David Shands says Black creators no longer have to wait for traditional media gatekeepers to build audiences, businesses and platforms of their own.

Dr. Sarah J. Jackson says Black media makers have always helped America confront its values, challenge censorship and imagine a freer democracy.

DuJuan McCoy, owner, president and CEO of Circle City Broadcasting, says Black media ownership requires experience, discipline and doing the work before the door opens.

National Urban League President Marc Morial says Black Americans are facing economic pressure tied to federal workforce cuts, DEI rollbacks, tariffs and rising consumer costs.