Kirk Franklin’s New CD THE FIGHT OF MY LIFE in Stores December 18

Fo Yo Soul Entertainment/Zomba Gospel recording artist KIRK FRANKLIN, the top-selling Contemporary Gospel artist in Soundscan history, will add another tour de force to his vast discography with the forthcoming release of his seventh CD, THE FIGHT OF MY LIFE. Franklin, who is credited with revolutionizing gospel music, will release this exceptional collection of all new material on December 18. Franklin says of the CD, “Carol and Michael are fighting for their marriage. Deborah is fighting to keep from losing her mind. Jeff is fighting to keep his home. David is fighting for his faith. Welcome to THE FIGHT OF MY LIFE.” The first single from the album, “Declaration (This Is It!),” is an upbeat and encouraging song that re-interprets the smooth-groove classic hit, “This Is It,” co-written by Kenny Loggins and Michael McDonald, by addressing survival through the everyday trials and tribulations through a positive declaration of one’s purpose in life. “This song is a statement that ‘serves notice’ on unnecessary frustrations, relationships and circumstances that continue to attack our life,” says Franklin. “Unlike the children of Israel who wandered in the wilderness, when we totally surrender to God, what took 40 years, God ‘can’ fix in 40 minutes.” Declaration (This Is It!) is currently #1 most added and #1 most increased airplay at Gospel radio, and is also impacting urban radio. Sure to become another classic anthem, the lyrics express what many feel in today’s uncertain world. “There’ve been times in my life, I’ve been wondering why … but, still somehow I believe, we always survive.” The song — a cheer of sorts — builds with an accompanying, hand-clapping groove to suggest strength can be found through positive declaration, God’s grace and prayer: “This is it … You can’t mess with my mind anymore, I’ve sworn I’ve been here before … it’s a new day, I’m not afraid anymore … yes, I believe if you believe … ” “Kirk Franklin is one of those rare artists whose music instantly strikes a chord with the human spirit,” says Jazzy Jordan, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Zomba Gospel. “On ‘Declaration (This Is It!),’ he again demonstrates a unique ability to articulate through song sentiments that resonate with people from all walks of life. This single is surely going to be another hit for Kirk Franklin, setting the tone for yet another incredible body of work.” After more than 15 years as the top-selling, multiple Grammy award-winning contemporary gospel artist, Kirk Franklin continually demonstrates that he is more than just an artist — he is a voice and a musical balm for his generation. THE FIGHT OF MY LIFE is another display of the genius fusion of his positive message and urban beats that have made him a mainstay atop Billboard charts for more than a decade. THE FIGHT OF MY LIFE takes the listener on a spirit-filled journey from the soaring “Help Me Believe,” a letter set to music that speaks for those who may be doubting their own faith but are looking to God for re-confirmation and strength; to the more traditional, tambourine-shakin’, foot-tappin’, “He Will Supply” that will surely become a musical staple every choir will want to sing come Sunday morning service. Another standout track is “Jesus,” a hip cheerful ode that simply celebrates Kirk’s love of the Almighty. As the music industry struggles to remain connected to fans that are weary of microwave stars, Kirk Franklin has remained a favorite and is applauded for being innovative, relevant and authentic. The heart of who he is and his personal story struck a resounding chord with his fans years ago and they have remained loyal ever since. As he achieved more success, Franklin has remained connected to his audience through music that speaks frankly to life’s issues and struggles, while always offering a chord of hope and optimism. “We’re very excited about the release of THE FIGHT OF MY LIFE,” says Carla Williams, Vice President and General Manager of Fo Yo Soul Entertainment. “It is right in step, we believe, with what God is saying to encourage His people in song through Kirk; I know I’m biased, but to me it’s a music masterpiece and we cannot wait to share with our loyal friends (fans) in the days to come.” His latest CD, HERO is RIAA-certified platinum and he has seven additional RIAA-certified gold, platinum and multi-platinum selling releases to date. The musical trendsetter has garnered 5 GRAMMY(R) Awards, 11 Doves, 34 Stellars, 4 NAACP Image Awards, two BET Award and a 2006 American Music Award to date.

Mekhi Phifer Welcomes a Son

ERs Mekhi Phifer and his fiancée Oni Souratha have welcomed their first child together, his rep tells PEOPLE exclusively. FULL ARTICLE AT PEOPLE.COM

Oprah tears over school scandal

Police from Gauteng’s child protection unit are investigating allegations of sexual and physical abuse by a matron. Ms Winfrey has visited the school at Henley-on-Klip near Vereeniging at least twice in the past few weeks. FULL ARTICLE AT BBC NEWS

Ciara’s Big Birthday

How is pop star Ciara celebrating her 22nd birthday? With seven separate bashes in five separate cities, of course! OK! was on hand at the starlet’s kick-off party last week at Nikki Midtown to dish about what she might wish for when she blows her birthday candles out.FULL ARTICLE AT OKMAGAZINE.COM

Patient Navigators Help Minority, Low-Income Cancer Patients Get Life-Saving Treatments

Volunteers who guide low-income and minority cancer patients through cancer treatment, called lay patient navigators (LPN), help them to overcome major obstacles that prevent them from receiving quality care and achieving better outcomes, according to a study presented October 28, 2007, at the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology’s 49th Annual Meeting in Los Angeles. Minority and low-income cancer patients continue to receive inferior care in the detection and treatment of cancer, compared to the general population. They are also under-represented in cancer clinical trials, which can potentially save or extend the lives of trial participants, especially those who have few treatment options. To better understand how LPNs can help these at-risk patients, researchers studied nearly 500 African American and Latino cancer patients with mean family incomes below the poverty level. Almost two-thirds (60 percent) of patients studied accepted help from LPNs to overcome their barriers to getting cancer treatment. Results show that the time it took to reduce these barriers decreased from an average of 42 days to only one day. The study also showed that LPNs offered patients more access to participation in cancer clinical trials. The study was conducted by the Urban Latino African American Cancer Disparities Project to identify and confront the root causes of treatment disparities in underserved communities and offer better access to clinical trials. It was supported by a grant from the National Cancer Institute’s Cancer Disparity Research Program. “Our study shows that LPNs can play an important role in reducing the healthcare disparities among minority and low-income patients by being their patient advocates,” said David Khan, M.D., lead author of the study and a radiation oncologist at Centinela Freeman Medical Center in Inglewood, Calif. “These patient navigator programs should become an essential part of our healthcare delivery system to provide these patients with better access to quality care.” Many patients in the study faced multiple barriers in getting care, which impacted the start and completion of getting cancer treatment. Lack of transportation to healthcare providers was cited as the greatest obstacle in getting quality care, while inadequate finances to pay for medical care was also a significant challenge among these patients.

15 African-Americans Oppose Inadequate Morgan Stanley Settlement and Ask Judge For Hearing

African-American Group objects to inadequate settlement and Morgan Stanley’s attempt to transform gender discrimination lawsuit to global ‘race and color’ settlement to release claims of African-Americans and Latinos Statement by Moore et al. v. Morgan Stanley Steering Committee Last week, we learned of the terms of a settlement reached by Morgan Stanley with one of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit Jaffe et al. v. Morgan Stanley, a gender discrimination class action transformed into a “race and color” discrimination class action of the claims of all African-American and Latino Financial Advisors and Trainees. We believe Morgan Stanley took this action to avoid addressing the issues of race discrimination that our group raised with the Firm over one year ago. We are deeply disappointed by both the programmatic and monetary relief presented in the proposed settlement. We have carefully studied the organizational changes that Morgan Stanley has proposed and feel certain that even if they are implemented, African-Americans working at the company will continue to suffer from workplace discrimination. The proposed settlement fund is grossly inadequate to compensate the victims of Morgan Stanley’s systemic race discrimination. The $16 million fund available to resolve the claims of over 1,300 African-Americans and Latinos who worked at Morgan Stanley since October of 2002 pales in comparison to the payouts by other Wall Street firms in similar discrimination cases brought by brokers, including the Cremin v. Merrill Lynch lawsuit (over $200 million recovered by class members) and Martens v. Smith Barney (over $100 million). Indeed, the settlement is a fraction of the settlements Morgan Stanley has recently made in gender discrimination cases of $46 million (Augst-Johnson v Morgan Stanley) and $54 million (Schiefflin v. Morgan Stanley). We understand that one of the two African-American named plaintiffs has decided to opt out of the settlement and not serve as a class representative. We respect her decision. As a result, the sole remaining class representative is a person who worked for Morgan Stanley for only one month during the class period, and who is not Latino. This turn of events raises serious questions about the fairness of the settlement and whether the class is adequately represented. We are also troubled by the lawsuit and settlement grouping African-Americans and Latinos into a single class, without a Latino class representative. It is naive and incorrect to simply assume that the experiences of and issues facing African-Americans and Latinos at Morgan Stanley are the same and that a member of one group can adequately represent the interests of the other. We believe that the proposed settlement’s terms and the way in which it was negotiated reveal the extent of Morgan Stanley’s disrespect and hostility towards African-Americans and Latinos, and its lack of commitment to equal opportunity. We intend to oppose the settlement and ask the Court in the Jaffe case to appear in court to address a number of our concerns, including: — At the time Morgan Stanley reached this settlement, only one of the two Jaffe plaintiffs was African-American, and the complaint did not include any class claim of race or color discrimination; — We do not believe the Jaffe plaintiffs received full and fair disclosure about our group’s existence and efforts to address racial discrimination at Morgan Stanley, which may have influenced their decision to settle; — The sole class representative in the lawsuit worked at Morgan Stanley for only about one month of the proposed class period, but seeks to represent a class from October 2002 until the present. — Although the class purports to resolve the claims of all African-Americans and Latinos, the lone class representative is not Latino, nor does it appear that Latino class members were included in settlement negotiations. We will take appropriate action to ensure that the rights of African-Americans are protected and that Morgan Stanley is held accountable for its ongoing discriminatory practices. We stand ready, willing and able to vigorously prosecute our case challenging Morgan Stanley’s systemic discrimination against African-Americans to a full and fair conclusion that will result in meaningful change at Morgan Stanley and fair compensation for those who suffered from the Firm’s discrimination. (See Moore, et al. v. Morgan Stanley complaint, Case No. 07 C 5606 (N.D. Ill.))

In defense of Kobe

Why is Kobe Bryant the bad guy? Because he wants to win.The league’s most talented player is being drawn, quartered and sacrificed to the pagan gods like Hillary Clinton at Rush Limbaugh‘s dinner table, all because he wants to play on a winning team.FULL ARTICLE AT SI.COM

“Double Up” Tour Starring R. Kelly, with Keyshia Cole, Ne-Yo & J. Holiday Confirm New Dates

Atlanta-based Rowe Entertainment, Inc. helmed by longtime industry veteran Leonard Rowe today confirmed the schedule for R. Kelly’s nine-week Double Up tour, the first in more than a year by the multi-platinum R&B superstar whose most recent CD, Double Up, debuted in the #1 spot on Billboard’s “Top 200″ chart. “I’m more excited than ever about the Double Up tour. I haven’t done an arena tour in a while, and it will be a great opportunity to give my fans a memorable show where I’m pulling out all the stops. Since my last arena tour I’ve done a lot of great collaborations with some phenomenal artists which has given me a lot more hits to add to my repertoire,” said Kelly. Joining Kelly on the tour will be Imani/Geffen Records platinum-selling songstress Keyshia Cole performing songs from her current CD, Just Like You; Grammy Award nominee, multi-platinum Def Jam recording artist, Ne-Yo whose most recent release is entitled Because of You; and J. Holiday, whose Music Line/Capitol Records debut, Back of My ‘Lac continues to top the R&B/Hip-Hop Singles chart with his first hit song “Bed.” With sales for the tour looking strong out of the gate, Rowe says, “The country is excited. It’s a great package, and the public will not be disappointed.” The four-hour extravaganza is possibly one of the biggest, history-making R&B tours in recent years. The massive effort of promoting this arena tour, with an average seating of 15 thousand, will include more than 150 production personnel, 12 production vehicles, four set changes, and more than 10 tour buses. Additionally, the show will include state-of-the-art lighting and a sound design guaranteed to enhance the overall experience for concertgoers. “We are excited about bringing a tour of this quality and magnitude to the marketplace,” stated Rowe. “These are some of the hottest R&B artists around today, and having them all together on one stage is going to prove to be a dynamic and electrifying show every night in each city we visit.” Full Tour dates and advance tickets can be purchased through TicketMaster by visiting www.ticketmaster.com.

IN NEGOTIATIONS: Loretta Devine

 

"Touched" is the dramatic depiction of one of the most fervent of human conditions – love. The story is an encompassment of the various perils and possibilities of this very sentiment which lays a precedent for forgiveness, acceptance, and transformation

FILMING: The Last Ful Measure

 

SYNOPSIS: An ambitious government bureaucrat is given an unwelcome assignment that could harm his carefully orchestrated career, to complete a long-unfinished report on whether the nation’s highest award for bravery should, after 40 years, be given to a fallen hero. His investigation leads him down a path he could not have imagined and changes his life and the lives of others in the process.

Cuba Gooding Jr. is a HERO WANTED

 

SYNOPSIS: After he awakens in a hospital, a man tracks down and murders the man that left him and a bank teller for dead during a robbery, only to end up having the slain thief’s associates come after him in retaliation.

Black TV Talk Shows: People are Talking

Television talk shows have a long history. Talk shows have been broadcast since the earliest days of the medium and are popular across the country. And Black TV talk show hosts have been holding their own. It’s comforting to see Black TV talk show hosts with top-rated shows and interesting content. These hosts are making history themselves.

Whether its previous talk show hosts such as Arsenio Hall, Queen Latifah, or Whoopi Goldberg, we all have fond memories of our favorite talk show hosts who were able to keep people talking. Today’s line-up of current Black TV talk show hosts is no different. From Oprah to Tyra, to Montel and Tavis, people are talking about their enlightening content and esteemed guests.

The Oprah Winfrey Show is the longest running talk show in history. Oprah Winfrey, media mogul, actress, humanitarian and pioneer, talks about issues that matter to the people. Topics ranging from self improvement segments to spiritual uplifting, to food and home, mind and body, and beauty and style provide viewers with some of their best advice. The Oprah Winfrey Show empowers women and men to make better decisions and even fulfills dreams through its wildest dreams tour. With this type of significant influence, Oprah will remain a favorite for sure.

Fairly new on the scene, The Tyra Banks Show is another big hit! From celebrity guest interviews to topical issues such as AIDS, Tyra proves that she can hold her own in the world of talk. The Supermodel, actress and America’s Next Top Model creator is extremely down to earth and personable. She often shares her beauty secrets and advice from her GlamSquad with ease, and makes talk show hosting seem like a breeze.

The Montel Williams Show is yet another talk show that is able to hold its own. Montel Williams, host and executive producer, has earned longevity due to his compassionate nature and overwhelming concern for his guests. His show is entertaining, informative and easy to relate to, focusing on topics ranging from survivor stories and secrets to eliminating debt, to breaking addictions, among other topics. Montel is guaranteed to continue to do well.

A fourth talk show that is holding its own is Tavis Smiley, a 30 minute nightly talk show airing on PBS. According to tavistalks.com, the show reaches 92 percent of America’s households and is viewed in 187 countries through American Forces Network. Tavis is one of America’s greatest media personalities and is a renowned author, broadcaster, community advocate and philanthropist. When Tavis talks, people listen!

All of these Black TV talk shows are not only holding their own, but the hosts are doing everything they can to ensure that people are talking. Talking about their interesting topics, talking about their unique style, and talking about the feel-good moments that makes viewers smile.

Obama’s Gospel Concert Tour

At Barack Obama’s gospel concert here last night, more than 2,000 black evangelicals were singing, waving their hands and cramming the aisles — most enthusiastically when Donnie McClurkin, the superstar black gospel singer, decried the criticism he has generated because of his views that homosexuality is a choice.FULL ARTICLE AT NYT.COM

Rapper Lil’ Zane to Appear on ‘Cold Case’

Cold Case returns tonight with a thrilling episode that taps on exploitation and the relationship of two brothers in the episode entitled “Wunderkind.”  Guest starring on the police procedural drama is Zane Copeland, who is best known as rapper Lil’ Zane.FULL ARTICLE AT BUDDYTV.COM

Oprah and Dr. Oz Highlight Lifesaving Potential of Colon Cancer Screening

Physician experts from the American College of Gastroenterology (ACG) applaud Oprah and Dr. Mehmet Oz for bringing attention to the lifesaving potential of colorectal cancer screening in today’s “The Oprah Winfrey Show.” By featuring the experience of a young African American firefighter from Chicago, Dr. Oz highlights the importance of screening for African Americans, who should begin colorectal cancer screening at age 45 rather than the current recommendation of age 50 according to the ACG. Colonoscopy is the preferred method of screening for colorectal cancer and data support the recommendation that African-Americans begin screening at a younger age because of the high incidence of colorectal cancer and a greater prevalence of proximal or right-sided polyps and cancerous lesions in this population.Overall, colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States. African Americans are diagnosed with colorectal cancer at a younger age than whites, and African Americans with colorectal cancer have decreased survival compared with whites. In 2005, the ACG published recommendations which reviewed the evidence why African Americans should have their colons screened for cancer at age 45 instead of age 50, five years earlier than the current recommendations. The ACG recommends colonoscopy as a “first line” screening procedure for colorectal cancer for African Americans rather than flexible sigmoidoscopy because of the high overall risk and as well as some evidence that African Americans have more right-sided cancers and polyps. The right side of the colon includes the cecum, ascending colon and proximal transverse colon and cannot be reached by flexible sigmoidoscopy. Facts about Colorectal Cancer in African Americans — African Americans have the highest incidence of colorectal cancer of any racial or ethnic group. Data from the population-based cancer registries that constitute the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program of the National Cancer Institute show that during 1975-2000 colorectal incidence rates in White men and women peaked in 1985 and have declined since.

Read more

Next Page »