African American Archives - Rolling Out

Trey Songz has written an emotional new record that speaks to the current climate in Black America. The song, titled “How Many Times,” was debuted on the famous DJ D-Nice’s Wednesday evening Instagram live mix on June 3, 2020, playing the song 14 minutes and 34 seconds into the 50-minute livestream. Songz opens the track…

World-renowned tennis player Venus Williams is now entering the world of beauty. Williams, who owns EleVen, a fashion-forward activewear brand that makes tennis apparel to empower women to perform better, has now added skin care to her growing empire. The superstar athlete has collaborated with Credo Beauty to create a sunscreen suitable for all skin…

Terrance Woodbury is a founding Partner at HIT Strategies, a market research focus firm that centered on people of color and millennials. Woodbury has previously conducted polling and focus groups for candidates in local, state, national, and international elections, as well as for companies such as Uber and Google. We spoke with Woodbury about the…

Tamika Mallory is a social justice leader, and a political activist who is leading the charge in advocating for human rights, civil rights and equality for women. The New York native tackles big issues like gun violence, criminal justice reform and police accountability. Mallory is a former executive director of the National Action Network and…

Maurice Evans is a painter and photographer; Grace Kisa is a Kenyan-born sculptor and painter. The pair is collaborating on a one-of-a-kind artistic experience that explores womanhood in the Black diaspora. We spoke with them about their first virtual visual experience, Nu Africans, which opens Friday, May 15, 2020, at the Hammonds House Museum. Tell…

Carmen Johnson is an occupational health nurse in the automotive industry. In her role, she serves the health and wellness educational needs of several thousands of employees. She has over 29 years of nursing experience and has contributed to the community by organizing events like the Health and Wellness Fair for Detroit’s African World Festival…

In the midst of receiving stimulus checks over the last month, Americans are also receiving 2020 Census forms. Virginia Harris, president of the National Coalition of 100 Black Women, wants to ensure members of the African American community take the census seriously. She also hopes to clarify how important it is for our communities to…

Dominique Wilkins is an NBA Hall of Famer and the most celebrated player in Atlanta Hawks history. Wilkins currently serves as the Hawks’ vice president of basketball operations and special adviser to the CEO. He also works tirelessly to raise awareness for the disease he’s battling, diabetes. We spoke with Wilkins about health management in…

Dolvett Quince is a New York Times bestselling author, keynote speaker, celebrity fitness trainer and personal development expert. He is best known for being a trainer on NBC’s hit show “The Biggest Loser.” As a part of rolling out‘s HealthIQ initiative, we spoke with Quince about the importance of community and accountability to exercise and…

The intersections of race, gender and socioeconomic status are playing out through the COVID-19 pandemic in the predictable American fashion. As the threat of serious illness and death proliferate exponentially and most people who want tests are still having trouble getting them, it is important for policymakers and the public to know who is most…

Ronnie Tyler and her husband Lamar are the co-founders of Black and Married With Kids, a website and online resource that focuses on supporting and uplifting marriage, relationships and parenting in the African American community. The Tylers who reside in Atlanta with their four children started the website after they became fed up with constantly…

When three young Black men — Aaron Warrick, Greg Wilson, and Dante’ Wade — recognized the rapid growth of depression, stress and other mental health challenges in the Black community, they teamed up to create a mental wellness app. The 3 are graduates of Lincoln University outside of Philadelphia, the first HBCU in the country.…

Alexander Smalls is a world-renowned chef, restaurateur, author and opera singer. He is known for elevating and translating the food of the African diaspora and African American kitchen into modern tastes. He is the visionary of the award-winning restaurant, The Cecil, and its sister restaurant, Minton’s. Smalls spoke with rolling out about his new cookbook,…

The Compound creative agency and New Era Cap Company, both major innovators in sports, culture and retail, are collaborating to market the official NBA-licensed Compound 7 Snapbacks. The collaboration features select NBA teams, including the New York Knicks, Brooklyn Nets, Boston Celtics, Philadelphia 76ers, Toronto Raptors, Los Angeles Lakers and Chicago Bulls, and their respective…

Bryant Thompson is the founder and CEO of Red Level Entertainment, a company that specializes in email marketing, branding and special events. Thompson was born and raised on the South Side of Chicago and blessed with the entrepreneurial spirit of his late father. When he was in his early 20s, Thompson began promoting parties and…

La’ Toya Princess Jackson, aka ElectrKPrincess, is a writer and producer of ballets, songs, and plays. She is a ballerina in training at Ballethnic Dance Company. As the founder of LaPrincess Entertainment Group, LLC she aspired to create original works that provide a positive representation of African Americans in arts and entertainment. Jackson obtained her…

This year’s Trumpet Awards promises to be incredibly funny and highly entertaining with so much comedic talent taking center stage. Emmy Award-winning comedian, actress and writer Wanda Sykes is set to host the 28th Annual Trumpet Awards that will be held at Dolby Theatre in Hollywood. While we are looking forward to the exciting and inspirational…

As this year marks the 65th anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education, I believe it’s appropriate to ask this question today: “Did this experiment in educational social justice really work?” I’m a firm believer that student achievement happens with support from both “inside” and “outside” the school. Prior to 1954, the ability to have…

Judge Penny Brown Reynolds is a nationally respected leader, bold visionary and highly dedicated public servant. As the first African American in Georgia’s history to serve as the governor’s attorney, she is dedicated to the fundamental principles of justice, equality, civic engagement and advocacy. Reynolds currently teaches law at her alma mater, Georgia State University,…

Evan Taylor was first introduced to multicultural marketing through working with the Asian American community. He quickly learned that multicultural communities are far from monolithic and has applied those learnings throughout his career. Fast forward to today, and Taylor has become MassMutual’s head of African-American marketing, where he advocates for initiatives with a focus on raising…