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← Older posts Newer posts →UNCF 36TH ANNUAL MAYOR’S MASKED BALL – ATLANTA
January 16, 2020UNCF Atlanta’s Mayor’s Masked Ball Breaks 2018 Record, Raising Over $1.4 Million for HBCUs and Deserving Area Students Sold-out affair brought the Who’s Who of Atlanta, raising more than $190,000 alone during the Fund the Mission Appeal The 36th Annual UNCF Atlanta Mayor’s Masked Ball exceeded its own record-breaking fundraising of 2018 by bringing in more than $1.4 million during the 2019 event. Florida A&M University alumnae Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms hosted her second Ball for UNCF-member institutions. The sold-out signature fundraising event had more than 1,300 attendees, including UNCF president Dr, Michael L. Lomax, co-chairs Helen Smith Price, Coca-Cola Vice President of Global Community Affairs and President of the Coca-Cola Foundation and Eduardo Martinez, President, The UPS Foundation and UPS Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer and Ball co-founders Mrs. Billye Suber Aaron and Ambassador Andrew Young; and UNCF-member institution presidents Dr. David A. Thomas (Morehouse College), Dr. George T. French, (Clark Atlanta University) and Rev. Matthew Wesley Williams, (Interdenominational Theological Center). The Ball culminates the activities for UNCF’s 75th anniversary. “The Atlanta Masked Ball is UNCF’s signature event and a significant opportunity to keep students in school and help them graduate and go on to secure successful careers. It is always a spectacular evening, and we are grateful to the Mayor, other notables and leaders of Atlanta, who shared in our efforts to raise vital funds for HBCU students attending UNCF member schools in Atlanta,” said Dr. Lomax. Ball highlights included the presentation of the MASKED award to rapper, songwriter, record producer and record executive Jermaine Dupri for his contributions to UNCF, a spectacular main performance by Charlie Wilson, a VIP Masked Award reception, silent and live auctions, elegant dining and dancing and entertainment by Clark Atlanta University Jazz Band. A host of celebrities, dignitaries and influencers attended, including …
Posted in On the Scene, In The Spotlight | Leave a commentGolden Globes: The Red Carpet Arrivals
January 7, 2020by THR Staff 1/5/2020 2:51pm PST https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/gallery/2020-golden-globes-red-carpet-gallery-photos-1266535/8-brad-pitt Red Carpet at the Golden Globes, captured by The Hollywood Reporter. See more here: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/gallery/2020-golden-globes-red-carpet-gallery-photos-1266535/8-brad-pitt
Posted in 57th NAACP Image Awards, In The Spotlight | Leave a commentA Fall From Grace – Photos & Trailer
January 7, 2020A Fall From Grace Netflix January 17 Synopsis: Disheartened since her ex-husband’s affair, Grace Waters (Crystal Fox) feels restored by a new romance. But when secrets erode her short-lived joy, Grace’s vulnerable side turns violent. An electrifying thriller co-starring Phylicia Rashad, Bresha Webb, Cicely Tyson and writer/director Tyler Perry.
Posted in In The Spotlight, Sports & Inspiration | Leave a commentThe Photograph in theaters February 14
December 15, 2019From Will Packer, blockbuster producer of Girls Trip, the Ride Along franchise, and ten movies that have opened No. 1 at the U.S. box office, including Night School, No Good Deed and Think Like a Man, comes a sweeping love story about forgiveness, and about finding the courage to seek the truth, no matter where it may lead you. Starring Issa Rae, Lakeith Stanfield, Chanté Adams and Y’lan Noel, The Photograph is directed by Stella Meghie (Everything, Everything, Jean of the Joneses), from her original screenplay. The film is produced by Packer and his producing partner James Lopez, and is executive produced by Meghie and Rae. Genres Romantic Drama Starring Issa Rae, Lakeith Stanfield, Chanté Adams, Y’lan Noel Directed By Stella Meghie Produced By Will Packer, James Lopez Executive Produced By Stella Meghie, Issa Rae https://youtu.be/kmicB3J1emw #ThePhotograph
Posted in Cinema, Streaming | Leave a commentJust Mercy in theaters, December 25th (Limited), Worldwide, January 10
December 4, 2019Drama. A powerful and thought-provoking true story, “Just Mercy” follows young lawyer Bryan Stevenson (Jordan) and his history-making battle for justice. After graduating from Harvard, Bryan had his pick of lucrative jobs. Instead, he heads to Alabama to defend those wrongly condemned or who were not afforded proper representation, with the support of local advocate Eva Ansley (Larson). One of his first, and most incendiary, cases is that of Walter McMillian (Foxx), who, in 1987, was sentenced to die for the notorious murder of an 18-year-old girl, despite a preponderance of evidence proving his innocence and the fact that the only testimony against him came from a criminal with a motive to lie. In the years that follow, Bryan becomes embroiled in a labyrinth of legal and political maneuverings and overt and unabashed racism as he fights for Walter, and others like him, with the odds—and the system—stacked against them. #JustMercy Facebook (@JustMercyFilm) | facebook.com/JustMercyFilm Twitter (@JustMercyFilm) | twitter.com/JustMercyFilm Instagram (@JustMercyFilm) instagram.com/justmercyfilm
Posted in Movie News | Leave a commentBad Boys For Life in theaters January 20th
November 5, 2019The Bad Boys Mike Lowrey (Will Smith) and Marcus Burnett (Martin Lawrence) are back together for one last ride in the highly anticipated Bad Boys for Life. Genres Action/Comedy Starring Will Smith, Martin Lawrence, Vanessa Hudgens, Alexander Ludwig, Charles Melton, Paola Nunez, Kate Del Castillo, Nicky Jam, and Joe Pantoliano Directed By Adil El Arbi & Bilall Fallah Produced By Jerry Bruckheimer, Will Smith, Doug Belgrad Executive Produced By Barry Waldman, Chad Oman, Doug Stenson #BadBoysForLife
Posted in Cinema | Leave a commentJUMANJI: THE NEXT LEVEL in theaters December 13
November 2, 2019Synopsis: In Jumanji: The Next Level, the gang is back but the game has changed. As they return to Jumanji to rescue one of their own, they discover that nothing is as they expect. The players will have to brave parts unknown and unexplored, from the arid deserts to the snowy mountains, in order to escape the world’s most dangerous game. #JUMANJI
Posted in Movie News | Leave a commentBLACK AND BLUE ATL BLACK CARPET SCREENING
November 2, 2019Atlanta’s own Tyrese Gibson, Academy Award nominated Naomie Harris, and Nafessa Williams (CW’s BLACK LIGHTNING), plus the film’s director Deon Taylor welcomed a lively audience to the exclusive black carpet screening of the Screen Gems’ BLACK AND BLUE at The Plaza Theatre on October 23, 2019 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photos by Paras Griffin/Getty Images for Screen Gems) SYNOPSIS: BLACK AND BLUE is a fast-paced action thriller about a rookie cop (Academy Award® nominee Naomie Harris) who inadvertently captures the murder of a young drug dealer on her body cam. After realizing that the murder was committed by corrupt cops, she teams up with the one person from her community who is willing to help her (Tyrese Gibson) as she tries to escape both the criminals out for revenge and the police who are desperate to destroy the incriminating footage. www.blackandblue.movie. BLACK AND BLUE opened nationwide on October, 25, 2019
Posted in On the Scene, In The Spotlight | Leave a commentBlack Excellence Celebrated The Grand Opening Of Tyler Perry Studios
October 7, 2019Black Excellence Celebrated The Grand Opening Of Tyler Perry Studios BY JOI-MARIE MCKENZIE · OCTOBER 6, 2019 The stars were out Saturday when Tyler Perry invited hundreds of A-list celebrities to celebrate the grand opening of his studios in Atlanta. The director, screenwriter, producer and playwright made history as the only Black man to own a major movie studio in the U.S. Perry invited many of his frequent collaborators to his fete, which took place on the 330-acre lot, including Oprah Winfrey, Cecily Tyson, Taraji P. Henson, Jill Scott, Whoopi Goldberg, and Keshia Knight Pulliam. Other Hollywood heavyweights came, including Spike Lee, Ava DuVernay, Beyoncé, Jay Z and Halle Berry, along with politicos such as John Lewis, Bernice King and Stacey Abrams. Back in June, Perry explained during his BET Awards acceptance speech that “when I built my studio, [it was in the] poorest Black neighborhood in Atlanta so the kids can see that a Black man did that and they can too.” “The studio was once a confederate army base,” he said of the land, known as Fort McPherson, which was previously used as a Confederate Army base during Civil War, when the south fought to keep Black people enslaved. According to his website, Perry purchased the land in June 2015, which now holds 12 sound stages for movie productions. He dedicated each soundstage to a Black person who’s made strides in Hollywood, including the late Diahann Carroll. Source: https://www.essence.com/celebrity/tyler-perry-grand-opening-studios/ Source: https://www.essence.com/celebrity/tyler-perry-grand-opening-studios/ ______________________________________________________________ ESSENCE WAS THERE! EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENED AT THE CELEBRATION OF CINEMA’S PAST AND PRESENT Back in 2006, Yolanda Adams said three simple words to then rising writer-director Tyler Perry when he questioned how he scored an invite to Oprah Winfrey’s Legends Ball. “I’m looking at all these people in the room. There’s Diana Ross, Smokey Robinson. Turn around: there’s Sidney …
Posted in Celebrity Profile, In The Spotlight | Leave a commentGemini Man in Theaters October 11
September 23, 2019SYNOPSIS: Gemini Man is an innovative action-thriller starring Will Smith as Henry Brogan, an elite assassin, who is suddenly targeted and pursued by a mysterious young operative that seemingly can predict his every move. The film is directed by Academy Award®-winning filmmaker Ang Lee and produced by renown producers Jerry Bruckheimer, David Ellison, Dana Goldberg and Don Granger. Also starring are Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Clive Owen and Benedict Wong. Gemini Man opens in theaters October 11, 2019. CAST: Will Smith, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Clive Owen and Benedict Wong Directed by Ang Lee Screenplay by David Benioff and Billy Ray and Darren Lemke Story by Darren Lemke and David Benioff Produced by Jerry Bruckheimer,David Ellison, Dana Goldberg, Don Granger Executive Producers Chad Oman, Mike Stenson, Guo Guangchang, Brian Bell, Don Murphy #GeminiManMovie
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