All results
Seventy-six-year-old Sue Taylor sees great promise in the cannabis sector. During an interview with ABC-7 News, the former Catholic school principal shares her joy in owning a Berkeley, CA, dispensary. She reportedly owns the first and only Black-woman-owned dispensary in the city. “It was quite an honor. To be that representative,” Taylor mentioned to the outlet. “So many African Americans — it’s people of color who were incarcerated for cannabis from the get, right, from the beginning. It was us. And so to have an African-American family open up a dispensary such as this, it gave us a lot of pride.” The feat would not have been possible if she had not adjusted her initial hesitation surrounding the use of cannabis, she says. Only when she witnessed its benefits for seniors combined with the the loss of a dear friend to cancer did she finally understand. “I feel some kind of way in my heart that I didn’t serve her well because my mindset wasn’t on cannabis. Because I was secretly...
Nina Parker cannot be placed into a box. Whether it is her work as a renowned journalist, or smashing glass ceilings in the fashion industry, Parker continues to outdo herself time and time again, and a part of that comes from her commitment to growth. “I’m still evolving,” she told AfroTech. Parker has never shied away from the strong desire to take her talents to this next level. After she got her start in local news, she pivoted whenever necessary, to set herself up for success.
Many people are unable to reflect about the college experience without remembering the impact of fraternities and sororities. From the parties to the homecoming step shows, men and women from Black-Greek Letter organizations have been making social and societal impacts for over a century. Referred to as the National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC) or “the Divine Nine,” the historical organizations have collaborated with the United States Small Business Administration (SBA) to address the wealth gap through Black entrepreneurship.
When all else fails and you can’t locate the market for a need, the best bet is to create a lane yourself. That’s what one Black retail executive did after the realization that she could not find her sorority’s colors in any dresses in stores. After the realization that her sorority’s colors weren’t included in dress designs, Cenetta Baker-Woods took it upon herself to present a new strategy to help Macy’s win over sororities included in the Divine Nine. Now, the line is expected to hit $10 million in sales this year, according to a report from Bloomberg.
The digital landscape continues to evolve with new innovative ways of marketing, advertising and branding for businesses. While Black business owners’ imitable creativity marks them as trendsetters in their respective markets, lack of access to essential digital tools keeps them a few steps behind when it comes to their businesses’ online presence. To improve that, the Fifteen Percent Pledge and Google Shopping have recently joined forces for a two-year partnership to help place Black entrepreneurs ahead of the curve. The Fifteen Percent Pledge, founded by fashion designer Aurora James in June 2020, is a nonprofit that pushes for major retailers to pledge 15 percent of their shelf space to Black-owned businesses. As Google Shopping is committed to Black businesses within its own company mission, the tech giant is now backing the organization in its Business Equity Community — an online, networking platform that will provide Black business owners access to digital tools, training and...
Nordstrom is joining the 15 Percent Pledge train with its own unique commitment to better support Black-owned businesses. According to Good Morning America, Nordstrom is the first major retailer to form a 10-year commitment in agreeance with the 15 Percent Pledge’s mission — the nonprofit which strives to holds large corporations accountable when it comes to supporting Black-owned brands. As part of its new pledge, Nordstrom has also announced plans to increase its purchases and partnerships with Black-owned or founded retailers by the end of 2030. “Long-term societal change cannot happen overnight and we’re in this for the long haul,” is what president and chief brand officer Peter Nordstrom said in a statement. “Nordstrom has established new goals and benchmarks to help it become a more diverse, inclusive and anti-racist organization,” 15 Percent Pledge adds, “and has made strides towards these goals through notable product launches and curations.” View this post on Instagram ...
Technology doesn’t always work in our favor. After facial recognition software wrongly identified a Black teen at a local skating rink in Michigan, her parents want some answers. “To me, it’s basically racial profiling,” said the teen’s mother, Juliea Robinson. “You’re just saying every young Black, brown girl with glasses fits the profile and that’s not right.” According to Fox 2 Detroit, Riverside Arena skating rink’s facial recognition software misidentified Lamya Robinson which ultimately led to her being kicked out and denied access into the venue. “I was like, that is not me. Who is that?” said Lamya. “I was confused because I’ve never been there.” When her parents dropped her off at the rink on Saturday, they expected her to spend the day having fun and hanging out with friends but she didn’t even make it into the venue. Lamya was denied entry after her face was scanned and the rink accused her of being involved in a brawl at the venue back in March. “You all put my daughter...
Three young brothers launched a candle company two years ago, after their parents told them they weren’t getting a raise in their allowance. Collin, Ryan and Austin Gill created Frères Branchiaux, a candle and fragrance company when their parents inspired them to start their own business. The brothers, ages 8 through 13, are now selling their products in select Macy’s stores around the U.S. “We are really thankful that other people have recognized our hard work and like our candles,” the brothers said in a statement to Atlanta Black Star. “Being selected to participate in The Market at Macy’s shows is that we can achieve the highest goals possible even while we are kids.” Ten percent of the proceeds go to Washington, D.C. homeless shelters. Frères Branchiaux soy candles, room sprays, diffusers, and body products are locally sourced. Check out their website for their full inventory of products.