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High school senior Chase Matthews is making history in Georgia. WSB-TV Atlanta reports that as Matthews looks ahead to her next chapter after graduating from Westlake High School in South Fulton County, Georgia, sheâs celebrating a record-breaking number of scholarship offers to support her higher education journey. She has already been accepted into colleges in every state, totaling 155 acceptance letters. Some of the schools include Florida A&M University, Howard University, Ohio State University, and the University of Alaska Fairbanks. âJust hard work, hard work,â said Matthewsâ College Advisor Sean Moore, according to WSB-TV Atlanta. Furthermore, the outlet also noted that Matthews has received $6 million in scholarship offers, one of the highest for a high school senior in the stateâs history. âChase exemplifies excellence,â mentioned Gregory Minnis, Westlake High interim principal, per the outlet. Matthews has not yet decided which school she will attend, but the prospects of...
JPMorgan Chase is altering the name of what was formerly its DEI program. As AFROTECH⢠previously told you, JPMorgan Chase seemingly positioned itself with the stance that it would uphold diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts despite pressures from the National Legal and Policy Center (NLPC), a conservative nonprofit organization. There has been a sweeping shift with many companies aligning themselves with policies from President Donald Trumpâs administration, which has dismantled DEI programs and initiatives in the federal government through executive orders. âBring them on,â JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon told CNBC at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, in January 2025. âWe are going to continue to reach out to the Black community, the Hispanic community, the LGBT community , the veterans community.â The following month, JPMorgan Chase joined companies such as Morgan Stanley, Citigroup, Wells Fargo, and Bank of America in removing or toning down language...
Floyd Mayweather reportedly has an interest in another major investment move. As AFROTECH⢠previously told you, the boxing champion closed a real estate deal valued at $402 million in October 2024. The investment encompasses over 60 buildings with over 1,000 units in New York, NY, and its purpose is to establish affordable housing in the city. âGrowing up, I used to dream about owning just one home by myself. When you work hard, you can achieve anything,â Mayweather told TMZ. Mayweather also has a stake in nine skyscrapers in partnership with SL Green and established real estate firm Vada Properties. He committed to investing $100 million in equity to support a $3 billion luxury rental portfolio alongside Go Partners. His latest moves include potentially extending his portfolio to secure a stake in the New York Giants. According to TMZ, he is leading a group that intends to acquire a security minority stake valued at 10%, amounting to around $700 million. Currently, a proposal is...
JPMorgan Chase has begun removing any mention of its DEI efforts from its website, according to The Wall Street Journal. As AFROTECH⢠previously mentioned, the bankâs CEO, Jamie Dimon, had vowed to maintain its commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) as well as environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) policies, despite pushback from the conservative National Legal and Policy Center (NLPC). The center had also suggested that JPMorgan Chase, which employs 300,000 people globally, reexamine executive compensation tied to DEI goals â an initiative it introduced in 2020 through its âaccountability framework.â That same year, the company had launched a $30 billion program to promote racial equity in personal finance as well. In response to the recent pushback, Dimon said at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, last month, âBring them on. We are going to continue to reach out to the Black community, the Hispanic community, the LGBT community, the...
JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon is not backing down from diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) commitments. According to Business Insider, Dimon confirmed that the financial services firm will continue to advance its DEI efforts and environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) policies despite pressure from the National Legal and Policy Center (NLPC), a conservative nonprofit organization. The NLPC has proposed that JPMorgan reevaluate how executive compensation is linked to the companyâs racial equity goal. âBring them on,â Dimon told CNBC at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. âWe are going to continue to reach out to the Black community, the Hispanic community, the LGBT community , the veterans community.â In 2020, JPMorgan launched a $30 billion program to promote racial equity in personal finance, which included mortgage refinancing and partnerships with Historically Black Colleges and Universities . The bank also launched an âaccountability frameworkâ to...
Faith is the cornerstone of DâJanae Robinsonâs life, shaping both her personal journey and professional endeavors. From our first conversation on LinkedIn, it was clear that her belief in God shapes her outlook on life and drives her decisions. Robinson has always felt a higher calling, though she admits the path forward wasnât always clear. Raised in a family rooted in spirituality, Robinson grew up under the influence of her praying great-great-grandmother. This gave her an early understanding of Godâs presence in her life. However, like many, her faith journey has had its highs and lows â a testament to the complexities of staying grounded while navigating lifeâs uncertainties. Through it all, Robinsonâs unwavering trust in a higher purpose continues to guide her as she discovers how to align her life with her calling. âIt wasnât always easy being a believer, and I can say with my chest because Iâve been delivered from it. I didnât always believe. I didnât always believe that I...
Vince Carter says he leaned on fellow NBA player Grant Hill when he was pursuing team ownership. As AFROTECH⢠previously told you, Hill is the owner of several teams. He has a minority stake in the Atlanta Hawks (NBA), Orlando City (Soccer Club), Orlando Pride ( National Womenâs Soccer League) , and Baltimore Orioles ( MLB) . Therefore, when it came time for Carter to act on his desire for team ownership, Hill was top of mind. âGrantâs been in a situation where heâs a good friend for a long time and right there in Atlanta (GA). So, my neighbor, â Carter told Front Office Sports. âHe was, in that entire process, somebody that I leaned on, that we talked to because heâs good friends with T-Mac (Tracy McGrady) as well. So we talked to him from the beginning of this process on what we were looking for, what they were looking for, how to go about it and just kind of just listening. Heâs like that big brother that Iâve been through a lot with. What better guy than him to ask?â In December...
Dr. Dre had his doubts about Snoop Dogg securing ownership of Death Row Records. Both Hip-Hop artists and businessmen were signed to the label in the â90s before parting ways. Snoop Doggâs decision to leave the label in 1997 was difficult, as he faced consecutive challenges. âSee, thatâs what you gotta understand. Niâas broke my spirit,â he explained on the âThe 85 South Comedy Showâ podcast. âThey broke me, man. They broke my spirit. Look, âDoggystyle,â workinâ on [The] Doggfather, win my murder case, Dre leaves, Tupac get killed, Suge going to jail, Death Row want to kill me. Thatâs all in the same year.â Fast-forward to 2022, and Snoop Dogg reclaimed his time, returning to the label not as an artist but as an owner. As AFROTECH⢠previously reported, he acquired Death Row Records from the Blackstone-controlled MNRK Music Group. âIt feels good to have ownership of the label I was part of at the beginning of my career and as one of the founding members. This is an extremely...
Farmer, Patrick Brown, has reclaimed the land once owned by his great-great-grandfather, who was also enslaved there. Currently, Patrick serves as the director of farmer inclusion for the social justice nonprofit Nature for Justice, reports Bitter Southerner. He is responsible for ensuring that $1.7 million in funding is allocated to farmers of color in North Carolina by 2029. Brown also serves on the board of the Eva Clayton Rural Food Institute, an organization established to combat food inequities. Patrickâs passion for farming is rooted in his upbringing. At the age of 9, he was already working on his familyâs farm in North Carolina, helping to load tobacco. âIt would take us about nine hours to fill up two barns,â he told the outlet. His father, Arthur, played a key role in igniting his interest in farming. He passed down stories of their familyâs four-generation legacy in agriculture. âHe was educating me,â Patrick explained, according to Bitter Southerner. âHe would say,...
Popular streamer and creator IShowSpeed made his first $1 million at 16. Also known as Darren Watkins Jr., he currently boasts an impressive 33.5 million subscribers on one of his YouTube channels alone, as well as an additional 26.9 million followers on Instagram. His early motivation to keep creating content as a freshman in high school also stayed with him, he explained on the âClub Shay Shayâ podcast with Shannon Sharpe. âMy sophomore year, I kind of gave up on school. I kind of gave up on everything that I had in my old life and just put everything on my stream. I streamed every day. I didnât care about nothing else except Youtube streaming,â IShowSpeed said on the podcast. His mother initially had hesitations about streaming, even after his first viral clip garnered 30,000 views. She gave him an ultimatum: quit streaming or leave her home. With 2,000 subscribers at the time, he chose the latter and moved in with his father in Detroit, MI. âOnce I start something, Iâm not...
Katt Williams has purchased land to open a movie studio. During an interview with GQ, the comedian revealed he has acquired a former military base located in Alabama. It has been confirmed by Williamsâ publicist, Amy Sisoyev. âI canât disclose the amount or exact location just yet, but I can confirm that he has purchased a former military base in Alabama,â Sisoyev said via email to AL.com. Williams shared that he aims to follow in the footsteps of other celebrities, such as Tyler Perry. As AFROTECH⢠previously reported, Perry, a self-made billionaire, opened the worldâs largest Black-owned studio. The studio, which Perry self-funded, reached a valuation of $280 million in 2023. Speaking of wanting to be next in line, Williams commented to GQ : âItâs just not fair to put all that pressure on Tyler Perry. He can only do so much.â At the time of this writing, it is unclear when the movie studio will break ground. Williams is part of a growing number of Black figures seeking to disrupt...
Christopher Cunningham, an entrepreneur based in Tampa, FL, now owns an entire block, Bay News 9 reports. Initially aiming to purchase just one building, Cunningham was offered the chance to buy the entire block at 9513 N Nebraska Ave. He now operates two businesses there: True Value Hardware and his water restoration company, Dry 24 âFrom the inside it looks really small but thereâs actually 1.88 acres here,â he explained to the outlet. âInitially, I was just looking at buying the store. I got a chance to talk to Mr. Chelle, and he said, âYou can buy the store, but you gotta actually buy the whole block.ââ Cunningham, now the proud owner of five buildings on the block, hopes to see greater support for Black-owned businesses in Tampa, where 24% of the population is Black, per ABC Action News. âI think itâs important in the city of Tampa â Tampa is 24% Black â that there are more Black businesses and that the corporate partners and the people who receive tax dollars, the private...
Flauâjae Johnson is putting down roots in more ways than one. On Friday, the Louisiana State University (LSU) basketball guard and rapper shared that she has purchased 20 acres of land, a significant step toward turning her dreams into reality. In a celebratory Instagram post , Johnson said, âGOD IS AMAZING! I Done Got Addicted To The Acres. 20 Years Old With a total of 20 Acres !! Generational Wealth Fr @HomeDepot, whatâs up?? Help me make some dreams a reality!â  View this post on Instagram  A post shared by Big 4ď¸âŁ (@flaujae) For Johnson, her dreams reach far beyond her talents of music and basketball. âThis land represents more than just an investment for meâitâs about building something bigger than basketball or music. I want to create opportunities for my community and leave a legacy that shows young women, especially young Black women, that we can do it all. Owning 20 acres at my age is proof that with vision and hard work, we can break boundaries and build the future we...
Itâs official! Shaquille OâNeal is tied to a billion-dollar deal! As AFROTECH⢠previously mentioned, OâNeal is the second-largest shareholder in Authentic Brands Group. This is the result of a 2015 deal that gave the company the rights to manage his name in merchandise and endorsements. OâNeal explained the significance of the deal during a previous AFROTECH⢠interview stating, âMy Authentic Brands deal, I was able to ensure that hopefully I can stay around after Iâm no longer on this earth. And I was walking down the street one day and looking at these Elvis cups and Elvis key chains and Marilyn Monroe, and I said to myself, âHow are these people still making money for their families?â Theyâre not even around. So, I found out how that business works, and I contacted two or three of those agencies and asked them if they were interested in partnering with Authentic Brands, and weâve been doing major things.â He added, âIâm now the second-largest shareholder in Authentic Brands Group,...
Buying a home can be an overwhelming and expensive purchase. On Friday, August 30, 2024, the current national average interest rate for a 30-year, fixed-rate mortgage was 6.38%. The interest rates have gotten so high that John Hope Bryant , the founder of Operation HOPE , is trying to convince people that a 40-year mortgage plan is more fair. But when first-time homeowners and first-time investors are listening to Realtors, real estate attorneys and mortgage lenders discuss percentage rates, it may not seem as clear. That is, until new homeowners see property and interest (P&Is) really affect their monthly budget. (Varying property taxes can make budgeting even more complicated.) Photo credit: ArtTower Using Chicago as an example, if you bought a home in the Windy City right now (with very good credit between 700-739) for the cityâs average home value of $305K , youâd pay about $1,729 per month for P&I. If that sounds high, the average rent in Chicago is $1,836 per month for a...