Hot Sauce Heaven

An excerpt from Black Enterprise - 

Twin Lawyers, Howard U Grads Team Up to Revive Grandmother’s Hot Sauce Business

A family-owned hot sauce business is now back up and running after twin sisters worked to revive it.

(Photo: Alice Crowe-Bell and Alicia Crowe)

Identical twin sisters, Alice Crowe-Bell and Alicia Crowe, are Howard University School of Law graduates who have practiced as attorneys for more than 20 years but decided to use their business acumen to help get a family business off the ground.

Emmaline’s All-Natural Hot Sauce is their grandmother’s recipe. They’ve teamed up to keep their family legacy alive. They have relaunched their family business in honor of their late grandmother, Emmaline Humphries Stinson.

The twins’ mother dreamed of selling the hot sauce, so they helped their mother sell it at various farmer markets and food tastings throughout the tri-state area. It did not take long for the sauce to develop a loyal following and by  2007 Emmaline’s Hot Sauce won the Whole Foods Local Hero Award. 

Emmaline passed away last year, and the twins decided to honor their mother’s dream and continue their grandmother’s legacy by relaunching the hot sauce.

Now, the hot sauce has Emmaline’s 1910 wedding photo featured on the front of the bottle.

“The minute we reached out to her customers, within minutes, they were ordering the sauce, some by the case. They were so happy to know that we were moving forward with the sauce. That kind of response, it wasn’t because of me or my sister, it was because of my mother. She was so passionate and made her food with love,” Crowe said.

The sisters said they relaunched Emmaline’s Hot Sauce on Juneteenth and have received praise from customers for doing so.

https://www.blackenterprise.com/twin-lawyers-howard-u-grads-team-up-to-revive-grandmothers-hot-sauce-business/amp/

HBCU's in Florida

An excerpt from the Miami Herald -  

How many HBCUs are in Florida? Here’s where they are and some of their famous alumni

BY JASON DILL

Florida Memorial University President Jaffus Hardrick speaks during a
joint commencement ceremony for students graduating
in the class of 2020 and 2021 at the FMU campus in Miami Gardens, Florida,
on Saturday, May 8, 2021. SAM NAVARRO SPECIAL FOR THE MIAMI HERALD

The Orange Blossom Classic highlights two Historically Black Colleges and Universities with a football game and an event schedule away from the gridiron highlighted by the Battle of the Bands and a concert.

Florida A&M is one of the participants in the game, having to face Jackson State, which is coached by Pro Football Hall of Famer and Florida State alumnus Deion Sanders.

How many HBCU schools are in Florida? Where are they located? What are they known for?

https://www.miamiherald.com/sports/article253785913.html

Why Do "We" Have to Crossover?

An excerpt from the LA Times - 

Column: Why do we praise Black performers for ‘crossing over’ to white audiences?

BY LZ GRANDERSONCOLUMNIST 

Janet Jackson, queen of pop?
(Mark Von Holden / Invision via Associated Press)

Saw a debate on Twitter this week that caught my attention: Madonna or Janet Jackson — who is the real queen of pop?

The conversation was started by Lizzo, who in sharing her list of music royalty gave the coveted title to Jackson, which set off Madonna fans. Billboard magazine, the music industry’s longtime chart tracker, gave the title to Madonna some time ago. Jackson is ranked third, behind Mariah Carey.

Before we forget the original, though, let’s be clear that in 1976, Billboard had already named Diana Ross the female entertainer of the century. She became the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar of music, too often overlooked whenever people debate the “greatest of all time.”

That sort of amnesia is one of the many reasons I dislike debates of this nature to begin with. 

But this “Madonna vs. Jackson” conversation drifted toward an interesting topic: crossover appeal.

Janet Jackson’s popularity is noteworthy for crossing racial lines, which highlights the fact that Madonna’s success did not.

That’s not to say Madonna doesn’t have Black fans. Of course she does. I’m one of them.

But despite working with iconic R&B producers such as Babyface, Kanye West, Pharrell Williams, Dallas Austin and Timbaland, Madonna has managed just one Top 10 R&B/hip-hop single, “Like a Virgin,” which peaked at No. 9 back in 1985. The song’s producer, Nile Rodgers, is known for adding some funk to a number of white artists, such as David Bowie (“Let’s Dance”) and Duran Duran (“Notorious”).

Madonna was able to build an iconic career relying heavily on R&B production without the burden of needing to appeal to R&B listeners. She went for as Black a sound as she possibly could without being hindered by the music industry’s racism. Ranking on the R&B charts was unnecessary.

https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2021-09-01/janet-jackson-and-other-black-performers-dont-need-a-white-blessing

Leadership Matters

An excerpt from Fortune - 

A tale of two governors: COVID outcomes in Florida and Connecticut show that leadership matters

BY ANJANI JAIN AND JEFFREY SONNENFELD

Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont (left) and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.

JOHN MOORE—GETTY IMAGES; MICHAEL REAVES—GETTY IMAGES

Executive power is often circumscribed by complex geopolitical dynamics, volatile financial markets, disruptive new technologies, and tragic natural disasters. But key leaders still can have a profound impact—positive or negative—on millions of constituents. A comparison of Florida’s and Connecticut’s governors in their contrasting approach to the resurgence of the coronavirus reveals the consequential potential of individual leaders. 

This summer, tragic public-health news was exacerbated by historic levels of political grandstanding by several Southern state governors. The rapid spread of the COVID-19 Delta variant was driven by a surge of new cases in Florida, Texas, and Missouri—as these states accounted for an astounding 40% of new U.S. coronavirus cases despite representing only 17% of the nation’s population. Ignoring science and evidence, the governors of these three states have taken a rigid, cynical stance, forbidding vaccine mandates by employers and mandatory indoor mask usage—even in cases where such mandates were intended to protect young schoolchildren ineligible for vaccines. 

In Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis even threatened to cut off funding and educators’ salaries for schools that required protective masks in compliance with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines. Nonetheless, 10 school districts defied DeSantis by issuing mask mandates. Similarly, Disney, Carnival Cruise Line, and Royal Caribbean joined Norwegian Cruise Line in defiance of DeSantis’s ban on passenger vaccination passports, despite being threatened with fines of $5,000 for each such violation of his decree. 

Florida’s hospital emergency rooms and intensive care units are now reaching capacity, with 90% of ICU beds occupied, the majority of them by COVID patients. More than 90% of these inpatients are unvaccinated; overall only one-third of Floridians between ages 12 and 64 are vaccinated. 

DeSantis’s response to such wide swaths of the unvaccinated Florida population suffering from the highly contagious Delta variant has been to consult with anti-mask advocates who promote the horse parasite drug ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine, unproven elixirs, instead of scientifically developed, safe, and highly effective vaccines. 

In contrast, Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont has been relying on a science-based approach from the outset of the pandemic. He pulled together globally renowned virologists, microbiologists, epidemiologists, and business leaders in March of 2020, just as the pandemic was declared, and kept such advisory panels working to solve problems by relying on science, evidence, and smart management, independent of ideology. Accordingly, he worked with both top Trump administration and later top Biden administration leaders to keep manufacturing flowing without a day’s interruption, ensuring the needed supply of protective material to open schools early. Lamont also catalyzed a new nationwide weekly meeting of the nation’s governors, favoring quiet, effective, bipartisan, cross-sector problem-solving instead of seeking the public limelight. 

https://fortune.com/2021/08/31/covid-florida-connecticut-mask-mandates-vaccination-hospitalization-death-rates/

Chilled Out Golden Retriever Puppy Relaxes On Flamingo Floatie

https://youtu.be/elzCP2gok3E

Changing the Look of Astronauts

An excerpt from Black Enterprise - 

MEET THE BLACK WOMAN LOOKING TO CHANGE WHAT PEOPLE THINK AN ASTRONAUT LOOKS LIKE

by Jeroslyn Johnson

                 Lisa Alcindor (Image: Lisa Alcindor)

Lisa Alcindor is a Black woman on a mission to get to outer space. The 34-year-old Northern Virginia resident promotes herself as an “Astronaut Candidate” on her LinkedIn and Instagram pages.

“What do astronauts look like?” her Instagram bio reads. With a goal of touring the universe, Alcindor has started a GoFundMe in an effort to get help paying for the astronaut training she will need ahead of being launched to infinity and beyond.

“My goal is to show people that they truly are limitless,” she told Washington Post.

And she wants people to understand that astronauts can look like her: Long braids, long lashes and all.

While people across the world watch billionaires like Jeff Bezos, Richard Branson, and Elon Musk take part in the ongoing space race, hopefuls like Alcindor are stuck resorting to more ordinary forms of achieving space flight.

https://www.blackenterprise.com/meet-the-black-woman-looking-to-change-what-people-think-an-astronaut-looks-like/?test=prebid

Tennis Boost @ HBCUs

An excerpt from the NY Times - 

Tennis Programs at Historically Black Colleges Receive a Boost

The U.S.T.A. has initiated a grant program with the ultimate goal of enhancing opportunities for players of color, especially women, to become coaches and grow the game.

By David Waldstein 

David Dinkins, shown in 1989, enjoyed playing with tennis greats
and still hit the court into his late 80s. Credit...Neal Boenzi/The New York Times

Rochelle Houston had an advantage. Her father, Joe Goldthreate, is a legendary tennis coach in Nashville, who taught her not only how to play the game, but how to coach it, too.

Houston is now the head of tennis at Florida A&M, which until recently meant she coached both teams. But the men’s team was cut in 2020 due to a lack of funding, and the women’s team makes do. It certainly does not enjoy the lavish facilities and recruiting budgets of many large Division I programs.

That is typical of many, if not all, of the 38 historically Black colleges and universities that have tennis programs. To help address that, the United States Tennis Association has initiated a grant program to contribute funding to those college programs, with the ultimate goal of enhancing opportunities for players of color, especially women, to become coaches and grow the game.

“There is a desperate need,” Houston said Wednesday from her office in Tallahassee, Fla. “We don’t have a lot of funding. We barely get by. This program will help significantly.”

The grant is named after David Dinkins, the former mayor of New York who was a board member of the U.S.T.A. and longtime tennis player, fan and active supporter. Had it not been for Dinkins’ advocacy and intervention, the U.S. Open might not even be in New York anymore, and might not have its showpiece venue, Arthur Ashe Stadium, the largest in tennis.

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/01/sports/tennis/us-open-hbcu-dinkins.html

We Should Follow Her Lead

An excerpt from Black Enterprise - 

MULTIMILLIONAIRE RACHEL RODGERS SHARES 5 STRATEGIES SHE USED TO BUILD HER EMPIRE

by Ashantai Hathaway

Dale May Photography

Rachel Rodgers is a multimillionaire. She lives on a 53-acre ranch with her husband and family in Greensboro, NC. But she says she got it all from hard work and strategic planning.

“Both of my parents were laid off from their jobs at the same time. I remember our lights getting turned off because my parents couldn’t afford to pay the electricity bill,” Rodgers told Business Insider.

Rodgers graduated from law school, but could not find a good-paying job because of the recession.

“I became an entrepreneur by necessity because there were not many good job offers. So, I clerked for a judge for a year making $41,000,” she said. After that, she focused on building her business.

Rodgers started her business working as a business coach and attorney. Her initial goal was to earn $50,000 a year while working from home. A little over a decade after starting her company, Rodgers is a multi-millionaire. Here are the strategies she used to build her wealth. . .

https://www.blackenterprise.com/multimillionaire-rachel-rodgers-shares-5-strategies-she-used-to-build-her-empire/?test=prebid

He Nailed It!

 

We are all in this video pic.twitter.com/ZebenP2Aid

— Washington Post TikTok Guy 🥉 (@davejorgenson) September 2, 2021

FAMU's Concert Choir + Marching 100 Band to Perform at NFL Kickoff

From wctv.tv - 

FAMU Marching 100 and Concert Choir to perform during NFL Kickoff festivities in Tampa

By Pat Mueller

Florida A&M University’s Marching 100 and Concert Choir
will perform as part of the pregame festivities for the
NFL’s 2021 Kickoff game in Tampa, according to a press release.(FAMU)

Florida A&M University’s Marching 100 and Concert Choir will perform as part of the pregame festivities for the NFL’s 2021 Kickoff game in Tampa, according to a press release.

The game between the Dallas Cowboys and reigning Super Bowl LV Champions Tampa Bay Buccaneers is set for 8:20 p.m. on Sept. 9.

The FAMU Concert Choir will collaborate with Alicia Keys to update her version of “Lift Every Voice and Sing” before performing it live at Raymond James Stadium, says NFL Senior Vice President of Social Responsibility Anna Issacson.

“This will mark the first time ‘Lift Every Voice and Sing’ will be sung live at an NFL stadium and we are looking forward to shining a light on such a versatile and talented choir, while also honoring the legacy of the song,” Issacson says.

https://www.wctv.tv/2021/09/03/famu-marching-100-concert-choir-perform-during-nfl-kickoff-festivities-tampa/

Absolutely Agree!

An excerpt from the Washington Post - 

Opinion: Doctors should be allowed to give priority to vaccinated patients when resources are scarce 

By Ruth Marcus

I’m going to come right out and say it: In situations where hospitals are overwhelmed and resources such as intensive care beds or ventilators are scarce, vaccinated patients should be given priority over those who have refused vaccination without a legitimate medical or religious reason.

This conflicts radically with accepted medical ethics, I recognize. And under ordinary circumstances, I agree with those rules. The lung cancer patient who’s been smoking two packs a day for decades is entitled to the same treatment as the one who never took a puff. The drunk driver who kills a family gets a team doing its utmost to save him — although, not perhaps, a liver transplant if he needs one. Doctors are healers, not judges.

But the coronavirus pandemic, the development of a highly effective vaccine, and the emergence of a core of vaccine resisters along with an infectious new variant have combined to change the ethical calculus. Those who insist on refusing the vaccine for no reason are not in the same moral position of the smoker with lung cancer or the drunk driver. In situations where resources are scarce and hard choices must be made, they are not entitled to the same no-questions-asked, no-holds-barred medical care as others who behaved more responsibly.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/09/03/doctors-should-be-allowed-give-priority-vaccinated-patients-when-resources-are-scarce/

Black Boy Genius!

An excerpt from Black Enterprise -

MEET THE 13-YEAR-OLD ‘BLACK BOY GENIUS’ ATTENDING CLASSES AT GEORGIA TECH

by Alexa Imani Spencer 

                        Caleb Anderson (WXIA-TV)

At just 13 years old, Caleb Anderson is attending one of the top universities in the country. The teenager recently began classes at Atlanta’s Georgia Institute of Technology, commonly referred to as Georgia Tech. 

“The classes try to be intimidating, but they’re really not,” Caleb told local WXIA-TV about his first day. “They’re just really average classes almost with just a lot more people and more technology.”

Caleb, a resident of nearby Marietta, was the youngest Black boy to be accepted in Mensa International, the “High IQ Society,” at age 3, the news station reported. A year prior to that, he could read the United States Constitution. And while learning English as his first language, he also learned Spanish, French, and Mandarin.

https://www.blackenterprise.com/meet-the-13-year-old-black-boy-genius-attending-classes-at-georgia-tech/

More HBCU Love

An excerpt from 24/7 Sports -

Deion Sanders, Nick Saban teaming up for HBCU initiative

ByBRAD CRAWFORD  

Seven-time national champion coach Nick Saban of the Alabama Crimson Tide and Pro Football Hall of Famer Deion Sanders are joining forces this season to bring more exposure across college football to Historically Black Colleges and Universities while also aiding citizens in communities of color with unexpected medical bills that health insurance may not cover, supplemental insurance provider Aflac has announced.

Saban is a long-time brand ambassador for Aflac and now welcomes Sanders, the head coach at Jackson State University, to the spotlight this season. The two football figureheads have filmed three commercials that will debut this season.

"Aflac is rooted in caring for people when they need them most, whether through their policies and services or the way they tackle issues that are important to all communities. We share a vision when it comes to supporting HBCUs and, more broadly, communities of color," Sanders said in a press release. "I like to say that I see myself as standing in the gap between those who need greater support and the institutions that can provide that support. Aflac helps close gaps for their customers who have medical bills that their health insurance doesn't cover, so together, I look forward to working with Aflac, the Aflac Duck and, of course, Coach Nick Saban as we put the ball in the end zone and make a real difference in peoples' lives."

https://247sports.com/Article/Deion-Sanders-Nick-Saban-teaming-up-with-Aflac-for-HBCU-initiative--169625029/

When Your Tee Speaks For Ya

From Essence - 

Say It Loud! Embrace Your Blackness With These Fun And Empowering Graphic Tees

SELF-EXPRESSION IS ALWAYS A MUST — ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO STYLE!

BY EMERALD ELITOU 

available at Black Love Creations US $20

Fashion affords us many avenues to express our personal style, but we find graphic t-shirts are the coolest way to tell it like it is with our wardrobe. Just recently, Angela Bassett caused a shopping frenzy when she was spotted shopping at Whole Foods wearing a graphic tee that stated, Black Women Glow Differently. 

The empowering graphic t-shirt was worn shortly after news broke that the iconic actress inked a whopping $450,000 per episode deal for her part on the television series, 9-1-1. A history-making glow-up!

As you may know, we advocate for self-expression (especially when it comes to style)! Whether you’re into a vegan lifestyle or traveling abroad, there are plenty of graphic t-shirts on the market that can say it all with just a few words or a striking image. 

Below, check out some of our favorite tees that express our Blackness with the cutest phrases. And as a bonus, these shirts can be purchased by Black-owned businesses for Black Business Month. Cheers!

https://www.essence.com/fashion/these-black-owned-graphic-tees-are-equal-parts-empowering-and-stylish/#1092148

Five Black-Owned Social Media Sites

From Black Information Network - 

Five Black-Owned Social Media Sites You Should Check Out

By Ryan Shepard

When most people think about Silicon Valley, diversity and inclusion efforts are often the last things to come to mind. Furthermore, the world's most powerful social media sites have had issues hiring more Black tech professionals to work at their companies. In fact, a recent report from Future Forum pointed out that only 5.3% of tech professionals are Black. As a result, industry insiders and consumers have found it easy to push aside Black-owned social media sites. Nevertheless, several Black-owned apps and social media platforms have found a way to push forward and make their presence known. For example, apps like TrueSo and MelaninPeople take the features of the world's most popular apps and mold them into a unique playground for Black influencers, content creators and everyday users.

The new kid on the block for all #BlackTwitter #BlackPanther #melanin #BlackWomen #blackmen #blackentrepreneurs pic.twitter.com/GfcyADrHpk

— MelaninPeople App (@MelaninPeople) December 6, 2020

https://www.binnews.com/content/2021-07-30-five-black-owned-social-media-sites-you-should-check-out/ 

Time To Go

 

Lightning strikes outside White House as Marine Sentry stands his post. pic.twitter.com/JYu3BkijU3

— Jeremy Art (@cspanJeremy) August 26, 2021

Shucking Corn

 

@creativescraps

I saw it on Tiktok and had to try it, wonderful corn all winter, bundt pan $8.97 Walmart my husband filed the hole a bit bigger

♬ original sound - user card creator

FedEx + Nascar + HBCUs?

 

Proud to take this special #FedExCares Toyota to @DAYTONA, promoting the long-standing relationship between @FedEx and HBCUs. Driving change and helping raise awareness. Now let's go get this W! pic.twitter.com/z6k0oobBfa

— Denny Hamlin (@dennyhamlin) August 25, 2021

She Made Spam Callers Pay Up. Check Out How.

From Bored Panda - 

Woman Reveals How She Makes Spam Callers Pay Her Money In This Viral Thread

By Rokas Laurinavičius and Mindaugas Balčiauskas 

Unwanted calls, including illegal and spoofed robocalls, are the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) top consumer complaint and its top consumer protection priority. So as you can imagine, Americans receive plenty of them. But a Twitter user who goes by the name Miss Odessa has just posted a thread, explaining how Americans can make money off of them.

The Californian mother walked everyone through the multi-step process but some people, even though they appreciated the detailed guide, said the task seems a bit too demanding for their comfortable butts. Everyone wants free money.

https://www.boredpanda.com/making-money-from-spam-calls-usa/

Casino Workers Spill the Tea

From Buzzfeed - 

Casino Workers Are Sharing Secrets Of Casinos And It's Super Fascinating

These secrets are the jackpot.

by Ryan Schocket

1. "What we don't want you to know is how many people die in our hotels. Gamblers are risk-takers by nature — people come to casinos to tear it up. We bus in seniors by the thousands. Drugs and alcohol, nonstop consumption of cigarettes, lights, noise, spectacle!"

—u/Meet_the_Meat

2. "Slot machines are created by teams of mathematicians in a way that will always favor the casino, but at the end of the day are still purely up to luck."

—u/Apprehensive-Sir1988

3. "At the majority of casinos, they will state that there's a house advantage either posted on the walls or on the slot machines themselves."

—u/Apprehensive-Sir1988

For more, check out the link below.

https://www.buzzfeed.com/ryanschocket2/casino-worker-secrets-reddit