Monroe Nichols, Tulsa, Oklahoma, race massacre
by Mitti Hicks

June 2, 2025

Tulsa’s First Black Mayor Plans To ‘Repair’ Race Massacre Damage

Nichols' plan would not provide any direct cash payments to the descendants or the last two centenarian survivors. Instead, he is proposing a private charitable trust with a goal of raising $105 million in assets.

The first Black mayor of Tulsa, Oklahoma, has proposed a $100 million private trust to the descendants of the Tulsa Race Massacre.

Mayor Monroe Nichols proposed the private trust as a part of a reparations plan to make amends for the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre. Mayor Nichols, who does not like to use the word reparations because it’s “politically charged,” said the proposed plan is a “road to repair,” as ABC News reported.

According to the Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture, the Tulsa Race Massacre is believed to be the single worst incident of racial violence in American history. During 18 hours on May 31 and June 1, 1921, an estimated 300 Black Americans were killed, and a white mob destroyed more than one thousand homes and businesses. By the time the violence ended, the city had been placed under martial law, and the state’s second-largest African American community had been burned to the ground.

“For 104 years, the Tulsa Race Massacre has been a stain on our city’s history,” Nichols said as he announced his proposed plans on Sunday at the Greenwood Cultural Center. The center is located in what was once a thriving area of North Tulsa that was destroyed in the massacre.

He added, “The massacre was hidden from history books only to be followed by the intentional acts of redlining, a highway built to choke off economic vitality and the perpetual underinvestment of local, state and federal governments. Now it’s time to take the next big steps to restore.”

What’s in Mayor Nichols’ Tulsa Race Massacre Repair Plan?

Nichols’ plan would not provide any direct cash payments to the descendants or the last two centenarian survivors. Instead, he is proposing a private charitable trust with a goal of raising $105 million in assets. Mayor Nichols stated that while the city council would not have to approve the proposal, it would need to authorize the transfer of any city property to the private trust. He would like to secure most of the funding by June 1, 2026.

Most of the funding would be used to improve the buildings and revitalize the city’s north side.

“The Greenwood District, at its height, was the center of commerce,” Nichols told ABC News. “What was lost was not just something from North Tulsa or the Black community. It actually robbed Tulsa of an economic future that would have rivaled anywhere else in the world.”

The mayor also acknowledged the push to remove any diversity, equity and inclusion efforts on the federal level and that it could be met with opposition. However, he added, “it doesn’t change the work we have to do.”

Cyril Ramaphosa
by Sharelle B. McNair

June 2, 2025

‘Keep That Same Energy’: South African Parliament Calls Out Cyril Ramaphosa’s Meeting With Trump

Sinawo Thambo didn't back down

Things took a tense turn when South African President Cyril Ramaphosa addressed the Parliament saying he felt “abused” by the opposition’s criticism only to be met with pushback about his Oval Office meeting with President Donald Trump. 

In a video circulating on social media, Ramaphosa took to the floor to address his concerns and feelings of abuse after members pushed criticism on certain issues. Without hesitation, one member of the National Assembly of South Africa, Sinawo Thambo, took the time to call the President out for his lack of expressing the same sentiments during his headlining visit to Trump in late-May 2025. “You didn’t feel like that when Donald Trump was abusing you in the White House,” Thambo said while the deputy speaker attempted to call for order. 

“Why didn’t you address the abuse in the White House but you’re abused by your own colleagues in South Africa?”

Thambo didn’t back down from his disdain from his leader, highlighting that he should have used the same energy while sitting with American dignitaries just days prior. “You were abused with this information in the White House and you accuse us of abuse?” the politician continued while shaking his head. 

“No, no…”

The tense exchange comes after Ramaphosa visited Washington, D.C. to meet with Trump over his allegations of “white genocide.” South African critics were hoping for drama, however, Ramaphosa kept his cool while Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and former DOGE director and South African native Elon Musk accused the country’s leadership of targeting white farmers and residents, which resulted in refugees being welcomed with open arms to the United States. 

Following the meeting, the President apologized to South African reporters who had traveled to Washington, D.C. in hopes of witnessing what he even thought would be a “Zelensky 2.0” type of meeting but received the opposite. One reporter claimed to be satisfied with the dramatics, while another said Ramaphosa deserved a drink.

Ramaphosa himself was ultimately preparing for the worst after the world witnessed what some would call abuse from Trump to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, where Trump and Vance attacked him over the war in February 2025. “I know that many South Africans were filled with concern and fear that we will have a ‘Z’ moment,” Ramaphosa said during a press briefing. 

On U.S. soil, Trump plans to continue his scheme of bringing in white South African refugees. According to The Independent, a new report from the State Department reveals the Trump administration plans to settle “thousands” from the African nation. A department official confirmed it has received close to 50,000 inquiries from South Africans interested in making the U.S. their new home. Officials project the numbers to surge “towards the second half of summer.”

Megan Thee Stallion, Klay Thompson
by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman

June 2, 2025

Megan Thee Stallion Announces Anime Series On Amazon Prime In Latest Business Venture

Megan Thee Stallion shared that her new anime will include Boondocks producer Carl Jones on its creative team.

Megan Thee Stallion announced that her new anime series will premiere on Amazon Prime.

Megan revealed the show’s development while on a panel at DreamCon, a convention focusing on pop culture and entertainment. Complex Music reposted footage of the exclusive announcement.

Although she kept silent on the upcoming series’ details, Megan told her “hotties” fanbase to prepare for a new kind of anime. The project will also feature Boondocks producer Carl Jones to help bring the series to life.

“You ain’t never seen an anime like this ever in your life,” exclaimed the rapper during the Houston event.

However, fans may have to wait a bit before seeing the rapper’s new project come to life. The streamer has yet to set a premiere date, but it will be exclusively shown on Amazon Prime.

Megan, however, has other ventures for the “hotties” to patronize in the meantime. The 30-year-old just debuted her swimwear collection with Walmart. Aptly deemed “Hot Girl Summer,” it features an 18-piece collection of bikinis, monokinis, one-pieces, and cover-ups for diverse body sizes.

“Everyone knows I love being near a pool or a beach, so I finally decided to turn my passion into a business and create my own swimwear brand,” explained Megan on the clothing line, as reported by Hot97. “It was only right that we kick off Hot Girl Summer with this launch and provide Hotties of all body types with the official Hot Girl uniform.”

The full-bodied entertainer also took part in her own runway show during Miami Swim Week to promote the brand. She strutted her stallion-esque silhouette in a metallic silver suit from the affordable collection.

With pieces ranging from  $16 to $28, the line hopes to make everyone feel like a “Hot Girl” this summer. Furthermore, the rapper known for “driving the boat” also launched a tequila brand, Chicas Divertidas, for supporters 21 and up.

With new ventures in fashion, entertainment, and adult beverages, Megan Thee Stallion is building her own Hot Girl Empire while continuing to make her mark in hip-hop.

Check out what’s happening at Black Enterprise:

Elevating Your Excellence: Earl ‘Butch’ Graves Jr. Leads Black Enterprise’s 55-Year Charge With Unwavering Vision

Ciroc, Diddy, 50 Cent
by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman

June 2, 2025

50 Cent Is Willing To Block Diddy From A Trump Pardon In Never-Ending Beef

50 Cent says he wants the President to know how Diddy allegedly feels about him before the potential pardon.

50 Cent will stop at nothing to make Sean “Diddy” Combs suffer as his beef with the disgraced media mogul continues on. The rapper recently shared that he would try to speak with Trump to prevent a pardon of Diddy’s charges.

50 Cent took to social media to share another bout of thoughts surrounding his long-time, and currently incarcerated, adversary. The television producer revealed that he would intervene in Trump’s potential pardon of Diddy after the president stated he would “look at the facts” in his federal case.

In the since-deleted post, 50 Cent proposed his own chat with Trump to make sure he knows how Combs allegedly feels about him. He claimed that Diddy said “really bad things” about the conservative leader, and that this information must factor into Trump’s decision to take action.

He also noted the President’s pattern of cutting ties with people who disrespect his leadership.

“Donald doesn’t take well to disrespect, and doesn’t forget who chooses to go against him,” he mentioned, as reported by USA Today.

50 Cent deleted the post shortly after several news sources reported on it, but followed up to state that he would not directly thwart Diddy’s freedom. However, he did note that he is more than willing to make sure Trump has the full picture of the Bad Boys Records’ founder.

“I didn’t say I would Nuke anything,” assured 50 Cent. “I simply said I will make sure Trump is aware.”

The 55-year-old currently faces charges of sex trafficking, racketeering conspiracy, forced labor, and kidnapping, among others. Diddy’s trial has already led to a media frenzy, event circulating in political press rooms May 30. Trump could also issue a preemptive pardon, ending the heavily publicized trial.

Contrary to 50 Cent’s belief, the president asserted that he would be willing to pardon anyone regardless of their feelings toward him.

“If I think somebody was mistreated, whether they like me or don’t like me, it wouldn’t have any impact,” claimed Trump.

In the meantime, Diddy’s trial has commenced its fourth week with its current witness, Diddy’s former assistant under the pseudonym of “Mia,” continuing on the stand.

Music Festival
by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman

June 2, 2025

Roots Picnic Faces Backlash From Attendees After Storms Cause Delays And Long Lines

Heavy overnight rain led to the concert to delay its start times by a few hours.

The 2025 Roots Picnic left fans with a not-so-desirable experience. Attendees shared their own frustrations after overnight storms caused entry delays and long lines.

While the Philadelphia-based event sought to open its gates at noon, subsequent pushbacks led to the crowd getting antsy. Although set as an all-day affair from May 30 to June 1, heavy rain the previous day led to a delay in opening the grounds.

After spending hours with no guarantee on when they would enter, those in line began to protest. According to The Philadelphia Inquirer, chants of “let me in” echoed down the lines before the gates finally opened around 3:30pm.

By the time some attendees got into the festival grounds at the Mann Center, the day had already neared its end. This first-day issue left many ticketholders feeling disrespected by the concert organizers and the lack of communication.

“The way the event was handled was really disrespectful to the people in attendance who spent their money,” wrote attendee Khalifa White, via email, Sunday morning. “Everyone deserves a refund & additional compensation for hours in line with no access to a bathroom & no resources for disabled attendees.”

However, Questlove, drummer for the Roots, took to social media as the backlash began to spread like its own storm. He revealed that the concert organizers had nearly cancelled the first day’s festivities due to unsafe conditions caused by the downpour.

“Aight—— I know today wasn’t “ideal” for The Roots Picnic in this 18th year of 2025. (This year has been particularly challenging to say the least),” began Questlove, noting how transformation plans take roughly two weeks to complete ahead of the concert. “We nearly canceled The Picnic because conditions were unsafe for everyone involved.”

Despite the “significant damage” caused by the overnight rains, the Roots Picnic’s leadership decided to push back the schedule to ensure the first day could go on.

He continued, “Ultimately, we chose to take extra time to repair the site to ensure safety for all ticket holders, which is why there was a 3hr delay. (Yes I got numerous messages from attendees, family, everyone in the tristate) but we prioritized caution above all else.”

However, concertgoers still believe better communication and accommodation could have lessened the blow of the delays. Frustrated ticketholders also noted the lack of consideration for those with disabilities or out-of-state attendees.

“People here pay so much, at least give us water or communicate better,” shared VIP ticketholder Uraina Dunmore, who travelled to the event from Washington, D.C. “You have people with medical conditions, allergies … and they don’t know nothing.”

The Roots Picnic also released its own statement apologizing for people’s experience with the delays, but emphasized that its focus remains on making the experience safe for everyone involved.

“We would like to say sorry,” shared the event organizers. “Please understand safety will always be our number 1 priority. We worked hard to make sure every artist still got on stage and extended the festival hours so all could perform without violating city noise curfew … today is a new day and we will do better.”

The two-day music event, however, continued forth as the weather issue cooled down. However, upset attendees still aim to seek refunds for their distress.

Black woman, ceo, lecture, mentor, presentation, boss, speaking
by BLACK ENTERPRISE Editors

June 2, 2025

Here’s How To Level Up In A Flat Organization

Working in a flat organization can feel like a life sentence with no possibility of parole

Hi Fairygodmentor,

I work in a flat organization with little room for promotion. How do I continue growing professionally?
– Stuck but Striving


Dear Stuck but Striving, 

Whew! Working in a flat organization can feel like a life sentence with no possibility of parole. Each day feels like a scene from the film Groundhog Day where nothing changes except for your growing frustration at what you feel is a stalled-out career.  

Before you run out of the office screaming at the top of your lungs (yes, I’ve been there and visualized myself doing the same thing many times), I want to share some survival techniques that will help you boost your brand and your spirits to keep you motivated to grow your career.  

1. Have an intrapreneurial mindset. Look for projects or solutions that need your attention that can add value to the organization.

2. Find projects that scare you. I was once voluntold to head an imitative I knew nothing about.  But as I threw myself into the project, I became the subject matter expert and spokesperson for rolling the initiative out.  It was a huge success because I build a support system with the clients the initiative would be impacting.

3. Get on their calendar! Hold standing 1-on-1 meetings with your supervisor or mentor. Keep your career development top of mind. These people can be integral in being your biggest supporters in mentioning your name in rooms you’re not in.

4. Find a sponsor! They can help co-sign and/or help bubble up your ideas to the right people.

5. Volunteer to speak as the Point of Contact (POC) or Subject Matter Expert (SME) at meetings, conferences, etc.

6. Mentor others. I found that by mentoring others, I was helping others grow their careers in the process.

7. Team up. Create your own squad. There’s strength in numbers. And your squad will lift you up while you climb. Plus, you can help each other get your names out there to the right people.

8. Show up: Whether the project is successful or not.

9. Check in. Follow up regularly with stakeholders and clients to discuss a project’s status and completion and any lessons learned.

10. Be visible, stay visible. Visibility advertises your brand.  Share vision and big picture ideas that drive results. This is the time to share your shine. 

I believe that by creating the change you want to see in your organization doesn’t have to be an official title. Doing these things kept me in the mix and engaged, and I added value to the organization.  I know you can do the same.  Keep blooming where you’re planted, Stuck but Striving.

You got this!

Yours truly,

Your Fairygodmentor®

About Joyel Crawford:

Joyel Crawford, fairygodmentor, contributor
(Photo: Kirten White Photography/BE)

I’m Joyel Crawford is an award-winning career and leadership development professional and founder of Crawford Leadership Strategies, a consultancy that empowers results-driven leaders through coaching, training, and facilitation. She’s the best-selling author of Show Your Ask: Using Your Voice to Advocate for Yourself and Your Career.

Have a question for Your Fairygodmentor®?

Submit your career and leadership questions, whether it’s about navigating a micromanager, setting boundaries, negotiating for a raise, or handling burnout. Ask Your Fairygodmentor® today!

Stephen Miller, DEI. lawsuit, dodgers
by Daniel Johnson

June 2, 2025

Negro Leagues Baseball Museum Honors Black Managers With New Exhibit

'Leaders & Innovators' spotlights Black managers who led teams in the Negro Leagues.

Bob Kendrick, president of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum and a key figure behind MLB The Show video game’s Storylines mode, has unveiled a new exhibit, “Leaders & Innovators,” spotlighting the Black managers who led teams in the Negro Leagues.

In a February press release announcing the exhibit, the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum noted that while legendary figures like Rube Foster — the architect of the Negro Leagues — and Buck O’Neil — a mentor to Kendrick and key figure in the museum’s founding — were remarkable managers, both were inducted into Major League Baseball’s Hall of Fame as contributors rather than for their managerial achievements. The exhibit runs from April 25 through the end of the World Series.

According to Andscape, Kendrick’s new exhibit, unveiled on May 24, is an effort to address what Kendrick believes was an oversight when Major League Baseball integrated the statistics of the Negro Leagues in a long overdue but anticipated move, which led to the enshrining of Bob Gibson, Oscar Charleston, and others among baseball’s all-time stat kings.

“In the Negro Leagues, we used to run an entire baseball enterprise,” Kendrick told the outlet. “You had these brilliant tacticians who just never got an opportunity in the majors. The focus has always been on the players. But those managerial minds, those executives in the Negro Leagues, they didn’t get an opportunity to move into Major League Baseball.”

Kendrick’s point is underscored by the fact that Major League Baseball didn’t see its first Black manager until April 8, 1975, when Frank Robinson took the helm. Fittingly, it was the same franchise — then known as the Cleveland Indians — that had broken the American League’s color barrier nearly three decades earlier by signing Larry Doby in 1947.

According to two of the foremost experts in Black baseball, Phil Dixon and Larry Lester, by that time, it was clear that Black players could play, but some of the old stereotypes that still surface in today’s discussions about Black quarterbacks for example, were still present. There were, incredibly, still questions about whether or not Black players would make good managers, despite Negro Leagues players doing it, sometimes while also playing, for decades.

“Everybody knew guys like Frank Robinson could play,” Dixon told the outlet. “They’d been playing successfully for a long time. But could they lead? They managed in the Negro Leagues, but they just couldn’t get that manager’s job in the majors.”

Lester appeared to concur with Dixon’s estimation of events, remarking how often he is met with questions of wins and losses where it concerns Black managers or administrators pre-integration.

“Baseball is statistically driven,” Lester told Andscape. “When I try to promote their cases, I hear: ‘What was his won/loss record?’ People want to look at numbers, but numbers don’t tell you everything.”

It is this landscape that Kendrick and the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum’s exhibit is placing into relief with the exhibit honoring Black baseball managers, who still find themselves underrepresented and disadvantaged some 50 years after Robinson’s historic debut.

According to former MLB player Curtis Granderson, the decision not to hire Black coaches or managers by front office brass is puzzling.

“There are a lot of Black coaches I’ve been around in the game that had coaching experience — had managerial experience [at other levels], not just coaching experience — and aren’t interviewed, aren’t even in the final three, but you just keep scratching your head,” Granderson told Global Sports Matters in 2022.

Granderson continued, “You’ll see it’s not record-wise, because you’ll see other managers with bad records get another managerial job. It’s not experience, because you’ll see someone that had a similar amount of experience get another managerial job. To echo the point, it’s not off-field issues, [because] you’ll see managers who have had scandals and issues get another managerial job that are not Black.”

As Kendrick stated in the press release, “It was 28 years after Jackie Robinson’s breaking of the color barrier before Frank Robinson broke through as the major’s first Black manager when there were a plethora of great baseball strategists, tacticians and superb leaders who were never given a chance to assume those roles. This is our opportunity to shine a brighter light on them with hopes that this heightened awareness will eventually lead to Negro League managers being inducted into the Hall of Fame and that it will serve as a tool of inspiration for more people of color to pursue managerial roles in our game.”

RELATED CONTENT: The Negro National League Celebrates Its 105th Birthday

Prairie View A&M, Robotics,National Competition
by Daniel Johnson

June 2, 2025

Prairie View A&M Robotics Team Finishes Strong In National Competition

Prairie View A&M, the school's Drone Competition Team, participated in the 2025 Raytheon Autonomous Vehicle Challenge.

According to a May 30 press release issued by Prairie View A&M, the school’s Drone Competition Team placed fourth in the 2025 Raytheon Autonomous Vehicle Challenge, which is a national competition that top engineering students from across the country participate in.

In this particular challenge, which took place on April 11, student teams were asked to build and operate self-driving drones which could identify and communicate a landing zone to an autonomous vehicle which was supposed to deliver a package into the designated zone.

Prairie View’s team made it to the finals of the challenge, where they competed against nine other colleges, with a team composed solely of first time participants in the challenge.

“This accomplishment reflects the caliber of our students, the strength of our academic programs, and the value of hands-on, experiential learning,” Dr. Pamela Obiomon, who is the dean of the Roy G. Perry College of Engineering, said in the press release. “Their success is a win for all of PVAMU and a shining example of our mission in action.”

The students, team lead Jacob Range, a senior in the mechanical engineering program; Khoa Tran, a junior in the electrical engineering program; Fawaz Abdulwahab, a junior in the computer engineering program; London Williams, a junior in the mechanical engineering program; Jyeshuah Swain, a freshman in the computer engineering program; David Falekulo, a freshman in the computer science program; and Isaiah Maxwell, a sophomore in the mechanical engineering program; all worked for months preparing for the competition, which has a military application, which is appropriate, given Raytheon’s status as a military contractor with the Department of Defense.

In the challenge, the students were tasked with delivering aid to injured soldiers on a battlefield and had to design drones capable of surveying a 30×30 area, locating a visual marker which indicated the landing zone, and communicating those coordinates to a separate ground vehicle for delivery of the package.

“We spent countless late nights troubleshooting and refining every detail,” Tran said in the press release. “It paid off in the end — we’re proud of what we accomplished and excited for what’s to come.”

According to Jonathan Tamplin, a senior principal systems engineer at Raytheon, who assisted the student team as a mentor throughout the semester, “There were moments when things didn’t look promising, but the team pushed through. Their incredible perseverance and determination shone through.”

Although the students are aware of Raytheon’s dealings with the military, some of them, like Range, would like this technology to be used for other applications, like disaster relief efforts.

“I learned so much about project management and team coordination,” Range said in the press release. “I am also excited about the possibility of this technology being used in the future to expand outside of just military use but also being used during events such as natural disasters to be able to deliver aid to those that would not be able to be reached otherwise.”

RELATED CONTENT: Prairie View A&M University Renovations Are Underway With The Latest $70M Engineering Building Investment

Elevating Your Excellence: Earl ‘Butch’ Graves Jr. Leads Black Enterprise’s 55-Year Charge With Unwavering Vision
by Keka Araújo

June 2, 2025

Elevating Your Excellence: Earl ‘Butch’ Graves Jr. Leads Black Enterprise’s 55-Year Charge With Unwavering Vision

Under Graves’s astute stewardship, Black Enterprise has augmented its sphere of influence considerably.

Earl “Butch” Graves Jr. presides over BLACK ENTERPRISE as it commemorates its 55th anniversary, a significant milestone underscoring the brand’s unwavering commitment to amplifying Black achievement and excellence. 

As Chief Executive Officer since 2006, Graves has adroitly navigated the company’s metamorphosis from a singular print publication into a dynamic multimedia enterprise, reaching a vast and engaged audience across diverse digital, auditory, and experiential platforms.

“‘Excellence is an indelible part of who we are as Black people. It’s how previous generations propelled us to our current standing, despite whatever formidable obstacles we faced,” Graves states with conviction. 

He underscores the intrinsic symbiosis between the BLACK ENTERPRISE name and its core tenet: “BE also epitomizes Black Excellence. And I reiterate: it’s non-negotiable, from 1970—when my father Earl Graves Sr. inaugurated Black Enterprise—as it is today.” This foundational principle continues to inform the company’s editorial imperatives and overarching business strategies.

Under the astute stewardship of Butch Graves Jr., BLACK ENTERPRISE has significantly expanded its influence. What began as a magazine in 1970 has evolved into a comprehensive multimedia platform, offering digital content on BlackEnterprise.com, engaging video productions, insightful podcasts, a vibrant social media presence, targeted email dispatches, and impactful live and virtual convenings. BLACK ENTERPRISE endures, built upon the foundational principles and insightful vision of Black esteem established by Earl Graves Sr. 55 years ago. As the company honors its founder’s early innovation and five decades of exemplary leadership, its focus remains on the future, celebrating the unfolding of Black excellence across the diaspora through initiatives like BE Global, engaging conversations via various podcasts, and groundbreaking editorial covering the state of Black business, culture, and excellence. 

His multifaceted contributions have garnered significant accolades across diverse spheres. Graves was inducted into the American Advertising Federation (AAF) Hall of Achievement in 2002, bestowed with the Jack Avrett Volunteer Spirit Award from the Boy Scouts of America in 2006, and honored with the NCAA Silver Anniversary Award in 2009.

Graves also dedicates his time and expertise by serving on the board of directors of AutoZone and on the boards of numerous nonprofit organizations, championing the importance of education and athletics, informed by his extensive tenure as an AAU head basketball coach for over 15 years.

“Black people are increasing in population, growing in influence, and most importantly, committed to elevating the bar of excellence. Black excellence is not a fleeting anomaly; Black excellence is the established norm. The future of our country depends on it. We, as Black people, must embrace it. And we at Black Enterprise will always invest in and celebrate it. Because vindicating excellence is precisely what we do,” Graves affirmed with conviction. 

RELATED CONTENT: Grit Meets Grown Man: David Yurman Taps NBA Stars Carmelo Anthony And Jaylen Brown For Bold New Chain Campaign

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