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First Lady Michelle Obama Drops Off 900 Gifts for Annual Toys for Tots Drive

By goodblacknews on December 13, 2012
First lady Michelle Obama (C) greets Toys for Tots volunteers
First lady Michelle Obama (C) greets Toys for Tots volunteers during an event at Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling on December 11, 2012 in Washiington, DC. The toys were donated by the staff members of the Executive Office of the President to the Marine Corps’ Toys for Tots Campaign. (Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images)
First lady Michelle Obama dropped off 900 gifts yesterday as part of a Toys for Tots event in Washington, D.C. An annual drive of the Marine Corps, the campaign received the huge donation from the White House where Mrs. Obama began collecting toys for the program in 2009.

The toys were collected from residents of the White House, including President Obama and the first couple’s daughters Sasha and Malia, in addition to employees, friends and corporate donors.

Jersey City Renames Street to Honor Former Tuskegee Airman and Local Entrepreneur

By goodblacknews on December 11, 2012
James 'Zimp' Smith street renaming ceremony on Dec. 8, 2012

James ‘Zimp’ Smith smiles as he greets his nephew, LeRoy Minnatee, after the street-renaming ceremony honoring Smith on Dec. 8, 2012 at the southeaster corner of Ocean and Dwight in Jersey City. (Alyssa Ki/The Jersey Journal)

A former Tuskegee Airman who became a prominent local African-American entrepreneur was honored today by town residents and local civic leaders during a street naming ceremony held in Jersey City this afternoon.

Roughly a hundred people gathered at the southeastern corner of Ocean Avenue and Dwight Street around 12 p.m. to celebrate the achievements of James “Zimp” Smith, the first successful African-American businessman to own his own franchise in Hudson County during an era when minority owned businesses were rare.

Beyoncé and Pepsi Ink $50 Million Endorsement Deal

By goodblacknews on December 11, 2012
Beyoncé at a Pepsi photo shoot in October. The images will appear early next year as life-size cardboard cutouts in stores.

Beyoncé at a Pepsi photo shoot in October. The images will appear early next year as life-size cardboard cutouts in stores.

Singer Beyoncé Knowles and Pepsi have agreed to a $50 million endorsement deal, according to the New York Times.  The agreement includes promotional appearances, a new commercial and an investment into a few of Beyoncé’s creative projects.

“Pepsi embraces creativity and understands that artists evolve,” Beyoncé said in a statement. “As a businesswoman, this allows me to work with a lifestyle brand with no compromise and without sacrificing my creativity.”

Morehouse College Launches LGBT Course

By goodblacknews on December 11, 2012
Members of the Morehouse College 2002 graduating class sing their school song during commencement ceremonies May 19, 2002 in Atlanta. About 500 men received their undergraduate degrees from the predominately black school. (Photo by Erik S. Lesser/Getty Images)

Members of the Morehouse College 2002 graduating class sing their school song during commencement ceremonies May 19, 2002 in Atlanta. About 500 men received their undergraduate degrees from the predominately black school. (Photo by Erik S. Lesser/Getty Images)

Smithsonian Magazine Awards Esperanza Spalding with New Honor

By goodblacknews on December 9, 2012

Bassist Esperanza Spalding is still wooing crowds with her peculiar style of music; blending jazz, R&B, and classical for one phenomenal sound.

She was awarded for her groundbreaking compositions at the first annual Smithsonian Magazine American Ingenuity Awards. Artists in all categories, including technology, performing and visual arts, natural and physical sciences, education, historical scholarship, social progress and youth achievement were also recognized at a gala event at the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C. on November 28.

Herbie Hancock presented the award to Spalding, and said, “She is magnificent and poetic.”

Since stepping out onto the scene, Spalding has created a genre all her own, fascinating millions and winning over audiences with all types of musical interests. She’s been recently dubbed the “First Lady of Jazz,” and has played with Stevie Wonder for President Barack Obama.

article by Brittney M. Walker via eurweb.com

Newark Mayor Cory Booker Assists at Scene of Auto Accident

By goodblacknews on December 9, 2012

Cory Booker appears onstage at the Glamour Women of the Year Awards on Monday, Nov. 12, 2012 in New York.

CHARLES SYKES/INVISION/AP Mayor Booker’s latest heroic exploits came to light when a constituent asked him on Twitter if that was him assisting at the scene of an auto accident on Newark’s Clinton Ave. Despite his “hunger pains,” he admitted to being on the scene to help.

 His hunger and caffeine withdrawal haven’t dulled his superhero reflexes.  Already famous for carrying a neighbor out of a raging kitchen fire in April, Newark Mayor Cory Booker snapped into action at the scene of an injury car accident on Thursday, a witness told the Daily News.
 
The hometown heroics came just minutes after the 43-year-old Democrat recorded a video blog about the difficulty of his weeklong, $4-per-day food stamp challenge, which has him subsisting on beans, rice, vegetables — and no coffee.
 “I heard a crashing sound outside. I looked out my window and there were two sedans that collided. Within a few minutes, a big black car stopped near the site and two men got out. I recognized the mayor’s posture,” a 36-year-old witness who gave her name as Dydy told The News.

Obama To Sign into Law the Child Protection Act of 2012

By goodblacknews on December 7, 2012
President Obama (Saul Loeb/Getty Images)

Today, President Barack Obama will sign H.R. 6063, the Child Protection Act of 2012, in the Oval Office, a bill aimed at protecting victims of child pornography, sexual abuse and trafficking.

By reaching across their respective aisles, Texas legislators have been instrumental is the passage of the soon-to-be-signed new federal law.  During a late night legislative session on Monday, Nov. 26, the United States Senate passed the Child Protection Act of 2012, introduced by Texas Senator John Cornyn and Senator Richard Blumenthal, a Democrat from Connecticut. Additionally, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Lamar Smith sponsored the Act’s counterpart – HR 6063 – in the House of Representatives. Smith’s colleagues passed the bill by voice vote in August.  

LeBron James Named Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year

By goodblacknews on December 6, 2012

LeBron James has taken his talents to the cover of Sports Illustrated as the magazine’s newly-crowned 2012 Sportsman of the Year.

“He was the most dominant athlete this year – MVP of the NBA regular season, MVP of the NBA playoffs, led the Heat to the NBA championship and Team USA to the gold medal in London,” Paul Fichtenbaum, Editor of Time Inc.’s Sports Group tells People.com.

At just 27, the eight-time NBA All-Star and former all-time leading scorer of the Cleveland Cavaliers joins such past Sportsman of the Year athletes as teammate Dwayne Wade, Brett Favre, Michael Phelps, Derek Jeter and Drew Brees.

“The intangibles [James] brought to the court were significant in leading his teams to victory. He was a selfless player, doing whatever it took to will the Heat and Team USA, making all of his teammates better,” Fichtenbaum says.

In addition to his on-the-court accolades, his off-court charitable endeavors also contributed to his new title. The basketball player – who is dad to LeBron Jr., 8, and Bryce, 5, with finacée Savannah Brinson – established a program to benefit children in Akron, Ohio.

Fichtenbaum says: “The program he built and developed in [the] Akron school district for young kids had a profound effect on children who ordinarily might fall through the cracks of an educational system,” he says. “He didn’t just lend his name to a cause, he was directly involved.”

Read more at http://www.eurweb.com/2012/12/lebron-james-is-sports-illustrateds-sportsman-of-the-year/#ZKeM5uudHPsh0fZG.99

Richest Black Woman In The World is Oil Mogul Folorunsho Alakija

By goodblacknews on December 6, 2012

folorunsho alakijaFolorunsho Alakija on the November 2012 cover of Geneieve magazine in a dress by Iconic Invanity.

Oprah Winfrey is no longer the richest black woman in the world.  The new leading lady is oil baroness Folorunsho Alakija from Nigeria. While drilling oil has reportedly made the 61-year-old owner of FAMFA Oil Limited a very rich woman — she is estimated to be worth at least $3.2 billion — Alakija started her ascent to financial supremacy in fashion.

Born into a wealthy family, Alakija studied fashion design in England back in the ’80s and soon after founded the Nigerian clothing label Supreme Stitches. Her one-of-a-kind creations were worn by the who’s who of African society, quickly making her the premier fashion designer in the West African country. In fact, she has been called one of the “pioneers of Nigerian fashion” and stays connected to the industry through the Fashion Designers Association of Nigeria (FDAN).  The well-heeled businesswoman and philanthropist made the switch to oil in 1993 and the rest is history. Ventures Africa reports that Alakija owns at least $100 million in real estate and a $46 million private jet.

article by Julee Wilson via huffingtonpost.com

Exhibit to Explore History of African-Americans in Medicine During Civil War

By goodblacknews on December 6, 2012
(File Photo)Some may not know how much of a part African-Americans played in the Civil War, but the National Library of Medicine has produced a free, traveling exhibit to shed light on their work in the health field during that time.  “Binding Wounds, Pushing Boundaries” explores black Americans’ contributions as nurses, surgeons and hospital staff during the war.

According to the National Library of Medicine, for African-Americans, the Civil War was “a fight for freedom and a chance for full participation in American society.”  “Their participation challenged the prescribed notions of both race and gender and pushed the boundaries of the role of blacks in America,” the site reads.