Jay-Z Buys Ads To Promote Black-Owned Businesses, Beyoncé Starts Grants
Jay-Z is putting his money where his mouth is.
In partnership with his entertainment agency Roc Nation, the 50-year-old rapper has reportedly bought out full-page newspaper advertisements to promote Black-owned businesses in support of the Black Lives Matter movement.
Related: JAY-Z Buys Full-Page Ads Across The U.S. In Dedication To George Floyd
According to NME magazine, the newspapers include The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The Denver Post, The Chicago Tribune, in addition to more.
Meanwhile, the adverts themselves reportedly feature a diverse range of local Black-owned business from clothing stores to restaurants.
This is not the first time that the entrepreneur has taken out newspaper adverts to support an important cause.
At the beginning of July, Jay-Z and his social justice organization Team Roc took out a full-page ad in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel to call for the prosecution of the police officer who shot and killed three Black victims.
Beyoncé has launched a new fund through her BeyGOOD Foundation and in collaboration with the NAACP to give grants to Black-owned businesses.
The Black-Owned Small Business Impact Fund will provide $10,000 “in select cities to help sustain business during this time”, NME reports.
“Over the last couple of months, the pandemic and outpours for justice throughout the Black community and across the country has been felt in every imaginable area of our lives, including in how our local businesses continue to operate,” a statement reads. “The challenges of Black business owners navigating in the climate cannot be understated, as the effects of uprisings across the nation have led to many businesses being placed in dire straits due to damages and other small business needs.”
Business owners in Houston, Atlanta, New York, Los Angeles or Minneapolis can apply by July 18 with those selected announced on Beyonce.com on July 31.