Rich Paul Confirms Klutch Sports Group Has Negotiated More than $2B in Deals
Super-agent Rich Paul is celebrating the 10-year anniversary of Klutch Sports Group, the sports agency he founded. It’s been a nice run to say the least. Paul confirmed in an interview that Klutch has negotiated over $2 billion in contracts for their clients.
On a recent episode of Rap Radar Paul talked with Elliot Wilson and Brian “B.Dot” Miller. Among the topics: successfully building a brand.
Paul, who is a longtime friend of basketball superstar LeBron James began his career working under sports agent Leon Rose, who represented James at the time. He left to start Klutch Sports Agency and brought his friend along with him. The agency now represents over 120 clients, including NBA stars Draymond Green, Anthony Davis, and Trae Young.
When he first started the agency, Paul had to face plenty of doubters.
“You gotta remember, 10 years prior, it was, ‘This isn’t gonna last. Not to take him serious. It’s only about LeBron so to speak.’ But now, we’re here in a real way,” Paul told Wilson and Miller.
He also expressed that he is looking forward to what the future has in store.
“I said on my IG post, the good thing is it was a great 10 years and we look forward to 10 more. Just getting better as a company. Me getting better as a leader. ‘Cause we don’t just represent players, we represent their families as well.”
The present already looks pretty bright. According to AfroTech, in April Klutch’s Nicole Lynn,negotiated the richest contract in NFL history. Quarterback Jalen Hurts signed a contract extension with the Philadelphia Eagles for five years, $255 million. Nearly $180 million of the contract is guaranteed for the superstar quarterback, who led the Eagles to the Super Bowl last season.
The success of his agency is just one thing people talk about. Paul is also engaged to singer Adele.
“Florida is openly hostile toward African Americans, people of color and LGBTQ+ individuals,” the NAACP said. “Before traveling to Florida, please understand that the state of Florida devalues and marginalizes the contributions of, and the challenges faced by African Americans and other communities of color.”
The advisory has been in the works for months as the Hillsborough County Chapter of the organization met with other NAACP members back in March and agreed to work with the national office on this advisory.
NAACP President and CEO Derrick Johnson says DeSantis’ antics conflict with the ideals that the group was founded upon.
“Let me be clear–failing to teach an accurate representation of the horrors and inequalities that Black Americans have faced and continue to face is a disservice to students and a dereliction of duty to all,” Johnson said.
Since winning the governor seat, the controversial Republican politician has focused heavily on social issues. Last year, the state made headlines after DeSantis signed the “Stop WOKE Act” into legislation, putting restrictions on how race and gender are discussed in classrooms, NBC News reported.
Under his administration, several areas of “concern” have been recommended for curriculum removal including Black Queer Studies, Movement for Black Lives, Black Feminist Literary Thought, The Reparations Movement and Black Struggle in the 21st Century. Books by Bell Hooks, Angela Davis and other Black authors have also been banned.
This isn’t the first travel advisory set by the NAACP in concern for African-Americans. In 2017, an advisory went against the state of Missouri due to “race, gender and color based crimes.”
“Keynote Speaker Wendy Williams as she (sic) shares insight into her trailblazing three-decade career in entertainment and a behind-the-scenes look into her inspiring journey of Life and the Pursuit of True Happiness on Saturday, May 20, 2023 at 1:00.”
Williams’ photos have been removed from the Atlanta Women’s expo website. But a representative from the Expo told the US Sunthat the star appeared in a pre-recorded video,”apologizing for the late cancellation.”
Wendy Williams is seen in New York City’s SoHo on March 22, 2021. (Photo: Raymond Hall/GC Images)
The media mogul was set to join an impressive lineup of keynote speakers which included singers Monica, and Tamika Scott, actress Kim Fields and reality stars Erica Mena, Mimi Faust, Tammy Rivera, Spice and Shenkinah Anderson.
Williams’ brother, Tommy, recently slammed Wendy’s team for allowing camera crews to film their family vacation in Florida on Easter weekend.
“She’s so caught up with who she was and not who she’s become, and apparently she’d like to get back to who she was because she can’t stop talking about that person,” Tommy told the US Sun in a recorded interview.
“So let’s all help you get back to that person, but we haven’t been able to help because she’s up in New York around people and we, the family, can’t get her hooks in her properly to reel her into the shore,” the 54-year old added.
It is unclear why camera crews were following the star.
“Yes, Wendy is filming…Yes, she is gearing up for something and the specifics of that can’t be disclosed as of yet” Williams’ rep, Shawn Zanotti, told Page Six.
Zanotti confirmed that the star is not filming a reality show.
Trell Thomas Shines A Light On The Inspiration Behind The Black Excellence Brunch
One thing about Trell Thomas is he’s going to celebrate, promote, and pour all his effort into Black Excellence. Thomas has been the mastermind behind The Excellence Brunch. The founder and CEO created the “family style brunch modeled after the Sunday dinners that were a signature at his home in South Carolina” in 2018 to establish community and to pay homage to the Black and excellent professionals among us—across industries, BLACK ENTERPRISE previously reported.
(Photo: Anthony Whiting)
Thomas’s soirée has crisscrossed the United States, taking place at venues in New Orleans, Los Angeles, Disney, just to name a few. The tastemaker has even carried The Black Excellence Brunch across the Atlantic to the mother continent—as part of Ghana’s annual invitation to Black diasporans to return home. Thomas brought all the bells and whistles as per usual.
(Photo: Fire Media Group/Le’Andria Johnson)
However, Thomas’s most recent Black Excellence Brunch on Mother’s Day in Atlanta was a bit different. While Thomas honored attending mothers and industry talents—including Cynthia Bailey, Quad Webb and Le’ Andria Johnson—he celebrated his own mom who is the very inspiration behind The Black Excellence Brunch.
BE caught up with Thomas to talk about the event, and to find out what’s tried and true and what’s new for The Black Excellence Brunch.
BLACK ENTERPRISE: Share the difference and feelings you have for your very first Black Excellence Brunch vs. this last Mother’s Day event.
Trell Thomas: The feeling from the first Black Excellence Brunch to this recent one for Mother’s Day gives me this overwhelming feeling of joy. It honestly felt like a full circle moment, being able to have my mom who all of this is inspired by there and to celebrate her in that way. The brunch would not exist had it not been for the very intentional tradition of Sunday dinner that she carried out in our home when I was growing up. She is the blueprint for Black Excellence Brunch.
I witnessed you serving plates at the Mother’s Day Brunch. Talk about the many hats you wear beyond being the creator and founder.
It’s very important to me to keep the elements of Sunday dinner intact so that people don’t feel like they are at some “stuffy” Hollywood event but that they are at “home” with family, so I treat my role at Black Excellence Brunch like a host inviting you to their home and around their table. If that means serving food, then I do it. My goal is always to provide hospitality, comfort, and to celebrate my guests. A lot of people come to an event and look at the person leading it for guidance—my hope is that if they are looking at me, they feel safe to let their guards down and show up authentically.
So far, the New Orleans Brunch experience has been my favorite. Do you have a favorite, and if so, which one?
It’s so hard to choose a favorite but there are favorite things I have about each. I can say that the one we did in Ghana is at the top of my list. There were so many emotions that I felt. I actually remember shedding tears of joy about the experience. I was so nervous about how the brunch would be received in the motherland and I didn’t know anyone that was invited to the event, which is not typical but everyone was so welcoming and loving. It was everything that I hoped it would be!
What does the future of Black Excellence Brunch? What’s the next stop?
The future of Black Excellence Brunch brunch is bright! We have some amazing things planned and are excited to show up in spaces like CMA Fest and ABFF bridging gaps and shining a light on Black Excellence! You can also expect to see us on the big screens soon!
What do you want attendees and honorees to take away from the Black Excellence Brunch experience?
I want them to walk away with a stronger knowing of their value and to feel celebrated. I want attendees to have a desire to share their experience, not just in the sense of having people want to attend, but to spread the love they felt there to someone else who may need it.
Louisiana Hosts 6th Annual Baton Rouge Food Festival
The Sixth Annual Baton Rouge Soul Food Festival, wrapping up today, features musical guests, soul food galore, and a cooking contest. The can’t-miss event slated to be one of this year’s best celebrations.
The festival is located at Riverfront Plaza, 300 S. River Road, from 11:00 AM to 8:00 PM on both days. the $25 tickets cover food, soft drinks, and photo opportunities from the festival’s Soul Food Kitchen. But, if you’re hoping to elevate your experience even more, opt for VIP tickets for $100 which will include two festival t-shirts, a free CD of “Now” by Henry Turner Jr. & Flavor and additional perks.
Festivalgoers can try different kinds of soul food and shop small businesses while listening to all kinds of music.
This year’s Pioneer Award honoree, Sean “Boss Hogg” Huey of Café Express, was presented with an award for his contributions to the soul food industry on Saturday. Other events this weekend include the Soul Food Cooking Contest, a Tina Turner tribute by Lisa Harris, and a belly-dancing performance by the Phoenix Rouge Dance Troupe. Musical performers include Mike Da’Kidd, Susie Shepherd, Total Control Band, and Carrie Angeletti.
The Soul Food Cooking Contest will be judged across two afternoons. On Saturday at 1:00 p.m., judges tasted competitors’ meat, fish, vegetables, and sides. Today at 2:00 p.m. judging will resume for appetizers and soups, breads and desserts, and beverages and drinks.
A complete list of vendors and non-vendors is included below.
Food vendors include Alin Girls Catering, Capitol Seafood, Carr’s Pralines Candy LLC, Fun Time Snoballz, Grammy’s Kettle Corn, Gwennies Jamaican Jerk, King Queen and Princesses Sweets Eats, L Avist & C Catering LLC, Lanes Corner Café, Nola Queen Chef, Oh Yea Cajun Style Food Services LLC, Purple Hands Foundation, Pushin it Catering, SDJ Sweet Treats, Sno Juice, Soul Delicious, Soul Sistas Provisions LLC, Southern De’licieaux Boilers and T&T Smokehouse Meats LLC.
Nonfood vendors include Blingin’ Tees & Custom Creations, Cutco Cutlery, Eye Candle Accessions, Fab Boutique & Etc. LLC, Freddie Lee’s Gourmet Sauces, Konjo Imports, Little Faith, Big Results; MaxHome, Miss Black Empowerment Organization, Mommy and Me Custom Creations LLC, Nation Heritage Academies, and Octavia’s Bling.
For more information, call (225) 802-9681 or visit www.brsoulfoodfest.com.
Father of Grammy-Winning Producer Hit Boy Speaks On His Unlawful Prison Sentence
You might be familiar with Hit-Boy, the Grammy Award-winning producer and artist behind hits with Jay-Z, Kanye West, and Nas. But many don’t know that during Hit Boy’s rise to the top of the charts, the “Ni**as In Paris” hitmaker was stressing over the unlawful prison sentence of his father, Chauncey “Big Hit” Hollis Sr.
That’s when Hit-Boy, real name Chauncey Alexander Hollis Jr., partnered with Chloe Cheyenne, the founder of COMMUNITYx to help free his father from serving an unlawful prison sentence. In July 2014, Chauncey Hollis Sr. was found guilty and convicted of a hit and run resulting in great bodily injury and sentenced to 12 years and 4 months in prison, which includes a five-year GBI enhancement connected to Count 1.
However, Hollis was petitioning Judge Richard H Kirschner to remove the five-year enhancement from his sentence since 2021, correctly citing that it couldn’t be lawfully applied to his sentence based on the Vehicle Codes not aligning with the Attorney General’s application.
In February 2023, the Court of Appeals heard Mr. Hollis’ case and granted his petition for a writ of habeas corpus, directing the trial court to strike the great bodily injury enhancement on count 1, amend the abstract of judgment accordingly, and send a certified copy of the amended abstract of judgment to the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. However, Judge Kirschner refused to acknowledge the Appellate Court’s decision, and Hollis remained illegally imprisoned up until his release early this month.
With the help of COMMUNITYx, the freebighit landing page was created to raise awareness and collect signatures to free Hollis from prison. They made a call for Judge Kirschner to acknowledge the Appellate Court’s orders and immediately release Hollis from prison.
In the wake of his prison release, Chauncey sat down with BLACK ENTERPRISE to share his experience with a corrupt judicial system and reveal how his son’s fame might’ve influenced the questionable behavior taking place behind the scene. Joined by Chloe, she explained how COMMUNITYx aided in his release and the work her organization continues to do to help combat social injustice around the world.
Press play below for the full interview on “The Culture Shift: Be The Change” series aimed at raising awareness on those making impactful strides in the prison and criminal justice reform movement.
74-Year-Old Blues Singer Receives Diploma 57 Years After Being Expelled Over Hair Discrimination
A 74-year-old blues singer in Colorado finally received his high school diploma nearly 60 years after he was kicked out of school due to his hairstyle.
Otis Taylor was expelled from Denver’s Manual High School in 1966 over his hair, CBS News reports. But he was celebrated with an honorary degree in place of his diploma.
“Today is a day that we rectify the failures of the past,” Auon’tai Anderson, vice president of the Denver School Board, said at the ceremony.
“I know what Otis experienced along with others will no longer happen in the state of Colorado.”
Taylor was just 17 years old when school administrators told him to “cut your hair or leave.” The aspiring musician was already on the natural hair wave that would sweep the 1970s and see many Black Americans wearing their hair in afros.
“You had to have that James Brown haircut. You can have all you want on the top, but you had to be clean on the sides,” Taylor recalled.
The whole school district was coming down on people who didn’t look how they wanted you to look.”
Once given the ultimatum to cut his hair or risk expulsion, Taylor left—so was his diploma, upsetting his parents. He relocated to California to live with his dad and ended up getting arrested after trying to get into a bar with his underage ID card.
“My father let me sit there for three days. When I came out, he took me straight to a barber. I got my haircut!” Taylor laughed.
Taylor went on to follow his passion for music and released over a dozen blues albums and has the awards and accolades to match.
His best-known song is “Ten Million Slaves,” which can be heard in the 2009 Johnny Depp movie Public Enemies as noted by The Guardian. The song has also appeared on FX’s Justified and in a commercial promoting Discovery Channel’s Sons of Guns.
When it comes to how different he thinks his life would’ve turned out had he just cut his hair, Taylor says life has been too good to worry about the what-ifs.
“The wrong happened a long time ago. So being a Black man in America, I’m going to deal with wrongs,” he said.
“My kids went to college. My wife loves me and we’ve been married for 37 years. How can I regret?”
Survey: 82% Of Entrepreneurs See AI Disrupting Their Business Over Next 5 Years, Do Your Homework Before Plunging In
Thanks to many small business owners now embracing artificial intelligence, aka AI, many maintain the buzzword technology could bring some turmoil.
In fact, 82% of entrepreneurs are convinced that AI will disrupt their business during the next five years. Yet, 84% of the companies currently applying AI plan to keep using it in the future.
Those were among the findings in a recentsurvey by ratings and review firm Clutch. Some 502 U.S. business leaders were questioned to get their take on AI, how they adopt it, and how they plan to blend the technology into their operations moving forward.
The analysis revealed that small businesses feel artificial intelligence will work best in responding to customers with chatbots, creating business presentations, and writing marketing collateral. They cite greater efficiency from AI as its top benefit. They expect AI to boost their need for outsourced services across departments, with engineering (83%), sales and customer experience (78%), and marketing (77%).
Still, AI is not viewed as perfect or error-free. Business leaders reported a lack of personalization and capabilities to identify artificial intelligence-generated content as among its biggest limitations.
That sentiment aligns with previous reports on the technology. Observers maintain that AI can perhaps erase human jobs, hamper learning and creativity, and bring data privacy and security concerns.
But Adrian Tammiga, co-founder of outdoor fire pit maker Iron Embers is bullish on AI. He told Clutch, “Tasks that used to take weeks and involve multiple team members can now be completed in a single morning. I also gain knowledge and expertise in various fields.”
Indeed, Clutch disclosed demand has increased more than 514% year-over-year in the first quarter of this year, and the amount is increasing. Yet, experts say small business owners may do well to carefully do their homework before investing in artificial intelligence.
For instance, ask some key questions before hiring an AI service provider. Check if the vendor’s solution is a good fit for your company and is centered on your industry. Be sure to ask for other users or customer references. That information can show you key elements like a provider’s capacity, how their AI models were built, and possibly show backup support will be provided to your business.
Also, be sure to check specifically how artificial intelligence will solve your business problems and help add value to your company. Ask how AI systems can be added to products and services and carefully examine whether the technology will provide what you are looking for. Don’t be afraid to ask how AI could complement your overall business growth strategy.
Check out this from Clutch that offers tips to consider before diving into AI.
Loop Capital Makes History As Joint Bookrunner On $600 Million Allstate Preferred Stock Offering
In an unprecedented event, Loop Capital Markets was hired as a bookrunner on a public offering of preferred stock priced at $600 million for insurance giant Allstate.
According to Allstate, Loop Capital’s deed with one of the nation’s largest insurers marks the first time a diverse-owned business enterprise has acted as a joint book-runner on a preferred stock issuance.
Chicago-based Loop Capital was No. 1 on the most recent list of investment banks on the BE 100s, a listing of the nation’s largest Black-owned businesses.
The group helped sell the preferred stock to investors interested in acquiring and receiving ongoing quarterly dividends from it, an Allstate spokesperson explained. Allstate plans to use the net proceeds for general corporate purposes such as investments and other uses.
The latest transaction of Series Preferred J Stock comes after Allstate redeemed all outstanding shares of Series G Preferred Stock for a total redemption payment of $575 million last month.
Along with Loop, other joint bookrunners on the offering were Morgan Stanley & Co., B of A Securities Inc., J.P. Morgan Securities, and Wells Fargo Securities.
Allstate Chief Financial Officer Jess Merten shared via email with BLACK ENTERPRISE on May 18 that Allstate’s commitment to inclusive diversity extends through strategic relationships with its partners, helping both achieve shared objectives.
“Our relationship with Loop Capital has grown since they led our $1.2 billion bond offering in 2020, along with other MWVBE firms. Loop has proven they have the expertise and capabilities to excel in this area, and we are thrilled at their performance this week. “
Courtesy Jim Reynolds, CEO of Loop Capital
Loop Capital’s CEO Jim Reynolds provided this comment to BLACK ENTERPRISE on the groundbreaking deal: “Loop Capital Markets has had a longstanding relationship with Allstate, and our work with them on this preferred transaction is another seminal moment.”
He added, “Through this transaction, Allstate further demonstrated their commitment to elevating the stature and exposure of diverse-owned firms, like Loop Capital Markets, to more complex and non-traditional transactions which leverage investments that we have made in our business to deliver for our clients.”
Disabled Grandma Files $100 Million Lawsuit Against Landlords For Unlawful, Racist Eviction
Sandra Black, a 52-year-old African American retired disabled grandmother from Marion, Indiana has sued what she calls “malicious racist landlords” for their attempted frivolous eviction in Indiana state court. She is also suing them for removing her from her apartment due to discrimination.
Mrs. Black introduces the unprecedented subject matter of special damages she termed EMBEDDED LAW, (reparations type payout for all African Americans). She seeks $100 million dollars to be split between herself and the entire Black race as determined by a jury. Her argument is that it is unconstitutional to treat Blacks equally to minorities due to their special damages of slavery, modern-day racism, and deprivation of land and government of their very own (no rights to sovereignty of nationality).
Mrs. Black alleges that no other American race of over 40 million people lives utterly devalued of human rights by society without escape as do the Black American. This subject matter is the first discussion ever in history that blacks must receive financial compensation for their damage and will force corporations to do much more to stop managers from harming people of color.
Mrs. Black claims that she was ordered by the court to keep her views on racism and the racist landlords to herself! She claims that she was ordered to accept Jim Crow-type law that places a black person who is overwhelmingly in the right by the evidence… falsely in the wrong to save whites with little to no evidence to back their claim. By law, a judge is required to be impartial. Black alleges that the judge should be charged with a hate crime for her actions against Black in court.
A Brief Synopsis of Sandra Black’s Alleged Court Experience:
1. She alleges that the Judge fabricated evidence to support whites; harmful to Black, and refused to “remove the lie” then ordered Black gagged from mentioning the magistrate’s actions in court litigation.
2. Mrs. Black motioned the court for the case to be dismissed so that she could have a chance at a fair judge… motion to dismiss was denied.
3. She alleges that the Judge sanctioned Sandra for asking the court to compel white defendants to cooperate with discovery. A Black victim must pay white culprits! She alleges she was sanctioned for going against whites in court.
4. As the caption states, Black alleges that mostly all, if not ALL of Black’s pleadings were intentionally taken out of context, ignored, and dismissed.
5. Mrs. Black alleges she was court-ordered in writing to appear in person (forced to drive out of town to court, loss of time and money) while the wealthier white defendants may appear in person or by phone.
6. Mrs. Black alleges that worst of all, the senior judge and appellate court joined in a conspiracy to allow racism in American courts, supporting the magistrate judge to judicially lynch a black litigant.
To their misfortune, Mrs. Black alleges that both the defendants and judges had absolutely no clue that their “Karen” crusade against her is not against a typical Black person. Her resume includes being an HBCU graduate of Tuskegee University with a BS degree in chemical engineering, decades of experience maneuvering through racism, an expert on world religions, African history, the creation/origins of humanity, author of several books, and the wife of an African Shaman.
She is the court-appointed guardian raising four grandchildren all alone, and she once resided in Ghana, Africa for 5 years. Her diverse background established her as a force unprecedented in setting financial restitution for African Americans.
The court and Sandra Black are at a stalemate. Neither can move forward without the other being defeated, therefore the court refuses to respond to her litigation and she refuses to accept the Jim Crow order moving forward to trial. She alleges that it is now up to the public to decide if Jim Crow is allowable in our courts today.
For more information about her case contact Sandra Black directly at 765-662-1068.
