The world continues to mourn after hearing the news that Harry Belafonte died on April 25 at 96 years old. Although he might be most instantly recognizable for his roles in Hollywood and his musical hits, his legacy within the civil rights movement is deeply felt today. He fiercely advocated for political and humanitarian causes throughout his life, working alongside fellow activists and leaders like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
In 2005, Belafonte founded the Gathering for Justice, a nonprofit organization that provides an intergenerational forum for activists, community members, formerly incarcerated folks, and more to work towards ending child incarceration and eliminating the racial inequities in our justice system.
Carmen Perez-Jordan is president and CEO of the Gathering for Justice, and was a close mentee of Belafonte's for two decades. She's a pioneer within the social justice movement in her own right, cofounding Justice League NYC and organizing the 2017 Women's March as a cochair.
In 2005, Belafonte founded the Gathering for Justice, a nonprofit organization that provides an intergenerational forum for activists, community members, formerly incarcerated folks, and more to work towards ending child incarceration and eliminating the racial inequities in our justice system.
Carmen Perez-Jordan is president and CEO of the Gathering for Justice, and was a close mentee of Belafonte's for two decades. She's a pioneer within the social justice movement in her own right, cofounding Justice League NYC and organizing the 2017 Women's March as a cochair.
- 4/27/2023
- by Carmen Perez-Jordan
- Popsugar.com
By Lee Pfeiffer
Those who have a weakness for British spy movies will find plenty to like in "The Whistle Blower", a largely unheralded 1986 production that boasts a fine performance by Michael Caine. He plays Frank Jones, a nondescript middle-aged Brit with a somewhat convoluted background. He was a fighter pilot in the military but his career came to an end when he struck a superior officer. It's then implied that he went on to work for British Intelligence in some capacity, though in reality his act of military insubordination would probably have excluded him from that position. When we are introduced to Frank he is a widower and owner of a small office supply business who is paying a visit to his 28 year-old son Bob for a low key celebration of his offspring's birthday. It turns out that Bob is employed by Government Communications Headquarters (Gchq), which is a branch of the intelligence community.
Those who have a weakness for British spy movies will find plenty to like in "The Whistle Blower", a largely unheralded 1986 production that boasts a fine performance by Michael Caine. He plays Frank Jones, a nondescript middle-aged Brit with a somewhat convoluted background. He was a fighter pilot in the military but his career came to an end when he struck a superior officer. It's then implied that he went on to work for British Intelligence in some capacity, though in reality his act of military insubordination would probably have excluded him from that position. When we are introduced to Frank he is a widower and owner of a small office supply business who is paying a visit to his 28 year-old son Bob for a low key celebration of his offspring's birthday. It turns out that Bob is employed by Government Communications Headquarters (Gchq), which is a branch of the intelligence community.
- 12/6/2020
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
The Film Life Foundation’s inaugural Social Justice Now Film Festival (Sjnff) has unveiled its robust program including its spotlight screenings including the documentaries 40 Years A Prisoner from HBO, Us Kids, and Sncc executive produced by Pharell Williams as well as I Am Other. and the narrative feature Reefa. The fest will also feature the Destin Daniel Cretton-directed Just Mercy and Ryan Coogler’s award-winning Fruitvale Station as opening night films which will screen at Paramount’s Drive-In Theater on Wednesday, October 21. Both films star Michael B. Jordan, who was previously announced as Co-Ambassador alongside Black Lives Matter Co-Founder Opal Tometi. All official selections and spotlight screenings will be available to stream for free on abffplay.com, a new digital platform, powered by Endeavor Streaming from October 21-25.
“Through these films, we hope to advance the dialogue and help to reshape the narrative of racial and social justice in this country.
“Through these films, we hope to advance the dialogue and help to reshape the narrative of racial and social justice in this country.
- 10/12/2020
- by Dino-Ray Ramos
- Deadline Film + TV
If it seems impossible to stay positive at this moment in history, look to the enduring spirit of John Lewis. The Georgia congressman, who has encountered all forms of adversity in his 80 years of life, has remained a smiling and resilient example of optimism in the face of hardship. It’s an enviable attribute that’s hard to miss in John Lewis: Good Trouble, Dawn Porter’s new documentary about the longtime civil rights activist and politician. In the midst of a global pandemic, and in the wake of America’s renewed and sustained reckoning with racial justice, what might otherwise be considered a hagiographic survey—similar in vein to the recent Ruth Bader Ginsburg documentary, Rbg— has now taken on the added gravitas of current events and stark need for leadership.
Throughout this eight-decade portrait, little attention is spent on the current White House administration and its principal figure in the Oval Office.
Throughout this eight-decade portrait, little attention is spent on the current White House administration and its principal figure in the Oval Office.
- 7/3/2020
- by Jake Kring-Schreifels
- The Film Stage
With an overdue reckoning on racism happening nationwide thanks to the renewed #BlackLivesMatter movement, it’s hard to imagine someone whose legacy would warrant a more urgent cinematic tribute than John Lewis, a true American civil rights icon. Currently serving his 17th term as a member of Congress, the 80-year-old U.S. Representative has always been at the forefront in the struggle for racial justice, from being one of the original 1960 “Freedom Riders” who protested against transportation segregation, to fighting against the suppression of black voters since the early ’60s. So who believes in the necessity of making good trouble as an instigator of societal change.
In a way, America has galvanized behind Lewis’ viewpoint in the last few weeks, taking it to heart and to the streets by protesting and demanding justice in the wake of the brutal killing of George Floyd by a white police officer in Minneapolis.
In a way, America has galvanized behind Lewis’ viewpoint in the last few weeks, taking it to heart and to the streets by protesting and demanding justice in the wake of the brutal killing of George Floyd by a white police officer in Minneapolis.
- 6/29/2020
- by Tomris Laffly
- Variety Film + TV
If America had its own path to sainthood, John Lewis would have made it there long ago. The 80-year-old Civil Rights icon and congressman has navigated decisive American moments with superhuman finesse, making him a natural cinematic character. Dawn Porter’s absorbing documentary “John Lewis: Good Trouble” doesn’t try any fancy trickery to energize that saga, instead deriving its appeal from the sheer resilience of the change agent at its center. As with 2018’s Ruth Bader Ginsberg documentary “Rgb,” Porter offers a closeup look at a historic figure somehow still in the game decades down the line, and seemingly too good for this world. “As long as I have breath in my body,” Lewis says to the camera, “I’ll do what I can.”
At a more stable moment for American society, “Good Trouble” might not register as much more than a hagiographic celebration. Yet context is everything: Premiering in Tulsa,...
At a more stable moment for American society, “Good Trouble” might not register as much more than a hagiographic celebration. Yet context is everything: Premiering in Tulsa,...
- 6/19/2020
- by Eric Kohn
- Thompson on Hollywood
If America had its own path to sainthood, John Lewis would have made it there long ago. The 80-year-old Civil Rights icon and congressman has navigated decisive American moments with superhuman finesse, making him a natural cinematic character. Dawn Porter’s absorbing documentary “John Lewis: Good Trouble” doesn’t try any fancy trickery to energize that saga, instead deriving its appeal from the sheer resilience of the change agent at its center. As with 2018’s Ruth Bader Ginsberg documentary “Rgb,” Porter offers a closeup look at a historic figure somehow still in the game decades down the line, and seemingly too good for this world. “As long as I have breath in my body,” Lewis says to the camera, “I’ll do what I can.”
At a more stable moment for American society, “Good Trouble” might not register as much more than a hagiographic celebration. Yet context is everything: Premiering in Tulsa,...
At a more stable moment for American society, “Good Trouble” might not register as much more than a hagiographic celebration. Yet context is everything: Premiering in Tulsa,...
- 6/19/2020
- by Eric Kohn
- Indiewire
There's a new member of the American Girl squad. The company's latest "BeForever" doll, Melody Ellison, was released late last week, and she's bringing with her a new era for young readers to explore. Adding Melody to American Girl's lineup is a big move: She's only the third African-American doll in American Girl history, following Civil War-set Addy, one of the original dolls, and 1850s New Orleans-set Cecile, who is no longer available. But Melody brings with her a different aspect of history to explore: She's the first black doll whose story is set in the 20th century. Melody lives in Detroit,...
- 8/30/2016
- by Diana Pearl, @dianapearl_
- PEOPLE.com
There's a new member of the American Girl squad. The company's latest "BeForever" doll, Melody Ellison, was released late last week, and she's bringing with her a new era for young readers to explore. Adding Melody to American Girl's lineup is a big move: She's only the third African-American doll in American Girl history, following Civil War-set Addy, one of the original dolls, and 1850s New Orleans-set Cecile, who is no longer available. But Melody brings with her a different aspect of history to explore: She's the first black doll whose story is set in the 20th century. Melody lives in Detroit,...
- 8/30/2016
- by Diana Pearl, @dianapearl_
- PEOPLE.com
Julian Bond, a longtime civil rights activist and former board chairman of the NAACP, has died. He was 75. Bond died Saturday night in Fort Walton Beach, Florida after a brief illness, according to a statement from the Southern Poverty Law Center, in which Bond served as the group’s first president. “The country has lost one of its most passionate and eloquent voices for the cause of justice,” The SPLC staid in a statement posted on its website. “He advocated not just for African Americans, but for every group, indeed every person subject to oppression and discrimination, because he recognized the.
- 8/16/2015
- by Anita Bennett
- The Wrap
Noted civil rights leader Julian Bond died on Saturday, Aug. 15, at the age of 75, his family confirms to The Hollywood Reporter. One of the founding members of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee in the 1960s, Bond passed away in his Fort Walton Beach, Fla. vacation home after suffering a brief illness. He played a major role in the Civil Rights Movement, and was even portrayed in the 2014 Oscar-nominated film Selma. Bond also hosted Saturday Night Live in its second season, appearing in several skits [...]...
- 8/16/2015
- Us Weekly
Julian Bond, a leader in the civil rights movement for more than 50 years, died Saturday at his vacation home in Fort Walton Beach, Fla., after a brief illness, his family announced. He was 75. Bond was one of the founders of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), which was one of the most important civil rights organizations in the South during the 1960s, often pushing for change much faster than Martin Luther King, Jr. was comfortable with (some sense of the SNCC-King dynamic can be seen in the 2014 film Selma). He also narrated numerous documentaries (including Eyes on
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- 8/16/2015
- by Andy Lewis
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Days away from the wide release of “Selma,” a controversy around the film is gaining steam as historians take issue with its depiction of president Lyndon B. Johnson clashing with Martin Luther King, Jr. over voting rights.
In a lengthy New York Times story about historians taking issue with the movie, Diane McWhorter, the author of “Carry Me Home: Birmingham, Alabama: The Climactic Battle of the Civil Rights Revolution,”argued Thursday that the movie is not truthful in depicting Lbj (played by Tom Wilkinson) fighting King on staging protests in Selma.
“Everybody has to take license in movies like this,...
In a lengthy New York Times story about historians taking issue with the movie, Diane McWhorter, the author of “Carry Me Home: Birmingham, Alabama: The Climactic Battle of the Civil Rights Revolution,”argued Thursday that the movie is not truthful in depicting Lbj (played by Tom Wilkinson) fighting King on staging protests in Selma.
“Everybody has to take license in movies like this,...
- 1/2/2015
- by Alicia Banks
- The Wrap
Comics aren't always on. Robin Williams and Eddie Murphy probably don't get up in the morning thinking, "I'm funny," no matter how entertaining they may be on TV or in a movie theater. Add to that list David Alan Grier, a comic actor known for his role in the '90s sketch comedy show "In Living Color" (yes, J Lo was one of the dancers), as well as his various movies, time on Broadway, and, more recently, his first book, "Barack Like Me: The Chocolate-Covered Truth." In person, Grier appears much quieter, less zany, and by his own admission these days, "less out there." However, he didn't hold back when it came time to talk to Moviefone about his role in the Tyler Perry-produced comedy "Peeples," in which he stars as Kerry Washington's dad. Grier talked at length about the cast, shenanigans on the set, the invasion of Twitter and Instagram,...
- 5/8/2013
- by Diedre Johnson
- Moviefone
Big news! Gavin Creel will be headlining the national tour of The Book of Mormon as Elder Price. The tour kicks off August 14th in Denver and will hit 15 cities during the run. A second tour is planned beginning December 12th.
The latest polls in North Carolina show Amendment 1 passing easily, banning both marriage equality and civil unions. The troubling thing is that a significant portion of the population doesn't even know what the amendment does. Some think it actually legalizes marriage equality, and some think it brings about civil unions.
Not helping of course is the National Organization for Marriage, who actually budgeted " $120,000 for a project to locate children of gay households willing to denounce their parents on camera." I'll be sharing oxygen with Maggie Gallagher next week for the second time in two years, and I'm not looking forward to it.
I don't even know what to say about AOL's new Mandatory.
The latest polls in North Carolina show Amendment 1 passing easily, banning both marriage equality and civil unions. The troubling thing is that a significant portion of the population doesn't even know what the amendment does. Some think it actually legalizes marriage equality, and some think it brings about civil unions.
Not helping of course is the National Organization for Marriage, who actually budgeted " $120,000 for a project to locate children of gay households willing to denounce their parents on camera." I'll be sharing oxygen with Maggie Gallagher next week for the second time in two years, and I'm not looking forward to it.
I don't even know what to say about AOL's new Mandatory.
- 3/30/2012
- by lostinmiami
- The Backlot
They got the ears right on the wolf at least.
Russell Tovey had a goal to be an action figure. The under-appreciated star may not have caught the eye of Mattel yet, but the wardrobe department made sure his dream came true. Click through for the Being Human-specific accessories it came with. True fact: I have never managed to sit through all of Titanic. Now I feel guilty as Gloria Stuart has passed away at the age of 100. Our thoughts are with her family and friends. This weekend marked the annual Broadway Flea Market, and lots of our favorite stars came out to support the cause, and our friends at BroadwayWorld.com have great photo coverage.
Levi Kreiss and Denis O'Hare/ Photo: Linda Lenzi for BroadwayWorld.com
A 13-year-old boy hanged himself September 19th after being bullied because he was openly gay. He remains on life support in Tehachapi,...
Russell Tovey had a goal to be an action figure. The under-appreciated star may not have caught the eye of Mattel yet, but the wardrobe department made sure his dream came true. Click through for the Being Human-specific accessories it came with. True fact: I have never managed to sit through all of Titanic. Now I feel guilty as Gloria Stuart has passed away at the age of 100. Our thoughts are with her family and friends. This weekend marked the annual Broadway Flea Market, and lots of our favorite stars came out to support the cause, and our friends at BroadwayWorld.com have great photo coverage.
Levi Kreiss and Denis O'Hare/ Photo: Linda Lenzi for BroadwayWorld.com
A 13-year-old boy hanged himself September 19th after being bullied because he was openly gay. He remains on life support in Tehachapi,...
- 9/27/2010
- by Ed Kennedy
- The Backlot
The documentary "Soundtrack for a Revolution" retells the epic of the civil rights era in song, using the struggles of the Freedom Riders and Martin Luther King Jr. to introduce the classic folk songs that protesters sang in marches and in jail cells. The interviews with such witnesses and participants as Julian Bond, Harry Belafonte, John Lewis and Andrew Young are riveting, vital and still shocking after all these years. But...
- 1/22/2010
- by By KYLE SMITH
- NYPost.com
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