Source: Sean Thomas Allen / UptownShot Nicki Minaj isn’t the only musically talented person in her family, her mother is stepping onto the music scene with the upbeat pop soul track What Makes You . Maraj’s gospel roots and earlier collaboration with her superstar daughter on her play It Is Well With My Soul prepared her for a foray into music. The 60-year-old matriarch carefully considered her first single and wasn’t immediately comfortable with “I was uncomfortable with the song; I gave it considerable thought,” she says in a press release. “Although there was a genre difference, this song is about love and God is love.” Minaj might have been busy with her personal life and career, but she stopped to give her mother’s inspirational new jam her co-sign. “My daughter, being extremely busy with her personal life was not very involved in the process,” she revealed. “She thought it was a nice song.” A percentage of the record sales for What Makes You will go to her charity CMF Carol Maraj Foundation that benefits the advocacy and aid of victims of domestic violence. “My new music will certainly touch on personal issues of Domestic Violence,” Maraj said. “That’s where I’m most passionate.” Listen to What Makes You , below:
T he National Association of Black Journalists is on a mission to combat the negative portrayals of Black men in the media. For the third consecutive year, the organization will host its “Black Male Media Project” as an avenue to empower and inspire Black men to reclaim their narratives. The organization has been dedicated to the advocacy of Black journalists worldwide. The Black Male Media Project was created as a safe space to foster discussions surrounding everything from the need for more diversity and inclusion in newsrooms to the improvement of positive Black male representation. One of the panels, dubbed #MoreThanMugshots, will take a deep dive into how Black men are portrayed in news coverage. The event is also utilized to align Black men with mentoring and networking opportunities. As part of the global event—which is slated to take place on June 1—nearly 20 NABJ chapters within the U.S. and other parts of the world will host workshops, panels, forums. There will be events hosted in Atlanta, Baton Rouge, Birmingham, Charlotte, Cincinnati, Dallas, Detroit, Houston, Philadelphia and other major cities. The organization hopes that the movement transcends beyond the physical safe spaces that they’ve created as part of the event and encourages individuals to connect and spread awareness about the efforts digitally through the use of the hashtag #InspireBlackMen on social media. “The overarching goal of BMMP is to counteract negative images of Black men often portrayed in the media,” said NABJ President Sarah Glover said in a statement. “We encourage all newsrooms across the country to make this a priority because how Black men are portrayed in the news can have a direct impact on issues such as racial profiling, discriminatory hiring practices, violence and more. Black men are intellectuals, professionals, innovators, spiritual leaders, activists, fathers, brothers and sons just like any other man and should be treated and portrayed that way.” Forums like the Black Male Media Project are needed. According to a study conducted by the Rutgers School of Public Health, there is a direct correlation between the media’s negative portrayal of Black men and how they are treated by the police. SEE ALSO: Ida B. Wells Society Empowers The Next Generation Of Black Investigative Journalists First Black Woman Journalist To Cover The White House To Be Honored By The Newseum [ione_media_gallery src=”https://newsone.com” id=”3440564″ overlay=”true”]
A ctress Regina Hall is having an epic year. Fresh off of the success of her film Little , Hall recently received an honorary degree from Dillard University for her contributions to the entertainment industry, Essence reported. “Just call me Dr. Hall from now on.” Congrats, Regina. https://t.co/dyngdMcxQS — ESSENCE (@Essence) May 15, 2019 The Washington, D.C. native delivered the keynote address during the commencement ceremony that took place at the historically Black university on May 11. The institution chose to honor Hall not only for the accomplishments that she has made throughout her 20-year acting career but for her advocacy work as well. She does volunteer work to support senior citizens and has utilized her platform to spread awareness about scleroderma; a rare skin disease. Hall stood before a crowd of promising graduates and their loved ones and provided them with words of encouragement and inspiration. “As you go out into the world to pursue your passion, I want to make sure that you also diligently pursue your compassion. It is so important to remember in this world we are servants. No matter what we do, no matter what our vocation, no matter what our employment is we are here to serve one another,” she said during her speech. “We serve our friends. We serve our family. We serve ourselves. We serve our planet. Your worth is in who you are. It is the soul and the essence of who you are.” She joins a list of influential entertainers who have graced the stage during Dillard’s past commencement ceremonies; including Chance the Rapper and Janelle Monae . She took to Instagram to share her excitement about receiving the degree with her fans. View this post on Instagram Congratulations to the graduating class of 2019 @dillarduniversity! It was an honor to be there with all of you on this special day. Thank you to all the faculty and staff for treating me so kindly and presenting me with my Honorary Doctorate. Just call me Dr.Hall from now on . A post shared by Regina Hall (@morereginahall) on May 14, 2019 at 11:42pm PDT Hall currently stars on the Showtime series Black Monday alongside actor Don Cheadle . She also is apart of the cast of the film Shaft which is slated to come out this summer. SEE ALSO: Robert F. Smith, Angela Bassett To Receive Honorary Degrees From Morehouse #BossMoves: 14-Year-Old Marsai Martin To Become Youngest Hollywood Executive Producer In History [ione_media_gallery src=”https://newsone.com” id=”3851904″ overlay=”true”]
Source: Splash News / Splash News Prince Harry Announces The Docu-Series On Instagram Prince Harry is finally bringing his advocacy for mental health to T.V. thanks to a partnership with media queen Oprah Winfrey. According to a Wednesday post Harry made on Instagram , he will co-create and produce a series on mental health with Oprah, and it’s set to be on the AppleTV+ service. “I truly believe that good mental health — mental fitness — is the key to powerful leadership, productive communities and a purpose-driven self,” the Duke of Sussex wrote. “It is a huge responsibility to get this right as we bring you the facts, the science and the awareness of a subject that is so relevant during these times. I am incredibly proud to be working alongside Oprah on this vital series.” The multi-part documentary series will cover both mental illness and mental wellness, “inspiring viewers to have an honest conversation about the challenges each of us faces, and how to equip ourselves with the tools to not simply survive, but to thrive.” View this post on Instagram We are excited to announce that The Duke of Sussex and Oprah Winfrey are partners, co-creators and executive producers on their forthcoming mental health series launching on Apple in 2020. The pair have been developing the series for several months and are looking forward to sharing such an important project on this global platform. The dynamic multi-part documentary series will focus on both mental illness and mental wellness, inspiring viewers to have an honest conversation about the challenges each of us faces, and how to equip ourselves with the tools to not simply survive, but to thrive. This commitment builds on The Duke of Sussex’s long-standing work on issues and initiatives regarding mental health, where he has candidly shared personal experience and advocated for those who silently suffer, empowering them to get the help and support they deserve. His Royal Highness has spent many years working with communities throughout the UK and young people across the Commonwealth to break the stigma surrounding mental illness and broaden the conversation of mental wellness to accelerate change for a more compassionate, connected and positive society. Quote from HRH: “I truly believe that good mental health – mental fitness – is the key to powerful leadership, productive communities and a purpose-driven self. It is a huge responsibility to get this right as we bring you the facts, the science and the awareness of a subject that is so relevant during these times. Our hope is that this series will be positive, enlightening and inclusive – sharing global stories of unparalleled human spirit fighting back from the darkest places, and the opportunity for us to understand ourselves and those around us better. I am incredibly proud to be working alongside Oprah on this vital series.” A post shared by The Duke and Duchess of Sussex (@sussexroyal) on Apr 10, 2019 at 2:58am PDT For years, the Duke has been trying to break the stigma surrounding mental health. In a 2017 podcast interview with The Telegraph , Harry talked about his own struggles with mental health, especially after his mom Princess Diana passed when he was just 12 years old: “My way of dealing with it was refusing to ever think about my mum because why would that help? It’s only going to make you sad. It’s not going to bring her back. It was 20 years of not thinking about it and then two years of total chaos.” Harry has since led campaigns to bring more awareness to mental and emotional needs. His series with Oprah has yet to be named, but it’s set to air in 2020.
Maci Bookout sure has had her hands full lately. She runs a clothing business with husband Taylor McKinney, and of course that’s on top of filming for Teen Mom OG. Recently she’s been doing a lot of work to raise awareness for PCOS — polycystic ovarian syndrome, which she suffers from — including traveling to Washington D.C. earlier this month for PCOS Advocacy Day. There’s also the issue of trying to co-parent with Ryan Edwards, which can’t be easy considering the fact that he’s currently in jail . We know she doesn’t get along too well with his wife, Mackenzie Standifer , either. Oh, and she has three kids. There’s Bentley, the ten-year-old she shares with Ryan, and she and Taylor have two toddlers, Jayde and Maverick. So it probably goes without saying that her life is pretty busy, right? Why not throw another kid into the mix?! Yep, it’s that time again … Time for a new round of pregnancy rumors! There’s something about Maci that makes her such a popular subject for these rumors, have you noticed? Maybe it’s the fact that being pregnant is what got her famous in the first place, or maybe it’s that she had her last two children so close together. Or it could be that she’s one of the more stable, likable members of the Teen Mom cast, so a pregnancy announcement would be exciting instead of terrifying. ( Looking at you, Jenelle .) Whatever it is, it’s happening again, and it’s all because of this image: That’s a shot from an Instagram story she posted a few days ago, when she and Taylor were doing a photo shoot for their clothing line. As you can see, there’s a little bit of roundness to her belly here, and that’s all it took for fans to start speculating. But the thing is, a lot of things could be causing that. One, she could be pregnant, that is a possibility. Two, she could have had a big lunch. Maci is a very small person, she’s short and she’s always been super thin, so anything like that would be way more noticeable on her than it would be on lots of other people. Three, she does have PCOS, as we said, and that can cause both weight gain and bloating. There are just so many things that could explain this, we can’t assume her uterus is the culprit here, you know? And according to a new report from Hollywood Life, one of those other things is definitely the cause. As a source claims , Maci “is laughing off the pregnancy rumors, she is not pregnant and finds it interesting how much everyone cares about any changes in her body.” But that’s not to say that another child isn’t in her future. “She and Taylor have talked about having more children,” the source says. “After some of the challenges they have had, it would be a delightful surprise to be carrying again.” However, “because of [Maci’s] challenges and history, she would wait until she was far long before making any announcements.” Another source popped in to say that those challenges include Maci’s PCOS, which affects fertility, and that that’s what causes her bloating. “Bloating and abdominal distension are common side effects to PCOS, which could partly be the explanation for why she sometimes looks a few months pregnant,” this insider explains. “While Maci has a great attitude about life and the speculation from fans about her being pregnant again, she does also recognize it is a little insensitive to her condition, which she has also shared with fans.” It is a tough kind of gossip here — we don’t want to be disrespectful to Maci and her condition, but also Teen Mom pregnancy rumors are always going to get a lot of attention. We’re glad she has a good attitude though, and we hope she’s not having too difficult a time with her symptoms. And if or when she does get pregnant again, we’ll be ready to celebrate! View Slideshow: Teen Mom & Teen Mom 2: The Complete Babies and Children Guide!
Honey & Vinyl Band at BRAG Gala (Antoine DeBrill Photography) Annual Black Retail Action Group Gala Raises Money For Students Interested In Careers As Retail Execs The spotlight was on retail execs who are using their power in the industry to be a force for good for the next generation. “America’s Next Top Model’s” Miss J. Alexander hosted the 48th annual BRAG – or Black Retail Action Group – gala Oct. 19 at the Edison Ballroom in NYC, which recognized honorees who were making a difference in the lives of young people. Honoree, Kevin Harter, BRAG Co-President Nicole Cockley – Dunlap, Miss J. Alexander, Honoree Elizabeth Marcuse, BRAG Co-President Shawn Outler and Dennis Williams of HBO. (Terrance Jennings Photography) Honorees included Kevin Harter Bloomingdale’s vice president of integrated marketing, LIM College president Elizabeth Marcuse and Balmain’s US managing director Shawn Pean. Officials from the advocacy group also gave out more than a dozen scholarships at the black-tie gala, where guests enjoyed a four-course dinner and silent auction. Miss J. Alexander (Terrance Jennings Photography) Founded in 1970, nonprofit BRAG works to provide scholarships, internships and job opportunities for students of color who are interested in careers as executives in fashion and retail.
Sex Advocacy Group Wants Bill Cosby’s Presidential Medal Of Freedom Revoked Bill Cosby is over as we once knew him. He shall hereby be referred to as “the artist formerly known as”… Via Vulture A day after impassioned signees encouraged Disney World to remove its Bill Cosby bust, another petition began calling for more Cosby hardware. Promoting Awareness | Victim Empowerment (a.k.a. PAVE), a sexual-violence awareness nonprofit, is pressuring the Obama administration to revoke Cosby’s Presidential Medal of Freedom. “The Presidential Medal of Freedom is the highest honor to any American civilian, and Bill Cosby’s name does not belong on it,” PAVE founder Angela Rose told Time. The medal is “presented to individuals who have made especially meritorious contributions to the security or national interests of the United States, to world peace, or to cultural or other significant public or private endeavors,” according to the White House. Then-president George W. Bush gave the embattled comedian the honor in 2002. The petition comes on the heels of Cosby’s recent unsealed admission to having sex with drugged women. “We cannot yet give his accusers their day in court, but we can fight back in the court of public opinion,” the petition writers urge. Although the revocation would be unprecedented (and potentially impossible, according to White House spokesperson Josh Earnest), PAVE is seeking to gather at least 100,000 signatures by August 7. At time of publication, the petition had racked up a little more than 1.3 percent of its goal. Can’t even be mad, Presidential Medal Of Freedom is a pretty lofty award for an “alleged” rapist and an admitted lady-drugger. Image via AP
Andy Williams, a long-time singer and television host, lost his battle with bladder cancer last night. He was 84 years old. Andy Williams Performance The artist – known for such hits as “Moon River” and the host of The Andy Williams Show from 1962-1971 – passed away at his residence in Branson, Missouri. A multiple-time Platinum-selling musician, Williams is survived by his wife Debbie and his three children, Robert, Noelle, and Christian. Williams also hosted the Grammy Awards from 1971-1977. In lieu of flowers, the family has asked fans to donate to the Bladder Cancer Advocacy Network.
We shouldn’t even be surprised… This guy is a habitual swirler! Charlize “ Cobwebs On That Kitty ” Theron is can’t stop gushing about how large and in charger her co-star Michael Fassbender is! According to E!News reports : Charlize Theron may be in baby bliss, but at last night’s Human Rights Campaign gala, the gorgeous actress had one thing on her mind—Michael Fassbender’s man-parts! While accepting her Ally for Equality Award from Fassbender, Theron couldn’t help but gush over her Prometheus costar’s very impressive manhood… Referencing Fassbender’s full-frontal work in Shame, Theron quipped, “I have to say that I was truly impressed that you chose to play it big. Most other actors would have gone small, trust me. No, I know because I’ve worked with them.” The Oscar-winner didn’t stop there. “Your peen was a revelation,” she said to the howling audience. “I’m available to work with it any time.” On a far more serious note, Theron was honored during the gala for her advocacy work with the LGBT community. “Marriage equality is about more than just marriage,” she said in her acceptance speech. “It’s about something greater. It’s about acceptance…I will always be your cheerleader and I will always be your friend. As for her newly adopted son Jackson, the 36-year-old gushed to E!, “He’s doing great. Its very hard for me to leave the house now so you know how important this is because I was like standing at the door going, ‘Ah, this is so hard!’” Hit the flip for photos of Fassbender with ex swirly boo Zoe Kravitz and new swirly boo Nicole Beharie.
Tracks from ‘The Help,’ ‘The Muppets’ also make list of 39 contenders. By Jocelyn Vena Lady Gaga Photo: Stephen Lovekin/ Getty Images The Oscar nominations don’t officially drop until January 24, but the short list for the Best Original Song has been released. On Monday, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced the 39 songs vying for the big prize at the Academy Awards next year. Two of Elton John’s “Gnomeo & Juliet” tracks — including his Lady Gaga duet, “Hello Hello” — made the list, along with multiple tracks from “The Muppets.” will.i.am ‘s “Rio” track, “Hot Wings,” Mary J. Blige’s “The Living Proof” from “The Help,” and Zooey Deschanel’s “Winnie the Pooh” track, “So Long,” are all in the running. More alternative fare like songs from “Machine Gun Preacher” (Chris Cornell, “The Keeper”), “We Bought a Zoo” (Sigur R
