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Blossoming from the heart of Houston, another Black-owned vodka company has hit the market. Houston Chronicle reports 10 Black entrepreneurs and peers from Texas Southern University, Prairie View A&M University, The University of Texas at Austin, Wiley College, University of Houston, and Cornell University have joined forces to launch General Orders No. 3. (GO3) — named after the order which freed enslaved people on on June 19, 1865 in Galveston, Texas. The group wanted to launch a Houston-made vodka encapsulating the spirit of Texas’ heritage and culture.
“Capitalists are gonna capitalize.” Following social media backlash, which included the aforementioned comment, Walmart has removed a red velvet and cheesecake ice cream from its shelves that was meant to celebrate the upcoming Juneteenth holiday. I better not see yall buying this. Capitalists are gonna capitalize, but this is ridiculous. pic.twitter.com/ngBPZDzWKk — CHUCK JIGSAW CREEKMUR (@chuckcreekmur) May 22, 2022
Women athletes and sports fans will soon be able to rock new PUMA gear, thanks to celebrity stylist and designer June Ambrose. While leading as the sportswear brand’s creative director for women’s basketball, Ambrose’s first PUMA collection will release on Dec. 1, Business Insider reports. The upcoming collection has 25 pieces, which will feature on-court and off-court footwear and apparel including jackets, leggings, hoodies and bags. View this post on Instagram A post shared by PUMA (@puma) “It goes from the court to the curbside,” Ambrose told Business Insider. “I’ve worked with the brand on redefining what it means to be stylish in sport. That’s been my goal, to bring style to sports.” As previously reported by AfroTech, the fashion icon snagged her role at Puma after Hip-Hop mogul Jay-Z introduced her to PUMA’s global director of brand marketing Adam Petrick and CEO Bjørn Gulden to help elevate the brand by intertwining fashion. “The connection between style and sport is...
This is for literary enthusiasts! According to Harpers Bazaar, June Sarpong is here to help give underrepresented authors a voice through her platform at HarperCollins Publishers. She’s teaming up with HQ, a division of the publishing company, to spearhead a new imprint that aims to promote and celebrate the work of underrepresented authors who do not have agents. The author and broadcaster is committed to giving a voice to those with disabilities, those from minority ethnic backgrounds, and those from a working-class background. “It is such an honour to be able to offer a platform for new voices from diverse backgrounds, there are so many stories that are yet to be told from worlds that have so much rich content to offer a mainstream audience, ” said Sarpong in an official statement. “I look forward to embarking on this exciting journey to discover this untapped talent.” Working with HQ is not new to Sarpong who has published three books with the company. Her work includes a new...
Now that Juneteenth is officially a federal holiday, companies are getting in on the wave. Whether this is a good or a bad thing remains to be seen, but one of the first companies to honor the newly minted holiday has stepped up to the plate. In a press release announcement, it was revealed that Jadu, a leading mobile augmented reality platform known for creating hyper-realistic holographic performances of musicians such as Lil Nas X, announced the release of a collection of NFT holograms themed around Black artists performing some of this decade’s most impactful dances. Jalaiah Harmon, who created the “Renegade” dance that garnered more than 5 billion views on TikTok, is the first to be immortalized in honor of Juneteenth. Harmon, who first became famous when Charli D’Amelio ripped off the “Renegade” and claimed it as her own, was revealed to be the creator of the dance by Taylor Lorenz of The New York Times. Michelle Obama also tweeted out support for the teenager after the...
Black music has always been the backbone of American culture. From soul to hip hop to rock-n-roll, we have paved the way for all genres of music so it’s only right that we celebrate us for Black Music Month! Crown Royal Regal Apple has partnered with singer and songwriter Lucky Daye to not only celebrate our music but to also honor Black art preservation and commemorate the Juneteenth Unityfest. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Lucky Daye (@iamluckydaye) “It’s important to preserve Black art and shine a light on it because at the end of the day, the people who go through the most have the most to say and that’s not just in terms of word quantity, but quality,” shared Lucky Daye in an exclusive interview with AfroTech. Thanks to his own personal connection to the arts, the “Roll Some Mo” singer will not only perform during Unityfest but is set to also honor the works of Crown Royal’s Black Art Preservation Project — a project that was launched while the nation was at...
SolaWave, a Black and LGBT-owned skincare line, has announced its new philanthropic efforts in celebration of both Pride Month and Juneteenth. In a press release, the Los Angeles-based company announced that it was partnering with The Lavender Rights Project, Black & Pink National, and The Transgender District to raise money for these organizations. Their fundraising efforts will total $50,000. “As an LBGTQ+ and Black-owned company, the month of June holds a deeply personal significance to our team,” said SolaWave co-founder Fatima Loeliger in the press release. “Philanthropy is a pillar of our brand and we are excited to give back in a meaningful way. We have a unique platform, and we want to use it to make a difference for our communities, both this month and year-round.” To commemorate the occasion, the company is offering a limited edition of its signature Advanced Skincare Wand in a color that pays tribute to the original colors of the gay pride flag. $15 from the sale of each...
Women’s Wear Daily reports that PUMA just snagged iconic celebrity stylist June Ambrose as their new creative director. A fashion icon, with 200 music videos and two decades of experience under her belt, Ambrose is responsible for some of hip hop’s most iconic looks. From Missy Elliott’s inflatable garbage bag suit in “The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)” music video to Diddy’s shiny suit in “Mo Money, Mo Problems,” Ambrose has carved her own lane as an award-winning stylist, author, costume designer, and creative director. “There are very few people that indisputably shift culture. That is something June has done for over 25 years. Her pure energy and spirit come to life through her fashion and designs,” Jay-Z said, according to VOGUE. Because of Them We Can reports Jay-Z signed on as creative director of PUMA Hoops in 2018. His confidence in Ambrose’s talent and capabilities led the hip-hop mogul to introduce her to PUMA global director of brand marketing Adam Petrick and CEO Bjørn Gulden to...
Juneteenth was created as a day to recognize the emancipation of Black enslaved inhabitants of Galveston, TX — who were the very last group of slaves to be freed in the United States. This year, we transformed it into a day to celebrate Black joy and life where the world finally joined along with us. The mass celebration was widely recognized among individuals, brands, and major corporations who honored the day in support of the Black community. Companies like Nike, Spotify, Target, Twitter, Uber, and many more recognized Juneteenth as a paid company holiday this year and plan to make it an official company holiday going forward, CNBC reports . Similar to how New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that the day will be a formal holiday next year, according to BBC News . With the world’s desire to show massive support toward the Black community, new initiatives are being put into place for next year’s Juneteenth celebration. Several institutions across the country are creating...
As social media giants like Instagram have partnered with Black artists and creatives to ignite the message behind Juneteenth, other social channels should have probably done the same. Today, as we were getting ready to kick off the festivities to celebrate Juneteenth, the day that commemorates the last slaves being freed in the United States , Snapchat was gearing up to issue an apology. After a filter that previously read “Juneteenth Freedom Day” and encouraged you to “smile” to break chains in the background went viral, the company realized they missed the mark. Mark Luckie, both a digital strategist and journalist, noticed the filter and tweeted , “This SnapChat #Juneteenth filter is…um…interesting,” before it shortly went viral. This SnapChat #Juneteenth filter is…um…interesting. Smile to break the chains? Okay then. pic.twitter.com/Wyob3kT3ew — Mark S. Luckie (@marksluckie) June 19, 2020 Other users shared their thoughts and reactions as well before Snapchat dropped the filter...
Juneteenth has historically been a day in American history that’s not celebrated enough, but major brands and companies are hoping to change that this year. In light of recent tragic events, Black people and POC’s demands for social justice and real change in this country have sparked the start of a new revolution encouraging the world to take notes and listen. Storytelling during this time has taken on a new meaning for Black voices and to amplify those voices, Instagram is continuing their #ShareBlackStories initiative by partnering with three Black artists — Andrea Pippins , Marco Cheatham , and Mina Elise — to design a series of new stickers in celebration of Juneteenth. Credit: Instagram #ShareBlackStories has become a year-round storytelling movement on Instagram that amplifies Black voices and encourages freedom of expression and unique perspectives. For this year’s Freedom Day commemoration, Pippins, Cheatham, and Elise wanted to share their art which shows who they are as...
If the past few weeks have taught us anything, it’s that not even a global health pandemic can quell racism and intolerance. While COVID-19 has severely affected our ability to convene in large numbers, one Black techie is determined to help Black professionals celebrate Juneteenth nonetheless. Michael Brown, a senior software engineer at Microsoft is hosting Juneteenth Conference , as a way for Black people to “t ake a moment to pause and reflect and celebrate where we are.” In early June 2020, as he was reflecting on his Microsoft anniversary as well as current affairs in Black America, he decided he didn’t want Juneteenth to slide under the radar. Brown decided to take advantage of society’s new relationship with virtual social events to create something special. He wasn’t sure he would be able to get everything ready in time for this year. In fact, several of his friends told him that events like these take at least one year to plan. However, Brown pressed on with the hope that,...
Amid conversations and uprisings surrounding racial justice, Juneteenth is quickly becoming a company holiday . However, with all of the increased awareness, Goalsetter is launching the #SavingOurSelves initiative to help reverse the wealth gap. Founded by Tanya Van Court, Goalsetter —a Black-owned app that provides culturally-relevant financial literacy tools for kids and families to save money—is committing to getting one million Black kids signed up for savings accounts. “Juneteenth is a celebration of our freedom from slavery, but African-Americans can’t truly celebrate freedom until we are financially liberated and the wealth gap is closed,” said Chairman of Vista Equity and Goalsetter investor Robert F. Smith. “By giving Black kids a savings and financial literacy app created by a Black entrepreneur, we can change the way a whole generation of Black kids learns about money and thinks about building wealth. And that can have a profound impact on our entire community.”...
The inhumane murder of George Floyd and countless other Black citizens have ignited protests around the world as many demand the end of unjust treatment toward Black people. In the midst of calls for justice, some major organizations are doing their part to support the fight against police brutality. One such company is the online music platform, Bandcamp. The artist-centered retailer recently announced via a press release that the company will be donating 100 percent of their share of sales on June 19 to the NAACP Legal Defense Fund in honor of the Juneteenth holiday. Not only has the company vowed to commemorate this Juneteenth holiday by supporting the NAACP, but will continue to do so for every Juneteenth thereafter. Along with the Juneteenth funding, Bandcamp will also donate “an additional $30,000 per year to partner with organizations that fight for racial justice and create opportunities for people of color.” The NAACP Legal Defense Fund is a 501(c)(3) legal organization...