Our Favorite Couple Is Back! Nia Long and Larenz Tate Reunite For A New Romance Film
We are here for it.
Gen X and millennials have reason to celebrate. Nia Long and Larenz Tate, the stars of the 1997 cult classic Love Jones, have reunited for a new romantic drama on Netflix, Deadline reported.
Written by Kay Oyegun, the film takes inspiration from Maxwell’s Urban Hang Suite, the soul-infused album that first captivated audiences in 1996 with its story of love rooted in the singer’s own life. The crooner is also one of the executive producers of the film; other producers include James Lopez, Charles D. King, and Poppy Hanks. Eugene Ashe, who also wrote and directed Sylvie’s Love, will direct the film, whose title hasn’t been released.
Although producers remain tight-lipped about the film’s plot, Maxwell’s debut album itself might provide some clues to what’s ahead.
Long, who played Nina Mosely in Love Jones, took to Instagram to share the news of the upcoming project.
“The timing is divine, and working with @larenztate is my favorite thing to do. We’re doing this one for YOU!!!! Thank you for all the love from the bottom of my heart and soul. Let’s go,” the mother of two wrote.
“Let’s call it what it is, people LOVE JONES 2,“ one fan wrote.
“We’ve been waiting for another collab since 1997!!! YES, Ma’am and Sir,” one fan said.
This won’t be the first time Black America’s favorite fictional couple reunited in front of the camera. The pair came together for the upcoming Michael Jackson biopic Michael. Long portrays family matriarch Katherine Jackson, and Tate plays Berry Gordy.
Last year, they reprised their roles as Nina and Darius for a Walmart holiday commercial. The Love Jones-themed commercial showed Nina (Long) receiving a surprise birthday gift from Darius (Tate), who was now Nina’s husband.
The commercial set social media ablaze, with fans begging for a Love Jones sequel. The jury is out on that, but Netflix’s upcoming film might be the next best thing.
Over the course of three transformative days, men from across the nation came together
The BLACK ENTERPRISE 2025 XCEL Summit for Men, hosted by FedEx, delivered a movement. Over the course of three transformative days, men from across the nation came together not only to network but to elevate purpose, leadership, and legacy. As the dust settles and reflections begin, several key themes stood out, offering powerful takeaways for those looking to build, lead, and leave a mark that transcends generations.
1. Legacy + Wealth Building: The Power of Generational Thinking
At the heart of the summit was a clear and urgent message: wealth is more than income — it’s impact. Conversations and keynotes underscored the importance of building generational wealth, not just for personal success but for broader community empowerment. From financial literacy panels to fireside chats with leading investors and CEOs, attendees were encouraged to turn career wins into long-term assets that uplift families, neighborhoods, and future leaders.
2. Networking Across Sectors: Building Bridges, Not Silos
One of the summit’s strengths was its intentional mix of attendees — from athletes and entrepreneurs to faith leaders and corporate executives. This diversity sparked cross-industry dialogue and collaboration, allowing for the kind of innovation that only emerges when different worlds collide. Whether it was during structured networking events or impromptu hallway conversations, relationships formed at XCEL weren’t just transactional — they were transformational.
3. Candid Dialogue: Where Real Talk Meets Real Solutions
The summit’s signature “barbershop-style” conversations were more than just a branding element — they were a platform for truth-telling. In these spaces, men tackled tough topics like identity, masculinity, purpose, and accountability. The result? Brave conversations that broke barriers, created empathy, and inspired action rooted in authenticity and shared experience.
4. Recognition of Excellence: Celebrating Black Male Brilliance
From red-carpet moments to powerful awards ceremonies, the summit highlighted the excellence that often goes unseen or underappreciated. Honoring pioneers in business, sports, faith, and philanthropy, XCEL modeled what success looks like — not just as achievement, but as service. These honors served as both celebration and challenge: a reminder that the bar is high, but attainable for all.
BEBE
5. Action-Orientation: From Inspiration to Implementation
Unlike many events that stir emotion that fades with time, XCEL was designed to produce actionable outcomes. Workshops provided practical tools — from financial strategies to leadership frameworks — aimed at helping men leave the summit not just motivated, but equipped. The call was clear: Take what you’ve learned and build. Teach. Lead. Mentor. Multiply the impact.
Doctors Without Borders Permanently Closes in Haiti Amid Violence
Doctors Without Borders is an international medical humanitarian organization that provides emergency medical aid in crisis zones around the world.
Ongoing violence in Haiti’s capital, Port-Au-Prince, has caused Doctors Without Borders to close its emergency care center permanently.
Doctors Without Borders is an international medical humanitarian organization that provides emergency medical aid in crisis zones around the world. The organization operates independently and impartially, responding to medical needs regardless of race, religion, or politics. Operations are usually found in places where other organizations cannot or will not go due to conflict, disease, or disaster.
As NPR first reported, Doctors Without Borders’ emergency care center has been a lifeline to Haiti’s capital city, which is now 90% controlled by gangs. More than half of the health facilities in Port Au Prince have shuttered doors because of the violence. The emergency center, which opened in 2006, temporarily closed in March after armed men opened fire on four of the organization’s vehicles as staff evacuated the center.
“The building has already been hit several times by stray bullets due to its location close to the combat zones, which would make resuming activities too dangerous for both patients and staff,” Jean-Marc Biquet, MSF head of mission in Haiti, told NPR.
Millions Displaced In Haiti Due To Violence, According To United Nations
According to the United Nations International Organization for Migration (IOM), the violence has displaced over one million people since the beginning of the year. Children make up over half of the displaced population.
“In the capital alone, displacement has nearly doubled, rising by 87 percent, fueled by relentless gang violence, the collapse of essential services — particularly healthcare — and worsening food insecurity,” the IOM reported. “This represents the highest recorded number of displacements due to violence in Haiti, underscoring the urgent needs for security and assistance.”
From January to June, over 3,000 people have been killed across Haiti, and an additional 1,100 were injured. Between 2021 and March 2025, Doctors Without Borders reportedly treated more than 100,000 patients.
These eight poets contributed to the American canon
Black Poetry Day does more than fill a spot on the calendar; it serves as a reminder that poetry has launched movements, created community, challenged power, and given poets a lane to voice their thoughts and truths. These eight poets have written verse and sonnets that have contributed to the American and global literary canon.
Phillis Wheatley
Phillis Wheatley was an enslaved poet whose talent vaulted her into the pantheon of poets. Her celebrated work, the 1773 collection Poems on Subjects, Religious and Moral, made Wheatley the first Black woman in America to publish a book of poetry. Brought to Boston in 1761, Wheatley’s verses swiftly circulated throughout the colonies and across the Atlantic to England. Wheatley’s literary triumph upended 18th‑century assumptions about race and intellect, giving abolitionists an example to champion the end of slavery and the education and humanity of people.
Langston Hughes
Photo credit: Carl Van Vechten, public domain
Langston Hughes loomed large in the Harlem Renaissance, juggling the roles of poet, novelist, playwright, and columnist. He let the syncopated beat of Jazz seep into his lines, sketching the rhythms of life in a way that made poetry feel both within reach and political. His quoted verses, “The Negro Speaks of Rivers” and “Montage of a Dream Deferred,” still echo today. Throughout the 1920s, Hughes’ output charted the course of modernism. Hughes championed the idea that poetry should spring from the people and speak back to them.
Gwendolyn Brooks
Born in Chicago in 1917, Gwendolyn Brooks, poet, teacher, and activist, crafted verses that cut to the heart of issues of race, poverty, family, and the stubborn resilience of life. Her Pulitzer‑winning collection, Annie Allen, was published while she was still a teenager. As the first Black writer ever to receive a Pulitzer, Brooks spent years shepherding younger poets, leaving an indelible imprint on the Black literary tradition.
Maya Angelou
Maya Angelou, born Marguerite Johnson, entered the world in 1928 in St. Louis, Missouri. Over the decades, she wore many hats —poet, memoirist, performer, and activist —leaving a mark on American culture. Among her pieces are the 1969 memoir I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings and the poem “On the Pulse of Morning,” which she delivered at President Bill Clinton’s 1993 inauguration. Her career began in the 1950s and stretched well into the 2000s. She wove her testimony into the fabric of words. Angelou used lyric and memoir as a conduit to speak on trauma and communal struggle, and in the process rose to the stature of a great poet.
Amiri Baraka
Amiri Baraka, born LeRoi Jones in 1934, wore many hats: poet, playwright, polemicist. Baraka helped launch the Black Arts Movement. His body of work: poems, plays, and essays, zeroed in on Black aesthetics and a fierce call for political self‑determination. During the 1960s and 1970s, his influence was a linchpin of the movement. Baraka had been active in the scene since the 1950s. Baraka repeatedly turned his gaze toward communities, insisting that art be politically accountable and serve the cause of Black liberation.
Nikki Giovanni
Nikki Giovanni, a poet, educator, and a defining voice of the Black Power movement, let love, politics, family, and grief swirl through her verses. Her first major splash onto the scene came in 1968 with the collections “Feeling” and “Black Talk.” Thanks to her accessible spoken word, Giovanni quickly earned the label “poet of the people,” a reputation that has endured for decades. Giovanni began publishing in the 1960s and has remained a vibrant cultural presence well into the 21st century, marked by the outpouring of tributes and accolades that followed her death.
Rita Dove
Rita Dove, Pulitzer‑winning poet and U.S. Poet Laureate from 1993 to 1995, has pushed the tradition forward with a blend of imagination and deft formal craft. Her impact on letters has been acknowledged through a host of honors. A native of Akron, Ohio, Dove rose to prominence by teaching, giving readings, and serving in a series of high‑profile appointments.
Claudia Rankine
Claudia Rankine, a poet, essayist, and playwright turns her attention to race, media, and the lyric essay with a probing intensity famously in the 2014 volume “Citizen: An American Lyric” by weaving poetry, vivid images the book lays bare the quiet pervasive forms of everyday racism; the hybrid approach has scooped up a string of awards and sparked a fresh wave of discussion, about how race and aesthetic form intersect. Though “Citizen” appeared in 2014, Rankine’s oeuvre reaches back to the century and continues well into the early 21st century. Co‑founding the Racial Imaginary Institute, Rankine now teaches in New York, constantly expanding the limits of genre and documentary poetics to confront microaggressions, spectacle, and the racial imagination that suffuses life.
Snoop Dogg Embraces Gay Couples In ‘Doggyland’ Kid Series, ‘Love Is Love’
Snoop Dogg shows support for the LGBTQ+ community through his "Doggyland" kids series.
Snoop Dogg seems to be addressing backlash from the LGBTQ+ community over his comments about gay couples in children’s content by highlighting diverse families on his kids’ show, Doggyland.
On Oct. 16, Doggyland debuted a new song, “Love is Love,” featuring The Voice contestant Jeremy Beloate, who voices the character Zippy. In the track, Snoop’s animated dog character, Bow Wizzle, raps about the beauty of love and the many forms a family can take, with the music video showing Bow Wizzle giving high fives to same sex couples and their kids.
“This one’s for ALL PARENTS out there! We see you, we love you & we celebrate YOU,” Doggyland captioned a promotional video.
The hip-hop mogul expanded his message by partnering with Beloate and GLAAD for Spirit Day, a day dedicated to supporting LGBTQ youth. He discussed his support for gay couples and how the new song helps him engage with the community and celebrate diverse family dynamics.
“Love is a record that my kids program, Doggyland, presented me,” Snoop shared. “The song it’s teaching love is love. It’s teaching parenthood. It’s teaching the situations that kids and the world is going through right now in a beautiful way through song, dance, melody, and I’m just trying to get more understanding clarity on how we live and the way we live.”
Featuring Beloate, an LGBTQ+ artist, reinforces the song’s message of inclusivity and helps teach children about the diversity of family dynamics.
“And I felt like this music is a beautiful, you know, bridge to bringing understanding,” Snoop explained. “This is a program that we’ve been doing for years, where we involve kids, and these are things that kids have questions about. So, now, hopefully we can help answer these questions, and you know, help them to live a happy life and understand that love is love.”
The song’s release comes after Snoop faced backlash in August for comments he made about taking his grandkids to see Lightyear in 2022, which included a scene of two women kissing and raising a child together. While Snoop did not issue a direct statement addressing the criticism, he appears to be responding through his Doggyland series.
“It’s a beautiful thing that kids can have parents of all walks and be shown love, to be taught what love is,” Snoop told Beloate. “Being able to have parents from all walks of life, whether it be two fathers, two mothers, whatever it is, love is the key.”
10 Black-Led Organizations Championing the Fight Against Poverty Locally and Globally
700 million people remain trapped in deprivation worldwide
Annually, on Oct. 17, the world marks the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, a day meant to spotlight the grip of poverty on poor communities and to call for action. Yet in 2025, about 700 million people remain trapped in deprivation worldwide. The chasm of inequality looms large even in affluent societies. Closing that gap calls for leadership that sprouts from the communities it seeks to uplift. Black‑led organizations, often operating on limited resources, are stepping forward, championing solutions that are both sustainable and give dignity. This list shines a spotlight on 10 groups.
Realizing the Dream
Realizing the Dream, the brainchild of Martin Luther King III, operates as a nonprofit committed to eradicating poverty, strengthening community ties, and nurturing peace through means. Headquartered in Atlanta, its initiatives span the United States. Founded in 2006, the organization blends domestic poverty‑reduction efforts with peace‑building projects guided by a framework that echoes Dr. King’s enduring legacy.
Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call for a Moral Revival
People’s Campaign, co‑led by Rev. William Barber II and Rev. Liz Theoharis, is a grassroots movement that presses for both economic and racial equity in a swath of U.S. policies: healthcare, a living wage and voting rights among them. It weaves together a coalition of groups across the country, having taken shape in 2018‑2019 as an outgrowth of King’s 1968 Poor People’s Campaign. By casting poverty as an emergency, it calls for deep‑seated reforms that go far beyond charity, striving to lift the voices of those who are poor.
The Youth Café (TYC), a youth‑driven pan‑African nonprofit based in Kenya, strives to empower youth across arenas of education, entrepreneurship, governance, and health. Since its launch in 2012, it has operated in 22 nations, holding fast to the view that sustainable poverty alleviation demands the participation of emerging leaders.
Pistis Foundation, established by pastor Godman Akinlabi, functions as a Black‑led enterprise that brings wealth‑creation initiatives, shelter, health services, and educational aid to Nigerians struggling with poverty in underserved locales. Since its inception in 2018, the foundation has pursued a strategy pairing assistance with economic empowerment to confront the many layers of poverty.
Ripples Foundation
Ripples Foundation is a Black‑led nonprofit, officially registered in the United States, that now runs programs across Africa. Its mission focuses on women’s empowerment, achieved through village-level women’s enterprise initiatives, community-development projects, micro-business support, and a fair-trade branding model. Founded in 2005, the organization planted its roots in 2011. Ever since, it has been helping women in some of the continent’s most impoverished communities to launch their own enterprises and reclaim economic agency.
PeP Africa International (PEP) is a Black‑focused development nonprofit accredited by the United Nations, and its footprint now stretches across more than 45 countries worldwide. The organization runs development programs, offers skills‑training workshops, and advocates on behalf of young people both in Africa and throughout the diaspora. PEP holds that genuine youth engagement is the key to breaking poverty cycles and shaping a global future.
Black Futures Lab, the brainchild of Alicia Garza, co-founder of Black Lives Matter, aims to advocate for and channel resources into Black constituencies. With a footprint and a network of state and local outposts, the Lab works to reroute funding streams and policy decisions toward Black communities, grounded in the conviction that economic security is inseparable from political power.
Until Freedom, an intersectional social‑justice collective, directs its resources toward people who feel the weight of poverty, systemic inequality, and state‑inflicted violence. Led by people of color, the organization is headquartered in the United States and builds campaigns and partnerships within marginalized neighborhoods. Since its emergence in the mid‑2010s, Until Freedom has woven anti‑poverty work into the fabric of justice and change in reparative systems.
WISE Fund (Women Invested to Save Earth), founded by Dr. Jackie Bouvier Copeland, operates as a Black‑led philanthropic vehicle that dispenses grants, coaching, and support to Black-, Indigenous-, and women‑of‑color‑led organizations worldwide, with attention to climate‑vulnerable low‑income settings. The fund has become active, aiming to confront the intertwined challenges of climate change and poverty by channeling resources into communities steered by marginalized women.
IAMSK — short for I Am My Sister’s Keeper is a Black‑led nonprofit operating in Memphis’ Shelby County in Tennessee. It provides a blend of housing, childcare assistance, tutoring, nutritious meals, and comprehensive wrap‑around services to mothers and families facing vulnerability. Founded in 2018, IAMSK works to bridge the gaps that often leave mothers on the margins of aid, offering dignity‑centered support right within their community.
NBA Hall of Famer Allen Iverson has teamed up with fellow former NBA player Al Harrington and his company, Viola, to launch a craft THC soda, IVERSON, with Horticulture Co., a plant-based wellness company.
The product, which is scheduled to launch Oct. 20, will blend premium THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol, which is found in cannabis) with natural fruit flavors.
“It’s time to Drink Different! My new craft soda is on the way. @viola@drinktempters“
“Allen and Viola have always been about breaking barriers and leading culture,” said Al Harrington, CEO and Founder of Viola, in a statement. “Partnering with Horticulture Co. allows us to take that same mission nationwide — creating a product that brings wellness and community together in a new way.”
IVERSON is a plant-infused alternative to alcohol that can have the calming effect that comes with cannabis. Three flavors will debut with the launch of the alternative drink, which matches the traits attributed to the former Philadelphia 76ers legend.
Bubba Chuck Berry – a bold, fruity blend inspired by Iverson’s nickname and signature energy.
Cran-Apple Crossover – a crisp, refreshing fusion that pays homage to his unforgettable moves on and off the court.
96 Nectarine – a smooth, golden flavor celebrating the year he entered the league and changed basketball culture forever.
The THC beverage will be available beginning Oct. 20 at Specs, Total Wine, and throughout select Circle K locations nationwide. IVERSON can also be purchased online at drinkviola.com.
The product launch comes after the former NBA guard announced to the world that he has been sober for six months. He revealed that tidbit during a recent interview with CBS Mornings‘ Maurice DuBois.
“When you get drunk, you’re not how you usually are,” he told DuBois. “The more and more I see it on other people, the more and more it makes me happy about the decision. And the more and more I see how the people around me appreciate it, I love it.”
On Oct. 8, Talia C. Teneyuque, 32, rejected a plea deal that would have kept a conviction off her record, M Live reported. She faces felony charges of food stamp fraud exceeding $1,000, punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
At the hearing, Saginaw County Assistant Prosecutor Aaron M. Majorana said he would drop the felony charge if Teneyuque pleaded guilty or no contest to a one-year misdemeanor count of larceny between $200 and $1,000. Accepting the offer would have allowed the prosecution to recommend a delayed sentence, effectively placing her on probation.
She also would have had the option to repay the amount owed, either in full or through garnished Bridge Card benefits, with the conviction not remaining on her record. However, Teneyuque’s defense attorney, Emilie K. Lyday, stated that her client was rejecting the plea deal and wished to move forward with witness testimony.
Kristie M. Giorgis, an eligibility specialist with Saginaw County’s Department of Health and Human Services, testified that Teneyuque was not violating any rules by receiving benefits while running her baking business. She recalled speaking to Teneyuque when she applied for food assistance and state-of-emergency relief from Consumers Energy in December 2021, disclosing during a phone interview that she lived with her five children and ran a home-based baking business.
Giorgis testified that Teneyuque spent 20 to 30 hours a week baking and sold her goods online for about $1,000 per month through CashApp. Teneyuque reportedly spent half of her earnings on baking supplies. DHS approved her application, and she signed an agreement promising to “use my benefits legally and will not sell, trade, or give away my benefits online or in person.”
Regulatory Agent Katrina Tibbits of MDHHS’s Office of Inspector General testified that in 2023, Teneyuque reported earning only about $305 per month, which she said was insufficient to cover her bills. Tibbits added that a search of social media led her to what she believes is Teneyuque’s baking business page, Luvn a Jar.
“It appeared there was the potential for her to be making much more than $300,” Tibbits said.
The hearing concluded with Judge Clark approving Assistant Prosecutor Majorana’s request to send Teneyuque’s case to Circuit Court for trial. She remains free on bond.
Turkey Leg Hut Founder Arrested In Kidnapping Case, Accused Of Helping Known Felon
Turkey Leg Hut founder Nakia Holmes has been arrested for allegedly hindering the arrest of a known felon accused of kidnapping.
The legal woes and scandal continue to plague Turkey Leg Hut founder Nakia Holmes after being arrested for allegedly assisting a known felon.
Holmes was arrested on Oct. 15 and charged with one count of hindering the apprehension or prosecution of a known felon, the Houston Chronicle reported. Harris County court records indicate she is accused of obstructing the arrest of a man charged with aggravated kidnapping.
The Turkey Leg Hut owner is accused of assisting Johnathan Saizon, who allegedly kidnapped and assaulted an ex-girlfriend on Oct. 8 with a tire iron while out on bond for previous felony charges. Saizon also faces charges of aggravated kidnapping and aggravated assault of a family member.
Holmes was pulled over for an expired registration while accompanied by the wanted felon’s mother, who shares her address. She initially told officers no one was home, but later changed her statement. Detectives say the suspect fled through the back door and jumped several fences before being caught.
Upon her arrest, Holmes identified herself as the owner of Turkey Leg Hut and reported having just $700 in assets. She and Saizon reportedly share a residence in Cypress. Her bond was set at $10,000, and she remains in custody with her next court appearance set for Oct. 17.
Saizon, 38, faces several felony charges, including aggravated kidnapping and aggravated assault of a family member.
Holmes reportedly filed for divorce from Lynn Price last month in Harris County. The pair co-founded the popular Third Ward restaurant Turkey Leg Hut, which has since closed following years of controversy.
In April, Price was indicted on federal arson charges after the Department of Justice accused him of hiring three men to set fire to Bar 5015, a nearby business owned by a former partner he was allegedly feuding with. Federal prosecutors also claim Price operated a chop shop and sold drugs out of the Turkey Leg Hut. Holmes has not been charged or implicated in the case.
WNBA Announces Next Season’s All-Star Game Will Be Hosted By Chicago Sky
'The WNBA is thrilled to bring AT&T WNBA All-Star back to Chicago, which will undoubtedly deliver unforgettable competition and community outreach,” said WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert.'
The WNBA announced that the 2026 AT&T WNBA All-Star Game will be held at the Wintrust Arena, home of the Chicago Sky. It will be the second time the event will occur in Chicago. The contest will happen July 25.
“The WNBA is thrilled to bring AT&T WNBA All-Star back to Chicago, which will undoubtedly deliver unforgettable competition and community outreach,” said WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert in a written statement. “Together with the Chicago Sky, we look forward to celebrating the game’s brightest stars, engaging WNBA fans around the world, and showcasing the energy of one of basketball’s most iconic cities.”
The arena is also home to Sky center Angel Reese, one of the most popular players in the league, who will be in her third year when the All-Star game takes place next year.
Along with all the favorite and best players in the WNBA participating, there will also be several events throughout the All-Star Weekend. Community events are being planned for Chicago residents and basketball fans, as the WNBA is committed to involving the young audience in and around Chicago. WNBA Live, described as the league’s interactive fan festival showcasing players, features interactive events with fans and planned functions, including fashion, music, and culture, at McCormick Place.
Along with the off-court events, the league will have the 3-Point Contest and Kia WNBA Skills Challenge, which will take place a day before the All-Star matchup on Friday, July 24.
“The Chicago Sky [is] thrilled to welcome the 2026 WNBA All-Star game back to Chicago. We can’t wait to build on the success of the previous All-Star game and celebrate the explosive growth of the league by showcasing the WNBA’s biggest stars on a world-class stage,” Chicago Sky Chief Executive Officer and President Adam Fox said. “We are so excited to welcome fans from around the globe to the WNBA All-Star game in our beautiful city with its storied basketball legacy. We are appreciative of everyone who worked with us to make this event happen.”
More information about the schedule of events and other things associated with the All-Star game will be announced in the coming months. Tickets for all events will go on sale in 2026.
