‘Big Brother’ Crowns First Black Female Winner After 24 Seasons
After 24 seasons, "Big Brother," the summer competition-reality show of CBS, has crowned its first-ever Black female winner. On finale night Sunday (September 25), former Miss Michigan USA Taylor Hale, 27, earned another title and made history as this season's winner of "Big Brother." A jury of nine former houseguests awarded Hale the win and the $750,000 grand prize by a vote 8-1 against Monte Taylor, a 27-year-old personal trainer from Delaware. Hale's historic win came not without hardship as she was mistreated by her castmates and faced microaggressions from the beginning of the game. Throughout
New Name. Same Soul: Real Times Media Relaunches RTM360° as Pitch Black.
Real Times Media has relaunched its cultural marketing company, formerly known as RTM360°, as Pitch Black. Under the new name, the company will continue to help clients connect with Black audiences through a mix of culturally relevant brand communication & outreach initiatives. It currently supports a portfolio of 15-plus clients nationwide. “As RTM360 we have been able to do some great work on behalf of amazing clients around the country. But it felt like with the watershed times of the past few years, that branding no longer accurately
Buffalo Unveils First-Ever Monument Dedicated To Black Service Members
Black service members have been honored with a first-of-its-kind monument dedicated to acknowledging their contributions to the U.S. military. On Saturday (September 24), the African American Veterans Monument was unveiled in Buffalo, New York, honoring current and past Black military members, NBC News reports. The historic monument marks the first permanent marker in the nation that recognizes the contributions of African Americans who served in the Army, the Navy, the Air Force, the Marines, and the Coast Guard. Military members, veterans, and city and state officials attended the unveiling ceremony at the Buffalo and
Black Women’s Equal Pay Day Again Highlights The Racial & Gender Wage Gap
Courtesy of Black Information Network Wednesday (September 21) marks this year's Black Women's Equal Pay Day, which has once again highlighted the racial and gender wage gap. From the beginning of last year, it took Black women until Wednesday to earn as much as a non-Hispanic white man did in 2021 alone. Black Women's Equal Pay Day is calculated based on the size of the wage gap between the two demographics. The National Women's Law Center (NWLC) reports that Black women made 64 cents for every dollar non-Hispanic white men earned. Emily Martin, the vice president
Gov. Newsom Signs Legislation Funding Nation’s First Black Women’s Think Tank
Antonio Ray Harvey | California Black Media Last week, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a budget trailer bill approving $5 million in funding to the California State University at Dominguez Hills (CSUDH) to house the California Black Women’s Think Tank. The California Black Women’s Collective (CBWC) Empowerment Institute will be a founding partner in the development of the policy research institution. The legislation, Assembly Bill (AB) 179, authored by Assemblymember Phillip Ting (D-San Francisco), paves the way for establishing a policy institute that will focus on improving structures and practices that
First-Of-Its Kind Streaming Service Created By & For Black Women Launches
A first-of-its-kind streaming service created by, funded by, and dedicated to Black women will soon hit households across the nation. According to People, entrepreneur Riqua Hailes Turner has announced the launch of theBW, shorthand for the Black Women Network, which aims to uplift Black women filmmakers and create space for diverse storytelling. The groundbreaking network will be available to download on all major streaming app platforms on Sunday (September 18) and will feature six original programs along with licensed films and series through Allrites, a distribution company. "My goal with theBW is to create a high fidelity streaming
Father-Son Duo Start First Black-Owned Athletic Supply Company In History
Courtesy of Black Information Network A father-son duo has made history after launching the first-ever Black-owned athletic supply company, Black Enterprise reports. Oronde Booker and his 14-year-old son Kendall are the founders of Book Dawg Sports, an Atlanta-based sporting goods company. After years of supporting Kendall at sports practices and games, Oronde noticed that all of the equipment used by teams was developed by four major companies, none of which were Black-owned. The father was inspired to create a company with his son that could join the ranks of other major suppliers of athletic products. “When thinking about sports, it’s likely
IN MEMORIAM: Groundbreaking CNN Anchor Bernard Shaw Dies at 82
By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent Groundbreaking and original CNN anchor Bernard Shaw has died of pneumonia, his family confirmed on Thursday, Sept. 8. Shaw, 82, died a day earlier, the statement said. As CNN’s first chief anchor when the network launched in 1980, Shaw immediately showed why he was the man for the job. When John Hinckley Jr. shot President Ronald Reagan, Press Secretary James Brady also took a bullet to the head from the would-be assassin. Clamoring to break the news, anchors across the nation and
Black-Owned Asset Management Firm to Make History With Acquisition of Contact Lens Manufacturer
Black Pearl Global Investments – a Black-owned asset management firm focused on reducing health disparities across the globe – has entered into an agreement to acquire Florida-based contact lens manufacturer Hydrogel Vision Corp. (HVC). As a result of the acquisition, HVC will be known as Black Pearl Vision, becoming the only Black-owned and woman-owned contact lens manufacturer in the world. The deal is expected to close by mid-September. “It’s exciting to celebrate this milestone as we close out National Black Business Month,” said Dr. Shante Williams, CEO of Black Pearl
NBA Icon Isiah Thomas Has Quickly Become an Entrepreneurial Legend
By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent Isiah Thomas played basketball with the tenacity not often seen in today’s game. Whenever a team outscored his Detroit Pistons, it only meant a negative mark in the loss column, but never total defeat for Thomas. An NCAA champion at Indiana, and a two-time NBA champ with the Pistons, much like basketball, Thomas has followed up his on-court success with an almost peerless triumph in the business world. He told the National Newspaper Publishers Association’s live morning show, “Let It Be Known,”