HBO Donates $1 Million for Students Pursuing Entertainment Careers at Howard University

HBO presented a $1 million gift to Howard University to establish an endowed fund for students pursuing careers in the arts and entertainment industries.

HBO, which is a division of WarnerMedia, announced the donation Monday in conjunction with the upcoming premiere of the HBO special Between The World and Me based on the New York Times best-selling book by Ta-Nehisi Coates. Coates, a proud Howard graduate, will executive produce the project with fellow Howard alumni Kamilah Forbes, the executive producer of the Apollo Theater, and award-winning actress Susan Kelechi Watson.

“As products of Howard University, we deeply believe in the responsibility to give as much as was given to us,” said Coates, Forbes, and Watson in a joint statement sent to BLACK ENTERPRISE. “We are inspired to see that same spirit in HBO’s gift to Howard — an institution which has not just given so much to us, individually, but to all of America.”

Through the Coates-Forbes-Watson-HBO Dream Seekers Endowed Fellowship, students will be awarded stipends to use toward living and travel expenses for internships in cities like Los Angeles and New York.

“We are incredibly proud to be a part of creating this endowment which will provide means for students to pursue formative opportunities in the arts and entertainment,” said HBO Programming President Casey Bloys. “We can think of no better partners than Howard University, Ta-Nehisi Coates, Kamilah Forbes and Susan Kelechi Watson in this effort.”

The awards will be available to students with demonstrated financial need to help them take advantage of opportunities they may not otherwise be able to afford.

“The costs affiliated with living in cities like Los Angeles and New York can push the benefits of accepting an internship out of reach for many college students today,” said Vice President of Development and Alumni Relations David P. Bennett. “The Coates-Forbes-Watson-HBO Dream Seekers Endowed Fellowship will go a long way in closing that gap and make a significant difference among Howard students for years to come.”

“We are grateful to HBO for their leadership in establishing the Coates-Forbes-Watson-HBO Dream Seekers Endowed Fellowship, which will make it easier for Howard students to make ends meet while pursuing internships and residencies with studios and production companies,” said the HBCU’s president, Wayne A. I. Frederick. “I’d also like to thank Ta-Nehisi Coates, Kamilah Forbes and Susan Kelechi Watson for their role in recommending Howard for this opportunity. I know that Howard played an instrumental role in their lives to help them become the incredible artists that they are today, and we are thankful that they continue to pay it forward through their time, talent and treasure.”

First published in 2015, Coates’ book Between the World and Me is written as a letter to his teenage son and recounts his experiences growing up in Baltimore’s inner city and his fears of daily violence against the Black community. The National Book Award winner and Pulitzer Prize finalist also explores the notion that white supremacy is embedded in all aspects of American society.

The HBO special event of the same name is premiering this fall.

from Black Enterprise https://ift.tt/31oszx1

HBO Donates $1 Million for Students Pursuing Entertainment Careers at Howard University

HBO presented a $1 million gift to Howard University to establish an endowed fund for students pursuing careers in the arts and entertainment industries.

HBO, which is a division of WarnerMedia, announced the donation Monday in conjunction with the upcoming premiere of the HBO special Between The World and Me based on the New York Times best-selling book by Ta-Nehisi Coates. Coates, a proud Howard graduate, will executive produce the project with fellow Howard alumni Kamilah Forbes, the executive producer of the Apollo Theater, and award-winning actress Susan Kelechi Watson.

“As products of Howard University, we deeply believe in the responsibility to give as much as was given to us,” said Coates, Forbes, and Watson in a joint statement sent to BLACK ENTERPRISE. “We are inspired to see that same spirit in HBO’s gift to Howard — an institution which has not just given so much to us, individually, but to all of America.”

Through the Coates-Forbes-Watson-HBO Dream Seekers Endowed Fellowship, students will be awarded stipends to use toward living and travel expenses for internships in cities like Los Angeles and New York.

“We are incredibly proud to be a part of creating this endowment which will provide means for students to pursue formative opportunities in the arts and entertainment,” said HBO Programming President Casey Bloys. “We can think of no better partners than Howard University, Ta-Nehisi Coates, Kamilah Forbes and Susan Kelechi Watson in this effort.”

The awards will be available to students with demonstrated financial need to help them take advantage of opportunities they may not otherwise be able to afford.

“The costs affiliated with living in cities like Los Angeles and New York can push the benefits of accepting an internship out of reach for many college students today,” said Vice President of Development and Alumni Relations David P. Bennett. “The Coates-Forbes-Watson-HBO Dream Seekers Endowed Fellowship will go a long way in closing that gap and make a significant difference among Howard students for years to come.”

“We are grateful to HBO for their leadership in establishing the Coates-Forbes-Watson-HBO Dream Seekers Endowed Fellowship, which will make it easier for Howard students to make ends meet while pursuing internships and residencies with studios and production companies,” said the HBCU’s president, Wayne A. I. Frederick. “I’d also like to thank Ta-Nehisi Coates, Kamilah Forbes and Susan Kelechi Watson for their role in recommending Howard for this opportunity. I know that Howard played an instrumental role in their lives to help them become the incredible artists that they are today, and we are thankful that they continue to pay it forward through their time, talent and treasure.”

First published in 2015, Coates’ book Between the World and Me is written as a letter to his teenage son and recounts his experiences growing up in Baltimore’s inner city and his fears of daily violence against the Black community. The National Book Award winner and Pulitzer Prize finalist also explores the notion that white supremacy is embedded in all aspects of American society.

The HBO special event of the same name is premiering this fall.

from Black Enterprise https://ift.tt/31oszx1

Kamala Harris introduces bill to tackle uterine fibroids

Uterine fibroids have a disproportionate impact on Black women.

Sen. Kamala Harris has introduced a new bill that will fund research and education on uterine fibroids. In July 2007, fellow lawmaker, Representative Yvette D. Clarke, underwent surgery to treat fibroids and has spearheaded a companion legislation in the House of Representatives.

READ MORE: Study: Childhood trauma, fibroids linked

Uterine fibroids are non-cancerous growths that appear during a woman’s child-bearing years. They affect an estimated 26 million people and are the leading cause for hysterectomies.

According to The Journal of Women’s Health, uterine fibroids have a disproportionate impact on Black women, as they are 2.4 times more likely to undergo a hysterectomy. Black women are more likely to develop fibroids earlier in life and have larger fibroids.

We don't talk nearly enough about uterine fibroids, which affect millions of women across the US. So today, I'm introducing legislation to fund uterine fibroid research and education so women get the information and care they need. https://t.co/1F1Br5yALu

— Kamala Harris (@SenKamalaHarris) July 30, 2020

“Complications from uterine fibroids can lead to maternal mortality and morbidity,” Harris told Refinery 29. “We have an opportunity to change that with the Uterine Fibroids Research and Education Act. I’m proud to work with Congresswoman Clarke to ensure that women get the care, support, and knowledge they need.”

The proposed bill would provide the National Institute of Health (NIH) with $30 million annually from 2021 until 2025. The funds would expand research and create a uterine fibroids public education program through the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), expand and improve data collection on which groups are affected by uterine fibroids, and more.

READ MORE: Sen. Kamala Harris announces anti-racism bill to fight COVID-19’s impact on Black communities

One of the many organizations that supports Harris’s bill is “The White Dress Project,” which not only raises funds, but also supports those who are faced with the difficulty of managing life with fibroids.

Fibroid Awareness Month 2020 ended on a beautiful high that we must highlight & celebrate. A Bill on Uterine Fibroids was introduced in the US House of Representatives by @SenKamalaHarris on Thursday July 30th, 2020 to provide funding for research & education on uterine fibroids. pic.twitter.com/7Uyyk9PrlU

— @fibroidtt (@fibroidtt) August 1, 2020

In a Twitter post on July 30 Sen. Harris wrote, “So many of you have shared your experience with uterine fibroids in the comments. Thank you for speaking out–your stories matter and they must be heard.”

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reelblack on YouTube

Motown 30 (1990) Hosted by Robert Townsend
Taped before an audience at the Pantages Theatre, 'Motown 30: What's Goin' On!' is a live musical tribute to the recording company from Detroit in its 30th anniversary. The star-studded television special celebrates the achievements of its entertainers from the late 1950s to 1990. Includes commercials. ---- "The 1983 special Motown 25 is now remembered primarily for a single segment — the one featuring the remarkable dancing of Michael Jackson before he became an all-pervasive media event. In Motown 30, no one steals the show like that. Instead, this homage to three decades of Motown music contains a whole succession of terrific performances. Tracy Chapman sings the civil rights anthem ”A Change is Gonna Come” with more warmth than anything on her last album had; Terence Trent D’Arby elicits screams of amazement from the audience when he delivers a howling, gospel version of Smokey Robinson’s ”Who’s Lovin’ You.” And there’s a salute to Mary Wells, now suffering from throat cancer, that is sung by Robinson, Stevie Wonder, and Gladys Knight; accompanied only by Wonder on piano, these Motown vets are marvelously relaxed and passionate at the same time. Like most variety shows, the pace is uneven, as are the comedy segments by everyone from Robert Townsend (Hollywood Shuffle) to Sinbad (A Different World). But what matters is the music, and the music is great. A" - Entertainment Weekly Shared for historical purposes. I do not own the rights. ##### Reelblack's mission is to educate, elevate, entertain, enlighten, and empower through Black film. If there is content shared on this platform that you feel infringes on your intellectual property, please email me at Reelblack@mail.com and info@reelblack.com with details and it will be promptly removed.

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Hurricane Isaias causes major damage as it approaches the U.S.

Hurricane Isaias may reach wind speeds of about 75 mph when it reaches Florida, according to the National Hurricane Center.

Category 1 storm, Hurricane Isaias, landed in the Bahamas with winds of about 85 mph. Many buildings and trees were blown over and the storm caused wide-spread damage.

Although the storm is moving away from the Bahamas and towards the U.S., Trevor Basden, the director of the Bahamas meteorology department, told residents  to “continue to hunker down”.

Tropical Storm #Isaias is expected to strengthen again this evening, and hurricane conditions are expected along portions of the FL east coast on Sunday with tropical storm conditions expected to begin tonight. Rush preparations to protect life and property to completion. pic.twitter.com/uvSOjcPA2b

— National Weather Service (@NWS) August 1, 2020

While on the way to Florida, Isaias was weakened to a tropical storm, but experts say that it may be upgraded once again, according to Reuters.

“Don’t be fooled by the downgrade. We do think it will be upgraded back to a hurricane later on this evening,” said Florida Governor Ron DeSantis today.

READ MORE: Kids in Bahamas stranded with schools damaged by hurricane

On Friday, both Florida and North Carolina declared states of emergency for many counties due to the imminent landing of Hurricane Isaias.

All COVID-19 testing sites were closed and people living in affected areas were told to buy seven days worth of food and supplies in order to stay in their homes when the storm hits.

Hurricane Isaias may reach wind speeds of about 75 mph when it reaches Florida, according to the National Hurricane Center. They also said that the storm could bring heavy rains and cause flooding during the weekend and into the beginning of next week.

#HurricaneIsaias #florida pic.twitter.com/6i1c9MaCEh

— Ali Eslami (@techjoffrey) August 2, 2020

“While current projections have the eye of Isaias remaining at sea, the situation remains fluid and can change quickly,” said DeSantis, according to Reuters. “The state of Florida is fully prepared for this.”

READ MORE: CDC quietly releases reopening plan as ‘busy’ hurricane season looms

Many public areas including beaches and parks were closed on Friday. Experts say that the storm could become a Category 2 hurricane, with wind speeds being close to 110 mph.

Florida has a well-trained hurricane response team, but with the added pressure of controlling the coronavirus, there is less focus on storm preparation.

“It’s not a perfect system,” said Frank Rollason, Miami-Dade’s director of emergency management, “but what we’re facing to today with COVID, we’re trying to avoid packing all of those people into the emergency operations center.”

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