by Jeroslyn JoVonn

September 11, 2024

Overwhelming Response To Delta Airlines Open Call For Flight Attendants Crashes Website

Delta Airlines' recruitment page crashed after opening the flight attendant job applications for the first time in over a year.

Delta Airlines’ website crashed on Sept. 4 after opening flight attendant job applications for the first time in over a year.

The “Big Three” airline, alongside American and United, is searching for new flight attendants and likely wasn’t expecting the huge turnout it received in interest. A glitch on Delta Airlines’ website caused a crash following an overwhelming amount of applications for its 2025 flight attendant positions, the New York Post reports.

An advisory was issued on its recruitment page after the website crash, stating that the “application experience may be slow during this period” due to the “large influx of candidate interest for the Flight Attendant position.”

“Due to extremely high demand for Delta flight attendant positions, some applicants reported difficulties [with] the application page on September 4,” a Delta representative told Business Insider.

The influx in job applications comes despite recent scandals the airline has faced, including a deadly tire explosion at the airline’s maintenance facility in Atlanta last month. Delta has continued to see interest in its recruitment since its post-pandemic recovery.

The airline received 65,000 applications for a record 5,000 positions in 2023. However, reports suggest that even fewer job openings are available this year.

A news release shared earlier this month reveals plans for Delta’s talent team and flight attendants to visit Connecticut, Florida, Minnesota, New Jersey, and Washington in the coming weeks to address prospective flight attendants’ questions about the role, the application process, work schedules, and benefits, including travel opportunities and the Delta flight attendant lifestyle.

Those interested in becoming a Delta flight attendant “must have a high school diploma, GED or high school equivalency, the ability to work in the U.S., speak, read and write English fluently and be at least 21 years of age at the time of application submission,” the website states. Delta also seeks bilingual applicants fluent in English and other languages like Czech, Danish, Dutch, French, Greek, German, Italian, Korean, or Swedish.

Applicants for flight attendant positions must go through a five-stage process, which includes submitting an application, completing a virtual assessment, and participating in both a video and in-person interview. Once accepted, candidates receive a conditional job offer contingent on how they complete a seven-week training.

Black Homeowners, Remodeling, homeownership,

by Daniel Johnson

September 10, 2024

Home Values Stagnate While Homeownership Remains A Barrier For Black People

Part of the issue with homeownership values lies with the values assigned by appraisers, who are mostly white, and the difficulty in reporting appraisal discrimination.

According to data provided to Axios by the real estate database Zillow, homes owned by Black people in the Detroit Metro area are worth approximately 45% less than those owned by white people. This dovetails with and illustrates the data surrounding homeownership in America; the typical value of homes owned by Black people is 18% less than those owned by white people.

Part of the issue with homeownership values lies with the values assigned by appraisers, who are mostly white. It is also incredibly difficult to report appraisal discrimination. In February 2023, the Department of Justice, the CFPB, and other federal leaders submitted a letter to The Appraisal Foundation calling for them to include a detailed statement of federal prohibitions against discrimination.

According to the letter, “We are concerned that the Fourth Exposure Draft eliminated the Third Exposure Draft’s summary of the FHAct’s and ECOA’s nondiscrimination standards and, instead, substituted a distinction between unethical discrimination and unlawful discrimination. Specifically, we are concerned that the term ‘unethical discrimination’ is not well established in either current law or practice.”

The letter continued, “Accordingly, we believe the introduction of the term in USPAP, and the resulting need to distinguish between unethical discrimination and unlawful discrimination, would create confusion in the appraisal industry. In addition, federal and state regulators responsible for examining compliance with USPAP would face difficult challenges in determining when appraisers have engaged in unethical discrimination given that it is not defined in existing legal norms and standards and is inherently vague and subjective.”

The Appraisal Foundation agreed in July 2024 to settle a complaint by The Department of Housing and Urban Development regarding the discrimination involved in the hiring practices of appraisers across the country. According to Acting HUD Secretary Adrianne Todman, “To help eliminate racial and ethnic bias from home appraisals, we must ensure that the industry looks like America,” Todman said in a press release. “Today’s historic agreement will help build a class of appraisers based on what they know instead of who they know. This settlement will help bring us one step closer to rooting out discrimination in housing and opening doors to opportunity for all.”

In addition to the issue of home valuation, Black Americans often face difficulties in getting their mortgage applications approved due in large part to either poor or non-existent credit histories and high debt-to-income ratios.

According to the Urban Institute, the Black-white homeownership gap is an American design. In February, authors Jung Hyun Choi, Amalie Zinn, and Aniket Mehrota wrote a report detailing that increased interest rates on homes were positioned to add another impediment for Black people seeking to become homeowners.

According to the authors, “The racial homeownership gap remains wide, and policymakers, government agencies, financial institutions, and other changemakers in the mortgage market must all work together to significantly increase Black homeownership. The U.S. government afforded low-interest, amortized home loans to millions of white households for decades. Similarly, programs intentionally targeted to Black families and other historically excluded groups, who still face the effects of past discriminatory housing policies and practices, could help more such families access homeownership’s benefits.”

by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman

September 10, 2024

Black Women Honored As ‘Powerhouses’ In Their Industry At Inaugural NYFW Event

Black Enterprise spoke with some of the honorees at the Powerhouses celebratory event.

Black women remain dominant forces across multiple industries and are receiving their rightful flowers. Refinery29 recently honored some of these women in their “29 Powerhouses” list, which includes game-changers and makeup moguls.

These “29 Powerhouses” define the rules for themselves, championing diverse causes while remaining true to their passions, from art to sports and fashion. This year’s honorees featured Pat McGrath, legendary makeup artist and beauty brand founder; Angel Reese, record-breaking WNBA rookie; and Marsai Martin, a young actress-turned-producer.

Fellow honorees attended the celebratory event ahead of New York Fashion Week on Sept. 7. There, BLACK ENTERPRISE spoke with these public figures and what it means to be a “powerhouse” in their field.

“I think it’s really important because people have preconceived notions about you when you’re a woman in specific areas, like gaming and tech and fashion. People will presume, if you’re in fashion, that you might not know about the other areas, and same in gaming and tech,” explained Jay-Ann Lopez, founder of Black Girl Gamers and hair sculpture enthusiast. “So I like to show that a woman can be anything. I don’t like to put myself in a box, and I think that’s the most interesting thing you can do is to take yourself out that box and experience life as the person, the whole person that you are.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Somos (@r29somos)

Justina Miles, a sign language performer for Rihanna’s Super Bowl Halftime show, also expressed her thoughts on the recognition. The Deaflympics athlete has garnered traction for her advocacy toward diverse people with disabilities.

“Yes, this is a great honor for me to continue on my track as authentic as I am. [Especially] as a Black, deaf woman, to know that nobody has to change who they are to be on this path of trailblazing for success, or just making life easier for others by being a role model, this is what that means to me. [It means] that I could just be authentically myself and be in the spaces that I deserve to be in.”

While part of the first-ever cohort of powerhouses championing self-expression, Miles and Lopez remain dedicated to expanding their impact. On Refinery29’s inclusion of these dynamic Black women, Chelsea Sanders also spoke about how these selections reflect our modern society.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Unbothered (@r29unbothered)

“29 Powerhouses is about making sure that what we’re doing isn’t necessarily diversity; it’s just the world that we live in right now, and that looks so amazing, and it is more of a diversity of ideas and a diversity of thoughts versus diversity, just in color or creed or orientation,” explained Sanders.

The full “29 Powerhouses” list can be found on Refinery29’s website.

by Stacy Jackson

September 10, 2024

Morehouse School Of Medicine’s Valerie Montgomery Rice Celebrates 10-Year Presidency

As president, Dr. Montgomery Rice has contributed to the outstanding growth of student enrollment and work toward health equity in Atlanta.

Morehouse School of Medicine’s Dr. Valerie Montgomery Rice has celebrated her 10th year as president of the medical school in Atlanta.

The Georgia native is the sixth president and first woman to lead the private historically Black medical school, which was originally a part of Morehouse College before it became independent in 1981. According to an exclusive feature by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, published in MSM News, Morehouse School of Medicine students and faculty spoke highly of the acclaimed infertility specialist and researcher for her contributions to the institution as she congregated with returning and first-year scholars during a welcome celebration.

Under Montgomery Rice’s leadership, MSM enrollment has seen a vast influx in students since her inaugural year, when the school only enrolled 56 students compared to the boost of 100 students each year and an estimated 225 over the next decade. “She’s got a big presence here,” said first-year student Justin Barthel. “She’s highly regarded, highly respected, and she chose to be here.”

Her role at Morehouse School of Medicine has exceeded her expertise in training the next generation of Black doctors, and she continues to focus on a larger goal: to address disparities in healthcare. “It’s not only who we educate and train, but how we train and educate healthcare professionals to understand patients in a holistic way,” Montgomery Rice said. “And then where we place these healthcare assets throughout communities so they are easier to access, closer to where people work, live, play and pray.” These efforts include restoring care to Atlanta patients affected by two previous closures of Atlanta Medical Center locations in downtown and East Point, which has caused a health crisis for several low-income residents of color in the city.

Dubbed by MSM faculty as the “masterful fundraiser,” the MSM president was acknowledged for her key contributions to securing a $175 million gift this summer from Michael R. Bloomberg’s philanthropic initiative. The funding follows a 2020 gift of $26.3 million from Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Greenwood Initiative to support HBCU students. Gianluca Tosini, Morehouse School of Medicine’s chief scientific research officer, spoke to the president’s ability to obtain necessary resources for the institution and frame complex research projects “within the bigger picture of the school, which is health equity and health justice.” In 2015, the school saw a donation from baseball legend Hank Aaron and his wife Billye Suber Aaron, who was impressed by Montgomery Rice’s determination “to try and make the school what she dreamed it could be.”

Congratulations @MikeBloomberg !@MSMEDU was awarded a $26.3m gift from @BloombergDotOrg in 2020, part of a $100m fund for students at our nation's four historically Black medical schools. Mr. Bloomberg's philanthropy will be honored today with the Presidential Medal of Freedom. https://t.co/vENuP5vu7D
— Dr. Valerie Montgomery Rice (@MSMPres) May 3, 2024

Before her presidency at Morehouse School of Medicine, Montgomery Rice served as dean and executive vice president of the medical school. Before she assumed her position at MSM, she worked as a faculty member at various health centers. She is the founding director of the Center for Women’s Health Research at Meharry Medical College, which has been noted as the first research center in the nation to examine diseases that largely affect women of color. Her accolades and honors include a Horatio Alger Award, 100 Most Influential Georgians, The Dean Griffin Community Service Award from the Georgia Institute of Technology, the Girls Inc. 2019 Smart Award, The National Medical Association OB/GYN 2019 Legend of the Section Award, American Medical Women’s Association Elizabeth Blackwell Medal, Working Mother Media Multicultural Women’s Legacy Award, among others.

As Montgomery Rice embraces another year leading the Atlanta medical institution, she is ready and equipped to train more Black doctors with a commitment to position them in areas of high need, including primary care and pediatrics.

P Diddy, sean combs, lawsuit, assault, balcony

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

September 10, 2024

Diddy Loses $100M Lawsuit After Alleged Sexual Assault Of Michigan Prisoner

A Detroit judge issued the default judgment after Diddy failed to appear in court.

As the third quarter approaches, Diddy’s year seems to be getting worse. A man currently incarcerated in Michigan has been awarded a default judgment in the amount of $100 million against the former Bad Boy executive.

According to The Detroit Metro Times, Derrick Lee Cardello-Smith was issued the $100 million judgment from Lenawee County Circuit Court Judge Anna Marie Anzalone on Sept. 9. In a lawsuit against Sean “Diddy” Combs, the 51-year-old inmate claimed that Diddy allegedly drugged and sexually assaulted him over 25 years ago in 1997 at a party in Detroit, according to court records.

A default judgment was given to Cardello-Smith after Diddy failed to appear at a virtual hearing on Sept. 9.

Cardello-Smith is currently in prison at the Earnest C. Brooks Correctional Facility in Muskegon Heights.

Diddy’s attorney, Marc Agnifilo, responded to the judgment in a written statement to the media outlet.

“This man is a convicted felon and sexual predator, who has been sentenced on 14 counts of sexual assault and kidnapping over the last 26 years. His resume now includes committing a fraud on the court from prison, as Mr. Combs has never heard of him, let alone been served with any lawsuit. Mr. Combs looks forward to having this judgment swiftly dismissed.”

The Detroit Metro Times stated that Cardello-Smith claims Diddy allegedly visited him in prison and produced prison facility information that revealed the “No Way Out” producer’s name logged with the prison system. He alleged that Diddy offered him $2.3 million to dismiss the lawsuit, but the offer was rejected.

In an earlier ruling on Aug. 7, Judge Anzalone issued a temporary restraining order so Diddy couldn’t sell assets that could be used to compensate Cardello-Smith for possible damages if he emerged victorious in the lawsuit against Diddy.

Amazon, Prime, NY State of mind, tour, wu-tang, was, music, rapper, rap group, hip-hop

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

September 10, 2024

If Wu-Tang Clan Recruited A New Member, Who Would Get Consideration?

"It’s the era of the female rapper. They’re coming out and kicking down the door."

As New York Fashion Week (Sept. 6–Sept. 11, 2024) comes to a close, three legendary rappers who represented Staten Island participated in Tommy Hilfiger’s SS25 presentation on the infamous Staten Island Ferry (well, one that was decommissioned and now owned by the Island’s own Pete Davidson). Wu-Tang Clan’s Ghostface Killah, Raekwon the Chef, and Method Man took to the stage to perform for the crowd who gathered to see the latest fashion from the designer. Ghostface and Raekwon sat down with Dazed to touch on a couple of topics, including who they would potentially recruit to Wu-Tang Clan if they were looking for a new member.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Dazed Fashion (@dazedfashion)

The two rappers reminisced about their pre-Wu-Tang days when riding to Manhattan on the ferry was an adventure in itself, recalls The Chef.

“It’s so epic to be doing this on the ferry – I remember as a kid getting on the boat, and I’d be so excited, and now we’re performing on it. I feel like a kid again,” he stated. “It feels like a celebration of our success and how far we’ve come.”

Ghostface shared what it meant to sport the Hilfiger brand in the ’80s and early ’90s and how that gave you status on the streets.

“Back in the ’80s and early ’90s, his name was attached to the streets. If you had Hilfiger on, it meant something. That’s how fashion was back in the day. So it’s an honor right now to be on the boat, back where it all started. It’s legendary. When I got the call, I was like, ‘Hell yeah, I’m gonna go wreck.’”

Both artists were asked who would be considered if they had to recruit a new member for the Wu-Tang Clan. Both agreed it would be a female artist as it’s the “era of the female rapper.”

Ghostface said, “It’s gotta be one of these chicks. The chicks right now are running the game. The women are winning. I love Latto. Nicki. Get Cardi on our team. But all these women, they have their crews, so I don’t know how it would work.”

Raekwon agreed and added another name to the list.

“I’d definitely have to agree with Cardi, like you said. Megan The Stallion is on it, you know what I mean? The girls are running it these last few years.”

“It’s the era of the female rapper. They’re coming out and kicking down the door, Ghostface adds.

Wesley Bell, Missouri, Congressional Seat

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

September 10, 2024

Letter Warns Public About ‘Sophisticated Disinformation Campaigns’ Targeting Black Voters

There are "sophisticated disinformation campaigns" targeting Black voters, a new letter states.

As the November election inches closer, the “immense” power of Black voters is under threat by “sophisticated disinformation campaigns,” a new letter states.

Organizers within Onyx Impact, a nonprofit organization dedicated to combating disinformation within the Black community, have come together to release a letter informing Black media and the Black community about the disinformation being used to try to thwart Black voters.

Signed by Onyx Impact members like Judith Browne Dianis of the Advancement Project, Mondale Robinson of the Black Male Voter Project, Maurice Mitchell of the Working Families Party, and Glynda C. Carr of Higher Heights, the letter follows a report released earlier this year, that identified more than 40 million Americans within Black online spaces who may have been given disinformation about this year’s election.

“During a historic election year where critical issues that will determine the future of our communities are on the ballot, including the economy, healthcare, voting rights, and more, it is essential that Black media and Black Gateway Influencers and Platforms have the resources and tools necessary to stem the rising tide of disinformation and provide their growing audiences with even more accurate information,” the letter reads in part.

The report identified several threats to Black voter participation, some that worked to ignite civic disengagement, make claims of unfulfilled promises by President Biden, and efforts to incite division. Much of the disinformation was spread by far-right activists, including Black far-right activists, the report found.

“It’s because of the massive political power of Black communities that we see efforts to try to stem their participation, to try to sow division in our communities, to try to directly push back on our power,” Esosa Osa, founder of Onyx Impact, told The Hill.

“As we’re heading into this election, it’s incredibly important to recognize that while Black folks are not more susceptible to disinformation, they are the targets of sophisticated disinformation campaigns.”

The letter goes on to cite America’s history of steering away Black voters through disinformation strategies done to combat the Black community’s voting power.

“During Reconstruction and the Civil Rights Movement, disinformation was used to mislead, intimidate, and harm Black voters in an attempt to thwart their participation in the voting process,” Onyx Impact writes. “While the methods, technologies, and sophistication of disinformation have changed, the intent remains the same—to prevent, discourage, and dissuade Black voters from exercising their immense power at the ballot box.”

In response to the disinformation campaigns, Onyx Impact is calling on the media and influencers to help counter the effects through four courses of action: Elevating the voices of trusted Black leaders, encouraging audiences to verify sources, staying mindful of divisive content, and investing in fact-checking resources.

“We all need to be, especially right now in the cycle, very cautious of overly negative emotional content online, that’s primarily where we’re likely to see false and misleading narratives,” Osa says.

“If you do have a very strong negative reaction, that’s when you need to stop, take a breath and double-check.”

In May, the Pew Research Center released a study on the critical role Black voters will play in determining the outcome of the 2024 presidential election. In March, another study revealed that part of former President Donald Trump’s relatively strong polling against President Biden at the time, both nationally and in state polls, stems from his unexpectedly high support among Black voters.

Considering the power of Black voters, it’s clear why they’re being targeted with disinformation campaigns.

by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman

September 10, 2024

Mackenzie Scott Donates $10M To Nonprofit Helping Small Businesses In Georgia

The money was donated to Access to Capital for Entrepreneurs (ACE) as they continue to help small business owners, primarily of color.

Mackenzie Scott continues to donate her billions to good causes. The philanthropist has given $10M to a nonprofit in Georgia that helps small businesses.

Access to Capital for Entrepreneurs (ACE) received the crucial funding in August. With this new financial cushion, the Georgia organization can fulfill its mission to help small businesses thrive. Its founder and CEO, Grace Fricks, spoke of the lofty donation and the “social impact” that led to it.

“This is a testament to the social impact of the work ACE does, and does well,” said Fricks, as reported by Metro Atlanta CEO. “This will absolutely propel ACE to the next level.”

She added, “This came completely out of the blue. We’re proud of the accomplishments of each of our clients — the more than 2,600 small business owners across Georgia who’ve received ACE’s affordable loans — and grateful for this recognition of the ACE team’s hard work.”

Frick, who will retire at the end of 2024, founded the nonprofit in 1997 to help the rural population of North Georgia. However, it has since expanded to help minority entrepreneurs within and beyond the metro Atlanta area.

Since its inception, ACE has distributed $200 million in loans, 60% of which have been given to Black entrepreneurs. Through capital, coaching, and connections in its mission, ACE primarily helps entrepreneurs of color, low-income business owners, and women business owners.

The initiative provides this funding to reduce the gender and racial wealth gaps. Moreover, it creates jobs and opportunities for its clients while boosting its financial backing and collaborating with local organizations.

With this new funding already available for use, ACE expects to help 1,500 small businesses in its five-year strategic plan. The money will aid in their quest to lend $300 million to these companies and provide 100,000 hours of business advisory services.

However, this is not the first time Scott has supported its endeavors. In 2020, ACE received $5 million from the philanthropist’s foundation to extend its services to Georgia business owners.

Scott continues to redistribute her wealth to a wide range of institutions and organizations, including HBCUs in the Atlanta area. The nonprofit will celebrate this year’s efforts at the 2024 ACE Annual Awards on Sept. 19.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Capital + Coaching + Connections for Entrepreneurs (@acecdfi)

Tyreek Hill, NFL, handcuffed, Miami-Dade police

by Daniel Johnson

September 10, 2024

Police Union Says Tyreek Hill Was ‘Uncooperative’ During Traffic Stop

Hill discussed the incident in an interview with NBC Nightly News, saying that he thinks that if he wasn't Tyreek Hill, NFL wide receiver, he could have ended up dead.

As BLACK ENTERPRISE previously reported, Tyreek Hill was violently detained ahead of the Miami Dolphins home opener against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sept 8. After the release of the bodycam video to the public on Sept. 9, both the police union and the Miami Dolphins released statements. The Dolphins characterized the officer who pulled Hill out of his vehicle as overly aggressive and violent, while the police union said that the star wide receiver was uncooperative.

According to The Athletic, after the police approached Hill, he rolled his window up. The police told him to keep his window down, and when Hill didn’t roll it down to their liking, one officer opened his car door, grabbed him by the neck, and pulled him out of the vehicle. Hill was placed face down on the street and handcuffed.

“It is both maddening and heartbreaking to watch the very people we trust to protect our community use such unnecessary force and hostility towards these players,” the Miami Dolphins organization said in a statement released on Sept. 9.

Hill discussed the incident in an interview with NBC Nightly News, saying that he thinks that if he wasn’t Tyreek Hill, NFL wide receiver, he could have ended up dead.

Star wide receiver Tyreek Hill speaks out to @JesseKirschNews in his first interview since being detained by police before the Dolphins home opener.

Watch the complete interview tonight on Nightly News with Lester Holt. pic.twitter.com/5eKU3hWaaY
— NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt (@NBCNightlyNews) September 9, 2024

“If I wasn’t Tyreek Hill, Lord knows, I probably would have been, like, worst-case scenario, I would have been shot or would have been locked up” and “put behind bars, you know, for a simple speeding ticket. And that’s crazy that officers would take it, you know, to that level.”

Hill continued, “It just went from 0 to 60, man, from the moment that those guys pulled up behind me, knocked on my window, it went from 0 to 60 immediately.” Some of his teammates, notably defensive lineman Calais Campbell, came out to watch the arrest, and Hill said that Campbell was likely arrested because he was a large Black man.

“When I saw Jonnu (Smith) and Calais pull up … I didn’t feel alone anymore,” Hill said. “They ended up handcuffing Calais for just being 6 ‘8, I think. But it was crazy. It was crazy how that same officer who took me down handcuffed Calais for just standing on the side. That officer was really on a power trip,” he said. “He felt like he just needed to…do something that day, you know. But like I said, I’m glad nobody was hurt.”

Hill’s attorney, Julius Collins, released a statement to ESPN indicating that the wide receiver’s legal team was beginning to explore their options. “Mr. Hill’s legal team is exploring all legal remedies that may be available to Mr. Hill as we believe that the officers’ actions on September 8, 2024 were excessive.”

Steadman Stahl, the president of the South Florida Police Benevolent Association (a police union), said, in part, in a statement that Hill only had himself to blame for the escalation of the situation.

“If Mr. Hill would have just complied, it would have just sped the process up. He chose not to, he chose to escalate the situation and turn it into something bigger than the Dolphins’ win itself,” Stahl said.

Collins disputed this assessment of the situation in his statement to ESPN, “To be clear, the traffic-stop of Mr. Hill by officers of the Miami-Dade Police Department originated as a traffic infraction but was then escalated after Mr. Hill provided officers his driver’s license and then rolled his window back up,” Collins said.

Collins continued, “One of the officers then knocked on Mr. Hill’s driver side window and advised Mr. Hill to keep his window rolled down otherwise he was going to get him out of the car. Mr. Hill had his window rolled down and that officer then demanded Mr. Hill out of the vehicle even after Mr. Hill complied with that officer’s request to keep his window down. Immediately after, another officer then aggressively approached Mr. Hill’s vehicle and stated something to the effect that ‘if we have to break that f—ing window we will.’ Mr. Hill rolled down his window each time he was requested to do so by the requesting officers.”

by Daniel Johnson

September 10, 2024

School Choice Group Calls For Education To Take Center Stage At Presidential Debates

Although the coalition is attempting to reframe school choice as a net benefit for Black parents and students, according to the Washington Post, the school choice movement in general was developed as a way to protect the segregation present in the education system

School choice has been touted by some as a way for Black families to have more autonomy over their children’s education, and some advocates want the education of Black children to be a focus of the presidential debate between former president Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris.

According to a press release from The Freedom Coalition for Charter Schools (FCCS), Black children specifically need to have their educational needs discussed at the debate.

Sarah Carpenter, the Founder and CEO of Powerful Parent Movement, called for attention to be paid to the education of Black children. “We need to focus on the needs of Black children,” Carpenter said. “Saving democracy is a vital issue, as well as addressing the border, but America cannot be a world leader in the future if our children are not getting a high-quality education.”

In 2019, Carpenter and the Memphis-based Powerful Parent Movement joined with Black educators and activists to form the FCCS in order to advocate for parent choice and the needs of Black children.

Although the coalition is attempting to reframe school choice as a net benefit for Black parents and students, according to the Washington Post, the school choice movement, in general, was developed as a way to protect the segregation present in the education system and to bring about the abolition of public schools, neither of which help Black children.

According to Nancy McLean, the William H. Chafe Distinguished Professor of History and Public Policy at Duke University, even though school choice has captured the attention of some Black and other families of color, it will not lead to the kind of educational freedoms that the rhetoric implies.

“Indeed, in a sad irony, decades after helping to impede Brown’s implementation, school choice advocates on the right targeted families of color for what one libertarian legal strategist called ‘forging nontraditional alliances.’ They won over some parents of color, who came to see vouchers and charter schools as a way to escape the racial and class inequalities that stemmed from White flight out of urban centers and the Supreme Court’s willingness to allow White Americans to avoid integrating schools,” McLean wrote in 2021.

McLean continued, “But the history behind vouchers reveals that the rhetoric of ‘choice’ and ‘freedom’ stands in stark contrast to the real goals sought by conservative and libertarian advocates. The system they dream of would produce staggering inequalities, far more severe than the disparities that already exist today.”

The Republican Party platform, according to The Associated Press, along with calling for an end to the Department of Education, also calls for “universal school choice,” which some opponents have taken as coded language for defunding public education. According to their platform, “Republicans believe families should be empowered to choose the best Education for their children.”

Kim Anderson, the executive director of the National Education Association, the country’s largest teachers union, told the AP that the Republican plan for school choice would “throw chaos into the lives of American families.”

Anderson continued, “Public education has been a common good in this country since its inception, and to eliminate public education puts our democracy and our economy and the fabric of a diverse, inclusive society at risk.”

Randi Weingarten, the President of the American Federation of Teachers, went even further, denigrating the entire Republican Party platform on education due to her belief that the party seems afraid of diversity and inclusion.

Weingarten said the platform creates “a defunding mechanism and a mechanism to give a tax break to the wealthy,” Before continuing, “My question to them is, what are they afraid of?” she told the outlet. “Why are they afraid of critical thinking? Why are they afraid of freedom to learn and freedom to teach? Why are they afraid of honest history? Why are they afraid of diversity?”