African-American newspaper denied credentials to Trump event

The Black Lens, an African-American newspaper, was denied media credentials to cover Donald Trump’s Spokane campaign stop.

“My gut says that it has to do with the fact that the name of my paper is the Black Lens,” said Sandra Williams, the paper’s editor. “Based on the rhetoric that he’s been spewing around the country it would make sense that he did not want a black newspaper covering what he says in his rallies. That’s the assumption that I’m making.”

The email sent to Williams said, “During the 2016 Presidential Primary race, the Donald J. Trump Campaign fully recognizes and respects all media but due to various venue sizes, media space, and safety we must limit the number of credentialed media and give priority to our national and local outlets. We appreciate your understanding.”

The Black Lens is published monthly and has a circulation of 1,000. Williams and a photographer are the publication’s only staff members.

Read more: Spokane-based African-American paper denied credentials to Trump event

Denzel Washington Event Raises Millions For African American Museum

While many in the entertainment and media industries were saying their bittersweet goodbyes to President Barack Obama at his final annual White House Correspondent’s Dinner this past Saturday in D.C., an elite crowd was communing at the Los Angeles home of movie star Denzel Washington and his wife Pauletta to raise additional millions for one of the President’s major priorities.

Early in his presidency, President Obama insisted that all monies needed to complete the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture be raised before his exit from The White House at end of 2016. Authorized by Congress in 2003, the museum stands on a five acre-site on the National mall, near the Washington Monument, and boasts a $540 million dollar price tag.

The federal government contributed $270 million, leaving the Smithsonian and others in the community to raise the remainder. The museum reported raising just over $252 million dollars last month –not far from their $270 million goal. The museum is set to open on September 24 of this year, with President Obama cutting the ribbon.

Denzel and Pauletta said they felt compelled to open the doors to their sprawling home in the Hollywood Hills, nestled far away from prying eyes of star tour buses, in celebration of the mostly California-based supporters of the museum who donated more than $55 million dollars to the project over the past few years.

The Saturday night event raised more than $17 million and included the announcement of a hefty pledge of $10 million dollars from television titan Shonda Rhimes, who could not attend the fundraiser.

Read more here: Denzel Washington Event Raises Millions For African American Museum

Democrat Justin Fairfax to run for lieutenant governor

Democrat Justin Fairfax, a former federal prosecutor and 2013 attorney general candidate, is running for lieutenant governor in Virginia

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He is the first Democrat to officially jump into the statewide contest, while Republicans already have a crowded field including Sen. Bryce Reeves, R-Spotsylvania, Sen. Jill Holtzman Vogel, R-Fauquier, and Del. Glenn Davis, R-Virginia Beach.

The candidacy of Fairfax, 37, an African American, would inject diversity and an energetic style into a Democratic ticket that includes the comparatively low-key Lt. Gov. Ralph Northam and Attorney General Mark Herring.

“I am passionate about creating and protecting economic security and opportunity for all Virginians,” Fairfax said in a statement. “As a former federal prosecutor, I know just how fragile security and stability for hard-working families can be.”

Read more: Democrat Justin Fairfax to run for lieutenant governor

NAACP Statement on Use of ‘N-word’ at White House Correspondents' Dinner

WASHINGTON - NAACP President and CEO Cornell William Brooks issued the following statement about remarks made at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner on April 30 in Washington D.C.:

“On The Nightly Show and in many other programs, Larry Wilmore is a thoughtful and courageous comedian who consistently makes us laugh by confronting the ugly contradictions we see in our government, media, and society. I assume that Mr. Wilmore was sincere in humorously criticizing, commending and mocking the President during the dinner. Context, like race, matters.  The n-word has a long history of hate. It doesn’t matter whether the people listening are wearing tuxedos and gowns, the racist ugliness of it cannot be forgotten. Many in the audience clearly believed he had crossed a line in his final remarks.

“In this election year, we have consistently reminded candidates that the words they choose have meaning and consequence. Even a seemingly ‘friendly’ form of the n-word ending in ‘ga’ rather than ‘ger’ insults many in our nation even when meant to compliment our president.  While it may be common to use the n-word as a racial obscenity for effect with a crowd in a night club or among acquaintances in a locker room or a rhyme in a song, the n-word, as racist profanity, should not be in the same sentence or the same room as the President of the United States. The fact that President Barack Obama is the first African-American to hold the highest office in this country should not be a license for undue racial familiarity or racialized disrespect.

“For many years now, the NAACP has maintained that the n-word does nothing to foster real and meaningful conversations our country needs to have about race, class, segregation and tolerance in our nation and we are, once again, sadly disappointed by its perpetuation in our national dialogue. With a vocabulary of America’s aspirations, the NAACP strives for a day when the n-word refers to a ‘nation’ indivisible by race, class, color, creed, or slurs.”

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Founded Feb. 12. 1909, the NAACP is the nation's oldest, largest and most widely recognized grassroots–based civil rights organization. Its more than half-million members and supporters throughout the United States and the world are the premier advocates for civil rights in their communities, conducting voter mobilization and monitoring equal opportunity in the public and private sectors.

Growing Popularity of Black Superheroes Creates Opportunities for Comic Book Investors

(Black PR Wire) Marvel Comic’s Black Panther—the first black comic book superhero, born in the 1960s—is poised to make his big screen debut in the much-anticipated movie, Captain America: Civil War. It’s culturally significant, but that’s not all. For comic book collectors, the growing interest in black superheroes opens doors for investors, too. 

“When interest in a character rises, comic book values do, too,” says Vincent Zurzolo, co-owner of Metropolis Collectibles, the world’s largest vintage comic book dealership, and ComicConnect.com, its online auction site. 

Take The Black Panther’s first appearance in Fantastic Four #52 in 1966. (First appearances are typically the most valuable comics in a series.) In 2012, a 9.8 graded copy of Fantastic Four #52 sold for $19,200. In 2016, a similar copy sold for $83,650—a 435% increase in value.

Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, The Black Panther character was born as T’Challa, the prince of Wakanda, a technologically-advanced country. He takes on the hero role when his father, the king, is killed. 

Then there’s Luke Cage, a favorite of actor Nicholas Cage, who adopted his surname. This black superhero, who first appeared in Marvel’s Hero for Hire #1 in 1972, boasts superhuman strength and unbreakable skin. Last year, he was featured on the Netflix series Jessica Jones. This fall, he’ll headline his own series. 

In 2011, a 9.8 graded copy of Hero for Hire #1 sold for $2,766. In 2014, one sold for $6,100. But earlier this year, a similarly graded copy sold for $24,000, a whopping 867% increase in 5 years. 

“The interest is industry wide,” notes Stephen Fishler, co-owner of Metropolis/ComicConnect, pointing out the upcoming reboot of Milestone Comics, a DC imprint created by African-American artists and writers in 1993. The best known are Hardware, Icon and Static. 

Hip hop icon Darryl “DMC” McDaniels of Run DMC, launched his own comic book imprint, Darryl Makes Comics (http://www.dmc-comics.com), in 2014. His graphic novel series, DMC, features McDaniels as a contemporary superhero—complete with trademark Adidas and fedora—confronting evil in 1985 New York City. 


“The Black Panther has been a favorite of many collectors for decades. He has a great back story and cool powers. Once more people learn about him, his vintage comics will become more collectible.”

Source: www.ComicConnect.com