passed

Juliana D. Norwood  |   OW Staff Writer
Aug 25 2011

Motown and the music world pause

South Carolina native Nick Ashford, of the legendary Motown songwriting duo Ashford & Simpson died of throat cancer at a hospital in New York City on Monday He was 70.

Jul 14 2011

Born in Monrovia

Memorial services for Clara Ann Steverson, a descendant of California Gold Rush pioneers, were held recently at Bel-Vue Presbyterian Church in Los Angeles.

Steverson died on June 19, and her services were held on June 26. She was 91.

A California native, Steverson was born in Monrovia on April 23, 1920, the only daughter of the Rev. Granville W. Reed Sr. and Susie H. Reed. The couple also had three sons—Granville, Theodore and Arnold.

Gregg Reese  |   OW Staff Writer
Jun 2 2011

'The Revolution Will Not Be Televised'

Gil Scott-Heron the seminal author, poet, and musician died at the age of 62 on May 27 of undisclosed causes at St. Luke’s Hospital in New York’s Manhattan borough. A funeral service was scheduled for 8:30 am, at the Riverside Church, with a public viewing in the evening from 6 to 9 pm at the Frank E. Campbell Funeral Home at Madison Avenue and 81st Street. Scott-Heron is survived by his wife, Blaxploitation actress Brenda Sykes, and their daughter Gia Scott-Heron.

May 27 2011

Taken off life support

LOS ANGELES, Calif.—Actor Jeff Conaway, best known for his roles in the television series "Taxi'' and the 1978 movie "Grease,'' died today at age 60.

Conaway, who appeared on "Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew'' in 2008, was hospitalized earlier this month after being found unconscious in his home May 11 due to what was widely reported as a drug overdose. "Celebrity Rehab'' host Drew Pinsky wrote on his Twitter page that Conaway had not overdosed, but was suffering from a combination of pneumonia and sepsis.

Cynthia E. Griffin-  |   OW Managing Editor
May 26 2011

Barden made history in entertainment business

Business was Don H. Barden’s the life blood.

The Inkster, Mich., native (Inkster is suburb of Detroit) launched his first enterprise at age 9, when he built a wooden stand and sold the vegetables his family raised to motorists passing by.
From that point until his death last Thursday at age 67 from lung cancer, Barden pursued his goal of showing how well a person of humble origins like his could do.

Across Black America

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

California
San Diego college students and volunteers will carry out their sixth home restoration project on Wednesday, July 10 through Sunday, July 14. as part of the “Healing our Heroes’ Homes” (H3) program created by the nonprofit Embrace. The five-day effort will take place at the home of medically retired Marine Corps Capt. Sarah Bettencourt. Bettencourt served with many different units across the country during the Global War on Terrorism and developed a rare neurological disorder in 2008. With a focus to restore the homes of disabled veteran homeowners, H3 falls in line with Embrace’s mission to mobilize college-student volunteers and community members to serve less fortunate members of civilian and veteran communities. The project for the Bettencourts’ home includes kitchen and bathroom remodeling, building ADA-compliant disability ramps, widening their driveway to ADA standards, widening doorways and landscaping.
 
District of Columbia
The 2013 Smithsonian Folklife Festival will showcase its five-year community research project on African American identity with the program “The Will to Adorn: African American Diversity, Style, and Identity.” This multicity collaboration examines the history and culture of the aesthetics of African Americans. The festival will be held June 26-30 and July 3-7, outdoors on the National Mall between Seventh and 14th streets. “Whether we realize it or not, we are all dress artists. The way we compose our look is a creative expression of our ideas about who we are and who we aspire to be,” said Diana N’Diaye, program curator. “This program explores the diversity of African American traditions of style, but also teaches young people the importance of documenting their own culture and saving that information for themselves and future generations.”