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A Tribe Called Quest Invites Fans to Phife Dawg Memorial in Queens on April 4

By goodblacknews on April 3, 2016
phife-dawg-memorial
A Tribe Called Quest (CREDIT: Getty Images)
article by Shenequa Golding via vibe.com
While hip-hop still comes to terms with the death of Malik “Phife Dawg” Taylor, surviving members from A Tribe Called Quest announced Sunday (April 3) a memorial would be held in honor of their late lyrical brother.

 READ: A Tribe Called Quest Pens Touching Statement In Wake Of Phife Dawg’s Passing

“Please meet us at St. Albans Park in Queens, NY on April 4th at 10:30am,” Organizers wrote. “The first 200 fans to arrive will receive something very special!”
As Q-Tip famously once said “Back in the day on the boulevard of Linden” both Tip and Phife Dawg grew up in the St. Albans neighborhood of Queens. Since Phife’s death on March 22nd, fans of the funky diabetic have made efforts to rename a street and park where he along with Q-Tip would often go and freestyle.
If you’re planning to attend, please arrive early because all of Queens and hip-hop will be sure to show love to the Five Footer.

Actress Rashida Jones Named 2016 Harvard College Class Day Speaker

By goodblacknews on April 1, 2016
Rashida Jones (Photograph courtesy of Rashida Jones) 
article by Laura Levis via harvardmagazine.com
Actress and Harvard alumna Rashida Jones will be the principal guest speaker for Harvard College seniors celebrating their Class Day in Cambridge, Massachusetts on May 25.  She was chosen and invited to speak by a subcommittee of eight class marshals, who considered speakers suggested by classmates as part of a senior-class survey.
“I am truly honored to come back to campus and speak at Class Day 2016. Harvard was such a transformative place for me in so many ways,” Jones said in a statement. “It’s where I first had the idea for Facebook, which went on to make me billions of dollars and change the world. Oh wait, that wasn’t me…”
Jones, an accomplished screenwriter, philanthropist, and comic-book author, is best known for her roles in more than 20 films, television shows such as The Office and Parks and Recreation, and, most recently, as the title character in the TBS comedy Angie Tribeca. The daughter of musician Quincy Jones and model turned The Mod Squad star Peggy Lipton, Jones said of her parents in a recent Vanity Fair profile that she is “the genetic expression of all their secret academic dreams.”
According to Harvard officials, nine alumni have been selected to deliver the Class Day address since 1968, with Jones not only the fourth consecutive alumna to give the address but also the first relative of a former Class Day speaker (her father, in 1997) to receive the honor.
“As a Harvard College alumna, Rashida Jones knows what it is like to balance commitments—whether it was her involvement with the Harvard-Radcliffe Dramatic Club, the Signet Society, or the Black Students Association—with academics and the many other facets of college life,” class marshal Gabriela Ruiz-Colon ’16, co-chair of the speaker-selection committee, said in a press release. “She has taken this experience and shown an extraordinary ability to use her celebrity platform to make the world a better place.”
To read more, go to: http://harvardmagazine.com/2016/04/rashida-jones-97-named-harvard-class-day-speaker-2016

Salt-N-Pepa to Headline I Love the ’90s Tour feat. Kid N' Play, Coolio & Others

By goodblacknews on March 30, 2016
Salt-N-Pepa I Love the '90s
Salt-N-Pepa I Love the ’90s (MADISON MCGAW/BFA/REX/SHUTTERSTOCK)

article by Maria Cavassuto via Variety.com

Salt-N-Pepa, Coolio, Kid N’ Play and Vanilla Ice, along with other popular ’90s staples, are joining the I Love the ’90s tour. The tour has already had several sold-out shows this spring. It will be kick into full gear April 15 in Greenville, S.C., and will last through October.
Cheryl “Salt” James told USA Today that the whole experience and the fan reactions have been “surprisingly amazing.”
“It feels like you’re taking people back to a time in their lives that they really enjoyed. It’s just one big ’90s party,” she said.
However, she says Salt-N-Pepa’s performance style has changed since they first started. It’s no longer about entertaining the crowd, but rather having a good time.
“We just have fun with the crowd and the crowd has fun with us,” James said.
See the full tour dates below:
April 15 – Greenville, SC – Bon Secour Wellness Arena
April 16 – Tupelo, MS – BancorpSouth Arena
April 22 – Woodlands, TX – Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
April 29 – Mashantucket, CT – Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
May 12 – Bloomington, IL – US Cellular Coliseum
May 13 – Columbia, SC – Colonial Life Arena
May 14 – Baltimore, MD – Royal Farms Arena
May 20 – Tuscaloosa, AL – Tuscaloosa Amphitheater
May 21 – St. Augustine, FL – St. Augustine Amphitheatre
May 27 – Nashville, TN – Bridgestone Arena
May 28 – Las Vegas, NV – Mandalay Bay Beach at Mandalay Bay Resort
June 3 – Bonner Springs, KS – Providence Medical Center Amphitheater
June 4 – Louisville, KY – KFC Yum! Center
June 10 – Phoenix, AZ – Talking Stick Resort Arena
June 11- Grand Prairie, TX – Verizon Theatre at Grand Prairie
June 29 – Kettering, OH – Fraze Pavilion
June 30 – Cleveland, OH – I-X Center
July 1 – Englewood, CO – Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre
July 15 – Fayetteville, NC – Crown Coliseum
July 16 – Alpharetta, GA – Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre at Encore Park
July 23 – Jackson, CA – Jackson Rancheria Casino Resort
Aug. 6 – Camden, NJ – BB&T Pavilion
Aug. 12 – West Allis, WI – Wisconsin State Fair
Aug. 13 – Indianapolis, IN – Farm Bureau Insurance Lawn at White River State Park
Aug. 19 – Clarkston, MI – DTE Energy Music Theatre
Aug. 20 – Toledo, OH – John F. Savage Arena
Aug. 27 – Redmond, WA – Marymoor Park
Oct. 20 – Salem, VA – Salem Civic Center

Little Girl Crying Over Obama’s Last Days in Office Gets to Meet the President

By goodblacknews on March 30, 2016

President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama with Kameria and her family (photo via FACEBOOK)

article by Yesha Callahan via theroot.com
Seven-year-old Kameria had an Easter she’ll never forget.
Imagine being a kid and a fan of President Barack Obama. Then you find out Obama’s term is ending later this year, all while your grandmother is filming you crying with her cellphone. Of course, that’s what viral videos are made of; but in the end, it was all worth it for 7-year-old Kameria. First-grader Kameria got the opportunity to meet the first family at this week’s Easter Egg Roll at the White House, and you can bet she’ll never forget that moment.
Source: Little Girl Crying Over President Obama’s Last Days in Office Met the President – The Root

Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith Donate to Help Female Filmmakers at NYU Film School

By goodblacknews on March 26, 2016

Will Smith (R) and Jada Pinkett Smith attend the 47th NAACP Image Awards presented by TV One at Pasadena Civic Auditorium on February 5, 2016 in Pasadena, California. (Photo by Charley Gallay/Getty Images for NAACP Image Awards).
Will Smith (R) and Jada Pinkett Smith attend the 47th NAACP Image Awards presented by TV One at Pasadena Civic Auditorium on February 5, 2016 in Pasadena, California. (Photo by Charley Gallay/Getty Images for NAACP Image Awards).

article via thegrio.com
Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith are serious about seeing women succeed in Hollywood.  The couple just donated $30,000 to New York University’s film school as part of a foundation project designed to help female filmmakers and to finance student television projects.
“Will and Jada Smith have a strong desire and commitment to the education of tomorrow’s storytellers, and we’re thrilled that they have decided to support some of out standout students and programs,” said Joe Pichirallo, chair of Tisch’s undergraduate film and TV department.
The money will go to finance two student-created television pilots and will also go toward the Fusion Film Festival, which supports up to five female filmmakers whose work is submitted to the festival.

Gymnast Gabby Douglas Wins 2nd Straight Competition on Road Back to Olympics

By goodblacknews on March 20, 2016

Gabby Douglas (photo via usatoday.com)
Gabby Douglas (photo via usatoday.com)

article by Rachel Axon via usatoday.com
On a day when Gabby Douglas continued to make progress toward a return to the Olympics, two young American gymnasts put in a strong showing as they start a path to trying to make the U.S. team.
Douglas won the all-around Saturday at the City of Jesolo Trophy competition in Jesolo, Italy — her second international win this month, while Ragan Smith and Laurie Hernandez finished second and third, respectively.
Meanwhile, Aly Raisman, another Fierce Fiver trying to make a second Games, struggled to a sixth-place finish.
The Americans took six of the top seven spots in the event, with Douglas scoring 59.650, Smith scoring 59.050 and Hernandez 58.550.
Douglas, the reigning Olympic all-around gold medalist, earned the first win of her comeback earlier this month at the American Cup.
Aside from Douglas and Raisman, the U.S. team for the competition included gymnasts who will be trying for their first Olympic team this year.  Smith and Hernandez are both 15 years old. Hernandez finished first and Smith third as juniors at the U.S. championships in August.
Simone Biles, the three-time defending world and U.S. all-around champion, did not compete in Italy and is expected to start her competition season at the Pacific Rim Championships next month.
To read more, go to: http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/olympics/2016/03/19/gymnastics-gabby-douglas-rio/82015112/

Walt Disney World Resorts, Essence and Steve Harvey Host 9th Annual Disney Dreamers Academy, Inspire 100 U.S. High School Students to "Dream Big"

By goodblacknews on March 7, 2016

Disney Dreamers Academy Class of 2016 (photo by Gregg Newton)
Disney Dreamers Academy Class of 2016 (photo by Gregg Newton)

by Lori Lakin Hutcherson (@lakinhutcherson)
Walt Disney World Resorts, in conjunction with Essence Magazine and comedian Steve Harvey, recently hosted its 9th Annual Disney Dreamers Academy in Orlando, Florida.  After selecting from thousands of applications, Disney rewarded 100 U.S. high school students and their chaperones with a four-day seminar (March 3-6) geared towards inspiring, exposing and guiding them on how to achieve their dreams.
Disney Dreamers learning how to build rides in Imagineering workshop (photo courtesy of Disney)
Disney Dreamers in Imagineering workshop (photo courtesy of Disney)

After kicking off the long weekend leading a parade down Main Street in the Magic Kingdom and being welcomed by Walt Disney World President George Kalogridis, Walt Disney World Vice President and Executive Champion  Tracey Powell, Essence Editor-At-Large Mikki Taylor, gospel singer Yolanda Adams and host Steve Harvey, the Dreamers are immersed in intensive sessions with motivational speakers such as Jonathan Sprinkles and Capital Prep School Founder and Principal Dr. Steve Perry to help them understand how to overcome obstacles, learn from failures and how to work hard to make their dreams become reality.
Additionally, the Walt Disney World theme parks become vibrant “classrooms,” where Dreamers participate in hands-on, intensive “Deep Dive” workshops led by industry experts. Covering a myriad of career paths ranging from animation to imagineering to marine biology, the Deep Dives do more than expose students to a career choice; they bring to life an opportunity that otherwise might seem distant or impossible.
2016 Disney Dreamer Deja Kirk (photo courtesy of Disney)
2016 Disney Dreamer Deja Kirk (photo courtesy of Disney)

Celebrities such as MC Lyte, Tamera Mowery, Loni Love, Lance Gross, Lamman Rucker, Silento and film producer Will Packer also gave their personal time and shared their knowledge with the Dreamers on what it takes to gain and maintain an unconventional career.
“It has literally been so amazing,” said Dreamer Deja Kirk from Oklahoma City, who is interested in becoming an elasmobranchologist (a marine biologist who specializes in sharks and rays).  “I’m not one to be corny at all, I’m usually a very stoic person, so for me to be so excited about this is really huge.  Even if you don’t know what you’re going to do, just getting the general exposure to everything I feel like not only am I prepared to pursue my career, if I were to change it in any way I still have a really good foundation for whatever I want to do.”
This week, Good Black News will be bringing you even more stories from this unique event, including spotlights on several Dreamers, perspectives from their parents, as well as interviews with some of the dedicated professionals who gave their time and wisdom to DDA this year.
To learn more about Disney Dreamers Academy, go to: https://www.disneydreamersacademy.com or https://www.facebook.com/DisneyDreamersAcademy/
 

Gabby Douglas Wins American Cup, Pushes Towards Gold at 2nd Olympics

By goodblacknews on March 6, 2016

Gabby Douglas at American Cup (photo via Getty Images)
Gabby Douglas at American Cup (photo by Elsa via Getty Images)

article by Rachel Axon via usatoday.com
NEWARK, N.J. – The world championships silver medal should have been enough to erase any doubt in Gabby Douglas’ comeback.
Yes, the reigning Olympic all-around gold medalist is trying to do what has been a sometimes insurmountable task for many talented gymnasts – come back for a second Olympics. And Douglas isn’t coming back for some sort of participation ribbon.
But in case any doubts lingered, she put more to rest on Saturday.  Now 20, Douglas wants to achieve more in the Olympics. She set herself on that path by winning the American Cup at the Prudential Center, earning her first trip to the top of the podium since winning the Olympic all-around in London in 2012.
“From the bottom of my heart, I really believe that I can achieve more,” Douglas said. “And it’s just not for the wrong intentions. I’m like, ‘Guys, I’m back. I’m serious.’ I feel like gradually and the more and more I keep proving that, I really hope that people believe it.”
To be sure, part of those doubts are the challenge. Since 1980, only six American women have gone on to compete in a second Olympics. No woman has repeated as gold medalist since Věra Čáslavská in 1968.
Douglas hears the doubts about her and whether the comeback is for publicity. It’s not, or she wouldn’t be able to sustain herself through training.  Instead, she has the incredible urge former national team coordinator Bela Karolyi has seen in many other Olympians.

Marvin Gaye, Nile Rodgers, Bernard Edwards and Others to be Inducted into Songwriters Hall of Fame

By goodblacknews on March 4, 2016

Marvin Gaye (l); Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards (r)
Marvin Gaye (l); Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards (r)

article by Lori Lakin Hutcherson (@lakinhutcherson)
According to billboard.com, the late Marvin Gaye and Chic principles Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards (who died in 1996) are among the artists chosen to be inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame on June 9 in New York City.  Joining them will be Elvis Costello, Tom Petty, and 1960s hitmaker Chip Taylor.
The new inductees wrote such iconic songs as “What’s Going On,” “Mercy Mercy Me,” “Le Freak,” “Good Times,” “Wild Thing,” “American Girl,” “Everyday I Write The Book,” and many, many more.
“The 2016 roster of Songwriters Hall of Fame inductees is a beautiful mosaic of the best of late 20th Century popular music. With creators of Rock & Roll, Soul/R&B, Country and Funk/Dance represented, we are looking forward to an unforgettable and extremely exciting event and evening at the Marriott Marquis on June 9th,” said co-chairs Kenneth Gamble & Leon Huff, who are serving their first year in that role.
The hall’s 47th Annual Induction and Awards Dinner will take place at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York City. Gaye and Edwards will be inducted posthumously.

2016 ESSENCE Festival Lineup Revealed: Kendrick Lamar, Mariah Carey, Maxwell, and More!

By goodblacknews on March 1, 2016

ESSENCE Festival 2016article by Taylor Lewis via essence.com

It’s four months out from this year’s ESSENCE Festival in New Orleans, and ESSENCE has just revealed its first look at the 2016 lineup.

For the 22nd year, ESSENCE Fest is bringing sure-to-be-lit nighttime concerts featuring more than 30 of today’s hottest hip-hop and R&B stars. This year’s lineup is a mix of old and new: soul and R&B, hip hop and pop—from Kendrick Lamar to Mariah Carey to Maxwell to Lion Babe.
“The ESSENCE Festival is back in New Orleans with an extraordinary roster of the biggest names and best performers in entertainment—from global music icons to the industry’s rising stars,” said ESSENCE President Michelle Ebanks. “We are welcoming Mariah Carey, Kendrick Lamar and Maxwell to headline the Superdome main stage. In addition, we will be embracing newcomers like Leon Bridges, Jeremih, Lion Babe, Dej Loaf and The Internet, as well as fan favorite Charlie Wilson for the ultimate cultural experience in New Orleans this July 4th weekend.”
Click through to see a full list of performers, and be sure to check back for updates.
Get your tickets here.
To read original article, go to: http://www.essence.com/2016/03/01/2016-essence-festival-lineup-revealed-kendrick-mariah-maxwell-oh-my