Black business owners in Boston feeling loss of support, Boston Business Journal says
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President tells US to ‘hang tough’ over tariffs as Land Rover pauses shipments to country
The largest day of anti-Trump protests since he returned to the White House. Demonstrators were out in force around the United States. Their goal was to highlight what they see as Trump’s authoritarian style of government. Trump started the weekend by warning Americans, in a social media message, that “it won’t be easy”, though he said his economic strategy would deliver “historic” results.
Peter Bowes
North America correspondent
Image source, Reuters
Protestors were out in force around the United States.
It was the largest single day of demonstrations against Donald Trump since he returned to the White House, with opposition groups gathering in Washington and many other major cities.
Their goal was to highlight what they see as Trump’s authoritarian style of government – such as decisions to sack federal workers and break up the Department of Education.
His foreign policy has also come in for criticism.
Some protestors carried Ukrainian flags while others had “Free Palestine” signs.
And then there’s the sweeping tariffs on goods imported into the US, the most recent bombshell to affect not only Americans but the entire world.
“They’re just, in my opinion and the opinion of a lot of people, going about it the wrong way. And it’s going to cost – it’s going to cost the farmers in the red states. It’s going to cost people their jobs… people have lost tens of thousands of dollars,” one protester said.
Another said “I believe Donald Trump is trying to tear our country down. He’s ruining infrastructure, government departments, destroying our economy. We have to stand up and take our country back”.
With baseline 10% tariffs now in effect on all imports into the US, Trump started the weekend by warning Americans, in a social media message, that “it won’t be easy”, though he said his economic strategy would deliver “historic” results and would bring back jobs and businesses “like never before”.
“Hang tough”, he wrote after a week which saw trillions of dollars wiped off the value of US stocks on Wall Street.
We are continuing our live coverage in our new page. You can also stay updated on the latest news below:
Video shows thieves smash into Boston business, owner warns others to be “vigilant”
Jonathan Lau says he woke up Tuesday to find two thieves had smashed their way into his vape shop in Brighton. Lau estimates the fast-moving thieves got away with about $1,000 in merchandise in about two minutes. He says detectives told him he is the latest victim in a string of thefts targeting smoke shops in the area. Boston police say they are investigating, but so far, no arrests have been made.
Rocks thrown through window
“They seem to peer in through the window for a few seconds,” said Jonathan Lau, owner of The Vape Shop. “The next thing I see on the surveillance is two big softball-sized to basketball-sized rocks being thrown at the front window.”
Surveillance video shows two thieves breaking into The Vape Shop in Brighton. CBS Boston
Lau says he woke up Tuesday to find two thieves had smashed their way into his vape shop in Brighton.
“They went to directly for this fourth display right over here,” Lau said. “They cleared out everything that they could here.”
Lau estimates the fast-moving thieves got away with about $1,000 in merchandise in about two minutes. He says he has also lost his sense of safety in a community that he calls home.
“It doesn’t feel safe having something like this happen to a family business. I’m really just in business to support my family,” Lau said. “It’s very concerning because I’ve lived in this area for 40 years.”
Warning for small business owners
Lau says detectives told him he is the latest victim in a string of thefts targeting smoke shops in the area. Now he has a message for other small business owners.
“To all other small business owners and retailers, be more vigilant,” he said. “Just make sure you stay safe.”
Boston police say they are investigating, but so far, no arrests have been made. Lau hopes someone sees the video and helps find the thieves.
What we know about the D.C. plane crash victims after helicopter and jet collide
All 60 passengers and four crew members aboard American Eagle Flight 5342 and the three soldiers on the Black Hawk helicopter were sealed. Flight attendant Danasia Brown was also killed, her cousin Carolyn Edwards confirmed. The plane’s passengers included 28 people connected to the sport of figure skating, U.S. Figure Skating said. The three people aboard the downed Black Hawk were identified as Staff Sgt. Ryan Austin O’Hara, 28, Chief Warrant Officer 2 Andrew Loyd Eaves, 39, and Capt. Rebecca M. Lobach, of Durham, North Carolina. The Chinese Embassy in Washington said two Chinese nationals were also on board, but it did not identify the victims.. A fund has been established for survivors, and it is organizing a March 2 benefit at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C., with the help of the Washington Capitals. The crash was the first commercial plane crash in the United States since 2009, and the first in more than a decade to be captured on video.
In a horrible flash captured on video and seen around the world, the fates of all 60 passengers and four crew members aboard American Eagle Flight 5342 and the three soldiers on the Black Hawk helicopter were sealed.
“At this point, I don’t believe we are going to find any survivors,” Washington, D.C., Fire Chief John Donnelly said Thursday after a frantic but futile search for survivors of the Wednesday night collision.
The plane’s passengers included 28 people connected to the sport of figure skating, according to a statement Sunday night from U.S. Figure Skating.
It was the first time the national governing body for the sport formally provided a number for skaters as well as those who compose their support teams who were on board.
Many were returning from a training camp following the 2025 U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Wichita, Kansas, where the flight originated, according to authorities, foreign diplomatic officials, and surviving family members.
Two Chinese nationals were also on board, the Chinese Embassy in Washington said, citing preliminary information. The embassy did not identify the victims.
Russian figure skaters Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov in 1996 in Paris. Pierre Verdy / AFP – Getty Images file
Victims included crew members
The airline has not released the names of its crew members on board the American Eagle jet, although the stepmother of First Officer Sam Lilley confirmed to NBC News that he was on the plane.
“We will want to tell his story eventually,” Sheri Lilley said. “He was a wonderful person.”
Flight attendant Danasia Brown was also killed, her cousin Carolyn Edwards confirmed.
Edwards said the flight was supposed to be Brown’s last before changing careers within American Airlines.
Ian Epstein was a flight attendant on the plane, his sister, Robbie Epstein Bloom, confirmed.
“He loved being a flight attendant because he truly enjoyed traveling and meeting new people,” Bloom said in a statement. “But his true love was his family. He was a father, a stepfather, a husband and a brother! He will be truly missed.”
Captain Jonathan Campos was also killed. Embry‑Riddle Aeronautical University said it was “deeply saddened” by his death.
Pilot Jonathan Campos. Courtesy Sonia Carrasquillo
“Our thoughts are with his family and the families and loved ones of all impacted by this tragic accident,” the university said in a statement.
The Army identified the three people aboard the downed Black Hawk as Staff Sgt. Ryan Austin O’Hara, 28, of Lilburn, Georgia; Chief Warrant Officer 2 Andrew Loyd Eaves, 39, of Great Mills, Maryland; and Capt. Rebecca M. Lobach, of Durham, North Carolina.
O’Hara’s family said he leaves behind a wife and 18-month-old son.
“He joined the military right out of high school and dedicated his life to his country ever since. … Being highly involved in ROTC throughout high school, he knew what his passion was and he was dedicated to it,” his cousin Jocelyn Gompers posted on social media. “He’s described by those he worked with as a standout soldier and highly respected — one of the most dedicated, disciplined, and committed soldiers.”
As the rescue mission became a recovery effort, the stories of some of the other victims of the first commercial plane crash in the United States since 2009 began to emerge.
Young figure skaters were among the passengers
U.S. Figure Skating interim CEO Samuel Auxier said the 28 members of the sport’s community on board Flight 4352 — composing nearly half its passengers — includes competitors, coaches, and relatives.
“They were incredible athletes, caring and supportive family members, and coaches who worked tirelessly for their athletes,” Auxier said in the statement. “They were beloved members of our global skating community, and we mourn their loss together.”
The organization said counselors are available to those affected by the crash, a fund for survivors has been established, and it is organizing a March 2 survivors’ benefit at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C. with the help of the Washington Capitals.
He said the athletes who died in the crash had dedicated their lives to the sport and hoped to become Olympic athletes.
“May their passion and excellence inspire us and give us strength in the days ahead,” Auxier said. “For now, our hearts are heavy with sorrow, and we stand with their families and friends as we grieve this unspeakable loss.”
Spencer Lane and Jinna Han, both 16, were promising skaters at The Skating Club of Boston in Norwood, Massachusetts. They were flying with their mothers, Christine Lane and Jin Han.
Lane got his start at Warwick Figure Skaters in Rhode Island, which posted a memorial on its Facebook page.
“He was always a bright light at our rink,” it read, in part. “He was in love with the sport from the beginning and it showed. He was always excited to be on the ice and was a joy to watch.”
Also killed was 12-year-old Brielle Beyer and her mother, Justyna Magdalena Beyer, 42, who lived in a Virginia suburb of Washington. They were in Wichita so Brielle, a member of the Skating Club of Northern Virginia, could sharpen her skills.
“We’re heartbroken,” Justyna Beyer’s sister, Mariola Witkowska, said. “We’re just in shock.”
Brielle, she said, had been skating “her whole life,” and her mother shared her passion.
“Brielle and ice skating was pretty much her life,” Witkowska said of her sister.
A makeshift memorial to Brielle Beyer at the MedStar Capitals Iceplex in Arlington, Va. Mike Hixenbaugh / NBC News
Among those killed were Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov who trained young skaters at the Boston skating club, Zeghibe said.
Together, the two won a 1994 world championship in pairs figure skating. They also competed in the Olympics twice, placing fifth at the 1992 Winter Games in Albertville, France, and fourth at the 1994 Winter Games in Lillehammer, Norway.
But their pride and joy was their 24-year-old son, Maxim Naumov, who had competed in Wichita and had taken an earlier flight home, Zeghibe said.
Shishkova, who had been coaching at the club for more than 20 years, was too nervous to watch her son compete, Zeghibe said. That left Naumov to cheer his son on as he came in fourth place.
What Target DEI rollbacks mean for Mass. Black-owned businesses
The surge of DEI initiatives at giant retailers such as Amazon, Target, and Walmart after the 2020 murder of George Floyd gave several Black entrepreneurs a long-awaited spot on the shelves of stores that millions of Americans have long trusted. President Trump threatens to dismantle such programs with executive orders. Local business owners who have benefited from these programs are left wondering: Will their enterprises unravel under the pressure? Amazon has not publicly specified which DEI programs it is halting until further notice, but its Black Business Accelerator website is still active. Walmart established a racial equity center to devote $100 million toward improving health, finance, criminal justice, and education. Some Black suppliers, such as Oh Happy Dani, have pulled their products from their inventory due to a DEI rollback. In Massachusetts, elected officials are working to safeguard DEI practices in the private sector. Last week, 16 Democratic attorneys general, including Massachusetts’ Andrea Campbell, issued recommendations to local companies to double down on their initiatives, saying it is not illegal to strive to have a workplace that is diverse, equitable and inclusive.
Before Arlene Baldwin’s wig glue brand, Lace Layer , hit virtual shelves on Amazon Marketplace, she advertised the best way she knew how. She peppered the windshields of parked cars at South Bay Center with flyers. She drove up and down Blue Hill Avenue , leaving sample bottles with hairdressers in the hopes they’d test it on their clients.
The surge of DEI initiatives at giant retailers such as Amazon, Target, and Walmart after the 2020 murder of George Floyd gave several Black entrepreneurs a long-awaited spot on the shelves of stores that millions of Americans have long trusted.
But as President Trump threatens to dismantle such programs with executive orders — and those same companies respond to him by scaling back their efforts — local business owners who have benefited from these programs are left wondering: Will their enterprises unravel under the pressure?
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“It’s almost disheartening,” Baldwin said. “Dependent on the political climate … it’s almost like we take a step forward to take a step back.”
The recent unwinding of DEI policies among America’s leading retailers is a stark contrast with the enthusiasm they professed five years prior. In 2020 and 2021, Target vowed to spend more than $2 billion with Black-owned businesses, add products made by more than 500 Black-owned brands, and boost its Black workforce by 20 percent. Walmart established a racial equity center to devote $100 million toward improving health, finance, criminal justice, and education.
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Much of the DEI programming focused on diversifying the workplace and suppliers of these major companies is seemingly still in tact. But retailers are making changes to their equity practices in real time and tweaking DEI languages on web pages, too. The seemingly conflicting messaging has left entrepreneurs not knowing what to expect next.
Target, for example, announced it is phasing out some of its DEI policies, but its Forward Founders program, which focuses on helping underrepresented owners of burgeoning brands scale for mass retail, won’t be affected, according to a company spokesperson. Amazon has not publicly specified which DEI programs it is halting until further notice, but its Black Business Accelerator website is still active. And none of these brands, including Walmart, have so far pulled products from their inventory due to a DEI rollback. But some Black suppliers, such as Oh Happy Dani, have pulled their products by choice.
“What are you going to tell the brands? You have 50 woman-owned and Black-owned brands, and you’re pulling back DEI? That in itself is embarrassing,” said Shelly Marshall, cofounder of True Scoops, a Beverly-based brand of shelf-stable ice cream mixes.
In Massachusetts, elected officials are working to safeguard DEI practices in the private sector. Last week, 16 Democratic attorneys general, including Massachusetts’ Andrea Campbell, issued recommendations to local companies to double down on their initiatives, saying it is not illegal to strive to have a workplace that is diverse, equitable, and inclusive.
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It’s unclear how many Massachusetts businesses have participated in retailers’ DEI programs. Local advocates for entrepreneurs of color are waiting to see the ultimate effects of the DEI pullbacks.
The numbers are small, but some Massachusetts-based operations benefited from the DEI programs. And having the visibility that comes with a billion-dollar retailer — whether online or in-store — has made the difference in sales for these shops, including Destiny African Market in Randolph, which focuses on catering and selling groceries from the African continent.
A view of Destiny African Market in Randolph in 2021. Pat Greenhouse/Globe Staff
Adebukola Ajao, the store’s marketing director, said the store added its moin-moin mix, a Nigerian bean cake, to Amazon. The listing generated web traffic its own website couldn’t.
“Even just having a listing on Amazon, people discover us just from that and will come in [our Randolph store],” Ajao said. “This is working.”
Marshall and Kelly Williamson, the other True Scoops cofounder, were accepted into Target’s second Forward Founders cohort. The pair learned how to pitch their product, gained access to buyers, and received mentorship.
“We looked at it as a way for us to carve our path towards big-box stores like Target,” said Marshall, who is Black. (Williamson is white). “The fact that we were one of the brands that they chose gave us some validation that our brand was onto something.”
After the program, Marshall and Williamson decided that brick-and-mortar retail would be too big of a financial gamble and stuck with selling the mixes on their website and through Amazon. Now, after the DEI rollback, they say they would have reservations about being on Target shelves if the retailer doesn’t change course.
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“I tend to keep business and my personal feelings separate,” Marshall said. “But it’d be like, well, are we even a good fit? Are my people even shopping here?”
After brands’ DEI rollback announcements, calls for boycotts soon followed. But the entrepreneurs behind several Black-owned brands carried at these major retailers have discouraged such demonstrations, arguing that a drop in sales for their products at the retailer would threaten their livelihoods.
“While I understand that people want to boycott, I would urge them to consider what the financial impact might be to the brand, especially the smaller brands,” said Mishell Ekunsirinde, whose products from her now-closed baby goods brand, Stina & Mae, are sold on Target’s website. (Her Target contract has ended, but products are still available for purchase online as the retailer empties its inventory.)
Though Ekunsirinde, a Massachusetts resident, said she’s disappointed to see Target scale back its DEI commitments, she wouldn’t rule out another partnership for her new business, a children’s decor brand called Play & Oak. She also understands why other brands aren’t severing their ties, given how difficult and costly it can be to pull products from shelves.
Baldwin, who owns Lace Layer, said if she removed the 500 or so products from Amazon’s stockpile, it would cost an estimated $10 per item to return. That doesn’t include the products she has on Walmart’s online store. “It’s actually easier and cheaper to destroy the products than mail them back,” she said.
“We’re such a small brand, we’re still trying to make it; we’re trying to make [Lace Layer] a household name,” Baldwin said. “These avenues have allowed us to reach milestones that using our own dollars would have been very expensive to.”
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Lace Layer’s glue remover products. Jonathan Wiggs/Globe Staff/Boston Globe
Ajao, of Destiny African Market, said that small Black business owners are especially susceptible to the ebb and flow of consumer trends, economic downturns, and political shifts.
While Black brands and their customers figure out the best way to support their community’s businesses while holding powerful retailers accountable, she said people should focus their efforts on issues that will persist under any administration. That includes breaking down the barriers that have prevented Black entrepreneurs from accessing the same capital as their white counterparts, as well as increasing access to lucrative networks that help such companies grow their brands.
Directing their energy that way will be crucial in the long term, Ajao said, so that “when we have hard moments, we have a soft spot to land on.”
Tiana Woodard can be reached at tiana.woodard@globe.com. Follow her @tianarochon. Dana Gerber can be reached at dana.gerber@globe.com. Follow her @danagerber6.