Burrell Communications Group, a pioneering multicultural marketing communications agency, announced today that Tuwisha ‘Wish’ Rogers-Simpson joins the agency as Vice President of Brand Development.

In this role, Rogers-Simpson will guide the overall alignment of Burrell’s business objectives and brand communications, while strengthening Burrell’s stance as a worldwide brand.

A mission-driven thought leader and strategist, Rogers-Simpson is well-versed in devising a vision, setting objectives and producing memorable campaigns that connect with audiences. She is the founder of Wish Factor, a strategic relationship and purpose-driven marketing consulting enterprise that leverages innovative strategy and integrated techniques, including unique content, partnership building and planning.

“As the agency looks toward the future, we are excited about the addition of Wish to our talented team of marketers and communicators,” said Fay Fergusson, Co-CEO of Burrell. “Without a doubt, her experience and expertise will contribute to our agency continuing to trailblaze in authentically connecting with Black audiences.”

Previously, Rogers-Simpson held the position of Vice President of Brand and Partnerships at the National Museum of African American Music (NMAAM), where she led the marketing and branding initiatives for the museum, which included overseeing the fostering and development of the NMAAM community, and corporate and entertainment relationships domestically and globally. She partnered with Fortune 500 brands such as Apple, Amazon, Nissan, Hallmark Mahogany, TMobile, AARP and RIAA, to name a few. In addition, she successfully opened and launched the museum and curated nearly $3 million in strategic partnerships, while garnering over 2.8 billion media impressions within the first year-and-a-half.

Prior to her tenure at the museum, Rogers-Simpson created and directed Strategic Partnerships at Urban One, where she oversaw breakthrough campaigns that won several industry awards. She has additional experience working with leaders such as Martin Luther King III and Dr. Randal Pinkett, the season four winner of TV’s “The Apprentice,” as well as collaborating with industry giants and notables including Steve Stoute, ESSENCE Communications, BET networks, Eric Roberson, Quincy Jones Productions, NOBEL Women, Cedric the Entertainer and many more.

“I am both delighted and honored to have the opportunity to join Burrell at such an exciting time,” said Rogers-Simpson. “I look forward to assisting Burrell in standing out in the worldwide business arena and launching campaigns relevant to the present social landscape that align with the brand’s voice, goals, and objectives.”

Rogers-Simpson has a bachelor’s degree in marketing from William Paterson University and a master’s degree in urban studies from Kean University. As a resident of Nashville, she is a prominent and dedicated member of her community who was recently named a 2022 Woman of Influence by the Nashville Business Journal. Rogers-Simpson volunteers with the City of Plainfield, the Rotary Club of Nashville, Leadership Music, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., the Memphis Music Initiative, Second Harvest Food Bank and ACM Diversity Task Force.

• Business

by BLACK ENTERPRISE Editors

October 31, 2022

Black Business Investment Fund Inc. Receives $2M Grant to Provide Capital for Small Businesses Across Central Florida

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Truist Foundation and Truist Charitable Fund today announced a $2 million grant to Black Business Investment Fund Inc. (BBIF), a community development financial institution (CDFI) built to foster the creation and expansion of Black businesses by providing loans, education and training services.

The grant will help create BBIF’s Revolving Loan Fund that will provide loan capital for small business lending, targeting BIPOC and underserved small businesses across Central Florida.

Truist Chairman and CEO Bill Rogers, Truist Central Florida Regional President Steve Fisher, and Truist Foundation Senior Vice President and Head of Strategy Meghan Pietrantonio joined BBIF President and CEO Inez Long to share the impact that it will have on local businesses during a grant announcement at Truist’s office in Orlando.

“Truist has had a long-term relationship with BBIF, and we’re honored to help expand their work during this critical season when so many small businesses in Florida are looking for recovery support in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian,” said Lynette Bell, president of Truist Foundation. “BBIF shares our vision to support underserved communities and provide a sustainable source of funding for racially and ethnically diverse- and women-owned businesses that haven’t had access to the traditional lending market in the past.”

This grant is part of Truist and Truist Foundation’s $120 million joint commitment to strengthening and supporting small businesses nationwide, with a focus on Black-, Latine- and women-owned businesses. Truist and BBIF’s partnership has existed since the founding of BBIF, and this grant will help elevate BBIF’s work for historically underserved small businesses across 14 counties in Central Florida.

“BBIF is committed to developing BIPOC businesses to build their resilience and capacity,” said Inez Long, president and CEO of BBIF. “With the funds from Truist, we are empowered to continue our intentional work, providing access to fair, flexible loan capital at a time when our clients need it most.”

Funding from Truist Foundation and Truist Charitable Fund comes at a time when small businesses are looking for extra support following Hurricane Ian. A BBIF survey administered to small businesses in Florida found that 60% of respondents noted a need for working capital of $50,000 or less if storm-related economic impacts last beyond October. The Revolving Loan Fund will help provide flexible term capital that will assist in creating and retaining jobs and improving resiliency for businesses impacted by hardships.

About BBIF | Black Business Investment Fund, Inc.
Created in 1987, BBIF’s mission is to develop and promote Black business enterprises through education, training, loans, investments, and other activities and to aggressively promote an atmosphere conducive to their development. A mission-driven lender, BBIF helps communities and businesses thrive by providing loan capital and specialized financial technical assistance services. BBIF is a CDFI (Community Development Financial Institution) and CDE (Community Development Enterprise) certified by the U.S. Department of the Treasury, Community Advantage and Micro Loan lender as certified by U.S. Small Business Administration, Money Smart for Small Business collaborator certified by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) and is AERIS rated triple star, A-minus. Since our inception, BBIF has provided over 1,000 loans totaling $81 million and leveraged $292 million in New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC) community investments. BBIF’s investments have helped to create/sustain over 13,884 jobs all while maintaining a historical loan loss rate of 3.5%. Learn more at www.BBIF.com.

About Truist Foundation
The Truist Foundation is committed to Truist Financial Corporation’s (NYSE: TFC) purpose to inspire and build better lives and communities. Established in 2020, the foundation makes strategic investments in nonprofit organizations to help ensure the communities it serves have more opportunities for a better quality of life. The Truist Foundation’s grants and activities focus on building career pathways to economic mobility and strengthening small businesses. Learn more at Truist.com/Foundation.

About Truist Charitable Fund
The Truist Charitable Fund is a donor-advised fund administered by The Winston-Salem Foundation and advised by Truist.

About Truist
Truist Financial Corporation is a purpose-driven financial services company committed to inspiring and building better lives and communities. Truist has leading market share in many high-growth markets in the country. The company offers a wide range of services including retail, small business and commercial banking; asset management; capital markets; commercial real estate; corporate and institutional banking; insurance; mortgage; payments; specialized lending; and wealth management. Headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, Truist is a top 10 U.S. commercial bank. Truist Bank, Member FDIC. Learn more at Truist.com.

• Health and Wellness

by Black Enterprise Shop

October 31, 2022

With Overstock Deals, Gain Control Of Your Sleep Health With Restflix For Under $70

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We all sleep, but few of us truly understand just how important it is in our day-to-day lives. Sure, everyone knows about the struggles and debilitating feelings that accompany not getting the proper amount of sleep. Still, sleep does more than just determine how productive we are every day.

The lack of sleep can have a negative impact on physical health. High blood pressure, brain fog, heart disease and diabetes are just a handful of side effects of a lack of sleep. Those who consistently struggle with sleep know just how much of self-fulfilling prophecy insomnia can be.

Restflix is here to help you regain control of proper sleep. Thanks to Overstock Deals, for a limited time, you can purchase a lifetime subscription to the sleep streaming service for just $69.99. That’s a savings of 88% from its MSRP ($599).

Overstock Deals runs through 11:59 p.m. on Oct. 31.

Restflix offers a revolutionary streaming service that helps users fall asleep faster and rest better. It comes with more than 10 personalized channels full of sleep meditations, bedtime stories, calming visuals and binaural beats that harness the brain’s responsiveness to sound and helps create a meditative and restful state.

You can stream Restflix on Apple TV, iOS, Roku, Android and Fire TV, among other platforms. It can be accessed and watched on multiple devices. The software is updated weekly with new content, and you don’t have to worry about ads interrupting your sessions.

Restflix has been featured on Rachael, Entrepreneur, and Mashable! Livestrong named the software “Best Sleep App to Drift Off To.” It currently has a rating of 4.5 stars on the App Store.

“Restflix is the way to go to start relaxing. I have it installed on my iPhone and streaming box to have it running in the background when working from home,” writes verified 5-star user John Charles Herzberg.

Few things are as crucial as proper sleep health. Ensure yours is in good shape with the help of Restflix. Purchase it today.

Prices subject to change.

• Leadership

by Jasmine Jackson

October 30, 2022

Grab Your Pen and Pad—Here’s How the First Black CEO of P.F. Chang’s Starts His Day

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Entrepreneurs often talk about the importance of creating habits or routines for success.

For Damola Adamolekun, the first Black CEO of P.F. Chang’s China Bistro, an Asian casual-dining restaurant chain in the U.S., a morning routine sets him up for the day.

The 33-year-old spoke to Business Insider about starting his day at 6 a.m. in his at-home office. He shared:

“First, I review our daily flash reports, which detail restaurant operating performance from the previous day and period to date.”

“I make notes of any interesting observations, questions, or oddities from my review to discuss with our COO Art Kilmer later in the morning.”

Then, the Black executive said he moves on to everyone’s favorite task—sarcasm intended—checking emails, but not just any kind of way. Adamolekun said he prioritizes “low-intensity” emails first, or those that don’t require much thought or time like “an email asking for final approval on a marketing design.” Next, the CEO shifts his attention to more time-consuming email requests. He shared with Business Insider:

“It’s important not to rush these big decisions that can impact business, and instead to take time to analyze and get it right.”

The executive arrives at P.F. Chang’s China Bistro’s corporate headquarters at 7:30 a.m. He shared that he reads the Wall Street Journal to catch up on “key business, industry, and broader economic news.” After Adamolekun said he chats separately with the company’s chief operating officer (COO) and chief financial officer (CFO), Brad Hill, about the “previous day’s operating results” and “any relevant corporate planning or financial issues,” respectively. The CEO noted that his chats with the C-suite executives are informal and “open-door.”

How does he keep track of everything going on at once? The answer, a good-old Microsoft Word document. Adamolekun said, “Besides my own to-do list, this document also has our company vision statement, core strategies, and yearly action plan to help keep me centered and focused.” It doesn’t hurt that he has an assistant that keeps his calendar up-to-date.

The madness begins at 8 a.m. when Adamolekun begins attending meetings, oftentimes back-to-back for the remainder of his day according to Business Insider. The executive shared, “I have a rule with my executive assistant not to schedule any meetings before 8 a.m.” The Harvard Business Review shared that time boundaries like Adamolekun’s can help entrepreneurs protect their schedules.

As BLACK ENTERPRISE previously reported, Adamolekun led the company to a 31.7% increase in sales in 2021 compared to the year before. His daily routine seems to be paying off.

• Entrepreneurship

by Jasmine Jackson

October 30, 2022

This Black Founder Was Gaslit by Her Doctor During Pregnancy. The Experience Drove Her To Create a Community for Expectant Moms

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Disclaimer: This story has been republished with permission from Entrepreneur.com

After I gave birth to my son Jay, one of the most unexpected and biggest struggles I faced was breastfeeding.

In my experience, no one talks about how hard breastfeeding can be. My OB-GYN recommended I talk to the pediatrician. The pediatrician referred me to a lactation consultant. The lactation consultant wasn’t very kind or patient with me. Without a community or support system, I was left to Googling in the early morning hours. I felt guilty and ashamed for not providing my baby with what he needed. Ultimately, I felt alone and isolated.

“This is one of the reasons why we started Expectful,” Nathalie Walton, CEO and co-founder of Expectful, told me when I relayed my struggles with breastfeeding. “A number of things can happen during and after your pregnancy. Some things you never anticipate happening, happen. We see the tremendous impact that mental health has on the journey to motherhood.”

Walton’s journey to motherhood was not without its ups and downs. “I was the target of gaslighting by my doctor my entire pregnancy,” says Walton, who is now the proud mom to son Everett.

“It was clear they didn’t take my concerns seriously, and I ended up having a high-risk pregnancy.”

“I kept receiving conflicting information and asked for additional tests to be run. My doctor said she’d prescribe an ultrasound. When I actually went to schedule the ultrasound, she said she had made up the prescription to appease me. It was infuriating the treatment I received as a Black woman. I still have post-traumatic stress from that experience.”

Research from the Mayo Clinic suggests that about 7% of women experience depression during pregnancy. Some signs and symptoms include excessive anxiety about your baby, not adhering to prenatal care, inability to find joy in activities you used to enjoy and thoughts of harming yourself. And according to the CDC, about one in eight women who have gone through a live birth experience symptoms of postpartum depression, including withdrawing from loved ones, feeling guilty about not being a good parent and worrying that they will hurt their baby.

Walton’s knowledge of these statistics and her own experience with a traumatic pregnancy led her to found Expectful, which is a mental health app for before, during and after pregnancy. The platform offers affordable and accessible maternal wellness support for moms and moms-to-be.

“Suffering shouldn’t be a rite of passage, and you shouldn’t have to hunt for hours to find a qualified — and likable — specialist,” Walton says.

The app includes evidence-based research, live Q&As with experts and on-demand courses, among other content.

Here are three lessons Walton learned on the path to building Expectful.

Stop glamourizing entrepreneurship

Walton spent up to 30 hours a week honing her equestrian skills while she was growing up. And although it might sound glamorous, Walton recalls it being a lesson in humility. “It wasn’t running and jumping on a horse like you might envision,” she says.

“Most of my early summers were being up at 4 a.m., collecting horse s*** and pushing wheelbarrows of hay.”

Her early days of being an equestrian prepared Walton for her founder journey. “You are doing all the tasks, dealing with customer complaints, scrambling on product issues and writing social posts,” she says. “You don’t always see the number of hours that go into being a successful founder versus how much we glamorize the life of an entrepreneur. You don’t see the panic, the downs and how it can impact your mental health. We need more founders publicly sharing the true narrative around their success.”

Be your own talent scout

“Coming from [working for] Google, I took for granted how much resourcing we had access to when it came to hiring talent,” Walton says.

“I had no idea the mistakes I would make as a founder when hiring and how costly they could be. That has certainly been a humbling experience.”

Walton recalls an experience when she hired too quickly for a marketing role. “Marketing is going through a tectonic shift, and unfortunately they didn’t have the right expertise when it comes to growth marketing and also didn’t understand our business model.”

Walton’s advice to founders is to be their own talent scout. Now she focuses on meeting talent wherever and whenever she can, from conferences to virtual coffees with people she meets on LinkedIn. “Keep in touch with people, and think of how they might be able to help you and your company in the future.”

Stop living in a bubble

“When fundraising for Expectful, I was surprised by how many men don’t understand women’s struggles in trying to conceive, pregnancy, and new motherhood,” Walton says.

Expectful’s pitch deck opened with the problem it was going to solve: The current U.S. healthcare system fails to support women during pregnancy and postpartum. “It was alarming how many men, even those who were fathers, could not get past the first slide because they questioned the legitimacy of the problem Expectful is solving,” Walton says.

The experience taught her that too many investors, and even founders, are living in a bubble. They need to learn to empathize with experiences that aren’t their own. However, the bias Walton faced from some investors didn’t stop her from closing a $4.2 million round of seed funding in 30 days.

Now, she’s focused on her next big opportunity: making Expectful accessible to the Medicaid population — according to statistics from the Kaiser Family Foundation, 42% of births were financed by Medicaid in 2020. “People on Medicaid can’t currently afford this solution, which is also a misconception some of our investors have,” Walton says.

“Expectful can help so many more women with prenatal stress.”

Expectful currently partners with Johnson’s Baby on an initiative to improve Black maternal health outcomes by offering complimentary memberships to women who can’t afford them.

“As a Black woman in technology, I have been used to being underestimated and undervalued,” Walton says. “I want more women of color to see founders like me thriving because entrepreneurship can be so incredibly rewarding.”

• News

by Jasmine Jackson

October 30, 2022

The Math Ain’t Mathing—Illinois High School Math Teacher Fired for Calling Black Student N-Word

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Racism reared its ugly head in a high school classroom when a math teacher called a Black student the N-word—and that’s not even the whole story.

First-year Illinois schoolteacher, John Donovan, was caught on camera by students in his class at Kankakee High School when he referred to a student as a “Fu***** N*****.” CNN reported that the white teacher was terminated on Monday by the Kankakee School Board.

//racism
A Kankakee, High School teacher, John Donovan, has been placed on paid leave after using the hard R to refer to a student. He's a first-year math teacher at the school who started in August.
The student was asking for an apology from an earlier event & it escalated. pic.twitter.com/R7vYM0I6r4

— ChudsOfTikTok 🖥️ (@ChudsOfTikTok) October 21, 2022

The teenager’s mother, Geraldine Nelson, said, “There’s no excuse for saying that word, especially to a 15-year-old,” according to WBBM.

The 10th-grade student, Michael Nelson, Jr., added that he was afraid:

“Because the word has never been used to me by a white man, or a Black man, or any type of race or person ever said that to me.”

The Nelson family’s attorney, Kevin O’Connor, told ABC 7 Chicago, “This is battery. He attacked him, and the school did nothing. The school did nothing to protect him.”

Donovan was placed on paid leave pending investigation when the Superintendent for Kankakee School District, Dr. Genevra Walters, learned of the video.

“We have to give the student and the teacher due process, and we have to follow the Illinois school code when we’re terminating a licensed teacher.”

Another view of the incident @ Kankakee High School with more context, if you can make out what they're saying.
Sounds like he threw a book at the student in the incident that happened 3 weeks ago. pic.twitter.com/q6SIF8k4Jv

— ChudsOfTikTok 🖥️ (@ChudsOfTikTok) October 21, 2022

The incident reportedly happened on Oct. 20 and was the second run-in between the Black student and the teacher. According to CNN and a second video, the teacher allegedly threw a book at the student in September. Michael reportedly notified the school’s administration several times, and his mother was told that the teacher would apologize for throwing the book.

Walters told CNN that she was not aware of the book throwing and does “not have any information that the book made contact with the student.” Walters also said she was not the only one in the blind about the incident, but it was the school principal and human resources department’s first time hearing about it when the video of the N-word incident was posted on social media.

• Celebrity News

by Jasmine Jackson

October 30, 2022

Say What? Academy Award Winner Julia Roberts Says Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King Paid for Her Birth

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Now here are two names you wouldn’t expect to mention in the same sentence: Julia Roberts and Martin Luther King, Jr.

The 2001 Golden Globe winner for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama for the movie Erin Brockovich, celebrated her birthday on Oct. 28, and a Twitter user shared a video of Roberts in conversation with Gayle King in honor of it.

In an interview for the History television network last month the actress shared that Martin Luther King, Jr. and Coretta Scott King paid the hospital bill for her birth because her parents could not afford to.

Today is Julia Roberts birthday! 55 years ago MLK and Coretta Scott King paid for her parents hospital bill after she was born. Can’t stop thinking about this since I read it. Here she is talking about it with @GayleKing https://t.co/5HvpNSUIYb pic.twitter.com/147x6d807W

— Zara Rahim (@ZaraRahim) October 28, 2022

King started, “Just wanted to take a step back for you, Julia, because you have two historical figures that I’ll bet most people don’t know this about you…”

“Let’s just start with the day you were born. Who paid for the hospital bill?”

Roberts complimented King on her research skills before answering:

“The King family paid for my hospital bill.”

Roberts revealed that her parents, Walter “Rob” Roberts and Betty Roberts, became friends with the civil rights leaders after Coretta called their theatre school to enroll her children. The actress said the activists could not find a place that would accept their Black children at the time.

King continued the interview, “Yeah because in the 60s you didn’t have little Black children interacting with little white kids in acting school and your parents were like come on in.”

“I think that’s extraordinary, and it sort of lays the groundwork for who you are.”

Not everyone agreed with the Roberts family’s decisions. Philip DePoy wrote in an essay for Arts ATL, “I kissed a girl, and 10 yards away a Buick exploded,” explaining that the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) blew up a car in front of the theatre when he—a Caucasian man—kissed Yolanda King, daughter of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Coretta as part of a workshop in the theatre’s parking lot.

Roberts is best known for her roles in Steel Magnolias (1989), Pretty Woman (1990), and Eat Pray Love (2010).

• Politics

by Jasmine Jackson

October 30, 2022

Zaddy Obama! Black Woman Makes Barack Obama Blush Telling Him He’s ‘Finer Than a Mug’

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Hands down, former president Barack Obama served his two terms in the White House with swag, and a Democratic rally in Detroit, Mich. this weekend proved he’s still got it.

Obama was interrupted at a voting rally in Detroit on Saturday, Oct. 29 when a Black woman yelled that he was fine. The 44th president of the United States began, “I have to admit that sometimes going out on the campaign trail feels a little harder than it used to.”

He scratched his head and continued, “Not just because I’m older and grayer.” As people laughed, a Black woman in the crowd shouted:

“You finer than a mug.”

The rally crowd laughed again, this time with Obama. He asked, “I don’t know if you all heard that. I’m sorry what did you say?”

“She said I was still fine.”

The former president turned around and said, “I’m not gone tell Michelle you said that. Although Michelle does agree. She knows.”

 

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A post shared by HOLLYWOOD UNLOCKED (@hollywoodunlocked)

The rally in support of Democrats was at Renaissance High School in northwest Detroit, according to Detroit Free Press. Obama encouraged the gymnasium of nearly 3,000 people to vote. He said, “This election requires every single one of us to do our part.”

Obama spoke on democratic polices for inflation and abortion, enforcing that “Democrats have actual plans.” One plan he pointed out included Gov. Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan’s support of abortion.

The first Black president said, “We should all agree women everywhere should be able to control what happens with their own bodies.”

The policies of Whitmer’s opponent, Republican Tudor Dixon, who favors a ban on abortion regardless of the mother’s health, rape, and incest, roused the crowd. A sea of boos swept across the gymnasium when Obama shared Dixon’s policy proposals. The former president saw the crowd’s reaction as an opportunity to drive his point home, according to The Detroit News.

He said, “Do not boo. Vote. Booing doesn’t help. They can’t hear you boo, but they can hear you vote.”

• Sports

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

October 29, 2022

Former NBA Player Delonte West Arrested Again on 4 Charges Including Running From Police

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The troubling story of former NBA player, Delonte West continues to worsen.

According to TMZ, the 39-year-old West was arrested again recently. He was detained on Oct. 15 after police officers discovered him trespassing in a vehicle in a parking lot in Virginia.

Police officers were reportedly trying to handcuff him when he took off running. Police reportedly arrested and charged the ex-NBA player with vehicle trespassing, entering a vehicle, fleeing from law enforcement, and being drunk in public.

According to a police report, he was released from custody the next day.

Clutchpoint reported that Dallas Mavericks owner and Shark Tank investor Mark Cuban said West has been having trouble staying on the right path with his rehabilitation.

“It’s a struggle for him,” Cuban said.

“I mean, addiction is awful. And mental illness is awful. He’s at the point in his life where he’s got to want to be helped.”

According to reports, it seemed that West was on the road to getting his life together earlier this summer.

According to TMZ, a flooring company hired West, and he was doing well back in June.

Every time it seems like things will work out, they always take a bad turn for West. He has been filmed multiple times panhandling in Virginia and was shown on camera taking a beating and asking motorists for money.

The incidents came after several attempts by Cuban to steer him back in the right direction after he was spotted years ago begging in the streets. Two years ago, West was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, and he battled substance abuse and homelessness. After Cuban got in touch with West’s mother, Delphina Addison, he reunited the two at a gas station. The former Dallas Mavericks player entered a rehabilitation facility in Florida with the help of the Shark Tank star.

West got a chance to return to basketball when he tried out for Ice Cube‘s BIG3 league. As of late, West has reportedly fallen upon hard times again.

The presence of Black players in professional hockey is rare and even rarer may be the presence of Black coaches. Well, history was made this week when two Black coaches actually faced each other in a hockey matchup.

#ECHL History will be made this morning as two black head coaches will oppose each other for the first time with Joel Martin of @KalamazooWings & Jason Payne of @CincyCyclones pic.twitter.com/4mxdZ1vMaQ

— ECHL (@ECHL) October 26, 2022

According to NHL.com, on Wednesday, in Kalamazoo, Michigan, two Black coaches, Jason Payne and Joel Martin made history when their teams took to the ice. They became the first two Black coaches to face each other on opposite benches during a professional hockey game. This is believed to be the first time this has happened in North American men’s pro hockey.

“It’s humbling to be a part of history,” Martin said. “I think it’s super cool to be able to do it with somebody that’s been a friend of mine now for a while after coaching with him in the league there, Jason Payne. So that makes it a little extra special.”

The chance to be a part of history while showing children that Blacks can not only play hockey but can also coach can give some of the kids’ inspiration to look at hockey now.

“It’s been a long time coming and it’s great for hockey in general and the world, in general, to be able to see two coaches of color coaching against each other, making the jump, making these historical steps,” Payne said. “Joel and I, we’ve worked hard to get where we are and to make this step and impact in hockey.

“The kids get to see players of color and say, ‘I can be that player.’ Now they get to see two guys as the term goes, ‘bench bosses,’ and they can say, ‘Oh, there’s another position I can possibly get to one day if I work hard enough at it.’ That’s what’s most fulfilling for all of us.”

Both men are members of the NHL Coaches’ Association’s BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) program. This is an initiative that is trying to support coaches in various areas throughout the league. They include skills development, leadership strategies, communication tactics, and networking.

There have only been seven Black coaches in North American men’s pro hockey history. The first one was Dirk Graham when he had the reins of the Chicago Blackhawks for 59 games in 1998-99.

The remaining three are Shawn Wheeler (Charlotte, ECHL, 1998-2000), Graeme Townshend (Macon, Central Hockey League, 1999-2001, Greensboro, ECHL, 2001-02), and Leo Thomas (Macon, Southern Professional Hockey League, 2018-19).