VICTORVILLE, CA— Justified Smith, founder of Fathers in Hip Hop, and Victorville Mayor, Debra Jones, came together over the Christmas holiday to deliver a blessing to the High Desert Community by passing out $3,000 worth of Walmart Gift Cards to random fathers and their families shopping on December 23 at The Victorville Super Wal-Mart on Palmdale Rd. and Hwy 395 border lining the City of Adelanto.

Fathers In Hip Hop & Group Economics created the “BLESSED IN THE MESS CHRISTMAS” campaign to raise $3,000 to Bless the Mess at Wal-Mart. In 12 days, the team was able to reach their Goal by receiving small donations from several people in their network and support system, proving their theory that Teamwork Makes the Dream Work.

Justified Smith and Mayor Debra Jones accompanied by a crew of volunteers walked the isles of Walmart handing out $25, $50, and $100 gift cards to unsuspecting shoppers. You could feel the joy in the air as multiple families were surprised with a Christmas Blessing from Fathers in Hip Hop & Mayor Jones.

“In a time of recession and financial hardships, what an awesome way for these families to experience a CHRISTMAS BLESSING!” said Victorville Mayor Debra Jones.

Follow The Fathers in Hip Hop on Instagram @fathersinhiphop

By Maxim Elramsisy | California Black Media

Physicians and public health officials are raising alarms about a “tripledemic” happening as the holiday travel season approaches. Communities around California are susceptible to infection by new COVID-19 variants, the seasonal flu, and the Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV).

People who are vulnerable to serious infection, especially those over age 50, are encouraged to get the updated bivalent COVID vaccine and this year’s flu vaccine.

“Young babies, our older patients, and of course people who have complications from things like diabetes or heart disease, or people who have obesity, people who have immuno-compromised symptoms, these people are very vulnerable,” said Dr. Sharon Okonkwo-Holmes a Kaiser Permanente family practice physician during an informational event at the Yvonne B. Burke Senior & Community Center in Los Angeles. “The CDC is really recommending that you get your flu vaccine at the same time as your COVID vaccine.”

The flu vaccine, which changes every year to protect against the flu strains most likely to circulate in the coming season, appears to be “a very good match” according to US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky.

However, data shows fewer people are getting vaccinated, including fewer pregnant women, seniors, and children.

RSV is a common respiratory virus that usually causes mild cold-like symptoms. Although it is not dangerous for most people, it can cause serious problems, especially in infants and seniors. No vaccine is currently available for RSV.

COVID-19, flu and RSV share many of the same symptoms, leading to confusion about which course of treatment to take.

The first action people should take if they are not feeling well is to isolate, and do a home test for COVID. An infected person may test negative on the first day of symptoms.

“In early infections, the home test may not pick it up right away, but it will pick it up on day two or day three,” said Okonkwo-Holmes. “Keep your mask on, try and stay in your room… On days one to five, you really do want to avoid exposure with everyone else because you are shedding virus… By day five, you’re considered to be okay. If you’re not having fever for two days, go ahead and put your mask on and you can go out into the community, but we’re still asking you to keep your mask on until day ten.

People over 50 should strongly consider getting vaccinated for Shingles, a viral skin condition causing blisters and a burning or tingling sensation that can last for weeks.

Shingles and associated inflammation can cause complications, including long term nerve pain, vision loss, and has also been linked to increased risk for stroke and dementia. The two-dose shingles vaccine, Shingrix, is recommended for all people over the age of 50 and people who are 19 and older with a weakened immune system due to disease or medication.

“If you’ve ever had chickenpox as a kid, when you’re 50 you should ask your doctor for your shingles shot,” said Okonkwo-Holmes.

Doctors know that three shots at the same time can be too much for some patients. But due to the urgency of the situation, doctors are recommending getting the flu and COVID vaccine together.

“Right now, we’re seeing more COVID, number one, flu, number two, then shingles. So, if you want to put off that third one, then go ahead and put off the shingles one… Get your COVID and flu shots at the same time,” Okonkwo-Holmes said.

Communities of color have been hit especially hard by the pandemic because of “social determinants of health,” like where we live, the types of jobs we have, and our level of the stress hormone cortisol.

“The stress that we endure in America, it has an impact on our cells,” said Okonkwo-Holmes. When society treats you differently, when you are profiled, when the police are following you, when you hear bad news in the media about another person who has been killed who looks like us… It raises our blood pressure; it also raises a [stress] hormone in our bodies called cortisol… It makes us more susceptible to things like diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, [and] stroke… So, I would argue that a lot of the systemic racism and microaggressions in our society are directly impacting our DNA and impacting our health… The racism is making us sick.”

For our communities to stay healthy, we must take action. “For me, action means trying to sleep well, avoiding alcohol, avoiding smoke [including] marijuana, trying my hardest to eat well.”

As for stress, Dr. Okonkwo-Holmes recommends laughter. “Go ahead and laugh out loud and have some enjoyment, go on long walks 30 minutes a day and spend time with people who make you feel good.”

As Black communities continue to navigate the pandemic, it is important to use the tools available to keep us as healthy as we can.

Okonkwo-Holmes believes people should wear masks indoors, even though it is not currently a requirement in many places, we should stay up to date with vaccinations to prevent serious illness and hospitalization, and if a COVID infection is acquired, get one of the available treatments, which most seniors will qualify for and usually tolerate well.

“None of my patients have had severe complications at all from treatments,” said Okonkwo-Holmes. “You don’t want to stay really sick. If you don’t feel well and you’re having difficulty breathing. You want to get to the hospital right away or call 911.”

LOS ANGELES – For the first time since January 2020, Metrolink is offering early-morning train service for people attending the Rose Parade being held in Pasadena on Monday, Jan. 2, 2023. The agency is offering early-morning service on five Metrolink lines connecting people to the Metro L Line (Gold), which provides direct service from L.A. Union Station to the parade route.

“I’m thrilled that Metrolink is able to once again support this beloved annual tradition by providing early-morning service for people attending the parade,” Metrolink CEO Darren Kettle said. “By taking Metrolink to L.A. Union Station and using our $10 Holiday Pass, riders can connect for free to Metro, avoid traffic gridlock and enjoy a safe and affordable trip to the event.”

In keeping with the Tournament of Roses “Never on Sunday” custom, the parade and viewing events will occur the day after New Year’s Day on Monday, Jan. 2. On that day, Metrolink will operate a special schedule and offer a $10 Holiday Pass. The first train on each of the following lines has been rescheduled so riders can connect with a free transfer to the Metro L Line (Gold) to reach Pasadena before the start of the parade.

• Ventura County Line train 162 will depart Ventura-East at 5:20 a.m. making all stops. The train will arrive at L.A. Union Station at 7:10 a.m.
• Antelope Valley Line train 260 will depart Lancaster at 5:40 a.m. making all stops. The train will arrive at L.A. Union Station at 7 a.m.
• San Bernardino Line train 351 will depart San Bernardino-Downtown at 5:40 a.m. making all station stops. The train will arrive at L.A. Union Station at 7:15 a.m.
• Orange County Line train 659 has been added to the schedule and will depart San Clemente Pier at 5:05 a.m. making all stops. The train will arrive at L.A. Union Station at 7 a.m.
• 91/Perris Valley Line train 751 will depart Perris-South at 5:08 a.m. making all stops. The train will arrive at L.A. Union Station at 7:15 a.m.

The $10 Holiday Pass is available in the Metrolink app and at station ticket machines found under the “Special Event Tickets” option.” Metrolink riders can use their ticket for a free round-trip transfer onto the Metro L Line (Gold) to reach Pasadena.

For details about our modified schedule and $10 Holiday Pass available on Jan. 2, please visit metrolinktrains.com/rose-parade.

For Metro bus and rail schedule information, visit metro.net.

By Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr. 

I will not be silent on the issues of racial hatred, violence, and prejudice. I am speaking out publicly in support of the recent call by billionaire African American business leader and philanthropist, Robert F. Smith, to stand up against the resurgence of racism and antisemitism in America.

Blacks and Jews in the United States have had a long history and tradition of working together and sacrificing together for freedom, justice, equality, and equity. Lest we forget that we have marched together for over a century. We have shared blood together. And we have died together for the cause of freedom in the Civil Rights Movement.

Both of our communities today increasingly are the targets of violent hatred, ignorant stereotypes, and a demonic supremacist ideology. Racism and antisemitism are twin evils that cannot be ignored or trivialized.

In a recent full page paid advertisement in The New York Times, Robert F. Smith affirmed, “At a time when racism and antisemitism are on the rise, I am determined to partner with leaders from all faiths to recognize ‘Fifteen Days of Light’. We are unifying to celebrate Chanukah and Kwanzaa together and encourage communities nationwide to join us in our support for one another.”

“Fifteen Days of Light” is a timely national opportunity to do what Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. prophetically defined as the development and establishment of a “Beloved Community.” Dr. King envisioned that this would be a nationwide multiracial community where there would be no racism, no antisemitism, and no hatred toward anyone. All people, regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, or faith would live together with mutual respect and unconditional love for all.

As we prepare to go into 2023, disunity between Blacks and Jews is ahistorical and counterproductive. We cannot afford to be nonchalant or indifferent. Smith’s statement to encourage participation in acts of remembrance across the nation celebrating both Chanukah and Kwanzaa together over a 15-day period this month reminded me of the need to reaffirm the solidarity between Blacks and Jews.

I attended the historic 1963 March on Washington where Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered his eloquent and transcendent “I Have a Dream” speech. I recall the strong advocacy from Jewish leaders like Arnold Aronson of the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights that supported Dr. King and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), the NAACP, and other civil rights organizations at the March on Washington.

That day I also remember hearing from a dynamic young freedom fighter named John Lewis who emphasized the urgency for racial equality. Then there was a young Jewish folk singer named Bob Dylan who performed at the March a haunting song he wrote about the tragic assassination of civil rights leader Medgar Evers in Mississippi.

On that sunny day in August of 1963 in Washington there were other freedom movement speakers that included a number of prominent Jewish voices from across the country, including the outspoken Rabbi Joachim Prinz, who spoke about “the shame and disgrace of inequality and injustice” facing the Black community.

Later that year in November 1963 Dr. King joined with theologian Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel at the United Synagogue of America’s Golden Jubilee Convention in New York City. King and Heschel pledged to work together to end racism and antisemitism. In 1965 when Dr. King, John Lewis, Hosea Williams and other civil rights leaders marched across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Alabama, the historic Selma to Montgomery March, for voting rights, Rabbi Heschel was there marching shoulder to shoulder in solidarity.

The Black community and the Jewish community share a long, shared history of struggle and fighting for civil rights – from August and Henrietta Bondi’s home in Kansas being used as a stop on the Underground Railroad to Jewish organizations participating in the protests following the murder of George Floyd and the acceleration of the Black Lives Matter movement.

According to recent national law enforcement data, today there has been an unprecedented increase in hate crimes targeted against Black and Jewish communities. According to the Anti-Defamation League, 2021 was the highest year on record for documented reports of harassment, vandalism and violence directed against Jews since the organization began tracking incidents in 1979.Thus far in 2022 the incidents of antisemitism have not declined but have steadily increased.

The National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) has documented a constant increase in racially motivated attacks on Black people throughout the United States during the past decade. All forms of racism and antisemitism should always be challenged relentlessly. Dr. King said it best, “We must all learn to live together as brothers, or we will all perish together as fools.”

Robert F. Smith, Founder, Chairman & CEO of Vista Equity Partners, Chairman, Carnegie Hall, is taking the right stand at the right time. Smith stated in the ad, “Michael Eric Dyson recently wrote that ‘…African Americans and Jews are passengers on the same ship facing the ferocious headwinds of bigotry and hatred.’ It is time to put aside differences and shift our focus to the shared values that bring all Americans together as God’s children.”

The call to action is: “Join us this holiday season at public events from Los Angeles to New York, or in your own home, to light the Eight Nights of the Chanukah Menorah followed immediately by the Seven Nights of Kwanzaa and the Kinara. Post your own photos of Black and Jewish friends, neighbors and colleagues coming together to #lightthecandles.”

Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr. is President and CEO of the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) and is Executive Producer/Host of The Chavis Chronicles on PBS TV stations throughout the U.S. and can be reached at dr.bchavis@nnpa.org.

By Edward Henderson | California Black Media

Sonya Aadam is Chief Executive Officer of California Black Women’s Health Project. Founded in 1992, the organization says its mission is to improve the health of California’s 1.2 million Black women and girls through advocacy, education, outreach and policy change.
A South Los Angeles native, Aadam’s work includes mentoring and preparing women to navigate a healthcare system that has notoriously underserved Black women.

California Black Media asked Aadam to reflect on the past year and share her plans for 2023.
With the work you do advocating for African Americans in California, what was your biggest accomplishment in 2022?

In 2022, we lift up the four-year extension of our Sisters Mentally Mobilized Advocate Training Program among our biggest accomplishments.

The program has been successful in building a cadre of Black mental health advocates and activists in key regions of the state and we are so excited to continue the program through another four years of funding from the California Dept. of Public Health.

What did you find most challenging over the past year?

Persistent limitations in funding for our work remains our greatest challenge because it means lower wages for existing staff, difficulty attracting new staff, and constant pressure to do more with less.

Our dedicated team could make considerably more in salary elsewhere, but they are willing to sacrifice higher earnings because they believe deeply in the work that we do to uplift better health and wellness for Black women, girls, families, and communities.

As the CEO of this organization, this lack of sufficient resources is a major source of stress.

What are you most looking forward to in 2023?

2023 presents a great opportunity for expanded power building in the Black community in California to advocate for health equity, reparations, and continued recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

At California Black Women’s Health Project, collaboration is a guiding value and is absolutely necessary for our work to address health disparities, build community capacity, and empower our Sisters statewide to guard their health and wellness.

What’s the biggest challenge Black Californians will face next year?

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to wreak havoc on the health and wellness of Black Californians. We consistently

worry about the ongoing mental and emotional strain, what we refer to as “Post-COVID-Stress-Disorder”.

The fallout of the pandemic and ongoing challenges in securing recovery funding and support will challenge us and require organizations like ours to work harder, go deeper, and fight harder to fill gaps and advocate for mental health and other services.

What’s your wish for this holiday season?

Black culture, the loving spirit of Christmas, and the New Year transition give me so much joy during the Holiday season. This year my Holiday wish is for a period of respite and peace, especially for those of us who work in community service. I also wish for a COVID-free Holiday season for us all.

By Maxim Elramsisy | California Black Media

Relief is available for homeowners struggling to pay their mortgage due to financial hardships caused by the Pandemic.

The California Mortgage Relief Program is providing a lifeline for qualifying California property owners, especially in underserved communities. Proponents of the program regard it as a safeguard to protecting generational wealth and assets.

“If you are deemed eligible and approved, we send the payment directly to your servicer or the county in which the home resides for the property tax payment, and then they’re caught up,” said CalHFA Homeowner Relief Corporation President Rebecca Franklin, who was appointed by Gov. Gavin Newsom.

The California Mortgage Relief Program is giving grants that are funded by $1 billion in federal funds from the American Rescue Plans Homeowner Assistance Fund. Grants up to $80,000 for past due mortgages, and up to $20,000 for missed property taxes, will be distributed to households facing pandemic-related financial hardship. There are NO FEES to apply, and the GRANTS NEVER HAVE TO BE PAID BACK.

The relief payments are distributed on a first come, first served basis.

“This is an awesome program that reminds me of Keep Your Home, California,” said HUD certified housing counselor Linda Jackson. “Keep Your Home, California did have restrictions, you had to stay in the house for a period of time, so that that loan could be forgiven. I say to everyone, this is free money ya’ll. So, we got to get the free money because you don’t have to pay this back. If anyone charges you for this program, run, because it’s at no cost.”

The application is at www.CAMortgageRelief.org and it includes a calculator to help you see if you qualify. The website also provides resources to help fill out the application. To complete the process, you will need some basic documentation like a mortgage statement, property tax bill, or utility bill.

The application typically takes less than 20 minutes to fill out online. For help completing it, contact the program center at 1(888)840-2594. Additional help with this program and others is available from the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development certified counselors at 1-800-569-4287.

“One of the biggest issues is a lot of our community members are older community members that don’t know how to use computers,” said Community Action League CEO Pharaoh Mitchell. “They come in and they’re frustrated, and we literally have to be counselors to them, to [tell them] ‘calm down, we’re here to help you. This is a friendly process. Let’s get you through it.”

“I’m proud that they’re making a conscious effort to really reach into the Black community and make sure our underserved community is served,” Mitchell added.

The program is designed to help low and moderate-income households. It has a cap for people earning more than 150% of the median income in their county, adjusted for the number of people in the household. Officials say it was created to assist people who are behind on payments, specifically those who have missed at least two payments and currently have a past due balance as of Dec. 1, 2022.

Aside from the income requirement and the delinquent payment criteria, there are almost no additional qualifiers (properties must be owner occupied, though, but some multi-unit properties may be eligible).

Homeowners with fully paid mortgages may be eligible for relief as well. Those having trouble paying their property taxes because of the pandemic may be eligible for Property Tax Relief. To qualify for the property tax relief, individuals must have missed a previous property tax payment last spring and fallen into delinquency.

Thanks to the program, to date 8,302 households have received relief. Officials anticipate the funding will reach 20,000-40,000 more homeowners. A total of $246,538,132 has already been disbursed, leaving more than 75% of the allocated funds still available. The average amount granted across the state was $29,696.

For more information or general questions email info@CAMortgageRelief.org or call 1(888)840-2594.

By Lou K Coleman-Yeboah

Take heed! Be on your guard! Things that will appear to be good, will not be good at all. Because the Antichrist is here, and not yet here. Not yet here in its consummation, but already here in significant fulfillments. Be on guard! Be alert! Because it won’t be long now before this evil and ruthless man will be ruling this world. [2 Thessalonians 2:3, 6-7, 9]. He is “already” here, and he is “not yet” here. [1 John 4:3]. In fact, John goes so far as to say: “You have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come” [1 John 2:18]. This is a call to live a sober life of alertness and faithfulness. Your mind should be girded for action [1 Peter 1:13]. You should put on the whole armor of God [Ephesians 6:13–18]. This is all the more urgent, for you to know how late it is; time is running out. [Romans 13:11]. A massive deception is coming. All we see taking place is moving the world right into the final conflict and deception. I’m not just blowing smoke here or coming up with some fun theory. What I am telling you is the absolute truth of God – it is not fiction, not fantasy, not a myth– this is straight from the Word of God. Might you be awake.  Might you be alert. Might you be ready. Because I tell you, it is almost showtime. A cataclysmic event will soon take place that will change the world. Take heed! Be on guard! Watch and pray!

“For, he came near where I stood, and when he came, I was afraid and fell on my face; but he said to me, understand, [daughter] of man, that the vision refers to the time of the end. [Daniel 8:17]. He said, listen, and I will tell you what will take place later in the period of wrath, for it refers to the appointed time of the end. [Daniel 8:19].  So, as the year end and the new year begin, do not be deceived. Take heed! Be on your guard because the Book of [Revelation 13] prophesied of two ‘beast’ powers, [nations] which would be the main end time kingdoms to deceive the world into receiving the mark of the beast. Those two beast powers are the very ones causing the troubles behind the scenes and then they will come in front stage to appear as ‘saviors’ to bring ‘peace.’ [Daniel 7:23; Revelation 13] but it is all part of the deception to gain control over the world. Do not be deceived. Nothing in your life will remain the same. Wake up! Pay attention! Be vigilant in watchfulness as Gideons army of 300 men described in [Judges 7:1-7].

What I say to you, I say to everyone, “Be on the alert, stay awake and be continually cautions. [Mark 13:37]. If you don’t recognize this, then you are unprepared for what is to come. The news is full of Bible prophecy fulfilling events now, and there can be no doubt that we are living in the last days. Don’t wait until it’s too late to escape the snare. Be vigilant and pray!

“For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.” [1 Thessalonians 5:3].

SAN BERNARDINO, CA—- The Board of Education of the San Bernardino City Unified School District (SBCUSD) decided unanimously at its December 13 meeting to fill a vacancy on the governing body through a temporary appointment, avoiding a costly special election.

Interested applicants who live within the SBCUSD attendance boundaries can apply for consideration starting Wednesday, December 14 by downloading an application at www.sbcusd.com/sbcusdboard. The deadline to apply is Wednesday, December 21, 2022, at 4:30 p.m. At its regularly scheduled meeting on January 17, 2023, Board members will discuss the interview process and finalize interview questions. On January 24, 2023, trustees will interview candidates and then appoint someone to serve the remaining two years of Dr. Gwendolyn Dowdy-Rodgers’ term. The appointee would be sworn in on February 7, 2023.

A vacancy on the seven-member Board opened with the resignation of Dr. Dowdy-Rodgers, who voters elected last month to represent Area D on the San Bernardino County Board of Education. Two years remain in Dowdy-Rodgers’ term on the SBCUSD Board of Education.

School board members are locally elected public officials entrusted with governing a community’s public schools. The role of a school board is to ensure that the district is responsive to the values, beliefs, and priorities of the communities it serves. Boards fulfill this role by setting direction and policy, ensuring accountability, and providing community leadership as advocates for children and families, the school district, and public schools. Authority is granted to the Board as a whole, not each member individually. Board members work together as a governance team with the superintendent to make decisions that best serve all the students in the community.

ATLANTA, GA—- Pittsburgh Yards, a mission-driven entrepreneurial development on the southside of Atlanta, is a community of more than 140 Black-owned and run businesses and organizations that is community-inspired. Its mission is simple – to serve as a catalyst to spur economic equity, job growth and entrepreneurship to benefit area residents and entrepreneurs throughout Atlanta for future generations. Situated in the historic Black neighborhood of Pittsburgh with a rich history (352 University Avenue), Phase I of Pittsburgh Yards was completed in 2020 and included James Bridges Field, the infrastructure for the pad sites for future development, and The Nia Building, which serves as the development’s nerve center and hub. Named after one of the seven principles of Kwanzaa – Nia means purpose in the African language of Swahili. The word “purpose” defines the mission of Pittsburgh Yards as a place to create unprecedented opportunities for the community and beyond. What happens at Pittsburgh Yards and through the businesses there personifies the principles of Kwanzaa throughout the year.

As Pittsburgh Yards delivers against its purpose and mission and encourages mission-driven businesses and organizations to join and become coworking members or tenants, many of the businesses bring the seven principles of Kwanzaa to life. Here are just a few:

Umoja (Unity) – Stakeholders within the community came together in 2017 through numerous community meetings and work groups to engage in creating the spirit of Pittsburgh Yards, from the actual name to the art from local artists throughout The Nia Building. The space was designed for collective productivity and as an enjoyable place to work and collaborate with a vibrant group of like- minded entrepreneurs and businesses. As Pittsburgh Yards evolves and grows, husband and wife team, Anthony and Sharon Pope, principles of Atelier 7 Architects, LLC, are at the center of designing the ten shipping container retail spaces for the future Container Courtyard that will be situated adjacent to an access point to Atlanta BeltLine’s Southside Trail.

Kujichagulia (Self-Determination) – Born in Atlanta, Mary-Pat Hector is a graduate of Spelman College and a current graduate student at Georgia State University. She began community organizing at the age of 12 years old. At the age of 18, she was one of the youngest community leaders to advise President Barack Obama on criminal justice reform in the oval office. By the age of 19, she became the youngest woman and person of color to run for public office in the state of Georgia, losing by only 22 votes. She is the founder of Equity for All, an organization that develops that develops successful get-out-the-vote programs for partners across the South. Hector finds inspiration in this quote by Coretta Scott King: “Struggle is a never-ending process. Freedom is never really won. You earn it and win it in every generation.”

Ujima (Collective Work and Responsibility) – Our Village United, the collaborative partner and organization that leads the programming and curates community culture for Pittsburgh Yards, is grounded in the core belief that by serving the whole business, the entire community prospers economically and holistically. Through their work, they support the growth of Black solopreneurs and microbusinesses by delivering targeted technical assistance and shared professional services that not only focus on the health of the business but also the health of the business owner to empower and elevate small businesses to grow and scale.

Ujamaa (Cooperative Economics) – Malika Redmond is CEO and co-founder of Women Engaged, an initiative that uses a creative, hands-on learning approach to advancing Black women’s human rights, youth empowerment and civic engagement efforts in Georgia, offering leadership development opportunities, public policy advocacy, and year-round non-partisan voter engagement campaigns. She solicited the talents of Amber Lawson, the president/CEO of Aspire Construction & Design to design and build out her office space at Pittsburgh Yards. Aspire is a commercial design-build general contractor providing entrepreneurs like Malika and Women Engaged a one stop shop for design and construction services. She launched Aspire to provide opportunities for under-represented demographics in the architecture and construction industry. Her real passion is imagining the possibilities of a space – building something different than what was there yesterday, and doing that for other entrepreneurs, especially women entrepreneurs.

Nia (Purpose) – Reggie Hammond, CEO of Your Crescendo, empowers individuals, teams, leaders and organizations to connect their work to their purpose. This includes coaching, strategic planning, high performing team building and placement services – all centered in purpose.

Kuumba (Creativity) – There’s no shortage of creativity at Pittsburgh Yards. In addition to having an artist studio, there’s an inspirational, art-centered environment in which to work. From coworking member, Thomas Gray, CEO of Zwenty 58 Entertainment, the creator of Adult Game Nights games, to Destiny Brewton, CEO of A House Called Hue, which is more than a high-quality embroidery company, but also a business that has become an incubator for local creatives in the community, thus developing more artists in Atlanta. And then there’s Sharon Brooks Hodge, CEO and managing partner of Phenomenal Media Productions, a company that creates multimedia content relevant to Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Black businesses. It includes content development and traditional media, new media, social media, and corporate communications.

Imani (Faith) – “Chin up champ, you’ve got this!” is the quote Danielle Walker, CEO and founder of BLKGTV Network LLC, has used to motivate herself, even before she was an entrepreneur in the business of helping independent filmmakers maximize their revenue growth through viewership by providing a controlled environment for them to host their content. Although she’s had her business for 9 years under the parent company YJLM LLC, BLKGTV Network was founded in 2021. According to Walker, being a part of the community has elevated her confidence in her ability to grow her company to its fullest potential.

“Pittsburgh Yards is motivating and inspiring because you are in a building with like- minded individuals — all working towards one real goal and that’s to be the change we want to see,” said Walker. “Pittsburgh Yards is a movement. It represents hope.”

You can explore more businesses by going to the 2022 Pittsburgh Yards Gift & Giving Guide.
More information about becoming a Pittsburgh Yards coworking member or tenant can be found at PittsburghYards.com or by visiting the community in person and taking a tour on the second Thursday of every month at 11:30 a.m. or at 2:30 p.m. at 352 University Avenue in Atlanta. Contact Pittsburgh Yards via email at info@pittsburghyards.com or by phone at 470-890-5030.

MORE PHOTOS of Pittsburgh Yards and business owners mentioned in this story can be found here. SIDEBAR: To Expand the Economy, Invest in Black Businesses – Make it a New Year’s Resolution

During the heart of the COVID-19 pandemic, wealth and access to capital inequities were exposed as having a significant impact on Black communities and Black-owned businesses, becoming national news. Despite the systemic-based challenges the pandemic brought to light, it also inspired many to pivot, grow and spurred the creation of new Black-owned businesses, showing resilience to change. A leading public policy organization, the Brookings Institute, reported there are 7,539 Black-owned businesses in Metro Atlanta that create approximately 6 jobs on average per firm. Supporting Black entrepreneurs and helping them grow and gain access to the tools needed to scale their businesses is an essential component to rectifying the inequity that exists. The institute issued a report supporting this concept, “To Expand the Economy, Invest in Black Businesses.” Unique to the Pittsburgh Yards ecosystem is the strategic technical support offered to coworking members and business tenants offered by Our Village United.