Will.i.Am Trans4M Benefit Concert

Defending Kanye West: He Is Operating In A Very Hostile Environment

By Environment Man

Kanye West's latest episode with the paparazzi is proof positive that he represents the endangered species called 'black males.'  His woman was threatened in the most vile of racist ways and he responded accordingly by giving a beat-down to the 18-year old Nazi.  But said beat-down is making the Nazi the victim and Kanye will either pay the Nazi or his own and the Nazi's attorneys to make this go away.  I'm on Kanye's side all the way on this one and if I had to pay a million dollars to settle this matter, it would all be worth it.  [Note to Nazis - - Kanye is going to fight you.]

I agree with Ebony magazine writer Damon Young:

"There is nothing strange or un-understandable about a man coming to the defense of his woman after she was insulted and physically threatened. And, when you include the racial element -- Kim was reportedly called a “nigger-lover” -- it becomes even more understandable. Was he right to do that? Maybe. Maybe not. Right “in the moment” and right “from a distance” are two different types of rights. And, as much as we want to theorize or speculate about what they should have done, moments requiring an immediate fight or flight response have a way of overriding logic."

Black women and white men probably hate Kanye for 'being' with a white woman.  Kanye's and Kim's outsized personalites make them prime targets for aggressors.  And what better aggressor is there in Hollywood than the paparazzi Nazi pimp using the paparazzi for his own designs?  Kimye's antoganist pimped them and the paparazzi to GET PAID. 

I'm with you Kanye and Kim.  Yours is the tough path.  I just hope your marriage can withstand the external pressures.  Marriage is challenging enough by jut withstanding the intracouple conflicts. (Ebony, 1/15/2014)

Wayne Hubbard

Wayne Hubbard

Wayne Hubard is the host/producer of the Urban American Outdoors (UAO), which is the first multicultural Outdoor Lifestyle TV show in the country.

UAO is an EMMY nominated award winning TV program that first aired in 2003 and shares the outdoors from a different perspective.


According to Hubbard:

"We bring it to you like you have never seen it done before. Our show is always entertaining and different, you never know quite what to expect. So stay tuned!"

The show is airing across the country on various TV affiliates and Overseas. UAO has been on air since 2003, is EMMY Nominated and has won over 50 Broadcast Industry Awards.  Hubbard has also created a spin off cooking show "Urban Soul Wild" featuring Celebrity Chef Kevin Kimbrough.

Along with hosting and producing duties, they sponsor free annual outdoor kid events that has serviced over 51,000 youth in the past 7 years and provide food to families in need in the community.

Hubbard is organizing annual Urban Outdoor Summits that celebrate and inform people in regards to the Outdoors Industry.  Hubbard consult on diversity and inclusion in regards to connecting to underserved markets. He want to continue to connect people to nature to help improve their lives and health.  His specialties: Outdoors Lifestyle & Adventure, Media, Diversity & Inclusion Consulting. (LinkedIn)

Candice Price

Candice Price

CandicePrice is the CEO and owner of Urban American Productions, LLC which produced the first award winning diverse Outdoor Lifestyle TV show in the US; Urban American Outdoors with Host Wayne Hubbard. The show and concept were created in 1999 and the show has been in syndication on air nonstop since the fall of 2003.

Candice Price is also the Executive Producer and Show Runner of this first outdoor show that had an African American presence that was created to dispel the myth that Black people were not into nature and outdoor recreation. Through visual presentations and images of multicultural people in the outdoors—which was never seen before on TV—the show struck a major chord and garnered much attention with viewers.  

The show Urban American Outdoors often touches upon cultural and historical events while weaving a good story and these factors make it a multi award winning TV show. The program has won over 50 Broadcast Industry awards, is twice EMMY nominated and is a fan favorite. The show has also been bestowed Proclamations, a Resolution, and Congressional Recognitions from local state and federal government.

Candice and Wayne Hubbard have also created a spin off show called Urban Soul Wild utilizing everything that Wayne has harvested to bring back to cook a delicious healthy meal. The two also created a Sportsman Feeding the Hungry program to donate to food pantries, woman’s battered shelters, churches and families in need. They believe in demonstrating sustainability. They also conduct community outdoor events and speak and consult throughout the US about diversity outreach, conservation and their outdoor program.

Candice was born in Topeka, Kansas but grew up in Kansas City. She came from a family—much like many other families—that had migrated from the south and settled in Kansas and Missouri for opportunities.

Candice’s mother’s family owned land and were farmers close to the St Louis area. Her father, Carl Price Sr., was one of the original black radio DJ's in the country.  Her grandfather was also the first black dentist in Kansas. He was good friends with actress, Hattie McDaniel, and poet, Langston Hughes. Candice’s uncle owned and ran a record store and worked with youth and was the sparring partner to Joe Louis.

Her family was touched by the arts from all directions, whether it was music, literature, thought, theatre or dance. It is through this upbringing that eventually led to her desire to pursue the business of entertainment. She grew up singing, dancing and performing in several bands, eventually became a professional singer who performed across the US and overseas. However, those indoor venues just couldn’t compare to her love of singing outdoors in the open air, probably because Candice’s home was directly across from a city park which she played and sang in daily. With her family she enjoyed traveling all across the US going to the National Parks and Historical landmarks.

Candice has a BA degree in Communications from the University of Missouri Kansas City, as well as a degree in music from the Conservatory of Music. She worked in television for over a decade and other multimedia jobs over the years before starting her own business. She has her MBE, WBE certification and has been a Hunter Ed Certified Instructor as well as Instructor of Outdoor Safety. 

Candice was recently appointed by Secretary Tom Vilsack of the USDA to a Federal Advisory Committee as Representative for Youth, Diversity Outreach, racial and ethnic minorities, and low income communities for the US Forest Service Planning Rule 2012. She and a committee of 20 recently handed over their recommendation for implementation to the US Forest Service in which they had work diligently over the past year.   

Candice is married with children and loves her lifestyle of outdoors and adventures with her husband as they travel and work to encourage others to engage, connect and enjoy the open spaces and public lands that belong to all of us. It is definitely a family affair and they are available to come and speak and or consult with your business.

EnviroBro

Green on-air personality; motivational speaker; eco-comedian and environmental consultant

 

Leonard E. (EnviroBro) Robinson

 

Leonard E. Robinson aka EnviroBro, is the proud father of three children. He is driven by a deep relationship with God; love for humanity and a passion for the environment.

 

He is a much sought-after speaker and lecturer combining an environmental evangelical fervor with a sense of humor.

 

Mr. Robinson completed a term as Acting Director for the Cal/EPA–Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC).  He also served as the Federal Liaison for DTSC. 

 

Robinson was originally appointed by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger in 2004 as Chief Deputy Director of DTSC. He was one of the highest ranking African Americans in State Government. During his political career, Robinson has served under four California Governors. 

 

Prior to his state service, Mr. Robinson was the Environmental/Safety Manager at TAMCO Steel. Located in Rancho Cucamonga, it is California’s only steel mill. (Facebook)

No Black Artists Had Number One Singles On The Billboard Hot 100 Charts In 2013

In 2013 no black artists were at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 charts for the first time since the company began charting top 40 singles in 1958. Jay Z, Kanye West, Beyoncé, Pusha T and Drake all put out albums in 2013 but none of them were able to get a top single. During the 52 weeks in a year, white artists were on top of the R&B and hip hop charts for 44 of them.

It almost like the ’50s and ’60s when you had a lot of music that was being made by white artists and being popularized by them but it was coming from black artists. Evidently it is much easier to sell a Macklemore and Ryan Lewis, an Eminem, a Justin Timberlake, to mainstream audiences than it is to sell a Jay Z. It is still a preferred feeling in mainstream pop culture that if we can find an attractive white act to do it, why not?

The problem arose when Billboard started using digital sales to compile its charts. What has happened is, whether it’s radio, whether it’s iTunes, there is now a lot of data feeding into the Hot 100.  The charts of ten years ago when Outkast was No. 1 — iTunes was not a factor in the charts yet because it was brand new. There was no YouTube — it literally didn’t exist — and so this great feedback loop we used to have where we had crossover from the R&B charts to the pop charts has kind of gotten swamped.

It is a huge pendulum swing in less than a decade: In 2004, literally every song that topped the Hot 100 was by a person of color. This year, black artists had only featured roles.

Essentially the playing field has been broadened enormously since Billboard started changing the way they chart singles. What this means, is that since the incorporation of digital sales, R&B and hip hop acts can’t compete in their own genres.

One could argue that not every Justin Timberlake song is R&B, but Billboard no longer looks at it that way, instead of compiling charts based off of what the R&B audience is listening to, they’re including an artists entire album into the mix.

In another blow to musicians of color, not a single living black artist is being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame this year for only the second time in the history of the Hall.

This year the Hall will induct Daryl Hall and John Oates—an act with a long history of soul-music appreciation that once even topped the R&B chart—so Rock Hall voters are honoring the sound of black music. Just not actual black people. (Mass Appeal)

Urban American Outdoors

Urban American Outdoors is the first multicultural outdoor TV show in the country. Celebrating their thirteenth year they are EMMY nominated and have won over 50 broadcast industry awards representing the outdoors lifestyle.

 

To share the beauty of the Outdoors Lifestyle. To let everyone know that Outdoors belongs to all of us and everyone should be included in decisions concerning its healthy continuation for future generations.The Outdoors brand has always been represented by one viewpoint and we are here to promote inclusion and bring Diversity to the table to share all stories of the greatness of Outdoors.
 

Urban American Outdoors is produced by Urban American Productions based in Kansas City and is a MBE and WBE. The show is hosted and produced by businessman and avid outdoorsman Wayne Hubbard and Executive Producer Candice Price. The show airs across the US on various TV Affiliates and Internationally in Europe. The show depicts the Outdoors Lifestyle, Entertainment, Travel, Cultural History and Cooking. (UAO-Facebook)

 

 

 

SNL Hires Black Women

Saturday Night Live (SNL) has added LeKendra Tookes and Leslie Jones (above) to the writer's room. The move comes just days after the announcement of new castmember Sasheer Zamata.  There are currently no plans to have either appear on-screen.

Sasheer Zamata

 Tookes and Jones, who were discovered during the sketch show's recent auditions, will join SNL's writers' room starting Monday, says The Hollywood Reporter. The auditions, held in New York and Los Angeles, came after the show faced widespread criticism about its lack of diversity — in particular, its lack of Black female comedians.

With the addition of Zamata, who was the first Black woman to join the cast since Maya Rudolph departed in 2007, and now Tookes and Jones, looks like SNL is coming into the 21st Century. (BET, 1/9/2014)

THE 45TH NAACP IMAGE AWARDS

List of categories and nominees for the 45^TH NAACP Image Awards:

The nominees for THE 45^TH NAACP IMAGE AWARDS were announced today during a live press conference at the TV One presentation to the Television Critics Association during its Winter 2014 Press Tour in Pasadena, CA. 

The NAACP Image Awards celebrates the accomplishments of people of color in the fields of television, music, literature and film and also honors individuals or groups who promote social justice through creative endeavors.

Winners will be voted upon by NAACP members and announced when the envelopes are opened on Friday, February 21 during the Awards Ceremony for non-televised categories.

The remaining categories will be announced LIVE on stage during the two-hour star-studded TV One telecast on Saturday, February 22 (9:00 p.m. ET/PT tape-delayed). The telecast will also include a one-hour pre-show airing live from the red carpet (8:00 p.m. ET/PT tape-delayed).

BET and CBS lead the nominees in the TV categories with 19 and 16 nominations respectively, followed by ABC with 15 nominations and HBO with 13 nominations. In the recording category, RCA leads with 10 nominations, followed by Atlantic Records with eight nominations and Columbia Pictures with seven nominations. In the motion picture category, The Weinstein Company leads with 17 nominations, followed by Fox Searchlight Pictures with seven nominations.

Founded in 1909, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) is the nation’s oldest and largest civil rights organization. The organization’s half-million adult and youth members throughout the United States and the world are the premier advocates for civil rights in their communities and monitor equal opportunity in the public and private sectors.

The 45^TH NAACP Image Awards are sponsored by: UAW–Chrysler, FedEx, AT&T, Hyundai Motor America, Gilead Sciences, Wells Fargo, Ford Motor Company, Pepsico and Southwest Airlines. (NAACP Image Awards)