Xavier University of Louisiana, $100M Fundraising, HBCU
by Rafael Pena

April 12, 2024

Xavier University Surpasses $100M Fundraising Milestone

Xavier University has achieved a significant fundraising milestone, raising over $100 million as part of its ambitious Centennial Campaign.

Xavier University of Louisiana, the nation’s sole Black Catholic historically Black college and university (HBCU), has achieved a significant fundraising milestone, raising over $100 million as part of its ambitious Centennial Campaign, which has a goal of raising $500 million, according to ESSENCE. The university’s achievement is a testament to its commitment to excellence and its enduring impact on producing future leaders.

The accomplishment is particularly noteworthy against the backdrop of chronic underfunding faced by HBCUs nationwide, amounting to an estimated $12.6 billion deficit. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona underscored the urgency of addressing these funding inequities, urging state leaders to fulfill their obligations to historically Black institutions.

Reynold Verret, president of Xavier University of Louisiana, expressed pride in the milestone, highlighting the university’s role in nurturing thoughtful and intelligent leaders prepared to tackle society’s challenges. “An investment in Xavier is not only an investment in our current students, but it’s an investment in social justice, racial justice, and the future of our communities,” Verret said, emphasizing the broader significance of the university’s success.

Xavier University’s fundraising success reflects its commitment to providing quality education and resources for its students. With aspirations to lead the way for future trailblazers, the university aims to leverage its financial support to drive excellence and innovation in education.

Recently, a $100 million donation was made to Spelman College by billionaire philanthropists Ronda Stryker and William Johnston, which has drawn significant attention. The substantial contribution will support scholarships, academic programs focusing on public policy and democracy, and improvements to student housing, highlighting a trend of increased philanthropic support for HBCUs following the racial justice protests sparked by George Floyd’s killing in 2020.

Despite their crucial role in fostering excellence and social mobility within Black America, HBCUs continue to face stark financial disparities compared to their wealthier, predominantly white counterparts. The overall endowments of all HBCUs combined amount to less than a tenth of Harvard University’s endowment, underscoring the vast financial divide.

However, despite these positive developments, overall donations to HBCUs still lag far behind those received by other prestigious institutions. In 2019, HBCUs received a mere fraction of the funding from foundations compared to Ivy League schools, emphasizing the persistent financial challenges they face.

Indiana State University, White Student, Racism
by Jeroslyn JoVonn

April 11, 2024

Indiana State University Criticized For ‘Weak’ Response to White Student Who Believes Black People Are ‘Not Country’

Indiana University is under fire for how it responded to one white student's racist video post about Black people in country music.

Indiana State University is under fire for how it responded to one white student’s racist video post about Black people in country music.

Protests ignited on the school’s campus this week after one student took to Yik Yak, a social media app for college students, to tell Black people they “are not country.” A Twitter repost of the racist rant identified the student as Asa Blanton, a nursing major at the school who had no issue putting her unfiltered racist views on display.

“I’m sorry, but if you’re Black, you’re not country. I don’t care,” the student said. “I wish I meant that in the nicest way, but babe, I know you were raised in the country or your grandparents were … but they was picking, OK?”

She added, “They wasn’t planting. Just keep that in mind. They wasn’t making money. They were getting sold for money. You ain’t country.”

Blanton’s tirade appeared to be in response to the success of Beyoncé’s record-breaking country album, Cowboy Carter, which became the first album by a Black woman to top the country charts. She also debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, marking the biggest sales for an album in 2024.

On Monday, April 8, Indiana State University released a statement responding to the video that sparked outrage on the school’s campus.

“As stated in our University Mission Statement, Indiana State University has a long history of valuing diversity and inclusiveness on our campus. We are aware and continue to monitor the situation involving comments published online by an Indiana State University student,” officials said, as captured by The Terre Haute Tribune-Star.

“The student’s comments do not align with our institutional values. We reaffirm our commitment to fostering an inclusive environment. ISU takes incidents of this nature seriously and is committed to ensuring a welcoming environment for everyone.”

That same day, students took to the pavement to rally against the school’s response to Blanton’s video. Many think more action should be taken considering Blanton studying to be a nurse and the possibility of her racial bias adding to the disparities already plaguing Black people in the healthcare industry.

A member of the school’s Black Alumni Network wants the university to be more transparent about its stance against racism and hate speech.

“What I would like to see is ISU come out and define their policy on hate speech. It should be defined,” Darrell Morton Jr., president of the university’s Black Alumni Network, said.

‘Hip-Hop’s Greatest Day’ Exhibit To Be On Display At City Hall In NYC
by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

April 11, 2024

‘Hip-Hop’s Greatest Day’ Exhibit To Be On Display At City Hall In NYC

A photo exhibit of pictures taken from that 1998 shoot that featured 177 hip-hop artists will be on display in New York at City Hall in lower Manhattan.

In 1998, XXL Magazine did a photo shoot in remembrance of jazz musicians who got together on a stoop at a brownstone in Harlem 30 years earlier in 1958. But, they were replaced with hip-hop artists. Now, there will be a photo exhibit of pictures taken from that 1998 shoot on display in New York at City Hall in lower Manhattan.

According to Spectrum News NY 1, the main photograph from the iconic Hip-Hop shoot was taken by famed photographer, Gordon Parks. During the shoot, there were many photos taken around the main picture, which featured 177 Hip-Hop artists who came to Harlem just for the shot. The original photograph taken in 1958 featured jazz musicians like Count Basie, Dizzy Gillespie, Thelonious Monk, and 53 others and was titled, “A Great Day in Harlem” and was shot by Art Kane for Esquire magazine.

Parks was commissioned to shoot this for XXL Magazine for their interpretation of the cover but using Hip-Hop luminaries like Fat Joe, Slick Rick, Da Brat, Common, Busta Rhymes, Grandmaster Flash, Kool Herc, Common, Questlove, along with 168 other figures in hip-hop. It was labeled “Hip Hop’s Greatest Day.”

RELATED CONTENT: KRS-One Talks 50 Years Of Hip-Hop And Moving The Culture Forward With Essence Festival Performance

Jonathan Rheingold, a former executive publisher and a co-founder of XXL was a part of the staff that rounded the artists up for the historic shoot. He is also the curator of the exhibit.

“At the time as we know it, the largest gathering of musicians for one photo,” he stated.

While he was at the shoot in a different capacity, Rheingold brought a camera and took several flicks to capture the historic moment.

“Several years ago, I reached out to other individuals I knew who had taken photos and aggregated a behind-the-scenes archive, if you will, of the making of that day and of that photo,” Rheingold said.

Since the photos he gathered and compiled didn’t have a home, Rheingold stated that he’s “thrilled” that the rest of the city now has a chance to see the pics on display at City Hall.

“We are so thrilled to have the mayor’s office and Department of Cultural Affairs really give us a venue to share this with the rest of the city,” Rheingold said.

“Hip-hop is part of the fabric of New York history, so of course it belongs in City Hall.”

The photos will be on display at City Hall through June 2024.

RELATED CONTENT: Gordon Parks Foundation Raises $1.3 Million, Honors Kareem Abdul-Jabbar And Kehinde Wiley

Tia Mowry, Tv Show, Black, woman, identify
by Jeroslyn JoVonn

April 11, 2024

‘The Secret Is Out’ On Tia Mowry’s New WeTV Reality Series ‘My Next Chapter’

As Tia Mowry adjusts to life as a divorced mom of two, she is allowing the cameras to capture her journey in a new reality series.

As Tia Mowry adjusts to life as a divorced mom of two, she is allowing the cameras to capture her journey in a new reality series.

“Tia Mowry: My Next Chapter” is set to premiere on WeTV and will see Mowry navigate life for the first time on her own after years of working alongside her twin sister, Tamera Mowry-Housley, and being married to her ex-husband Cory Hardrict, Deadline reports. It’s her first reality series on her own after starring in The Style Network’s “Tia & Tamera” with her sister.

The new show was announced on Thursday, April 11, as part of AMC Networks’ 2024 Upfronts Presentation in New York City. It will give fans a chance to go behind the veil of Mowry’s life as she adjusts to co-parenting her two children with Hardrict and maintaining her career and business endeavors.

Following the announcement, Mowry, 45, took to Instagram to confirm that “the secret is out” on her return to television. She explained what fans can expect from the new series as she prepares to let the public in on the “ups and downs” in her private life.

“Lately, I’ve been taking my power back. I’m so lucky to have a community – YOU ALL – that are so close to my life, the ups and downs, my wins and my struggles,” she wrote.

“An intention I set this year is to embrace ALL that I’m experiencing, so I’m removing the filter like never before.”

Mowry noted her new show’s highlights which include her dating life, entrepreneurial growth, motherhood journey, and reclaiming her independence post-divorce.

“I’m ready to date, take my multiple businesses to the next level, and discover what makes me happy,” she shared. “With this exciting new chapter comes profound changes and adjustments to the roles I play in my everyday life and my next act.”

The “Sister Sister” star finalized her divorce from Hardrict in April 2023 after 14 years of marriage. It took the pair six months to dissolve the marriage after announcing their separation in October 2022. They share a son Cree, 12, and daughter Cairo, 5.

Last month, Mowry and Hardrict had a friendly run-in on the red carpet while attending Essence Black Women in Hollywood. The divorced pair were last seen enjoying Thanksgiving together with their children.

Side Hustles, Businesses
by Rafael Pena

April 11, 2024

Side Hustles Surge: Entrepreneurs Are Launching Businesses Alongside Full-Time Jobs

A significant rise in the number of entrepreneurs initiating small businesses while holding down other employment commitments.

A recent report by Entrepreneur revealed a significant rise in the number of entrepreneurs initiating small businesses while holding down other employment commitments.

According to a survey conducted by payroll company Gusto, the prevalence of new businesses originating as side hustles nearly doubled from 2022 to the following year. Gusto’s principal economist, Liz Wilke, attributed this surge in side hustles to economic uncertainty, stating to Bloomberg, “Uncertainty around which way the economy’s going made people a little skittish to give up something they’ve got to go for something that they want.”

Wilke also highlighted the impact of hybrid and remote work arrangements, suggesting that the flexibility afforded by these setups gave individuals the time and space to explore their entrepreneurial aspirations.

“I don’t think [AI is] accounting for all of the jump,” Wilke stated to FOX Business. “But I wouldn’t be surprised if side hustlers weren’t really using some generative AI tools to cut a lot of the time commitment that’s required at the very start of a business when they’re really just trying to their brand out, get a reputation, build some revenue streams.”

The survey, which included 1,345 business owners, unveiled that 44% of new ventures in the United States commenced as side projects in 2023, marking a substantial increase from the 27% reported in 2022. A notable portion of respondents, 25%, indicated that they were maintaining full-time positions while embarking on their entrepreneurial journeys, while 19% were balancing part-time employment alongside their new ventures.

The emergence of generative AI tools, such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT, has further facilitated starting businesses, enabling entrepreneurs to expedite product development and streamline operations. The survey revealed that over 20% of new companies leverage generative AI tools, primarily for marketing.

As recently reported by BLACK ENTERPRISE, Atlanta was voted the top city for starting a business in 2024.

According to Jaime Seale, author of “2024 Data: What Are the Best Cities to Start a Business?” Atlanta has notably improved its standing as an entrepreneurial hub in recent years. Seale indicated that Atlanta ascended from its previous No. 5 ranking, trailing behind Las Vegas, to a more prominent position.

Home Bay, which conducted the study, cited Atlanta, Miami, Orlando, Tampa (all in Florida), and Austin, Texas, as the top-ranking cities for business startups. Conversely, the study identified Providence, Rhode Island; Hartford, Connecticut; Buffalo, New York; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; and Louisville, Kentucky, as the least conducive environments for new businesses.

Cornel West, Dr. Melina Abdullah, Running Mate, First All Black Presidential Ticket
by Sharelle Burt

April 11, 2024

Cornel West Selects Dr. Melina Abdullah As Running Mate For First-Ever All Black Presidential Ticket

Who's excited for this presidential ticket?

Independent presidential candidate Cornel West has selected Black Lives Matter activist and professor Dr. Melina Abdullah as his running mate. 

West made the announcement on The Tavis Smiley Radio Show on Apr. 11. labeling the partnership “a significant milestone in the campaign’s commitment to fighting for a society and world based on justice, equality, and the empowerment of poor and working class people of all colors.”

“I wanted somebody whose heart, mind, and soul is committed to the empowerment of poor and working peoples of all colors,” West said. “Melina has a history of longevity of putting her heart, mind and soul in the struggle.”

Abdullah is a Professor of Pan-African Studies at California State University in Los Angeles, a founding member of the Black Lives Matter movement, and the Director of Black Lives Matter Grassroots. As an advocate for systemic change, the 51-year-old woman is a highly recognized community organizer with a focus on education and political organization.  

She celebrated her new title as vice presidential candidate on Twitter, saying her “spirit is soaring.” “It’s me!!!!! “My spirit is soaring!!!!!,” Abdullah wrote. “I’m so deeply honored to be @CornelWest’s Vice Presidential running mate. Let’s do it!!!!!”

The professor joined Smiley in the studio as the announcement was underway and said she considers Dr. West “one of the most brilliant people to walk this earth.”

“I’ve been following him and have been really enthusiastic about his candidacy,” she said. “He and his wife, Annahita, asked, and immediately, my heart just soared. I said ‘yes’ immediately. Like, shouted ‘yes.’”

During the segment, Abdullah reminisced about meeting West as an undergraduate student at Howard University, before reconnecting with him at a BLM event. In a press release on Dr. West’s campaign website, the activist said she is “deeply honored and humbled” to work with West and described the campaign as offering “a real vision for the world that stands in opposition to oppressive forces and holds fast to the universal principles of truth, justice, and love.” 

Outside of her work, Abdullah uses her platform to strongly criticize cultural aspects like the American Flag and controversial organizations, including the New York Police Department. 

According to Fox News, she once compared the NYPD to the KKK, saying, “The KKK, the police, and government officials are one in the same.” 

She also blasted Beyoncé’s recent Cowboy Carter album cover, where the singer is seen holding the flag and wearing red, white and blue. 

Abdullah touched on her depiction of the flag’s symbolization – “the genocide of Indigenous people, the theft of their land, the enslavement, dehumanization, and exploitation of Black people, and settler colonialism.”

However, she explained that she didn’t want the critique to be looked at as hate. “Critique around @Beyonce’s artistic choice is important and healthy, not hate.”

Jerrod Carmichael
by Jeroslyn JoVonn

April 11, 2024

Jerrod Carmichael Faces Backlash Over Slave Joke With White Boyfriend

Jerrod Carmichael is under fire for a race play joke he included in his new HBO series about his bedroom activity with his white boyfriend.

Comedian Jerrod Carmichael is under fire for a race play joke, included in his new HBO series Reality Show, about his bedroom activity with his white boyfriend.

The openly gay standup comic made the bold choice of admitting his kink for likening his interracial relationship to a romantic homosexual tale based in the pre-Civil War era.

“I sometimes joke to him that our relationship is like that of a slave and a master’s son — who, like, teaches me how to read by candlelight,” Carmichael told the audience.

When he noticed the crowd’s groans of disapproval, he said his boyfriend also hated the joke, but “I like that f***ing joke. That’s my burden.”

However, backlash ignited once a clip of the joke made its rounds on social media, with some expressing how “disgusting” they found the comedian.

“Ima need him to keep working thru that in therapy. There’s a lot to unpack, and my time is up,” one person wrote.

Another critic reposted the video along with another where Carmichael opened up about his sexual desires with men while labeling him as a “danger to the Black queer community.”

“I consider this an attack on the black community. And it won’t be taken lightly,” one person wrote in response.

“It’s bad enough that the top gay black male celebs won’t date anyone darker than a paper bag – but to admit and joke about being a slave in the bedroom for [your] white partner – in a documentary with a primarily white audience…. is gross,” explained someone else.

One person insinuated that Carmichael secured his HBO series due to his race play material. It was seemingly backed by a lead actress on Issa Rae’s HBO series Rap Sh!t, who joked about her show getting canceled earlier this year.

“See if I woulda just let a white man call me Harriet one time I could have kept my damn show,” Osman tweeted.

She also retweeted a post that accused HBO of canceling most of its Black-led shows while seemingly supporting the controversial commentary in Carmichael’s series.

Carmichael released his series on Sunday, April 7, and has yet to respond to the backlash he’s receiving.

Burgess Owens (Utah), John James (Mich.), Wesley Hunt (Texas) and Rep. Byron Donalds
by Sharelle Burt

April 11, 2024

Tim Scott Launches Video Series Featuring Five Of America’s Black Republican Lawmakers

You tuning in?

Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) launched a new video series featuring five Black Republican congressional legislators that delve into the experience. 

“America’s Starting Five” premiered on April 5 with a roundtable discussion featuring Scott and Reps. Burgess Owens (Utah), John James (Mich.), Wesley Hunt (Texas), and Rep. Byron Donalds (Fla.), who is credited but not seen. 

The series touches on what it means to be a Black Republican amid the 2024 presidential election. During the first episode, the group discusses the growing demographic of Black Republicans and Joe Biden’s “You ain’t Black” comments stated on The Breakfast Club radio show.

 “Well, I’ll tell you what. If you have a problem figuring out whether you’re for me or Trump, then you ain’t Black,” Biden told host Charlamagne tha God before being elected in 2020.

The former presidential candidate called the comments “frustrating as well as entertaining” and claimed Biden gets away with saying things.

“Frustrating in that Democrats and Joe Biden get away with saying the darnedest things and never held accountable by anyone for the things they say so salaciously,” Scott said to the others. 

“Entertaining because that is funny. I mean, seriously, that’s the thing that you can’t be Black? An old white dude telling me I can’t be Black if I don’t vote for him?”

Moving on to Biden’s controversial comments when he said, “Poor kids are just as bright and talented as white kids,” James took the comment seriously. “I think Joe Biden is as serious as a heart attack,” the Michigan lawmaker said, with Hunt agreeing with him, saying “100 percent.” “The arrogance of these white liberals condescending not just African Americans, but poor kids in general.” 

According to Fox News, the series has been in the works for weeks with a goal of reaching Black voters. Hunt posted a photo on Twitter in February 2024, giving a sneak peek of the show, calling him and his colleagues “The Democrat Party’s WORST NIGHTMARE in one room.” 

The videos were designed to mimic a casual meeting place for Black men, drawing inspiration from the role barbershops play in the Black community, frequently seen in podcasts like LeBron James’ “The Shop: Uninterrupted.”  

Scott’s series comes as former President Donald Trump has been pushing the envelope to secure the Black vote by naming the senator and Donalds as potential candidates for his running mate. “I watched him in the last week, defending me and sticking up for me and fighting for me,” Trump said about Scott during an interview in February 2024. “I said, ‘Man, you’re a much better person for me than you are for yourself.'” 

The second installment of the series is scheduled to premiere on April 12.

Trump, Rev. Al Sharpton
by Daniel Johnson

April 11, 2024

Trump Criticized After Making Inflammatory Comments About Black, Jewish Voters

Trump did not limit himself to speaking out of turn concerning Jewish voters, he also argued that Black Americans support the Democratic Party out of habit

Following an interview that aired on April 8 during which Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican Party nominee, said, “Any Jewish person that votes for Biden does not love Israel and, frankly, should be spoken to,” has raised criticism from progressive voices. 

As USA Today reported, Trump also said that Biden is firmly on the side of the Palestinian people, “How a Jewish person can vote for Biden – or a Democrat. Because they are on the side, 100%, of the Palestinians, and he doesn’t know how to get out of it. He’s stuck.” 

Haile Soifer, the CEO of the Jewish Democratic Council of America, issued a statement on X, formerly known as Twitter, concerning Trump’s penchant for engaging in anti-Semitism. “American Jews aren’t voting for Biden ‘out of habit,’ and every time Trump talks to — or about us — he invokes antisemitic tropes.” 

Trump did not limit himself to speaking about Jewish voters. He also argued that Black Americans support the Democratic Party out of habit.

“A lot of it’s habit. Jewish people, by habit, they just they vote for the Democrats, and Black people vote for the Democrats.”

James Singer, a Biden campaign spokesperson, told NBC News that Trump’s comments are not new and was confident that voters would reject his rhetoric in November. “This is what Trump does, using division and hate as political weapons while seeking power for himself,” Singer said. “Voters of all stripes will reject his chaos, violence, and unhinged threats once again in November.” Singer also described Trump as “a man who has praised neo-Nazis” and “dined with anti-Semites.”

Rev. Al Sharpton, in an appearance on MSNBC’s The Morning Joe, criticized Trump’s record on civil rights and common human decency. 

“Even in his condescending, insulting statement, he can’t help but offend Black Americans, and at the end of his statement, he says, ‘I could have done more than Abraham Lincoln, but a lot of people thought it wasn’t good.’ Well, what is that supposed to mean, who are a lot of other people and what are the good?” Sharpton asked. 

Rev. Sharpton continued to question Trump’s claims that he has done the most for Black Americans since Abraham Lincoln, remarking that since Trump’s conservative majority Supreme Court has been in existence, what it has done has been in the service of rolling back progress created by the 1964 and 1965 Civil Rights Acts, including the Voting Rights Act. 

Sharpton closed his comments after he remarked that during the aftermath of the 2020 murder of George Floyd by the Minneapolis Police Department, instead of urging police reform as part of a comprehensive reform package for the criminal justice system, Trump tweeted out, ‘When the looting starts, the shooting starts.’ 

Sharpton summarized his views on Trump’s record regarding civil rights, saying, “Not only does he miss the runway, he missed the airport when it comes to decency and civil rights.”

Martina Edwards, Merrill Lynch, New York Stock Exchange
by Stacy Jackson

April 11, 2024

Wall Street Trailblazer Supports Minority Women Entrepreneurs Following Exit From New York Stock Exchange

The former NYSE trader currently holds a roles as the chief of strategic partnerships at Access to Capital for Entrepreneurs.

Martina Edwards, the first Black female broker for Merrill Lynch on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) floor, shares her remarkable journey as a trailblazer in the financial industry after leaving her groundbreaking role.

In an interview with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the Alabama native explained her decision to leave the NYSE and pursue further education, stating, “I wanted to understand the other side of the picture in terms of how were these deals coming to market, and so I thought the best next step for me would be business school,” which she graduated from in 2008 during the country’s economic crisis.

The Tuskegee University finance graduate, which BLACK ENTERPRISE previously noted joined the NYSE as a Merrill Lynch trader during the week of the 9/11 attacks, now aims to leave a lasting legacy by guiding others on how to manage and move forward in crisis. “I want my legacy to be one that will be remembered for thinking beyond myself and outside of myself,” she said. “I joke and say you can’t time the market…I say that life can blow you brisk or gentle breezes…All of these elements of my life have just taught me that you’re going to have some ebbs, you’re going to have some flows, but you’re gonna get through it.”

At 44, Edwards leverages her expertise to empower minority women entrepreneurs through her role as the chief of strategic partnerships at Access to Capital for Entrepreneurs, a Georgia-based financial institution providing funding, coaching, and connections for women, minorities, and other entrepreneurs from low-income communities.

Her Wall Street journey began after a Merrill Lynch internship ignited her passion for the stock market’s energy. Post graduation, she joined the firm full-time. “Sponsors for Educational Opportunity is what got my foot in the door to Wall Street,” she said, recalling her awe upon witnessing CNBC’s Maria Bartiromo, who reported from the NYSE floor. “‘This is where I want to go. This is the speed of the work that I want to do,’” she thought at the time.

Edwards vividly remembers the 9/11 attacks, describing the harrowing moment the explosion on the South Tower of the World Trade Center erupted behind her during her first week as she headed to report to the Exchange following normal trading. “I knew there was no getting to the Exchange…when I heard the roar of jet engines and saw the white underbelly of a teetering plane just above my head, and it felt so close,” Edwards recalled. A week later, she returned, finding “solace” in the NYSE amid the devastation.

Currently, Edwards serves on the advisory board for Zane Venture Fund, a local venture capital firm, exemplifying her commitment to empowering underrepresented communities in the financial realm.

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