Cheryl Boone Isaacs Makes History

Last month Cheryl Boone Isaacs made history by becoming the first black president of the The Academy. Yes, the same Academy who votes on Oscar winners every year.

Considering the dearth of diversity in Hollywood and the lack of recognition black actors and actresses have received in regards to Oscar recognition, this news is significant indeed. Boone Isaacs has been working in the entertainment industry for a number of years now and has certainly paid her dues. Kudos to her. For more info about Cheryl Boone Isaacs you can check out this Entertianment Weekly article.

Anthony Hamilton - Comin' From Where I'm From (2003)

One of my favorite artists of the last decade.

He's Gotta Have It: Spike Lee, Kickstarter and An Emerging New Trend

It seems Kickstarter is quickly becoming the SOS of many a filmmaker in 2013.

A few weeks ago Spike Lee was the latest filmmaker to enter the fray as he announced he was raising money to fund his current project, a vampire themed flick that he so far has been hesitant to go into much detail about. Spike isn't the first well known member of the film community to make his pitch for funds on Kickstarter, but the latest in what is an interesting trend.

Earlier this year it came out that Kristen Bell had made a pitch on Kickstarter for a Veronica Mars movie. She ended up raising $5 million. What was most interesting to me at least is that the Veronica Mars movie is being backed by Warner Brothers, who are one of the major players in Hollywood. Ultimately this begs the question of why go to a site like Kickstarter for funding if a major studio is going to be backing the project anyway? Zach Braff (from NBC "Scrubs" fame) also took to Kickstarter and raised more than $3 million for his own project.

I'm assuming Spike Lee heard about the success of these two projects and decided that it was time to throw his hat in the ring. Spike Lee is a very decorated director and his work has often made me think about cinema, specifically as it relates to people of color. "Do The Right Thing" is a classic in my book. "School Daze" was informative and "Malcolm X" was not only educational, but illuminating. "He Got Game" and "25th Hour" with Ed Norton, are also among my favorites.

So A Panhandler Walks Onto The Subway...

If you live or work in New York City, you know the deal. Without fail, as soon as you walk through the subway doors to take your seat, you'll inevitably hear a plea from somebody who needs your money. Just in my own experiences, I've seen people get rather creative in asking for your cash. Occasionally a group of kids will dance, some will sing, and there will always be somebody who needs money for their basketball team. Well, here we have a guy who looks as if he may be asking for money initially, but instead it's the passengers who are caught off guard.

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Remembering a Literary Giant

James Baldwin is remembered not only as a literary giant, but a man whose words helped advance the cause for social justice within the United States. Baldwin -- who would've been 89 this past Friday -- was remembered by a number of people for being one of the most influential writers of the 20th century. His literature continues to live on however, and his life, memory, and influence, will not soon be forgotten.