August …

Black Enterprise is a multimedia company founded to promote Black business, entrepreneurship, and economic empowerment.

The company’s flagship product — Black Enterprise magazine — launched when the first issue was released in August 1970 by Earl Graves Sr., the founder who created and built the company out of a belief that economic development was central to Black progress. Graves, a Morgan State University alumnus and former aide to Senator Robert F. Kennedy, secured initial financing and grew the title from a single magazine into a diversified media company over subsequent decades.

As the business evolved, they added regular features such as the annual “B.E. 100s” ranking, first published in 1973 to spotlight the nation’s largest Black-owned businesses. The company later expanded into digital publishing, television programming, podcasts, and live events.

The company’s mission focuses on educating, inspiring, and empowering African Americans to attain financial security, achieve business success, and pursue professional advancement. It offers a diverse range of content, including news and analysis as well as practical advice on entrepreneurship, career growth, and wealth creation.

Its key products and services encompass the magazine with associated website featuring digital content, syndicated television programs like “Our World with Black Enterprise,” conferences, and summits like “Women of Power” and “BE Modern Man/BE Modern Woman” events. They also publish annual lists and reports monitoring Black business performance.

Over the years, the company and its founder have earned numerous accolades and industry recognitions that underscore both editorial excellence and civic influence. The company has received various trade awards — including FOLIO: Editorial Excellence distinctions. Earl Graves Sr. has been honored with prestigious awards, such as the NAACP Spingarn Medal and lifetime achievement accolades from journalism and business organizations.

The lists, summits, and programming created by Black Enterprise have established the company and its products as benchmarks for celebrating Black achievement in business and leadership.