Translate

Tupac Amaru Shakur, " I'm Loosing It...We MUST Unite!"

Thursday, July 30, 2020

Black-owned candle company curates sound with scent

Husband and wife ran lifestyle brand Treble And Flame Co. pairs their homemade candles with expertly curated playlists for a complete experience

Treble And Flame Co. combines the hobbies and interests of a loving couple matching lush scents with curated playlists, igniting a double sensory experience.

READ MORE: Bifties makes it easy to shop Black-owned for someone else

“We met at the University of South Florida. We both went to school there. We were college sweethearts and then ended up getting married and creating a life and this business together,” Damarces Sharkey, the co-owner of Treble and Flame Co., tells theGrio.

“So that’s really a big piece of who we are as an identity. It’s a husband and wife team that started a business.”

Damarces Lakivia Sharkey Treble And Flame Co thegrio.com
(Credit: Lakivia Sharkey)

Sharkey, 31, and wife Lakivia, 32, launched the candle company after she realized the scented wax she loved burning may have toxic effects. With a young daughter, the couple decided to initiate their own brand that would not only burn safely for the child’s health and wellness but create income to satisfy their financial desires.

“We are a family that wants to build wealth for our family, and we understand that a great way to do that, [is to] create something that we can pass on to our daughter,” Sharkey says.

“With that in mind, we had really been kind of racking our brains to determine what kind of business we could create that was true to who we are, that would embody what we believe, which is create wealth for our family and to build our community.”

Read More: Florida woman opens Black-owned business amid pandemic

Sharkey further explains just how much their daughter’s birth changed their lives.

“Once we had our daughter, she kind of started to change her life. She became a vegetarian and just more mindful about the items that she consumed in an effort to protect our daughter,” he says.

“Some of the candles that she had from bigger name companies were paraffin candles. Paraffin comes from crude oil, so it’s not the healthiest.”

His wife researched ways their new business could benefit the environment.

“She looked into different kinds of waxes and found soy wax which is said to be more environmentally friendly because it’s from a renewable resource. So she’s like, you know what, I want to make my own candles,” he continues.

“So from there, she was kind of thinking about it and she’s like, ‘Well you know what, every time we light a candle, we listen to music. It’s a candle and music so she’s like, Well, why not do that.'”

Described as an “ultimate journey of creativity, passion, and true love” on their official Etsy Shop, the Florida based company focuses on Black culture in sound.

“Our music is representative of Black culture, and that’s a wide variety of music. So you may have an alternative R&B playlist. You may have a contemporary R&B. You might have neo-soul, you might have rap. We ventured out to do an Afrobeats playlist, and we’re looking at doing an Afro-house playlist,” he shares.

“So there are not really any limits, the true limit is making sure we stay true to who we are. We’re doing a soul Christmas like we’re not we’re not jingle bell rocking it, we’re going to do The Temptations. We’re going to have a variety of music that really celebrates our culture.”

READ MORE: Beyonce and NAACP partner to give grants to Black-owned small businesses

His curated sounds are not randomly paired with her candles. The couple has a collaborative creative process that ensures a continuous flow of ideas resulting in unique themes.

“I’ll start with the playlist first and then we’ll get into the word of the candle making portion of it. Typically, we’ll just be playing music, she’ll start to go into her creative process, gathering a bunch of scents and putting them together to see what she really likes,” he describes.

“If she hears a song that she likes she’ll say, ‘oh yeah you know like this.’ When she tells me that she likes the song, I’ll start finding songs that are similar and play it. If she says that she likes it I’ll just add it to a playlist, just build as she’s going.”

Sharkey explains how the Sweet Life candle, which is a peach nectar Mandarin vanilla scent, was inspired after listening to R&B singer Chris Brown.

“She liked it and we started playing it and then we ended up making our way through a bunch of different artists and at the end of it, she came up with this candle,” he says.

Damarces Lakivia Sharkey Treble and Flame thegrio.com
(Credit: Lakivia Sharkey)

As interest in Black-owned business grows, Treble And Flame Co. works to keep up with customers and prepare new products for the remainder of the year and beyond.

“We have some pretty big things coming up, For the end of the year. We have a fall line that’s going to be coming out around September plus a holiday around the end of November,” Sharkey says.

The spring line will be out between January and February. They are looking to work with other Black-owned businesses and get into their subscription boxes.

“We’d like to make our way into boutiques, we’d like to find our way into some brick and mortar locations. It’s been a little bit limited because of the pandemic, but that’s still very much on our horizon We launched in March, and from March to today (July) we’ve amassed 606 hundred plus sales purely from online,” Sharkey says.

He states how the pandemic has shown just how important the business is to them and the communities they serve.

“It shows us that we have to be responsible for the change that we want to see. We have people that are on social media, writing, and protesting and speaking loudly about our issues,” he declares.

“We have people that are in the street, marching and doing those things. We also have to have businesses that are ready to support our people, when they want to go somewhere when they want to make a change, we have to be there. As a business not only do we have to be there, but we have to be ready to employ some of our people and also employ others to help support.”

Currently, Treble And Flame Co. candles are only available on the brand’s Etsy shop found here.

Have you subscribed to theGrio’s podcast “Dear Culture”? Download our newest episodes now!

Loading the player...

The post Black-owned candle company curates sound with scent appeared first on TheGrio.



from TheGrio https://ift.tt/3jEwttS

Canada court rules US is no longer safe for refugees

A federal court in Canada rules that an asylum agreement with the United States is invalid due to how America treats refugees.

An agreement between the United States and Canada for over 15 years is now void after Canadian courts ruled the US is no longer a safe place for refugees.

READ MORE: North Dakota county may become US’s 1st to bar new refugees

According to BBC News, The Safe Third Country Agreement (STCA), standard since 2004, requires refugee claimants to request protection in the first safe country they reach. Now the deal has been declared unconstitutional due to the US’ harsh treatment of immigrants.

Federal court judge Ann Marie McDonald ruled that way due to the likelihood of the US to imprison the migrants, according to BBC. This decision is a win for Canadian immigration activists who have worked to help migrants turned away at the border.

Lawyers representing refugees who had been turned away challenged the agreement, arguing that the US did not qualify as “safe” for asylum seekers, BBC News reports.

“It is my conclusion, based upon the evidence, that ineligible STCA claimants are returned to the US by Canadian officials where they are immediately and automatically imprisoned by US authorities,” Judge McDonald said in her ruling according to BBC News.

She continues “I have concluded that imprisonment and the attendant consequences are inconsistent with the spirit and objective of the STCA and are a violation of the rights guaranteed by section 7 of the [Charter of Rights and Freedoms].

Nedira Jemal Mustefa, a refugee forced to stay in the United States describes her time in solitary confinement as “a terrifying, isolating and psychologically traumatic experience,” in court documents, according to BBC News.

Maureen Silcoff, president of the Canadian Association of Refugee Lawyers acknowledges the practices and says they are not secret. “We’re all too familiar with the treatment that the US metes out to asylum seekers,” she told Reuters news agency, according to BBC News.

Protesters Call For Abolishment Of U.S. Immigration And Customs Enforcement
Protesters rally outside City Hall on July 12, 2020 in Seattle, Washington. Demonstrators called for the abolishment of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and its immigration detention centers. (Photo by Karen Ducey/Getty Images)

The STCA was created to establish a simple way to manage refugee claims and prevent what BBC News notes as “asylum shopping.” Since President Donald Trump took office, over 50,000 people have crossed the US/Canada border hoping for refugee status. Those claims were being processed until the COVID-19 pandemic hit.

Trump has issued multiple anti-immigrant policies. Beyond his promise to build a wall between the US and Mexico, he most recently suspended the H-1B visa that allowed foreign-born workers to work in the United States.

His administration also tried to stop college students from overseas from returning to US schools if they were learning primarily online due to the pandemic. However, the administration reversed course after pushback from colleges and universities and several states threatened lawsuits.

READ MORE: #BlackBoyJoy: 8-year-old homeless, Nigerian refugee wins New York chess championship

The BBC says Judge Mcdonald’s ruling is however delayed for six months to allow Canada’s parliament and the US Congress to respond.

Have you subscribed to theGrio’s podcast “Dear Culture”? Download our newest episodes now!

Loading the player...

The post Canada court rules US is no longer safe for refugees appeared first on TheGrio.



from TheGrio https://ift.tt/3eVfQX7

Schools dazed : HBCUs struggle to re-open amid coronavirus

OPINION: HBCUs are scrambling to figure out to address the coronavirus pandemic

“Sorry, it’s hard to find a quiet place to listen,” said my student, “Tanya,” this spring as she struggled to find a place in her house with better Wi-Fi that wasn’t filled with displaced kids and parents.

Her iPad turned dark as she eventually settled on sitting in her Dad’s car outside the house because it was the only quite space she could find for an evening class—a struggle that was pretty common to many historically Black college and university students who were taking virtual classes after COVID-19 shut down campus this spring.

The virus, more specifically, the mismanagement of coronavirus, has cost thousands of Black lives, jobs, businesses and unfortunately there is no end in sight. So how do historically Black colleges and universities, who are tasked with serving some of the most vulnerable students in America, plan on dealing with the upcoming school year as the virus rages? The plans are changing and mutating almost as fast as the virus itself. 

Read More: Joe Biden leading polls, thanks to Black women who went to an HBCU

Similar to the constant “inner city turmoil” and “Black families in crisis” headlines, the only time mainstream media covers HBCUs is when there’s a scandal or a tragedy. The reality is attendance and financial stability at many Black schools has been on the uptick for years. A better economy, more federal funding, lower tuition and a desire to not have neo-Nazis march through your campus every weekend has led to more black students choosing to attend HBCUs over predominantly white institutions (PWIs).

Black colleges have always been able to do more with less, producing the majority of America’s black doctors (50%) and judges (80%) despite being chronically underfunded by states and having to fill in the gaps of the lousy public schools many black students graduate from. Which is part of why coronavirus hits so hard—not because of any particular management or failing by HBCUs, but because it’s almost impossible to come up with a coordinated plan for school success when you’re caught up in a mixture of state and federal red-tape, harsh financial realities and racism.

With only a few weeks until the fall semester starts, most Black colleges are still trying to find their way, and not lose the gains they’ve made over the last few years. 

David Wilson, president of Morgan State University, doesn’t agree with Maryland’s Republican governor, Larry Hogan, on every policy, but says that “the governor has been responsive to my personal outreach.” Morgan State is a residential campus of over 7,000 students in the Northern Baltimore suburbs.

When it comes to state funds, Maryland has been stingy. In May, Hogan vetoed a racial discrimination settlement that would have paid $577 million to Maryland’s four HBCUs over the next decade—money that would definitely help out during this pandemic. However, the governor has provided resources for on-campus COVID-19 testing and quickly distributed funds from the federal CARES Act (Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Recovery) .

“With the CARES Act, there’s 12.6 billion for all of higher ed. There was a pot for HBCUs, which was 1.4 billion,” Wilson said over the phone. “The CARES Act has saved us and a number of HBCUs from a financial tsunami. We’re trying to be true to our values as an HBCU. We understand that what COVID-19 has done is expose the incredible disparities in the communities upon which 70% of our students are coming from.” 

Most Black colleges, whether public or private, are dependent on tuition and enrollment numbers to keep the lights on. Thanks to COVID-19, there are many HBCU students who can’t afford to return to school this fall or may choose to skip a semester hoping that spring of 2021 will be safer.

'The Hate U Give' Cast, Direc'The Hate U Give' Cast, Director And Author At Morehouse CollegeÕs Crown Forum In Atlanta
A general view of the cast ‘The Hate U Give’ inteviewing with student journalists during Atlanta University Center press junket at Morehouse College Martin Luther King, Jr. Chapel on October 4, 2018 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images for 20th Century Fox)

Maybe these students simply don’t want to pay full or even reduced tuition for online classes. Most administrators and faculty I spoke with said students want to return to campus. Besides missing their friends, for many it’s a safer more stable environment than being at home. However, health care officials and parents are a bit more skeptical about that happening. 

When I started working on this story a few weeks ago, Spelman College appeared to be a model of how HBCUs could potentially return to some semblance of normalcy. Spelman is a unique case, nestled in Atlanta’s AUC center. The private, all women’s college of about 2,100 residential students has high alumnae giving and an endowment of $390.5 million dollars to draw upon.

The average HBCU endowment is 12 million, with the highest belonging to private schools like Howard ($692.8 million), Hampton ($263.2 million), Morehouse ($145 million). The largest state HBCU endowments are Florida A&M ($113 mil) and North Carolina A&T ($63 mil). 

Spelman’s initial plan had students living in single occupancy rooms, only in air-conditioned residence halls with limited on-campus interaction. Housing priority was given to incoming students and December graduates for a total of about 629 on-campus residents with the rest taking courses online.

It was risky, but many other HBCUs administrators I spoke to said Spelman had a sound plan. Unfortunately, they couldn’t plan on Georgia Governor Brian Kemp.

“Kemp doesn’t like contact tracing,” said one Georgia State health official who wished to remain anonymous. “Most other states [Florida, South Carolina] are using public health students for contact tracing. [Kemp] doesn’t want anyone touching that data. He acts like COVID is not a thing. They reject every plan, and didn’t even want to require masks until big name PWIs [Georgia Tech, Georgia State] started protesting and complaining to the Atlanta Journal Constitution.” 

Consequently, COVID-19 cases in Georgia and the Atlanta metro area in particular have exploded—forcing Spelman to abandon a well thought out plan from just three weeks ago, in favor of a totally virtual campus this fall.

No matter how careful a campus may be, you can’t protect students from the outside world, and all it takes is someone coming back from J.R. Crickets with COVID-19 and the whole campus could be shut down. Mind you, Spelman, Morehouse and other private Black colleges are actually in a better situation than public schools who are at the mercy of the mad governor. 

Albany Georgia , which is home to Albany State, is 73% black, and earlier this year was the per-capita coronavirus death leader not of Georgia, not of America, but the entire globe. Yet, by edict of Brian Kemp, they will re-open this fall with no COVID-19 testing, unless students are willing to take a bus or car to a public health office miles away.

Janelle Monae Talks "HIDDEN FIGURES" with Atlanta HBCU Students at Spelman Convocation
Students at Spelman College in 2016. (Credit: Getty Images)

The only thing harder than getting a COVID-19 test for Black people in Georgia is voting. The African American death rate from COVID-19 is three times that of whites in Georgia, but officials worry that HBCUs—like Albany State, Savannah State and Fort Valley State—run the risk of angering Kemp and getting their budgets slashed if they choose science over his Trumpian politics. Which brings us to Central State University of Ohio.

“Governor Mike DeWine (R-Ohio) has been very supportive and very active in helping to come up with the best plan,” said Jack Thomas, president of Central State University, one of only two HBCUs in Ohio (the other being Wilberforce University). “In terms of CARES ACT funding….I’m just very pleased, in what he’s done and what he’s continued to do.” 

Compared to other administrators I spoke with, Thomas is adamant about re-opening this fall.

“We’re opening for everybody,” he said. “We’re a small university, about 2,100 students, and we think that we can accommodate those students.”

Central’s COVID plan features a shortened semester that begins in September and ends in November, with all returning students required to take a COVID-19 test the first week.   

“But what about after the first week,” I asked. “What happens if a student goes to an off-campus party, or goes home, or goes to work, catches COVID then brings it back to their roommates or even faculty?” 

“We’ll be doing training,” Thomas said without hesitation. “Training at the beginning of the semester to make sure everyone is safe and knows the proper procedures. The response team, we’re going to continue to review things as we go. If we see everybody needs to be tested again, we’re exploring our partnership with premiere hospitals here that will be working with us.” 

I’ll admit I was skeptical. Keeping 2,000 students socially distanced for three months is like herding cats—if cats had cell phones, Tinder and part time jobs at Chipotle. I pressed a bit more: “How will you maintain social distancing in dorms? I mean, most campuses can’t stop meningitis from spreading how are you going to stop an airborne virus?” 

“Most of our dorm rooms will be single occupancy, but when the rooms are large enough, we’ll…..what was that we were going to use?” He called to his chief of staff in the next room.

“Hospital grade. Yes, we’ll use hospital grade curtains as a divider in the dorm rooms,” he finished.

Central State is in the bind that many HBCUs are, with a meager $2.1 million endowment and drastic state budget cuts, they may not be able to afford a virtual-only campus this fall. If it’s a choice between the life of the institution and the life of your student body, what do you do? 

Of the over 107 HBCUs in America serving over 200,000 students here and abroad, very few had any specific COVID fall 2020 plans on their websites, many had nothing beyond shut down announcements from the spring. They are all scrambling, some more successfully than others, to figure out what to do.

Read More: Givly App founder talks HBCU giving challenge, philanthropy in Black community

HBCUs are a microcosm of Black America. No matter how hard they try, because structural racism has limited the resources they can draw upon, random events like natural disasters, economic downturns and now a pandemic are harder to navigate.

Are HBCUs really ready for how coronavirus will affect this upcoming school year? The answer swings wildly from state to state, governor to governor and university president to university president. Nevertheless, they will make the best out of less, which for good or for ill, is something that HBCUs have always excelled at. 

Dr. Jason Johnson is an associate professor of politics and journalism at Morgan State University.

Have you subscribed to theGrio’s new podcast “Dear Culture”? Download our newest episodes now!

Loading the player...

The post Schools dazed : HBCUs struggle to re-open amid coronavirus appeared first on TheGrio.



from TheGrio https://ift.tt/3fTNoGq

Ebony Magazine forced into involuntary bankruptcy

After creating a legacy in Black media for seventy-five years, Ebony Magazine now faces bankruptcy.

Ebony Magazine is facing a forced involuntary bankruptcy as lenders claim debts remain unpaid.

READ MORE: Ebony replaces CEO Willard Jackson after a financial investigation

According to Law360 creditors of the historic Black publication are pushing for a Texas federal court to force the brand into Chapter 7 bankruptcy, a rare move but one they deem necessary.

Multiple petitions state Ebony Media Holdings LLC “is generally not paying its debts as they become due, unless they are the subject of a bona fide dispute as to liability or amount.”

Three companies are leading the charge for the bankruptcy filing. Houston-based Parkview Capital Credit claims to be owed $11.9 million, California-based David M. Abner & Associates claim a debt of $9,400 and New York-based Plum Studio claims to be owed $2,300.

Earlier this month, the magazine replaced CEO Willard Jackson after a financial investigation. TheGrio reported that the board of directors removed Jackson from power on July 2, 2020.

READ MORE: Ebony and Jet archives heading to National African American Museum

In a statement released on their website Ebony Magazine writes “In 1945 EBONY was launched to create visibility for Black Americans, who were invisible in the white press at the time — unless they committed crimes. Seventy-five years later, we are proud to continue to bring an authoritative perspective on the multidimensional Black community and serve as a catalyst for reflection and progression.”

Back in 2019, the original owners, Johnson Publishing Company, filed for bankruptcy. Both Ebony and Jet Magazine were sold in 2016, theGrio notes, to the Texas-based company now also facing bankruptcy.

The filing “was an attempt to re-position the company’s iconic assets, including the Ebony and Jet brands, for long-term success,” says Parkview in a statement to The Root.

“Ebony has been the voice of the Black community for 75 years and we look forward to positioning the company’s assets to serve the Black community for another 75 years,” continues Brad Southern, president and chief investment officer for Parkview.

According to Law360, Ebony will have the chance to challenge the owed amounts. The creditors are represented by Fareed I. Kaisani of Baker Botts LLP

Ebony officially celebrates its 75th anniversary in November.

Have you subscribed to theGrio’s podcast “Dear Culture”? Download our newest episodes now!

Loading the player...

The post Ebony Magazine forced into involuntary bankruptcy appeared first on TheGrio.



from TheGrio https://ift.tt/2BsrfA2

Philly entrepreneur offers McDonald’s employees higher-paying jobs on the spot

Saudia Shuler offered to upgrade their hourly pay to $12

Philly restaurant owner Saudia Shuler, who coined the term “Y’all see it” and threw her son a lavish graduation party complete with a camel, pulled up to a local McDonald’s drive-thru and offered two of their employee’s higher-paying jobs. They accepted on the spot.

Shuler recently shared a video on her Instagram stories of the flex that was then uploaded to The Shade Room. Schuler is shown recruiting for new employees for her North Philly eatery, Country Cookin.’ Her methods were met with approval by Shade Room users.

Saudia Shuler Philly chef thegrio.com
(Credit: Saudia Shuler)

Read More: Trump executive order relaxes hiring standards for federal jobs

“Alright y’all, this is a whole different level of recruiting right here 😂! Pulling up to a place of work that requires the same skills to work for your own business, and essentially poaching them on the spot might be the new wave to find the best of the best!” The Shade Room captioned its post.

In the clip, Shuler asked two employees how much money they made per hour. They responded ‘$7 – $8.’ She offered them more to come work for her soul food restaurant.

“Would you like to make $12 an hour?” she asked. “Walk out.”

The shocked employees seemingly quit on the spot.

“Let’s go. Come get in the car with aunty,” she said.

Shuler continued, “You wanna work? Let’s go. C’mon let’s go. I’m waiting on you.”

One of the employees was in complete disbelief until she realized Shuler was serious.

“You lying!” one of the workers said.

“I’m not f**king lying. I’m ready. Get y’all sh*t and let’s go,” Shuler responded.

Shuler repeated that she was serious about the job offers.

“I’m taking McDonald’s workers, period,” she exclaimed before engaging in a back and forth with a manager.

Shuler later shared that her recruitment efforts had been successful.

Read More: GOP says Democratic stimulus bill focuses more on cannabis than jobs

“Country Cookin’ hired 11 people today. I pray they work out. God is so good to me,” she posted to Instagram on Wednesday.

The reaction to her unique way of providing fast food employees higher-paid work was overwhelmingly positive. However, some, even a few celebs, were skeptical.

“I have mixed feelings. What if it doesn’t work out and they need a reference for the next job. I applaud giving them the opportunity but let’s do it the right way. Teach them good business. But go off,” Real Housewives of Atlanta star Porsha Williams posted in the comments.

This isn’t Shuler’s first time going viral. In 2017, she threw a Dubai-themed high school graduation party for her son, Johnny “JJ” Eden, Jr., which included a camel. The cost of the party was said to be $25K.

Eden even felt she’d gone over the top but Shuler said she wanted him to have a celebration he’d never forget.

Shuler has battled thyroid cancer, was hit by a car, and her son’s father was murdered. In 2019, she was sentenced to house arrest and three year’s probation for defrauding the government out of $37K in disability money.

According to The Philly Voice, dozens of character witnesses showed up on Shuler’s behalf at trial because of her community efforts, including a ‘Black Panther’ themed graduation party for local high school seniors.

She simply wanted her son and her community to have moments of joy.

“You know, the funny thing about it, he didn’t even want to go to on prom,” she said about her son at the time. “He was like, mom you’re doing too much.”

Have you subscribed to theGrio’s podcast “Dear Culture”? Download our newest episodes now!

Loading the player...

The post Philly entrepreneur offers McDonald’s employees higher-paying jobs on the spot appeared first on TheGrio.



from TheGrio https://ift.tt/2OVd8q8

Black Faith

  • Who are you? - Ever since I saw the first preview of the movie, Overcomer, I wanted to see it. I was ready. Pumped. The release month was etched in my mind. When the time...
    4 years ago

Black Business

Black Fitness

Black Fashion

Black Travel

Black Notes

Interesting Black Links

Pride & Prejudice: Exploring Black LGBTQ+ Histories and Cultures

  In the rich tapestry of history, the threads of Black LGBTQ+ narratives have often been overlooked. This journey into their stories is an ...