Women of Power Turns 20: Black Enterprise Summit Returns With Iconic Honorees
The Legacy Awards celebrate 20 years of honoring phenomenal women.
The 2026 BLACK ENTERPRISE Women of Power Summit will return to Las Vegas on March 11. Spanning five days, the event will feature the 20th annual Legacy Awards Gala, which honors trailblazers who have made a lasting impact in the arts, business, and beyond.
And, the awards go to:
Angela Bassett
With over 100 television and film acting credits and countless awards, Basset is a cultural icon, paving the way for Black women and other creatives worldwide. The mother of two has starred in blockbuster films like “What’s Love Got to Do with It,” “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” and “Waiting to Exhale.” She has also appeared in multiple seasons of “American Horror Story.” She supports health initiatives by serving as a spokesperson for the “For Your Sweetheart” and “Know Diabetes by Heart” campaigns.
Carla Harris
Harris is the vice chairman of Wealth Management and a senior client advisor at Morgan Stanley. President Barack Obama appointed the Harvard Business School graduate to chair the National Women’s Business Council. She is the author of three books: “Expect to Win” (2009), “Strategize to Win” (2014), and “Lead to Win” (2022). Harris is also an accomplished Gospel singer with four studio albums and six sold-out concerts at Carnegie Hall.
Rosalind G. Brewer
As a multifaceted businesswoman, Brewer has shattered ceilings in both corporate boardrooms and academia. In 2021, she became the first Black woman to serve as CEO of Walgreens Boots Alliance. Brewer has also held roles as CEO of Walmart’s Sam’s Club and COO of Starbucks. Currently, she is the interim president of Spelman College.
Shellye Archambeau
The tech guru is the former CEO of software giant MetricStream. A Wharton Business School graduate, she has held various high-level roles in the tech industry, including a 15-year stint at IBM, where she became the first Black woman at the company to serve on an international assignment. Archambeau authored the book “Unapologetically Ambitious,” which offers insights on navigating professional spaces and maintaining work-life balance. The author was named one of the 46 Most Important African-Americans in Technology byBusiness Insider.
Benaree Pratt Wiley
Wiley is the former CEO of The Partnership, Inc., a Boston-based organization dedicated to developing minority professionals and increasing Black visibility in Boston’s corporate scene. She and her daughter, B.J. Wiley-Williams, were the first mother-daughter pair to earn MBAs from Harvard Business School.
Additionally, the information-packed summit and awards will feature workshops, executive panels, and industry talks designed to empower and inspire attendees. The event will take place March 11-15 at the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas. Register now to attend.
52 Walker, Once All-Black–Staffed, Evolves From Independent Art Space To Global Platform Under Ebony L. Haynes
The NYC 52 Walker gallery goes global.
The 52 Walker Gallery (52W), known for elevating Black voices, has quietly entered a new chapter. The space, founded by Ebony L. Haynes, is now officially a David Zwirner Art space.
The Tribeca, New York City, gallery has always operated under the David Zwirner umbrella. It functioned independently, with an all‑Black staff and full curatorial autonomy. Haynes shaped the programming, staffing, and vision, and she had the freedom to run it on her own terms.
The shift marks a move away from the space’s original mission. Zwirner once described that mission as addressing inequalities in the commercial art world, especially in employment. Haynes views the change as an opportunity to broaden her mission.
“Everything needs to evolve, and I want to be able to take on new projects and opportunities,” she told ARTnews. “52 Walker was in one location for four years and will now be more global and nomadic. Hopefully, all of that is a part of its legacy, and it’s still forming.”
Haynes explains that, through her connection to Zwirner, she will now be able to curate across the David Zwirner global network. That network includes galleries in New York, Los Angeles, London, Paris, and Hong Kong.
The curator also notes that the 52 Walker initiative was never intended to serve as a permanent, standalone site. It will now proceed with Haynes-curated exhibitions showcased across Zwirner’s worldwide locations. The all-Black staff, which attracted significant attention in the art world, will continue to play a key role in 52W and future projects.
During its four‑plus years, 52 Walker showcased a complex mix of historical figures and contemporary artists. Its exhibitions stood apart from traditional art shows. The gallery featured artists such as Kandis Williams, Kara Walker, Arthur Jafa, Diamond Stingily, Nora Turato, Tau Lewis, and Lotus L. Kang.
Hayne’s recent projects include a Raymond Saunders exhibition in Los Angeles, a “Let Us All Be Citizens 2” in London, and a Tau Lewis presentation in Los Angeles.
Former BET Exec Michele Ghee Takes The Helm At PlayersTV As President
Ghee officially became president of PlayersTV, which also acquired her company, Expectant Media.
Michele Ghee, former BET SVP and veteran media executive, returns to leadership as the new president of PlayersTV following the network’s acquisition of her tech and content agency, Expectant Media.
On Jan. 22, Ghee officially became president of PlayersTV, which also acquired her company, Expectant Media, in a deal with undisclosed financial terms, according to BET. The deal crowns Ghee’s 30 years in media leadership and two years of board service at PlayersTV.
“Michele has been a trusted member of our board for the past two years. We saw immense value in Michele and what she’s built across media, content, and activation to support our growing flywheel,” said Deron Guidrey, co-CEO and co-founder of PlayersTV. “She is a proven leader in advancing equity across content and distribution, and we look forward to the high-caliber impact she will have on our organization and with our growing stable of premium partners.”
The appointment puts Ghee at the helm of a network of more than 3,000 fan-owners and over 70 athlete investors, including Chris Paul, Travis Kelce, Kyrie Irving, Damian Lillard, Dwyane Wade, Carmelo Anthony, Ken Griffey Jr., and Vernon Davis. As president, she will leverage her years of experience shaping the marketing, experiential branding, and culture of major brands to grow PlayersTV’s media ecosystem, which spans streaming video, news, and feature content.
A respected leader in the business side of entertainment, Ghee has held senior executive roles at Essence Communications and Ebony, overseeing content, strategy, and brand growth, and previously served as senior vice president at BET before founding Expectant Media. Her appointment as president formalizes her role in shaping PlayersTV’s next chapter, with a focus on scaling original programming and distribution, and on enhancing experiential, community-driven engagement between athletes and fans.
The network has announced plans to further emphasize live, interactive moments that connect athletes with audiences more organically, with more announcements on original content, partnerships, and brand collaborations expected in the coming weeks.
‘Minding Our Own Business—’ A Spotlight On Diaspora Enterprise and Culture: Lu Smith
O C H A S: Reclaiming The Divine Crown Through Lu Smith III's Artistic Lens
For photographer Lu Smith III, the camera is less of a recording device and more of a tool for reclamation. Through his ongoing series, O C H A S, which began in 2015, Smith engages in a sophisticated subversion of the Western gaze, stripping away the pejorative, sensationalized labels often slapped onto Afro-Caribbean spiritual traditions like Santería and Lukumí.
In their place, he installs a visual vernacular rooted in regality, social intelligence, and what he calls “Black is-ness”.
“One thing I’m super-proud of is that there are more of us coming back into this tradition,” Smith says of the growing movement of Black Americans reconnecting with ancestral practices. “I’m super-excited about that. So I, like, I’m just lit for this,” the incredibly talented multihyphenate known professionally as “Lu Smith” says. He is primarily defined by the diaspora’s duality.
With an American father and a Trinidadian mother, he moves through the world with the seasoned perspective of a global citizen who remains deeply tethered to the soil of his ancestors. This bicultural fluidity allows him to navigate sacred spaces with a unique sensitivity—one that recognizes the “one foot in, one foot out” reality of the bicultural diasporan.
Smith’s connection to the past is not merely nostalgic; it is a reclamation of the concept of longevity that defies Western actuarial tables. Smith noted that the retention of these traditions in places like Cuba is inextricably linked to the strength of the elders.
This intergenerational understanding and knowledge enable a spiritual continuity that many in the U.S. were historically denied.
“They (Cubans) still could go talk to three generations back on a Sunday,” Smith observes. “You walk across the street and… that old lady is a Yaya, and her family they come from the kabi kabi the Congo… Oh, that’s some Congo sh*t.”
It is this living history that Smith seeks to document, moving beyond the “Catholic veil” that once served as a necessary shroud for survival.
In O C H A S, Smith intentionally obscures faces to center the Orisha rather than the individual, utilizing large-format cameras to reflect the patience mandated by the faith. He is also quick to correct the common misnomer that characterizes these practices solely as “Yoruba religion,” noting the complex blend of Dahomean, Fon, and Edo influences.
“They call it the religion of the Yorubas. It is not a Yoruba religion,” Smith asserts.
Lukumí, historically known by the colonial label Santería, is a sophisticated Afro-Caribbean religious system that crystallized in Cuba as a vital vessel for West African spiritual and cultural retentions. This faith is anchored in the veneration of Orishas—divine entities who serve as intermediaries between the supreme creator and the physical world, each personifying specific forces of nature and facets of human existence. Practitioners maintain a state of spiritual equilibrium by cultivating ashe, the primordial life force of the universe, which is activated through complex rituals involving rhythmic drumming, sacred dance, and divination.
Far from the sensationalized caricatures often found in Western media, the tradition is defined by a rigorous philosophical framework and a legacy of regality that provided a sovereign sanctuary for African identity throughout centuries of colonial suppression.
In his work, Smith also confronts the puritanical modesty that colonization forced upon Black bodies. He discusses the use of nudity in O C H A S as an allegorical return to the old school ways of the cabildo. “They saw me when I was born. They chose me when I was born,” he says of the Orisha. “What they tell us now—‘Oh, you don’t be naked in front of your Orishas’—I came in the world naked. What are you talking about?”
Ultimately, O C H A S is an exercise in high-level curation. Smith is not interested in pulling the curtain all the way back for a voyeuristic audience. Instead, he presents a version of Black life that is sophisticated, mysterious, and undeniably “regal.”
“If you don’t know anything, Black people are sophisticated and regal,” Smith concluded. “For people that have a bit more inquisitiveness… this could very easily be an introduction to everything that you think that you know about ‘Africa sh*t.’ Here is what’s really happening”.
Orisha Manifestations: Oya & Oshun The Tempest: Oya No. 22 In the manifestation of Oya, Smith captures the Orisha of the winds, the marketplace, and the gates of the cemetery with an unyielding, silent dignity. The machete resting across the shoulder is a visceral allegory of the spirit’s sharpness and the warrior’s need for protection. The white headwrap, bound with structural precision, evokes a crown of ancestral authority. In contrast, the dusting of efun (white chalk) across the skin acts as a cooling balm—a ritualistic signature of clarity and “coolness” maintained even in the heat of battle. Her form, partially unveiled, rejects colonial shame, standing instead as a monument to a sacred vulnerability that is at once human and divine.
Photo credit: Lu Smith
The River: Ochun No. 19 In the manifestation of Ochun, the Orisha of the river, sweetness and sensory beauty are rendered through a lens of honeyed rebellion. The cascade of cowrie shells draped across the back signifies not just wealth, but the very voice of the divine through divination. The presence of lace and fine textures mirrors the regality Smith seeks to restore to the Afro-diasporic narrative.
Here, the efun settles into the pores like stardust, cooling the “feisty head” to ensure that even a spirit as passionate as Ochun moves with a calculated, royal calm. It is an image that embodies the inward gaze presented outwardly, demanding respect through its sheer sophistication.
Photo Credit: Lu Smith
Smith’s entry into the Lukumí tradition wasn’t through an academic text, but through the visceral pull of the drum. A jazz musician in a previous life, he found himself captivated by the distinct energy of Cuban percussion. “The music is what got me,” he explains. “Playing Latin jazz… seeing this like, yo, why is it that when I see Cubans playing, it’s a different kind of, like, ‘oh’ to it?”
This curiosity led him to his godfather, an accomplished Matanzero musician, and eventually to Cuba’s sacred ceremonies for drummers. It was there that the “good luck” rituals of his childhood home gained their proper name.
“Ironically, I’m seeing these cats doing the same sh*t my grandmother and great-grandmother were doing,” Smith recalls. “Now I have context. Mom knows what I’m into, and she’s just like, ‘Have you ever had a broken bone? Have you ever been in the hospital?’ Exactly. Them old folks knew something that you know”.
Smith stands as a sentinel at the intersection of ancestral provenance and contemporary visual prose. His work is not merely a collection of images, but a rigorous intervention against the historical erasure and pejorative labeling of Afro-diasporic faith. By centering an ethos of regality and “Black is-ness,” Smith serves as a bridge for those seeking a way back to a tradition that was once hidden behind veils of survival.
He remains fiercely protective of the “sauce,” rejecting the voyeuristic academic gaze that seeks to study Black power only to dilute it. As he navigates his own spiritual and artistic journey, Smith is less interested in providing a roadmap for the uninitiated and more committed to creating a sanctuary for the sovereign.
“If you are interested, then my work is to cause you to start asking questions,” Smith concludes, remaining “lit” for a future where the crown of the diaspora is seen, honored, and finally understood on its own terms.
Minding Our Own Business A Spotlight On Diaspora Enterprise and Culture.
Keka Araújo is our Senior Editor and the sharp-witted voice behind Minding Our Own Business: A Spotlight On Diaspora Enterprise and Culture.She explores the connective tissue of the African diaspora through the lenses of entertainment, education, and economic equity.
With nearly a decade of industry influence, she chronicles the culture—from business to social justice to culture—through a relentless focus on Black collective power. Bicultural and unapologetic, she’s perpetually rooting for everybody Black, from the Motor City to the continent.
‘Lighthearted’ Lemon Pepper Wing Bill Is On The Agenda At The Georgia House Of Representatives
House Bill 1013 referenced local restaurants, personalities, and the way lemon pepper flavors have been embraced statewide.
A Georgia lawmaker has introduced legislation that would make lemon pepper the official state chicken wing flavor.
State Representative Eric Bell took a moment from proposing expansions to the HOPE scholarship and denouncing ICE presence in the state to introduce what he called a “lighthearted” bill that “carries real meaning.” The choice in flavor spotlights a popular Georgia staple, specifically in Atlanta.
Lemon pepper wings, by definition, are unbreaded chicken wings coated in lemon pepper seasoning. The delicious and popular dish was invented in Atlanta, Georgia, and is considered to be emblematic of the cuisine of Atlanta.
House Bill 1013 was filed this session by State Rep. Bell, Rep. Dexter Sharper, Rep. Kasey Carpenter, Rep. David Huddleston, and Rep. Mekyah McQueen.
In an Instagram post, Bell said that the wings have become a cultural unifier “across race, culture, class, and community.” He referenced local restaurants, personalities, and the way lemon pepper flavors have been embraced statewide.
“From ‘Lemon Pepper Lou’ at Magic City to lyrics in Billboard hits from Gucci Mane, Ziggy2Playa, and Rick Ross, lemon pepper wings have been central to many of the moments and individuals who have shaped this city and state. Just like the peach represents our agricultural roots, lemon pepper wings represent Georgia’s cultural flavor and global influence.”
According to HB 1013’s language, lemon pepper has become “distinctly tied to Georgia,” evolving over time through local traditions such as “lemon pepper wet” and others that mix citrus, spice, and heat. The legislation cites the dish’s popularity in Atlanta restaurants and communities as the basis for recognizing it officially.
The proposal must clear committee review and a vote in both chambers of the Georgia General Assembly before becoming official state law.
The newly formed watchdog group, Morris Brown Accountability Now, is calling for Dr. Kevin James’ removal just days after the Board of Trustees reinstated him following a brief termination, Fox 5 Atlanta reports. Made up of roughly 300 alums nationwide, the group pushed for leadership change after a whirlwind week in which James was fired and rehired.
“I still believe he was the right person for that moment, but that moment has passed now,” said Jeffery Miller, a former trustee and Morris Brown graduate who voted to hire James seven years ago, but has become one of his most vocal critics. “I believe it is a failure of real leadership and fiduciary responsibility to have brought him back.”
Miller and other members of the accountability group cite a “hostile work environment” and high staff turnover as key reasons for their lack of confidence in James’s leadership.
“Look at his turnover rate,” Miller said. “You can always tell leadership’s value and efficiency by the attitude of the followers. If you have people leaving within a year, within eight months of being brought on board, that’s a leadership problem. We can’t be on our fourth provost in seven years.”
Miller supported the board’s November suspension of James after at least four staff members filed grievances. Complaints included managerial intimidation, policy violations, a hostile work environment, mishandling of sexual misconduct reports, retaliation, and improper terminations, as well as unprofessional administrative tactics and presidential overreach.
“Dr. James is impulsive, tone deaf, lacks professionalism, displays severe issues of moral turpitude, and is such a dysfunctional character,” one grievance read.
The board cited James’ achievements, including restoring accreditation and leading other institutional improvements, when deciding to reinstate him. However, they acknowledged that his return “does not resolve broader concerns about workplace culture, trust, and employee experiences.”
“For the people that work in the environment he created, it’s going to be demoralizing,” Miller said of the board’s decision.
Ye Receives 0% Publishing From One Of His Earliest Hits
As successful as 'Through the Wire' was, Ye does not earn any money on the publishing side.
One of Ye’s earliest and most recognizable songs in his vast catalog, which appeared on his debut 2004 album, “The College Dropout,” “Through the Wire,” was a hit for the then-young music producer, who was known at the time as Kanye West. Since its release, he has made zero from publishing.
In a recent interview, one of the songwriters of the sample he used, the 1985 Chaka Khan hit, “Through the Wire,” David Foster, revealed that during the negotiation for the man now known as Ye, when Ye’s team contacted him, he had no problem giving the burgeoning rapper a 50% stake in the publishing rights. Yet the woman who wrote the song’s actual lyrics, Cynthia Weill, nixed that idea and refused to give Ye any percentage.
Foster admitted that “Through the Wire” is the biggest sampled song in his catalog.
“He got nothing,” Foster states in the interview. “Funny story about that. I wrote that song with my friend Tom Keane, and the lyrics were done by Cynthia Weil, and when Kanye’s camp is like, ‘Hey, we want to use your song all the way through this record, and he wants 50 percent of the writing,’ or whatever. I was like, ‘OK.'”
However, Weill made it clear she would not give up anything, and her decision stood, so they still own 100% of the publishing rights to the original AND Ye’s version.
Cynthia was like, ‘F**k that.’ No, he gets nothing. We still remain the 100% writers.”
Foster did admit that he would have given Ye 50% of the publishing.
“I mean, I would have given it to him.”
Kanye West Got Zero Publishing on Through The Wire
That song, recorded after Ye had been in a car accident in October 2002, where he almost lost his life, was produced while his jaw was wired shut, which explains the title.
‘I Was F—ing Exhausted’: Mary J. Blige Responds To Chatter Around Lax Performances
Sometimes, you just need a nap.
There was no hateration in the dancerie; Mary J. Blige was just tired.
The Queen of Hip Hop-Soul was a guest on the IRL podcast, where she addressed the viral reactions to her performances on the For My Fans Tour.
Fans noticed that the singer sometimes seemed uninterested during the show. Clips of Blige’s performance quickly turned into online jokes. When host Angie Martinez asked the singer about the fan reactions, the “I’m Going Down” did not hold back.
“I was f**king exhausted because I was on the 30th of 40 shows,” The songstress said. ”We were in Chicago, or something like that, and I was exhausted. I was kind of over everything, and I was just tired.”
Some fans posted clips of the singer’s performances with hilarious captions:
“My level of effort at work for the rest of the year.”
The Power Book II star noted that artists, especially women, work hard, and mentioned Beyoncé, who did 32 concerts during the 90-day Cowboy Carter Tour. Blige said back-to-back performances can sometimes take a toll on one’s body, so fans were not wholly wrong in their assessment.
The singer, who has been performing professionally since she was 18, added that she felt unfairly judged by some fans. Blige admitted that when she saw videos of her performances, she didn’t realize her exhaustion would look so obvious.
After the podcast clip appeared on social media, several fans lauded the 55-year-old for being straight.
“I appreciate her honesty… she is human, and doesn’t apologize for it, “ social media personality MJ Harris Speaks wrote.
“She’s a G for that for keeping it a buck, I love that, “a fan xclaimed.
“Mary owes us nothing. And I love her for this dose of reality, one commenter wrote.”
The songstress recently announced her upcoming Las Vegas Residency, “Mary J. Blige: My Life, My Story,” which starts in May. he actress appeared on the Bevalations podcast, where she hinted of a few surprise guests during the 10-date show. The singer also promised an expansive set list featuring her “B-side” tracks.
“Come with your Mongolians, your furs, your high heels, your blonde bob wigs,” Mary J. told fans. “Whatever era of Mary J. Blige that you know and remember, come correct the “My Life “ singer exclaimed.
“Mary J. Blige: My Life, My Story” takes place at Dolby Live at Park MGM during May and July.
Attorneys For Drake File Appeal After Dismissal Of Defamation Lawsuit Against UMG
The Canadian rapper is still feuding with the label over "Not Like Us."
Canadian recording artist Drake is not letting his feud with his distribution label, Universal Music Group (UMG), go. He has appealed a federal judge’s’ decision in the “OVO” label head’s defamation lawsuit.
According to Rolling Stone, the suit, which uses his rival, Kendrick Lamar’s award-winning and popular diss track, “Not Like Us,” as the backdrop of the legal action, was dismissed when Judge Jeannette Vargas determined that the statements Drake alleged were defamatory amounted to “non-actionable opinion,” effectively ending the high-profile case.
Attorneys for the rapper filed an appellate brief that requests that the ruling be overturned, citing that the song’s line labeling him a “certified pedophile” caused fans of “Not Like Us” to believe it and causing him serious harm.
They claim that the dismissal of the lawsuit could have far-reaching consequences. The ruling that diss tracks are non-actionable opinion created a “dangerous categorical rule” that would protect recording artists and labels from defamation liability.
“The court effectively created an unprecedented and overbroad categorical rule that statements in rap diss tracks can never constitute statements of fact,” according to the brief.
Drake’s attorneys are requesting that the appellate court remand the case, insisting that it be decided at trial rather than on a motion to dismiss.
UMG must submit a brief response by March 27. (In case you forgot, Lamar is an Interscope Records artist, which is a division of UMG. Drake’s current label is Republic Records, which is also part of UMG.)
Less than a month after the dismissal, the legal team for Drake informed the court that it would be taking this action when they filed a notice of appeal on Oct. 29, 2025.
“A rap diss track would not create more of an expectation in the average listener that the lyrics state sober facts instead of opinion,” Vargas wrote in her Oct. 9 ruling, describing the song as full of “profanity, trash-talking, threats of violence, and figurative and hyperbolic language.”
The top-charting single dominated the Grammy Awards, with Lamar winning five awards, including Song and Record of the Year in 2025.
Opal Lee, Grandmother Of Juneteenth, Is Now A Barbie
Mattel announced the doll is the newest addition to its Barbie Inspiring Women collection.
Opal Lee, the Texas-born activist known as the “Grandmother of Juneteenth,” will have a Barbie made in her image. Mattel announced the doll is the newest addition to its Barbie Inspiring Women collection. The collectible doll celebrates Lee’s decades-long work leading to Juneteenth’s recognition as a federal holiday.
The Opal Lee Barbie doll is styled in a signature outfit reflecting Lee’s annual Opal’s Walk for Freedom. The outfit includes a custom T-shirt, white joggers, and sneakers.
The Mattel Barbie Inspiring Women collection is a series designed to honor “extraordinary women who inspire future generations.”
Lee said partnering with Barbie on her doll was a joyful experience and hoped it would encourage young people to appreciate the power of one voice.
“It has been a joy to partner with Barbie on my Inspiring Women doll,” Lee said in a statement. “I hope my story encourages the next generation to never underestimate the power of one voice, and that can change the world.”
Lee is best known for her efforts to raise awareness about the historical significance of June 19, the day in 1865 when the last enslaved people in Texas were informed of their freedom. The announcement came more than two years after the Civil War ended. Her advocacy included annual 2.5-mile walks to symbolize the delay in freedom reaching all enslaved people. Lee organized a march from Fort Worth, Texas, to Washington, D.C., at the age of 89, which helped bring national attention to the celebration of freedom for all Black Americans in 2016. Five years after Lee marched to Washington, D.C., Juneteenth became a national holiday in 2021.
Mattel said the Opal Lee edition will be available at major retailers and online. The collectible offers a tangible tribute that highlights Lee’s lifelong commitment to community, education, and equality. The Inspiring Women series has previously included dolls honoring figures such as Venus Williams and Rosa Parks.
