Author Archives: Sonya's Spotlight
← Older posts Newer posts →URBAN ONE HONORS THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF THE QUEEN OF SOUL, ARETHA FRANKLIN
August 17, 2018URBAN ONE FOUNDER AND CHAIRPERSON CATHY HUGHES HONORS AND REMEMBERS THE LEGACY OF HER FRIEND, ARETHA FRANKLIN Founder and Chairperson of Urban One, Inc., Cathy Hughes, a radio legend and close friend to Aretha Franklin who worked with and interviewed Franklin many times over the years, issued a statement of her sincerest condolences to Franklin’s family, friends and colleagues upon receiving news of Franklin’s passing. Below are excerpts from Hughes’ statement, click here to view in it’s entirety. “Today I join my community, my industry and the world in mourning the loss and celebrating the life of my dear sister, friend, and ally, Aretha Franklin. I send my love and offer prayers of grace and peace to the members of her family, her friends and colleagues who walked alongside her and shared her with tens of millions of fans around the world. I have so many fond memories of Aretha. Throughout her career, I was blessed to share her music and her iconic story. I am humbled to have been a part of her journey and to have served as an eyewitness to the evolution of her artistry and the formation of her legacy. Like many of our musicians, Aretha’s musical roots are embedded in the black church, and gospel music was at her core. Her talent transcended genres and not only earned her the title of the “Queen of Soul” but also the distinction of being the first woman to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. And while many will remember her for all of the titles she has received, I believe, Aretha Franklin, in her own words, said it best,’being a singer is a natural gift. It means I’m using to the highest degree possible the gift that God gave me to use. I’m happy with that.’ And Aretha Franklin, so are we. Rest in peace my sister.” SPECIAL PROGRAMMING CLIPS FROM TV ONE ON …
Posted in In The Spotlight | Leave a commentPREMIERE OF MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – FALLOUT – WASHINGTON, DC. & PARIS
August 1, 2018CAST AND FILMMAKERS ATTEND THE US PREMIERE OF MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – FALLOUT AT LOCKHEED MARTIN IMAX THEATER AT THE SMITHSONIAN THE NATIONAL AIR AND SPACE MUSEUM JULY 22, 2018 IN WASHINGTON, DC. MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – FALLOUT PREMIERE IN PARIS MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – FALLOUT opened nationwide July 27, 2018 Captions Forthcoming
Posted in Photos | Leave a commentTHE EQUALIZER 2 Los Angeles Premiere
August 1, 2018The Los Angeles premiere of Columbia Pictures’ THE EQUALIZER 2 at TCL Chinese Theatre, supported in part by Lyft. https://youtu.be/WajLubtniEA https://youtu.be/HyNJ3UrGk_I The Equalizer 2(Sony Pictures) Denzel Washington returns to one of his signature roles in the first sequel of his career. Robert McCall serves an unflinching justice for the exploited and oppressed – but how far will he go when that is someone he loves? Photo Credit: Eric Charbonneau; © 2018 CTMG, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Posted in Reboot, MOTIVATION, In The Spotlight | Leave a commentNight School in theaters September 28 – Photos & Trailer
July 27, 2018Star Kevin Hart and producer Will Packer, who partnered for the hit Ride Along and Think Like a Man series, bring their signature style to Night School. The comedy from director Malcolm D. Lee (Girls Trip) follows a group of misfits who are forced to attend adult classes in the longshot chance they’ll pass the GED exam. Co-stars Tiffany Haddish, Rob Riggle, Taran Killam and Romany Malco join Hart on-screen for the film that Hart produces for his Hartbeat Productions, and Packer via his Will Packer Productions. www.nightschoolmovie.com. Photos courtesy of Universal Pictures #NightSchool
Posted in Movie News | Leave a commentSonya Jenkins Showcases Novel, SHAYLA’S CATCH, in Essence Bookstore for 4th Year
July 12, 2018What a pleasure it was to be a part of the Essence Bookstore, once again, for the fourth year. Check out a few pics from my incredible time in the Essence Bookstore, meeting new readers and mingling with Essence Fest attendees! Thanks, Essence, Garden Distric Book Shop and all my new readers for the continued support!! Sonya Jenkins Pictorial of Author Sonya Jenkins in ESSENCE BOOKSTORE.
Posted in Tour Alert, Fitness | Leave a commentMy Black Is Beautiful joined the slay-fest at Essence Fest 2018
July 12, 2018My Black Is Beautiful joined the slay-fest with multiple activations celebrating black women Essence Fest Weekend 2018. My Black is Beautiful #BlackGirlsDo Dinner: hosted by Lisa Nichols with a performance by Gallant. Queen Latifah graced guests with her presence and spoke about the power of empowering one announced her new initiative with P&G- Queen Collective. My Black Is Beautiful Booth– a fan favorite at the convention center, MBIB kept the crowd going with a life DJ, mini-makeovers, giveaways, product preview from our new collection (Head & Shoulders Royal Oils) with celebrities such as Erica Campbell, Naturi Naughton, Raheem Devaughn, Mona-Scott Young and more stopping by. Naturi Naughton served as MBIB celebrity ambassador and was joined by Necole Kane and Kela Walker for an empowering stage moment on self-love. Brunch With Bae Podcast- e sat down with the ladies of Essence and MBIB to discuss his love of black women and more! MORE PHOTOS TO COME!! About My Black is Beautiful My Black is Beautiful is a community-building program consisting of over 3 million online community members, created to help positively change the conversation around black beauty by addressing the societal and cultural stigmas associated with self-image. Formed at Procter & Gamble in 2006 by a group of visionary women, MBIB was designed to spark a broader dialogue about black beauty. Their mission
Posted in 98TH ACADEMY AWARDS | Leave a commentWhitney – In Theaters Now
July 12, 2018Whitney(Roadside Attractions) Whitney Houston broke more music industry records than any other female singer in history. With over 200 million album sales worldwide, she was the only artist to chart seven consecutive U.S. No. 1 singles. She also starred in several blockbuster movies before her brilliant career gave way to erratic behavior, scandals and death at age 48. The documentary feature Whitney is an intimate, unflinching portrait of Houston and her family that probes beyond familiar tabloid headlines and sheds new light on the spellbinding trajectory of Houston’s life. Using never-before-seen archival footage, exclusive demo recordings, rare performances, audio archives and original interviews with the people who knew her best, Oscar®-winning filmmaker Kevin Macdonald unravels the mystery behind “The Voice,” who thrilled millions even as she struggled to make peace with her own troubled past. Directed By Kevin Macdonald Produced By Simon Chinn, Jonathan Chinn, and Lisa Erspamer Executive Produced By Nicole David, Pat Houston,Will Clarke, Andy Mayson, Mike Runagall, Zanne Devine, Rosanne Korenberg and Joe Patrick For more info: Official Site | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram #Whitney #ILoveYouWhitney
Posted in Movie News | Leave a commentOVER HALF A MILLION ATTENDEES CONVENE FOR THE 2018 ESSENCE FESTIVAL SPONSORED BY COCA-COLA
July 12, 2018OVER HALF A MILLION ATTENDEES CONVENE FOR THE 2018 ESSENCE FESTIVAL SPONSORED BY COCA-COLA ESSENCE Festival Concert Series Sells Out All Three Nights for the First Time Ever Extraordinary Turnout Underscores ESSENCE’s Engagement of Black Women around Community, Culture and Content Photos/Coverage Compiled by Sonya Jenkins July 9, 2018 (New York, NY) – The 2018 ESSENCE Festival® presented by Coca-Cola® attracted more than 510,0000 attendees to New Orleans this Fourth of July weekend, marking one of the largest gatherings in the event’s 24-year history. For the first time ever, all three nights of the ESSENCE Festival concert series at the Louisiana Superdome sold out. The extraordinary turnout underscores ESSENCE’s engagement of Black women around community, culture and content – which was brought to life in innovative ways at the annual celebration. “This extraordinary gathering of nearly half a million attendees–on the eve of the ESSENCE Festival’s 25th anniversary–speaks to the unmatched convening power of our culture,” said Michelle Ebanks, President, Essence Communications. “As one of the country’s largest curated live experiences, the ESSENCE Festival engages Black women globally—through a truly unique celebration of culture, connection to community and access to content that inspires and empowers.” The annual 4-day Festival, which took place July 5-8, features entertainment, empowerment, and cultural experiences during the day and a state-of-the-art concert series with the world’s best performers each night to comprise a one-of-a-kind curated content experience: Over 100 performing artists across the Superdome and the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. Many of the biggest names in the entertainment industry including Janet Jackson, Mary J. Blige, Queen Latifah, Snoop Dogg, The Roots, Erykah Badu, Jill Scott, Miguel and others performed at the event’s nighttime concerts and dozens of others across ESSENCE’s Center Stage and 10thAnniversary All-Star …
Posted in Music & Film, In The Spotlight | Leave a commentMICHAEL B. JORDAN ON ESSENCE’S JUNE MEN’S ISSUE COVER
May 21, 2018ESSENCE gets up close and personal with our favorite “bae”—smokin’ hot actor Michael B. Jordan—for its June Men’s Issue. The cover story, The Fire Next Time, features the 31-year-old Newark, NJ, native sharing with ESSENCE why he’s secure in his career (he has three films in production), legacy (“I want people to say, ‘He made an impact’”) and heart. In the HBO film “Fahrenheit 451” airing this Saturday, the star plays a young man compelled to save the written word at all costs. In real life, he’s just as focused on creating his own stories and making every moment count. If you choose to share the up-close interview with Michael B. Jordan, please link back to https://www.essence.com/celebrity/michael-b-jordan-ally-strong-women-cover. ESSENCE’s June issue hits newsstands on 5/25. For photos, quotes and more on this month’s issue, visit ESSENCE.com. MICHAEL ROWE / ESSENCE SYDNEY SCOTT May, 18, 2018 Michael B. Jordan covers the June issue of ESSENCE, where the Fahrenheit 451 actor speaks out about using his platform to further diversity in Hollywood and empower women. Speaking with Matthew Cherry, filmmaker and creative executive at Jordan Peele’s Monkeypaw Productions, the actor shared that being raised by strong women inspired him to support others. And, he’s doing that through his company, Outlier Society Productions. Back in March, Jordan was one of the first celebrities to announce he was adopting an inclusion rider, which ensures a certain level of diversity among a project’s cast and crew. MICHAEL ROWE / ESSENCE “Actions speak louder than words. I want to lead by example,” Jordan told ESSENCE. “I know I had an opportunity with the shows and projects I had coming up, to put it to work. It’s important to have diversity both in front of and behind the camera, and inclusion riders make sure that anyone who does business with my company knows that we expect there to be people …
Posted in MOTIVATION | Leave a commentClaws Returns June 10 on TNT
May 21, 2018ABOUT Claws is a midnight-dark, wickedly funny meditation on female badness set in a South Florida nail salon. It follows the rise of five diverse and treacherous manicurists working at the Nail Artisan of Manatee County salon, where there is a lot more going on than silk wraps and pedicures. Claws is about good women caught in bad places with worse men. It’s the story of hardworking women trying to get by in this economy, set against the surreal, bright, gritty landscape of Florida and the luscious, absurd, extreme excesses of the crime world. #ClawsTNT
Posted in Sports & Inspiration | Leave a comment ← Older posts Newer posts →
