Silver Medalist Shelby McEwen On Why He Chose Jump-Off Over Shared Gold
McEwen has no regrets over his decision.
Why did United States high jumper Shelby McEwen decide to compete in a jump-off instead of sharing a gold medal with the eventual winner?
According to The Washington Post, the silver medalist and the gold medal winner, New Zealand’s Hamish Kerr, were given the option after several missed attempts by both, to accept being co-gold medal winners or compete in the jump-off to determine who would take home the top medal. McEwen told The Washington Post he and Kerr discussed the options before both agreeing to a jump-off.
“We walked and talked to each other,” McEwen said. “He was like, ‘Let’s jump off.’ I was like, ‘I’m all for it.’”
But McEwen emphasized that Kerr “said it first, and I agreed to it. At some point, I kind of got fatigued. I maybe would have shared it with him, for sure. But I agreed to it, and it was all good.”
Both men matched the height to keep the competition going. But, as the competition advanced, both jumpers missed heights that would have won the competition outright. After Kerr missed his third jump at 2.38 meters (7 feet, 6½ inches), it was officially a tie, with both men able to clear 2.36 meters. Yet, neither man was able to jump higher as they both missed 11 straight jumps. The bar was even lowered two times to try to clear the way for a winner. Although he was able to do 2.36 meters previously, the fatigue he mentioned was seemingly a factor as he was unable to clear it at 2.34 meters. When Kerr followed him, he cleared it.
McEwen, though, has no regrets.
“I came up short of the gold,” McEwen said. “But I’m still thankful for what I got.”
According to ABC 7 Chicago, 66-year-old Vera Liddell pleaded guilty to stealing $1.5 million worth of chicken wings between July 2020 and February 2022 while working as the food service director for Harvey School District 152. Liddell, who was in charge of placing orders with a main supplier for the district, Gordon Food Services, was charged with theft and operating a criminal enterprise in January 2023.
Instead of the food going to the school district, Liddell had it redirected elsewhere but charged the district for the orders. An audit done for the district revealed that the district’s food service department had surpassed the annual budget by $300,000 in just over half a school year, according to prosecutors. The business manager discovered the invoices for the chicken wings, but this wasn’t something they served to the students of the district because the chicken wings contained bones.
It was initially reported that Liddell was accused of ordering more than 11,000 cases of chicken wings from Gordon Food Services and going to pick up the order in a district cargo van. She was seen on surveillance footage picking up orders. Liddell signed an electronic keypad to acknowledge she went to the company to pick up the chicken wings and the school district was later billed for them.
The former school official never brought back the items to the school or used them to feed the students.
According to Queen City News, a proffer presented at Liddell’s bond hearing last year stated, “The massive fraud began at the height of COVID during a time when students were not allowed to be physically present in school. Even though the children were learning remotely, the school district continued to provide meals for the students that their families could pick up.”
Black-Owned Bookshop Finds Permanent Home Thanks To Philadelphia Community
The founder now owns her building that will continue to provide a communal space for Philadelphia.
Harriett’s Bookshop, a Black-owned business named after Harriet Tubman, has found its permanent home in Philadelphia.
The store’s founder, Jeanine A. Cook, spoke of the journey to becoming a business owner and one who owns her property. Cook opened the shop in 2020 and began trying to purchase the building it’s housed in two years later.
However, it was not until Aug. 6 that Cook became the owner of 258 E. Girard Ave. The four-story building in the Fishtown District was a communal investment, with Cook raising money for the down payment through GoFundMe.
“I’m still in shock,” Cook told the Philadelphia Inquirer. “I’m so excited that people are excited. I hope it ignites a faith for people to go forward with their dreams. It’s really about putting one foot in front of the other.”
Her decision to invest in the property came from a feeling of “sharecropping” due to renting the storefront. She felt the necessity of ownership after seeing fellow Black-owned businesses shut down due to rising rental costs.
“I couldn’t get this idea that I felt like a sharecropper out of my head,” explained Cook. “I had a vision for something different, but I had no idea about how I was going to pull that off.”
Originally, the rental was for Cook to open her consulting firm. However, a shift in her passions led to Harriett’s Bookshop, which has emerged beyond a bookstore and into a community meeting space.
From Cook riding on horseback to deliver books during the pandemic to donating books to protestors in Minneapolis and Louisville during the height of the Black Lives Matter movement, Cook proved that she and Harriett’s Bookshop were staples of the community.
Moreover, Cook launched the Sisterhood Sit-In Trolley Tour in the city to promote Black women-owned businesses that suffered from racist threats. She also owns two other bookshops, including Ida’s in Collingswood, New Jersey, named after Ida B. Wells. The other, Josephine’s in Paris, pays tribute to the legacy of Josephine Baker.
However, her growing presence within Philadelphia led others to pitch in to buy the entire building. She raised $200,000 to secure a down payment and later secured the trust of its previous owner to sell the property to her.
“Up until now, Harriett’s has been a gallery space,” expressed Cook, who also began renovations to include a cafe area. “In this next iteration, she will feel more like a home.”
Now a communal hub and permanent fixture of the community, Harriett’s Bookshop will continue to provide a safe space for all advocating for education, literature, and equality.
Black Books That Will Get Your Head Right During Black Business Month
Looking to learn more about business and how to successfully operate? Well, look no further BLACK ENTERPRISE selected 9 business books
Originally Published Aug. 19, 2023.
Looking to learn more about business and how to successfully operate? Well, look no further. BLACK ENTERPRISE has selected nine business books that go beyond scratching the surface.
Real talk: this is required reading. These Black authors do a deep dive into the world of business, sharing strategies, successful blueprints, and business models to educate about emerging and established entrepreneurs and business owners.
Want your business to be lit? Then get into this business lit:
Think And Grow Rich: A Black Choice
This is my 6th time reading this book. I advise everyone to check it out. Think and grow rich a black choice #TheEzeWaypic.twitter.com/orOpQE2Pvz
Written by Napoleon Hill and Dr. Dennis Kimbro, Think and Grow Rich: A Black Choice is a classic. This business guide reveals the secrets to success by combining Napoleon Hill’s law of success and Dr. Dennis Kimbro’s in-depth business knowledge with the success habits of notable Black Americans. Readers will learn to overcome mental setbacks to unlock business and lifestyle dreams.
Daymond John, businessman, investor, founder, and CEO of FUBU, wrote The Power of Broke as a motivational and inspirational book for business entrepreneurs. John tells his story and the stories of other entrepreneurs who have had their backs against the wall. A key takeaway in the text is that a lack of money can be your greatest circumstance, as desperation can boost creativity and passion.
Things Black People Aren’t Taught is written by Raymond Boseman. A U.S. army veteran with over 30 years of service and a bachelor’s degree in business, Boseman wrote this book to educate Black people on winning and failing, on investing and financial planning so they can achieve a successful retirement for life after work.
Written by one of the first African American woman CEOs out of Silicon Valley, Shellye Archambeau details her experiences as a Black woman, mother, and wife in leadership. She also gets into the risks and strategies she took to overcome obstacles and tests as she deals with professional and personal obligations.
Black Faces In High Places was written by Jeffrey Robinson and Dr. Randal Pinkett. This book is a critical guide for Black professionals looking to advance in their organizations and industries and how to navigate the transitions. The text highlights remarkable Black people who have achieved such goals.
Rachel Rodgers, business coach and CEO of Hello Seven Podcast, penned this how-to book. We Should All Be Millionaires is a step-by-step guide to empowering yourself and creating the plan, support, and confidence to build and grow wealth. This leadership book will teach how to make million-dollar decisions and strategies to bring in money.
Build the Damn Thing is written by Kathryn Finney, a venture capitalist and pioneering entrepreneur. In this guide, Finney details how to start a business from the ground up, from creating a business plan to refining the product and maneuvering in a space not meant for the disenfranchised.
Billionaire Branding, a study guide written by brand consultant and hip-hop enthusiast Mr. T Brookshire Harris, is for people who want to brand and rebrand themselves by learning branding secrets from three hip-hop icons.
Philanthropist and educator Paris Woods wrote the Black Girl’s Guide to Financial Freedom. This Black girl’s guide teaches how to win financially with a plan—not only meant for Black girls—to avoid common financial traps and ways to build generational wealth.
A Life-Changing Incident Opened The Door For Dr. Michelle Rankine To Own 3 Top-Earning Franchises
While investing in a franchise provides a blueprint for people starting their entrepreneurial journey, the road to success includes some challenges.
Dr. Michelle Rankine’s journey to owning three Right At Home franchises that have made millions came from a personal tragedy. Her younger brother was in a car accident and became a paraplegic—forcing her family to confront a situation they never envisioned.
“Imagine you’re 21 and living what you thought was a normal life, getting ready for graduation, and now you are a paraplegic,” she tells BLACK ENTERPRISE. “That was devastating for my brother and family.”
“One of the things about caring for your loved one is that there are boundaries with that,” she says. “As a paraplegic, you aren’t able to use the restroom or activities of daily living. There are some boundaries in regards to what you want your family involved in or not.”
Rankine and her family saw a significant change in her brother’s engagement after moving forward with his social worker’s recommendation of home care. The onboarding process of getting her brother home care sparked her interest in assisting others with what can be challenging for families to navigate. The owner met with her family, walked them through the process, and handled her family with care that left a mark on her big enough to want to pay it forward for the next family in need.
Owning A Multimillion Dollar Franchise Without Experience
Rankine has no medical or healthcare background and decided owning a franchise was the best option for entering the industry. She now owns franchises across Texas: Collin, Denton, and Tarrant Counties.
While investing in a franchise provides a blueprint for people starting their entrepreneurial journey, the road to success still includes some challenges. “For myself, one of the challenges is the picture that you begin to have of what you want versus the actual divine delay that needs to happen,” Rankine says.
She adds that she had to change her perspective on what it means to be successful.
“Success [in the industry] is “offering services and giving opportunities to your caregivers to make sure they have the training because that’s my product and service,” says Rankine. “You want to be successful really quickly…as a microwave effect, and really, it’s a crock pot. You have to really let the lessons sit and savor.”
Rankine’s three franchises have made several million dollars over the more than 10 years she has been in business. She takes great pride in being a Black franchise owner–especially regarding addressing the health disparities among Black and Brown communities.
Filling The Gap For Minority Communities
Rankine aims to mitigate health disparities in minority communities by educating people on healthcare and helping families develop a contingency plan for home healthcare.
One misconception she’s tackling among these communities is that families think they must care for their loved ones alone.
“Our default to that is not to reach out to a third-party company, but going through church. We’ll seek church community before we actually hire someone. We have made an active effort to reach out to a lot of churches to start having the conversation on preparing for care,” she adds.
In many instances, insurance and Medicare are not enough for extra services such as home healthcare, even though the benefits outweigh community care. According to Rankine, care in a community setting puts loved ones at risk when others in the home are sick, for example.
The average cost of a home health aide is $33 per hour. Rankine is having these difficult conversations with people and families about being financially prepared and investing in long-term care insurance.
“The rewarding piece [for me] is giving solutions to a family,” she says. “I’ve always loved to be a fixer of some sort, and I’ve always enjoyed giving back in other ways.”
New Black Woman-Owned Tech College In Alabama Prepares For Inaugural Classes
Shakea Miller has opened 1 on 1 Technical and Theological College, becoming the first Black woman to open a degree-granting technical college in Alabama.
Shakea Miller is the first Black woman to establish a degree-granting technical institution in Alabama. Her initiative aims to diversify the educational landscape and broaden opportunities in the state..
Miller’s 1 on 1 Technical and Theological College’s opened June 24. Located in Phenix City, the school offers certificate programs across various fields. “1 on 1 Technical & Theological College (1 on 1 T&T) aims to provide biblical and comprehensive educational opportunities with a focus on empowering all students but also addressing the educational disparities faced by African American communities,” Miller told BlackNews.com.
The school’s mission lies in providing an equitable education for all, no matter their race or socioeconomic background.
“I am deeply honored to open the doors of this institution, which stands as a beacon of hope and a testament to the resilience and determination of countless individuals who have fought for equal rights in education,” Miller said. “This college is more than an academic institution as it is a platform for transformation while providing the tools and knowledge necessary to uplift our communities.”
Miller is the sixth Black woman to start a technical college. Her establishing the educational institution in Alabama is also significant. According to AL.com, 6 out of 10 students in the state’s high-poverty schools are Black.
This gap in education quality threatens the academic possibilities for Black students. However, 1 on 1 technical college seeks to break down these systemic barriers.
“By establishing this college, I hope to inspire the next generation of leaders and innovators, who will carry forward the torch of progress and equality,” Miller said. “…Committed to cultivating an environment that not only educates but also empowers students to create positive change in their communities and beyond.”
Study Reveals Toxic Air In NYC Subways Harms Black People Most
Longer commute times and more frequent transfers have left Black and Hispanic riders the most vulnerable to toxic subway air.
A new study has revealed that toxic subway air in New York City is disproportionately harming Black and Hispanic subway riders.
New York University researchers detailed their findings on Aug. 7, as reported by Gothamist. They found that longer commute times and more train transfers contribute to Black and Hispanic riders suffering the most. Black riders remain the most severely impacted, experiencing 35% more polluted air and Hispanic face 23% more polluted air compared to white and Asian passengers.
The trains hold particles of polluted air, leaving riders no choice but to breath the fumes in during their trips. According to the research, the air quality in the transit system is 15 times more potent than allowed by the World Health Organization.
One of the researchers, Masoud Ghandehari, explained how the underground trains trap toxic pollutants, leaving riders of color vulnerable to respiratory and cardiovascular diseases.
“When the train comes by, all the metal in the bottom of the tunnel gets turned up,” Ghandehari said. “Every time the door opens, concentrations in the train go up because the outdoor environment, the platforms, are higher in concentration.”
As for Ghadehari’s solution? A substantial dusting of the subways should do the trick.
“All that dust needs to be cleaned up. It’s all settled in the bottom of the tunnel. So that’s why when a train comes up [to a station], the concentrations shoot up in the air. It churns up everything that’s under.”
However, not all in the city are celebrating Ghadehari, a professor of civil and urban engineering, and his research.
“This recycled ‘study’ based on years-old ‘data’ has long since been debunked,” Metropolitan Transportation Authority Communications Director Tim Minton said in a statement. “Every serious person knows transit is the antidote to climate change, the one reason NYC is the greenest city around, and an engine of equity for people of all communities who need an affordable, safe way to get to jobs, schools, and opportunities of every kind.”
Lawsuit Accuses Firm Of Pushing Black Chicago Families Into Foreclosure To Seize Land Near Obama Presidential Center
iFLIP's Chicago owner has been accused in other lawsuits filed of running a Ponzi scheme where he used real estate contracts to transfer his debt to investors.
A lawsuit is accusing the New York-based lender behind the real estate coaching company iFLIP Chicago of taking advantage of inexperienced Black investors in order to seize land near the expected future home of the Obama Presidential Center on the South Side of Chicago.
According to NBC 5, several Chicago homeowners say the company has turned their lives inside out. iFLIP Chicago recruited at least 20 amateur investors, or would-be house flippers, many of whom say they were sold a false bill of goods by the company.
“We are at risk of losing over $200,000,” Ameera Haamid told the outlet. She added that “[iFLIP] had a team that’s already built to assist you through the process. So they will locate the property for you. They will put you in touch with the with the lending company, provide financing.”
However, according to the lawsuit, once the investors got the loans, they were hit by hefty default interest fees even after making their payments on time. According to Tatianna Barnett, a Chicago realtor, several investors went into foreclosure and are now in limbo. “We have no idea where the money is. I have lost $169,000. I have a lender that’s saying ‘I’m not going to give you this money…your money’s gone,” Barnett told NBC 5.
According to several investors, they had to apply for commercial loans with Roc360 Capital, and their loan agreement authorized the lenders to take money from the borrowers’ accounts to cover any late fees or any defaults on other loans.
Ramo Bey, who owns iFLIP Chicago, is accused in other lawsuits filed earlier in 2024 of using the real estate contracts to transfer his debt to the investors.
“[The investors’] impression was that Mr. Bey was the bad guy who took their money and they were in a deal with him and he took advantage of them,” attorney Alex Loftus, who is representing nearly 20 iFLIP investors in the lawsuit, told NBC 5. “The reality is that the contracts do not allow for this. They didn’t sign anything that allowed for their money to be used for someone else.
“This is a big venture firm in New York taking advantage of the little guys in Chicago. I think from the perspective of the folks in New York, if you have this group of African Americans doing business on the South Side of Chicago, that’s an easy group to take some risks with.”
“Roc 360 will respond to the lawsuit in due course and vigorously defend its position,” said in a statement provided to NBC 5. “…Roc 360 has, at all times, acted in good faith and fully complied with the terms of the commercial loan documents signed by the borrowers. Roc 360 does not and has never funded consumer loans—all its loans are to companies. Each borrower signs a business purpose affidavit.”
Roc 360 added that “the plaintiffs in the instant action were represented by counsel and should have been aware of the terms of the loans they were agreeing to. Roc 360’s fees were fully disclosed on the closing statement, and the plaintiffs were under no obligation to proceed with the loan. Roc 360’s fees are fully in line with industry norms.”
U.S. Olympic Teams Shine: Soccer’s ‘Triple Trouble,’ Basketball Victories, And A Controversial Gymnastics Medal
The Games had wins, defeats, drama—and Snoop Dogg.
The Summer Olympics have dominated social media timelines, discourses, and headlines lately, most of the time due to the athletic excellence displayed on the world’s biggest stage.
Triple Espresso, Triple Trouble, or the Triple Express—Trinity Rodman (daughter of NBA great Dennis Rodman), Sophia Smith, and Mallory Swanson—of the U.S. women’s Olympic Soccer Team created havoc in opponent’s defensive sides. Swanson’s goal in the gold medal game against Brazil sealed a redemption arc for the United States Women’s National Team and made the decision to bring in Chelsea boss Emma Hayes look like a brilliant move.
In addition to the big three, Naomi Girma cemented her status as the best defensive player in the world with her performances in the tournament. The U.S. women’s soccer program is back on top after a brief lag that created questions about whether or not the rest of the world had caught up to the Americans.
Incredible Olympics for Naomi Girma. She played every minute (600) of the Olympics at Center Back and allowed only 2 goals, a USWNT Olympic record! (Plus, the USWNT allowed 0 goals when both Girma & Tierna Davidson were on the pitch!) Best US Olympic defensive performance ever! https://t.co/E43pXMK0Jnpic.twitter.com/2nFRt1BBWR
On the basketball court, both the men and the women’s basketball squads reigned supreme. Anchored by LeBron James and A’ja Wilson, respectively, both teams took the best shots of international basketball teams and outlasted the host country in the gold medal game.
The women’s gold medal game was an outright dogfight, tied at 25 at halftime before Team USA rallied to win 67-66, led by Wilson and Kahleah Copper’s brilliant fourth quarter performance.
On the men’s side, Stephen Curry, who stands 6’2″ provided fireworks and an unbelievable shot over France’s 7’4″ Victor Wembanyama, which immediately went viral. Like the women’s team, the men had to overcome physical play and turnovers, but once Curry got cooking, the gold medal was all but secured in a 98-87 victory.
In women’s gymnastics, the history-making floor exercise podium of Brazil’s Rebeca Andrade, and the American tandem of Simone Biles, and Jordan Chiles received some revision after the Romanian team challenged the bronze medal awarded to Chiles after a challenge to the judges was posed by the Americans. After the Romanians appealed to an arbitrator, their challenge was accepted on the basis that the American coaches’ challenge came in four seconds too late.
Although the IOC wants Chiles to surrender her medal, USA Gymnastics and the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee will appeal the decision on the grounds that there were “critical errors” in both FIG’s original scoring process and the Court of Arbitration for Sport’s appeal.
This happened, and it will never disappear.
Jordan Chiles will always be the *rightful* bronze medalist for the Summer 2024 women's floor finals. pic.twitter.com/kum9ZEDLb0
Jordan Chiles deserved better than this. The point of any review in sports is to get it right.
The judges didn't at first, then they corrected it.
Now, because of 4 seconds past an arbitrary deadline that is different than the time her opponents had, Chiles medal is in jeopardy pic.twitter.com/7fA5nI8QAx
Masai Russell’s electric performance in her Olympic debut in the 100m hurdles solidified exactly how deep the American track and field program is. For the most part, the world was well aware of favorites Sha’Carri Richardson, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, and Gabby Thomas heading into the Olympics.
But Russell electrified the crowd in one of the closest finishes at the Olympics, winning her gold by .01 seconds. “I’m the fourth-fastest woman ever in this event, so it wasn’t about knowing if I could or couldn’t,” Russell told The Athletic. “It was really just about remaining focused on what I could do and honestly, just getting through those 10 hurdles and getting to the line first.
“So many people were saying so many crazy things about me, as they always do when you’re not doing what they believe you’re capable of. But I just continued to shut out the noise and focus on what I can control…It was truly a dream come true.”
Black Hospitals, Once An Answer To Segregation, Face Uncertain Future
At one point, there were more than 150 Black hospitals.
Black hospitals, once centers of thriving Black communities, have fallen into a state of disrepair in the decades since the integration of hospitals under the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
The few left are struggling to stay open. In Mound Bayou, Mississippi, the once-prominent Taborian Hospital, founded in 1942 to serve Black patients during segregation, now stands empty, NPR reports, its future uncertain. Despite a $3 million renovation a decade ago, the facility closed again due to ownership dispute.
Myrna Smith-Thompson, whose grandfather helped establish the hospital, is executive director of the civic group that owns the property. She said reopening would require millions in funding.
Black hospitals, which once numbered over 150, have been slowly phased out of commission after the passage of civil rights legislation. The few that remain are incredibly under-resourced, VPM, Virginia’s NPR affiliate, reported in 2022.
“Once you started to see the birth of these Black hospitals, which numbered, I believe, over 150 in the country at one point, that’s when they became competitors with white hospitals. And so, you will start to see a lot of white hospitals relegate Black patients in the attic, in the basement. And so, these Black hospitals were a very humane and respectable alternative to the very discriminatory way that African Americans were treated in the majority [of] hospitals,” Cassandra Newby-Alexander, a professor of Virginia Black history at Norfolk State University, said.
As Bizu Gelaye, an epidemiologist and the program director of Harvard University’s Mississippi Delta Partnership in Public Health told KFF Health News, the closing of the hospitals forever changed the communities they once existed in. “It has ripple effects in a way that affect the fabric of the community.”
According to a 2023 study published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine, hospitals that primarily serve Black patients consistently have lower revenues and profits. “U.S. hospital financing effectively assigns a lower dollar value to the care of Black patients,” the study’s authors wrote. “To reduce disparities in care, health financing reforms should eliminate the underpayment of hospitals serving a large share of Black patients.”
