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Tavis Smiley says he is ending his annual State of the Black Union (SOBU) symposiums, which served as an anticipated event for African Americans during the last decade.
The host of “Tavis Smiley” on PBS said ending production of SOBU will allow him to focus attention on his 2010 primetime specials on PBS as well as grow other divisions of his multimedia company, including the SmileyBooks imprint, his weekly public radio show, his non-profit youth foundation and the award-winning traveling museum exhibition America I AM: The African American Imprint.
NY TIMES BLASTED FOR BLACK-ONLY GIFT GUIDE: One blog called it ‘race-based holiday shopping.’ An annual Holiday Gift Guide published in the New York Times has been called racist by critics for including a section devoted to “gifts created for and by people of color.” The “Of Color/Stylish Gifts” section, located in the “Style & Travel” section of the 2009 Gift Guide, was compiled by African American reporter Simone S. Oliver and published in November featuring the following gift ideas: “The Mocha Guide to Military Life,” a book for African American women with family members serving in the military. A “Wise Latina” t-shirt, an obvious play on a controversial statement made by Sonia Sotomayor that became an issue during her Supreme Court confirmation hearings. “Hair Rules,” a product for people of color with “problem hair.” “Baby Jamz,” which was created by Beyonce Knowles’ father and sister, is “an interactive hip-hop and rhythm-based toy line.”
Media watchdogs and Times critics have pounced on the paper for its publication of a gift recommendation list for non-whites. The conservative website Newsbusters blasted it as a guide for “race-based holiday shopping,” while the liberal-leaning media gossip blog Gawker.com called it “a celebration of the racist assumption that ‘people of color’ are defined by their colors.” Mediaite said they were “utterly amazed it made it past the editing process,” adding that they’re “baffled why anyone felt the need to separate these gifts from the more generalized categories into which all these items fit, to one based on skin color.”
Yahoo! News spoke to multiple staffers at the paper who expressed divided feelings over the guide. One reporter who asked to remain unnamed was mildly flabbergasted, saying, “After seeing the gift guide, I’m guessing all that ink we spilled after the election of Obama about a post-racial America didn’t get read internally. It goes right up there in the pantheon of tone-deaf boneheadedness.” Another reporter who also requested anonymity pointed out that the guide was created by a person of color, saying, “Critics of the Times tend to do this — they tend to attack something niche-y as if it was formulated and written by The White Powers that Be at the paper, like they’re pushing some fetishized version of how black people think and what they would want.”
When contacted by Yahoo! News for comment, New York Times spokeswoman Diane McNulty released a statement saying: Our online gift guides are intended to offer holiday gift ideas for a wide variety of audiences and interests, with Times writers and editors making smart, informed choices that might appeal to those different audiences. The “Of Color” guide, in the Style & Travel category, is in keeping with that philosophy, and with the efforts of a diverse Times staff to directly address minority readers with our content. Of course, we expect our readers to use the guides however they choose, and we hope they’ll find interesting ideas in many different categories. But we’ll continue our effort to provide content that’s relevant and appealing.
AFRICAN-AMERICAN FILM CRITICS ANNOUNCE AWARDS: ‘Precious,’ Mo’Nique, Daniels, Freeman, ‘Princess and the Frog’ among the winners. The African-American Film Critics Association (AAFCA) has named “Precious” as the best picture of 2009, helmer Lee Daniels as its best director and Mo’Nique as best supporting actress. Mo’Nique received the AAFCA’s first ever unanimous vote in an acting category, the nationwide group of African-American media professionals announced Monday. Anthony Mackie earned best supporting actor recognition for his performance in “The Hurt Locker.” Morgan Freeman was selected as best actor for “Invictus,” while Nicole Beharie earned AAFCA recognition as best actress for “American Violet.” There was a tie for best screenplay: Ron Clements, Rob Edwards, John Musker for “The Princess & The Frog” and Geoffrey Fletcher for “Precious.” “In 2009, the film community produced a dazzling array of performances from African-American talent both in front of and behind the camera,” states Gil Robertson IV, AAFCA Co-Founder. “This year’s selections give a strong indication that the film community is becoming more committed to a wider range of stories that entertain and educate.” AAFCA bestows Special Achievement Award to Michael Jackson, whose seminal film “This Is It” captured a lifetime of exemplary creative expression. The organization’s Top Ten list of film honors includes “Up In The Air,” “The Hurt Locker” and “Good Hair.” “The films selected for 2009 reflect a fascinating combination of work that both entertains and addresses themes and issues of cultural importance,” remarks AAFCA President, Wilson Morales, editor of Blackfilm.com. At press time, AAFCA was to present this year’s honors Monday night at its first live event at the historic Ebony Repertory Theatre in Los Angeles.
The African-American Film Critics Association’s Top Ten Films of 2009 are as follows in order of distinction: Precious, The Princess and The Frog, Up In The Air, The Hurt Locker, This Is It, American Violet, Goodbye Solo, Medicine for Melancholy, Good Hair, Up
Also: Best Actor Morgan Freeman, “Invictus”, Best Actress Nicole Beharie, “American Violet”, Best Supporting Actress Mo’Nique, “Precious”, Best Supporting Actor Anthony Mackie, “The Hurt Locker”, Best Director Lee Daniels, “Precious” , Best Screenplay (tie) Geoffrey Fletcher, “Precious”, R. Clements, R. Edwards, J. Musker, “The Princess & The Frog” , Special Achievement Michael Jackson
WRITER OF JAY-Z’S ‘EMPIRE’ TRACK IN DISBELIEF: Brooklyn’s Angela Hunte, also of ’560 State Street’ describes song’s improbable journey. Singer/songwriter/producer Angela Hunte tells Billboard she is still in shock over the success of “Empire State of Mind,” the Jay-Z/Alicia Keys track she wrote and produced with writing partner Jane’t “Jnay” Swewll-Ulepic about her Brooklyn hometown. “I come from the same building where he [Jay-Z] lived, and we knew each other from Brooklyn, but we never worked together. Not in a million years did I think I’d make this hit for him,” says Hunte, who actually grew up at “560 State Street,” the street address Jay-Z mentions on the track. “I still have no words even for the World Series performance. You get your hopes up with artists but then things happen and the record doesn’t make it for whatever reason. But Jay loved the song, it made the album and it sounds crazy.” Hunte created the track with Sewell-Ulepic after the two shared their homesick feelings during an overseas trip in February. “My writing partner and I were in London, missing home. Her mother was ill at the time and I was sick that summer, and we were just down,” Hunte explains. “We said to ourselves, ‘we complain so much about New York — about the busy streets, about the crowds and the pushing, about the subway system — but I would trade that for anything right now.’ Before we left the hotel that night, we knew we would write a song about our city.” The pair decided to send the track to Roc Nation in March hoping that Jay-Z would like it and use it. But no one at the company was feeling it. Fast forward to the summer, when EMI’s Jon “Big Jon” Platt heard the track at a BBQ and fell in love with it, realizing “it would be perfect for Jay-Z,” says Hunte.
Hunte and Sewell-Ulepic were hesitant, though, being that they had sent the track for consideration already and were shut down. But when a Notorious B.I.G. figure she kept by the computer fell as they played the track for Platt — a statue that had never moved before regardless of how loud they’ve blasted music, according to Hunte — she realized it was an omen. “We all just looked at each other like, ‘if Biggie approves, then, send it to Jay,” she says. The next day, Platt sent it to Jay-Z and he “loved it and recorded it that night,” Hunte recalls. “We were just so happy he wanted to honor our work and our production. Two female producers/writers and for him as a rapper to take our song — that’s not a combination you see a lot. For him to be so open-minded about it, we just couldn’t be any more grateful and thankful.” Jay-Z ended up writing all new verses inspired from the original lyrics and leaving Hunte on the hook. But when Hunte and Sewell-Ulepic were asked if they thought someone else would be more appropriate for the chorus, Hunte suggested Alicia Keys. “She’s never done a record with him and she also has my same vocal tone. She made the song sound so close to the original. She just nailed it and brought it home. It was a great choice,” says Hunte, who studied her craft alongside mentor and producer Salaam Remi before signing a production deal with EMI in 2001. Although Hunte wouldn’t reveal many details, she says the original version of “Empire State of Mind” will one day be released . “The original is so powerful it’s only a matter of time till you hear it down the line,” she says. In the future she hopes to team up with the likes of Sting, Elton John, Miley Cyrus and Corinne Bailey Rae. After signing with EMI, Hunte went to Europe to write for the likes of Ms. Dynamite from the UK, Mis-teeq and British R&B singer Beverly Knight, among others. Her big break came when she penned the track “Do Somethin’” for Britney Spears, which appeared in her “Greatest Hits: My Prerogative” compilation, and was released as the second single off the set.
OBAMA ON GATECRASHERS: ‘Lapse won’t happen again.’ Just as “60 Minutes” correspondent Steve Kroft was ending his interview with Barack Obama on Sunday’s show, an off screen producer reminded him to ask about the president about Michaele and Tareq Salahi, the so-called “White House gatecrashers.” Their unauthorized entrance into the Obama administration’s first state dinner prompted a Congressional investigation and media frenzy. “It’s really a shame that I had to go through a whole ’60 Minutes’ interview without talking about the gate crashers,” the president quipped while laughing, The president said the Salahis “should not have gotten through the gate.” “A mistake was made at the checkpoint to let them through,” he said. “That mistake was not corrected through the process. I think the Secret Service has already taken responsibility for it. I think there’s been an acknowledgement on the part of the White House that there should’ve been better coordination between Secret Service and the Social Secretary’s office. And it won’t happen again.” Asked if he is unhappy with White House Social Secretary Desiree Rogers, the president said he is “unhappy with everybody who was involved in the process.” “…because obviously although I chafe at being in the bubble, I also want to make sure my family is safe,” he said. “And that foreign guests of ours are safe. And so, it was a screw up.” “Now I will admit that, you know, this is a town where once a screw up happens, people can’t just say, okay, that was a screw up and let’s fix it,” he said. “There has to be, you know two weeks worth of cable chatter about it.” “I don’t think that from a policy perspective, this was the most important thing or even the fifth or sixth most important thing that happened this week, although it got the most news,” added Mr. Obama. Kroft asked the president if he was “seriously angry” when he found out what happened. “Yes,” he said. “That’s why it won’t happen again.”
Today the girls got together for a brunch. Laughter and food where awesome, good to catch up with each other. As we where discussing different topics and current events. One of the ladies was complaining about her Director, a real ass hole from the world “go”. She is a Manager and has been with this company for many years in good standing. The problem is not only my girlfriend, but other members of her staff, and associates are in a bitter fight with HR to remove him. In the meantime as I’m sure you all have experience this at sometime in your life with a boss, you are stuck with the azz hole until further notice. “WHY”, because the “AH” has something (personal info) on a higher up then himself, so he is now galvanized to any lower degree shall we say problems (from the peons).
My girlfriend would love to quit and move on, but at age 55 that is not possible. I asked her why, she said look at me, they want them young, pretty, body in shape, and fresh tech skills. I may have experience but now it is about the money. They could bring in a young 20 something fresh out of college, bright ideas, wanting to make a name for thereselves, cheap labor, and there you have it. Financially she and her husband could not afford for her to quit, and take a chance she wouldn’t get hired right away somewhere else. So here lies the problem, how many employers are willing to hire after the age of 50?
At the present time in USA the most effected financially is from age 48 to 70. How or what is the solution to this rapdily raging problem. To stay in a stressful job only adds to your health issues, high blood pressure, diabetes, heart, and even cancer. Folks are working less hours, % cut in pay, furloughs, or layed off, what to do, what to do?
COSBY ARTISTS RESPOND TO RUSSELL SIMMONS: Hip-hop icon wrote open letter critical of the Coz. New York, NY — Two of the three artists featured on Bill Cosby’s new hip hop project, “State of Emergency” have issued statements in response to the open letter Russell Simmons published on his site in which he critiques Cosby and the CD project. Due out November 24th, “State of Emergency” incorporates the work of three rap artists, Supa Nova Slom, Jace the Great, and Hahz, who wrote and performed songs based on Cosby’s ideas as a means to bridge the generational gap and inspire social change. Supa Nova Slom, who in addition to being a hip-hop artist, has been a community activist for many years has spearheaded initiatives such as The Hip Hop Meditation Cyphers, The Unify the Hood, Heal the Hood organization, and “The Wholistic Wellness for the Hip Hop Generation” DVD project.
He had this to say in response to Russell’s commentary: “I hope that people do not get distracted and lost in the critiques of Cosby’s past comments but instead they are able to acknowledge what Cosby is doing RIGHT NOW! Cosby is taking a whole other route by investing in politically charged hip-hop that does not condemn but instead inspires and uplifts during a time when there is next to none of that happening in the music industry. People need to be inspired and empowered again to get involved just as we got involved during the Civil Rights and Black Power Movements. This CD hopefully will inspire not only conversations, but also actions, programs, and raised self-esteem.” Another artist on the project, Jace The Great, emphasized Cosby’s intergenerational approach and the need for solutions saying: “Cosby has actually moved beyond just addressing or blaming the youth. In our town hall he spoke openly to the elder generation about their involvement and accountability. Point blank the problem right now is there is a State of Emergency in our communities and we need to act fast. Cosby knowing the power and importance of hip-hop culture is using it as a means to reach more youth not to condemn them.”
Russell Simmons’ open letter critical of Bill Cosby (courtesy of GlobalGrind.com):
Bill Cosby, The Face Of Intolerance?
There are a lot of great entertainers who do great things. Bill Cosby is one of them. He has always used his voice to right what he thought was wrong. However, I believe that too often Mr. Cosby has wrongly placed the blame.
Bill Cosby is an example of someone from the older generation who has consistently blamed the poets and asked suffering community members to bare the full burden of guilt for the struggles that they endure. It is certainly not that he and the rest of the elders don’t care, because they do. In fact, their intentions are pure and good. All the things they say are actually true. What they don’t understand is that the young people who they criticize did not create their own realities. They did not create the crumbling education system that we school them in. They did not create the drug epidemic and drug wars that have resulted in a dysfunctional family structure. They did not create the health care crisis that does not treat them. They did not create the culture of violence that they fall victim to.
While it is true that each one of us can make a change at any moment, it is equally true that at every minute we are all doing the best we can. If you knew better, you would do better. Therefore, those who care and have resources could/should work to create the kind of support systems that could inspire change. From the preacher who lifts our consciousness and asks us to reach for strength to the politicians and philanthropists who put programs in place to support our growth. When the President brought the Cosby attitude to his NAACP speech a few months ago, I was disappointed. It is nice to tell black people to stand up, but isn’t that really Min. Farrakhan’s job? The President’s job is to tell them to walk to the program that he placed on their corner. It is our job to instill the inspiration that gets a young person to walk into the program and not stand on the corner.
We love Cosby and all the older types who judge and blame the poets or culture for the sadness that the poets point to from their realities. From a place of love, I am letting the older generation know that they must admit that young people are less racist, less sexist, less homophobic, less prejudice than their parents and far less than their grandparents. Mr. Cosby, you know that your generation is carrying a lot more dirt, you are all just smart enough to cover it up. Old people are quicker to destroy the planet, abuse the animals and promote wars and then act like young people are violent. Young people are more compassionate, giving, promote gay rights, animal rights, human rights, protect the environment and want to end the wars. When they point out the contradictions that come up and say it on a record and say it LOUD, you can’t believe it! The culture and the poetry is a mirror of the realities that they expressing. Instead of criticizing, let us recognize the faults of adults, because until that happens you all will continue to turn off young people from your message and further alienate them from your generation.
I love Bill Cosby. Who doesn’t? I love him so much that is why I am writing this blog. But this is not just about Mr. Cosby. I know that tomorrow there will be headlines that read “Russell Simmons attacks Bill Cosby.” But let’s be clear, this is a call-out to all the adults who are judging more and listening less to the beautiful, progressive voices that come from our young people…Bill Cosby just happens be on the front line. This is about two generations reconciling…I guess because of my age, you would say that I am stuck on the other side, but I will always recognize that young people can use support instead of judgment. We need to have the hard conversation and both sides need to listen – if you need an office to do it in, my door is always open.
with great love all things are possible
-Russell Simmons