The ad for the new Acura NSX featuring Jerry Seinfeld was one of the biggest hits of this year’s Super Bowl ad parade – but according to a tipster to TMZ, the company that cast the ad sought a black actor for the role of a dealer by specifying someone “not too dark.” Moments ago, Acura issued an apology, saying it was unaware of the restriction.
TMZ says the call sheet for the ad was provided by another actor who was passed over for the role and angered by the casting company’s description. In the sheet, the firm says the role of a dealer who tells Seinfeld the first Acura NSX has already been sold should be “nice looking, friendly. Not too dark.”
The ad was created by an ad firm called “rp&,” a division of the RPA firm that creates ads for Acura’s parent Honda. (One might suggest updating their news page, which currently features several angry tweets about the racial choices of its Acura ad).
The real question: Why would the commercial specify a race for any of its minor characters? READ MORE
Acclaimed Chef Marcus Samuelsson has been on the scene for years but his star just seems to be getting brighter and brighter while giving credit to his unique international upbringing in Ethiopia, Sweden and Harlem, NY.
His birth name is Kassahun Tsegie. After his birth mother died in a tuberculosis epidemic when he was three years old, Kassahun Tsegie and his elder sister, Fantaye,were adopted by Ann Marie and Lennart Samuelsson, a homemaker and a geologist, who lived in Gothenburg, Sweden. The siblings’ names were changed to Marcus and Linda Samuelsson. They also have an adopted sister, Anna Samuelsson. Samuelsson’s biological father, Tsegie, is a priest and father of eight of the chef’s half-siblings; he still lives in the Ethiopian village where Samuelsson was born.
Samuelsson studied at the Culinary Institute in Gothenburg, where he grew up, apprenticed in Switzerland and Austria, and came to the United States in 1991 as an apprentice at Restaurant Aquavit. At 24, Marcus became executive chef of Aquavit, and soon after that became theyoungest ever to receive a three-star restaurant review from The New York Times.
This year’s Nobel Peace Prize has been awarded jointly to three women – Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Liberian Leymah Gbowee and Tawakul Karman of Yemen.
They were recognised for their “non-violent struggle for the safety of women and for women’s rights to full participation in peace-building work”. READ MORE
The old cigarette slogan said, “You’ve come a long way baby.” This is an appropriate statement for the influx of Afro-Latinos in Hollywood. Although culturally in the hearts of many an ”Afro”- Latino there is no divide between being a Latino. In fact many would never call themselves Afro-Latino no matter how dark they may be, and even though a great deal of people both non-Latino and Latino alike simply see them as Black. It is like somehow you are diminished as of Latin descent the more apparent your African blood may be.
What is interesting about the increasing successful amount of Latinos in Hollywood including Zoe Saldana, Maxwell(Puerto Rican), Soledad O’Brien(Cuban), Lloyd Banks(Puerto Rican), Rosario Dawson(Cuban and Puerto Rican), Tatayana Ali(Panamanian), Laz Alonso(Cuban) and more is their desire to bring a social understanding by vocalizing they are both Latino and proud in addition to being “Black and proud.” Probably because of an awareness of the historical discrimination including a marginalization of culture due to color.
In the 90′s it was rare as it is today for visibly Afro-Latinas such as Lauren Vélez would be cast as the leading lady as a Latina character on a television show (New York Undercover) but her look made her pefect for a on play romantic chemistry between both Latin and African American leading men. She also starred in the classic film, “I like it Like That.”
According to Wikipedia
Black Hispanics are often overlooked in the U.S. mass media and in general American social perceptions, where being “Hispanic” is often incorrectly given a racial value. The situation is also the same in the U.S. Hispanic media and the Latin American media through their telenovelas.
Since the early days of the movie industry in the U.S., when Black Hispanic actors were given roles, they would usually be cast as African Americans (as in, NON-Hispanic black).For those with Spanish-speaking accents that betrayed an otherwise presumed non-Hispanic African American origin, they may seldom have been given roles as Hispanics.
Hence, this is what makes Zoe Saldana lead role in Colombiana triamphant. She clearly is a light skinnned Black. She clearly has a Spanish name. She is both Dominican and Puerto Rican. Although not Latino, Blair Underwood was proud to play the role of an American President of Afro-Cuban descent. (See Interview). The hope is that Univision, telenovelas and more forms of media will embrace all that makes up the image of Latino.
MCCN’s Erika L. Holmes talks about her Latin Comfort Foods:
Ahhhh! Sunshine and great weather….the perfect time for wine aficionados to check out the local Wine Tasting Scene here in L.A. I recently had the opportunity to visit the first “Wine Riot Tour”, March 25-26th., held at Santa Monica Place on the third level. This might have been their first Riot Tour in the U.S., but there were enough wines to please even the fussiest pallet. Wines were featured from all over the world including South Africa, Portugal, France, and Germany just to name a few, with California amply represented.
The principal here is simple, you don’t need a ton of cash to drink awesome wines, and that a small amount of knowledge can go a long way, which is just one of the many ideas behind Second Glass President, Founder Tyler Baillet & CEO, Co-Founder Morgan First, the company that brings you and sponsors Wine Riot. Wine Riot has consecutively sold out for the last two years in Boston. Both Baillet and First have deemed their U.S. tour their Launch Event for Los Angeles. The company not only helps people discover their favorite wines, but remember the ones they like forever. READ MORE
Although Black History Month takes place during the shortest month of the year, it is still a time to take pause to celebrate Black History. At MCCN we celebrate culture all year round. The Black Diaspora is wide-reaching. Our list tells of stories from countries including Zambia, Rwanda, South Africa, Gambia and the United States. It celebrates leaders such as Stephen Biko, Malcolm X and Nelson Mandela to the unsung hero. It acknowledges the so-called “dirty little secret of race mixing” which is prominent in the American story. Almost every Black American has European ancestry. Conversely, many caucasian Americans have no idea their lineage may include an African-American light enough to pass to begin a new life as a White person. The book “One Drop” also addresses this issue. Without further ado, MCCN’s Black History Movie List.
Roots- Written by Alex Haley, Roots was the TV movie that shocked America. Never, had the
Museum TV archive
imagery of slavery in America been depicted onscreen. It made people angry. It made people sad and apologetic but most importantly it brought enlightenment to millions of people. Every parent regardless of race should educate and share this film with their children. The story begins with Kunte Kinte being abducted from the shores of Gambia.
Amistad- Directed by Stephen Spielberg and starring an unknown actor back in 1997, Djimon Hounsou, Amistad is a story of About a 1839 mutiny aboard a slave ship that is traveling towards the northeastern coast of America. Much of the story involves a court-room drama about the free man who led the revolt. Matthew McConaughey, Morgan Freeman and Anthony Hopkins star.
Invictus - Many films have produced about Nelson Mandela but this story tells of his political life intertwined with the world of Rugby. As a former athlete, Mandela understood the power and influence of sports. He identified its ability to unify people. Morgan Freeman and Matt Damon star.
Sally Hemings: An American Scandal or Jefferson in Paris: This is the story of former President Thomas Jefferson and his slave/mistress Sally Hemings. Thomas Jefferson is still one the most celebrated presidents in American history so the story of his mistress, his descendants with Black skin living in a America is a hard pill to swallow for some. Visit Monticello in Charlottesville, Virginia. They have accepted incorporating some discussion of Hemings in the tours. Thandie Newton stars in the 1995 Jefferson in Paris but the more popular forbidden love story of Jefferson and Hemings is the TV movie, Sally Hemings, An American Scandal.
Hotel Rwanda – Starring and produced by Don Cheadle, Hotel Rwanda is a film which reminds us of Holocausts repeating its cycle throughout the world. How long do super power countries turn a blind eye toward crimes against humanity? It also recognizes sometimes we do not want to be heroes but we need to be heroes.
This list is composed by Crystal A. Johnson, MCCN Editor, a film critic with a masters in English/ Screenwriting. Her undergraduate minor is in history from Historically Black University, Morgan State University.
The islands of the Cape Verde archipelago were discovered by Italian and Portuguese navigators around 1456. According to Portuguese official records [6] the first discoveries were made by Genoese born Antonio de Noli, who was afterwards appointed governor of Cape Verde by Portuguese King Afonso V. Other navigators mentioned as contributing with discoveries in the Cape Verde archipelago are Diogo Gomes, Diogo Dias, Diogo Afonso and the Italian Alvise Cadamosto. READ MORE
Rochelle Ritchie of WPTV-TV in West Palm Beach, Florida decided to let her hair go ‘natural’ and let viewers see the transformation. During the process, the ratings of Ritchie’s show increased. When she first told the idea to the news director, a white man, he had no idea about the process. The news director said,” I had no clue this was an issue. I never heard about it, and I had African American friends. I instantly bought into this story. I had not seen this story done. It brings up a safety concern.” His only concern was that the viewing audience wouldn’t care but the feedback proved positive.
Cookie and Magic Johnson held an event for World AIDS day with the Black AIDS Institute. The stars came out in abundance including Hill Harper, Loretta Devine, Honoree Blair Underwood, Judge Mathis, Lamman Rucker and more.
See What Cookie and Magic Johnson have to Say About AIDS Today
The Sweet Potato is a well loved in many cultures. Sweet potatoes very early became popular in the islands of the Pacific Ocean, spreading from Polynesia to Japan and the Philippines. One reason is that they were a reliable crop in cases of crop failure of other staple foods due to typhoon flooding. They are featured in many favorite dishes in Japan, Taiwan, the Philippines, and other island nations. Indonesia, Vietnam, India, and some other Asian countries are also large sweet potato growers. Uganda (the third largest grower after Indonesia), Rwanda, and some other African countries also grow a large crop which is an important part of their peoples’ diets. North and South America, the original home of the sweet potato, together grow less than three percent of the world’s supply
In some fashion or another it makes it way on holiday dinner tables. Here are five recipes that will have your guests begging for more:
Bubor Cha Cha is a porridge dessert with pieces of yam or colored dough in a sweetened broth. Sometimes it’s made with tapioca which is how I like it. I also like it creamy and with lots of coconut milk!
Super Bowl ad parade – but according to a tipster to TMZ, the company that cast the ad sought a black actor for the role of a dealer by specifying someone “not too dark.” Moments ago, Acura issued an apology, saying it was unaware of the restriction.
