recognized

21Dec

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BOOKS

One Of The Most Dynamic And Globally Recognized Entertainment Forces Of Our Time Opens Up Fully About His Life

You don’t become a megastar like Will Smith without picking up a bit of wisdom—and some seriously amazing stories—along the way. Collaborating with self-help author Mark Manson, Smith chronicles his life and career and shares inspiring observations about the lessons he’s learned. (The quote “living is the journey from not knowing to knowing” really stuck with us.) Smith is just as charismatic as an audiobook narrator as he is on screen. Even when he’s discussing painful topics, like how much of his drive and ambition were shaped by his abusive, alcoholic dad, his raw honesty and charm shine through. We loved hearing about his meteoric rise as a rapper and actor—from touring with Public Enemy to negotiating a movie contract for tens of millions, every stop on his journey had us enthralled. ...

Behind Decisions To Deny Black High School Students From Being Recognized As The Top In Their Class Lurks Racism

1Jul

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EDUCATION

Behind Decisions To Deny Black High School Students From Being Recognized As The Top In Their Class Lurks Racism

Jamel K. Donnor, William & Mary Two Black students – Ikeria Washington and Layla Temple – were named valedictorian and salutatorian at West Point High School in Mississippi in 2021. Shortly afterward, two white parents questioned whether school officials had correctly calculated the top academic honors. Ultimately, the school superintendent named two white students as “co-valedictorian” and “co-salutatorian” on the day of graduation. High school seniors with the highest GPA in their graduating class are chosen to be valedictorians and are often responsible for delivering the graduating speech. Salutatorians, who are high school seniors with the second-highest GPA in their graduating class, often give the opening remarks. The superintendent attributed the mix-up to a new school cou...

13Mar

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CELEBRITIES

Eva Mendez Recognized And Appreciated

This is the tale of a sadly underutilized instrument of beauty finally being recognized and appreciated. Eva Mendes was born in Miami, Florida, but she grew up in the Los Angeles area. She went to college for marketing but dropped out to pursue acting, and we are sure glad she did! To add her other talents into the mix, she also pursued modeling and got into fashion design, all great outlets for a fiery hot Latina with a smoking body. After a slew of straight-to-video outings (Children of the Corn V: Fields of Terror [1998]) and blink-and-you'll-miss-her roles (A Night at the Roxbury), Latina hottie Eva Mendes writhed and quaked into mass ass consciousness as the busty, underdressed girlfriend of Denzel Washington in Training Day (2001). Her stock only rose from there, landing plum roles i...

22Feb

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Journalism

Black contributions recognized

Sunday’s Black History Month Extravaganza provided a look back and a path forward. The program was held before a near-capacity crowd at Kewanee’s First Congregational Church and included city leaders, 74th Dist. Rep. Dan Swanson, a representative of U.S. Congresswoman Cheri Bustos and the choirs of Kewanee and Wethersfield high schools. “It’s not just something for black people, but for all of America,” said the Rev. Marshall Jones of the annual month of commemoration, which was started by Carter G. Woodson Association of the Study of Negro Life and History in 1926 and formalized by President Gerald Ford in 1976. February was selected because both Frederick Douglas and Abraham Lincoln were born that month. Jones spoke of the “great gains” made by African American people since emancipation ...