Sharon Bowen Makes History As First Black Woman To Lead The NYSE Board
Sharon Y. Bowen made history this month, becoming the first Black woman to chair the New York Stock Exchange Board. Bowen has a nearly 40-year career in corporate transactional law and is no stranger to making history. In 2014, Bowen became the first African American appointed Commissioner of the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission. Appointed by former President Barack Obama, Commissioner Bowen served until 2017. Bowen’s expansive career began as a corporate and transactional law associate at Davis, Polk & Wardwell before she became a partner at Latham & Watkins. Throughout
Statue Of Mary McLeod Bethune To Replace Confederate General At US Capitol
By Cherranda Smith, Black Information Network Mary McLeod Bethune was the daughter of formerly enslaved African people, a dedicated educator and advisor to President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, and her legacy will now live on at the nation's capitol. According to NBC News, a statue of Bethune will be replacing a Confederate general to represent the state of Florida at the nation's capitol. This replacement is historic, marking the first time an African American represents a state at the National Statuary Hall located within the US Capitol building. Bethune's trailblazing legacy will be eternalized in an 11-foot, 6,000 pound
LeVar Burton Will Host The 94th Scripps National Spelling Bee
Accomplished actor, director, educator and lifelong children’s literacy advocate LeVar Burton will serve as host of the Scripps National Spelling Bee for the televised semifinals on June 1 and finals on June 2, 2022, near Washington, D.C. Burton has won Emmy and Grammy awards and has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. He will serve as grand marshal of the Jan. 1, 2022, Rose Bowl Parade, themed “Dream. Believe. Achieve.” He has entertained generations as former host and executive producer of PBS’s “Reading Rainbow” (1983-2006); starring as Kunta Kinte in the acclaimed television miniseries “Roots”
Make it a Green Christmas: Spend less, achieve more over the holidays
By Sherri Kolade The adage, “less is more” applies perfectly to this holiday shopping season for those ready to risk it all and overspend during this time that shouldn’t be taxing on your finances. Granted, during the holiday season, it’s easy to overspend on family, friends and other loved ones who made our nice list this Christmastime — especially when you see their eyes light up as they open their gifts from you. But this Christmas might be even trickier to navigate financially as prices increase and product shortages
Taco Bell Appoints Sean Tresvant As Global Chief Brand Officer
Taco Bell announced that it has appointed Sean Tresvant as its Global Chief Brand Officer, effective January 10, 2022. Tresvant will lead Taco Bell into a new age of transformative global marketing, spearheading boundary-pushing, multi-dimensional efforts that drive culture, initiate change and create impact. From strategic omni channel initiatives to digital customer touchpoints, he will further elevate and differentiate the Taco Bell fan experience as the brand continues redefining innovation in its industry. Tresvant brings more than a decade of marketing success from his time with Nike as the
Keisha Taylor Starr Appointed New Chief Marketing Officer for Scripps Networks
ATLANTA - Keisha Taylor Starr has been hired as chief marketing officer for Scripps Networks, effective Jan. 3, 2022. Taylor Starr will set the vision and lead marketing strategies across the portfolio of the nine Scripps national networks as well as direct the marketing, brand strategy, and creative for each network. She will be based in Atlanta and will report to Lisa Knutson, president of Scripps Networks. “Keisha is a remarkably talented executive whose multi-faceted experience marketing top brands and programming across multiple platforms will be a tremendous asset
Liberty Mutual Insurance Appoints Damon Hart to Executive Vice President and Chief Legal Officer
Liberty Mutual Insurance Chairman and Chief Executive Officer David Long today announced that Damon Hart has been named Executive Vice President and Chief Legal Officer, effective Jan. 1, 2022. With this appointment, Hart joins the company’s executive leadership team and will report to Long. Previously, Hart was promoted to Deputy Chief Legal Officer in 2020 and prior to this, served as Senior Vice President and Deputy General Counsel for litigation and coverage, overseeing the interests of Liberty Mutual and providing enterprise-wide coverage advice and opinions. Damon also spent
Amazon Launches Accelerator Program to Grow Opportunities for Real Estate Developers of Color and Increase Affordable Housing
Today, Amazon announced it is committing more than $21 million to pilot a professional training, mentorship, and capital funding program to help promote real estate developers of color. This two-year, part-time professional development program, which is free for participants, aims to teach real estate developers of color how to advance their careers. It also aims to lower the barriers these developers can face when bidding for affordable housing developments. The goal of the program is to increase the number of professional real estate developers of color who are focused
IN MEMORIAM: Pioneering Black Golf Champ Lee Elder Dies at 87
By Stacy M. Brown Lee Elder, a golfing pioneer, and the first Black player to compete in the Masters has died at 87. “It’s remarkable to look back on Lee’s life and career and realize the hardships he endured and the sacrifices he made to reach golf’s highest level,” said PGA TOUR Commissioner Jay Monahan. “To have the success he had while paving the way for others to dream big and achieve is a testament to the type of man he was and how much talent he possessed. The TOUR
Drake, Pharrell Williams & More Pay Tribute To Late Virgil Abloh
By Black Information Network The world is mourning the loss of designer Virgil Abloh. On Sunday (November 28), an official statement appeared on Abloh’s Instagram, announcing that the 41-year-old fashion pioneer, who was the first Black artistic director of Louis Vuitton’s menswear, had died of cancer following a private battle with the disease. “We are devastated to announce the passing of our beloved Virgil Abloh, a fiercely devoted father, husband, son, brother, and friend. He is survived by his loving wife Shannon Abloh, his children Lowe Abloh and Grey Abloh, his sister Edwina Abloh, his parents Nee and Eunice Abloh,