Where there's a will, there's a Woman ~ Abiola

Abiola Abrams is our very first featured female at Where there's a will, there's a Woman! ABIOLA ABRAMS is a TV personality, author and art filmmaker who shows up with her big mouth and hot pink doctor bag of advice and self worth to whip us into shape.

1. When did you discover your inner goddess? I would have to say that like all little girls I was born knowing my power. Then somewhere along the way - with life, and teasing and advertising and cultural brainwashing I forgot it. I rediscover my inner goddess daily. And I have dedicated my work to helping my sisters on the planet remember as well, and allow them to use and access my mistakes, snafus and triumphs as their own!!

2. What color excites you? Purple. Purple is deep moody, regal and sensual. It can flash loving or angry depending on the shade. I agree with Alice Walker: The Goddess gets angry if you walk past the color purple and don't notice it!!

3. Where did you grow up? I am a native New Yorker. I was born in Brooklyn, raised in Queens, went to middle school and high school on the Upper East Side and went to undergrad upstate. My family is from Guyana though, in South America. So it was New York until I walked into my parent's front gate. Then I was in Guyana USA!

4. Name 5 women who inspire you. I am inspired by Oprah Winfrey, of course, Martha Stewart, Michelle Obama, affirmation master Louise Hay, and the writer SARK.

5. If you had to recommend 1 good book, what would it be? Oh come on-- of course I must recommend Dare by Abiola Abrams, a thirty something year old empress living in Harlem!! You just wouldn't respect me if I said anything else! *giggling.*

6. Do you believe in miracles? I absolutely believe in miracles. My very existence is a miracle. My mom says I was born weeks early. I couldn't wait to get out and get started. I am the daughter of immigrants, great-great granddaughter of slaves-- from a completely different continent. I a descended from Africans in South America. Heck yeah I believe in miracles! You can find out more about Abiola at www.abiolaabrams.com or www.planetabiola.com. Leave a comment!

The 5th Annual Harlem International Street Fair this Saturday

Faison Firehouse Theatre and APAC Present

The 5^th Annual International Street Fair
Saturday July 23, 2011 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

The Faison Firehouse Theatre in association with The American Performing Arts Collaborative (APAC) invite you to celebrate the 5^th Annual Harlem International Street Fair Saturday July 23rd from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

During the event, 124th Street between Morningside and St. Nicholas Aves. will be closed off from traffic. The day will be jammed packed with events ranging from live performances, talent shows, and street vendors from local businesses.

International Jazz, R&B Recording Artist and Harlem Native Alyson Williams will host fair this year. Last year’s event brought some 2000 people throughout the day sharing in the fair with highlight of Gayle King line dancing with the Respect Project Kids. This year Faison expects more than 3,000 people to attend the event. The impetus for the street fair is to showcase all the talent and opportunities in the neighborhood in a very organic setting.

The fair is the brainstorm of George Faison, world renowned choreographer who won a Tony award for The Wiz in 1975 and an Emmy award for The Josephine Baker Story in 1991. In 1997 he co-founded the American Performing Arts Collaborative, and the Faison Firehouse Theatre. Faison has worked with such emerging talent such as S. Epatha Merkerson, Debbie Allen, Stephanie Mills, Phylicia Rashad, Eartha Robinson, Gary DeLoatch, Shedrack Anderson, Jackee and Hinton Battle among others. www.faisonfirehouse.org

Words from Dr. Maya Angelou

Harlem World Magazine will be the media sponsor, and the Firehouse’s planning partners include: Lotus Music and Dance, HAI, Scotty’s Antiques, Ryan Health Center, Hue-Man Bookstore, New Light Baptist Church, Mannie Wilson Senior Towers, HSCA Harlem School of the Arts, The Respect Project, United House of Prayer Brass Band, Church of Master and Take A Bow Performing Arts Group. Invited guests include New York City Council member Inez Dickens, New York State Senator Bill Perkins, R&B singer Alyson Williams and a host of other celebrities, officials, and community churches and organizations.

Words from George Faison

THERE IS STILL TIME TO REGISTER AS A VENDOR

For more information about the event, registering as a vendor or talent applications please contact Tad Schnugg at (212) 665-7716 or Tschnugg@faisonfirehouse.org.

For more information on the Faison Firehouse Theater click here

Photos:

Top Right: George Faison, Alyson Williams & Charles Rangel

Bottom Left: George Faison & Gayle King

Dishin it With Dwight: A New Earth with Oprah, Jay-Z, and Abdul

UPDATE--- UPDATE--- UPDATE---IT WAS FOR OWN!!!!

Oprah and Jay-Z's "New Earth"

Rumors are flying all over the net about The FUTURE’s very own honorary member Oprah Winfrey visiting Sean “Jay-Z” Carter’s old neighborhood in Brooklyin, NY. Jay and Oprah visited Bed Stuy on Lexington Ave. & Lewis Ave. Jay’s block before moving to Marcy Projects; but then spent some time in Marcy Projects. The rumor is that Oprah was filming for an upcoming show that Jay will be featured on and Jay was showing her where he came up; if you also look closely in the photo you will see that Jay is holding in his hand “A New Earth,” which is an amazing book that Oprah has supported with her book club. A New Earth written by Eckhart Tolle assist readers in creating their life’s purpose and it challenges you to look within yourself and make decisions that truly transform your way of thinking in return creating “a new earth” for you and those around you. With this book being in his hand I wonder did Oprah bring him a copy? Is Jay currently reading it? Or was he trying to impress Ms. Winfrey? Regardless of why he is holding the book if you want an awakening in you and want to start creating new possibilities for your own life you must read “A New Earth,” it changed my life.

A New Earth
Tolle tells us there is good news, however. There is an alternative to this potentially dire situation. Humanity now, perhaps more than in any previous time, has an opportunity to create a new, saner, more loving world. This will involve a radical inner leap from the current egoic consciousness to an entirely new one.In illuminating the nature of this shift in consciousness, Tolle describes in detail how our current ego-based state of consciousness operates. Then gently, and in very practical terms, he leads us into this new consciousness. We will come to experience who we truly are—which is something infinitely greater than anything we currently think we are—and learn to live and breathe freely.

Oprah Winfrey reveals she has a long-lost half-sister

By Anne Lu
CNS


Oprah Winfrey has discovered she has a half-sister. The queen of talk announced on her eponymous show on Monday that she has learned just in November that she has a half-sister named Patricia, who was secretly given up for adoption in 1963.

When the media mogul was just nine years old in 1963, she had no idea her mother was pregnant. And because Vermita Lee couldn’t afford to keep Patricia, Oprah’s sister was secretly put up for adoption.

Oprah told her audience how Patricia, whose last name was not mentioned, learned of their connection and how they finally made contact. Their first meeting was recorded on home video in Milwaukee. She thanked her newly found sister for not going to the media with this news.

She said on her talk show that the news “literally shook me to my core.”

Coincidentally, Oprah also had another half-sister named Patricia, who passed away in 2003.

The Future Forward's Top 10 To Watch in 2011

As we celebrate the new year we decided to create a countdown, recognizing people we should look out in 2011. These individuals have been extremely recognizable in 2010. Because of their amazing success stories we can't wait to what they are going to bring to the table this year.

Here is The Future Forward's Top 10 to Watch in 2011.

Kennedy Center Honors 2010: Paul McCartney, Bill T. Jones, Oprah Winfrey honored

Winfrey has become our national confessor, our friendly, neighborhood billionaire philanthropist, the wizard who sprinkles magical dust over every author, entrepreneur, do-gooder and politician within her orbit. What Winfrey doesn't do is as powerful a statement as what she does. How dare she not interview Sarah Palin! The culture, it seems, has declared ownership of "The Oprah Winfrey Show."

Winfrey begs to differ - but only to a point. "I feel it's very much my show in that every decision you see on the show has come from that desk," she says, gesturing toward the pale green, bean-shaped table in her office. "The part that belongs to the culture is every single person who has watched . . . who has found or discovered a piece of light from it. Flecks of light, that's what I call it."

Essence Magazine Editor-in-Chief is Exiting

By Keith J. Kelly
NY Post

Angela Burt-Murray is out as editor-in-chief of Essence, the Time Inc.-owned fashion magazine for African American women, after five years at the helm.

She told staffers at a 4:30 p.m. meeting today that she is relocating to Atlanta with her family.

According to sources, the company quietly began preparing for the move a few weeks ago but wanted to proceed delicately to avoid re-igniting a controversy that flared this summer when Burt-Murray appointed a white woman to the key position of fashion director.

Sheryl Tucker, who took a buyout as an editor-at-large at Time Inc. in 2008, is being brought back to run the magazine on an interim basis.

Burt-Murray's decision to appoint a white woman, Ellianna Placas, to the fashion post incensed some readers, who argued it was difficult for people of color to make major inroads in mainstream fashion magazines and that Essence should be their domain exclusively.

Placas, who had previously worked at O, the Oprah Magazine, had been freelancing in the job for several months without incident before Burt-Murray appointed her as the permanent fashion director in late July.

But reaction was heated and immediate, even if it did attract a fair share of supporters.

"It's with a heavy heart that I learned that Essence magazine has engaged a white fashion director," Michaela Angela Davis, a former Essence fashion director and one-time editor in chief of Honey, wrote on her Facebook page, sparking a lively debate on the topic.

No mention was made of it in the official memo from Time Inc. Editor-in-Chief John Huey, in which he heaped praise on Burt-Murray for her contributions to the magazine, including the Essence Book Club and Essence Music Festival Seminar Series.

Huey said the company was "beginning our search for a new editor."

GLO TV's Show The Gayest Sh*t EVER hit YouTube This Week

This week GLO TV Network premiered it's official YouTube Channel - www.youtube.com/glotvnetwork and the internet got it's first taste of the first season of the show, "THE GAYEST SH*T EVER!"



Outrageous! Outlandish! Overt and Over the top. It's funny, raw, in your face and uncensored comedy and commentary at it's best. No one is safe...from Beyonce to Oprah to dudes waring "skinny jeans"...it's all some of "The Gayest Sh*t" you've ever seen! (LOL) Check out the funniest comedians and celebs in this episode, then GO TO www.GLOTVNETWORK.com today to get the best in Urban LGBT Entertainment, News and Events!

OPRAH!!! I wanna JOB!

Companies thank their hard-working employees in variety of ways from end-of-year bonuses to paid vacations to discounts on coveted, and sometimes, not-so-coveted, items. But with continued economic troubles, a pat on the back is sometimes all that's given.

But what about a surprise $10,000 check? Or heck, how about one of those iPads?

That's exactly what the entire O: The Oprah Magazine staff received this past Tuesday. Long known for her "random acts of kindness" (remember when she gave each member of her studio audience a car in 2004?), Oprah struck again at the Hearst headquarters in NYC to surprise O staffers (no matter how long they'd been with the company) with the gifts in honor of the magazine's 10th anniversary.

"These were personal gifts to the staff from Oprah to thank them for their hard work and dedication to the magazine," a Hearst spokeswoman told The Future, confirming the visit and gifts.

The Recycle in the of GREEN -- Art of Negotiation

The MEGA World of Lil Mogul
by Lil Mogul


This month The Future focus is GREEN and recycle. Every Tuesday, I post the MEGA World of Lil Mogul and on Tuesday, August 1, 2009, I posted the Art of Negotiation. Like it or not, life is a giant negotiating trading room floor. As participants, we come into conflicts with others: family members, business partners, sales clerks, competitors, customers or “The MAN” daily. How we handle these encounters can determine not only whether we prosper but whether we can enjoy a full, pleasurable, satisfying life or find business success.

Let's Make A Deal. Negotiation is a field of knowledge and endeavors that focuses on gaining the favor of people from whom we want things. It’s as simple as that. We want all sorts of things: prestige, freedom, money, justice, love, security, recognition and/or power. In the past, rewards presumably go to those possessing the greatest talent, dedication and education. But life has disillusioned those who hold the virtue and hard work will triumph in the end. The winners seem to be people who not only are competent but also have the ability to negotiate their way to get what they want. -Photo: Lil Mogul at the NYSE with Ashanti & Nefertiti Strong

I remember watching a Barbara Walters Special and she interviewed Sally Jesse Raphael. Barbara asked Sally, “What is the difference between you and Oprah, “and Sally replied, “Nothing; however, Oprah had better attorneys when negotiating her TV show deal. They had a line that included she would own her show.” After hearing that, I started researching the Art of Negotiation. I discovered, when David Robinson was signed to the San Antonio Spurs, he negotiated in his NBA contract that he would ALWAYS be the 2nd highest paid basketball player in the league. The mid to late 90’s basketball players were setting historical salaries. Getting what you want and understanding how to get it.

Negotiation is the use of information and power to affect behavior within a “web of tension.” If you think about this broad definition, you’ll realize that you, in fact, negotiate all the time both on your job and in your personal life. As entrepreneurs, we have to negotiate for survival. I call Sprint every month to extend my pay period to be able to collect invoices from clients; with vendors to pay them for services on 30 or 60 day terms and with bank managers to clear holds on checks or reverse bank fees for overdrawing the account.

To get to the Promised Land you have to negotiate your way through the wilderness. Stay in the Game – Richard E. Pelzer Sr.

Lindsay (Lohan) Sues E-Trade for $100 Million Over Super Bowl Spot

By SAM GUSTIN

Oprah, Madonna, Prince . . . Lindsay? Colorful starlet Lindsay Lohan says she's in the same league as those single-named iconic entertainers -- and that's why she's entitled to $100 million from E-Trade (ETFC) for violating her privacy last month in a TV commercial during the Super Bowl.

But Lindsay -- er, Lohan -- faces a significant burden of proof. "To prevail in a case like this, she would need a consumer survey that is methodologically sound, showing that a significant number of people understand 'Lindsay' to be a reference to her," says Reed Freeman, a partner at Washington-based law firm Morrison Foerster. "That's the method of proof that would be required here."

But celebrity lawyer Daniel Horowitz says the ad's use of the word "milkaholic" is obviously a reference intended to poke fun at Lohan's personal struggles. "It's clearly meant to refer to Lindsay Lohan," Horowitz says. "And the only way E-Trade will get off the hook is if they claim it was some kind of parody." Interestingly, one of Horowitz's clients is a man accused of breaking into Lohan's house, as part of the "Hollywood Bling Ring" case.

Lincoln Bandlow, a partner at Los Angeles-based law firm Lathrop & Gage, says the big hurdle for Lohan is showing that this is a use of her identity, one which violates her privacy. "I don't think it is," Bandlow says. "She's not Sinatra, she's not Cher, and she's not Bono."

But even if she succeeds in doing that, Bandlow says, she then must make an "odd argument," one which could lead to embarrassing disclosures. "She's going to have to say that she's such a lush and an alcoholic that the use of the word 'milkaholic' obviously refers to her," Bandlow says. "The identifying information she will have to cite is someone who is an addict."

'That Milkaholic, Lindsay'

The star of such films as Mean Girls and Herbie: Fully Loaded is suing the giant online brokerage for unlawfully using her "likeness, name, characterization, and personality." Lohan filed the suit in New York State's Nassau County Supreme Court Monday, seeking $50 million of compensatory damages and $50 million of exemplary damages. An E-Trade representative says the company has yet to review the filing and has no comment.

In the commercial in question, part of E-Trade's popular campaign featuring babies who chat about investments and life, an infant refers to "that milkaholic, Lindsay." Lohan's troubles with drugs and alcohol and scuffles with the law have been widely chronicled by the celebrity press. Lohan's argument hinges on a court's accepting her contention that her worldwide fame -- or notoriety, if you prefer -- has turned her first name into a specific, recognizable reference to the her, much like "Oprah" or "Madonna." "Many celebrities are known by one name only, and E-Trade is using that knowledge to profit," Lohan's lawyer, Stephanie Ovadia.

Notes from Nathan: Dear Oprah

ust over a year ago, I spent two months in one of my favorite parts of the world, Cape Town, South Africa.  While in Cape Town, I produced my very first docu-real-short film.  The film is called Dear Oprah.  At the time, I was blessed with amazing resources that allowed me to see my dream come to reality.  I was connected to some of South Africa's heavy hitters, from an events facilitation company owner to the owner of Cape Town's number one pizza chain to boards of directors of non-profit organizations.  Bottom line is that it all started with an idea to make a difference in the lives of young adults.

Upon my return to America, I had very high hopes for this little film.  I just knew that I would get full support from my friends and family in getting this film in front of Oprah Winfrey.  A campaign was created to have people email her people, a trailer was posted online and many emails were sent out seeking support.  After a number of tries, I grew defeated and put the film on the back burner.  It has since collected dust in my room.

As I comb the streets of New York City,  I often times see young boys chasing girls and young girls toting babies before they have finished high school.  I ask myself, where is the leadership and have I given up.  I concluded that I had given up.  I had lost my sense of purpose.  My mission in life is to have a positive impact on the leaders of tomorrow and to show them that they are leaders TODAY!  My commitment has been resuscitated and I am ready to take on my challenge with new passion and power.

On March 4th, I will be delivering Dear Oprah as an online web series.  The series will air in five parts and new episodes will appear either once a month or when there are 2000 views, so whichever comes first.  I hope to get as many views as possible so please tell everyone you know to tune in.

Create a Sevenly day!

Do You Have A Business Dream? Are You Open to Living it?

Yesterday we celebrated Martin Luther King Jr. Day. It’s a very special day for me. It’s a day of reflection. Just like Dr. King, my ancestors where brought to this country not of their free will; however, they had hopes and dreams for themselves and their families. A number of those dreams included businesses. Do you have a business dream? I believe when you have a written business dream or plan, you’ll step into your future. Ask yourself, why aren’t you living out your dream? What would living the entrepreneurial lifestyle mean to you? Would it give you financial, spiritual or emotional FREEDOMS? Well, I would first start off by stating, sometimes you can’t have them all at once, but if you are clear about what you want; you will step into your business dream.

Madame CJ Walker, Reginald Lewis, Bob Johnson, Booker T. Washington, Russell Simmons, Oprah Winfrey and Berry Gordy started out with business dreams. So did the people of Greenwood, a section of Tulsa, Oklahoma in 1921 known as Black Wall Street.

The Tulsa race riot, also known as the 1921 race riot, the night that Tulsa died, the Tulsa Race War, or the Greenwood riot, was a massacre during a large-scale civil disorder confined mainly to the racially segregated Greenwood neighborhood of Tulsa, Oklahoma on May 31, 1921. During the 16 hours of rioting, over 800 people were admitted to local hospitals with injuries, an estimated 10,000 were left homeless, 35 city blocks composed of 1,256 residences were destroyed by fire, and $1.8 million (about $21.7 million in 2009 dollars) in property damage was caused.

Officially, thirty-nine people were reported killed in the riot, of whom ten were white. The actual number of black citizens killed by local white militiamen and others as a result of the riot was estimated in the Red Cross report at around 300, making the Tulsa race riot the worst in US history. Other estimates range as high as 3,000, based on the number of grave diggers and other circumstances, although the archaeological and forensic work needed to confirm the number of dead has not been performed.

Forbes TOP 15 Wealthiest Black Americans

15 - Kenneth I. Chenault
Net worth: $125 million
Source of wealth: American Express
Residence: New Rochelle, NY.
Age: 57
Long Island native studied history at Bowdoin College; graduated magna cum laude. Later earned a law degree at Harvard. Brief stints as a lawyer and a consultant; joined American Express in 1981 as director of strategic planning. Impressed management by turning around Amex's struggling merchandise services unit, which directly sold items to cardholders. A slew of promotions followed: president of consumer card group in 1989, president of travel related services in 1993, vice chairman of the company in 1995. Became president and chief operating officer in 1997; chief executive and chairman in 2001.

14 - Kobe Bryant
Net worth: $140 million
Source of wealth: Basketball, endorsements
Residence: Newport Beach, Calif.
Age: 30
Son of former pro basketball player Joe "Jellybean" Bryant skipped college ball; jumped straight from high school to the NBA at age 17 in 1996. Drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers; parents had to co-sign contract. Now is one of the game's premier players; 11-time All-Star and league's 2008 MVP has won three world championships with the Lakers. Endorsement deals pad earnings. Nike launched Zoom Kobe IV earlier this year; company's "lightest basketball shoe ever."

13 - Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter
Net worth: $150 million
Source of wealth: Entertainment, investments
Residence: New York City
Age: 39
Born in the Marcy Projects in Brooklyn's Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood; nickname "Jazzy" evolved into "Jay-Z." Began career rhyming on a street corner. Has sold more than 25 million units and won seven Grammy Awards. Biggest hits include "Guilty Until Proven Innocent," "Hard Knock Life." Tied Elvis Presley for most number one albums by solo performer with release of American Gangster in 2007.

12 - Alphonse Fletcher, Jr.
Net worth: $150 million
Source of wealth: Investments
Residence: New York City
Age: 43
Father was a technician, mother was an elementary school principal. "Buddy" majored in applied math at Harvard University, enrolled in ROTC. Sought fortune on Wall Street while serving 10-year stint in Air Force reserves. Joined financial firm Kidder, Peabody. Personally generated $25 million in profits one year; firm allegedly refused to pay promised 25% trading commission.

11 - Ulysses Bridgeman, Jr.
Net worth: $200 million
Source of wealth: Restaurants
Residence: Louisville, Ky.
Age: 55
Former shooting guard for the Milwaukee Bucks turned his athletic grit into a sprawling fast food empire. Raised in East Chicago, Ind.; father was a steelworker. "Junior" was picked in first round of the 1975 NBA draft by the Los Angeles Lakers; promptly traded to the Bucks with three others for Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Went on to rack up 11,517 career points, franchise record for most games played. Retired 1987. Bought five Wendy's franchises to generate income while planning his next career. Today controls 161 Wendy's and 118 Chili's restaurants. Total payroll: 11,000 managers, cashiers and cooks. Sales of holding company Manna Inc. in 2008: $530 million. Sits on board of PGA. Also owns small stake in Milwaukee soda bottler Black Bear Beverages.

10 - Janice Bryant Howroyd & Family
Net worth: $250 million
Source of wealth: Staffing, investments
Residence: Palos Verdes, Calif.
Age: 56
Fourth of 11 children; father was a foreman at a dye factory, mother stayed home to raise the kids. Janice took job as an assistant at Billboard Magazine; left to start staffing firm Act-1 in 1978 with $967 in savings and $533 in loans from family. Built up client base via word of mouth, cold calls. Today the employment services agency generates annual revenues approaching $1 billion. Donated $10 million to her alma mater, North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University, in 2004; gave another $10 million to University of Southern California in 2005.

9 - Don King
Net worth: $290 million
Source of wealth: Boxing promotion
Residence: Manalapan, Fla.
Age: 77
"Only in America." Loud-talking, flag-waving King ascended from a troubled past in Cleveland to become the biggest promoter in boxing. Accused of killing two men; 1954 case ruled a justifiable homicide, 1966 case ruled manslaughter. Spent nearly four years in prison. Entered boxing business while doing fundraising work in 1972 for a struggling Cleveland hospital. Asked Muhammad Ali to attend charity event. Later convinced Ali and George Foreman to let him promote their 1974 heavyweight championship bout. The "Rumble in the Jungle" in Zaire is remembered as one of the greatest fights of all time. Biggest success: boxing badboy Mike Tyson.

8 - Berry Gordy, Jr.
Net worth: $325 million
Source of wealth: Motown, Jobete
Residence: Los Angeles
Age: 79
Music pioneer put away his boxing gloves for songwriting at age 20. Borrowed $800 from parents to build his own record label. Created Motown Records in Detroit. Wrote hit songs ("Lonely Teardrops," "I'll be Satisfied"), managed talent (Jackson 5, The Supremes, Smokey Robinson, Lionel Richie, Stevie Wonder). Known for running Motown's record production like an assembly line, emulating Detroit's Big Three car companies; fought numerous lawsuits brought by recording artists and songwriters alleging unpaid royalties throughout career. Sold Motown Records in 1988 for $61 million; later sold Jobete Music Corp. in installments to EMI Music Publishing for more than $300 million combined. Hit movie Dreamgirls said to be loosely based on Motown; Paramount Pictures and Dreamworks issued an apology to Gordy in 2007 for any confusion the fictional story might have caused regarding Motown's legacy.

7 - Sheila Johnson
Net worth: $400 million
Source of wealth: BET, investments
Residence: The Plains, Va.
Age: 60
Doctor's daughter and violinist co-founded Black Entertainment Television with former husband Robert Johnson; couple met in college at University of Illinois. Duo sold network to Viacom for $3 billion in stock and assumed debt; split fortune in divorce in 2002 after 33-year marriage. Today she is chief executive of Salamander LLC, which controls a portfolio of luxury resorts. Through investment in Lincoln Holdings, owns stake in NHL's Washington Capitals, NBA's Washington Wizards, and WNBA's Washington Mystics. Johnson is the Mystics' president and managing partner.

6 - William Henry "Bill" Cosby, Jr.
Net worth: $450 million
Source of wealth: The Cosby Show, entertainment
Residence: Massachusetts
Age: 71
Legendary comedian born in Philadelphia. Left high school in 10th grade; finished via correspondence course while in the Navy. Broke a long-standing racial barrier when he was cast as an equal to a white actor on NBC's "I Spy" in the 1960s; role as Alexander Scott garnered him three Emmy Awards. Left TV for stand-up comedy. Returned to the small screen 1984; launched The Cosby Show on NBC, propelling the network to first place. Iconic show about an upper-middle-class black family living in New York has made him hundreds of millions in pay and syndication dollars. Best-selling book Fatherhood sold 4 million copies.

5 - Earvin "Magic" Johnson, Jr.
Net worth: $500 million
Source of wealth: Restaurants, real estate, investments
Residence: Beverly Hills, Calif.
Age: 49
Grew up in Lansing, Mich., with nine brothers and sisters. Father worked at General Motors plant; mother was school custodian. Played at Michigan State; won national championship in 1979 in one of many legendary matchups against Larry Bird. Led Los Angeles Lakers to five world championships; 13-year career in NBA included three MVP awards, 12 NBA All-Star games, a gold medal at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics and induction into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Retired from NBA after announcing he had contracted HIV, became an entrepreneur. Introduced well-known brands to ethnically diverse neighborhoods via Magic Johnson Enterprises. Today has partnerships with Starbucks, 24 Hour Fitness, T.G.I. Fridays, AMC Theatres.

4 - Michael Jordan
Net worth: $525 million
Source of wealth: Basketball, Nike, endorsements
Residence: Chicago
Age: 46
Arguably the greatest basketball player ever. Led the NBA's Chicago Bulls to six world championships during the 1990s. Left basketball for stint as a minor league baseball player after third NBA championship in 1993; returned to the Bulls two years later. Retired again 1999; took ownership stake and executive job with the Washington Wizards. Returned to the court in 2001; signed 2-year contract with Wizards. Total points scored: 32,292, ranking him third all-time. Released Air Jordan basketball sneaker with Nike in 1984. The Jordan brand brings in hundreds of millions of dollars each year in sales for Nike; royalty checks from that provide the bulk of former star's income today. Other lucrative deals throughout career: Gatorade, Hanes, Upper Deck. Owns stake in Robert Johnson's Charlotte Bobcats; runs team's basketball operations. Son Jeffrey plays basketball at the University of Illinois, younger son Marcus recently signed letter of commitment to play for University of Central Florida next fall.

3 - Robert Johnson
Net worth: $550 million
Source of wealth: BET, investments
Residence: West Palm Beach, Fla.
Age: 63
Former billionaire's fortune has fallen from peak as recession hammered media and hotel markets. Founded cable channel Black Entertainment Television in 1979 with $15,000 of his own money and a $500,000 investment by cable king John Malone's Tele-Communications Inc. Became the first African-American billionaire in 2000 by selling BET to Viacom for $3 billion in stock and assumed debt. Former wife and BET co-founder, Sheila Johnson, took big chunk of fortune in 2002 divorce. Shares of Viacom down 50% since last May, CBS off 70%. Formed RLJ Companies: hotels, casino games, banks, NBA's Charlotte Bobcats. Pledged to raise $30 million investment fund for Liberia; opening of $8 million Kendeja Resort slated for early summer.

2 - Tiger Woods
Net worth: $600 million
Source of wealth: Golf, endorsements
Residence: Orlando, Fla.
Age: 33
Golf prodigy showed off his putting skills on The Mike Douglas Show at age 2, has dominated the links ever since. Left Stanford University after two years at age 20 in 1996 to turn pro. Has since won 66 PGA tournaments, including 14 major championships. Now hunting Jack Nicklaus' record of 18 major career wins. Named PGA Player of the Year nine times. Total career winnings: $84 million. Intensely marketable; annual on-course winnings represent less than 15% of his income. Lucrative sponsorship contracts from Nike, Gatorade, Gillette, Accenture, AT&T and others earn him at least $100 million each year. Returned to competitive golf in February after rehabbing knee injury for eight months. Dramatically won the Arnold Palmer Invitational by one shot a few weeks later. Rare comment in 1995 on his ethnic background: "The various media have portrayed me as African-American and Asian. I am both."

1 - Oprah Winfrey
Net worth: $2.7 billion
Source of wealth: Harpo Productions
Residence: Chicago
Age: 55
The Oprah brand continues to hold its value despite the recession, as viewers tune in for money-saving tips, celebrity interviews and relationship advice. Rural Mississippi native worked the television news circuit in Nashville, Tenn., and Baltimore, Md. Transformed faltering Chicago morning program into popular talk show. Launched The Oprah Winfrey Show nationally in 1986; now airs in 144 countries, brings in 44 million U.S. viewers each week. Her Harpo Productions helped create the Dr. Phil and Rachael Ray shows; Dr. Oz show due out this fall. Media matriarch planning to launch Oprah Winfrey Network early next year.