by Sharelle Burt

September 22, 2023

Los Angeles City Councilman Caught In Racist Scandal Puts Bid In For Re-Election

A disgraced Los Angeles city councilman who was caught up in a racism scandal and left President Joe Biden on read is running for re-election, NBC News reports.

Kevin de León was at the center of a triggering scandal in 2022 that prompted former Council President Nury Martinez to resign after a recording leaked of a private meeting between Martinez, de Leon, and two other Latino Democrats. Council members were heard using racist language and a plan to keep their political power at the expense of Black voters.

The incident prompted a number of African-American organizations, and Biden, to call for their resignations, de León e apologized repeatedly for his involvement in the meeting but refused to step down from his $230,000 a year position.

Now, said in a statement, de León said he’s ready to be re-elected. He claims he’s made “unprecedented strides” in his district, including parts of downtown Los Angeles. He has been focusing on solving the city’s homeless crisis and the revitalization of his district’s parks and public spaces.

In fact, de León says loyal voters will keep him in power.

“When a lot of people that I called my friends and allies turned away from me, my constituents had my back,” de León said, according to Politico. “I understood in a deeper way the relationship that I had with my community and how that motivates and drives me. That’s why I’m still here. And that’s why I’m running.”

The primary election is in March 2024 and other legislators who are looking to take his seat have continued to call on his resignation.

State Assemblyman Miguel Santiago released a statement, calling for his opponent not to run again.

“Enough is enough,” Santiago said. “While he has been consumed with scandal, he has failed his district. … The people want change.”

by Derek Major

September 22, 2023

19 HBCUs Across 13 States Recognized As Fulbright Institutional Leaders

As part of the Biden-Harris administration’s commitment to supporting Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), the Department of State acknowledged 19 HBCUs in 13 states and Washington, D.C. as Fulbright Institutional Leaders

The department established the Fulbright HBCU Institutional Leaders Initiative to recognize and commend the strong partnership between the Fulbright Program and HBCUs. The initiative encourages administrators, faculty, and students at HBCUs to engage with Fulbright and highlights HBCUs as a destination for international students and scholars, promoting their intellectual traditions and proud academic and professional history.

“Diversity is one of America’s greatest strengths, and pairing the positive power of Fulbright with the academic excellence at Historically Black Colleges and Universities provides change-making opportunities for students, scholars, and campus communities both here at home and abroad,” said Lee Satterfield, the assistant secretary of state for educational and cultural affairs.

The 19 HBCUs that are Fulbright Institutional Leaders are:

Alcorn State University – Claiborne County, MS
Bennett College – Greensboro, NC
Bluefield State University – Bluefield, WV
Central State University – Wilberforce, OH
Delaware State University – Wilmington, DE
Fayetteville State University – Fayetteville, NC
Florida A&M University – Tallahassee, FL
Howard University – Washington, D.C.
Jackson State University – Jackson, MS
Jarvis Christian University – Wood County, TX
The LeMoyne-Owen College – Memphis, TN
Lincoln University – Chester County, PA
Mississippi Valley State University – Leflore County, MS
Morgan State University – Baltimore, MD
North Carolina Central University – Durham, NC
Spelman College – Atlanta, GA
Texas Southern University – Houston, TX
Tuskegee University – Tuskegee, AL
Virginia State University – Ettrick, VA

The Fulbright program is the U.S. government’s flagship international educational exchange program. Since its inception in 1946, the Fulbright program has provided more than 400,000 talented and accomplished students, scholars, teachers, artists, and professionals, of diverse backgrounds in all fields, with the opportunity to study, teach, and conduct research abroad.

Additionally, the Fulbright Program implements a wide range of initiatives to ensure that its participants reflect all aspects of the diversity of U.S. society and societies abroad. To achieve this goal, the program collaborates with external stakeholders, including the White House initiative on HBCUs, the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities, the National Clearinghouse on Disability and Exchange, the American Association of Community Colleges, Mobility International, and Diversity Abroad.

“The University’s representation of its faculty as part of the Fulbright’s worldwide mission reflects our institution’s willingness to educate and serve far beyond the borders of the United States,” Delaware State University President Tony Allen said in a statement.

“Our partnership with Fulbright demonstrates the important need for diverse, inclusive expertise wherever it’s needed in the world.”

Black farmers, climate change, agriculture, Gulf Coast

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

September 22, 2023

The Males Place’ In Charlotte Helps Mentor Boys Through Agriculture

A nonprofit group in Charlotte, N.C., employs a different approach to mentor Black boys from 12 to 18 years old.

According to WFAE, The Males Place, founded by Baba Reggie Singleton, empowers young boys by teaching them the skills that can assist them in helping their communities through agriculture. They are also taught the basic social skills and lessons on becoming men.

“Our focus is to socialize them, where we draw on time-honored traditions, our history, culture, and experience to properly develop and socialize them so they understand who they are,” Singleton said. “We use three major tenets: mentorship, agriculture, and social justice.”

Singleton shares experiences he had growing up, where he learned to do seasonal work. He started helping his family by picking and growing crops around 5 years old.

“The agriculture piece is not only addressing and ensuring that we have access to clean, healthy food but deeper concepts into being self-sufficient, solving problems, as well as being able to work side by side with young people in natural areas,” Singleton said.

Since starting in 1993, The Men’s Place has helped more than 3,000 young men. The initiative started as a Mecklenburg County Health Department reproductive clinic for men to reduce teen pregnancy in the Black community. After starting the program, Singleton realized it needed to address more than reproductive rates.

“A rising increase of Black-on-Black crime, the rising rate of unintended pregnancy, and the absence of fathers in the homes, in the lives of the young people,” he said.

“In order to truly impact these young people, we needed to be able to counteract some of those negative images and messages and modeling that our young people were seeing.”

The nonprofit organization has taken the boys to places like Charleston, South Carolina, Washington, D.C., Ghana, and Cuba to learn about the Black experience in different parts of the world. Singleton plans on taking 20 of the boys back Ghana in June 2023.

by Jeffrey McKinney

September 22, 2023

Black Women Are More Unlikely To Negotiate Pay Than Black Men

A new analysis shows that 33% of Black women negotiated their pay compared to 45% of their Black male counterparts within the past two years.

The finding comes as another report shows the gender pay gap hasn’t narrowed much over the last 20 years. This analysis estimates that women earn 82% of what men make for similar work.

Compensation and pay equality have been long-standing issues between the sexes. There have been multiple studies over time because the gender wage gap keeps lingering. One belief is that the differences are tied to how women and men bargain for pay. Another notion is that women generally remain in low-paying jobs than men, another potential reason for the disparity.

ResumeBuilder.com surveyed over 1,400 full-time workers this month to learn which workers negotiated pay, their success, and what possibly restricted them. In the past two years, 49% of men versus 32% of women negotiated their salary. On getting what they wanted, 55% of men and 42% of women achieved their pursuit. Intimidation was cited as the top reason women chose not to negotiate.

For Blacks, those discoveries were statistically similar. However, unlike women, intimidation was not at the top of why Black women chose not to negotiate. They cited “worried I’d lose my job’ and ‘the offer was more than I was making previously’ as the top factors for not negotiating.”

According to ResumeBuilder.com, women mainly negotiated compensation because the offer or their current pay did not align with their value (46%). That, too, was the top reason for men (39%). Resume and Career Strategist Julia Toothacre stated that limiting beliefs and the pandemic may have influenced why fewer women negotiated.

“In my experience, women question their value more than men, which leads them to feel like they can’t ask for more. Because I work with high-performing women, there is also a fear of being too forward or seen as aggressive. This isn’t exclusive to the last two years as I’ve seen it happen since I started coaching and was a victim of it myself,” Toothacre stated.

Plus, it was reported that 5% of women versus 3% of men didn’t get close to or at all what they wanted.

Toothacre stated, “The women I’ve seen do well in negotiations are confident in themselves and their abilities. They know how to talk about their accomplishments, and they’ve done their research. They aren’t afraid of negotiating because they know their worth. It all comes back to confidence and value. It’s not that women can’t negotiate or that they are less qualified.”

Check out more findings in the report here.

by BLACK ENTERPRISE Editors

September 22, 2023

Step Into History: Black-Owned Footwear Factory In The U.S. Releases Its Product

Designer Brands Inc., a world-renowned footwear and accessories collective, has announced the future release of the FIRST JEM. This inaugural shoe will kick off the JEMS by PENSOLE brand and will also be the first item released by one of America’s first-ever Black-owned footwear factories.

The new manufacturing studio will be a partnership between the footwear giant and Pensole Lewis College of Business & Design, the first and only HBCU centered on building careers in the design industry. The Black-owned factory was established in New Hampshire in early 2023 with the mission of building spaces within the industry that promote and champion Black designers and manufacturers. The brand’s launch also aligns with this purpose, as the FIRST JEM takes inspiration from a marginalized but widely impactful Black designer, Jan Ernst Matzeliger, for which his initials were also used in the company’s naming.

“The FIRST JEM celebrates Matzeliger’s little-known legacy,” shared designer Dr. D’Wayne Edwards, founder of JEMS by PENSOLE and Pensole Lewis College of Business & Design. “His invention of the Lasting Machine in 1883 revolutionized how shoes are made and is still used today. We’re celebrating his legacy and embodying that same revolutionary spirit, seeking to bring opportunity to new design talent and influence the face of the footwear industry.”

Its inclusive sneaker, complete with hand-crafted leather, seeks to restore the legacy of Matzeliger by bringing it into the future. Incorporating The Lasting Machine on the sock liner, the JEMS badge logo on the shoe is shaped like a diamond, as Matzeliger was a gem to the industry that has inspired future iterations. The shoe was released on his birthday, Sept. 15, to further honor his influence on design.

Dr. D’Wayne Edwards. Courtesy of Designer Brands

Designer Brands’ president also expressed excitement over the shoe and the new brand’s launch.

“Diversity drives innovation and brings new thinking, designs, and products to consumers, yet
Black representation sits at less than 5% across all design industries,” said Designer Brands President Bill Jordan. “We’re excited to partner with Dr. Edwards on the JEMS by PENSOLE line. FIRST JEM is just the beginning step in our goal to forge entrepreneurial opportunities for underrepresented footwear designers and make their vision and designs accessible to our customers at DSW stores.”

As their expansive portfolio includes household names such as Keds, Lucky Brand, and Vince Camuto, this venture prioritizes designers of color and grants opportunities to improve equity in the footwear industry. For shoe-lovers who want to support this new Black-owned brand with a mission of upliftment, the FIRST JEM is sold exclusively at DSW, with expansion toward in-store purchasing to be included in future collections.

by BLACK ENTERPRISE Editors

September 22, 2023

Black-Owned Brand Cape Sativa First To Release CBD Water

Cape Sativa, a Black-owned company dedicated to finding new ways to explore the benefits of CBD for human usage and consumption, has announced its latest groundbreaking release. The business is now the first to release cannabidiol (CBD) water, which is 100% water soluble.

The breakthrough formula is its patented nanotechnology platform. The 100% bioavailable water will be named Equivex Aqua, as reported by MSN. The expanded advantages of CBD can potentially be consumed wholly through this first-of-its-kind beverage. Before this achievement, CBD was extracted as an oil, so its medicinal benefits could not be easily absorbed into the body. However, Cape Sativa’s usage of nano-encapsulation attached specific polymers to create an emulsion that is cohesive with water. This application extends beyond water, and the same method could be considered in pharmaceutical and holistic drug development.

CBD-infused products are a growing trend due to their recorded medicinal properties that can be found using the plant compound without the psychotropic effects.

Cape Sativa’s chairperson, Khandani Msibi, believes that obtaining the benefits of CBD through these means will lead to its broader implementation in other areas.

“Cape Sativa has a pipeline of products with varying levels of dosage and delivery,” shared Msibi. “Nanotechnology has enabled us to develop CBD products that can be delivered orally, through an inhaler directly into the lungs and into the bloodstream through an injection. Water is not the only oral application. We have nanospray-dried capsules that we have produced in Switzerland and sterile CBD will soon be produced for injectables.”

The company hopes to have the product available in October, with inventory for in-person sales at health shops and mainstream retailers. Upon its release, the South African brand will venture to the U.S. to accrue investors as the Cannabis industry within the country has a stronger foundation. As a Black-owned company, it’s leading innovation in a field where Black entrepreneurs are often marginalized. Hopefully, this will level the playing field for diverse cannabis ventures.

Equivex Aqua will be available in four fruit flavors upon its launch, increasing to 20 milligrams of CBD for future releases.

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

September 22, 2023

Prosecutors Highlight Claims That Elijah McClain Said ‘I Can’t Breathe’ 7 Times During Police Encounter

In opening statements in Adams County District Court, according to NBC News, prosecutors stated that 23-year-old Elijah McClain said, “I can’t breathe,” to the police officers seven times before a paramedic injected him with ketamine, leading to his death.

On the evening of Aug. 24, 2019, two police officers, Randy Roedema and Jason Rosenblatt, restrained McClain on the ground after an unjustified stop. The young massage therapist was stopped as he walked home from a convenience store. He was restrained by police with a chokehold that has since been banned. The prosecutor, Jonathan Bunge said that instead of helping McClain, they ignored his pleas for help and told the arriving paramedics that he was resisting and had “crazy strength.”

Rosenblatt was fired by the Aurora Police Department.

As the police body camera footage was being played, Bunge said, “Listen to Elijah’s words. When Elijah is on the ground handcuffed, he’s saying over and over and over again, ‘I can’t breathe. Please help me.’”

The paramedics then gave McClain ketamine “as he was drifting closer and closer to death,” the prosecutor said. “The sedative was the very last thing he needed at the time.”

Seven minutes after paramedics injected McClain with the ketamine, he did not have a pulse and went into cardiac arrest as he was being transported to the hospital. He died three days later.

Both Roedema and Rosenblatt, who have pleaded not guilty, have been charged with one count of manslaughter and one count of criminally negligent homicide.

Roedema’s attorney, Reid Elkus, said that his client was not on the scene when McClain was initially stopped. He claimed that McClain didn’t start resisting until Nathan Woodyard, another former Aurora police officer, placed a carotid hold on him. He added that the paramedics diagnosed McClain with “excited delirium” and then injected him with a lethal dose of ketamine.

He stated that McClain died because Aurora Fire Rescue paramedic Jeremy Cooper injected too much ketamine for a man his size.

Rosenblatt’s attorney, Harvey Steinberg, said McClain was resisting furiously and at one point stated, “I intend to take my power back” and that Rosenblatt was “obligated” to help arrest McClain and at one point heard Roedema say McClain had “gone for” the gun of one of the police officers.

Woodyard, Cooper, and another Aurora Fire Rescue paramedic, Peter Cichuniec, are also charged with one count of manslaughter and one count of criminally negligent homicide and all have pleaded not guilty.

When the unarmed McClain was stopped, Aurora police officers claimed they were responding to a report of a suspicious person wearing a ski mask and waving his arms. McClain was carrying a plastic bag that had three cans of iced tea in his left hand while he had his phone in his right hand. They stopped him as he was walking home from a gas station mini-mart.

McClain was wearing a mask and a long coat, but his family stated he was wearing them because of a blood condition that made him feel cold.

Alabama, doctors, small town,Tulsa, Juno clinic

by Jaimee Ratliff

September 22, 2023

A Small Alabama Town Has Only Two Doctors; What Will Happen To Their Patients When They Retire?

As physicians Al and Terry Vester head towards retirement, their patients wonder where to turn for medical care they can trust.

Lafayette is a small, predominately Black farm town in Alabama with 2,700 residents and only two primary care doctors. The residents unable to make it to the nearest urgent care clinics and emergency rooms –over 20 minutes outside of town – have recently turned to the city’s fire department as a healthcare resource. The local fire station has a make-do exam area with a bench, a defibrillator machine, and a cabinet stocked with medical supplies. The Vesters, now in their 60s, have serviced the people of Lafayette for over 30 years. They are excited about the options available to their patients, but still worry that their absence will worsen the growing health concerns in the area.

“There are people here that still need in-town doctors,” said Terry, who sometimes makes home visits. “So we want to stay here to take care of them until someone else is here to take care of them.” Some of the patients the Vesters see regularly are people they’ve cared for since birth. “You know everyone, or you have a connection with someone.”

Lafayette residents now have a more high-tech and easily accessible option for telehealth support, a service known as the OnMed Care Station. Equipped with a video screen and health-monitoring equipment, patients can collect their vital signs, check their heart and lungs with a stethoscope, and use a camera to capture everything from rashes to sore throats for proper diagnosis by their healthcare providers.

The kiosks are part of the Chambers County Community Health and Wellness Center operated by nearby Auburn University, which hosts various educational events to equip Alabama’s rural areas with pertinent medical information.

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

September 21, 2023

Hip-Hop Enters The Building At Ohio State University

Curious about hip-hop? Well, Ohio State University is offering hip-hop as a course.

According to Ohio State University, two assistant professors will join the university’s School of Music this semester. Jason Rawls and Stevie “Dr. View” Johnson are heading up the school’s hip-hop studies program. Both positions are in conjunction with Ohio State University’s Department of African American and African Studies.

“It’s a huge deal. It means the world,” Rawls said. “I grew up going to Ohio State games, so to actually be employed here now, wow.”

Rawls, known in the hip-hop community as “J Rawls,” has worked with hip-hop artists such as Mos Def, Talib Kweli, the Beastie Boys, and Aloe Blacc as a music producer. He says that part of his role as a music producer was “digging in the crates.” This is one of the things he intends to teach in his class. For those who may not know what this means, vinyl records were stored in milk crates in the beginning stages of hip-hop, so that’s what producers do to find records with samples they can use in their production.

“I’m digging. I become an archivist,” he said. “I’m learning about all kinds of different things – soul, rock, country, jazz, calypso, reggae. I’m learning about different cultures. I’m learning about different time periods.”

His first class is called “Art and Politics in Hip-Hop.” Rawls has a doctorate in education from Ohio University and was a teacher for 15 years in the Columbus City School system.

Meanwhile, Johnson completed his doctorate in 2019. He had a dissertation exploring anti-Blackness at historically white institutions and used that as the foundation for a hip-hop album. The album won the Bobby Wright Dissertation of the Year Award for the Association for the Study of Higher Education. This was the first time that an award was given for recognizing hip-hop.

He was recently the Nasir “Nas” Jones Hip-Hop Fellow at Harvard University. The fellows are picked for their excellent scholarship and creativity within the confines of hip-hop.

“What a lot of people don’t know is that Nas didn’t graduate from high school,” Johnson expressed.

“People ask if hip-hop is scholarly. Is it academic? And then [an institution like Harvard] uses the name of someone who never finished high school.”

The classes that Johnson will teach will focus on the technical side of hip-hop production, such as beat-making, DJing, and product design.

by BLACK ENTERPRISE Editors

September 21, 2023

Founder of Black-Owned Startup Creates Mental Health Event Series to Empower Black and Brown Communities

Timothy M. Jones, the Founder of Colorful Voices, a startup that provides grief and trauma mitigation training for the military and other government agencies, is excited to present “Mental Hope Healing in Action.”

The series is an innovative symposium series that kicks off in Pittsburgh, spotlighting community leaders who advocate for diversity and resilience.

This debut event, to be held on November 5, 2023, from 12 -5 pm at the esteemed August Wilson African American Cultural Center in Pittsburgh, is in partnership with Hush No More. This 501(c)3 non-profit organization provides a platform for trauma survivors to share their experiences and receive support.

The goal is to honor and uplift veterans, celebrating their unique contributions to professional and community development. The symposium aims to empower attendees with transformative stories and actionable strategies for overcoming challenges in all aspects of life. Jones commented, “Rather than focusing on what separates us, we shine a light on the human resilience and strength necessary for true communal progress.”

The afternoon features a keynote by CWO 5 (ret) Phillip Brashear, a distinguished military veteran and community advocate. He will share insights from his life of service and discuss the enduring legacy of his father, Master Diver Master Chief Carl Brashear. “Preserving my father as a legend, not a myth, is my commitment,” says Brashear.

In addition to Phillip Brashear, the event features a stellar roster of change-makers: Timothy M. Jones, CEO of Colorful Voices; Dr. Vanessa Guyton, Executive Director of Hush No More; Sean Callagy, CEO of Unblinded; Jared Lyon, CEO of Student Veterans of America; Marjah Simon, international bestselling author and CEO of Authors Writers Academy; Edward “Obbie” West, internationally recognized poet.

Jones said, “This is our inaugural opportunity to show Pittsburgh—and the nation—that community lies at the heart of healing.”

Tickets are available for $55 each via the link below:

https://culturaldistrict.org/production/91744/mental-hope-healing-in-action

This story was first seen on Blacknews.com