Warren Shadd is the founder of Shadd Piano, the first Black owned piano manufacturing business. That makes him the first large-scale commercial Black instrument manufacturer, period. For Shadd, piano making is part of his birthright. His grandparents were musicians: His grandmother was a ragtime pianist in the South in the ’30s, and his grandfather invented…
The number Black banks operating in the U.S. fell 54 percent between 2001 and 2016. Many have either been acquired or have simply gone out of business. We’ve compiled the most recent and up to date list of the banks that are still Black owned and managed and are still operating in 2019. Black Banks…
Few institutions are as strongly connected to black communities as historically black banks. Where others see neighborhoods that are too risky or, conversely, only targets for predatory lending, they see differently. Joseph Haskins, CEO of The Harbor Bank of Maryland, tells of a black entrepreneur from an inner-city neighborhood who came needing a loan to…
Over the past few years, adult coloring books have become increasing popular. Some researchers suggest that coloring is an excellent form of relaxation and meditation. Enter Color Noir, a coloring book app that celebrates #BlackGirlMagic in all of its glory. This coloring book app is the creation of tech power couple Muoyo Okome and Nicaila…
In the over crowded race for Disney’s 21 regional sports channels, Byron Allen and Sinclair Broadcast Group have come out on top. As a minority investor in Sinclair, Allen will benefit from the $10.6 billion acquisition as he looks to expand his media entertainment empire. For Disney, will this sale be enough to start paying…
Premier Health Urgent Care, the only urgent care facility in the Southside’s Hyde Park neighborhood, and the only Black-owned urgent care possibly in the city of Chicago has opened for business. With a commitment to providing affordable, convenient community care a portion of profits from the center will be donated to the Project Outreach and…
Clarenda Stanley-Anderson is one of the few Black hemp farmers in the country. She and her husband, Malcom, own Green Heffa Farms and were the featured farmer of Hemp History Week, an educational campaign in June focused on a newly legal crop that’s at the center of a risky, potentially billion-dollar industry. Stanley-Anderson is considered…
At age 28, Michael Tubbs easily qualifies as a political wunderkind. He’s received two degrees from Stanford, interned at the White House, secured a $10,000 donation from Oprah for his city council campaign, and been endorsed as a mayoral candidate by former president Barack Obama. He also grew up in Stockton, California, a city he…
I remember as a child watching Boyz in the Hood with mixed emotions. Although I could not relate to many of the characters’ issues, as a Black teen growing up in the Appalachian mountains, it was a relief to see Black people in a Black community living their Black lives. I remember feeling proud that the filmmaker…
It’s getting hot out here! Let’s get out and support some Black owned ice cream businesses! Black Owned Ice Cream Businesses Cajou Cream (Baltimore , MD) Islands Tropical Ice Cream (Silver Spring, MD) Brooklyn Swirl (Brooklyn, NY) Goodies Frozen Custard & Treats (Washington D.C) Mikey Likes It Ice Cream (New York, NY) Shawn Michelle’s (Chicago,…
