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Kerry Washington Stars in "Purple Purse" PSA to Help Victims of Domestic and Financial Abuse (VIDEO)

By goodblacknews on September 21, 2014

Women In Film 2014 Crystal + Lucy Awards Presented By MaxMara, BMW, Perrier-Jouet And South Coast Plaza - Show
Olivia Pope may strike fear in the hearts of corrupt politicians in D.C., but it’s Kerry Washington who is the gladiator in real life. This week, she’s bringing attention to the important issue of financial abuse.
What’s financial abuse, you ask? As Love is Respect explains, it is a form of dating abuse and domestic violence that can often be very subtle. This, however, is what you really need to know: “At no point does someone you are dating have the right to use money or [dictate] how you spend it to control you.”
In her PSA for the initiative, Washington notes how “one in four women will be a victim of domestic violence.” She goes on to explain how finances are often “a weapon of choice.” This can include taking away access to cash or destroying someone’s credit.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2yy7d3uf7qw&w=560&h=315]
As an Allstate Foundation Purple Purse Ambassador, Washington designed a bag for the “Purple Purse” initiative. Why purple? It’s the color often associated with domestic violence awareness. And why design a purse? Washington said the purse is symbolic because that’s where you keep everything that is important to you.
According to the Purple Purse website, Washington says she is “extremely proud to wear it (her purse) and to know that it will increase awareness and create conversations around this important issue.”
So how can you help Kerry and her cause? When you donate at least $10 to any organization in the Purple Purse Challenge, you’ll have a chance at winning one of the purses Washington designed.
article by Claire Biggs via act.mtv.com

Tia Mowry-Hardrict and Michael Boatman Comedy ‘Instant Mom’ Renewed by Nickelodeon For 3rd Season

By goodblacknews on September 19, 2014
Instant Mom Renewed Season 3

Breakout Nick at Nite/NickMom family comedy series Instant Mom has been picked up for a 20-episode third season ahead of its second-season premiere on October 2, when it will debut in its new Thursday 8 PM time slot on Nick at Nite. The multi-camera series stars Tia Mowry-Hardrict as Stephanie, a former party girl who becomes a full-time stepmom to three kids when she marries the more traditional Charlie (Michael Boatman). “Instant Mom has proven to be the perfect breakout series for families to enjoy together on Nick at Nite,” said Russell Hicks, Nickelodeon’s President of Content Development and Production.

The pre-emptive Season 3 renewal is the latest vote of confidence to Instant Mom, which also received an order for seven additional episodes before its series premiere. The latest pickup brings the show’s episode total to 66 episodes. Season 1 posted double-digit year-to-year growth and drew 1.2 million total viewers. Additionally, the series launch of Instant Mom on the adult-targeted NickMom nighttime comedy block on the Nick Jr. channel was the block’s highest-rated premiere ever with women 18-49 and total viewers.
Instant Mom is executive-produced by Howard Michael Gould, Aaron Kaplan of Kapital Entertainment and Regina Hicks. The series’ cast also includes Sheryl Lee Ralph, Sydney Park, Tylen Jacob Williams and Damarr Calhoun.
article by Nellie Andreeva via deadline.com

Lupita Nyong'o Stops By "Sesame Street" to Talk About the Beauty of All Types of Skin

By goodblacknews on September 16, 2014

skin-lupita-nyongo
Academy Award winner and Lancôme Beauty Ambassador Lupita Nyong’o stopped by “Sesame Street” to talk to Elmo about the importance and beauty of skin.
“Elmo’s skin just happens to be very ticklish. Lupita’s skin happens to be a beautiful brown color. Skin can come in all different shades and colors. Isn’t skin just the best? However, ticklish or smooth or black or brown or white or tan, be sure to love the skin you are in.”
See video below:
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xIC2hHECZ6Y&w=560&h=315]
article via newsone.com

R.I.P. Composer, Pianist and Jazz Crusader Joe Sample

By goodblacknews on September 16, 2014
Joe Sample at the Montreux Jazz Festival in 2011. His last solo album, “Children of the Sun,” is to be released this fall. (Credit: Jean-Christophe Bott/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images)

Joe Sample, who became a jazz star in the 1960s as the pianist with the Jazz Crusaders and an even bigger star a decade later when he began playing electric keyboards and the group simplified its name to the Crusaders, died on Friday in Houston. He was 75.

The cause was mesothelioma, said his manager, Patrick Rains.

The Jazz Crusaders, who played the muscular, bluesy variation on bebop known as hard bop, had their roots in Houston, where Mr. Sample, the tenor saxophonist Wilton Felder and the drummer Nesbert Hooper (better known by the self-explanatory first name Stix) began performing together as the Swingsters while in high school.

Mr. Sample met the trombonist Wayne Henderson at Texas Southern University and added him, the bassist Henry Wilson and the flutist Hubert Laws — who would soon achieve considerable fame on his own — to the group, which changed its name to the Modern Jazz Sextet.

The band worked in the Houston area for several years but did not have much success until Mr. Sample, Mr. Felder, Mr. Hooper and Mr. Henderson moved to Los Angeles and changed their name to the Jazz Crusaders, a reference to the drummer Art Blakey’s seminal hard-bop ensemble, the Jazz Messengers. Their first album, “Freedom Sound,” released on the Pacific Jazz label in 1961, sold well, and they recorded prolifically for the rest of the decade, with all four members contributing compositions, while performing to enthusiastic audiences and critical praise.

In the early 1970s, as the audience for jazz declined, the band underwent yet another name change, this one signifying a change in musical direction. Augmenting their sound with electric guitar and electric bass, with Mr. Sample playing mostly electric keyboards, the Jazz Crusaders became the Crusaders. Their first album under that name, “Crusaders 1,” featuring four compositions by Mr. Sample, was released on the Blue Thumb label in 1972.

Taraji P. Henson and Idris Elba Thriller "No Good Deed" Earns Top Spot at Box Office with $24.5 Million Weekend

By goodblacknews on September 14, 2014

Taraji P Henson, Taraji P HensonIdris Elba, Idris Elba
“No Good Deed” lead the box office this weekend by taking in $24.5 million from 2,175 theaters, easily beating expectations.  Going into the weekend, analysts expected the home invasion thriller to hover around $20 million. Females made up the bulk of the audience, taking up 60% of the seats in theaters, and 41% of ticket-buyers were under 30 years old.
“It’s not a full reversal of the weakness at the box office, but it’s a step in the right direction,” said Phil Contrino, vice president and chief analyst at BoxOffice.com. “It’s good to see new films enter the marketplace and do all right.”
“No Good Deed’s” success is a feather in the cap of stars Idris Elba and Taraji P. Henson, both of whom actively hawked the film on social media.
“They absolutely elevated it,” said Rory Bruer, Sony Pictures’ president of worldwide distribution. “They’re so hard working. It was a great collaboration.”
It also helps that “No Good Deed” cost a mere $13 million to produce.  “It’s going to be hugely successful for the studio,” said Bruer.

Both actors will likely see their stars rise as a result. Elba has had showy supporting roles in “Thor” and “Prometheus,” but hasn’t carried a film to these kind of heights on his own shoulders since 2009’s “Obsessed.” He retains a passionate following from his days playing a drug kingpin on HBO’s “The Wire.”
Henson has an Oscar nomination on her resumé thanks to 2008’s “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” and was part of the “Think Like a Man” ensemble, but hasn’t been front-and-center in a promotional campaign like she was here.
“I wouldn’t call them full on movie stars in their own right,” said Phil Contrino, vice president and analyst with BoxOffice.com. “They’re not bankable on their own terms, but this could certainly change that. Sometimes all it takes is one film.”
The concept of movie stardom has taken its knocks in recent years, as Hollywood has tried and failed to launch a new generation of A-listers to rival the Tom Cruises and Julia Roberts of an earlier era. The old days where an actor’s name above the title was enough to guarantee a big opening weekend have vanished. However, pairing the right actor with the right vehicle can still reap dividends, as evidenced by Liam Neeson’s success playing avenging angels and Melissa McCarthy’s track record with R-rated comedies.
“Taraji and Idris are terrific actors and they both so own their roles in this film,” said Rory Bruer, Sony Pictures’ president of worldwide distribution. “In spots and trailers, they delivered such a great intensity. It’s a terrific opening.”
Sony didn’t rely on star power alone to sell “No Good Deed.” It also orchestrated a clever social media campaign that unspooled across Twitter and Instagram.
On Twitter, the studio put a fresh spin on the Choose Your Own Adventure book series, presenting users with a set of challenges that dared them to outwit a murderer. For fans of Instagram, Sony created an interactive experience made up of images and videos that teased out parts of the film’s plot. That’s cheaper and potentially more potent than a costly television campaign.
“In this new world we live in, you want to be aggressive, and there are more means to do that and interact directly with fans than ever before,” said Contrino.
article by Brent Lang via variety.com (additions by Lori Lakin Hutcherson)

Idris Elba and Taraji P. Henson Thriller "No Good Deed" Easily Dominates at Friday Box Office

By goodblacknews on September 13, 2014

No-Good-Deed-poster
According to Variety.com, Idris Elba and Taraji P. Henson’s “No Good Deed,” is poised to knock box-office leader “Guardians of the Galaxy” out of first place this weekend. The Sony Pictures thriller opened to $8.8 million Stateside on Friday and is headed for a $24 to $25 million launch that will provide a much-needed boost to the historically low U.S. box office earnings.
“No Good Deed” stars Elba as an escaped convict who terrorizes Henson (a DA-turned-stay-at-home) and her two children in their own house.
The film, which carries a modest $13 million production budget, stands to benefit from targeting under-served African American audiences. It reunites Elba with his “Luther” TV show director, Sam Miller, and “Obsessed” producer, Will Packer, who is also behind the “Think Like a Man” franchise, which stars Henson. Lee Clay co-produced with Packer.
Alcon Entertainment’s “Dolphin Tale 2”, which stars Morgan Freeman, also kicked past the competition with $4.3 million on Friday. The family film will likely debut to $15 million.
If weekend estimates hold, the sequel will be a bit behind the 2011 original, which opened to $19.2 million, then went on to earn $72.3 million domestic. Harry Connick Jr., Ashley Judd, Freeman, and Kris Kristofferson all returned for the sequel, along with director Charles Martin Smith.
This year’s box office champ and summer savior, “Guardians of the Galaxy,” made $2 million on Friday to place third after three consecutive wins. It’s set to gross $7.5 million by Sunday and pass $305 million.
article by Lori Lakin Hutcherson (follow @lakinhutcherson)

Michael Che to Co-Anchor "Weekend Update" on "Saturday Night Live"

By goodblacknews on September 11, 2014
MICHAEL CHE WEEKEND UPDATE
Michael Che Will Co-Anchor SNL’s Weekend Update (Photo: Mindy Tucker)
You’ll be seeing even more of Michael Che come Sept. 27. Bill Carter of The New York Times is reporting that the newest “Daily Show” correspondent and “Saturday Night Live” writer will be taking a spot at the “Weekend Update” desk during SNL’s 40th season.
Che replaces Cecily Strong and will co-host “Update” alongside Colin Jost, who enters his second year in the coveted role. Strong remains a repertory player. Che will end his brief run as a “Daily Show” correspondent in the move.
Che, a native New Yorker who got his start in stand-up in 2009, began writing for SNL in 2013, and joined the “Daily Show” cast this year.  After a season with the largest SNL cast in history, the show announced several changes over the summer. Featured players John Milhiser, Brooks Wheelan and Noël Wells were let go, and Nasim Pedrad is leaving to co-star in the eagerly anticipated “Mulaney.”
Several new writers have been announced, including Natasha Rothwell (who was one of 11 women who auditioned last season for the featured player spot that ultimately went to Sasheer Zamata), Streeter Seidell from College Humor, Nick Rutherford (the only member of sketch group Good Neighbor not hired by SNL last year), UCB LA’s Alison Rich and The PIT’s Jeremy Beiler.
To date, Che is the only new on-screen addition announced. But according to Carter, Lorne Michaels is considering adding one or two more cast members.
In addition to his work on “The Daily Show,” Che was recently as the first stand-up comedian to appear on “Late Night With Seth Meyers.”
article by Carol Harstell via huffingtonpost.com

THEATER REVIEW: "Bootycandy" Looks at Black Attitudes Toward Gays

By goodblacknews on September 11, 2014
“Bootycandy”: Robert O’Hara’s play stars, from left, Lance Coadie Williams, Phillip James Brannon and Benja Kay Thomas at Playwrights Horizons. (SARA KRULWICH / THE NEW YORK TIMES)

In one of the sharpest scenes in “Bootycandy,” Robert O’Hara’s searing and sensationally funny comedy about the sometimes poisonous attitude toward homosexuality in black culture, an adolescent boy hesitantly tells his mother and stepfather that a man tried to follow him home from the library.

The reaction isn’t the concern and outrage we expect, to say the least.
“What was you doing?” his mother suspiciously demands.
Reading a book, comes the meek answer.
“You was just sitting up in a library reading a book, and some man got up and decided to try to follow you home?” she says scornfully.
His stepfather, vaguely hearing this conversation, barely looks up from his paper to mutter his own comment: “You need to take up some sports.”
The scene grows only more bracing and hilarious as the interrogation continues. When the boy, Sutter (Phillip James Brannon), who’s decked out in full Michael Jackson regalia, complete with one sequined glove, reminds his mother that this same man has approached him before, she and his stepfather continue to view his experience as proof of his own wayward behavior.
Why the hell is he reading the likes of Jackie Collins anyway? Why does he play so many Whitney Houston albums? The ultimate solution to this problem of men following him around, proposed by this dismissive mother: “This school year: no musicals.”
“Bootycandy,” which Mr. O’Hara has directed as well, kicks off the season at Playwrights Horizons in New York, where it opened on Wednesday night, with a big, bold bang, underscoring this theater’s reputation as one of the city’s more adventurous incubators of daring playwriting. As raw in its language and raucous in spirit as it is smart and provocative, the play depicts the life of a black gay man in a series of scenes that range widely in style. Many fly wildly into the realm of the absurd, while others are naturalistic pictures of Sutter’s life as he comes to terms with his sexuality and the damage his culture’s attitude toward it may have inflicted on his psyche.
Mr. Brannon plays the central character throughout. Convincing as boy, teenager and man, he modulates his performance with wonderful grace as the tone shifts from scene to scene. Four other terrific actors — Jessica Frances Dukes, Benja Kay Thomas, Lance Coadie Williams and Jesse Pennington — each play several roles, many outrageously comic.
Passages from Sutter’s life alternate with scenes that play upon similar themes. In one, a minister, embodied by Mr. Williams in roof-raising hyper-evangelical mode, admonishes his flock for paying heed to salacious rumors about “sexually perverted” members of the church choir, only to rip off his clerical robes and reveal something rather startling underneath.

Artel J. Great, 1st Black Valedictorian of UCLA School of Theater, Film & Television Wins Cinema Research Institute Fellowship

By goodblacknews on September 11, 2014
Artel Great Project Catalyst
After graduating summa cum laude, the first black valedictorian from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) School of Theater, Film & Television, Artel J. Great is already raising the bar. A young, innovative visionary, Great is the 2014 recipient of the Cinema Research Institute Fellowship for innovation, which puts him in a class by himself at the onset of what may very well be a long and rewarding career.
Already an entrepreneur, Great has designed and founded Project Catalyst, a transmedia organization that combines creative community building practices with cinema, visual art, music, and technology. With the recent launch of the Project Catalyst App, there is no telling which direction Great will be heading when he gets off running.
BlackEnterprise.com recently spoke with Artel about innovation, his drive to succeed, and being a visionary.
BlackEnterprise.com: You are the founder of Project Catalyst. Explain what the company is and describe your role.
Artel J. Great: Project Catalyst is a media platform that uses technology to provide access to alternative entertainment. We specialize in showcasing groundbreaking artists who are creating from diverse humanistic perspectives in film, music, and visual art.  Our mission is to offer a space for the expansion of multicultural media visibility.  I’m responsible for the overall vision of the company and for overseeing business operations.  I’m also the inventor of the Project Catalyst app, which allows users to watch amazing multicultural films, music videos, and documentaries on their smartphones or tablets on both Apple and Android devices, and I serve as the chief curator of the content we program into the app.
You were announced as the 2014 recipient of the Cinema Research Institute Fellowship for innovation. Congratulations! What does this mean, and how will this achievement help you in your line of work?
Thank you! The CRI fellowship means that executives in a film think-tank believe my ideas are cutting-edge and promising enough to nurture. It also means that I have financial support for one year to test an innovative model in the market, which will help procure long-term funding to secure the company’s growth.
Why did you choose a career in film?
I realized film’s ability to impact the viewer’s vision of possibilities. A good film is like a direct portal into memory— a waking dream. Film helps us understand the human experience so we can figure out who we are in the world. And since I’m committed to critical intervention through creative engagement, I understood that film could be a powerful tool to rally an advancement of consciousness.
After graduating summa cum laude as the first black valedictorian at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) School of Theater, Film & Television, what is next for you?
The funny thing is I never set out to be valedictorian.  I was just determined to do my best and work to the highest of my ability.  When I was told I would be valedictorian and that I was the first black person to achieve that distinction, I was humbled. That wasn’t my objective, but it happened and I’m grateful.  I earned it.  It’s historic.  In terms of awards, I don’t really focus on that.  I focus on doing my work.  Making a positive contribution. That’s what I think about— what can I give of myself to make a contribution to our culture?  If I’m blessed to win more awards I’d be grateful to accept them in the spirit of the ancestors who sacrificed so much for me to even have an opportunity.  They’re my motivation.

Project Catalyst, Artel J. Great
What projects have you worked on or are you currently working on, if any?
Currently, I’m touring across the U.S. launching the new Project Catalyst app.  We’ve successfully organized live events and presentations in New York City, Chicago, and Los Angeles to introduce our new film and music app to the world.  We now have users in 11 countries across Europe, Asia, North and South America, the Caribbean, and the Middle East.  Our Project Catalyst App offers a progressive voice to multicultural communities with fresh, insightful entertainment that empowers and illuminates.

Pharrell’s Making the Ocean Happy with Fashion Line Using Environmentally Conscious Recycled Plastics

By goodblacknews on September 10, 2014

G-Star RAW Presents RAW For The Oceans SS15 CollectionMother Earth is certainly “Happy” with Pharrell Williams. The music genius, fashion icon (remember that Arby’s hat), NBC’s “The Voice’s” new judge and king of all things cool has teamed up with “G-Star RAW,” “Bionic Yarn” and “Parley for the Oceans” to make a splash at New York’s Fashion Week.
This past weekend, Pharrell led New York underwater for the ocean night event to unveil the second season in his co-designed collection. Ready for the 2015 Spring/Summer season, this collection is dedicated to helping Mother Earth’s oceans as well as revolutionizing the denim industry.
Pharrell took to the stage to present the environmentally conscious collection. The clothing line seeks not only to make a statement on style, but also to fight plastic pollution in our oceans by using technical innovation. Pharrell said, “Denim is one of the most cherished fabrics on Earth–and one of the most traditional. With ‘RAW for the Oceans,’ we have created its next generation.”
The collection is a creative collaboration among “G-Star,” “RAW for the Oceans” and “Bionic Yarn.” “Bionic Yarn” develops and manufactures premium yarns and fabrics made with fibers derived from recycled plastic bottles. They have joined forces to innovate denim while making a serious impact on plastic bottles. Plastic bottles, you see, often end up in our oceans. The collaboration hopes to address the fast-growing threat of plastic pollution by retrieving plastic debris from the beaches and oceans and recycling it into yarn and fabric. The collaboration also urges awareness for the pollution problem and encourages people to support the cause by becoming a part of the solution.
article by Melissa Unger via act.mtv.com