• News

by Iman Milner

April 28, 2023

Draft Pick CJ Stroud Talks Faith, Turning Pro And Being An Inspiration

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Last night, with the second NFL draft pick, the Houston Texans selected Ohio State’s CJ Stroud as its new franchise quarterback. Coming as a surprise to very few as Stroud has been projected to be a top 5 pick since announcing his decision to turn pro, perhaps the person least worried about his professional future is the California native himself. 

With poise and surety of purpose that far surpasses his 21 years, the two-time All-Big Ten first-teamer is already both a fan favorite and a brand deal darling. With partnerships from DSW to Express and American Eagle, Stroud has already proved himself a bankable asset and a charitable giver, gifting his teammates in major ways from the brands. Then there’s his game. The 6’3, 240-pound flamethrower is a lethal combination of accuracy, productivity, and athleticism. In his final game for Ohio State, Stroud passed for 348 yards and four touchdowns against a nearly perfect Georgia Bulldog defense. The Buckeyes would lose the semifinal game, but any doubts about whether CJ Stroud could be a franchise player were silenced. 

Now, with his NFL fate sealed, Stroud’s ready to make some noise with a Texans team that will depend on him to set the tone.

TIDAL invited BLACK ENTERPRISE to chat with the two-time Heisman finalist ahead of draft day about his journey to the league, how his faith keeps him focused, and why he’d rather be an inspiration than an influencer. 

BLACK ENTERPRISE: This is a big day, CJ. What’s been the road to get you here?

CJ Stroud: It goes all the way back to when I was a kid. I always had a goal that I wanted to accomplish. I just didn’t know whether it would be football or basketball. I really made my decision in high school, and it wasn’t until college, my redshirt freshman year, that I really started to believe that I could make it to the NFL. It’s been a process of hard work. A lot of late nights and early mornings to get to this point. But this is the fun part now. This is the part where I get to enjoy it and just spend time with my family. Today is the icing on the cake. 

BE: If you could describe your game using the flow of three rappers, who would they be and why?

Oh, that’s a great question. I always talk about Nipsey Hussle, but I’d have to go with him. We have a lot of similar characteristics being from the same place. And we’re the same type of person in the sense of being about the community and wanting to help people. That’s how I play football; I want to help my teammates be better, and I want to inspire and motivate people. 

The second person would probably be Meek Mill. He was one of my favorites growing up; he gave me a lot of motivation. But as far as his rapping style, he can switch it up. He can go mellow or chill, and then he can turn it up and make a club banger: those are two things that I think I can do on the football field. The third one would probably be a singer, actually. Someone like SZA. The way she sings about love; that’s how I feel about the game. You can hear the love in her voice; you can tell she loves what she does. 

BE: Let’s talk about drowning out the noise; what’s your focus heading into the next level of your career?

It’s definitely something that no one can really prepare you for; it just comes with the territory. I have a great team around me that helps me stay focused on what I need to do. But really, I just lean on God. He’s the ultimate judge; he’s the ultimate decision-maker. If I’m OK with him, then I’m good. At the end of the day, this is just a game. It’s something that I take very, very seriously, but I know the difference between life and football. As far as critics go, I respect everyone’s opinions. Critics are going to critique. They’re just doing their jobs. I try to stay away from feelings and just focus on facts. But, on the other hand, when we get on their head…they get mad at us. (laughs)

BE: You’re partnering with TIDAL to give your fans a look inside the music fueling you for the big day. Tell us about that. 

Music is definitely one of the ways I drown out the noise of everything. Even leading up to the draft, there’s been things happening, and music helps me get in my zone. I partnered with TIDAL so people can hear what I’m listening to. I’m going to be updating my playlist right up until one of the biggest moments of my life. 

BE: You’ll also be sharing what a day in your life is like. What will people be able to see about you on a day like today?

I’m an easygoing person. I’m not a person who gets too high or too low. People are asking me about being nervous, but I’m just like, ‘The hard work is already done.’ It’s just time to have fun and enjoy the night. I think people will really see that. I’m always pretty chill. Fans can also come check me out on Lockerverse; there will be a lot of behind-the-scenes things for people to see. 

BE: You said, “I don’t want to be an influencer; I want to be inspirational. What or who inspires you? And what do you think is the difference between influence and inspiration?

People who inspire me are people who really stand up for what they believe in, unapologetically. Something that I’m really big on is being myself through and through, no matter who’s in the room. The best version of me is when I am just being myself. People who inspire me are people like Nipsey Hussle, LeBron James; there are people in the corporate sector I really look up to. There’s a lot of great brothers out here who are doing those type of movements to help the young guys out. That’s what I aspire to do. I won’t say being an influencer is selfish because everyone has their own reasons. For me, influencing is about trying to get people to do something that will help make you money right now. Being an inspiration is about pushing people to become the better version of themselves. Influencing is just putting a brand out there and promoting that brand. Inspiration comes from within and from a good heart. I do have some influence but inspiration is definitely more important, in my opinion.

BE: What do you want football fans to know about CJ Stroud?

I’m a regular person. People don’t think we are, but you’d be surprised. I am always even keel, so people think I lack emotion. But honestly, I’m a sensitive person. Of course, on the field, I have to be a certain way but off the field, I’m just me. People are saying, “This is the biggest moment of your life,” and honestly, it’s not. It’s just a stepping stool. It’s something that God wanted me to knock off my list of goals, and now we’re here. I gotta go right back to work after tonight. Of course, I’m excited; it’s going to be a new journey. But I’m not changing. I’m going to continue to be myself, whether you like it or not. 

• News

by Iman Milner

April 28, 2023

23-Year Old Ahriana Edwards’ Size-Inclusive Footwear Line Finds A Home At Macy’s

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Where other people see problems, Black women see the potential for solutions. Such was the case for 23-year-old Ahriana Edwards, who, upon realizing the blind spot of brands that failed to cater to women who wear shoe sizes 9 through 14, created Vaila Shoes. And now, only one year later, her decision to pursue her dream full-time is paying off.

“There’s no credit that I can give to anyone else except for the man up above,” Edwards wrote on Instagram. “He gave me the vision and told me that it was time to MOVE. It was time to execute. I left my FULL-TIME JOB to achieve this dream of building this shoe company for women with extended shoe sizes.” To date, Vaila Shoes has raised $80,000 in funding without giving away equity in the company. Before even having a physical product on the market, Edwards pitched her brand in over 20 competitions to attract the interest of investors.

“When I started the concept for Vaila in 2020, I knew in 2021 that I needed to raise as much upfront capital to launch and sustain the business,” Edwards said in an email interview with Afrotech. “2021 was imperative because it was the time being where individuals truly saw how underfunded Black founders were. Although I didn’t have any product in market yet, I took that opportunity and ran with it.” After six months in operation, her business has expanded into five Macy’s locations in New York City, Atlanta, and Washington, D.C. “It took a lot of grit to be a 23-year-old founder pulling off this six-figure contract,” Edwards said. “I experienced the most difficulty raising funding for this partnership, but I kept persisting and doing whatever it took to make it work.”

Grace Jacobson, who serves as Associate Shoe Buyer at Macy’s, was impressed by Edwards’ stick-to-itiveness, according to AfroTech. “Ahriana is so inspiring creating a business that will help others feel their best having shoes that will support their shoe size that currently isn’t supported much in the marketplace,” she said in an interview with the outlet. “I also admired how Ahriana is showing that regardless of your age, you can still be able to make a change in this world and to just start.”

Earlier this week, TIME Magazine convened leaders from all over the world at its annual Time 100 Summit. With a special focus on climate action leadership, this year’s summit featured panels with EGOT Winner John Legend, NBA veteran Carmelo Anthony, House Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, and WNBA Player’s Union President Nneka Ogwumike, among others.

Black Enterprise was on hand to soak in ideas on racial and gender equality, breakthroughs in HIV treatment, the future of AI, and a Hollywood masterclass from Academy Award-winning filmmaker Steven Spielberg.

Among the standout moments of the Time 100 event were John Legend’s thoughts on AI-generated music content. In his conversation with TIME Senior Correspondent Charlotte Alter, he said technology’s latest infringement on creativity didn’t threaten him as the key component to making timeless music is being able to connect to audiences through story, craft, and performance. “AI can’t really do that, and I think that’ll be job protection for us,” he said. But he did express that regulations should be put in place when it comes to using artists’ voices. “AI is going to be a part of our lives and will be something that augments our own intelligence, and that’s fine, but when it comes to using someone’s likeness or intellectual property, I believe our rights should still be protected,” he said. The “Green Light” singer also paid tribute to the “powerful, revolutionary life” of the late Harry Belafonte as news of his death silenced the room.

Hollywood legend Steven Speilberg used his opening slot of the day’s conversations to focus on preserving art in its originally intended form. “For me, it’s sacrosanct…I do not believe in censorship that way,” he said. He pointed to the recent decision to remove language that could be considered offensive from the latest editions of Roald Dahl’s childhood favorites, such as Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, as unacceptable. “Nobody should ever take the chocolate out of Willy Wonka, and they shouldn’t take the chocolate or the vanilla or any other flavor out of anything that’s been written,” Spielberg said

House Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi was also on hand to discuss President Joe Biden’s bid for reelection and put to bed doubt about whether he has the full support of the Democratic Party. “In terms of the Democrats, I know a little bit about that because I go to their meetings all over,” she said. “And yes, they’d rather he be younger. But they’re all for him. … There’s little, shall we say, sidebar stuff, but by and large, people understand there’s so much at stake in this election that it’s really important for us to go full strength, full strength Joe Biden.”

Her feelings were shared by SKIMS founder and reality TV star Kim Kardashian, who was one of TIME’s 2015 Most Influential People. In her conversation with CNN Anchor Poppy Harlow, the mother of four said she “would love” to meet with the president to discuss criminal justice and commutations—something she’s become passionate about using her platform for. “Once I saw that I was able to make a difference, I couldn’t stop there, and I realized there were so many other people to help,” Kardashian said.