Connect with us

#NNPA BlackPress

The ‘Father of Black Professional Basketball’

DALLAS WEEKLY NEWS — Robert ‘Bob’ Douglas was born in the British West Indies on Nov. 4, 1882. According to Naismith Hall of Famer John Isaacs, Douglas’ first sport was soccer and after playing soccer one day, he was invited to watch a basketball game. That day would not only change Bob’s life, but the game of basketball overall.
The post The ‘Father of Black Professional Basketball’ first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

Published

on

By Rashad Miller | Dallas Weekly Magazine

BET co-founder Robert L. Johnson is often recognized as the first Black majority club owner of a major sports league team when he purchased the NBA’s Charlotte Bobcats (now the Charlotte Hornets) in 2002, but the first Black-owned professional team was actually formed almost 80 years prior.

Robert ‘Bob’ Douglas was born in the British West Indies on Nov. 4, 1882. According to Naismith Hall of Famer John Isaacs, Douglas’ first sport was soccer and after playing soccer one day, he was invited to watch a basketball game. That day would not only change Bob’s life, but the game of basketball overall.

Douglas’ passion for basketball manifested itself into him wanting to be involved with the sport in any way possible. He eventually found and managed a team named the Spartan Braves, named after the Spartan Field Club. Bob knew his team would need a venue to play in and that’s when he’d meet with William Roach.

William ‘Willie’ Roach was one of the owners and operators of the Renaissance Ballroom and Casino. The venue was fully owned and operated by the Sarco Realty and Holdings Company, Inc., an all African American company. The ‘Renny’ as it was nicknamed, would open its doors in 1921 at the corner of 138th Street and 7th Avenue in Harlem. The ballroom was the only club open to African Americans, even the famous Cotton Club didn’t hold that distinction due to the Jim Crow laws of the time.

“Black Mecca” would host jazz legends like Louis Armstrong, Lena Horne, Billie Holiday, and Ella Fitzgerald. It would even host plays, dances, prize fights, film screenings, and organization rallies. The Renaissance Ballroom was the epicenter of the Harlem Renaissance (known then as the New Negro Movement) of the 1920s and 30s.

In October of 1923, the Spartan Braves would become the Renaissance Big R Five or “Rens” for short, after an agreement between Roach and Douglas to use the venue as their home court. That agreement would eventually be the blueprint for the licensing you see in modern professional sports today. They played (and won) their first game on Nov. 3, 1923 against the Collegiate Five, an all-white team.

The Rens’ first rivals were the Original Celtics, not to be confused with the NBA’s Boston Celtics, out of West New York. They would defeat the Original Celtics on Dec. 20,1925, their first win in five meets. Bob Douglas would eventually start taking the Rens barnstorming, or traveling with the team across the country, for a chance to make more money.

The team traveled sometimes 200 miles to face opponents, Black or white, while sleeping on the bus and eating cold meals due to the lack of facilities that barred them from being occupants due to the discriminatory laws that were in place at the time. These obstacles didn’t stop them from being dominant and in their 1932-33 season, they would have a regular season record of 120-8. They also won 88 consecutive games that season, a feat that hasn’t been matched by any professional sports team.

In 1939, the Rens would win their first (and only) professional championship against the all-white Oshkosh All-Star 34-25 in the World Professional Basketball Tournament. The team compiled a record of 2588-529 from their inaugural season in 1923 until their move to Dayton, Ohio in 1948.

The Dayton Rens would be short-lived as they disbanded in 1949 when the National Basketball League merged with the all-white Basketball Association of America to become the then-segregated National Basketball Association. Many former Renaissance players went to be enshrined into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, including Pop Gates, who with William ‘Dolly’ King helped integrate the NBL, the predecessor to the NBA.

The 1932-33 New York Renaissance were collectively inducted to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 1963 in recognition of their historic 88 game win streak. Robert Douglas was enshrined into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame as a contributor to the game of basketball on Feb. 5, 1972, the first African American ever to be individually enshrined.

In the 21st century, the team’s history was the subject of the 2011 documentary, On the Shoulders of Giants: The Story of the Greatest Team You Never Heard Of, a film written and produced by six-time NBA champion and legendary center Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. The Rens are also the inspiration behind the EYBL team of the same name, ensuring that the legacy of what Bob Douglas started 101 years ago inspires generations to come.

Follow Rashad Miller on all social media @theuncoolurban for more sports content as well as his Youtube channel under the same name.

The post The ‘Father of Black Professional Basketball’ first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

#NNPA BlackPress

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.

Published

on

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.


AutoNetwork helps serious car shoppers inspect any new vehicle online before walking into a dealership. I’m Roosevelt — I’ve been reviewing cars and shaping digital car buying and credit union auto leasing since before YouTube car reviews existed.
You’ll find detailed walkaround reviews, POV test drives, and buyer-focused breakdowns covering comfort, space, features, and real-world value.
How to use the channel:

Watch the walkaround of the car you’re considering
Visit AutoNetwork.com for the full review
Check CouponsOffersAndDeals.com for current dealer specials
Walk in already knowing what you want — and what it should cost

Live talk show “AutoNetwork Reports” — Thursdays 3:00 PM ET.
🌐 AutoNetwork.com
💰 CouponsOffersAndDeals.com
Affiliate disclosure: some links earn a small commission at no cost to you and help support the channel. Insta360 is one of those partners.

Continue Reading

#NNPA BlackPress

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.

Published

on

By

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)

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)

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.

Continue Reading

#NNPA BlackPress

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.

Published

on

By

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.

 

Excerpt:

Photo Captions:

 

Website Tags and SEO Keywords:

Twitter (X) Tags and Handles:

Continue Reading

Subscribe to receive news and updates from the Oakland Post

* indicates required

CHECK OUT THE LATEST ISSUE OF THE OAKLAND POST

ADVERTISEMENT

WORK FROM HOME

Home-based business with potential monthly income of $10K+ per month. A proven training system and website provided to maximize business effectiveness. Perfect job to earn side and primary income. Contact Lynne for more details: Lynne4npusa@gmail.com 800-334-0540

Facebook

Trending

Copyright ©2021 Post News Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved.