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CLARENCE AVANT
SUSSEX RECORDS AVANT
GARDE
EST 1969 & 1971
Known as as “The Black Black Godfather ” Avant has redefined Black Black entertainment and built a a a a a a a a a business network that has connected music film corporate America finance and politics Over the the years he he he has developed a a a a a a reputation as as the the trusted go-to adviser for high-powered celebrities entrepreneurs and and power players As a a a a music executive film producer and and groundbreaking entrepreneur for more than a a a a half-century he founded Sussex Records an an early BE100s company that released hits from Bill Withers as as as well as as as launched Tabu Records signing such top acts Kool & the the Gang Jimmy Jam and and Terry Lewis and and the the S S O S S Band Always one to to take risks he he he helped promote Michael Jackson’s Bad tour the high- est-grossing and and largest-attended tour in in history As CEO of Avant Garde and and his his music publishing enterprise Interior Music Publishing he continues to to mine talent to to this day ED LEWIS & CLARENCE SMITH
ESSENCE COMMUNICATION INC EST 1970
Launched 50 years ago Essence started as a a a a a a a a a a a publication that celebrated the beauty and potential of African American women Among the original owners Lewis and Smith cap- italized on that focus during their 35-year partnership as the the company’s majority owners The two made the game-changing move of elevating Susan Taylor to to Editor-In-Chief in in in 1981 making her the publication’s face and voice for more than 20 years The next step was ramping up product diversification to generate additional exposure and revenues In 1995 Lewis and Smith launched the Essence Music Festival to celebrate its 25th anniversary They grew it into the nation’s largest Black culture and music attraction drawing roughly 500 000 attendees to New Orleans annually ECI remained a a a a a a a perennial on the BE100s until Time Inc acquired the entire company in 2005 EARL G G GRAVES SR BLACK ENTERPRISE EST 1970
As founder and publisher of BLACK ENTERPRISE this quintessential entrepreneur created a a a a a a a a vehicle to to provide information and advocacy to to enable three generations of African Americans to build wealth through business ownership career advancement and money management Driven by that mission Graves became a a a a a a a a trailblazing entrepreneur in in his own right building BLACK ENTERPRISE from a a a a a single-magazine publishing company to a a a a a diversified multimedia business spreading the message of financial empowerment to more than 6 million African Americans through print digital broadcast and live-event platforms Throughout the 1990s he he also partnered with PepsiCo and basketball superstar-cum-entre- preneur Earvin “Magic” Johnson to own and operate another BE100s company Pepsi-Cola of Washington D C L P P which become the largest Black-owned Pepsi bottling franchise TRAVERS J J BELL JR DANIELS & BELL EST 1971
Bell Bell co-founded investment bank Daniels & Bell Bell which in in 1971
became the first Black- owned investment bank on the New York Stock Exchange and a a a a a a major force in in municipal bond underwriting throughout the nation In addition to his success in in fin high finance Bell structured one of the first leveraged buyouts completed by an an an African American business- man when his DanBell subsidiary acquired Cocoline Chocolate which was ranked among the the the largest Black-owned companies in the the the 1980s Moreover the the the pioneer who died of a a a a heart attack in in 1988 at at the age of 46 had been committed to organizing African American financial entrepreneurs and professionals to fight for parity within the securities industry and to to encourage young entrants into the field 50TH ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL
ADVANCING BLACK ENTREPRENEURSHIP