Bank Of America Appoints D. Steve Boland As Chief Administrative Officer
D. Steve Boland is chief administrative officer for Bank of America, and is a member of the company’s executive management team.
In this role, Boland oversees the delivery of the company’s full range of capabilities for clients through its local markets organization including more than 90 market presidents and teams; Public Policy; Environmental, Social & Governance; Corporate & Internal Communications, External Communications, Global Sports Sponsorships, Corporate Security and other related functions.
Boland is also one of the vice-chairs for the company’s Global Diversity & Inclusion Council. He represents Bank of America as a member of the Executive Leadership Council (ELC), is on the Novant Health Foundation Board, the National Urban League Board of Trustees and the Greater Charlotte Cultural Trust Board.
Prior to his current role, Boland served as president of Retail Banking, responsible for the growth of the business serving 33 million U.S. mass market consumers. He initially joined the company in 1995 and previously oversaw the Community Bank and Consumer Lending.
Boland holds a degree in organizational studies from the School of Education and Social Policy from Northwestern University. In the course of his career, he has been recognized with several prestigious professional honors. These include being named to Black Enterprise Magazine’s 2017 list of the Most Powerful Executives in Corporate America, 75 Most Powerful Blacks on Wall Street in 2011, and 75 Most Powerful African-Americans in Corporate America in 2005. Most recently, Boland was awarded with Bank of America’s Black Executive Leadership Council Vanguard Award for being at the forefront of advocating, sponsoring, promoting and overall investing in black talent.
Over the last year Bank of America has commmitted millions toward racial equity, HBCUs and even mental health. The multinational bank allocated $300 million to Black businesses and Black banks last year. Bank of America is also funding new training centers for entreprenuers at Spelman and Morehouse colleges.
Discovery+ Star Carmeon Hamilton Talks New Series And How Sacrifices Made Her Shine
Discovery+ star Carmeon Hamilton is grace, class, and a little bit of pizazz in one package.
Hamilton is an acclaimed interior designer from Memphis, TN, who won Discovery+’s competition series, Design Star: Next Gen, which premiered in February. This highly watched episode series featured judges Jonathan Adlen and Lauren Makk, with special guest experts Tia Mowry-Hardrict and TV personality Stephen “tWitch” Boss.
From the beginning, Hamilton stood out. “I had been asked to do shows before, but it was something about this one that stood out to me and just felt right,” she tells BLACK ENTERPRISE.
It’s easy to see why. Her presence definitely demands an explanation, and her voice is drawing. Carmeon is the definition of #ShowUpGreat!
One of the prizes that she received as winner of the competition was a brand new TV show on Discovery+, Reno My Rental. The six-episode series starts streaming this Saturday, September 18, on the platform.
In RenoMy Rental, Carmeon will travel to rental homes to help renters make their place feel like home by transforming the spaces with personalized improvements that don’t compromise the structure of the property. Hamilton will use products and services of local design vendors and artisans to create the breathtaking designs.
“My mission is to help renters in my hometown of Memphis make big changes without breaking the bank or tearing down walls,” Hamilton says.
BLACK ENTERPRISE sat and connected with Hamilton.
BE: Super-congratulations on your win on Design Star! How are you handling all this noise being made about you in the design world?
Hamilton: Well, I am just taking it all in. It has not been an easy journey; however, it’s definitely been worth it. I’ve grown a lot, learned a lot. From being a corporate designer, to owning my own interior design company, to being on television, being married, raising a son…I’m taking it all in! I’m so grateful!
Tell a little bit about your journey to where you are now.
My journey has come with a lot of hard work. Early days, late nights. Huge sacrifices. Being told no, but not letting the no define who I am. I had to find ways to keep being creative. But I also believe that when a person truly finds their passion, that what others may deem “hard work” will be for those of us who love what we do, just us working toward making our dreams come true.
There truly is beauty in the struggle. What has been the one thing that you take in your journey from corporate designer to TV show designer?
Enjoy the process. You will have moments where you question if you are doing the right thing. I’ve started a business and it failed. This is where the knowing comes in. This is where discipline come in. Because you won’t always feel like showing up. I love my internet family. They inspire me in more ways that I could even depict in words. They encourage me so much. My husband, Marcus, encourages me soooo much. This is why you have to have the right people around you. Yes! That too matters!
What’s next for you after Reno My Rental? What else are you working on?
Well, hopefully a Season 2, and a Season 3, and so on and so on! [Smiles] I’m just enjoying the ride! Of course, working on and perfecting my craft. But,also helping others do the same. Helping others take their spaces and creating beauty. So many things, good things, are coming my way; my family’s way. I’m always planning and executing.
‘Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings’ Actress, Awkwafina Gives Awkward Response to Question About Her ‘Blaccent’ Controversy
A controversy over an Asian actress using a blaccent (Black accent) has caused an uproar online.
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings actress, Awkwafina, has responded to the accusation of using a blaccent. Based on some performances, most notably her roles as Goh Peik Lin in Crazy Rich Asians and Constance in Ocean’s 8, she has been accused of taking the liberty to “sound” Black.
The “blaccent” controversy is not new for the comedian and actress. A resurfaced 2017 Viceinterview has led critics to call her comments on cultural appropriation hypocritical: In that interview, she said: “I refuse to do [Asian] accents. I’m not OK with someone writing the Asian experience for an Asian character.”
She responded to the accusations of cultural appropriation when asked in a video clip from Reuters Showbiz.
“Um… You know, I’m open to the conversation. I think it really is something that I think is a little bit multi-faceted and layered, and so… yeah.”
She did receive comments on Twitter after it was published.
Understand Nora dropped her blaccent the second she started getting more notoriety. The blaccent doesn’t serve her in the Disney world so she dropped it as it no longer benefits her (monetarily). Yet has the audacity to say using an Asian accent isn’t okay, tuh. pic.twitter.com/DYeTObWKvS
This is the missing key point from when culture, especially black culture is stolen: the ability to utilize the profitable parts while avoiding the stigmatized parts requires privilege that black people simply do not have.
You can clearly tell she has no plans for change and feels no ways because it’s “Multi-Faceted” topic
Like girl…you pay ur bills by using a blaccent and without it, who are you ??
You don’t have to say that you’re open to a conversation if you’re actually HAVING the conversation… and if you go on to say nothing, that’s not having a conversation. Do better please, all
In Haiti, Festive Wakes and Voodoo Undertakers Help Mourners Say Their Last Goodbyes
GRAND-BERA, Haiti (Reuters) – Anaira Jules, who lived her whole life in a small hamlet in rural Haiti, had never set foot on a plane. But for her last journey, she was sent off in a gleaming white, plane-shaped coffin complete with a wing-tail and illuminated portholes.
Mourners fell into trance-like states or wept at the church funeral service for the 77-year old in Grand-Bera, in Haiti’s central department of Artibonite. A marching brass band afterwards accompanied the large procession that carried the plane-coffin to the cemetery.
The night before the funeral, around 200 people played dominos and cards, drank ginger tea and clairin – Haiti’s rustic, rum-like spirit – and ate local dishes under a tarpaulin outside the family house as a DJ played evangelical music.
“Ever since I was little, my mother would tell me it was important for her that her funeral go well,” said Jules’ youngest daughter, Fredeline Alfred, 30. “My elder sister was in charge and she likes showing off.”
Rode Naika Joseph, 13, and her brother Rodelin Joseph, 18, mourn with cousins and nephews of the deceased, Violette Jean, at the gates of the cemetery in Plaisance, Haiti, March 20, 2021. Despite the country’s poverty, funerals are often extravagant social events in Haiti, complete with a festive wake and fanfare bands. Haiti’s death rites are viewed as important to guarantee a safe passage to the afterworld ? with cremations and organ donations rare because the deceased are deemed still to need their bodies – but also a way to mark one’s social standing. REUTERS/Valerie Baeriswyl
A festive wake and a lavish funeral with a display of dramatic emotions and fanfare bands – these are just some of Haiti’s death rites, which, like its weddings, are often extravagant social events despite the country’s poverty.
The rites are viewed as important to guarantee a safe passage to the afterworld – with cremations and organ donations rare because the deceased are deemed still to need their bodies – but also a way to mark one’s social standing.
Traditions from the Afro-Caribbean religion Voodoo are often mixed with Christian ones. Voodoo undertakers – called croque-mort (‘dead-biter’ in French) – prescribe what families need to place in the coffins in order to assure a safe journey and ensure the dead are not turned into zombies.
Family friends transport the casket of Violette Jean to the Limbe mortuary on a taptap (a form of public transportation), in Limbe, Haiti, March 20, 2021. Haitians dress the corpses of their loved ones for funerals with an ease that perhaps reflects their familiarity with death. Disease, malnutrition and natural disasters are rife in the Caribbean country, while healthcare is poor, leading to the highest infant and maternal mortality rates in the Western Hemisphere. The average life expectancy is just 64 years old. REUTERS/Valerie Baeriswyl
Alfred said her family did not hold a funeral until three weeks after her mother’s death, as they needed time to repaint her house to receive guests and build a new tomb.
They rented a bus to transport guests from out of town, set up a tarpaulin in the courtyard, and put out tables and chairs for the wake, which is typically a festive affair in Haiti where mourners may choose to dance, sing or tell jokes until dawn.
For several days after the funeral, people continued to congregate there.
Yolvida Desruisseaux, 28, who recently buried the father of her godfather, said this tradition of turning a funeral into a multi-day social event was a balm to the soul of mourning families.
“The family is sad but it’s good to have this kind of ambience so we can smile a bit,” she said. “The guests sometimes help us with tasks in the house and chat with us to help us get through the worst.”
At the cemetery where her godfather’s father was buried, one mourner shot bullets into the air – a sign of respect.
A band lead a procession, during the funeral of Violette Jean, on a 30-minute walk from the church to the cemetery gates in Plaisance, Haiti, March 20, 2021. Despite the country’s poverty, funerals are often extravagant social events in Haiti, complete with a festive wake and fanfare bands. Haiti’s death rites are viewed as important to guarantee a safe passage to the afterworld ? with cremations and organ donations rare because the deceased are deemed still to need their bodies – but also a way to mark one’s social standing. REUTERS/Valerie Baeriswyl
FIGHTING OFF EVIL SPIRITS
Haitians dress the corpses of their loved ones for funerals with an ease that perhaps reflects their familiarity with death.
Disease, malnutrition and natural disasters are rife in the Caribbean country, while healthcare is poor, leading to the highest infant and maternal mortality rates in the Western Hemisphere. The average life expectancy is just 64 years old.
In families that follow Voodoo rites – estimated to tally more than half of Haiti’s 11 million people – the croque-mort helps to prepare the body for burial.
Feguenson Hermogene, a 32-year old sociologist who recently buried his aunt, said stones were placed in her hands in her coffin to help her combat any evil spirits that may wish her harm.
“You can also include a knife or a machete,” he said, describing the croque-mort as like “a doctor who gives you a prescription.”
Hermogene said that in rural areas where there were no morgues, the croque-mort would also know how to embalm the body with leaves. Offerings to the Voodoo spirits – grilled corn, yams, soda, sweets – are typically laid out on a table.
The coffin of Germanie Pierre arrives in front of the vault in which he will be buried in Gonaives, Haiti, June 12, 2021. Despite the country’s poverty, funerals are often extravagant social events in Haiti, complete with a festive wake and fanfare bands. Haiti’s death rites are viewed as important to guarantee a safe passage to the afterworld ? with cremations and organ donations rare because the deceased are deemed still to need their bodies – but also a way to mark one’s social standing. REUTERS/Valerie BaeriswylA family friend places coconut cassava on the deceased, Violette Jean, in Limbe, Haiti, March 20, 2021. Traditions from the Afro-Caribbean religion Voodoo are often mixed with Christian ones. Voodoo undertakers, called croque-mort (‘dead-biter’ in French), prescribe what families need to place in the coffins in order to assure a safe journey and ensure the dead are not turned into zombies. REUTERS/Valerie Baeriswyl
There was a lot of social pressure to provide an impressive send-off, said Hermogene. And while there was solidarity, with people coming to cook or contributing food, that didn’t come close to offsetting the costs.
Alfred said the funeral alone cost her family the equivalent of $2,122, while the wake cost another $3,000 – a fortune in a country where two-thirds of the population make less than $2 per day.
Oftentimes relatives in the diaspora will help, asking to be zoomed into the funeral by videocall, but other times people will go into debt to pay the costs.
Alfred said she struggled to pay rent and feed her family after paying so much. But it was all worth it for her mother.
“The last time she spoke to me,” she said, “she held me in her arms, and told me she would never stop loving me.”
The nephews of the deceased, Violette Jean, carry the casket to the family tomb at the cemetery in Plaisance, Haiti, March 20, 2021. Despite the country’s poverty, funerals are often extravagant social events in Haiti, complete with a festive wake and fanfare bands. Haiti’s death rites are viewed as important to guarantee a safe passage to the afterworld ? with cremations and organ donations rare because the deceased are deemed still to need their bodies – but also a way to mark one’s social standing. REUTERS/Valerie Baeriswyl
(Reporting by Valerie Baeriswyl and Andre Paultre; Writing by Sarah Marsh; Editing by Rosalba O’Brien)
One Of Michael K. Williams’ Final Projects Centered On Imprisoned, Controversial Hip-Hop Music Exec Jimmy Henchman
On the day Michael K. Williams was laid to rest in L.A., former music executive James “Jimmy” Rosemond revealed that he was the subject of two of the late actor’s final projects.
Unable to attend his close friend and one-time client’s Sept. 15 funeral, Rosemond shared a photo accompanied by an emotional caption.
The former Czar Entertainment CEO, better known in the hip-hop world as Jimmy Henchman, is currently serving what amounts to a double life sentence in connection with a 2009 murder-for-hire plot targeting Lowell Fletcher, an associate of rapper 50 Cent.
According to the DEA, Rosemond was sentenced to life plus 30-years in 2018 after being found guilty of murder-for-hire, conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire, and firearms charges.
Rosemond, however, has maintained his innocence throughout his legal ordeal, which involved a 2014 mistrial and a vacated conviction in 2016. He shared that Williams remained one of his most loyal supporters.
“With his passing, it isn’t his inability to help me anymore with my wrongful conviction that pains me,” Rosemond wrote, “but the fact that he won’t be greeting me when I walk out of prison & celebrate [sic] after all his hard work toward it. Michael was putting the final touches to the docuseries that he executive produced on my case, and he just finished putting his vocals to the podcast he passionately wanted done.”
Michael K. Williams with Bryce Wilson and former manager Jimmy Rosemond (Facebook)
In the days immediately following Michael K. Williams’ death, his relationship with Rosemond made headlines following a since-deleted Instagram post in which 50 Cent seemed to make light of the beloved Lovecraft Country star’s death.
The rapper and Rosemond have long been music industry rivals. The feud came to a head in 2008 when G-Unit rapper Tony Yayo was accused of assaulting Rosemond’s then 14-year-old son.
Lowell Fletcher was named as Yayo’s accomplice in the afterschool assault. Rosemond’s plot was widely believed to have been retaliation, as reported by the Village Voice.
Black Woman Entrepreneur Launches Shoe Company That Caters to Sororities and Fraternities In The Divine 9
Meet Kam Ballard, founder of b.c.e Shoes, an online company that customizes shoes for the sororities and fraternities in the Divine 9.
Ballard says that she started the company to offset college costs for her children.
“I started this company as a way to pay for my children’s college education. I wanted to break the cycle of graduating from college with a mountain of student loan debt. It has evolved into something bigger than I ever could have imagined,” Ballard said.
She is a member of and a certified vendor for Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., and is also an approved vendor for the following organizations within the Divine 9: Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc., Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc., Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc., Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc., Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc., and Iota Phi Theta Fraternity, Inc.
b.c.e.’s products include a variety of shoes that can be worn in the board room or the ballroom. She has recently added an athletic shoe line.
Ballard’s goal is to provide stylish, comfortable, and affordable shoes. “I want to make shoes that cater to the seasoned professional, but also, keep them affordable where a Neo on the college campus is able to obtain them without breaking the bank.”
Ballard also believes in philanthropy. She has had several shoe drives where the proceeds are used to provide new genuine leather shoes for the ladies housed in homeless and domestic violence shelters. In the past, she has partnered with First Light Shelter, YWCA, and Jessie’s Place. Ballard understands that hard times can happen to anyone. “I was always taught to sow seeds. You may not reap the harvest, but your children or someone close to you will.”
The shoes can be purchased online at www.bceshoes.com. The shoes are custom-made when purchased. The average time frame is 45 business days.
Al Roker Surprises Maryland’s Principal Of The Year And Students With Free Laptops
NBC Weatherman Al Roker made a stop in Maryland to not only check out an NFL game but also deliver a special gift to an area school.
Roker visited Digital Harbor High School in Baltimore. He rewarded students at the school, which is focused on technology, 1,400 laptops, and a free year of internet access.
Roker came to the school after hearing the story of Taiisha Swinton-Buck, who was named Maryland’s Principal of the Year for 2021. Principal Swinton-Buck and 100 excited students met with Rocker.
“I’m in disbelief, but I’m so grateful, I’m so humbled and especially blessed to have this opportunity with my students. For the world to see what great things are happening in Baltimore is inspiring for me to continue to do what I’m doing that Digital Harbor High School,” said Principal Taiisha Swinton-Buck.
The laptops are a part of The Today Show’s “Once in a Lifetime” series, which shines a spotlight on people making a difference in cities hosting the NFL on NBC.
The laptops and internet service donated come from NBCUniversal’s parent company, Comcast, and its Internet Essentials program. It provides broadband internet service to eligible families and is part of the companies billion-dollar commitment to digital equity.
“We were just thrilled to fan the flames of the education that these kids are getting,” said Al Roker.
“We love our day job, but when we can come out and see the joy on the children’s faces, this is just phenomenal,” said Comcast’ Michael Parker.
The school is credited with not only helping kids achieve in academics but the also offers a free barbershop, as well as a free resource room of personal care and household items for students.
“If students’ needs are not met in other places that shows up in the classroom. I want to be able to bridge those gaps for students in any way that we need for them and their families so they can show up as their best selves,” Swinton-Buck shared.
Along with Digital Harbor’s 1,400 new laptops, Comcast is also donating 1,600 laptops to other Baltimore school programs, as a part of what’s said to be the show’s “largest ever laptop giveaway.
Los Angeles’ First Afro-Mexican Restaurant Highlights Historic African Presence in Mexico
Los Angeles’s first Afro-Mexican restaurant, Tamales Elena y Antojitos, is spicing up the city’s Bell Gardens neighborhood with its African and Mexican-inspired cuisine.
Tamales Elena y Antojitos originally opened in July 2020 with pick-up, delivery, and drive-thru options only. The restaurant’s doors are currently open for foodies to dine indoors and enjoy different types of tamales, tacos, moles, plantains, pozole, and black beans.
The traditional Mexican dishes are made with African ingredients that derive from countries fond of jerk spice and oils. The menu was inspired by the southern Mexican state of Guerrero, a beloved culture to chef and owner Maria Elena Lorenzo, Travel Noire reported.
Guerreo’s food boast a variety of African flavors due to the state’s African presence that once existed there and gave birth to several generations of Afro-Mexican people.
“We’re really excited to share my mom’s recipes, to celebrate our Afro-Mexican culture, and for el jueves pozolero,” Lorenzo’s daughter Maria Irra told LA Eater around the restaurants’ opening. “And bringing real Guerrero food to Los Angeles.”
Afrolatina restaurant (Twitter)
Customers can also enjoy popular seafood dishes from Acapulco such as pescadillas—also known as fish empanadas—and seafood cocktails, LA Eater reported. For drinking, the family offers chilate, a cold chocolate beverage with pre-Hispanic origins.
Lorenzo got her start selling Afro-Mexican cuisine in the predominately Black South-Central neighborhood, Watts. She and her daughters later expanded through the opening of Tamales Elena y Antojitos to reach a larger audience.
A tasty dish that highlights the family’s Afro-Mexican heritage is the marinated beef plate served with plantains—a common side in many African meals.
Tamales Elena y Antojitos is open 9 a.m. to 6 p..m. on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. The restaurant is closed on Wednesdays and open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sundays.
Foodies can also grab a bite to eat at the restaurant’s food truck daily from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Wilmington Ave and 109th St.
Mayor Reed Gusciora of Trenton, NJ, where she was originally from, said in a statement, “Today I grieve with the city of Trenton and a worldwide community of fans. Our resident legend and Trenton’s very first music ambassador, Sarah Dash, has passed away. My heart goes out to her family and friends.”
He continued, “I’m looking forward to embracing my fellow Trentonians as we privately and collectively celebrate her music and humanitarian works. While she may have passed from this life to the next, her star will never fade from this city and the hearts of its residents.”
The Labelle’s, famous for their doo-wop ballads, included Sarah Dash, Nona Hendryx, Cindy Birdsong and Patti Labelle.
Group Labelle (Twitter)
Following the news, Patti said in a statement on Instagram, “We were just on stage together on Saturday and it was such a powerful and special moment. Sarah Dash was an awesomely talented, beautiful, and loving soul who blessed my life and the lives of so many others in more ways than I can say. And I could always count on her to have my back! That’s who Sarah was…a loyal friend and a voice for those who didn’t have one.”
Labelle was the first rock group to play the Metropolitan Opera House and the first Black vocal group to be on the cover of Rolling Stone. The group is perhaps best known for the original 1974 rendition of “Lady Marmalade.”
While known for singing in Labelle, Dash also sang in recordings in live shows of some of the biggest artists in music, including the Rolling Stones, Keith Richards, Stevie Wonder, Laura Nyro, Alice Cooper, the O’Jays, Wilson Pickett, Bo Diddley and more. She also had a lucrative solo career, seeing success with songs like 1978’s “Sinner Man” and 1983’s “Low Down Dirty Rhythm,” According to Variety.
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