• Celebrity News

by BLACK ENTERPRISE Editors

March 10, 2022

The Notorious B.I.G.’s Son Talks on 25th Anniversary of Rapper’s Death

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“I have no memory of my dad, but I’ve been told so many stories about him and how much we are similar,” C.J. Wallace tells PEOPLE of his late father Biggie Smalls, who died when he was a baby.

It’s five days before the 25th anniversary of the Notorious B.I.G.’s death on Mar. 9, and his son, C.J. Wallace, is running errands for the dinner party he’s throwing to commemorate it.

“I’m trying to make sure everything’s put together correctly,” Wallace tells PEOPLE over the phone from his car.

“It’s going to be close family, friends and everybody who really knew my dad. I’m just trying to show people a good time and celebrate.”

The Notorious B.I.G., aka Biggie Smalls and born Christopher George Latore Wallace, died in a drive-by shooting at age 24 in 1997, when C.J. was just five months old.

“I have no memory of my dad, but I’ve been told so many stories about him and how much we are similar,” C.J. says.

“Now that I’m 25, it’s really starting to sit with me that I was able to pass the age that he died. It’s a very special feeling because I’m starting to really grow into my own as a man.”

As he paves his own path forward, C.J. is also making sure to honor his dad’s past. Sales from his health, wellness and performance company Frank White (named after one of Biggie’s aliases) go towards his Think BIG initiative, which advocates for equitable cannabis legalization, criminal justice reform and economic reinvestment into communities most harmed by the war on drugs.

“I know my dad would’ve gotten into the cannabis space,” says C.J.

C.J. first learned about the healing effects of CBD through his brother Ryder, his mom Faith Evans‘ son from her relationship with Todd Russaw. Ryder has autism, and “since he was about five or six years old, we’d us different CBD products to help treat Ryder,” C.J. says.

“Then, once I really got educated on the benefits of cannabis and CBD and THCA, I felt it was important to share that information.”

As he continues his work in the cannabis space, C.J. is hoping the impact of Frank White and Think BIG will extend far beyond his own family.

“It’s about me and what I’m going to leave for my grandchildren and great-grandchildren someday,” he says.

“It was always about, ‘How can I create generational wealth for my kids and for my grandkids?’ Cannabis was always at the top of that list for me. I’m a lover of film, music and sports too, so Frank White is my version of blending all of those things together.”

Read he FULL STORY on PEOPLE.

• Diversity, Equality, Inclusion

by Derek Major

March 10, 2022

Abbott Elementary Partners With Scholastic To Provide Free Book Fairs To Underfunded Schools

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The breakout ABC show, Abbott Elementary, has partnered with Scholastic to provide free book to underfunded schools with free book fairs.

The show focuses on the declining support of public schools across America as a group of teachers and their principal navigate their way through a lack of resources and funding at an elementary school in Philadelphia.

Variety reports the book fairs will take place at seven Title 1 schools between March 14 and 18.

The schools that will host the book fairs include Harrity Elementary in Philadelphia, which Abbott Elementary is based on; Diehl Elementary in Erie, Pennsylvania; Chicago’s Bond Elementary; Dayton’s Bluff Elementary in Minneapolis; Freeman Elementary in Flint, Michigan, and Los Angeles based Cortada Elementary and Florence Griffith Joyner Elementary schools.

Each student will receive two books, and each teacher will receive 10.

Additionally, ABC also revived its Traveling Teacher’s Lounge Initiative, which will provide educators with books, school supplies, breakfast, and merchandise from Abbott Elementary. The first round of the initiatives occurred in January and included schools in New York, New Jersey, Philadelphia, and Maryland. The Initiative donated more than 1,000 books, 10,000 notebooks, and 100,000 writing utensils.

The Initiative will hit Houston later this week after stopping in Dallas Wednesday, and the following stops will be Sante Fe, Phoenix, Reno, Nevada, and Los Angeles.

Brunson, the star and creator of Abbott Elementary, revealed in a recent interview with NPR that the studio production team and ABC agreed to allocate a portion of the show’s marketing budget to support real teachers.

“We chose to put the marketing money toward supplies for teachers,” Brunson told NPR. “It’s about being able to make those kinds of decisions that really excite me, things that can really materially help people.”

Abbott Elementary has been an instant hit for ABC, receiving the network’s strongest rating for a comedy since the series finale of Modern Family.

Tiger Woods, arguably one of the best golfers of all time, has strengthened his legacy now that he is formally inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame.

On Wednesday, Woods was inducted into the prestigious club by his 14-year-old daughter, Sam, who gave a heartfelt speech that brought her father to tears, the NY Post reports. Sam offered sentimental words that signified the strength and willpower of Woods, who became an 82-time PGA TOUR winner and 15- time major champion.

She also spoke lovingly of her dad’s resilience, even when he was hospitalized and was unsure of the outcome due to his injuries.

“Recently dad had to train harder than ever. About a year ago you were stuck in a hospital bed at one of your ultimate lows and one of the scariest moments of your life and ours,” Sam said to a captive crowd.

“We didn’t know if you’d come home with two legs or not. Now not only are you about to be inducted into the Hall of Fame, but you’re standing here on your own two feet. This is why you deserve this because you’re a fighter. You’ve defied the odds every time, being the first Black and Asian golfer to win a major, being able to win your fifth Masters after multiple back surgeries, and being able to walk just a few months after your crash.”

“Dad, I inducted you into the Dad Hall of Fame a long time ago, but today I am so proud to present my dad, Tiger Woods, into the World Golf Hall of Fame.”

 

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A post shared by World Golf Hall of Fame (@golfhalloffame)

Other Hall of Fame athletes and future ones (in their respective sports) participated in the live induction ceremony telecast. Tom Brady, Serena Williams, Michael Phelps, Jerry Rice, Annika Sorenstam, and Jack Nicklaus offered insight into Woods’ legacy as one of the greatest sports figures of all time.

Woods was joined by other members of the 2020 World Golf Hall of Fame: 11-time LPGA Tour winner and three-time US Women’s Open champion Susie Maxwell Berning, former PGA TOUR Commissioner, Tim Finchem, and golf course designer/architect, Marion Hollins. The 2022 inductees were presented with the Hall of Fame’s new inductee trophy, created by Tiffany & Co.

As part of his induction speech, Woods spoke of something his father, Earl Woods, taught him that propelled his success.

“One of the things that Dad had instilled in me is that he grew up in an era, same era as Charlie Sifford and why my son is named after Charlie, is that you had to be twice as good to be given half a chance. So that understanding and that drive, as Sam said, train hard, fight easy. I made practicing so difficult, hurt so much because I wanted to make sure that I was ready come game time. I hit thousands of balls, hands bleeding, aching, just so that I could play in a tournament.”

• Arts and Culture

by BLACK ENTERPRISE Editors

March 10, 2022

Breonna’s Garden Launches Intimate VR Experience at SXSW

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Last year, in solidarity with Breonna Taylor’s family, artist and curator Lady Pheønix developed “Breonna’s Garden,” a revolutionary framework for veneration through augmented reality (AR). Now, less than a full year later, the project is providing virtual safe spaces to larger audiences through fully immersive VR.

The development of the project began after Lady Pheønix learned that Ju’Niyah Palmer, (Breonna’s younger sister) was receiving death threats while publicly grieving her sister’s murder on Instagram. After speaking with Ju’Niyah, it was apparent that she not only needed a safe space to process her grief; but so did entire online communities that supported Breonna.

The Garden has evolved from a healing tool for Ju’Niyah and her family into a healing tool for the nation. It’s a sanctuary where Breonna’s name can be said without negation. Following successes at Tribeca Film Festival, the Perez Art Museum Miami, the Augmented World Expo where “Breonna’s Garden” won Best Societal Impact Award, according to a press release.

SXSW is an opportunity to introduce Breonna’s Garden to international audiences at the intersection of art, tech, social justice, education, entertainment, film, gaming and more. This special place is a room inside the family’s home filled with mementos and portraits of Breonna, all of which honor her life.

Lady Pheønix notes that the intention of Breonna’s Garden is to keep the legacy of Breonna Taylor in bloom.

She remarked, “I trust that audiences will connect with the greater truth, that Breonna deserves justice. I hope this experience softens hearts and that audiences are receptive to the massive amount of love present in such a way that they stand in solidarity heart to heart with Breonna’s family and the rest of the globe.”

“Breonna’s Garden” was created in partnership with a number of creatives who lovingly volunteered their time like legendary Australian artist Sutu who led the project as its art and technical director.

“Breonna’s Garden” invites those who would like to experience the original AR version ahead of SXSW to download the app. View the SXSW schedule.

Now is the perfect time to say her name louder.

The showrunner of HBO’s Insecure, Peabody, and Golden Globe winner Prentice Penny attended the Disney Dreamers event over the weekend. BLACK ENTERPRISE was on hand to hear all the inspiring stories.

ABC News journalist Janai Norman hosted the Conversations With…celebrity panel with Penny and Tommie and Codie Oliver, creators and executive producers of OWN TV’s Black Love.

Penny encouraged the high school students interested in filmmaking to shoot a movie or a web series simply by using their phones and distributing their work online.

“I think streaming and those platforms really are the reason why shows like ours exist,” said the Peabody and Golden Globe winner.

As demonstrated by writer, producer, and director Issa Rae who started her web series on YouTube that eventually developed into the HBO series Insecure, Penny excitedly explained that dreamers have the absolute power to create and display their work to a broad audience. 

“But when you get to be on a stream or upload your stuff to YouTube or whatever, it’s like you can curate your own thing, and there’s no middleman between you and your audience. So I tell people all the time when I was coming up you had like buy film, process film, so making a film was so cost prohibited, it was so challenging that now you can shoot a movie on your phone, edit it on your phone, distribute it on your phone there is really nothing in the way of you getting your art to the world at all,” communicated the Uncorked director.

Penny advised future filmmakers to develop their storytelling and filmmaking skills and constantly create projects for themselves to fine-tune their craft. 

“At a certain point, you just have to be working on your craft, just get those hours in. I have a son that is 11 that is making stop motion movies, so by the time he’s 17, his movie-making ability is going to be so great. The same with you guys in this room; you are starting to make stuff at 13 and 14; just imagine how good you’ll be in four years if you continue to work on your craft. Don’t be precious about it, make your movie and if it sucks, delete who cares, just work at your craft,” Penny rapidly said as he illustrated his points. 

Norman followed up by asking Penny to describe how he chooses which idea to initiate going forward.

“You’re saying work on your craft, just get out there, start doing it, how do you hone in on your voice, how do you pick which idea that you are going to run with,” inquired Norman to the panelists.

Penny jumped in and “I say don’t be afraid to fail. I feel [we get] paranoid, it has to be this, take what you are inspired by and just run with it, if it doesn’t work, that’s kind of the point… don’t be afraid to try something,” he added. 

BLACK ENTERPRISE caught up with Penny to ask him about his new production deal with Disney’s Onyx Collective and the current state of Black cinema.

Watch ⁦@The_A_Prentice⁩ speak on the future of Black Cinema. pic.twitter.com/wqoGg2JwAR

— Yolanda B. (@Yobwrites) March 9, 2022

• Lifestyle

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

March 10, 2022

Nick Cannon Talk Show Canceled Due to Low Ratings

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Entertainer Nick Cannon now has more room in his schedule to pursue other ventures after it was reported that his daytime talk show had been canceled.

According to The Sun, the talk show hosted by Cannon was canceled due to low ratings. The show was on the air less than a year, debuting last fall to dismal ratings. A source revealed to The Sun that Nick Cannon garnered a .4 through the season, reaching around 400,000 viewers.

“You can’t survive with those ratings. That’s Bethenny Frankle and Kris Jenner talk show rating territory—it didn’t end well for their shows either,” a source said according to the outlet.

It’s rumored that Jennifer Hudson’s new talk show would take over Cannon’s current time slot.

“Jennifer’s new deal with Fox had yet to be an announced time slot. Not many people have been told yet, but her show is expected to get Nick’s time slot,” according to a source.

Variety reports Warner Bros. announced that the Academy Award winner would have a talk show on Fox television stations. The report stated The Jennifer Hudson Show is slated to occupy the current time slot of the departing The Ellen DeGeneres Show. DeGeneres is completing her final season, which is in its 19th year and will be ending soon.

According to The Sun, last September, Cannon was reportedly worried that Wendy Williams’ absence from her show, which ran reruns in her time slot, would affect his ratings as the lead-in to his show.

Variety has reported that the producers of the show released a written statement regarding the cancellation.

“It’s never easy to cancel a production with clear potential, but after a great deal of deliberation and examining various options, we have made the difficult business decision to end production on ‘Nick Cannon,’” said Mort Marcus and Ira Bernstein, co-presidents of the show’s producer-distributor, Lionsgate’s Debmar-Mercury.

“We plan to offer viewers original episodes of the daytime talk show through the remainder of this season. Our thanks go to the very talented Nick Cannon and our wonderful production team, and we wish Nick continued success with his many hit ventures.”

• Diversity, Equality, Inclusion

by Derek Major

March 10, 2022

H&M Extends Partnership With Buy From A Black Woman Partnership To Empower And Inspire Black Women

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H&M and Buy From a Black Woman (BFABW) have announced they will continue their partnership for another year to support Black female entrepreneurs.

The retail giant will continue to support Black female small business owners through special events, activities, and a $250,000 donation to the nonprofit. The funds will be used for a variety of initiatives including a BFABW docuseries titled, The Living Example, which will feature and highlight 25 Black women entrepreneurs.

The funding will also go toward a grant program, a business accelerator, and a multi-city tour highlighting Black women and their stories. Last year, the tour hit 16 cities and this year’s tour will hit 20 cities including Memphis, Tenn.; Dallas; Oakland, Calif.; Detroit, Milwaukee, and will start June 30 in New Orleans.

BFABW founder Nikki Porcher, who started the nonprofit in 2016, told WWD she is grateful for the partnership and the work her group has done to help and assist Black female entrepreneurs.

“I’m grateful that Buy From a Black Woman has been doing the work, and has not just social proof but also financial proof through our grants, programming, events and our community to show that we are a strong supporter of the Black women business community,” Porcher said.

The groups kicked off the second year of their partnership at a gathering in Philadelphia where more than 30 Black female entrepreneurs shared their expertise and experiences.

“We are thrilled to embark on the second year of our partnership with Buy From a Black Woman. Our relationship with Nikki Porcher and the Buy From a Black Woman vendor has enabled us to witness the growth of these businesses in ways we could not have imagined. This partnership exemplifies the impact we want to have in empowering and creating capacity in the communities in which we live and work,” Donna Dozier Gordon, Head of Inclusion and Diversity for H&M USA said in a statement.

BLACK ENTERPRISE hit the red carpet for TIME’s star-studded Women of The Year gala where phenomenal women were honored for their strides toward equity across generations.

Among the attendees and honorees were law professor and president and director-counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund Sherilynn Ifill, Olympic track and field star Allyson Felix, actress and activists Kerry Washington, Michaela Jaé Rodriguez, and licensed midwife Jennie Joseph.

The event was in celebration of TIME’s inaugural list recognizing 12 extraordinary female leaders working toward a more inclusive world for all. Held on International Women’s Day, the commemoration brought together extraordinary trailblazers for a series of essential conversations about impact and equality.

Speaking with Sherrilynn Ifill, who is also set to be honored at BLACK ENTERPRISE’S Women of Power Summit, she highlighted her groundbreaking work as the second woman to lead the Thurgood Marshall-founded Legal Defense Fund.

“I’ve been able to steward extraordinary growth, and to really be a voice for our people, and to have a powerful strategy to address all of the issues that we face around voter suppression and police violence, and so forth,” Ifill shared.

“I think it matters that it’s a Black woman leading that organization, a Black woman fully prepared, fully capable, with long experience as a civil rights lawyer and a law professor, I’m bringing that kind of excellence into the room.”

Speaking with Allyson Felix, the seven-time Olympic gold medalist explained why she decided to implement a four-month parental leave policy at her apparel company Saysh.

“It was really important to me, when I, as I’m building the company, I really want it to tackle what I have felt,” Felix explained.

“I want women to know their worth and their value and know that this is a place where we see them, and we hear them.”

“I knew that I wanted to have a really strong policy and I really want to listen to the women on our team about what would help them and what would encourage them and uplift them to be able to be present at home, but also to be able to come back and want to still contribute at work.”

British-trained midwife Jennie Joseph shared the importance of working with women from diverse backgrounds in her fight to tackle the Black maternal health crisis.

“It’s so important, in fact, it’s the key,” Joseph said.

“We have the worst disparities in the United States, Black women, Native American women, Latinas. We are suffering three to four times the amount of white women when it comes to infant and maternal mortality.”

“We must diversify not only the workforce, but we have to diversify the fact that we need to have more access to equitable care, to safer care to quality care,” she continued.

“That’s really the reason behind the problem. People think it’s race. No, it’s racism. It’s classism. It’s sexism. That’s the message and that’s what has to change. And we could do that right away if we just choose.”

Pose star MJ Rodgriguez is still reeling over her historical Golden Globe win earlier this year as the first trans actress to win for best actress in a television drama. She shared how she has started to step fully into her power as a woman in this new phase of life.

“I’m living like I’ve never lived before,” Rodriguez said. “And now that I’m in this part of the year of my life, in general, I’m taking this horse, and I’m riding it all the way into the sunset.”

Scandal star Kerry Washington shared her excitement to be surrounded by so many powerhouse women and highlighted the importance of working with women from diverse backgrounds.

“It’s everything. The the more inclusive and diverse our communities, our conversations, the stronger we are,” Washington said.

• Business

by Black Enterprise

March 10, 2022

The Creative Collective NYC’s CultureCon Presented By HBO Max, Goes On Tour to Atlanta, LA and NYC in 2022

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March 10, 2022 – New York, NY- The Creative Collective NYC, a community dedicated to creatives of color and the architects of CultureCon, is taking their wildly-popular conference on tour after a two-year hiatus. CultureCon is the fastest-growing conference for creatives, influencers, and young professionals of color, and will activate in Atlanta, Los Angeles, and New York City throughout 2022.

CultureCon is presented by HBO Max. Major partners include LinkedIn, Instagram, Wieden and Kennedy, Twitter, Audible, Foot Locker, and Pinterest. For tickets, visit: www.theccnyc.com/culturecon 

CultureCon is on a mission to create brave spaces where diverse creatives can be seen, and provide resources that lead to economic freedom, creative liberty, and unprecedented access. Following the success of CultureCon At Home – an interactive digital campus that reached creatives in over 131 countries around the world – CultureCon 2022 will be a hybrid event that includes both in-person activations and free digital offerings for those who cannot attend in person.

“We’re proud to engage with our community in meaningful and impactful ways, including being the presenting sponsor of this year’s CultureCon,” said Jackie Gagne, SVP Multicultural Marketing at HBO MAX and HBO. “HBO Max shares CultureCon’s mission in providing platforms that shine a spotlight on creatives of color. We’re excited for these talented young professionals to experience the camaraderie and inspiration that CultureCon offers each year.”

CultureCon is engaging more creatives of color than ever before. Traveling to multiple cities with inspiring programming, workshops, and soon-to-be-announced celebrity appearances, plus free student tickets while supplies last. Known for providing countless opportunities and resources for diverse communities, CultureCon 2022 is ramping up efforts to help creatives, young professionals, and entrepreneurs succeed on their own terms.

Join CultureCon 2022 in the following cities throughout 2022:

● CultureCon Week Atlanta: May 4th-6th, 2022

● CultureCon Atlanta: May 7, 2022

○ General Ticket: $149

○ VIP Ticket: $349

○ Students can apply for Free Tickets While Supplies Last

       ● CultureCon Pop- Up Los Angeles: June 16th-18th, 2022

○ Bespoke Pop-Up Experiences Leading Up To Juneteenth

○ Ticket Information To Be Announced

● CultureCon Week: New York: October 3rd-7th, 2022

● CultureCon New York: Saturday, October 8, 2022

○ General: $219

○ VIP: $447

○ Students can apply for Free Tickets While Supplies Last

For more information and to register for tickets, visit www.theccnyc.com/culturecon. Join the conversation via social @TheCCnyc and @CultureCon

ABOUT CULTURECON:

CultureCon™ is a conference that celebrates culture, community, and creatives of color. CultureCon is the ultimate creative homecoming, highlighting conversations that range from building a business to building a life. Forbes says “CultureCon is a conference every creative should attend.” We couldn’t agree more. Past CultureCon™ speakers include Will Smith, Spike Lee, Tracee Ellis Ross, John Legend, Regina King, Lena Waithe, Coleman Domingo, Sanaa Lathan, Keke Palmer, and more. CultureCon is the first of its kind ideas conference that caters to all aspects of creative and young professional life.

ABOUT THE CREATIVE COLLECTIVE NYC:

The Creative Collective NYC (TheCCnyc) is a community dedicated to curating brave spaces for creatives of color. Built from Imani Ellis’ one-bedroom apartment, the collective has now parlayed into the fastest-growing collective for creatives of color. TheCCnyc’s marquee event is CultureCon, a conference celebrating the impact diverse voices have on culture.

In addition to community events, The Creative Collective NYC provides countless resources and workshops. In the height of the pandemic, The Creative Collective NYC launched CultureCon At Home, a virtual campus that reached creatives in over 131 countries around the world, and Creative Curriculum, a series of digital masterclasses touching on everything from entrepreneurship to navigating the corporate world.

A mother has gone viral for her gift of generational wealth to her son for his 16th birthday.

Charlise Freeman took to Instagram and TikTok to share a video of the moment she gave her teenage son three properties and thousands of dollars in cash for his 16th birthday.

“He had no idea what was in store,” Freeman captioned one post. “I was about to give him the foundation to set him up for success!!!!”

 

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A post shared by Charlise Freeman (@luvonlyme1st)

In another video post, Freeman explained how important it is for her to ensure her two sons are set up for success as a single mother.

“My 2 boys are my world, and I would do anything for them,” she wrote in a lengthy caption.

“I understand firsthand how hard it is for a single mother to be raising young black men in todays world.”

She explained how close she is to her teenage son and how she has serious talks to him about taking care of the family in her absence. Freeman says it was her son who expressed his interest in real estate.

“During our many conversations, he always says, ‘mom, I want to get into real estate and be a chef,’” Freeman shared. “We applied to a business program and a chef program for him to do his junior year. He interviewed for both and was not chosen for either one, and he was a hurt and thought it was because of a # of reasons, but I just told him it would be ok we will go another route because MOMMY already had some things in the works, but I couldn’t tell him what it was because I was saving it for the right moment.”

She chose his 16th birthday as the “moment” she would surprise him with an investment into his future.

“When I presented him with those gifts, it was to let him know and show him that no matter what doors don’t open for you if you continue to push forward the right one will open, and mommy just happen to have the power to open the right one,” Freeman explained.

“I want him to be able to pass things down,” she continued. “This process is going to be fun because I get to work with my son on something that is really dear to him and see what ideas he has!”

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Charlise Freeman (@luvonlyme1st)

Many praised Freeman in the comments for the grand gesture, with a number of parents thanking the single mom for inspiring them to celebrate their children in similar ways.

“So inspiring this is why I lose sleep,” one person said.

“Breaking generational curses and I’m here for it,” added another.