Micheal Jordan pledges 5 million to National Museum of African American History and Culture

Basketball icon Michael Jordan has donated $5 million to the National Museum of African American History and Culture, museum officials announced Monday.

The gift, the largest from a sports figure to the 19th Smithsonian museum, pushes private donations to the museum to $278 million. Including federal aid, the museum, which President Obama will open Sept. 24, has raised more than $548 million.

The Chicago Bulls star also gave a jersey that he wore during the 1996 NBA Finals to the museum’s permanent collection. In recognition of the gifts, the museum will name a section of its sports gallery the Michael Jordan Hall.

“I am grateful for the opportunity to support this museum,” Jordan said in a statement. “I also am indebted to the historic contributions of community leaders and athletes such as Jesse Owens, whose talent, commitment and perseverance broke racial barriers and laid the groundwork for the successful careers of so many African Americans in athletics and beyond.”

[SOURCE]

Black Olympian Spotlight: Jenny Arthur, Weightlifting

Other Black Olympians: Shakur Stevenson boxer, Colton Brown wrestler

The 2016 Olympics are now under way and I will be highlighting black athletes competing in the 2016 Summer Games in Rio who wont get as much publicity as a Serena Williams or the USA men's basketball team. I would like to introduce to you to weightlifter Jenny Arthur.

Weight class: 69kg

Height: 5'5

What year did you being lifting? October 2009

How did you get involved? I started lifting to improve in other sports.

Favorite Competition Lift? Clean and Jerk 

Favorite Training Lift? Snatch off the blocks

Education: I want to major in Child Development.

Personal Goals: I feel my talents are a complete gift from God so my goals are to use them with the best of my ability.

Favorite Food: Chinese Food

Favorite Book: Bible

Favorite TV Show: Extreme Home Makeover

Favorite song that gets you motivated: Victory By Yolanda Adams

Hobbies/Interested outside of Weightlifting: Spending time with family/friends,Track and Field,Tennis, Softball and reading magazines.

Most people don’t know that….I want to volunteer at many different homeless shelters across the world.

Black Olympian Spotlight: Colton Brown, Wrestler

Other Black Olympians: Jenny Arthur weightlifting,Shakur Stevenson boxer

The 2016 Olympics are now under way and I will be highlighting black athletes competing in the 2016 Summer Games in Rio who wont get as much publicity as a Serena Williams or the USA men's basketball team. I would like to introduce you to Piscataway, N.J. wrestler, Colton Brown.

Ranked No. 27 in the world, Brown earns his first Olympic team selection riding a wave of progress, including winning a silver medal at the 2016 Pan American Championships after fifth-place finishes the prior two years. The 24-year-old has won world cup or continental open medals on five continents, including five medals on four continents in 2015. He won the Pan American U-20 title in 2010.

2015

Oceania Open Wollongong – BRONZE
European Open Glasgow – SILVER
Pan American Open San Salvador – GOLD
Pan American Senior Championships – BRONZE
Pan American Open Buenos Aires – BRONZE
Pan American Open Montevideo – 5th Place
Pan American Open Santiago – 5th Place
African Open Tunis – SILVER

2014

NCAA National Championships - GOLD
Pan American Open, Montevideo - BRONZE
Pan American Open, Santiago - BRONZE
Pan American Championships - 5th Place

2013

NCAA National Championships - GOLD
US Senior National Championships - SILVER
Miami Grand Prix - BRONZE
Pan American Open, San Salvador - SILVER

Suicide Squad opening weekend success driven by African American & Latino moviegoers

By George L. Cook III AfricanAmericanReports.com

The $135 million plus opening weekend success of Suicide Squad can be attributed in part to its appeal to minority moviegoers. It seems that using a Fast & Furious type casting approach when it comes to diversity helped drive minority auds to the theater to see the film. It should be no surprise (except to studio heads) that Black and Latino audiences turned out to see to see actors like Will Smith (Deadshot), Jay Hernandez (El Diablo), and Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje (Killer Croc) playing superheroes/supervillians.

After seeing it I can attest that although fun and action packed it is not a good film and appears to have scenes that were cut out after the team finally gets together. There are none of the obligatory get to know you, don't like you, fight you, and then like you bonding scenes that help you get to know the characters. But that didn't stop minority audiences from going to see the superhero/supervillain film that featured characters they felt they could relate to.

Per PostTrak, the combination of African American and Hispanic moviegoers made up a huge 41% of the audience with both audiences giving the film a whopping 81% positive score. [SOURCE]

The diverse film cast includes Will Smith, Jared Leto, Margot Robbie, Joel Kinnaman, Viola Davis, Jai Courtney, Jay Hernandez, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Ike Barinholtz, Scott Eastwood, and Cara Delevingne.

Black Olympian Spotlight: Shakur Stevenson, boxer

Other Black Olympians: Jenny Arthur weightlifting, Colton Brown wrestler

The 2016 Olympics are now under way and I will be highlighting black athletes competing in the 2016 Summer Games in Rio. I would like to start of with someone who is from Newark NJ which is right next door to me. That person would be boxer Shakur Stevenson, who many believe gives the United States a good chance at earning it's first gold medal in boxing in 12 years.

Shakur is the oldest of nine siblings and loves being a big brother...He proudly represents his hometown of Newark, N.J., and wants to bring something positive to the city that built him....Shakur began boxing at age five after his grandfather Wali Moses introduced him to the sport and he's been there ever since....He's known for shadowboxing all the time every where he goes. His grandfather jokes that he knew Shakur was awake as a kid because he'd hear that sounds of him shadow boxing...He's named after rapper Tupac Shakur...He's looking to follow in the footsteps of his idol and the last American man to win a boxing gold medal Andre Ward....Shakur has a perfect 23-0 international record and is the first American male to win junior and youth world titles and a Youth Olympic Games gold medal

Sport: Boxing

Discipline(s): Boxing

Weight Class: Bantamweight

Height: 5-8

Weight: 123 lbs

DOB: 6/28/1997

Hometown: Newark, N.J.

Team/Club: Alexandria Boxing Club

Coach(es): Kay Koroma and Wali Moses

Olympic Experience

• 2016 U.S. OLYMPIAN

World Championship Experience

• 2014 YOUTH WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
• 2013 JUNIOR WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

Youth Championship Experience

• 2014 YOUTH OLYMPIC GAMES GOLD MEDALIST

Other Career Highlights

• AMERICAS OLYMPIC QUALIFIER GOLD MEDALIST
• WORLD SERIES OF BOXING BOXER OF THE WEEK
• OLYMPIC TRIALS CHAMPION AND OUTSTANDING BOXER
• TWO-TIME YOUTH OPEN CHAMPION
• 2013 JUNIOR OPEN AND JUNIOR OLYMPIC CHAMPION