Press "Enter" to skip to content

Good Black News

Zendaya Joins Marvel and Sony Pictures' ‘Spider-Man’ Reboot

By goodblacknews on March 7, 2016
Zendaya as Cut Throat in Taylor Swift's "Bad Blood" video (photo via YouTube)
Zendaya as Cut Throat in Taylor Swift’s “Bad Blood” video (photo via YouTube)

article by Justin Kroll via Variety.com
Zendaya has landed a key role in Marvel and Sony’s “Spider-Man” reboot starring Tom Holland, sources confirmed to Variety.
Jon Watts is directing the currently untitled “Spider-Man” film from a script by John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein. Kevin Feige and Amy Pascal are producing the movie, which focuses on a teenage Peter Parker’s high school days.
Holland is starring as Parker, while Zendaya’s role is still under wraps. Marisa Tomei will play Aunt May.
Zendaya was one of a handful of actresses who had been testing with Holland for the past couple of weeks, but insiders stress that the character is neither Parker’s love interest nor a lead role. She will, however, play a bigger part in future installments.  Plot details are still being heavily guarded.
Holland’s Spider-Man will first make an appearance in the upcoming “Captain American: Civil War” with a standalone pic bowing on July 7, 2017. Production is expected to start this summer.
Zendaya is the star of the Disney Channel series “Shake It Up!” and “K.C. Undercover.” The actress-singer also appeared on “Dancing With the Stars” in 2013 and recently had a guest role on “Black-ish.”
To read more, go to: http://variety.com/2016/film/news/spider-man-reboot-zendaya-1201724216/

Mavis Staples Tells Her Own Story in HBO Documentary "Mavis!"

By goodblacknews on March 6, 2016

512130648-singer-film-subject-mavis-staples-attends-the-ny
Mavis Staples attends the NY Premiere of HBO’s documentary film ‘MAVIS!’ at Florence Gould Hall on February 24, 2016 in New York City.  (MICHAEL LOCCISANO/GETTY IMAGES FOR HBO)

article by Nsenga K. Burton, Ph. D. via theroot.com
Legendary singer and civil rights activist Mavis Staples has been in the business of making music and changing lives for over 60 years. The Chicago-born singer with the signature raspy voice launched her career in 1950 as part of the family gospel group The Staple Singers, comprised of her father (Pops) and three older sisters (Cleotha, Pervis and Yvonne). The “skinny 15-year-old girl with the big voice” was often mistaken for a man or a big woman, surprising fans with her childlike appearance despite her full-bodied voice.
Like many family acts, the Staples honed their craft in the church before taking their show on the road. Having recorded a couple of singles, the Staples Singers hit their stride with the 1957 release of “Uncloudy Day,” on the renowned Vee-Jay Records, which became a mainstream hit. The rest as they say is music history. Staples’ life and times as a singer and activist are chronicled in the HBO documentary Mavis!, directed by Jessica Edwards, who made it her goal to capture the life of a living legend in her words on her terms, having realized that “No one had done the story of her.”
Mavis! chronicles the rise of the Staples Singers and their evolution from gospel to freedom songs to soul music. Staples leads viewers down memory lane recalling the group’s work with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and the civil rights movement, her romance with the love of her life (musical giant Bob Dylan) and Staples desire to remain humble despite her staying power and overcoming the precariousness of the music business.
The 76-year-old, who still lives in Chicago, is still touring and picking up awards, having recently won a 2016 Grammy for Best Roots Performance for the song, “See That My Grave is Kept Clean.”  Staples is proud of her win. “It’s a wonderful feeling for an artist of my generation to be honored and recognized,” says Staples. “It’s very inspiring and it makes me feel like my decision not to retire and to keep making new music was the right one,” she adds.
To read more, go to: http://www.theroot.com/articles/culture/2016/03/mavis_staples_tells_her_own_story_in_mavis.html
Mavis! is currently airing on HBO. Check local listings

FEATURE: Director, Producer and Emmy Award-Winning Actress Regina King Has So Many Stories to Tell

By goodblacknews on March 6, 2016
Regina King (Credit: Elizabeth Weinberg for The New York Times)

article by Wesley Morris via nytimes.com

LOS ANGELES — Regina King’s house has a cozy seat at the foot of a hill in a section of the Los Feliz neighborhood here. The house isn’t far from the street but fosters an aura of secluded serenity anyway: A grapefruit tree guards the property. Off the rear patio is a small room with a vintage Pac-Man console and a signed LP of Prince’s “Controversy” on the wall.
On a sunny January morning, Ms. King sat in the kitchen calmly as the finishing touches were being done on her hair and makeup. She was hours from a trip to the Critics’ Choice Awards. Getting dressed would happen later. In the meantime, she wore a black one-piece unitard that unzipped in the front.
It’s easy to imagine this scene playing out regularly in her kitchen. After 30 years in the business, starting as a teenage actor on the NBC sitcom “227” and continuing with a series of notable but supporting film roles, Ms. King has made her mix of hard candor and intense warmth an asset for dramatic television. In 2015, five years after she published a short but action-packed plaint in The Huffington Post criticizing the lack of inclusion at the 2010 Emmys, she won her first Emmy for her work as Aliyah Shadeed, the Muslim-American sister of a murder suspect on John’s Ridley’s ABC anthology series, “American Crime.”

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.

Blair Underwood to Star in ABC Drama Pilot

By goodblacknews on March 6, 2016

Blair Underwood (Photo by MattBaron/BEI/BEI/Shutterstock)
Blair Underwood (Photo by MattBaron/BEI/BEI/Shutterstock)

article by Nellie Andreeva via deadline.com
Blair Underwood is set as the male lead in ABC’s untitled Meaghan Oppenheimer drama pilot, executive produced by Reese Witherspoon. Written by Oppenheimer, the project follows the personal and professional life of Gemma, a ruthless divorce attorney in Dallas, which begins to unravel when her emotionally damaged, love-addicted sister resurfaces, triggering self-destructive tendencies and exposing long-hidden family secrets.
Underwood will play James, Gemma’s boss and sometime-lover. Gemma’s law professor and mentor for years, who instilled in her a sense of cutthroat ambition, he is the one person unafraid to belittle her.
Underwood’s last turn starring in a television series was on NBC’s quickly-canceled remake of “Ironside.”  His availability put Underwood in high demand this pilot season with multiple offers.  He most recently worked with ABC and ABC Studios on Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., where he had a recurring role. Underwood will next be seen in a guest stint on CBS’ The Good Wife.
To read more, go to: http://deadline.com/2016/03/blair-underwood-cast-abc-drama-pilot-reese-witherspoon-1201714769/

Dr. Alec Gallimore Named Dean of Engineering at the University of Michigan

By goodblacknews on March 5, 2016

Professor Alec Gallimore (photo via pathwaytoscience.org)
Professor Alec Gallimore (photo via pathwaytoscience.org)

article via jbhe.com
Alec Gallimore was named the Robert J. Vlasic Dean of Engineering at the University of Michigan, effective July 1. He is the Arthur F. Thurnau Professor and the Richard F. and Eleanor A. Towner Professor of Engineering. He also is serving as associate dean for academic affairs.
Professor Gallimore joined the faculty at the University of Michigan in 1992 as an assistant professor of aerospace engineering. He was promoted to full professor in 2004. Dr. Gallimore is the founder of the university’s Plasmadynamics and Electric Propulsion Laboratory. Also, he is the director of the Michigan Space Grant Consortium, funded by NASA and the director of the Michigan/Air Force Center of Excellence in Electric Propulsion.
To read more, go to: https://www.jbhe.com/2016/02/alec-gallimore-named-dean-of-engineering-at-the-university-of-michigan/

New Collection of Kendrick Lamar Music Appears Online

By goodblacknews on March 5, 2016

10 Web Series That Showcase the Brilliance and Ingenuity Of Black Women

By goodblacknews on March 5, 2016

Comic-Con International 2012 - Day 4
(Source: Chelsea Lauren / Getty)

article by Veronica Hilbring via hellobeautiful.com
Since its inception, YouTube has been a place for content creators to launch new projects. Black women have taken advantage of that platform by launching ambitious music, short films and sitcom projects. From tackling the corporate America to a new age Sex & The City, Black women are creating the best content on the web. Check out our favorite women of YouTube and their amazing shows.
Reagan Gomez-Preston – “Surviving” 
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=udKoXDSpSko&w=560&h=315]
Reagan Gomez-Preston isn’t an actress waiting on her next role, she’s been creating her own lane by crowd funding her own web series.
Written and directed by Gomez, “Surviving” follows Shayla, a doctor as her hospital is overrun with a mysterious virus. Shayla doesn’t believe the virus is more than the flu but she it isn’t until after she comes face to face with the virus’ effects that she realizes that the world may be on the brink of a catastrophe. If you’re a fan of “The Walking Dead,” you’re going to love “Surviving.”
Kim Williams – “Unwritten Rules”

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SbZjKDwy8vE&w=560&h=315]

If you’ve ever been the only Black woman at your job, then you’ll definitely relate to Racey.
Based on the book, “Unwritten Rules: The Diary of a Nigger, Negro, Colored, Black, African American Woman” by creator Kim Williams, this show gives you a hilarious look at life in corporate America. From dealing with her racist boss to meddling coworkers, “Unwritten Rules” is the perfect anecdote after a long day at work.

Teach For America Marks 25th Anniversary With A Commitment To Recruit More Teachers Of Color

By goodblacknews on March 4, 2016

World History teacher Derrick Sanders on Thursday, January 7, 2016. Mr. Sanders, whom graduated from Howard University, is in his first year of being a teacher with the Teach For America program in Dallas. (photo: Brandon Thibodeaux for Education Week)
World History teacher Derrick Sanders on Thursday, January 7, 2016. Mr. Sanders, whom graduated from Howard University, is in his first year of being a teacher with the Teach For America program in Dallas. (photo: Brandon Thibodeaux for Education Week)

article by Nigel Roberts via newsone.com
Some 15,000 guests joined Teach For America at its Washington, D.C. gathering in February to celebrate the organization’s quarter-century anniversary. On this milestone, the group’s army of teachers, alumni, and allies – now numbering 50,000 – commemorated the past, but fixed their eyes on the future.
At the top of TFA’s agenda going forward is recruiting teachers of color to meet the needs of the nation’s exploding Latino student population and African-American pupils who are struggling to close the academic achievement gap.
The ballooning growth of Latinos and the simultaneous decline of the White population have resulted in a significant demographic shift among students. The 2014 – 2015 academic year marked the first time that minority schoolchildren—Latino, African-American, and Asian—outnumbered their White counterparts, Education Week reported.
However, the teaching force has failed to keep pace with this major shift. According to U.S. News, only 17 percent of educators are people of color.
The problem, according to numerous studies, is that minority students perform academically better under the guidance of teachers of their own race or ethnicity.
A study reported by the Washington Post states:
“We find that the performance gap in terms of class dropout and pass rates between white and minority students falls by roughly half when taught by a minority instructor. In models that allow for a full set of ethnic and racial interactions between students and instructors, we find African-American students perform particularly better when taught by African-American instructors.”
Why do minority students tend to perform better with teachers who look like them? The study reported in U.S. News says teachers of color are often better motivated to teach in racially segregated, poor schools. What’s more, they typically have higher academic expectations of their pupils and better understand their culture.

Virginia McLaurin, the 106-Year-Old Who Danced With Obama, Receives Donations and Support From Community

By goodblacknews on March 4, 2016

14567799226567
President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama with Virginia McLaurin, 106 (photo via newsone.com)

article via newsone.com
Centenarian Virginia McLaurin may have made our hearts melt when she met President Obama last month during a Black History Month event, but now it’s the 106-year-old’s Washington D.C. community making her smile.
McLaurin, who went viral after dancing joyfully with the President and First Lady Michelle Obama, may appear full of spunk, but friend and neighbor Deborah Menkart told the Huffington Post that it’s a bit difficult for her to climb the stairs to her apartment.
Menkart, who also conducts oral interviews with McLaurin, decided to start a crowdfunding campaign to assist her friend, who she said is set on maintaining her own independence.
From ABC News:
“She wants to maintain her independence and be close to her church,” McLaurin’s friend and neighbor Deborah Menkart told ABC News today. “In order for her to stay close to her church and have a place that’s accessible to a person of her age, she needs to raise funds. We’ve been getting an outpouring from people that said they want to help.”
[…]
“This donations page was created so that we can all help her have the resources she needs to live comfortably and to continue her active role in the community,” according to the page titled, “Support for Ms. Virginia McLaurin” on YouCaring.com.
And active she is. McLaurin is a volunteer in an early childhood classroom, serving as a foster grandmother, and is also an advocate of the tenants’ rights organization, Latino Economic Development Center.
So far, the community has donated more than $18,000 to the YouCaring fund. Menkart hopes to reach $50,000 for “core necessities like health care” and comfortable, wheelchair accessible housing, she told ABC News.
You can show your support for McLaurin here.  To see her meet the Obamas if you haven’t, watch below:
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6L-lPaYI_4w&w=560&h=315]