• HBCU

by Daniel Johnson

June 15, 2025

Jackson State University To Receive $1.3M For AI Development

According to Dr. Denise Gregory Jones, JSU's interim president, the grant represents a step forward in their attempts to serve students and the broader Jackson community.

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As part of Mississippi’s $9.1 million investment in higher education to strengthen the state’s future workforce and economic competitiveness, Jackson State University has been awarded a $1.3 million grant to expand education, workforce development, and entrepreneurship in artificial intelligence. The funding comes through Gov. Tate Reeves’ newly launched Mississippi Artificial Intelligence Talent Accelerator Program (MAI-TAP).

According to Dr. Denise Jones Gregory, JSU’s interim president, the grant represents a step forward in their attempts to serve students at the university and the broader Jackson community. “We are grateful for this investment in Jackson State University’s mission to expand access to emerging fields,” Jones Gregory said in the press release. “This grant affirms the quality of our faculty and programs and allows us to give students the knowledge and experience to navigate and contribute to the world they are entering. It’s another step forward in our work to serve students and communities through innovation and opportunity.”

Likewise, Dr. Almesha L. Campbell, the vice president for research and economic development, praised the investment in the university in her own statement.

“We are excited to lead this initiative that will empower Mississippi students, teachers, and entrepreneurs to engage in meaningful learning experiences around artificial intelligence,” Campbell said. “This project supports our strategic focus on innovation, workforce development, and academic prominence. Through this grant, Jackson State will collaborate with partners to build a model that prepares learners at every level to understand, apply, and shape the future of AI.”

According to the press release, Mississippi’s strategy for its AI development centers around five basic principles: investment in human capital infrastructure, building AI and machine learning literacy for citizens of Mississippi, enhancing and upskilling skills for people who are creating new tools and technologies, and supporting AI/machine learning innovation and technology advancement.

According to Action News 5, Reeves previously signed an executive order in January aimed at harnessing AI in Mississippi and issued a statement declaring his intentions that Mississippi would emerge as a leader in the field of artificial intelligence.

Despite these actions, however, as Jason Ludwig argued in a 2024 op-ed for Public Books that parts of this platform, particularly the focus on upskilling, can put Black people and other working-class people in a race against each other to learn new skills, when instead people should demand that any new technological innovations be used for the benefit of society at large and not the cottage industries spawned by innovations created for the benefit of capitalism.

Mississippi has been focused on creating a task force for artificial intelligence, which would, in part, advance AI initiatives without “red tape,” which usually means without any meaningful regulation of artificial intelligence.

In an op-ed for Supertalk FM, Rep. Jill Ford said little about making sure the state’s AI initiatives would safeguard citizens through regulations, but seemed disinterested in the idea altogether, instead arguing that the state needs growth, investment, and policies that strengthen Mississippi’s economy, more than AI needs regulation.

Brookings Senior Fellow Darrell M. West pointed out that ignoring the need for significant AI regulation doesn’t mean it doesn’t need to happen, particularly given the penchant for current AI systems to reinforce racist attitudes or make up false and misleading content.

“None of these issues will disappear simply because the current political leadership or Big Tech CEOs say they are not a concern. Ignoring widespread public doubts and documented abuses does not make the problems go away. Magic may be entertaining on stage, but disappearing acts don’t work in real life,” West wrote.

RELATED CONTENT: Researchers Say Using AI Too Much Will Deteriorate Cognitive Abilities

• Juneteenth

by Kandiss Edwards

June 15, 2025

New Survey: Black Americans Say The American Dream Was Never Theirs

Many respondents had similar sentiment: The American Dream never existed and Black Americans need to build their own dream.

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America is rolling back the progress Black people have diligently fought for. In anticipation of Juneteenth, the day the last enslaved people got word of their freedom, two years after emancipation, BET asked Black Americans if the American Dream still existed.

The overwhelming majority of respondents were clear. The answer is no, the American Dream never existed. 

“There is no dream for Black people,” one person said. “This country wasn’t built for us—it was built by us, for others.”

Another person made clear that it was Black Americans’ responsibility to build their own dream.  

“We had to make our own version,” one person said. “Their dream was never ours to begin with.” They added, “If they don’t have a seat for us at the table, we bring our own chair—or build a whole new table.”

Disheartening Data On Progress

Unfortunately, multiple data points support the notion that Black Americans are not keeping pace with their counterparts. The rollback of DEI initiatives that strove to provide equity in corporate America is a clear attack on progress. Affirmative action’s dismantling by the Supreme Court is affecting Black students in higher education. 

BLACK ENTERPRISE previously reported on declining student acceptance rates in American colleges. 

“Data released in August 2024 showed that close to 5% of MIT’s incoming class of 2028 was Black, in comparison to its average of 13%. The neighboring school of Amherst College saw a significant drop from Black students making up 11 % of the class of 2027 to only 3% for the class of 2028.”

Yet, despite these roadblocks, Black folks are making progress in today’s America, however slowly. 

According to the Center for Economic and Policy Research, “Median Black wealth or net worth (assets minus debts) has reached a new high. In 2022, median Black household wealth reached nearly $45,000, more than double the post-Great Recession low of about $17,000 seen in 2013.”

Still, it is not enough. The financial gains of Black households are still woefully low in comparison to those of white Americans. Black Americans are unemployed 1.7 times more than others. If the current trend continues, the Center for Economic and Policy Research states that it could take 500 years to bridge the gap between economic inequality. 

 RELATED CONTENT: MacArthur Fellow Dorothy Roberts Committed To Uncovering Racial Inequality In Child Welfare Services

• Food

by Ahsan Washington

June 15, 2025

6 Black-Owned Ice Cream Shops To Get Your Summer Sweet

These shops are crafting tasty, ice cream goodness.

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Summer is a perfect excuse to check out some amazing Black-owned ice cream spots. These shops craft tasty, ice cream goodness, keep culture alive, and build community with every scoop. BLACK ENTERPRISE has curated six spots where you can satisfy your sweet tooth while supporting businesses that mean something. Trust me, these aren’t your average ice cream shops; each spoonful comes with a story.

Goodies Frozen Custard & Treats – Alexandria, VA

Goodies is where Brandon Byrd serves up some really good frozen custard—from a vintage 1950s bus in an old bank vault in Alexandria, Virginia, just outside Washington, D.C. The vibe is retro heaven. Byrd is passionate about bringing back classic American desserts with his own soulful spin. Do yourself a favor and try their chocolate custard with a warm brownie sundae. It’s an absolute game-changer.

Sugar Hill Creamery – Harlem, New York

Sugar Hill Creamery is run by husband-wife duo Petrushka and Nick Larsen. They’ve mixed their Caribbean and Midwest roots to create some seriously good small-batch ice cream. Their “A$AP Rocky Road” is a chocolate flavor loaded with toasted hazelnuts, marshmallows, and graham crackers. 

Kaye’s Pints and Scoops – Memphis, Tennessee

Kaye’s Pints and Scoops is a small creamery that popped up in Memphis during the COVID-19 pandemic. The owner, Kiamesha Wilson, knows her ice cream. If you’re into local ingredients and handmade ice cream, you’ve gotta check it out. Kaye’s Pints and Scoops is always switching up their chocolate flavors; the Chocolate Fudge Swirl is lit, and so is the Triple Chocolate Chip. 

Cloud Cups – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Galen Thomas runs this sweet spot in Philly called Cloud Cups. It’s the place to hit up if you’re craving something sweet. Cloud Cups is all about great gelato and sorbet with flavors that will blow customers’ minds. The establishment is always switching things up to keep it interesting. Their dark chocolate gelato is rich and smooth. 

Sweet Dreams Ice Cream – Decatur, Georgia

Tucked away in Decatur, Georgia, Sweet Dreams Ice Cream is a cute little spot run by Cyntauria Jones and Len Davidson. It’s ice cream heaven. They’ve got tons of creamy flavors that’ll make your taste buds dance. Locals can’t get enough of this place. 

Shawn Michelle’s Homemade Ice Cream – Chicago, Illinois

Shawn Michelle’s is a Chicago treasure. Yahya and Nataki Muhammad run a spot that patrons will enjoy. The ice cream hits different: My Momma’s Famous Slap Yo Son, Banana Pudding Ice Cream. Every bite is like a homemade throwback. If you’re in Chicago and need a sugar fix, you gotta swing by Shawn Michelle’s Homemade Ice Cream. It’s worth every calorie. 

RELATED CONTENT: Indulge Yourself On National Donut Day At These Black-Owned Donut Shops

• Men

by Daniel Johnson

June 15, 2025

Black Fathers Rock! Celebrates Black Fathers, Fights Against Stereotypes

Today, on the cusp of another celebration of Father's Day, the organization continues to envision a future where Black fathers are celebrated.

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Ryan Jor El, a Charlotte-based professional wardrobe consultant, author, speaker, and event host, founded Black Fathers Rock! (BFR), in 2017. Inspired by Black Girls Rock!, he created the organization to challenge negative stereotypes about Black fathers and provide them with the resources needed to support and empower their families.

Today, on the cusp of another celebration of Father’s Day, the organization continues to envision a future where Black fathers—no matter their vocation or station in society—are celebrated.

According to WCNC, this celebration, which will be held on June 14, takes the form of an awards ceremony held at BFR’s new event venue, Event Masterz, which will celebrate Black fathers and award them in several categories including: Father of the Year, Activist of the Year, Dapper Dad of the Year, Entrepreneur of the Year, and Comeback Father of the Year.

Honorees at the awards ceremony will also be afforded an opportunity to mix and mingle with some of Charlotte’s best and brightest after accepting their awards.

As Jor El told the outlet, core to BFR is the idea of reshaping the narratives concerning Black fathers, “Celebrating other Black men who are doing things in their community and in their home, is my way of changing the narrative. Not all of us are absent, not all of us are in jail,” he remarked.

He continued, “All dads need to be celebrated, especially the ones who are unmarried and are great fathers; it’s important to change narratives and ugly stereotypes.”

As The Charlotte Post reports, originally, BFR was conceptualized as an awards show, but three months after its debut, Jor El, who was also inspired to create the organization after experiencing a fatherless childhood, recognized the potential for a larger impact within the Charlotte community, and turned it into a nonprofit organization.

Although the organization’s title is Black Fathers Rock!, similarly to how the Black community celebrates mothers who have mothered without giving birth, the fathers Jor El’s organization wants to honor don’t necessarily have to be biological fathers either.

As he told the outlet, “I typically say the thing you lack in your childhood you tend to overcompensate for in your adulthood,” he said. “And so now, I went from having an absentee father to being an active, present father and honoring active and present fathers. Hearing stories of people over the eight years or seeing somebody with a T-shirt on in another country, you’re like ‘Wow, that is super cool,’” Jor El told the Charlotte Post. “People get really excited about this movement because we really don’t have many things like this, so I’ve heard a lot of great stories.”

One of those great stories involves Desmond Wiggan, who won BFR’s 2025 Father of the Year award. Wiggan told the outlet that dealing with the pandemic helped him see that he, as a father, needed to give his children more grace as they all navigated uncharted waters. The children, in particular, leaned on digital devices to connect with family members.

“My son didn’t see or touch his grandparents for six weeks,” Wiggan said. “They weren’t there in the trenches or in the spaces, building relationships and learning how to communicate with people.”

He continued, “If you think about clay, pottery, and stuff, we can just mold and develop the minds and emotions of our kids, it’s just that we want to be constructive and steer in the right direction. Having grace on [children] is also important, and when they fail, instead of just feeling like you got to yell and just punish them, allow it to be a conversation, so that they can really learn.”

Ricky Singh, an artist and the executive director of My Brother’s Keeper Charlotte, who was awarded Activist Father of the Year in 2024, agrees with Wiggan’s assessment that communication, not necessarily punishment, is an important piece of a Black father’s toolkit for connecting with their children, and that connection is part of a lifelong relationship between father figure and child.

“We have to find moments where we can laugh and find joy, even in the smallest things. There’s a beauty and a struggle there,” Singh told the outlet. “Fatherhood is beyond just providing for kids and families. It’s the experiences, so I encourage those to find moments and pause during the experiences and soak it up, because when your kids get grown, fatherhood doesn’t end, it evolves. But it’s different.”

RELATED CONTENT: Georgia’s ‘Library Dads’ Are Increasing Child Literacy One Playdate At A Time

• Education

by Daniel Johnson

June 14, 2025

New Plaque In Boston Honors MLK’s Alpha Phi Alpha Brotherhood

Martin Luther King Jr. joined the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity in 1952 while attending Boston University.

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A little-known chapter of Martin Luther King Jr.’s story will come to light on June 18 with the unveiling of a plaque commemorating his decision to join the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity in 1952 while attending Boston University. This tribute highlights King’s journey to becoming an Alpha Man and aims to shed light on his time in Boston and honor the lasting legacy of the city’s historic Grove Hall neighborhood.

According to The Boston Globe, Clennon L. King, a Georgia-based documentary filmmaker and the historian responsible for Boston’s Martin and Coretta Love Story Trail, believes it is up to Black people to keep histories that would be otherwise forgotten alive.

“It’s our jobs as Black folk to chronicle our history,” Clennon King said. “If we don’t mark our history, we’re condemned to repeat it.”

The date of the unveiling also coincides with the 72nd wedding anniversary of Martin and Coretta Scott King, following Clennon King’s efforts in 2024 to get a headstone placed for Mary Louise Powell, the New England Conservatory of Music student who was responsible for introducing Martin and Coretta to each other.

Their interaction on their blind date, initiated by Powell, was recreated by National Geographic’s critically acclaimed “Genius: MLK/X.” Though a fictional, dramatized account, according to Clennon King’s account of their love story for Boston Magazine, it captured the spirit of King’s ability to turn on his charm.

Clennon King, who is unrelated to Martin and Coretta, told the outlet that the memorial would bring King’s legacy back to its roots, back to Boston’s Black neighborhoods that accepted him as their own when he first arrived in the city.

Lauren B. Martin, whose father, Judge Baron H. Martin, took the photo of King and the other Alphas who crossed in 1952, also represents Boston’s history, as the site of the photo is her father’s house, which carries the distinction as one of the first owned by Black people in the predominantly Jewish neighborhood.

King gravitated to the Black community, notably Roxbury and the South End of Boston, when he first arrived in Boston in 1951 after leaving Atlanta. According to Jason Asirifi, the district director and the president of the Organization of New England Chapters of Alpha (ONECA), the plaque also tells the story of the importance of the Divine Nine in shaping leaders of the civil rights movement.

King, Asirifi noted, wanted the “betterment of humanity and the Black experience” that Alphas and other Divine Nine members also sought. He continued, “Everything [King] did was to leave a legacy for his children and the people around him. You don’t seek an organization like Alpha if you don’t want to be a part of a larger community.”

That larger community Asirifi spoke of was in many ways encapsulated by King’s line brothers, like Herman Hemingway, the founding director of Boston’s Office of Human Rights, who died in 2020, and was honored with his own memorial as part of the 1965 Freedom Plaza.

According to Hemingway’s daughter, Myra, “He really loved his fraternity and the support they gave him through the brotherhood over the years meant so much to him. It’s hard that he’s not here, but in spirit, I know he’s looking down and smiling.”

Martin, meanwhile, believes that despite the changing demographics of the neighborhood of Grove Hall, the plaque could still remind people of King’s belief in the “Beloved Community” and of the people who once called the neighborhood their home.

“Things are going to change, people are going to change neighborhoods,” Martin told the Globe. “But hopefully these markers gives the new neighborhood a reference and an understanding of how we’re all related.”

RELATED CONTENT: Dr. King’s Family Home Will Get A Facelift From The National Park Service

• Politics

by Daniel Johnson

June 14, 2025

No Kings, No Crowns: Coast-To-Coast Anti-Trump Protests Planned Over Militarized Parade

Organizers say that more than 2,000 protests will occur in all 50 states.

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Timed with Donald Trump’s planned military parade in Washington, D.C., thousands are set to take part in “No Kings Day of Defiance” protests across the country, denouncing both the spectacle and what they see as Trump’s push toward American authoritarianism.

According to CNN, the organizers of the more than 2,000 protests, which will occur in all 50 states, say that the protests are a rejection of “authoritarianism, billionaire-first politics, and the militarization of our democracy,” all of which have been epitomized by the second Trump administration. There are also numerous protests planned in other countries.

As more attention has been given to Trump’s actions in Los Angeles, where he has deployed both the National Guard and the Marines, more momentum against the mass arrests and increasingly indiscriminate and clandestine actions of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has picked up.

The actions in Los Angeles have led to protests in New York, Seattle, Chicago, Austin, Las Vegas, and Washington, where, in addition to Trump’s potentially unconstitutional and controversial use of the National Guard and the Marines to quell protests, governors like Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe, respectively, deployed and activated their state’s National Guard troops, characterizing their moves as reactions to unrest.

Ezra Levin, the co-executive director of Indivisible, one of the organizations behind the No Kings protests, described the number of people protesting as a historic mobilization.

“Even conservative estimates say that 3.5 million people turned out for the Hands Off mobilization in April. That’s already 1% of the population of the US,” Levin told CNN. “No Kings is on track to exceed that by millions more. This is historic.”

Although political protest has proven fundamental to securing the rights and freedoms of Americans, Trump has taken a hard line, promising to deliver “heavy force” to “any” protestors at the military parade in Washington, D.C. In his comments, Trump also cast protestors of his immigration policy as un-American and people who hate the country.

An assertion that White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt was left to clarify during a June 10 briefing, saying that Trump was in support of peaceful protest.

“The president supports peaceful protests. He supports the First Amendment. He supports the right of Americans to make their voices heard,” Leavitt responded after being questioned about Trump’s planned restrictions at the parade, following his use of military force against immigration policy protests in Los Angeles. “He does not support violence of any kind. He does not support assaulting law enforcement officers who are simply trying to do their job.”

Military parades are uncommon in America, and as former Army officer Brandon Friedman argued in an op-ed for MSNBC, the one Trump has orchestrated marks a clear line in the sand for military officers and political figures.

“President Trump’s military parade is, of course, troubling for its similarity to those that often take place in other countries like North Korea or Russia. In rare cases, such as France’s Bastille Day parade, they are something of a celebration of democracy. But far more frequently, they are shows of force and expressions of belligerence. It’s arguable that they’re signs of deep-seated insecurity on the part of weak autocrats who demand them. What is inarguable is that an endless parade of tanks and missiles is often the calling card of fascists,” Friedman wrote.

That “calling card,” as he describes it, underscores the urgency behind the latest round of protests against the Trump administration’s increasing hostility to opposition, which the No Kings movement says has galvanized its resistance on its website.

“They’ve defied our courts, deported Americans, disappeared people off the streets, attacked our civil rights, and slashed our services,” the group wrote on its website. “They’ve done this all while continuing to serve and enrich their billionaire allies. The flag doesn’t belong to President Trump. It belongs to us. On June 14th, we’re showing up everywhere he isn’t — to say no thrones, no crowns, no kings.”

RELATED CONTENT: Organizers Planning Nationwide Protests Over Trump’s Upcoming Military Parade

• News

by Kandiss Edwards

June 14, 2025

Digital Protest Aims To Hijack Trump’s Military Parade With ‘Barack Obama Appreciation Day’ Campaign

The goal is to drown out coverage of Trump's military display in favor of honoring the previous leader.

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Protestors of President Donald Trump’s military parade want to move Barack Obama Day to the news forefront on June 14.

This year, the date conspicuously aligns with the military’s 250th anniversary, Donald Trump’s 79th birthday, and Flag Day. Multiple social media users have rallied to facilitate a digital protest. The goal is to drown out coverage of the administration’s display in favor of honoring the previous leader.

The original date of Barack Obama Day coincides with the 44th president’s birthday, Aug. 4. Though the day is not an official national holiday, many Americans outside of Illinois celebrate the beloved former president. Bill SB0055 was passed to commemorate the former Illinois Senator. 

Pushback 

Celebrating the strength and longevity of the nation’s military is not an uncommon act, but not to the massive extent that Trump has planned. Still, many politicians have admonished the current administration. 

California Gov. Gavin Newsom called out Trump in a press conference, saying his actions were a “display of weakness.” Furthermore, Newsom compared the “vulgar display” to those of other world dictators.

“It’s a vulgar display. It’s the kind of thing you see with Kim Jong Un, you see it with Putin, you see it with dictators around the world that are weak…Weakness masquerading as strength…that’s about as small as it gets…that’s Donald,” Newsom stated.

The military parade celebration is projected to host 200,000 attendees and involve over 6,000 active military personnel. 

USA Today reported on the opulent display that will cost taxpayers $40 million, which critics say is quite a price tag for an administration whose goal is to eliminate waste and maximize efficiency. Along with thousands of marching soldiers, tanks, and armored vehicles, additional theatrics will be present at the celebration.

“Helicopters and World War II-era warplanes will fly overhead and Army parachutists will soar down to the White House’s ellipse, where Trump will preside over the parade from a presidential booth,” the outlet reported.

Trump’s official parade will take place June 14, 6:30 p.m. ET. The digital protest can be found on social media by typing “Barack Obama Appreciation Day.”

RELATED CONTENT: L.A. Mayor Karen Bass Faces Anti-ICE Curfew Backlash, While Gov. Newsom Praised for Opposing Trump’s Troops

• News

by Daniel Johnson

June 14, 2025

Tulsa Man Run Over By Police Cruiser Over Alleged Jaywalking Heads To Trial As Dash Cam Sparks Outrage

In 2024, the department reportedly also faced scrutiny for its use of non-lethal force on Black residents of Tulsa.

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Kemonte Hampton, a Tulsa County resident who was struck by a police cruiser while officers attempted to detain him for allegedly jaywalking and obstructing an officer in April 2025, is moving forward with a jury trial against the Tulsa Police Department. Hampton appeared in court on June 12, where a Tulsa County judge ruled that his case would proceed before a jury of his peers.

According to KJRH, which requested the body and dash cam footage of the arrest of Hampton, the footage they obtained shows a patrol car rolling over Hampton as they attempt to arrest him.

According to the account given by the police, they called for backup because Hampton was attempting to flee after they tried asking him about possibly jaywalking near a nearby intersection, but since the film has been released to the public, there has been a healthy debate about the department’s policing tactics.

As the video shows, officers did not attempt to offer any immediate medical care, but proceeded to attempt to arrest Hampton, which likely prompted him to protest to the officers, “Y’all just ran me over, bro,” which can be audibly heard in the video.

Although the police say that Hampton’s injuries are minor, some have questioned why the police pulled his arms before checking to see if he was injured by the wayward police cruiser, which should have been in park when Hampton was accosted by the officers.

Others, however, pointed out that Hampton should not have been running. Hampton had previously indicated to the outlet that he was willing to share his side of the story, but was advised otherwise by his defense attorney.

The police, meanwhile, justified their actions by saying that they had been receiving complaints about violent crime, and the probable cause to detain Hampton could have been used to ask about other crimes. However, jaywalking, in the eyes of the general public, is largely considered a non-violent, victimless crime.

The trial, which has been set for Oct. 20, is likely to place the activities of the Tulsa Police Department under more public scrutiny, similar to how the shooting of Terence Crutcher by former officer Betty Shelby did in 2016.

As Tulsa Police Captain Richard Meulenberg told Channel 2 News, “Is jaywalking a minor infraction? Yes. But it comes on the demands of the community saying, ‘Hey, we have major crimes out here—do something.’”

According to The Black Wall Street Times, public scrutiny could be coming directly from the mayor’s office, per a response from Tulsa’s Public Safety Commissioner Laurel Roberts.

“As with any police incident, we must affirm our commitment to transparency and accountability. Immediately following the incident, an internal review was launched, and I will be engaged in the review at the direction of Mayor Nichols,” Roberts said. “Our police officers are entrusted with protecting the public, and that trust will be upheld through integrity and respect for all members of our community.”

According to Tulsa Public Radio, in 2024, the department also faced scrutiny for its use of non-lethal force on Black residents of Tulsa. Although Black residents make up 15% of Tulsa’s population, they accounted for nearly half, 48.2% to be exact, of the non-lethal force used on Tulsa’s citizens.

Nichols, notably, is Tulsa’s first Black mayor, and according to data from Mapping Police Violence, the Tulsa Police Department has had the fourth highest rate of police killings per one million people between 2013 and 2025.

As part of his campaign promise during the 2024 mayoral election, Nichols vowed to improve the city’s crime rate and the trust between law enforcement and the city’s residents. This case, depending on his office’s response to its outcome, could provide an early test of how well he lives up to those promises.

RELATED CONTENT: Mississippi Men Tortured By Police Settle Lawsuit For $2.5M

• Media

by Kandiss Edwards

June 14, 2025

Byron Allen Settles $10B Discrimination Suit With McDonald’s Days Before Trial

Media mogul Byron Allen accused the fast-food chain of 'racial stereotyping' by excluding Black-owned media from much of its advertising budget.

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On June 13, McDonald’s settled its lawsuit with Byron Allen for an undisclosed amount. Allen had sued the fast-food chain for $10 billion.

Allen is the owner of the Weather Group and Entertainment Studios Networks. The entrepreneur sued the corporation over its alleged refusal to advertise with Black-owned companies. The settlement comes just two days before the case was scheduled for trial, July 15.

Details of the settlement remain sealed. Yet, both Allen and Chicago-based McDonald’s USA released statements addressing the end of the suit.

McDonald’s admits no wrongdoing. Still, the corporation stated its commitment to working with Black-owned media where “mutually beneficial.” 

“We are pleased that Mr. Allen has come to appreciate McDonald’s unwavering commitment to inclusion, and has agreed to refocus his energies on a mutually beneficial commercial arrangement that is consistent with other McDonald’s supplier relationships,” McDonald’s USA said in a statement. “Our company’s unique three-legged stool model relies on mutual respect, and we look forward to ESN’s contributions to the betterment of our system.”

In the joint statement, Allen insinuates that he has clarity about the structure of the company’s ad tiers. A better understanding that will allow him to move forward in doing business with the company. 

“We are pleased to find a resolution that maintains our business relationship,” Allen said. “During the course of this litigation, many of our preconceptions have been clarified, and we acknowledge McDonald’s commitment to investing in Black-owned media properties and increasing access to opportunity. Our differences are behind us, and we look forward to working together.”

This is not Allen’s first time holding a corporation accountable for alleged discrimination. The media mogul has taken Comcast, DirecTV, and Charter Communications to court. 

In 2020, Allen’s suit against Comcast went to the Supreme Court after battling through the court system for five years. Allen claimed racial discrimination when a carriage deal between the companies fell through. The high court dismissed the case, stating Allen needed to prove race was the sole reason for the failed negotiations as opposed to one element. Comcast chose to settle after the case was sent back to a lower court, The Los Angeles Times reports. 

Most of the settlement terms remain undisclosed. Still, Allen soon negotiated to add Comedy.TV, Recipe.TV, and JusticeCentral.TV — on Comcast’s Xfinity cable television packages. He also negotiated a larger distribution package for the Weather Channel.

RELATED CONTENT: For Sale: Byron Allen Puts Investment Bank In Charge Of Selling Television Stations 

• Women

by Kandiss Edwards

June 14, 2025

Venus And Serena Williams Bring ‘Unfiltered Truth’ To X In New Podcast

Venus and Serena are teaming up off of the tennis court to give fans 'unfiltered' conversation on their new podcast.

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Tennis icons Venus and Serena Williams are launching a new podcast on X. 

The Williams sisters are no strangers to public speaking and the spotlight. In August, the Olympians will put their media training to use. Serena announced the launch of an unnamed podcast on her X account. The U.S. Open champion promised more than just sports talk. According to the Wimbledon champion, both she and Venus will be giving their “unfiltered truth. The show, named “Unfiltered Truth,” is produced in conjunction with Serena’s Nine Two Six Production company.

In a statement to Variety, the Williams sisters expressed excitement to use their voices to weigh in on important issues. Also, the champions state the X platform is the place that allows fans to join the conversation and provide a more intimate connection. 

“We’re so excited to be launching our new podcast, a place where we will share our personal stories, have authentic conversations, spotlight important topics, and laugh a lot,” the Williams sisters said in a joint statement provided to Variety. “This platform gives us the chance to engage directly with our fans who have supported us throughout our careers, and we’re excited to connect with audiences, old and new, in a way we’ve never done before.”

X Evolving Content And Declining Userbase 

Mitchell Smith, head of original content at X, is pleased to welcome the sisters to the X’s line-up of live shows that include Khloe Kardashian’s “Khloé in Wonder Land.”

“Venus and Serena are among the most recognizable and revered athletes in the world, and their decision to team up with X places them at the center of our rapidly evolving original content strategy,” said Smith.

Recruiting the Williams sisters to add their voices to the platform’s original content line-up will hopefully prove beneficial for X. The platform has seen a decline in its user base since 2024.  

”In the 12 months leading up to January 2025, X (formerly Twitter) experienced a decline of 33 million users, representing a 5.3% decrease,” Global Statistics reports.

The Williams sister’s global popularity may serve to bring a few lost users back to the platforms. Together the women are the most successful sibling athletes in the world. 

RELATED CONTENT: Coco Gauff Becomes First American Woman To Win The French Open Since Serena Williams