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The Story of Obama's Kenyan Sister
“I don’t know if he’s seen it, but I do know that he’s requested a copy and that it was delivered to the White House and received,” said Nigerian-born filmmaker Branwen Okpako on whether or not the president has seen her most recent film, The Education of Auma Obama, about his older half sister. Auma,…
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A New Season for Alvin Ailey II
In its latest program, the Ailey II Dance Co. features 38-year veteran Syvia Walters’ last season as the company’s artistic director before she passes the torch to Associate Artistic Director Troy Powell. Powell, who started training at the Ailey School at the age of 9, rose through the ranks as a master teacher and resident…
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Cory Booker Gives Life to Twitter Meme
Newark, N.J., Mayor Cory Booker is today’s Twitter hero after rescuing a next-door neighbor from her burning house Thursday night. “I just grabbed her and whipped her out of the bed,” Booker told the Star Ledger. He was treated Thursday night for smoke inhalation and second-degree burns. The Twitterverse is acknowledging Booker’s valor with what…
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Jesse Campbell: My 'A' Game Is on 'The Voice'
If Jesse Campbell, the breakout star from the current season of NBC’s The Voice, looks and sounds familiar, it’s not just because his voice is reminiscent of Luther Vandross, Donny Hathaway, Marvin Gaye and other soulful greats before him. In 1994 he signed with Capitol Records and released his first album, Never Let You Go.…
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4 Questions With Jamal Joseph
At the National Black Writers Conference at Medgar Evers College in Brooklyn, N.Y., on Friday, filmmaker, poet, educator and former Black Panther Jamal Joseph screened his new film, Sonia Sanchez: Shake Loose Memories. In it, he uses music and poetry to explore the art, work and activism of Sanchez, a legendary poet and co-founder of…
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Rep. John Lewis: Voting Is in My DNA
If you want to see what’s hot on black Twitter, check out The Chatterati.Akoto Ofori-Atta is the editor of The Grapevine. Like her Facebook page and follow her on Twitter.
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The Surprise in Cory Booker's Family Tree
Newark, N.J., Mayor Cory Booker, with his fair skin and blue eyes, had long wondered about his heritage. He learned the truth when he appeared on an episode of the new PBS series Finding Your Roots With Henry Louis Gates, Jr. In Booker’s episode Gates, The Root’s editor-in-chief, talks him through the findings of his…
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'Love Jones' Love Songs
As we prepare to celebrate the 15th anniversary of Love Jones on March 14, there will be much ado about the film’s genius, from the first-rate performances by Nia Long and Larenz Tate to the brilliance of the storyline, which trades in the typical and straightforward they-live-happily-ever-after ending for a less conventional, more complicated and…
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16 Rappers' Kids Headed for Stardom
If you want to see what’s hot on black Twitter, check out The Chatterati.Akoto Ofori-Atta is the editor of The Grapevine. Like her Facebook page and follow her on Twitter. He was barely 5 months old when his father, Notorious B.I.G, was gunned down on March 9, 1997. Now the 15-year-old actor is preparing for…
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Disney's Black Princess Sells Watermelon Candy
When The Princess and the Frog was released in 2009, folks feared that the first Disney film to feature a black princess would be riddled with racist images and stereotypes. Disney offered plenty of fuel for that fire, with critics taking issue with Princess Tiana’s portrayal as a maid, the Haitian medicine man who wears…
Black News and Black Views with a Whole Lotta Attitude
