Ice Cube and Kevin Hart did it again. “Ride Along 2”, the second installment in what is sure to become a series of “Ride Along” movies, opened in the number-one spot in its debut weekend, taking in an estimated $39.5 million in domestic grosses, according to Variety. “Ride Along 2” also has the distinction of displacing the “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” juggernaut from its four-week run at the top, as well as besting critical darling “The Revenant” ($34 million) as it continues to gain momentum from awards season.
Universal spent $40 million re-teaming Ice Cube and Hart for “Ride Along 2,” which finds the bickering police officers working to bring a Miami drug ring to justice.
“It’s a very funny movie,” said Nick Carpou, Universal’s domestic distribution chief. “We have a very committed group of filmmakers and our cast has been promoting the heck out of it.”
The first “Ride Along” movie ultimately earned $134.9 million and even though its sequel debuted a few million shy of its predecessor, the audience skewed slightly more female, with women making up 52% of the opening weekend audience, implying the film will have legs as it clearly appeals to both sexes.
article by Lori Lakin Hutcherson (follow @lakinhutcherson)
Good Black News
Desiree Verdejo Opens Vivrant Beauty in Harlem to Offer Black Women Quality and Options They Deserve
It was only a year ago that Desiree Verdejo resolved to quit her job as a corporate lawyer and pursue her lifelong dream of opening a beauty retail store. That’s quite a leap –but she took it, and today Verdejo is the owner of one of New York City’s hottest new shops, Vivrant Beauty.
The bright and airy space, which is helping to pioneer Harlem’s big beauty boom, is just a few blocks away from Harlem’s bustling 125th Street and right off the main drag of Fredrick Douglas Boulevard. And while all are welcome, the thoughtfully curated hair, skincare and makeup products have women of color in mind.
Verdejo, who was born and raised in Harlem, was frustrated by the lack of selection and the quality of products offered to black women at the average drug stores and beauty supply stores in the area.
To that end, there are no less than 40 different beauty brands lining the shelves and Vivrant Beauty’s e-commerce website, including the usual suspects like Mario Badescu Skin Care, Davines, and Butter London, as well as lesser-known lines likeYouth To The People, Briogeo, and Stiks Cosmetiks.
“That was the goal,” Verdejo told The Huffington Post. “To have a mix of products that really matched the neighborhood that we’re in — which is super diverse.”
But the 33-year-old says she’s particularly proud of the fact that half of the companies sold at the shop are black owned.
“I don’t think black women are always thought of when it comes to luxury goods — and I think we’re also making products beautifully,” Verdejo said. “So anytime I come across [black beauty brands] I definitely want to consider them and try them. And if they’re done as well as others, then they’re a great fit for the shop.”
Verdejo isn’t alone in her mission to provide black women with a more elevated outlook on beauty. The e-commerce website DooBop.com, which was launched in 2014, has led the way in the movement and more brands are following.
While Vivrant Beauty’s e-commerce business is important to its bottom line, Verdejo wanted to open a brick and mortar location to give customers from near and far a true experience (many women frequently travel from New York’s outer boroughs and New Jersey), where they can touch, feel and learn about the unique products offered.
And if Verdejo’s sage advice, halo of natural curls and glowing brown skin are any indication of that experience and quality of goods she’s pushing, then we’re definitely on board.
We asked the beauty maven to give us a rundown of her favorite products from black-owned brands and why she loves them so much. Here’s the scoop…
1.
The bright and airy space, which is helping to pioneer Harlem’s big beauty boom, is just a few blocks away from Harlem’s bustling 125th Street and right off the main drag of Fredrick Douglas Boulevard. And while all are welcome, the thoughtfully curated hair, skincare and makeup products have women of color in mind.
Verdejo, who was born and raised in Harlem, was frustrated by the lack of selection and the quality of products offered to black women at the average drug stores and beauty supply stores in the area.
To that end, there are no less than 40 different beauty brands lining the shelves and Vivrant Beauty’s e-commerce website, including the usual suspects like Mario Badescu Skin Care, Davines, and Butter London, as well as lesser-known lines likeYouth To The People, Briogeo, and Stiks Cosmetiks.
“That was the goal,” Verdejo told The Huffington Post. “To have a mix of products that really matched the neighborhood that we’re in — which is super diverse.”
But the 33-year-old says she’s particularly proud of the fact that half of the companies sold at the shop are black owned.
“I don’t think black women are always thought of when it comes to luxury goods — and I think we’re also making products beautifully,” Verdejo said. “So anytime I come across [black beauty brands] I definitely want to consider them and try them. And if they’re done as well as others, then they’re a great fit for the shop.”
Verdejo isn’t alone in her mission to provide black women with a more elevated outlook on beauty. The e-commerce website DooBop.com, which was launched in 2014, has led the way in the movement and more brands are following.
While Vivrant Beauty’s e-commerce business is important to its bottom line, Verdejo wanted to open a brick and mortar location to give customers from near and far a true experience (many women frequently travel from New York’s outer boroughs and New Jersey), where they can touch, feel and learn about the unique products offered.
And if Verdejo’s sage advice, halo of natural curls and glowing brown skin are any indication of that experience and quality of goods she’s pushing, then we’re definitely on board.
We asked the beauty maven to give us a rundown of her favorite products from black-owned brands and why she loves them so much. Here’s the scoop…
1.
Cher announced today that with the help of Icelandic Glacial™, she is donating 181,440 bottles of water to the people of Flint, Michigan.
After reading about the catastrophic situation in Flint, a city of 100,000 people who are predominately African-American and have not had clean water in over a year, Cher contacted her friend Brad Horwitz, an investor in Icelandic Glacial. Horwitz contacted the company’s Chairman and Co-Founder, Jon Olafsson, about Cher’s desire to purchase water for Flint’s residents. Icelandic Glacial committed to doubling Cher’s purchase which is being trucked in to Michigan beginning Monday, January 18th.
The water will reach The Food Bank of Eastern Michigan (www.fbem.org.) beginning Wednesday, January 20. FBEM will immediately begin the distribution process to those who need it most for drinking, cooking and washing. The water will go directly to community centers, food banks and fire houses focusing in on low-income housing areas where 40% of Flint’s population is living below the poverty line. The bottles, once finished, will return to the food banks and will be recycled with money raised going right back into the food banks.
Cher has been an outspoken critic of the state’s lack of response and commitment to Flint while children were being poisoned by the toxic water through her Instagram and Twitter accounts for the last several weeks.
“This a tragedy of staggering proportion and shocking that it’s happening in the middle of our country. I am so grateful that Icelandic Glacial has come on-board to help the city of Flint. I cannot wait for the water to get there to help these people who have been poisoned because the water they’ve been getting out of their taps has been polluted for so long and remains that way without the state or the federal government stepping in with any substantial plan to resolve this problem,” Cher said.
“We are humbled and honored to help the people of Flint get through this crisis,” said Jon Olafsson. “Together with Cher, we also hope to raise awareness to help get the families of Flint the assistance they need during this difficult time.”
article by Lori Lakin Hutcherson (follow @lakinhutcherson)
Tracy Morgan’s plan to star in an FX comedy series is back on track now that writer-actor Jordan Peele and John Carcieri have signed on to write a pilot for the former “30 Rock” star.
Morgan’s life was up-ended 18 months ago by a car crash that came two months after he signed a straight-to-series pact with FX Networks.
The new project will see Morgan playing a career criminal who struggles to reintegrate into society after serving a 15-year prison sentence.
Peele and Carcieri will write the pilot and executive produce with Eric Tannenbaum and Joel Zadak, an alum of Peele’s Comedy Central sketch series “Key and Peele.”
“What an unbeatable combination – Tracy Morgan and Jordan Peele – two exceptional comics joining forces with a great team of writers and producers to create and produce this pilot for FX Networks,” said Nick Grad, president of original programming for FX Networks and FX Prods. “We’ve been committed to Tracy from the start and are thrilled that Jordan, John, Eric and Joel are joining him in developing this new project.”
Morgan’s deal with the cable network in 2014 called for him to work with the “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” gang — Charlie Day, Glenn Howerton, and Rob McElhenney — on an unspecified concept for a comedy to air on FXX. It’s unclear whether the new pilot will be bound for FXX or the mothership FX.
Morgan suffered brain injuries and broken bones after his SUV was rear-ended on the New Jersey turnpike in June 2014. The crash killed another passenger in the car, Morgan’s longtime friend and fellow comedian James McNair.
The severity of his injuries forced the former “30 Rock” star to endure a long recuperation period. He began a slow return to the public eye last summer with emotional appearances on the Primetime Emmy Awards telecast and a hosting gig on “Saturday Night Live,” his alma mater.
Morgan at present is headlining a national comedy tour dubbed “Picking Up the Pieces” that is set to run through May. He also just wrapped work on the Weinstein Co.’s biopic “Richard Pryor: Is It Something I Said?,” in which he plays comedian Redd Foxx opposite Mike Epps in the title role.
Peele is coming off a five-season run on the much-praised sketch comedy “Key and Peele.” He was in the ensemble of the 2014 edition of FX’s “Fargo,” and he’s recently had recurring roles on CBS’ “Life in Pieces,” and Netflix’s “Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp,” among other projects.
article by Cynthia Littleton via Variety.com
Jussie Smollett will host the eighth season of the public television show AfroPoP: The Ultimate Exchange. The star of the hit FOX TV show Empire will emcee the popular show about contemporary art, life and culture across the African Diaspora as it premieres on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Monday, January 18, at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on WORLD Channel.
New episodes premiere weekly through February 15. AfroPoP is produced by National Black Programming Consortium (NBPC) and co-presented by American Public Television (APT), which distributes the series to the full public television system in February 2016.
Smollett will also be seen in the new WGN thriller Underground in 2016. The acclaimed entertainer is also involved in numerous humanitarian pursuits, sitting on the boards of the Black AIDS Institute, Artists for a New South Africa and the RuJohn Foundation.
Previous hosts of AfroPoP include Idris Elba, Anika Noni Rose, Wyatt Cenac, Gabourey Sidibe, Anthony Mackie and Yaya DaCosta.
“AfroPoP’s engaging, real-life tales add to the collection of rich Black stories that audiences are clamoring for and I wanted to be a part of bringing them to national attention,” said Smollett.
Kendrick Lamar never forgets where he came from and is always giving props to Compton, California. Whether it’s through his community-service endeavors or always recognizing Compton in his songs, Lamar will remind you he’s Compton-proud every chance he gets. And now the city is showing how proud it is of him.
Compton Mayor Aja Brown announced on Twitter that Lamar will be given the key to the city. Brown expressed how the rapper inspires everyone in Compton and shared positive sentiments about him:
.@kendricklamar you inspire millions + rep #Compton w/ honor! Excited to give you the #keytothecity Feb13th! #VisionForCompton #ComptonUp
— Aja Brown (@AjaLBrown) January 14, 2016
.@kendricklamar you inspire millions + rep #Compton w/ honor! Excited to give you the #keytothecity Feb13th! #VisionForCompton #ComptonUp
— Aja Brown (@AjaLBrown) January 14, 2016
@AjaLBrown I appreciate that. HUBLUV.
— Kendrick Lamar (@kendricklamar) January 14, 2016
@kendricklamar ☺️🙌✌️
— Aja Brown (@AjaLBrown) January 14, 2016
Lamar will receive the key to the city just two days before the Grammys, where he garnered 11 nominations for “To Pimp A Butterfly.”
article by Yesha Callahan via theroot.com
article by Yesha Callahan via theroot.com
Frances Dancy Hooks, the civil rights activist and widow of Dr. Benjamin Hooks, died Thursday, reports WREG TV. The prominent educator and philanthropist was 88.
As co-founder of the Memphis Volunteer Placement Program, she helped draw Black students to some of the nation’s best private boarding schools, notes the report.
Dr. Hooks died in 2010. He was the first African-American commissioner of the Federal Communications Commission, and served as executive director of the NAACP from 1977-1992.
From The Commercial Appeal:
Mrs. Hooks, 88, leaves behind a legacy of activism devoted to improving education, race relations and women’s rights in Memphis and across the nation.
A graduate of Booker T. Washington High School, Mrs. Hooks earned a bachelor’s degree from Fisk University in Nashville and a master’s degree from Tennessee State University. Mrs. Hooks began her 24-year career as an educator in Memphis but later served as secretary and adviser to her husband Ben, whom she called “the Catch of Memphis.”
“So many people think of her husband, Dr. Ben Hooks, but she was such a person of incredible competence in her own right,” said Jean Varnell, a friend of nearly 50 years. “They were such a team together.”
Empire fans, rejoice! The hit Fox series has been renewed for a third season. Currently, countless fans are going through withdrawal because of the winter hiatus, so hopefully this news will put smiles on their faces.
Although the ratings of the second season declined, it seems as though the Fox network still has faith in the show. Of course, the renewal news comes on the heels of Taraji P. Henson’s win at the Golden Globes for Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series—Drama.
Empire continues its second season on Wednesday, March 30, on Fox.
article by Yesha Callahan via theroot.com
article by Yesha Callahan via theroot.com
It’s been almost two years since HBO’s True Blood aired its series finale, but Rutina Wesley is still a familiar face to many people, and now Wesley has been tapped to star in Ava DuVernay’s upcoming OWN series, Queen Sugar.
Adapted from the novel written by Natalie Baszile, Queen Sugar tells the story of Nova Bordelon (Wesley), a journalist-activist based in New Orleans, whose life is turned upside down when her sister returns to Louisiana from Los Angeles to help run the family’s sugarcane farm. DuVernay is writing and directing the series, and Oprah Winfrey will also make a few guest appearances.
Earlier this year, Winfrey and DuVernay discussed how the series came to be.
“I loved this book and immediately saw it as a series for OWN,” said Winfrey. “The story’s themes of reinventing your life, parenting alone, family connections and conflicts, and building new relationships are what I believe will connect our viewers to this show.”
“From the moment I was introduced to the book, I was captivated by the idea of a modern woman wrestling with identity, family, culture and the echoes of history,” DuVernay added. “To bring this kind of storytelling to life alongside Oprah for her network is wildly wonderful. I’m excited about what’s in store.”
article by Yesha Callahan via theroot.com
In celebration of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, SiriusXM’s Urban View (channel 126) will air audio of Dr. King’s ‘Lost’ speech, first delivered at the National Press Club in 1962 more than 50 years ago.
Considered of significant historical value, Dr. King became the first African American to speak at the Club and delivered the captivating speech in front of a segregated establishment just days after being released from jail in Albany, Georgia. In it, he reiterates his vision for non-violent protest as the best way to achieve racial equality.
An audio recording was made of the speech and filed away in the Club’s Archives and later transferred to the Library of Congress. No television footage of the speech in its entirety exists. Excerpts of King’s speech were unveiled this past Tuesday at a National Press Club event moderated by SiriusXM host Joe Madison.
Press Club President John Hughes also unveiled a permanent Club memorial to Dr. King’s speech. “Martin Luther King’s 1962 speech was one of the most important events to ever happen at the National Press Club,” Hughes said. “I am honored this event at long last is getting proper recognition with such distinguished guests.”
SiriusXM Urban View will air full audio on Monday, January 18 at 6:00 am, 8:00 am, 8:00 pm and 10:00 pm. All times are ET.