• News

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

April 29, 2025

White House Correspondents Association President Claps Back At Trump’s Anti-Media Rhetoric

'What we are not is the opposition, what we are not is the enemy of the people, and what we are not is the enemy of the state,' Eugene Daniels said

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Donald Trump again skipped the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, but the the White House Correspondent Association’s president took a jab at his ongoing attacks on the press.

At the April 26 event, WHCA President Eugene Daniels delivered a passionate speech defending the organization and the free press, according to a report by HuffPost. His remarks countered Trump’s ongoing attacks on the media, which he has repeatedly labeled the “enemy of the people” since taking office in January.

“We care deeply about accuracy and take seriously the heavy responsibility of being stewards of the public’s trust,” Daniels said. “What we are not is the opposition, what we are not is the enemy of the people, and what we are not is the enemy of the state.”

Trump has stepped up his attacks on outlets he accuses of reporting “fake news” since returning to the White House. In February, he banned the Associated Press from the president’s press pool for not referring to the “Gulf of Mexico” as “Gulf of America” as directed by his executive order.

That same month, the administration also announced its control of a “limited” press pool. Many videos shared online often show the president scolding journalists who ask questions he finds unfavorable.

Trump is the only president since 1921 to skip the White House Correspondents’ Dinner while in office, aside from Ronald Reagan in 1981, who was recovering from an assassination attempt.

“I want to be clear about something: We don’t invite presidents of the United States to this because it’s for them,” Daniels continued in his speech. “We don’t invite them because we want to cozy up to them or curry favor. We don’t only extend invites to the presidents who say they love journalists or who say they are defenders of the First Amendment and a free press.”

Daniels added, “We invite them to remind them that they should be. We invite them to demonstrate that those of us who have chosen the public service of journalism aren’t doing it because we love flights on Air Force One or walking into the Oval Office. It’s to remind them why a strong Fourth Estate is essential for democracy.”

RELATED CONTENT: Trump Rescinds HBCU Support: A Dismantling Of Opportunity For Our Youth

• Sports

by Jameelah Mullen

April 29, 2025

NBA Hall Of Famer Dick Barnett Dies At 88

The former shooting guard played a key role in leading the New York Knicks to two championships.

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Dick Barnett, former New York Knicks player and Hall of Famer, has died; he was 88. The two-time NBA championship winner was living in an assisted living facility  in Largo, Florida, reports say. The Gary, Indiana, native began his basketball career at Tennessee A&I College (now Tennessee State University), where he helped the team earn consecutive NAIA national championships from 1957 to 1959, making it the first  HBCU team to win a national title in basketball. Barnett was named MVP of the NAIA Tournament both in 1958 and 1959.

The Syracuse Nationals selected Barnett in the 1959 NBA Draft, launching a professional career that spanned 14 seasons, during which he also played for the Los Angeles Lakers. He joined the New York Knicks in 1965, where he spent most of his career. The Hall of Famer helped the team win championships in 1970 and 1973. In 1968, he was selected to play in the NBA All-Star game.

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The championship player gained fame for his signature left-hand “fall back-baby” shooting style, where his legs went backward during his jump shots.

 After retiring from basketball, Barnett earned a master’s degree from New York University and a doctorate in education from Fordham University. Dr. Barnett has written over 20 books across various genres, including sports, business, and personal development. The former New York Knicks star also served as a professor at St. John’s University. 

In 1990, the New York Knicks honored the Hall of Famer by retiring his No. 12 jersey. In 2024, Barnett was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

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— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) April 27, 2025

 “Throughout his illustrious career, Dick Barnett embodied everything it meant to be a New York Knick, both on-and-off-the-court. He left a positive impact on everyone he encountered, and this organization is incredibly fortunate to have him be such an integral part of its history,” The New York Knicks said in a statement posted on X. 

RELATED CONTENT: Pro Soccer Player Hides As Loved Ones Kidnapped Amid Increasing Crime In Ecuador, Family Safely Returned

• Celebrity News

by Jameelah Mullen

April 29, 2025

Miami Street Will Be Named After Uncle Luke’s Booty-Shaking Masterpiece

A street that will make you move your feet.

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Miami’s Liberty City neighborhood is the hometown of Uncle Luke, the frontman of the rap group 2 Live Crew. The city is preparing to name the street after one of the rapper’s biggest hits. NW 70th Street will soon be named “It’s Your Birthday” Street, after the 1994 song that remains a cult classic 30 years later.  

The hype-man, whose real name is Luther Campbell, earned legendary status in the late 80s and 90s with a string of hit songs that featured raunchy lyrics over 808 beats, also known as Booty Bass. Campbell says that not only is he honored to have his work acknowledged in his hometown, but he also feels that Black artists from Miami deserve the recognition.  

In March, lawmakers approved a proposal by County Commissioner Keon Hardemon to rename nearby streets in a 10-block stretch of Liberty City after songs by various Black artists from Miami. One of the streets, Trick Love The Kids Street, is named  after a phrase from Trick Daddy’s “In Da Wind.” Another street will be named after the legendary Betty Wright, with the name “No Pain, No Gain” in honor of her classic song. 

Hardemon also introduced a second resolution to rename NW 58th Street at NW 11th Avenue to Luther Campbell Way. The proposal was approved unanimously by the commission. 

“When I’m dead and gone, new Liberty City residents who don’t know about me may wonder: ‘Who the hell is Luther Campbell?” They’ll Google me and find out I’m a free-speech icon who won rulings all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court,” the rap legend wrote in the Miami New Times.

Campbell notes that this historical legal battle allowed other artists the freedom to sample hit songs and the right to create music with explicit lyrics without the fear of arrest. The artist hopes that the renamed street will serve as inspiration. 

“I want Luther Campbell Way to inspire young Black people to realize that they, too, can achieve their dreams, the artist wrote. 

 

 

 

 

 

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The official unveiling ceremony for Luther Campbell Way will occur on May 3, at 10 a.m. EST.

RELATED CONTENT: Uncle Luke Will Run for Mayor Again

• Women

by Stacy Jackson

April 29, 2025

Six Triple Eight To Be Honored With Congressional Gold Medal For Service During WWII

The Congressional Gold Medal will be presented to the family of unit commander Lt. Col. Charity Adams Earley at the Capitol Visitor Center.

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To recognize the women of the Six Triple Eight who made up the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, the unit will be honored on April 29 with the Congressional Gold Medal.

The all-Black, all-female unit was the first of its kind deployed overseas during World War II. During their time in Europe, the military women cleared out a backlog of undelivered mail, which amounted to nearly 17 million pieces, solving the crisis within three months. According to The Associated Press, the honor follows a long-running campaign that calls attention to the unit, which has rarely been recognized for its service upon return to the U.S.

“It is really important to recognize the accomplishments of these women and what they went through to serve their country in wartime,” said Kim Guise, senior curator and director of curatorial affairs at the National WWII Museum.

The Congressional Gold Medal is the highest honor the United States Congress bestows. In 2022, the U.S. Congress voted 422-0 to award the 6888th with the honor. Wisconsin Rep. Gwen Moore, co-sponsor of the bill to honor the Six Triple Eight, said the recognition is long overdue. “These heroes deserve their dues, and I am so glad their story is being told,” said Moore. “I am especially honored to ensure my constituent, Ms. Anna Mae Robertson, and the many others who served with her are recognized for their selfless service.”

The 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion consisted of 855 Black women. Only two women who served in the history-making unit are living as of this date.

“They kept hollering about wanting us to go overseas, so I guess they found something for us to do overseas: take care of the mail,” said Major Fannie Griffin McClendon, one of the oldest living members of the Six Triple Eight. “And there was an awful lot of mail. … They expected we were gonna be there about two or three months trying to get it straightened out. Well, I think in about a month, in a month and a half, we had it all straightened out and going in the right direction.” The women of the Six Triple Eight were sent overseas in 1945. Following its stint in England, the unit served in France.

The American Veterans Center, a supporter of the 6888 Congressional Gold Medal campaign, noted bills which have been introduced to Congress in support of the women of the Six Triple Eight: S.633 introduced in the Senate by Sen. Jerry Moran (R-KS) and H.R. 3138 introduced in the House by Rep. Gwen Moore (D-WI-4). As previously mentioned by BLACK ENTERPRISE, award-winning film director Tyler Perry highlights the unit’s story in the 2024 Netflix documentary, “The Six Triple Eight.”

The 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion will be honored with the Congressional Gold Medal during a ceremony in Emancipation Hall at the Capitol Visitor Center. The medal will be presented to the family of unit commander Lt. Col. Charity Adams Earley by House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and others.

RELATED CONTENT: Trump Rescinds HBCU Support: A Dismantling Of Opportunity For Our Youth

• News

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

April 29, 2025

Smithsonian Denies Removing Items From National African American History Museum

'Suggestions that the Smithsonian had planned or intended to remove these items are false'

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In an official statement, The Smithsonian denied reports that the institution removed exhibit items from the National Museum of African American History and Culture.

The April 28 statement refers to reports that the Smithsonian removed the historic Greensboro, North Carolina, lunch counter and a stool from the National Museum of American History and the National Museum of African American History and Culture in response to President Donald Trump’s executive order targeting “unpatriotic ideology.”

However, according to the Smithsonian, the claims are false.

“Both the Greensboro lunch counter and stools where college students sat in protest during the Civil Rights Movement are and continue to be on display,” the statement read. “A stool from the sit-ins remains on view at the National Museum of African American History and Culture as the centerpiece of an interactive exhibition.”

Additionally, the Smithsonian noted that a larger portion of the Greensboro lunch counter remains on display at the National Museum of American History.

“Suggestions that the Smithsonian had planned or intended to remove these items are false,” the statement said.

The statement comes amid growing concern from museums and institutions across Washington, D.C., over potential cultural and historical erasure in response to Trump’s crackdown on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. The purge has already resulted in the closure of the Smithsonian’s diversity office, the removal of historical content from government websites, and a shift in leadership at the Kennedy Center, which will no longer host World Pride events.

However, the Smithsonian clarified that the National Museum of African American History and Culture only removes items that are on loan or when necessary to preserve the condition of historical artifacts.

“Recent claims that objects have been removed for reasons other than adherence to standard loan agreements or museum practices are false,” the Smithsonian stated.

Meanwhile, Trump issued an executive order targeting the Smithsonian, claiming there has been a “concerted and widespread effort” to rewrite American history over the past decade. The order threatens to cut funding for exhibits and programs that he said “degrade shared American values,” divide people by race, or promote ideologies deemed “inconsistent” with federal policy. It specifically named the National Museum of African American History and Culture as an institution pushing “divisive, race-centered ideology.”

RELATED CONTENT: Rest In Power: Alexis Herman, First Black Labor Secretary, Dies At 76

• Money

by BLACK ENTERPRISE Editors

April 29, 2025

Ditch the DIY Trap: Why Borrowing Beats Bootstrapping for Rapid Scale

Taking out a loan can feel risky. But playing it safe can mean staying small

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Written By Morgan Hewett

Bootstrapping your business feels safe. You’re relying on your own savings, reinvesting profits, and avoiding debt. I get it—I took pride in pinching pennies when I launched Options MD, my health tech company. But here’s the hard truth: bootstrapping can become a trap. It might keep the lights on, but it can also keep your growth dialed way down. If you’ve ever felt like you’re running in place while the competition speeds ahead, it might be time to rethink the “do-it-all-yourself” playbook.

You Deserve Financial Peace of Mind

We glamorize the image of the founder sleeping on a friend’s sofa, surviving on ramen noodles while chasing a dream. But let’s be honest: that stress can be crushing. And in my experience, that kind of pressure didn’t sharpen my creativity –it stifled it. Financial stress creates mental clutter. What helped me think clearly and build boldly wasn’t struggle—it was stability.

External financing gave me the breathing room I needed. It allowed me to pay rent, eat well, and focus on the bigger picture. You deserve that same peace of mind. You deserve to build your company without sacrificing your well-being. External financing isn’t just about scaling your business—it’s about supporting yourself in the process.

When Bootstrapping Falls Short

Bootstrapping is fantastic—for certain types of businesses. A tutoring service or consulting side gig can grow slowly and steadily, one client at a time. But other ventures need serious capital upfront. When I started Options MD, I wasn’t a clinician or engineer, but I needed both on my team. That meant hiring top talent early. Bootstrapping wasn’t going to cut it.

Loans let you buy time and speed. In a fast-moving world, waiting to self-fund growth can mean watching competitors fly past you. With a loan, you can invest now—in talent, marketing, or infrastructure—and reap the rewards faster.

Loans Can Be the Smarter Play

If you can’t—or don’t want to—raise VC money, loans are a powerful alternative. Consider this: if you raise $100,000 from investors at a $1 million valuation and sell for $3 million, your investors walk away with $300,000. But if you take a $100,000 loan at 6% interest, you’ll pay about $118,000 over three years. That’s a $182,000 difference in your favor. And you keep full control.

I was fortunate to tap into my network and raise $6 million in venture capital. But by the time we were acquired, I had given up 50% of the company. And while VC funding can accelerate growth, it’s not free money. With investors come governance boards, monthly updates, and the feeling that you have a boss.

Facing the Fear of Loans

Many entrepreneurs fear loans because of personal guarantees. Yes, SBA loans often require them. But that doesn’t mean you’ll lose everything if things go wrong. Many states protect your primary residence. And alternative loan products exist with slightly higher interest rates but no personal guarantees.

There are trade-offs, but also options. Equipment financing, revenue-based loans, and working with Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) can all reduce personal risk. The key is borrowing wisely, with a clear plan to turn capital into growth.

Bet on Yourself

Taking out a loan can feel risky. But playing it safe can mean staying small. Bootstrapping teaches resilience, but scaling requires capital. Don’t let fear hold you back from growth. Bet on yourself and build something that lasts.

RELATED CONTENT: Faith, Pricing and Bootstrapping—Financial Literacy for A Healthy Business

 

 

 

 

 

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