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National
Black Couple Signs Deal With Whole Foods To Offer Frozen West African Meals
This App Allows Users To Search And Support Black-Owned Businesses Around The World
If you’re looking for a one- stop-shop to support Black- owned businesses, there’s an app on the market that allows you to search and support Black-owned businesses around the world.
Rameish Budhoo cre- ated Black Nation in 2018 and fully launched it in Janu- ary 2019. It’s a business di- rectory and social app where users can search dozens of categories, including beauty, shopping, photography, restaurants, fitness, and more.
“People in and out of our community want to support black-owned brands, but have an extremely difficult time locating them,” Rameish told Black Busi- ness. “Black Nation is a social business directory and social media platform. You can hang out, find businesses to support, but also have the chance to win gifts, share up- dates, stories, and much more.”
What makes the app
unique is its social element that allows businesses to in- teract directly with their fol- lowers and customers. Businesses can create give- aways and interact with users directly on the app, according to Rameish.
“This App was built to em- power, celebrate each other’s success, and to reinvest in ourselves and our commu- nity,” a statement reads. “It is time to reclaim our Black People Magic and build our community in the process. We are powerful, we are re- silient, we are BLACK NA- TION.”
PERTEET AND FRED SPENCER AYO JOLLOF RICE
A Chicago couple has teamed up with Whole Foods to bring frozen tradi- tional West African meals to locations nationwide.
Perteet and Fred Spencer are the owners of the food company AYO Foods.
AYO means joy in Yoruba, one of the languages spoken in West Africa where some of their traditional recipes were born.
“As we thought about building a business together, nothing inspired us more
than using our strong indus- try experiences to create these moments for others by sharing some of our family’s favorite recipes that were under-represented in main- stream grocery stores,” the couple told Black Enter- prise.
The frozen meals are ex- pected to be available in Whole Foods locations in Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and in the Chicago-based grocery store, Green Grocer.
The Spencers said they
hope their meals will open more Americans up to trying food from West African countries.
“We’ve watched the ex- plosive growth of frozen as more and more premium items transform freezer doors across America,” they added. “In many instances, the source of that growth is ethnic food as people look to explore the world one bite at a time. Frozen was a natu- ral fit as an easy way for peo- ple to experience the flavors of West Africa.”
Detroit Firefighter Dies After Diving Into River To Save 3 Young Girls
Detroit, MI — Sgt. Sivad Johnson, a Detroit fire- fighter, is being called a hero for rescuing three young girls from drowning. Sadly though, he was found dead in the river the next day.
According to an investiga- tion, 48-year old Johnson dove into Detroit River along- side many other people to rescue three girls from drowning. He was off duty at that time.
Rescue crews started searching after receiving a 911 call from Johnson’s 10-year old daughter who noticed that he did not return from saving the girls.
The girls were safe, but sadly not Johnson. His body was recovered and he was pronounced dead at the hos- pital shortly afterward. Au- thorities believed that Johnson may have been dragged underwater by a rip current.
Johnson, whose father and brother had also been a firefighter, had been with the fire department for over 20
SGT. SIVAD JOHNSON
years and was awarded the Detroit Fire Department Medal of Valor in 2017.
Moreover, Johnson is re- membered in the community as a great father, firefighter, artist, and storyteller.
“Sivad touched me and touched every person who heard his story deeply. His message of making every day a good day is going to live on in all of us,” Patricia Wheeler, Michigan pro- ducer of the storytelling or- ganization The Moth, told Detroit Free Press.
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