Gary Charles and His Mission to Advance Blacks in Sports
When Gary Charles learned of George Floyd's murder on a Minneapolis street over a year ago, his reaction reflected what many of us felt. "I was disgusted," said Charles. He said that Floyd's case reminded him of the 1991 incident where four police officers beat Rodney King, an infamous event captured on videotape that sparked the Los Angeles riots. "It broke me to a certain degree, and I said, 'Wow. When are we going to stand up? How long do we allow this to continue?'" Floyd's death compelled him to
Spelman Commencement: Nikole Hannah-Jones Urges Graduates To ‘Control Your Own Excellence’
Nikole Hannah-Jones served as the keynote speaker for Spelman College's 2023 Commencement ceremonies. The Pulitzer Prize-winning creator of the "1619 Project" provided the 423 degree candidates with words of inspiration as they set out on their next chapters in life. Hannah-Jones began by sharing stories of her humble upbringing and how she beat the odds to gain success as a journalist and author. "I didn't come from Black people who have much formal education outside of high school," Hannah-Jones said. "Our migration from Mississippi to the North was an
DANITA V. KNIGHT APPOINTED NEW CEO YWCA GREATER ATLANTA
Celebrating 120 years -- the right leader at the right time ATLANTA, GA -- YWCA of Greater Atlanta today announced that Danita V. Knight has been appointed the new CEO of YWCA of Greater Atlanta, replacing Sharmen Gowens who announced her retirement earlier this year. Ms. Knight will officially assume her role as CEO in January 2023. “After a wide-ranging and thorough national search, led by Boardwalk Consulting (a national firm based in Atlanta), we have found an accomplished and experienced person to lead our organization. Danita is well
$400 Million Ballmer Investment in Black-Owned Ventures Comes at a Critical Time
Access to capital – whether through banking or investment – is a longstanding challenge for Black entrepreneurs looking to scale their enterprises. But some much-needed capital is entering the marketplace following a $400 million commitment from billionaire investor, L.A. Clippers owner and Detroit native Steve Ballmer. The former Microsoft CEO, who according to net worth Fortune magazine has a net worth of $76.9 billion, announced that he would allocate $400 million to investment firms Goldman Sachs, Fairview Capital, JPMorgan Chase, Ariel Investment and GCM Grosvenor. These firms would, in
Growing Black-Owned Whiskey Brand Makes Splash Into Market
By Andre Ash, Michigan Chronicle A Black-owned whiskey business is taking shape and growth across the country. Duke & Dame is the name of the newly minted company where its vision early-on was to change the way people consumed their experience of drinking whiskey. It aimed to succeed in its goal by creating a premium flavored whiskey that would “stimulate the senses at each stage of the drinking process, with incredible aroma, remarkable taste, and an extremely smooth finish.” In an interview with Michigan Chronicle, one of Duke &
AUNT JACKIE’S curls & coils SURPRISES FIRST HBCU GYMNASTICS TEAM WITH $25,000
Recently, while on the Jennifer Hudson Show, the newly formed FISK University women's gymnastics team was surprised with a $25,000 check from Aunt Jackie's Curls & Coils. The donation will cover the sixteen-member team's travel expenses enabling these talented student athletes to attend national competitions. This team is the first intercollegiate gymnastics team in HBCU (Historically Black Colleges & Universities) history and will compete against colleges across the country. The women, prior to going on the show, were also treated to a full Aunt Jackie's glam makeover and the studio audience all went
IN MEMORIAM: Jazz Saxophonist Pharoah Sanders, 81
Jazz saxophonist Farrell ‘Pharoah’ Sanders, a pioneer of ‘spiritual’ jazz who lived in Oakland for a time before gaining renown in New York with John Coane’s band in the 1960s, passed away in Los Angeles on Sept. 24, 2022. He was 81. “We are devastated to share that Pharoah Sanders has passed away,” family representatives tweeted Saturday morning. “He died peacefully surrounded by loving family and friends in Los Angeles earlier this morning. Always and forever the most beautiful human being, may he rest in peace.” Tributes like this
‘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