For many years, access to sports for many communities of color has been limited, and barriers often extend beyond the playing field.

This 12 months, adidas is taking one other step toward removing those obstacles. The sportswear giant recently announced the expansion of its Community Lab Programa visionary initiative to support Black and Latinx entrepreneurs working at the intersection of sports, equality and community development.

Founded with the intention of providing resources and opportunities to underrepresented social entrepreneurs, the adidas Community Lab has gained momentum since its inception. This 12 months, the program is growing not only in scale but in addition in impact, expanding to Toronto and Houston along with its original cities of Los Angeles, Atlanta and New York.

The mission of the program is clear: to support and empower Black and Latinx innovators who strive to make sports more accessible, equitable, and inclusive. At its core, the Community Lab offers more than simply funding; it creates an environment of mentorship, education, and networking that helps participants turn their visions into reality.

At the heart of this 12 months’s expansion is a latest partnership with Black ambitiona nonprofit organization founded by Grammy Award-winning artist Pharrell Williams. Black Ambition’s mission is to shut the wealth and opportunity gap by investing in high-growth startups led by Black and Latinx entrepreneurs. To date, the organization has mentored over 1,000 underrepresented founders and awarded over $10 million in funding to 101 dynamic entrepreneurs.

“Black Ambition was founded to create the space, individual opportunities, and relationships needed for underrepresented founders to thrive without obstacles,” said Jermeen Sherman, CEO of Black Ambition. The organization will bring its unique experience in mentoring and networking to the Community Lab, helping participants not only grow their businesses but in addition make a lasting impact of their communities.

This partnership, in addition to returning collaborators resembling Impact Hub and ie (Industry Education), will provide attendees with access to a comprehensive set of resources including: mentoring from industry leaders, expert training, workshops, executive chats with adidas, and networking opportunities with top executives and industry peers.

Additionally, each participant will receive $75,000 in grant funding to implement their progressive ideas. Over the course of eight months of intensive programming, these social entrepreneurs could have the tools to not only grow their businesses, but in addition transform the sports landscape of their communities.

The expansion of the adidas Community Lab is not only a corporate initiative, but a key step towards creating a more equitable world in sports and beyond. Ayesha Martin, Senior Director of adidas Purpose, expressed her excitement about the program’s expansion, stating, “We are excited to grow a larger group of social entrepreneurs who share our vision of removing barriers to access to sports for the communities we collectively serve.”

This is in line with broader trends in the industry. According to 2022 report from the Sports & Society program at the Aspen Institute, Black and Latinx youth are disproportionately underrepresented in organized sports, largely as a consequence of socioeconomic barriers resembling equipment costs, travel costs, and lack of access to secure spaces to play. Programs like the adidas Community Lab aim to shut these gaps by providing young athletes with opportunities that stretch far beyond the field.

By expanding its support to cities like Toronto and Houston, adidas is ensuring that more communities can profit from this transformational program. These cities are growing hubs of sports talent and entrepreneurial potential, making them ideal locations for the next wave of social impact leaders.

As adidas continues its mission to “create a sustainable ecosystem of change,” this 12 months’s group of social entrepreneurs will help redefine the intersection of sport, equity, and community. For aspiring changemakers, this is more than simply a possibility to grow a business—it’s a probability to shape the future.

The 2024 Emmys took place in Los Angeles on Sunday, September 15. And while no Black stars swept the Emmys this 12 months (congrats to Leo’s LaMorne Morris for taking home the trophy for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series), the event brought out a few of our brightest stars and their partners. There were Idris and Sabrina Elba, Niecy Nash and wife Jessica Betts, Viola Davis and Julius Tennon, and more. As we do for each major event, we’ve rounded up all the Black love moments from the 2024 Emmys. Scroll right down to see who showed up and showed out at TV’s biggest night.

01

01
Sheryl Lee Ralph and Vincent Hughes

The legendary stage and screen actress was paired with Pennsylvania senator Vincent Hughes. She was nominated for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series, which she had previously won.

02

02
Millicent Shelton and Donald Samuel

Shelton, a renowned music video and tv director, was nominated for Outstanding Directing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie for the Apple TV+ project. She had the support of her husband, Donald Samuel, on the special night.

03

03
Mekhi and Reshelet Phifer

Mekhi and his beautiful wife attended the 76th Emmy Awards, where he was a presenter. He teamed up with fellow former TV doctors (remember when he was on ?) Mindy Kaling and Zach Braff to present Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series.

04

04
Caroline Joyner and Brittani Nichols

Joyner, a president and co-head of integration at WME, appeared alongside Brittani Nichols, a author and producer on the series, which was nominated this 12 months for Outstanding Comedy Series.

05

05
Dulé Hill and Jazmyn Simon

The pair of actors coordinated in black to attend the Emmys, which Hill hosted after reuniting together with his former castmates. They presented the Emmy for Outstanding Drama Series.

06

06
Dionne Harmon and Jesse Collins

Harmon and Collins, who’re chairman and CEOs of Jesse Collins Entertainment, a number one production company, were on hand to have a good time good television. The pair were nominated for Outstanding Variety Special for serving as executive producers of Usher’s Super Bowl Halftime Show (in addition they won their first Emmy in 2022 for Dr. Dre’s epic Halftime Show).

07

07
Idris and Sabrina Elba

Elbas looked amazing as all the time at the event. They were on hand because Idris was nominated for Best Actor in a Drama Series for his work in the Apple TV+ series.

08

08
Niecy Nash and Jessica Betts

Another matching couple, the Bettses, smiled at the Emmys, which Niecy was a presenter for. She’s a former Emmy winner (she took home the statuette for Outstanding Supporting Actress last 12 months for ). She presented Best Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie with fellow former TV cops Jimmy Smith and Don Johnson (she was in and, most recently, ).

09

09
Viola Davis and Julius Tennon

The Emmy winner was in attendance and looked very stylish alongside husband Julius Tennon for the big night. Davis was a presenter, teaming up with popular television lawyers Christine Baranski and Gina Torres to present the award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series. Davis won the 2015 Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for her role as attorney Annalise Keating in

10

10
Lionel Boyce

While the name of star Lionel Boyce’s date has not been revealed (Getty definitely didn’t), she’s beautiful, isn’t she? She supported Boyce, who was nominated for his first Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series.

Sean “Diddy” Combs was arrested Monday night on the Park Hyatt Hotel in Manhattan after being indicted by a grand jury, authorities said. Combs, who has faced multiple sexual assault lawsuits and a federal human trafficking investigation over the past 12 months, was detained by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents, CNN reports.

The specific charges against the music mogul remain unclear, but U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York Damian Williams confirmed the arrest in a press release. “Earlier this evening, federal agents arrested Sean Combs on a sealed indictment filed by the SDNY,” he said. “We expect to file a motion to unseal the indictment in the morning and will have more to say at that time.”

Combs’ attorney, Marc Agnifilo, criticized the choice to file charges, calling the indictment “unfair.” According to the report, Agnifilo said, “We are disappointed with the decision to bring what we believe is an unfair indictment against Mr. Combs by the United States Attorney’s Office. Sean “Diddy” Combs is a music icon, a self-made entrepreneur, a loving family man, and a proven philanthropist who has spent the last 30 years constructing an empire, adoring his children, and dealing to uplift the black community.”

Agnifilo continued by emphasizing his client’s cooperation with investigators, adding, “To his credit, Mr. Combs has cooperated with this investigation and voluntarily moved to New York last week in anticipation of these charges. Please reserve judgment until you know all the facts. These are the actions of an innocent man who has nothing to hide and is eager to clear his name in court.”

Combs, 54, has been under intense scrutiny in recent months, and the arrest is the most recent in a series of legal challenges he has faced. The federal investigation features a human trafficking probe and a series of sexual assault lawsuits. In one in all the most recent cases, former Danity Kane member Dawn Richard filed a lawsuit on Sept. 10 accusing Combs of verbal abuse, sexual assault and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

Earlier this 12 months, Homeland Security agents raided Combs’ properties in Los Angeles and Miami as a part of a human trafficking investigation. HSI confirmed the searches in a press release, saying, “Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) New York conducted the law enforcement action as part of an ongoing investigation, with assistance from HSI Los Angeles, HSI Miami, and our local law enforcement partners.”

Combs also got here under fire in May when CNN released a video of him physically attacking his then-girlfriend, singer Cassie Ventura, in 2016. The video was consistent with allegations made in lawsuit filed by Ventura in November 2023. Although the lawsuit was settled the day after it was filed, it added to a growing list of legal issues the entrepreneur has faced.