Taraji P. Henson & Octavia Spencer film 'Hidden Figures' to get earlier release

Looks like Twentieth Century Fox will be releasing the movie 'Hidden Figures' one week earlier than initially announced.

The site Hollywood Reporter reports that:

The movie focuses on the untold story of three African-American women (Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer and Janelle Monae) who worked behind the scenes on key space programs.

Fox confirmed Friday that it would in fact give its Taraji P. Henson- and Octavia Spencer-starring NASA drama Hidden Figures a limited, Oscar-qualifying release on Christmas Day.

The movie, which was previously set to hit theaters on Jan. 13 of next year will instead go wide on Jan. 6.

Hidden Figures, directed by Theodore Melfi, focuses on the untold story of three brilliant African-American women working at NASA who served as the brains behind the launch of astronaut John Glenn into orbit in 1962. The biographical drama shows how the trio, rounded out by Janelle Monae, battled stereotypes and defied expectations as they made history.

HIDDEN FIGURES TRAILER

NAACP APPROVES RESOLUTION ON A MORATORIUM ON CHARTER SCHOOLS

Members of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) Board of Directors ratified a resolution Saturday adopted by delegates at its 2016 107th National Convention calling for a moratorium on charter school expansion and for the strengthening of oversight in governance and practice.

“The NAACP has been in the forefront of the struggle for and a staunch advocate of free, high-quality, fully and equitably-funded public education for all children,” said Roslyn M. Brock, Chairman of the National NAACP Board of Directors. “We are dedicated to eliminating the severe racial inequities that continue to plague the education system.”

The National Board’s decision to ratify this resolution reaffirms prior resolutions regarding charter schools and the importance of public education, and is one of 47 resolutions adopted today by the Board of Directors. The National Board’s decision to ratify supports its 2014 Resolution, ‘School Privatization Threat to Public Education’, in which the NAACP opposes privatization of public schools and public subsidizing or funding of for-profit or charter schools. Additionally, in 1998 the Association adopted a resolution which unequivocally opposed the establishment and granting of charter schools which are not subject to the same accountability and standardization of qualifications/certification of teachers as public schools and divert already-limited funds from public schools.

We are calling for a moratorium on the expansion of the charter schools at least until such time as:
(1) Charter schools are subject to the same transparency and accountability standards as public schools
(2) Public funds are not diverted to charter schools at the expense of the public school system
(3) Charter schools cease expelling students that public schools have a duty to educate and
(4) Cease to perpetuate de facto segregation of the highest performing children from those whose aspirations may be high but whose talents are not yet as obvious.

Historically the NAACP has been in strong support of public education and has denounced movements toward privatization that divert public funds to support non-public school choices.

“We are moving forward to require that charter schools receive the same level of oversight, civil rights protections and provide the same level of transparency, and we require the same of traditional public schools,” Chairman Brock said. “Our decision today is driven by a long held principle and policy of the NAACP that high quality, free, public education should be afforded to all children.”

While we have reservations about charter schools, we recognize that many children attend traditional public schools that are inadequately and inequitably equipped to prepare them for the innovative and competitive environment they will face as adults. Underfunded and under-supported, these traditional public schools have much work to do to transform curriculum, prepare teachers, and give students the resources they need to have thriving careers in a technologically advanced society that is changing every year. There is no time to wait. Our children immediately deserve the best education we can provide.

“Our ultimate goal is that all children receive a quality public education that prepares them to be a contributing and productive citizen,” said Adora Obi Nweze, Chair of the National NAACP Education Committee, President of the Florida State Conference of the NAACP and a former educator whose committee guides educational policy for the Association.

“The NAACP’s resolution is not inspired by ideological opposition to charter schools but by our historical support of public schools – as well as today’s data and the present experience of NAACP branches in nearly every school district in the nation,” said Cornell William Brooks, President and CEO of the NAACP. “Our NAACP members, who as citizen advocates, not professional lobbyists, are those who attend school board meetings, engage with state legislatures and support both parents and teachers.”

“The vote taken by the NAACP is a declaratory statement by this Association that the proliferation of charter schools should be halted as we address the concerns raised in our resolution,” said Chairman Brock.

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Ben & Jerry's issues statement in support of Black Lives Matter

Ice cream maker Ben & Jerry's has released the following statement in support of Black Lives Matter:

Why Black lives matter.

Black lives matter.

They matter because they are children, brothers, sisters, mothers, and fathers.

They matter because the injustices they face steal from all of us — white people and people of color alike. They steal our very humanity.

Systemic and institutionalized racism are the defining civil rights and social justice issues of our time. We’ve come to understand that to be silent about the violence and threats to the lives and well-being of Black people is to be complicit in that violence and those threats.

We ask you to join us in not being complicit.

There is good news: the first step in overcoming systemic racism and injustice is to simply understand and admit that there is a problem. It’s trying to understand the perspective of others whose experiences are different from our own. To not just listen, but to truly understand those whose struggle for justice is real, and not yet complete.

Rev. Dr. William J. Barber, II, President of the North Carolina NAACP, said it best when reacting to the recent police shooting in Charlotte, NC. He said, “Our objective is simple: to ensure justice-loving people act toward justice, with all evidence, and that we stand together and act from a place of power and love, rather than out of fear and anger.”

It’s been hard to watch the list of unarmed Black Americans killed by law enforcement officers grow longer and longer. We understand that numerous Black Americans and white Americans have profoundly different experiences and outcomes with law enforcement and the criminal justice system. That’s why it’s become clear to us at Ben & Jerry’s that we have a moral obligation to take a stand now for justice and for Black lives.

We want to be clear: we believe that saying Black lives matter is not to say that the lives of those who serve in the law enforcement community don’t. We respect and value the commitment to our communities that those in law enforcement make, and we respect the value of every one of their lives.

But we do believe that — whether Black, brown, white, or blue — our nation and our very way of life is dependent on the principle of all people being served equal justice under the law. And it’s clear, the effects of the criminal justice system are not color blind.

We do not place the blame for this on individual officers. Rather, we believe it is due to the systemic racism built into the fabric of our institutions at every level, disadvantaging and discriminating against people of color in ways that go beyond individual intent to discriminate. For this reason, we are not pointing fingers at individuals; we are instead urging us to come together to better our society and institutions so that we may finally fulfill the founding promise of this country: to be a country with dignity and justice for all.

All lives do matter. But all lives will not matter until Black lives matter.

We ask people to be open to understanding these issues, and not to reflexively retreat to our current beliefs. Change happens when people are willing to listen and hear the struggles of their neighbor, putting aside preconceived notions and truly seeking to understand and grow. We’ll be working hard on that, and ask you to as well.

- Your friends at Ben & Jerry’s

[SOURCE]

NAACP TO VOTE ON CONTROVERSIAL CHARTER MORATORIUM

The NAACP is set to vote this weekend on a controversial resolution calling for a halt to charter school expansion. It’s not exactly a new stance for the NAACP, which has passed numerous resolutions critical of charters since as far back as the late 1990s. But charter schools have seen rapid growth in recent years and are under increased scrutiny, so this vote is attracting a lot more attention — and resistance — than those in the past.

Read more: NAACP TO VOTE ON CONTROVERSIAL CHARTER MORATORIUM

Howard University Announces the Cathy Hughes School of Communications

Howard University president, Dr. Wayne A. I. Frederick, today announced a multi-million dollar gift to its School of Communications from Alfred C. Liggins III, President and CEO of Radio One, Inc. This notable contribution was made through the Catherine L. Hughes and Alfred C. Liggins III Foundation and establishes that the School will be named in honor of Cathy Hughes, Radio One founder and Chairperson, and former Howard University staff member. An official ceremony to announce the naming of the “Cathy Hughes School of Communications” will be held on Sunday, October 23, 2016, at Howard University.

“The Howard community is thrilled that Mr. Liggins has chosen to honor his mother, Ms. Cathy Hughes, in this manner for her pioneering work in the field of communications,” said Dr. Frederick. “The gift will have a transformational impact on the School’s commitment to serve the communications industry and as a high-level producer of diverse media specialists.” He went on to acknowledge that Ms. Hughes is well known for her accomplishments at the School and University, particularly at WHUR-FM where she created the popular, urban music format known as the “Quiet Storm.” She is also the School’s third Time Warner Endowed Chair.

The donation recognizes the extraordinary vigor of Howard’s School of Communications and its faculty, students, staff, and alumni. It demonstrates Ms. Hughes’ and Mr. Liggins’ firm beliefs in the role that the School plays in providing and sustaining a range of educational and leadership alternatives for African Americans within the communications sector. In 2013, the School reorganized its undergraduate programs and departments, graduate studies, and interdisciplinary options. Now in its 45th year of existence, the School proudly boasts four progressive departments: Communication Culture and Media Studies; Communication Sciences and Disorders; Media, Journalism and Film; and Strategic, Legal and Management Communication.

The Catherine L. Hughes and Alfred C. Liggins III Fund at Howard University will assist the School in acquiring cutting-edge technology and equipment, which will support its academically rich programs. Radio One invites its supporters and business partners to join its effort to promote and support Howard-educated communication leaders who will continue the cycle of influence and upliftment personified by Ms. Hughes. Donations should be made to Howard University and designated for the Cathy Hughes School of Communications.

As Howard University approaches its sesquicentennial anniversary, its enthusiasm about the next 150 years is heightened by the generosity of Ms. Hughes and Mr. Liggins, and the legacy that they are graciously leaving behind.