Weekly Report 3-10

New Collaborative Seeks Investment in Media Organizations as Critical Civic Infrastructure

By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Senior

David Morgan, Founder & President of the Multicultural Media & Correspondents Association (MMCA), and Linda Miller, the manager of the Donald Reynolds Journalism Institute (RJI), have each declared that a robust, resilient, and diverse media ecosystem count as essential to a community’s well-being.

The duo said making financing available for multicultural and local news publishers is as important as affordable housing, reliable transportation, and access to capital.

That’s why they’ve announced a new partnership that targets the needs of local publishers.

As part of RJI’s Inclusive Media and Economies Project, RJI, MMCA, and Dynasty Consulting have teamed up to help publishers of color tap into community development, revitalization, and reinvestment funds.

They have pledged that the organizations use those investments to test new revenue strategies and build

having conversations about the need to come out of Covid with a more equitable economy and a more equitable media,” Miller remarked.

“I wanted to explore the intersection of those two things, and it came down to the question of if robust, diverse media ecosystem is so important and essential to a healthy economy, then why isn’t BIPOC media and community media, in particular, a bigger part of the conversation having to do with economic development and community development strategies?”

She said she considered what it would take to make a change.

“It’s clear that there’s a blind spot where people who work in the community development space and where they are coming from and really not viewing and funding community media as part of the overall community development strategy,” Miller continued.

“When I connected with David Morgan, we had a meeting of the minds, and we knew that we had to change that system and address that blind spot.”

The duo pointed to an October 2019 report that found that of the $1.1 billion journalism grants in the United States between 2013 and 2017, only 8.1 percent went to journalism efforts specifically designed to serve populations that included racial and ethnic groups, women and girls, and LGBTQ+ communities.

Morgan called an investment in community media an economic development strategy a force multiplier.

“More diverse media ownership gives communities power and resources to control their own narrative, and part of that narrative is the transformational impact that community development and revitalization can have on closing the racial wealth gap — and boosting the economy overall,” he said.

Officials said the partnership expands the reach and impact of RJI’s “Inclusive Media and Economies” project.

It integrates it into MMCA’s ongoing efforts to increase BIPOC media ownership through advocacy, coalition building, galvanizing public, private and philanthropic resources, and its BIPOC Media Incubator.

“BIPOC media is facing a dire situation on the revenue side and audience engagement because of the drying of advertising, their business model isn’t working well, and most are underwater, and all will need a business transformation that will take them from where they are to being sustainable in the future,” Morgan stated.

He pointed out that future sustainability is critical.

“That will take a level of intentionality and the alignment of resources and strategy that the average media company can’t take on by themselves,” Morgan asserted.

Three Former Officers Found Guilty of Violating George Floyd’s Civil Rights

By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Senior

Former Minneapolis police officers Tou Thao, J. Alexander Kueng, and Thomas Lane were found guilty of violating George Floyd’s civil rights.

The conviction in federal court comes months after another former officer, Derek Chauvin was convicted of murdering Floyd after kneeling on his neck for nine and a half minutes in May 2020.

Chauvin also pled guilty to federal charges of violating Floyd’s civil rights.

The jurors also found Thao and Kueng guilty of an additional charge for failing to intervene to stop Chauvin. Lane, who did not face the extra charge, told jurors that he twice asked Chauvin to move Floyd while restraining him.

Both times, he said Chauvin refused to move Floyd. According to the Department of Justice, the conviction of violating an individual’s civil rights “is punishable by a range of imprisonment up to a life term, or the death penalty, depending upon the circumstances of the crime, and the resulting injury, if any.”

It’s expected that the officers won’t receive the death penalty, but life in prison.

“Today closes another important chapter in our journey for justice for George Floyd and his family. These officers tried to devise any excuse that could let them wash the blood from their hands but following these verdicts George’s blood will forever stain them,” Attorney Ben Crump said in a statement with two other lawyers.

“They are connectors and convenors. They create jobs. They have trusted sources of relevant, actionable, and often life-saving information for the very populations that community-centered financing was created to serve.”

He added that by connecting the dots between community media and community development, the groups hope to create an entirely new funding source for media outlets serving communities of color, positioning them to advance a more inclusive narrative of the economy — and to compete in that economy.

Miller said the institution many often turn to for funding critical community infrastructure, like banks, community development finance institutions, and government agencies, largely ignore community media as an essential building block.

“Back in April 2020, I was really thinking and

“But, because they are vital, we felt the need for a dedicated infrastructure system in which to take them through that process, and that is what our business incubator is all about.”

Morgan continued:

“Just having a system isn’t enough. We know that there’s a need for new revenue sources from investing in building infrastructure and a sustainable revenue base to replace advertising. Once, we reached out to public and private entities and said, ‘you are trying to invest in our community, and you haven’t tapped into one of the strongest potential partners.’ As a result, we’ve had very little push back.”

Source: National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA)

“Today’s guilty verdicts should serve as the guiding example of why police departments across America should expand and prioritize instruction on an officer’s duty to intervene and recognize when a fellow officer is using excessive force,” Crump noted.

The statement continued:

“With that being said, the existing policies were not on trial; rather, on trial were the human beings present when the breath was taken from an unarmed man right in front of them.

“Nothing will bring George Floyd back to his loved ones, but with these verdicts, we hope that the ignorance and indifference toward human life shown by these officers will be erased from our nation’s police departments, so no other family has to experience a loss like this.

“The Floyd family will have to relive the traumatic disregard for George’s life once again in June when these officers will stand trial in state court. We hope, and we expect, that these officers will once again be held accountable for their lack of humanity.”

Source: National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA)

“Multicultural media have long played a critical role in the civic, social and economic health of communities,” Morgan noted.

d-mars.com Shines the Business & Banking Spotlight on Comerica Bank’s Chief Community Officer

Irvin Ashford, Jr.

By d-mars.com News Provider

As Comerica Bank’s Chief Community Officer, Irvin Ashford, Jr. leads community reinvestment nationally and all associated activities, including development, diversity business resource groups, lending,

community investments, volunteerism, and data analysis. Since joining Comerica in 2000, Irvin continues to drive the company’s community efforts forward to better the BIPOC and business community.

There have been many successful efforts implemented under Irvin’s direction that include:

• Increased funding for Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) to meet the needs of small and micro businesses in low- to moderate-income communities adversely impacted by the pandemic. Committing $5 billion to small business lending over the next two years (three-year commitment).

• Expanding Comerica’s business development program into the Asian American-Pacific Islander, Middle Eastern American, and African-American communities with newly named national managers focused to serve these respective communities’ needs.

D-MARS: What led to your interest in the banking industry/finance?

IRVIN: Finances and money are the economic lifelines that help businesses, communities, and ecosystems grow and thrive. The historical inequities in the financial system made me want to be part of the change. Access to financial education has been a true barrier to economic freedom. My passion and contribution to creating a beloved community are empowering youth and adults to become good financial stewards. So, I have dedicated my career to equipping more people with the essential skills needed to make sound financial decisions and navigate the increasingly complex financial world.

D-MARS: How are you leading Comerica’s efforts as a partner with Project Still I Rise, Inc.?

IRVIN: I am a longtime volunteer with PSIR. I’ve mentored young men, taught when called upon, and acted as a role model when necessary. I am available for whatever the group needs me to do. Mainly, I let the young men know I care and hold them accountable. For more than a decade Comerica has partnered with Project Still I Rise, a local nonprofit organization, to help empower today’s youth through financial education, including various STEM camps and events, the award-winning Gift of Knowledge program, and most recently Bank for Babies in partnership with South Dallas-area Headstarts. Research shows that there is a direct correlation between young people who are introduced to basic financial principles and taught how to manage their money at an early age and their future success.

D-MARS: Comerica Bank is a true community partner to so many groups and organizations, but for those wanting Comerica as a community partner, what are some of the requirements they should have to be considered?

IRVIN: There are many avenues to partnership -- volunteerism, support, board participation, and programs including but, not limited to: Comerica Business $ense boot camps, Ask the Banker sessions, Comerica Money $ense curriculum for youth organizations and

schools. We look for partners who help us raise expectations.

D-MARS: In your experience, what truly makes community and economic development initiatives effective for diverse and underserved communities?

IRVIN: Listening to the needs of the community and creating win-win opportunities for success. Simply, meeting people and communities where they are. At Comerica, we identify outlets to reach and teach the communities we serve. We are most effective when we strategically align with community-based organizations that are already doing the work.

DMARS: What are your short- and long-term goals as Chief Community Officer?

IRVIN: To make as many resources and programs available for the community as possible.

D-MARS: What legacy do you hope to leave in the finance/banking industry?

IRVIN: I want to raise the communities’ expectations of how they think Comerica can serve them while helping more individuals, families, and small businesses be successful.

D-MARS: Are there any special awards/honors you recently received that you want to mention?

IRVIN: Although humbled by any individual awards, I pay more attention to the group awards the company has achieved over the past year:

• Newsweek’s 2022 list of America’s Most Responsible Companies

• 2021 Texas Bankers Foundation Leaders in Financial Education Award Winner

• 2021 The Civic 50 by Points of Light Honoree, One of the 50 Most Community-Minded Companies in the U.S. for Six Consecutive Years

Comerica wants to do business with all communities where we live and serve. The challenges created by the pandemic will not be resolved overnight, that is why it is important for us to provide both financial and human capital to lend a hand and show that together we can continue to move forward,” says Irvin.