News — black women

Sheila Brown walked out of WUFO in Buffalo, New York, after working at the radio station for 14 years. She left after the station changed management and their operations were not in line with her vision. Brown however plans of returning to the station had but was not sure in what capacity. After eight years, she came back and purchased the station. Today, she is the first Black woman to own a radio station in Buffalo, New York.

According to reports, she started her career at the station in the ’80s. True to her vow, Brown returned and bought the station. “I looked at the building and I waved and said, don’t worry baby, I’ll be back,’” Brown told reporters. 

It was not an easy journey for the Buffalo native who grew up in Hamlin Park. The banks did not believe in her vision and at a point, she was told to revise her business plan. Her church and Bishop had faith in her from the onset.

“I went through everything, we had banks say no like three times before they said yes, and credit unions said no your business plan needs to be updated, but True Bethel and Bishop Daris Pridgen, and they had faith in me.”

Not only has Brown taken over the station which she worked hard to get, but she has also elevated their frequency and added an FM channel to it in partnership with Power 96.5. Now the WUFO brand is reaching more folks than it has over the years.

This has made it more attractive and lucrative because advertisers know they can reach millions with the new visibility. Also, many influencers and popular DJs have walked through their doors for business.

WUFO is certainly going places under the leadership of Brown. Prominent figures are interviewed at the station and the station hosts a weekly talk with the mayor. The station runs the WUFO history collectible containing about 60 years of WUFO memorabilia.

Brown admits that being the youngest of three siblings and growing up in an extremely supportive family gave her the confidence she needs to take on the world.

She grew up wanting to pursue greater exploits. “My uncles coming to see us would go hey here comes our superstar,” she said. “Not saying it to boost me but just positive affirmation, so I never was afraid of anything I was going to do.”

Her only reservation is, it has been a long time coming for her to own the station but that should not have been the case. This only goes to show there are many aspects of our potential as Black people and women to be precise that we are yet to explore.

Vice President Kamala Harris is certainly proud to be the first Black-Asian female second in command in the country and she certainly has made it clear she does not want to be the last. The same goes for Brown who intends on using her platform to open more doors for many who aspire to step into their greatness.

“It feels good, but it’s sad in 2021 we’re still talking about the first if anything, but I’m just proud that the lord used me to be the first woman of color to own a radio station,” shared Brown. “The Vice President said she might be the first but not the last so my goal is to prep other people.”

In recent times, influential Black people are using their voice to advocate for investment in Black communities and Black-led businesses. The push for investment in the Black community has been more pronounced coming on the heels of the murder of George Floyd and other unarmed Black men.

The latest person to use her clout and influence to push for investment in Black-owned businesses is Carolyn Brady. She recently made history when she became the first Black woman to be crowned Miss Maine.

“I think if we have the opportunity to choose where we put our dollar and we can invest in a way that gives back in the long term that’s a really important thing to do,” Brady told News Center Maine.

Brady believes that by investing in Black-owned business, it will help lessen the economic inequality in America. A recent report by US-based firm Citigroup claims the U.S. economy lost $16 trillion due to racism and discrimination faced by Blacks since 2000. According to the report, the loss includes gaps in wages, access to housing and higher education and investment in Black-owned businesses. 

During Black History Month, Brady decided to ‘buy black businesses like Rwanda Bean in Portland. Rwanda Bean is a coffee company founded by Mike Mwenedata that gives 50% of its coffee proceeds to farmers and their families. “As an immigrant American, I think we are really focused on how commerce and how our progress relates to future generations as well as our past,” she said.

Brady said she feels fortunate to be among the Black voices calling for investment in Black communities. “I hold the title in a state that’s about five percent African American, if that,” Brady shared with her college, according to AfricaX5TV. “I think it really shows that we’re moving toward a more diverse and inclusive standard of beauty, which is amazing, and I just feel so fortunate to be able to represent that.”

The beauty queen is a graduate of Bowdoin College located in Brunswick, Maine. Brady served as Maine’s COVID-19 Recovery AmeriCorps VISTA (Volunteer in Service to America), according to Chicago Leader. As part of the program, she spent a year “assembling and dissecting pertinent information to recovery efforts of K-12 schools — and higher education institutions — due to the pandemic.”

At the age of five, Brady studied the violin and participated in the Bowdoin College Orchestra and a variety of Bowdoin Quartets and Trios. She also spent five years as a student at the Philadelphia International Music Festival where she studied with members of the Philadelphia Orchestra.

In a series of historic appointments under the Biden Administration, the U.S. Park Police (USPP) has appointed Pamela A. Smith to take command of the oldest federal law enforcement agency established in 1971, making her the first Black woman to lead the USPP in its 230-year history, the agency said.

Smith stepped into her new role on Sunday. She will work with the 560 officers in the force to continue to protect “public, parks and the nation’s most iconic landmarks in the Washington, D.C., New York City, and San Francisco metropolitan areas.”

The 23-year-veteran of the USPP has served the force in different capacities including as patrol officer, deputy chief for the Field Operations Division, an academy instructor at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center, and commander of the New York Field Office. She was the first woman to lead the New York Field Office as its Major.

In a time where Americans are vocalizing an end to police brutality and systemic racism mostly against people of color, Smith’s appointment is major and she aims to tackle the issues with honesty and integrity.

“I have dedicated my career to the professionalism of law enforcement, and it is my highest honor and privilege to serve as Chief of Police,” Smith said in a statement. 

“Today’s officers face many challenges, and I firmly believe challenges present opportunities. I look forward to leading this exemplary team as we carry out our mission with honesty and integrity.”

Within her first 90 days, officer Smith has plans to establish a compulsory wearing of body cameras for all USPP staff. The pilot will take off in San Francisco and later rolled out across the country by the close of the year.

“Body-worn cameras are good for the public and good for our officers,” Smith said in a release. “This is one of the many steps we must take to continue to build trust and credibility with the public we have been entrusted to serve.”

She made it clear that the footage from the body cameras will be available on request through the Freedom of Information act duly processed under the Privacy Act and laws and policies.

Smith’s commitment to policing and her excellent work ethic make her the “right person” for the job, according to Sawn Benge, deputy director exercising the delegated authority of the National Park Service.

The USPP has come under attacks, first in 2017 for the shooting death of Bijan Ghaisar in Virginia and most recently for dispersing peaceful Black Lives Matter protesters with smoke canisters and pepper balls at Lafayette Park near the White House where ex-president Donald Trump had a photo op.

“As federal law enforcement officers, the U.S. Park Police officers have a new opportunity each day to give their best to the American people,” added Jennifer Flynn, NPS associate director for visitor and resource protection.

“Chief Smith exemplifies that approach as a colleague and mentor, and she will be instrumental in refining and shaping the future of the organization.”

Carolyn Brady made history as the first black woman to win the title of Miss Maine. Now, the talented violinist is using her platform to support Black businesses.

“I think if we have the opportunity to choose where we put our dollar and we can invest in a way that gives back in the long term that’s a really important thing to do,” Brady said with.

Shopping Black in February

Most people only see the glitz and glam of pageantry but Brady is a true example of how pageantry can be used to make an impact. “Each and every day, it is an honor to be the 84th representative to have worn Maine across her chest on the national stage, but the first African-American to have done so well,” Brady shared on Instagram.”I can’t wait to spend this month acknowledging our past, celebrating our present, and building.”

Data has shown that Black women are the fastest-growing group of entrepreneurs. Unfortunately, Black women report dismal revenue numbers in comparison to all other demographic groups in the nation. According to a 2019 report, Black women-owned businesses earned an average revenue of $24,000 per firm.

Brady’s goal is to close the revenue gap by supporting black-owned businesses. She’s also using her Miss Maine platform to encourage others to do the same. “I have committed to buying black for the entire month of February,” Brady shared.

Rwanda Bean is one of the businesses that Brady has supported this month. Founded by Mike Mwenedata, the company gives back 50% of profits to coffee farmers every time a cup of coffee is purchased.

Pageantry with a Purpose

 As the first black woman to capture the crown in Maine’s 84-year-history, Brady sees the possibilities ahead.

“I hold the title in a state that’s about five percent African American, if that,” Brady shared with her college. “I think it really shows that we’re moving toward a more diverse and inclusive standard of beauty, which is amazing, and I just feel so fortunate to be able to represent that.”

Brady competed for the title of Miss America where she showcased her violent talents. Now, she provides educational training and motivation to students as an AmeriCorps member.

Several factors affect Black businesses. The common factors known among many people are access to capital and racism. Various publications have reported Black businesses having access to less than 9% of venture funding. Many Black businesses are also relatively unknown because they do not have the capital to expand their operations or run ads.

Meanwhile, Google trends show global searches for ‘Black-owned’ jumped from late May to June of 2020. It has fallen since then but has remained at a higher level than during the 10 years prior.

To promote Black businesses in a sustainable way, a Canadian entrepreneur has launched an online store and database to help people easily find Black-owned businesses in the city of Toronto. Founded by Kerin John, Black Owned Toronto allows Black businesses to enlist for the purposes of business promotion.

“I found I wasn’t putting enough money in my own community,” John told Daily Hive. “Many Black-owned businesses don’t have storefronts—they’re home-based chefs, bakers, clothing designers, in e-commerce—so when you google search or Google maps it, not a lot comes up.”

“I decided to make it a passion project, by contacting people and asking if they knew anyone I could put on the page.”

John first started promoting Black businesses using her Instagram page and she decided to push her initiative higher by founding Black Owned Toronto. John believes her new venture would be a better way for people to find Black businesses instead of just scrolling her Instagram page.

“Wherever you are in Canada, you’ll be able to go on the website and find what’s around you that’s Black-owned,” John told CBC. So far, she has over 20 companies listed and hopes to increase her capacity to about 1,000 companies listing.

John’s page came to light after many people began searching for Black businesses to support following the murder of George Floyd. The period saw her Instagram following rise to about 75,000.

One of the businesses that have listed on Black Owned Toronto is Chantelle Lewis-Walters, the founder of Melanin Martha, a lifestyle store that provides witty Caribbean-inspired kitchen towels, drinkware, socks among others. Lewis-Walters said she was able to see a 300% increase in her business sales and a 20% increase in her social media following.

“More importantly, I was able to see the need to continue to keep sharing my business and represent my culture proudly,” she told Daily Hive.

It costs business owners $50 to join Black Owned Canada. However, according to John, the challenge now is to sustain interest in Black businesses. She is nonetheless optimistic that her venture will help Black-owned businesses to overcome their financial challenges.

Claudia Gordon was eight years old in rural Jamaica when she suddenly developed severe pain in her middle ears. Her aunt, Mildred Taylor, took her to a small clinic but with no doctor on duty, the nurse couldn’t determine what was wrong. Gordon became deaf.

Her mother at the time had immigrated to the South Bronx, in New York, to make a better living for herself and her family. A domestic servant with only an eighth-grade education, she left Gordon and her two other children in the care of her eldest sister, Mildred, a schoolteacher. Her plan was to reunite with them as soon as possible. Then Gordon’s unfortunate event occurred.

When she suddenly lost her ability to hear, she was taken out of school and made to stay home to perform chores. Healers tried to perform rituals to restore her hearing but to no avail. She also lost her friends gradually and experienced discrimination in a country where deaf and disabled persons are usually stigmatized.

“I thought I was the only deaf person in the world. I did not realize until years later that a woman who everyone in my town knew as ‘dummy,’ and who children my age would incessantly harass with stone throwing, was deaf,” Gordon said in an interview. “Looking back, I wish I knew her real name. What I do know is that the life of this woman – ostracized as ‘dummy’ – almost became my own but for my mother’s triumph in successfully bringing me to America by the time I was eleven years old.”

In the United States, Gordon first attended a public school before moving to the Lexington School and Center for the Deaf in New York. At Lexington, Gordon learned sign language, was engaged in sports and became a top student. In her junior year in high school, she resolved to become a lawyer. People tried to talk her out of it. “Some cited my deafness as an obstacle rendering it impractical if not impossible to pursue a law degree. Thanks to the values that were instilled in me during my formative years, I understood then that those voices of doubt neither dictated my worth nor my capacity,” she recalled.

Defying the odds or simply refusing to see them, Gordon went on to study political science at Howard University and graduated with a Bachelor’s of Arts in 1995. She subsequently became the first deaf student to graduate in 2000, from the American University (AU) Washington College of Law, in Washington, DC, where she specialized in disability rights law and policy. She then won a Skadden Fellowship (for law graduates working with disabled people)for 2000-2002, and worked as a staff attorney at the National Association of the Deaf Law and Advocacy Center, giving her the opportunity to provide “direct representation and advocacy for poor deaf persons with a particular emphasis on outreach to those who are members of minority groups.”

But while working at the Center, the Jamaican immigrant became interested in working for the Federal government. “I confronted the truth that passing legislation is one thing but actual implementation with enforcement is another. I felt that a job with the Federal government would more effectively allow me to affect the actual enforcement of laws such as the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, thereby alleviating the blatant discrimination that people with disabilities continue to face.”

In time, she started working as Special Assistant to the Director of the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) in the Department of Labor, ensuring that people who do business with the federal government do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, national origin, disability or status as a protected veteran. At Homeland Security in 2005, Gordon, who was also one of former President Barack Obama’s key advisors for disability issues, worked towards enforcing executive orders for people with disabilities in emergency preparedness situations such as Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, a report noted.

Gordon has also been active in the deaf community, becoming the vice president of the National Black Deaf Advocates in 2004 and receiving the Paul G. Hearne/AAPD leadership award from the American Association of people with disabilities. The Black female attorney is today among many people with disabilities who, instead of resigning to their fate, have chosen to work on their limitations to make something of themselves. Currently, in the U.S., more than 5.6 million African Americans live with a disability. Out of this figure, only 28.7 percent of working-age are employed.

Gordon, who has been mentoring young adults with disabilities, hopes to change the status quo. “I have an innate desire to give back. It is uplifting when you are able to empower another and help someone discover a sense of self-worth and confidence in his or her abilities.”

In Nairobi, Kenya’s capital city, over 500,000 tonnes of plastic waste is recorded in a place with a little over four million inhabitants. The figure for waste produced across the entire country is reportedly in millions, monthly. This is largely so because of the throw-away culture many plastic users have adopted as plastics are not only easy to come by but are cheaper and convenient to use.

Several attempts to get rid of plastics in Kenya have been met by resistance not only by the producers but by consumers who find plastic bags convenient and easy to use compared to paper bags.

Kenya did ban the use of plastic bags and other plastic products in 2017 as its major cities struggled to deal with the debris they were engulfed in. It was a decision that divided public opinion but whose fruits have been undeniable some years on. But it is difficult to completely fall on alternatives when the production of such alternatives cannot meet demand.

The Kenyan government may have challenges in its effort to control plastic waste but some entrepreneurs in the East African nation are providing solutions, albeit on a small scale.

One of such persons is Nzambi Matee, the founder of Gjenge Makers. The firm specializes in converting plastic waste into building materials. The building blocks she makes from plastic wastes are reportedly five times stronger than cement blocks.

She told Reuters that her factory processes waste that facilities “cannot process anymore, they cannot recycle. “That is what we get.” The factory produces about 1,500 blocks daily, in different sizes and colors, which is more than what some cement factories produce in Kenya. These include paving stones, paving slabs, and manhole covers.

The factory’s products are made from plastic that was originally used for milk and shampoo bottles, cereal and sandwich bags, buckets, and ropes. Since opening, Matee tells Reuters her factory has processed over 20 tons of waste.

The plastic waste is mixed with sand, heated and then compressed into bricks, which are sold at varying prices, depending on thickness and colour. Their common grey bricks cost 850 Kenyan shillings ($7.70) per square metre, for example, according to Reuters. 

Matee decided to venture into a sector dominated by men after quitting her job as an engineer in Kenya’s oil industry. “I shut down my social life for a year, and put all my savings into this,” she said. “My friends were worried,” she said.

Her career path was also in protest of the failings of the Kenyan government in dealing with plastic waste. A materials engineer by training, she established her factory after developing a prototype of a machine that turns waste into blocks.

“It is absurd that we still have this problem of providing decent shelter – a basic human need,’ said Matee. ‘Plastic is a material that is misused and misunderstood. The potential is enormous, but it after life can be disastrous.”

The startup, which was founded in 2018, has so far employed some 110 people and hopes to add a much bigger manufacturing line that will triple her production capacity in the near future. She believes there is enormous potential in plastic waste

“It is absurd that we still have this problem of providing decent shelter – a basic human need,” said Matee, according to UNEP. “Plastic is a material that is misused and misunderstood. The potential is enormous, but it’s after life can be disastrous.”

In 2020, she emerged as one of the seven winners of the Young Earth Champions initiative instituted by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). The award provides seed funding and mentorship to promising environmentalists as they tackle the world’s most pressing challenges.

Matee wants young Kenyans and others worldwide to tackle environmental challenges in their small ways. The negative effect of plastic on our environment is huge, says Matee. “It’s up to us to make this reality better. Start with whatever local solution you can find and be consistent with it. The results will be amazing.”

Entrepreneurial, innovative, and faithful are among adjectives that describe Ceata Lash, the founder and inventor of the PuffCuff.

Lash in 2013 launched PuffCuff, a user-friendly hair clamp and unisex styling tool not just for women. An industry disruptor, the easy-to-use accessory upholds curls and kinks without the tension and strain linked with elastic bands and other hair ties.

She searched stores and online for such an accessory but did not find one that worked comfortably for her naturally thick hair without getting a headache. Those discoveries—and inspiration from her late grandmother—sparked Lash to start her company.

“The PuffCuff Hair Clamp was developed from a simple idea: create a tool that not only makes it easy to achieve stylish looks without stressing your hair or causing pain but one that is sanitary, durable, and affordable too,” Lash says.

She says that approach also is tied to the company’s mission to champion for self-love and self-acceptance by providing tools for individuals to nurture the hair God gave them.

The hair clamp rapidly became a smash in the beauty accessories industry. Since its inception in 2014, PuffCuff now has more than 115,000 customers globally, Lash says. It is sold online by PuffCuff, Amazon.com, and Sally Beauty. Some 50 small independently owned foreign retailers sell it as well, including in Australia, the Netherlands, and Spain. PuffCuff is based in the Atlanta suburb of Marietta.

Now, Lash has ambitious growth goals. The first Black woman to hold three patents in her industry, Lash’s aim is to build PuffCuff up to a $25 million evaluation in the next five years. Her company’s current market value is $6 million.

She is bullish her firm’s value will appreciate greatly as it operates in the global haircare business that generates more than $85 billion in annual revenues and includes 65% of the world’s population with curly hair.

Another potential market value booster for PuffCuff is that it has no rivals. Lash says her patents have allowed her first market access but also made her a target. Her firm has spent more than $100,000 in legal fees protecting against copycats being sold in America.

In the next five years, she is confident her firm will see significant increases in revenue. She expects the gain to come from multiple sources, including PuffCuff along with products/sub brands under it. PuffCuff plans to launch a male product line. And there is more.

“I still have another patented product to produce that will address the needs of an even larger market segment,” Lash says.” “And we have another initiative that I cannot disclose.”

Lash owns 100% of PuffCuff. Her husband, Garrett Lash, has been its CEO since 2017. A seasoned executive with an IT background from the financial and insurance sectors, his duties include acquiring new business, operations, and developing strategic goals. The business is allowing the couple to build generational wealth for their three sons.

PuffCuff has posted steady revenue growth, bringing in $80,000 in 2014, $1.3 million in 2019, and $2.2 million in 2020. Lash projects 2021 revenue up to $5 million, with the rise largely coming from online consumer sales. “I think we’ll have a banner year in 2021 because of the increased exposure and new opportunities created for Black businesses resulting from the greater attention placed on systemic racism last year,” she says.

Lash says her main customers includes all genders; people age 24 to 54 with medium income of $35,000 to $55,000.

But the journey has not been a breeze. Lash says having no seed money was among the biggest challenges initially. In 2014 she got a $16,000 loan from a nonprofit lending institution, but her husband still had to co-sign. She also used her 401(k) and borrowed against their life insurance policies. In 2017, she got a $50,000 loan from a nonprofit that lends to the underserved.  “Traditional lending institutions were not and still do not give people that look like me money when they need money,” she says.

The bottom line: PuffCuff has survived on revenue for its growth. “No secret. No sauce. Just the grace of God and determination,” Lash says. In 2018, she won the President’s Innovation Award from Sally Beauty, giving PuffCuff retail distribution at all 3,000 Sally Beauty stores in the U.S. and Canada as well as online distribution at wwww.sallybeauty.com.

Another obstacle Lash had to conquer was not having anyone in her immediate personal or professional network to emulate or ask for advice. “I was naïve but determined,” she says. “I knew the Lord would put the individuals needed at the right time and the right place. I needed to seek him for discernment.”

She noted PuffCuff just ran a successful equity crowdsourcing campaign that helped alleviate some of its supply chain issues, and it next plans to seek investors for future funding. And like other businesses, PuffCuff has had ups and downs from COVID-19. Some of its employees tested positive and major shipping delays occurred. Due to COVID, PuffCuff got two SBA loans for the first time ever, allowing the business not to lay off any of its 10 employees. “Also, whole families were at home letting their curls grow,” Lash says. “2020 was the year for e-commerce growth.”

On giving back to the community, PuffCuff has and continues to donates to local and national efforts. That includes donations to fight systemic racism, African American Adoption Awareness, Atlanta Public Schools, and other causes. It recently donated more than $3,000 to groups that raise awareness tied to abuse of systemic power, police brutality, and injustice.

“As long as my husband and I are at the helm, we will support those projects,” Lash says.

Lisa Forrest has made history as the newest Battalion Chief to be promoted in the Philadelphia Fire Department. She is the first African American woman to ever occupy this position.

“This is not for me, this is for somebody coming behind me to let them know that anything is possible,” Forrest told ABC News.

An outdoor promotion ceremony was recently held for Forrest, although those were usually held privately, according to Fire Commissioner Adam Thiel.

Forrest, who started her career as a firefighter in 2003, worked her way up the ladder quickly. Within just two years, she became a lieutenant. She also made history in 2013 when she became the first Black female captain.

“Hopefully, they look at me and say if she can do it, I can do it,” said Forrest, who is also the first woman president of Club Valiants, a society for minority firefighters.

Forrest is also thankful for the support of her family, who were also trailblazers like her. She hopes to inspire other women with her determination as well.

“I certainly do hope if women of any age or interest are watching this you know that you can do it, too,” Commissioner Thiel said.

Nayana Ferguson is regarded as the first Black woman to own a tequila brand in America. In 2018, she co-founded Teeq Tequila, a premium tequila based in Detroit. It all started when she and her husband were looking for a retirement opportunity to invest in.

Ferguson was passionate about the tequila industry although she had no prior experience. And so she started her journey researching into everything she needed to know about setting up a tequila business.

After satisfying herself, she partnered with a distilling company in Mexico known as Casa Maestri (Destiladora del Valle de Tequila Distillery). “Once we found a distillery, several contracts had to be negotiated and approved by both the Mexican and US governments. After that approval process, we started sampling the tequila, picking out bottle designs, corks, tops, labels, etc. all with various approval processes,” she told Forbes.

She now has three tequila brands in her portfolio, including the world’s only Coconut Lime Blanco Tequila. She told Forbes she created the Lime Blanco because she wanted something new and unique that pushes conventional boundaries. “We wanted to create a tequila that broke the stereotypes of tequila being harsh and not palatable,” she said. According to her, the feedback she has had after releasing the Coconut Lime Blanco into the market has been overwhelming.

Asked in an interview why she likes tequila, Ferguson cited health benefits adding that it is made from the agave plant, so it is naturally gluten-free and low in carbohydrates, sugar and calories than other spirits. She told Cuisine Noir that “If I’m going to drink, I would drink what is cleaner for me. Obviously, you need to drink tequila neat and not add extra sugars typically found in mixed drinks.”

Like many other Black businesses, Ferguson’s business was affected by the coronavirus pandemic. Bars and restaurants were not ordering, thereby affecting her sales target. But, instead of watching her investment go down the drain, she took to social media to market her brands.

Aside from the pandemic, as an African-American tequila investor, it has always been challenging to do business, Ferguson told Cuisine Noir. “When I walk into a store, initially some people don’t think I know what I am talking about. But once they see that I have done my homework, they begin to accept me,” she said.

Ferguson is a mother of two and an MBA holder. She is hoping to pave the way for other Black women to also venture into the tequila industry. “You don’t need to know everything, but you can start somewhere and learn along the way,” she said.

For now, her product is available only in Michigan but she is hoping to expand to other states in the next three years. In the meantime, she is targeting Florida and California for many reasons.

“The main reason being that we already had distribution in place through our importer, MHW, LTD. We are excited about the expansion into these states and news of our growth has resulted in more distribution companies contacting us to discuss opportunities in additional markets,” she told Forbes.

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has elected its first Black President in its 101-year history. Deborah Archer, a clinal law professor at New York University School of Law, was elected virtually over the weekend by the union’s 69-member board of directors and she brings to this position her expertise in civil rights and racial justice.

Now as ACLU president Archer succeeds Susan Herman, a Brooklyn Law School professor who has been president since 2008. She will act as the chair of the board of directors overseeing organizational matters and the setting of civil liberties policies.

The fight against racial injustice is expected to be a top priority. However, the organization’s day-to-day operations are managed by its executive director, Anthony D. Romero.

Per their press release, Archer has a long history with ACLU joining at the beginning of her prolific career as a legal fellow in its Racial Justice Program and has been a board member since 2009 and only began work as their general counsel in 2017.

“After beginning my career as an ACLU fellow, it is an honor to come full circle and now lead the organization as board president,” said Archer.

“The ACLU has proven itself as an invaluable voice in the fight for civil rights in the last four years of the Trump era, and we are better positioned than ever to face the work ahead.

This organization has been part of every important battle for civil liberties during our first century, and we are committed to continuing that legacy as we enter our second. I could not be more excited to get to work,” she added.

Aside from her professorship Archer is the director of the Civil Rights Clinic at New York University School of Law and a co-faculty director of the Center on Race Inequality and the Law at NYU Law.

She as also served in the capacity of inaugural dean of diversity and inclusion and as associate dean for academic affairs and student engagement at New York Law School.

According to Romero, there is no person better suited to launch the ACLU into its next phase than Archer.

“There is no one better equipped, who best personifies or is more capable to helm the future battles for civil rights, civil liberties, and systemic equality than Deborah Archer.”

Archer, born to Jamaican parents, has also worked as assistant counsel at the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund and is a former associate at Simpson Thacher and Bartlett. She served as chair of the New York City Civilian Complaint Review Board, and on numerous non-profit boards, including the Legal Aid Society and the National Center for Law and Economic Justice. 

Last year was a tumultuous one for everyone especially since America dealt with the novel coronavirus amid calls for racial equality. The fight against white supremacy and racism last year, which according to the ACLU can only be rivaled by the Civil Rights Era of the 1960s, ultimately culminated in the highest voter turnout in American history.

According to a statement, ACLU “filed its 413th legal action against the Trump administration, took over 100 legal actions in response to the pandemic, continued its work to protect protestors, and filed more than 37 lawsuits to ensure access to the polls” as it celebrated its centennial year.

“The ACLU has proven itself as an invaluable voice in the fight for civil rights in the last four years of the Trump era, and we are better positioned than ever to face the work ahead,” Archer said.

The revered voting rights activist from Georgia, Stacy Abrams, was nominated for the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize on the first day of Black History Month for her activism that led to a nonviolent change in the recent US elections.

Norwegian lawmaker, Lars Haltbrekken, who nominated Abrams likened her to Martin Luther King Jr as they both fought for equality and civil rights.

“Abrams’ work follows in Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s footsteps in the fight for equality before the law and for civil rights,” said Haltbrekken, a Socialist Party member of Norway’s parliament, as reported by Reuters. King, a Baptist minister who became known as one of the greatest civil rights leaders won the Nobel prize in 1964. To date, he is one of the most popular laureates.

 “Abrams’ efforts to complete King’s work are crucial if the United States of America shall succeed in its effort to create fraternity between all its peoples and a peaceful and just society.”

Politics experts believe Abrams’ campaign to have as many Black people registered as possible in Georgia encourgaed voter turnout and played an instrumental role in Biden’s win because for the first time in a long time, the Peach State turned blue. Democrats Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock also won the U.S. Senate seats in the state, the first time Democrats have won in 20 years.

Through her voting-rights organization Fair Fight, Abrabs registered tens of thousands of Georgia voters and raised about $100 million to support candidates.

This nomination does not mean the voter-activist has received an endorsement from the Nobel committee in Oslo. She is among the many other nominees whose names can be put up by thousands of people including members of parliament, lecturers, and former laureates for the prize in any given year.

Other nominees so far include the Black Lives Matter movement which uses its platform to call for systemic change around the world especially in America, was nominated by Norwegian MP Petter Eide.

Eide, the former secretary-general of the Norwegian branch of Amnesty International, said the movement has become bigger than it was intended for. He said it is now a global call that has forced many countries to access their systems amid racism and inequality.

The movement’s work like that of Abrams was also likened to the works of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. because of his “his non-violent struggle for civil rights for the Afro-American population,” according to the Nobel Prize website.

The BLM movement is essentially rehashing the talking points of the Civil Rights Era and demanding a renegotiation of the social contract upon which American democracy has claimed moral legitimacy since Reconstruction. But what is different is that the attitude of the movement also foreshadows what James Baldwin would call The Fire Next Time.

According to Eide, the main reason for his nomination is that he believes that Black Lives Matter is the strongest force or global movement that is committed to fighting racial injustice. The movement’s organizers could not agree more.

“We hold the largest social movement in global history,” the Black Lives Matter Global Network wrote in a Twitter post after the nomination on Friday.

“Today, we have been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. People are waking up to our global call: for racial justice and an end to economic injustice, environmental racism, and white supremacy. We’re only getting started.”