Red Lobster’s Nigerian-Born CEO Leads Effort To Return Casual Dining To Glory Days
Red Lobster CEO Damola Adamolekun is working hard to bring diners back to the restaurant.
Red Lobster’s CEO is working hard to combat the sharp decline in casual dining following the COVID-19 pandemic and the ever-present threat of rising inflation.
At 36, Damola Adamolekun made history last September as the youngest CEO in Red Lobster’s nearly 60-year history. The Nigerian-born Ivy League graduate is now focused on shaping the restaurant chain’s future, striving to reignite diners’ enthusiasm for eating out.
“A lot of people, their early experiences with seafood were at a Red Lobster,” Adamolekun told CBS News.
“What people, especially young people, need in addition to great food is a great atmosphere,” Adamolekun explained. “The place you can come in feels good; it looks nice. So if you don’t live up to what they expect, they won’t come back. They’ll go somewhere else, or they’ll eat at home.”
Adamolekun took on the role during a rough patch for Red Lobster. The company had already closed several dozen locations and filed for bankruptcy–alongside closings at TGI Friday’s, Buca di Beppo, and several other restaurant brands in 2024. With 544 locations remaining in the U.S. and Canada, Adamolekun is now tackling the chain’s biggest challenges in an effort to revitalize one of the nation’s oldest casual dining brands.
“You know, crisis, it forces you to move quickly, make decisions, and you can’t stew too long on like, am I ready or am I not,” Adamolekun said. “…I think there’s always a way to make something work. You just need to find the solution.”
Changes include eliminating Red Lobster’s iconic Endless Shrimp deal, streamlining the menu, and new offerings.
“It’s an expensive product,” Adamolekun said of the Endless Shrimp deal. “The way they were doing it was unmanaged.”
With inflation making many Americans hesitant to dine out and restaurants facing rising food costs, Adamolekun acknowledges that some of these expenses are being passed on to Red Lobster’s customers.
“Your entire cost structure is gonna move up somewhat, and prices in the country will go up somewhat, but I don’t want to be higher than overall inflation,” Adamolekun said.
Adamolekun’s changes are making an impact. Red Lobster is no longer in bankruptcy. A recent industry survey from the National Restaurant Association revealed that about eight in 10 restaurant operators expect sales in 2025 to match or exceed last year’s figures.
Jackie Robinson’s Profile On Federal Website Removed, Then Restored As Government’s Attack On DEI Content Continues
The anti-DEI crusade in Washington claimed Jackie Robinson—temporarily.
Jackie Robinson, who broke Major League Baseball’s color barrier in 1947, had his veteran profile removed from the Department of Defense website. The profile, part of the “Sports Heroes Who Served” series, detailed the iconic American’s military service.
Robinson entered the U.S. Army in 1942 and was assigned to the 761st Tank Battalion, famously known as the “Black Panthers.” While stationed at Fort Hood, Texas, in 1944, Robinson faced a court martial after refusing to move to the back of a segregated bus. He was ultimately acquitted, but the incident underscored his lifelong resistance to racial injustice, even before his trailblazing baseball career.
Users encountered an error message instead of a standard profile. Embedded within the message was a URL labeled “DEISports.”
A page dedicated to Jackie Robinson’s military career has been removed from the Department of Defense website.
On Jan. 19, the Pentagon confirmed to ESPN that removing Robinson’s profile was part of a broader “content refresh.” Officials said the decision aimed to comply with an executive order issued by President Donald Trump to eliminate diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs in federal agencies.
Pentagon Press Secretary John Ullyot referenced Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in a statement, declaring that “DEI is dead at the Defense Department.”
DOD Backlash And Content Restoration
Following public backlash, the Defense Department restored Robinson’s profile. In a revised statement, Ullyot acknowledged the error but downplayed the racial dynamics that shaped Robinson’s military experience. Ullyot also confirmed that other profiles featuring Black Americans and people of color were removed during the update.
“Everyone at the Defense Department loves Jackie Robinson, as well as the Navajo Code Talkers, the Tuskegee Airmen, the Marines at Iwo Jima and so many others,” the updated statement read. “We salute them for their strong and, in many cases, heroic service to our country, full stop. We do not view or highlight them through the prism of immutable characteristics, such as race, ethnicity or sex. We recognize their patriotism and dedication to the warfighting mission, like every other American who has worn the uniform.”
DEI – Discriminatory Equity Ideology does the opposite. It Divides the force, Erodes unit cohesion and Interferes with the services’ core warfighting mission.”
The @DeptofDefense sent ESPN an updated statement from Pentagon press secretary John Ullyot on the removal of the story on its website about Jackie Robinson's military service.
It is unclear how acknowledging the breaking of racial barriers will divide, erode or interfere with the operation of the military. The removal of the content appears to have no bearing on operations. Critics argue the removals signal the Trump administration’s attempt to minimize the historical contributions of Black Americans in both the military and the nation’s broader struggle against segregation and discrimination.
Robinson faced systemic racism long before and after his military service. With the Dodgers, he endured death threats, racial slurs and physical assaults from opposing players and fans alike. Despite this, Robinson pressed forward, understanding that his courage on and off the field paved the way for generations of Black athletes.
Lawmakers On Both Sides Spin The Facts About Who Benefits From Trump’s Tax Plan
Democratic leaders say President Donald Trump's tax plans would mean higher costs for working families and more savings for the wealthy.
President Donald Trump recently signed a six-month bill passed by Congress that will fund the federal government through the end of September, averting a potential government shutdown. It’s a temporary solution for a deeply divided Congress trying to navigate the president’s priority of slashing the federal budget while expanding his tax plan.
“On average, taxpayers in every income group would get some tax relief. But not everyone,” experts stated. “In all, about two-thirds to three-quarters of taxpayers would get a tax cut.”
However, Democratic leaders say President Donald Trump’s tax plans would mean significant savings for the ultrawealthy at the expense of middle-class and low-income Americans. They argue that his plans would mean higher costs for working families.
“Make no mistake: Trump doesn’t care about what’s best for the American people — just his billionaire backers and their own bottom lines,” DNC leaders wrote in a statement.
Trump Calls on GOP Lawmakers To Expand Tax Cuts, Slash Federal Budget
According to Yale Budget Lab, the House of Representatives recently passed its Concurrent Budget Resolution for Fiscal Year 2025. The resolution contains “reconciliation instructions” for various House committees to recommend policy changes for programs they oversee. The Trump administration aims to meet deficit reduction and expansion targets over a 10-year budget window. The Senate is also moving forward with a similar budget resolution.
Republican lawmakers lead both chambers. Analysis from the Yale Budget Lab found that the House committees support $1.5 trillion in gross spending cuts and $4.5 trillion in revenue reductions over the budget window between Fiscal Years 2025 and 2035.
The House Budget Resolution does not specify how the committees plan to meet budget targets. However, according to NBC News, some of the proposed changes include reducing the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, also known as food stamps). Some Republican lawmakers also propose reducing portions of Medicare and all of Medicaid and renewing the expiring provisions of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017.
If the resolution passes, the cuts will likely skew in favor of wealthy Americans, according to Factcheck.org, but the wealthy will not be the only Americans to benefit.
LaVar Ball Discusses Health Woes Leading To Foot Amputation
The Big Baller Brand founder admitted that not taking care of his diabetes led to the life-altering surgery.
LaVar Ball, father of NBA basketball players Lonzo and LaMelo Ball and basketball player-turned-rapper, GELO, offered a first-person account to SLAMdetailing his diabetes struggle, which led to the amputation of his right foot.
The founder of Big Baller Brand became a public figure for boasting about the impact his sons would make in the world of basketball before his oldest, Lonzo, entered the NBA.
The eldest Ball went to TikTok to confirm reports of having his foot amputated in February.
In SLAM, he explained that his health scare happened around the same time that LiAngelo, who goes by the moniker GELO, was making noise on streaming and radio platforms with his viral single, “Tweaker.”
“…Recently, I had some personal issues I had to deal with. I had an infection, where I was in the hospital for over a month. This happened right in the middle of when Gelo’s banger “Tweaker” was blowing up around the world, in January. Funny how life works sometimes.”
Due to not paying attention to his diabetes, LaVar Ball said, an infection on his foot led to the amputation. It started with just a “couple of toes,” which led to the foot being amputated—three surgeries as well as four blood transfusions.
LaVar Ball said he drew strength from his sons.
“I’m the Big Baller. I’m hard to kill. But I must admit that my boys kept me rolling. Cause a couple of times, I was like, I can’t do no more blood transfusions. I can’t do no more operations. I’m just ready to shut it down. It’s enough for me. But I’m here for a bigger purpose.”
Part of that is to get Black people to take care of their bodies.
“From my experience the last couple months, I want to get in people’s heads the importance of taking care of your health—especially Black people, because sometimes we’re not trying to go to the hospital, we will try to sleep it off or say, Yeah, we’ll get to it later. And sometimes it’s a little more serious than what you think.”
Ball also sat down with SLAM for an interview about his health travails.
Teyana Taylor Files Motion Alleging Ex Leaked Confidential Divorce Information
Teyana Taylor wants Iman Shumpert found in contempt of court and jailed for 20 days.
Teyana Taylor wants her ex-husband, Iman Shumpert, held in contempt of court for allegedly leaking sealed documents about their divorce.
The famed music and film star recently filed a petition to hold Shumpert in contempt, accusing him of leaking information—possibly to promote his new music and overshadow her recent photo with actor Aaron Pierre. TMZ obtained court documents in which Taylor asked a judge to sentence the NBA champion to 20 days in jail and impose the maximum fines.
The A Thousand and One star alleged that Shumpert misrepresented the settlement, claiming both parties received what the court awarded. According to Taylor, the vehicles and tour bus she obtained were possessions she had paid for herself. She asserts that she purchased the Maybach after Shumpert crashed, totaled, and abandoned her Rolls-Royce without ever replacing it.
Taylor was awarded four properties, while Shumpert received three, including the Miami condo he had originally gifted her. The mother of two believes Shumpert deliberately leaked the “false divorce settlement” shortly after she shared an Oscar-night photo with Pierre, which quickly amassed 1.4 million views and over 40,000 comments in under a day.
Taylor claimed the leaked divorce details triggered a wave of online backlash, overshadowing the announcement of her second Air Jordan collaboration with Nike, as well as her performances and modeling gigs in Paris—all following a busy stretch of filming three movies and a TV show. Taylor thinks Shumpert only leaked the divorce docs to coincide with the new music he released. While she gets bashed online, he benefits from the added attention.
Taylor isn’t focused on the drama, as her packed 2025 schedule includes the Met Gala, collaborations with Hennessy, Victoria’s Secret, and Jordan Brand, along with her previously mentioned TV and film projects.
D.C. Sisters Celebrate 20 Years Of Rita’s Italian Ice Franchise Ownership
The Rita’s Italian Ice franchise is an iconic brand with an almost 40-year history of unique frozen treats. Sisters Angela Brock and Charnita Brock Walker have been with the franchise for half of those 40 years, successfully owning and operating three locations in and around Washington, DC. Their first location is on the cusp of celebrating a 20-year milestone. BLACK ENTERPRISE is pleased to highlight this tremendous achievement, sharing with readers how the Brock sisters got their entrepreneurial start twenty years ago and continued to build through challenging economic conditions.
Angela received a Business Management and Marketing degree from Bowie State University, completed the Government Contracts program at George Washington University, and has a Professional Residential Sales degree from the Graduate Real Estate Institute. She is also a proud member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Charnita holds a degree from Penn State University in Business Logistics, Harvard University in Strategic Management, and Cornell University in Advanced Employee Relations, and is a proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.
What led the Brock sisters to franchising was their desire to bring a business that was new and different to their native Washington, DC, area. “The Rita’s brand was ideal because, with the seasonal factors, it was a great opportunity to continue in our career jobs and take advantage of the 8-month seasonal opening. It seemed doable and exciting. We love the product, and we knew our friends and family would be supportive,” shared Angela.
Growing Pains
The Brock Women currently have three locations. Their first store opened in August 2005 in the Woodridge neighborhood of Washington, DC. The second location opened in the Capital One Arena in 2014, home to the NHL’s Washington Capitals and the NBA’s Washington Wizards teams. Their most recent expansion was in 2023 into the Northwest Stadium in Landover, MD, home to the NFL’s Washington Commanders.
When considering expansion, Angela explained, “Location played an integral part in our DC Franchise decision. We developed our business plan to support the neighborhood where we were raised. We are the FIRST Rita’s Water Ice location in Washington, DC., and we knew that the impact would be significant to the area. As a seasonal business, we also knew that staffing was important. So, we built a relationship with the local high schools that we attended so that they could send us their best 16-year-old students that were eager to work. Because we were opening a business that was new and different to the DC community, it was important for us to do a substantial amount of local store marketing to get the product tasted. Once you taste the product, YOU’RE HOOKED!”
While that expansion was the right move for the Brocks, it wasn’t without challenges, particularly those related to being the first to market with a new brand and being African American women.
“Unfortunately, as Black Women, we are always going to face challenges. With restaurant ownership being largely male-dominated, we always had to go the extra mile to be recognized, and we did just that! Specifically, within Rita’s Franchise, there were very few Black owners when we became owners. We felt that it was our responsibility to do well and represent both women AND Blacks. Throughout the past 20 years, we have accomplished that by opening additional locations, and winning awards for Top Sales Volume, Top Sales Increase, Media Ambassador Award, and Highest Special Venue Sales. We sought to build this business as entrepreneurs, wanting to bring positive change to our community. The desire to bring a great product to Washington, DC, and to teach young future leaders about business ownership has never diminished our success.”
However, being triple minorities in this space did provide opportunities. “Because we are the minority, we stand out in the crowd. We take that opportunity to make sure that we are memorable by breaking barriers, exceeding expectations, and giving back to the community,” explained Angela.
Community Role Models
The Brock’s business goes far beyond serving up delicious Italian ice desserts. They are known in the DC community for their small acts of kindness and commitment to giving back. Partnering with the OCASE Foundation for an annual backpack giveaway to ensure children have the supplies they need for school has led to the distribution of 15,000 backpacks over the last eight years, as well as in-kind donations for local charity events and financial contributions for the Delta Sigma Theta DC Alumni Chapter & Washington DC Pan Hellenic Council.
From their work with the community, it’s pretty clear what’s at the heart of what they do. Other than their focus on community, I wanted to know, after a successful 20 years and multi-unit ownership in franchising, what advice they would have for our up-and-coming entrepreneurs:
Begin with a solid business plan that shows WHO will run the business. Know the difference between being an investor and an operator/owner.
Have a good accountant and tax advisor.
Be willing to work in ALL aspects of the business.
A Moment Of Silence For A King, Dr. Martin Luther King That Is
A celebration fit for a King
The National Civil Rights Museum at The Lorraine Motel will honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s annual event, Remembering MLK: The Man, The Movement, The Moment, on April 4, the 57th anniversary of his death.
This year’s theme is “How Long, Not Long,” inspired by the civil rights leader’s 1965 speech on voting rights.
“We’re emphasizing the relevance of Dr. King’s “How Long, Not Long” speech ” to today’s prevailing struggle,” Dr. Russ Wigginton, museum president, said in a press release.
“We reaffirm our commitment to continuing the work that Dr. King and his allies fought for when he powerfully declared that ‘the arc of the moral universe bends toward justice,’” Wigginton said.
Each year, the Museum honors Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s memory by commemorating the tragedy on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel in 1968, marking the end of his life.
This year’s event will feature performances by the Hattilloo Theatre, the Tennesee Mass Choir, and others. The Museum’s Keeper of the Dream Award winners will also present the meaning of King’s legacy for today’s generation. There will also be a fraternal tribute by members of King’s fraternity, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. There will be a moment of silence at 6:01 p.m. when Dr. King was slain.
The event will occur in the Museum’s courtyard at 5:00 p.m. CT. Participants can also join the live stream or visit the Museum’s website, YouTube channel, and Facebook page. The annual commemoration is free and open to the public.
The Museum encourages people to register for the event on its website in advance, either in person or virtually.
The National Civil Rights Museum is housed in the Lorraine Motel, where Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., was assassinated. It opened in 1991 and gives visitors an outline of the civil rights movement from slavery to today.
Florida Woman Allegedly Drowned Her Dog To Board Plane
Alison Agatha Lawrence, 57, was arrested March 18 for animal cruelty and released on a $5,000 bond.
Alison Agatha Lawrence, 57, has been charged with animal cruelty after authorities said she drowned her dog at Orlando International Airport on Dec. 16, WFTV reports.
Lawrence, who lives in Clermont, Florida, was arrested March 18 following a months-long investigation.
According to authorities, Lawrence was denied boarding her flight after failing to provide the required documentation for her pet. Shortly after the refusal, airport staff discovered a dead dog in an airport restroom.
Investigators believe Lawrence drowned the dog before continuing her travel plans.
Under Florida law, animal cruelty is classified as a third-degree felony, punishable by up to five years in prison or a fine of up to $10,000 or both. Florida statutes define animal cruelty as any intentional act that causes an animal’s cruel death or the infliction of repeated or excessive pain and suffering.
The incident has sparked outrage both locally and online.
“Someone that would do such things has got to be disturbed upstairs,” a neighbor told WFTV.
Traveling with pets can present logistical challenges, but experts emphasize the importance of being prepared to avoid complications. Most airlines require proper documentation before permitting animals to fly.
Common requirements include:
A U.S.-issued rabies vaccination certificate or a USDA-endorsed export health certificate, both completed by a USDA-accredited veterinarian.
Pets must be at least 8 weeks old for domestic travel.
For pets entering the U.S. from abroad, dogs must be at least 6 months old and cats at least 16 weeks old.
Typically, one pet is permitted per kennel. However, exceptions are made for a female cat or dog traveling with an un-weaned litter (aged 8 weeks to 6 months), provided the litter fits safely within the kennel.
Pet owners are encouraged to check specific airline policies and destination requirements prior to travel.
Experian Provides Solutions To Help Black Consumers Enrich Their Finances
More than 106 million people have limited financial resources
More than 106 million people have limited financial resources, which can exclude them from obtaining mainstream credit. And among these alarming stats, 27% of Black consumers are either credit invisible or not scorable, (meaning they have no or little credit history, which may impact their ability to establish a credit score, thus, limiting their access to credit), compared to 16% of White and Asian consumers. As such, this gap makes it much harder for many individuals to buy homes, cars, and build generational wealth.
