Good evening. I hope you had a marvelous Monday.
In tonight's issue we take a look at:
- Oprah Winfrey's latest generous donation to Morehouse College
- How a basic income program in Stockton, CA, led by its 29-year-old mayor Michael Tubbs, has provided assistance to low-income residents.
Also, check out the new Events + Opportunities section below. Two Noirnomics community members, Antonio Johnson and Elizabeth Lewis, have upcoming events in Atlanta and New York, respectively, that may you may want to attend.
See you tomorrow.
Travers
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––The 4th annual Black Ivy League Business Conference took place this past weekend at the University of Pennsylvania. Click here for a recap.
––Actor Andra Fuller has launched a new men's skin and beard care brand called SAFI MAN. ("Safi" means clean, fresh, and pure in Swahili). Check it out here.
––Jessica Nabongo, founder of boutique luxury travel company Jet Black, just completed her quest to become the first Black woman to visit all 195 countries in the world.
––Watch out, Lifetime and Hallmark Channel! The Oprah Winfrey Network is coming for your holiday movie market dominance. OWN is airing its first three original holiday movies this November, starring talent including Jackée Harry, Kimberly Elise, and Rick Fox.
––Shelley Harding-Smith, Canada's first Black female master electrician, passed away on Friday at the age of 64. May she rest in peace. Read more about her life here.
––I'm still grasping the magnitude of the new Tyler Perry Studios. Check out these photos he posted from Saturday night's grand opening gala.
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Oprah donates $13 million more to Morehouse College, making a total of $25 million gifted to the institution
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By Travers Johnson, Noirnomics
To commemorate the 30th anniversary of the Oprah Winfrey Scholars Program at Morehouse College, the media mogul announced today that she would be donating $13 million more to the endowed scholarship fund that she created in 1989 with an initial gift of $1 million.
Winfrey's total giving to Morehouse has now reached $25 million, making her one of the college's top donors. Her latest gift comes just one week after she donated $1.15 million to the United Negro College Fund.
Deeda Mitchell penned a piece recently in AYO Magazine about Oprah's history of giving and the legacy of philanthropy by Black women. "[Oprah's gift] represents yet another chapter in the centuries-old legacy of black beneficence – much of which has been accomplished by women," she wrote.
Check out that full article here and learn about other historic Black women benefactors like Bridget "Biddy" Mason, Harriet Gibbs Marshall, and Annie Turnbo Malone.
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Michael Tubbs, the 29-year-old mayor of Stockton, CA, gave his city’s poorest residents $500 a month. Here's how they spent the money.
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By Aria Bendix, Business Insider
"Tubbs' program, which started in February, could serve as a test case [for a federal universal basic income program]. For eight months, 125 Stockton residents living at or below the median income line (around $46,000 annually) have been getting $500 monthly stipends. The money is distributed through the mail in the form of debit cards.
This week, the city released the first set of data about the program. Most participants, it found, have been using their stipends to buy groceries and pay their bills."
Read the full article here
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October 8:
––If you're in Atlanta tomorrow, stop by Pop-Up Zine, a night of live, multimedia storytelling featuring local stories that span film, photography, music, radio and Q&A from a range of Atlanta-based contributors, including visual artist and Noirnomics community member Antonio Johnson. Buy tickets here.
October 12-13:
––Baltimore's third annual Minority Innovation Weekend is taking place this upcoming weekend at the University of Baltimore. Hosted by the Baltimore Chapter of the National Association of Black Engineers, MIW provides minorities launching new businesses an opportunity to connect with each other and gain exposure to investors. Learn more here and register here.
October 16:
––Brand, Style & Bloom! CEO Elizabeth Lewis is hosting a "Discover Your Three Word Personal Brand" workshop in New York City. Register here. (And check out our recent interview with her here).
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