The 20th Annual ‘Women Of Power’ Summit Finishes Strong With Powerhouse Programming [PICS]
BLACK ENTERPRISE has done it again
BLACK ENTERPRISE has done it again—presented a powerful Women of Power Summit. Like the 19 summits before it, the 2026 summit is one for the books.
Over 1,500 powerful Black women executives, entrepreneurs, and visionaries held court at Bellagio Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, to celebrate 20 years of Women of Power.
The entire week was loaded with powerful programming, including wellness, workshops, panels, coaching, networking—and partying with like minds. Megan Goode whipped out an incredible workout while Iyanla Vanzant dropped jewels. Jotaka Eaddy, Bozoma Saint John, and Angela Rye shined bright as luminary honorees.
Check it out in the following gallery:
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A Black Female Podcast Host Broke Into The Top 1% Globally — No Ads, No PR, Just Real Conversations
The show highlights voices from entrepreneurship and everyday leadership.
Originally published on BlackNews.com
In a digital world driven by optics and algorithms, authenticity is becoming the rarest currency.
In less than a year, The Real Connect Podcast, hosted by communications and relationship expert Tamika Carlton, rose to the Top 25 in the Relationships category on Apple Podcasts, signaling a growing appetite for conversations that move beyond performance and into truth.
Where social feeds reward curated vulnerability and polished success, The Real Connect centers raw honesty, emotional presence, and lived experience. The show explores grief, burnout, ambition, boundaries, faith, masculinity, and the emotional labor required to “look fine” in a culture that rarely asks if you actually are.
While the show occasionally features recognizable voices like Top Chef Season 22 winner Tristen Epps and Law & Order: Organized Crime star Danielle Moné Truitt, its growth has never depended on celebrity appeal. The conversations themselves are honest, vulnerable, and often unexpectedly revealing, with guests sharing reflections and experiences they didn’t necessarily plan to discuss.
The show also highlights voices from entrepreneurship and everyday leadership, including Nayana Ferguson, the first Black woman to found a tequila brand; Rachel Kennedy, an author, entrepreneur, and relationship builder; and Tiffani Hawes, one of Atlanta’s best-known closing attorneys.
The mix of recognizable figures and everyday leaders reflects the core premise of The Real Connect: meaningful connection isn’t reserved for the famous. Real connection is felt, not performed. It happens when people are willing to show up honestly and share the parts of their story that often go unspoken.
Carlton’s mission is personal. Having lost her father suddenly and later facing the possibility of losing her husband unexpectedly, she was confronted with a truth many avoid: connection is not a lifestyle accessory. It is survival.
“We’re surrounded by people playing roles,” says Carlton. “But when life breaks you open, performance doesn’t hold you. People do.”
At a time when one in four adults reports frequent loneliness and public trust in institutions continues to decline, The Real Connect offers a space where truth is prioritized over image and emotional depth over engagement metrics.
“If we made more intentional effort toward our partners, our friendships, our colleagues through kindness, accountability, and remembering each other’s humanity, we wouldn’t be living in such deep division,” Carlton adds. “Disconnection doesn’t just harm relationships. It destabilizes everything.”
Tamika Carlton is a relationship and communications expert, entrepreneur, and author, leading an urgent cultural conversation about connection in an increasingly disconnected digital world. She is the visionary behind The Real Connect Podcast, which reached the Top 25 on Apple Podcasts in less than a year. Her message is clearly resonating, with a rapidly expanding audience seeking deeper, more meaningful connections.
Through her growing platform, she is on a mission to build a community of 1 million people committed to cultivating authentic human connection, challenging the reality that only 14 percent of people report being truly happy today. For more information, visit TamikaCarlton
Giving Up Your American Passport? It Just Got 80% Cheaper To Renounce Citizenship
The State Department rule reduces cost of giving up U.S. nationality from $2,350 to $450, citing efforts to ease financial barriers.
The U.S. Department of State has sharply reduced the fee required for Americans who wish to formally give up their U.S. citizenship, lowering the charge from $2,350 to $450 under a new rule that took effect March 13. Officials said the updated price restores the cost to the same amount the government charged when it first introduced a fee for citizenship renunciation in 2010. The adjustment, originally announced in 2023 but only recently implemented, was described as a policy change designed to lessen the financial burden on applicants seeking a Certificate of Loss of Nationality.
The certificate is issued after individuals complete the formal process of renouncing citizenship outside the United States.
Applicants must appear before a U.S. diplomatic or consular officer abroad and confirm both verbally and in writing that they understand the consequences before taking an official oath of renunciation. The State Department then reviews the request before granting approval and issuing the document.
According to Fox News, government officials previously raised the fee significantly in 2015, increasing it from $450 to $2,350. At the time, the higher price was intended in part to help cover administrative costs as the number of Americans seeking to give up their citizenship grew in the early 2010s. According to the State Department, the number of applications rose from 956 cases in 2010 to 3,436 in 2014.
The department now estimates that roughly 4,661 people apply each year for a Certificate of Loss of Nationality. Despite the price reduction, officials said the new $450 charge still falls short of the government’s actual processing expenses. The change is expected to decrease federal revenue from the fee by about $8.9 million annually. Funds collected through the charge are deposited into the U.S. Treasury rather than used to support the State Department’s consular operations.
Advocacy groups representing Americans living abroad had long criticized the higher fee. Some organizations argued that the cost created an unnecessary obstacle to people attempting to exercise their legal right to renounce citizenship. Legal challenges were filed contesting the policy, including claims that the process should not carry any fee at all.
One of those groups, the Association of Accidental Americans, welcomed the change. Its president, Fabien Lehagre, said in a statement that the reduction “acknowledges the necessity of making this fundamental right accessible to all.”
Lehagre noted that the decision followed years of advocacy from the organization. According to the group, thousands of individuals paid the previous $2,350 fee after the government first announced plans to reduce the charge but before the new rule took effect.
While the updated policy lowers the financial barrier, the State Department has not released new data on how many Americans have recently renounced their citizenship.
Former Security Guard For Rep. Jasmine Crockett Fatally Shot During Police Standoff In Dallas
Diamon-Mazairre Robinson, 39, had an active federal warrant for impersonating a police officer.
A former security guard for Rep. Jasmine Crockett was fatally shot Wednesday, March 11 during a police standoff in Dallas.
CBS News Texasreported that Diamon-Mazairre Robinson, 39, recently served as a member of the politician’s security team and went by the alias of Mike King.
A federal investigation into Robinson led to a standoff with the Dallas Fugitive Unit, who had an active warrant for Robinson impersonating a police officer. Robinson reportedly had seven arrests for theft, all occurring between 2009 and 2012.
CBS News reports that he pleaded guilty to his sentences for those convictions, but was fined no more than $2,500 and sentences of probation from 1 to 5 years, and in one case, 10 years.
He used an alias to launch several businesses, including helping off-duty cops find security gigs.
Officers discovered Robinson as he barricaded himself inside a vehicle parked at the Children’s Medical Center in Dallas.
CBS News reported that officers used tear gas to lure Robinson out of the vehicle. Robinson exited the car, pointing a gun at the officers.
During a press conference shared on social media, Chief Daniel C. Comeaux of the Dallas Police Department confirmed Robinson died during the standoff.
Before his death, Robinson, using his alias to impersonate a police officer himself, also oversaw security teams at hotels across downtown Dallas, as well as his local church. Despite his criminal background, Robinson was able to gain access to the high-profile security gig with Crockett.
Robinson worked with Crockett as recently as this year. The local news outlet confirmed his identity in pictures with the congresswoman during her failed run for U.S. Senate.
Neither Crockett nor her press team has released a comment on Robinson.
Lord Sear, the DJ and hip-hop radio host who became a familiar voice to fans through his work on Shade 45, has died at the age of 52.
News of his death was shared March 11 through a statement on his social media accounts. A cause of death was not immediately disclosed, as reported by TMZ.
Sear, whose career spanned decades across radio, music, and live touring, built a reputation as a major presence in hip-hop broadcasting. A tribute posted to his Instagram page highlighted his lasting impact, stating that “he was more than a voice on the radio—he was a force, a friend, and family to so many of us.”
The radio personality became closely associated with Eminem after joining the rapper’s SiriusXM channel, Shade 45, when it launched in 2004. The station quickly became a central platform for hip-hop programming, and Sear was described as a key member of the channel’s team from its earliest days.
Eminem paid tribute to his longtime collaborator in a message shared on social media. “Sear was one of the greatest people to be around, I will never forget how he made me laugh on our tour together,” the rapper wrote.
Eminem added that Sear “made the world a better place and I’m gonna seriously miss that.”
Sear was one of the greatest people to be around, I will never forget how he made me laugh on our tour together. Our time on @Shade45 together was always some of my favorite interviews. He made the world a better place and I’m gonna seriously miss that. Rest in peace Lil Trey… pic.twitter.com/JXs6mVzPKG
Beyond radio broadcasting, Sear was involved in multiple areas of hip-hop entertainment. He toured with Eminem during the “Anger Management Tour” in the early 2000s and worked as a rapper, DJ, and producer. His voice also appeared in video games such as Grand Theft Auto III and Grand Theft Auto IV, expanding his presence beyond the music industry.
Sear initially gained recognition while touring with rapper Kurious. He later became involved with the influential college radio program Stretch Armstrong and Bobbito, a show widely credited with introducing future hip-hop stars like Jay-Z, Nas, and the Wu-Tang Clan to wider audiences.
Sear also collaborated musically with a variety of artists, appearing on projects with performers such as Beastie Boys and Big Pun. In recent years, he hosted his own program on SiriusXM, The Lord Sear Special.
Following news of his passing, numerous artists and entertainers expressed their condolences online. Actor Jaleel White wrote in the comments beneath the tribute that he would never return to the SiriusXM building without thinking of Sear, describing him as someone whose “spirit was gynormous.”
Hip-hop artists including Xzibit, Ludacris, E-40, and Fat Joe also shared messages honoring his life and contributions.
With decades spent promoting hip-hop music and artists, Sear’s voice became a recognizable part of the genre’s radio landscape. Colleagues say his enthusiasm, humor, and dedication to the culture made him an enduring figure within the community he helped amplify.
Hip-Hop Legend Fab 5 Freddy Chronicles Graffiti, Music, And Culture In Memoir ‘Everybody’s Fly’
The memoir examines how Freddy helped bridge the worlds of graffiti art, music, film, and fashion during hip-hop’s formative years.
Hip-hop pioneer Fab 5 Freddy recently appeared in Atlanta for a special cultural event combining a book discussion and a screening of a landmark hip-hop film.
Hosted by A Cappella Books at the Tara Theatre, the March 12 event included a conversation with Freddy about his autobiography, Everybody’s Fly: A Life of Art, Music, and Changing the Culture, followed by a screening of the 1982 film Wild Style. The event was moderated by cultural journalist Christopher Daniel and aimed to explore Freddy’s influence on the development of hip-hop as both a musical movement and a broader artistic culture.
As reported by Arts ATL, the memoir traces the career of the Brooklyn-born personality, whose real name is Frederick Brathwaite, and examines how he helped bridge the worlds of graffiti art, music, film, and fashion during hip-hop’s formative years. Freddy was deeply involved in the cultural movement as it grew from an underground scene in New York City into a worldwide phenomenon.
In the book’s introduction, Freddy reflects on his mission to elevate graffiti into a recognized art form.
“I [was] determined to bring graffiti-inspired art into the art world for real,” he writes. “I hooked up with the downtown post-punk scene, where everything was avant-garde: art, music, film, fashion.” He adds that by connecting that artistic community with the emerging rap scene from uptown New York, “we helped evolve it into the global force we call Hip-Hop.”
Hip-hop and art pioneer Fab 5 Freddy’s new memoir is a love letter and eulogy to an intensely fertile and creative period in New York.
Wild Style is widely considered one of the earliest films to portray hip-hop culture. The movie follows the fictional story of a graffiti artist navigating New York’s underground creative scene. Freddy co-produced the film and composed its score and appeared as a promoter and former graffiti writer.
The film also features several influential figures from hip-hop’s early days, including DJs, dancers, and graffiti artists who helped shape the movement. Its depiction of street art, breakdancing, and rap music captured a moment when the culture was still developing in neighborhoods across New York.
Freddy’s career expanded beyond the street art and music scenes. He became a music video producer, actor, and host of the influential MTV program, Yo! MTV Raps, which introduced hip-hop to a wider television audience during the late 1980s and early 1990s. His collaborations and connections stretched across multiple creative worlds, bringing together artists, musicians, and designers.
Freddy credits his understanding of culture from writer Albert Murray: “For a culture to be complete, it must have its own music, dance, and visual art—an interconnection among three elements.”
Oprah And H.E.R. Tap Sheldon Candis To Direct Their HBCU Series, ‘The B Side’
The show is another project in development focusing on the diverse lives and culture found at HBCUs.
Oprah Winfrey and H.E.R. have found the director for their upcoming HBCU drama series.
Titled The B-Side, the show is being developed by the Black-women-producing duo of Winfrey and H.E.R. The show will focus on the students and communities surrounding Historically Black Colleges and Universities.
Now, the series has gained more momentum with Sheldon Candis appointed to the director’s chair, as reported by HBCU Buzz. A Baltimore native, Candis has directed multiple projects, such as the 2012 feature Luv and 2022 DC Comics superhero series Naomi. The USC Film School graduate also directed an episode for Colin in Black & White, a 2021 limited series based on the life of former NFL quarterback and racial justice activist Colin Kaepernick.
Now, Candis will help lead this new series focusing on this unique sector of Black America. The series will center on students as they matriculate through these esteemed institutions, exploring their identity, ambition, and sacrifices to reach their dreams beyond graduation.
The B-Side will also offer viewers a widened scope on the culture and challenges surrounding these schools. Since 90s sitcom A Different World first aired, a modern interest in HBCUs has grown. Now, this project aims to take viewers back to the yard.
The coming-of-age drama speeds up development as another HBCU series, a Netflix reboot of the beloved Cosby Show spinoff, begins production. While that show will expand upon the characters and community at the fictional Hillman College, The B Side will offer another story in HBCU storytelling.
With Candis now involved in the project, the show can continue its search for a cast and a network for distribution. The news comes amid reports that another HBCU project involving Winfrey and H.E.R., a dance-related film titled Major, has signed on Jamal Sims as its director, as reported by Deadline.
As several HBCU-focused projects get ready for production, the entertainment landscape is now making way for underrepresented stories to take over the big and small screen.
Oklahoma Therapist Wins Trademark Battle Against DoorDash
DoorDash opposed the Black woman founder's trademark request over her business' similar name to the food delivery service.
A woman from Oklahoma City has won a lengthy legal battle with DoorDash over their similar business names.
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office ruled in favor of Dr. Ashley Bryant after DoorDash tried to deny the trademark request for her therapy business. According to News 4, the longtime therapist became her own legal team as the food delivery service tried to thwart her efforts to run her business.
DoorDash felt Bryant’s company name, Leaddash.io, sounded too similar to its own and would confuse its customer base. Bryant created Leaddash.io to help therapists establish their own practices. However, she ran into a legal clash with the multimillion-dollar company a year later over her name choosing.
“Whenever you get something like that from this big billion-dollar company, it’s very jarring,” Bryant said.
A months-long legal fight with the company DoorDash ended in favor of a metro woman. She took on the multi-billion-dollar company on her own when they opposed her request to trademark her therapy business by arguing its name was too similar to theirs.https://t.co/733u3N7oTX
Instead of bowing down, Bryant decided to take on the opposition. Representing herself, she went up against their high-profile lawyers to defend her case and keep her business name.
She added, “I had to educate myself on trademark rules and how to file motions and all of these things… It definitely was a lot of late nights reading motions, filing motions, reading trademark rules.”
The legal battle went on for months until the Patent Office decided to side with Bryant. Now, the Black business owner can keep her name and not face legal opposition from DoorDash again. The board also dismissed the case with prejudice.
With DoorDash off her back and no attorney fees accrued, Bryant is a rare success story of a small business winning against a major company.
“The small business is usually the one to walk away, but since I didn’t walk away, I kept fighting. In the end, DoorDash decided they were going to walk away,” she said.
Now, she awaits her official trademark of Leaddash.io from the patent office as she embarks on a new era of business.
Afrikaner U-Turn: White South Africans Who Fled To America Now Head Back, Saying the US Is Unsafe
Trump launched a refugee program for white South Africans in 2025.
While Trump has claimed that white South Africans face persecution in their home country, some have actually deemed it a safer option than the United States.
Initially, many white South Africans immigrated to the United States out of safety and persecution fears in the African nation. However, the “white flight” back to South Africa comes from the ongoing news of U.S. citizens’ killings, often at the hands of law enforcement, ICE agents, or random shooters with any motive to cause harm.
Some white South Africans have found the violence too much to handle, repatriating to South Africa for a better sense of safety.
“People are being shot in broad daylight. American citizens are being shot and killed,” shared Andrew Veitch, who moved to California in 2003, toldd Reuters. “I don’t want to live in a place like this.”
Many white South Africans who migrated out of the country received a warm welcome by President Trump. Trump had claimed that the group faced discrimination by their majority-Black government, an assertion denounced by the South African capital city of Pretoria.
However, the end of apartheid also resulted in the end of white-minority rule, allowing for more agency and political positions for native Black South Africans. Under claims of job search difficulty and high crime, white South Africans sought livelihoods elsewhere.
Now, those who ventured to the U.S. have opted to reclaim their citizenship and head back to the southern hemisphere. A new “Return to South Africa” movement has also sparked across the United States and Europe, despite Trump’s own refugee program for Afrikaners. Around 3,500 white South Africans have come to the U.S. through this program, although global sentiment toward life in South Africa has shifted.
“My heart is just full of gratefulness to be here,” shared Naomi Saphire, who returned to South Africa after raising her young family in North Carolina. “The U.S. has been really good to me (but) I just felt like I was depriving my kids of this life.”
Several claims that white people remain disenfranchised in South Africa lack statistical backing. The unemployment rate for Black people grossly overshadows the rates for whites, listed at 35% and 8%, respectively, from data obtained by Stats SA and shared on the news outlet.
Other statistics, such as farm murders, also negatively impact Black South Africans more. This, alongside the growing repatriation movement, further undermines Trump’s refugee program.
Hendrix Hart, Son Of Kevin Hart, Commits To Tennessee To Run Track
Kevin Hart's eldest son, Hendrix, will run in the sprints for the school.
Kevin Hart is now the proud parent of a Tennessee athlete. His son, Hendrix Hart, has committed to the University of Tennessee to run track.
While Hart established himself as a modern king of comedy, Hendrix made his own lane in track and field. The celebrity son’s talent spoke for itself, as the senior at the exclusive Sierra Canyon School in Calabasas, California, intends to grow his skills as a University of Tennessee Volunteer.
The proud dad announced the news on social media, boasting to his 176 million followers about his son’s accomplishment. Hendrix is known for sprinting and intends to run for Tennessee next season.
“Proud of you son…. The sky is the limit,” exclaimed the 46-year-old actor in the caption. “Continue to raise your personal bar…. I can’t wait to see what you do next!!!! We all love you champ …..”
Hendrix is one of two children shared by Hart and his first wife, Torrei Hart. Some of Hart’s fellow famous fathers, such as Nelly and Lebron James, also congratulated their Hollywood “nephew” in the post.
“Yessir nephew,” wrote James in the comments.
As for Tennessee, the Home of the Volunteers also expressed its excitement about its upcoming freshman.
“We’re building a great program here, and we think he’ll contribute to that tremendously,” Tennessee coach Duane Ross told ESPN. “This is a humble young man that’s just excited to get his path going, wants to be good and create his own thing.”
The coach even remarked on the young Hart’s willingness to work hard and prove himself. He shared how the high schooler was “ready to work” to become one of the best in track.
“What did it for me was this is just a good young man. He shook my hand and he told me how good he wanted to be, how he was ready to work. The first thing I told him was ‘Hey, you come here, you’re gonna have to earn it,’ and he said ‘Coach, I want to earn it,'” added Ross.
Ross also noted the similarities between him and the elder Hart. He described them both as fathers who want their sons to build their own legacy.
“One of the things we had in common is that we both have sons and we were extremely proud of them but we want them to get out there and earn their own way,” Ross said. “We talked in detail about how he wanted his son to make his own way for himself, and we really bonded over that. … He was cracking jokes here and there, but we talked sons, which was great.”
While Hendrix races to his own path, he has a supportive school and family behind him as he begins his collegiate athletic journey.
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