federal employees
by Derek Major

November 9, 2022

American Heart Association: Black Adults Religous Activities Aid In Heart Health

According to new research, Black adults who frequently attend church or have a deep relationship with religion and spirituality are more likely to hit markers of good cardiovascular health.

According to a study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association (AMA), Black men and women who regularly attend service are more likely to exercise frequently, maintain a balanced diet and have consistent blood pressure.

The association is the first to investigate the association between religious practices and spirituality and a set of behaviors and practices that are considered to be significant in achieving good cardiovascular health.

Researchers analyzed health and religious data collected through interviews health screenings and surveys of more than 2,2900 participants for the Jackson Heart Study, which is the largest community-based study of cardiovascular disease among Black men and women. The study, which started in 1998 continues to this day.

Overall those who reported they were regularly involved in religious activities had a16% higher odds of hitting intermediate or ideal standards for physical activity, 10% higher odds of healthy eating, 50% higher odds of not smoking and 12% higher odds of maintaining good blood pressure than those who attend church less often. They also have a 15% higher chance of achieving an intermediate or high cardiovascular health score.

Additionally, Black adults who frequently conduct private prayer had 12% greater odds of achieving intermediate or ideal metrics for diet and 24% greater odds of not smoking.

“Health professionals and researchers should acknowledge the importance of religious and spiritual influences in the lives of African Americans – who tend to be highly religious,” lead study author Dr. LaPrincess C. Brewer, a preventive cardiologist and assistant professor of medicine at Mayo Clinic said in a release.

“With religious and spiritual beliefs factored into our approaches, we may make major breakthroughs in fostering the relationship between patients and physicians and between community members and scientists to build trust and sociocultural understanding of this population.”

The news is significant considering that Black men and women overall have poorer cardiovascular health and higher cardiovascular disease rates than their Whtie peers

Purchase This One-Year VPN Subscription For Under $20 With Every Friday Is Black Friday
by Black Enterprise Shop

November 9, 2022

Purchase This One-Year VPN Subscription For Under $20 With Every Friday Is Black Friday

The current state of web security requires well-enforced software that is equipped with features that are vital to protect your online browsing sessions and personal data across a range of platforms. Online hackers have come up with ways to penetrate even the most secure browsers, and the number of attempts has soared in recent months.

The last thing you want to worry about online is bad actors breaching your browser’s data to gain access to your personal and sensitive information.

VPNs have proven to be an effective tool against hackers. Professionals in the tech arena urged those without to install one on their devices.

With the Every Friday is Black Friday Deal, you can purchase a one-year subscription to AdGuard VPN for just $19.99. That’s a savings of 72% from its MSRP ($71).

AdGuard is one of the most trusted programs available. More than 25 million users around the globe trust the company to protect their online data. It uses zero-logging, and fast technology updates to provide users with the ultimate solution for safe online browsing.

AdGuard VPN has been featured on USA Today, Forbes, Newsweek, The Guardian, MacWorld and other leading publications. VPNs work by providing a secure tunnel between two or more devices. AdGuard VPN ensures uncompromising online privacy protection through an advanced encryption algorithm that guarantees your data remains off-limits and your online traffic stays private.

Up to five devices can be connected simultaneously. Users can also choose their DNS servers, giving them the freedom to block ads or trackers. There’s also the option to add a website to exclusions.

AdGuard has servers on nearly every corner of the earth, including Canada, UAE, Israel, the UK, Egypt, among other countries.

This product is rated 4.4 stars on the Google Play marketplace. It’s received a 4.6-star rating on the Apple Store. Google Chrome in its review says: “The best free solution for your online security from the creators of a famous ad blocker.”

Take your online security efforts into your own hands and purchase AdGuard VPN today before this Every Friday is Black Friday deal ends.

Prices subject to change. 

Black Entrepreneur Who Couldn’t Land Software Job Generates Millions With Payment Parking App
by Stacy Jackson

November 8, 2022

Black Entrepreneur Who Couldn’t Land Software Job Generates Millions With Payment Parking App

This Black entrepreneur feels it is more effective to ask himself which investors he wants to make money with rather than begging them for money.

Jim Gibbs, a co-founder of Meter Feeder, a parking payment app that enables vehicles to pay for parking via an integration between the vehicle and a city’s metering system, has built a long career in software engineering after dropping out of Carnegie Mellon from a lack of finances.

According to Forbes, Gibbs, who has been writing software since 1968, decided that changing his strategies was unnecessary after being told he needed to be “more confident” or that he was “underselling” from white investors. He has reportedly generated millions through Meter Feeder with a 15-employee team and his co-founder, Daniel Lopretto, since they launched the company after winning a 2015 hackathon.

He said his process when meeting investors shifted to questioning himself with, “Would I be an L.P. in their fund?”

In 2016, the company went through Y Combinator and received $100,000 from the Google Black Founders Fund in 2021. Additionally, investors in Meter Feeder, which has raised a total of $4.1 million, include Paul Buchheit, the state’s Innovation Works, Mountain State Capital, Precursor Ventures, and Trucks Venture Capital.

Gibbs is confident that Meter Feeder already has a solid business model to find investors who believe in the company’s mission. Forbes shared that the entrepreneur is currently in discussion with car manufacturers and the federal government about possible applications of Meter Feeder’s API, which allows money to be transferred through Internet-connected devices.

According to Technical.ly, the platform officially launched with the Pittsburgh Parking Authority in August 2021 after beginning in the Dormont area in 2015. The team brought the app to local municipalities and is working on expanding to larger cities.

“Big cities come to Pittsburgh in order to find out what we’re doing as far as parking is concerned,” Gibbs said in a 2021 feature.

Gibbs attended Carnegie Mellon as a computer science major and worked as a software developer for companies like Slaymaker Solutions, American Eagle Outfitters, and Branding Brand.

TikTok Hires Black Man Who Served as Former Biden Administration, Pentagon Official
by Derek Major

November 8, 2022

TikTok Hires Black Man Who Served as Former Biden Administration, Pentagon Official

The Chinese-owned social media giant TikTok has hired Jamal Brown, a former Biden administration and Pentagon communications official.

The New York Post reports Brown, a former top communications official for the Biden administration and the Pentagon, has served as the deputy press secretary for the Pentagon since Feb. 2021.

Before that, Brown served as the national press secretary for President Joe Biden’s 2020 presidential campaign. Brown also spent six years working for the Obama administration in the Office of Management and Budget.

Brown’s hire has raised some concerns as politicians on both sides of the aisle consider the social media site and its popularity a national security threat. More than 86 million Americans, or more than a quarter of the U.S. population, have TikTok accounts in America, and the number is growing every day.

ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok, is subject to Chinese Communist Party law, which requires it to share user data upon request. Last week, FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr called for a U.S. ban on the social media app, saying it’s the only way to mitigate the threat TikTok poses to U.S. security.

“I don’t believe there is a path forward for anything other than a ban,” Carr told Bloomberg.

Carr added that there isn’t “a world in which you could come up with sufficient protection on the data that you could have sufficient confidence that it’s not finding its way back into the hands of the [Chinese Communist Party].”

With Twitter now in the hands of Tesla owner Elon Musk, more Americans could be heading to TikTok.
The platform is also working to help Black businesses in the U.S. with its accelerator program designed to “elevate the voices of Black-owned businesses on TikTok through exclusive access to resources, benefits, and networking opportunities.”

“The TikTok Support Black Businesses Program has had a significant impact on our business,” said Sahr Brima, CEO of Love You Cookie and a participant in the 2021 cohort of Support Black Businesses. “Not only did the program give us national exposure, it also gave us the tools and the resources to succeed on TikTok.”

Model Aoki Lee Simmons Calls Out White America’s Silence to Deaths Within Hip-Hop Community
by Jeroslyn JoVonn

November 8, 2022

Model Aoki Lee Simmons Calls Out White America’s Silence to Deaths Within Hip-Hop Community

Aoki Lee Simmons isn’t feeling the silence from the white community when it comes to deaths within the hip-hop community.

The daughter of Def Jam Founder Russell Simmons and fashionista Kimora Lee Simmons is very vocal on social media and enjoys using her large following to raise awareness on issues and causes important to her.

Over the weekend, Aoki posted a three-minute TikTok video bringing attention to white America’s lack of response “when Black artists die in America.” Aoki’s video rant came in the wake of the death of Migos rapper Takeoff, who was fatally shot in Houston last week.

“I hope this was well articulated. Thinking of Kirshnik Khari Ball, and his loved ones, the artist take off and his fans, today,” Aoki captioned her post. “But he and so many black artists deserve better than this type of fan.”

“Who can post the music, the speculated drama, and everything else, but not their death,” she added.

https://www.tiktok.com/@aokileesimmons/video/7161166162896899374?is_from_webapp=v1&item_id=7161166162896899374

In her video, Aoki explained why she feels like “every time a Black hip-hop artist or rap artist…dies, it is only those communities, the Black community, the hip-hop community, who are actively involved in their remembrance or in mourning them.” =”

“At the same time, so many privileged, non-black people living their lives—like the soundtrack to their lives is this music,” she explained. “They are using it for everything … parties, lives, moments, gym, motivation… it’s the soundtrack to their life.”

Aoki continued calling out white Americans. She says they praise rappers in their life but who fall silent in the wake of their passing.

“They are getting so much value from these artists and their life stories, and yet when the art dies, not a word,” she quipped.

The Harvard honors student likened the silence to “systemic oppression” that primarily hurts the Black community.

“The absolute worst parts of systematic oppression and the havoc it wreaks on communities in the hood, violence and drugs, but it’s fine to relate to and live vicariously through that when it’s all fun and games, yet these are ongoing issues that frequently kill these artists,” she said.

“And when that happens, it’s ‘Oh, hip-hop community, I mean, that’s, like, their community’s violence.”

Many applauded Aoki for shedding light on the topic.

“Thanks for using your resources to bring to the light!” one viewer wrote.

“People want our rhythm, but not our blues,” added someone else.

White Ohio Officer Ordered To Pay Black Man’s Family $4.4M for Fatal Shooting
by Atiya Jordan

November 8, 2022

White Ohio Officer Ordered To Pay Black Man’s Family $4.4M for Fatal Shooting

An Ohio jury on Tuesday awarded $4.4 million to the family of a Black man who was fatally shot by a white Euclid police officer in March 2017.

The eight-member jury found Officer Matthew Rhodes‘ actions to be “reckless” when he climbed into 23-year-old Luke Stewart‘s vehicle and then shot him while Stewart drove away from the scene, the Associated Press reported.

The verdict is in connection with a wrongful death lawsuit filed by Stewart’s mother in October 2017, claiming that the city of Euclid is responsible for practices that “led to the officer’s shooting and death of her son.” The suit also contended that police training in the city “encouraged, or at least condoned, excessive force.”

“They tortured my baby,” said Stewart’s mother, Mary Stewart, per the news outlet.

“Why? Why did he just take it upon himself just to feel that he could go around killing people like that? It’s just so unfair, it’s unreal. I can’t believe it.”

A trial court initially dismissed the case, and a grand jury declined to indict Rhodes after hearing evidence from prosecutors.

The fatal shooting occurred after Rhodes and fellow Euclid officer Louis Catalani responded to a call about a suspicious vehicle in suburban Cleveland. He discovered Stewart sleeping behind the wheel, alarming him awake.

Rhodes admitted that he opened the passenger door and reached into Stewart’s car to try to force him out. Stewart started to drive away, prompting Rhodes to jump in and wrestle the gearshift away from Stewart in order to control the moving car.

According to Cleveland.com, Rhodes punched Stewart in the head and tasered him before he shot him three times. Stewart said he shot him because he feared Stewart would cause a crash with the car and send Rhodes to his death. The officer also admitted on cross-examination that the car was in neutral when he shot Stewart. He also said that Stewart didn’t cause any harm to him before he decided to open fire.

As a result, the jury ordered Rhodes to pay Stewart’s family $3.9 million for the “loss of his support and companionship,” Cleveland.com reported. He must also pay an additional $500,000 for the “pain and suffering he went through when Rhodes killed him.”

Didn’t See That Coming—Rapper T.I.’s Son Messiah Harris Makes Debut as Blues Country Artist
by Jeroslyn JoVonn

November 8, 2022

Didn’t See That Coming—Rapper T.I.’s Son Messiah Harris Makes Debut as Blues Country Artist

Another one of T.I.‘s sons is following in his musical footsteps. Messiah Harris took fans for a loop when he debuted as a country blues artist.

Messiah, 22, performed at the Vinyl in Center Stage Atlanta over the weekend and shocked fans when he introduced attendees to his new musical persona, “Buddy Red.” Messiah posted an Instagram clip showing himself stringing away at the guitar during his live performance.

“Can you tell it’s my first live performance?” he captioned the post.

“You all made it feel so good being up there, I appreciate it very much. 🖤 The song I’m playing is out right now: When I Dream-Buddy Red.”

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Messiah Harris (@buddyred)

Buddy Red crooned out his original lyrics in a style reminiscent of soul-rock legend Jimi Hendrix. Friends and family flooded Messiah’s comments, sharing their pride in his music debut.

His sister Zonnique Jailee sent her love as well as Outkast member Big Boi, rapper Yung Joc, and, of course, his rap superstar father, T.I.

“Proud pops,” T.I. wrote.

His mother, Tiny, also applauded Messiah for his debut and teaching himself how to play the guitar.

“Had an amazing time watching our son do his thang at his very first show!” Tiny wrote, as captured by Hot New Hip Hop.

“I love how he got so interested in the guitar that he taught himself how to play; now that’s talent!”

Messiah isn’t the first of the Harris kids to pursue music. Along with Tiny Harris’ eldest daughter, Zonnique, who performed in the girl group OMG Girlz as a teen before pursuing a solo career, T.I.’s 18-year-old son, King Harris, is a rapper.

T.I. and Tiny’s youngest child, daughter Heiress Harris, 6, continues to amaze fans on social media with her vocal range and ability. Heiress has performed for crowds of Xscape fans alongside her mom.

Messiah’s musical debut as a blues artist highlights the range of musical talent in the Harris household.

Black Couple Sells 236-Acre Farm To Luxury Hotel Brand in $13.75M Off-Market Deal
by Stacy Jackson

November 8, 2022

Black Couple Sells 236-Acre Farm To Luxury Hotel Brand in $13.75M Off-Market Deal

What was once meant as a family compound may soon become a luxury resort.

Black entrepreneurs Chid Liberty and Georgie Badiel Liberty reportedly sold their large upstate property in Rhinebeck, New York, in an off-market deal that closed Friday. According to the New York Post, the 236-acre biodynamic farm was purchased for $13.75 million by Six Senses, one of the world’s most luxurious hotel brands.

(Image: Courtesy of Chid Libery)

Chid, the co-founder and CEO of the fair-trade apparel manufacturer Liberty & Justice and the Made in Africa label, along with his wife, a model, activist, and philanthropist, purchased the farm last year for $8.5 million with a friend to serve as a family compound.

“The idea was to make [the property] our main residence and do retreats there with impact organizations,” Chid, who was born in Liberia, said.

(Image: Courtesy of Chid Libery)

“We did a bunch of retreats for Equity Alliance and Unreasonable Impact, and hosted our own, with yoga, hikes and horses. We loved it.”

However, sources say that new plans for the property under the Six Senses banner include transforming the land into a resort.

“No Hudson Valley project has been announced, so Six Senses is unable to comment,” a representative told the Post

(Image: Courtesy of Chid Libery)

Although the property was not placed on the market, incoming calls from prospective buyers poured in about the farm that was built with traditional Hudson Valley architecture. Anchored by a stone house built in 1768 with eight fireplaces, two bedrooms, four-and-a-half baths, and an artist’s studio, the land spans hundreds of acres, includes a 7,200-square-foot barn, and has idyllic scenery.

“We said no at least three times, then named a ridiculous price,” Chid said.

(Image: Courtesy of Chid Libery)

Currently, the Libertys are enjoying their home in Williamsburg, traveling the world, and pursuing new business ventures that include launching a Made in Africa swim line with Target. Additionally, Georgie’s charity, the Georgie Mandiel Foundation, just raised $1 million toward her mission to bring clean water and sanitation to Burkina Faso.

17-Year-Old Girl Jumps From Moving Car After Lyft Driver’s ‘Suspicious Behavior’
by Jeroslyn JoVonn

November 8, 2022

17-Year-Old Girl Jumps From Moving Car After Lyft Driver’s ‘Suspicious Behavior’

A 17-year-old girl in North Carolina was left injured with scars all over her face after jumping out of a moving Lyft ride due to the driver’s “suspicious behavior.”

Eziya Bowden ordered a ride to get home from work, but said as soon as she entered the car, the driver asked inappropriate questions, WBTV reported.

“‘How many boys flirted with you?’ He said that right away,” Bowden recalled.

“‘Oh, you just look good. I would date you if you weren’t so young.'”

She said the driver started spraying something that made her feel dizzy and warm. The teen believed the driver was attempting to drug her.

“When I got in his car, it did smell like cigarettes, so when he sprayed one time, it was already like, ‘Oh, it no longer smelled like that,'” she explained.

“But for you to keep spraying it, then roll your windows up, like, I know it’s not about me being nervous or anything.”

The driver’s questionable behavior eventually prompted the teen to make the potentially life-threatening decision to jump out of the moving car.

“I was very scared, but then again…I’d rather get out of this car than fall asleep in a car with this man I don’t really know,” Bowden said.

She blacked out once she jumped out of the vehicle. Bowden, miles away from home, became emotional and started crying.

“I just looked down at the ground, I looked behind me and I just jumped out,” she said.

“He didn’t stop when he noticed the door was open or he heard me crying or anything.”

Bowden said the driver eventually stopped and pretended to be a concerned bystander who called the police. She ended up in the emergency room with scars that only remind her of the terrifying experience.

Lyft has since condemned the driver’s “deeply concerning” behavior and has revoked his access to the platform.

“I don’t think that’s stopping him from anything else. It doesn’t really bring peace to me at all. As young girls, or even women, we have to be very aware and safe of our surroundings,” Bowden said.

“Cancel your ride and wait. Wait for somebody ’cause honestly, I would’ve waited for my friend.”

Lyft refunded her for the ride but the teen is too traumatized to use another ride-share app anytime soon. Police haven’t filed any charges against the driver.

remote work, microsoft
by Derek Major

November 8, 2022

Black Twitter Employees Share Concerns About Future Work Culture After Elon Musk Terminates Black Employee Resource Group

Last Friday, new Twitter owner Elon Musk announced he was laying off half of the company’s 7,500 employees—9% of whom are Black.

An outlet spoke with two Black employees, referred to as Cam and Bailey (to protect their identities), about their thoughts on the future of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) at the social media site.

According to the pair, employees were initially excited about the Tesla founder taking over the company, but that quickly changed.

“From afar, we were thinking—this could mean great improvements from an engineering and product perspective because he’s known in the industry as having skills in that arena. But the closer we got to him, the more we realized that his personal ideologies are so far away from ours,” the pair said in an interview.

Bailey predicted that under Musk, Twitter would be a less inclusive company. Yahoo News reported that Musk had terminated Blackbird, the Employee Resource Group (ERG) for Black employees at Twitter, founded by Shavone Charles. Musk also got rid of the Women’s ERG at Twitter.

https://twitter.com/isadwatson/status/1588524126385291264

Bailey took the elimination of the ERGs as a clear indication of a shift in the company, and it completely changed how minority and female employees view the company.

“I was a Twitter user before I was an employee,” Cam told Essence, adding that work culture has taken a dark turn.

“At the time, the work felt important.”

If Musk’s other company Tesla is any indication of Twitter’s future, there may be an uptick in racial discrimination lawsuits in the company’s future. Earlier this year, a judge gave a former Tesla employee $15 million in damages over racial abuse.

Additionally, in a class-action lawsuit against Tesla filed by California’s Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH) in February, three former plant workers recalled instances where Black workers were called the N-word on the assembly line, forced to work in a segregated area of the factory called “the plantation,” and even being terminated after being called “monkeys” by a manager. The state of California also threatened to sue the e-car giant.

Last year, Melvin Berry was awarded more than $1 million after the company failed to stop his supervisors from calling him the N-word. Berry also claimed when he confronted a supervisor about his frequent use of the N-word, he was forced to work longer hours with heavier equipment. A federal court also ordered Tesla to pay $137 million to Owen Diaz, a former Black employee who accused the automaker of ignoring racial abuse he faced while working there.

Many, like Cam and Bailey, believe that under Musk’s leadership, Black Twitter will die, the platform will become racist and segregated, and safeguards protecting people against hate speech will be weakened.

“Not all ideas should have a platform because not all ideas are created equal. Some ideas are more fleshed out and thoughtful than others. Some ideas have more logic than others. Some ideas have more research than others. And those are the ideas that rose to the surface in the prior regime,” Bailey said.

×