richardmurray

PHOTO Citation : San Francisco Mayor London Breed listens at a press conference at City Hall on Feb. 16, 2022, in San Francisco, California. (Gabrielle Lurie/The San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)

MY THOUGHTS BEFORE THE ARTICLE
What will any Black person do with five million dollars? Let us say post tax. I know what I will do... buy a ferrari. No I am joking. But like with the Benin Bronzes Germany is giving back to Nigeria < https://aalbc.com/tc/profile/6477-richardmurray/?status=2185&type=status > you find that Black people rarely think about what if it happens? And thus are totally unprepared.
I will say that, if San Francisco feel it owe five million, New Orleans/Atlanta/New York City owe a lot more per head, per capita. The banks of New York City alone made fortunes from Black slavery, they owe far more than five million.
Remember I have links to the original draft in the text below and I have thoughts after the article.

San Fran's reparations committee proposes $5 million to each Black longtime resident, total debt forgiveness
San Francisco's reparations committee also proposes supplementing lower-income recipients’ income for 250 years
By Jessica Chasmar | Fox News

San Francisco’s reparations committee has proposed paying each Black longtime resident $5 million and granting total debt forgiveness due to the decades of "systematic repression" faced by the local Black community.

The San Francisco African American Reparations Advisory Committee, which advises the city on developing a plan for reparations for Black residents, released its draft report last month to address reparations – not for slavery, since California was not technically a slave state, but "to address the public policies explicitly created to subjugate Black people in San Francisco by upholding and expanding the intent and legacy of chattel slavery."

"While neither San Francisco, nor California, formally adopted the institution of chattel slavery, the tenets of segregation, white supremacy and systematic repression and exclusion of Black people were codified through legal and extralegal actions, social codes, and judicial enforcement," the draft states. < The Complete Draft; it is sixty pages ; https://1drv.ms/b/s!ArspJ5yABJDqg7QQX0fNvAV7FsDzew?e=DflCEB  ; original URL: https://sf.gov/sites/default/files/2023-01/HRC Reparations 2022 Report Final_0.pdf > 

The draft plan includes a long list of financial recommendations for Black San Francisco residents, including a one-time, lump sum payment of $5 million to each eligible individual.

"A lump sum payment would compensate the affected population for the decades of harms that they have experienced, and will redress the economic and opportunity losses that Black San Franciscans have endured, collectively, as the result of both intentional decisions and unintended harms perpetuated by City policy," the draft states.

To be eligible for the program, the applicant must be 18 years old and have identified as Black or African American on public documents for at least 10 years. They must also prove at least two of eight additional criteria, choosing from a list that includes, "Born in San Francisco between 1940 and 1996 and has proof of residency in San Francisco for at least 13 years," and/or, "Personally, or the direct descendant of someone, incarcerated by the failed War on Drugs."

The plan also calls on the city to supplement lower-income recipients’ income to reflect the Area Median Income (AMI), about $97,000, annually for at least 250 years. 

"Racial disparities across all metrics have led to a significant racial wealth gap in the City of San Francisco," it argues. "By elevating income to match AMI, Black people can better afford housing and achieve a better quality of life."

The plan also seeks to establish "a comprehensive debt forgiveness program" that clears each eligible person’s student and housing loans, credit card debt, etc.

"Black households are more likely to hold costlier, riskier debt, and are more likely to have outstanding student loan debt," the draft explains. "When this is combined with lower household incomes, it can create an inescapable cycle of debt. Eliminating this debt gives Black households an opportunity to build wealth."

The committee submitted the draft proposal to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors on Dec. 23.

"The African American Reparations Advisory Committee has not yet received any feedback from the Board regarding their position on the recommendations or when the Board will schedule a hearing to formally discuss the Plan," the committee told Fox News Digital.

Board of Supervisors President Aaron Peskin told the San Francisco Chronicle < https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/justinphillips/article/sf-reparations-black-17716918.php >  he hopes the plan is approved.

"There are so many efforts that result in incredible reports that just end up gathering dust on a shelf," Peskin said. "We cannot let this be one of them."

Meanwhile, House Democrats are pushing to establish a reparations committee at the federal level.

Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Texas, and 52 House Democrats proposed legislation last week seeking reparations and a national apology for slavery.

Jessica Chasmar is a digital writer on the politics team for Fox News and Fox Business. Story tips can be sent to Jessica.Chasmar@fox.com.

MY THOUGHTS AFTER THE ARTICLE

It is funny how San Francisco has an African American Reparations Advisory Committee but New York City, New York State or New Orleans,Louisiana or Charlotte, North Carolina do not. Hilarious.
The key note to me is the five million being listed is not about slavery. It is about post war between the state, government policies. In some ways, this may be a framework. No amount of money can repair slavery's damage but the activities post war between the states warrant repair. You can say this is reparations not for slavery but for whites undoing and annihilating Reconstruction.
It is a note that one of the determinates for eligibility is being someone or a descendent of someone incarcerated by the , and I quote, failed war on drugs. For me, I will love the entire Black Descended of Enslaved Christian Church community to apologize for that as well.  New York City , if it was to pay for the failed war on drugs we are talking about twenty million dollars a head. People talk about Riker's Island , that was a war on drugs initiative, Governor Rockefeller's plan. The War on Drugs which most honest Black people knew when initiated, was really an big city/urban initiative to criminalize the residents of black communities in said urban environments while the law enforcement of said urban environments profited from selling or controlling the illegal drug trade in the black community while ignoring the illegal drug trade in the white community in the same cities. The New York Police Department ran the illegal drugs in New York city in the War On Drugs era. It is that siimple. How much are Black people owed in New York City, for the failed war on drugs? But the Black church can not get one penny for they were complicit or aided or abetted in the attack on the remainder of the Black community.
The debt forgiveness to Black homeowners who were abused by the real estate industry is another nice gesture at the least, warranted one hundred percent. It is funny how the united states america has public articles that prove injustice and yet, no money for damages.

ARTICLE URL ; https://www.foxnews.com/politics/san-frans-reparations-committee-proposes-5-million-each-longtime-black-resident-total-debt-forgiveness

(Image: LinkedIn/Karen Hatcher/Screenshot)

ATLANTA BUSINESS CHRONICLE NAMES ARA’S FIRST BLACK WOMAN PRESIDENT AS A ‘WOMAN OF INFLUENCE’
BLACK ENTERPRISE EditorsJanuary 11, 2023

Karen Hatcher, CPM®, CEO of Sovereign Realty + Management, and the 2022 President of Atlanta REALTORS Association, has been recognized for her dedication and commitment to the real estate industry by being named “REALTOR of the Year” for 2022.

She is the first African-American female and African-American-owned company to be awarded this prestigious award since it was established over 60 years ago.

The ARA created the distinguished award in 1960 to recognize the REALTOR® who contributed most to the Association in that calendar year. This recognition is given to those who embody the spirit of the REALTOR®, engage in exemplary civic activity, and show impressive business accomplishments.

Hatcher was the first Black woman to lead the ARA and dedicated her tenure to ensuring that it embraced intentional inclusion with a campaign called “Let’s Dance.” Coined from the phrase, ‘Diversity is being invited to the party, Inclusion is being asked to dance.’ Hatcher focused the organization this year on advancing their strategic plan through inclusion, prioritizing our voices being heard on important real estate industry issues, and working together with industry colleagues, so everyone has a fair chance of attaining The American Dream of home ownership. This would create more housing opportunities and allow future generations to build a legacy of wealth.

In the first six months of Hatcher’s presidency, ARA institution voting rights for local Multicultural Real Estate Affiliate Associations and reinstated that ARA members who actively participate in committees receive voting power. The Multicultural Association representative on ARA’s Board of Directors had their non-voting seats turned into voting seats, enabling the underrepresented constituents a true and full seat at the table on issues impacting communities right now, such as housing affordability, equity, and inclusion. In addition, ARA provided a total of $20,000 to the Multicultural Partner Organizations.

REALTORS are community builders and much more than the transaction. Envisioned by Hatcher in 2021, in 2022, the ARA Board formed the Atlanta REALTORS Impact Foundation (ARIF) to support the awarding of educational scholarships and community charitable giving and received tax-exempt status. $135,000 in funds were donated by ARA to support the Community Excellence Scholarship program and to establish an ARA Care Fund. This year, (10) ten $1,000 scholarships were awarded to local students, and (3) three ARA members in need received a total of $7,500 in Care Funds.

This year marked a momentous occasion for the ARA as their task forces and committees achieved several firsts during Hatcher’s appointment:

The ARA RPAC Subcommittee convened and surpassed their goal for the first time in many, many years, raising a total of $317,450, a 22% increase year over year.
The ARA Diversity Council launched a new initiative that partners new association members with volunteers of diverse backgrounds willing to help them establish stronger connections within ARA.
ARA hosted a virtual interview on The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America to provide members with a greater understanding of the ways government-sanctioned segregation affected housing options and wealth building historically and in the present.
ARA reached a record of 14,193 members in 2022, a 10% increase over the previous year. Atlanta REALTORS Association is now the 19th largest local association in the country.
The newly formed Affordable & Equitable Housing Committee became one of the largest ARA committees ever, with nearly 160 members, followed by the Diversity & Inclusion Advisory Council and Governmental Affairs Committee, with nearly 110 members on each.
ARA donated $10,000 to NAR’s Disaster Relief Fund.
ARA established relationships with entities that provide complementary services and information that is beneficial for our members, including the Home Builders Association, the Urban League, and HouseATL, to name a few.
Karen states, “This year was monumental for our association in a multitude of ways. From my tenure as president to our restructured operations, adding new key personnel, and our astounding committee work.” She continues, “Our focus for 2022 was implementing our strategic plan through acceptance and putting our voices at the forefront of significant real estate industry issues. I am exceedingly proud of our success. Furthermore, our efforts were unwavering in upholding our NAR Code of Ethics.”

Hatcher’s recognition as the “REALTOR of the Year” reflects her dedication to promoting access to equitable home ownership. She is determined to do so through the 2023 key appointments, 2023 NAR Small Broker Chair & 2023 Co-Chair HouseAtl Homeownership Working Group.

URL of Article
https://www.blackenterprise.com/atlanta-business-chronicle-names-aras-first-black-woman-president-as-a-woman-of-influence/

(Image ULU Ventures)

BLACK WOMAN DEVELOPS FINTECH PLATFORM, RAISES $6.2M IN FUNDING
Stacy JacksonJanuary 11, 2023

This entrepreneur is keeping diversity in mind as she builds her platform.

Physician Ami Kumordzie developed a fintech platform with no experience and a mission to connect consumers with IRS-compliant merchants, urging people to invest in improving their health.

According to Forbes, after the Sika Health CEO observed the flaws within the healthcare system while studying at Stanford University School of Medicine, she decided not to go into residency and got her M.B.A. instead.

“My first job was as a management consultant working for healthcare clients at BCG,” she said adding that the analytical position helped her identify the gap in the market.

Kumordzie was inspired to launch Sika Health after her mother was laid off from her hotel job during the pandemic.

“Even though I have worked in healthcare my entire career, I had to scramble and practically become a tax expert to figure out how she [my mother] could spend these funds before she would lose them,” she said.

“About 70 million Americans are enrolled in FSA or HSA accounts, contributing about $150 billion a year,” Kumordzie said, noting the major loss consumers experience from forfeiting their FSA benefits.

“That’s a real tragedy because it is money people could have invested in improving their health,” Kumordzie said.

“We need more ways to save and tools that help stretch our dollars,” she said. “[Using FSA and HSA dollars] effectively means that you’re buying healthcare at 30% off expenses.”

Kumordzie raised $6.2 million in the early stages of funding.

“The goal was to raise $500,000,” she said. “Within weeks, I surpassed my goal and raised $1.2 million.” Kumordzie reached $5 million later during a seed funding round led by Forerunner Ventures representative Brian O’Malley.

“Having a brand like Forerunner as one of our backers makes a big difference when you’re trying to hire,” Kumordzie said. “It makes a big difference when you’re having a hiring conversation and trying to convince someone to leave their high-paying stable job to take a risk on an early-stage business.”

Kumordzie credits her non-traditional background to the success of drawing venture capitalists.

The fintech founder wanted to be able to hire great tech professionals and eventually, Sika Health was able to hire the founding engineer of the payments team at Etsy.

“Sika is on a mission to ensure customers can access and spend their HSA/FSA funds on items they want, when they want, hassle-free,” the website wrote.”

URL of Article
https://www.blackenterprise.com/ghanaian-woman-develops-fintech-platform-raises-6-2m-in-funding/

Screenshot via YouTube/Eleora Beauty,Inc Products

TEEN WHO SUFFERED HAIR LOSS DURING SICKLE CELL TREATMENTS CREATED PRODUCT LINE FOR BLACK HAIR
Stacy JacksonJanuary 11, 2023

Inspired by her childhood experiences, this 15-year-old was motivated to start a business.

After being diagnosed with sickle cell disease when she was eight years old, teen entrepreneur, Eleora Ogundare, created a line of products through Eleora Beauty to help other Black girls and women maintain their hair.

According to CBC News, undergoing chemotherapy and other treatments for the red blood cell disorder caused Ogundare to experience hair loss. Uncertain of other kids’ reactions at her school, who had nice, long hair, Ogundare and her mother decided to make a quick change and cut her hair off.

“I felt, like, naked almost because, the thing that was like giving me confidence, I didn’t have it anymore. I had to cut it all off.”

“The struggle for them is identity, you know, trying to understand why their hair is not as silky as the next person in her class,” said Ogundare’s mother Eugenia, who helps her daughter run the business. “But then having to lose that hair was a whole different ball game altogether.”

Ogundare and her mother invested time in testing a variety of oils, butters, and creams, before they tried out their own formula, the product they used to launch their line for Black hair.

“One of the problems Black women actually face would be the edges, so that’s the first thing we get, that, ‘Oh, it actually works for my edges’,” Ogundare’s mother said.

According to her mother, the products have accumulated lots of positive feedback, with some mothers saying their daughter’s hair became more manageable after using their formulas.

Salon owner Adedoyin Omotara, sells Eleora Beauty products through her company and the Adoniaa Collective at at Westbrook Mall.

Omotara said she understands the pressure Black kids are under as they become more conscious of their environments.

“Especially for younger people, they need to understand that there are products that can actually work for our hair so that they don’t start to put toxic product in their hair, just to want to look like another Sharon on the street or another Anita on the street,” Omotara said.

Ogundare recently cut her hair again and strives to be an example for Black girls to love their hair no matter its length.

URL of Article
https://www.blackenterprise.com/teen-who-suffered-hair-loss-during-sickle-cell-treatments-created-product-line-for-black-hair/
 

MY THOUGHTS BEFORE THE ARTICLE
Fornication has always been the most profitable industry. Why is it so many are determined to disconnect it. 
It can be argued that every website that tries to go against fornication in its publications is financially going against the betterment of the firm. Ford vs Dodge

OnlyFans — the internet platform dominated by 'sexfluencers' — isn't seeing a slowdown even as tech slumps. But it's private. Here are 3 high-growth stocks you can buy

Vishesh Raisinghani
Sun, January 15, 2023 at 9:00 AM EST

Adult entertainment platform OnlyFans seems to be outperforming the rest of the tech sector. Its number of creators and subscribers both grew in recent months, according to the company’s CEO Amrapali "Ami" Gan.

“We’re not seeing any slowdown,” Gan told Axios.

OnlyFans launched in 2016, but its popularity exploded during the pandemic, when celebrities and bored average people alike stuck in quarantine started creating their own accounts and pushing content.

But the rise of “sexfluencers,” or content creators who focus on sex and relationships, offers a fun lesson in market dynamics.

Fictional mobster Tony Soprano once said there were only two businesses that were recession-proof: adult entertainment and “our thing.” Turns out he was right. Recessions push more people into criminal activities, according to researchers at the LSE Centre for Economic Performance. They also boost demand for all forms of adult entertainment, including pornography, alcohol, gambling and tobacco.

The phenomenon is so well-understood that investors and researchers even have a term for it: “sin stocks.” Sin stocks like Anheuser-Busch (NYSE:BUD) and British American Tobacco (NYSE:BTI) outperformed the S&P 500 in 2022 by wide margins.

Meanwhile, OnlyFans seems to have avoided much of the pain spreading across the tech sector. The company announced only one minor round of layoffs in 2022, while media giants like Twitter and Netflix lost up to 50% of their workforce.

In fact, OnlyFans is profitable. Since 2020, the platform has delivered at least $500 million in net earnings to its owner, Leonid Radvinsky. Gan says the number of content creators has expanded to 3 million this year. These “sexfluencers” combine sexual content with traditional online influencer models to generate up to $900,000 a month.

Unfortunately, retail investors are missing out on this entertaining growth story as OnlyFans remains a private company. And that’s not likely to change as Gan says the team is “happy being privately held.” However, there are other ways investors can bet on the adult entertainment sector in 2023.

Strip clubs
RCI Hospitality (NASDAQ:RICK) operates over 40 strip clubs across the country. CEO Eric Langan said the company was “recession-resistant” and that "business is very, very good and we're continuing to run record revenues quarter after quarter.”

Nearly half (45%) of the company’s revenue is derived from alcohol sales, which tend to be marked up in strip clubs. Put simply, the company has pricing power in the midst of a recession and record-high inflation.

In the fourth quarter of 2022, the company reported 29.9% growth in revenue and 71.6% growth in net free cash flow. The stock is up 95.8% since July.

Gambling
Gaming and Leisure Properties Inc. (NASDAQ: GLPI) is a specialized real estate investment trust that owns 57 casinos across 17 states. These casino properties are occupied by well-known brands such as Penn Entertainment, Caesars Entertainment, Boyd Gaming Corporation, Casino Queen, Bally’s and Cordish Companies.

All contracts are “triple-net” leases which puts the company in a favorable position. GLPI stock is up 8.5% over the past year.It trades at 21 times earnings per share and offers a 5.6% dividend yield.

Vice ETF
If you’d rather not pick individual sin stocks, there’s a fund that makes it easier to bet on this phenomenon. AdvisorShares Vice ETF (NYSEARCA: VICE) has over $8.5 million in assets under management and holds sin stocks like Heineken, Monarch Casinos and MGP Ingredients.

The stock is up 6.5% over the past six months.

MY THOUGHTS AFTER THE ARTICLE
Onlyfans is smart to stay private. White Castle was able to act quickly and efficiently during the commonly pandemic. Why? White castle owns its food and distribution system completely. It is a private firm. A family owned business.
I wonder if any of you have any of the stocks mentioned.

URL of the article
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/onlyfans-internet-platform-dominated-sexfluencers-140000198.html
 

Tananarive Due has a new short story collection coming out called The Wishing Pool. 
It is published by brooklyn new york city based akashic books , you can preorder using the link immediately below
https://www.akashicbooks.com/catalog/wishing-pool/

If you want to see a community attempt to design our own book cover for the book, use the forum link in the comment

KWL Live Q&A – Setting Up for Publishing Success: an AMA with the KWL Team
Setting Up for Publishing Success – Looking at the Year Ahead

The Kobo Writing Life team is excited to announce our latest Live Q&A on January 26th, 2022, from 12:00 PM-1:00 PM EST. KWL Director Tara will be chatting with all of our viewers, alongside author engagement manager and KWL podcast co-host Laura, about how to set up for a successful year of publishing in 2023. If you can’t make it to the event, feel free to comment on this post with your questions and we can ask them for you!   

Hi authors!  

In our first live Q&A of the year, we are going to feature Tara, Kobo Writing Life’s director, Laura, author engagement manager, and Rachel, promotions specialist, as they discuss relevant topics and answer questions sent in by all of YOU, our wonderful community of authors, regarding how best to set up for success in the coming year!

This AMA-style chat is a great opportunity to hear about developments at KWL, learn some new tips and tricks, and gain some inspiration for the publishing year ahead.

We’ll be discussing and answering questions related to the following:

How to make the most of your pre-orders
Reaching new readers – with Kobo Plus and OverDrive
Audiobooks and audiobook marketing
Setting up a successful release schedule
New series, new releases, and opportunities for new authors in 2023
Market research – staying ahead of the seasons
And much more!
We will also have time for questions at the end, so be sure to join the live event and bring your questions! And, as always, happy writing.
https://kobowritinglife.com/2023/01/13/kwl-live-qa-setting-up-for-publishing-success-an-ama-with-kwls-director-and-author-engagement-manager/
 

Finding Your Readers: a KWL Recap
elements
Using Patreon as an Indie Author with Lindsay Buroker
Finding Your Ideal Reader with Sue Campbell
Learning the Habits of your Readers with Emma Chase
https://kobowritinglife.com/2022/12/12/finding-your-readers-a-kwl-recap/