Business
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Black Unemployment Rate for April 90 Percent Higher Than US Rate Overall
Headlines have been heralding the nation having the lowest unemployment rate in almost 50 years, but the jobless rate for black people is almost 90 percent higher than the national rate and higher than every other racial demographic in the nation. The nation’s unemployment rate dropped to 3.6 percent in April, the lowest level since…
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Star Power: Mellody Hobson and George Lucas Vie for Control of Ebony, Jet Photo Archives
Financier Mellody Hobson and her husband, Star Wars movie mogul George Lucas, are taking steps to take control of Ebony and Jet’s massive archive of historic photos, chronicling African-American life over the last seven decades. The archive is uninsured and at risk, as it was used as collateral to secure a $12 million loan to…
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Just in Time for 420: Carl's Jr. Laces Us With a CBD-Laced Burger
Just in time for National Weed Day, aka 420, aka tomorrow, April 20, the Carl’s Jr. burger chain is bringing out a special offering—one that could whet the appetites of those who may have the munchies after deciding to indulge in a little bud. Dubbed the Rocky Mountain High Cheese Burger Delight, the new gastronomic…
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Sales of Nipsey Hussle’s Music Skyrocket 2,776 Percent Since His Tragic Death
It what may be cold comfort as fans, friends and family continue to mourn Nipsey Hussle, sales of the independent rapper’s music have risen 2,776 percent since his untimely death. Initial reports to Nielsen show that on the day of his death, Sunday, Hussle’s songs and albums “sold a combined 15,000 copies—up 2,776 percent compared…
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He Doesn’t Do Politics, He Does Fun: Shaquille O’Neal Joins With Embattled Pizza Pusher, Papa John’s, in New Deal
When we got word Papa John’s Pizza got a new (black) face, Shaquille O’Neal, the crew at The Root had a field day. “Ask Shaq about his obsession with being a cop and if he had trouble finding a cap and cane for his soft shoe routine …,” quipped one. “The same Shaq who just…
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Why #BuyBlack Has Never Been the Path to Black American Economic Empowerment
The slogans “Buy Black” or “Support Black Businesses” have existed for some time as clarion calls for black consumers to patronize black owned (or seemingly black owned) establishments. We see it hashtagged and sprawled across graphics calling for exclusive 30 day “buy black challenges” to spur economic growth in Black communities — often touted as…
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Michelle Obama's Memoir Is Becoming an Instant Bestseller
Well, we can’t say we didn’t see this coming: Only four days after its Nov. 13 release, Penguin Random House announced on Friday that our forever first lady Michelle Obama’s memoir, Becoming, sold more than 725,000 units in all formats and editions in the United States and Canada on the first day of its publication…
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Steve Stoute Once Again Disrupts the Future With His New UnitedMasters Venture. First Partnership? The NBA
In his myriad years in the music industry, Steve Stoute has proven himself a major player and a game changer, too. Hailed as a marketing genius by some, the man who began his career as road manager for Kid & Play has grown and evolved to become a label exec, an advertising mogul and,…
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Supermarket Mogul Greg Calhoun Dies at 66
Greg Calhoun, the pioneering businessman who became the first black supermarket owner in the South, building it into one of the largest black-owned supermarket chains in the country, has died at 66 years old. According to the Montgomery Advertiser, Calhoun’s daughter announced on Facebook that her father died on Thursday at 5:55 a.m. at Cedars-Sinai…
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How in the Hell Are People Paying for Weddings? Vol. 2
In a little over a week, I will be a married man. I’m not entirely sure that I’ve fully grasped what that means yet but I also know that I do not have the time yet to even think about it. If it ain’t this thing that needs to get done, it’s that thing that…