Black Women Pen Letter Of Support For President Biden
Over 1,400 Black women signed the letter in solidarity and unity, asserting their support for President Biden as the Democratic candidate.
Democratic Party Leadership received a letter in support of President Biden from over 1,400 Black women, reaffirming their commitment to his leadership and addressing recent calls for him to step aside from the 2024 presidential race.
The letter, signed by prominent Black women such as Carol Moseley Braun and Keisha Lance Bottoms, strongly opposes suggestions for President Biden to withdraw from the race. “The suggestion that any candidate who won their primary should simply step aside because victory appears difficult at the moment is disrespectful to the voters, unjust and undemocratic,” the Black women state.
This show of solidarity comes in response to growing pressure from some Democrats for President Biden to remove himself from the ticket following a debate, where hewas heavily criticized after his shaky performance. The letter further argues that judging him solely on a single debate performance is unfair, especially when compared to his opponent’s intentions. “We believe it is unfair and disruptive to judge President Biden for having a bad 90-minute debate performance against a serial liar who wants to destroy our democracy and be a dictator-in-chief,” the statement asserts.
Black women signatories emphasize their unique understanding of the threats posed by a potential second Trump term. According to the letter, they call for unity and faith in their ability to engage voters effectively. “We must unify around our deep belief in our values and our ability to effectively engage voters and win up and down the ballot in 2024.” The letter noted that Black women make up a reliable voting Bloc for the Democratic party, stating, “When Black women vote in record numbers, democrats win the White House, U.S. Senate, U.S. House, governorships, state legislatures, mayors’ races and other local races across the nation.”
In President Biden’s response to his previous shaky debate performance, BE noted that the 81-year-old politician believes he is still the best candidate to face off against Trump.
Not long after GOP presidential nominee Trump announced his choice, Chilukuri Vance became the target of conservative and far-right figures’ racist attacks over her Indian heritage. Some suggested that her influence on her husband and the party would soften immigration policies. White supremacist Nick Fuentes said the first-term senator wouldn’t be a “defender of white identity” because of his wife’s Indian heritage.
“Who is this guy, really?” Fuentes said on an episode of his podcast. “Do we really expect that the guy who has an Indian wife and named their kid Vivek is going to support white identity?”
One Jan. 6 insurrectionist, Vincent James Foxx, suggested that Hindu prayer will be implemented at the 2028 RNC. “JD Vance gets tapped as VP, and immediately, there’s a Hindu prayer at the RNC. Next, we’ll see Sen. Mike Lee and JD Vance team up to convince Trump to let in ten million Indian immigrants,” he wrote on X. “Green cards on diplomas!”
Former Democratic congressional hopeful Saira Rao accused Chilukuri Vance of being proud to uplift white supremacy. “Usha Vance, the latest Indian American woman delighted to do the bidding of white supremacy. Who needs white women when brown ones are ready to serve,” she wrote.
Other social media users took a different approach to welcoming Chilukuri Vance’s RNC presence. During her speech, the Yale Law School graduate called America “wonderful” for allowing her and her husband to “meet and fall in love.” The audience held signs of “mass deportation now.”
“I am still recovering from the sight of poor Usha Vance claiming this wonderful country allowed her, a child of immigrants from India, to meet JD & fall in love,” @hawaiiandelilah wrote.
“Meanwhile, the audience claps with perplexed looks on their faces as they hold signs saying “MASS DEPORTATION NOW.”
I am still recovering from the sight of poor Usha Vance claiming this wonderful country allowed her, a child of immigrants from India, to meet JD & fall in love. Meanwhile, the audience claps with perplexed looks on their faces as they hold signs saying "MASS DEPORTATION NOW."
According to the Associated Press, the mother of three is a trial lawyer and the daughter of Indian immigrants. Her mother is a biologist and provost at the University of California at San Diego, and her father works as an engineer. In the 2016 memoir Hillbilly Elegy, her husband wrote, “In a place that always seemed a little foreign, Usha’s presence made me feel at home.”
“Even at my best, I’m a delayed explosion—I can be defused, but only with skill and precision,” Vance wrote. “It’s not just that I’ve learned to control myself but that Usha has learned how to manage me.”
While Chilukuri Vance has yet to comment on the racist remarks, questions have been raised about her ties to the Supreme Court. Following law school, she spent a year clerking for now-Justice Brett Kavanaugh when he served as an appeals court judge and then as a law clerk to Chief Justice John Roberts.
Minimum Wage Workers In The State Of Georgia Can’t Afford Basic Needs, Like Rent
A NLIHC study reports that a worker earning minimum wage in the state of Georgia would need to work 3.5 full-time jobs to be able to maintain rent for an apartment.
For roughly 1.4 million people living in Georgia, a person earning minimum wage would need to work nearly four full-time jobs — or over 140 hours a week — to make monthly rent payments.
In the state of Georgia, where the minimum wage is not higher than the current federal standard of $7.23, the average income per hour sits at $23.44, which means a zero-bedroom apartment is not affordable for those earning the state’s average wages per hour. To be able to make rent, given Georgia’s standard minimum wage, $7.25 per hour, landlords and rental companies would have to set rental payments at $377 per month.
A new study conducted by the National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC) ranks Georgia as the 20th state with the highest housing wage requirement in the United States. To afford an apartment in the Peach State, the 2024 “Out of Reach” report reveals that a person would potentially have to work up to 3.5 full-time minimum-wage jobs.
Per the NLIHC, Georgia citizens would need to work anywhere between 140 and 238 hours just to afford to lease apartments with one to four bedrooms. With the current seven-day workweek being made up of 168 hours, this is nearly impossible to do. Moreover, per the “Out of Reach” report, a person would only have 28 free hours a week if they wanted to maintain rent, according to the current standards in place.
Currently, according to the Fair Market Rent (FMR), the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development considers prices between $1,272 and $2,242 as the average amount of an apartment, depending upon the number of bedrooms. Currently, the actual rents costs do not reflect the FMR.
While this report looks at the state of Georgia overall, it is important to note that the rental markets vary across the many cities that make up the Peach State, including Atlanta, Savannah, Albany, and a host of others. Housing vouchers deployed by the federal government, as well as local and state-level rental assistance programs across different cities in the state, are just some of the ways that current Georgia officials are attempting to alleviate concerns about the cost of rent and the effect it has on its citizens.
Black Game Developer Creates Video Game Inspired by Kendrick Lamar’s ‘Not Like Us’
Kendrick Lamar's "Not Like Us" has expanded to the video game industry thanks to developer Richie Branson.
Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us” has transcended into the video game space thanks to this Black game developer.
In the newly released Not Like Us: The Game,developed by Black game developer Richie Branson, users have the opportunity to combat owls with a character that appears to be Lamar holding a baseball bat. It pokes fun at his mention of fellow rapper Drake on the track. As players hit the animals coming at the video game character from several angles, the word “wop” appears while an 8-bit version of the song plays in the background. The song, which is now dubbed a hip-hop diss anthem, has taken over the media since its May 2024 release.
“I intentionally made the game spike in difficulty above 17, so any score 18 and above should be celebrated,” wrote Branson in a post shared on X. According to the game’s credits, Branson is “just a random brotha who designed games for Bleacher Report and worked for Epic Games as a game designer on a little game called Fortnite.”
What’s more, Branson calls Not Like Us: The Game “a free love letter to video games and hip-hop.” He also revealed that the idea for the game came to him while recovering from food poisoning.
Fans flocked to the comments of his X post, sharing their excitement for the new video game inspired by one of the songs debuted by Lamar, aimed at Toronto rapper Drake, continuing a years-long feud between the two. “This is so cool,” wrote one user. “Reminds me of those early flash games I grew up playing as a kid. Great work, man, you really are a jack of all trades!”
“Lol, you genius! Now make our stuff,” gaming company GameBoyJones chimed in. Another person wrote, “This is the type of timely creativity I love that we do.”
“Not Like Us” has not only had an impact on hip-hop fans and enthusiasts, but it has also proven to be a game-changer for Lamar’s California community. During his and pgLang’s Juneteenth Pop Out Concert, the Compton rapper took the stage alongside a host of fellow emcees and friends, performing the diss track back-to-back a total of five times. Following the event, Lamar announced that he and nearly 30 contributing artists at the event pledged $20,000 to roughly 20 LA-based charities and community initiatives.
“The Pop Out concert had a significant impact on the city, unifying West Coast hip-hop, providing a platform for emerging talent, celebrating Black culture, and revitalizing the local music scene,” said Mustard at the time. “It garnered global attention but also allowed us artists to give back to different programs based around South L.A. and put L.A. back in the driver’s seat for music, something that’s been long overdue.”
It looks like “Not Like Us” is the gift that keeps on giving.
USA Soccer Legend Tim Howard Joins Houston Dynamo Ownership Group
The Houston Dynamo Group owns both the Dynamo and NWSL’s Houston Dash.
Tim Howard, former U.S. Men’s National Team (USMNT) goalkeeper, has joined Houston Dynamo FC’s ownership group, which features the National Women’s Soccer League’s Houston Dash and Major League Soccer’s Houston Dynamo.
The group announced the partnership on Tuesday. Howard will serve as a minority owner of the two teams.
“We are proud to welcome Tim Howard to our ownership group at the Houston Dash and Houston Dynamo, ” said Houston Dynamo Football Club Majority Owner and Chairman Ted Segal in a press release. “His wealth of experience across soccer, both as a player at the highest levels and subsequently as a sporting director and media analyst, will be invaluable within ownership as we continue to build a competitive and successful organization. Moreover, Tim’s commitment to using his unique platform to ps of our organization.”
Howard played in the U.S. Men’s National Team (2002-2017) while simultaneously in the English Premier League (2003-2016). He had eight appearances for the FIFA World Cup and 121 for the national team. As a player, he received several accolades, including Footballer of The Year in 2008 and 2014. The Hall Of Famer was also voted Concacaf Goalkeeper of the Year for three years. The former goalkeeper played for the Colorado Rapids before retiring in 2020.
“As someone who has dedicated my life to the sport of soccer, I am thrilled to join the Houston Dash and Dynamo ownership group,” Howard said. “This opportunity allows me to further contribute to the growth of the game in the United States and connect with the passionate soccer fans who call Houston home.”
Additionally, Howard is an NBC Sports’ English Premier League coverage analyst.
Black Women Weigh In On The ‘Pet To Threat’ Phenomenon
Dr. Kecia Thomas talks Pet To Threat, and many Black women can relate
The “Pet to Threat” phenomenon is based on a 2013 study conducted by Drs. Kecia Thomas, Juanita Johnson Bailey, Rosemary E. Phelps, and Ny Mia Tran. The researchers asked a diverse group of women in various stages of their academic careers to share their experiences in workplaces where, in most cases, they were underrepresented.
Some participants spoke about being exploited for their “diversity social capital” while being undermined for their expertise. These women are forced to look for new jobs or choose entrepreneurship. Several women who stayed in these work environments shared that their colleagues seemed to treat them as a “threat.” They often experience alienation in the workplace and a lack of support from their colleagues, which can have a profound effect on their mental health.
Although the study was published over ten years ago, the concept seems to be gaining popularity. Dr. Kecia Thomas, who coined the phrase in 2013, suggested that this is because more can relate to this experience.
“Perhaps the persisting interest in our work is a reflection of the countless number of incredibly accomplished and credentialed Black women who have been initially tapped for high-status and nationally visible roles yet denied access to the power and authority those roles require as well as the rewards typically offered to others. In some cases, the appointments never fully materialized,” Dr. Thomas wrote in Forbes.
Professor Thomas added that highly credentialed women of color, especially Black women, often threaten the status quo.
X user Latesha Byrd referenced this article in a recent post.
“This thread is for Black women and Black women only. If that’s not you, please scroll. Let me tell you about the Pet to Threat Phenomena,” the post read. She went on to share how this can have a negative impact on Black women’s confidence and possibly change the trajectory of her career,” she wrote,
This thread is for Black women, and Black women only. If that’s not you please scroll. Let me tell you about the Pet to Threat Phenomena.
Have you ever started a job where everyone seemed to genuinely like you at first? Then, suddenly, things shift? (READ THIS THREAD)
More than 3,000 Black women chimed in to share their own “Pet To Threat” stories.
“You’d be surprised how quickly they turn on you. Sometimes, it’s in less than 90 days of starting a new position. Once you show how competent you are, your skills, and a fast learner, you immediately become a threat and a target.” X user, Shavaughn said.
You’d be surprised how quickly they turn on you, sometimes it’s in less than 90 days of starting a new position. Once you show how competent you are, your skills, and a fast learner, you immediately become a threat and a target. https://t.co/g4WMH7z71Y
Atlanta Is The Worst City For Income Inequality In America According To New Report
A new study finds that Atlanta has the highest income inequality across several American cities.
Atlanta has been ranked the worst city in America for income inequality.
According to a study led by GoBankingRates, the Georgia city dubbed the Black Mecca clinched the No. 1 spot for the most income inequality in America. People whose incomes landed in the bottom 20% in Atlanta earned an average income of $11,221. Those whose salaries are included in the top 20% made an average of $324,230.
Income inequality measures how unevenly income is distributed among a population. Thus, the greater the disparity, the less equal the income distribution will be.
The report, which looked at cities across the nation with a total population of 100,000 people or more, along with the Gini index for measuring income inequality into a single statistic, factored in the city’s bottom 20% of earner’s average income as well as the bottom 20% of earner’s share of wealth. Additionally, the study calculated the top 20% of earner’s average income and share of wealth and their median household income to determine the rankings.
Aside from Atlanta being the top U.S. city with the most income inequality, other key findings included six Florida cities, including Miami, Tampa, Tallahassee, and others, who were high in the same ranking. Five California cities topped the list, and it is important to note that no city included in the report had a median household income greater than $100,000.
The only American cities with a median household income greater than $100,000 include the nation’s capital, Washington, D.C., Connecticut’s Stamford, Scottsdale in Arizona, and Berkley and San Franciso in California.
Where Atlanta falls on the list of cities with the worst income inequality in the States may come as a surprise after the city topped the list of best cities for renters to live in 2024, thanks to the local economy. Georgia’s capital also holds the country’s highest rate of Black-owned businesses, according to Lending Tree. Atlanta is home to over 10,000 Black-owned companies, accounting for 9% of the businesses operating in the city.
The RNC just included part of this clip, in which an Ole Miss fraternity member made monkey gestures at a Black woman, in its programming, praising how "not all college students have gone woke." https://t.co/UDwjayEaTl
When the part of the white fraternity member making the racist gesture while approaching the Black woman played, Newsmax co-host Bob Brooks can be heard saying that these students are “giving us some hope there that not all college students have gone woke.”
Included in RNC Night 3 programming: this video from May of an Ole Miss frat boy making monkey noises at a Black woman. pic.twitter.com/vS33bgvf4z
The RNC received backlash from top Democrats, including the Biden campaign. Spokesperson Sarafina Chitika released a statement calling out the hypocrisy as GOP Presidential candidate Donald Trump promised unity. “Donald Trump promised unity at his convention. Instead, he delivered bigotry, division, and straight-up racism that turned dog whistles into bullhorns,” Chitika wrote.
“The video elevated by Trump and his RNC is beneath the office of the President, and it’s proof that their empty pandering to voters of color is nothing more than lip service to paper over decades of racism.”
Democratic strategist Antjuan Seawright said the clip reveals the true feelings of Republicans toward Black people. “It really speaks loudly about what they really think and feel about us,” Seawright said. “In other words, they’re saying the quiet part out loud.” Social media users also criticized the RNC and questioned what “unity” really means to them. “How? In what context? I cannot imagine a need for that to be played there,” @lolaraybee wrote.
@michealerlersbn shared similar thoughts. “I’m not sure how much more obvious the GOP can make it that they see hate as a feature and not a bug,” he wrote.
Those same students featured in the video attended the RNC and even spoke defending their actions. “When a mob tried to take down the American flag on our campus, we knew we couldn’t let that happen. We stood guard, we held it up and we did not let it fall. It was all about respect. Not just for the cloth but for everything that the flag stands for,” one student said.
“Too many people have sacrificed everything for it. The least we could do is keep it flying.”
JUST IN: UNC fraternity brothers who protected the flag during campus protests speak at RNC Convention.
“Too many people have sacrificed everything for it. The least we could do is keep it flying.”pic.twitter.com/17wSD4jyH5
When the protests took place on May 2, state governor Tate Reeves celebrated on X, saying, “It warms my heart.” Meanwhile, the fraternity released a statement condemning the members’ actions and the member was removed from the organization on May 3.
When Grayson and another deputy arrived at Massey’s home shortly before 1 a.m. on July 6, they knocked on the door and allegedly found her “distraught and not thinking clearly.” There was a pot of hot water on the stove that Massey carried to the sink and turned on the faucet. The victim asked the deputies what they were doing and Grayson responded with, “getting away from your hot, steaming water.”
Then, Massey allegedly said, “I rebuke you in the name of Jesus,” twice. Grayson responded, “I swear to God. I will shoot you right in your f—— face,” according to the summary.
According to the summary, Grayson then drew his weapon and ordered Massey to drop the pot. She crouched below the cabinets with her hands raised before apologizing. As the deputy approached Massey, she stood up quickly and grabbed the pot. She then threw the steaming hot water on a chair next to the cabinets. Grayson warned her to drop the pot as he approached.
The deputy fired three shots, hitting Massey once in the face after allegedly throwing the water.
According to the Illinois State Police, the second deputy on site wanted to retrieve a medical kit, but Grayson told him not to due to how serious Massey’s injuries were. He decided to render aid and stayed with the victim until medical help arrived. Records show Grayson never tried to help Massey.
State police documents included a use-of-force review, which found Grayson was justified in pointing his service weapon at the victim in hopes of getting her to comply. However, the shooting was not justified due to the deputy moving toward Massey, putting himself in the position to be injured.
Grayson was indicted and charged with three counts of first-degree murder, aggravated battery with a firearm, and official misconduct on July 18. In a statement, Ben Crump, the civil rights attorney representing Massey’s family, said “this news is a step toward justice for Sonya’s loved ones, especially her children, who have endured unimaginable pain and suffering since they were notified of this tragedy.”
He added, “We remain committed to uncovering the truth of what happened and identifying the failures that allowed this tragic death to occur.”
“It is extremely hard to imagine how a woman who calls the police out of fear of an intruder ends up shot in the head by the police at her own home,” he said.
Teri Williams, president and owner of the largest Black-owned bank in America, talks about living a full life and banking Black.
Originally Published Dec. 21, 2016.
Teri Williams is the president and owner of the largest, Black-owned bank in America, One United. She’s a graduate of Harvard Business School, a mother of two, and has been married for 25 years. OneUnited has more than $620 million in assets under management, and this summer, launched a social media campaign that caught the attention of a host of A-list celebs.
OneUnited Bank has over $620 million in assets under management. This conversation is less about how to make more money, and more about how to increase your money mentality. During my time with Williams, I learned fiveways to increase my wealth mentality:
Leave Room for Chance
Williams shared that she is a type-A personality, yet she has found that her greatest opportunities have come as a result of her “remaining open to possibility.
It was never on Teri Williams’ vision board to buy a bank. “My only goal was to provide economic empowerment to African Americans. I did not know how I was going to accomplish such a life-sized goal, Williams shares.
When her husband initially proposed buying a bank, she thought it was a long shot. Well, the long shot led the power pair purchasing three smaller banks and merging them to form a national umbrella now known as OneUnited. The name was chosen to reflect the vision of unifying the banks and the Black community.
Williams says that part of her process is not really having one. “For me, it is all about recognizing that you don’t know what you don’t know. In fact, if I have this process so laid out, it would close me off to people reaching out and educating me about ways to do things better, Williams says.
Similarly, Williams had the same approach when she enrolled at Brown University.
“I had no idea what an Ivy League university was,” she admits. “I attended Brown University as a recommendation from a friend of the family, and simply because they offered me the most money. Yet, it was at Brown University where my peers endeavoring to become judges, international attorneys, and doctors inspired me. This is what began to challenge my initial career interest of becoming a teacher. After hearing all of their ambition, I decided that studying economics would be more fitting.”
Your Teachers Are Everywhere
Williams says that while she embraced being at the top of her class at Harvard Business School, having a MBA, and working in corporate America, she credits her business acumen to her great grandmother Annie Coachman, affectionately known as “Ma-honey.
Ma-Honey had a real estate portfolio: a juke joint, a candy store, and a BBQ pit in the 1950’s. “As an adolescent, I followed Ma-Honey around, watching how she interacted with people with grace and confidence, with those from within the community and those traveling from the other side of the railroad tracks,” Williams says. “We are never to forget where we come from. Always remember that you are someone’s child, someone’s grandchild, and someone’s great grandchild, and those relationships can serve as the foundation to your success.”
Where You’re From Does Not Determine Where You’re Going!
I have heard my fair share of rags-to-riches tales, but Williams’ story was, nonetheless, money-motivating. The wind of possibility filled the room, as she discussed her humble beginnings in Indiantown, FL, where the median income, to date, is $28,000 with a population of 6,850 (U.S. Census 2010).
Yet, Teri Williams is now the president and owner of the largest Black-owned bank in America, with $620 million in assets under management across bank locations in Miami, Boston, and Los Angeles. She credits her success to a disciplined prayer life for guidance and the strength to carry out that guidance, once it is given.
Remain Curious
While Williams was the first of her family to graduate from college, her parents played a large role in feeding her curiosity. One family tradition that encouraged Williams was her family’s Sunday drives. In spite of limited financial resources, Williams’ parents thought it important to see the other side of town.
During these drives, Williams says she began to look through the windows of the homes and wonder, “Who lived in these homes, how did they get here, what did they do to live like this, why do these people have so much, and why don’t we live like this, and what drives them?
A seed was planted. Williams says that she has since been driven by curiosity to understand why some people were wealthy, why others were not, and what drove them in either direction. These drives not only gifted Williams with curiosity, but also provided her with a sense of reassurance: “If they can do it, I can do it, too.
Your Goal Will Grow With You
“My goal to empower African Americans economically—this is a growing goal. It is a goal that I am committed to from now until to the grave, Williams says.
In August 2016, the #BankBlack challenge, issued by Atlanta-based rapper Killer Mike, prompted black America to move $10 million into the bank in less than one month. During that time, OneUnited went from opening fewer than 50 accounts daily, to over 1,000 per day.
“You cannot know everything starting out. But, if you keep going and listen for the guidance, you will find it wherever you are, Williams says.
