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Posts published in “Commemorations”

"Middle Of Nowhere" Wins John Cassavetes Award (Best Feature Under $500,000) At Spirit Awards

By goodblacknews on February 23, 2013

 The 2013 Spirit Awards celebration is still ongoing at this very moment, as winners are revealed.   Announced just minutes ago, Ava DuVernay’s Middle Of Nowhere won the John Cassavetes Award – which is given to the best feature length film with a budget of under $500,000.
The film’s competition included Breakfast with Curtis, Mosquita y Mari, Starlet and The Color Wheel.
On the full list of nominess are titles and names that you’ll be familiar with like Beasts Of The Southern Wild (in several categories), Gimme the Loot (for Best First Feature), Rashida Jones (and Will McCormack) for Best First Screenplay (for Celeste and Jesse Forever), Wendell Pierce for Best Male Lead (for his performance in Four), The Central Park Five and The Waiting Room for Best Documentary, War Witch(Rebelle) for Best International Film, and Stones in the Sun (for the Piaget Producers Award). 
article by Courtney via indiewire.com

Born On This Day in 1933: Jazz Singer and Activist Nina Simone

By goodblacknews on February 21, 2013

ninasimoneEunice Kathleen Waymon (February 21, 1933 – April 21, 2003), born in Tyron, North Carolina and better known by her stage name Nina Simone, was an American singer, songwriter, pianist, arranger, and civil rights activist widely associated with jazz music. Simone studied at the Julliard School of Music in New York and worked in a broad range of styles including classical, jazz, blues, folk, R&B, gospel, and pop.  Among Simone’s most popular recordings were “My Baby Just Cares For Me”, “I Put A Spell On You”, “I Loves You, Porgy” “Feeling Good” and the civil rights protest song “Mississippi Goddam.”  Learn more about this amazing musician’s life and music here and watch her live performance of  “Ain’t Got No… I Got Life” below:
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GUcXI2BIUOQ&w=420&h=315]
article by Lori Lakin Hutcherson

Happy 50th Birthday, NBA Hall of Famer Michael Jordan

By goodblacknews on February 17, 2013

Michael JordanMichael Jeffrey Jordan (born February 17, 1963), also known by his initials, MJ, was born on February 17, 1963 and is a six-time NBA champion as well as six-time MVP with the Chicago Bulls.  He is currently the majority owner and chairman of the Charlotte Bobcats and is considered the greatest basketball player of all time.  Jordan was one of the most effectively marketed athletes of his generation and was considered instrumental in popularizing the NBA around the world in the 1980s and 1990s.

To learn more about his life and career, click here and to watch him in action, click on the video below:
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-bDKq4O8bhc&w=560&h=315]
article by Lori Lakin Hutcherson

Serena Williams Returns to Top of Women's Tennis Rankings, Becomes Oldest Woman to Hold No. 1 Spot

By goodblacknews on February 15, 2013
Serena Williams of the U.S. returns the ball to Poland's Urszula Radwanska on the fourth day of the WTA Qatar Ladies Open tennis tournament in Doha, Qatar, Thursday, Feb. 14, 2013. (AP Photo/Osama Faisal)

Serena Williams of the U.S. returns the ball to Poland’s Urszula Radwanska on the fourth day of the WTA Qatar Ladies Open tennis tournament in Doha, Qatar, Thursday, Feb. 14, 2013. (AP Photo/Osama Faisal)
DOHA, Qatar (AP) — An emotional Serena Williams returned to the top of women’s tennis, overcoming a series of potentially career-ending injuries since 2010 to become the oldest woman ever to hold the No. 1 ranking.  The 31-year-old Williams rallied from 4-1 down in the third to beat former Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova 3-6, 6-3, 7-5 in the quarterfinals of the Qatar Open on Friday. She needed to reach the semifinals to replace Victoria Azarenka at No. 1 when the rankings come out next week.
Williams held up one finger after clinching the match with an ace and wiped away the tears as she addressed the cheering crowd.  “I never thought I would be here again,” Williams said. “Oh my gosh, I’ve been through so much. I never thought I would be here.”
Chris Evert held the top ranking in 1985 just shy of her 31st birthday.  It has been a long journey back to the top for Williams.

Obama Bestows Presidential Citizens Medals

By goodblacknews on February 15, 2013
U.S. President Barack Obama presents Youth Becoming Healthy founder Pamela Green Jackson with the 2012 Presidential Citizens Medal, the nation's second-highest civilian honor, in the East Room of the White House February 15, 2013 in Washington, DC. 'Their selflessness and courage inspire us all to look for opportunities to better serve our communities and our country,' Obama said about this year's recepients. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
U.S. President Barack Obama presents Youth Becoming Healthy founder Pamela Green Jackson with the 2012 Presidential Citizens Medal, the nation’s second-highest civilian honor, in the East Room of the White House February 15, 2013 in Washington, DC. ‘Their selflessness and courage inspire us all to look for opportunities to better serve our communities and our country,’ Obama said about this year’s recepients. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama is bestowing the Presidential Citizens Medal on the six adults killed in the Newtown, Conn., school shooting in December.
Obama presented the medal to family members of the six educators from Sandy Hook Elementary School in a White House ceremony. He read their names one by one, saying they gave their lives to protect the children in their care.
Dr. T. Berry Brazelton, a renowned pediatrician who developed a leading behavioral test for newborns, was also honored, as was former Pennsylvania Sen. Harris Wofford and a handful of others who were recognized for contributions to public service.
Obama says citizenship binds the nation together and captures Americans’ belief in something bigger than themselves.
article by Josh Lederman, Associated Press via thegrio.com

African-American Civil War Soldiers Finally Recognized at Cleveland Site

By goodblacknews on February 13, 2013
Photo caption: Image - Mortar Practice Grouping - of the Soldiers and Sailors Monument on Cleveland’s Public

Photo caption: Image – Mortar Practice Grouping – of the Soldiers and Sailors Monument on Cleveland’s Public

It was in 2010 that researchers verified the service of around 140 black soldiers from the area who fought in the Civil War but were omitted from the tablets. The commission overseeing the monument said it will honor these men, mostly like by inscribing their names on the tablets, and others they uncover through additional research.

LeBron James on a Roll Unlike Any in NBA History

By goodblacknews on February 13, 2013
Miami Heat's LeBron James (6) drives around Portland Trail Blazers' Sasha Pavlovic (3) during an NBA basketball game in Miami, Tuesday, Feb. 12, 2013. (AP Photo/Alan Diaz)

Miami Heat’s LeBron James (6) drives around Portland Trail Blazers’ Sasha Pavlovic (3) during an NBA basketball game in Miami, Tuesday, Feb. 12, 2013. (AP Photo/Alan Diaz)
MIAMI (AP) — When LeBron James first heard about this streak of games with at least 30 points and 60 percent shooting, he did not immediately think about who was on the list.  He thought about who wasn’t.
Wilt Chamberlain? Not there. Michael Jordan? Not there. Shaquille O’Neal? Not there, either. In NBA history, only Adrian Dantley and Moses Malone had put together five straight 30-point, 60-percent efforts — that is, until James joined their super-exclusive club.
And now, he stands alone.  James scored 30 points on 11 for 15 shooting to get into the NBA record books, Chris Bosh scored 32 points and grabbed 11 rebounds, and the Miami Heat wound up beating the Portland Trail Blazers 117-104 in a wild, momentum-swinging game Tuesday night.
“It kind of blew my mind,” James said. “To see how small the list was and for me to even be a part of the list, to start off, it’s like, ‘Wow.’”
“Wow” doesn’t even come close to summing up how he’s been in the last six games. He’s shot 66 for 92 — and take away a “slow” 6-for-12 start at Toronto on Feb. 3, he’s made 60 of his last 80 field-goal tries, a ridiculous 75 percent success rate. He’s scored either 30, 31 or 32 points in all six of these games.

Obama Honors Three African-American Women with Presidential Citizen's Medal

By goodblacknews on February 8, 2013

Patience Lehrman; Janice Jackson; Pamela Green-Jackson
The Presidential Citizens Medal is the nation’s second-highest civilian honor. This year, three African Americans made the list of recipients, thanks to the serious and selfless work they do for their communities — from promoting childhood health to mentoring women and girls to helping immigrants live the American dream.  It’s always great to give back, but it must be even better when the White House notices. Each of them will receive the medal during a Feb. 15 ceremony. Meet the honorees:
Pamela Green-Jackson (Albany, Ga.)
Green-Jackson is the founder and CEO of the Youth Becoming Healthy project, a nonprofit organization committed to reducing the epidemic of childhood obesity through nutrition, fitness education and physical-activity programs. YBH was created in memory of Pamela Green-Jackson’s only brother, Bernard Green, who died in 2004 from obesity-related illnesses. YBH provides resources for wellness programs, both during and after school, for elementary and middle school students as well as a summer wellness camp where students learn about exercise and nutrition and can participate in martial arts, a walking club and dance programs.
Janice Jackson (Baltimore)
Jackson is the creator and program director of Women Embracing Abilities Now, or W.E.A.N., a nonprofit mentoring organization serving women with varying degrees of disabilities. She is also a professor at the University of Baltimore. Jackson has actively advocated on behalf of people with disabilities and currently sits on the board of directors for the League for People With Disabilities, the Hoffberger Center for Professional Ethics at the University of Baltimore and the Image Center of Maryland. She is also a member of the Community Advisory Council at the Maryland Center for Developmental Disabilities at Kennedy Krieger Institute and is a counselor at Kernan Rehabilitation Center. In addition, she founded two support groups: We Are Able People, or W.R.A.P.; and Women on Wheels & Walking, or W.O.W.W.
Patience Lehrman (Philadelphia)
Lehrman, an immigrant from Cameroon, is the national director of Project SHINE (Students Helping in the Naturalization of Elders), an immigrant-integration initiative at the Intergenerational Center of Temple University.  SHINE partners with 18 institutions of higher learning, community-based organizations and county and city governments across the country. It also engages college students and older adults to provide language and health education, as well as citizenship and civic-participation lessons, to immigrant communities. Lehrman mentors inner-city high school students, provides free meals to low-income children in the summer and serves as an election official. She holds three master’s degrees from Temple University.
article by Jeneé Desmond-Harris via theroot.com

Whitney Houston Wax Figures Unveiled at Madame Tussauds

By goodblacknews on February 7, 2013

whitney-houston-wax figures
Madame Tussauds has turned its attention to Whitney Houston, remembering the legendary singer who died last year with not one, but four separate wax figures.  “We were extremely honored when Madame Tussauds approached us about doing four figures of Whitney from different points in her 30-year career,” Houston’s manager and sister-in-law Pat Houston said in a statement on behalf of the family. “This is something we are excited to do for the fans.”
The unveiling marks the first time in 200 years that the museum has simultaneously created so many different figures of the same subject. While each took shape at the Tussauds studio in London, they will be displayed in separate cities.

Happy 47th Birthday, Comedian, Writer and Actor Chris Rock

By goodblacknews on February 7, 2013

Chris RockBrooklyn, NY native Christopher Julius “Chris Rock” III was born on February 7, 1965 and began to build his stand-up career by working at New York City’s Catch a Rising Star in the 1980s, earning small parts in movies like Beverly Hills Cop II and I’m Gonna Git You Sucka and landing a featured role on NBC’s late-night comedy juggernaut Saturday Night Live in 1990.  Rock went on to write and star in rap mockmentary CB4 before re-inventing himself through a series of HBO comedy specials starting with 1996’s Emmy Award-winning Bring the Pain.  Rock later went on to produce the television show Everybody Hates Chris for UPN/CW and star in feature films such as Death at a Funeral, Down to Earth, The Longest Yard and I Think I Love My Wife.  To learn more about his life and career, click here.
article by Lori Lakin Hutcherson