Leo D. Sullivan, the groundbreaking Black animator who contributed to the iconic opening for Soul Train and to cartoons featuring Fat Albert, Transformers and My Little Pony during his 50-year-plus career, has died. He was 82.
Sullivan died Saturday of heart failure at Kaiser Permanente West Los Angeles Medical Center, his wife, Ethelyn, told The Hollywood Reporter.
The Emmy-winning Sullivan also was a writer, producer, director, layout artist and storyboard artist at studios including Hanna-Barbera, Warner Bros., Filmation, DePatie-Freleng Enterprises, Dic Entertainment and Marvel Productions.
He and onetime Disney animator Floyd Norman were among the co-founders of Vignette Films in the 1960s. Their company produced educational films about such Black heroes as George Washington Carver and Booker T. Washington and was behind a 1969 Bill Cosby special, Hey! Hey! Hey! It’s Fat Albert, for NBC.
The duo also teamed on AfroKids.com, whose mission it is to build self-esteem and reconnect...
Sullivan died Saturday of heart failure at Kaiser Permanente West Los Angeles Medical Center, his wife, Ethelyn, told The Hollywood Reporter.
The Emmy-winning Sullivan also was a writer, producer, director, layout artist and storyboard artist at studios including Hanna-Barbera, Warner Bros., Filmation, DePatie-Freleng Enterprises, Dic Entertainment and Marvel Productions.
He and onetime Disney animator Floyd Norman were among the co-founders of Vignette Films in the 1960s. Their company produced educational films about such Black heroes as George Washington Carver and Booker T. Washington and was behind a 1969 Bill Cosby special, Hey! Hey! Hey! It’s Fat Albert, for NBC.
The duo also teamed on AfroKids.com, whose mission it is to build self-esteem and reconnect...
- 3/30/2023
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
“I got interested in the Gilded Age a long time before I was thinking of it in terms of a TV show,” shares “The Gilded Age” creator, writer and executive producer Julian Fellowes. The HBO drama series is set in 1882 and explores the contest between “old money” New York, represented by Christine Baranski and Cynthia Nixon’s characters, and the nouveau riche, portrayed by Carrie Coon and Morgan Spector. The writer explains that what fascinates him most about this period of American history is the “development of this country turning into a world power, or at least recognizing that it was already a world power.” Watch our exclusive video interview above.
“The Gilded Age” had a very long development period, beginning many years ago at NBC before moving to its home on HBO. During that time, Fellowes noticed in the history he read that these post-Civil War years were “very much dominated by women.
“The Gilded Age” had a very long development period, beginning many years ago at NBC before moving to its home on HBO. During that time, Fellowes noticed in the history he read that these post-Civil War years were “very much dominated by women.
- 5/24/2022
- by David Buchanan
- Gold Derby
A House vet and a Broadway superstar are among the latest additions to the cast of HBO’s The Gilded Age, our sister site Deadline reports.
Robert Sean Leonard will recur in Season 2 as Reverend Matthew Forte, described as a “jovial, congenial” transplant from Boston. Professionally, he’s the “new rector of the church attended by all the highest New York society.” Oh, to be a fly on the wall during those confessionals.
More from TVLineThe Time Traveler's Wife Sets May Premiere at HBO -- Watch Full TrailerThe Gilded Age: [Spoiler] Exits Ahead of Season 2, 13 Series Regulars PromotedWinning Time Renewed for Season 2
Additionally,...
Robert Sean Leonard will recur in Season 2 as Reverend Matthew Forte, described as a “jovial, congenial” transplant from Boston. Professionally, he’s the “new rector of the church attended by all the highest New York society.” Oh, to be a fly on the wall during those confessionals.
More from TVLineThe Time Traveler's Wife Sets May Premiere at HBO -- Watch Full TrailerThe Gilded Age: [Spoiler] Exits Ahead of Season 2, 13 Series Regulars PromotedWinning Time Renewed for Season 2
Additionally,...
- 4/22/2022
- by Andy Swift
- TVLine.com
Growing up, February came chock full of goodness: Martin Luther King Jr., Shirley Chisholm, Frederick Douglass, W.E.B. Du Bois, Booker T. Washington, Mary McCleod Bethune, Rosa Parks, plus everyone who lived during the Harlem Renaissance. There was so much to cram into 28 (or 29) days, that often, these whole entire lives were reduced to just a couple of paragraphs printed beneath their most iconic, heroic-looking portrait.
Complex humans and their complicated stories reduced to neat and noble little boxes.
Its tidiness notwithstanding, February sure seemed like a disruption— the topic of Black History was dropped as abruptly as we had picked it up, and by March 1, we were back to our “Regularly Scheduled Programming.” Racism was over because we finished the “racism” chapters of those books and put them back on the shelves. Blackness went back to the outer periphery of mainstream culture, and everything was “fine” again.
Even as a child,...
Complex humans and their complicated stories reduced to neat and noble little boxes.
Its tidiness notwithstanding, February sure seemed like a disruption— the topic of Black History was dropped as abruptly as we had picked it up, and by March 1, we were back to our “Regularly Scheduled Programming.” Racism was over because we finished the “racism” chapters of those books and put them back on the shelves. Blackness went back to the outer periphery of mainstream culture, and everything was “fine” again.
Even as a child,...
- 2/26/2021
- by Jazz Tangcay
- Variety Film + TV
Could Walt Disney be next? Really?
Let me explain: Most industry people I know were drawn to Hollywood by the prospect of creating things, not cancelling things. Now the dialogue has shifted, whether about airports (John Wayne), statues (Teddy Roosevelt) or movies (Gone With the Wind).
Could logos be next? Walt Disney was a man who did great things but whose points of view were nonetheless tainted by some unacceptable ideas. A taint provides ammunition for those who now advocate removing John Wayne’s name from Orange County’s airport or bringing down statues of Confederate generals or even of progressive presidents like Teddy Roosevelt or Andrew Jackson. Each of them had a taint.
I understand the motivations of the cancellation club, but don’t want to join it. Statues honoring defenders of slavery (John C. Calhoun) or military bases immortalizing Confederate generals (Fort Bragg...
Let me explain: Most industry people I know were drawn to Hollywood by the prospect of creating things, not cancelling things. Now the dialogue has shifted, whether about airports (John Wayne), statues (Teddy Roosevelt) or movies (Gone With the Wind).
Could logos be next? Walt Disney was a man who did great things but whose points of view were nonetheless tainted by some unacceptable ideas. A taint provides ammunition for those who now advocate removing John Wayne’s name from Orange County’s airport or bringing down statues of Confederate generals or even of progressive presidents like Teddy Roosevelt or Andrew Jackson. Each of them had a taint.
I understand the motivations of the cancellation club, but don’t want to join it. Statues honoring defenders of slavery (John C. Calhoun) or military bases immortalizing Confederate generals (Fort Bragg...
- 7/10/2020
- by Peter Bart
- Deadline Film + TV
Last year, the director Kasi Lemmons did something interesting, if not consistently successful, with the character of Harriet Tubman: She turned her into a modern action hero. Lemmons’s film “Harriet” had the beats and the posture towards its audience of a thrill-ride multiplex feature, but set in the 19th-century South instead of the present day and starring Cynthia Erivo instead of, say, Liam Neeson.
Similarly, Lemmons’s new television project, “Self Made” — which she executive produced and episodes of which she directed — recasts a figure from black history in the argot of the present-day; though characters in the story of hair-care pioneer Madam C.J. Walker are dressed in turn-of-the-century garb, they speak with the frankness of characters from, well, contemporary television. If it’s a project that’s once again more fascinating than across-the-board well-made, fascination is not nothing — certainly not when applied to a figure whose contributions deserve to be better-heralded.
Similarly, Lemmons’s new television project, “Self Made” — which she executive produced and episodes of which she directed — recasts a figure from black history in the argot of the present-day; though characters in the story of hair-care pioneer Madam C.J. Walker are dressed in turn-of-the-century garb, they speak with the frankness of characters from, well, contemporary television. If it’s a project that’s once again more fascinating than across-the-board well-made, fascination is not nothing — certainly not when applied to a figure whose contributions deserve to be better-heralded.
- 3/18/2020
- by Daniel D'Addario
- Variety Film + TV
White racists have long used bombing as a tactic, but they also dropped explosives onto black people from the air. You may have learned this recently from a popular television show. I doubt sincerely that you learned it in a high school history class.
The kerosene bombing of “Negro Wall Street,” as Booker T. Washington initially labeled the prosperous Greenwood section of Tulsa, Oklahoma, stands out even amid the maelstrom of violence in the opening scenes of Watchmen’s premiere episode. (When it aired, explainers and even curriculums abounded online...
The kerosene bombing of “Negro Wall Street,” as Booker T. Washington initially labeled the prosperous Greenwood section of Tulsa, Oklahoma, stands out even amid the maelstrom of violence in the opening scenes of Watchmen’s premiere episode. (When it aired, explainers and even curriculums abounded online...
- 12/23/2019
- by Jamil Smith
- Rollingstone.com
Exclusive: Ben Affleck will direct King Leopold’s Ghost, a fact-based drama about the plunder of the Congo by Belgium’s King Leopold II in the late 1800s. One Community, which co-financed Just Mercy, is financing development with an option to co-finance the film. Farhad Safinia (Apocalypto) is writing the script. Affleck is producing through his Pearl Street Films banner alongside Martin Scorsese and Emma Koskoff-Tillinger through his Sikelia Productions banner. Harry and Gina Belafonte are also producing, with Pearl Street’s Madison Ainley exec producing.
Safinia is basing his script on the Adam Hochschild book: King Leopold’s Ghost: A Story of Greed, Terror and Heroism in Colonial Africa. The film covers an atrocious piece of history that is every bit as bad as the subtitle infers. Set at a moment when European countries were racing to find ways to carve up the natural resources of Africa, Leopold became...
Safinia is basing his script on the Adam Hochschild book: King Leopold’s Ghost: A Story of Greed, Terror and Heroism in Colonial Africa. The film covers an atrocious piece of history that is every bit as bad as the subtitle infers. Set at a moment when European countries were racing to find ways to carve up the natural resources of Africa, Leopold became...
- 11/21/2019
- by Mike Fleming Jr
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: A remarkable, little known slice of Black American history is coming to light with Boley, an premium event series in development at Universal Television from writer Dianne Houston and producer Rudy Langlais.
Hailed as “television’s first premium Black western,” Boley is inspired by the e true story of an early 20th century black utopia, Boley, Oklahoma, which was established in 1904 as one of the largest and most thriving black towns in the country.
In 1930s Oklahoma, a group of proud Black citizens and businessmen took up arms against notorious gangster Pretty Boy Floyd and his band of outlaws to defend their community. Boley was a bourgeoning, prosperous town in the middle of the American Depression and its citizens were determined to protect what they had built. They were successful.
The rich legacy of this revolutionary all-Black town...
Hailed as “television’s first premium Black western,” Boley is inspired by the e true story of an early 20th century black utopia, Boley, Oklahoma, which was established in 1904 as one of the largest and most thriving black towns in the country.
In 1930s Oklahoma, a group of proud Black citizens and businessmen took up arms against notorious gangster Pretty Boy Floyd and his band of outlaws to defend their community. Boley was a bourgeoning, prosperous town in the middle of the American Depression and its citizens were determined to protect what they had built. They were successful.
The rich legacy of this revolutionary all-Black town...
- 10/4/2019
- by Nellie Andreeva
- Deadline Film + TV
Netflix has given the green light to Madam C.J. Walker, an eight-episode limited series starring and executive produced by Oscar winner Octavia Spencer and executive produced by LeBron James. The announcement was made by VP original programming Cindy Holland during Netflix’s TCA executive session.
Janine Sherman Barrois and Elle Johnson are set as showrunners on the Zero Gravity-produced series about the legendary African American entrepreneur and philanthropist, with Kasi Lemmons on board to direct the first episode.
Written by Nicole Asher based on the book On Her Own Ground by A’Lelia Bundles, Madam C.J. Walker tells the untold and highly irreverent story of black hair care pioneer and mogul Madam C.J. Walker and how she overcame hostile turn-of-the-century America, epic rivalries, tumultuous marriages and some trifling family to become America’s first black, self-made female millionaire.
Spencer stars as Sarah Breedlove,...
Janine Sherman Barrois and Elle Johnson are set as showrunners on the Zero Gravity-produced series about the legendary African American entrepreneur and philanthropist, with Kasi Lemmons on board to direct the first episode.
Written by Nicole Asher based on the book On Her Own Ground by A’Lelia Bundles, Madam C.J. Walker tells the untold and highly irreverent story of black hair care pioneer and mogul Madam C.J. Walker and how she overcame hostile turn-of-the-century America, epic rivalries, tumultuous marriages and some trifling family to become America’s first black, self-made female millionaire.
Spencer stars as Sarah Breedlove,...
- 7/29/2018
- by Nellie Andreeva
- Deadline Film + TV
Terrence Mann, currently starring in Pippin, will perform at a benefit for the children of Ms 54 - The Booker T. Washington School on Monday, May 19th, at 630pm in the school's auditorium. Comedian Judy Gold will host the event, with music direction by Joe Bachana. Brigid Brady The Phantom of the Opera, Paula Leggett Chase Bye Bye Birdie, Lauri Landry The Scarlet Pimpernel and George Merrick South Pacific are scheduled to appear. In addition, Ms 54 parent-performers are to include Marc Bernstein, Nathan Carver, Rob Derke, L. J. Ganser, Lisa Tamagini, Maren Waxenberg and Sarah Worthington. Ms 54 is a public middle school on West 108th Street, which serves some 825 children.
- 5/14/2014
- by BWW News Desk
- BroadwayWorld.com
It has been a busy week for Kerry Washington, and it all came together in a hilarious way on the November 2 episode of "Saturday Night Live."
The newly pregnant "Scandal" star wasted no time getting down to business as First Lady Michelle Obama in the cold open, a shot at the recent complaints that the show does not have a regular female African American cast member.
In her opening monologue, Kerry tried to draw comparisons between her show and "SNL," but was "interrupted" by cast member asking for help with their problems.
Notable sketches included What Does My Girl Say? a parody of “What Does The Fox Say?," Miss Universe, and the Booker T. Washington Fall Carnival.
Eminem provided the musical entertainment as he belted out his tunes "Survival" and "Bezerk."
Check out all the fun "Saturday Night Live" moments in the players below!
[HD] Eminem - Survival - SNL 11-...
The newly pregnant "Scandal" star wasted no time getting down to business as First Lady Michelle Obama in the cold open, a shot at the recent complaints that the show does not have a regular female African American cast member.
In her opening monologue, Kerry tried to draw comparisons between her show and "SNL," but was "interrupted" by cast member asking for help with their problems.
Notable sketches included What Does My Girl Say? a parody of “What Does The Fox Say?," Miss Universe, and the Booker T. Washington Fall Carnival.
Eminem provided the musical entertainment as he belted out his tunes "Survival" and "Bezerk."
Check out all the fun "Saturday Night Live" moments in the players below!
[HD] Eminem - Survival - SNL 11-...
- 11/3/2013
- GossipCenter
This week’s Saturday Night Live got off to a clumsy start — with a cold open that used first-time host Kerry Washington‘s appearance to poke fun at the show’s long-standing dearth of black female cast members, and its subsequent inability to mine headline-grabbers like Michelle Obama, Oprah and Beyoncé for laughs.
The good news, however, was that while Washington never really got a chance to sink her comedic teeth into an impression of the First Lady (or the first lady of the struggling Own network), she still managed to score a few laughs from the meta setup. And...
The good news, however, was that while Washington never really got a chance to sink her comedic teeth into an impression of the First Lady (or the first lady of the struggling Own network), she still managed to score a few laughs from the meta setup. And...
- 11/3/2013
- by Michael Slezak
- TVLine.com
Manhattan Concert Productions just presented a special concert performance of Ragtime at Avery Fisher Hall last night, Monday, February 18, 2013. The cast included Michael Arden as Younger Brother, Phillip Boykin as Booker T. Washington, Kerry Butler as Evelyn Nesbit, Matt Cavenaugh as Henry Ford, Tyne Dalyas Emma Goldman, Jarrod Emick as Willie Conklin, Manoel Felciano as Tateh, Dick Latessa as Grandfather,Norm Lewis as Coalhouse Walker Jr., Jose Llana as Harry Houdini, Michael McCormick as J.P. Morgan,Howard McGillin as Father, Patina Miller as Sarah, Lea Salonga as Mother Lilla Crawford as The Little Girl and Lewis Grosso as The Little Boy and NaTasha Yvette Williams as Sarah's Friend.BroadwayWorld was there for the special concert event and you can check out photo coverage from the fcurtain call below...
- 2/19/2013
- by Walter McBride
- BroadwayWorld.com
Manhattan Concert Productions just presented a special concert performance of Ragtime at Avery Fisher Hall last night, Monday, February 18, 2013. The cast included Michael Arden as Younger Brother, Phillip Boykin as Booker T. Washington, Kerry Butler as Evelyn Nesbit, Matt Cavenaugh as Henry Ford, Tyne Dalyas Emma Goldman, Jarrod Emick as Willie Conklin, Manoel Felciano as Tateh, Dick Latessa as Grandfather,Norm Lewis as Coalhouse Walker Jr., Jose Llana as Harry Houdini, Michael McCormick as J.P. Morgan,Howard McGillin as Father, Patina Miller as Sarah, Lea Salonga as Mother Lilla Crawford as The Little Girl and Lewis Grosso as The Little Boy and NaTasha Yvette Williams as Sarah's Friend.BroadwayWorld was there for the special concert event and you can check out photo coverage from the festivities below...
- 2/19/2013
- by Walter McBride
- BroadwayWorld.com
Manhattan Concert Productions just presented a special concert performance of Ragtime at Avery Fisher Hall last night, Monday, February 18, 2013. The cast included Michael Arden as Younger Brother, Phillip Boykin as Booker T. Washington, Kerry Butler as Evelyn Nesbit, Matt Cavenaugh as Henry Ford, Tyne Dalyas Emma Goldman, Jarrod Emick as Willie Conklin, Manoel Felciano as Tateh, Dick Latessa as Grandfather,Norm Lewis as Coalhouse Walker Jr., Jose Llana as Harry Houdini, Michael McCormick as J.P. Morgan,Howard McGillin as Father, Patina Miller as Sarah, Lea Salonga as Mother Lilla Crawford as The Little Girl and Lewis Grosso as The Little Boy and NaTasha Yvette Williams as Sarah's Friend.BroadwayWorld was there for the special concert event and you can check out the full opening number below...
- 2/19/2013
- by BroadwayWorld TV
- BroadwayWorld.com
Manhattan Concert Productions will present a special concert performance of Ragtime at Avery Fisher Hall tonight, Monday, February 18, 2013. The cast will include Michael Arden as Younger Brother, Phillip Boykin as Booker T. Washington, Kerry Butler as Evelyn Nesbit, Matt Cavenaugh as Henry Ford, Tyne Daly as Emma Goldman, Jarrod Emick as Willie Conklin, Manoel Felciano as Tateh, Dick Latessa as Grandfather, Norm Lewis as Coalhouse Walker Jr., Jose Llana as Harry Houdini, Michael McCormick as J.P. Morgan, Howard McGillin as Father, Patina Miller as Sarah, Lea Salonga as Mother Lilla Crawford as The Little Girl and Lewis Grosso as The Little Boy and NaTasha Yvette Williams as Sarah's Friend.In celebration of ths special day, BroadwayWorld brings you a collection of highlights from the original 1998 production and the 2009 revival below...
- 2/18/2013
- by Stage Tube
- BroadwayWorld.com
Manhattan Concert Productions will present a special concert performance of Ragtime at Avery Fisher Hall on Monday, February 18, 2013. The cast will include Michael Arden as Younger Brother, Phillip Boykin as Booker T. Washington, Kerry Butler as Evelyn Nesbit, Matt Cavenaugh as Henry Ford, Tyne Daly as Emma Goldman, Jarrod Emick as Willie Conklin, Manoel Felciano as Tateh, Dick Latessa as Grandfather, Norm Lewis as Coalhouse Walker Jr., Jose Llana as Harry Houdini, Michael McCormick as J.P. Morgan, Howard McGillin as Father, Patina Miller as Sarah, Lea Salonga as Mother Lilla Crawford as The Little Girl and Lewis Grosso as The Little Boy and NaTasha Yvette Williams as Sarah's Friend.The full cast met the press just yesterday and you can check out what they had to say about the special concert below...
- 2/12/2013
- by BroadwayWorld TV
- BroadwayWorld.com
Manhattan Concert Productionswill present a special concert performance of Ragtime at Avery Fisher Hall on Monday, February 18, 2013. The cast will include Michael Arden as Younger Brother, Phillip Boykin as Booker T. Washington, Kerry Butler as Evelyn Nesbit, Matt Cavenaugh as Henry Ford, Tyne Daly as Emma Goldman, Jarrod Emick as Willie Conklin, Manoel Felciano as Tateh, Dick Latessa as Grandfather, Norm Lewis as Coalhouse Walker Jr., Jose Llana as Harry Houdini, Michael McCormick as J.P. Morgan, Howard McGillin as Father, Patina Miller as Sarah, Lea Salonga as Mother Lilla Crawford as The Little Girl and Lewis Grosso as The Little Boy and NaTasha Yvette Williams as Sarah's Friend.The full cast met the press earlier today and you can check out full photo coverage from the festivities below...
- 2/11/2013
- by Jennifer Broski
- BroadwayWorld.com
The NAACP Image Awards have announced the nominees for their 44th annual awards show during a live press conference from the Paley Center for Media in Beverly Hills, CA. Anthony Anderson (Guys with Kids), Niecy Nash (The Soul Man), Yvette Nicole Brown (Community), Garcelle Beauvais (Flight), Tyler James Williams (Go On), and Zendaya (Shake It Up!) announced the categories and nominees.
The NAACP Image Awards celebrates the accomplishments of people of color in the fields of television, music, literature and film and also honors individuals or groups who promote social justice through creative endeavors. Winners will be announced during the two-hour star-studded event, which will air live on Friday, February 1 (8 Et live/Pt tape-delayed) on NBC.
Following is the list of categories and nominees for the 44Th NAACP Image Awards:
Television
Outstanding Comedy Series
"Glee" (Fox)
"Modern Family" (ABC)
"The Game" (Bet)
"The Mindy Project" (Fox)
"The Soul Man" (TV...
The NAACP Image Awards celebrates the accomplishments of people of color in the fields of television, music, literature and film and also honors individuals or groups who promote social justice through creative endeavors. Winners will be announced during the two-hour star-studded event, which will air live on Friday, February 1 (8 Et live/Pt tape-delayed) on NBC.
Following is the list of categories and nominees for the 44Th NAACP Image Awards:
Television
Outstanding Comedy Series
"Glee" (Fox)
"Modern Family" (ABC)
"The Game" (Bet)
"The Mindy Project" (Fox)
"The Soul Man" (TV...
- 12/11/2012
- by Manny
- Manny the Movie Guy
Director Thor Freudenthal ('Diary of a Wimpy Kid') is currently prepping his follow-up to mythological family adventure flick 'Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief'. Production on 'Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters' will kick of in a few days in Vancouver and cast members Logan Lerman (Percy Jackson), Alexandra Daddario (Annabeth Chase, daughter of Athena), Jake Abel (Luke Castellan, son of Hermes) and Booker T. Washington as (Grover) are all set to return but the franchise veterans are not alone. 'The Hunger Games' sexy star Leven Rambin (below) has been awarded with the role of Clarisse La Rue, the smart but hot-tempered daughter of Ares, the God of War. The story is based on the novel by Rick Riordan which has been adapted for the big screen by co-writers Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski. 'Firefly' star Nathan Fillion, 'Buffy' actor Anthony Head...
- 4/12/2012
- Horror Asylum
You can't keep a good Tribute down for long.
Leven Rambin will trade the luxuries of District 1 for the hallowed halls of Mount Olympus as she joins the cast of "Percy Jackson: The Sea of Monsters," according to Variety.
Rambin, who can currently be seen in theaters as Glimmer in "The Hunger Games," will play the role of Clarisse, the daughter of Ares, the God of War. Besides being something of a perfectionist, Clarisse has also picked up a skill or two from dear old dad when it comes to fighting.
The "Hunger Games" loser (well, her and 21 others, to be fair) joins an ensemble that includes returning cast members Logan Lerman, Alexandra Daddario, Jake Abel and Booker T. Washington, as well as new cast members Nathan Fillion (Hermes) and Anthony Head (Chiron). The sequel deals with Percy's quest to brave the Sea of Monsters in search of the mythical Golden Fleece.
Leven Rambin will trade the luxuries of District 1 for the hallowed halls of Mount Olympus as she joins the cast of "Percy Jackson: The Sea of Monsters," according to Variety.
Rambin, who can currently be seen in theaters as Glimmer in "The Hunger Games," will play the role of Clarisse, the daughter of Ares, the God of War. Besides being something of a perfectionist, Clarisse has also picked up a skill or two from dear old dad when it comes to fighting.
The "Hunger Games" loser (well, her and 21 others, to be fair) joins an ensemble that includes returning cast members Logan Lerman, Alexandra Daddario, Jake Abel and Booker T. Washington, as well as new cast members Nathan Fillion (Hermes) and Anthony Head (Chiron). The sequel deals with Percy's quest to brave the Sea of Monsters in search of the mythical Golden Fleece.
- 4/10/2012
- by Bryan Enk
- NextMovie
If overnight sensations The Alabama Shakes, with fans like Adele and Booker T. Washington, are good enough for Zales to use to hawk their diamonds, then they're good enough for me. Since releasing their debut four-song Ep last September, the Athens, Alabama group (yup, Athens again), led by soulful frontwoman Brittany Howard, have quickly established themselves as future 2012 best-of candidates. The twenty-three-year-old Howard (who was a postal worker mere months ago) grew up under the spell of artists like Elvis, Dion, James Brown, Loretta Lynn, and Otis Redding, and her throat-scarring delivery makes Janis Joplin comparisons inevitable. Her fellow Shakes introduced her to bands like T-Rex and AC/DC, as well as punk, and the rest is history. The band (guitarist Heath Fogg, bassist Zac Cockrell, drummer Steve Johnson, and newest member, keyboardist Ben Tanner) recently did their thing on NPR's World Cafe, which included tackling Led [...]...
- 2/3/2012
- Nerve
In behind-the-scenes footage, see how winning Memphis high school seniors landed a visit from the commander in chief.
By James Montgomery
Students at Booker T. Washington High School celebrate after winning President Obama's 2011 "Race to the Top"
Photo: MTV News
Last month, the class of 2011 at Booker T. Washington High School in Memphis got the thrill of their lives when President Obama delivered the commencement speech at their graduation.
It was their prize for winning the second annual "Race to the Top" challenge, a nationwide competition sponsored by Viacom, the Get Schooled Foundation and, of course, the White House. The contest aims to find the school that best prepares its students for college and beyond, and the seniors at Booker T. created a video that showcased not only its accomplishments (math scores 20 percent higher than the state average, a 30 percent increase in graduation rates), but its resiliency too.
After all,...
By James Montgomery
Students at Booker T. Washington High School celebrate after winning President Obama's 2011 "Race to the Top"
Photo: MTV News
Last month, the class of 2011 at Booker T. Washington High School in Memphis got the thrill of their lives when President Obama delivered the commencement speech at their graduation.
It was their prize for winning the second annual "Race to the Top" challenge, a nationwide competition sponsored by Viacom, the Get Schooled Foundation and, of course, the White House. The contest aims to find the school that best prepares its students for college and beyond, and the seniors at Booker T. created a video that showcased not only its accomplishments (math scores 20 percent higher than the state average, a 30 percent increase in graduation rates), but its resiliency too.
After all,...
- 6/14/2011
- MTV Music News
Brooke Shields tells Princeton's graduates she was a virgin while attending the school, but is one "no more!" The actress joins such A-listers as President Obama at Booker T. Washington High School, Amy Poehler at Harvard, and Tom Hanks at Yale, in offering advice to this year's graduates. Watch 2011's most memorable commencement speeches.
Watch: 2011's Best Commencement Speeches
Related story on The Daily Beast: Britain's Crush on Obama
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For inquiries, please contact The Daily Beast at editorial@thedailybeast.com.
Watch: 2011's Best Commencement Speeches
Related story on The Daily Beast: Britain's Crush on Obama
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For inquiries, please contact The Daily Beast at editorial@thedailybeast.com.
- 5/28/2011
- by The Daily Beast Video
- The Daily Beast
Winners of White House's 2011 Race to the Top Commencement Challenge got surprise of their lives at graduation ceremony.
By James Montgomery
President Obama meets with Booker T. Washington students Cassandra and Christopher
Photo: Andrew Huang / MTV News & Docs
Four years ago, Cassandra Henderson didn't want to attend Booker T. Washington High School because, as she put it, "I thought the same as everyone else: that it was a bad school with nothing but bad people in it." Now? Well, let's just say she's changed her opinion.
That's because, thanks to the commitment of Principal Alisha Kiner, the faculty and the students, not only has Booker T. Washington changed public opinion (posting math scores that are 20 percent higher and a 30 percent increase in graduation tends to do that), it has earned the attention of the nation, too, as the winner of the 2011 Race to the Top Commencement Challenge, a competition sponsored by Viacom,...
By James Montgomery
President Obama meets with Booker T. Washington students Cassandra and Christopher
Photo: Andrew Huang / MTV News & Docs
Four years ago, Cassandra Henderson didn't want to attend Booker T. Washington High School because, as she put it, "I thought the same as everyone else: that it was a bad school with nothing but bad people in it." Now? Well, let's just say she's changed her opinion.
That's because, thanks to the commitment of Principal Alisha Kiner, the faculty and the students, not only has Booker T. Washington changed public opinion (posting math scores that are 20 percent higher and a 30 percent increase in graduation tends to do that), it has earned the attention of the nation, too, as the winner of the 2011 Race to the Top Commencement Challenge, a competition sponsored by Viacom,...
- 5/16/2011
- MTV Music News
Voters have until Thursday to score the six high schools in the 'Race to the Top Commencement Challenge.'
By MTV News Staff
President Barack Obama
Photo: William Thomas Cain/Getty Images
Voting is under way in the White House's "Race to the Top Commencement Challenge," and you have until this Thursday to weigh in on which school will win the honor and distinction of having President Obama deliver the commencement address at their graduation. Last year Michigan's Kalamazoo Central High School won and now there are six new schools looking to take the prize in 2011.
With the help of the White House, the Department of Education and Viacom's Get Schooled foundation, each school made a video that represents why it deserves to win. At WhiteHouse.gov/Commencement, you can view and score the videos from Bridgeport High School (Bridgeport, Washington); Wayne Early Middle College High School (Goldsboro, North Carolina...
By MTV News Staff
President Barack Obama
Photo: William Thomas Cain/Getty Images
Voting is under way in the White House's "Race to the Top Commencement Challenge," and you have until this Thursday to weigh in on which school will win the honor and distinction of having President Obama deliver the commencement address at their graduation. Last year Michigan's Kalamazoo Central High School won and now there are six new schools looking to take the prize in 2011.
With the help of the White House, the Department of Education and Viacom's Get Schooled foundation, each school made a video that represents why it deserves to win. At WhiteHouse.gov/Commencement, you can view and score the videos from Bridgeport High School (Bridgeport, Washington); Wayne Early Middle College High School (Goldsboro, North Carolina...
- 4/25/2011
- MTV Music News
The long-simmering war of words between Tyler Perry and Spike Lee is heating up again.
Perry, in both a message on his website and a press conference to promote "Madea's Big Happy Family," hit out against Lee, who in 2009 said, among other things, that Perry's films "harken back to 'Amos n' Andy'." While Perry's website message was vague and resilient, defending his work as both spiritually uplifting and fun, his words for Lee were blunt and harsh in the press conference.
"I'm so sick of hearing about damn Spike Lee," Perry said during the press conference (via Box Office Magazine). "Spike can go straight to hell! You can print that. I am sick of him talking about me, I am sick of him saying, 'this is a coon, this is a buffoon.' I am sick of him talking about black people going to see movies. This is what he...
Perry, in both a message on his website and a press conference to promote "Madea's Big Happy Family," hit out against Lee, who in 2009 said, among other things, that Perry's films "harken back to 'Amos n' Andy'." While Perry's website message was vague and resilient, defending his work as both spiritually uplifting and fun, his words for Lee were blunt and harsh in the press conference.
"I'm so sick of hearing about damn Spike Lee," Perry said during the press conference (via Box Office Magazine). "Spike can go straight to hell! You can print that. I am sick of him talking about me, I am sick of him saying, 'this is a coon, this is a buffoon.' I am sick of him talking about black people going to see movies. This is what he...
- 4/20/2011
- by Jordan Zakarin
- Huffington Post
Greeted with derision in some corners and perplexity in others, the movement's new magazine launches at Cpac today. Editor Steven Allen tells David A. Graham how he'll stand out in a crowded field of right-wing media properties.
As the Tea Party surged in popularity and helped Republicans to a record victory in Congress last fall, Steven Allen surveyed the movement and worried about its long-term viability. Could the excitement last beyond a single election cycle? He looked back on previous protest movements. The abolitionists had William Lloyd Garrison's Liberator. During the 1950s and 1960s, the Chicago Defender was an important clearinghouse for news about civil rights. What the Tea Party needed was its own periodical, he concluded.
Related story on The Daily Beast: This Week's Must-Read Journalism
And Thursday, at the Conservative Political Action Conference, that periodical, a monthly magazine called the Tea Party Review, is being unveiled, and Allen has grand ambitions for it.
As the Tea Party surged in popularity and helped Republicans to a record victory in Congress last fall, Steven Allen surveyed the movement and worried about its long-term viability. Could the excitement last beyond a single election cycle? He looked back on previous protest movements. The abolitionists had William Lloyd Garrison's Liberator. During the 1950s and 1960s, the Chicago Defender was an important clearinghouse for news about civil rights. What the Tea Party needed was its own periodical, he concluded.
Related story on The Daily Beast: This Week's Must-Read Journalism
And Thursday, at the Conservative Political Action Conference, that periodical, a monthly magazine called the Tea Party Review, is being unveiled, and Allen has grand ambitions for it.
- 2/10/2011
- by David A. Graham
- The Daily Beast
Today is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day in America, and I thought it would make sense to take a moment and reflect upon the ways in which entertainment -- and specifically TV and film -- helped get us to where we are today. There are countless inspirational, courageous historical figures whose political, academic, and activist work have blazed a trail for African Americans in this country and made it possible for a black man to attain the highest office in the land. But this is not about Martin Luther King, or Rosa Parks, Booker T. Washington, Malcolm X, Frederick Douglass, or Sojourner Truth.
This is about "The Jeffersons."
There is no question that Martin Luther King helped to create opportunities in this country for African-Americans -- and, indeed, for all Americans. Through protest, self-sacrifice, and endurance, each generation has chipped away at the façade of institutional racism and individual prejudice.
This is about "The Jeffersons."
There is no question that Martin Luther King helped to create opportunities in this country for African-Americans -- and, indeed, for all Americans. Through protest, self-sacrifice, and endurance, each generation has chipped away at the façade of institutional racism and individual prejudice.
- 1/17/2011
- by Dustin Rowles
Reese Witherspoon is building a barn. The "Water for Elephants" actress, who has two children, Ava, 11, and Deacon, 7 with ex-husband Ryan Phillippe, is looking forward to the holiday season as it gives her time to work on a shelter for her pets, including pigs Booker T. Washington and Lavender Valentine, goats George and Martha Washington and donkeys, Honky and Tonky.
"I'm building a barn. I think it's cool. I really do have animal friends, I have donkeys, I have goats, I have pigs," she said. "I wanted the donkeys to be called Honky Tonk and Badonkadonk but the kids weren't so into it. They didn't know what 'badonkadonk' meant. So apparently I am doing some good parenting."
"Do I milk them? No. The goats are kind of worthless. They're pretty nasty and don't do anything. But I have chickens and they provide eggs."
Badonkadonk is an American slang term used to describe an extremely curvaceous,...
"I'm building a barn. I think it's cool. I really do have animal friends, I have donkeys, I have goats, I have pigs," she said. "I wanted the donkeys to be called Honky Tonk and Badonkadonk but the kids weren't so into it. They didn't know what 'badonkadonk' meant. So apparently I am doing some good parenting."
"Do I milk them? No. The goats are kind of worthless. They're pretty nasty and don't do anything. But I have chickens and they provide eggs."
Badonkadonk is an American slang term used to describe an extremely curvaceous,...
- 12/23/2010
- by celebrity-mania.com
- Celebrity Mania
Deonte Bridges, Booker T. Washington High School's first Black male valedictorian in a decade, is making headlines after his touching graduation speech was posted on YouTube. In it, the Atlanta native speaks on overcoming arduous adversities, like being robbed at gunpoint, and his mother, Paris Hardaway, being diagnosed with leukemia. He spoke with Essence.com about what helped him excel in school and his message to students in their daily lives.Here's what you had to say: Darlene commented via Facebook: "As a retired educator and a Metro Atlanta resident, I am so proud of Deonte and all that he has accomplished." Ebone wrote via Facebook: "Congratulations, Deontae. Keep striving for your dreams and don't let anyone turn you around."...
- 7/19/2010
- Essence
New Yorker editor-in-chief David Remnick takes his sweet time painting a warts-and-all portrait of Barack Obama. In The Bridge: The Life And Rise Of Barack Obama, he occasionally tries too hard to situate the current president in the grand sweep of history: everyone from John F. Kennedy to Booker T. Washington makes cameo appearances. But Remnick’s portrayal of Obama as a headstrong, slightly egotistical man who is nonetheless compassionate and deeply intelligent has the “first draft of history” feel of the best journalism. The big problem with writing anything about Obama is that his life story has been thoroughly ...
- 4/22/2010
- avclub.com
I consider myself fairly versed in Black/Black cast films, especially obscure tv ones, so it came to my surprise to find Booker, a 1984 movie about Booker T. Washington’s youth in the South at the end of the Civil War and after, directed by now-super Director/Producer/Exec. Producer Stan Lathan and starring no other than ‘Dudley’ from Diff’rent Strokes, regular S&A commenter Shavar Ross. Also starring some of my favorite actors like LeVar Burton, Cch Pounder and Julius Harris, it also starred notables like Thalmus Rasulala, Shelly Duvall & Judge Reinhold.
coincidentally, the best image I could get is from Shavar Ross' website
The synopsis and some history, as quoted from Booker’s IMDb listing:
Set in the 1860’s South, Booker is the impassioned story of the boy who struggled through slavery to found the Tuskegee Institute. Through the eyes of nine-year-old Booker T. Washington, viewers...
coincidentally, the best image I could get is from Shavar Ross' website
The synopsis and some history, as quoted from Booker’s IMDb listing:
Set in the 1860’s South, Booker is the impassioned story of the boy who struggled through slavery to found the Tuskegee Institute. Through the eyes of nine-year-old Booker T. Washington, viewers...
- 2/20/2010
- by Curtis the Media Man
- ShadowAndAct
Give it up for Ragtime, a sweeping, ambitious revival that, with the election of Barack Obama, carries added resonance. The musical, an adaptation of E.L. Doctorow's novel about early 20th-century America, is moving, stirring and not to be missed. Real historic figures, like anarchist Emma Goldman, Harry Houdini, Evelyn Nesbit and Booker T. Washington, loom over a narrative that tackles a time of extraordinary social, economic and cultural change. To capture the era's pain and promise, three distinct narratives dovetail: a wealthy Wasp household with Father (Ron Bohmer) and Mother (a beautifully layered Christiane Noll); Tateh, a Jewish immigrant (a splendid Robert Petkoff) feverishly working to make a better life for himself and his young daughter; and a Harlem couple, Sarah (Stephanie Umoh) and musician Coalhouse Walker Jr. (Quentin Earl Darrington), struggling with a troubled love affair. But revolution -- personal...
- 11/23/2009
- by Fern Siegel
- Huffington Post
Connecticut-based Theatre Projects is putting final touches on two performing arts spaces: the Dee and Charles Wyly Theatre and the Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House, as last-minute preparations continue for the October 15 grand opening of the At&T Performing Arts Center in Dallas.Theatre Projects is an international team of theater designers and planners creating extraordinary performance spaces around the world. They are serving as the theater design consultant for both the Opera House, designed by Foster + Partners, and the Wyly Theatre, designed by Rex/Oma, Joshua Prince-Ramus (partner in charge) and Rem Koolhaas. The Wyly and Winspear are widely regarded as the capstones of the Dallas Arts District.As creators with Sasaki Associates of the original master plans for the Dallas Arts District, and as design consultants for the At&T Performing Arts Center—Theatre Projects celebrates over two decades involvement in the planning and building of one...
- 10/14/2009
- backstage.com
Producer Michael Kimbrew (Mansfield 12, Tons of Love) and Prod/Director Craig Ross, Jr (Mansfield 12, Blue Hill Avenue, Bones, Prison Break, & Numbers) have licensed the rights to the life story of Madam Cj Walker, based upon the best selling literary property On Her Own Ground, The Life and Times of Madam Cj Walker by A’Lelia Bundles the great, great grand daughter of Madam Cj Walker.
We hear that Kimbrew and Ross are currently in talks with actress/rapper/author Queen Latifah to play the Lead role. It was confirmed that not only the NAACP, but Congresswoman Diane Watson (Chair of the Hollywood Congressional Caucus) have expressed interest in the project and both pledge their full support.
Larry Williams / Williams Talent Agency whom is representing the project states “the Madame Cj Walker project is the perfect example of “edutainment.” Entertaining, commercial successes that through theatrical distribution both educate and instill a...
We hear that Kimbrew and Ross are currently in talks with actress/rapper/author Queen Latifah to play the Lead role. It was confirmed that not only the NAACP, but Congresswoman Diane Watson (Chair of the Hollywood Congressional Caucus) have expressed interest in the project and both pledge their full support.
Larry Williams / Williams Talent Agency whom is representing the project states “the Madame Cj Walker project is the perfect example of “edutainment.” Entertaining, commercial successes that through theatrical distribution both educate and instill a...
- 8/25/2009
- by noreply@blogger.com (The Humor Mill Magazine)
- Humor Mill Magazine
Ongoing battle pitting Em against Cannon and Mariah Carey takes an unusual turn.
By Kyle Anderson, with additional reporting by MTV News staff
Nick Cannon
Photo: Todd Williamson/ WireImage
The ongoing back-and-forth pitting Eminem against Mariah Carey and husband Nick Cannon — which began with Em's "Bagpipes From Baghdad" and continued with Carey's "Obsessed" and then Em's "The Warning" — took an unusual turn over the weekend, as Cannon produced a series of quotes, original statements and Biblical tweets (concluding with one actually from the Bible) that, while not naming Eminem or "The Warning" directly, did seem to address the Mc's latest attack on his wife.
"Quote of the day: 'Never argue with fools because from a distance people can't tell who is who,' " he tweeted Friday to kick things off. What followed was a series of inspirational quotes apparently intended to defuse the situation and ultimately put "The Warning" in the past.
By Kyle Anderson, with additional reporting by MTV News staff
Nick Cannon
Photo: Todd Williamson/ WireImage
The ongoing back-and-forth pitting Eminem against Mariah Carey and husband Nick Cannon — which began with Em's "Bagpipes From Baghdad" and continued with Carey's "Obsessed" and then Em's "The Warning" — took an unusual turn over the weekend, as Cannon produced a series of quotes, original statements and Biblical tweets (concluding with one actually from the Bible) that, while not naming Eminem or "The Warning" directly, did seem to address the Mc's latest attack on his wife.
"Quote of the day: 'Never argue with fools because from a distance people can't tell who is who,' " he tweeted Friday to kick things off. What followed was a series of inspirational quotes apparently intended to defuse the situation and ultimately put "The Warning" in the past.
- 8/3/2009
- MTV Music News
Pig Pet Means Witherspoon Must Ban Pork
Reese Witherspoon has been forced to ban pork from her diet, after buying her young daughter a pet pig.
Nine year old Ava has fallen in love with the hog and named him after legendary civil rights leader Booker T. Washington - and pressured her mum to banish all pig products from the Witherspoon household.
The actress explains, "His name's Booker T. Washington - my daughter is studying American history. She won't eat pork, she won't eat bacon, and I have to be very careful with what I eat."...
Nine year old Ava has fallen in love with the hog and named him after legendary civil rights leader Booker T. Washington - and pressured her mum to banish all pig products from the Witherspoon household.
The actress explains, "His name's Booker T. Washington - my daughter is studying American history. She won't eat pork, she won't eat bacon, and I have to be very careful with what I eat."...
- 3/20/2009
- WENN
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