It took persistence, but 25 years of effort paid off big time for two old friends in New York.
Willie McPherson, 74, and Christopher Manzi, 44, won a $14 million jackpot last month playing the Mega Millions lottery, according to the New York Post. The two had been buying lottery tickets together for a quarter of a century after becoming friends while working at Manzi’s print shop in Manhattan. Despite having spent a sizable amount of cash on their lottery habit over the years, neither McPherson nor Manzi shelled out a dime for the winning ticket. As part of a lottery promotion, they received two Quick Picks for free.
“We won $14 million on a free play ticket,” McPherson told to the New York Daily News. “[It feels] beautiful.”
The pair opted to take the prize in one lump sum, which, after taxes, comes out to about $3.5 million each. Media accounts indicated the two may celebrate in Miami.
Kyu’s Coffee Shop, which gave McPherson the winning ticket, received $10,000 for its hand in the deal, NBC News reported.
Good Black News
“We’ve got to turn this backward thinking around where ignorance is championed over intelligence. Young black kids being ridiculed by their peers for getting A’s and speaking proper English: that’s criminal.”
— Spike Lee, director, producer, writer and actor
Basketball player Anfernee ‘Penny’ Hardaway attends the New York Knicks and New York Rangers party for the March issue of Gotham Magazine on February 18, 2004 at the Kreiss showroom, in New York City. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Getty Images)
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — NFL quarterback Peyton Manning and his wife, Ashley, and former NBA player Penny Hardaway have agreed to join the group of minority owners for the Memphis Grizzlies, said a person familiar with the deal.
The Mannings and Hardaway join a minority group that includes singer and actor Justin Timberlake and a couple Memphis businessmen, the person told The Associated Press Thursday on condition of anonymity because prospective buyer Robert J. Pera’s purchase of the Grizzlies is pending approval by the NBA.
The popular Kenya dolls from the 1990s are back. Kenya first hit shelves in 1992 and became an overnight success — consistently selling out in stores across the country and ultimately becoming one of the cult favorite toys of the decade. Created to provide girls of color with a toy that reflected their appearance (both their skin tone and features) and could be used as a tool to instill self-esteem, the dolls are arguably just as important today as they were then. Kenya’s World LLC, the company relaunching the product line, is hoping the new dolls for the next generation of little girls will be as well-received when they hit shelves once again this November.
The Board of Trustees at Howard University is moving forward with plans to create a new PhD program in Communications. The university is also working to develop two new undergraduate programs as well. The program is designed to help the students at Howard University compete in the changing landscape of American media. The programs will begin taking students in the fall of 2013.
A Committee of the Future chaired by Dr. Bishetta Merritt, professor and chair of the department of Radio, Television and Film, helped to organize the plan. The university also used the skills of a panel put together for the express purpose of laying out a strategy for the programs.
article via blackbluedog.com
When most people think of important African-American musicians from history, the list is long and varied, including everyone from Muddy Waters to John Coltrane to Jimi Hendrix to, nowadays, Jay-Z. Black people have a lot to be proud of when it comes to our contributions to America’s musical tapestry. But every now and again an icon gets lost, and Charley Pride has been lost too many times. Which is why it’s exciting to hear that the Smithsonian’s forthcoming African-American history museum is going to include several Pride relics in its permanent collection.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hy9W_mrY_Vk&w=560&h=315]
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hy9W_mrY_Vk&w=560&h=315]
Public Enemy, N.W.A., Rush, and Deep Purple are among the group of first-time nominees for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
They join returnees Heart, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, Randy Newman, Donna Summer and Kraftwerk among the 15 artists vying for entry.
“Leadership should be born out of the understanding of the needs of those who would be affected by it.”
–Marian Anderson, nationally-renowned opera singer