BLACK MUSIC ACTION COALITION AND THE ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC ANNOUNCE PARTNERSHIP TO LAUNCH ONRAMP PROGRAM FOR FUTURE LEADERS

Celebrated Organizations Join Forces for New Initiative Supporting Young Black Members of the Music Community in Nashville, TN

LOS ANGELES (February 21, 2023) – The Black Music Action Coalition (BMAC) and the Academy of Country Music (ACM) proudly announced today a new partnership to launch, sustain and support “OnRamp,” a guaranteed income program for 20 young, Black members of the music community, including artists and industry professionals, in Nashville, Tennessee. The OnRamp program, focused on improving inclusivity and equity within Music City, aims to empower the next generation of leaders in the early stages of their careers by granting access to professional development opportunities, community mentorship, and other opportunities to increase personal growth, industry exposure, exclusive Academy membership panels and tentpole live events, and visibility with Academy Board members and industry leaders. Additionally, through the program, each participant will receive a $1,000 monthly stipend for one year.

OnRamp applications will be available starting in late Spring with the program starting in June, in celebration of Black Music Month and to commemorate the Black Music Action Coalition’s third anniversary. Interested candidates can visit acmcountry.com/onramp today to sign up for email notifications when applications are rolled out.

“It speaks volumes for the Black Music Action Coalition and the Academy of Country Music to join forces to launch a guaranteed income program in Nashville for emerging Black artists and young professionals. I applaud Damon Whiteside, the ACM Board and the Level Up team for sharing our vision and becoming true partners with BMAC on a direct impact solution that will begin to address long standing racial inequalities that exist in this country,” said Willie “Prophet” Stiggers, co-founder/co-chair Black Music Action Coalition.

“The Academy has a rich history of fostering diversity and inclusion in the Country Music industry both on stage and behind-the-scenes, and we see this partnership as a particularly impactful way to continue our committed work to making the statement ‘Country Music is for Everyone’ a true reality,” said ACM CEO Damon Whiteside. “We’re excited to work with BMAC on this pivotal and transformative work for our Nashville community by increasing opportunities for young professionals from diverse backgrounds in our industry.”

“When the Academy created the LEVel Up rising leaders program, we asked them to find the most meaningful and impactful ways to welcome people into country music, regardless of who or where they are,” said Board Chair Chuck Aly. “The Academy is proud to support OnRamp and we call on our industry friends and partners to join us in advancing this endeavor and working toward a broader, more successful and more diverse country music business.”

“I’ve seen firsthand over the past year the commitment and passion of the ACM LEVel Up rising leaders cohort, and I commend the Academy and BMAC for coming together on this exciting new program,” said ACM DEI Task Force Chair and ACM Board Member Shannon Sanders. “It’s my pleasure to stand alongside other industry leaders to support this important program, especially during Black History Month. The Academy continues to play a pivotal role in ushering in a new era in Country Music by truly supporting and lifting up those underrepresented in the industry.”

This inaugural program will initially be funded by the Black Music Action Coalition, the Academy of Country Music, and industry partners, and powered by social impact agency BreatheWithMe. The organizations are encouraging corporations and companies operating in Nashville and beyond to make a financial contribution to OnRamp as a means of powering their future equity and inclusion programs. OnRamp is one of many guaranteed income programs BMAC will be announcing throughout the year.

Playing an active role in guiding the OnRamp program and bringing it to life will be the members of the ACM LEVel Up: Lift Every Voice program’s 2022 cohort. ACM LEVel Up is a widely-heralded, Nashville-based professional development and enrichment program for rising leaders in Country Music, funded entirely by the Academy of Country Music at no cost to participants. The two-year curriculum is designed to empower participants to play a pivotal role in expanding the horizons of Country Music into new audiences that transcend demographics and geography. In December 2022, the Academy announced the program’s 2023 cohort, representing an entirely new and unduplicated list of organizations from the 2022 inaugural class.

Last June, Black Music Action Coalition released a report, Three Chords & The ACTUAL Truth, which documented opportunities for improvement in Black representation and participation in the Country Music space. The report called for Music Row, the city of Nashville and its companies, organizations and individuals committed to change and equity to partner with BMAC in a transformational program for Black artists in Nashville. The Academy of Country Music is amongst the first industry leaders to recognize and help facilitate necessary changes within the music community.

The Academy of Country Music has always proudly stood, throughout its almost 60-year history, as a progressive, welcoming organization for all, including an active, community-leading commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion stretching across all facets of the industry. In its mission statement, the Academy’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiative affirms a relentless commitment to creating a more inclusive environment for underrepresented groups, encompassing but not limited to, Black, Indigenous, LGBTQIA+, LatinX and Women in the Country Music industry, from the boardroom to the stage.

For more information regarding the Black Music Action Coalition, please visit bmacoalition.org. For more information on the Academy of Country Music, please visit acmcountry.com. Further details about the ACM’s LEVel Up: Lift Every Voice program is available at acmcountry.com/levelup.

About Black Music Action Coalition

The Black Music Action Coalition (BMAC) endeavors to uphold and actualize the mission of Black Lives Matter in the music industry and reach racial justice not just across labels, publishers, agencies, distributors, and DSP’s but throughout society at large. BMAC works together with leaders from various business leaders to hold their companies accountable and implement a system of checks and balances to ensure change takes root. The group fosters and shepherds various educational, mental health, financial literacy, entrepreneurship, policing, social justice, and political causes that directly impact Black communities.

About the Academy of Country Music

Founded in Southern California in 1964 as a regional trade organization, the ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC (ACM) has grown in the almost-60 years since into a leading association for the Country Music industry. Now headquartered in Nashville, TN and boasting record-high membership of more than 4,900 nationwide, the Academy serves as a powerhouse advocate for Country fans, artists, and all facets of the business, as well as a supporter of philanthropic work through charitable partner ACM LIFTING LIVES, dedicated to improving lives through the power of music and providing aid in times of need, with a focus on health initiatives. 2023 looks to be another monumental year for the Academy with the ACM Awards, the first major awards show to livestream exclusively, returning to Texas on May 11 and streaming live for a global audience on Prime Video. For more information, log onto ACMcountry.com or ACMLiftingLives.org.

Gabrielle Union-Wade and Dwyane Wade to Receive President’s Award at NAACP Image Awards

AdvocatesEntertainment

Gabrielle Union and Dwyane Wade on red carpet with Hollywood Reporter logos in background

The philanthropic couple will receive the public service honor at the ceremony on Feb. 25.
Gabrielle Union-Wade and Dwyane Wade will receive the President’s Award at the 54th NAACP Image Awards, the NAACP and BET recently announced.

The honor, recognizing notable achievement and valued public service, will be handed out at the ceremony airing live on Feb. 25 at 8 p.m. ET on BET.

Previous honorees include Muhammad Ali, Colin Powell, Soledad O’Brien, Condoleezza Rice, LeBron James, Rihanna, Jay-Z, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.

“We’re thrilled to present this award to Gabrielle Union-Wade and Dwyane Wade who together have consistently utilized their platforms to advance social justice and raise awareness to the inequalities existing in our country,” said Derrick Johnson, President and CEO of the NAACP. “We’re proud to recognize the couple’s tireless humanitarian work as they continue to advocate for equality and acceptance for all.”

“Gabrielle Union-Wade and Dwyane Wade are exemplary in their purpose-driven leadership and use of their collective platforms for good,” said Scott Mills, President & CEO, BET. “This year’s recipients of the NAACP President’s Award are not just a timely signifier of the issues that matter most to the community; they are a testament to what is possible when one commits themselves to advancement in those areas. It is a great honor for BET to join the NAACP to amplify these issues and celebrate the leaders doing the work to drive change in our community.”

As a couple, through their Wade Family Foundation, ex-NBA star Dwyane Wade and actress Gabrielle Union-Wade have been at the forefront of providing relief to marginalized communities in need, helping to advance racial justice and LGBTQ equality. The activist couple has been particularly visible on matters of LGBTQ support helping raise money for the nonprofit GLSEN, which is dedicated to ending bullying and discrimination in schools.

On an individual level, Gabrielle Union-Wade has provided support and backed various causes including the Van Ness Recovery House, Leap for Ladies, Out Nebraska, Deborah’s Place, Harvest House, and Baltimore Safe Haven. In addition to financial contributions, Gabrielle is focused on using her platform as a public figure to bring awareness to the work these organizations and others are doing to support underrepresented communities.

Read the full exclusive article on the Hollywood Reporter.

Celebrating Black History Month

Advocates

John Register poses for article about Black History smiling wearing a blue suit coat and black button-down shirt

By John Register

We have been through a lot over the past couple of years. The racial tension in America seemed as if it might be on the brink of real change. Some Black Americans thought the country might experience a true shift and an acknowledgement by government leadership of the horrors wrought by (and a true pathway forward concerning) America’s original sin of slavery.

Others were less optimistic and wondered when the allyship veil would lift as people tired of the rhetoric. I continue to look for sustainable change in America for opportunities extended to all.

As a young person, my parents Rev. Donald and Dolores Register took my two brothers and me to Detroit Michigan, from Oak Park, Illinois, for summer vacations and Thanksgiving breaks to ensure we stayed connected to our family roots.

I did not know it then, but I certainly know it now that my family are advocates, allies and are change makers.

My uncle, Gloster Current, is the most famous. He was deputy executive director of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and the National Director of Branches and Field Administration of the NAACP during the Civil Rights Movement. In his role, he was the last person to see Medgar Evers alive and oversaw the platform speakers at the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom on August 28, 1963, where Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his now famed “I Have a Dream” speech. A speech that really was not a about a dream of Black and white unity, but rather civil and economic equal rights of African Americans.

He and his wife lived in Hollis, New York.

When I reflect now, I see the progress we as Black and Brown people have made in the United States, and I also see a long road ahead. Sometimes when I visit Washington D.C., I do a monument walk. I stop by the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial. Kings’ commanding figure emerges out of a mountain of despair. His arms folded and eyes appear fixed across the tidal basin at our third President, Thomas Jefferson. It is as if he is still hoping to fully emerge from the sins of the father.

My dad was a Presbyterian minister and part of a group of clergies responsible for building suitable housing for the poor. I can’t imagine how hard the work might have been as they had to fight the unfair “redlining” practices of the federal government which refused to give loans to Blacks and subsidized builders for entire subdivisions for whites. We still see the impacts of this practice today.

During one of my summer months, back from college at the University of Arkansas, I was rummaging through my dad’s desk drawer in the basement. I was looking for a pencil.

I found was an article showing how my dad and nine other white clergy went to Mississippi to assist in the right to vote for Blacks.

He was thrown in jail for nine days and fined. His crime, placing a sign on the wrong side of a chain fence when police asked them to put their signs down.

However, the article continued and stated the judge who had put them in jail had died and was replaced by a Black woman. I was floored.

When I confronted my dad about the rest of the story, he stated, “Yes, she came by the church and asked if I wanted my record expunged?”

“What did you say?” I asked.

Dad just shook his head and said, “No. That proves I was part of the struggle.”

Now, that’s a badge of honor in my book.

Though we have overcome in some areas, the disparity which causes depression remains in the job market. Two decades after Kalisha White, a Black woman, won a discrimination suit against Target, studies show not much has changed.

According to a report by WBUR, a nonprofit news organization, “economist from the University of California Berkeley and the University of Chicago found that out of 83,000 job applications sent to 108 Fortune 500 employers — half with traditionally white-sounding names, and the other half with Black-sounding names only applicants with Black names were called back 10 percent fewer times across the board despite having comparable application to their white counterparts.

I tell the youth I coach that hard work is necessary but not to mistake hard work with equitable opportunity.

This is what Dr. King was trying to get us to understand.

Dr. Harry Edwards, sociologist emeritus from the University of California Berkley, shared three elements for sustainable changed at the NFL Diversity and Equity Forum in New York City.

A dependable and developed pipeline of talent.
A pervasive and persistent demand.
The institution being pressed to change, has to want change.

He further explained when you have all three aligned you have a recipe for sustainable change. If not, a quota system is more likely to emerge.

Is the leadership and institution of America ready to change to embrace all her citizens? Are we up for the challenge, as the pervasive demand to cry out for a demand an overlooked pipeline of talent to be heard?

I remain optimistic.

As a combat Army veteran, my oath was to, “protect and defend the United States Constitution against all enemies foreign, and domestic, and to bear true faith and allegiance to the same.”

When I end termed my service, the amazing thing is that no one “unoathed” me.

I believe American can get there because she too has an oath to uphold, “that all people are created equal and there should be liberty (freedom) and justice (equity) for all.”

No one has unoathed her yet either.

Viola Davis Earns EGOT with Grammy Award for Memoir Audiobook Narration

Entertainment

Viola Davis cover on the Black EOE Journal

“It has just been such a journey,” Viola Davis said of her memoir Finding Me as she accepted the Grammy Award for best audiobook, narration & storytelling recording, bringing her to EGOT status.

Viola Davis is officially an EGOT winner!

The actress, 57, claimed the coveted title — which also requires an Academy Award, Emmy Award and Tony Award — as she won best audiobook, narration & storytelling recording for her memoir Finding Me on Sunday at the 65th Grammy Awards Premiere Ceremony.

“Oh my God! I wrote this book to honor the 6-year-old Viola, to honor her life, her joy, her trauma, everything,” Davis began in her acceptance speech. “And it has just been such a journey. I just EGOT!”

She continued to thank “everybody who was a part of my story, and the best chapter yet, my loves [husband Julius Tennon and 12-year-old daughter Genesis]. You are my life and my joy, the best chapter in my book. Thank you!”

Fellow EGOT winner Jennifer Hudson celebrated the accomplishment on Twitter, sharing a video of Davis’ speech. “Hold the line!!!!!!! Viola Davis just became EGOT #18!!! Omg @violadavis U are absolutely everything! Congratulations to a living LEGEND. Time to celebrate!!!” she wrote.

Davis’ first Grammy win was also her first nomination, beating out Jamie Foxx (Act Like You Got Some Sense), Mel Brooks (All About Me!: My Remarkable Life in Show Business), Lin-Manuel Miranda (Aristotle and Dante Dive into the Waters of the World by Benjamin Alire Sáenz) and Questlove (Music Is History) for the award.

The Woman King star’s journey to EGOT status began in 2001 when she won best featured actress in a play at the 55th Tony Awards for her performance as Tonya in Broadway’s King Hedley II. She was previously nominated in the same category for Seven Guitars in 1996.

In 2010, she won best leading actress in a play for her role of Rose Maxson in Fences, which also earned her first Academy Award in 2017 for Best Supporting Actress in the play’s feature adaptation.

Read the complete article originally posted on People.

Beyoncé Breaks Record For Most GRAMMY Wins In History

Entertainment

Beyonce onstage at the 2023 grammys acceptance speech

It’s official: Beyoncé has made GRAMMY history. Her win for Best Dance/Electronic Album for ‘RENAISSANCE’ put her GRAMMY total at 33, the most of all time.

By Lior Phillips, GRAMMYS

After winning the award for Best Dance/Electronic Music Album, Beyoncé now holds the all-time record for most GRAMMY wins. While George Solti had previously held that incredible honor, Queen Bey has now overtaken the classical conductor thanks in part to her powerful 2022 record, RENAISSANCE. With 32 GRAMMY awards now in her trophy case — and the potential to add even more still to come this evening — the mega-star produced yet
Photo: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

another unequaled GRAMMYs moment. The record-tying award came early in the ceremony — so early in fact that Beyoncé had yet to arrive. The GRAMMY for Best R&B Song was instead accepted on her behalf, the legendary Nile Rodgers sharing his story of “CUFF IT” and offering words of thanks. In fact, prior to this year’s ceremony even beginning, Beyoncé had already marked another record: tying her own husband, Jay-Z, as the most nominated artists in GRAMMY history.

When time came for the record-setting GRAMMY win, Beyoncé herself was present, arriving to the stage to a standing ovation and an immeasurable wash of applause. After thanking God and her family, she was sure to highlight a group that made a special impact on this record.

“I’d like to thank the queer community,” she smiled, crediting the early voices in the dance and electronic realm as well as her uncle Jonny, who inspired RENAISSANCE. In host Trevor Noah’s eyes, the conversation about who is considered the GOAT to be over, Beyoncé’s legacy is far from finished.

Read the complete article and more about the GRAMMY’s here.

This Afro-Latina Never Saw Herself Represented Growing Up — Here’s How She’s Working To Change That

Black HeritageBusinessEntertainment

Afro Latina - Bianca Kea sitting behind a table of jack and green apples

By Refinery 29

Growing up in the suburbs of Detroit, Bianca Kea was acutely aware that outside of her family, there were no other Afro-Latinxs that looked like her. No one she could relate to or look up to. But that all changed when she moved to New York City.

“Moving to New York City was such an eye-opening experience,” she recalls. “And it was the first time somebody actually identified me as Afro-Latina — I had never heard the term before, and I was able to learn about my heritage, my history as an Afro-Mexicana.” Her experience — the realization and recognition of being Afro-Latina, of being both Black and Mexican, and not feeling like she had to choose one or the other — led to her launching Yo Soy AfroLatina, an online platform and lifestyle brand that celebrates “Afro-Latinidad in the Americas and validates our hermanas’ experience.” It was born out of not seeing herself represented and wanting to create something that would not only make an impact on the culture, but also cultivate a community. “We all have different experiences — we’re not a monolith — and it’s important for people to understand what it means to be at the intersection of two beautiful cultures,” Kea says. “I hope we’re able to break down stereotypes, empower people, and allow them to be Afro-Latina. Just be yourself.”

That’s why Refinery29 is partnering with Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Apple to produce Valiente Y Fuerte — a video campaign designed to amplify the voices of Latinx creatives like Kea who inspire us every day. Watch the video above for more information about Yo Soy AfroLatina — and how Kea is turning her passion into a legacy.

Click here to read the full article on Refinery 29.

Chance the Rapper says the idea to ‘man up’ is harmful to Black men’s mental health

EntertainmentHealthlifestyle

By David Artavia, Yahoo! Life

Chance the Rapper is not holding back when it comes speaking about the benefits of prioritizing mental health.

In a new interview with Taraji P. Henson and her best friend Tracie Jade on Facebook Watch’s Peace of Mind with Taraji, the rapper opened up about dealing with the “dark days” of his mental health and how it inspired him to fight for better mental health services in Black communities.

“I think Black men are naturally guarded,” he said when asked about the pressure many Black men face to “man up” and not show their emotions. “You kind of have to be [because] your weakness is preyed upon. So, I think it’s a defense mechanism. You go to a funeral, like, you kind of don’t want to cry. You know what I mean? You don’t want to subject yourself to the feeling of like, that weakness, of like, you know, it just takes a lot to be cathartic, to cry, to empty yourself.”

“I saw my friend killed in front of me when I was 19,” he continued. “I’ve seen people I didn’t know get killed too, and you become kind of like numb to it. Somebody else died last week. But it stays with you, you know what I mean? And you don’t realize until later [that] it could have lasting effects.”

It was these types of discoveries that led him to donate $1 million in 2019 to mental health services in his hometown of Chicago through SocialWorks, his nonprofit organization.

“A couple of years ago, I, for the first time experienced a friend, somebody that I knew from growing up, that was having a mental health crisis,” he said. “His family and his friends had exhausted their efforts over years and years of trying to help. I didn’t really know that much about this stuff. There’s probably a ton of situations where people, you know, we just wrote them off as like, ‘crazy,’ or like, ‘they was tweaking.’ But they were actually going through a chronic mental health disorder.”

After realizing “the kind of care” his friend needed “wasn’t available in the city” for those who can’t afford it, he decided to team up with local advocates to help build the change.

“We basically found every possible mental health initiative within the city of Chicago, and then within Cook County, and then eventually through the entire state of Illinois,” he explained. “[We] created this app that allows people to get in contact, whether it’s an in-person meeting or tele-health, with a mental health service provider, and get the help that they need, instantly from their phone. And it’s free.”

While Chance acknowledges it’s great that celebrities are starting to drive the message that “health is beyond just our physical state,” he argues that equal access to mental health services isn’t going to happen until those in power, particularly “our lawmakers and the billion-dollar companies,” rise to meet the community’s need.

“We’re talented people, but we’re not the people that make the big decisions,” he said. “We’re not the people that write the biggest checks. Those kind of things have to happen.”

Click here to read the full article on Yahoo! Life.

Angela Bassett Wins Golden Globe for ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ as First Actor to Earn Major Award for Marvel Movie

Entertainment

Angela Bassett in sparkling silver dress talking on stage

Angela Bassett won the Golden Globe award Tuesday for her performance as Queen Ramonda in “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” making the 64-year-old the first actor ever to win a major individual acting award for a movie based on Marvel Comics.

The evening marked Bassett’s second win (and second nomination) at the Globes; she took home the trophy for best actress in a musical or comedy for 1993’s Tina Turner biopic “What’s Love Got to Do With It.”

“I got to find my words. I’m so nervous. My heart is just beating,” Bassett began, taking the stage to accept the award. “The late Tony Morrison said that your life is already a miracle of chance just waiting for you to order its destiny. But in order for that destiny to manifest, I think that it requires courage to have faith. It requires patience, as we just heard. And it requires a true sense of yourself. It’s not easy because the past is circuitous and it has many unexpected detours, but, by the grace of God, I stand here. I stand here grateful.”

Bassett took the space to thank her husband, fellow actor Courtney B. Vance, her family and her Marvel collaborators, “Wakanda Forever” director Ryan Coogler, Victoria Alonso, Nate Moore, Kevin Feige and Louis D’Esposito. Bassett also acknowledged the death of “Black Panther” star Chadwick Boseman, who died of colon cancer in 2020. Boseman’s death casts a shadow over the plot of “Wakanda Forever.”

“We embarked on this journey together with love. We mourned, we loved, we healed. We were surrounded each and every day by the light and the spirit of Chadwick Boseman,” Bassett said. “We have joy in knowing that with this historic ‘Black Panther’ series, it is a part of his legacy that he helped to lead us. We showed the world what Black unity, leadership and love looks like, behind and in front of the camera. To the Marvel fans, thank you for embracing these characters and showing us so much love.”

Backstage, Bassett was characteristically composed as she was asked if she had any hesitation about attending the show given the Hollywood Foreign Press Assn.’s recent controversary over the lack of Black members in the press organization.

“The HFPA has made strides,” Bassett said. “They know what needs to be done.”

Prior to Bassett’s win for “Wakanda Forever,” only four actors, and no women, had even been nominated for a Golden Globe for acting in a superhero movie: Nominees Ryan Reynolds for 2016’s “Deadpool” (actor in musical/comedy) and Jack Nicholson for 1989’s “Batman” (actor in musical/comedy), as well as winners Joaquin Phoenix for 2019’s “Joker” (actor in drama) and Heath Ledger for 2008’s “The Dark Knight” (supporting actor). Phoenix and Ledger, who both played variations on the DC Comics villain the Joker, were the major winners in their respective years across awards season, taking home the SAG Awards and the Oscars as well (Ledger’s wins were posthumous).

This isn’t the first time Bassett has earned a top award for playing Queen Ramonda, however: She was also part of the group of actors from 2018’s “Black Panther” who won best ensemble at the SAG Awards.

Photo Credit: NBC via Getty Images

Read the complete article on Variety.

MLK Day 2023: What to know about the civil rights icon’s celebration

ActivistAdvocates

Martin Luther King JR day sign illustration for the civil rights leader

The annual King Holiday Observance is a time that we celebrate, commemorate and honor the life, legacy and impact of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Global citizens will have unique opportunities to learn and unite in celebration of Dr. King’s groundbreaking work and Mrs. Coretta Scott King’s powerful continuation and formal institutionalization of that work through a variety of engaging events hosted by The King Center leading up to The King Holiday on January 16th, 2023.

As we witness nations around the world continue to struggle under the weight of violence, hate and poverty, today’s social, political and economic landscape reveals the urgent necessity of Dr. King’s philosophy and methodology of Nonviolence (Nonviolence365™). The King Center leads the charge to provide education and training in Nonviolence365; while serving as the vital living memorial of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Our strategic theme for 2023 is ‘Cultivating a Beloved Community Mindset to Transform Unjust Systems’. This theme defines the 2023 King Holiday Observance events and programming while serving as a compass for all the work we will do this upcoming calendar year and beyond. The pioneering work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. demonstrated that Kingian Nonviolence (Nonviolence365™) is the sustainable solution to injustice and violence in our world, ultimately leading to the creation of the Beloved Community, where injustice ceases and love prevails.

The King Center welcomes and invites you to join this movement for a new future as we strive to cultivate a Beloved Community Mindset, and ultimately transform unjust systems.

Black women are finally shattering the glass ceiling in dance

EntertainmentSports

Dionne Figgins, artistic director of Ballet Tech, is one of several Black women named recently to leadership posts in dance. (Jeenah Moon for The Washington Post)

By Sarah L. Kaufman, Washington Post

Linda-Denise Fisher-Harrell knows how it feels to be the only Black dancer in the dressing room.

“Everyone was friendly, but it was a lonely feeling that nobody looked like me,” says the former star of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, recalling her first dance job 30 years ago, with Hubbard Street Dance Chicago.

“So when it came to styling my hair, I couldn’t rely on anyone to help advise me. There were so many little things like that.”

Throughout the concert-dance world, dancers of color have often shared that sense of isolation and difference. But in recent months, some significant appointments offer hope of change. In March, Fisher-Harrell began leading the company where she once felt so alone. As the new artistic director of Hubbard Street, a widely respected contemporary troupe founded by Broadway dancer Lou Conte, she is one of very few Black women heading traditionally White-led dance organizations.

Fisher-Harrell, who most recently had been teaching at Towson University and the Baltimore School for the Arts, made changes quickly at Hubbard Street. She hired four dancers of color, bringing the total at the 14-member company to six dancers.

Three more Black women have recently assumed dance leadership roles, in front-office moves that are rare in the dance world. Each has led a distinguished performance career in premiere companies on international stages followed by years as dance educators.

Endalyn Taylor is the new dean of the dance school at the prestigious University of North Carolina School of the Arts in Winston-Salem. A former leading ballerina of Dance Theatre of Harlem, an original cast member of “The Lion King” and “Aida” on Broadway, and a dance professor at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Taylor succeeds former American Ballet Theatre principal Susan Jaffe.

Click here to read the full article on the Washington Post.

Dr. Sandy Womack Jr. – ‘The Prince of Public Education’

AdvocatesEducation

By Santura Pegram

Many people seemingly think the topic of public education in America is less important when compared to other pressing issues of today. However, there is one convincing figure who would respectfully disagree and debate why public education should not be dismissed or devalued. Dr. Sandy Womack Jr., currently an Area (Assistant) Superintendent with the Columbus City School District (which happens to be the largest school system in the State of Ohio), has always been a strategic thinker and advocate for underdogs.

Like most natives of disadvantaged urban neighborhoods, Womack gained an uncanny and often underestimated perspective of the learning process despite being exposed to a frequently challenging, yet character-building environment that private and parochial school systems do not offer. It was in the urban community that he learned a form of mental chemistry (a type of “toughness”) that is often cultivated in helping to define what it means for someone to possess a resilient spirit upon reaching adulthood. Those traits – essentially “chemistry” & “character” – are often heightened when adults, as Womack says, remember that “Exposure changes expectations, but it is the experiences we provide our children with that change their lives.”

No one in life has ever given Sandy Womack Jr. anything.

He has earned everything through those same forms of exposure and experiences he references. First, as a talented high school wrestler who was awarded a college scholarship in wrestling and went on to become a two-time NCAA All-American standout, and then in college classrooms as a knowledge-thirsty student and aspiring educator. Once he stepped away from the sport he excelled at, he fell in love with the infinite possibility of what he could accomplish through advanced education.

To broaden the scope of understanding the level of engagement (and privilege) involved in maintaining the economic stability of members of one ethnic group over others, one does not need to look far beyond the research. According to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) and the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) in Washington, D.C., the overall total number of college graduates awarded doctoral level degrees in 2018-2019 (the latest year’s statistics) reveals there were 187,568 doctoral degrees conferred throughout the U.S. in that year alone. Of that number, 100,880 were awarded to Whites; 19,507 were awarded to Asians; 14,087 were awarded to Blacks; and 13,277 were awarded to Hispanics and/or Latinos. And, out of that 187,568 total who received doctoral degrees in the U.S., only 13,020 total were conferred (awarded) such degrees for the category of education that year. Of that 13,020, Whites made up 6,963; Blacks made up 2,524; Hispanics and/or Latinos made up 1,110; and Asians represented 395 of those overall (education) doctoral degree graduates in 2018-2019.

Such statistics reinforce beliefs like those of noted scholar Richard Rothstein who said it best when he expressed that, “social class differences likely affect the academic performance of children.” In addition, Mr. Rothstein makes a valid argument when he quipped that “good teachers, high expectations, standards, accountability, and inspiration are not enough.” (Class and Schools, 2004). For children in today’s urban school settings to succeed, they need a Dr. Sandy Womack Jr. In a career that has spanned thirty-years in education, Sandy Womack Jr. got his start teaching in the Ohio education system with the Alliance City Schools in Stark County. Then, briefly with the University of Akron-Federal TRIO Programs in Summit County. Next came a teaching position in the Cleveland Metropolitan Schools, and a series of promotions led to becoming the Dean of Students and then an Assistant Principal with the Akron Public Schools. At the age of 29, he became the Head Principal with the Canton City Schools before being offered a series of promotions to become the Director of Curriculum and Development, and then the Director of Principal Leadership and Development with the Cleveland Heights-University Heights School District in Cuyahoga County before finally becoming a member of what he considers the best professional team yet – his current administrative position helping to lead the Columbus City School District. The man has literally served in practically every capacity (except a Human Resources and/or Superintendent positions) as an education professional…from teacher to counselor to Assistant Principal to Building Principal to Administrator.

To discover why he is so passionate about public education in America and not only a frequently requested speaker at conferences, organizations, and universities across the country, but a trusted figure of children, parents, and/or guardians alike, you would have to know his path and allow him to pique your curiosity. Equipped with an arsenal of amazing traits and an invaluable skill set, Womack is a classic example of what can evolve (potential-wise) from many, if not most, of the disadvantaged children he has interacted with for many years. In addition to being a best friend-life partner to his equally dynamic wife – Dr. Monica Womack (who earned her Ph.D. and is a behind-the-scenes problem-solver in public education herself), Dr. Sandy Womack Jr. earned his Ed.D. and together they share three razor-sharp daughters. Interestingly, Sandy hails from a background where one of his parents (his late father) was a convicted felon who spent time in prison at one point. A constant reminder that no matter how you start out or where you come from, it’s how you use that experience to transform a person’s own life and that of other people that matters. It has been that factor, along with growing up watching his mother sacrifice and juggle to make things happen, which has enabled Sandy Womack Jr. to resonate with and relate to countless children, parents, and/or guardians of diverse backgrounds like few educators or administrators have or do.

When asked what he believes are the three most critical concerns affecting education in urban school settings throughout America, Womack is quick to reveal, “the proverbial lack of proper funding issue, the expectation issue (of the people who work directly with urban school children), and the lack of collective community-wrap-around-support issue.” To many students, parents, and fellow educators across the nation, Dr. Sandy Womack Jr. is not only the epitome of a dynamic teacher-education administrator, but he’s also another “inner-city success story.” Understandably, this overachiever still has his heart set on attaining his biggest goal yet as an educator-administrator, which (according to him) is to “become the #1 influencer of African American children in public schools in the world!”

*Santura Pegram (santura.pegram@yahoo.com) is a freelance writer and socially conscious business professional who has helped to advise small businesses; nonprofit organizations; city, county, and state governmental committees; elected officials; professional athletes; and school systems. He was a one-time protégé-aide to the “Political Matriarch of the State of Florida” – the late Honorable M. Athalie Range.

Prime Universal Network, a husband and wife-owned, positive content television network signs with Hisense, the third largest TV manufacturer in the world

BusinessEntertainment

Prime Universal Network, a division of Prime Local TV Network, Inc., has signed a distribution agreement with international manufacturer, Hisense, and their content platform VIDAA. They will place Prime Universal Network’s positive content TV App onto 140 million currently purchased televisions and an additional 30+ million new televisions annually.

Prime Universal Network’s content platform called – The Positive People Platform, came into existence in 2018 after Rodney and Holly Harris began their search for positive and uplifting human interest stories being showcased on a consistent basis.

The Positive People Platform offers only positive content produced by the couple and other content producers, with a variety of short stories, sports, documentaries, and events. Their platform showcases the positive and unique experiences of ordinary people.

Mission – To change the negative narrative and misunderstanding that positive content means boring. Positive can be and is exciting, interesting, and informative. Our world already has enough negative content.

History – How did they get started in media? Born in the Akron/Canton region of Ohio, they began covering their hometown hero, LeBron James, when he played with both Cleveland/Miami NBA teams. They also covered most of his NBA Finals games.

13 things you didn’t know about Shonda Rhimes

Entertainment

For as long as Twitter’s been around, every Thursday night, the timeline is flooded with tweets cursing Shonda Rhimes’ name, usually, for something devastating that’s happened on “Grey’s Anatomy.”

Even though she hasn’t been the showrunner of “Grey’s” for a few years, she will forever be linked to the hugely successful, 17-season-long (and counting!) medical drama. But Rhimes has done plenty of other things in her career, including writing two films and a memoir.

Rhimes, who now lives in Los Angeles, is so dedicated to her home city that she gets Chicago deep-dish pizza flown in every Christmas Eve, she told Food & Wine in 2017. Her favorite comes from Illinois restaurant chain Aurelio’s, she told the publication.

She’s the youngest of six kids — two older brothers and three older sisters. While growing up in University Park, she shared a room with one of her sisters, Sandie, she wrote in her book, “Year of Yes.” Both of her parents were educators.

Rhimes earned her BA from Dartmouth College.

Much like her own creation Meredith Grey, Rhimes graduated from Dartmouth College. She even cameoed as herself in fellow Dartmouth grad Mindy Kaling’s show “The Mindy Project,” when she attended a Dartmouth alumni beer pong game. After Dartmouth, she earned her MFA from the USC School of Cinema-Television in 1994.

Read ten more interesting facts about Shonda Rhimes at Insider.

BLACK MUSIC ACTION COALITION AND THE ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC ANNOUNCE PARTNERSHIP TO LAUNCH ONRAMP PROGRAM FOR FUTURE LEADERS

Gabrielle Union-Wade and Dwyane Wade to Receive President’s Award at NAACP Image Awards

Celebrating Black History Month

Viola Davis Earns EGOT with Grammy Award for Memoir Audiobook Narration

Beyoncé Breaks Record For Most GRAMMY Wins In History

This Afro-Latina Never Saw Herself Represented Growing Up — Here’s How She’s Working To Change That

Chance the Rapper says the idea to ‘man up’ is harmful to Black men’s mental health

Angela Bassett Wins Golden Globe for ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ as First Actor to Earn Major Award for Marvel Movie

MLK Day 2023: What to know about the civil rights icon’s celebration

Black women are finally shattering the glass ceiling in dance

Dr. Sandy Womack Jr. – ‘The Prince of Public Education’

Prime Universal Network, a husband and wife-owned, positive content television network signs with Hisense, the third largest TV manufacturer in the world

13 things you didn’t know about Shonda Rhimes

Your Employment, Business and Education Opportunities Magazine

American Family Ins

University of the Pacific

Alight

Robert Half

United States Postal Services-Diversity

Upcoming Events

SUBSCRIBE TO NEWSLETTER