The “Just Churchin’” Comedy Show, Woman of Purpose Concert and the Ball Up Streetball Classic Tour Championship game are just a few of the electrifying entertainment events that will captivate audiences during the upcoming Labor Day weekend.
“MegaFest is about coming together to strengthen each other and our families, and leaving refreshed and ready to help our communities,” said Jakes. “There’s no better way to get inspired than by having fun, creating memories and laughing together.”
Making its triumphant return to the United States for the first time since 2006, MegaFest will be held at the Dallas Convention Center, American Airlines Center and other venues throughout the city. This supersized event marries four of Jakes’ most popular conferences: ManPower, Woman Thou Art Loosed, MegaYouth and MegaKidz with a plethora of entertainment, business and other empowering features for the entire family.
Hosted by Cedric the Entertainer and Niecy Nash, stars of the TV Land hit sitcom The Soul Man, the “Just Churchin’” comedy show is a MegaFest favorite. Slated for Friday, August 30 at 8 p.m. at the Dallas Convention Center Arena, “Just Churchin’” guarantees a flavorful mix of comedic talent, with hilarious, family-friendly stand up routines from seasoned veteran comedians to the hottest up and coming talent. Tickets went on sale June 28.
Good Black News
Throughout the Trayvon Martin case, Rachel Jeantel‘s testimony was riveting and difficult to watch for many reasons, including defense attorney Don West’s obvious frustration with her and condescension toward her. Jeantel was the last person to speak to Trayvon Martin before being killed by George Zimmerman who was found not guilty on July 13. Jeantel was deemed by the defense and the media as an implausible source due to her ‘lack of education.’ The 19-year-old was berated by many due to her speech, appearance and mannerisms. Fortunately her testimony and recent appearance on CNN’s “Piers Morgan Tonight,” influenced Tom Joyner to lend a helping hand.
Joyner reached out to Jeantel and offered her a full scholarship to any HBCU of her choice. In addition to assisting the young teen with college, he also wants to help her complete high school with the best tutors and SAT courses. Jeantel hopes to pursue a career in law enforcement.
Related Stories:
- Stevie Wonder Boycotting Florida Following Zimmerman Verdict
- Justice Department To Review George Zimmerman, Trayvon Martin Case
- ‘Fruitvale Station’ Bows Strong Amid Trayvon Martin Reaction
- EDITORIAL: What We Can Do To Honor and Bring Justice to Trayvon Martin’s Life
article by Bria Feliu via theurbandaily.com with additions by Lori Lakin Hutcherson
Every rapper takes pride in his ability to paint pictures with words. So it’s fitting that one of the world’s most famous MC’s has decided to take that ability to heart. Darryl “DMC” McDaniels, one third of the legendary group Run-DMC has decided that after years of being a fan of comic books that now is the time to start his very own publishing company, the aptly named Darryl Makes Comics.
“I’m just the bait,” DMC says to the watching crowd during his press conference at Midtown Comics. “This ain’t about a rapper starting a comic book, this is about a life-long fan!” To underline his sincerity DMC points out that in the 1985 classic “King of Rock” he proudly rhymed way back then that “I’m DMC, I can draw.”
Taking his role as publisher seriously, McDaniels has teamed up with a who’s who in the world of comic books and entertainment to guarantee a top-notch product.
As killer Michael Dunn, 45, prepares to face 1st-degree murder charges in September for the November 23, 2012 slaying of 17-year-old Jordan Davis, in an exclusive interview with Jet Magazine, the teen’s parents, Ron Davis and Lucia McBath, share the difficulties in keeping their son’s story alive and how they’ve bonded with Trayvon Martin‘s parents, Sybrina Fulton and Tracy Martin.
RELATED: Jordan Davis Killer’s Charges Upgraded To First-Degree Murder, Faces Life Without Parole
As previously reported by NewsOne, Davis was gunned down by Dunn at a gas station in Jacksonville, Florida. As previously reported by NewsOne, Dunn claims that he felt threatened by the teen — who was sitting inside of an SUV with friends — and loud music coming from the vehicle, so he shot inside of it 8 or 9 times before driving away leaving Davis to die in a friend’s arms.
None of the teens had weapons.
The fact that Dunn was carrying a legal concealed weapon, and is counting on Florida’s controversial ‘Stand Your Ground’ law to justify his actions, has drawn attention to the racial implications of the law in a state where Black manhood is consistently criminalized.
In the wake of the George Zimmerman acquittal, the singer said he would not be performing in the Sunshine State until its Stand Your Ground law is “abolished.” He also said he would not be performing in any other state that recognizes the law, which some say contributed to Zimmerman’s acquittal in the shooting death of Florida teen Trayvon Martin on Feb. 26, 2012.
“I decided today that until the Stand Your Ground law is abolished in Florida, I will never perform there again,” Wonder said Sunday while performing in Quebec City. “As a matter of fact, wherever I find that law exists, I will not perform in that state or in that part of the world.” Some have argued that the law played no role in the acquittal. However, The Atlantic‘s Ta-Nehisi Coates pointed out that it was cited in the jury instructions.
Meanwhile, Wonder also called for his fans’ support of his boycott. “The truth is that — for those of you who’ve lost in the battle for justice, wherever that fits in any part of the world — we can’t bring them back,” he said. “What we can do is we can let our voices be heard. And we can vote in our various countries throughout the world for change and equality for everybody. That’s what I know we can do.” (Watch Wonder’s full announcement below.)
Protests have broken out in major U.S. cities including New York and Los Angeles since the jury rendered its not-guilty verdict last week. Recording artists including Beyonce, Young Jeezy, Wyclef Jean and Lil Scrappy have already paid tribute to Martin.
article via hollywoodreporter.com
Valerie Montgomery Rice was named the next president of the Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta. She will take office upon the retirement of John E. Maupin Jr. on July 1, 2014. Since 2011, Dr. Montgomery Rice has served as executive vice president and dean at Morehouse. Previously, she was a professor of obstetrics and gynecology and director of the Center for Women’s Health Research at Meharry Medical College in Nashville.
Dr. Rice will continue to serve as dean, or chief academic officer, when she becomes president of the Morehouse School of Medicine. “I consider it an honor that our board is entrusting me with the responsibility of continuing to build on the legacy of this pre-eminent institution,” said Dr. Montgomery Rice. “The vision is crystal clear. My role is to continue to further the mission while also positioning the school to remain relevant and at the forefront of an ever-changing medical education environment.”
A graduate of the Georgia Institute of Technology, Dr. Montgomery Rice received her medical training at Harvard Medical School.
article via jbhe.com
Babatunde A. Ogunnaike is the new dean of the College of Engineering at the University of Delaware. The college has 130 faculty members in six academic departments and enrolls more than 3,000 undergraduate and graduate students. Dr. Ogunnaike joined the faculty at the university in 2002. Prior to joining the university faculty, he had a 13-year career at DuPont Inc. He has been serving as the William L. Friend Chaired Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at the university and has been interim dean for the past two years.
Professor Ogunnaike is a graduate of the University of Lagos in Nigeria. He holds a master’s degree and a Ph.D. in chemical engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
article via jbhe.com
One of the most important vinyl record collections in the history of hip-hop will be on display to the public when archivists sort, organize and even play music from the crates of DJ Afrika Bambaataa – the godfather of hip-hop culture and an instrumental figure in the rise of electro funk. Gavin Brown’s enterprise and Johan Kugelberg/Boo-Hooray Gallery, together with Afrika Bambaataa, the Universal Zulu Nation and Cornell University Library are organizing the records for the Afrika Bambaataa Master of Records vinyl archive, which will permanently live at Cornell University’s Hip Hop Collection in fall 2013.
From July 11 through Aug. 10, Kugelberg and his team will be organizing, cataloguing and documenting Afrika Bambaataa’s peerless vinyl collection on business days between noon and 5 p.m. at Gavin Brown’s enterprise, 620 Greenwich Street, Manhattan. Visitors are encouraged to stop by, hear some great music and see how the cultural artifacts of this important strand of American history are preserved.
Please join the Afrika Bambaataa vinyl archive mailing list at afrikab@gavinbrown.biz and follow Gavin Brown’s enterprise on Facebook and Twitter for announcements of visiting DJs playing selections from the archive during the sort. Originally from the South Bronx, Afrika Bambaataa is among the most influential American DJs. He is considered the godfather of hip-hop culture and was instrumental in the rise of electro funk and break-beat deejaying beginning in the 1980s.
Broadcaster Tavis Smiley, in partnership with the A. James Clark School of Engineering at the University of Maryland, will launch a $75,000 TS/UM Social Innovation Challenge to help address some of society’s most pressing issues in three key areas: hunger, education, and sustainability.
The inaugural TS/UM Social Innovation Challenge invites aspiring entrepreneurs to develop transformative solutions to affect positive change for individuals and communities across the nation. The Challenge serves as a prompt for diverse groups of people to come together to solve specific societal issues by harnessing inventiveness and bringing innovative ideas to the marketplace (entrance requirements listed below).
Submissions will be evaluated by a panel comprised of representatives from academia, business, community/grassroots, government, nonprofit groups and the technology community. The winners will be announced in January 2014.
The TS/UM Social Innovation Challenge supports Tavis Smiley’s initiative to dramatically reduce poverty in America and the University of Maryland’s commitment to increase the number and quality of new businesses inspired by competition to create a large and strong new generation of entrepreneurs who benefit society.
The inaugural TS/UM Social Innovation Challenge invites aspiring entrepreneurs to develop transformative solutions to affect positive change for individuals and communities across the nation. The Challenge serves as a prompt for diverse groups of people to come together to solve specific societal issues by harnessing inventiveness and bringing innovative ideas to the marketplace (entrance requirements listed below).
Submissions will be evaluated by a panel comprised of representatives from academia, business, community/grassroots, government, nonprofit groups and the technology community. The winners will be announced in January 2014.
The TS/UM Social Innovation Challenge supports Tavis Smiley’s initiative to dramatically reduce poverty in America and the University of Maryland’s commitment to increase the number and quality of new businesses inspired by competition to create a large and strong new generation of entrepreneurs who benefit society.
Vitiligo, best known for being the skin disease that Michael Jackson suffered with for years, affects one in 100 people. It occurs when melanocytes – the cells that produce skin color – die early or are destroyed by the patient’s immune system. While not a primary cause, environmental toxins and stress can also aid vitiligo’s progression. “It can be particularly troubling when patients have tan, brown or dark brown skin, as the spots are much more obvious,” said Dr. Charles Crutchfield III, Clinical Professor of Dermatology at the University of Minnesota Medical School. “Socially and psychologically, vitiligo can be devastating and have profound quality-of-life effects.”
While nothing can prevent it, once it occurs, aggressive treatment can keep it from spreading. Treatments include topical prescription creams, special UV light treatments, and special sun protection. “In extreme cases, when only a small patch of dark skin remains, the area can be lightened,” Crutchfield said. “Sometimes small grafts of skin from normal areas can be transplanted into areas of vitiligo. Also, camouflaging skin with make-up can work well. “Once all of the genes causing vitiligo have been identified, researchers may develop better treatments. The ultimate goal is to find a treatment that will permanently stop the skin from losing color.”
Of all the places where how you look matters more than anything else, the television business stands out as the most obvious. For Lee Thomas, an entertainment reporter at WJBK-TV in Detroit, his journey with vitiligo – he refers to it as a journey, not a struggle – began in 1993.
Thomas, who has been in Detroit since 1998, first publicly opened up about his disease in 2005 — “The first time my boss saw me without make-up on was when I did that story” — and published a memoir on his vitiligo journey titled Turning White: A Memoir of Change in 2007. Like Candise Jackson, his vitiligo started small.
“It started off as one dot on my scalp,” Thomas, 45, said. “I didn’t think anything of it at first. I did what any other grown man would do and I called my mom. She told me that it was just stress. You know how old black folks are. She said that ‘it’s just stress, baby. It’ll go away.’”
Thomas, who was working at WABC in New York at the time of his diagnosis, said that while the initial spot did go away, other spots on his hands, face, and scalp soon replaced it. He was eventually diagnosed with vitiligo and the news hit him like a bolt of lightning.