Latest news with #Formation
Hamilton Spectator
20-05-2025
- Business
- Hamilton Spectator
Duck Creek Technologies Kicks Off Formation '25 to Shape Insurance's Future
BOSTON, May 20, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Duck Creek Technologies , the global intelligent solutions provider defining the future of property and casualty (P&C) and general insurance, today kicks off Formation '25 , its flagship customer conference, at the Signia by Hilton Bonnet Creek in Orlando, Florida. Formation '25 will focus on how insurers lead, adapt, and innovate together to face unprecedented circumstances in the insurance industry. Formation '25 is a dynamic event featuring enriching content, extensive industry networking opportunities, and unforgettable moments. 'Formation provides a unique platform for insurance professionals to come together, share insights, and explore the transformative power of AI,' said Mike Jackowski, Chief Executive Officer of Duck Creek Technologies. 'We are thrilled to host this conference and look forward to the impactful conversations and innovative ideas that will emerge with our customers and partners.' Kicking off the event, Jackowski takes the main stage to discuss the insurance industry's toughest challenges and solutions shaping its future. Jackowski will challenge the insurance industry to stretch their imagination on how to leverage new technology, such as Agentic AI, to boost the industry to the leading-edge of innovation. The opening keynote will be followed by different customers and Duck Creek leaders to provide a deep dive into topics such as how adopting a modern platform with evergreen Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) and how Active Delivery will transform their business by driving growth and profitability and improving risk and exposure. In addition to main stage general sessions, Formation '25 will host 50 general and hyper-focused breakout sessions covering every aspect of the P&C insurance industry attendees have top of mind. Sessions will cover AI and machine learning in Insurtech, distribution management, loss control, payments, reinsurance, successful migration strategies, and so much more. The conference agenda is packed with engaging sessions for in-depth learning and networking opportunities, including exclusive forums for customers to discuss product experiences and share best practices in User Group sessions. The Launchpad will showcase Duck Creek's latest innovations and partner solutions in an interactive space. Networking events, such as the Women in Insurance Networking (W.I.N.) event, will provide opportunities to connect with peers and industry leaders about Evolving Conversations. Formation '25 highlights real-world customer success stories, with case studies and panel discussions featuring organizations that have leveraged Duck Creek's solutions to drive digital transformation and operational efficiency. The event also showcases Duck Creek's robust partner ecosystem, with over 50 partners participating as sponsors. Platinum sponsors include Aggne, a wipro company, Coforge, Cognizant, InvoiceCloud and LTIMindtree. For a full list of Formation '25 sponsors, click here . For more information on Formation '25, including the full agenda and speaker lineup, visit . About Duck Creek Technologies Duck Creek Technologies is the global intelligent solutions provider defining the future of the property and casualty (P&C) and general insurance industry. We are the platform upon which modern insurance systems are built, enabling the industry to capitalize on the power of the cloud to run agile, intelligent, and evergreen operations. Authenticity, purpose, and transparency are core to Duck Creek, and we believe insurance should be there for individuals and businesses when, where, and how they need it most. Our market-leading solutions are available on a standalone basis or as a full suite , and all are available via Duck Creek OnDemand . Visit to learn more. Follow Duck Creek on our social channels for the latest information – LinkedIn and X . Media Contacts: Marianne Dempsey/Tara Stred duckcreek@
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Formation Metals Announces 20,000 Metre Multi-Phase Drill Program for the Advanced N2 Gold Project
VANCOUVER, BC / / May 20, 2025 / Formation Metals Inc. ("Formation" or the "Company") (CSE:FOMO)(FSE:VF1)(OTCPK:FOMTF), a North American mineral acquisition and exploration company, is pleased to announce plans for executing a 20,000 metre multi-phase drill program at its flagship N2 Gold Project ("N2") in Quebec, an advanced gold project with a global historic resource of ~870,000 ounces: 18 Mt grading 1.4 g/t Au (~809,000 oz Au) across four zones (A, East, RJ-East, and Central)2,3 and 243 Kt grading 7.82 g/t Au (~61,000 oz Au) across the RJ zone2,4. The first 5,000 metres of the drill program is fully funded and is intended to commence this summer. The drill program is designed to focus on discovery drilling at new high-potential targets along the mineralization strikes at the "A", "RJ" and "Central" zones in the northern part of the property in order to discover new auriferous trends and unlock new zones of gold mineralization. The program will also focus on high-priority infilling and expansion targets in these zones to significantly enhance the project resource base through the recent exploration permit (Figure 1). Historical highlights from the top two priority zones include: A Zone: With a historical resource of ~522,900 gold ounces (10.7 Mt @ 1.52 g/t Au), the "A" Zone is a shallow, highly continuous, low-variability historic gold deposit with ~15,000 metres of drilling across 55 drillholes, 84% of which intercepted gold mineralization. The best historical intercept includes up to 1.7 g/t over 35 metres with a metal factor of 93. ~1.65 km of strike has been drilled, with 3.1+ km of strike to be tested as part of the 20,000 metre program. RJ Zone: With a historical resource of ~61,100 gold ounces (243 Kt @ 7.82 g/t Au), the "RJ" Zone is a high-grade target that was expanded upon in the last drill program in 2008 by Agnico-Eagle when gold was approximately ~$800/oz. Historically, 20,875 metres has been drilled over 82 drillholes, with best intercepts of 48 g/t over 0.5 metres and 16.5 g/t over 3.6 metres. ~900 metres of strike has been drilled, with 4.75+ km of strike to be tested as part of the 20,000 metre program. The Company has formally submitted its Application for Autorisation de Travaux d'exploration à Impacts (ATI) to the Ministère des Ressources naturelles et des Forets (MERN) following discussions with all necessary parties and anticipates receiving its ATI permit within the next 30 to 40 days, after which it intends on commencing its maiden drill program at N2. Deepak Varshney, CEO of Formation Metals, commented: "We are thrilled to unveil our drill plans for the N2 Project. Given the scale of the property, the compelling geological data, and the Abitibi Greenstone Belt's established history as a hotbed for gold mining, we believe that a program of this scale will deliver our goal of growing N2's historical resource into a near-surface multi-million-ounce deposit." Mr. Varshney continued: "We see the potential for over three million ounces of gold at N2, and our fully funded maiden 5,000-metre drilling program will mark the beginning of Formation's pursuit of that goal. Our maiden program will focus on building on the successes of our predecessors. The drilling discoveries made by Agnico-Eagle and Cypress after the initial historic resource estimate show the expansion potential at N2. With gold at $3,200, over 4 times the price in 2008 when Agnico last drilled the project, we believe that the timing is perfect for N2 and look forward to a very busy upcoming quarter." Figure 1 - PDDH design for 20,000m Drill Program Qualified person The technical content of this news release has been reviewed and approved by Mr. Babak Vakili Azar, an independent contractor and a qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101. Historical reports provided by the optionor were reviewed by the qualified person. The information provided has not been verified and is being treated as historic non-compliant intercepts. About Formation Metals Inc. Formation Metals Inc. is a North American mineral acquisition and exploration company focused on the development of quality properties that are drill-ready with high-upside and expansion potential. Formation's flagship asset is the N2 Gold Project, an advanced gold project with a global historic resource of ~870,000 ounces (18 Mt grading 1.4 g/t Au (~809,000 oz Au) across four zones (A, East, RJ-East, and Central)2,3 and 243 Kt grading 7.82 g/t Au (~61,000 oz Au) across the RJ zone2,4) and six mineralized zones, each open for expansion along strike and at depth including the "A" zone, of which only ~35% of strike has been drilled (>3.1 km open), and the "RJ" zone, host to historical high-grade intercepts as high as 51 g/t Au over 0.8 metres. FORMATION METALS INC. Deepak Varshney, CEO and Director For more information, please call 778-899-1780, email info@ or visit Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Notes and References: Readers are cautioned that the geology of nearby properties is not necessarily indicative of the geology of the Property. The above referenced resource estimates do not have a category, are considered historical in nature, and are based on prior data prepared by a previous property owner, and do not conform to current CIM categories. While the Company considers the estimates to be reliable, a qualified person has not done sufficient work to classify the historical estimates as current resources in accordance with current CIM categories and the Company is not treating the historical estimates as a current resource. A 0.5 g/t Au cut-off was used in the preparation of the historical estimates with a minimum 2.5 metre mining width. Significant data compilation, re-drilling, re-sampling and data verification may be required by a qualified person before the historical estimates can be classified as current resources. There can be no assurance that any of the historical mineral resources, in whole or in part, will ever become economically viable. In addition, mineral resources are not mineral reserves and do not have demonstrated economic viability. The Company is not aware of any more recent estimates prepared for the N2 Property. Needham, B. (1994), 1993 Diamond Drill Report, Northway Joint Venture, Northway Property; Cypress Canada Inc.; 492 pages. Guy K. (1991), Exploration Summary May 1, 1990 to May 1, 1991 Vezza Joint Venture Northway Property; Total Energold; 227 pages. Forward-looking statements: This news release includes "forward-looking statements" under applicable Canadian securities legislation, including statements respecting: the Company's plans for the Property and the expected timing and scope of the 2025 drilling program at the Property; the Company's view that timing is perfect for a near-surface multi-million-ounce deposit the Property; the Company's anticipated timeline with respect to the Application for Autorisation de Travaux d'exploration à Impacts (ATI) to the Ministère des Ressources naturelles et des Forets (MERN); the Company's view that the Property has the potential for over three million ounces of gold and the 5,000-metre drilling program marking the beginning of the Company's pursuit of that goal. Such forward-looking information reflects management's current beliefs and is based on a number of estimates and/or assumptions made by and information currently available to the Company that, while considered reasonable, are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that may cause the actual results and future events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Readers are cautioned that such forward-looking statements are neither promises nor guarantees and are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties including, but not limited to, general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties, uncertain and volatile equity and capital markets, lack of available capital, actual results of exploration activities, environmental risks, future prices of base and other metals, operating risks, accidents, labour issues, delays in obtaining governmental approvals and permits, and other risks in the mining industry. The Company is presently an exploration stage company. Exploration is highly speculative in nature, involves many risks, requires substantial expenditures, and may not result in the discovery of mineral deposits that can be mined profitably. Furthermore, the Company currently has no reserves on any of its properties. As a result, there can be no assurance that such forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. SOURCE: Formation Metals View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Formation Metals Advances 2025 Drilling Program with ATI Application for N2 Property
VANCOUVER, BC / / May 16, 2025 / Formation Metals Inc. ("Formation" or the "Company") (CSE:FOMO), a North American mineral acquisition and exploration company, is pleased to announce that it has formally submitted its Application for Autorisation de Travaux d'exploration à Impacts (ATI) to the Ministère des Ressources naturelles et des Forets (MERN), marking an important step in advancing the Company's planned fully funded 5,000 metre drill program at its flagship N2 Gold Project ("N2") in Quebec, an advanced gold project with a global historic resource of 877,000 ounces: 18.2 Mt grading 1.48 g/t Au (~810,000 oz Au) across four zones (A, East, RJ-East, and Central)2,3 and 243 Kt grading 7.82 g/t Au (~67,000 oz Au) across the RJ zone2,4. Prior to filing, Formation Metals has held discussions with all necessary parties, including local municipalities, the Regional Government of Eeyou Istchee James Bay, and the Anishnabe Lac Simon community. These discussions reflect the Company's ongoing commitment to responsible development and meaningful engagement with Indigenous and municipal stakeholders. The Company anticipates receiving its ATI permit within the next 30 to 40 days, after which it intends on commencing its maiden 5,000 metre drill program at N2. "Submitting the ATI application is a key milestone in our 2025 exploration plans and reflects our commitment to advancing the N2 Property responsibly and in close collaboration with local and Indigenous communities," said Deepak Varshney, Chief Executive Officer of Formation. Project Summary Comprising 87 claims totaling ~4,400 ha within the Abitibi sub province of Northwestern Quebec, Formation's flagship N2 Gold Project ("N2") is an advanced gold project with a global historic resource of 877,000 ounces: 18.2 Mt grading 1.48 g/t Au (~810,000 oz Au) across four zones (A, East, RJ-East, and Central)2,3 and 243 Kt grading 7.82 g/t Au (~67,000 oz Au) across the RJ zone2,4. There are six primary auriferous mineralized zones in total, each open for expansion along strike and at depth. Compilation and geophysical work by Balmoral Resources Ltd. (now Wallbridge Mining) from 2010 to 2018 generated numerous targets that have not yet been investigated with diamond drilling. Formation's maiden drill program will focus on: the "A" zone, a shallow, highly continuous, low-variability historic gold deposit with numerous intermittent and consecutive auriferous intervals (84% of historical drill holes intercepted Au up to 1.7 g/t over 35 m)2, of which only ~35% of strike has been drilled (>3.1 km open); and the "RJ" zone, host to high-grade intercepts from historical drill holes as high as 51 g/t Au over 0.8 metres2, which was expanded by Agnico Eagle Mines in 2008 in the most recent drilling at the Property. Figure 1 - Property overview summarizing historical work completed at each of the six mineralized zones and their respective historical resource. Qualified person The technical content of this news release has been reviewed and approved by Mr. Babak Vakili Azar, an independent contractor and a qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101. Historical reports provided by the optionor were reviewed by the qualified person. The information provided has not been verified and is being treated as historic non-compliant intercepts. About Formation Metals Inc. Formation Metals Inc. is a North American mineral acquisition and exploration company focused on the development of quality properties that are drill-ready with high-upside and expansion potential. Formation's flagship asset is the N2 Gold Project, an advanced gold project with a global historic resource of 877,000 ounces (18.2 Mt grading 1.48 g/t Au (~810,000 oz Au) across four zones (A, East, RJ-East, and Central)2,3 and 243 Kt grading 7.82 g/t Au (~67,000 oz Au) across the RJ zone2,4) and six mineralized zones, each open for expansion along strike and at depth including the "A" zone, of which only ~35% of strike has been drilled (>3.1 km open), and the "RJ" zone, host to historical high-grade intercepts as high as 51 gpt Au over 0.8 metres. FORMATION METALS INC. Deepak Varshney, CEO and Director For more information, please call 778-899-1780, email info@ or visit Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Notes and References: Readers are cautioned that the geology of nearby properties is not necessarily indicative of the geology of the Property. The above referenced resource estimates do not have a category, are considered historical in nature, and are based on prior data prepared by a previous property owner, and do not conform to current CIM categories. While the Company considers the estimates to be reliable, a qualified person has not done sufficient work to classify the historical estimates as current resources in accordance with current CIM categories and the Company is not treating the historical estimates as a current resource. A 0.5 g/t Au cut-off was used in the preparation of the historical estimates with a minimum 2.5 metre mining width. Significant data compilation, re-drilling, re-sampling and data verification may be required by a qualified person before the historical estimates can be classified as current resources. There can be no assurance that any of the historical mineral resources, in whole or in part, will ever become economically viable. In addition, mineral resources are not mineral reserves and do not have demonstrated economic viability. The Company is not aware of any more recent estimates prepared for the N2 Property. Needham, B. (1994), 1993 Diamond Drill Report, Northway Joint Venture, Northway Property; Cypress Canada Inc.; 492 pages Guy K. (1991), Exploration Summary May 1, 1990 to May 1, 1991 Vezza Joint Venture Northway Property; Total Energold; 227 pages. Forward-looking statements: This news release includes "forward-looking statements" under applicable Canadian securities legislation, including statements respecting: the Company's uplisting to the OTCQB and the expected benefits and timing of same; the Company's plans for the Property and the expected timing and scope of the 2025 drilling program at the Property; the Company's view that timing is perfect for a near-surface multi-million-ounce deposit the Property; the Company's view that the Property has the potential for over three million ounces of gold and the 5,000-metre drilling program marking the beginning of the Company's pursuit of that goal. Such forward-looking information reflects management's current beliefs and is based on a number of estimates and/or assumptions made by and information currently available to the Company that, while considered reasonable, are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that may cause the actual results and future events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Readers are cautioned that such forward-looking statements are neither promises nor guarantees and are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties including, but not limited to, general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties, uncertain and volatile equity and capital markets, lack of available capital, actual results of exploration activities, environmental risks, future prices of base and other metals, operating risks, accidents, labour issues, delays in obtaining governmental approvals and permits, and other risks in the mining industry. The Company is presently an exploration stage company. Exploration is highly speculative in nature, involves many risks, requires substantial expenditures, and may not result in the discovery of mineral deposits that can be mined profitably. Furthermore, the Company currently has no reserves on any of its properties. As a result, there can be no assurance that such forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. SOURCE: Formation Resources Inc. View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
New York Post
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Post
How much are tickets for Beyoncé Chicago ‘Cowboy Carter' concerts?
Vivid Seats is the New York Post's official ticketing partner. We may receive revenue from this partnership for sharing this content and/or when you make a purchase. Featured pricing is subject to change. Fingers crossed Pope Leo XIV shows up. On Thursday, May 15, Beyoncé kicks off her three-concert 'Cowboy Carter Tour' residency at Chicago's Soldier Field. Her final two shows at the Bears' home field take place Saturday, May 17 and Sunday, May 18. Advertisement At all shows on the 'Cowboy Carter' run thus far, Queen Bey has performed 35-plus songs. Her most recent gig at Inglewood's SoFi Stadium went 40 deep over eight acts according to Set List FM. And, for those wondering, no, the concert isn't solely made up tracks from her 2024 Grammy-winning 'Cowboy Carter' album. Based on our findings, ultra mega-hits 'Formation' (from 2016's 'Lemonade'), 'Single Ladies' (from 2008's 'I Am…Sasha Fierce') and 'Crazy In Love' (from 2003's 'Dangerously In Love') sneak their way into shows as well. If you want to be there — and after taking a look at her elaborate LA shows on Instagram that Meghan Markle attended with Prince Harry, trust us, you want to be there — tickets are available for all three Second City shows. Advertisement At the time of publication, the lowest price we could find on tickets for any one Beyoncé Soldier Field concert was $109 before fees on Vivid Seats. For more information, our team has everything you need to know and more about the 'Cowboy Carter Tour' in Chicago below. All prices listed above are subject to fluctuation. Beyoncé 'Cowboy Carter' Chicago ticket prices A complete breakdown of all the best prices on tickets for the three Beyoncé 'Cowboy Carter' Chicago concerts at Soldier Field can be found here: Advertisement Beyoncé Soldier Field dates Ticket prices start at Thursday, May 15 $109 Saturday, May 17 $149 Sunday, May 18 $129 (Note: The New York Post confirmed all above prices at the publication time. All prices are in US dollars, subject to fluctuation and, if it isn't noted, will include additional fees at checkout.) Vivid Seats is a verified secondary market ticketing platform, and prices may be higher or lower than face value, depending on demand. They offer a 100% buyer guarantee that states your transaction will be safe and secure and your tickets will be delivered prior to the event. Advertisement Still curious about Vivid Seats? You can find an article from their team about why the company is legit here. Beyoncé tour schedule 2025 A complete calendar including all upcoming 'Cowboy Carter Tour' dates, venues and links to buy tickets available are listed below. (Note: The New York Post confirmed all above prices at the publication time. All prices are in US dollars, subject to fluctuation and, if it isn't noted, will include additional fees at checkout.) Vivid Seats is a verified secondary market ticketing platform, and prices may be higher or lower than face value, depending on demand. They offer a 100% buyer guarantee that states your transaction will be safe and secure and your tickets will be delivered prior to the event. Still curious about Vivid Seats? You can find an article from their team about why the company is legit here. Beyoncé set list Beyoncé kicked off her 'Cowboy Carter Tour' with a 36-song performance at SoFi Stadium on April 28 (with a little help from her daughters Blue Ivy and Rumi). According to Set List FM, here's what she took to the stage. Advertisement Act I 01.) 'AMERIICAN REQUIEM' 02.) 'Blackbird' (The Beatles cover) 03.) 'The Star-Spangled Banner' (John Stafford Smith & Francis Scott Key cover) 04.) 'Freedom' 05.) 'YA YA / Why Don't You Love Me' Act II 06.) 'AMERICA HAS A PROBLEM' 07.) 'SPAGHETTII' 08.) 'Formation' 09.) 'MY HOUSE' 10.) 'Diva' Act III Advertisement 11.) 'ALLIIGATOR TEARS' 12.) 'JUST FOR FUN' 13.) 'PROTECTOR' 14.) 'FLAMENCO' Act IV 15.) 'DESERT EAGLE' 16.) 'RIIVERDANCE' 17.) 'II HANDS II HEAVEN' 18.) 'SWEET ★ HONEY ★ BUCKIIN' / PURE/HONEY / SUMMER RENAISSANCE' Act V 19.) 'Jolene' (Dolly Parton cover) 20.) 'Daddy Lessons' (first time since 2016) 21.) 'BODYGUARD' 22.) 'II MOST WANTED' 23.) 'CUFF IT' 24.) 'TYRANT' 25.) 'THIQUE' 26.) 'LEVII'S JEANS' 27.) 'DAUGHTER' Act VI Advertisement 28.) 'I'M THAT GIRL' 29.) 'COZY' 30.) 'ALIEN SUPERSTAR' Act VII 31.) 'TEXAS HOLD 'EM' 32.) 'Crazy in Love' 33.) 'HEATED' 34.) 'Before I Let Go' (Maze featuring Frankie Beverly cover) Act VIII 35.) '16 CARRIAGES' 36.) 'AMEN' 'Cowboy Carter' On March 29, 2024, Beyoncé dropped her eighth solo studio album 'Cowboy Carter.' Advertisement The expansive 27-track country/R&B/pop/rock/soul/Hip-Hop/everything in between record features guest spots from Willie Nelson, Dolly Parton, Paul McCartney, Stevie Wonder, Shaboozey and more. In addition to charting at No. 1 in 24 countries, the album was met with universal acclaim. As a cherry on top, 'Cowboy Carter' won Album of the Year, Best Country Album and Best Country Duo/Group Performance for her 'II Most Wanted' with Miley Cyrus at the 2025 Grammys. Highlights from the genre-hopping effort include the free-flowing, epic '16 CARRIAGES,' twangy bop 'TEXAS HOLD 'EM' and stirring, cinematic, operatic 'DAUGHTER.' Make sure to give the good-time, party-startin' 'Son Of A Preacher Man'-sampling 'YA YA' a try, too. It's perfect for a stroll down the street, workout or pick-me-up. For our money, it's essentially a free mood booster. If you'd like to hear the one-of-a-kind album — that's the second in a trilogy celebrating different genres after the dance-y 'Renaissance' — you can listen to 'Cowboy Carter' in full here. Huge artists on tour in 2025 Sorry, but you're not going to find a tour bigger than 'Cowboy Carter' in 2025. Still, a slew of household name artists are on the road these next few months. Here are just five of our favorites you won't want to miss live this year. • Kendrick Lamar with SZA • Keyshia Cole • The Weeknd • Chris Brown • Patti LaBelle with Gladys Knight, Chaka Khan and Stephanie Mills Plus, Beyoncé's mom, Tina Knowles, is embarking on a tour promoting her new memoir 'Matriarch' along with Oprah, Michelle Obama, Gayle King, Keke Palmer and more on select dates. Who else is out and about? Take a look at our list of all the biggest artists on tour in 2025 to find the show for you. This article was written by Matt Levy, New York Post live events reporter. Levy stays up-to-date on all the latest tour announcements from your favorite musical artists and comedians, as well as Broadway openings, sporting events and more live shows – and finds great ticket prices online. Since he started his tenure at the Post in 2022, Levy has reviewed a Bruce Springsteen concert and interviewed Melissa Villaseñor of SNL fame, to name a few. Please note that deals can expire, and all prices are subject to change
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
New Nike ad is a love letter to Black girls from A'ja Wilson and Malia Obama
Black girls' musical play — embodied percussion passed down through generations — is rarely seen as sport. But it is. The 1980 Fantastic Four Double Dutch Champs, who joined the first international rap tour in '82, are proof. But because these games are songs — and center girls — they're rarely taken seriously. A new Nike ad campaign starring A'ja Wilson and directed by Malia Obama makes us take them seriously. In her pink A'One signature shoe, Wilson and Black girls take center court. One of the two commercials shows Wilson, a two-time WNBA champion and three-time league MVP with the Las Vegas Aces, sitting on the steps of a front porch with a girl of about 10 who's teaching a handclapping game-song to the tune of 'Miss Mary Mack' — correcting the 28-year-old athletic genius when she messes up: ♪ A'ja Wilson's on top, top, top / Can't take her spot, spot, spot / She's a real one through, through, through / Always does what she'll do, do, do. ♪ Another ad, featuring the same rhymed chants, is a montage of HBCU cheer formations, sashays, stomps and hair politics, too. It opens with jump cuts of beads and braids that spell out A'ja's name as two young Black girls clap and sing. It's a cinematic mashup that nods to Beyoncé's 'Formation' music video. It's intercut with scenes from 'Black Girls Play: A Story of Hand Games,' the Oscar-shortlisted doc selected for the 2025 American Film Showcase. The NAACP Image Award-winning film was produced by Marsha Cooke, vice president of ESPN Films and '30 for 30,' and directed by the innovative, Oscar-winning Rada Studio team out of Brooklyn. I'm a global envoy for that documentary as an esteemed scholar of Black girlhood studies. Under Obama's direction, Black feminist layering is everywhere: sound and visual interplay ping-ponging between body percussion and cinematic bombast. The sound of a basketball hitting hardwood is sampled and pitched down under 'through, through, through' — pulling us deeper into A'ja's signature flow: hooping, passing, jooking and dunking. All this fun and 'fan'-fare rides the familiar melody of 'Mary Mack.' The ads, rich with deliberate joy and reverence for Black girls' play, center a Black woman who knows what it means to be excluded — and what it takes for a Black girl to rise above it. In her 2024 book, 'Dear Black Girls,' Wilson recounts being in fourth grade at a predominantly white school in the Confederate flag-waving town of Hopkins, South Carolina, thrilled about attending a bestie's birthday celebration. 'You know it's a slumber party, right?!? You might have to sleep outside," the friend said. 'My dad doesn't really like Black people.' Wilson wrote, 'It felt like I aged 10 years in one moment.' The first time Black girls are made to see they're 'different' often marks the beginning of a lifelong denial of loving their bodies. Maya Angelou, in 'I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings,' wrote, 'If growing up is painful for the Southern Black girl, being aware of her displacement is the rust on the razor that threatens the throat. It is an unnecessary insult.' But Wilson's mom helped fourth-grade A'ja avoid letting other people reduce her to her skin color or size. ♪ She won M-V-P, P, P / 1, 2 and 3, 3, 3 / Her game is tea, tea, tea / She made history, -ry, -ry. ♪ In my book 'The Games Black Girls Play: Learning the Ropes from Double Dutch to Hip-Hop,' I show how girls' oral communication and embodied lessons in musical blackness operate like algorithms. Those patterns seed creative fluency, which is also necessary in elite play. Obama's ads brilliantly use contrafactum — putting new words to an old tune, in this case 'Miss Mary Mack.' This compositional method primes listeners to sing the rhyme about A'ja Wilson like a victory lap, celebrating her top-tier basketball prowess. We say her name, see her image and name-check the likeness in the campaign while imagining ourselves in her shoes. In the book that's her personal love letter to Black girls, Wilson writes, 'No matter how well you think you know the game, there will always be those little moments when you're reminded about the way people see Black women in our society. And I can't lie to you. It will take your breath away every time.' ♪ They said she wasn't enough, 'nuff, 'nuff / So she did it for us, us, us / And if you talk smack, smack, smack/ She's gonna clap back, back, back. ♪ Wilson is a two-time Olympic gold medalist and the first WNBA player to score 1,000 points in a season. Her six-year Nike extension deal, including her A'One signature shoe, is among the most lucrative in women's basketball. Wilson's biography reminds us that excellence won't shield Black girls from the pain of being excluded. Her story and Obama's narrative direction reveal how much the world still needs to make room for Black girls' joy and brilliance, and power. College athletes couldn't profit from their names, images and likenesses when Wilson starred for the South Carolina Gamecocks. As the WNBA's No. 1 pick in 2018, Wilson earned a rookie salary of around $52,000 — less than I earned that year as a professor with a Ph.D. And don't forget that Black Women's Equal Pay Day falls on July 27 — marking how far into the year Black women in all occupations must work to earn what white men earned the year before. Last year, the rookie salary for the NBA's No. 1 pick was $12.6 million. Little things like a shoe can open doors for other girls and women. Don't let anyone tell you that you can't make a life or a career out of something once thought small and insignificant, like a girls' handclapping game song. Play is a fundamental human activity and a right for children — and adults. Malia envisioned it. A'ja lives it. This article was originally published on
