Beyoncé becomes first Black woman to claim top spot on Billboard’s country music chart
February 26, 2024
Beyoncé made history once again: The superstar singer has become the first Black woman to top Billboard’s country music chart.
Breaking News
- LACMA Showcases ‘Imagining Black Diasporas: 21st-Century Art and Poetics’ Exhibit
- Sheenway School and Culture Center — Educating Youth to Lead the Future Over 50 Years
- Record-Breaking Hate Crimes Against Black Angelenos on the Rise
- Los Angeles Rams and LAPD Spread Holiday Cheer with Annual Sleigh Ride
- Heather Hutt Sworn-in as Councilwoman for L.A.’s 10th District
- Visit Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza for Holiday Photos with Santa
- Homeless and Their Advocates Speak Out in New Film, ‘WE, the Vulnerable of LA’
- The Congressman Wore Sneakers: An Evening With Hakeem Jeffries
- Brotherhood Crusade Honors SEIU President April Verrett at 2024 Pioneer of African American Achievement Award Dinner
- Athletes in $2.8 billion college lawsuit tell judge they want to create a players’ association
- Cal, UNLV Inspire La Tijera Students at Day of Play
- Student Athlete of the Week: Koa Seymour
- Where Art Meets Purpose: The Dancing Odyssey of Dwight Rhoden
Ray Charles
Barbara Morrison: Still a Performer at the Center of Hearts
March 2, 2023
One year after revered songstress, vocal teacher and community activist Barbara Morrison’s passing at age 72, her legacy is humming along in full swing. The City of Los Angeles has renamed the corner of 43rd Street and Degnan (where the Barbara Morrison Performing Arts Center has stood for the past 14 years) “Barbara Morrison Square.” It was dedicated on the singer’s birthday last year, September 10, which also marked the date of the First Annual Barbara Morrison Jazz and Blues Festival.
Salute for America Celebrates Ray Charles, Features Raylettes and Ray Charles Orchestra
September 1, 2022
On Sunday, September 11, 2022 at 7:30 p.m., Ellis Hall, The Raylettes and The Ray Charles Orchestra will hit the stage at Herb Alpert’s Vibrato Grill and Jazz, located at 2930 Beverly Glen Circle in Los Angeles.
The Judds, Ray Charles join the Country Music Hall of Fame
May 12, 2022
Ray Charles and The Judds joined the Country Music Hall of Fame on Sunday in a ceremony filled with tears, music and laughter, just a day after Naomi Judd died unexpectedly.
The Ray Charles Foundation Donates One Million Dollars to Help the Next Generation of Medical Doctors
March 5, 2020
The program will promote diversity in science and medicine with a focus on students from historically black colleges and universities
MLK Freedom Festival Celebrates the Legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Reminds Us of the History of Leimert Park
January 16, 2020
Every year on January twentieth, the South Los Angeles community gathers to honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Lowriders, marching bands, and drill teams help make up the largest MLK Day celebration in the country. The parade brings residents together from across California before culminating with the Freedom Festival at Leimert Park. For 35 years, the Kingdom Day Parade has brought residents together along Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, Crenshaw Boulevard and neighboring streets to celebrate social progress, acknowledge our past and look towards our future. For four years, Councilmembers Marqueece Harris-Dawson, Herb Wesson, and Curren Price, who each represent sections of South L.A., have hosted the MLK Freedom Festival to activate Leimert Park and engage residents to create community solutions. Despite this long-standing tradition, many residents do not know the history and significance of Leimert Park and how it relates to the legacy of Dr. King.
Terrence Howard Receives Walk of Fame Star
September 27, 2019
Directors Malcolm D. Lee and Dito Montiel preceded Howard in speaking at the 11:30 a.m. ceremony in front of the El Centro Complex on Hollywood Boulevard, near the corner of Hollywood and Vine. Lee directed Howard in the 1999 romantic comedy-drama “The Best Man” and its 2013 sequel, “The Best Man Holiday.” Montiel directed Howard in the 2009 sports action drama “Fighting.”
Honoring Central Avenue’s Past, Preparing for the Future
July 25, 2019
Central Avenue is a vital artery at the heart of South Los Angeles with great history and a bright future! The legendary street includes historic landmarks like the famous Dunbar Hotel, Lincoln Theatre and the 27th Street Bakery. In the early 1900s, African Americans established organizations and institutions that defined and defended the community. Commerce, music and entertainment would go on to shape the beloved corridor.
Universal Music Faces Federal Lawsuit For Recordings Lost In 2008 Fire
June 28, 2019
Representatives of several artists who lost master recordings in a 2008 fire at Universal Studios have filed a class action lawsuit seeking at least $100 million in damages, according to multiple media reports. The rock bands Soundgarden and Hole, country-rock singer-songwriter Steve Earle and the estates of rapper Tupac Shakur and rocker Tom Petty are among those suing Universal Music Group over the fire in its Los Angeles vaults that allegedly destroyed master recordings made by those and other artists. It is the first legal action taken since a June 11 New York Times Magazine article noted that a fire
Billy James Releford, Sr. Inspired Many Lives
March 22, 2019
Dreaming “Big Dreams” in Wagoner, Oklahoma was no easy task for a young man living during that time. Billy graduated from Lincoln High School in Wagoner in 1957. The incomparable work-ethic instilled in him by his father, the unwavering love of his mother and the life lessons from Aunt Rosie, who affectionately called him “Tunny Boy”, created the fire and the desire to succeed in life. These family lessons became the foundation for self-reliance and self-determination.
Forest Lawn Memorial Parks presents ‘An Evening of Gospel, Jazz, and Blues’
January 25, 2019
A FREE night of music, dance, poetry, and black culture to celebrate Black History Month:
It All Starts with a Coffee Shop: Gentrification Beyond the Numbers
December 13, 2018
Windsor Hills and View Park have always been a shining Black light in Los Angeles. It’s where Black doctors and lawyers aspired to live when they weren’t welcomed in Bel-Air or Brentwood, where Ray Charles, Meghan Markle, and Ike and Tina Turner lived. It was the gold standard for Black people, a gleaming refuge lost to most in the sprawl of Los Angeles.
Joe Adams, Longtime Manager of Ray Charles Dies at 94
July 6, 2018
Known as the ‘man behind the man’, Adams was instrumental in Charles’ rise as a cultural icon.
This Week In Black History (September 21 – September 27)
September 28, 2017
Atlanta race riots took place, as many Blacks and Whites were killed.
Ray Charles’ Daughter Sheila Raye Charles Succumbs to Breast Cancer
June 22, 2017
Sheila Raye was recognized by the Georgia General Assembly’s House of Representatives for helping to keep her father’s legacy alive and well