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Yahoo
11 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Opinion - How Maryland's governor can reframe the politics of reparations
Maryland's Gov. Wes Moore (D) recently caused a stir in the movement for reparations in his state. The nation's only Black governor, he vetoed a bill to assess the wrongs of slavery and Jim Crow and propose various remedies. The act had been championed by the state legislature and the Black Caucus, and there is even now talk of overriding his veto. However, Maryland's Black political leadership may be overlooking an alternative strategy to address the politics of reparations. It draws inspiration from how America handled the rebuilding of Europe and Japan after World War II. And Moore, as the nation's only sitting Black governor, can reframe the issue's politics and enhance Black community self-governance. He can initiate a summit to establish a development bank for the descendants of slavery and Jim Crow. What follows is a description of how such a bank can benefit the quest for reparations, why Moore was probably wise to veto the state bill and why Maryland is the place to incorporate a 'reparations bank.' After World War II, the U.S. led the effort to establish a development bank to finance the reconstruction of war-torn Europe and Japan. The multilateral initiative was crucial to a broader package of assistance that came to be known as the Marshall Plan. In a similar fashion, Moore can take the lead to charter a bank to finance the reconstruction of distressed Black communities. Beyond the current efforts of advocates to pursue restitution through piecemeal claims, a bank could be a more efficient way to center the creation of Black institutional wealth. Moore could oversee a summit of political leaders and community banking professionals to craft a mission statement for the reparations bank. It could include members of Maryland's legislative Black Caucus, the Congressional Black Caucus and consultants from Black-owned financial institutions like the Harbor Bank of Maryland. The charter would designate the entity under federal regulations for community development financial institutions and Maryland's community banking laws. Though located in Maryland, the fund would invest in worthy projects for moderate-income Black communities across the country. It would be administered by banking professionals and monitored by an independent accounting service. The development bank would primarily seek private donations and corporate depositors and would pool the funds and collaborate with Black-owned banks, credit unions and attuned financial institutions to vet proposals for planning grants, microfinancing and long-term loans. It could invest in small-scale projects in areas such as cooperative housing and stores, community development corporation charter schools, healthcare and infrastructure projects, and programs for occupational training and entrepreneurship. It would have a rotating board of directors selected from dues-paying organizations that represent the foundational Black community — namely, those that suffered the wrongs of slavery and Jim Crow. Moore was wise to veto the state bill. American political culture has changed dramatically since the days of racial justice activism after the 2020 police killing of George Floyd. During that period, advocates for reparations in California, Illinois and New York found sympathetic allies for legislation to study the subject. But even those initiatives skirted the issue of cash reparations in favor of noneconomic measures like a formal apology. Since then, public sentiment has turned against proposals for racial remedy, and especially the use of public funds for restitution. Other than Black Americans, most groups tend to oppose the idea of reparations, and the empathy for the Black Lives Matters movement was short lived, according to the Pew Research Center. And Democratic Party leaders have expressed concern about the effect of identity politics in the presidential election. As such, advocates may need to explore alternative strategies other than lobbying for a public accounting in the states. The development bank proposal would rely on private funding rather than public. The Trump administration is openly dismissive of Black history and its meaning for contemporary justice. On the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution, for example, the president condemned diversity policies in the armed services during a speech at West Point. Yet Trump brushed aside the historic role of 700 Black patriots — free and enslaved — that participated in the founding of the U.S. Army under frigid conditions at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. And, though speaking to cadets during the Memorial Day weekend, he neglected to describe how ex-slaves started the Memorial Day holiday after the Civil War. The first commemoration of American war casualties is believed to have occurred on May 1, 1865. That's when emancipated Black workers unearthed a mass grave of Union soldiers near a Confederate prison in Charleston, South Carolina. They reburied the men in a dignified manner and honored their sacrifices to preserve the Union and to end slavery. Additionally, Maryland is the place to get the ball rolling. In criticizing Moore's veto, the legislative Black Caucus noted that the statehouse in Annapolis is less than a mile from the old slave port at the city dock. Yet Maryland symbolizes far more in Black history and contemporary political culture — foremost, its distinction for a high level of statewide political influence. This trend began in 2022 with the election of Moore as governor and Anthony Brown as attorney general — the first Black leaders elected to those offices in the 237-year history of the 'Free State.' Meanwhile, Angela Alsobrooks extended the momentum in her winning campaign for a U.S. Senate seat last year. Maryland is thus the only state where representatives of a sizable Black community have deep roots in the political culture. As such, it is arguably the symbolic capital of Black America. And as governor, Moore is in a position to host a historic summit for the establishment of a development bank for the descendants of slavery and Jim Crow. Roger House is professor emeritus of American Studies at Emerson College and the author of 'Blue Smoke: The Recorded Journey of Big Bill Broonzy' and 'South End Shout: Boston's Forgotten Music Scene in the Jazz Age.' His forthcoming book is 'Five Hundred Years of Black Self-Governance: A Call to Conscience.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
13 hours ago
- Business
- The Hill
How Maryland's governor can reframe the politics of reparations
Maryland's Gov. Wes Moore (D) recently caused a stir in the movement for reparations in his state. The nation's only Black governor, he vetoed a bill to assess the wrongs of slavery and Jim Crow and propose various remedies. The act had been championed by the state legislature and the Black Caucus, and there is even now talk of overriding his veto. However, Maryland's Black political leadership may be overlooking an alternative strategy to address the politics of reparations. It draws inspiration from how America handled the rebuilding of Europe and Japan after World War II. And Moore, as the nation's only sitting Black governor, can reframe the issue's politics and enhance Black community self-governance. He can initiate a summit to establish a development bank for the descendants of slavery and Jim Crow. What follows is a description of how such a bank can benefit the quest for reparations, why Moore was probably wise to veto the state bill and why Maryland is the place to incorporate a 'reparations bank.' After World War II, the U.S. led the effort to establish a development bank to finance the reconstruction of war-torn Europe and Japan. The multilateral initiative was crucial to a broader package of assistance that came to be known as the Marshall Plan. In a similar fashion, Moore can take the lead to charter a bank to finance the reconstruction of distressed Black communities. Beyond the current efforts of advocates to pursue restitution through piecemeal claims, a bank could be a more efficient way to center the creation of Black institutional wealth. Moore could oversee a summit of political leaders and community banking professionals to craft a mission statement for the reparations bank. It could include members of Maryland's legislative Black Caucus, the Congressional Black Caucus and consultants from Black-owned financial institutions like the Harbor Bank of Maryland. The charter would designate the entity under federal regulations for community development financial institutions and Maryland's community banking laws. Though located in Maryland, the fund would invest in worthy projects for moderate-income Black communities across the country. It would be administered by banking professionals and monitored by an independent accounting service. The development bank would primarily seek private donations and corporate depositors and would pool the funds and collaborate with Black-owned banks, credit unions and attuned financial institutions to vet proposals for planning grants, microfinancing and long-term loans. It could invest in small-scale projects in areas such as cooperative housing and stores, community development corporation charter schools, healthcare and infrastructure projects, and programs for occupational training and entrepreneurship. It would have a rotating board of directors selected from dues-paying organizations that represent the foundational Black community — namely, those that suffered the wrongs of slavery and Jim Crow. Moore was wise to veto the state bill. American political culture has changed dramatically since the days of racial justice activism after the 2020 police killing of George Floyd. During that period, advocates for reparations in California, Illinois and New York found sympathetic allies for legislation to study the subject. But even those initiatives skirted the issue of cash reparations in favor of noneconomic measures like a formal apology. Since then, public sentiment has turned against proposals for racial remedy, and especially the use of public funds for restitution. Other than Black Americans, most groups tend to oppose the idea of reparations, and the empathy for the Black Lives Matters movement was short lived, according to the Pew Research Center. And Democratic Party leaders have expressed concern about the effect of identity politics in the presidential election. As such, advocates may need to explore alternative strategies other than lobbying for a public accounting in the states. The development bank proposal would rely on private funding rather than public. The Trump administration is openly dismissive of Black history and its meaning for contemporary justice. On the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution, for example, the president condemned diversity policies in the armed services during a speech at West Point. Yet Trump brushed aside the historic role of 700 Black patriots — free and enslaved — that participated in the founding of the U.S. Army under frigid conditions at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. And, though speaking to cadets during the Memorial Day weekend, he neglected to describe how ex-slaves started the Memorial Day holiday after the Civil War. The first commemoration of American war casualties is believed to have occurred on May 1, 1865. That's when emancipated Black workers unearthed a mass grave of Union soldiers near a Confederate prison in Charleston, South Carolina. They reburied the men in a dignified manner and honored their sacrifices to preserve the Union and to end slavery. Additionally, Maryland is the place to get the ball rolling. In criticizing Moore's veto, the legislative Black Caucus noted that the statehouse in Annapolis is less than a mile from the old slave port at the city dock. Yet Maryland symbolizes far more in Black history and contemporary political culture — foremost, its distinction for a high level of statewide political influence. This trend began in 2022 with the election of Moore as governor and Anthony Brown as attorney general — the first Black leaders elected to those offices in the 237-year history of the 'Free State.' Meanwhile, Angela Alsobrooks extended the momentum in her winning campaign for a U.S. Senate seat last year. Maryland is thus the only state where representatives of a sizable Black community have deep roots in the political culture. As such, it is arguably the symbolic capital of Black America. And as governor, Moore is in a position to host a historic summit for the establishment of a development bank for the descendants of slavery and Jim Crow. Roger House is professor emeritus of American Studies at Emerson College and the author of 'Blue Smoke: The Recorded Journey of Big Bill Broonzy' and 'South End Shout: Boston's Forgotten Music Scene in the Jazz Age.' His forthcoming book is 'Five Hundred Years of Black Self-Governance: A Call to Conscience.'
Black America Web
17 hours ago
- Business
- Black America Web
Pastor Jamal Bryant Calls For Electronic Boycott of Dollar General For DEI Rollbacks
Source: Bossip/Getty Images After a months-long boycott of Target over the rollback of DEI initiatives, Pastor Jamal Bryant now calls for a boycott of another major retailer. The pastor of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church revealed exclusively to USA Today that he is calling for an electronic boycott of Dollar General, saying that the company had 'walked away from DEI.' 'Target is canceled since they have betrayed and walked away from our community, and we've gone on from there,' Bryant said. 'We're done with Target, and then our next focus will be around Dollar General.' RELATED: Unlike the Target boycotts, Bryant is not calling for his congregation to stop shopping at the store because 'a lot of our family members in rural communities are at the hands of Dollar General because of food deserts that bring a whole other conversation.' Instead, Bryant is calling for a massive campaign consisting of mass telephone calls, emails, and the use of social media to pressure Dollar General to reinstate its DEI initiatives. 'Like other corporations, Dollar General has bowed to pressure from the Trump administration and rolled back their diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives,' Bryant said. 'Dollar General also needs to be held accountable for failing to invest in the very Black and low-income communities that make up the backbone of their customer base. This isn't just a corporate retreat − it's a betrayal of the people they profit from.' Bryant's group is calling for the retailer to restore and strengthen DEI infrastructure, create a community reinvestment fund, expand contracts to Black-owned vendors, and address systemic racism within the company. The new boycott follows a long-standing boycott of Target stores, which was prompted by its decision to roll back DEI initiatives. On May 25, New Birth and more than 50 other Black churches around the country organized peaceful protests outside Target stores to coincide with the 5th anniversary of George Floyd's murder in Minneapolis. The effort was a continuation of a 'Target Fast' to pressure the Minnesota-based retailer to reinstate the DEI initiatives it launched following Floyd's death. Since that boycott began, Newsweek reports a 3 percent drop in Target's sales compared to the first quarter of last year. CEO Brian Cornell admits that the drop is due to 'ongoing pressure in our discretionary business, plus five consecutive months of declining consumer confidence, tariff uncertainty and the reaction to the updates we shared on belonging in January.' SEE ALSO Pastor Jamal Bryant Calls For Electronic Boycott of Dollar General For DEI Rollbacks was originally published on Black America Web Featured Video CLOSE
Eater
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Eater
TikTok's Most Popular New Cinnamon Rolls Are Drawing Massive Lines in Pasadena
Since Badash Bakes opened its doors on April 29, sweets enthusiasts have found a consistent line out the door on Colorado Boulevard, just east of Marengo Avenue. One social media influencer reported over an hour-and-a-half wait for Cunningham's traditional and beautiful ceremonial grade-matcha cinnamon rolls, coffee, matcha lattes, red velvet cake, banana bread loaf, blueberry muffins, brownies, and banana pudding. Cunningham also offers 10 different cookie varieties, such as s'mores, toffee chocolate chip, matcha, and a slightly salty and sweet cornbread. Staff frequently bring out freshly baked goods to the display case, but most still sell out. 'We sell out of cinnamon rolls every day,' says founder and pastry chef Ashley Cunningham. 'We sell out of cookies most days. Last week, someone came in and said, 'Whatever you have, I'll just take the rest.'' And in mid-May, an unofficial passing of Los Angeles's Black-owned bakery torch was underway at Badash Bakes. Sweet Red Peach's legendary owner, Karolyn Plummer, visited Southern California's hottest bakery and introduced herself to Cunningham. Plummer opened her Pasadena outlet for Sweet Red Peach in late March, but doesn't see Badash Bakes as competition. 'She is so genuine with a sweet spirit, and a passion for baking,' says Plummer. 'It's inspiring for anyone to follow their dreams, especially at such a young age (Cunningham is 29). Ashley reminds me of when I started baking at [that age].' (Plummer has just turned 55.) Cunningham, who grew up in Lakeview Terrace near Sylmar, started competing in culinary competitions during high school and won a scholarship to the Art Institute of North Hollywood, earning a degree in Culinary Arts. After that, she worked at Katsuya in Glendale before transitioning into work as a private chef for three years. In her work with clients like filmmaker Jordan Peele and NBA player Karl-Anthony Towns, she started making waves on social media for her cooking. Drawn to the quieter element of being a pastry chef, Cunningham started baking from an industrial kitchen in November 2023 until late 2024. Her followers started buying them immediately. 'I amassed a large following on TikTok,' says Cunningham about her nearly 600,000 followers. 'People love to see what famous people are eating. They followed me through the transition to baking and shipping cookies all over the country.' Cunningham ceased cookie shipping operations after signing a lease directly across the street from the Paseo retail mall and working with Nicole Rangel to design the bakery. From day one, Badash Bakes has remained busy — it will host a grand opening on Saturday, May 31. Badash joins a rush of Southern California Black-owned bakeries that opened in recent years, including Fleurs et Sel in West Adams, View Park-Windsor Hills' Creme Brulee LA, Culver City's Lei'd Cookies and Des Croissants, and the forthcoming brick-and-mortar location for All About the Cinnamon in Sherman Oaks. Cunningham is overwhelmed and asks for patience from those waiting for sweets, but is also grateful for the support. 'I'm so proud of everyone. Sweet Red Peach's owner came in yesterday, and they were so supportive and kind. We need these spaces with faces that look like us, and owners who look like us. It's such a positive thing,' says Cunningham. Sign up for our newsletter.
Miami Herald
2 days ago
- Business
- Miami Herald
Dollar General suffers major boycott from customers
Last year, Dollar General (DG) began to join a controversial workplace trend that has corporate America up in arms. The discount retail chain fired its chief diversity officer at a time when large retailers such as Lowe's, Tractor Supply, and Harley-Davidson were cutting their diversity, equity, and inclusion policies amid consumer boycott threats. Don't miss the move: Subscribe to TheStreet's free daily newsletter Dollar General then quietly removed language from its 10-K filing in March that stated it was investing in its "diverse teams through development, empowerment and inclusion" as one of its "long-term operating priorities." Related: Dollar General CEO flags alarming shift in customer behavior The move from Dollar General came after President Donald Trump issued an executive order in January dismantling the federal government's DEI programs. In the executive order, he claimed that the programs enforce "illegal and immoral discrimination." In response to Dollar General's recent cuts to DEI, it is now facing a major boycott from consumers, which has started immediately. The boycott is being organized by the Rev. Jamal-Harrison Bryant, a pastor from Atlanta who organized a 40-day Target boycott earlier this year after the retailer scaled back several DEI initiatives. He said that Dollar General "walked away from DEI and has said absolutely nothing," according to a recent report from USA Today. The Dollar General boycott will involve flooding the retail chain's email and phone lines with requests to reinstate and strengthen its DEI initiatives. The protest will also be promoted through a widespread social media campaign. Related: Target CEO admits a major mistake amid boycotts from customers Bryant specifically wants Dollar General to tackle systemic racism within its corporate culture, expand contracts to Black-owned vendors, and create a community reinvestment fund. "Like other corporations, Dollar General has bowed to pressure from the Trump administration and rolled back their diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives," said Bryant in an interview with USA Today. "Dollar General also needs to be held accountable for failing to invest in the very Black and low-income communities that make up the backbone of their customer base. This isn't just a corporate retreat − it's a betrayal of the people they profit from." He said that he understands that not all consumers may be able to boycott the company's physical stores due to the fact that Dollar General is present in rural communities that represent "food deserts." The Dollar General boycott follows Target's similar experience - it suffered a significant drop in foot traffic shortly after it scaled back its DEI policies in January and faced boycotts as a result. According to recent data from foot traffic in Target stores started to decline during the week of Jan. 27, and the trend continued over the next two months. More Retail: Costco quietly plans to offer a convenient service for customersT-Mobile pulls the plug on generous offer, angering customersKellogg sounds alarm on unexpected shift in customer behavior In February, foot traffic in Target stores shrank by 9% year-over-year. In March, Target's foot traffic showed a slight improvement, but it still declined by 6.50%, compared to the same month last year. When Bryant launched his 40-day boycott of Target in March, he claimed in an interview with CNN that the retailer "turned their back" on the Black community and that Black people deserve "some loyalty, some decency, and some camaraderie," as they spend over $12 million a day. Amid recent boycotts, Target revealed in its first-quarter earnings report for 2025 that its comparable store sales decreased by 3.8% year-over-year. Specifically, the number of transactions in stores dipped by 2.4%, while the average amount of money customers spent per transaction declined by roughly 1.4%. Related: Veteran fund manager unveils eye-popping S&P 500 forecast The Arena Media Brands, LLC THESTREET is a registered trademark of TheStreet, Inc.
