Entertainment

‘Selma,’ ‘Black-ish,’ Among Big NAACP Image Award Winners

Published

11 years ago

February 7, 2015

In this image released by ABS, Anthony Anderson, left, and Tracee Ellis Ross appear in a scene from "Black-ish." The series was created by Kenya Barris, who was motivated to write the comedy about an African-American familys efforts to honor its heritage in part by the unreality of what he grew up watching on television. (AP Photo/ABC, Kelsey McNeal)

In this image released by ABS, Anthony Anderson, left, and Tracee Ellis Ross appear in a scene from “Black-ish.” (AP Photo/ABC, Kelsey McNeal)

Lynn Elber, ASSOCIATED PRESS

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The civil rights drama “Selma” won top honors at the NAACP Image Awards in a ceremony that took sharp notice of snubs of African-American artists and their work by the Oscars.

“This is more than a movie,” Oprah Winfrey, who was a “Selma” producer and appeared in it, said Friday in accepting the trophy for outstanding motion picture. “It’s important that we all know who we are so we know where we’re going, and claiming the glory.”

“Selma,” which dramatizes events surrounding the 1965 Alabama voting rights marches led by the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., also captured best actor honors for David Oyelowo, who played King.

“I want to take this opportunity to say I thank the Lord I was able to play one of the most transcendent human beings who ever walked the planet,” Oyelowo said.

Awards host Anthony Anderson, the “black-ish” star whose freshman ABC sitcom was a big TV winner Friday, opened the night with a jab at the Academy Awards, which this year has an all-white slate of acting nominees.

The critically acclaimed “Selma,” although a best-picture and best-song nominee at the Feb. 22 Oscars, failed to garner bids for Oyelowo or director Ava DuVernay. In January, it received a Golden Globe award for best song.

“People are up in arms because they feel the other award shows have snubbed us. So what. We’ve got our own show, right?” Anderson said. He then launched into a number that included the lyrics: “Writing, directing, no respect from this city,” and a refrain, “Forget the Oscars, hallelujah,” the Emmys and Golden Globes.

Taraji P. Henson was a double winner: she was named best actress in a movie for “No Good Deed” and entertainer of the year. Henson, star of the new Fox midseason hit “Empire, is enjoying an especially good 2015.

On the TV side, Anderson won the award for best comedy series actor for “black-ish,” which was honored as best comedy series and captured a best actress trophy for Tracee Ellis Ross.

“To be able to do show about raising our black families every day is a blessing,” said “black-ish” creator and producer Kenya Barris.

“How to Get Away with Murder” was named best drama series, with star Viola Davis named best actress in a drama. “Criminal Minds” star Shemar Moore was named best actor in a drama series.

Spike Lee received the NAACP President’s Award, which recognizes those who have combined career success and public service. In his speech, the filmmaker addressed the obstacles facing blacks.

“This stuff is rigged. It’s not set up for us to win. It’s always been like that. Since we were stolen from mother Africa … we always find to make a way,” he said, lifting his trophy.

U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, the first African-American to hold that office, accepted the NAACP Chairman’s Award honoring distinguished public service.

He said he was honored to carry on the Justice Department’s legacy that included ensuring “the most sacred of American rights, the right to vote.” Holder, who is leaving the job after six years, called on the nation to “reject the forces of hate and division.”

Veteran music industry executive Clive Davis, who nurtured the careers of artists including Whitney Houston, Aretha Franklin and Alicia Keys, received the Vanguard Award, which recognizes work that increases understanding of racial and social issues.

The 46th NAACP Image Awards, given by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People civil rights group, aired on TV One.
Copyright 2015 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Activism

OP-ED: AB 1349 Puts Corporate Power Over Community

Since Ticketmaster and Live Nation merged in 2010, ticket prices have jumped more than 150 percent. Activities that once fit a family’s budget now take significant disposable income that most working families simply don’t have. The problem is compounded by a system that has tilted access toward the wealthy and white-collar workers. If you have a fancy credit card, you get “presale access,” and if you work in an office instead of a warehouse, you might be able to wait in an online queue to buy a ticket. Access now means privilege.

Published

8 hours ago

January 9, 2026

Oakland Post

Bishop Joseph Simmons, Senior Pastor, Greater St. Paul Baptist Church, Oakland

By Bishop Joseph Simmons, Senior Pastor, Greater St. Paul Baptist Church, Oakland

As a pastor, I believe in the power that a sense of community can have on improving people’s lives. Live events are one of the few places where people from different backgrounds and ages can share the same space and experience – where construction workers sit next to lawyers at a concert, and teenagers enjoy a basketball game with their grandparents. Yet, over the past decade, I’ve witnessed these experiences – the concerts, games, and cultural events where we gather – become increasingly unaffordable, and it is a shame.

These moments of connection matter as they form part of the fabric that holds communities together. But that fabric is fraying because of Ticketmaster/Live Nation’s unchecked control over access to live events. Unfortunately, AB 1349 would only further entrench their corporate power over our spaces.

Power over live events is concentrated in a single corporate entity, and this regime operates without transparency or accountability – much like a dictator. Ticketmaster controls 80 percent of first-sale tickets and nearly a third of resale tickets, but they still want more. More power, more control for Ticketmaster means higher prices and less access for consumers. It’s the agenda they are pushing nationally, with the help of former Trump political operatives, who are quietly trying to undo the antitrust lawsuit launched against Ticketmaster/Live Nation under President Biden’s DOJ.

That’s why I’m deeply concerned about AB 1349 in its current form. Rather than reining in Ticketmaster’s power, the bill risks strengthening it, aligning with Trump. AB 1349 gives Ticketmaster the ability to control a consumer’s ticket forever by granting Ticketmaster’s regime new powers in state law to prevent consumers from reselling or giving away their tickets. It also creates new pathways for Ticketmaster to discriminate and retaliate against consumers who choose to shop around for the best service and fees on resale platforms that aren’t yet controlled by Ticketmaster. These provisions are anti-consumer and anti-democratic.

California has an opportunity to stand with consumers, to demand transparency, and to restore genuine competition in this industry. But that requires legislation developed with input from the community and faith leaders, not proposals backed by the very company causing the harm.

Will our laws reflect fairness, inclusion, and accountability? Or will we let corporate interests tighten their grip on spaces that should belong to everyone? I, for one, support the former and encourage the California Legislature to reject AB 1349 outright or amend it to remove any provisions that expand Ticketmaster’s control. I also urge community members to contact their representatives and advocate for accessible, inclusive live events for all Californians. Let’s work together to ensure these gathering spaces remain open and welcoming to everyone, regardless of income or background.