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This Vimeo On Demand Documentary Makes a Stop at the Doc Corner of the Cannes Film Festival Before Distribution LOS ANGELES – When you think of the Caribbean island of Jamaica, you think of Reggae, Rastas, rum and a whole lot of ganja – that is, marijuana. But underneath all the vices, the island has [...]

In appreciation of his seventy year music career and his contributions to promote peace, culture and education. The International Committee of… Artists for Peace(ICAP) honored the famed arranger, composer,with their Founders lifetime achievement award. This event took place in Santa Monica, California on April 21, 2013 as hundred of fans attended the 12th annual  “Music [...]

Authors George and Darryl Fosty (relation) capture a significant contribution by descendants of African American slaves who made their way through Canada and settled in Nova Scotia. Black Ice tells the story of African Canadians and their immense contribution to the development of Canada, “The history of Black Canadians has, for the most part either [...]

Over the past 40 years, the War on Drugs has cost more than $1 trillion and accounted for over 45 million arrests. The U.S. holds 25% of the world’s prisoners, yet accounts for only 5% of the world’s population. Black individuals comprise 13% of the U.S. population and 14% of drug users, yet they are [...]

Forest Whitaker has taken over the nearly 20-year effort to bring the turbulent life of stand-up comedy legend Richard Pryor to the big screen. Whitaker is teaming with the late comedian’s widow, Jennifer Pryor, to produce the film through his Significant Productions shingle. Whitaker will develop a new script with input from Jennifer Pryor, and [...]

Plaza Noir would like to give a special shout out to all the women of the world for all that you bring to humanity. Women’s History Month is an annual declared month worldwide that highlights the contributions of women to events in history and contemporary society. It is celebrated during March in the United States, [...]

More than half a century after she refused to give up her seat on an Alabama city bus, Rosa Parks has an immovable place in the U.S. Capitol — the first black woman to be honored with a statue there. President Barack Obama and congressional leaders from both parties said at an unveiling Wednesday that [...]

Filmmaker Ava DuVernay has another reason to celebrate this year — winning the John Cassavetes Award last night at the Independent Spirit Awards for her film Middle of Nowhere. Last year, DuVernay made history with Middle of Nowhere at the Sundance Film Festival, becoming the first African-American woman to take home the U.S. Directing Award. [...]

View recap of PNN coverage of Pan African Film and Arts Festival Join PNN correspondents, Rasha Goel and NickiiJean On the Red Carpet PNN covers Free Angela and All Political Prisoner Plaza Noir bring to you on-the-spot reporting and interviews from Angela Davis, Jada Pinkett Smith and the director of this riveting documentary, Shola Lynch [...]

This Black History Parade is a 31 year old tradition that brings out all the residents in this community. PNN offers a glimpse of the happenings as our new member of the Plaza Noir Network (PNN) news team, Lucson Barthelemy mixes it  up with the people on the parade route. More about Lucson Barthelemy Lucson [...]

Voodoo Psycho Thriller “Vipaka”, Starring Oscar Winner Forest Whitaker and Anthony Mackie Selected as Opening Night Film LOS ANGELES – The Pan African Film Festival (PAFF) will celebrate its 21th anniversary in grand style with a string of highly-anticipated films. The festival will kick off festivities with a star-studded Opening Night Gala at 6 p.m. [...]

Whitney’s mom Cissy addresses lesbian rumors in new book, a year after Whitney Houston’s death, her 79-year-old mother, Cissy Houston is revealing intimate details of the pop icon’s life…     by Chris Witherspoon in the new book Remembering Whitney. The book is described as “honest and heartbreaking, a mother’s story of tears joy, and her [...]

Nominated for Best Short Doc film at PAFF The film addresses the rise in HIV/AIDS among senior citizens of color Los Angeles, CA (January 25, 2013) — Coined “The Little Film That Could,” Megan Ebor’s short documentary film, Even Me, has continued to thrive reaching audiences all around the country. The filmmaker made an unlikely [...]

Happy Birthday Jackie,  you would be 94 this January 31st. Where would we all be if it wasn’t for your courage and talent.   “Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures are teaming up with director Brian Helgeland for “42,” the powerful story of Jackie Robinson, the legendary baseball player who broke Major League Baseball’s color [...]

President Obama: “My fellow Americans, we are made for this moment, and we will seize it” Barack Obama has told the American people to “seize the moment”, in a speech in Washington DC inaugurating his second term as US president. He issued a plea for political unity while embracing liberal causes such as immigration reform, [...]

As the “Django Unchained” controversy continues this week, legendary Civil Right activist and comedian, Dick Gregory, is the latest public figure to open up about Quentin Tarantino’s much talked about film. While many have rallied behind Spike Lee’s sentiments over Tarantino’s usage of the n-word, Gregory decided to take a different stance during an interview [...]

From teeming Times Square to a once-isolated Asian country celebrating its first public New Year’s Eve countdown in decades, the world looked to the start of 2013 with hope for renewal after a year of economic turmoil, searing violence and natural disasters. Fireworks, concerts and celebrations unfolded around the globe to ring in the new [...]

The Chicago pianist, bandleader, composer, and educator, who played on a million-selling soul-jazz single in 1968 – died Wednesday in Chicago. He would have turned 74 years old tomorrow, December 21. In addition to leading his own bands from the 1970s to this year, Chaney as a young pianist backed many of the storied jazz [...]

Ravi Shankar, the sitar virtuoso and composer who died on Tuesday at 92, created a passion among Western audiences for the rhythmically vital, melodically flowing ragas of classical Indian music — a fascination that had expanded by the mid-1970s into a flourishing market for world music of all kinds. In particular, his work with two [...]

The Central Park Jogger case involved an assault and rape that took place in New York City’s Central Park on April 19, 1989. The victim was Trisha Meili. Five juvenile males—four black and one Hispanic—were tried and convicted for the crime. The convictions were vacated in 2002 when another man claimed to have committed the [...]

In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, there were isolated reports of people in neighboring states who saw the influx of displaced New Orleanians into their cities as a burden – or even worse, a nuisance. But imagine if whole cities and states harbored pure hatred and zero sympathy for Katrina survivors – not only making fun [...]

 President Barack Obama won a second term as president on Tuesday, describing his victory over Republican nominee Mitt Romney a call to action that would help move the U.S. past the difficult times endured during the last four years, promising, “the best is yet to come.” By Michael O’Brien, NBC News Propelled by wins in [...]

In response to the widespread devastation caused by Hurricane Sandy, the networks of NBCUniversal  will join forces to air a one-hour live benefit telethon, “Hurricane Sandy: Coming Together,” on Friday, November 2 (8-9 pm ET). Hosted by NBC “Today” anchor Matt Lauer, the telethon will be broadcast from the New York studios of NBC at [...]

The friends,family of slain teenager Kendrec McDade protest in front of the Pasadena Hilton Hotel against the Pasadena branch of the NAACP. Photo by Terry Miller The NAACP has chosen the Pasadena Police Chief, a named defendant in the wrongful death lawsuit of Kendrec McDade to be the emcee of its Annual Awards dinner being [...]

Release Date: August 16, 2013 Director: Baltasar Kormakur Studio: Universal Pictures Screenwriter: Blake Masters Starring: Denzel Washington, Mark Wahlberg, Paula Patton, Bill Paxton, Edward James Olmos, James Marsden Genre: Action, Crime, Thriller Plot Summary: Academy Award® winner Denzel Washington and Mark Wahlberg lead an all-star cast in “2 Guns,” an explosive action film that tracks [...]

Middle of Nowhere is just Ava DuVernay‘s second feature film, but her work scored her the best director prize at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival — making her the first African-American woman to win the honor. Her feature film directorial debut, the well-received I Will Follow, was the first theatrical release from the black distribution [...]

BMV Productions lenses the  last flight of the Space Shuttle Endeavor over the Jet Propulsion Lab in Pasadena, California on September 21, 2012. After getting to the Altadena location early and fighting for what seem to be a great location over looking the canyon to see JPL nestled into the beautiful backdrop of the San [...]

Celebrating the 50th anniversary, ending segregation in Mississippi. Meredith is an American civil rights movement figure, a writer, and a political adviser. In 1962, he was the first African American student admitted to the segregated University of Mississippi, an event that was a flashpoint in the American civil rights movement. Motivated by President John F. [...]

President Barack Obama accepts the Democratic presidential nomination and addresses the DNC September 7, 2012 in Charlotte, NC.

If you’ve never heard of Quvenzhané Wallis, odds are by the time Oscars are being handed out next February, you’ll be more than passingly acquainted with indie moviedom’s newest, littlest supernova. Given her searing performance in Beasts of the Southern Wild—hands down, 2012’s most acclaimed film to date—it’s just a matter of time before multiplex America [...]

Legendary director Spike Lee chats about ”Red Hook Summer,” his prolific career, and his love for all things Brooklyn. . . and Chicago! Learn about Spike Lee’s movie Red Hook Summer at redhooksummer.com and his production company, 40 Acres and a Mule, at 40acres.com

(21 June 1944 – 19 August 2012) was a British film director. His films include The Hunger, Top Gun, Beverly Hills Cop II, Days of Thunder, The Last Boy Scout, True Romance, Crimson Tide, Enemy of the State, Spy Game, Man on Fire, Déjà Vu, The Taking of Pelham 123, and Unstoppable. He was the younger [...]

LONDON — Using its familiar formula of defense and depth, the U.S. women’s basketball team overwhelmed France 86-50 to win an unprecedented fifth straight gold medal Saturday at North Greenwich Arena. The U.S. also posted its 41st consecutive Olympic victory and hasn’t lost since the semifinals of the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. At game’s end, three-time [...]

Gabby Douglas, 16, who months ago was not considered the best United States gymnast, won the Olympic all-around  She had to pack up her bedroom in Virginia Beach, where she lived with her mother, two sisters and brother. She had to say goodbye to her two dogs, who used to sleep in her bed, and [...]

Denzel Washington and his family visited the troops at Brook Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas, (BAMC) Dec 2004. This is where soldiers who have been evacuated from Germany come to be hospitalized in the United States, especially burn victims. There are some buildings there called Fisher Houses. The Fisher House is a hotel [...]

Association chief executive Willis Franklin Earl Edwards was born in Carthage, Texas, outside of Houston, on January 1, 1946. Edwards was raised by his mother Anita Hudson Edwards and his stepfather Frank Edwards, in section fourteen of the Cahuilla Indian Reservation in Palm Springs, California . Edwards attended Nell Ann Kaufmann Junior High School and [...]

On June 30, former Los Angeles Lakers all-star Earvin “Magic” Johnson will be launching a 24-hour basic cable television network called “Aspire.” Johnson’s channel will be the first of 10 new independently owned entities to hit the air as part of Comcast’s diversity agreement with the FCC and Department of Justice. Aspire, headquartered in Atlanta, [...]

The first black Marines landed in the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday to receive the Congressional Gold Medal for their World War II service in the face of discrimination. The Montford Point Marines, named after the segregated North Carolina camp where they trained, and their surviving family members received the nation’s highest civilian honor during an [...]

Juneteenth is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States. Yard Sign Campaign From its Galveston, Texas origin in 1865, the observance of June 19th as the African American Emancipation Day has spread across the United States and beyond. Today Juneteenth commemorates African American freedom and emphasizes education and [...]

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — The president of Florida A&M University vowed to remain on the job Thursday despite a no-confidence vote from school trustees over his handling of the hazing death of a member of the school’s famed marching band. The board of trustees voted 8-4 against James Ammons as it questioned his management of a [...]

Pete Cosey, who played guitar on some of the most controversial albums ever made by Rock and Roll Hall of Famers Muddy Waters and Howlin’ Wolf, has died at age 68 of unknown causes. Pete Cosey is an African-American guitarist most famous for playing with Miles Davis’ band between 1973 and 1975. His fiercely flanged [...]

Lovingly named the “Queen of Disco,” the 63-year-old was in Florida at the time of her death. Born LaDonna Adrian Gaines, the 5-time Grammy award winner rose to fame in the ’70s with hits like “Hot Stuff,” “Bad Girls” and “Love to Love You Baby.” Following the news of Summer’s passing, the singer’s family released [...]

The stars were out and shining Sunday night for the 2012 Billboard Music Awards in Las Vegas. Despite our red carpet faves like Beyonce, Rihanna and Nicki Minaj skipping the event, there were enough style standouts to keep us happy — and this year cute couples ruled the red carpet (which was actually white this [...]

More than 20 years after his death, jazz legend Miles Davis is being honored by the U.S. Postal Service with his very own stamp. This year, the Kind of Blue trumpeter will be immortalized in a collection of musically-themed stamps that will also honor the singer Edith Piaf, according to The Telegraph. They will be [...]

The objects displayed in Michigan’s newest museum range from the ordinary, such as simple ashtrays and fishing lures, to the grotesque—a full-size replica of a lynching tree. But all are united by a common theme: They are steeped in racism so intense that it makes visitors cringe. That’s the idea behind the Jim Crow Museum [...]

UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova and UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador Herbie Hancock are pleased to announce International Jazz Day to be held April 30 of every year. The UN has declared April 30 WORLD JAZZ DAY.  The kick-off concert will be tomorrow, Friday, April 27 in Paris.  Music Director John Beasley has programmed a terrific program featuring [...]

PASADENA – At a rally on the steps of City Hall, community activists Tuesday demanded justice Tuesday for slain black teenager Kendrec McDade. McDade’s mother, father and grandmother joined local and national NAACP leaders, Pasadena clergy members and more than 100 demonstrators at the 6 p.m. event. All said they were seeking justice in the [...]

Super diva powerhouse Chaka Khan grabbed some of her friends and put together this beautiful Heal The World-esque song and video tribute in honor of Trayvon Martin. With the help of some friends which included Eric Bonet, Kimberly Elise, Kenny Lattimore, Terry Crews and his wife Rebecca, Angela and Courtney, Stacy Francis, Kelly Price, Loretta [...]

LOS ANGELES — The Pan African Film Festival (PAFF) is happy to announce the winners of its films in competition today. The festival handed out jury, audience and special prizes during an awards brunch on Presidents Day at the Bridge Overlook in the Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza. PAFF, America’s largest and most prestigious international Black film festival, [...]

The Los Angeles Women’s Theatre Festival will honor four women for their exceptional career and life achievements at its Opening Night Gala on March 22 at The Electric Lodge in Venice. They are listed here alphabetically. Ivonne Coll will receive the Eternity Award, bestowed on an artist or individual whose lifetime achievements have made a [...]

Among the estimated 50,000 collectors of Black memorabilia, the phenomena of gathering and sharing these items  by such historians as Malinda F. Saunders and Jeannette Carson. The duo wrote a book about the depictions of Black people in America and how those images became collectors’ items. Unlike other immigrants who fled to America willingly, the [...]

As the famous Langston Hughes poem entitled “Harlem” starts, “What happens to a dream deferred?” many often think that the line refers to Harlem itself. That somehow some grandiose dream of what Harlem was or could be has withered or in this case “dried up like a raisin in the sun.” Well, I’m here to [...]

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. We commemorate as well the timeless values he taught us through his example — the values of courage, truth, justice, compassion, dignity, humility and service that so radiantly defined Dr. King’s [...]

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 being [...]

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 [...]