AFRICAN AMERICAN ENTREPRENEUR AND BLACK
ENTERPRISE PUBLISHER EARL GRAVES FEATURED IN FRANK
INTERVIEW FOR TV ONE'S "ON POINT WITH ARMSTRONG WILLIAMS"

(AFRICAN AMERICAN NEWSWIRE)June 30, 2004, Silver Spring, MD -- Prominent African American business executive Earl Graves, founder and publisher of Black Enterprise magazine and nationally recognized authority on black business development, offers a frank assessment of how racism affects African Americans in business today and reflects on the secrets to his success in a wide-ranging interview premiering on TV One Thursday, July 8 at 8 PM. The interview was conducted for On Point with Armstrong Williams, a series of special interviews conducted by commentator and columnist Armstrong Williams. The program will repeat at 11 PM that night, as well as Wednesday, July 14 at 8 PM and 11 PM (all times ET).

When asked to comment on the state of black business today, Graves said, "What is a great disappointment to me is that we were actually on a faster track - by that I mean the progress we were making -- in the Nixon era going up to the Reagan era and then things started to go the other way because the country looked up and said these African Americans are getting ahead too fast."

"I think the word diversity was really created to marginalize African Americans, because there are companies who have 10 or 12 different kinds of special groups," that dilute the impact on African Americans "who were the ones who historically had been held back" and who "were brought here as an enslaved people," Graves said.

Graves stresses that African Americans strongly believe in the American system, and that it's critical for African American businesses not to let racism win out. He offers insight into how he built his company that now consists of a highly successful book and publishing house, an executive conferences division and a $90 million private equity fund that invests in black businesses.

The entrepreneur also says that African American business people should be involved in the political process -- in both parties -- and while not everyone can afford to contribute money at high levels, "you can involve yourself in voter registration drives, you can involve yourself in community politics and the school board, but you ought not sit on your hands and just let things happen around you and not be a part of it."

Graves also talks about the importance of education, family and faith in nurturing success as well as his recent successful treatment for prostate cancer.

Launched in January 2004, TV One (www.tvoneonline.com) offers a broad range of lifestyle and entertainment-oriented original programming, classic series, movies, fashion and music that focus on African American themes, issues culture and politics.

TV One's investors include Radio One [NASDAQ: ROIA and ROIAK; www.radio-one.com], the largest radio company that primarily targets African American and urban listeners; Comcast Corporation [NASDAQ: CMCSA and CMCSK; www.comcast.com], the leading cable television company in the country; Constellation Ventures; Syndicated Communications; Pacesetter Capital Group; and Opportunity Capital Partners.




Lynn McReynolds
McReynolds Elek Communications
410-268-0275
410-268-4840 (fax)
lynn@mcreynoldselek.com