Nicolas Hamilton: Racing to Make a Difference

SportsStories

Nicolas Hamilton poses in front of his car during the Goodwood Festival of Speed at Goodwood in Chichester, England

By Natalie Rodgers

If you’re a fan in any capacity to Formula 1 racing, then you know who Lewis Hamilton is. One of the greatest car racers, Hamilton has taken the world by storm—not only for his abilities on the track but for his dedication to diversity and inclusion within his sport.

But the latest achievement in the world of Formula 1 doesn’t come from Lewis, but from his brother, Nicolas.

Earlier this year, Nicolas “Nic” Hamilton, who has cerebral palsy, became the first person with a disability to drive an F1 simulator. Complete with the ensemble, mechanics and capabilities of an F1 vehicle, the simulator is designed to create a hyper-realistic replica of the F1 driving experience. The simulation is almost exclusively used by F1 racers, and even then, the opportunity to try the technology is rare.

But thanks to a collaboration between the Hamilton brothers, F1 and Mercedes; Nic was able to take the coveted experience for a spin. The F1 team even made modifications to the simulator to fit Nic’s accessibility needs.

“Time in the sim is incredibly rare, and not something accessible for someone like my brother,” Lewis Hamilton wrote on Instagram of the experience. “It took custom modifications to the seat, steering wheels and pedals to make this possible. He’s always been a fighter and seeing him have this day is an honor. The smile you see here never left his face.”

Race winner Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain and Mercedes GP celebrates with his brother, Nicolas, during the Formula One Grand Prix — NORTHAMPTON, ENGLAND – JULY 16: Race winner Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain and Mercedes GP celebrates with his brother Nicholas during the Formula One Grand Prix of Great Britain at Silverstone on July 16, 2017 in Northampton, England. (Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images)

Though this was Nic’s first time behind the wheel of an F1 simulation, this was far from his first time behind the wheel of a racing vehicle. In 2011 at the ripe age of 19, Nic made his racing debut at the Renault Clio Cup United Kingdom, a touring car racing event. Using a modified vehicle, Nic currently competes with the British Touring Car Championship and has raced in over 180 competitions in his 12-year career as a professional driver.

Nic was first introduced to the world of racing as a child, frequently attending races with his brother. After years of playing racing video games and watching his brother drive, Nic decided that he wanted to follow his ultimate dream: Becoming a racer himself. Using a wheelchair for most of his childhood and teenage years, Nic was determined to show the world that having cerebral palsy doesn’t prevent people from following their passions. Through training, accessibility and his own personal determination, Nic was not only able to become a race car driver, but achieved a personal goal of limiting his need for a wheelchair.

“Without this love of racing, I wouldn’t be the person I am today,” Nic stated in an interview with Mini Cooper. “Motorsport has completely changed my life for the better. And it still keeps me going and gives me a reason to get up in the morning and improve… I don’t think that my love for motorsport will ever die.”

In 2015, Nic became the first person with a disability to compete in the British Touring Car Championship and is currently the only person with a disability in his field. Though he wants to continue his racing career, Nic additionally hopes to write a book and become a motivational speaker in the future.

“By sharing my story, maybe I can help people realize that just being yourself is fine,” Nic continued in his Mini Cooper interview. “You don’t need to fit into the world. Instead, you build your own world and create a place where you feel confident.”

Sources: Mini Cooper, Crash, Wikipedia, Formula1

Deshauna Barber: On the Move

GovernmentStories

Deshauna Barber was crowned as Miss USA 2016

By Brady Rhoades

Deshauna Barber’s father is a retired special forces Master Sergeant that instilled “leadership, discipline and integrity” in all his children, said Barber in an interview with U.S. Veterans Magazine.

Her late mother also served in the U.S. Army and inspired Barber and her siblings to join the military.

Growing up in North Carolina, Nebraska, Minnesota, Virginia and Washington, D.C., Barber learned foundational principles from her parents that she carried into her military career.

Self-discipline. Teamwork. Endurance.

But she had to learn other principles and skills that hadn’t crossed her mind on her way to winning the 2016 Miss USA title.

Army Captain and Miss USA don’t seem to add up until you hear Barber, a veteran, CEO and motivational speaker, tell audiences, “The most important thing is to move.” And: “Be terrified of regret.”

Rewind to 2007, when Barber, 17, committed to a U.S. Army scholarship and joined the ROTC program at her university.

She then earned her master’s degree in management information systems and services from the University of Maryland University College and worked as an IT analyst for the United States Department of
Commerce.

Barber went on to become president and chief executive officer of Service Women’s Action Network, the nation’s leading 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization advocating on behalf of service women and women veterans in the country.

Deshauna Barber (988th Quartermaster Detachment Company)

Barber was commissioned in 2011 as an Army Quartermaster Officer. During her service, she held many positions including a logistics commander of a petroleum detachment company. After reaching the rank of Captain, she decided to leave service to focus on her motivational speaking career and was honorably discharged from the U.S. Army Reserve after 11 years of service.

“The Army Reserve taught me how to balance, plan, multi-task and prioritize,” she said. “Not to mention, being in the Army can be somewhat intimidating, depending on who is in the room with you… It was scary, but I think I’ve been in scarier situations.”

She has spent much of her career focused on supporting Soldiers suffering from PTSD and women who’ve faced sexual harassment in the military. She said one in four women will experience sexual trauma while serving.

“We try to break the stigma attached to it,” she said. “It’s really about catching that stigma and making sure they don’t go to that darker place.

“It’s important to get help and get therapy,” she added. “I am still in therapy at 33. These types of trauma can manifest in subtle ways.

“You may not get the sorry you deserve, but it does not mean you have to lock yourself into the sadness and sorrow.”

She said it was a pivotal move when “President Joe Biden signed into law that sexual harassment is against the law as far as military justice.”

To help women who’ve survived sexual abuse, visit servicewomensactionnetwork.org. To help veterans struggling with PTSD, visit resourcecenter@ woundedwarriorproject.org. More on Barber can be found at deshauna.com.

Deshauna Barber receives her Honorary Doctorate after giving the commencement speech at Norwich University's spring 2022 graduation — Deshauna Barber receives her Honorary Doctorate after giving the commencement speech at
Norwich University’s spring 2022 graduation. (Mark Collier/Norwich University)

When Barber was crowned Miss USA 2016, she became the first member of the military to win the honor and the first African-American woman to wear the crown since Crystle Stewart in 2008. Her platform: promote veterans’ issues.

Barber is diligent about fitness, and she’s a polished speaker, two qualities that were honed in the military (as a Captain, she gave presentations to companies and battalions). But she wasn’t prepared for one thing.

“I got to tap into my femininity, my girly side,” she said. “But the military doesn’t prepare you for six-inch stiletto heels.” Her parents and siblings supported her throughout her pageantry endeavors, but it wasn’t easy for her father.

Seven years after being crowned, Barber is on the move, per usual. She’s a speaker- preacher T.D. Jakes and TV host Steve Harvey have influenced her style-and an activist.

For her, the two go hand-in-hand. A survivor of sexual abuse, she frequently talks about dealing with trauma and loss.

Her Apple podcast will launch in late spring or early summer of this year-the title: Sour Loss, Sweet Lessons.

Deshauna Barber being pinned as a first lieutenant by her father, Darren Barber Sr. (Courtesy of Deshauna Barber)

Barber suffered a profound loss when her mother died. There’s no getting over it, but there is the matter of getting on, so she’s taken her own advice, advice she’s doled out to audiences for years in her work as a motivational speaker.

“Sometimes, when people are dealing with sorrow, they allow themselves to drown in it,” she said. “I tell people to swim through it and ask them what direction they’re headed.”

These days, when Barber speaks to the media, corporations, universities, the military and even the American Psychiatric Nurses Association, you can see the Army Captain, the pageant queen, the corporate executive, the survivor.

She walks upright, like a Soldier, paces the stage with the confidence and charisma of a Miss USA, and issues words that have been polished through many rewrites.

“People connect to the beauty of words, and that’s what preachers have mastered,” she said.

Most recently, at the Life Vantage Global Convention 2022 in Phoenix, Arizona, she talked about overcoming doubt, be it internal, external or both. Her words excited the crowd in front of her but were meant for everyone- women, men, survivors of abuse, those struggling with mental health issues, active military personnel and veterans.

“You have been promoted for a reason. You’ve been placed in your role for a reason,” she said. “Put on your bulletproof vest and allow the doubts of others to bounce off you.”

Texas Southern Becomes First HBCU To Win National Title At NCA

EducationEntertainmentSports

The Texas Southern Lady Tigers cheer HBCU team pose in three rows

By Kenyatta Victoria, Girls United

Texas Southern University became the first HBCU to win a national title at the National Cheerleaders Association. The Lady Tigers scored a significant win during the Cheer Spirit Rally Division l category, opening with a 94.05 performance score.

In the team’s final round, the TSU Tigers closed out their performance with a 96.1 performance score, 96.1 raw scores and 95.5875 event score, making a historic win for the HBCU.

The Lady Tigers (pictured) add to the history Black colleges are making. The team has been working toward this moment since 2022.

The team made it clear they were coming for the national title with a Gold bid at the NCA camp with an All-American award, second place on game day, and winning most spirited.

In 75 years, TSU has become the first HBCU team to win the national championships trophy adding to the conversation surrounding the importance of supporting sports at Black colleges.

Other schools such as Alabama A&M University, Bowie State and Bethune-Cookman University were among the HBCUs that have competed in the competition.

“To see the long hours they’ve dedicated come to fruition in the form of a national championship is amazing as I want to commend the coaching staff and team members for their efforts,” Texas Southern athletics director Kevin Granger said in a news release from the university. “This team has made history at Texas Southern, and everyone a part of TSU nation is proud of their accomplishments.”

Read the original article and more from Girls United here.

Black women are finally shattering the glass ceiling in dance

EntertainmentSports

Dionne Figgins, artistic director of Ballet Tech, is one of several Black women named recently to leadership posts in dance. (Jeenah Moon for The Washington Post)

By Sarah L. Kaufman, Washington Post

Linda-Denise Fisher-Harrell knows how it feels to be the only Black dancer in the dressing room.

“Everyone was friendly, but it was a lonely feeling that nobody looked like me,” says the former star of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, recalling her first dance job 30 years ago, with Hubbard Street Dance Chicago.

“So when it came to styling my hair, I couldn’t rely on anyone to help advise me. There were so many little things like that.”

Throughout the concert-dance world, dancers of color have often shared that sense of isolation and difference. But in recent months, some significant appointments offer hope of change. In March, Fisher-Harrell began leading the company where she once felt so alone. As the new artistic director of Hubbard Street, a widely respected contemporary troupe founded by Broadway dancer Lou Conte, she is one of very few Black women heading traditionally White-led dance organizations.

Fisher-Harrell, who most recently had been teaching at Towson University and the Baltimore School for the Arts, made changes quickly at Hubbard Street. She hired four dancers of color, bringing the total at the 14-member company to six dancers.

Three more Black women have recently assumed dance leadership roles, in front-office moves that are rare in the dance world. Each has led a distinguished performance career in premiere companies on international stages followed by years as dance educators.

Endalyn Taylor is the new dean of the dance school at the prestigious University of North Carolina School of the Arts in Winston-Salem. A former leading ballerina of Dance Theatre of Harlem, an original cast member of “The Lion King” and “Aida” on Broadway, and a dance professor at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Taylor succeeds former American Ballet Theatre principal Susan Jaffe.

Click here to read the full article on the Washington Post.

Serena Williams says she will retire from tennis sometime after the U.S. Open.

BusinessCareersSports

Alexis Ohanian-Serena Williams pictured at HBO event

By Oskar Garcia, NY Times

Serena Williams, the 23-time Grand Slam champion who has been the face of tennis since winning her first U.S. Open in 1999, said in a magazine article published online on Tuesday that she planned to retire from the sport after playing again in the tournament, which begins later this month.

Williams, who long ago transcended her sport as a dominant cultural figure, said in an as-told-to cover story for Vogue that she has “never liked the word retirement,” and preferred the word “evolution” to describe her next steps. “I’m evolving away from tennis, toward other things that are important to me,” including working with her venture capital firm and growing her family.

She was not explicit about when she might stop playing, but hinted on Instagram that the U.S. Open could be her last tournament. “The countdown has begun,” she said, adding, “I’m gonna relish these next few weeks.”

Williams said that she and her husband, Alexis Ohanian, planned to have another child.

“In the last year, Alexis and I have been trying to have another child, and we recently got some information from my doctor that put my mind at ease and made me feel that whenever we’re ready, we can add to our family. I definitely don’t want to be pregnant again as an athlete. I need to be two feet into tennis or two feet out.”

Williams, whose last Grand Slam tournament victory came while she was pregnant during the Australian Open in 2017, was eliminated from Wimbledon in June in the first round.

“Unfortunately I wasn’t ready to win Wimbledon this year,” Williams said. “And I don’t know if I will be ready to win New York. But I’m going to try. And the lead-up tournaments will be fun.”

Williams has won nearly $100 million in prize money.

With the caveat that there still may be more to come from her this fall, Serena Williams has put a dazzling array of achievements into her sport’s record books.

She has won 23 Grand Slam singles events, ranging from 1999 when she was 17, to 2017. They included seven Australian Opens, three French Opens, seven Wimbledons, and six U.S. Opens. She also has 10 further appearances in Grand Slam singles finals.

Click here to read the full article on the NY Times.

Jackie Robinson Museum opens in Manhattan after 14 years of planning

Sports

Jackie Robinson wearing baseball uniform holding a bat

Long dreamed about and under construction for longer than the big league career of the man it honors, the Jackie Robinson Museum opened Tuesday in Manhattan with a gala ceremony attended by the 100-year-old widow of the barrier-breaking ballplayer and two of his children.

Rachel Robinson, who turned 100 on July 19, watched the half-hour outdoor celebration from a wheelchair in the 80-degree heat, then cut a ribbon to cap a project launched in 2008.

Her 72-year-old daughter, Sharon, also looked on from a wheelchair and 70-year-old son David spoke to the crowd of about 200 sitting on folding chairs arrayed in a closed-off section of Varick Street, a major thoroughfare in lower Manhattan where the 19,380-square-foot museum is located.

“The issues in baseball, the issues that Jackie Robinson challenged in 1947, they’re still with us,” David Robinson said. “The signs of white only have been taken down, but the complexity of equal opportunity still exists.”

Rachel Robinson announced the museum on April 15, 2008, the 61st anniversary of Jackie breaking the big league color barrier with the Brooklyn Dodgers at Ebbets Field. Robinson became NL Rookie of the Year, the 1949 NL batting champion and MVP, a seven-time All-Star and a World Series champion in 1955. He hit .313 with 141 homers and 200 stolen bases in 11 seasons and was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1962.

Robinson, who died in 1972, had an impact beyond baseball, galvanizing a significant slice of American public opinion and boosting the civil rights movement.

“There’s nowhere on the globe where dream is attached to our name — or our country’s name,” New York City Mayor Eric Adams said. “There’s not a German dream. There’s not a French dream. There’s not a Polish dream. Darn it, there’s an American dream. And this man and wife took that dream and forced America and baseball to say you’re not going to be a dream on a piece of paper, you’re going to be a dream in life. We are greater because of No. 42 and because he had amazing wife that understood that dream and vision.”

A gala dinner was held Monday night to preview the museum, which contains 4,500 artifacts, including playing equipment and artifacts such as Robinson’s 1946 minor league contract for $600 a month and his 1947 rookie contract for a $5,000 salary. The museum also holds a collection of 40,000 images and 450 hours of footage.

A 15-piece band played at the ceremony, attended by former pitcher CC Sabathia, former NL president Len Coleman and former Mets owner Fred Wilpon along with players’ association head Tony Clark and Hall of Fame president Josh Rawitch.

“Without him, there would be no me,” Sabathia said. “I wouldn’t have been able to live out my dream of playing Major League Baseball.”

Yankees general manager Brian Cashman, director Spike Lee (wearing a Brooklyn Dodgers cap) and former tennis star Billie Jean King also were on hand.

“It seems like we’re more divided than ever,” King said. “People like Jackie Robinson was a great reminder every single morning, every single evening that we have to do the right thing every day.”

Original projections had a 2010 opening and $25 million cost. The Great Recession caused a delay.

Read the complete article originally posted on ESPN here.

The Rock’s Daughter, Ava Raine, Debuts Nickname In First WWE NXT Promo

EntertainmentlifestyleSports

By Robert Gunier, Wrestling Inc.

As noted, WWE NXT held another live event last night in Orlando, Florida, headlined by Bron Breakker successfully defending his NXT Championship against Tony D’Angelo. Elsewhere on the card, the leader of Toxic Attraction, Mandy Rose, defeated Ivy Nile to retain her NXT Women’s Title, and The Creed Brothers defeated Joe Gacy and a member of the DYAD to retain their Tag Team Titles.

But one of the biggest stories coming out of the show isn’t about the in-ring action at all. Fresh WWE NXT talent Ava Raine, the real-life daughter of The Rock that signed with WWE in February 2020, cut her first promo at last night’s event. She was presented as a heel to the audience as she talked down to Cora Jade and the rest of the NXT women’s locker room.

Raine also revealed what her nickname will be going forward and it’s possibly a nod to a recent horror film. Raine, a fan of cinema influenced by the supernatural, apparent by the many references to “The Craft” (1996) on her social media, was referring to herself as “The Final Girl” during her in-ring promo. The film, “The Final Girls” was a horror/comedy film released in 2015 that first debuted at the SXSW Film Festival before receiving a wider release in the United States later that Fall. The premise of the movie sees the protagonist, Max, along with her group of friends, getting trapped inside a B-horror film where they must use the tropes they’ve learned from watching horror movies to survive. There’s no certainty this film influenced the new description Raine is giving herself in NXT, but the connection is possible.

“The Final Girl” is also a common trope in horror cinema as a whole. She is recognized as the last girl or woman surviving in the film as the story becomes centrally focused on her.

As seen in the photos below, Raine was trending after she dropped the promo last night, signifying that we might be approaching a televised debut for the 20-year-old. She has been teasing her debut for several weeks until last night when she finally revealed her persona to a live crowd.

Click here to read the full article on Wrestling Inc.

Simone Biles Makes History as the Youngest to Receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom

EntertainmentGovernmentSports

Joe Biden putting the Presidential Medal of Freedom award on Simone Biles

By Njera Perkins, Pop Sugar

Simone Biles continues to break records and make history. On July 7, the 25-year-old Olympian, along with 16 other honorees, received the esteemed Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor — making her the youngest person to ever do so, according to President Joe Biden.

Beyond being a world-renowned gymnast, Biles was honored as a “prominent advocate for athletes’ mental health and safety, children in the foster care system, and victims of sexual assault,” the White House previously announced.

“Today, [Biles] adds to her medal count of 32 — I don’t know if you’re going to find room,” President Biden joked during his remarks at the White House. Biden then praised Biles for her ability “to turn personal pain into a greater purpose, to stand up and speak for those who cannot speak for themselves.” During the award ceremony, Biles wore a bright smile and black tweed blazer dress as Biden placed her medal around her neck, and her fiancé, Jonathan Owens, was there to cheer her on from the front row.

Biles was honored alongside other recipients like Megan Rapinoe and Denzel Washington, though the latter wasn’t present for the ceremony due to a positive COVID test, CNN reported. The actor will be awarded his medal at a later date.

Over the years, Biles has shattered glass ceilings in the sports world and become the most decorated gymnast in world championship history. Now, her latest accomplishment only solidifies that she’s a true trailblazer. Ahead, check out more photos of her receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom at the White House.

Click here to read the full article on Pop Sugar.

Naomi Osaka launches media company in partnership with Lebron James

Art and DesignBusinessCareersEntertainmentSports

Tennis Player, Naomi Osaka poses for a photo with LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers after the game on April 4, 2019 at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, California.

By Ian Krietzberg, CNBC

Four-time Grand Slam winner Naomi Osaka is launching a media production company in partnership with The SpringHill Company, a media conglomerate created by Lebron James.

The production company, called Hana Kuma, will produce scripted and nonfiction content, starting with a New York Times documentary about Patsy Mink, the first woman of color elected to U.S. Congress, according to a press release. The announcement says Hana Kuma will highlight “empowering” and “culturally specific” stories.

“There has been an explosion of creators of color finally being equipped with resources and a huge platform,” Osaka said in the release. “In the streaming age, content has a more global perspective. You can see this in the popularity of television from Asia, Europe and Latin America that the unique can also be universal. My story is a testament to that as well.”

The SpringHill Company, founded by NBA star James and business partner Maverick Carter, will provide production and strategic resources to Hana Kuma, the release said. Hana Kuma also has partnerships with crypto exchange platform FTX and health platform Modern Health.

In May, Osaka launched an athlete representation agency called Evolve.

Click here to read the full article on CNBC.

Mellody Hobson to join Denver Broncos as the first Black female NFL owner

BusinessCareersSports

BY Angel Saunders, Revolt

Last week (June 8), it was announced that a group headed by Walmart heir Rob Walton would buy the Denver Broncos, pending approval from the league. One of the group members, a businesswoman named Mellody Hobson, is set to become the first Black female NFL minority owner.

Also in the group is Walton’s daughter, Carrie Walton Penner, and his son-in-law Greg Penner, who will become minority owners as well.

At 53 years old, Hobson has built an impressive resume. The Princeton University grad is the president and co-CEO of Ariel Investments and the chairwoman of Starbucks Corporation. She previously held a position at DreamWorks Animation as a chairwoman as well.

Walton appears to be pleased with her skill set. “Beyond her role at Ariel, Mellody is an influential leader in corporate and civic organizations across the nation,” he said in a press release.

He continued, “Mellody currently serves as chair of the board of Starbucks Corporation and is also a director of JPMorgan Chase. We know she will bring her strategic acumen and leadership perspective to our team.”

Hobson is married to film director George Lucas, who is widely known for his work with the Star Wars franchise.

In February, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell announced that the Broncos would be sold. After an avalanche of claims that the league had an issue hiring minorities in leadership roles, the commissioner expressed that he was looking for diverse ownership.

Click here to read the full article on Revolt.

SERENA WILLIAMS BACKS BLACK WOMEN-OWNED STARTUP PROVIDING CUSTOMIZED WIGS THROUGH AI

BusinessCareersEntertainmentSports

Serena Williams in a brown dress bent down in a seated position

By Days Tech

Serena Williams is a trailblazer in additional methods than one. This time she’s backing a enterprise aimed toward using synthetic intelligence to supply magnificence customers with custom-made wigs.

Parfait is a brand new wig customization platform aimed toward disrupting the business by being the primary to make use of facial recognition and synthetic intelligence to supply consumers with customizable wig merchandise. The firm raised $5 million in funding spearheaded by Upfront Ventures and Serena Ventures, in keeping with experiences.

“Parfait’s mission to leverage Al to solve core issues for both the tech industry and communities of color is something we, at Serena Ventures, have believed in since the beginning,” Serena Williams stated in a press release.

“She went on to say, “It’s been inspiring to witness their incredible achievements so far, and we’re proud to invest in this next phase of Parfait’s growth.”

Founded by former Target and Amazon government Isoken Igbinedion, the primary seed of funding will assist enhance Parfait’s manufacturing and enhance its provide chain to enter new markets throughout the globe. Through the improved facial recognition Parfait makes use of, the tech-based magnificence model goals to make the wig business extra inclusive to fulfill the hair targets of magnificence customers from all backgrounds.

“Training models used in facial recognition technology are largely unbalanced, often relying on training datasets that are similar in makeup, and do not represent the visual composition of faces worldwide. This often results in poor performance for users who do not fit into that dataset, often represented by white faces and male features.”

Williams shared her pleasure for the brand new funding in an Instagram Story put up, as captured by Essentially Sports. With Parfait aligning with Williams’ rules for her VC agency, the brand new firm is on the highway to success with the total help from one of many best athletes and Black feminine traders of all time.

Click here to read the full article on Days Tech.

Jasmine Jordan on Creating Her Own Lane at Jordan Brand and WNBA Stars Finding Out She’s Michael Jordan’s Daughter

CareersEntertainmentSports

Jasmine Jordan and peer holding up a basketball

By Peter Verry, Yahoo! News

Jasmine Jordan has a famous father, but she also works for Jordan Brand as a field rep in its sports marketing division, highlighting future athlete icons — especially female ones.

What’s more, not only is Jordan Brand signing WNBA stars, but the company is committed to providing equal treatment.

“Once we started to expand the roster, [we were] having the conversations of, ‘We say we’re Jordan Family, we’re offering white-glove service to tier 1 athletes. Let’s make sure that is felt when we bring these ladies on board too,’” Jasmine Jordan, the daughter of NBA icon Michael Jordan, told FN.

Although she has a job working for the namesake label of her father, Jasmine Jordan would much rather play the background and make a difference for the better than have a role in the forefront. Below, the basketball field rep for women’s sport marketing shares her thoughts on preserving her father’s legacy and ensuring Jordan Brand is always at the forefront of sneaker culture.

ON BEING A JORDAN WORKING AT THE BRAND:
“It’s powerful, it’s special. To have the name and work for the brand, it doesn’t feel real. People say all the time, ‘That’s your brand.’ I say, ‘No, it’s not,’ [but] yes, it is. I’m aware of it, but I don’t think about it as much as people around me do. I’m blessed with the name and an opportunity, but I don’t take it for granted.”

ESTABLISHING HERSELF AS A PROFESSIONAL:
“Those who have interacted with me even for 5 seconds, they see I don’t own the room. I have no desire to own the room. I am happy to be standing in the back, grabbing water for my athletes, checking on everybody because that’s who I am. I didn’t come in with my last name printed out in an office and taking executive roles. I’m going to work my way to that point. I want to make sure that if a role or an opportunity presents itself down the line, I can say that I did the entry job, worked my way to manager, director, executive. I took my learnings to find my way to the top.”

ROLE IN SIGNING FEMALE ATHLETES:
“I did a lot of research during COVID, had a lot of conversations. I got the green light in mid-2020, saying, ‘Hey, we’re about to expand our roster’ — that’s all I needed. I had a list of ladies we could consider signing, and Anthony [DiCosmo] said, ‘Create the roster how you want it to look.’ I made sure no two players were alike, every player had their own story and they were killing it in their own way on their team.”

WHEN ATHLETES FIND OUT HER DAD IS MJ:
“Some of our ladies know from the jump like, ‘That’s Mike’s daughter.’ But I had an adorable moment with Te’a Cooper. She had no idea. It wasn’t until I posted ‘Happy Father’s Day’ on my Instagram and she texted me right after, ‘You did not tell me he is your dad.’ And I was like, ‘Te’a, I assumed you knew.’”

Click here to read the full article on Yahoo! News.

Super Bowl halftime show taps into millennial nostalgia

MusicSports

Eminem, dr dre, mary j blige, snoop dogg and kendrick lamar at the nfl superbowl 2022

By Morgan Sung, NBC News

The 2022 Super Bowl halftime show, which featured a handful of hip-hop legends, was a love letter to Black history in Los Angeles. And millennials were here for it. The show, held at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, featured performances from hip-hop legends Eminem, Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Kendrick Lamar and Mary J. Blige and a surprise appearance by 50 Cent. Some online, including Los Angeles Lakers legend LeBron James, hailed it as the “greatest halftime show.” Many praised it for showcasing Los Angeles pride and leaning in to nostalgia.

Here’s a look at moments that stood out.

50 Cent surprised viewers
50 Cent, who wasn’t previously announced as part of the halftime show lineup, performed “In Da Club.” He opened his set upside down, a callback to the song’s music video, which was released in 2003.

Eminem took a knee
Eminem knelt while rapping “Lose Yourself.” Some suggested he did it as a dig against the NFL, which penalized former player Colin Kaepernick for kneeling during the national anthem in protest of police brutality.

The NFL reportedly pushed back against Eminem’s request to take a knee and tried to censor an anti-police lyric. While performing “Still D.R.E.,” Dr. Dre recited the lyric “Still not loving police.”

But an NFL spokesman said the league did not try to stop Eminem from kneeling.

“We watched all elements of the show during multiple rehearsals this week and were aware that Eminem was going to do that,” league spokesman Brian McCarthy said.

Set paid homage to L.A.
The set featured architectural reproductions of Tam’s Burgers, Randy’s Donuts and the Compton courthouse, as well as a map of Compton on the stadium floor.

“THIS HALFTIME SHOW REALLY IS FOR ALL THE PEOPLE BORN AND RAISED IN LA,” wrote one Twitter user.

Many on social media also celebrated the show’s references to Black history in Los Angeles.

“This is the blackest NFL halftime show. happy black history month!” wrote one Twitter user.

The performance thrilled millennial and Gen X hip-hop fans.
The show especially spoke to millennial hip-hop fans, who were thrilled by the legendary rappers.

Some joked that loving the show meant they were aging.

“if you loved the halftime show as much as i did don’t forget your anti-aging moisturizer tonight,” one Twitter user wrote.

“The Super Bowl giving the people what they want: a medley of the songs they listened to in middle school,” journalist Kevin Fallon tweeted.

Click here to read the full article on NBC News.