Hip Hop artist Chris Brown attends the ‘WE US: Walk Everywhere in Unity’s Shoes’ event at Crenshaw Senior High School on July 6, 2013 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Michael Buckner/Getty Images for Unity Campaign)
Chris Brown spent his Fourth of July holiday showing his more charitable side by giving back to students in the community. As part of his newly-launched Unity campaign, the singer donated over 1,000 pairs of Reebok sneakers to students at Crenshaw High School in L.A. on Saturday. The event, “WE US: Walk Everywhere in Unity’s Shoes,” drew special meaning for Brown as he reflected on many of his own childhood memories. “I used to have to borrow my cousin’s clothes,” he told PEOPLE. “So being able to come from that poverty-stricken environment and then being able to get out of it is what I tried to [do]. … I just want to show the kids and have them have a better light of opportunities for them to do what they need to do.” After Saturday’s charitable event, Brown wrote a tweet saying: “Thank you for allowing me to continue to inspire change in the world. Today was a great day forward! #UnityCampaign.” Brown launched his Unity Campaign after the release of his latest song, “They Don’t Know,” which features unreleased vocals from late singer Aaliyah and highlights his hopes to end violence. His sixth studio album, X, is expected to hit stores on July 16th. article by Lilly Workneh via thegrio.com
Growing up as the youngest girl in a family of eight children, Claudia Hoexter spent a lot of time figuring out how the world worked on her own. While her Dad was juggling three businesses, her Mom was trying to keep up with the needs of her growing family. And her older siblings were always steps ahead — with little time to pass on life’s lessons to their little sister. “Whether it was riding a bike or balancing on a skateboard,” Claudia recalled, “I was out there on my own. If I was on a busy street and I wanted to get to the park on the other side, I had to figure out how. I think that’s what made me who I am today. Nothing scared me. I thought if I press this button, what’s the worst thing that’s going to happen? I can’t blow up the world? I was just never afraid of anything.” It was an attitude that would serve her well, when at 19, she caught the eye of a modeling agent, who advised her to stop hiding behind her long hair and fly from her hometown of Chicago to Los Angeles to have professional head shots done. She was the youngest in her family to strike out on her own — and having been raised in a strict household, that photo session was the first time she’d ever dared to wear even a stitch of make-up. “I went through high school as this plain Jane and there I was in Beverly Hills, all by myself, in a photo studio. From the first moment the make-up artist applied eye liner, I felt transformed. And the photographer must have noticed, because he started shooting while I was still in the chair.” That moment would put Claudia on the path to making millions — but not as a model. Despite the early success that landed her campaigns for companies that ranged from Sears to Saks Fifth Avenue, the rising star decided she wanted a more secure line of work and built a career as an office manager. But she never let go of her new found love for lotions and potions and make-up — nor the fearless attitude she grew up with — and that’s what would lead her to create a product that would end up on the shelves of the biggest retailer in the world. “I was getting ready for work one morning,” Claudia remembered, “and I started screaming. My husband Daniel came running, thinking that I had gotten hurt. He literally slid into the bathroom, he got up there so fast. And I turned to him and said, ‘I’ve got it. I’ve got the idea. I think I’ve just invented something.’” “He’d heard it before,” she laughed. “I’m always coming up with ideas. But this time his eyes got big. He works in advertising and he knows what sells. And he said, ‘Claudia, we need to go talk to someone.’” Claudia had been trying to get the last bit of serum out of a glass bottle. She considered breaking it, but she was afraid there would be shards of glass all over the room. She thought if only there was a spoon that could fit into the expensive bottles in front of her — that could reach into the corners and crevices and get out every precious drop, she could save so much money. “That was the moment it all came to me. I knew what it would look like. I even sketched it out on a piece of paper. And I knew I was going to call it the Beauty Spoon.” Beauty Spoons “I’d always wanted to work for myself. I’d see the CEOs I worked for and think I can do what they’re doing. And I thought one of two things is going to happen — nothing or something. I had to press the button.” So, Claudia started searching the internet, sometimes late into the night, bringing her smart phone to bed with her and studying under the glare of the tiny light. She was determined to find a way to bring her product to market in a big way. And she had her eyes set on Walmart. “After all,” she said with a smile, “their tagline is “Save Money. Live Better.” And that’s exactly what I was trying to do!” Her search led her to a graphic designer who took her quick sketch and turned it into a 3D image that she could bring to manufacturers. With that in hand, the determined inventor set out to find a Midwest manufacturer who could produce the kind of volume a retailer like Walmart would demand and a warehouse that already supplied the enormous chain of stores.
On May 29, 1973, Tom Bradley became the first African-American elected mayor of Los Angeles. In that election, he defeated incumbent Sam Yorty with 56 percent of the vote. The win was considered trailblazing by historians, taking into account the city’s largely white population at the time. Bradley served in office from 1973 to 1993, giving him the longest tenure as mayor in the city’s history before term limits were passed by voters in 1990. He ran for governor in 1982 and 1986, but was defeated each time by George Deukmejian. His loss in 1982 gave birth to the term “the Bradley effect” in U.S. politics, underlining the inconsistencies between voter opinion polls and actual election outcomes when a white candidate runs against a minority. Bradley retired from political life in 1993. In March 1996, he suffered a heart attack and later a stroke that left him paralyzed and unable to speak. He suffered a second heart attack and passed away on Sept. 29, 1998 at the age of 80. article by Britt Middleton via bet.com
Music industry entrepreneur Jimmy Iovine, left, and hip-hop mogul Dr. Dre at a Grammy Party in Los Angeles. Dre, whose real name is Andre Young, and Iovine have donated a combined $70 million to create a new institute at the University of Southern California, the school announced Tuesday, May 14. (Photo by Todd Williamson/Invision/AP, file)
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Hip-hop mogul Dr. Dre, whose real name is Andre Young, and music industry entrepreneur Jimmy Iovine have donated a combined $70 million to create a new institute at the University of Southern California, the school announced Tuesday night. The huge gift from the two who have been music business partners in the past will be used to create the Jimmy Iovine and Andre Young Academy for Arts, Technology and the Business of Innovation. The academy will provide a special four-year program for undergraduates whose interests span several fields from marketing to computer science to visual design and other arts. It will include one-on-one faculty mentoring with professors from programs around the university and interaction with entertainment industry luminaries.
The Oscar winner led an A-list crowd through the streets of LA on Saturday, just one day before celebrating Mother’s Day with daughter Nahla, in support of women’s cancer awareness.
The event was co-hosted by Brooke Anderson and Andy Garcia, as well as Julie Bowen who sprinted to the finish line among thousands of other enthusiastic participants who came out to support the cause.
Dancing With the Stars hoofer Karina Smirnoff was also on hand to drive the pace car to kick off the event.
Funds raised from the event have still not yet been tallied, though the organization itself has raised more than $68 million in total.
Since its launch in 1994, EIF Revlon Run/Walk for Women has become one of the largest single-day fundraisers for women’s cancers in Los Angeles.
Tamera Mowry with son Aden Housley and Tia Mowry with son Cree Mowry-Hardrict host the Milky launch event. (CHARLEY GALLAY/GETTY IMAGES)
Tia and Tamera Mowry have both experienced the joys of motherhood and have teamed up to create an innovative herbal supplement to help new moms boost the quality and quantity of breast milk. The supplement is called Milky and the sisters recently celebrated the launch of their new brand at A Pea in the Pod in L.A.
Mom-to-be Tamar Braxton was just one of the famous faces who came out to support Milky at the VIP launch event. There’s no word yet on when Milky will be available for purchase, but consumers can sign up for exclusive notices via the Milky website. If you’re wondering if the supplements really work, Tamera, mother of 6-month-old Aden Housley, uses them and gives them her stamp of approval. “Believe me — it works!” Tamera told People. The twins also dish on Milky and their adventures in motherhood on their blog, Tia and Tamera. article by Nicole Marie Melton via essence.com
Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa The Metro Transportation Authority (MTA) in Los Angeles pledged significant African American participation during the construction phase of the Metro Crenshaw/LAX Transit Corridor and also signed a project labor agreement to ensure that Blacks received adequate employment representation. But contractors have drastically underperformed in the hiring of African Americans in the first phase of the Crenshaw Advanced Utilities Relocation PLA for Targeted Worker Attainment. According to MTA internal documents obtained by the Los Angeles Sentinel, which revealed the number of individual hires, Blacks ranked lower than any other demographic group. After Mayor Antonio Villraigosa required the promoting of African American hiring during the construction phase, the number of Blacks hired in the month of February nearly doubled the percentage of the previous two months to 5.81 percent for February and escalated again in March to report its greatest gains yet reaching almost 8 percent. “Finally, I think we are moving in the right direction because more African Americans are now included in the work force,” said Mayor Villraigosa. “However, I am not satisfied and will not be until I see that African Americans who live in this community are employed and reflected in the bottom line. “I believe that it is only appropriate that residents of this community be active participants and work on this rail system being built. I want to see the number of people hired that represents the population of the community. They deserve it and I demand it. My legacy as mayor of the City of Los Angeles rides on it.” article by Kenneth Miller, Los Angeles Sentinel via postnewsgroup.com
April 6, 1972: Defense attorney Leo Branton listens to Angela Davis as the two walk from court at San Jose. Leo Branton Jr., a civil rights and entertainment lawyer whose stirring defense of ’60s radical Angela Davis brought him his most celebrated victory in a six-decade career often spent championing unpopular cases, died of natural causes Friday in Los Angeles. He was 91. His death was confirmed by his son Tony Nicholas.
Branton, the only African-American graduate of Northwestern University’s law school in 1948, helped singer Nat King Cole integrate an exclusive Los Angeles neighborhood, defended Communists in McCarthy-era Los Angeles and won misconduct cases against the Los Angeles Police Department decades before Rodney King became a household name. “He was a hero of mine,” said Connie Rice, a prominent Los Angeles civil rights attorney who helped lead efforts to reform the LAPD after the King beating. “All the things I’ve done, Leo Branton did 50 years before I even thought about going to law school. He saw himself not as a private practitioner out to make money for himself but as a lawyer with the skills to be a champion for black liberation.”
The team from Morgan State University celebrates on stage after winning their second consecutive title at the 2013 Honda Campus All-Star Challenge.
After two days of intense competition among 250 students representing 48 competing teams, Morgan State University claimed its second National Championship title in a row at the 24th Annual Honda Campus All-Star Challenge (HCASC), an annual academic event featuring the best and brightest students from the nation’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Enduring a year-long program of study and preparation, the Morgan State University team emerged victorious at the National Championship Tournament held on the Los Angeles-area campus of American Honda Motor Co., Inc., and took home $50,000 in grants for their school. Surviving 10 games against tough competition, Morgan State University clinched the National Championship over second-place finisher Florida A&M University after answering the following question correctly: In 1975 the Himalayan kingdom of Sikkim joined what very large neighbor to its south? Correct Answer: India The Morgan State University team included Craig Cornish (Captain), senior, History Major; Kyle De Jan, senior, History Major; Micheal Osikomaiya, junior, English Major; and James Hayes-Barber, sophomore, Electrical Engineering Major. The fast-paced, suspenseful competition tested the students’ abilities to quickly and accurately answer questions on a broad range of topics including world history, science, literature, religion, art, social sciences, popular culture and African-American history and culture. The top two teams from each of the eight competing divisions advanced to the “Sweet 16,” a single-elimination playoff. The final two teams then battled it out for the national title in a best 2-out-of-3 finals.
This Saturday, April 13th, the Zimmer Museum Honors Jackie Robinson with Family Friendly Events & Activities in conjunction with the Sports Museum of LA.
Sixty-six years ago on April 15, 1947, Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in professional baseball when the Brooklyn Dodgers started him at first base, making him the first African American to play in Major League Baseball (MLB) in the modern era. This weekend, in addition to the national release of the Warner Bros. “42,” a feature film about his life, Robinson will be honored by a rare display of his, as well as Negro League memorabilia, at the Sports Museum of Los Angeles. This exhibit, hosted by the Zimmer Children’s Museum, coincides with Jackie Robinson Triple Play Day, which also includes family-friendly events, food, prizes and a historical scavenger hunt for kids. Proceeds from Triple Play Day go to support the Zimmer Children’s Museum’s youth services program, youTHink, which empowers youth to find their voice around social issues that matter to them and make a difference in their communities. For more information on this special event or to purchase tickets, go to: http://sports.zimmermuseum.org article by Lori Lakin Hutcherson Related Posts:
