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DAVE CHAPPELLE SETS LAUGH FACTORY RECORD: And it has nothing to do with the N-word.
*Comedian Dave Chappelle surprised fans at the Laugh Factory Sunday night by showing up unannounced for a set at around 10:30 p.m., and then remaining on stage for the next six hours straight.
According to Laugh Factory owner Jamie Masada, Chappelle’s set was the longest performance by any comedian in the venue’s 28-year history. It began at 10:36 p.m. Sunday and ended at 4:43 a.m. on Monday.
"It was just one of those nights," Masada said of Chappelle's appearance. "He had everyone laughing for six hours."
The marathon session only lost about a dozen of the 150-plus audience members who were present at the beginning of Chappelle’s set, which covered such topics as President Bush's buffoonery, Comedy Central's decision to hype Carlos Mencia after Chappelle abruptly left the network, and Michael Richards’ use of the N-word on the very Laugh Factory stage last year.
Chappelle also made fun of Masada’s post-Richards decision to impose a fine on any comic who uses the "N"-word onstage.
"I was his punching bag for a half hour," Masada said. Needless to say, Chappelle was fined $2200 for his multiple use of the N-word throughout the six-hour run.
RAP LYRICS DEBATE RAGES ON: Oprah spends two days on subject; Sharpton to discuss issue at NAN conf.; Simmons calls out Obama.
*Due to network coverage of what has become the worst mass shooting in U.S. history, much of the nation didn’t get to see Monday’s episode of the “Oprah Winfrey Show,” which attempted to assess the state of hip hop post-Don Imus.
Tuesday’s “Oprah” continued the discussion with Russell Simmons and Dr. Ben Chavis of the Hip Hop Summit Action Network, as well as music executive Kevin Lyles and rapper Common – all of whom acknowledged the problem of misogynistic lyrics in rap music, but said the blame must be placed on the dire social and economic circumstances surrounding the offending rappers, not the artists themselves.
Critics of the panel’s “blame society” philosophy were featured on Monday’s “Oprah” and scattered in the audience for Tuesday’s follow-up program; among them columnist Stanley Crouch and former Essence editor Diane Weathers. Both share the viewpoint of Rev. Al Sharpton, who plans to launch an all-out war on the urban purveyors of offensive music during his four-day National Action Network convention this week.
"We're going to warn the music industry they're next," said Sharpton, according to the New York Daily News. "I'm going to tell them my momma wasn't no ho, and my daughters ain't no bitches!"
Meanwhile, Simmons and Chavez are scheduled to host a meeting today to discuss hip hop’s responsibility in the wake of the Imus scandal. Lyles, Jay-Z, Diddy, Jermaine Dupri, Chris Lighty, Steve Stoute, Craig Kallman, Steve Rifkind and other urban-music players are expected to attend the gathering to be at the home of Warner Music CEO Lyor Cohen.
While many of those scheduled to participate in the meeting view Rev. Sharpton’s stance as misguided, other opponents write him off as an opportunist.
"He's crying about rap lyrics. At the same time, he's calling all the major music labels to get them to donate $50,000 apiece for a table at his convention tribute to [Island Def Jam chief] L.A. Reid," a source involved in the planning told New York Daily News columnists Rush & Malloy.
Conservative talk show host Larry Elder has also spoken out about the perceived hypocrisy among such politicians as Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill and Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-NY, who put rappers on blast for offensive lyrics while gladly accepting their money during big fundraising events. Clinton, for example, was feted March 31 in Miami by rapper/producer Timbaland.
"Timbaland himself has put out stuff that says the 'b's' and 'h's,'" Elder said. "He has produced acts that say b's and h's. And Barack Obama had a fundraiser with David Geffen whose (former) company was involved with Snoop Dogg, who also uses that kind of language. It's completely inconsistent and completely hypocritical."
Simmons’ issue with Democratic presidential nominee Obama has more to do with the senator’s recent comments about rap lyrics, which came soon after MSNBC and CBS fired Imus for using the term “nappy headed hoes” on his radio show to describe members of the Rutgers University basketball team.
At a fundraising dinner for the South Carolina Legislative Black Caucus in Columbia, S.C., Friday, Obama said: "We've got to admit to ourselves, that it was not the first time that we heard the word 'ho.' Turn on the radio station. There are a whole lot of songs that use the same language … We've been permitting it in our homes, and in our schools and on iPods."
Obama added: "If it's not good for Don Imus, I don't know why it's good for us. If we don't like other people to degrade us, why are we degrading ourselves?"
Simmons says Obama is flat-out wrong in comparing Imus’ comments to those heard in rap music.
"People who are angry, uneducated and come from tremendous struggle, they have poetic license and they say things that offend you," Simmons told ABC News. "You have to talk about the conditions that create those kinds of lyrics. When you are talking about a privileged man who has a mainstream vehicle and mainstream support and is on a radio station like that you have to deal with them differently."
FOREST WHITAKER GETS A HOLLYWOOD STAR: Oscar winner joins elite on famous Walk of Fame.
*It was Forest Whitaker’s time to shine on Hollywood Blvd. Monday. The actor followed up his Oscar, Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild wins this season with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
"I remember as a kid coming to the Walk of Fame. It was like a field trip and very exciting to us," said Whitaker, 45.
“The honor represents "where I came from, and where I am going and hopefully where I am at right now," he added.
Whitaker’s collection of awards followed his powerful performance of Idi Amin in “The Last King of Scotland.”
Guests on hand to witness Whitaker receive Hollywood Blvd’s 2,335th star included friends Angela Bassett and Kiefer Sutherland, as well as Whitaker's wife, Keisha, and three daughters, Autumn, Sonnet and True.
Upcoming films for the actor include "Vantage Point" with Dennis Quaid and "The Air I Breathe."
ISAIAH WASHINGTON CAST IN PEDOPHILIA DRAMA: ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ star to play priest once victimized by sexual abuse.
*In his first film role since graduating from gay slur rehab, Isaiah Washington will play a priest returning to the Catholic high school where he once was sexually abused in the upcoming independent film, “The Least of These.”
Washington was suggested for the role by the wife of writer-director Nathan Scoggins, a campus church founder, former Christian singer-songwriter and nondenominational Christian worship leader who will make his feature debut with the project.
Scoggins sent the script to Washington after reading an interview where the “Grey’s Anatomy” star said he had stopped receiving film offers ever since his use of a gay slur against “Grey’s Anatomy” co-star T.R. Knight made national headlines.
The director admitted that casting Washington is a risky move, but said the feature would take pains not to link pedophilia to homosexuality.
"We focus exclusively on the corruption of other priests who choose not to step in and say something," he told the Associated Press. "Isaiah's character stays razor focused on the situation and (on) not condemning a whole section of the population."
The director said the subject matter was one of the things that drew Washington to the film, which is budgeted at $1 million and is due to begin a month-long shoot in June in Los Angeles.
"This is part of him moving forward and making restitution" for his actions, Scoggins said.
BLOG BLASTS JAZZY JEFF & FRESH PRINCE REUNION STORY: Daily Mail apparently drew wrong conclusions from Jazzy Jeff quote.
*A blog covering all things Will Smith and Jazzy Jeff is outraged at a story reported in London’s Daily Mail newspaper about a supposed reunion tour planned for Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince.
According to The Will Smith Blog, Jazzy Jeff’s original quote in the Daily Mail stated: “We always talk about doing a JJFP record and a huge tour, we just have to clear the time to do it. Right now, the plan is we are supposed to go out on tour together at the end of this year.”
Blogger Tim Price writes: “[Daily Mail writer] Mickey McMonagle then assumed from that statement they are re-uniting for a world tour. Now here [are] the facts, Jazzy Jeff and Will hope to perform concerts at the premieres of Will’s latest movie ‘I Am Legend’ in December. They did a similar tour for ‘I, Robot’ performing at the premieres in Australia, England and Russia. Jazzy Jeff and Will recently performed at the wrap up party for ‘I Am Legend,’ so that’s where they talked about more performances. … Contact Music then made an article stating “Will Smith Plans Rap Comeback.”
Price also blogged his frustration with several media outlets, including EUR, who reported the story from Contact Music.
Price wrote: “First PR Inside, then Anti-Music China Daily Eurweb (they at least put the proviso ‘Contact Music is reporting’) Daily India Ireland Online Evening Echo World Entertainment News MTV South Asia Women’s Forum Malaysia Star Post Chronicle Female First FMQB (a quality industry radio organization; now, even my man Illseed at allhiphop.com is a good supporter of Will’s. He states: ‘They are also in the studio, supposedly recording new tracks. Will is apparently putting his movie career on hold for this project.’”
“No they are not in the studio!” Price continued. “This is what happens when rumors start I guess. Shame on Contact News for the terrible reporting and attributing a quote to Will that was false.”
Read Price’s entire blog entry here:
http://blog.jazzyjefffreshprince.com/
FALCONS’ VICK, HALL MOURN VA TECH VICTIMS: Pro athletes attended school before leaving to enter NFL draft.
*Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick and cornerback DeAngelo Hall have expressed their profound grief over the mass murders that took place Monday at Virginia Tech, where the athletes played football before jetting early to enter the NBA draft.
"First and foremost, I am shocked and deeply saddened about the tragic loss of life that took place early Monday on the Virginia Tech campus," Vick said in a statement released by the Falcons.
"My thoughts and prayers are with the families and loved ones involved in this terrible tragedy. It is my hope that the university community can pull together to help the students cope with this senseless and unfortunate ordeal."
Vick served as the Hokies quarterback from 1998 to 2001. Hall attended Virginia Tech from 2001 to 2003, playing three seasons before making himself eligible for the NFL draft.
"Words can't describe how sad I am right now," Hall said in a statement released by the Falcons. "Everyone who knows me understands the affinity I have for Virginia Tech. My prayers and thoughts are with all of the loved ones and family members involved in this horrible tragedy."
SNOOP DOGG TO FINALLY RELEASE ‘HORROR’ FLICK: Plus, rapper puts Calif. home on market for nearly $2 million.
*Following a delay of several months, the slasher film “Snoop Dogg’s Hood of Horror” finally has a release date of May 4.
The film stars Snoop as “The Hound of Hell,” a.k.a. a tour guide through three vignettes that take place in the same haunted neighborhood. Among its depraved citizens are a tagger who finds out that not all gangstas die hard, a spoiled heir to a Texas oil dynasty who murders for money but can't pay to stay alive, and a major rap star who discovers he's got a few skeletons in his dressing room ... and they're kicking down the door.
The film blends live action with anime sequences created by Japan's Madhouse under the supervision of Academy Award winner John Gaeta (“The Matrix” trilogy). The trade magazine Daily Variety described the film as "gleefully disgusting."
Snoop’s co-stars include Daniella Alonso, Pooch Hall, Billy Dee Williams, Brande Roderick, Jason Alexander, Method Man, Ernie Hudson, Aries Spears and NBA stars Lamar Odom and Tayshaun Prince.
In other Snoop news, the rapper has reportedly placed his eight-bedroom home in Claremont, Calif. on the market with an asking price of $1.995 million.
"It's virtually brand new," said Geoff Hamill, the Prudential real estate broker handling the sale, according to People magazine. "It's on a cul-de-sac. It's in a family area in a college town."
The Long Beach native purchased the Mediterranean estate in 1994, when it was 3,700 square feet. He has since expanded it to 6,500 square feet. Amenities include a pool, basketball court, home theater, recording studio, marble floors in the entry, a gourmet kitchen, high ceilings and dual master suites.
The home sits on nearly one-acre in the exclusive Blaisdell Ranch area of Claremeont, located 30 miles east of Los Angeles. The home may be viewed on a virtual tour here:
http://www.geoffhamill.com/Nav.aspx/Page=%2fListNow%2fDefault.aspx%2fPageID%3d104742.
EUR FILM REVIEW: Private Fears in Public Places (Couers)
Six Lonely Hearts Looking for Love in Wintry Parisian Drama
Film Review by Kam Williams
*Devotees of cinema take note whenever Alain Resnais releases a new movie. The legendary directory of over 40 feature films is perhaps best known for the screen classic Hiroshima Mon Amour (1959), a bittersweet drama about the ill-fated, illicit affair between a French actress and a Japanese architect in postwar Nippon.
Now 84, Resnais proves he still has what it takes with Private Fears in Public Places, a relatively lighthearted, sitcom-style meditation on modern romance, all set against the backdrop of a picturesque Paris over the course of a particularly snowy winter. The film traces the travails of a half-dozen lonely hearts, each searching for a meaningful relationship.
Realtor Thierrry (Andre Dussollier) has a crush on his Bible-thumping assistant, Charlotte (Sabine Azema) who appears only interested in converting him to her ascetic brand of Christianity. Evenings, she moonlights as a home-care assistant to a bed-ridden but horny senior citizen whose widowed son, Lionel (Pierre Arditi), is a bartender at a trendy hotel where one of the regulars is Dan (Lambert Wilson) an angry, dishonorably-discharged army vet currently estranged from his fiancee', Nicole (Laura Morante). When Dan meets Thierry's sister, the shy and retiring Gaelle (Isabelle Carre), the circle is completed, and the lives of this ensemble have become intimately interlocked in romantic roundelay.
But like the ubiquitous fake flurries which the director is so fond to have falling in nearly every scene, the six protagonists fail to find an outlet to exhibit much in the way of emotional depth, as they remain frustrated at every turn in their quest for a measure of ever elusive intimacy.
At least they'll always have Paris. And snow. 100 days of solitude.
Good (2 stars)
Unrated
In French with subtitles.
Running time: 120 minutes
Studi IFC First Take
EUR DVD REVIEW: Spider-Man 2.1
Spider-Man Tackles Madman and His Own Demons on DVD
DVD Review by Kam Williams
*Mild-mannered Peter Parker's (Tobey Maguire) private life has become an unmanageable mess in the two years since the fateful accident which left him a half-arachnid and both blessed and cursed with an acrobatic, altruistic alter-ego.
For although his secret identity as Spider-Man has enabled him to help put plenty of bad guys behind bars, the constant interruptions of his daily routine to fight crime have taken a devastating personal toll.
Yet, what frustrates the increasingly introspective superhero the most is that his hope of ever dating the girl of his dreams has all but evaporated, because Mary Jane "M.J" Watson (Kirsten Dunst), has announced her engagement to astronaut John Jameson (Daniel Gillies). And it doesn't help matters that the groom is the son of Peter's boss, J. Jonah Jameson, the cantankerous curmudgeon who runs The Daily Bugle.
Thus, we see a Spider-Man in emotional crisis, a kid snared in an
existential web spun of his own neuroses. To complicate matters, he must not only deal with his inner turmoil, but also take on an equally-unstable villain in head-case Dr. Otto Octavius (Alfred Molina).
Doc Ock is a researcher employed by Harry Osborn (James Franco), Peter's longtime friend. Initially, because of his ability to balance happy home and professional lives, the doctor serves as a sort of role model for our protagonist. Octavius gives the lad the idea that one day he, too, might be able offset his work with a fulfilling love relationship. However, such thoughts are put on hold after an experiment with fusion theory goes horribly wrong, and the mad scientist loses control of his contraption and morphs into one terrifying adversary.
Your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man wrestling with demons, literally and figuratively.
Excellent (4 stars)
Rated PG-13 for stylized action violence.
Running time: 136 minutes
Studi Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
DVD Extras: Sneak Peek at Spider-Man 3, commentary by producer Laura Ziskin and screenwriter Alvin Sargent, trivia track with pop-ups, a visual effects breakdown plus a few other featurettes.
PHILLY COPS HEATED OVER FIREFIGHTER’S RAP SONG: Anti-police lyrics include turning ‘pigs into bacon bits.’
*A Philadelphia firefighter moonlighting as a rapper has gotten himself in hot water with the local police department after writing a hip hop song that suggests violence toward cops.
The Fraternal Order of Police on Monday called for the immediate firing of Rodney Jean-Jacques (rap name is Cal Akbar) for his untitled song that popped up last week on a Web site promoting his album, “Sin City Vol. 1,” and record company, the Larsiny Family.
"I got a surprise for them cops," Jean-Jacques raps, as gunfire rings out in the background. "I hope the news is taping this, 'cause I'm gonna turn pigs into bacon bits."
Bob Eddis, president of the local FOP chapter, gave Jean-Jacques until midnight Sunday to write an apology that the police union could post on its Web site, but none came. Now, Eddis and the FOP want Jean-Jacques fired, effective immediately.
"I think at first it might have been a mistake of the head," Eddis said. "But now I believe it's a mistake of the heart. It's a disgrace. He is a city employee and he should be held accountable for making these statements."
Joe Grace, spokesman for Mayor John Street, said union officials and the police and fire commissioners were discussing the issue and "all parties are taking it very seriously."
Meanwhile, Jean-Jacques 2005 single, “Take it Outside,” was praised for its promotion of fire safety. The song was promoted by the Fire Department and shown during the broadcast of a football game between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Dallas Cowboys.
ITTY BITTY BITS: Fantasia boosts ‘Purple’; Ertegun memorial; Gossett sued; Kelis ‘shakes’ gig early;.
*Broadway’s “The Color Purple” has experienced a jolt at the box office since the April 10th arrival of Fantasia Barrino in the lead role of Celie. The Oprah Winfrey production took in more than $1,180,000 during the “American Idol” vet’s first week, which places the production at No. 4 behind Wicked at No. 1 ($1,487,336), The Lion King at No. 2 ($1,197,233) and Mary Poppins at No. 3 ($1,189,025).
*Solomon Burke, Sam Moore, Ben E. King and Wynton Marsalis are among the artists who were scheduled to attend a private memorial in New York on Tuesday for their late boss, Atlantic Records founder Ahmet Ertegun. The industry veteran died last December at 83, after suffering a brain injury when he fell backstage at a Rolling Stones show in October. The Turkish immigrant co-founded Atlantic in 1947.
*Louis Gossett Jr. has been sued by a ticket company that contracts with the Staples Center in Los Angeles. L.A. Arena Funding claims the veteran actor has yet to pay for a pair of $37,000 Lakers tickets, according to TMZ.com. The company seeks $38,850 in damages from Gossett for refusing to pay up on two exclusive Premier Seats located near the floor.
*According to the New York Post, Nas’ wifey Kelis was supposed to perform a full show at the White Party in Palm Springs, Calif. over Easter weekend, but bounced after singing only two songs and arriving two hours late. A production source tells The Post: "Kelis demanded her $25,000 payment up front in cash. But then she didn't perform. Someone needs to alert the IRS -- because we know she won't." The “Milkshake” singer says her reluctance to perform was due to “unsuitable conditions” at the venue. Her camp issued a statement saying: "Because of her love for her fans, Kelis made the decision to take to the stage, against any advice not to do so."
MAGAZINE RACK: StageTimeMag.com; HBCU Connect The Magazine; Black Enterprise’s Top Ten cities for blacks; Sister 2 Sister tracks MiJac.
*Political comedian Shang opens fire on several comedians, including Sarah Silverman and Mike Epps, and reveals that comedy clubs discriminate against black customers in an exclusive interview with www.StageTimeMag.com. Exposing racism in the comedy business, Shang says: “Mondays at the L.A. Improv is ‘black night’ – ‘Mo Betta Mondays.’ They charge a 15-20 percent hike up on all drinks and they charge more for the parking just on Monday. Now, black comics know this. But nobody says anything. I said something and got banned. They brought me back because I put butts in seats, because at the end of the day, it’s about the bottom line.”
*Historically Black Colleges and Universities Connect is launching a multi-institution alumni magazine titled HBCU Connect: The Magazine. The publication is the latest brand extension for the organization, which already hosts experiential events, online social networking, blogs, job boards and various related services, reports Media Daily News. The magazine covers news from all historically black colleges, which includes more than 400,000 graduates, faculty and current students. HBCU Connect is available by subscription, with 12 issues priced at $17.99.
*The May 2007 issue of Black Enterprise has announced that the Washington D.C. metropolitan area tops its new list of the best cities for African Americans. The region, which includes parts of Northern Virginia and Maryland, was chosen for its robust job market and top-notch cultural activities. At $404,900, D.C. has the highest median home value of all the cities on BE's list. Also, D.C. has the lowest foreclosure rate (0.3%), property taxes, and sales tax (5.75%) among the top 10. The D.C. metro area has the best-educated black population of the cities, boasting the highest percentage of high school and college graduates. The rest of the top 10 are as follows: Atlanta (No. 2), Raleigh-Durham, NC (No. 3), Houston, TX (No. 4), Nashville, TN (No. 5), Dallas, TX (No. 6), Charlotte, NC (No. 7), Indianapolis, IN (No. 8), Columbus, OH (No. 9), and Jacksonville, FL (No. 10).
*In the new issue of Sister 2 Sister magazine, founder Jamie Foster Brown chronicles her time spent tagging along with Michael Jackson and his three kids during their trip to Japan last month. "They were walking around me, and we were taking pictures without [their veils] - they were very loose,” she says of the family. “But when they did go outside, they put the scarves around the children's faces.” Brown added: "I just noticed also how nice the kids were. They're not privileged at all. They have a lot of fun with [Michael]. They're intelligent, extremely well-spoken, and they like to play jokes."
EVENT CALENDAR: Latifah at Simmons School; Chris Brown's birthday; NFL's Jarrett in L.A.; Vereen/Reese Toast/Roast; Labelle honored.
*Queen Latifah will deliver the keynote address at this year’s Simmons School of Management leadership conference, to be held May 5 at the Seaport World Trade Center in Boston, MA. The 28th annual event will feature skill-building workshops and educational sessions. Other speakers will include CNN correspondent Christiane Amanpour, former First Lady of Mexico Marta Sahagún de Fox and Yue-Sai Kan, a noted entrepreneur, author, journalist and humanitarian. Former keynote speakers include Oprah Winfrey, Maya Angelou, Alfre Woodard, Whoopi Goldberg and Soledad O’Brien.
*MTV will help R&B superstar Chris Brown celebrate his 18th birthday in New York on Saturday, May 5th. The singer will host a celebrity basketball game from 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at Riverbank State Park (679 Riverside Dr.) to raise money for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. From 10 p.m. to 2 a.m., Brown will attend his birthday bash, titled “Off the Wall,” at Jay-Z’s 40/40 Club (6 W. 25th St.).
*Celebrating his transition into the NFL, former USC wide receiver Dwayne Jarrett will host a star-studded event tonight at The Cabana Club in Los Angeles (1439 Ivar). Among the guests expected to attend are Snoop Dogg, De Ray, Gabrielle Union, Sanaa Lathan, Reggie Bush, Vince Young, Keyshawn Johnson and many more.
*Theater legends Ben Vereen and Della Reese will be honored in Los Angeles at “An Evening of Theater,” to be held at 6 p.m. Saturday, April 28; and the following day at the “Ninth Annual Celebrity Spring Toast/Roast,” to take place at 5 p.m. Sunday, April 29. Both events will be held at the Nate Holden Perfoming Arts Center (4718 West Washington Blvd. – 2 blocks east of LaBrea Ave.). Last year’s honorees, Ruby Dee and Nick LaTour, will return to pass the torch. “An Evening of Theater” will take place with scenes from some of the pair’s favorite on and off-Broadway plays and musicals. The “Toast/Roast” will see the two “toasted, roasted, and saluted with fond memories and laughter by a host of celebrities, friends.” For ticket information for both events, contact the Giving Back Corporation hotline at
(310) 226-6198.
*Tonight (4/18), Patti LaBelle will become the first entertainer to receive the Thurgood Marshall College Fund Award of Excellence, which recognizes individuals who share in Justice Marshall's passion for civil rights and concern for justice. The award will be presented during a ceremony to be held in Philadelphia at 6 p.m. at the National Constitution Center (525 Arch St.). Others who will be honored include Dr. Walter P. Lomax, the Lomax Company; Nelson L. Diaz, ESQ, Blank Rome LLP; and Romona Riscoe Benson, President and CEO of the African American Museum of Philadelphia.
AJC’S CYNTHIA TUCKER WINS PULITZER PRIZE: Journalist announced Monday as recipient for commentary.
*Cynthia Tucker, the editorial page editor for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in 2004 and 2006. This year, she was a winner of the prestigious honor in the category of commentary.
For 20 years, Tucker has written fervently about voting rights and racial stereotypes, while casting a critical eye on leaders in the
African-American community. The veteran journalist was announced as a
Pulitzer Prize winner Monday afternoon "for her courageous, clear-headed columns that evince a strong sense of morality and persuasive knowledge of the community."
One of her columns tackled the immigration debate from the perspective of a 7-year-old multi-ethnic niece who she described as “much like any other indulged child of the American middle class.”
“Call me biased,” Tucker wrote, “but I don’t get the impression she and her paternal kin are ruining the country.”
Here are the complete list of Pulitzer Prize winners:
JOURNALISM:
PUBLIC SERVICE _ The Wall Street Journal, for coverage of a 2006 stock-options scandal that rattled corporate America.
BREAKING NEWS REPORTING _ The (Portland) Oregonian for print and online coverage of a family missing in the Oregon mountains.
INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING _ Brett Blackledge, The Birmingham News, for his exposure of cronyism and corruption in Alabama's two-year college system. (Moved by the board from the Public Service category.) EXPLANATORY REPORTING _ Kenneth R. Weiss, Usha Lee McFarling and Rick Loomis, the Los Angeles Times, for print and online reports on the world's distressed oceans.
LOCAL REPORTING _ Debbie Cenziper, The Miami Herald, for reports on waste, favoritism and lack of oversight at the Miami housing agency.
NATIONAL REPORTING _ Charlie Savage, The Boston Globe, for revelations that President Bush often used "signing statements" to assert his controversial right to bypass provisions of new laws.
INTERNATIONAL REPORTING _ The Wall Street Journal staff, for reports on the adverse impact of China's booming capitalism on conditions ranging from inequality to pollution.
FEATURE WRITING _ Andrea Elliott, The New York Times, for her portrait of an immigrant imam.
COMMENTARY _ Cynthia Tucker, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, for columns "that evince a strong sense of morality and persuasive knowledge of the community."
CRITICISM _ Jonathan Gold, LA Weekly, for his "zestful, wide-ranging"
restaurant reviews.
EDITORIAL WRITING _ Arthur Browne, Beverly Weintraub and Heidi Evans of the New York Daily News, for editorials on behalf of ailing ground zero workers.
EDITORIAL CARTOONING _ Walt Handelsman, Newsday, for his "stark, sophisticated cartoons and his impressive use of zany animation."
BREAKING NEWS PHOTOGRAPHY _ Oded Balilty, The Associated Press, for his photograph of a lone Jewish woman defying Israeli security forces in the West Bank.
FEATURE PHOTOGRAPHY _ Renee C. Byer, The Sacramento (Calif.) Bee, for her portrait of a single mother and her dying child.
ARTS:
FICTION _ "The Road," by Cormac McCarthy (Alfred A. Knopf).
DRAMA _ "Rabbit Hole," by David Lindsay-Abaire.
HISTORY _ "The Race Beat: The Press, the Civil Rights Struggle, and the Awakening of a Nation," by Gene Roberts and Hank Klibanoff (Alfred A.
Knopf).
BIOGRAPHY _ "The Most Famous Man in America: The Biography of Henry Ward Beecher," by Debby Applegate (Doubleday).
POETRY _ "Native Guard," by Natasha Trethewey (Houghton Mifflin).
GENERAL NONFICTION _ "The Looming Tower: Al-Qaeda and the Road to 9/11," by Lawrence Wright (Alfred A. Knopf).
MUSIC _ "Sound Grammar," by Ornette Coleman.
EUR MOTIVATIONAL NOTE
"Time is our most precious asset; we should invest it wisely." — Michael Levy
CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS
April 18: Singer Trina of Trina and Tamara is 33. Actress America Ferrera ("Ugly Betty") is 23.
WEBSITE OF THE WEEK
Learn about the National Black MBA Association, an organization which leads in the creation of economic and intellectual wealth for Blacks. Get the info here: www.nbmbaa.org/
Submit your favorite Web site to us along with a 15-20 word (or less) description to info@eurweb.com.
BLACK HISTORY
Apr. 18, 1955: Bill Russell named coach of the Boston Celtics basketball team and became the first African American to coach an established team in professional athletics. (Source: www.BlackFacts.com)
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