Press "Enter" to skip to content

Posts published in “Business/Finance”

MLB Forms Diversity Committee, Focus on Increasing Number of Black Players

By goodblacknews on April 15, 2013
Atlanta Braves' Justin Upton hits a walkoff home run during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs, Saturday, April 6, 2013, in Atlanta. Atlanta won 6-5. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)

Atlanta Braves’ Justin Upton hits a walkoff home run during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs, Saturday, April 6, 2013, in Atlanta. Atlanta won 6-5. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)

NEW YORK (AP) — Major League Baseball has created a task force that will study how to increase diversity in the game, especially among black players.  Commissioner Bud Selig announced the committee Wednesday.  This week, baseball will celebrate the 66th anniversary of Jackie Robinson breaking the color barrier. A new movie titled “42″ focuses on the Hall of Famer.
The 18-member committee includes representatives from club ownership, the players’ union, minor league and college baseball, the MLB scouting bureau and other areas. Hall of Famer Frank Robinson and former major league manager Jerry Manuel are among the members.  MLB says about 8.5 percent of players on this year’s opening day rosters identified themselves as African-American or black. That’s around half the number from the mid-1970s through the mid-1990s.
AfricanAmericansBasebal_655x368_v2
“As a social institution, Major League Baseball has an enormous social responsibility to provide equal opportunities for all people, both on and off the field,” Selig said in a statement.

"42" Smacks $27.3-million Home Run in Debut, Wins Weekend Box Office

By goodblacknews on April 14, 2013
"42" smacks box-office home run

Chadwick Boseman stars as Jackie Robinson in “42,” which did better than expected at the box office this weekend.(Warner Bros.)
Jackie Robinson beat the odds again this weekend, as a film about the player who broke baseball’s color barrier outperformed at the box office.  “42,” which tells the story of the first African American Major League Baseball player, debuted as the highest-grossing movie with a robust $27.3 million this weekend, according to an estimate from distributor Warner Bros. That figure far exceeded prerelease industry polling, which suggested the film would start off with about $21 million.
Those who saw “42” this weekend loved it, assigning the film a rare perfect average grade of A+, according to market research firm CinemaScore. That’s great news for Warner Bros. Nearly every film that has earned an A+, including such movies as “The Avengers” and “The Help,”  has gone on to become a commercial hit.  “42” attracted both genders in nearly equal measure and played well with all races in suburbs and in cities. The picture drew an older crowd, however, with 59% of the audience over 35. Dan Fellman, the studio’s president of domestic distribution, said that indicated the resonance of Robinson’s tale with those familiar with his story.
“Most adults remember what he accomplished and the purpose of what he did for not only baseball but the betterment of mankind,” Fellman said. “I think the story is proving to be a lot greater than many people had anticipated.”  “42,” which stars Hollywood newcomer Chadwick Boseman as Robinson alongside Harrison Ford, was financed by Thomas Tull’s Legendary Pictures for $40 million. The movie is set in 1947, when Robinson joined the Brooklyn Dodgers, illuminating the country’s racial tensions. 
article by Amy Kaufman via latimes.com
Related Posts:

Carmelo Anthony Tops NBA’s Jersey Sales List

By goodblacknews on April 9, 2013
Carmelo Anthony #7 of the New York Knicks in action against the Los Angeles Clippers during their game at Madison Square Garden on February 10, 2013 in New York City. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)

Carmelo Anthony #7 of the New York Knicks in action against the Los Angeles Clippers during their game at Madison Square Garden on February 10, 2013 in New York City. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)

NEW YORK (AP) — Carmelo Anthony now tops the NBA’s scoring race and its most popular jerseys list.  Anthony took over the No. 1 spot on the league’s sales list Tuesday, moving past MVP LeBron James and becoming the first Knicks player at the top since the first list was released in 2001-02.
Anthony was No. 4 last year on the list, which is based on sales at the NBA Store in New York and on NBAStore.com since last November. The reigning Eastern Conference player of the week edged past Kevin Durant in the scoring race after averaging 41.8 points last week.  Durant was third on the jersey sales list, followed by seven-time No. 1 Kobe Bryant and Derrick Rose.  The Knicks remained first in team sales, followed by Miami and the Lakers.
Copyright 2013 The Associated Press via thegrio.com

Jay-Z's Roc Nation Label Announces Global Partnership with Universal Music

By goodblacknews on April 8, 2013

Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter
Jay-Z has released more No. 1 albums in his career than any other solo artist– eleven, to be exact. He hasn’t released a new record yet this year, but he’s been very active on the business front. Recent announcements include a publishing deal with Warner/Chappell, a summer tour with Justin Timberlake and the launch of Roc Nation Sports, with Robinson Cano as its first client.
Today, the hit parade continues. Universal Music Group announced a global partnership with Roc Nation, the label Jay-Z founded in 2008 as part of a $150 million deal with concert promoter Live Nation. The world’s largest record company lured the hip-hop mogul away from Sony Music, which had been distributing Roc Nation’s releases previously.
“This agreement presents a unique opportunity for Roc Nation’s artists—being able to continue to operate as an independent label with the strength, power and reach of the best major,” said Jay-Z in a statement. “I look forward to a long and prosperous collaboration with UMG.”

Wendell Pierce Creates Supermarket Chain to Help New Orleans Residents

By goodblacknews on April 7, 2013

Wendell Pierce welcomes the first customers inside his 25,000 square-foot store.
Wendell Pierce, best known for his roles on “The Wire” and “Treme” is now launching a chain of grocery and convenience stores in places where fresh food can be hard to find.   As a boy, Pierce dreamed of leaving his hometown one day for the world stage. Today, the veteran actor with global credits has returned on a mission: rebuilding neighborhoods, brick by brick, aisle after aisle.
After Hurricane Katrina devastated this city in 2005, Pierce seized an opportunity to help his childhood neighborhood — Pontchartrain Park, an historic enclave for middle-class blacks — get back on its feet. He started the nonprofit Pontchartrain Park Community Development Corp. with a goal of replacing hundreds of flood-ravaged, 1950s-era houses with new homes.  Now, the next item in his recovery recipe is a long-missing ingredient.
Pierce, 50, and his partners are investing big in something seemingly so small: convenient access to a grocery store. They have launched a chain of convenience stores, Sterling Express, and a full-service grocery store, called Sterling Farms, the latter just unveiled in what is often described as a “food desert,” a neighborhood where residents must travel more than a mile to a store selling fresh food. According to 2011 data, 19 percent of all Orleans Parish households have no access to a vehicle.

Jay-Z Announces New Sports Agency Roc Nation Sports; Signs Yankee Robinson Cano

By goodblacknews on April 2, 2013


Jay-Z welcomes a new member into the Roc Nation family.  Earlier today it was announced that world champion Robinson Cano, second baseman of the New York Yankees signed to Jay-Z’s latest venture, Roc Nation Sports. Life and Times reports:  

“Because of my love of sports, it was a natural progression to form a company where we can help top athletes in various sports the same way we have been helping artists in the music industry for years,” says Shawn “JAY Z” Carter about the new venture.

The Yankee Slugger also told the press he is ready to take control of his career, and this move makes that possible.

“At this point in my career, I am ready to take a more active role in my endeavors both on and off the field,” said Cano. “I am confident that the pairing of Roc Nation Sports and CAA Sports will be essential in helping me accomplish my short- and long-term goals. I am making this important decision now so I can keep my focus on helping the Yankees succeed in 2013, while minimizing any distractions for me and my teammates.”

article by BlogXilla via globalgrind.com

Detroit Receives $8 Million Worth of Donated Police Cruisers and Ambulances

By goodblacknews on March 30, 2013

detroit ambulances
The business community donated $8 million dollars worth of police cruisers and ambulances to Detroit to improve emergency response times, said Mayor Bing on Monday.

With the donation, the city of Detroit now has 23 new ambulances, allowing the city to replace its current fleet of ambulances which frequently break down.

“This is not about downtown; this is not about Midtown; this is about the neighborhoods, so we can go out into these neighborhoods and let our people know that we support them, and we have not forgotten about them,” Bing said.
Bing says this is an indication of how the city and business leaders are working together to fight crime in the city.
“We believe these additional vehicles will enhance the visibility of the police and fire efforts in the city of Detroit, improve safety and security in our neighborhoods and have an immediate and lasting impact for everyone who lives, works and plays in our city,” said Roger Penske, founder and chairman of Penske Corp., the Bloomfield Hills-based transportation services firm.
Pictures of the new vehicles shown at a press conference revealed that the cruisers added to the fleet were Dodge Chargers, Ford Tauruses and Chevrolet Caprices. The EMS vehicles were Horton Terrastar ambulances.  The new cruisers and ambulances are being outfitted with new equipment and should be ready to use within the next two to four months.
article via yourblackworld.net

Diddy Tops Forbes’ List of Richest Hip-Hop Artists

By goodblacknews on March 28, 2013

Puff Daddy walking out of Chateau Marmont Saturday night with a bottle of wine.
Sean “Diddy” Combs ranks No. 1 on this year’s Forbes Five, the magazine’s list of hip-hop’s wealthiest artists, with an estimated net worth of $580 million.
The bulk of the Bad Boy Records founder’s wealth comes from non-musical ventures, namely his deal with Diageo’s Ciroc. The agreement entitles him to eight-figure annual payouts and a nine-figure windfall if the brand is ever sold—and Ciroc’s value has never been higher.
“It is one of the fastest-growing brands within vodka,” says Jack Russo, an equity analyst at Edward Jones & Co. “Consumers are feeling a little bit better about their situation, and with that, they’re willing to spend more on premium products.”
The No. 2 spot goes to Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter, with a net worth of $475 million. He’s still rolling in cash from megadeals like his $204 million Rocawear sale in 2007 and his $150 million pact with Live Nation the following year. He continues to hold stakes in Roc Nation, Carol’s Daughter, the Brooklyn Nets—and, more significantly, the Barclays Center itself—while adding new partnerships with the likes of Duracell, Budweiser and Bacardi’s D’ussé Cognac.
Andre “Dr. Dre” Young ranks third with $350 million, thanks mostly to his Beats by Dr. Dre headphones. A year after selling 51% of the company to handset maker HTC for $300 million in August 2011, Dre and his partners bought back half of the half they sold in 2012—and their investment continues to soar in value due to Beats’ whopping 65% market share of the premium ($99 and up) headphone market.

First Lady To Visit Chicago For Youth Empowerment Gathering

By goodblacknews on March 27, 2013
Michelle Obama Chicago
First Lady Michelle Obama (pictured standing) will be returning home next month to join Chicago Mayor and former White House Chief Of Staff Rahm Emanuel for a gathering with community leaders focused on youth empowerment. Given the high rate of violence in the city and the deeply embedded gang culture, Mrs. Obama will be addressing the group with the hopes of developing opportunities for young people.
The meeting, called the “Joint Luncheon Meeting: Working Together to Address Youth Violence in Chicago,” will be held on Wednesday, April 10, and hosted by Mayor Emanuel at the Grand Ballroom of the Hilton Chicago. Invited organizations and groups include the Commercial Club, the Economic Club, the Executives’ Club, and World Business Chicago.

Boston's Housing Partnership Network Receives MacArthur Award To Create Affordable Housing

By goodblacknews on March 3, 2013

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwFEH_iaEAE&w=560&h=315]

Collaboration and entrepreneurship to help house America

America’s housing problems are daunting. Millions of families pay more than half of their income for a place to live. Rampant foreclosures have destabilized neighborhoods across the country and left millions of households owing more on their mortgages than their homes are worth. At the same time, federal, state and local resources for housing and community development are shrinking. As a result, organizations committed to affordable housing must be more entrepreneurial than ever.

The Housing Partnership Network improves the lives of millions of individuals, families and communities by sparking innovation and collaboration among 100 of the nation’s affordable housing and community development nonprofits. By incubating innovative joint ventures and creating ongoing opportunities for peer learning and collaboration, the Network helps its members realize significant economies of scale, achieve greater collective impact, and exercise greater influence on public policy. Collectively, the Network and its member organizations employ more than 13,000 people in nearly 200 offices, operating in 75% of the nation’s major metro areas and in every state in the country.
The Housing Partnership Network has a history of spotlighting critical problems and marshaling the expertise and resources needed to launch innovative, scalable solutions. For example, after the 9/11 tragedy, insurance premiums rose dramatically. The Network created a property and casualty insurance company that controlled costs for its members and now provides more than $7 billion of insurance covering 57,000 units of affordable rental housing.