S. E. Williams Survey data showing credit crunch comes as Federal Reserve considers a proposed regulation that could make obtaining loans more expensive and more difficult. A credit crunch is impacting small business owners nationwide hindering their growth and causing some to say that if it continues, they’ll be forced to close altogether. A new,…
By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Vice President Kamala Harris on Nov. 23 announced the Women in the Sustainable Economy (WISE) Initiative, which the White House says supports the 2023 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) theme of “Creating a Resilient and Sustainable Future for All.” Its goal is to strengthen women’s economic empowerment globally. The initiative…
Antonio Ray Harvey and Edward Henderson | California Black Media The high cost of housing, predatory financing programs, and the temporary nature of a critical government assistance program are all factors making it harder for Black Californians to buy homes — or keep the ones they already own. Policy leaders, building industry organizations and other…
RENO, Nev., Nov. 20, 2023 – U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Deputy Secretary Xochitl Torres Small announced today that USDA is strengthening its longstanding partnership with the Small Business Administration (SBA) to create jobs and expand access to new and better market opportunities for people in rural America. “The Biden-Harris Administration is committed to a…
Los Angeles, Calif. — Covered California kicked off its 2024 open-enrollment period at the iconic Los Angeles State Historic Park and Roundhouse Bridge, a public space that serves some of the most vulnerable communities in the state, with roots that connect back to the early history of the city and region. California Black Women’s…
by Megan Sayles AFRO Business Writer Although reducing stress and promoting well-being go hand in hand for many, it’s easy to confuse the act of “self-soothing” with what is called “self-care.” The former is typically reactive and occurs when a person engages in an activity to provide instant relief for emotional, mental or physical distress….
Sponsored by JPMorgan Chase Financial wellness refers to having a healthy and balanced relationship with money. In general, it is where an individual’s financial situation aligns with their values, goals, and overall well-being. However, it’s important to note that financial wellness is a personal and relative concept that varies from person to person based on…
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) announced that he secured up to $1.2 billion from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to establish the Alliance for Renewable Clean Hydrogen Energy Systems (ARCHES) hydrogen hub to produce and utilize renewable, clean hydrogen across California. This landmark investment is made possible by the Bipartisan…
84% of those surveyed expressed interest in hearing and doing more to conserve SACRAMENTO, CA — California’s Save Our Water Campaign today announced the results of its survey of 35 Black chambers of commerce and Black-owned business leaders. The survey was the first step in a statewide effort to listen to leaders in the community,…
By Megan Sayles, AFRO Business Writer, msayles@afro.com When Siraaj Woods joined Kappa Alpha Psi’s Zeta Chapter at Ohio State University, he took charge of the fraternity’s social media. A sophomore at the time, Woods didn’t have experience in social media marketing. He was studying to become a computer scientist. But, Woods quickly realized he had…
“Educational and economic transformation in the Inland Empire is fundamentally impossible without cross-sector, region-wide collaboration, cooperation and alignment. When we all work together, everyone wins,” said Ann Marie Sakrekoff, Growing Inland Achievement’s Interim CEO. INLAND EMPIRE, CA – Growing Inland Achievement (GIA) will host its 7th annual Toward a Shared Vision summit on October 25–26…
By Bria Overs,Word In Black Working for a lifetime is rarely any person’s dream. As people get closer to age 65, they start putting together their plans for living out the rest of their lives in a well-deserved retirement. However, too many Americans lack the “longevity literacy” to prepare for retirement properly. In a study…
By Chrisleen Herard Special to the AFRO As the finance world takes hold of artificial intelligence, the question arises of how it will continue to influence an industry that manages money across the globe. The idea of artificial intelligence (AI) came from the pages of a children’s book and a German novel from the 1900s….
By Megan Sayles/AFRO Business Writer msayles@afro.com Four years ago, Carl Brown began writing a story about a young boy named Sammy. He was not a regular boy. Sammy possessed an alter ego with a superpower that helped him and his friends to make smart financial decisions. With the help of a Citi Foundation grant in…
Nationwide — Meet Tamera Preacher, the founder and CEO of LyingClient.com, a website she envisioned after having three consecutive bad experiences with difficult customers. On one occasion, her general contracting company, one of very few owned by a Black woman, had been falsely reported to the BBB, and this motivated her to create a platform…
By Dr. Frances “Toni” Draper, AFRO CEO and Publisher Nearly 20 years ago, historian John William Templeton and engineer Frederick E. Jordan Sr. declared August as National Black Business Month to “drive the policy agenda affecting the 2.6 million African American businesses.” Today, according to the latest data, there are more than three million Black-…
By Oliver Darcy, CNN CNN — Facebook is shunning the news business in the US. The Meta-owned company has quietly made changes in recent months that have dramatically reduced referral traffic to media outlets, more than half a dozen publishers told me. The move has put considerable dents in the daily traffic publishers see, with…
By Megan Sayles, AFRO Business Writer, msayles@afro.com A letter to big-box retailers like Target, Walmart and Giant Food, is currently circulating through social media, criticizing the stores for the rising use of self-checkout. It speaks on a common experience that shoppers encounter when leaving a store. Some retailers have associates positioned at store exits to…
Sponsored by JPMorgan Chase In times of crisis, whether it’s a global economic downturn, a natural disaster, or a personal financial emergency, having access to financial resources becomes crucial. These resources not only provide stability during difficult times but also offer opportunities for recovery and resilience. Here are some essential financial resources that individuals and…
Antonio Ray Harvey| California Black Media A study released last week by the California Black Women’s Collective Empowerment Institute (CBWCEI) presents a grim picture of the financial stability of Black women voters in the state. A total of 1,258 women participated in the poll used in the study. Their answers give insight into the web…
Edward Blum, a conservative activist, founded the American Alliance for Equal Rights nonprofit, which has filed a lawsuit against Fearless Fund, an Atlanta-based venture capital fund. By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent With the white sheets removed, the hoods now off, and the dog whistles as overt as they were during Jim…
McKenzie Jackson | California Black Media Joseph Thomas was surprised to receive a notice from his homeowner’s association (HOA) this spring letting him know that there would be an increase in insurance premiums for him and other condominium owners at The Met in Los Angeles’ San Fernando Valley. The letter stated the increase was due…
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California is on its way to boosting job creation and ushering in a clean construction boom, thanks to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s freshly signed plan to accelerate development and maximize $180 billion in infrastructure investments over the next decade. Business and community leaders united by the nonpartisan New California Coalition (NCC) celebrated Monday…
By John Murphy Between 2000 and 2016, new therapies helped prevent more than 1.3 million cancer deaths. Since then, scientific progress has only accelerated. Yet despite the groundbreaking achievements of scientists around the country, the future of cancer research looks less promising. That’s because provisions of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), which became law in…
By Ben Jealous I traveled recently from Baltimore, the city where my mother grew up, to Portland, Maine, where my dad did. It’s easy for many to see differences between one of the Blackest cities in America and largest city in one of the whitest states in the country. What always hits me is what…
