Woman Brutally Assaults 13-Year-Old Girl At California McDonald’s
by Mary Spiller

September 23, 2023

Woman Brutally Assaults 13-Year-Old Girl At California McDonald’s

Family members and the Southern California community have gathered around a 13-year-old girl who was violently beaten by an adult woman inside a Southern California McDonald’s Sept. 6, an incident that was  captured on video. 

According to reports, Kassidy Jones and her friends stopped at McDonald’s while returning from school. Jones parted from her friends to go to the bathroom, and as she walked out, a woman began staring at her. Jones recalled the woman seeming extremely upset for no apparent reason and saying, “What the f**k are y’all looking at? I fight kids. I fight you.”

The woman then suddenly lunged at Jones and began attacking her unprovoked. The grown woman, whom police are looking to identify, began pulling Jones’ hair and hitting her repeatedly. She forced the young girl to the ground and continued attacking her. Bystanders in the restaurant watched without doing anything until one man eventually jumped in to pull the assailant off. 

Jones’ mother, Angelina Gray, told ABC 7 that her daughter continues to suffer after the fight. 

“My daughter is hurting emotionally. She can’t sleep at night. She’s bruised…She doesn’t want to go to school because she’s tired of the kids and everybody asking her what happened and making fun of her,” she said. “It wasn’t a fight, it was a beating.”

Community members, including Gray, have called for the woman seen on video to turn herself in.

Additionally, the mother is asking for the McDonald’s managers to be charged for not stopping the beating on its premises.

Los Angeles police haven’t confirmed if any employees will be charged, but there is an ongoing investigation into the woman seen on video. She will be charged with child abuse and battery once she is apprehended. 

Young girls being assaulted by grown adults isn’t unique to Southern California.

In a Lawndale Chicago neighborhood, an 11-year-old girl was physically assaulted and verbally berated by two women. While the women were hosting a Mexican Independence Day celebration Sept.17, they noticed the young Black girl and began throwing racial slurs toward her. Trinity Washington was hit with bottles, punched, and verbally abused by the two adult women.

The injuries were so extensive that Washington required surgery for her right eye and orbital bones. The incident is currently being investigated. 

RELATED CONTENT: Alabama Mom Accused of Boarding School Bus, Beating Up 11-Year-Old Who ‘Bullied’ Her Child

beyonce, megan thee stallion,, festial
by Mary Spiller

September 23, 2023

Megan Thee Stallion Opts For Beyoncé Collab Over Global Citizen Festival Performance

Megan Thee Stallion was to perform at this weekend’s New York City Global Citizen Festival in Central Park but pulled out at the last minute, sources told Page Six. Allegedly, Megan will be heading to Texas instead of attending the September 23 and 24 performances to perform a song with Beyoncé at the Houston stop of her Renaissance tour.

The news that Megan wouldn’t be performing initially came from the festival. Global Citizen took to Twitter/X and wrote vaguely, “Hi there — due to an unforeseen scheduling conflict, Megan Thee Stallion will no longer be available to perform at the 2023 Global Citizen Festival.”

Page Six sources have learned that the scheduling conflict is reportedly an offer from Beyoncé. Both artists are from Texas, and the 28-year-old rapper was apparently offered a spot to perform “Savage” with Beyoncé for her Houston two-day tour leg at the NRG Stadium. However, another source explained that it wasn’t intentional and that it was “an inadvertent duplicate scheduling mistake by her team.” 

The Global Citizen Festival is an annual music festival started in 2012 and organized by Global Poverty Project. The group is dedicated to ending extreme poverty by organizing change and driving toward equality-centered sustainability with an emphasis on humanitarian needs. Their website says they’ve “taken over 33.5 million actions since 2009.” Through consistent advocacy work in events like this weekend’s festival, Global Citizens “have led to over $43.6 billion being distributed to our partners around the world, impacting 1.29 billion lives in the fight to end extreme poverty.”

After Megan Thee Stallion dropped, the biggest headliners who remained for NYC’s event are Lauryn Hill, Red Hot Chili Peppers, D-Nice, and South Korean pop artists Stray Kids and Jungkook.

The 11th iteration of the festival is supporting the Global Citizen’s goal by making attendees “earn their tickets by taking action on global problems.”

The event will be streamed on major social media platforms such as YouTube, Instagram, Amazon, Apple, and even TikTok.

RELATED CONTENT: Megan Thee Stallion Launches Fake University To Raise Funds For Texas Southern Students

Roc Nation, jay-Z, Book Of Hot
by BLACK ENTERPRISE Editors

September 23, 2023

Fat Joe And Gayle King Among Featured Guests At Jay-Z’s United Justice Coalition Summit

Jay-Z and Roc Nation have announced more details, including featured guests, for the second annual United Justice Coalition (UJC) summit. Fat Joe and Gayle King are among the newly confirmed guests for the event taking place on Dec. 1at the Javits Center in New York City.

The UJC summit is a yearly free event that gathers industry leaders, activists, and experts in their field are encouraged to connect and showcase their ideas on criminal justice advocacy. Speakers will further engage with guests on how to broaden the approach to challenges that thwart the progress, and how to better in civic engagement to promote beneficial policy change.

Team Roc, Roc Nation’s philanthropic and social justice initiative, shared a promotional video for the upcoming summit to its Instagram.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Team Roc (@teamroc)

Political commentator Angela Rye, professor Dr. Michael Eric Dyson, as well as broadcast journalist Soledad O’Brien will also be on hand to share their insight to audiences. Not only will visitors be able to hear directly from these impactful trailblazers, but they can also participate in networking sessions, town halls, and on-site stations for legal information throughout the summit.

This year, the UJC Summit will include a retail area and an art gallery that will leverage art, short films and books by speakers as a form of storytelling and activism. There will also be an organization exhibition area that will highlight over 60 national and local non-profit organizations and showcase their mission, programs, resources and calls-to-action with all attendees.

“The UJC is committed to creating an experience where individuals from all backgrounds can come together to take action around key justice issues and reforms in our country,” said UJC founder Dania Diaz, who is also managing director at Roc Nation in a statement. “Together, we want to exchange resources and ideas to support advocacy efforts and help tackle the challenges affecting communities across America.”

The transformative event is open for registration now as it activates for change on a national scale.

RELATED CONTENT: Jay-Z’s Team Roc Pens Open Letter to Department of Justice to Investigate Kansas City Police Department

Disabled Man Gets Flewed Out Beyoncé After He’s Denied A Flight For Oversized Wheelchair
by Mary Spiller

September 23, 2023

Disabled Man Gets Flewed Out Beyoncé After He’s Denied A Flight For Oversized Wheelchair

Longtime Beyoncé fan Jon Hetherington was set to fly out to Seattle, Washington, on September 14 to catch her Renaissance Tour performance. However, he was denied access to the flight because his wheelchair was reportedly too tall. After posting a video on TikTok about not being able to board the plane, Beyoncé took notice, flew Hetherington out, and gave him in a front-row seat at her next stop in Dallas. 

In the now viral TikTok, Hetherington, who has cerebral palsy and uses a wheelchair to get around, explained his situation. He began, “Well, I guess I’m not going to Seattle, and I’m not seeing Beyoncé.” 

“Got to the airport…and they tell me that my chair is apparently four inches too tall to be loaded onto the plane, so they checked every possible flight with every airline, and nothing was available. So after 25 years of waiting, I’m not seeing Beyoncé tonight…ableism strikes again,” he said.

According to Hetherington, airline employees told him the chair wouldn’t fit due to the plane’s cargo capacity, and they were unable to collapse it down to size. Airline workers gave him a complaint resolution form and turned him away. 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Jon Hetherington (@liberatedbygaga)

In an interview with NPR, Hetherington said that just two weeks earlier, he had successfully taken a flight to Seattle to see another concert with no issue from the airline. 

He continued to open up about being turned away.

“I went outside, and I was just pissed. I was demoralized at that point. This is not about a concert,” he told NPR. “This is not about one artist. This is not about one airline. This is about systemic issues of ableism that are happening every day. Disabled people are dealing with this in society, in general, and our society has been built to exclude disabled people. That’s what’s important.”

Hetherington never expected his TikTok video to blow up like it did. He recalled having just over 20,000 followers on the platform and typically got a few hundred views on his videos. This most recent video has over 100,000 views. Hundreds of viewers flooded into the comments of his video and started tagging Beyoncé and her production company, Parkwood Entertainment. Soon after, one of Beyoncé’s representatives contacted Hetherington and got him flown out to see her in Dallas.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Jon Hetherington (@liberatedbygaga)

The 34-year-old Beyoncé super fan posted an Instagram photo with Queen Bey. He wrote a heartfelt message in the caption of his post.

“To the queen herself @beyonce, I will treasure those words you said and the hugs you gave,” he penned on Instagram. “I meant every word I said. No, for anyone and everyone reading this, I will not ever share with you what was said to me, don’t even try it. That moment is between the two of us.”

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Jon Hetherington (@liberatedbygaga)

Man Gets Flown Out By Beyoncé After Being Denied Flight For Oversized Wheelchair
by Mary Spiller

September 23, 2023

Man Gets Flown Out By Beyoncé After Being Denied Flight For Oversized Wheelchair

Longtime Beyoncé fan Jon Hetherington was set to fly out to Seattle on September 14 to catch her on the “Renaissance Tour.” However, he was denied access to the flight because his wheelchair was too tall.

After posting a video on TikTok about his ordeal, Beyoncé took notice, flew Hetherington out, and gave him in a front-row seat at her next stop in Dallas. 

In the now viral TikTok, Hetherington, who has cerebral palsy and uses a wheelchair, explained his situation.

“Well, I guess I’m not going to Seattle, and I’m not seeing Beyoncé,” he said. “Got to the airport…and they tell me that my chair is apparently four inches too tall to be loaded onto the plane, so they checked every possible flight with every airline, and nothing was available. So after 25 years of waiting, I’m not seeing Beyoncé tonight…ableism strikes again.”

According to Hetherington, airline employees told him the chair wouldn’t fit due to the plane’s cargo capacity, and they were unable to collapse it down to size. Airline workers gave him a complaint resolution form and turned him away. 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Jon Hetherington (@liberatedbygaga)

In an interview with NPR, Hetherington said that just two weeks earlier, he had successfully taken a flight to Seattle to see another concert without problems. 

“I went outside, and I was just pissed. I was demoralized at that point. This is not about a concert,” he told NPR. “This is not about one artist. This is not about one airline. This is about systemic issues of ableism that are happening every day. Disabled people are dealing with this in society, in general, and our society has been built to exclude disabled people. That’s what’s important.”

Hetherington never expected his TikTok video to blow up like it did. He recalled having just over 20,000 followers on the platform and typically got a few hundred views on his videos. This most recent video has over 100,000 views.

Hundreds of viewers flooded into the comments of his video and started tagging Beyoncé and her production company, Parkwood Entertainment. Soon, one of Beyoncé’s representatives contacted Hetherington and got him flown out to see her in Dallas.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Jon Hetherington (@liberatedbygaga)

The 34-year-old Beyoncé super fan posted an Instagram photo with Queen Bey. He wrote a heartfelt message in the caption of his post.

“To the queen herself @beyonce, I will treasure those words you said and the hugs you gave,” he penned on Instagram. “I meant every word I said. No, for anyone and everyone reading this, I will not ever share with you what was said to me, don’t even try it. That moment is between the two of us.”

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Jon Hetherington (@liberatedbygaga)

9 Deputies Charged In The Horrific Beating Death Of Black Man In Memphis Jail
by Sharelle Burt

September 23, 2023

9 Deputies Charged In The Horrific Beating Death Of Black Man In Memphis Jail

The family of Gershun Freeman is on the road to receiving justice.

Nine deputies in Memphis have been charged in Freeman’s death after being caught on jail surveillance videos, NBC News reports. The officers were seen punching, kicking, and kneeling on Freeman’s back while he was having a psychotic episode. Shelby County Sheriff Floyd Bonner announced the news during a press conference on Sept. 20 but didn’t offer the names of the county jail deputies or what charges they are facing.

The troubling video shows at least 10 officers beating Freeman while he ran naked from his cell on Oct. 5, 2022. Freeman only spent a few days in jail before his death, being booked on Oct.1, facing charges of attacking and kidnapping his girlfriend. Viewers of the video see the incident starting with two corrections officers serving meals to inmates in a narrow hallway. When Freeman’s cell opens, he runs out naked and appears to charge toward the officers. The officers then chase him to another jail floor, and failing to subdue him, Freeman reportedly swings at an officer.

They eventually restrained Freeman – using knee placement on the back of his neck as a tactic – and put handcuffs on him while he laid on his stomach. Shortly after, Freeman’s body appears to be unresponsive, CNN reports.

According to a medical examiner’s report, Bonner says the victim had “psychosis and cardiovascular disease and died of a heart attack while being restrained.” Freeman’s family attorneys allege he was also hit with handcuffs, rings with jail keys on them, and pepper spray canisters. While his death was ruled a homicide by the West Tennessee Regional Forensic Center, the report says that this “is not meant to definitively indicate criminal intent.”

The city of Memphis has been under a microscope since the brutal death of Tyre Nichols at the hands of five Black police officers. Bonner, who is running for mayor of Memphis, said he is “standing with the officers.” “I find this prosecution despicable,” Bonner said.

RELATED CONTENT: Police Killing of Double-Amputee Anthony Lowe Sparks Outrage From Family, Activists

strike, racist slures, brawl
by Daniel Johnson

September 23, 2023

Detroit Brawl After Man Yells Racist Slurs At Striking Auto Workers

During the second week of strikes at American automaker Stellantis, a brawl erupted outside the Detroit plant after a man allegedly yelled racial slurs at a group of picketing workers. According to a report from Fox 2 Detroit, what happened was caught on video via the news program’s chopper camera in the air.

There was a lot of shoving, and at one point, the man grabbed one of the picket signs and began swinging it as an improvised weapon. Eventually, punches were thrown as the striking United Auto Workers were pushed against a fence. The incident eventually began to calm down, but after the man’s wife emerged from the vehicle and threw something in the direction of the workers, the brawl started back up again. Apparently, this was a family affair, as Fox 2 reports that his children were also in the vehicle yelling and throwing objects at the workers. According to the lead worker at the strike, the man drove up and began yelling racial epithets and throwing things at the workers. He also said the man made several motions indicating that he was armed, which made the members check to see if he indeed had a weapon on him prior to fisticuffs ensuing. 

The United Auto Workers have recently expanded strikes at GM and Stellantis parts distribution centers. On Sept 22, UAW President Shawn Fain said that GM and Stellantis specifically are going to need a major push to get them close to a fair deal for the workers. They are sparing the Ford Motor Company, who, according to Fain, has come much closer on wages, job security, and other issues the workers have been agitating for over the last two weeks.

https://twitter.com/abolishnato/status/1705565495645085866?t=Z-QIRR9HQJX0Q9fnm8o_ZA&s=19

Ford released a statement in agreement with Fain’s assessment: “Ford is working diligently with the UAW to reach a deal that rewards our workforce and enables Ford to invest in a vibrant and growing future. Although we are making progress in some areas, we still have significant gaps to close on the key economic issues.”

On social media, the reaction to the fight videos circulating on Twitter/X have been met with a large dose of collective humor. Underneath a post made by The Huffington Post reporter Phillip Lewis, several users have chimed in with references to the Montgomery Riverboat Brawl in Alabama and folding chairs. Others referenced the fact that this happened in Detroit, arguably one of the Blackest cities in the country and others used the moment to call attention to the reaction of users to Rho Bashe who was allegedly hit with a brick by a man she rejected. In any case, it is probably a safe bet that this man in Detroit will not be trying that tactic again after the community beatdown he received from the workers on strike.

https://twitter.com/AcidBurnsx3/status/1705426653042692236?t=p5_jMzW1saQ5jHMx7D25mg&s=19

RELATED CONTENT: United Auto Workers Union Launch Strike At Big Three Automakers, Demanding Higher Wages And Benefits

 

justices , NFL, Super Bowl, ring, Supreme Court, gift, Clarence Thomas, Jerry Jones
by Stacy Jackson

September 23, 2023

Justice Clarence Thomas Allegedly Involved In Undocumented Koch Network Donor Events 

Flashback to January 25, 2018, several private planes landed ahead of a weekend that would be filled with fundraising events for the annual winter donor summit of the Koch Network, a conservative political organization founded by billionaires Charles and David Koch.

Among the people on those planes was Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. According to Pro Publica, the trip raised some eyebrows as far as who paid for it. If the Koch Network had paid for the flight, Justice Thomas would have violated federal laws that mandate reporting of gifts. However, a spokesperson said the Koch Network did not fund the flight, and Justice Thomas did not report it on his financial disclosure form, so it remains unclear who funded the travel.

Thomas is no stranger to Koch events. Interviews showed that he had been a guest at least twice in hopes of encouraging donors to give. 

A donor revealed that Thomas had been in attendance for at least one of Koch’s annual summits, which requires a minimum $100,000 a year in donations to the Koch Network to score an invite to the dinner. A spokesperson for the Koch Network, formally known as Stand Together, said, “Thomas wasn’t present for fundraising conversations.”

Reportedly, Thomas has a long history with the real estate mogul Harlan Crow and the Koch brothers dating back to years of trips and retreats to Bohemian Grove.

“All of the sitting Justices and many who came before them have contributed to the national dialogue in speeches, book tours, and social gatherings. Our events are no different. To claim otherwise is false,” the spokesperson said. 

As previously reported by BLACK ENTERPRISE, Justice Thomas has been on several luxurious trips funded by Crow and other very wealthy men. Crow is reported to have purchased Thomas’ mother a home and funded private school for a relative Thomas was raising as his son. In a previous statement he regarded Crow as a close friend with whom he attended “family trips.” Thomas said he was not required to report these vacations, however, in August the Supreme Court Justice disclosed that Crow paid for private jet trips in 2022. 

The Guide to Judiciary Policy states, that judges are urged to not associate with groups that have “publicly identified with controversial legal, social, or political positions.” However, Supreme Court justices make their own judgment calls as far as affiliations. 

John E. Jones III, a retired federal judge appointed by President George W. Bush, described Thomas’ actions as a “slow creep toward unethical behavior.” 

The Koch network is branded as the most influential political organization and seeks to influence American law. Their network has shoveled out over $65 million in support of republican candidates in the previous election. An upcoming Supreme Court ruling, if passed, will limit federal agencies ability to regulate a plethora of issues such as environment and labor rights.

Charles and his late brother, David, are known for their opposing views on governmental regulation. And, 2021 records show the company brought in $700 million, which was disbursed to groups in the network to fund social and political agendas. Each network group is located in the same building in Arlington, Virginia, and there is significant overlap in the staff and leadership. 

A former staffer for the Koch Network said Thomas was considered a valuable asset to the organization because he gave donors the opportunity to meet someone of his caliber.

“All the necessary due diligence was performed to ensure the Justice’s attendance at the events was compliant with all ethics requirements,” said Leonard Leo, the Federalist Society leader, who a donor said helped coordinate the events for Thomas in response to the cross-country events he has attended with Justice Thomas.

Thomas was first linked to the network in 2010. The New York Times reported that an invitation showed Thomas was featured at a former summit. However, a court spokesperson said the event, sponsored by Charles Koch, was for Thomas to discuss his memoir at a Federalist Society dinner not connected to the summit, although he made a “brief drop-by” at the summit. Thomas said he “was not a participant.”

Thomas has been a regular guest of Crow for 25 years at the Grove, a private two-week party featuring a $500 bottle of wine, according to documents and interviews with members, guests, and workers at the retreat. Members have to fork over a thousand dollars to bring a guest.

Crow said he has never heard Thomas him “discuss pending legal matters with anyone,” when asked about trips to the Grove with Thomas.

RELATED CONTENT: Senators Ask Billionaire for List of Gifts to Supreme Court Justice Thomas

eric johnson, fallas, texas, republican, democrat
by Daniel Johnson

September 23, 2023

Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson Leaves Democratic Party, Jumps To The GOP

In what has become a perplexing trend, yet another politician who was elected as a Democrat has decided to switch over to the Republican Party. Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson wrote an op-ed for The Wall Street Journal explaining his decision on Sept. 22. In the piece, Johnson claims that it is because of Democratic policies and positions like attempts to end cash bail that cities have become unsafe and in need of Republican leadership. Those who follow Dallas politics, however, have long been suspicious of Johnson and are not surprised.

Vinny Minchillo, a Dallas-based Republican consultant, told the Texas Tribune, “This is one of the worst kept secrets in the world of politics. This has been coming down for a long time.”

Dallas, like the other major metropolitan hubs in Texas, tends to vote heavily Democratic, a point that Dallas City Council Member Adam Bazulda echoes in his remarks to the Tribune.

“I don’t believe that it sets the tone for where the priorities are,” Bazaldua said. “In fact, that’s why I believe it would have been nice for voters to have the opportunity of knowing that party affiliation prior to going to the ballot box in May.”

Political insiders believe that the party switch is part of Johnson angling for a state position, because he will not be able to win re-election in Dallas as a Republican, even if his policies and political bedfellows have tended to lean in that direction anyway.

As Cal Jillson, a political science professor at Dallas’s Southern Methodist University, explains it, “You’ve got to be a Democrat to win in Dallas. You’ve got to be a Republican to win in Texas.”

 

Johnson’s defection makes him the second Republican mayor to lead a major city in Texas, joining Dallas’s sister city, Fort Worth, and their mayor, Mattie Parker. Dallas is now the largest city in the country run by a Republican, The Washington Post reported.

Johnson seems satisfied with his decision, as he says in his article: “Today I am changing my party affiliation. Next spring, I will be voting in the Republican primary. When my career in elected office ends in 2027 on the inauguration of my successor as mayor, I will leave office as a Republican.”

Republicans, such as Texas Governor Greg Abbott, were all too eager to welcome Johnson into their fold. Abbott, along with Texas Speaker of the House Dade Phelan, posted congratulatory messages on Twitter/X with the latter saying, “Mayor [Johnson] is absolutely right. Conservative policies are the key to safe, thriving, and successful cities. His leadership is a shining example of that. Great news.”

 

Texas Democrats, however, were less than thrilled and pointedly made remarks critical of Johnson’s record and signaling of conservative values over his tenure as Dallas mayor.

Gilberto Hinojosa and Shay Wyrick Cathey, the Texas Democratic Party chair and co-chair, respectively, issued a joint statement denouncing Johnson’s party change.

“In a city that deserves dedicated leadership, Mayor Johnson has been an ineffective and truant mayor, not only disconnected from Democratic values, but unable to even be an effective messenger for conservative local policy,” the statement read. “This feeble excuse for democratic representation will fit right in with Republicans — and we are grateful that he can no longer tarnish the brand and values of the Texas Democratic Party.”

RELATED CONTENT: Allen West, A Black Republican Running For Texas Governor, Released From Hospital After COVID-19 Diagnosis

Oldest Black-Owned Business In The U.S. Honored By Small Business Association With Legacy Status
by Jaimee Ratliff

September 23, 2023

Oldest Black-Owned Business In The U.S. Honored By Small Business Association With Legacy Status

E.E. Ward Moving & Storage in Columbus, Ohio is the first recognized Black-owned business in American history. After more than140 years of service, the company was recognized by the SBA as a National Legacy Business on September 20.

The United States Small Business Association (SBA) honored E.E. Ward Moving & Storage and 67 other small businesses for their community contributions and outstanding service.

“The SBA’s Legacy Businesses all demonstrate the strength and impact of entrepreneurship and how the federal programs at the SBA fill gaps in the marketplace to ensure small businesses have the support and resources needed to start, grow, and thrive,” said SBA Administrator Isabella Casillas Guzman.

“We are proud of every small business the SBA has helped in our 70-year history and are working hard in the Biden-Harris Administration to ensure they have the capital and know-how to leverage opportunities as we Invest in America so they can do what they do best: innovate, create jobs and propel our economy.”

The company was founded in 1881 with ‘two horses and a wagon’ and began as a stop on the Underground Railroad before becoming a multimillion- dollar moving corporation. The family business is now owned and operated by Brian and Dominique Brooks who are committed to upholding the legacy of founder John T. Ward. In the 1830s, Ward and his wife Catherine Ross moved to Columbus, where they ran an underground railroad helping enslaved people realize freedom.

Nearly fifty years later, Ward founded Ward Transfer Lines alongside his son, William. The business name would be changed in honor of his late son Edgar Earl years later; however, the company’s mission would remain the same.

“They went through depression, bigotry, competition, but they still made it. They weren’t the people that wanted to just get rich, it was just to take care of family,” said Dolores White, the great-great granddaughter of Ward and the oldest living member in the family’s bloodline.

For Brooks, the recipe of success for E.E. Ward Moving & Storage has been hard work and perseverance. “They just preserved through just, finding niches. It’s very important and it means a lot to me because I think about a lot of the other long-time businesses,” he said.

The company is still headquartered in Ohio but has branched out to include another location in Charlotte, North Carolina.

RELATED CONTENT: Small Business Associations React to State of the Union Address

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