Launch Your Career With An American Black Film Festival Master Class
Film Life, Inc. is proud to announce its lineup of the highly acclaimed Master Class series to be held during the 15th annual American Black Film Festival (ABFF) in Miami, Florida, July 6-9, 2011. Designed to incorporate a variety of disciplines such as screenwriting, producing, directing, acting, film scoring and cinematography, this year’s workshop series will be led by renowned... Read More
Uplift Your Spirit Through Gospel Music
Award-winning film director Donald McGlynn has once again executed a compelling story line in “Rejoice and Shout.” The spiritually awakening feature length documentary uniquely explores the evolution of Gospel music in America with the help of Bill Carpenter, Smokey Robinson, Marsha Staples and more. “Gospel music is what kept us afloat. It’s very important to black... Read More
Mayor Shirley Gibson Revives Miami Community with Music
Some leaders are trained, while others are born. Similar to Sojourner Truth, Harriet Tubman and Fannie Lou Hammer, Shirley Gibson responded to a call to lead her Miami Gardens community from crime-ridden neighborhoods to a booming business center and home of this year’s Super Bowl. Gibson moved from PTA president of her children’s school to a police officer, before becoming... Read More
FDA Panel Delays Ban on Menthol Cigarettes
The Food and Drug Administration has decided against recommending a ban on menthol cigarettes, the preferred cigarette of black smokers, in order to study the issue more. Studies show 19 million Americans smoke menthols, with black smokers choosing them four times more than white smokers. No matter the age, sex, education level, region or marital status, African Americans... Read More
House Cuts Planned Parenthood’s Federal Funding
In an effort to cut government spending this year, the House has approved a Republican proposal to cut Planned Parenthood from federal funding. The 240-185 vote was a win for anti-abortion supporters, such as Indiana Rep. Mike Pence (R), who believes that taxpayer money should not go to groups that promote abortion, according to The Washington Post. Planned Parenthood is a leading... Read More
Ohio Mom Jailed for Enrolling Daughters in High-Achieving School
From Ohio.com: Kelley Williams-Bolar, 40, was sentenced to 10 days in Akron, OH, three years of probation following her release and 80 hours of community service for being convicted of falsifying residency records so that her two children could attend Copley-Fairlawn schools. Williams-Bolar, who was standing before the bench with her attorney, Kerry M. O’Brien, nearly... Read More
Teenage Pregnancy Hits Record Low
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Health Statistics released a report that found the birth rate for teenagers in 2009 fell six percent. This is the lowest teenage pregnancy rate recorded since 1940. The nation is on the right track in curbing teen pregnancy, where U.S. rates were more than double that of other developed nations. Black... Read More
Hairdressers Join the Fight Against AIDS
Small talk in your local salon may be saving lives, with the new national campaign, Hairdressers Against AIDS. Hair care leader L’Oreal joined forces with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization and the Global Business Coalition (GBC) to encourage America’s hairstylists to use their relationships with clients to inform the community on HIV/AIDS... Read More
Is the Black Church to Blame for the Rise of Single Black Women?
The church is where many black women seek spiritual comfort, core values and spread the word, but is the African-American church the reason why many black women are single? Columnist Deborrah Cooper, a writer for the San Francisco Examiner, believes black women rely too much on the church to find a man. “Black women are interpreting the scriptures too literally. They want... Read More
Telling His Truth: Robin Stone Shares Late Husband Gerald Boyd’s Memoir
Chosen as "Heart & Soul Recommends" in Downtime section of magazine. Gerald Boyd and Robin D. Stone with their son, Zachary. Former New York Times managing editor Gerald M. Boyd was three years and two drafts into writing his memoir when he died of lung cancer at the age of 56 in November of 2006. Robin D. Stone, Boyd’s widow, picked up where he left off by joining... Read More
