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Beverly Robertson chooses ‘now’ to move on from Greater Memphis Chamber

NEW TRI-STATE DEFENDER — “This was both a mission and a job for me because I wanted to make sure different voices were heard and different people were brought to the table,” said Beverly Robertson, president and chief executive officer of the Greater Memphis Chamber. “Now because I have done those things and seeded that foundation. I have done what I came to do. I know when to say when.”
The post Beverly Robertson chooses ‘now’ to move on from Greater Memphis Chamber first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

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4 years ago

July 5, 2022

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By Erica R. Williams | New Tri-State Defender

Beverly Robertson, president and chief executive officer of the Greater Memphis Chamber, knows “when it’s time to say when.”

And for the first Black female president of the 184-year-old organization, that time is now.

Robertson recently announced she would be stepping down from her role as head of the chamber in December to focus on TRUST Marketing, the communications firm she founded with her husband, Howard Robertson.

“I knew that this wouldn’t be a National Civil Rights Museum tenure,” said Robertson, who previously served as the president of the National Civil Rights Museum for 17 years. “But I wanted to get in and get some dynamic and transformative things done at the chamber and put a lot of things in place. I believe that those things are now in place.”

Robertson took the helm in 2018 after the chamber’s then-president and CEO Phil Trenary was shot and killed Downtown.

Born and bred in Orange Mound, Beverly Robertson considers her upbringing one that was “spiritually rooted,” crediting her family for laying a solid foundation. (Photo: Gary S. Whitlow/GSW Enterprises/The New Tri-State Defender)

“I’d never thought that this would be an opportunity for me because historically, no Black woman had ever held the position,” she said.

In four years, Robertson has proven she is the woman for the job — her leadership withstanding uncertain times amid the COVID-19 pandemic, national social unrest, and political division.

“This was both a mission and a job for me because I wanted to make sure different voices were heard and different people were brought to the table,” she said. “Now because I have done those things and seeded that foundation. I have done what I came to do. I know when to say when.”

Her list of chamber accomplishments includes stabilizing the chamber’s finances despite the pandemic, weaving ‘prosperity for all’ into its DNA, and leading the creation of the Small Business Resiliency Playbook to help local businesses navigate crises like COVID-19.

In 2021, the Greater Memphis Chamber celebrated the best year in its history for economic development and the best fiscal year ever due to Robertson’s extensive fundraising efforts.

While these are significant accomplishments, Robertson said her proudest moments include the launch of ‘From Protest to Progress’ to bring together businesses, activists, and clergy to solve issues impacting Memphis.

It’s a city that is dear to Robertson, who was born and bred in Orange Mound. She considers her upbringing one that was “spiritually rooted,” crediting her family for laying a solid foundation.

She also acknowledged the educators in her life who were instrumental in her success — their impact extending beyond academics.

“Education was our way up and out,” Robertson said. “I had parents who anchored me before I got to school, but I had loving educators who instilled those values in me as well.”

Robertson graduated from Melrose High School and then attended the Memphis State University (now the University of Memphis).

After graduating, she began a career in education before moving to Holiday Inn Worldwide, where she worked for 19 years, eventually becoming acting vice president of marketing communications.

“You know, my father used to always tell me that there is nothing that I couldn’t do,” Robertson recalled. “As a result, I’ve always had high expectations for myself and what I could do.”

Beverly Robertson is moving on from the Greater Memphis Chamber, where she has served as president and chief executive officer since 2018. (Photo: Gary S. Whitlow/GSW Enterprises/The New Tri-State Defender)

The evidence of this belief has been shown in her list of achievements, and the respect garnered along the way.

Ted Townsend, the chamber’s chief economic development officer, who will succeed Robertson after steps down, acknowledged her impact.

“Greater Memphis, the Chamber, and I all owe Beverly a debt of gratitude for the work she has done to put inclusion and diversity at the heart of the chamber’s work,” Townsend said. “Memphis has momentum and it’s about to get even better.”

Robertson, who expressed her confidence in Townsend to lead the organization, agreed that excitement surrounding Memphis is growing, bringing in more people and businesses to propel economic growth.

“You can see the energy in Memphis if you just look at who’s coming and where they are coming from,” Robertson said. “This shows you the capacity, excitement, and enthusiasm of people looking at Memphis and seeing it as an option. The growth of Memphis is here.”

Robertson, who considers it her duty to pour in younger generations of professionals, said it’s time to let them thrive.

“All too often we don’t know when to say when and allow the next generation to get on board and get engaged,” she said. “We have to prepare them.”

The Greater Memphis Chamber launched a data-centric center to aid in career preparation. The center also will seek to make the region more competitive for transformational projects, like Ford’s Blue Oval City, which anticipates bringing more than 6,000 jobs to the West Tennessee area.

The electrical vehicle manufacturing plant will be in Haywood County, about 45 miles east of Downtown.

To fund economic development work that includes career prep, Robertson plans to spend her remaining time at the chamber raising $10 million to $15 million to dedicate to the efforts.

As she leaves behind a legacy of impactful work, the next chapter for the wife and mother of three still will include contributing to the city’s growth, but this time with more flexibility to her schedule and through Trust Marketing, alongside her husband.

Robertson said seeing the city thrive will always be a priority, even if she’s working in a different capacity.

Asked about her love for the city she calls home, Robertson credits its residents.

“The beauty of Memphis is its people. Memphis has the best people in the world, who expect you to do great things. And when that expectation is there, you can’t help but to live up to it.”

With decades of work through the National Civil Rights Museum and most recently at the Chamber, many who have worked with Robertson or noted her list of contributions would agree that she has done more than live up to the expectations. She has exceeded them.

This article originally appeared in the New Tri-State Defender.

The post Beverly Robertson chooses ‘now’ to move on from Greater Memphis Chamber first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

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2026 Lucid Air Grand Touring Review — Is This $136K EV Sedan Worth It?

AUTONETWORK ON BLACKPRESSUSA — Finished in Stellar White Metallic with the Tahoe Grand Touring interior, this Lucid makes a strong first impression. The shape is sleek and low, but it still feels elegant instead of trying too hard. Features like soft-close doors, powered illuminated door handles, 20-inch Aero Lite wheels, and the Glass Canopy Roof help the car feel expensive before you even start it.

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2 weeks ago

May 3, 2026

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The 2026 Lucid Air Grand Touring is the kind of luxury EV that makes people stop and ask a simple question: Is this really better than a Tesla Model S, Mercedes EQS, or BMW i7? At $136,150, it has to do more than look futuristic. It has to feel special every time you get in it.

Finished in Stellar White Metallic with the Tahoe Grand Touring interior, this Lucid makes a strong first impression. The shape is sleek and low, yet it still feels elegant rather than trying too hard. Features like soft-close doors, powered illuminated door handles, 20-inch Aero Lite wheels, and the Glass Canopy Roof help the car feel expensive before you even start it.

Inside is where the Air Grand Touring really makes its case. The 34-inch Glass Cockpit Display and retractable Pilot Panel screen give the cabin a clean, modern look that still feels different from other EVs. The Tahoe Extended Leather and Lucid Black Alcantara headliner lifts the sense of occasion, and the front seats are a highlight. They are 20-way power-adjustable, heated, ventilated, and include massage. That matters because luxury buyers at this price expect comfort first.

Rear passengers are not ignored either. You get 5-zone heated rear seating, a rear center console display, and power rear and rear side window sunshades. Add in the Surreal Sound Pro system with 21 speakers, and the Air feels like a true long-distance luxury sedan.

Lucid also gives this car serious EV hardware. The dual-motor all-wheel-drive system, 900V+ charging architecture, and Wunderbox onboard charger are big talking points. Buyers in this segment care about range, charging speed, and everyday ease, not just raw performance. That is where the Lucid continues to stand out.

On the technology side, the Air Grand Touring includes DreamDrive Premium, with 3D Surround View Monitoring, Blind Spot Warning, Automatic Park In and Out, Automatic Emergency Braking, and a Driver Monitoring System with distracted and drowsy driver alerts. This one also has DreamDrive Pro, which adds future-capable ADAS hardware.

There are still some real-world annoyances. Based on your notes, the windshield wiper control is hard to find and use, and that matters more than people think in a high-tech car. When controls become less intuitive, even a beautiful interior can feel frustrating.

Still, the 2026 Lucid Air Grand Touring succeeds where it matters most. It feels luxurious, advanced, comfortable, and thoughtfully engineered. For buyers who want an EV sedan that feels truly premium and less common than the usual choices, this Lucid makes a very strong case.

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Snoop Dogg Celebrates 10 Til’ Midnight at the Compound

LOS ANGELES SENTINEL — The album is paired with a film that stars Snoop Dogg, Hitta J3, G Perico, and Ray Vaughn, and one of the strongest elements of the whole project is that the production stayed rooted right here in Los Angeles.

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2 weeks ago

May 3, 2026

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Snoop Dogg celebrated the premiere of 10 Til’ Midnight at his Inglewood recording studio & multipurpose facility, The Compound, but the night felt like much more than an album release. It felt like Los Angeles. It felt like legacy. And it felt like another major move from one of the city’s greatest cultural architects as he continues to prove that he is not just dropping music — he is building moments, shaping narratives, and pushing the culture forward in real time.

What made the event so powerful was the clarity behind the vision. During a panel conversation with DJ Hed, Snoop opened up about the heart behind 10 Til’ Midnight, explaining that the project was created to help bridge older and younger generations while also speaking to the long-standing divisions between Bloods and Crips in a unique way through film. That alone gave the project a different kind of weight. This was not just about songs. This was about using creativity as a tool for connection. This was about taking a story rooted in Los Angeles and telling it in a way that could bring people together.

Snoop Congratulated By Rapper & Fellow 10 Til Midnight Cast Member G Perico (CreativeLB/KreativeKapturez)

The album is paired with a film that stars Snoop Dogg, Hitta J3, G Perico, and Ray Vaughn, and one of the strongest elements of the whole project is that the production stayed rooted right here in Los Angeles. The film was shot in the city, including at WePlay Studios in Inglewood, which gave the entire project an even deeper hometown feel. It was not just a West Coast story in content — it was a Los Angeles-made production from the ground up.

That matters because, in a city like this, authenticity still carries weight. Snoop understands how to make sure that what he creates does not just represent Los Angeles on the surface, but actually comes from it.

What also makes 10 Til’ Midnight significant is that it represents another major step in Snoop’s evolution as both an artist and executive. Public reporting around the project identifies it as his 22nd studio album, but the bigger story is what it represents in this season of his life. This is one of several consecutive moves he has made in his 50s that show he is still building, still expanding, and still finding new ways to reinvent what the next chapter looks like.

Snoop Dogg at the Premiere of 10 Til Midnight (CreativeLB/KreativeKapturez)

Now, as the head of Death Row Records and the newly aligned leader of Death Row Pictures, he is taking the brand into a new dimension. That is what made this moment feel bigger than music. Snoop is not just protecting the legacy of Death Row — he is stretching it. He is expanding it beyond records and into film, visual storytelling, and larger creative worlds that can continue carrying the label’s impact forward. Public reporting has noted that this project arrives as part of that broader cinematic push.

That is a major Los Angeles move because the city has always been built on the intersection of music, film, neighborhood identity, and cultural storytelling. With 10 Til’ Midnight, Snoop is leaning all the way into that intersection.

The room at The Compound reflected that. It felt like a private premiere, but it also felt like a statement — a reminder that Snoop Dogg’s staying power has never been based only on nostalgia. It comes from his ability to remain connected, remain visionary, and remain in tune with how to move the culture without losing the essence of who he is.

That is why this premiere mattered. It was not just about celebrating another album. It was about witnessing a Los Angeles legend continue to evolve, continue to unify, and continue to use art to tell stories that hit deeper than entertainment alone.

In that sense, 10 Til’ Midnight became more than a project launch. It became another example of how Snoop Dogg is still taking Los Angeles to the next level — using music, film, and legacy together to build something bigger than a moment.

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OP-ED: Small Businesses Need Minnesota to Act on Pass-Through Tax Policy

MINNESOTA SPOKESMAN RECORDER — A Twin Cities immigrant entrepreneur who built several businesses including grocery stores in underserved neighborhoods is calling on Minnesota lawmakers to extend the Pass-Through Entity tax option before it expires, warning that its loss would hit small businesses already recovering from Operation Metro Surge with higher federal tax bills.

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2 weeks ago

May 3, 2026

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A Twin Cities Small Business Owner Is Urging Minnesota to Extend a Tax Policy That Could Save Thousands of Businesses

By Daniel Hernandez | Minnesota Spokesman Recorder

I came to the United States as a teenager with a clear goal: to build something meaningful through hard work. I put in long days in construction, restaurants, and landscaping; doing whatever it took to learn, save, and eventually start my own business.

Over time, I built and ran several successful ventures, including an event photography company, a magazine, a tax and accounting firm, and now grocery stores serving neighborhoods across the Twin Cities where other retailers chose not to invest. I’ve created jobs, supported families, and committed to communities that deserve stability and opportunity.

That’s why I’m speaking out now.

Small business owners in Minneapolis and the communities we serve are recovering from serious disruptions, including the impacts of Operation Metro Surge. That event hit immigrant communities especially hard. In my own case, I lost nearly half of my 60 employees and saw revenue drop by about 85%. While I worked to provide competitive wages, health benefits, and paid time off, the real hardship fell on the people who lost their jobs and income.

Even as we rebuild, small businesses are facing another challenge. The Minnesota Legislature is considering letting an important tax policy expire: the Pass-Through Entity tax option.

Here’s what that means in plain terms.

Many small businesses, including mine, are pass-through businesses. That means the business itself doesn’t pay income tax. Instead, the owners report the income on their personal tax returns. But under current federal rules, there’s a limit on how much state tax we can deduct. That often leads to higher federal tax bills.

The Pass-Through Entity option fixes that. It allows the business to pay the state tax directly, which means the business can fully deduct those taxes on its federal return and lower the total amount of income taxed federally. The result is straightforward: small business owners pay less in federal taxes, without reducing what the state collects.

This policy is not new or controversial. Thirty-six states already offer it. It doesn’t cost Minnesota anything, it’s revenue neutral. And it benefits more than 66,000 businesses across the state.

In a state where the cost of doing business is already high, it’s hard to understand why we wouldn’t offer the same basic tax treatment as states like California and Illinois.

Small businesses have carried a heavy load in recent years, through a pandemic, rising costs and public safety disruptions. We’ve adapted, reinvested and stayed committed to our communities. What we need now are practical policies that support that work, not make it harder.

If the Minnesota House does not act soon, many businesses will face significantly higher federal tax bills. That’s money that could otherwise be used to hire workers, raise wages or reinvest in local neighborhoods.

I urge Gov. Tim Walz and members of the House Tax Committee to pass House File 3127 and extend the Pass-Through Entity election.

Small businesses are the backbone of our communities. We’ve proven our resilience. Now we need our state leaders to show the same commitment to us.

Daniel Hernandez is the owner of Colonial Market located at 2100 E. Lake St.

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