Top Stories

• Black Women Are More Likely to Start a Business than White Men (Harvard Business Review). A lot of statistics regarding type of business, funding, and education.
• Corporations vowed to fight racism after George Floyd, but many still don’t have a single Black board member (USA Today)
• Maggie Walker: Why America’s First Black Female Bank Founder Is Still Owed A Great Debt (Forbes) – a very good long piece on Maggie Walker.
• The Brands Reimagining Natural Hair Care (NY Times)
• ‘Silver linings in this mess of a pandemic’: Telecommuting allows Black women in Maryland to build wealth (Baltimore Sun). The pandemic has opened labor markets which allows Black women to secure better-paying jobs.
• She was tired of seeing Black stereotypes on TV. So she started her own streaming service. (CNN). This article highlights the story of DeShuna Spencer and Kweli.TV.
• ‘The Banker” movie: Review And Plot Explained (Otakukart) – A movie everyone should watch.
• Sir Arthur Lewis and His Enduring Legacy (You Tube) – London School of Economics. Sir W. Arthur Lewis: A Lasting Legacy (You Tube) – Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs. Very good.
• Legacy of Nobel laureate Sir W. Arthur Lewis commemorated at Robertson Hall (Princeton) – Press release. Arthur Lewis at LSE – one of our best teachers(LSE)
• Michael Strahan, Pharrell, Join To Educate Athletes About Their Finances At NKSFB Sports Wealth Summit (Black Chronicle)
• 333 years needed to erase equity gap for minority-owned businesses at current growth level (PRNewswire). Original report from the Michigan Minority Supplier Development Council. 

Stories

Coronavirus / Covid-19 / Paycheck Protection Program (PPP)

• $10 billion sought for housing assistance direct payments As key PPP changes begin, advocates demand equitable solutions (St. Louis American) – Writes Charlene Crowell from the center for responsible lending
• More Black-owned businesses survived Philly’s lockdown than researchers expected (WHYY)
• The pandemic recession has pushed a further 9.8 million Americans into food insecurity(Lake County News) – Black people were twice as likely(19.3%) to be food insecure as White people(9.6%)
• Feeding America website with data on African American hunger as reference in the story.

Jobs / Workers / Unemployment / Gig Economy

• For Black workers, age discrimination strikes twice (Washington Post)
• Tucker: Curb unemployment by paying a living wage (Telegraph Herald)
• Biden calls on employers to help get more workers vaccinated, saying it will boost the economy (Washington Post)
• Almost 2 million Americans will lose supplemental unemployment benefits in 16 states (CNBC). Workers will lose a $300 weekly supplement to unemployment benefits. 
• Uncounted in the Unemployment Rate, but They Want to Work (NY Times)

Inequality / Systemic Racism / Economic Justice / UBI

• Cesca: Geography and public policy are strongly influencing racial inequality (Baltimore Sun)
• How Businesses Can Drive the Systemic Change They Say They Want (Barrons)
• Our America: The history of the model minority myth and its impact on Asian-American communities (ABC) – Model minority myth used to make unfair comparisons, pitting Asian Americans against Black and Latino people.
• 333 years needed to erase equity gap for minority-owned businesses at current growth level (PRNewswire). Original report from the Michigan Minority Supplier Development Council. 

Black Business

Black Business General / Interesting Businesses Stories

• ‘There Are No Words For It’: Husband And Wife Duo Behind Frugal Bookstore Reflect On Their Whirlwind 2020 (WGBH)
• How Will You Market Your Business in this Economy (Nasdaq)
• This Black Women-owned Brand Makes Some of the Most Unique Travel Accessories Out There (Travel and Leisure)
• ‘We Didn’t Have Time To Pause’: Entrepreneurs Of Color Reflect On The Pandemic (WGBH) – Basic Black
• Second Round Of PPP Brings More Success For Some Minority-Owned Businesses (WFAE)
• There Are Valuable Lessons To Be Learned From Black Business Icons (Forbes)
• Black Women Are More Likely to Start a Business than White Men (Harvard Business Review). A lot of statistics regarding type of business, funding, and education.
• Memphis aims to financial help 500 black business over the next three years (Commercial Appeal)
• Black-Owned Food Establishments Struggle In Nation’s Capital (NPR) – Discusses Washington DC food with Anela Malik from Feed the Malik blog.

Black Business Specific

• Black’s Life Center offers a personalized funeral experience, expert care (Marshall News Messenger) – Texas
• Mother, daughters create tiny resort business in Lee County (WSFA12)
• AMERICAN BLACK JOURNAL: Detroit Restaurant Business (PBS North Carolina) – Discusses Kuzzo’s kitchen in Detroit.

Black Economics

Black Economics

• Sir Arthur Lewis and His Enduring Legacy (You Tube) – London School of Economics
• Sir W. Arthur Lewis: A Lasting Legacy (You Tube) – Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs. Very good.
• Legacy of Nobel laureate Sir W. Arthur Lewis commemorated at Robertson Hall (Princeton) – Press release
• Arthur Lewis at LSE – one of our best teachers(LSE)

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• The Two Women Fixing the Pipeline for Black Female Economists (Washington Post)
• Breaking Barriers For BAME Entrepreneurs (Forbes)
• Inclusive Economy (NAACP) – NNACP introduce and inclusive economy program.
• How businesses can heed Martin Luther King, Jr.’s call to support Black banks (CNN Business)
• Could one road project change the future of Alabama’s black belt? (AL.COM) – Route 43.  A look inside rural development in Alabama’s Black belt.
• How Systemic Racism Continues To Determine Black Health And Wealth In Chicago (NPR). Original article is from the New York Times.
• ‘Silver linings in this mess of a pandemic’: Telecommuting allows Black women in Maryland to build wealth (Baltimore Sun). The pandemic has opened labor markets which allows Black women to secure better-paying jobs.
• Maggie Walker: Why America’s First Black Female Bank Founder Is Still Owed A Great Debt (Forbes) – a very good long piece on Maggie Walker

Economics / The economy

• Why the gender gap in economics is even larger than in STEM (Business Insider)

Co-Ops / Employee Owned / Cooperative Economics (UJamaa)

• Decolonising race and class (Barbados Today) – Advocates coops and employee ownership.

General Business

Big Business / Corporate / Business Strategy

• Rosalind Brewer officially takes the helm at Walgreens, becoming the only Black woman Fortune 500 CEO (CNN)
• Will Walmart’s early payment program be a difference-maker for minority vendors? (Retail Wire)
• Coca-Cola is at the center of a debate over corporate social justice, with an anti-affirmative-action activist threatening to sue over its supplier diversity program (Business Insider)
• Corporate brands stepped up during 2020’s racial reckoning — now comes ‘the hard work’ of real equity and inclusion (MarketWatch)
• Black Lives Matter holds rally Saturday for Amazon union vote (AL.com) – Gotta be careful.  This might backfire.
• Black Workers at Amazon Warehouse have the Power to Keep Making History (Tennessee Tribune)
• Goldman Sachs commits billions to impact black women’s lives (Business Chief) – Have to keep an eye on GS. Goldman Sachs does not have a good record on social justice, helping poor people or supporting the government.
• Goldman Sachs Commits Additional $500 Million to Launch With GS for Total of $1 Billion (Black PR Newswire). Goldman Sachs program Launch with GS is here.
• ‘Racial bias runs deep’ at America’s big banks, study says (CNN). The study covers discrimination against workers. Here is the Better Banks Accountability Project and the study.
• Solar project aims to deliver training and equity to North Minneapolis (Energy News Network)
• Board Prospects Releases Report Highlighting Lack of Black Board Members in Russell 3000 (PR Newswire) — The report shows that more than 60% of companies in the Russell 3000 have no Black board members. — Board Prospect is a recruiting firm specializing in minority board members. Read report here.

Discrimination

• Corporations vowed to fight racism after George Floyd, but many still don’t have a single Black board member (USA Today)

Real Estate / Housing / Segregation

• Commercial Real Estate: Why Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Are Paramount for Smart Business at Lument (Commercial Observer) – NYC commercial real estate news.  CRE Industry is basically devoid of minorities.
• PACE loan program gives loans to underserved communities in ST. Louis (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)

Reparations / Affirmative Action / Diversity / Inclusion

• Monday numbers: A closer look at the case for reparations for Black Americans (NC Policy Watch)
• Chicago suburb’s plan to pay Black residents reparations could be a national model (KFGO) – Reuters
• Amherst creates fund to pay reparations to Black residents (The Westerly Sun)
• New Ford Bronco Sport ad spotlights Black women, challenges stereotypes (Detroit Free Press)
• ‘There were six. And now there’s zero’: Restaurant industry grapples with lack of diversity in executive ranks (USA Today)
• Still Too Few Black Executives In SA, Sectors Not Doing Enough – 2021 Sanlam Gauge Report (iafrica)
• Diversity in the Workplace: Accelerating Change in the Boardroom with Ursula Burns, Senior Adviser of Teneo & Former CEO of Xerox (Washington Post)
• Charleston ports agency could get more oversight, add minority contractors (Post and Courier)

Industries and Categories

Beauty / Fashion / Retail

• Engineer Aliyah Powell takes fashion industry by storm (Afro.Com). Here is Fit Fashionista website as mentioned in the article.
• The Brands Reimagining Natural Hair Care (NY Times)

Sports / Media / Entertainment

• Michael Strahan, Pharrell, Join To Educate Athletes About Their Finances At NKSFB Sports Wealth Summit (Black Chronicle)
• Pro athletes flock to Aspen to learn about wealth management in inaugural summit (Aspen Times)
• NKSFB Website for company mentioned in the article.  Nigro Karlin Segal & Feldstein, LLP. Only two Black partners per website.  Wonder how many Black employees.
• NKSFB, LLC is the largest business management firm in the country, with more than 550 employees. We work alongside the world’s top artists in music, film and television, as well as athletes, executives, entrepreneurs and other high achievers, offering a sophisticated range of concierge-style services to meet their lifestyle management needs.

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• IPG pledges to spend 5% on Black-owned media by 2023 (Marketing Dive)
• Marketers are reportedly underpaying Black influencers compared to white people with less followers (Business Insider)
• Report: Kyle Lowry’s Investments Motivated by More Than Capital Gains (Sports Illustrated)
• NBA stars like Kevin Durant and Kyle Lowry are increasingly pouring money into startups for the thrill of investing and a chance to break down barriers for people of color (Business Insider)
• She was tired of seeing Black stereotypes on TV. So she started her own streaming service. (CNN). This article highlights the story of DeShuna Spencer and Kweli.TV.
• New report shows Black, Hispanic workers underrepresented in creative jobs (NYN Media)
• Black Workers Find Little Opportunity in Growing Video Game Industry (Yahoo Finance) – Well, Bloomberg

Alcohol / Marijuana / CBD / Gambling

• Cannabis Advocates Rip Arizona’s Draft Rules for ‘Social Equity’ Licenses (Phoenix New Times)
• The cofounder of Colorado’s first Black-owned cannabis dispensary (Business Insider)
• How will Plainfield handle marijuana? City wants public input (My Central Jersey)
• Meet Florida’s first Black female winemaker. Desriee Noisette founded Mermosa four years ago (Click Orlando)
• Phil Long of Longevity Wines (South Florida Reporter)

Food / Restaurants

• Organization brings Black Restaurant Week to Nashville’s culinary scene (Nashville Business Journal)
• Cereal bar brings Saturday morning nostalgia and encouragement to other Black-owned businesses (Spectrum News)
• As barbecue booms, Black Southern pitmasters claim their rightful place (Tennessean)
• Entrepreneur creates a welcoming environment for women to purchase hair care Supplies (Philadelphia Tribune)
• Black-Owned Food Establishments Struggle In Nation’s Capital (NPR) – Discusses Washington DC food with Anela Malik from Feed the Malik blog.

Finance / Investing / Venture Capital

• Women and minority investors are taking matters into their own hands (Chicago Booth)
• American Express puts $40 million into a fund to provide loans to small business owners of color (CNBC)
• Minority-Owned Investment Banks Are Underwriting More Corporate Bond Offerings (Wall Street Journal) (MorningStar)
• ‘Racial bias runs deep’ at America’s big banks, study says (CNN). The study covers discrimination against workers. Here is the Better Banks Accountability Project and the study.
• U.S. Bank Access Fund to Focus $25M on Women of Color in Business (Philanthropy Women)

Real Estate / Finance / Development / Segregation

• Local partnership aims to assist BIPOC community members looking to start businesses and buy homes (Ithaca Voice)
• Are renters—and the U.S. economy—hurtling toward an ‘eviction cliff’? (Phys)
• Black Americans and The Racist Architecture Of Homeownership (NPR)
• A new study shows anti-Black racism is costing American homeowners hundreds of thousands of dollars (Business Insider) 
• New crowdfunding rules set to boost investment in diverse startups and founders (Impact Alpha)
• Marcia Fudge Assumes HUD at Critical Time for Housing, Reverse Mortgages (Reverse Mortgage Daily)  — It’s funny to see how a publication, of the disreputable reverse mortgage industry, treats a regulator who might crack down. 
• Maggie Walker: Why America’s First Black Female Bank Founder Is Still Owed A Great Debt (Forbes) – a very good long piece on Maggie Walker
• ‘The Banker” movie: Review And Plot Explained (Otakukart) – A movie everyone should watch

Technology / Apps / Innovation

• From Silicon Valley To Nairobi: Sote Founders’ Startup Dream Spans Two Continents (Crunchbase)
• 3 Ways Technology Can Help Minority-Owned Businesses Recover (LMT)

Science / Math / Statistics / STEM

• Gerald Johnson: Black Engineer of the Year (BEYA Stem Conference) – Executive Vice President Global Manufacturing, General Motors

Cities / Urban Planning / Local Government

• The Neighborhood Fighting Not to Be Forgotten (The Atlantic)

Politics / Government / Federal, State and Local

• Biden senior advisor Cedric Richmond on how American Rescue Plan benefits Black communities (The Grio)

Education / Healthcare

• Community College enrollment drops 10% (Amarillo Globe-News)
• Historically Black colleges need equal access to the bond market (The Hill)

Farming / Agriculture / Food Production

• Black Farmers Have Long Faced Discrimination. New Aid Aims To Right Past Wrongs (NPR)
• A $5 billion down payment on what America owes to Black farmers (CNN)

People, Careers and All Other

Career / Professions / Entrepreneurship / Businesses You Can Start

• Matice Wright-Springer rejoins Booz Allen as partner (Consulting US) – It’s nice to see Black people cashing in on the revolving door of government consulting.  Consulting Magazine offers a peak inside the world of consulting.  Consulting is like the cheese cake factory of the knowledge service industry.
• Vanessa Whiting owns 16 popeye’s franchises (Cleveland.Com)
• ThirdLove Announces Bright Black as Second Winner of The TL Effect Incubator Program to Continue Advancement of Female Entrepreneurs of Color (Business Wire) – Press Release
• Solar project aims to deliver training and equity to North Minneapolis (Energy News Network)

People / Motivation / Leadership / Success Stories / Ideas

• Eventnoire, a Black-owned ticketing platform, just won first place in a $1m startup Competition (Face 2 Face)
• 28-Year-Old Shares 3 Wealth Tips That Helped His Family Go From Welfare to Millionaires (Entrepreneur)
• Lily Adeleye, the six-year-old behind the youngest Black-owned brand on Walmart’s shelves (Face2Face Africa)
• This Black Mom Entrepreneur Is Paving The Way For Other Women-Led Companies (Forbes). Story about Monique Rodriquez and Mielle Organics.
• Two Black Dads Celebrate Diversity By Creating Their Own Line of Black Dolls (Essence)
• Mary T. Washington Wylie in 1943 became the nation’s first Black woman to earn the CPA license. The first Black woman to become a CPA (Journal of Accountancy)

Caribbean / Africa / International

• New network aims to create opportunities for African Nova Scotians (CBC) – Canada
• ‘It’s a matter of opening our eyes,’ Black-owned creative agency hopes to change the marketing environment (CTV) – Montreal, Canada
• South African banks under fire over their exclusion of black businesses (IOL)
• PIC has funded much less black-owned businesses than white – Dr Iqbal Survé (IOL)
• Diversity advocate calls out “subtle racism” in Scottish finance sector (Insider) – United Kingdom
• Snapshot on African Economy as of March 19^th, 2021 (Proshare Investing) – Nigeria. Interesting site with a daily take on African financial markets. Nigeria is know for it’s advanced financial system.

Travel / History

• Statue of “King” William Lanson (Atlas Obscura) – Statue honors a pillar of early New Haven Black Community.
• 9 Entrepreneurs Who Helped Build Tulsa’s Black Wall Street (History)
• A guide to the sites of the civil rights era encourages travelers to engage with Black history (NBC News) – Here is the website referenced in the article.
• National Park Service Civil Rights Trail Website – Outstanding !!!
• Maggie Walker: Why America’s First Black Female Bank Founder Is Still Owed A Great Debt (Forbes) – a very good long piece on Maggie Walker

Conservative / Alternative

• Is it legal to prioritize women- and minority-owned restaurants for COVID-19 relief? A lawsuit alleges white men are ‘pushed to the back of the line.’ (Chicago Tribune)

Opinion

• One People, One House: Help eliminate Black fatigue (Guest viewpoint) (Mass Live)
• Black People Are Far More Powerful Than Critical Race Theory Preaches | Opinion (Newsweek)
• Remove Governor Stitt from Tulsa Race Massacre Commission for signing HB 1775 (Black Wall Street Times)
• America is having a Black Renaissance. We should learn from it. (Washington Post)
• Why more Americans should leave home and move to other states (LA Times)

Other

• Black and Hispanic Americans See Their Origins as Central to Who They Are, Less So for White Adults (Pew Research)