Dr. Tijuani Theresa Phelps Jackson has reached a historic first in her family. Ph.D. Journey In 2022, Dr. Phelps Jackson, a former K-8 school counselor, decided to enroll in a Ph.D. program in community engagement and leadership, according to Black News. In a LinkedIn post, she said the decision was never about credentials, but instead about evidence, legacy, and proof of what’s possible. Her research focused on community engagement and transformation. In particular, she examined the impact of travel on Black girls and women in the U.S., and considered how “early exposure influences career satisfaction, income satisfaction, and long-term opportunity,” according to her post on LinkedIn. “Through a national quantitative study of 100 Black women, the research demonstrated that early exposure—particularly through travel—correlates with improved life outcomes, increased confidence, and expanded opportunity structures in adulthood. Most importantly, participants unanimously affirmed that...
A study has shown that there are different health outcomes for Black adults in the U.S. who attended Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) versus predominantly white institutions (PWIs). The study, co-authored by researchers from Rutgers University, the University of Alabama at Birmingham, Columbia University, Boston University, and Harvard University, examined the relationship between cognitive health outcomes among 1,978 Black individuals in the U.S. who attended HBCUs versus PWIs between 1940 and 1980, according to The Guardian. Between 1940 and 1980, a few important educational policy shifts took place: Brown v Board of Education ruled racial segregation in schools as unconstitutional, and the 1964 Civil Rights Act barred racial discrimination in schools. The study assessed differences between Black students who attended college after segregation was ruled illegal and Black students who attended college during a time when they were prevented from attending white...
Ryan Coogler was swimming in student loan debt while pursuing filmmaking. Today, he has a multi-million-dollar net worth and a collection of coveted awards. Filmmaking initially was not on the table for the Oakland, CA native. As a child, he wanted to be an NFL player, with a backup plan to become a doctor, according to Sports Illustrated. He played football while at St. Mary’s College High School in Berkeley, CA. He then went on to attend St. Mary’s College of California for undergrad, where he earned a football scholarship. There , he took a creative writing course taught by Rosemary Graham, which planted a seed that would shift Coogler’s career expectations. “She read something that I wrote and told me I should write screenplays … She sat me down, ‘I think you should go to Hollywood and write screenplays.’ So I had that in the back of my head. Started thinking about it. Started writing on my own a little bit,” Coogler said on the “WTF with Marc Maron” podcast. When t he college’s...
Jay-Z is challenging the perspective on ownership. In an interview with GQ, Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter, who was crowned Hip-Hop’s first billionaire in 2019, said he has always felt inclined to go against the grain growing up in Brooklyn, NY, and “seeing everybody fight against everything that we were up against at that time.” “That defiance was just like: We going to do this on our own. We got to do this on our own. We’re by ourselves. So that defiance is what’s getting you through,” he explained to the magazine. Jay-Z’s debut album, “Reasonable Doubt” (1996) was released under his own label, Roc-A-Fella Records, which he launched in 1994 alongside Damon “ Dame ” Dash and Kareem “ Biggs ” Burke, according to Vibe. It was also the first project to drop from the label and was distributed by Priority and Freeze Records, Burke told Genius. “When we first dropped Reasonable Doubt, we sold 43,000 records. The energy was like, ‘You’re new. You haven’t proven yourself.’ But in our mind, the fact...
Russell J. Ledet was told that security guards don’t become doctors. He didn’t accept this stereotype. In conversation with AFROTECH™, the Lake Charles, LA, native admitted that all he could afford to do as a kid was dream. His mother worked as a certified nursing assistant, earning minimum wage and navigating poverty and food insecurity while caring for him. She still nurtured his imagination by ensuring he had access to books, bringing them home from the hospital when he couldn’t access the larger, segregated library. “I always knew that where I was growing up wasn’t everything. It wasn’t the totality of what I could potentially have access to,” he acknowledged. After graduating from high school, he joined the Navy, which made him realize that he could pursue more career paths than those he witnessed growing up. He served on active duty for the first five years, spending the first two as a ceremonial guard before transitioning to cryptologic intelligence. View this post on...
Usher has sold his stake in the Cleveland Cavaliers. As AFROTECH™ previously told you, Usher had purchased a minority stake in the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2004. He was a part of an investor group led by Quicken Loans Founder Dan Gilbert, according to a press release. Usher reportedly made a $9 million investment for an estimated 1% stake in the team. At the time, he vowed to remain active with the organization, from enhancing the game experience to supporting its role in the community. As of October 2025, the team was valued at $4.8 billion, Forbes reports. In an interview with Forbes in March 2026, the artist confirmed he recently sold his stake in the team and acknowledged he is still great friends with Gilbert. Usher also shared what he considers when making the decision to invest, citing cultural connection and opportunities for mentorship in the business. “I am open and available for ideas that I think give people some sort of cultural connection and experience. I don’t like to...
Investing in tech is paying off for 2 Chainz. The rapper and businessman appeared on the “Earn Your Leisure” podcast and confirmed he was an early investor in SpaceX, a company that designs, manufactures, and launches reliable and reusable rockets and spacecraft, according to its website. It was founded by Elon Musk in 2002, and made history as the first private company to send humans to the International Space Station in 2020, according to TechCrunch. 2 Chainz’s gateway to investing in the tech company came from people working in private equity (PE). “I know some PE guys that, when it came across their desk, they would give me the opportunity. With investments, I gambled … You know, the whole thing is you’re just trying to come up with some multiples. I got in with SpaceX very early … It felt like I got in like early bitcoin… That’s a good one, but it hadn’t IPO’d yet,” he said. He told “Earn Your Leisure” hosts Troy Millings and Rashad Bilal that his SpaceX investment was one of...
A venture capital firm supporting Black tech companies has closed its second fund. BKR Capital Led by Managing Partner Lise Birikundavyi, alongside co-founder Isaac Olowolafe, Toronto-based BKR Capital invests in technology or technology-enabled startups. According to the firm’s website, they target companies with diverse teams that have at least one Black founder and are at the pre-seed to seed stage. The firm primarily focuses on companies based in Canada, though up to 10% of its portfolio may be global. “We need to keep innovation at home,” Birikundavyi explained, according to The Globe and Mail. “We all want a Canada that is strong economically – where our children can grow up and have everything they need.” Fund II Details BKR Capital has raised $20 million for its second fund, aiming to reach $50 million by the end of 2026, per The Globe and Mail. The raise was supported by Royal Bank of Canada, Business Development Bank of Canada, Export Development Canada, and others,...
Uncle Nearest’s receiver seeks to bar its founders from speaking publicly about the brand’s ongoing case. In a new update shared by The Lynchburg Times, receiver Phillip G. Young Jr. requested that a federal judge issue a gag order that would prevent Fawn Weaver, Keith Weaver, and their related entity Grant Sidney from publicly discussing the receivership on social media or with employees, vendors, creditors, shareholders, investors, and distributors. This request was made in a filing on Monday, March 23, notes the outlet. The request comes after Fawn took to Instagram to announce that “the receivership has ended” and “the reorganization has begun.” The post coincided with a press release stating that Uncle Nearest was filing a lawsuit against its lender, Farm Credit Mid-America, in the New York Supreme Court for a smear campaign that made false claims of missing inventory, financial misconduct, negative cash flow, and insolvency. The receivership was put in place in August 2025...
If you don’t hear from 50 Cent, just know he’s likely closing in on a business deal. His latest venture is an entertainment hub. Curtis “ 50 Cent ” Jackson has inked a $100 million deal alongside Planet Hollywood Founder and CEO Robert Earl to launch PH Live, according to a press release. The hub will be located at Planet Hollywood Times Square in New York City and will feature LED technology, live music, film and television premiere parties, private events, live sporting event simulcasts, VIP experiences, and corporate gatherings, among other offerings. “When I get quiet I’m working, I’m working on it 😆💰PH live baby! @50centaction @phlivenyc ,” 50 Cent wrote on Instagram. View this post on Instagram A post shared by 50 Cent (@50cent) The partnership also marks 50 Cent’s first major restaurant-entertainment partnership, the press release notes. Guests can expect to dine at the location, with menu items including sweet chili shrimp with mashed potatoes, sliced steak paired with...
Jalen Brunson is centering financial literacy and education in his philanthropic efforts. Brunson is an NBA player who was selected 33rd overall by the Dallas Mavericks in the 2018 draft, per Basketball Reference. He credits his parents for shaping his spending habits at a young age, in conversation with AFROTECH™. So when he signed his rookie contract, valued at $6.11 million over four years, according to Spotrac, he had the foundation to manage his money responsibly. “Once I got into the league, you’re given a lot more money. You obviously worked hard for it, but now you are responsible for making responsible decisions. It’s a whole different animal, but the principles are still the same,” Brunson, who now plays for the New York Knicks, told AFROTECH™. Brunson credits his parents, agents, and financial team with challenging him and guiding him through strategic financial decisions. The byproduct of their support has led Brunson to pursue business moves such as his endorsement deal...
Lil Wayne doesn’t believe AI can take his throne. Does the technology have the ability to produce a record such as “A Milli” on its own strength? He says, not at the moment, and while the rapper does appreciate AI, he also feels confident that the technology can’t surpass his talent. “I love it. I love that AI is what it is. I love to be able to stand right next to whoever AI is, he, she, they, whatever, or whatever AI is, stand right next to them and I’m still better,” Lil Wayne said on the “Not Just Football with Cam Heyward” podcast. He also shared that he first became exposed to AI through a friend who had concerns about how it could generate a verse in the likeness of an artist. So, Lil Wayne tested it out himself and said he has tried it on different occasions. One of the examples he provided was Proto, which is the patented creator of hologram devices , according to a press release . It creates interactive experiences through its conversational AI avatars, which feature...
Sherrese Clark has attached herself to another acquisition of a legendary artist. As AFROTECH™ previously told you, Clark, former CEO of Tempo Music, launched HarbourView Equity Partners to invest in “ evergreen intellectual property. ” In 2025, the firm received $500 million in debt financing from KKR to scale its portfolio of music, media, and sports-related intellectual property. To date, HarbourView Equity Partners’ portfolio includes more than 70 music catalogs and more than 35,000 songs, including master recordings and publishing income streams, Music Business Worldwide reports. The portfolio includes artists such as Wiz Khalifa, Nelly, and T-Pain. Now joining the list is the late Quincy Jones. HarbourView Equity Partners has acquired Jones’ “select music and non-music assets” from the Estate of Quincy Jones, per the outlet. The deal includes his participation in Michael Jackson’s albums “Off The Wall, “Thriller,” and “Bad,” which he produced, and also his stake in “The Fresh...
Dr. Ashton Sellers has taken over a longstanding animal hospital and made history in the process. Hickman Mills Animal Hospital was opened in 1957 by Dr. L.W. Williams, per the organization’s website. Now, Sellers becomes its third owner and also leads as the head veterinarian, according to Fox4. “Once you move into ownership, it’s just a whole different ballgame because now it’s you,” Sellers told the outlet. “From the minute somebody walks in the door, it’s your business, your staff; these are your patients, and that just comes with a different mindset that you have to have.” This was a long-held dream of Sellers, who aspired for ownership when she was young, her mother, Susan Weaver, told the outlet. “She’s always excelled; she’s always achieved and always had goals, and she’s always been determined to accomplish her goals,” Weaver said. Making History Sellers also makes history in her new role. She is the first Black woman in Kansas City to own an animal hospital and the...
A multi-million-dollar initiative is on the way to ensure the responsible use of AI at two HBCUs. ASCEND-AI According to a press release, Howard University and Bowie State University will benefit from a $4 million initiative called ASCEND-AI (Advancing Student and Collaborative Educator Networks for Digital AI Integration). It is led by LaTanya Brown-Robertson, associate dean for academic innovation and student success in Howard’s College of Arts and Sciences , and is supported by a grant from the U.S. Department of Education. ASCEND-AI will reach about 400 undergraduate and graduate students and 50 faculty members across each campus annually to increase their AI literacy. The program seeks to strengthen its evaluation of AI-generated misinformation and hallucinations and encourage ethical use of AI. Additionally, the partnership will prepare participants to use AI for innovation and entrepreneurship. Faculty members at Howard University and Bowie State University will be trained...
