Networking across and working with people on the same level as you is important.Cole Bennett grew up in Plano, Illinois. As a high school student, Bennett laid the foundation for what would become Lyrical Lemonade, a dynamic multimedia company specializing in music videos, live events, exclusive content, and merchandise. It all started as a humble blog with a vision to produce innovative and creative content.As soon as he got his driver’s license, Bennett made that hour long drive to Chicago every weekend. Armed with his camera, he documented everything, from...
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Tyler Perry was born and raised in New Orleans. He had a challenging childhood marked by years of abuse from his father. Perry had an outlet early on by writing down his daily thoughts and experiences in letters to himself. After dropping out of high school, he eventually earned his GED.In 1990, Perry made a pivotal move to Atlanta. Watching Oprah Winfrey on TV inspired him to turn his letters into his first stage show, "I Know I've Been Changed." He took a risk and put his last $12,000 down...
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Amanda Gorman was born and raised in Los Angeles, CA and was raised by a single mother. She began writing at only a few years of age.Gorman has a speech impediment, making it hard for her to say certain letters of the alphabet, especially the letter "r." As a child, she started writing poetry to help find her voice, and in high school, she began reciting her poetry out loud, which helped improve her speech. Gorman was a youth delegate for the United Nations when she was 16.She attended Harvard...
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In 1992, four friends - Daymond John, J. Alexander Martin, Keith Perrin, and Carlton Brown from Hollis, Queens, united with a vision to address the absence of Black-owned sportswear in mass markets. They came up with the name “FUBU,” standing for “For Us, By Us.”FUBU faced initial challenges, encountering inventory struggles and financial needs. After a successful pop-up at a Las Vegas trade show, where they sold $400,000 USD worth of non-existent clothes, they confronted another obstacle: lacking the infrastructure and resources to produce the ordered items. Despite approaching 27...
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At 8:30pm on December 3, 1976, two Assassins broke into Bob Marley’s house, attempting to take him out. Despite four people being sh*t, everyone survived, including Bob, who was hit in the arm and chest.The betrayal deeply hurt him, but just two days later, he defiantly performed at the Smile Jamaica Concert in front of 80,000 people. The day after, Marley left Jamaica, staying away for over a year. The surge in violence in Jamaica during the 1970s, notably during the Bob Marley era, was fueled by political rivalries, economic...
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“it costs too much to be a criminal”In the 1990s, a 17-year-old named Wallace Peeples found himself sentenced to 20 years in prison for armed robbery.During the 20 years he spent in prison, Wallace found himself sharing a cell with his own father and brother. Wallace was determined not to let the tough times get to him, so he discovered comfort in books and developed a strong interest in learning.Released from the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections in 2017, he discovered social media and the art of brand building. In 150...
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On October 16, 1995, more than 850,000 African American men from across the United States gathered at the National Mall in Washington, D.C., for one of the largest demonstrations in US history. Inspired and led by the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan, they stood together for over 10 hours, engaging in activities such as sharing, learning, listening, fasting, hugging, crying, laughing, and praying.Representing diverse creeds and classes, including Christians, Muslims, Hebrews, Agnostics, nationalists, pan-Africanists, civil rights organizations, fraternal organizations, the rich, the poor, celebrities, and individuals from various professions and walks...
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Fred Hampton, born and raised in Chicago, demonstrated leadership and organizational skills early in life. During high school, he joined the Junior NAACP, mobilizing five hundred young people to advocate for improved academic services and recreational facilities for Black children, successfully influencing city officials.In 1968, Hampton left the NAACP and became one of the original members of the Black Panther Party in Illinois. Rising swiftly to a leadership position, he became the deputy chairman of the Illinois chapter. Hampton organized rallies, initiated a Free Breakfast program, and founded the “Rainbow...
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Malcolm Little was born in Omaha, Nebraska, on May 19, 1925. His father was murdered when he was 6 years old, the victim of a white racist group. He spent his childhood years in foster homes with his siblings, dropped out of middle school, and a few years later moved to Boston and found work on the streets as a shoe-shiner, drug dealer, gambler, and burglar.Malcolm joined the Nation of Islam (NOI) while serving a prison term in Massachusetts on burglary charges. Shortly after his release in 1952, he moved...
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