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Deeronn Booker Wins 2024 U.S. Bowling Congress Masters Championship and $100,000 Prize

Deeronn Booker Wins 2024 U.S. Bowling Congress Masters Championship and $100,000 Prize

By goodblacknews on April 1, 2024

Deeronn Booker, 33, won the United States Bowling Congress Masters championship at Suncoast Bowling Center in Las Vegas on Sunday, defeating Patrick Dombrowski of Parma, Ohio, 217-177, to win the coveted Masters title and the tournament’s $100,000 first-place prize.

This was Albuquerque, New Mexico native Booker’s first major title on the Professional Bowlers Association Tour, and only the third time an African-American bowler has won a major event.

To quote from Donovan Grubaugh’s article on bowl.com:

Booker’s path to the winner’s circle certainly wasn’t an easy one as he was forced to take down the likes of two-time defending Masters champion Anthony Simonsen of Las Vegas, 2023 U.S. Open champion EJ Tackett of Ossian, Indiana, and two-time PBA titlist Sam Cooley of Australia during double-elimination bracket match play on Thursday and Friday…

Booker had enormous support from the crowd during the title match as several family members and friends were on hand to take in Booker’s TV finals debut…

“I can’t believe it,” Booker said after his win, during which he was surrounded by enthusiastic supporters. “This is perfect; I could not have painted a better picture of what’s going on right now.”

To learn more details about Booker and his championship match, click here.

For more information on the USBC Masters, visit BOWL.com/Masters.

GBN’s Daily Drop: Black Ukrainians – Learn About Eurovision Finalist Gaitana and Politician & Olympic Gold Medalist Zhan Belenuik (LISTEN)

GBN’s Daily Drop: Black Ukrainians – Learn About Eurovision Finalist Gaitana and Politician & Olympic Gold Medalist Zhan Belenuik (LISTEN)

By goodblacknews on February 26, 2022

by Lori Lakin Hutcherson (@lakinhutcherson)

Today’s GBN Daily Drop podcast is a bonus episode for Saturday, February 26, 2022, based on the   “A Year of Good Black News” Page-A-Day®️ Calendar for 2022 format.

We highlight singer/songrwriter Gaitana and athlete-turned-politician Zhan Belenuik, two Black Ukrainians or Afro Ukrainians who represent a small but important part of the Ukrainian citizenry affected by the recent Russian invasion of that nation.

You can follow or subscribe to the Good Black News Daily Drop Podcast through Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, rss.com or create your own RSS Feed. Or just check it out every day here on the main website (transcript below):

FULL TRANSCRIPT:

Hey, this Lori Lakin Hutcherson, founder and editor in chief of goodblacknews.org, here to share with you a bonus daily drop of Good Black News for Saturday, February 26th, 2022, based on the “A Year of Good Black News Page-A-Day Calendar” format, published by Workman Publishing.

As the invasion of Ukraine by Russian forces dominates global news, I’d like to dedicate this week’s bonus daily drop to the small but very real population of Afro-Ukrainians who are part of the citizenry that is struggling to survive as a nation.

Two Afro-Ukrainians with prominent international profiles are singer/ songwriter Gaitana, and politician and athlete Zhan Belenuik.

Gaitana made history when she represented Ukraine in the 2012 Eurovision Song Contest and performed the song “Be My Guest,” placing 15th in the final.

Gaitana has a lovely, soulful voice and you can learn more about her and her music, sung mostly in her native tongue, on her website, gaitana.com, and you can stream her songs on Apple Music and Spotify.

Zhan Belenuik also made history in Ukraine with his 2019 election to Parliament as a member of President Zelensky’s Servant of the People party. In addition to being a former member of the Ukrainian Army, Belenuik has also represented Ukraine as a Greco Roman wrestler.

Belenuik competed and won the silver medal in the 2016 Rio Olympics and brought home the gold from the Tokyo Olympics in 2020. Gaitana and Belenuik both have spoken about facing racism in their home country, but also embrace their and support their homeland.

I’d also like to shout out The Root reporter Terrell Jermaine Starr, who has reported about the history of Blacks in Ukraine, about Ukraine in general, hosts a podcast called Black Diplomats, and is currently in Ukraine reporting for CNN on the war as well as posting about it on Twitter.

To learn more about Belenuik, Gaitana and other Afro Ukrainians, check out the links to sources provided in today’s show notes and in the episode’s full transcript posted on goodblacknews.org.

This has been a bonus daily drop of Good Black News, based on the “A Year of Good Black News Page-A-Day Calendar for 2022,” published by Workman Publishing, and available at workman.com,Amazon, Bookshop and other online retailers. Beats provided by freebeats.io and produced by White Hot.

For more Good Black News, you can check out goodblacknews.org or search and follow @goodbinlacknews anywhere on social.

Sources:

Erin Jackson Makes History by Winning Gold in 500m Individual Speedskating Final at Beijing Olympics

Erin Jackson Makes History by Winning Gold in 500m Individual Speedskating Final at Beijing Olympics

By goodblacknews on February 13, 2022

U.S. speedskater and World Cup Champion Erin Jackson claimed a gold medal today in the 500-meter individual speed skating final at the Beijing Olympics, becoming the first Black woman to win an individual gold medal in any Winter Olympics.

Jackson, 29, is a former inline skater who made the US team for the 2018 Olympics after only four months on the ice. Jackson’s win also marked the United States’ first gold in the 500m since Bonnie Blair won three straight from 1988 through 1994.

“Hopefully, this has an effect,” Jackson said. “Hopefully, we’ll see more minorities, especially in the USA, getting out and trying these winter sports. I just hope to be a good example.”

The Ocala, FL native finished 0.08 seconds ahead of Japan’s Miho Takagi in second and 0.17 seconds ahead of the Russian Olympic Committee’s Angelina Golikova in third.

Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2022/feb/13/usas-erin-jackson-speedskating-500m-gold-winter-olympics-2022-beijing

https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/13/sport/erin-jackson-500m-speed-skating-winter-olympics-gold-medal-spt-intl/index.html

Atlanta Teens Jayla Jackson and Emani Stanton Win International Debate Competition at Harvard

Atlanta Teens Jayla Jackson and Emani Stanton Win International Debate Competition at Harvard

By goodblacknews on July 25, 2021

Jayla Jackson, 16 and Emani Stanton, 17,  made history last week as the first Black female duo to win the Harvard Debate Council‘s international annual summer competition.

Jackson and Stanton secured the fourth consecutive championship for their Atlanta-based team, which has an undefeated 10-0 record. The topic of debate was, “Resolved: The North Atlantic Treaty Organization should substantially increase its defense commitments in the Baltic States.”

To quote from blackenterprise.com:

Each summer, the Harvard Debate Council, one of the oldest campus organizations at Harvard University, hosts a summer residential program for hundreds of gifted youths from over 15 countries around the world who converge on campus for two weeks of intensive study, which culminates in a program-wide debate tournament.

This year’s residency and competition were held virtually due to COVID-19 protocols.

Victors Jackson and Stanton are current members of the Atlanta-based Harvard Diversity Project, an initiative founded by award-winning debate coach and author Brandon P. Fleming.

To hear Jackson and Stanton talk about their triumph on npr.org, click below:

Read more: https://www.blackenterprise.com/undefeated-first-black-girl-duo-wins-international-debate-competition-at-harvard/?test=prebid

https://people.com/human-interest/atlanta-teens-become-first-black-female-duo-to-win-harvards-debate-competition/

Zaila Avant-garde Wins Scripps National Spelling Bee, Becomes 1st African American Champion

Zaila Avant-garde Wins Scripps National Spelling Bee, Becomes 1st African American Champion

By goodblacknews on July 8, 2021

Zaila Avant-garde, 14, won the Scripps National Spelling Bee championship held in Lake Buena Vista, Florida today, becoming the first African American winner and only the second Black champion in the bee’s 96-year history.

Avant-garde, who hails from Harvey, Louisiana, describes spelling as her side hobby. Basketball is her main extra-curricular focus — she holds three Guinness world records for dribbling multiple balls simultaneously.

Jody-Anne Maxwell of Jamaica, who won the bee in 1998, was the competition’s first Black champion.

This was the first Bee held since the COVID-19 pandemic forced its cancellation in 2020.

Read more: https://www.espn.com/espn/story/_/id/31786472/louisiana-teen-zaila-avant-garde-correctly-spells-m-u-r-r-y-win-scripps-national-spelling-bee

Maryam Tsegaye, 17, Becomes 1st Canadian to Win $450K International Science Competition (WATCH)

Maryam Tsegaye, 17, Becomes 1st Canadian to Win $450K International Science Competition (WATCH)

By goodblacknews on December 9, 2020

[Photo: Maryam Tsegaye via YouTube]

According to cbc.ca, Maryam Tsegaye, a 17 year-old student at École McTavish Public High School, became the first Canadian to win the $500,000 International Breakthrough Junior Challenge, a prize that includes a scholarship and new science lab for her school.

The competition asks students from around the globe to create a video which explains a scientific principle for the public.

Fort McMurray, Alberta resident Tsegaye took up the challenge and put together a three-minute video explaining quantum tunnelling:

Tsegaye spent two weeks creating her video, comparing quantum tunnelling to rolling dice and playing video games.

“I just had a lot of time over quarantine and I just decided to enter,” Tsegaye said to CBC. “In previous years, I always hesitated from entering because I was really intimidated by all the other competitors.”

About 5,600 students sent in entries. The competition’s prize is a $250,000 US scholarship, $100,000 toward a science lab for her high school and $50,000 cash for the teacher who inspired her.

Read more: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/fort-mcmurray-maryam-tsegaye-khan-1.5829840

Michael Kiwanuka Wins 2020 Mercury Prize For Best British Album

Michael Kiwanuka Wins 2020 Mercury Prize For Best British Album

By goodblacknews on September 28, 2020

According to theguardian.com, The 2020 Mercury Prize for the year’s best British album has gone to Michael Kiwanuka for his self-titled album, Kiwanuka.

The son of Ugandan immigrants to the U.K, Kiwanuka won this third time after having been nominated twice before for previous albums: Home Again (2012) and Love & Hate (2016).

To quote from The Guardian:

“I’m over the moon, so so excited,” he said on receiving the prize. “This [prize] is for art, for music, for albums – it’s the only thing I’ve ever wanted to do, so to win a Mercury is a dream come true… It’s blown my mind.” He wins £25,000.

His album, released in November 2019, draws equally from folk and soul as the songwriter sings of freedom, love, and struggles both personal and collective; one track samples protests during the 1960s US civil rights movement. It was described in a Guardian review as a “bold, expansive, heartfelt, sublime album. He’s snuck in at the final whistle, but surely this is among the decade’s best.” It reached No 2 on release, and spent 18 weeks in the UK charts.

He thanked his producers, Inflo and Danger Mouse, “some of the best musicians, artists, creatives around, they’ve really helped me grow.” Asked why he given the album his name, he said he had experienced “imposter syndrome … it was taking things away from the experience of doing my dream job. So I made a decision when I was making this album that I wanted to be myself, enjoy it, and not hold back, and show myself as clear as I can be.”

Kiwanuka said an additional reason why his 2019 release title was eponymous was to honor his African heritage.

MUSIC: Gladys Knight Verzuz Patti Labelle – Celebrating Legends with “The Best of the Rest” Playlist (LISTEN)

MUSIC: Gladys Knight Verzuz Patti Labelle – Celebrating Legends with “The Best of the Rest” Playlist (LISTEN)

By goodblacknews on September 14, 2020

by Jeff Meier (FB: Jeff.Meier.90)

We know where you were last night. Millions of fans of a certain age were enjoying the stay-at-home celebration dubbed by the internet as “AuntieChella,” as Gladys Knight and Patti Labelle ‘battled’ it out on Instagram/Apple Music‘s “Verzuz” series.

Verzuz was created a few months ago by hitmaking producers Timbaland and Swizz Beatz as a way for music fans to honor their greats while relaxing at home during these quarantine times.

For those of you who haven’t checked it out yet, the sessions are not truly a ‘battle’ – but rather an occasion for two legends to get together (whether in real life like last night, or virtually) and banter about their careers while having a listening party of the greatest hits of each artist.

The battle was epic, with both ladies, now in their late ’70s, decked out in stylish pantsuits, and sharing their love for each other amidst career stories, lots of live singing, and plenty of chair grooving.


via GIPHY

Michelle Obama, Oprah, and Queen Latifah were tuned in to hear such hits as “Midnight Train to Georgia,” “Over the Rainbow,” “You Are My Friend” and ‘The Best Thing That Ever Happened to Me.”

Gladys honored all phases of her career, delving back into her early doo-wop hit “Every Beat of My Heart,” her Motown Pips years with “Friendship Train,” her ’80s hits like “Love Overboard” and the Bond theme “License to Kill.”

Patti focused on her material from her solo years, mixing ballad favorites like “Somebody Loves You Baby” and “If Only You Knew” with uptempo hits like “The Right Kinda Lover” and “Feels Like Another One.”

The evening was capped off when Dionne Warwick surprised the audience with a special appearance to end the show, as they joined her to sing “That’s What Friends Are For” and their hit version of “Superwoman.”

The three of them had previously worked together on a special called “Sisters in the Name of Love” that Gladys had produced for HBO in the late ’80s (there are some fan posts of it on YouTube that offer some thrilling harmonies).

Gladys, Dionne, Patti

Of course with these vets, even a couple of hours of hits doesn’t come close to diving into their full careers. So in case you were ready for more, we’ve done that work for you – pairing up additional Patti and Gladys hits and deep tracks from the rest of their six decade careers for GBN’s latest playlist: “Gladys Knight Verzuz Patti Labelle – The Best of the Rest.”

[spotifyplaybutton play=”spotify:playlist:1CvrkhBELQhtg5baBmfip5″/]

We’ve gone beyond the biggest hits, and focused solely on extensive additional material they did not cover during last night’s show.

While Patti and Gladys both hit the charts for the first time in the very early ’60s – their careers have actually taken very divergent paths before, in more recent years, they’ve ended up as favorite Aunties to the Black community.

Naomi Osaka Wins Her 2nd U.S. Open with Victory over Victoria Azarenka, 1-6, 6-3, 6-3

Naomi Osaka Wins Her 2nd U.S. Open with Victory over Victoria Azarenka, 1-6, 6-3, 6-3

By goodblacknews on September 12, 2020

Naomi Osaka came through in all ways during her journey to today’s victory in the women’s singles title match of the 2020 U.S. Open.

Not only did now two-time U.S. Open winner Osaka rally to beat challenger Victoria Azarenka (who bested six-time U.S. Open champion Serena Williams in the semi-final in three sets with the mirrored score of  1-6, 6-3, 6-3), she did so while making powerful protest statements before every match.

Osaka wore seven different masks with seven different names of Black individuals who have died violently, unnecessarily, and mostly at the hands of police officers: Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, Elijah McLain, Trayvon Martin, Ahmaud Arbery, Philando Castile and today, before her final match, Tamir Rice.

Zaila Avant-Garde, 13, Wins National Online Spelling Bee

Zaila Avant-Garde, 13, Wins National Online Spelling Bee

By goodblacknews on August 9, 2020

[Photo: Zaila Avant-Garde via Instagram | @basketballasart)]

According to wafb.com, 13 year-old Zaila Avant-Garde, a 7th grader from Harvey, LA, beat out 88 of the best young spellers in the country to win the first-ever Kaplan Online Spelling Bee, hosted in association with Hexco Academic.

Garde, who was the 2019 New Orleans regional spelling champion, won with the word “Qashqai” (definition: a migratory Turkic-speaking people of the Zagros mountains), after a hard-fought back-and-forth with runner-up Harini Logan, a 6th grader from San Antonio, TX. Chaitra Thummala, a 5th grader from San Ramon, CA, placed third.