHost’s intuitive and user-friendly platforms. You can add digital downloads or a responsive course player, and you can give your students interactive assignments and quizzes to make their experience even more enjoyable. There are also spaces for student discussions.

Promote your course through Facebook Ads integration and email marketing integration.

“This platform competes very well with so many expensive platforms in the market, a very beautiful and customizable course landing page makes it unique,” Luxmi Narayan, a programming & cloud course creator, writes in a review of the platform.

With Online Course Host, you’ll set your students up for success from the beginning. Purchase it today to start creating and selling your online course.

Prices subject to change.

by Derek Major

October 26, 2022

Herschel Walker’s Renaissance Man Food Services Benefitted From The Unpaid Labor Of Drug Offenders

Georgia senate candidate Herschel Walker has dealt with numerous controversies during the run-up to next month’s midterm elections, and another just popped up.

According to PBS NewsHour, Walker’s Renaissance Man Food Services, which he founded in 1999, has benefitted from the unpaid labor of drug offenders.

According to PBS, several lawyers and prison advocates believe the Oklahoma-based Christian Alcoholics and Addicts In Recovery (CAAIR) acts as a residential “work camp” that profits from  a “vulnerable workforce under the guise of providing alcohol and drug counseling and rehabilitation services.”

More than a decade ago, CAAIR began sending residents to work at Simmons Foods Inc., a processing giant that Walker says is a principal partner and supplier for his food company.

State judges assign convicted offenders to CAAIR, allowing them to join the program or serve their time in a conventional jail or prison. Simmons would then contract with CAAIR for labor at its plants where workers are not paid.

Jillian Snider, a former New York City Police Officer and a current policy director for the R Street criminal justice and civil liberties program said the program design is almost like “an outpatient program” that focuses on skills training and counseling. However, she added the programs are “unique mostly to Southern states. It’s just not something you see in the northeast and in the West.”

A federal lawsuit against CAAIR and Simmons, which is currently pending, detailed how some participants were pressured to work when injured, compelled to attend religious services, and threatened with imprisonment if their work was unsatisfactory.

Additionally, CAAIR participants testified in court they did not always provide rehabilitative or psychiatric treatment.

Despite the treatment of the program’s participants, including lack of pay, US courts have declared the situation legal considering it the same as work programs for fully incarcerated inmates who fall outside the 13th Amendment’s ban on involuntary servitude. Additionally, a trial court judge ruled in 2020 that the program did not violate federal labor laws.

Neither Walker nor his company were named in the original suit, and Walker has avoided talking about the issue except to tout the program’s benefits.

“If someone comes out of prison, they should have incentives set up that the person has learned a trade, and you give an incentive for a company to hire him so he can make a living for himself,” Walker said during an Aug. 17 campaign event in Kennesaw, Georgia, according to PBS.

During his campaign run, Walker has been forced to answer questions concerning his children, abortion, and even climate change.

‘Love Is Blind’ Alum Lauren Speed-Hamilton Calls Out Show for ‘Cutting All The Black Women’
by Jeroslyn JoVonn

October 26, 2022

‘Love Is Blind’ Alum Lauren Speed-Hamilton Calls Out Show for ‘Cutting All The Black Women’

Love Is Blind alum Lauren Speed-Hamilton is calling out the show that helped her find her husband for its failure to feature more Black women.

Amid the premiere of season 3, Lauren took to Twitter to question the lack of Black women in the new season. The season 1 star noted how Black women are shown in the trailer but somehow disappear once the full-length episodes air on Netflix.

“I don’t like how LIB be cutting all the black women,” Lauren tweeted on Monday.

“How come they are always in the trailer but not the show… 👀”

Her tweet garnered strong responses from fans who agreed the new season’s lack of Black representation had turned them away from watching the show.

“I watched one episode of season 3 and I was not impressed at all,” one viewer wrote. “I wanna see more black women finding love on tv. Its so sad.”

“I wonder what it is? Are they just not clicking enough with other participants?” another viewer asked. “How do you think they choose what makes the final show?”

Season 3 started with 30 singles dating in the pods without seeing each other. Multiple Black women were dating among the singles, including Branni Max, Charita, Kalekia A., Kim, and Raven, Cheat Sheet reports.

While their profiles were released to tease the new season, Raven was the only one who got a little camera time when her time inside the pods was shown. When it came to the couples that got engaged and moved on in the marriage experiment, Black women were non-existent.

In season 2 it was a similar dynamic. Outside of Ayanna McNeely getting engaged to Jarrett Jones, no other Black women—or men— were included in the final cast.

While there are some people of color, the lack of Black representation is starting to raise concerns.

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