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Posts published by “goodblacknews”

Harvard Professor Henry Louis Gates Jr. on the Wall at Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery

By goodblacknews on March 5, 2013

A portrait of Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates, Jr. by artists Yuki Wang. (Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery)
What does Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates Jr. have in common with explorer Amerigo Vespucci, poet Allen Ginsberg , and actress Mary Pickford? They’re all new on the wall at the National Portrait Gallery in D.C. In an e-mail to friends and supporters, Gates called the unveiling of his portrait “one of the most exciting moments of my life.”  The oil painting, done by artist Yuqi Wang, shows Gates standing beside a table with an African sculpture and books by W. E. B. Du Bois, Wole Soyinka, and Kwame Anthony Appiah on it. “The perfect portrait for the National Portrait Gallery is one that combines a nationally significant subject and the work of an exceptional artist,” Brandon Fortune, the Portrait Gallery’s chief curator, told us Monday. She said the painting was commissioned by Harvard and then offered to the Portrait Gallery. “It’s a long, drawn out process when we consider a portrait of someone who has not previously been in our collection,” Fortune said.

Boston's Housing Partnership Network Receives MacArthur Award To Create Affordable Housing

By goodblacknews on March 3, 2013

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwFEH_iaEAE&w=560&h=315]

Collaboration and entrepreneurship to help house America

America’s housing problems are daunting. Millions of families pay more than half of their income for a place to live. Rampant foreclosures have destabilized neighborhoods across the country and left millions of households owing more on their mortgages than their homes are worth. At the same time, federal, state and local resources for housing and community development are shrinking. As a result, organizations committed to affordable housing must be more entrepreneurial than ever.

The Housing Partnership Network improves the lives of millions of individuals, families and communities by sparking innovation and collaboration among 100 of the nation’s affordable housing and community development nonprofits. By incubating innovative joint ventures and creating ongoing opportunities for peer learning and collaboration, the Network helps its members realize significant economies of scale, achieve greater collective impact, and exercise greater influence on public policy. Collectively, the Network and its member organizations employ more than 13,000 people in nearly 200 offices, operating in 75% of the nation’s major metro areas and in every state in the country.
The Housing Partnership Network has a history of spotlighting critical problems and marshaling the expertise and resources needed to launch innovative, scalable solutions. For example, after the 9/11 tragedy, insurance premiums rose dramatically. The Network created a property and casualty insurance company that controlled costs for its members and now provides more than $7 billion of insurance covering 57,000 units of affordable rental housing.

Family Care International Receives $1 Million MacArthur Grant to Improve Maternal Health Globally

By goodblacknews on March 2, 2013

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zpqx3Y3KSNQ&w=560&h=315]

Making pregnancy and childbirth safer

Every two minutes, somewhere in the world, a woman dies from preventable or treatable complications of pregnancy and childbirth. For every woman who dies, 20 more experience serious illness or disability. And every year, three million babies do not survive their first month of life.

When Family Care International was founded 25 years ago, the world was paying little attention to the hundreds of thousands of women who were dying each year. The first international organization dedicated to reducing maternal death, Family Care International helped put the issue of maternal health on the map. Now maternal mortality has been cut in half, but much work remains to be done.
Headquartered in New York City with locally-staffed offices in three countries in Africa and two in Latin America, Family Care International works in close partnership with governments, civil society organizations, donors, communities, grassroots advocates, and women’s groups. Pairing efforts to strengthen the capacity of local organizations, advocates, and governments with a powerful advocacy voice on the global stage, the organization works to ensure that all women have access to the maternal and reproductive health care they need. Doing so saves the lives and protects the health of women and improves the well-being and prosperity of their children, families, and communities.

Conflict and Costume: The Herero Tribe of Namibia – in Pictures

By goodblacknews on March 2, 2013

Men and women of the Herero tribe feature in a new book by photographer Jim Naughten, published by Merrell. Wearing traditional costumes fashioned on the influence of the missionaries and traders of the late nineteenth century, Naughten’s dramatic portraits reveal Namibia’s colonial history. An exhibition of the photographs will open at the Margaret Street Gallery, London on 5 March 2013.
via Conflict and costume: the Herero tribe of Namibia – in pictures | Art and design | guardian.co.uk.

Newark Mayor Cory Booker Helps Man Propose To Girlfriend

By goodblacknews on March 2, 2013

cory booker proposal
A man proposed to his girlfriend on Wednesday night “with a surprise assist from Cory Booker.”  Less than 24 hours before popping the question, New York lawyer Israel Burns sent a tweet to Booker, the Newark, N.J., mayor known for going out of his way to help residents and fans. Burns, 26, became an admirer of Booker’s while attending a Newark-based law school.
When Booker responded 10 minutes after the tweet was sent, Burns couldn’t believe it.  After comparing schedules, they decided that Booker would call Burns’ girlfriend Misha Wright, 35 and also a lawyer, at the Asian American Bar Association of New York’s annual dinner in Midtown Manhattan. It’s where the couple had met last year.  
According to the New York Daily News, Wright initially ignored Booker’s call, thinking it was a prank. Burns almost lost hope.  Booker called back, however, and Wright answered. “Hi, this is Cory Booker,” he said, instructing Wright to go upstairs.
Supposedly Booker would be waiting with her boyfriend in the event’s VIP area. In reality only Burns was there — but with champagne, a poem and a ring in tow.  Wright said yes. Obviously.  According to Time, the happy couple left for the Dominican Republic Thursday morning.  Booker sealed the deal with a congratulatory tweet.
article via huffingtonpost.com

Obama Administration: Gay Marriage Ban Unconstitutional In Prop. 8 Supreme Court Case

By goodblacknews on February 28, 2013

President Obama Speaks On Immigration Reform
President Barack Obama

WASHINGTON — The Obama administration urged the Supreme Court on Thursday to strike down California’s ban on same-sex marriage as unconstitutional, staking out a legal theory that would forbid states from banning same-sex marriage if it were adopted by the court.
In an amicus brief in Hollingsworth v. Perry, the administration particularly said those states which allow civil unions but not same-sex marriages — Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Nevada, New Jersey, Oregon and Rhode Island — were violating the 14th Amendment’s right to equal protection.
“The designation of marriage,” wrote Solicitor General Donald Verrilli Jr., “confers a special validation of the relationship between two individuals and conveys a message to society that domestic partnerships or civil unions cannot match.”

Born On This Day in 1897: Opera Legend Marian Anderson

By goodblacknews on February 27, 2013

Marian Anderson, who became one of the most celebrated singers during the 20th century, was born on Feb. 27, 1897, in Philadelphia, PA.  She began singing in church at 6 years old. Impressed by Anderson’s dedication to perfecting her talents, her church choir raised money for her to take vocal lessons for two years. Anderson soon won a chance to perform at Lewisohn Stadium in New York, and more opportunities followed. 

President Franklin Roosevelt and wife Eleanor invited her to perform at the White House in 1936. In 1939, she faced discrimination from the Daughters of the American Revolution, who did not want her to perform at D.C.’s Constitution Hall. When Eleanor Roosevelt heard of this, she invited Anderson to perform at the Lincoln Memorial.
The singer made history in 1955 as the first African-American to perform as a member of the Metropolitan Opera in New York City. She was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1963.  Anderson passed away at the age of 96 in 1993.
article by Natelege Whaley via bet.com

Rosa Parks' Statue Unveiled Today on Capitol Hill

By goodblacknews on February 27, 2013
 
Black History Month is coming to a close with a historic moment honoring the late Rosa Parks.  The unveiling for Parks’ statue at Capitol Hill’s Statuary Hall took place today.  President Barack Obama spoke at the ceremony.
“This morning, we celebrate a seamstress slight in stature but mighty in courage,” the president said. “In a single moment, with the simplest of gestures, she helped change America and change the world.”
Parks is the first African-American woman to have a statue placed in the hall.  “As the first African-American woman to be honored in Statuary Hall of the United States Capitol, Mrs. Parks’ dedication to ensuring no human being is treated like a second class citizen in this country will be remembered and discussed for generations to come,” said Congressional Black Caucus Chair Marcia Fudge. 
Each state donates two statues of their most prominent citizens to Statuary Hall. The 109th Congress authorized this tribute in 2005.   Parks will represent the state of Alabama, where she refused to give up her seat on a Montgomery bus and became the “mother of the civil rights movement.”
Related Articles:  Rosa Parks Stamp on American History
Rosa Parks Statue to be Added to Statuary Hall on Capitol Hill
original article via bet.com

Quincy Jones Creates Music Ed Application "Playground Sessions"

By goodblacknews on February 26, 2013
Quincy Jones

Quincy Jones wants to improve our children’s music education and so the famed composer-producer has partnered up with app creator Chris Vance to launch Playground Sessions. The application will teach users how to read and play piano music with tutorials from pianist David Sides. Adults and children will receive real-time feedback as they attempt to master any of the 70 popular songs from artists like Beyoncé, Justin Bieber and Katy Perry included in the program.  There’s “such a need for this,” Jones said. “The concept is brand new. I have been praying for this for a long time. It has a learning concept similar to Rosetta Stone. I’m blown away by this.”

Jones also added that children in the United States are behind other kids when it comes to music education and that Playground Sessions will give them an edge. Jones’ alma mater, Garfield High School in Seattle, will be one of the first to introduce the app to its students.
article by Dorkys Ramos via bet.com

"Because of Them, We Can…" Campaign Features Children as Famous Black Figures (PHOTOS)

By goodblacknews on February 26, 2013
(Courtesy of Eunique Jones Photography)

Photographer Eunique Jones’ photo series, ‘Because of them, we can…” , has made a splash on the Internet as a unique and creative take on the importance of Black History Month.  Her 28-photo project features more than 40 young children posing as some of the most iconic and influential black figures from the past and the present.

From Harriet Tubman to Spike Lee, the children are seen dressed and styled like the individual they are portraying and also incorporate an  inspirational quote from each particular famous person.  Jones, who has been a professional photographer for three years, says she was inspired to create the project for Black History Month because of her two children, Chase, 4, and Amari, seven months-old. She realized they had so many opportunities available to them today which would not have been possible without “the African-American individuals who paved the way for [my kids’] future.”