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The Black-owned water bottle brand SUPLMNT welcomes NBA player Gary Payton II as its latest investor. The brand was founded in 2020 by South Philadelphia, PA, native Jairus Morris, who aims to improve hydration in Black and brown communities. His journey as a founder was inspired by his mother, who took on multiple jobs to support the household of five children. “I grew up in a South Philly single-mother household with four siblings. My mother was my first inspiration and motivation to want to be an entrepreneur,” he said in an interview shared on Medium. “She always tried side hustles to bring in extra income for my family; whether it was selling Mary Kay or braiding hair, she did it. Moving us out of the ghetto in South Philly to a suburb in New Jersey was the best thing she could have done. It exposed me to see that there was so much more to life outside of the hood.” As an adult, he also mentioned recognizing disparities around health and wellness, which further inspired his...
Several Philadelphia, PA , businesses have been passed down through generations, including Paul Beale’s Florist. According to our sister site, Travel Noire, the florist shop, founded by Paul and Altermese Beale in 1971, has spent nearly five decades cultivating a loyal customer base. For Paulette Beale Harris, the second-generation owner, carrying on the family’s legacy isn’t a responsibility she takes lightly. She emphasized that she doesn’t want her parents’ hard work and sacrifices to be “in vain.” In honor of Black History Month , Visit Philadelphia has launched a four-part video series titled “Legacy & Love.” The series highlights Black-owned businesses that span generations and the families behind them, as well as businesses launched to honor loved ones, Travel Noire highlighted. The videos, available on visitphilly.com , feature the stories of the Beale family, Lori Thomson and her mother, Vera Doyle from Vera Doyle Boutique, Yvonne Blake and her granddaughter Alana Rambera...
Megan Thee Stallion has stepped into the spirits industry following advice from Beyoncé. The “Savage” rapper, born Megan Pete, has long admired the fellow Houston artist and credits their first interaction in 2020 with a major career milestone. “My favorite moment was definitely meeting Beyoncé. I met her first in 2020, I think. Every time I see her, I act like a little kid. And I really need to stop that at this point. Like I’m always fanned out,” Megan Thee Stallion told Forbes. Beyoncé’s support for Megan goes beyond music. In addition to their collaboration on the hit record “Savage Remix,” which they performed during the “Renaissance World Tour” in Houston, TX, Beyoncé has also shared valuable business advice — encouraging Megan to launch her own spirits brand. Leading by example, in 2024, Beyoncé made her official debut in the spirits industry with the launch of SirDavis in partnership with Moët Hennessy. The brand offers an American rye whiskey that pays homage to her...
Six years after opening, a Philadelphia, PA, pizza shop continues its mission of providing a fresh start and making life easier for former inmates . According to NBC News, the seven-member staff at Down North Pizza consists entirely of formerly incarcerated individuals, including executive chef Michael Carter. Carter was searching for a new beginning after losing his job during the COVID-19 pandemic and selling barbecue meals off his porch. “When I add up the guys who work here, it’s about 63 years incarcerated. So it’s like we understand each other, where we come from,” Carter told NBC. “We had the same barriers when we came home, like whether it be employment, housing, health care — we all had to figure it out.” Carter was one of the first hires at Down North with experience in the kitchen, AFROTECH™ previously reported. Childhood friends Kurt Evans and Muhammed Abdul-Hadi founded the North Philly staple, hoping to reduce recidivism rates in the area. The restaurant serves pizza,...
No matter one’s background, they’re deserving of access to education. Currently, there are several Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) that share this sentiment and are taking initiative. A majority of formerly incarcerated people of color aren’t presented life fulfilling opportunities. Changing this circumstance, Parents reports that HBCUs nationwide are creating and investing in new prison-to-college education programs. The programs aim to “reduce recidivism and improve economic opportunities.” They help to teach skills needed to land jobs, become a business owner, and navigate life after prison. Overall, the mission is to support individuals in having a higher probability of successfully re-entering society. The effort is a flip of the pre-K to prison pipeline, which has harmed the Black community and its youth. Currently, institutions such as Howard University, Claflin University, and Lane College are part of providing a way for formerly incarcerated people of...
Chris Classic is not your average renaissance man! Not only is he an American Music Award-winning recording artist with tracks that can be heard on movie soundtracks like “Alvin and the Chipmunks,” “Just Wright,” “Horrible Bosses,” and more, but he is an entrepreneur, social media influencer, and founder of the lifestyle brand Savoir Faire. “I feel like authenticity kind of allows you to be timeless and that’s what I aim for,” said Classic in an interview with Will Lucas on the latest episode of Black Tech Green Money. Classic always understands his assignment simply by showing up as his authentic self. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Chris Classic™️ ©️ (@mrchrisclassic) “For me, authenticity doesn’t go out of style,” continued Classic who gained popularity just from sharing different parts of his day as he was on a mission to dispel myths about Black fathers. He is known for sharing intimate moments of his life including what it’s like to be an amazing co-parent and...
A Philadelphia-based pizza shop is out here changing lives. According to ABC News, two childhood friends are aiming to reduce the city’s recidivism rates through their pizza shop by exclusively hiring formerly incarcerated men and women. The lifelong friends and now co-founders Kurt Evans and Muhammed Abdul-Hadi have always been passionate about giving back to their community. “We’re changing the quality of life for our community by being the hand that feeds and teaching others to do the same,” Evans said during an interview with “Good Morning America.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by Down North Pizza (@downnorth_pizza) After several months of planning, the pair decided to combine their passion to serve and their love for pizza by opening Down North Pizza in the heart of North Philly last month. They’ve witnessed firsthand how incarceration has impacted their loved ones who weren’t able to find employment upon their release from prison. It was a no-brainer for...
The Beyoncé Effect is definitely real. From college lectures to pop culture references, The Queen Bee’s effect on the pop culture zeitgeist cannot be denied. But for Yolanda Perkins, the “Black is King” goddess provided her something else: a chance at a real life. She was one of the recipients of the NAACP and BeyGood Impact Award, which allowed her to raise startup funding for Undies by BlendiTone, her children’s underwear line. Perkins got the idea to create the underwear line after a shopping trip with her then-six-year-old daughter. Her daughter remarked that “none of the characters looked like her,” according to BlackNews, which made Perkins want to change that. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Undies by BlendiTone (@undiesbyblenditone) “I see the reaction from my kids when they see faces that actually look like theirs on their underwear, not a Disney character that doesn’t look like them. It’s a sense of empowerment, and I want to give that to Black kids all...