Brandy Norwood, Cinderella, cinderella, descendants, rise of red, money, Disney, Disney original

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

April 10, 2024

Brandy Returns For A ‘Homecoming’ As Cinderella For ‘Descendants: The Rise Of Red’

Brandy puts back on her glass slippers to reprise her role of Cinderella for the Disney original movie "Descendants: The Rise of Red."

Brandy Norwood put back on her glass slippers to reprise her iconic role as Cinderella for the Disney original movie “Descendants: The Rise of Red.”

The singer/actress is set to introduce a new generation to the first Black Disney princess in the fourth installment of Disney’s “Descendants” franchise. Brandy has been hard at work filming the upcoming fantasy musical that sees the Queen of Hearts’ daughter Red, and Cinderella and King Charming’s daughter Chloe, team up for a travel in time through the White Rabbit’s pocketwatch to save their hometown Auradon.

It’s not an easy quest for Chloe and Red, as the two rivals must put their differences aside to go back in time and stop the Queen of Hearts from igniting her villainous takedown of Cinderella’s family. Returning to the role 27 years after starring as Cinderella alongside Whitney Houston and Whoopi Goldberg in “Rogers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella” was a “homecoming” for Brandy.

“Stepping into a new set of Cinderella’s glass slippers after all these years feels like a true homecoming,” Brandy tells Essence.

“I’m so thrilled to be a part of the next chapter for Auradon. I’m most excited about seeing the next generation step into these iconic roles.”

Actress Morgan Dudley takes on the role of Ella, a younger version of Cinderella who’s bitter about the daily work she’s assigned by her wicked stepmother. Brandy expressed her excitement for fans to see how Dudley carries on the Cinderella legacy.

“Morgan Dudley is an incredible talent, and I have no doubt she’ll bring her magic to ‘Ella,'” she shared.

“It’s been an honor to be a part of the Descendants legacy, and I can’t wait for fans to see how the new story unfolds!”

Disney’s “Descendants: Rise of Red” premieres July 12 on Disney+, with an encore on Friday, August 9 on the Disney Channel.

Charlotte, economics, matter, Black, dollar

by Anthony Quinones

April 10, 2024

How To Make Black Economics Matter

All issues affecting our community, from healthcare to police brutality to voter suppression, revolve around economics. We must make Black economics matter.

Originally Posted Sep. 8, 2020.

It has been over 150 years since slavery was legally abolished and 55 years since the Civil Rights Act was passed, yet our economic state has changed very little, if at all. Once we get past the façades of movements and causes, we must realize that we are and have always been in an economic war. Slavery was an economic war; the Civil Rights Movement was an economic war; and today we’re in an economic war. Remember, we were allowed to ride at the front of the bus in Birmingham, Alabama, due to the economic effect of a Rosa Parks-inspired bus boycott—not a newfound sympathy for Black people.

While the Black community has many important causes to fight for, the state of the Black economy is the most important. All issues affecting our community, from healthcare to police brutality to voter suppression and beyond, revolve around economics. To help deal with these issues we must make our economy a priority. Here are four ways we can make Black economics matter.

Buy Black

According to the CNBC, people of African descent “spent over $1.4 trillion in 2019 and is projected to grow to $1.8 trillion by 2024.” That’s more than the gross national product of Mexico. Yet, historically, we spend less than 5% of that money in our community. This must change if we are to build anything for our people.

“To make Black economics matter we must strengthen our relationships in our own community and rebuild our trade zone and wherever possible practice the principle of buying Black,” says Phil Andrews, president of the Long Island African American Chamber of Commerce.

Own Black

Buying Black and why we should buy Black are only the beginning. Recycling dollars in our community increases with owning businesses in our community. According to Black Men In America, a dollar circulates for 30 days in the Asian community, 20 days in the Jewish community and 17 days in the White community but only six hours in the Black community. To change this we must not only buy from Black-owned businesses. We must own distribution points, manufacturing plants and supply chains. This is how strong communities are built.

Sell Yourself

We’re so used to working for others that we don’t know how to promote ourselves. “If you won’t promote you why should anyone else? It’s been my experience that some of the most talented people of color I know are afraid to promote themselves. No one will recognize our value unless we show it to them,” says Daron K. Roberts, founding director, Center for Sports Leadership & Innovation, University of Texas-Austin. People buy you before they buy your product or service, especially when you’re just starting your business. Also, we must stop running our businesses as if we’re working for someone else. We must know our value for ourselves.

Save For The Next Generation

We have to reinvent the wheel every generation because we don’t build for the next generation. As a result, we have a tough time building wealth which hinders our ability to pay it forward. “The real test of all the new Black economic consciousness advocates will be the ability to remain consistent and disciplined. We must find a way to maintain the commitment to invest, elevate, support and remain intentional about collectively building Black wealth both online and by brick-and-mortar,” says Daniella Bien-aime, lead online content developer for Bien-Aime Post.

Making Black economics matter can’t be a fad. It must be a mission. While money isn’t everything, it’s an important part of the structure of communities. We must collectively invest in our communities so we can build wealth and pay it forward. I respect those, like Earl Graves, who built and held onto their thriving businesses and passed them on to their children. We need more of them.

When you take the first letter of each point you spell BOSS. Whether it’s a full-time grind or a part-time hustle, we must take control of our economic future before someone else does. Yes, Black lives should matter. But if we’re going to truly rebuild our communities, we must make sure that Black economics matter.

The ideas and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author’s and not necessarily the opinion of BLACK ENTERPRISE.

HBCU Basketball, Tennessee A&I basketball team, White House

by Rafael Pena

April 10, 2024

Historic HBCU Basketball Team Finally Honored At The White House

After more than six decades, the Tennessee A&I Tigers, the groundbreaking men's HBCU basketball team, received their long-awaited visit to the White House.

Essence reports that after more than six decades, the Tennessee A&I Tigers, the groundbreaking men’s HBCU basketball team, made their long-awaited visit to the White House on April 14.

Vice President Kamala Harris paid tribute to the team, acknowledging their pioneering spirit and indelible contributions to the game of basketball and the broader struggle for social justice.

“There’s so much that we have accomplished as a nation because of the heroes like those that I’m looking at right now,” Harris said. “I, like so many of us, stand on your broad shoulders, each one of you.”

The celebrated teammates, Dick Barnett (who later became a Hall of Fame guard with the New York Knicks), George Finley, Ernest Jones, Henry Carlton, Robert Clark, and Ron Hamilton, participated in an intimate gathering held in the Roosevelt Room of the White House.

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A post shared by Historically Black Since- HBCU (@historicallyblacksince)

In 1957, the Tennessee A&I Tigers became the first HBCU basketball team to win any national championship, according to The New York Times. Their unparalleled success continued with three consecutive national titles from 1957 to 1959.

For George Finley, one of the team’s distinguished members, the White House visit was an emotional culmination of decades-long anticipation. “This is the greatest day of my life,” he said. “I thought this would never take place.”

The journey to the White House was fraught with challenges, including a bomb threat on their return trip home in 1957 and years of advocacy for induction into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. The Tennessee A&I Tigers finally made it in 2019.

Congressional Representative Gregory W. Meeks spearheaded the efforts to honor the team, culminating in their White House visit. Reflecting on their groundbreaking achievements, Harris penned a heartfelt tribute, recognizing the team’s pivotal role in breaking barriers both on and off the court.

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

April 10, 2024

Issa Rae Toasts To ‘Blackness’ With Her Viarae Prosecco At Inglewood’s Black-Owned Wine Bar

Issa Rae teamed up with Inglewood's premier Black-owned wine bar 1010 Wine and Events for an intimate soiree promoting her Viarae Prosecco.

Issa Rae has teamed up with Inglewood’s premier Black-owned wine bar 1010 Wine and Events for an intimate soiree promoting her Viarae Prosecco.

The Insecure creator officially debuted her vintage sparkling wine as part of 1010 Wine’s “Meet The Winemaker” series, Vibe reports. The intimate wine-tasting event included light bites of salmon, oysters, wings, and sliders paired with chilled glasses of Viarae Prosecco and a specially crafted cocktail mixed with peach puree and aromatic mint.

“Cheers to prosperity, health, and Blackness,” Rae told the attendees, who clinked their flutes in support.

The tasting comes on the heels of Rae launching her Viarae brand in January in partnership with E. & J. Gallo. Retailing at $19 for a 750-ml. bottle, the Prosecco is crafted exclusively from Glera grapes cultivated in Treviso, Italy, a hillside country along the Piave River with a moderate climate and well-drained soils that produce the perfect flavorful grapes. The new sparking wine features notes of rich floral and fresh fruit with every sip.

“Perfect for those candid, unfiltered moments with friends, toasting to the level ups, or…just because. It’s an any-occasion kind of vibe,” the company website states.

The celebrated actress and producer was likely intentional when choosing to host her first tasting at the first and only Black-owned wine bar in the Inglewood community of Los Angeles. As an LA native and proud supporter of “Everybody Black,” Rae showed excitement when posing for photos alongside 1010 Wine and Events co-founder and co-owner Leslie Jones.

The event highlights a new era in the wine and spirits space that aims to amplify more diverse brands and owners.

“Issa also shares our mission to demystify wine and make it more inclusive,” Beth Orozco, vice president of marketing for E. & J. Gallo Winery, said. “Viarae will help us reach that goal.”

Gen Z, Work, Meeting, Black Gen Zers, marketing, team, retain, hire, talent

by Jeffrey McKinney

April 10, 2024

64% Of Black Gen Zers Adore Their Jobs, Countering Rhetoric From Naysayers

Regular communications and meetings between bosses and Gen Zers could lead to improved relationships for both sides.

Whether real or perceived, Gen Zers have been stigmatized for everything from not liking their jobs to being a struggle for bosses to work with.

But new research shows that that narrative is the opposite of what Black Gen Zers and their peers are declaring as they start working. In fact, some 64% of Black Gen Zers report they like or love their job, and 77% state they are good employees to manage.

The findings are linked to a new survey from ResumeBuilder.com, shared with BLACK ENTERPRISE. All told, 518 Gen Zers, including 111 Black Americans, were quizzed to get their take on where they work. It found that most of them are optimistic about their jobs, contrary to what has been mentioned publicly, including on social media.

Around 75% of Black Gen Zers reported exerting themselves to build positive relationships with coworkers, while 43% disclosed a fondness for their boss.

Resume Builder’s resume and career strategist Julia Toothacre stated in a news release that people starting new careers are seen as hating their jobs because they usually switch jobs more often.

“What many people fail to realize is that when you’re in your 20s, you’re figuring yourself out and trying different career options to see what you like most.”

Regarding their bosses, 21% of Gen Zers overall report loving their bosses, and 32% report liking them. Some 34% are neutral, while just 10% report not liking their boss. Of those not pleased with their employer, 50% say it’s because managers have bad leadership skills, 39% play favorites, and 23% harass workers, among other findings. However, just 47% speak with bosses to enhance the relationship.

Toothacre says talking and meeting with bosses constantly could potentially alter those dealings for the good.

“Open communication about expectations is the best place to start cultivating a positive relationship with your boss,” says Toothacre. “If your manager isn’t setting meetings with you regularly, then you need to set them.”

Not surprisingly, the survey showed Gen Zers get more job satisfaction the higher their pay is. For those making under $40,000, 57% like or love their job. The percentage of those pleased with their jobs surged to 80% when the salary was $100,000 or higher.

“Money doesn’t buy happiness, but it buys comfort and time. These results reinforce that if you pay people a living wage that supports not only their basic needs but allows them to live their lives, they are likely going to be happier all around,” Toothacre stated.

Check out more details from the survey here.

by Deven Robinson

April 10, 2024

The Black Maternal Health Caucus Livestream Test

Reparations, Rev. Earle Fisher, Tennessee Pastor

by Daniel Johnson

April 10, 2024

As Tennessee Tries To Outlaw Reparations, One Pastor Is Fighting Back

Fisher recommends that community organizing in Tennessee could help elect political leaders who will be less beholden to agree with the tenets of white nationalism and white supremacy.

The Tennessee Senate is attempting to ban the study of reparations in its counties. SB0429, sponsored by Republican Sen. Brent Taylor, is being positioned by Taylor as part of his belief that reparations is a national issue and not a state issue.

One Tennessee pastor is pushing back against the bill. As WKRN reports, Rev. Earle Fisher, the senior pastor at Memphis’ Abyssinian Baptist Church, has started a petition against the bill and claims that the bill is about maintaining political power.

“This is not about money. This is about ideology. This is about political power,” Fisher told the outlet. “This is about people who are hell-bent on maintaining racial and economic inequities across the state, and they are scared to death that the truth would come out. So, they don’t want anybody to study it.”

Fisher also told Capital B News, “It’s a white nationalist [legislature] with a supermajority, and it’s not lost on me or anybody who has been doing political organizing over the last several years that this is indeed who they are. When you are passing legislation to stop people from studying something, as a legislative body, it communicates that not only are you committed to injustice and inequity, but you are anti-truth.”

Taylor explained his reasoning for sponsoring the bill. “I will make very clear our vote today does not pass judgment on reparations,” he told WKRN. “That is a very significant and very important issue for many people in our country, but it is an issue that belongs to the federal government and does not belong to our cities and counties, and I think it’s inappropriate for our cities and counties tax dollars to go to such an issue.”

Rep. Justin J. Pearson, a Democrat, told Capital B that Tennessee’s fight against reparations is part of the state’s troubling history.

“This is the legislating of white supremacy and racism that we deal with here,” Pearson said, adding that the bill is a “terrible” yet “accurate” reflection of the state he represents. “The push by the Republican Party in our state against reparations is really an effort to live in an ahistorical way—to not understand the past and its ramifications for the present day.”

Fisher, meanwhile, recommends that community organizing in Tennessee could help elect political leaders who will be less beholden to agree with white nationalism and white supremacy.

“Sometimes you fight in Congress, and if you can’t win in Congress, you got to fight in court. But in order to do any of that effectively, you got to organize in the community,” Fisher told Capital B. “At the end of the day, we have to look at some of these elected officials who are proposing these things—look at some of these races where some of the white nationalist congressmen could potentially be ousted and try to focus on that.”

SB0429 is scheduled to go before the Tennessee House of Representatives for a vote on April 10. At the time of writing, Fisher’s petition has garnered 1,288 signatures on Change.org.

NAIA, Ban, Transgender Athletes, Women’s Sports, The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics, hormone therapy

by Sharelle Burt

April 10, 2024

National Association Of Intercollegiate Athletics Bans Transgender Athletes From Participating In Women’s Sports

Think this will affect other organizations?

The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics approved a policy that bans transgender athletes from competing in women’s sports.

The governing body for small colleges, overseeing close to 83,000 college athletes, voted 20-0 on Apr. 8 and is the first college sports organization to decide on trans athletes. The policy states that all athletes are allowed to participate in NAIA-sponsored male sports; however, only athletes whose biological sex assigned at birth is female and who have not started hormone therapy will be allowed to play in women’s sports.

Athletes who have begun hormone therapy will be required to notify the NAIA national office, but will be allowed to participate in workouts, practices, and team activities.

In a statement, President & CEO Jim Carr admitted that he knows the decision will cause a lot of controversy but ultimately feels “fair competition” is the goal.

“We know there are a lot of opinions, and a lot of people have a very emotional reaction to this, and we want to be respectful of all that,” Carr said.

“But we feel like our primary responsibility is fairness in competition, so we are following that path. And we’ve tried as best we could to allow for some participation by all.”

The new policy will go into effect on Aug. 1 and apply to all sports outside of cheer and dance, which are separate categories in the organization. The NAIA’s 2023-24 policy did not have regulations against transgender or nonbinary athletes competing in the division of their choice in the regular season. During the postseason, with some exceptions for athletes who started hormone therapy, athletes had to compete in the division of their birth sex.

LGBTQ rights advocate groups ripped the policy. The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) says it “undermines basic decency deserved by all student-athletes.”

“The benefits of sports to the mind, body, and spirit are well known. Every student, including transgender student-athletes, deserves the opportunity to be a part of a team and to learn about sportsmanship, self-discipline, perseverance and more,” President Kelley Robinson said.

Shiwali Patel, senior counsel at the National Women’s Law Center, described the ban as “unacceptable and blatant discrimination.” “It’s important to recognize that these discriminatory policies don’t enhance fairness in competition,” Patel said. “Instead, they send a message of exclusion and reinforce dangerous stereotypes that harm all women.”

Since 2020, approximately 25 states have implemented laws restructuring transgender athletes from competing on school sports teams corresponding with their gender identity. The issue has become a hot topic for conservative groups and others who believe transgender athletes shouldn’t be allowed to compete in girls’ and women’s sports teams.

More than a dozen current and former college athletes have filed federal lawsuits against the NCAA, accusing the organization of violating their rights by allowing transgender women to compete in women’s sports. In March 2024, World Athletics set new rules banning transgender women from competing in female track and field events and prohibiting any transgender women who have experienced male puberty from competing in the female categories.

Private Equity, Housing, Healthcare, Rent control, child care, ownership, economic growth, rent

by Sharelle Burt

April 10, 2024

New Report Reveals Which States Have High Private Equity Influence On Healthcare, Housing and Jobs

Are you for big business or affordable solutions?

A new report highlights the states where private-equity firms have taken over key economic areas, including healthcare, pensions, jobs, and housing.

Research conducted by the nonprofit Private Equity Stakeholder Project shows that Arizona and Georgia top the list in housing, with more private equity firms purchasing rental homes. Massachusetts and Alabama are on the high end in terms of impact on jobs and employee relations, while healthcare systems operated by financiers have dominated New Mexico and West Virginia.

Lastly, Washington, Louisiana, and Michigan are at a high end in pension risk due to investments in private equity.

In the last few years, private equity firms have been responsible for shifts in the United States economy in a vast group of industries outside of the top four. Other spaces seen under the influence include supermarkets, child care, fast food operations, pet care providers, and senior living centers.

Even the departments of first responders are impacted, as 40% of emergency departments are operated by staffing companies owned by private equity firms.

According to MetLife, by 2030, companies supported by private equity could potentially own 40% of the nation’s single-family homes, adding a risk for areas already facing increased housing costs. In Fulton County, Georgia, the selection of single-family homes owned by corporate landlords has doubled to 6,429 in 2023 from only 3,169 in 2018. With a staggering number of rent increases in Atlanta, nonprofit Housing Justice League’s Alison Johnson said the private equity firms are putting residents in a tough spot. “They have us in a chokehold,” she said.

“They have purchased so many homes here, they get to manage the market. They get to tell us what rents are set in areas where they have absorbed all the housing.”

Patrons of these businesses are unaware of the private-equity ownership since the firms don’t put their names outside the buildings or paperwork. The report’s positive side is that Private Equity Stakeholder Project policy director, Chris Noble, says state leaders have “the tools to protect the people they serve” from these firms.

Since private-equity firm ownership risks a decline in healthcare, lawmakers are pushing to “take for-profit, equity-based companies out of the healthcare system.”

Senate Ways and Means Chairman Michael Rodrigues (D-Mass.) said Gov. Maura Healey must change the damage done to the state healthcare network, Steward Health Care network, and other surrounding hospitals. “I’m worried about health care in general because all of our providers, all of our hospitals, are facing immense pressures — labor and workforce pressure, they can’t get enough nurses; inflationary costs, health care costs generally have increased more over the last year than it has in probably the prior decade,” Rodrigues said, according to Mass Live.

He added that Cerberus Capital Management, who purchased Steward, made $800 million. The Democratic legislator believes that money would have been better off being pushed “back into the healthcare system” instead of into corporate pockets.

While an independent study found that private equity ownership of nursing homes, hospitals and physician practices hurts patients, pro-private equity advocates like the American Investment Council argue that corporate acquisitions only improve their investments. “Private equity investments consistently support quality, affordable health care for patients across America,” the council wrote.

Ben Crump, book deal, crime novel, Bantam Books, Beau Lee Cooper, legal, Trayvon Martin

by Sharelle Burt

April 10, 2024

Civil Rights Attorney Ben Crump Lands 7-Figure Fiction Deal To Author Crime Novel Series

We can't wait to get our hands on a copy!

Civil rights attorney Benjamin Crump is adding author to his impressive resume after signing a seven-figure deal to write a crime novel series.

Under a deal with Bantam Books, Bantam will publish the first two novels of the series surrounding Beau Lee Cooper, a Black civil rights attorney who “tackles heart-wrenching cases of corruption and injustice while celebrating Black love, joy, and resilience.” Crump celebrated the news on X, formerly known as Twitter, highlighting both novels as being “informed by my decades of courtroom experience and personal revelations with the world!”

I’m excited to share this series, informed by my decades of courtroom experience and personal revelations, with the world!
— Ben Crump (@AttorneyCrump) April 9, 2024

The announcement was met with warm congratulations remarks on social media. Some book fans even dropped recommendations on the cases they hoped Cooper would solve.

“Wow. That’s amazing. I hope he solves the mystery of Rachel Jeantel and who Trayvon Martin’s real girlfriend was. Now, that would be a spicy twist!” @OnRecliner tweeted.

Wow. That's amazing. I hope he solves the mystery of Rachel Jeantel and who Trayvon Martins real girlfriend was. Now that would be a spicy twist! 😃
— Revolution On A Recliner (@OnRecliner) April 9, 2024

As Crump has defended and secured settlements for the families of Trayvon Martin, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, Henrietta Lacks, and more, the prominent civil rights advocate thinks it’s imperative for people to see the realities of the legal world and the justice system. “I feel it’s important to introduce a charismatic figure to the world who shows the realities of the legal landscape and the justice system through the eyes and experiences of the marginalized and the voiceless,” Crump said.

“A person of color who allows readers to step into an expansive universe of characters they may never otherwise notice or understand and, in the process, hopefully, be inspired to broaden their perspectives and even decide to play a part in moving society towards true justice for all.”

This isn’t Crump’s first venture in the entertainment industry. In 2022, he was the subject of the documentary Civil, which can be found on Netflix. His voice and production skills were utilized as he narrated the documentary short film How to Sue the Klan: The Story of the Chattanooga Five, which was an official selection at the Social Justice Now Film Festival and will premiere at the American Black Film Festival (ABFF) and the Martha’s Vineyard African American Film Festival in late 2024.

The announcement isn’t getting in the way of Crump’s continual fight for the rights of victims of police brutality. Crump recently spoke at the press conference outside a Miami-Dade County courtroom where Donald Lenard Armstrong was scheduled to be arraigned. According to NBC Miami, Armstrong was shot numerous times by police officers following an incident on March 7 and was later charged with aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer and resisting an officer without violence.

Crump and co-counsel Larry Handfield are asking for the charges to be dropped and, if not, request bond. “It’s insult on top of injury, and that is why we are demanding these charges to be dropped,” Crump said. “They shoot and paralyze him, and now they charge him with aggravated assault?”

The team also requested the officer who shot Armstrong be criminally investigated.