Sony Promotes First Black Woman President of TriStar Pictures

Sony Pictures Entertainment has promoted Nicole Brown, an African American woman, as President of TriStar Pictures, extending her contract with the studio to continue oversight of the specialty label. Last year, Brown was appointed to head TriStar Pictures as Executive Vice President. She will continue to report to Tom Rothman, chairman of Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group, and oversee all of TriStar’s film development and production.

Entrepreneur Opens Houston's 1st Black-Owned Drive-In Movie Theater

Space City Shows, the first and only Black-owned drive-in movie theater in Houston, Texas, is open for business. 26-year old Khairi Sharif says he launched the venue to provide entertainment in the midst of the pandemic for people who love going to the cinemas just like him.

Forbes Confirms That Tyler Perry is America's Newest Black Billionaire

Forbes has added 51-year old Tyler Perry to its list of billionaires and estimates his net worth at $1 billion with a clear path to future membership in The Forbes 400.

This Family Just Opened a Black-Owned Drive-Thru Movie Theater in New Jersey

Siree and Ayanna Morris, a couple from Newark, New Jersey, have opened a drive-thru movie theater called Newark Moonlight Cinema to bring entertainment to people while considering health precautions in the midst of the pandemic.

African American CEO Brings Inclusion to Esports

Atlantic City Mayor Marty Small has signed a landmark partnership with Metro Esports to create a summer series of VR experiences for the city’s 8,000+ students. As graduations and proms transition from grand scale events to small virtual gatherings, the city’s administration is already hard at work finding ways to help students stay connected and entertained through a likely socially distant summer.

L'Oreal Re-Hires Black Model They Once Fired After She Spoke Up About Racism

Munroe Bergdorf, a former model for L'Oreal who was fired in 2017 for speaking up about systemic racism, has been re-hired. This time, however, the world's largest cosmetics company has brought her on board to advise them regarding their diversity and inclusion policies.

Black Entrepreneur Launches Online Community to Help Podcasters Become More Successful

Founded by podcaster Elzie Flenard, Podcast Town is a private, members-only community that offers all the tools, resources, access to expertise, and peer support needed to help podcasters rise to a higher level of success. The online community is designed to help podcasters, new and old, become successful and generate a revenue stream.

Black Woman Founder of Streaming Service Launches Live 24-Hour Movie Channel

DeShuna Spencer, founder and CEO of KweliTV, one of the first Black woman-owned digital networks that celebrates Black stories and culture from the US and across the globe, has expanded her distribution by launching a 24-hour movie channel.

Tyler Perry is Working on a Creative, But Safe Way to Re-Open His Studios in Atlanta

Filmmaker Tyler Perry says that he is very much concerned about the health and safety of the public, but he also understands that people need jobs rights now. For this reason, TMZ reports that he is working on a very unique strategy that will allow cast and crew to continue filming at his Atlanta-based studios during the coronavirus pandemic.

The Game Loses Record Label and Album Royalties After Judge Orders Him to Pay $7M in Damages

Compton-born rapper Jayceon Terrell Taylor, known as The Game, will have his record label and all profits generated from his last album seized after he reportedly failed to appear in court for a $7 million sexual assault lawsuit that a woman filed against him back in 2016.

Young Brothers Now Famous With 550K Instagram Followers For Their Funny, Creative Videos

Three talented young Nigerian boys, known as the Ikorodu Bois, have made waves on Instagram for recreating and "mimicking" famous music videos and Hollywood movie trailers using creative household items. They have caught the attention of more than 550,000 Instagram followers, as well as the likes of Will Smith and Lebron James.

Tyler Perry Closes His Studios in Atlanta, Halts All Productions

The coronavirus outbreak has affected nearly every business and industry in the country, including the film and television industry. Even filmmaker Tyler Perry has decided to temporarily close his Atlanta-based studios, and stop all projects in efforts to prevent the further spread of the virus.

Byron Allen Loses $20 Billion Supreme Court Case Against Comcast

Byron Allen, founder and CEO of Entertainment Studios Network (ESN), has lost his Supreme Court battle with Comcast. According to Black Enterprise, in February 2015, his company filed a $20 billion racial discrimination lawsuit against the cable giant, but the Supreme Court has ruled in a unanimous decision that Allen was not able to prove that Comcast's decision not to carry his channels was because of race.

Mompreneur Secures $120K in Funding to Open Her Own Child Care Drop Off Center

Raven Fisher, a mother of two young ones, knows by experience how important it is for children to have a fun and safe place to play and connect with other children. However, she couldn't find an ideal facility that would suit those needs. So after securing about $120,000 in funding, Raven is set to open her very own child care drop off center and play place for children in Detroit called Social Tykes.

Netflix Premieres First Ever Documentary About Black Women CEOs

Black women CEOs and entrepreneurs are the stars of the newest Netflix documentary called She Did That. Filmmaker and blogger Renae L. Bluitt created the documentary to promote a more accurate representation in the media of Black female business owners.

At 67-Years Old, She's Not Your Typical Model — But She's Working It!

JoAni Johnson, a 67-year old woman from Harlem, is breaking fashion stereotypes by pursuing a modeling career despite her age. Recently featured in The New York Times, the popular model has also been hired by singer Rihanna to be a model for her Fenty Beauty cosmetics brand.

Meet the String Queens, Three Black Women Changing the Face of Classical Music

The three members of the fast-rising all-Black women musical group The String Queens — Kendall Isadore, Élise Sharp, and Dawn Johnson — have each experienced racism during their musical career. However, they used it as fuel to serve as an instrument for change and diversity in the field of classical music.

Stephen A. Smith is Now the Highest Paid Sportscaster on ESPN

Stephen A. Smith, a 51-year old sports television personality for ESPN, has recently signed a new 5-year contract with the network worth $8 million a year. That makes him the highest paid sportscaster on the network.

Byron Allen Acquires 11 Local TV Stations For $290 Million

Byron Allen, the CEO of Entertainment Studios and Allen Media Broadcasting who also owns the Weather Channel, has added a new group of local TV stations to his portfolio. He recently purchased 11 small-market network affiliates from USA Television for a reported $290 million.

First Ever Black-Owned Record Label (No, It's Not Motown Records!)

Motown Records may be the most successful Black-owned record label of all time, but they were certainly not the first! Black Swan Records, which was started in Harlem, NYC in 1921 by entrepreneur Harry Pace, had a short but powerful life in producing popular music for black audiences. From 1921 to 1923, the company released 180 records - a record in itself that would not be topped by any other black-owned record company for another 30 years.