Civil Rights Legend Fred Shuttlesworth Dead At 89

The Rev. Fred L. Shuttlesworth, who was bombed, beaten and repeatedly arrested in the fight for civil rights and hailed by the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. for his courage and
energy, has died. He was 89.
Princeton Baptist Medical Center spokeswoman Jennifer Dodd confirmed he died at the Birmingham hospital Wednesday morning.

Five Things You Should Know About Fred Shuttlesworth

Obama On Shuttlesworth Death: “We Owe Him A Debt Of Gratitude”

Hollywood Black Film Festival Announces 2011 Film Lineup

The prestigious Hollywood Black Film Festival dubbed “The Black Sundance” has announced its lineup for the 2011 Festival which will happen October 27-30th. The Festival will screen 51 films, including 9 feature films, 11 documentaries and 27 short films.

The feature films include, “Rocksteady” a movie about the son of a Jamaican immigrant who becomes a race car driver, “Threading Needles” a story of an African immigrant who falls in love with a white girl and “Chicken And Beef Presents “Monkey Gang” The Mockumentary” a mock documentary comedy parodying negativity in hip-hop.

Denzel Washington Donates $2.5 Million To Alma Mater

Denzel Washington has donated $2.25 million to Fordham University, his alma mater.

Rest In Peace! Reggae Pioneer Leonard Dillon Dies In Jamaica

The leader of the pioneering reggae group The Ethiopians has died in Jamaica. Leonard Dillon was 68.

Leonard Dillon began his career using the stage name Jack Sparrow in the early 1960s. He recorded a series of ska songs, including Bull Whip, which featured a young Bob Marley on backing vocals.

Rest In Peace! Legendary Gospel Singer Jesse Dixon Dead At 93

Jessy Dixon, a singer and songwriter who introduced his energetic style of gospel music to wider audiences by serving as pop singer Paul Simon’s opening act, died Monday. He was 73.

During a more than 50-year career, Dixon wrote songs for several popular singers, including jazz and rhythm and blues singer Randy Crawford. He later wrote songs performed by Cher, Diana Ross, Natalie Cole and Amy Grant.

Ex-lawmaker: NATO special forces did killing in Libya, could have killed me

It was one of the most bizarre incidents during the NATO-supported uprising in Libya. The Rev. Walter Fauntroy, a retired member of the Congressional Black Caucus went missing in Tripoli for several weeks during a self-sanctioned mission to that war zone, as rebel forces advanced toward the capital and their eventual overthrow of Col. Muammar Gadhafi , who led the North African country for nearly 41 years.

Rumors spread that the former senior aide to the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. had been killed. Then, on Aug. 24, the office of the Rev. Fauntroy's successor in Congress— D.C. Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton—announced that she had “been in touch with authorities who have spoken with” Mr. Fauntroy. “Authorities have confirmed for Norton that (the) Reverend Fauntroy is safely in the care of the International Committee of the Red Cross and is expected to leave Libya soon.”

Hollywood's New Sodom & Gomorrah persona

People have always been fascinated with the beautiful, beguiling, and the fantasy-filled world created by Hollywood and the entertainment industry. Although the new faces in Hollywood and today's celebrities still inspire awe, admiration, and fanatical devotion, there was a certain mystique that surrounded the young starlets of yesteryear.

While some may look at Beyonce, Rihanna, and Nicki Minaj, as the epitome of stardom, Lena Horne, Dorothy Dandridge, Billie Holiday and the like of these women represented much more of the epitome of Black style, class and grace.