Tuesday, January 14, 2020
Libya conflict: Haftar 'leaves' Moscow ceasefire talks without deal
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Monday, January 13, 2020
TRAILBLAZER: Spike Lee named President of Cannes Film Festival Jury
Spike Lee just made history.
The award-winning filmmaker has just been named President of the Canned Film Festival Jury, making him the first Black person to head the panel.
Trump attacks Spike Lee over Oscar speech telling people to vote him out in 2020
The annual film festival is the largest in the world and brings Hollywood’s elite to the French Riviera each May.
“In this life I have lived … my biggest blessings have been when they arrived unexpected, when they happened out of nowhere. When I got the call that I was offered the opportunity to be President of Cannes Jury for 2020, I was shocked, happy, surprised and proud all at the same time,” Lee said in a statement.
“To me the Cannes Film Festival (besides being the most important film festival in the world — no disrespect to anybody) has had a great impact on my film career. You could easily say Cannes changed the trajectory of who I became in world cinema.”
Spike Lee calls for Hollywood to ‘shut it down’ in Georgia over abortion ban
The 63-year-old has had some favorable outcomes at the festival where his first film, She’s Gotta Have It won the Prix de la Jeunesse in the Director’s Fortnight in 1986. He has shown several of his films at the festival and his new role at the festival is promising news for an industry that has such a hard time highlighting Black talent.
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WATCH: Don Cheadle and Regina Hall pick up the pieces in ‘Black Monday’ season 2 trailer
Don Cheadle and Regina Hall are back to their old tricks if the just-dropped Black Monday is any indication.
Showtime debuted the new season’s first trailer at the TCAs on Monday and in it, we see Maurice “Mo” Monroe (Cheadle) looking a little crazy in the aftermath of the largest stock market crash in history.
Don Cheadle and Regina Hall are Wall Street’s worst nightmares in ‘Black Monday’
Judging by the trailer, this season will see Dawn (Hall) and Blair (Andrew Rannells) in charge now that Mo is on the run and they quickly learn how hard it is to be the boss.
“The exciting part about doing the second season was we sort of left Blair at the end of Season 1 on the precipice of making a lot of personal decisions,” Rannells said during the show’s TCA panel, “and then this season we really got to launch into them. He gets dark real fast.”
We can’t wait to see who will take the fall for the crash or the murders that went down during season 1.
Loose lips: Don Cheadle refuses to do movie press with Avengers costars because they talk too much
Check out the hilarious trailer:
Season 2 of Black Monday will return with back-to-back episodes on Sunday, March 15 at 10/9c on Showtime.
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SNEAK PEEK: See Chris Rock in season 4 of hit FX series ‘Fargo’
FX has dropped the first trailer for its highly-anticipated fourth season of Fargo and this time around, Chris Rock will take the lead in the anthology series from Noah Hawley.
“The history of America is the history of the entrepreneur. It’s the person that starts with nothing and gets to someplace and then fights to hold on to it,” the showrunner said at the TCAs on Thursday. “I don’t know the world of stand-up comedy, [but] it felt to me like Chris Rock embodied that spirit. Plus, he’s funny.”
Season 4 of Fargo will reportedly tell a story of immigration and assimilation, and the things people do for money. Set in 1950, this season sees Rock’s character, Loy Cannon and his family battle Schwartzman’s Josto Fadda and his Italian crime family (with Irish and Jewish roots) for control of Kansas City.
CASTING NEWS: Chris Rock to star in season 4 of ‘Fargo’ on FX
Check out the trailer:
Get ready! Donald Glover’s acclaimed ‘Atlanta’ has been renewed for a fourth season!
FX also revealed what’s next for another one of its successful shows, Atlanta. The Donald Glover-led series has been on hiatus for a little too long now, and fans still have a bit of a wait to endure. While no specific date was given, FX confirmed that season 3 of the drama will hit the small screen in January of 2021 and will contain 10 episodes. Season 4 will have 8 episodes and serve as Part 2 of that chapter and is due out in Fall 2021.
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Cari Champion exits ESPN after 7 years: “It’s time to leave”
ESPN host Cari Champion has announced her decision to leave ESPN after seven years with the network. The host will remain on-air through the end of January.
The UCLA alum joined ESPN in 2012 after a three-year stint at The Tennis Channel. During her time at ESPN, she worked as a host and moderator on First Take, and was a SportsCenter anchor before securing her post as host of Sports Nation and SportsCenter Coast to Coast.
The talented journalist shared news of her departure on social media.
“After consulting with mentors, family and friends, I have come to the decision that it’s time to leave ESPN,” she posted on Twitter. “Over the past 7 years, I’ve grown from hosting First Take to having my own show on SportsCenter, and experiencing so much more in between.”
ESPN cuts to commercial after Stephen A. Smith starts political rant
Cari Champion didn’t share too many details on her reasons for leaving the network.
“ESPN will always be apart of my legacy and I am proud to have been a part of theirs,” she added. “I’m excited about the next chapter and will share soon!”
The post Cari Champion exits ESPN after 7 years: “It’s time to leave” appeared first on TheGrio.
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The 'sorcerer' keeping Mali's marionette tradition alive
The Nigerian blind mechanic using touch to make repairs
Black Twitter rejoices over Oscar nom for Mathew A. Cherry’s “Hair Love”
This week Black Twitter found itself giving the Academy the side-eye as the nominations for the 92nd annual Academy Awards were announced and it quickly became clear that barely anybody Black had made the cut. But in that sea of alabaster there appeared one beautifully melanated spark of hope thanks to Matthew A. Cherry.
We all collectively rejoiced when Hair Love, the popular – and incredibly touching – children’s book turned animated short by the former NFL player, was nominated for a well deserved Oscar.
READ MORE: Unpacking the brilliance of ‘Watchmen’ … the most important show of the year
But what many may not know is that the former wide receiver turned filmmaker took the scenic route to this monumental achievement, opting to to launch a Kickstarter campaign that raised nearly $300,000, which was a whopping four times his original goal of $75,000. The outpouring of love his idea received was just further proof that there was a market hungry for his content.
“Media is impressionable and when little kids see shows, movies and magazines and don’t see people who look like them in a heroic place or complex place or don’t see themselves at all it makes them seem abnormal or an exception to the rule,” he told Because Of Them We Can back in 2017. “And we’re trying to make them feel normal and have a little Black girl with maybe kinky hair feel like she’s represented.”
READ MORE: Issa Rae threw shade with a curve during Black-snubbing Oscar nominations announcement
Wow! And to have @IssaRae announce it! It feels like a dream. Huge thanks to our great team @BruceAlmighteee @Mr_Scribbles @KDRupe @Monica_aYoung @DanielDCrawford @LionForgeDave @CarlForge @lionforge our kickstarter backers & @SonyAnimation for believing in us. @TheAcademy pic.twitter.com/2sVn7LqWk9
— Matthew A. Cherry (@MatthewACherry) January 13, 2020
Making the moment feel even more serendipitous is the fact that Issa Rae, who lent her voice to the project, ended up being a host during Monday’s broadcast, and got to announce the nomination to the world.
“WOW! And to have @IssaRae announce it! It feels like a dream,” Cherry tweeted. “Huge thanks to our great team … our kickstarter backers & @SonyAnimation for believing in us.”
The 92nd Annual Academy Awards will air February 9th on ABC. And if you haven’t already, please do yourself a favor and check out the short below.
READ MORE: Martin Lawrence says Tisha Campbell’s sexual harassment lawsuit: ‘It Was Bullsh*t’
#HairLove is live! It’s an animated short film about an African American father learning how to do his daughters hair for the first time. Written & Directed by me, co-directed by @BruceAlmighteee @Mr_Scribbles & stars @IssaRae. @SonyAnimation #HairLove pic.twitter.com/RRlh2Ncol1
— Matthew A. Cherry (@MatthewACherry) December 5, 2019
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'Uncanny Valley' and the Meaninglessness of Writing About Tech
#OscarsSoWhite: The complete list of Academy Award nominees
Nominations for the 92nd annual Academy Awards were announced by Issa Rae and John Cho on Monday morning and the list is BLEAK when it comes to honoring Black films.
Cynthia Erivo picked up a Best Actress nomination for her leading role in Harriet but the film was iced out of the Best Picture category.
American Factory (produced by Barack and Michelle Obama) earned a nod for Best Documentary but Black folks and women were left out of the Best Director race and there are no nominations for any other Black actors in any categories.
Creator of #OscarsSoWhite hashtag comes ‘full circle’; invited to attend the Oscars
Check out the full list of nominees:
Best picture
“Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”
“The Irishman”
“Parasite”
“1917”
“Marriage Story”
“Jojo Rabbit”
“Joker”
“Little Women”
“Ford v Ferrari”
Best actress in a leading role
Renée Zellweger, “Judy”
Charlize Theron, “Bombshell”
Scarlett Johansson, “Marriage Story”
Saoirse Ronan, “Little Women”
Cynthia Erivo, “Harriet”
Best actor in a leading role
Joaquin Phoenix, “Joker”
Adam Driver, “Marriage Story”
Leonardo DiCaprio, “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”
Antonio Banderas, “Pain and Glory”
Jonathan Pryce, “The Two Popes”
Best director
Martin Scorsese, “The Irishman”
Quentin Tarantino, “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”
Bong Joon-ho, “Parasite”
Sam Mendes, “1917”
Todd Phillips, “Joker”
Best actor in a supporting role
Brad Pitt, “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”
Al Pacino, “The Irishman”
Joe Pesci, “The Irishman”
Tom Hanks, “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood”
Anthony Hopkins, “The Two Popes”
Best actress in a supporting role
Laura Dern, “Marriage Story”
Margot Robbie, “Bombshell”
Florence Pugh, “Little Women”
Scarlett Johansson, “Jojo Rabbit”
Kathy Bates, “Richard Jewell”
Best animated feature film
“Toy Story 4”
“How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World”
“Missing Link”
“I Lost My Body”
“Klaus”
Best international feature film
South Korea, “Parasite”
Spain, “Pain and Glory”
France, “Les Misérables”
North Macedonia, “Honeyland”
Poland, “Corpus Christi”
Best original screenplay
“Marriage Story”
“Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”
“Parasite”
“Knives Out”
“1917”
Best adapted screenplay
“The Irishman”
“Jojo Rabbit”
“Little Women”
“The Two Popes”
“Joker”
Best documentary feature
“American Factory”
“The Edge of Democracy”
“Honeyland”
“For Sama”
“The Cave”
Best original song
“I’m Standing With You,” from “Breakthrough”
“Into the Unknown,” from “Frozen II”
“Stand Up,” from “Harriet”
“ (I’m Gonna) Love Me Again,” from “Rocketman”
“I Can’t Let You Throw Yourself Away,” from “Toy Story 4”
Best visual effects
“Avengers: Endgame”
“The Lion King”
“Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker”
“The Irishman”
“1917”
Best cinematography
“1917,” Roger Deakins
“Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,” Robert Richardson
“The Irishman,” Rodrigo Prieto
“Joker,” Lawrence Sher
“The Lighthouse,” Jarin Blaschke
Best production design
“Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”
“The Irishman”
“1917”
“Jojo Rabbit”
“Parasite”
Best makeup and hairstyling
“Bombshell”
“Joker”
“Judy”
“Maleficent: Mistress of Evil”
“1917”
Best costume design
“Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”
“Little Women”
“The Irishman”
“Jojo Rabbit”
“Joker”
Best original score
“1917,” Thomas Newman
“Joker,” Hildur Guðnadóttir
“Little Women,” Alexandre Desplat
“Marriage Story,” Randy Newman
“Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker,” John Williams
Best documentary short subject
“In the Absence”
“Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone (If You’re a Girl)”
“Life Overtakes Me”
“St. Louis Superman”
“Walk Run Cha-Cha”
Best animated short film
“Dcera (Daughter)”
“Hair Love”
“Kitbull”
“Memorable”
“Sister”
Best live action short film
“Brotherhood”
“Nefta Football Club”
“The Neighbors’ Window”
“Saria”
“A Sister”
Best film editing
“The Irishman”
“Ford v Ferrari”
“Parasite”
“Joker”
“Jojo Rabbit”
Best sound mixing
“1917”
“Ford v Ferrari”
“Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”
“Ad Astra”
“Joker”
Best sound editing
“1917”
“Ford v Ferrari”
“Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker”
“Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”
“Joker”
Stay tuned for our list of snubs…it’s likely pretty long.
The Academy Awards will air live Feb. 9 on ABC.
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Lamine Diack: Former athletics chief's trial delayed until June
Making physics and astronomy more welcoming to African-American students
Undergraduate physics is in the midst of a boom: In the last two decades, the number of bachelor’s degrees awarded in physics in the United States has more than doubled, to a current all-time high. And yet, it’s clear that African-American students have been left out of this upward trend.
During the same period, African-American representation among physics bachelor’s degree earners has increased by just 4 percent, compared with a 36 percent increase in African-American undergraduates who have earned degrees in other physical sciences such as chemistry, engineering, and earth sciences.
Now a task force funded by the American Institute of Physics is calling for sweeping changes to the culture of physics in academia, in order to address this persistent underrepresentation. Following a two-year investigation, the National Task Force to Elevate African American representation in Undergraduate Physics and Astronomy, known as TEAM-UP, has released a report, titled “The Time Is Now: Systemic Changes to Increase African Americans with Bachelor’s Degrees in Physics and Astronomy.”
MIT News spoke with task force co-chair Edmund Bertschinger, who is a physics professor and the former Institute Community and Equity Officer at MIT, about the new report.
Q: What are the main findings from the task force’s investigation?
A: We found that the persistent underrepresentation of African-Americans in physics and astronomy is due to the lack of a supportive environment in many departments, and to the enormous financial challenges facing these students as well as the programs that have consistently demonstrated best practices in supporting their success. In particular, historically black colleges and universities have suffered a 50 percent decline in physics graduates over the last two decades, due mainly to financial hardship.
Many African-Americans who might otherwise pursue these fields are choosing majors that are perceived as being more supportive or rewarding. We also found wonderful departments that recruit and retain black students who go on to graduate school or high-paying jobs.
Q: What were some of the specific examples or anecdotes that you came across during this investigation, that in your view, emphasized the problem of African-American underrepresentation in physics and astronomy?
A: We surveyed and interviewed African-American students and centered them in our report. Some of their experiences were heartbreaking.
For example, one student said, “I’ve had two professors ask me why I’m in physics. They see how much I’m struggling. Like, ‘Why are you still a physics major? Why do you want to do this?’ Multiple times. It’s like, ‘Well, I’m here because this is what I want to do.’ They’re like, ‘You’re making your life difficult doing all this.’ It’s very discouraging when you hear [this].”
Unfortunately this is not an isolated incident. Discouragement from peers and faculty is one of the reasons many African-American students don’t persist in physics.
On the other hand, we visited departments that excel in retaining and graduating African-American undergraduates in physics. The faculty at those institutions — which included major research universities, smaller institutions, and colleges that serve black students — exemplified caring for students. I was especially impressed by the faculty of several departments we visited who emphasized student strengths instead of deficits, and who worked to build strong relationships enabling students to thrive through all hardships.
Q: The TEAM-UP task force is aiming to double the number of bachelor’s degrees in physics and astronomy awarded to African-American students by the year 2030. How is the team recommending that colleges and universities meet this goal?
A: This is not an engineering problem, it is a human problem. That means scientists need to embrace a new way of thinking, one that is informed by perspectives from the humanities and social sciences. The first step is to recognize that our professions have norms and values, which may be invisible to many of us, that either support or diminish the success of our students. We have many recommendations, but our top one is that faculty, department leaders, and professional societies take some time to consider the culture of their profession and organizations. The top-performing departments have done this and already follow our recommendations. If enough of the others do likewise, we will easily meet the goal.
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It's Easy to Be a Jerk on Twitter. And Twitter Wants to Fix That
Brooklyn teenager bullied and beaten because he knows rapper 50 Cent
The mom of Brooklyn teenager Davian Fraser says her son was bullied and beaten at his high school because he knows rapper 50 Cent.
Myasia Dickerson, the 14-year-old’s mom, has filed a suit against New York City’s Department of Education after she claims school officials at Williamsburg Charter High School did nothing to protect her son from bullying, according to The New York Daily News. She said the abuse started some of the students realized that Davian knows the rapper.
READ MORE: NO CHILL: 50 Cent Is The Biggest Bully On The Block
The Queens rapper, whose real name is Curtis Jackson, met Davian in 2016 and shared some Instagram posts that appeared to first suggest Davian was his son, according to E! News.
“This is Davian doing his, I’m cooler then my dad look,” the rapper posted to IG with the photo. Fiddy later said the boy is not his actual child, just a kid he mentors.
Since then, Dickerson said bullies have come for her son.
“It caused a big uproar in the school,” Dickerson told The Daily News. “The kids started to follow my son around, tried to put him on Snapchat, tried to take videos of him. They were following him to the train station.”
On Dec. 16, four classmates allegedly approached the teen and started to punch him in the head near a school stairwell. According to a police report, a student followed Davian to his locker, prompting him to try and find a school security officer on the fifth floor to no avail.
The report says the student slammed Davian’s head into the floor of the stairwell.
“He was attacked from behind as he tried to walk away,” Dickerson told the newspaper. “He was punched in the head and then the student proceeded to fight him and then he slammed my son’s head onto the ground.”
Davian suffered injuries to his head and neck, according to Dickerson’s claim against the city. In it, she said her son still deals with emotional and psychological trauma from the attack.
Dickerson said she blames the school. She said her son sought safety in a classroom before he was attacked but that a teacher wouldn’t let him stay because the class was in session.
“The teacher told him, `No, I have a class right now. You can’t stay in my classroom,’” Dickerson explained, according to The Daily News.
She is seeking $5.5 million in damages in the suit.
“Parents have the right to expect a safe environment when they send their child to school,” said the family’s attorney, Sanford Rubenstein. “When school personnel fail to provide that, especially when they are on notice of a problem, the school is liable to that child for damages.”
The rapper did not return requests for comment from The New York Daily News.
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Dwayne Johnson brings ‘The Young Rock’ series based on his childhood to NBC
It looks like Dwayne Johnson is heading back to the small screen and he’s ready to show the world how he grew into the powerhouse we all know and love. NBC has ordered The Young Rock, a scripted comedy series based on his childhood.
The 47-year-old actor who just completed his Ballers gig will produce the series along with Nahnatchka Khanand (Fresh Off the Boat) and appear on all 11 episodes ordered.
Is Dwayne Johnson returning to his wrestling roots?
According to Variety, Dany Garcia, Hiram Garcia, and Brian Gewirtz will also serve as executive producers on The Young Rock. Khan has already co-written the pilot with Jeff Chiang but no premiere date has been announced.
The Jumanji: The Next Level star shared the good news on social media after chatting up reporters at the TCAs via Facetime.
“I’ve told many many stories, many of them unbelievable, but all of them true. You’ll find Young Rock wreaking havoc in the streets of Hawaii, getting arrested doing a lot of things I shouldn’t do. We were evicted off the island and moved, to all places, Nashville, Tennessee,” he said during the call. “Imagine me being in downtown Nashville, listening to country music at 15 years-old, buying my first car from a crackhead for $70. We go into my high school years as Young Rock, and my role as a University of Miami football star, until I got beaten out of my position by a young man named Warren Sapp, who went on to become one of the greatest defensive tackles of all time.”
“The Forrest Gump-ian childhood I had growing up is coming to @nbc. Only my life included more arrests and kickin’ puberty’s ass when I turned 8. This is gonna be a fun show. #YoungRock,” he posted on Sunday.
The Forrest Gump-ian childhood I had growing up is coming to @nbc. Only my life included more arrests and kickin’ puberty’s ass when I turned 8 😂🤦🏽♂️.
This is gonna be a fun show. #YoungRock https://t.co/slt8uUGzJw— Dwayne Johnson (@TheRock) January 12, 2020
Gewirtz shared a photo montage of the star with a few hints on what fans can expect to see on the series.
Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson shocks social media fans with Hawaii wedding photo
“Living in 13 different states… Getting arrested… meeting legends… hitting puberty… This is going to be such a fun show. #YoungRock coming to @nbc!”
Living in 13 different states… Getting arrested… meeting legends… hitting puberty… This is going to be such a fun show. #YoungRock coming to @nbc! @TheRock @DanyGarciaCo @hhgarcia41 #NahnatchkaKhan #JeffChiang #JenniferCarreras @SevenBucksProd pic.twitter.com/XPepQawZu5
— Brian Gewirtz (@bfg728) January 12, 2020
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Streaming Giants Need Shows Like Schoolhouse Rock
Ava DuVernay thanks Critics’ Choice for ‘seeing us’ at awards show
Ava DuVernay is finally getting celebrated for her Netflix miniseries When They See Us.
At the 2020 Critics’ Choice Awards, the important series that humanized the five teenagers, now men, who were wrongly arrested and charged with raping and beating a New York City jogger in Central Park, received the most nominations out of any show. This comes after DuVernay was completely shut out of the 77th annual Golden Globes, as were other Black actors and directors.
READ MORE: Ava DuVernay, Melina Matsoukas score prestigious Directors Guild of America nominations
DuVernay, who won the Critics’ Choice award for “Best Limited Series,” received a standing ovation from the crowd. She gave thanks for the recognition and the inclusivity of the awards.
A lovely night to remember. Thanks to @CriticsChoice for seeing us. xo pic.twitter.com/tIw4E3RtCu
— Ava DuVernay (@ava) January 13, 2020
“Thank you to the critics for finally letting us take the stage. Yes!” DuVernay said with enthusiasm. “We made a four-part, five-hour film. It was an act of love. 179 actors, 117 of them had speaking parts. 312 members of the crew, my three co-writers, my comrades at ARRAY, my fellow producers at Participant, Tribeca, and Harpo, and our great champions at Netflix who let a Black woman do her thing, what can I say? Thank you so much.”
The miniseries gave us a glimpse into the real-life hell of the five teenagers, Raymond Santana, Kevin Richardson, Antron McCray, Yusef Salaam, and Korey Wise, who each spent years in prison for a crime they never committed. They are now referred to as the “Exonerated Five.”
“This series began with a tweet from Raymond Santana, and now he, Antron, Kevin, Yusef, and the mighty Korey Wise stand for something larger than they ever imagined. They stand for justice, they shine bright like the gems that they always were, but we never saw,” DuVernay continued in her Critics’ Choice acceptance speech. “If you watched their story and felt something in that moment, I invite you to consider doing something. There’s no right thing to do. Do what you feel where you are, but don’t let your anger and sadness be all. Cases like this are happening all around the world, in this country most specifically on our watch. People who are poor and innocent are behind bars while the rich and guilty walk free and gain power.”
READ MORE: Here are 8 ways Ava DuVernay OWNED the decade
Jharel Jerome, who played Wise in the series, also took home a critics award for “Best Actor in a Limited Series.”
Later, Ava tweeted “A lovely night to remember. Thanks to @CriticsChoice for seeing us. xo”
A lovely night to remember. Thanks to @CriticsChoice for seeing us. xo pic.twitter.com/tIw4E3RtCu
— Ava DuVernay (@ava) January 13, 2020
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Libya conflict: Warring sides meet in Moscow for talks
Black Business Owners With 750+ Credit Scores Are Rejected For Loans

Black business owners are being denied business loans from banks despite having good credit scores and showing consistent annual profits.
According to the most recent data available from the U.S. Federal Reserve, Black business owners are denied loans by banks more frequently than any other racial group, reported St. Louis Public Radio.
St. Louis-based “sauce man” Freddie Lee James Jr. and his wife Deborah are among those Black business owners who’ve been denied. The couple says despite bringing in $200,000 annually in profit, banks will not give them a loan.
“We have 750-760 credit score. … We pay all our debts. We don’t have no problems with that. But they were saying that the sauce business is not generating enough capital to their standards,” James said.
Statistics show Black-owned businesses are twice as likely to be denied as their white counterparts. While some say its difficult for small business to get loans in general, Galen Gondolfi said racism and discrimination in lending exacerbates the issue for Blacks.
St. Louis-based “sauce man” Freddie Lee James Jr. and his wife Deborah are among those Black business owners who’ve been denied. The couple says despite bringing in $200,000 annually in profit, banks will not give them a loan.
“We have 750-760 credit score. … We pay all our debts. We don’t have no problems with that. But they were saying that the sauce business is not generating enough capital to their standards,” James said.
Statistics show Black-owned businesses are twice as likely to be denied as their white counterparts. While some say its difficult for small business to get loans in general, Galen Gondolfi said racism and discrimination in lending exacerbates the issue for Blacks.
“I tell them failing to plan is like planning to fail,” said. Eddie G. Davis, the center’s president and executive director. “It’s like driving blind. … We work with them to develop their business plan, develop, for example, their target market and identify who their customers will be.”
“We have 750-760 credit score. We pay all our debts.”
Despite bringing in $200,000 in profits, year after year, Freddie Lee James still can’t get a business loan. Black owners’ applications are rejected at twice the rate of whites owners’. @stlpublicradio https://t.co/cmxk0PBvFT
— NPR (@NPR) January 7, 2020
Yeah, say what you want about the current President, me too movement, legalized weed, Chase bank investing with minorities, or any other made up distraction. The truth will always be:
The USA cannot seem to beat the ground-in cancer of racism.
— Cumxhle70 (@cumxhle70) January 7, 2020
This article was written by Isheka N. Harrison for The Moguldom Nation on January 9, 2020.
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