By Helen Bezuneh, Special to the AFRO In the Jeffrey S. Evans and Associates auction house in Crawford, Va., the entire room sat on the edge of their seats as Dr. Frances Toni Draper, AFRO CEO and publisher, and Andre Draper, AFRO director of operations, placed their bids on behalf of Afro Charities during a […]
Category: ENTERTAINMENT
Posted inNational News
Tuskegee Airmen Museum and Center for Aviation Technology Training prepares Black youth for careers in aviation
By Megan Sayles, AFRO Business Writer, msayles@afro.com In 1941, the Tuskegee Airmen became the first all-Black flying crew in the U.S. military during World War II. Also known as the Red Tails, the 992 fighter pilots executed more than 1,500 missions, and 15,500 forays, defeating 261 enemy aircrafts and winning more than 850 medals. Despite […]
Posted in!Front Page Sports
Celebrity Charity PoloXJazz returns to Maryland with an all-Black team
By Megan SaylesAFRO Business Writermsayles@afro.com The seventh annual Celebrity Charity PoloXJazz returns to the Congressional Polo Club in Poolesville, Md. on Sep. 23. This year’s event will be hosted by Judge Greg Mathis, who’s known for his Emmy-winning courtroom reality show. It will benefit the Black Mental Health Alliance (BMHA) and Latinas Leading Tomorrow (LLT). […]
Posted inAfro Briefs
Savannah city government to give $500,000 toward restoration of African American art museum
By The Associated Press SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) — The city of Savannah will contribute $500,000 to renovate a house that once hosted an African American art museum. The Savannah City Council voted Sept. 14 to give the money toward what’s projected to be a $1.2 million restoration of the Kiah House, WTOC-TV reports. The house, […]
Posted inENTERTAINMENT
Money makers: how hip-hop is financing a new generation of content creators
By Aria Brent, AFRO Staff Writer, abrent@afro.com The hip-hop genre and artists alike are celebrating 50 years of influence and impact in 2023. Rappers have undoubtedly shaped culture and helped to shape the perspective on the power of the Black dollar. In 2022 hip-hop generated $15.9 billion off of music streams and purchases alone, according […]
Posted inArts & Culture
PRESS ROOM: The Lewis Museum welcomes philanthropist Danny Simmons as he blends poetry, art and jazz to honor Derrick Adams in WordSmith series during Artscape weekend
BALTIMORE, Md. – The Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History and Culture (The Lewis Museum) – a Smithsonian Affiliate – today announced Danny Simmons – the prolific artist, poet, and philanthropist who co-created the hit HBO series Def Poetry Jam – will bring his critically acclaimed WordSmith series to Baltimore on Friday, […]
Posted inBaltimore News
Baltimore Artscape festival announces change in headliner
By Aria Brent, AFRO Staff Writer, abrent@afro.com The Baltimore Office of Promotion & The Arts announced that Grammy Award-winning artist Anderson.Paak will be headlining the main stage on Sept. 22 at this year’s Artscape Festival. When the list of headliners for the three-day weekend event was first announced in August, singer and songwriter Kelly Rowland […]
Posted inAfro Briefs
Black people, estate planning and wills: the push to financially plan for life after death
By the Houston Defender When legendary hip hop artist DMX — born Earl Simmons — died last year from a massive heart attack, a fight began over his extensive rap catalog. Despite selling more than 74 million albums and enjoying a wildly successful career in both music and movies, DMX died without a will. So […]
Posted inBaltimore News
Baltimore native Bishme Cromartie premiers at New York Fashion Week after Project Runway win
By Catherine Pugh, Special to the AFRO Bishme Cromartie, winner of season 20 Project Runway- All Stars debuted his winning collection on Sept. 12 at the main stage of the coveted New York Fashion Week. The title of his winning collection is “Powering Through,” which is a testament to his strength of overcoming adversity and […]
Posted inWashington D.C. News
Washingtonian George Curtis seeks success in ‘Face of Horror’ contest
By Ashleigh Fields, AFRO Assistant Editor, afields@afro.com As the Halloween holiday approaches, D.C. native Curtis George is stepping out of his shell into a shocking and suspenseful season as he vies to become the next “Face of Horror.” The multifaceted creative has passionately blazed a trail for himself as an accomplished actor and film aficionado. […]
Posted in!Front Page Arts and Entertainment
Cord Jefferson’s insightful satire of race and media, ‘American Fiction,’ lights up TIFF
By Jake CoyleAP Film Writer TORONTO (AP) — Fifty pages into Percival Everett’s “Erasure” Cord Jefferson knew he wanted to adapt it into a movie script. Halfway through, he began to see Jeffrey Wright playing the book’s academic protagonist, Thelonious “Monk” Ellison. By the time he was finished, he knew he wanted to direct it, […]
Posted inTV and Film
Black director Nia DaCosta makes her mark on Marvel history with ‘The Marvels’: Fall movie preview
By Jake Coyle, AP Film Writer NEW YORK (AP) — Nia DaCosta, director of the upcoming “The Marvels,” has a diagnosis for the recent struggles of superhero movies. It basically comes down to, she says, “Mo’ money, mo’ problems.” Success inevitably breeds bigger budgets. Box-office expectations get inflated. Even superhero spandex can’t sustain endless cycles […]