What Would Hattie McDaniel Say to Viola Davis?
In 1940 - 72 years ago this Wednesday, to be exact - actress Hattie McDaniel became the first African-American to win an Oscar. She won Best Supporting Actress for her portrayal of Mammy in "Gone with The Wind," the blockbuster...
Read moreD.C.'s Historic Howard Theatre Reopening Again
When the Howard Theatre opened in 1910, it was known as "the largest colored theatre in the world."
Read moreRole Players: Hollywood's Black Casting Execs
Getting a role in Hollywood is never easy, but if you're an African-American actor or actress, it's that much harder. There are limited parts to begin with, and if you've done a lot of indie work or haven't been in...
Read moreBlack Stuntmen's Association Fought Good Fight
Founded in 1967, the Black Stuntmen's Association was created to combat practices that denied black stuntmen the opportunity to perform in Hollywood productions. The group helped break the color barrier in the stuntman profession.
Read moreOur History: The Ever-Enduring 'Porgy and Bess'
"Porgy and Bess" is one of America's most beloved musicals, even now experiencing a revival on Broadway, with incandescent actress Audra McDonald in the lead role. But the musical has a storied history, including a wealth of African-American artists who...
Read moreMusic History: USA for Africa's 'We Are the World'
The global hit, “We are the World,” made music history when it was first recorded in 1985 as a charity single written by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie and produced by Quincy Jones. The record sold more than 20 million...
Read moreOur History in Comedy: Dewey 'Pigmeat' Markham
It wasn't called rap back in the 1960s when Pigmeat Markham stepped up to the microphone and, with a rhythmic beat, delivered the phrase "Here come the judge." But the singer-actor-comedian was a forerunner in African-American entertainment – breaking barriers...
Read moreGroundbreaking Television: 'The Nat King Cole Show
"We proved that a Negro star could play host to whites, including women, and we proved it in such good taste that no one was offended," Nat King Cole wrote in a February 1958 article for Ebony magazine. "I didn't...
Read moreEsperanza Spaulding Breaks New Ground in Jazz
Esperanza Spalding is not a rap star with an oversized booty or an R&B singer with tattoos, an entourage or a famous husband. But she is one of music’s most insanely gifted talents – a genre-defying artist who sings in...
Read moreNorma Hill-Patton Helps Make Top Stars Shine
Despite all the African-American actors and actresses in Hollywood, Norma Hill-Patton is in surprisingly rare company as a black makeup artist. Hailing from the U.K., and trained by the BBC, Hill-Patton has been behind the scenes for 39 years, doing...
Read moreFormer CNN Anchor Bernard Shaw Always a Newsman
There’s an old line that goes, “Once Catholic, always Catholic; it’s in your DNA.” Retired newsman Bernard Shaw says the same can be said about being a newsman.Ten years after leaving the anchor’s chair at CNN in February 2001, Shaw...
Read moreBeverly Bond Shows, Proves that Black Girls Rock
Beverly Bond is not just a DJ, though she made her living as one for many years. She’s not just a model, although that was her profession for many years. No, this Renaissance woman is more than just the glamour...
Read moreRichard Prince Helps Journalists Set High Bar
Richard Prince is a firm believer in the power of journalism to make change. And it doesn’t have to necessarily be difficult.“Just asking the question can cause change,” said Prince, author of Journal-isms, an online column published three days...
Read moreCBS Anchor James Brown Guided by Family, Faith
By now, you might think of television’s NFL coverage and associate it with one face – that of the jocular James “JB” Brown, who is sort of a ringmaster of the three-ring circus that is “NFL Today” on CBS. He...
Read moreHazel Trice Edney: News is Service Work
Hazel Trice Edney is an unapologetic race woman, and her news service makes no apologies for serving a black audience. Edney said she follows the adage most often attributed to publisher Joseph Pulitzer - that journalists should aim...
Read moreBlack TV Visionaries
Blacks and television have long had an uneasy relationship. From the days of the controversial “Amos and Andy Show” in the 50’s, which featured network televisions’ first all-black but controversial cast, to “The Cosby Show” to...
Read moreJohnny Morris
If ever family, friends and fans feared that Johnny Morris' long broadcast legacy might be forgotten, two major events, staged within the past 10 days to honor the popular Los Angeles disc jockey and radio station engineer, should relieve that...
Read moreClaude Brown
Claude Brown’s "Manchild in the Promised Land," a memoir about growing up in Harlem during the 1940s and ‘50s, was such as success that by the turn of this century, it had become the second best-selling book that Macmillan Books...
Read moreBlack History Facts (Video)
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Bishop Secular: Online Dating Can’t Stop A...Bishop Secular says online dating is supposed to eliminate the lying and the games, but he doesn’t...
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Questlove’s New Memior, ‘Mo’ Meta Blues’ Is...I remain on the tail end of a generation raised when Black culture was not synonymous with...
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3 Tips To Stay Fit On Vacation!Summer summer summertime! Finally right?! You worked hard by showing up for all your workouts, and now...
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A Few Things Kim Kardashian Might Need...
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FAB OR FUG: Thandie Newton’s Playful Erdem...Thandie Newton is quickly becoming one of my favorite red carpet divas! She was spotted out in...
