39% Of Americans Believe They Can Find Their Soulmate On A Dating App
A recent survey conducted by Boston University's College of Communication and Ipsos sheds light on Americans' perceptions of dating apps.
In the era of digital romance, a recent media and technology survey conducted by Boston University’s College of Communication and Ipsos sheds light on Americans’ perceptions of dating apps. With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, the survey reveals confidence and skepticism among users.
According to the survey, a substantial number of Americans, regardless of gender, believe that dating apps hold the potential for soulmate connections. About 39% of respondents—42% of men and 37% of women—agreed or strongly agreed that “people can find their soulmates” on these platforms. The sentiment was particularly strong among the younger demographic: 58% of 18 to 34-year-olds expressed confidence.
However, when it comes to the effectiveness of these apps in fostering successful relationships, the opinions were more divided. A mere 15% of respondents, including 17% of men and 13% of women, agreed or strongly agreed that “dating apps are the best way to find a successful relationship these days” while 41% disagreed.
The survey also revealed that 62% of respondents believe people tend to lie on these platforms.
“Though people feel soulmates may be hiding out on dating apps, they are hesitant to fully trust these technologies alone,” said Kathryn Coduto, an assistant professor at Boston University College of Communication, whose recent research has focused on the impact of dating app technology on user trust.
The survey also explored attitudes toward artificial intelligence (AI) technology, a crucial component of many apps dedicated to dating. While 17% of respondents believe AI-powered apps lead to more successful relationships, 35% expressed skepticism about the technology’s efficacy.
Furthermore, concerns about the prevalence of chatbots—machines posing as real people—on dating apps were evident: 47% of respondents felt these platforms are filled with too many untrustworthy chatbots.
First Black Woman Elected To Mississippi Legislature To Have Portrait In State Capitol
Rep. Alyce Clarke, the first Black Woman State Representative in Mississippi, now has her portrait displayed in the state Capitol.
The first Black woman to be elected to the Mississippi Legislature, former Rep. Alyce Clarke, will be formally celebrated by the state. A portrait of Clarke will be featured in the halls of Mississippi’s Capitol building. A ceremony was held Feb. 13 to unveil the artwork.
During the ceremony, friends and local politicians came to honor Clarke as her oil painting was placed in the House Education committee meeting room, WLBTreports.
“Thank God, I’ve had more good days than I’ve had bad days,” Clarke, 84, told those in attendance. “And I’d just like to thank everybody who’s here. I’d like to help everybody who’s helped me to get here because I did nothing by myself.”
Clarke, a state representative for the Democratic Party in Mississippi for 39 years, was first elected on behalf of the 69th district in 1984. She declined to run for re-election in 2023.
During her time in office, she worked on improving and establishing education and nutrition programs for the state’s families and children, including the Born Free drug and alcohol treatment program for pregnant women. Clarke helped launch the state’s drug courts and treatment programs to help keep those suffering from drug addiction out of jail.
A generation of political advocates was inspired by her work. Rep. Robert Johnson of Natchez spoke of her insistence that HBCUs, such as her alma mater Alcorn State University, were always considered for vital funding.
“I opened the door and came out, and who is standing outside the door? Ms. Clarke,” Johnson said. “I’m going to tell you: The city of Jackson, the drug courts, the lottery, and Alcorn State University—nobody had a better champion than Alyce Clarke.”
Her portrait will be among the white male lawmakers in the Capitol, making her a prominent figure in the state’s legislative history for improving the lives of those most vulnerable in Mississippi.
These 10 Black Businesses will help you celebrate love this Valentine's Day while also supporting your community for Black History Month.
February is not only home for the celebration of love that is Valentine’s Day, but it is also a monthlong event to showcase honor and pride in Black History Month. While the holidays are catered to different elements of life, choosing love is choosing to celebrate Black history as well. Showcasing your love for your significant other, community, family, and friends can be felt in a variety of ways, but uplifting Black businesses can be a stand-out way to take part in both celebrations.
These Black businesses, in particular, are grounded in the value of love through their passion and inspiration for their venture. These entrepreneurs continue to promote care, harmony, and fondness with their products; they are exceptional gift ideas for someone special while remaining true to supporting Black business. Even better, many of these companies continue spreading love through Black History Month promotions to spark new customers. From floral designers and hand-crafted jewelers to specialty coffees and silky lingerie, here are 10 Black businesses that are all about love.
Memphis-based chocolatier Phillip Ashley is the Black Willy Wonka of one’s childhood fantasies. However, his chocolates are of premium quality with sophisticated twists, immersing Southern flavors such as bourbon caramel and fried chicken into his bite-sized delights. His All Hearts Collection is the perfect choice to blend one’s effort to support the Black community while indulging in decadent chocolate fit for Valentine’s Day.
These innovative floral installations are a unique way to give the traditional gift of flowers on Feb. 14. Angelique is an expert in botanical and interior landscaping who boasts monthly and quarterly site installations through her studio, Evelyn Rose. Skip the grocery store for a quick bouquet and gift something beyond beautiful this season.
Featured in Elle and Vogue magazines, Anya Lust is for those who want to take their lingerie to the next level. If you have late evening plans for this year’s love fest, this Black-owned lingerie brand has the perfect silhouette, or gift set, for your partner to exude the confidence and sexiness you see in them all year.
Look no further than this Queens, New York, favorite if your lover has a sweet tooth. With innovative takes on beloved classics, such as their signature banana pudding pie, Moody Treats has all the delectables to make dessert the main event.
Camille Rose haircare products are growing within the beauty industry, and their support of Blackness everywhere is part of its exponential rise. With new partnerships with singer Victoria Monet and a campaign of #BuyBlackEverywhere to support diverse entrepreneurship, you cannot go wrong in maintaining your crown with the help of its hair tools.
LYS Beauty
For the makeup gurus, LYS (which stands for Love Your Self) is a game-changer for its affordable price points and shade-inclusive products to help those of all skin tones accentuate their beauty. Its “Love Letters” campaign with Kultured Misfits is all about encouraging self-love to its customers, which is something that should be celebrated not only on Valentine’s Day but throughout the year.
Fitness Snob seeks to change the way fitness is promoted. As a Black-owned, nonjudgemental company, it is all about boosting confidence in one’s health and wellness journey. Being unapologetic about one’s love for life and one’s body is key to its mission, making it a go-to option to score some fabulous crew socks along with a positive mantra.
We could not include a company that didn’t literally stand on love. Luv’s Brownies is a national bakeshop that goes beyond brownies, including cheesecake and little bites of goodies. Even better, a portion of their sales goes toward their “Grit Award” scholarship fund for educational equity. What could be sweeter?!
Coffee lovers rejoice! This specialty coffee made from a farm in Rwanda is the perfect way to get ethically sourced java right at home. Matriarch Coffee is the story of Marie Mukamurenzi, whose coffee beans have helped aid the academics of her nine children and those of her community. A cup of this joe is good not only for the soul but also for a good cause.
This independent, Black-owned jewelry line showcases earrings and other accessories in vibrant colors to shine bright on your loved one. Environmentally conscious and crafted within a small studio in Massachusetts, its pieces are timeless and a loving showcase of one’s passion for the art of jewelry-making.
New Film Sheds Light On How The War On Drugs Continues To Increase Black Women’s Prison Population
A new BET+ film tells the real-life story of one woman who fell victim to the draconian laws that fuel America's War on Drugs.
A new film is coming to BET+ that tells the real-life story of a woman who fell victim to the Draconianlaws that fuel America’s War on Drugs and the continued rise of the Black women’s prison population.
Kelley Kali’s Kemba premieres on BET+ on Feb. 22. The made-for-TV movie tells the true story of Kemba Smith, a woman who is charged as a co-conspirator of her college boyfriend’s drug-trafficking crimes and sentenced to 24 and a half years in federal prison despite being seven months pregnant, Yahoo News reports.
Smith was a sheltered college student who had never gotten into any legal trouble and never sold or used drugs. She was, however, a victim of domestic violence at the hands of her boyfriend, Peter Hall. Despite her clean record, federal prosecutors charged her with conspiracy to distribute cocaine, and in 1994, she was sentenced to nearly 25 years without the possibility of parole.
Seven months pregnant, a victim of domestic violence, and a nonviolent drug offender, Smith’s case revealed the arbitrary and unjust character of federal mandatory sentencing guidelines that prevented federal judges from taking the unique circumstances of each accused individual into account, as noted by the NAACP Legal Defense Fund.
The Legal Defense Fund (LDF) eventually got involved with Smith’s case after learning about the many injustices she suffered. In 2000, LDF successfully obtained clemency for Smith after she served six and a half years of her prison sentence.
But even in the 24 years since her release, statistics show Black women are still incarcerated on drug charges at alarming rates. According to The Sentencing Project, the number of incarcerated women has risen 525% between 1980 and 2021.
An April 2023 study credited the continued rise in the women’s prison population to “more expansive law enforcement efforts, stiffer drug sentencing laws, and post-conviction barriers to re-entry that uniquely affect women.” The numbers are more staggering when looking at the population of Black women in prison. A 2020 census found that while Black women comprise just 7.7% of the total U.S. population and 15.3% of the population of women, they still make up 29% of incarcerated women.
The LDF remains committed to collaborating with Smith and the Kemba Smith Foundation to bring attention to crucial matters within the criminal justice system. Smith’s book Poster Child: The Kemba Smith Story recounts her harrowing journey through domestic abuse, injustice, disenfranchisement, and the challenges of re-entering society. Kemba will be available to stream on BET+ on Feb. 22, 2024.
The audacious lawmaker sat before the Shelbyville Area NAACP chapter in early February to discuss an anti-DEI bill she and 19 other colleagues were supporting. When asked if her family played any role in the slave trade, the 68-year-old politician decided to give an inside look into her life.
“My father was born on a dirt farm in Lincoln County. His mother was the illegitimate daughter of a very prominent person who then was kind enough to allow them to work for him as slaves,” she said. “So, if you’re asking, did we own slaves? My father was a slave, just to a white man, and he was white.”
Reporter Joseph Gerth tracked Decker down after the meeting to get a thorough understanding of her comments. The journalist told the legislator that holding on to a claim that a white man was a slave well after the 13th Amendment abolished slavery was “weird.”
So, she decided to break it down further. “Well, my father was born into poverty. There was a very influential man who allowed them property, and then they worked on it,” Decker said. She added that they weren’t paid by the farmer.
Gerth, also white, said he was offended by her remarks. He said that Decker spoke about the purpose of diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts during her speech, describing their sole purpose as increasing Black enrollment. However, those programs do so much more and are not solely focused on race.
At the University of Kentucky, the DEI office helps students with disabilities, provides counseling services for students harmed by racism, and more. Unconscious bias training is also available for employees, and DEI learning modules are incorporated into entry-level courses.
Under the legislation, all said programs that promote what is described as “discriminatory concepts” would be dissolved by June 30. The Council on Postsecondary Education would also be required to “remove the ‘equity’ priority” from strategic plans and initiatives, including diversity plans and cultural competency certification programs.
With the Shelbyville NAACP chapter being a key component in combating racism in the state, the comments could be looked at as inappropriate. In 2021, the chapter and the Shelbyville Community Remembrance Project Coalition collaborated on efforts to remember six Black men who were killed by lynch mobs between 1878 to 1911 in Shelby County. Three blue and gold markers were placed in downtown Shelbyville honoring Reuben Dennis, Sam Pulliam, Clarence Garnett, Jimbo Fields, Wade Patterson, and Eugene Marshall–who were hung from the railroad bridge near the tracks.
Atlanta Court Rules In Family’s Favor In Care Of Man Allegedly Tricked Into Marriage
A Cobb County court in Metro Atlanta has ordered the family of a man suffering from dementia to take over guardianship after claims that he was tricked into marriage.
The family of an Atlanta man has gained guardianship of him after alleging he was tricked into marriage. John Belt, who has been dealing with advanced dementia, was considered “totally incapacitated” when he married his wife, Avis Wingo Belt.
An investigation by Atlanta News First Investigates led authorities to take a closer look into the matter, with the court transferring guardianship of the man to his family, as one of his sisters referred to the ordeal as “worse than a ‘Lifetime’ movie.” The family’s attorney, Tristan Gillespie, maintains that the proof overwhelmingly favors their claims that the union was not made from love.
“That’s all the story one needs to know that this was a marriage based on fraud,” explained Gillespie.
In 2018, Wingo Belt applied for a marriage license in Florida, without the family’s knowledge, a little over a week after his severe dementia diagnosis. The Cobb County Probate court discovered that Wingo had access to her husband’s annual pension and Social Security benefits, totaling $33,000. Court documents allege that she used this money to buy a new car and home yet accrued over $20,000 in credit card debt. Belt’s family claims that the marriage was a ruse to use the 58-year-old’s finances and credit lines to provide for her lifestyle.
However, Wingo Belt has denied the allegations of her marrying her husband, who lives in a care facility an hour and a half away from her home, for monetary advantages. The two first met as work colleagues for the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA).
“That’s very untrue,” said the 55-year-old, still employed by MARTA, to the news outlet. “I’m not destitute, nor am I desperate.”
She continued, noting that Belt’s intentions were always to get married so that his mother would not receive any money from his passing.
“John was still in his right mind,” she claimed. “John was going to get married anyway. He wanted me to marry him because he said, ‘I don’t want my mother with any of my stuff.’ ”
Family and friends remain adamant that the wedding, conducted in secret while the couple was on a cruise, was a plan manipulated by Wingo Belt, especially given that they were unaware of it happening. Furthermore, the family has also insisted that the care facility the woman placed him in has neglected his care, with the courts also ruling in their favor to promptly remove him, according to the outlet. Whether or not the marriage will be annulled has yet to be determined.
North Carolina’s Lt. Governor Mark Robinson: Transgender People Can ‘Find A Corner Outside Somewhere’ To Use Bathroom
This is dangerous rhetoric.....
Controversial Lieutenant Governor Mark Robinson (R-NC) suggested members of the transgender community should go to the bathroom outside.
While campaigning for the title of North Carolina’s first Black governor, Robinson brought up the now repealed HB2 or “Bathroom Bill.” After suggesting that people who once identified as male should be arrested for using a women’s bathroom, he now has the idea for them to “find a corner outside somewhere” to relieve themselves. “We’re going to defend women in this state,” he said at a rally in Cary.
“That means if you’re a man on Friday night, and all the sudden on Saturday, you feel like a woman, and you want to go in the women’s bathroom in the mall, you will be arrested — or whatever we got to do to you.”
Robinson carried the same sentiment into another speech in Greenville, adding, “If you are confused, find a corner outside somewhere to go. We’re not tearing society down because of this.”
House Bill 2 was first passed back in 2016 under former GOP Governor Pat McCrory’s administration. McCrory faced nationwide backlash for signing a bill that requires transgender people to use public restrooms that correlate with their assigned sex on their birth certificate. The law caused North Carolina to lose out on numerous opportunities to provide millions in revenue for the state, including PayPal pulling out on establishing a headquarters in Charlotte. The NBA also moved their All-Star weekend from the same city in protest of the bill’s passing.
Robinson’s viewpoints on key topics have him at odds with his competitors. His own gubernatorial opponent, Bill Graham, issued a statement through a spokesperson on his feelings if Robinson were to be the GOP candidate. “Mark Robinson will lose and hurt all GOP candidates if he is the nominee,” Alex Baltzegar said.
“His comments about the Holocaust being hogwash, along with his demeaning comments about women, will wreck GOP chances for regaining the White House and the governorship here in North Carolina.” Fellow Republican candidate, State Treasurer Dale Folwell, has been critical of Robinson’s derogatory comments toward a number of different groups. “He’s history’s latest example of someone who’s trying to rise to power based on telling people who to hate,” he said.
The gubernatorial GOP frontrunner has issued several attacks against women, including Vice President Kamala Harris and former First Last Michelle Obama. On the topic of abortion, of which Robinson is a strong opponent of, he once called Harris a “leftist idiot” in her opposition to confirming pro-life Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh. “Kamala Harris is a leftist idiot who is fearful that the ‘right’ to MURDER the unborn will be threatened if Brett Kavanaugh is confirmed,” he said.
“She’s part of the unhinged and out-of-touch wing that dominates the Democratic Party. She should quit trying to kill the unborn and go home to California and clean up the mess there.”
BOARDROOM POWER 2023: Slower Progress in Black Representation With DEI Backlash
BY MATTHEW SCOTT
The editors of BLACK ENTERPRISE produced our annual “Power in the Boardroom” report, including the 2023 B.E. Registry of Corporate Directors—our exclusive listing of Black board members. Efforts to increase the number of Blacks in boardrooms have reached a significant crossroads.
This editorial package represents our 10th review of Black representation within corporate governance, and BE editors have once again researched the universe of S&P 500 companies to gain a comprehensive picture of such inclusion at the highest level.
The data revealed the following snapshot of Black boardroom power: Amid the S&P 500, there were 490 Black corporate board members at 420 corporations in 2023, versus 474 Black corporate directors at 421 companies in 2022. The figures for 2023 reveal 84% of the S&P had Black directors, up from 60% in 2016, the first year BE reported on board diversity across the entire index.
This year, data from various reports suggests that while the number of Black directors has increased in recent years, that progress has been slowing.
A report from the 2023 KPMG Board Leadership Center and the African American Directors Forum found that immediately following the murder of George Floyd in May 2020, significantly more Blacks were appointed to corporate boards of Fortune 1,000 companies. According to the report, as of September 2022, 76% of Fortune 1,000 companies had at least one Black director on their boards, compared to 61% at the end of 2020. However, 40% of Black directors joined Fortune 1,000 boards after June 1, 2020, 28% joined between September 2020 and September 2021, and only 9% joined between September 2021 and September 2022. This marks a noticeable decline in the percentage of new appointments.
Additionally, a Spencer Stuart report revealed that Black directors made up 15% of the newly appointed directors of S&P 500 companies as of August 2023, a drop from 26% of newly appointed directors over the same period in 2022.
COURT DECISIONS, DEI BACKLASH, AND IMPACT ON BOARD DIVERSITY
Over the last year, forces that oppose diversity, equity, and inclusion have successfully used the courts to challenge such policies. However, experts differ on the severity of the impact that these court decisions and the additional backlash against diversity will have on the appointment of Blacks to corporate boards.
Denise Hamilton, DEI strategist, CEO, and founder of the professional women’s digital platform WatchHerWork, says the court’s decision to suspend the Fearless Fund’s exclusive financial support of Black women-owned businesses has corporations that sponsor such programs (or considering such sponsorship) concerned about lawsuits. Fear of litigation is having a diminishing effect on all types of diversity programs and corporate policies, including board inclusion, she says. “Corporate leaders don’t want to mess with this. It’s just easier to pull back.”
Dail St. Claire, an independent director at Verde Clean Fuels, a renewable energy company based in Houston, adds that court decisions to strike down California’s laws that mandated publicly traded companies headquartered in the state meet minimum requirements for the representation of both females (SB 826) and persons from underrepresented groups on boards (AB 979), will likely slow the appointment of Blacks onto corporate boards.
“The California law was aggressive,” St. Claire asserts, adding that the law’s quotas for historically underrepresented groups led to the unsubstantiated presumption that unqualified candidates would take positions away from qualified ones. While St. Claire has never advocated for quotas, she says there is evidence that “the now defunct California corporate board quota led to increased board diversity and policies that facilitated a more diverse workforce.”
Hamilton suggests the California and Fearless Fund decisions, this year’s Supreme Court ruling on affirmative action in college admissions, and other lesser-known cases nationally are part of a DEI backlash and “a coordinated effort” to reverse any effectiveness DEI initiatives have created.
“It’s all about setting a [legal] precedent,” says Hamilton. “The precedent is being set to be able to go after corporations with deep pockets in an effort to stop all diversity programs and initiatives from happening.”
While litigation is indeed a concern for corporations, DeForest Soaries, an independent director at Ocwen Financial Corp. and Independence Realty Trust Inc., doesn’t expect the Supreme Court’s prohibition against the explicit recruitment of Black students for college to have any effect on the recruitment of Black directors. He reasons that board diversity policies cover “people of color,” which is not limited to Black people.
However, Soaries does suggest that from this point forward, the growth of Blacks on corporate boards will decelerate. George Floyd’s death provided a window of opportunity to advance the number of Blacks on corporate boards by bringing unusual attention to racial disparities and inequities. That focus improved governance diversity practices, but Soaries says the beneficiaries were concentrated among “Black people that were already corporate directors or were in the pre-existing pipeline based on their relationships.” Many Blacks who were already directors gained additional board appointments, and Blacks with strong relationships with non-Black directors were the first to be recruited for board seats. That type of growth is unsustainable.
“The numbers will continue to grow slowly unless companies do a better job reaching beyond the relationships of existing board members to recruit Black candidates,” Soaries says.
Similarly, Guy Primus, co-founder of The Board Challenge, an effort to get companies that do not have a Black board member to appoint one, also believes a great deal of the significant growth in the number of Blacks on corporate boards has already occurred. Primus, who sits on four private company boards, says that companies that believe in diversity will continue to add Black board members, those that expand the numbers of Black members for performative reasons have done so already, and those that never believed in diversity probably won’t ever appoint one. He hopes that future progression lies with those companies that have yet to include a diverse board member but might be convinced to do so. “I’m hopeful they see the positive results that others have experienced because that’s how we’re going to continue to increase Black representation,” Primus says.
BUILDING A FOUNDATION FOR GROWING BLACK BOARD REPRESENTATION
Mike Wright, executive vice president, head of human resources and diversity practice of executive search firm Seiden Krieger Associates, and former board director at Mobiquity Technologies, says he has noticed that CEOs and boards that are committed to diversity are putting in infrastructure that makes it very difficult for their organizations to abandon DEI and other diversity programs. He says they’re willing to risk potential backlash because “There’s data out there that supports the fact that companies that are diverse tend to be more profitable and have better business results.”
In addition to implementing the data on the success of diverse companies into their business operations, Wright says companies will need to commit to mentoring and allyship in the boardroom to increase the number of Black corporate directors. “They must make a conscious effort to partner with The Executive Leadership Council, The Alliance for Board Diversity, and other organizations that are trying to drive this agenda.”
Ariel Investments, which holds an annual Black Corporate Directors Conference, is an organization dedicated to increasing the quantity and quality of Black corporate directors. John Rogers, founder, chairman, and co-CEO of Ariel Investments, says having Blacks on corporate boards can be helpful, but they must “be willing to speak up and speak out.”
Courtesy of Ariel Investments
At an October meeting of the New York State Black Business Alliance, Rogers, who serves on the boards of Nike and The New York Times and can be found on the BLACK ENTERPRISERegistry of Corporate Directors, explains how Ariel’s conference brings together more than 200 directors to network, fellowship, and learn from each other about boardroom leadership. Over the past 22 years, attendees have been addressed by corporate powerhouses and BE registry members like Ursula Burns, Ken Chenault, and Bruce Gordon, as well as CEOs such as Jamie Dimon of JPMorgan Chase and civil rights activists like Rev. Jessie Jackson and Rev. Al Sharpton. Many speakers have charged those in attendance with a responsibility to fight for economic justice in the boardroom. “We need to do a lot better on board diversity, and we’re trying to make a difference with our conference,” Rogers says.
James D. White, board chair of The Honest Company, lead independent director of Affirm Inc., and a board member at Cava and Greenlight, agrees that putting more Blacks on corporate boards is not enough. White co-founded the UC Berkeley Directors Academy, which prepares Black board candidates to not only become board members but also to chair committees and become lead independent directors or board chairs. “We need to be prepared to step into boardrooms to lead and impact the overall governance of the board,” he says.
The Ariel conference, The Berkeley Directors Academy, and The Black Corporate Board Readiness Program at Santa Clara University, among others, have all contributed to identifying and preparing potential Black corporate directors. While the legal challenges and diversity backlash continue to slow the short-lived expansion in the number of Black directors, the good news is that more Black leaders are on boards than ever. Many of them are in a position to wield influence throughout the organizations they serve. Because of that fact, Hamilton and others are optimistic about future development.
“We just have to keep getting and staying in a state of readiness—improving our skills and relationship building until the next opportunity,” Hamilton says. “Right now, there’s backlash, but two years from now, who knows what the situation will be?
Matthew Scott is the former managing editor of the Financial Times’ Agenda newsletter and Black Enterprise Magazine. Based in New York, he writes about corporate governance and investing topics.
Judge Says Fani Willis’ Affair Could Put Her In Jeopardy Of Being ‘Disqualified’ From The Case
This isn't looking too good....
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis could be on the chopping block in Donald Trump’s election case.
Fulton County Judge Scott McAfee says Willis faces “possible” disqualification if her alleged affair with special prosecutor Nathan Wade resulted in financial gain. Several DA office employees – including Wills and Wade – were subpoenaed to testify on Feb. 15 by Trump co-defendant Michael Roman. Roman filed a motion in January 2023 to have both prosecutors disqualified from the case since Willis was involved in a “personal, romantic relationship” with Wade.
The DA has admitted to the relationship with Wade, but argued that there were no grounds to dismiss the case or to remove her from the prosecution. According to an affidavit, Wade said the relationship started in 2022 as an add-on to their “professional association and friendship.” In defense of his relationship, Wade claimed he never shared a home, financial accounts, or household expenses with Willis. He described himself and Willis as “financially independent professionals; expenses or personal travel were roughly divided equally between us.”
After the pair’s admission, Roman accused Willis of creating a false narrative of the aspects of the relationship – including when it began. Judge McAfee said, at this point, it all depends on the evidence. “I think it’s clear that disqualification can occur if evidence is produced demonstrating an actual conflict or the appearance of one,” McAfee said. “The state has admitted a relationship existed. And so what remains to be proven is the existence and extent of any financial benefit, again, if there even was one.”
Willis and Wade have pressed to cancel the scheduled hearings, and that their subpoenas to testify be quashed. Fulton County prosecutor Anna Cross seconded that motion. While Cross acknowledged that the state has yet to interview potential witnesses, she pointed out that none would support what she called “wild speculation” and “gossip.” “This is a serious case. These are serious charges,” Cross said. “The defense is bringing you gossip … and the court should not condone that practice.”
Defending her team, Cross said that any charges presented during times Wade and Willis traveled together were evenly split, therefore do not present the said financial conflict presented by the defense.
Meet ‘Blapp,’ The New Way To Find Black Businesses In Your Area
Blapp is the new way to locate and support Black-owned businesses within one's area across the United States.
This Black History Month has those within and allies of the Black community wanting to do more to support a variety of industries. Blapp is a new app catered to making the issue of finding Black businesses and services easier throughout the United States.
Created by New York-based comedian Jon Laster, the app founder spoke toCBS Chicago‘s team on how he decided to resolve this growing need to find and support Black-owned ventures.
“Everyone wants to help, but you got to help me help you make it easy,” Laster said. “A friend of mine, Margot, introduced me to someone else in Silicon Valley, a friend who was at Google, and said why don’t we try to do it a different way?”
Ranging from bookstores to clubs, and real estate agents to doctors, Blapp is making the quest to find Black businesses in all avenues easier to source. Described as a “Black shopping app,” Blapp is aiding consumers who want to be more conscious about where their dollar is being spent, and want their money to either be poured back into their communities or overall help minority businesses thrive.
The initiative comes as Black consumer spending continues its trend of growth. According to statistics obtained by McKinsey, the “collective economic power” of Black people is set to reach $1.7 trillion by 2030, nearly doubling from its estimated $910 billion in 2019. However, Black patrons and entrepreneurs are still faced with setbacks and obstacles, such as “consumer deserts” and inaccessibility to capital funding, respectively, that limit their ability to engage in the cycle of consumerism. However, Blapp seeks to be the answer to the issue of finding and promoting Black-owned businesses, being part of an ongoing resolution to grow the Black dollar.
According to Laster, Blaap is currently boasting 60,000 diverse businesses, as he hopes to expand to all Black entrepreneurs to promote their companies across audiences.
