Invesco QQQ Named Title Partner of the Orange Blossom Classic

The Orange Blossom Classic Committee proudly announces that Invesco QQQ has signed on as the Title Partner in a new multi-year agreement, ushering in a dynamic new era under the name Invesco QQQ Orange Blossom Classic.

This partnership marks more than just a naming rights milestone—it represents a shared commitment to innovation, empowerment, and financial education. As part of the agreement, Invesco QQQ will also serve as the exclusive partner in the asset, wealth, and investment management products and services category, strengthening its position as a national leader in financial empowerment and collegiate engagement.

"The Orange Blossom Classic is more than a football game—it's a celebration of education, culture, and community impact," said Kendra Bulluck, Executive Director of the Orange Blossom Classic. "We're proud to partner with Invesco QQQ to bring these values to life through meaningful programming that equips students and student-athletes for success on and off the field. Together, we're building a legacy that's rooted in empowerment, access, and long-term growth."

A leading investment management firm, Invesco is dedicated to delivering value and long-term positive outcomes for clients through a broad range of investment strategies and a culture of innovation. As the official ETF (Exchange Traded Fund) of the NCAA, Invesco's presence within college athletics continues to grow. Through this expanded relationship with the Orange Blossom Classic, Invesco deepens its commitment to students and student-athletes of all backgrounds by promoting investment education and championing financial independence.

Beyond the football field, Invesco QQQ will also serve as the title partner of two cornerstone OBC professional development programs that empower the next generation of leaders. Through the Professional Business Combine, participants will engage in immersive sessions with top business executives and industry leaders focused on financial planning, innovation, and market insights.

In addition, Invesco QQQ will be the title partner of the Careers in Sports & Entertainment Symposium, a marquee experience designed to expose students and early-career professionals to the business side of the sports and entertainment industries—including marketing, management, media, and operations—through networking, mentorship, and career exploration.

Now entering its fifth year since re-establishment, the Invesco QQQ Orange Blossom Classic continues to serve as a premier HBCU football and cultural celebration. The 2025 edition will feature Howard University and Florida A&M University, two of the most storied institutions in HBCU history, as they face off at Hard Rock Stadium on Saturday, August 30, 2025, during Labor Day Weekend. Official ancillary events begin on Tuesday, August 26.

For details on tickets, hotels, and official events, visit The Orange Blossom Classic | Orange Blossom Classic Returns | Purchase Tickets Today. You can also connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter at @OrangeBlossomFC.

National Underground Railroad Freedom Center announces 2025 International Freedom Conductor Awards

This spring, the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center will bestow its highest honor to modern-day freedom heroes and equity advocates during their International Freedom Conductor Awards program, presented by Procter & Gamble. The program coincides with the Freedom Center’s 30th anniversary and will be a celebration of three decades of social justice education, advocacy and heroes who are leading the fight for justice today.

The Freedom Center’s International Freedom Conductor Awards will be presented during the honors program May 24 at the Aronoff Center. The program will feature live music performances and reflections from award honorees. Limited seats will be available, but the honors program will be taped live and rebroadcast nationally.

The International Freedom Conductor Award is the Freedom Center’s highest honor, awarded to recognize the contributions of contemporary individuals who, by their actions and personal examples, reflect the spirit and courageous actions of conductors on the historic Underground Railroad, the nation’s original social justice movement. Award recipients reflect positive impact on contemporary freedom issues and inspire others to act.

“Freedom calls to each of us. For generations, individuals have answered the call, risking their lives to light the way for the oppressed and the unfree. But as freedom conductors persist, so, too, do old systems and hardened hearts rise to challenge them,” said Woodrow Keown, Jr., president and COO of the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center. “Our International Freedom Conductors remind us that we are all worthy of being torchbearers and we must all answer the call to lead through the darkness, moving ever closer to the brilliant light of freedom.”

The 2025 International Freedom Conductor Award will be presented to:

Opal Lee, the Grandmother of Juneteenth

Opal Lee campaigned for decades to make Juneteenth a federal holiday – the date news reached Galveston, Texas that the Civil War was over and enslaved African Americans were now free on June 19, 1865. Each year, she walked 2.5 miles, representing the 2.5 years it took for news of the Emancipation Proclamation to reach Texas. At the age of 89, she conducted a symbolic five-month walk from Fort Worth to Washington, DC. Largely through her efforts, Juneteenth was recognized as a federal holiday in 2021. She was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Joe Biden in 2024 and was a Nobel Peace Prize nominee in 2022. She is just the second African American to have her portrait hung in the Texas State Senate.

Lonnie G. Bunch III – First African American Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution
Lonnie G. Bunch III is the 14th Secretary of the Smithsonian, a position that oversees 21 museums, 21 libraries, the National Zoo, numerous research centers and several education units and centers. Previously, Bunch was the founding director of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture. When he started as director in 2005, he had one staff member, no collections, no funding and no site for a museum. Driven by optimism, determination and a commitment to build “a place that would make America better,” Bunch transformed a vision into a bold reality. The museum has welcomed more than 11 million visitors since it opened in September 2016 and has compiled a collection of 40,000 objects that are housed in the first “green building” on the National Mall. In 2019, the creation of the museum became the first Smithsonian effort to be the topic of a Harvard Business Review case study.

Toni Morrison*, Pulitzer Prize- and Nobel Prize-winning author of Beloved
Toni Morrison was one of the most celebrated authors in the world. In addition to writing plays and children’s books, her novels earned her countless prestigious awards including the Pulitzer Prize and the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Barack Obama. As the first African American woman to win the Nobel Prize in Literature, Morrison’s work has inspired a generation of writers to follow in her footsteps. Her award-winning novel Beloved is inspired by the true story of Margaret Garner who, after escaping enslavement in Northern Kentucky, crossed the Ohio River in Cincinnati with her young children. Pursued by slave catchers, Garner killed one of her children before capture, an act of love to spare her child from enslavement, a fate worse than death.

Isabel Wilkerson – Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and best-selling author
Isabel Wilkerson, the winner of the Pulitzer Prize and the National Humanities Medal, has become a leading figure in narrative nonfiction, an interpreter of the human condition and an impassioned voice for demonstrating how history can help us understand ourselves, our country and our current era of upheaval. Through her writing, Wilkerson brings the invisible and the marginalized into the light and into our hearts. Through her lectures, she explores with authority the need to reconcile America’s karmic inheritance and the origins of both our divisions and our shared commonality. Her debut work, The Warmth of Other Suns, won multiple awards including the National Book Critics Circle Award and the Lynton History Prize from Harvard and Columbia universities.

 

*Awarded posthumously.

 

The 2025 honorees will join a legacy of International Freedom Conductors that includes:

• Rosa Parks, 1998
• Archbishop Desmond Tutu, 2000
• Dorothy Height and the Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Center for Human Rights, 2003
• President George H.W. Bush, 2007
• President Bill Clinton, 2007
• His Holiness, the 14th Dalai Lama, 2010
• Fred Shuttlesworth, 2013
• Nicholas Kristof, 2013
• Lech Walesa, 2014
• Nelson Mandela, 2014
• Nathaniel R. Jones, 2016
• Amal Clooney, 2021
• George Clooney, 2021
• Congressman John Lewis, 2021
• Bryan Stevenson, 2021

Tickets for the 2025 International Freedom Conductor Awards will go on sale April 11. For more information visit freedomcenter.org/ifca25.

National Bar Association President Issues Statement Condemning Trump Administration’s Attempt to Erase Black History

Wiley S. Adams, President of the National Bar Association, issued a firm and unequivocal statement condemning the Trump administration’s directive to remove pivotal artifacts from the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture.

“The National Bar Association is outraged and deeply disturbed by Trump Administration’s attempt to erase Black History. This decision is more than a bureaucratic act—it is a deliberate assault on truth, history, and the dignity of Black Americans,” said Adams. “We are deeply disturbed by the effort to strip from public view the very items that chronicle our nation’s long, painful, and triumphant journey toward justice.”

Adams underscored that museums are not political tools, but spaces of collective learning and remembrance.

“The African American Museum preserves artifacts that bear witness to generations of struggle and progress. Removing them is an attempt to silence the voices of those who fought to shape this country.”

He further emphasized the connection between this act and a broader erosion of democratic values.

“At a moment when the rule of law, free expression, and institutional independence are under attack, this move represents yet another effort to marginalize Black Americans and distort the narrative of who we are as a nation.”

President Adams reiterated that The NBA stands in full solidarity with the Smithsonian, its curators, and all Americans who recognize the urgent need to protect historical truth.

“We call on the public to demand the immediate restoration of these cultural artifacts. The full story of America must be preserved—not selectively edited.”

Adams closed with a powerful affirmation:

“History cannot be hidden. The legacy of Black Americans cannot be erased, and we will not stand idle as our stories, struggles, and triumphs are pushed into the shadows.”

Bishop T.D. Jakes Announces Plan to Install Touré Roberts and Sarah Jakes Roberts as Next Senior Pastors of The Potter's House

In a deeply symbolic Sunday announcement, Bishop T.D. Jakes—globally recognized faith leader, cultural influencer and founder of The Potter's House—unveiled his plans to appoint Pastors Touré Roberts and Sarah Jakes Roberts as senior pastors of the Dallas-based megachurch. This milestone moment signifies a sacred generational handoff within one of the world's most influential churches, while affirming Bishop Jakes' commitment to evolving ministry leadership for the future. Their appointment will happen later in 2025.

"For nearly 50 years, I've had the honor of connecting with and serving the local and global community as a pastor, global faith leader and unwavering truth teller," Jakes said. "As I enter my 50th year in the public spotlight, I recognize the urgent need to address more challenges of our time, particularly the looming threat of a disappearing middle class, social unrest and closing opportunity gaps. This pivotal moment calls me to focus on a legacy of economic empowerment, serving as a bridge between community, culture, and corporate alliances to help position our nation for a stronger future. Elevating Pastor Touré and Pastor Sarah as the new senior pastors of The Potter's House, we will honor our rich history while embracing a future that demands innovative, ministry for the coming age. This elevation is not a departure but a rebirth. I will never stop preaching and will continue to minister. This moment isn't an ending, it's an expansion. We are not only passing a mantle we are multiplying impact. Leadership is not static, it is dynamic. It demands the courage to evolve."

Bishop Jakes and Pastor Touré and Pastor Sarah released a public letter available here, expressing the spiritual and strategic thought behind the transition.

Sunday's announcement follows a season of profound transition for Jakes, including a widely publicized health emergency he suffered in November 2024, which he spoke about in detail during an exclusive on The TODAY show and the culmination of the International Leadership Summit (ILS), a signature global gathering he launched over two decades ago. Themed "Changing of the Guard," this final ILS served as a prophetic prelude to this very moment. Held April 10–12, 2025, in Orlando, the summit gathered visionaries across industries and generations to address one of the most critical questions of our time: how do we prepare the next generation to lead?

Jakes will remain Chairman of the Board and spiritual overseer of The Potter's House, providing vision, counsel, and legacy leadership as the next generation steps into their senior pastoral roles.

Years in the Making

Sunday's announcement reflects the fulfillment of a multi-year strategy designed to ensure the continuity, integrity, and innovation of The Potter's House legacy. Highlights of this journey include:

2022: The Roberts family officially relocated from Los Angeles to Dallas, to take on the roles signifying a deep commitment to the ministry's growth.

2022: The historic farewell of the annual Woman, Thou Art Loosed conference to continuing the global Woman Evolve movement, led by Pastor Sarah.

2023: Pastor Touré and Pastor Sarah were installed as assistant pastors of The Potter's House, taking on significant leadership responsibilities.

Generational Leadership for a New Era

Pastor Touré, visionary leader, entrepreneur and founder of ONE | A Potter's House Church and Pastor Sarah, New York Times bestselling author, media influencer and founder of Woman Evolve, have emerged as vital voices for this moment. Their leadership model bridges generational divides and reimagines what modern spiritual leadership can look like, faithful to its foundation yet responsive to cultural shifts.

"We are committed to building a ministry that carries the heart of Bishop Jakes into a future that is both faithful and forward-thinking," said Pastor Touré. Pastor Sarah added, "This is not just a call to serve. It's a mandate to lead with compassion, clarity, and courage."

Their elevation reflects the belief that legacy is not something to preserve, it's something to propel. By entrusting this next chapter to leaders who carry both the heart of the house and a clear-eyed vision for the future, Bishop Jakes affirms what thriving institutions have always known: when successors are prepared with purpose, the mission doesn't just continue, it multiplies.

As they continue to build and foster community throughout the region, Pastor Touré and Pastor Sarah will also look to have presence and activate ministry within North Dallas as well.

Beyond the Pulpit: A Legacy Reimagined

While transitioning daily pastoral duties, T.D. Jakes will expand his global footprint and continue his work as Chairman of the T.D. Jakes Group, which consists of T.D. Jakes Real Estate Ventures, T.D. Jakes Enterprises and T.D. Jakes Foundation.

Chairman Jakes' businesses, social impact companies and partnerships will amplify his efforts to address critical social and economic issues, including workforce readiness, entrepreneurial investment, and community development. This evolution underscores his lifelong commitment to blending ministry with actionable solutions for systemic change.

Expanding his reach and deepening his impact beyond the pulpit, Jakes will soon speak to millions more daily through a new partnership with iHeartMedia, in which he will launch his own slate of shows with iHeartPodcasts.  The slate will kick off with his new podcast "My Next Chapter" where he will explore the shifts happening in our world and our lives and how we, together, can rebuild what's been broken, especially during this time of national uncertainty. T.D. Jakes has long been at the forefront of this transformation bringing faith into boardrooms, soundstages, underserved neighborhoods, and now, into a future of greater strategic influence.

As part of his continued commitment to building economic opportunity, T.D. Jakes will lead the return of the Good Soil Forum  to Dallas this June—a signature forum he founded to convene investors, entrepreneurs, and cultural leaders to equip small business owners with resources, capital access, and mentorship needed to thrive. Additionally in August 2025, the T.D. Jakes Group will curate a multi-day global exchange summit designed to catalyze economic empowerment, innovation, and cross-continental collaboration on Martha's Vineyard, known for its historic significance as a safe haven and incubator of cultural excellence.

Pamela Simms-Mackey: First Black Woman President of the American Board of Pediatrics

Pamela Simms-Mackey, an HBCU alumna and leader in the field of pediatric medical education, has been named the first Black woman president of the board of directors of the American Board of Pediatrics.

Dr. Simms-Mackey began a long association with the ABP in 2009. She served on the General Pediatrics Exam Committee for 10 years and the Maintenance of Certification Committee for six years before joining the BOD in 2020. She is the Chair of Pediatrics and Chief of Graduate Medical Education at Alameda Health System. She also is a volunteer Clinical Professor of Pediatrics with the School of Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, and Immediate Past Chair of The California Wellness Foundation’s Board of Directors.