NEW YORK –– SiriusXM announced the launch of “African Ancestry Radio,” a three-week series of live, call-in shows during which the hosts help listeners and celebrities of African descent in their quest to reconnect with their heritage.
Hosted by Gina Paige, co-founder of African Ancestry, and award-winning producer Shirley Neal, “African Ancestry Radio” launched live on Sunday, February 8 at 12:00 pm ET on SiriusXM Urban View channel 126 with Louis Gossett Jr. and Aunjanue Ellis as their first celebrity guests. EURweb.com’s founder Lee Bailey also joins in each week as special entertainment correspondent.
Scheduled in celebration of Black History Month, the hosts lead conversations on ancestry and heritage and guide SiriusXM listeners who are looking to more accurately and reliably trace their African roots. Themed around music, the February 15 show will feature Grammy award-winners and alternative hip hop group Arrested Development.
In addition, “African Ancestry Radio” will feature discussions on how a person’s roots influence personality, who they are and how they act. Each show will include at least one celebrity guest who has previously taken the tests and whose African ancestry will be revealed during the broadcast.
“‘African Ancestry Radio’ promises to be enlightening, empowering, and inspirational for SiriusXM listeners across the country,” said Dave Gorab, Vice President and General Manager, Talk Programming, SiriusXM. “We are pleased to present this exclusive series as part of our special programming commemorating Black History Month.”
After the broadcast, “African Ancestry Radio” will be available on SiriusXM On Demand for subscribers listening via the SiriusXM Internet Radio App for smartphones and other mobile devices or online at siriusxm.com. Visit www.siriusxm.com/ondemand for more information.
Gina Paige is co-founder of African Ancestry, Inc., pioneering a new way of tracing African lineage using genetics. Paige resides in Washington, D.C. and holds a degree in Economics from Stanford University and an MBA from the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business.
At Good Black News, February is an especially invigorating time. When Black History Month rolls around, people have more interest than normal in African-American history, music and culture, and GBN inevitably benefits from the heightened exposure. We make an extra effort to provide a wide variety of information and stories (historical and current) during this time, and point to events and programming we find to be educational as well as entertaining.
Even so, we are a small operation with limited (albeit growing) reach, and we know a lot of black folks feel skeptical about BHM — it always seems like the same old, same old — Martin, Malcolm, Rosa, and the black movie, tv show or person du jour get celebrated in the national news, and then everybody forgets (or tries to forget) about African-American history until next year.
Last night, however, as I was flipping through cable before going to bed, I noticed there was not only an increased amount of black programming (and not just on BET or TV One or PBS), it was more varied than ever. So much so, I wasn’t even sure what to watch: “Angel Heart” with Lisa Bonet and Mickey Rourke, a horror thriller set in New Orleans and the world of voodoo (which reminded me of a time where the media considered Bonet the controversial one from “The Cosby Show”), “School Daze”, the Spike Lee movie set at an all-black college in the South, or “Iceberg Slim: Portait of a Pimp”, a 2012 documentary produced by Ice T, primarily chronicling the author’s experiences in Chicago and Los Angeles.
I had been thinking about “School Daze” earlier that day, so I took it as a sign and flipped to that. It was the scene where the light-skinned sorority girls (lead by Tisha Campbell-Martin and Jasmine Guy) bump into the dark-skinned girls (lead by Kyme and Joie Lee) and go into a full-on musical fantasy where they square off as they sing “Good and Bad Hair.”
My jaw about dropped — I saw this movie in the theatre when I was in college, but I’d forgotten how provocative the lyrics and the visuals were. I mean, this movie was released in 1988 and had black women going hard for each other over hair, calling each other “high-yellow” and “jigaboo,” holding up fans with images of Hattie McDaniel as Mammy and Vivien Leigh as Scarlett to taunt one another! Up until Chris Rock‘s 2009 documentary “Good Hair,” when had this subject matter ever received exposure in mainstream entertainment?
I’d also forgotten how talented the actors and dancers were/are, blending traditional and historical dancing styles and choreography with contemporary steps, and how creative and original Lee was to even imagine doing a number like this in what was then only his second motion picture.
The next scene was a frat hazing scene where pledges where being paddled and this all-too-real violence (as well as the abhorrent misogyny that would soon be coming down the pipe) made me realize the film was deeper and pointed to more problems and issues in the black community than I’d recalled. “School Daze” received its share of flak (at the time and over the years) for being the hodgepodge of styles that it is, but it’s an important, innovative part of Lee’s work as well as black cinema, as relevant as “Dear White People” is in 2015, and fully worth a re-watch and discussion with the new generation of young people and college students.
Jazzed from this rediscovery, I flipped over to the Iceberg Slim documentary. Although I’ve known about Iceberg Slim for decades, I’ve never read his work, dismissing it based on its categorization as “gangsta” literature. Having matured since my 20s however (at least I think I have), I realized I really didn’t know anything about Iceberg Slim other than my perception, so perhaps I should learn more. I’m so glad I did. Not only was the documentary particularly well-executed (creative visuals, innovative music, interesting talking heads and dynamic footage of old Slim interviews), I learned what an intelligent man (Robert Beck) lay behind the Iceberg Slim persona, and how he wrote books such as “Pimp” and “Trick Baby” as cautionary tales rather than celebrations of street life. Even though I don’t (neither does he in his later years) condone or excuse his repulsive criminal behavior and abuse of women, I do recognize he artfully captured and described a very real part of the black experience in the 50s, 60s and 70s.
I also had no idea “Trick Baby” was made into a motion picture by Universal, which helped spur the burgeoning “Blaxploitation” film boom in the 1970s, or that he lived for years only ten blocks away from my grandparents in the Crenshaw district of Los Angeles/Inglewood. It was equally fascinating to learn Birdman of Cash Money Entertainment acquired the rights to “Pimp” and Slim’s other works to keep them alive on the Cash Money Content imprint via Simon & Schuster. And now I want to read those books and get that movie.
All in all, these late-night viewings made me even more excited and energized about Black History Month. And when I looked at my DVR this morning, I saw a variety of options casually waiting for me there, too: the latest episodes of the “Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore”, “How To Get Away With Murder”, “Empire”, “Black-ish” and what I hear via Twitter was an incredible performance by D’Angelo on “Saturday Night Live” last night. If that wasn’t enough, I started writing this piece while watching NFL QB Russell Wilson attempt to lead the Seattle Seahawks to back-to-back Super Bowl wins, which, if he does, will be a first for an African-American quarterback. (And btw, what an unexpected treat to see Missy Elliott featured in the halftime show with Katy Perry — Missy was fire!)
We all have the ability, even casually, to celebrate and discover (or re-discover) our history, music, literature and culture and I invite all GBN followers to comment, tweet, email or share any unexpected, positive BHM experiences you have. I’m going to continue to chronicle mine alongside more formally-presented stories and articles — looking forward to hearing yours as well!
Onward and upward! Lori Lakin Hutcherson, GBN Founder/Editor-In-Chief
http://youtu.be/-J8F61MdbUI With Black History Month winding down, Fox Sports joined forces with poet Raliq Bashard for a sports-centric tribute to the legends who paved the way for today’s athletes. Check out the video above, put together by Fox and their partners at Relevant 24. To see the full written text of Bashard’s inspiring spoken-word testimonial, as well as specific stories about black sports figures such as Sugar Ray Robinson, Vonetta Flowers, Larry Dobyand Wilma Rudolph, click here. article by Lori Lakin Hutcherson
BALTIMORE —This month the Great Blacks in Wax Museum in east Baltimore is celebrating Black History Month as well as the 50th anniversary of equal rights for all. The folks at the museum said Black History Month is all about teaching others about black culture. “It’s about teaching, specifically our children, about the accomplishments of great individuals of African descent, so we hope to get a lot of school kids and other people, as well, coming into the museum,” said museum spokesman Jon Wilson.
The museum’s exhibits and life-like wax figures chronicle the history of black people in America. This year for Black History Month, it’s focusing on the Civil Rights movement because of the 50th anniversary of the Equal Rights Bill. “This legislation by Lyndon B. Johnson made the law that you had to do things more equally and give people their rights no matter what their ethnicity,” Wilson said. The museum is also offering “Civil Sights for Civil Rights” tours for groups that get visitors out and about in Baltimore to see historic venues.
“Baltimore has a very, very rich heritage as it related to Civil Rights, basically because of the Mitchell family and Thurgood Marshall being a Baltimorean. You can go to a lot of historical churches in this area. The Niagara Movement, which was the beginning of the NAACP — you can go to these different churches,” Wilson said.
Museum officials said they expect 8,000-10,000 people to come through the doors in February. They hope each visitor takes away understanding and an acceptance. “We want people to walk away with an understanding that, for us to work together, the community has to work together and have respect for different cultures,” Wilson said.
The museum is open every day in February, but it operates year-round. Read more: http://www.wbaltv.com/news/maryland/baltimore-city/museum-offers-civil-rights-tours-during-black-history-month/24540596#ixzz2tuxWTYFu
February is Black History month, and it’s never too soon to get prepared. There are many fabulous middle grade books, both fiction and nonfiction, that will help your family or classroom get in the groove. One of my all-time favorite authors is Christopher Paul Curtis. His personal story reads like a novel. His bio states that he grew up in Flint, Michigan. After high school he began working on the assembly line at the Fisher Body Plant No. 1 while attending the Flint branch of the University of Michigan, where he began writing essays and fiction.
My favorite of his books is The Watsons Go To Birmingham. It’s about a family from Michigan who travel to visit their relatives in the South. Life in the South is very different from life in Michigan, as they find out. And while they are there, a church in Birmingham is bombed — while the protagonists’s sister is there. An interesting aside that I learned when talking to Curtis at a convention is that the book was originally going to be about the family visiting Orlando. When his older son came home one day with the poem, Ballad of Birmingham by Dudley Randall, he decided to change the destination and include the bombing as part of the story. It’s a powerful book, filled with humor and typical family strife as well as illuminating the social problems of that time. Fourth, fifth and sixth graders love it. There’s a bit of magic in it (the evil “Wool Pooh”) and lots and lots of laughs but also some important historical events. Classroom teachers take note: Reading the poem after the book will REALLY provoke some emotion and thoughtful discussion from your students. There’s also a reading guide for it.
Another of Curtis’ books that is destined to be a classic is Bud, not Buddy, about a young boy leaving an abusive foster care home during the Depression to try to find his father. He has a few clues given to him by his mother, and he has the book he has written called Bud Caldwell’s Rules and Things for Having a Funner Life and Making a Better Liar Out of Yourself. It’s a story full of adventure and humor, along with emotion and history. It’s a perfect fifth grade book for the whole class to read. Another story arose from “Bud, Not Buddy.” That book is The Mighty Miss Malone and and it also takes place during the Great Depression but with a young girl protagonist. What Was the Underground Railroad? is one of the “What Was…” series published by Grosset & Dunlap. Like the other books in the series, it’s a well-written nonfiction book with many interesting facts and stories. There are photographs, maps and black and white illustrations, and they add value to the information contained in the book. There are also many nonfiction text features such as “Contents” and a timeline and bibliography at the back. The reading level and interest level cover a wide range. Advanced third graders will enjoy this book as will middle school students who need slightly easier reading material. Who Was Michelle Obama? is another of the “Who Is…” books by Grosset & Dunlap. Many students know that Michelle Obama is the First Lady and wife of the President of the United States, but many may not know that she came from a family of modest means. She grew up on the South Side of Chicago, and her family lived in a one-bedroom apartment on the second floor of a small house. The book shares information about her childhood, her education, and how she met and married Barack Obama. Interspersed between chapters are pages with information about other noteworthy First Ladies. While this book will probably appeal more to girls than boys, it’s a great nonfiction book which will appeal to a wide range of students.
Rosa Parks, Harriet Tubman, Sojourner Truth, Madame CJ Walker—the list of women typically mentioned during Black History Month is incredibly short. But this year, CLUTCH will celebrate the achievements of black women you may not have ever heard about.
First up: Bridget “Biddy” Mason
Bridget “Biddy” Mason was born on August 15, 1818 in Georgia. Mason was born into slavery and before her death in 1891 she become one of Los Angeles’ wealthiest Black residents and philanthropists.
After working on a plantation in Mississippi owned by Robert Marion Smith, Mason migrated to Utah with the Smiths, who had converted to Mormonism. During the grueling two-thousand-mile journey, Mason herded cattle, prepared meals, and worked as a nurse and midwife. In 1851, Smith moved his brood, including his enslaved servants, to San Bernardino, California.
Great news for students! For Black History Month many companies — through their foundations — have announced scholarship programs. Dallas Weekly recently highlighted the top 10. Act fast–the deadlines are in February. Here are five of the newspaper’s choices for the college-goer in your life to consider:
1) The Frito-Lay “Create to Celebrate” Black History Month Art Contest: Do you have artistic talent? Show it off here by submitting an original piece of art. The piece, which can be in any medium (video, song, photo, sculpture, painting, etc), must celebrate African-American achievement.
2) The Coca-Cola Pay It Forward Scholarship Program: This program offers once-in-a-lifetime apprenticeship experiences to African-American youth.
3) The RBC Black History Month Student Essay Competition: This Royal Bank of Canada scholarship is strictly for Canadian students. Applicants must write a 750-words or less essay on how black Canadians have contributed toward the heritage of Canada.
4) The 100 Black Men of America Future Leader Scholarship Program: Based on academic achievement and community service, this scholarship is open to high school seniors along with college freshmen, sophomores, juniors and seniors.
5) The Jerry Bartow Scholarship Fund: The Black Executive Exchange Program awards three scholarships each year for HBCU undergraduate students majoring in business, engineering, technology, or education.
To find other 2014 scholarships, click here. See more at: http://madamenoire.com/345755/apply-now-top-black-history-month-scholarships/#sthash.l9t3x37S.dpuf
Alice Walker at the London premiere of American Masters “Alice Walker: Beauty In Truth,” in London. PBS will commemorate Black History Month with programs including a profile of “The Color Purple” author Walker. The Walker profile will air Feb. 7, 2014. (AP Photo/PBS, Brenda Lawley)
PASADENA, Calif. (AP) — PBS will commemorate Black History Month with shows including a profile of The Color Purple author Alice Walker.
The public television service announced Tuesday that the program about Walker will air Feb. 7 as part of the American Masters series.
Other PBS shows marking Black History Month in February include American Promise, a coming-of-age documentary about two young men, and a documentary about a Mississippi state commission that investigated foes of segregation. American Promise airs Feb. 3 on the POV showcase. Spies of Mississippi will air Feb. 10 on the Independent Lens program.
To mark Black History Month online, PBS.org will offer Behind the Lens, about photographer Eunique Jones Gibson‘s portrayals of prominent African-Americans as youngsters. article via bigstory.ap.org
All 20 NBA teams playing today will wear special shooting shirts in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. The NBA announced their “Dream Big” campaign earlier this month to celebrate MLK Day and Black History Month.
A video featuring Chris Bosh aired during four nationally televised games today, as well as during games aired on NBA TV. Original content and interviews will run on air and digitally on NBA.com until the end of February.
The shooting shirt for MLK Day features the “Dream Big” logo on the front. The shooting shirt for Black History Month was created in collaboration with Miami Heat guard Ray Allen. The shirt will feature four prominent African-Americans, Dr. King, Frederick Douglas, Harriet Tubman and Bill Russell, in the NBA logo on the front and the “Dream Big” logo on the back.
The NBA’s “Dream Big” campaign is also designed to reach children and educate them on the history of African-Americans. The league is teaming up with EverFi, an educational technology company, launch digital curriculum in 30 schools across the country during February. The curriculum is focused on the extensive contributions by blacks.
“The ‘Dream Big’ campaign honors African-Americans for their countless contributions that have opened doors for people around the world,” said Saskia Sorrosa, NBA Vice President of Multicultural/Targeted Marketing in a press release. “With the the NBA’s young and diverse fanbase, we felt it was important to creat a program that would engage kids by educating them about black history to positively impact the future.”
Keep an eye out for the new shooting shirts today and throughout the month of February. article by Carrie Healey via thegrio.com
Photographer Eunique Jones’ photo series, ‘Because of them, we can…” , has made a splash on the Internet as a unique and creative take on the importance of Black History Month. Her 28-photo project features more than 40 young children posing as some of the most iconic and influential black figures from the past and the present.
From Harriet Tubman to Spike Lee, the children are seen dressed and styled like the individual they are portraying and also incorporate an inspirational quote from each particular famous person. Jones, who has been a professional photographer for three years, says she was inspired to create the project for Black History Month because of her two children, Chase, 4, and Amari, seven months-old. She realized they had so many opportunities available to them today which would not have been possible without “the African-American individuals who paved the way for [my kids’] future.”
With Black History Month winding down, Fox Sports joined forces with poet 
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