No Blacks Allowed?

Has Black Become Unfashionable?: BET News Explores the Decline of African American Models in the Fashion Industry in 'FASHION BLACKOUT' Premiering Thursday May 29 at 8:30 PM
Has Black Become Unfashionable?: BET News Explores the Decline of African American Models in the Fashion Industry in 'FASHION BLACKOUT' Premiering Thursday May 29 at 8:30 PM
for more on modeling click here...
Top Black Industry Insiders, Sean 'P. Diddy' Combs, Naomi Campbell, Bethann Hardison, Tyson Beckford, Tracy Reese, Andre Leon Talley And Many Others Sound Off About The Sharp Decline In African American Images In The Fashion Industry

NEW YORK, May 28 /PRNewswire/ -- According to targetmarketnews.com, Black women in the United States spend more than $20 billion on apparel each year. Unfortunately the runways, magazine spreads and the image/beauty industry at large are increasingly ignoring their buying power and their existence by choosing instead to market an Eastern-European form of beauty as the standard. This global decrease in the use of African Americans models in top campaigns and in major fashion shows has sparked the question: has Black become unfashionable? On Thursday May 29 at 8:30 PM, BET News goes behind the scenes of New York's Fashion Week to find the answer in a half hour special, FASHION BLACKOUT. Top Black industry insiders, Sean "P. Diddy" Combs, Naomi Campbell, Bethann Hardison, Tyson Beckford, Tracy Reese, Andre Leon Talley and many others sound off about the sharp decline in African American images in the fashion industry, the blatant racism and their plans on how to keep the Black model from becoming extinct.

At New York's September 2007 Fashion Week the runways were dominated by white faces. In fact, Black faces were more absent from the runways than some fashion insiders have seen since the '60s. Of the 101 runway shows, more than 1/3 employed no Black models; most of the others used just one or two. Blacks fared no better overseas: When the fashion caravan moved to London, Paris and Milan, the most influential shows -- from Prada to Jil Sander to Balenciaga to Chloe and Chanel -- made it appear as if someone had hung a sign reading: No Blacks Need Apply. So is the fashion industry racist or are Blacks simply not in season? FASHION BLACKOUT will explore the issues and how the exclusion of an entire race has a negative effect on Black women and their sense of self-worth.

For more on FASHION BLACKOUT viewers can go online to http://www.bet.com/OnTV/BETShows/fnbo.htm

About BET Networks

BET Networks, a division of Viacom Inc. (NYSE:VIA)(NYSE:VIA.B), is the nation's leading provider of quality entertainment, music, news and public affairs television programming for the African-American audience. The primary BET channel reaches more than 87 million households according to Nielsen Media Research, and can be seen in the U.S., Canada and the Caribbean. BET is the dominant African-American consumer brand with a diverse group of businesses extensions: BET.com, a leading internet destination for Black entertainment, music, culture, and news; BET Digital Networks -- BET J, BET Gospel and BET Hip Hop, attractive alternatives for cutting-edge entertainment tastes; BET Event Productions, a full-scale event management and production company; BET Home Entertainment, a collection of BET-branded offerings for the home environment including DVDs and video-on-demand; BET Mobile, which offers ringtones, games and video content for wireless devices; and BET International, an extension of BET network programming for global distribution.

Sydney Pollock Dead at age 73

Director and actor Sydney Pollack has died. He was 73. Pollack's agent, Leslee Dart, said Pollack died of cancer Monday afternoon at his home while surrounded by family.

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The Big Win!

The sunset is beautiful wherever you are...

Beauty is where you find it or Beauty is everywhere or the sunset is beautiful wherever you watch it.
Now try to guess where I shot these photos! (place your guess in comments)

Obama '08: Sen. Barack Obama comes to Gary--the series

Those who chose to, wore or bought Obama shirts of all styles--from the official blue or white ones sold at campaign headquarters to those airbrushed in an array of colors with Obama's face and signature look emblazoned upon them.

Joy and confidence shined on the faces of each ticket holder who emerged from campaign headquarters victoriously. Take a peek.




Find out why the people love and support Barack Obama. More of these videos may be found on my You Tube page. Click on the My Videos link to the right in the links column.



Watch entire speech of Dem. presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama at Roosevelt H.S. in Gary, Thursday.

Listen to "Reclaiming the American Dream" on my blogtalkradio show:


I promised a series and here it is:

Yeah and--So What Goes to Sen. Barack Obama's Presidential Campaign Office

Nicholas Cage in Bangkok Dangerous

Bangkok Dangerous opens to theaters on August 22nd.
Go see it!

Go See ADTV

These guys are adorable. I look forward to each episode. Please increase the frequency, Adam and Derrick!

OutKast

André Lauren Benjamin (byname André 3000; b. May 27, 1975Atlanta, Ga., U.S.) and Antwan André Patton (byname Big Boi; b. Feb. 1, 1975Savannah, Ga.,...
BRITANNICA BOOK OF THE YEAR 2005
Andre Benjamin (b. May 27, 1975, Atlanta) and Antwan Patton (b. Feb. 1, 1975, Savannah, Ga.) joined forces at a performing arts high school in Atlanta. Discovering their mutual admiration for hip-hop and the funk musicians that became their stylistic touchstones (Parliament-Funkadelic, Sly and the Family Stone, and Prince), they formed a rap group,

Stand Up for Your Rights as an American Worker!

Click on the video tower to the right or go to my YouTube page to post your video response.

WINEHOUSE’S HUSBAND ‘BEGS FOR DRUG MONEY

Posted in: Entertainment — PR-inside Entertainment News @ 3:31 pWINEHOUSE’S HUSBAND ‘BEGS FOR DRUG MONEY’m
AMY WINEHOUSE’s incarcerated husband has been reportedly begging her to secretly fund his drug habit.
Blake Fielder-Civil, 25, is currently behind bars in London’s Pentonville Prison but is still tying to smuggle heroin into the establishment, reports British newspaper The Sun.
According to the publication, Fielder-Civil has asked the singer to make payments to another prisoner in a bid to fund his habit.
And Pentonville’s head of security Andy Watts is already suspicious of the plot.
He has written to Fielder-Civil’s solicitors, warning, "There is a strong and supported intelligence he is involved in attempting to smuggle drugs into the prison." Fielder-Civil has pleaded not guilty to charges of attempting to pervert the course of justice and will stand trial in June (08).
The 25-year-old is accused of attempting to fix the outcome of a previous trial for grievous bodily harm.

Movie & Entertainment News provided by World Entertainment News Network (www.wenn.com)

Songwriting team Gamble & Huff and the Rock n' Roll Hall of Fame

Road to the White House/WLTH voter registration/Response to attacks on Barack Obama

Where are the African American strategists now? How does Barack climb out of this one? African Americans who have been raised around other African Americans are probably just as surprised as I am at the violent reaction to Rev. Wright's sermons by certain members of the media.
It's as if they don't know any Blacks intimately. I remember as a cub reporter at the City News Bureau of Chicago, having to cover a newsstory at Trinity once and I think the news bureau editor expected me to come out of the church shocked and amazed at what I heard but I wasn't. It didn't help that I left out after getting quotes--it was a debate.
He probably thought I didn't hear it or stuck around long enough to hear it and that is why I wasn't alarmed. My co-worker wanted to know why I wasn't alarmed but we were so busy complaining about other stuff, that we drowned each other out. Now that I think about it, they probably figured my silence as agreement. Hmmmm.
Blacks everywhere are used to these remarks. Malcolm X said it. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said it to a degree--all of our (African American) leaders have touched on Rev. Wright's race-based subject matter in question. So What? Outside of the ridiculous ideas on 911 and AIDS and the government, the race-based sermons are reflective of the lives we (African American) live.
We live with terrible injustices and we mostly don't say or do anything so it feels good to have someone who understands our pain, like Rev. Wright. A lot of what was shown on TV was overboard. Many sermons are at least 45 minutes--anyone can drift in attention during that time. However, the points made on race are indicative of what most blacks encounter daily. Just think about what Rev. Wright encountered being older during the times of outright racism. It's too bad you non-blacks can't ask some of your black co-workers. (oh, I forgot--you don't have any IN THE EDITORIAL ROOM. WHERE ARE YOUR BLACK GATEKEEPERS?)
Even if you could find one and ask, he or she wouldn't be honest and tell you about it. You'd get upset--like many of you are now.
Blacks and Whites have a severely dysfunctional, abusive relationship where Whites seek to constantly dominate Blacks and other races by hook or crook. After a while, it's easier to get along and don't say anything and let people who aren't a minority think what they whilst. What I found is when I get past White anger (because they think I'm angry) we all get along swimmingly. So maybe it is the anger and hate that is the problem (Satan) and not race. Who can help what race they are? Anyways, put some African Americans in your NEWSROOM/EDITORIAL DEPT. (not the receptionist area) and watch how they cover news, who and what they are drawn to and how they characterize certain situations. Then, when something like this Rev. Wright situation comes up, you won't be surprised and angry. You'll already know.
(Because I'm getting tired of the coverage--it's lame--there is only one point of view mostly)

BLACK ENTERPRISE Announces the Top 25 Moneymakers in Hollywood

Oprah Winfrey, Shonda Rhimes, Will Smith, and Denzel Washington Top Publication's Ranking of the Most Bankable Blacks in Film & Television


NEW YORK, March 6 /PRNewswire/ -- Money is at the heart of show business.
The recent Oscar ceremony lauded the ultimate in cinematic excellence, but the true barometer is a good opening weekend at the box office -- the first indicator that a motion picture will be a hit. It is box office gross -- not the Academy Award -- that is the make or break factor for actors, directors, and producers seeking influence. In television, success is measured by a program's ratings, which in turn determines advertising rates.

Today, a core group of black superstars has seized upon their creative talents to take control, both in front of and behind the cameras. In the March cover feature "The Top 25 Moneymakers in Hollywood," BE unveils its most comprehensive and qualitative measurement of black clout in entertainment. In developing its Bankability Index, the publication evaluated box office revenues, television ads, estimated salaries, name recognition, and major award wins and nominations. The result, reports BE Editorial Director Alan Hughes, "demonstrates that money is the key determinant when it comes to who gets to make plays and who's forced to sit on the sidelines in Tinseltown."

Coming in at No. 1 is media powerhouse Oprah Winfrey, who is widely acknowledged as one of the world's most influential moguls. The Oprah Winfrey Show continues to reign as the highest-rated talk show in daytime television history. Winfrey, whose show has won more than 40 Emmys, recently struck a deal with Discovery Communications to launch OWN, the Oprah Winfrey Network, in 2009. The network will be the most recent addition to a media empire that includes a satellite radio network channel and a magazine. One of a handful of black billionaires and CEO of a leading BE 100s company, Winfrey is also a powerful television and film producer.

Creating one of the highest-rated shows on television has made Shonda Rhimes worth more than her weight in gold with studio execs. It has also secured her the No. 2 spot on BE's Top Moneymakers list. Rhimes may not have the name or face recognition enjoyed by other powerhouses, but the buzz and the advertising dollars Grey's Anatomy has generated for ABC Network and its parent company, Walt Disney Co., powered her to the upper echelons of the ranking.

Earning a reported $20 million, plus a percentage of the box office gross, for each big-budget film he appears in, Will Smith landed the No. 3 spot. To date, his films have generated a staggering $4.9 billion worldwide, placing him at the top of Hollywood's elite.

Denzel Washington continued his box office reign with two highly acclaimed films, American Gangster and The Great Debaters. His venerable Hollywood track record earns him the No. 4 spot. Gangster generated some $223 million worldwide, proving that the iconic actor's drawing power is among the strongest in the business.

Halle Berry's strong performances in Paramount's Things We Lost in the Fire and Sony's Perfect Stranger demonstrate why she commands top dollar. Although Berry reportedly is not making the $14 million salary she earned during her Catwoman days, she still receives about $10 million per flick, putting her at No. 5.

Rounding out the list's top 10 are Jamie Foxx (No. 6); The Wayans Family (No. 7); Martin Lawrence (No. 8); Dana "Queen Latifah" Owens (No. 9); and Laurence Fishburne (No. 10).

The entire Top 25 Moneymakers in Hollywood list is available in the March issue of BLACK ENTERPRISE, on newsstands now.

BLACK ENTERPRISE, your ultimate source for wealth creation, is the premier business, investing, and wealth-building resource for African Americans since 1970.

Usher has No. 1 Song: "Love in this Club"

NEW YORK, March 5 /PRNewswire/ -- Fans of LaFace/Zomba recording artist Usher are embracing the multi-talented superstar's newest song, "Love In This Club." It is the No. 1 song in the country making an astonishing leap from #51* to the No. 1* position on Billboard's "Hot 100 Singles" chart. "Love In This Club" also claims the No. 1 spot on SoundScan's digital tracks and iTunes tracks charts during the first week of its release. This accomplishment marks Usher's eighth No. 1 single in the United States.

"Love In This Club," featuring Young Jeezy, co-written by Usher and produced by Polow Da Don is also being well-received by music critics; Entertainment Weekly calls it a "Must" listen, proclaiming that Usher "returns with his magnetic club groove."

"Love In This Club" is the first single from his eagerly-awaited fifth studio album titled Here I Stand, slated for worldwide release this June. Here I Stand is Usher's follow-up to his history-making, 9x platinum-selling Confessions.

The multi-talented, five-time Grammy-winner, musician and actor has sold nearly 14 million copies of Confessions worldwide and it earned a multitude of honors including MTV, BET, and People's Choice awards.

Over the span of his 14-year career, Usher has sold close to 26 million albums worldwide and combining all of his single, album and DVD sales, he's sold in excess of 36 million units globally. The Tennessee-born, Atlanta raised performer, songwriter, producer, dancer, actor started his multi-faceted career at the age of 15-years old.

Usher Raymond IV has achieved what few other contemporary entertainers have ever accomplished. He most recently launched a successful line of signature fragrances, actively heads up his own charity, New Look Foundation, a camp for teens that teaches them about the entertainment business, and he is part owner of the Cleveland Cavaliers basketball team.

He is currently gearing up to promote his forthcoming album. SOURCE LaFace/Zomba

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Janet!

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Nic is in New York! (with his lovely wife, Alice Kim!)

Click on link to see Nicholas Cage

Video found on Topix.com

also, listen to this:

ITS A YOU TUBE OBAMATHON--he's here for the long haul!