By Danita Peoples for Minnesota Spokesman Recorder The Oscar slap that overshadowed the Academy Awards ceremony was sparked by a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith’s lack of hair—with husband Will Smith objecting violently to comedian Chris Rock mocking the actress’s shaved head. Away from the recriminations over what could be perceived as a mean-spirited jibe […]
Category: ENTERTAINMENT
Posted inARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Will Smith resigns from film academy over Chris Rock slap
By LYNN ELBER, AP Entertainment Writer LOS ANGELES (AP) — Will Smith resigned Friday from the motion picture academy following his Oscars night slap of Chris Rock and said he would accept any further punishment the organization imposed. Smith in a statement released Friday afternoon said he will “fully accept any and all consequences for my conduct. […]
Posted inARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Will Smith confronts Chris Rock, then wins best actor Oscar
By JONATHAN LANDRUM Jr. and TIM REYNOLDS, Associated Press LOS ANGELES (AP) — When Will Smith marched onto the Oscars stage and smacked Chris Rock, the unpredictable moment served as a jarring interruption to Hollywood’s feel-good celebration. But once Smith returned moments later to accept his first-ever Academy Award, he delivered a tearful apology for an […]
Posted inArts & Culture, ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT, ENTERTAINMENT, TV and Film
Cheaper by the Dozen review
by Dwight Brown, NNPA Film Critic It’s kinda like a movie. Kinda like a sitcom. Not really either. But its sweet emotions and modern sensibilities eventually make it endearing. It looks like the goal of the relaunch of Cheaper by the Dozen, a classic 1950 and 2003 white bread Disney family comedy, was to make […]
Posted inARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Michael Jackson musical to launch a national tour in 2023
By Mark Kennedy, AP Entertainment Writer The new, splashy Broadway musical about Michael Jackson is going to “moonwalk” across America next year. “MJ,” packed with dozens of songs by the King of Pop and others, plans to hit 17 major cities over two years starting in 2023. It kicks off in Chicago on July 15, […]
Posted inTV and Film
Review: America’s racist past haunts horror film ‘Master’
By Jocelyn Noveck, AP National Writer You want ghosts? Check. How about doors inexplicably opening and closing, creepy moaning in dark corners, and sudden sickening swarms of maggots? Check, check and check. But “Master,” a new horror film by Mariama Diallo with themes of race and social justice at its core, is most frightening when […]
Posted inARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
AFRO Exclusive: David and Tamela Mann get real about artistry, new Assisted Living season
By Micha Green, AFRO D.C. and Digital Editor, mgreen@afro.com While they play alleged father and daughter on the show, David and Tamela Mann have been married 34 years and continue to create magic together in film, television and stage as the dynamic duo Mr. Brown and Cora, most recently highlighted in the third season of […]
Posted inARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Tyler Perry set to deliver Emory commencement address
The Associated Press Tyler Perry is set to give the keynote address at Emory University’s commencement ceremony. During the May 9 ceremony on the Emory Quadrangle, the actor and director is also set to receive an honorary doctor of letters degree. Born and raised in New Orleans, Perry founded Tyler Perry studios in Atlanta in […]
Posted inARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Destiny’s Child Kelly Rowland kicks off Disney’s Dreamers Academy 2022
By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent (NNPA Newswire) – Grammy-winning superstar Kelly Rowland said she knows the importance of dreaming big. The Atlanta-born co-founder of the pop supergroup Destiny’s Child told NNPA Newswire that she was and remained inspired by other Black women. “Whitney Houston made me realize I can achieve my […]
Posted inBaltimore News
Pamela Rene Leak keeps the laughs coming as ‘Ms. Maybelle’
By Nicole D. Batey, Special to the AFRO Pamela Rene Leak is one of Baltimore’s best entertainers and unsung heroes. She is known for her comedic personality, “Ms. Maybelle”, a hip, older wise-cracking auntie. Leak, as Ms. Maybelle, is a regular on the Larry Young Morning Show on Radio One’s WOLB Talk 1010 AM and […]
Posted inBUSINESS
From fashion designer to software developer: Milan Ball’s serendipitous professional journey
By Megan Sayles, AFRO Business Writer, Report for America Corps Member. msayles@afro.com Milan Ball, 24, doesn’t consider herself your typical software developer. First, she’s a woman. Second, she’s African-American. She also does not have a degree in computer science- that’s strike three. Instead, Ball received her degree from the Fashion Institute of Technology in New […]
Posted inBooks
New book explores “Double Consciousness” in Black celebrities
By Nadine Matthews, Special to the AFRO In 1903 W.E.B. DuBois’ seminal work, The Souls of Black Folk, introduces the term “double consciousness” to explain a feeling of embodying multiple social identities. For more than a century the term has been mulled over by thought leaders, authors and social activists. Even today, the questions and […]
