When Grammy award-winning rapper Hakeem “Chamillionaire” Seriki began learning the ropes of venture capitalism in the tech space, he noticed something almost immediately— he wasn’t seeing many people who looked like him. When he began to fund ventures himself, the heads of startups that were brought to him weren’t diverse, either, and that led him […]
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Sen. Kamala Harris told supporters on Tuesday that she was ending her bid for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination. “I’ve taken stock and looked at this from every angle, and over the last few days have come to one of the hardest decisions of my life,” the California Democrat said. “My […]
NEW YORK (AP) — No other ballet dancer has crossed over into mainstream popular culture quite like Misty Copeland. That was Copeland at the recent American Music Awards, dancing a passionate duet with partner Craig Hall as Taylor Swift sat at the piano singing her hit “Lover.” She’s also working on a new silent film […]
NEW YORK (AP) — Jessye Norman was remembered as a force of nature as thousands filled the Metropolitan Opera House on Sunday for a celebration of the soprano, who died Sept. 30 at age 74. Sopranos Renée Fleming, Latonia Moore, Lise Davidsen and Leah Hawkins sang tributes along with mezzo-soprano J’Nai Bridges and bass-baritone Eric […]
NEW YORK (AP) — In offering tribute to Toni Morrison, speakers from Oprah Winfrey to Fran Lebowitz on Thursday each shared a very different, but equally special portrait of the late Nobel laureate, who died in August at 88. Angela Davis remembered a dear friend who as a Random House editor helped launch her writing […]
NEW YORK (AP) — The Grammys are screaming “Cuz I Love You” to Lizzo: The breakthrough singer-rapper scored a whopping eight nominations, including bids for the top four awards, making her the show’s top-nominated act. Lizzo picked up nominations for album of the year with her major-label debut, “Cuz I Love You”; song and record […]
NEW YORK (AP) — Oprah Winfrey’s going on tour, and she’s bringing a rock-star lineup with her, including former first lady Michelle Obama and Grammy- and Oscar-winner Lady Gaga. Live Nation announced Wednesday that Winfrey’s wellness arena tour with WW (Weight Watchers Reimagined) — dubbed “Oprah’s 2020 Vision: Your Life in Focus” — will also […]
ATLANTA (AP) — Former President Barack Obama said Wednesday that addressing global economic inequality is key to fighting climate change. Obama was a keynote speaker at the sustainable building conference Greenbuild in downtown Atlanta, where he participated in a question and answer session with Mahesh Ramanujam, the president and CEO of the U.S. Green Building […]
Kamala Harris got a much needed boost this past week when the California senator picked up the endorsement of Higher Heights, the country’s largest political organization aimed at electing black women. But Elizabeth Warren would not be outdone. A day after Harris’ announcement, the Massachusetts senator won the backing of more than 100 black female […]
By CHEVEL JOHNSON and REBECCA SANTANA undefined NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Novelist Ernest J. Gaines, whose poor childhood on a small Louisiana plantation germinated stories of black struggles that grew into universal tales of grace and beauty, has died. He was 86. The Baton Rouge Area Foundation, which sponsors a literary award in Gaines’ honor, […]