• Politics

by Sharelle B. McNair

March 12, 2026

Bennie Thompson Shows Seniority Is Still Popular After Handing Young Opponents An Upset In Mississippi Primary Election 

'Seniority is how you get things done in Washington,' the senior congressman said.

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Adding to his 30-year-long resume, Rep. Bennie Thompson won the March 10 Democratic Party primary election to serve Mississippi’s 2nd Congressional District for another term, the Associated Press reports.

At 78 years young, Thompson defeated two Democratic opponents, Evan Turnage and Pertis Williams III, to face the unidentified Republican candidate this November. He celebrated the victory on social media, saying he was “grateful” to voters for their faith in his leadership. “I didn’t begin this journey at the top or with a roadmap. As Langston Hughes wrote, life has not been a crystal stair. Every challenge only strengthened my resolve to expand access and opportunity,” he said on X. 

“Thank you for the faith and the honor of serving you.”

With calls for younger leadership on Capitol Hill, Turnage, 34, had support from leaders after serving as counsel to then-Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren. But Thompson says experience is the way of the game and says there is still work to be done. “Seniority is how you get things done in Washington,” the senior congressman said. 

As Democrats fight to retake control of the House in November, if successful, Thompson will become chair of the committee overseeing the Department of Homeland Security. He says he looks forward to getting back to Congress to seek transparency around the battle in Iran and a partial government shutdown. “We have to get Donald Trump in check,” the Democratic leader said.

His leadership hasn’t gone unnoticed by colleagues and voters. He is the only Democrat to represent Mississippi in Congress as his majority-Black district spans the western part of the state between central Mississippi and the Mississippi River, according to The Hill. 

Turnage was hoping to add to that lineage, campaigning on a message of economic populism and positioning himself as an understanding leader who would impose regulations on Big Tech and artificial intelligence. But despite his defeat, he wishes Thompson well — but just hopes he will take things up a notch. “I can only wish Rep. Thompson the best and hope that being granted another term pushes him to meet this moment,” Turnage said in a conceding statement. “Our people cannot afford another decade of the same.”

Voters like Dyamone White think Thompson has done just fine. White went to high school with Turnage but voted for Thompson instead. The small business owner, who has a business next door to the congressman’s Bolton, Mississippi, office, said, “his leadership and decades of service to the district and the state of Mississippi is nothing that should be forgotten.” “He has served his district well,” the voter said.

RELATED CONTENT: Congressman Bennie Thompson Awards $3 Million in Community Project Funding to Jackson State University

• Arts and Culture

by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman

March 12, 2026

Student-Led Project Archives Black Women’s Diaries From Reconstruction Era And Beyond

Student researchers-turned-coders transcribe and digitize each diary entry.

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The student-led Black Women’s Diaries Project is creating a digital archive of these inner writings from the 19th- and early 20th-century eras.

Conducted by a dozen scholars at The College of William & Mary, the project attempts to digitize Black women’s history through this unique sector of diary entries. Listed as a one-credit Digital Humanities Lab at the Virginia-based University, BWDP aims to source and archive these writings, getting an intimate look at Black women’s everyday thoughts during this tumultuous period in U.S. history.

The digital archive is a multi-year effort, according to W&M News, with an expected debut of 12 diaries in October 2026. Students who initially stumbled upon the class have become champions of its mission, especially as it sheds new light on the livelihoods of Black women.

“Black women’s history is important to me — it’s my history,” shared college junior, Mia Hunt. “This has given me more knowledge.”

The project will launch with its first archive on the 1902 diary of Florence Barber. However, the idea first came to life through the research of Jennifer Putzi, a Professor of English & Gender, Sexuality and Women’s Studies at the university.

Putzi was drafting her own work on the diary of another Black woman, Frances Anne Rollin, during the Reconstruction period. Rollin was a writer and scholar during this era, as Putzi’s own investigation into her life led her to uncover additional journals by Black women of the time.

Together with the class, the team works on the transcription and coding of each entry, cementing it in history after years of marginalization. Upon completion, site visitors will have access not only to the entries but also to additional sourced context from newspaper research and other documents.

“There’s no project quite like this,” Putzi said. “Plenty of sites cover correspondence, but not diaries. We’re adapting code, inventing workflows and learning together.”

The project does not lack hurdles, however, as natural disasters or a lack of documentation make sourcing context for some diarists harder. However, researchers push through these obstacles to learn more about their realities.

BWDP also allows aspiring sociologists and historians to develop a new skill in coding, as the project combines this technological discipline with the goal of digitally documenting Black history.

“What I’ve learned is that Black history flows through every field — science, sociology, education,” shared another student researcher, Micah Hutchings. “I used to think of Black history as something separate, but Black history is everywhere.”

The diaries are often small, as nearly illegible cursive writing with faded ink makes the transcriptions harder. However, each successful archive adds another layer to Black women’s history and a deeper understanding of the struggles and triumphs they faced.

RELATED CONTENT: Minding Our Business: From The Nile To Now—How Dr. Ben Built The Foundation Of Modern Afrocentric Thought

• Education

by Mitti Hicks

March 12, 2026

New Study Explores Health Impacts On Black Professors In Academic Workplaces

Black professors constitute only 6% of all faculty in U.S. colleges and universities, compared with 14% of Black students.

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A group of Black professors is banding together to launch a first-of-its-kind study: the Black Professors Study (BPS). This national institutional initiative will create the first integrated epidemiologic, governance, and legal dataset on Black faculty in the United States.

While it’s proven that diverse faculty can improve research innovation, student success, and institutional accountability, Black professors remain underrepresented and structurally unsupported, according to those leading the study.

The dataset is designed to generate “actionable evidence” for university leaders, policymakers, legal stakeholders, and public health leaders to strengthen faculty equity, institutional accountability, academic governance, and inform population health strategy.

According to Pew Research, Black professors constitute only 6% of all faculty in U.S. colleges and universities, compared with 14% of Black students.

As BPS researchers point out, faculty of color continue to report challenges related to workload distribution and institutional climate that may have significant implications for their well-being and retention. Unfortunately, institutions lack systematically collected data on health outcomes among faculty of color, hindering the development of evidence-based interventions.

The BPS will begin at Columbia University before expanding nationwide. The study will include 1,000 Black faculty from diverse U.S. higher education institutions, using stratified random sampling to ensure a representative sample across key dimensions, including institution type, faculty rank, tenure status, and disciplinary field.

This pilot will examine relationships between workplace experiences (e.g., grant terminations), productivity (e.g., time spent working on publications), sleep (e.g., sleep quality), and mental health (e.g., anxiety) among faculty of color.  

“BPS is built to support institutional redesign. The initiative applies population health methods to examine how institutional and legal structures shape the health and career trajectories of Black faculty,” said Dustin T. Duncan, ScD, principal investigator and associate dean for health equity research at Columbia University.

He continued, “We are developing a dataset that can inform how universities govern, policies function in practice, and the law (including court decisions) shapes the lived realities and health of Black faculty.”

RELATED CONTENT: Over 30 Colleges And Universities Cut Ties With Program Promoting Diversity In Academia

• Women of Power Summit

by BLACK ENTERPRISE Editors

March 11, 2026

Black Enterprise CEO Earl ‘Butch’ Graves Jr. Delivers Powerful Call To Action During ‘Women Of Power’ Legacy Awards Gala

Graves closed by asking attendees to imagine how history will judge today’s moment.

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Earl “Butch” Graves Jr. delivered a pointed call to action during his opening remarks at the 2026 Legacy Awards Gala, which marked the 20th anniversary of the BLACK ENTERPRISE Women of Power Summit.

Addressing a room of executives, entrepreneurs, and cultural leaders, Graves celebrated two decades of honoring Black women’s leadership while warning that the current climate threatens hard-won progress.

“It is my honor and pleasure to welcome you to the Legacy Awards Gala for our 20-year milestone of the one and only Women of Power Summit,” Graves, the president and CEO of BE, said. “At BLACK ENTERPRISE, we will always celebrate the persistence, creativity, determination, diligence, genius, integrity, and faith we draw upon to succeed every day of our lives.”

Graves said the moment demands more than celebration. He noted that the broader environment has grown increasingly hostile to the ambitions of Black Americans—particularly Black women in the workforce.

“We cannot ignore the fact that the current environment has become undeniably hostile to the ambitions of Black people—and especially Black women,” Graves said. “More than 300,000 Black women became unemployed or left the workforce between February and July 2025 alone.”

The Legacy Awards recognize the achievements of prominent women whose careers have reshaped industries and opened doors for future generations.

Graves framed the moment as a test of leadership across corporate America.

“To those of you on boards and in executive suites, regardless of your race or gender: you know what is happening is wrong for your shareholders, employees, and customers,” he said. “It is unacceptable to be present but silent. Silence equals complicity.”

He urged executives to speak out against the growing backlash targeting diversity, equity, and opportunity initiatives.

“It’s time for you to stand up and speak up and say: enough,” Graves said.

The summit’s mission, he emphasized, extends beyond recognition ceremonies and networking opportunities. Graves challenged attendees to view their influence through the lens of generational responsibility.

“These extraordinary times require extraordinary women—and extraordinary action,” he said. “What we do here is about more than being present. It’s about doubling down on the purpose and mission of the Women of Power Summit.”

Graves closed by asking attendees to imagine how history will judge today’s moment.

“One day your grandchildren will ask what you were doing during this time of backlash against diversity and equal opportunity in America,” he said. “Will you have nothing to offer—or will you have used your voice, exercised your influence, and taken a stand?”

RELATED CONTENT: BLACK ENTERPRISE 2026 ‘Women Of Power’ Summit Kicks Off 20 Years Of Fab And The Swag Bag Is Lit

• News

by Kandiss Edwards

March 11, 2026

Michael Jackson Accusers Will Not See Their Day In Court, For Now

After the ruling, Howard King, an attorney for the 3 Cascio siblings released a statement saying the perceived victory is meaningless.

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The estate of Michael Jackson can celebrate a legal victory in a lawsuit alleging child sex trafficking. A California judge ruled that the dispute must proceed through private arbitration rather than open court.

Attorneys for the Jackson estate argued that a prior agreement signed by members of the Cascio family required that disputes arising from the allegations be resolved through arbitration. In a statement following the ruling, estate attorney Marty Singer said the court determined that “there is a valid and binding arbitration provision,” rejecting the plaintiffs’ argument that the agreement was unfair. 

The plaintiffs identified in court filings as siblings Edward, Dominic, Marie-Nicole, and Aldo Cascio, allege that Jackson groomed them with gifts, according to documents obtained by People. Additionally, they claim he lured them into a comfortable space with travel opportunities and access to his celebrity lifestyle before subjecting them to abuse. The lawsuit also claims the singer supplied alcohol and drugs and exposed the children to pornography. 

After the ruling, Howard King, an attorney for the three Cascio siblings, released a statement saying the perceived victory is meaningless in the larger scheme. Only Frank Cascio is required to attend the arbitration; the remaining three siblings can proceed with their case, King said. 

“The only matter moving to arbitration is the Estate’s groundless claims against Frank Cascio that he attempted to extort the Estate…Given that Frank was already participating in an arbitration, the decision was not noteworthy. The decision does not affect the Federal Court action brought against the Jackson companies by the other 4 Cascio children,” he added.

Jackson’s estate has denied the allegations and described the claims as inconsistent with past public statements. The Cascio family had previously been questioned and had defended the singer during his lifetime.

“For decades, Frank Cascio and his siblings consistently and repeatedly insisted that Michael Jackson never harmed them or anyone else. That includes their statements lauding Michael in a nationally televised interview with Oprah Winfrey, which directly contradicts what they are claiming now,” Marty Singer, a Jackson estate attorney, said in a statement.

The case is only one in many legal disputes tied to Jackson’s legacy. The pop star, who died in 2009 at 50 years old, faced several accusations of child sexual abuse.  However, he denied wrongdoing and was acquitted of all criminal charges in a high-profile 2005 trial. 

Although the court’s decision does not resolve the allegations themselves, the ruling significantly changes how the case will move forward. Arbitration proceedings typically occur outside public view and are governed by different rules than traditional civil trials. This allows the proceeding to commence without being tried in the court of public opinion. Though the King of Pop prevailed in his previous lawsuit, the public nature of the allegations and subsequent trial damaged both his personal and professional image. While he is no longer alive to deal with the backlash from the allegations, his legacy remains strong. 

RELATED CONTENT: Michael Jackson Biopic Taps;Human Jukebox, Sonic Boom And ;Marching 100; To Honor His Legacy

• Sports

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

March 11, 2026

NFL Player Bryan Cook Back Where It All Began—Joins Bengals In Hometown Return

The Super Bowl winner has inked a three-year deal with the team.

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Cincinnati native and Howard University alumnus Bryan Cook has just signed a contract to play for his hometown team, the Bengals.

According to ESPN, the deal that the defensive back inked is for three years and $42.5 million. The former Kansas City Chiefs player is coming off his best NFL season.

Cook had a career-high six pass breakups and 85 tackles this past season, his fourth in the NFL. He has won two Super Bowls in his four-year career. While playing in six postseason games, Cook has recorded 17 tackles.

HBCU Gameday has reported that Cook’s contract has $14 million in guaranteed money and will make approximately $13.4 million over the course of the deal.

In his hometown of Ohio, he played at Mount Healthy High School, earning First-Team All-Southwest Ohio Conference honors in 2016. After his stellar play in high school, he was offered a scholarship from Howard University. While at the famed HBCU from 2017 to 2018, he played in 21 games, recording 93 tackles, 17 passes defended, and 5 interceptions, including 1 returned for a touchdown.

After his stint at Howard, he returned home to transfer to the University of Cincinnati, where he became one of the top defensive backs in the American Athletic Conference. In 2021, after finishing the season with 96 tackles, nine passes defended, and two interceptions, he was recognized for his play with First-Team All-AAC honors.

The following year, the Chiefs selected him with the 62nd overall pick in the second round of the NFL Draft. During his time in Kansas City, he played in 62 regular-season games, starting 47. He recorded 238 total tackles, three interceptions, and 15 passes defended.

Now, Cook gets to say that he has played high school, college, and now, NFL football, in his home state. 

RELATED CONTENT: Super Bowl Champion Matt Snell Dead At 84

• News

by Kandiss Edwards

March 11, 2026

Dionne Warwick Countersues Rights Firm For Stealing Millions In Royalties

She claims that for more than two decades, AREC has unlawfully continued to collect royalties.

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Legendary R&B singer Dionne Warwick has filed a countersuit against her old music rights company, accusing the firm of improperly taking millions of dollars in royalties from her recordings.

According to Billboard, Warwick filed a countersuit against Artists Rights Enforcement Corp. (AREC), a rights management firm that had represented her for more than two decades. Warwick is attempting to recover unpaid royalties tied to her early catalog. 

The new counterclaim lawsuit claims that AREC went beyond the parties’ 2001 limited arrangement agreement, ultimately collecting half of nearly all revenue generated from her early work. She claims that for more than two decades, AREC has unlawfully continued to collect royalties. According to reports, AREC neglected to provide sufficient accounting documentation to justify the payments.

The dispute centers on Warwick’s classic 1964 recording “Walk on By,” which experienced renewed commercial life after it was sampled in Doja Cat’s chart-topping song, “Paint the Town Red.” AREC claims it negotiated the sampling agreement and is therefore entitled to a share of royalties generated from the track. 

The company has argued in court filings that Warwick’s catalog earnings increased significantly through its work managing royalty recovery efforts and negotiating settlements with record companies. Attorneys for the firm claim their efforts are responsible for boosting Warwick’s royalty income “sixtyfold.”

The company cites agreements with companies such as Warner Music and Sony, and with royalty organizations such as SoundExchange and the U.K. collection society PPL. Warwick’s legal team vehemently disputes those claims.

Warwick, whose career spans more than six decades, remains one of pop and R&B’s most influential vocalists. Additionally, her work has been foundational in creating some of the most famous R&B covers, including Luther Vandross’ “A House Is Not a Home” and Aretha Franklin’s “Say a Little Prayer.”

RELATED CONTENT: Dionne Warwick’s Anticipated Biopic And Gift Book On The Horizon

• Celebrity News

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

March 11, 2026

Dr. Dre Joins The Billionaire Ranks On Latest Forbes List

Dr. Dre officially joins Forbes' Billionaires list.

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Although he declared himself hip-hop’s first billionaire over a decade ago, Dr. Dre has now officially reached billionaire status, according to Forbes’ 2026 Billionaires List.

According to the new list, Dr. Dre ranks No. 3,332 among the world’s richest people, tying with figures such as Jared Kushner, Rihanna, steel magnate Richard Teets Jr., and others. Dre now joins what Forbes calls “an elite group of celebrities who have recently crossed the three-comma threshold.”

Of the 22 billionaire entertainers the outlet has identified, nearly half have joined the ranks in the past three years. Dre also becomes just the sixth musician on the list, alongside Beyoncé and Jay-Z, as well as Taylor Swift, Bruce Springsteen, and Rihanna.

Dr. Dre’s official entry onto the billionaire list comes more than a decade after he famously declared, “They need to update the Forbes list — sh-t just changed,” following the $3 billion sale of Beats by Dre to Apple with partner Jimmy Iovine, a deal that later became part of Apple Music.

Dr. Dre and Jay-Z are now the only two hip-hop figures among the billionaire ranks. Sean “Diddy” Combs was widely reported to have reached billionaire status in 2022, fueled by his liquor partnerships with Cîroc and DeLeón, Revolt TV, and his music catalog. However, a series of legal troubles, broken business deals, and lawsuits have since reduced his fortune, with estimates placing his net worth at $400 million or less as of 2024–2025.

Elon Musk tops the 2026 billionaire list for the second year in a row, with a record-breaking net worth of $839 billion. His fortune jumped by about $500 billion over the past year, fueled by rising valuations of Tesla and SpaceX, which is expected to go public in 2026. Musk is the first person to surpass $800 billion and is edging closer to becoming the world’s first trillionaire.

Google cofounders Larry Page ($257 billion) and Sergey Brin ($237 billion) rank No. 2 and No. 3, followed by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos ($224 billion) and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg ($222 billion), rounding out the top five. Donald Trump’s net worth also rose 27% to an estimated $6.5 billion after returning to office, placing him at No. 645 globally.

RELATED CONTENT: Welcome To Jamrock! Lost In Time Festival 2026 Solidifies Jamaica’s Iconic Reggae Legacy

• Sports

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

March 11, 2026

Gervonta Davis In Talks For Rematch Against Isaac Cruz

The boxer, who last fought in March 2025, will face Cruz after beating him in December 2021.

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It’s been a year since undefeated fighter Gervonta Davis was in a boxing ring, and after a troubling year outside the “squared circle” where he has faced multiple legal issues, he may be heading back.

According to Ring Magazine, Davis may be fighting Isaac Cruz in a rematch later this year. They fought in December 2021 in Los Angeles, with Davis (30-0-1, with 28 knockouts) pulling out a unanimous decision over Cruz (28-3-2).

If the two end up meeting in the ring, it would be as junior welterweights.

The last boxing match Davis participated in was in March 2025 after he scored a majority draw against Lamont Roach in Brooklyn. The two fighters were originally scheduled to fight in a rematch in Las Vegas on Aug. 16, 2025, but the fight never took place. He was also scheduled to fight Jake Paul in an exhibition match in Florida in November, but Paul and his company, Most Valuable Promotions, canceled the event. Paul decided to take that action after Davis’ former girlfriend, Courtney Rossel, filed a civil lawsuit against the fighter, accusing him of domestic violence.

He was arrested in July for domestic violence charges against another former girlfriend. In August 2025, following an accusation of striking the mother of his two children during a custody exchange, prosecutors dropped the case after she refused to press charges against the boxer. He was stripped of his World Boxing Association lightweight title in January after police officers issued an arrest warrant for the incident against Rossel. He was then arrested after two weeks on the run and charged with battery, false imprisonment, and attempted kidnapping.

If convicted, he faces up to a year in prison and/or probation for battery, five years for false imprisonment, and a felony carrying a maximum 15-year sentence for attempted kidnapping, with aggravating factors possibly increasing the penalties.

RELATED CONTENT: Gervonta Davis Wanted By Miami Police On Domestic Violence Charge

• Women of Power Summit

by Ida Harris

March 11, 2026

BLACK ENTERPRISE 2026 ‘Women Of Power’ Summit Kicks Off 20 Years Of Fab And The Swag Bag Is Lit

This anniversary swag bags aptly match the Summit’s fly.

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The 2026 Women of Power Summit is brewing. Over 1,500 women are converging in Las Vegas, Nevada, March 11, at the Bellagio Resort & Casino for BLACK ENTERPRISE’s marquee women’s event, which marks its 20th anniversary. 

Each year, since it Women of Power started in 2006, when Ernesta Procope, Johnnetta Cole, Joyce Roche and Suzanne de Passe were its inaugural honorees, the Summit has not only provided attendees with captivating panels, informative workshops, and a hands-down good time, BE has also showered participants with one of a kind swag bags filled with goodies — and 2026 is no different. 

These anniversary swag bags aptly match the Summit’s style. The bag is bold and ruby red with the Women of Power logo beautifully embedded in the rich and solid texture that speaks to its durability. It is structured and stylish.

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A post shared by Women Of Power (@blackenterprisewomen)

The contents are a menagerie of items from Black-owned and celebrated brands that complement any woman of power. The swag bag is filled with products from hair and beauty products from The Doux, Shea Moisture, and Brownkind, to name a few. There’s even lip balm, a card holder, nail kit, and more. The bag also includes a chic 2026 Women of Power collector’s edition of Black Enterprise Magazine that outlines Legacy Awards honorees. 

Women attending the Women of Power Summit receive the swag bag at the time of registration — but this bag will serve them for many years to come, whether it’s for work or play. For women joining BE for the Summit, we’d love to see your bag and your outfit — tag @BlackEnterprise on all social media networks.

RELATED CONTENT: Lighting The Path For 20 Years Of The Women Of Power Summit, As Shared By One of The Women Behind It