• Diversity, Equality, Inclusion

by Derek Major

October 28, 2022

Emory University Establishes First African American Studies Ph.D. Program at a Private University In The South

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Emory University, a private school in Georgia, has announced the rollout of a new African American studies  Ph.D. program that will be the first at a private university in the South.

According to a press release, the program is currently taking applications, and the first doctoral students are set to enroll next fall.

“I couldn’t be more excited or more proud that we are launching our African American studies Ph.D. program,” says Carla Freeman, interim dean of Emory College of Arts and Sciences.

“Our faculty have invested years of strategic planning, imagination, and bold ambition to develop the curriculum and recruit top scholar-teachers working across the humanities and social sciences in this vibrant interdisciplinary field.”

Emory University has a long history of promoting African American Studies. The private institution established the first undergraduate major in African American studies in 1971, making it the first university in the South with a degree-granting African American studies program.

Historian and Emory Professor of African American studies Carol Anderson has been a significant part of the effort to establish the program at Emory University, which has been in development for five years. Each student in the program will receive training in one of three fields: gender and sexuality, social justice and social justice movements, and expressive arts and culture.

“The Ph.D. program in African American studies is something that we have worked so hard for and is so necessary, given the situation where we are right now in terms of understanding the inequities in America, how we got here and how we get out,” Anderson said in a statement.

The program will feature 14 core faculty members and more than 40 affiliated faculty members, including scholars with research specializations in a litany of disciplines, including American studies, anthropology, art history, comparative literature, creative writing, educational studies, English, history, music, political science, religious studies, sociology and women’s, gender and sexuality studies. Emory’s faculty gives the program one of the nation’s largest graduate faculties of any African American studies Ph.D. program.

According to Dianne Stewart, a Samuel Candler Dobbs Professor of Religion and African American Studies and the interim chair of the department, the goal for the new Ph.D. program is “to translate our vision in such a way that would feature our program’s distinctiveness as well as its integral contributions to Emory’s Laney Graduate School and the wider landscape of African American studies Ph.D. programs across the nation.”

The program also plans to be cutting edge with faculty and students engaging in debates and conversation on current events, including the 2020 Black Lives Matter movement, the deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, and what it means to be a public scholar.

• Health and Wellness

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

October 28, 2022

Stic of Dead Prez Shares Keys to Inner Wealth in New Book ‘5 Principles to A Revolutionary Path’

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Khnum “Stic” Ibomu, better known as Stic from the revolutionary but gangsta hip-hop duo Dead Prez, appeared on Hip Hop & Enterprise to share the gems found in his new book The 5 Principles: A Revolutionary Path to Health, Inner Wealth, and Knowledge of Self.

The award-winning rapper, producer, and champion of healthy living has inspired millions with his music and lifestyle, and now he’s sharing his life wisdom in his new self-help guide. Stic uses his relatable, non-preachy, proactive, and integrative approach to well-being to explain the 5 Ps of Knowledge, Nutrition, Exercise, Rest, and Consistency.

The book serves as a customizable roadmap for enjoying the discipline of healthy living. The rapper wasn’t always the people’s champ of healthy living in hip-hop. As a young aspiring rapper on the rise in the late ’90s, Stic was no stranger to self-destructive lifestyle habits of excessive drinking, abusing weed, poor dietary choices, and enduring many stressful days and sleepless nights.

His lifestyle decisions at the time ultimately led to a dangerous diagnosis of gout. Once confronted with the choice to continue the cycle of suffering or make revolutionary changes, Stic set out to profoundly transform his lifestyle.

“Health is a very much personal journey,” Stic told BLACK ENTERPRISE.

“Right. You know, there are all kinds of diets and fads and trends out here. My journey has been that it’s a custom fit. Health and fitness is something that must fit you.”

What he’s learned and acquired in the three decades since is reflected in his new book and cultural movement, RBG FIT CLUB. Always a pioneer, Stic is coining his own ground-breaking genre of music called “Fit Hop,” where he uses his lyrical ability to motivate a movement through the culture of hip-hop.

Press play below to get into the jewels and gems from Khnum “Stic” Ibomu’s The 5 Principles: A Revolutionary Path to Health, Inner Wealth, and Knowledge of Self.

The United Kingdom’s Black Lives in Music (BLIM) is sending a message to the music industry through an official code of conduct against racism.

On Wednesday, an official announcement was made to unveil the new code of conduct that will be adopted in 2023, The Guardian reports. Created by BLIM, the UK Music Industry Anti-Racism Code aims to tackle issues around pay, inclusion, and safety for Black, Asian, and ethnically diverse members of the sector.

The code results from a 2021 BLIM report that found 63% of Black music creators had experienced racism in the UK music industry. The percentage was higher for Black music professionals, at 73%.

Of the 1,718 performers, creatives, and staff surveyed, all reported experiences of harassment, bullying, microaggressions, and racist language in the workplace. Of those surveyed, 36% of the UK’s Black music professionals said the conditions took a toll on their mental health.

“The music industry has a hole in terms of what Black artists are chosen and what investments are made; the same type of music is being put out by Black people when in reality we do every kind of music,” said BLIM Chief Executive Charisse Beaumont.

“But that space is not being created for us. And why is that? Because the decision-makers at the top are not diverse.”

The 2021 survey also found that Black musicians in the UK say they are pigeonholed into urban music genres like R&B and hip-hop, while Black and ethnically diverse people only make up 19.9% of executive positions.

The Independent Standards Authority supports the code and will apply to anyone working in music in the UK, from freelance technical staff to artists working for large companies. Labels and organizations will be expected to commit to creating a safe working environment for all and strive for inclusion over diversity.

Companies will also be asked to conduct mandatory training, data collection, and accountability processes to combat potential racism or lack of diversity and inclusion.

Grand closing, grand opening.

Just hours after shutting down, Donda Academy, the school opened by the artist formerly known as Kanye West, is open once again “with a vengeance.”

According to TMZ, several hours after sending a letter to parents of students attending Donda Academy informing them that the institution was shut down, another notice was sent declaring that the school would be open again the following day.

“Join us tomorrow morning in worship for the return of Donda Academy. With the help of our parents and community, we are back and returning with a vengeance!

“The children of Donda are going to change the world!

“Apologies for the late email! See you bright and early!”

No reason was offered for the re-opening.

The original notification, which principal Jason Angell issued, had been sent mere hours before the turnaround stating, “at the discretion of our Founder, Donda Academy will close for the remainder of the 2022-2023 school year effective immediately.”

The school intended to “begin afresh in September of 2023.” The principal had promised that the school’s leadership would be working “diligently” to help students and their families during “this transition” to make sure that every student will be equipped with whatever they need “to succeed in their next community.”

The school, located in Simi Valley, California, was founded by Ye last year and named after his late mother, Donda West, a principal in Chicago. Donda Academy is billed as a Christian private school (reportedly, tuition is $15,000 annually, and parents are required to sign non-disclosure agreements) with students from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade. The school is home to approximately 100 students and has 13 full-time teachers, according to The Times.

Ye has been facing a flurry of cancelations from business partnerships and the general public after making various statements considered anti-semitic. The controversial artist has been making his rounds throughout multiple media outlets over the past several weeks spewing damaging comments and rhetoric that has upset various factions of people.

An elementary school in Inglewood, California will have its name changed after being purchased by NBA referee Derek Richardson.

On Monday, Richardson’s impactful investment was announced after the 26-year veteran NBA referee purchased the former K. Anthony School in Inglewood, CA. The school will now be named Dolores T. Richardson, after Derek’s late mother, according to a press release.

Richardson, a North Charleston native, chose to name the school after his late mother due to how she served as the first and most important teacher throughout his life, ABC News 4 reports.

The official reopening of the school under the Richardson name will take place on Saturday, October 29, 2022, at the school’s facility. The event will consist of a ceremonial ribbon-cutting, dedication, and an open house.

Along with serving nearly three decades in the NBA, Richardson is also the former Group Supervisor for the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services.

His passion for education runs deep. The California State University Dominguez Hills alum worked for Los Angeles, County Department of Children and Family Services as a Group Supervisor before making his transition into the National Basketball Association.

After Hurricane Katrina, Richardson co-founded and became the Executive Director of Why Can’t We Make A Difference Foundation (WCWMAD) which assisted families with unforeseen challenges in their lives. In 2012, WCWMAD’s mission changed after Richardson visited an underserved elementary school in South Central Los Angeles.

The foundation’s mission elevated to provide academic and social enrichment programs to students in underserved and disenfranchised schools. WCWMAD has serviced thousands of children and families with enrichments in Art, Chess, Choir, Coding, Dance before school, Morning Mentoring, and Performing Arts.

Alongside a team of collaborative partners, the organization is able to assist families with Thanksgiving and Christmas Gift Cards, and outings that take families outside the immediate confines of the neighborhood to provide a broader life experience.

In 2021 WCWMAD collaborated with the Children’s Defense Funds Summer Freedom School where the students who participated in reading and comprehension levels increased by 66.7% from the six-week program.

• Amazon Small Business Superheroes

by Jeffrey McKinney

October 28, 2022

Orijin Bees Is Buzzing With Success in Toy Industry

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With strong family ties to West Africa — specifically,  Cabo Verde and Ghana — Melissa Orijin and her husband taught their eldest daughter to be proud of her roots.

Their efforts worked until their daughter became the only Black girl in her class at school and her confidence began to drop. This experience led to her disliking her hair texture and skin color and, in turn, favoring Caucasian dolls. Orijin’s efforts to find a doll that looked like her daughter in the toy aisle of local department stores proved fruitless. Then a trailblazing business idea emerged when Melissa’s husband, Archyn, suggested, “Why don’t you just create the dolls you want to see?”

How an epiphany grew into a thriving business

That epiphany evolved into a passion project for Melissa. She says her then-four-year-old daughter, Esi, inspired her to launch Orijin Bees. The business is a collection of dolls authentically representing Black and Brown children. “From their facial features, variety of skin tones, and range in curl patterns, our Baby Bee Dolls are on a mission to encourage self-love and inclusion during play,” Orijin asserts.

Launched more than three years ago, Orijin Bees has caught on fire with retailers and celebrities. The toys landed on Oprah’s Favorite Things 2021 list and were included in Amazon’s ‘Toys We Love’ for 2021 and 2022. “Celebrities also showed love for the dolls,” Melissa Orijin says. Earlier this year, Orijin says Kandi Burrus suggested making Orijin Bees the “Next Big Brand for Kids” during a livestream. And Keke Palmer highlighted Orijin Bees during a Women’s History Month feature with Amazon. “Everyone loves Keke and having her include Orijin Bees on her list means everything to us,” Orijin says.

Expanding offerings to reach new customers

Orijin Bees now offers over 20 different Baby Bee Dolls for ages three and older. The company recently launched Nu’Bee Plush Baby Dolls, a line representing newborns, and a new ginger-hair doll has been a hit. It plans to unveil a male version of Baby Bee Dolls this year.

While the company is enjoying success, starting Orijin Bees was no easy feat. Orijin says she stumbled into becoming an entrepreneur in the toy industry, adding her firm is truly an extension of her focus as a mother. She continues to learn and gain experience as her business grows. In fact, one of her biggest challenges, she says, was leaving a stable career in financial services to operate Orijin Bees full-time.

“I was so nervous but kept walking in this direction, one day at a time,” Orijin says. “Those nerves still haven’t disappeared, but I look to my faith to keep me going.”

Challenges after launching

Another challenge was managing the overwhelming flood of orders after making Oprah’s Favorite Things List last year. She says it required additional logistical planning and forecasting to prepare for a successful holiday season. “We sold out a few times, but we had systems in place to restock quickly in order to not disappoint customers,” Orijin says.

The budding entrepreneur invested $50,000 to start her enterprise. Orijin says her startup costs included manufacturing, logistics, product sampling, and marketing payments. At every stage of development, Orijin stresses that she grew her company by keeping children at the forefront of strategic decisions.

The value of being a mompreneur

Her research and project management skills proved to be immensely helpful in her entrepreneurial pursuits and helped her overcome challenges. Being a mompreneur has been critical to the brand’s success by helping fill in industry gaps that she shares with other mothers. “Not only do mothers fail to get enough credit for overcoming the child-rearing challenges,” but Orijin also believes they simultaneously play the roles of CEO, COO, and CFOs in their households.

She expects company revenue to grow to the seven-figure range in 2023. To further sustain growth, Orijin plans to increase product distribution to additional domestic retailers and online stores, expand into international markets, and sell more accessories and clothing for both dolls and children.

Growing with Amazon

Orijin Bees’ expansion has largely been driven by product sales in Amazon’s stores since 2020, Orijin says. She notes that showcasing her goods in front of millions of potential customers worldwide has

proven invaluable. “Customers who may have not ever heard of our brand can learn about our products while shopping with Amazon’s store. We would have missed these new and potential customers otherwise.”

Last year, Orijin Bees began participating in Amazon’s Black Business Accelerator (BBA), a $150 million program commitment over four years geared to help build sustainable diversity and provide growth opportunities for Black-owned businesses.

“Programs like BBA give Black-owned businesses so many resources to support us and help accelerate our growth. From resources to specialists, advertising credits, media exposure, and other opportunities, we are so thankful to have been selected to be a part of this program,” Orijin says.

So, what are Orijin’s aspirations for growth over the next five years?

By 2027, she wants Orijin Bees to be a household name and reach a nine-plus figure revenue. “Five years ago, I wouldn’t have even thought this would be a possibility, but I’ve learned that if you follow your purpose, work hard, have the right team, and have faith, anything is possible.”

• Technology

by Black Enterprise Shop

October 28, 2022

This Smartwatch Can Be Yours For Under $40 Thanks To Overstock Deals

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Wearable technology has been one of the most useful tech inventions in recent memory.

Smartwatches have been one of the biggest winners in the category. According to Telecoms.com, more than 127.5 million of them were sold around the globe in 2021. They remained popular for myriad reasons, but their ability to double as a phone, music player and other functions make them go-to devices for users.

Owning one doesn’t have to cost you a fortune thanks to this exclusive Overstock Deals promotion.

For a limited time, you can purchase a Chronowatch C-Max Call Time Smartwatch for just $39.99. That’s a savings of 75% from its MSRP ($159.99). Overstock Deals runs through 11:59 p.m. on Oct. 31.

Dubbed “the ultimate smartwatch,” Chronowatch has packed 14 fitness, health and social features into a sleek chassis. Answer and make calls, check up on your text messages, monitor the weather and your sleep, and control music, among other key features.

Pair it with the accompanying Da Fit phone app for an even more enjoyable experience.

This watch has received rave reviews from those who have bought it.

“I love my watch! It works great and has all the features I was looking for in a smartwatch without having to pay hundreds of dollars,” writes verified 5-star reviewer Katrina Jones.

While this watch excels when paired with a cell phone, it’s also beneficial for those who like to monitor and keep up with their fitness goals. It offers multi-sport fitness tracking, and it’s dust, sweat and splash-proof, so you can take it with you to the gym or outside.

Smartwatches continue to grow in popularity, and with benefits like health monitoring and the ability to receive and make calls, that popularity doesn’t appear to be tailing off any time soon. Chronowatch’s C-Max Call Time Smartwatch is your chance to enjoy the benefits of wearable technology without having to break the bank to do so. Purchase it today.

Prices subject to change.   

History will be made at this year’s World Series—but not for what you would expect.

For the first time in over 70 years, there will not be any U.S.-born Black players playing for either team.

According to The Associated Press, the championship series being played between the Houston Astros and the Philadelphia Phillies will have zero Black representation on the field, in the dugout, or in the bullpens. This hasn’t taken place since the 1950s.

The first Black player, Jackie Robinson, broke Major League Baseball’s racial barrier in 1947 when he was brought in by the Brooklyn Dodgers and participated in the World Series that year. The only time before this current postseason that the baseball championship was played without a Black player was when the New York Yankees played against the Philadelphia Phillies in 1950.

“That is eye-opening,” said Bob Kendrick, president of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City, Missouri. “It is somewhat startling that two cities that have high African American populations, there’s not a single Black player.”

“It lets us know there’s obviously a lot of work to be done to create opportunities for Black kids to pursue their dream at the highest level.”

The shift of Black athletes has spread to other sports like football and basketball where the numbers have risen over the years.

When the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Tampa Bay Rays in the 2020 World Series, the only Black player in uniform was the Dodgers star Mookie Betts. At this summer’s All-Star Game at Dodger Stadium, Betts was seen wearing a T-shirt that stated “We need more Black people at the stadium.”

Richard Lapchick, the director of The Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport at Central Florida, said, “It’s the exclamation point. It’s been a story that’s been ongoing since the late 1980s, the decline of Black baseball players.”

• Celebrity News

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

October 27, 2022

La La Anthony Says Carmelo’s Trade to New York Ignited the ‘Demise’ In Their Marriage

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Actress La La Anthony is opening up about why her 11-year marriage to NBA star Carmelo Anthony fell apart.

The Power star has been a bit mum since filing for divorce from Carmelo in June 2021. But La La opened up while appearing on the Call Her Daddy podcast on Wednesday about her feelings on how Carmelo’s 2011 trade to the New York Knicks ultimately led to the end of their marriage.

The two wed in 2010 and share a 15-year-old son, Kiyan Anthony. While La La and Carmelo are both NY natives from Brooklyn, the Think Like A Man star believes moving back to their hometown put a wedge in their marriage.

“When we lived here [in New York] under all of that [attention], that’s when things became complicated,” La La said.” I think that was kind of the start.”

“Now that I look back, that was kind of the start of the demise of the marriage.”

The return of the hometown hero to NYC put the famous couple under a microscope she feels they couldn’t come back from.

“It is the hardest with the scrutiny and the media and the press, just everything. It is really hard,” La La explained.

“That’s not the only reason things didn’t work out, but things got tough with New York, just constantly being under the spotlight and people watching every little thing.”

Carmelo’s busy NBA schedule put a lot of stress on La La and caused many “sleepless nights,” she said. Especially when her then-husband played in cities she believed had a notorious reputation for athletes’ infidelities, E! News reports.

“I used to think certain cities, like, ‘Oh, those are the problem cities.’ Miami, I’d be like, ‘Oh, I’m definitely not sleeping tonight, or I’m going to figure out a way to get there,’” La La recalled.

“But here’s what I found out. Be careful with these other cities that you think don’t have as much going on, because those are the ones guys where the s–-t is going down.”

La La cited irreconcilable differences in her divorce filing but said she and Carmelo remain friends while co-parenting their son.

“It wasn’t all bad,” she said. “Like, we had great, great times.”

• Legal

by Stacy Jackson

October 27, 2022

Mother of Woman Whose Body Was Left to Rot By NY Funeral Home, Speaks Out

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A wake had loved ones in dismay while viewing Regina Christophe’s body.

After pursuing a lawsuit against the John J. McManus and Sons Funeral Home alleging the 37-year-old’s body was left unrecognizable, Chantel Jean, mother of Christophe, spoke to a source in an exclusive interview about the incident that happened earlier this year.

“Her skin was coming off; she had a maggot coming out of that one eye,” said Jean. “Everybody who came before me, left, all her family and friends who came left, they couldn’t take looking at her, and they couldn’t take the stench,” she described.

“When they’re looking at that person in that casket, they should be looking close to when they were alive, not looking like a monster, not looking like their skin was coming out of their face,” Jean said.

As previously reported by BLACK ENTERPRISE, Christophe’s family hired attorney Kurt Robertson as the legal representative for the case.

The source also heard from Robertson during the virtual interview.

“This isn’t the first offense with this funeral home; it was just sloppy work on their part,” said Robertson.

“The core of our claim against the funeral home stems from what took place then and there,” Robertson said.

News 12 Bronx reported that the funeral home manager responded to the allegations, blaming the decayed body on factors such as the number of days the body was in the heat before it was brought to the medical examiner.

“At the end of the day, the funeral home put the body in the casket, the funeral home put the body out for display, it was displayed in their premises,” Robertson said in a recent interview.

As Jean continued to discuss the situation in the interview, she reflected on the moment and the final image she recalls of her daughter.

“I had to stop my grandsons from coming in and seeing their mother like that,” Jean said.

“I relive that all the time; that’s the last image of my daughter that I’ve seen,” she added.