Black Enterprise named Oprah Winfrey's Harpo the company of the year in its June issue. In the mag, Oprah talks about her "winning formula." Don't get your hopes up — the No. 1 ingredient is probably, "being Oprah Winfrey."
Eddie Griffin's standup routine last Friday at the Black Enterprise Golf and Tennis Challenge got a standing ovation from that crowd, but not because it was funny. Because it was over. Failing to adequately guage the mood of the straight-laced BE crowd, Griffin's frequent use of the n-word got his microphone cut about 10 minutes into his set.
Griffin’s microphone was cut in the middle of his act, and Black Enterprise founder/publisher Earl Graves stormed onto the stage to address the crowd.
“We … will not allow our culture to go backwards,” he reportedly said. “We will pay Mr. Griffin all that we owe him but we will not allow him to finish the show if that's the way he's going to talk."
Oh, if only I had been there to witness the intense awkwardness of the moment, and to laugh when this happened:
Meanwhile, Griffin attempted to have the last word. In his inimitable style he walked onto the stage smoking a cigarette and yelled "F— y'all!" before walking off.
Wayne Brady, are you free for next year's golf and tennis challenge? There's an opening.
Can You Imagine Madea Starring Alongside Kurupt in I Accidentally Domed Your Son?
Thanks to Tyler Perry, the "urban" direct-to-video market is no longer limited to shoot-em-ups starring has-been rappers.
[Variety]
Penn. State Rep. Dwight Evans looks to improve the hood in Philly, where the murder rate surpasses New York's, Chicago's, and LA's, but maintain the character of the old neighborhoods. [PI]
It's time to get your networking on at the Black Enterprise Enterpreneurs Conference in Florida. [PR]
Coincidentially, Common decided to apologize for rushing to judgment in the Duke lacrosse case right before his performance at the school. [Dx]
A black man was exonerated yesterday after DNA evidence proved that he hadn't committed the rape he spent 25 years in jail for. This puts the Duke lacrosse players' situation in perspective, doesn't it? [NH]
I'm so glad Brown v. Board of Education was good for something
This weekend, students at a Georgia high school attended their first integrated prom. They danced all night to Motown hits, and the girls made sure not to mess their beehives as they did the pony and the mashed potato. [CSM]
No, you really do have Indian in your family. [DMN]
Blacks will have an estimated spending power of $1 trillion by 2010. I expect we won't only see commercials geared toward us on BET anymore. [LWeekly]
A-Rod and Mims: partners in hotness/flyness. [NYT]
Detroit's moping because Black Enterprise left it off the Top 10 Best Cities For Blacks list. Damn those pesky quality of life factors! [DFP]
Alabama's ready to apologize for slavery. Georgia's still not sure it's sorry. [WVEC]
Why Jacksonville, you ask? Because Black Enterprise says so. In it's latest issue, editors rank the top 10 cities for black people. Jacksonville is 10th and Washington, DC is first. New York didn't even make the cut.
I live in Brooklyn, and for a city that is not for black people, there sure are a hell of a lot of us here. Once word gets out, I'm preparing myself for a mass exodus (kind of like the Great Migration in reverse) to Atlanta, Raleigh-Durham, Nashville and Dallas. Fine by me. The line at the Dominican salon will shrink exponentially.
Black Enterprise named Oprah Winfrey's Harpo the company of the year in its June issue. In the mag, Oprah talks about her "
