Posted by Actively Black
on September 25, 2026
Black Enterprise profiled Actively Black founder Lanny Smith in “How Lanny Smith Went From NBA Player To Athletic Apparel Entrepreneur,” a November 2023 story tracing his path from a basketball career cut short by injury to building two apparel brands. Writer Rafael Pena, drawing on reporting from Forbes, covered Lanny’s first company, Active Faith, and the launch of Actively Black, the Black-owned athleisure brand he started on Black Friday in 2020. It is the story of how a setback became the foundation for the Tribe.
Key takeaways
- Black Enterprise reported that Lanny Smith signed with the Sacramento Kings in 2009 and suffered a career-ending knee injury 33 days after signing his contract.
- According to Black Enterprise, Lanny launched Active Faith, a faith-based sports apparel brand, in 2011; it earned $100,000 in its first year, grew into a $7 million business and reached customers in 73 countries.
- Black Enterprise reported that Actively Black launched on Black Friday in 2020, earned $100,000 in its first week and sold out inventory expected to last three months in four weeks.
- Black Enterprise reported that Actively Black reached $2.3 million in sales by the end of its first year, and that an analytics company estimated $8 million in potential revenue was missed.
- According to Black Enterprise, the brand manufactures in Asia and in Lagos, Nigeria, and has partnered with Teleport Watches, Marvel, the Bobsled and Skeleton Federation of Nigeria, SLAM and four HBCU athletes through NIL deals.
- Black Enterprise reported that Lanny has donated $500,000 to organizations including the Liberation Fund, Black Girls Smile, Ujima and Black Mamas Matter Alliance.
In Lanny’s words
“I like to call it deprogramming and reprogramming the people.”
— Lanny Smith, to Forbes, as quoted by Black Enterprise
“The community is galvanizing the tribe, as I like to call them, around this brand.”
— Lanny Smith, to Forbes, as quoted by Black Enterprise
Why it matters
Black Enterprise laid out the reason Actively Black exists. Lanny watched brands make big pledges to the Black community after the police killing of George Floyd and saw them as performative, coming from companies that had profited from Black consumers for years. Rather than wait for them to do right by us, he built something we own. Black Enterprise also noted that Actively Black launched on Black Friday, not during Black History Month or Juneteenth, because being Black is a year-round commitment.
The numbers Black Enterprise reported matter because they show demand for authenticity. But the heart of the story is the reinvestment: donations to organizations serving Black girls, Black mothers and Black communities, and a vision of Actively Black as a global movement uniting the diaspora. That is what it means to build our own table.
Shop the story
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Frequently asked questions
Who founded Actively Black?
Actively Black was founded by Lanny Smith, a former professional basketball player who played at the University of Houston. Black Enterprise reported that he launched the brand on Black Friday in 2020.
Did Lanny Smith play in the NBA?
Black Enterprise reported that Lanny Smith signed with the Sacramento Kings in 2009 and that a knee injury 33 days later ended his basketball career.
What is Active Faith?
According to Black Enterprise, Active Faith is the faith-based sports apparel brand Lanny Smith launched in 2011, which he still owns alongside Actively Black.
Is Actively Black Black-owned?
Yes. Black Enterprise described Actively Black as an apparel line founded by Lanny Smith to uplift and represent the Black community.
Read the full feature: How Lanny Smith Went From NBA Player To Athletic Apparel Entrepreneur, Black Enterprise (November 2023)
