by Jeroslyn JoVonn

October 24, 2025

Hakeem Jeffries Calls Out GOP For Not Reaching Out After Death Threats From Pardoned Jan. 6 Rioter

Christopher Moynihan was arrested on Oct. 19.

House minority leader Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) criticized Republican leaders in Congress and the White House this week for failing to contact him after a Jan. 6 rioter pardoned by President Donald Trump was accused of threatening to kill him.

“Not a single Republican has reached out either from the House, the Senate, or the White House, in connection with the death threat and the arrest,” Jeffries told reporters Oct. 23, according to Forbes. “But that does not surprise me in terms of the environment that we’re in.”

Christopher Moynihan was arrested Oct. 19 and taken into custody by New York State Police for allegedly sending text messages about his plans to “eliminate” Jeffries during his Oct. 20 appearance at the Economic Club of New York.

Moynihan has been charged with making a terrorist threat, a felony. He was arraigned on Oct. 21 and pleaded not guilty.

He received a Trump-issued pardon in January, one of more than 1,500 pardons granted to individuals who participated in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol to stop the certification of Trump’s 2020 presidential election defeat to Joe Biden.

Jeffries slammed Trump, and Republicans, over the move.

“[Republicans] can’t justify the fact that Donald Trump pardoned hundreds of violent felons on his first day in office. People who brutally beat police officers, including seriously injuring, on these Capitol steps,” Jeffries said. “[Trump] pardons these violent felons and then unleashes them on American communities all across the country, and many of them have reoffended.”

Jeffries also pointed out that House Speaker Mike Johnson has not reached out to him. Johnson said he was unaware of Moynihan’s threats against Jeffries and shifted focus to the recent anti-Trump “No Kings” protests and what he described as “violence on the left.”

“The assassination culture that’s been advanced now—this is the left, in almost every case that is advancing this, and not the right,” Johnson said. “Let’s not make this a partisan issue. You don’t want me to go there.”

Burr Oak Cemetery, Emmett Till, National Register Of Historic Places

by Kandiss Edwards

October 24, 2025

Florida City Attempts To Build Over Black Gravesite, Again

The National Park Service estimates there are at least 23 confirmed unmarked graves and 14 possible others.

In Tallahassee, a plan to sell a city-owned golf course built partially over the burial grounds of enslaved people has led to residents speaking out on behalf of the dead.

The 178-acre site of the Capital City Golf Course is less than a mile from the state capitol. The National Park Service estimates at least 23 confirmed unmarked graves and 14 possible graves of enslaved people, the AP reported.

Residents and descendants of the enslaved are demanding recognition for those interred and a permanent memorial rather than a land sale.

“We know they were enslaved. But who were they?” asked local resident Tiffany Hill.

The city initially proposed to sell the land to the Capital City Country Club for $1.25 million. The city’s only condition to the sale is that the golf course remain an 18-hole facility and that the city maintain public access for a commemorative site.

Residents against the sale say the deal amounts to commodifying human remains. Additionally, activists warn that the continued lack of acknowledgement of the graves reduces the legacy of enslaved people to a footnote.

“They were sold on the auction blocks of Leon County, and now we are willing to sell them again,” said activist Delaitre Hollinger at the Oct. 22 City Commission meeting.

Advocates for historic preservation say the city’s failure to build the memorial it approved more than four years ago compounds the issue.

Florida State University historian Kathleen Powers Conti said she was “frankly shocked that … no one … is actually looking to find the descendants of those people buried there.”

Needless to say, residents are displeased by the prolonged inaction. The city commission has postponed its final vote on the sale amid mounting public pressure.

In 2020, city officials in Ocoee, Florida, encountered a similar situation. The city initiated eminent-domain action for a one-acre site believed to contain a historic African American cemetery. The site was rumored to possibly be tied to the 1920 Ocoee massacre of Black residents. The property at 441 Basking Ridge Court carried a marker for “Hallowed Ground” due to the discovery of two headstones. Yet, a ground-penetrating radar found no definitive evidence of graves, WESH reports.

In the Tampa area, forensic anthropologists working with the Florida Institute for Forensic Anthropology and Applied Science uncovered evidence for at least 45 unmarked cemeteries hidden under parking lots, schools, and housing developments. Many of the areas were tied to African American communities. Some of those sites trace back to mid-20th-century urban renewal.

In 2019, a forgotten cemetery was uncovered in Hillsborough County. Beneath the Robles Park housing project were the remains of the former Zion Cemetery. The remains were mostly Black bodies. The same year, 145 coffins were unearthed beneath a King High School in Tampa. They were what was left of the former Ridgewood Cemetery. While 145 remains were found, historical records show that more than 250 people were interred there.

According to Spectrum News, King High School erected a monument in 2023 to memorialize the people whose resting places had been built over and destroyed as a casualty of capitalism.

by Kandiss Edwards

October 24, 2025

Artists Rush Against Time To Save Lagos Photo Archives

Many of the photographic artifacts had been discarded, destroyed, or simply left to deteriorate.

The Lagos Studio Archives project is working to salvage thousands of photographic negatives from analog portrait studios across Lagos. Many of the artifacts had been discarded, destroyed, or left to deteriorate. Initiated by British-Nigerian artist Karl Ohiri and British artist-curator Riikka Kassinen, the archive seeks to reclaim visual records of everyday life in Lagos from roughly the 1970s until the early 2000s.

The archive now includes materials from over 20 studios. The portrait series showcases Lagosians in fashion, family groupings, celebrations, and everyday moments. The collection is described as capturing the style, humor, and aspirations of everyday Lagosians in multiple decades.

“I think in the photos you can see there was an attitude of optimism, a carefree feeling among many,” Kassinen told WePresent.

Ohiri agrees, “You can see that there’s optimism in the air in this transitional period; western technologies and clothing are coming in, there’s ’70s youth culture, fashion. It was a really important moment in Nigeria’s history.”

Ohiri and Kassinen say they began after discovering local photo studios disposing of their film databases as digital methods took over and studios closed down.

“Studio photography was very big in Nigeria in the ’70s—people wanted to record their lives. When I’d ask these photographers if I could see their archives, they’d say they didn’t have them, some said they’d destroyed them. Many of them were burning them, others were leaving them to deteriorate in humid conditions. In their eyes the work had been done, why store it all?” Ohiri told WePresent.

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Having rescued and digitized many of the negatives, the Lagos Studio Archives has curated several international exhibitions. The work from one of the studios, Abi Morocco Photos, operated by John and Funmilayo Abe in the 1970s-2000s, was featured in “Abi Morocco Photos: Spirit of Lagos“ at Autograph Gallery in London.

The team emphasizes that their aim is not simply to preserve images but to engender a collective responsibility around photography, memory, and heritage.

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The project also exposes an urgency of preserving Lagos’ analog archives, which are vulnerable to neglect or erasure.

Ohiri emphasized the point, stating, “There’s a real sense of urgency to the work. There are four or five archives we hold whose owners have passed away since we started the project. When that happens, the access to context and information is erased.”

The Lagos Studio Archives project is critical to a larger discourse about ownership and preservation. This focus on rescuing marginalized narratives mirrors the ongoing reckoning around African art and photography held in Western museums. Just as the Lagos Studio Archives brings local voices to the forefront, calls are growing louder for British museums and other global institutions to part with their holdings of African cultural art. As conversations about restitution and repatriation escalate, the archival work in Lagos serves as a vivid reminder of the breadth of what has been lost—and what might be returned.

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

October 24, 2025

Spike Lee Says Trash Talk Is Part Of The Script At Madison Square Garden

'Anytime the (Chicago) Bulls would come, me and Mike (Michael Jordan) would get into it,' Lee said.

Filmmaker Spike Lee, inducted into the NBA Hall of Fame as a superfan in 2024, told Stephen Colbert about his countless courtside clashes with players while cheering on his beloved New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden.

According to the New York Post, the movie director took the stage at the Montclair Film Festival (taking place through Oct. 26) in Montclair, New Jersey, to discuss his verbal battles with some of the best basketball players in the league. Lee, the creative behind several classic movies (“Do the Right Thing,” “Crooklyn,” “She’s Gotta Have It”) filmed in and around New York City, is just as likely known for being a rambunctious Knicks fan who is a mainstay at the Garden. He is typically seen rooting for the home team, but often engages in verbal battles with opposing players while cheering on the Knicks.

Lee also gained fame when he directed and appeared in a Nike commercial featuring NBA Hall of Famer Michael Jordan, who shattered Knicks fans’ dreams every time he faced the team in the playoffs in epic battles between the two franchises during the 1990s. Although they are good friends, the filmmaker did not escape harsh words from arguably the greatest basketball player ever to put on sneakers.

“I’ve had the privilege and honor to be called a ‘motherf**ker’ by the GOAT himself — many times — across the river at the world’s most famous arena,” he said during the conversation with Colbert.

He also recalled Jordan’s famous return from his first retirement and his “double nickel” (55 points at Madison Square Garden) in 1995.

“Anytime the Bulls would come, me and Mike would get into it,” Lee laughed. “At one point, he said, ‘Sit your skinny Black ass down!’”

The “Inside Man” director also brought up, perhaps, one of the most memorable games at Madison Square Garden, when the Knicks hosted the Indiana Pacers, featuring their chief nemesis, Reggie Miller, the sharpshooting three-point specialist. During the 1994 Eastern Conference Finals at the famed Garden, as the Knicks were losing a game they had been leading heading into the closing minutes, Miller revealed the infamous “choker” sign toward Lee. That choke sign was so devastating to New York fans that they blamed Lee for energizing Miller to literally shoot the Knicks down that night.

With the media blaming Lee rather than the Knicks’ lapse in defense at the end of the game, he knew that his place of residence would have had to change if the Knicks had lost the next deciding game in the series.

“If we lost that game, I would’ve had to move. The Post, Daily News, Newsday — all blaming me for the choke,” he told Colbert.

Charlamagne Tha God, Krystal Burger Chain, South Carolina

by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman

October 24, 2025

Charlamagne Tha God Speaks Out After Trump Proposes That He, Too, Deserves Reparations

Charlamagne called out Trump for his actions not lining up with his "MAGA" values.

Charlamagne Tha God had time today after Donald Trump proposed that he, too, deserved reparations.

Trump claimed that he deserved repayment for the money he spent on legal fees as he was prosecuted for crimes he committed before and during his first term as president.

“Did you ever have one of those cases where you have to decide how much you’re paying yourself in damages,” questioned Trump about the money he received from other lawsuits against news organizations. “But I was damaged very greatly, and any money that I would get I would give to charity.”

This response sparked a calm yet incisive rant from the Breakfast Club radio show host, who respectfully dragged Trump for his assertion. He also pointed to MAGA for allowing Trump back into power, where he can make claims that the country owes him for trying to hold him accountable.

He started his breakdown by sarcastically applauding Trump for his proposed audacity.

“If he wasn’t the president, he’d be one of my favorite supervillains,” joked Charlamagne. “Okay, the man is asking for reparations for himself, all right, and he’s gonna get it. Why? Because the senior Department officials he’s asking were defense lawyers for him, and now they are in jobs that typically must approve any payout.”

He continued, “Do I have to tell you that this is a conflict of interest? Do you care if you are a Trump supporter that you might be starving right now? You have no idea how you gonna pay your bills right now, but he is about to pay himself whatever the hell he wants, but it’s gonna be $230 million.”

He then mentioned how the money Trump could receive will likely go to his White House renovations. The President has already broken ground to build a new ballroom in the East Wing. While Trump has asserted that private donors will fund the upgrades, Charlamagne is not buying it.

He also mentioned that Trump is not putting American livelihoods first with a government bailout for Argentina. He shared footage of Trump saying that the state of Argentina and its farmers were reasons for financial support. Other news outlets like MSNBC have reported that the spending came at an inopportune time for most Americans.

“Okay, so let’s just say you’re a Trump supporter. Your defense will probably be, well, the investigation against Trump is ‘B.S.’, so he should get reparations for what the government did to him. Never mind, it’s unethical. Never mind, he’s essentially paying himself whatever. And then with the ballroom, I’m sure you will say, well, that’s not taxpayer dollars, okay. Well, what about this one? A $20 billion payout for Argentina bailouts for another country’s economy at a time like this, is our economy flourishing?”

To that, Charlamagne has argued that Americans are also in financial distress. Given Trump’s “America First” policies, Charlamagne thinks his actions have not aligned with them.

“What is benefiting Americans right now? About what’s going on in America? Do Americans have money? Huh? How is this making America great again? How is this America first? I just need you all to know that the only thing President Trump has to make great is his bank account.”

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

October 24, 2025

Letitia James Set To Plead Not Guilty In DOJ Mortgage Fraud Case

New York Attorney General Letitia James will enter a not guilty plea in her mortgage fraud case.

New York Attorney General Letitia James is set to appear in court on Oct. 24, where she plans to enter a plea of not guilty to federal bank fraud charges.

The court appearance, before Joe Biden-appointed U.S. District Judge Jamar Walker, comes a day after James’ legal team filed motions against the Trump-appointed prosecutor handling her bank fraud case, CBS News reports. The filings accuse interim U.S. Attorney Lindsey Halligan of engaging in an improper conversation with a journalist and state that James intends to seek dismissal of the indictment, arguing Halligan’s appointment was unlawful.

“The exchange was a stunning disclosure of internal government information,” lawyers for James wrote in the filing.

“It has been reported that Ms. Halligan has no prosecutorial experience whatsoever,” they added. “But all federal prosecutors are required to know and follow the rules governing their conduct from their first day on the job, and so any lack of experience cannot excuse their violation.”

James’ motion also requests that the government be ordered to preserve all communications with members of the media and to prevent the deletion of any records or correspondence connected to the investigation or prosecution of the case.

Following James’ indictment earlier this month, attorney Abbe Lowell said the New York AG “flatly and forcefully denies these charges” and he is “deeply concerned that this case is driven by President Trump’s desire for revenge.”

This is nothing more than a continuation of the president’s desperate weaponization of our justice system.

I am not fearful — I am fearless.

We will fight these baseless charges aggressively, and my office will continue to fiercely protect New Yorkers and their rights. pic.twitter.com/X9U0EsHuGM
— NY AG James (@NewYorkStateAG) October 9, 2025

James was indicted on Oct. 9 on charges of bank fraud and making false statements to a financial institution in relation to a 2020 home purchase in Norfolk, Virginia. The indictment followed the ouster of the official previously overseeing the investigation by the Trump administration. It came after the Republican president publicly urged the Justice Department to pursue cases against James and other political adversaries, including former FBI Director James Comey, Federal Reserve Board member Lisa Cook, and Democratic Sen. Adam Schiff of California, among others.

James, a Democrat who has filed numerous lawsuits against Trump and his administration, has denied any wrongdoing, calling the charges “nothing more than a continuation of the president’s desperate weaponization of our justice system.”

“This is nothing more than a continuation of the president’s desperate weaponization of our justice system,” she said in a video statement.

Sean Combs, ‘Reckoning’ Doc, Abuse Claims, Slap Story, Janice Combs,

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

October 24, 2025

Diddy Allegedly ‘Woke Up With A Knife To His Throat’ In Prison

Charlucci Finney, a good friend of Sean "Diddy" Combs recently made the claims in an interview

Charlucci Finney, a good friend of Sean “Diddy” Combs, recently claimed that the former Bad Boy president “woke up with a knife to his throat” at the Brooklyn prison where he is housed.

According to the Daily Mail, during a recent conversation, Finney stated that the “No Way Out” producer escaped death after the incident happened at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn. Although he stated that he knows of the alleged action, he said he wasn’t sure if it was an actual attempt on his life or if it was a warning to the embattled executive.

“I don’t know whether he fought him off or the guards came, I just know that it happened,” Finney revealed to the media outlet. “If this guy had wanted to harm him, Sean would have been harmed. It would only take a second to cut his throat with a weapon and kill him.”

This isn’t the first time that it’s been reported that Diddy has been threatened while imprisoned. One of his attorneys, Brian Steel, told Judge Arun Subramanian during the mogul’s RICO trial that a correctional officer had stopped an inmate carrying a makeshift knife at one time. Diddy’s attorneys have repeatedly complained about the unsafe conditions at the Brooklyn prison.

Although Finney is speaking about it now, he said the family doesn’t really know about the dangers Diddy faces while incarcerated.

“Sean has kept a lot of this stuff to himself because he doesn’t want to worry his family. But if you’re in jail and you’ve been charged with anything sexual, it’s not a good place to be,” Finney said.

A federal jury found Diddy not guilty of sex trafficking and operating a criminal enterprise, but he was convicted of two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution. He was sentenced Oct. 3 to 50 months in prison, a $500,000 fine, and five years of supervised release.

by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman

October 24, 2025

Thousands Attend Mass To Honor The Iconic Celia Cruz’s100th Birthday After Cuban Officials Cancel Performance

Due to her opposition of Fidel Castro, Cruz's legacy remains in conflict with Cuban government.

Thousands in Cuba flocked to a mass service in honor of the 100th birthday of the late Celia Cruz.

The community took the celebration of the legendary salsa singer into its own hands after the Cuban government canceled a commemorative performance at the Cuban Art Factory. Many called the cancellation, for which officials offered no explanation, an act of censorship.

Cruz was known for her activism as much as her music. The Afro-Latina singer rose to fame in the 1950s, becoming a Latin music icon as the “Queen of Salsa.” She remains a beloved figure in the Latin community, especially in her home country. A staunch voice against Fidel Castro’s regime, she sought asylum in the U.S. in 1960, never returning to her birthplace of Havana.

However, Cubans still remember her artistry and legacy in uplifting the people. On her birthday, they recall the joy and culture she represented through her music. The large crowd gathered at the Basilica of La Caridad in El Cobre to pay tribute to the singer. Born on Oct. 21, 1925, Cruz died in 2003.

“She was an ambassador of Cuban music, of Cuban rhythms in the world… of our flavor, of our dances, of our joy, of ‘that’ contagious thing,” said Father Ariel Suárez during his homily, as reported by AP News. “I thank God because she brought joy to many people, because she made Cuba a presence in the world.”

Local contemporary artists also flocked to the church to pay their respects to the woman who put Cuban music on the map. An artists’ cohort brought the service for Cruz into fruition.

Known for her popular phrase of “Azucar!, Cruz gained international fame despite her music being left out by government-controlled media. Despite the love from the people, the Cuban government still has contentious relations with her legacy. The cancellation of the tribute performance by the state-run National Center for Popular Music suggests that even decades later, her opposition to Castro has led to the persistent suppression of her impact.

However, the people of Cuba refuse to let her legacy fall by the wayside.

“They have spent 60 years trying — without success — to tarnish one of the most extraordinary trajectories of life in the cultural sphere in defense of an identity, with an unflinching sense of belonging,” shared musicologist Rosa Marquetti on Facebook.

Despite the show’s axing, the Cuban Art Factory placed a chair lit with overhead lights on stage for the entire slotted time—the symbolic effort sought to show that Cruz will never be forgotten by her people.

Top 5 Inspirational Quotes From The Black Enterprise 2025 XCEL Summit For Men

by BLACK ENTERPRISE Editors

October 24, 2025

Top 5 Inspirational Quotes From The Black Enterprise 2025 XCEL Summit For Men

With a lineup of renowned speakers, including prominent CEOs and changemakers, the XCEL Summit for Men focused on empowering men with the tools and knowledge to excel in both business and personal development.

The Black Enterprise XCEL Summit for Men, held this October in Orlando, Florida, gathered a powerful network of Black professionals, entrepreneurs, and leaders for a weekend of inspiration, growth, and community. With a lineup of renowned speakers, including prominent CEOs and changemakers, the XCEL summit focused on empowering men with the tools and knowledge to excel in both business and personal development. Key discussions focused on overcoming barriers to success, achieving financial independence, and leading in today’s evolving industries. Attendees participated in hands-on workshops, strategic networking sessions, and transformative panels that emphasized Black Enterprise’s commitment to fostering economic advancement and leadership within the Black community. Below are the top 5 inspirational quotes from the summit’s headlining speakers.

John Hope Bryant, Founder, Chairman & CEO, Operation HOPE, Inc. | Bryant Group Ventures LLC

“I consider myself an economic plumber for the Black community. I’m just creating the infrastructure. I have 1,500 offices right now. My goal is, by 2028, is 15,000 offices. I’m going to layer financial literacy, which I have now, put AI literacy on top of that, and create future literacy. I consider myself the economic plumber. I want to be the Starbucks of financial inclusion, the Walmart of economic empowerment. I figured raising credit scores was an easy, neutral mechanism that no one could interrupt, and you have complete control over.”

Troy Taylor, Founder, Chairman & CEO, Coca-Cola Beverages Florida

“This is our country; don’t forget that. Don’t let anybody tell you any differently. This is our country. The first thing that this country did, from an export standpoint, was agriculture. That’s us. Built Washington, D. C.; built the South; built a whole lot of things. That’s what we must celebrate. As we go into next year, we celebrate America 250. Sometimes there are whispers about, well, how will Black America celebrate America 250? I’ll say this: I think we should do an awesome job celebrating America 250. America wouldn’t be America without us.”

Rev. Dr. W. Franklyn Richardson, Senior Pastor, Grace Baptist Church

“We need in the Black community; we need people who go from generation to generation. It is not enough for us just simply to have a winning day in our individual lives. We must pass it on to the next generation.”

Blair Underwood, Award-winning American Actor, Director, Producer

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“Greatness, when I think about that, I go back to one of my all-time favorite speeches of anybody: it was Dr. Martin Luther King and his speech, it’s called the Drum Major Instinct. And in that speech, he talks about how we all want to be the drum major. And what does that mean? That instinct to want to be in front of the band, leading the band, marching high, and just like a peacock, being proud, the drum major. But the instinct of the drum major is to be out front and to be seen. And that can be bastardized. That can be a negative thing. But he said, if you use it right, it can be a wonderful thing. And how you use it is, I mean, that great line, it said, everyone can be great, the greatest of all time.” Anyone and everyone can be great if you service other people.”

Dr. George C. Fraser, Founder, FraserNet Inc.

“Leaders are the foundation. A house cannot stand without a strong foundation. It could stand with a leaky roof on top, but it can’t stand with a weak foundation. It will collapse. Leaders are the foundation. They’re the foundation of the vision, the goals, the objectives of everything above them. Their job is to cultivate, nurture, and prepare their team, their family, to get to the top.”

RELATED CONTENT: XCEL Summit For Men Gives Guys Their Flowers

A$AP Rocky, CDFA, Fashion Icon, Ray Bans

by Kandiss Edwards

October 24, 2025

The Council Of Fashion Designers Of America Names A$AP Rocky Its 2025 Fashion Icon

CFDA Chair Thom Browne described the Hip-Hop artist as 'one of a kind… His truly original approach to fashion inspires me, and so many, to think differently.'

A$AP Rocky, real name Rakim Mayers, is the Council of Fashion Designers of America’s 2025 Fashion Icon. The CFDA Fashion Awards will take place Nov. 3, at the New York Museum of Natural History.

For years, A$AP Rocky has pushed the boundaries of style and self-expression. Born and raised in Harlem, Rocky’s fashion displayed his knack for elevating streetwear and merging cultural pieces with high fashion. When the CFDA named him its 2025 Fashion Icon, it was less about accolades. According to the organization, honoring Rocky reinforced the idea that personal narratives in fashion matter.

CFDA Chair Thom Browne described the hip-hop artist as “one of a kind… His truly original approach to fashion inspires me, and so many, to think differently.”

Rocky’s AWGE agency has partnered with Marine Serre, Amina Muaddi and others, including a runway debut in Paris during Men’s Fashion Week.

A$AP Rocky set to receive the 2025 Fashion Icon award at the CFDA Fashion Awards on Nov 3!

“A$AP Rocky is a Fashion Icon in the purest form,He is one of a kind,His truly original approach to fashion inspires me, and so many, to think differently” – Thom Browne, Chairman (CFDA) pic.twitter.com/35RP7GUkDe
— 𝕵𝖆𝖘 (@awgecentral) October 23, 2025

Rocky’s approach to fashion has always been about more than clothes. He leveraged his co-chair role at the 2025 Met Gala, arriving in a custom AWGE suit. The ensemble echoed his hybrid identity of street-culture and highbrow sophistication. The CFDA award cements what many insiders already considered true. Rocky is more than a celebrity in the fashion space. He’s a creative force shaping it.

With this, A$AP Rocky joins an elite roster of past Fashion Icon recipients who have not only excelled visually but have altered fashion’s cultural conversation. He stands as proof that the boundaries between music, brand, and haute design are no longer separate arenas but parts of a single creative vision.

Earlier this year, Rocky was named creative director of Ray-Ban, putting him in charge of steering the iconic sunglass brand’s future. His first project, a “Blacked Out” reinterpretation of the Mega Icons line, was more than a collection launch. Mayers has moved beyond brand deals into growing as a creative visionary. Rocky isn’t simply serving fashion, he’s shaping it. His appointment and accolades make it clear that he shows up not just as a curated aesthetic but as a design architect who wants to move culture forward.