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Robin Roberts Returns To ‘Good Morning America’ Full Time

By goodblacknews on August 31, 2013
It seems like only yesterday that we bid farewell to Robin Roberts on “Good Morning America,” but it’s been a full year. The beautiful and inspiring anchor is set to make her full time comeback! Roberts came back to the show earlier this year, but is now back five days a week!  “The day after Labor Day, I’ll be back to a five-day a week schedule,” Roberts explained. “I’m looking forward to it. I want to get back to my full life.”
Roberts revealed, “I’m really at peace now. I’m not as frightened. I feel 90 percent of myself again, and that’s a great feeling.” September 20th marks a full year since Roberts’ bone marrow transplant and she’s apparently feeling closer to her old self!
Recently getting back from a Maui vacation with a close group of friends, Roberts used that time to renew and reflect and called the trip meaningful. “To be able to feel stronger and a little more active, it’s great to feel that way again,” Roberts said of her trip.  Roberts kept a photo of Maui up in her hospital room as motivation to get well. And it did the trick because we get to see her beautiful face every weekday morning.  Welcome back Robin!
article by Danielle Young via blackamericaweb.com

Faces of Hope: Patrick Oliver Teaches Kids to Be Successful Readers and Writers

By goodblacknews on August 30, 2013
Patrick Oliver traces his success back to this scene: As a little boy in his home in the projects of Little Rock, he shared the morning newspapers with his parents and his grandfather. Each person grabbed a section of the newspaper and passed the other sections around. He and his grandfather, who lived nearby, shared the sports pages.
Years later when he worked himself up from a low level job to one as a material analyst and senior contract administrator in the defense industry, he remembered those scenes at home. His reading and writing skills allowed him to easily understand systems and write proposals that suggested more efficient ways of operating, thus gaining him attention, respect and promotions from upper management. Oliver never forgot the connection between the rituals at his house and his success at work.
“The success of me being a success in corporate America is because of my reading,” he said. “Our house was full of newspapers and magazines,” he said.
Now a literary consultant, program manager and radio host in Little Rock, he devotes most of his life to developing programs that introduce black youth to literature and the importance of reading and writing well. In 1993, he founded “Say It Loud! Readers and Writers,” the nonprofit that provides opportunities for youth ages 10 – 18 to participate in literary arts activities and events designed to enhance their appreciation for literature as a tool for empowerment. Today, in addition to programs in Little Rock, he has partnerships with programs in Chicago, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C.

’42′ Star Chadwick Boseman to Play James Brown

By goodblacknews on August 28, 2013
'42' Star Chadwick Boseman to Play
Fernando Leon/Getty Images

According to Variety.com, Universal and Imagine Entertainment have agreed to make the long-gestating James Brown biopic after hiring “42″ star Chadwick Boseman to play the legendary artist known as the “Godfather of Soul.”  “The Help” director Tate Taylor is directing the film with Imagine’s Brian Grazer and Erica Huggins producing, along with Mick Jagger and Victoria Pearman under their Jagged Films banner. 
Jez and John Henry Butterworth wrote the script, which follows Brown’s rise from extreme poverty in Georgia to becoming a world-famous and highly influential R&B musician with a string of hits in the 1960s and ’70s including “Please, Please, Please,” “I Got You (I Feel Good),” “Papa’s Got a Brand New Bag” and many others. Brown died in 2006 at age 73.
Several actors were vying for the role, but Boseman emerged as the top choice a few weeks ago, though no offer could be made until the movie was formally greenlit by Universal. Boseman will be seen next in Summit’s NFL drama “Draft Day” starring Kevin Costner.
article by Lori Lakin Hutcherson via Variety.com

MUST WATCH: President Barack Obama's March on Washington Speech Today (VIDEO)

By goodblacknews on August 28, 2013

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xOBSeN205pI&w=560&h=315]
29obama-articleLargeOn the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, President Barack Obama honored the legacy and spirit of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with his own inspired speech this afternoon, echoing the call to freedom and justice that King’s own “I Have A Dream” speech did 50 years ago today.  Obama’s speech was the culmination of a full day of celebration of the March on Washington’s golden anniversary.  Watch his entire address above.
article by Lori Lakin Hutcherson

11-Year-Old Carson Huey-You Youngest Student Ever to Attend Texas Christian University

By goodblacknews on August 28, 2013

Screen Shot 2013-08-28 at 12.15.09 PMThe first weeks of college are a nerve-wracking time for nearly all students, but imagine trying to find your way around campus and meeting all your professors at age 11. Carson Huey-You is the youngest person to ever attend Texas Christian University.

He was reading chapter books by the time he was 2 years old. He was in high school at age 5, and he graduated from Accommodated Learning Academy in Grapevine with a 4.0 grade point average and a 1770 SAT score.

Huey-You’s feet barely touched the ground when he played Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy” during his admissions interview.  Dean of Admissions Ray Brown said he knew he wanted Huey-You to be a Horned Frog, but it wasn’t easy.  “He was completely off the grid when it came to even the most basic of things, like completing an application or completing a financial aid form,” he said. “Because of his date of birth, those forms would not accept his application.”

As a TCU student, he will spend a lot of his time in the technology building, as he studies to become a quantum physicist.  Huey-You’s mother is by his side every day as he attends calculus, physics, history and religion classes on the Fort Worth campus.  “It’s just really fun to have her around,” Huey-You said.

Despite the age difference, he chats with fellow students, as well.  “I’ve actually managed to make a few friends here,” he said.  In spite of intelligence far beyond his years, Huey-You is a normal kid.  He likes playing video games. His favorite movie is “Star Wars,” and he loves the “Chronicles of Narnia” book series. He also said he sometimes gets in trouble for wrestling a little too hard with his brother.

Huey-You plans to earn a doctorate before he’s even 20.  To see video of this story, click here.

article by Lindsay Wilcox via nbcdfw.com 

Fifty Years Ago Today: Martin Luther King Jr. Leads March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom

By goodblacknews on August 28, 2013

martin-luther-king
The 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom turns 50 today.  A new PBS documentary reveals the details of what Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. described would be considered the “greatest demonstration for freedom” in American history.  Narrated by Oscar-winning actor Denzel Washington, The March dedicates the majority of the 55 minute running time to the build-up of the momentous event (see clip below).
Some 250,000 people gathered in Washington D.C. on August 28, 1963, to raise awareness of the poor economic realities of African-Americans and to demand the passage of strong civil rights legislation.  Clayborne Carson, a professor of history at Stanford University, was just 19 when he attended the march.  “Every time I think back, I draw different meanings from it because of my subsequent experiences,” Carson told theGrio.com. “At the time I would not have fully understood the significance of what Dr. King’s ‘I Have A Dream’ speech.” 
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ZQ35wzQ2ns&w=420&h=315]
Carson, whose commentary is featured in The March, is also the director of Stanford’s Martin Luther King, Jr. Research and Education Institute. He says America does not have a good track record when it comes to understanding what King stood for.  “The main thing we’ve gotten right is that he deserves a national holiday,” Carson said. “He was the most prominent figure in one of the most important movements in American history.”

Merrill Lynch Agrees to Settle Racial Bias Suit Filed By Black Brokers for $160 million

By goodblacknews on August 28, 2013
Merrill Lynch, a unit of Bank of America, has settled a long-running racial bias suit for a princely sum that may be the largest even distributed to p...
Merrill Lynch, a unit of Bank of America, has settled a long-running racial bias suit for a princely sum that may be the largest even distributed to plaintiffs in a bias suit against an American employer.

Bank of America Corp’s Merrill Lynch unit agreed to pay $160 million to settle a racial bias lawsuit that went through two appeals at the United States Supreme Court, the New York Times reported, citing the plaintiff’s lawyer. 

Longtime Merrill broker George McReynolds filed the lawsuit in 2005 accusing the brokerage of steering blacks into clerical positions and diverting lucrative accounts to white brokers, resulting in lower pay and fewer career growth opportunities. 
The payout in the suit, which was filed on behalf of 700 black brokers who worked for Merrill, would be the largest sum ever distributed to plaintiffs in a racial discrimination suit against an American employer, according to the New York Times. 
The preliminary settlement was confirmed to the newspaper by a spokesman for Merrill Lynch and Linda Friedman, a Chicago lawyer who represents the brokers. (http://link.reuters.com/wes62v)  “We are working toward a very positive resolution of a lawsuit filed in 2005 and enhancing opportunities for African-American financial advisers,” Bill Halldin, a spokesman for Merrill Lynch, told the paper. 
Merrill Lynch and Stowell & Friedman, the law firm representing McReynolds, could not immediately be reached for comment by Reuters outside of regular U.S. business hours.
article by Seth Wenig, AP via nbcnews.com

Vin Diesel Honored With Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame

By goodblacknews on August 26, 2013

showbiz-vin-diesel-2-1Just over a decade ago, Vin Diesel shot from near-obscurity to earning a $10 million payday in what seemed like record time, racing from an ensemble role in “Saving Private Ryan” to headlining “XXX” in nearly four years. But those who think of Diesel as an overnight action star don’t know the half of it.
“Vin is one of the most wildly misunderstood actor-producers out there,” says Universal co-chairman Donna Langley, whose connection with Diesel predates even 2001’s “The Fast and the Furious,” tracing back to “Boiler Room” at New Line.
While Diesel’s fans are familiar with his muscular physique and the trademark thunder-roll of his voice, what they don’t necessarily realize is just how much work Diesel puts into developing the movies they see as pure popcorn fun — or how hard he struggled to get to this point.
Before he became a star, Diesel broke through as an independent filmmaker, writing and directing work that was invited to screen at the Sundance and Cannes film festivals. And before he retires, Diesel will likely step behind the camera again, maybe even to direct his long-brewing passion project, “Hannibal.”

"Lee Daniels' The Butler" No. 1 for 2nd Weekend in a Row with $17 Million in Box Office

By goodblacknews on August 25, 2013

the-butler-3
According to variety.com, three new wide releases, led by Sony-Screen Gems’ Y/A adaptation The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones, with an estimated $14.1 million in five days,  were no match for Lee Daniels’ The Butler, which only fell 31% in its second weekend, for a projected $17 million through Sunday. The Weinstein Co.-distributed movie has earned north of $52 million so far.
The holdover success of Lee Daniels’ The Butler can be largely attributed to its broadening audience: Last weekend, the film earned 76% of its gross from audiences over 35, while in its second weekend, that share shrunk to 63%. Moreover, African-Americans contributed a weighty 39% of the film’s opening; just 33% of its total this weekend came from black viewers.  The film’s playability mirrors the stronghold that The Help had on the box office this time two years ago.

DL Hughley To Co-Create & Star In FX Comedy Based On His Life

By goodblacknews on August 24, 2013

FX, the cable network that carries Louis CK’s acclaimed comedy Louie, has put in development another autobiographical comedy starring a stand-up comedian. The untitled project toplined by DL Hughley is based on Hughley’s life experiences and revolves around him as an unapologetically honest family man and radio host.
Hughley has been married for more than 25 years and has three children. He had a New York radio show a couple of years ago and recently signed on to host a nationally -syndicated afternoon drive show. Hughley, one of The Original Kings Of Comedy, will co-write the script for the FX project with Sivert Glarum and Michael Jamin (Brickleberry). The three will executive produce with 3 Arts’ Michael Rotenberg and Dave Becky for FX Prods.  Hughley previously co-created/toplined the sitcom The Hughleys that ran for four seasons on ABC and UPN.
article by Nellie Andreeva via deadline.com