Los Angeles, CA — May 10, 2022 – AOne Creative announced today that Be Woke.Vote has, after numerous nominations, been named as the Best Social News & Politics Campaign in the 26th annual Webby Awards; Be Woke.Vote tops the Shortlist for International Awards Honoring Best of Internet. Hailed as the “Internet’s highest honor” by The New York Times, The Webby Awards, presented by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences (IADAS), is the leading international awards organization honoring excellence on the Internet.
“Be Woke.Vote has set the standard for innovation and creativity on the Internet,” said Claire Graves, Executive Director of The Webby Awards. “This award is a testament to the skill, ingenuity, and vision of its creators.”
“Aone Creative is honored to be a part of the brilliant team that brought Be Woke.Vote to life. Since 2018 we’ve had the opportunity to affect so many people and provide a platform of inclusiveness and education.”, said Darrick Angelone of AOne Creative LLC.
Be Woke.Vote will be honored at the 26th Annual Webby Awards in New York City on May 16th, hosted by Roy Wood Jr.
Hosted by comedian Roy Wood Jr. (The Daily Show with Trevor Noah, Roy Wood Jr.: Imperfect Messenger) the Webby Awards’ star-studded ceremony – presented by Verizon – will take place in New York City on Monday, May 16, and will celebrate the best of the Internet. Fans can follow and watch show highlights including hallmark 5-Word Speeches from the night’s big winners on May 16th at #Webbys on Instagram and Twitter, and the show at webbyawards.com.
About Be Woke.Vote
The original concept of Be Woke.Vote began with philanthropist and investor Robert F. Smith, film director Deon Taylor, film producer Roxanne Avent and creative director Darrick Angelone. The voting initiative spawned a 2019 Webby-Award nominated video podcast series. “Be Woke.Vote” was created to mobilize and empower the youth vote through education initiatives and by creating space to encourage those who are typically disenfranchised to freely discuss politics. The purpose of Be Woke.Vote is not only outreach to Black Gen Z and Millennial voters, but also to provide a culturally rich understanding of the meaning, history and purpose of civic participation as part of social justice. Bewoke.Vote was developed and designed by Darrick Angelone and AOne Creative LLC.
About The Webby Awards:
Hailed as the “Internet’s highest honor” by The New York Times, The Webby Awards is the leading international awards organization honoring excellence on the Internet, including Websites and Mobile Sites; Video; Advertising, Media and PR; Apps & Software, Social; Podcasts; Games and Virtual & Remote. Established in 1996, The Webby Awards received more than 14,300 entries from all 50 states and 70 countries worldwide this year. The Webby Awards are presented by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences (IADAS). Sponsors and Partners of The Webby Awards include Verizon, WP Engine, Canva, Omidyar Network, YouGov, NAACP, KPMG, Fast Company, Wall Street Journal, MediaPost, Podcast Movement, TheFutureParty and AIGA.
Los Angeles, CA — May 10, 2022 – AOne Creative announced today that Black History in Two Minutes (or so) has, for a third year in a row, has been named as the Best Social: Education & Discovery Video Series in the 26th annual Webby Awards; Black History in Two Minutes (or so) tops the Shortlist for International Awards Honoring Best of Internet. Hailed as the “Internet’s highest honor” by The New York Times, The Webby Awards, presented by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences (IADAS), is the leading international awards organization honoring excellence on the Internet.
The Black History in Two Minutes (or so) series received two Webby Awards in May 2020: A People’s Choice award for the Best Podcast: Documentary as well for the Best Video Series: Education & Discovery as selected by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences (IADAS) and two more Webby Awards in May 2021, again selected by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences as the Best Podcast: Documentary and Best Video Series: Education & Discovery.
“Black History in Two Minutes (or so) has set the standard for innovation and creativity on the Internet,” said Claire Graves, Executive Director of The Webby Awards. “This award is a testament to the skill, ingenuity, and vision of its creators.”
“Aone Creative is honored to be a part of the brilliant team of producers, historians and writers that brought Black History in Two Minutes (or so) to life. So many stories have been shared in a way, that are available to be discovered by teachers, students, and anyone else interested in American history, at any time. These stories represent significant highlights of the historical American experience, many of which are not taught in history classes across American public schools.”, said Darrick Angelone of AOne Creative LLC. “This will be the first year that the Webby Awards ceremony will be held live again since Black History in Two Minutes (or so) started getting recognized. This will be the first opportunity for the Hidden Empire Film Group, the McGee Media and AOne teams to celebrate the honors,” he added.
Black History in Two Minutes (or so) will be honored at the 26th Annual Webby Awards in New York City on May 16th, hosted by Roy Wood Jr.
Hosted by comedian Roy Wood Jr. (The Daily Show with Trevor Noah, Roy Wood Jr.: Imperfect Messenger) the Webby Awards’ star-studded ceremony – presented by Verizon – will take place in New York City on Monday, May 16, and will celebrate the best of the Internet. Fans can follow and watch show highlights including hallmark 5-Word Speeches from the night’s big winners on May 16th at #Webbys on Instagram and Twitter, and the show at webbyawards.com.
About BLACK HISTORY IN TWO MINUTES (OR SO):
Black History in Two Minutes is the brainchild of Executive Producer, Robert F. Smith, Founder, Chairman and CEO of Vista Equity Partners. The series hosted by Executive Producer, Henry Louis Gates Jr,. the Alphonse Fletcher University Professor and Director of the Hutchins Center for African & African American Research at Harvard University who is also an Emmy and Peabody Award-winning filmmaker, literary scholar, journalist, cultural critic and institution builder. Emmy and Peabody Award-winning filmmaker, builder. Executive producer Dyllan McGee is an Emmy and Peabody award-winning filmmaker, who is co-founder and executive producer of McGee Media, a documentary film company with works highlighting social justice. Executive Producer; Deon Taylor, is a film director and founder of Hidden Empire Film Group Blackhistoryintwominutes.com was developed and designed by Darrick Angelone and AOne Creative. Black History in Two Minutes (or so) is also distributed by AOne Creative.
About The Webby Awards:
Hailed as the “Internet’s highest honor” by The New York Times, The Webby Awards is the leading international awards organization honoring excellence on the Internet, including Websites and Mobile Sites; Video; Advertising, Media and PR; Apps & Software, Social; Podcasts; Games and Virtual & Remote. Established in 1996, The Webby Awards received more than 14,300 entries from all 50 states and 70 countries worldwide this year. The Webby Awards are presented by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences (IADAS). Sponsors and Partners of The Webby Awards include Verizon, WP Engine, Canva, Omidyar Network, YouGov, NAACP, KPMG, Fast Company, Wall Street Journal, MediaPost, Podcast Movement, TheFutureParty and AIGA.
LOS ANGELES, April 26, 2022 /Yahoo Finance/ — On Chain Innovations LLC. has teamed up with Hidden Empire Film Group LP. to give fans an interactive experience and first look at the 2022 film release, ‘FEAR.’ On Chain Innovations alongside Deon Taylor and Roxanne Avent Taylor’s Hidden Empire Film Group (HEFG) developed and will launch this pixel-art running mobile game and NFT experience, developed for IOS and Android. The cross integration of film and P2E gaming has not been successfully done before. FEAR the game is based on their film titled ‘FEAR’ which was directed by Deon Taylor (The Intruder, Black and Blue, Fatale) and stars Joseph Sikora (Power, Ozarks) in the leading role.
Part of the draw for the “Fear” game is the engagement of the NFT holders who are literally vested in the project. On Chain Innovations will mint 10,000 NFT membership passes in August 2022. They will be minted and sold over four separate periods, the first coinciding with the release of the film. The details of this can be found on the project’s roadmap.
No one has successfully integrated blockchain utility with film, “The NFT space is exploding with so much innovation and we’ve spent the last few years experimenting with smart-contracts and blockchain technologies, developing a way that we could engage our audiences with more than the traditional film marketing campaign,” said Darrick Angelone, CEO of On Chain Innovations.
A first look beta version of the game will be available on the Apple and Google app stores in early May and will be available to play by invitation only. Invitations will be given away for free by the studio and Fear movie cast. The final game will be available to everyone in July 2022 and the P2E version launch will coincide with the black carpet premiere of Fear, in theaters on August 26th 2022.
ABOUT HIDDEN EMPIRE FILM GROUP
Hidden Empire Film Group (“HEFG”), founded by Black filmmaking team Deon Taylor and Roxanne Avent Taylor in partnership with investor and philanthropist Robert F. Smith, is a next generation film production, distribution and marketing company. HEFG has partnered with major distributors including LIONSGATE on movies including FATALE starring Michael Ealy & two-time Academy Award® winner Hilary Swank, as well as SONY SCREEN GEMS on the movies BLACK & BLUE starring Academy Award® nominee Naomie Harris, Tyrese Gibson, Mike Colter and Frank Grillo and the thriller THE INTRUDER starring Michael Ealy, Meagan Good and Dennis Quaid. Upcoming projects include the John Lewis biopic FREEDOM RIDE.
ABOUT ON CHAIN INNOVATIONS
On Chain Innovations started in 2022 as a vehicle for Hollywood to be able to explore the blockchain and the infinite possibilities it holds for brands and their audiences. The first product from On Chain Innovations will be the Fear mobile gaming and NFT experience.
Hidden Empire Film Group’s comedy/horror romp The House Next Door: Meet the Blacks 2 scared up a $1.064M opening weekend (per screen average of $2,533) with writer-director Deon Taylor and his team huddling right now over where and how much to expand the run — but expand it they will. Taylor’s thrilled with the $$ although he and others in the indie space acknowledged Sunday that ongoing distancing restrictions in key New York and LA is a major bummer.
“We felt that the most this weekend, because we sold out theaters. People couldn’t see it. They had to come back later, or the next day,” Taylor told Deadline. The film needed more capacity. “That’s the very next thing that we have to figure out – how to fill up the theaters.”
Sold-out shows were testament the movie’s “core audience that never gets films served to them,” he said. Hidden Empire oversaw a highly-targeted rollout and marketing push to a Black demo for the film with Mike Epps as Carl Black facing off with a neighbor from hell (Katt Williams), a pimp who may also be a vampire. It’s a follow on Meet The Blacks from 2016.
It’s not on PVOD. “I feel sorry for anybody that bets against the theatrical world. It’s America’s pastime. You might not be able to afford to go on a trip or a fancy restaurant but you can afford to take your friends and wife or girlfriend and go to a movie,” Taylor said.
While Americans plead for student loan relief and Democrats in Congress urge President Joe Biden to forgive $50,000 in student loan debt, billionaire Robert F. Smith continues to put his own plans in motion.
The Colorado native has made it his mission to help ease the loan burden that disproportionately affects Black students. During a May 2019 commencement speech at Morehouse College, Smith, the founder and CEO of Vista Equity Partners, made headlines when he pledged to pay off the student loans of roughly 400 Morehouse graduating seniors.
The graduates, and those in attendance, erupted in cheers and a roaring applause. Little did they know Smith still had more blessings to distribute. Months after the graduation ceremony, he extended his altruism by promising to pay the educational debt incurred by the students’ parents, as well, bringing his total gift amount to a whopping $34 million, according to Business Insider.
Smith has changed numerous lives with his unparalleled generosity, but the billionaire philanthropist is more than aware that student loan forgiveness is a problem that is intricately complicated. “There are some folks that have college debt for 20 years, and if you forgive the past, what about the future?” he told CNBC in Jan. 2020.
In an effort to put his efforts into overdrive, Smith started a brand new initiative. The meticulously thorough billionaire propelled his vision into what is now known as the Student Freedom Initiative (SFI). On his personal website, he describes the non-profit organization as a means to “remove some of the steep and often prohibitive barriers to higher ed that students of color often face.”
Qualified junior and senior Morehouse students in STEM majors are eligible for a flexible, low-risk alternative to high-rate, fixed-payment private loans and Parent PLUS loans. On average, the SFI expects to offer $32,000 per student, which the student will be required to repay after graduation based on their income. Participation in the SFI program will also connect students with internships and mentorships that will pave the way to high-paying jobs post graduation.
As usual, Smith’s charitableness doesn’t end there. In addition to Morehouse, the program will also be available at Claflin University, Clark Atlanta University, Florida A&M University, Hampton University, Prairie View A&M University, Tougaloo College, Tuskegee University and Xavier University of Louisiana, according to Smith’s website.
EdSurge reports the SFI will include 5,000 new students each year. It will launch with a pair of $50 million grants — one from Smith, and the other from the Fund II Foundation, a charitable organization that lists Smith as the founding director and president.
With a goal of raising $500 million by October 2021 to make the organization “self-sustaining,” Smith and his partners, Michael Lomax, Henry Louis Gates Jr., the Jain Family Institute, and the Education Finance Institute, are well on their way to alleviating the intense financial burden that plagues countless black students and their families.
Student loan debt has snowballed into a $1.6 trillion crisis. According to a 2006 report published by the U.S. Department of Education, black graduates are more likely to take on student debt. In addition, a 2016 comprehensive study by the Washington Center for Equitable Growth matched up data on student loan delinquencies by zip code. Combined with zip code demographics, it was discovered that student loan delinquencies are more concentrated in black and Latino communities.
Smith’s kindness and proactive measure also comes at the most opportune moment. Many are still reeling from the 2020 economic downturn brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic. Although COVID-19 emergency relief flexibility has been extended through Sept. 30, 2021 through the Department of Education Office of Federal Student Aid, this is simply a bandage that doesn’t address the larger issue.
This is why Smith’s contributions are so impactful. With him at the helm of tackling a problematic student loan system that has wreaked havoc on black graduates for decades, the future finally appears brighter. Smith will continue to lead the way for so many, while holding firm to the title as one of the most altruistic figures this world has seen. His insurmountable contributions will support many generations of students to come and enrich black communities in ways that once seemed unimaginable.
With racial tensions flaring across America and the NFL embroiled in a bitter spat with the U.S. President over players protesting racial injustice during the national anthem, billionaire investor Robert F. Smith is on the verge of making history by becoming the first African-American NFL team owner. Smith’s sights are firmly set on the league at a time when it has also been criticized for a lack of diversity at various levels, from the quarterback position, to head coaches, and team owners.
As the first black NFL team owner, not only will Smith stand with the players when the National Anthem plays, but he’ll back up his actions by continuing to be a positive influence in the African American community by donating his time and resources to organizations and institutions that are focused on the betterment of black people. And focus and resources are something that Smith has plenty of, if his $2.5 billion fortune is anything to go by. He’s now the second wealthiest African-American behind Oprah Winfrey.
Is success ingrained in his DNA? It’s likely.
Smith was raised in a middle-class family in Denver – the son of Dr. William Robert Smith and Dr. Sylvia Myma Smith, both of whom were school teachers with PhDs. As a high school junior, Smith desperately tried to get his foot in the door to work an internship at the Colorado development company, Bell Labs. The position was tailored for college students but Smith had the drive and determination that even after being initially rejected, the bigwigs at Bell Labs hired him. He has come a long way since that first unpaid position.
Little was known about him for many years. He was never one to plaster his face on every magazine to boast about his accomplishments. In fact, the website for Vista Equity Partners doesn’t even include a picture of his face. He wanted to prove his abilities first before investors and executives could judge him for the color of his skin. His plan worked, and his firm has earned him billions.
A few African Americans have tried and failed to acquire NFL teams. However, there’s nothing stopping Smith from making his dream come to fruition. Owning an NFL franchise just may be his greatest investment to date. However, it won’t be the pinnacle of his career – Smith is just getting started. With his devotion to maintaining the glue that holds the African American community together, seeing Smith in a stadium’s owner’s box on a Sunday afternoon is something the league and America so desperately needs. It would be a sign that our nation, the land of freedom and opportunities, isn’t just reserved for those who have a certain shade of skin.
What sets Smith apart from other financial leaders across the globe is his penchant for helping others. In 2017, he was named one of the “Philanthropy 50” by the Chronicle of Philanthropy. And in May 2017, The Giving Pledge announced he had joined its ranks as the only African American philanthropist. When the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture was looking for donations, they were told to reach out to Smith. They had no clue who he was at the time, but now he’s known as the entrepreneur who gave them their second-largest donation worth $20 million.
His contributions continue year after year, including a $50 million donation to his alma mater, Cornell University. His unparalleled generosity prompted the college to have the Robert Frederick Smith School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering renamed in his honor.
Preserving the African-American experience is one of his main goals, and he’s able to hone in on that interest and several more; including entrepreneurship, the environment, and human rights as the founding director and President of the Fund II Foundation. The nonprofit makes grants to public charities that safeguard human dignity, improve environmental conservation, provide outdoor education, and sustain the American values of empowerment and innovation.
The time for a black NFL owner is now, and there’s no better prospect than Smith.
On behalf of the International Academy of Digital Arts & Sciences, I’m delighted to inform you that the following work has been selected as a 24th Annual Webby Winner:
Black History in Two Minutes is a Webby Winner in Social: Education & Discovery
Black History in Two Minutes (or so) is a Webby People’s Voice Winner in Podcasts: Documentary
Special Congratulations to the Black History in Two Minutes (or so) team:
The star-studded Webbys From Home Internet celebration will launch at 3:00pm ET TODAY.
Hosted by acclaimed actor and comedian Patton Oswalt and will feature speeches from you and your team, alongside 5-Word Speeches by; Miley Cyrus, Demi Lovato, D-Nice, Kristen Bell, John Krasinski, Dr. Anthony Fauci, Tom Hanks and the inventor of the Internet Vint Cerf.
The show will also feature a special performance by Moses Sumney, and appearances from presenters Michelle Obama, Dr. Anthony Fauci, Demi Lovato, Questlove, Desus Nice and The Kid Mero, Jill Scott, FKA twigs, Rhett & Link, David Chang, Imogen Heap, Chris Long, and more!
It’s Black History delivered in short, lively, fact-packed stories accessible to people of all ages and education levels. It’s fast, accurate U.S. history available in free video podcast recordings describing major historical events and introducing less well-known experiences involving Black Americans.
The generosity of Mr. Smith — the richest black man in America — highlighted the systematic problems of debt in American college education.
Over all, the majority of seniors at four-year colleges — about two-thirds — are carrying student loan debt. In 2017, that average was nearly $29,000, according to an analysis of federal data from the Institute for College Access and Success, a nonprofit advocating affordable higher education. Adjusted for inflation, that same average was about $13,000 in 1996.
“This generation of students is the most debt burdened ever, and it’s a huge problem for them,” said Mehrsa Baradaran, a law professor at the University of Georgia and author of “The Color of Money: Black Banks and the Racial Wealth Gap.”
The 23rd annual Webby Award nominations were announced this morning, and the AONE work done on behalf of the Be Woke.Vote initiative was nominated for an award in the Social: News & Politics category and honored in the Podcast: Best Host category. Congratulations to all the people who made it possible. Without Mr. Robert Frederick Smith, none of this would have been possible.
Open voting for the people choice in each category ends April 18, 2019. Please vote for Be Woke.Vote in the Best Social: News & Politics category here: https://vote.webbyawards.com/
Be Woke was Directed by: Deon Taylor & Omar Joseph
Be Woke was Produced by: Roxanne Avent, Heather Kritzer, Darrick Angelone, Omar Joseph
Congratulations! On behalf of the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences, it is my pleasure to inform you that the following work has been recognized in the 23rd Annual Webby Awards:
• Be Woke. Vote! is a Webby Nominee in Social: News & Politics (wbby.co/vote-soc36).
• BeWoke.Vote is a Webby Honoree in Podcasts: Best Host
This Is a Major Achievement: What Does It Mean to Be a Webby Nominee?
As a Webby Nominee, your work has been singled out as one of the five best in the world in its category (and among the top 10% of all work entered) and is competing for the Internet’s two most coveted awards: The Webby Award and The Webby People’s Voice Award. While The Webby Award is chosen by the Academy, The Webby People’s Voice Award is voted on by the public. Both Awards are a mark of international distinction for Internet excellence. Below you will find details on how to launch your Webby People’s Voice campaign and promote your achievement to your organization, clients, and the public.
The Webby People’s Voice Awards: Start Your Campaign Now
While the Academy selects its Webby Winner in each category, every Webby Nominee also contends for a Webby People’s Voice Award as selected by the voting public. Winning either distinction is a mark of international Internet excellence and affords you the opportunity to attend the star-studded 23rd Annual Webby Awards in NYC in May. To maximize your chances of winning, we encourage you to launch a People’s Voice campaign quickly to get your community to the polls. (We’ve assembled some tips on running a successful campaign.) During the voting campaign your work will be seen by a massive online audience: Last year, people cast over 3 million votes from 230+ countries and territories worldwide. Voting for People’s Voice is open from today April 2nd to Thursday, April 18th, at 11:59 PM/PST. VOTE HERE: vote.webbyawards.com
Awarding and Next Steps
All Webby Winners will be announced on Tuesday, April 23, 2019, and honored at the 23rd Annual Webby Awards, hosted by actor/comedian Jenny Slate, at Cipriani Wall Street in New York City, on May 13, 2019.
This Is a Big Deal: What Does It Mean to Be a Webby Honoree?
Congratulations! Earning the distinction of Webby Honoree, as recognized by the International Academy of Digital Arts & Sciences is, too, a significant achievement—granted to only the top 20% of all work entered in the 23rd Annual Webby Awards.
On behalf of IADAS and The Webby Awards, congratulations on this outstanding accomplishment for you and your team!
Comedian Jamie Foxx recently sat down with CNN commentator Van Jones for his “Be Woke.Vote” series to discuss the importance of voting and leading by example.
In the interview, Foxx discussed what it feels like being black in America during Donald Trump’s presidency and told Jones he feels disheartened that his children can’t look up to the President.
“The only thing that disheartens me is when it comes to my kids,” Foxx said. “When I see grown people talking that way in that position, it hurts the kids because being President, yeah it’s great, it makes you feel good, but the one thing you could count on was the moral compass. I could always look to the President to know he is going to say and do the right things.”
Foxx said he feels the President rips the nation apart instead of healing.
“Say the economy is doing a little better, but you rip us apart so we can’t even have a conversation right now, that’s the disheartening part,” he said. “That’s where I think, not only do we vote, but we put pressure on the people who are supposed to be doing it. What can you do to actually heal it a little bit?”
Foxx added that he wished the Democrats would come together.
“Democrats are like R&B singers, they gotta sing lead,” he said. “You never saw Obama with Clinton, they never came together if you think about it. You had all of these opportunities to come together. I remember when Obama won, I thought it would be great if Obama, Bill Clinton and all of the Democrats did a nice cover for TIME magazine. No. Republicans, they sing in a choir, they don’t necessarily sing in tune but they sing loud and they all know the words.”
Created by: Hyper Engine LLC.
Directed by: Deon Taylor & Omar Joseph
Produced by: Roxanne Avent, Heather Kritzer, Darrick Angelone, Omar Joseph
Executive Producer: Robert F. Smith
Creative Director: Darrick Angelone & AOne
Revolt TV has announced they will broadcast to their 30+ million audience, the Hidden Empire Film Group produced 12 episode series of Be Woke.Vote featuring the Messy Truth with Van Jones.
The purpose of “Be Woke” is to push the needle forward by getting more young voters of color interested in politics and participating in the voting process. “Be Woke” was conceptualized by movie director Deon Taylor, producer Roxanne Avent and prominent philanthropist and investor Robert F. Smith, who are all partners in Hidden Empire Film Group. They are bringing the series to life with Taylor co-directing the episodes with Omar Joseph, and Avent and Smith producing alongside Heather Kritzer with Darrick Angelone and AOne Entertainment leading the creative direction.
Created by: Hyper Engine LLC.
Directed by: Deon Taylor & Omar Joseph
Produced by: Roxanne Avent, Heather Kritzer, Darrick Angelone, Omar Joseph
Executive Producer: Robert F. Smith
Creative Director: Darrick Angelone & AOne
