He's not heavy, he's my Brother

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Sept. 2, 2020




Beyonce is continuing to give back. The superstar announced via her BeyGOOD foundation on Wednesday that she is donating $1 million in additional funds to help Black-owned small businesses.

The 24-time Grammy winner and her foundation partnered with the NAACP in July to launch the Black-Owned Small Business Impact Fund. The goal, according to an Instagram post by BeyGOOD at the time, is "to help strengthen small businesses and ensure economic empowerment for Black businesses."

The first round of applications closed in late July, and the 20 recipients were announced Aug. 18. Grants of $10,000 were offered to the businesses. The Black-Owned Small Business Impact Fund will begin accepting applications for round two later this month. For more information on how to apply or donate to the fund, visit the NAACP's website.

 

[HarlemHottie]

“African American representation in the field is important, and Harlem is the place to make it happen.” — Leonard Wantcheko

Ally of the year right there.

 

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Mississippi Civil Rights Museum receives donation from Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity
Sept 13, 2020
JACKSON, Miss. (WJTV) – Members of Beta Gamma Boulé and the national Grand Boulé of Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity presented a huge donation to the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum.

The organization raised more than $55,000 in an effort to support the museum’s mission of shedding light on Black history and to inspire children of the future.

“I’m excited, this is an amazing time for us. What it does for me is that it brings hope for us. There are so many children who have not come to the museum. There’s this new thing of virtual programming, so these funds will help us,” said Pamela Junior, executive director of Two Mississippi Museums.

Sigma Pi Phi is the oldest black greek-lettered organization in the nation.

 

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PURPOSE PREPATORY ACADEMY
Nashville, TN

 

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Prairie View A&M University president gifts Fifth Ward non-profit with $100,000 donation


September 11, 2020

Prairie View A&M University President Dr. Ruth Simmons presented Fifth Ward's Julia C. Hester House with a donation in the amount of $100,000 Saturday. She said the house contributed to her upbringing. (KPRC 2)

HOUSTON – The president of Prairie View A&M University, Dr. Ruth Simmons, has gifted the Fifth Ward community with a major boost in an effort to help a non-profit founded 77 years ago.

Simmons presented the Julia C. Hester House, a long-standing community center in the Fifth Ward area, a donation in the amount of $100,000 on Saturday. She said the non-profit organization contributed to her upbringing.

Simmons said the gift will help the organization continue to serve residents with a variety of programs, including child development, education, community swim classes, senior services and meal distributions. Many of the programs are free as JCHH serves an under-resourced population.

“My siblings and I owe a great deal to Julia C. Hester House," Simmons said. “It serves as a beacon of hope for the community and we spent many years here as children, participating in their programs in a healthy, productive environment created specifically for those of us in the neighborhood. My hope is that the legacy of the organization remains strong and faithful, and that they continue to help shape lives, like they did mine.”

Spoiler: rest of article

The funds will be used to continue program operations at the house and help cover some of the losses in donations due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Seniors in the African American community rely on the JCHH as a source for health and wellness due to the scarce and limited resources in the community. Due to COVID-19, many programs have been suspended or moved online.

“We were both surprised and elated with gratitude when we received the news of this thoughtful donation. To see the direct impact of our services through the years and the impression our programs have on people like Dr. Simmons is a great reminder of why organizations like ours are essential,” said Daisy Stiner, executive director of the Julia C. Hester House. [/QUOTE]

 

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GEDDI announces new business cohort and accelerator programs

• 
  
  
  Tawana Bain, CEO of New Age Communications, founder of the Derby Diversity Business Summit and 501(c)3 nonprofit, GEDDI, announced Thursday "The Collective," a cohort of 10 Black business leaders who will work together and pool resources to pull off engaging community events.
  
  
  Sep 11, 2020
  
• 
  Tawana Bain, founder of the Global Economic Diversity Development Initiative (GEDDI), says when she visits other big cities, their Black communities are so invigorated with programming, events and energy it’s like magic to witness.
  
  Through her efforts with GEDDI, she said she can only imagine how Louisville’s Black business community will exceed what she’s seen elsewhere.
  
  During a press conference Thursday at her restaurant, Encore on 4th, Bain announced two new programs that will gather Black business leaders in the creation of new experiences to invigorate the city and bring in revenue.
  
  The first program, called The Collective, brings together a cohort of Black-owned businesses for a two-year period to generate ideas for local cultural experiences and events and share resources with one another.
  
  Bain said she would dedicate her restaurant as a co-working business space for The Collective to meet and share ideas. Actually, that pledge would tie into a second program announced Thursday, called the Black Complex.
  
  The Black Complex, founded by Aaron Jordan, will be a business hub for Black innovation, political thought, urban planning, technology and community engagement, while also being a space for entrepreneurs to connect and collaborate.
  
  Spoiler: rest of article

  The Collective’s first event, The Black Harvest, will be a virtual and in-person showcase of new and existing cultural-forward events, where vendors and sponsors will be able to choose the ones they’d like to attend or support in the future.
  
  Encore on 4th will host The Black Harvest on Oct. 31 and musical theatre performances, film, spoken word poetry, visual arts and more will be on display.
  
  “The Black innovators, movers and shakers are not looking for a handout,” Bain said. “We’ve identified businesses that are talented but lack access to resources they need to grow. With this cohort, business leaders can access services and resources from one another to generate revenue and better our community.”
  
  A percentage of the ticket sales from events The Collective puts on will be funneled into GEDDI’s endowment fund, which will be used to offer grants to Black entrepreneurs, business owners and organizations to help them grow their businesses and build wealth.
  
  Each member of The Collective will represent a different industry area needed to pull off successful events — from public relations and marketing to audio/visual expertise, food and beverage and creative direction, among other areas.
  
  The Collective currently has seven local members: Alonzo Ramont of Redline Performing Arts; Rheonna Thorton of Lipstick Wars; Mario Duerson of LiveXport LLC; Brelin Tilford of Your Media Pros; Emmanuel Rucker of NAC Imprint; Minniequa Johnson of Designs by the Johnsons; and Jacy "Prolific Jones" Britt of The Prolific Experience.
  
  The nonprofit additionally has several opportunities available for other Black business leaders to join The Collective for the 2020-22 cohort. Bain said the organization would cap The Collective at 20 members.
  
  GEDDI, founded this summer, is a 501(c)3 nonprofit which looks to address systemic issues in the Black community by providing funding for Black-owned businesses, organizations and entrepreneurs in support of workforce and leadership development, economic empowerment, supply chain opportunities and business acceleration.
  
  Those business owners who are part of the cohort will become founding members of GEDDI’s first endowment fund that will be available to them in later years as a sustainable and consistent funding source, Bain said.
  
  “Ultimately, they are investing in themselves while valuing the output of those who look like them. As community members observe their impact, we know additional funding will come. I know this firsthand.”

 

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Shaquille O'Neal on partnering with American Express to announce a $10 million grant program for Black-owned small businesses
Sept 15, 2020

Shaquille O'Neal.
Barry Brecheisen/Getty Images for American Express

• Shaquille O'Neal spoke to Business Insider in an interview tied to the announcement of a new American Express grant program for Black-owned small businesses.
• In partnership with a coalition of business groups and collectives, American Express is dedicating $10 million in grants over the next four years to support Black small business owners in the US.

NBA legend Shaquille O'Neal partnered with American Express this week to announce a new grant program benefiting Black-owned small businesses in the US.

In partnership with the US Black Chambers, Inc., National Business League, National Black Chamber of Commerce, and Walker's Legacy, American Express will dedicate $10 million in grants over the next four years to Black small business owners through an initiative called the "Coalition to Back Black Businesses."

280 Black business owners who employ between three to 20 people will each receive a $5,000 grant through the program this year. The application for the grant program has a submission deadline of September 21, and those who apply have to meet a list of eligibility criteria outlined on the program's website.

 

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UD star, Dayton native Chris Wright partners with Wilberforce to offer scholarships

Oct 6, 2020

Former University of Dayton basketball star and NBA veteran Chris Wright wants to help Dayton-area students fulfill their athletic and academic dreams.

The Dayton native’s Wright Way Foundation will partner with Wilberforce University to launch both an educational and career pathway initiative for future and current Dayton-area students who want to attend the nation’s first private Historically Black College and University, according to a news release. Qualified high school students will be offered scholarships to pursue degrees in such fields as sports management, sports medicine, visual arts and media and entrepreneurship.

“As a pro player who’s experienced and learned a lot in life through basketball, I feel it’s my job to be hands-on in leading the youth and giving back to my city,” Wright said in the news release. “I’m extremely blessed to be in this position to collaborate with the nation’s first private HBCU, right here in the Dayton area.”

https://www.daytondailynews.com/new...ses-colleges-hard/FXSFK44XRFGRDOVFWVDKPWAMRA/
Wright also will host World Championship Basketball Tournament tryouts on the Wilberforce campus, the release says. The foundation will fund two basketball players ― a boy and a girl ― ages 16-17 to participate in the tournament in Lausanne, Switzerland. Participants will have the opportunity to travel to Europe to compete against some of the best players in the world during summer 2021, the release says.

“The Wright Way Foundation will now be able to give kids from all over Ohio an opportunity to learn the history in our city," Wright said. "Our partnership with Wilberforce University will allow us to continue to explore scholarship opportunities, academic assistance and career pathway programs for future HBCU students beginning in 2021. I’m excited to bring pride to the youth of my city, and help them grow as student-athletes and young professionals.”

Wilberforce President President Elfred Anthony Pinkard welcomed the partnership with Wright’s organization.

“Wilberforce University is very excited about the work The Wright Foundation is doing with local youth,” Pinkard said. "This very important partnership between the foundation, and Wilberforce is an example of possibilities that are unlimited.”

 

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Oct. 13, 2020

Steve Harvey helps the family of 12 year old GENIUS Caleb Anderson by paying for his college tuition for the remainder of the year.

 

[Neuromancer]

subs.

 

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Elizabeth City State University receives $50,000 endowment from Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.


Oct 27, 2020

ELIZABETH CITY, N.C. (WNCT) Elizabeth City State University received an initial endowment of $50,000 from Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated in partnership with the AKA Educational Advancement Foundation.

The donation comes on the heels of the sorority’s recent third annual HBCU Impact Day initiative where more than $1.5 million was raised in one day for the support of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).

Last year, AKA began the process of donating to HBCUs through the AKA-HBCU Endowment Fund with the goal to donate $10 million within four years.

The sorority gifted $1.6 million to the first 32 of 96 HBCUs at a ceremony held at AKA’s international headquarters in Chicago.

Each HBCU received $50,000 in unrestricted endowment funds as part of a phased approach to help schools reduce student debt through scholarships, fund industry-specific research, recruit and retain top faculty, and other critical operations.

“Given the current economic state of our world, in which we are dealing with a global health pandemic and widespread injustice against people of color, now more than ever is the time for historically Black sororities, fraternities and other HBCU supporters to step up and be of service to our historic institutions of higher education,” said Dr. Glenda Glover, AKA International President and Chief Executive Officer.

Anita Walton, ECSU’s Vice Chancellor for University Advancement, said AKA’s commitment to HBCUs and its gift to the university make a significant impact on educational opportunities for current and future Vikings.

Although HBCU Impact Day has passed, Alpha Kappa Alpha is still accepting donations to support the AKA-HBCU Endowment Fund $10 million goal.

Interested donors can make contributions by texting AKAHBCU to 44321 or giving by mail or online.

 

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Six Million Viewers Join Inaugural Black Entrepreneurs Day Presented by Chase for Business Live-Stream, $250K in NAACP Grants Awarded Live


NEW YORK, Oct. 27, 2020 -- Daymond John, the founder and CEO of FUBU and co-star of ABC's four-time Emmy Award-winning show "Shark Tank," just wrapped up his inaugural Black Entrepreneurs Day presented by Chase for Business. In conjunction with Medium Rare (Shaq vs. Gronk), Black Entrepreneurs Day was a historic live-stream generating over six million live viewers from all 50 states and over 100 countries.

"Black Entrepreneurs Day meant more to me than I can describe. It was amazing to be able to celebrate and highlight those who have overcome the battles our community has faced for years and to inspire change for the future so that all entrepreneurs of all colors can have the same opportunities. It was incredible to see how many people across race, creed, gender, religion reached out and told me how impactful the event was. Thank you to Chase for Business for believing in me and our partnership and thank you to every single person around the world who tuned in," said Daymond John.

The event provided guidance and inspiration to the next generation of rising entrepreneurs, as well as $250,000 in bottom-line financial support, via its "NAACP Powershift Entrepreneur Grant," which was created by Daymond in partnership with the NAACP. The grant was broken up into 10 individual grants.

.

The 10 Black-owned small business winners of the $25,000 Grants are:

Grant Winner

Business Location

VINATERÍA

New York, NY



======

Spoiler: B&M

Black and Mobile

Philadelphia, PA

===============

Spoiler: Cupcake

https://www.bizjournals.com/nashvil...pcake-collection-grant-general-insurance.html

Cupcake Collection

Nashville, TN

=============

JAS

Atlanta, GA
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J's Breakfast Club

Gary, Indiana

================

Clevtech

Houston, TX

===========

Get Laced

Los Angeles, CA


==========

Distinct Tax Consulting

Morrow, GA

============

SpenDebt

St. Louis, Missouri


====================

Candy Connections

Middletown, Delaware

 

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Nov. 6, 2020
Charles Barkley is once again pledging a million dollars to an HBCU.

During a recent interview with V103’s Big Tigger in Atlanta, the retired NBA legend and Hall of Famer announced that this time around he is choosing Tuskegee University for his next big donation.

The endowment is through Capital One’s The Match: Champions for Change presented by Turner Sports. The premier golf event, that boasts stellar athletes in competition, seeks to raise awareness about the benefits of HBCUs and their illustrious programs.


The Match will air on Turner Network Television (TNT), Friday, November 27, at 3 p.m. EST with exclusive content available on Bleacher Report.

“We are excited to learn that Mr. Barkley made it a priority to support Tuskegee University,” Dr. Charlotte Morris, interim president, stated. “His philanthropy will play a crucial role in advancing the university’s strategic goals.”

This marks the fifth major donation Barkley has made to a Historically Black College and University. Earlier this year, he pledged $1 million to Miles College. In 2016, Barkley pledged $1 million to both Alabama A&M in Huntsville and Clark Atlanta University and in 2017 he pledged $1 million to Morehouse College in Atlanta

 

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Lincoln University Receives Endowment From Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.®
November 10,2020

LINCOLN UNIVERSITY, PA — Lincoln University has received an initial endowment of $50,000 from Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated® in partnership with the AKA Educational Advancement Foundation®.


“We would like to thank the women of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. for investing in our university,” said Lincoln University President Brenda A. Allen. “This $50,000 will go a long way in establishing an endowment that will allow us to give grants to our students to help them to matriculate uninterrupted through Lincoln and into their careers.”

Allen said that for every $1,000 in grant aid provided to a Lincoln student, the odds of that student graduating increase by about 20 percent.

“With this generous gift, we will be able to incorporate these grants into our students’ aid packages so that they can be educated and empowered to lead their communities and change the world.”


The donation comes on the heels of the sorority’s recent third annual HBCU Impact Day initiative where more than $1.5 million was raised in one day for the support of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Last year, AKA began the process of donating to HBCUs through the AKA-HBCU Endowment Fund to donate $10 million within four years. The sorority gifted $1.6 million to the first 32 of 96 HBCUs at a ceremony held at AKA’s International headquarters in Chicago. Each HBCU received $50,000 in unrestricted endowment funds as part of a phased approach to help schools reduce student debt through scholarships, fund industry-specific research, recruit and retain top faculty, and other critical operations.

Dr. Glenda Glover, AKA International President and Chief Executive Officer, said, “Given the current economic state of our world, in which we are dealing with a global health pandemic and widespread injustice against people of color, now more than ever is the time for historically Black sororities, fraternities, and other HBCU supporters to step up and be of service to our historic institutions of higher education.”

https://www.mychesco.com/a/educatio...tive-american-heritage-with-virtual-programs/

Spoiler: rest of article

“I know first-hand the immense challenges HBCUs are facing during this time of uncertainty,” added Dr. Glover, who is also the president of Tennessee State University and an HBCU graduate. “However, I also know that these institutions are resilient and resourceful, which is why Alpha Kappa Alpha is fully committed to investing in our HBCUs and preserving their educational legacy for generations to come.”


While HBCUs have gotten much more favorable attention in the press over the past few months, COVID-19 continues to adversely affect most colleges and universities. Many HBCUs have adjusted to the challenges of educating through a global health pandemic, but financial support is still needed to help maintain daily operations.

Although HBCU Impact Day has passed, Alpha Kappa Alpha is still accepting donations to support the AKA-HBCU Endowment Fund’s 10 million dollar goal. Interested donors can make contributions by texting AKAHBCU to 44321, giving by mail or online at https://donate.akaeaf.org/pages/HBCU_Community_Impact_Day. For more information on the AKA Educational Advancement Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization, and the sorority’s commitment to HBCUs and the endowment fund visit www.AKAEAF.org.

 

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NBA Star, TSU Alum Robert Covington credits alma mater for his success, gifts donation for new construction project
November 12, 2020


NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – Nashville, TN- Houston Rockets forward Rob Covington is paying it forward to his alma mater Tennessee State University and announced today he would fund a major project on the campus. The 2013 TSU graduate said the University played a major role in his personal and professional development, and now he will play a pivotal role in helping to develop its future basketball program at the “Covington Pavilion”.

TSU President Glenda Glover and university officials join Robert Covington and his family to break ground for the Covington Pavilion on the main campus. (Photo by TSU Media Relations)

Covington’s gift is the largest of this magnitude to an HBCU by a former athlete who was a product of its program.

“I want to thank the city of Nashville for embracing me, and Coach Brian ‘Penny’ Collins, Dr. Mikki Allen, President (Glenda) Glover and the University for giving me the opportunity to do something special like this,” Covington said.

“I love my alma mater, I’m not donating a new practice facility for the recognition or because I NEED to – I am doing it because I truly WANT to. I know what the school didn’t have when I was here as a student and I want future generations of kids to have the best resources available to them, to build their futures both on and off the court. I want them to step on this campus and feel like their dreams can come true here, because mine really did.”

TSU Athletics Director, Dr. Mikki Allen, left, and President Glover congratulate Robert Covington moments after the NBA star and TSU alum announced his project during a ceremony in the Gentry Center. (Photo by TSU Media Relations)

Covington will fund the project, with construction slated to begin late spring in 2021. The facility will have two practice courts, locker rooms and offices for the men’s and women’s basketball programs.

“We are extremely proud of Mr. Robert Covington’s success and are grateful for his contributions to the University,” said President Glover. “Most importantly, his success on and off the court speaks volumes about the caliber of students TSU and other HBCUs produce. We thank him, his family and the Allergic To Failure Foundation for this generous gift.”
.”

The President shares a moment with the Covington family near an architect’s rendering of the Covington Pavilion. Construction is slated to begin late Spring 2021. (Photo by TSU Media Relations)