White people “tapping” into the Black culture and reinterpreting it to suit their narratives has to stop. I’ve helped connect and market Hollywood to Black audiences for over 20 years. I’m also an avid movie-goer and television watcher, and I’ve been known to buy tickets to a movie that I have no interest in seeing to show my support for Black entertainment content. I’m not alone. Group ticket sales to African American schools, salons, and churches often increase the box-offi

We must always wear a mask in public that can only be removed at home, in church or in segregated spaces such as salons and barbershops. Salons and barbershops provide a safe space for combing through the tangled emotions of being black in America. George Floyd’s recent murder has brought much-needed attention to what it’s like navigating systematic racism in America. We witnessed a veneer of complacency erupt into violence in the streets of our nation as centuries of racial

Many Black men and women who choose to follow their dreams inside of large corporations still find their hopes shoplifted by a rigged system. I’ve always been a big fan of boxing. I appreciate the subtleties of how prize fighters balance brute strength with finesse and endurance. I love watching old footage of Mike Tyson in his prime, who can kill a man with one punch, bob and weave to disorient his opponent. One of his signature moves is the “peak a boo” technique in which h

Black Lives Matter protests have now occurred in at least 1,700 locations across the United States since George Floyd was murdered by a police officer in May of 2020. In response, brands—including giants like Target, Ben and Jerry’s and NIKE—have made statements offering their support. But is their solidarity solid? Now a new non-profit Pull up for change has taken Instagram by storm and is asking these companies to “pull up or shut up” by sharing the diversity and inclusion

Blacks have to be twice as good for half the rewards; we must prepare our young people, or they will settle for what’s been prepared for them. George Floyd’s murder by a white policeman during an arrest in Minneapolis, Minnesotasparked more than outrage. It also sparked a resurgence of support for Black Lives Matter (BLM) and spurred the Instagram campaign Pull up for change that asks corporations to “pull up, or shut up!” by backing their claims of solidarity with real chang