He's not heavy, he's my Brother

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Multiplatinum recording artist ‘E-40’ donates $100,000 to GSU to benefit music department, sound recording studio

GRAMBLING, La. — February 3, 2023 — Multiplatinum recording artist, actor, and entrepreneur, Earl “E-40” Stevens expanded his philanthropic reach with a $100,000 donation to Grambling State University. The funds

www.gram.edu

 

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Nex Cubed launched $40 million fund targeting Black colleges and universities​

February 6, 2023

Venture firm Nex Cubed announced today the launch of the HBCU (historically Black college and university) Founders Fund, with a $5 million investment from Costco Wholesale, which now joins as an anchor investor. The fund, which is a $40 million accelerator, seeks to foster and invest in startups where at least one founder is an HBCU student, alumni or faculty member.
Before the fund, Nex Cubed launched a pre-accelerator program at various HBCUs to help aspiring entrepreneurs affiliated with the institutions find resources to scale their startups. After the program’s success, the firm spun it out as its own 501(c), attracting the likes of AT&T, Mastercard and Verizon as partners to help the program expand to over 70 HBCUs.
“We still hadn’t addressed the fact of funding, and that was still a gap that needed to be filled,” Nex Cubed CEO Marlon Evans told TechCrunch. “That’s what led us to launch this fund where we hope to serve as a catalyst for other investors to recognize that there’s a tremendous amount of talent at HBCUs.”

MARLON EVANS
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Evans said the limited target partners for this fund are corporations and foundations and says many have sought to commit as an extension of their previous diversity, equity, and inclusion promises. From this, the HBCU Founders Fund also hopes to tap the talent and executive workforce of its LPs to serve as mentors and advisors to those within their upcoming portfolio.
“We are proud to partner with the HBCU Founders Fund to help foster a more inclusive venture capital environment and accelerate Black entrepreneurship,” Richard Galanti, executive vice president and CFO of Costco Wholesale, told TechCrunch.
HBCUs could use a little more love regarding the incubation of talent and investment potential. There are more than 100 in the U.S., and many lack the same infrastructure or educational and professional opportunities associated with predominantly white institutions (PWIs). HBCUs are responsible for a quarter of all African Americans STEM graduates, with North Carolina A&T State University, Howard and Spelman College as some of the top STEM-graduating universities. Their endowments are paltry compared to legacy PWIs, and that has an impact on students.
“I live in Silicon Valley, I went to Stanford, if I walk outside my door and throw a rock, I probably hit a VC and three startup founders,” Evans said, adding that this same environment doesn’t exist at most HBCUs. Still, “the talent is there,” he continued. He hopes this fund provides access and resources, strategic support, and financial capital that engages with HBCU talent, helps them foster and launch businesses, that helps the Black community, socially and economically.

Applications are now open for those wishing to apply to the HBCU Founders Fund. Evans expects the fund to close by the end of the year and plans to deploy the capital through cohorts, with the idea to invest in about 20 companies per year across two cohorts — one in the spring and one in the fall. With that, he expects most of the capital to be deployed within four years, with reserves for follow-on funding.

More efforts such as this may help swing the percentage of capital allocated to Black founders. Crunchbase data found that Black founders only received around 1% of all venture capital funding last year, which is on par with what they have always received. Evans believes that LPs need to understand better the benefits of funding diverse entrepreneurs and hopes that the HBCU Founders Fund will show what happens when opportunities meet equitable deal flow.
The fund posed a solution quite contrary to what usually happens within venture. Instead of telling people to switch schools, to move locations, to do this, and to do that, Nex Cubed went to them, disrupted their networks, and broke down their own access barriers to find what’s next. Evans said he hopes to donate a percentage of the fund’s carry back to the pre-accelerator to continue fostering, supporting, and thus creating a pipeline of talent.
It’s a classic example of when one does well, it will create opportunities for others. “The innovators of tomorrow are coming from these communities,” Evans said about HBCUs. “We’re investing in the next generation of founders

 

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Tyler Perry donates millions to help low-income seniors

FOX 5 Atlanta​

Feb 16 , 2023
Tyler Perry donated $750,000 to the city of Atlanta to prevent legacy residents from being displaced by rising property values. The 53-year-old filmmaker, philanthropist and Tyler Perry Studios owner shared his concern with Atlanta Mayor Andre dikkens that even modest increases in property taxes could push seniors who live on a fixed income out of their homes

 

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'Hell yeah' Dusty Baker is bothered by MLB's lack of Black players — and how he's helping HBCUs

Dusty Baker's historic World Series win with Houston Astros showed him a stark reality, one he hopes events like HBCU Classic will one day solve.

www.yahoo.com

* article excerpt 02/17/23

How HBCU Classic was formed​

The HBCU Classic began with Baker's blessing during spring training in 2022, according to MLB.com, and Astros owner Jim Crane, a progressive in diversity, also jumped aboard.

The showcase is important for baseball but especially minorities at HBCUs. Only two players from the Southwestern Athletic Conference were selected in the 2022 MLB Draft, both on the final day, a number that pales compared to bigger Power Five leagues. The SEC, for instance, had 86 players taken in the same draft, and Jackson State hasn't had a player selected since outfielder Bryce Brown in the 15th round of the 2017 draft.

It all makes for a unique opportunity in Houston, with scouts expected to be in attendance.

It is an honor for the kids to have an opportunity to do that play," said JSU coach Omar Johnson, entering his 17th season. "We are excited about it."

Opportunity is the start. Baker shudders at the dwindling numbers of Black players at all levels of baseball, but especially in the majors. While 38% of MLB players were of color on Opening Day rosters last season, only 7.2% of the players were Black, according to The Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport at the University of Central Florida.

At the grassroots level, the biggest disparity Baker sees is kids learning and receiving better instructions at a younger age. But he also cites a lack of affordability for parents who can't get off work to meet the demands of rigorous travel-ball schedules. Estimates vary, but the cost to compete in travel leagues can run from a few hundred dollars to a few thousand — or more — depending on the league or showcase circuit.

“We have to make it affordable for young kids to learn the game and travel,” Baker said. “And give them the same opportunities to learn at the same age. The difference is in economics, (so) make it affordable for young people to go to showcases.”

For Baker, the advice he'd give to young Black players today is the same he would give to his son, 24-year-old Darren, a second baseman in the Washington Nationals organization: Be prepared, be on time, be twice as good as anyone else, and persevere.

“You have to have someone in authority that believes in you,” Baker said.

 

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Michael Jordan and Jordan Brand Award $2.3M in New Black Community Commitment Grants​

• February 17, 2023

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In celebration of Michael Jordan’s 60th birthday, Michael Jordan and the Jordan Brand announce $2.3M in Community Grant awards to 48 grassroots organizations across the United States to help create more equitable futures for Black people.
The 2023 round of community grantees includes 43 new organizations, along with a re-investment in five organizations that were awarded grants in 2021, including 1Hood Media, Mortar Cincinnati, Love Now Media, Revolution Workshop, and Good Call NYC.
Inspired by the notion that movements to create systemic change have limitless potential at the local level, Jordan Community Grants, a program of the Black Community Commitment (a 10-year, $100M joint commitment between Michael Jordan and Jordan Brand), were first given in 2021 and awards one-year grants to organizations leading sustainable solutions in their cities.
“We believe that these community organizations aren’t just local changemakers, but that they are dreamers, makers of generational bonds, and neighborhood leaders with an authentic understanding of how together they can create transformative change,” says Craig Williams, Jordan Brand President.
In order to be eligible, grassroots 501(c)(3) organizations must have an operating budget of less than $3M and share a tie to one of the Black Community Commitment’s four key pillars: economic justice (to build generational wealth in Black communities); education (to help schools adapt curriculum, diversify staff and engage in educational reform efforts that prevent discrimination); narrative change (to increase awareness of the role race plays in our history to drive a deeper understanding of the consequences of racism in our everyday lives) and social justice (to build social and political capital within the Black community by investing in and advocating for policy reform.).
Learn more about the latest grantees.

ECONOMIC JUSTICE
America on Tech
Beyond Sports Foundation
Block Builderz
Built Oregon
The First 72+
Growing Home, Inc.
Institute of Intellectual Property and Social Justice
Reuben V. Anderson Center for Justice
Riverview West Florissant Housing Development Corporation
Turning Tables
Village of Love and Resistance

EDUCATION
Beyond the Ball
Birmingham Education Foundation
CHAMPS Male Mentoring Program
Education Justice Alliance
Education Law Center
NewRoot Learning Institute
Profound Ladies
Requity Foundation
STEM to the Future
Village of Wisdom
Vocal Justice

NARRATIVE CHANGE
Red Door Project
Community Action League
Community Literature Initiative
Day Eight
Diverso Coalition
Firehouse Community Arts Center of Chicago
Girl Be Heard Institute
Mentor Greater Milwaukee
Metcalfe Park Community Bridges
Public Narrative
The Vanguard Theater Company

SOCIAL JUSTICE
Ad Hoc Group Against Crime
California Black Women’s Health Project
DC Justice Lab
Gailen and Cathy Reevers Center for Community Empowerment
Higher Heights Leadership Fund
I Be Black Girl
Massachusetts Appleseed Center for Law and Justice
One Love Global
YA-YA Network
Youth Sentencing Reentry Project

 

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Inside the Whiskey-Cupcake Collaboration Helping HBCUs​

Feb 20, 2023

Two woman-owned and founded companies, Uncle Nearest and SusieCakes, have joined forces to raise money for historically Black colleges and universities during Black History Month as a part of Uncle Nearest’s #HBCUChallenge.

How the collaboration came to be​

The idea of the collaboration first came together in 2021. Fawn Weaver, the CEO and Founder of Black-owned whiskey company Uncle Nearest, has traditionally ordered SusieCakes treats for important events in her life, and so have her employees. So combining two of life’s best treats—cake and alcohol—seemed like a natural next step. Weaver sent whiskey to SusieCakes and, with the help of the company’s executive baker, the ideas soon started to flow. The two businesses landed on creating a delectable vanilla cupcake with whiskey-infused buttercream. Sarich said she was overjoyed to work on a project with a fellow woman-run business. “One of the values of our company is ‘We are good neighbors,’ so we’re very involved in our communities and that is usually around female empowerment,” she noted. “I’ve always been a fan girl of Fawn and so as it all came together, it just made perfect sense.”

The cupcakes are sold individually and in packages of 4-12 cupcakes and a portion of the sales go straight to the #HBCUChallenge. As of Valentine’s week, over 10,000 of the collaboration cupcakes were sold, contributing to thousands of dollars in the donation fund

Uncle Nearest aims to raise one million dollars for historically Black colleges and universities starting with Black History Month, February 1, 2023, and ending with Women’s History Month, or March 31, 2023. The top 58 ranked HBCUs will receive donations; 10% of the total donation pool will go to number one-ranked HBCU, Spelman College.

 

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NYC teens learn about fashion industry​

Feb 20, 2023
HARLEM, Manhattan (PIX11) — Fashion designer Ouigi Theodore shared the inspiration behind his menswear line The Brooklyn Circus with a group of Harlem students on Monday afternoon.


Theodore said his experience as a Haitian immigrant growing up in Brooklyn prompted him to create a brand that elevates and refines New York City street style. Earlier this month, The Brooklyn Circus teamed up with The Gap to create a limited edition collection.


Theodore was joined by Gap executives during his talk at The Brotherhood Sister Sol on West 143rd Street.

“A large part of what Brotherhood Sister Sol does is about exposure, it’s about helping young people see opportunities and have access so that they can really follow their own dreams,” Co-founder Khary Lazarre-White told PIX11.


Students asked Theodore about his design inspiration, getting started in the fashion industry and managing the demands of running a business.


“What I’d like to share with them is that anything is possible,” Theodore said.

 

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Anthony Duclair launches foundation to help Black and minority youth in hockey

Earlier this month, the 27-year-old Quebec-born forward unveiled the Anthony Duclair Foundation.

www.nhlpa.com

 

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American Basketball Star Kyrie Irving Donates $45,000 To Ghanaian Orphanage

American basketball star, Kyrie Irving, has donated $45,000 to a GoFundMe set up to raise funds for a Ghanaian orphanage and a

myinfo.com.gh

Feb 28, 2023

American Basketball Star Kyrie Irving Donates $45,000 To Ghanaian Orphanage​

American basketball star, Kyrie Irving, has donated $45,000 to a GoFundMe set up to raise funds for a Ghanaian orphanage and a Nigerian school.

 

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KEVIN HART'S GRAN CORAMINO TEQUILA ANNOUNCES 50 NEW SMALL BUSINESS GRANTS​

March 1, 2023
The Coramino Fund announces $500,000 in grants to 50 US small businesses—a new small business and entrepreneurship program led by LISC and funded by Gran Coramino Tequila—providing cash grants and resources to Black and Latinx entrepreneurs and small business owners

The Coramino Fund was created to support Black and Latinx small business owners and entrepreneurs who have historically been blocked from access to capital and necessary resources to grow their businesses.
50 eligible businesses were selected by LISC to receive grants. 50% of the 2023 Coramino Fund businesses selected are Black-owned, 36% are Latinx-owned, and 14% are Black and Latinx owned. 68% are women-owned businesses

 

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Nearest & Jack Advancement launches Spirits on the Rise Summit​

March 6, 2023

This historic photo of a Jack Daniel’s crew pictures Nearest Green’s son, George Green, seated to the left of Jasper Newton Daniel or Jack Daniel, as he’d come to be called. According to local historians, no photos of Nearest still exist. The two companies partnered in 2020 on the Nearest & Jack Advancement Initiative to advance diversity within the American whiskey industry. (Photo Courtesy of the Jack Daniel Distillery)



The Nearest & Jack Advancement Initiative (NJAI) — the first-of-its-kind incubator for diversifying the current and future leaders in the whiskey industry, — recently announced its first-ever Spirits on the Rise Summit. The two day event, taking place on April 17 and 18 aims to combat the imbalance set upon BIPOC businessmen and businesswomen in spirits and will bring together spirits industry entrepreneurs from historically underrepresented communities as they work to advance their businesses.


Throughout the summit, attendees will have unprecedented access to industry experts from NJAI founders Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey and Jack Daniel’sTennessee Whiskey, as well as leaders from companies like Hyatt Hotels, Breakthru Beverage, ReserveBar, and Republic National Distributing Company to learn more about investment and finance, distribution, route to market, networking, and community. The event will allow the NJAI to expand its impact beyond its existing programs – the Leadership Acceleration Program, the Business Incubation Program, and the Nearest Green School of Distilling – to further assist founders as they enter and progress in the spirits industry.


“When we launched the Nearest & Jack Advancement Initiative in 2020, our goal was to advance diversity within the American whiskey industry and we’re thrilled to see the first group of graduates come through the program,” said Jamie Butler, Jack Daniel’s Global Brand Director. “The Spirits on the Rise Summit expands upon the key tenants of this initiative and gives us the opportunity to increase the amount of BIPOC entrepreneurs we are able to support and educate in a multitude of areas.”


The NJAI is inspired by the historic and storied relationship between two pioneers of Tennessee Whiskey, Nearest Green and Jack Daniel, and sees to it that the future of the spirits industry is diverse and dynamic. Since its founding, the NJAI has presented professional opportunities to BIPOC-owned spirits ventures by committing millions of dollars towards providing access to the education and resources needed to be successful in a predominantly white-owned and led spirits industry.

“Over the past three years, the Nearest & Jack Advancement Initiative has worked on three tenets: helping to support up and coming BIPOC-owned brands, ensuring that we see more visible leaders of colors in every sector of our industry, and ensuring that we have attainable education around distillation and the spirits business,” said Katharine Jerkens, Chief Business Officer of Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey. “The Spirits on the Rise Summit is an opportunity to bring together entrepreneurs and key leaders in the industry to network and educate so that we can continue our mission of building a more diverse and inclusive industry.”

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The impact of the initiative’s work can be seen through the first three graduates of their incubator programming: Du Nord Social Spirits, the inaugural graduate of the Business Incubation Program, along with Tracie Franklin and Byron Copeland, the first two individuals to complete the Leadership Acceleration Program.

“This event is a testament to how far we’ve come in a short amount of time, and I couldn’t be more excited to see the new faces of our industry at the Summit,” said Chris Montana, Founder of Du Nord Social Spirits. “Du Nord’s involvement in the NJAI has allowed us to improve our business model, grow significantly, and compete nationally. I cannot overstate how critical this program has been to us as a business and to me personally.”