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Good Black News

EBONY Unveils Powerful December Cover With Harry Belafonte, Jesse Williams, and Zendaya

By goodblacknews on November 23, 2015

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Fresh off its provocative, internet breaking Cosby Show cover, the folks over at EBONY are at it again.
Celebrating the magazine’s 70th anniversary, editor-in-chief Kierna Mayo and company just unveiled the cover for the December issue, which asks readers to #StandForSomething.
The image features actor and civil rights legend Harry Belafonte flanked by the next generation of socially conscious celebs, Grey’s Anatomy’s Jesse Williams and Disney’s Zendaya Coleman.
So far, people are loving the look of latest issue. Ava DuVernay called it “epic” and Michaela Angela David said it helps understand the heritage of the social justice movement.
article via clutchmagonline.com

Brown University Pledges $100 Million to Address Campus Racism

By goodblacknews on November 23, 2015
Students held a Blackout Rally on the campus of Brown University on November 12, 2015. (Colorlines screenshot of Brown Daily Herald video, taken November 23, 2015.)

Brown University is hoping a new plan will help the Providence, Rhode Island, school create a more inclusive environment for its 8,800+ students. On Friday, president Christina H. Paxson announced that the school will invest $100 million dollars over the next decade toward meeting the goals in her new plan, called, “Pathways to Diversity and Inclusion: An Action Plan for Brown University.”
The actions in the plan—which is meant to address diversity and racism on campus—are organized around four pillars: Creating an inclusive learning environment, building and supporting a diverse community, creating pathways for knowledge and success, and creating accountability measures. Paxson posted the plan online as a working document and asked students, faculty and staff to review and give feedback between now and December 4. Then the document will be modified to take into account the input and a final version of the plan will be released before the semester is over.
Elements of Paxon’s proposal include:

  • Doubling emergency funds for low-income students for health insurance, trips home for family emergencies, laptops and books, and access to dining and housing for those who remain on campus during school breaks.
  • Hiring a dean dedicated to supporting first generation and low-income students.
  • Orientation for new faculty and staff will include training and awareness workshops around issues of race/racism, gender/sexism, sexual and gender identity, ability, and the intersectionalities across these areas.
  • Additional diversity and sensitivity training for the Department of Public Safety. 
  • Establishing a committee on curriculum changes.
  • Expanding the Center for the Study of Race and Ethnicity in America and the Center for Slavery and Justice and creating an initiative on Native American and Indigenous peoples.

The plan comes days after a November 12 demonstration where hundreds of students gathered at a solidarity rally to talk about their experiences with racism at Brown. Watch a video of the Blackout Rally below.
article by Kenrya Rankin via colorlines.com

Taraji P. Henson, Terrence Howard to Host Fox Holiday Special Featuring Mary J. Blige, Jamie Foxx and John Legend

By goodblacknews on November 23, 2015
Empire Season 2 premiere
COURTESY OF CHUCK HODES/FOX

Fox’s “Empire” may be headed on its midseason break after a couple of more episodes, but the network hopes to keep its Wednesday timeslot warm by slotting a holiday music and variety special hosted by the show’s Taraji P. Henson and Terrence Howard.
The network announced Monday that “Taraji and Terrence’s White Hot Holidays,” featuring a special duet by Henson and Howard and modern performances of classic holiday songs, has been set for Wednesday, Dec. 9 at 9. Among the entertainment superstars scheduled as guests and musical performers are Mary J. Blige, John Legend and Jamie Foxx.
“Empire” is broadcast television’s No. 1 series this fall in adults 18-49, averaging a 6.8` rating in the demo and 16.7 million viewers overall in Nielsen’s “live plus-3” estimates. The show is scheduled to exit the airwaves after its Dec. 2 midseason finale, and won’t return until March 30.
“White Hot Holidays” is produced by Casey Patterson Entertainment, Don Mischer Productions, Taraji P. Henson, Terrence Howard and Vincent Cirrincione.
article by Rick Kissell via Variety.com

Meet Jewell Jones, the 20-Year-Old Councilman Hoping to Change Inkster, Michigan for the Better

By goodblacknews on November 22, 2015
<span class='image-component__caption' itemprop="caption">Councilman Jewell Jones is the youngest person ever on the City Council of Inkster, Michigan.</span>
Councilman Jewell Jones is the youngest person ever on the City Council of Inkster, Michigan. (COURTESY OF JEWELL JONES)
Jewell Jones is a city council member who still needs to finish his homework each night, but he has big ideas for improving his community.
The 20-year-old made history when he was sworn in Monday as the youngest person to ever sit on the City Council of Inkster, Michigan, a town nestled on the outskirts of Detroit. Jones, who represents the city’s 4th District, is also a full-time student at the University of Michigan-Dearborn.
A lifelong resident of Inkster, Jones began dabbling in local politics when he was about 8 years old.  “My parents would drag me around to different things in the community. I was very involved in my church,” Jones told The Huffington Post. “Serving the people in this capacity has always been pretty natural for me.”
In the past few years, he has been even more active and helped out on political campaigns for Michigan state Sen. David Knezek (D) and Inkster’s Mayor Hilliard Hampton.
Jones said that what started off as a joke with one of the councilmen in his district blossomed into a serious City Council campaign. “I told him maybe I could run and he kinda took it seriously,” Jones said. “And I went ahead and threw my hat in the race, got all the signatures that I needed to get on the ballot and this happened.”
Finding balance between the campaign and being a full-time student was the difficult part. On top of majoring in political science and finance, Jones is involved with several on-campus organizations — including the Army ROTC, Black Student Union and Student Veterans Association.
“I was taking it day to day, but it was just a daily challenge of seeing if I focus on the campaign right now, or should I focus on school,” the newly minted councilman said. “But my support system was really good.”
Some people have questioned his experience and ability to lead, Jones says, because of his young age. But he isn’t worried about being unprepared.  “I have quite a lot of responsibility and roles right now that I’ve had for quite some time now,” Jones said. “It kind of molded me to be good at this job.”
Jones, a junior at the university, still plans to graduate in the spring of 2017.
Knezek, who is the youngest senator in Michigan at age 29, says he met Jones when the councilman was 16 and immediately saw his potential for leadership.
“We need more Jewells in politics across this country. We need more young people who won’t simply settle for sitting on the sidelines complaining about how others are running things,” Knezek told HuffPost. “I was so happy when Jewell won and I look forward to working with him to make Inkster the best place to live, work, worship and raise a family. The future is bright with young leaders like Jewell Jones stepping up to the plate.”

"Drumline" Helmer Charles Stone to Direct Comedy "Ain’t No Half Steppin"

By goodblacknews on November 22, 2015
charles stone
Director Charles Stone (photo via deadline.com)
Drumline helmer Charles Stone has boarded Broad Green Pictures’s Ain’t No Half Steppin, an upbeat comedy from screenwriter Chuck Hayward (Cooper Barrett’s Guide to Surviving Life). Matt Alvarez (Straight Outta Compton, Ride Along), Lena Waithe (Master of None, Dear White People) and Benjamin Cory Jones (Hand of God) are producing. Alvarez recently joined Broad Green’s development and production team in an exclusive pact.
Broad Green PicturesAin’t No Half Steppin follows an ambitious black sorority girl who, in order to get admitted to the law school of her dreams, agrees to cross culture lines and teach the exclusive art of black Greek stepping to a band of wild, Kardashian-obsessed white sorority girls whose charter is about to be revoked.
“I just skimmed the surface of black Greek life in Drumline,” Stone said in a statement. “Ain’t No Half Steppin gives me a chance to delve deep into the art of competitive stepping. Chuck and the producing team have put together a brilliant, smart comedy, which audaciously explores the dynamics and identity politics within black and white sororities.”
Released in 2002, Drumline starred Nick Cannon as a hot high school drummer who blazes into the university big leagues. It grossed $56.4M at the domestic B.O. off a $20M estimated budget and spawned a 2014 VH1 sequel, Drumline: A New Beat.
article by by Anthony D’Alessandro via deadline.com

Misty Copeland Lands Deal to Write "Ballerina Body", a Health-And-Fitness Book

By goodblacknews on November 22, 2015

misty copeland
ABT Principal Dancer Misty Copeland

NEW YORK (AP) — Dancer Misty Copeland is working on a health-and-fitness book.
Grand Central Life & Style, an imprint of Grand Central Publishing, announced Thursday that Copeland’s “Ballerina Body” is scheduled for 2017. Copeland, the first African-American woman to become the American Ballet Theatre’s principal dancer, is a member of President Barack Obama’s Council on Fitness, Sports & Nutrition.
Copeland said in a statement issued by her publisher that she wanted to show “all athletes have to take care of themselves from the inside out.”
Her previous books include the memoir “Life in Motion” and the picture book “Firebird.”
article via blackamericaweb.com

HBO to Debut Jordan Davis Documentary "3 1/2 Minutes, Ten Bullets" on November 23

By goodblacknews on November 21, 2015

3 1/2 Minutes, Ten Bullets
“I remember the first day we brought Jordan home from the hospital a miracle child. For nine months, I fought to give this special child life. I remember asking God to keep him safe and out of harm’s way. I have said many prayers that he would be highly favored before God and man. I asked God that he would give him wisdom to navigate a world filled with uncertainty and danger.” – Lucia McBath
On November 23rd of 2012, Michael Dunn approached a red Dodge Durango and fired 10 shots at four black teenage boys. Their music too loud, skin too dark, and voices too opinionated. That same night, Jordan Davis drew his last breath and Lucia McBath lost her firstborn child. Now, just three years later, HBO will air 3 1/2 Minutes, Ten Bullets, an in-depth documentary chronicling the details of the murder of Davis.
Award-winning director and cinematographer Marc Silver debuted the film at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival, where it won the U.S. Documentary Special Jury Award for Social Impact. Now, HBO is providing a larger platform for the project, opening a door for further exploration into America’s current state of cultural turmoil. The film captures testimonies from the Michael Dunn trial, and moments of conquest as Lucia McBeth and Ron Davis fight to gain justice for black children nationally in the name of their departed son.
Children are scared, people are angry and the Black community is in constant mourning. The band-aid placed over the wound of racism has been ripped away. Now is the time for America to properly address the errors of it’s past — as it is clear that time will not heal racial inequality. Often times the actions of the offender are glorified while the life of the victim goes forgotten. This film stands as a catalyst for discussion, giving a voice to the grieving families of slain children around the country.
Take the time to tune in to HBO when 3 1/2 Minutes, Ten Bullets airs on television on November 23rd at 9:00pm EST.  Check out the trailer below:

article by Chasidy Billups via saintheron.com
 

Sixteen Year-Old Rock Climbing Champion Kai Lightner is Shattering Stereotypes

By goodblacknews on November 21, 2015

Rock Climbing Champion Kai Lightner (photo: MYLES WASHINGTON)

Sixteen-year-old rock climbing champion Kai Lightner is reaching new heights with his athletic skills as one of a few professional black rock climbers.  Lightner told The Huffington Post that he can’t remember a time when he wasn’t finding ways to get his two feet off the ground and that he started climbing when he was six years old.

Eventually, he said, someone at his mom’s job recognized his talent and suggested that she take him to the local rock-climbing gym where he soon discovered his passion for the activity. He’s won several championships for his incredible ability, but he said his experiences as a black climber has been somewhat of a challenge.
“When I would tell [black] people that my sport was rock-climbing they would look at me funny, and ask ‘What is that?’ ‘We don’t do that,'” Lightner said.
(PHOTO: MYLES WASHINGTON)
In 2013, the Smithsonian reported that 78 percent of Americans who took part in outdoor activities, which included rock climbing, were white. Rock climber and journalist James Mills explained the misperception of black people in outdoor sports and the lack of representation of people of color.
“It’s not a question of whether or nor African-Americans can climb mountains. What matters is as [a] group we tend not to,” Mills wrote. “And for a variety of different social and cultural reasons the world of mountaineering has been relegated almost exclusively to white men.”
There are structural influences that have barred black people from participating in outdoor sports such as rock climbing, which has kept the majority of participants white. Lightner said he has felt accepted by other climbers, but that he has gotten a lot of grief from other people of color for his participation in the sport.

District of Columbia Agrees to $16.65M Settlement with Donald Gates, Wrongly Imprisoned for 27 Years

By goodblacknews on November 20, 2015

Donald Gates (Photo Source: nnomcenceprorject.org)
Donald Gates (Photo Source: innocenceprorject.org)

The District of Columbia agreed Thursday to pay $16.65 million to a man who spent 27 years in prison for a rape and murder he didn’t commit.
The amount is about $617,000 for every year Donald Eugene Gates spent in prison. Gates was freed in 2009 after DNA evidence cleared him in the 1981 rape and murder of 21-year-old Georgetown University student Catherine Schilling. A federal jury on Wednesday found that two city police officers fabricated and withheld evidence in the case, and city officials agreed to a settlement Thursday as the jury was getting ready to decide damages in the case.
According to court records, former homicide detectives Ronald S. Taylor and Norman Brooks, both now retired, fed information to an unreliable informant. The informant claimed Gates confessed to him while in jail and that he was tied to DNA evidence. This led to a D.C. Superior court finding Gates guilty and he was sentenced to life in prison. During this time, Gates maintained his innocence and suffered until 2009. It was then that he was cleared based on DNA evidence and the real culprit was identified. Because of the conduct of the officers and his wrongful imprisonment, Gates was earlier awarded $1.4 million under a law that gives $50K per year of imprisonment of innocent people who waive their rights to sue the US government.
In response to the jury verdict, Gates is quoted as saying, “It feels like the God of the King James Bible is real, and he answered my prayers.” Gates, who lives in Knoxville, Tenn., added as he left the courtroom, “Justice is on the way to being fulfilled. . . . It’s one of the happiest days of my life.”
article via fox5dc.com and rollingout.com

Alicia Keys, John Legend, Pharrell and Others Perform at "Shining A Light: Concert For Progress on Race in America" Airing Tonight on A+E Networks & Several Others

By goodblacknews on November 20, 2015
John Legend at "Shining A Light" Concert
John Legend at “Shining A Light” Concert

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

article by Lori Lakin Hutcherson (follow @lakinhutcherson)