HARTBEAT AND SUNDIAL MEDIA GROUP ANNOUNCE PARTNERSHIP TO LAUNCH ESSENCE-BRANDED FAST CHANNEL

Hartbeat, the global entertainment company founded by Kevin Hart, and Sundial Media & Technology Group (SMTG), a human connections company and home to iconic brands like ESSENCE, AFROPUNK, and Refinery29, today announced a partnership to launch an ESSENCE-branded FAST (Free Ad-Supported Streaming Television) channel. This collaboration addresses a significant gap in the streaming landscape by creating the first major streaming platform specifically designed for Black women, combining SMTG's robust content library with Hartbeat's award-winning, premium production and creative capabilities.

The partnership emerges at a pivotal moment when Black viewership on Connected TV (CTV) and FAST platforms is experiencing explosive growth, yet programming specifically tailored to Black women remains underserved across major streaming platforms. According to recent industry data, Black households over-index significantly in CTV consumption, with streaming viewership among Black audiences growing 40% year-over-year, while targeted content remains severely underrepresented.

"Hartbeat has consistently identified and served underrepresented markets," said Jeff Clanagan, President and Chief Distribution Officer of Hartbeat. "This ESSENCE-branded FAST channel represents another strategic opportunity to create authentic content for an audience that has been overlooked by traditional streaming platforms. We're not just launching a channel – we're creating a cultural destination."

"For decades, we've built iconic brands like ESSENCE and AFROPUNK that celebrate and serve diverse communities through powerful content and unforgettable experiences," said Kirk McDonald, CEO of Sundial Media & Technology Group. "This partnership with Hartbeat allows us to extend those brands into the streaming ecosystem for the first time, creating a dedicated platform where Black women can see themselves authentically represented in premium entertainment."

The FAST channel will feature a dynamic mix of acquired programming from SMTG's extensive library and original content produced through the partnership. Hartbeat's production team will develop exclusive content that celebrates Black women's experiences, achievements, and cultural contributions.

"This groundbreaking partnership highlights ESSENCE's commitment to innovation and premium storytelling, ensuring Black women are not only seen, but centered, in the next frontier of media," said Michele Ghee, ESSENCE Chief Content Officer. "We're proud to introduce an ESSENCE-branded FAST channel that elevates the voices, experiences, and culture of our audience, offering access to curated, empowering content whenever and wherever she wants it. We're not just launching a channel; we're creating a new space for our community to see themselves reflected and celebrated in bold, authentic ways. "

An integral part of this partnership includes leveraging the relationships of Hartbeat and ESSENCE to engage with established Black women actresses, writers, and directors, providing them with a platform for creative freedom and empowering them to produce authentic content. It will provide sustainable funding for premium programming and create new revenue streams for Black women creatives, while delivering authentic brand messaging that resonates with the target demographic.

The collaboration harnesses the combined power of two iconic brands in Black culture. For 55 years, ESSENCE has served as the definitive voice of Black women, celebrating their beauty, brilliance, and influence across generations. SMTG's powerhouse portfolio of platforms reaches millions of culturally engaged consumers and commands deep audience loyalty, anchored by tentpole experiences like the ESSENCE Festival of Culture® and Beautycon™.

Hartbeat provides world-class production capabilities, digital distribution expertise, and proven success in creating culturally relevant content that resonates with diverse audiences. Hartbeat's track record includes building the Laugh Out Loud Network into the #1 cultural comedy network; producing acclaimed series including "Number One on the Call Sheet" for Apple TV+" and "Fight Night" on Peacock; and championing diverse voices, launching programs like Women Write Now, which champions Black female writers in Hollywood.

The channel will launch across all major Connected TV, YouTube, and FAST platforms, leveraging Hartbeat's extensive distribution network to ensure maximum reach and accessibility for Black women across all viewing preferences and devices.

Renowned Sculptor Selma Burke Honored in a Powerful, New Invitational African American Art Show

Phillips’ Mill Community Association proudly announces a powerful new exhibition, The Selma Burke Invitational African American Art Show, paying homage to one of America’s most notable sculptors and art educators of the 20th century, an artist who just happened to call New Hope home for the last 40 of her 95 years. This signature exhibition will feature more than 60 works by many African American artists Burke mentored, taught, and inspired, including James E. Duprée and Kimberly Camp; the exhibition will be on view from May 31 through June 29, 2025.

Born in Mooresville, North Carolina, in 1900, Selma Burke rose to national prominence through her contributions to American art, namely her extraordinary artwork and dedication to teaching others. She became an integral figure of the Harlem Renaissance, founded the Selma Burke School of Art, and earned her MFA from Columbia University. She later founded the Selma Burke Art Center in Pittsburgh and eventually settled in New Hope, Pennsylvania, leaving an indelible mark on the local arts community through her leadership at the Solebury School and Robert McClellan’s New Hope School of Art. In 1977, she also founded the Bucks County Sculpture Show, which is still held annually today.

Burke’s work can be found in major institutions, including the Smithsonian American Art Museum, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the James A. Michener Art Museum, the Studio Museum of Harlem, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Whitney Museum of American Art. She is perhaps best known for her relief portrait of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, which became the model for the dime.

The exhibition showcases a dynamic range of contemporary and historical works by Burke-mentored and -inspired artists, including celebrated New Hope resident James E. Duprée. "James was invited to exhibit in the show Artists for Goode (1984–85)," recalls Mary Flamer, PMCA Board Member and Chair of the Selma Burke Show Committee. "Ms. Burke attended the event and immediately took a liking to him, supporting his later exhibitions at the Studio Museum in Harlem." Duprée’s work is held in the Philadelphia Museum of Art collections, The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture in New York, and Kunsthal Charlottenborg in Copenhagen.

Award-winning artist Kimberly Camp, also featured in the show, fondly remembers Burke’s generosity. “Selma Burke was extremely generous to us back in the ’70s and ’80s, letting us know we could come to her studio. I can remember meeting her at a National Conference of Artists meeting. She was very involved with the organization’s Philadelphia chapter,” recalls Camp, a former president and CEO of the Barnes Foundation and founding director of the Smithsonian Institution’s Experimental Gallery. Camp’s paintings and distinctive dolls have been exhibited in over 100 shows, including the Smithsonian and a recent exhibition at the Hunterdon Art Museum. Camp will display three dolls at Phillips’ Mill, including a possible tribute piece to Burke herself. “I love that Phillips’ Mill is doing this tribute to Selma Burke because women artists, especially Black American women artists, are often tossed aside,” says Camp. “Most museum collections still have not made progress in this area.”

Joining Duprée and Camp, are more than two dozen artists whose works have been loaned directly or sourced from essential collectors such as Trenton arts champion Lawrence Hilton. Expect to see works by Chakaia Booker, Adjoa Jackson Burrowes, Frank Bowling, Wendell Brooks, Willie Cole, Lamerol Gatewood, Lonnie Holley, Curlee Raven Holton, Kenneth Lewis Sr., James Little, Vivian McDuffie, Lisette Morel, Nell Painter, Janet Taylor Pickett, Danielle Scott, Danny Simmons, Ron Tarver, and Mickalene Thomas. The exhibition also features historical works by renowned artists such as Faith Ringgold, Romare Bearden, Edward Bannister, Thornton Dial, Herbert Gentry, Richard Hunt, Wifredo Lam, Norman Lewis, and Hale Woodruff.

Mary Flamer is excited to be bringing this exhibition to Phillips’ Mill, introducing many of these esteemed artists, whose works are included in museums, collections, and galleries internationally, to the local area for the first time. She notes that over the years, Black artists like Selma Burke have helped preserve the nation’s history and culture. “Art explains things that sometimes words can’t,” says Flamer. “Through her art, Selma portrayed strong figures, many Black women, which challenged stereotypes and celebrated Black art, history, and culture.”

The Selma Burke Invitational African American Art Show runs May 31–June 29, 2025 and is partially made possible by a generous grant from the Bucks County Foundation. Gallery hours are Saturdays and Sundays, 12:00 p.m.–5:00 p.m. Admission is $7; free for PMCA members. Most artwork will be available for purchase. Interested collectors should contact Holly Lovejoy, Selma Burke Show Committee Member, at Selma@phillipsmill.org.

THE BLACK WOMEN'S SUMMIT COMES TO OAKLAND ARENA ON AUGUST 2, 2025

Join U.S. Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett, Joy-Ann Reid, Yara Shahidi, Tamika D. Mallory, Angela Rye, Nikole Hannah-Jones, Jemele Hill, Ilyasah Shabazz, and Maryum Ali — with guest performer Theresa tha S.O.N.G.B.I.R.D.

The Black Promoters Collective proudly presents The Black Women's Summit, an all-day women's conference taking place Saturday, August 2, 2025, at the Oakland Arena in Oakland, California. This impactful event will bring together some of today's most influential voices across politics, media, activism, and the arts for a powerful day of inspiration, education, and collective celebration.

This is more than a conference. It's a movement. A space created to reflect, rise, and reignite the extraordinary power of Black women across generations.

Tickets go on sale Friday, June 6, 2025, at 10:00 AM local time via Ticketmaster.com. Presales begin Thursday, June 5 from 10:00 AM to 11:59 PM local time via the code BPC.

Headlining the summit are dynamic speakers and trailblazing change-makers including:

• Jasmine Crockett - U.S. Congresswoman
  
  
• Joy-Ann Reid – Journalist, Author, documentary film producer and social & political Commentator
  
  
• Yara Shahidi – Award-winning actress, producer, & and the breakout star of ABC's Emmy and Golden Globe-nominated series black-ish
  
  
• Tamika D. Mallory – Bestselling author, award-winning social justice leader, and movement strategist
  
  
• Angela Rye – Award-winning host, social justice advocate, lawyer, commentator, and self-described empowermenteur
  
  
• Nikole Hannah-Jones – Author of the 1619 Project & Pulitzer Prize winner from the NY Times
  
  
• Jemele Hill – Emmy Award-Winning Journalist and Author
  
  
• Ilyasah Shabazz – Author, Activist, and Daughter of Malcolm X
  
  
• Maryum Ali – Author, Activist, and Daughter of Muhammad Ali
  
  
• Guest Performer, Theresa tha S.O.N.G.B.I.R.D

Throughout the day, attendees will engage in transformative conversations centered around culture, policy, community, leadership, and the legacy of Black women. From personal truths to powerful calls to action, each session is designed to uplift, educate, and connect.

"This isn't just a gathering. It's a celebration of Black women's empowerment. We are honoring the past, amplifying the present, and shaping the future together." — Lionel Bea, SVP, Black Promoters Collective

For the latest updates and to purchase tickets, please visit bpctickets.com.

Nominations are now open for the 2025 EBONY POWER 100 List

Black excellence has a home, and for eight decades, that home has been EBONY. Today, as the iconic and beloved Black-owned media company prepares to celebrate 80 years of championing and elevating the Black identity through powerful storytelling, around the globe, we are now proud to announce that nominations are open for the 2025 EBONY Power 100 List.

The EBONY Power 100 captures lightning in a bottle—the dynamic forces who aren't just participating in culture, but transforming it. As part of our enduring mission to amplify and celebrate Black voices, we recognize the visionaries who turn obstacles into opportunities, the innovators whose dreams become our daily reality, and the voices that resonate from boardrooms to recording studios, research labs to movie sets. From activists to actors, innovative scientists to business leaders, these are individuals who not only break barriers, but are redefining what's possible for future generations, while embodying the spirit creative expression that has defined EBONY for decades.

Past honorees include Cynthia Erivo, USHER, former Vice President Kamala Harris, Deion Sanders, Gayle King, and Pat McGrath.

Submissions are now open for the 2025 EBONY Power 100 list. The full list of 2025 EBONY Power 100 categories include:

• Artists in Residence
• Business Disrupters
• Community Crusaders
• Entertainment Powerhouses
• Generation Next
• Influential Creators
• Leaders in Sports
• Media Mavens
• Music Innovators
• Stem Trailblazers

To learn more about EBONY Power 100 and to nominate visit:
https://www.ebony.com/ebony-power-100-nomination-form.

All nominations must be submitted by June 13, 2025. Final honorees will be celebrated at the highly anticipated EBONY Power 100 ceremony in Los Angeles November 2025.

For inquiries about the EBONY Power 100 contact:

• For EBONY Power 100 list inquires - EP100@ebony.com
• For sales and brand partnerships – Duryea Ruffins, druffins@ebony.com
• For PR & marketing - Deon Harris, dharris@ebony.com

100 Black Men of America, Inc. Announces 39th Annual Conference in New Orleans

100 Black Men of America, Inc., the nation's premier African American mentoring and leadership development organization, is proud to announce its 39th Annual Conference, taking place June 4–8, 2025 in New Orleans, Louisiana at the Hilton New Orleans Riverside.

This year's theme, "Preparing Leaders to Impact Our Changing World," reflects the organization's continued commitment to mentoring, education, health and wellness, and economic empowerment across communities of color. The multi-day conference will bring together 100 chapters, industry leaders, youth, corporate partners, elected officials, educators, and advocates from across the country.

"At a time when leadership is needed more than ever, this conference provides the inspiration, tools, and access to empower the next generation," said Milton H. Jones, Jr., Chairman of the Board, 100 Black Men of America, Inc. "Our conference isn't just a gathering — it's a launchpad for legacy-building and real-world change. We're convening a powerful mix of voices from across the country—mentors, youth, entrepreneurs, educators, health professionals, and corporate leaders—who are aligned in their commitment to shaping a better future. Whether you're here to grow, give back, or be inspired, this experience is designed to move us all forward."

The 39th Annual Conference will feature:

• Youth leadership workshops and national competitions
• The signature 100 Business Summit
• Panels and keynotes from national thought leaders
• Chapter development workshops
• Health and wellness activations
• Networking events and award celebrations
• Call to action for elevating youth mentoring programs

The event is expected to welcome over 1,300 attendees, including members of the 100's Collegiate, Emerging 100, and youth mentees from across the 100 Black Men network. With both a local presence and national impact, the 100 is active in promoting equitable outcomes in education, business, and civic engagement. This year's conference will involve the New Orleans community by offering free eye exams and glasses for students attending Benjamin Franklin Elementary School and hosting a free Business Summit to support local entrepreneurs. This event is open to the public.

Media can obtain credentials and access the media kit by viewing the bottom section of this page. Interviews with the 100's executive board members and sponsor representatives can be scheduled. Visit 100blackmen.org for complete information.