For some reason, a decent portion of today’s entertainment news is all about Bessie Smith. Which is a great thing, because the under-appreciated “Empress of the Blues” has deserved her due in the media as well as American musical history for well over half a century. Thanks to Queen Latifah, who committed to bringing Bessie’s story to life after 22 years in development, HBO will air the biopic “Bessie”, written and directed by Dee Rees (“Pariah”), on May 16. The movie also stars Khandi Alexander, Tika Sumpter, Mike Epps and Academy Award winner Monique as Ma Rainey.
Not only did Good Black News have the great fortune to be part of today’s HuffPost Live interview with “Bessie” director Rees (which you can watch by clicking the link above or right here), HBO also announced its launch of a special two-city event series in New York this week honoring the legacy of the blues-jazz singer called “Bessie’s 81 Theater Tour.”
The event, which will coincide with the New York and Los Angeles premieres of the biopic starring Queen Latifah, will feature a workshop lead by Grammy Award-winning producer Bryan Michael Cox and singer-songwriter Stacy Barthe. The workshop will be offered to local artists in an effort to mimic the creative music process once used by Smith and her peers.
“In today’s music, I believe the constant utilization of live instrumentation is missing,” Cox said in a statement emailed to HuffPost. “Whenever that element is injected into popular music in this era, the song usually becomes a hit. One great example of this is Mark Ronson’s ‘Uptown Funk.’”
In addition to the artist workshop, the two-city promotional tour will also feature a music showcase comprised of a series of performances from local artists. It will conclude with a private dinner for native influencers and a surprise performance by an “A-list artist.”
“When thinking about how we wanted to build buzz about the film, we wanted to do something that was completely unique and immersive,” Lucinda Martinez, SVP of HBO Multicultural Marketing said in a press release for the event.
“We’re confident that this event series properly honors the legacy of Bessie Smith by showcasing aspiring songwriters and producers. We want to raise awareness for the film, create connections and offer these young creatives a platform to share their craft.”
The “Bessie’s 81 Theater Tour” will conclude in Los Angeles next month leading up to the May 16 premiere of “Bessie” on HBO.
In the meantime, if you want a Bessie Smith fix before then, we suggest checking out her only appearance on film performing her iconic “St. Louis Blues” below:
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JpVCqXRlXx4&w=420&h=315]
article by Lori Lakin Hutcherson, Good Black News Founder and Editor-In-Chief
Posts tagged as “Good Black News”
GOOD BLACK NEWS proudly celebrates its fifth anniversary today, with 8,941 Facebook followers, 5,073 Twitter followers, 3,938 Tumblr followers, 1,043 via Pinterest, and thousands more via Instagram, Google+, YouTube, WordPress, our RSS feed, and LinkedIn. Although initially launched on March 18, 2010 as a Facebook page (read the detailed story behind GBN’s creation here), in September 2012, GBN created this dedicated website, goodblacknews.org, which has allowed us to expand our presence on the internet and provide archives and search functions to you, our loyal readers.
In the past year, we were greatly honored to be featured on NewsOne’s list of the 15 Most Share-Worthy Black Blogs and Sites of 2014. GBN also successfully managed our first-ever giveaway contest, and will most definitely offer more in the coming months. The outpour of appreciation you’ve shown us via likes, comments, shares, reblogs and e-mails means the world to us, and only inspires GBN to keep getting bigger and better and create more original content.
Good Black News remains a labor of love for our Founder/Editor-In-Chief (Lori Lakin Hutcherson) and Lifestyle/Fashion Editor (Lesa Lakin), and we must gratefully acknowledge this year’s contributors (Susan Cartsonis, Julie Bibb Davis, Ashanti Hutcherson, Warren Hutcherson, Brenda Lakin, John Levinson, Jeff Meier, Minsun Park, Gabriel Ryder, Terry Samwick, power stringer Becky Schonbrun, Teddy Tenenbaum, Arro Verse, Joshua A.S. Young, and venture capitalist/business advisor Darryl Wash), who are all unpaid volunteers, and deeply, greatly appreciated.
We’d also like to shout out a few of our power users across the web: Thank you to Ms. Charmian Neary (@CharmianNeary) for being our top Twitter follower and contributor, Heidi Durrow (@mixedremixed) for the most Twitter mentions of @goodblacknews, Mr. Militant Negro at theobamacrat.com for being our number-one reblogger, and to Mrs. Shawna B. (MrsShawnaB) for being our most prolific repinner on Pinterest. Your active interest and sharing mean everything!
Please continue to help us spread GBN by sharing, liking, re-tweeting and commenting, and consider joining our e-mail list via our “Contact Us” tab on goodblacknews.org. We will only use this list to keep you updated on GBN and send you our upcoming e-newsletter — nothing else. And, of course, you may opt out at any time.
GBN believes in bringing you positive news, reviews and stories of interest about black people all over the world, and greatly value your participation in continuing to build our shared vision.
Thank you again for your support, and we look forward to providing you with more Good Black News in the coming year, and beyond!
Warmly,
The Good Black News Team
Good Black News would like to thank our fans and followers, old and new, for making 2014 a grand year of growth and progress for us. Please continue to read, share and spread the word as we continue to strive to find and share information with you about the best of everything in 2015 and beyond. Happy New Year!
Lori Lakin Hutcherson, GBN Founder and Editor-In-Chief
Last Tuesday, GBN announced its first-ever giveaway contest – a chance for three lucky readers to email in to win free copies of award-winning author Jeff Chang‘s most recent work, “Who We Be: The Colorization of America.” As promised, today we are announcing the names of those who entered and prevailed in the random drawing, and here they are: Julia S. Butler, Charles Terrell Franklin and Pam Curry!
Congratulations to you three and many thanks to everyone who wrote in. It was great to receive such positive response, interest and feedback, and GBN will definitely have more giveaways in the future. Also, sincere thanks to St. Martin’s Press for providing the free copies of “Who We Be” and for publishing such insightful, provocative work. Winners, check your email for further details!
Lori Lakin Hutcherson, GBN Editor-in-Chief (follow @lakinhutcherson)
As everyone knows, the shooting death of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, and the unrest, protests and investigations that continue to unfold in the wake of this tragedy are mightily affecting (and hopefully redefining) the national conversation on racism, abuses of power and overbearing, militarized police action against citizens.
As the editor of a website dedicated solely to providing and promoting Good Black News, it has been admittedly hard in the past week to bring myself to post what were starting to seem like frivolous accomplishments and events in the wake of a soul-stirring grass roots movement against tyranny and injustice. This unrest in particular feels like it has the makings of a sea change from the status quo into a new era of human rights, where systemic and commonplace brutality is voted down and rooted out of any and all policing bodies that are meant to Protect and Serve, not Terrify and Dehumanize.
But, even though the eventual outcome could lead to something positive, how can any of what is happening day-to-day (tear gassing, unprovoked arrests, pockets of protester violence, autopsy results) qualify as Good Black News? But not posting anything about Ferguson did not feel right, either. Thus, aside from a few tweets, GBN has been silent for days.
Upon serious thought and reflection, I’ve come to believe that publishing Good Black News is more important and necessary than ever. The achievements of people of color are still woefully under-publicized and reported, and the only way to change minds or inspire pride in those who internalize the “less than” narrative, is to keep putting as much GBN out there as possible.
Thus, going forward, in addition to our regular mix of GBN, we will also post items, tweets, stories and pictures that cover the Ferguson story — the GBN philosophy will still be in place and nothing will be incendiary or negative — in fact, non-violent protest, speaking out, photos, tweets and the like that continue to highlight the injustices still prevalent in this country ARE, in my opinion, Good Black News. Granted, nothing will bring back Michael Brown, Trayvon Martin, Jordan Davis, Oscar Grant or countless others who have suffered the same unjust fate, but positive, insistent protests and actions do have the power to prevent the next young man or woman of color from being victimized, and that we uncategorically and unreservedly support.
Onward and upward —
Lori Lakin Hutcherson, GBN Founder and Editor-In-Chief
What a treat and honor to receive a tweet from @newsone today, letting us know GBN made it onto NewsOne’s list of the 15 Most Share-Worthy Black Blogs and Sites of 2014! Not only do we support and admire newsone.com but we are thrilled with the level of company we are keeping on their list – favorites such as For Harriet, Shadow and Act, Black and Married with Kids, and Color Lines. We are also jazzed to learn about sites we can’t wait to follow such as Very Smart Brothas, Crew of 42, The Shadow League and The Frugal Feminista, among others.
Please click here to see NewsOne’s list in full, and thank you for your readership and continuous support. Onward and upward!
article by Lori Lakin Hutcherson (follow @lakinhutcherson)
GOOD BLACK NEWS proudly celebrates its fourth anniversary today, with 6,397 Facebook followers, 3,988 Twitter followers, 1,932 Tumblr followers, 653 via Pinterest, and hundreds more via Instagram, Google+, YouTube, WordPress, our RSS feed, and LinkedIn. Although initially launched on March 18, 2010 as a Facebook page (read the detailed story behind GBN’s creation here), in September 2012, GBN created this dedicated website, goodblacknews.org, which has allowed us to expand our presence on the internet and provide archives and search functions to you, our loyal readers.
In the past year, we were greatly honored to receive the 2013 Black Weblog Award for Best Political or News Blog, largely due to the support of our dedicated followers. The outpour of appreciation you’ve shown us via likes, comments, shares, reflags and e-mails means the world to us, and only inspires GBN to keep getting bigger and better. In the coming months, we aim to refresh and revise the look of goodblacknews.org once again to improve mobile access, provide more original content, and (if you sign up for it) a downloadable e-newsletter (this goal got away from us in 2013, but it’s going to be for real this time) with features such as historical spotlights, interviews, film release dates, television listings, and more.
Please keep helping us spread GBN by sharing, liking, re-tweeting and commenting, and consider joining our e-mail list via our “Contact Us” tab on goodblacknews.org. We will only use this list to keep you updated on GBN and send you our upcoming e-newsletter — nothing else. And, of course, you may opt out at any time.
GBN remains a labor of love, and our Founder/Editor-In-Chief (Lori Lakin Hutcherson), Lifestyle/Fashion Editor (Lesa Lakin) and this year’s contributors (Ashanti Hutcherson, Monika Jones, Richard Mar, Jeff Meier, Gabriel Ryder, Minsun Park, Terry Samwick, power stringer Becky Schonbrun, Arro Verse, tech consultant/web genius Andrew Lin) are all unpaid volunteers. We believe in bringing you positive news, reviews and stories of interest about black people all over the world, and greatly value your participation in continuing to build our shared vision.
Thank you again for your support, and we look forward to providing you with more Good Black News in the coming year, and beyond!
Warmly,
The Good Black News Team
As we enter into 2014, like everywhere else, GBN is reflecting on what made 2013 truly memorable. There have been historic moments (Barack Obama’s second inauguration to the Presidency of the United States, the Supreme Court striking down the Defense of Marriage Act, Obamacare withstanding severe political and technical challenges) sobering moments (the George Zimmerman trial, the Boston Marathon Bombing, the Oklahoma Tornado Disaster) and inspiring moments (Charles Ramsey rescuing Ariel Castro’s captives, Antoinette Tuff talking down a would-be elementary school shooter, Homeless Teen Drew Gooch earning a full scholarship to college).
Of all the stories we posted this year, however, the ones most popular with GBN’s readers have primarily focussed on education, super-intelligent youth, and the debunking of the “deadbeat dad” myth that unfairly haunts so many African-American fathers:
TOP 5 POSTS of 2013
5. 14 Year-Old Thessalonika Arzu-Embry To Earn Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from Chicago State University
4. Survey Finds Black Fathers are as Involved with Their Kids as Men of Other Races
3. 18 Year-Old Gabrielle Turnquest Becomes Youngest Ever to Pass Britain’s Bar Exams
2. “Living Single” Actress Erika Alexander Co-Writes Graphic with Black Heroine
and…
1. Child Prodigy Adam Kirby, 2, becomes Youngest Ever to Join Genius Club Mensa
In 2014, GBN will strive to bring you much more of the same (as well as the surprising and unexpected), as we believe there can only be more Good Black News stories to cover. Because when you really look for it, you can find positivity everywhere.
Happy New Year!
Lori Lakin Hutcherson, Good Black News Founder & Editor-In-Chief
Followers who visit our main web page instead of just our feeds may have already noticed that in the past few days, Good Black News has updated and refreshed its look for 2013. For those who haven’t, this is our official announcement not only of our new look, but also the new talent we’ve brought aboard to help bring you more and varied Good Black News. Lesa Lakin has been a contributor to GBN on and off throughout the years, but has only recently had the time to help build and organize our new Lifestyle Section, consisting of Fashion, Food, Travel, Health, Fitness, Home, Hair and Beauty-related news. In the short time she’s been working behind the scenes, Lesa has already helped triple our number of Pinterest followers, which inspired us to broaden our definition of Good Black News to include items on the topics above on a regular basis.
If you want to learn more about Lesa, check out her bio on our About the Editors page, and if you like our new Lifestyle Section, please let us know! Onward and Upward, together.
Lori Lakin Hutcherson, Founder and Editor-In-Chief, Good Black News
GOOD BLACK NEWS proudly celebrates its third anniversary today, with 4,367 Facebook followers, 2,803 Twitter followers and scores more via Pinterest, Google+ and Tumblr. Last September, GBN launched a dedicated website, goodblacknews.org, which allowed us to expand our presence on the internet beyond Facebook (we are also on YouTube and LinkedIn) and provide archives and search functions to you, our loyal readers.
The outpour of appreciation you’ve shown us via comments and e-mails means the world to us, and only inspires GBN to keep getting better. In the coming months, we aim to refresh and revise the look of goodblacknews.org to improve mobile access, provide more original content, and (if you sign up for it) a downloadable e-newsletter featuring GBN’s Top Stories of the Week.
Please keep helping us spread GBN by sharing, liking, re-tweeting and commenting, and consider joining our e-mail list via our “Contact Us” tab on goodblacknews.org. We will only use this list to keep you updated on GBN and send you our e-newsletter — nothing else. And, of course, you may opt out at any time.
GBN remains a labor of love, and our Founder/Editor-In-Chief (Lori Lakin Hutcherson) and staff are all unpaid volunteers. We believe in bringing you positive news, reviews and stories of interest about black people all over the world, and greatly value your participation in continuing to build our shared vision.
Thank you again for your support, and we look forward to providing you with more Good Black News in the coming year, and beyond!
Warmly,
The Good Black News Team