All-Black Female Crew Observes 100th Anniversary of Bessie Coleman’s First Flight
By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent@StacyBrownMedia American Airlines celebrated the 100th anniversary of the first Black woman to earn a pilot’s license – Bessie Coleman accomplished that feat in 1922. With an all-Black female crew, the airlines hosted the Bessie Coleman Aviation All-Stars tour, recognizing how Coleman bravely broke down barriers within the world of aviation and paved the path for many to follow. To help honor Coleman’s legacy, American Airlines hosted Gigi Coleman, Bessie’s great-niece, on a flight from Dallas-Fort Worth to Phoenix. An all-Black female crew
National Business League (NBL) to Launch Black Economic Freedom Movement to Help Digitize 1 Million Black Businesses by 2028
A campaign that aims to enhance the digital capacity of 1 million Black-owned businesses and grow their revenue by engaging customers through technology is being introduced in Tuskegee at the 122nd anniversary of the National Business League (NBL). A historic announcement will be made Aug. 22 and 23 concerning a project the NBL is spearheading in partnership with sponsor American Express. The goal is to transition 1 million Black-owned businesses into the digital economy by 2028. The five-year campaign, the Black Economic Freedom Movement, will kick off in January 2023 to relaunch the NBL with local
Young Black Americans Dominate the Cryptocurrency Market
By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent When considering the current state of the cryptocurrency market, Dr. Tonya Evans couldn’t help but recall the reception banks gave the then-fledgling assets in 2014. “When I think back to 2013 or 2014, the second kind of big crypto was coming on the scene, and banks were really pushing back at the time on discussions surrounding regulating cryptocurrency,” said Evans, a law professor and founder and CEO of Advantage Evans. “Big banks feared [cryptocurrency] would become more legitimate. Back then, banks
Solange Knowles Makes History As First Black Female Composer For NYC Ballet
Multi-hyphenate entertainer Solange Knowles has landed a historic role as a ballet composer. On Monday (August 15), the New York City Ballet announced that Knowles has been tapped to compose the music for its Fall Fashion Gala. It is the first time a Black woman will ever compose a score for a production in the Ballet, NBC News reports. Knowles, 36, shared the groundbreaking news Tuesday (August 6) on Twitter. “Very excited to announce I’ve composed an original score for the New York City Ballet,” Knowles tweeted. Though the title of the production Knowles is composing for remains unknown, it
Getty & The Smithsonian Acquire Ebony And Jet’s Iconic Photo Archives
Photo: Getty Images Seven decades of iconic Black stories and photos from Ebony and Jet magazines will soon be digitized and available to the public, Smithsonian Magazine reports. Over four million negatives and prints from Ebony and Jet, both produced via the Johnson Publishing Company starting in the 1940s and ’50s, have been acquired by the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) and the Getty Research Institute, according to a joint statement by the two entities. The Getty Trust is putting up $30 million towards processing the digitization of photographic negatives, photos,
Serena Williams announces retirement, arguably the greatest athlete of all-time
by A.R. Shaw Serena Williams will walk away from the game of tennis. In an article published by Vogue, Williams, 40, shared that she will “evolve away from tennis” to focus on other things. Her last tennis match will take place this month at the U.S. Open in Flushing Meadows, New York. Serena Williams, along with her older sister Venus Williams, took the tennis world by storm in the 1990s as teenagers on the pro tennis circuit. Serena would win her first grand slam title in 1998 at Wimbledon, capturing
Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated ® Elects Dr. Stacie N.C. Grant as International President
Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated elected Dr. Stacie N.C. Grant as its 26th International President and Chief Executive Officer during the organization’s biennial international convention in Philadelphia. A New York native, Grant received the Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award from President Barack Obama. She is a CEO, award-winning author, international speaker, and trainer. A life member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Grant has served on every level of the organization as an active and financial member for 33 consecutive years. She brings decades of professional and business development expertise with
Russell Westbrook Enters Digital Media Game to Bring Focus to Multicultural Audiences
NBA veteran point guard, entrepreneur, and philanthropist, Russell Westbrook, has formally entered the digital media sector by launching Russell Westbrook Enterprises, new digital media division, RW Digital. The division has architected specific programmatic solutions that enables brands to more efficiently reach diverse audiences and amplify owned and operated minority publishers. Since ascending, Westbrook's business portfolio has grown to touch multiple verticals including Venture Capital, Fashion, Real-Estate, Insurance and now Digital Advertising. With the driving force of resourceful betterment for his community being the focal point, Westbrook has intentionally expanded his
The BasBlue Foundation: A Multimillion Dollar Investment in Detroit Women
BasBlue, a nonprofit space dedicated to creating pathways and opportunities for women, opened its doors in October 2021. Today, it is a community of nearly 700 women, 60% of whom live in the City of Detroit. Now, BasBlue is launching its next chapter: The BasBlue Foundation. The Foundation’s initial goal is to raise $2 million before the end of 2023 to support fellowships and opportunities that empower women and girls by providing tools and resources to support their education, careers and increase their access to capital. Thanks to
Henry Louis Gates Jr. To Oversee Oxford’s New African American Dictionary
Historian Henry Louis Gates Jr. will be at the helm of Oxford's new dictionary that will recognize Black culture's centuries-long impact on the English language. On Thursday (July 21), Gates Jr., Director of the Hutchins Center for African and African American Research at Harvard University, announced that he will serve as the editor-in-chief of the Oxford Dictionary of African American English. The new dictionary will house a glossary of popular words and phrases used by Black Americans past and present. “Just the way Louis Armstrong took the trumpet and turned it inside out from the way people