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Russell Simmons Raises 1.5 Million Dollars for the Arts at Annual Art For Life Benefit

By goodblacknews on August 1, 2013
Russell Simmons raises 1.5 million dollars for the arts at annual Art For Life Benefit
Russell Simmons raises 1.5 million dollars for the arts at annual Art For Life Benefit. Michael Strahan, Nicole Murphy, Anthony Anderson, among others, were in attendance (photo by Nia Hamm)

Celebrities, activists, artists and media descended upon Bridgehampton, New York last Saturday July 28 to help raise more than $1.5 million — and counting — for Danny and Russell Simmons’ fourteenth annual Art For Life Benefit.  The event, held at Russell Simmons’ Fairview Farms East Hampton estate, helped to raise money for the Rush Philanthropic Arts Foundation, which provides arts education opportunities for inner-city youth.
“It’s very important that kids get a chance to practice and appreciate art,” Russell Simmons said of his inspiration for the benefit and organization, because, “it informs everything that we do. Nothing happens without creativity.”  Guests included Michael Strahan, Nicole Murphy, Anthony Anderson, Rev. Al Sharpton, Star Jones, Angela Simmons and more. Youthful new faces such as Skylar Diggins, Olivia Culpo, Nana Meriwether, Melanie Fiona and Tahira Jose were also seen on the scene to bring attention to the importance of promoting culture among our youth.
Soledad O’Brien hosted the gala, while special performances included Estelle, Rick Ross and Maxwell. There was even a surprise performance by Doug E. Fresh.  This year’s theme, ‘A Field of Dreams,’ highlighted the creativity of New York City youth and honored individuals in the community for their contributions, career achievements and philanthropic work.
Honorees included Samuel Englebardt and William D. Johnson of Demarest Films, writer Walter Mosley, Ann Pasternak of Creative Time and filmmaker Tyler Perry.  Attendees agreed that the arts are an integral part of any child’s upbringing. “As a parent I want them to be able to read. I want them to be able to write and do mathematics. That’s all really important. But they also, to be human beings, have to understand how to express themselves,” Soledad O’Brien said.  The final amount raised by the Art For Life Benefit the will be announced when the online auction, hosted by Charitybuzz, closes on August 7.
article by Nia Hamm via thegrio.com

Black Philanthropy Month 2013: How to Participate and Help Others This August

By goodblacknews on August 1, 2013

“Philanthropy is commendable, but it must not cause the philanthropist to overlook the circumstances of economic injustice which make philanthropy necessary.”  -Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
In recent weeks, marches and rallies, town hall meetings and more have united people from all races to address inequities in the judicial system,change perceptions of black men and boys and address questions concerning why race remains a strong determinant in Americans’ pursuit of happiness.  This moment, which has involved calls for a boycott of Florida, in addition todemonstrations in dozens of cities, takes on even greater importance with the approach of the fiftieth anniversary of the historic March on Washington and Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream Speech” this August.
The convergence of these events and concerns for our nation’s future call for reflection on the state of the “dream” a half-century later, and urge action among citizens to tackle the most pressing challenges of the twenty-first century: mass incarceration, failures in education, and more.
How can we channel our collective energy and resources to transform our communities? Throughout August and beyond, you can help by contributing time, talent and treasure in observance of Black Philanthropy Month 2013.
Participate in Black Philanthropy Month 2013
Four leaders in the movement to advance black philanthropy, African Women’s Development Fund USA (www.usawdf.org), BlackGivesBack.com (www.blackgivesback.com), Community Investment Network (www.thecommunityinvestment.org) and the Giving Back Project (http://givingbackproject.org/) are launching Black Philanthropy Month 2013 (BPM 2013) on August 1 to bring together these threads of need to be met with productive purpose.
The BPM 2013 launch in August will kick off concerted efforts that will continue through a subsequent six-month multimedia campaign to foster civic engagement around philanthropy, amplify authentic stories of black philanthropy, cultivate the next generation of givers and expand opportunities for people of African descent to give through new and traditional channels, including giving circles, global giving, crowd funding, volunteerism and more.
Valaida Fullwood, strategist for the Giving Back Project and author of the award-winning book Giving Back:  A Tribute to Generations of African American Philanthropists, shared her thoughts on the aftermath of the watershed events in 1963 that many will be commemorating this August. She also urges us to remember that, although much has changed, much is still needed to help others reach for the dreams and mountaintops King spoke of during that era.

Essence Magazine Announces Vanessa Bush as New Editor-In-Chief

By goodblacknews on August 1, 2013

Vanessa Bush, new Editor of Essence Magazine
“I’m absolutely thrilled. This truly is my dream job. I’ve loved Essence since I was a kid,” Vanessa Bush, the new editor-in-chief of Essence, told theGrio.  The new head of the black women’s lifestyle bible has worked for numerous publications over the course of her career, including Life and Glamour, but none other has drawn her passionate devotion.  In her new role, Bush is thrilled to take her decade-plus years of experience in journalism and apply it in service to African-American women, at a magazine that inspired her both as a black woman and budding journalist as a child.
She even remembers her first encounter with the glossy.  “It’s something that I will never forget. I can remember creating mini-magazines with my mom,” Bush reminisced. “One of the few places where I could actually cut out pictures of women who look like me was Essence magazine. So to be able to bring that full circle decades later is just a dream. Essence is the embodiment of the quintessential black woman who is empowered and that’s an achiever, that’s looking for inspiration, that’s looking for wise counsel. That’s always trying to be the best that she can be. Essence has always been that guide book that shows us how to do that.”
The backstory of the new Essence chief
The Columbia School of Journalism graduate began her career as a staff writer before moving into editorial duties. In 2000, Bush began working at Time, Inc., now the parent company of Essence Communications.  Simultaneously, after operating independently since its founding by Edward Lewis in 1970, Essence began its initial partnership with Time in 2000. Bush made her move at that time, and joined the Essence team as a beauty and fashion features editor.

Kerry Washington Tops Vanity Fair’s 2013 Best-Dressed List

By goodblacknews on August 1, 2013

photos-best-dressed-list-2013.sw.5.ss01-kerry-washington-international-best-dressed-list-2013Vanity Fair Magazine released its International Best Dressed List for 2013 yesterday and for the first time, Django Unchained and Scandal actress Kerry Washington was the top honoree.  Washington was in good company, as the list also included perennial style icon and new mom Princess Kate of England, pop mavens Beyoncé and Justin Timberlake and NBA Champion and MVP LeBron James, among others.  To see the full list and more photos, click here.

article by Lori Lakin Hutcherson

Lower Student Loan Interest Rate Bill Clears the House

By goodblacknews on August 1, 2013
Just in time for the upcoming academic year, the House of Representatives on Wednesday passed a bill to lower student loan interest rates by a vote of 392-31. The measure, now headed to President Obama for his signature, retroactively lowers the interest rate on loans that doubled from 3.4 percent to 6.8 percent on July 1.
Moving forward, Congress will no longer fix interest rates each year. Instead, they will be tied to the interest rate on money borrowed by the federal government. The bill does include caps so the interest rate won’t exceed 8.25 percent for undergraduates, 9.5 percent for graduate students and 10.5 percent for parents who secure loans for their children.
“This bipartisan compromise offers hardworking students and families critical protections, reduces rates on all new loans this year, and saves undergraduates $1,500 on average over the life of their loans.  The plan caps market-based interest rates, ensuring students won’t bear the brunt of skyrocketing rates in the future,” said Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas).  The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimates the bill will reduce the federal deficit by $715 million over the next 10 years.
article by Joyce Jones via bet.com

Oscar Grant's Father Can Sue Officer Who Killed His Son, Court Rules

By goodblacknews on July 31, 2013
oscar grant father
SAN FRANCISCO — A federal appeals court says Oscar Grant’s father can sue the Northern California transit officer who shot and killed his son on a train platform.  The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Tuesday rejected former officer Johannes Mehserle’s claim that he was acting in his official capacity when he killed the younger Grant during a 2009 New Year’s Day melee captured on video by several bystanders.
Violent demonstrations ensued after the videos showing the white officer shooting the unarmed black man were viewed by millions online.  The appeals court said it’s up to a jury to determine whether Mehserle was justified in shooting Grant in the back as he lay face down on the train platform.  Mehserle served 11 months in prison after he was convicted of involuntary manslaughter.  The appeals court’s decision affirmed a lower court ruling.
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article by via huffingtonpost.com

18 Year-Old Gabrielle Turnquest Becomes Youngest Ever to Pass Britain's Bar Exams

By goodblacknews on July 31, 2013
Teenager becomes youngest person to be called to the Bar
Gabrielle Turnquest

According to The Telegraph, American student Gabrielle Turnquest was called to the Bar of England and Wales after passing her exams at just 18, qualifying her as a barrister in those countries.  Turnquest is a native of Windermere, Florida who made news when she graduated from Liberty University of Virginia at 16, which made her that college’s youngest-ever graduate with a degree in psychology.   She most recently took courses at Britain’s University of Law along with her sister Kandi, who also passed her bar exams (she is 22).  The average lawyer in Britain undertakes the Bar Professional Training Course when they are 27.

The teenager hopes eventually to be a fashion law specialist and will also take the American Bar exam so she can practice law in the U.S.  But as her parents are originally from the Bahamas and the British exams cover that country as well, she may practice there for a time.  She said: “I am honored to be the youngest person to pass the Bar exams but, really, I was not aware at the time what the average age was.  I didn’t fully realize the impact of it.”
article by Lori Lakin Hutcherson

Steven Soderbergh Donates $10,000 To Spike Lee Kickstarter Because Lee Inspired Him To Direct

By goodblacknews on July 30, 2013
Steven Soderbergh
Steven Soderbergh (Charles Eshelman/Getty Images)
Spike Lee
Spike Lee

Days after it was revealed Steven Soderbergh donated $10,000 to Spike Lee‘s Kickstarter campaign, the Magic Mike and Behind the Candelabra director explained why he offered such massive financial support.
Lee was one of three independent American filmmakers, with David Lynch and Jim Jarmusch, who inspired Soderbergh in the ’80s, a time in which he otherwise “felt like the sense of what was possible had shrunk,” Soderbergh wrote on Lee’s Kickstarter page.
“These were distinctive new voices, and the freedom (and success) they represented was liberating and energizing; these were shoulders I would try to stand on, that I would be proud to stand on,” he explains.
Soderbergh continues to praise Lee, writing: “Certain filmmakers exist outside the traditional parameters of criticism; their point of view and body of work make discussions about individual films interesting but ultimately irrelevant because each project is merely a chapter in a very long book that must (and will) be acknowledged and appreciated for its breadth, ambition, and contributions to the art of cinema. For me, Spike Lee is one of those filmmakers. He is a totally unique figure in American cinema, and he’s always gone his own way and spoken his mind (even when the commercial stakes were high), qualities which are in short supply in the film business.”
In closing, Soderbergh reiterates that he’s supporting a friend whose films he admires and who paved the way for his own success. He also notes that he’s hoping — through the Knicks game he’s been promised for his pledge — to get to know Lee better as a person.  Lee’s Kickstarter for a movie that he describes as a “funny,” “sexy” and “bloody” picture has so far raised $403,546 of its $1.25 million goal from 1,989 backers (including 21 at the $10,000 maximum level). There are 22 days left for the campaign to meet its fundraising target.
article by Hilary Lewis via hollywoodreporter.com

Cheryl Boone Isaacs Elected President of Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

By goodblacknews on July 30, 2013

New AMPAS President Cheryl Boone Isaacs
New AMPAS President Cheryl Boone Isaacs

According to Variety.com, Cheryl Boone Isaacs has become the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences first African-American president.  After a lengthy career behind the scenes, the Academy Board of Governors chose Isaacs, who served as first vice president of the Academy board.  Isaacs, who has held every other Academy board officer position and also produced last year’s Governor’s Awards, also becomes the first female Academy president since Fay Kanin in 1979-83 and third overall, counting the two-month tenure of Bette Davis in 1941.
Rob Friedman, the co-chairman of Lionsgate Motion Picture Group and most recently treasurer of the board, was perceived as the other top candidate for the post.  Voting totals are not released by the Academy.  Academy board members serve three-year terms, while officers serve one-year terms, with a maximum of four consecutive terms in any one office, including president.
The president role was once a ceremonial title.  But in recent years the role has taken on greater responsibility, as each worked with the Academy’s salaried staff, including CEO Dawn Hudson and Ric Robertson to further diversity initiatives, while also trying to move the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, scheduled to open in 2017, closer to reality. They also dealt with questions of electronic voting, changes in Oscar rules (such as more than five best-picture contenders) and a restructuring of the staff.
article by Jon Weisman with additional reporting by Lori Lakin Hutcherson

Denzel Washington Returning To Broadway For 'Raisin In The Sun' Revival

By goodblacknews on July 30, 2013

After unconfirmed rumors from Showbiz411, the man himself, Denzel Washington has confirmed that he is indeed returning to Broadway in 2014 to star in a revival of Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun, to be directed by Kenny Leon.  Washington confirmed the rumors last night at the New York premiere of his action-comedy 2 Guns, the Wall Street Journal reported.
Although he didn’t say whether he’ll be joined by Sophie Okenedo, Anika Noni Rose and Diahann Carroll, as Showbiz411 also previously reported.  But since they got Denzel’s involvement right (as well as the play, director and producer), I’d assume that they are also correct on the casting of the three actresses.
Denzel didn’t tell the WSJ what role he’ll be playing in the production, but, really, who else would it be but the lead protagonist, Walter Lee Younger? Certainly not Joseph Asagai nor George Murchison. Besides, I don’t see Denzel returning to Broadway to take a supporting role.  Assuming Sophie Okenedo and Anika Noni Rose are indeed attached, they’d likely play Walter Younger’s sister (Beneatha) and wife (Ruth).  Showbiz411 pegged Diahann Carroll as the family matriarch, Lena (“mama”).  Scott Rudin will produce.