Voices In Color

African-American Playwright Lynn Nottage

African-American playwright Lynn Nottage, who wrote works such as Ruined and Intimate Apparel, has won the 2010 Steinberg Distinguished Playwright Award.

It is the richest U.S. playwriting award, with a $200,000 US cash prize.

Read more here... 

Last Night's Emmy Awards: True Blood's Rutina Wesley

 Via:  Clutch 

Life is hard. Life is short. Life is painful. Life is rich. Life is....Precious.

Precious is sure to be an unforgettable film that I hope many people will go see. It's based on an amazing novel called Push by Sapphire.  The movie, which has already received tons of critical acclaim, will be in theaters Nov. 6th.  

I'm also loving the poster art work for the film...

Beverly Johnson Is Giving Older Models A Shot

The average modeling career is launched at 16, but if TV Land has anything to do with it, 35 is the new 16.

The nostalgia channel is in the game of original programming, leading with the new show “She’s Got the Look,” which features beautiful women vying for a modeling crown. The twist is – all of the contenders are over 35 years of age.

“She’s Got the Look” premieres tonight with the auditions whittling down to the final contestants with the help of the judging trio of modeling masters being Wilhelmina Models, Inc. President Sean Patterson, celebrity stylist Robert Verdi, and over-35 beauty supermodel Beverly Johnson, who let EUR’s Lee Bailey in on details about the new show.

“We live in the US where most of us are going to be 50 years old and more, so there is a huge market for women over 35 that really hasn’t been addressed yet,” Johnson said of one of the reasons TV Land created the series. “But the show is not only going to be a platform to address that market, but also to embrace our maturity.”

Read more:  EURweb 

Apple Stores Across Country Holding Black Music Month Concerts

One of the things that sets Apple apart from other retailers is the in-house music events they hold at their stores, which include the iTunes Live concerts series. This month, in recognition of Black Music Month, Apple stores are hosting a variety of concerts around the country featuring various African American artists. The concerts are being held primarily in larger cities such as Atlanta, Miami, Chicago, San Francisco, New York, and Santa Monica. One smaller venue will be getting a single show: the Apple Store, Somerset, in Troy, Michigan. Apple's recently opened Boston shop, now the largest Apple Store in the world, is noticeably missing from the list of venues.

Read more: ars technica

A Few Tremors In Oprahland

The average audience for “The Oprah Winfrey Show” has fallen nearly 7 percent this year, according to Nielsen Media Research — its third straight year of decline. “Oprah’s Big Give,” an ABC philanthropic reality show, beat every program on television except “American Idol” in its premiere week this winter, but steadily lost nearly one-third of its audience during the rest of its eight-week run, according to Nielsen.

The circulation of O, The Oprah Magazine, has fallen by more than 10 percent in the last three years, according to the Audit Bureau of Circulations, and the magazine is now seeking a new editor in chief after the announced retirement of its longtime steward, Amy Gross.

And while Ms. Winfrey still displays a Midas touch when it comes to the endorsement of books and products, some of her latest picks have attracted criticism from longtime fans as she has strayed into new-age spiritualism and, perhaps more dangerously, politics. Her endorsement of the presidential bid of Senator Barack Obama appears to have alienated some of the middle-aged white women who make up the bulk of her television audience, many of whom support Senator Hillary Clinton.

Read more: New York Times

Serena Williams Advances To Second Round Of French Open

Serena Williams can be a perfectionist when it comes to her tennis game.

After winning 12 of the final 13 games to beat Ashley Harkleroad 6-2, 6-1 Sunday in the first round of the French Open, the eight-time Grand Slam champion was happy enough to just get the win.

"I feel like I ultimately could have played better," Williams said. "But first round — just want to get it over with and work your way in the tournament."

Read more: The Associated Press

Disney Has Created A 14k Gold Plated Noose Necklace

As a part of Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean “Dead Man’s Chest” couture jewelry collection, Disney has created a 14k gold plated noose necklace; oh yeah…and the matching earrings. Now obviously they wouldn’t do this with any malicious intent…but you would think the advisory board or somebody would stop and think of the implications this necklace may presumably have.

Read more: BET.com

'Chris' Endures As Black-Themed Series Dwindle

Life at Tattaglia High School in Brooklyn, N.Y., can be tough. Homework, heartbreak and, on this day, a red-haired bully is on the loose, determined to torment unsuspecting nerds.

Although Chris and his friends still might be experiencing growing pains, the series -- filming its fourth season for airing this fall, in a move to Friday nights from Sundays -- is not, according to Ali LeRoi, producer and creator of the CW's "Everybody Hates Chris".

"If we were a basketball team, we would be in the playoffs," said LeRoi, sitting in his office beneath a huge French poster from Spike Lee's Bamboozled, a satire about black comedies. "We know how to shoot this show, all the dynamics are beginning to jell, even our interactions with network executives are going better."

Read more: The Baltimore Sun

Singer: Estelle

Check out this British rapper and R&B singer, Estelle.