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Posts published by “goodblacknews”

Lynn Whitfield To Be Honored w/ Pan African Film Festival's Lifetime Achievement Award

By goodblacknews on February 2, 2013

The Pan African Film Festival will honor award-winning actress Lynn Whitfield with its highest honor, a Lifetime Achievement Award for her work in television and film. The award will be presented at the annual Night of Tribute, which will be part of the pre-show festivities for the awards ceremony of the African-American Film Critics Association (AAFCA). The event will be held on Friday, February 8, 2013 in Hollywood, California. The Night of Tribute honors world-renowned actors, filmmakers, community leaders and fine artists for their contributions on stage, television, film, the arts and the community.
With more than 30 years in the entertainment industry, Whitfield vaulted to international fame in the HBO biopic, “The Josephine Baker Story,” portraying the legendary international icon. Her performance – after all, who can forget the Banana Dance — nabbed her a Golden Globe nomination and an Emmy Award for “Outstanding Lead Actress in a Special or Miniseries,” giving Whitfield “the greatest sense of accomplishment and realization of my vision,” she says.

"Red Tails" and "Scandal" Take Top Honors at 44th NAACP Image Awards

By goodblacknews on February 2, 2013


 
“Red Tails” was named top motion picture and “Scandal” top drama series at the 44th annual NAACP Image Awards at the Shrine Auditorium on Friday.  Denzel Washington (“Flight”) and Viola Davis (“Won’t Back Down”) won lead actor and actress honors, while Samuel Jackson and Kerry Washington of “Django Unchained” earned supporting nods.
“Beasts of the Southern Wild” (whose Benh Zeitlin was named top director) and “Red Tails” tied for independent motion picture honors, while “The Intouchables” triumphed for top international feature.  Kerry Washington, previously announced as the President’s Award honoree, was also named top drama actress for “Scandal.”  Also winning acting awards in TV drama were LL Cool J (“NCIS: Los Angeles”), Omar Epps (“House”) and Loretta Devine (“Grey’s Anatomy”).

PBS Celebrates Black History Month with Special Programs and New Black Culture Website

By goodblacknews on February 1, 2013

Sister Rosetta Tharpe
In celebration of Black History Month and as part of its year-round commitment to diverse programming, PBS announced an on-air lineup commemorating the contributions of African Americans in music, dance, television and civil rights, providing an in-depth look at key figures and events that shaped black – and American – history. In addition to these programs, PBS announced it will launch the PBS Black Culture Connection, a digital storybook of black films, history, trends and discussion that’s available throughout the year on PBS.org as of today, February 1, 2013. 
“PBS’ mission is clear – to provide accessible, educational, informative programs of every genre and culture all year long. Since February is Black History Month, our schedule is heavily focused on the contributions of African Americans,” said Donald Thoms, Vice President, Programming. “During the month, we are also continuing our commitment to feature stories and films from diverse and independent producers, which remains a staple of our content offerings year round.”

Howard University has Become Incubator for Cinematographers

By goodblacknews on February 1, 2013

Matt McClain/For The Washington Post – Bradford Young poses for a portrait at Howard University on Monday January 28, 2013 in Washington, D.C. Young won the Excellence in Cinematography award at the Sundance Film Festival for his work on “Mother of George,” and “Ain’t them Bodies Saints.”
At the Sundance Film Festival last weekend, Howard University graduate Bradford Young won the dramatic-feature cinematography award for his work on the films “Ain’t Them Bodies Saints” and “Mother of George” — his second time accepting the honor, having won in 2011 for the coming-of-age drama “Pariah.”
The Sundance recognition reinforces what many in the industry have known for a few years now: Howard, best known for its law and medical schools, has become an incubator for people whose work with lighting, lenses, camera movement, film stocks and visual textures has profoundly influenced contemporary cinematic grammar.
“The interesting thing about it is that there is no formal cinematography department,” filmmaker Ava DuVernay says. “It’s jaw-dropping that you’ve had so many come out [of Howard] with such distinct styles.”
The floating-camera dolly shot and super-saturated color palette that are trademarks of Spike Lee’s work are the best known among several innovations that Howard-trained cinematographers have contributed to the films they’ve worked on. Early in his career, Lee developed these techniques in close collaboration with a Howard graduate, Ernest Dickerson.

Ghana's Grace Amey-Obeng Makes Millions Fighting Skin Bleaching

By goodblacknews on February 1, 2013

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Ghana’s Grace Amey-Obeng, one of West Africa’s most successful businesswomen, made her fortune promoting products which emphasised the beauty of the black skin, at a time when many of her competitors were selling dangerous skin-bleaching formulas.
The business empire she started a quarter of a century ago with around $100 (£63) now has an annual turnover of between $8m and $10m. Her FC Group of Companies – which includes a beauty clinic, a firm that supplies salon equipment and cosmetics, and a college – has eight branches in Ghana and exports to Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Togo, Ivory Coast, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.
Mrs Amey-Obeng has won dozens of accolades and industry awards for her skincare beauty products and marketing. But one of the things that make her especially proud is her FC Beauty College which, since its opening in 1999, has trained more than 5,000 young people, mostly women.

Timberland Helps Plant 2.2 million Trees in Haiti

By goodblacknews on February 1, 2013

In the three years since a massive 7.0 magnitude earthquake shook up Haiti, the recovery process is still on going and today Timberland is at the forefront.
In the three years since a massive 7.0 magnitude earthquake shook up Haiti, the recovery process is still ongoing and today the Timberland clothing company is at the forefront.
In partnership with a local non-governmental organization, the Smallholder Farmers Alliance, Timberland supports an agroforestry program to train Haitian farmers to improve crop yields and has planted 2.2 million trees along the way. According to Forbes.com, An additional 1 million trees will be planted this year as well as in 2014 and 2015.
The project will help improve the environmental, economic and social conditions in the Gonaives region. Timberland and Smallholder Farmers Alliance are helping local farmers learn how to improve crop yields, develop eight community tree nurseries and support agricultural training centers in the region.
article via thegrio.com
 

Disney Jr. Fetes Black History Month with New ‘We Are Doc McStuffins’ Interstitials

By goodblacknews on February 1, 2013

Dr. Aletha Maybank examines patient

Dr. Aletha Maybank examines patient (photo: Disney Junior)

In celebration of Black History Month, Disney Junior will debut “We Are Doc McStuffins” interstitials featuring Doc McStuffins, a young African-American girl who aspires to be a doctor like her mom, alongside three real life female African-American physicians sharing what their jobs entail, and saluting their heroes.
DocMcStuffinsThe interstitials will begin airing on Disney Channel and Disney Junior on FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 1 (10:25 a.m. ET/PT and 4:25 p.m. ET/PT, respectively) following a new “Doc McStuffins” Valentine’s Day themed episode.  Additional interstitials featuring the three doctors will begin rolling out in the spring and will air regularly on both platforms.
Since its March 2012 premiere, “Doc McStuffins” has garnered worldwide attention for its portrayal of a young girl who runs a clinic for her stuffed animals and toys out of her backyard playhouse.  Additionally, the series inspired a group of female African-American physicians to begin a “movement” they coined, “We Are Doc McStuffins.”  Seeing a reflection of themselves in the Doc character and the opportunity to inspire young girls, the group grew to form the Artemis Medical Society, an organization of over 2500 female African-American physicians and medical students from around the world.
The interstitials feature three of the founding members of the “We Are Doc McStuffins” movement – Dr. Myiesha Taylor, an emergency doctor based in Dallas; Dr. Aletha Maybank, a pediatrician in New York City; and Dr. Naeemah Ghafur, a family doctor in Los Angeles who provides specialized care for the underserved, including the elderly and patients with high-risk illnesses.

Rashida Jones Inks Writing Deal with Warner Bros. TV

By goodblacknews on February 1, 2013

rashida jones
“Parks & Recreation” co-star Rashida Jones and her writing partner, fellow actor-writer Will McCormack, have signed their first TV pod deal — a two-year pact with Warner Bros. Television, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Under the agreement, the two will develop, write and produce comedy and drama projects for broadcast and cable.
McCormack and Jones, the daughter of music producer Quincy Jones, previously wrote the Jones-starring indie romantic comedy “Celeste And Jesse Forever,” which premiered at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival and recently nabbed a Film Independent Spirit Award nomination for Best First Screenplay.
The duo is currently writing the feature “Frenemy Of The State” for Universal and Imagine.
On the TV side, they previously wrote “We Are Puppets,” which was in development at Showtime.
article via eurweb.com

New Family Sitcom ‘Belle’s’ Premieres Tonight on TV One

By goodblacknews on February 1, 2013

Belle'sTV One premieres its new comedy series “Belle’s,” with two back-to-back episodes tonight at 10pm (Eastern).  Starring Keith David as “William ‘Big Bill’ Cooper,” the show focuses on the life and times of a widower who owns and operates an upscale family soul food restaurant his wife Belle left for him.
But life is a bit complicated because he’s got two demanding, headstrong daughters. Dealing with the girls is almost as controversial as balancing between his sensible business path and his prima donna ambitions.  While things at times get a little hectic and out of control, his tween daughter, Pam, manages to keep a cool head and balance in the family.
10:00 PM ET – “One Big Family” – In the series premiere of Belle’s, Jill (Elise Neal) rents out the entire restaurant to the Crawford family for their annual family reunion. Just as the Coopers get ready to celebrate their sudden windfall, Big Bill (Keith David) is tormented when he discovers the Crawfords’ once owned his wife’s family during slavery. Cameron Mathison (“All My Children”) and Steven Williams (“21 Jumpstreet”) guest star.
10:30 PM ET – “Birthday Party” – Pam’s (Nadja Alaya) 12th birthday party could be a complete bust unless her grandfather agrees to a romantic weekend with a woman from his past. Will Big Bill give in? Vivica A. Fox guest stars in the sultry role of Ms. Newbie.
article by Brittney M. Walker via eurweb.com

148 Years Ago Today: First African-American Lawyer Practices Before U.S. Supreme Court

By goodblacknews on February 1, 2013

Upon the passage of the 13th Amendment to the United States Constitution, which formally ended slavery, abolitionist lawyer John Swett Rock became the first African-American admitted to the bar of the United States Supreme Court on Feb. 1, 1865.
Rock was born free on October 13, 1825, in Salem, New Jersey. He was also an educator and later studied dentistry, graduating from the American Medical College in Philadelphia in 1852. He set up a practice in Boston, where many of his patients were escaped slaves fleeing to Canada through the Underground Railroad.
An outspoken abolitionist in Boston, Rock switched his focus to law and was admitted to the Massachusetts Bar in 1861. He served the U.S. Supreme Court for just one year before health problems derailed his career. On Dec. 3, 1866, at age 41, he died from tuberculosis.
article by Britt Middleton via bet.com