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Iota Phi Lambda Celebrates 90-Year Anniversary with a Call to Action

NNPA NEWSWIRE — “There’s an issue with sustaining Black-owned businesses,” Outgoing 22nd National Iota Phi Lambda President Stephanie Dilworth said. “On June 1, our organizational will celebrate 90 years of nationwide service, so it is extra important that we continue to help support our communities and work to build economic opportunities, specifically geared toward other Black people.”

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By Lauren Poteat, NNPA Newswire Washington Correspondent

According to a recent study done by Guidant Financial, Black-owned businesses have seen a dramatic increase since 2015, particularly among Black women.

However, in the same survey, it was also reported that while the number of Black-owned businesses are at an all-time high, Black-owned business sustainment and substantial economic growth remain stagnant.

Working to better close economic gaps and help nurture Black communities to achieve greater financial excellence, Iota Phi Lambda Sorority, the first Black Greek-lettered business sorority, established in 1929, sets off their 90th anniversary, with a call to action for people of color to “rule in the art of business.”

“There’s an issue with sustaining Black-owned businesses,” Outgoing 22nd National Iota Phi Lambda President Stephanie Dilworth said. “On June 1, our organization will celebrate 90 years of nationwide service, so it is extra important that we continue to help support our communities and work to build economic opportunities, specifically geared toward other Black people.”

“Our organization is comprised of women committed to the growth of our communities that really need our support and we are working very hard to make sure that we equip our people to have wealth that they can pass on to the next generations,” Dilworth continued.

The same business survey also went on to list some of the main reasons for loss of Black business growth, including a tight labor market, challenges with recruiting and retaining employees and lack of capital and cash flow.

In a previous ProjectDiane report, which provides information about Black women and startup funding, only 0.2 percent of all venture capital funding was allocated toward startups founded by Black women in 2016, while just 34 Black women business owners received more than a million dollars of funding in the years previous.

Emphasizing community empowerment, Dilworth also noted how important it was for Black people to support Black-owned businesses.

“The creation of Black-owned businesses is at an all-time high, but keeping them going is difficult, especially with limited access to capital,” Dilworth said.

“People will complain about smaller, Black-owned businesses having slightly higher prices than their competitors and then spend their money with those same competitors instead, not realizing that most of these mainstream companies, have more access to capital and revenue… If we want to get smaller Black-owned businesses generating that same kind of revenue, then we have to ‘Buy Black.’ We have to spend with them and help support them in their growth,” Dilworth continued.

Committed to all aspects of business, Iota Phi Lambda also strongly encourages youth entrepreneurship, pushing communities to lay the groundwork for youth business-minded endeavors early.

“For Iota Phi Lambda, it is important that we teach and build them young,” Dilworth said. “We take pride in our youth and truly do believe they are our future.”

“Most of our business workshops and programming are geared toward our millennials, from our Youth: Future Iota Leaders mentoring program, to our Lola M. Parker Foundation and scholarships, to our recent partnership with Microsoft for our previous IGNITE Youth Leadership and Innovation convention, we are committed to the youth.”

Iota Phi Lambda sorority supports other non-business-focused programs, including their Iota Mothers Assistance Program—which provides outreach services to teen and disadvantaged mothers, and their Toys “U” Can’t Return program—a teen pregnancy prevention project designed to help educate communities about teen pregnancy and develop effective action agendas for preventing children from having children.

“If everyone remembers to reach back, there’s no limit to what we can do,” Jennifer Porter, National Chairwoman of Toy’s “U” Can’t Return said. “I am so proud to be able to be a part of an organization that does so much for our community and want to help see it flourish so that we can continue to support so many people. We have been around for 90 years, which is a testament to our love and support from our community.”

This year, Iota Phi Lambda’s national convention is scheduled to take place in Shreveport, Louisiana, July 24–28, in preparation for the sorority’s opening of a permanent official headquarters in Washington D.C.

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IN MEMORIAM: Ramona Edelin, Influential Activist and Education Advocate, Dies at 78

NNPA NEWSWIRE — Born on September 4, 1945, in Los Angeles, California, activist Ramona Edelin’s early years were marked by a commitment to education and social justice. According to her HistoryMakers biography, after graduating from Fisk University with a Bachelor’s degree in 1967, she pursued further studies at the University of East Anglia in England. She earned her master’s degree before completing her Ph.D. at Boston University in 1981.
The post IN MEMORIAM: Ramona Edelin, Influential Activist and Education Advocate, Dies at 78 first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

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By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
@StacyBrownMedia

Once upon a time, Black Americans were simply known as colored people, or Negroes. That is until Ramona Edelin came along. The activist, renowned for her pivotal roles in advancing civil rights, education reform, and community empowerment, died at her D.C. residence last month at the age of 78. Her death, finally confirmed this week by Barnaby Towns, a communications strategist who collaborated with Dr. Edelin, was attributed to cancer.

Born on September 4, 1945, in Los Angeles, California, Edelin’s early years were marked by a commitment to education and social justice. According to her HistoryMakers biography, after graduating from Fisk University with a Bachelor’s degree in 1967, she pursued further studies at the University of East Anglia in England. She earned her master’s degree before completing her Ph.D. at Boston University in 1981.

Edelin’s contributions to academia and activism were manifold. She was pivotal in popularizing the term “African American” alongside Rev. Jesse L. Jackson in the late 1980s.

Jackson had announced the preference for “African American,” speaking for summit organizers that included Dr. Edelin. “Just as we were called Colored, but were not that, and then Negro, but not that, to be called Black is just as baseless,” he said, adding that “African American” “has cultural integrity” and “puts us in our proper historical context.”

Later, Edelin told Ebony magazine, “Calling ourselves African Americans is the first step in the cultural offensive,” while linking the name change to a “cultural renaissance” in which Black Americans reconnected with their history and heritage.

“Who are we if we don’t acknowledge our motherland?” she asked later. “When a child in a ghetto calls himself African American, immediately he’s international. You’ve taken him from the ghetto and put him on the globe.”

The HistoryMakers bio noted that Edelin’s academic pursuits led her to found and chair the Department of African American Studies at Northeastern University, where she established herself as a leading voice.

Transitioning from academia to advocacy, Edelin joined the National Urban Coalition in 1977, eventually ascending to president and CEO. During her tenure, she spearheaded initiatives such as the “Say Yes to a Youngster’s Future” program, which provided crucial support in math, science, and technology to youth and teachers of color in urban areas. Her biography noted that Edelin’s efforts extended nationwide through partnerships with organizations like the National Science Foundation and the United States Department of Education.

President Bill Clinton recognized Edelin’s expertise by appointing her to the Presidential Board on Historically Black Colleges and Universities in 1998. She also co-founded and served as treasurer of the Black Leadership Forum, solidifying her standing as a respected leader in African American communities.

Beyond her professional achievements, Edelin dedicated herself to numerous boards and committees, including chairing the District of Columbia Educational Goals 2000 Panel and contributing to the Federal Advisory Committee for the Black Community Crusade for Children.

Throughout her life, Edelin received widespread recognition for her contributions. Ebony magazine honored her as one of the 100 Most Influential Black Americans, and she received prestigious awards such as the Southern Christian Leadership Award for Progressive Leadership and the IBM Community Executive Program Award.

The post IN MEMORIAM: Ramona Edelin, Influential Activist and Education Advocate, Dies at 78 first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

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Tennessee State University Board Disbanded by MAGA Loyalists as Assault on DE&I Continues

NNPA NEWSWIRE — Recent legislative actions in Tennessee, such as repealing police reform measures enacted after the killing of Tyre Nichols, underscore a troubling trend of undermining local control and perpetuating racist agendas. The new law preventing local governments from restricting police officers’ authority disregards community efforts to address systemic issues of police violence and racial profiling.
The post Tennessee State University Board Disbanded by MAGA Loyalists as Assault on DE&I Continues first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

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By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
@StacyBrownMedia

Tennessee State University (TSU), the state’s only public historically Black college and university (HBCU), faces a tumultuous future as Gov. Bill Lee dissolved its board, a move supported by racist conservatives and MAGA Republicans in the Tennessee General Assembly, who follow the lead of the twice-impeached, four-times indicted, alleged sexual predator former President Donald Trump. Educators and others have denounced the move as an attack on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) and a grave setback for higher education.

Critics argue that TSU’s purported financial mismanagement is a manufactured crisis rooted in decades of underinvestment by the state government. They’ve noted that it continues a trend by conservatives and the racist MAGA movement to eliminate opportunities for Blacks in education, corporate America, and the public sector.

Gevin Reynolds, a former speechwriter for Vice President Kamala Harris, emphasizes in an op-ed that TSU’s financial difficulties are not the result of university leadership because a recent audit found no evidence of fraud or malfeasance.

Reynolds noted that the disbanding of TSU’s board is not an isolated incident but part of a broader assault on DE&I initiatives nationwide. Ten states, including Tennessee, have enacted laws banning DE&I policies on college campuses, while governors appointing MAGA loyalists to university trustee positions further undermine efforts to promote inclusivity and equality.

Moreover, recent legislative actions in Tennessee, such as repealing police reform measures enacted after the killing of Tyre Nichols, underscore a troubling trend of undermining local control and perpetuating racist agendas. The new law preventing local governments from restricting police officers’ authority disregards community efforts to address systemic issues of police violence and racial profiling.

The actions echo historical efforts to suppress Black progress, reminiscent of the violent backlash against gains made during the Reconstruction era. President Joe Biden warned during an appearance in New York last month that Trump desires to bring the nation back to the 18th and 19th centuries – in other words, to see, among other things, African Americans back in the chains of slavery, women subservient to men without any say over their bodies, and all voting rights restricted to white men.

The parallels are stark, with white supremacist ideologies used to justify attacks on Black institutions and disenfranchise marginalized communities, Reynolds argued.

In response to these challenges, advocates stress the urgency of collective action to defend democracy and combat systemic racism. Understanding that attacks on institutions like TSU are symptomatic of broader threats to democratic norms, they call for increased civic engagement and voting at all levels of government.

The actions of people dedicated to upholding the principles of inclusivity, equity, and justice for all will determine the outcome of the ongoing fight for democracy, Reynolds noted. “We are in a war for our democracy, one whose outcome will be determined by every line on every ballot at every precinct,” he stated.

The post Tennessee State University Board Disbanded by MAGA Loyalists as Assault on DE&I Continues first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

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Braxton Haulcy and the Expansion of Walker|West Music Academy

May 24, 2023 – Walker West Music Academy gets an early start on expansion. Join us for a Wednesday episode of The …
The post Braxton Haulcy and the Expansion of Walker|West Music Academy first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

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May 24, 2023 – Walker West Music Academy gets an early start on expansion. Join us for a Wednesday episode of The …

The post Braxton Haulcy and the Expansion of Walker|West Music Academy first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

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