article by Meredith Blake via latimes.com
Here’s a bit of heartwarming news to start your Monday: HBO announced Monday that comedian Quincy Jones will headline a stand-up special to air this spring on the premium cable network.
What’s the big deal? In July, the 32-year-old Jones (not to be confused with the legendary music producer of the same name), an aspiring stand-up comedian, was diagnosed with Stage 4 mesothelioma cancer and given a year to live. He is undergoing chemotherapy and performing when he is well enough.
His friends Nicole and Mickey Blaine recently launched a Kickstarter campaign to raise money to help Jones realize his dream of starring in a stand-up special. The campaign quickly reached its $50,000 target and also generated a flurry of publicity for Jones, who made a charming appearance on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” last week. To see it, click here.
The special will be taped in Los Angeles in April and will air on HBO this spring.
To read more, go to: http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/tv/showtracker/la-et-st-comedian-quincy-jones-cancer-standup-special-at-hbo-20160321-story.html
Good Black News
article by Michael Cavna via washingtonpost.com
JUST LAST month, Akilah Johnson was “surprised and overwhelmed” when she learned that she was a national finalist in the “Doodle 4 Google” contest for grade-schoolers.
Akilah, a sophomore at Eastern Senior High School in Northeast Washington, has just been named Google’s big winner in the national contest, topping the 53 state and territory champions, whose work had been culled from about 100,000 student entries.
“It is really overwhelming,” Akilah tells The Post’s Comic Riffs, minutes after receiving the news Monday during a ceremony at Google headquarters in Mountain View, Calif. “I was so excited, I started crying,” Akilah says. “I didn’t even look at anybody — I was just looking at the framed copy [of the Doodle] they gave me.”
Akilah is the contest’s first winner from Washington, as D.C. was not eligible to enter the states-only competition in past years. (The Post’s Comic Riffs had joined the chorus of voices urging that the District be included.)
This year’s contest theme was: “What makes me…me.” Akilah drew a box-braided Doodle titled “My Afrocentric Life,” using color pencils, black crayons and Sharpie markers. The Doodle includes symbols of black heritage and signs representing the Black Lives Matter movement. “Although it felt like forever making this picture, it only took me about two weeks,” Akilah told Comic Riffs last month.
Beyoncé has launched her new “Formation” line, and model Jillian Mercado, who has muscular dystrophy, has been announced as the face of the new line.
Source: Beyoncé enlists model with muscular dystrophy as face of new line | theGrio
“BEST DAY OF MY LIFE!,” Megan’s Instagram video of herself and Drake captioned. “I MET THE LOML (Love of my life). He was so sweet & down to earth. Gave me and my family some OVO clothing. BEST DAY EVER. NO LIE. @champagnepapi LOVE YOU!”
Social media posts document Drake and Rihanna sharing the moment with Megan at the hospital. Instagram pictures and a Snapchat video show the 6 God hanging out with her as well.
“This is the best snapchat I’ve ever done before,” the Views from the 6 rapper says in the Snapchat video with Megan. Drizzy performed “Work” with the Bajan singer at Miami’s American Airlines arena that evening.
“Work” has spent four weeks at the #1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 Charts. The ANTIsinger is the only artist with #1 Hot 100 singles from seven consecutive studio albums and the third artist with the most #1 singles, totaling 14, surpassing Michael Jackson’s record of 13.
Drizzy’s forthcoming album Views from the 6 is scheduled to be released April 16.
To see more social media posts of Drake and Rihanna’s Make-A-Wish Foundation visit with Megan, go to: http://hiphopdx.com/news/id.37984/title.drake-rihanna-visit-make-a-wish-foundation-cancer-patient-together
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/
article by Tommy G. Meade Jr. via hbcubuzz.com
Wiley College officially announced early Sunday that “Beyond the Lights” and “The Great Debaters” actor Nate Parker, who is also a director, producer, writer and musical performer, is starting a film and drama school there to help empower young people in East Texas and across the country.
(The film The Great Debaters depicts the black college debate team beating Harvard College in the 1930s, though, the team actually didn’t face off against Harvard. At the time, historically black Wiley College was David and University of Southern California was Goliath, and indeed David defeated Goliath in this matchup.)
KLTV reported on Friday that Nate Parker has been keeping tabs on the black college and “even using their a capella choir for the soundtrack of his film The Birth of a Nation,” as well as announcing his election to the college board of trustees, in which Parker said he’s “honored” to serve at the position.
Now when exactly does classes begin? Here’s what we know:
- The first classes for the Nate Parker School of Film and Drama will be held in the fall.
- Before that though, about 30 high school and college students, after being picked, will have the opportunity to join a nine day summer institute as a pilot program for the school.
- In addition, ten current seniors at the black college have already been picked to serve at the institute this summer as staff.
But those are short-term goals for the school. Nate Parker also wants to “bring Hollywood back to East Texas” and to “create a pipeline toward filmmaking physically through developing the college, having filmmakers be nurtured and cultivated here, and then having somewhere for them to go with respect for them actually being able to engage in filmmaking here in East Texas, then it kind of serves multiple purposes,” he said.
“You control the moving picture, you control the masses. So really getting them rallied around the idea of re-claiming the narrative of America, specifically through the eyes of people of color,” Parker said.
article by Sidnee Michelle via forbes.com
It’s a snowy Friday morning as Ericka Pittman, vice president of Combs Enterprises, settles down, coffee in hand, and begins prepping for her busy day in New York City. After traveling on a 2 a.m. red-eye flight, she explains how although she is extremely fatigued, the show must go on. Her successes at major media outlets like Time, Inc. and Conde Nast caught the attention of business mogul Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs, who hand-selected Pittman as vice president of his companies.
As Sean P. Diddy Combs’ “Sheryl Sandburg,” Pittman’s creative mind and strategic way of thinking make her one of the best brand developers in the business. As the VP, she sits at the helm of the executive team, overseeing the growth and direction of the Combs portfolio and overseeing Combs’ businesses, including Aquahydrate, Combs Wines & Spirits (CIROC, Deleon Tequila), Revolt TV and Sean John.
Besides her love of her career, Pittman has invested herself in propelling women from different walks of life to reach their highest potential. As a part of Women’s History Month, we followed her throughout her day in New York City as she discussed her journey and crucial advice to all Millennials.
Sidnee Michelle: What is your favorite thing about being Ericka Pittman?
Ericka Pittman: My heart. I have a very gum-drops-and-rainbows approach to life. I’m one of those people who will put a coin in an expired meter so no one gets a ticket or towed; I’m one of those types in my heart and in my core. Most people who have known me and know my heart see that side often, but I feel in business I’m not able to be that person 100% of the time – so I try to keep that balance.
SM: What is the most fulfilling aspect of being a woman of your stature?
EP: That giving back element – when I elevate those around me, it just feels good. For me, I try to give back even in business. Doing well by doing good is very important to me. The same way I was blessed in my career, I try and pass on the good karma by doing everything in my power to advance the next woman that deserves it.
SM: What influence does Sean P. Diddy Combs have on your career? What did he teach you early on?
EP: Sean Combs has taught me to utilize every tool in my tool box, to make the impossible possible. He taught me how not to take no as an answer – that no is the beginning of negotiations to get what you want. He also taught me to be strategic about how you go about getting what you want – with class elegance urgency and fine execution. If I didn’t have that leadership in my life early on, I’m not sure I’d be where I am today.
SM: Besides Sean P. Diddy Combs, who are some of your influences and mentors?
EP: Just recently I started to acquire female mentors. I discovered as I was growing in my career there was a need of a feminine aspect and guidance in business that I was lacking. I’ll walk into a high intensity board room like a bull in a china shop – stern and aggressive, because that’s what I learned from my male mentors and counterparts. I realized that I had to learn how to finesse my approach from female mentors like Susan De’Passe , who worked with Motown and had hands in discovering the Jackson 5.
SM: How did you rise to the top in such a male dominated industry?
EP: I think I there is a certain level of integrity I have. I demand a certain amount of respect because of the way I present myself in business and personal life. You have to conduct yourself a certain way in both realms – while still being able to maintain your identity and a strong and powerful woman.
SM: How do you maintain a healthy work/personal life balance?
EP: It’s tricky at this company because of the brands/companies I work with. Celebration is our core tenant, so we do awesome activations, parties and events. Things like those bleed into my personal time because of the frequency and late hours of these events. To combat that I think it’s important to be 100% present in the moment that you are in.
To read more and see video of Ericka Pittman, go to: http://www.forbes.com/sites/sidneedouyon/2016/03/17/meet-vice-president-of-combs-enterprises-power-woman-ericka-pittman/#1bf4b5377a84
article via jbhe.com
The University of Cincinnati has announced that it has created the Provost Graduate Fellowship that will provide financial aid for students from underrepresented minority groups in the university’s graduate programs. The new program will provide a three-year, $25,000 fellowship that include free tuition for doctoral studies at the university.
Beverly Davenport, provost at the University of Cincinnati, stated that “as the chief academic officer of the university, I want to invest in graduate education. There are a whole host of academic issues that I could invest in, and I try to choose the ones that need the most support. There was a void at the university level for these types of fellowships, so I wanted to fill that. Your budget should follow your values.”
Dr. Davenport added her reasons for funding fellowships for minority students because “diversity adds value in every way. It brings a broader array of perspectives and intellectual contributions. It also changes the questions we ask, the ways in which we approach them, the creative endeavors we produce, and the results of our work. We cannot solve the world’s great challenges if we continue to sit at the table with people trained exactly the way we were.”
article by Sarah Larson via newyorker.com
Dearly beloved, Prince is writing a memoir. Last night, at Avenue, the club on Tenth Avenue, in the Meatpacking District, he announced the news to a group of admirers who’d been alerted that afternoon. Before he arrived, editors, journalists, and friends of Prince danced to Q-Tip and Diana Ross under orange lights and a mirrored disco ball, and waitresses in stretchy, zippered minidresses carried trays of champagne flutes. Gayle King showed up, then Trevor Noah, of “The Daily Show.” Noah told me that his favorite Prince song was “Purple Rain.” In his youth in South Africa, he said, he’d discovered Prince after becoming a fan of Michael Jackson. “Prince is our generation’s classical music,” he said.
“Billie Jean” began playing. People screamed. Prince appeared on a glass-lined balcony, descending a staircase and standing a few feet above us like a pastor or a king. He had a roundish cloud of hair and wore a gleaming gold-and-purple striped pajama suit. “The good people of Random House have made me an offer I can’t refuse!” he said. He was writing a book, he told us. “It’s going to be called ‘The Beautiful Ones.’ ” We cheered. “I literally just got off the plane. I’m going to go home and change and put some dancing clothes on. Props to my brother Harry Belafonte.” People looked around. Prince put large, insectile sunglasses on. “Now I can see,” he said.
Spiegel & Grau, the Random House imprint, is scheduled to publish “The Beautiful Ones” in fall 2017. “You all still read books, right?” Prince asked. “My brother Dan”—Dan Piepenbring of the Paris Review—“is helping with it. He’s a good critic. That’s what I need. Not a yes man.” Prince said that the book would begin with his first memory and go “all the way to the Super Bowl.” He played the Super Bowl in 2007, in a torrential storm, singing “Let’s Go Crazy,” “Baby I’m a Star,” and “Purple Rain” on an enormous illuminated Love Symbol, accompanied by dancers, fireworks, a glowing marching band, and a stadium full of backup singers. Like everything Prince does, it felt strangely mythic.
To read more, go to: http://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/prince-announces-his-memoir-funkily?mbid=rss
article via eurweb.com
Fox’s resurrected “Prison Break” will see the return of three more original members.
Rockmond Dunbar, Amaury Nolasco and Robert Knepper are coming back for the new limited run, the network announced. All three will reprise their original roles as Benjamin Miles “C-Note” Franklin (Dunbar), Theodore “T-Bag” Bagwell (Knepper) and Fernando Sucre (Nolsco). Additional castmembers are expected to return as well.
They join Wentworth Miller (Michael), Dominic Purcell (Lincoln) and Sarah Wayne Callies (Sara) in the new episodes, which pick up after Michael’s apparent death.
Sara has moved on with her life, raising her and Michael’s child with her new husband (previously announced guest-star Mark Feuerstein). When clues surface suggesting that Michael may be alive, Sara teams with Lincoln to engineer the series’ biggest escape ever, as three of Fox River State Penitentiary’s most notorious escapees — T-Bag, C-Note and Sucre — are pulled back into the action.
To read more, go to: http://www.eurweb.com/2016/03/rockmond-dunbar-returning-to-foxs-revived-prison-break/