Press "Enter" to skip to content

Posts published in “Commemorations”

Harvard University Creates Nasir Jones Fellowship in Honor of Acclaimed Hip-Hop Artist Nas

By goodblacknews on July 17, 2013

Source: Mats Andersson/WENN
Nasir Jones (aka Nas) Source: Mats Andersson/WENN

Nas has found a new home in Cambridge, Massachusetts.  Harvard University’s W.E.B Du Bois Institute and Hip-Hop Archive announced the creation of the Nasir Jones Fellowship. The fellowship named after the rapper who is known for his philosophical bars, will allow scholars and artists to use their education through a creative outlet. The Nasir Jones Fellowship key purpose is based on the motto: Education is real power.
The Hip-Hop Archive press release states the mission:
“To seek projects from scholars and artists that build on the rich and complex hip-hop tradition; to respect that tradition through historically grounded and contextualized critical insights; and most importantly, to represent one’s creative and/or intellectually rigorous contribution to hip-hop and the discourse through personal and academic projects.”
The fellowship will cover the works of  Nas and other prolific hip-hop artists who contributed monumental work to the genre. Recipients of The Nasir Jones Fellowship will be selected by Harvard faculty.
The MC who received the privilege of his own fellowship at the Ivy League states:

“In my roller coaster of a life I’ve endured good and bad for sure, and I’ve truly been blessed to have achieved so much through art in my short life thus far. But I am immensely over-the-top excited about the Nasir Jones Hip-Hop Fellowship at Harvard. From Queens, NY to true cultural academia. My hopes are that greed for knowledge, art, self-determination and expression go a long way. It is a true honor to have my name attached to so much hard work, alongside great names like Henry Louis Gates, Jr. and W.E.B. Du Bois and to such a prestigious and historical institution, and all in the name of the music I grew to be a part of.”

Before forming his own fellowship, Nas has helped Grammy-award winning music producer 9th Wonder with his own academic research project called These Are The Breaks. The research was based on compiling original samples from hip-hop albums that were permanently archived in the Harvard Library; Nas’s Illimatic was a part of the research. 9th Wonder’s research project and journey to Harvard has become a documentary called, The Harvard Fellow.
article by Lauren R.D. Fox via madamenoire.com

Former Foster Child and Morehouse Graduate Derrius Quarles Recognized by White House for Service to Community

By goodblacknews on July 16, 2013
Derrius Quarles (center); Michelle Nunn, the CEO of Points of Light (right); and Washington Post CEO Donald Graham at the 5000th Daily Point of Light Award at the White House on Monday June 15, 2013 (photo credit Jerome Dorn)
Derrius Quarles (center); Michelle Nunn, the CEO of Points of Light (right); and Washington Post CEO Donald Graham at the 5000th Daily Point of Light Award at the White House on Monday June 15, 2013 (photo credit Jerome Dorn)

A former foster child from the south side of Chicago has turned entrepreneur, and been recognized at the White House for his inspiring work.  Derrius Quarles, who is only 22 years old, is best known for winning more than $1 million in financial-aid to attend the prestigious Morehouse College.  He was a recipient of the Daily Point of Light Award in June 2013 for his commitment to help academically gifted yet economically disadvantaged students overcome financial barriers to higher education.

“I feel honored and humbled to be recognized by the White House as a Daily Point of Light awardee,” said Quarles. “I have been recognized for the work I have done with the Million Dollar Scholar, which has advanced economic access to higher education for youth in inner cities across the United States.”  The Million Dollar Scholar initiative has assisted more than 10,000 high school students online and helped students receive more than $950,000 in scholarships and grants.
In fact, Quarles’s drive to see other young people succeed is deeply personal. His father was murdered in Chicago when he was just 4 years old. One year later, he was taken from his mother’s custody and placed in foster care.  It was only when he entered high school that he made a conscious decision to seize opportunities to move on with his life.

Man And Woman Widowed By Tragedies Fall in Love, Marry Each Other

By goodblacknews on July 16, 2013

jessica and jordan marriage story

When N.Y.C. pastor Jordan Rice (pictured right) and marketing specialist Jessica Moreland (pictured left) married each other on June 22nd, they probably never guessed their union would spring forth from tragedy.  But it was grave misfortune that brought them together. Moreland’s previous husband, Jarronn, was killed in a motorcycle accident in 2009, a mere two-and-a-half months after their wedding.  “His injuries were so serious that the blood had drained out of his body,” said Jessica. “There was too much strain on his heart.”
Eventually, she began dating, unsuccessfully, for the next three years.  Jordan’s previous wife, Danielle, fell ill shortly after their wedding; doctors found she had primary cardiac angiosarcoma, a rare heart cancer. An X-ray found that she had fluid around her heart that appeared to be a virus. Danielle died in 2011, barely two years after their marriage and 10 months after the horrifying diagnosis.  “She started really getting worse very quickly,” said Jordan. “Within four days, she couldn’t walk anymore. Her resting heart rate was around 140 beats a minute — lying down.”
“I was miserable,” Jordan said. “I felt out of place … a 27-year-old doesn’t die of cancer. It was very unfair and challenging on every front.”  Eventually, Jordan began dating again, with no results.  In 2012, one of Jordan’s friends sent him a link to Jessica’s blog, One Day At A Time, where she’d posted pictures from her previous wedding and shared its tragic ending. Jordan also happened to be a blogger, and Jessica describing her former spouse reminded him of their shared experience.
“I loved how candid she was,” he told ABC News. ”She described the raw emotion that I had felt on so many occasions. … I respected her for honoring his life. How much she adored him was something very powerful to me.”
Jordan decided to “friend” Jessica through Facebook, taking special care to not appear stalkerish. ”That’s not my MO,” he said.  Jessica initially ignored his request, until she noticed they had mutual friends from Morgan State, Jordan’s alma matter. ”I smiled, but I never responded,” she said.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lFon14QjmFw&w=560&h=315]
A few days later, however, she had lunch with a couple who knew Jordan and vouched for him as a good guy. She decided to look up his blog and offered him consolation, knowing what he was going through.  “I was a little further along the path — I was three years out and he was only at a year and a half — and I told him you never get over it, but you learn to live with it,” said Jessica.  The two began trading text messages and eventually developed a bond. Jordan decided to visit Jessica in Washington, D.C.  Their departed spouses became an emotional talking point.

Morehouse School of Medicine Names Valerie Montgomery Rice Its Next President

By goodblacknews on July 16, 2013

Valerie Montgomery RiceValerie Montgomery Rice was named the next president of the Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta. She will take office upon the retirement of John E. Maupin Jr. on July 1, 2014. Since 2011, Dr. Montgomery Rice has served as executive vice president and dean at Morehouse. Previously, she was a professor of obstetrics and gynecology and director of the Center for Women’s Health Research at Meharry Medical College in Nashville.

Dr. Rice will continue to serve as dean, or chief academic officer, when she becomes president of the Morehouse School of Medicine. “I consider it an honor that our board is entrusting me with the responsibility of continuing to build on the legacy of this pre-eminent institution,” said Dr. Montgomery Rice. “The vision is crystal clear. My role is to continue to further the mission while also positioning the school to remain relevant and at the forefront of an ever-changing medical education environment.”

A graduate of the Georgia Institute of Technology, Dr. Montgomery Rice received her medical training at Harvard Medical School.

article via jbhe.com

Black Scholar Babatunde A. Ogunnaike Is New Dean of Engineering at the University of Delaware

By goodblacknews on July 15, 2013

Babatunde A. OgunnaikeBabatunde A. Ogunnaike is the new dean of the College of Engineering at the University of Delaware. The college has 130 faculty members in six academic departments and enrolls more than 3,000 undergraduate and graduate students.  Dr. Ogunnaike joined the faculty at the university in 2002. Prior to joining the university faculty, he had a 13-year career at DuPont Inc. He has been serving as the William L. Friend Chaired Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at the university and has been interim dean for the past two years.
Professor Ogunnaike is a graduate of the University of Lagos in Nigeria. He holds a master’s degree and a Ph.D. in chemical engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
article via jbhe.com

Afrika Bambaataa Gets Vinyl Record Collection Archived for Cornell University Library

By goodblacknews on July 15, 2013

Afrika Bam
One of the most important vinyl record collections in the history of hip-hop will be on display to the public when archivists sort, organize and even play music from the crates of DJ Afrika Bambaataa – the godfather of hip-hop culture and an instrumental figure in the rise of electro funk. Gavin Brown’s enterprise and Johan Kugelberg/Boo-Hooray Gallery, together with Afrika Bambaataa, the Universal Zulu Nation and Cornell University Library are organizing the records for the Afrika Bambaataa Master of Records vinyl archive, which will permanently live at Cornell University’s Hip Hop Collection in fall 2013.
From July 11 through Aug. 10, Kugelberg and his team will be organizing, cataloguing and documenting Afrika Bambaataa’s peerless vinyl collection on business days between noon and 5 p.m. at Gavin Brown’s enterprise, 620 Greenwich Street, Manhattan. Visitors are encouraged to stop by, hear some great music and see how the cultural artifacts of this important strand of American history are preserved.
Please join the Afrika Bambaataa vinyl archive mailing list at afrikab@gavinbrown.biz and follow Gavin Brown’s enterprise on Facebook and Twitter for announcements of visiting DJs playing selections from the archive during the sort.  Originally from the South Bronx, Afrika Bambaataa is among the most influential American DJs. He is considered the godfather of hip-hop culture and was instrumental in the rise of electro funk and break-beat deejaying beginning in the 1980s.

Compton, CA Elects Aja Brown, Youngest Mayor in City’s History

By goodblacknews on July 15, 2013

Aja Brown
City of Compton Mayor Aja Brown

Compton, Calif. has elected Aja Brown as its newest mayor. The 31-year-old urban planner beat former mayor Omar Bradley in a runoff mayoral election. She’s the youngest mayor in Compton’s history and is determined to make progress in the city.  “I believe the people of Compton are ready for change,” she said after being elected in June. “They’ve spoken. Their voice has clearly been heard that they don’t want to go backward. They want to go forward.”
The University of Southern California alumna is not taking her new position lightly. Her top priorities include reducing crime, balancing the budget and improving Compton’s image. In a recent interview she addressed her priorities as follows:
“I think the City of Compton has suffered for quite some time from the lack of innovative policies, really collaborative efforts with the federal, state and regional elected officials and government agencies. Compton has been on an island fiscally so I look forward to really collaborating in order to move our visions forward: to go back to basics, to implement strategic plans, capital improvements plans that really lay out the infrastructure improvements in our community. My heart is really in building coalitions. The city of Compton has over 200 churches, 100 non-profits, small business communities and really large corporations and so we have an opportunity to really bridge the gap between those sectors and be able to provide a higher level of service to our residents.”

Plus-Size Modeling Contest Winner Simone Charles Is One To Watch

By goodblacknews on July 14, 2013

Simone Charles
Plus-Sized Model Simone Charles

And the competition was stiff. The Models 1+ Instagram Competition was conducted specifically for Models 1+, the plus-size section of the agency, after a similar model search was done last year for the “straight-size” girls. But this year, the agency was flooded with entries: 5,600 entries (in the form of selfies) were posted on Instagram, 3,000 more entries than the straight-size competition in 2012.
And Charles, a 20-year-old model, came out on top. At 5 feet 10 inches tall and a size 16, Charles previously won Ms. Curvaceous UK in 2012, another plus-size modeling competition, and has reportedly worked for smaller designers. But her win, which comes with major agency representation, should put her on the map, hopefully gaining her recognition similar to Robyn Lawley (who became Ralph Lauren’s first-ever plus-size model this year).
“My dream is to be the face of clothing brand with a high reputation which is respected worldwide. Someone like Gucci or Prada,” said Charles. She might just make it, especially with the power of social media. It’s fitting that Charles’ win came via Instagram — Charles, like many younger models today, is all over Twitter and Instagram.
article via huffingtonpost.com

First Lady Michelle Obama Hosts ‘State Dinner’ for Top Junior Chefs

By goodblacknews on July 11, 2013
President Barack Obama talks with Makenna Hurd of Mascot, Tenn., right, and Noah Koch, of Waterville, Maine, right, at the second annual White House Kids' "State Dinner" Tuesday, July 9, 2013, in the East Room of the White House in Washington. First lady Michelle Obama welcomed 54 children to the White House for creating winning recipes as part of a healthy lunch contest. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
President Barack Obama talks with Makenna Hurd of Mascot, Tenn., right, and Noah Koch, of Waterville, Maine, right, at the second annual White House Kids’ “State Dinner” Tuesday, July 9, 2013, in the East Room of the White House in Washington. First lady Michelle Obama welcomed 54 children to the White House for creating winning recipes as part of a healthy lunch contest. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

WASHINGTON (AP) — Michelle Obama says fifty-four kids who earned a trip to the White House by winning a nationwide recipe contest are showing how talented, creative and brilliant young people can be.  It’s the second year the first lady has hosted the kids’ “state dinner.”
The contest for 8-to 12-year-olds is sponsored by the Epicurious food website and the departments of Agriculture and Education. It drew a batch of more than 1,300 entries that were whittled to 54 winners — one from each of the 50 states, three territories and the District of Columbia.
Mrs. Obama singled out a few of the champion culinary creations during Tuesday’s meal, including Confetti Peanut Ginger Party Pasta from Missouri, Pan-seared Mississippi Catfish on a Bed of River Rice and Slam Dunk Veggie Burger from Texas.  President Barack Obama also made an unannounced appearance at the dinner in the White House East Room. He told the junior chefs they are showing that food can be both healthy and fun.
Copyright 2013 article by Darlene Superville, The Associated Press via thegrio.com