Buck O’Neil going into National Baseball Hall of Hall of Fame

Buck O’Neil, a champion of Black ballplayers during a monumental, eight-decade career on and off the field has been elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame on Sunday.

John Jordan "Buck" O'Neil Jr. (November 13, 1911 – October 6, 2006) was a first baseman and manager in the Negro American League, mostly with the Kansas City Monarchs. After his playing days, he worked as a scout and, among his many credits, is credited for signing Hall of Fame player Lou Brock to his first professional baseball contract. O’Neil later became the first African-American coach in Major League Baseball.

O'Neil was a fixture in baseball for nearly his entire life, and was instrumental in the development and growth of the Negro Leagues Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum located in Kansas City, Missouri. On December 7, 2006, O'Neil was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President George W. Bush.

O'Neil will be enshrined in Cooperstown, New York, on July 24, 2022, along with any new members elected by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America.

U.S. Justice Department closes Emmett Till investigation with no new charges

The U.S. Justice Department told relatives of Emmett Till on Monday that it is ending its latest investigation into the 1955 lynching of the Black teenager from Chicago who was abducted, tortured and killed after witnesses said he whistled at a white woman in Mississippi.

Till’s family said it was disappointed by the news that there will continue to be no accountability for the infamous killing, with no charges being filed against Carolyn Bryant Donham, the woman accused of lying about whether Till ever touched her.

“Today is a day we will never forget,” Till’s cousin, the Rev. Wheeler Parker, said during a news conference in Chicago. “For 66 years we have suffered pain. … I suffered tremendously.” The killing galvanized the civil rights movement after Till’s mother insisted on an open casket, and Jet magazine published photos of his brutalized body.

The Justice Department reopened the investigation after a 2017 book quoted Donham as saying she lied when she claimed that 14-year-old Till grabbed her, whistled and made sexual advances while she was working in a store in the small community of Money. Relatives have publicly denied that Donham, who is in her 80s, recanted her allegations about Till.

Donham told the FBI that she had never recanted her accusations and there is “insufficient evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that she lied to the FBI,” the Justice Department said in a news release Monday. Officials also said that Timothy B. Tyson, the author of 2017’s “The Blood of Emmett Till” was unable to produce any recordings or transcripts in which Donham allegedly admitted to lying about her encounter with the teen.

“In closing this matter without prosecution, the government does not take the position that the state court testimony the woman gave in 1955 was truthful or accurate,” the news release said. “There remains considerable doubt as to the credibility of her version of events, which is contradicted by others who were with Till at the time, including the account of a living witness.” Days after Till was killed, his body was pulled from the Tallahatchie River, where it was tossed after being weighted down with a cotton gin fan.

The Emmett Till Unsolved Civil Rights Crime Act requires the Justice Department to make an annual report to Congress. No report was filed in 2020, but a report filed in June of 2021 indicated that the department was still investigating the abduction and killing of Till.

Minnesota launches the nation’s first-ever task force on missing Black women

Minnesota State Represenative Ruth Richardson

Minnesota has become the first state in the nation to launch a panel addressing the disproportionately high number of missing and murdered Black women and girls.

On Monday, Gov. Walz and Lt. Governor Flanagan, flanked by victim advocates, lawmakers, and public safety officials, including Rep. Ruth Richardson (DFL-Mendota Heights) and Department of Public Safety Commissioner John Harrington, held a ceremonial bill signing at the Capri Theater in Minneapolis to launch the nation’s first Missing and Murdered African American Women Task Force.

The 12-member task force, established with bipartisan support in the 2021 Public Safety and Judiciary Omnibus bill, will report recommendations to the Legislature to end violence against African American women and girls in Minnesota. The panel is comprised of victim advocates, law enforcement, and court officials who met for the first time on Monday.

“We know African American women and girls are disproportionately subject to violent crime,” Gov. Walz said. “That’s why we took action and established a first-in-the-nation Missing and Murdered African American Women task force.”

In 2020, almost 34% of the missing women in the U.S. were Black, according to the National Crime Information Center of the FBI, while Census data shows that Black women make up just 15% of the U.S. population.

“We are seeing African American women killed in numbers we’ve never seen before,” Commissioner Harrington said at Monday’s press conference. “Despite the small number of African Americans in Minnesota, 30% of the victims in domestic violence settings are African American women.”

A recent Violence Free Minnesota’s (VFM) report found disproportionate numbers of Black and Native domestic violence homicide victims compared to statewide demographics.

“In 2020, 40% of domestic violence homicide victims were Black, while comprising less than 7% of Minnesota’s population,” read the VFM report. “Four women were pregnant at the time they were killed by a current or former intimate partner, and three of them were Black. These violent disparities are attributed to histories of colonization, chattel slavery, genocide, generational trauma, and ongoing systematic oppression.”

Rep. Richardson, who spearheaded the legislation behind the task force, spoke about the disproportionately high numbers of missing and murdered Black women and girls during an appearance on Peacock’s “Zerlina.”

“I think one of the things that we’re really struggling with as a society is that we have not done enough work to place a value on the lives of Black women and Black girls,” Rep. Richardson said. “Because when we look at the data, we see some really concerning disparities. Cases involving Black women and girls stay open four times longer than cases involving other women.”

She added, “Black girls are much less likely to get Amber Alerts than White girls are. And that’s a really important distinction because when there are no Amber Alerts, there are no police resources invested in the critical first 48 hours. And you don’t get the media attention when someone is classified as a runaway versus a child in need of support or seen as a victim.”

Family of Charleena Lyles settles wrongful-death lawsuit against City of Seattle for $3.5 million

A $3.5 million settlement was reached in the wrongful-death lawsuit over the 2017 killing of Charleena Lyles by two Seattle Police Department officers, according to the family’s attorney Karen Koehler.

Koehler said a settlement agreement was reached Monday night.

Officers Steven McNew and Jason Anderson shot 30-year-old Lyles while responding to a burglary call at Lyles’ apartment near Magnuson Park on June 18, 2017.

The officers opened fire after they said Lyles confronted them with a knife. Lyles, who was pregnant, was shot and killed in front of her children.

A wrongful-death lawsuit was filed in September 2017 but dismissed in 2019 by former King County Superior Court Judge Julie Spector. The 2019 ruling was appealed and reversed on Feb. 16, 2021 and remanded to superior court for trial. The trial was set for Feb. 7, 2022.

The family claimed Seattle police violated Lyles' civil rights, that its officers were negligent, and that they violated the Americans with Disabilities Act because she was mentally ill.

According to the family's attorneys, they argued in court that the officers didn't plan properly for the situation, nor did they follow their training and department policy. They also argued the officers weren't properly equipped, pointing out neither officer had a taser and "showed up with one option - to shoot her."

Because a settlement was reached, the lawsuit against Seattle is dismissed.

The city issued the following statement regarding the settlement:

“It is indisputable that this has been a tragedy, and we are glad to have some level of closure for the parties. We stand by the multiple layers of review of this event and are pleased that the officers will be dismissed from the lawsuit. The remaining parties will be mutually seeking judicial approval for a resolution of all claims.”

[SOURCE KING 5]

MARCUS FREEMAN NAMED 30TH HEAD FOOTBALL COACH AT NOTRE DAME

Marcus Freeman, one of the rising young stars in the profession and architect of the highly-ranked Fighting Irish defense, today has been named the 30th Dick Corbett Head Football Coach at the University of Notre Dame.

Freeman will be introduced on Monday, December 6 at a 2:00pm ET press conference and will coach the Irish in their upcoming bowl game.

“It is an honor to be named the head coach of Notre Dame Football,” said Freeman. “I am eternally grateful to both Father John Jenkins and Jack Swarbrick for giving me the opportunity to lead the exceptional men who make this program what it is. Notre Dame is a very special place and I look forward to pursuing a national championship with the most outstanding student-athletes, coaches and staff in college football.”

“Marcus Freeman has not only proven himself a superb football coach, he has shown–both in his time at Notre Dame and in my conversations with him this week–that he is a person of highest integrity who cares deeply about our student-athletes and is committed to their success in the classroom as well as on the field,” said University President Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C. “I am excited to welcome him as our new head football coach, and to have his wife, Joanna, and their six beautiful children in the Notre Dame family.”

“Marcus’ ability to connect with people, his fit at Notre Dame and the way he coaches young men set him apart as we went through our search process,” said University Vice President and James E. Rohr Director of Athletics Jack Swarbrick. “I can’t wait to see how the culture created by these remarkable student-athletes continues to grow under the tutelage of Marcus and his staff.”

In his first season with the Irish, he led a transformation on the defensive side of the ball that includes a number of Top-20 national rankings. The Irish rank sixth nationally in interceptions (15) and defensive touchdowns (4), seventh in total sacks (40.0), 11th in turnovers gained (23) and scoring defense (18.2) and 18th in third-down conversion percentage (.329). The 40.0 team sacks is one shy of the program record of 41 from the 1996 season.

Freeman has overseen sophomore Isaiah Foskey’s breakout season as a starter on the defensive line. Foskey has tallied 10.0 sacks this year, fourth-most in program history for a single season. The depth of the Irish defense has been on full display in 2021 as 15 different players have recorded a sack and 21 different players have had a tackle-for-loss. The 15 interceptions are the most in a single season since 2014 when the Irish had 16. In November, the Irish had three-straight games without allowing a touchdown for the first time since 2012.

Prior to coming to South Bend, Freeman spent the previous four seasons as the defensive coordinator at Cincinnati. During his time with the Bearcats, he was named the 2020 247Sports.com Defensive Coordinator of the Year and 2020 Broyles Award Finalist along with a nominee for the Broyles Award in 2019 and 2018.

Prior to his time at Purdue, Freeman coached linebackers at Kent State from 2011-12, helping develop all-conference selections Luke Batton and C.J. Malauulu.

Freeman started his coaching career as a graduate assistant coach at his alma mater, Ohio State, in 2010 and the Buckeyes went 12-1 with a victory in the Sugar Bowl.

Freeman is just the third Notre Dame head coach to have been selected in the NFL Draft, and is the first since Ara Parseghian was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1947. He is the 23rd Notre Dame head coach to have Division I playing experience and the first since Tyrone Willingham.

During his playing career, Freeman was a four-year letterwinner for the Buckeyes from 2004 to 2008. He played under current Cincinnati head coach Luke Fickell and earned second team All-Big Ten honors in 2008 while helping lead Ohio State to four conference titles, three BCS bowls and two trips to the national title game during his career.

He played in the 2009 Senior Bowl and was a fifth-round draft pick of the Chicago Bears, spending time with the Bears, Buffalo Bills and Houston Texans before a medical condition ended his playing career.

Freeman graduated from Ohio State in 2007 and returned to the classroom to earn his master’s degree in 2011.

Miss Kentucky Elle Smith crowned Miss USA 2021

Miss Kentucky Elle Smith has won the 2021 Miss USA pageant. Smith's victory makes it three years in a row that a Black woman was crowned Miss USA.

Smith is a 2020 graduate of University of Kentucky, the school said on Twitter. She majored in Broadcast Journalism, according to a biography posted by Louisville's WHAS11, where she works as a reporter. While at UK, Smith served as vice-president of the school's National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) chapter, the station said.

Smith posted about her victory on Instagram:

GOD IS SO GOOD.

I am thrilled and honored to be your Miss USA 2021. I can’t say thank you enough to every single person who has supported me on this journey. Every single comment, every single message and prayer did not go unnoticed.

To the great state of Kentucky, you will forever have my heart. You believed and loved on me since I was crowned in May and there is no other state I would have wanted to represent on the Miss USA stage.

She will go on to represent the U.S. at the 2021 Miss Universe pageant, scheduled for Dec. 12 in Eilat, Israel.

Florida law school creates Ben Crump social justice center

A South Florida law school on Thursday announced the creation of a social justice center named after Ben Crump, the Black civil rights attorney who has gained national prominence representing victims of police brutality and vigilante violence.

The Benjamin L. Crump Center for Social Justice, housed at the St. Thomas University College of Law in Miami Gardens, aims to nurture the next generation of civil rights lawyers while also pushing more racial and gender diversity in the legal profession.

Beginning with a $1 million leadership grant from Truist Financial Corp.'s charitable fund, the Crump Center will support an incubator program for students looking to establish themselves in civil rights and social justice lawyering. The center also will increase need-based financial aid for students and will assist new lawyers with expanded pro bono service placements.

On Thursday, the law school also will launch a $35 million fundraising campaign to expand its ongoing training of lawyers who fight for social justice. The money is expected to be used for construction of a new building for the Crump Center, as well as new classrooms and simulated courtrooms.

Public NJ Golf Course Brings Back Original Name To Honor Its African-American Ownership And History

A NJ golf club located in Scotch Plains was renamed back to its original name, Shady Rest this week, just in time for a 100th anniversary gala on Friday night celebrating its African-American history.

Symone Sanders Leaving White House

Symone Sanders, a top aide to Vice President Kamala Harris will depart the White House by the end of the year, according to people familiar with the matter.

Sanders shared the move in a Wednesday night memo to staff.

“I’m so grateful to the VP for her vote of confidence from the very beginning and the opportunity to see what can be unburdened by what has been,” she wrote.

She has served as Harris’s spokeswoman since the beginning of the Biden administration.

A White House official told CNN that Sanders had served "honorably."

"The President and vice president are grateful for Symone's service and advocacy for this White House. She is a valued member, a team player, and she will be missed. We are grateful to have her working through the end of the year," the official said.

Stacey Abrams announces another run for Georgia governor

Stacey Abrams released a video announcing that she's running for Georgia governor again in 2022.

I’m running for Governor because opportunity in our state shouldn’t be determined by zip code, background or access to power. #gapol

Be a founding donor to my campaign:https://t.co/gk2lmBINfW pic.twitter.com/z14wUlo8ls

— Stacey Abrams (@staceyabrams) December 1, 2021

Andre Dickens wins Atlanta mayor race

City Council member Andre Dickens won a runoff election Tuesday to become Atlanta's next mayor, soundly beating the council's president Felicia Moore.

It has been a remarkable run for Dickens, a current Atlanta City Councilman, who just more than a month ago was polling at 6 percent, well behind front runners Moore and former Atlanta mayor Kasim Reed.

A month before that, Dickens polled in fourth place behind Sharon Gay, and just ahead of fellow councilman Antonio Brown.

But then came Election Day. On Nov. 2, Dickens surged ahead of Reed late in the night and ended up securing his spot in Tuesday's runoff by about 600 votes. But on that night, he was still trailing Moore by about 17 percent of the vote.

Over the next 28 days, Dickens was able to carry that momentum into an unlikely win and a job he says he's been looking forward to since he was 16 years old.

Dickens says he will hit the ground running in his first 100 days in office. He says his primary focus when he takes the oath in January will be on public safety.

"On day one, I'll make sure we start and enact my 'Safe Streets Plan,' my public safety plan for the city of Atlanta. To begin the process of hiring 250 officers and start their training toward conflict resolution and community-based policing."

He's also pushing to advance education initiatives, despite the mayor's office having no direct oversight over the city's schools.

Dickens will be sworn into office on Jan. 3, 2022.

Keith Ellison to seek 2nd term as Minnesota attorney general

Democratic Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison announced Monday that he’s running for reelection next year.

Ellison said he wants another four-year term to continue fighting for fairness in wages, drug prices, housing costs and other areas of the economy. During a remote campaign announcement, Ellison said his goal remains to help people afford their lives.

“We’ve done a lot. We’ve done all we can, and we’re going to do more,” Ellison said. “But that’s why I’m running for re-election, to continue this fight for people all over the state of Minnesota.”

Ellison is the first Black Attorney General and the first Muslim elected to statewide office in Minnesota. He previously served a dozen years in Congress representing Minneapolis and the rest of Minnesota’s 5th District.

Mary McLeod Bethune’s statue from Florida will make history in the U.S. Capitol

Early next year, Florida will send a statue of Mary McLeod Bethune to replace a statue of a Confederate general in the U.S. Capitol, making her the first Black person to represent a state in the National Statuary Hall Collection.

Bethune was an educator and civil rights activist. In 1904, she started a school for Black girls in Daytona Beach, which later became Bethune-Cookman University. She was also an adviser to President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

The white marble statue that depicts a smiling Bethune holding a black marble rose is on display at Daytona State College’s News-Journal Center in Daytona Beach until Dec. 12, when it will head to D.C.

There are four other African Americans represented in statues or busts throughout the Capitol — Frederick Douglass, Rosa Parks, the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and Sojourner Truth — but none of them belongs to the National Statuary Hall Collection representing a state.

Deion Sanders named SWAC Coach of the Year

In just his second year as a head coach Deion Sanders was named the South Western Athletic Conference Coach of the Year on Monday.

Sanders led the Jackson State University Tigers to a 10-1 overall record and a perfect 8-0 mark in SWAC regular season play. Under Sanders' leadership the Tigers are currently ranked in the top 15 of the FCS Coaches Poll and are also ranked in the top 25 of the Stats FCS Poll. The Tigers claimed the SWAC East Division title for the first time since the 2013 season. For his efforts Sanders has been named a finalist for the Stats Perform FCS Eddie Robinson award.

15-year-old Emya Johnson Reported Missing

SYOSSET, N.Y.—Police on Long Island are trying to find a teenager who has been reported missing.

Emya Johnson, 15, hasn’t been seen since staff at the MercyFirst facility in Syosset drove her to the Bronx for an authorized visit with family Saturday afternoon.

Emya is described as 5 feet, 1 inch tall and approximately 100 pounds with black hair and brown eyes.

Police said descriptions of her clothes or possible destinations were unknown.

Anyone with information is urged to contact the Missing Persons Squad at 516-573-7347 or 911. Callers remain anonymous.

Maryland teacher, Keishia Thorpe Wins $1M Global Teacher Prize

Keishia Thorpe, a high school teacher from PG County, Maryland, is the winner of the $1 million Global Teacher Prize in 2021 mainly for her work in opening up college education for students who are underprivileged.

The award was given by Varkey Foundation to Thorpe after being selected from over 8,000 nominations and applications from 121 countries around the world. Thorpe, who teaches English at International High School Langley Park in Bladensburg, Maryland, “completely redesigned the 12th-grade curriculum for the English department to make it culturally relevant to her students who are first-generation Americans, immigrants, or refugees from mostly Africa, the Middle East, the Caribbean, and South and Central America,” according to the Global Teacher Prize’s website.

Her efforts resulted to 40% increase in her students’ reading. She was also responsible for helping high school students gain fully-funded scholarships. In fact, she helped seniors win $6.7 million in scholarships in 2018-2019 alone.

Thorpe knew firsthand the struggles of underprivileged students as she herself migrated to the US from Africa on a track and field scholarship. She and her twin sister Dr. Treisha Thorpe also founded a non-profit organization called U.S. Elite International Track and Field, Inc. that aims to help “at-risk” student-athletes across the globe connect with college coaches to access fully-funded scholarships in the US.

Prior to the recent achievement, Thorpe was also honored with the Medal of Excellence from the governor of Maryland and was chosen as the National Life Changer of the Year in 2018-2019.

Coast Guard honors service’s first African American diver

The Coast Guard honored Ralph Berry, the service’s first African American diver, Tuesday, in a ceremony at Coast Guard Air Station Elizabeth City, North Carolina.

In 1979, Berry became the first African American to graduate from the Navy Dive and Salvage Center in Panama City, Florida. He was assigned to the Atlantic Strike Team in Elizabeth City, and dove on the sunken Coast Guard Cutter Blackthorn in 1980. Berry was also attached to the Coast Guard Cutter Basswood in Guam, and the Coast Guard Cutter Sassafras in Hawaii.

Altogether Berry’s family has more than 400 years of combined service in the Coast Guard, which includes Richard Etheridge, the first African American to command a Life-Saving Station.

The ceremony saw active duty members of the Coast Guard, the Coast Guard’s dive program and family and friends of Berry in attendance.

“The Coast Guard is proud to celebrate and recognize a member who continually challenged himself and kept true to the Coast Guard core values of Honor, Respect, and Devotion to Duty,” said Capt. Lamont Bazemore, chief of enlisted personnel for the Fifth District. “In 1994 I was attending Elizabeth City State University when I received a flyer over the Christmas break about the Minority Officer Recruitment Effort program. Chief Berry shepherded me through the recruitment process, but more importantly, seeing a Black man in a leadership position helped me to see myself in the Coast Guard. Chief Berry was always a soft-spoken, supportive leader. It was my honor today to shake his hand and thank him for opening a door to my more than 27 years of service.”

African American Businesses you can support on Black Friday / Cyber Monday #BuyBlack

It's the day after Thanksgiving and online shopping is booming. Here is a list of African American online retailers that you may wish to support.

Milions will be spent between now and Cyber Monday, let's do our part to #BuyBlack during that time and spread the wealth around.

If you know of any more Black owned companies just drop the link in the comments section.

CultureFit

Shop CultureFit Here: https://www.culturefitclothing.com/

Bevel

Shop Bevel Here: https://getbevel.com/shave-kit

Becki Oakley

Shop Becki Oakley Here: https://www.beckicoakley.com/

PerryCo

Shop PerryCo Here: https://perrycoshoes.com/

Agnes Badoo

Shop Agnes Badoo Here: https://www.agnesbaddoo.com/

Mahogany Books

Shop Mahogany Books Here: https://www.mahoganybooks.com/

Talley & Twine

Shop Talley & Twine Here: https://talleyandtwine.com/

Third Crown (Jewelery)

Shop Third Crown Here: https://www.thirdcrown.com/

BLAC Minerals (make up)

Shop Blac Minerals Here: https://www.blacminerals.com/

The Lip Bar (make up)

Shop The Lip Bar Here: https://thelipbar.com/

Uhai Hair (hair care)

Shop Uhair Hair Here: https://uhaihair.com/ /a>

Flawless by Gabrielle Union (hair care)

Shop Flawless by Gabrielle Union Here: https://www.amazon.com/flawlessbygabrielleunion?tag=1258948-shoppingblackownedbiz-20

Brown Butter Beauty (skin care)

Shop Brown Butter Beauty Shop Here: https://www.brownbutterbeautyshop.com/

Hanahana Beauty (skin care)

Shop Hanahana Beauty Here: https://hanahanabeauty.com/

Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles announces 2022 re-election bid

Charlotte, North Carolina Mayor Vi Lyles used a holiday greeting to also touch on her political future.

In a 30-second video posted to her social media pages, Lyles not only wished the community a Happy Thanksgiving but also announced that she will run for re-election in 2022.

“I’m so proud of our community for all of the good works that we’re doing – jobs and housing and so much more,” Lyles said.

November’s election featured no races from the city of Charlotte because of the census data delays that are in legislation. Due to the larger amount of population, these city elections were delayed to early 2022 in March or April.

In 2019, Lyles, a Democrat, was re-elected as mayor over Republican David Michael Rice.

Janet Rollé Named CEO and Executive Director of American Ballet Theatre

Andrew Barth, Chairman of the Board of Governing Trustees at American Ballet Theatre, has announced the appointment of Janet Rollé to the position of CEO and Executive Director at American Ballet Theatre. Her appointment will become effective January 3, 2022. Rollé joins ABT from Parkwood Entertainment, having served as General Manager since 2016.

As General Manager at Parkwood Entertainment, the media and management company founded by entertainer and entrepreneur Beyoncé, Rollé led all business operations for the company which houses departments in music, film, video, live performances and concert production, artist management, business development, marketing, digital, creative, philanthropy, and publicity. Her role included oversight of strategic partnerships, legal and business affairs, marketing, finance, human resources, archive, and information technology for all Parkwood businesses and artists. She was Associate Producer of Beyoncé’s history-making performance at the Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival, the Emmy Award®-nominated Homecoming: A Film By Beyoncé (2019), which documents the Coachella performance, and the OTR II Tour. She was an Executive Producer of the Emmy®-winning film, Black Is King.

Rollé previously served as Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer at CNN Worldwide, leading a staff of 110 and overseeing the promotion of all CNN brands and programming. Rollé was the first Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer of BET Networks and has also served in senior positions at AOL, MTV Networks, and HBO. She serves on the board of directors of BuzzFeed, Inc. and Hallmark Cards, Inc. In addition, Rollé was previously a Presidential Appointee and member of the Nominating Committee of the United States Tennis Association.

“After a thorough search, Janet emerged as the right leader to usher in ABT’s next chapter,” said Andrew Barth, Chairman of ABT’s Board of Governing Trustees. “Her extensive experience as a business leader and marketing strategist, combined with her life-long passion for dance, perfectly positions her to lead our organization. She is brimming with ideas to lead ABT into the next decade, all while respecting Ballet Theatre’s history and legacy. I am confident that Janet’s accomplished background in business operations and development, strategic partnerships, and brand management will be a tremendous asset.”

“When my dear Mom, an immigrant from Jamaica, took me to my first dance class at the age of eight at the YMCA in Mount Vernon, New York, she set me on the path that would provide the foundation of my career. Through dance, I learned how to be a professional, the value of discipline and technique, and my love for the creative process. These lessons have always been at the core of my professional life and work. It is therefore a singular privilege to be entrusted by the Board to preserve and extend the legacy of American Ballet Theatre, and to ensure its future prosperity, cultural impact, and relevance. To come full circle and be in a position to give back to the art that has given me so much is a source of unbridled and immense joy,” said Rollé.

“I am honored to welcome Janet on board to lead ABT into the future,” said Kevin McKenzie, ABT Artistic Director. “Over the past several years, our Company has renewed its commitment to strengthening the foundation of what ABT has always stood for – artistic excellence, expanding audience engagement and growth, and cultivating a team of teachers, innovators, and visionaries who will represent ABT for generations to come. Janet’s experience as an executive, with a background in dance, as well as her management of the multi-layered business of one of the most successful recording artists history, bodes well for ABT’s continued success.”

Rollé received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance from the State University of New York at Purchase and an MBA from Columbia University Graduate School of Business. She was named “10 Who Made Their Mark” and a “Woman To Watch” by Advertising Age magazine. She is the recipient of the Institute for Caribbean Studies Trailblazer Award and the Pat Tobin Media Professional Award from the National Association of Black Journalists. She was conferred an Honorary Doctorate of Laws from The University of the West Indies.