BET Shows Fashion Event ‘RIP THE RUNWAY’ and Series Premiere of ‘HARLEM HEIGHTS’
February 27, 2009
Tune into BET on Monday, March 2 at 9:00 p.m.* for the hottest fashions, entertainers and music — all in one incredibly sexy fashion show, RIP THE RUNWAY. This year addressing the “State of the Union in Fashion” will be the beautiful, talented model-turned-actress Joy Bryant and today’s most sought-after actor Derek Luke. RIP THE RUNWAY is guaranteed to deliver the latest fashion trends to our viewers — it’s simply the best dressed hour of television. The show will re-air on Thursday, March 5 at 8:00 p.m.* and Friday, March 6 at 10:00 p.m.*
Premiering on Monday, March 2 at 10:00 p.m.,* HARLEM HEIGHTS will provide a window into the fascinating world of New York’s young, Black and fabulous crowd. Set against the backdrop of the increasingly gentrified neighborhood of Harlem, the series features a diverse cast of eight young adults from different backgrounds who share common goals — making the post-college leap into adulthood and finding love and success in the big city on their own terms.
Charlie Wilson Debuts No. 1 on R&B Albums Chart
February 27, 2009
Acclaimed R&B solo singer/songwriter Charlie Wilson tops the charts with his newest offering, Uncle Charlie. This week, Wilson’s album debuts at No. 1 on the R&B Albums chart, and enters at No. 2 on the Pop Albums chart. These are his highest ranking debuts on both charts as a solo artist and front-man for the legendary Gap Band.
This chart-topping week comes as the singer’s first solo album on Jive Records, Charlie, Last Name Wilson, receives gold-certification from the RIAA. The album’s lead single “There Goes My Baby” is currently among the Top 5 most played songs at the Urban Adult Contemporary radio format, and the accompanying video will debut March 2nd as a featured spotlight on Yahoo’s main music page.
Fat Joe Readies New Album: Jealous Ones Still Envy 2
February 27, 2009
On April 7, 2009, rapper Fat Joe will continue one of the most impressive runs in recent Hip-Hop history with the release of his ninth solo studio album, Jealous Ones Still Envy 2 (J.O.S.E. 2). The project reprises the title of Joe’s 2002 RIAA-Certified Platinum release, Jealous Ones Still Envy, and will mark Joe’s third release since bringing his Terror Squad Entertainment imprint to the EMI family in 2006. EMI Music Services is supporting the release with promotion, street teams, digital, marketing, licensing and synchronization and brand partnership services.
20th Anniversary Celebration Of “Do The Right Thing”
February 27, 2009
Spike Lee attends the 20th anniversary celebration of ‘Do the Right Thing’ at the Walter Reade Theatre at Lincoln Center on February 26, 2009 in New York City.
Do the Right Thing is a 1989 film written, produced and directed by Spike Lee. The film tells a tale of bigotry and racial conflict in a multi-ethnic community in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York on the hottest day of the year. Filmed on Stuyvesant Avenue between Lexington Avenue and Quincy Street, the film stars Lee, Danny Aiello, Ossie Davis, Ruby Dee, Richard Edson, Giancarlo Esposito, Bill Nunn, and John Turturro. Do the Right Thing marks the feature film debuts of both Martin Lawrence and Rosie Perez. Samuel L. Jackson plays DJ Mister Señor Love Daddy, an alternative voice of the author to Spike Lee’s character.
The Merck Company Foundation Launches Five-Year Effort to Close Healthcare Disparity Gaps
February 27, 2009
The Merck Company Foundation (Foundation), the philanthropic arm of Merck & Co., Inc., today announced the launch of The Alliance to Reduce Disparities in Diabetes (Alliance), a new initiative designed to improve healthcare delivery among those populations most at risk for diabetes — African-American, Hispanic, and Native American adults. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Office of Minority Health (OMH) joined the Foundation in support of the Alliance’s goal to mobilize community-based partners and enhance the delivery of proven, collaborative approaches that can close gaps in diabetes care.
Coors Light Brings Cold Refreshment to the 64th Annual CIAA Tournament
February 27, 2009
Coors Light, “The World’s Most Refreshing Beer,” announced today that it will sponsor two popular events at the 64th Annual Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) Tournament in Charlotte, North Carolina. As part of its support of historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs), Coors Light is partnering with the CIAA to host the “Coors Light Paradise Lounge” and “Rock the Rooftop Gaming Lounge” during the tournament weekend.
Study Shows Disconnect between African Americans’ Attitudes and Actions Towards Financial Planning
February 27, 2009
African Americans are more optimistic about their financial future over the next year than the general population, but the majority of those responding acknowledge they don’t have a financial game plan and many don’t know where to start. A new survey of 1,200 participants commissioned by The Smiley Group and Nationwide Insurance shows 58 percent of African Americans expect their household situation to be better a year from now, compared to only 30 percent of the general population sharing similar optimism.
Soul For Real Singer On The Run With Infant Son
February 25, 2009
ATLANTA — Duluth police said they are looking for an R&B singer in connection with an identity fraud case.
Police told Channel 2’s Manuel Bojorquez that Brian Dalyrimple of the group Soul For Real is involved in a case of identity theft that involves more than 200 victims. Police said Dalyrimple is on the run.
Duluth police have already arrested a woman, Laborah Crawford, in connection with the identity theft case. She is being held in the Gwinnett County Jail.
Angie Stone Encourages African-Americans to Fearlessly FACE Diabetes
February 24, 2009
As Black History Month comes to a close, Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Angie Stone and the Fearless African-Americans Connected and Empowered (F.A.C.E.) Diabetes initiative, sponsored by Lilly USA, LLC, head to historic Birmingham on February 28 to help empower and inspire African-Americans with diabetes to take control of their disease.
Ms. Stone and the F.A.C.E. Diabetes initiative will host a community-wide educational event in southwest Birmingham on Saturday, February 28 from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the More Than Conqueror Faith Church (1327 Dennison Avenue, Birmingham, AL 35211).
AMBI Announces the 2nd Annual Scholarship to Support Minority Women
February 24, 2009
AMBI(R) Skincare is now accepting applications for the second annual AMBI(R) Scholarship in Science & Medicine. This national scholarship program was designed to recognize, reward and support African-American and Hispanic women who have a genuine ambition to pursue careers in these respective fields. These women are non-traditional students who may have taken a break from their academic careers but now desire to attend school while balancing a family, work, and other personal goals. To provide financial assistance, AMBI(R) Skincare has contributed a total of $50,000 to be awarded to 5 women; each will receive $10,000 towards tuition for continuing their education.
Civil Rights Pioneers Honored on Stamps
February 24, 2009
The sacrifices of 12 civil rights pioneers were immortalized on postage today during the NAACP’s annual meeting in New York City. The Civil Rights Pioneers stamp sheet, bearing six 42-cent First-Class commemorative stamps, are available nationwide today. They were dedicated by U.S. Postal Service Board of Governors member Thurgood Marshall Jr. The stamps honor the achievements of Ella Baker, Daisy Gatson Bates, J.R. Clifford, Medgar Evers, Fannie Lou Hamer, Charles Hamilton Houston, Ruby Hurley, Mary White Ovington, Joel Elias Spingarn, Mary Church Terrell, Oswald Garrison Villard and Walter White.
Duke Ellington becomes first African-American on U.S. coin
February 24, 2009
CNN: Jazz legend Duke Ellington is the first African-American to appear on an American coin, the U.S. Mint says in introducing the latest in its line of state-themed quarters.
The District of Columbia commemorative quarter showing Ellington playing the piano will be introduced by U.S. Mint Director Ed Moy at a news conference Tuesday at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History.
Ellington won the honor by a vote of D.C. residents, beating out abolitionist Frederick Douglass and astronomer Benjamin Banneker.
Also on the coin is the phrase “justice for all.” The mint rejected the first inscription choice of D.C. voters, which was “taxation without representation,” in protest of the District’s lack of voting representation in Congress.
Social Disconnection in African American Women With Breast Cancer
February 18, 2009
Findings released today at the Oncology Nursing Society (ONS) 10th National Conference on Cancer Nursing Research reveal that isolation was the strongest predictor of social disconnection in African American women with breast cancer. The study, presented by Sue Heiney, PhD, RN, CS, FAAN, of the Palmetto Health South Carolina Cancer Center in Columbia, SC, described the concept of social disconnection and the sociocultural influences that may impact it using data from 124 African American women with breast cancer enrolled in a National Cancer Institute-funded study which was institutional review board-approved.
Sodexo Chosen as a 2009 Top 100 Employer by The Black Collegian Magazine
February 18, 2009
Sodexo, a leading integrated food and facilities management services company, earned a spot on the list of the top 100 U.S. employers by The Black Collegian Magazine, which selected employers based on the projected number of college grads to be hired in 2009, the number of campuses highlighted for recruitment, and the top majors hired.
How a ‘Disadvantaged’ Dallas Neighborhood Created the Blueprint for Education Reform
February 18, 2009
According to statewide 2008 standardized test results, minority students in Texas rank dead last in vital education subjects like math, science, reading and writing. Add to that the devastating effects of poverty, and the statistics paint a not-so-pretty picture of the state of many inner-city youth.
Take Frazier Elementary School in South Dallas, for instance. Located adjacent to the city’s worst housing projects, the student body is 98% poor and 100% minority. With a median annual household income of $15,000 and 80% of the children residing in single parent households, some assume the area’s educational outlook would be bleak.
Not so. The test scores of Frazier students are in the highest percentile in the entire state of Texas, according to the Dallas Morning News. The school has achieved an “exemplary” rating from the Texas Education Agency (TEA) for the past 8 years. Just one mile away, Daniel “Chappie” James Learning Center was ranked North Texas’ No. 1 school in 2005 by D Magazine. The same year, 12 other low-income schools in South Dallas were top-rated.
Fast-forward to 2009 and all of the schools that comprise the heart of South Dallas’ District 9 are rated “exemplary,” “recognized” or “academically acceptable.” All are also comprised of “disadvantaged” youth – the TEA code for low-income students. Two miles from Frazier and “Chappie,” Lincoln High School boasts a graduation rate of 84%, 15 percentage points higher than the overall city. These schools continue to outperform wealthier suburban schools with no students below the poverty level.
“Poor kids can achieve. They’ve been doing it for years in South Dallas and it’s time we shine a spotlight on what’s working,” said Ron Price, School Board Trustee for District 9.
Price and his colleagues assert that children’s social behavior significantly impacts their education and reform begins in 2 areas: first behavior modification and then academic accountability.
This came to life in several core initiatives:
- Arbitration of gang truce and pledge of safety [video]
- The signing of a “Contract for Educational Excellence” by all 33 principals in District 9 [video]
- Civic and corporate support of employment programs [video]
- Creation of strict codes of conduct, dress and alcohol-free school zones [video]
- Increasing the presence of male teachers/mentors [video]
- Developing peer groups of student leaders [video]
- Rewarding teachers for classroom achievement [video]
“Schools like this are the rule, not the exception,” said Price. “Every child counts. You shouldn’t have to be middle- or high-income to succeed.”
Price is bringing this social and academic blueprint to other districts as a curriculum that can be implemented any- and every-where.
Visit www.youtube.com/everychildcounts2009 for all news reports.
