Month: May 2020

By Derek Major,

Industries across the country are suffering due to the coronavirus and colleges and universities are no different.

According to The Financial Times, colleges and universities are basically large buffets right now. All the food and drink one can handle, but no way of social distancing.

Many colleges and universities are currently running online classes amid the coronavirus outbreak, which is killing schools financially.

Colleges and universities on average earn roughly 10% of their income from auxiliary operations, including food and lodging.

Even before the outbreak, 30% of colleges tracked by Moody’s were running deficits, while 15% of public universities had less than 90 days of cash on hand. With college and universities shuttered, room and board, food, entertainment, and costs around them have stopped.

Moody’s has downgraded the entire higher education industry from stable to negative. The Financial Times also reported,  the American Council on Education said revenues in higher education could decline by $23 billion over the next academic year.

Fifty-seven percent of university presidents in a poll said they planned to lay off staff. Fifty percent of presidents said they would merge or eliminate some programs. Sixty-four percent consider financial viability their most pressing issue.

One of the biggest problems facing universities is costs. Rising tuition costs combined with a lack of options dealing with loans after college has led to more than $2 trillion in student debt across the country.

Additionally, enrollment nationwide is down 11% as some find cheaper options or avoid higher education altogether. Many schools are also missing out on seven-figure payments from the NCAA following the cancellation of sports programs.

Colleges and universities could apply for federal grants but the optics of doing so may hurt more. Harvard was given a $9 million CARES Act grant but returned the money due to public pressure.

A Forbes report showed 177 of 933 rated private colleges received a “D” grade for financial health. In 2013, 110 schools received a “D” grade. Another 498 colleges and universities had a “C” grade meaning they had modest reserves and are unable to withstand a significant economic issue.

Boston University has already announced it may not reopen until 2021. Historic black colleges and universities could be hurting more as enrollments hit a 17 year low before the virus.

Original article was published here.

By Dana Givens,

Summer is on the horizon and that also means the return of harmful UV rays that can damage your skin. While many within the black community may believe the myth that darker skin tones cannot get skin cancer, studies say otherwise. Even though darker skin tones are less likely to contract the disease in comparison with those with fairer skin, your skin can become permanently damaged and you may not be able to see early signs of cancer until it’s too late.

According to the American Academy of Dermatology, people with darker skin tones often do not receive a diagnosis until the cancer is in its later stages. This tends to be because the symptoms are harder to recognize. There are also limited options for sunblock that works well with dark skin. One entrepreneur decided to take matters into her own hands and created a product that protects our melanin.

View this post on Instagram

What's your response when someone tells you that they don't NEED sunscreen? #BlackGirlSunscreen⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 📸: @thisiskrisjoy

A post shared by BlackGirlSunscreen (@blackgirlsunscreen) on Apr 15, 2020 at 9:03am PDT

Shontay Lundy founded Black Girl Sunscreen after becoming frustrated with the limited options for women with her skin tone. “[I started this company] because I am a woman of the sun and couldn’t find a sunscreen that would rub evenly into my complexion without leaving the tell-tale white residue,” Lundy told BLACK ENTERPRISE.

In 2016, she launched the brand based out of Miami. She continued on to say that the mission for her brand is “to educate and empower women of color to protect and nurture their skin no matter what shade it comes in while making them feel good and look good while being protected in the sun.”

Since its launch, Lundy’s sunscreen can be found in local beauty supply stores and Target. She credits Ureeka, a platform that connects female and minority small business owners to peers, mentors, and coaches, for helping her start and expand her brand.

Original article was published here.

By Cedric Thornton,

Is Sean “Diddy” Combs starting to ‘REVOLT’ in this election year? He has made it clear to the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee former Vice President Joe Biden that he’ll “hold the vote hostage if I have to!” according to Madame Noire.

Diddy made an appearance on Naomi Campbell‘s YouTube series, “No Filter With Naomi” and the discussion led to Diddy expressing to her that he’ll “hold the vote hostage!”

THE BLACK VOTE WILL NOT BE FREE THIS YEAR.

— Diddy (@Diddy) April 29, 2020

“The black vote is not gon’ be for free,” he said. “We’re gonna have to see some promises. We’re gonna have to understand what kind of deal we’re getting out of—what are we getting in return for our vote? Nothing has changed in America for black America. And, in order for us to vote for Biden, we can’t be taken for granted like we always are because we’re supposed to be Democrats. Or because people are afraid of Trump.”

“It’s whoever is going to take care of our community, whoever wants to make a deal, it’s business at this point. We can’t trust politicians. So we want to know very clearly, just like Trump made it clear that he wanna build a wall, Biden needs to make it clear that he’s going to change the lives and quality of life of black and brown people,” he said.

“I will hold the vote hostage if I have to.”

As anticipated, many people were not only taken aback by Diddy’s declaration but some, including one of his closest friends, Kenny Burns chastised Diddy for not being an effective leader in this instance. After Burns posted on Diddy’s Instagram posting, the Combs Enterprises owner deleted Burns’ comment on the matter.

Burns, who is senior vice president of Brand Development for Combs Enterprises, wrote this before the deletion, “Puff this statement is VERY Irresponsible at this Point. THE ONLY OPTION IS TO GET TRUMP OUT OF OFFICE. Come on Champ!!! Encouraging People to Stand by is NOT AN OPTION. #VoteOrDie.”

View this post on Instagram

WOW @Diddy You erase My Truthful Comment and keep the VOTE FOR TRUMP comments on Your Page 🤔 Then You Block Me…lol And You’re really going to wait til it’s 2 Candidates to say that Your Holding “Our Vote”… Come on Champ! This is NOT Leadership!!! Where were You during the primaries??? What Happened to #VoteOrDie??? TRUMP BEiNG PUT OUT OF OFFiCE iS THE ONLY OPTiON!!! PERiOD.

A post shared by Kenny Burns (@kennyburns) on Apr 28, 2020 at 7:28pm PDT

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Original article was published here.

By Selena Hill,

When Tia Mowry launched her new vitamin supplement line Anser in January, she had no idea that a public health crisis would shift the entire world just weeks later. At the time, the actress, wife, and mother of two wanted to ensure that busy moms like herself received a healthy dosage of daily nutrients. However, with the mass devastation and disruption caused by COVID-19, many people have become more health-conscious and are turning to vitamins as they prioritize their health.

In an exclusive interview with BLACK ENTERPRISE, the 41-year-old actress, entrepreneur, and best-selling author opened up about expanding her supplement line and the chronic health condition that triggered her to launch Anser in partnership with BioSchwartz. The self-professed workaholic also talked about how she and her family are adjusting to life in quarantine.

Tia Mowry’s Wellness Journey

Mowry became a household name when she starred alongside her twin sister Tamera in the hit 90s TV sitcom Sister, Sister. Back in her 20s, she was diagnosed with a life-altering health condition, which caused her to struggle with fertility. Today, she’s an avid fitness and health advocate and the co-founder of Anser, a line of multivitamins, beauty supplements, and prenatal care initially made for women.

“It was inspired by my personal wellness journey. I’ve been very open with telling everybody that I suffer from something called endometriosis, which is a highly inflammatory condition that causes infertility,” she told BE. The illness, which affects more than 11% of women between the ages of 15 and 44 in the U.S., can also cause painful periods, chronic lower back pain, excessive and irregular bleeding, painful bowel movements, and stomach problems. After enduring excoriating symptoms and two surgeries, Mowry took her doctor’s advice and changed her eating habits and lifestyle.

“At first, it was hard to adjust to that, but I changed my diet. I started to eat more veggies, to eat more fruits, [and] to stay away from foods that caused inflammation within the body, which can exacerbate an inflammatory condition. I started exercising. I started meditating. I started taking supplements. And I saw this huge change within my health. I no longer had eczema. I no longer had migraines,” she said. “The biggest change, of course, was I was able to have children.”

After experiencing such positive results, Mowry said she wanted to share her holistic approach with others. “I didn’t want to keep all of that to myself,” she said. “That was one of the inspirations to why I came up with Anser.”

In addition, in 2017 she published Whole New You: How Real Food Transforms Your Life for a Healthier, More Gorgeous You: A Cookbook. The book includes a 10-day healthy meal plan, over 100 recipes, and lighter alternatives to comfort foods.

In March, she expanded Anser for men and children, professing that both her husband, actor Cory Hardrict, and 8-year-old son, Cree, love the supplements.

On Manifesting Success

During the interview, Mowry said she’s not surprised that her show, Family Reunion, has become the most-watched family series streaming on Netflix. The show, which was created by Meg DeLoatch, premiered in July 2019 and has been flourishing ever since.

“I have a vision board and I mediate and I manifested. I’m a huge Netflix fan and I said I want to be on Netflix,” she said. “And lo and behold, I ended up getting this show.”

She’s most proud of its multicultural representation both in front and behind the camera. After starring in four different television series throughout her career, Mowry says, “this is the only show that I’ve been on where I have seen huge diversity from not only having an amazing staff of writers that are black but also women [and] black women directors.”

On Adjusting to Quarantine Life

When she’s not cooking healthy meals for her family, working out, or creating content on her multiple media platforms, Mowry, like the rest of us, is adjusting to the new COVID reality.

“You have survival mechanisms. You have a bag of tools that you do to survive. But now that we’ve been put into this situation, you have to adjust and maybe change those tools,” she said. “With us focusing on that, we’re able to get by instead of just holding on to the old.”

Despite being locked down, she says she’s found a silver lining in the midst of the pandemic.

“I’m grateful for learning new things because I think that’s how you become a better person. It’s when you’re constantly evolving and constantly changing,” she said. “My goal for this pandemic is for people to come out changed and for people to come out with a whole new perspective.”

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Original article and Full Tia Mowry’s interview

By Cedric Thornton,

They always say, don’t quit your day job! Well, according to USA Today, Jaguars backup quarterback Joshua Dobbs actually can since he is also a certified rocket scientist.

The Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback spends part of the NFL offseason working at The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Dobbs graduated with honors from the University of Tennessee with a degree in aerospace engineering. 

For almost three weeks in February, the four-year veteran put his degree to practice. With assistance from the NFL Players Association (NFLPA), Dobbs took part in an externship program at NASA mixing it up with engineers and receiving a crash course in space travel.

The program, which takes place at the Kennedy Space Center in Merritt Island, Florida, is in part the brainchild of NASA Deputy Director of Engineering Scott Colloredo, who runs a department of more than 600 employees and contractors. Colloredo, who also graduated from the University of Tennessee, reached out to Dobbs on LinkedIn last year to tell him about the aerospace externship. 

“The fact that in his spare time he had the interest and the ability to come work for NASA, we’re very impressed with him,” Colloredo told USA Today. “It was pretty unique. But let’s face it: Josh, his approach and the way he’s going about parallel activity between the NFL and becoming an aerospace technologist, that’s pretty unique.”

“It felt like every part of Kennedy Space Center kind of wanted to show me what was going on,” Dobbs said. “Every single day was different, so I got a chance to learn kind of the ins and outs, everything that goes on, and how everything comes together to support the rocket on launch day.”

Dobbs excelled in the STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) curriculum at the university and decided that studying aerospace engineering would be “a major and degree field that I enjoyed, that I was passionate about and would challenge me.”

“Whether you’re on a football field or down there, it’s a team,” Dobbs said. “At the end of the day for us, we’re trying to win football games, trying to win a Super Bowl. For them, at the end of the day, they’re trying to send a rocket to the moon. So everyone has their big goal.”

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Original article was published here.

By Cedric Thornton,

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It looks like “The King” LeBron James gets to graduate again!

The LeBron James Family Foundation, XQ Institute, and The Entertainment Industry Foundationare teaming to produce a one-hour special, Graduate Together: America Honors the High School Class of 2020. The telecast will air simultaneously on NBC, ABC, CBS, and Fox on May 16 at 8 p.m. Eastern Standard Time.

The special can also be viewed on leading online entertainment, social media and streaming platform, including Complex Networks, Facebook, PEOPLE, TikTok, and YouTube.

The event will include appearances by James, Pharrell Williams, Malala Yousafzai, the Jonas Brothers, Bad Bunny, Yara Shahidi, Ben Platt, Lena Waithe, and H.E.R.

“I wanted to help create a show that looked and felt very different from traditional specials. Something that spoke to kids in a different way. These kids worked so hard to graduate and what is happening to them is truly unfair,” James said in a statement to The Associated Press. “I hope we can give them and their families something cool that makes their accomplishment feel special.”

Working on something special for you high school class of 2020! 🙏🏾 See you May 16th!! @LJFamFoundation @GradTogether @XQAmerica @EIFoundation #GraduateTogether 🎓 #MoreThanAnAthlete 👑 pic.twitter.com/oKvC2VrqzN

— LeBron James (@KingJames) April 29, 2020

“It’s been a hard few months for all of us, but I especially really feel for the senior class of 2020,” James said Wednesday in a quote provided to ESPN. “The end of high school and graduation was one of the best memories of my life. It’s not fair. Every graduating senior needs to know how much we feel for them, and hopefully, this can help, even a little. This class is going to be special because they know in a real way how to persevere.”

According to the XQ Institute,  “The #GraduateTogether partners are committed to supporting the needs of students in school and beyond in order to make sure that all students succeed. That means meeting the real-time and long-term needs of our students and graduates. To help meet the needs of vulnerable youth during this time, philanthropic and corporate giving will be directed to:

• DonorsChoose, a nonprofit which gives public school teachers working in high-needs communities the opportunity to request the materials and resources their students need to keep learning.

• America’s Food Fund, a nonprofit focused on funding hunger-relief organizations and ensuring students who rely on school-lunch programs still have safe, consistent access to meals during COVID-19.”

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Original article was published here.

By Alisa Gumbs,

Almost 250 small businesses received grants of $10,000 on Thursday as part of Verizon’s $7.5 million Small Business Recovery Fund to help struggling businesses survive the coronavirus pandemic. Of the recipients, 62% are women-owned businesses, 96% are minority-owned, 12% are veteran-owned, and 87% are in distressed locations.

“Verizon recognizes how valuable small businesses are and that the economic stability of our communities is based on their success,” said Rose Stuckey Kirk, chief corporate social responsibility officer of Verizon, in a statement. “It’s critical that we lean in and support these businesses so they can continue to sustain themselves during this unprecedented time of need.”

Verizon provided the grant money to a nonprofit partner with “deep experience in community development and disaster response”—the Local Initiative Support Corporation (LISC).

More than 55,000 entrepreneurs applied for the grants. Applicants were scored through a system developed by LISC to “prioritize women/minority/veteran owned businesses, underinvested neighborhoods, and geographic diversity.” The top 3,000 applicants were then entered into a lottery to determine the pool of semi-finalists, who were further evaluated to identify the first round of recipients.

“Entrepreneurs all across the country need capital right now to protect their businesses, jobs, and local economies,” Maurice A. Jones, LISC president and CEO, told Black Enterprise by email.

“We are focusing our funding on economically vulnerable communities, which tend to have a large number of women-owned, minority-owned, and veteran-owned businesses, because they are often unable to access traditional relief programs,” he says. “We have to be intentional about investing in their future to ensure our national recovery succeeds.”

DeShanta Black of Pennington, Alabama, founded Humble Beginnings Beauty & Boutique four years ago, though her love of doing hair started when she was just 9 years old. Her career was sidetracked after cosmetology school by a lupus diagnosis. But after getting her condition managed through medication, she decided that entrepreneurship was the answer.

“I decided that I’m not gonna let that stop me from accomplishing my dreams and goals. I knew that, having my own business, I had the flexibility of setting my own hours,” she says. “It has its ups and downs because you have flare-ups with lupus but I do what I can and I’m appreciative of my clients, because they understand that there may be times that I just can’t do hair.”

With her salon now closed by stay-at-home orders because of COVID-19, Black has pivoted to sewing masks to sell and to distribute for free to nursing homes and workers on the front lines in her rural community.

Black, who learned of the Verizon grant while scrolling through Facebook, plans to put the money toward a storefront so she can generate more revenue, more clients, and more exposure. “I am just grateful for Verizon and LISC,” she says. “It’s hard for me being a minority as well as a female to obtain loans and grants. This opportunity isn’t afforded every day, so I’m very appreciative of that.”

The up to $7.5 million Verizon has pledged reflects an additional $2.5 million it added this week, ensuring that there will be not only a second, but a third round of grant recipients. “The overwhelming response received from the first round of applicants stressed the urgent need for additional funding,” said Stuckey Kirk.

In addition to the fund, Verizon has been rallying support for businesses affected by COVID-19 through a weekly Pay It Forward streaming series, as well as partnerships with Hello Alice and American Express’ “Stand for Small” program, a free webinar series, and a free one-year subscription to Yahoo’s Business Maker.

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Original article was published here.

By Cedric Thornton,

A scientist at Meharry Medical College, a historically black institution in Nashville, Tennessee, says he is two weeks away from testing an anti-viral drug that may prevent COVID-19, according to NBC News. The scientist, Dr. Donald Alcendor, also worked on a successful anti-virus to the Zika virus a few years ago.

“The process is understanding how the virus gets into your system, where it goes and how it infects,” Alcendor told NBC News about developing an antiviral drug. “The struggle is that it is a single-strand that produces tremendous inflammation. The patient will feel like he’s drowning.”

His goal is to have the anti-viral treatment created within the next two weeks. Then it will move on to clinical trials and, if successful, be approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) within a “few months.”

The success of the Zika virus antiviral drug makes him optimistic that his work could help and drastically lower the COVID-19 death rate. A vaccine will take up to 18 months to produce, but an antiviral drug would be used to treat patients once infected.

“This is bigger than COVID-19,” said Dr. Linda Witt, the senior associate vice president for development at Meharry. “We are called to serve on the front lines. For Meharrians, it’s natural to go into our communities. We exist in the black community. But it’s at a heightened level now. And having an HBCU presence, voice and expertise is essential.”

Meharry Medical College President Dr. James Hildreth has been advocating for pre-emptive screening in black neighborhoods for weeks. Being an infectious disease scientist, Hildreth knew the contagious coronavirus was most volatile in people with existing health conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure, asthma and other issues prevalent in African American communities. 

“I have been pushing for pre-emptive screening with health officials going into the underserved communities to start testing because that would be a way to get in front of it with the most vulnerable public,” Hildreth said. “If you have a pre-existing auto-immune disease and the other stated health issues, the outcomes are much more severe. Those are exactly what we have in our communities. The burden of the disease is so much higher.”

Original article was published here.

By Lydia Blanco,

We all knew that something great had to be in the works a couple of years ago when the Obamas penned a deal with Netflix. Nevertheless, imagine our level of excitement for former first lady Michelle Obama’s documentary, Becoming to air on Netflix May 6.

Women all around the world resonated with the stories and affirming words shared by Obama in her candid autobiographic novel. Becoming sold more than 10 million copies. In addition to book sales, Obama’s book tour was a monumental success—and the Netflix documentary is a behind-the-scenes look of the 34-city tour. Which is great news for those who weren’t able to secure tickets for the sold-out events!

In a heartfelt Instagram post, Obama announced the documentary, writing:

“I’m excited to let you know that on May 6, @Netflix will release BECOMING, a documentary film directed by Nadia Hallgren that looks at my life and the experiences I had while touring following the release of my memoir. Those months I spent traveling—meeting and connecting with people in cities across the globe—drove home the idea that what we share in common is deep and real and can’t be messed with. In groups large and small, young and old, unique and united, we came together and shared stories, filling those spaces with our joys, worries, and dreams. We processed the past and imagined a better future. In talking about the idea of ‘becoming,’ many of us dared to say our hopes out loud.”

I TREASURE THE MEMORIES AND THAT SENSE OF CONNECTION NOW MORE THAN EVER, AS WE STRUGGLE TOGETHER TO WEATHER THIS PANDEMIC, AS WE CARE FOR OUR LOVED ONES, AND COPE WITH LOSS, CONFUSION, AND UNCERTAINTY.

She went on to sing the director’s praise saying, “It’s hard these days to feel grounded or hopeful, but I hope that like me, you’ll find joy and a bit of respite in what Nadia has made. Because she’s a rare talent, someone whose intelligence and compassion for others comes through in every frame she shoots. Most importantly, she understands the meaning of community, the power of community, and her work is magically able to depict it.”

On Twitter, Obama shared a clip from the documentary.

I’m excited to share that on May 6, @Netflix will release BECOMING, a documentary directed by Nadia Hallgren that shares the stories of the amazing people I met after the release of my memoir. During this difficult time, I hope you’ll find some inspiration and joy in this film.

I’m excited to share that on May 6, @Netflix will release BECOMING, a documentary directed by Nadia Hallgren that shares the stories of the amazing people I met after the release of my memoir. During this difficult time, I hope you’ll find some inspiration and joy in this film. pic.twitter.com/fqsIbhXYeL

— Michelle Obama (@MichelleObama) April 27, 2020

Original article was published here.

By Charli Penn,

Not every parent that’s quarantined with children during the coronavirus pandemic has help at home with them.

Many single parents are struggling to learn a new normal, which means balancing their work and personal lives simultaneously during a national crisis, while also trying to keep themselves and their loved ones safe.

Reality TV star Angela Simmons, 32, recently posted on Instagram about the challenges single moms like her face each day while staying at home under quarantine. Simmons, who’s proud mom to 3-year-old son Sutton Joseph Tennyson, In November 2018, her son’s father, Sutton Tennyson, was tragically shot and killed leaving her faced with mourning his loss and navigating life moving forward as a single mother. Her message to fans: pray for parents in her situation right now.

“Mom is tired!!!!” Simmons shared in her caption that accompanied a photo of herself with her son. ”Pray for single parents!! Motherhood on a trillion. Day by day…”

View this post on Instagram

Mom is tired !!! Pray for single parents!! Motherhood on a trillion . Day by day ..

A post shared by Angela Simmons (@angelasimmons) on Mar 30, 2020 at 4:21pm PDT

Simmons is the daughter of hip-hop icon and TV star Reverend Run, and stars on We TV’s hit reality show Growing Up Hip Hop.

Our prayers and good wishes continue to go out to all those superwomen and supermen in our community right now who are doing it all to support and protect their families during this unprecedented time. Stay safe.

Original article was published here.