Original Story: NY Times Two Black-led banks are merging in a deal that will create the nation’s largest Black-owned depository institution insured by the federal government and the first with assets of more than $1 billion. Broadway Federal Bank, a Los Angeles-based lender founded in 1946, will combine with City First Bank in Washington, which opened in 1998, the banks announced on Wednesday. Brian E. Argrett, chief executive of City First, will be chief executive of the combined company, which will use City First as its banking brand but will keep the publicly traded Broadway Finan ..read more

Will G. Manuel, Founder and President of Core Mobile Apps based in Orlando, Florida, has been recognized for its diversity and excellence in app development. Clutch, a popular reviews and ratings platform, has named Core Mobile Apps the “Top Black-Owned Mobile App Development Company” on their platform. The award recognizes high-end development firms that maintain exceptional diversity within their agency. “We are absolutely thrilled about this. It’s truly an honor and a privilege to be recognized in a way that has not been traditionally celebrated,” says Will G. Manuel, Founder, President, an ..read more

MYLE exposes less fortunate youth to events through their online event platform Kevin Lloyd, Co-Founder of MYLE (Make Your Life Entertaining) MYLE, Inc. (Make Your Life Entertaining) an Entertainment Software company today announced it will be officially launching and looking for partners in the Orlando, FL area.  As the tourism capital of America, Orlando boasts amazing weather and world-renowned theme park locations, which make it the premiere location and partner for the application and its cause. The MYLE application is launching in all major markets throughout the United States with ..read more

Original article by Njera Perkins – AfroTech Supporting Black-owned businesses over the last year has become more than a trend. Now, consumers, corporations and online platforms are turning this full-fledged surge of support into a consistent lifestyle change with more intentional ways to champion these brands. Among those who have made financial and systemic pledges most recently is Instagram, who is now making it easier for shoppers to discover and identify Black-owned businesses directly on its platform. Thanks to a new feature, U.S. -based businesses a part of ..read more

Written by Dave Clark, CEO, Amazon Worldwide Consumer Amazon’s new Black Business Accelerator provides access to capital, business guidance, mentorship, and marketing support to help Black business owners succeed as sellers in Amazon’s store. Amazon is launching the Black Business Accelerator (BBA) to help build sustainable equity and growth for Black-owned businesses. The initiative—which explicitly targets barriers to access, opportunity, and advancement created by systemic racism across America—was created in partnership with our Black Employee Network and a coalition of stra ..read more

This year’s Memorial Day weekend will be extra special for residents of Tulsa, Okla.  From May 28 to 30 at the Black Wall Street Legacy Festival, a series of community-led events will be held to commemorate the centennial of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre. The festival will be centered in Tulsa’s historic Greenwood District — the site where hundreds of innocent people lost their lives during one of America’s most horrific mass murders.  Greenwood Avenue — dubbed Black Wall Street — was the center of flourishing Black-owned businesses in a city home to one of the most prosperous African ..read more

There was an interesting moment in sports this week, one you may have missed, and it involved the Atlanta Hawks, the organization that continues to put its money where its basketball is. The Hawks announced on Thursday they were refinancing a construction loan for the Emory Sports Medicine Complex utilizing a network of Black-owned banks. The Hawks said the $35 million loan is the first time a professional sports franchise has underwritten a significant loan using Black bank credit. The National Black Bank Foundation, a newly formed group, helped create the deal. The Hawks say the main po ..read more

Introducing the Maine Black Business Pledge Black Owned Maine and Portland Buy Local have teamed up to create a local call to action. Black Business Pledge to Allocated 10% shelf space to local Black Businesses Retail shops: Allocate 10% of your shelf space to local, independent Black-business. Consumers: Allocate 10% of your spending power toward local, independent Black-businesses, nonprofits, and professionals. Why 10%? This number roughly represents the amount of Black people living in the most populous city in Maine-Portland. Over the next few weeks we will highlight different Black-owned ..read more

Black Dollar NC has officially launched a Winter Pack to support all Black Owned businesses within their network. This pack is perfect for the winter months within NC and includes all of the essential items that allow you to make it through the winter. They have coined this effort as Rewarding Local Consumers w/ Gifts, Encouraging Them To Spend – An Aspect of the Winter Pack. This not only includes items for purchase, but also includes a way to market your business within their marketplace. This gives vendors and businesses within the NC area an opportunity for a booth at the growing NC Black ..read more

2020 has been a crazy year. First we have the COVID19 pandemic resulting in 200,000 deaths in the US and a net loss of anywhere from 10 million-40 million jobs… a string of protests due to police brutality and were heading into election season which can be a volatile time. My heart goes out to anyone who’s lost friends or family due to the virus as I’ve had an uncle pass recently due to COVID19 (RIP Uncle Bill). COVID – 19 (CDC) With all this uncertainty in the economy we all have to adjust our thinking and our plans. What you once thought was a sure thing, may not be. Many people are finding ..read more