What Is Blackout Tuesday? Industries, Brands and More Go Black in Solidarity of Black Lives Matter

If you’re scrolling down Instagram today, odds are you’re seeing nothing but black screens. What is this for?

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Facebook Pledges $10 Million To End Racial Injustice Amid CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s Silence On Trump’s Post

Protests have erupted all around the country in response to the recent death of George Floyd and others at the hands of law enforcement officials. The public outcry has forced many brands to make a call to action and speak out against the recent wave of racial injustice and demand justice for the victim’s families. Now tech giant Facebook has come forward standing with protesters by committing to help end racial injustice within the U.S.

In a post on Instagram, which is also owned by Facebook, the company announced it would be donating $10 million to different efforts to end racial injustice in light of the recent protests. The Hollywood Reporter reported that EO Mark Zuckerberg followed with a statement on Facebook saying that the company was “working with our civil rights advisors and our employees to identify organizations locally and nationally that could most effectively use [the funding] right now.”

The move comes after President Donald Trump took to the platforms to engage in a series of inflammatory posts threatening looters with violence after Twitter began censoring and fact-checking all of his posts. Many employees went on Twitter to express their disappointment with their CEO’s silence on the harmful posts. After intense public pressure, Zuckerberg eventually responded to the claims saying although he was disturbed by the posts that he would not be removing them from either platform.

 

 

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#ShareBlackStories.⁣ We hear you, we see you and we are with you.⁣ ⁣ We stand against racism. We stand with our Black community — and all those working toward justice in honor of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and far too many others whose names will not be forgotten.⁣ ⁣ Time and time again, we have seen that the Instagram community has the power to bring about meaningful change. The more we #ShareBlackStories, the more we raise voices that make a lasting impact. To continue that impact, @facebook is pledging $10 million to efforts committed to ending racial injustice. #BlackLivesMatter.⁣ ⁣

A post shared by Instagram (@instagram) on May 31, 2020 at 10:16pm PDT

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BET Founder Robert Johnson Calls For $14 Trillion in Reparations For Slavery

Black Entertainment Television co-founder Robert Johnson told CNBC Monday the U.S. government should provide $14 trillion of reparations for slavery to help reduce racial inequality.

According to CNBC, Johnson believes the wealth divide and police brutality against blacks are at the heart of protests against police brutality and the death of George Floyd.

“Now is the time to go big” to keep America from dividing into two separate and unequal societies, Johnson said on “Squawk Box.

“Wealth transfer is what’s needed,” Johnson added. “Think about this. Since 200-plus-years or so of slavery, labor taken with no compensation, is a wealth transfer. Denial of access to education, which is a primary driver of accumulation of income and wealth, is a wealth transfer.”

Johnson, 74, became the first black billionaire in 2001 when he sold BET to Viacom. Soon after, he started the investment firm, The RLJ Cos. Johnson called reparations the “affirmative action program of all time,” saying it would signal that white Americans acknowledge “damages that are owed” for the unequal playing field created by slavery.

“Damages is a normal factor in a capitalist society for when you have been deprived for certain rights,” Johnson said. “If this money goes into pockets like the [coronavirus] stimulus checks … that money is going to return back to the economy.”

Later on the show,  Merck Chairman and CEO Ken Frazier, who is black, expressed doubts about whether reparations would be possible.

“I don’t believe we’ll be able to get anything like that through our political system.” However, Frazier did say, “Leaders in the business community have to be a unifying force. They can be a source of opportunity. They can be a source of understanding.”

“We as business leaders can step up and solve many of these economic problems for people,” Frazier added, saying that education, particularly financial literacy, is the “great equalizer.”

from Black Enterprise https://ift.tt/3dpP4WU

BET Founder Robert Johnson Calls For $14 Trillion in Reparations For Slavery

Black Entertainment Television co-founder Robert Johnson told CNBC Monday the U.S. government should provide $14 trillion of reparations for slavery to help reduce racial inequality.

According to CNBC, Johnson believes the wealth divide and police brutality against blacks are at the heart of protests against police brutality and the death of George Floyd.

“Now is the time to go big” to keep America from dividing into two separate and unequal societies, Johnson said on “Squawk Box.

“Wealth transfer is what’s needed,” Johnson added. “Think about this. Since 200-plus-years or so of slavery, labor taken with no compensation, is a wealth transfer. Denial of access to education, which is a primary driver of accumulation of income and wealth, is a wealth transfer.”

Johnson, 74, became the first black billionaire in 2001 when he sold BET to Viacom. Soon after, he started the investment firm, The RLJ Cos. Johnson called reparations the “affirmative action program of all time,” saying it would signal that white Americans acknowledge “damages that are owed” for the unequal playing field created by slavery.

“Damages is a normal factor in a capitalist society for when you have been deprived for certain rights,” Johnson said. “If this money goes into pockets like the [coronavirus] stimulus checks … that money is going to return back to the economy.”

Later on the show,  Merck Chairman and CEO Ken Frazier, who is black, expressed doubts about whether reparations would be possible.

“I don’t believe we’ll be able to get anything like that through our political system.” However, Frazier did say, “Leaders in the business community have to be a unifying force. They can be a source of opportunity. They can be a source of understanding.”

“We as business leaders can step up and solve many of these economic problems for people,” Frazier added, saying that education, particularly financial literacy, is the “great equalizer.”

from Black Enterprise https://ift.tt/3dpP4WU

Exclusive: New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell Has Plans to Restore and Uplift the Community Amid COVID-19

Elected officials around the nation are working to reopen cities safely amid COVID-19. While the process has been delayed by the continuous spread of the virus, leaders are sharing their plans to get their cities back up and running. New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell is working around the clock to keep people healthy, help business owners open their doors, and serve the community.

Since being elected in 2018, Mayor Cantrell has launched a number of initiatives to restore and uplift the city. One of those initiatives is Forward Together New Orleans (FTNO), a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization. Since the founding of the organization, the nonprofit has served as a bridge between the public and private sectors to address New Orleans’ most pressing challenges. More recently, she and FTNO partnered with Cash Money Records to pay June rents for low-income residents living in subsidized housing.

In an email interview, BLACK ENTERPRISE touched base with Mayor Cantrell about her efforts and initiatives as a leader.

Overcoming COVID-19

NOLA has been hit hard by COVID-19. What has the city been doing to overcome some of the perils of the virus under your leadership?

New Orleans was at the forefront of this crisis, and our communities were disproportionately impacted by the fatalities. Over the past two months, New Orleans has gone from one of the cities with the highest rates per capita to a leader in recovery. New Orleans and the State of Louisiana are showing the world how to get through this. From day one, we took action that has set a foundation for our trajectory forward. Our city has become a world leader in testing residents.

We are testing at a higher rate than nearly anywhere in the country, and even some countries as a whole, and we are positioned to keep that going. We have stood up drive-thru testing and mobile testing sites in a matter of days. Testing has been one part of our response. We have flattened the curve—with proactive movement and messaging to unite the City in the need to decrease cases and fatalities. We are now working on contact tracing to get a better sense of who is getting infected, as well as how and where. New Orleans residents should be proud of what we’ve accomplished together in two months.

Opening Up Shop In New Orleans

What are some of your plans for NOLA residents and small businesses as the city opens back up?

Currently, we are in Phase One of our reopening, which we have named “Safest at Home.” We are taking a cautious and intentional approach to our city. Each phase will begin to ease the restrictions on our people and businesses but will be done in a way so that we do not go backward. Our response has been guided by one operating principle for two months into this effort: We will focus on data and not on an arbitrary date. For our business owners and to all, there is not an either/or decision between economic health and public health. Without public health, economic activity is not possible.

Today, the @CityOfNOLA is announcing an $18M emergency feeding program that will provide meals for residents in need and will support local restaurants. Interested businesses should visit https://t.co/0kYHkpjFw5 RFP #624. #CityOfYes Watch launch: https://t.co/TDMQoJBCwH pic.twitter.com/dhDQbeLwmS

— Mayor LaToya Cantrell (@mayorcantrell) June 1, 2020

What impact will Cash Money’s contribution to your efforts have on New Orleans residents?

In years to come, when we look back on how our city came together to get through the coronavirus crisis, we will have a great example of leadership and community from the Williams brothers and Cash Money Records. No one should have to fear losing their home while trying to protect their health. Just as we took action and quickly banned evictions in our city during the COVID-19 crisis, this will help us continue on that path.

As people give back to the community, in what ways do you hope it inspires NOLA residents to keep going?

This donation demonstrates how we can come together as businesses, government, and nonprofits to address our residents’ most pressing needs now. No one person or entity can get through this alone, and we all have to be in this together. Our people are so resilient, and when they are put to a challenge like this, we see people rise to the occasion. I am confident that our city will be stronger, improved, and more resilient as we come out of this crisis.

What charge do you have for people to stay safe?

Follow the guidelines for your safety and the safety of others. Do not let up and stay the course. We do not want to endure another and worse wave of this pandemic. 

To learn more about how COVID-19 is impacting the black community, click here.

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