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Equity-focused work may be a point of contention in today’s political environment, but it has not stopped the commitment of those dedicated to ensuring justice. Recently, Operation HOPE Inc. hosted its Hope Global Forums Annual Meeting. This convening brought together community stakeholders and influencers to discuss how to move into the future through economic, technological, and cultural advancements. During the meeting in Atlanta, GA, Hope Global Forum leader and CEO of Operation HOPE, John Hope Bryant, announced one of his goals to raise $100 million to fund the organization’s work of providing financial literacy and economic growth tools for individuals and small businesses. While providing his final remarks, Bryant confirmed that he is well on his way to receiving that fundraising amount through partners and corporations including Delta, Shopify, Truist, and Bishop T.D. Jakes. “Shopify, they’re ready for $60 million,” Bryant said. “Why did they do this? They are good people,...
Concerns about the future have intensified as Donald Trump prepares to be sworn in as the 47th U.S. president. The Washington Post reports minority- and women-owned businesses have looming concerns over contracts, citing a potential loss of $70 billion in annual contracts amid legal disputes affecting government programs for “disadvantaged” firms. Within the Black community, legal issues were prevalent amid Fearless Fund’s ongoing litigation, which has now been settled. As AFROTECH™ previously reported, the firm, led by founding partner Arian Simone, was sued by Edward Blum and his American Alliance for Equal Rights group in August 2023 over its Strivers Grant program. The $20,000 grant backed by JPMorgan Chase & Co. and Mastercard had been aimed at small businesses primarily owned by Black women, and the activist group accused the investment firm of “explicit racial exclusion.” The group had already been victorious in the Supreme Court over race-based affirmative action policies....
As of late October, Boeing’s global diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) department has ceased to exist. Bloomberg reported , citing sources familiar with the matter, that the aerospace company shuttered its DEI team , integrating employees into a human resources group that will focus on talent management and enhancing the employee experience. Sara Liang Bowen, the former vice president of the DEI department, announced her exit via LinkedIn on Oct. 31 after more than five years, but she did not specify whether the closure was the reason. She said it had been the “privilege of my lifetime” to lead the company’s DEI efforts. “Our team strived every day to support the evolving brilliance and creativity of our workforce. The team achieved so much – sometimes imperfectly, never easily – and dreamed of doing much more still,” Bowen wrote. “All of it has been worth it. Because behind every effort there has been a person: An unheard voice, an idea waiting to bloom,” she added. “The people...
The Department of Justice has launched a lawsuit over alleged discriminatory practices related to the appraisal of a Black homeowner’s property and the cancellation of her mortgage refinance application. Filed Monday, Oct. 21, in U.S. District Court in Colorado, the lawsuit accuses Rocket Mortgage , Solidifi U.S. Inc., Maverick Appraisal Group Inc., and Maksym Mykhailyna of actions that violate the federal Fair Housing Act. “This lawsuit is part of our ongoing efforts to bring an end to appraisal bias which prevent Black communities and other consumers of color from accessing credit and benefitting from homeownership,” Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division said in a statement . “Appraisal bias exacerbates the racial wealth gap, and runs contrary to the principles of fairness, transparency and equity that we need in our housing market today,” she added. “The Justice Department will continue to hold appraisers, lenders and others...
Ventris C. Gibson is upholding the legacy of Harriet Tubman while stepping into a significant and historic role. Career Journey Born in Roseland, VA, but raised in Washington DC to parents with six children, Gibson showed great ambition early on. Upon graduating from high school, she enlisted in the Navy and worked as a traffic controller. However, she did look to pivot briefly into journalism due to her strong interest, but that did not pan out because school had a two-year waitlist. She remained with the Navy working in air traffic control, and upon completing her service she hoped to secure a role with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). “At that time, President Carter had imposed a freeze on hiring federally. Thus, I went to VA (Veterans Affairs) to see what my benefits were as a veteran, and they pretty much asked me if I wanted a job because I was an African-American, female, Vietnam-era veteran. I said, ‘Sure,’ while I was waiting for FAA to call,” Gibson told...
Tia Mowry is influenced by her role as a mother to fight for pay equity. During a virtual interview with AFROTECH™, the actress, mother of two, and founder of haircare line 4U by Tia was vulnerable about the challenges at hand as she navigated the entertainment industry, not only as a woman but a Black woman. By the numbers, disparities are prevalent. Forbes reports the highest paid actresses in 2018 made 24.8 cents for every dollar earned by male actors, and this equated to $186 million earned by the top 10 highest-paid female actors and $748.5 million compensated to the top 10 highest-paid male actors. When considering the numbers for Black women actresses the numbers become acute as well. They earn 64 cents for every dollar made by a white actor, according to research conducted by the National Partnership for Women and Families. For Mowry, the harsh reality of inequity cannot be overlooked, but she remains unwavering in her commitment to her craft and to championing change,...
Over the years, Thasunda Brown Duckett has gained global recognition for her monumental career strides, impact, and influence. As previously reported by AFROTECH™, the TIAA president and CEO’s historic feats include, in 2021, becoming the first woman to lead the financial retirement services company in more than 100 years as well as one of two Black women to helm a Fortune 500 company. What’s more, Duckett was named on Forbes’ list of “The World’s Most Powerful Women” in 2023 and TIME’s “100 Most Influential People of 2024” the following year. As Duckett continues to make efforts toward closing the racial retirement gap and women’s retirement gap and tirelessly advocates for DEI, she credits her foundation for fueling the leader she is today. On July 5, 2024, at the Global Black Economic Forum (GBEF) Business Summit during the ESSENCE Festival Of Culture presented by Coca-Cola, she thanks her parents, Otis and Rosie Brown, for teaching her the level of resilience required to be a...
Former Atlanta Hawks player Dominique Wilkins is attaching himself to a winning cause. According to a news release, the NBA Hall of Famer is now committing his focus to Roots, an Atlanta, GA-based real estate company that offers a model benefiting investors and renters. Per its website, the company will purchase, manage, and rent homes to renters. From there individuals can become investors, and the renters can also opt in if they comply by paying their rent on time and maintaining the property. Since Roots’ launch in 2021, it has raised $33 million from over 6,000 investors to support its mission. Wilkins is now among its investors and also serves as the company’s partner and spokesperson. His intention behind supporting the brand is to create more opportunity in real estate for those frequently marginalized. Looking ahead, Wilkins’ work with the company will include using his likeness in videos and at gatherings to promote Roots and its “Live in it Like You Own it®” proprietary...
Money management can be a learning curve for many athletes, and this was the case for Dwyane Wade. Wade was drafted to the league in 2003, which is viewed as “one of the greatest draft classes in NBA history,” the league mentions. LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, and Chris Bosh were also drafted that year. Wade would make his debut with the Miami Heat as the No. 5 overall draft pick, Sports Illustrated reports. He then signed a three-year contract valued at $8.5 million, to The Palm Beach Post. For Wade, being drafted to the league allowed him to overcome the odds that were stacked against him living in the South Side of Chicago, where he would hear gun shots frequently. At one point, he was being raised by his mother who struggled with addiction and would leave him at home for periods of time, according to Business Insider. When he was 9 he eventually moved to a new neighborhood to be with his father, who had divorced his mother. “[My father] was militant,” Wade shared during an...
When Chris Paul was drafted to the league he turned down a substantial amount of money. The NBA player had been drafted in 2005 as the No. 4 draft pick by the New Orleans Hornets, Fox News reports. He was just 19 years old at the time. During an interview with Forbes, Paul mentioned he had just $151 in his bank account as a college student at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, NC, when he entered the league. One of his earliest actions was to bring on board a financial advisor, which ultimately resulted in him receiving an upfront offer of $100,000. However, his parents interceded, leading Paul to accept nearly a quarter of the initial offer. “My financial advisor who we hired, they said they would send me $100,000 and my parents said, ‘No that’s too much,'” he told Forbes. During an appearance on “The Shop,” he elaborated further stating, “Y ou know what happened? I was at Wake in Winston. I went to the bank right up the street just so I could see what the statement looked...
Nick Minaj’s latest tour is breaking records! According to Billboard, the Queens, NY, native’s “Pink Friday 2 World Tour” is the highest-grossing and bestselling rap tour by a woman in Billboard Boxscore history after reports revealed that it grossed $67 million and sold 439,000 tickets. Kicking off on March 1 in Oakland, CA, the tour’s first stop brought Minaj $2.3 million thanks to 14,000 tickets sold. The show concluded on May 13 in Oklahoma City, OK. She now joins the likes of her former label mate Drake, as well as Kendrick Lamar, Future, and a host of other rappers with high-grossing tours. Not to mention, she bumped out Doja Cat, who just five months prior had set the record with $37.3 million for “The Scarlet Tour.” With four double-headers, the “Pink Friday 2 World Tour” brought in more than $3 million for each stop in Atlanta, GA; Boston, MA; Brooklyn, NY; Chicago, IL; and Toronto, Canada. Minaj’s biggest moneymaking nights were both in New York, at the Brooklyn Barclays...
Chris Brown has been in the game for a little over two decades, and making smart business moves coupled with his talent may just be the reason for his longevity in the industry. During an appearance on “The R&B Money Podcast” with hosts J. Valentine and Tank, the R&B crooner opened up about what encouraged him to make franchise investments early on in his career. “I was 17 when I started trying to invest in certain things, just ‘cause I knew… You don’t know how long you going to be successful, and it’s not like every artist can make it look like they getting money, getting money,” he told his fellow R&B comrades. “If you’re not a touring act, if you’re not doing stuff, you need an exit strategy.” As previously reported by AFROTECH™ , during a 2015 interview, Brown told US Weekly that he was the owner of 14 Burger King restaurants. This type of planning, he told the “R&B Money Podcast,” can be a game-changer for an artist. “My investments were like into Burger Kings and stuff like...
A new day has begun in Detroit, MI, thanks to the leadership of the Detroit Black Community Food Sovereignty Network. For nearly a decade, the Motor City hasn’t had a full-scale Black-owned grocery store, Detroit Metro Times reports. Now, in May 2024, Detroit People’s Food Co-Op, the first Black-led co-op grocery store in Detroit, has opened its doors. As Detroit is one of the major U.S. cities that faces a significant shortage of food access, Detroit People’s Food Co-Op offers fresh, local grocery items, a deli, and a coffee bar. The outlet details that the store’s fruits and vegetables are sourced from four Black-owned farms in Michigan. In addition to providing quality food and health and wellness products, what makes the grocery store special is that anyone age 21 and over can become a member and have ownership in the co-op. On May 1, 2024, it had over 2,700 members and counting. “This is not something you’re invited to. It’s literally yours,” said Lanay Gilbert-Williams,...
Ashley M. Fox has had dreams of working on Wall Street since she first decided to attend Howard University. Little did she know that this vision would soon propel her into entrepreneurship. After conquering what some would deem the inevitable, Fox not only became the first person in her family to attend and graduate college, but she also landed her dream career of working with one of the largest banks in the world. Still, there was a desire for more. “After about eight months at my job, I felt like I didn’t have the desire to be the best person on Wall Street, I wanted to be like the client,” Fox told A FROTECH™. “I realized that no matter how long I stayed in my Wall Street job, yes, I was making perfect money, but our clients had at least $25 million or more and I felt like I deserved to be on the other end of the table.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by Ashley M. Fox (@_ashleymfox) Fox built that table for herself and those who look like her through Empify. “The...
A new report has shown celebratory news for Detroit, MI. “The Growth of Housing Wealth in Detroit and its Neighborhoods: 2014-2022,” a study by the University of Michigan Poverty Solutions, has been released showing that Black homeowners in Detroit have “gained $2.8 billion in home value,” per a news release. View this post on Instagram A post shared by City of Detroit (@cityofdetroit) Beginning in 2014, the study was conducted after Detroit’s municipal bankruptcy. In July 2013, Detroit became “the largest U.S. city to file for bankruptcy,” per AP News. The news release details that the study had a goal of finding out if the city’s housing values had seen growth across those nine years, and if these improvements had been fairly distributed across Detroit neighborhoods and racial/ethnic groups. With an 94% overall increase in home value, and 80% increase for Black homeowners specifically, since the study started, Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan credits residents stabilizing...