Sanaa Lathan will star in and executive produce the movie adaptation of Omar Tyree’s “Flyy Girl” book trilogy for Lionsgate’s Codeblack Films. Lathan will portray the film’s protagonist, Tracy Ellison — a successful businesswoman and workaholic who believes that money is always the key to happiness.
Lathan will also star in Lionsgate’s “Now You See Me 2″ and the upcoming production of “The Best Man Wedding.” “So many people have grown up on this series and I’m looking forward to bringing Tracy Ellison’s story to life through film,” Lathan said. “It’s my hope to continue to help bring diverse stories to the big screen.” Geoffrey Fletcher (“Precious”) will write the script.
“Lathan’s star power paired with Fletcher’s nuanced script work — we’re confident that ‘Flyy Girl’ will prove to be a classic,” Codeblack Films President Jeff Clanagan said.
Lathan’s credits iclude “Brown Sugar,” “Best Man’s Holiday” and “Love and Basketball.” article by Dave McNary via Variety.com
Nine victims of the Charleston church shooting. Top row: Cynthia Hurd, Rev. Clementa Pinckney, Rev. Sharonda Coleman-Singleton Middle row: Daniel Simmons, Rev. Depayne Middleton Doctor, Tywanza Sanders Bottom row: Myra Thompson, Ethel Lee Lance, Susie Jackson (Photos via Facebook and Getty Images)
First and foremost, all of us at Good Black News are heartbroken over the loss of the nine precious lives taken this week by senseless, hateful murder at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina, and our sympathies and prayers go out to the families and loved ones most acutely affected by this domestic terrorism.
Even though you may already know the names of the unintended martyrs, they bear repeating, and often, so we never forget: Rev. Clementa Pinckney, Cynthia Hurd, Susie Jackson, Tywanza Sanders, Sharonda Coleman-Singleton, Daniel L. Simmons, Ethel Lee Lance, Myra Thompson, and Rev. Depayne Middleton-Doctor.
We call them martyrs because they are now part of the unfortunately long lineage of named and unnamed African-Americans subjected to racially-motivated violence in the United States. From enslaved persons who died on slave ships in the Middle Passage, to persons enslaved in the colonies, to Reconstruction, to the Jim Crow era, to the Civil Rights movement and up through today, the pattern is plain: you are black, you are hated, your life doesn’t matter, you die violently.
I have spent a lot of time this past week reading and watching coverage of this national tragedy, not only to gather as much information as possible, but also to process and attempt to think of the right words to share on how to move forward in a positive manner, as that is overriding philosophy and mission of Good Black News. I do think it is crucial first, however, to talk about WHERE this happened, HOW it happened and WHY it happened.
South Carolina State Capitol Building (top left); Mammy magnets for sale to Charleston tourists (top right); bumper sticker souvenir (bottom)
As everyone knows by now, South Carolina so proudly claims its antebellum history that the Confederate flag still flies on its State Capitol building. The battle at Fort Sumpter in 1861, right outside of Charleston, which occurred not long after South Carolina seceded from the Union, set off the Civil War.
Tourist shops in Charleston casually sell merchandise such as mammy magnets and confederate bumper stickers, which are symbols of racial oppression to my eyes, but symbols of “the good ol’ days” to others.
The other “where” in this situation is specifically the Emanuel AME Church. The history of this church is steeped in the fight for African-Americans to create their own place of worship and the freedom to express their humanity.
One of the church founders, Denmark Vesey, attempted in 1822 to organize a slave rebellion from this space, which, although thwarted, created mass hysteria among the slave owners in the Carolinas and lead to the church being burned. It has been rebuilt several times and stands as a consistent symbol of black pride, resistance and fortitude. So the choice of this place for this action makes it clear this was a targeted, racially-motivated attack.
CHARLESTON, SC – JUNE 18: People stand outside the Emanuel AME Church after a mass shooting at the church that killed nine people (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
On Wednesday night, in the spirit of fellowship, church members welcomed Dylann Roof, the unfamiliar stranger who would become their assassin, to join and participate in their bible study.
He took advantage of their compassion and open hearts to forward a racist agenda that is centuries-old and still pervasive in the DNA of this country, and particularly so in South Carolina and the South.
In the 1960s, people didn’t call the killers of Emmett Till, Medgar Evers, Martin Luther King, Jr., or the four African-American girls in the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing in Birmingham, Alabama “mentally insane.” They called them what they were – Klan members and/or racists. Regardless of whether or not Roof has mental problems, his racism and desire for racial supremacy is the primary motivation behind his actions.
So, clearly knowing all of that, what are some positive, actionable ways we can move forward as a nation, in our communities and in our personal lives from this horrific event?
Petition/protest/vote for removals of all symbols of oppression and hate from government buildings, streets, tourist centers and shops.
Contribute to the donation fund set up for the families of the victims of the Emanuel AME shootings.
Support/join organizations such as the NAACP, ACLU or the National Urban League, that are dedicated to protesting racial injustice and empowering minorities.
Educate all children of all colors and creeds about the racial history of the United States from slavery to the present and call it what it is. Visit civil rights museums. Read, know and learn the history. Just as Jewish peoples around the world make sure each generation “never forgets” the Holocaust – so should we never forget about American racial injustice.
Keep calling out and protesting current injustices – we need to keep filming and reporting and being sources for unjust police actions, racial disparities in the workplace and even in our personal conversations. Let’s not be Roof’s friend Joseph Meek Jr.,who now regrets not checking his friend more thoroughly about his racist vitriol.
Love. Find forgiveness in our hearts just as the family members of several of the victims are doing for the assailant. Meeting hate with hate solves nothing.
NBC Anchor Lester Holt (Photo: ew.com) Lester Holt will take over the anchor chair at NBC’s “Nightly News” permanently, while Brian Williams takes another position in the organization in the wake of his disclosure earlier this year that he falsified details of a reporting trip to Iraq, according to press reports released Wednesday night.
NBC News declined to comment on the reports, made by CNN and The Wall Street Journal. Robert Barnett, an attorney for Brian Williams who has represented him in negotiations with NBC, also declined to comment after being email Wednesday evening.
Williams’ fate remains uncertain, though The New York Times reported Thursday he could move to MSNBC, the cable-news network also owned by parent NBCUniversal.
The moves, which the reports suggested could be announced as early as Thursday, would help stem a period of tumult for NBC News. The NBCUniversal unit has seen its flagship evening newscast lose in the ratings to ABC News’ “World News Tonight,” anchored by David Muir. Season to date, the ABC newscast has edged out “Nightly News” in the audience most coveted by advertisers, viewers aged 25 to 54.
NBC News has yet to disclose to the public the results of an investigation into Williams’ behavior, the scope of which included not only his false descriptions of a ride aboard a Chinook helicopter, but also certain descriptions of events he purported to take part in during travels for NBC News. The company is clearly banking on the idea that the wide appeal Williams had with viewers will endure if it removes him from a position where trust and credibility are paramount. ABC News faced a similar issue recently its chief anchor, George Stephanopoulos, disclosed he had made charitable donations to the Clinton Foundation without telling viewers, even when those contributions could create the perception of a bias.
If Williams is received well by viewers, he could lend a boost to MSNBC, which has struggled with ratings as of late against rivals Fox News Channel and CNN. The network has reworked its daytime schedule to focus more heavily on breaking news while reserving is primetime schedule for personalities who view events through a progressive or liberal lens.
Holt, meantime, has held his own with Muir, sometimes winning more overall viewers to the NBC newscast week by week. NBC has not lent his newscast any promotion since he took the reins of the program from Williams in February.
Meantime, the anchor has scored some noticeable scoops, including an exclusive interview with the bystander who captured video of a South Carolina police officer shooting Walter Scott, and even led the newscast one evening from a seat in a helicopter. If Holt can keep his facts straight about the chopper, he will likely enjoy his tenure in the anchor seat. article by Brian Steinberg via Variety.com
Isiah Francis (r.), 10, and Jeremiah Grimes (l.), 11, were hailed heroes after they ran into a burning mobile home and rescued a 1-year-old and an 8-month-old (photo via nydailynews.com)Two Florida boys didn’t think twice when they saw their neighbor’s house burning Tuesday morning. Isiah Francis, 10, and Jeremiah Grimes, 11, of Orange County, were playing outside when they saw the fire raging inside a mobile home. They said they knew children lived there.The homeowner was dousing the fire with water when the boys say they ran inside.
“I was really scared because I thought I was going to get burned,” said Isiah, who dreams of being a firefighter. “I was nervous because there was so much smoke it was hard for me to see.”
The boys rescued a 1-year-old and an 8-month-old by tucking the babies under their arms and running outside. The homeowner told the boys there were no more children inside — possibly to keep them safe — but firefighters also rescued a 2 year old and a 5 year old from the burning home. They were both in critical yet stable condition.
Orange County investigators suspect a cook stove ignited the blaze, but they haven’t confirmed their suspicion nor determined another cause of the fire.
Isiah said he is still determined to become a firefighter.
“Even though I have to go through all this hard work, I still want to be one,” he said. article by Annika Harris via uptownmagazine.com
San Antonio Mayor Ivy Taylor (Photo via hellobeautiful.com) Ivy Taylor.
Today, Ivy Taylor began her first official day as the elected mayor of San Antonio, Texas. Taylor is the first African-American to fulfill the role.
This development comes almost a year after Taylor was selected to serve as the interim mayor of the city to finish the term of the previous mayor, Julian Castro. Castro stepped down from his position as mayor of San Antonio when the White House nominated him as the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development.
Taylor won in the race against her opponent, former state Sen. Leticia Van de Putte, with 52 percent of the vote. Taylor was born and bred in Queens, NY. She got her start in city planning, then made her way to city council. Taylor got her undergraduate degree from Yale University and her master’s from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. article by Monique John via hellobeautiful.com
Source: @KREMTaylor / NewsOne/Twitter
In a statement released Monday afternoon, embattled Spokane, Washington NAACP president Rachel Dolezal resigned from her post amidst a scandal surrounding her racial identity.
Dolezal, whose parents claim she pretended to be a Black woman although she is biologically White, was scheduled to attend a meeting during which she was expected to address the controversy that has sparked a heated national debate about what it means to be “transracial.” The NAACP canceled the Monday meeting.
Last week, the organization said it has a tradition of receiving support from people of all colors and creeds, something Dolezal echoed in her resignation statement, which she posted to Facebook. “It is with complete allegiance to the cause of racial and social justice and the NAACP that I step aside from the Presidency and pass the baton to my Vice President, Naima Quarles-Burnley,” she wrote. “Please know I will never stop fighting for human rights and will do everything in my power to help and assist, whether it means stepping up or stepping down, because this is not about me. It’s about justice. This is not me quitting; this is a continuum. It’s about moving the cause of human rights and the Black Liberation Movement along the continuum from Resistance to Chattel Slavery to Abolition to Defiance of Jim Crow to the building of Black Wall Street to the Civil Rights and Black Power Movement to the #BlackLivesMatter movement and into a future of self-determination and empowerment.”
And while we’re talking about Rachel Dolezal, it’s come to light that she sued Howard University in 2002 claiming “discrimination based on race, pregnancy, family responsibilities and gender.” She alleged that Professor Alfred Smith and other school officials improperly blocked her appointment to a teaching assistant post, rejected her application for a post-graduate instructorship, and denied her scholarship aid while she was a student. article by Christina Coleman via hellobeautiful.com
(Photo: Getty Images) Janet Jackson announced she is hitting the road in the U.S. and Canada for the first time in four years starting this August for the “Unbreakable World Tour.” Just last month Jackson launched Rhythm Nation records and announced that a new single was on the way.
Tickets go on sale June 22nd on JanetJackson.com. American Express pre-sale tickets are available Monday, June 15th at 10 a.m through Friday June 19 at 10 p.m. The full North American tour list is below:
8/31/15 Pepsi Live at Rogers Arena, Vancouver, BC
9/2/15 Scotiabank Saddledome, Calgary, AB
9/4/15 Rexall Place Edmonton, AB
9/5/15 Revolution Place Grande Prairie, AB
9/7/15 SaskTel Centre Saskatoon, SK
9/8/15 MTS Centre Winnipeg, MB
9/11/15 Van Andel Arena Grand Rapids, MI
9/12/15 PNC Pavilion at Riverbend Music Center Cincinnati
9/15/15 Air Canada Centre Toronto
9/17/15 Walnut Creek Amphitheatre Raleigh, NC
9/18/15 PNC Music Pavilion Charlotte, NC
9/20/15 American Airlines Arena Miami
9/23/15 Amway Arena Orlando
9/24/15 Amalie Arena Tampa, FL
9/26/15 Chastain Park Amphitheatre Atlanta, GA
9/27/15 Ascend Amphitheater Nashville
9/29/15 Fedex Forum Memphis, TN
9/30/15 Smoothie King Center New Orleans, LA
10/9/15 Axis @ Planet Hollywood Las Vegas
10/10/15 Axis @ Planet Hollywood Las Vegas
10/13/15 Bill Graham Civic Auditorium San Francisco
10/14/15 Bill Graham Civic Auditorium San Francisco
10/16/15 The Forum Los Angeles
10/17/15 Viejas Arena San Diego
10/19/15 Comerica Theatre Phoenix
10/21/15 Santa Barbara Bowl Santa Barbara, CA
10/22/15 Santa Barbara Bowl Santa Barbara, CA
10/24/15 Energy Solutions Arena Salt Lake City, UT
10/25/15 Pepsi Center Denver, CO
10/27/15 Sprint Center Kansas City, MO
10/29/15 Chaifetz Arena St. Louis, MO
10/30/15 CenturyLink Center Omaha, NE
11/1/15 Target Center Minneapolis
11/3/15 Chicago Theatre Chicago
11/4/15 Chicago Theatre Chicago
11/12/15 Neal S. Blaisdell Center Arena Honolulu, HI article by Lori Lakin Hutcherson (follow @lakinhutcherson)
Valedictorian Arianna Alexander (photo via omnifeed.com)
CHICAGO — Kenwood Academy‘s valedictorian, Arianna Alexander, wants to go to college to learn about business. As it turns out, she has a number of options.
“It was a lot to take in. I received emails, letters. It was just like, ‘Come here, come here!’ They were bombarding me with all this information,” Arianna said.
Arianna hails from Chicago’s Hyde Park neighborhood. She graduated with a 5.1 grade point average on a 4.0 scale.
She was accepted to 26 universities, including six Ivy League schools. Her scholarship offers total more than $3 million. “I feel like it means I can afford college and I don’t have to worry about it. I feel like that’s an issue for a lot of people my age,” Arianna said.
Her father encouraged her, after another Kenwood student was offered more than $1 million in scholarships a few years ago. “I planted the seed in Arianna’s mind that you can do the same thing. So when the process got started and a million was achieved, let’s go for two. I said let’s go for three and she did it,” said Pierre Alexander, Arianna’s father.
Arianna is the baby of the family. She has three older siblings. “It was a big blessing, because I’ve already put three through college. Now I don’t have to worry too much about her,” Pierre said.
Arianna has also picked a school, thanks to Paul Brush, one of her teachers. She plans to attend University of Pennsylvania. “He said, ‘Do you know about the Wharton School of Business?’ I said, ‘I have no idea what you’re talking about,'” Arianna said.
“As teachers, we have a big moment to play with the lives that we have in our classrooms,” Brush said.
Her family has also influenced her. Arianna recounted her dad’s words: “Work hard, pray on it, and don’t give up. No matter what happens, you did your best.”
“My wife and I have always stressed to her, if you do your best, you will be the best. So we try to make sure she upholds to that,” Pierre said.
“So as long as you work hard, I feel like there is always a way for you,” Arianna said.
After all, there is still more to achieve besides high school. “When she graduates from Penn, that will be a second goal. We expect bigger and better things for her,” he said.
Arianna said she wants to be an entrepreneur and plans to own four restaurants. She’s already working on the menus.
First Lady Michelle Obama (photo via wikipedia.org)
According to cnn.com, first lady Michelle Obama will be guest editing the July/August edition of “More” magazine. Not only will this be the magazine’s first guest editor, but Obama will be the first First Lady to guest edit an entire magazine issue, according to a statement released by the publication. “The First Lady is the ultimate MORE woman,” said More Editor-in-Chief Lesley Jane Seymour.
The magazine also revealed the issue will highlight women Obama said influenced her during her six years in the White House. The First Lady has previously been featured on the cover of People, Time and Vogue just to name a few. But, the road to the White House wasn’t all glamorous.
It’s been a busy and public week for Obama. She made headlines Tuesday when she gave an emotional commencement speech to a group of students in Chicago, her hometown, speaking about the harsh realities of gun violence in the city and discussing her own experience growing up on the South Side.
“I know the struggles many of you face: how you walk the long way home to avoid the gangs; how you fight to concentrate on your schoolwork when there’s too much noise at home; how you keep it together when your family’s having a hard time making ends meet,” Obama said.
More magazine is a publication designed as a “stylish guide for women of influence.” Obama’s guest-edited edition will be available June 23.
John Legend hasn’t been keeping quiet on police brutality or mass incarceration. Now, he is taking it a step further with his essay for Vulture speaking out on the suicide of Kalief Browder, the young man who spent three years on Rikers Island without a conviction.
Legend is justifiably upset about Browder’s treatment while incarcerated, and he recalls meeting him in 2013 after seeing him in a television interview.
From Vulture:
New York failed Kalief. The list of things that went wrong in his case begins with his first encounter with the NYPD, whose practice of targeting black teens is well documented. The idea that being accused of stealing a backpack would lead to his arrest and detention would be absurd if it weren’t actually tragic. He should not have been tried as an adult, or had prosecutors, defenders, and judges so overwhelmed with cases that he waited three years for trial, violating his constitutional right to swift justice. He should not have been held in an adult jail where he would spend 700 to 800 days of those three years in solitary confinement. He should not have spent one day being abused by guards or the others incarcerated there.
This Martin Luther King Day, Governor Cuomo publicly released findings from a task force he began last year to raise the age of criminal responsibility to 18. Last year, the U.S. Department of Justice found that the patterns and practices at Rikers violate the human rights of adolescent males in jail. Rikers shouldn’t even have a youth unit. The RNDC, where Kalief spent three years, where 18-year-old Kenan Davishanged himself this week, should not exist. Right now legislators in Albany are considering legislation that would end the automatic prosecution of 16- and 17-year-olds as adults, and remove youths like Kalief from Rikers and other jails throughout the state. Kalief died because our system is broken, and lawmakers can act now to stop tragedies like this in the future.
