Minority Communities Need Medicare Advantage. Don’t cut it.
By: Martin Hamlette, JD, MHA It will be years before we learn all the lessons of the COVID crisis, but some are coming into view even now. This pandemic has not hit all communities equally. As we recover, policymakers have a responsibility to avoid the mistakes of the past. Congress is considering historic investments in the social safety net. As they do so, those investments should not be paid for by cuts to programs that help minority communities. One program that Black and Brown Americans increasingly rely upon is
Minority Equality Opportunities Acquisition Inc. Becomes First Minority-Led SPAC Traded on NASDAQ
Minority Equality Opportunities Acquisition Inc. Becomes the First Minority-Led SPAC Traded on NASDAQ, Closes $126.5 million IPO The upsized $126.5 million SPAC will target historically undercapitalized minority business enterprises (“MBEs”) for mergers and acquisitions On August 26, 2021, Minority Equality Opportunities Acquisition Inc. (“MEOA”) became the first minority-led special purpose acquisition company or SPAC listed on the Nasdaq Capital Market (“NASDAQ”), trading under the ticker symbol “MEOAU.” Led by Mr. Shawn Rochester, MEOA’s Chairman and CEO, and Ms. Robin Watkins, its Chief Financial Officer and Secretary, the blank check company
OP-ED: To Labor Day and Labor Days Ahead
By UAW President Ray Curry In 1882, a union man, Peter J. McGuire, founder of the Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners and an early supporter of the creation of the American Federation of Labor, suggested setting aside a day for a “general holiday for the laboring classes.” Almost 130 years later, Labor Day continues to celebrate those who did the work and the magnificent job they have done in building what I will always believe to be, the greatest nation on Earth. One hundred and thirty years later, America
Dr. Brien Walton from Husson University Named the First African-American Chair of the Maine Venture Fund Board of Directors
Husson University announced today that Brien Walton, JD, EdD, director of the Richard E. Dyke Center for Family Business and assistant professor of entrepreneurship at Husson University’s College of Business, was named the first African-American chair of the Maine Venture Fund Board of Directors. Governor Janet Mills of Maine appointed all of the board members. “I am delighted Dr. Walton has agreed to chair the Maine Venture Fund,” said Governor Janet Mills. “I appointed Brien to the Board because of his vast experience managing a technology-focused venture capital
Jackson State University President Promotes HBCU Legacy in Detroit with Saturday Fundraiser
Jackson State University President Thomas K. Hudson visited Detroit on Saturday, July 31 for a funding-raising event for the historically Black university located in Jackson, Mississippi. By Sherri Kolade Jackson State University, a historically Black college/university, has been changing the lives of thousands of students since it opened its doors in 1877. The HBCU, which has undergone seven name changes, was founded as Natchez Seminary in 1877 by the American Baptist Home Mission Society, according to the school’s website. Jackson State University has since expanded and flourished as an HBCU, and
TruSo, a Black-owned Social Networking App Set to Launch
By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent A new app could end the so-called “Black Twitter” experience and allow African Americans their own social media platform. Backed by celebrities Sway Calloway, Kareem Grimes, Terrell Owens, and Miki Barber, the Black-owned social networking app, TruSo, is poised to debut. “I believe in the power of community – especially cultural communities,” Matthew Newman, the founder and CEO of TruSo noted in a news release. “As it relates to the Black community, the entire world has witnessed what we can accomplish when we join
Billionaires Row: The Only Black-Owned Champagne Brand in the World
(News Source: www.miamitimesonline.com) – By Selena Stanley Miami Times Staff Writer – When Jay-Z sold 50% of the luxury Champagne brand Ace of Spades, Billionaires Row officially became the only majority Black-owned Champagne brand in the world. With a valuation of approximately $600 million across all of its brands, which include Champagne, a signature cognac, clothing and other goods – the luxury lifestyle company is on track to becoming one of the most recognizable Black-owned conglomerates, according to co-founders William Benson and Patrick Ductant. Breaking into the multimillion-dollar spirits industry, garnering a celebrity
Black business registrations increase during COVID pandemic
(BlackPressUSA)—Several states have shown that the number of registered businesses has “more than doubled” according to analysis by the New York Times. In the month after the CARES Act was passed by Congress in March 2020, business registrations increased by 60 percent. Though the economic downturn caused by the COVID pandemic is likely to damage entrepreneurship and put many small businesses in a financial hole or out of business entirely, there are signs that many have turned to creating businesses after losing employment elsewhere. Andre Perry, a Brookings Institution
Kevin Walker named President and CEO of Duquesne Light Company
PITTSBURGH—The New Pittsburgh Courier has learned that the Board of Directors of DQE Holdings LLC (DQE) has appointed Kevin Walker as the new President and CEO of Duquesne Light Company (DLC), Duquesne Light Holdings, Inc. and DQE. Walker succeeds Mark Kaplan, who had served in an interim role since January of this year. Kaplan has also served as chief financial officer and will retain that role throughout June, after which he will become special advisor to the company’s management and board of directors. Matthew Ankrum will assume the
Wells Fargo anchors the Black Economic Alliance Foundation’s Entrepreneurs Fund
(BlackPressUSA) — The Black Economic Alliance Foundation (BEA), in collaboration with Wells Fargo, launched the Black Economic Alliance Entrepreneurs Fund (BEA Entrepreneurs Fund) to accelerate the growth of Black entrepreneurs and business owners. The $50 million evergreen fund will provide seed, start-up, and early-stage capital to businesses founded and led by Black entrepreneurs. The launch of the BEA Entrepreneurs Fund is anchored by Wells Fargo with a $20 million commitment over five years to kick-start operations and investments, and to serve as a thought partner to the BEA