Join us Saturday, June 2 for our next meeting: “Images of Black Men in Media.” As part of NABJ’s nation-wide Black Male Media Project which aims to help change the narrative around the lives and images of black men in the news and in society, we will be joined by a diverse panel of entertainment and media personalities including producer and CEO of Entertainment Studios Motion Pictures Byron Allen, “Queer Eye” host Karamo Brown, “Access” correspondent Scott Evans, actor and comedian Lil’ Rel Howery and “TMZ” producer Van Lathan. Our vice president, Jarrett Hill, will moderate.
Tickets are $5, with all proceeds going to our scholarship program. Tickets are free for NABJ-LA dues-paying members with discount code. Purchase tickets here.
Event Co-chairs: Robert Harrell and Jarrett Hill
Byron Allen is a comedian, producer, media mogul and philanthropist who founded his global media company, Entertainment Studios, in 1993. With the March 2018 purchase of The Weather Channel, Entertainment Studios now owns a total of eight 24-hour HD cable television networks and also produces, distributes and sells advertising for 41 broadcast and cable television programs, making Entertainment Studios one of the largest independent producers and distributors of television programming.
Headquartered in Los Angeles, Entertainment Studios has offices in New York, Chicago, Atlanta, Denver, and Raleigh and is the first African American-owned studio producing and distributing wide-release motion pictures. In 2016, Entertainment Studios purchased TheGrio, a digital, video-centric news platform devoted to providing African-Americans with compelling stories and perspectives currently underrepresented in existing national news outlets. TheGrio features aggregated and original video packages, news articles, and blogs on topics that include breaking news, politics, health, business, and entertainment. The digital platform remains focused on curating engaging digital content and currently has more than 20 million annual visitors.
Karamo Brown is a dynamic talk and lifestyle television host. He can currently be seen as the Culture expert on the hit Netflix reboot, “Queer Eye.” Karamo serves a ‘life coach,” engaging the people he makes-over in important culturally relevant conversations that help them get to the core of understanding themselves so they can better relate to the world better around them. Karamo can also be seen on H2’s “Breaking Mysterious”, airing in Canada and the UK, and is also the host of MTV’s “Are You the One: Second Chances.”
Before television, Karamo graduated from Florida A&M University and worked as a licensed social worker for nearly a decade. He began his television career in 2004 as a housemate on the hit MTV reality series “The Real World”, becoming the first openly-gay African-American in the history of reality television.
Scott Evans is the West coast correspondent for Access Hollywood Online.
Scott first got involved in media in high school where he worked on the teen directed and produced, bi-weekly television show “360 Degrees” which aired on the MTV-2 affiliate in Indianapolis. There he’d learn the basics of video production and create memorable work on topics like teen homelessness, preparing for college and how to plan the perfect date. He then, for four seasons, served as the game host for the NBA’s Indiana Pacers and the WNBA’s Indiana Fever. As the youngest to ever hold the position, at every home game and in front of thousands of basketball fans he developed a keen “think on your feet,” delivery style.
Scott went on to become The Face of My-Indy TV – the spokesperson for the network. While there he’d also serve as an entertainment reporter for the sister station WISH-TV 8, the local CBS affiliate, where he’d bring each newscast a fresh perspective and unique energy. It’d be those qualities that took him to Los Angles where he’d become the West-Coast Correspondent for One Minute News, a millennial news organization that produced quick personality driven bits on the biggest stories of the day. The bug for news would bite hard, and soon so did New York and Channel One News, the CBS partnered national news show that reaches 5 millions viewers daily. Serving as an anchor and reporter, Scott has interviewed people like the youngest Nobel Peace Prize Winner – Malala Yousafzai, to legendary Academy Award winning Director James Cameron and the iconic Grammy Award winning band The Jonas brothers.
Lil’ Rel Howery is an award-winning comedian, actor, writer and producer known for his role as TSA agent Rod Williams in the Oscar-winning instant classic “Get Out.”
Lil Rel starred in the critically-acclaimed NBC comedy series “The Carmichael Show,” appearing alongside Loretta Devine and David Alan Grier as star Jerrod Carmichael’s brother. He also executive produced, wrote and starred in the “gleefully absurd” weekly sketch comedy show “Friends of the People” on TruTV.
As Howery ascends in Hollywood, he is prepping for his lead role in the film “Uncle Drew” which is slated to hit theaters June 29 while guest-starring in HBO’s “Insecure.” He will also star in “Rel,” which Fox recently ordered to series; he serves as executive producer of the comedy.
Van Lathan is a screenwriter who is developing both independent film and television projects while also serving as a TMZ Entertainment Senior Producer. Previously, Van worked in broadcast as the host of The Red Pill podcast. He is originally from Baton Rouge, Louisiana before relocating to Los Angeles. Van is most recently known for his televised conversation with rapper Kanye West over difference of opinions in political views and slavery.