Orlando

Rep. Demings Hosts Media Diversity Innovation Summit on Capitol Hill

Published

6 years ago

July 11, 2019

ORLANDO, FL – Rep. Val Demings served as honorary host of the inaugural Media Diversity Innovation Summit, held on Capitol Hill yesterday. The Summit, entitled “Taking Control of the Media Diversity Crisis,” organized by the Multicultural Media Correspondents Association (MMCA), is a seminal event challenging the status quo on media diversity in the United States. Innovation Summit Program.

Rep. Demings, a champion for diversity in media, joined industry leaders including Tanya Grieg Perara, EVP, Comcast NBC Universal; Tirrell D. Whittley, CEO, LIQUID SOUL; L. Londell McMillan, Attorney and Owner of The Source Magazine; Erika Alexander, Co-Founder of Color Farm Media; Detavio Samuels, President, Ione Digital, Urban One; Lori Hall, Senior Vice President, TV One; Award-winning Journalist Jeff Yang; Carla Santiago, co-Founder UNCMMN; Rashidi Hendrix, President, Metallic Entertainment Group; and other luminaries for robust conversations on how to support, scale and increase opportunities for people of color to profitably create, own, control and distribute media content.

The conversation also included the iconic civil rights pioneer Robert J. Brown, and trailblazing journalists Dorothy Butler Gilliam and Helen Zia, who shared their experiences breaking through barriers and helping to create the modern media industry.

Said Rep. Demings, “there are few things more impactful to a young child than to see someone who looks like them in a position of prominence and influence. Likewise, it is essential to a vibrant democracy to have a diversity of perspectives and experience in the marketplace of ideas. Though many industries have made great strides, media organizations still often struggle to display the great diversity of our country.

“The Media Diversity Innovation Summit was a strong new step in our work to diversify America’s media industry and include a variety of voices in our news and entertainment. Our country is at its best when every American can read, listen, and watch vibrant media that reflects the diversity of our great country.”

David Morgan, Founder and President of the MMCA, stated: “The need for greater media diversity is a national priority. MMCA is committed to moving the needle on media diversity and to be a trusted bridge that brings together policy makers and the media advocacy community to make an impact. As an advocate for and a resource to journalists, creatives and other media stakeholders of color, we are excited by the growing support for the MMCA and honored to have Congresswoman Val Demings (D-FL) as our honorary host for this extraordinary event. I know the best is yet to come.”

Background

In the 115th Congress, Rep. Demings introduced House Resolution 888 to reaffirm Congress’ commitment to media diversity and convened a panel discussion which solicited expert testimony from stakeholders and media professionals.

In this Congress, Rep. Demings has formed the Media Diversity Congressional Brain Trust to support efforts to access and expand opportunities for professionals of color in the media industry.

Also participating in the panels were MMCA President David Morgan; media policy experts Alyssa G. Betz, Dante Simpson, Licy Do Canto, Don Lowery, and Mariela Rosario; and DuJuan McCoy.

Golf

Russell Henley Wins Red Cardigan at 2025 Arnold Palmer Invitational

Published

8 months ago

March 9, 2025

Mike Brodsky

Russell Henley wins the 2025 Arnold Palmer Invitational (Photo credit: Mike Brodsky, Florida National News)

ORLANDO, Fla. (FNN Sports) – Russell Henley wins his first red cardigan at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, today, along with $4 million of the $20 million prize pool. The red cardigan was first awarded in 2017, in memory of Arnold Palmer who passed the year before. This is Henley’s fifth win on the PGA Tour.

Russell Henley is greeted by his family on the 18th green after winning the Arnold Palmer Invitational (Photo credit: Mike Brodsky, Florida National News)

Henley finished at 11 under par for the four day tournament, carding a 70 today. Collin Morikawa finished in second place at 10 under par. API defending champion, Scottie Scheffler, finished today at 4 under par, tied for 11th place.

Scottie Scheffler tees off at the Arnold Palmer Invitational (Photo Credit: Mike Brodsky, Florida National News)

This coming week, the top golfers head to TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra, for The Players Championship. The winner will walk away with $4.5 million of the $25 million up for grabs. This is the PGA Tour’s largest regular season purse. Stay tuned to www.FloridaNationalNews.com for more.

NFL

UCF Hall of Fame Inductee Shaquem Griffin Launches Search For Greatness Combine With Joey Grant and GMTM

Published

12 months ago

October 30, 2024

Mike Brodsky

UCF Hall of Fame Inductee Shaquem Griffin Launches Search For Greatness Combine With Joey Grant and GMTM

Former UCF football players Shaquem Griffin and Joey Grant have partnered with GMTM to launch their Search for Greatness Combine at UCF on Saturday, November 9th. They’re giving local athletes a chance to showcase their talents and explore new sports opportunities. Griffin will be inducted into the UCF Hall of Fame on Saturday, November 2nd, during halftime of the Arizona vs. UCF football game. He is remembered for his tenacity, setting an NFL Combine record with the fastest 40-yard dash by a linebacker, and playing four seasons in the NFL, overcoming the challenge of only having one hand. He is now training to make the USA Paralympic Track and Field Team and hopes to compete in the 2028 Olympics. Joey Grant, the co-founder and CEO of GMTM, is a former UCF team captain, playing mostly Center for the Knights from 2011-2015.

Participation at the upcoming combine is free and invite-only, targeting athletes over the age of 18. To be considered, athletes must submit a highlight video via GMTM’s platform, showcasing their athleticism. GMTM will evaluate submissions and invite the most promising athletes to participate in the combine. The goal for this year’s event is to get 1,000 athletes to submit videos and be part of the combine process. Athletes chosen will receive personalized invites with further instructions, including event time slots and details. The athletes will be evaluated for their key athletic traits, to identify opportunities for them across multiple Olympic sports or professional sports programs. To learn more, or to apply for the combine, visit: https://gmtm.com/articles/the-search-for-greatness-at-ucf-with-shaquem-griffin-what-you-need-to-know.

Florida National News spoke with Shaquem and Joey about the combine, college football in the era of NIL and the transfer portal, and Griffin’s hall of fame induction. You can watch the full interview here:

Shaquem Griffin and Joey Grant interview

Stay tuned to www.FloridaNationalNews.com and www.FloridaSportsChannel.com for more.

Florida

Scottie Scheffler Wins Second Red Cardigan at 2024 Arnold Palmer Invitational

Published

2 years ago

March 10, 2024

Mike Brodsky

Photo credit: Mike Brodsky, Florida National News

ORLANDO, Fla. (FNN Sports) – Scottie Scheffler wins his second red cardigan at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, today, along with $4 million of the $20 million prize pool. The red cardigan was first awarded in 2017, in memory of Arnold Palmer who passed the year before. Scheffler first won the API in 2022.

Scottie Scheffler wins the Arnold Palmer Invitational. (Photo credit: Mike Brodsky, Florida National News)

The number one ranked golfer in the world, Scheffler finished at 15 under par for the four day tournament, carding a 66 today. Wyndham Clark finished in second place at 10 under par. API defending champion, Kurt Kitayama, did not make the cut, this weekend, finishing 7 over par after the first two rounds on Thursday and Friday.

This coming week, the top golfers head to TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra, for the 50th anniversary of The Players Championship. The winner will walk away with $4.5 million of the $25 million up for grabs. This is the PGA Tour’s largest regular season purse. Stay tuned to www.FloridaNationalNews.com for more.