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MANDISA READY TO MOVE

FORWARD: Former ‘Idol’

contestant talks about her
fashion choices; love for Simon,

future goals and angering gay

community.

*After her elimination from

“American Idol” Wednesday night,

judge Simon Cowell stepped to fan

favorite Mandisa Hundley with some

words of encouragement.
Following her performance
Tuesday of Shania Twain’s “Any Man

of Mine,” Paula and Randy weren’t

feeling the song choice, and Cowell

warned that it may lead to her early

exit from the competition. America

voted, and Mandisa soon found herself

doing interview after interview about how

it feels to be booted off prematurely,

and more importantly, what Simon

had to say to her after the show.
“He told me he really liked me,

I had a great voice and that it's all
about the song,” the 29-year-old

recounted.
Her special relationship with

the British judge goes back to his
infamous comment following her

audition in Chicago, when he made

a disparaging remark about her

weight. After Mandisa left the room,

Simon asked if “Idol” was “going to

have a bigger stage this year.” Later,

when Paula said that Mandisa reminded

her of former contestant Frenchie,

Cowell cracked that a better

comparison would be

to France itself.
During final auditions in Hollywood

months after the audition taping
- after Mandisa and everyone else in

America heard Simon’s dis - the singer
addressed him directly, stating that his

comments were hurtful, but that she
forgave him, adding, “you don’t need

somebody to apologize to you to forgive
somebody.” Cowell told Mandisa he

was “humbled” and apologized. She

recalls the moment as the biggest

highlight of her “American Idol” journey.
“That would have been worth it if

it were just me and him and nobody
else saw it but the fact that they

showed it that meant a lot to me,”

she said.
Mandisa says viewers responded
favorably to her gesture of
forgiveness, which instantly gave her

a sizable fan base before the voting
even began.
“It’s not what I set out to do

originally but I think it worked in my
favor,” she said. “I just wanted to be

able to tell [Simon] how I felt and
was so glad that America responded

that way.
Things were looking pretty good

for the contestant after making the
final 12. She breezed through early

rounds singing songs by Stevie Wonder
(“Don’t You Worry ‘Bout A Thing”),

Dinah Washington (“I Don’t Hurt Anymore”)
and gospel’s Mary Mary (“Shackles”) –

all genre-friendly offerings for the power-singer.

But last week’s country-themed show brought

problems, according to the judges and

fan bloggers, who, for the most part,

thought her song choice was a mistake.
“I love that song and, and I sing

background for Shania and just
fell in love with her,” she said of her

decision to belt Twain’s “Any Man of
Mine.” “I just thought this is a fun song

and what I wanted to do after the
week before was show my personality,

be that joyful, bubbly [girl and] have
a good time on the stage. I thought

that song did that.”
When asked whether themed-weeks

are biased against contestants whose
voice favors a different music genre, she

says: “I recognize that ‘American
Idol’ is a TV show first, and in order to

have an interesting TV show you’re
going to have to do different genres. In

the end, I don’t think that it
plays a role into the kind of record that

the winner will make but it makes
for a good TV show.”
Meanwhile, fans of “Idol” have

certainly taken notice of Mandisa’s
sense of style since beginning her

run in Chicago. The singer says she’s
lost about 30 pounds over the course

of the series, telling reporters: “I
exercise, eat healthy and try not

to let food dictate my life."
“My style changed a lot,” adds

the Sacramento, CA native. “I think

in the very beginning I was wearing

lots of loose fitting clothes thinking

I was hiding something. I wasn’t hiding

nothing and so I realized that I just have

to be more comfortable with who I was.

People knew I had curves and
I shouldn’t have been scared

to show them.”

In addition to “singing, acting

and modeling” as possible post-“Idol”
career options, Mandisa says she’d

also like to launch a clothing line for
plus size women.
“I used to think that there was

not a lot of clothing for plus size
women that really wanted to look

hip and cool and also look very classy

at the same time, so I’m recognizing

now after being on the show that there
are,” she says. “I would just love to

be able to pull a bunch of different
things together and show there is a line

of clothes that can accentuate any
body form.”
While “American Idol” fame will

likely facilitate the accomplishment
of her goals, sudden notoriety is also

bringing extra media attention to her
every move. Mandisa is “really upset”

that an interview she did with
gay-themed magazine The Advocate

may have inadvertently suggested that

she would not participate in events in

support of the gay community.
"Based on what I believe, I'm

not an advocate for (being gay), so
it's nothing I would take part in," she

told the magazine’s Web site.
The question followed comments

the outspoken Christian initially made
on "American Idol’s" Web site praising

author and speaker Beth Moore of
Living Proof Ministries. Moore's

Web site has links to groups such as

Exodus International that discourage

homosexuality.
"It broke my heart," Mandisa

tells the Associated Press of
speculation that her comments made

her anti-gay. "I live my life by the
value system that you treat others the

way you want to be treated. I let
love be my guide. I absolutely hate

no one."

Mandisa says her views "could

have contributed" to her elimination
last week. But the singer is instead

choosing to look forward to the world
of possibilities suddenly at her feet.
“There’s, a lot of different

options,” she notes. “In fact, I can’t
wait to hear all about [them]. Ultimately,

though, I’m going to have to get with the

Lord and say okay which route should

I take? You’ve not seen the last of me.”

BOBBY’S SIS SAYS WHITNEY HAS

LESBIAN AFFAIRS: Tina Brown tells

‘Enquirer’ she’s walked in on her

encounters ‘several times.’

*Rumors of Whitney Houston being

on the D.L. date back almost 20
years, when folks swore that she was

creeping with her “best friend” Robyn
Crawford.
There was also that infamous

urban legend that Houston was involved
in a love triangle with actresses Jodie

Foster and Kelly McGillis while the
latter two filmed the 1988 movie

“The Accused.”
The rumors were put on the back

burner once Bobby Brown placed a ring
on her finger in July 1992. But Brown’s

sister Tina has just turned up the
heat on that burner, with new allegations

that Whitney engages in lesbian
sex while she’s high on drugs.
Earlier this month, Tina told

the National Enquirer of Whitney’s
dangerous crack addiction, and

provided pictures of the singer’s bathroom
filled with crack pipes, rolling papers,

cocaine-caked spoons and other
tools to support her addiction. This

week, Tina tells the Enquirer that it’s
common knowledge among Whitney’s

family members, and even her husband

Bobby, that she has engaged in

sexual affairs with women.
"It's no secret. I've seen her

with a woman a couple of times,” Tina
tells the tabloid. “They were walking

around without shirts on when I came
in the house."
Whitney, 42, was also described

by Tina as a sex fiend, who locks
herself away for days with sex toys,

in addition to her drug paraphernalia.
Tina fears that her sister-in-law is

just “one fix away from killing
herself.”

JUDGE MABLEAN EXIT DUE TO

MONEY, HAIR ISSUES: Fox

demanded that hairstyle and salary

stay the same.

*At a press conference last week

to explain her reasons for leaving
the syndicated Fox Television series

“Divorce Court,” Judge Mablean Ephriam
said the syndicator was unwilling to

pay her as much as the other TV judges,
and had the nerve to demand that her

hairdo not change for the entire
season.
“There will be no changes in the

current hairstyle to avoid time
consuming issues regarding her hair,”

Fox was said to have stated during its
negotiations – a demand Ephriam

found to be very offensive and racially
insensitive.
Here were her words at the

press conference:
“The requirement also comes

very close to a violation, if it does not
in fact violate, the Fair Employment

Practices Act. An employer cannot
demand one to wear a particular

hairstyle unless it directly affects or
impacts the employee’s ability to

perform his or her employment duties.

My hairstyle does not meet this criteria,

it is, however, a racial and ethnic issue.
“Suddenly, after seven years of a

show that has run neck- in- neck
with the other top rated court shows,

why is my hair an issue. Why, I ask?
Because of my ethnicity – African

American, Black, Negro, whatever term

you prefer to use. Because of my genetics

(short, curly, hair) which requires
the use of chemicals and/or a hot

\pressing comb to straighten and curlers to
style. It cannot be styled by a wash,

blow dry and set. Therefore, in
Fox’s opinion, it is a time

consuming issue.
“I wore a short hairstyle which

was my own hair. Due to a
misapplication of a chemical process,

I lost a substantial amount of hair in
season six. Out of my desire to

maintain continuity, and the image I had
created (for the last five years), I elected

to wear a wig last year. Had
Fox asked me to maintain a short

hairstyle for continuity and for image, it
would have been a different issue. But

they are saying I must continue to
wear the wig because that would expedite

the hair styling process. However,
my hair has now grown. I had not yet

decided what hairstyle I would wear
for season eight. If I were to accept

their demands, I would have been
unable to make that decision.”
Ephriam also said the salary

Fox offered her for season eight was
substantially less than all of the

other court show judges.

“Though I made several offers

of reduction from my initial demand,
in an effort to reach a settlement,

Fox remained firm in its ‘low-ball
offer’ and finally, its ‘take-or-

leave it offer’ which contained a very
small increase from its initial

position, coupled with some other
unreasonable demands,” she said.

“Fox took the position that in order to
receive this small increase (which

was still unequal); there would be
‘significant production changes.’”
Among them:

• Tape seven shows per day (sometimes

eight), instead of six. “I indicated
I could not do this effectively and

produce quality shows,” she explains.
• No vacation time during tape schedule.

She notes: “My national church
convocation in November is the only

vacation I take during tape season.
Will I now not be allowed to observe

my religious practice? This was
non-negotiable for me. I believe

this infringes on my freedom of religious
belief? The other times-off from

taping were promotional appearances

… at the request of civic groups, schools,

churches, women groups, and non-profit
organizations such as the Tom Joyner

Foundation Fantastic Voyage, which
benefits Historically Black Colleges

and Universities (HBCU’s).
Ephraim continued: “There were

several other issues related to the
tape schedule and taping itself which

were unfair to the staff and crew of
‘Divorce Court,’ as well as me. For

instance, ‘we no longer will be able to
pay for the holiday luncheon’ stated

Fox. ‘Divorce Court’ has one catered
meal the entire season, the Christmas

holiday luncheon, before hiatus. This
would be cut out if I were to be paid

the small increase. This would not be
fair to the staff and crew.
“Not only have I been impacted but

my personal assistant Princess and
my daughter, Darlene Allen. Darlene

was head of the wardrobe department.

She too now has been terminated.”
In closing, Ephraim thanks Fox

“for the last seven years, for the
opportunity, for the exposure. I also

thank Fox for refusing to pay me what
I know I was worth. It set me free

to ascend to higher ground. To go
beyond before. I firmly believe that

God has a better plan for my life.”

LIL’ KIM’S LATEST LETTER FROM

PRISON: Rapper shouts out her new

cellmates; one offers her stiletto heel

fashioned out of Jolly Ranchers.

*Lil’ Kim has written her third letter

to fans from a federal detention center

in Philadelphia, where she is currently

serving a 366-day sentence on perjury

charges.
“A lot of people have been asking

how Philly has been treating me,”
she begins. “Well, I am good! It's

been all love since I got here. Philly
has been holding me down, and

representing real hard!”
The Brooklyn-born rapper, who

began serving her sentence last Sept.
19, said the inmates – particularly her

new homies Tee Tee, Brina, Shavee,
Sky, Shay, S.Dot, GiGi, Martinez,

and Meagan – helped celebrate the

Sept. 27 arrival of her album “The

Naked Truth” by throwing her a

surprise album release party.
“They were sneaking around

for weeks planning without me having a
clue,” she writes. “We were reading

the newspaper when we found out that I
would be nominated for a Vibe Award

and an American Music Award. The girls
were more excited than I was. They

celebrated by cooking me meals. It felt
like Thanksgiving! The food was good

as sh*t. They made me a cake out of
Oreo cookies, popcorn, caramel and

trail mix. Triple Layer!”
She adds: “The icing on the cake

though was Martinez making me a
stiletto out of Watermelon Jolly Ranchers.

Unbelievable! It was sooo cute.
I've never seen anything like it in my life.
“Then, at the end of the party, they

presented me with a Vibe Award
and an American Music Award because

they said, ‘I was already the winner in
their books.’ That was definitely a Carl

Thomas emotional moment, one of the
sweetest things anyone has done for me.

They are my dogs because that's some
real sh*t. The women here are

amazingly creative. I would definitely say
some of the most creative people are

in prison.”
On the night of her album release,

the inmates banged on the windows
and yelled “Put Ya Lighters Up” to the

fans gathered outside in support of
the rapper.
“Hundreds of people came out to

the jailhouse and put their lighters
up for me,” writes Kim. “Philly is

definitely the city of Brotherly Love.”

B.I.G. DEATH STILL MATTERS TO

L.A. COUNCILMAN: Plus, NYPD’s

‘hip hop cop’ includes investigation in

new tell-all.

*A city councilman in Los Angeles

proposed Friday to put up a $50,000
public reward for any information leading

to an arrest in the unsolved murder

of rapper Notorious B.I.G.
Councilman Dennis Zine wants the

offer to stand for 60 days in hopes
that cold hard cash will inspire

witnesses to start talking.
"I am hopeful someone will come

forward with information which will
lead to the eventual apprehension of

the murderers involved in this case,"
Zine said in a statement.
Zine's motion is currently under

review by a council committee. A
1997 measure offering a $25,000

reward expired after several months.
Biggie, born Christopher Wallace,

was shot and killed March 9, 1997,
after a party at the Petersen Automotive

Museum in Los Angeles. As previously

reported, a fresh team of police detectives

was recently assigned to the case.
Meanwhile, a former narcotics

detective for the New York Police
Department has written a new tell-all

book about his 20 years on the force,
which has included investigations of

the murders of B.I.G.
"Notorious C.O.P.," due in July,

was written with former New York
Post music critic Matt Diehl and also

includes his look into the murders of
Tupac Shakur and Jam Master Jay,

as well as the ongoing Busta Rhymes

and Lil' Kim matters.
In 2001, the force assigned Parker

to create "the Binder," a McCarthy
era-like database detailing criminal

associations and arrests of hundreds

of rappers - including Sean Combs, 50

Cent and Jay-Z. When the Binder was
leaked, Parker writes, "To the

American Civil Liberties Union, I was
suddenly public enemy number one."
The author, who is African

American, says rappers were

better off under his beat.
"The cultural ignorance of my

fellow officers made them assume that
all rappers were evil criminals," he

said, adding that the Rudy Giuliani
administration made them a target

because they tended to be "young,

black, rich and angry."

CHAPPELLE VISITS D.C. ALMA

MATER: Grammy Foundation adopts

Duke Ellington School of the Arts;

‘Chappelle Day’ declared in

Nation’s Capitol.

*The Duke Ellington School of the

Arts alumnus and comedian Dave
Chappelle stopped by his alma mater last

Monday and offered encouragement to
students attending a school assembly.
Chappelle was in town to perform

for a sold-out benefit at the Kennedy

Center on April 3, which raised

approximately $300,000

to support school

operations.
"The experience of attending Duke

Ellington had a profoundly positive
effect on my life and my work," said

Chappelle. "I hope to help ensure that
they continue to have the resources

needed to enrich the lives of young
people in Washington."
During the school assembly, the

Grammy Foundation announced the
selection of the Duke Ellington School

of the Arts as a Grammy Signature
Schools Enterprise Award winner for

2006 -- one of only two schools to
receive the honor. David Sears, senior

director of education programs at the
Grammy Foundation, presented a

$15,000 grant to the Ellington School.
Presented by 7 UP, the Grammy

Signature Schools program was created
in 1998 to recognize top U.S. public

high schools that are making an
outstanding commitment to music

education during an academic

school year.
In addition to Chappelle, the school

boasts a number of famous alumni
who are supporters of the school,

including mezzo-soprano Denyce Graves,
gospel recording artist William Becton,

singer-songwriter Me'shell
Ndegeocello, and actor Clifton Powell.
In recognition of Chappelle's talent

and contributions to the Ellington School,

D.C. Mayor Anthony Williams declared

April 3, 2006, "Dave Chappelle Day."

LIL WAYNE SUED BY FORMER

MANAGER: Woman claims she’s

owed over $500,000 in back

commissions.

*New Orleans rapper Lil’ Wayne

was hit with a $500,000 lawsuit filed
in Miami Wednesday by his former

manager.
According to the Miami Herald,

White Tides Entertainment president
Melissa Philipian claims that the

Cash Money Records artist fired her last
December because he was dissatisfied

with the quality of a hotel room she
had booked for him.
As a result, the 23-year-old M.C.

refused to pay $500,000 in back
commissions, according to Philipian's

lawyer Richard Wolfe, who added that
Lil Wayne also owes White Tides

15 percent of his earnings over the next

two years under a three-year contract

signed in June 2005.
"We're probably looking at

damages in excess of $1 million," Wolfe
told the Miami Herald. "Sometimes

artists make it big, and they want to
forget about the people who helped

them get there."
According to the lawsuit, Lil

Wayne's contract with White Tides only
allows him to terminate the agreement

in writing after one year of service
for specified contract breaches. Wolfe

noted that the quality of a hotel
room does not qualify as a reason to

end the contract, so Lil Wayne is
liable to pay White Tides for the

next two years.
The company booked at least

21 concerts for Wayne, arranged product
and publicity deals and organized

guest performances on other artists'
videos and albums, the Herald reports.

‘KIMINEM’ SEPARATION COMES

WITH DRAMA: Kim says rapper is

still on drugs; Eminem denies it, adds,

‘wedding doesn’t fix underlying problems.’

*It didn’t take long for things

between Eminem and his
on-and-off-and-on again wife

Kimberly Mathers to settle into

an old, familiar pattern.
After last week’s announcement

that he has filed for divorce from his
childhood sweetheart for a second time,

Kim went on a radio station and said
their split occurred because the rapper

is still hooked on drugs.
"He's having problems with, you

know, his problem that he had," she
told Detroit radio show Mojo in the

Morning, likely referring to the
sleeping-pill addiction for which

Eminem sought treatment last summer.
"Right after he came home from his

rehab, we started to have a few problems,
and I thought it was going to be in

our best interest to delay the wedding.
But he really pushed it and I thought

it was really going to be something
that worked this time."
Kim said she hadn’t spoken

to Eminem in six weeks, but was still
shocked to receive divorce papers

on Wednesday (April 6).
"I don't really necessarily want

to get divorced,” she said. “I was
hoping he was going to come home

and say, 'I got us a counselor, let's go.’”
“It was really quite a shock to me. It's

in his best interest that he does
return to rehab, but yeah that's one of

the main problems. He's not been
honest and he left a month and a

half ago."
Kim, who has had her own

missteps with drug addictions, says

she has been clean for two years.

Hours after her radio interview, Eminem,

born Marshall Mathers, responded

with the following statement:
"The details surrounding both

my marriage and subsequent filing for
divorce are private, and I had hoped to

keep them that way for the sake of
my family," it read. "A few of Kim's

statements in a radio interview need to
be addressed. First, her allegations

regarding my status post-rehab are both
untrue and unfortunate. Second, she

was aware that I was filing for divorce.
We both tried to give our marriage

another chance and quickly realized that
a wedding doesn't fix the underlying

problems."
Eminem’s grandmother even jumped

into the situation. Commenting on
her grandson’s sudden second marriage

to Kim, Betty Kresin said during her
call to Detroit’s Drew & Mike radio

show: "I told him from the beginning it
would not work. I'm glad he came to his

senses early. Marshall I'm sure gave
it 200 percent, where Kim probably

gave it 1 percent."
Eminem and Kim remarried in

January. Their first marriage lasted from
1999 to 2001 and produced a daughter,

Hailie Jade, who is now 10. Kim says
Hailie found out about their divorce

while listening to the radio.

COSBY BOOKED TO SPEAK AT

XAVIER: Show follows two nixed gigs

in Cincinnati following 2002 race riots.

*Bill Cosby will speak at Xavier

University in Cincinnati Thursday
on the topics of parenting, education

and social responsibility following
the cancellation of two scheduled

appearances in 2002 following race riots.

The 68-year-old entertainer is in the

midst of a nationwide tour,
titled “A Call Out With Cosby.” Xavier

will be the tour’s 19th stop, reports
the Associated Press.
"He seemed to have quite an insight

on the challenges that we face in
Cincinnati," said former Mayor Dwight

Tillery, president of the Center for
Closing the Health Gap in Greater

Cincinnati, one of the program's sponsors.
In 2001, rioting broke out in the

city after an unarmed black man was
shot and killed by a white police officer

trying to make an arrest. Cosby
cancelled his appearance the following

year after activists called for a
boycott of the city and sent letters to

entertainers, asking them to stay
away until local politicians agreed to

pay more attention to police, racial
and economic issues in the city.
Cosby's publicist, Joel Brokaw,

said Cosby wasn't supporting the
boycott, but "felt it was both inappropriate

and insensitive to come into Cincinnati

and do comedy when there

were so many serious issues."

MUSIC BITS: Bow Wow/Ciara breakup;

Jay-Z/Beyonce dress up; Prince rocks
Europe; B.G. on Atlantic; Bishop Morton

album; D.Child’s DVD; Starr’s
Ariana.

*It’s over for Bow Wow and

Ciara. After nearly a year of dating, the
young lovers have announced a joint

desire to move on. "Ciara and I have
parted ways," Bow Wow said in a

statement. "I wish her all the best."

The news follows reports last week that

Bow Wow was hanging out with a stripper
in L.A. A rep for Ciara, 20, says "Ciara

and Bow Wow have been broken up for
a while, but their parting was amicable."

*Lovebirds Jay-Z and Beyonce

Knowles ranked second on In Touch
magazine’s list of best dressed celebrity

couples. Ryan Phillippe and Reese
Witherspoon topped the list, while Eva

Longoria and Tony Parker placed 10th.
Here’s 3 through 9: Ryan Gosling &

Rachel McAdams (3); Charlize Theron

and Stuart Townsend (4);Gwen Stefani and

Gavin Rossdale (5); David and Victoria
Beckham (6); Heath Ledger and Michelle

Williams (7); Hilary Duff and Joel Madden

(8) and Jennifer Connelly and Paul

Bettany (9).

*Prince’s first Universal Records

release, “3121,” took over the No.
1 spot on Billboard's European Top

100 Albums chart last week, giving the
legendary artist his highest charting

international album of the decade.
Prince's overseas accomplishment was

buoyed by“3121's” regional chart-surge
throughout Europe, including holding

down the No. 1 slot in Switzerland, and
a No. 4 debut in Germany. All 12 songs

on “3121” have been put into A-List
rotation on the BBC's Radio 2 in the

UK. Prince's previous album, 2004's
Grammy nominated “Musicology,”

peaked at No. 3 on the European

Top Albums chart.

*Rapper B.G. signed a multi-album

deal Wednesday with Atlantic Records,

reports Allhiphop.com, ending months

of speculation over where he would

eventually end up. Under the

pact, Atlantic will distribute the
artist’s Chopper City record label.

B.G. is currently in the studio working
on his next album, which will be executive

produced by rapper T.I. and due
for release in the fall.

*Bishop Paul S. Morton, pastor

of New Orleans-based Greater St.
Stephens Full Gospel Church, will

record his first post-Hurricane Katrina
album on May 26 at Mt. Zion Baptist

Church in Nashville, TN, with Kurt Carr
tapped as a producer. The concert album,

from the Artemis Gospel label, will
pay tribute to the New Orleans and Gulf

Coast area and include many special
guest appearances. Under Bishop

Morton's leadership, Greater St. Stephen
has recently become "One Church In

Two States," hosting four services weekly
in New Orleans and two services

weekly in Atlanta.

*Destiny's Child’s "Live

In Atlanta" DVD was the nation's
best-selling music DVD last week

following its No. 1 debut. Filmed last

year during the group's farewell tour, the

disc captures group members Beyonce
Knowles, Kelly Rowland, and Michelle

Williams performing their hits "Say My
Name," "Bootylicious," "Soldier"

(featuring T.I. and Lil' Wayne) and much
more. Bonus features include: a video

scrapbook, "Destiny's Child - A Family
Affair"; fan testimonials including favorite

song and favorite costumes; a preview

teaser of Rowland's upcoming

sophomore album; and the

"Dreamgirls" movie and

soundtrack trailer.

*Maurice Starr, creator of New

Kids On The Block and New Edition,
has announced his newest prodigy,

16-year-old singer/songwriter Ariana
Stewart (a.k.a., “The One and Only

ARI.”) She is currently working on
collaborations with hip hop group Lords

of the Underground, and co-producing
additional tracks with Akon’s Konvict

Muzic.

FILM/TV BITS: Fishburne’s ‘Walls’;

MoJam’s ‘Laundry’; Mackie’s ‘Marshall’;
Trice on ‘CSI’; Spielberg’s ‘Lot’; Steffans

on ‘Oprah’; TV One grows; BET’s
‘Tiger’; Brangie’s Namibian

newborn?; ‘Kietta’ on tap.

*Tony Award-winning actor

Laurence Fishburne will appear as an
inspirational teacher in the new drama

"Without Walls" at the Center Theatre
Group's Mark Taper Forum (135 N.

Grand Ave., Los Angeles) from June 1
through July 16. Opening is set for June

11. Fishburne will portray the role
of Morocco, an idealistic and popular

drama teacher at a non-traditional
high school in Manhattan, circa 1977.

Morocco has great skill in bringing
out the best in his students, and he

cares deeply about them, perhaps too
deeply as eventually revealed in this

sensitive drama about both the power
and the fragility of the student/mentor

relationship. Tickets are available
by calling (213) 628-2772, online at

www.CenterTheatreGroup.org or at the
Center Theatre Group box office at

the Music Center.

*Loretta Devine, Rockmond

Dunbar, Sommore, Terri J. Vaughn

and Jenifer Lewis star in the MoJam

Entertainment film “Dirty Laundry,” which
began production in New York and

Atlanta last month. The film, written and
directed by actor Maurice Jamal, follows

Patrick, a black gay man who has
carved out the perfect life for himself

in San Francisco – until one day, a
boy knocks on his door claiming to

be his son. As Patrick sets off to
discover the truth, the audience

discovers the many secrets that

make up his "perfect life."

*Actor Anthony Mackie has been

cast in the upcoming Warner Bros.
drama "We Are Marshall," reports

Karu Daniels of Black Voices. Set in
Huntington, West Virginia, the film is

based on the true story of a small
town's efforts to rebuild after the

devastating effects of a tragic plane
crash. Matthew McConaughey, Matthew

Fox, David Strathairn and Kate Mara
co-star in the film, to be directed by

McG (“Charlie's Angels”). Mackie,

a New Orleans native is a Julliard

graduate who was most recently seen

in “Freedomland.” Other credits include

“Million Dollar Baby,” “The Manchurian
Candidate,” “8 Mile” and “She Hate Me.”

*Rapper Obie Trice borrows clips

from his appearance on Thursday’s
episode of “CSI: Crime Scene

Investigation” for a music video

to his new single, “Snitch.” According

to Allhiphop.com, the April 13 episode,

titled “Poppin’ Tags,” follows three teens

who are murdered while promoting a
rapper’s new album. The investigation

leads to rival rappers Jessie "Dollar"
Cleveland (Page Kennedy), Hi-Def

(Travis Barker) and "Drops" (Method

Man). Trice’s video is slated to debut

exclusively on CBS.com starting

Friday, April 14.

*Steven Spielberg and Mark

Burnett have teamed for a new reality

show that searches for the next great

film director. “On the Lot,” to premiere
early next year on Fox, will feature

16 aspiring filmmakers competing for
the big prize: a development deal

with Spielberg’s DreamWorks.

*Author Karrine “Superhead”

Steffans will appear on today’s

“Oprah Winfrey Show” to talk about

her stories of abuse and sexcapades

with celebrities outlined in her tell-all

book, “Confessions of a Video Vixen.”
Singer Pink will also be interviewed

about her latest single “Stupid Girls,”
which questions the validity of such

pop culture icons as Paris Hilton,
Jessica Simpson and the Olsen twins.

*TV One has added nearly four

million new subscriber households so
far in 2006, growing from 24.6 million

in January 2006 to 28.4 million in
April 2006, according to Nielsen

Media Research. "TV One is now

available to cable customers in 44

of the top 50 and 53 of the top 60 African

American markets," said TV One Executive

Vice President of Affiliate Sales and
Marketing Brad Samuels. "We so appreciate

the strong, broad-based support TV
One continues to receive from the

affiliate community and their customers.
We've received tremendous response

to TV One from viewers, and we're
enjoying great success with our local

ad sales and marketing efforts to help
our affiliates reach out to an underserved

audience and achieve their growth
goals."

*BET will premiere a new half-

hour series that follows the Grambling
State University football team and

marching band. “Season of the Tiger,”
premiering 9:30 p.m. April 27, chronicles

some of the players and musicians
on the respective squads, and explores

their challenges en route to game day
each week.

*Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt

may have their baby in Namibia,
Africa. Jolie, due to pop in “late

spring,” is laid up at a secluded
Namibian beach resort with beau Pitt

and their adopted kids, Maddox and
Zahara, prompting speculation their

baby will be born in the African
country. They’ve rented all 14 rooms

and suites at the Burning Shores
resort, a luxury boutique hotel on

Long Beach north of Walvis Bay and

near the famous dunes of the Namibian

desert. A private security firm and local
police officials have set up shop around

the area and threatened to snatch
any cameras within eyesight,

Namibian media reported Friday.

*“Real Talk With Kietta,” an

issues based, adult-oriented program
discussing such topics as surviving

cancer, teens at risk and men on the
"down low," earned rave reviews from

audience members of NBC’s “The Tonight
Show With Jay Leno” during his “Sold/

Not Sold” segment. Well received at
the 2006 NATPE Convention, “Real

Talk” has received multiple network bids.
An official network and show schedule

announcement is forthcoming. Hostess
Kietta Mayweather-Gamble, a Florida

A&M graduate, has a Bachelor's Degree

in Business Economics and Master's

Degree in Business and Administration of
Educational Programs from Nova University.

SPORTS BITS: Ali still punching; fight

disrupts Mayweather/Judah bout.

*Muhammad Ali is featured in an

in-depth article for the March-April
issue of Neurology Now, an American

Academy of Neurology magazine for
patients, their families and caregivers.

Although the former boxing champ
suffers from Parkinson’s disease, he

still exercises regularly at the gym in
his Berrien Springs, Mich home, punches

a heavy bag and sometimes spars
playfully in a boxing ring. His daughter

Rasheda said that he loves magic
tricks and that he amuses his grandchildren

by drawing pictures for them.
His wife, Lonnie, recently took him to

see the latest "King Kong" film,
noting, he "just loved it. ... He ate all

my popcorn and we just had a
wonderful time." She adds that he

hasn't driven a car in 15 years and "he's
no longer the type to pick up the phone

and call friends the way he used to,
but we converse. Don't get me wrong,

it's not like he's sitting there
espousing rhetoric, but his words still

carry impact, they're still very
important. You absolutely can understand

what he wants, what he says, what
he's thinking."

*The fight in the ring between

Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Zab Judah on
Saturday turned out to be the undercard

for more dramatic fist-a-cuffs that
jumped off between the camps of the

two boxers during the bout. It all
started in the 10th round, when Judah

hit Mayweather with two illegal shots.
Mayweather’s uncle and trainer, Roger

Mayweather, jumped into the ring to
protest and rushed Judah, as well as

his corner men. Soon, both corners were
fighting each other for about five minutes

before the melee was broken up by
police officers and security guards. The

fight resumed as Roger Mayweather
was tossed out of the Thomas and

Mack Center. His nephew, meanwhile,

beat Judah and took his IBF welterweight

title in a unanimous 12-round decision.
Judah’s promoter, Don King, is now

calling for a disqualification of
Mayweather, stating: “The fighter had

a third man in the ring. No matter how
you look at it, the fighter is disqualified."

After the fight, the purses
were suspended by Skip Avensino,

the chairman of the Nevada State Athletic
Commission, until videotape of the

skirmish could be reviewed.

EVENT CALENDAR: Black Book Expo

in D.C.; Morehouse wins ‘All-Star
Challenge’; ‘Entertainment Seminar’

in North Hollywood.

*The African American Pavilion

at Book Expo America will be featured
May 19-21 at the Washington Convention

Center in Washington D.C. Special
guest speakers will include George C.

Fraser, Pat Schroeder, W. Paul Coates,
Haki Madhubuti, Terrie Williams, Bill Cox,

Ken Smikle, Faye Childs and
others. A reception and awards program

will take place on May 20, 3 p.m. to
5 p.m. For further information on the

African American Pavilion and Book
Expo America please visit:

http://www.bookexpoamerica.com or
http://www.bibookreview.com/.

    *Morehouse College in Atlanta

won the 17th Annual Honda Campus
All-Star Challenge (HCASC), held in

Orlando, Fla., March 30 through April 2.
More than 320 students from 64 Historically

Black Colleges and Universities
(HBCUs) across the country competed

in the annual tournament, which boasts
competition among the best and brightest

students from the nation's HBCUs.
Morehouse received a $50,000 grant as

the winning team. The runner-up, North
Carolina Central University, took home

a $25,000 grant. The remaining 62
teams earned grants ranging from $3,000

to $15,000. Through the program,
more than $300,000 in institutional grants

are awarded annually to
participating schools.

*Another Bright Idea Entertainment

presents “The Entertainment
Seminar,” a series that brings together

seasoned television and film
industry professionals and creative talents

on May 2 at The Leonard H.
Goldenson Theatre at The Academy of

Television Arts & Sciences in North
Hollywood (5220 Lankershim Blvd).

Confirmed panelists include Cedric "The
Entertainer," talent manager Marcus King,

sitcom writer/producer Jill
Condon, moderator Chris Spencer; music

director and producer Rickey Minor,
reality show writer and producer Greg

Shelton, producer and casting director
Russell Gray and executive producer Stu

Schreiberg. Registration information
is available at www.entertainmentseminar.com,

with the first 50 registrants
receiving discounted admission. Regular

admission is $50 for students (with
Student ID), and $75 for general admission.

VIP registration is $160.

DETROIT 911 OPERATORS UNDER

FIRE: Woman dies after 5-year-old son’s

call to 911 not taken seriously.

*A 911 dispatcher in Detroit is

under investigation after refusing to
take a 5-year-old seriously when he

called about his dying mother. The
Detroit Police Department promised a

thorough investigation Friday after the
transcripts of the call made national

news last week.
Robert Turner, now 6, called 911

twice on Feb. 20 after his mother
collapsed in her bedroom. The recording

indicates his pleas were written off
by operators as a prank. Robert's

mother, 46-year-old Sherrill Turner, died
of complications from an enlarged heart.
Relatives of Sherrill Turner, who

had 10 children, called for the
immediate firing of the operator or

operators involved and demanded that
dispatchers be trained to handle calls

from young children more effectively.
"From now on, when a child calls

911, they need to follow up, no
questions asked," one of Robert's older

sisters, Anitra Turner, told the
Detroit Free Press.
Detroit Police Chief Ella Bully-

Cummings released a statement Friday
urging the public not to rush to judgment,

saying residents "can be assured
that our department is meticulously

examining every aspect of what
occurred."
Robert, who was alone with his

mother, first called 911 about 5:59
p.m. An operator told him to bring

an adult to the phone. Robert told the
operator he couldn't. The exchange,

according to the transcript, is as
follows:

Dispatcher: "Emergency 911, what's the problem?"
Robert: "My mom has passed out. ..."
Dispatcher: "Where's Mr. Turner at?..."
Robert: "Right here."
Dispatcher: "Let me talk to him."
Robert: "She's not gonna ... she's not gonna talk."
Dispatcher: "OK, well I'm going to send the

police to your house and find
out what's going on with you. ..."

According to the Detroit Free Press,

the police never arrived. At
9:02 p.m., Robert called back.

Robert: "My mom has passed out. ..."
Dispatcher: "Where's the grown-ups at?"
Robert: (Inaudible)
Dispatcher: "Let me speak to her before I

send the police over there."
Robert: "She's not gonna talk. ..."
Dispatcher: "Now put her on the phone

before I send the police out there to
knock on the door and you going to

be in trouble."
Robert: "Ugh." (Hangs up.)

Robert later told the Free Press

that he was scared and hung up the
phone. One of the boy's older sisters,

Delaina Patterson, who lives in Novi,
said police arrived at the home after

9 p.m.
"From what I understand they

were dispatched to a call about a child
playing on the phone," Patterson

said. Robert's mother was found dead. It
was not clear at what point she died

or whether she was alive when Robert
made the first call.
Union local president Kimberly

Harris is supporting one of the
operators involved, and explains that

more than 25% of calls that 911
operators receive are pranks.
"Every call, you have somebody's

life in your hands," said Harris, a
911 operator who leads the American

Federation of State, County and
Municipal Employees Local 1023. "If I

had an emergency, I would want her to
be on the other end of the line. I will

swear to that."
Detroit City Councilwoman Barbara-

Rose Collins told the Detroit Free
Press that the council has not had many

complaints about the city’s 911
system, but she described this incident

as gross negligence, stating, "It's
not up to her to decide if it's a

prank or not."

EUR MOTIVATIONAL NOTE
-- by Jewel Diamond Taylor

"Sometimes you could find yourself

so structured, paralyzed and operating on
automatic pilot, that you realize you're

not living. Or you can find
yourself fantasizing wishing you were

somewhere else or dwelling too much
about past pain. Been there --- done that ---

had to tell myself, "Snap out
of it and COME BACK."
The present moment is filled with joy

and happiness. Wish for yourself and
everyone around you happiness and

health. Chose to be alive in this moment.
Take a deep breath. Talk to yourself

in a confident, reassuring and positive
way.
It's necessary to work with all the

messy and delightful parts of yourself.
It takes courage and faith to not run

away from your self. Place your feet
firmly in this present moment and yet

still have hope, dreams, goals and a
plan for the future you desire.
Whether you are suffering from past

choices or circumstances out of your
control, know that you can make it

through this. Learn to motivate yourself.
Have the courage to live, learn, laugh

and let go of any thought, habit or
person that is harmful to your well

being.
The thoughts you think, the words you

speak , the prayers you pray and the
actions you take have power to create.

They shape your world and create your
destiny. Mind the gap between reality and

illusion --- between faith and
fear --- between action and procrastination ---

between adventure and
stagnation --- between hate and love ---

between anger and peace --- between
forgiveness and bitterness --- between

despair and hope --- and the gap
between you and your next opportunity

to grow."

~ by Jewel Diamond Taylor
April 12 - Radio guest 102.3 FM KJLH

Frontpage 4:30 AM - 6 AM with Dominique
DiPrima April 14 - Atlanta School

District Education Conference April 15 -
Wome n on the Grow - Los Angeles

April 20 - L. A. Dept of Public Works -
Admin Professionals Day April 22 -

Sacramento - St. Jude Christian
Tabernacle Prayer Breakfast April 29 -

Maryland - Sisters4Sisters Ladies Tea
May 6 - Balitmore, MD - The Joy of

Living Women's Pavilion, for tickets go
to www.thejoyofliving.biz May 14 - Los

Angeles - Hamilton Methodist Church -
Morning Service Guest Speaker May 20 -

Women-CEO Network's presents Sisters
Suite Retreat at the Wyndham Buttes

Resort www.women-ceo.com May 27 -

New Philadelphia AME Church Women's

Conference Breakfast Keynote Read on...

CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS
April 10: Singer Bobbie Smith of

The Spinners is 70. Reggae artist
Bunny Wailer is 59. Singer-producer

Babyface is 48. Rapper Afrika Bambaataa
is 46. Comedian Orlando Jones is 38.

Singer Kenny Lattimore is 36. Blues
singer Shemekia Copeland is 27.

WEBSITE OF THE WEEK
Just 4 Jesus Music Ministries (J4J)

is dedicated to spreading
inspirational and positive music to the

public. Music formats featured are:
Contemporary Gospel, R&B, Jazz

and Hip-Hop. (http:// www.J4Jmusic.com)
Submit your favorite Web site to

us along with a 15-20 word (or less)
description to info@eurweb.com.

BLACK HISTORY
Apr. 10, 1968: U.S. Congress passes

Civil Rights Bill banning racial
discrimination in sale or rental of

approximately 80 percent of the nation's
housing. (Source: www.BlackFacts.com)

=======================================

EUR FEEDBACK (MYfeedback@eurweb.com)

*Tramel Woodard, Concerned Citizen,

United States, Founder, Black Folk Network:

"It's bad enough that the original 'The Ten

Commandments' movie starring Charlton Heston

as Moses incorrectly depicted the Egyptians

as white, but now television conglomerate

ABC has allowed yet another movie to be

made, depicting Moses as white, as well

as the Egyptian Pharaoh as white.

Many people claim that skin color

does not matter. If this is true, then why

insist on representing people of color in

the North African region incorrectly?

In a time when the media has

misrepresented everything from 9/11 to

Hurricane Katrina to the Iraq war, the

release of this movie is very symbolic

of the United States media and its

imperialistic views. Egyptians are

of Afrikan descent, and continue

to be portrayed as European.

Please sign this petition if you are

tired of the media representing people

of all colors incorrectly and without

regard to the truth. The buck really

needs to stop here, but

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