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Kwame Alexander's "Crossover" and Jacqueline Woodson's "Brown Girl Dreaming" Win Newbery and Coretta Scott King Book Prizes

By goodblacknews on February 2, 2015

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Memoirs, graphic novels and stories in verse were the big winners of this year’s American Library Association’s awards for young adult and children’s literature. The awards, which are among the most prestigious literary prizes for children’s book authors, were announced Monday at the association’s midwinter conference in Chicago.

Kwame Alexander’s novel in verse, “The Crossover,” about 13-year-old twin brothers who are basketball stars, won the John Newbery Medal for the most outstanding contribution to children’s literature. Mr. Alexander also received a Coretta Scott King honor recognizing African-American authors and illustrators. It was the first A.L.A. award for Mr. Alexander, a poet and novelist who has published 17 books.

Screen Shot 2015-02-02 at 6.49.33 PMJacqueline Woodson’s memoir in verse, “Brown Girl Dreaming” (which has already won a National Book Award), along with Cece Bell’s illustrated memoir, “El Deafo” (which chronicles her hearing loss at an early age from spinal meningitis and her struggle to fit in at school), were named as Newbery Honor books.

Ms. Woodson, whose memoir describes her childhood and coming of age in South Carolina and New York in the 1960s and 1970s, also won the Coretta Scott King Award recognizing outstanding African-American children’s book authors and illustrators, and the Robert F. Sibert honor for the most distinguished informational book for children.

Other winners include Dan Santat’s “The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend,” a whimsical story for 3- to 6-year-olds, which earned the Randolph Caldecott Medal for the most distinguished American picture book.

“I’ll Give You the Sun,” Jandy Nelson’s novel about teenage fraternal twins who compete over everything, won the Michael L. Printz Award for excellence in literature written for young adults.

The awards come at a moment when children’s literature is holding steady as a fast-growing and profitable category for publishers. Sales of children’s and young adult books grew nearly 22 percent in the first 10 months of 2014, compared with the previous year, while sales of adult books fell slightly, according to the latest figures from the Association of American Publishers.

Here is a complete list of the winners and honorees.

article by Lori Lakin Hutcherson (follow @lakinhutcherson)

Taofick Okoya's "Queens of Africa" Dolls are Taking on Barbie

By goodblacknews on January 31, 2015
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Queens of Africa, the black doll line that’s outselling Barbie in Nigeria, started as a personal mission seven years ago. Taofick Okoya was frustrated that he couldn’t find a black doll on the market for his niece. “I happen to be the kind of person that doesn’t enjoy complaining and criticizing without taking any action,” the 43-year-old businessman tells ELLE.com. So he researched making a doll that Nigerian girls could identify with: one with their skin color and traditional African fashion.

“It became a frontline project for me due to the resistance the dolls received because of their color and outfits from most children and distributors,” he explains. “I spent about two years campaigning on the importance and benefits of dolls in the African likeness. During that process, I realized greater social issues such as low self esteem, which led to the passion to make a change in the coming generation. It’s been a tough journey but one I have enjoyed.”

Okoya created two lines of dolls, Queens of Africa (which come with three outfits, four accessories, and cost 1,300 to 3,500 naira, or $6.75 to $18.18) and Naija Princesses (which come with two outfits, two accessories, and cost 500-1,000 naira, or $2.60 to $5.19). Each doll represents a different African tribe (Igbo, Yoruba, and Hausa).

Okoya sells 6,000 to 9,000 dolls a month, Reuters reports—10 to 15 percent of Nigeria’s small but growing toy market, by Okoya’s estimation. The dolls have quite a few fans. Okoya shares one’s testimony: “Usually the black dolls are so dark, I don’t buy them because they look nothing like me. I think that if they had maybe a better variety of black dolls with different colors like yours, that would be a lot better. No two black people are the same color: Some have darker and some have lighter pigments. Like many other African Americans, I have never found a doll that really fits me ’till now.”

"Humans of New York" Facebook Post Helps Middle School Raise $700K for Free Trip to Harvard

By goodblacknews on January 26, 2015
(Photo: Courtesy of Humans of New York)
Middle school students from an underserved community in Brooklyn, New York, will take a free trip to visit Harvard University this summer thanks to a powerful social media post and generous donations that have reached $700,000 as of Monday.
On Jan. 19, Humans of New York, a popular Facebook page that shares images and stories of New Yorkers, posted a picture of Vidal, a student at Mott Hall Bridges Academy middle school located in the Brownsville neighborhood. The boy said his principal, “Ms. Lopez,” was the most influential person in his life. The post has been “liked” more than 1 million times.
“And she tells us that each time somebody fails out of school, a new jail cell gets built. And one time she made every student stand up, one at a time, and she told each one of us that we matter,” Vidal told Humans of New York.
Several days later, Brandon Stanton, creator of Humans of New York, profiled Principal Lopez and other teachers at Mott Hall Bridges Academy. After many readers were inspired by the stories of Mott Hall, principal Lopez, assistant principals Achuhey and Stanton decided to launch a fundraiser that would allow every incoming student to visit Harvard University.
“We want to create a fund that will provide each incoming 6th grade class at Mott Hall Bridges Academy a chance to get out of their neighborhood and visit a new place. And that place is Harvard University. ‘I want every child who enters my school to know that they can go anywhere, and that they will belong,’ said Ms. Lopez,” a post on Jan. 22 states.
Since last Thursday, the school has surpassed the $100,000 goal. There are still 11 days left in the campaign. More info on the “Let’s Send Kids to Harvard” fundraiser can be found here.
article by Natelege Whaley via bet.com

"Selma" Cast Marches in Alabama; Free Screenings in 25 Cities Planned

By goodblacknews on January 19, 2015
“Selma” director Ava DuVernay and producer Oprah Winfrey joined their cast and crew to march alongside local residents of Selma, Ala., on Sunday in celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

“Selma” dramatizes the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. (played by David Oyelowo) in 1965 as he organizes and leads a march from Selma to Montgomery, Ala., and on Sunday cast members taking to the streets included Oyelowo and Winfrey, who tweeted, “Happy Super Soul Sunday every 1. We’re in Selma celebrating @SelmaMovie. How cool is that!”
Singer-songwriter John Legend, who won the Golden Globe for original song with Common for the “Selma” song “Glory,” also took to social media to promote the march. The artists performed the song with the Tuskegee University Gospel Choir on the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma.
“In Selma, Alabama. Meet at City Hall at 4pm and March with us #Glory #MarchOn,” he posted with a photo of the bridge on Instagram.
Paramount Pictures, the film’s distributor, will host two free screenings of the film Monday for the general public at at the Selma Walton Theater.

“We are proud to be a part of this extraordinary effort to bring this poignant and timeless American story to the diverse students of Los Angeles,” said Debra Martin Chase, chief executive of Martin Chase Productions, and T. Warren Jackson, senior vice president and associate general counsel and chief ethics officer of DirecTV, which organized the efforts in Los Angeles.
The film, which cost about $20 million to make, has pulled in about $26 million since its limited release on Christmas Day. It earned an A-plus on CinemaScore and wide praise from critics.
“It’s a really incredible movie, because it’s playing so well in so many diverse places and has all of these organic grass-roots energy around it,” Megan Colligan, president of domestic marketing and distribution, told The Times last week. “It’s big cities, it’s small cities — it’s touching people all over.”
Colligan said one passionate fan in Louisiana reached out to Paramount asking if she could screen “Selma” at the local gym because there was no theater within 50 miles of town.
“The historical drama is a tough nut to crack to make it entertaining and inspiring, and I think Ava DuVernay figured out how to do that,” Colligan said.
article by Saba Hamedy via latimes.com

Los Angeles Students, Among Others, Offered Free Admission to Watch "Selma"

By goodblacknews on January 19, 2015
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David Oyelowo portrays Martin Luther King Jr. in the Oscar-nominated film “Selma.”

Los Angeles students will now be able to watch the Oscar-nominated film “Selma” for free.
Local business leaders have pitched in funds to allow students to watch the historical film, which has been nominated for best picture and best original song, at no cost.

Los Angeles is among 25 cities nationwide where the community has contributed money to their local initiative.
“It’s important that the civil rights struggle depicted in ‘Selma’ reach as many young people as possible so that the enduring lessons of the civil rights movement can be harnessed to inspire them to transform their lives and communities,” said T. Warren Jackson, who helped organize the efforts in Los Angeles.
The efforts began in New York City, where 27 black business leaders put together a fund for 27,000 of the city’s middle school students. The tickets sold out the first weekend and the program was expanded to 75,000 tickets.
Students who present a current student identification or report card at a participating box office will receive free admission while tickets last.
Eight movie theaters in Southern California are participating:

  • AMC Burbank 16 – Burbank
  • AMC Del Amo 18 – Torrance
  • Cinemark 18 – Westchester
  • Cinemark Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza 15 & Xtreme – Los Angeles
  • Edwards Long Beach Stadium 26 & IMAX – Long Beach
  • Pacific Lakewood 16 – Lakewood
  • Pacific Winnetka 21 – Chatsworth
  • Regal LA Live Stadium 14 – Los Angeles

For more information, visit SelmaMovie.com/studenttickets.
article via abc7.com

Four Years After He Was Killed By Police, DJ Henry's Memory Is Helping Kids

By goodblacknews on December 6, 2014

Angella and Dan Henry. Angella Henry said she works day and night to keep the memory of her son alive through the DJ Henry Dream Fund
Angella and Dan Henry. Angella Henry said she works day and night to keep the memory of her son alive through the DJ Henry Dream Fund (Credit: Phillip Martin / WGBH)

It’s been four years since a college student from Easton was shot to death by a New York police officer. Since then, Trayvon Martin was killed by a neighborhood watch volunteer and Michael Brown was killed by a policeman. The controversial killings of these young black men have sparked community outrage and scrutiny of the behavior of law enforcement. For the family of Danroy “DJ” Henry Jr., they still wait for the legal process to play out — but they’re also finding ways to remember their son.
This Wednesday would have been DJ Henry’s 25th birthday. The Boston NAACP says that day they will send a letter to the organization’s national members asking them to press the Justice Department for a full and complete investigation into the Henry shooting.
For all the heartache, for all the lingering questions, this was a night to celebrate DJ Henry’s life, shaped by a love of sports.
“We just ask that you think about tonight, not as giving us money, but as helping children who would love to say yes say yes,” said DJ’s father, Dan Henry. “These young children, their biggest need is to remain children.”
Dan Henry told an audience of 400 at the fourth annual DJ Henry Dream Fund that he could not think of a better way to remember his son than by helping others succeed.
One of those helped is Quincy Omari Picket.
“My mom heard about it and she went and signed up, and I got a scholarship,” said the 10-year old from Brockton. “I was happy. I was surprised. I lost 30 pounds. I lost all that weight. I tried on my suit and didn’t have to buy a new one.”
As DJ’s life was remembered at the annual fundraiser, his death is still hard to reconcile. Henry played football for Pace University in New York. After a homecoming game on Oct. 16, 2010, he and several friends went to a bar to celebrate. DJ was the designated driver. So when the bar closed, he went to get the car.
Idling in a fire lane, he was told by a cop to move on, according to witnesses. He did. What happened next is as unsettling today as it was four years ago.

NFL's Andre Johnson Spends Over $16K on Toys for Children for 8th Year in A Row

By goodblacknews on December 5, 2014
Andre Johnson
Andre Johnson (Twitter)

Houston Texan wide receiver Andre Johnson spent over $16,000 on toys for children in need.  The Andre Johnson Foundation hosted its annual event for 11 kids in Texas’ Child Protective Services at a local Toys ‘R’ Us.

Every child who participated received a bike and a gaming system, as well as all the toys they could grab in 80 seconds.


This year was the 8th annual event. You can check out the 2013 event here.
article by Carrie Healey via thegrio.com

Mo’ne Davis is Sports Illustrated‘s Sports Kid of the Year

By goodblacknews on December 1, 2014
Mo'ne Davis Sports Kid of the Year Cover Sports Illustrated

Another honor for the first girl in history to throw a shutout during a Little League World Series

Monday marks another big moment for superstar teen pitcher Mo’ne Davis.
Sports Illustrated announced the 13-year-old has been named this year’s Sports Illustrated Sports Kid of the Year — with a little help from First Lady Michelle Obama:

Davis caught the world’s attention this summer, when she became the first girl in history to throw a shutout during a Little League World Series. She has since graced the cover of Sports Illustrated, donated her jersey to the Baseball Hall of Fame, landed a commercial shot by famed director Spike Lee, and plans to release a memoir in 2015.
Read more at SIKids.com
article by Maya Rhodan via time.com

7 Year-Old Violinist Leah Flynn on Mission to Share Her Music & Inspire Other Children (VIDEO)

By goodblacknews on November 16, 2014
Listen Up: 7-Year-Old Violinist on a Mission
From JetMag.com:
Like the late, great Whitney Houston so beautifully sang: We believe the children are our future.  To that end, JET introduces you to Leah Flynn…a sweet, caring young violinist who wants to use her talents to improve the world around her.
Taking a break from her evening routine of violin lessons taught by her dad, seven-year-old, Leah Flynn energetically tells JET, “I want to go on national shows and play for millions of people so lots of children can see me play, then maybe they want to play an instrument!”
She’s ambitious and determined on her musical mission.
Practicing violin since she was five, Leah has performed in front of various audiences ranging from senior centers to churches located around her family’s Florida home.  Her biggest audience thus far: during an appearance on the TV show, Good Day Orlando.
If you wonder what gives her the strength to show off her skills at a young age, her approach  to overcoming nerves is simple, “All I do is take a deep breath and just focus on my violin while I’m playing.”
Leah’s  music is more than a hobby, it’s a way of providing inspiration and a healing mechanism for the soul.
Growing up near the area where the devastating killing of Trayvon Martin took place and, most recently, watching from afar the unrest unfolding in Ferguson, Missouri, Leah confided something in her parents, Paula and Lennox Flynn.
She told them she wanted to offer those who suffered the soothing sound of violin strings.  “Leah said, ‘Mommy, people are so sad and it’s not a good thing,” Paula Flynn recalls.
That conversation led to her father, a musician himself who started Leah on the piano, to teach her “Let There Be Peace On Earth,” so she could play for local residents.  The pint-sized player hopes to perform for the Governor of Missouri and the people of Ferguson.
But while she waits for that opportunity, nothing is holding the energetic violinist back. She’s currently practicing Christmas carols to share with listening ears throughout the holiday season.
And JET wants to do our part to get her a national audience. Watch her performance of favorite song,”Let It Go” from the popular movie, “Frozen”.  Enjoy and be sure to keep Miss Leah on your radar!

Read more: http://www.jetmag.com/news/leah-flynn-seven-year-old-violinist-mission/#ixzz3JHHhCHSi

Fifth Grader Samuel Love Holds Toy Drive for Children Going Through Tough Times

By goodblacknews on November 10, 2014
Samuel Love (WGNTV)
Samuel Love (WGNTV)

Fifth-grader Samuel Love is holding his third annual Christmas toy drive for children experiencing tough times. The 11-year old began the drive two years ago in response to Hurricane Sandy.
In 2013, Love managed to collect 1,500 toys and gift cards for children in need. He is aiming to far surpass that this year, however, with a goal of collecting 2,500 toys and gift cards.
In a speech announcing the drive, Love says, “As some of you may know, two years ago, I decided that I didn’t want anything for Christmas because I saw on TV the devastation that happened in New York with Hurricane Sandy. I thought about the kids that lived there and how they had just lost everything. So instead of receiving toys, I wanted to give toys to the kids who really needed them.”
Those in the Chicago area can donate toys and gift cards to Love’s toy drive by dropping donations off in the Studio Movie Grill Chatham Theater at 210 West 87th Street.
article via thegrio.com