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MUSIC MONDAY: An MLK Day 2021 Celebration Playlist (LISTEN)

MUSIC MONDAY: An MLK Day 2021 Celebration Playlist (LISTEN)

By goodblacknews on January 18, 2021

by Marlon West (FB: marlon.west1 Twitter: @marlonw IG: stlmarlonwest Spotify: marlonwest)

More than 50 years after his death, I can only wonder what Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. would think of the upheaval of 2020; of the push back on the sentiment that “Black Lives Matter,” and a white supremacist insurgency in our nation’s capital.

Would-be nazis and neo-confederates beating and murdering police on their way into storming the people’s house. We have come far as a nation, and yet what Brotha Ta-Nehisi Coates calls the “beautiful struggle” continues unabated.

As well all celebrate, serve, and/or reflect on this special of American holidays, here’s a collection of music for your mind, heart, and soul. (And in some cases, dat booty too.)

[spotifyplaybutton play=”spotify:playlist:6i4lJaCQX6aes5CpV1judl”]

Many are classics that inspired the Freedom Riders during the civil rights movement, and others were written in the wake of George Floyd‘s murder and the protests that followed.

For my money 2020 was a good year for films by and Black people, as well as the sounds from them. One Night In Miami, Sylvie’s Love, Soul, and the Small Axe series to name but a few. Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom and Da 5 Bloods both featured posthumous performances by the great Chadwick Boseman.

Here’s more than 17 hours of music to help steel you for the days, weeks, and months 2021 is certain to bring.

I plan to be back with more next week, y’all. Stay safe, sane, and kind.

Marlon West (photo courtesy Marlon West)
Apple Launches New Racial Equity and Justice Initiative Projects Nationwide

Apple Launches New Racial Equity and Justice Initiative Projects Nationwide

By goodblacknews on January 13, 2021

[Photo courtesy apple.com: Jared Bailey, a senior at Morehouse College, has integrated Apple’s coding and creativity curricula into his public health and community service work as part of the school’s partnership with Apple, a collaboration that is expanding further with the launch of the Propel Center.]

Today, Apple announced a set of major new projects as part of its $100 million Racial Equity and Justice Initiative (REJI) to help dismantle systemic barriers to opportunity and combat injustices faced by communities of color.

These efforts include the Propel Center, a first-of-its-kind global innovation and learning hub for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs); an Apple Developer Academy to support coding and tech education for students in Detroit; and venture capital funding for Black and Brown entrepreneurs.

“We are all accountable to the urgent work of building a more just, more equitable world — and these new projects send a clear signal of Apple’s enduring commitment,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO.

“We’re launching REJI’s latest initiatives with partners across a broad range of industries and backgrounds — from students to teachers, developers to entrepreneurs, and community organizers to justice advocates — working together to empower communities that have borne the brunt of racism and discrimination for far too long. We are honored to help bring this vision to bear, and to match our words and actions to the values of equity and inclusion we have always prized at Apple.”

MUSIC MONDAY: “Is You Is Or Is You Ain’t” – A Jump Blues Collection (LISTEN)

MUSIC MONDAY: “Is You Is Or Is You Ain’t” – A Jump Blues Collection (LISTEN)

By goodblacknews on January 11, 2021

by Marlon West (FB: marlon.west1 Twitter: @marlonw IG: stlmarlonwest Spotify: marlonwest)

For many of you riding along with these weekly playlists, some of these “points” may sound familiar.

The popular narrative of the originals of Rhythm & Blues and Rock and Roll leans heavily on the hardscrabble southern bluesman narrative.

The mythic trip to the crossroads and the juke joint circuit stories promoted by so many historians and rock legends leaves out the urban sophistication of Jump Blues artists and their contribution to the music we all love today.

[spotifyplaybutton play=”spotify:playlist:47GWb0G3Bhgp82EcW5QqHt”]

Jump blues evolved from the music of big bands like those of Lionel Hampton and Lucky Millinder. These groups of the early 1940s produced musicians such as Louis Jordan, Jack McVea, Earl Bostic, and Arnett Cobb that would start their own smaller groups.

These Jump groups became hugely popular in the late 1940s and early 1950s. Artists such as Louis Jordan and His Tympany Five, Big Joe Turner, Roy Brown, Charles Brown, Ruth Brown, Helen Humes, T-Bone Walker, Roy Milton, Billy Wright, Wynonie Harris, Buddy Johnson, Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee, and others produced hard-driving dance music that contributes mightily to the birth of Soul and Rock.

This is another collection that comes with a “Rumpshaker Warning” Enjoy!

And as always, stay safe, sane, and kind.

Marlon West (photo courtesy Marlon West)
CNN’s Abby Phillip to Become Network’s Senior Political Correspondent and New Anchor of “Inside Politics Sunday”

CNN’s Abby Phillip to Become Network’s Senior Political Correspondent and New Anchor of “Inside Politics Sunday”

By goodblacknews on January 11, 2021

Journalist and political commentator Abby Phillip will become the anchor of CNN’s “Inside Politics Sunday” from 8-9 a.m. ET on Sundays, beginning January 24th. Harvard grad Phillip has also been named the network’s senior political correspondent.

Phillip’s new roles at the news network were announced among several other changes to the anchor line-up for its Washington-based programs. Phillip will take over for anchor John King, who will continue to host “Inside Politics with John King” weekdays from 12-1 p.m. ET.

Beginning in April, Jake Tapper’s program The Lead with Jake Tapper will expand to 4-6 p.m. ET nightly. In addition, he will continue in his role on Sunday mornings, now co-anchoring State of the Union with Jake Tapper and Dana Bash. He will also serve as the network’s lead anchor for all major Washington events.

Wolf Blitzer will continue to anchor the network’s signature evening newscast, The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer, now airing from 6-7 p.m. ET nightly. The program will be seen around the world, simulcast on the CNN US and CNN International networks. He will also have a principal anchor role for all major breaking news and continue to host CNN special reports.

Dana Bash has been named co-anchor of the network’s Sunday morning newsmaker show, now called State of the Union with Jake Tapper and Dana Bash. Tapper and Bash will each anchor two Sundays a month, beginning January 24th. In addition, Bash will continue as the network’s chief political correspondent and will also host quarterly primetime interview specials.

[Photo: Abby Phillip courtesy CNN]

Beyoncé’s BeyGood Foundation Partners with NAACP to offer Grants for Housing Relief During Pandemic

Beyoncé’s BeyGood Foundation Partners with NAACP to offer Grants for Housing Relief During Pandemic

By goodblacknews on January 8, 2021

Yesterday on Instagram, Beyoncé’s BeyGOOD Foundation announced applications are open for housing relief via naacp.org.

The application is available on the NAACP website and will end on Thursday, January 21st at 11:59PM.

“The NAACP is committed to helping ensure African Americans maintain their wealth and financial security during this unprecedented time of COVID-19,” the site reads. “We are partnering with BeyGOOD to provide one hundred grants up to $5,000 each to families who are delinquent in their home mortgage or rental payments.”

“When we were faced with the pandemic caused by COVID-19, BeyGOOD created a plan to make a difference,” the BeyGOOD site says. “We assisted organizations across the country that were providing people with basic needs like food, water, household supplies, and COVID testing. We also provided mental health support.”

To read more about the grants and to apply, visit https://www.naacp.org.

Bianca Smith Earns Coaching Spot with Red Sox Minor League Team, Becomes 1st Black Woman Pro Baseball Coach

Bianca Smith Earns Coaching Spot with Red Sox Minor League Team, Becomes 1st Black Woman Pro Baseball Coach

By goodblacknews on January 2, 2021

[photo: Bianca Smith via Twitter]

Bianca Smith is set to score some baseball history.

The Boston Red Sox organization is hiring Smith as a minor league coach, according to the Boston Globe. MLB confirmed Smith will be the first Black woman on record to coach baseball at the professional level.

Smith, who most recently was an assistant baseball coach and hitting coordinator at Carroll University in Wisconsin, will mainly work with infielders at the Red Sox’s minor league facility in Fort Meyers, Florida.

Smith’s pro baseball experience includes interning in the operations departments for the Texas Rangers and Cincinnati Reds, in addition to working in amateur administration for MLB.

Smith played softball for her Ivy League alma mater Dartmouth from 2010-12 before working as director of baseball operations at Case Western Reserve University from 2013-17 and as an assistant coach with University of Dallas in 2018, according to the Globe.

To read more: https://www.bostonglobe.com/2020/12/31/sports/red-sox-hire-bianca-smith-minor-league-coach-making-her-first-black-woman-coach-mlb-history/

Good Black News Wishes You and Yours a Happy (and Healing) New Year

Good Black News Wishes You and Yours a Happy (and Healing) New Year

By goodblacknews on January 1, 2021

Good Black News would like to kick off 2021 by thanking our readers and followers, old and new, for working so hard to persevere, create community and foster change in 2020 even in the face of a global pandemic, nationwide protests and political sea changes.

We sincerely wish the best of everything to you and your loved ones in 2021 and beyond. Happy New Year!

MUSIC: A Stevie Wonder Sing Off – “The Wonders of A Cappella” Playlist (LISTEN)

MUSIC: A Stevie Wonder Sing Off – “The Wonders of A Cappella” Playlist (LISTEN)

By goodblacknews on December 31, 2020

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

Maybe it’s the history of caroling in December. Or maybe its half a dozen years of NBC’s hit musical competition show The Sing Off – which also usually took place in December. In any case, beyond just Christmas music, December has us in the mood for some good a cappella music.

Today is also the sixth day of Kwanzaa where the principle of Kuumba — Creativity — is celebrated. So we’ve taken a different approach to today’s GBN playlist – combining a cappella singing with that superstar with the deep catalog of hits that we saluted here at Good Black News this past spring, Stevie Wonder (after all, we’re still in his 70th birthday year!)

So, if you are still in the mood for something cheery and fun to brighten up the waning moments of 2020 and welcome in the New Year, please check out “A Stevie Wonder Sing Off – The Wonders of A Cappella,” a playlist devoted to Stevie Wonder remakes done with voices only.  Early in the playlist Stevie himself joins the all-male group Straight No Chaser on his iconic hit “Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I’m Yours).”

[spotifyplaybutton play=”spotify:playlist:3143V2ZMVZAWdZEPa56r2G”]

With The Sing Off  in the early 2010s, and with hit musical dramedy series Glee and the trio of Pitch Perfect movies, vocal a cappella music hasn’t always been so culturally ubiquitous.

In the late 1970s, there was the famous vocal group Manhattan Transfer – but their hit “Boy From New York City,” while featuring doo wop styles, also featured plenty of instruments playing behind them.  And then there was Bobby McFerrin‘s memorable “Don’t Worry, Be Happy” – which ultimately seemed to be a fun novelty more than a musical movement.

For many of us, though, college was where we were first exposed us to a cappella singing.  It was at a Northeastern campus where this author first met GBN founder Lori Lakin Hutcherson, that we first ran into preppie kids in jackets and ties at Harvard and Yale singing in choral groups on campus that mixed contemporary pop songs with corny classics like “I’ve Got a Gal in Kalamazoo.”

Harvard’s Krokodiloes and Yale’s Whiffenpoofs date back to 1946 and 1909, respectively, but the Fisk Jubilee Singers, established in 1871, were among the first American (and African American) college choral ensembles to gain international prominence for their a cappella prowess.

Contemporary versions of the Krokodiloes and Whiffenpoofs are featured in today’s playlist (no Jubilee Singers – they primarily perform traditional spirituals), along with groups from Howard, Dartmouth, Stanford, Syracuse, Duke and MIT and other colleges.

Boyz II Men, the all-Black group Committed (Season 2 winners of The Sing Off) and other non-collegiate a cappella purveyors like The Nylons and Rockapella are also represented.

So, we hope you’re in the mood to take a slightly different approach to the holidays with this uplifting list of year-round classics from Stevie and this list of a cappella masters.  And if you don’t mind just a little more holiday cheer, we couldn’t resist throwing a cappella versions of Stevie’s “What Christmas Means to Me” and “Someday at Christmas” onto the list too.

And, a friendly reminder, for those who still haven’t jumped on the Christmas music train, but want to, you can also check out GBN’s already published holiday playlists:

Enjoy!

Black LA firm Lendistry selected by California to Disburse $500 million in COVID Relief Funds

Black LA firm Lendistry selected by California to Disburse $500 million in COVID Relief Funds

By goodblacknews on December 30, 2020

[Photo: Everett K. Sands, Lendistry Founder and CEO via Lendistry.com]

The state of California has selected Lendistry, a Black-led-and-operated financial firm in Los Angeles, to administer the disbursement of $500 million in COVID-19 grants to California small businesses and non-profits.

The California Office of The Small Business Advocate (CalOSBA) has stated that small businesses and non-profit organizations across California which have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic can begin submitting applications for relief grants ranging from $5,000 to $25,000 from now until Jan. 8, 2021 at careliefgrant.com.

To quote from the San Francisco Bay View:

“As an organization dedicated to efficiently providing capital to underserved small businesses, and with a deeply experienced senior management team that mirrors the diversity of our home state of California, Lendistry is proud to partner with the CalOSBA in this bold and critical effort,” said Everett K. Sands, Lendistry’s founder and CEO.

Sands, who has broad experience in small business and commercial lending, says since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Lendistry has assisted over 19,000 small businesses in a dozen states. The organization has also deployed nearly a half-billion dollars in capital.

“We are bringing the full force of our technology, expertise and relationships with partner CDFIs and community organizations to bear on CalOSBA’s landmark commitment to California’s small businesses,” he said.

MUSIC MONDAY: “Lean on Me” – Playlist Honoring Artists Who Passed in 2020 (LISTEN)

MUSIC MONDAY: “Lean on Me” – Playlist Honoring Artists Who Passed in 2020 (LISTEN)

By goodblacknews on December 28, 2020

by Marlon West (FB: marlon.west1 Twitter: @marlonw IG: stlmarlonwest Spotify: marlonwest)

Here’s a playlist of music artists who died this year. Although their beautiful voices and talents were lost in 2020, we can enjoy them for years to come.

[spotifyplaybutton play=”spotify:playlist:60iICEwa7tcL2qIaCIdF2a”]

Musicians are often our collective voices, sharing ideas and feelings through their lyrics and melodies that the rest of us struggle to express. It’s why the deaths of musicians are often difficult to process.

It’s hard to say goodbye to the people who made the art and culture that define our times and speak so directly to us. This collection features soul, hip-hop, country, jazz, and other artists that have been taken by COVID-19, long illness, natural causes, gun violence, and overdoses.

There’s only one way into this world, yet they keep making up new ones to take us out. But I digress. Please enjoy this collection of music that will resonate for eons by folks we’ve lost on this trying trip around the sun.

An early Happy New Year to you all. I can’t scrape 2020 off the bottom of my proverbial shoe fast enough.

Stay safe, sane, and kind you all.

Marlon West (photo courtesy Marlon West)