Former president Barack Obama will be a special guest on Win With Black Men call on October 27th at 7pm EST.
Obama will join the virtual roundtable discussion in a final push to mobilize Black men to back Vice President Harris ahead of the Nov. 5 presidential election.
Sign up for the call here: https://streamyard.com/watch/HsdCcZwtmKwS
Watch Kamala Harris respond to comments allegedly made by Donald Trump when he was president in which he made positive comments about Adolf Hitler.
BREAKING: Kamala Harris responds to comments allegedly made by Donald Trump when he was president in which he spoke positively about Adolf Hitler.
— Sky News (@SkyNews) October 23, 2024
Trump's ex-chief of staff John Kelly made the claims in a series of recent interviews.https://t.co/Gel726aHzV pic.twitter.com/UrRTuX7ieo
The Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) today announced that the Entrepreneurs of Color Fund (EOCF) has surpassed its $500 million goal for small business lending across the country—more than two years ahead of schedule. LISC is now expanding the program to double its impact, aiming to support $1 billion in financing for underserved businesses and communities.
"We are working to level the playing field—to connect promising but overlooked businesses to affordable financing so that whole communities can benefit from economic development and growth," said Steve Hall, LISC vice president of Small Business Lending.
EOCF is specifically designed to strengthen the local infrastructure for small business lending. It provides grants, loans and technical assistance to community development financial institutions (CDFIs) so they can better reach businesses that the traditional market does not serve.
The program particularly addresses capital gaps that affect communities of color. According to the Federal Reserve, Black and Latino small business owners are turned down for financing at more than twice the rate of their white counterparts. Those owners are also more likely to say that a lack of financing is a significant challenge to their business success.
"We want to expand financing opportunities so owners can buy a building, purchase equipment, increase their inventory or expand their staff," Hall said. "The $500 million deployed thus far is an investment in local wealth-building. It not only benefits businesses and their employees but also expands access to goods, services and jobs for residents in the communities where these firms operate."
EOCF currently partners with 24 CDFIs in 10 metro areas, including Atlanta, Chicago, Detroit, Los Angeles, Miami, Newark, New Orleans, New York City, Oakland, and Greater Washington, D.C. Together, they have supported more than 9,500 loans to small businesses in the retail, business services, food, small manufacturing and transportation sectors. Approximately half of the borrowers serve low-to-moderate income communities.
In their most recent survey of owners, EOCF found that 62 percent of firms increased their staffing after obtaining a loan, and 55 percent saw revenue growth. In addition, because of the high-touch business services provided, 82 percent of owners with a low credit score when they applied for a loan (below 651) were able to increase their score, which better positions them for conventional financing in the future.
Johnnie Akons, owner of Legacy Cutz in Chicago, is a good example. Unable to get a conventional loan to move out of rented space, he worked with LISC and EOCF to open his first real estate loan for his barbershop, grow his staff, build his financial expertise and, two years later, purchase commercial space for a second location. Both shops serve majority-Black communities.
"Even with all the hard work and everything I put into this business and this industry, it would be basically impossible to grow if I hadn't been able to get these loans," he said.
In addition to financial support, the EOCF team collaborates with local CDFIs to identify barriers that block the flow of capital—like outdated underwriting approaches or gaps in digital access—and develop products and services that respond.
"It is clearly possible to successfully implement fair and inclusive lending policies," Hall said. "But it requires a different way of thinking about the process and a willingness to step back from traditional notions about risk."
Supporters of the EOCF program include JPMorganChase and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation—which piloted the EOCF in Detroit in 2015, before LISC took the reins as program manager in 2020—as well as Fifth Third Bank, Prudential, The Rockefeller Foundation and U.S. Bank.
For more information, visit www.lisc.org/eocf/.
About LISC
LISC is one of the country's largest community development organizations, helping forge vibrant, resilient communities across America. LISC works with residents and partners to close systemic gaps in health, wealth, and opportunity and advance racial equity so that people and places can thrive. Since its founding in 1979, LISC has invested $32 billion to create more than 506,000 affordable homes and apartments, develop 82.5 million square feet of retail, community, and educational space, and help tens of thousands of people find employment and improve their finances. For more, visit www.lisc.org.
The network, spearheaded by podcast executive Dre Smith, has experienced triple-digit percent growth in downloads and listenership and includes the signing of other top podcasts, such as Dear Future Wifey featuring Laterras R. Whitfield and The Fun House, featuring Hip Hop Legends Kid N' Play
Urban One, the largest Black-owned and Black-targeted diversified media company, announced today that the Urban One Podcast Network has achieved an impressive growth of 381% in downloads and 313% in unique listeners since its launch less than two years ago. Additionally, the network has formed an exclusive partnership with , a prominent self-improvement and education podcast. Since its inception in February of this year, Mick Unplugged has consistently ranked highly on the Apple Podcast charts, reaching as high as #1 in the Self-Improvement category, #3 in Education, and #54 overall across all podcasts on the Apple Podcast Charts.
As part of this collaboration, the Urban One Podcast Network will exclusively distribute multiple weekly episodes of Mick Unplugged and provide promotional content across Urban One's audio platforms, including Reach Media and Radio One. The network will also exclusively manage all sales and sponsorships, which encompass a diverse range of opportunities.
"Joining the Urban One Podcast Network is an honor that speaks to both the legacy of leadership and the power of voice. Urban One has set the gold standard in media for amplifying diverse stories, and I'm thrilled to be a part of a network that represents strength, authenticity, and cultural impact," lauded Mick Hunt, host of Mick Unplugged. "For me, this partnership is about more than just content – it's about carrying forward a tradition of excellence and purpose-driven conversation. Together, we're empowering the next generation of leaders, entrepreneurs, and change-makers."
The Urban One Podcast Network is led by podcast executive Dre Smith, who has become a staple name in the podcast industry as founder and CEO of Relationship Restored. Smith has led teams to market and produced critically acclaimed podcasts that have earned notable recognitions, such as Spotify's best new podcast award in 2021 and have reached top 15 podcast status on Apple podcasts.
"I couldn't be more excited to be leading the Urban One Podcast Network and expanding its portfolio with a variety of titles that directly engage, entertain and relate to Black America," said Dre Smith. "Our recent signings and new original podcasts mark a huge step forward for our growth and showcase our vibrant culture. It's also a privilege to partner with some of the most talented content creators in the game. We look forward to seeing all our shows thrive under the Urban One Podcast Network umbrella and to seeing the incredible opportunities our portfolio will bring."
Other recent signings to the Urban One Podcast Network include:
The Urban One Podcast Network consists of original and partnership podcasts across a variety of genres such as The Rickey Smiley Morning Show, The Morning Hustle, I Hate They Homies, The DL Hughley Show, Fatal Attraction, Listen to Black Women, SZN Opener and many others. To see the complete portfolio and to learn more about the Urban One Podcast Network, visit theurbanonepodcastnetwork.com.
About Urban One, Inc.
Urban One, Inc. (urban1.com), together with its subsidiaries, is the largest diversified media company that primarily targets Black Americans and urban consumers in the United States. The Company owns TV One, LLC (tvone.tv), a television network serving more than 46 million households, and CLEO TV, its sister network with an almost 41 million household reach. As of October 14, 2024, we owned and/or operated 72 independently formatted, revenue producing broadcast stations (including 57 FM or AM stations, 13 HD stations, and the 2 low power television stations we operate), located in 13 of the most populous African-American markets in the United States. Through its controlling interest in Reach Media, Inc. (blackamericaweb.com), the Company also operates syndicated programming, including the Rickey Smiley Morning Show, and the DL Hughley Show. In addition to its radio and television broadcast assets, Urban One owns iOne Digital (ionedigital.com), our wholly-owned digital platform serving the African American community through social content, news, information, and entertainment websites, including its Cassius, Bossip, HipHopWired, and MadameNoire digital platforms and brands.
In an open letter, more than two dozen Black and Latino healthcare technology leaders across the country endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris for President.
In their endorsement, the leaders noted that "throughout her career, Kamala Harris has shown a deep understanding of the structural barriers that communities of color face in healthcare. She has championed policies that expand digital access, support minority entrepreneurs, and prioritize community-driven solutions. Her vision for health equity aligns closely with our own: a future where technology is harnessed to empower, not exclude."
Organized by healthcare technology entrepreneurs Abner Mason, Daniel Turner-Lloveras, MD, and Kevin Dedner, the group includes founders, investors, technologists, engineers, senior executives, and providers spanning digital health, artificial intelligence, healthcare delivery, and life sciences.
"We understand the needs of the communities we come from and serve, and we have no doubt Kamala Harris is the leader our country needs to help us build a better healthcare future," said Abner Mason, founder and CEO of SameSkyHealth (acquired by GroundGameHealth). "We invite healthcare leaders of all backgrounds to join us in rallying behind Kamala Harris, for the benefit of the people we all have dedicated our lives to serving."
In their endorsement, the leaders noted the need to increase diverse representation in healthcare technology leadership, bridge the digital divide in health, increase investment in diverse entrepreneurs and innovators, and prevent algorithmic bias in healthcare.
"Harris shares our vision: Health equity isn't just a goal, it's the foundation. True innovation demands diversity in both ideas and leadership. We must shift our perspective: Our communities aren't hard to reach, they're hardly reached. We're not just diagnosing problems; we're architecting solutions by empowering communities to engage in their own health research. By investing in innovation through diversity, dismantling digital divides, and safeguarding against algorithmic bias, we're building a healthcare system that doesn't just serve all Americans, it empowers them," said Daniel Turner-Lloveras, MD, Co-Founder and CEO of The Latino Health Innovation Alliance | SaludConTech.*
"Vice President Harris understands when we encourage and direct capital to diverse entrepreneurs and innovators, the entire healthcare system benefits," said Kevin Dedner, health-tech entrepreneur and author of The Joy of the Disinherited.
These healthcare technology leaders hope their public endorsement will encourage others in healthcare technology to "Do Something" to help elect Vice President Harris as the next President of the U.S.
Read the full endorsement here.
