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African American news for the week of Aug. 7, 2014

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California

Honorees and nominees for the eighth annual ADCOLOR awards, which will take place at the Beverly Hills Hilton on Sept. 20, were announced last week. Three of the awardees are Judy A. Smith, founder and president of Smith and Co.; Charles King, a partner/agent with the motion picture department at William Morris Entertainment; and Anthony Watson, the chief information officer of Nike Inc. Smith, who is reportedly the catalyst behind the success of Shonda Rhimes, creator of popular TV shows “Grey’s Anatomy,” “Private Practice” and “Scandal,” handles strategic and crisis communications. King is also a recipient of the Joseph Papp Racial Harmony Award from the Foundation for Ethnic Diversity. In addition, he sits on a number of prestigious boards, including the American Black Film Festival. Watson is a widely recognized expert in branding and global information. He is chair of the European Diversity Awards, Europe’s largest awards ceremony for companies leading the way in diversity and inclusion. CNN correspondent Don Lemon will host the awards. For more info, go to www.adcolor.org.

Georgia

The National Bar Association (NBA) presented its 2014 Maynard Jackson Legacy Award last week at the organization’s national convention in Atlanta. The honor went to UPS for its commitment to community. In addition to employing more than 13,000 people in the state, UPS has given back to its communities by donating more than 28,600 volunteer hours this year alone. The UPS Foundation, UPS’s charitable arm, has issued grant monies to dozens of causes throughout the state, including Atlanta Habitat for Humanity, Boys & Girls Club of Metro Atlanta and the Center for Civil and Human Rights. The delivery company is based in Atlanta, where Jackson served as mayor and was also a visionary for improving race relations. He led  implementation of major public works projects, including renovation of the city’s airport, which now bears his name (Jackson Hartsfield International Airport). Other awardees included Atlanta Mayor Kaseem Reed, Christopher Chestnut, Phaedra Parks (from “Housewives of Atlanta”), Judge Glenda Hatchett and Hezekiah Sistrunk. Others were honored as Sankofa Awards winners, including Walmart, Steve Harvey, Ernest Greer and Judge Greg Mathis.


Orrin Hudson and his nonprofit organization, Be Someone, will hold a national “pants up” tour to encourage urban youth to pull up their pants and think “brains before bullets.” A former state trooper, Hudson says he believes “prevention is better than detention.” Be Someone, an Atlanta-based organization, focuses on helping at-risk youth in urban communities discover their potential. Hudson is asking organizations and school districts to take part in the “pants up” tour. For more info, visit www.BeSomeone.org.


Ford Motor Co. was the key sponsor for the 67th annual Bronner Brothers International Hair Show, which took place this week in Atlanta. Through Ford’s sponsorship, the four-day event brought in some of the country’s top natural hair industry experts for a panel discussion hosted by LaTavia Roberson of “R & B Divas.” At this year’s gathering, Ford gave away a 2015 Mustang to one lucky attendee. “Ford’s commitment to diversity and inclusion is integrated across every aspect of the company,” said Shawn Thompson, manager of multicultural diversity at Ford. “This year marks the continuation of an exciting collaboration that celebrates Black culture and its influence on creative beauty trends around the globe.”

Indiana

For the fifth year in a row, Katherine Jackson is holding the Michael Jackson King of Pop Tribute Festival of the Arts in Gary. The three-day event will take place Aug. 28-30 at 2300 Jackson St., where Michael was born. The theme this year is “Art for Life” and centers around undiscovered talent. The festival is open to the public and will include a children’s pavilion, arts and crafts vendors, an antique car show, dance competition (with a $5,000 prize) and live performances by national and local artists. One undiscovered artist will receive a $15,000 recording contract. Anyone interested in registering to be a part of the competitions can go to www.officialmichaeljacksontribute.com.

Louisiana

The Crescent City Chapter of the Links Inc. will host a fundraiser that will also honor five individuals who have made a significant impact for positive change in New Orleans. The event, which is designed to raise money to provide scholarships to deserving youth and other worthy causes, will take place Sept. 20 at the Hyatt Regency. Honorees include Stella Pickney Jones, Amanda Aiken, Michael Hickerson, Damon Baptiste and Sharon Carter Sheridan, who will be recognized for their work in the arts, service to youth and health and human services, among others. The Crescent City Chapter is made up of African American women who are mentors, volunteers, business owners and professionals. In a related event, the Crescent City Chapter opened the first Historically Black College and University (HBCU) Arts Showcase at the Ogden Museum in New Orleans. The exhibit, which runs through Sept. 28, will feature works from students attending HBCUs in Louisiana.

Maryland

The family of Keith Warren, a 19-year-old Black man found hanging from a tree in Montgomery County in 1986, is asking police to reopen the investigation into his death. At the time the young man was found, police ruled his death a suicide, despite protests from family and friends. Now, 29 years later, Warren’s sister Sherri is seeking justice, as well as accountability, from local law enforcement. The family has myriad of questions, such as why the tree was cut down shortly after the death, and why the ruling was based on hearsay rather than any kind of investigation. “From the perspective of American history, Keith’s story is not unfamiliar,” said Sherri in a release. “In fact, it hits home almost daily. If in our society, social justice is defined as an ‘act’ or ‘set of institutions’ that are implemented in order to ensure that individuals are both fulfilled in their societal roles and receive what is due from society, America, we have fallen short.”

New Jersey

A cartoon series in development called “Mortolkosbei,” is about two runaway slaves being empowered by becoming ninja cyborgs. Justin Serrette Jr., who worked with “Boondocks” artist Aaron McGruder on the film “Uncle Rukus,” is creating the series.  The cartoon is set in the 1600s and then fast forwards to the 1900s during the renaissance of Black Wall Street. The former slaves will befriend a chemist, scientist and engineer to turn them into the ultimate warriors. “When I first read a book on Black Wall Street, it shook me to the core,” Serrette said. “They won’t teach this in history class. In ‘Mortolkosbei’ you will learn a lot.” Serrette, CEO of New Jersey-based CrazyAfroAnimation.com, is also turning the concept into a video game.

New York

The disturbing case of alleged law enforcement abuse in New York City in the case of Eric Garner continues with twists and turns. When police tried to arrest Garner for selling illegal cigarettes, a choke hold used by one of the officers resulted in the man’s death. And just last week, Garner’s death was ruled a homicide by city officials. A key piece of evidence may have been a video shot by a bystander who recorded the attempted arrest and subsequent death. In yet another turn in the case, the man who shot the video, Ramsey Orta, was arrested last Saturday night on charges of criminal possession of a weapon. Reportedly, Orta had a gun in his possession while out in public. He has previous weapon convictions that prohibited him from carrying firearms.

National

The 2014-2015 Xerox Technical Minority Scholarship is accepting applications from minority students enrolled in one of the technical sciences or engineering disciplines. The amount of the scholarship will depend on the tuition, and academic excellence and the amounts range from $1,000 to $10,000. Applicants must be academic high achievers with a GPA average of 3.0 or higher and must be a U.S. citizen or visa-holding resident of African American, Asian, Native American or Hispanic descent. Deadline for application is Sept. 30. For more details, go to www.scholarshipsonline.org/2012/03/xerox-technical-minority-scholarship.html.

Compiled by Carol Ozemhoya.

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