News — black brilliance

June 18th, 1964, was a powerful yet little talked about moment in the history of the United States, and an especially important one in civil rights movement. 

On this day, a white hotel manager was photographed as he poured acid into a pool where white and black activists had integrated to protest segregation.

Together with the other protests and demonstrations in the summer of 1964  known as the St. Augustine Movement, this event at the pool in St. Augustine, Florida was so powerful that it changed the course of history, bringing more resolute action towards the plight of black people.

On June 11, 1964, a week before the event, civil rights icon, Martin Luther King, Jr. was arrested for trespassing at the Monson Motor Lodge after being asked to leave its segregated restaurant. According to historians, King used the “confrontation as an opportunity to publicize both the non-violent approach used by civil rights activists and the desperate discrimination against black people that persisted across the city”.

King’s arrest, his only time in the state of Florida, spurred a series of protests and confrontations between activists, police, and segregationists, one of which was a ‘swim-in’ demonstration. King and his two associated planned the ‘swim-in’ at the same lodge that refused to admit him at its restaurant. 

White activists paid for motel rooms and invited black people to join them as their guests in the “whites only” pool. The motel manager, Jimmy Brock, allegedly furious with King’s earlier protest and now the ‘swim-in’, poured a bottle of muriatic acid, an undiluted hydrochloric acid used to clean pools, into the pool, hoping the swimmers would become scared and leave.

Brock apparently exclaimed, “I’m cleaning [the] pool!” as he poured the acid, a move captured by journalists and photographers who had gotten word of the demonstration and were onsite.

NPR interviewed two of the “swim-in” protesters, J.T. Johnson and Al Lingo, when they were 76 and 78, respectively. The two recalled that the hotel manager, Brock had ‘lost it”.

“Everybody was kind of caught off guard,” J.T. said.

“The girls, they were most frightened, and we moved to the center of the pool,” Al added.

“I tried to calm the gang down. I knew that there was too much water for that acid to do anything,” J.T. said.

Historians say that one swimmer, who knew that the ratio of acid to pool water was too little to be a threat drank some of the pool water to calm the other swimmers’ fears. Though some of them were scared, they did not back out of their demonstration. In fact, a cop had to jump in to arrest the protesters.

“When they [dragged] us out in bathing suits and carried us out to the jail, they wouldn’t feed me because they said I didn’t have on any clothes. I said, ‘Well, that’s the way you locked me up!’,” J.T. explained.

The Aftermath Of The Swim-In

Historians say, “the aftermath of Dr. King’s arrest and the swim-in demonstration was both swift and powerful”. Once lawmakers and public officials saw images from the “swim-in” among other protest activities in the St. Augustine Movement, public outcry for action intensified and officials could no longer feign ignorance.

In fact, on the following day, the Civil Rights Act was approved, after an 83-day filibuster in the U.S. Senate.

“That had not happened before in this country, that some man is pouring acid on people in the swimming pool,” J.T. said. “I’m not so sure the Civil Rights Act would have been passed had [there] not been a St. Augustine. It was a milestone. We was young, and we thought we’d done something — and we had.”

On July 1, 1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964, effectively making “discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin” unlawful.

An infamous White Supremacist shop and museum in South Carolina that was also the meeting place of the Ku Klux Klan and was once regarded as the “World’s Only Klan Museum”, is set to be converted into a community center in an effort to educate and combat racial injustice.

The project is being spearheaded by Rev. David Kennedy, pastor of the New Beginning Missionary Baptist Church, and Regan Freeman. The two are the founders of the Echo Project – a “nonprofit dedicated to healing racial division and standing against hatred through dialogue, empathy, and understanding.”

Formerly known as the Redneck Shop, the establishment, which is situated on the same building as the now-closed and previously segregated Echo Theater in downtown Laurens, was opened in 1996 until it was forced to ultimately shut down in 2012, according to CNN. The shop once sold White nationalist and neo-Nazi paraphernalia as well as Confederate memorabilia and Klan attire.

“We don’t want to just have a museum to tell this story, the struggle for justice, and the fight against the Klan, but we also want to detail what happened here to make sure it never happens again,” Freeman told the news outlet. “The Echo Theater went from being a segregated movie theater to a literal Klan’s store to being in the possession of a Black minister, and it is about to become a place for reconciliation, justice and healing.”

Following the opening of the shop in 1996 by its previous owners and KKK members, John Howard and Michael Burden, Kennedy actively and vehemently protested against its operation and called for its closure – an action that put him in the bad books of the KKK. The Klan members even contemplated killing him at a certain point.

Things, however, took a very positively shocking turn when Kennedy surprisingly became friends with Burden after the latter had a dispute with his former partner, Howard. Kennedy told CNN he offered Burden security as well as accommodation and food for him and his family despite his background. Their unlikely friendship inspired the 2018 true-life movie, Burden.

After the two established their friendship, Burden, in need of cash, sold the property’s deed to Kennedy and his church, The Post and Courier reported. Burden had earlier become the owner of the property in 1997. A clause in the deed agreement, however, stated Kennedy was prohibited from doing anything to the property until Howard passed away.

The shop was, however, forced to close in 2012 after a judge declared Kennedy and his church as the rightful owners of the property following a 15-year court battle between the preacher and Howard.

With that being sorted, Kennedy later set his sights at transforming the shop, with Freeman eventually partnering with him. The two have so far raised over $375,000 to convert the building into a community center. Upon completion, the new establishment will showcase paraphernalia and memorabilia from the Redneck Shop, as well as set up educational classrooms, all with the aim of fostering remembrance and reconciliation, CNN reported.

Before returning to Mali to establish Lenali in 2017, a voice-based social media app, Mamadou Gouro Sidibé was working at the French National Center for Scientific Research.

As lucrative as his job was, Sidibé identified a gap in the digital space in his native country, where social media platforms are not accessible to the uneducated or illiterates.

The idea to develop Lenali came to him when a grocery store owner pleaded with him to read a Viber message he had received because he couldn’t read. “That’s when it clicked: I’m running after tools that are not understood yet,” Sidibé told Los Angeles Times.

To make the app accessible to those without formal education, Lenali is integrated with local languages such as Bambara, Soninke, Songhai, Mooré and Wolof as well as French. Also, it is recognized as the world’s first voice-based network available in multiple West African languages, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Sidibé, an IT engineer by profession, said the app has the potential to change the way business is done in West Africa. He told Africa Renewal Magazine the overriding aim of his app is to also increase inclusion in Mali and Africa as a whole. “The problems in Mali are the same in the majority of countries in Africa, the app could work anywhere, and in the future, we can add many languages,” he said.

Mali has a population of 18 million with less than 50% of them being literates, according to UNESCO. This means that not many Malians can read or write, thereby limiting their ability to use the internet. For instance, despite the popularity of Facebook in West Africa, its penetration in Mali is less than 12%.

Social groups such as the National Network for the Development of Young Girls and Women of Mali, are using Lenali for social mobilization. “An essential part of the information we publicize is about reproductive health, gender-based violence and literacy,” said Hawa Niakate and Aminata Camara, who work for the organization. “We use Lenali social network to reach everyone.”

A Lenali user, Ada, said she advertises services and produce such as vegetables on the platform. She records her voice in a local language and posts the messages on the platform, with the goal to reach scores of users.

There are already existing apps like Viber that allows people to communicate by recording voice. But what sets Lenali apart is the fact that users can build a profile using audio.

So far, the app has over 50,000 users, mainly from Mali and part of the diaspora. Sidibé is, however, optimistic that the app will reach millions of people across the continent in the near future. He recently recalled the challenges he encountered in creating the app, noting Mali had no incubators to assist early startups. “Perhaps my projects would have been more successful with the support of an incubator,” he said.

Dr. Charis Chambers idolizes her big brother, Dr. Wesley C. Chambers. Recently, the pair finally got to perform surgery together at their family practice headed by their father, Dr. Crandall Chambers. The brother-sister duo took sibling goals to the next level as they performed a laparoscopic hysterectomy on a patient together.

An ecstatic Dr. Charis shared the moment on Instagram, saying, “Getting to do surgery on any day is an amazing experience. Getting to do surgery with my brother- even more amazing!”

The family practice, Chambers OBGYN in Columbus, GA., is where the three work. Their mother, Charlette Chambers, who passed away in 2017 from cancer, managed the office for 15 years before her passing. The family practically share the same passion and are there to support one another at work and at home.

“This week I got to perform a complex laparoscopic procedure with my brother, Dr. Wesley C. Chambers,” Dr. Charis wrote after the surgery with her brother. “His presence, partnership, and support throughout the case were literally the best gift that he has ever given me as his sister.

“I thank God for the opportunity to surgically treat my patients in need, and especially for the opportunity to do so with family by my side,”  she added.

According to BOTWC, Dr. Charis, Dr. Wesley and Dr. Crandall are all Board certified OBGYNs. Dr. Charis gives all the credit to her father for inspiring her and her brother to follow in his footsteps.

“My father was the first physician that I ever knew and he spoke to us often about his work. I loved how passionate he was about serving his patients and improving their lives with medical or surgical treatment”, she said.

Dr. Charis said this family legacy was made possible by their alma matters.

“We literally wouldn’t be here without our HBCUs. After graduating from Morehouse College, my Dad went on to attend Meharry College of Medicine. It was there that he decided to pursue a career in Obstetrics and Gynecology,” she wrote on Instagram.

As the home is the first place of socialization for every child and the formative years most often determine the outcome of the child, it is a delight to see Black families making waves for all the right reasons. Black parents ought to be the best role models for their children.  

Justin Volpe, the cop accused of beating and sodomizing Haitian immigrant, Abner Louima, in 1997, is asking for an early release after contracting COVID-19 in prison. Volpe sodomized Louima with a jagged wooden handle in August 1997 after claiming that Louima had punched him during a fight at East Flatbush, Brooklyn’s popular Club Rendez-Vous, Daily News reported.

Louima was arrested amid the fight that broke out, and reports said Volpe assaulted him while in the police car after the arrest. Volpe assaulted him again later that night at the police station. He then went ahead to sodomize a handcuffed Louima with the wood handle from either a broomstick or plunger, trial testimony and witnesses said. Authorities never found the instrument.

Louima, who claimed he was repeatedly called “n—-r” during the attack and was left bleeding on the floor of a cell, spent two months in a hospital after surgery for his injuries. Reports said he suffered a ruptured colon and bladder, and his teeth were destroyed in the attack. When news of the attack broke, mass protests were held in the U.S.

Volpe, who has since been at a federal prison in Texas for 21 years over the incident, now wants an early release. “I tested positive for COVID-19 and had several symptoms. No medical treatment of any kind was provided or offered,” Volpe wrote in a release filing on his own behalf.

“Please let me have the chance to meet any needs with private insurance and at home with my family’s love.”

Louima now lives in Miami. He said even though he has forgiven Volpe, he will never forget the attack. He believes that it is up to the justice system to decide whether or not to release Volpe. “It’s so many years after the crime. Twenty-one years is not 21 days. I think at least he’s spent enough time thinking about his actions,” Louima told Daily News.

Former Miss USA 2008 winner Crystle Stewart will become the national director of the Miss USA and Miss Teen USA pageant system, making her the first Black person to ever hold the licensing rights to the pageants, Good Morning America reported Wednesday.

“I’m so thrilled and I’m so excited for the new things and new ideas that I want to bring to the Miss USA system,” Stewart said in an interview with Good Morning America.

The former titleholder, actress and entrepreneur said she will work assiduously to boost the brand, saying it would be like “UFC times America’s Next Top Model times the presidential elections. That’d be the new Miss USA.”

Since its founding in 1952, Miss Universe and Miss USA have always been run by the Miss Universe Organization. For the first time, the two have separated management, a report noted. “In this political climate, the racial injustice, I hope being this African American for this national company inspires and influences women like myself of different colors and races, and also men as well, to pursue your dreams without fault and with confidence and go for it and reach higher and larger,” Stewart said.

The first pageant that will take place under the former beauty queen’s leadership will be Miss USA 2021 and Miss Teen USA 2021.

Stewart became Miss USA in 2008 and went on to become an actress and model. She featured in various projects including Acrimony directed by Tyler Perry, For Better or Worse and Too Close to Home. She is also behind the Miss Academy, a pageant training school with her husband Max Sebrechts in Houston. The actress and entrepreneur is now set to take on her new leadership role for the Miss USA and Miss Teen USA pageant system.

Miss Universe Organization president Paula Shugart said Stewart exemplifies the best qualities in a Miss USA. “…I am so excited for the women who will grow under her guidance and mentorship, and for our state directors, who will have a loyal partner in Crystle,” said Shugart in an Instagram post, further explaining Stewart’s role.

“Crystle will be a licensee just as we have licensees all around the world. We have been working on this for quite a while and I am excited it has become a reality.”

Dr. Earl Campbell III and his family are family goals by all standards. They are not your average Black family and they trump the stereotypical frame that society projects onto Blacks. Campbell III is a gastroenterologist. His father, Earl Campbell Jr. MD, is a pulmonologist and his mother, Hope Campbell, is a pharmacist. Campbell’s sister, Laurielle Campbell, JD, is an attorney and his wife, Thomia Campbell, is a dentist. To top it, Campbell III is the first Black Advanced Endoscopy fellow from Yale University.

Campbell’s parents are originally from Jamaica, but he was born in Barbados while his father was doing his residency.

The family migrated to the United States and then finally settled in Nashville. According to Campbell III, Nashville is his hometown. The celebrated doctor initially wanted to be a veterinarian and enrolled at Howard University to pursue Veterinary Medicine for his undergrad. His plans took a different turn after stints in a research lab influenced him to branch into medicine.

The death of his aunt from breast cancer during freshman year cemented his decision to branch into medicine. He had several internships with reputable institutions like John Hopkins while at school. His parents were the best role models for him because their achievements showed him that he could also be whomever he aspires to be regardless of his skin color.

“My parents have always been my role models, and I loved that they never pushed us to follow a certain career path,” Campbell told BOTWC.

After completing medical school, Campbell III knew he wanted to specialize in internal medicine and was torn between Cardiology, Pulmonology and Gastroenterology. Per his interview on Surviving Medicine, he went with the latter.

It took 12 years of post-college medical training to get to where he is now but Campbell III said it’s all worth it because as he rightfully captioned one of his Instagram posts, “Magnify your skills so you don’t have to modify your dreams.”

As a family man who got the best foundation from his home, he now knows it’s okay to dream big and work assiduously to achieve those dreams and that is exactly the kind of parenting he and his wife Thomia are giving to their two lovely children.

“We want our kids to pursue what they are passionate about because the road can be long and arduous, but it’s so much sweeter if you truly enjoy what you are doing,” he said.

He added that it is a blessing that he gets to continue his family legacy and his children can grow up knowing they can be whatever they want to be.

The family photo taken during Campbell III’s graduation from Yale at the height of the pandemic in June brought smiles to many faces. “What do you call a Gastroenterologist, Pharmacist, Pulmonologist, Dentist, and Attorney?…Family.” That was the caption for the photo.

Interestingly all the four men in Campbell III’s family have the same first, middle and last name. His grandfather is Earl V. Campbell Sr. His father is Earl V. Campbell Jr. He is Earl V. Campbell III and his son, Earl V. Campbell IV.

Campbell III and his family continue to serve as an inspiration to many Black families and his goal is to mentor as many people of color as he can. He has already started doing that through his social media handles and with some of his colleagues and organizations that fight for diversity and inclusion in the field of medicine.

Nigerian-British scientist Dr. Maggie Aderin-Pocock won the 2020 William Thomson, Lord Kelvin Medal and Prize for her “exceptional services to science education and physics communication” this October, according to the Institute of Physics. This made her the first Black woman to win a gold medal in the award’s history. Aderin-Pocock was diagnosed with dyslexia at the age of eight but she never let go of her dream to be a scientist and worked to see it to fruition.

“Imagine a dyslexic from London meeting the queen of England. It’s mind-boggling stuff, but that shows how much potential you have.” These were the words of the renowned physics scientist when she was honored as a Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE) in 2009 for her work as a science communicator, breaking down complex scientific issues into simple information that everyone can understand, and for her outreach to young people.

According to BOTWC, the celebrated scientist was also awarded a Science and Technology Facilities Council Science in Society Fellowship and also earned the title of president-elect of the British Science Association. 

She is an author of two popular science books called “Dr. Maggie’s Grand Tour of the Solar System” and “The Sky at Night: book of the Moon – A Guide to Our Closest Neighbour.”

Her outstanding work to get more children and women into the sciences cannot go unnoticed. Aderin-Pocock has interacted with over 100,000 young people from diverse backgrounds teaching them the simplest ways to understand physics space research and physics engagement in general.

She did not always have it easy in school because of her dyslexia. She moved between 13 different schools before age 18. It was her passion for science that opened doors for her.

“I was lucky because I got inspired by science, and I had an aptitude for it,” she told The Yale Center for Dyslexia and Creativity.

“Because science was an interest and a passion, I started reading about the subject.  I was reading about it in school and I was reading about it at home. Suddenly my marks kept going up and up and up and I was at the top of the class.”

Her father wanted her to be a doctor, but Aderin-Pocock gravitated towards physics. To her, “physics is the study of everything.” She is a more “hands-on” scientist and as a teenager, she made her first telescope to help her get closer to the stars she has loved since she was little.

“For me this was the first instrument I made, and it was fantastic because I made it with my own hands, and it got me closer to the stars I loved.”

Aderin-Pocock graduated from the Imperial College of London with a bachelor’s degree in Physics and in 1994, she graduated from the same school with a PhD in the Department of Mechanical Engineering.

The kind of support she received from her father is the same kind of energy and support Aderin-Pocock gives to her mentees. She is particular about getting more women and people from ethnic minorities into science.

The STEM advocate has worked on several documentaries and has been presenting a documentary on autonomy for BBC, The Sky at Night, since 2013. She has made it her life’s mission to teach young people about the importance of scientific research by making her work comprehensible and entertaining.

The Deputy General Director of Ethiopia Space Science and Technology Institute (ESSTI), Yishrun Alemayehu, confirmed the Horn of Africa nation successfully launched its second Chinese-backed satellite into space on Tuesday, Xinhua News Agency confirmed.

Named ET-Smart-RSS, the satellite, which was blasted into orbit from the China Wenchang spacecraft launch site, is equipped with highly advanced resolutions and has the capabilities to capture much clearer pictures, Alemayehu said.

“Preliminary design was conducted in Ethiopia, while detailed and technical works were undertaken in collaboration with Chinese experts in China through zooming and other platforms,” he told state-owned newspaper, the Ethiopian Herald. “The 8.9 kilograms nano satellite is a great achievement of Ethiopia in a number of ways. The institute will keep on working to further strengthen the effort in technology transfer and human development.”

Alemayehu also said the government of China paid about $1.5 million in manufacturing costs. The Horn of Africa nation successfully launched its first-ever satellite – the ETRSS-1 – into space in December 2019 in what the country’s space exploration chief said he hoped marked a new dawn in space technology opportunities in the country at the time.

The 72-kg multi-spectral satellite, which was also designed by both Chinese and Ethiopian engineers and is reportedly 700km from the earth, uses a remote sensing microsatellite to monitor weather patterns resources and to forecast the weather for the purposes of better agricultural planning, drought early warning, mining activities and forestry management, Xinhua News Agency reported.

Speaking to Reuters after the first launch, the head of the Ethiopian Space Science and Technology Institute, Solomon Belay, said he believes the satellite spells new opportunities for the East African powerhouse.

“Space is food, space is job creation, a tool for technology… sovereignty, to reduce poverty, everything for Ethiopian to achieve universal and sustainable development,” Belay said.

The Chinese government also sponsored about $6 million of the over $7 million project. Ethiopia plans to launch 15 satellites between the next 10-15 years.

The African Union has encouraged more African countries to look into the opportunities space technology provides for environmental and economic benefits.

Seenah Mischel was in awe the first time she saw a Black female firefighter as a child. Today, she is the first and only Black female firefighter and officer in Erie, Pennsylvania.

The power of representation cannot be overemphasized because seeing someone with who you share cultural and physical features doing great things works incredibly on the human psyche, especially that of children.

Mischel said seeing the Black woman firefighter in her hometown Buffalo was an eye-opener and from that point, she knew she wanted to be just like the firefighter. Interestingly, she did not get into the profession after college. She worked briefly with the US Army and relocated to Erie before the stars began to align.

A recruitment commercial was all it took to rekindle the childhood dream of fighting fires and saving lives. The advertisement specifically stated that they were in need of women and minority firefighters. Mischel said, “It was perfect” and she registered applied immediately.

According to Democrat & Chronicle, Mischel made history in 2010 as Erie’s first Black female firefighter after successfully completing her testing. Admittedly with no knowledge of what it entails to be a firefighter, she was helped by her teammates with hours of training.

Joe Walko, her former teammate, and the current Erie fire chief attest to Mischel’s dedication and willpower.

“She was always a go-getter,” he said. “We taught her the ins and outs and had a great time. I think we broke her in well.”

Mischel tested for a lieutenant position and after returning an overseas deployment with the U.S. Air Force Reserves, she was greeted with the news of her confirmation, making her the first Black female officer on the Erie Bureau of Fire, stationed out of Engine Co. 8.

“It’s very exciting. I swear it feels like the best job in the world,” said Mischel.

“I feel like I wasted time not going for it sooner. I can kick myself now, I guess, for wasting time. Because once I got into it I was so happy and fulfilled I can’t imagine myself doing anything else.”

Out of 134 crew members at the Erie Bureau of Fire, there are only four female firefighters now at the station and the 42-year-old is the only Black female fighter at her station. Just as she was inspired by a Black woman firefighter as a child, she admits to seeing the same light in the eyes of young Black girls who see her.

Although she has never met the woman in Buffalo, that glimpse of a future she could have has stayed with her and she considers her to be a role model, Mischel aspires to be the reason someone will join the bureau one day.

“Sometimes I do see those looks I gave [the Black woman firefighter in my hometown] when I was a kid. I see it in the eyes of kids when they stop and look at me, never realizing that firefighters on the job are someone who looks like them,” Mischel said. 

This job to the new officer was not to make a statement or a challenge. According to her, it was not in a bid to prove herself or anything she went for it because she is up for the task plus the added benefit of saving lives and supporting others along the way. She says “it’s rewarding.”

The Mayor of Pennsylvania is on a mission to increase diversity in public safety forces. The Erie fire chief Walko has plans of liaising with Mischel to recruit more minorities to enable the Mayor’s vision to become a reality because there may be more females and minorities in the city with the hopes of becoming firefighters who just need the motivation they intend to offer.

In a unanimous decision by the clergy and lay faithful of the Episcopal Diocese of Chicago, Rev. Canon Paula E. Clark is now the Bishop-elect of the diocese. This makes her the first Black bishop and the first woman to head the diocese and the 13th elected bishop.

On December 12, the Electing Convention was held on Zoom and Clark was one of four candidates slated for the position. Her win came as a surprise to her and she is happy to lead the diocese of Chicago while breaking glass ceilings along the way.

“I’m just honored to be among those who are breaking the glass ceiling and providing opportunities and examples for younger women,” Clark said.

“I am overwhelmed. I’m humbled and filled with so much joy, people of the diocese of Chicago. I can hardly believe it,” Clark told the convention.

The Washington, DC native was baptized at the age of 10 into the Episcopal Church after her family could not integrate into the Baptist church. According to a press release, she was baptized by Bishop John Walker, the first Black dean of Washington National Cathedral and first Black bishop of the Diocese of Washington.

The 1960s was riddled with social unrest and as a Black family in a predominantly White neighborhood, Clark encountered racism and racial inequality firsthand as a child. She hopes to use her position as Bishop to tackle racial division.

“All of the major world religions believe in unity and peace and love…So this is an opportunity for us to have a counter-narrative to some of what we are seeing in our wider society,” said Clark.

“We Episcopalians are strong people who can model for the rest of this country and the world what it looks like to walk the way of love. God is calling us to a new day and a new way of being.”

Currently, she is canon to the ordinary and chief of staff in the Episcopal Diocese of Washington. Clark first felt the call to priesthood in seventh grade at the National Cathedral School but did not pursue it till after her mother’s passing. Her mother did not approve of women’s ordination.

Clark obtained her bachelor’s from Brown University and earned her master’s in Public Policy from the University of California, Berkeley.

For nine years she worked as a public information officer for the Office of the Mayor and the District of Columbia’s Board of Parole. Thereafter, Clark served as the director of human resources and administration for an engineering and consulting firm in Washington for five years.

Then in 2004, she earned a Master of Divinity degree from Virginia Theological Seminary in Alexandria, Virginia. It is from this point that the journey to fulfill her childhood priestly dreams began.

The wife of Andrew McLean and mother of five with seven grandchildren worked at St. Patrick’s Episcopal Church in Washington and St. John’s Episcopal Church in Beltsville, Maryland. She later joined the staff of Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde. 

Her predecessor, Bishop Jeffrey D. Lee, retires on December 31. Bishop-elect Clark, who will oversee 122 congregations and more than 31,000 members in northern, central and southwestern Illinois, will be sworn in on April 24. The ecclesiastical authority will oversee the activities of the diocese during the transition.  

Having taught mathematics for a number of years, Brittany Rhodes noticed that Black girls struggled to catch up and so she developed an app to help close the gap. She created Black Girl MATHgic to teach young girls in 3rd grade-8th grade to fall in love with math and also help them overcome math anxiety.

Black Girl MATHgic is a monthly subscription box service designed to increase math confidence in girls. Every month, subscribers get a box containing a math lesson, items to make learning tangible and fan, a profile of a Black female mathematician, and an affirmation to boost self-confidence.

Rhodes officially launched Black Girl MATHgic in 2019. Since then, she has sold over 1,100 boxes to over 30 states in the U.S. and she is now processing orders to Canada. Rhodes recently secured a $5,000 equity-free grant from HBCUvc and PledgeLA, which she plans to invest in a business manager.

Her initiative appears to be attracting the attention of more organizations that are committing more funds to assist her to expand her movement. Rhodes is a recipient of American Express’s “100 for 100” program established to invest in the future of Black women entrepreneurs in the U.S. The initiative is being run in conjunction with fundraising platform IFundWomen of Color.

She received $25,000 from the program to expand the capacity of her Balck Girl MATHgic initiative. Aside from the grant, she will also receive business education, mentorship, marketing, virtual networking, WorkSpaces by Hilton hotel reservation credits and more to help her expand her business. 

“I am so honored and grateful to be chosen as a ‘100 for 100’ program recipient! This opportunity couldn’t have come at a better time as I prepare to grow my team and launch new products to continue to build math confidence in our next generation,” she told Yahoo news. 

According to her, the initiative will not only provide cash for her enterprise, but will help her enhance her website, roll out new marketing initiatives, and publish children’s books.

“American Express is proud to support the highly talented and innovative entrepreneurs selected for our 100 for 100 program, as they kick start their ventures and keep the momentum going so their businesses can continue to evolve,” said Clayton Ruebensaal, EVP Global B2B Marketing, American Express. 

Apart from Rhodes, 99 other Black women entrepreneurs also received the $25,000 grant to expand their businesses. The entrepreneurs selected for the grant cuts across sectors such as fashion and beauty, food and beverage, finance, fitness and wellness, home goods, apparel, technology, social good, according.