Sheila Johnson, BET, Billionaire
by Stacy Jackson

September 24, 2023

BET Co-founder Sheila Johnson Dishes On Professional Hardships, BET Exit, Becoming The First Black Female Billionaire In The U.S.

BET co-founder Sheila Johnson is detailing her journey as a businesswoman in her upcoming memoir, Walk Through Fire: A Memoir of Love, Loss, and Triumph.

Johnson recently sat down with Fortune to give some insights on what readers will learn about her professional life as the co-founder of the mega network, CEO of Salamander Hotels and Resorts, and the first Black female billionaire in America.

“I’ve suppressed so much in my life, and the pain has been terrible,” the mogul expressed. “Everyone else has been telling my story, and [theirs] isn’t accurate. I needed to take my power back.”

The American businesswoman stepped into her billionaire status in the early 2000s after BET sold to Viacom for $3 billion. Johnson’s book discusses how the once-esteemed TV network, the “go-to destination for Black audiences,” faced its eventual decline.

“There was no network that appealed to the African American voice. And our voices needed to be heard,” Johnson shared about the initial goal for the network, which took a significant hit after her then-husband and co-founder, Robert, known as Bob, was caught cheating and subsequently ended BET’s successful run.

Calling her ex-husband “brilliant,” the media mogul also expressed her thoughts on the decline of the network in a 2004 interview.

After leaving the network, Johnson moved on and opened her luxury hospitality company, Salamander Hotels and Resorts, an entrepreneurial venture that introduced both new challenges and rewards.

“I could have stayed home and just enjoyed my money, but I wanted to prove that I could create a business on my own because, at BET, I wasn’t credited for how big a role I played in its success,” the boss shared. She recalled the wait for approval of her 340-acre Salamander Middleburg Resort in Virginia, land in the “nation’s horse and hunt capital” south of the Mason-Dixon Line.

“This was a town that was totally bankrupt but so bucolic,” Johnson said. “I thought that building [a resort] could become the economic engine, and I could visualize it.”

She won the town’s approval by one vote. “I knew if I could make it work, it would be historical,” she added.

According to Forbes, Johnson is now worth an estimated $840 million.

The entrepreneur has investments in Florida and Virginia hotels, planes, real estate, and horses. BLACK ENTERPRISE‘s 2014 “Woman of Power,” she has also invested in sports teams such as WNBA Mystics, NBA Wizards, and NHL Capitals, a business decision that named her the only Black woman to own stakes in three professional leagues, according to her Fortune interview.

Johnson also established her 900-acre Innisbrook Golf Resort in Florida, which hosts an annual PGA Tour championship.

RELATED CONTENT: SHEILA JOHNSON

Beyoncé And Tina Knowles Kickstart $8 Million Rebuilding Project At Knowles-Rowland House Ahead of Renaissance Tour Stop in Houston
by Daniel Johnson

September 23, 2023

Beyoncé And Tina Knowles Kickstart $8 Million Rebuilding Project At Knowles-Rowland House Ahead of Renaissance Tour Stop in Houston

Ahead of her Renaissance Tour stop in Houston, Beyoncé made an appearance at the Knowles-Rowland House alongside her mother, Tina Knowles. The pair were on hand to help kickoff an $8 million rebuilding project of the complex for unhoused people.

The building was originally constructed in 1999 and will be reconstructed with funding from the Knowles family and Destiny’s Child member Kelly Rowland. As KHOU reported, the complex is expected to be rebuilt in 2024 following an increase in funding from the American Rescue Plan Act. Pastor Rudy Rasmus’ Bread of Life nonprofit is leading the project. The relationship between the Knowles family and Rasmus goes back to when Rasmus pastored St. John’s Downtown Church when Beyoncé was a child.

“We’re going to do a bigger initiative and launch of this later in September around the time we know Beyoncé is going to be in town for her concerts,” Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo had said in October, after Harris County approved the then-$7 million project.

Knowles told the crowd gathered as Beyoncé watched from the stage, “I just want to say that this is home and I always feel, I mean I cry the whole time I’m here, whether I’m going to Frenchy’s or whatever, I just get emotional. Thank you so much for the support of the city and everyone here.”

Rasmus, meanwhile, thanked the City of Houston and Judge Hidalgo’s office for her support, saying, “There is a critical need to provide stable housing to many underserved Houstonians. We are grateful for the support of Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo and the commissioners. The resources they provide are critical to helping everyone in the community thrive.”

In addition to the church’s Bread of Life nonprofit, the 31,000-foot-center is being developed in conjunction with the Temenos Community Development Corporation.

Monique Williams, the director of partnerships and development for Bread of Life told Houston Public Media, gave a nod to Beyoncé’s dedication to the project by saying, “That was exciting for all of us. She’s a busy lady. She’s doing a couple of other things this weekend. For her to pause and just kind of return home and to be in this space with us and to hear again what more will be done and to see her legacy, I think it was wonderful for everyone to be in that space and share that with her.”

Williams also said that the center is expected to open before the end of 2024.

Precinct 1 Commissioner Rodney Ellis said of the project, “This project will move Harris County closer to realizing its vision for a vibrant, inclusive region where everyone has the opportunity to thrive and a place to call home.”

Ellis continued, “Access to safe and affordable housing is a fundamental human right and a need that cannot be addressed without increasing and preserving our affordable housing stock.”

RELATED CONTENT: Beyoncé & Kelly Rowland Say ‘No, No, No’ To Homelessness In H-Town With $8.4M Housing Project

Beyoncé And Tina Knowles Celebrate Start of $8 Million Rebuilding Project at Knowles-Rowland House
by Daniel Johnson

September 23, 2023

Beyoncé And Tina Knowles Celebrate Start of $8 Million Rebuilding Project at Knowles-Rowland House

Ahead of her Renaissance Tour stop in Houston, Beyoncé made an appearance at the Knowles-Rowland House alongside her mother, Tina Knowles. The pair were on hand to celebrate the unveiling of an $8 million rebuilding project of the complex for unhoused people.

The building was originally constructed in 1999 with funding from the Knowles family and Destiny’s Child member Kelly Rowland.

As KHOU reported, the complex is expected to be rebuilt in 2024 following an increase in funding from the American Rescue Plan Act. Pastor Rudy Rasmus‘ Bread of Life nonprofit is leading the project. The relationship between the Knowles family and Rasmus goes back to when Rasmus pastored St. John’s Downtown Church when Beyoncé was a child.

“We’re going to do a bigger initiative and launch of this later in September around the time we know Beyoncé is going to be in town for her concerts,” Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo had said after Harris County approved $7 million in funding project.

“I just want to say that this is home and I always feel, I mean I cry the whole time I’m here, whether I’m going to Frenchy’s or whatever, I just get emotional,” Tina Knowles told the crowd. “Thank you so much for the support of the city and everyone here.”

Rasmus, meanwhile, thanked the City of Houston and Judge Hidalgo’s office for her support, saying, “There is a critical need to provide stable housing to many underserved Houstonians. We are grateful for the support of Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo and the commissioners. The resources they provide are critical to helping everyone in the community thrive.”

In addition to the church’s Bread of Life nonprofit, the center is being developed in conjunction with the Temenos Community Development Corporation.

Monique Williams, the director of partnerships and development for Bread of Life, gave a nod to Beyoncé’s dedication to the project, telling Houston Public Media, “That was exciting for all of us. She’s a busy lady. She’s doing a couple of other things this weekend. For her to pause and just kind of return home and to be in this space with us and to hear again what more will be done and to see her legacy, I think it was wonderful for everyone to be in that space and share that with her.”

Williams also said that the center is expected to open before the end of 2024.

Precinct 1 Commissioner Rodney Ellis said of the project, “This project will move Harris County closer to realizing its vision for a vibrant, inclusive region where everyone has the opportunity to thrive and a place to call home.”

Ellis continued, “Access to safe and affordable housing is a fundamental human right and a need that cannot be addressed without increasing and preserving our affordable housing stock.”

RELATED CONTENT: Beyoncé & Kelly Rowland Say ‘No, No, No’ To Homelessness In H-Town With $8.4M Housing Project

Kamala Harris, slavery, denounces, Florida, De Santis, Social Studies Curriculum
by Mary Spiller

September 23, 2023

Vice President Kamala Harris Announces Plans To Remove Medical Debt From Credit Scores

Vice President Kamala Harris shared some good news at a recent press conference at Hampton University on Thursday, September 14. She said that the Biden administration has begun the process of removing medical bills from people’s credit scores. The move will create the opportunity to improve millions of ratings across America. 

Harris listed drastic improvements that would come with the removal. It would make it easier for people who previously couldn’t obtain home mortgages and auto loans. Vice President Harris announced that the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has already begun the rulemaking process to make the change official. 

“Access to health care should be a right and not a privilege,” Harris expressed. “These measures will improve the credit scores of millions of Americans so that they will better be able to invest in their future.”

According to the Associated Press, the announcement has been long-awaited since the Biden administration promised to minimize medical debt’s impact on creditworthiness scores. Last March, CFPB director Rohit Chopra said the credit reporting companies such as Equifax, TransUnion, and Experian would stop reporting “some but not all medical bills on an individual’s credit report.”

An estimated 20% of people report having significant medical debt.

“Research shows that medical bills have little predictive value in credit decisions, yet tens of millions of American households are dealing with medical debt on their credit reports,” Director Chopra said. “When someone gets sick, they should be able to focus on getting better, rather than fighting debt collectors trying to extort them into paying bills they may not even owe.”

The inclusion of medical debt can be problematic in practice as well because “mistakes and inaccuracies in medical billing are common.”

The proposal not only removes medical bills from credit reporting, but it also prohibits creditors from using medical bill information when judging loans and discourages coercive collection practices related to medical debt.

RELATED CONTENT: Black Americans Among Many Who Could Gain Relief As Medical Debt Discharged From Credit Reports

black swimmer, USA Team, Anthony Nesty
by Daniel Johnson

September 23, 2023

Anthony Nesty, First Black Olympic Gold Medalist Swimmer, To Lead USA Men’s Swim Team In Paris

Anthony Nesty, who made history in the 1988 Olympics by becoming the first Black male swimmer to win an Olympic gold medal, has been tapped by the USA Swimming to lead the men’s swim team in Paris.

According to reporting from ESPN, Nesty has been working with top American swimmers Katie Ledecky, Caeleb Dressel, and Bobby Finke in his position as the head swim coach at the University of Florida. In 2022, Nesty became the first Black coach to lead a United States team at the World Championships. In a press release from USA Swimming, Nesty and fellow coach Todd DeSorbo were credited with responsibility for ensuring that the United States brought home a record 45 medals at those world championships.

“Together they served as head coaches for the U.S. team at the 2022 FINA World Championships in Budapest, Hungary where American swimmers earned 45 medals in the pool – good for the most medals ever awarded at a world championship, surpassing the previous U.S. record of 38,” the press release stated.

As a result of this achievement, USA Swimming’s National Team Managing Director Lindsay Mintenko is excited about the future of the swim program under the tandem.

“I am thrilled Coaches DeSorbo and Nesty will be joining us in Paris and am looking forward to the experience and leadership they will bring to the Games,” Mintenko said.

Nesty signaled his excitement, saying, “I’m excited to be the men’s head Olympic coach in Paris. Todd and I look forward to coaching these athletes to the best of their abilities in Paris next summer.”

Nesty conducted an interview with the Associated Press acknowledging the importance of his position in a sport that desperately needs to diversify.

“You know you’re a role model. You have to take that very seriously. Maybe it’s why I work so hard at what I do. I try to be the best Anthony Nesty I can be.,” he said.

Speaking about his historic upset for his native country of Suriname, which contains fewer than a million people, Nesty said, “It’s just an amazing story. Whether it was being in the right place at the right time or just luck or just God-given talent that I, of course, had, it’s a unique story, that’s for sure.”

The larger swimming world, including the Britain-based Black Swimming Association, is looking forward to seeing what can come out of Nesty’s appointment.

Black Swimming Association founder Seren Jones told the AP, “I remember the first time I saw a Black official at a meet. I actually started crying. That reaction surprised me a bit, but there is such a starvation of role models for Black swimmers. I never had one.”

RELATED CONTENT: 82 and 77-Year Old Black Female Swimmers Make History After Competing in National Senior Games

Small Texas Town Axes Police Force After Issuing Over $1 Million In Tickets And Misconduct
by Daniel Johnson

September 23, 2023

Small Texas Town Axes Police Force After Issuing Over $1 Million In Tickets And Misconduct

A small town in East Texas has terminated its police force after the department issued over $1 million in tickets to its population of 250 residents. Coffee City, Texas, deactivated its police department, and fired the police chief after an investigative report showed that the town had an incredible one police officer for every five residents.

As KHOU 13 reported, those 50 police officers wrote more than 5,000 citations and, according to the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement, the city was employing five times the police officers that a city its size should. KHOU‘s reporting also uncovered that the officers hired tended to come from other places after they had been fired for misconduct. Personnel files uncovered by the outlet depicted officers reacting in very inappropriate ways on social media. One description in their report reads, “An officer terminated for posting a Facebook message to a citizen (saying) ‘You should kill yourself, do the world a favor,’” the article claims. “An officer was suspended for smashing a window and entering his girlfriend’s home without consent. Two officers were terminated for lying on their job applications.”

As a result of these indiscretions, the city council wasted no time in voting to eliminate the police department and its chief, JohnJay Portillo. Portillo was responsible for hiring over 25 of the city’s officers and in addition to this, Portillo failed to mention a DUI arrest he had in Florida. Portillo also created a controversial warrant division, which established that full-time officers employed by the city didn’t have to live in Coffee City at all. After the Sept 11 vote, Coffee City’s Mayor Jeff Blackstone spoke with KHOU.

“There were things that we weren’t aware of and that really just opened our eyes, you know, there’s major changes that have got to be made and made quickly,” Blackstone explained. “We just felt it was best to basically terminate the program, that way we’re able to go out and find a new chief, let him do the proper evaluations and determine if he wants to re-hire anybody or start from scratch.”

Prior to the meeting, Portillo attempted to e-mail the city a resignation letter, but the city council refused his resignation letter, instead opting to fire him. 

Citizens were elated after news of the department’s disbanding and its head officer’s firing. Several community members told KHOU they were relieved like Roseanna Billings.

“Ever since we moved here, it was every day a cop pulling in for one reason or another,” Billings said.

Until the city can name a new chief, calls will be handed by the Henderson County Sheriff’s Office. Blackstone said he is leaving it up to the new chief to decide whether to clean house or leave the current force intact.

Drivers have been petitioning to have their tickets dismissed due to the department’s dissolution. Kolby Horton, who says that he owed $11,000 in tickets, told KETK “I feel like I wouldn’t have won that battle because its me against a whole police department, and they’re more than likely going to believe a whole police department before they believe me.”

However, the city ‘s policy requires citizens to either pay the ticket or go to trial, which requires the officer who issued the ticket to testify in court. This, of course, raises questions about the ethics of having a officer who has been fired giving testimony about the legal validity of a ticket and citizens do not believe that is fair to them.

“How can they [have] a policeman being a witness that they’ve terminated or suspended or whatever you call it, what quality of a witness would that be?” asked local Steve Prather.

RELATED CONTENT: Miami Police Captain Relieved of Duty Following Probe into History of Racist Misconduct

Adult Woman Brutally Assaults 13-Year-Old Girl At California McDonald’s
by Mary Spiller

September 23, 2023

Adult Woman Brutally Assaults 13-Year-Old Girl At California McDonald’s

Family members and the Southern California community have gathered around a 13-year-old girl who was violently beaten by an adult woman inside a Southern California McDonald’s on September 6. The entire disturbing incident was captured on video. 

According to reports, Kassidy Jones and her friends stopped at McDonald’s while returning from school. Jones parted from her friends to go to the bathroom, and as she walked out, a woman began staring at her. Young Jones recalled the woman seeming extremely upset for no apparent reason and saying, “What the f**k are y’all looking at? I fight kids. I fight you.”

The woman then suddenly lunged at Jones and began attacking her unprovoked. The grown woman, whom police are looking to identify, began pulling Jones’ hair and hitting her repeatedly. She forced the young girl to the ground and continued attacking her. Bystanders in the restaurant watched without doing anything until one man eventually jumped in to pull the assailant off. 

Jones’ mother, Angelina Gray, told ABC 7 that her daughter continues to suffer after the fight. 

“My daughter is hurting emotionally. She can’t sleep at night. She’s bruised… She doesn’t want to go to school because she’s tired of the kids and everybody asking her what happened and making fun of her,” she said. “It wasn’t a fight, it was a beating.”

Community members have called for the woman seen on video to turn herself in.

Gray pleaded, “I would like the person who brutally attacked my daughter to turn herself in. I know you’re watching. I know your family is watching… Do the right thing and turn yourself in.”

Additionally, the mother is asking for the McDonald’s managers to be charged for not stopping the beating on its premises. 

Los Angeles police haven’t confirmed if any employees will be charged, but there is an ongoing investigation into the woman seen on video. She will be charged with child abuse and battery once she is apprehended. 

The disturbing incident of young girls being assaulted by grown adults hasn’t been isolated to the Southern California incident. In a Lawndale Chicago neighborhood, an 11-year-old girl was physically assaulted and verbally berated by two women. While the women were hosting a Mexican Independence Day celebration on September 17, they noticed the young Black girl and began throwing racial slurs toward her. Trinity Washington was hit with bottles, punched, and verbally abused by the two adult women. The injuries were so extensive that Washington required surgery for her right eye and orbital bones the night of the beating. 

The incident is still currently being investigated as well. 

RELATED CONTENT: Alabama Mom Accused of Boarding School Bus, Beating Up 11-Year-Old Who ‘Bullied’ Her Child

Woman Brutally Assaults 13-Year-Old Girl At California McDonald’s
by Mary Spiller

September 23, 2023

Woman Brutally Assaults 13-Year-Old Girl At California McDonald’s

Family members and the Southern California community have gathered around a 13-year-old girl who was violently beaten by an adult woman inside a Southern California McDonald’s Sept. 6, an incident that was  captured on video. 

According to reports, Kassidy Jones and her friends stopped at McDonald’s while returning from school. Jones parted from her friends to go to the bathroom, and as she walked out, a woman began staring at her. Jones recalled the woman seeming extremely upset for no apparent reason and saying, “What the f**k are y’all looking at? I fight kids. I fight you.”

The woman then suddenly lunged at Jones and began attacking her unprovoked. The grown woman, whom police are looking to identify, began pulling Jones’ hair and hitting her repeatedly. She forced the young girl to the ground and continued attacking her. Bystanders in the restaurant watched without doing anything until one man eventually jumped in to pull the assailant off. 

Jones’ mother, Angelina Gray, told ABC 7 that her daughter continues to suffer after the fight. 

“My daughter is hurting emotionally. She can’t sleep at night. She’s bruised…She doesn’t want to go to school because she’s tired of the kids and everybody asking her what happened and making fun of her,” she said. “It wasn’t a fight, it was a beating.”

Community members, including Gray, have called for the woman seen on video to turn herself in.

Additionally, the mother is asking for the McDonald’s managers to be charged for not stopping the beating on its premises.

Los Angeles police haven’t confirmed if any employees will be charged, but there is an ongoing investigation into the woman seen on video. She will be charged with child abuse and battery once she is apprehended. 

Young girls being assaulted by grown adults isn’t unique to Southern California.

In a Lawndale Chicago neighborhood, an 11-year-old girl was physically assaulted and verbally berated by two women. While the women were hosting a Mexican Independence Day celebration Sept.17, they noticed the young Black girl and began throwing racial slurs toward her. Trinity Washington was hit with bottles, punched, and verbally abused by the two adult women.

The injuries were so extensive that Washington required surgery for her right eye and orbital bones. The incident is currently being investigated. 

RELATED CONTENT: Alabama Mom Accused of Boarding School Bus, Beating Up 11-Year-Old Who ‘Bullied’ Her Child

beyonce, megan thee stallion,, festial
by Mary Spiller

September 23, 2023

Megan Thee Stallion Opts For Beyoncé Collab Over Global Citizen Festival Performance

Megan Thee Stallion was to perform at this weekend’s New York City Global Citizen Festival in Central Park but pulled out at the last minute, sources told Page Six. Allegedly, Megan will be heading to Texas instead of attending the September 23 and 24 performances to perform a song with Beyoncé at the Houston stop of her Renaissance tour.

The news that Megan wouldn’t be performing initially came from the festival. Global Citizen took to Twitter/X and wrote vaguely, “Hi there — due to an unforeseen scheduling conflict, Megan Thee Stallion will no longer be available to perform at the 2023 Global Citizen Festival.”

Page Six sources have learned that the scheduling conflict is reportedly an offer from Beyoncé. Both artists are from Texas, and the 28-year-old rapper was apparently offered a spot to perform “Savage” with Beyoncé for her Houston two-day tour leg at the NRG Stadium. However, another source explained that it wasn’t intentional and that it was “an inadvertent duplicate scheduling mistake by her team.” 

The Global Citizen Festival is an annual music festival started in 2012 and organized by Global Poverty Project. The group is dedicated to ending extreme poverty by organizing change and driving toward equality-centered sustainability with an emphasis on humanitarian needs. Their website says they’ve “taken over 33.5 million actions since 2009.” Through consistent advocacy work in events like this weekend’s festival, Global Citizens “have led to over $43.6 billion being distributed to our partners around the world, impacting 1.29 billion lives in the fight to end extreme poverty.”

After Megan Thee Stallion dropped, the biggest headliners who remained for NYC’s event are Lauryn Hill, Red Hot Chili Peppers, D-Nice, and South Korean pop artists Stray Kids and Jungkook.

The 11th iteration of the festival is supporting the Global Citizen’s goal by making attendees “earn their tickets by taking action on global problems.”

The event will be streamed on major social media platforms such as YouTube, Instagram, Amazon, Apple, and even TikTok.

RELATED CONTENT: Megan Thee Stallion Launches Fake University To Raise Funds For Texas Southern Students

Roc Nation, jay-Z, Book Of Hot
by BLACK ENTERPRISE Editors

September 23, 2023

Fat Joe And Gayle King Among Featured Guests At Jay-Z’s United Justice Coalition Summit

Jay-Z and Roc Nation have announced more details, including featured guests, for the second annual United Justice Coalition (UJC) summit. Fat Joe and Gayle King are among the newly confirmed guests for the event taking place on Dec. 1at the Javits Center in New York City.

The UJC summit is a yearly free event that gathers industry leaders, activists, and experts in their field are encouraged to connect and showcase their ideas on criminal justice advocacy. Speakers will further engage with guests on how to broaden the approach to challenges that thwart the progress, and how to better in civic engagement to promote beneficial policy change.

Team Roc, Roc Nation’s philanthropic and social justice initiative, shared a promotional video for the upcoming summit to its Instagram.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Team Roc (@teamroc)

Political commentator Angela Rye, professor Dr. Michael Eric Dyson, as well as broadcast journalist Soledad O’Brien will also be on hand to share their insight to audiences. Not only will visitors be able to hear directly from these impactful trailblazers, but they can also participate in networking sessions, town halls, and on-site stations for legal information throughout the summit.

This year, the UJC Summit will include a retail area and an art gallery that will leverage art, short films and books by speakers as a form of storytelling and activism. There will also be an organization exhibition area that will highlight over 60 national and local non-profit organizations and showcase their mission, programs, resources and calls-to-action with all attendees.

“The UJC is committed to creating an experience where individuals from all backgrounds can come together to take action around key justice issues and reforms in our country,” said UJC founder Dania Diaz, who is also managing director at Roc Nation in a statement. “Together, we want to exchange resources and ideas to support advocacy efforts and help tackle the challenges affecting communities across America.”

The transformative event is open for registration now as it activates for change on a national scale.

RELATED CONTENT: Jay-Z’s Team Roc Pens Open Letter to Department of Justice to Investigate Kansas City Police Department

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