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Good Black News

23 Years Ago Today: Nelson Mandela Released After Decades-Long Imprisonment

By goodblacknews on February 2, 2013
 (Photo: TREVOR SAMSON/AFP/Getty Images)
On Feb. 2, 1990, South African President F.W. de Klerk announced the release of imprisoned political leader Nelson Mandela and lifted the country’s ban on membership in the African National Congress, the political party that pushed for equal rights for Blacks under the racially oppressive apartheid government.  
Mandela, the leader of the ANC, spent 27 years behind bars after being convicted of sabotage and sentenced to life in prison. De Klerk worked with Mandela to transition the country from apartheid rule to the majority rule it enjoys today. Both he and Mandela were awarded the 1993 Nobel Prize for Peace for their efforts.  In 1994, Mandela won the presidency in South Africa’s first all-inclusive elections. In 1999, at 80 years old, he opted out of another run for presidency to retire from public life.
article by Britt Middleton via bet.com

Sony Music Honors Nina Simone As Artist Of The Month For February 2013

By goodblacknews on February 2, 2013

Legacy Recordings, the catalog division of Sony Music Entertainment, commemorates the life and music of Nina Simone on the occasion of the singer’s 80th birthday and celebrates the iconic High Priestess of Soul as the label’s Artist of the Month for February 2013.
Nina Simone, who would’ve turned 80 on February 21, was a strong and vocal civil rights advocate who carried the message of universal rights and personal empowerment, freedom, equality and dignity throughout her career. Whether it was political or emotional or personal, she never failed to tell the truth through her music.
One of the most powerful and uncompromising artists of the 20th century, Nina Simone was a natural talent who developed into a virtuosic performer–an ineffable song stylist with concert hall piano skills and a transcendental on-stage presence. Singer, songwriter, arranger, and pianist, Nina wove classical, blues, jazz, pop, rock, R&B, folk, gospel, torch songs and world music into a body of work as eclectic as it is incomparable.

August Wilson Gets His Wish – Denzel Washington Is Ready To Direct 'Fences' For The Screen

By goodblacknews on February 2, 2013

 The age-old story on a stalled film adaptation of August Wilson’s award-winning play Fences is that, the playwright insisted to the studio (Paramount Pictures at the time – this was in the late 1980s) that the director of the film be black.  Of course, Paramount didn’t feel that was necessary, stating that they wanted “the best director for the job.” Even Eddie Murphy, who was then attached to star in and co-produce the film adaptation, told Wilson that he wasn’t going to hire a director just because they were black. 
Wilson reiterated that he wasn’t suggesting that a black be director hired simply because they are black, but certainly a black director who was qualified for the job. But this wasn’t a clause in the original agreement between Wilson and Paramount, so the studio wasn’t legally bound to adhere to Wilson’s wishes (however they realized well enough that a film adaptation of Fences without Wilson’s blessing, wasn’t something that they wanted to do). While seeming to be taking Wilson’s wishes under strong consideration, the studio approached Barry Levinson to helm the film; obviously, Levinson isn’t black. 
Needless to say, Wilson didn’t approve. Although Levinson backed away from the project anyway, after he saw the play himself, stating that he didn’t think it would translate well to the screen – at least, not the version of the script that Wilson had written. Wilson’s public objections to a white director helming the project were also of some influence.

"Betty & Coretta" Premieres on Lifetime Tonight

By goodblacknews on February 2, 2013

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“Betty & Coretta,” the Lifetime original movie focussing on the unlikely friendship between Malcolm X’s wife Betty Shabazz and  Coretta Scott King, the wife of Martin Luther King Jr., premieres tonight at 8pmEST/7pmCST.  The movie stars Academy-Award nominee Angela Bassett as Mrs. King and Grammy-Award winner Mary J. Blige as Mrs. Shabazz. Check out the movie’s official site here for more information, trailers and interviews, or watch tonight and share your thoughts below.
article by Lori Lakin Hutcherson

Three Black Scholars Honored with Prestigious Awards

By goodblacknews on February 2, 2013

Wamai-1Richard Wamai, an assistant professor of public health in the department of African American studies at Northeastern University in Boston, received the 2012 World AIDS Day Unsung Hero Award presented by Blood: Water Mission, a Nashville-based nonprofit organization that deals with AIDS and water issues in Africa. Professor Wamai is currently part of a global research consortium seeking to identify the best way to allocate funds to stop the spread of HIV/AIDS. The research is supported by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
Dr. Wamai is a graduate of Egerton University in Kenya. He holds a master’s degree and a Ph.D. in health policy from the University of Helsinki.
Karen Weaver headshotKaren Jackson-Weaver, associate dean for academics and diversity at Princeton University in New Jersey, received the university’s Martin Luther King Day Journey Award for fostering a supportive environment which helps students succeed. She has been on the staff at Princeton since 2007. Previously, she served as executive director of the Amistad Commission which integrated African-American history into the K-12 curriculum in New Jersey’s public schools.
Dr. Jackson-Weaver is a graduate of Princeton University, with a degree in history. She holds a master’s degree from Harvard University, as well as two additional master’s degrees and a Ph.D. in U.S. history from Columbia University.
FullerHoward Fuller, distinguished professor of education at Marquette University, received the Martin Luther King Jr. Heritage Award from Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker. Professor Fuller is the founder and director of the Institute for the Transformation of Learning at Marquette. He is the former superintendent of the Milwaukee Public School system.
Dr. Fuller is a graduate of Carroll College in Waukesha, Wisconsin. He holds a master’s degree from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland and a doctorate in the sociological foundations of education from Marquette University.
article via jbhe.com

Lincoln University of Missouri Names Kevin D. Rome Its Next President

By goodblacknews on February 2, 2013

KevinDRomeHistorically Black Lincoln University in Jefferson City, Missouri, has announced that Kevin D. Rome will become the 19th president of the educational institution on June 1. Current Department of Education statistics show that there are about 3,400 undergraduate students at the university and Blacks are 41 percent of the undergraduate student body.
Dr. Rome is currently vice chancellor for student affairs and enrollment management at North Carolina Central University in Durham. Dr. Rome has been an administrator at North Carolina Central since 2008. Previously, he was vice president for student services at Morehouse College in Atlanta. He has also held administrative posts at Clayton State University in Morrow, Georgia, and Indiana University-Purdue University in Indianapolis, Indiana.
A graduate of Morehouse College, Dr. Rome holds a master’s degree from the University of Georgia and a Ph.D. from the University of Texas.
article via jbhe.com

Lynn Whitfield To Be Honored w/ Pan African Film Festival's Lifetime Achievement Award

By goodblacknews on February 2, 2013

The Pan African Film Festival will honor award-winning actress Lynn Whitfield with its highest honor, a Lifetime Achievement Award for her work in television and film. The award will be presented at the annual Night of Tribute, which will be part of the pre-show festivities for the awards ceremony of the African-American Film Critics Association (AAFCA). The event will be held on Friday, February 8, 2013 in Hollywood, California. The Night of Tribute honors world-renowned actors, filmmakers, community leaders and fine artists for their contributions on stage, television, film, the arts and the community.
With more than 30 years in the entertainment industry, Whitfield vaulted to international fame in the HBO biopic, “The Josephine Baker Story,” portraying the legendary international icon. Her performance – after all, who can forget the Banana Dance — nabbed her a Golden Globe nomination and an Emmy Award for “Outstanding Lead Actress in a Special or Miniseries,” giving Whitfield “the greatest sense of accomplishment and realization of my vision,” she says.

"Red Tails" and "Scandal" Take Top Honors at 44th NAACP Image Awards

By goodblacknews on February 2, 2013


 
“Red Tails” was named top motion picture and “Scandal” top drama series at the 44th annual NAACP Image Awards at the Shrine Auditorium on Friday.  Denzel Washington (“Flight”) and Viola Davis (“Won’t Back Down”) won lead actor and actress honors, while Samuel Jackson and Kerry Washington of “Django Unchained” earned supporting nods.
“Beasts of the Southern Wild” (whose Benh Zeitlin was named top director) and “Red Tails” tied for independent motion picture honors, while “The Intouchables” triumphed for top international feature.  Kerry Washington, previously announced as the President’s Award honoree, was also named top drama actress for “Scandal.”  Also winning acting awards in TV drama were LL Cool J (“NCIS: Los Angeles”), Omar Epps (“House”) and Loretta Devine (“Grey’s Anatomy”).

PBS Celebrates Black History Month with Special Programs and New Black Culture Website

By goodblacknews on February 1, 2013

Sister Rosetta Tharpe
In celebration of Black History Month and as part of its year-round commitment to diverse programming, PBS announced an on-air lineup commemorating the contributions of African Americans in music, dance, television and civil rights, providing an in-depth look at key figures and events that shaped black – and American – history. In addition to these programs, PBS announced it will launch the PBS Black Culture Connection, a digital storybook of black films, history, trends and discussion that’s available throughout the year on PBS.org as of today, February 1, 2013. 
“PBS’ mission is clear – to provide accessible, educational, informative programs of every genre and culture all year long. Since February is Black History Month, our schedule is heavily focused on the contributions of African Americans,” said Donald Thoms, Vice President, Programming. “During the month, we are also continuing our commitment to feature stories and films from diverse and independent producers, which remains a staple of our content offerings year round.”

Howard University has Become Incubator for Cinematographers

By goodblacknews on February 1, 2013

Matt McClain/For The Washington Post – Bradford Young poses for a portrait at Howard University on Monday January 28, 2013 in Washington, D.C. Young won the Excellence in Cinematography award at the Sundance Film Festival for his work on “Mother of George,” and “Ain’t them Bodies Saints.”
At the Sundance Film Festival last weekend, Howard University graduate Bradford Young won the dramatic-feature cinematography award for his work on the films “Ain’t Them Bodies Saints” and “Mother of George” — his second time accepting the honor, having won in 2011 for the coming-of-age drama “Pariah.”
The Sundance recognition reinforces what many in the industry have known for a few years now: Howard, best known for its law and medical schools, has become an incubator for people whose work with lighting, lenses, camera movement, film stocks and visual textures has profoundly influenced contemporary cinematic grammar.
“The interesting thing about it is that there is no formal cinematography department,” filmmaker Ava DuVernay says. “It’s jaw-dropping that you’ve had so many come out [of Howard] with such distinct styles.”
The floating-camera dolly shot and super-saturated color palette that are trademarks of Spike Lee’s work are the best known among several innovations that Howard-trained cinematographers have contributed to the films they’ve worked on. Early in his career, Lee developed these techniques in close collaboration with a Howard graduate, Ernest Dickerson.