Rihanna honored as ‘national hero’ of Barbados

AdvocatesBlack HeritageBLMEntertainmentMusic

Rihanna’s homeland wants her to continue to “shine bright like a diamond.”

The singer was honored Monday in her native Barbados during its presidential inauguration, which served to mark the country becoming a republic.
Barbadian Prime Minister Mia Mottley told the crowd, “On behalf of a grateful nation, but an even prouder people, we therefore present to you the designee for national hero of Barbados, Ambassador Robyn Rihanna Fenty.”
“May you continue to shine like a diamond and bring honor to your nation by your works, by your actions, and to do credit wherever you shall go,” Mottley said.

The makeup and fashion mogul was appointed as an ambassador of Barbados in 2018.

According to a statement from the Barbados Government Information Office released at the time, the position gives the celeb “specific responsibility for promoting education, tourism, and investment for the island.”

She also became one of the Caribbean island country’s cultural ambassadors in 2008, doing promotional work for its tourism ministry.

In a move that received a great deal of support in the country, Barbados formally cut ties with the British monarchy by becoming a republic almost 400 years after the first English ship arrived on the most easterly of the Caribbean islands.

Click here to read the full article on CNN.

Gabrielle Union-Wade and Dwyane Wade to Receive President’s Award at NAACP Image Awards

AdvocatesEntertainment

Gabrielle Union and Dwyane Wade on red carpet with Hollywood Reporter logos in background

The philanthropic couple will receive the public service honor at the ceremony on Feb. 25.
Gabrielle Union-Wade and Dwyane Wade will receive the President’s Award at the 54th NAACP Image Awards, the NAACP and BET recently announced.

The honor, recognizing notable achievement and valued public service, will be handed out at the ceremony airing live on Feb. 25 at 8 p.m. ET on BET.

Previous honorees include Muhammad Ali, Colin Powell, Soledad O’Brien, Condoleezza Rice, LeBron James, Rihanna, Jay-Z, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.

“We’re thrilled to present this award to Gabrielle Union-Wade and Dwyane Wade who together have consistently utilized their platforms to advance social justice and raise awareness to the inequalities existing in our country,” said Derrick Johnson, President and CEO of the NAACP. “We’re proud to recognize the couple’s tireless humanitarian work as they continue to advocate for equality and acceptance for all.”

“Gabrielle Union-Wade and Dwyane Wade are exemplary in their purpose-driven leadership and use of their collective platforms for good,” said Scott Mills, President & CEO, BET. “This year’s recipients of the NAACP President’s Award are not just a timely signifier of the issues that matter most to the community; they are a testament to what is possible when one commits themselves to advancement in those areas. It is a great honor for BET to join the NAACP to amplify these issues and celebrate the leaders doing the work to drive change in our community.”

As a couple, through their Wade Family Foundation, ex-NBA star Dwyane Wade and actress Gabrielle Union-Wade have been at the forefront of providing relief to marginalized communities in need, helping to advance racial justice and LGBTQ equality. The activist couple has been particularly visible on matters of LGBTQ support helping raise money for the nonprofit GLSEN, which is dedicated to ending bullying and discrimination in schools.

On an individual level, Gabrielle Union-Wade has provided support and backed various causes including the Van Ness Recovery House, Leap for Ladies, Out Nebraska, Deborah’s Place, Harvest House, and Baltimore Safe Haven. In addition to financial contributions, Gabrielle is focused on using her platform as a public figure to bring awareness to the work these organizations and others are doing to support underrepresented communities.

Read the full exclusive article on the Hollywood Reporter.

BLACK MUSIC ACTION COALITION AND THE ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC ANNOUNCE PARTNERSHIP TO LAUNCH ONRAMP PROGRAM FOR FUTURE LEADERS

AdvocatesEntertainmentMusic

Celebrated Organizations Join Forces for New Initiative Supporting Young Black Members of the Music Community in Nashville, TN

LOS ANGELES (February 21, 2023) – The Black Music Action Coalition (BMAC) and the Academy of Country Music (ACM) proudly announced today a new partnership to launch, sustain and support “OnRamp,” a guaranteed income program for 20 young, Black members of the music community, including artists and industry professionals, in Nashville, Tennessee. The OnRamp program, focused on improving inclusivity and equity within Music City, aims to empower the next generation of leaders in the early stages of their careers by granting access to professional development opportunities, community mentorship, and other opportunities to increase personal growth, industry exposure, exclusive Academy membership panels and tentpole live events, and visibility with Academy Board members and industry leaders. Additionally, through the program, each participant will receive a $1,000 monthly stipend for one year.

OnRamp applications will be available starting in late Spring with the program starting in June, in celebration of Black Music Month and to commemorate the Black Music Action Coalition’s third anniversary. Interested candidates can visit acmcountry.com/onramp today to sign up for email notifications when applications are rolled out.

“It speaks volumes for the Black Music Action Coalition and the Academy of Country Music to join forces to launch a guaranteed income program in Nashville for emerging Black artists and young professionals. I applaud Damon Whiteside, the ACM Board and the Level Up team for sharing our vision and becoming true partners with BMAC on a direct impact solution that will begin to address long standing racial inequalities that exist in this country,” said Willie “Prophet” Stiggers, co-founder/co-chair Black Music Action Coalition.

“The Academy has a rich history of fostering diversity and inclusion in the Country Music industry both on stage and behind-the-scenes, and we see this partnership as a particularly impactful way to continue our committed work to making the statement ‘Country Music is for Everyone’ a true reality,” said ACM CEO Damon Whiteside. “We’re excited to work with BMAC on this pivotal and transformative work for our Nashville community by increasing opportunities for young professionals from diverse backgrounds in our industry.”

“When the Academy created the LEVel Up rising leaders program, we asked them to find the most meaningful and impactful ways to welcome people into country music, regardless of who or where they are,” said Board Chair Chuck Aly. “The Academy is proud to support OnRamp and we call on our industry friends and partners to join us in advancing this endeavor and working toward a broader, more successful and more diverse country music business.”

“I’ve seen firsthand over the past year the commitment and passion of the ACM LEVel Up rising leaders cohort, and I commend the Academy and BMAC for coming together on this exciting new program,” said ACM DEI Task Force Chair and ACM Board Member Shannon Sanders. “It’s my pleasure to stand alongside other industry leaders to support this important program, especially during Black History Month. The Academy continues to play a pivotal role in ushering in a new era in Country Music by truly supporting and lifting up those underrepresented in the industry.”

This inaugural program will initially be funded by the Black Music Action Coalition, the Academy of Country Music, and industry partners, and powered by social impact agency BreatheWithMe. The organizations are encouraging corporations and companies operating in Nashville and beyond to make a financial contribution to OnRamp as a means of powering their future equity and inclusion programs. OnRamp is one of many guaranteed income programs BMAC will be announcing throughout the year.

Playing an active role in guiding the OnRamp program and bringing it to life will be the members of the ACM LEVel Up: Lift Every Voice program’s 2022 cohort. ACM LEVel Up is a widely-heralded, Nashville-based professional development and enrichment program for rising leaders in Country Music, funded entirely by the Academy of Country Music at no cost to participants. The two-year curriculum is designed to empower participants to play a pivotal role in expanding the horizons of Country Music into new audiences that transcend demographics and geography. In December 2022, the Academy announced the program’s 2023 cohort, representing an entirely new and unduplicated list of organizations from the 2022 inaugural class.

Last June, Black Music Action Coalition released a report, Three Chords & The ACTUAL Truth, which documented opportunities for improvement in Black representation and participation in the Country Music space. The report called for Music Row, the city of Nashville and its companies, organizations and individuals committed to change and equity to partner with BMAC in a transformational program for Black artists in Nashville. The Academy of Country Music is amongst the first industry leaders to recognize and help facilitate necessary changes within the music community.

The Academy of Country Music has always proudly stood, throughout its almost 60-year history, as a progressive, welcoming organization for all, including an active, community-leading commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion stretching across all facets of the industry. In its mission statement, the Academy’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiative affirms a relentless commitment to creating a more inclusive environment for underrepresented groups, encompassing but not limited to, Black, Indigenous, LGBTQIA+, LatinX and Women in the Country Music industry, from the boardroom to the stage.

For more information regarding the Black Music Action Coalition, please visit bmacoalition.org. For more information on the Academy of Country Music, please visit acmcountry.com. Further details about the ACM’s LEVel Up: Lift Every Voice program is available at acmcountry.com/levelup.

About Black Music Action Coalition

The Black Music Action Coalition (BMAC) endeavors to uphold and actualize the mission of Black Lives Matter in the music industry and reach racial justice not just across labels, publishers, agencies, distributors, and DSP’s but throughout society at large. BMAC works together with leaders from various business leaders to hold their companies accountable and implement a system of checks and balances to ensure change takes root. The group fosters and shepherds various educational, mental health, financial literacy, entrepreneurship, policing, social justice, and political causes that directly impact Black communities.

About the Academy of Country Music

Founded in Southern California in 1964 as a regional trade organization, the ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC (ACM) has grown in the almost-60 years since into a leading association for the Country Music industry. Now headquartered in Nashville, TN and boasting record-high membership of more than 4,900 nationwide, the Academy serves as a powerhouse advocate for Country fans, artists, and all facets of the business, as well as a supporter of philanthropic work through charitable partner ACM LIFTING LIVES, dedicated to improving lives through the power of music and providing aid in times of need, with a focus on health initiatives. 2023 looks to be another monumental year for the Academy with the ACM Awards, the first major awards show to livestream exclusively, returning to Texas on May 11 and streaming live for a global audience on Prime Video. For more information, log onto ACMcountry.com or ACMLiftingLives.org.

A Mosaic Called Afro-Latinidad

Black Heritage

By Viviana Lopez Green
Senior Director, Racial Equity Initiative

Black History Month lends the opportunity to recognize the intersection between the Black and the Latino experience.

As we honor Black Americans this month, we invite Latinos to reflect on how our diverse racial backgrounds—including Afro-Latino, (and other racial identities)–can help position us to strengthen our multi-racial, multi-cultural community.

In observance of Black History Month, UnidosUS offers this list of content resources to deepen our understanding of the “Afro-Latino experience” while placing an intentional emphasis on the nuances and singularities in the mosaic that we call “Afro-Latinidad.’’

PODCASTS

Dialogues in AfroLatinidad
This podcast features interviews with scholars, writers, educators, artists, and community leaders “who share their passion for Afro-Latin American and Afro-Latinx Studies, the significance of their intellectual, creative, or community engagement.”

Las Caras Lindas Podcast
This podcast explores the intersection of blackness in Latinx communities “by shedding light on the neglected and untold stories of Afro-Latinx people.” Las Caras Lindas podcast is a collective of artists, activists, and community members.

Majestad Prieta
This podcast explores Blackness in America, the Caribbean, and the larger diaspora. It brings insights, history, conversations, and testimonies that reveal and explore the many angles of Afro-Latinidad and its connection with Black American History.

Looking Bilingüe
This video podcast is “a storytelling celebration of multiculturalism and multilingualism in the Latinx/e community.” Season 2, Orgullo en AfroLatinidad: Being Black AND Latinx, includes a series of interviews with Afro-Latinos that proudly celebrate their culture and share their paths of self-discovery.

BOOKS

Family Lore by Elizabeth Acevedo
“Family Lore” is the first novel for adults by Acevedo, who is a New York Times-bestselling author of young adult novels such as “The Poet X,” “With the Fire on High,” and “Clap When You Land.” The book tells the story of one Dominican-American family through the voices of its women “as they await a gathering that will forever change their lives.” The book will come out in September of this year.

When Trying to Return Home: Stories by Jennifer Maritza McCauley
This moving collection of stories about “belonging, the meaning of home, and how we secure freedom on our own terms” explores a century of Black American and Afro-Latino life in Puerto Rico, Pittsburgh, Louisiana, Miami, and beyond. “A Most Anticipated Book of the Year” for The Week, Today, People en Español, among others.

Stories of Gabriel by Esther Alix
Several intertwined stories about a close-knit community take place in the South Bronx. “’Stories of Gabriel’ is not a love story, but a story of several interconnected loves that have been lost or found, new or lasting. All take place just blocks apart. The vibrant Latinx Caribbean culture of the neighborhood is brought to life by debut fiction Dominican American writer Esther Alix.”

Neruda On the Park by Cleyvis Natera
This New York Times Editors’ Choice “follows members of a Dominican family in NYC who take radically different paths when faced with encroaching gentrification.” Natera’s debut novel is a vivid story about family, friendship, community, “and about the sacrifices we make to protect what we love most.”

Agridulce by Dhayana Alejandrina
Agridulce is divided in two sections: Lo Agrio (Bitter) and Lo Dulce (Sweet). The poems in each section speak to accepting life’s ambivalent nature. In the words of Dhayana, who immigrated from the Dominican Republic in 2009, “I use poetry to bring life to all the emotions we experience in this life journey, showing that to live is to embrace the good and the bad.”

YOUNG ADULT BOOKS

Sincerely Sicily by Tamika Burgess
This book tells the story of Sicily Jordan, “a Black Panamanian fashionista who rocks her braids with pride—who learns to use her voice and take pride in who she is while confronting prejudice in the most unexpected places.”

The Making of Yolanda la Bruja by Lorraine Avila
“Lorraine Avila brings a story born from the intersection of race, justice, education, and spirituality that will capture readers everywhere.” Highly praised by Elizabeth Acevedo, this book will be published in April 2023.

Islands Apart: Becoming Dominican American by Jasmine Méndez
“In this memoir for teens about growing up Afro Latina in the Deep South, Jasmine writes about feeling torn between her Dominican, Spanish-speaking culture at home and the American, English-speaking one around her.” “Islands Apart” is a story about identity, but mostly about reconciling aspects from the different cultures that can inhabit the self.

VIDEO & FILM

“The Ritual to Beauty” (Trailer)
As described in The New Yorker, “for the women in Shenny De Los Angeles’s family, hair relaxers meant a mix of beauty and pain. Going natural was both a privilege and a liberation.” In this experimental short film, three generations of Dominican women explore their relationship to “beauty rites” through spoken word and poetry. 2022 LOLA award winner “The Ritual of Beauty” is a meditation on learning how to love yourself by embracing your cultural and racial identity.

Los Patines (Trailer)
Black Colombian actress Loren Escandon directs Los Patines, a short film about “an Afro-Colombian orphaned girl who dreams of freedom, a normal childhood, and a pair of roller-skates” while she’s forced to work as a domestic servant.

Daughter of the Sea
“After the death of her grandfather, a young woman experiences a spiritual awakening when she is called by Yemaya, the orisha Goddess of the Sea.” With this evocative caption, audiences are invited to watch the “Daughter of the Sea,” directed by the talented Afro-Boricua Alexis García. Shot in Puerto Rico, the film is an ode to ancestors and Latina women.

Blactina Media
Nydia Simone, founder of Blactina Media, is a Panamanian-American actor, writer, and content creator, from New York City. Her company’s mission consists of “amplifying and empowering Afrolatinx/Caribbean narratives in every medium.” Through “The Plátano Pipeline,” Blaclatina Media is also opening doors for Afrolatinx and Caribbean professionals in Film/TV.

AFRO-LATINO SCHOLARS & STUDIES

Panama in Black: Afro-Caribbean World Making in the Twentieth Century by Kaysha Corinealdi
On a rich array of sources, this research presents the Panamanian isthmus as “a crucial site in the making of an Afro-diasporic world.” The book traces the multigenerational activism of Afro-Caribbean Panamanians in their navigation of anti-Blackness, xenophobia, and white supremacy. By doing so, “Corinealdi offers a new mode of understanding activism, community, and diaspora formation.”

‘Racial Innocence: Unmasking Latino Anti-Black Bias and the Struggle for Equality’ by Tanya Katerí Hernández
This comprehensive book about anti-Black bias in the Latino community “unpacks the misconception that Latinos are ‘exempt’ from racism due to their ethnicity and multicultural background.” Law professor and comparative race relations expert Tanya Katerí Hernández explores the “interwoven fabric of discrimination” and examines the cause of these issues.

Continue on here to read more.

Celebrating Black History Month

Advocates

John Register poses for article about Black History smiling wearing a blue suit coat and black button-down shirt

By John Register

We have been through a lot over the past couple of years. The racial tension in America seemed as if it might be on the brink of real change. Some Black Americans thought the country might experience a true shift and an acknowledgement by government leadership of the horrors wrought by (and a true pathway forward concerning) America’s original sin of slavery.

Others were less optimistic and wondered when the allyship veil would lift as people tired of the rhetoric. I continue to look for sustainable change in America for opportunities extended to all.

As a young person, my parents Rev. Donald and Dolores Register took my two brothers and me to Detroit Michigan, from Oak Park, Illinois, for summer vacations and Thanksgiving breaks to ensure we stayed connected to our family roots.

I did not know it then, but I certainly know it now that my family are advocates, allies and are change makers.

My uncle, Gloster Current, is the most famous. He was deputy executive director of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and the National Director of Branches and Field Administration of the NAACP during the Civil Rights Movement. In his role, he was the last person to see Medgar Evers alive and oversaw the platform speakers at the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom on August 28, 1963, where Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his now famed “I Have a Dream” speech. A speech that really was not a about a dream of Black and white unity, but rather civil and economic equal rights of African Americans.

He and his wife lived in Hollis, New York.

When I reflect now, I see the progress we as Black and Brown people have made in the United States, and I also see a long road ahead. Sometimes when I visit Washington D.C., I do a monument walk. I stop by the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial. Kings’ commanding figure emerges out of a mountain of despair. His arms folded and eyes appear fixed across the tidal basin at our third President, Thomas Jefferson. It is as if he is still hoping to fully emerge from the sins of the father.

My dad was a Presbyterian minister and part of a group of clergies responsible for building suitable housing for the poor. I can’t imagine how hard the work might have been as they had to fight the unfair “redlining” practices of the federal government which refused to give loans to Blacks and subsidized builders for entire subdivisions for whites. We still see the impacts of this practice today.

During one of my summer months, back from college at the University of Arkansas, I was rummaging through my dad’s desk drawer in the basement. I was looking for a pencil.

I found was an article showing how my dad and nine other white clergy went to Mississippi to assist in the right to vote for Blacks.

He was thrown in jail for nine days and fined. His crime, placing a sign on the wrong side of a chain fence when police asked them to put their signs down.

However, the article continued and stated the judge who had put them in jail had died and was replaced by a Black woman. I was floored.

When I confronted my dad about the rest of the story, he stated, “Yes, she came by the church and asked if I wanted my record expunged?”

“What did you say?” I asked.

Dad just shook his head and said, “No. That proves I was part of the struggle.”

Now, that’s a badge of honor in my book.

Though we have overcome in some areas, the disparity which causes depression remains in the job market. Two decades after Kalisha White, a Black woman, won a discrimination suit against Target, studies show not much has changed.

According to a report by WBUR, a nonprofit news organization, “economist from the University of California Berkeley and the University of Chicago found that out of 83,000 job applications sent to 108 Fortune 500 employers — half with traditionally white-sounding names, and the other half with Black-sounding names only applicants with Black names were called back 10 percent fewer times across the board despite having comparable application to their white counterparts.

I tell the youth I coach that hard work is necessary but not to mistake hard work with equitable opportunity.

This is what Dr. King was trying to get us to understand.

Dr. Harry Edwards, sociologist emeritus from the University of California Berkley, shared three elements for sustainable changed at the NFL Diversity and Equity Forum in New York City.

A dependable and developed pipeline of talent.
A pervasive and persistent demand.
The institution being pressed to change, has to want change.

He further explained when you have all three aligned you have a recipe for sustainable change. If not, a quota system is more likely to emerge.

Is the leadership and institution of America ready to change to embrace all her citizens? Are we up for the challenge, as the pervasive demand to cry out for a demand an overlooked pipeline of talent to be heard?

I remain optimistic.

As a combat Army veteran, my oath was to, “protect and defend the United States Constitution against all enemies foreign, and domestic, and to bear true faith and allegiance to the same.”

When I end termed my service, the amazing thing is that no one “unoathed” me.

I believe American can get there because she too has an oath to uphold, “that all people are created equal and there should be liberty (freedom) and justice (equity) for all.”

No one has unoathed her yet either.

Viola Davis Earns EGOT with Grammy Award for Memoir Audiobook Narration

Entertainment

Viola Davis cover on the Black EOE Journal

“It has just been such a journey,” Viola Davis said of her memoir Finding Me as she accepted the Grammy Award for best audiobook, narration & storytelling recording, bringing her to EGOT status.

Viola Davis is officially an EGOT winner!

The actress, 57, claimed the coveted title — which also requires an Academy Award, Emmy Award and Tony Award — as she won best audiobook, narration & storytelling recording for her memoir Finding Me on Sunday at the 65th Grammy Awards Premiere Ceremony.

“Oh my God! I wrote this book to honor the 6-year-old Viola, to honor her life, her joy, her trauma, everything,” Davis began in her acceptance speech. “And it has just been such a journey. I just EGOT!”

She continued to thank “everybody who was a part of my story, and the best chapter yet, my loves [husband Julius Tennon and 12-year-old daughter Genesis]. You are my life and my joy, the best chapter in my book. Thank you!”

Fellow EGOT winner Jennifer Hudson celebrated the accomplishment on Twitter, sharing a video of Davis’ speech. “Hold the line!!!!!!! Viola Davis just became EGOT #18!!! Omg @violadavis U are absolutely everything! Congratulations to a living LEGEND. Time to celebrate!!!” she wrote.

Davis’ first Grammy win was also her first nomination, beating out Jamie Foxx (Act Like You Got Some Sense), Mel Brooks (All About Me!: My Remarkable Life in Show Business), Lin-Manuel Miranda (Aristotle and Dante Dive into the Waters of the World by Benjamin Alire Sáenz) and Questlove (Music Is History) for the award.

The Woman King star’s journey to EGOT status began in 2001 when she won best featured actress in a play at the 55th Tony Awards for her performance as Tonya in Broadway’s King Hedley II. She was previously nominated in the same category for Seven Guitars in 1996.

In 2010, she won best leading actress in a play for her role of Rose Maxson in Fences, which also earned her first Academy Award in 2017 for Best Supporting Actress in the play’s feature adaptation.

Read the complete article originally posted on People.

Beyoncé Breaks Record For Most GRAMMY Wins In History

Entertainment

Beyonce onstage at the 2023 grammys acceptance speech

It’s official: Beyoncé has made GRAMMY history. Her win for Best Dance/Electronic Album for ‘RENAISSANCE’ put her GRAMMY total at 33, the most of all time.

By Lior Phillips, GRAMMYS

After winning the award for Best Dance/Electronic Music Album, Beyoncé now holds the all-time record for most GRAMMY wins. While George Solti had previously held that incredible honor, Queen Bey has now overtaken the classical conductor thanks in part to her powerful 2022 record, RENAISSANCE. With 32 GRAMMY awards now in her trophy case — and the potential to add even more still to come this evening — the mega-star produced yet
Photo: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

another unequaled GRAMMYs moment. The record-tying award came early in the ceremony — so early in fact that Beyoncé had yet to arrive. The GRAMMY for Best R&B Song was instead accepted on her behalf, the legendary Nile Rodgers sharing his story of “CUFF IT” and offering words of thanks. In fact, prior to this year’s ceremony even beginning, Beyoncé had already marked another record: tying her own husband, Jay-Z, as the most nominated artists in GRAMMY history.

When time came for the record-setting GRAMMY win, Beyoncé herself was present, arriving to the stage to a standing ovation and an immeasurable wash of applause. After thanking God and her family, she was sure to highlight a group that made a special impact on this record.

“I’d like to thank the queer community,” she smiled, crediting the early voices in the dance and electronic realm as well as her uncle Jonny, who inspired RENAISSANCE. In host Trevor Noah’s eyes, the conversation about who is considered the GOAT to be over, Beyoncé’s legacy is far from finished.

Read the complete article and more about the GRAMMY’s here.

This Afro-Latina Never Saw Herself Represented Growing Up — Here’s How She’s Working To Change That

Black HeritageBusinessEntertainment

Afro Latina - Bianca Kea sitting behind a table of jack and green apples

By Refinery 29

Growing up in the suburbs of Detroit, Bianca Kea was acutely aware that outside of her family, there were no other Afro-Latinxs that looked like her. No one she could relate to or look up to. But that all changed when she moved to New York City.

“Moving to New York City was such an eye-opening experience,” she recalls. “And it was the first time somebody actually identified me as Afro-Latina — I had never heard the term before, and I was able to learn about my heritage, my history as an Afro-Mexicana.” Her experience — the realization and recognition of being Afro-Latina, of being both Black and Mexican, and not feeling like she had to choose one or the other — led to her launching Yo Soy AfroLatina, an online platform and lifestyle brand that celebrates “Afro-Latinidad in the Americas and validates our hermanas’ experience.” It was born out of not seeing herself represented and wanting to create something that would not only make an impact on the culture, but also cultivate a community. “We all have different experiences — we’re not a monolith — and it’s important for people to understand what it means to be at the intersection of two beautiful cultures,” Kea says. “I hope we’re able to break down stereotypes, empower people, and allow them to be Afro-Latina. Just be yourself.”

That’s why Refinery29 is partnering with Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Apple to produce Valiente Y Fuerte — a video campaign designed to amplify the voices of Latinx creatives like Kea who inspire us every day. Watch the video above for more information about Yo Soy AfroLatina — and how Kea is turning her passion into a legacy.

Click here to read the full article on Refinery 29.

Chance the Rapper says the idea to ‘man up’ is harmful to Black men’s mental health

EntertainmentHealthlifestyle

By David Artavia, Yahoo! Life

Chance the Rapper is not holding back when it comes speaking about the benefits of prioritizing mental health.

In a new interview with Taraji P. Henson and her best friend Tracie Jade on Facebook Watch’s Peace of Mind with Taraji, the rapper opened up about dealing with the “dark days” of his mental health and how it inspired him to fight for better mental health services in Black communities.

“I think Black men are naturally guarded,” he said when asked about the pressure many Black men face to “man up” and not show their emotions. “You kind of have to be [because] your weakness is preyed upon. So, I think it’s a defense mechanism. You go to a funeral, like, you kind of don’t want to cry. You know what I mean? You don’t want to subject yourself to the feeling of like, that weakness, of like, you know, it just takes a lot to be cathartic, to cry, to empty yourself.”

“I saw my friend killed in front of me when I was 19,” he continued. “I’ve seen people I didn’t know get killed too, and you become kind of like numb to it. Somebody else died last week. But it stays with you, you know what I mean? And you don’t realize until later [that] it could have lasting effects.”

It was these types of discoveries that led him to donate $1 million in 2019 to mental health services in his hometown of Chicago through SocialWorks, his nonprofit organization.

“A couple of years ago, I, for the first time experienced a friend, somebody that I knew from growing up, that was having a mental health crisis,” he said. “His family and his friends had exhausted their efforts over years and years of trying to help. I didn’t really know that much about this stuff. There’s probably a ton of situations where people, you know, we just wrote them off as like, ‘crazy,’ or like, ‘they was tweaking.’ But they were actually going through a chronic mental health disorder.”

After realizing “the kind of care” his friend needed “wasn’t available in the city” for those who can’t afford it, he decided to team up with local advocates to help build the change.

“We basically found every possible mental health initiative within the city of Chicago, and then within Cook County, and then eventually through the entire state of Illinois,” he explained. “[We] created this app that allows people to get in contact, whether it’s an in-person meeting or tele-health, with a mental health service provider, and get the help that they need, instantly from their phone. And it’s free.”

While Chance acknowledges it’s great that celebrities are starting to drive the message that “health is beyond just our physical state,” he argues that equal access to mental health services isn’t going to happen until those in power, particularly “our lawmakers and the billion-dollar companies,” rise to meet the community’s need.

“We’re talented people, but we’re not the people that make the big decisions,” he said. “We’re not the people that write the biggest checks. Those kind of things have to happen.”

Click here to read the full article on Yahoo! Life.

Angela Bassett Wins Golden Globe for ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ as First Actor to Earn Major Award for Marvel Movie

Entertainment

Angela Bassett in sparkling silver dress talking on stage

Angela Bassett won the Golden Globe award Tuesday for her performance as Queen Ramonda in “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” making the 64-year-old the first actor ever to win a major individual acting award for a movie based on Marvel Comics.

The evening marked Bassett’s second win (and second nomination) at the Globes; she took home the trophy for best actress in a musical or comedy for 1993’s Tina Turner biopic “What’s Love Got to Do With It.”

“I got to find my words. I’m so nervous. My heart is just beating,” Bassett began, taking the stage to accept the award. “The late Tony Morrison said that your life is already a miracle of chance just waiting for you to order its destiny. But in order for that destiny to manifest, I think that it requires courage to have faith. It requires patience, as we just heard. And it requires a true sense of yourself. It’s not easy because the past is circuitous and it has many unexpected detours, but, by the grace of God, I stand here. I stand here grateful.”

Bassett took the space to thank her husband, fellow actor Courtney B. Vance, her family and her Marvel collaborators, “Wakanda Forever” director Ryan Coogler, Victoria Alonso, Nate Moore, Kevin Feige and Louis D’Esposito. Bassett also acknowledged the death of “Black Panther” star Chadwick Boseman, who died of colon cancer in 2020. Boseman’s death casts a shadow over the plot of “Wakanda Forever.”

“We embarked on this journey together with love. We mourned, we loved, we healed. We were surrounded each and every day by the light and the spirit of Chadwick Boseman,” Bassett said. “We have joy in knowing that with this historic ‘Black Panther’ series, it is a part of his legacy that he helped to lead us. We showed the world what Black unity, leadership and love looks like, behind and in front of the camera. To the Marvel fans, thank you for embracing these characters and showing us so much love.”

Backstage, Bassett was characteristically composed as she was asked if she had any hesitation about attending the show given the Hollywood Foreign Press Assn.’s recent controversary over the lack of Black members in the press organization.

“The HFPA has made strides,” Bassett said. “They know what needs to be done.”

Prior to Bassett’s win for “Wakanda Forever,” only four actors, and no women, had even been nominated for a Golden Globe for acting in a superhero movie: Nominees Ryan Reynolds for 2016’s “Deadpool” (actor in musical/comedy) and Jack Nicholson for 1989’s “Batman” (actor in musical/comedy), as well as winners Joaquin Phoenix for 2019’s “Joker” (actor in drama) and Heath Ledger for 2008’s “The Dark Knight” (supporting actor). Phoenix and Ledger, who both played variations on the DC Comics villain the Joker, were the major winners in their respective years across awards season, taking home the SAG Awards and the Oscars as well (Ledger’s wins were posthumous).

This isn’t the first time Bassett has earned a top award for playing Queen Ramonda, however: She was also part of the group of actors from 2018’s “Black Panther” who won best ensemble at the SAG Awards.

Photo Credit: NBC via Getty Images

Read the complete article on Variety.

MLK Day 2023: What to know about the civil rights icon’s celebration

ActivistAdvocates

Martin Luther King JR day sign illustration for the civil rights leader

The annual King Holiday Observance is a time that we celebrate, commemorate and honor the life, legacy and impact of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Global citizens will have unique opportunities to learn and unite in celebration of Dr. King’s groundbreaking work and Mrs. Coretta Scott King’s powerful continuation and formal institutionalization of that work through a variety of engaging events hosted by The King Center leading up to The King Holiday on January 16th, 2023.

As we witness nations around the world continue to struggle under the weight of violence, hate and poverty, today’s social, political and economic landscape reveals the urgent necessity of Dr. King’s philosophy and methodology of Nonviolence (Nonviolence365™). The King Center leads the charge to provide education and training in Nonviolence365; while serving as the vital living memorial of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Our strategic theme for 2023 is ‘Cultivating a Beloved Community Mindset to Transform Unjust Systems’. This theme defines the 2023 King Holiday Observance events and programming while serving as a compass for all the work we will do this upcoming calendar year and beyond. The pioneering work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. demonstrated that Kingian Nonviolence (Nonviolence365™) is the sustainable solution to injustice and violence in our world, ultimately leading to the creation of the Beloved Community, where injustice ceases and love prevails.

The King Center welcomes and invites you to join this movement for a new future as we strive to cultivate a Beloved Community Mindset, and ultimately transform unjust systems.

Target says it will spend more than $2 billion with Black-owned businesses by 2025

BLMBusinesslifestyle

People stand in line at Target in Kips Bay during the coronavirus pandemic on April 14, 2020 in New York City.

By Melissa Repko, CNBC

Target said it will hire more Black-owned companies, launch a program to identify and support promising minority entrepreneurs and add products from more than 500 Black-owned brands to its shelves or website.

Altogether, the discounter said Wednesday, it will spend more than $2 billion with Black-owned businesses by 2025.

“We have a rich history of working with diverse businesses, but there’s more we can do to spark change across the retail industry, support the Black community and ensure Black guests feel welcomed and represented when they shop at Target,” chief growth officer Christina Hennington said in a news release.

The killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and protests across the country have ratcheted up pressure on corporate leaders to advance racial equity and do more than simply cut a check — or risk losing business. The uneven death toll of the coronavirus pandemic and financial toll of the recession also spotlighted the country’s sharp racial disparities with health care and economic opportunity.

Floyd was killed in Target’s hometown of Minneapolis, now the site of the murder trial for the police officer who kneeled on Floyd’s neck. One Target store, located near the site of Floyd’s death, had to be completely rebuilt and some of its other stores were damaged during rioting.

Companies have spoken out about diversity and inclusion as consumers pay attention and some direct their dollars toward businesses that align with their values. Generation Z — the group of teens and early 20-somethings who are aging into shopping and establishing relationships with brands — care more about social justice compared with former generations, according to an annual survey of teens by Piper Sandler released Wednesday. Teens surveyed by the firm ranked racial equity as their most important political and social issue, followed by the environment and Black Lives Matter.

Over the past year, major retailers like Nike, Walmart and Ulta Beauty have rolled out their own pledges, such as devoting more shelf space to Black-owned products, evaluating how they hire and promote employees, featuring more Black people in their ads and reducing the number of police or security in stores to prevent racial profiling. A growing number of retailers, including Macy’s, Sephora and Gap, have signed on to the 15 Percent Pledge, which aims to make Black-owned products on store shelves proportional to the country’s Black population.

Among Target’s changes, the retailer said it will more actively seek out advertising firms, suppliers, construction companies and other kinds of businesses that are Black-owned. It said it will create a program called Forward Founders for early-stage start-ups led by Black entrepreneurs to help them develop, test and scale products to sell at mass retailers like Target. It will be modeled off of Target Accelerators, a program for start-ups that the retailer uses to foster up-and-coming brands and ultimately, to sell fresh and exclusive products that attract customers and help it differentiate from competitors.

In some categories, such as beauty, Target said it already has 50 Black-owned and Black-founded brands — but would like to add more for other kinds of merchandise.

Click here to read the full article on CNBC.

Meet The Founder Who Has Helped Women-Owned Businesses Secure Over $14 Million In Funding

BLMBusiness

By Pauleanna Reid, Forbes

Black women have outpaced white men in starting a business according to recent studies. Yet despite being among the fastest growing demographic of entrepreneurs, only 3% of Black women are running mature businesses. This is largely because building a strong, growing entity that has moved past its starting stage requires access to capital. A barrier for growth that highlights the inequities women of colour continue to face in finance. Black women run businesses not only get approved for loans at rates 20 percent lower than men but also receive significantly smaller loan amounts as well.

For Dr. Roshawnna Novellus, a fintech and investing expert and founder of EnrichHER, her mission is to change that. EnrichHER, the only digital lending platform specializing in connecting diverse entrepreneurs to capital, is Novellus’ solution to fuel inclusive economic growth by providing business owners with capital, coaching, and connections.

“I believe that women entrepreneurs are the cornerstones of society; our businesses not only create jobs, but they strengthen economies and sustain whole communities,” states Dr. Novellus.

In 2017, Dr. Novellus founded EnrichHER by gathering 50 organizations in Atlanta to test her idea. The full program launched in February 2019, receiving applications from 3,000 women-led businesses. “EnrichHER is the perfect name because we’re trying to put money into companies that have gender diversity in the leadership position. And by doing so, we’re enriching the business and enriching her,” Dr. Novellus explained. The platform focuses on two different types of customers. One being the funder profile – either an angel investor or a small angel group – that wants to fund a new majority founder. The other funder type is for a larger organization such as PayPal to deploy greater sums of money to well-qualified business owners. Providing the ability to make a financial transaction directly through EnrichHER makes it frictionless for funders to make investments. “Everything is built into our platform, and they can walk away a year later with a principal plus interest payment and knowing that they have funded new majority founders,” stated Dr. Novellus.

Dr. Novellus is no stranger to gaining access to resources. She is one of very few Black women founders who has raised over $1 million in venture capital. But her journey toward economic empowerment and leveraging the power of investments began when she was just 15 years old. Recognizing that she would require a strategic plan to reach her goals, Dr. Novellus raised over $600,000 in scholarships to fund 11 years of higher education. She achieved this herculean feat by reaching out to over 200 companies to inquire about scholarships. Her persistence worked, and companies decided to invest in her educational goals.

Much of her determination and advocacy for economic equality began with the conversations held in her household growing up. Defying common misconceptions about women and their perceived lack of financial knowledge, Dr. Novellus was taught differently, “My mother always told me that women were the best at managing money and managing finances, even though other people often tell us otherwise. Women are the best because they typically have to manage all the money in every household.” Dr. Novellus’ mother encouraged her daughter to be knowledgeable and feel confident in any kind of financial transaction by giving her hands-on experience from an early age. “Outside of learning how to invest in the stock market at 12, I told my mother that I wanted to do the taxes for our family, so she allowed me to read through the tax books. And she believed that I could do it,” Dr. Novellus explained.

Click here to read the full article on Forbes.

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Angela Bassett Wins Golden Globe for ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ as First Actor to Earn Major Award for Marvel Movie

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Target says it will spend more than $2 billion with Black-owned businesses by 2025

Meet The Founder Who Has Helped Women-Owned Businesses Secure Over $14 Million In Funding

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