THE MULTIHYPHENATE ENTERTAINER AND ENTREPRENEUR TALKS ABOUT HIS JOURNEY TO STARDOM, BUILDING WILD ‘N OUT INTO A BILLION-DOLLAR BRAND, AND HIS QUEST FOR GLOBAL DOMINANCE

The punchline left the live studio audience speechless.

 

After mocking Nick Cannon’s musical catalog, Tyga pointed his microphone to the hushed crowd. The piercing silence was swiftly shattered when the audience and Cannon erupted into laughter. Without missing a beat, Tyga, the Compton-born rapper formerly signed to Lil Wayne’s Young Money Entertainment, continued to roast Cannon, taking sharp jabs at his divorce from global pop star Mariah Carey. Cannon, however, took the digs in stride, striking back with a clever quip about Tyga’s past relationship with Kylie Jenner.
 

You want to talk about my ex? 
Let’s make one thing clear: your ex is not even old enough to get up in here!

 

Cannon’s quick-witted comeback brought the exhilarating exchange to a climax, and the crowd clamoring for more. He then proceeded to pass the mic to another emcee, who kept the momentum going during a lively and comedic freestyle battle on Nick Cannon Presents: Wild ‘N Out.

 

From his rap career to his romantic partners, no aspect of Cannon’s life is off-limits on Wild ‘N Out. The cast and celebrity guests routinely roast the show’s creator, executive producer, and host. Cannon, however, always gets the last laugh. Going into its 21st season, the hip-hop comedy improv show, which premiered on MTV in 2005, has ballooned into a massive billion-dollar franchise that includes merchandise, restaurants, live tours, and an exclusive sneaker collaboration with Nike’s Air Jordan. It’s one of the most successful programs in MTV’s recent history and one of the longest-running improv comedy shows on television. Furthermore, Wild ‘N Out is just one of many ventures that highlight Cannon’s ingenuity and business acumen, cementing his legacy as a multimedia and entertainment mogul at the vanguard of his generation.

The punchline left the live studio audience speechless.

 

After mocking Nick Cannon’s musical catalog, Tyga pointed his microphone to the hushed crowd. The piercing silence was swiftly shattered when the audience and Cannon erupted into laughter. Without missing a beat, Tyga, the Compton-born rapper formerly signed to Lil Wayne’s Young Money Entertainment, continued to roast Cannon, taking sharp jabs at his divorce from global pop star Mariah Carey. Cannon, however, took the digs in stride, striking back with a clever quip about Tyga’s past relationship with Kylie Jenner.

 

You want to talk about my ex? Let’s make one thing clear: your ex is not even old enough to get up in here!


 Cannon’s quick-witted comeback brought the exhilarating exchange to a climax, and the crowd clamoring for more. He then proceeded to pass the mic to another emcee, who kept the momentum going during a lively and comedic freestyle battle on Nick Cannon Presents: Wild ‘N Out.

 

From his rap career to his romantic partners, no aspect of Cannon’s life is off-limits on Wild ‘N Out. The cast and celebrity guests routinely roast the show’s creator, executive producer, and host. Cannon, however, always gets the last laugh. Going into its 21st season, the hip-hop comedy improv show, which premiered on MTV in 2005, has ballooned into a massive billion-dollar franchise that includes merchandise, restaurants, live tours, and an exclusive sneaker collaboration with Nike’s Air Jordan. It’s one of the most successful programs in MTV’s recent history and one of the longest-running improv comedy shows on television. Furthermore, Wild ‘N Out is just one of many ventures that highlight Cannon’s ingenuity and business acumen, cementing his legacy as a multimedia and entertainment mogul at the vanguard of his generation.

 

Keeping Up With Cannon

 

Cannon uniquely embodies the past, present, and future of Hollywood. Once a child star, he has evolved into a modern-day renaissance man who’s navigated a successful 30-year career in television, radio, comedy, film, and music. From starring in cultural classics like Drumline to being a primetime TV and nationally syndicated radio host to serving as a network executive to landing a stand-up comedy special on Showtime to launching a production company and record label to helping artists like H.E.R and Kehlani at the inception of their careers, Cannon has been racking up wins—and dollars—across the board for years.

 

In addition to Wild ‘N Out, the 43-year-old multifaceted entertainer is the host and executive producer of Fox’s blockbuster reality competition series The Masked Singer and the morning radio show Cannon’s Countdown. As if that wasn’t enough, in February, he debuted Nick Cannon’s Big Drive on Tubi, along with Counsel Culture, a podcast where he discusses taboo topics with various experts and celebrities. Following a promising launch, the show announced a partnership with Amazon MGM Studios to air nine new episodes on Amazon Prime and Freevee in June. Cannon also tapped into the livestream craze with the premiere of The Daily Cannon on Amazon’s streaming platforms last year. But his dizzying track record of past and present gigs and productions doesn’t end there.

 

In April 2023, he teamed up with superstar comedian and actor Kevin Hart to launch Celebrity Prank Wars on E! In December, he premiered the docuseries Nick Cannon Presents: Future Superstars on VH1. All the while, he continues to write, direct, and produce independent films like She Ball (2020) and Miracle Across 125th Street (2021) under his production company Ncredible Entertainment.

 

Outside of entertainment—and frequent headlines about his unconventional family, which includes 12 children with six different women—Cannon has always stood on business. The self-proclaimed “entrepretainer” has launched several businesses outside of media, including a Los Angeles-based vegan soul food restaurant and a line of headphones that he claims has generated more than $250 million in sales.

 

 

A Young Cannon

 

Cannon’s ability to juggle multiple endeavors stems from his unorthodox childhood. The California native bounced between two homes, splitting his time living in a working-class community with his mom and grandmother in San Diego and his dad, a local televangelist in Charlotte, North Carolina. When in the South, he worked on his dad’s public access program, learning various aspects of TV production, including set design, lighting, audio, teleprompters, and camera work at 11 years old. In turn, he was rewarded with opportunities to produce and host his own comedy content whenever his dad had free studio time.

 

“I definitely had a very interesting upbringing,” Cannon recalls. “My stepfather was a drug dealer,” he affirms. “There was my mom’s side of my life in California, and then there was my dad’s side, who was trying to get his life right.” Despite challenges, he says being exposed to multiple walks of life gave him an advantage.

 

“I was able to see so much and learn so much [and] understand the different aspects of manhood, the different aspects of the streets, the different aspects of the church, and the different aspects of just life in general.”

 

While on the West Coast, he hitched rides to Los Angeles in pursuit of a comedy career. His drive and determination earned him auditions for Def Comedy Jam and Comic View. He also performed at open mic nights at The Comedy Store and Laugh Factory and eventually even opened for Dave Chappelle and Chris Tucker by the time he was 16.

 

“I’m a true believer in manifestation,” Cannon told BLACK ENTERPRISE. “One of the elements in Christianity is just having an unwavering faith. And I just always prayed a lot, and I had a faith in myself.”

 

Though he didn’t have a precise vision for his future, he knew from an early age that he was destined to become “an important fixture in entertainment.” “I did so many different things, from music to comedy to writing to producing to acting. I was like, something’s going to pop for me.”

 

And yet, even with a rapid rise to stardom, he remained grounded, embracing each opportunity with humility. “So many blessings were just coming my way. They were just all happening so fast that I was just like, ‘This is supposed to happen. This is the direction my life is supposed to go in.’”

 

His fierce hustle, coupled with a natural pizazz and charm, caught the attention of Will Smith, who signed him to a development deal under his production company. He also gave the eager teen a six-figure advance, which Cannon regretfully spent on a Range Rover.

 

“I wanted a Range Rover because Will had one. He told me don’t buy it – and he was right.” It wasn’t long before Cannon totaled the luxury SUV shortly before facing another crashing blow in his flourishing career. He had written a sitcom that Smith acquired, executive-produced, and sold to Warner Bros. After months of filming, Cannon’s show was slated to air on The WB after “The Jamie Foxx Show.” However, it never saw the light of day. The decision by network executives to shelve the show crushed his dreams and spirit. To make matters worse, he says, “I found myself living back at my mom’s house again, driving my mom’s car.”

 

Rather than giving up, Cannon channeled his disappointment into a steadfast commitment to make his mark in Hollywood. “It made me hungry.” Plus, he learned that he must “keep cooking while the pot is hot. Nothing’s guaranteed,” and “Don’t bet on anything until the check is officially cashed.”

Poised for greatness, the tenacious teen received his big break as a warm-up comic for Kenan & Kel on Nickelodeon. It wasn’t long before producers noticed his talent and offered him a seat in the writer’s room, making him the youngest staff writer in television history at just 17 years old. Cannon also became a recurring character on the network’s popular comedy sketch sitcom All That before landing his own spin-off series, The Nick Cannon Show, in 2002.

 “I had made so much noise with my deal with Will that places like Nickelodeon started to really pay attention. So, it was just a no-brainer that they kind of just allowed me to step in and do my thing and be creative.”

 

Cannon’s grind was paying off. He was finally getting recognition and bigger opportunities to showcase his talent. “People may have [been introduced to] me at Nickelodeon, but I had already been kind of moving and shaking in the industry for years.”


The Businessman Behind the Lens

 

The world witnessed Cannon’s transition from a teen star to a young adult actor with the premiere of Drumline (2002) and Love Don’t Cost A Thing (2003). He also released a self-titled debut album that year. Despite an obvious talent for performing in front of the camera, Cannon gravitated back to creating and producing. At 22, he began developing a comedic game show rooted in hip-hop to spotlight underground comics.

 

“I just wanted to get my friends jobs more than anything. At the time, it was people like Kevin Hart, Kat Williams, Affion Crockett, DeRay Davis, Mikey Day. All these guys were just super talented young people.” He presented his idea to MTV, describing it as “a hip-hop version of Whose Line Is It Anyway?” but executives didn’t understand his vision. That prompted him to rent a comedy studio, round up his friends, and hire camera operators to shoot a pilot. Altogether, he says he invested anywhere between $100,000 to $150,000 to develop a proof of concept, which won over the network.

Four years after the premiere of Wild ‘N Out, Cannon was appointed as the chairman of TeenNick in 2009, making him the youngest TV chairman in history at 28 years old. There, he developed original programming and marketing for Nickelodeon’s teen-targeted division, leading the channel to its highest-rated and most-watched quarter ever with total viewers and teens between 12–17 in 2010.

 

Cannon, who held the position for 10 years before stepping down in 2019, simultaneously began hosting NBC’s hit reality show America’s Got Talent. Both experiences gave him an inside look into running a major TV network.


“It definitely opened my eyes to intellectual properties, how big a brand could be, [and] how a network maneuvers,” he said. “I learned a lot from Simon Cowell [and] created a great relationship with Howard Stern and Piers Morgan. So, it was definitely a great training ground,” he said of NBC.

 

A clash with NBC executives over creative differences prompted Cannon to abruptly walk away from the hosting role in 2016 after 10 seasons. Although many advised him to stay, he says leaving the network taught him the importance of “staying true to who you are [and] standing firm on not only your business practices but your creativity.” He added that he also learned the value of “remaining humble and not getting too full of yourself.”

 

During this time, the jack-of-all-trades reaped the benefits from the sale of Bluetooth headphones, which he released in 2009 in partnership with Monster. Cannon sold his headphones at retailers like Radio Shack and Walmart for as low as $32.99, making his product a silent competitor to the wildly popular Beats by Dre, which were being sold for $200. His headphones reportedly generated $100 million in 2009 alone.

 

 

Lessons From Cannon’s Class

 

Cannon’s decision to independently fund the pilot of Wild ‘N Out paid massive dividends in 2012 when MTV bought the property, leaving him with ownership of the IP. The comedy sketch series returned to television in 2013 following a six-year hiatus. In 2016, the show launched a national tour and partnered with Live Nation and Laugh Out Loud for an expanded 27-city arena tour in 2020. In 2018, Cannon opened his first Wild ‘N Out Sports Bar in Miami, before opening a second location in his hometown of San Diego in 2022. (The San Diego location has since closed.) He also opened an Ncredible gym in Los Angeles in 2020. Cannon says analytics and data show that the brand has earned more than a billion dollars since its creation.

 

Growing the brand, however, has not come without its share of ups and downs. In July 2020, the outspoken personality was terminated by ViacomCBS, which owned MTV, MTV2, and VH1 at the time, after making offensive statements about the Jewish community on his podcast Cannon’s Class. Cannon offered an apology but insisted on complete ownership of Wild ‘N Out, along with an apology from the company for cutting ties with him. Network execs refused to concede to his demands, leading Cannon to issue another apology and publicly engage with Jewish leaders to educate himself about the Jewish plight. He also donated to the Simon Wiesenthal Center’s Museum of Tolerance before ViacomCBS announced in February 2021 that it had reestablished a working relationship with Cannon.

“Nick has not only apologized and taken responsibility for his comments, but he has also worked to educate himself and others through engagement with Jewish leaders and on his platforms,” an MTV Entertainment Group spokesperson told Variety. “Those efforts are of the utmost importance, and that’s why we have invited him to rejoin our team.”


“That moment was a learning experience,” he reflects. “I watched a lot of people abandon me. A lot of people bashed my name, called me certain things to discredit me, and ostracize me,” he said. “I kind of found myself in the middle of one community calling me this name and another community calling me this name. I was everything from a ‘sellout’ to ‘racist’ to ‘antisemitic.’”


Still, he maintains that his remarks were not made in malice. “At no point was I ever looking to hurt, offend, or disrespect anyone. I had no problem apologizing to anyone that I hurt, but also, when speaking truth to power, I stand on the truth.”


After making amends, Cannon renewed a stronger relationship with Viacom CBS. “It was a lot going on behind the scenes that actually strengthened the relationship more than anything. I mean, there’s some super solid people that have been down with me from day one that stood by me when the world was turning its back on me,” he said. “I kind of stood true and was willing to learn and grow and understand and took that whole experience as a lesson,” he added. “We’re really just all seeking understanding…on how we all can coexist and live together as a body of one. We’re not always going to agree. We’re not always going to see things from the same perspective, but there’s no need to villainize individuals.”

Looking back, he perceives the ordeal as a trial that has rendered him more measured and tempered. “Martin Luther King said it best [when] he said, ‘the ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort, but where he stands at times of challenges and controversy.’ That’s when you really see a man’s character.”

 

Keeping Global Expansion

 

With a proven track record for success and longevity, Cannon is focused on taking steps to bring Wild ‘N Out overseas. “To this day, it’s Paramount’s No. 1 digital brand across all platforms,” Cannon said during a live fireside chat at the May 2024 BLACK ENTERPRISE Disruptor Summit. This “shows that it still has life and continues to grow, even in a space where linear television is shaky and uncertain.” In addition to expanding Wild ‘N Out around the world, he plans to launch his own network that will stream the show’s 500-plus episodes.

 

“Young people are not necessarily watching television in its traditional form anymore, but they’re consuming content more than ever before. So, you’ll see many more platforms. I believe the Wild ‘N Out network is coming. The Wild ‘N Out universe, as I call it, has continued to expand.” Wild ‘N Out has long served as a platform for emerging talent and he is taking that same blueprint to the Mother Land.

 

“Last week, I was in Botswana, and we just launched Wild ‘N Out Africa,” he said at the Disruptor Summit. “When you think about the careers that have been launched and discovered off of Wild ‘N Out here in the States—like I said, the first time a lot of people ever saw Katt Williams, Kevin Hart, Mikey Day, Pete Davidson, Matt Rife, DeRay, Corey Holcomb…DC Young Fly—you never heard of these people before you saw them on Wild’ N Out. Now, there’s a whole continent of 1.5 billion people that I can kind of tap in and find some new talent there.”

Cannon’s Ncredible Legacy

 
Beyond his accomplishments as a host, comedian, actor, producer, artist, writer, director, andventrepreneur, Cannon is focused on creating a legacy for his children. In addition to teaching them the value of a dollar, he says he’s instilling “the value of relationships because that’s how money is made.”

 

The father of 12 also emphasizes the importance of nurturing well-rounded, good-natured individuals. “My goal is to continue to help build their character so no matter how much money they obtain, they treat people with love, respect, and kindness.” Cannon, who was diagnosed with lupus in 2012 and has suffered from life-threatening blood clots in his lungs as well as kidney failure, adds that he wants to his legacy to be defined by how he cultivated safe environments filled with love, compassion, and kindness.

 

“When it’s all said and done, I think my goal is just to make people smile. Everything that I do is just really to offer a good time.” Ultimately, he wants people to “enjoy life, be present, and live in the present.”

 

To achieve this, he intends to remain in the driver’s seat, forging his own lane and maintaining a creative autonomy that empowers him to inspire others on his own terms. Instead of chasing checks, this phase of his Career is dedicated to uplifting fellow creatives, unifying diverse communities, and leveraging his talents to heal.

  1. Written by Selena Hill
  2. Digital Layout: Deven Robinson
  3. Art Direction & Graphic Design: Todd Chapman
  4. Video Production: Edwian Stokes
  5. Photography: Katherine & Mariel Tyler
  6. Videography: John P. Wheatley
 
 
 
Trump, approval polls, immigration policies
(Photo: Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons)
by Black Enterprise

September 4, 2024

Donald Trump Claims He Had ‘Every Right’ To Run Interference In 2020 Election

Trump is accused of illegally trying to overturn his 2020 election loss.

Originally published on Reuters
Republican former U.S. President Donald Trump, who faces federal and state charges accusing him of trying to overturn his 2020 election loss to Democratic President Joe Biden, insists he had “every right” to interfere in that election.
“Whoever heard you get indicted for interfering with a presidential election where you have every right to do it?” Trump said in a Fox News interview that aired on Sunday.
A federal indictment accuses Trump of defrauding the U.S. by attempting to prevent Congress from certifying Biden’s victory and deprive voters of their right to a fair election. He faced a revised federal indictment last month accusing him of illegally trying to overturn his 2020 election loss.
Trump’s supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, in an unsuccessful attempt to prevent Congress from certifying the 2020 election results after weeks of false claims by Trump that he had won.
Trump faces similar charges in Fulton County, Georgia, where he was also charged with racketeering, which is used to target members of organized crime groups and carries a penalty of up to 20 years in prison.
That case, which is on hold while a state appeals court weighs the district attorney’s role, stems from a Jan. 2, 2021, phone call in which Trump urged Georgia’s top election official, Brad Raffensperger, to “find” enough votes to reverse his narrow loss in the state. Raffensperger declined to do so.
Trump, who is the current Republican candidate for president, has not said whether he would unconditionally accept the results of the Nov. 5 election if his Democratic rival, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, wins.
In a statement on Monday, Harris’ campaign said Trump’s latest comments to Fox News and his previous remarks “make it clear that he believes he is above the law.”
“Now, Trump is claiming he had ‘every right’ to interfere in the 2020 election. He did not,” a Harris campaign spokesperson said in the statement.
RELATED CONTENT: Is Donald Trump Scared To Debate Kamala Harris? Critics Think So After He Seemingly Suggests He Wants Out
Empire,Lee Daniels, sister, empire
By Kathrynhoy - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=93815388
by Jeroslyn JoVonn

September 4, 2024

Lee Daniels Faces Backlash After Calling White Female Character The ‘Fabric’ of The Black Community

Lee Daniels is under fire after referring to the white female character in "The Deliverance" as "the fabric of our community."

Lee Daniels is under fire on social media after referring to Glenn Close’s character in The Deliverance as “the fabric of our community.”

The film and television producer was active on social media over the weekend following the release of his new Netflix thriller, The Deliverance. The film quickly became the most-watched title on the streaming service and caused quite a stir on social media over its subject matter.

Amid the film’s hype, Daniels took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to explain the inspiration behind Close’s character, Alberta, the white chain-smoking mother of Andra Day’s biracial character.

“Every Black person knows an Alberta. She’s part of the fabric of our community, but we’ve never seen her on screen before,” Daniels wrote. “Thank you, Glenn, for bringing her magnificently to life.”

While Daniels sent the tweet to celebrate his character and Close’s portrayal of Alberta, Black Twitter quickly took offense and blasted the director for the seemingly tone-deaf statement.

“A white woman is “part of the fabric of our community?” one user asked.

“THE FABRIC OF…WHOSE COMMUNITY? WHO IS OUR?” wrote someone else.

Another user applauded Alberta’s character’s styling and Close’s performance but said that’s where it stops.

“The sew-in scene was cute. I enjoyed the movie and Glenn’s acting, but “the fabric of our community” is crazy, Lee,” the user quipped.

It didn’t take Black Twitter too long to mock Daniels’ tweet and start sending out sarcastic and comical tweets criticizing the director of “The Butler.”

https://twitter.com/itsKARY_/status/1830673230719275343
https://twitter.com/itsKARY_/status/1830666761282175409

The Deliverance tells the real-life story of “the Demon House,” which saw a family in Indiana claim their home was haunted by a demonic presence in 2011. The film stars Andra Day, Mo’nique, and Close, whose characters stole the show.

At one point toward the end of the horror film, a demon-possessed Alberta sniffs and says to her daughter: “I can smell your nappy p***y.”

The clip was shared on X in a now-viral tweet that read, “Lee Daniel’s you will pay for your crimes for having Glenn Close say this,” to which Daniels replied, “Had to do it.”

https://twitter.com/leedanielsent/status/1830019492711448720

Daniels is standing by his words about the Alberta types being “the fabric of our community.” He even followed up with a repost of one tweet that noted his love for “a white girl from the hood. First, it was Star Davis, then her heaux-ass grandmother Alberta Jackson.”

NYC, high school
(Photo: Klaus Vedfelt/Getty Images)
by Jeroslyn JoVonn

September 4, 2024

Communities In Schools Launches Nationwide PSA To Combat Chronic Absenteeism

A new 60-second PSA was released to raise awareness of the nationwide epidemic of chronic absenteeism in schools.

Communities In Schools® (CIS®) released a new 60-second roll call to raise awareness of the nationwide epidemic of chronic absenteeism.

The new campaign, released on Aug. 28, shows adults reading a six-foot-tall paper attendance roll with 15 million names representing chronically absent students in the U.S.

“Sophia A grade 4 absent because transportation absent,” one woman says at the start of the video.

“Julio M grade 6 absent because Wi-Fi was absent,” another woman says.

The striking image of this oversized attendance roll winding through a school campus represents the millions of students who are chronically absent from school and missing 10% or more of the school year since the global COVID-19 pandemic.

The initiative emphasizes opportunities to bring students back to school nationwide. Communities In Schools addresses the issue and offers solutions to eliminate it.

“Being present for our students is more than just showing up—it’s about sending a powerful message that they matter and that we believe in their potential,” Rey Saldaña, president and CEO of Communities In Schools, said.

“When we show up for them, we empower them to show up for themselves.”

Research reveals numerous factors that prevent students from regularly attending school, including transportation challenges, the need to provide childcare for younger siblings, housing insecurity, a lack of mental health support, and anti-bullying support. The new PSA emphasizes the crucial role of individual and school-wide support in addressing the diverse challenges students and their families face in securing consistent attendance.

Communities In Schools programs proved their solutions work during the 2022-2023 school year, with 99% of students enrolled in CIS programs having stayed in school through the end of the school year, 97% of K-11 students being promoted to the next grade, and 96% of seniors graduating or receiving a GED.

Now, CIS is working to expand its model to more schools across the nation to help get students back on track. Through the CIS step-by-step-back-to-school pathway, students facing challenges with school attendance receive support from CIS site coordinators, who collaborate with teachers, school administrators, and families to connect students with the vital resources they need to learn and thrive.

“I do my best to establish a relationship and rapport, so they trust me with any information—whether personal or school-related,” Site Coordinator Marco Mercado from CIS of Southern Nevada said.

“Once they see they are capable of doing things, it keeps me going and gives me confirmation that I’m making an impact, benefiting their lives and providing consistency.”

Southern Christian Leadership Conference, DeMark Liggins
(Photo courtesy of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference)
by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman

September 4, 2024

Southern Christian Leadership Conference Elects New President

New president DeMark Liggins has served with the SCLC for over 10 years.

The Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) has promoted its vice president, DeMark Liggins, to lead the esteemed civil rights organization.

The conference formally elected Liggins as president and CEO after his predecessor, Dr. Charles Steele, announced his resignation. Liggins, who has served in the SCLC for 10 years, was officially voted into his new role during the SCLC’s 65th annual convention on Aug. 10.

Liggins became SCLC’s vice president in 2023 and previously served as the organization’s chief of staff and chief financial officer.

“I find myself humbled and excited about being named the President/CEO of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference,” Liggins said in a press release sent to BLACK ENTERPRISE. “As the new leader of this historic organization, my vision for the company rests on the SCLC’s Legacy, Leadership, and Love. These pillars of our brand will guide the direction of my presidency.”

Steele, the former president, worked with the SCLC for over 20 years but is not retiring. He spent two terms as president and CEO. In a conversation with WABE’s Closer Look, the 78-year-old shared that he will now focus on affordable housing programming and development.

In his new role, Liggins intends to focus on youth education, criminal justice reform, and voting initiatives for the SCLC. The HBCU alumnus and member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. also hopes to follow SCLC’s founding president, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., as he brings his own vision for the organization to life.

King founded the SCLC in 1957 as a call to action to serve and uplift the Black community and humanity overall. Moreover, its mission to provide economic and racial justice, alongside civil rights, remains ingrained across its local chapters nationwide.

RELATED CONTENT: Historic Black Church Receives $1 Million Donation Ahead Of Juneteenth Celebrations

red lobster
(Photo: Wikimedia Commons)
by Jeroslyn JoVonn

September 4, 2024

Red Lobster’s New Millennial CEO Doesn’t Practice Work-Life Balance: ‘My Work Is My Life’

Red Lobster's new CEO isn't the work-life balance type. He says 'work is my life.'

Damola Adamolekun is the new CEO of Red Lobster. His goal: get the restaurant chain out of the red.

Following a headline-making bankruptcy, the seafood eatery is now owned by Fortress Investment Group and co-investors TCW Private Credit and Blue Torch. Fortress nominated Adamolekun, 35, following his success as the former CEO of Asian fusion chain P.F. Chang’s, Fortune reports.

But while many professionals in Adamolekun’s age group champion having a work-life balance, the executive believes, “My life is my work. My work is my life.”

Adamolekun is always in go mode, starting his day with a 4:30 a.m. seven-to-eight-mile run and ending his day around 6:30 p.m. with a cigar after meetings.

“I never really have been a person that separated work and life,” he said. “It mixes.”

Adamolekun has spent the last few years switching between executive positions and working in finance. After making history as one of the few Black CEOs to lead a major U.S. company and the first to head P.F. Chang’s, Adamolekun returned to investment company Paulson & Co. following three years at P.F. Chang’s. This followed stints at Goldman Sachs and TPG Capital.

Adamolekun admitted to “working all the time” but enjoying the nonstop hustle.

“I thought it was fun. So it wasn’t like I had to go in on a Saturday,” Adamolekun said. “It was like, ‘I got stuff to do, and I want to knock it out, or I want to look at something.’”

He acknowledged that this mindset isn’t the same for everyone and recommended breaks for those who need them. However, Adamolekun has told his restaurant staff to “build in buffers” and take days off on Tuesdays or Wednesdays when the restaurants are less busy.

“Work doesn’t stress [me] out,” he shared.

Red Lobster’s new owner, Fortress Investment Group, will hear if its plan is approved this month during the eatery’s bankruptcy court date.

RELATED CONTENT: Beyoncé’s ‘Formation’ Song Boosts Red Lobster Sales by 33%

Jackson State, president, Mark Cuban Foundation, AI camp
BLACK ENTERPRISE Image
by Stacy Jackson

September 4, 2024

Ebony Lumumba Selected 2025 AWP HBCU Faculty Fellow

AWP named Ebony Lumumba, Ph.D., a 2025 HBCU Faculty Fellow for her contributions to Jackson State University's creative writing initiatives.

The Association of Writers & Writing Programs (AWP) has announced Jackson State University’s Dr. Ebony Lumumba as one of its 2025 HBCU Faculty Fellows.

Lumumba is the chair of the Department of English and Modern Languages at Jackson State and an associate professor of English. According to the university, the educator’s dedication to the creative writing space and her efforts to introduce several literature-focused initiatives as part of the HBCU experience reflect the AWP HBCU Faculty Fellowship’s mission to support the work of faculty who strive to promote creative writing at their HBCUs.

According to AWP, 2,025 faculty fellows will receive a $4,000 honorarium, paid travel and lodging to participate in AWP’s Annual Conference & Bookfair in Los Angeles, access to private group discussions, a complimentary one-year AWP membership, and publication in the Writer’s Chronicle about the 2025 AWP experience.

“It’s a tremendous honor to have been selected,” said Lumumba, one of the creators of her department’s program at Jackson State, which offers a minor and concentration in creative writing. “Black writers and Black schools deserve this support and attention. Some of the most brilliant stories of our time were crafted by minds educated at HBCUs.” Support for the program has accumulated over $100,000 in donations in addition to a writer’s series she launched with colleagues that has introduced students to authors like Imani Perry, Ibram X. Kendi, Crystal Wilkinson, Jamila Minnicks, and Michelle Duster.

The college educator earned her Ph.D. in English literature from the University of Mississippi after completing her Bachelor of Arts in English at Spelman College and a Master of Arts in English at Georgia State University.

This year, the HBCU alum is an official panelist for the Mississippi Book Festival scheduled for Sept. 14. As a board advisor with the nonprofit, she is part of a group of literacy advocates reaching thousands of book lovers and authors during their annual festival in the South. She was honored by the Mississippi Department of Archives and History and the Eudora Welty Foundation as the 2013 Eudora Welty Research Fellow before receiving Tougaloo College’s Humanities Teacher of the Year in 2014.

In March 2025, Lumumba and Jackson State’s Department of English and Modern Languages plans to host a screening of “Below the Belt” and a discussion with the filmmaker as part of the Film and Visual Culture Series she previously launched with a screening of “Emmett Till: White Lies Black Death,” which featured a discussion with filmmaker Loki Mulholland. Her advocacy for education and the arts has led to her board roles with the Foundation for Mississippi History, the Mississippi Humanities Council, The International Ballet Competition, and national advisory roles with the Eudora Welty Foundation and the Mississippi Museum of Art.

As the 2025 AWP HBCU Faculty Fellow, the professor is excited to work with and support the new wave of writers as they embark on their writing journeys and pursue the field.

Black Maryland Couple, parties
(Photo: Pexels)
by Daniel Johnson

September 4, 2024

Black Maryland Couple At Center Of Legal Battle Over Throwing Home Parties

The Floyds say that this hypervigilance from their neighbors is concerning in a world where Black people are routinely killed by the police.

Prince and Angela Floyd, a Black Maryland couple, have found themselves at the center of a legal dispute over the regular parties at their Accokeek, Maryland, home, which the pair refers to as “Floyd Estates.”

According to the Washington Post, the Floyds’ 2023 Father’s Day party, led to 18 noise complaints from neighbors to the police. That wasn’t all. Between June 2020 and June 2023, police received 41 requests for service at the Floyd residence, with officers appearing at their doorstep 24 times. 

The Floyds say that this hypervigilance from their neighbors is concerning in a world where Black people are routinely killed by the police. 

Prince Floyd, a 53-year-old Black man, told the Post, “It makes me feel threatened like my life could be taken.”

The Floyds are simply bad neighbors, neighbor Margaret Littlejohn, who is Black, told The Post. Her fiancé is a defendant in a lawsuit filed by the Floyds.

The couple, according to the Post, “is demanding a jury trial, membership to the Calvert Manor Civic Association, which represents 100 homes, and an unspecified amount of damages from eight defendants, including Prince George’s County, a county police officer, the local civic association and five of their neighbors.”

“Are they targeting me by going after my fiancé, who happens to be a White male, to make the narrative sound really good? So it’s all evil white people against the Floyds because they’re Black?” Littlejohn said.

This kind of dispute is a feature of the litigation involving the Floyds and their neighbors. Basically, every aspect of the lawsuit is contested by both sides, and those in the community say that the contentious nature of the disagreements between the Floyds and their neighbors is unprecedented for the neighborhood. 

Regarding that 2023 Father’s Day, the Floyds feel as though their neighbors could have just called them directly if they had a problem with the noise level instead of involving the police. 

The Floyds’ home is lavish, even by the community’s standards. The 9,000-square-foot home sits on almost two acres near Piscataway Bay. The couple purchased the home in 2020 for $700,000; the average home in the area was valued between $350,000 and $400,000. After renovations, the Floyds’ home is now valued at $920,000. 

Angela, Prince’s 49-year-old wife, told the Post that the home, for her and her family, represents the possibility of what Black people can gain access to in America. 

“It’s only by God’s grace and mercy that we have this space,” said Angela Floyd, who was raised in a trailer in Wendell, North Carolina. “I believe that this space gives others hope. And [relatives] travel from many states because we represent a family member who actually realized what our ancestors have foreseen for us.”

The Floyds have received some support from Black neighbors after they filed their lawsuit in June 2024. Monique Hagler told the Post that she has been harassed by the police, which she said has appeared at her home over 20 times since 2020.

“I really regret buying this house,” Hagler said. “You should be able to at least enjoy your own backyard with your family and friends.”

The battle has taken its toll on the Floyds, according to the Post. Angela’s hair has begun to fall out from stress. They no longer host family celebrations, a reason why they purchased the home. According to the couple, they have heard the community’s message loud and clear.

It doesn’t want them here.

RELATED CONTENT: Washington State Program To Combat Historical Housing Discrimination

Kamala Harris, Donald Trump, Debate, donations
(Photos from left: Gage Skidmore/flickr; Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
by Jeroslyn JoVonn

September 3, 2024

Donald Trump Bypasses Kamala Harris In Election Gambling Polls, Harris Still Leads In Swing States

Donald Trump is beating Kamala Harris on the gambling polls.

Kamala Harris’s recent interview with CNN wasn’t enough to impress gamblers who still have Donald Trump beating her in the November election.

According to gamblers making bets on the presidential election, Trump has a 49.7% chance of beating Harris, who’s losing by 0.9 percentage points, Daily Mail reports. According to gambling sources aggregated by Real Clear Polling, Trump has been either tying or beating Harris in gambling polls since Harris took over for Joe Biden in July.

Trump’s current lead is his first since Aug. 22, despite election polls showing Harris has a clear lead in taking the White House. There was a tie on Aug. 31, but Harris took a dip in the betting odds following her interview on CNN last week.

Harris’s last lead over Trump was on Aug. 15, when she obtained an 8.8% lead. Following Harris’ brief lead, there was another tie, and Harris led again following the Democratic National Convention in Chicago when she opened up a 2.3 percentage point gap.

Betting markets hold some weight regarding election odds due to gamblers focusing on profits rather than influence from the government or media when voting. Some election forecasters view betting markets as a valuable indicator due to the lack of bias in a gambler’s decision-making.

According to the outlet, only PredictIt (53%) shows Harris in the lead among the six bookmakers in RCP’s aggregate. Polling still shows Harris with a slight edge, as she holds a 1.8% lead over Trump in RCP’s polling averages. But, Trump still leads the polling averages in Arizona, Georgia, and North Carolina and is tied with Harris in Nevada.

For swing states like Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin, Harris takes the lead. Both campaigns are focusing on independent and undecided voters in the seven key swing states: Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.

Harris and vice presidential nominee Tim Walz spent Labor Day in Wisconsin, Michigan, and Pennsylvania, including one event with Biden, while Trump made no public appearances. Surveys indicate that Trump holds a lead on key issues voters care about as the election approaches, including an 8-point advantage in trust to address the economy and rising inflation and a nine-point lead on handling immigration at the southern border.

study, bodyca, police, DOJ, study, Derek Chauvin, Body Cam Video
(Photo: Gregory Rec/Portland Press Herald via Getty Images)
by Sharelle B. McNair

September 3, 2024

Disturbing Body Cam Video Shows Ohio Police Officer Assaulting Black Man As He Complied With Orders

Justice for Jaemiier!

Body cam video released by the Canton Police Department in Ohio shows a police officer allegedly kicking a Black man while he was kneeling on the ground with his hands in the air, WKYC 3 reports. 

The disturbing video, which went viral on social media, shows Officer Brandon Momirov kicking 21-year-old Jaemiier McElroy on Aug. 31 after police were called to an apartment complex. Someone called to alert officers of an alleged argument involving approximately 10 to 15 people. Authorities claim a number of individuals fled once police arrived. Others were located and ordered to the ground. 

McElroy was one suspect whom the department admitted to appearing to be complying before he was kicked. Police said McElroy and two others, who can be heard in the video expressing concern, were arrested and claimed to allegedly have two handguns and a backpack containing “a large amount of marijuana” that were found at the scene. 

The footage shows angles from two officers, including Momirov, which shows a brief chase of a suspect accused of carrying a gun. One officer finds McElroy and four others in a parking lot. As the officer shouts for the suspects to stop walking, he then calls for backup.

“I got five at gunpoint in this parking lot, not really complying. I could use more units,” he is heard saying.

The call for backup prompts the Ohio officer to begin running to the area, but when he arrives, four of the men are already lying on the ground, including McElroy, who is on his knees with his hands up. Momirov runs right for him and kicks him. After the shock of the kick, the officer can be heard saying, “That’s why you gotta comply.” 

McElroy was charged with obstruction and resisting arrest, despite authorities’ admission of him omplying with officers’ orders.

A statement from the Canton Police Department said Momirov is “working in a restricted capacity” and “the incident is under review,” McElroy’s attorney, Bobby DiCello, was more candid.

“This is disgusting. This is disgusting. What I just saw was renegade, rogue, gang-style policing,” DiCello said. “There’s a double standard in law enforcement. That’s what this shows me. We have one, two, three, four African American young men who are standing by a car, and they call that resisting. When law enforcement fails to see us as human beings, anything is possible. Anything.”

DiCello said his client suffered a concussion, according to the Atlanta Black Star. After Canton Police Chief John Gabbard defended Momirov, claiming “our officers frequently face stressful, dangerous situations and confrontations with armed suspects,” DiCello labeled the comments as laughable.

“There’s a group of people in Canton that are law enforcement officers who are treating ordinary civilians like enemy combatants,” he said. “If this was in another context, you’d say that’s a crime spree.”

Canton NAACP President Hector McDaniel said he is disappointed in the officer’s actions and is “always alarmed” when incidents like this occur.

“Solutions for us are going to center around an oversight committee and or a board that we believe can bring assistance in terms of bringing policing in line with the written mission and goals that it already has,” McDaniel said. “It is about making sure that policing does not drift too far to the left. We believe that that’s what’s occurred here in Stark County, specifically in Canton.”

RELATED CONTENT: Body Cam Footage Released Of North Carolina Police Punching Black Woman

×