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Russell Simmons Brings Back Def Comedy Jam to Raise Money for Coronavirus Ravaged Areas
NNPA NEWSWIRE — Simmons is leading a group of producers who, on Sunday, April 5, will premiere “Def Comedy Jam Presents: Healing Through Laughter,” a marathon fundraiser hosted by Cedric the Entertainer. The program will air online beginning at 10 p.m. EST, and Simmons’ Instagram page will be updated to provide more information. Simmons has established a GoFundMe page with the hopes of raising as much as $100,000 to help with supplies to assist those in need.
By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior Correspondent
@StacyBrownMedia
Hip-hop and business mogul Russell Simmons has seen the devastation of the novel coronavirus and the effect it has had on his hometown of Hollis Queens, New York, and the rest of the world.
Now the iconic Def Jam founder is bringing back one of his legendary creations to help raise money for those devastated by the pandemic.
Simmons is leading a group of producers who, on Sunday, April 5, will premiere “Def Comedy Jam Presents: Healing Through Laughter,” a marathon fundraiser hosted by Cedric the Entertainer.
The program will air online beginning at 10 p.m. EST, and Simmons’ Instagram page will be updated to provide more information. Simmons has established a GoFundMe page with the hopes of raising as much as $100,000 to help with supplies to assist those in need.
Supplies purchased and collected from proceeds will be distributed among essential workers in Queens and Brooklyn, New York, and those in the Logan section of Philadelphia.
“Let’s begin to fund the effort to raise money and awareness to make sure people putting their life on the line to work in our communities have the safety kits they need,” Simmons wrote on Twitter.
As of Thursday, April 2, New York had more than 92,300 confirmed coronavirus cases, including approximately 52,000 in the city. New York accounts for 42 percent of the virus-related deaths in the United States, and hospitals around the Empire State and, in particular, throughout the Big Apple, have been overwhelmed with cases.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo said the state’s stockpile contained 2,200 ventilators, but about 350 new patients daily needed them.
“2,200 disappears very quickly,” Cuomo said, according to the New York Times.
The goal of the Def Comedy Jam Marathon is to raise funds to provide basic needs for essential workers in vulnerable and underserved communities.
Supplies include items like hand sanitizer and masks for the most vulnerable communities currently impacted by COVID-19.
Simmons said 100 percent of the proceeds raised would be used to benefit individuals in inner-city communities – specifically targeting his hometown of Hollis, Queens, which has been highlighted as the most affected area in New York.
“Brave and inspiring people within the community are putting up a valiant fight against COVID-19, we must support them,” Simmons stated.
The original Def Comedy Jam aired on HBO from 1992 to 1997 and featured such talent as Martin Lawrence, Chris Tucker, Bernie Mac, and many others.
Simmons had said he was inspired to create the original Def Comedy Jam after watching Jerry Lewis’ “The Nutty Professor.”
The rebooted fundraiser is produced by Erica Ford of the nonprofit Life Camp, Inc., Gushcloud, O’Neal McKnight, Bob Sumner, Althea Lim, and Simmons’ Rush Philanthropic.
Def Comedy Jam: Healing through Laughter will feature Def Jam’s original DJ, Kid Capri. It will include comedians Spice Adams, Tony Baker, Gary Owen, Mike Epps, Sommore, Bill Bellamy, Affion Crockett, Deon Cole, Corey Holcomb, Ashima Franklin, Adele Givens, Jess Hilarious, DL Hughley, JB Smoove, and Michael Blackson.
While a host of other comedians are expected to join, those making their debut under the Def Comedy Jam umbrella are GC Studio’s Reggie Couz, KMoore The Goat, and Kellye Hardy. DJ Cassidy will lead an afterparty.
Click here to visit the GoFundMe page.
For more information about Def Comedy Jam: Healing through Laughter, click here.
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IN MEMORIAM: Ramona Edelin, Influential Activist and Education Advocate, Dies at 78
NNPA NEWSWIRE — Born on September 4, 1945, in Los Angeles, California, activist Ramona Edelin’s early years were marked by a commitment to education and social justice. According to her HistoryMakers biography, after graduating from Fisk University with a Bachelor’s degree in 1967, she pursued further studies at the University of East Anglia in England. She earned her master’s degree before completing her Ph.D. at Boston University in 1981.
The post IN MEMORIAM: Ramona Edelin, Influential Activist and Education Advocate, Dies at 78 first appeared on BlackPressUSA.
By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
@StacyBrownMedia
Once upon a time, Black Americans were simply known as colored people, or Negroes. That is until Ramona Edelin came along. The activist, renowned for her pivotal roles in advancing civil rights, education reform, and community empowerment, died at her D.C. residence last month at the age of 78. Her death, finally confirmed this week by Barnaby Towns, a communications strategist who collaborated with Dr. Edelin, was attributed to cancer.
Born on September 4, 1945, in Los Angeles, California, Edelin’s early years were marked by a commitment to education and social justice. According to her HistoryMakers biography, after graduating from Fisk University with a Bachelor’s degree in 1967, she pursued further studies at the University of East Anglia in England. She earned her master’s degree before completing her Ph.D. at Boston University in 1981.
Edelin’s contributions to academia and activism were manifold. She was pivotal in popularizing the term “African American” alongside Rev. Jesse L. Jackson in the late 1980s.
Jackson had announced the preference for “African American,” speaking for summit organizers that included Dr. Edelin. “Just as we were called Colored, but were not that, and then Negro, but not that, to be called Black is just as baseless,” he said, adding that “African American” “has cultural integrity” and “puts us in our proper historical context.”
Later, Edelin told Ebony magazine, “Calling ourselves African Americans is the first step in the cultural offensive,” while linking the name change to a “cultural renaissance” in which Black Americans reconnected with their history and heritage.
“Who are we if we don’t acknowledge our motherland?” she asked later. “When a child in a ghetto calls himself African American, immediately he’s international. You’ve taken him from the ghetto and put him on the globe.”
The HistoryMakers bio noted that Edelin’s academic pursuits led her to found and chair the Department of African American Studies at Northeastern University, where she established herself as a leading voice.
Transitioning from academia to advocacy, Edelin joined the National Urban Coalition in 1977, eventually ascending to president and CEO. During her tenure, she spearheaded initiatives such as the “Say Yes to a Youngster’s Future” program, which provided crucial support in math, science, and technology to youth and teachers of color in urban areas. Her biography noted that Edelin’s efforts extended nationwide through partnerships with organizations like the National Science Foundation and the United States Department of Education.
President Bill Clinton recognized Edelin’s expertise by appointing her to the Presidential Board on Historically Black Colleges and Universities in 1998. She also co-founded and served as treasurer of the Black Leadership Forum, solidifying her standing as a respected leader in African American communities.
Beyond her professional achievements, Edelin dedicated herself to numerous boards and committees, including chairing the District of Columbia Educational Goals 2000 Panel and contributing to the Federal Advisory Committee for the Black Community Crusade for Children.
Throughout her life, Edelin received widespread recognition for her contributions. Ebony magazine honored her as one of the 100 Most Influential Black Americans, and she received prestigious awards such as the Southern Christian Leadership Award for Progressive Leadership and the IBM Community Executive Program Award.
The post IN MEMORIAM: Ramona Edelin, Influential Activist and Education Advocate, Dies at 78 first appeared on BlackPressUSA.
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Tennessee State University Board Disbanded by MAGA Loyalists as Assault on DE&I Continues
NNPA NEWSWIRE — Recent legislative actions in Tennessee, such as repealing police reform measures enacted after the killing of Tyre Nichols, underscore a troubling trend of undermining local control and perpetuating racist agendas. The new law preventing local governments from restricting police officers’ authority disregards community efforts to address systemic issues of police violence and racial profiling.
The post Tennessee State University Board Disbanded by MAGA Loyalists as Assault on DE&I Continues first appeared on BlackPressUSA.
By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
@StacyBrownMedia
Tennessee State University (TSU), the state’s only public historically Black college and university (HBCU), faces a tumultuous future as Gov. Bill Lee dissolved its board, a move supported by racist conservatives and MAGA Republicans in the Tennessee General Assembly, who follow the lead of the twice-impeached, four-times indicted, alleged sexual predator former President Donald Trump. Educators and others have denounced the move as an attack on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) and a grave setback for higher education.
Critics argue that TSU’s purported financial mismanagement is a manufactured crisis rooted in decades of underinvestment by the state government. They’ve noted that it continues a trend by conservatives and the racist MAGA movement to eliminate opportunities for Blacks in education, corporate America, and the public sector.
Gevin Reynolds, a former speechwriter for Vice President Kamala Harris, emphasizes in an op-ed that TSU’s financial difficulties are not the result of university leadership because a recent audit found no evidence of fraud or malfeasance.
Reynolds noted that the disbanding of TSU’s board is not an isolated incident but part of a broader assault on DE&I initiatives nationwide. Ten states, including Tennessee, have enacted laws banning DE&I policies on college campuses, while governors appointing MAGA loyalists to university trustee positions further undermine efforts to promote inclusivity and equality.
Moreover, recent legislative actions in Tennessee, such as repealing police reform measures enacted after the killing of Tyre Nichols, underscore a troubling trend of undermining local control and perpetuating racist agendas. The new law preventing local governments from restricting police officers’ authority disregards community efforts to address systemic issues of police violence and racial profiling.
The actions echo historical efforts to suppress Black progress, reminiscent of the violent backlash against gains made during the Reconstruction era. President Joe Biden warned during an appearance in New York last month that Trump desires to bring the nation back to the 18th and 19th centuries – in other words, to see, among other things, African Americans back in the chains of slavery, women subservient to men without any say over their bodies, and all voting rights restricted to white men.
The parallels are stark, with white supremacist ideologies used to justify attacks on Black institutions and disenfranchise marginalized communities, Reynolds argued.
In response to these challenges, advocates stress the urgency of collective action to defend democracy and combat systemic racism. Understanding that attacks on institutions like TSU are symptomatic of broader threats to democratic norms, they call for increased civic engagement and voting at all levels of government.
The actions of people dedicated to upholding the principles of inclusivity, equity, and justice for all will determine the outcome of the ongoing fight for democracy, Reynolds noted. “We are in a war for our democracy, one whose outcome will be determined by every line on every ballot at every precinct,” he stated.
The post Tennessee State University Board Disbanded by MAGA Loyalists as Assault on DE&I Continues first appeared on BlackPressUSA.
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Braxton Haulcy and the Expansion of Walker|West Music Academy
May 24, 2023 – Walker West Music Academy gets an early start on expansion. Join us for a Wednesday episode of The …
The post Braxton Haulcy and the Expansion of Walker|West Music Academy first appeared on BlackPressUSA.
May 24, 2023 – Walker West Music Academy gets an early start on expansion. Join us for a Wednesday episode of The …
The post Braxton Haulcy and the Expansion of Walker|West Music Academy first appeared on BlackPressUSA.
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