The former Miss Universe Malaysia has angered many people by claiming that black people in America “chose to be born as a ‘coloured’ person,” according toThe Independent.
Below are statements from former Miss Universe Malaysia Samantha Katie James that she posted in a now-deleted series of Instagram postings:
“I don’t live in America and it has nothing to do with me, but to me, it seems like the ‘whites’ won,” she wrote.
“If you’re angry, you response in rage and anguish and that means it has power over you. They have power over you.”
“To the black people: Relax, take it as a challenge, makes you stronger.
“You chose to be born as a ‘coloured’ person in America for a reason. To learn a certain lesson.
“Accept it as it is, till now hunger and poverty still exists. It is what it is. It’s inevitable. Best you can do is remain calm, protect heart, don’t allow it to crumble.
“That’s your responsibility,” she said.
When James was questioned by a follower who asked what she meant by “chose to be born ‘coloured’” she stated: “Like our souls. Chose this life, this country, this race, this human form, specifically… I always wonder why I’m born in Malaysia, as a white girl, with Chinese mom and Indian grandparents and Brazilian dad.
“But I chose this all for a reason, as a soul.”
The 25-year-old James, after receiving backlash from her followers, then issued an apology.
“I do hear you, I’m sorry. I know you’re hurting. I know it’s unfair. I’m not in your shoes to understand this fully.”
The Miss Universe Malaysia Organisation also released a statement: “Miss Universe Malaysia Organisation (MUMO) notes with dismay the recent social media posts made by Samantha Katie James, a past winner of Miss Universe Malaysia. We also note that these posts are inappropriate, offensive, unacceptable and hurtful.
“The views expressed on Samantha’s personal Instagram account are her own personal views and are neither the view nor position of MUMO. Samantha Katie James is not contracted to MUMO and has not represented the organisation since June 2018.
“MUMO stands for a non-racial society and strongly condemns all acts of racism and prejudice anywhere in the world.”
Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard announced criminal charges against the officers who were shown pulling two young black people from a car and then shooting them with their stun guns. The driver and passenger were stuck in traffic as they were leaving protests over George Floyd’s death.
“I feel a little safer now that these monsters are off of the street and no longer able to terrorize anyone else,” said 22-year-old Messiah Young, who was tasered and dragged from the car along with his girlfriend, 20-year-old Taniyah Pilgrim.
“I’m so happy that they’re being held accountable for their actions,” Pilgrim said at the news conference.
The assault on the Morehouse and Spelman college students was shown onCBS 46 News, which was reporting live.
The couple was leaving the protest at Atlanta’s Centennial Olympic Park as the video shows police officers smashing the driver’s side window, forcibly opening the passenger side door, and using stun guns on the passengers before forcing them out of the vehicle.
“Unfortunately, we have been here many, many times before, where officers are arrested,” Young’s attorney, Mawuli Davis, told CBS News. “And so we are prayerful, hopeful that this will go to its full conclusion. And these officers will not only be arrested, indicted, and convicted. Because what they did to our children, and these are our community children, they have to be held accountable for.”
Based on arrest warrants for the officers:
Ivory Streeter is charged with aggravated assault for using a Taser against Young and is also charged with pointing a gun at him.
Mark Gardner is charged with aggravated assault for using a Taser against Pilgrim.
Lonnie Hood is charged with aggravated assault against both Young and Pilgrim for using a Taser against both of them. He is also charged with simple battery for violently pulling Pilgrim from the car and throwing her down on to the street.
Willie Sauls is charged with aggravated assault for pointing a Taser at Pilgrim. He’s also charged with criminal damage for repeatedly hitting and damaging the driver’s side window of the car,.
Armon Jones is charged with aggravated battery for hurting Young’s left arm when he dragged him from the car and slammed him onto the street. He’s also charged with pointing a gun at Young.
Roland Claud is charged with criminal damage for breaking the car’s windows.
All of the charged officers are black except for Claud, who’s white. Atlanta Police Department sworn personnel is about 61% black, according to 2019 numbers provided by the department.
In 2012, Billy Duncan retired from Dow Chemicals after a decades-long career. Going from his corporate career to retirement felt like going from 75 mph to 0 mph—and he hated it.
After six months, he knew it was time to embark on something new for his own well-being, but part of his motivation was to create generational wealth for his three adult daughters; all of whom were working in their chosen professions.
BLACK ENTERPRISE sat down with Duncan and his youngest daughter, Tayla, to learn more about their Real Property Management franchise in Zachary, Louisiana, how they’ve become so successful in six years, and why working with family makes their bond stronger.
Black Enterprise:How did you decide that property management was the right business to go with?
Billy Duncan: When I first started exploring options, I was pretty open to a number of sectors. I knew I wanted to go with a franchise because the thought of starting from scratch with no existing systems in place was too overwhelming. So, I worked with a Franchise Consultant and we looked at ten to fifteen franchises. When Real Property Management, a Neighborly company, was presented and I learned that the rental market was expected to grow steadily for the next 30 years, it rose to the top. It also didn’t require a major investment, which enabled me to leverage my 401(k) to purchase the business and not have to take out a loan. Lastly, we already had a real estate investment company and it fit perfectly.
BE: How did Tayla come aboard?
Billy Duncan: After starting the business, I shared the opportunity with my daughters. One was happy with her career, but I was thrilled when Tayla said she wanted to join me it was the cherry on top!
Tayla Duncan: I had recently graduated from Baylor University and started working at Dow Chemicals. When my father presented the idea, I was really happy to hear it. I enjoyed Dow, but I was excited to create a legacy.
Getting Started
Billy and Tayla Duncan
Black Enterprise: How did you acquire your first property?
Billy: The first couple of properties were our own. But once we started utilizing Real Property Management’s marketing and advertising platform and tools, things took off. We began getting contracts with people that owned property here but were living overseas. Some of them had property managers they were unhappy with; others were relocating out of the country and needed a property management company. And with an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau and 4.5/5.0 on Google, clients could see how reputable we were. Our role is to help property owners achieve their goals and ensure their tenants get a good experience.
What does a day in the life of a property management franchisee look like?
Billy: I concentrate on business development, focusing on growth and acquisition of new owners and new properties. The average tenancy is approximately 18 months, so in order to stay ahead of the churn, you have to maintain the relationships you have and build new ones. It’s not just about finding new clients, but also finding the right clients with the types of properties we want to manage. For us, it’s important that we feel good about the clients we bring on and that their properties meet our standards. But frankly, Tayla has the most challenging part of the businesses—the day-to-day operations.
Tayla: Yes. I handle all of the behind the scenes work for the business, which includes managing all phases of the property management life cycle. Including leasing, rent collection, bookkeeping, inspection, and maintenance. While it seems straightforward, there are a lot of moving parts to manage, which makes it challenging.
Is your business where you expected it to be with six years under your belt, in terms of revenue and growth?
Billy: It is! Currently, we manage over 200 residential properties. In addition to myself and Tayla, we have an office manager, property manager, leasing agent, handyman, accounting manager (my stepdaughter Veronica), and my wife Bessie is our finance manager. Once we reached 50 properties, we moved into a 1,700 sq ft suite and brought on the Office Manager. At 75 properties is when Tayla joined and we on-boarded the other resources as we continued to grow. As we continue to hit certain revenue thresholds, we will add on to the staff but keep the same property management structure. Meaning, hiring additional property managers, leasing agents, and handymen. Our goal is to capture 1% of our market—which is very achievable.
In terms of growth, I’m very happy with where we are, but it’s important to understand what your goals are. When we started, I made a conscious decision about our model and structure. You can choose to reach profitability quicker with an owner-operated model because your overhead cost of salaries is lower. I wanted to run it more as an executive model so that I could be more strategic, which will naturally take longer to reach profitability because you’re managing a team. Reaching profitability quickly wasn’t as important to me as building a strong, sustainable business long term. As a result of that strategy, we’ve grown the business to the point now where we have been able to purchase land to build a new 4,400 sq ft office building, where we will occupy 3,000 sq ft, and lease out the remaining 1,400 sq ft.
Legacy
When you were profiled onEntreprenuer.comyou talked about the importance of working with family and leaving a legacy. How has it been running a family business?
Billy: I’ve really enjoyed it. Like with all businesses, you have to be willing and ready to work hard. But with family businesses you also have to be able to separate business and family life. I love Tayla, but when we enter the ring, she gets no passes. My expectation is no different than if I had hired a stranger. If my mother worked for me but couldn’t do the job—she would get fired (laughing). You can’t let family slide because we’re competing with all other property management businesses. I’m probably a little harder on Tayla because I know her potential and we’re grooming her to be the leader of the business. In 3-5 years, I expect her to be in that corner, Executive office we’re building.
Tayla: I work really hard and am willing to put in the work. I’m able to separate business and family. I don’t take business personally and allow that to interfere with the business. I don’t expect any special treatment or favors. I want to be treated just like the rest of the team. Although my dad says he may be harder on me, I don’t feel that pressure. I think that speaks to his great management style.
What final piece of advice do you have for readers considering starting a franchise?
Billy: Know your market, make sure you have a great product and enough capital to grow and sustain the business.
Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard announced criminal charges against the officers who were shown pulling two young black people from a car and then shooting them with their stun guns. The driver and passenger were stuck in traffic as they were leaving protests over George Floyd’s death.
“I feel a little safer now that these monsters are off of the street and no longer able to terrorize anyone else,” said 22-year-old Messiah Young, who was tasered and dragged from the car along with his girlfriend, 20-year-old Taniyah Pilgrim.
“I’m so happy that they’re being held accountable for their actions,” Pilgrim said at the news conference.
The assault on the Morehouse and Spelman college students was shown onCBS 46 News, which was reporting live.
The couple was leaving the protest at Atlanta’s Centennial Olympic Park as the video shows police officers smashing the driver’s side window, forcibly opening the passenger side door, and using stun guns on the passengers before forcing them out of the vehicle.
“Unfortunately, we have been here many, many times before, where officers are arrested,” Young’s attorney, Mawuli Davis, told CBS News. “And so we are prayerful, hopeful that this will go to its full conclusion. And these officers will not only be arrested, indicted, and convicted. Because what they did to our children, and these are our community children, they have to be held accountable for.”
Based on arrest warrants for the officers:
Ivory Streeter is charged with aggravated assault for using a Taser against Young and is also charged with pointing a gun at him.
Mark Gardner is charged with aggravated assault for using a Taser against Pilgrim.
Lonnie Hood is charged with aggravated assault against both Young and Pilgrim for using a Taser against both of them. He is also charged with simple battery for violently pulling Pilgrim from the car and throwing her down on to the street.
Willie Sauls is charged with aggravated assault for pointing a Taser at Pilgrim. He’s also charged with criminal damage for repeatedly hitting and damaging the driver’s side window of the car,.
Armon Jones is charged with aggravated battery for hurting Young’s left arm when he dragged him from the car and slammed him onto the street. He’s also charged with pointing a gun at Young.
Roland Claud is charged with criminal damage for breaking the car’s windows.
All of the charged officers are black except for Claud, who’s white. Atlanta Police Department sworn personnel is about 61% black, according to 2019 numbers provided by the department.
In 2012, Billy Duncan retired from Dow Chemicals after a decades-long career. Going from his corporate career to retirement felt like going from 75 mph to 0 mph—and he hated it.
After six months, he knew it was time to embark on something new for his own well-being, but part of his motivation was to create generational wealth for his three adult daughters; all of whom were working in their chosen professions.
BLACK ENTERPRISE sat down with Duncan and his youngest daughter, Tayla, to learn more about their Real Property Management franchise in Zachary, Louisiana, how they’ve become so successful in six years, and why working with family makes their bond stronger.
Black Enterprise:How did you decide that property management was the right business to go with?
Billy Duncan: When I first started exploring options, I was pretty open to a number of sectors. I knew I wanted to go with a franchise because the thought of starting from scratch with no existing systems in place was too overwhelming. So, I worked with a Franchise Consultant and we looked at ten to fifteen franchises. When Real Property Management, a Neighborly company, was presented and I learned that the rental market was expected to grow steadily for the next 30 years, it rose to the top. It also didn’t require a major investment, which enabled me to leverage my 401(k) to purchase the business and not have to take out a loan. Lastly, we already had a real estate investment company and it fit perfectly.
BE: How did Tayla come aboard?
Billy Duncan: After starting the business, I shared the opportunity with my daughters. One was happy with her career, but I was thrilled when Tayla said she wanted to join me it was the cherry on top!
Tayla Duncan: I had recently graduated from Baylor University and started working at Dow Chemicals. When my father presented the idea, I was really happy to hear it. I enjoyed Dow, but I was excited to create a legacy.
Getting Started
Billy and Tayla Duncan
Black Enterprise: How did you acquire your first property?
Billy: The first couple of properties were our own. But once we started utilizing Real Property Management’s marketing and advertising platform and tools, things took off. We began getting contracts with people that owned property here but were living overseas. Some of them had property managers they were unhappy with; others were relocating out of the country and needed a property management company. And with an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau and 4.5/5.0 on Google, clients could see how reputable we were. Our role is to help property owners achieve their goals and ensure their tenants get a good experience.
What does a day in the life of a property management franchisee look like?
Billy: I concentrate on business development, focusing on growth and acquisition of new owners and new properties. The average tenancy is approximately 18 months, so in order to stay ahead of the churn, you have to maintain the relationships you have and build new ones. It’s not just about finding new clients, but also finding the right clients with the types of properties we want to manage. For us, it’s important that we feel good about the clients we bring on and that their properties meet our standards. But frankly, Tayla has the most challenging part of the businesses—the day-to-day operations.
Tayla: Yes. I handle all of the behind the scenes work for the business, which includes managing all phases of the property management life cycle. Including leasing, rent collection, bookkeeping, inspection, and maintenance. While it seems straightforward, there are a lot of moving parts to manage, which makes it challenging.
Is your business where you expected it to be with six years under your belt, in terms of revenue and growth?
Billy: It is! Currently, we manage over 200 residential properties. In addition to myself and Tayla, we have an office manager, property manager, leasing agent, handyman, accounting manager (my stepdaughter Veronica), and my wife Bessie is our finance manager. Once we reached 50 properties, we moved into a 1,700 sq ft suite and brought on the Office Manager. At 75 properties is when Tayla joined and we on-boarded the other resources as we continued to grow. As we continue to hit certain revenue thresholds, we will add on to the staff but keep the same property management structure. Meaning, hiring additional property managers, leasing agents, and handymen. Our goal is to capture 1% of our market—which is very achievable.
In terms of growth, I’m very happy with where we are, but it’s important to understand what your goals are. When we started, I made a conscious decision about our model and structure. You can choose to reach profitability quicker with an owner-operated model because your overhead cost of salaries is lower. I wanted to run it more as an executive model so that I could be more strategic, which will naturally take longer to reach profitability because you’re managing a team. Reaching profitability quickly wasn’t as important to me as building a strong, sustainable business long term. As a result of that strategy, we’ve grown the business to the point now where we have been able to purchase land to build a new 4,400 sq ft office building, where we will occupy 3,000 sq ft, and lease out the remaining 1,400 sq ft.
Legacy
When you were profiled onEntreprenuer.comyou talked about the importance of working with family and leaving a legacy. How has it been running a family business?
Billy: I’ve really enjoyed it. Like with all businesses, you have to be willing and ready to work hard. But with family businesses you also have to be able to separate business and family life. I love Tayla, but when we enter the ring, she gets no passes. My expectation is no different than if I had hired a stranger. If my mother worked for me but couldn’t do the job—she would get fired (laughing). You can’t let family slide because we’re competing with all other property management businesses. I’m probably a little harder on Tayla because I know her potential and we’re grooming her to be the leader of the business. In 3-5 years, I expect her to be in that corner, Executive office we’re building.
Tayla: I work really hard and am willing to put in the work. I’m able to separate business and family. I don’t take business personally and allow that to interfere with the business. I don’t expect any special treatment or favors. I want to be treated just like the rest of the team. Although my dad says he may be harder on me, I don’t feel that pressure. I think that speaks to his great management style.
What final piece of advice do you have for readers considering starting a franchise?
Billy: Know your market, make sure you have a great product and enough capital to grow and sustain the business.
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