Woman Posts Photo of Three Work IDs Showing 10-Year Journey From Hospital Custodian to Nurse Practitioner at Same Medical Center

A woman who once worked as a janitor at a Massachusetts hospital is now a nurse practitioner at the same medical center.

Jaines Andrades posted on Facebook about her 10-year journey from custodian to registered nurse to nurse practitioner at Baystate Medical Center in Massachusetts.

“10 years of work but it was worth it! I’m a provider at the same place I use to clean,” Andrades wrote in the post from Sept. 28. The post, which has been shared more than 10,000 times, also includes an image of three work IDs that showcase Andrades’ journey: The first is labeled “custodian,” the second, “registered nurse,” and the third, “nurse practitioner.”

Jaines Andrades/Facebook

Andrades was a 19 year old working at a fast food restaurant when she got a call for an interview to work for Baystate Health, which she saw as a “good idea. Even if it was cleaning, as long as I was near patient care I’d be able to observe things,” said Andrades, who has always had a passion for helping others.

She began working as a custodian at the hospital in 2010, and was responsible for cleaning operating rooms and the urgent care unit while matriculating through nursing school at Elms College in Chicopee, Massachusetts.

“I was able to interact with the nurses, and I would see patients coming and going from the operating room,” Andrades recounted. “It was my first time seeing what it really is to be a nurse, and it piqued my interest. I was excited to learn more,” she told WBZ-TV.

She gradated from Elms College in 2014 with a bachelor’s degree in nursing, and was hired in 2015 as a nurse at Mason Square Neighborhood Health Clinic. There, she met a nurse named Gloria Wilson, who convinced her to pursue a doctorate in nursing.

“She was actually the one who convinced me to go to nurse practitioner school. She was getting her master’s (degree), and she said she saw me doing it. She definitely persuaded me,” Andrades told Mass Live.

Andrades then studied for her doctorate while working as an acute care nurse at Baystate. She graduated earlier this year, but was unable to attend her graduation ceremony because of the COVID-19 pandemic. She now works as a nurse practitioner at Baystate in trauma surgery.

Jaines Andrades/Facebook

“It wasn’t a smooth ride, it wasn’t an easy ride, but it got done,” Andrades said. “That’s what I’m happy about.”

Andrades, a Buffalo, New York, native born to Puerto Rican parents, said she first became interested in nursing after a doctor’s visit, during which a nurse told her about the benefits of the profession.

She hopes her journey will inspire others. “Your life is what you make it, and, if you’re working towards your dreams and you believe in yourself and you believe in your dream, it doesn’t matter if the path isn’t perfect, Andrades said.

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‘All This Beauty!’: Regina King, Issa Rae, and Tracee Ellis Ross Glow in Selfie, Fans Lose It Over Their #BlackGirlMagic

Regina King, Issa Rae, and Tracee Ellis Ross let their melanin pop and their pearly whites shine when they crossed paths recently and fans couldn’t handle the beauty.

What happens when three talented Black queens catch up with each other and document the moment in photograph form? Pure #Blackgirlmagic. The ladies were giving laid-back success vibes in their barely made-up faces and were all smiles in their pic.

(L-R): Regina King, Issa Rae and Tracee Ellis Ross/Photo Credit: @traceeellisross/Instagram

“EMMY NOMINATED TEEFS,” Ross captioned the star-studded photo.

All three actresses are celebrating 2020 Emmy nominations for their respective work in television. Tracee Ellis Ross and Issa Rae hold nominations for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for their work on “Black-ish” and “Insecure,” respectively, while Regina King landed a nom for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie for “Watchmen.” The 72nd Emmy Awards is set for Sunday, Sept. 20.

The triple dose of brains and beauty brightened up fans’ days.

“When dental plans & talent unite with Black Girl Magic ,” a follower wrote.

“I’d buy any toothpaste backed with these beautiful smiles ”

“And some beautiful Teefs I might add… Congratulations Queens…,” a third gushed.

“All this beauty! ”

“It’s the skin for me ,” chimed in a fifth.

“Beautiful smiles, beautiful ladies, and skin goals. ”

“I’m seeing a good movie,” a seventh predicted.

(L-R): Three Emmy-nominated Black queens: Regina King, Issa Rae and Tracee Ellis Ross/Photo Credit: @traceeellisross/Instagram

The image also exhibits the meeting of three different types of Black Hollywood success stories. Tracee, whose mother is The Supremes diva Diana Ross, was born into the business. Regina King got her start as a child actress, so she’s grown up in the business. Issa Rae is the greenest talent of the three, getting her start creating YouTube content and breaking out in “Insecure,” her successful HBO series about Black millennial friendships and relationships.

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Watch How Killer Mike and the Black Community Help Save 50-Year-Old Family-Owned Cleaners In Atlanta

Founded in 1970 by Margaret Ponder, the family-owned Ponder’s 60 Minute Cleaners has survived for five decades. That’s thanks largely in part to Margaret Ponder’s son, Roderick Ponder, who for many of those years has maintained the Black-owned establishment at 4473 Campbellton Road in Atlanta. The cleaners received a bit of viral attention recently after Roderick Ponder’s niece, Leigh Johnson, tweeted about the business’ current financial woes. 

“Since everyone was thinking of directing their monies towards Black communities and Black businesses,” said Johnson, a third-generation Ponder, “I took it upon myself to put out our name and our mission and the things we were struggling with on social media.” 

The June 2 Twitter post caught the attention of Atlanta native, rapper, activist, and businessman Michael “Killer Mike” Render, who shared it that same day with his 1.5 million Instagram followers. He posted: “Headed there this week to drop off my clothes. #SupportBlackBusinesses.”

Like most dry cleaners, Ponder’s 60 Minutes Cleaners, reportedly considered the oldest black-owned dry cleaners in Atlanta, has struggled financially because of the industry’s decline. 

Add to that equation a global pandemic to the equation — that has forced people to shelter-in-place and work from home during this already fragile economy.

Roderick Ponder has maintained the family-owned Ponder’s 60 Minute Cleaners for nearly four decades. (Photo: Cat Witherspoon)

“When COVID hit that was like a nail in the coffin,” said Roderick Ponder. “It was nothing we had ever experienced before.”

Faced with having to decide between staying in business or closing before the COVID pandemic, the community’s quick response and reception has made that decision clearer for them. 

“Today, we sit here as a by-product of just how supportive the Black-community is,” said Ponders. 

As a result of the community’s support, Ponder’s Cleaners has enough work to share with fellow struggling cleaning businesses, through subcontracting, to help those businesses during this time. 

Additionally, the Ponder family has a GoFundMe page, and funds through that, the family says, will go toward revitalizing the 50-year-old business’s infrastructure and equipment.

“Him [Uncle Rod] being the one who has kept it open all of these years,” said Leigh, “I feel as though my grandmother is extremely proud.”

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Lena Waithe Says Hollywood Needs ‘Integration Laws’ to Permanently End Systemic Racism in Entertainment

Lena Waithe has thoughts on what it would really take to end systemic racism within the confines of Hollywood and the entertainment industry. In her opinion, consequences must be created and upheld.

From “The Chi” to “Boomerang” to “Queen and Slim,” the 36-year-old writer and actress has created and contributed to a breadth of work that screams “I’m Black, queer and proud.” These traits not only speak to her work, but also her experiences behind-the-scenes in the industry.

Actress, producer, and writer Lena Waithe thinks Hollywood’s racism needs consequences./ Photo Credit: @lenawaithe/Instagram

“For the most part I’ve had a really great experience in Hollywood,” Waithe told The Daily Beast. “But I’ve definitely learned when you’re not a white guy here you’ve got to really play chess. You’ve got to navigate it to do certain things. The business was a boys’ club for a long time. Now a lot of ladies are breaking down doors and making moves. There’s a power shift, a paradigm shift, happening. We’re in a transitional phase, like when you come out there’s that uncomfortablity.”

Known for being vocal about her views, the Emmy Award winner offered up her opinion on what she believes it would take to permanently dismantle racist structures that are deeply ingrained in America, but more specifically the entertainment industry.

“Integration had to be enforced. If it wasn’t, we would still be in a segregated country. We need our own form of integration laws in this town,” she told The Hollywood Reporter when asked her thoughts on the real actions Hollywood should be taking to address systemic racism. “I was talking to someone who suggested that if your writers’ room isn’t inclusive, you’re fined or it’s taken out of your budget. It should feel taboo to be on a set that is not inclusive.”

She continued, “If you are at a board meeting at a major network or a studio, and it’s not inclusive, you should feel uncomfortable. Until that is the feeling, we won’t make any change. The reason I’m pitching mandates, hitting people in their pockets, is because I know that’s what matters the most to people in this town. Money is power.”

Waithe further explained her viewpoint of the necessity for “mandates for inclusion” with actionable consequences, saying that the few success stories of minorities shouldn’t be used as a representative for the whole.

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Just like black history. Pride is too complex to only be celebrated for a month. I celebrate my blackness and my queerness. 24/7. 365. #Pride #AllBlackLivesMatter

A post shared by Lena Waithe (@lenawaithe) on Jun 28, 2020 at 10:14am PDT

Lena Waithe celebrates who she is./Photo Credit: @lenawaithe/Instagram

“The studios, networks and streamers all need to live by new rules, and if they don’t live by them, there need to be financial repercussions,” she wrote for Variety. “The studios need to greenlight a certain number of projects from Black people, brown people, people with disabilities, people who identify as LGBTQIA+ and other marginalized communities. Hollywood is nothing if not a mirror of America.”

Noting that strides have been made, and she’s proof, Waithe feels this is only the very beginning of the real change that could and should take place. “For me to be sitting where I sit now as a Black queer woman in this industry is progress. But the reality is I’m one of very few. I don’t want people to look at me, Issa Rae or Donald Glover, and say, ‘We’re good. We did it.’ “

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Illinois Teen Named Valedictorian Sixty Years After Grandmother Earned the Same Title

An Illinois teen followed in her grandmother’s footsteps by graduating at the top of her class.

Nina Mitchell, a recent graduate of DeKalb High School, is the first Black female valedictorian in the school’s 159-year history. She graduated with a 4.549 graduate point average.

Dekalb High School graduate Nina Mitchell (left) is the first Black female valedictorian in the school’s 159-year history. Her grandmother Pearlene Carter (right) was valedictorian of her high school class in 1959. (Photo: University of Illinois Admissions/Facebook)

“I was very humbled and honored,” the 17-year-old told “Good Morning America.” “I am representing Black students and female students. They can look up to me and say, ‘Wow, Nina did it, so I can do it.’ That was really important for me.”

Mitchell isn’t the only high achiever in her family tree. Her brothers, Robert and Michael, both graduated in the top ten percent of their classes at the same school in DeKalb, a distant suburb of Chicago. Additionally, their grandmother Pearlene Carter was the valedictorian of her high school class in 1959. The teen credits her family for motivating her success.

“I didn’t get here alone. My parents always set me up for success, and my brothers inspire me to do better,” she said. “My grandma has always been an inspiration for me, and a role model. She’s a force to be reckoned with. She’s always bragged about me to her friends and has made me feel so loved.”

Darren Mitchell, her father, appears to be extremely proud of his daughter, who he says sacrificed her social life to earn high marks. Nina and her brothers were raised to value education.

“She’s always been a hard-working student and a voracious reader,” he recalled to Midweek News. “She’s always loved reading. [She and her brothers] didn’t grow up with video games, but they had books, Scrabble, puzzles and Legos.”

In addition to her stellar grades, Nina was voted homecoming queen last year and served as class president for all four years of high school. She has also performed more than 150 hours of community service and served on the boards of several organizations. Nina was accepted to Harvard and Stanford universities but decided on the University of Illinois, where she will study business on a full scholarship.

“It’s so important to get good grades and get involved, not only at school, but also in your community,” Nina told Midweek News. “If you work hard to accomplish your goals with dedication, you will get there, but it is no easy feat. I had tremendous teachers at Cornerstone and DHS. I’ve had incredible opportunities. DeKalb has definitely shaped me. I didn’t get here alone. My brothers, parents, family and friends and the community supported me along the way.”

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‘They Just Believed In Me’: A Young Black Man’s Journey from Nearly Being Placed In Special Education Classes to Law School

Rehan Staton, a 24-year-old man Maryland native, has garnered national attention for his incredible journey — one of having gone from a sanitation worker to support his family while he was in college to recently being accepted to Harvard Law School.

Staton’s road to law school was not without hardships. “My mom abandoned the family when I was eight years old,” he told Atlanta Black Star. While he describes his childhood before that point as “normal,” and “middle class,” the family faced significant challenges after her departure.

‘My dad had to work a lot of jobs,” he said in reference to his father’s struggles to support the family. Staton said that during this time he experienced food and housing insecurity, which negatively impacted his performance in the classroom. “I went from an ‘A’ student to a ‘C,’ ‘D,’ and ‘F,’ student,” he said.

By the time he reached seventh grade, a teacher suggested Staton be placed in special education classes. “My dad went into Superman-mode,” Staton said. His father went to a community center and met a man named Jamil Smart, who was an aerospace engineer for NASA.

Rehan Staton (Today Show Screengrab)

“Mr. Smart literally took me under his wing and mentored me,” he said. Mr. Smart tutored Staton at no charge to the family, and his grades began to turn around. “I started making honor roll,” he said. However, the turnaround was short lived: when Mr. Smart could no longer tutor Staton, his grades began to suffer again. Subsequent negative experiences with teachers led Staton to “hate school.” By the time he graduated from high school, his low GPA and SAT scores resulted in a rejection letter from every university to which he applied.

After graduating, Staton began to work as a sanitation worker in Bowie, Maryland. But when he got there, everyone rallied around him and encouraged him to reach higher in life and stretch to his full potential. “It was the first time in my life where people really surrounded me and said, ‘You’re smart. You need to go on and do bigger and better things,’ ” Staton said. “They just believed in me.”

Co-workers introduced Staton to school officials at Maryland’s Bowie State University, a school that previously had rejected him. A professor was impressed and convinced the administration to change its decision on Staton’s acceptance. His brother, Reggie Staton, 27, was at the time a student at Bowie studying computer science. However, once Reggie learned his brother would be attending college, he dropped out of school to go back to work to help their father support the family. Rehan said he and his father would never have told Reggie to leave school, but that he knew his brother dropped out to ensure his success.

Rehan excelled at Bowie State and eventually transferred to the University of Maryland, where he became the president of the History Undergraduate Association, was appointed to the Dean’s Advisory Board and eventually became the Commencement speaker at his own graduation in 2018.

Before Staton graduated, there was a period of time when he returned to his job as a sanitation worker while attending school full time after his dad had a stroke. “Once I finished my job…I would either go to the library, or go to my room to study, depending on how tired I was.” Throughout this time, Staton maintained his position on the dean’s list.

Struck by illness after graduation, Staton spent months at home recovering. It wasn’t until his cousin made it his duty to make sure he didn’t give up that Rehan began to study for the LSAT and pursue a career in law.

He described the moment he found out he was accepted to Harvard as “surreal.” “I lost all feeling in my body. The world stopped,” he said. Staton is considering studying sports or entertainment law though he says he is going off to school with an open mind.

He said he’s confident he’ll be successful and doesn’t feel pressured to be the one to “make it.”

“There’s no pressure,” he said. “Right now I’m just going through the motions.”

In reflecting on his journey, Staton said he lives by a quote of boxing great Muhammad Ali: “‘Don’t quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion.”

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Marlo Hampton Creates a Black Lives Matter PSA with Her Nephews and Other Bravo Talent

Marlo Hampton is speaking out against police brutality and racial injustice in a new public service announcement for Bravo. The honorary peach of “The Real Housewives of Atlanta” recruited her two nephews Michael, 12, and William, 11, to join her in the clip. The video featured her “RHOA” co-stars Cynthia Bailey and Mike Hill, Kandi Burruss, Eva Marcille, Tanya Sam, Nene Leakes, and Porsha Williams, as well as Black women from “The Real Housewives of Potomac” and “Married to Medicine.”

Marlo, who is the legal guardian of her nephews, opened up about raising two young Black boys in America. The video began with the fashion guru sitting between William and Michael and asking the question, “Until we receive justice, how can there be peace?” She continued, “We can longer be silent. We must educate ourselves and others around us. We have to get uncomfortable now in order to get comfortable for lifetimes to come.”

(From left) William, Marlo Hampton, and Michael. (@marlohampton/Instagram video screenshot)

Marlo stated her name and said, “My life matters.” After the intro, viewers can see a montage of the other Bravo reality stars saying the same phrase. In a statement, Marlo said, “Becoming a full-time parent to two young Black boys has given me a new outlook on life.” She added, “I realize more than ever that I need to use my voice to take action against the repeated acts of racism and violence on African American men and women. Black Lives Matter and it is my duty to work to improve human rights so that my boys and our children can live in a better world.”

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Thank you to my #RHOA cast mates and my girls from #RHOP and #MarriedtoMedicine for participating in this Black Lives Matter PSA that I put together- – ⁣ ⁣ Full video on my YouTube Channel. Link in my bio. ⁣Or in my previous post. https://youtu.be/GhyUrMdIf8g Invitation to participate was extended to all cast members on all shows.

A post shared by M A R L O H A M P T O N (@marlohampton) on Jun 8, 2020 at 7:07pm PDT

Marlo Hampton leads the Black Lives Matters PSA for Bravo. (Photo): @marlohampton/Instagram

The 44-year-old television personality gained full custody of her nephews after her oldest sister was admitted to a mental hospital for bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. As of late, Marlo has been teaching the boys about police brutality and racial injustice. She revealed in an Instagram post from June 3 that her nephews were required to write a research paper on the shooting of Ahmaud Arbery and would be learning about Black male success stories throughout the course of the summer.

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School is out, but the lessons continue. OURstory is not always taught at school, so it’s our job to make sure our young men are aware and educated. This week my boys began doing daily research, writing, learning, and sharing about African American male hate crimes. We will continue to learn all summer about black men who have been victims of hateful crimes, but also about Black Male success stories (because there are many), feel free to drop your suggestions below on people and events that they can do their next research papers on … up this week is the Tulsa Race Massacre, football player and surgeon Myron Rolle @myronlrolle and billionaire Robert Smith @robertfredericksmith . #blacklivesmatter #blackboyjoy #itstartsathome

A post shared by M A R L O H A M P T O N (@marlohampton) on May 31, 2020 at 12:17pm PDT

Marlo Hampton explains that she is teaching her nephews about racial injustice over the course of the summer. (Photo: @marlohampton/Instagram)

Arbery, an African-American man was jogging in a neighborhood in the coastal Georgia town of Brunswick on Feb. 23 when a white former police officer and his son chased Arbery and the son shot him to death, claiming that they believed Arbery was a burglar in their neighborhood. More than two months after the incident the two were charged with felony murder and aggravated assault. Another man who was involved in the situation was also charged in the killing.

Marlo Hampton’s Black Lives Matter Public Service Announcement. (Source): Marlo Hampton/YouTube

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‘More of This’: Fans Praise Marlo Hampton for Teaching Her Nephews About Racial Injustice

School may be out for summer vacation, but class is still in session in Marlo Hampton‘s household. Hampton, a reality star of “The Real Housewives of Atlanta,” revealed on social media that she was teaching her nephews Michael, 12, and William, 11, about racial injustice. Hampton shared that their lesson plan will cover African-American male hate crimes, black men who have been victims of hateful crimes, and Black male success stories.

Hampton created a thread of videos and photos on Instagram that showed her nephews reading their research papers about the shooting of Ahmaud Arbery. In one striking image, the boys proudly held up their assignment. On Feb. 23, Arbery, a 25-year-old African-American man, was jogging in a neighborhood in the coastal Georgia town of Brunswick. That day a white former police officer and his son chased Arbery, and the son shot him to death, with the pair claiming Arbery was a burglar that was targeting their neighborhood. Months later the two were charged with felony murder and aggravated assault, while another man who participated in the pursuit also has been charged in the slaying.

William (left) and Michael (right) holding up their research papers about the shooting of Ahmaud Arbery. @marlohampton/Instagram

Hampton revealed the reason behind her lesson plan in a lengthy caption. “OURstory is not always taught at school, so it’s our job to make sure our young men are aware and educated,” she wrote.

The 44-year-old television personality received over 8,000 positive reactions about her summer lesson plan.

“Next: Marcus Garvey W.E.B Du bois Booker t Washington Marlo you’re doing a fantastic job.”

“More of this!!”

“Great job they’re doing.”

“Wooow that was very touching smart young gentleman .”

“This is great! We gotta empower and teach our children for sure .”

“This is how you raise socially conscious kids.”

“I see you @marlohampton getting our future black leaders ready to make change!”

“Great job we must educate our kids!!!! @marlohampton.”

(From left) Michael, Marlo Hampton, and William. @marlohampton/Instagram

Hampton gained full custody of her nephews after her sister was admitted to a mental hospital for bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. On “RHOA,” her nephews refer to Hampton as their “mumty” (a mom plus an auntie).

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Ohio Teen Gets Full Ride to College After Walking Three Miles to Library for Tutoring for Years: ‘Did What I Had to Do to Get Into College’

An Ohio teenager got into his dream school after he spent five years walking several miles to seek homework help at his local library.

Education is a potential way out of poverty for 19-year-old Lashawn Samuel. When he was in the eighth grade, he started walking from his Columbus home to the Franklinton branch of Columbus Metropolitan Library for homework help. The daily trip is a total of three miles, according to local TV news station WCMH.

Lashawn Samuel is going to Ohio State University on a full ride after he spent five years walking three miles to the library for daily tutoring. (Photo: WSYX/Screenshot)

Samuel studies from 3 p.m. until the facility closes and then walks home, sometimes in the dark. He knows the risk of those steps.

“My community, it’s been a struggle, living every day around gangbangers and thugs,” Samuel told The Columbus Dispatch. “You could get killed in a drive-by or just walking down the street.”

He has encountered his share of obstacles, including health struggles and the loss of a friend to gun violence. Nevertheless, the West High School senior persisted and left an impression on the library’s staff.

“He would be there literally every day, Monday through Friday from when we open at 3, and usually when the center closes at 6 he doesn’t go home but just continues,” Brandy Biegler, a youth service manager at the library, told WCMH.

“The kid has tremendous perseverance and he just keeps going,” said Kelly Young, a tutor at the branch.

Samuel’s determination resulted in 12 college acceptances and a few full-ride scholarships. His dream school, The Ohio State University, was among the generous institutions. He is also set to graduate with a 3.7-3.9 grade point average.

“I was so excited that I was going to college,” Samuel told WCMH. “Even if nobody else accepted me, I had this in my pocket. I knew that I had did what I had to do to get into college and my hard work was paying off.” 

He plans to major in accounting and will start his first semester at Ohio State in the fall. The transition will be relatively soon since Samuel already takes classes at a community college.

“I never would have achieved it without God, my family, my friends, and this environment I have around me,” Samuel said.

The rising OSU Buckeye has simple advice for other students who want to reach his level.

“There’s always going to be a challenge or an obstacle that you’re going to have to overcome or grow out of,” Samuel said. “But as long as you keep true to yourself and have faith and persevere so that you can overcome it, then you will.”

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9-Year-Old Michigan Girl’s Fashion Forward Doll Designs Has Mattel Knocking at Her Door

A 9-year-old Michigan girl’s passion for fashioning clothes for her Barbie dolls has gotten her noticed by a big name company, Mattel.

Nevaeh Woods is nothing short of a creative and has dreams of one day becoming a fashion designer. The rising star is well on her way and already has her own business making doll clothes out of whatever she can find.

Nevaeh Woods, 9, creates clothing for her Barbies using everything from socks to ribbons. (Photo: @sashasewamazing/Instagram)

Using everything from socks and ribbon, to glue and scissors, Woods stays busy creating head-turning looks that have caught the attention of toy giant Mattel, the creator of Barbie.

Last week, the company sent her a special package in the mail. Woods and her family were itching to know what was inside.

“Barbie sent me this amazing box, but we don’t know what’s inside it yet,” she told local station WDIV 4. “Today we’re going to find out.”

Inside were plenty of new Barbies to style, along with a message from the Barbie Social Team that read: “Nevaeh! We heard you like designing clothes. Here’s a couple new editions to add to your collection. Always remember, you can be anything!”

The young designer was thrilled.

“It made me feel special because I’m achieving my goal to be a fashion designer and that’s what I really want to do,” Neveah said. “So I can be famous and make stuff and encourage people to follow their dreams.”

Woods’ mother, Sha’Kvia Woods, proudly shares her daughter’s designs online and says Nevaeh was inspired to take up fashion from watching her mom and grandma dress up for a night on the town.

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I asked for suggestions and many people wanted me to add some bling and use rhinestones and sequins! #3peat #SashaSewAmazing

A post shared by Nevaeh Sasha. (@sashasewamazing) on Jan 15, 2020 at 3:04pm PST

“[Nevaeh] would compliment us and offer her approval if she liked our outfits,” Sha’Kvia Woods told the Clinton Township Patch. “Since the age of five she has shown interest in Barbie dolls and fashion, trying her best to match her Barbie doll clothing with her own outfit for the day.”

She added that Nevaeh “is very particular and she knows exactly what she likes.”

The pint-sized fashion enthusiast promotes her business, called SaSha Sew Amazing, on YouTube and Instagram, where fans go crazy over her custom Barbie doll designs.

“Those pieces are SHARPPPP!!!!” one person wrote.

“So so dope! Congratulations princess ,” another chimed in.

Another fan said they hope Neveah “continues to pursue her hearts desires bc she’s extremely talented ”

“Give this baby all her coins promptly please!” someone else agreed.

Through her work, the ambitious young designer said she hopes to encourage others to follow their dreams.

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80 Percent of Detroit’s Black Entrepreneurs Are Feeling Left Out of City’s Resurgence, Survey Shows

Detroit is in the midst of an economic resurgence, yet many of the city’s Black business leaders say they feel stuck on the outside looking in.

A recent survey by the National Business League shows that while the Motor City is experiencing a much-needed comeback, 80 percent of its most prominent Black entrepreneurs feel they’re being left out and overlooked in the city’s revitalization.

In years past, Detroit’s leading Black business owners have complained about being excluded from plans and discussions about the city’s resurgence. (Photo by Uli Deck/picture alliance via Getty Images)

Per the report, several of the city’s Black-owned businesses “felt left out of the current economic boom and opportunities for inclusion in the private sector development opportunities, particularly for major projects like the new hockey arena and old Hudson’s site.”

Another 62 percent of Detroit’s Black entrepreneurs are frustrated with the city and state’s leadership, particularly Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, who they said has done a shoddy job of ensuring they “get a fair shot” at snagging state government contracts and other development opportunities.

Similar frustrations arose in 2014 after The New York Times published an article highlighting small business success in the Corktown neighborhood one year after Detroit filed for the largest municipal bankruptcy in U.S. history. Missing from those success stories, however, was the role of Black businesses in helping the city get back on its feet.

U.S. Census Bureau figures from 2007 showed the city was teeming with Black entrepreneurs — over 32,000 to be exact. Much like today, however, Black business owners said they felt largely excluded from conversations around Detroit’s revitalization and struggled for access to funds and other resources.

“I think, for the most part, Black-owned businesses aren’t getting a piece of the pie,” local bookstore owner Janet Jones told HuffPost at the time. “What about the people who have been doing the hard work of living and working and having business in Detroit for the last 20 years?”

Dr. Ken Harris, president and CEO of the National Business League, said he isn’t at all surprised by the survey’s results.

He commented to radio station WWJ News: “When you look at the federal mandates in particular on federal opportunities that exist through the disadvantaged or DBE program, those numbers are startling. They’re not inclusive of black-owned businesses.”

If Michigan is to compete with the rest of the county, Harris said the state and city leadership must take steps to create more equitable and inclusive policies.

Alexis Wiley, chief of staff of Mayor Mike Duggan‘s administration, said Detroit is doing just that. In fact, she said 80 percent of the recipients of Motor City Match grants have gone to black-owned businesses.

Additionally, Wiley mentioned that Duggan’s administration launched the Entrepreneurs of Color Fund, which grants affordable loans to black-owned small businesses in Detroit.

City leaders admit more can be done to bring Black businesses into the fold, and it’s an effort that they’ll continue working on

“Governor Whitmer recognizes that this has been a longstanding concern, which is why during her first week in office she signed an executive directive to expand opportunities for small and disadvantaged businesses in Michigan,” the governor’s office said in a statement.

“If we’re going to call Michigan a successful state, we’ve got to expand opportunities for business owners in areas that are struggling,” it continued. “Governor Whitmer is proud to have put together the most diverse cabinet in the state’s history who will work to help businesses thrive and who are ready to get to work building bridges between entrepreneurs and state government.”

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Russell Simmons Issues a Call to Action After Shooting Deaths in Queens Continue at an Alarming Rate

Russell Simmons is asking residents, famous people and elected officials to help a local organization deal with the dramatic increase in shooting deaths in his home borough of Queens, New York.

Because The New York Times reports that gun violence has increased in the 113th precinct by 40 percent compared to this time last year, which includes Simmons’ neighborhood of Hollis, Southeast Jamaica, Springfield Gardens and St. Albans.

Russell Simmons is attempting to rally politicians and residents in Queens to deal with the increase in gun violence. (Photo: Gabriel Olsen/Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images)

Earlier this month, Simmons sent a statement to HipHopDX, where the 61-year-old said he couldn’t go directly to the annual dinner that he throws for mothers whose children were killed, because he had to attend a wake.

A childhood friend of his named Marcellus had a son who was recently killed by gunfire, and Simmons said it was just one example of how dire things have gotten in Queens.

“The recent dinners have had mostly the same mothers because Life Camp (the program that I support) and the residents have held the violence to a minimum,” wrote Simmons. “This year was very, very different. Instead of going directly to the dinner, I was asked to stop at a church for a wake. My brother who I grew up with, Marcellus, lost his son Marcellus Jr.”

“At the dinner, we recommitted to work on lifting our community,” he added. “We reaffirmed our love for each other and our work.”

“Today, I am asking for all of my Queens Congressman, council members, community members, rappers and Hip Hop success stories to join me in helping Life Camp expand their good work. I promise to donate more and support more than I have in the past The time is now. What will you do?” Simmons concluded.

At the moment, Life Camp is asking for donations that will help hire “20 credible community messengers for the next 3 months.”

They also want to purchase uniforms and supplies for their violence intervention street teams and extend the hours of their Peace Mobile, which is described as a mobile crisis unit.

The donations would also help create “safe corridors” for children in Queens to travel back and forth to school safely.

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Who’s Really Talking About Race in America? New Analysis Says Black People

New Pew Research Center analysis revealed that Black people are almost two times more likely than any other racial or ethnic group in America to talk about race frequently.

The survey analysis released Tuesday is based on an online poll that asked 6,637 people if they talk about race in conversations with family and friends often, sometimes, rarely or never.

Of the about 2,997 Black people who responded, 27 percent of them said they talk about race often.

That’s compared to 15 percent of Hispanic people surveyed, 13 percent of Asian people and 11 percent of white people.

Atlanta NAACP President Richard Rose told Atlanta Black Star he thinks Black people are talking about race more frequently because they are often victims of racism.

“It’s a problem in our lives, so of course we’re going to talk about it,” he said. 

He added, most people are going to talk about the rain if it’s pouring down outside.

“It rains every day on Black America,” he said.

One example of systematic racism the local leader gave is the number of Confederate monuments and symbols still standing on public lands today.

There are 1,747 such symbols honoring Confederate leaders, soldiers or the Confederate states in general, according to a report the Southern Poverty Law Center released Feb. 1.

These include monuments, statues, flags and holidays, as well as public schools, bridges, military bases and roads named in honor of the Confederacy.

Rose said he takes that to mean the majority of Americans have bought into this idea that a failed insurgence against America is something worth remembering.

Rose said, they’re holding on to the concept of white supremacy, which was a grounding principle of the Confederate movement.

“And so yeah, black folks talk about it,” he said.

He added that he would like to see white people acknowledging the systematic decimation of Black, Native American and Hispanic people and the resulting generational poverty more frequently.

Rose said some people see success stories and think that means Black people no longer feel the affects of slavery.

“They don’t understand how it has affected us generationally,” Rose said.

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