Think about where this thing starts. A nineteen year old born in Brooklyn and raised on Long Island landed a spot on Saturday Night Live in 1980, back when critics had already buried the show and taken to calling it Saturday Night Dead. The original cast had scattered to the movies. Ratings sagged, and NBC was questioning the show’s future. Then one skinny teenager began carrying entire sketches with a confidence that made him impossible to ignore. His arrival helped breathe new life into a struggling program. Jean Doumanian gave him the gig. Dick Ebersol later recognized what the network had on its hands and gave Murphy room to become a superstar.

By 21 he landed in 48 Hrs., a gritty buddy cop picture starring Nick Nolte. Earlier versions of the project had involved discussions about Clint Eastwood and Richard Pryor, but neither ended up in the finished film. In walked the newcomer, playing a fast talking convict named Reggie Hammond, and the chemistry between him and Nolte turned the picture into something special. Folks left the theater quoting the rookie as much as the veteran. That was not luck. What you witnessed there was a kid establishing himself as a movie star before Hollywood had even figured out what to do with him.

Here is where the permission piece really matters. Hollywood in the early 80s had already witnessed the box office power of Richard Pryor and Sidney Poitier, yet opportunities for young Black leading men remained limited. Beverly Hills Cop had originally been developed with Mickey Rourke attached before Sylvester Stallone became involved. When Stallone departed, Paramount brought Murphy aboard. The film became the highest grossing domestic release of 1984, earning more than $234 million and eventually surpassing Ghostbusters. His face sold that ticket. Murphy’s timing helped build a franchise. Paramount suddenly had one of the biggest movie stars in the country, with a 23 year old Black man’s name stamped all over its success.

His run through the 1980s still looks unreal on paper. Trading Places had already shown his range in 1983. After Beverly Hills Cop came The Golden Child and Beverly Hills Cop II. Coming to America arrived in 1988, where Murphy played multiple characters and handed us a Black fairy tale with a king, a prince, and a barbershop full of old heads, years before Hollywood began making representation a regular part of its public conversations. His 1983 HBO special Delirious and the 1987 theatrical concert film Raw proved his stand up could command enormous audiences without a supporting cast. All told, his movies have generated billions of dollars worldwide, an extraordinary achievement for a brother who entered an industry where opportunities for Black leading men had long been restricted.

He never once asked if any of it was allowed. Dude just kept winning until the argument died of exhaustion.

I want the young folks reading this to sit with the weight of that, because the ground he broke is the ground they stroll across today. Chris Rock, Martin Lawrence, Dave Chappelle, Kevin Hart, and generations of Black comedians have followed paths that Murphy helped make wider. Every brother who dreamed of carrying a major Hollywood comedy could look at what Eddie accomplished during the Reagan years and recognize that the possibilities had changed. He was not the first Black comedian to become a movie star, but few had reached that level of mainstream success so young. The blueprint was simple and merciless. Be undeniable. Make the gatekeepers irrelevant.

So what is he doing right now, at 65 years old? Still refusing to coast, that’s what.

Earlier this month, word came down that Eddie is attached to star in a Peacock drama titled The Chairman, developed by Matthew Weiner, the mind behind Mad Men. Here’s the wild part. After more than four decades in entertainment, Murphy could be preparing to headline his first live action scripted television series. The project remains in development, so there is no guarantee it will reach the screen. Still, the possibility says plenty about his appetite for something different. Rather than returning to another familiar comedy role, he is exploring dramatic television. Picture it, a sixty something legend still looking toward rooms he has not conquered yet.

Plenty else is cooking too. Back in 2024 he strapped on Axel Foley’s badge one more time for Netflix in Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F, and the revival found an eager streaming audience, proof the old magic still travels. Last year he cracked the curtain for a documentary called Being Eddie, a rare peek behind a life he has guarded carefully for decades. Come June 30, 2027, he is scheduled to return as Donkey in Shrek 5. That lovable character introduced him to a generation of kids who never knew Buckwheat, Mr. Robinson, or his Gumby. A George Clinton biopic is also in development with Bill Condon, his old Dreamgirls director, which feels about right. The comedian who helped define an era of entertainment is preparing to portray the man who gave us Parliament-Funkadelic. He has also confirmed plans to play Inspector Clouseau in a new Pink Panther movie, another chance to put his own stamp on a character audiences already know.

At 65, with more than four decades in entertainment behind him, Eddie still approaches new opportunities with the hunger of somebody just getting started.

People forget how much nerve that early stretch demanded. Richard Pryor had kicked open doors already, no argument, though his genius often ran dark and jagged, a brilliant open wound. Young Eddie came through with a different kind of confidence, grinning one minute and cutting somebody down with a perfectly timed joke the next. He aimed himself dead at the center of American pop culture and proceeded to take his place there. Bill Cosby would soon dominate television with The Cosby Show, while Sidney Poitier had already established a legacy that helped change Hollywood’s understanding of Black leading men. Both earned their places in entertainment history. Murphy did something different with his shot. In he strolled, loud and young and certain, daring the whole machine to tell him no.

They couldn’t keep him out. That’s the entire story right there. More than four decades after his breakthrough, the brother is still working. New projects are already lined up for next year, with others in development.

I’ve watched a mess of careers rise and crash since the night I first heard that Raw cackle rattle through my cousin’s living room. Trends burned out. Comics flared up and vanished. The lone constant across four decades has been a Brooklyn kid who decided early that his gift was not up for a vote, then proved the point season after season until the doubters ran clean out of air.

That is what we mean by ruling without a permission slip. You don’t haggle over your worth. Instead you lay it on the floor, loud, until the room has no choice left but to nod. That is the lesson Eddie Murphy handed a whole lineage of Black men, in real time, on the largest stage going.

So no, he never waited around to be let in. He went ahead and bought the building.

Staff Writer; Lee Walker

This brother is a fitness trainer with 12 years of experience, focused on building strength, clarity, and real health within the Black community. Through his writing, Mr. Walker hopes to uplift younger Black men and men in general through honest conversations about fitness, financial pressure, fatherhood, discipline, mental wellness, and the importance of brotherhood.

Have questions? Reach me at LeeW@ThyBlackMan.com.

]]> https://thyblackman.com/2026/10/19/eddie-murphy-black-men-hollywood-comedy-legacy/feed/ 0 https://thyblackman.com/2026/10/19/the-snowbird-car-question-ship-it-drive-it-or-buy-a-second-one/ https://thyblackman.com/2026/10/19/the-snowbird-car-question-ship-it-drive-it-or-buy-a-second-one/#respond Mon, 19 Oct 2026 23:43:58 +0000 https://thyblackman.com/?p=143206 (ThyBlackMan.com) Spending winter somewhere warmer creates a practical question: what should you do about a car? Driving brings your familiar vehicle along, shipping lets you travel separately, and buying a second car means keeping transportation at both homes. Each option can work. The fairest comparison covers an entire year, including the journey south, the return north, and the months when a second vehicle might sit unused.

Driving: Count More Than Fuel

Driving may suit you if the road trip is part of the experience. Visiting family, stopping along the coast, or traveling with belongings can make the journey worthwhile. Start your budget with fuel, overnight accommodations, tolls, parking, and additional meal spending for both directions.

Keep mileage-related maintenance and depreciation separate from immediate travel expenses. Avoid adding a broad vehicle-cost allowance on top of fuel if that allowance already includes it. Then consider the time required and whether everyone traveling is comfortable with the planned driving days.

Compare the household cost, too. Two people sharing one car and hotel room create a different calculation from two airline tickets plus vehicle shipping.

Shipping: Keep Your Car and Travel Separately

Shipping is worth considering when you want your own vehicle at your winter home but prefer to avoid the long drive. Navi Auto Transport’s snowbird car transport guide outlines seasonal shipping arrangements and route considerations. Request quotes for your actual vehicle, addresses, and travel windows.

Include both shipments, passenger travel, baggage charges, airport transfers, and any temporary transportation needed before delivery. Ask whether booking both directions changes the price and what happens if your return date moves.

Confirm the personal-belongings policy before packing the trunk. Also establish who can release and receive the vehicle if collection or delivery falls outside your own travel schedule.

A Second Car: Budget for Ownership Between Visits

Keeping a vehicle at your winter residence removes the need to transport it twice a year. However, the purchase price is only the beginning. Obtain estimates for insurance, registration, maintenance, storage or parking, and financing costs where applicable.

Think about who will check the car while you are away and what preparation it needs before your return. Arrange an independent inspection before buying a used vehicle rather than assuming a low price means low ongoing costs.

For a multi-year comparison, separate upfront cash from ownership expense. The full purchase price affects your initial budget, but expected resale value matters when estimating the cost over several years. Do not count the full purchase price and depreciation again as separate ownership costs.

Put All Three Options on the Same Timeline

Choose a realistic planning period, such as three winters, and compare:

• Drive: Both annual road trips, added vehicle wear, and travel time.
• Ship: Both annual shipments, passenger travel, and transportation gaps.
• Buy: Purchase cost minus expected resale value, ongoing ownership expenses, and passenger travel.

Use current quotes and conservative assumptions. Test what happens if you spend one fewer winter away or encounter an unexpected repair. A second car becomes a different proposition if your seasonal plans are still uncertain.

Choose Around the Winter You Actually Want

Driving can make sense when you enjoy the journey. Shipping can fit a preference for flying while retaining a familiar car. A second vehicle may suit a stable, recurring arrangement with dependable parking and care. Choose the option whose complete cost and practical demands match your plans—not simply the one with the smallest first payment.

Staff Writer; Fred Brown

There are several reasons American automakers pulled back from an earlier determination to enter the electric era with the rest of the world. And for their customers to be left to scrounge when energy prices revived demand. But the biggest reason is Donald Trump, and here’s an educated guess why he had it in for clean, renewable energy: money.

During the 2024 campaign, Trump pitched the fossil-fuel industry on a promise, since kept, to gut Joe Biden’s fuel-efficiency and climate rules. That helps explain why oil and gas interests poured $23 million into Trump’s reelection coffers, becoming his fourth biggest source of cash.

The Iran War has further raised energy prices, bringing more good news to certain bottom lines. As a recent Wall Street Journal headline put it, “American Oil Refiners Are Printing Money as Wars Shrink Global Energy Supplies.”

We’re not saying that Trump is waging war to help his contributors. What’s clear, however, is that by deep-sixing Biden’s campaign to reduce America’s dependency on fossil fuels, he left Americans vulnerable to the vagaries of their prices. Now he’s turning against Ukraine in its heroic fight against the Russian invasion, apparently to bring more Russian oil and gas back onto world markets. That could lower pump prices and, Trump hopes, save a few Republican seats in Congress.

How did second-term Trump try to kill off the American market for electric vehicles, putting domestic carmakers at a global disadvantage? Count the ways:

— In 2025, Trump pushed Republicans to end the $7,500 tax credit to buy EVs. Ford CEO Jim Farley said that the sharp drop in sales that followed was the main reason his company reconsidered its large EV investments. It’s also why General Motors scaled back, taking a $6 billion charge that included billions in canceled supplier contracts and settlements.

— He greatly weakened the fuel-economy standards for cars and trucks, which had pushed automakers to produce more energy-efficient vehicles.

— He froze money allocated to building EV charging stations. Many Americans who wanted EVs put off getting them for fear of running out of power far from a charging area. Trump wanted to keep those fears alive.

— His Energy Department canceled grants to clean-energy manufacturing programs, including support for making batteries in this country.

And Trump filled media with a drumbeat of dumbo remarks about EVs: They don’t go far, they cost a lot to buy, and they’re made in China. EVs do cost more to buy than comparable gas-powered models, but they are cheaper to maintain and cheaper to power, now very much cheaper.

And yes, they are made in China, where automakers are cleaning the clocks of EV makers in North America and Europe. At the recent Paris Motor Show, Chinese companies represented a third of all brands on display. BYD, the world’s biggest selling EV brand, unveiled an SUV that could fill a battery in about five minutes. Chinese EV automakers now have models that allegedly go over 600 miles on a single charge, and even some of their budget models approach 500 miles.

Chinese EVs sell big in Europe but are pretty much locked out of the American market due to high tariffs and software bans. Trump recently said they’d be acceptable if built in the U.S. That further freaked out Detroit, which still makes some EVs and plans to introduce more.

Trump fought the future. The future won, and Americans are paying the bill.

Written by Froma Harrop

Official website; https://twitter.com/FromaHarrop

All season long the talking heads whined about how the Dodgers were destroying baseball because they were able and willing to pay more for players than other teams. That because they played in a larger population and media market the team’s owners had an advantage over smaller market team owners.

The talking heads and others however could not explain why the Angels who play in the same Los Angeles market as the Dodgers and teams like the Mets who have a payroll similar to the Dodgers are at the bottom of their divisions. Why a team like the White Sox despite playing in big market Chicago for two consecutive years lost over 100 games.

However, facts are not something those pushing the supposed inequality and lack of parity argument have on their side. This year’s World Series will feature the Brewers against the winner of the Rays and Guardians American League championship.

For the average baseball fans, they would be hard pressed to name four of the players on all three remaining teams. Maybe the owners and their organization need to be more creative and innovative in marketing their players and teams instead of crying about the Dodgers.

But since we cannot expect the owners and talking heads to be creative and innovative in helping baseball to one again have some relevancy, how about we let a real baseball fan do that?

1. Return MLB back to eight teams in the National League and eight teams in the American League like it had been for many years until the 1960s. Let’s return back to 16 teams and only those teams that have a successful history of being able to host a team get a team.

That does not mean that an expansion team that came into MLB would be eliminated. The Mets for example would be allowed to remain in MLB because they clearly have been able to financially host a team. There are other teams who have been around since the early days of the 1900s who can’t and should no longer have a team.

Instead of having 30 teams, many of which are carrying mediocre players to fill playing rosters, having 16 teams should allow for greater parity between teams. Parity between teams is a common refrain heard over and over again by the owners and talking heads as to why there is a need for a player’s salary cap.

If MLB wants to add additional teams, then it should look to have teams in Puerto Rico, Mexico, Japan, Dominican Republic, Venezuela and South Korea. All places where baseball is huge and which currently are sending significant numbers of players to MLB. Not just numbers but quality players.

Granted with just 16 teams in MLB most teams probably would have very few American born players on these teams. However, the countries which are filling the ranks of MLB should not be faulted.

The reality is that baseball is no longer the national pastime of the US. Or to put it another way, American born youth are not playing baseball and have little to any interest in baseball. MLB needs to find some creative and innovative ways to market baseball to American youth. It has done a piss poor job so far.

MLB needs to eliminate its playoff format and return back to the team in the American League with the best record playing the team in the National league for the World Series. I know this idea will not be popular with media outlets and bettors, but the playoff format has made a mockery of the World Series.

The World Series used to mean something. It no longer does when you have a team with a regular season record at .500 or lower playing against another team with a similar season record in the World Series.

It is no longer the best versus the best, but a crap shoot between two teams that had a few lucky bounces during the playoffs. Similar to the NCAA March Madness tournament. Yes, the media outlets and the bettors like it, but how often does the unquestionably best team end up with the crown?

2. MLB has made certain changes which have not been helpful. One of them was interleague play. Interleague play takes away from the specialness of the World Series. Get rid of it.

Get rid of the pitch count. It was adopted by MLB to speed up the game as if shortening the length of the game would make it more attractive to a youthful market to follow the game. Not only has it not lent itself to bringing younger fans to the game, but it has also alienated older fans who remember the time when there was nothing better than a doubleheader that took all day.

A doubleheader to that fan was the equivalent of a follower of Judaism going to Jerusalem, a follower of Islam going to Mecca and a follower of Christianity going to Bethlehem all rounded up in one.

If a person is not interested or does not have the time to watch a game that is on them. Don’t have time, don’t watch, don’t attend.

The two throw over to a base with a runner. A terrible rule. Baseball is a game within a game within a game. That is its beauty. The stolen base. The steal of home. The hit and run. The sacrifice bunt and the suicide bunt. Signs and counter signs. The moves and counter moves. That is true baseball.

3. One-year contracts for all players with a base salary and cap of $1 million. Once a current player’s contract ends the player would be subject to a one-year contract worth a $1 million with incentives that could result in the players making upwards of $50 million for one year if the player met those incentives.

All teams would be limited to providing the same incentives in terms of objectives and money. For example, if a player won the MVP award for that year, the player would receive an additional $10 million. A player who came in second would receive $5 million, third $3 million. It would be the same for the CY Young award.

A person would be entitled to automate bonus money for playing 150 games each season. A player who played every game that season would receive a bonus.

A pitcher who pitched 25 or 30 games and/or a certain number of innings would receive bonus money for that. The league would develop an extensive list of incentives based on position and performance which would be the standard contract throughout the league.

Attractive incentive money for hits, runs scored, winning the triple crown, winning the batting crown, lowest earned run average and so on and so on.

There would be no more free agency. Send the agents packing. Teams could trade players, but no money would be included in such trades. Strictly player for player or player for players trades.

Return back to allowing players to play for one team their entire career. Fans want to be able to identify with players as if the player were family in good years and bad. The team might not have a great record, but there will be players on that team who fans of the team feel a special connection with year in and year. Nowadays it is hard keeping track as to who is on a team and who is not.

Return baseball back to the fans, not the agents, not the owners and the player’s union but back to the fans and the ball players.

Staff Writer; Al Alatunji

Question or comment regarding this article? Feel free to send a message to: Alatunji@ThyBlackMan.com.

A Deep Dive into a Soul Music Classic…

Few songs capture the push and pull of longing and guilt like Bobby Womack’s 1985 hit, “I Wish He Didn’t Trust Me So Much.” The track lingers in that uneasy space where desire meets regret, and you can feel the weight of every choice being made. Womack’s lived-in voice makes it all sound real. Even after the song ends, it stays with you.

Written by Harold Payne, Pete Luboff, and James Eubanks, the song was released as the lead single from Womack’s album So Many Rivers. Womack co-produced it with James Gadson, keeping his voice front and center. Britain’s Robert Palmer adds subtle guitar lines beneath the vocals, while Brazilian percussionist Paulinho Da Costa drives the rhythm with vibrant energy. Jazz legend Dorothy Ashby’s delicate harp brings an elegant touch, and Vesta Williams, before her solo career, adds warmth and depth alongside the session singers.

What gives the song its power isn’t just the story, but the way Womack delivers it. The understated 1980s production sharpens the emotions without ever getting in the way. One of Womack’s first music videos, a simple studio performance, gave audiences a clear look at his emotive timing and expression.

Womack was more than a singer; as a producer, musician, and songwriter, he brought unmatched artistry to every track. Throughout his career, he paired emotional honesty with musical sophistication, and “I Wish He Didn’t Trust Me So Much” stands as a prime example, exploring deep internal conflict. Decades later, the song continues to resonate as a personal confession, a reflection on human desire, and a story of temptation, longing, and consequence.

From the first lines, Womack openly acknowledges the depth of friendship and trust:

“I’m the best friend he’s got / I’d give him the shirt off my back

He knows he can trust me with his life.”

That pride makes the conflict all the more painful, threatening something he truly values.
A wry, ironic observation soon reveals the attraction simmering beneath the surface:

“How can he be so blind? / We have both got the same good taste.”

Humor and guilt coexist in these lines, showing the tension between awareness and denial. Womack then takes responsibility, refusing to place blame:

“Listen to me… / It’s not that she leads me on / I’m getting there all by myself.”

That’s the temptation moving him willingly, intensifying the moral conflict. Finally, he confesses the emotional pull he can’t fully control:

“Though I swear, oh, it is not my will / But there is a way… there is a way she makes me feel.”

Despite his loyalty and good intentions, desire exerts its own force, capturing the fragile edges of human weakness—the space between what we know is right and what we feel.

Culturally, the song reflects mid-1980s R&B’s willingness to explore the complexities of relationships. Music and lyrics work together so perfectly that every note hits just right, creating a sound you can’t forget. In moments like this, you can imagine everyone in the studio knowing they had something special on their hands.

Artist: Bobby Womack
Track: “I Wish He Didn’t Trust Me So Much”
Album: So Many Rivers (1985)
Songwriters: Harold Payne, Pete Luboff, James Eubanks
Producers: Bobby Womack, James Gadson

Lyrics from “I Wish He Didn’t Trust Me So Much” performed by Bobby Womack.
Written by Harold Payne, Pete Luboff, and James Eubanks. © 1985 MCA Records.

A collective thank you to the artists, songwriters, producers, musicians, engineers, and music professionals responsible for shaping the sound and soul of these recordings.

Staff Writer; Patricia “Trish” Brooks

Trish is an accomplished writer whose journey has been shaped by more than two decades of experience in the music industry, including 10 years working for Quincy Jones Entertainment (QJE) and Qwest Records. Originally from the Midwest and now based on the West Coast, Trish brings a deep appreciation for African American history and culture to her work, crafting stories that inform, inspire, uplift, and resonate with readers.

As a contributing writer and journalist for the Los Angeles Sentinel, ThyBlackMan, and ThySistas, Trish covers music, wellness, culture, and the stories that deserve to be told. Beyond writing, she embraces a wellness-focused lifestyle and curates soul-stirring playlists as a creative side venture. Above all, Trish lives a Christ-centered life, with her faith guiding her words and her work.

You can follow her on Instagram: trishsplaylist.

Feel free to reach out to her directly at: PTBrooks@ThyBlackMan.com.

Today, another consideration in that conversation is energy independence.

With electricity costs pressuring household budgets and extreme weather events disrupting power supplies across parts of the United States, making homes more self-sufficient can offer practical benefits.

For African American homeowners, particularly those living in communities that have historically experienced underinvestment in infrastructure, investing in reliable home energy systems can be one way to improve household resilience.

Taking Greater Control of Household Energy

Electricity is an essential household expense, but homeowners have traditionally had limited control over where their power comes from or how much it costs.

Installing solar panels is one way to change that. By generating electricity directly from sunlight, households can reduce how much energy they need to buy from utility providers.

However, solar energy isn’t suitable for every property. Roof conditions, shading, installation costs, and local regulations all influence whether it’s a practical investment.

For families concerned about unexpected power outages, backup equipment is another consideration. Exploring options such as power generators from buildthepower.com can help homeowners understand what’s available to keep essential electricity running during an interruption.

A generator can be particularly useful for keeping refrigerators, communication devices, and other important equipment operating when the grid goes down. Always use fuel-powered models outdoors, away from windows, doors, and vents, to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning.

Making Energy Independence More Accessible

One challenge of home energy improvements is the initial cost.

Although solar panels and battery systems may offer long-term financial benefits, the upfront investment can make them difficult for some households to access.

This is particularly relevant when considering the historical barriers to homeownership, affordable financing, and wealth accumulation experienced by many African American families.

Fortunately, becoming more energy independent doesn’t require replacing an entire household electricity system.

Homeowners can begin by improving insulation, upgrading inefficient appliances, or investing in smaller backup power solutions.

It’s also worth investigating federal, state, and local energy assistance programs, utility incentives, and community solar initiatives. Eligibility and availability vary, but some programs may help reduce the cost of making a home more energy-efficient.

Creating Homes That Support Future Generations

For many families, a home is both a place to live and an asset they hope to preserve for their children and grandchildren.

Investing in energy efficiency and reliable electricity systems can contribute to that long-term goal.

Lower energy consumption may help reduce household expenses, while backup power can provide additional reassurance during emergencies.

These improvements can also encourage conversations across generations about financial planning, sustainability, and responsible homeownership.

Building a more self-sufficient home doesn’t mean disconnecting from the electricity grid or investing in expensive technology overnight.

For African American homeowners, as with any household, the most practical approach is to make informed improvements that suit their financial circumstances and property requirements.

Staff Writer; Jesse Brooks

So that’s where Brother Love lands today, 56 years old, serving a sentence of 50 months following convictions on two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution. A federal jury cleared Combs of the more serious racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking charges in July 2025. His attorneys are appealing both his conviction and sentence, but for now, the man who once seemed to have the entertainment world at his feet is living under federal prison rules.

Here’s the part that keeps a lot of us tangled up inside. Puff built something that mattered. Bad Boy Records bent the sound of a whole era. He put Biggie on. Beyond the music sat a fashion label, a vodka empire, award stages, magazine covers, the full mountain. A kid from a hard start climbed about as high as this country lets anybody climb. When a fall comes this steep, pride wants to flinch, loyalty wants to argue, and a piece of everybody who watched him rise feels the sting like it’s personal.

Feeling that sting, though, is not the same as waving off the wounds he left behind.

Let me put it plain. Achievement buys nobody a pass on how they treat people. Every dollar he ever counted could not cancel that hotel footage from 2016, the recording showing him physically assaulting Cassie Ventura in a hallway as she tried to escape. Nobody with working eyes watched that and called it love. Riches cannot rinse it clean. Talent cannot bury it. A closet packed with trophies cannot make a woman unafraid of the hands that struck her.

I came up around brothers who could do it all. They could fix an engine, feed a block, and make a room laugh till it ached. Yet a few of those very gifted souls walked through their own front doors and turned the house into a place of fear. Being great in one lane never undid the damage done in another. Our elders knew better than to hand somebody a halo just for being talented. Fame, somewhere down the line, talked plenty of folks out of that plain old wisdom.

This next stretch is where I want to move slow, because two separate things keep getting mashed into one lump.

Standing up for a person’s rights and defending his conduct are two different acts. They should never be confused. I’ll argue all day that Sean Combs deserved a fair trial and deserves an honest appeal, with due process that runs the same for Diddy as for anybody breathing. That principle matters deeply to Black Men, since the record shows how often our communities have faced unequal treatment within the justice system and how quickly our version of events can get dismissed. Honest courts, straight juries, punishment that fits the offense, I want every ounce of that guarded, for the famous and for the brother no reporter will ever name.

Twisting that fairness into cover for the harm itself is the move I refuse. Granting a person due process is one statement. Claiming Diddy did nothing wrong is a completely separate statement, and nobody should staple the two together. Both truths can ride at the same time. Protection under the law belongs to the man, and so does a real reckoning for what he did. Grown folks carry both without dropping either.

Some of the brothers reading this might push back. They’ll point out the cameras chased him harder on account of his color, that plenty of powerful figures do foul things and skate off clean. There are legitimate questions about whether wealth, influence, and race affect how people are investigated, prosecuted, and portrayed. I won’t pretend those concerns don’t exist. Even so, the cure for an unfair spotlight is not denying what the light exposed. If others walk, that’s an argument for more accountability across the board, not a discount for our own. Dropping the bar for the brothers we love does them no favor, and it does the people they hurt a quiet kind of cruelty.

Consider the message we hand the young ones when status gets to cover sin. We’d be teaching them that enough fame patches any crack, passing down a lie that says the aim is to grow so big nobody dares touch you, so rich the rules just bow. Follow that road to its end and you find a figure who held more talent and treasure than most of us will ever smell, and he’s sitting in Allenwood right now, with reports of contraband, disciplinary problems, and lost prison credits following him from one facility to another.

Strength was never about ducking the bill when it came due. Manhood, the kind our old heads tried to pour into us, meant answering for your actions whether a crowd clapped or not. Owning your wrong runs harder than earning a Grammy. Facing the ones you damaged takes more spine than selling out an arena. We shortchange the next generation every time we whisper that winning is the escape hatch from character.

So I’m holding two things in these hands this evening. There’s compassion for a human being serving his sentence, far removed from the freedom, comforts, and empire he once enjoyed. And there’s a flat refusal to call his harm by any softer name. Neither one erases the other.

Black Men get to be complicated in our judgment. Grieving the squandered gift and honoring the women who suffered can live side by side. We can defend the principle of fair treatment while making it clear that putting hands on somebody is wrong, regardless of fame or success. Nuance isn’t softness. It’s love with some grown years on it.

The ones coming up behind us are studying how we handle this moment. Let’s make certain they catch the right lesson. You can respect what a person is owed under the law without excusing his worst behavior. No amount of success ever places someone above the people he was supposed to love.

Staff Writer; Jamar Jackson

This brother loves poetry, music, and the culture that raised him… His words come from somewhere honest, and they speak to everyday Black folks just living their lives… Reach him at JJackson@ThyBlackMan.com.

By now you have seen the stories. The rapper most of us call Rozay walked into a Miami Beach police station on October 1 and walked back out later that day after posting a $5,000 bond. Court records list one felony count of battery by strangulation and one misdemeanor battery charge. At the center of the public allegations stands a model named Jazzma Kendrick, who says she was treated like a punching bag during their relationship. She alleges that Ross injured her lip and left her fearing what might come next. Rick Ross denies the allegations, calling them fabricated, and has entered a not guilty plea. His arraignment is scheduled for October 22.

So we sit with two accounts. One from a sister who has gone public with allegations of abuse. The other from a famous brother who insists he did nothing wrong.

Here is where I want to slow down, since the internet never does. Scroll any timeline and you will catch grown folks turning a strangulation accusation into a punchline. They dismiss it as “that’s just how they move,” offering the same tired shrug we reserve for ordinary relationship drama. That shrug is the entire problem. A busted lip is not a spat. Someone being deprived of air, if the allegations unfolded as described in the police affidavit, is not simply a bad night. One of the charges is a felony, and both allegations deserve serious attention. We cheapen something serious when we file accusations of domestic violence under gossip.

Let me be plain about the part my people love to skip. Anybody accused is presumed innocent until proven guilty, and Rozay holds that same right any one of us would want for ourselves. I am not writing to convict anybody in a column. My aim is to pull the Brothers aside and point toward the lesson sitting under the headline, regardless of how this case is ultimately resolved.

That lesson is control.

The police affidavit describes a confrontation that allegedly began with a photograph and an Instagram tag. According to the allegations, jealousy fueled an argument in which Kendrick was struck, pulled by her hair, and choked when the collar of her hoodie was twisted until she could not breathe. Ross disputes these accusations, and the courts have yet to determine what happened. Still, the larger lesson reaches beyond this case. How many of us have felt jealousy or anger climb the neck and had to decide, right there, who we were about to be?

A real man answers that question with his hands down.

I came up when “handle it at home” meant keep it quiet, and quiet became the dark corner where too many sisters got hurt with nobody looking. We do not have to haul that inheritance another mile. Emotional control is not softness. Walking away to cool off is not weakness, and never was. The strongest brother I knew could swallow his pride with his whole chest on fire, and I never once watched him raise a fist toward the mother of his children. That is manhood. Call it the standard, and it costs nothing beyond discipline.

Respect belongs in this talk too, because folks sling the word around loose. Treating a woman right runs deeper than holding doors and covering dinner while her peace gets handled like an afterthought. Her body and her spirit stay off limits to your temper, permanently, no exceptions, no “she pushed me there.” Nobody pushes you into strangling somebody or using violence to settle an argument. That choice belongs to the person who makes it, and nobody else.

Now, about what Rick Ross has been doing while his case moves through the courts. With the October 22 arraignment approaching, footage circulating from a Miami nightclub reportedly showed Rozay spending time with an unidentified woman. The pair appeared affectionate, and one clip seemed to capture a kiss. Nobody outside that situation can say for certain who she is or what their relationship involves. Ross has also waived his right to attend pretrial conferences, allowing his attorneys to appear on his behalf, a decision that is not unusual in criminal cases. Neither his social activities nor that legal decision establishes anything about his guilt or innocence. Still, public appearances carry their own weight when serious allegations remain unresolved. A night out may be ordinary business for a celebrity, but the public is watching something far more serious than his social calendar. I will not pretend to know what sits in that man’s heart. What matters is that the accusations receive the attention they deserve and that the legal process remains fair to everyone involved.

This is not Ross’s first encounter with serious criminal allegations. Rewind to 2015. He was arrested in Georgia after groundskeepers at his estate accused him and an associate of assault, including an allegation that one of the men had been struck with a handgun. Ross disputed the accusations and maintained that he had acted in self-defense. The case concluded in 2017 when he entered a no contest plea to one felony count of aggravated assault, while the remaining felony charges were dropped. He also received probation in connection with misdemeanor charges and was sentenced under Georgia’s first offender provisions. That earlier case is part of the public record, but it does not establish guilt in the allegations he faces today. A past legal dispute may influence public perception, yet each case deserves to be judged on its own evidence.

My real worry has little to do with one wealthy entertainer. It sits with the young fella watching all of this unfold, soaking up the message that fame and money might place a man beyond accountability. He is learning whether a sister’s safety becomes negotiable the minute the name signing the checks is adored enough. Black men already carry an unfair fight through courtrooms and headlines, which is the very reason we cannot play loose with the truth whenever one of our own stands accused of hurting a woman. Protecting our image and excusing wrong behavior ride two different roads. Choose the first one every single time.

I keep circling back to Kendrick describing herself as a punching bag. We do not yet know how the courts will resolve these allegations or whether the case will reach a jury. The evidence must be examined, and the legal process must run its course. But somewhere tonight, somebody is living the painful experience those words describe, and she needs the people around her to recognize what is happening instead of dismissing it as another private disagreement. Nobody should have to wait for a celebrity trial to understand that domestic violence destroys lives.

So to my Brothers reading this, young ones and seasoned ones alike, take the lesson hiding inside an ugly situation. Guard your temper like the most valuable thing you own, because in the heated seconds that decide everything, it is. Love hard, argue when you must, and speak your piece. But keep your hands to yourself and your words respectful. Her trust is not something you shatter and glue back whole.

October 22 will mark another step in the legal proceedings, not necessarily an answer to every question surrounding this case. The courts will handle their portion, weighing the evidence and protecting the rights of everyone involved. Our portion, as Black men who claim to love this community, is to stop excusing behavior we would condemn the second it came through our own front door. Accountability does not require us to abandon the presumption of innocence, and fairness does not require us to remain silent about domestic violence. We can defend both principles without compromising either one. That responsibility does not wait on a judge. It begins with the standards we choose to live by.

Staff Writer; Jamar Jackson

This brother loves poetry, music, and the culture that raised him… His words come from somewhere honest, and they speak to everyday Black folks just living their lives… Reach him at JJackson@ThyBlackMan.com.

Key Takeaways

• Standard insurance products may not address every business operation, contract, or exposure.
• Specialty placements depend on clear communication among the business, insurance professionals, underwriters, and carriers.
• Delegated authority can allow qualified underwriting organizations to make certain decisions within carrier-approved guidelines.
• Accurate information, realistic pricing, and strong oversight remain essential for difficult risks.
• Businesses should review policy limits, exclusions, conditions, deductibles, and claims procedures before purchasing coverage.

Not every business fits neatly into a standard commercial insurance application. A company may use emerging technology, operate in a specialized industry, work under demanding contracts, or have property in an area with unusual weather exposure. These risks are often described as hard to place, meaning they may require more detailed underwriting or access to specialty insurance markets.

Specialty placements are not necessarily reserved for unsafe businesses. Often, the issue is simply that the operation does not match the assumptions built into a standard policy. Understanding the role of a managing general agent, along with agents, brokers, underwriters, and carriers, can help business owners make better coverage decisions.

Why Standard Coverage Falls Short

Standard coverage is designed to efficiently serve common, relatively predictable risks. That approach can work well for many offices, retailers, and service companies. It may be less suitable when a business has uncommon equipment, a limited operating history, significant contractual obligations, multiple locations, or specialized professional services.

A hard-to-place risk is not automatically a poor risk. It may simply need a policy structure that reflects its actual operations. For example, a software development business may have concerns about network security, professional services, and customer contracts that differ from those of a traditional storefront.

How Specialty Insurance Moves Through The Market

The specialty placement process usually begins with a thorough description of the business. The applicant provides information on revenue, locations, employees, services, safety procedures, contracts, prior losses, and requested coverage. A retail agent or broker then reviews the information and identifies possible insurance markets.

When the risk does not fit an accessible standard market, a wholesale broker or specialty underwriting organization may help locate capacity. The underwriter evaluates the submission, determines whether the risk fits its guidelines, and may offer terms on behalf of a carrier. If the terms are accepted, the policy is issued with stated limits, conditions, exclusions, and premiums.

Photorealistic candid documentary-style photo of a small business owner meeting with an insurance broker and specialty underwriter at a modest office table, reviewing business documents and a laptop with natural window light, realistic paperwork and coffee cups, subtle imperfect lighting, genuine in-the-moment collaboration, no posed smiles, no visible logos or readable text.

A simple placement path looks like this: Business owner or manager, retail agent or broker, wholesale specialist when needed, specialty underwriter, carrier, issued policy, and ongoing service.

The Key Players In A Specialty Placement

Businesses And Policyholders

Business owners provide the details that enable insurance professionals to evaluate exposure. Incomplete or outdated information can delay a quote, affect pricing, or create problems when a claim occurs. Operations should be described clearly, especially when the company changes its services, locations, ownership, payroll, equipment, or contractual responsibilities.

Retail Agents, Brokers, And Wholesale Brokers

Retail insurance professionals generally work directly with the business. They help identify coverage needs, explain policy options, and prepare a usable submission. Wholesale brokers can help retail professionals access specialized markets and provide perspective on risks that require more targeted underwriting.

Specialty Underwriters And Carriers

Specialty underwriters focus on defined classes of business or coverage lines. The carrier provides the insurance capacity and ultimately assumes the contractual risk under the policy. Depending on the arrangement, underwriting organizations may perform specific functions for a carrier, while the carrier establishes the program parameters and oversight requirements.

What Delegated Authority Means

Delegated authority means that an insurer authorizes another organization to perform certain tasks on its behalf under a written agreement. The authority may include reviewing risks, setting terms in accordance with approved rules, binding coverage, issuing documents, processing endorsements, or supporting claims administration.

That authority is not unlimited. Agreements commonly set boundaries around eligible classes of business, geographic areas, limits, pricing rules, reporting, audits, and claims responsibilities. Licensing requirements also vary by jurisdiction. The guidance for state producer licensing programs includes a section on managing general agents and illustrates why regulatory requirements should be checked at the state level.

MGA, Broker, And Agent: Key Differences

• Retail agent: Works with the business customer, explains coverage options, and submits applications to available markets.
• Broker: Helps a customer seek suitable coverage and may approach multiple insurers or markets, depending on licensing and market access.
• Wholesale broker: Assists retail professionals with specialty placements and access to markets that may not be directly available.
• Managing general agent: May have delegated authority to underwrite, price, bind, issue, or administer policies in accordance with carrier-approved guidelines.
• Carrier: Provides the policy capacity and is the insurer named in the insurance contract.

Titles can overlap in day-to-day insurance distribution, and an organization’s authority depends on its licensing, appointments, and agreements. A broader overview of the managing general agent role in insurance distribution can provide useful background, but the policy documents and applicable state rules control a specific transaction.

Examples Of Hard-To-Place Risks

• Technology companies: They may need protection related to cyber events, technology services, and contractual liability.
• Construction businesses: Complex projects, subcontractor requirements, project locations, and specialized work can require closer review.
• Renewable energy operators: Equipment values, repair logistics, weather exposure, and revenue interruptions may require tailored analysis.
• Medical and professional practices: Coverage needs can depend on the services provided, credentials held, procedures performed, and regulatory obligations.
• New business models: A limited operating or claims history can make it harder for an underwriter to evaluate expected loss patterns.

Questions To Ask Before Choosing Coverage

• Which carrier is issuing the policy?
• Who can quote, bind, change, or cancel coverage?
• Which risks, services, locations, or events are excluded?
• Do the limits meet contractual, lender, or asset-protection needs?
• What deductible or self-insured retention applies?
• How must claims be reported, and who will handle them?
• Are there ongoing conditions involving safety, maintenance, inspections, or cybersecurity?
• What information must be updated before renewal?

What May Shape Specialty Insurance

Technology, weather exposure, supply chain conditions, privacy obligations, and changing business models can all affect how underwriters assess specialized risks. Better data tools may support more detailed analysis, but they do not replace reliable submissions, clear documentation, or sound judgment.

Specialty insurance works best when every participant understands their role. Businesses provide accurate information, insurance professionals explain the available options, underwriters evaluate the details, and carriers provide the financial backing. When those elements align, a complex risk can receive coverage tailored to real operations rather than being forced into a standard template.

Staff Writer; Derrick Jones

Fundamentals of Direct Response Television Tracking

Tracking DRTV campaigns begins with a unique spot code or toll-free number assigned to each creative or time slot. When a viewer calls in or visits a website using a code, the response is directly linked to a specific airing. This approach works well for products sold via phone orders, but complexities arise with multi-channel offers and web conversions. For example, a campaign might run a “call now” offer alongside a branded website, leading to orders that do not use the unique code. As a result, direct response attribution methods are required to supplement basic tracking and capture indirect conversions.

DRTV Advertising attribution modeling incorporates delayed response curves, accounting for the fact that a viewer might see an ad during the evening and convert the next morning. Tracking systems often aggregate response data over a set window—such as four hours or overnight—to match conversions with the most likely airing. This windowing process is fundamental to distinguishing between direct and spillover response, ensuring that performance media buyers assess true campaign impact.

Multi Touch Attribution Challenges in Broadcast Media

Multi touch attribution—a technique that traces multiple interactions leading to a conversion—faces unique hurdles in television-driven campaigns. Unlike digital ad clicks, TV impressions are not individually traceable. A consumer may see a DRTV spot, later encounter an online display ad, then search for the brand before making a purchase. In these scenarios, performance media buyers need attribution models that account for the broadcast’s influence amid overlapping marketing efforts.

The primary challenge is quantifying the incremental value of each media channel in a blended campaign. For example, a spike in branded search traffic during a DRTV flight may indicate the ad’s influence, but isolating that lift from other marketing activities requires statistical modeling. Comparing incrementality testing in offline and online channels helps buyers estimate the real contribution of DRTV versus digital touchpoints.

Effective DRTV Advertising attribution modeling often combines time-based matching with control group experiments, where regions or time slots are held out from TV buys to measure baseline response. This approach helps validate TV’s impact in a fragmented media landscape where touchpoints overlap.

Integrating Media Mix Modeling with Digital Analytics

Media mix modeling is a statistical technique that evaluates the combined effect of all marketing channels—including television, digital, and print—on overall sales. Performance media buyers turn to this method to understand how DRTV campaigns interact with digital channels, revealing which combinations drive the best results. For example, a media mix model may show that DRTV airings boost website conversions most effectively when paired with paid search ads during peak hours.

Integrating media mix modeling with digital analytics platforms enables buyers to analyze customer journeys across TV and digital touchpoints. By feeding both offline and online response data into a unified dashboard, teams can attribute sales to the right channel or combination of channels. The use of advanced attribution modeling helps buyers adjust budget allocations and creative rotations in real-time, based on holistic campaign performance.

When assessing the impact of DRTV Advertising, combining media mix modeling with granular response data allows buyers to uncover subtle patterns in consumer behavior. This blend of techniques supports data-driven decisions about which spots, creative elements, or integration points deserve further investment.

Optimizing Campaign ROI Through Advanced Data Pipelines

Modern DRTV campaigns generate high volumes of response data from call centers, web analytics, and CRM systems. Building an advanced data pipeline—an automated process for collecting, cleaning, and analyzing this data—is critical for accurate attribution. For instance, a real-world campaign might integrate phone order logs, web session data, and customer databases into a single platform, allowing analysts to match responses to the correct DRTV airing within minutes of broadcast.

Automated pipelines can apply attribution rules that account for delayed responses, cross-device conversions, and overlapping campaigns. This capability enables performance media buyers to quickly pivot campaign spending, test new offers, and optimize media schedules. The integration of machine learning tools further enhances attribution modeling by identifying non-obvious response patterns across channels.

As DRTV Advertising attribution modeling evolves, the ability to process and interpret large, multi-source data sets will distinguish top-performing campaigns. Teams who invest in robust data infrastructure gain the agility to optimize in near real-time, ensuring their campaigns remain competitive and efficient.

Conclusion

Choose attribution techniques that match your mix of channels and response types, then invest in data systems that provide a unified view of campaign results. Practical integration of DRTV response tracking and digital analytics ensures every dollar spent is measured and optimized for growth.

Staff Writer; Ronald Jackson