Toyota Trailblazer Monica Womack To Share Leadership Lessons At Women Of Power Summit
As a Woman of Power Summit speaker, Womack will spotlight the importance of strategic relationship in business success.
Monica Denise Womack, an esteemed speaker for BLACK ENTERPRISE‘s 2026 Women of Power Summit, is driving strategic growth for a globally renowned car manufacturer.
As a pioneer in manufacturing, Womack serves as general manager of Business & Community Engagement for Toyota Motor North America, Inc. Through her sharp leadership and eye for team operations, Womack has become an integral part of Toyota’s success in its North America division.
Leading the charge for the company’s business and community strategy, she has fostered an elevated work environment, cultivating team-building and success at every turn. An MBA graduate of the USC Marshall School of Business, Womack will bring this insight and expertise as a key speaker during the 20th annual Women of Power Summit.
Womack will co-lead a session, hosted by Toyota, on “Strategic Relationships: The Unspoken Key To Success.” Given her tenure with the company, she will lend her voice to fostering crucial internal and external business partnerships.
Throughout her 26 years at Toyota, Womack has been instrumental in various facets of its strategic operations, including its product planning, financial planning, digital marketing, and dealer meetings. A pioneer in automotive manufacturing operations, she previously worked at Nissan North America in various leadership roles.
As a diverse leader in business management, Womack continues to give back as a pillar of her Dallas-Fort Worth community. She serves as a member of her local chapter of the National Black MBA Association, the National Society of Black Sports Professionals North Texas, and One Community Church – Plano.
As a mentor, she also helps early-career professionals at Toyota and at her alma maters, USC and Providence College. A notable progress-focused professional, Womack’s digital savviness and exemplary resume have made her a trailblazer in this field, with more to share with her growing audience.
Women aspiring to climb the corporate ladder in business operations and digital marketing can also learn firsthand from Womack’s career at the Women of Power Summit. The empowering event begins on March 11 in Las Vegas, with registration still open to witness these conversations in person.
Think The ‘Barbz’ Can Get The SAVE Act Passed? Nicki Minaj Thinks So
As one of President Donald Trump’s newest fans, the “Pink Friday” rapper felt she needed to do her part to help the country and gave some content as a way to bribe her fans.
New MAGA member Nicki Minaj is rallying what’s left of her Barbz squad to put pressure on U.S. senators to pass the SAVE America Act, which some lawmakers aren’t fans of.
In an odd video posted on X, Minaj asked her fans for help in securing senators’ support for the SAVE Act, which was voted on Feb. 11 by the Republican-controlled House of Representatives. NBC News reports that the bill requires those who want to vote in a federal election to provide an ID to prove U.S. citizenship “in person,” such as a passport or birth certificate.
As one of President Donald Trump’s newest fans, the “Pink Friday” rapper felt she needed to do her part to help the country and gave some content as a way to bribe her fans.
“Dear Barbz, call your senators, then tweet #SaveAct to let me know you did it. Here’s a little video as a bribe to get you to do it,” she wrote.
“If you all do it, I’ll let you choose between a new look & Spaces. The choice is yours.”
Dear Barbz, call your senators, then tweet #SaveAct to let me know you did it. Here’s a little video as a bribe to get you to do it. 😀 If you all do it, I’ll let you choose between a new look & Spaces. The choice is yours. 🎀 pic.twitter.com/CVmFezGutC
She was seen reposting messages of support from Republican lawmakers, including Alaska’s Sen. Dan Sullivan, and celebrating when news of the bill’s passage broke, with an image of her saluting in her signature pink.
Minaj’s social media profile has a vastly different look since coming out as a Trump supporter and appearing alongside him and on conservative podcast, The Katie Miller Podcast. Fans will now see “Make America Great Again”-leaning graphics, support from conservative leaders, and back-and-forth banter with Democratic lawmakers.
But not all leaders are celebrating, as the legislation has drawn backlash. Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer has dubbed the legislation “Jim Crow 2.0,” while Rep. Lauren Underwood (D-Il) highlighted how the law seemingly takes away voting rights of 69 million women. “The SAVE America Act would require your passport or your birth certificate to match your current name to be able to vote,” she said in a video on X.
“If y’all got married and changed your name, your birth certificate would not match your current name.”
With the SAVE America Act, Republicans are taking voting rights away from 69 million women. Here's how: pic.twitter.com/bXweY5sXfB
Minaj had something to say when a social media creator responded to Schumer, saying “the goal of the SAVE Act is the same: disenfranchising American citizens and making it harder for eligible people to vote, particularly low-income Americans and people of color.”
The unidentified woman claimed the Democratic leader was lying and “using Black people, going back in the past, provoking emotional manipulation.”
The Port-of-Spain Trinidad-born rapper jumped in with her two cents.
“BLACK PPL have ID b/c they know their black ass is more likely to be pulled over or stopped in the street!!! STOP using black ppl & married women in your shenanigans and say what you really mean!” she said.
P.S. STOP WEAPONIZING JIM CROW & the HOLOCAUST in your political theater!!!!! #SaveAct
Students Sound Alarm About Male Staffer Living Inside Dorm
The Student Government Association issued a statement expressing discomfort at the presence of a man in an all-women's living space.
Students at Spelman College have raised concerns with campus leadership after learning that a male staff member was temporarily housed in an on-campus apartment at the historically all-women’s college.
The Student Government Association issued a detailed statement this week expressing discomfort with the assignment of a male faculty member to housing in one of the residence halls and his use of the on-campus laundry facilities. Spelman confirmed to Channel 2 Action News that the man had been temporarily assigned to the campus unit. However, the situation has since been addressed, with the staff member relocating off-campus.
In addition to concerns about housing, the Student Government Association cited issues related to residence services, specifically water shortages affecting some freshmen residence halls. School officials said clogged sewer lines in Manley Hall and Howard Harreld Hall had temporarily closed restrooms, but those facilities have been cleaned, sanitized, and reopened.
Students told WSB-TV that the combination of housing and facilities problems has contributed to a sense of frustration with campus conditions. One student said some issues feel unique to historically Black colleges and universities and that there is pressure to accept challenges that might not be experienced at other institutions, according to the report.
The housing concerns at Spelman come as other HBCUs have also faced scrutiny over residence hall conditions. At Howard University, students have previously protested dormitory infrastructure problems, including water damage, mold, and maintenance delays, BLACK ENTERPRISE reported.
Howard students staged demonstrations in recent years over living conditions in campus housing, citing flooding, pest concerns, and repair backlogs. University officials acknowledged the complaints at the time. Additionally, the institution’s leadership outlined plans for facility upgrades and capital improvements.
The situation drew national attention and renewed discussion about infrastructure challenges facing some HBCUs and the cost of modernizing aging residence halls.
James E. Clyburn Breaks Down Black Congressional History In ‘The First Eight’ Conversation
The East Point/College Park Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. hosting James E. Clyburn for an intimate conversation around his new book, 'The First Eight.'
The East Point/College Park Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. is bringing James E. Clyburn, South Carolina’s only Democratic lawmaker, to Atlanta for an intimate conversation around his new book, The First Eight.
Fresh off the November 2025 release of The First Eight, Clyburn, the U.S. representative for South Carolina’s 6th Congressional District, is bringing his revelatory story to Atlanta. On Feb. 15, the South Carolina Congressman will host a live discussion and signing centered on the groundbreaking book, which revisits the legacy of pioneering Black congressmen elected in the aftermath of the Civil War and explores why nearly a century passed before a ninth, Clyburn himself, would take office.
First elected in 1992, James E. Clyburn is now serving his 17th term, representing a district that spans many of South Carolina’s majority-Black communities, including areas around Columbia, Charleston, Beaufort, and much of the state’s Black Belt. Since 2021, he has been the lone Democrat in the state’s congressional delegation and has served as its dean since 2011.
Through his new book and national tour, Clyburn aims to excavate the often overlooked history of Black congressional pioneers.
“Ten years ago, I released my memoir that I called ‘Blessed Experiences: Genuinely Southern, Proudly Black,’” Clyburn told the Greenville Journal upon the book’s release. “Soon after that, some folks came to visit me in my Washington office, and they saw the photos of these eight people on the wall in my conference room. One of them asked who they were and when I explained to them who these eight people were, she said to me that she thought I was the first African American to serve in Congress from South Carolina.”
The book chronicles the lives of trailblazing Black lawmakers who served in Congress during Reconstruction, highlighting figures such as Joseph Hayne Rainey, Robert Smalls, Richard Harvey Cain, Alonzo Jacob Ransier, Thomas Ezekiel Miller, and George Washington Murray — pioneers who represented South Carolina’s districts in the years following the Civil War. Through The First Eight, Clyburn aims to highlight how entrenched racism led to a nearly century-long absence of Black congressional representation in a state with a large Black population.
“I’m hopeful that the reader of this book will see how Jim Crow came into being,” Clyburn said. “After Abraham Lincoln was assassinated, he was succeeded in the presidency by Andrew Johnson, (who) was a racist. He was a big sympathizer with the Southern way of life. He started doing stuff to undo what Lincoln had done.”
State Department Reinstates 30-Year-Old Law Revoking Passports For Owing More Than $100K In Child Support
Data from the federal Office of Child Support Services (OCSS) and HHS reveal roughly $621 million in back child support payments have been collected, including nine collections of more than $300,000 since its 1998 establishment.
The Trump Administration is reinstating a 30-year-old law that revokes passports for parents who owe more than $100K in back child support, Fox News reported.
The move from the State Department will limit parents’ ability to travel outside the country until they are caught up on their paperwork. Under the 1996 Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act, the federal agency launched the Passport Denial Program to revoke passports for individuals with over $100,000 in assets.
While there are fewer than 500 people in that category, the department is allowing them to enter into a payment plan with the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) upon receiving notice.
Under the same law, passport revocations for those with outstanding child support are allowed if the amount exceeds $2,500; however, the agency only acts when a person applies for a passport, to renew it, or for other services. With passports being valid for ten years, parents with massive back payment issues would be able to keep traveling without interference from the State Department.
But not anymore.
In a statement, according to The Travel, the State Department said it is “reviewing options to enforce long-standing law to prevent those owing substantial amounts of child support from neglecting their legal and moral obligations to their children” and sent a harsh warning.
“It is simple: deadbeat parents need to pay their child support arrears.”
The agency is taking things up a notch. A memo from the U.S. Department of State Foreign Affairs Manual (FAM) states that parents in this category who are already outside the U.S. will have their passports revoked, barring them from traveling to another country and forcing them to return home to settle their debt.
Data from the federal Office of Child Support Services (OCSS) and HHS revealed roughly $621 million in back child support payments have been collected, including nine collections of more than $300,000 since its 1998 establishment.
With plans to continue, affected parents will be notified by mail if their passport application is denied for failure to pay over $2,500. Still, before that, the state child support agency is known to notify the parent that they are in the Passport Denial Program or that their name is being submitted to OCSS.
12 Black Doctors Who Made Groundbreaking Contributions To Medicine
These physicians played a crucial role in medical breakthroughs
Although Black doctors faced systematic exclusion from numerous American healthcare institutions, they have played a crucial role in medical breakthroughs that transformed the field. Black doctors and their medical innovations elevated surgical procedures, approaches to cancer treatment and public health policies created life-saving standards that modern medicine continues to use. The legacies of these physicians demonstrate how Black excellence born out of segregation and inequality continues to shape discussions on health equity, healthcare access, and patient trust in medical systems.
Dr. Rebecca Lee Crumpler
Dr. Rebecca Lee Crumpler, physician, author, and public health pioneer, became the first African American woman in the United States to earn a medical degree in 1864 and authored one of the earliest medical texts by a Black physician in 1883. During the 19th century, Dr. Crumpler broke racial and gender barriers by providing medical care to freedpeople after the Civil War and establishing medical publishing for underserved communities.
Dr. Daniel Hale Williams
In 1891, Dr. Daniel Hale Williams established Provident Hospital, the first interracial hospital in Chicago. Williams performed one of the first successful open-heart surgeries in U.S. history at the same hospital in 1893. The groundbreaking work during segregated times expanded surgical care access for Black patients and transformed cardiac surgery standards.
Dr. Charles R. Drew
Medical researcher and surgeon Dr. Charles R. Drew, created blood plasma storage and transfusion methods that established modern blood-banking practices. Through his leadership of World War II blood collection operations, Dr. Drew transformed battlefield and civilian medicine by making blood transfusions a standard life-saving practice.
During the mid-1900s, Dr. Jane Cooke Wright transformed experimental cancer chemotherapy into standardized clinical practice through her work as a surgeon-scientist and oncology pioneer. Wright co-founded the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) and introduced essential drugs, including methotrexate. Chemotherapy became an established cancer treatment through systematic tissue-culture methods and drug regimens which saved numerous lives and created new research opportunities.
Dr. Alexa Canady
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Dr. Alexa Canady achieved a historic milestone in pediatric neurosurgery by becoming the first African American woman neurosurgeon in the United States. After finishing her medical residency in 1981, Canady began her leadership tenure as chief of neurosurgery at Children’s Hospital of Michigan.
Dr. Marilyn Hughes Gaston
Pediatrician and public health leader Dr. Marilyn Hughes Gaston led federally funded research that demonstrated early intervention could prevent sickle cell disease complications. The 1986 publication of this landmark study led to nationwide newborn screening programs which saved thousands of lives and transformed health equity policy. Dr. Gaston achieved the historic milestone of becoming the first Black woman doctor to direct the U.S. Bureau of Primary Health Care.
Dr. Ben Carson
In 1987, at Johns Hopkins Hospital, Dr. Benjamin S. Carson Sr., a neurosurgeon, performed the first successful separation of conjoined twins. The innovative surgical technique improved neurosurgery practices for complex cranial separation and created worldwide recognition for pediatric surgical advancements.
Dr. Louis T. Wright
During the early to mid-1900s, Dr. Louis T. Wright used intradermal vaccination methods in his work and fought for African American integration into the American Medical Association at Harlem Hospital in New York City. The medical care he professionalized created a challenge to racial exclusion in institutional medicine.
Dr. Kizzmekia Corbett
Dr. Kizzmekia S. Corbett, a viral immunologist, designed the mRNA spike-protein technology which was central to developing the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine. The research work sped up vaccine development during the global pandemic crisis and demonstrated the vital role of Black doctors in biomedical research.
Dr. Mae Jemison
Dr. Mae Jemison became the first Black woman astronaut through her work as a physician, engineer, and astronaut. Jemison performed medical experiments during the 1992 STS-47 mission which extended medical, technological, and space scientific boundaries, while creating new STEM possibilities for Black women.
Dr. David Satcher
Dr. David Satcher worked as a physician and public health administrator before becoming the 16th U.S. Surgeon General from 1998 to 2002, under the Clinton Administration.. Satcher directed major health programs focused on mental health, HIV/AIDS, and health disparities during his tenure. Through his efforts, Satcher made health a civil-rights issue by establishing equal medical policies at the federal level and securing equal representation in national health discussions.
President Trump Pardons 5 Former NFL Players, Including Drug-Related Convictions
Pardons were granted to five former NFL players—Joe Klecko, Nate Newton, Jamal Lewis, Travis Henry, and the late Dr. Billy Cannon.
President Trump has pardoned five former NFL players: Nate Newton, Jamal Lewis, Travis Henry, Joe Klecko, and the late Billy Cannon.
White House Pardon Czar, Alice Marie Johnson, took to social media to announce that President Donald Trump had granted clemency to the former football players.
“Today, the President granted pardons to five former NFL players—Joe Klecko, Nate Newton, Jamal Lewis, Travis Henry, and the late great Dr. Billy Cannon. As football reminds us, excellence is built on grit, grace, and the courage to rise again. So is our nation.”
Today, the President granted pardons to five former NFL players—Joe Klecko, Nate Newton, Jamal Lewis, Travis Henry, and the late great Dr. Billy Cannon.
As football reminds us, excellence is built on grit, grace, and the courage to rise again. So is our nation.
Three of the former NFL players were pardoned after pleading guilty to numerous drug charges.
Newton, an offensive lineman who played for the Washington Redskins, the Dallas Cowboys, and the Carolina Panthers between 1983 and 1999, had pleaded guilty to a federal drug trafficking charge after $10,000 was discovered by law enforcement in his pickup truck and 175 pounds of marijuana in another car driven by someone else. Newton was a two-time All-Pro player and six-time Pro Bowler.
Lewis, a former player for the Baltimore Ravens and the Cleveland Browns, pleaded guilty in a drug case. He used a mobile phone in an attempted drug deal shortly before becoming a top pick in the 2000 NFL draft. The 2003 AP Offensive Player of the Year was an All-Pro who was selected to the Pro Bowl during his career. He played in the NFL from 2000 to 2009.
Henry, a running back who played in the league from 2001 until 2007, had pleaded guilty to conspiracy to traffic cocaine. He financed a drug ring that moved the cocaine between Colorado and Montana. The Pro Bowler played for the Buffalo Bills, the Tennessee Titans, and ended his career with the Denver Broncos.
Klecko, a defensive tackle who spent his career with the New York Jets and the Indianapolis Colts between 1977 and 1988, pleaded guilty to perjury after lying to a federal grand jury investigating insurance fraud. Klecko was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2023 and was a four-time Pro Bowler.
Cannon, who died in 2018, played for the AFL (American Football League) and the NFL for the Houston Oilers, the Oakland Raiders, and the Kansas City Chiefs from 1960 to 1970, pleaded guilty to counterfeiting during the mid-1980s.
Historic Houston Hospital Founded As ‘Negro Hospital’ To Reopen As Community Health Center
Harris County invested $200 million in the property covering acquisition and redevelopment costs.
A long-vacant hospital in Houston’s Third Ward is set to reopen as a community health and services center after Harris County approved a plan to acquire and renovate the property.
County commissioners voted to move forward with purchasing the former Riverside General Hospital campus on Ennis Street. The redevelopment plan includes transforming the site into a hub that will house the Harris County Health Department and provide expanded health and social services to residents.
The facility was founded in the 1920s as the Houston Negro Hospital to serve Black patients during segregation. It later became Riverside General Hospital and operated for decades before closing in 2015, following the arrest of 12 employees by the FBI for Medicaid fraud.
Harris County Commissioner Rodney Ellis, who said he was born at the then-Riverside General Hospital, told ABC13 that the reopening is planned for Feb. 28, the final day of Black History Month, in honor of its origins as a Black-serving space.
“Here in the shadows of the largest, most prestigious medical center in the world, there are many people who don’t have access to healthcare,” Ellis said. “This building will be a part of that package to give people who can’t afford great health insurance like we have, that they too ought to be respected and can come here for services.”
Former volunteer Dorothy Booker, 92, reflected on her time at the hospital in an interview with ABC13. “I’m proud to be a part of something that started in my life, advanced in my life, that I was able to help somebody,” Booker said.
The county’s investment in the property is approximately $200 million, covering acquisition and redevelopment costs. The restored campus is expected to provide coordinated services, including healthcare access and other public assistance programs.
The former Negro Hospital building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places; as such, county leaders view the project as a way to restore a historically significant site while expanding access to public health services in the Third Ward community.
Kennesaw State Introduces Georgia’s First Bachelor’s Degree In Artificial Intelligence
Kennesaw State University is leading Georgia’s higher-education push into artificial intelligence with its newest degree program.
Kennesaw State University is leading Georgia’s push into the AI era within higher education, becoming the first in the state to launch a bachelor’s degree focused on artificial intelligence.
Announced Feb. 10, the school said its Bachelor of Science in Artificial Intelligence has been approved by the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia and will launch in fall 2026, making it the first institution in the state to offer both undergraduate and graduate degrees in AI, CBS News reports.
The program, based in the College of Computing and Software Engineering and available at KSU’s Marietta campus and online, aims to prepare students for the fast-growing demand for artificial intelligence expertise.
“With AI driving innovation across industries including health care, manufacturing, logistics, public safety and business services, our new degree is structured to help meet Georgia’s expanding need for a highly skilled workforce,” said Ivan Pulinkala, KSU’s provost and executive vice president for academic affairs. “Students will gain the training necessary to enter careers that support the state’s economic competitiveness and respond to employer demand for professionals who can build and apply AI-driven technologies.”
The new bachelor’s degree builds on KSU’s broader push to align education with industry demand across Georgia. The Georgia Chamber of Commerce recently projected that AI could help create 186,000 new STEM jobs in the state over the next five years, with more than 60% of executives planning to boost AI investments within three years. The program adds to KSU’s expanding AI portfolio, which already includes a computer science AI concentration and a Master of Science in Artificial Intelligence launched in 2024.
“The interdisciplinary nature of the degree, including the core foundation in computing and the required minor in a field where AI applications are growing, will equip our students to maximize the limitless potential of artificial intelligence,” said Yiming Ji, interim dean of the College of Computing and Software Engineering. “At a time when technology is transforming business and industry at an extraordinary pace, our graduates will be prepared to apply artificial intelligence ethically and effectively in real-world settings.”
Music Vet Jazz Young Launches Global Record Label, VRTEXX
The new label will focus on helping discover and develop global artists from West Africa and the diaspora for international markets
Former Def Jam executive and seasoned veteran Jasmine “Jazz” Young has announced the official launch of a new global record label, VRTEXX.
The new company, a creative ecosystem, will focus on helping discover and develop global artists from West Africa and the diaspora for international markets, while blending artistry, education, and technology to create global pathways for creatives. VRTEXX will be distributed by Warner Music’s Distribution arm, ADA. ADA focuses on independent labels, breaking new artists, and supporting established ones who are still developing their craft. ADA has partnership deals with labels including Rostrum Records, Sub Pop, Mute Records, VP Records, and Centricity Music, while representing recording artists such as Daft Punk, Macklemore, Papa Roach, and Murda Beatz.
Young oversees VRTEXX, which will represent the next evolution in artist development and international collaboration. Artists on the burgeoning label will make their stage debuts at the next West Africa Music & Arts Festival, which will take place in Accra, Ghana.
Youing has experience developing artists and guiding them to successful careers, having worked with Jay-Z, DMX, Waka Flocka, Foxy Brown, EPMD, Slick Rick, and Run-DMC, among many others. Her leadership includes working with students while being the director of the Warner Music/Blavatnik Center for Music Business at Howard University. At the helm, Young has transformed the program into one of the world’s top music business schools.
She has played a vital role at the center, which has become a hub for academic innovation and real-world opportunities. By connecting Howard students and the DMV community with executives, labels, and artists, she has created opportunities for students through partnerships with Warner Records, Atlantic Records, 300 Entertainment, CAA, Wasserman, Paramount, The Tom Joyner Foundation, and CEEK.com.
The 2025 Billboard Global Power Player is ready to help the next round of artists gain international recognition for their art and is accepting artist submissions for VRTEXX at WWW.VRTEXX.COM and @THEVRTEXX.
