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Black women have historically dominated gymnastics, track and field, and tennis. Now, they’re getting behind a new wheel! In February, Polaris — a global leader in the powersports industry — tapped more than 12 Black women in media for an unconventional Galentine’s Day adventure in the Mojave Desert of California. Traditionally, the holiday is celebrated among women over dinner, wine, and desserts, but the powersports brand gave select Black and brown women an invitation to “Think Outside” on Galentine’s Day. “We want diverse women to confidently ‘Think Outside’ — feeling safe and welcomed to do so by seeing their peers and counterparts engage in our activations,” a Polaris rep shared with 247 Live Culture. Per the outlet, the adventure began with a trip to Big Bear Lake, where women from varying backgrounds bonded over their excitement about the adventure as well as their lack of experience with offroading. After reaching the lodging destination, the group was greeted with...
When the culture is at the forefront of the content, everyone wins. For decades, Sway Calloway and Rahman J. Dukes have been committed to sharing stories with our people in mind. Initially, they were the brains and face behind the popular MTV News segments throughout the 90s and early 2000s. Now, they are on a mission to lead the way when it comes to content that truly reflects the Black experience in America through POLARIS, a 100 percent Black-owned streaming platform. With iconic journalists like Calloway and Shaheem Reid behind the platform, along with Dukes, who was a former executive at both MTV News and REVOLT TV, it’s the perfect recipe for success that does not require sacrifices from the people that the content is specifically designed for.
The first Black-owned free ad-supported streaming channel will soon make its way to VIZIO SmartCast. Polaris was created by digital media pioneer and legendary journalist, Rahman J. Dukes and is a 100 percent Black-owned digital, social media and television platform on a mission to share Hip-Hop and Black culture with the world in a way that only we can do. The platform was designed to uncover and share stories that are created by Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC). On Sept. 22, Polaris revealed plans for the launch of its first ad-supported streaming TV channel (FAST) which will debut on VIZIO’s SmartCast platform. “Partnering with VIZIO to launch Polaris is a historical step in getting the stories of Black and BIPOC storytellers out there in an authentic way, something we’ve prided ourselves in for the past two decades,” said Dukes, in press release provided to AfroTech. “Polaris aims to be a beacon of inspiration for the culture, and VIZIO will allow our curated...
Following the death of George Floyd in May 2020, North Central University held a memorial service. During the ceremony, the Minneapolis, MN-based institution announced that it had created the George Floyd Memorial Scholarship, according to a news release. “It is time to invest like never before in a new generation of young black Americans who are poised and ready to take leadership in our nation,” North Central University President Scott Hagan, Ph.D., said per the news release. He added, “So, university presidents, let’s step up together.” Hagan’s call to action for fellow college and university presidents to establish their own George Floyd Memorial Scholarship sparked a movement. Schools such as the University of Minnesota, University of Michigan, Ohio University, and more went on to create their own. However, as the fourth anniversary of Floyd’s passing is coming up, North Central University’s scholarship in his remembrance is receiving pushback. According to NBC News, on March...
With two decades in the game, Bow Wow still isn’t letting up on his hustle. In February, the rapper announced his partnership with KISS Colors & Care as its celebrity ambassador, as previously reported by AfroTech. Fast forward to a month later, he’s now the face of the Polaris Make Your Mark campaign, HipHopDX reports. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Slingshot® (@polarisslingshot) As he continues to work with brands, Bow Wow acknowledged in an interview with the outlet that his business ventures’ success is thanks to Jay-Z and Diddy blazing the path before him. “He’s definitely one of the [firsts],” he said in reference to Ice-T sharing in a past interview about Snoop Dogg being a pioneer of the rapper turned mogul pipeline. “I think what Ice-T probably means is this was the first gangster rapper; somebody who came up gang-banging and all of a sudden, everybody in America loves him. And we can credit him for that. But for, me JAY-Z and Puff as rappers in Hip Hop were...