by Daniel Johnson

August 4, 2024

EEOC Faces Furlough Due To Budget Shortfalls, Extending Wait Times For Discrimination Cases

EEOC employees were notified that they would all have to take one work day's worth of unpaid leave.

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission announced to its estimated 2,200 employees that they would be furloughed for one day in August due to a budget shortfall.

According to USA Today, the employees were notified that they would all have to take one work day’s worth of unpaid leave on Aug. 30 due to an unplanned shortage in funding from the Congressional budget.

According to the EEOC website, while the furlough is in place, “The agency will ensure that no private sector charging party loses their right to file a timely charge of discrimination or federal complainant loses their right to file an appeal or request for reconsideration. Additionally, the agency will continue to litigate in cases where an extension has not been granted.”

The EEOC continued, “While charges will be accepted, they will not be investigated, Staff will not be available to answer questions from the public, or to respond to correspondence, emails, or faxes from the public; Insofar as the courts grant EEOC’s requests for extensions of time, EEOC will not litigate in the federal courts; Mediations will be cancelled; Federal sector hearings will be cancelled, and federal employees’ appeals of discrimination complaints will not be decided; Outreach and education events will be cancelled; No FOIA requests will be processed.”

According to the letter from the EEOC’s human resources department, “Despite efforts to reduce funding requirements by executing across-the-board program reductions and implementing a hiring freeze, we currently anticipate expenditures to cover necessary agency operating costs will be in excess of our authorized budget.”

According to The American Federation of Government Employees Council President 216 Rachel Shonfield, the EEOC’s furlough is happening because of Congressional budget freezes. She told USA Today via a statement, “EEOC employees will be forced to lose up to a day’s pay at the end of August unless the agency can scrimp together enough money to make payroll and keep the lights on.”

Shonfield continued, saying that Americans who are facing discrimination would be negatively impacted by the furlough. “Workers facing discrimination on the job are facing longer wait times for appointments because the agency does not have enough front-line staff, and effectively shutting down operations for a day will only make those wait times longer.”

EEOC Chair Charlotte Burrows told USA Today in a statement that she would continue to advocate for funding but did not address what was causing the agency its budget deficiencies. “I will continue to advocate for funding that will enable the EEOC to meet the public’s increased demand for our services and enforce all of the laws entrusted to us by Congress.”

According to HRDive, Burrows and the EEOC are still searching for ways to reduce the furlough to half a day or eliminate it altogether. Although affected employees can appeal to the Merit Systems Protection Board or file a grievance, the process, according to USA Today, has an extensive backlog of cases. Unless the furlough can be avoided, this would mark the first furlough for the agency since 2013.

howard basketball, investment, Kaleena Smith

by Daniel Johnson

August 4, 2024

Howard University Basketball Coach Seeks $100M Investment

Coach Kenny Blakeney hasn’t spoken to school officials about his plan yet.

According to reports, Howard University head basketball coach Kenny Blakeney is looking for a buyer or a group of buyers to purchase up to one-third of the Howard University basketball program for $100 million.

According to the Washington Post, Blakeney is looking for a way to give the HBCU any advantage in the new post-NIL collegiate marketplace.

As he told the outlet, “College athletics is full-fledged business now. The whole idea is to not get left behind. It’s, ‘How do we include ourselves in this?’ I don’t want to have a two-tiered system where we’re not able to compete for the NCAA tournament or the national championship.”

Blakeney continued, “And from what I’m hearing right now, that is a real possibility, that there’s going to be an NCAA tournament that isn’t going to include everyone else, it’s just going to include those Power Four universities and maybe the Big East. That’s not what I signed up for.”

To that end, Blakeney has spent most of the summer pitching potential investors. However, Ricky Volante, a lawyer and former chief executive of the Professional Collegiate League, says such a deal would be a problem unless the coach can prove he can give investors a return on investment.

“As for the revenue part, that is the chicken and the egg,” Volante told Front Office Sports. “Coach is going to have to show in which someone is viewing this as a true investment and not altruistically driven. He’s going to have to show how this person gets their return, and in college sports, ultimately, that’s driven through media revenue. Outside of Notre Dame and Texas everyone else’s media revenues are driven through the conference.”

Volante continued, saying that how the NCAA’s settlement resolves will greatly influence how or even if Blakeney’s plan will be implemented.

“The potential unknown here is how any of this may be impacted by the House case and the settlement. If that settlement is truly approved and is enforced by the court as a piece of federal legislation, would the NCAA have the legitimate authority to look at this and say, ‘Absolutely not?’” Volante told Front Office Sports.

According to the Post, Blakeney has not discussed the matter with his bosses at Howard; he is waiting to see if he can get any potential investors to bite. Blakeney told the paper he wants to get ahead of this opportunity before it’s too late and sees it as vital to the Howard University basketball program.

“We’re just at the beginning of it,” Blakeney said. “But I do feel like there is a short window of opportunity because the speed that NIL is moving, the transfer portal is moving, the professionalism of our business is happening. This s— has to take place fast. There has to be some conversations.”

Blakeney continued, “I don’t care (what others think.) This is what we’re dealing with. And if we’re not going to turn our eye to what’s hitting us in the face, then we’re not looking at this thing the right way.”

by Daniel Johnson

August 4, 2024

New Report Exposes Deep Economic Disparities Along Racial Lines In Chicago

According to Darrick Hamilton, a leading economist and the founding director of the Institute on Race, Power and Political Economy, wealth, or the lack thereof, is a determining factor in who is set up for success not just in Chicago but in the American economy writ large.

A new report from The New School’s Institute on Race, Power and Political Economy, in partnership with the Chicago Community Trust, reveals that race and ethnicity significantly influenced homeownership, access to financial tools and resources, incarceration rates, medical and education debt, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in Chicago.

According to the Chicago Tribune, stark economic disparities exist along racial and ethnic lines in Chicago. The “Color of Wealth in Chicago” study highlights the median net wealth of different groups: white families ($210,000), Black families ($0), U.S.-born Mexican families ($40,500), foreign-born Mexican families ($6,000), and Puerto Rican families ($24,000). The report also addresses the City of Chicago’s history of discrimination against Black and other people of color through practices such as redlining, racial covenants, limited access to banking services like checking and savings accounts, and predatory payday loan services that trap borrowers in cycles of debt with high-interest unsecured loans.

According to Darrick Hamilton, a leading economist and the founding director of the Institute on Race, Power and Political Economy, wealth—or the lack of it—is a crucial determinant of success, not only in Chicago but across the American economy. Hamilton argues that wealth is a politically determined variable, implying that targeted policies can alter or influence wealth.

“You have to design, manage and implement policies in such a way that Black people are included, Indigenous people are included, because without that intentionality, the reasons why we have this wealth inequality is a political economy that is built to exclude,” Hamilton told the Chicago Tribune. “We know the bootstrap narrative has never been true for any group. Our dominant framework believes if you simply get a college degree, find a partner, and stay out of trouble, that not only is that a pathway to social mobility, but also to the security associated with wealth.”

Hamilton added, “Now, without a doubt, education in dual-family households and not being incarcerated is associated with better outcomes. But when it comes to wealth, the bang for the buck of those activities for Black people is not a large gradient. The disparities persist and widen at higher strata. And here’s another point that may be shocking: Black families where they have done all those ‘right things’ have less wealth, typically, than white families that are at the lowest strata in our society, namely without a college degree.”

Hamilton also discussed how white people were often the beneficiaries of targeted policies that created generational wealth.

“We know policies that can yield wealth,” Hamilton told the Tribune. “We did it for white people, created a middle class where a good portion were able to generate wealth and pass it down from one generation to the next. That group didn’t emerge on its own. Chicago’s deep in historical pathways and of seeding capital and then providing a homeownership infrastructure to allow that capital to accumulate. So we know how to do this. What is problematic is that we have excluded certain people.”

by Stacy Jackson

August 4, 2024

Tulsa Proposes Reparations Program For 1921 Massacre Survivors And Descendants

City Councilor Vanessa Hall-Harper is pushing for cash payments to the victims.

Officials in Tulsa, Oklahoma, have announced the formation of a new Beyond Apology Commission to advocate for reparations for survivors and descendants of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre. City Councilor Vanessa Hall-Harper is pushing for cash payments to the victims.

According to the Associated Press, a 13-member commission will review two reports that called for financial reparations—one from the city in 2023 and another by a state commission in 2001. Hall-Harper and Tulsa Mayor G.T. Bynum each selected one representative for the commission, with the remaining 11 members chosen by community members and city staff.

“One of the most challenging issues to navigate during my time as mayor has been that of reparations for the victims of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre and their families,” Bynum said.

As previously covered by BLACK ENTERPRISE, Black residents in Tulsa were massacred by a white mob during the racially motivated Tulsa Race Riots, which also destroyed the city’s thriving Greenwood District. For years, Oklahoma has failed in its efforts to acknowledge the violent acts and take action.

City Councilor Hall-Harper, who is a Tulsa native and whose district includes Greenwood, supports financial reparations and said she would be disappointed if cash payments are not included. Mayor Bynum has opposed the demand for financial reparations and asserted other proposed requests from the city’s Beyond Apology report to provide residents with improved housing, economic development, healthcare, and education. His first order to the Beyond Apology Commission is to create a housing equity program intended for survivors, race riot descendants, and north Tulsa residents.

Additionally, the 2023 report recommended survivors and descendants be offered a return of land.

BE previously noted that Lessie Benningfield Randle, 109; Viola Fletcher, 110, the last known massacre survivors; and Hughes Van Ellis, who died in 2023, sued for reparations from the city and state, but their appeal was denied. In June, the Oklahoma Supreme Court dismissed the lawsuit from the two survivors.

by Daniel Johnson

August 3, 2024

Trump Claims To Have Debate Deal With Fox News, Harris Campaign Disagrees

Kamala Harris, however, said she will be attending the debate previously established by the Biden campaign, whether or not Trump shows up.

Although the Republican Party nominee Donald Trump claimed on Aug. 2 to have a deal in place with Fox News to host a debate, the Harris campaign cast doubt on that assertion on Aug. 3. It indicated that Trump needed to honor the deal that was already in place with President Joe Biden.

According to the Washington Post, Trump claimed that Vice President Kamala Harris agreed to a debate on Sept. 4 on Fox News, saying on his Truth Social account that the previously agreed upon debate had been “terminated” because Biden dropped out of the race.

The Harris campaign, however, said that regardless of whatever deal Trump says he made with Fox News, they will be attending the debate previously established by the Biden campaign, whether or not Trump shows up.

Michael Tyler, a campaign spokesperson for the Harris campaign, told the Washington Post, “Donald Trump is running scared and trying to back out of the debate he already agreed to and running straight to Fox News to bail him out. He needs to stop playing games and show up to the debate he already committed to on Sept 10. Mr. Anytime, anywhere, anyplace should have no problem with that unless he’s too scared to show up on the 10th.”

Harris, meanwhile, made her own social media post on X, formerly known as Twitter, wherein she committed to the Sept. 10 ABC News debate.

It’s interesting how “any time, any place” becomes “one specific time, one specific safe space.”

I’ll be there on September 10th, like he agreed to. I hope to see him there. https://t.co/zqng89X8QD
— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) August 3, 2024

“It’s interesting how “any time, any place” becomes “one specific time, one specific safe space.”

Harris continued, “I’ll be there on September 10th, like he agreed to. I hope to see him there.” Harris wrote.

According to the New York Times, Trump has raised issues with ABC News on several occasions, most recently at a combative appearance at the National Association of Black Journalists Conference in Chicago. During the interview, the former president chastised ABC News Senior Congressional Correspondent Rachel Scott and complained about the network that employs her.

Olympics, Black Job, Simone Biles, tweet

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

August 3, 2024

‘I Love My Black Job’: Simone Biles Takes Swipe At Trump In Tweet After Winning Olympic Gold

LeBron James co-signed Biles' tweet.

A new expression has entered the lexicon of Black people following former President Donald Trump’s unfounded assertion that migrants are “taking away Black jobs” in the United States. The phrase has also gained traction in the sports world, with celebrated Olympian Simone Biles taking to social media to express her pride by saying, “I love my Black job.”

I love my black job 🖤 https://t.co/c5wPc6xOY3

— Simone Biles (@Simone_Biles) August 2, 2024

The arguably GOAT (Greatest of all time) of the NBA, LeBron “King” James, also took the phrase in stride when he responded to Biles’ tweet by referring to her as the Black GOAT but using the goat icon in his tweet, seemingly with the understanding that everyone would know what he was referring to.

Black 🐐🖤 https://t.co/OquZoZMTSl

— LeBron James (@KingJames) August 2, 2024

In the first 2024 presidential debate held in Atlanta on June 27, former President Donald Trump addressed the ongoing immigration crisis. He spread misinformation about violent migrants entering the country and falsely claimed that they were “taking Black jobs.”

“They’re taking Black jobs, and they’re taking Hispanic jobs, and you haven’t seen it yet, but you’re going to see something that’s going to be the worst in our history,” Trump blurted out during the televised debate against President Joe Biden.

The Republican presidential nominee repeated that narrative on July 30 in Chicago at this year’s National Association of Black Journalists convention. While speaking to a roomful of Black journalists, writers, and reporters, Trump once again used the “Black jobs” phrase.

“I will tell you that coming from the border, are millions and millions of people that happen to be taking Black jobs.

When questioned what he meant by “Black jobs,” he responded by saying, “A Black job is anybody that has a job. That’s what it is,” leading to jeers and gasps from the NABJ audience.

Michelle Obama's Brother, Discrimination Lawsuit, Private School

by Daniel Johnson

August 3, 2024

Non-Profit Founder Pleads Guilty To Stealing $2M From Federal COVID Programs

Tametria Dantzler is facing a sentence of up to 20 years in prison and financial restitution to her victims.

Tametria Conner Dantzler, 39, the founder of a nonprofit organization for children with autism in Alabama, pleaded guilty on July 31 to wire fraud and money laundering charges. These charges stem from loans she obtained through the federal government’s CARES Act and Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program.

According to WSFA, Conner Dantzler’s plea deal indicates that she created companies and made false statements on her applications for the EIDL program in June 2020. As a result, Dantzler received forgivable loans and grants for $927,338.47. In addition to this, she also took payments or traded fake payroll checks in exchange for helping others get over $1 million in loans and grants. Dantzler is facing a sentence of up to 20 years in prison and financial restitution to her victims, but as WSFA reported, no sentencing hearing has been announced.

According to United States Attorney Jonathan S. Ross, the United States government will prosecute those they identify as having used loans intended for COVID-19 relief to enrich themselves using false pretenses. “Government fraud is not a victimless crime,” Ross said. “A financial loss to the United States is a loss to the U.S. taxpayer. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, along with law enforcement partners, will continue efforts to identify and prosecute anyone personally profiting from funds intended to provide relief for businesses.”

Conner Dantzler, a former employee of WSFA who worked as an on-air reporter from 2011-2014, started Disability as an Ability Toward Success: Moms on the Move (D.A.T.S.M.O.M.) after she left the station. On July 3, the organization posted on its social media page that Conner Dantzler was taking a break, posting: “Effective immediately, in order to focus on her family, D.A.T.S.M.O.M. Founder Tametria Conner Dantzler will take a hiatus from direct services and programs that involve her presence which include, but is not limited to trainings, speaking engagements and the respite care program.”

According to the US Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Acting Special Agent-In-Charge George Richardson, it was important that Conner Dantzler be held accountable for her actions.

“Tametria Dantzler fabricated documents and created a fraud scheme that diverted critical taxpayer money that was intended to help actual struggling businesses during an unprecedented pandemic for her own self-enrichment,” Richardson said. “HUD OIG remains steadfast in its commitment to working with our prosecutorial and law enforcement partners to aggressively pursue those who engage in activities that threaten the integrity of HUD programs.”

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

August 3, 2024

LeToya Luckett Is A Married Woman

Beyoncé’s mother, Tina Knowles, was among the 200 wedding guests.

Former Destiny’s Child member LeToya Luckett is now a happily married woman after tying the knot with entrepreneur Taleo Coles late last month.

According to People, the 43-year-old singer is now married to Coles after a lavish wedding ceremony at the luxury Le Tesserae in Houston on July 27.

LeToya Luckett Marries Entrepreneur Taleo Coles in ‘Magical’ Houston Wedding: ‘A Dream Come True!’ https://t.co/rLHMd037HK

— People (@people) August 1, 2024

Over two years ago, the couple met through a mutual friend before they started dating. On March 10, Coles asked for Luckett’s hand in marriage while they were in Sedona, Arizona.

The entertainer told the media outlet that she appreciates having someone who loves her and her children.

“Marriage was something we both wanted,” Luckett said. “It means everything to have a partner who loves me and my kids deeply. This love feels like rest.”

Among the 200 wedding attendees were family and friends, including Beyoncé’s mother, Tina Knowles; Toya Johnson; and rapper Bun B. Wedding guests were supplied with Bun B’s Trill Burgers as they left.

“We started out with a guest count of 70 and that changed once we decided to wed in my hometown of Houston. We also knew with Taleo being the first grandchild of his family to get married, it would be tough to keep it at that number,” Luckett revealed. “While increasing the number, we still wanted it to feel intimate and cozy and I think we accomplished that with the layout and decor.”

Grammy-winning producer Bryan Michael Cox served as a DJ, along with DJ E Clazz, and the couple’s first dance was to Luther Vandross and Cheryl Lynn’s duet, “If This World Were Mine.”

Luckett, known for her vocal prowess and acting chops, also showed off her poetic skills in an Instagram post acknowledging her new husband.

“✨Mrs. Coles✨

July 27, 2024

📍Houston, TX

I married the love of my life.

Taleo,
My love
My answered prayer
My great Hope realized
I adore you.
I feel divinely connected to you.
I love you with my whole heart
This love feels like rest.
I can finally exhale.

God , I thank you.
U heard me.
You kept your promise.
You restored.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by LeToya Luckett (@letoyaluckett)

livestreamed murder, Birmingham, young mother, three charged

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

August 3, 2024

Judge Orders Prosecutor’s Office To Release Or Retry Man Who Has Been On Death Row For 33 Years

A judge in California has instructed a prosecutor's office to either release a 71-year-old prisoner or retry his case within 60 days.

A judge in California has instructed a prosecutor’s office to either release a 71-year-old prisoner on death row or retry his case within 60 days.

According to CNN, Curtis Lee Ervin was convicted of murder for a contracted 1986 killing and has been on death row for 33 years. A federal judge has informed the Alameda County prosecutor’s office of the choice to try the 71-year-old again or set him free. California Attorney General Rob Bonta has accused the office of prosecutorial misconduct in jury selection when Ervin’s trial took place.

Ervin was found guilty of a 1986 murder-for-hire.

Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price contacted the media outlet via email and stated there was no info on what choice they would make, but the decision must happen by Sept. 30. Bonta stated that Alameda prosecutors illegally excluded Black jurors. This was a practice started by Alameda County prosecutors in the 1980s and ran through the early 2000s. Prosecutors deliberately excluded prospective Black and Jewish jurors during that time.

Price admitted to CNN that a current prosecution team discovered evidence in boxes that had notes showing previous deputy district attorneys had intentionally excluded Black and Jewish jurors.

“The markings by the prosecutor next to the names of Black jurors were affirmative evidence of the prosecution’s fixation with the jurors’ race,” said Brian Pomerantz, an attorney involved with three of the cases being reviewed. He is also involved in the settlement of dozens of other cases.

In Ervin’s case in 1991, jurors found Ervin guilty of murder in the death of Carlene McDonald. Ervin’s attorney, Pamala Sayasane, told CNN that all six potential Black women were excused from serving on the jury. She also indicated that three potential male Black jurors were excused. Excluding potential jurors based on sex, race, or ethnicity is a violation of the 14th Amendment’s Equal Protection Clause, also known as Batson violations.

Sayasane said that Ervin is “overjoyed and in disbelief. He’s been incarcerated for 38 years. He’s grateful to everyone who helped him. I’m in a daze, as is my client.”

grants, black owned business, black founders, business tips

by Jeffrey McKinney

August 3, 2024

$400,000 Grant Program Launched To Support Minority And Women-Owned Businesses

The city of Frederick, Maryland, has introduced a new grant program.

Access to capital has long been a significant hurdle for minority and women-owned small businesses. To help overcome this obstacle, the city of Frederick, Maryland, has introduced a new grant program that offers $400,000 in total funding. This initiative is designed to provide much-needed capital to startups and established businesses, supporting their growth and development.

Eligible businesses can apply for grants of up to $40,000. The city has announced that preference will be given to firms located within city limits and minority and women-owned businesses. This program aims to foster a more inclusive and equitable business environment in Frederick, helping to level the playing field for underrepresented entrepreneurs.

Potential grantees may do well to act soon as applications are now open and will end at 5 pm on Aug. 12. Interested businesses can gain more details and apply here.

“We are thrilled to introduce the ‘ACCESS GRANTED’ program as a vital step towards creating a more equitable and thriving business community in Frederick,” stated Richard Griffin, director of the Department of Economic Development.

Mayor Michael O’Connor said, “Minority and women-owned businesses historically have faced systemic barriers that have prevented them from securing the financial resources to help them grow and thrive.”

The grants must be used for specific purposes, such as boosting revenue, increasing profits, and enhancing product or service opportunities for a business. Qualified reasons for pursuing the funding include covering the costs of equipment, renovations, inventory, website design, marketing, and other business-related expenses.

A grant is typically money awarded to businesses needing funding to spur growth, expansion, hiring, and other functions. One key benefit of a grant is that it often does not need to be repaid, unlike a loan. However, pursuing grant funding can be time-consuming for a business, and the eligibility requirements can be stringent.