Valentine Special

Apologies From NFL, NBC After M.I.A. Flips Bird

Network briefly blurred screen after gesture in what was a late attempt to cut out shot

2012-02-06

David Bauder AP Entertainment Writer

British hip-hop artist M.I.A.'s obscene gesture in the Super Bowl halftime show is prompting apologies from NBC and the NFL. But it isn't immediately registering as a moment that viewers latched on to. Read the complete article

R&B Singer David Peaston Dies at Age 54

Talented artist who had string of hits starting in late 1980s battled diabetes

2012-02-03

Jim Salter The Associated Press

ST. LOUIS (AP) -- Singer David Peaston, who had a string of R&B hits in the late 1980s and early 1990s, has died, his family said Thursday. Read the complete article

Maya Angelou Hosts Black History Month Special

Syndicated show featuring Mary J. Blige and others will air throughout month on public radio

2012-02-02

Stacy A. Anderson The Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Author and activist Maya Angelou hopes for a time when Black History Month will no longer be needed to explain the contributions of African-Americans. Read the complete article

Book Review: ‘Round & Round Together,’ by Amy Nathan

America owes a debt of gratitude to Amy Nathan for writing “Round & Round Together,” a welcome reminder of the ten-year struggle to integrate Baltimore’s Gwynn Oak Amusement Park

2012-01-30

Kam Williams Special To The Skanner News

The title of “Round & Round Together” was inspired by the fact that it was the park’s merry-go-round that little Sharon rode that fateful afternoon. In the book, the author seamlessly interweaves eyewitness accounts of the long effort to desegregate Gwynn Oak with descriptions of what was simultaneously transpiring elsewhere around the country in the Civil Rights Movement. Read the complete article

Camilla Williams, Black Opera Pioneer, Dies at 92

Singer believed to be the first African-American female to appear with a major US opera company

2012-01-30

Ken Kusmer The Associated Press

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- African-American opera pioneer Camilla Williams has died in Bloomington. She was 92. Read the complete article

Alabama Attorney Questions Death Penalty in New Book

Lawyer who defended dozens charged with murder explains major problems with capital justice system

2012-01-27

Jay Reeves The Associated Press

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) -- After defending more than 60 people charged with capital murder and getting three men off Alabama's death row, attorney Richard Jaffe wants to get people talking about the death penalty and what he believes are its flaws. Read the complete article

Nigerian Authors Look West to Gain Their Fame

African nation with rich literary history once again grabbing notoriety through new crop of writers

2012-01-26

Yinka Ibukun The Associated Press

LAGOS, Nigeria (AP) -- The chaos of Nigeria's largest city of Lagos gets boiled down to prose as a narrator notes "how unpretty" its sprawl looks, with "its unplanned houses sprouting like weeds." Another author describes the madness of the commute, how six roads meet and "there is no traffic light." Read the complete article

A Slim Race for Best Original Song at the Oscars

Only two grab nominations: Sergio Mendes and Bret McKenzie

2012-01-25

Mesfin Fekadu The Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) -- The race for the best original song Oscar is a slim one with two songs up for the honor, a first for the Academy Awards. Read the complete article

Aretha Franklin Calls Off Her Wedding

In statement, singer says she and Willie Wilkerson “were moving a little too fast”

2012-01-24

Nekesa Mumbi Moody AP Music Writer

NEW YORK (AP) -- Aretha Franklin won't be getting fitted for a wedding gown after all: She's called off her engagement. A statement released Monday by her representative said Franklin's wedding to Willie Wilkerson wasn't going to happen. Read the complete article

VIDEO: Legendary Blues Singer Etta James Dies in California

Despite the reputation she cultivated, she would always be remembered best for 'At Last'

2012-01-20

Robert Jablon The Associated Press

In real life, little about James was as genteel as that song. The platinum blonde's first hit was a saucy R&B number about sex, and she was known as a hell-raiser who had tempestuous relationships with her family, her men and the music industry. Then she spent years battling a drug addiction that she admitted sapped away at her great talents. Read the complete article

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