UPS’ Post

POWERFUL RESILIENCE

Y’all know her as the poet, the author, the voice of a generation. But did you know Maya Angelou, the phenomenal woman, was also an entrepreneur? This Black History Month, let’s shine a light on the lesser-known side of Ms. Angelou, the hustler, the go-getter, the woman who paved the way for Black creatives everywhere. From dancer to actress, singer to playwright, Angelou never shied away from new ventures. She self-published her first book, “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings,” after facing rejections, proving that resilience and belief in her own voice were her superpowers. She toured tirelessly, not just captivating audiences with her words, but building her own brand - the brand of Maya Angelou. And let’s not forget her restaurant, “Caged Bird,” a space where art, community, and good food collided. ️ Ms. Angelou’s entrepreneurial spirit wasn’t just about making money; it was about creating spaces for Black expression, ownership, and self-determination. She showed us that our stories, our voices, our talents have commercial value, and that there’s no shame in turning them into businesses. ✨ So, this Black History Month, let’s honor Maya Angelou not just for her words, but for her hustle.Let’s remember that we, too, can be the owners of our narratives, the architects of our dreams. Let her story be a beacon, reminding us that with courage, creativity, and a little bit of audacity, we can all build our own empires. #BlackHistoryMonth #MayaAngelou #BlackExcellence #EntrepreneurLife #OwnYourStory #cultivatebg #community #bowlinggreenky

How do you make Black History on Wall Street?   Check out the video below of my late father, Travers Bell. He accomplished a lot in his 46 years of life:   ✔ Co-founder of the first Black-owned firm on the New York Stock Exchange ✔ Owner of Cocoline Chocolate, one of the largest 100 Black-owned businesses for more than a decade ✔ Named by Black Enterprise Magazine as one of the most important 50 Black entrepreneurs of the last half-century ✔ Leading fundraiser that helped elect pioneering Black elected officials, from Chicago Mayor Harold Washington to Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley.   What can we all learn from his example? Here’s a two-minute clip from CNN that always inspires me by showing:   💡 Tough circumstances make tough people 💡 You can outwork the obstacles you face 💡 Where you start up in your career (a messenger) doesn’t dictate where you end up (an investment banker) 💡 Mastery of your craft can always be the competitive edge you need, even when facing the giants of Wall Street. #blackhistorymonth #blackhistory #blackexcellence #blackwallstreet

I recently chatted with my friends Ron Busby, Sr. , President & CEO, US Black Chambers, and Dr. Ken L. Harris, Ph.D. , President & CEO, The National Business League. We discussed the role of Black business in American history and key issues facing these enterprises today. Check out the article below:

👏 💫This Black History Month, let's honor Maggie Lena Walker, the trailblazer who built bridges to financial freedom Maggie Lena Walker was a titan in her own right! Born after slavery, she rose above unimaginable challenges to become a pioneer in finance and housing. Here's why we're shouting her name from the rooftops: Building Banks, Breaking Barriers: In 1903, Maggie shattered glass ceilings when she founded the St. Luke Penny Savings Bank, the first bank in the US chartered by a Black woman. This wasn't just about her - it was about creating a safe haven for her community, offering banking services to those often denied access. Empowering Homeownership: Maggie understood that owning a home was more than bricks and mortar. It was about stability, pride, and building generational wealth. Her bank offered flexible loans and low down payments, helping thousands of Black families achieve the dream of homeownership. Lifting Others Up: Maggie wasn't a queen bee - she was a queen maker. She trained and employed hundreds of Black women, paving the way for more diverse representation in the financial world. Her legacy empowers generations of entrepreneurs and leaders to follow in her footsteps. So, let's celebrate Maggie Lena Walker this Black History Month! Share her story, honor her resilience, and keep her spirit alive by working towards a more equitable financial landscape where everyone has a chance to thrive. #BlackHistoryMonth #FinancialJustice #MaggieLenaWalker #BuildingLegacy

👏 💫This Black History Month, let's honor Maggie Lena Walker, the trailblazer who built bridges to financial freedom Maggie Lena Walker was a titan in her own right! Born after slavery, she rose above unimaginable challenges to become a pioneer in finance and housing. Here's why we're shouting her name from the rooftops: Building Banks, Breaking Barriers: In 1903, Maggie shattered glass ceilings when she founded the St. Luke Penny Savings Bank, the first bank in the US chartered by a Black woman. This wasn't just about her - it was about creating a safe haven for her community, offering banking services to those often denied access. Empowering Homeownership: Maggie understood that owning a home was more than bricks and mortar. It was about stability, pride, and building generational wealth. Her bank offered flexible loans and low down payments, helping thousands of Black families achieve the dream of homeownership. Lifting Others Up: Maggie wasn't a queen bee - she was a queen maker. She trained and employed hundreds of Black women, paving the way for more diverse representation in the financial world. Her legacy empowers generations of entrepreneurs and leaders to follow in her footsteps. So, let's celebrate Maggie Lena Walker this Black History Month! Share her story, honor her resilience, and keep her spirit alive by working towards a more equitable financial landscape where everyone has a chance to thrive. #BlackHistoryMonth #FinancialJustice #MaggieLenaWalker #BuildingLegacy

👏 💫This Black History Month, let's honor Maggie Lena Walker, the trailblazer who built bridges to financial freedom Maggie Lena Walker was a titan in her own right! Born after slavery, she rose above unimaginable challenges to become a pioneer in finance and housing. Here's why we're shouting her name from the rooftops: Building Banks, Breaking Barriers: In 1903, Maggie shattered glass ceilings when she founded the St. Luke Penny Savings Bank, the first bank in the US chartered by a Black woman. This wasn't just about her - it was about creating a safe haven for her community, offering banking services to those often denied access. Empowering Homeownership: Maggie understood that owning a home was more than bricks and mortar. It was about stability, pride, and building generational wealth. Her bank offered flexible loans and low down payments, helping thousands of Black families achieve the dream of homeownership. Lifting Others Up: Maggie wasn't a queen bee - she was a queen maker. She trained and employed hundreds of Black women, paving the way for more diverse representation in the financial world. Her legacy empowers generations of entrepreneurs and leaders to follow in her footsteps. So, let's celebrate Maggie Lena Walker this Black History Month! Share her story, honor her resilience, and keep her spirit alive by working towards a more equitable financial landscape where everyone has a chance to thrive. #BlackHistoryMonth #FinancialJustice #MaggieLenaWalker #BuildingLegacy

Today is the fourth anniversary of Ahmaud Arbery's murder at the hands of three White vigilantes who thought a young Black Man out for a jog in an affluent neighborhood was so suspicious they needed to literally stalk him and ultimately kill him. If we are to get the most we can out of observances like #BlackHistoryMonth and live up to the true motivations behind its founding, we need to broaden the scope of #BlackHistory to be much more than a mere recounting of Black contributions. These men killed Ahmaud (in part) because they didn't have an understanding of the lived Black Experience in America. They didn't have a mental model of young Black man as anything but a potential threat and suspected criminal. They may be unpleasant, but stories like Ahmaud's (and Trayvon's, and Tyree's, and Breanna's, and George's, and SO MANY OTHERS on this ever-expanding list) are CRITICAL parts of Black History. If we choose to ignore them, we reinforce the social conditions that led to these deaths. Black History Month should be as much a call to collective action to combat serious social inequities as a celebration of culture and contributions. It can and must be both. Black History is American History and it must be told fully and earnestly. We all have a role to play in that. ✊🏿✊🏾✊🏽✊🏼✊🏻

When the intern runs your Black history product campaign...... 😳😳😳 Target might be a culture vulture. No interns were named or harmed in the creation of this content. 😝 For those unfamiliar, a "culture vulture" is someone who eats off of any culture not there's aka systematically takes from one culture but doesn't really care about it. IE : 🧐Elvis Presley 🧐Many rap label executives 🧐John Sinnock (took credit for sculpting the dime image of FDR) 🧐The Beach Boys Although it's "good" Target is celebrating Black history, it seems more like a money grab for them. 🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄 "Get some Black stuff! They'll love it!" Studies show we will get up to $1.7 trillion (in nominal dollars) in spending power in 2030. So people know we like to shop. 😒😒😒😒😒😒 Let's shop better! I know it's easy to go to Target. It's also easy for them to abuse our dollar. 😮💨 Try to buy Black from an actual Black small business this year! And before you say "some of the Target stuff is from Black small businesses", well go to their site then. I'm sure they'd rather you actually know who they are and get your support more than once a year.... We have more power than we realize! Tag your favorite Black owned business of ANY type!!! 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾 What do you think of these "missed" targets at Target??? 👇🏾👇🏾👇🏾👇🏾👇🏾👇🏾👇🏾👇🏾👇🏾👇🏾 Proud member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Incorporated, The Society of Black Agents, NAAIA - National African American Insurance Association, and The Atlanta Black Chambers! ✊🏾✊🏾✊🏾✊🏾✊🏾✊🏾✊🏾✊🏾✊🏾✊🏾✊🏾 #Blackhistorymonth #Blacklinkedin #ProfessionallyBlack #Blackownedbusiness #Blackcommunity

👏 💫This Black History Month, let's honor Maggie Lena Walker, the trailblazer who built bridges to financial freedom Maggie Lena Walker was a titan in her own right! Born after slavery, she rose above unimaginable challenges to become a pioneer in finance and housing. Here's why we're shouting her name from the rooftops: Building Banks, Breaking Barriers: In 1903, Maggie shattered glass ceilings when she founded the St. Luke Penny Savings Bank, the first bank in the US chartered by a Black woman. This wasn't just about her - it was about creating a safe haven for her community, offering banking services to those often denied access. Empowering Homeownership: Maggie understood that owning a home was more than bricks and mortar. It was about stability, pride, and building generational wealth. Her bank offered flexible loans and low down payments, helping thousands of Black families achieve the dream of homeownership. Lifting Others Up: Maggie wasn't a queen bee - she was a queen maker. She trained and employed hundreds of Black women, paving the way for more diverse representation in the financial world. Her legacy empowers generations of entrepreneurs and leaders to follow in her footsteps. So, let's celebrate Maggie Lena Walker this Black History Month! Share her story, honor her resilience, and keep her spirit alive by working towards a more equitable financial landscape where everyone has a chance to thrive. #BlackHistoryMonth #FinancialJustice #MaggieLenaWalker #BuildingLegacy