The NAACP and TV One network have inked a five-year agreement for the NAACP Image Awards, beginning with the live airing of the 45th NAACP Image Awards in February 2014. The Image Awards had long been a staple on broadcast TV. They aired on NBC for nine years before moving to Fox. NBC took over as a network home for the last two editions of the awards show, which honors “the accomplishments of people of color in the fields of television, music, literature and film and also honors individuals or groups who promote social justice through creative endeavors.” TV One said it will air live broadcasts of the Image Awards and red carpet arrivals in 2014. In addition, the network will provide promotional support on TV One, Radio One and Reach Media, Interactive One, and via a multi-platform marketing campaign. article by Nellie Andreeva via deadline.com
LOS ANGELES (AP) — It’s a boy for Halle Berry and Olivier Martinez. A representative for the 47-year-old actress confirms that the couple welcomed their son on Saturday. Publicist Meredith O’Sullivan Wasson offered no other details. E! News reports Berry delivered the baby at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. This is the second child for Berry. She has a 5-year-old daughter with her ex-boyfriend, Gabriel Aubry. The two settled their custody battle over the child in 2012. This is the first child for Martinez. The French actor and Berry married in July. Copyright 2013 The Associated Press via usatoday.com
DANBURY, Conn. — DANBURY, Conn. (AP) — Lauryn Hill’s attorney says she has been released from federal prison after serving time for failing to pay taxes. Hill left the facility in Danbury, Connecticut today. Her attorney Nathan Hochman says he hasn’t had a chance to speak to his client yet.
Hill pleaded guilty last year to not paying taxes on more than $1.5 million earned from 2005 to 2007. She was sentenced in July to serve three months. Under terms of her plea agreement, she’ll spend the next three months under home confinement. She lives in South Orange, N.J. Hill, a former member of the Fugees and winner of multiple Grammys, has said she stopped paying taxes after she dropped out of the music business to protect herself and her children, who now number six. article via huffingtonpost.com
Halle Berry will take her first major TV series role in “Extant,” the serialized drama from Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Television and CBS Television Studios that CBS greenlit in August. In addition, Berry and producing partner Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas, have entered into a two-year, first look production deal with CBS Television Studios. In “Extant,” Berry will play an astronaut returning from a year-long solo space mission who tries to reconnect with her husband and son in their everyday life. Her experiences in space and home lead to events that ultimately change the course of human history. “I’m always on the lookout for amazing roles, and when you see material that contains this strong of auspices, nuance and complexity, it compels me to run toward it no matter the medium,” Berry said. “For five months a year, I’ll get to live with and play this incredibly intelligent and vulnerable woman, and for the remainder of the year I’ll continue to look for other roles that move me as deeply as this one.”
CNN recently named Geraldine Moriba the Vice President of Diversity and Inclusion. In her new role, Moriba will offer strategic guidance on issues of diversity to the CNN Management team and chair the network’s diversity council. Of her new position, CNN President Jeff Zucker said: “Geraldine is the ideal candidate to take on this very important role within the organization at a critical time for us,” said Zucker. “I had the pleasure of working with her prior to my time at CNN, and always found her to have a terrific sensibility and understanding of some of the complex issues we face when it comes to diversity and inclusion. As we look to reimagine what CNN will be in the years to come, this role on my team will be invaluable in shaping the kind of organization we want and need to have.” Moriba, an award-winning producer who led CNN’s “In America” documentary team, is passionate about diverse content making it on air: “Some of the smartest journalists in the business work at CNN and I know that the prevailing sentiment in our newsrooms is that it is crucial for our content and workforce to reflect the audience we serve,” she said. “These are goals accomplished by working as a team. This isn’t only about pursuing a noble purpose, it’s about continuing to share news from across our increasingly diverse and interconnected world, in even more effective ways.” Moriba’s experience includes 16 years at NBC News and a number of prestigious awards including Emmy Awards, an Alfred I. DuPont Award and two Peabody Awards. article via clutchmagonline.com
There have been quite a few studies done that show that African-American boys and girls often think of black dolls as bad and white dolls as good. Of course, this is not something that the parent is teaching their child. So why are they getting these mixed messages about good and bad skin color, or good and bad hair? It all has to do with the images they see as they grow up. If a child is constantly looking at images, dolls, television, books and magazines – and only seeing beauty as something or someone with non-ethnic features and long, straight hair – then they are going to assume that this is what beauty is. It is something that has hurt our young people for centuries.
The Natural Girls United! come in a variety of styles. There’s dolls in dreadlocks, kinky twists, as well as short-cropped afros. Not to be left out, there’s even a male doll with dreadlocks. The prices range from $45.00-$140.00. For more information on the dolls, check out the site www.naturalgirlsunited.com or follow Natural Girls United on Twitter and Natural Girls United on Facebook.
Forest Whitaker arrives at the premiere of the movie ‘Lee Daniels’ The Butler’ during the 39th Deauville American Festival on August 30, 2013 in Deauville, France. (Photo by Francois Durand/Getty Images) Forest Whitaker is on a real winning streak. This year his leading role in the blockbuster Lee Daniels’ The Butler is generating serious Oscar buzz, and now he has reportedly signed on to play former Secretary of State Colin Powell in an upcoming biopic. Actor Jeffrey Wright previously played Powell in Oliver Stone’s 2008 film W, but the influential Republican has never had a standalone film of his own.
According to the A.V. Club, the new movie, entitled Powell, will “focus on that pivotal moment of Powell’s 2002 speech to the U.N., in which he dramatically claimed Iraq had weapons of mass destruction and sacrificed his sterling reputation in the service of Bush’s desire to invade at all costs.” The intended release date and the rest of the cast are currently unknown. article via thegrio.com
Fox has landed “Man/Child,” a project from Damon Wayans Jr. with a pilot production commitment. Comedy centers on two single dads who move in together and struggle to find the balance between being responsible parents and debaucherous bachelor. “Wilfred” showrunners Reed Agnew and Eli Jorne will pen and executive produce “Man/Child,” with Wayans Jr. also executive producing. “Modern Family” director Jason Winer will direct “Man/Child” and also receive an executive producer credit. 20th Century Fox TV and Small Dog Picture Company will produce the pilot. “Man/Child” marks one of Wayans Jr.’s first forays behind the camera. The thesp, who hails from the comedic powerhouse Wayans family, appeared in Fox’s “New Girl” pilot before ankling the show and taking on a lead character on ABC’s “Happy Endings.” “Happy Endings” was cancelled after three seasons by ABC earlier this year. article by AJ Marechal via Variety.com
Designer Rick Owens debuted his spring/summer 2014 collection in Paris today. In lieu of models, Owens called upon a team of step dancers to show off his clothing. And dance! They marched down a metal staircase…
bjpandabear/Instagram / Via gramfeed.com
… and took to the runway.
blamanda/Instagram / Via gramfeed.com
Wearing signature androgynous, monochromatic garb typical of Owens. Which was also probably pretty comfortable to dance in!
They performed a routine much more rigorous than mere cat-walking. And about 1,000 times more interesting. And the fashion crowd went mostly wild with praise. This spectacle resulted in what might be the only literally fierce runway stills in the history of fashion.
see full article by Angela Vitello with video at buzzfeed.com
The Kennedy Center For The Performing Arts is about to get a taste of some Olivia Pope – kind of. On the day of the Season 10 debut of Grey’s Anatomy, President Barack Obama today used some of his patronage power and appointed Shonda Rhimes, the creator/EP of the medical drama and Scandal, to the Center’s Board of Trustees. Obama also appointed the Carlyle Group’s CEO David Rubenstein Empire Global Ventures’ CEO Alexandra Stanton, Chicago art gallery owner Amalia Pera Mahoney, FI Investment Group CEO Frank Islam and Entravision Communications’ CEO Walter Ulloa to the Board Thursday as well. “I am grateful that these impressive individuals have chosen to dedicate their talents to serving the American people at this important time for our country. I look forward to working with them in the months and years ahead,” said Obama in a statement when making the announcements. Rhimes was a big supporter of Obama’s campaigns for President as both a donor and even worked in a phone bank with Private Practice actress Kate Walsh for the candidate. Season 10 of Grey’s Anatomy premieres tonight on ABC with Season 3 of the D.C. political drama Scandal set to launch on October 3rd. article by Dominic Patten via deadline.com
The NAACP and TV One network have inked a five-year agreement for the NAACP Image Awards, beginning with the live airing of the 45th NAACP Image Awards in February 2014. The Image Awards had long been a staple on broadcast TV. They aired on NBC for nine years before moving to Fox. NBC took over as a network home for the last two editions of the awards show, which honors “the accomplishments of people of color in the fields of television, music, literature and film and also honors individuals or groups who promote social justice through creative endeavors.”
LOS ANGELES (AP) — It’s a boy for Halle Berry and Olivier Martinez. A representative for the 47-year-old actress confirms that the couple welcomed their son on Saturday. Publicist Meredith O’Sullivan Wasson offered no other details. E! News reports Berry delivered the baby at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.
DANBURY, Conn. — DANBURY, Conn. (AP) — Lauryn Hill’s attorney says she has been released from federal prison after serving time for failing to pay taxes. Hill left the facility in Danbury, Connecticut today. Her attorney Nathan Hochman says he hasn’t had a chance to speak to his client yet.
They performed a routine much more rigorous than mere cat-walking. And about 1,000 times more interesting. And the fashion crowd went mostly wild with praise. This spectacle resulted in what might be the only literally fierce runway stills in the history of fashion.
The Kennedy Center For The Performing Arts is about to get a taste of some Olivia Pope – kind of. On the day of the Season 10 debut of Grey’s Anatomy, President Barack Obama today used some of his patronage power and appointed Shonda Rhimes, the creator/EP of the medical drama and Scandal, to the Center’s Board of Trustees. Obama also appointed the Carlyle Group’s CEO David Rubenstein Empire Global Ventures’ CEO Alexandra Stanton, Chicago art gallery owner Amalia Pera Mahoney, FI Investment Group CEO Frank Islam and Entravision Communications’ CEO Walter Ulloa to the Board Thursday as well. “I am grateful that these impressive individuals have chosen to dedicate their talents to serving the American people at this important time for our country. I look forward to working with them in the months and years ahead,” said Obama in a statement when making the announcements.