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← Older posts Newer posts →23rd Annual TRUMPET AWARDS Honors African-American Achievement
January 27, 2015The Trumpet Awards Foundation presented the 23rd Annual Trumpet Awards, a momentous occasion that paid tribute to a group of history-making honorees, Saturday, January 24 at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre in Atlanta. The 23rd Annual Trumpet Awards black-tie ceremony was hosted by Laila Ali, four-time Boxing World Champion, award-winning TV host, fitness & wellness expert, beauty brand ambassador, and author; and Dolvett Quince, known for his successes now into the fifth season of NBC’s “The Biggest Loser.” In addition, he is a celebrity trainer, has made many guest TV appearances, and is a best-selling author. Other events and activities during Trumpet Awards weekend included the Race Relations Symposium entitled “The Continuing Quest for Equality,” held at the Ritz-Carlton hotel in downtown Atlanta, followed by a Sponsor Recognition Tribute reception, Friday, January 23. The Trumpet Awards festivities closed with the Soulful Ending held at the Hyatt Regency hotel featuring The Bar-Kays. The Trumpet Awards will air on Saturday, February 21st on TV One. The Annual Trumpet Awards was created to celebrate and honor African American achievers and those who support the African American experience. The Awards honor accomplishments in diverse fields including law, medicine, business, politics, the Arts, civil rights, sports, entrepreneurship, entertainment and other careers. The following is a list of the 2015 TRUMPET AWARDS honorees: • Lou Brock – Baseball Legend • Arnold W. Donald – President and CEO of Carnival Corporation & PLC • Jamie Foxx – Academy Award-winning Actor, Musical Artist and Comedian • Tommy Hilfiger—Principal Designer, Tommy Hilfiger • Guy Vickers – President, PVH Foundation & Senior Vice President, Global Community Relations • The Isley Brothers – Recording Artists and Songwriters • Janelle Monáe – Singer, Songwriter, Producer and Model • Dr. Valerie Montgomery Rice – President and Dean, Morehouse School of Medicine • …
Posted in COWBOY CARTER TOUR- ATLANTA - A NIGHT TO REMEMBER | Leave a commentRussell Wilson Headed Back To Super Bowl After Impressive Win Over Packers
January 20, 2015Rory’s Round-Up: Russell Wilson By Rory Sharrock Throughout the 28-day period in February (29 during a leap year), newsreels, television series and online posts are flooded-stories celebrating the achievements of African Americans during Black History Month. Adding his name as the newest member on the list of legends honored in February is Russell Wilson, Super Bowl champion quarterback of the Seattle Seahawks. In just his third season in the NFL, Wilson, 26, has climbed to the summit of pro football. The Richmond, Va. native, who was a third-round pick (No. 75 overall) in the 2012 NFL Draft, became the second African-American starting quarterback to win the Super Bowl. Washington Redskins’ signal caller Doug Williams was the first to claim this feat after his Most Valuable Player performance in Super Bowl XXII. Ironically, both Williams and Wilson earned their championship glory following blowout wins over the Broncos. Wilson’s name is now forever linked with a host of heroes who are revered for their greatness during Black History Month. This proud moment is just one chapter in a potentially classic book. He is one of the league’s rising stars and he’s still in the infancy of his football career. He already has a Super Bowl ring and is blessed with the talent, desire and supporting cast to continue to elevate his status. Kudos to Russell Wilson. He was previously second guessed for his height (5’11”), draft status and arm strength. While the naysayers spewed such comments and then some his way, he continued to keep pushing forward, culminating with a Super Bowl crown last year and rewriting the storied pages of Black History Month. Now, the only second guessing that will be linked to his name is how many Super Bowl rings will he have when it’s all said and done.
Posted in TV News | Leave a commentOprah Winfrey Honors Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. by Marching with SELMA cast in Alabama
January 20, 2015Producer and star of Oscar-nominated SELMA, Oprah Winfrey, along with SELMA director, Ava DuVernay, actor David Oyelowo, Golden Globe and Crtics’ Choice Movie Award Winners, Common and John Legend (for their collaboration “Glory” for SELMA) and several other cast and crew celebrated Dr.Martin Luther King Jr., in Selma, AL by marching with thousands of locals and out-of-towners to the Edmund Pettus Bridge Sunday, January 18. “I’m so excited that once again I get to march across the bridge, not as portraying Annie Lee Cooper, but standing in the shoes and on the shoulders of everyone that came before us,” Oprah Winfrey said before an enthusiastic crowd. The cast participated in several Selma events, including speaking to high school students at Selma High School. Common and John Legend moved some attendees to tears by singing their award-winning song, “Glory” and “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” performed by John Legend. #SelmaFilm #MarchOn Coverage compiled by Sonya Jenkins, who was a Stand In and marcher in SELMA film. Jenkins is the publisher & editor of WWW.SONYASSPOTLIGHT.COM, a regular contributor to The Tennessee Tribune newspaper and author of SHAYLA’S CATCH novel.
Posted in Movie News | Leave a commentCommon and John Legend Win Best Original Song at 2015 Golden Globes & Critics’ Choice Movie Awards for “Glory” in SELMA
January 14, 2015“SELMA is now,” are the words spoken by legendary rapper and actor Common who won his first Golden Globe Award with John Legend for ‘Best Original Song’ for “Glory” at the 2015 Golden Globe Awards Jan. 11. Four days later Common and Legend won a Critics Choice Award for “Glory.” Check out Common and John Legend’s acceptance speech a the Golden Globe Awards below. The award was presented by Prince. Check out “GLORY” video, performed by Common and John Legend with snippets from SELMA FILM.
Posted in Fitness | Leave a commentGet 2015 SELMA the March to Civil Rights Calendar Here (Limited Supply)
January 11, 2015Product Description: The 1965 Selma to Montgomery marches, also known as “Bloody Sunday” and the two marches that followed, led to the passage of the 1965 Voting Rights Act, a landmark achievement of the 1960s American Civil Rights Movement.This calendar contains over 500 African American History facts that will Keep African American History Alive. 2015 Selma African American Calendar Option 1 $10.00 USD ________________________________________________________________ ALSO AVAILABLE – SHAYLA’S CATCH NOVEL BY SONYA JENKINS Shayla’s Catch Paperback Novel Option 1 $16.99 USD
Posted in Streaming | Leave a commentFull Performance of “Live In The Moment” from EMPIRE
January 8, 2015EMPIRE series debut of Empire starring Taraji Henson, Terrence Howard and directed by Academy Award nominee Lee Daniels premiered on Fox Wednesday, January 7. The EMPIRE cast hosted a screening in New York for the premiere episode amongst a crowd of today’s hottest influencers including Naomi Campbell, Tyson Beckford, Kylie Minogue and Foxy Brown. #EMPIRE
Posted in Fitness | Leave a comment“EMPIRE” – Top Launch of 2014/2015 Television Season
January 7, 2015POWERFUL DRAMA “EMPIRE” PREMIERED ON FOX JANUARY 7 2015. According to The Hollywood Reporter the 9 p.m. drama averaged a 3.8 rating among adults 18-49 and 9.9 million viewers, per adjusted Nielsen ratings, making it the top launch of the 2014-15 season (alongside ABC’s How to Get Away With Murder) and Fox’s biggest debut in three years. That number also put it as the top-rated show of Wednesday night, besting Modern Family and the return of American Idol ABOUT “EMPIRE” With hip-hop at the forefront of music and fashion, Academy Award nominee Lee Daniels (“Lee Daniels’ The Butler,” “Precious”), Emmy Award winner Danny Strong (“Game Change,” “Lee Daniels’ The Butler”) and Academy Award- and Emmy Award-winning producer Brian Grazer (“A Beautiful Mind,” “24,”), bring us EMPIRE, a new drama about a family dynasty, set within a world of glamour, danger, sex and power. EMPIRE tells the tale of a music mogul and former street thug who is faced with the trial of a lifetime. Featuring music by prolific producer Timbaland, EMPIRE premiered Jan. 7 2015. The series stars Academy Award nominee Terrence Howard (“Crash,” “Hustle & Flow”) and Academy Award and Emmy Award nominee Taraji P. Henson (“Person of Interest,” “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”). EMPIRE is executive-produced by Daniels, Strong, Grazer, Ilene Chaiken (“The L Word”) and Francie Calfo (“Those Who Kill,” “Gang Related”). OFFICIAL SHOW FACEBOOK: facebook.com/EmpireFOX OFFICIAL SHOW TWITTER: @EmpireFOX JOIN THE DISCUSSION: #Empire
Posted in Movie News, Sports & Inspiration | Leave a commentUNCF 31st Annual Mayor’s Masked Ball Atlanta
January 6, 2015Nearly $1.2 Million was raised at the UNCF 31st Annual Mayor’s Masked Ball on Saturday, December 20 at the Atlanta Marriott Marquis. Chaka Khan put on a spectacular performance and a sold out crowd of 1,300 elegantly dressed guests dined, danced and socialized at Atlanta’s premier holiday season event. UNCF’s 31st Annual Mayor’s Masked Ball was hosted by UNCF President and CEO Michael L. Lomax ,Ph.D and Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed. Co-Chairs were Ms. Erica Qualls-Beatty, General Manager, Atlanta Marriott Marquis; Mr. Ed Baker, Publisher of the Atlanta Business Chronicle and Mr. Thomas W. Dortch, Jr., President, TWD, Inc. The Marquis Sponsors for the ball included The Coca- Cola Company, Delta Air Lines, Koch Industries Inc. and UPS. The co-founders of the UNCF Mayor’s Masked Ball are Ambassador Andrew Young and Ms. Billye Suber Aaron. Entertainers in film, television and music, sports figures, elected officials, civic leaders, dignitaries and volunteers were in attendance including Chris Tucker, Will Packer,Palmer Williams, Big Boi, Young Jezzy, Jonathan Slocumb, Rozonda “Chilli” Thomas, Chris “Ludacris”Bridges, Faune Chambers Watkins, Jasmine Burke, Brad James and Derrick “Fonzworth Bentley” Watkins. UNCF’s Atlanta Mayor’s Masked Ball has raised millions to support students who attend Atlanta’s four UNCF member institutions –Clark Atlanta University, the Interdenominational Theological Center, Morehouse College and Spelman College—Atlanta students attending other UNCF colleges and universities, and all of the 60,000 students who attend the 37 UNCF member institutions. This year the ball began with the VIP reception where Rev. Dr. C. T. Vivian and Rev. Dr. Joseph Lowery were honored followed by the signature Parade of Stars and Dignitaries, an elegant dinner, and the Parade of Masks led by Bahamas Masqueraders Carnival Junkanoo models. Bahamas Consul General Randy E. Rolle was a guest at the Ball and arranged for the major presence of the Bahamas Masqueraders Junkanoo Carnival Group with a silent auction prize of …
Posted in Movie News, Photos | Leave a commentNew York Premiere of SELMA
December 17, 2014Check out photos from the New York premiere of SELMA. SELMA celebrated its New York Premiere December 14, presented by Paramount Pictures, Delta Air Lines, Tina Brown Live Media, and Credit Suisse, at the Ziegfeld Theater, where stars David Oyelowo, Oprah Winfrey (also a Producer on the film), Carmen Ejogo, Tom Wilkinson, Tim Roth, Common, Cuba Gooding, Jr., Andre Holland, Lorraine Toussaint, Niecy Nash, Stephen Root, Colman Domingo, Lakeith Lee Stanfield, Dylan Baker, Omar Dorsey, Stephan James, Wendell Pierce, Ruben Santiago-Hudson, Trai Byers, Henry G. Sanders, Jeremy Strong, Kent Falcon, and John Lavelle walked the red carpet alongside Director/Executive Producer Ava Duvernay, Producers Dede Gardner and Jeremy Kleiner, and Executive Producer Paul Garnes. SELMA, from Paramount Pictures, Pathé, and Harpo Films, is in selected theaters on December 25th, 2014, and nationwide on January 9th, 2015. tumultuous three-month period in 1965, when Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. led a dangerous campaign to secure equal voting rights in the face of violent opposition. The epic march from Selma to Montgomery culminated in President Johnson (Tom Wilkinson) signing the Voting Rights Act of 1965, one of the most significant victories for the civil rights movement. Director Ava DuVernay’s SELMA tells the real story of how the revered leader and visionary Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (David Oyelowo) and his brothers and sisters in the movement prompted change that forever altered history.
Posted in Photos | Leave a commentBEYOND THE LIGHTS in theaters November 14
October 29, 2014Beyond the Lights is the story of Noni, the music world’s latest superstar. But not all is what it seems, and the pressures of fame have Noni on the edge – until she meets Kaz Nicol, a young cop and aspiring politician who’s been assigned to her detail. Drawn to each other, Noni and Kaz fall fast and hard, despite the protests of those around them who urge them to put their career ambitions ahead of their romance. But it is ultimately Kaz’s love that gives Noni the courage to find her own voice and break free to become the artist she was meant to be. BEYOND THE LIGHTS is directed by Gina Prince Bythewood, who also directed Love & Basketball, and stars Nate Parker (The Secret Life of Bees), Gugu Mbatha-Raw (Belle), Danny Glover and Minnie Driver.
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