I often refer to the economic conditions we see in our Black community is Black-a-nomics. But that description is truly rooted in Feel-a-nomics: the economy that you can feel.

Feel-a-Nomics gets past the philosophical abstractions you hear about so much on the news that politicians use to paint a rosier picture than the reality you’re facing. Feel-a-Nomics doesn’t care about corporate profits or dividend projections because those earnings don’t trickle down to your wallet. It doesn’t pay any attention to inflated job numbers when we know that it takes at least two of those jobs to earn a living wage.

Feel-a-Nomics is the economy that affects every day of your life.

Foreclosure rates are skyrocketing up 21% for the first half of 2026 and car repossessions were up 43% as of January. That’s Feel-a-Nomics because it’s your home on the chopping block and that’s the car you need to get to and from your job.

Credit card debt is surging as more than half of Americans are forced to rely on credit cards to pay for basic needs like groceries, rent and utilities. Student debt has jumped since the Trump administration reversed course on Biden repayment and forgiveness plans. This unconstitutional war has brought us record high diesel prices and fertilizer costs along with 16 unnecessary American deaths with a Feel-a-Nomics impact of higher prices at the pump and the grocery store as it costs our farmers more not just to grow our food, but to send it to us too.

Consumer confidence is at its lowest level since 2014. The median household income in America is $87,460 but it takes a median income of $150,000 to buy a home. Affordable housing is sitting vacant because folks still can’t afford it particularly with the dramatic cuts to SNAP and Medicaid we saw in Trump’s “Big Ugly Bill.”

The MAGA healthcare cuts are piling on new premiums and high deductibles. High inflation, particularly at the gas pump and the grocery store, is cutting our legs from under us. The value of our dollar is shrinking at every turn and it doesn’t matter anymore if you want to get a second or third job because, according to another piss poor jobs report, the work just isn’t out there.

According to the Federal Reserve, the net worth of Black households is down 25%. That’s our home. That’s our community. Those are our families! That’s Feel-a-Nomics and, here in the Black community, it hurts. So let’s turn that pain into progress.

After gutting the Voting Rights Act and more, President Trump and the MAGA Congress has done everything they can to cripple Black progress and Black communities. They’ve picked our pockets and our bodies to the bone. But there’s something we can do about it.

The economics of voting are undeniable and, try as they might, they can’t keep us out of the voting booth. That’s why we have groups like State Voices, Repairers of the Breach, Common Cause, No Kings and more coming together to drive voter mobilization and participation. That’s why Repairers of the Breach is organizing 1,000 marches to the polls across the South and battleground states like North Carolina where 201,609 voters cast their ballots on Thursday’s first of early voting.

That’s a 46.7% increase in early voting from 2022. That’s huge! But it’s just the start.

We need a generational, Presidential year-type turnout if we’re going to turn this ship around and find the Feel-a-Nomics relief we need in our communities. That means we all have to do our part from the streets to the suites.

We need everyone from the PhDs to folks who don’t have a GED. We need the farmers and forklift drivers, college students to life students, front line workers for everyone who works on the line.

We need everyone.

We’ve all felt the impact of MAGAnomics and Trumpism. We’ve all felt the pain whether it’s that empty feeling looking at bills you just can’t pay no matter what you cut or the cramp in your stomach because you’re skipping meals trying to keep the lights on.

We’ve all felt the pain of these Feel-a-Nomics. But the good news is that we have an opportunity right now to do something about it. We have the opportunity to make a change at the ballot box.

But it’s going to take all of us to make it happen. It’s going to take every shoulder against the wheel to push back on the big money holding us down. It’s going to take all of us but we’ve done it before.

Are you ready to do it again?

The historic Springer Opera House in downtown Columbus, Georgia, opened in 1871 and stands as one of the city’s oldest surviving cultural institutions.

Some Columbus businesses have been around longer than the automobiles, shopping centers and neighborhoods that now surround them. A handful date back to the 1800s, when cotton mills powered the local economy and the Chattahoochee River carried goods between communities. Others survived the Great Depression, two world wars, economic downturns and decades of changing consumer habits.

While hundreds of businesses have opened and closed across Columbus over the generations, these 10 have histories stretching back at least 75 years. Some remain family-owned, while others have survived mergers, ownership changes or major transformations. Together, their histories tell the story of how Columbus grew from a riverfront trading town into a regional center for banking, manufacturing, commerce and culture.

This list includes businesses, commercial institutions and their surviving successors with documented Columbus roots before 1951. It is not a definitive ranking of every surviving business, and several entries have changed ownership, names or operating models over time.

1. Columbus Ledger-Enquirer — 1828 (198 Years)

One of Columbus’s oldest surviving commercial institutions is its longtime newspaper, the Columbus Ledger-Enquirer. Its history began in 1828 with the founding of the Columbus Enquirer, the same year Columbus was established. The Columbus Ledger followed in 1886, and the two newspapers eventually became a single publication in 1988.

Over nearly two centuries, the newspaper has documented wars, elections, industrial expansion, economic downturns and major changes throughout the Chattahoochee Valley. Its ownership changed again in July 2026, when the Georgia Trust for Local News purchased the Ledger-Enquirer from McClatchy. The newspaper continues operating, although the modern publication is the product of mergers and transformations rather than an unchanged business established in 1828.

2. Willcox-Lumpkin Co. — 1848 (178 Years)

Insurance agency Willcox-Lumpkin traces its history to 1848, making it one of Columbus’s oldest documented commercial enterprises. Historical city directories identify the business as an insurance agency that protected homes, businesses and property long before automobiles became common. The company remained associated with generations of the Willcox and Lumpkin families.

Its history is supported by advertisements appearing in Columbus directories more than a century ago. Georgia Secretary of State records currently list Willcox-Lumpkin Co. as active and in compliance, with its corporate registration dating to December 1923. That distinction matters because the business’s claimed operating history is considerably older than its present corporate registration.

3. Springer Opera House — 1871 (155 Years)

The Springer Opera House opened in 1871 and became one of the city’s most important entertainment destinations. Built by businessman Francis Joseph Springer, the theater attracted nationally recognized performers and helped establish Columbus as a cultural center. Its ornate Victorian architecture remains one of downtown’s most recognizable landmarks.

The Springer nearly disappeared during the 1960s after declining attendance and years of deterioration. Preservationists rescued the building, and theatrical performances returned in 1965. Although it has not operated continuously in the same form, the Springer remains an active performing arts institution and an example of how historic properties can find new economic life.

4. Schomburg’s Jewelers — 1872 (154 Years)

Few Columbus retailers can claim a family history as long as Schomburg’s Jewelers. Carl Frederick Schomburg established the jewelry business in 1872 after working as a clockmaker, and the company gradually expanded into watches, jewelry and other luxury goods. Five generations of the family have been associated with the business.

Today, Schomburg’s operates on Rollins Way and identifies itself as Georgia’s oldest fifth-generation jeweler. Its longevity reflects a business model built around specialized craftsmanship, customer relationships and family continuity. While many traditional jewelry stores have disappeared or become part of national chains, Schomburg’s has maintained a recognizable local identity.

5. Goldens’ Foundry & Machine Co. — 1882 (144 Years)

Two brothers, Theodore and J. Poitevent Golden, established Goldens’ Foundry & Machine Co. in 1882. The company began as a small foundry and machine shop during an era when Columbus was expanding rapidly as a manufacturing center. Its products helped supply the machinery and industrial equipment needed by businesses throughout the region.

More than 140 years later, the business remains associated with descendants of its founders. Goldens’ continues manufacturing industrial castings while also developing consumer products through its Goldens’ Cast Iron brand. Its survival is especially significant because many of the textile mills and industrial operations that helped create its original market have long since closed.

6. W.C. Bradley Co. — 1885 (141 Years)

The W.C. Bradley Co. traces its origins to 1885, when William Clark Bradley entered the cotton business in Columbus. Over time, his growing enterprise expanded into groceries, fertilizer, transportation, manufacturing and financial services. The company eventually became one of the most influential business organizations in the Chattahoochee Valley.

Its business interests helped shape the development of modern Columbus, including the city’s banking and manufacturing sectors. The company also became closely associated with Char-Broil, the nationally recognized outdoor cooking brand. Today, W.C. Bradley Co. maintains its corporate headquarters near the Chattahoochee River, continuing a business legacy that began when cotton dominated the regional economy.

7. Synovus Banking Legacy — 1888 (138 Years)

The banking institution that became Synovus began in 1888 with the establishment of two Columbus banks. According to company history, the idea developed partly from the need to provide textile workers with a safe place to keep their earnings. Those early banking operations eventually evolved into Columbus Bank and Trust and later Synovus Financial Corporation.

A major change occurred in January 2026 when Synovus merged with Pinnacle Financial Partners, ending its existence as an independent corporation. The combined organization continues serving Columbus customers under the Synovus name during the transition to Pinnacle branding, which is scheduled for 2027. Pinnacle also announced plans in June to expand its downtown Columbus workspace, reinforcing the city’s continued importance to the banking operation.

8. Dinglewood Pharmacy — 1918 (108 Years)

Dinglewood Pharmacy opened on November 13, 1918, and became one of Columbus’s most recognizable neighborhood businesses. While generations of customers have visited for prescriptions and pharmacy services, the business is equally famous for its traditional lunch counter. Its signature scrambled dog has become closely associated with Columbus food culture.

The pharmacy celebrated its centennial in 2018, an achievement relatively few independent neighborhood businesses reach. Its ability to combine traditional pharmacy services with a popular local dining experience has helped preserve its reputation across generations. Dinglewood remains an especially visible example of a business whose appeal extends well beyond the original service it was established to provide.

9. Striffler-Hamby Mortuary — 1923 (103 Years)

Striffler-Hamby Mortuary traces its business history to 1923, when David Abraham Striffler opened his own funeral establishment in downtown Columbus. Striffler had entered the local funeral industry in 1908 before eventually establishing an independent operation. In 1930, he moved the business into a building constructed specifically for funeral services.

The mortuary became an established name as generations of Columbus families turned to it for funeral arrangements. Today, the business operates as part of the Dignity Memorial network, showing how a longstanding local institution can continue under different corporate ownership. Its history also offers a look at how funeral services evolved from small undertaking establishments into modern funeral homes.

10. WRCG Radio, Originally WRBL — 1928 (98 Years)

Columbus entered the broadcasting era on May 10, 1928, when WRBL began transmitting radio programs to local listeners. The station was established through the efforts of early radio pioneer Bill Lewis and became the city’s first radio broadcasting operation. Its original programming helped bring news, entertainment and live events into Columbus homes.

The station eventually changed ownership, frequencies and call letters, becoming WRCG in 1977. Historical research by Columbus State University and Historic Columbus confirms the connection between the original WRBL radio operation and its later identity. Today, WRCG represents a surviving broadcasting legacy that predates television’s arrival in Columbus by approximately 25 years.

What These Businesses Reveal About Columbus

The survival of these institutions reflects the major industries that shaped Columbus over nearly two centuries. Banking, manufacturing, retail, insurance, entertainment and communications all played important roles in the city’s economic development. Several businesses adapted to changing markets, while others survived by maintaining relationships with generations of local customers.

Their histories also demonstrate that longevity does not necessarily mean remaining unchanged. Some businesses were acquired by larger corporations, others moved into new industries, and several preserved their names despite major changes in ownership. For Columbus residents, these institutions provide a tangible connection to the city’s past while continuing to influence its economic and cultural identity.

Source: Historic Columbus Foundation; Columbus State University Archives and Special Collections; Georgia Historical Society; New Georgia Encyclopedia;

Based on reporting by Columbus Times.

Banner Business Sponsored by The Ujima Project

At a young age, Donald Donnalson helped his stepfather with contractor work during his summers off. He always hated it back then and vowed to never go into the profession.

After earning degrees from Boston College and Northeastern University Law School, he practiced law for a number of years. But when his stepfather asked for help with contracting as an adult, Donnalson “caught the bug.” He launched Beantown Builders, Inc. in 2011, which now focuses on housing builds including multifamily conversions, redevelopment of underutilized properties, and accessory dwelling units throughout Greater Boston and eastern Massachusetts.

“There are a lot of contractors in Massachusetts, and discovering what your niche is — for any entrepreneur, but especially in this industry — is super important,” he said, adding that their housing niche is important for its impact on the community.

“Greater Boston faces significant housing affordability and availability challenges, and we think that existing properties represent an opportunity to create additional housing without always requiring entirely new developments,” he said.

Donnalson started his company with incredible personal investment. He left his role as a finance manager for Audi Natick and liquidated his 401k to jumpstart the business.

“I basically just bet on myself. I didn’t have a project. I didn’t have anything. I was just like, I’m gonna go do this because if I don’t do it now, I’m never gonna do it,” he explained.

Today his minority-owned business is addressing the need for more housing while helping dispel broader distrust of contractors.

“Seeing a company like ours in the community that’s willing to learn more, do more, take on these experiences, and fill the gap where there seems like there’s not enough of us around is a big help,” he said, later adding that, “as an MBE [Minority Business Enterprise], we’re focused on building more than a successful construction company. We’re developing the people, systems and capabilities to take on increasingly complex projects while contributing to housing opportunities, economic development and the communities we serve.”

For Director of Marketing Alicia Zuniga, their mission helps guide the work and build trust with customers. Beantown’s clients are a mix of homeowners, families and property investors.

The team “understands construction is about much more than buildings. Behind every project are people with goals, expectations and important decisions to make,” Zuniga said.

Donnalson said one of the biggest obstacles he currently faces is attracting and keeping the best talent to help on projects, which have taken the team as far south as Fall River and North Attleboro and as far north as Lynn.

They recently supported The Guild nonprofit in constructing a community-oriented urban space, turning a hillside into public green space with paths and areas to gather. Landscape architects at Landworks Studio designed the urban forest project while Beantown supported the build, including masonry and permeable paving.

“Projects like this reflect our belief that construction can do more than improve individual properties; it can also contribute to the neighborhoods and communities around them,” Donnalson said

Based on reporting by Bay State Banner.

Median wealth among Black households fell 25% between 2022 and 2025, widening the racial wealth gap even as White, Hispanic, and Asian households saw their median net worth increase, according to a new analysis of Federal Reserve data.

Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR) director of race and economic justice, Algernon Austin, shared in an analysis published Tuesday (October 13) that median wealth among Black households fell from $49,100 in 2022 to $36,800 in 2025, a 25% decline.

In comparison, median wealth reached $332,100 for White households, $79,600 for Hispanic households, and $677,600 for Asian households in 2025, according to CEPR.

While Black households lost wealth, these groups saw their median wealth increase between 2022 and 2025. In 2025, Black households’ median wealth was $179,100 below the national median, up from a $162,000 gap in 2022.

Austin’s analysis suggests declining home, vehicle, and retirement account values contributed to the drop. The share of Black households with nonfinancial assets also declined from 81% to 78.4%.

The findings come as broader household wealth gains slowed and financial strain increased.Reuters reported earlier this month that the Federal Reserve’s latest Survey of Consumer Finances found the share of families spending at least 40% of their income on debt payments rose from 6.5% in 2022 to 8.6% in 2025.

The latest findings add to longstanding concerns about the racial wealth gap. A 2017 report by Prosperity Now and the Institute for Policy Studies projected that median Black household wealth could reach zero by 2053 if existing trends continued, raising questions about the long-term financial security of Black families.

That figure was a projection based on trends at the time, not a confirmed outcome.

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Based on reporting by Michigan Chronicle.

WASHINGTON (HUNS) — “The future belongs to creators who are bold,” Everette Taylor, CEO of crowdfunding platform Kickstarter, told students at Howard University during a recent visit.

As Taylor discussed his journey, he tested the boldness of students by inviting them to share their ideas during an impromptu pitch session at the Cathy Hughes School of Communications’ new speaker series in the Browsing Room of Founders Library. The inaugural speaker then shocked one group of students by pledging to invest in their thesis film, paying forward the opportunities that have lifted him as he struggled to pursue his dreams.

Taylor grew up in a low-income neighborhood in Richmond, Virginia, where he frequently encountered gang violence and drug dealing amid periods of homelessness.

Not feeling as if he conformed to conventional ideas of success, he eventually found inspiration in Jay-Z who balanced being an artist and an entrepreneur. Similarly, Taylor carved his own route, launching and growing various businesses.

He gained enough recognition to land on the 2018 Forbes’ 30 Under 30 list in marketing and advertising. In 2022, Forbes also named him as one of the top 50 most entrepreneurial CMOs when he was chief marketing officer of Artsy, an online art gallery and marketplace. That same year he took over Kickstarter, and the company reported a year-over-year revenue increase of 50% in the first quarter of 2026.

Taylor encouraged the audience through his story, but he also gave practical advice to help students who share his zeal to create and grow their business.

He explained that his mentor, Artsy CEO Mike Steib, helped him make the transition from being a CMO to becoming CEO at Kickstarter.

“These opportunities I don’t take for granted,” Taylor said, adding that Steib was “the first leader I had to take me under his wing.”

When he began his position at Kickstarter, Taylor said, “I had zero imposter syndrome, because I felt like I was ready for it, and it was because this person invested in me over the past few years.”

“A lot of my journey was me just hustling and being bold enough to ask for what I want, but I also need people to give me an opportunity.”

This idea of giving people opportunity impacts his business philosophy, as Taylor estimates that the number of African American employees grew exponentially since he’s been in leadership.

“Kickstarter was I think less than 2% Black, and at our peak I had gotten it to 20-something percent Black,” Taylor said.

Even then, Taylor also saw a need for representing other perspectives. “We still serve people globally, so we need people from different countries and cultures,” he said. “If you’re building a global company, it’s important to build a diverse base of people.”

With the success Taylor had after becoming CEO of Kickstarter, he also found a need to prioritize his health.

“This is the first year that I’ve started the year with zero business goals,” he said. “For the first time, my goals have been centered around my health.”

He cites the illness of a friend who appeared to be healthy. Seeing his friend, who is also a successful entrepreneur, endure illness pushed him to prioritize his health.

“Business, I can do that in my sleep, but for me right now I’m so much more focused on setting goals for myself, and I know that’s going to impact the work that I do by feeling healthier and being a better version of myself.”

Samantha Housen, a sophomore public relations major and interior design minor from Harlem, attended the event to gain knowledge to grow her non-profit and for-profit businesses.

“I’m here because I want to explore more of the details of entrepreneurship from an actual professional,” Housen said, and to “see how his mindset could help me in my entrepreneurship.”

“My biggest takeaway is that I’m bold, and it’s OK to be bold,” she said. “I very much have the authority to do whatever I seek to do.”

Kimberly Moffitt, Ph.D., dean of the Cathy Hughes School of Communications and host of the event, said she was excited about the speaker series.

“It’s because of students,” Moffitt said. “They felt like they weren’t hearing enough from people who are already post-graduation and successful. They wanted to hear those voices. So, this is an opportunity for me to bring folks to campus so they could reach out, talk and interact with folks that they aspire to be like or will be inspired by.”

Moffitt was excited for students to see someone who looked like them and carried themselves authentically in a position of high acclaim.

“He is showing you a different path, and letting you know that it’s OK to be who you are and show up in that space and not have to apologize,” Moffitt said of Taylor.

Moffitt also wants to encourage students to make the most of the speaker series. She gives details on upcoming speakers and the importance of hearing these people tell their stories.

“Those of you who want to be in TV and film, those jobs are different now,” she said. “You have to hustle in a different way.”

“I need our students to think about entrepreneurship in all that they do,” Moffitt added. “I want students to leave with that so that they have it in their back pocket should they need to draw on it.”

After the event. Taylor explained why boldness is essential to his success at Kickstarter.

“It’s for the grind and the ambition — not settling for status quo and mediocrity, and really going for it,” he said. “I always want to impact more lives, and that always leads to more results.”

Solomon Goins is a reporter for HUNewsService.com.

Based on reporting by Howard University News Service.

Here’s a transformational idea: everyone should have access to safe, healthy and affordable food.

If this idea doesn’t feel radical to you, then perhaps you haven’t spent much time in the Southside of Chicago and its adjoining suburbs.

Food insecurity is rampant in our neighborhoods. If you live in Washington Heights, you are practically guaranteed to experience lower food access than the average Chicagoan – with similar circumstances in the South Shore, West Englewood or West Pullman.

It has been clearly documented that “Food is Medicine.” In fact, according to countless scientific studies, good nutrition is critical during cancer treatment. It empowers your body to maintain muscle, rebuild damaged tissues and better withstand aggressive radiation or chemotherapy. A patient with access to nutritious food will experience fewer side effects, like fatigue and nausea, and will have less need for extra medicines. In short, good food improves a patient’s daily life.

Instead, though, a Black woman with breast cancer in our South Side neighborhoods or suburbs has the opposite experience. In fact, if “food is medicine,” then we are inarguably in a crisis, and it is disproportionately affecting Black women with breast cancer.

As co-authors of the Pinkprint and members of the Chicago Better Together Breast Cancer Disparities Think Tank, an initiative launched to address the disproportionate impact of breast cancer mortality on Black women in Chicago’s South Side and South Suburbs, we know that by combining data-informed strategies with community-driven advocacy and leadership, we will create equitable, sustainable outcomes for those most affected by breast cancer and the lack of access to nutritious foods in their communities.

Solutions start as local initiatives. We must pilot community-driven solutions in areas with the highest breast cancer mortality rates and limited access to nutritious food.

Existing local programs – food pantries, community fridges and even hospital-run delivery systems – are a critical piece of this local infrastructure. They are just a component, though, of the robust nutrition infrastructure the South Side lacks. In the long-term, our neighborhoods need clean, well-stocked grocery stores – and we must demand that our elected officials do everything they can to attract and retain these food corporations to invest in our communities.

This is just one item on their to-do list. Long-term solutions will include policy changes and targeted incentives at the city, state and federal levels. Just this spring, over 150,000 people in Illinois lost SNAP benefits, a devastating cut with ripple effects across families into entire neighborhoods. These cuts disproportionately affect people in the South Side of Chicago – not to mention, overwhelm food banks and other centers that serve as part of our social safety net. The Families Receiving Emergency Support for Hunger (FRESH) program in Illinois provides a one-time, automatic $400 cash payment per eligible household member to residents who lost their SNAP food benefits. This will help ease the immediate negative effects of these cuts and is much appreciated. But it is not a long-term solution.

When we started conversations in work groups about this project, we started with the idea that Black women deserve equitable access to quality breast cancer care. Any conversation about breast cancer care and goals for improved outcomes, must include a conversation about nutrition justice.

Nutrition justice is not just a transformational ideal: it is an idea that will literally transform our neighborhoods and the quality of life of every single person living in them. It will put grocery stores in empty storefronts; it will deliver food to a breast cancer patient going through chemotherapy.

Nutrition justice will help improve breast cancer outcomes for Black women on Chicago’s South Side. And Black women should not have to wait.

This op-ed is the second in a series focusing on eliminating breast cancer mortality in Black women on Chicago’s Southside. The authors are part of the Chicago Better Together Breast Cancer Disparities Think Tank, an initiative launched to address the disproportionate impact of breast cancer mortality on Black women in Chicago’s Southside and South Suburbs. Together with other community leaders, they have co-authored the Pinkprint, a strategic multistep plan and call-to-action on this critical issue.

The post She’s Not Non-compliant, She’s Hungry: Addressing Food Justice to Improve Breast Cancer Outcomes appeared first on Chicago Defender.

Based on reporting by Chicago Defender.