• News

by spencera

November 27, 2021

14-Year-Old Who Was Sent Home From School For Wearing Braids, Introduces Mickey Guyton For ‘Love My Hair’ CMA Performance

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Faith Fennidy—a 14-year old who went viral after being sent home from school for wearing braids—found out she’s the inspiration behind Mickey Guyton’s song, “Love My Hair.” And even cooler, she got to introduce Guyton before she performed the song at the 2021 Country Music Association (CMA) Awards. 

Faith was 11-years-old when she was asked to leave her private Louisiana school because she was wearing braided hair extensions. During that time, the school’s policy didn’t allow students to wear hair that wasn’t natural, Good Morning America (GMA) reported. 

Faith inspired “Love My Hair” and to have her here today to introduce our performance means the world to me. She is the future and I want to be like her when I grow up. #CMAawards pic.twitter.com/U7eZRzoKkZ

— Mickey Guyton (@MickeyGuyton) November 11, 2021

“When I went to school that day, and they told me that I couldn’t wear my braids there, it was a heartbreaking experience,” Faith told GMA. “Especially something that I had never expected from a school that I had been going to for at least a couple of years…to tell me that it was an issue, it was a problem.”

The viral video of Faith from 2018, filmed by her brother Steven Fennidy, recorded Faith in the middle school’s office crying after the incident. The video caught the attention of people nationwide who were outraged about the school’s policy. 

After backlash, the school retracted the rule. 

Faith opted for a fresh start by not returning to the school. Instead, she enrolled in a new school that she’s grown to love.

The painful experience turned Faith into an advocate for natural hair rights. She uses her platform to push her home state of Louisiana to pass the CROWN (Create A Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair) Act. With the passing of the legislation, it’s illegal to discriminate based on hairstyle and hair texture, extending protection for both categories under the Fair Employment and Housing Act and the Education Code. 

With opportunity comes possibility. With truth comes authenticity. It is truly an honor to be on this stage singing a song about self acceptance with these amazing women @BrittNicx and @madelinemaking. #CMAawards pic.twitter.com/Z6QbSKWWJ9

— Mickey Guyton (@MickeyGuyton) November 11, 2021

So far, the CROWN Act has been passed in 14 states: California, New York, New Jersey, Virginia, Colorado, Washington, Maryland, Connecticut, Delaware, New Mexico, Nebraska, Nevado, Oregon and Illinois. 

Country music singer Guyton was inspired by Faith’s story and wrote a song based on it, “Love My Hair.” The single encourages self-love and acceptance. 

Faith got a call with an invitation to attend the 2021 CMA Awards a few weeks before the event. She was invited as Guyton’s guest and given the opportunity to introduce the artist for her on-stage performance of “Love My Hair.”

“I started crying when I found out,” Faith recalled. “I got to meet her [Mickey Guyton], and it was honestly an amazing experience. I’m so grateful that I got to be a part of that opportunity.”

• Business

by spencera

November 25, 2021

Meet Rachael Hawk– The Woman Behind Meta’s #BuyBlack Friday Movement

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A Black woman’s efforts as an employee at Meta led to the company’s popular grassroots initiative, #BuyBlack Friday. Her name is Rachael Hawk, and thanks to her, the company is spearheading its second round of support for Black-owned businesses during the holiday season. 

During last year’s #BuyBlack Friday launch, Meta rolled out a weekly #BuyBlack Friday Gift Guide to help buyers #BuyBlack for the holidays. The guides showcase U.S. Black businesses from beauty to home to fashion. 

The campaign also includes weekly live #BuyBlack Friday shows featuring Black businesses, musical artists and entertainers. A whopping 15 million people nationwide tuned in last year, and as Hawk recalls, made an impact for black-owned companies like Redoux NYC, a vegan skincare line featured on the show and in the gift guide.

“After the show aired, we were thrilled to hear that they had a 1300% increase in sales,” the small business marketing manager said. “Overall, we heard from businesses about increases in visibility, awareness, mailing lists, in-store visits, and sales.”

Meta has carried on its tradition and is wrapping up its second year of #BuyBlack Friday. The #BuyBlack gift guides—recently curated by Grammy-award-winning artist Ciara—are available in the Facebook Shops tab. The live shows, which kicked off Nov. 5, feature Live Shopping segments from Black-owned businesses, including Shaquanda’s Hot Pepper Sauce, House of Takura and Obia Naturals, in addition to special guests and other surprises. 

Hawk—the fire behind #BuyBlack Friday—was inspired to find a way to support the Black community following the shooting deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery. 

“I felt like I couldn’t continue in my role business as usual. I was experiencing collective grief and sadness along with the rest of the Black community,” she recalled. “Our leaders encouraged us to come up with solutions to help, and I reached out to my teammate here at Meta, Remi Ray, to collaborate on solutions.”

The result of Hawk and Ray’s collaboration was hosting an “Empowerment Hackathon.” At Meta, a hackathon brings together people from different teams to brainstorm solutions for problems outside of their normal day-to-day scope. 

“The hackathon team led by Remi and myself was specifically focused on Black small businesses because we knew from research that Black SMBs were closing at 2x the rate of other businesses during COVID,” Hawk said. “We thought of several ideas, including an in-person block party, but ultimately decided on #BuyBlack Friday as a way to support Black-owned businesses while celebrating Black culture.”

While the atmosphere in the country has changed this year, Hawk said, focusing on Black-owned businesses is essential now more than ever, as many are recovering financially from the pandemic. 

“We also know that 34% of Black-owned businesses are expected to make more than half their annual revenue from Oct-Dec, which makes this holiday season critical to their overall success,” Hawk said. 

The final Live Shopping show for 2021 will premiere this Black Friday, Nov. 26, with the campaign ending on the same day.

• Lifestyle

by spencera

November 24, 2021

The Jenesis House, Arizona’s First Black Woman-Owned Resort, To Be A Center of Luxury For Black Women

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Wellness enthusiast Jenesis Laforcarde is opening Arizona’s first Black woman-owned wellness resort and spa, The Jenesis House. 

Laforcarde was inspired to establish the luxury 13-room destination resort after beginning her wellness journey as a consumer. She was introduced to holistic healing at a local shop. Then, she attended various retreats, which she considered “life-changing,” the Grio reported. 

On her journey, the creative director took note of the lack of representation in Arizona’s wellness space. 

“I just think there is nothing like this where you can be in this type of environment that’s created by a Black woman,” Laforcarde told theGrio. “I looked into the hospitality world, and less than one percent of Black women own hotels, and so that was really like the light bulb.”

Laforcarde is infusing her Afro-Asian background into the healing culture at The Jenesis House. Her grandmother, who’s Chinese, migrated to Jamaica. In comparison, her grandfather is Trinidadian with a French background. 

 Raised in a military family, she has traveled to Europe and Asia. 

 

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“I feel like a lot of resorts just take from different cultures, not really fully representing it,” Laforcarde said. “I wanted to influence a lot of my background. I was born in England. I was raised in Okinawa [Japan]. I got to be a part of a lot of different cultures. And so I’m excited to infuse that because I feel like especially African cultures [are] never represented anywhere.”

She continued, “And there’s so many healing therapies and different types of tea bags and ingredients that originated from Africa that I want to deliver to our guest. You’re not going to ever be able to experience so many cultures in one house.”

Visitors are in for a refreshing multi-cultural experience. The Jenesis House will offer deep soaking baths in the rooms, healing instructors, 24/7 access to yoga and pilates, in-room meditation, gardens close-by for farm-to-table eats, a Nordic spa, and an all-inclusive private culinary program. 

Laforcarde was intentional about providing an experience that fits all types of people because wellness means something different to each person.

 

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“Wellness is anything. It could just be you being in a different environment by being in nature. Like, if you don’t do crystals, that’s totally fine,” she said. “But it’s so much more than just like, ‘Oh, you have to do yoga.’ Maybe yoga is not for you. Sometimes yoga is not for everybody. People don’t find peace in that. Maybe people just find peace and being alone and being in the room by yourself and just doing a solo travel retreat.”

Today’s world can be tricky to navigate, but Laforcarde believes there are ways to remain empowered.

“I know there’s a lot that we can’t control, especially today, but you can control your environment and your settings and the things that you have with you…what you’re putting into your body,” she said.

The Jenesis House will open in late 2022 or early 2023.

• News

by spencera

November 23, 2021

Two Sisters, Founders of QuickHire Service Worker Hiring App, Raise $1.4 Million In Venture Funding

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Two sisters’ hard work to create a platform where service workers can find career advancement opportunities earned them over $1 million in venture funding. 

Deborah Gladney, 34, and Angela Muhwezi-Hall, 31, earned $1.41 million in a seed financing round led by MATH Venture Partners toward their platform, QuickHire—a career discovery platform for the service economy workforce. The funding will support the company’s technology investments and team expansion.

“Nearly 110 million people in the U.S. work in the service industry, yet, employment technology innovations primarily cater to white-collar jobs,” Gladney said in a press release. 

Muhwezi-Hall added, “Given the service worker shortages across the county, we are helping workers and companies connect not just for a job, but for a career.”

 

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Gladney and Muhwezi-Hall officially launched QuickHire in April 2021. To date, the platform has more than 60 paying clients, which includes mid-to-large service industry companies like Fuzzy’s Taco Shop and Homewood Suites by Hilton. In addition to businesses seeking talent, QuickHire has more than 11,000 job seekers using its services to find career opportunities.

The platform currently targets workers and businesses in the metro areas of Wichita and Kansas City. In 2022, the company plans to expand across the Midwest and add skilled-labor verticals. 

“We see the QuickHire team approaching the market differently—putting skilled trade and service workers first in geographies that have been traditionally overlooked,” Dana Wright, managing partner at MATH Venture Partners said. “The timing is right for this approach. We are excited to be part of this funding round, providing fuel for product innovation and market expansion.”

The MATH Venture Partners seed round included funding from Sandalphon Capital (Chicago), KCRise Fund (Kansas City), October Minority Impact Fund (Kansas City), Tenzing Capital Ventures (Wichita), Accelerate Venture Partners (Wichita), Sixty8 Capital (Indianapolis), Ruthless for Good (New Orleans), Revolution’s Rise of the Rest Seed Fund (D.C.) and ETF@JFFLabs(Boston). 

“We spoke to a variety of investors during this oversubscribed round. This incredible syndicate represents who we are and where we want to go. From minority-focused funds to future of work expertise, this group truly aligns with our vision and strategies,” Gladney said. 

After the historic $1.41 million in funding, Gladney and Muhwezi-Hall became two of about 100 Black women to raise more than $1 million in venture funding as of December 2020, according to ProjectDiane. 

“We are underserved founders serving underserved workers. The more barriers we can remove, the more opportunity we can unleash for deserving, hard-working people,” Muhwezi-Hall said. 

QuickHire is available to job seekers for free. The app version can be downloaded through Google Play or the Apple Store.

• Lifestyle

by spencera

November 23, 2021

Meet 18-Year-Old Wildine Aumoithe: Guinness World Record Holder For Shortest Non-Mobile Female

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An 18-year-old living in Miami was named the shortest non-mobile female by the Guinness World Records. 

Wildine Aumoithe was born with a rare type of dwarfism called SADDAN dysplasia. Because of the condition she uses a motorized wheelchair to move around. 

At 73-cm tall, she told CTVNews.ca earning the Guinness World Record is “something I’ve always wanted to do to check off my bucket list.”

Her family, whose of Haitian descent, was excited about it too, she shared. 

“I feel amazing,” she continued. “My family’s reaction was ecstatic since I’m the first person in my family to hold a record.”

Wildine has made a habit of not allowing her condition to stop her from living life. When she was born, doctors thought she wouldn’t make it past 24 hours. 

“They actually sent me to hospice for six months to see if I was actually going to die, but I didn’t,” she recalled in an interview with Guinness World Records.

After she lived past six months, the medical staff handed her over to her mother, who has taken care of her since.

“My mom’s pretty much my best friend because she helps me out with everything. If it wasn’t for her, I don’t know what my life would be like. Especially after doctors said I wouldn’t live past 24 hours and she accepted it and kept on going,” Wildine said. “She’s a good mom. She never gave up.”

Wildine also has two brothers and one sister. One of her older brothers passed from sleep apnea. 

She said she never experienced bullying, but could go without people staring at her or taking pictures without her consent. 

“What is short? We just…it’s just [we] do stuff differently. We might take a little bit longer to accomplish something, but we’ll get it done,” Wildine said.

On her own terms, she gives others a deeper look into her life through her YouTube channel, Life of Wildine. To over 5,000 followers, she answers questions about dwarfism, her personal life, and how to gain confidence. 

In her professional life, the high school senior plans to go to college to become a pharmacist. 

“I actually don’t know any little people who are pharmacists…maybe I can break a record for that too.”

by spencera

November 22, 2021

Modern BLK Girl: From Clubhouse To Business Partners, These Two Black Women Are On A Mission To Get 500K Women Into The Investment Market

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After crossing paths on the Clubhouse app, these two Black women investors came together to teach other women how to invest. Now business partners, they’re on a mission to get 500,000 women of color into the market through their platform, “Modern BLK Girl.”

Like many who were quarantined during the pandemic, Tiffany James and Sharlea Brookes found social refuge in the audio-only app, Clubhouse. While the app offers entertaining conversations for any niche, James and Brookes spent their time in “rooms” focused on investment. 

The self-taught stock market enthusiasts often found themselves in conversations dominated by men, but that didn’t stop them from hopping on “stage” and sharing what they’d learned in their personal investment journeys.

“I felt like these conversations the gentleman had in Clubhouse didn’t have enough women in them. And there were definitely no Black women,” James said. “So, I would go onto stages in front of hundreds, sometimes thousands of people and question some of the guys about things that are happening in the market, but also provide great insights, and that became a thing for me. My afternoons would be on Clubhouse, talking about market fundamentals and getting started in the market.”

It soon became clear other women in the room wanted to hear more. 

 

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James reached out to Brookes and the duo eventually launched their own Clubhouse financial group, which at one point, racked up more than 100,000 followers. 

“I was most interested in the fact that it was another Black woman speaking on the topic and she reached out and was like, ‘Hey, I have this vision about teaching Black women investing,’ and I was surprised that I was so drawn to the idea because I didn’t know [Tiffany] at all at the time.”

The two investors weren’t strangers for long after learning they shared the same hometowns and alma mater, Northwestern University. 

From a “room” on Clubhouse, Modern BLK Girl grew into a stand-alone wealth building platform for women of color with a mission to educate women about how money works and help close the wealth gap amongst genders across the globe. 

While they’re not licensed financial advisors, with deep research on the market, Brookes and James offer classes on various investment topics—including the stock market, Bitcoin and passive income. 

A public charter Montessori school on Chicago’s South Side is fundraising $10,000 to bring Black-centered books into its classrooms. 

Montessori School of Englewood, made up of 420 students, is 98% Black and free to children living within the Chicago city limits. 

Administrators at the school launched the fundraising initiative after one bright student, 13-year-old Kinadee Jordan, expressed a desire to read more stories with Black main characters, The Chicago Sun-Times reported. 

“I know there are Black authors in the world,” Jordan said. “I want books on my culture.”

The eighth-grader is currently reading Inside Out & Back Again by Thanhha Lai, a novel about a young girl whose family migrates to the U.S. during the Vietnam War. Jordan, who’s attended the Montessori School of Englewood since the first grade, deeply relates to the story. 

“No wars have happened since I was born, that I know of, but it’s just violence in the community, violence in the world, that I wish I could migrate away from. But I can’t,” she told The Chicago Sun-Times. “It haunts me every night. I feel like it follows me, like the clouds.”

The school’s executive director, Rita Nolan, and board member, Quilen Blackwell, put their heads together following Jordan’s request and came up with Books and Blooms, an initiative to raise $10,000 to purchase books featuring Black and brown main characters. 

“What we’re trying to do is make sure that we have the resources to be able to make sure from our kindergarten on up that…books with the African American child in the center, not just the periphery,” are in each classroom, Nolan said.

Blackwell—who employs at-risk youth at his flower shop—Southside Blooms, supports the effort by donating 20% of revenue from purchases at southsideblooms.com to the school. Customers can participate in the fundraiser by using the code “BOOKS” on the site.

“One of the challenges that we have is when people donate books, they give us their scraps, and that’s a big thing that we want to try to change,” Blackwell said. “We want the school and students to have more agency over the kind of books that they want.” 

Noland shared that the books will be purchased from minority-owned bookstores. 

Jordan said minority-focused books would help others understand what it means to be a Black girl while showing Black girls they can change the world. 

“Girls that are going to be in our next generation should realize, ‘I’m really not in a good world right now,’ and they should look at this not as a warning, but as inspiration to keep trying and letting the world know,” she said.

The avid reader hopes to inspire others with a memoir of her own someday.

This year’s American Black Film Festival (ABFF) has gone hybrid with a mix of virtual and in-person events and film screenings. Attendees are in-store for an impressive lineup of LGBTQ+ projects for the festival’s 25th anniversary. 

From stunning cultural documentaries to thought-provoking romantic dramas, the 2021 ABFF Pride lineup features a variety of films that “represent queer culture and reflect the LGBTQIA experience.”

Everyday Black Matter

“Back from remixing the DON’T TOUCH MY HAIR RVA archives, this film spins a fresh story about Black joy as practice, motivating audiences to lean into dreams of Black cultural production rooted in pleasure, self-love, and nuanced identities that defy containment.”

Homegoing 

“A mortician’s son balances the expectations of working at his father’s funeral home and a night out with friends. When grief intrudes on his closest relationships, he must face the full circle of life, forcing him to see the world as it truly is.”

Into the Light: A Trip Through Baltimore Ballroom 

“The not so Cinderella story of LGBTQ Baltimore Ballroom dancers as they prepare to compete at the groundbreaking and inaugural Peabody Ball while facing real-life obstacles and dangers.”

Love Therapy

“A young, Black, gay millennial is at the intersection of a major crossroads in life, and only by reaching his breaking point does he find the many facets of therapy love can provide.”

parTy boi, black diamonds in ice castles

“‘parTy boi, black diamonds in ice castles’ is a raw and compassionate journey through the epidemic of crystal meth addiction in LGBTQ communities of color.”

Peace

“PEACE is a love story short film that dives into the complexities of a down-low queer relationship and really questions what it means to be at peace.”

Pink & Blue

“After a surprise first-time pregnancy, a Trans couple of color wrestles with how the new baby will affect their relationship and how to raise their child in a binary world.”

The Black Cop

“Docu-drama exploring one former police officer’s experience of being both victim and perpetrator of racism in the police force.”

Film-goers still have an opportunity to participate in the ABFF “worldwide digital experience,” which runs Nov. 3-28. To register and watch the festival for free, visit https://app.abffplay.com/signup.

• News

by spencera

November 18, 2021

Tabitha Brown, YouTube Originals Announce Premiere of Upcoming Preschool Series, ‘Tab Time’

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YouTube Originals announced the Dec. 1 premiere of “Tab Time” on Thursday with the release of an official trailer featuring Tabitha Brown as the host of the upcoming preschool series. 

In each of the series’ 10 episodes, Brown shares her vegan cooking, storytelling and motivational speaking with children, teaching them to live their best life. Each week, she’s joined by two children and a celebrity guest who’ll star as a Super Cool Expert in Tab’s Lab. 

Together, “Ms. Tab,” as the children call her, DJ Khrafty (Jermaine Fowler), and their guests will craft activities that kids can also do at home.

“‘Tab Time’ is part of my purpose. Over the last few years, I feel I have been called to heal the world and healing the world starts with children. If we can create better children, then we can create better adults,” Brown said in a press release. “Teaching children to grow together and love each other with kindness will create a better world. We’re at a place right now where the world needs healing, it needs light and children are that light. It’s been said a million times, but children are the future and healing change begins with them.”

Nadine Zylstra, Head of Family, Learning and Impact for YouTube Originals, believes “everyone could use a bit of Ms. Tab’s positive energy in their life, which is exactly why we brought this show to our platform.” 

Zylstra continued, “‘Tab Time’ is set in an inviting, respectful environment where our young viewers are encouraged to realize their own abilities and potential. But it’s also fun for older kids and parents to watch — there is a magic ingredient in this show that appeals to the whole family, and her name is Tabitha Brown.”

“Tab Time” is for all children with a special focus on ages 3-5. The show explores a variety of educational “truths” or themes; including family, helping others, music, how things grow and mistakes. 

Through the lenses of kindness and confidence, Brown adventures with children alongside her medley of friends, Avi the Avocado (Miles Brown), Lenny the Lightning Bug (Anna Camp), Starla the Spatula (Ashley Nicole Black), Burnie the Oven Mitt (John Michael Higgins), DJ Khrafty (Jermaine Fowler) and Special Adventures voices by Carlos Coleman, Affion Crockett, Nic Few, Zainab Johnson and Lena Waithe.

The newly released trailer showcases the dynamic roster of guests who’ll join Brown on the show, including Jordana Brewster, Karamo Brown, Percy Daggs, Cynthia Erivo, Cheryl Hines, Lil Rel Howard, Manny Jacinto, Shantira Jackson, Yvonne Orji, Dewayne Perkins and Michael Steger.

“Tab Time” launches on Dec. 1 at 9 a.m. PT/12 p.m ET on the official Tabitha Brown YouTube channel and YouTube Kids app.

• Lifestyle

by spencera

November 18, 2021

Liberian Teen Returns Lost $50K, Rewarded With Scholarship From HBCU and Presidential Recognition

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After finding a lost satchel with $50,000 tucked inside, this Liberian teen did what some would not—he returned the funds. His honest gesture caught the attention of an HBCU in North Carolina and now he’s been offered a scholarship to attend the college. 

Emmanuel Tuloe, 18,  was working as a motorcycle taxi driver in northeastern Nimba County when he saw a bunch of money wrapped in a plastic bag on the road. The bag held $50,000 in U.S. cash and $100,000 in Liberian currency, WBTV reported. 

The teenager took the funds home and gave it to his aunt to keep safe until he found out who it belonged to. Later that day, a businesswoman named Musu Yancy went on the radio and shared that she’d lost the money. Emmanuel then took the funds to her. 

Emmanuel later told WBTV in an interview that he was criticized by his peers for his decision. They told him he’d never get rich in his lifetime and he’d die poor. 

President of the Republic of Liberia, Dr. George Manneh Weah, didn’t feel the same. Following his noble act, President Weah met with Emmanual on Oct. 18 and told him he’d present him with one of the country’s highest Orders of Distinction in a future ceremony. 

Emmanuel, who dropped out of school in the seventh grade to help his family make money as a motorcycle taxi driver, told the president that he wanted to finish his education. He also requested that President Weah encourage other young people—many of which also drop out of school to help their families financially—to leave the taxi business and finish school. 

President Weah and his family personally offered Emmanuel a scholarship to attend any school of his choice in Libera, up to a master’s level. The president also gave him $100,000 USD and two new motorcycles. 

But his blessings didn’t stop there. 

Livingstone College, a historically Black college in Salisbury, N.C., got wind of his good deed and offered him a full scholarship upon his completion of high school. The college has long been connected with Liberia through its founding denomination, the A.M.E. Zion Church, and its collaboration with the Liberian Organization of the Piedmont (LOP), based in Winston-Salem, N.C.

Every four years, Livingstone sponsors two Liberian students through its partnership with LOP.

“Education is the surest vehicle for upward mobility in the world,” Livingstone College President Dr. Jimmy R. Jenkins, Sr. said.

“This young man clearly understands that. He could have asked for anything from his country’s president, but what he wanted most was to finish his education. He is a beacon of hope for his generation and for his country. We would be proud to have him among our student population.”

The businesswoman whom Emmanuel returned the lost funds to presented him with cash and materials valued at $1,500—including a mattress, which he said he’d give to his grandmother.