David Banner Says Excellence Has Everything To Do With You
To the Best of Your Ability, Be 10-times better than everyone else
Who Is The Man Behind The Message?
David Banner is an actor and recording artist and producer who has appeared in Stomp the Yard, The Butler, and The Equalizer. He also has several studio albums including Them Firewater Boyz, Vol. 1, Mississippi: The Album, and The Greatest Story Ever Told. Originally from Jackson, Mississippi, Banner was awarded a Visionary Award in 2006 by the National Black Caucus of State Legislators in his hometown, recognizing him for his humanitarian work after Hurricane Katrina. According to published reports, he also testified before Congress at a hearing on racism and misogyny in hip hop music industry.
David Banner’s Message At XCEL Summit For Men
When he joined award-winning actor Blair Underwood at the 2025 XCEL Summit for Men, he shared his experience on the set of a Mercedez Benz commercial that proved his dedication to excellence. It’s a story we’re excerpting in this short clip below. And as we approached the 10th anniversary of the XCEL Summit for Men, Banner’s story just might inspire you to strive for excellence in your own career. If he can do it in the midst of a medical emergency, then we all can strive for excellence with less trauma. Take a look!
The ruling, issued July 5, finalizes the administration of the estate of Hussle, born Ermias Asghedom, following his fatal shooting in Los Angeles March 31, 2019. Court records indicate the estate, valued at approximately $11 million, will be divided equally between his daughter, Emani Asghedom, and his son, Kross Asghedom. Financial terms of the individual distributions were not publicly disclosed.
The court’s decision closes one of the last remaining legal matters involving Hussle’s estate, which has been managed by his brother, Samiel “Blacc Sam” Asghedom, throughout the probate process. Since Hussle’s death, the estate has continued overseeing his business interests, intellectual property, and the Marathon brand while preserving projects tied to his legacy.
Hussle earned recognition not only as a Grammy Award-winning artist but also as a businessman whose investments focused on South Los Angeles. Through Marathon Clothing, real estate ventures, and technology initiatives, he advocated for neighborhood revitalization and economic ownership within underserved communities, efforts that continued to shape his legacy after his death.
Hussle was 33 when he was fatally shot outside Marathon Clothing in South Los Angeles. In February 2023, Eric Holder Jr. was sentenced to 60 years to life in prison after a jury convicted him of first-degree murder in the killing. Two other men were injured during the shooting.
The court-approved settlement formally transfers Hussle’s estate to his children, marking the conclusion of a lengthy probate process while preserving the business and community initiatives he established before his death. The decision represents the final legal step in distributing the assets of one of hip-hop’s most influential entrepreneurs.
Jermaine Dupri Files $18M Lawsuit Against Sony Music For Unpaid Royalties From Mariah Carey, Usher Hits
In addition to the alleged unpaid royalties, Dupri is seeking interest, attorneys' fees, and other damages.
Jermaine Dupri is taking Sony Music Entertainment to court, alleging the music giant failed to pay millions of dollars in royalties tied to some of the biggest names in R&B and hip-hop.
According to a lawsuit filed July 6, the Grammy-winning producer, songwriter, and founder of So So Def Recordings is seeking more than $18 million in damages, claiming Sony engaged in a decades-long pattern of underreporting and withholding royalty payments connected to recordings by artists including Mariah Carey, Usher, Kris Kross, Xscape, Da Brat, and Bow Wow, reports Variety.
The complaint alleges Sony’s actions amounted to a “systemic pattern” of failing to properly account for royalties earned under agreements dating back to 1992. According to the filing, Sony’s “deceitful actions” included “underreporting royalties, failing to report income, and retroactively altering royalty statements,” reports People. The lawsuit claims Sony withheld approximately $960,000 in royalties from Xscape’s 1993 debut album Hummin’ Comin’ at ‘Cha. It also alleges the company failed to report producer and override royalties for Kris Kross’ blockbuster albums Totally Krossed Out and Da Bomb, resulting in more than $2.2 million in unpaid royalties. Furthermore, the suit accuses Sony of failing “to account to Plaintiffs to avoid paying millions of dollars to the Plaintiffs,” despite Dupri’s productions and So So Def catalog generating more than $200 million in gross revenue over their decades-long business relationship.
In addition to the alleged unpaid royalties, Dupri is seeking interest, attorneys’ fees, and other damages.
Dupri claims he and So So Def first became suspicious in 2023 after reviewing royalty statements and discovering alleged discrepancies spanning multiple releases over several decades.
Dupri, a 12-time Grammy nominee and winner of Best R&B Song for co-writing Mariah Carey’s “We Belong Together,” has long been one of the most influential producers in contemporary music. His So So Def label helped launch the careers of Kris Kross, Xscape, Da Brat, Bow Wow, and Jagged Edge, while his production credits include chart-topping records for Janet Jackson, TLC, and Ludacris.
Descendant Of Enslaved African Cudjo Lewis Receives Citizenship From Benin
More than 165 years after the last known slave ship arrived in the U.S., the great-great-granddaughter of Clotilda survivor Cudjo Lewis has become the first descendant of the ship's captives to receive citizenship from Benin
More than 165 years after the last known slave ship arrived in the United States, one descendant of its survivors has fulfilled a dream her ancestors never had the chance to realize.
Cassandra Lewis, a direct descendant of Clotilda survivor Kossola “Cudjo” Lewis, has become the first descendant of the 110 Africans illegally transported aboard the infamous slave ship in 1860 to receive citizenship from the West African nation of Benin. Lewis told AL.com that the moment is deeply personal.
“This citizenship means a lot to me,” she said. “I knew about Cudjo from birth, but I never knew about Africa. I could [remember] seeing my daddy looking at books on Africans. Now I get to go there and learn about Africa, trace my roots back, and learn about it.”
Lewis’ journey to citizenship began long before Benin passed its landmark 2024 law establishing a right of return for descendants of Africans taken during the transatlantic slave trade. As the youngest of nine children, she grew up hearing firsthand accounts passed down from her father, Johnny Lewis, who spent the first 15 years of his life with his great-grandfather, Cudjo Lewis.
“Johnny was with him there during the first 15 years of his life, and he was able to tell his children,” Lewis said. “He did exactly what Cudjo said.”
Cudjo Lewis was among the best-known survivors of the Clotilda, the last known ship to illegally transport enslaved Africans to the United States more than 50 years after Congress outlawed the transatlantic slave trade. After emancipation, he and roughly 32 fellow survivors established Africatown in Alabama, where they preserved West African customs, language, and traditions. Lewis formally received her Beninese citizenship during a May 22 ceremony, standing beside a life-sized cutout of her great-great-grandfather.
“The Minister of Foreign Affairs shook my hand and said, ‘glad you made it,'” she recalled. “He said that he wondered if it was me that was with my grandaddy. They were so happy that I was there.”
Lewis’ citizenship became possible after Benin enacted legislation in September 2024 allowing descendants of enslaved Africans to reclaim citizenship. She submitted DNA results and genealogical records proving her direct lineage to Cudjo Lewis.
“The people there are trying to make things right,” she said. “These people have opened their doors and made it possible for me to come and learn about their people. They are very beautiful and welcoming in everything.”
Lewis plans to share her experience during Africatown’s annual Landing Event & Ancestors Festival, where her family’s story continues to serve as a powerful reminder that, generations after the Clotilda’s arrival, descendants are still reclaiming the history, identity and homeland that slavery sought to erase.
Remote And Hybrid Work Aren’t Going Anywhere, New Census Data Suggests
Remote and hybrid may be here to stay in spite of the corporate push for employees to RTO
Despite a growing number of return-to-office mandates from major companies, remote and hybrid work has become a fixture in the U.S. labor market, according to a new analysis of Census Bureau data from the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis.
The research found that nearly 22% of U.S. workers worked from home at least some of the time in 2025—a slight decline from the previous year but evidence that flexible work has not disappeared. Early 2026 data shows the trend continuing, with the combined share of hybrid and fully remote workers holding steady at roughly 22%.
The findings challenge the narrative that return-to-office policies have dramatically reversed pandemic-era workplace changes. Instead, researchers say the data points to a new workplace structure where employers and workers embrace a mix of in-person and remote work.
The Minneapolis Fed’s analysis, based on the U.S. Census Bureau’s Current Population Survey, found that while the share of fully remote workers dipped slightly in 2025, hybrid work increased modestly, keeping the overall percentage of employees working remotely relatively unchanged. Employees also logged about the same number of hours working from home compared with the prior year.
However, data shows that remote work varies considerably by industry. Public administration experienced one of the sharpest declines in remote work in light of federal and state government efforts to bring employees back into the office. The information sector also saw a noticeable drop following return-to-office requirements announced by several large tech companies last year. Meanwhile, hybrid work appears to have become the new normal, particularly for knowledge professionals.
For employers, the data underscores how workplace flexibility has evolved from a temporary pandemic accommodation into a long-term talent strategy. Companies continue to weigh collaboration and office utilization against employee expectations around flexibility, recruitment, and retention.
The New Southern-inspired steakhouse, located at 1010 West Peachtree Street in the Tens on West mixed-use development, reportedly served its final customers June 28. According to reports, employees learned of the closing the following day through group chat.
The Midtown restaurant was first announced in 2020 and officially opened in January 2021. During its tenure, LowCountry Steak earned national attention, including a 2024 episode of Food Network’s Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, hosted by Guy Fieri, highlighting Southern cuisine. Although the Midtown outpost has closed, Garvin’s original LowCountry Steak location at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport remains open. The restaurant’s official website now displays a notice thanking customers for their support and confirming the Midtown closure.
Garvin, an Atlanta native and longtime television personality, has opened several restaurants, authored cookbooks, and curated culinary programming. In 2023, he was named chief culinary officer for the Atlanta Hawks and State Farm Arena, overseeing food and beverage initiatives for the NBA franchise.
Despite the Midtown closure, Garvin’s restaurant portfolio continues to expand. According to ToNeTo Atlanta, he is preparing to open Pearl & Oaks, a new oyster and seafood concept in the Bridges at Jodeco development in the Jonesboro-Stockbridge area, reports Atlanta Tomorrow’s News Today.
The reason for the restaurant’s closure has not been publicly disclosed. However, the announcement comes as restaurants across the country continue to struggle with rising operating expenses, including labor, food, insurance and occupancy costs, creating financial pressure throughout the hospitality industry.
NAACP Launches $20M Midterm Campaign To Mobilize Black Voters Following Voting Rights Ruling
This marks the largest amount that the civil rights group has ever invested in a midterm cycle
The NAACP will spend an historic amount of money on the 2026 midterm elections following the Supreme Court’s April ruling that gutted the Voting Rights Act’s power to combat racial gerrymandering.
In wake of the nation’s 250th anniversary, the nonpartisan civil rights organization announced plans to invest $20 million in its Get Out The Vote campaign leading up to November’s midterm elections. According to a press release, the NAACP has partnered with GSSA to mobilize 6.5 million Black voters across 14 states and 33 congressional districts. The spending will fund voter outreach efforts that include grassroots organizing, digital and traditional advertising, the recruitment of 20,000 volunteers, and voter education in key states where turnout has played a significant role in election outcomes.
The NAACP says the unprecedented campaign comes in response to concerns about voting access, civic participation, and policy changes affecting Black communities. Their goal is to encourage voters to register, make voting plans, and participate in the 2026 midterm elections.
“At a time when voting rights, civil liberties, immigrant communities, and historically marginalized communities continue to face attacks, this anniversary marks an opportunity to come together and fight for a future that serves all people — a future rooted in justice, democracy, dignity, and our shared humanity,” said Dominik Whitehead, who serves as the NAACP’s Chief of Field, Membership Growth and Unit Sustainability, in a statement.
“Donald Trump’s authoritarian regime has attempted to terminate the 14th Amendment, racially gerrymander states across the South, and federalize elections against the framework set by the Constitution. November’s midterm election is our chance to not only put a stop to Trump’s madness, but to advance policies that serve the people, not just the billionaire class,” he continued.
“By turning out the vote, we can all help put an end to Donald Trump’s assaults on our communities and the rights we’ve secured through immense struggle, and begin to build a future that actually serves our needs — from having accessible healthcare, affordable housing, and getting a good education,” saidJohnson.
“The future of this country needs to finally serve the people, and not the wealthy at the top who couldn’t care less about those who actually built this nation with blood, sweat, and tears,” he added.
Other advocacy organizations are also preparing significant voter engagement campaigns in what is expected to be an expensive and closely watched midterm election cycle, reports NBC News. Civic leaders say that the upcoming congressional, gubernatorial, and state legislative races in November could shape national policy for years to come.
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The XCEL Playbook
The XCEL Playbook is your step-by-step guide for turning inspiration into action. The conversations, insights, and connections you experience throughout the Summit have the power to create lasting change—but only if they’re put into practice.
Organized to support your journey before, during, and after the conference, the Playbook provides practical tools to help you prepare with purpose, capture meaningful insights, and build an implementation plan that drives measurable results. As you work through the steps below, you’ll be guided to the appropriate section of the Playbook to complete each activity and maximize the impact of your XCEL Summit experience.
Take notes, record key insights, and document ideas that can be applied after the conference.
3. Collaborate and learn from others
Network with speakers and attendees, ask thoughtful questions, and expand your perspective. Connect with others through the Events App.
4. Share ideas
Continue the conversation by sharing key takeaways and connecting with fellow attendees through the Events App.
5. Reflect and prioritize
Take time to review what you’ve learned and identify the ideas that will have the greatest impact on your personal or professional goals.
6. Choose your accountability partner
Identify a colleague, teammate, mentor, or fellow attendee who will help keep you accountable after the conference. Share your goals, schedule regular check-ins, and support each other in turning insights into action.
8. Stay Accountable Track your progress with a 30/60/90 Action Plan to ensure your conference learning leads to meaningful results.
9. Make a strategic implementation plan Develop a roadmap that outlines priorities, timelines, resources, and accountability to successfully implement your ideas.
Keep the Momentum Going
Your growth doesn’t end when the Summit does. Download and print the My XCEL Action Commitment as a daily reminder of the promises you’ve made to yourself. Post it in your office, workspace, or cubicle where you’ll see it every day, and let it serve as a constant reminder to lead with purpose, execute your plan, and stay accountable to your goals.
Delta Community Credit Union Launches $150K Grant Program For Atlanta Nonprofits
The organization said this year's program replaces its previous tiered funding model with larger, equal-sized grants
Metro Atlanta nonprofit organizations can now apply for a share of $150,000 in grant funding after Delta Community Credit Union opened applications for its 2027 Philanthropic Fund Program, which will award ten grants of $15,000 each to eligible organizations serving the region, according to the company.
Delta Community Credit Union President and CEO Hank Halter said the increased grant amounts are intended to expand the program’s impact across the communities the financial cooperative serves.
“These larger grant amounts will ensure our Philanthropic Fund Program continues to deliver meaningful support to deserving organizations and allow them to do even more,” Halter said in a statement.
“As a not-for-profit financial cooperative, we are proud to deepen our investment in local nonprofits that address the needs of metro Atlanta families and strengthen the communities we are privileged to serve.”
According to the credit union, eligible applicants must be nonprofit organizations serving metro Atlanta whose missions align with improving household financial well-being while supporting the physical and financial health of children and young adults. Applications must be submitted through the organization’s online grant portal before the deadline.
The Philanthropic Fund Program was established in 2013 and has distributed approximately $1.4 million to more than 260 nonprofit organizations, according to the company. Past recipients have supported initiatives including financial education, workforce development, youth programming, health services, and other community-based assistance throughout metro Atlanta.
Founded in 1940, Delta Community Credit Union is Georgia’s largest credit union and serves more than 540,000 members, according to the organization. In addition to its annual grant program, the credit union supports local communities through financial education initiatives, scholarships, and partnerships with schools and civic organizations.
Relationships Lead To Small Wins And, Ultimately, Greater Success
Consider yourself successful when you make an impact
Nicholas Wiggins is the managing director for Values Partnerships, one of the country’s largest Black-owned social impact agencies, connecting businesses, nonprofit organizations, influencers, and communities to solve huge challenges, launch new projects, and expand the “common good.” When Wiggins sat down with BLACK ENTERPRISE for the 2023 XCEL Summit for the Men Spotlight Series, he said a key strategy behind his accomplishments is cultivating relationships. For him, relationships are primary — “everything else is derivative.” It’s why Vaues Partnerships was named the 2025 Small Business of the Year by the U.S. Black Chambers, Inc. A key component of his leadership style and relationship-building is being compassionate. He allows his staff to create their own space and workflow, so he doesn’t micro-manage. As Black Enterprise approaches the 10th anniversary of the XCEL Summit for Men, Wiggins’s words of wisdom will help young African American professionals make an impact in their community and expand their business in the process. It’s small wins that lead to greater success. In the following video excerpt, BE reminds you that success is creating something impactful that goes beyond yourself.
