By Liku Zelleke They are perceived by many to be America’s answer to royalty. They certainly have the media’s attention, they probably earn more than some of the world’s monarchs, and they have managed to lead a warm family lifestyle – a big deal when considering the pressures of their intensely busy work schedules. They are Jay Z and Beyoncé, and this April, they are celebrating their 6th wedding anniversary….
By Andrew Scot Bolsinger The junior division of the Alvin Ailey Dance Theater is all grown up, celebrating its 40th anniversary this year. A “staple in black history,” according to The Grio, the Alvin Ailey Dance Theater has played in a critical role in the artistic expression of the black community since its founding in 1958. But Ailey II, which focused on recruiting and training young black dance talent, moves…
By Andrew Scot Bolsinger Like most actors, Anthony Mackie had a role he wanted badly. Unlike many who play it cool in front of the media, Mackie isn’t hiding how thrilled he is to be cast as “Falcon” in Marvel Comics upcoming “Captain America” sequel. Such is the emotion with becoming one of the first African-American superheroes on the big screen. “When I heard I got the role I broke…
By: Stephanie Allen-Gobert “Clap along if you feel like a room without a roof…because I’m happy!” Pharrell Williams, the “Happy” man himself will be the new judge on the popular NBC singing competition The Voice. The new arrival of Pharrell should make the 12 million viewers and counting eager for the new season. Pharrell, a Virginia Beach native will be replacing Cee-Lo Green for season 7, who made it clear…
By David Bloodsaw Samuel Jackson is back again as Nick Fury and Marvel couldn’t be more pleased reports the nydailynews.com. We first caught a glimpse of the iconic character in the epilogue of Iron Man back in 2008. Now 6 years and many movies later, Fury is back in Captain America: The Winter Soldier. It was a fore-shadow for things to come, but even Marvel didn’t expect all these movies…
by Dr. Kimberly Brown Recently, Nas and Michael E. Dyson discussed hip hop. They sat in a Georgetown lecture hall. The moderator is a professor there. Dyson teaches there. Nas referenced going to “Harvard and meeting Skip Gates” as measures of “progress.” None of the panelists represented a Black institution (record label, school or otherwise). Power, of course is always measured, harnessed, and utilized via institutions, not individuals. So although three “successful”…
By Andrew Scot Bolsinger African-American movie attendance hit a new high mark in 2013, a year when several black-themed films were released, including the year’s Oscar winner for best picture, “12 Years a Slave.” The Motion Picture Association of America estimates that African-Americans attended the movies 170 million times in 2013, a 13-percent increase from the year before and the first significant bump since 2009, according to the Hollywood reporter….
By Dr. Sinclair Grey III Hollywood is definitely known for being prejudice and even racists towards people of color. Even with the success it portrays with black films and actors, the truth of the matter is that blacks are still marginalized. Boyz N the Hood director, John Singleton spoke out in an interview slamming Hollywood liberals who don’t ‘let black people tell the stories.’ Let’s face it for a moment….
By Dr. Sinclair Grey III Whenever African-Americans see whites in blackface, there’s an outrage. Immediately, you’ll hear the words, ‘racist, racism, and prejudice, just to name a few. Without a doubt, the concept of seeing whites in blackface stirs up mixed emotions. These emotions can range from disbelief in silence to a violent outrage. Race and racism are so prevalent in the entertainment industry that it can be difficult to…
by Barry Burch Jr. So what you are a comedian. You can still get robbed. It seems that all the jokes in the world are not enough to keep you protected from the pervasive reach of crime. Funny man Micheal Blackson had to learn this for himself, the hard way. The comedian who has probably never harmed a fly confessed to his Twitter followers that he had been robbed on Sunday…
by Barry Burch Jr. If you were to ask most people around the world as little as five years ago who the King of Pop was, they would most likely have told you that person was Michael Jackson. However, if you ask people around the world that now, given they are privy to the information with regard to Jackson’s death; you might be surprised by the answers. Since his death,…
By: Stephanie Allen-Gobert Hot off her supporting and star stellar role in 12 Years a Slave, Alfre Woodward has been tapped to play the president of the United States opposite Katherine Heigl in an upcoming NBC drama State of Affairs. According to thegrio.com, Woodward will play President Roberta Payton and Heigl will star as her late son’s ex-girlfriend Charleston “Charlie” Whitney Tucker. The drama described as Scandal meets The West Wing,…
By Andrew Scot Bolsinger The popular cartoon Boondocks has been “hijacked,” according to creator and executive producer Aaron McGruder, who confirmed he’d have no part of the show’s upcoming fourth season. After news of the bitter divorce swirled recently, McGruder would only confirm that he has no involvement with the show’s next season. McGruder had fueled speculation on Facebook when he posted that the show had been “hijacked.” On March…
By: Stephanie Allen-Gobert ‘Being Mary Jane’ star Gabrielle Union is set to take on another lead and major role in a film. She is starring in Chris Rock’s upcoming film, “Finally Famous”. Recent reports from Eurweb stated that Rock has recruited Union to be the female lead in the film. Union will play Rock’s popular reality TV star fiancée. Rock, who wrote and directed the film, plays a comedian-turned-film-star itching…
Jamie Foxx Jamie Foxx is a well-established actor, stand-up comedian, singer-songwriter, musician, and talk radio host. He has won many awards for his work such as Grammys, Academy awards, and Golden Globes awards. However, these are facts that you may already know about Mr. Foxx; here are 8 things you may not have known about him! “Jamie Foxx” is only a stage name! He was born Eric Marlon Bishop on…