At the 2025 National Association of Black Journalists convention in Cleveland, a panel of prominent Black men in media shared stories ranging from the importance of mentorship to how rejecting limitations has contributed to their success.

“People told me to cut certain scenes or topics,” said Jordan Cooper, reflecting on his approach to creating the award-winning BET+ series “Ms. Pat,” starring comedienne Ms. Pat. “I said, ‘That’s the show. That’s the recipe.’”

Jordan credits the show’s popularity, at least partly, to ignoring requests to tone down his storytelling.

Jordan was joined on the panel hosted by the National Association of Black Journalists Black Male Media Project by Louis Carr, President of BET Media Sales, the rapper/activist/entrepreneur Vic Mensa, and Brian McIntosh, host of BET’s original series “For the Fellas.” Cooper and his fellow panelists shared details on the key steps and risks they’ve taken to get where they are.

McIntosh said he left what he once considered to be his dream job as an ESPN associate producer to freelance in BET’s social media department, a job with no health insurance, other benefits, or real financial security for him and his son.

Nevertheless, he said, “I rolled the dice on myself.”

Within six months, he was promoted to a full-time role. Six years later, he created, launched, and started hosting “For The Fellas,” a series featuring notable Black men in real conversation. 

Before he started climbing the music charts, Mensa, a teenager at the time, fell 30 feet from a bridge onto a 15,000-volt transformer, injuring his arm and neck while trying to sneak into Chicago’s annual Lollapalooza festival to watch rapper J. Cole.

“I’m not saying go fall off a bridge,” Mensa told the audience, laughing. “But being that determined to get where you want to go matters.”

A year after that dangerous fall, Cole performed at Lollapalooza. He went on to tour with Cole.

Starting and sustaining careers            

The NABJ panel held on Friday, August 8th, sought to inspire more Black men to achieve success in media jobs and, when necessary, defend their right to be there.

This week marks 39 years at BET for Louis Carr, who began as the company's 33rd employee and is now its president for media sales.

From the jump, networking has been key for him. “My best friend from high school gave me every job I’ve ever had,” he told the audience.

Those jobs have included roles at Ebony and Black Enterprise magazines. Carr said he has carved out a long and successful career because he has stayed curious, adapted to change, seen and seized opportunities.

“I’m one of those people,” Carr said. “I love change for the sake of change.”

He also loves giving back and helping to put people in a professional pipeline.

Today, Carr pays that forward through The Louis Carr Internship. Founded in 2003, it has placed over 70 students in media jobs, including positions at BET, Paramount, and Viacom.

Giving back is also what inspired Mensa to launch the Black Star Line program that pairs youth in Chicago and Ghana with mentors in music, fashion, and the film industry.

“Sometimes you have to incentivize kids to learn what they need by giving them what they want,” he said, recalling his interactions with his own mentors.  

The panelists agreed that BET is a platform where Black creatives can lead and innovate. Carr described it as a “brand of opportunity” that has launched many careers.

Cooper said BET has allowed him to build his own career, even though he had to prove himself. Initially, media executives there were skeptical that Cooper, then a college senior, could create the kind of show he was proposing. But he kept on. Today, “The Ms. Pat Show,” on which Cooper is the executive producer, writer, and show runner, is a hit, praised for tackling sensitive topics with honesty and humor.

“Where else can I write, direct, produce, and act in my own sitcom and have the network say, ‘Do whatever you want’?”

Following the panel, Carr added that new college graduates and other young media professionals should be clear about what they want and how they plan to get there.

“When you walk into someone’s office, you can’t just say you’re looking for a job,” he said. “You have to know the opportunity you want and where you’re willing to start to get there.”

McIntosh encouraged aspiring media professionals to study industry trends and adjust to what’s working. “You can become a dinosaur in this industry if you refuse to learn new tricks,” he said.

Cooper encouraged listeners to lean into their uniqueness and the personal-professional brands they already should be building. “Everybody else is taken,” he said. “Be yourself.”