Cathy Hughes Honored in Street Renaming Ceremony

Cathy Hughes, a wealthy woman, accompanied by friends, family and associates, chauffeured in a stately black town car with black tinted windows, was humble, and wholeheartedly appreciative of the recognition received from the people of her home town.

Hughes, one of the most successful and famous African Americans from Omaha, NE, had a street named after her, in recognition of her astonishing achievements. Paxton Boulevard is now Cathy Hughes Boulevard. She said, “This is the high point in my life. Your way of saying ‘Well done.’”

For those of you who may not know Cathy Hughes, she is the entrepreneur who founded media company Radio ONE, now known as Urban ONE. When the company went public in 1999, Hughes became the first African American woman to head a publicly traded corporation. TV ONE is owned by Urban One, having acquired Comcast’s stake in the TV network in 2015.

In the 1970’s, Hughes created the urban radio format called Quiet Storm on Howard University’s radio station WHUR with disc jockey & fellow Howard student, Melvin Lindsey.

In her remarks, Hughes spoke of a time in her life when she slept on the floor in a sleeping bag in the radio station. She was advised by some to give it up and get a good government job. Instead of giving up, she persevered. Look at her now! The moral of the story, never give up.