Bring That Week Back: Week of March 8
D.C. high school gets female head coach. Jay-Z walks away from millions. And Michelle Obama gives away a cherished gift.
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Jay-Z Walks Away From Casino Deal - Jay-Z suddenly pulled out of what some onlookers said was a lucrative N.Y. casino deal. The rapper and businessman, who’s currently on tour, had partnered with Aqueduct Entertainment Group to add slot machines at the Aqueduct racetrack in Queens. According to the New York Observer, after New York state officials demanded that all investors release detailed documentation of all their finances, Jigga decided the deal wasn’t worth the hassle.
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D.C.: Female Football<bR>Coach Makes History - Natalie Randolph, a 29-year-old biology and environmental sciences teacher at D.C.'s Calvin Coolidge High School, was introduced as the coach of the school's men's football team, the Colts. She's believed to be the nation's only female head coach of a high school varsity football team. D.C.'s mayor Adrian Fenty attended the event.
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Marion Jones Signs With WNBA Shock - Disgraced sprinter Marion Jones, once called the world's fastest woman, was introduced as the newest member of the WNBA's Tulsa Shock. At the press conference announcing the signing, Jones was confident and poised. “The word redemption is not in my vocabulary," Jones said. "I'm a competitor, I want to play against the best in the world, and I know that I will be doing that."
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Stars Converge in L.A. For Oscars - L.A. was even glitzier and more star-studded than normal this past weekend. It looks like every celebrity – from every corner of the entertainment industry – was in town and out on the town. Showing up at exclusive private parties and on the scene at official Oscar events, the famous and fabulous celebrated the world’s biggest movie awards and cheered the actors and actresses who bring magic to the movies we love.
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Mo’Nique Wins Oscar - Actress, comedienne and BET talk show host Mo’Nique joined an exclusive and history-making cohort: Black Oscar Award-winning actresses. Her achievement carries on the legacy of former Oscar winners Hattie McDaniel, Whoopi Goldberg, Halle Berry and Jennifer Hudson. "I want to thank Miss Hattie McDaniel for enduring all that she had to, so that I would not have to," Mo'Nique said. "Tyler Perry and Oprah Winfrey; because you touched it, the whole world saw it."
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Mo’Nique Wins Oscar - Actress, comedienne and BET talk show host Mo’Nique joined an exclusive and history-making cohort: Black Oscar Award-winning actresses. Her achievement carries on the legacy of former Oscar winners Hattie McDaniel, Whoopi Goldberg, Halle Berry and Jennifer Hudson. "I want to thank Miss Hattie McDaniel for enduring all that she had to, so that I would not have to," Mo'Nique said. "Tyler Perry and Oprah Winfrey; because you touched it, the whole world saw it."
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Michelle Obama Donates Inaugural Gown - First Lady Michelle Obama has donated the gown she wore to 10 inaugural balls last year to the Smithsonian Institution. Mrs. Obama said seeing the Jason Wu design for the first time since the whirlwind night of Jan. 20, 2009, brought back cherished memories of the hectic day her husband became the nation's 44th president. The one-shouldered, white chiffon dress will go on public display in a new gallery at the National Museum of American History.
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Gay Couples Begin to Wed in D.C. - At least a dozen couples tied the knot in the District of Columbia on the first day same-sex ceremonies were legally allowed, and many more unions were on the way. The district on Tuesday became the sixth place nationwide where gay couples can legally get married, joining Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Vermont.
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Once-Revered Lawmaker Freezes to Death - Juanita Goggins, the first Black woman elected to the South Carolina Legislature in 1974, and who was also hailed as a trailblazer, froze to death at age 75. She was described as a solitary figure living in a rented house four miles from the gleaming Statehouse dome where she made history. Goggins died of hypothermia.
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Monica Conyers Gets Three Years - Monica Conyers was sentenced to more than three years for bribery after a federal judge refused to set aside her guilty plea during a court hearing in Detroit. As guards cleared the packed courtroom, the former councilwoman yelled that she planned to appeal. Conyers, who is the wife of U.S. Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich), said she wanted to withdraw her guilty plea, suggesting she was the victim of "badgering" last year.
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Rihanna Meets The Parents - Things must be heating up. Rihanna met the parents of her new boyfriend, L.A. Dodger Matt Kemp. The R&B singer flew to Arizona after performing in Germany to attend Kemp’s “Ante Up for Autism” charity celebration. “Matt was happy she came," says a source close to the couple. "It was an awesome show of support."
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Trey Songz: I’m So Far From Gay - Trey Songz is tired of the gay rumors that have swirled around his name for months now. In an interview on Angela Yee’s ‘The Morning After’ show on Sirius XM, the R&B singer said, “You gotta ignore stuff like that, being an artist. It’s always something new about Trey Songz. I’m so far from gay.”
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Obama Makes Final Push for Health Care - President Barack Obama and Democratic leaders are laying out the details of the health care bill as they map a plan to pass the President’s signature piece of legislation. Congressional Dems and administration leaders met to reach a consensus on issues like subsidies to help lower-income families and more aid for states under the Medicaid program for low-income Americans.
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Ed Gordon<br>Returns to BET - Award-winning broadcast journalist Ed Gordon will make his return to BET Networks’ news division. Gordon, a well-seasoned anchor, reporter, interviewer, radio host and Emmy Award-winning broadcaster, will join the network for a variety of news programs and specials. Gordon's return bolsters the news division's roaster, which includes correspondents Jeff Johnson, Andre Showell and April Woodard.
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Kelis Reclaims No. 1 Spot - Pop singer and rapper Nas’ ex-wife, Kelis, hasn’t been near the top of the music charts since her hit songs “Milkshake” and “Tasty.” Well, she’s back. Billboard is reporting that the first song from her new album, “Acapella” (released in November), has moved up to the top of the Dance/Club Play Songs charts.
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Ohio State Shooter Called Bosses Unfair - An Ohio State University janitor who shot two supervisors, one fatally, and then killed himself had complained that he was being treated unfairly, though records show he slept on the job and was late to work during his probation. Nathaniel Brown was days away from losing his job when he opened fire with two handguns on the campus of the country’s largest university.
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Bolt, Williams Win Laureus Awards - Tennis great Serena Williams and Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt were honored this week. Bolt won his second Laureus Sportsman of the Year Award, and Serena Williams won the woman's prize. Established in 1999, The Laureus World Sports Awards are handed out annually to sportspeople for outstanding achievement during the previous year.
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Justice Blasts Obama State of the Union - Chief Justice John Roberts criticized President Obama while speaking to law students at the University of Alabama. He said the President’s State of the Union address was "very troubling" and that the annual speech to Congress has "degenerated into a political pep rally." Obama chided the court for its campaign finance decision during the January address, with six of the court's nine justices seated before him in their black robes.
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Reese Witherspoon Praises Mrs. Obama - Actress Reese Witherspoon says her "Legally Blonde" character Elle Woods has been ousted as the most stylish woman to come to the nation's capital by First Lady Michelle Obama. Speaking at a ceremony where Mrs. Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton presented the annual International Women of Courage awards, Witherspoon joked that her movie character no longer held that title.
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BET’s Debra Lee Hosts Women Leaders - BET Chairman and CEO Debra Lee will host the "Leading Women Defined" conference in D.C., bringing together powerful women from all walks of life. The three-day summit featured discussions of issues important not only to Black women, but to Black America as a whole. Topics on the schedule included "Generation Next: Young, Black and Motivated" and "A Healthy BET: Black Women and Health."
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Iverson Has Alcohol, Gambling Issues, Says Column - According to sports columnist Stephen A. Smith, NBA baller Allen Iverson is in “trouble.” In an article on ESPN.com, he wrote, “The combination of alcohol and gambling - and a once-promising career in tatters because of the first two - won't culminate in anything short of disaster if help does not arrive in short order.” Several NBA players and fans have expressed their outrage at Smith’s article. Iverson’s wife filed for divorce last week.
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Obama Meets With President of Haiti - Haitian President Rene Preval visited the White House to thank President Obama and the American people for all the help his country received after January's massive earthquake. Preval expressed appreciation not just for all of the material support provided but for the moral support that he says helped Haitians to realize that they were not alone.
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Congress Extends Jobless Benefits - In a 62-36 roll call, the U.S. Senate voted to extend jobless aid, tax breaks to businesses and individuals and money to help financially strapped states pay for health care for the poor. A "yes" vote is a vote to pass the bill. Voting yes were 54 Democrats, 6 Republicans and two independents. Voting no were one Democrat and 35 Republicans.
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Obama Fires At McConnell - According to Politico.com, it seems President Obama is returning fire to one of his most vocal critics, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. In two back-to-back speeches on health care reform, the President mentioned the GOP Senator by name. Obama remarked sarcastically, McConnell has been quick to offer advice, warning Democrats about passing health care reform.
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Pro-Health Care Reform Rally - Former Vermont Governor and presidential candidate Howard Dean joined thousands of protesters in D.C. to rally for health care reform. The 2004 Democratic presidential candidate told the crowd, "We deserve a vote. Are you for the insurance companies or are you for the American people?" The protesters picketed outside D.C.’s Ritz-Carlton Hotel near Foggy Bottom, where a large group of health insurance executives and lobbyists were meeting.
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Smithsonian Gets Tubman Collection - The National Museum of African American History and Culture received 39 objects, including a hymnal that once belonged to Harriet Tubman. Collector and author Charles L. Blockson, an expert on the Underground Railroad, donated the items to the museum.
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Lil Wayne<bR>Arrives at Rikers - Lil Wayne arrived Tuesday at the Rikers Island jail complex, where he was being held in general population. It wasn't immediately clear what work assignment he might have, if any. The 27-year-old rap star could be released in about eight months with good behavior.
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CBC Members Meet With Obama - President Barack Obama met with members of the Congressional Black Caucus and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus as he makes his final push for reform. After the meeting, CBC Chairwoman Barbara Lee called the discussion frank and substantive.
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Obamas Celebrate Women - Crediting their role in the American story, President Barack Obama on Monday praised the nation's "daring, indomitable" women, including Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. "We're doing all of this not only because promoting women's empowerment is one of the best ways to promote economic development and economic success," Obama said. "We are doing it because it's the right thing to do."
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Court Order May End King Estate Battle - The much-reported spat among the children of Martin Luther King, Jr., is probably over. According to the Atlanta Journal Constitution, Dexter King, the president of King Inc., and his siblings Martin Luther King III and Bernice King have agreed that a court-appointed custodian should revamp the family corporation that controls the copyright and intellectual property of the civil rights leader. Their decision comes after an order by Fulton County Superior Court Judge.
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Muslim Prayers Spark Controversy - Some critics were upset that a Muslim cleric from northern Virginia was delivering the invocation at the Virginia Statehouse in Richmond. They accused Imam Johari Abdul-Malik, who is a cleric from the Falls Church mosque where two Sept. 11, 2001 hijackers worshipped, of encouraging extreme political views and making controversial statements in the past. His prayer, however, happened without incident. He prayed, "Where there's hate, let us show love. Where there is fear, let us find faith."
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Jennifer Hudson to Sing at NCAA Game - Jennifer Hudson will perform the song, “One Shining Moment” at the end of this year’s NCAA games. The first woman to sing the song, she will close out the competition with the classic that plays every year after the men's basketball championship game. "It moves you,” Hudson said of “One Shining Moment.” “It motivates you and helps you reach that goal and that dream."
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Ex-Spurs Player Returns to Jail - Former NBA All-Star Alvin Robertson is back in jail in San Antonio after a judge increased his bond. Prosecutors say they had asked that Robertson's bail be doubled to $450,000 on Wednesday after allegations surfaced that he was threatening two women. The 47-year-old Robertson was still in jail late Wednesday. He has been accused of being part of a sex trafficking ring that kidnapped a 14-year-old girl. Robertson, through his lawyer, has denied the allegations.
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Artists Sign Up for Dedication to Quincy Jones - Mary J. Blige, Jennifer Hudson, Talib Kweli, BeBe Winans, Akon, Ludacris, Usher, Three 6 Mafia, Jamie Foxx, Jermaine Dupri and Scott Storch are just a few of the artists and producers who plan to pay tribute to legendary music composer Quincy Jones on his forthcoming album, "Q: Soul Bossa Nostra." It will feature updated versions of some of Jones’ most famous hits.