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Film Star, Director Offering Chance of a Lifetime at New York Talent Competition

NNPA NEWSWIRE — Actor and filmmaker Shiek Mahmud-Bey and his 25th Frame Films company are hosting an “Own the Stage,” talent competition in New York where hip-hop artists, singers, actors and spoken word actors will face off to win cash, an acting class with Char’Actors Studios, and a role in an upcoming feature film.

Published

6 years ago

March 15, 2019

Oakland Post

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Correspondent
@StacyBrownMedia

If the only thing that comes from dreamers are dreams, a winner-take-all talent show promises to make some luck person realize their own aspirations.

Actor and filmmaker Shiek Mahmud-Bey and his 25th Frame Films company are hosting an “Own the Stage,” talent competition in New York where hip-hop artists, singers, actors and spoken word actors will face off to win cash, an acting class with Char’Actors Studios, and a role in an upcoming feature film.

The Char’Actors is a company of artists dedicated to the craft of acting and filmmaking.

Headed by Mahmud-Bey; its vice president Katja Stewart; and writer Nefertiti Warren, Char’Actors’ mission is to build each member individually and collectively with an objective of advancing careers of those in the fields of acting, writing and producing.

The talent competition is just one of many avenues used to present opportunities to new talent, according to company officials.

The talent competition is scheduled for 6 p.m. Tuesday, March 19 at Taj II Lounge and Event Space, 48 West 21st Street in New York.

Judges will include Grammy Award Nominee Ankh Ra, who’s known as “The Vocal Guru;” comedian Omar Thompson; and Kenneth Gifford, the founder of the Newark International Film Festival.

Thompson earned a basketball scholarship which allowed him to explore his opportunities outside of the environment he knew.

Quickly becoming the funny man on campus, his reputation earned him a host position for the college talent night and other school functions.

He’s performed at the Apollo Theater and Madison Square Garden in New York among other venues.

During the early 1990’s, Gifford started his career in front of the camera on MTV’s hit show, The Grind. Then, after a few independent acting roles, he focused his sights on developing a career behind the camera, landing his first gig as a writer on the MTV show, You Write It You Watch It.

In 2008, after years in the field of television, Gifford decided it was time to try his hand in film and, to date, he’s worked on some of Hollywood’s biggest films alongside A-list talent.

Among the superstars he’s shared the screen with are Will Smith, Charlize Theron, Uma Thurman and Jodie Foster.

“We are pleased to welcome Ankh Ra as one of the judges as well as Omar Thompson and Kenneth Gifford,” said Mahmud-Bey, whose roles have included “They Way Out,” “Night Falls on Manhattan,” and “The Profiler.”

He noted that the Char’Actors are about to launch a Go Fund me campaign to help pay for its new web series, “Interface.”

“We’ve developed two web series and a movie,” Mahmud-Bey said.

The talent competition is the idea of Stewart, who wrote “Unrequited Love,” a film that’s currently in post-production about two sisters torn apart by fighting for the love of their father.

One of the sisters leave home after her mother dies but returns for the funeral to find out that her sister has fallen in love with the father and has a child by him.

The plot takes on many twists and ultimately should draw viewers’ attention with every riveting episode.

For more information about the competition, which is open to all, or to register click here.

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Tiguan’s AI Touchscreen & Gear Shift: VW Just Changed the Game! #2

Explore the Tiguan’s cutting-edge 12.9-inch infotainment touchscreen featuring wireless Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, voice control, and a new AI assistant. See how VW innovatively moved the gear shifter to the steering column, enhancing the center console and navigation system! #AutoNetwork #Tiguan #Infotainment #AppleCarPlay #AndroidAuto #AISystem #NavigationSystem #CarTech #TechReview #CarInnovation #Automotive

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Oakland Post

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IN MEMORIAM: Legendary Funk Pioneer Sly Stone Dies at 82

Sly Stone’s musical approach radically reshaped popular music. He transcended genre boundaries and empowered a new generation of artists. The band’s socially conscious message and infectious rhythms sparked a wave of influence, reaching artists as diverse as Miles Davis, George Clinton, Prince, Dr. Dre, and the Roots.

Published

22 hours ago

June 17, 2025

Oakland Post

Sly and the Family Stone play the Opera House in Bournemouth. Mojo review. Photo by Simon Fernandez.

By Stacy M. Brown
BlackPressUSA.com Newswire

Sylvester “Sly” Stewart—known to the world as Sly Stone, frontman of the groundbreaking band Sly and the Family Stone—has died at the age of 82.

His family confirmed that he passed away peacefully at his Los Angeles home surrounded by loved ones, after battling chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and other health complications.

Born March 15, 1943, in Denton, Texas, Stone moved with his family to Vallejo, California, as a child. He began recording gospel music at age 8 with his siblings in a group called the Stewart Four. By his teenage years, he had mastered multiple instruments and was already pioneering racial integration in music—an ethos that would define his career.

In 1966, Sly and his brother Freddie merged their bands to form Sly and the Family Stone, complete with a revolutionary interracial, mixed-gender lineup.

The band quickly became a commercial and cultural force with hits such as “Dance to the Music,” “Everyday People,” and “Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)”—all penned by Stone himself.

Their album “Stand!” (1969) and live performances—most notably at Woodstock—cemented their reputation, blending soul, funk, rock, gospel, and psychedelia to reflect the optimism and turmoil of their era.

As the 1970s progressed, Stone confronted personal demons. His desire to use music as a response to war, racism, and societal change culminated in the intense album “There’s a Riot Goin’ On” (1971). But drug dependency began to undermine both his health and professional life, leading to erratic behavior and band decline through the early 1980s.

Withdrawn from the public eye for much of the 1990s and early 2000s, Stone staged occasional comebacks. He was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1993, received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Grammys in 2017, and captured public attention following the 2023 release of his memoir “Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)”—published under Questlove’s imprint. He also completed a biographical screenplay and was featured in Questlove’s documentary “Sly Lives!” earlier this year.

His influence endured across generations. Critics and historians repeatedly credit him with perfecting funk and creating a “progressive soul,” shaping a path for racial integration both onstage and in the broader culture.

“Rest in beats Sly Stone,” legendary Public Enemy frontman Chuck D posted on social media with an illustrative drawing of the artist. “We should thank Questlove of the Roots for keeping his fire blazing in this century.”

Emmy-winning entertainment publicist Danny Deraney also paid homage. “Rest easy Sly Stone,” Deraney posted. “You changed music (and me) forever. The time he won over Ed Sullivan’s audience in 1968. Simply magical. Freelance music publicist and Sirius XM host Eric Alper also offered a tribute.

“The funk pioneer who made the world dance, think, and get higher,” Alper wrote of Sly Stone. “His music changed everything—and it still does.”

Sly Stone is survived by three children.

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PRESS ROOM: Clyburn on 10th Anniversary of Mother Emanuel AME Church Shooting in Charleston

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — Congressman James E. Clyburn (SC-06) released the following video on X, paying tribute to the 10th anniversary of the shooting that took place at Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina on June 17, 2015.

Published

23 hours ago

June 17, 2025

Oakland Post

By Congressman James E. Clyburn

WATCH HERE

CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA – Congressman James E. Clyburn (SC-06) released the following video on X, paying tribute to the 10^th anniversary of the shooting that took place at Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina on June 17, 2015.

“Over 6 years ago, the House first passed my Enhanced Background Checks Act to close the Charleston Loophole that allowed a white supremacist to obtain the gun he used to murder nine worshipers at Emanuel AME Church on June 17, 2015.

“I’ll never stop fighting to pass this law.”