Tag Archives: black stories

Exclusive: MLK’s Nearest & Dearest Talk Life With Civil Rights Icon Ahead Of New HBO Documentary Premiere

Posted on March 28, 2018 by Benny Hollywood

NEW YORK, NY – MARCH 26: Civil Rights activist Xernona Clayton attends screening of HBO’s “King in the Wilderness” on March 26, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Slaven Vlasic/Getty Images) “King In The Wilderness” Premiers April 2 On HBO The woman who drove the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to the airport for his last march in Memphis and helped plan his last birthday celebration spoke about life with the civil rights icon. Xernona Clayton was the confidant of both Dr. King and wife Coretta Scott King, and worked within the civil rights movement for years. She said contrary to his serious image, Dr. King was a jokester behind the scenes. “He was the funniest man alive,” Clayton told BOSSIP ahead of the premiere of “King In The Wilderness,” where 19 of King’s close friends talk about his triumphs and struggles during the last three years of his life. “When you saw him, he was on stage, in the church, making serious speeches about serious issues. But he loved nothing better than to gather his friends and he was such a good storyteller…And he loved to laugh, so we enjoyed being around him.” NEW YORK, NY – MARCH 26: (L-R) Author/executive producer Trey Ellis, producer George Kunhardt, panel moderator/journalist Charles Blow, producer Teddy Kunhardt, Civil Rights activist Xernona Clayton, author/executive producer Taylor Branch, SVP HBO Documentary Films Jackie Glover and director Peter Kunhardt attend screening of HBO’s “King in the Wilderness” on March 26, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Slaven Vlasic/Getty Images) Clayton added: “I told him once, when you solve all the problems in the world, you won’t have to worry about a job, because you can be a comedian!” “King In The Wilderness” is an unflinching look at Dr. King the man, his work and his personal life, delving into and his civil rights advocacy in the North, like to create adequate housing for the poor in Chicago, the public backlash against his anti-war stance in Vietnam and King’s philosophical differences between fellow Southern Christian Leadership Conference leader Stokely Carmichael. NEW YORK, NY – MARCH 26: (L-R) Panel moderator/journalist Charles Blow, author/executive producer Trey Ellis, author/executive producer Taylor Branch and Civil Rights activist Xernona Clayton attend screening and panel discussion for HBO’s “King in the Wilderness” on March 26, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Slaven Vlasic/Getty Images) Clayton said she hopes “King In The Wilderness” will inspire young people to take on the still ongoing battles against poverty, racism and violence. “The unfinished work of Martin Luther King is important,” Clayton said. “So why don’t you take a little piece of it? With young people, we saw that last week (with the March For Our Lives). They took the leadership. Each of us can take a portion, because our problems are not solved. Dr. King put a dent in them, but they’re not solved yet.” Continue reading →

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A Lil’ Positivity: NBA’s Shareef Abdur-Rahim’s Future Foundation Holds 3rd Annual “Keep It 100%” Luncheon

Posted on March 27, 2018 by Benny Hollywood

Atlanta based non-profit, Future Foundation, held their 3rd Annual “Keep It 100%” Luncheon on Wednesday, March 21, 2018 at The Gathering Spot in Atlanta. The luncheon brought out a cross sector of supporters from the corporate, non-profit, community/civic leaders, and athletes. Attendees included former NBA player Theo Ratliff, Atlanta City Councilman Andre Dickens, hip-hop artist and Magic 107.5 radio personality Chubb Rock, former Georgia State Senator Jason Carter (grandson to US President Jimmy Carter), Dr. Duke Bradley III (principal, Banneker High School) and more. The “Keep It 100%” Luncheon” is the Future Foundation’s signature annual fundraising event supporting its year-round programming serving Atlanta Metro youth and their families. “Keep It 100%” celebrates Atlanta’s philanthropic investors in education who are nurturing students academically, economically, and socially molding them into “Future Heroes.” This year, the Jean Childs Young Individual Leadership in Education Award was presented to Rodney Bullard, Chick-fil-A Inc’s Vice President of Community Affairs, & Executive Director of Chick-fil-A Foundation. SunTrust Bank was honored with the Ann Cramer Corporate Leadership in Education Award. The event was hosted by Silas “SiMan Baby” Alexander, afternoon co-host of MAJIC 107.5/97.5FM’s “The RIDE with Chubb Rock and SiMan Baby” and opened with an invocation by Dr. Gregory Ellison II, Associate Professor of Pastoral Care and Counseling at Candler School of Theology at Emory University. The luncheon showcased talented youth performers such as the inspirational R&B quintet, Route 5 and spoken word artist, Alyssa Gant. Speakers included Shareef Abdur-Rahim, founder of Future Foundation, who shared his personal reasons for launching the non-profit and CEO, Qaadirah Abdur-Rahim (his sister) who took his vision and made it a reality. “The Future Foundation started as a glimmer of an idea that, maybe, we could give something back to the communities that needed it most,” shares Shareef Abdur-Rahim. “Soon this idea became a commitment and we started to see our vision as a real possibility.  I’m proud to share that since 2007, Future Foundation of Atlanta has been graduating 100% of our students in the East Point and College Park areas of Atlanta, where low graduation rates are standard.” For more info, visit  Future-foundation.com  and hit the flip for more photos! Continue reading →

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Exclusive: “To Rome For Love’s” Celebrity Chef Gina Neely On Split From Hubby Of 20 Plus Years: “It Was A Business Relationship, Not A Marriage”

Posted on March 17, 2018 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

LOVE ITALIAN STYLE — Season:1 — Pictured: Gina Neely — (Photo by: Philippe Antonello/Bravo) “To Rome For Love” Airs Sunday Nights On Bravo! Celebrity chef Gina Neely revealed why she decided to look for her soul mate halfway around the world in her show “To Rome For Love.” The mom of two hosted a successful cooking show with then-husband Pat, “Down Home With The Neelys,” which ran for several seasons and spawned several cookbooks. But she said despite her material success, she was deeply unhappy in her marriage, and tried to leave Pat five times before finally filing for divorce. “Was Pat devastated when I left? I think yes,” Neely told BOSSIP. “But I finally had the strength to walk away…I think the show impacted our marriage. It was like a business relationship, not a marriage. I wanted that old school in love feeling. It was quality versus quantity. I gave him all I could, and I’m happy to be able to get on with my life.” After her split, she said she was still believed in love and wanted to find Mr. Right, but after being out of the dating game for so long, Neely said she wasn’t sure where to start. Bravo Media/ Philippe Antonello/ Ernesto Ruscio “I think this (“To Rome For Love”) was a great way to get out there,” Neely said. “I’m still a girl who still believes in love and wants love. I figured why not do it in a place where it was unfamiliar, be a little uncomfortable and have a new experience.” Although Neely stayed mum on whether she found new love on “To Rome For Love,” she said she was grateful for the experience, and realized just because she’s middle aged, doesn’t mean that she’s ended up on the shelf. I think my biggest takeaway from this experience is that this is a new part of my life,” Neely said. “I was with someone for 24 years. This is my time to have the life that I want, that I desire. This is my turn to do it, and I’m gonna do it. I’m 50, and this has been liberating.” She added: “You have to step out and take a leap of fait. you can’t just stop living because something didn’t work. You have to try something else and keep going.”

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Exclusive: “To Rome For Love’s” Celebrity Chef Gina Neely On Split From Hubby Of 20 Plus Years: “It Was A Business Relationship, Not A Marriage”

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Exclusive: “To Rome For Love’s” Celebrity Chef Gina Neely On Split From Hubby Of 20 Plus Years: “It Was A Business Relationship, Not A Marriage”

Posted on March 17, 2018 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

LOVE ITALIAN STYLE — Season:1 — Pictured: Gina Neely — (Photo by: Philippe Antonello/Bravo) “To Rome For Love” Airs Sunday Nights On Bravo! Celebrity chef Gina Neely revealed why she decided to look for her soul mate halfway around the world in her show “To Rome For Love.” The mom of two hosted a successful cooking show with then-husband Pat, “Down Home With The Neelys,” which ran for several seasons and spawned several cookbooks. But she said despite her material success, she was deeply unhappy in her marriage, and tried to leave Pat five times before finally filing for divorce. “Was Pat devastated when I left? I think yes,” Neely told BOSSIP. “But I finally had the strength to walk away…I think the show impacted our marriage. It was like a business relationship, not a marriage. I wanted that old school in love feeling. It was quality versus quantity. I gave him all I could, and I’m happy to be able to get on with my life.” After her split, she said she was still believed in love and wanted to find Mr. Right, but after being out of the dating game for so long, Neely said she wasn’t sure where to start. Bravo Media/ Philippe Antonello/ Ernesto Ruscio “I think this (“To Rome For Love”) was a great way to get out there,” Neely said. “I’m still a girl who still believes in love and wants love. I figured why not do it in a place where it was unfamiliar, be a little uncomfortable and have a new experience.” Although Neely stayed mum on whether she found new love on “To Rome For Love,” she said she was grateful for the experience, and realized just because she’s middle aged, doesn’t mean that she’s ended up on the shelf. I think my biggest takeaway from this experience is that this is a new part of my life,” Neely said. “I was with someone for 24 years. This is my time to have the life that I want, that I desire. This is my turn to do it, and I’m gonna do it. I’m 50, and this has been liberating.” She added: “You have to step out and take a leap of fait. you can’t just stop living because something didn’t work. You have to try something else and keep going.”

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Exclusive: “To Rome For Love’s” Celebrity Chef Gina Neely On Split From Hubby Of 20 Plus Years: “It Was A Business Relationship, Not A Marriage”

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Exclusive: “Book Of John Gray’s” Pastor Gray & Wife Talk Counseling Tami Roman To Shed “Basketball Wives” Image [VIDEO]

Posted on March 16, 2018 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

New Season Of “The Book of John Gray” Premieres March 17 On OWN “The Book of John Gray” is back for a second season – and many fans have already noticed the show’s trailer features emotional reality star Tami Roman receiving guidance from the reverend and his wife, Aventer. But Pastor John Gray and his first lady told BOSSIP that the “Basketball Wives” star – a personal friend – sought help from them not as a publicity stunt, but to help her heal old wounds, grow and change and shift away from the persona that the public knows. “I think what makes Tami’s story unique is that she’s evolving,” Aventer Gray told BOSSIP earlier this week at the show’s season two premiere dinner at The London Hotel in NYC. “With Tami, she’s in a place where she’s tired of what she’s been known for. The popping off, the ‘litty in the city,’ don’t try me, I’m this I’m that. She has daughters who she wants to bring light to, that she wants to sow into. She has great wisdom, and she’s very strong, but she has these incredible triggers, like most of us do, and she’s battling with the evolving Tami versus the one that she’s known for.” Photo by Bernard Smalls The Rev. Gray said Tami has realized that she had become part of the “monetization of black femininity” and wanted to take a step back from that and reevaluate her life and place in the world. “I think there’s a part of Tami who wants to resist being portrayed in a manner – yeah it might generate revenue – but at what expense?” Pastor Gray said. “Would it cost you your soul?” Photo by Bernard Smalls Aventer said people shouldn’t judge Tami on her past, but should look at the person that she’s trying to become. “She’s trying to establish her legacy at this point, and she doesn’t want it to include Tami who pops off on ‘Basketball Wives,’ First Lady Gray said. “She wants it to include, ‘I’ve changed, and now I’m able to tell you how I overcame what my triggers were, and what caused me to be this way from the beginning. Because it comes from a deep place of pain that we were able to tap into.” Although Aventer stayed mum on what the actual source of Tami’s deep pain was, she said viewers would find out in the new season, which premieres this weekend. Peep our clip of Tami’s time on “The Book Of John Gray” above.

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Exclusive: “Book Of John Gray’s” Pastor Gray & Wife Talk Counseling Tami Roman To Shed “Basketball Wives” Image [VIDEO]

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Exclusive: “Black Panther” Costume Designer Talks Stitching Black Excellence Into Cast’s Wardrobe

Posted on March 14, 2018 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

Academy Award-nominated costume designer Ruth E. Carter, who recently worked on “Black Panther,” shares inspiring stories with high school students Saturday, March 10, 2018, during a panel discussion of Disney Dreamers Academy with Steve Harvey and ESSENCE Magazine at Epcot in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. The 11th annual Disney Dreamers Academy, taking place March 8-11, 2018 is a career-inspiration program for distinguished high school students from across the U.S. (Todd Anderson, photographer) “Black Panther’s” Ruth Carter Spoke About Her Process To Kids At The Disney Dreamer’s Academy She’s the biggest star of “Black Panther” that you’ve probably never heard of. Ruth Carter is the woman behind the intricate Africana-inspired attire that adorns the cast of black blockbuster “Black Panther.” The veteran costume designer – behind such films as “Selma” and “School Daze” – has spoken about how she infused the costumes with both black pride and Afro-futurism. “‘Black Panther’ was an opportunity for us to bring African culture to the foreground,” Carter told high school students last weekend at the Disney Dreamer’s Academy at Walt Disney World , hosted by Steve Harvey and Essence Magazine. “The first part of my journey is to research and understand the culture, because Afro-futurism is culture.” Carter said she travelled around Africa for inspiration for her designs for the film. Carter said she wanted the movie’s clothes to help African-American viewers identify with their origins in the motherland. “The Black Panther suit itself, it has these triangular patterns on the suit – I call it the Okobongo pattern – because I wanted the Black Panther to not only be a superhero, I wanted him to be an African king,” Carter explained. “So when he’s walking around, and having conversations without his helmet on, you could see the patterns and feel it’s from Africa.” Carter said she was initially intimidated by the “Black Panther” opportunity, but said she was thrilled that she took it any way, and was able to add her own personal touch to what has become of one the biggest blockbusters in movie history. “So going into Marvel, and being really intimidated because I’m at Marvel Studios, and because they have the smartest people with the best ideas…I actually brought something to the table. So now that it’s all out, I feel fantastic because I was part of it, and I contributed to it, and I got over my fears.”

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Exclusive: “Black Panther” Costume Designer Talks Stitching Black Excellence Into Cast’s Wardrobe

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“God Himself” Begs Oprah To Run For President In 2020 On Stephen Colbert [Video]

Posted on March 8, 2018 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

Oprah already told y’all it’s not going to happen …but the running joke of it all isn’t dying down anytime soon. YouTube/Getty

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“God Himself” Begs Oprah To Run For President In 2020 On Stephen Colbert [Video]

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Archbishop Desmond Tutu’s Daughter Talks “Real Legends & Heroes” In New Film About Her Father’s Struggle Against Apartheid

Posted on March 8, 2018 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

  “The Forgiven” Starring Forest Whitaker & Eric Bana Hits Theaters March 9 Archbishop Desmond Tutu’s daughter said she hopes a new movie about her father’s crusade for reconciliation following Apartheid’s end in South Africa helps shine a light on the real heroes in our everyday lives. “The Forgiven” follows Archbishop Tutu in his work as chairman of then President Nelson Mandela’s “Truth and Reconciliation Commission” just after Apartheid was abolished in the 1990s. Tutu – played by an unrecognizable Forest Whitaker – teams up with a hardened, racist prisoner and former secret policeman (Eric Bana) to solve the murder of a young woman. “What I hope viewers take away from the film is the incredible courage of so many South Africans who are nameless,” Mpho Tutu told BOSSIP. “These were ordinary people who have had an extraordinary generosity of spirit and openness of heart.” She added: “It doesn’t take a a gold star or a recognizable face or a well known name in order to be a hero. Ordinary people perform extraordinary acts of heroism every day.” The movie is filled with lots of those kinds of moments, where South Africans were trying to reconcile with the past, and yet move forward without bitterness. “It’s people who have the generosity to forgive, the courage to hope and the faith to persevere who can make our world a better place, where it can be a place of hope an a better opportunity for tomorrow,” Mpho Tutu said. Mpho Tutu told us that although her family didn’t have any involvement in crafting the script, she said the director Roland Joffé asked Archbishop Tutu for his blessing before they began production. Archbishop Tutu, his daughter said, found the movie to be a “work of art.” “I know that the anti-apartheid struggle feels like it’s in the distant past, but the people who make the state of a new South Africa, are people who are part of our living memory,” she said. “They are our real legends and heroes of today.”

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Archbishop Desmond Tutu’s Daughter Talks “Real Legends & Heroes” In New Film About Her Father’s Struggle Against Apartheid

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Eric Garner’s Mother Gwen Says She Can’t Forgive Cops After Son’s Death

Posted on January 18, 2018 by Benny Hollywood

 New Series “Two Sides” Examines The Lives & Legacies Of Those Who Died In Police Custody & Sparked Social Change The mother of Eric Garner said she still wrestles with forgiving the police officers who killed her son three years ago. “I pray every night to forgive,” Gwen Carr said of her son Eric Garner’s death. “Because you have to forgive for yourself. But when someone takes your child away, it’s so hard. I pray to God every night to forgive me because I haven’t forgiven them.” Garner died in the midst of an arrest in 2014, and his final words, “I can’t breathe,” ignited protests around the world. Carr said the lack of accountability in the death of Garner, a married father, makes it even worse. “Maybe in time when justice comes,” she said, “I will have a better sense of forgiveness in my heart. Because there has been no justice.” Garner’s life, death and the movement it sparked is one of the subjects of “Two Sides,” a new docu-series from TV One that examines four cases – Eric Garner, John Crawford, Sandra Bland and Ezell Ford – that became symbols in the social justice fight. Instead of reenactments, the series uses actual footage from the incidents and goes in-depth with the people who were involved. Oscar winner Viola Davis is one of the series’ executive producers, and her producing partner Lemuel Plummer said his goal for “Two Sides” was to “bridge the gap between black and blue.” “Two Sides” courtesy of TV One “We’re not taking a biased approach,” Plummer said, “We’re hearing from all sides. We want the audience walking away understanding why this is happening, and why police officers end up making these decisions.” Shante Needham, the sister of Sandra Bland, agreed with Carr, and said every day has been a struggle since losing her sibling, especially when she sees more cases of people dying at the hands of police officers. “Well of course, we have to forgive if we say we are children of God,” Needham said. “But it’s the act of forgetting. I still ask three years later, ‘Why?’ Why did they do this to my sister?” Needham added that she hoped viewers would see the show as a call to action. “When you see something, speak up,” she said. “Stop letting things go under the rug…so our kids and grandkids don’t have to come up in the manner we have.” “Two Sides” will air Jan. 22 on TV One. Continue reading →

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What Happened To Ya Face: Khloe Kardashian Addicted To Black D And Fillers???

Posted on August 24, 2017 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

Pap Nation/ PressPhotoBank /SplashNews Khloe Kardashian Fans Want To Know What’s Happened To Her Face Earlier this week Khloe Kardashian set off a few alarms for fans who questioned if she’s been fiddling with her face again. Khloe shared a series of photos of herself sitting on her counter while wearing her Good American line… And the comments in response weren’t all pretty. Life and Style Magazine pointed out some even more HARSH critiques: “OMG WTF did u do to your face? No more fillers!!!” one fan begged. Another compared the Strong Looks Better Naked author to transgender model Amanda Lepore, writing, “Looks like Amanda Lepore has a younger sister!!” The magazine also pointed out how last year during an episode of Kocktails With Khloé, Kardashian swore off injectables claiming they made her face look “so f–ked up.” “[Fillers] did not work for me. I looked crazy, and I still think the effects are in there. I went to have it all dissolved like three times,” Khloé — who used to frequent the office of renowned Beverly Hills plastic surgeon Dr. Simon Ourian — explained at the time. “I had to go and get this whole thing dissolved. It was a bummer and now I’m afraid to do it again. And I’m almost like, I swear things are still in my face.” Do you think Khloe is still having “work done”? The rest of the photos from the set when you continue…

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What Happened To Ya Face: Khloe Kardashian Addicted To Black D And Fillers???

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