*"Not Easily Broken," the Bill Duke-directed film starring Taraji P. Henson and Morris Chestnut, opened in ninth place over the weekend and played mostly to an audience of mature women. Based on a novel by Bishop T.D. Jakes, the drama is the latest faith-based film to break into the box office top ten, grossing $5.6 million in just 724 theaters across the nation for a strong $7,735 per screen average. The other movies in the top 10 averaged about 2,950 theaters each.
*The great search for First Dog has been narrowed down to two hypoallergenic breeds: Portuguese water hound and Labradoodle. President-elect Barack Obama promised daughters Malia, 10 – who has pet allergies – and Sasha, 7, that he would buy them a dog if he won the election. Though great with children, the Portuguese water hounds don't like to be left alone for long periods of time. Labradoodles, on the other hand, make ideal family dogs with sweet dispositions and are happy to live a low-key lifestyle, according to People.com.
*BlackGirlTravel is looking for two interns to "travel the world on our dime while writing about your adventures from the black perspective. Your ultimate goal will be to inspire others to travel the world." The internship includes creating content, marketing, research and event coordination for the online travel site. Interested applicants must have excellent writing and communication skills, and a genuine interest in learning about the travel industry. Basic knowledge of HTML would be nice, but not required. Interns must work a mininum of 200 hours to qualify for free international travel. Please email resume, cover letter and one sample of your writing to BlackGirlTravel@yahoo.com.
*Compton High School in Los Angeles (601 South Acacia Ave.) will host a celebrity basketball game on Jan. 17 at 4 p.m. to include Lisa Leslie of the Sparks, Trevor Ariza of the Lakers, and rappers Snoop Dogg, Warren G. and Lil Eazy. The celebs will join coach Michael Cooper in the special fundraising event for Compton Youth Center. Other participants include Brian McKnight, Allen Payne, Arlen Escarpeta, Khalid Reeves, Pooh Richardson and Byron Russell. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased the day of or by phone at (877) 689-7717.
*Venezuelan pianist Gabriela Montero is preparing to perform a special tribute composed by John Williams at the Jan. 20 inauguration, along with cellist Yo-Yo Ma, violinist Itzhak Perlman and clarinetist Anthony McGill. "I'm very excited to be part of this great day," said Montero, 38. "It's going to be a great moment for the entire world." The Venezuelan-born pianist, who also is a naturalized U.S. citizen, expects to be the sole Latin American musician performing in the inauguration ceremony. She believes Obama will "bring about a very important and very positive transition" in the United States. Others scheduled to take the stage include soul legend Aretha Franklin.
*The Southern Christian Leadership Conference of Greater Los Angeles (SCLC) will host its 32nd Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Birthday Celebration tomorrow (Jan. 15) at 6:30 p.m. at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel (506 South Grand Avenue Los Angeles). Honorees this year include P. Miller (Social Justice Entertainer of the Year Award), Bishop Noel Jones of City of Refuge Ministries (Thomas Kilgore Prophetic Witness Award), NAACP board member Willis Edwards (President’s Award), Verizon (Corporate Responsibility Award), SEIU SOULA Local 2006 President Faith D. Culbreath (Rosa Parks Award), and attorney Ricky Ivie (Drum Major Award). TV news anchors Marc Brown and Michelle Tuzee from ABC 7 will serve as the event’s emcees and Mark Allen Felton and Mr. Quick will be the featured entertainment. Other attendees include various federal, state, and local elected officials, celebrities, sports athletes, and community advocates.