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With much sadness, regret appears the iconic actor and Chicago native Dick Anthony Williams passed away on Wednesday (Feb. 15th) at the age of 73. His popular film credits include Five On The Black Hand Side, The Jerk, Tap, Mo’ Better Blues and Edward Scissorhands among others.  He also played “pretty Tony” in the 1973 [...]

Whitney Houston, the multimillion-selling singer who emerged in the 1980s as one of her generation’s greatest R & B voices, only to deteriorate through years of cocaine use and an abusive marriage, died on Saturday in Beverly Hills, Calif. She was 48. Her death came as the music industry descended on Los Angeles for the annual [...]

Don Cornelius became the baritone-voiced bellwether of Chicago cool when he took “Soul Train” from By Greg Kot Tribune critic10:48 a.m. CST, February 1, 2012 the South Side to a national audience in the 1970s. Cornelius, 75, was found dead Wednesday at his Mulholland Drive home in Encino, Calif. He apparently died of a self-inflicted [...]

by Anthony Kaufman | August 11, 2011 “Why should I complain about making $7,000 a week playing a maid? If I didn’t, I’d be making $7 a week being one.” — Hattie McDaniel Despite Hollywood’s best intentions and well-meaning saccharine storytelling, it gets race wrong, repeatedly. From “Driving Miss Daisy” to “Crash” to “The Blind [...]

Throughout history, African Americans have invented some important and fun devices. Read about ten examples of men and women and see what they invented.Think about what kind of obstacles they may have faced, personally and professionally. Elijah McCoy (1843–1929) invented an oil-dripping cup for trains . Fast Fact: Other inventors tried to copy McCoy’s oil-dripping [...]

George Lucas “Red Tails” Take Flight. George Lucas Talks About the Difficulty of Getting A Black Film Made in Hollywood The Daily Show with Jon Stewart Get More: Daily Show Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,The Daily Show on Facebook Lucas, who is one of Hollywood’s biggest names, says that even he (despite his influence) [...]

Long-time Spike Lee editor (as well as director and producer in his own right) Sam Pollard’s feature documentary for PBS, titled Slavery by Another Name, will make its debut at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival, in the documentary competition section. To recap… the film is based on the 2009 Pulitzer Prize-winning book by Wall Street [...]

Affluent black Americans who are leaving industrial cities for the suburbs and the South are shifting traditional lines between rich and poor, according to new census data. Their migration is widening the income gap between whites and the inner-city blacks who remain behind, while making blacks less monolithic as a group and subject to greater [...]

“His father, Syl Whitaker, was the charismatic grandson of slaves… His mother, Jeanne Theis, was a shy, World War II refugee from France…They met in the mid-‘50s, when he was a college student and she was his professor, and they carried on a secret romance for more than a year before marrying and having two [...]

The 122-year reign of the celluloid 35-millimeter film projector is about to come to an end. In just two months, digital will overtake film as the predominant movie projector technology in the world’s cinemas, according to a study released this week by IHS. It will be the first time since the advent of the motion [...]

Beverly Hills, CA (November 18, 2011) – The Academy Foundation of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has awarded $455,000 to 25 U.S. film festivals for the 2012 calendar year. The Cleveland International Film Festival will be the recipient of a multiyear grant for its Focus on Filmmakers program. It will receive a [...]

The Hollywood Foreign Press Association announced Wednesday that actor Morgan Freeman will receive the Cecil B. DeMille Award for lifetime achievement at the 69th annual Golden Globe Awards on Sunday, January 15. Actress Amy Adams (The Muppets) and writer/director Pedro Almodovar (The Skin I Live In) revealed the news during a press conference. The 74-year-old, [...]

2 Specials Set For Midseason EXCLUSIVE: Fox is bringing back its groundbreaking 1990s sketch comedy series In Living Color with the series’ creator and star, Keenen Ivory Wayans, on board as host and executive producer. Fox has ordered two In Living Color half-hour specials to air as part of the network’s 25th anniversary celebration in [...]

Born Eric Marlon Bishop in Terrell,Texas on December 13, 1967, By Kam Williams Jamie Foxx was raised by his grandparents from the age of 7 months, following the failure of his parents’ marriage. He sang in the church choir as a child, and quarterbacked his high school’s football team, before going on to major in [...]

World and business leaders have been paying tribute to Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, who has died at the age of 56 from pancreatic cancer. US President Barack Obama and Russian counterpart Dmitry Medvedev said Mr Jobs had changed the world. Microsoft’s Bill Gates said it had been “an insanely great honour” to work with him. [...]

Sonny Rollins is one of five individuals who have been selected to receive the Kennedy Center Honors of 2011, it was announced today by the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. These individuals’ “collective artistry has contributed significantly to the cultural life of our nation and the world,” said Kennedy Center Chairman David [...]

As controversy mounts the federal government announced Tuesday that it will pump $350,000 into Watts in hopes of sparking an arts-drivenrevitalization of the historically poor neighborhoods. On Monday, the top state parks official in Los Angeles complained that councilwoman Janice Hahn’s plan to build a major skate park next to the Watts Towers is being [...]

*Grammy-winning Blues musician David “Honey Boy” Edwards, believed to be the oldest surviving Delta bluesman and whose roots stretched back to blues legend Robert Johnson, died early Monday in his Chicago home. Edwards had a weak heart and his health seriously declined in May, when the guitarist had to cancel concerts scheduled through November, said [...]

The Washington, DC Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation, Inc. today announced plans for the dedication of the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial in West Potomac Park in Washington, D.C. The official dedication will occur on Sunday, August 28, 2011, the 48th anniversary of the March on Washington and Dr. King’s historic [...]

Nick Ashford, one-half of the legendary Motown songwriting duo Ashford & Simpson that penned elegant, soulful classics for the likes of Diana Ross and Marvin Gaye and funk hits for Chaka Khan and others, died Monday at age 70, his former publicist said. Ashford, who along with wife Valerie Simpson wrote some of Motown’s biggest [...]

The ABWH statement takes the film to task for seeming to suggest that after the assassination of Civil Rights pioneer Medgar Evers, the sole response of the black community was to quake in fear and anxiety. *The Association of Black Women Historians are speaking out against both the best-selling novel and the new movie “The [...]

Frank Foster, a saxophonist, composer and arranger who helped shape the sound of the Count Basie Orchestra during its popular heyday in the 1950s and ’60s and later led expressive large and small groups of his own, died on Tuesday at his home in Chesapeake, Va. He was 82. The cause was complications of kidney [...]

Heshima posted a link to the track which he recorded in his bedroom after hearing the news of the 27-year-old’s death.  On Saturday, Heshima tweeted: “OMG, I can’t believe this!!! R.I.P Amy. I Love You Girl!!” In the post which was added yesterday (July 24), Heshima said: “I ended up working on working on music, [...]

Legislation introduced by Rep. Adam Schiff to designate  the U.S. Postal Service office located in Altadena, California as the “First Lieutenant Oliver Goodall Post Office” passed out of the Oversight and Government  Reform Committee.  The legislation will honor and pay tribute to the more than 50 years of service that Oliver Goodall provided to the [...]

The legendary basketball player is the author of a new book, On the Shoulder of Giants: My Journey Through the Harlem Renaissance, Kareem Reveals Untold NBA History – HipHollywood from HipHollywood on Vimeo. which takes a look back at the storied history and lasting impact of the Harlem Renaissance Ballroom. Abdul-Jabbar discusses how ethnic rivalry [...]

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — Evidence “strongly suggests” that a United Nations peacekeeping mission brought a cholera strain to Haiti that has killed thousands of people, a study by a team of epidemiologists and physicians says. The study is the strongest argument yet that newly-arrived Nepalese peacekeepers at a base near the town of Mirebalais brought [...]

ZO & Magic’s 8-Ball Challenge is an annual fundraiser to support the mission of Alonzo Mourning Charities and the Magic Johnson Foundation. This upscale, intimate, fun and exciting event for the Who’s Who of the industry allows celebrities and athletes to kick-back and enjoy themselves as they prepare to usher in the weekend of festivities. [...]

Manhattan Beach renames a park to honor a black couple forced to give up their resort in the 1920s. By Deborah Schoch, Times Staff Writer In 2007, Manhattan Beach city leaders and residents gathered at a small park by the ocean to lift the veil from a commemorative plaque, revealing a piece of little-known local [...]

by Daoud Tyler-Ameen Gil Scott-Heron died Friday afternoon in New York,his book publisher reported. He was 62. The influential poet and musician is often credited with being one of the progenitors of hip-hop, and is best known for the spoken-word piece “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised.” Gil Scott-Heron Makes A Striking Return Scott-Heron was [...]

By Jozen Cummings May 26th 2011 Miles Dewey Davis III would have turned 85 today (May 26). Despite his death in 1991, he’s considered one of jazz music’s greatest players. It’s hard to say whether Davis would still be making music if he were still alive. The last studio album he ever recorded, ‘Doo-Bop’ (released [...]

By Evann Gastaldo,  Newser Staff Posted May 23, 2011 6:16 AM Camping came out of hiding briefly yesterday, after his predicted rapture did not come to pass, appearing at the front door of his Alameda home to tell the San Francisco Chronicle he had “a really tough weekend.” Nearly 18 hours after his May 21 [...]

Short answer: Way more than you think.  Eli Pariser laid it all out in this eye-opening TED talk, and got a standing ovation for his trouble. His book on the topic, The Filter Bubble: What the Internet is Hiding from You, is out this week — help make it a hit here.

If you or your friends have children with inquisitive minds they may love our new series of children books. The B.R.I.T.E. B.R.A.T.S. are 4 illustrated children who are culturally and ethnically diverse and best friends. B.R.I.T.E.  B.R.A.T.S. is an acronym for: “Being Respectful In Today’s Environment”, “Brings Real Achievement Towards Success”. Together our 4 illustrated [...]

By Tim Wise Posted on May 2, 2011 There is no one in the world more creative than a white person trying to deny their racism, after having said or done something incredibly racist. Whether it’s the Orange County California Republican activist who recently sent around the e-mail with the picture of the Obamas portrayed [...]

By Ko Fai Godfrey Ko in Social Media Marketing Today there are several ways to advertise online and one of the most popular is through social media marketing. You can leverage these ten powerful tips if you want to succeed in defeating competition and generate higher profits or site traffic. Tip #1 – Start by [...]

Multi faceted entertainer and entrepreneur Pharrell Williams has became part owner of  a  company that produces yarns and fabrics derived from recycled plastic beverage bottles.The company is called Bionic Yarn, and the brand name is a perfect representation of what the company stands for. Bionic Yarn has durability, strength, and a refined quality. It is [...]

Would a birth certificate matter? Suddenly the birthers are back in the spotlight.  Donald Trump and Birthers demand to see a birth certificate. Would it help? I don’t think so. I have a professional interest in this bit of racist politics. My life as a historian revolves around looking for documents, checking their authenticity, deciphering [...]

On April 7th, the NAACP released a new report, Misplaced Priorities, that examines America’s escalating levels of prison spending and its impact on state budgets and our nation’s children. Misplaced Priorities tracks the steady shift of state funds away from education and toward the criminal justice system. Researchers have found that over-incarceration most often impacts [...]

Watch the video and support the effort… Amy Hānaiali‘i and Henry Kapono compose “Together Hawai‘i” and records with Hawai‘i’s top vocalists. HONOLULU, HI – April 08, 2011 – Hawai‘i’s top vocalists have come together to lend their voice of support to the victim’s of one of the world’s most tragic natural disasters in modern times. [...]

Tales of Tuskegee are stories and events told by and of the Tuskegee Airmen. The genuine hero’s and heroines of WWII, who fought for freedom, dignity and respect on the home front and abroad. Tuskegee Airman Claude Davis breaks a rule. Tuskegee Airman Clarence Findley Talks Top Gun In 1943, Finley, who had a pilot’s [...]

The powerful earthquake that unleashed a devastating tsunami Friday appears to have moved the main island of Japan by 8 feet (2.4 meters) and shifted the Earth on its axis. (CNN) –”At this point, we know that one GPS station moved (8 feet), and we have seen a map from GSI (Geospatial Information Authority) in [...]

Audience Engagement By Jerry Bader We are inundated with advertising messages from the time we wake to the time we go to bed. Some of these messages are welcomed and some are a source of irritation. The difference between noise and communication boils down to relevance, and relevance is a function of how advertisers deliver [...]

Nick LaTour who appeared in many of your favorite television shows and movies over the last thirty plus years has died in Los Angeles. He was 84. Born E.D. Nixon Jr. he went by the stage name of Nick LaTour and was the son of the late civil rights activist E.D. Nixon who bailed Rosa [...]

El Doggo Productions was formed to develop and promote films and media works which will help raise the consciousness of society-at-large with regard to drugs and politics. There first venture “Smoke Screen” was created with the hope that it would enlighten the public as to the tragic consequences of the “WAR ON DRUGS’. The producers [...]

a single on the new Nduyanyu CD, entitled NduSpeak, is featured as the background theme at plazanoir.com. We’re happy to showcase this track from this outstanding  CD project. plazanoir.com/nduyanyu/From time to time Plaza Noir (PN) will feature the music of talented musicians on its front page. These tracks will provide theme music for PN and [...]

Words Can Move You By Jerry Bader (c) 2011 Sometimes business people make things harder than they have to be, take marketing for instance. Marketing is pretty simple when you get right down to it: discover the emotional value inherent in what you sell and present it in a memorable manner that differentiates you from [...]

Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X.Black History Month is a very important time for Americans of all races. It allows us to learn interesting facts about African American men and women that have made an impact on our everyday lives. Most people do not receive information about black history except for during Black History [...]

Known as the Primer Libertador de America or “first liberator of the Americas,” Gaspar Yanga led one of colonial Mexico’s first successful slave uprisings and would go on to establish one of the Americas earliest free black settlements. Rumored to be of royal lineage from West Africa, Yanga was an enslaved worker in the sugarcane [...]

William Grant Still (May 11, 1895 – December 3, 1978) was an African-American classical composer who wrote more than 150 compositions. He was the first African-American to conduct a major American symphony orchestra, the first to have a symphony of his own (his first symphony) performed by a leading orchestra, the first to have an [...]

The Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday celebrates the life and legacy of a man who sowed the seeds of hope and healing in America. SlideShowProVideo({ attributes: { id: “content-627″, width: 528, height: 296 }, params: { bgcolor: “#000000″, allowfullscreen: true }, flashvars: { apiPath: “http://plazanoir.com/ssp_director/index.php?”, videoId: 627 } }); We commemorate as well the timeless [...]

A musical tribute to a great producer, arranger, composer, musician, Charles Stepney, who was the driving musical force behind Earth, Wind, & Fire, [slidepress gallery='elegant-mediaworks-tribute-to-charles-stepney'] Minnie Ripperton (and many others). From the soon to be released recording, “The Journey” by Sir Gant & The InVisible Force

The Wilmington Journal WASHINGTON – Young black males in America are in a state of crisis. So says a new report by the Council of the Great City Schools that presents stark data on the differences between black and white academic and social achievement from the cradle to adulthood, describing ”comprehensive challenges” facing African American [...]

For Oliver Goodall, trail-blazing was a way of life. As World War II pilot and a member of the famed Tuskegee Airmen, as one of a group of African American military officers who defied racial restrictions decades before the anti-segregation movement of the 1960s – Goodall never allowed obstacles, great or small, to block him [...]

From the Atlanta Post: The Obama stimulus Tax cuts are so subtle, that no one has noticed. These tax cuts were distributed with the hope that some measure of relief would be provided to families,and that the additional money would also be used by … Read More

Solomon Burke, the Grammy Award-winning soul musician known as the “King of Rock and Soul,” died Sunday at Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam, where he was scheduled to perform a concert. On his website, his family wrote, “He was on his way to spread his message of love as he loved to do.” Burke was responsible [...]

We have to admit, we weren’t among those jumping with excitement when we discovered Tyler Perry, a man known for his comedic stage plays and film versions, was taking on… the transformative work that is Ntozake Shange’s classic stageplay “For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow is Enuf.” But as time gets [...]

View video tribute to Aaron Dodd As if tuba player Aaron Dodd hadn’t faced enough personal setbacks in a made-for-Hollywood life, the former studio musician-turned-street performer was devastated when a doctor told him that his lungs were too diseased for him to play his beloved instrument again. [slidepress gallery='dodd-gallery'] Diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, [...]

[slidepress gallery='empixx-awards2']Fairy God Brother Productions & Film Company, LLC Wins EMPIXX PLATINUM AWARD & EMPIXX GOLD AWARD We are profoundly happy to announce that director Glenn Towery has been presented an EMPIXX PLATINUM AWARD for the Documentary “LONG LIVE THE SPIRIT” (of the Million Man March)”  Judges comments, “The story was told with powerful visuals [...]

Protest, Insurgency and the Workings of White Privilege by Tim Wise April 25, 2010, 8:33 am Let’s play a game, shall we? The name of the game is called “Imagine.” The way it’s played is simple: we’ll envision recent happenings in the news, but then change them up a bit. Instead of envisioning white people [...]

OPINION: Why White People Love “Precious” And Black People Hate It By Casey Gane-McCalla February 5, 2010 2:22 pm // There is a really good article in the New York Times on “Precious” by renowned author, Ismael Reed. In it he explains why “Precious” has gotten such great critical response from the white community while [...]

Many Thanks To Our Forefathers, 88 yrs. ago. The Date Was June 1, 1921, “BLACK WALL STREET” The name fittingly given to one of the most affluent All-BLACK Communities in America, was bombed from the air and Burned to the ground by mobs of envious Whites. In a period spanning fewer than 12 hours, a [...]