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Obamas Sing Happy Birthday To Usher At White House [VIDEO]

By goodblacknews on October 19, 2015

Usher and the Obamas (photo via youtube)
Usher and the Obamas (photo via youtube)

Usher may be the reigning King of R&B, but, right now, we’re pretty sure he’s feeling like the King of the World.”
The soulful singer spent October 14, his 37th birthday, recording a taping of PBS’ concert series “In Performance at the White House.” He and his bride Grace were chatting with President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama when they surprised him by singing “Happy Birthday” and presented him with a cupcake topped with a single candle.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c9D6jk3cRHo&w=560&h=315]
The former “The Voice” coach seemed humbled — and in total disbelief — by the experience, at one point, turning to the videographer and asking, “Are you getting this?
After the First Couple were done singing to Usher, President Obama said, “That’s a good cupcake, too.”
Along with Usher, Queen Latifah, Smokey Robinson, and Esperanza Spalding also performed at the White House for the concert series.
See the Obamas serenade Usher in the video above.
article via newsone.com

Tracy Morgan Makes Return to "Saturday Night Live", Boosts Ratings (VIDEO)

By goodblacknews on October 18, 2015

tracy morgan (snl screenshot)
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

HBO Gives Series Order to Comedy From YouTube Star Issa Rae

By goodblacknews on October 17, 2015
'Insecure' hails Larry Wilmore and Rae, the star of the popular web series 'The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl.'
Issa Rae (AP Images/Invision)

Issa Rae is bringing her misadventures to HBO.  Insecure, the YouTube star’s comedy pilot, has been picked up to series at the pay cabler.  The half-hour comedy examines the friendship of two modern-day African-American women and their uncomfortable experiences and racy tribulations.

Rae stars as Issa Dee opposite Yvonne Orji (Love That Girl!), who will play Issa’s best friend, Molly. Although she is very successful professionally in the corporate world, Molly is not so successful in her love life.
Jay Ellis (The Game) also stars as Lawrence, Issa’s depressed and unemployed boyfriend who has been trying to get his act together for the past four years. Lisa Joyce (Boardwalk Empire) rounds out the ensemble as Frieda, Issa’s liberal and empathetic co-worker at an educational non-profit firm.
Prentice Penny (Brooklyn Nine-Nine) will serve as showrunner on the series, exec producing with Michael Rotenberg, Dave Becky and Jonathan Berry. Rae and Larry Wilmore co-created the project and the wrote the pilot together. She will co-executive produce, while he will serve as a consultant. Wilmore is now behind the desk on Comedy Central’s The Nightly Show, which came after Insecure was put in development at HBO in 2013.
Melina Matsoukas directed the pilot.  Rae is known for her award-winning web series, The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl, which has helped her amass 200,000 subscribers and 20 million views on YouTube. She is repped by UTA, 3 Arts Entertainment and John V. Meigs Jr.
Insecure‘s series pickup comes as part of television’s continued efforts to increase diversity, which have proved successful for networks like Fox (Empire) and ABC (Black-ish).
Insecure joins HBO’s expanding comedy slate that includes Girls, Veep, Silicon Valley, Togetherness, Ballers, The Brink, Doll & Em, the upcoming final season of Getting On and the TV movie finale of Looking.
article by Kate Stanhope and Lesley Goldberg via hollywoodreporter.com

Eddie Murphy Honored with Kennedy Center Mark Twain Prize

By goodblacknews on October 16, 2015
Eddie Murphy Emmy Awards
Eddie Murphy (photo via GETTY IMAGES)

Thirty-five years ago an unknown teenager from Brooklyn made an uncredited cameo in a lackluster episode of a network variety show on the verge of collapse. By the next episode that kid got his first real shot on screen and he never looked back. Soon enough, the only thing keeping “Saturday Night Live” from dying in the post-Lorne Michaels era was legendary-comedian-in-the-making Eddie Murphy.
Within two years Murphy was performing standup on “The Tonight Show” with Johnny Carson, and turning in iconic parodic performances on “SNL” as Buckwheat, Gumby and Mr. Robinson in sketches that would be forever emblazoned in the annals of American pop culture. By 1984, Murphy was a hugely bankable movie star, making his mark in comic masterpieces like “48 Hours,” “Trading Places” and “Beverly Hills Cop,” which catapulted Murphy to international fame and spawned two sequels.
On Oct. 18, the man with one of the most infectious laughs in comedy will receive the 18th annual Kennedy Center Mark Twain Prize for American Humor.  Kathy Griffin, who will present clips of Murphy’s 1982 “Tonight Show” debut at the Kennedy Center gala event, says Murphy’s brilliance stems from his gutsy approach to standup comedy.
“In an era when everyone is apologizing for everything, it is fun and liberating to go back and watch him express anything that he thinks is funny without filters,” she says. “He is not a safe comedian and isn’t that what standup comedy is really about?”
Of course, Murphy is also one of the most commercially successful African-American actors in film history. His movies have averaged $100 million at the box office, including such hits as “Coming to America,” “Shrek” and “The Nutty Professor.” Although he’s been absent from the big screen for several years, Imagine Entertainment is reportedly developing a Netflix comedy feature with Murphy.
“Eddie is an icon and a terrific actor who has been making us laugh for 35 years,” says Cappy McGarr, executive producer of the Mark Twain Prize.  He adds that Murphy’s early films were brilliant not only because they were funny, but also because they tackled themes of racism in America. “Trading Places,” released in 1983, explored the divide between the haves and have-nots.
“That movie is just as relevant now as when it was made,” McGarr says. “Like Richard Pryor, who received the first Mark Twain Prize, Eddie has been an incredible influence on all those who followed him.”
Comedians Murphy influenced and inspired include Arsenio Hall, Dave Chappelle and Chris Rock, who’s called Murphy his “idol.” He will be among the presenters at the Kennedy Center ceremony, along with fellow “SNL” alumni Will Ferrell, who received the Mark Twain Prize in 2011, and Tina Fey, who was honored with the award in 2010.
Griffin says the Mark Twain Prize is the ultimate award for comedians, especially since they are typically overlooked at the Oscars. (Murphy’s one nomination is for his dramatic turn in Bill Condon’s 2006 musical “Dreamgirls.”)
“This is a huge honor for Eddie,” Griffin says. “Everyone in comedy wants this. The ones that have it all brag about it and the ones that don’t are pissed. This is it.”
Per McGarr, the Mark Twain Award may not be enough validation for a genius such as Murphy: “I just wish we could give him more than one medal.”
article by Stuart Miller via Variety.com

Morris Chestnut Medical Series "Rosewood" on Fox Gets Full Season Order

By goodblacknews on October 16, 2015
rosewood morris chestnut
Morris Chestnut in “Rosewood” (PHOTO COURTESY OF ADAM TAYLOR/FOX)

The prognosis is good for Fox’s “Rosewood.” The medical drama starring Morris Chestnut as a charismatic Miami pathologist has been given a full season order.
The series has been the standout among Fox’s freshman series this fall, averaging a 2.4 rating in adults 18-49 and 7.8 million viewers overall in Nielsen’s “live plus-3” estimates for its first three episodes. Fox has paired the show with “Empire” in the 8 p.m. Wednesday berth, which has benefitted “Rosewood” as its audience has consistently grown in its second half-hour as viewers await “Empire” at 9 p.m.
Todd Harthan is creator and executive producer of “Rosewood” for 20th Century Fox TV. Other cast members include Jaina Lee Ortiz as Beaumont Rosewood’s potential love connection, Detective Annalise Villa, and Lorraine Toussaint as his mother. It was recently announced that Taye Diggs would guest star on the series.
“’Rosewood’ has proven to be a real self-starter for us, which is a tremendous feat on this highly competitive night. Todd Harthan, Morris, Jaina, Lorraine and the entire cast and crew have done a fantastic job creating a gorgeous, sexy world that is the perfect complement to ‘Empire’,” said Fox entertainment president David Madden. “The upcoming episodes are so compelling as we build out the family dynamics, and with today’s order, we’re excited to explore the world of ‘Rosewood’ even further this season.”
The back-nine order brings the show to 22 episodes for its first season. At a time when many network dramas are opting for shorter episode orders, Fox is hoping “Rosewood” will hold up as a reliable procedural drama in the vein of “Bones.”
article by Whitney Friedlander w/reporting by Rick Kissell via Variety.com

African Billionaire Tony Elumelu Launches $100 Million Dollar Program for African-American Entrepreneurs

By goodblacknews on October 16, 2015
African billionaire Tony Elemelu and President Barack Obama (photo via financialjuneteenth.com)

Tony Elumelu, an attributed philanthropist and African billionaire, is a stellar businessman with specialized training in economics, seeking to change the economic standing of those in the African-American community.  Elumelu chairs Heirs Holdings and Transcorp, and is also the founder of the esteemed Tony Elumelu Foundation.
In 2014, Elumelu, along with other prominent American and African business moguls, partnered to form a summit in Washington DC that consisted of more than 45 African and American business heads, along with 50 African business leaders. The common theme of the platform was to see to the improvement in the economic stance of Africans, as well as African-Americans, and to create advancement opportunities for all who interacted.
Elumelu’s statements to the media explained that the summit presented a promising opportunity for individuals to make positive returns on contributions made to valuable incentives around the Atlantic. He expressed that this was not mere chatter, but an outlet to expose those involved to greater opportunities in business growth.
Speaking to the Wall Street Journal, Elumelu said, “An opportunity to move beyond the usual conversations on aid and instead explore new opportunities to collaborate and co-invest in initiatives that generate value on both sides of the Atlantic.”
Elumelu also spoke with Black Enterprise on his vision for a real partnership between the United States and Africa, not just a relationship of providing aid, but trade as equal partners, engaging investors and the need for consistent electricity.
“We should welcome the fact that the journey has finally begun. I like the nature of the imagined engagement between Africa and America. President Obama’s visit to Africa last year was the starting point,” Elumelu says. “The fact that they have realized the need to engage with Africa at the scale and magnitude that they are going about it now is welcome.”
His foundation is also playing its part in reaching out to minority and women-owned businesses. “The Tony Elumelu Foundation will launch an entrepreneurship program with 100 million dollars that will touch 10,000 entrepreneurs across Africa and the United States,” he says. “We will train and mentor them and create platforms for them to have commercial business engagements.”
The vision set forth by Tony Elumelu is one that he believes merges more than simple aid; it creates a solid partnership between Africa and the U.S. It’s the beginning of a business journey that takes a different, but more rewarding, path for all of those invested. The trip to Africa taken by President Obama was another key indicator that steps are being taken in the right directions to strengthen business ventures between Africa and America.
This newly-formed relationship between Africa and the U.S is one that can create a positive mode of growth for African American entrepreneurs who stay the course and take the route the foundation has designed. The overwhelming occurrences of negativity surrounding African Americans in the press makes it necessary for many to find outlets that help them reach their full business potential. The summit created the opportunity and the foundation’s program provides the means to capitalize on the opportunity.
article by Angela Wills via financialjuneteeth.com

NFL Star DeAngelo Williams to Cover Cost of 53 Women's Mammograms to Honor Late Mother

By goodblacknews on October 15, 2015

(AP Photo/Keith Srakocic)

The NFL allows teams to wear pink during the month of October for breast cancer awareness month, and pushes assorted pink memorabilia to consumers, though it only donates a small portion of the proceeds to actual breast cancer research.
DeAngelo Williams, who lost his mother Sandra Hill to breast cancer last year, is going to personally help women in North Carolina get diagnosed according to ESPN. Williams is footing the bill for 53 mammograms for 53 women – one for each year of Hill’s life.
The median cost of a mammogram is $243, so this is an estimated value of $12,879, but it’s priceless in terms of early breast cancer detection.
article by Micah Peters via ftw.usatoday.com

Jamaican Novelist Marlon James Wins Man Booker Prize

By goodblacknews on October 14, 2015
Marlon James won the 2015 Man Booker Prize for "A Brief History of Seven Killings" on Tuesday.
Marlon James won the 2015 Man Booker Prize for “A Brief History of Seven Killings” on Tuesday.  (photo via cnn.com)

Marlon James, the Jamaican novelist, has won the prestigious Man Booker Prize for Fiction for “A Brief History of Seven Killings,” his fictional retelling of the 1976 attempted murder of Bob Marley.

James, 44, who now lives in Minneapolis and teaches at Macalester College, is the first Jamaican author to win the prize in the British award’s 47 years. It’s also the first for his publisher, Oneworld Publications.

‘It is a crime novel that moves beyond the world of crime and takes us deep into a recent history we know far too little about. It moves at a terrific pace and will come to be seen as a classic of our times,” said Michael Woods, chairman of the judging committee.

James didn’t expect to wow the critics, but that’s what he did with his 686-page epic novel.

“It’s like a Tarantino remake of ‘The Harder They Come’ but with a soundtrack by Bob Marley and a script by Oliver Stone and William Faulkner, with maybe a little creative boost from some primo ganja,” wrote Michiko Kakutani in The New York Times.

“It’s epic in every sense of that word: sweeping, mythic, over-the-top, colossal and dizzyingly complex. It’s also raw, dense, violent, scalding, darkly comic, exhilarating and exhausting — a testament to Mr. James’s vaulting ambition and prodigious talent.”

James’ other works includes two novels, “John Crow’s Devil” (2005) and “The Book of Night Women” (2009).

Last year, the prize was opened to any novel published in Britain and written in English. In previous years, winners had to come from Britain, Ireland, Zimbabwe and Commonwealth nations.

article by Katia Hetter via cnn.com

Martin Luther King Jr. Tribute to Top Confederate Memorial on Stone Mountain in GA

By goodblacknews on October 13, 2015

martin luther king jr
Stone Mountain in Georgia, which was once known for its Ku Klux Klan cross burnings, will soon be adding something very interesting: a tower/memorial in honor of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.
The tower will feature a replica of the Liberty Bell. And accordingly it will give a literal interpretation to the line “Let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia” from Dr. King’s “I Have a Dream” speech.
stone-mountain
The Stone Mountain Memorial Association, the authority that maintains the mountain and surrounding Stone Mountain Park, said in a statement that the “King Monument Bell” will “facilitate a more complete telling of the mountain’s history and an expansion of the park’s educational offerings.”
The statement also said additions will include a permanent museum exhibit to recognize contributions of African-American soldiers in both the Union and Confederate armies.

Though the association’s board has yet to take any formal action, its CEO, Bill Stephens, told Atlanta Journal-Constitution columnist Jim Galloway that the King tribute is “a great addition to the historical offerings we have here.”
Galloway was instrumental in pushing for the idea.
In the aftermath of the killings of nine African-Americans at Charleston, South Carolina’s, historic Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in June, Galloway proposed that Stone Mountain — “a three-dimensional history lesson (that) has pushed a one-sided view of America’s bloodiest conflict,” in his words — be made more representative of Southern history.
Stone Mountain, he observed, is within a predominately African-American community just outside Atlanta. The mountain and surrounding Stone Mountain Park are popular gathering spots for multicultural metro Atlanta, with much-hiked trails to the 825-foot summit and bucolic landscaping.

Get the rest of the story at CNN.
article via eurweb.com

Keegan-Michael Key & Jordan Peele Set Fox Comedy With Vine Star King Bach

By goodblacknews on October 13, 2015

keypeele
Key & Peele (photo via Getty Images)

bachelor copy
Andrew Bachelor aka King Bach (photo via deadline.com)

Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele have set up a followup TV series project to their hit Comedy Central sketch show Key & Peele — a single-camera undercover cop comedy starring top Vine personality Andrew Bachelor aka King Bach. Key and Peele are executive producing the project which, in a competitive situation, has landed at Fox.

Written by Key & Peele writer-producer Alex Rubens, the untitled comedy is loosely based on a King Bach Vine and stars Bachelor as an undercover cop who grew up on the streets and goes back to his old neighborhood to take down the bad guys who bullied him when they were kids. Rubens, Key and Peele executive produce.

As his exuberant alter ego King Bach, Bachelor has become Vine’s biggest star, boasting 14 million followers and 5.1 billion loops. The Groundlings alum has parlayed his Vine success into a rising acting career with recurring roles on The Mindy Project, House Of Lies and Black Jesus. He also appeared on Key & Peele. 
This is Key and Peele’s first TV series project since they recently ended their successful Comedy Central sketch comedy series Key & Peele, which the duo created, executive produced and starred in. The series, which ran for 5 seasons, has garnered 9 Emmy nominations, including best sketch variety comedy series and best supporting actor in a comedy series, Key, this year. Peele, Key and Rubens have shared two Emmy nominations in the writing for variety series category.
Key, Peele and Rubens recently worked together on the upcoming New Line feature Keanu, which Key and Peele produce and star in and Peele and Rubens wrote. Key and Peele also have been developing a new installment of thePolice Academy franchise at New Line, a feature based on their popular Substitute Teacher skits at Paramount with Rubens co-writing, and a comedy with Judd Apatow at Universal. Individually, Peele is set to write and direct Blumhouse’s horror film Get Out, while Key stars in Mike Birbiglia’s latest movie Don’t Think Twice and is part of the voice cast of The Angry Birds Movie.
article by Nellie Andreeva via deadline.com