Luxury Travel Group For Black Women Shutters, Customers Have Yet To Be Refunded
Ladies and Luggage has yet to give a definitive timeline for distributing refunds.
After a luxury travel group for Black women shut down days before an upcoming trip, customers wonder what happened to their money spent.
The now-defunct “Ladies and Luggage” group abruptly canceled a trip to Dubai that was meant to take place this week. One woman, Virginia Gasber, sent the travel agency nearly $11,000 for the experience.
“I’m disappointed that the trip was canceled, and I’m disappointed that she is jerking us around about the money,“ expressed Gasber to WSB-TV.
More women, including retiree Deborah Wells, have spent thousands with the agency for axed trips. It would have been Wells’ second trip with the group, which she once considered a “sisterhood.”
Wells explained, “It was a sisterhood. And so now you could imagine your sister saying, ‘We’re not doing it anymore.’ Wait, what?”
However, Ladies and Luggage’s owner, Davia Woods, posted a lengthy video to Facebook explaining their sudden closure. While expressing that she intends to repay all customers, the refunds will not come as soon as they hope.
In a follow-up email, Woods explained that predatory loans, an “unexpected” tax lien, and a business partner leaving, resulted in multiple financial challenges for the travel group. Moreover, she added that she would notify those who bought insurance to file claims.
Woods also asserted that the shady business practices leading to the financial decline were unbeknownst to her.
“Unfortunately, there were significant details about the business and its operations that were not disclosed to me, and these undisclosed issues ultimately contributed to the challenges we are now facing,” wrote Woods to the news outlet. “I am working closely with my attorney to connect with each customer individually, ensuring that every claim is addressed and each person is made whole.”
However, it remains unclear when and if their money will be returned.
“You’re not telling me how to get my money back, though,” continued Wells. “We’re on a fixed income and making these payments for these promised great locations. And here we are.”
Despite this, an agency attorney emphasized that the customers’ money did go toward the “appropriate expenses.” However, as of right now, there is no definitive timeline for refunds.
Silent firing is the inverse of quiet quitting, a trend that gained popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic, where employees would do the bare minimum as a fast track to being fired with severance. The silent firing move is where employers are making jobs harder in hopes that people will quit so their positions will be automated.
Experts like George Kailas, CEO of Prospero.Ai, feel that certain employers are making the office experience unbearable on purpose, especially tech companies. “So when Amazon is pushing a five-day in-office workweek, despite the fact that 90% of their employees are “dissatisfied” and 73% are considering quitting, it doesn’t really fit with the “cool tech office” vibes of the past,” Kailas wrote.
“Maybe Amazon is silently firing workers by making the workplace inhospitable. Because the best way to decrease retention while saving on severance would be to remove remote work.”
Studies from Live Data Technologies show that employee growth of big tech companies has fluctuated over the past two years. In 2022, the count increased by 5% and then went down. The trend happened again in March 2024 as the hiring numbers went up again, only to decrease just two months later in May.
Artificial intelligence is blamed for the alarming numbers, but other experts aren’t buying it. According to the New York Post, MIT professor and economist Daron Acemoglu claims that only 5% of jobs can be replaced or work with AI over the next 10 years and states the technology is simply not reliable enough. “A lot of money is going to get wasted. “You’re not going to get an economic revolution out of that 5%,” Acemoglu said.
“You need highly reliable information or the ability of these models to faithfully implement certain steps that previously workers were doing. They can do that in a few places with some human supervisory oversight … but in most places they cannot.”
Kailas insists that nearly 18% of people who once worked for big tech companies between 2023 and 2024 are still unemployed since “AI is booming and the rest of the labor market is stagnant and/or declining if you look at the unemployment numbers.”
Lack of engagement may also contribute to those claims. Gallup survey results showed a 5% decrease in engagement among Gen Z and young millennials. Richard Wahlquist, CEO of the American Staffing Association, says that close to three in 10 employees overall aren’t actively engaged at work.
Mother-Daughter Duo Organize Nationwide ‘Pajama Party’ To Support VP Kamala Harris On Election Night
The Big Pajama Party founders are uniting democrats nationwide
Political activists Sharon Latson-Flemister and Dr. Tamarra Allen, leaders of The Big Pajama Party (BPP), are elevating their passion for sleepwear into a nationwide call to action to inspire 1,000,000 households to host pajama party gatherings beginning on Election Night in support of Vice President Kamala Harris’ historic presidential bid.
The mother-daughter duo has expanded their pajama line into a nationwide movement in hopes of unifying Democrats as they plan their own pajama parties starting on Nov. 5 throughout the Jan. 20 Inauguration. “We’re not just watching history unfold; we’re making it,” Latson-Flemister said in a press release.
To prepare for the celebration, The Big Pajama Party co-founders encourage Democrats to snag a pair of pajamas from their limited edition “House of Kam” collection to lounge around in and connect with other Democrats across the nation as they flaunt their PJs on social media. Latson-Flemister and Allen said their collection has cozy essentials for everyone to enjoy throughout the election and holiday season, including glamorous loungewear, a line of historic HBCUs, and Black fraternities and sororities. Families in their matching era can purchase sets that even include pajamas for their pets.
Latson-Flemister and Allen are longtime political activists inspired by former U.S. first lady Michelle Obama during the 2024 Democratic National Convention. During this election season, the businesswomen have encouraged voter turnout through Zoom meetings, social media, postcards, phone calls, and face-to-face communication. During the Obama campaign, their service included rallying voters, mobilizing communities, and serving as vendors for the 2008 and 2012 inaugurations.
The Big Pajama Party founders want everyone to look and feel good during this nationwide celebration of democracy, and their innovative campaign expands beyond the pajama parties. “We’re committed to not only giving back, we’re here to disrupt and empower small business entrepreneurs,” said Allen. Everyone who purchases from The Big Pajama Party during the campaign will receive an exclusive personal ambassador link for free. The link will allow ambassadors to share the collection with family and friends to earn 10% off on every purchase made through the link. Additionally, ambassadors will receive other incentives for hosting BPP events.
Along with the campaign, Latson-Flemister and Allen opened applications for small businesses to win one of the five small business grants the founders launched to help and support business growth and expansion. Applications close on Dec. 15, and winners will be announced on Inauguration Day, Jan. 20. Funds will be awarded during Black History Month 2025.
The decision is helping Iceland outperform other countries, as the shorter work week issued no loss in pay for employees. Over 50% of the country’s workforce accepted the offer of shorter working hours between 2020 and 2022. However, two think tanks — the Autonomy Institute in the United Kingdom and Iceland’s Association for Sustainability and Democracy (Alda) — found that number is higher as of 2024. “This study shows a real success story: shorter working hours have become widespread in Iceland… and the economy is strong across a number of indicators,” Alda researcher Gudmundur D. Haraldsson said in a statement.
In 2023, Iceland proved to have faster economic growth over a majority of European countries — expanding at 5% — a vast increase from 2% between 2006 and 2015. The unemployment rate was also one of the lowest in Europe, showing a “strong indicator of the economy’s vitality.” IMF’s World Economic Outlook found the rate stood stagnant at 3.4%, a little over half the average of advanced European economies. Rates are expected to go up to 3.8% in 2024 and 2025.
Years prior, between 2015 and 2019, two large trials were performed where public sector employees worked 35-36 hours per week without a reduction in pay. With 2,500 participants, which is more than 1% of the country’s working population at the time, a majority previously worked 40 hours a week. The goal was to maintain or increase productivity while work-life balance improved.
Data revealed that productivity stayed the same or heightened in most employee environments, while employee’s well-being increased “dramatically” on certain measures, ranging from stress and burnout to health and work-life balance.
According to Live Now Fox, researchers examined the results of an employment market survey conducted by the University of Iceland’s Social Science Research Institute in hopes of gaining an understanding of job patterns, work environment, and the reasons behind individuals leaving paid employment. Sixty-two percent of people with reduced work hours between 2022 and 2024 were found to be more satisfied with their work time, while only 4% of workers were found to be more dissatisfied.
Seventy-eight percent reported overall satisfaction with the presented work time.
The trial resulted in Icelandic trade unions negotiating reductions in working hours for tens of thousands of their members across the country.
People For The American Way Release Shocking Ad About What The Pledge Of Allegiance May Look Like Under Trump
This is scary...to say the least.
People For The American Way (PFAW) released an ad on YouTube that reveals what the Pledge of Allegiance could look like if Donald Trump is elected again.
The ad, called “The Pledge,” shows three depictions of Armed Forces members saying the Pledge of Allegiance but with different words as the United States is under the reign of former President Donald J. Trump. “We Pledge Allegiance to the flag of the United States of America. And to the republic for which it stands, one nation under Donald J. Trump,” the members start out saying.
“With Liberty and fear for all.”
As the African American member slightly looks away, the commander and woman member dictate what the American Armed Forces must do following the pledge. “We shall arrest, detain, jail, deport, and, if necessary, kill enemies of our movement at home and abroad,” they said.
The group then lists all those that may be affected by such a rule, including “traitorous judges and journalists, election workers and teachers who are deemed to be pornographers.” “Doctors who perform abortions, civil protestors, and millions of illegal aliens,” the group said, one with tears running down his face.
The pledge ends with, “We do this in the name of our supreme leader, Donald J. Trump. Amen.” The American flag, seen hanging on the wall, is turned upside down.
Since Trump became the Republican Party’s nominee for president, Project 2025 and Agenda 47 have been the core of his campaign. They lay out policies that would demolish the work of the U.S. Constitution and push narratives that align more with him.
Following the dangerous and offensive commentary heard at the NYC rally on Oct. 27, attacking the Hispanic and Black community, advocates for racial justice have been pushing harder for voters to shy away from casting a vote for Trump. “This past weekend’s Trump rally at Madison Square Garden was telling. More dangerous and divisive rhetoric at an event compared to the 1939 Nazi rally in the same place, where speakers blamed targeted groups to stoke up resentments,” PFAW said in a statement, according to a press release shared with Black Enterprise.
While the Trump camp released a statement saying the joke, referring to Puerto Rico as a “floating pile of garbage,” “does not reflect the views of President Trump or the campaign,” Democratic strategist Chuck Rocha, who mobilizes Latino voters, is doing work behind the scenes to make sure the words stick when they head to the polls, according to the New York Times. He asked a PAC for $30,000 in small donations so the video of the comments could be sent to Puerto Rican voters in Pennsylvania, a critical battleground state.
Older Americans Are Working Longer As Social Security Reforms Are Spotlighted
67% of single Black retirees have incomes below the Elder Index, a University of Massachusetts Boston data set that measures whether or not older people can afford their basic living expenses
As BLACK ENTERPRISE previously reported, older Americans are still in the workforce, working longer than they have in previous years because many cannot afford to retire.
There are, of course, some states where retirement-age workers far outpace those averages.
In New Jersey, 33.8% of the workforce is composed of retirement-age workers, followed by North Dakota (32.8%), Maryland (31.2%), New Hampshire (30.9%), and Connecticut (30.3%). According to the Federal Reserve, only 51% of American adults between 65 and 74 had a retirement account.
For adults who are 75 and older, that number drops to 42%.
According to The New York Times, 67% of single Black retirees have incomes below the Elder Index, a University of Massachusetts Boston data set that measures whether or not older people can afford their basic living expenses. In contrast, for white Americans, that figure drops to 50%.
According to Kilolo Kijakazi, a fellow at the Urban Institute who focuses on income, wealth, and race, the disparities are related to the racism present in the labor market that extends back to the enslavement of Black people.
“We have a history of discrimination in hiring, pay, promotions and benefits. Discrimination in hiring also contributes to occupational segregation. White people dealt in human trafficking of people of African descent to create wealth for white people, but Black people did not benefit from the wealth of their labor,” Kijakazi told the outlet.
Kijakazi concluded, “After Emancipation, we had laws and regulations designed to maintain that effect and even strip Black people of wealth they were able to create for themselves in the face of these odds.”
As Darrick Hamilton, an economist and the executive director of the Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnicity at Ohio State University, told the Times, a head start for white Americans in wealth creation puts Black people behind the everyday eight ball.
“The way that wealth is generally created for most Americans is that wealth begets more wealth,” Hamilton said. “Having access to a capital foundation that puts you into assets that will passively appreciate over your life — that’s how most Americans generate wealth.”
Social Security, the entitlement program that pays out retirement benefits, does incentivize working longer. However, a majority of Black workers work in industries that make it more difficult for them to work until they reach the age they receive their full retirement benefits at 70 years of age.
Social Security Works, a progressive organization seeking to reform Social Security so that it works for the modern worker, has proposed a simple change that they surmise would benefit Black and other workers of color as they retire.
Under their proposals, workers who reach the age of 62 would receive 85% of their full retirement benefit, which would rise to 100% once they hit the full retirement age of 70.
According to the study, “Although many of the benefit adjustments we model would disproportionately help Black and Hispanic beneficiaries and narrow gaps in Social Security benefits, none would come close to eliminating those disparities.”
The study concludes, “Achieving equity in Social Security benefits for Black and Hispanic adults would require substantial progress toward equality in labor market outcomes. Although mortality and marriage also shape Social Security benefits by determining how long people will collect benefits and whether they have access to spouse and survivor benefits, lifetime earnings are the primary driver of benefits. This leaves Black and Hispanic workers at a disadvantage because they receive lower hourly wages and work fewer years, on average, than white workers. Our recent analysis of the structural factors responsible for the shortfall in Social Security benefits for Black adults found that improving Black workers’ lifetime earnings could most improve their retirement security.”
Black Students Who Discovered ‘Impossible’ Proof Of Pythagorean Theorem Develop 9 More Solutions
In 2022, Ne'Kiya Jackson and Calcea Johnson were able to prove that trigonometry can prove the theorem.
Two Black students continue to showcase their prowess in math. The young women from Louisiana have found nine more solutions to the Pythagorean theorem after discovering proof to the problem in a way once considered impossible.
In 2022, Ne’Kiya Jackson and Calcea Johnson were able to prove that trigonometry can prove the theorem. According toLive Science, trigonometry “lays out how the sides, lengths, and angles in a triangle are related, and as such, the discipline often includes expressions of the Pythagorean theorem.”
The college students found this proof despite the long-held belief that the math practice was based on the assumption the theorem was true. The American Mathematical Society officially recognized that the solution held up to peer review on Oct. 23.
Now, they are discovering new solutions to the problem while still using trigonometry to do so. On their publishing accomplishment, Johnson referred to the honor as “mind-blowing.” Johnson is studying environmental engineering at Louisiana State University.
“To have a paper published at such a young age — it’s really mind-blowing,” shared Johnson in a statement to the publication. “I am very proud that we are both able to be such a positive influence in showing that young women and women of color can do these things.”
The duo was able to use a result of trigonometry called the Law of Sines, to avoid circular reasoning, a failure of logic that initially prevented enthusiasts from proving the theorem with the mathematical branch. Expanding upon their findings, the co-eds found four new ways to prove the theorem, in addition to a novel method that included five more proofs.
“I didn’t think it would go this far,” added Jackson, who studies pharmacology at the Xavier University of Louisiana. “I was pretty surprised to be published.”
The young women also presented evidence of the two ways to show trigonometry and its functions of sine and cosine. Instead of conflating the two, the ratios can be presented through a trigonometric method or one that uses polynomials of complex numbers.
Math enthusiasts can read the full paper, which describes all their latest proofs, now.
‘Dangerous’ Levels Of Mold And Other Contaminants Found In Illegal Weed In The UK
The research revealed that 90 percent of the samples were polluted with either mold or yeast, while 8 percent of the samples had lead, and 2 percent were infected with salmonella and E.coli.
A study that tested the levels of contaminants found in street marijuana in the UK discovered ‘dangerous’ levels of mold, yeast, lead, E. coli, and salmonella.
According to TheNew York Post, researchers from Manchester Metropolitan University and Curaleaf Clinic took 60 samples of cannabis seized by police in Greater Manchester and Northumbria to test what was in the weed. The research revealed that 90% of the samples were polluted with either mold or yeast, 8% had lead, and 2% were infected with salmonella and E. coli.
According to health experts, the contaminants could lead to respiratory issues, neurological damage, and gastrointestinal infections.
Curaleaf Clinic also stated that after a study of 500 users of the drug, it was revealed that 58% of cannabis bought on the street was purchased to help some people relieve some of the problems associated with certain medical conditions. Some of those conditions include anxiety (49%), depression (49%), and chronic pain (28%).
To try to combat the hazards associated with buying illegal weed, Curaleaf has started a public health campaign to try to warn people of the dangers of buying illegal weed. The promotion is entitled “What Are You Smoking?”
There was also a study of 2,000 adults that discovered that less than half of the people surveyed (46%) know that medical cannabis is legal and can be obtained through a doctor’s prescription.
Curaleaf Clinic’s Research Director Dr. Simon Erridge, said: “It is crucial for consumers to be aware of the hidden dangers in illegal cannabis, especially as so many people are buying it to manage health issues which could be exacerbated by these hazardous substances.
“The law changed six years ago, so there is a legal, regulated, and quality-tested alternative for those suffering with diagnosed chronic illnesses which haven’t responded to conventional therapies. Many people are putting themselves at risk when they don’t need to.”
50 Cent Reveals He Turned Down $3M To Perform During Trump’s Rally At Madison Square Garden
50 Cent shared his reasoning was more-so to stay out of politics.
It’s not all about the money for 50 Cent. The entertainer revealed that he turned down a $3 million offer to perform at Donald Trump’s rally at Madison Square Garden.
While on The Breakfast Club, the “Many Men” rapper confirmed reports that he was offered to perform at the GOP nominee’s event on Oct. 27. However, 50 Cent shared that his reasoning was to stay out of politics; Complex reposted footage of the radio show interview.
50 Cent turned down $3 Million to perform at Trump's Madison Square Garden rally 💰 pic.twitter.com/QFWMb4ojvm
“I wasn’t talking to them about that kind of stuff,” explained the 49-year-old. “I’m afraid of politics. I wouldn’t say I like it. It’s because when you do get involved with it, no matter how you feel, somebody passionately disagrees with you.”
The rapper, whose real name is Curtis Jackson III, shared how speaking on politics can lead to one’s ostracization, specifically mentioning Kanye “Ye” West. He faced exile from Hollywood following his anti-semitic remarks made over the years.
“That’s the formula for the confusion that sent Kanye to Japan,” he added. “He said something about both things — and now he can only go to Japan.”
While his reasoning for opting out of the Trump rally was not from a moral standpoint, 50 Cent dodged a lot of controversy. The rally made headlines for a controversial joke about Puerto Rico by one of its speakers, Tony Hinchcliffe. While speaking, Hinchliffe referred to the U.S. territory as a “floating island of garbage.”
Immediately following his remarks, the comedian received heavy criticism for his racist jokes. High-profile celebrities of Puerto Rican heritage, including Jennifer Lopez and Bad Bunny, supported Kamala Harris and her plans for the island shortly after. However, 50 Cent also lacked a comment on that drama.
While he’s staying out of politics, the “Power” executive producer continues to spread awareness on other matters. He is producing a docu-series on Netflix that covers all of Sean “Diddy” Combs’ allegations and legal troubles.
As for the rally, the Trump campaign has yet to comment on 50 Cent’s claims.
New Haven To Consider Apology For Failure To Establish A College For Black Men In 1831
According to researchers, the rebellion of Nat Turner in Virginia may have played a role in the white men's rejection of the planned college, which had support from William Lloyd Garrison, the white publisher of Boston's abolitionist newspaper, The Liberator
Leaders for the city of New Haven, Connecticut, are asking the town to consider a formal apology for refusing to establish the first Black institution of higher learning for Black men in 1831.
According to Fox 61, in August, City Alder Thomas Ficklin Jr., a Democrat, submitted a proposal with help from City Historian Michael Morand.
The proposal requests a formal apology for the city’s inaction, which was followed by violent attacks on New Haven’s Black residents, their homes, and the homes of white abolitionists.
The proposal also calls for Yale University, known as Yale College in 1831, and New Haven’s city schools to provide educational programs regarding the eruption of violence after the city’s white male landowners voted 700-4 against creating the nation’s first university for Black men.
Officials are considering a second public meeting on Ficklin’s proposal, although he died suddenly in October, shortly after an interview with The Associated Press.
“My political ancestors were involved with this,” Ficklin told the AP. “Now we have a chance to kind of render our opinion not only on their actions, on our ancestors’ actions but how are we going to be judged in the future.”
Ficklin’s widow, Julia Ficklin, told Fox 61 that the proposal was of the utmost importance to her husband before his sudden death.
“I do know that it was very important to him,” she told the outlet via a phone interview. “And one of my prayers these last couple days as I’m grieving is that someone will step up and pick up where he left off with it and see it through, one way or another.”
The debate was ignited in earnest once Yale issued a formal apology for its ties to slavery in February, and a research project from the university uncovered that many of its founders, early leaders, and donors were enslavers.
Among those who expressed opposition to the creation of the city’s proposed Black college were prominent members of the Yale University community.
According to researchers, Nat Turner’s rebellion in Virginia may have contributed to the white men’s rejection of the planned college, which had support from William Lloyd Garrison, the white publisher of Boston’s abolitionist newspaper, The Liberator.
In 1831, slavery was still legal in Connecticut, although the practice was not as widespread as it once had been. In 1848, it became the last of the New England states to abolish slavery.
However, according to a resolution against the Black college, the emancipation of the enslaved would create “an unwarrantable and dangerous interference with the internal concerns of other States, and ought to be discouraged.”
The white freemen also warned that a school for Black men was “incompatible with the prosperity, if not the existence of” Yale and the other white universities in the area, as well as “destructive of the best interests of the city.”
According to Morand, the choice of the white freemen had the effect of “reinforcing the status quo of slavery and racial oppression.” Indeed, their decision was celebrated by many newspapers in the South, all enslaver-friendly states.
In Connecticut, well before the South would institute the Black Codes or Black Laws, they had their own version, popularly referred to as the Black Law, which forbade Black people from outside of Connecticut from getting an education in Connecticut without the permission of individual towns in the state.
The founder of Yale Law School, David Daggett, a Connecticut state judge who presided over the trial of Prudence Crandall, a white woman who was teaching elementary education to Black girls in Canterbury, ruled that since Black people were not citizens, they, therefore, had no rights to education.
Crandall eventually closed the school after a white mob broke into the school, ransacked it, and terrorized the students with clubs and iron bars.
As Yale University’s Community Engagement Program Manager Tubyez Cropper said in a press release for a 2023 documentary which examines New Haven’s failure, “The question ‘what could have been?’ Genuinely makes you think about what New Haven and the United States could have been like if a historic decision such as the creation of a Black college were approved,” Cropper said. “What would relations have been like between Yale and this college, and what impactful Black figures that we know of today would have attended the college?”
Cropper continued, “It took valiant Black leaders, like Bias Stanley and Scipio Augustus, along with the courageous abolition mindset of white leaders like Simeon Jocelyn and William Lloyd Garrison to make such an impact on the way the nation progressed. History is so important because acknowledging the past helps us understand the multitude of perspectives that make up this world.”
He concluded, “By understanding the stepping stones that were put in place, at a time where it seemed almost impossible, we can prevent similar things from reoccurring.”
