Black News

Across Black America
Sep 6 2012

Here’s a look at African American people and issues making headlines throughout the country.


California
Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa recently announced the creation of the city of Los Angeles’ first Poet Laureate Program in collaboration with the Los Angeles City Council, the Mayor’s Office of Strategic Partnerships (OSP), and the Department of Cultural Affairs. The Los Angeles Poet Laureate will serve as the official ambassador of Los Angeles’ vibrant poetry and literary culture. The Poet Laureate will use the position as a platform to promote the city’s greatest writers and the transformative qualities of poetry and the written word throughout all parts of the community. Nominations will be accepted until 5 p.m. Oct. 10. The Poet Laureate announcement will be made in October. Los Angeles’ Poet Laureate will serve for a term of two years. The first Poet Laureate honored with this distinction will serve from November 2012 to October 2014 and receive a $10,000 annual grant from the Department of Cultural Affairs.

District of Columbia
The Library of Congress exhibition commemorating the 150th anniversary of the Civil War will feature more than 200 unique items, many never before on public view. “The Civil War in America” will be free and open to the public, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Saturday, from Nov. 12, 2012, to May 23, 2013, in the Southwest Exhibition Gallery of the Thomas Jefferson Building at 10 First Street S.E., Washington, D.C. The exhibition will reveal the complexity of the Civil War through those who experienced it firsthand. Never-before-seen items in the library’s collections offer a human perspective on the war and shed new light on the many ways that the terrible conflict helped shape the American people and the nation. The Library of Congress blog (blogs.loc.gov/loc/) will begin a special series of posts on Wednesday, Sept. 17, to complement “The Civil War in America” exhibition. Every Wednesday until the exhibition opens, the blog will spotlight a never-before-seen item of interest, offering an in-depth look into the documents and other artifacts that tell the story of the nation’s greatest military and political upheaval.

Here’s a look at African American people and issues making headlines throughout the country.

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Across Black America
Aug 23 2012

Here’s a look at African American people and issues making headlines throughout the country.


California
The Urban Victory Online Film Festival (UVOFF) opened this week at www.urbanvictory.com. It will be the first ever online festival to focus on films by or about African Americans and people of African descent. The festival will run from Aug. 15 to Sept. 30, and will feature more than 30 short films—dramas, comedies, and documentaries from a diverse group of filmmakers. See the list of films at http://urbanvictory.com/ film_makers. Viewers can watch any or all films for free upon registration at www.urbanvictory.com. If they view, rate, or comment on the films, they will be automatically registered in a drawing to win a pair of theater passes to one of the top regional Black film festivals in the U.S. Three viewer/advocates will win two passes each. In addition, awards will be given to filmmakers for best narrative short, best documentary and best international film.
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Visual icon Bernard Stanley Hoyes wowed an enthusiastic house recently with his “Seven Paintings, a Story in Performance” at the Ford Amphitheatre. Presented by Bernard Hoyes’ Caribbean Fine Arts Publishing and the Jamaica Cultural Alliance, “Seven Paintings” served as a tribute commemorating the 50th anniversary of Jamaica’s Independence. “Seven Paintings” serialized a story of ambition and redemption, featuring art selections from Hoyes’ popular Revival Series, the choreography of Pat Taylor with her Jazzantiqua Dance Ensemble, drumming in the Yoruba/Nyabengi tradition from the Kabasa Drum Ensemble and the “Tambourine Chorus.”
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Oakland Mayor Jean Quan recently presented actress Brély Evans, star of the recently opened film “Sparkle,” with the key to the city for her charitable contributions to the bay area community and the Sharon Randolph Foundation. Evans also hosted a private screening of “Sparkle” at Jack London Cinemas in Jack London Square. The event was part of the Sparkle for a Cause fundraiser that also featured an All-White Party Affair at Geoffrey’s Inner Circle. Proceeds from the screening and white party benefited the Sharon Randolph Foundation.

Here’s a look at African American people and issues making headlines throughout the country.

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Across Black America
Aug 16 2012

Here’s a look at African American people and issues making headlines throughout the country.
 

California
Compton rapper Game is the subject of a $250,000 lawsuit resulting from two canceled concerts in Beirut, Lebanon. The Crystal Group filed a lawsuit against Game in Manhattan Federal Court, claiming they wired the rap star $30,000 for a July 2011 performance in which he canceled. According to the lawsuit, the Crystal Group suffered massive damages when Game canceled at the last minute. As a result, the Crystal Group lost money on promotions, hotel and travel expenses, ticket sales and refunds. To make matters worse, the Crystal Group claims they agreed to reschedule the canceled show, only to have Game skip out on a second, makeup date in Dubai. The Crystal Group is suing Game, born Jayceon Taylor, and his touring company, BWS Touring, for breach of contract.
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The International Visitors Council of Los Angeles recently welcomed 20 talented musicians from Africa through the U.S. Department of State International Visitor Leadership Program. These musicians are in Los Angeles to examine the use of Hip Hop to encourage social responsibility and civic engagement. During their stay they will have a unique opportunity to meet the culturally varied group Ozomatli, also known as “U.S. State Department Cultural Ambassadors.” Ozomatli is a seven-piece band that formed in Los Angeles and had long been a favorite of international audiences. The main purpose of the meeting with Ozomatli will be to examine the music scene of L.A. and the cultural influences that exist within the city. In addition, the visitors council has also arranged for the group to meet with American music producer Theron Feemster, who worked with such musical talent as Michael Jackson, Nelly, Mary J. Blige and JoJo.

Here’s a look at African American people and issues making headlines throughout the country.

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City warns dispensaries to close or pay fines and face jail time
City News Service
Aug 15 2012

New ordinance goes into effect

LOS ANGELES, Calif.—The City Attorney’s Office announced today it is warning all marijuana dispensaries in Los Angeles to close by Sept. 6, when a new ordinance goes into effect, or face court action and a $2,500 fine for every day they remain open after the deadline.

The office mailed letters to 1,046 suspected dispensary locations and to 728 landlords, warning they are also liable if dispensaries remain open beyond the deadline.

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Across Black America
Aug 9 2012

Here’s a look at African American people and issues making headlines throughout the country.


Arizona
Sisters Network Inc. has joined forces with Solis Women’s Health to provide free mammograms for women nationwide through Sisters’ Breast Cancer Assistance Program. The program provides free mammograms to all women and financial assistance for breast cancer survivors’ health-related expenses, including medical related lodging, co-payments, office visits and prosthesis. As part of the partnership, Solis will provide the mammogram screenings at their clinics located in Texas, Arizona, Indiana, North Carolina and Ohio. Breast cancer is the most common cancer among African American women. According to the American Cancer Society, an estimated 26,840 new cases of breast cancer are expected to occur among African American women by the end of 2012. Sisters’ has provided more than 500 women with free mammogram screenings around the United States through the Breast Cancer Assistance Program.
 

California
The San Diego Music Thing (SDMT) conference is now in its fifth year drawing music industry professionals, talented musicians and aspiring professionals to San Diego. This year’s Music Thing will be held Sept. 14-15, with daytime events, including panels, mentoring, demo review sessions and an acoustic pool stage, held at the historic Lafayette Hotel in North Park. Featured speakers for the event include Chuck D from Public Enemy, Wayne Kramer (MC5) and Martin Atkins (TourSmart). The annual event is presented by the San Diego Music Foundation, a nonprofit organization that provides experiential music programs to San Diego County schools via its Guitars for Schools Program, organizes the San Diego Music Awards show and provides professional development opportunities to the community’s musicians. Proceeds from both the San Diego Music Thing and the San Diego Music Awards benefit the Guitars for Schools Program. For more information, visit www.sandiegomusicthing.com.

Here’s a look at African American people and issues making headlines throughout the country.

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Across Black America

Here’s a look at African American people and issues making headlines throughout the country.
 

Alabama
Freeman A. Hrabowski, president of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, will address the annual African American Business Council luncheon on June 28. Hrabowski, who is chairman of President Barack Obama’s Advisory Commission on Education Excellence for African Americans, has a national reputation for his work studying the performance of minority students in math and science. Hrabowski, named one of the 10 best college presidents in the country by Time magazine, was a child leader in the Civil Rights Movement in Birmingham in the 1960s.
 

Arkansas
The Liberty Counsel filed a motion and a brief in United States District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas seeking to intervene on behalf of a Concepts of Life crisis pregnancy center to defend against a suit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union and the Center for Reproductive Rights. The groups seek to impose a permanent injunction before the Human Heartbeat Protection Act goes into effect July 18. Liberty Counsel also filed a brief opposing the ACLU’s request for an injunction. The “Heartbeat” bill states that when a woman seeks an abortion at or after the 12th week, doctors must test for a fetal heartbeat before an abortion is performed and inform the pregnant mother that the child in her womb has a heartbeat. If a heartbeat is detected, a woman cannot have an abortion, except in cases of rape, incest, and if a mother’s life is in danger. “As we promised when the legislation was introduced, Liberty Counsel will defend this law without reservation for the people of Arkansas, born and pre-born,” said Matt Staver, founder and chairman of Liberty Counsel. “No right is more foundational than the right to life. Without life, all other rights are irrelevant,” concluded Staver.

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