The Association of African American Vintners (AAAV) Announces Entrepreneur Grant

Funding growth is a hurdle for most wine entrepreneurs but can be particularly challenging for people of color. A new program from the Association of African American Vintners (AAAV) is designed to help by annually awarding $5,000 grants to Black-owned, AAAV-member businesses to positively impact their operations, marketing or innovation efforts. AAAV will award five grants in the first quarter of 2023. Fundraising to support the program is underway now, kicked off by a $5,000 grant from H-E-B. To donate, visit https://givebutter.com/aaavgrant or text AAAVGrant to 202-858-1233.

“H-E-B is happy to support this important endeavor. We realize that to make small and diverse suppliers better at their craft to help us better serve our customers, it requires funding, education and research,” says James E. Harris, H-E-B’s Sr. Director, Diversity & Inclusion and Supplier Diversity. “H-E-B was founded on the unwavering belief that each and every person counts. Through our Be the Change initiative, H-E-B pledges to do our part to advance equity and inclusion across our great state of Texas.”

The application process for the first AAAV Wine Entrepreneur Grants will open in January 2023 with details posted on aaavintners.org. Applicants must be current AAAV members at the grower, vintner or negociant level.

“AAAV celebrated two decades of advocacy for diversity and inclusion in the wine industry in 2022. Until now, we’ve been primarily focused on scholarships and paving the path for people of color to enter the wine industry,” said Longevity Wines founder and winemaker Phil Long who became president of AAAV in 2020. “We are starting our third decade with a new commitment to provide tangible help to our members in breaking down barriers and building successful businesses. Our new wine entrepreneur grant program is just the first step.”

AAAV Executive Director Angela McCrae added, “access to capital and land is essential for true equity and inclusion in the United States. Only 2% of agricultural land ownership is by Black, Indigenous or people of color in this country, so we still have a long way to go. With the help of our supporters and wine industry leaders committed to a sustainable and inclusive future, AAAV will provide access to capital for growing wine businesses. We are supporting self-determination and entrepreneurship.”

The Small Business Credit Survey: 2021 Report on Firms Owned by People of Color, conducted by the U.S. Federal Reserve System, found that across all owner groups by ethnicity, Black-owned firms that applied for traditional forms of financing were least likely to receive all the financing they sought.

About the Association of African American Vintners

The mission of the Association of African American Vintners (AAAV) is to increase diversity in the wine industry, build awareness of Black winemakers and provide guidance and financial assistance to students from underrepresented minorities pursuing careers in the wine industry. Visit aaavintners.org for more information, to donate and to purchase many AAAV member wines.

United States Reaches Agreement on Proposal with City of Jackson and State of Mississippi on Interim Solution to Jackson Water Crisis

The United States filed a proposal in federal court that — if approved by the court — would appoint an Interim Third Party Manager to stabilize the city of Jackson, Mississippi’s public drinking water system, and build confidence in the system’s ability to supply safe drinking water to the system’s customers. The city and the Mississippi State Department of Health (MSDH) have signed this order and agreed to its terms. At the same time, the Justice Department, on behalf of U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), filed a complaint against the city alleging that the city has failed to provide drinking water that is reliably compliant with the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) to the system’s customers. 

The proposal, which was called a “proposed stipulated order” in court filings, is meant to serve as an interim measure while the United States, the city, and MSDH attempt to negotiate a judicially enforceable consent decree to achieve long-term sustainability of the system and the city’s compliance with the SDWA and other relevant laws.  

“Today the Justice Department is taking action in federal court to address long-standing failures in the city of Jackson’s public drinking water system,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “The Department of Justice takes seriously its responsibility to keep the American people safe and to protect their civil rights. Together with our partners at EPA, we will continue to seek justice for the residents of Jackson, Mississippi. And we will continue to prioritize cases in the communities most burdened by environmental harm.”

“Over the past year, I’ve had the privilege to spend time with people on the ground in Jackson – many who’ve struggled with access to safe and reliable water for years," said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “I pledged that EPA would do everything in its power to ensure the people of Jackson have clean and dependable water, now and into the future. While there is much more work ahead, the Justice Department’s action marks a critical moment on the path to securing clean, safe water for Jackson residents. I’m grateful to the Attorney General for his partnership and commitment to this shared vision.”

“Every American — regardless of where they live, their income, or the color of their skin — deserves access to safe, reliable drinking water,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “For many years now, the people of Jackson have lived in uncertainty — uncertainty about whether, on any given day, the water that flows from their taps will be safe to drink. With our court filings today, we have taken an important step towards finally giving the people of Jackson the relief they so desperately deserve.”

“It is vital that providers of drinking water comply with federal and state laws designed to ensure the safety of the water,” said U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca for the Southern District of Mississippi. “Through this litigation, we will act to ensure that the city of Jackson’s water system will be compliant with the Safe Drinking Water Act and other state and local regulations so that those serviced by the system can have confidence that the water they are consuming is safe. The proposed agreed interim order is a critical first step.” 

The proposal seeks the court’s appointment of an Interim Third Party Manager that would have the authority to, among other things:

• Operate and maintain the city’s public drinking water system in compliance with SDWA, the Mississippi Safe Drinking Water Act, and related regulations;
• Take charge of the Water Sewer Business Administration, the arm of the city responsible for billing water users;
• Implement capital improvements to the city’s public drinking water system, in particular, a set of priority projects meant to improve the system’s near-term stability, including a winterization project meant to make the system less vulnerable to winter storms; and
• Correct conditions within the city’s public drinking water system that present, or may present, an imminent and substantial endangerment to the health of the city’s residents. 

This court filing marks the latest efforts to address Jackson’s drinking water crisis, but there is much work still to be done to solve the myriad problems plaguing Jackson’s public drinking water system. On July 29, MSDH issued a boil-water notice for Jackson’s public drinking water system. The next month, the city proclaimed an emergency after excessive rainfall and extreme flooding prevented the system from delivering any water to the approximately 160,000 persons living within the city and in certain areas of nearby Hinds County who rely on the system. That meant that many of those residents had no running water to drink, or to use for basic hygiene and safety purposes like washing hands, showering, flushing toilets, fighting fires, or washing dishes. The water pressure was not restored until Sept. 6, and the boil-water notice remained in effect until Sept. 15.

Learn more information about EPA’s efforts in Jackson to date here.

Obama returning to Georgia to campaign with Warnock

Former President Barack Obama will return to Atlanta on Thursday to campaign with Sen. Raphael Warnock and encourage Georgians to cast their ballots during the final days of early in-person voting for the runoff election.

Warnock is locked in a runoff battle with Republican challenger Herschel Walker after nether passed the percentage threshold to claim the seat in the general election.

The event will take place Thursday, December 1 from 4:30 – 8pm EST and is free and open to the public.

It will be at the Pullman Yards, 225 Rogers St. Northeast in Atlanta. Doors will open at 4:30 p.m., with the program beginning at 6:15 p.m.

[SOURCE: WRDW]

TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY MARCHING BAND GETS HISTORIC GRAMMY NOMINATIONS

Tennessee State University’s Aristocrat of Bands (AOB) has been nominated for a Grammy for their album The Urban Hymnal in the Best Roots Gospel Album category.

AOB also received a second Grammy nod for their collaboration on Spoken Word Artist and Poet, J. Ivy’s album, The Poet Who Sat By The Door.

The groundbreaking album has 10 tracks filled with organic sounds that were created on TSU campus and features trailblazers within the gospel music industry. The AOB is the first collegiate band in history to earn a Grammy nomination.

“This is a tremendous day in the history of our beloved Tennessee State University,” Dr. Reginald McDonald, director of bands, said. “This is not just a band accolade, but a university-wide accomplishment. I personally appreciate our President, Dr. Glenda Glover’s vision for our university.”

“The university is very proud of this accomplishment by the Aristocrat of Bands that is celebrated by the TSU family and all of Tennessee,” said TSU President Glenda Glover.

“The AOB’s historic Grammy nominations add to the legacy of excellence that is TSU and cements the band as a part of the mystique that is Music City.”

AOB assistant director Larry Jenkins described this moment as “surreal.”

“The Aristocrat of Bands receiving a Grammy nomination is a dream come true,” Jenkins said. “This serves as a truly historic and monumental moment for all of our students, staff and the university at large. Thank you to every band student, artist, producer and each person who contributed to our album. Thank you to the Recording Academy for making this moment a reality. Like our fellow HBCU, Fisk University, did in 2020, we hope to bring another Grammy Award down Jefferson Street soon.”

The executive producers for the album are AOB Director Dr. McDonald, Prof. Jenkins, two-time Grammy award-nominated songwriter and artist Sir the Baptist, Grammy award-winning songwriter and artist Dallas Austin, and TSU alum and platinum recording artist Dubba-AA.

Kyra Harris Bolden Becomes 1st Black Woman to Serve on Michigan Supreme Court

Kyra Harris Bolden has been appointed to the Michigan Supreme Court, making history as the first Black woman to serve on the state’s high court.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has chosen Bolden, whom she described Bolden as “passionate about the law, to fill a seat on the Michigan Supreme Court. “She will bring a unique perspective to our high court as a Black woman — and as a new, working mom — that has too long been left out,” Whitmer said, according to the Detroit News. “Kyra is committed to fighting for justice for generations, and I know she will serve Michigan admirably, building a brighter future for her newborn daughter and all our kids.”

Bolden, who is 34 years old, is the first Black woman and the youngest member of the Michigan Supreme Court.

Prior to that, Bolden has been a member of the Michigan House since 2018. She also previously served as a judicial clerk for Judge John A. Murphy in Wayne County and later practiced civil litigation at Lewis & Munday.

Bolden’s appointment comes after she lost a campaign for one of the two open seats on the Michigan Supreme Court in the November 8 election. Bolden was chosen to replace retiring former Chief Justice Bridget McCormack. She will join the court at the start of 2023 and serve a partial term that will end on January 1, 2025.

“I am incredibly honored to be chosen by Gov. Whitmer for this appointment to the Michigan Supreme Court,” Bolden said. “I will ensure equal access to justice, apply the law without fear or favor, and treat all who come before our state’s highest court with dignity and respect.”