Entertainment

Jada’s Entangled Memoir – Worthy

Published

2 months ago

October 19, 2023

avista

By Ebony Huerta Wells

It must be nice! I don’t know if it’s just me, but when I heard actress Jada Pinkett Smith say she and her famous Oscar-slap husband, Will Smith, are separated but still married, I immediately thought that when I get upset with my husband, I have to sit in my car.

I don’t have another house to go to. I don’t even have another wing of the house to go to. And then I thought of the infamous Oscar slap in 2022 and the “Red Table Talk” discussion where she and Will Smith are in tears over her entanglement or affair. So, was all that necessary? Maybe to sell books, it may be necessary. Jada Pinket Smith’s new memoir, “Worthy,” has hit the shelves and she is making the talk show circuit. Like talk show host Sherri Shepherd said, the whole family should get Oscars for living a lie for seven years – supposedly the amount of time Mr. and Mrs. Smith have been separated.

Truthfully, I’m still trying to grapple with liking the couple – before her memoir. Unlike R. Kelly, Michael Jackson and Bill Cosby, Will Smith hasn’t been totally shunned yet, but he has paid a hefty price for his actions “defending” her honor. But it takes two to tangle, and I don’t think by any means we have heard of all his “entanglements,” and he has his own demons to work out.

. . . the whole family should get Oscars for living a lie for seven years . . .

In the Black community and especially in the entertainment industry, we don’t have a plethora of Black male actors. We are more accustomed to negative stories of Black men than good, so when Will Smith reprised his role as Muhammad Ali at the Oscars, we wanted so much to embrace him for his achievements. Instead, we had to defend Black men at work, hit rewind about a thousand times to make sure it wasn’t a skit, and then joke about it in our inner circles – what the hell was he thinkin’ fighting in front of white folks!

I haven’t read “Worthy,” but Jada Pinkett Smith does talk about Tupac, Chris Rock, and many more of our favorite celebrities. Maybe I will read it for that, or perhaps I will just wait for them to move back together again and stop all this actin’.

Black Life Texas

Carver Annual Fundraiser Dec. 2

Published

2 weeks ago

November 23, 2023

BLT Staff

The Carver Development Board presents the Cavalcade of the Stars on Saturday, Dec. 2, at the Henry B. Gonzalez Center.

This annual fundraiser benefits the Carver’s School for Visual & Performing Arts’ Artist Residency/Master Class Program, summer camps, Youth Matinee Series, and supports the education programs of the Carver Community Cultural Center. The title fundraiser is Valero.

The night will start with a reception and silent auction at 5:30 pm. Dinner is served at 6:30 pm, and the show begins at 8 pm featuring Kiland Kyham, also known as Mr. Houston. Kyham is a gifted and powerful author, singer, and songwriter. He has performed and produced with such music legends as Al Green, Stevie Wonder, Johnathon Butler, and Smokey Robinson. He has written over 400 song jingles and has produced numerous projects.

For over 75 years, The Carver Community Cultural Center (“The Carver”) has served as the San Antonio Eastside’s foremost gathering place of cultural exchange and performance arts. It was originally erected in 1918 as a community center for African-Americans. By the 1930s, the building was repurposed as the Colored Library and renamed the Carver Library and Auditorium in honor of Dr. George Washington Carver. From the 1940s through the Civil Rights Era, prominent African-American entertainers such as Ella Fitzgerald, Duke Ellington, Count Basie, and Louis Armstrong played at the Carver.

Individual tickets for the Cavalcade of the Stars are $250 or $2,500 per table. For more information, visit (TheCarver.org).

Entertainment

Kirk Brings Tour to San Antonio

Published

1 month ago

November 3, 2023

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Kirk Franklin’s new album “Father’s Day” just released on Oct. 6, 2023. Franklin has written and produced “Father’s Day,” marking his first new solo album since the 2019 release of his Grammy-winning solo album “Long Live Love.”

Franklin says about Father’s Day and connecting with God’s love: “I hope this album is a stripped-down, honest conversation about the difficulty of the life journey and how life can be messy, nuanced, and a matter of trial and error even for those who subscribe to faith. But it’s all wrapped in a bow of love, and that love doesn’t always make sense, but is always constant.”

Legendary artist Kirk Franklin has etched a mark on the music industry with his soul-stirring melodies and powerful lyrics. With an astonishing 2 billion career streams, his music has touched the hearts of millions around the globe.

Highly decorated with an impressive collection of accolades, including 19 Grammy Awards, 42 Stellar Awards, 23 Dove Awards, and 8 Soul Train Awards, he stands as a true icon in the gospel genre.
Kirk Franklin’s unwavering passion for gospel music continues to shine as a beacon of inspiration, leaving an indelible legacy that will resonate for future generations.

Franklin will be featuring some of his new albums in The Reunion Tour at the Frost Bank Center (formerly AT&T Center) on Nov. 16 at 7 pm. Tickets are on sale now at Ticketmaster.com.
Joining Franklin on The Reunion Tour are Israel Houghton, David & Tamela Mann, Tye Tribbett, The Clark Sister with special guests of the New Breed, The Family, & God’s Property.

Black Life Texas

Power Book IV: Force

Published

2 months ago

October 6, 2023

BLT Staff

Power Book IV: Force is back with season two, with lead character Tommy Egan (Joseph Sikora) on a mission to avenge the death of Liliana and more determined than ever to take over the Chicago drug world.

“Force,” which appears on the Starz network, is a spinoff of the original PowerBook franchise, created by 50 Cent, aka Curtis Jackson. The franchise includes “PowerBook II: Ghost,” “PowerBook III: Raising Kanan,” and “Powerbook IV: Force and BMF.”

In this new “Force” sequel, after setting off a chain reaction of violence in pursuit of his ambition, Tommy must race to stay ahead of the men who are coming for what’s theirs, a federal task force that’s closing ranks, and a sadistic supplier with a direct line to the Cartel. All the while torn by the promise of a second chance with his blood family, Tommy must decide what he is willing to sacrifice to finally ascend the throne of a kingpin.

Emmy-nominated writer and director Robert Munic created and launched PowerBook: IV – Force for Starz. He also produces executive credits with BET’s anthology series “Tales.” Fox’s “Gang Related,” “Empire & Star,” as well as “Vital Signs,” which he wrote and executive produced with Dr. Dre.

Upon release of the PowerBook series in 2014, it earned positive reviews and is one of the network’s most highly-rated shows. The G-Unit titan (50 Cent) signed with the Fox network in February 2023 for future TV/film endeavors in partnership with his G-Unit Film & Television production company after his deal with Starz expired in September 2022.