Cathy Hughes Shares Her Story at Her Legacy Event in Durham
Cathy Hughes Shares Her Story at Inaugural Her Legacy Event in Durham
Cathy Hughes Shines at Inaugural Her Legacy Event in Durham
The first Her Legacy event in Durham on May 2 brought together inspiration, laughter and hard-earned wisdom as Urban One founder Cathy Hughes joined on-air talents RoyalTea and Mir.I.Am for a candid conversation about purpose, perseverance and legacy.
Hughes, a pioneering media executive whose work helped reshape Black radio and television, kept the focus less on praise and more on purpose.
“I’ve never looked at it like that,” she said when asked when she realized she was building something bigger than a career. “I’m a work in progress.”
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That humility framed a powerful discussion about faith and calling. Hughes said her success has come through obedience and listening closely to God’s direction.
“God never stops sending out messages,” she said. “Our problem is sometimes our receiver is turned off.”
The conversation also revealed Hughes’ deep sense of history. She spoke at length about her great-great-grandmother, Charlotta Powell, a formerly enslaved woman who helped lead others to freedom and became, Hughes said, second in command to Harriet Tubman. Learning that family history helped Hughes better understand her own drive.
“I now understand my fighting spirit,” she said. “I now understand my commitment to my people.”
That commitment remains central to Urban One’s mission. Hughes, the first Black woman to chair a publicly held corporation, said her personal mission is: “I’m here to give Black America a voice and a picture that is accurate.”
RoyalTea and Mir.I.Am brought warmth and admiration to the exchange, thanking Hughes for opening doors for generations of Black women in media. Their chemistry with Hughes kept the interview lively, mixing humor with heartfelt reflection.
By the end, Hughes turned the spotlight back to the next generation.
“It’s really about you all,” she said. “The brand is unapologetically in the Black people business.”
At Her Legacy’s debut event, that message landed with force: legacy is not only what Hughes built, but what she continues to inspire others to carry forward.
