Photo From Brown Girls Do Ballet Instagram via Alex Ray Studios
The organization Brown Girls Do Ballet is drawing attention to ballet’s need for diversity through beautiful Instagram posts.
According to their website, the organization is “dedicated to promoting diversity in ballet programs through various media platforms, training resources, and an exclusive network in the world of ballet.”
Co-founders TaKiyah Wallace and Brittani Marie created the group in 2013 after Wallace noticed a lack of diversity among her young daughter’s ballet classes.
“We realized the missing link to diversifying ballet was a resource that spoke to their identity. We wanted to convey a message of acceptance, vision, and possibility,” the founders told BuzzFeed.
The duo wanted to show young dancers of color that there are dancers out there that look like them, so they began their Instagram page.
One of their Instagram videos of students dancing en pointe to Disclosure and Sam Smith’s “Omen” recently went viral. Check it out below:
A+E Networks and iHeartMedia are simultaneously airing “Shining a Light: A Concert for Progress on Race in America” on Friday, November 20 at 8PM ET/PT. The sold-out concert was recorded at The Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, CA on Wednesday, November 18th, and the two-hour special event will air across the entire A+E Networks portfolio in more than 130 territories globally, including A&E, HISTORY, Lifetime, H2, LMN and FYI, as well as on more than 130 iHeartMedia broadcast radio stations nationwide and the iHeartRadio digital platform. Additionally, AOL has joined in the simulcast making the historic special event available to anyone with internet access across the globe on AOL.com.
Artists Aloe Blacc, Andra Day, Nick Jonas, Tom Morello, Smokey Robinson and Big Sean join the previously announced performers including Zac Brown Band, Eric Church, Jamie Foxx, Rhiannon Giddens, Tori Kelly, John Legend, Miguel, Pink, Jill Scott, Ed Sheeran, Sia, Bruce Springsteen, Sting and Pharrell Williams. LL Cool J, Marshall Faulk, Morgan Freeman, George Lopez, Mario Lopez, Nicki Minaj, Kurt Warner and Nick Young are among the presenters joining the telecast.
Alicia Keys has joined John Legend and Pharrell on extraordinary journeys to Baltimore, Ferguson and Charleston, where they met with a diverse group of residents in communities at the center of the national conversation on racial inequality and violence. Joined by NPR’s Michele Norris with John Legend in Ferguson, award-winning journalist Soledad O’Brien with Pharrell Williams in Charleston and ABC News’ Byron Pitts in Baltimore, these visits included intimate discussions and special private performances by each for those most effected. These incredibly moving, heart wrenching and eye-opening moments will be featured throughout the two-hour concert, as well as in the one-hour special, “Shining a Light: Conversations on Race in America,” airing immediately following the concert on A&E Network and AOL.com at 10pm ET/PT.
To see Alicia Keys perform Donny Hathaway’s “Someday We Will All Be Free”, watch below:
https://youtu.be/vqt2OHsAFiU
The concert will kick off A+E Networks’ campaign to confront issues of race, and promote unity and progress on racial equity, inspired by the response of the Mother Emanuel family members in Charleston and others working for reconciliation and change around the country.
The concert and the ancillary programming will help raise money for the Fund for Progress on Race in America powered by United Way Worldwide (ShiningALightConcert.com). The fund will provide grant funding to individuals and organizations fostering understanding, eliminating bias, as well as provide support to Mother Emanuel A.M.E. Church and the broader A.M.E. denomination. The fund will support efforts to address racism and bias through public policy change, individual innovation, and community mobilization.
Tickets for the concert on November 18 sold out within 3 hours of the on-sale date raising more than $150,000 to benefit the Fund for Progress on Race in America powered by The United Way Worldwide.
To see a clip of John Legend’s performance of “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” from the event, watch below:
https://youtu.be/F4PLzIrzI6k
Tracy Morgan hosts “Saturday Night Live” (photo via nbc.com)
If by chance you missed it, last night (10-17-15) – for the first time since a multi-vehicle crash left him in a coma – funny man Tracy Morgan returned to “Saturday Night Live” to host the long-running show.
“I’m back. It feels so good to be here. You may have seen on the news I was in a terrible car accident a year ago. It was awful. But it also showed me how much love and support I have in this world,” Morgan said during the show.
Morgan’s return to “SNL” also lifted ratings for the latenight show, which, according to Variety.com, was up week-to-week and matched its top overnight demo score since last winter. Compared to its October 2014 average, “SNL” was up 8% in overnight household rating (from 3.9) and even in adults 18-49. The show hasn’t done a higher 18-49 overnight rating since the Jan. 31 show hosted by J.K. Simmons.
In his opening monologue, the comedian observed that some folks have been wondering if he has full mental capacity after his June 2014 crash on the New Jersey Turnpike. Well, he just used that as fodder and cracked this response:
“People were wondering, ‘Can he speak? Does he have 100-percent mental capacity?’ But the truth is I never did. I may even be a few [IQ] points higher now.”
He was joined in one sketch by “30 Rock” co-stars Tina Fey, Alec Baldwin, Jane Krakowski and Jack McBrayer. Fey broke character to inject a serious note: “We’re so happy you’re OK. We’re even happier you’re ready to make people laugh again.”
During the show Morgan also brought back two of his familiar characters — Astronaut Jones and animal expert Brian Fellow. To see his opening monologue, click below:
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H9UkjPF5X6o&w=560&h=315] article via eurweb.com; additions from Variety.com
Doc McStuffins will feature first lady Michelle Obama in an Oct. 5, 2015, episode. (YOUTUBE SCREENSHOT)
First Lady Michelle Obama is joining forces with Disney’s animated young children’s program about a veterinarian for toys, “Doc McStuffins.”The first lady’s appearance will coincide with Child Health Day as she invites Doc and her friends to the White House.
This special episode of “Doc McStuffins” premieres Monday, October 5 (9:00 a.m., ET/PT). During Doc’s visit, Obama appoints her the official toy doctor of the White House. To see a clip, watch below:
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bB0TPhWtpGk&w=560&h=315] article by Lori Lakin Hutcherson (follow @lakinhutcherson)
Jadakiss and Styles P (photo via myfabolouslife.com
Two legends in the hip-hop community are making it their goal to raise awareness about health and wellness with the launch of several juice bars in New York’s most impoverished neighborhoods.
In an interview with Elite Daily, Styles P and Jadakiss, known for their group The Lox, explain the inspiration behind opening Juices For Life, a juice bar that promotes healthy living. The rappers opened up about their childhoods, reminiscing about the unhealthy snacks, like honey buns and chips, they would eat daily.
Consuming junk food in their hometown of Yonkers, NY not only put a strain on their wallets, but their health. In recent years, both artists were inspired to change the lifestyle in their neighborhoods and beyond. Huffington Post reports:
“You’re going to get out what you put into your body,” Jadakiss said. “We didn’t know. All we knew was run to the fast food spots or run to get big bags of candy. It’s a bunch of garbage.”
Juices For Life can be found in the Bronx borough of New York City, with two other locations in the borough of Queens and in Yonkers. The juice bars also offer drinks intended to help alleviate allergies, arthritis, acne, and bronchitis. The musicians declare there’s simply nothing “soft” about promoting fruits and vegetables in the Black community.
“Our juice bars are open in the hoods on purpose to educate our people on health awareness.” Styles P said. “Build it and they will come.”
“Most of the hood don’t have access to good food, most of the hood don’t have health insurance…”Jadakiss added.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qUzrvOO2LXk&w=560&h=315]
If you’re in the New York area, check out Juices For Lifeand great recipes you can make at home here. article by Desire Thompson via newsone.com
Will Smith in the film “Concussion” to be released December 25 (photo via tribecafilm.com)
The trailer for Will Smith’s new film about the discovery of the NFL’s concussion controversy has arrived merely a few weeks before the league’s fall season is set to begin. Peter King of Sports Illustrated-affiliated site Monday Morning Quarterbackreleased the first look atConcussion Monday morning. Directed by Peter Landesman, the film will focus on Nigerian neuropathologist Dr. Bennet Omalu(played by Smith), who discovered Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy.
Dr. Omalu found the disease, also known as CTE, after working on the autopsy of former Pittsburgh Steelers center Mike Webster. CTE is the progressive degenerative brain disease that athletes can acquire thanks to repetitive head trauma on the field.
The book and documentary, League of Denial, already told Omalu’s story and the battle he faced in bringing CTE to the NFL’s attention. But Landesman says the film will dive into more of the story, and explore the doctor’s determination in pushing the condition to the forefront of the sports world. He also noted that the project isn’t anti-NFL. MMQB reports:
“It’s the dynamic of, ‘Respect the person or respect the truth,’” he said. “Bennett has a savant-like relationship to the dead. His obsession is to tell the story of death. As he says in the movie, I think more about the way people die and reasons they die than the way they live. He was completely focused on the science. He didn’t know football, he didn’t know who Mike Webster was; to him, Webster was just another body on a slab. He didn’t have a reverence for the game because he wasn’t brought up in this country. So in some ways, his purity and his innocence was a requirement for him to drill down into this and tell us a very uncomfortable and inconvenient truth.”
Concussion will be released in theaters on Christmas Day. Check out the trailer below:
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Io6hPdC41RM&w=560&h=315] article by Desire Thompson via newsone.com
(Photo via YouTube)
While several superhero narratives feature parents (dead or alive) who serve as a guiding force for their protagonists, Raising Dion brings a fresh new perspective to the genre.
The story is told from the perspective of single black mother who’s trying to raise her “super” 7-year-old son in a world that is out to get him.
The poignant metaphor that plays out in this series – written by Dennis Liu and illustrated by Jason Piperberg – is pretty hard to miss, especially given this country’s current social climate.
According to their website,
Nicole, raises her 7 year-old son, Dion, who has superpowers. Life was hard enough keeping up with the bills, let alone trying to keep track of her son’s invisibility, plasma powers, and telekinesis. In order to study his progress, Nicole films her son 24/7 with the help of her friend, Pat, who is an aspiring filmmaker. But when Nicole starts to notice mysterious men tailing her, and with Dion’s developing abilities constantly changing and becoming more powerful, she must find the courage deep within herself that she can raise Dion on her own.
Check out the cleverly-executed trailer below:
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yDTFYoAJWwc&w=560&h=315] article by Blue Telusma via thegrio.com
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cjgsNc6qlHE&w=560&h=315]
For those who grew up in the 1980s, Public Enemy was one of a handful of nationally-known hip-hop acts that created socially-conscious rap almost exclusively. From “Don’t Believe The Hype” to “Fight The Power” (from Spike Lee‘s still-all-too-relevant movie about racism and police brutality Do The Right Thing) to “By The Time I Get To Arizona”, Chuck D, Flavor Flav, Terminator X and the crew were on the forefront of calling out media manipulation, systemic racism and bigotry, and the widespread mistreatment of black people in America. Now, over 30 years after they’ve formed and three years since their last album, Public Enemy has released Man Plans God Laughs, offering much-needed and necessary protest music once again. The video for the single “No Sympathy From The Devil” was just released today, and it packs a chilling punch. It ties historical acts of racism with the racism of today – and so much of it looks the same (at the 1:56 mark, Sandra Bland‘s mug shot appears and has the effect of a gut punch).
The entire album, which was released a few weeks ago on July 15, can be heard on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/1pmsTgxfLMkCw7C5LuSHFD article by Lori Lakin Hutcherson (follow @lakinhutcherson)
There a lot of different ideas about what it means to be beautiful, and one new docuseries is hoping to explore every facet of it.
Pretty is something that is hard to define, but you know it when you see it. Depending on where you’re from that could look a lot different. Adding race to the equation brings in a whole new group of variables. As such, Antonia Opiah decied that it might be interesting to take a look at what beauty means to Black women around the world in her new webseries, Pretty.
According to Shadow and Act, the series debuted back in January. That means there are a bunch of episodes to get caught up on if you’re just finding out about it. (photo via un-ruly.com)
In Pretty, Antonia asks Black women from London, Paris and Milan what beauty and the concept of what is beautiful means to them. From the promo above, you get a taste of the fact that being pretty is more than just a certain set of physical attributes, it’s about what each woman brings to it. Some even share how their perception of beauty has changed over the course of their lives.
She doesn’t just speak to one type of Black woman, either. Antonia sat down with Brown girls of all complexions and backgrounds to show just how broad this subject can be. Pretty goes further beyond the surface as it also explores their thoughts on fashion, self-esteem and feminism among other things. Ultimately it all results in a tapestry of all the ways Black women are beautiful even when living in areas where European ideals are the norm.
If you’re tired of binge-watching Netflix, this docuseries is definitely an interesting break from the norm that will give you lots to ponder. Go to YouTube or un-ruly.com to see the entire web series. article by Sonya Eskridge via hellobeautiful.com
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s-COeaGn5x0&w=560&h=315]
In the video above, Idris Elba joins “Star Trek” cast members Chris Pine, Zoe Saldana, Karl Urban, Zachary Quinto, Simon Pegg, Anton Yelchin, and John Cho telling viewers to support the cast’s charity initiative at omaze.com for a chance to win a walk-on role in the next movie by entering with a donation of 10$ that will go to support one of nine global philanthropic organizations. (Photo courtesy omaze.com)
Elba pops up toward the end of the video and adds a little fun flavor with some unexpected dance moves.
There still isn’t any specific information about his role in the film, but it’s Idris Elba, so it should be good. Star Trek Beyond is set for release on July 8, 2016. article by Lori Lakin Hutcherson (follow @lakinhutcherson)
Now, over 30 years after they’ve formed and three years since their last album, Public Enemy has released Man Plans God Laughs, offering much-needed and necessary protest music once again. The video for the single “No Sympathy From The Devil” was just released today, and it packs a chilling punch. It ties historical acts of racism with the racism of today – and so much of it looks the same (at the 1:56 mark, 
