Sheena Allen and Sevetri Wilson Taylor are back with a fresh Rich Takes covering the Oscars, the Target boycott drama (over or no?), and a food city ranking that has New Orleans sitting exactly where it belongs.

First up: the 2026 Oscars. Sinners took home wins, but was it enough? Sevetri breaks down why she woke up the next morning still processing how the night played out, why Sean Baker's Best Supporting Actor win made sense, and a shoutout to prior Rich Lessons guest Takema Robinson and the team behind The Perfect Neighbor documentary for their Oscar nomination.

Then, Jamal Bryant declared the Target boycott over. The internet said absolutely not. Sheena and Sevetri unpack who actually started the boycott, why his announcement backfired immediately, whether Black consumers are still holding the line, and the moment Sheena almost broke for a limited Target fashion drop.

To close it out: viral food personality Walter Johnson, known as Mr. Tendernism, ranked his top cities for food — and New Orleans came in at number one. Sheena and Sevetri react to the full list, let the secret out about the Delta Mississippi food scene, weigh in on the Kansas City surprise, and Sheena shares her 2026 mission to find the best gumbo in New Orleans.

Topics covered:

• 2026 Oscars reactions | Sinners | Best Supporting Actor
• The Perfect Neighbor documentary | Oscar nomination
• Target boycott | Jamal Bryant | Black consumer activism
• Mr. Tendernism | Walter Johnson top food cities
• New Orleans food scene | Delta Mississippi | Kansas City BBQ
• Best gumbo in New Orleans | Keith Lee New Orleans festival

🎙️ Rich Takes is a quick-hit mini episode from the Rich Lessons podcast, hosted by Sheena Allen and Sevetri Wilson Taylor. Available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Sheena Allen and Sevetri Wilson Taylor are back with another rapid-fire Rich Takes — and they're not holding back.

This week, the co-hosts break down the Essence Fest 2026 headliner announcement (Brandy, Monica, and Cardi B), what it signals about the festival's comeback, and why Essence still holds cultural power for Black artists. Then the conversation shifts to rising gas prices, the Middle East conflict, and whether Western media is giving Americans the full story.

From there, Sheena and Sevetri dig into the February jobs report — 92,000 jobs lost, unemployment climbing to 4.4% — and why the economic pain people are feeling isn't showing up loud enough in the headlines. They get into billionaire tax avoidance, the accelerating wealth gap, and what it's going to take to close it.

And to close it out: the raw truth about Black women in venture capital. Why the funding gap feels different right now, why capital is the deciding factor between a good idea and a billion-dollar company, and what Sheena believes is happening to Black women entrepreneurs in the current investment climate.

Topics covered:

• Essence Fest 2026 | Brandy & Monica | Cardi B
• Gas prices & Middle East conflict
• U.S. unemployment rate | February jobs report
• Billionaire tax avoidance | Wealth gap
• Black women entrepreneurs | Venture capital funding gap
• Financial inclusion & AI
• Western media censorship

🎙️ Rich Takes is a quick-hit segment from the Rich Lessons podcast, hosted by Sheena Allen and Sevetri Wilson Taylor.

Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube.

Black female founders are breaking their silence, and the internet has opinions.

This week on Rich Takes, Sheena Allen and Sevetri Wilson break down Hanifa's viral post about supply chain struggles and customer complaints, and ask the harder question: when does grace run out? Plus, is Anthropic actually the "good guy" in the AI wars against OpenAI and the government, or are we all just picking sides in an evil vs. evil match? They also get into Block's massive 4,000-person layoff, why Jack Dorsey likely saw this coming, and whether Big Tech's record-breaking profits while millions get laid off is a crisis that only universal basic income can fix. And yes, March Madness predictions are in. South Carolina Gamecocks, anyone?

Topics covered:

• Hanifa, supply chain issues & the grace we don't often give Black-owned businesses
• Anthropic's refusal to drop AI safety guardrails for the government
• OpenAI vs. Anthropic: growth at all costs vs. responsible AI
• Block's 4,000 layoffs & Jack Dorsey's "overhiring" memo
• AI regulation, tech running for Congress & UBI
• March Madness women's basketball picks

Rich Takes drops every Thursday — your weekly dose of business, tech, and culture.