Source: Courtesy Bleecker Street / Bleecker Street Have you seen the latest clip from the inspirational true story, Brian Banks? The drama stars Aldis Hodge, Greg Kinnear, Sherri Shepherd and Melanie Liburd. The inspirational true story of Brian Banks (Aldis Hodge), an All-American high school football star committed to USC who finds his life upended when he is wrongly convicted of a crime he didn’t commit. Despite lack of evidence, Banks is railroaded through a broken justice system and sentenced to a decade of prison and probation. Years later, with the support of Justin Brooks (Greg Kinnear) and the California Innocence Project, Banks fights to reclaim his life and fulfill his dreams of playing in the NFL. It was written by Doug Atchison and directed by Tom Shadyac. Bleecker Street will release the film in theaters on August 9th.
T he National Trust for Historic Preservation has been at the forefront of trying to protect landmarks across the country that are embedded in the fabric of Black history and are integral parts of American history as a whole. In observance of Black History Month, the nonprofit organization has launched a powerful campaign with the help of actors to spread awareness about the influence and importance of Black landmarks. The campaign—dubbed #TellTheFullHistory—features actors Phylicia Rashad , Tia Mowry-Hardrict , Aldis Hodge , and Marcus Scribner . In a video created for the campaign, each celebrity shares a personal story about an impactful experience that they’ve had or a personal connection to a historic landmark in an effort to illustrate how these places shaped our country. Hodge talks about the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated. The hotel was later transformed into the National Civil Rights Museum. Rashad highlights the Brainerd Institute which was a South Carolina-based educational institution for freed Africans during the Reconstruction era. Mowry-Hardrict talks about her grandmother’s journey to America and Scribner discusses the influence of the West Angeles Church in California. “This month and every month, we at the National Trust for Historic Preservation seek to tell the full history. By saving African American places, we not only celebrate the tremendous impact that African Americans have made to the life of our nation, we transmit that impact to the present and into the future,” said Brent Leggs , Executive Director, African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund. “Having the voices of Phylicia Rashad, Tia Mowry-Hardrict and others join with us to advocate for preserving sites of Black history is powerful and a privilege. We all have places that tell our story and we hope by weaving together our narratives we can tell a fuller, truer, American story. We challenge you to tell us about a place that to matters to you.” The organization created a year-long campaign to preserve several places and has distributed $1.1 million in grants to different historic sites. Amongst the sites that received funding from the organization was Madam C.J. Walker ’s estate and the home where songstress Nina Simone grew up. The grants were also used to expose youth to careers in preservation. Check out the #TellTheFullHistory video below. SEE ALSO: Nina Simone To Be Honored By The National Trust for Historic Preservation National Park Service Grants HBCUs $8.6M To Conserve Historic Sites [ione_media_gallery src=”https://newsone.com” id=”3845955″ overlay=”true”]
GREEN BOOK Special Screening with Mahershala Ali Source: Presley Ann Photo / Presley Ann Photo On Saturday, November 17th guests enjoyed a special screening for the upcoming film, GREEN BOOK, with Mahershala Ali at Clive Davis Theater Grammy Museum LA Live. In addition, NABJLA President, Tre’vell Anderson, conducted a Q&A with Mahershala Ali and the film music composer Kris Bowers, followed by a reception with sounds by DJ D-Nice. Guests included Amanda Seales (Insecure), Aldis Hodge (Hidden Figures), Lex Scott Davis (Superfly, The First Purge), AJ Johnson (Life Coach/Celebrity Trainer) and many more! The film follows a working-class Italian-American bouncer who becomes the drivers of an African-American classical pianist on a tour of venues through the 1960s American South. Be sure to check it out in theaters on November 21st! For more looks from the LA screening, hit the flip!
FayesVision/WENN WELP… Oprah Says OWN Can’t Afford To Pick Up “Underground” Another day, another setback. Fans of “Underground” woke up to some bad news this morning courtesy of Oprah who was recently asked about the WGN canceled series. As previously reported the show starring Jurnee Smollet and Aldis Hodge about the Underground Railroad was unceremoniously canceled after the network decided to “go in a different direction.” Now a #SaveUnderground hashtag has taken off on social media from fans desperate to see the show brought back to TV. According to Oprah, however, while she’d like to see it return, it will NOT be on her OWN network. Patricia Schlein/WENN Oprah recently talked with reporter Soraya McDonald of TheUndefeated and candidly told her that the show’s just too expensive. “I can’t afford Underground,” said Oprah. “It’s like $5 million an episode—can’t afford it. It’s not cheap.” Full text of Oprah’s answer about not picking up #UndergroundWGN : pic.twitter.com/bfs5aj0pUR — Soraya N. McDonald (@SorayaMcDonald) June 6, 2017 This comes after BET also passed on picking it up because they “couldn’t work out a deal.” “I was… I am very interested… we had conversations before it was announced that WGN was canceling it… We couldn’t work out a deal…,” said Debra Lee, Chairman & CEO of BET Networks according to EBONY . Fans are still hopeful that the show could up on Netflix. FayesVision/WENN Do YOU think “Underground” will find a new home???
Introducing the new Reebok Pump Supreme Jacquard Tape, the last unisex iteration of the Reebok Pump Supreme, where contemporary running meets high-end style. Originally introduced in partnership with Vetements, the silhouette is quickly gaining attention in fashion circles for its clean look and innovative style that features a forward-thinking slip-on upper and iconic Reebok Pump […]
Underground returns tonight with some new characters and a new mission. I sat down with the entire cast, Jurnee Smollett, Aldis Hodge, Alano Miller, Jessica de Gouw, Amirah Vann, Aisha Hinds and the creators, Misha Green and Joe Pokaski. The first season was nominated for four NAACP Image Awards, including Outstanding Drama Series and Outstanding […]
