WSSN Stories

‘Black Panther’ Brings in Over $400 Million Opening Weekend, Sets Record to Go Down in History

By Naomi K. Bonman

Talk about Black excellence! This year’s Black History Month has been lit and will definitely go down in history thanks to the premiere of Marvel’s Black Panther. Black Panther brought in $426 million at the worldwide box office after a slow rollout overseas and a record-shattering domestic bow over the holiday weekend.

If you have not seen it yet, please go out and see it. Our people (African-Americans/Blacks) showed up and showed out and surely dressed for the occasion in African print attire. This was a pivotal moment in history with this film displaying positive messages and allowing our youth to finally see superheroes on the big screen that look like them.

Not only did the Black Panther have a majority Black cast, but it was written and directed by Ryan Coogler and it was the first film filmed at the new stages of Tyler Perry Studios in Atlanta, Georgia. Once again, Black Excellence was displayed all throughout this film.

“The first day that I walked on set a lot of the crew were people of color,” Michael B. Jordan explained when asked what it was like working on the set of the movie. “The set was beautiful and I felt very proud.”

 Danai Gurira added, “You felt the power of this nation.”

Speaking of beautiful sets, the cast and crew all favored the warrior falls scenes as there most memorable and favorite set design.

“The warrior falls scenes were festive,” Chad Boseman stated.

tmp_MPSCXF_769db54ed5c9d4b8_BlackPanther596d2f092ada5

In addition to the well-designed sets and realistic effects and scenes, this film also dealt with modern day issues. These issues were brought to light in various scenes and atmospheres, from the more serious to the comedic scenes.

black-panther-trailer

Black Panther is a movie where you can take the whole family to. It also showcased unity of all people, but especially among Blacks.

“We were all jamming while they were trying to figure out things,” Lupita Nyong’o explains while illustrating a moment on set when the whole cast were in sync with one another. “I looked around and I realized this is Pan Africa. We have Black people from all over the Globe. It was Zimbabwe, Kenya, Ghana, Tobago, South Carolina, Los Angeles, Canada, the U.K., Senegal. Nigeria…We were just everywhere and we all came together to make this film happen. This is a film that is stretching across the Globe and bringing us all together.”

“As We Continue to Celebrate Black History Month…!”

Lou Coleman-Yeboah

Lou Coleman-Yeboah

By Lou Coleman-Yeboah

I want to encourage you to NEVER lose hope.  Why? Because, hope is the anchor of the soul.  Our ancestors held on to hope when facts, circumstances, and actions of others said otherwise. They had no evidence and no reason to believe things would get better, so they held desperately to hope. Hope, that was based on the fact that: God will continue being what He has always been – faithful.  Hope that was based on the fact that:  God will successfully complete whatever He has begun.  Hope, that was based on the fact that: God would keep all His Promises. Hope, that was based on the fact that: There would be justice and equity. Hope, that was based on the fact that: All things would work together for good to them that love God.   What then shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?

According to the Bible, “Hope,” is about a promise. Hope is a confident expectation regarding the unseen and future [Hebrews 11:1-2; Colossians 1:27]. That’s why Paul said in [Romans 5:3-5], we can rejoice in our sufferings because we are a people of Hope. Not only that, but that our suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us” [Romans 5:3–5]. So as you hold on through the storms, know that there is a proven-ness in regard to your character.

Never lose hope. Hold on, for this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison. Because the God of all grace, who has called us to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish usu. [I Peter 5:10]. And this is the hope we have as an anchor for our soul, firm and secure, says the Scripture.

“All the promises in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us” [2 Corinthians 1:20].Never lose hope. The Anchor of the Soul!

PHEN Launches Stage Play “Daddy’s Boys”

_SPG3268-emotion-stubborn_smallerBuilding on its success in prostate cancer education, awareness and advocacy, the Prostate Health Education Network (PHEN) is enhancing its efforts with a Broadway-style stage play. “Daddy’s Boys” tells the story of a widowed father and his sons, whose relationships are fractured, coming together when faced with prostate cancer. This highly entertaining play imparts real-life messages and information to the audience which raises prostate cancer awareness.

It is the latest health-oriented presentation by playwright Garrett Davis, who uses humor and music-laden dramas to bring awareness to minority health issues.  The PHEN/Davis collaboration builds on Davis’ established portfolio of stage productions that highlight diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease among other issues.  

“Daddy’s Boys” will launch on March 9th in Philadelphia, PA, in partnership with Enon Tabernacle Missionary Baptist Church, a mega-church serving the African American community. On May 12th there will be a performance in Glendale, MD at Reid Temple AME Church. Informational workshops, resource materials and cancer screening will be provided as part of these efforts.

“We are thrilled to kick-off the Daddy’s Boys tour at Enon Tabernacle. It is a great complement to our ‘Men know your Numbers’ Health Initiative that will be held on March 10th, says Senior Pastor Rev. Dr. Alyn Waller.

PHEN will sponsor each Daddy’s Boys performance with the support of its industry partners, and work with its national network of church partners to host and promote the play within their congregations and communities.  The performances are free of charge with tickets made available through the host church and other local PHEN partners.

“The Daddy’s Boys play is a natural progression of PHEN’s educational outreach efforts,” says Thomas Farrington, Founder and President of the Prostate Health Education Network and a 17-year prostate cancer survivor.  “Prostate cancer is a family disease as highlighted by this play, and this entertainment format will appeal to men and women enabling us to reach many more people and save more lives.

“We bring real life situations to the stage to educate and enlighten on health issues that affect us daily,” said playwright Davis.  “We believe our stories help direct those in attendance to resources that can lead to a better quality of life.” His work centers on issues that affect everyday people to build awareness and advocacy.  “What I call unreached people are African Americans,” Davis continued.  “We learn differently. Our people need to see us giving them information. The infotainment format is an effective way to teach them.”

According to the US Department of Health and Human Services prostate cancer is the leading cause of cancer for men, and the second leading cause of cancer deaths behind lung cancer. About one in five African American men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer during his lifetime. Black men are diagnosed at a rate 60% higher with a death rate more than twice that for men of all other racial and ethnic groups. 

About PHEN

The Prostate Health Education Network (PHEN) is the leading patient education and advocacy organization addressing the needs of African American prostate cancer patients, survivors and families.  Based in Quincy MA, PHEN, a 501c(3) organization founded in 2003, sponsors educational webcasts, the Annual Father’s Day Rally  education symposiums with church partners, and the Annual African American Prostate Cancer Disparity Summit in Washington DC.

About Gdavis Productions

Gdavis Productions is an urban theater company that tours stage plays across the USA. Established in 1994 by CEO/Founder Garrett Davis, playwright has won numerous awards for brining real life situations to the stage. The goal is to bring light to issues and concerns that affect our community in hopes of creating a change for a better quality of life for everyone.

 

Gdavis Productions is based in Winston Salem, NC: www.gdavisproductions.net

Management Contact: Bridget Fleury & Associates, LLC bridget.fleury@gmail.com 414-699-8357

Churches and other organizations that may be interested in hosting “Daddy’s Boys” should email PHEN at rapcancer@prostatehealthed.org

What It Do with the LUE: Booking New Talent

By Lue Dowdy

Booking new talent is WHAT IT DO! LATE NIGHT! SPOTLIGHT! Back by Popular demand and we brought frenz – (Talon Networks and the Mac Rome Show)! A night of comedy, live interviews and performances from some of the most talented in the Inland Empire and beyond.

This is a grown and sexy event. Come out and network with likeminded individuals. Let’s get intimate once again! Comedy Show Hosted by Comedian Mac Rome, Live Show Hosted by Queen LUE.

We are now booking acts and vendors (limited Space). For more details, text us at (909) 567-1000 or message us at Facebook under ‘LUE Productions’.

Until next week L’s!

The First Week of the Pan African Film Festival Brings Fourth Love, Justice and Action

By Naomi K. Bonman

The first week of Pan African Film Festival is a wrap with just a few more days to go. Last week we seen a plethora of great films from a variety of genres ranging from comedy-romance to social justice to action. The screenings all took place at the Cinemark Rate 15 Theatres at the Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza located at 3650 Martin Luther King Blvd in Los Angeles.

On Thursday, February 8, the festival opened by with ‘Love Jacked’ featuring Amber Stevens West, newcomer Shamier Anderson, Mike Epps, Lyriq Bent, Marla Gibbs, Angela Gibbs, Demetrius Grosse and Nicole Lynn. ‘Love Jacked’ is a romantic comedy written by Robert Adetuyi and Linda Eskeland, and directed by Alfons Adetuyi. The film follows the love story, or lack thereof, of Maya (played by Amber Stevens West) who takes a trip to Cape Coast, South Africa where she ends up falling in love with after capturing the attention of a handsome African man. Only to later be disappointed by what was supposed to be the most exciting time of her life. Upon returning back home to Los Angeles tries to make things seem glorier than what they are to impress the likeness of her father Ed (played by Keith David). 

“If any dad that has daughters you understand that you just want the best for her,” Keith explained on why he believes this movie is one to see. “And if you have a daughter like mine that you sometimes butt heads with they don’t always agree with you in that moment, so you have to have words about it. But in time they come around.”

On Friday, February 9, premiered a special screening of “Behind the Movement”.  We all heard and know the story about Rosa Parks; however, many do not know it on a deeper level. Most assumed because as it has been stated throughout books and news articles was that Rosa was tired. But she was not tired, but fed up with the treatment towards our people. 

“I always knew who Rosa Parks was and that she was the one who sparked this movement,” Meta Golding explained when asked how it felt to play such an iconic character in history. “This film was really educational for me about Mrs. Parks and Raymond Parks, her husband who she always described as the first real activist that she ever met because he was an activist in the 30s. When I found out I got the role I was initially terrified because I knew how much Mrs. Parks meant to everyone, not just in this country, but around the World, so it was really daunting. But then it became a tremendous responsibility to attempt to try and tell her story and because the power of film can become what we think of us the power of history.”

She continues, “I felt a tremendous responsibility, but more than anything a tremendous honor to step into the shoes of this giant.”

On Wednesday, February 14, the center piece film was none other than a special screening and premiere of “Black Panther”.

For more information on PAFF and the screenings, please visit www.paff.org.

The Paley Center LA Celebrates African American TV Showrunners

By Naomi K. Bonman

These last few years have been booming with African American writers in television. From ‘Empire’, ‘Star’, ‘Power’, ‘Dear White People’, ‘Insecure’, ‘Claws’, and ‘Luke Cage’, just to name a few, these shows all have one thing in common—they are ran by an African American.

To commemorate Black History Month, the Paley Center for Media Los Angeles gathered prominent, Black showrunners, creators and executive producers to discuss the current state of the industry. I was able to attend the panel discussion which I found to be very enlightening and informative. The panelists consisted of: Cheo Hodar Coker, Creator/Executive Producer/Showrunner, ‘Luke Cage’; Courtney A. Kemp, Creator/Executive Producer/Showrunner, ‘Power’; Janine Sherman Barrois, Executive Producer/Showrunner, ‘Claws’; Karin Gist, Executive Producer/Showrunner, ‘Star’; Prentice Penny, Creator/Showrunner, ‘Insecure’; and Justin Simien, Creator/Executive Producer, ‘Dear White People’. The moderator for the evening was Nischelle Turner, Entertainment Tonight host.

The discussion ranged from topics surrounding the increase of more African Americans and show business who are calling the shots to the content that we choose to put out there. It is refreshing to see more of our stories told BY US.

“We can now say that ‘I want more people of color as directors’,” Barrois explains. “’I want more people of color in editing jobs. You don’t have to say if they send you all white writers, “I’m not hiring all white writers’, why would I do that?”

The industry is now becoming more diverse to where opportunities are expanding for people of color. No more are we only considered as a possible option.

To listen to the discussion, please click below:

Listen to discussion here

“Only When We Unite Can We Conquer!”

Lou Coleman-Yeboah

Lou Coleman-Yeboah

By Lou Coleman-Yeboah

You see, the phrase “United We Stand… Divided We Fall” has a lot of truth and merit to it! Christ gave us even greater insight when He said in [Matthew 12:25] a house divided, a city divided and a nation divided cannot stand. The reality is that God shows us a powerful principle concerning this truth. It is found in [Genesis 11:6] concerning the Tower of Babel. God said because of their “Unity” there was nothing they couldn’t accomplish if they put their minds to it. Now, if these were ungodly people without the prophetic purpose of God at heart, what could this mean to a people fulfilling the call of God on their lives and pursuing the purposes of God’s Kingdom. Ahh!

Unity a wonderful word, but requires deliberate action. That’s why I appeal to you today as Paul did in [1 Corinthians 1:10] when he said, “let us all agree with one another in what we say and that there be no divisions among us, but that we be perfectly united in mind and thought.” Paul exhort us to unite and conquer by majoring on the majors. You see, when we walk in unity we can accomplish supernatural achievements. We can walk on Water together. It’s a beautiful and powerful thing.

Unity: being one; combining into one; something that is whole; harmony [Psalm 133]. It is only when we come together in one mind and one accord in Jesus that we will have power and will be able to move in Spirit and Truth toward using our spiritual authority that God gave us—that same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead.  Unity the key to seeing souls saved… Unity the key to living in the Power of God… Unity the key to being used by God…

Let’s make the right choice based on an understanding of truth. Disunity causes great threat to our survival as a people. Without unity everything begins to crumble, becomes weakened, paralyzed, and ineffective. We are called to divide and conquer. This will only happen when we major on the majors, “We as a people.” We must be unified. We must strive and remain as one. There is Power in Unity!

Black History Month!  “All For One and One For All”.

Letter to the Editor: There’s No Fight Sheila C. Johnson Hasn’t Won

The “biggest fight of my life” Sheila C. Johnson once shared wasn’t co-founding Black Entertainment Television or ending her 33-year marriage to Robert “Bob” Johnson, with whom she raised two children and started a television network.

It was getting zoning, planning and other local government permits to open a hotel and spa in the village of Middleburg, Virginia. While her proposed Salamander Resort and Spa would eventually create dozens of jobs and pay millions in property and other taxes, the village government fought her every step of the way.

Her hard-earned wealth granted her few advantages. “None of that matters,” she told CNN in 2016. “As an African-American, they didn’t want me to do this. It was the fight of my life. I’ve never been more frightened in my life.”

Yet Johnson never backed down. “Change is always difficult, so there was inevitably going to be some opposition,” she shared in an email. The battle was so epic that it spanned a decade. 

Founded in 1787, Middleburg, a village of just 673 residents in the 2010 census renowned for its steeple chases and fox hunts, considers itself the “Nation’s Horse and Hunt Capital”. Johnson, an area resident, certainly fit the theme. Proposed in 2002, the equestrian-inspired Salamander—with its riding trails and horse paddocks—kept to the town’s traditions. The nearly 350 acres Johnson purchased for Salamander was once owned by former U.S. ambassador Pamela Harriman, the celebrated horse lover who was a one-time daughter-in-law of Winston Churchill. Plus Johnson’s daughter, Paige, is an elite equestrian who competes all over the world.

“I was naïve about realizing that I was south of the Mason-Dixon Line and a lot of people got very nervous about this African American woman coming in and building this resort,” the 68-year-old Johnson admitted in an exclusive interview early in 2017. No stranger to racial discrimination, growing up, the Pennsylvania-born Johnson moved more than a dozen times before settling in Maywood, just outside Chicago, because her neurosurgeon father’s race frequently became an issue.

Those experiences taught Johnson a resilience that served her in that fight and even now. “I learned the life of hard knocks and racism but I was also able to assimilate into the different cultures and do what I had to do to make things work,” she said.

A woman of many firsts, Johnson was the first African American woman to achieve a reported net worth of $1 billion. She is the first African American woman to own three professional sports teams in three different leagues—the NBA’s Washington Wizards (where she serves as both president and managing partner), the NHL’s Washington Capitals and the WNBA’s Washington Mystics. She was even the first African American woman to become a cheerleader at her alma mater, the University of Illinois, where she is on track to receive an honorary doctorate in May 2018.

Johnson is also a renowned philanthropist. The Sheila C. Johnson Design School Center at the Parsons School of Design in New York City, where she serves on the Board of Governors, bears her name. At the Harvard Kennedy School, she endows the Sheila C. Johnson Leadership Fellowship to support emerging leaders primarily focused on erasing disparities in underserved African American communities. 

As an African American woman entrepreneur, Johnson has blazed new trails in the corporate-dominated hospitality industry. Boasting 168 guestrooms and suites, an on-site stable, a 23,000-square-foot spa and a cooking studio, Salamander Resort & Spa in Middleburg, the crown jewel in her impressive constellation of almost ten hotels, has won coveted Forbes Five Star and AAA Five Diamond honors. Johnson added Nopsi New Orleans to the Salamander Hotels and Resorts family in summer 2017 with Hotel Bennett in Charleston, South Carolina set to join summer 2018. 

Back in Middleburg, Johnson reports that “Salamander has certainly contributed to an economic upturn in the town through taxes, paying for water and wastewater treatment plants, and attracting visitors who frequent local businesses, including galleries, boutiques and wineries.”

Beth Erickson, Visit Loudoun’s president/CEO since 2014, cosigns Johnson’s impact. “When Sheila opened Salamander, it was the only new luxury destination resort in the United States that opened in 2013 and, by opening it alone, it created 400 jobs,” Erickson shared. “Occupancy taxes from Salamander have exceeded $1.3 million per year.”

“Some of those taxes,” reported Erickson, “went directly to improving sidewalks and crosswalks in Middleburg. It created revenue that allowed the town’s failing pipes to be replaced.”

An added bonus is through the Middleburg Film Festival, Johnson, who is also a film producer with ‘Lee Daniels’ The Butler’ among her credits, “has literally brought Hollywood to Loudoun County” according to Erickson. 

Held annually in October, Erickson said the festival has put “us on the map in the company of Cannes, Telluride, Sundance and that is wonderful company to keep.” ‘Mudbound’ and a talk with its acclaimed African American female director Dee Rees was a highlight of the 2017 festival. In 2016, the festival screened eventual Oscar winners ‘Moonlight’ and ‘La La Land.’

Throughout her life, Johnson, who epitomizes “black girl magic,” has thrived on excellence and challenging herself.  “I always try to look for areas in which we, as African Americans, do not do,” she said. “I just feel as though I can do it just as well, if not better.”

“I never used my race as an excuse to not be able to do something,” she said. Not with her fight in Middleburg. And not in life.

Navy Honors the Contributions of African Americans during Black History Month

From Chief of Naval Personnel Public Affairs

The Navy joins the nation in celebrating the history of African American Sailors and civilians during African American/Black History Month, February 1st to the 28th.

This year’s theme is “African Americans in Times of War,” which recognizes the contributions African Americans have made to the nation during times of war from the Revolutionary War to present-day conflicts. 

ALNAV 007/18 encourages commands to participate in heritage celebrations and special observances throughout the year that honor the contributions, unique histories and cultures Navy’s diverse Sailor and civilian team. 

This month’s observance has its origins in 1915 when historian and author Dr. Carter G. Woodson founded the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History. Dr. Woodson and the association initiated the first Negro History Week in February 1926. Every U.S. president has officially designated the month of February as National African American/Black History Month since 1976.

“We should celebrate our unique backgrounds because each Sailor brings something different to the fight and this makes us a stronger, more lethal team,” said Rear Adm. John Fuller, commander of the Carl Vinson Strike Group and one of Navy’s African American flag officers. The strike group is currently deployed to the Western Pacific.

African American Sailors and civilians play an integral role in the success of the Navy as part of the One Navy Team. African Americans serve in every rank from seaman to admiral and perform duties in nearly every rating in the Navy. Currently, African Americans make up 17 percent of all Navy personnel, or roughly 64,000 Sailors. This includes more than 58,000 enlisted and 5,000 officers. Further analysis shows 17 percent of E-8 and E-9 Sailors are African Americans that hold a range of leadership positions. Nearly four percent of flag officers are African American Sailors.

A breakdown by gender indicates there are currently over 45,000 African American males and more than 18,000 African American females currently serving in the Navy. 

“Those serving today owe our success to the veterans who transformed our Navy into a more diverse force,” said Fuller.

According to the September 2016 “One Navy Team” memo from Chief of Naval Operations Adm. John M. Richardson, actively being inclusive and open to diverse perspectives will produce leaders and teams who learn and adapt to achieve maximum possible performance, and who achieve and maintain high standards, be ready for decisive operations and combat. 

Diversity also influences various thoughts, ideas, skill sets, and experiences which ultimately helps increase the effectiveness of the Navy. Integrating Sailors and civilians from diverse backgrounds enables the Navy to recruit and retain the nation’s top talent from a wide pool of skilled personnel. 

The Navy supports minority youth development and encourages the pursuit of careers in science and industry through science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) programs. The Navy also partners with organizations including the National Naval Officers Association, the National Society of Black Engineers, and Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) in support of African American service members and civilians. 

A complete educational presentation, including a downloadable educational poster on African American/Black History month, can be requested from the Defense Equal Opportunity Management Institute (DEOMI) by email at deomipa@us.af.mil.

For more information, visit www.navy.milwww.facebook.com/usnavy, or www.twitter.com/usnavy.

For more news from Chief of Naval Personnel, visit www.navy.mil/local/cnp/

 

What It Do with the LUE: Deeveatva Foy a.k.a. Zada

Deeveatva Foy

Deeveatva Foy

By Lue Dowdy

Belly Dance Instructor, Deeveatva Foy a.k.a. Zada is What It Do! 

The art of belly dance is a very sensual and seductive dance style. It has a way of memorizing people, especially with the sounds of the coin belt which is typically worn by belly dancers. It helps improve muscle tone, increase flexibility and range of motion while achieving better posture and a new sense of confidence and self-expression.

My girl Deeveatva Foy is a professional belly dance instructor that has been teaching over six years. She currently teaches a class at Infuse Dance Studio located in the city of Riverside off of University Street. I’ve been participating in her class for about two years now and I absolutely love it. It helps me to stay fit while getting my sexy back. She teaches the class two different choreographed pieces once a month. Deeveatva has a unique style and a way with people. She takes her time with you and allow you to feel comfortable and go at your own pace. 

Ladies if you’re looking for something different, I recommend this class. We meet every Tuesday night at 7 p.m. Help me wish Deeveatva Foy a happy birthday. For information please see flyer or contact Zada via face book. It’s okay to get yo’ shimmy on. 

Until next week L’s!