White Woman Slaps and Curses Navy Sailor on 9/11, Says He is a ‘Fake’ and ‘Disgrace’ For Wearing Uniform
by Ashantai Hathaway

September 17, 2021

White Woman Slaps and Curses Navy Sailor on 9/11, Says He is a ‘Fake’ and ‘Disgrace’ For Wearing Uniform

A viral video shows an irate white woman assaulting and cursing a Navy sailor, calling him a “fake” for wearing a uniform on Sept.11. 

The video, posted to TikTok, shows the woman smacking the sailor, Sean Nolte Jr., in the face as he was getting food at Central Pizza in Berlin, Connecticut. 

“This is disgusting,” the woman says as she picks up Nolte’s hat from a counter and throws it at him. “Disgusting! You f—ing piece of s–t!”

Someone recording the confrontation tells the woman to leave before they call the police, but the woman continued and began to insist Nolte “show his uniform” while calling him a “disgrace” to the country.

“That’s not a uniform, you piece of f—ing s–t,” the woman continues before walking out of the restaurant.

Police have yet to make an arrest, charge, or identify the woman in the video. Police, however, stated that they have a “probable identity” for the woman after getting many tips from the public

Acting Chief of Police Chris Ciuci said, “The investigation is ongoing, and when probable cause is developed, we will apply for an arrest warrant.”

The restaurant owner, Jason Bikakis, who witnessed the woman slapping the servicemember, says he has “never seen something like that.”

“Slap him, yes, in the face like she knows him for a long time,” Bikakis said.

Nolte, of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, explained the caught-on-camera assault in a Facebook post, saying the woman had been “constantly staring” at him after she walked in.

“As she leaves, she looks at me and says ‘nice smile’ very sarcastically,” Nolte said. “I reply ‘thank you, have a nice day ma’am’ and continue about my day. Not even 30 seconds later, she comes marching back in and yells at the pizzeria staff, ‘He is a fake, by the way, my husband is in the Army.’”

Nolte also said he tried to show the woman his valid military ID.

“As I realized there was no persuading this woman that I am not a fake, I politely say, ‘tell your husband thank you for his service for me, and have a nice day,’” Nolte continued.

Senate Passes Resolution to Honor First Black National Spelling Bee Finalist Who Was Cheated Out of Possible Victory
by Ashantai Hathaway

September 17, 2021

Senate Passes Resolution to Honor First Black National Spelling Bee Finalist Who Was Cheated Out of Possible Victory

The U.S. Senate passed a resolution to honor the nation’s first Black National Spelling Bee finalist.

On Thursday, the Senate passed the resolution that would honor MacNolia Cox. In 1936, Cox, just 13-years old, was considered a spelling prodigy with an IQ that was off the charts. Cox was from Akron, Ohio, and became the First Black to qualify as a finalist for the National Spelling Bee in Washington D.C.

However, getting there was far from easy, and competing was met with racism. Because segregation and Jim Crow laws were still very much in place, Cox and another Black child, 15-year-old Elizabeth Kenny from New Jersey, were forced to travel to the National Spelling Bee in the “colored” car of the train.

The children could not stay at the hotel with the other contestants and were forced to use the back door to enter the Spelling Bee competition.

They also could not sit with the other contestants and instead were told to sit at at a card table.

Despite it all, Cox went on to become the first African-American finalist in the Top Five. She was well on her way to win the competition, having thoroughly studied the 100,000 word list given to each speller. 

But the judges, who were all white southerners, plotted against Cox and pulled a word that was not on the list. 

A. Van Jordan, author of “M-A-C-N-O-L-I-A, a book about Cox and the National Spelling Bee, “said that what happened next was a despicable move from the Bee’s judges.

“They pulled a word that was not on that list, and you can’t make this up: the word was nemesis,” Van Jordan said.

Cox misspelled the unauthorized word and was then eliminated from the Bee.

Ohio senators Rob Portman and Sherrod Brown teamed up to pass the resolution in the Senate.

“I am proud to introduce this bipartisan resolution to honor the life and legacy of Ohio native MacNolia Cox,” said Portman.

“As a 13-year old girl, MacNolia traveled to Washington, D.C. as one of the first Black students to compete in the Scripps National Spelling Bee where she endured segregation and racial discrimination. MacNolia’s determination to display her talents, all while many did not want to see her succeed, continues to encourage and inspire young students of color today.”

As the first of two Black students to compete in the National Spelling Bee as a finalist, MacNolia Cox was a trailblazer for those who would follow in her footsteps,” said Brown.

“The law required MacNolia to travel in segregated train cars to get to the Spelling Bee and custom required her to sit at a separate table from the other white finalists. MacNolia’s perseverance drove her through the barriers that had been placed in front of her and went on to finish fifth overall, inspiring young students of color today and every day. Let us continue to tell her story for future generations.”

Black Chef Turned Entrepreneur Launches Line of Soul Food Starter Kits In Grocery Stores Nationwide
by BLACK ENTERPRISE Editors

September 17, 2021

Black Chef Turned Entrepreneur Launches Line of Soul Food Starter Kits In Grocery Stores Nationwide

Meet culinary expert and business leader Claude Booker, the CEO and founder of Booker’s Soul Food Starters which are now available in over 1,000 grocery stores across the country. His business providing Southern side dishes for buffets was decimated as a direct result of the pandemic, and most buffets remain closed.

He pivoted his business during the pandemic and went from ideation to grocery store shelves with Booker’s Soul Food Starters in nine months. He did not shy away from his commitments to building a supply chain filled with domestic Black-owned businesses. The partnership with other Black businesses encourages more opportunities for those businesses and allows them to employ other Black Americans.

“When the pandemic hit in 2020, I lost 90% of my hot food and steam table business during the shutdown,” said Claude. “We pivoted and created pantry-ready seasonings for soul food during the pandemic because more people were eating at home. We went from creation to 1,000 stores in the midst of a pandemic.”

Booker’s Soul Food Starters enables any home cook to create the traditional flavors of collard greens, mac and cheese, peach cobbler, and more by adding their own fresh ingredients to the starter. The products are now sold online and in over 1,000 locations nationwide, including at Meijer, Stop & Shop, KeHE, Cost Plus World Market, VW Roses, and Sam’s Club.

According to author Brooke Stephens’ book, Talking Dollars and Making Sense: A Wealth Building Guide for African-American, the lifespan of a dollar in the Asian community is 28 days, in the Jewish community the lifespan of a dollar is 19 days, and shockingly, the lifespan in the Black community is approximately 6 hours. Booker’s investment in the Black community is intentionally addressing this challenge.

“Pivoting in the pandemic was a valuable lesson in perseverance in entrepreneurship and community. My hope is that other Black entrepreneurs will consider other avenues when one becomes blocked. It’s important for our community to continue to invest in itself and support Black business owners as we strive to close the wealth gap that has existed for too long in this country,” Booker said.

Booker says that he well understands the importance of keeping money in the Black community. Black Americans spend over $1.4 trillion every year. Even though Black buying power is strong, the lack of community access to Black-owned businesses continues to contribute to the wealth gap.

According to Brookings, the pandemic left Black households more vulnerable: “Although Black-owned businesses only represent a minority of all businesses, they are disproportionately likely to operate in sectors most severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and associated shutdowns.” Santa Cruz economist, Robert Fairlie, found that more than 2 out of 5 black small businesses and self-employed workers have been forced to shutter during the pandemic — well over twice the rate of white businesses. Claude Booker’s business was no different.

To learn more about his product line and/or to make a purchase, visit SoulFoodStarters.com

This story first appeared on Black News.com.

Ten Black Newspapers Join Forces To Create ‘Word In Black’ To Enhance Black Experience
by Derek Major

September 17, 2021

Ten Black Newspapers Join Forces To Create ‘Word In Black’ To Enhance Black Experience

Ten Black newspapers have joined forces to create Word In Black, a platform to amplify the Black experience by reporting and sharing stories about Black issues.

Word In Black, which consists of a website and newsletter, publishes content from the New York Amsterdam News, The Atlanta Voice, Houston Defender Network, The Washington Informer, The Dallas Weekly, The Afro, Michigan Chronicle, The Seattle Medium, The Sacramento Observer and St. Louis American as well as original content.

The collaboration is part of the Fund for Black Journalism, founded last year by the Local Media Association (LMA) and all ten newspapers that make up Word In Black.

Black newspapers “have been the voice of Black America for more than 100 years,” Elinor Tatum, the owner and publisher of the New York Amsterdam News said. “We have weathered so many storms and still covered our communities, whether the mainstream press had even seen those movements or not. We always saw the writing on the wall and we have continued to carry on the legacies of our forefathers who started these papers.”

LMA initially received funding from the Walton Family Foundation to publish stories on the coronavirus pandemic and education. However, after the site’s soft-launch in May, it expanded to cover Black news in general, including racial equity, police reform, healthcare disparities, social justice, police reform ,politics and the LGBTQ community.

Nick Charles, the project manager for the Fund For Black Journalism and the managing editor for Word In Black, told the Tennessee Tribune the primary goal of the initiative is to “survive and thrive.”

“There over 230 Black-owned newspapers still in this country — here we have 10 of them that still put out a hard copy every week — and what most of them need is a real smooth and efficient transition to digital products.”

Charles added the papers are now pursuing more funding digital tools to create a product that will interest the public.

White House Plans New System For International Travel, Contact Tracing Of COVID-19
by Derek Major

September 17, 2021

White House Plans New System For International Travel, Contact Tracing Of COVID-19

Reuters – The United States is developing a “new system for international travel” that will include contact tracing for when it eventually lifts travel restrictions that bar much of the world’s population from entering the country, a senior White House official said on Wednesday.

White House coronavirus response coordinator Jeff Zients told the U.S. Travel and Tourism Advisory Board the administration does not plan to immediately relax any travel restrictions citing COVID-19 Delta variant cases in the United States and around the world.

Reuters first reported early in August that the White House was developing vaccine entry requirements that could cover nearly all foreign visitors. The White House previously confirmed it was considering mandating vaccines for foreign international visitors.

“The American people need to trust that the new system for international travel is safer even as we – I mean at that point – we’ll be letting in more travelers,” Zients said on Wednesday, adding it will eventually replace existing restrictions.

“We are exploring considering vaccination requirements for foreign nationals traveling to the United States,” Zients said.

Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said at the same meeting that the spike in COVID-19 cases is preventing lifting international travel restrictions. “We want to move to a metrics-based system,” Raimondo said. “Before we can do that, we have to get a better handle on the domestic situation, which requires us to get everyone vaccinated.”

Zients said the new White House plan would replace the current restrictions and would be “safer, stronger and sustainable.” He did not lay out specific metrics for when the administration might relax restrictions.

“Vaccination rates matter here at home and other countries,” Zients said, urging travel companies like airlines to quickly mandate employee vaccines.

Some industry officials fear the White House may not lift travel restrictions for months or potentially until 2022.

The extraordinary U.S. travel restrictions were first imposed on China in January 2020 to address the spread of COVID-19. Numerous other countries have been added, most recently India, in May.

The administration wanted to lift travel restrictions “as soon as we can,” Zients said.

CONTACT TRACING

Zients said the new system will include collecting contact tracing data from passengers traveling into the United States to enable the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to contact travelers if exposed to COVID-19.

The Trump administration in 2020 blocked an effort to require airlines to collect contact tracing information from U.S.-bound international passengers after some senior administration officials cited privacy concerns.

Zients said they want the new system to be “ready to press go on” when it is safe to lift restrictions. “We get the importance of this,” Zients said.

The United States currently bars most non-U.S. citizens who within the last 14 days have been in the United Kingdom, the 26 Schengen countries in Europe without border controls, Ireland, China, India, South Africa, Iran and Brazil.

The United States separately bars non-essential travel by most non-U.S. citizens at U.S. land borders with Mexico and Canada.

Critics say restrictions no longer make sense because some countries with high rates of COVID-19 infections are not on the restricted list while some countries on the list have the pandemic under control.

(Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama, Bernadette Baum and Aurora Ellis)

Goldman Sachs Will Support Black Women In STEM As Part Of Its Racial Justice Investment
by Derek Major

September 17, 2021

Goldman Sachs Will Support Black Women In STEM As Part Of Its Racial Justice Investment

The multinational investment bank Goldman Sachs announced it is rolling out the latest part of its $10 billion investment in Black women in the U.S.

Goldman is partnering with Loop Capital, a Black-led financial services firm, to provide clients of both firms with funds to invest in programs for Black women pursuing STEM careers. The tech giant Google is contributing $500 million to the effort.

“This launch with Google demonstrates our shared commitment to both partner with organizations like Loop Capital that are led by Black women and to create commercial solutions to advance racial equity,” Margaret Anadu, Global Head of Sustainability and Impact for Goldman Sachs said in a statement. “Rooted in our belief that diversity is foundational to success, this partnership will create opportunities for young Black women pursuing careers in STEM and related fields, aligning directly with our One Million Black Women initiative.”

According to a Goldman Sachs study, investing in Black women will have a significant impact on today’s economy. The study shows closing the earnings gap for Black women will raise the country’s GDP by $450 billion a year.

Several large corporations including AARP, Nationwide Insurance, Apple and CIti have hired Black women as their chief diversity and inclusion officers to better diversify their companies and executives.

Many of these changes and initiatives came amid the death of George Floyd last summer which kicked off a nation and worldwide protest movement for racial equity and equality.

Goldman CEO David Soloman has assembled a team of Black women to oversee the firm’s investment Walgreens CEO Roz Brewer, “Insecure” actress Issa Rae and former Secretary of State Condolezza Rice are all on the board of directors for the project.

Asahi Pompey, global head of corporate engagement and president of the Goldman Sachs Foundation said in a statement that Goldman’s board give the company a distinct advantage

“Those closest to the problem are also closest to the solution,” she said. “Very often other people assume and don’t ask Black women ‘What would make a difference in your communities?'”

SpaceX Makes History With Sian Proctor, First Black Woman, Geoscientist to Pilot a Spacecraft
by Jeroslyn JoVonn

September 17, 2021

SpaceX Makes History With Sian Proctor, First Black Woman, Geoscientist to Pilot a Spacecraft

The billionaire space race took new heights on Wednesday when Elon Musk’s SpaceX launched an all-civilian flight into orbit.

Three non-wealthy thrill-seekers joined with the billionaire founder and amateur astronaut Jared Isaacman to ride aboard a reusable Falcon 9 rocket ship that launched into Earth’s orbit, NBC News reports.

As part of mission Inspiration4, Sian Proctor, a Black geoscientist, Chris Sembroski, an aerospace data engineer, and Hayley Arceneaux, a physician assistant was all on the spacecraft that took flight out of NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida around 8 pm EST.

Proctor, a Black woman, was awarded her seat on March 30 by winning an online competition put on by billionaire entrepreneur Jared Isaacman, who purchased his own ticket and three other seats from SpaceX, Nasa reports.

“The stars aligned for this, and I still can’t believe it,” Proctor said. “I wrote a poem about why they should take me, I read the poem and submitted the video of it, it resonated with people, and here we are.”

SpaceX

After orbiting around Earth for three days, the all-civilian crew re-entered the atmosphere and splashed into the Atlantic Ocean. It’s the first expedition into orbit without the attendance of a professional astronaut. Inspiration4 points to a new era of space travel where everyday people (with money to spare) can enter orbit without the involvement of government-run space agencies.

“Few have come before, and many are about to follow,” Inspiration4 Cmdr. Jared Issacman said. “The door is now open, and it’s pretty incredible.”

The Crew Dragon spacecraft lit up the sky as it took off leaving swarms of flames and smoke. A few car alarms even went off, Space reports.

Isaacman led the flight that he personally paid for out of his pocket. The Shift4 Payments founder and CEO paid an unspecified amount of money to lead the three-day joyride in SpaceX’s Crew Dragon capsule.

As part of a charity initiative raising money for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Isaacman donated $100 million to St. Jude and gave the other three seats on the Inspiration4 flight to his three crew members.

“This dream began 10 months ago,” Isaacman said. “We set out from the start to deliver a very inspiring message, certainly what can be done up in space and the possibilities there, but also what we can accomplish here on Earth.”

Save Big On A Subscription To This Tool That Helps You Craft SEO Content
by Black Enterprise Shop

September 17, 2021

Save Big On A Subscription To This Tool That Helps You Craft SEO Content

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Whether you’re a marketer, business owner, or writer, WriterZen has all the resources to empower you to put together quality content that ranks. A lifetime subscription to the tool normally is valued at $840, but for a limited time, you can snag it on sale for only $68.99.

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Digital Ad Agency Huge Names Toni Howard Lowe GVP Of Diversity, Equity, And Inclusion
by Jeffrey McKinney

September 16, 2021

Digital Ad Agency Huge Names Toni Howard Lowe GVP Of Diversity, Equity, And Inclusion

A rising star in the DEI space, Toni Howard Lowe has been appointed to group VP of diversity, equity, and inclusion, effective immediately at the digital agency Huge.

She will design and implement Huge’s holistic DEI strategy across the agency’s 12 global offices, PRWeek.com reported. Howard Lowe’s duties will include implanting DEI into every aspect of the organization, from recruiting and promotion to employee experience, culture, and behavior.

She will report to Kali Beyah, Huge’s global chief talent officer. The position required a candidate with “strategic capability” and “depth of experience” in the DEI space, Beyah told Campaign US.

“We just knew she [Lowe] had that combination of understanding things that create systemic opportunity, a passion for the cause, but also a passion [for] directing the work for impact performance,” she said.

Howard Lowe previously was the diversity and inclusiveness leader for the national tax and people advisory practices at Ernst & Young. She created an integrated DEI strategy for both practices and implemented initiatives to advance “historically excluded” talent. She contributed to the giant accounting firm’s anti-racism effort, including leading enterprise-wide implementation.

Despite her DEI career accomplishments, Howard Lowe said she found working in the space difficult.

“I have this long-standing career helping organizations drive equitable practices and an inclusive environment, but I was quite frustrated having to still—in 2021—explain the what and the why,” Howard Lowe said.

She was attracted to Huge for its “progressive” nature and “collective strategy” to move the company forward, which she plans to further in the next few months.

According to Beyah, her focus will be on “continued transparency, dialogue, education and accountability” across Huge to “disrupt bias and remove systemic barriers.”

Huge began building out a PR practice in 2017 and has worked with clients such as Pantone on what has been categorized as earned first campaigns, Beyah says. “It starts with a lot of data and information [followed by] actions that are rooted in that, which brings it all together and says, ‘OK where do we get it right, where are we getting it wrong?’

Howard Lowe is ready to conquer the challenge.

“We’ve done a lot of good work, but how do we move forward and really create a ‘North Star’ for the company?” she said.

Ex-NFL Player Brandon Short Mourns 26-Year-Old Pregnant Daughter Who Was Found Fatally Shot
by Alexa Imani Spencer

September 16, 2021

Ex-NFL Player Brandon Short Mourns 26-Year-Old Pregnant Daughter Who Was Found Fatally Shot

Former NFL linebacker Brandon Short is mourning the loss of his daughter who was found fatally shot in the head early Monday in McKeesport, Pennsylvania.

Short’s 26-year-old daughter, Karli, was pregnant at the time of her death, he told WPXI-TV.

The 44-year-old father wrote about his daughter’s passing in a Facebook post.

“My heart is broken. I’ve lost the light of my life, my oldest daughter Karli passed away this morning in a senseless act of gun violence,” Short wrote. “The love she had was so pure and true,” he shared. “The world lost a beautiful soul. Thank you to everyone who has reached out and please keep our family in your prayers as we struggle through this difficult time.”

The former professional football player played for seven seasons in the NFL—for the New York Giants and the Carolina Panthers. He currently holds a position on the board of trustees at Penn State University, where he was team captain twice for the Nittany Lions football team.

Short is now based in London and serves as the executive director and portfolio manager at PGIM Real Estate, a global real estate company, the Grio reported.

Karli was living in Short’s hometown, McKeesport, which is near Pittsburgh. She was reportedly working at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, according to the Grio.

Penn State’s President Eric Barron shared his condolences.

“Our hearts go out to Trustee Brandon Short and Karli Short’s family and friends during this difficult time,” Barron wrote according to The Philadelphia Tribune. “My heart is heavy as I think about the traumatic effect this tragic loss of a young person will have on the entire McKeesport community. Our condolences go out to Brandon and the entire Short family.”

The school’s Board of Trustees also offered kind words.

“That her life was cut short too soon as a result of an act of violence is a tragedy for Karli and her family and friends, and a great loss to the members of the McKeesport community,” board chair Matthew Schuyler wrote. “Our sympathy goes out to all who knew her best and loved her most.”

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