homebuying, Ohio, Georgia dream, homeownership, the credit bros

by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman

September 18, 2024

Gen-Z And Millennials Venture Into ‘Co-Homeownership’ To Ease Costs

The latest generation of adults have leaned into co-homeownership as a way to break into the housing market.

As the housing market becomes more expensive, aspiring Gen-Z and millennial homeowners are finding new ways to reduce their costs.

The latest generation of adults have embraced co-homeownership as a way to break into the housing market. CBS News spoke to some first-time homebuyers about what led to their decision to embark on the journey with friends or family.

“We bought our first property at 26,” shared Kwame Nkrumah, a person under 30 who bought a home with his friend Gilbert Nyantakyi in New York City.

“Very big risk that we took, but it felt good doing it with a partner. We mitigated a lot of risk.”

Nyantakyi added, “I would not be a homeowner in 2024 had we not co-bought.”

Given high interest rates and inflation, the housing market has not progressed much since reaching a record low of 63.1% in 2020. According to Bankrate, this rate for younger adults under 35 has also declined. Only 39% of those in that age group currently own a home.

White people remain at the helm of homeownership, with a rate of 74%. On the other hand, only 45.7% of Black people also hold this status. However, as the shift toward untraditional homeownership grows, so does the possibility to take part.

A new survey obtained by CBS also revealed that around 15% of homeowners split the purchase with a non-romantic partner. With this in mind, other companies have followed suit to streamline the process. Real estate startup Nestment seeks to be the go-to platform for potential co-homeowners.

Since its launch in 2021, they have assisted in drafting agreements for all parties involved. The company ensures the homes and each individual’s interest in the property remain protected.

“For the past 50 years, property prices have way outpaced wage growth, and that’s created an incredibly large gap,” shared Nestment’s Founder Niles Lichtenstein.

Individuals continue to work around higher prices and pursue their co-homeownership dreams, forming a new and attainable housing landscape for all.

by Mitti Hicks

September 18, 2024

Black Women Are More Likely To Die Of Breast Cancer Even If When Treatable, Here’s Why

Previous studies found that Black women are 40% more likely to die from breast cancer

Black women have a higher risk of dying from breast cancer than white women no matter what stage, even if it’s treatable, new research finds.

The study, published by the Journal of Clinical Oncology, found the increased survival risk for Black women ranges between 17% to 50%, depending on the type of breast cancer.

Researchers examined data from 18 studies published between 2009 and 2022, analyzing 228,885 breast cancer cases. According to the research, 34,262 of the women identified as Black.

“These findings underscore a stark reality in our healthcare system: Black women are facing higher risks of death from breast cancer compared to their white counterparts across all types of the disease. This disparity isn’t just about biology,” said co-author Paulette Chandler in a news release. Chandler is the associate epidemiologist in the Division of Preventive Medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital.

Previous studies found that Black women are 40% more likely to die from breast cancer than white women, and up until now, researchers weren’t sure if the disparity existed across all types of cancer, UPI reports.

The publication notes that researchers found the disparity is partially attributed to systematic racism, such as social and economic inequality, delays in diagnosis, and inadequate access to timely cancer treatment.

“Our findings demonstrate that multiple, interacting factors contribute to disparities in breast cancer survival between Black and white women,” said Senior Researcher Erica Warner, a cancer epidemiologist at Massachusetts General Hospital, in a hospital news release.

“To achieve equity, intervention is necessary at multiple levels — from community to healthcare systems and individual healthcare providers, to patients themselves learning about their disease and what their expectations should be for their care.”

A recent study published in JAMA Network Open suggests that Black women should begin screening for breast cancer at an earlier age than other racial and ethnic groups. While the age for most women is around 50, Black women should get screened at 42 and, in some cases, earlier if there are other risk factors such as personal history of diabetes or family history.

by Ida Harris

September 18, 2024

I Gave Zoë Kravitz Her Flowers For ‘Blink Twice,’ Because She Deserved Them

Do not expect this movie to be mindful, demure, or cutesy.

Zoë Kravitz did her big one on the film Blink Twice. The psychological thriller is a directorial first for the multi-talented daughter of Lenny Kravitz and Lilakoi Moon (formerly Lisa Bonet) and is not for the faint at heart, particularly as it relates to women navigating a depraved world. Do not expect this movie to be mindful, demure, or cutesy. It is very much the antithesis. It is very arresting, very uncanny, very disturbing.

Kravitz delivers a mindfuck that is urgent and a sign of the times. She invites viewers on an intoxicating journey that will sober TF outta folks by the time the movie ends—after clutching our pearls, gasping, wincing, and squirming in our seats for one hour and 42 minutes. Those who might take stranger danger and women’s issues not-so seriously might exit this cautionary tale as believers.

“I wanted to see a story that explored what might happen if women stop playing by the rules,” Kravitz shared in production notes.

“What if Eve WOKE UP and realized—the Garden of Eden is uh, kinda bullshit. And wait, actually, this place suuuucks. And wait, Adam, you also kinda suck?”

I caught up with Zoë Kravitz to discuss this concept and the origins of Blink Twice, directing for the first time, and to give her a few well-deserved flowers.

The Dope actress explores the risk in throwing caution to the wind and highlights trust as liability for women. Kravitz forces the audience to examine the ways desire and vulnerability act as a gateway for women to be preyed upon and pairs such serial moments with a killer soundtrack. The integration of 1970s banger “Young Hearts Run Free” by Candi Stanton is indeed a nod to the Age of Aquarius or rather the throwback nature of the film (think love, drugs, and hippies). The use of each song heightens each instance or hints at plot shifts toward something ominous. For example, when Rufus and Chaka Khan’s “Ain’t Nobody” drops, the women characters band together like the Sirens in Greek mythology to distract the male predators and subsequently go to war with them to save their lives. In the midst of their battle to stay alive, “I’m That Girl” by Beyoncé plays in the background. By the way, the Black girl does not get killed off in the beginning. She survives.

While there won’t be much ado on spoilers, I’d be remiss to not mention how Kravitz toys with memory and rememory at the intersection of trauma, forgiving, and forgetting. “Forgetting is a gift” is a line and resounding theme that is intricately woven into the fabric of the film that she masterfully flips on its head. Kravitz plants questions that remain with audiences well beyond the movie’s conclusion. Moviegoers will definitely trouble themselves with how society negotiates depravity, harm, restorative justice.

Blink Twice is a trigger. It is beautiful, brazen, and necessary.

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

September 18, 2024

Natasha Rothwell Is Enjoying Her Season Amid Launch Of First Show And Reesa Teesa Project

It's Natasha Rothwell's season and "no one is more excited than me," she tells Black Enterprise.

Natasha Rothwell is relishing over the premiere of her new Hulu show How To Die Alone, coming at the same time her TV adaption of TikToker Reesa Teesa’s Who TF Did I Marry was announced.

The actress/producer/screenwriter’s new show has been seven years in the making, and “no one is more excited than me,” she tells Black Enterprise. Having starred in shows like Issa Rae’s Insecure and films like Wonka and written for shows like Saturday Night Live, Rothwell’s new show sees her take the lead in a role she created with her own pen and paper.

Created by Rothwell, How to Die Alone follows Mel (Rothwell), a broke, plus-size, Black woman who operates accessibility vehicles at JFK Airport, who has never experienced love and has lost touch with her dreams. After a near-death experience, she embarks on a journey to finally take flight and live life on her own terms.

Rothwell was intentional when writing the show’s plot line and crafting the lead character she wanted audiences to relate to and find the motivation to love on themselves more.

“She’s someone who stopped dreaming. She’s someone who has settled for OK and doesn’t feel worthy of more than enough,” Rothwell explained. “And so it’s a really exciting role to be playing because I get to paint with a lot of really cool colors of emotion. I get to really play with subverting expectations, and I think audiences are really going to connect to her and find her to be someone they want to root for.”

“And I hope that in rooting for her, they root for themselves to start living and not wait,” she adds.

It’s a full-circle moment for Rothwell, who rose to fame playing Kelli Prenny on Issa Rae’s Insecure and saw firsthand what magic can happen when a Black woman takes the lead in creating her own story onscreen and doesn’t wait on someone of power to do it for her.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Natasha Rothwell (@natasharothwell)

“I feel so lucky to have had a front-row seat to her experience,” Rothwell says of working with Issa. “And I think one of the biggest things I took away is that she didn’t see herself reflected in the way that she wanted, so she picked up a pen and created a show.”

Likening it to a “galvanizing” experience, Rothwell sees her time on Insecure as a catalyst that motivated her to remain tunnel-visioned and create a story where she and others like her felt represented.

“I think for me, plus-size Black women aren’t in the narrative nearly enough,” Rothwell states.

“And I think it was just exciting to be able to pick up a pen and change the story and allow us to have our neuroses and our searching and our finding. And none of it is being anchored on our size, or our color, or our gender.”

“We’re allowed to have stories and our gender and our color and our size are just facts. We don’t have to waste page real estate to justify our otherness,” she adds.

Joining Rothwell on the cast and crew are her fellow executive producer and co-showrunner Vera Santamaria and show stars KeiLyn Durrell Jones, who plays Terrance, and Jocko Sims, who plays Alex. While speaking with Black Enterprise, they all praised Rothwell’s storytelling ability and the vibe she created on the set.

Press play above for the full interviews, and be sure to check out How to Die Alone on Hulu.

Kamala Harris, Donald Trump, Debate, donations

by Sharelle B. McNair

September 18, 2024

Vice President Kamala Harris Has A 6-Point Lead Over Donald Trump Following Debate

Prior to the debate, the VP and Trump were almost tied.

Vice President Kamala Harris is leading the way to the White House by six points in the polls following her debate performance against GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump, Axios reports.

The poll, conducted by Morning Consult pollsters, shows Harris’ support at 51% compared to Trump’s 45% — a “new record” for the Democratic presidential nominee. Political analyst Eli Yokley says the majority of voters, including Republicans, believe Harris won the debate. “A majority of likely voters — including 1 in 5 Republicans — believe Harris won the debate, and performance appears to be crystalizing her national lead over the former president,” Yokley said.

Results also reveal which demographic her record-high support comes from.

“Her 51% of support among likely voters, which is also at a record high, is driven largely by her best figures to date among Democrats, Biden 2020 voters, liberals, women, 18- to 34-year-olds and millennials,” the poll read.

A scale ranking from one to 10 was used to identify the likely voters—those who voted “one” identified as definitely not voting in the November 2024 presidential election. A “10” meant they definitely will.

Only respondents who voted an “8” or higher were labeled likely voters.

According to the Economic Times, this is a huge win for Harris. Prior to the debate, the VP and Trump were almost tied. In August 2024, polls from Yahoo News/YouGov showed that she had a narrow lead of 47% to 46%. Other surveys show that she is doing much better than President Joe Biden when he was the Democratic presidential nominee. Harris has secured 95% of the Democratic vote compared to Biden’s 90% in previous polls.

Looking at 2020 and Biden’s support, the vice president has garnered 92%, a boost from 80%.

The debate was a key development for Harris. For voters who watched the Sept. 10 debate, 94% of Democrats felt Harris performed better, 40 points more than the Republicans who supported Trump, at 57%. Supporters saw Harris as being more “presidential”— 51% to 35% compared to the Republican nominee—and more “coherent” in her demeanor during the debate.

Viewers saw Trump as being “insulting” and “untruthful.”

Another factor that pushed Harris to the top was a surprising endorsement just minutes after the debate ended. In a touching post on Instagram, country and pop megastar Taylor Swift pushed for voter registration and shared her support of Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz. Following her post, which was viewed by her 284 million followers, Swift linked her IG story to Vote.gov, resulting in 338,000 visits in 15 hours to the federal voter registration site.

RELATED CONTENT: 4 Key Takeaways From First Harris-Trump Debate

by Mitti Hicks

September 18, 2024

111 Republican Leaders Endorse Harris For President In Letter To The Public

The letter states Republicans believe former President Trump is a “danger to our country.”

Vice President Kamala Harris is getting support from an unlikely group of voters. In a letter issued to the public, more than 100 Republican leaders have endorsed Harris for president, stating their party’s nominee, Donald Trump, “does not” have the essential qualities to serve as president.

The letter states that while the Republicans may disagree with “Kamala Harris on many domestic and foreign policy issues,” they believe former President Trump is a “danger to our country.”

“We firmly oppose the election of Donald Trump,” the joint letter states. “As President, he promoted daily chaos. In government, we praised our enemies and undermined our allies, politicized the military and disparaged our veterans, prioritized his personal interest above American interests, and betrayed our values, democracy, and this country’s founding documents.”

The letter is signed by 111 Republicans who have served in Congress or as former national security officials from Republican administrators. The endorsement also comes days after former Vice President Dick Cheney and his daughter, former Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming, said they would vote for Harris. As the New York Times points out, there are several Republicans who signed the letter endorsing Harris who did not sign the letter to endorse President Joe Biden in 2020, including former House members Charles W. Boustany Jr. of Louisiana, Barbara Comstock of Virginia, Dan Miller of Florida, and Bill Paxon of New York.

On Aug. 13, 2024, at an online, virtual rally called “Republicans for Harris,” former elected GOP officials and current party leaders made a case for Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.

“When you see the data, and you see the awful things I’ve seen — you see the command-and-control infrastructure of Jan. 6th — there’s no way as a Republican that I could vote for anybody who’s anti-Constitution,” said former Rep. Denver Riggleman, who was once a member of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, in the meeting where more than 70,000 people reportedly joined.

In the latest letter addressed to the public, Republicans state:

“In short, Donald Trump cannot be trusted ‘to support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic … and bear true faith and allegiance to the same.’ We believe that Kamala Harris can, and we urge other Americans to join us in supporting her.”

Brittany Griner, jersey, Baylor University, Russian, penal colony, coming home, Russia

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

September 18, 2024

Brittney Griner And Rickea Jackson Ejected After Altercation During WNBA Game

Both players were thrown out with 18.1 seconds left in the first half of the Mercury-Sparks contest

A disagreement on the basketball court led to the ejection of Phoenix Mercury center Brittney Griner after getting into a tussle with Los Angeles Sparks forward Rickea Jackson, who was also thrown out of the contest between the WNBA teams.

According to the New York Post, the two combatants got tangled up during a play seconds before halftime when the two basketball players were standing while Griner’s teammate, Celeste Taylor, was shooting at the free throw line. There were 18.1 seconds left in the second quarter when it appeared that Griner threw an elbow to the face of Jackson, who is playing her first year in the league.

After Taylor made the free throw, the players were having words with each other. Griner raised her arm, and Jackson pushed Griner’s arm away. Griner took a fighting stance while Jackson raised her fists defensively as teammates and other people on the court tried to break up the two women. A security guard approached Griner, and a referee pulled Jackson away from her adversary.

No punches were landed, but both players were given double technicals, which led to automatic ejections for Griner and Jackson.

Brittney Griner and Rickea Jackson 👀👀 pic.twitter.com/YxUdsNEKYE

— Tyler DeLuca (@TylerDeLuca) September 18, 2024

Griner led her team with 14 points and three rebounds before the skirmish, while Jackson had already scored eight points. The Mercury were losing to the Sparks as they took a 44-36 lead at halftime. Griner’s team fended off the Sparks with an 85-81 win.

The incident took place as the WNBA season winds down.

The next game for the seventh-seeded Mercury (19-20) will be against the fifth-seeded Storm (24-15) when the two teams meet in Phoenix on Sept. 19. That signifies the last regular season game for both teams. The Sparks, who will miss the playoffs with a 7-32 record, will play their last game against the Minnesota Lynx (30-9) at their home court.

The Mercury is scheduled to play the Lynx in the first round on Sept. 22.

by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman

September 18, 2024

Customer Claims Tires Plus Charged Hefty Car Repair Bill She Didn’t Approve

The woman maintains that the repairs took place without her permission.

A woman in Dekalb County, Georgia, speaks out against charges she received from allegedly unapproved car repairs.

On Aug. 14, Lenora Kareem took her Jeep to a Tires Plus in Metro Atlanta for an oil change. A long-time customer, Kareem held a credit card with the establishment. While there, a mechanic informed her that she would need some repairs, including on her front tire. Given the expensive quote, Kareem decided to pass on getting the tire fixed.

“I said, ‘I can’t afford that. That’s way too much for an oil change or whatever you need to replace,’” explained Kareem to WSB-TV.

However, she found the repairs made despite her objections when she picked up her car days later. In turn, the bill increased from the expected $79 to $2,500. The expense exceeded her store credit card limit, which goes up to $1,400.

Kareem maintains that the repairs took place without her permission, but faced threats from management for inquiring about the cost. To her shock, she claims the supervisor threatened to put the rest of the balance on another friend’s card, who just opened an account that day.

She expressed, “My account, it’s my account. It had nothing to do with her.”

While the business reduced the bill to fit her card limit, Kareem remains liable for the services rendered. According to consumer advisor Clark Howard, Georgia law typically favors the mechanic.

“If there is no paperwork and a mechanic does the work, you are liable for the work they did and their work against your word because the burden of proof falls on the consumer because work was done to your car,” explained Howard to the publication.

Howard suggests getting a detailed service ticket to protect oneself from receiving a costly bill. Moreover, car owners can state that a bill cannot exceed a certain limit if necessary, as well.

The Tires Plus location released a statement about the situation to WSB-TV.

“We are aware of this matter and have worked actively to resolve this complaint since originally servicing the vehicle last month,” the company wrote.

“As part of our dedication to customer satisfaction, we remain committed to reaching a mutually satisfactory resolution.”

by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman

September 18, 2024

Atlanta City Council Declares ‘Rich Homie Quan Memorial Day’ As Rapper Is Laid To Rest

Born Dequantes Devontay Lamar, Rich Homie Quan emerged from Atlanta's underground rap scene to produce hits such as "Type of Way" and "Lifestyle."

The Atlanta City Council has declared Sept. 17 as Rich Homie Quan Memorial Day. The announcement came on the same day as the late rapper’s funeral service.

The 34-year-old died unexpectedly at his home on Sept. 5, sending shockwaves through the Atlanta and overarching hip-hop community. As thousands attended and watched the hip-hop artist’s memorial service, his hometown set to honor his life and legacy for years to come. Rolling Stone confirmed the news of the official declaration.

Born Dequantes Devontay Lamar, Rich Homie Quan emerged from Atlanta’s underground rap scene to produce hits such as “Type of Way” and “Lifestyle.” He was also a frequent collaborator with fellow Atlanta rapper Young Thug.

With his family and other loved ones in tow, the rapper’s memorial took place at World Changers Church International in College Park, a suburb of Metro Atlanta. Killer Mike also spoke at the service, subtly referring to claims that Quan died of a drug overdose. An X user reposted footage of the artist’s speech.

Killer Mike speaks at Rich Homie Quan’s funeral in Georgia pic.twitter.com/ou6rg6LI82
— Tony M. Centeno (@_tonyMC) September 17, 2024

“Our writing comes from the experiences around us so believe me, that smile that he had carried the weight that you have,” Mike said, as reported by XXL.

“The smile that he walked around with sometimes masked a shattering, hurt thing, and he still gave audiences joy and love and laughter. So I wanna say to us, forgive yourself for your own addictions.”

Media personality D.C. Young Fly also shared words, calling his long-time friend an “icon” and “legend” whose work uplifted Atlanta’s music scene.

“Y’all gave us an icon, y’all gave us a legend,” Young Fly said to Quan’s family. “We’re all on borrowed time. So the things that he accomplished while he was here we wanna let you know that we’re gonna continue on his legacy, and even through the small amount of time it made a big impact.”

The cause of the rapper’s death remain unknown.

RELATED CONTENT: Takeoff’s Brother, YRN Lingo Posts Heartfelt Tribute to Slain Recording Artist

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

September 18, 2024

Damon Dash Asserts Drake Was Interested In Purchasing Roc-A-Fella Share

'Drake hollered at me through DM and made an offer.'

Allegedly, Drake offered to purchase Damon Dash’s share in Roc-A-Fella Records, the company he built and co-founded with Kareem “Biggs” Burke and Jay-Z, according to the Harlem businessman.

Dash, who has been heavily promoting his latest venture, America Nu Network, made the claim in a recent video clip on the network.

“You know Drake hollered at me through DM and made an offer,” Dash stated in the video.

“I’m not quite sure what happened, but I thought that he had got with Jay or something. But I don’t know. It would be a good time to close.”

Dash continued: “But if you got it. I wouldn’t do it if you didn’t get it. But you know if you want to own Reasonable Doubt. If you want to own a third of it, you have to say that at the board meetings for at least the next seven years and make money off of it.”

Biggs and Jay-Z are not in favor of the court’s decision to auction Dash’s 33.3% stake in the label to satisfy a debt owed by the Harlem businessman. An auction was originally scheduled for Aug. 29 in New York City but was pushed back until Sept. 21 for the one-third stake Dash has in the label, which includes the master recording of Jay-Z’s debut album, Reasonable Doubt. The judge ordered the sale of Dash’s stake due to non-payment of a $823,000 judgment due to movie producer Josh Webber.

A judge made the order after Dash made zero payments toward the judgment against him from the Webber lawsuit. Webber won a defamation and copyright infringement lawsuit after suing Dash for a dispute over the 2016 film Dear Frank. Jay-Z and Biggs objected to the ruling, citing the company bylaws that mandate approval from the board of directors to sell off shares. U.S. Magistrate Robert W. Lehrburger sidestepped their plea and stated that Dash’s one-third ownership share is personal property that could be seized to satisfy the judgment against him.