Deb Lorenzo, Irv Gotti’s Widow, Shutters Hat Business To Join Homeware Market
Deborah Lorenzo, the ex-wife of the late hip-hop mogul Irv Gotti, has announced she’s closing her luxury hat brand and pivoting to expand into the homeware space. The New York-based milliner took to Instagram Feb. 17 to announce Frances Grey’s wind-down as she shifts her focus toward expanding into the lucrative home décor market.
“It feels like just yesterday Frances Grey began with a love of hats and a belief that style should be timeless and transformative,” Lorenzo wrote. “What started as one creative vision grew into a vibrant community I’ll always cherish.”
The video captured Lorenzo admiring a display of her signature hats and revisiting an early feature on the Frances Grey brand, a Caribbean-inspired line she created in honor of her Jamaican great-grandmother, which drew clients such as Beyoncé and Julia Stiles.
The clip then shifts to Lorenzo reviewing fabric swatches with a partner, teasing the upcoming launch of her new home décor venture, Frances Grey Home.
“Frances Grey has always been about more than hats; it’s about confidence and embracing your true self. Every design carried your stories with it,” Lorenzo wrote in her caption.
She went on to announce her upcoming home décor debut, emphasizing that she plans to carry the same purpose and passion that defined her Frances Grey hat brand into this new chapter.
“As this chapter closes, a new one begins,” Lorenzo wrote. “We’re stepping into the home market, bringing the same purpose and passion to pieces for your living spaces. We hope you’ll join us in this next adventure, creating homeware as stylish and unique as you are.”
New Lawsuit Attempts To Block TSA From Taking Travelers’ Cash
The issue isn't about the money being seized but more so about the limited guidelines on what amount of cash is deemed suspicious.
Did you know that if travelers pass through Transportation Security Administration (TSA) agents with more than $100, agents can take it?
A new lawsuit claims TSA agents have allegedly stripped money from more than 10,000 travelers since 2014, labeling them as criminals but never charging them, the New York Post reports.
A federal law, not widely known among travelers, bans taking more than $10,000 in cash into or out of the United States without an official form.
Dan Alban, the attorney leading the nationwide class-action lawsuit against the agency, hopes the suit will put an end to this.
“TSA has secret policies that tell its screeners that they must seize travelers’ cash,” Alban, who works with the Institute for Justice, fighting to stop airport checkpoints from becoming Constitution-free zones, said.
While traveling within the U.S. with large amounts of cash is perfectly legal, TSA continues to push back against passengers like Rebecca Brown, one of the leading plaintiffs in the suit.
Brown, 57, was traveling through Pittsburgh International Airport with her father’s life savings—a total of $82,373—which she was trying to deposit into a joint bank account close to her home in Boston.
Carried in a Tupperware container, the cash became a sore eye for TSA agents during a luggage scan, prompting a Drug Enforcement Administration agent to seize it.
It wasn’t until Brown publicized the lawsuit that the money was returned to her— seven months later. “I do think that this was unconstitutional, what the TSA did to me,” Brown said, according to CBS News.
Alban says the issue isn’t about the money being seized, but more about the limited guidelines on what amounts of cash are deemed suspicious. With the Drug Enforcement Agency’s unofficial motto being, “you make it, we’ll take it,” the federal agency doesn’t have to determine if a person is guilty or not of a crime, but can take the cash, forcing citizens to engage in a long and expensive battle to get it back.
Money kept in rubber bands, “store-bought bands,” or bundled with “handmade bands” can be seen as a threat, even if it has a handmade label, the Post reports. TSA agents can even seize money if all the cash has the same denomination of currency or different denominations. Carrying money in socks can also be considered suspicious.
Alban feels the suit is the first step in getting the government to iron out the guidelines for travelers carrying cash or other items that TSA has labeled as threats. “There is all kinds of stuff that TSA considers to be Sensitive Security Information that is laughable and nobody would consider this secret,” he said.
“The government shouldn’t be able to take money for no reason…” Brown said. “No one should be forced to go through this nightmare.”
Black-Owned Men’s Grooming Brand Reigns As Preferred Partner of NBPA’s PLYRS House
Crowned Skin has grown into an eight-figure business since its 2024 launch.
Crowned Skin, the men’s grooming brand created by Darrell Spencer, joined forces with the National Basketball Players Association for a new venture.
The Black-owned brand became the NBPA’s preferred grooming partner for its PLYRS House activation at NBA’s All-Star Weekend. The star-studded event took place in Los Angeles from Feb. 13 through Feb. 16.
Over that weekend, fans and players alike were introduced to the Crowned Skin products and experience. At the PLYRS House, attendees indulged in self-care remedies and received curated gifts to ensure men’s hygiene does not play second fiddle.
“When the NBPA partners with Crowned Skin, it sends a clear message. Men’s grooming is no longer secondary. It’s lifestyle, performance, and identity. As a Black founder, this moment proves we can build at the highest level and lead culture on our own terms,” Spencer told Afrotech.
With around $15,000 to start and expertise from his years in marketing and ad sales at Big Tech companies, Spencer launched the company in 2024. What began as body butter, cologne, and body oil has become a household name, already garnering eight figures in sales.
His use of science-backed ingredients ensures men not only smell good but take the best care of their skin. The results have already catapulted Crowned Skin to the top of the e-commerce charts on Amazon and TikTok—and space on Walmart’s shelves.
Becoming the grooming partner of the NBPA also expands Crowned Skin to greater arenas, with Spencer calling the move “rooted in modern masculinity, self-care, and image.” Especially as he aligns with the men’s professional sports league, the partnership furthers Crowned Skin’s branding as the go-to for men’s grooming, even for All Stars.
“I want Crowned Skin to be around for years and years, and I want it to last even when I’m not here. I want this to be a legacy company,” he told the news outlet in a previous statement.
Remembering Rev. Jesse Jackson’s Most Powerful Quotes
The reverend and civil rights leader redefined modern political coalition-building.
The Rev. Jesse Jackson, the civil rights strategist, Baptist minister, and two-time Democratic presidential candidate who redefined modern political coalition-building, died on Feb. 17. He was 84.
The nation currently assesses Jackson’s identity through his words and their context. The civil rights leader’s most powerful quotes speak to his lifelong struggle to broaden American democracy.
“We must leave racial battlegrounds and come to economic common ground.”
During the mid-1980s presidential campaign Jackson stressed the need to move away racial conflicts toward economic unity. The statement connected civil rights with economic justice because Jackson believed that racial advancement and economic equality must coexist for America’s future.
“America is more like a quilt: many patches, many pieces, many colors…”
The statement from Rev. Jesse Jackson encapsulates the fundamental nature of American diversity. During his “Rainbow Coalition” speech at the San Francisco Democratic National Convention on July 18, 1984 Jackson presented his idea of merging different communities to create a united democratic movement.
“When I see a broken window… that’s the slummy side…Train some youth to become a glazier—that’s the sunny side.”
At the 1984 Democratic National Convention in San Francisco, Jackson used this metaphor to show the difference between despair and empowerment. Through his speech, Jackson encouraged people to see the potential of underserved communities while pushing for resource investment instead of neglect.
“I was born in the slum, but the slum wasn’t born in me…Hold your head high…”
On July 19, 1988, Rev. Jackson made the statement at the Democratic National Convention in Atlanta, where he shared his life experience while delivering an inspirational message about endurance. That, in turn, encourages people to transform obstacles into sources of strength.
“Keep hope alive…It gets dark sometimes, but the morning comes.”
During the 1970s and 1980s Civil Rights Movement, Jackson recited this poem at rallies, schools, and media appearances. Jackson adopted the poem as a well-known declaration of personal value and group respect.
Language Could Be Standing In The Way Of You Getting Ahead At Work, Expert Says
Research suggests that 85% of career success is attributed to strong communication skills but only 15% is due to technical expertise.
From shaping how we make decisions and connect with others to how we think about ourselves, the language we use in everyday life impacts how we think and lead. Language could also play a significant role in getting ahead and securing what you want out of life, according to career coach Erin McGoff.
In an essay forCNBC, McGoff, the founder of AdviceWithErin, offered a few language changes to help people get ahead and demand respect at work.
One of the first swaps people can make is to use open-ended questions instead of closed-ended ones. Avoid questions that can be answered with yes or no. For example, don’t ask HR or your leadership team whether there are opportunities for promotion. McGoff says you should ask which priorities to focus on if you want to get promoted this year.
Another change affects most employees, but especially women, according to studies: apologizing too much. A recent study from Stanford University found that women apologized twice as often as men, even when their performance on tasks was identical. The same study revealed that employees who apologize more are perceived as less competent by their bosses.
McGoff has a solution for this: apologize less and show more gratitude. Instead of saying, “‘Sorry I’m a minute late!’ try, ‘Thank you for waiting. Let’s get started,” she pointed out.
Improving Communication Means More Success
Improving language and communication in the workforce has its perks. Doing so increases productivity by reducing time spent on clarifications and reducing errors. Strong communicators are also typically viewed as leaders, no matter their job title. More importantly, concise communication often gives employees a competitive edge, leading to higher salaries and career advancement.
Ways to become an effective communicator include practicing active listening, maintaining clarity and consistency, and aligning your body with the message.
Less than six months after announcing that Cam Newton and Ashley Nicole Moss would host 106 & Sports, an offshoot of BET’s 106 & Park series, the network is ending it after eight episodes.
According to Complex, the sports show, which debuted Oct. 15, 2025, will not produce any new shows. Viewers can watch the first and only season across BET platforms. The series was recorded at Tyler Perry Studios in Atlanta.
Although the former star NFL quarterback and NFL Most Valuable Player will no longer appear on BET+, Newton still has visibility through his weekly podcast, Funky Friday, which airs on YouTube. He also appears on ESPN’s First Take and agreed to a multi-year contract with the network last summer.
On Funky Friday, controversies often arise from his views and comments. In a recent episode, Newton admitted he can’t and doesn’t have platonic relationships, triggering a backlash.
While speaking with recording artist Demetri Wiley, Newton emphatically stated that he wouldn’t have a platonic (or, as he said it, “play tonic”) relationship with a woman.
“I’m not about to be around no woman platonically. If she’s fine, I’m not about to have her around playing like I don’t think that she’s attractive.”
He also threw in this bon mot: “Hey, we not about to be friends. I don’t have good-looking women that’s friends around me.”
Newton, according to People, has nine kids with multiple women. “I don’t know, wherever much that God gives me,” he said in 2025 when the outlet asked how many more kids he’d want. “But jokingly, and not jokingly, they really give me my purpose and there’s so many different things that I look at to say, they’re my refuge. They’re my peace. They’re my encouragement.”
Supermodel Naomi Campbell Stayed In Epstein’s Orbit But Denies Ties With His Illegal Dealings
Campbell had extensive email communication and access to Epstein and his personal team, including Ghislaine Maxwell and Lesley Groff.
Supermodel Naomi Campbell denies assisting Jeffrey Epstein in his sex-trafficking ring, as her name is revealed to be in the Epstein files over 300 times.
The world-renowned supermodel was acquainted with the billionaire pedophile for years before his death. However, attorneys for the supermodel claim her run-ins with the mogul ended once his predatory behavior was revealed, the New York Times reported. Campbell’s attorneys also insisted that had she seen any women in distress during her rendezvous with Epstein or on his island, she would have intervened.
“Prior to Epstein’s 2019 arrest in New York, my client knew nothing about his appalling criminal conduct,” Campbell’s lawyer Martin Singer wrote in the statement.
“If my client had ever encountered any young woman whom she thought was being victimized by Epstein, she would have personally taken immediate action to help her.”
He added that Ms. Campbell was living in Moscow from 2008 to 2013 and “she had no idea that Epstein was a registered sex offender.”
In a 2020 interview with People, the legendary supermodel shared she was “sickened” by the Epstein allegations.
Campbell’s response comes after new records were released under the Epstein Files Transparency Act. The law forced the U.S. Justice Department to make millions of pages of documents connected to Epstein’s network publicly available. The files include communication logs, event details, and contact lists that mention a wide range of individuals, including Campbell.
The Black Brit had extensive email communication with Epstein and his personal team, including Ghislaine Maxwell and Lesley Groff, his personal assistant. Though Campbell claims to have distanced herself after being made aware of Epstein’s crimes, documentation proves she continued contact after his 2008 conviction of soliciting a minor for prostitution. Records show exchanges about logistics such as travel and meeting arrangements.
“Email exchanges reflect that Ms. Campbell, 55, asked to fly on his private plane and said she would meet Mr. Epstein at his New York mansion. He was invited on her behalf to lavish events around the world. These plans were mostly coordinated through Mr. Epstein’s longtime assistant Lesley Groff,” according to The New York Times.
Some accounts suggest Epstein referenced Campbell when speaking with women at social events. She was also introduced to multiple unnamed victims of Epstein’s at various parties and social events, according to victim interviews.
To date, no evidence has been found that Campbell possessed intimate knowledge of Epstein’s operations. Instead, the documents suggest that her proximity, name, and likeness were being leveraged to make women in Epstein’s camp feel comfortable.
Feb. 17 was Random Acts of Kindness Day, a day that promotes deliberate generosity among people, businesses, and community groups. If you missed it, that’s fine. Random acts of kindness can be practiced anytime.
Studies have shown that kindness produces quantifiable enhancements in personal well-being, workplace morale, and community participation. The Denver-based nonprofit Random Acts of Kindness Foundation created the initiative to show how kindness benefits social and psychological health and to “make kindness the norm,” according to its website.
If you’re interested in hopping on the kindness train and want to make a significant impact, here are a few ways to get started.
Support a Black-owned business with a direct purchase
(Photo: RDNE Stock project/via Pexels)
People who wish to create positive change for those who are marginalized economically can support to a Black-owned businesses through a direct sale. It’s a good idea to verify the business’s status before making purchases to ensure that businesses are Black-owned. You can confirm at physical stores or through the company’s online platform.
Leave a 100% tip for service workers
(Photo by Kelly : https://www.pexels.com/photo/empty-cocktail-glasses-and-money-on-a-table-21771309/)
As a random act of kindness, the recommended tip amount should equal twice the regular payment or completely cover the entire service expense. Service workers who receive tips depend on gratuities because the federal minimum wage for tipped employees stands at $2.13 per hour. One substantial tip from a customer can make a major difference in a worker’s income for the day.
Donate blood
(Photo: Siri Stafford/Getty Images)
The American Red Cross has announced ongoing blood shortages. All healthy adults who meet eligibility criteria can arrange and complete a blood donation as a random act of kindness. A single donation delivers significant help to numerous patients. Blood donations are operated by the American Red Cross at sites nationwide and can be found on the organization’s website.
Write a professional recommendation
(Photo: Oscar Wong/Getty Images)
People who have worked directly with a colleague can make a substantial difference by validating their professional capabilities. This random act of kindness involves sharing a well-written LinkedIn recommendation or formal reference letter to showcase an individual’s strengths effectively. Endorsements help professionals build their careers through social proof and increase their visibility. They might even create career opportunities.
Fund a classroom or youth initiative
(Photo: Getty Images)
This can be as simple as supplying classroom materials or youth enrichment programs to help reduce the financial stress teachers face when they have to purchase these supplies from their own funds. Small donations through DonorsChoose fulfill verified requests quickly to deliver direct benefits to students and educators.
Faith Carmichael Taps Tracy Murrell To Create Art In Historic Atlanta Through BLVDNEXT Arts Initiative
The Integral Group, a Black-owned development company partnered with cultural agency Next to support artists.
The Integral Group, a Black-owned development company, partnered with cultural agency Next to support artists while revamping a historic Atlanta neighborhood with its BLVDNEXT arts initiative. Eventually, the current construction site will be a multi-use complex on 22 acres, replacing the former Atlanta Medical Center. The years-long project could undoubtedly be less than aesthetically pleasing. However, the owner of NEXT, Faith Carmichael, and the Integral Group came up with a plan to decorate construction fencing with murals that speak to the community in transition.
The project’s BLVDNEXT initiative seeks to create a space that honors and respects the present while simultaneously preparing for the future. Carmichael and inaugural artist Tracy Murrell spoke with BLACK ENTERPRISE about the initiative, discussing how visual art plays a part in development and how community history shaped their approach.
Why was it important for art to be involved from the very beginning of this development?
Carmichael: They [are] a Black-owned development company, and over the years of working together, they’ve shown a sincere and authentic commitment to community, to the Atlanta arts ecosystem, and to rising artists of color. This is a space with deep history and legacy, but also a history of disinvestment and real challenges. The question became how we could use the power of art to show that this developer was walking the talk. They were committed to building something that respected the legacy and the stories of the community, not just focusing on the future.
Tracy, as the inaugural artist, what did it feel like to know you were setting the tone for a project that would last for years?
Faith and I have worked together for years. When she calls with an idea, they’re always thoughtful. She never just asks if you want to put work somewhere. She asks if you want to be in conversation.
What kind of response have you seen from the community so far?
When I finally saw how people were responding, friends calling and saying they loved what they were seeing on Boulevard, it validated that the work was speaking to my people. That’s meaningful. It always makes me smile.
How do you think about working with artists as this initiative continues?
Carmichael: Atlanta has an abundance of creative talent. Our role is making sure more people know that. Artists inspire the vision. We already know the talent is there. The work is about engaging artists who are already telling our stories beautifully and giving them space to be seen.
What kinds of stories can the audience expect as the project continues?
Carmichael: Anything and everything we do will tell our stories—the stories of Black and brown communities and the narratives that come from them. Whether artists are Atlanta-based or not, the stories will always be rooted in this city.
Construction in an older, established area can be jarring for long-term residents. The separation of what exists from what will be can create a disconnect. By centering art rather than the finish line, the BLVDNEXT project reimagines what development can look like when it listens first.
Richard White, senior vice president of The Integral Group, told BE the company is determined to “honor the culture of this neighborhood and make it visible, even if others choose not to.”
White insists art is the proper medium to give that visibility as it “holds history, voice, and identity, and those things matter.”
For Murrell and Carmichael, the work is both personal and communal, a living conversation unfolding along a familiar Atlanta corridor. As the site continues to evolve, the art stands as an early promise that legacy, creativity, and community remain inseparable from what comes NEXT.
Meet Dominique Dawson, The Costume Designer Behind Sony Animation’s Bold New Film, ‘GOAT’
The San Francisco native steps into new territory: animation.
Audiences should expect the movie theater to be a jungle thanks to GOAT which opened at the box office Feb.13. Blending global sports culture, next-generation animation and fearless creativity, the Sony Pictures Animation film arrives with serious pedigree, backed by the artists behind K-Pop Demon Hunters and Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, and a production team that includes four-time NBA champion Stephen Curry (who also lends his voice to Lenny the giraffe).
While audiences are sure to be enamored by a cast of athletic animals, the film’s immersive world is stitched together by Emmy-nominated costume designer Dominique Dawson—a multidisciplinary creative whose bold, story-driven work has helped shape projects like Ava DuVernay’s Origin, Donald Glover’s Swarm, and Jordan Peele’s HIM.
With GOAT, the San Francisco native steps into new territory: animation. The original action-comedy centers on Will, a small goat who has a chance to achieve his wildest dream—playing professional roarball, a high-intensity, co-ed, full-contact sport, dominated by the fastest, fiercest animals in the world.
Dawson says she approached the GOAT project intent on building a world that felt culturally grounded and visually authentic.
“I really wanted to step into the world of Vineland,” Dawson tells BLACK ENTERPRISE. “The climate and the actual landscaping of the town is very jungle vibes. It’s hot. There’s a lot of hills—a lot to navigate. So we knew that we couldn’t do a lot of layering with big coats because it just wouldn’t make sense.”
To construct that realism in GOAT, Dawson immersed herself in research.
“I built out decks and jumped into looking at animal movements and anatomy and understanding the different species,” she explained. “Then we jumped into what do these animals do for a living? Being able to have that hierarchy—careers, lawyers, doctors, construction workers—that dictated a lot of their looks.”
For Dawson, animation unlocked a level of creative freedom rarely possible in live action.
“Typically, I have to figure out how I can get my hands on this couture piece—is it going to arrive on time? Is it going to be two times smaller than what they said initially? None of those worries were part of my thinking, which is so freeing,” she says. “I really just got to have at it.
That freedom proved especially important when designing Jett Fillmore, the league’s celebrated MVP, voiced by Gabrielle Union.
“I wanted Jett to feel powerful,” Dawson says. “I played with power suits in the beginning. What I learned is by showing more of her frame, you actually get a better understanding of her swag and femininity.”
She adds, “It still feels like she’s on that line of masculine, feminine vibes.”
The scale of work was massive.
“Even just for one rendering of Jett’s looks, we would do like 60 versions that had all different colorways, adjustments and detailing—and that’s just for one outfit. The main issue was the catwalk looks. That was really where we wanted to make a statement.”
The attention to character extended across the roster, particularly to Will, the undersized rookie determined to prove that “smalls can ball.”
“I studied a lot of street ball—courts like the Rucker and West 4th,” Dawson says. “He’s the one small who, when he comes to the court, wants to appear at least as big as he can. So going in a slimmed-down silhouette is not going to service him. He wants to bulk it out.”
Dawson’s solution was to put Will in a baggier hoodie, layered over longer tees to exaggerate his presence.
“Showing his progression and growth as he gets drafted, he stays in practice gear out the gate, then you get to see him step out in a deconstructed bomber jacket and a variety of looks that show he’s got some paper now, and he can express himself in that way.”
While roarball exists in an all-animal universe, it’s aesthetic is deeply rooted in recognizable cultural touchpoints. Dawson’s own experiences helped anchor that authenticity.
“I grew up playing basketball, so I have a really strong knowledge of the sport,” she says. “I looked at gladiator-type vibes and attending a lot of games myself. I’m a sports fan. I just got off doing two football movies back-to-back, so I have a very clear understanding of fandom and all of that. The gladiator thing added a larger component because this is a global league…The stakes are high and it’s do or die, so we really wanted to showcase that.”
The result is a film that feels both imaginative and familiar. Animation also allowed Dawson to explore design possibilities that would have been impractical or unsafe in live action.
“Modo is one of my favorite characters,” Dawson says, referencing the Komodo dragon voiced by Nick Kroll who is one of the film’s most kinetic characters. “If an actor was wearing tight denim pants with all these belts and piercings, there would be concern about safety…Him doing flips and all of the action and quirkiness he does. We were free of that, and that’s when technology really came into play.”
GOAT’s filmmakers leaned into advanced tools across productions. Recent technical gains have made it possible to render “complex characters, with fur, hair, layered garments and accessories,” a challenge that required teams to carefully balance visual detail within each frame.
For Dawson, those tools, enhanced the emotional impact.
“There was a holographic effect put on the jerseys…it kind of entered this surreal space,” she explains. “Those moments really hit and had an impact.”
While her work happens largely behind the scenes, Dawson sees costume design as foundational to narrative.
“The union that I’m part of has a whole running campaign called ‘Naked Without Us,’ and that really says it all. If there were no costume designers, it really would be a bunch of actors just walking around naked. We are a huge story component.”
As a graduate of the director’s program at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, Dawson approaches each project through a storytelling lens.
“Every choice that we make for the screen needs to support and elevate the story and push it forward,” she says. “I always look to the text—the script—but I also look at it like painting. If there’s too much red over here…there’s a balance in looking at the energies of characters.”
After designing more than 160 episodes of television and collaborating with visionary filmmakers, Dawson remains motivated by creative risk.
“I love the weird. I love strange,” she says. “I’m very much into showing things that we don’t typically see. I’m not just like, ‘Oh, I want to do the standard commercial vibe.’ That’s not me at all.”
That spirit made GOAT a natural fit—a project she describes as grounded in empowerment.
“The main objective is really body positivity and embracing all sizes and empowerment of everyone,” Dawson says. “We really wanted the costumes to reflect that.”
Dawson sees more animation projects in her future.
“Most definitely,” she says when asked about returning to the medium. “You’re on Zoom with illustrators in South Africa or Paris or Canada, and you’re getting to make magic over the computer from home. I love it.”
As animation continues to push the boundaries of technology, culture, and storytelling, designers like Dawson are shaping how audiences connect before a single line is spoken. And if GOAT is any indication, she’s only just getting started.
