Tyrone Davis
by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

October 17, 2022

Former New York Jets and Green Bay Packers Tight End Tyrone Davis Dead at 50

A former NFL player who was drafted by the New York Jets and also played for the Green Bay Packers recently passed away.

According to the Packers, Tyrone Davis, who played the tight end position, died earlier this month at the age of 50. Jeffress Funeral Home, located in South Boston, Virginia, stated that he passed away on October 2. The nature of his death was not disclosed.

Davis was drafted out of Virginia in the fourth round by the Jets in the 1995 NFL draft. He played six games over two seasons for them before being traded to the Packers. He was acquired in August 1997 and ended up playing six seasons for the Packers from 1997 through 2002.

The tight end started 27 of the 69 games he played in, and was the Packers’ starting tight end in 1999 and for a portion of the 2000 season. He also played in seven playoff games, which included Super Bowl XXXII.

The Green Bay Press-Gazette reported that Davis caught 13 touchdowns while playing for the Packers, including seven in the 1998 season. During his career, he received 73 catches, all of them with Green Bay, except two receptions.

As a college player at the University of Virginia, his 28 touchdowns broke a record that was held by fellow NFL receiver Herman Moore. The student-athlete also led the Virginia football team in receiving yards in three of his four seasons, as well as leading his team with 38 receptions in 1994.

He leaves behind his mother, Annie P. Davis, four children, Maiya Booker, Damien Davis, Jarrett Gomez, and Mariah Gomez, and one brother, Jeff (Tynetta) Davis.

Roman Oben, Vice President of Football Development for the NFL posted a message on Twitter about his former teammate.

His funeral took place on Saturday, October 8th at The Crawford House Chapel in Halifax, Virginia.

BET Robert L. Johnson
by Derek Major

October 17, 2022

Black Equity: Robert L. Johnson Created the Most Black Millionaires In US History After Selling BET

Black Entertainment Television (BET) founder and former Charlotte Bobcats owner Robert L. Johnson discussed the network’s creation and how its sale created numerous Black millionaires.

Johnson spoke with BLACK ENTERPRISE CEO and President Earl “Butch” Graves Jr. at the annual Black Men Xcel Summit.

The two discussed how Johnson got the idea for BET from Ebony founder John Johnson (no relation) who, at the time, was making content about the rise of the Black middle class.

“The idea of BET was a spin-off of what John Johnson was doing,” Johnson, the founder and chairman of The RLJ Cos., told the audience.

“He had his stories in print, it was nationally distributed, but through a magazine, nobody was doing it in video and certainly no one was doing it on a national scale to aggregate as many Black households because the technology didn’t exist.”

According to Johnson, the revolution of satellite TV changed everything, giving channels the possibility of retaining a national audience. Johnson said he met a man who was working on creating a channel for the elderly. The two men were set to lobby the channel to the Senate Committee On Aging when Johnson took a look at the brochure his partner created.

“I looked at it and he had all of these things: the elderly buy a certain kind of product, the elderly have a certain kind of income, the elderly have a certain set of needs, and the elderly are not appropriately projected on television,” Johnson said.

“So I asked him for it and when I got it, I changed everything to Black. Black people buy a certain kind of product, Black people have a certain kind of need and Black people are ignored on television. So I took that and I said I gotta start this thing called BET.”

Johnson then had to find a small town with cable television to find out if Black people were interested in his idea. The BET founder chose Anniston, Alabama but he still had to find a place in the city to talk to Black men.

“So I looked in the Yellow Pages and there was a barber shop called Pink Junior’s barbershop, so I called and said I wanted to speak to the owner,” Johnson recalled. “I told him I’m Bob Johnson and I’m starting a new cable channel if people would be interested in a Black channel if we showed Black college football, so he asked the shop and they all said yes.”

From there, Johnson, along with partner John Malone, started BET, the first television network designed for Black people, featuring sports, movies, sitcoms and original content. BET also was the first African American company publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange.

Johnson, who had no previous experience in the cable and TV industry, asked Malone for advice in making sure the network worked.

“He said get your revenues up and keep your costs down,” Johnson said.

The channel did well in its first years but didn’t turn much revenue until a new and exciting form of entertainment came into the picture.

“Along the way came music videos and MTV started playing videos but they wouldn’t play Black music videos, so I said there’s a chance to play Black music videos and that’s where we started and the thing about it that made BET such a success was the videos were free,” Johnson said. “So imagine a business where the cable operators pay you to carry a program, the record companies give you the content for free and the advertisers pay to speak to your audience.”

In 2001, Johnson sold BET to Viacom and BET employees, and in doing so, created a large number of Black millionaires who Johnson gave equity in BET.

“That happened because we did something most Black companies didn’t do, we turned from a company that was closely held by basically me and John Malone and some other investors, but when we took it public we created stock capital, equity,” Johnson said. “That allowed the people that worked with me to share in the ownership, so when the company went public they were given shares, and when the company was sold those shares turned into Viacom stock.

“To me, that’s what you do as a founder, you bring your people in and give them a significant piece of the commitment to opportunity so that they feel that you have a commitment to their success as much as you have to your own success.”

by BLACK ENTERPRISE Editors

October 17, 2022

Fearless Commerce Celebrates 5th Anniversary by Honoring 150 Black Women-Owned Businesses

Over the last five years, Fearless Commerce has provided Black women-owned businesses in Minnesota with key strategies to navigate the road to success.

Now, Shawntera M. Hardy and Camille A. Thomas are celebrating their own achievements by marking their fifth anniversary.

The dynamic team also published the fifth edition of their Fearless Commerce coffee table book, the largest ever, recognizing to date more than 150 Black-women-owned businesses across multiple industries.

 

 

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“Shawntera and I got the idea for the book one day when we were discussing the latest edition of a local business magazine’s ‘best of’ list, shocked at all the incredible business owners that had been left out,” said Thomas.

“Given our business experience and network, we were positioned to create a space to share these amazing women’s stories.”

In celebration of their fifth year, the team hosted a luncheon in Minneapolis featuring the Genius Guild’s Kathryn Finney, CEO, who provided a wealth of knowledge on strategies to access capital and expressed a commitment to investing in Black-owned businesses.

(Image: Courtesy of Fearless Commerce)

“Fearless Commerce focuses on accelerating business growth by offering ‘back office’ programming in areas such as legal, marketing, and finance,” said Hardy, who noted that many Black women start new businesses, but far fewer are at the helm of mature companies.Hardy and Thomas find that lack of maturity is often due to systemic racial, financial, and/or operational barriers that get in the way. The Fearless founders say they are committed to changing the narrative by continuing to provide Black women support throughout their business-building journey.

Find out more at www.fearlesscommerce.com.

by Eric Moody

October 17, 2022

Deion Sanders Under Fire For ‘Embarrassing’ His Colleague

Jackson State Head Football Coach Deion Sanders is garnering criticism for an interview conducted in direct association with his JSU program’s staff.

Prior to their matchup Saturday against the Bethune-Cookman Wildcats, who they defeated 48-8, Sanders is catching heat for embarrassing Jackson State Assistant Athletic Director for Broadcasting and Video Services Rob Jay during a sit-down interview.

The now-viral video shows a disappointed Sanders calling out his JSU colleague for his tone.

“Nah, straight up, you were not talking like that just two minutes ago,” Sanders said in the video.

Sanders then asks Jay: “Can you come in and do the interview how you normally sound?”

Jay replies, “I just want to be clear and concise. I can’t just say, ‘Wassup Co.'”

But Sanders emphasized he didn’t want Jay to do that, but instead, to be himself for the interview, which Sanders claimed Jay was not doing once the cameras turned on.

After several attempts of resuming the interview while still recording, Sanders and Jay seem to get on the right track.

“Much better,” Sanders replies.

Many thought it was embarrassing to criticize a colleague during an interview rather than behind the scenes.

But others believe Sanders was being authentic and genuine toward his colleague.

Some believe however that the two joke like this all the time and that the situation was blown out of proportion.

The JSU Tigers are now 6-0 on the season as Sanders continues their on- and off-field success and in shining a light on the HBCU program and SWAC sports division.

The NFL Hall of Famer made headlines last Saturday, Oct. 8, after his confrontation with Alabama State Head Coach Eddie Robinson Jr. after the Tigers’ 26-12 victory over the Hornets.

Sanders and the Jackson State football program are also gearing up for their Prime Video four-part docuseries called Coach Prime, which is set to release in December.

Byron Allen’s Allen Media Group Announces Inaugural ‘The Grio Awards’ Celebrating Icons, Leaders and Legends
by BLACK ENTERPRISE Editors

October 17, 2022

Byron Allen’s Allen Media Group Announces Inaugural ‘The Grio Awards’ Celebrating Icons, Leaders and Legends

Allen Media Group’s African American-focused news, lifestyle, sports and entertainment platform theGrio (www.thegrio.com) will celebrate icons, leaders and legends at TheGrio Awards, a star-studded, black-tie event at the Beverly Hilton on Saturday, Oct. 22, 2022 with co-hosts comedian Sheryl Underwood and Taye Diggs.

The television event will be broadcast on Saturday, Nov. 5, 2022 on broadcast television stations nationwide, theGrio Television Network and other Allen Media Group television and digital platforms.

Attending in person, this year’s honorees include: Tyler Perry (theGrio ICON Award, @tylerperry), Norman Lear (theGrio Champion Award, @TheNormanLear), Patti LaBelle (theGrio Music Icon Award, @mspattipatti), Kenan Thompson(theGrio Comedy Icon Award, @kenanthompson), Ben Crump (theGrio Justice Icon Award, @AttorneyCrump), Alena Analeigh McQuarter (theGrio Young Icon Award, @thebrownstemgirl), Robert F. Smith (theGrio Philanthropy Award, @RFS_Vista), Allyson Felix (theGrio Sports Icon Award, @allysonfelix), Don Peebles (theGrio Business Icon Award, Queen Latifah (theGrio Television Icon Award, @iamqueenlatifah), Dave Chappelle (theGrio Cultural Icon Award, @davechappelle), and Jennifer Hudson (theGrio Trailblazer Icon Award, @IAMJHUD). The event will also feature special musical performances by Yolanda Adams, Tyrese, Fantasia and Patti LaBelle. Greg Phillinganes will serve as musical director, and DJ Kiss will serve as both D.J. and announcer.

“I created theGrio Awards to celebrate and amplify African-American excellence and the incredible champions from other communities who truly support us,” said Byron Allen, founder/chairman/CEO of Allen Media Group.

“As a child, strong, positive African-American icons such as Berry Gordy, Jr., Rosa Parks, Muhammad Ali, and Martin Luther King, Jr. helped me see myself differently, and changed the trajectory of my life. Celebrating and amplifying iconic individuals is something we can never do enough of, especially for our children.”

TheGrio Awards celebrates excellence in film, music, comedy, television, sports, philanthropy, business, fashion, social justice, environmental justice, education and the cultural icons and innovators, whose many contributions positively impact America. TheGrio Awards pays tribute to, and amplifies, the history makers, change agents and artists who define and influence our world. Allen Media Group and Backhand Productions are co-producing theGrio Awards. Executive Producers include: Byron Allen, Carolyn Folks, Jennifer Lucas, Jeff Atlas, and Michelle Willrich.

Chromatic Black™ Announces Renowned Artists, Creatives, and Activists To Join Panel of Jurors for the 2022 Ida B. Wells Fund
by BLACK ENTERPRISE Editors

October 17, 2022

Chromatic Black™ Announces Renowned Artists, Creatives, and Activists To Join Panel of Jurors for the 2022 Ida B. Wells Fund

Chromatic black™, a collective of 10,000+ Black artists and activists dedicated to building cultural power and advancing justice for Black communities through equitable storytelling, announced today the esteemed panel of jurors set to evaluate submissions for the 2022 Ida B. Wells Fund.

The 2022 Ida B. Wells Fund is a film competition created to support Black story makers with a grant to develop new original works that disrupt the master narrative.

Categories include short filmmaking, visual arts, and creative placemaking. Winners of the competition will be awarded grants ranging from $1,000 to $25,000, totaling nearly $200,000 for Black creatives.

The Ida B. Wells Fund, which was launched in early August, will invest in projects that critique dominant social and historical narratives. Award recipients will be chosen by an interdisciplinary panel composed of expert curators, filmmakers, producers, arts professionals, scholars and winners from last year in a thorough, multi-step review process. Panel of jurors for the short filmmaking and visual arts submissions include:

The Short Film Fund will award five Black filmmakers with $15,000 each. Deadline for submissions is Oct. 28, 2022. Panel of jurors for the short filmmaking category include:

  • Honorary Chair Paula J. Giddings, author of “Ida: A Sword Among Lions” and civil rights activist
  • Gloria Steinem, journalist, activist and a leader in the global feminist movement
  • Korstsiaan Vandiver, writer, producer, director and filmmaker, “Gym Rat” and an upcoming film “!2”
  • Ian Christian Duff, actor, “Judas and the Black Messiah,” “We Own This City”
  • Dominique Thorne, actor, upcoming Marvel “Ironheart” and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever scheduled for Fall 2022
  • Yoruba Richen, an award winning documentary filmmaker, the Rebellious Rosa Parks
  • Lisa Hayles, co-founder, the Racial Justice Investing Center
  • Delilah Rothenberg, co-founder and executive director, the Predistribution Initiative
  • Cory Hardrict, actor, “Never Been Kissed,” “ER,” “That’s So Raven”
  • Jewell Jackson McCabe, president emeritus, the National Coalition of 100 Black Women
  • Ken Sunshine, co-chief executive officer and founder, Sunshine Sachs Morgan & Lylis
  • Max Wong, filmmaker and producer, “Bring It On”
  • Jeff Kusama-Hinte, filmmaker and producer, “Mysterious Skin,” “The Hawk Is Dying”

Visual Arts will award twelve visual artists with $1,000 each. Deadline for submissions is November 03, 2022. Panel of jurors for the visual arts category include:

  • Honorary Chair Nicole Dixon, artist and activist
  • Leslie Lewis Lowry, curatorial and research expert, The Studio Museum in Harlem, the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
  • Gilbert Young, an internationally renowned artist, muralist, and conservator, and he developed the portrait of Barack Obama entitled “History + Hope = Change”
  • Karen Seneferu, a mixed media artist

Winners of the 2021 Ida B. Wells Fund include Lamard W Cher-Aime’s ‘Captain Zero: The Animated Series’, which speaks to the importance of mental health awareness in the Black communities, and Christine Swanson’s ‘FANNIE’, a 2022 BronzeLens award-winning short film that examines the acclaimed freedom fighter’s gripping account of the brutality Black Americans faced along the journey to full equality and voting rights, staring Academy Award nominee Aunjanue Ellis.

“I am so honored to portray trailblazing civil rights leader Fannie Lou Hamer in FANNIE,” said Oscar-nominated actress Aunjanue Ellis.

“From the inception of the American experiment to the present day, racism and white supremacy remain embedded in our systems, impacting the health and wellbeing of Black and Brown people. Fannie’s powerful words and activism are just as important for our community today as they were when she bravely proclaimed them. I’m so grateful to Chromatic Black and their Ida B. Wells Fund for supporting this film and providing Black artist-activists everywhere the opportunity to disrupt the master narrative together.”

Ice Cube - Big3
by Stacy Jackson

October 17, 2022

Ice Cube’s BIG3 Officially Certified as a Black-Owned Business

Several celebrities and entrepreneurs have investments in professional sports leagues, but the BIG3 basketball league has presented an innovative operational structure that differs from the others.

Rapper and actor Ice Cube officially announced Friday that the BIG3 has been fully recognized as a Black-owned and -operated business by ByBlack and U.S. Black Chambers, Inc.

According to Boardroom, the certification acknowledges the 3-on-3 competition as the first and only professional sports league to be certified. Ice Cube, Big3’s CEO and co-founder, established the league in 2017 with entertainment executive Jeff Kwatinetz, featuring all-stars, hall of famers and world champions.

“Myself and the entire league are honored to be officially certified by ByBlack and the U.S. Black Chambers,” said Ice Cube. “From day one, the league has been dedicated to providing opportunities for Black players, fans, investors, and partners, and we are proud to be a part of a nationwide network of Black business owners.

“USBC is energized by the BIG3 basketball league becoming a certified ByBlack business,” said Ron Busby Sr., USBC CEO and president. “This is the first step of what we deem to be a fruitful partnership, with Ice Cube’s commitment to helping other Black-owned businesses get ByBlack certified. We applaud Ice Cube for leading the way in this initiative and it is our goal to continue this partnership by collaborating with Ice Cube, BIG3, and other Black-owned businesses in the sports and entertainment industry.”

According to the BIG3 website, the league completed their fifth season earlier this year where players and fans were met with several new enhancements to their league experience, including the first-of-its-kind Forever Experience Action Tokens (FEATs) powered by blockchain technology. Owners include DeGods, Gary Vaynerchuk and VeeFriends, Bill Lee and MyDoge/DogeCoin, Krause House, and Snoop Dogg and PayPal co-founder Ken Howery.

Ice Cube also established a partnership with the National Football League through his Contract with Black America Institute, and has been granted direct access to Black businesses through the league’s partnership with the U.S. Black Chambers, Inc.

“Supporting Black enterprise is a lifelong passion of mine and the BIG3 will continue to build upon its successes and lift up other Black entrepreneurs,” Ice Cube said.

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

October 17, 2022

Unnecessary Hate: Lanisha Cole Reveals ‘Disgusting’ Death Threats Against her and Nick Cannon’s Infant

Last week, one of Nick Cannon’s baby’s mothers revealed the unthinkable on her social media account.

On Friday, Lanisha Cole, who just welcomed Cannon’s ninth child in September, posted to her Instagram Story that their child had received death threats.

“Making death threats against a baby is a new low,” the mom-of-one declared in a Friday, October 14, Instagram Story post, the screenshot of which is below. “Some of you guys are disgusting. Regardless of how you feel about my life it’s never that deep to threaten my baby.”

Lanisha Cole IG Story

There was no other mention or clarification of what the post was referring to.

Last month, the All That alumnus announced via his Instagram account that he and Cole became proud parents of a baby girl. The couple named their daughter Onyx Ice Cole Cannon. This is Cole’s first child.

In Cannon’s post announcing the birth last month, he explicitly asked others to direct any venom toward him and not his children or the mother of his children. It seemed as if he knew this type of thing would happen.

“As we all know I am not easily triggered and have quite tough skin and have always been an open book but not everyone in my family has that same level of strength. So I pray and ask others to please project all criticism and cynicism towards ME and not the loving and precious Mothers of my children. @MissLanishaCole is one of the most guileless, peaceful and nonconfrontational kind souls I’ve ever witnessed, and only deserves to revel in this moment of blissful joy of motherhood. Please give her that. She is so loving and pure hearted.”

 

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Cannon mentioned previously he and Brittany Bell are expecting their third child together. Cannon has nine other children with six women. His first two, a set of twins, son Moroccan and daughter Monroe, came with his ex-wife, Mariah Carey. Last June, Cannon fathered another set of twins, Zion Mixolydian Cannon and Zillion Heir Cannon, with Abby De La Rosa.

His daughter, Powerful Queen, and son, Golden, were with Bell. Sadly, Zen, his youngest son, who he had with model Alyssa Scott in July 2021, died last December. His eighth child was with Bre Tiesi.

Alvin Kamara
by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

October 17, 2022

Victim Who Says He Was Stomped and Disfigured By New Orleans Saints Player Is Suing for $10M

An NFL player is being sued for an alleged assault that took place during Pro Bowl weekend earlier this year.

According to ESPN, Darnell Greene Jr. is suing New Orleans Saints player Alvin Kamara for $10 million. The lawsuit was filed in a Louisiana court Friday. Green claims he wasinvolved in an altercation with Kamara,  Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Christopher Lammons, and two other men.

The lawsuit is requesting compensatory and punitive damages of $10 million. Green wants $5 million in actual damages for “pecuniary losses, pain and suffering, disfigurement, mental anguish, and past, present, and future medical expenses” and $5 million in exemplary damages.

The lawsuit, which was filed in Orleans Parish, accuses Kamara and company of beating Greene and stomping on him after he was unconscious on the floor outside of a Las Vegas nightclub on the morning of Feb. 5. The legal paperwork filed alleges that the New Orleans running back pushed shoved Greene into a wall, while continuously punching him in the face. He also stated that Kamara bragged about the attack to someone he was with as they left the club.

Greene said he suffered severe injuries across his body including his neck, back, head, shoulder, knees, and face. Medical testing “confirmed a disfiguring facial fracture to Greene’s right orbital bone, blunt force trauma to his head, multiple disc protrusions, and structural tears in his shoulder.” Greene claims he will need multiple surgeries as a result.

The victim also has accused NFL commissioner Roger Goodell of not taking any action, despite seeing footage of the assault.

“Kamara currently faces criminal charges for the occurrence described herein. However, these proceedings have seemingly been put on pause to allow Kamara to play an entire season for the Saints without being suspended,” the lawsuit reads.

“Further, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has failed to fully investigate the incident at hand, and is ostensibly waiting for the criminal proceedings to play out before issuing a suspension. It is highly suspected that Goodell has seen the violent security footage of the assault–just as Plaintiff has—but is choosing not to take corrective action. Darnell Greene refuses to allow the Commissioner, the authorities, or Kamara himself to sweep this matter under the rug.”

According to NFL.com, Kamara was arrested and accused of beating someone up the night before the Pro Bowl in a Las Vegas nightclub. Kamara was arrested and charged with battery resulting in substantial bodily harm, according to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department.

The LVMPD said in a written statement on Feb. 5 at around 5:50 p.m., police officers were called to a local hospital where the victim was reporting an assault. The victim said it took place at a nightclub located in the 3500 block of South Las Vegas Boulevard.

An investigation into the matter by LVMPD detectives determined he was battered by the Saints running back Kamara, who was taken into custody without incident following the Pro Bowl on Feb. 6. Kamara was hauled to the Clark County Detention Center and booked for battery resulting in substantial bodily harm.

Kamara’s case has been postponed several times. His next scheduled hearing is scheduled for November 9.

Black Woman Dies In Restroom Stall of Maryland Restaurant That Continues Serving Diners After Her Death
by Atiya Jordan

October 17, 2022

Black Woman Dies In Restroom Stall of Maryland Restaurant That Continues Serving Diners After Her Death

A Maryland restaurant remained open to diners for over two hours last Wednesday while a Black woman’s body laid unconscious in its restroom, Fox 5 DC reported.

Craig Winn and his wife, identified as Verna, were wrapping up at Jasper’s Restaurant in Largo when the unthinkable occurred to his “soul mate, my life partner, my best friend, my lover” of 40 years, per the news outlet.

“Once we finished, we all got our check and everyone decided to go to the restroom,” Winn recalled.

However, Verna didn’t return, so he asked her cousin to check in on her. Verna’s cousin discovered her unconscious in the restroom stall, and rushed back to deliver heartbreaking news.

“I just immediately jumped up and ran into the restroom and saw my wife lying on the floor and that was the last image of my wife. Lying on the stall floor in the lady’s restroom,” Winn continued.

According to Winn, his wife received CPR until officers with the Prince George’s County Police Department and EMS arrived. She was pronounced dead from a heart attack. They waited nearly three hours for the coroner’s office to collect the body. Meanwhile, the restaurant continued to seat people.

A curtain barrier blocked the women’s restroom where the family gathered, and the men’s restroom was offered for men and women. The restaurant continued to stay open until midnight, sparking a backlash on a social media.

“Hindsight is 20/20, we didn’t know it was going to take the coroner two hours to collect the body,” one of the owners, Fred Rosenthal, told NBC News. “If we did, we would’ve stopped seating people. We were trying to keep it as respectful as possible and not cause a scene.”

Rosenthal confirmed that the coroner’s office arrived at Jasper’s around 9 p.m. to retrieve the body, more than two hours after police responded to the scene. The body was removed quietly through a side entrance so as not to not disturb customers.

“The only thing that would’ve made me feel better is if somebody, a management person who was working that night, would’ve come over and asked what they could do to make the situation better,” Winn told told Fox 5 DC.

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