Temple University announced that its Acting President, JoAnne A. Epps, has died after becoming ill at an event on Tuesday. She was attending a memorial service for Charles L. Blockson, curator of the Blockson Afro-American Collection, when she was transported to Temple University Hospital.
Colorado Buffaloes Travis Hunter was taken off the field and to the hospital after receiving a hit from Rams’ Henry Blackburn during a game over the weekend. Trainers attended to Hunter, and Blackburn received a penalty roughness in the second quarter of the game, according to CBS.
Valentina learned that her sister, Khaleesi, had cut their other sister Camilla’s hair. The trio started arguing about who was at fault when their mother went to check on them. The young girl then advised Khaleesi to “close the door […]
The landscape and trajectory of the Black community has not been an easy one. The history of systemic discrimination has severely impacted Black people across the diaspora. However, resilience, determination, and an inner will to overcome made sure there was space for those who asked–and demanded to have a seat at the table.
Mastercard has committed to bridging the racial wealth and opportunity gap for Black communities, amplifying the voices of Black business owners, creators and changemakers through several programs, and partnering with organizations to provide educational resources that promote wealth building and financial security. The global payment technology company is investing their products, services, technology and financial support to increase economic opportunities for Black Americans.
The One Hundred Black Men organization (OHBM) and Wellthi are two organizations that Mastercard has partnered with that are making changes by altering the narrative regarding financial wellness in communities of color. While their pathways to financial wellness and stability are different, they have very similar goals in mind.
Mentoring A Community
OHBM is a non-profit 501c(3) organization of like-minded leaders who meet to advocate for improvement in conditions in their communities. The organization’s work leverages the collective talent of communities through the power of mentorship to foster economic development.
Doing this work, however, doesn’t come without its fair share of challenges. Valone Brown, Program Director for OHBM, noted that the evolving landscape of working with youth has encouraged the organization to take a nuanced approach with its program efforts specifically centered around mentorship.
“I know there are several young people who are like me— who aren’t going to be able to get access to some of the things that we do. Part of that could be not hearing about our program enough or not having the bandwidth to service everyone we want. We want to work with as many young people as possible, but it’s just impossible to do,” Brown said.
This challenge doesn’t change the imperative, but it amplifies the need to partner with organizations like Mastercard.
“Mastercard has an amazing partnership with OHBM. Over the last three years, we have provided financial education to hundreds of young men through our Master Your Card Program. Master Your Card is Mastercard’s community empowerment program aimed at achieving financial equity through access to education, resources, and best-in-class electronic payments technology,” Jimmy Chow, Director of Public Policy and Community Relations at Mastercard, said of the partnership.
The partnership between OHBM and Mastercard is one that reinforces the mission of providing access to financial wellness tools. When individuals are financially empowered, there is a sense of control that leads to a thriving personal life. According to a US census statistic included in Mastercards’ research on prosperity among Black consumers, Black families only make up 4% of the nation’s wealth. A major part of that disparity is due to a lack of access to resources and tools that can contribute to wealth creation. This partnership further connects and empowers an inclusive digital economy that benefits everyone.
A Different Level Of Access
Another changemaker in the financial wellness space is the team at Wellthi.
Based on a diverse worldview as a former United States Diplomat and the traditional savings habits of her grandmother, Fonta Gilliam founded Wellthi to formalize the concept of social finance and reintroduce it to banking.
“We’re really trying to change the game in terms of wealth building and really help people rethink how they build wealth and do it better together. And so we’re partnering with some of the biggest players in financial services like Mastercard to offer a solution where people can go in, have a safe space to talk about their finances, and then access Wellthi through any mobile banking account, any mobile banking app in the world, starting first in the United States,” Gilliam explained.
But what is Wellthi exactly? It is an embedded community savings app and wallet that people can access inside any mobile banking app, similar to Zelle. Patrons also have the opportunity to use Wellthi to get an experience that feels like social networking inside your banking app, where the person can post and engage in various groups based on different financial goals.
What makes Wellthi so unique is the community aspect. Connecting with like-minded people who understand and can support your aspirations is game-changing. And the innovative approach makes Mastercard a perfect partner in amplifying the work Gilliam is doing.
“With Mastercard, we were coming in very early as a FinTech, and they gave us access to the secret sauce…introducing us to the right players —people like Rashida Bobb, Director of Start Path [at Mastercard, a program that supports start-ups by giving them access and opportunity with Mastercard’s global network] — by getting me in the room with people and pitching. So they would take on our product at a very early stage. That was key,” Gilliam explained.
In addition to technical and product-building resources, Mastercard also provided PR and marketing support that assisted Wellthi in building the company’s reach.
Empowerment At The Core
Whether through the technology that Gilliam has built or through the more in-person community approach of OHBM, one thing is clear: access to resources coupled with the power of a thriving community is one vital tactic to financial empowerment. When people can learn a skill that speaks to improving their quality of life and do it in a way that uplifts those around them, the possibilities for the future are endless. OHBM and Wellthi are actively doing their part in that communal mission.
“Our communities do well when we do things together, when we empower each other, when we share, when we partner. And I would tell people to leverage and follow your community. It’s okay to ask questions and figure out, ‘Yo, how did you do this? And what can I learn from it?’ It’s okay to pull resources,” Gilliam said.Click here to learn more about the work Mastercard is doing to uplift communities and increase financial wellness through its Start Path program.
Norfolk State University football player Rayquan Smith is known as the NIL king.
The Virginia native took matters into his own hands by pitching to several brands for NIL contracts. At the time, the young player was waiting to hear back from a hiring manager from a nearby Planet Fitness. Seeing his peers secure NIL bags made him return to the drawing board. Developing a pitch, he pitched to work for free for several companies. Only three companies responded after the first round of emails.
She’s ready to embark on a new chapter. The Houston native is on the verge of a strong comeback following her year-long hiatus, as Blavity previously reported, due to all the noise surrounding the Tory Lanez shooting case that consumed […]
A little over a month ago, Rihanna and A$AP Rocky welcomed their second child, a son named Riot Rose, and now they’re introducing him to the world via an adorable family photoshoot that also includes their firstborn, RZA.
The first image features Rihanna holding Riot Rose in a colorful blanket with his face peeking out. Meanwhile, A$AP Rocky smiles while holding RZA as the group poses together for the first time as a family of four.
Rihanna is glowing while wearing an oversized denim jacket paired with sleek leggings and boots. Rocky dons a simple white tank top and jeans but adds a plaid jacket in some pictures.
RZA, their fashionable toddler, rocks a multicolored sweatshirt and jeans, along with sneakers from his mother’s new Fenty x Puma Avanti collection. But it’s safe to say that Riot Rose’s solo photos are the obvious standouts. The cute newborn is captured lying on his blanket in a cozy peach sweater and cream-colored socks.
Nichole Coats, a 32-year-old model in Los Angeles, was found dead in her luxury apartment on Sept. 10. Coats’ family members first became concerned when they were unable to reach her by phone.
Coats’ father and aunt then went to check on her at her apartment, where they were met with a gruesome scene, local TV station KTLA 5 reported.
“I couldn’t recognize her,” May Stevens, Coats’ aunt, told KTLA 5. “I believe it was murder, I really do. One of her legs was up in the air in a kicking position. That’s not somebody who just laid in their bed and died.”
Two Black models were found dead inside their Downtown, Los Angeles luxury apartments within three miles of each other, in one week. The family believes these two deaths are connected and there is a predator/serial killer on the loose in Los Angeles. pic.twitter.com/CXeZizghel— South Central Native 📸⚡️✍🏾 (@slausongirlnews) September 17, 2023
According to the Atlanta Black Star, Davis was among Hollywood’s most notable celebrities who attended the second show of the Renaissance Tour on Sept. 2 at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. Though the concert was earlier this month, Davis uploaded her […]
Darryl George, a 17-year-old junior at Barbers Hill High School near Houston, was suspended for wearing locs on Aug. 31. George was told his hairstyle violated the district’s dress code policy, which bars male students from having hair extending past their eyebrows and earlobes, even if it is pulled back.
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