Page 31 - Florida Sentinel 10-29-21

HBCU News
3 HBCU Alums In The Music Industry Honored
Motown’s Jamila Thomas, Columbia’s Phyli- cia Fant, and entertainment attorney Alicia Ferri- abough Taylor, Esq., were honored at ASCAP’s 2021 Women Behind the Music event on Wednesday (Oct. 27). The event is also part of ASCAP Rhythm & Soul Homecoming SZN, a week of virtual events coinciding with HBCUs' homecoming
festivities.
In an event titled “Women
Behind the Music: Home- coming Edition,” ASCAP hosted a virtual conversation “between the three women whose talent, drive and pas- sion have powered some of today’s most popular music,” the performing rights organ- ization shared in a statement.
Thomas, Fant and Fer-
riabough Taylor have all attended HBCUs, and spoke candidly about how they rose to the top of their class in a male-dominated business and the decisions they made to get them where they are today,” the release notes.
As VP of Marketing at Mo- town Records, Thomas co-founded #TheShowMust- BePaused in 2020. A gradu- ate of Clark Atlanta University, Thomas got an early start as an intern at Def Jam records.
After working with such top artists as Prince, Kid Cudi and Daniel Caesar, Fant is executive VP/head of urban music at Columbia Records and is a Spelman College alum. At Columbia, she over- sees a roster of talent includ- ing Lil Nas X, Raphael
COLUMBIA’S PHYLICIA FANT, MOTOWN’S JAMILA THOMAS, AND ENTERTAINMENT ATTORNEY ALICIA FERRIABOUGH TAYLOR, ESQ.
Saadiq, Pharrell, Chloe x Halle, Polo G and Lil Tjay. Ferriabough Taylor is a fellow graduate of Spelman College, and currently prac- tices at the law offices of Robert A. Celestin. With a
decade of experience, she has advised recording artists, producers and songwriters in entertainment-related mat- ters including music distri- bution, licensing, management and media. Be-
fore earning her JD at North- western University School of Law, she played snare drums for the Morehouse College Marching Band and trap set in the Spelman College Jazz Ensemble.
Michael B. Jordan And Serena Williams In
$1 Million HBCU Venture Capital Competition
SERENA WILLIAMS AND MICHAEL B. JORDAN
Aspiring business founders who are current students or alumni from HBCUs have a chance to win up to $1 million from Michael B. Jordan’s Invesco QQQ Legacy Classic competition. The contest, which requires participants to submit innovative business proposals, is launching in partnership with venture capi- tal firm MaC Venture Capital, as well as Serena Williams’ investment company, Serena Ventures.
Jordan and Williams will award the winners during half- time of the Invesco QQQ Legacy Classic Basketball Showcase Finals in New Jersey on Dec. 18, the organization said in a statement to Blavity. Hampton University, North Carolina Central University, Howard University and North Carolina A&T University will be the schools featured at the HBCU college basketball showcase, which will air on TNT.
PAGE 14-A FLORIDA SENTINEL-BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY FRIDAY FRIDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2021