Denzel Washington

Debbie Allen’s Dance Academy Sponsors 2022 ‘Uplifting Minds II’ National Talent Competition with a Dance Scholarship

Debbie Allen’s Dance Academy (DADA) has joined a long list of sponsors offering a prize to the winners of the 2022 “Uplifting Minds II” (ULMII) Entertainment Conference’s national talent competition. DADA is offering the dance category winner 10 classes to the Debbie Allen’s Dance Academy. The “ULMII” competition other categories include singing, songwriting and acting. Performers get 4 minutes to showcase their talents before the “ULMII” industry panelists make their decision.

A CELEBRATION: Robin Claire Ross

Robin Claire Ross was born to Barbara and Walter “Buddy” Wilkinson in New York City on August 21, 1954. Her spiritual and physical beauty were recognized early in life, and by the first grade she appeared on two, New York-area children’s television shows, “Romper Room”, and “The Jewish Fourth R.” She attended Taft and Columbus High Schools in the Bronx, and went on to Hunter College. 

Tennessee Student is Centennial Scholar Recipient of Ossie Davis Scholarship

Earlier this month, after a rigorous selection process, the family of the late actors and activists, together with the United Negro College Fund (UNCF), announced that Lane College senior, Jade Allen, is the recipient of the Ossie Davis Legacy Scholarship. “We are always motivated by mom and dad’s love of education and what a struggle it was for each of them to get higher education and the sacrifices that their parents made,” Davis Day told NNPA Newswire.

Rep. Waters Applauds Tyler Perry for Historic Grand Opening of Tyler Perry Studios

Congresswoman Maxine Waters (CA-43) wrote a letter of commendation to Tyler Perry – the first African American to own a major movie studio – following the grand opening of the Tyler Perry Studios, which Congresswoman Waters attended in Atlanta. The 330-acre major motion picture studio is “one of the largest production facilities in the country” and includes “40 buildings on the National Register of Historic Places, 12 sound stages, 200 acres of greenspace, and a diverse backlot.” Her letter follows:

Black365 releases Black History Cards

A recent study conducted by the Pew Research Center indicates that high school dropout rates for African Americans are declining; however, the African American dropout rate is still extremely high in comparison to other racial groups. One theory on why the African American dropout rate remains high is the problem of implicit bias. A recent Los Angeles Times article revealed that some educators, despite race, view African American students through a biased lens. This results in lowered expectations and lower academic performance. These lowered expectations occur as a result of educators and student not being informed about the significant accomplishments that African Americans have made around the globe. Some educators have a diminished view of students’ potential.

100-Year-Old Legendary African American Debate Coach Awarded 2019 Lifetime Achievement Award from NSDA

Dr. Thomas Freeman’s 70-plus year resume includes teaching Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. during his time at Morehouse, former U.S. Reps. Leland and Jordan, Harris County Commissioner Rodney Ellis, gospel superstar Yolanda Adams, and Academy Award-winning actor Denzel Washington, who sought out Freeman’s expertise to coach the cast of the Golden Globe-nominated film “The Great Debaters.”

Frank Lucas, Druglord Portrayed in ‘American Gangster,’ Dies

NEW YORK (AP) — Frank Lucas, the former Harlem drug kingpin whose life and lore inspired the 2007 movie “American Gangster,” has died, a relative said Friday. Lucas, who was 88, died Thursday in New Jersey, nephew Aldwan Lassiter said. Lucas had been in declining health, according to his former lawyer. Raised in North Carolina, Lucas climbed the ranks of crime in Harlem in the 1960s and ’70s, becoming a major drug dealer known for supplying huge amounts of particularly potent heroin. He said it netted him millions, and authorities seized over $500,000 in cash when they raided his house