Lifestyle
Super Bowl weekend in the spotlight for Black sports professionals
Record 123.7 million people On February 11, we watched Super Bowl LVIII as the Kansas City Chiefs won their second straight championship and R&B star Usher Raymond brought a taste of A-town to Sin City during his halftime show.
But outside of the big games, it’s the league’s behind-the-scenes professionals who keep the NFL and its players running efficiently. People representing athletes don’t receive as much recognition as players on the field. Meanwhile, it is commonly even harder for Black professionals to interrupt into the sports industry or obtain advancement opportunities. That’s why sports and entertainment attorney Jaia Thomas, Esq. fired Diverse representationa company dedicated to increasing the employment and exposure of African Americans in sports and entertainment.
Source: Jaia Thomas, Esq., Founder and CEO of Diverse Representation (photo courtesy of Diverse Representation)
“I was tired of seeing so many black athletes and black artists represented by white agents, white lawyers, white managers and white publicists. I wanted to make sure more of them were represented by people who looked like them,” Thomas said during Super Bowl weekend in Las Vegas. “The company started as a directory of all Black lawyers, agents, managers and publicists in sports and entertainment. Since then, we have branched out into different programs and events.”
Ahead of Sunday’s Super Bowl, Thomas teamed up with Minorities in the network of sports enterprises to host the second annual “Toast to Black Sports Luncheon” on February 8, honoring two of the five Black NFL team presidents: Jason Wright, president of the Washington Commanders, and Kevin Warren, president of the Chicago Bears.
“Typically, during Super Bowl weekend, there is a big emphasis on celebrating the players and people on the field. We just felt like we still didn’t celebrate enough of the people behind the scenes – the agents, the owners, the management team,” Thomas said. BLACK ENTERPRISES at lunch. “There really hasn’t been an event like this on Super Bowl weekend specifically for Black sports professionals. So we wanted to create a space to gather, celebrate and (and) connect with Black industry professionals.”
Will be held Breezea refined Italian steakhouse on the Las Vegas Strip, the intimate ceremony was attended by a select group of former NFL players, sports agents and executives from Goldman Sachs, which sponsored the event.
“Jason is the first black president in the NFL. “Kevin is the most recently hired president of the NFL, so they are kind of a lynchpin for black presidents in the NFL,” the Los Angeles attorney continued. “They both did incredible work during their terms as presidents, and we wanted to honor them, celebrate them and encourage them to continue their work.”
Source: Jason Wright, president of the Washington Commanders, and Kevin Warren, president of the Chicago Bears (photo courtesy of Diverse Representation)
In accepting the award, Wright reflected on Warren’s legacy as a mentor and pioneering Black athletic director. Warren then shared a moving testimony of how he recovered from a devastating automotive accident as a toddler and has since relied on his faith for guidance, especially during difficult moments in his profession.
“They both gave amazing, fantastically inspiring speeches after receiving their awards. They really lit up the room and I think a lot of people left very inspired,” Thomas said.
In an announcement, Shaina Wiel, founder and CEO of Minorities in Sports Business Network, said she was proud to have curated an event “that not only celebrated Black athletic directors, but also created a safe space for togetherness, fellowship and relationship building.” It was like a family reunion.”
After lunch Warren said TO BE that the key to skilled advancement is faith and identity.
“We have to just accept our origins, our heritage, but in addition just have strong faith. I actually have found that life becomes simpler whenever you simply follow God’s voice, wisdom and listening,” he said.
Wright said TO BE that he’s optimistic about the NFL’s diversity efforts and expressed appreciation for the achievements of all three remaining Black team presidents: Sashi Brown of the Baltimore Ravens, Sandra Douglass Morgan of the Las Vegas Raiders and Damani Leech of the Denver Broncos.
“Sandra managed the league and ticket revenue. Kevin is making progress on a new stadium deal. Damani carried out a general renovation. The Ravens continue to outperform in their market. We led the league in all revenue growth categories,” he said. “Confidence in the Black intellect to run businesses in dollars and cents is growing, and more people will be given opportunities in the future.”
Source: Sports journalist Jemele Hill (photo courtesy of WME)
In addition to the luncheon, Diverse Representation has partnered with William Morris Endeavor, one in all the largest sports and entertainment talent agencies in the world, to host a networking event for a wide range of agents, executives and managers working in sports and entertainment. The lounge featured an open bar, light snacks and a present selection featuring Black-owned products corresponding to Tracee Ellis Ross PATTERN Beauty, Brandon Blackwood, STARRING Serena WilliamsAND Harlem Candle Co. The event also included an exclusive fireside chat with WME sportswriters and clients Jemele Hill and Cari Champion.
“There are a lot of attacks on diversity, equity and inclusion,” Hill said during the discussion, noting the weaponization of critical race theory by right-wing conservatives. “I have seen and witnessed that the same companies that just three or four years ago, after the unfortunate murder of George Floyd, made a commitment to listen to Black people and make things better for them, have failed,” she continued. “That’s the thing people need to understand about supporting marginalized communities: It’s an uphill battle.”
Source: Sports journalists Cari Champion and Jemele Hill (photo courtesy of WME)
At one other point in the conversation, Champion praised Hill for her unwavering support throughout her profession and the opportunities Hill provided her while working for ESPN.
“When I didn’t believe in myself and didn’t think I mattered, she supported me,” Champion said. “When I didn’t think my voice was vital in sports and I didn’t think anyone cared about what I said, she invited me on her show to share my opinion. She helped me develop my voice. She already had street credibility, she already had smarts, and I used to be the latest girl coming in.
This week, rapper Lil Nas X has released an update where it was. On Monday evening, the rapper published a video to Instagram revealing that he was hospitalized.
“By the way, I practice a full smile,” says laughter. “I’m just what the hell? I can’t even laugh, brother, what the hell? Oh my God, man. So … yes.”
While the rapper “Old Town Road” didn’t determine his diagnosis, he told the fans: “Sooo (I) lost control of the right side of my face.” After his post, fans began to wonder if the star developed Bella’s paralysis, a state that causes muscle weakness and paralysis on one side of the face. However, According to Johns Hopkins MedicineThe cause of the condition affecting the nerves of the face is unknown.
Despite the fans conspiracy, Lil NAS X continued to update his health about his stories on Instagram.
“Guys, I’m fine !! Stop being sad to me! Instead, shake your ass!” He wrote about his history in keeping with the variety. “IMMA looks funny like a bit, but that’s all.”
Similarly, today the rapper said: “It’s much better” in a movie published in his history on Instagram, explaining that he regained sensation into the mouth and performs chewing exercises to strengthen the muscle.
(Tagstotransate) lifestyle
The director, author, playwright and producer David E. Talbert sold his memory “Everything I know about being a man (I learned from a woman)” for six characters to Storehouse Voices, a random Punguin Publishing House. He also develops a television program with the identical title.
According to the memories of Talbert He emerged from conversations He He had together with his son, which meant that he realized that his mother, a single mother, gave him all the teachings he learned to be a person.
According to the web site, Storehouse Voices focuses on “promoting the wealth of a black story through intentional acquisition and employment of efforts, strategic partnerships and the authentic range of the community, which it is going to achieve by publishing literary and fictitious books.
According to Storehouse, Voices was published in January 2025, Created in cooperation with the Tamira ChapmanFrom the success of the Chapman’s Women & Words program, which was launched with the support of Storehouse in a box and Penguin Random House, which was aimed toward “deisting the publishing industry and its processes” for insufficiently represented authors.
The declaration that broadcasts the imprint is: “Warehouse voices are informed by a deep understanding of the unique cultural contexts and historical black experiences in America and involved in ensuring that literary works of insufficiently represented authors are presented authentically, with respect and strongly in the entire landscape of publications and the media.”
This is thick with the final arch of Talbert’s profession, which, like Tyler Perry, began with stage arts aimed toward telling the black stories of the Black audience.
In 2024, in an interview with the Wielofenate, he said that “Jingle Jangle”, a Christmas film, who wrote and directed by which Forest Whitaker and Keegan Michael Key performed, was created due to his childhood of the sensation of excluded fantasy, because he often didn’t see black children represented within the media of his youth.
According to 2023, Talbert launched HBCU Next, a scholarship program that he founded and financed together with his wife and production partner, Lyn Sisson-Talbert, To enrich the tutorial possibilities available for beginner filmmakers in HBCUS Bringing them to the School of Cinematic Arts USC School of Cinematic Arts program.
As Talbert said on this system: “Our general goal is to support the environment for students from HBCU and the USC to get involved in cultural exchange of learning from each other, and to provide access to education conducive to providing black storytellers to the entertainment industry.”
(Tagstotranslate) Penguin random house
Lifestyle
Parents of the footballer of the University of Bucknell, who died during the exercises of “punishment” during training, sue school
Parents of the footballer of the University of Bucknell are suing school after their son died during training in July 2024.
In July 2024, 18-year-old Dickey Jr. He collapsed during the first football training of the team, affected by the sickle complications of the cells, NBC Philadelphia Reported. He was immediately hospitalized at the moment, but he died two days later.
Now, based on documents submitted to the Common Pleas court in Philadelphia on Wednesday, April 2, the boy’s parents, Calvin Dickey Sr. And Nicole Dickey, they claim that the university knew about the diagnosis of the sickle features of their son-what could increase the possibilities of experience of complications-he could prevent his death, for death for death. NPR AND ESPN.
They spent that Bucknell University is accused of neglect and illegal death, together with other claims just like hazing. Court documents claim that Dickey was intended by a “ritual of passage” on a burdensome training for first -year students, despite the undeniable fact that the school knew about his condition, which meant that he was vulnerable to the experience of complications called rhabdomoliz. Rare complication may cause the decomposition of skeletal muscle tissue To the extent that the muscles begin to release dangerous toxins on internal organs and are sometimes triggered by bothersome physical exercise.
Dickey collapsed when he was forced to exercise during practice as a “punishment” together with other players to go. According to witnesses of students and staff, Dickey became clearly at risk and had problems with keeping the pace before he fell.
“A terrible, painful death died, which can be 100% prevented,” said family lawyer, Mike Caspino, about CJ Wa press conference that Ceisler Media was available on YouTube.
He explained that from 2010 the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) required from sports students to check the sickle features because they were more vulnerable to a serious state. Caspino also noticed that CJ positively checked the sickle feature before joining the university football team, which made him “200 times more likely” to get rabdomiolism.
“If the athlete has a sickle feature, it should not be developed on the first day of practice; they are not supposed to make sprints, they are not to do up, they are to be relaxed to the practice regime. Otherwise they can get a discountolysis,” said the lawyer.
Talking with People magazineThe university said that he was aware of the trial and couldn’t comment on waiting court disputes. “We are again expanding sincere sympathies to the CJ family and we will continue to focus on our most important priority – health and safety of all Bucknell students.”
Dickey’s mother, a witness of a difficult path, Dickey’s mother said that her son was “worth” during a conversation with ESPN.
“We do it for CJ, for every young man in this team and anyone who follows him at any university,” she said. “It’s a longer, more difficult path and I’m ready for it.”
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