Ice Cube Joins Charlamagne, Diddy, Against Biden Democrats: ‘Let’s Hold The Black Vote Hostage Until There’s A Black Agenda We’re Satisfied With’

On May 24, Ice Cube tweeted, “Hold the Black vote hostage until one of ’em comes with A Black Agenda that we’re satisfied with. It’s not our job to fix the country’s mess until we fix our mess…#fuckyoupayme.”

The hip-hop icon’s tweet falls in line with a sentiment Sean “Diddy” Combs recently shared during an interview with Naomi Campbell when he called for Black people to hold off giving Joe Biden and the Democrats support until the Black community’s issues and needs are addressed.

“We want to know very clearly. Just like Trump made it clear that he wanted to build a wall, Biden needs to make it clear that he’s gonna change the lives and quality of life of Black and Brown people,” Diddy said. “Or else he can’t get the vote. I will hold the vote hostage if I have to.”

In the interview on Campbell’s web series, “No Filter with Naomi,” Diddy declared the “Black vote ain’t free.” More people seem to be following this belief especially after the presumptive presidential Democrat’s interview on The Breakfast Club with Charlamagne Tha God.

Nina Turner, national co-chair of the Bernie Sanders 2020 presidential campaign, tweeted, “The @DNC must stop playing games with our votes. And to my Beloved Black Community: Now is the time! We owe it to our ancestors, ourselves and to our future to seize this moment for the uplift of our people. This assignment is forever!#Iaintblack“

During the interview, Biden seemingly questioned Charlamagne’s — and any other undecided Black voter’s — Blackness by saying Black people who don’t vote for him“ain’t Black.”

Biden later backtracked and expressed remorse for acting so “cavalier,” insisting that he’s “never, never, ever taken the African-American community for granted,” Hot News Hip Hop reported.

Shortly after Diddy’s declaration, Biden released his plan for Black America called, “Lift Every Voice.”

Now, after The Breakfast Club interview, the Biden campaign reposted highlights from the plan on Instagram.

According to the post, “The Biden Plan for Black America” will close the wealth and income gap by investing in African-American workers, businesses, and communities, TheGrio reported. The post also stressed that a Biden administration would push for health equity and address racial inequity.

“I shouldn’t have been such a wise guy. I shouldn’t have been so cavalier…I have never, ever taken the African-American community for granted,” Biden said, according to journalist Yamiche Alcindor. “No one should have to vote for any party based on their race, background, religion, or any demographic information.”

While the sentiment of Diddy, Charlemagne, and now Ice Cube seems to be gaining momentum, other Black voters say now is not the time to put the election on the line.

Holding the Black vote hostage is irresponsible and puts the Black community in danger, wrote Christina M. Greer, an associate professor at Fordham University and the author of “Black Ethnics: Race, Immigration, and the Pursuit of the American Dream.” Greer co-hosts the podcast FAQ-NYC, and is the political editor at The Grio.

While Greer said she agrees with Diddy that Biden and the Democrats cannot take the Black vote for granted, she feels holding the Black vote hostage “would be detrimental to not only the Black community but the nation (and world) for generations to come.”

This article was written by Ann Brown for The Moguldom Nation.

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CDFIs Get An Additional $10 Billion In PPP Funding From SBA

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is providing an additional $10 billion in Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) funding for Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs).

The new funding will be specifically lent by CDFIs, part of a move to make sure that PPP loans reach low-income communities where CDFIs operate. The SBA, along with the with the U.S. Treasury Department, made the announcement Thursday in a press release.

The fresh funding comes after the SBA provided $30 billion in April in Round 2 of PPP funding for CDFIs, community banks, and other lenders with assets of $10 billion or less.

“The forgivable loan program, PPP, is dedicated to providing emergency capital to sustain our nation’s small businesses, the drivers of our economy, and retain their employees,” stated SBA Administrator Jovita Carranza. “CDFIs provide critically important capital and technical assistance to small businesses from rural, minority, and other under served communities, especially during this economically challenging time.”

Though the new funding does not include community banks and other lenders, a SBA spokeswoman says there is still more than $100 million in PPP funding that can be lent by participating lenders to small businesses, including black-owned businesses. So far, since being launched in early April in two phases, the SBA has approved more than $510.5 billion in funding covering over 4.4 million loans.

Interestingly, some 3,581 banks with less than $1 billion in assets have provided 891,301 loans totaling over $81.4 billion since PPP  rolled out, according to SBA data. Several firms on the BE 100s 2019 Banks list fall into that category.

William Michael Cunningham, an economist and banking expert, stated by email that the additional $10 billion in PPP funding that the SBA is setting aside exclusively for CDFIs is a good sign. He added it is responsive to the observations and complaints that many have made concerning the lack of funding directed to minority businesses.

However, Cunningham stated, “the downside is that the speed with which SBA has come up with this additional funding may indicate that the economic situation is worse than we thought.”

In general, CDFIs largely focus on providing personal lending and business development efforts in poorer local communities often in need of revitalization across the country. They can seek funding from the U.S. Treasury. They often promote economic development and operate in areas not adequately targeted by traditional banks.

CDFI’s  have been among PPP participants. A current listing of PPP lenders to date can be found on the SBA website.

from Black Enterprise https://ift.tt/2MjZbAU

Ice Cube Joins Charlamagne, Diddy, Against Biden Democrats: ‘Let’s Hold The Black Vote Hostage Until There’s A Black Agenda We’re Satisfied With’

On May 24, Ice Cube tweeted, “Hold the Black vote hostage until one of ’em comes with A Black Agenda that we’re satisfied with. It’s not our job to fix the country’s mess until we fix our mess…#fuckyoupayme.”

The hip-hop icon’s tweet falls in line with a sentiment Sean “Diddy” Combs recently shared during an interview with Naomi Campbell when he called for Black people to hold off giving Joe Biden and the Democrats support until the Black community’s issues and needs are addressed.

“We want to know very clearly. Just like Trump made it clear that he wanted to build a wall, Biden needs to make it clear that he’s gonna change the lives and quality of life of Black and Brown people,” Diddy said. “Or else he can’t get the vote. I will hold the vote hostage if I have to.”

In the interview on Campbell’s web series, “No Filter with Naomi,” Diddy declared the “Black vote ain’t free.” More people seem to be following this belief especially after the presumptive presidential Democrat’s interview on The Breakfast Club with Charlamagne Tha God.

Nina Turner, national co-chair of the Bernie Sanders 2020 presidential campaign, tweeted, “The @DNC must stop playing games with our votes. And to my Beloved Black Community: Now is the time! We owe it to our ancestors, ourselves and to our future to seize this moment for the uplift of our people. This assignment is forever!#Iaintblack“

During the interview, Biden seemingly questioned Charlamagne’s — and any other undecided Black voter’s — Blackness by saying Black people who don’t vote for him“ain’t Black.”

Biden later backtracked and expressed remorse for acting so “cavalier,” insisting that he’s “never, never, ever taken the African-American community for granted,” Hot News Hip Hop reported.

Shortly after Diddy’s declaration, Biden released his plan for Black America called, “Lift Every Voice.”

Now, after The Breakfast Club interview, the Biden campaign reposted highlights from the plan on Instagram.

According to the post, “The Biden Plan for Black America” will close the wealth and income gap by investing in African-American workers, businesses, and communities, TheGrio reported. The post also stressed that a Biden administration would push for health equity and address racial inequity.

“I shouldn’t have been such a wise guy. I shouldn’t have been so cavalier…I have never, ever taken the African-American community for granted,” Biden said, according to journalist Yamiche Alcindor. “No one should have to vote for any party based on their race, background, religion, or any demographic information.”

While the sentiment of Diddy, Charlemagne, and now Ice Cube seems to be gaining momentum, other Black voters say now is not the time to put the election on the line.

Holding the Black vote hostage is irresponsible and puts the Black community in danger, wrote Christina M. Greer, an associate professor at Fordham University and the author of “Black Ethnics: Race, Immigration, and the Pursuit of the American Dream.” Greer co-hosts the podcast FAQ-NYC, and is the political editor at The Grio.

While Greer said she agrees with Diddy that Biden and the Democrats cannot take the Black vote for granted, she feels holding the Black vote hostage “would be detrimental to not only the Black community but the nation (and world) for generations to come.”

This article was written by Ann Brown for The Moguldom Nation.

from Black Enterprise https://ift.tt/3dlI2m0

CDFIs Get An Additional $10 Billion In PPP Funding From SBA

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is providing an additional $10 billion in Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) funding for Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs).

The new funding will be specifically lent by CDFIs, part of a move to make sure that PPP loans reach low-income communities where CDFIs operate. The SBA, along with the with the U.S. Treasury Department, made the announcement Thursday in a press release.

The fresh funding comes after the SBA provided $30 billion in April in Round 2 of PPP funding for CDFIs, community banks, and other lenders with assets of $10 billion or less.

“The forgivable loan program, PPP, is dedicated to providing emergency capital to sustain our nation’s small businesses, the drivers of our economy, and retain their employees,” stated SBA Administrator Jovita Carranza. “CDFIs provide critically important capital and technical assistance to small businesses from rural, minority, and other under served communities, especially during this economically challenging time.”

Though the new funding does not include community banks and other lenders, a SBA spokeswoman says there is still more than $100 million in PPP funding that can be lent by participating lenders to small businesses, including black-owned businesses. So far, since being launched in early April in two phases, the SBA has approved more than $510.5 billion in funding covering over 4.4 million loans.

Interestingly, some 3,581 banks with less than $1 billion in assets have provided 891,301 loans totaling over $81.4 billion since PPP  rolled out, according to SBA data. Several firms on the BE 100s 2019 Banks list fall into that category.

William Michael Cunningham, an economist and banking expert, stated by email that the additional $10 billion in PPP funding that the SBA is setting aside exclusively for CDFIs is a good sign. He added it is responsive to the observations and complaints that many have made concerning the lack of funding directed to minority businesses.

However, Cunningham stated, “the downside is that the speed with which SBA has come up with this additional funding may indicate that the economic situation is worse than we thought.”

In general, CDFIs largely focus on providing personal lending and business development efforts in poorer local communities often in need of revitalization across the country. They can seek funding from the U.S. Treasury. They often promote economic development and operate in areas not adequately targeted by traditional banks.

CDFI’s  have been among PPP participants. A current listing of PPP lenders to date can be found on the SBA website.

from Black Enterprise https://ift.tt/2MjZbAU

This Black-Owned Sunscreen Brand Just Secured A $1 Million Investment Amid COVID-19

Black entrepreneurs have statistically always had more problems with access to venture capitalists to help garner the necessary capital needed to expand their business. According to previous reports, despite leading the pack in business creation and entrepreneurship, black women business owners receive 1% of all venture capital funding.

Previously, we reported about entrepreneur Shontay Lundy behind the Black Girl Sunscreen brand. News came out this week that the founder will be expanding her brand with a lucrative $1 million boost with the help of a new female investor.

Black Girl Sunscreen is the only black-owned sunscreen brand in Target and is now available in over 200 stores around the country. According to a new report published by Forbes, after spending months vetting potential partners, Lundy partnered with a new investor, raising her company’s valuation to $5 million.

Since the start of the COVID-19, or the novel coronavirus, pandemic, Lundy and her team have gone into overdrive ensuring that they had what they needed to keep the company afloat amid the public health crisis. While brick-and-mortar businesses have been temporarily closed under quarantine restrictions, the brand has managed to use its digital storefront to keep up with costs. Lundy still plans on launching a new product later this year.

In an interview with Forbes, Lundy offers advice to aspiring business owners to take advantage of free resources when they are pursuing investing opportunities. She states that her advice to entrepreneurs and “other minority businesses looking for funding is to take advantage of grants and available resources, participate in pitch competitions to learn how to sell your business and gain exposure, have buttoned-up financials; and put yourself in environments to meet investors/high-net-worth individuals.”

 

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⁣What a way to celebrate #NationalSunscreenDay! Words can’t express how EXTREMELY excited we are about the future! We can’t wait to serve YOU, our community, in new and better ways . ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Thank you @forbes @werque_dominique @forbeswomen for helping us celebrate this moment! #BlackGirlSunscreen #StayProtectedAndMoisturizeYourSkin

A post shared by BlackGirlSunscreen (@blackgirlsunscreen) on May 27, 2020 at 7:30am PDT

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