The Obama administration announced on Tuesday that more than 6 million Americans have obtained health insurance through the new health care law, a major achievement for the president and his team, which has been sharply criticized for a sloppy rollout of “Obamacare” that included a website that barely functioned for weeks.
In the last three months, according to the administration, about 2.1 million Americans have enrolled in private health care plans through the law. Another 3.9 million have been determined eligible for either Medicaid or the State Children’s Health Insurance Program, both of which were expanded under the Affordable Care Act.
These numbers vindicated the administration, which had predicted that the struggles of October, when Americans across the country complained about the website, would not permanently harm the health care program. Only 106,000 Americans enrolled in private plans in October, far below expectations, but more than 1 million did in December. Administration officials had predicted enrollment would surge in December, as that was the deadline for purchasing insurance that would start by Jan 1.
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Juanita Moore, who broke barriers for African-American actors and was Oscar-nominated for 1959′s remake of Imitation of Life, died Tuesday at her home in Los Angeles. Her step-grandson, actor Kirk Kahn, said she was 99. Moore received a supporting actress nomination for the Douglas Sirk-directed Imitation of Life, playing Annie Johnson, the housekeeper whose daughter passes for white, in the racially-themed film that was based on the Fannie Hurst novel. She was the fifth African-American to ever be nominated for an Academy Award.
Kahn said she was still running lines with him recently, and had planned to participate in a reading at the Saban Theater in a few weeks. “She didn’t candy-coat it for you,” he said. “She said, ‘If you’re no good, the play’s no good.’” “She gave back to the community in so many ways,” he said. “Wherever we went she stopped and told black boys and girls they could do anything with their lives.”
Moore, who was a founding member of the Cambridge Players along with thespians such as Esther Rolle, was honored at the Black Theater Festival in North Carolina, her grandson said. Born in Los Angeles, Moore was a chorus girl at the Cotton Club who started out as a film extra, then worked as an actor at the Ebony Showcase Theater. She made her film debut in 1949′s Pinky, and often played a maid in 1950s films such as The Girl Can’t Help It. In the 1960s and ’70s, she played a nun in The Singing Nun and appeared in films including Uptight and The Mack.
Though she didn’t work often through the 1980s, she began appearing onscreen again in later years on TV shows such as E.R. and Judging Amy and in films such as Disney’s The Kid. In addition to her grandson, she is survived by two nephews. To learn more about her life and career, click here.
article by Pat Saperstein via Variety.com; additions by Lori Lakin Hutcherson
Moore, who was a founding member of the Cambridge Players along with thespians such as Esther Rolle, was honored at the Black Theater Festival in North Carolina, her grandson said. Born in Los Angeles, Moore was a chorus girl at the Cotton Club who started out as a film extra, then worked as an actor at the Ebony Showcase Theater. She made her film debut in 1949′s Pinky, and often played a maid in 1950s films such as The Girl Can’t Help It. In the 1960s and ’70s, she played a nun in The Singing Nun and appeared in films including Uptight and The Mack.
Though she didn’t work often through the 1980s, she began appearing onscreen again in later years on TV shows such as E.R. and Judging Amy and in films such as Disney’s The Kid. In addition to her grandson, she is survived by two nephews. To learn more about her life and career, click here.
article by Pat Saperstein via Variety.com; additions by Lori Lakin Hutcherson
As reported in Variety.com, James Avery, the imposing actor who laid down the law as the Honorable Philip Banks – aka Will Smith’s “Uncle Phil” – inThe Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, has died. Avery’s publicist, Cynthia Snyder, told the Associated Press that Avery died Tuesday. The Associated Press reported that he was 65, while TMZ, which said he died in a Glendale, Calif. hospital after heart surgery, said he was 68.
Alfonso Ribeiro who played his son on Fresh Prince, remembered him on Twitter.
I’m deeply saddened to say that James Avery has passed away. He was a second father to me. I will miss him greatly. @alfonso_ribeiro
Avery’s movie credits included The Blues Brothers, Fletch, The Brady Bunch Movie and Doctor Dolittle 2. He appeared on dozens of TV shows including Hill St. Blues, L.A. Law, The Division, Soul Food, That ’70s Show, All of Us, Grey’s Anatomy and The Closer. Born in Atlantic City, N.J., he served in Vietnam and began writing TV scripts and poetry for PBS. He graduated with a drama degree from U.C. San Diego. In addition to extensive work as a voiceover actor on productions such as The Wild Thornberrys and Prince of Egypt, he hosted the PBS travel show Going Places. To learn more about his life and career, click here.
article by Lori Lakin Hutcherson
As we enter into 2014, like everywhere else, GBN is reflecting on what made 2013 truly memorable. There have been historic moments (Barack Obama’s second inauguration to the Presidency of the United States, the Supreme Court striking down the Defense of Marriage Act, Obamacare withstanding severe political and technical challenges) sobering moments (the George Zimmerman trial, the Boston Marathon Bombing, the Oklahoma Tornado Disaster) and inspiring moments (Charles Ramsey rescuing Ariel Castro’s captives, Antoinette Tuff talking down a would-be elementary school shooter, Homeless Teen Drew Gooch earning a full scholarship to college).
Of all the stories we posted this year, however, the ones most popular with GBN’s readers have primarily focussed on education, super-intelligent youth, and the debunking of the “deadbeat dad” myth that unfairly haunts so many African-American fathers:
TOP 5 POSTS of 2013
5. 14 Year-Old Thessalonika Arzu-Embry To Earn Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from Chicago State University
4. Survey Finds Black Fathers are as Involved with Their Kids as Men of Other Races
3. 18 Year-Old Gabrielle Turnquest Becomes Youngest Ever to Pass Britain’s Bar Exams
2. “Living Single” Actress Erika Alexander Co-Writes Graphic with Black Heroine
and…
1. Child Prodigy Adam Kirby, 2, becomes Youngest Ever to Join Genius Club Mensa
In 2014, GBN will strive to bring you much more of the same (as well as the surprising and unexpected), as we believe there can only be more Good Black News stories to cover. Because when you really look for it, you can find positivity everywhere.
Happy New Year!
Lori Lakin Hutcherson, Good Black News Founder & Editor-In-Chief
Charvis Brewer, an 8-year-old super-fan of the Memphis Grizzlies, has bragging rights that most children can only dream about. On Sunday, the basketball team drafted Charvis as its newest and youngest member. The ceremony, complete with a mock press conference, team photograph and visit to the locker room, was orchestrated by Make-A-Wish, a non-profit wish-granting organization for children with life-threatening medical conditions.
Charvis has cerebral palsy, a neurological condition that confines him to a wheelchair. His mother, Colissa Brewer, and a home health aide tend to his every need. “It brought tears to my eyes,” Brewer said of the Grizzlies’ welcoming gesture. “I never imagined he would get a chance to do something like that.”
Despite his illness, Charvis attends school and is the kind of basketball fan who can rattle off facts about his favorite team and their opponents. About a year ago, he was referred to Make-A-Wish Mid-South, the Memphis-based chapter of the national organization.
When volunteers asked what Charvis would like to wish for more than anything in the world, he shared his fantasy of being drafted by the Grizzlies. Since then, his mother told TODAY.com, Charvis kept wondering: Would his dream come true?
He got his answer on Sunday when the Brewer family, including Charvis’ sister, brother and stepfather, went to brunch in Memphis, about an hour’s drive from their home in Somerville, Tenn.
At the end of the meal, Memphis Grizzlies announcer Pete Pranica charged into the dining room and called out Charvis’ name. Pranica had great news — the Grizzlies had a supplemental draft and they chose Charvis. Mike Conley, a guard for the Grizzlies and a favorite player of Charvis’, joined the festivities with a jersey made for the team’s newest member. A limousine then ferried the Brewers to the basketball arena where the players awaited Charvis’ arrival.
The whirlwind included eating lunch with the team, watching practice, visiting the weight room and quizzing the players about basketball. Miranda Harbor, director of community outreach for Make-A-Wish Mid-South, said Charvis was thrilled and quickly took his place on the team, even offering suggestions on player positions and strategies.
The team just as quickly embraced Charvis. “He’s a great kid that comes from a great family and is so full of life,” Grizzlies CEO Jason Levien said in a statement to TODAY.com. “We are a bigger fan of his than he is of ours.” Each year Make-A-Wish grants 14,000 requests, more than 1,000 of which are celebrity-and sports-related. While the organization has previously “drafted” children to their favorite sports teams, Harbor said Charvis is the first in the area to join the Grizzlies.
The fun will continue for Charvis on Monday night as he and his family watch the Grizzlies battle the Chicago Bulls from box seats. It will be only the second Grizzlies game that Charvis has attended. This time, though, he will give the players high-fives as they run onto court. His mother said Charvis has been preparing all day for his new role on the team: “He said he’s ready to tell them to beat those Bulls.”
Though Charvis will watch from the sidelines, he is exploring the possibility of one day competing in Special Olympics basketball. For now, Charvis and his family are enjoying the special attention. “It made me feel like somebody else cared,” Colissa Brewer said. “Somebody took out time to do something my baby really wanted to do.”
article by Rebecca Ruiz via today.com
LOS ANGELES — Michelle Obama (pictured) is leading an outpouring of support for Robin Roberts, after the “Good Morning America” news anchor gave her first public acknowledgement of her 10-year, same-sex relationship with massage therapist Amber Laign.
The First Lady wrote Monday on Twitter:
I am so happy for you and Amber! You continue to make us all proud.
In a Facebook post Sunday, Roberts thanked her “longtime girlfriend” for providing encouragement during Roberts’ battle with myelodysplastic syndrome, a rare blood and bone marrow disease. Many celebs also took to Twitter to send Roberts messages, including Ellen DeGeneres, who tweeted, “Good morning, America! Congratulations.”
Comedian Wanda Sykes wrote, “Go on with your bad self!”
Country singer Chely Wright, who came out in 2010, also expressed support through the social media site.
article via newsone.com
Louis B. Lynn’s family tree is rooted in entrepreneurship. His grandfather owned a grocery store and his father ran a butcher shop. “My father was businessman of the year back in the ’60s. Last year, we won the Ronald H. Brown Leadership Award,” says the president and chief horticulturalist of ENVIRO AgScience Inc. (No. 84 on the be industrial/service companies list with $28 million in revenues).
The 29-year-old family-owned business provides construction, construction management, architectural, and landscape services. In addition to its Columbia, South Carolina headquarters, ENVIRO has offices in Atlanta, Las Vegas, and Los Angeles.
Lynn launched ENVIRO in 1984 using his severance pay for 15 years of service after being downsized from a middle management position at Monsanto, one of the nation’s largest agricultural companies. As someone who follows the “each one, teach one” principle, Lynn could have become a college professor; he holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in horticulture from Clemson University and a Ph.D. from the University of Maryland. But it was the entrepreneurial bug and a green thumb that led him to create a commercial lawn care business that he has cultivated into a full-service construction management company servicing private sector, government, education, and military clients.
Now it is the next generation, Lynn’s children, who are spearheading plans to make ENVIRO a multinational company. His daughters Adrienne Lynn, 39, an engineer, and Krystal Conner, 36, a pharmacist, serve as vice presidents. His son, Bryan, 28, is a landscape manager. Furthermore, a succession plan is in place for Lynn to pass the reins on to his daughters and thereby transition ENVIRO into a certified minority- and woman-owned enterprise. Lynn will stay on as chairman, while Krystal will serve as CEO and Adrienne as president.
“My father didn’t pass on a business but the desire to start a business,” the 64-year-old Lynn says. “We are the first generation in my family to have a real opportunity to pass on a substantial business.”
article by Carolyn M. Brown via blackenterprise.com
This Thursday, December 26 marked the first day of Kwanzaa, a week-long celebration of African culture and heritage, and The African American Museum in Philadelphia celebrates with a full weekend of events on December 28 and 29. Over the course of the weekend, look forward to an informative discussion about the Seven Principles of Kwanzaa and the lighting of the museum’s Kwanzaa candles. Celebrate the roots of the holiday with expressive dances, music and storytelling as well. All events are family-friendly and encourage a reconnection with African roots and the support of African American communities.
Kwanzaa Celebration activities are included in museum admission. Guests are encouraged to bring a canned food item for Philabundance.
Annual Kwanzaa Celebration at The African American Museum in Philadelphia
When: December 28-29
Where: African American Museum in Philadelphia, 701 Arch Street
Cost: Included in general admission
More info: www.aampmuseum.org
article via uwishunu.com
Charles Ramsey, the Cleveland man credited with rescuing three women from a decade of captivity under Ariel Castro’s roof, has signed a book deal, despite his previous lack of interest in attention and publicity, a publishing company announced Sunday. Cleveland publishing house Gray & Co. signed the deal for a memoir by Ramsey on Thursday, the publisher said in a statement.
Ramsey, 44, garnered national attention after his unfiltered response to media attention he received for breaking down his next door neighbor’s door to rescue Gina DeJesus, Michelle Knight, Amanda Berry and Berry’s daughter from a house where they had been imprisoned by their kidnapper for about 10 years.
Ramsey’s unfiltered accounts during television interviews of the day he rescued the women in May were remixed, posted on YouTube and quoted incessantly by Twitter users. “What you saw on TV doesn’t even begin to tell the story,” Ramsey said. “Bro, I knew something was wrong when a little pretty white girl ran into a black man’s arms,” Ramsey told a reporter shortly after the ordeal.
Randy Nyerges, who has co-written a book with former Cleveland Browns defensive back Hanford Dixon and served as a Senate speechwriter, will coauthor the book with Ramsey. “Charles says outrageous things, but what a story he has,” Nyerges said, according to Gray and Co.’s announcement. Ramsey’s resistance to the label of “hero” and refusal of giveaways made Americans even fonder of the man who may have cursed a few too many times while contacting the police about his discovery but acted bravely during the traumatic situation.
Ramsey’s memoir — which is not yet titled — will describe the rescue, the short time Ramsey spent living next door to atrocities he was unaware of and the instant fame that ensued after his heroic actions, Gray and Co.’s release said. Ramsey is also expected to detail his earlier years, including time he spent in prison, according to Gray and Co. Ramsey and Nyerges have been collaborating on the book since the beginning of December, and it is slated to be published in spring 2014, which is when a memoir by Knight is also scheduled to be released.
Berry and DeJesus are also set to document their harrowing experiences in a book due out in 2015.
Castro was sentenced Aug. 1 to life plus 1,000 years. He hanged himself inside his cell on Sept. 3.
article by Elisha Fieldstadt via usnews.nbcnews.com
LOS ANGELES — The seven-day festival of Kwanzaa will begin December 26. It is a time when African Americans highlight their heritage.
Maulana Karenga, a black activist and African Studies professor, created Kwanzaa in 1966, to – as he said – “give Blacks an opportunity to celebrate themselves and their history.” Each day is dedicated to a different principle, and a candle is lit each night. At a recent festival at the California African American Museum, Babe Evans explained the principles behind the upcoming holiday to a group of children. The first is unity. “Umoja. It means a time to think about your ancestors, to think about the struggles that people have been through, so that you can now have a life that is much more open,” said Evans.
Kwanzaa is based on African themes. Its principles are stated in the Swahili language, and the name Kwanzaa comes from a phrase meaning first fruits of the harvest. “The second day, because it’s a seven-day ceremony, is Kujichagulia, and that means self-determination,” said Evans. Collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity and faith. These round out the seven principles of Kwanzaa.
Gift-giving is a part of the holiday, but actor Jeffrey Anderson-Gunter says the celebration has not become commercialized, like Christmas. “In Kwanzaa, we make our gifts. All the kids will make something and give to each other, and then we have an abundance of food that’s shared,” said Anderson-Gunter. In many African-American homes, Kwanzaa is celebrated along with Christmas. Writer Marsha Bullock, whose family is Christian, says that’s what her family does. “We do Christmas, and then Kwanzaa starts directly the day after, so we do that too. And then of course, my favorite part is the celebration where you get to eat everything,” said Bullock.
The festival will end January 1st with a feast with friends and family.
article via voanews.com