Business - Page 15

Fifth Third Bank to host HBCU leadership conference

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Fifth Third Bank is collaborating with HBCUs in an effort to recruit a more inclusive and diverse workforce. As part of its strategy to nurture a multicultural employee base, the bank is hosting an inaugural HBCU leadership conference May 18-19. The goal of this two-day conference is to help high-achieving HBCU students explore traditional and nontraditional careers in banking. Those who attend will hear from several speakers and have the opportunity to network with other HBCU students from around the country. The conference is part of the bank’s Executive Diversity Leadership Council’s Accelerating Racial Equality, Equity and Inclusion initiative. The

Black entrepreneurs give scholarships to HBCU students

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Black entrepreneurs are committing to their community and coming together to offer a $2,000 scholarship for two HBCU undergraduate students. Four businesses have teamed together for this initiative: Lauren and Zevi Lacey, Founders of Urban Business Directory, CEO Wesley Jacques of BlueDrem Media & Marketing Services, Gia Mac, CEO of Infinite 7 and Ashley Johnson, Owner of the Vegan Chef Ash brand. They have partnered together to create a collective call to action to give back to the community that has continued to support their dreams.  “As black business owners, we want to show our love and appreciation to the

BIPOC Climate Justice virtual event features Gina McCarthy, Mustafa Ali

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The virtual event began with an introduction by U.S. Special Envoy for Climate John Kerry, after which environmental justice leader Mustafa Santiago Ali discussed the Biden-Harris Administration’s approach to climate justice with White House Advisor Gina McCarthy. The virtual event took place on April 8th. Representative Alma Adams, and Sen. Ed Markey also spoke on national climate goals and the historic Justice40 initiative Ali is the vice president of environmental justice, climate and community revitalization for the National Wildlife Federation. He is the founder of Revitalization Strategies and was formerly an official at the Environmental Protection Agency. A leading environmental

Black power in the boardroom is leading the fight for justice

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Opinion by Peniel E. Joseph Black business leaders’ efforts to stop voter suppression in the wake of Georgia’s recently enacted voting bill illustrate the vanishing separation between protest and politics in America today. They also embody the work of Georgia’s most famous civil rights activist, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Over 70 Black executives, led by former American Express CEO Ken Chenault, signed a letter released at the end of March that pressed corporate America to take a stand on voting rights, one of the central moral and political issues in the United States today. “The new law and those

One of America’s first Black CEOs slams ‘bone-headed’ Georgia law as blatant attempt to suppress Black vote

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By Matt Egan Dick Parsons had to make countless difficult decisions during his storied corporate career. The decision to speak out on Georgia’s voting law was not one of them. “This was an easy one. There is simply no excuse for what the Georgia legislature has done,” Parsons told CNN Business in his first public comments on the controversial law. Parsons, who in the early 2000s became one of the first Black CEOs of a Fortune 500 company, is among the 72 Black corporate leaders who signed a letter calling on companies to fight Republican voting restrictions. In the interview,

Mentors are great. But a sponsor could really help your career

By Jazmin Goodwin Moving up the career ladder takes more than just hard work. Gaining the support of someone with more experience than you helps, too. One way to do this is to find a sponsor. Although much has been said about mentorship, sponsors can advance your career in a way that mentors can’t. And while the two are often confused, there are distinct differences. In a mentorship, a more experienced person gives guidance to a more junior person. In a sponsorship, a more senior person proactively invests social capital and clout in a more junior person, according to Sylvia

The US economy is growing at its fastest pace since 1984

By Charles Riley President Joe Biden’s $1.9 trillion stimulus package will boost the US economy and drive faster global growth this year, the International Monetary Fund said Tuesday, though it warned that many countries continue to suffer from the pandemic and are at risk of being left behind. The US economy will surpass its pre-pandemic size as growth reaches 6.4% this year, the IMF said, up 1.3 percentage points from the group’s forecast in January. The rebound will help the global economy expand 6% in 2021, an upgrade of 0.5 percentage points from the IMF’s previous outlook. The estimates are

America’s first Black woman billionaire is promoting diversity in the arts as well as the c-suite

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by Chauncey Alcorn Promoting diversity in the arts has become a mainstream mantra in the entertainment industry since the first #OscarsSoWhite controversy in 2015, but it’s something Sheila Johnson has been doing her entire adult life. It’s been 41 years since the Salamander Hotels & Resorts owner and CEO co-founded the BET network with then-husband Robert Johnson, creating a national platform for African-American music videos, television shows and movies at a time when they were often excluded from the airwaves. Now the 72-year-old hotel industry mogul and part-owner of three professional sports franchises in Washington — the Wizards, the Mystics

Weight Watchers panel addresses mental wellness for HBCU students

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Weight Watchers International, Inc. (WW) has joined The Female Quotient (TFQ) and Tai Life Media Agency for a free wellness and self-love masterclass series for HBCU students. Premised on the well-being of students of color, the series started on Feb. 25 in conjunction with the WW Wellness Club’s launch. A second event, Thriving Like Me, was held on March 31. Hosted by Howard University student Taylor Crawford, the event stressed the importance of mental health care for Black college students. The keynote was given by Spelman alumna Tai Beauchamp, Co-Founder of Brown Girl Jane. Other participating HBCU alumna included Dr.

Detroit community crowd-funds the only Black-owned grocery store in the city

By Carly Ryan When Raphael Wright thought about what he could do to build back his community in Detroit, he realized that food sovereignty, or the ability for a community to control the food it consumes, is often the bedrock of a healthy neighborhood and economy. But in Detroit, where 78 percent of the population is Black, there hasn’t been a Black-owned grocery store since 2014. What’s more, 39 percent of Detroit households face food insecurity, a number only exacerbated by the pandemic. “In the 1960s we had up to 20 Black-owned grocery stores,” said Wright. “By 2010 there were

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