Inaugural HBCU Film Festival, Black Filmmakers, Detroit

by Kandiss Edwards

October 31, 2024

HBCU First LOOK Film Festival Is Back For Its 2nd Year

First LOOK Film Festival will bring together HBCU Alumni, celebrity guests and students.

The HBCU First LOOK Film Festival is coming back for the second year in a row. The festival will take place at Howard University’s Blackburn Center Nov. 8-10.

The festival’s aim is to highlight HBCU alumni who have risen in the ranks of Hollywood.

First LOOK Film Festival is dedicated to “creating a pipeline for HBCU students to Hollywood in support of ‘A Celebration of Black Cinema x Activism.’ Attendees will have access to immersive career development opportunities with legendary award-winning experts in the film, broadcast, and entertainment industry.”

The two-day event features candid conversations from executives, producers, and on-air talent, including David E. Talbert, Director; Naturi Naughton-Lewis, actress and producer; Faith Jenkins, producer and Award-winning host; as well as Loni Love, actress and comedian.

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The THEM Awards “My HBCU Joy” Luncheon be the culmination of the festival. The luncheon will honor HBCU alumni actress and producer Keshia Knight-Pulliam, Stacy Milner (HBCU Los Angeles), and TeeJ Mercer (Move-In Day Mafia), who are all making a difference with their work to serve student initiatives. The winners of the First LOOK film challenge will be announced at the luncheon.

This year’s First LOOK film challenge received over 200 applicants and was whittled down to seven finalists who will premier their pieces for a distinguished audience. Three winners will be chosen. They will receive a monetary reward and internship opportunities.

2024 HBCU First LOOK Film Challenge Finalists:

BEST FEATURE FILM: “Breaking the Stigma: ADHD in African
Americans” – David L. Brown, Texas Southern University
BEST SHORT FILM: “The Last Summer” – Leah Simone Scott,
Howard University
BEST DOCUMENTARY: “I Will Only Be What Your Eyes Can See” – Victoria Hay, Texas Southern University
BEST MOBILE FILM: “The Family Link” –Tramar Pettaway, Elizabeth City State University
BEST FAMILY & FAITH FILM: “…Young, Black and Gifted” – Promise Robinson, Hampton University
BEST ANIMATION FILM: “Chad’s Night Out” – Kimarley Henry, Morehouse College
BEST WELLNESS FILM: “Champions of Wellness: A Legacy In Motion” – Danielle Hillie, North Carolina Central University

The festival is open to students and the public, and tickets can be purchased at the HBCU FirstLOOK Film Festival’s official website.

by Kandiss Edwards

October 31, 2024

Georgia Man Buys A Foreclosed Home And Gets Hit With A $71K Water Bill

Charles Holmes bought a cheap home in foreclosure that came with a high water bill.

Charles Holmes recently bought a house in foreclosure only to find out the home came with a $71,000 water bill.

According to WSBTV Atlanta, after closing the deal on the home in Dekalb County, Georgia, Holmes discovered the property was disconnected from water services. The new homeowner reached out to the county to reconnect services but discovered that he could not receive any other information beyond the total bill.

To say the least, Holmes was shocked at the steep price of water.

“I had to look at it several times. I’m like, this can’t be real,” he said after receiving an email with limited details.

“There is a unpaid balance on that property and an active Lien by the county for the balance of $71,846.45. The Lien must be satisfied before service can be provided.”

Since the bill is not in Holmes’s name, he was unable to investigate further. It wasn’t until WSBTV’s investigative team reached out to the county that he began to receive answers and solutions.

“A new water account has been established for the customer, and water service will be turned on once the county has proof of completed repairs and there are no leaks,” stated an email from Dekalb County.

Holmes is uneasy about paying a bill he did not accrue. Yet, he understands buying a foreclosed home comes with complications.

In an attempt to capitalize on the rising foreclosures sweeping the nation, Holmes ran into one of the many complications.

According to Finmasters, “31,557 properties in the United States had foreclosure filings in January 2023. This was a 36% upsurge year-over-year. One in every 4,425 housing units had a foreclosure filing.”

Foreclosed homes can be great investments or allow people without access to high-end loans to own homes. Still, homebuyers should do their due diligence before signing on the dotted line.

One way to avoid Holmes’s predicament when considering whether or not to buy a foreclosed home is to complete a property title search. The goal of the search is to warn a potential homebuyer of the barriers to outright ownership or the issues with a particular property.

Homelight defines a property title search as:

“A safeguard, unraveling any possible mysteries or disputes linked to the property. Whether it’s an undisclosed heir with potential claims, an unresolved lien from a previous owner, or discrepancies in the property’s size and boundaries, the title search brings them all to light.”

Understanding the “history of a home” is integral to determining whether to invest in it.

by Kandiss Edwards

October 31, 2024

Rudy Giuliani Still Has Georgia Poll Workers’ $148M In A Chokehold Despite Court Order

Ex-mayor, Rudy Giuliani, refuses to give away prized possessions.

Rudy Giuliani was ordered to surrender his New York penthouse property by Oct. 22. Giuliani is on the hook for $148 million as a part of a defamation lawsuit filed by two Georgia election workers, mother and daughter, Ruby Freeman and Shay Moss.

A federal judge ordered the ex-mayor of New York to transfer his assets in lieu of cash. Among those assets ordered to be forfeited are Giuliani’s $5.7 million penthouse, an expensive watch collection, a 1980 Mercedes, which previously belonged to actress Lauren Bacall, and multiple checking accounts.

As of Oct. 30, Guiliani has remained defiant of the federal court’s ruling and has yet to relinquish the keys to the penthouse, he told the NY Post.

“I’m refusing to make available certain things such as my grandfather’s 140-year-old watch that was left to me because I’m named for him,” Giuliani said.

He also refuses to relinquish a valuable baseball card signed by famous baseball player Joe DiMaggio.

“He told me he was leaving it to me because I was his hero because of how I crushed the organization he hated more than anything else in the world: the Mafia.”

Giuliani’s troubles began when he participated in the alleged attempts by former President Donald Trump to overthrow the 2020 presidential election. Even after his conviction, the octogenarian refused to admit to any wrongdoing. He instead reinforced his position as a law-abiding citizen.

“I did nothing wrong. I never broke a law. Quite the opposite, I have a long record of upholding the law and I have prosecuted the most consequential cases of the 20th century.”

The ex-mayor was accused of spreading false information about Georgia poll workers Moss and Freeman, which consequently put them and their families in harm’s way.

“The lies Rudy Giuliani told about me and my mommy after the 2020 presidential election have changed our lives and the past few years has been devastating,” said Moss.

The two Georgia residents spoke about the treatment they received due to Giuliani’s claims.

“I was scared to come home at dark, you know,” Freeman said.

Freeman says the fear of retaliation by enraged Trump supporters led to her moving away from her home.

DL Hughley And Jermaine Dupri Debunk Donald Trump Stimulus Claims During BET’s ‘Black Men’s Summit’

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

October 31, 2024

DL Hughley And Jermaine Dupri Debunk Donald Trump Stimulus Claims During BET’s ‘Black Men’s Summit’

Black male voters had their concerns addressed during BET's "Black Men's Summit."

The voices of Black male voters were amplified on Tuesday night during BET’s Black Men’s Summit.

Hosted by comedian and radio personality DL Hughley, the event gathered influential Black men across various industries and backgrounds for in-depth discussions on the critical issues affecting their communities in the lead-up to the 2024 presidential election. Hughley was joined by prominent guests including actor Michael Ealy, mega-producer Jermaine Dupri, civil rights attorney Ben Crump, NAACP President & CEO Derrick Johnson, National Urban League President & CEO Marc Morial, rapper and philanthropist Vic Mensa, and more.

Among the discussions gaining traction across social media was the point of the conversation when Dupri and Hughley responded to claims of the economy being better under Donald Trump’s administration due to the stimulus checks given out during the 2020 global pandemic.

“I feel like it is really important that we, as men in this room, give them the facts today,“ Dupri said while advising young viewers to be cautious, noting that some of the news they encounter might be misleading.

“There was a specific reason that Donald Trump, even though he didn’t give those checks out, there was a specific reason he delayed them so he could put his name on it,” Hughley added. “He knew it would have that effect.”

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At the time the stimulus checks were to be sent out, the Internal Revenue Service confirmed that The Treasury Department had instructed that President Trump’s name be printed on the stimulus checks, which delayed the delivery of the stimulus checks that were on their way to tens of millions of Americans by a few days.

When it comes to Vice President Kamala Harris’ qualifications for the presidency compared to Donald Trump, Michael Ealy touched on how frustrating he finds the challenges Harris faces with convincing the public of her worthiness for the role.

“It amazes me oftentimes how many times Democrats have to provide receipts for all of the things that they do. And for all of their qualifications, and yet on the other side, there’s just no accountability,” Ealy said.

He continued, “When you look at what Kamala Harris, who’s been a public servant basically her whole life, she is the most qualified candidate to run for president.”

Ealy and Hughley went on to address the rumor that Vice President Harris imprisoned “thousands and thousands” of Black men during her time as a California District Attorney.

“So if you look at her as just a cop, which has been debunked, and it’s been the mythology, like Vic was saying, it was 45 guys, and that’s it.”

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Elsewhere during the Summit, Kenny Burns shared his perspective on the concerns facing Black male voters in this year’s election. According to the lifestyle specialist and radio host, Black men are simply seeking their share of the American dream.

“I think tax credits are very important for entrepreneurs here in Georgia,” Burns said. “We also want to be a part of the American dream. A lot of people I talk to want to have home ownership and they want to figure out pathways, how to get there. I think another big thing is childcare and being entrepreneurs.”

HBCU Accelerator Grads Get Business Boost From Wells Fargo Foundation

by Ashlei Stevens

October 31, 2024

HBCU Accelerator Grads Get Business Boost From Wells Fargo Foundation

A Benedict alumna invests in her college's program.

It “takes a village to build a startup.” That’s what Lauren Mills has learned as CEO and founder of College Action Program, a web-based platform that helps college and universities transition students from acceptance to enrollment.

As a graduate of the Benedict College Statewide Investment Accelerator (BCSIA), Mills now has the “community, curriculum and confidence” to take her business to the next level.

\And thanks to a recent $100,000 donation to BCSIA from the Wells Fargo Foundation, Mills and fellow program graduates now have needed financial support for projects such as website updates and expanding marketing and branding efforts.

“I just love the fact that as a first-generation founder, as an underrepresented founder, as a Black woman founder, we have broken down that barrier for access to capital,” Mills, crediting Wells Fargo and BCSIA leaders, tells BLACK ENTERPRISE.

Training Entrepreneurs to Invest in Their Communities

BCSIA provides customized training, coaching, and technical assistance to diverse South Carolina small businesses. According to Program Director Millicent B. Lann, BSCIA selects cohorts of just five small-business owners who engage in 12-week curriculum cycles.

“I help these early stage, diverse founders accelerate their growth to benefit not only themselves, but the entirety of South Carolina, and expand their economic footprint,” Lann says.

The program’s third cohort just concluded coursework. Applications will open this fall for cohort four.

Benedict Alumna Invests in Alma Mater’s Program

Pam Bryant, vice president, community relations with the Wells Fargo Foundation, visited Benedict College’s campus in Columbia, S.C. with fellow leaders in late September, making the donation at a press conference.

“I was raised by Benedict College to be a power for good,” said Bryant, an alumna of the HBCU, “and I’m incredibly blessed to be able to put those skills and gifts to talents to work at Wells Fargo. Let’s continue to support, celebrate, and uplift small businesses across this country and in this state, because when they succeed, we succeed.”

BCSIA Executive Director Dr. Tracy Dunn tells BE that Wells Fargo’s support provides “non-diluted funding” to the graduates of the program.

“We can’t give them $100,000 but we can give them enough to make a difference and move the needle forward for that business,” Dunn explains. “We can gift them these funds for them to use in any way they see fit to grow their business.”

The $100,000 donation will directly support BCSIA graduates, including Mills and Carl Vann, founder and CEO of Pass The Peaz. His unique recipe app aims to preserve culture and heritage through food while also empowering Black and Brown communities to fight food insecurity. He heard about Benedict’s Accelerator Program on Instagram, applied and got in.

“It helped me learn how to talk about my business,” says Vann, a self-described introvert. “It helped me with pitching every single week and I got really good with it.”

Since then, he has taken those sharpened pitching skills and secured meaningful partnerships to help fight food insecurity and to elevate Pass The Peaz.

Purposeful Partnership

During the press conference, Benedict College president and CEO Dr. Roslyn Clark Artis noted that an expansion of BCSIA would “build an entrepreneurial ecosystem that will have a multiplier effect on our communities and help to invest in—not just the communities immediately around Benedict College, but across the state and across the nation,” and added that “it’s because of partners like Well Fargo that we’re able to continue the work that we are doing.”

In addition to the support from Wells Fargo, AT&T donated 100 laptops to Benedict students in early October as a part of AT&T Connected Learning initiative to address the digital divide through internet accessibility, affordability, and safe adoption. The company has committed $5 billion to help 25 million people gain and stay connected to high-speed internet by 2030.

“This laptop is more than just a device. It’s an investment in my future,” said Jillian Garrison, a criminal justice major at Benedict.

white women, BIPOC, conversation, be quiet, Black women, Kamala Harris, HR

by Stacy Jackson

October 31, 2024

Using ‘Targeted Words’ In Work Emails Could Get You Flagged By Human Resources

Certain words like "harassment" and "discrimination" could prompt the HR department to further investigate past emails and communications.

When communicating in the workplace, Orange County Human Resources administrator Jackie Cuevas warns professionals that using “targeted words” in emails could be unsettling to the company’s HR professionals and pose further issues.

According to Business Insider, Cuevas, who works for a nonprofit organization, said emails containing “bullying” or “harassed” may prompt HR to investigate communications further. In prior cases, Cuevas noted that she’d witnessed small issues become bigger. These targeted words could lead to termination or someone being written up. She advised, “If you need to use targeted words or have an issue with a colleague, ask yourself: Can this be resolved by talking to the colleague I’m having issues with or talking to my supervisor? Or is it a bigger issue where I do need to go to HR?”

Cuevas advised against using company time and property to address other coworker’s behavior. Any swearing can likely be seen by HR and possibly documented.

A blog published by HireQuotient in July further addresses the impact of words in the workplace. The article lists terms that may trigger or “scare” the HR department. According to HireQuotient, words like “harassment,” “discrimination,” and “lawsuit” all pose legal red flags that HR may be obligated to address immediately. Instead, the outlet suggests using other dialogue to express concerns, describe behavior, and seek solutions. One alternative to address discrimination might be: “I feel that my contributions are being overlooked due to my background.” If you have concerns regarding harassment, it may be a safer approach to use descriptions like “uncomfortable behavior” or “inappropriate comments.” Other words to avoid include toxic, burnout, retaliation, and unfair.

Cuevas said employees should remember to double-check email recipients. “I’ve seen people accidentally hit ‘reply all’ when they meant to send a message to just one person or chat on Zoom and not realize everyone could see,” she said. If you say something inappropriate to someone through email, recipients still have access to those messages even if they are deleted on your end.

Some policies permit HR professionals to retrieve prior communications via email, other chats, and Slack through the company’s IT department in cases where an investigation is launched. Deleted emails may be stored in server archives or backups so that companies can access an employee’s email for any reason, if necessary.

by Kandiss Edwards

October 31, 2024

Best Black Horror Books For A Halloween Read

5 spooky books by black authors.

Halloween 2024 is underway. Adult costume parties are in full swing, and the children are readying themselves for a night of trick-or-treating, trunk-o-treating, and fall festivals. If you are an introvert or just a person who prefers to stay inside this spooky season, BLACK ENTERPRISE has compiled a list of worthwhile Black horror stories.

Who Fears Death – Nnedi Okafor

Set in Africa, Who Fears Death is the story of Onye, a young girl born an outcast. Her tan complexion and the circumstances surrounding her birth are heavy crosses to bear. She is othered as an Ewu, a child of rape, and learns to harness a newfound magic ability. Still, an unknown terror stalks her for the majority of her life and will not settle until she is dead. As Onye embraces her magic, she also evades the threat and runs straight into her destiny.

https://twitter.com/nnedi/status/893130359059165184?s=46

Beloved – Toni Morrison

Morrison’s Beloved is known by many as a film released in 1998. Still, even the visuals cannot capture the true horror of Sethe’s life. Born a slave, Sethe finds her way to freedom. For 18 years, Sethe has lived with the choices she had to make in order to free her young infant from the horrors of slavery. Refusing to condemn her child to the terrors of the enslaved, Sethe takes the infant’s life and is haunted by a grown-up, real-life manifestation of her “Beloved’s” ghost.

What's a book you read, was amazing but was so emotionally devastating you never want to read it again?

Beloved – Toni Morrison https://t.co/9uy8WvojCQ pic.twitter.com/lzJtiKC4o7
— Multifarious B (@musicmusing22) August 5, 2024

The Taking Of Jake Livingston – Ryan Douglass

“I see dead people” should be Jake’s mantra as he does exactly that — sees dead people. Jake, already suffering under the weight of racist teachers at St. Clair Prep, has to deal with the demands of the dead. The ghost of Sawyer Doon becomes a problem when he asks for more than Jake is willing to give.

https://twitter.com/bookswitharri/status/1601252116546617345?s=46

Jackal – Erin E. Adams

Liz Rocher is returning to Johnstown, Pennsylvania, for her best friend’s wedding. The town is marred by uncomfortable memories for Liz, but she soldiers on for the love of her bestie. While visiting, a young Black girl goes missing. Understanding the racial dynamics of the town, Liz begins to fight a “darkness” and feels responsible for helping find Caroline.

https://twitter.com/iameeadams/status/1577307908294991872?s=46

One Of Our Kind – Nicola Yoon

Liberty, California, is a city built on Black excellence. Jasmyn and King Williams want to be part of the experience. Hoping for a city built on service and a collective dedication to the Black community, Jasmyn and King find the opposite. They also discover a secret that puts their lives in danger.

by Sharelle B. McNair

October 31, 2024

LinkedIn Launches Its First A.I. Tool To Help Recruiters Match With Top Job Candidates

Do you think AI has a better hand in recruiting?

LinkedIn recently launched a new AI tool for taxing tasks that recruiters loathe, Tech Crunch reports.

The Hiring Assistant is designed to assist with recruitment tasks such as turning scrap notes into more detailed job descriptions that source candidates and begin conversations with them. The tool is live for certain customers like large enterprises such as AMD, Canva, Siemens, and Zurich Insurance, while the mass rollout will occur between the end of 2024 and 2025.

The social platform, used to connect professionals, develop skills, and apply for jobs, labeled Hiring Assistant a “milestone” in its work with AI — calling it the first “AI agent” — on top of targeting the Microsoft-owned company’s top consumer — recruiters. “It’s designed to take on a recruiter’s most repetitive task so they can spend more time on the most impactful part of their jobs,” Hari Srinivasan, LinkedIn’s VP of Product, said.

LinkedIn has leaned on Microsoft’s partnership with OpenAI, creating effective client tools like learning coaches, marketing campaign assistants, candidate sorters, profile refreshers, and writing and job-hunting helpers.

It also makes work easier for recruiters. With the ability to upload fuller job descriptions, the Hiring Assistant sends a full list of desired qualifications, resulting in a pipeline of candidates from algorithms to search for distinctive skills over tedious indicators like location and education. “It’s telling you this person might be a top fit,” Srinivasan said, according to Fast Company.

“This person might be a fit.”

Testing shows that AI is working well for LinkedIn. Hiring employers who use AI-assisted messages receive a 44% higher acceptance rate, and their outreach messages are accepted 11% faster than those who don’t use the tool to draft messages. Assisted search sessions also see higher message acceptance rates, at 18% over manual ones.

Srinivasan says the AI technology helps employers focus more on working with promising candidates in hopes that they will turn into new hires, but “they’re spending more of their time on the much more repetitive and tedious tasks.” LinkedIn’s head of career products, Rohan Rajiv, shares similar thoughts. “Quantity actually wastes everybody’s time,” Rajiv said.

“Job seekers send hundreds of applicant applications to jobs where they are underfit and won’t hear back, and in doing so, hirers actually struggle to get back to qualified candidates.”

Hiring Assistant is the key to LinkedIn’s overall push to heighten the quality of business-to-candidate matching in an era where online job searching can incentivize job seekers and recruiters to curate the right fit.

by Daniel Johnson

October 31, 2024

Husband-And-Wife Team From Philadelphia Launch Organization Combatting Gun Violence

The group's message is resonating in Philadelphia, where although there has been a significant reduction in gun violence from 2023, it remains a focal point of city officials

Husband-and-wife team Jarel and Karise Crew, both Black residents of Philadelphia, established the Philadelphia chapter of That Gun Talk in August 2021. According to its website, That Gun Talk is a national organization dedicated to addressing the need for victims of gun violence to receive training in responsible gun ownership and de-escalation tools in the group’s pursuit of a reduction of gun violence.

According to NBC News, the group’s message is resonating in Philadelphia, where, although there has been a significant reduction in gun violence from 2023, it remains a focal point for city officials.

As of Oct.1, there have been 841 shootings in Philadelphia in 2024, with half of those victims under the age of 30 and 80% of those gun violence victims were Black.

Among those who have responded positively to the group’s message after experiencing gun violence is 22-year-old Isaiah Stanton.

Following the death of his 26-year-old brother, Ronald Wimberly, in 2023, whose murder is currently unsolved and has resulted in no arrests, Stanton purchased a gun after completing his application for a gun license while he and his mother grieved their loss.

According to Stanton, the gun was purchased “just for my safety. Not only for me but also for my family — you know, going about it in the right way, getting a license,” Stanton told NBC News. “And also actually exercising my Second Amendment right.”

In August, Stanton attended a workshop hosted by the Crews and That Gun Talk on a range approximately 90 miles outside of Philadelphia.

Participants were educated on using gun locks and safes, safety gear, and de-escalation techniques at the workshop.

According to Karise Crew, the group wants to avoid pathologizing victims of gun violence, and she argued that they need to be cared for.

“We can say it’s gun violence, but we’re missing the point, and we’re not having conversations, and we’re not loving them, and we’re not being there for them the way we should be as a humanity, as people,” Karise told NBC News.

Her husband, Jarel, told the outlet that proper gun education is important but noted that it will not necessarily end gun violence completely.

“I believe that we can make a difference, and we can make a change in the community by being educated, Jarel said before continuing: “Criminals will always have access to firearms. If you get rid of your firearm, then God forbid, if you had to defend your life or your family, how would you be able to do that?”

According to WHYY, another Philadelphia organization, the Uplift Center for Grieving Children, received $50,000 from Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner and the Philadelphia Foundation for its work assisting grieving victims of gun violence.

In addition to that group, 31 other groups are scheduled to receive microgrants to continue addressing the root causes of Philadelphia’s gun violence.

According to a statement from Krasner in a press release announcing the grants, “While we continue to see a truly historic decline in gun violence nationally and in Philadelphia, we can’t let our foot off of the gas,” Krasner said. “That’s why my administration is thrilled to continue helping community-based groups that have contributed largely to this drop in violence. Through ongoing violence prevention and modern law enforcement efforts, we will curb violent crime even more.”

According to Keri Salerno, the executive director of Uplift Center for Grieving Children, the money allows her organization to continue offering free services.

“The ability to process those emotions is incredibly difficult,” Salerno told WHYY. “Especially if you’re in some of our more challenged communities.”

Salerno continued, “It’s grants like the ones we just got from the district attorney’s office that help make these services free. The more dollars, the more grief groups that we can host. It’s a sign that people are understanding that grief work and mental health work is violence prevention, and that is very important.”

by Kandiss Edwards

October 31, 2024

Study: Some Households Making $150K+ Are Living Paycheck-To-Paycheck

More money, same problems.

Millions of Americans above the poverty line are living paycheck to paycheck, according to a study released by the Bank of America Institute, which states that some households with an income of $150,000 or more are barely making ends meet.

Paycheck to paycheck is defined by the report as households that dedicate 95% of its income to household expenses.

“More than a quarter of Americans, 26%, have necessary expenses that chew up more than 95% of their take-home pay, and nearly a third, 30%, of households, spend upwards of 90% of their income on critical bills like groceries, housing, utilities, gas, insurance, and child care,” Fox Business reported.

According to the study, every income bracket featured at least 20 percent of households struggling to get by.

Groceries

BLACK ENTERPRISE believes strongly that “health is wealth.” For that reason, being able to attain healthy food is essential to living a productive life. Unfortunately, the rise in inflation over the past couple of years has played a part in the rise in grocery spending. Post-pandemic inflation has risen causing the price of everyday goods to skyrocket by up to 20%.

The inflation on goods means that more and more families are having to sacrifice pricier items, like organic fruits and vegetables, in favor of less expensive options.

Housing

The housing market has seen a similar rise in prices as the landscape has quickly shifted into a seller’s market. Zillow cites the average home in the United States at upwards of $350,000. This median is an increase of about 2.7% from the previous year while for many Americans as wages have been relatively stagnant.

Child Care

The study defines childcare as daycare expenses and the costs of private schooling. The KPMG Parental Work Distribution Index released a report on the financial repercussions associated with childcare. Not only does the average American spend $11,000 a year on suitable childcare but they also lose wages if affordable and suitable childcare is unavailable.

“Between 1.2 and 1.5 million American workers—90% of whom are mothers—are missing work or cutting their hours every month due to limited, often unaffordable childcare options,” according to the report.

As 2024 is an election year, many of these issues are being talked about on a national stage daily. Presidential candidate Kamala Harris has offered up multiple plans to help Americans deal with these issues, including a $6,000 tax credit for the families of infants to help offset the rising costs of parenthood.

Harris has also vowed to “crack down on unfair mergers” that allow corporations to monopolize the price of goods.