Photo: Veteran journalist and publisher Cheryl Smith has been a powerful voice in Black media for over four decades. A Florida A&M alum, Smith is founder of I Messenger Enterprises, publisher of Texas Metro News, Garland Journal, and I Messenger. From The Dallas Weekly to KKDA-AM, she’s shaped news, mentored youth, and championed community causes. A trailblazer, educator, and award-winning leader, Smith continues to uplift voices and inspire change in North Texas and beyond.

(WASHINGTON, DC – July 24, 2025) – Across boardrooms, storefronts, and startup spaces nationwide, Black women are rewriting the story of American entrepreneurship. They are not just participating—they are leading. With nearly 2.7 million Black women-owned businesses across the United States, generating over $60 billion in annual revenue, these trailblazers are pushing past obstacles and creating new paths of possibility.

At BlackUSA.News, we celebrate these women not only for their bold business ventures, but for the powerful statement they make every single day: We will not be denied.

The Fastest Growing Force in Business

From 2014 to 2019, the number of businesses owned by Black women grew by 50%—the highest growth rate of any female demographic. Black women now make up 42% of all new women-owned businesses and represent 36% of all Black employers. This is no small feat; it is a revolution.

This surge is more than a trend—it’s a testament to vision, resilience, and grit. Whether launching a beauty brand, building a tech company, founding a nonprofit, or running a food truck, Black women are stepping into their power and redefining success on their own terms.

Courage in the Face of Challenges

The road to entrepreneurship is rarely smooth—and for Black women, the path is often filled with barriers that others never encounter. Discriminatory lending practices, lack of access to venture capital, and systemic economic inequalities persist. Nearly two-thirds of Black women entrepreneurs self-fund their businesses, despite having less generational wealth or household income compared to their white counterparts.

And yet—they rise.

Even as fewer than 3% of Black women-owned businesses reach the five-year mark, this community of innovators continues to build, to dream, and to rise above the statistics. They juggle caregiving, full-time jobs, and community commitments—often working double-time just to stay in the game.

Their businesses may be born out of necessity, but they are driven by purpose. And that purpose is reshaping industries and communities.

The Legacy Continues

From the legacy of Madam C.J. Walker, the first self-made Black woman millionaire, to modern moguls like Oprah Winfrey, Janice Bryant Howroyd, Cathy Hughes, and Beyoncé Knowles-Carter, Black women have long shown what’s possible when brilliance meets opportunity.

And today, new names are being etched into that legacy. Names like Rosalind Brewer, CEO of Walgreens Boots Alliance. Sheena Allen, fintech founder. Melissa Butler, creator of The Lip Bar. Pinky Cole, founder of Slutty Vegan. The list grows by the day—and every name represents a story of perseverance and power.

A Call to Action

It’s not enough to applaud Black women from the sidelines—we must invest in them, mentor them, partner with them, and amplify their work. The financial community, government agencies, and private institutions all have a role to play in eliminating structural inequities and providing real access to capital, networks, and growth opportunities.

As JPMorgan Chase’s Tosh Ernest puts it: “Black women are positioned to play an increasingly visible and important role in the United States’ future like never before.”

We at BlackUSA.News believe that future is already here. It’s being built every day by women who defy the odds, uplift their communities, and turn vision into value. They are not just surviving—they are thriving. And we’re proud to tell their stories.

In Their Honor

To every Black woman entrepreneur grinding before dawn, balancing motherhood with market research, transforming a side hustle into a legacy—we see you. We salute you. We celebrate you.

Because when Black women rise, we all rise.

🖤 For more stories like this, visit www.BlackUSA.News —where Black voices lead the narrative.

(BALTIMORE – July 24, 2025) – At BlackUSA.News, we believe that any meaningful discussion about justice, equity, and the future of Black America must begin with one undeniable truth: mass incarceration is one of the most devastating and enduring civil rights crises of our time. And it must be reversed.

Since the early 1970s, the United States has pursued policies that exploded the prison population—rising from 360,000 in 1972 to nearly two million people today. Fueled by the so-called War on Drugs, mandatory minimums, and racially biased policing, mass incarceration has devastated Black communities in particular. Black Americans make up just 13% of the U.S. population but represent 38% of the prison population and 55% of those serving life without parole. These are not statistics. These are people. Families. Futures stolen.

BlackUSA.News exists to shine a light on this injustice—not just as reporters, but as advocates. As storytellers. As truth-tellers. Our platform is committed to elevating the voices of those impacted by this system and to amplifying the urgent need for reform. From Baltimore to Oakland, Washington, D.C. to Atlanta, we stand with grassroots leaders, returning citizens, youth justice advocates, and civil rights lawyers demanding a new vision for public safety—one grounded in healing, opportunity, and restoration, not punishment.

Mass incarceration has far-reaching consequences:

• Economic disenfranchisement: formerly incarcerated people face steep barriers to employment, housing, and basic economic survival.

• Family disruption: children growing up with incarcerated parents are more likely to suffer emotional, educational, and health challenges.

• Community destabilization: neighborhoods with high incarceration rates experience higher levels of poverty, trauma, and reduced civic engagement.

• Loss of voting rights: over 4.4 million Americans—disproportionately Black—are disenfranchised due to felony convictions, further silencing entire communities.

The solutions are not mysterious. We need sentencing reform. We need investment in community-based mental health care and drug treatment. We need job training, restorative justice programs, and fair access to education. We need to end the school-to-prison pipeline and dismantle the racist underpinnings of the criminal legal system.

We need courage.

At BlackUSA.News, we don’t just report on justice—we fight for it. Through our shows, columns, community conversations, and collaborations with justice-centered organizations, we are keeping the spotlight on mass incarceration—not as a moment, but as a movement.

Reversing mass incarceration isn’t just a policy goal. It’s a moral obligation. For the sake of our communities, our children, and our democracy, the time to act is now.

#BlackLivesMatter means Black freedom must follow.

Visit BlackUSA.News for more reporting, analysis, and voices from the front lines of justice.

Written in solidarity by the team at BlackUSA.News
“News before the mainstream. Truth without compromise.”

By Doni Glover

(BALTIMORE – February 14, 2023) – I do not brag about BlackUSA.News, the voice of our people; but, maybe I should. It is essential, in my best estimation, to simply do the work. The accolades will come, I believe. And they have. On February 1st, the Doni Glover Show was nominated for an Emmy by Career Communications Group (CCG). And for this, I am truly humbled and grateful.

Kudos to Dr. Tyrone Taborn, Jean Hamilton, and the entire CCG team. They are just returning to regular life after last weekend’s 37th year of BEYA – or the Black Engineer of the Year Awards. As always, this mega-event features generals, admirals, scientists, inventors, and most importantly, students. Further, while this event started in Baltimore, it has since been held in Washington, D.C.; next year, it will return to Baltimore.

I was reminded today during an interview with Edwin Avent of the Baltimore Collegiate School for Boys of just how impactful CCG is. Dr. Taborn has been combatting digital apartheid his entire career. Too many of us do not even know who he is.

Well, I can tell you he is, among other things, the biggest supporter of BMORENews.com and BlackUSA.News. While BMORENews enjoys a 20-year reputation of covering “the news before the news”, BlackUSA.News is a 2½-year-old baby that came about amidst the pandemic.

Additionally, Dr. Taborn put the Doni Glover Show on his Metaverse platform, STEMCITYUSA.com, and he hired me to serve as news director.

I call it our “COVID pivot”. We found that providing news coverage drastically changed after the pandemic hit and we needed an innovative way of keeping our coverage viable.

Today, we can state that we have streamed LIVE with hosts in New York, Baltimore, Washington, D.C., Charlotte, Atlanta, Miami, L.A., and Oakland. This effort has been tremendously illuminated thanks to Dr. Taborn. We are ever so grateful that he embraced our vision and found it worthy of his support.