STL Black Biz

Thoughts on this message from Ebony Magazine. What do you think?

There’s a troubling contradiction unfolding in publishing:

AI is learning from human-written books while Black authors are increasingly having to defend whether their own words are actually theirs.

As AI companies acquire and digitize books to train their models, Black writers have faced publishing deals disrupted by accusations of AI use, even as detection tools remain imperfect. It raises bigger questions about who gets to own their voice, whose work becomes training data, and what happens when technology learns to mimic stories rooted in lived experience.

Jerry Falade lost a more than $2 million deal with Minotaur for his crime novel Call Me, I’ll Hide the Body, as reported by The Wall Street Journal. No concrete proof of AI use was established in any of these cases. The detection tool used against Daggermouth was an AI tool called Pangram, which produced a 60% score for suspected AI use.

What does the rise of AI mean for the future of Black storytelling? Read more at the link in the comments.

Not every season of building comes with a big win you can point to. Sometimes progress looks like one new customer, one better decision, one finished task, or simply refusing to quit when things are moving slower than you hoped. Don’t overlook those small steps because they count. Take a minute this week to look back at where your business was 90 days ago, recognize what has improved, and choose one move you can make to keep that progress going. Keep building. You’re moving.

Tracie Brown’s story is what taking a leap of faith looks like. A St. Louis native and retired Air Force veteran who served more than 23 years, Tracie decided to try driving for Uber after retirement. Just five months later, she realized she could turn that experience into something of her own. In May 2023, Brown’s Premier Car Service, LLC officially began operations, with Tracie serving as Founder and CEO.

Today, Brown’s Premier Car Service provides chauffeured transportation for airport travel, corporate outings, special events and other transportation needs throughout the St. Louis region and Metro East. The company also provides transportation assistance for veterans traveling to medical appointments—another way Tracie continues a life centered around service. From serving her country to building her own company, her journey is a reminder that sometimes the next chapter starts by paying attention to what you already enjoy doing.

Collier Brothers Auto Body is a story of family and Black entrepreneurship that stretches across eight decades. Brothers Raymond Collier Sr. and Elie “Bud” Collier founded the company in March 1946 after returning home from military service following World War II. Each invested $350 to start the business.

Collier Brothers established its current location at 4561 Delmar Boulevard in 1958,

That legacy continued through the next generation when Craig Collier, Elie Collier’s son, and Wayne Jackson, Raymond Collier Sr.’s grandson, officially took over the business in 1996.

Recently, Collier's Auto Body celebrated 80 years in business before closing its doors on June 1st. The doors may be closed, but it Collier's will always be a part of St. Louis Black business history.