Author Archives: Sonya's Spotlight
← Older posts Newer posts →ALL EYEZ ON ME Celebrates Mother’s Day 2017 #DearMama
May 13, 2017In celebration of Mother’s Day (Sunday, May 14th) and the beloved lyrics of Tupac Shakur’s “Dear Mama”, please see below for a *first look* of the new film, ALL EYEZ ON ME, showcasing the strong relationship between Tupac (Demetrius Shipp) and his mother, Afeni Shakur (Danai Gurira). “Without You” We would also love for you to share your own sentiments for the special women in your lives including mothers, sisters, wives, girlfriends and daughters by using the #DEARMAMA meme generator: dearmama.alleyez.com In addition to the meme generator, see the below and attached image to share on your social channels in support of the film’s upcoming release using the hashtags #DEARMAMA #ALLEYEZONME ALL EYEZ ON ME tells the true and untold story of prolific rapper, actor, poet and activist Tupac Shakur. The film follows Shakur from his early days in New York City to his evolution into being one of the world’s most recognized and influential voices before his untimely death at the age of 25. Against all odds, Shakur’s raw talent, powerful lyrics and revolutionary mind-set propelled him into becoming a cultural icon whose legacy continues to grow long after his passing. The film stars Kat Graham, Lauren Cohan, Hill Harper, Jamal Woolard, Danai Gurira and Demetrius Shipp Jr. as Tupac Shakur. The film is directed by Benny Boom and produced by LT Hutton, David Robinson and James G. Robinson. ALL EYEZ ON ME Official Channels Hashtag: #AllEyezOnMe Facebook: /AllEyezMovie Twitter: @AllEyezMovie Instagram: @AllEyezMovie Website: AllEyez.Movie
Posted in On the Scene | Leave a commentCayman Islands Escape
May 12, 2017What a pleasure it was to The Grand Cayman Islands Easter Weekend for some much-needed rest & relaxation, as well as some fun in the sun! Just click on the video below to capture my tropical getaway! Thanks to old and new friends and acquaintances for making my Cayman Islands vacation one of the best Island escapes I’ve had in a long time. Sonya Jenkins Cayman Islands Escape Cayman Escape
Posted in Travel | Leave a commentBaby Driver in theaters June 28
May 11, 2017Synopsis: A talented, young getaway driver (Ansel Elgort) relies on the beat of his personal soundtrack to be the best in the game. When he meets the girl of his dreams (Lily James), Baby sees a chance to ditch his criminal life and make a clean getaway. But after being coerced into working for a crime boss (Kevin Spacey), he must face the music when a doomed heist threatens his life, love and freedom. Written and Directed by: Edgar Wright Produced by: Nira Park Tim Bevan Eric Fellner Cast: Ansel Elgort Kevin Spacey Lily James Jon Bernthal Eiza Gonzalez with Jon Hamm and Jamie Foxx
Posted in Movie News | Leave a commentAlpha Derby Weekend Brings out Upper Echelon in Atlanta
May 11, 2017Nearly 2,500 attendees celebrated Alpha Derby Weekend as Alpha chapters from across Metro-Atlanta (The Alphas Of Atlanta, Inc.) collaborated to bring a first-class weekend of mingling, dancing, style, jazz and more – all for fundraising purposes – May 5-7, 2017 in Atlanta. The Alphas Fraternity – with chapters located in Atlanta, Morrow, Gwinnett, Cobb, Conyers, East Point, Henry County, and Dekalb were all represented throughout the weekend as Atlantans, as well as guests from all over the country, celebrated Kentucky Derby Weekend in high fashion – sporting Derby-Style chapeaux and partying with a purpose. The Kick-off Social gathering got the weekend partying started at the Westin Hotel Buckhead Friday. The main event, The Alpha Derby Party, a day party which carried a Kentucky Derby centered theme, took place at The City Club of Buckhead from 3-8pm, located in the heart of the Buckhead District, Saturday. The final event was a Sunday Alpha Jazz Brunch hosted by 104.1 Kiss FM. After the weekend events, the Alphas reported a major increase from the 900 attendees from the inaugural event in 2015. Check out The Alphas Of Atlanta, Inc. “Because You Did This” video here: https://greggray.wistia.com/medias/vedohbstg1 Enjoy a few photos of Chapaeux, Style & Sass – #AlphaDerbyWeekend Also check out Social Media Photos via the following hashtags: #AlphaDerbyWeekend, #AlphaDerby, and #AlphasOfAtlanta The Alphas Of Atlanta, Inc. “Because You Did This” video : https://greggray.wistia.com/medias/vedohbstg1 Captions forthcoming. If you’d like your #AlphaDerbyWeekend photo included in this article, leave a comment below and the editor will e-mail you instructions.
Posted in R&B Pop Culture, Photos, In The Spotlight | Leave a commentUNFORGETTABLE in theaters April 21 – Kenya Moore Hosts Atlanta VIP Screening
April 13, 2017Synopsis: Warner Bros. Pictures’ dramatic thriller “Unforgettable” is the first film in the director’s chair for veteran producer Denise Di Novi (“Crazy, Stupid, Love,” “Focus”). Katherine Heigl (“27 Dresses,” “Knocked Up”), Rosario Dawson (the “Sin City” films) and Geoff Stults (TV’s “The Odd Couple”), star in the film. “Unforgettable” marks a reunion for Heigl and Di Novi, who previously collaborated on “Life as We Know It.” The main cast also includes young actress Isabella Rice (“True Blood”), Simon Kassianides (TV’s “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.”), Whitney Cummings (“The Wedding Ringer”), Robert Wisdom (TV’s “Ballers”) and film and television star Cheryl Ladd. The film is produced by Di Novi, Alison Greenspan (“If I Stay”) and Ravi Mehta (“Grudge Match”), with Lynn Harris serving as executive producer. The film was written by Christina Hodson. Heigl stars as Tessa Connover, who is barely coping with the end of her marriage when her ex-husband, David (Stults), becomes happily engaged to Julia Banks (Dawson)—not only bringing Julia into the home they once shared but also into the life of their daughter, Lilly (Isabella Rice). Trying to settle into her new role as a wife and a stepmother, Julia believes she has finally met the man of her dreams, the man who can help her put her own troubled past behind her. But Tessa’s jealousy soon takes a pathological turn until she will stop at nothing to turn Julia’s dream into her ultimate nightmare. The behind-the-scenes creative team is led by multiple Oscar-nominated director of photography Caleb Deschanel (“The Right Stuff,” “The Natural”), production designer Nelson Coates (“Flight”), editor Frédéric Thoraval (“Taken”), and costume designer Marian Toy (HBO’s “Ballers”). The music is composed by Toby Chu. Warner Bros. Pictures presents a Di Novi Pictures Production, “Unforgettable.” Opening April 21, 2017, the film will be distributed by Warner Bros. …
Posted in Movie News | Leave a commentSTEVIE WONDER TO ACCEPT INAUGURAL “KEY OF LIFE” AWARD AND WILL BE FEATURED KEYNOTE AT 2017 ASCAP “I CREATE MUSIC” EXPO APRIL 13 – 15 IN LOS ANGELES
April 4, 2017ASCAP, the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, announces that it will honor legendary musician Stevie Wonder with its inaugural “Key of Life” Award at this year’s ASCAP “I Create Music” EXPO in Los Angeles, April 13 – 15, where he will also appear in a keynote “I Create Music” session. The “Key of Life” Award celebrates Wonder’s incomparable, peerless contributions to the world through his music. In the future, the honor will be presented to songwriters and composers who best exemplify his legacy through their commitment to the art form he elevated through his talent, dedication and unparalleled heart. “Stevie has deservedly been given every award imaginable,” said ASCAP President Paul Williams. “Yet he continues to innovate and elevate the art of songwriting to the point where no honor can truly capture what he means to his creative kin at ASCAP, and to songwriters and music lovers worldwide. This award has been created as a way to honor his singularly inspirational songwriting career and to recognize his spirit in generations to come.” The 25-time Grammy winner has been an ASCAP member for the better part of five decades, amassing more than 60 Billboard Hot 100 hits during his time with the performing rights organization, including immortal anthems like “Superstition,” “My Cherie Amour,” “Signed, Sealed, Delivered I’m Yours,” “You Are the Sunshine of My Life” and “I Just Called to Say I Love You.” He received ASCAP’s highest individual prize, the Founders Award, in 1984 and was honored during the organization’s 100th birthday celebrations with a once-in-a-lifetime Centennial Award. Wonder has maintained a lifelong appreciation for songwriting, penning his first hit at 11 years old and working in Motown’s songwriting department while establishing himself as a performer in the mid-1960s. In recent years, Wonder has mentored a new generation …
Posted in Streaming, In The Spotlight | Leave a commentESSENCE® Presents Keynotes, Conversations and Celebrations on Festival’s Daytime Empowerment Experience Stage
April 3, 2017Featuring Iyanla Vanzant, Ava DuVernay, Congresswoman Maxine Waters, Rev. Al Sharpton, Dr. Michael Eric Dyson, Dr. Cissy Houston & More Time Inc.’s (NYSE:TIME) ESSENCE Festival® presented by Coca-Cola® announces its star-studded daytime lineup of speakers and panelists for the event’s signature ESSENCE® Empowerment Experience Stage, taking place June 30–July 2, 2017, at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans, LA. Free and open to the public, the ESSENCE® Empowerment Experience Stage will serve as the intersection of passion and purpose, bridging the gap between this generation’s most prominent voices in leadership–from social media activists to community organizers–and those who have laid the groundwork for them. Conversations and keynote addresses will put the invaluable, intersectional voices of Black women at the forefront and will feature influencers such as Iyanla Vanzant, Congresswoman Maxine Waters, Ava DuVernay, Rev. Al Sharpton, Phaedra Parks, Dr. Michael Eric Dyson, Luvvie Ajayi, activist April Reign, National Women’s March Co-Founder Tamika D. Mallory and Bishop Lester Love, with music provided by DJ Charles “Bam Bam” Belonge and house band Church Friends. Empowerment Experience newcomers Mary Pat Hector and poet Cleo Wade will shed light on a new wave of social and artistic activism anchored by next generation’s leaders. Plus, Cheryl Wills will host an all-star gospel tribute to Grammy-award winning, soul and gospel music icon Dr. Cissy Houston sponsored by Wal-Mart. Additional speakers and talent to be announced soon. “This year’s ESSENCE Festival® will be the largest gathering of African Americans following the presidential election, as activists and policymakers come together to discuss the challenges and opportunities facing our communities across America,” said ESSENCE Editor-in-Chief Vanessa K. De Luca. “Intergenerational programming spanning love, health, money, politics and religion will provide the tools to facilitate healing and growth through the sharing of expertise and experiences.” The ESSENCE® Empowerment Experience Stage offers curated content from ESSENCE’s editorial team, extending conversations that have moved from the page to the screen to the stage. For a full lineup of this year’s daytime speakers and artists, visit www.essencefestival.com. …
Posted in In The Spotlight | Leave a commentVanessa Bell Calloway Star-Studded 60th Birthday
March 24, 2017On Monday (March 20), actress Vanessa Bell Calloway turned 60, which she celebrated with a star-studded birthday gala, and a comedy show hosted by Sherri Shepard and headlined by none other than Calloway. Star Jones, Debbie Allen, Kym Whitley, Vivica Fox, Tika Sumpter, Cedric The Entertainer, Magic Johnson, Tina Knowles Lawson, Glynn Turman, and many more attended the birthday gala held on Saturday at Cicada in downtown Los Angeles. Calloway kicked off her birthday celebration with with a comedy show hosted by Sherri Shepherd and headlined by comedians Chris Spencer, GThang, Kym Whitley and Scruncho. Crossing off her bucket list, Calloway performed a stand-up comedy set that brought the house down after she executed a full split to close her show. The comedy event included dinner and was held at the family owned Regency West in the Leimert Park, CA. PHOTOS BY Gina Walker, Courtesy of DSD Publicity Consulting About Vanessa Bell Calloway Vanessa Bell Calloway most recently joined the cast of the SATRZ hit Survivor’s Remorse in a recurring role after completing a five season run on Showtime’s Emmy nominated series Shameless. Currently Vanessa is in the starring role on the Bounce TV series Saints & Sinners while maintaining a recurring role on Kevin Hart’s reality spoof The Real Husbands of Hollywood (BET). Recently, Calloway starred in Southside With You, the story of President Barack and fMichelle Obama’s first date, but she is best known for her iconic roles in Coming to America, What’s Love Got To Do With It and The Temptations.
Posted in Photos | Leave a commentOprah Winfrey and Renée Elise Goldsberry Talk Henrietta Lacks For Essence April Cover
March 21, 2017“I feel within me and have always felt; from the time I was reciting Sojourner and Margaret Walker and Fannie Lou Hamer, I always felt the spirit of those women abiding in me. The same is true for Henrietta Lacks…”—Oprah Winfrey, Essence When Oprah Winfrey read how one Black woman’s countless contributions to science saved millions, she turned the best-selling book into her next movie. This month she, along with Broadway and TV phenom Renée Elise Goldsberry (who plays the film’s title character), star in the unheralded story of The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, airing on HBO April 22nd. In Essence’s article, Into the Light, both stars talk about the incredible significance of Lacks; whose cells—called HeLa—have been used globally in the development of the polio vaccine as well as treatments for Parkinson’s, leukemia, hemophilia and the flu. While vials of the cells by the millions have been reproduced, sold and stored in research labs, most scientists who work with them knew nothing about the woman they’d come from. Until now… The April issue of Essence hits newsstands Friday, March 24. For more on this issue, visit here, and see below for quotes. Oprah’s Article Quotes: On Why Henrietta Lack’s Story is Important: “I’ve been intrigued by this idea of what hearing someone else’s story can do for you. It is through the stories of other African-American women that I felt my own sense of identity and came into my own power…” On How Everything is Connected: “I will tell you that I know that all things are connected…I know that the force that is God is also part of every living thing and everything that has also lived…I feel within me and have always felt; from the time I was reciting Sojourner and Margaret Walker and Fannie Lou Hamer, I always felt the spirit of those women …
Posted in Music | Leave a commentBaywatch In Theaters May 25
March 20, 2017BAYWATCH follows devoted lifeguard Mitch Buchannon (Johnson) as he butts heads with a brash new recruit (Efron). Together, they uncover a local criminal plot that threatens the future of the Bay. Director -Seth Gordon,Cast – Dwayne Johnson, Zac Efron, Priyanka Chopra, Alexandra Daddario, Jon Bass, Kelly Rohrbach, Ilfenesh Hadera. #BeBaywatch Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BaywatchMovie/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/baywatchmovie Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/baywatchmovie/ #Baywatch
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