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OP-ED: Black Businesses Leaders Undervalued in America

NNPA NEWSWIRE — The vital key to advancing the economic status of African American communities and families is the support and the promotion of the success of Black-founded, managed, and owned businesses. We will not stand silent about this matter. Our businesses deserved to be respected, engaged, and empowered.
The post OP-ED: Black Businesses Leaders Undervalued in America first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

Published

4 years ago

May 16, 2022

Oakland Post

By Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr., President and CEO, National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA)

When is the last time that you read a national news story in the so-called mainstream media about a successful Black business in America that has achieved unprecedented excellence and profit in today’s marketplace? I know it has been a long time.

On the other hand, when was the last time that you read or heard in the media about allegations of corruption, financial failure and excessive greed by the owners of some Black businesses?

In my opinion it, has been an all too frequent and reoccurring false narrative that continues to be cast in the media to undermine and devalue Black business leaders across the nation.

Late last year, I called attention to a barrage of unfair attacks being leveled in the media against CORE Services Group, Inc., a Black-run nonprofit that has for years provided food, shelter, and other services to New York City’s growing homeless population. I was particularly offended that the attacks appeared to be waged through anonymous leaks by city bureaucrats in the previous mayoral administration who seemed bent on destroying the nonprofit organization and its founder, Jack Brown, a successful Black businessman.

Now, seven months later, the case has moved to court, where CORE has begun to fight back – and where city officials cannot hide behind a veil of anonymity. In a series of legal filings, CORE has presented evidence that appears to rebut the allegations by NYC’s Department of Homeless Services (DHS) against CORE and its leaders, while raising questions about the city’s motives under the previous mayor, Bill de Blasio, according to published reports.

Central to the city’s case, for example, are claims that CORE officials concocted a scheme to enrich themselves by hiring several for-profit companies that CORE itself owned to provide food, security, and maintenance at CORE-run shelters. An outside observer without the benefit of all the facts might be tempted to conclude that CORE was engaged in some kind of self-dealing. But upon further examination, this hardly seems to be the case. Far from it, in fact.

As CORE has reportedly noted in court documents and elsewhere, the for-profit companies — wholly owned subsidiaries of the non-profit — are part of a model of integrated services that CORE established to run its shelters efficiently – and without the uncertainty its leaders say they regularly faced from outside vendors that all too often provided inferior services or threatened to cut off services because the city was slow to reimburse CORE for its expenses.

More than that, according to documents filed with the court, CORE told DHS about the formation of the for-profit companies even before the companies began providing services at CORE’s DHS-funded shelters. In other words, CORE operated the for-profit companies for years with the city’s knowledge and consent.

But none of this explains why city officials have targeted CORE for this kind of attack, particularly after years of consistently providing support to the city’s neediest residents, a disproportionate number of whom are Black and Latino. Yet to hear CORE tell it, city officials began raising questions about the organization under the previous mayor, Bill de Blasio, only after CORE officials began demanding that the city pay a backlog of unpaid bills that totaled $35 million.

“The sequence of events says it all: de Blasio used CORE to deflect from his own failures addressing homelessness in New York City,” Wendy Weingart, CORE Vice President/General Counsel, told the news outlet Inside Sources. “The failure to pay nonprofits that continued to operate during the worst of the pandemic is indefensible. Simply put, the de Blasio administration took advantage of CORE through administrative delays and did not pay CORE for several programs it operated at the behest of the city for over a year.”

As a result, many Black leaders are speaking out on behalf of CORE and urging the city’s new mayor, Eric Adams, to correct this injustice.

In a recent Op Ed in Black Enterprise, the renowned freedom-fighting Attorney Benjamin Crump argued that Mr. Brown and his organization have been singled out for attack despite the essential role the nonprofit has played in helping legions of homeless individuals in a city with a notoriously overburdened social service system.

“Jack Brown’s plight is yet another sad example of the impediments Black Americans still face when we strive for excellence,” he said. “Mr. Brown is being pilloried for his commitment to caring for the homeless New Yorkers, a group which unfortunately includes a disproportionate number of Black and Brown people. CORE came every time DHS called. But sadly, as Congresswoman Chisholm once said, ‘Racism is so universal in this country, so widespread, and deep-seated, that it is invisible because it is so normal.”

Now that there is a new administration in New York City, I believe that the Honorable Mayor Eric Adams will have the opportunity to rectify the situation with Jack Brown and CORE. The city’s homeless deserve to receive the best care possible as the city rebounds from the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Mayor Adams has already expressed a priority in ensuring the future sustainability of local and citywide businesses that are owned by African Americans and other people of color.

Yet, what Jack Brown, as a Black business leader, was facing and continues to face in New York City is not isolated to that one city. The challenges that Black businesses are facing is a national concern from the east coast to the west coast, and from the north to the south. There appears to be a systematic attempt throughout the country to undervalue the strategic importance of supporting Black businesses. This is apparent at the municipal, county, state, and regional levels in nearly every state. The eventual fate of businessmen like Jack Brown III will be the future fate of our advance and progress in America.

The vital key to advancing the economic status of African American communities and families is the support and the promotion of the success of Black-founded, managed, and owned businesses. We will not stand silent about this matter. Our businesses deserved to be respected, engaged, and empowered. No one should attempt to devalue what is invaluable to the future of our communities. It is time to vote. It is time to speak out. It is time to support our Black businessmen and women—especially those devoted to serving the underserved.

Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr. is the President and CEO of the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) and Executive Producer/Host of The Chavs Chronicles on PBS TV stations weekly throughout the United States; and can be reached at dr.bchavis@nnpa.org

The post OP-ED: Black Businesses Leaders Undervalued in America first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

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Poll Shows Support for Policies That Help Families Afford Child Care

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — New national polling shows persistent voter concern about the affordability and availability of child care for working parents, alongside broad support across key demographic groups for federal child care policies that help families afford care.

Published

2 days ago

March 2, 2026

Oakland Post

By First Five Years Fund

New national polling shows persistent voter concern about the affordability and availability of child care for working parents, alongside broad support across key demographic groups for federal child care policies that help families afford care.

The national survey was conducted by UpOne Insight on behalf of the First Five Years Fund from January 13–18, 2026.

Key findings include:

• Parents need help: 80% of voters say the ability of working parents to find and afford child care is either in a state of crisis or a major problem.

• This is an affordability issue: 82% believe federal child care funding will help lower costs for working families — including 69% of Republicans, 84% of Independents, and 94% of Democrats.

• And there continues to be strong support (62%) for the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG), a federal program that makes it possible for hundreds of thousands of families to afford safe, quality care for their children while parents work or go to school, including a majority of Republicans, 63% of Independents and 72% of Democrats.

• Support for funding child care programs remains strong: 75% believe child care funding should be increased or kept at current levels — including 75% of Republicans, 85% of Independents, and 97% of Democrats.

• 74% say funding for child care is an important and good use of tax dollars, including a majority of Republicans, three-quarters of Independents, and nine in ten Democrats.

FFYF Executive Director Sarah Rittling said, “Voters across the country are sending a clear message: federal child care and early learning programs work. These investments help parents stay in the workforce, strengthen families, and support healthy child development. They have also long had strong bipartisan support in Congress. At a time when affordability is top of mind for families, continued federal funding is essential to ensure child care remains accessible and within reach.”

First Five Years Fund works to protect, prioritize, and build bipartisan support for quality child care and early learning programs at the federal level. Reliable, affordable, and high-quality early learning and child care can be transformative, not only enhancing a child’s prospects for a brighter future but also bolstering working parents and fostering economic stability nationwide.

We work with Congress and the Administration to identify federal solutions that work for families with young children, as well as states and communities. We work with policymakers to identify ways to increase access to affordable, high-quality child care and early learning programs for children. And we collaborate with advocacy groups to help align best practices with the best possible policies. http://www.ffyf.org

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Trump’s MAGA Allies are Creating Executive Order Plan to Steal the 2026 Midterms

NNPA NEWSWIRE — The document that could lead to an executive order proposes using the claim that China interfered with the 2020 elections as grounds to “declare a national emergency.” The move would be an unprecedented step that would grant Trump new authority over the voting systems in the U.S.

Published

5 days ago

February 27, 2026

Oakland Post

By Lauren Victoria Burke, NNPA Newswire Correspondent

A group of MAGA pro-Trump activists, who say they are working in coordination with the White House, are circulating a 17-page draft executive order that would claim without evidence that China interfered with the 2020 presidential election. Donald Trump lost the 2020 presidential to President Joe Biden by over 7 million votes. Since Trump lost to Biden in 2020, he has repeatedly claimed that the election was “stolen” without evidence. The report of a group of “Trump allies” preparing an executive order to give Trump power over elections was first reported by The Washington Post.

The lies around the right-wing campaign that pushed falsehoods that the 2020 election was stolen was trafficked through right-wing media, particularly Fox News. Fox News was then sued for defamation for the claims by Dominion Voting Systems. Fox lost the case and had to settle for the largest defamation amount on record of $787.5 million in April 2023.

The document that could lead to an executive order proposes using the claim that China interfered with the 2020 elections as grounds to “declare a national emergency.” The move would be an unprecedented step that would grant Trump new authority over the voting systems in the U.S.

The story in The Washington Post arrives as Trump increasingly signals that he may take actions that would alter the result of the 2026 midterms. The Republicans are widely expected to lose as their approval ratings plummet as a result of a failing economy under Trump. Over 50 members of Congress have announced they will retire this year and not return in 2027.

The Trump Department of Justice, which now has a large image of Trump on the side of it, “sued five new states Thursday [Feb. 26, 2026] demanding access to their unredacted voter rolls — escalating a campaign that has been rejected by multiple federal courts and faces resistance from Republican-led states as well,” according to Democracy Docket, a group that works to protect voting rights.

Trump claimed back in late 2020, the last year of his first term, that he had the authority to issue an executive order related to mail-in voting for the 2020 elections — which he would then lose. But the Constitution states that control of elections lies with the states. As the GOP works to place hurdles in front of voting, Democrats worked to make voting easier.

In March 2021, President Biden signed an executive order calling on federal agencies to expand voting access as part of the Biden Administration’s effort “to promote and defend the right to vote for all Americans who are legally entitled to participate in elections.”

Trump’s focus is clearly on altering the November 2026 midterm elections. Trump’s polling numbers and the elections and special elections that have taken place around the U.S. over the last year clearly indicate that Republicans are about to be hit by a blue wave of Democratic victories.

Lauren Victoria Burke is an independent investigative journalist and the founder of Black Virginia News. She is a political analyst who appears on #RolandMartinUnfiltered and hosts the show LAUREN LIVE on YouTube @LaurenVictoriaBurke. She can be contacted at LBurke007@gmail.com and on twitter at @LVBurke

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PRESS ROOM: NBA Hall of Fame Nominee Terry Cummings Joins 100 Black Men of DeKalb County to Launch Victory & Values Initiative

NNPA NEWSWIRE — NBA Hall of Fame nominee and Basketball Legend Terry Cummings was administered the official member’s oath and ceremonially pinned during a special induction ceremony held on Friday, February 20th.

Published

5 days ago

February 27, 2026

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Cummings becomes an honorary member, joining other role model sports stars

NBA Hall of Fame nominee and Basketball Legend Terry Cummings has officially become an honorary member of the 100 Black Men of DeKalb County, marking a powerful new chapter for the 100 Black Men and youth development across the region.

Cummings was administered the official member’s oath and ceremonially pinned during a special induction ceremony held on Friday, February 20th. The moment signified more than membership — it marked the launch of the organization’s transformative new platform, the Victory & Values Initiative.

The Victory & Values Initiative is a groundbreaking youth development program designed to empower elementary and middle school students through a dynamic blend of sports, mentorship, and STEM exposure. The initiative focuses on building health, discipline, character, leadership, and access to opportunity — creating pathways for long-term academic and personal success.

“This is about more than sports,” said Cummings during the ceremony. “It’s about using the platform of athletics to teach life lessons, create access, and build the next generation of leaders.”

The induction ceremony also featured notable guests including NASCAR’s newest Star Driver, Lavar Scott and NASCAR Director of Athletic Performance, Phil Horton, who joined Cummings for a powerful Victory & Values Town Hall discussion. The Town Hall was moderated by renowned Sports Emcee John Hollins and focused on leadership, resilience, discipline, and the importance of mentorship in shaping young lives.

A “Day at NASCAR” for 75+ Youth

Cummings wasted no time getting to work. On his first full day as an honorary member, he joined his new brothers of the 100 Black Men of DeKalb County to host a “Day at NASCAR,” escorting more than 75 youth to a once-in-a-lifetime experience at EchoPark Motor Speedway (formerly Atlanta Motor Speedway).

The youth participants received behind-the-scenes access including: an exclusive tour of Pit Row, access to the Garage Area and exploration of the interactive Fan Zone.

The experience culminated with a surprise meet-and-greet and Q&A session with NASCAR Superstar Bubba Wallace, who shared insights on perseverance, preparation, and breaking barriers in professional sports.

The day served as a living example of the ‘Victory & Values’ Initiative in action — exposing youth to new industries, expanding their vision for the future, and connecting them directly with high- level mentors and role models.

Building Leaders Through Access and Mentorship

The 100 Black Men of DeKalb County – a chapter of the largest, national mentoring organization in the county – continues to expand its footprint with programs focused on academic excellence, economic empowerment, leadership development, and health & wellness.

The launch of ‘Victory & Values’ represents a strategic expansion of the organization’s impact

intentionally integrating athletics and STEM to engage youth at an early age while reinforcing core principles such as integrity, accountability, teamwork, and perseverance.

“Our mission has always been to mentor the next generation,” said Vaughn Irons, President-Elect of the 100 Black Men of DeKalb County. “With Terry Cummings joining the brotherhood, along with partners in NASCAR and professional sports, we are creating unprecedented access and exposure for our youth. Victory & Values is about turning inspiration into structured opportunity.”

By connecting elementary and middle school students to professional athletes, executives, STEM professionals, and community leaders, the initiative aims to:

Increase youth exposure to careers in sports business, engineering, and performance science
Strengthen mentorship pipelines
Promote physical wellness and mental resilience
Build character-driven leadership at an early age

Open Invitation to Youth and Families

All youth are invited to participate in the Victory & Values Initiative, along with the other countless, impactful programs offered by the 100 Black Men of DeKalb County.

Parents and guardians seeking mentorship, leadership development, academic enrichment, and transformative exposure opportunities for their children are encouraged to connect with the organization.

As NBA Legend Terry Cummings’ induction demonstrates, Victory & Values is more than a program — it is a movement designed to build champions in life, not just in sports.

For more information about the Victory & Values Initiative or to enroll a student, contact: 100 Black Men of DeKalb County at Phone at 404.241.1338, info@100bmod.org or Tee Foxx at 404.791.6525,