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Posts published in “Commemorations”

Five Black Scholars Elected to the National Academy of Medicine

By goodblacknews on November 1, 2015

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(L to R) Evan Dale Abel, Linda Burnes Bolton, Otis Webb Brawley, Melissa Lynn Gilliam, and Elizabeth Odilile Ofili

The National Academy of Medicine, formerly known as the Institute for Medicine, was founded in 1970. Election to the National Academy of Medicine is considered one of the highest honors in the fields of health and medicine and recognizes individuals who have demonstrated outstanding professional achievement and commitment to service. With the 70 new members, there are now 1,826 active fellows of the National Academy of Medicine along with 137 foreign associates.
An analysis of the list of the 70 new members of the National Academy of Medicine by JBHE finds that five, or 7 percent, are Black.
Evan Dale Abel is the John B. Stokes Chair in Diabetes Research and director of the Fraternal Order of Eagles Diabetes Research Center in the Carver College of Medicine at the University of Iowa. Dr. Abel is a graduate of the University of the West Indies and holds a Ph.D. in physiology from Oxford University in England.
Linda Burnes Bolton is vice president and chief nurse executive at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. Dr. Burnes Bolton is a past president of the American Academy of Nursing and the National Black Nurses Association. She is a trustee at Case Western Reserve University. A graduate of Arizona State University, Dr. Burnes Bolton holds two master’s degrees and a doctorate in public health from the University of California, Los Angeles.
Otis Webb Brawley is a professor of hematology, medical oncology, medicine, and epidemiology at Emory University in Atlanta. He is also the chief medical officer for the American Cancer Society in Atlanta. Dr. Brawley earned his medical degree at the University of Chicago.
Melissa Lynn Gilliam is dean for diversity and inclusion and a professor in the department of obstetrics and gynecology and pediatrics at the University of Chicago. Dr. Gilliam is a graduate of Harvard Medical School.
Elizabeth Odilile Ofili is the senior associate dean for clinical and translational research, professor of medicine, and director of the Clinical Research Center at Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta. She earned her medical degree at Ahmadu Bello University in Nigeria and a master of public health degree from Johns Hopkins University.
article via jbhe.com

Three-peat! Simone Biles Cruises to 3rd Straight World Gymnastics Title; Olympic Champ Gabby Douglas Places 2nd

By goodblacknews on October 30, 2015
The Associated Press
Simone Biles of the U.S. performs on the balance beam during the women’s all-around final competition at the World Artistic Gymnastics championships at the SSE Hydro Arena in Glasgow, Scotland, Thursday, Oct. 29, 2015. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader) 

GLASGOW, Scotland (AP) — Simone Biles is human. The proof came halfway through her beam routine at the world championships Thursday night, when a front flip ended with Biles reaching forward and squeezing the piece of wood as hard as she could with both hands.
Twenty minutes later, Biles finished a tumbling run with her right foot so far out of bounds it might as well have landed in Edinburgh, an hour to the east.
“I’m like, ‘Oh my gosh, I’m not supposed to be on this,'” Biles said, laughing.
Not that it mattered. While Biles might indeed be human, she’s not beatable. Not now, and unless her peers do some serious cramming over the nine months, not at next summer’s Olympics, either.
Despite the flubs, the meet ended the way it always does when Biles is in the field, with the 18-year-old supernova standing on top of the podium with a gold medal around her neck kind of dumbstruck at how this keeps happening. Her third straight world title came by the biggest margin yet, 1.083 points over teammate, buddy and reigning Olympic champion Gabby Douglas and bronze medalist Larisa Iordache of Romania.
“If I could crawl out of my skin and see it, it would be really amazing,” she said.
Kind of.
Biles’ eight world championship gold medals are a record for an American, and she’ll have a chance to add to that total in event finals over the weekend. Whoever is behind Biles in customs when she returns to the U.S. next week might want to Netflix and chill.
“I just keep blowing my own mind because yes there are goals that I have and then I dream of it and then I make it a reality,” Biles said. “I’m just shocked by myself.”
It’s just that the result is no longer shocking. Biles is in the midst of a run unprecedented in this era of women’s gymnastics, when peaks are typically measured in months and not years. Yet she is still improving, still pushing the boundaries.
Her performances have become events during an unbeaten streak at more than two years and counting, one that doesn’t appear in danger of ending anytime soon. She combines groundbreaking tumbling — there’s even a move named after her on the floor exercise — with nearly flawless execution.
Yet while Biles will be the overwhelming favorite in Rio next August, her toughest competition will likely from her own ridiculously loaded team. Douglas became the first reigning Olympic gold medalist to reach the podium at worlds since the Soviet Union’s Yelena Davydova in 1981.
The 19-year-old showed flashes of the brilliance that made her a star in London three years ago, her uneven bars routine done with the kind of precision and grace that originally caught national team coordinator Martha Karolyi’s eye.
Douglas is well aware of the distance between Biles and the rest of the field. Though Douglas calls Biles “amazing,” she’s hardly ready to cede that gold in Rio is out of reach. Attempting to become the first Olympic champ in nearly 50 years to repeat, Douglas has a plan in place to make the upgrades necessary to catch Biles.
“I’m excited for the road ahead,” Douglas said. “I’ve got bigger skills coming along.”
Douglas and everyone else will need them if they want to end an undefeated run that’s now at 10 straight meets, even if this one seemed to come a little harder than most.
There was that weird stumble on beam — the event she’s the most inconsistent on — that ended with what coach Aimee Boorman called the “save of the century” and the misstep on floor, when her seemingly jet-pack powered tumbling run left her standing on the red out of bounds carpet wondering how she got there.
“I didn’t even know I could land on the red,” Biles said.

article by Will Graves, AP via usnews.com

Joel Fitzgerald, Forth Worth's 1st Black Police Chief, Takes Charge

By goodblacknews on October 26, 2015
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Fort Worth Police Chief Joel Fitzgerald (CHRISTOPHER CONNELLY / KERA NEWS)
Fort Worth, Texas, swore in its first black police chief Tuesday at a ceremony packed with the city’s top leaders, WFAA reports.  Joel Fitzgerald takes over at a challenging time. He replaces Jeff Halstead, who retired in January amid federal discrimination lawsuits filed by several black police officers.
Black Lives Matter called for a rally in the city in August after a white police officer fatally shot an unarmed black college football player in Arlington, Texas. Weeks later, hundreds of mostly white people held a counter protest to support the police. Some held signs that read, “All Lives Matter.”
Many see Fitzgerald as the right person for the job. The new police chief is known for his ability to work well with the community, according to WFAA.
“The impetus is upon me to make sure that each and every person in this organization understands that when we speak of community, we’re part of the community,” he said at the ceremony. “The police department [is] an active member in the community and we’re to make sure that each contact that we have with each and every individual that we see is positive.”
With reference to Black Lives Matter, Fitzgerald told KERA News that he wants honest, “open discussions.”  “One of the things I said when I was first hired here is that I’m very inclusive, and I intend on listening to all stakeholders and making sure that they have a voice,” he added.
Fitzgerald underscored his track record of bringing together the police department and community. “I feel it won’t be any different in Fort Worth, the community has really opened their arms up and embraced me so far,” he stated.
Fort Worth’s new police chief, who holds degrees from Harvard and Northwestern, previously was the first black chief of police departments in Missouri City, Texas, and Allentown, Pa. Fitzgerald was a police officer in Philadelphia before climbing the ranks. He beat five other finalists to become Fort Worth’s police chief.
Read more at WFAA.com and KERA News.
article by Nigel Roberts via theroot.com

Salt-N-Pepa Celebrates 30 years in Music With ASCAP Honor This Week

By goodblacknews on October 25, 2015

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Members Cheryl James (Salt) and Sandra Denton (Pepa) and DJ Spinderella (Deidre Roper) paved the way for women in hip hop. (photo via dailynews.com)

It’s been 30 years and Salt-N-Pepa is still pushing it.  Cheryl James (Salt) and Sandra Denton (Pepa), who splashed onto the music scene in 1985, will be honored by the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers on Wednesday night.”It feels amazing to be coming up on 30 years in the game and have our work still acknowledged and respected as pioneers in music,” James told the Daily News.
Fresh off of a sold-out show in Winnipeg, Canada, the rap stars said they are still blown away by fans who line up to greet them at the airport .
“I don’t know how they know what flight we’re on, but the fans are always there at baggage claim,” Denton said. “They keep old CDs and other things forever to have us autograph.”
They were once called Super Nature and an answer song to Doug E. Fresh’s “The Show” called “The Showstopper” transformed them from unknowns to nationally-known rap artists.
“The first time we heard that song on the radio we were driving down the boulevard in Queens,” James reflected. “Pep hopped out of the car in the middle of the street and I was screaming at her to get back in the car.”
From that point on the ball kept rolling with top-selling albums including “Hot Cool & Vicious,” “Black’s Magic,” and “Very Necessary.”
Additionally, before the Spice Girls, TLC or Destiny’s Child came along, they owned the girl power theme with songs including “Expression,” “Independent,” “None of Your Business” and “Ain’t Nuthin’ But a She Thing.”
They also inspired a generation of young women to take risks – and nothing says teetering on the edge like coming home with an extreme buzz cut.
“The asymmetrical hairstyle was a hit,” Denton says about her iconic look. “We still have fans coming up to us saying they shaved off their hair. We brought fashion, fun and femininity to hip hop.”
Along with crazy haircuts, came wild threads. A mix of masculine and feminine style elements via slouchy jackets and leotards dictated the trends.

Salt-N-Pepa marks 30 years in music biz with ASCAP "Women in Music" honor.

“Nowadays everyone has a stylist – we were raw; wearing 8 ball jackets with kente hats and spandex,” Denton says. “It’s a quintessential look that everyone loved.”

The duo plans to translate their style into an athletic wear line. “This is Pep’s brilliant baby that was inspired by our song ‘Push It,’” James said. “We are into being healthy and staying motivated.”
James says she’s even gone to a few fitness classes that were themed after the song. “It’s become more than a song; it’s a lifestyle. There are so many obstacles in life that you have to keep pushing through.”
Asked to describe the journey in one word, Denton says “experience,” James, “blessed.”
article by Candace Amos via nydailynews.com

"SNL" Comedian Sasheer Zamata Named ACLU Celebrity Ambassador on Women’s Rights

By goodblacknews on October 24, 2015

Sasheer ZamataActress and comedian Sasheer Zamata, known for her breakout role on the cast of Saturday Night Live, will partner with the American Civil Liberties Union to support women’s rights. She joins the ACLU as a celebrity ambassador on the heels of her recent promotion to repertory player for SNL’s 41st season, her third season with the show.
In her role as an ambassador, Zamata will elevate the ACLU’s work to fight gender inequality and structural discrimination against women in employment, education, healthcare, housing, and criminal justice through advocacy and public education. The ACLU Women’s Rights Project was co-founded in 1972 by U.S. Supreme Court Justice  Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who called women’s rights “an essential part of the overall human rights agenda.”
Zamata is featured in Sasheer Zamata Says Women’s Rights “Still a BFD!” a new ACLU video that puts the spotlight on gender inequality and privilege.
“It’s so wonderful that women continue to break down barriers and change societal expectations, but women still suffer discrimination for their gender, class and race,” says Zamata. “I am honored to continue the fight for equal economic opportunities, the right to choose, and an end to gender-based violence by serving as an ACLU Celebrity Ambassador.”
Though strides have been made in the past several decades to advance and protect the rights of women and girls, there’s a lot left to do. In the U.S. today:

  • Women make only 78 cents for every dollar earned by a man; African-American women only earn 64 cents; and Latinas, only 55 cents for each dollar earned by a white man;
  • A woman’s right to choose is threatened by extreme lawmakers who have introduced more than 100 abortion restrictions in 2015 alone;
  • Few legal protections exist for pregnant workers and new mothers, putting families in danger of economic instability, though women are the primary breadwinners in 4 out of 10 families with children.

“We are thrilled to name Sasheer Zamata as our newest celebrity ambassador,” says Anthony D. Romero, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union. “She is the perfect voice for the next generation, and especially for those looking to effect real and lasting change on women’s rights issues.”
Zamata—who was named one of Cosmopolitan’s “13 Funny Women to Watch in 2014,”—joins Harry Belafonte, Michael K. Williams, Lewis Black, Marlee Matlin, and others, to amplify the ACLU’s work on priority civil liberties issues, including mass incarceration, voting rights, disability rights, and LGBT equality.
Read more about the ACLU Ambassador Project at:
https://www.aclu.org/feature/aclu-ambassador-project
Be a friend and share the video Sasheer Zamata Says Women’s Rights “Still a BFD!”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SqL9onVybW0
More information about the ACLU’s women’s rights work is available at:
https://www.aclu.org/issues/womens-rights

article by Lori Lakin Hutcherson (follow @lakinhutcherson)

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Honors Smokey Robinson at 20th Annual Music Masters Series

By goodblacknews on October 23, 2015

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R&B and soul legend William “Smokey” Robinson will be honored by The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Case Western Reserve University during the 20thAnnual Music Masters™ series, presented by Klipsch Audio. Robinson was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a part of the sophomore class of inductees in 1987. The weeklong celebration, Nov. 2-7, 2015, will culminate with the Annual Music Masters concert on Sat., Nov. 7 at 7:30 p.m. EST at Playhouse Square’s State Theatre.
The tribute concert, presented by Klipsch Audio, on Nov. 7 will feature previously announced Inductees Dennis Edwards, Martha Reeves, and Mary Wilson, as well as the Robert Glasper Experiment.  New guests scheduled to perform include Avant, Avery*Sunshine, Bilal, JoJo, Eric Roberson, and Michelle Williams. Adam Blackstone (who has worked with artists such as Rihanna, Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake) will serve as the tribute concert’s Musical Director.  Robinson will attend the tribute concert to accept the award but is not scheduled to perform.
Tickets to the Nov. 7 concert range from $30 – $100 and are available now at the Playhouse Square box office, by calling (216) 241-6000, or by visiting www.playhousesquare.org. A limited number of premium seating and VIP packages beginning at $300 are available by contacting the Rock Hall’s development office at (216) 515-1201 or development@rockhall.org by Fri., Oct. 30.
To open the tribute concert, Case Western Reserve will bestow an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree to Smokey Robinson, recognizing his many musical and cultural contributions, which extend from enduring songs to his leadership in the music industry. The university awards honorary degrees to recognize those who exemplify in their work the highest ideals and standards of excellence in any valued aspect of human endeavor, including scholarship, public service and the performing arts.
Additional events include:
JUST ANNOUNCED!  FREE with RSVP – Mon., Nov. 2 at 7 p.m. – “Smokey Robinson and the Sensual Black Avant-Garde” / Author Series with Jason King at the Rock Hall’s Library and Archives (2809 Woodland Avenue, Cleveland).  Reservations can be made through the Rock Hall website at https://tickets.rockhall.com or at the Rock Hall Box Office.
FREE with RSVP – Wed., Nov. 4 at 8 p.m. – An Evening with Members of the Music Masters tribute band in the Rock Hall’s Foster Theater.  This event will be streamed live at http://rockhall.com.
FREE – Thurs., Nov. 5 at 7 p.m. – Keynote Lecture “You Really Got a Hold On Me” by Dave Marsh at Case Western Reserve University’s Tinkham Veale University Center (11038 Bellflower Road, Cleveland OH).   Marsh, rock critic, historian, anti-censorship activist, talk show host, and “Louie Louie” expert, has written more than 20 books about rock and popular music, and edited that many more.  In this talk, Marsh will explore more than 50 years of listening to Smokey and why, in his opinion, Smokey Robinson is the best singer-songwriter ever.  This event is free and reservations are not required.  Seats are available on a first-come, first-served basis. This event will be streamed live at http://rockhall.com.

Sat., Nov. 7 from 10:30 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. – Annual Music Masters Conference in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s Foster Theater

The conference will celebrate Smokey Robinson’s impact on popular music, including a panel discussion on Smokey moderated by renowned author and Smokey Robinson autobiography co-author, David Ritz. Ritz will be joined by Harry Weinger, Vice President, A&R at Universal Music Enterprises; Jason King, Director of Writing, History & Emergent Media Studies at New York University’s Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music; and Andy Flory, Assistant Professor of Music at Carleton College. There will be a special Motown-inspired performance and master class with the youth of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Cleveland as well as interviews with special guests. Tickets are $25 ($10 lunch voucher included) and are available through the Rock Hall website at https://tickets.rockhall.com or at the Rock Hall Box Office.  Admission to the Museum is free with the purchase of a conference ticket. 

Sat., Nov. 7 at 7:30 p.m. – Annual Music Masters Tribute Concert at Playhouse Square’s State Theatre.  Tickets to the November 7 tribute concert range from $30 – $100 and are at the Playhouse Square box office, by calling (216) 241-6000, or by visiting www.playhousesquare.org.  A limited number of premium seating and VIP packages beginning at $300 are available by contacting the Rock Hall’s development office at (216) 515-1201 or development@rockhall.org by Friday, October 30.  

Special programming for teachers and students:

Tues., Nov. 3 – Digital Classroom: Launch of Smokey Robinson and the Miracles Education Unit

The Rock Hall’s award-winning education team will launch a special Smokey Robinson and the Miracles teaching unit as part of their Digital Classroom online curriculum on Tuesday, November 3. The Digital Classroom allows teachers and students to learn more about rock and roll history with lesson plans, listening guides, and exclusive content that can be used in classroom. To learn more, visit http://www.rockhall.com/digitalclassroom.

About Smokey Robinson:

Save for founder Berry Gordy, no single figure has been more closely allied with the Detroit-based recording empire known as Motown than William “Smokey” Robinson. In addition to leading the Miracles, Robinson served as a Motown producer, songwriter, talent scout and Gordy’s most trusted confidant and right-hand man.

Smokey Robinson and the Miracles scored twenty-seven pop-soul hits at Motown between 1960 and 1971, including the classics “You’ve Really Got a Hold on Me,” “Shop Around,” “Going to a Go-Go” and “I Second That Emotion.” The Miracles’ brightest moments on record – “Ooo Baby Baby,” “The Tracks of My Tears” and “The Tears of a Clown” foremost among them – still kindle memories for those who came of age in the Sixties.

Historian Peniel E. Joseph Honored by Benjamin L. Hooks Institute for his Biography of Stokely Carmichael

By goodblacknews on October 23, 2015

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Professor Peniel E. Joseph (photo via citylights.com)

Peniel E. Joseph, professor of history at Tufts University in Medford, Massachusetts, received the National Book Award from the Benjamin L. Hooks Institute for Social Change at the University of Memphis. The award honors the author of a book that best advances “the understanding of American civil rights movement and its legacy.”
P25898101._UY200_rofessor Joseph is being honored for his book Stokely: A Life (Basic Civitas, 2014), a biography of Stokely Carmichael, later known as Kwame Toure. Carmichael was chair of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee. He spent the later years of his life in Africa.
Professor Joseph has taught at Tufts University since 2009. He is a graduate of Stony Brook University of the State University of New York System, where he double majored in Africana studies and European history. He holds a Ph.D. in American history from Temple University in Philadelphia.
article via jbhe.com

Obamas Sing Happy Birthday To Usher At White House [VIDEO]

By goodblacknews on October 19, 2015

Usher and the Obamas (photo via youtube)
Usher and the Obamas (photo via youtube)

Usher may be the reigning King of R&B, but, right now, we’re pretty sure he’s feeling like the King of the World.”
The soulful singer spent October 14, his 37th birthday, recording a taping of PBS’ concert series “In Performance at the White House.” He and his bride Grace were chatting with President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama when they surprised him by singing “Happy Birthday” and presented him with a cupcake topped with a single candle.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c9D6jk3cRHo&w=560&h=315]
The former “The Voice” coach seemed humbled — and in total disbelief — by the experience, at one point, turning to the videographer and asking, “Are you getting this?
After the First Couple were done singing to Usher, President Obama said, “That’s a good cupcake, too.”
Along with Usher, Queen Latifah, Smokey Robinson, and Esperanza Spalding also performed at the White House for the concert series.
See the Obamas serenade Usher in the video above.
article via newsone.com

Eddie Murphy Honored with Kennedy Center Mark Twain Prize

By goodblacknews on October 16, 2015
Eddie Murphy Emmy Awards
Eddie Murphy (photo via GETTY IMAGES)

Thirty-five years ago an unknown teenager from Brooklyn made an uncredited cameo in a lackluster episode of a network variety show on the verge of collapse. By the next episode that kid got his first real shot on screen and he never looked back. Soon enough, the only thing keeping “Saturday Night Live” from dying in the post-Lorne Michaels era was legendary-comedian-in-the-making Eddie Murphy.
Within two years Murphy was performing standup on “The Tonight Show” with Johnny Carson, and turning in iconic parodic performances on “SNL” as Buckwheat, Gumby and Mr. Robinson in sketches that would be forever emblazoned in the annals of American pop culture. By 1984, Murphy was a hugely bankable movie star, making his mark in comic masterpieces like “48 Hours,” “Trading Places” and “Beverly Hills Cop,” which catapulted Murphy to international fame and spawned two sequels.
On Oct. 18, the man with one of the most infectious laughs in comedy will receive the 18th annual Kennedy Center Mark Twain Prize for American Humor.  Kathy Griffin, who will present clips of Murphy’s 1982 “Tonight Show” debut at the Kennedy Center gala event, says Murphy’s brilliance stems from his gutsy approach to standup comedy.
“In an era when everyone is apologizing for everything, it is fun and liberating to go back and watch him express anything that he thinks is funny without filters,” she says. “He is not a safe comedian and isn’t that what standup comedy is really about?”
Of course, Murphy is also one of the most commercially successful African-American actors in film history. His movies have averaged $100 million at the box office, including such hits as “Coming to America,” “Shrek” and “The Nutty Professor.” Although he’s been absent from the big screen for several years, Imagine Entertainment is reportedly developing a Netflix comedy feature with Murphy.
“Eddie is an icon and a terrific actor who has been making us laugh for 35 years,” says Cappy McGarr, executive producer of the Mark Twain Prize.  He adds that Murphy’s early films were brilliant not only because they were funny, but also because they tackled themes of racism in America. “Trading Places,” released in 1983, explored the divide between the haves and have-nots.
“That movie is just as relevant now as when it was made,” McGarr says. “Like Richard Pryor, who received the first Mark Twain Prize, Eddie has been an incredible influence on all those who followed him.”
Comedians Murphy influenced and inspired include Arsenio Hall, Dave Chappelle and Chris Rock, who’s called Murphy his “idol.” He will be among the presenters at the Kennedy Center ceremony, along with fellow “SNL” alumni Will Ferrell, who received the Mark Twain Prize in 2011, and Tina Fey, who was honored with the award in 2010.
Griffin says the Mark Twain Prize is the ultimate award for comedians, especially since they are typically overlooked at the Oscars. (Murphy’s one nomination is for his dramatic turn in Bill Condon’s 2006 musical “Dreamgirls.”)
“This is a huge honor for Eddie,” Griffin says. “Everyone in comedy wants this. The ones that have it all brag about it and the ones that don’t are pissed. This is it.”
Per McGarr, the Mark Twain Award may not be enough validation for a genius such as Murphy: “I just wish we could give him more than one medal.”
article by Stuart Miller via Variety.com

NFL Star DeAngelo Williams to Cover Cost of 53 Women's Mammograms to Honor Late Mother

By goodblacknews on October 15, 2015

(AP Photo/Keith Srakocic)

The NFL allows teams to wear pink during the month of October for breast cancer awareness month, and pushes assorted pink memorabilia to consumers, though it only donates a small portion of the proceeds to actual breast cancer research.
DeAngelo Williams, who lost his mother Sandra Hill to breast cancer last year, is going to personally help women in North Carolina get diagnosed according to ESPN. Williams is footing the bill for 53 mammograms for 53 women – one for each year of Hill’s life.
The median cost of a mammogram is $243, so this is an estimated value of $12,879, but it’s priceless in terms of early breast cancer detection.
article by Micah Peters via ftw.usatoday.com