By Ralph E. Moore, Jr., Special to the AFRO The Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall in the Mount Vernon neighborhood of Baltimore celebrated its 40th birthday on Sept. 17. A packed house greeted the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, as they celebrated the space that has helped shape the city and warm the hearts of its citizens. The […]
Category: ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Posted inArts & Culture
The ‘Woman King’ makes revolutionary debut
By Stephane Dunn, Ph.D., and Beverly Guy-Sheftal Ph.D., Chicago Defender Back in a 1974 review of the Bond-like Cleopatra Jones movie starring Tamara Dobson, Feminist and former Ms. Magazine editor Margaret Sloan spoke volumes about Black female spectatorial desire. Damn, that felt good she wrote. After viewing The Woman King, we know exactly what she […]
Posted inBaltimore News
New festival, Charm City Live, debuts in Baltimore
By Nicole D. Batey, Special to the AFRO Mayor Brandon M. Scott and and Baltimore City Recreation and Parks (BCRP) are hosting Charm City Live, a one-day fall celebration, highlighting some of the city’s best in food and eclectic culture, on the lawn of War Memorial Plaza on Sept. 24 from 12 p.m. to 8 […]
Posted inBUSINESS
Reginald F. Lewis Foundation hosts essay-writing contest for Baltimore City Public School students
By Megan Sayles, AFRO Business Writer, Report for America Corps Member, msayles@afro.com The Reginald F. Lewis Foundation is currently calling for submissions to its student writing contest. Baltimore City Public School (City School) students are encouraged to read or listen to “Why Should White Guys Have All the Fun?” by Reginald F. Lewis and Blair […]
Posted inMusic
Rapper PnB Rock fatally shot in Los Angeles restaurant
By The Associated Press Philadelphia rapper PnB Rock was fatally shot during a robbery in South Los Angeles, according to police and his representatives. The rapper, whose real name is Rakim Allen, was eating inside a Roscoe’s Chicken and Waffles restaurant with his girlfriend on the afternoon of Sept. 12 when a suspect approached their […]
Posted inTV and Film
Fall Preview: ‘The Woman King’ comes for the throne
By JAKE COYLE, AP Film Writer Gina Prince-Bythewood didn’t get very far into reading the script for “The Woman King,” a historical epic about a real West African army of female warriors, before she knew she wanted to direct it. “Literally five pages into it I knew it was going to be my next film,” […]
Posted inMedia
Father and son team up for mental health podcast, ‘Black men vent too’
By Reginald Williams, Special to the AFRO rwilliams@afro.com Kelly Edwards stands about six-foot-one. He weighs north of 300 pounds and for many, Edward’s physical presence comes off as a little intimidating. Though in a workshop filled with behavioral health specialists, his voice didn’t align with his girth, or so, the facilitator thought. The facilitator said, […]
Posted inENTERTAINMENT
David A. Arnold, comedian of Netflix specials, dies at 54
By The Associated Press LOS ANGELES (AP) — David A. Arnold, a comedian who was a producer of the “Fuller House” reboot and the creator and showrunner of Nickelodeon’s “That Girl Lay Lay,” has died. He was 54. Arnold’s family said in a statement Thursday that the doctors “ruled the cause of death due to […]
Posted inMedia
Bernard Shaw, CNN’s 1st chief anchor, dies at 82
By DAVID BAUDER, AP Media Writer NEW YORK (AP) — Bernard Shaw, former CNN anchor and a pioneering Black journalist remembered for his blunt question at a presidential debate and calmly reporting the beginning of the Gulf War in 1991 from Baghdad as it was under attack, has died. He was 82. He died of […]
Posted inTV and Film
Barack Obama wins Emmy for narrating national parks series
By The Associated Press Barack Obama is halfway to an EGOT. The former president won an Emmy Award on Sept. 3 to go with his two Grammys. Obama won the best narrator Emmy for his work on the Netflix documentary series, “Our Great National Parks.” The five-part show, which features national parks from around the […]
Posted inBUSINESS
The Connect Masterclass lets aspiring actors and models meet and learn from entertainment industry pros
By Megan Sayles, AFRO Business Writer, Report for America Corps Member, msayles@afro.com D.C. native Cashaéy Serenity has worked in fashion, modeling and acting for over a decade, and now she’s employing her expertise and industry contacts to host The Connect Masterclass for aspiring models and actors to network and learn from entertainment professionals. The event, […]
Posted inTV and Film
Idris delivers action-packed performance in new thriller film, ‘Beast’
By Dwight Brown, NNPA News Wire If the job of an actor is to scare the daylights out of you, “Beast” –which hit the theaters on Aug. 19– gets the job done. The success of this film’s eye-catching, ear-grabbing hocus pocus can be traced back to smart direction, near seamless visual and sound effects, tight […]