Alexandra Burke hopes to be a "little Beyonce".
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Rutgers-Newark marks 40th anniversary of Conklin Hall takeov
by Kelly Heyboer/The Star-Ledger Tuesday February 24, 2009, 6:53 PM
Four decades ago, a group of scared, but determined, students barricaded themselves inside Rutgers-Newark's Conklin Hall to protest the lack of minorities on the nearly all-white campus.
Back then, the protesters were dubbed "Negro militants" as university officials debated whether to call in the State Police to arrest them.Today, the "Conklin Hall Liberators" were back on campus. This time, they got a warmer welcome.
Students protest at Rutgers-Newark outside Conklin Hall on University Avenue in this 1969 file photo.
"You are heroes," said Rutgers University President Richard McCormick. "You're back where it all began. We are deeply proud of you."
Rutgers marked the 40th anniversary of the student takeover today with a series of emotion-filled speeches, panels and events acknowledging the lasting impact of the tense 72-hour standoff at Conklin Hall. The takeover is credited with sparking changes at Rutgers that ended racist policies and boosted minority enrollment on campuses across New Jersey.
Today, Rutgers-Newark ranks as the most racially-diverse public university campus in the nation.
"That certainly is an enormous tribute to the courageous student who took over Conklin Hall," said Rutgers-Newark's Chancellor Steven Diner. "I can think of very few protests . . . that have had such spectacular success."
Many of the Conklin Hall protesters, now in their late 50s and early 60s, returned to campus for the ceremony with mixed emotions. Many have become lawyers, teachers and university administrators.
"I cannot believe that 40 years has really passed," said Vivian Sanks King, an attorney who was one of the student leaders at the time.
Rutgers Newark commemorates takeover of Conklin Hall
In 1969, Newark was 65 percent black. But Rutgers-Newark was more than 95 percent white and campus officials showed little interest in recruiting minority students or faculty.
The campus' Black Organization of Students sent school leaders a list of demands that included hiring more black professors and significantly increasing black enrollment. When the university dismissed their requests the students began planning a takeover of Conklin Hall, one of Rutgers-Newark's large classroom buildings.
On Feb. 24, 1969, about two dozen students slipped in the building in the early morning, kicked out the security guard and chained the doors. Other students stood guard outside the building and negotiated with campus officials.
Over the next three days, the stand-off captured the attention of the state as Trenton lawmakers pressured Rutgers to call in the State Police. A group of angry white counter protesters outside the building were rumored to be plotting to take back Conklin Hall. A group of white Essex County College students also tried unsuccessfully to ram the chained doors with a telephone pole.
"We stood in the way and stopped them," said Thomas Roberts, one of the student protesters guarding the door outside. "We stood our ground."
Inside, the students-- who had unfurled a banner from the roof declaring the building "Liberation Hall"-- passed the time by playing cards, issuing statements to the media and speculating about how The Star-Ledger would report their deaths if the protest ended badly. The group had debated whether to bring guns inside, but ultimately decided against arming themselves, said Vicki Donaldson, one of the protesters.
The students were "confused, scared, brave young people who had no idea of the consequences of taking over that building," said Donaldson, who went on to become a lawyer.
Campus officials, including many who secretly supported the students' cause, eventually agreed to increase minority enrollment and make other changes. The protesters left Conklin Hall shouting, "We did it!"
But changes came slowly to the university. Tension on campus continued for years as Rutgers and other state colleges slowly expanded minority enrollment.
Rutgers did not formally acknowledge the role of the Conklin Hall protesters until five years ago, 35 years after the takeover. On that anniversary, McCormick issued a formal apology to the protesters.
This year's commemoration included a recreation of the Conklin Hall takeover by a student theater group and a ceremony where the 1969 protesters symbolically passed torches to today's students. Rutgers also started a digital archive that includes video memoirs of those involved in the takeover.
Rutgers reached another milestone this school year. For the first time, more than half of the state university's incoming freshman class was non-Caucasian, campus officials said.
"Rutgers became a profoundly different institution," McCormick said.
"This is the key legacy of the 1969 liberation."
Four decades ago, a group of scared, but determined, students barricaded themselves inside Rutgers-Newark's Conklin Hall to protest the lack of minorities on the nearly all-white campus.
Back then, the protesters were dubbed "Negro militants" as university officials debated whether to call in the State Police to arrest them.Today, the "Conklin Hall Liberators" were back on campus. This time, they got a warmer welcome.
Students protest at Rutgers-Newark outside Conklin Hall on University Avenue in this 1969 file photo.
"You are heroes," said Rutgers University President Richard McCormick. "You're back where it all began. We are deeply proud of you."
Rutgers marked the 40th anniversary of the student takeover today with a series of emotion-filled speeches, panels and events acknowledging the lasting impact of the tense 72-hour standoff at Conklin Hall. The takeover is credited with sparking changes at Rutgers that ended racist policies and boosted minority enrollment on campuses across New Jersey.
Today, Rutgers-Newark ranks as the most racially-diverse public university campus in the nation.
"That certainly is an enormous tribute to the courageous student who took over Conklin Hall," said Rutgers-Newark's Chancellor Steven Diner. "I can think of very few protests . . . that have had such spectacular success."
Many of the Conklin Hall protesters, now in their late 50s and early 60s, returned to campus for the ceremony with mixed emotions. Many have become lawyers, teachers and university administrators.
"I cannot believe that 40 years has really passed," said Vivian Sanks King, an attorney who was one of the student leaders at the time.
Rutgers Newark commemorates takeover of Conklin Hall
| Rutgers Newark commemorates takeover of Conklin Hall |
In 1969, Newark was 65 percent black. But Rutgers-Newark was more than 95 percent white and campus officials showed little interest in recruiting minority students or faculty.
The campus' Black Organization of Students sent school leaders a list of demands that included hiring more black professors and significantly increasing black enrollment. When the university dismissed their requests the students began planning a takeover of Conklin Hall, one of Rutgers-Newark's large classroom buildings.
On Feb. 24, 1969, about two dozen students slipped in the building in the early morning, kicked out the security guard and chained the doors. Other students stood guard outside the building and negotiated with campus officials.
Over the next three days, the stand-off captured the attention of the state as Trenton lawmakers pressured Rutgers to call in the State Police. A group of angry white counter protesters outside the building were rumored to be plotting to take back Conklin Hall. A group of white Essex County College students also tried unsuccessfully to ram the chained doors with a telephone pole.
"We stood in the way and stopped them," said Thomas Roberts, one of the student protesters guarding the door outside. "We stood our ground."
Inside, the students-- who had unfurled a banner from the roof declaring the building "Liberation Hall"-- passed the time by playing cards, issuing statements to the media and speculating about how The Star-Ledger would report their deaths if the protest ended badly. The group had debated whether to bring guns inside, but ultimately decided against arming themselves, said Vicki Donaldson, one of the protesters.
The students were "confused, scared, brave young people who had no idea of the consequences of taking over that building," said Donaldson, who went on to become a lawyer.
Campus officials, including many who secretly supported the students' cause, eventually agreed to increase minority enrollment and make other changes. The protesters left Conklin Hall shouting, "We did it!"
But changes came slowly to the university. Tension on campus continued for years as Rutgers and other state colleges slowly expanded minority enrollment.
Rutgers did not formally acknowledge the role of the Conklin Hall protesters until five years ago, 35 years after the takeover. On that anniversary, McCormick issued a formal apology to the protesters.
This year's commemoration included a recreation of the Conklin Hall takeover by a student theater group and a ceremony where the 1969 protesters symbolically passed torches to today's students. Rutgers also started a digital archive that includes video memoirs of those involved in the takeover.
Rutgers reached another milestone this school year. For the first time, more than half of the state university's incoming freshman class was non-Caucasian, campus officials said.
"Rutgers became a profoundly different institution," McCormick said.
"This is the key legacy of the 1969 liberation."
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Alicia Keys Attends 81st Annual Academy Awards
Alicia Keys attended The 81st Annual Academy Awards at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood on Sunday (February 22). Keys, who wore a sexy orchid-colored Armani Prive’s dress, got the chance to present ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ composer A.R. Rahman with the best original song Oscar for ‘Jai Ho’.
Monday, February 23, 2009
OSCAR EVENT PICS
Singer Alicia Keys arrives at the 2009 Vanity Fair Oscar Party held at the Sunset Tower on Sunday in West Hollywood, California.
Actors Jada Pinkett Smith and Will Smith arrive at the 2009 Vanity Fair Oscar Party hosted by Graydon Carter held at the Sunset Tower on Sunday in West Hollywood, California.
Actress Halle Berry and Gabriel Aubry arrive at the 2009 Vanity Fair Oscar Party held at the Sunset Tower on Sunday in West Hollywood, California.
Model Chrissy Teigen and singer John Legend arrive at the 2009 Vanity Fair Oscar Party held at the Sunset Tower on Sunday in West Hollywood, California.
Actors Jada Pinkett Smith and Will Smith arrive at the 2009 Vanity Fair Oscar Party hosted by Graydon Carter held at the Sunset Tower on Sunday in West Hollywood, California.
Actress Halle Berry and Gabriel Aubry arrive at the 2009 Vanity Fair Oscar Party held at the Sunset Tower on Sunday in West Hollywood, California.
Model Chrissy Teigen and singer John Legend arrive at the 2009 Vanity Fair Oscar Party held at the Sunset Tower on Sunday in West Hollywood, California.
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Thursday, February 19, 2009
WATCH NE-YO DISS TENNILLE ON RED CARPET!
Internet rumors claim that Ne-Yo's "something like that" Tennille Jimenez are preggers! But if you were on a carpet with your alleged baby mama, would you basically down grade her to your jumpoff like Ne-Yo did Grammy night? Check out the video!
KANYE & AMBER ROSE
Kanye was spotted leaving a Pre-Grammy party this weekend with a video vixen Amber Rose. They were also caught by the TMZ cameras appearing to be headed for their “nightcap."
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Greatest Dunks
Top 10 All Time Michael Jordan Dunks
Kobe's 10 Greatest Dunks
Top 10 Lebron James Dunks From The First Half Of 2009-09 Season.
Dwight Howard winning the 2k8 dunk contest.
J. Richardson
Dee Brown won the 1991 NBA All-Star Dunk Contest
Kobe's 10 Greatest Dunks
Top 10 Lebron James Dunks From The First Half Of 2009-09 Season.
Dwight Howard winning the 2k8 dunk contest.
J. Richardson
Dee Brown won the 1991 NBA All-Star Dunk Contest
Love Yourself
Love Yourself
Learn to
Overlook those
Very things you hate about yourself.
Everyone is different.
You should realize that
Our
Uniqueness makes us special.
Reach inside your
Soul and
Embrace yourself.
Love yourself
For who you are. Please believe in yourself at all times life is to short not too
Learn to
Overlook those
Very things you hate about yourself.
Everyone is different.
You should realize that
Our
Uniqueness makes us special.
Reach inside your
Soul and
Embrace yourself.
Love yourself
For who you are. Please believe in yourself at all times life is to short not too
What’s in the Stimulus Bill for You
By RON LIEBER
Published: February 12, 2009
All the talk the last couple of days about the stimulus bill was about compromise and slimming down. What is left, though, is a huge spending bill, with well over $100billion in tax breaks and handouts for individuals.
First-time home buyers would be eligible for a tax credit equal to 10 percent of the purchase price, up to $8,000.
Under the proposed stimulus bill, buyers of new cars and light trucks through the rest of 2009 can deduct sales taxes.
And most of us will be able to use at least one of them, though it will be difficult to get much money immediately, unlike the stimulus checks that went out last year.
What follows is a list of some of the biggest provisions in the bill that will hit you directly in the wallet. Keep in mind that the language in the measure isn’t quite final and the Senate and House still have to vote to approve it.
INCOME TAX In 2009 and 2010, there is a tax credit of up to $400 for individuals and $800 for married couples filing their taxes jointly. You calculate your credit, subtracted from other federal taxes you owe, by taking 6.2 percent of your earned income.
Your eligibility for this credit begins to phase out if you’re an individual with an adjusted gross income over $75,000 or a couple with income higher than $150,000.
Employers may end up adjusting tax withholdings on paychecks so that this credit trickles into your bank account over the course of the year. People who are self-employed can adjust their quarterly tax filings to account for the credit.
This credit is refundable, according to a summary of the stimulus bill that the Senate Finance and House Ways and Means committees released Thursday. That means that even if you have no federal income tax liability, you will still get the money.
UNEMPLOYMENT Normally, you pay federal income taxes on federal unemployment benefits. In 2009, however, you won’t have to pay taxes on the first $2,400 in benefits you receive.
HEALTH INSURANCE If you get fired, your company is required, thanks to a law known as Cobra, to allow you to pay to keep your health insurance, generally for up to 18 months.
The problem is, it can cost you $1,000 a month or more to keep the coverage.
Now, the federal government will subsidize 65 percent of the premium for up to nine months. To be eligible, you need to have been forced out of your job between Sept. 1, 2008, and Dec. 31, 2009. Also, your income in the year you receive the subsidy cannot be more than $125,000 for individuals or $250,000 for married couples filing their taxes jointly.
If you lost your job after Sept. 1, 2008, and declined Cobra coverage, you’ll now get another chance. Call your former company in the next two months to find out how this will work.
You need not keep an eye on the mail for a subsidy check from the government, according Kathryn Bakich, senior vice president in Washington of the Segal Company, a benefits consulting firm. Instead, your former employer will collect the money from the government.
SOCIAL SECURITY In 2009 a number of retirees and disabled people, including Social Security recipients, will receive a $250 refundable tax credit. The money would arrive within 120 days of the bill’s signing.
CAR BUYER TAX DEDUCTION For the rest of 2009, you’ll be able to deduct the state and local sales and excise taxes you pay on the purchase of a new (not used) car, light truck, recreational vehicle or motorcycle.
This will be an “above-the-line deduction,” according to Clint Stretch, the managing principal of tax policy at Deloitte L.L.C. in Washington. That means that you can take it regardless of whether you itemize other deductions on your tax return.
Mark Luscombe, principal tax analyst for CCH, a tax information service, notes that state sales taxes alone can run 6 to 7 percent, before any county or local tax kicks in. That said, if you trade in a vehicle, your taxable purchase price may be lower.
Eligibility for this tax break begins to phase out for single people with adjusted gross income over $125,000 or $250,000 for married couples filing jointly. And the deduction does not apply on spending above $49,500.
PELL GRANT According to a summary from the office of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the maximum Pell Grant will increase by $500, to $5,350 in 2009 and $5,550 in 2010. The grants are generally for low-income students.
HIGHER EDUCATION TAX CREDIT This credit covers up to $2,500 of the cost of college tuition and other related expenses in 2009 and 2010. You’ll need to spend at least $4,000 in a single year to get the full credit. The credit begins to phase out for individual taxpayers with adjusted gross incomes over $80,000 or $160,000 for married couples filing jointly.
Forty percent of the credit is refundable, which benefits low-income students paying their way through school (who may owe no federal income taxes).
529 PLAN EXPANSION When you withdraw money from a 529 college savings plan, you can use it for tuition, room, board, books and other college expenses. In 2009 and 2010, families can also use the money for computers and computer technology, which could include educational software and Internet service for students living at home.
FIRST-TIME HOME BUYER CREDIT First-time home buyers are eligible for a refundable tax credit equal to 10 percent of the purchase price of their home, up to $8,000, if they made the purchase after Jan. 1, 2009, but before Dec. 1, 2009.
Unlike a similar credit that Congress provided last year, you don’t have to pay this one back over 15 years. The new credit, however, does phase out for individuals with incomes over $75,000 or married couples with incomes over $150,000 who file their taxes jointly. Also, you forfeit the credit if you sell the house within three years.
TRANSIT ACCOUNTS If you commute to work via public transportation, your employer may allow you to set aside pretax money from your paycheck to pay for the bus, train or parking. Currently, you can put aside only $120 a month for mass transit while those who drive and park can save $230. This year and next, those who take mass transit will also be able to put aside $230 each month.
A.M.T. PATCH Each year, Congress creates a temporary fix to keep millions of people from paying the alternative minimum tax. This year, the patch is part of the stimulus bill. “If you didn’t pay the A.M.T. last year, you probably won’t this year,” said Mr. Stretch of Deloitte. “For most people, this is a nonevent. They didn’t even realize they were in danger of being shot in the head by the A.M.T.”
This article has been revised to reflect the following correction:
Correction: February 17, 2009
The Your Money column on Friday, about provisions in the stimulus bill that will benefit consumers, referred incorrectly in some editions to the duration of changes liberalizing the use of 529 college savings accounts and increasing the amount of money commuters can set aside for transit costs. Both changes are effective in 2009 and 2010; they are not permanent.
Published: February 12, 2009
All the talk the last couple of days about the stimulus bill was about compromise and slimming down. What is left, though, is a huge spending bill, with well over $100billion in tax breaks and handouts for individuals.
First-time home buyers would be eligible for a tax credit equal to 10 percent of the purchase price, up to $8,000.
Under the proposed stimulus bill, buyers of new cars and light trucks through the rest of 2009 can deduct sales taxes.
And most of us will be able to use at least one of them, though it will be difficult to get much money immediately, unlike the stimulus checks that went out last year.
What follows is a list of some of the biggest provisions in the bill that will hit you directly in the wallet. Keep in mind that the language in the measure isn’t quite final and the Senate and House still have to vote to approve it.
INCOME TAX In 2009 and 2010, there is a tax credit of up to $400 for individuals and $800 for married couples filing their taxes jointly. You calculate your credit, subtracted from other federal taxes you owe, by taking 6.2 percent of your earned income.
Your eligibility for this credit begins to phase out if you’re an individual with an adjusted gross income over $75,000 or a couple with income higher than $150,000.
Employers may end up adjusting tax withholdings on paychecks so that this credit trickles into your bank account over the course of the year. People who are self-employed can adjust their quarterly tax filings to account for the credit.
This credit is refundable, according to a summary of the stimulus bill that the Senate Finance and House Ways and Means committees released Thursday. That means that even if you have no federal income tax liability, you will still get the money.
UNEMPLOYMENT Normally, you pay federal income taxes on federal unemployment benefits. In 2009, however, you won’t have to pay taxes on the first $2,400 in benefits you receive.
HEALTH INSURANCE If you get fired, your company is required, thanks to a law known as Cobra, to allow you to pay to keep your health insurance, generally for up to 18 months.
The problem is, it can cost you $1,000 a month or more to keep the coverage.
Now, the federal government will subsidize 65 percent of the premium for up to nine months. To be eligible, you need to have been forced out of your job between Sept. 1, 2008, and Dec. 31, 2009. Also, your income in the year you receive the subsidy cannot be more than $125,000 for individuals or $250,000 for married couples filing their taxes jointly.
If you lost your job after Sept. 1, 2008, and declined Cobra coverage, you’ll now get another chance. Call your former company in the next two months to find out how this will work.
You need not keep an eye on the mail for a subsidy check from the government, according Kathryn Bakich, senior vice president in Washington of the Segal Company, a benefits consulting firm. Instead, your former employer will collect the money from the government.
SOCIAL SECURITY In 2009 a number of retirees and disabled people, including Social Security recipients, will receive a $250 refundable tax credit. The money would arrive within 120 days of the bill’s signing.
CAR BUYER TAX DEDUCTION For the rest of 2009, you’ll be able to deduct the state and local sales and excise taxes you pay on the purchase of a new (not used) car, light truck, recreational vehicle or motorcycle.
This will be an “above-the-line deduction,” according to Clint Stretch, the managing principal of tax policy at Deloitte L.L.C. in Washington. That means that you can take it regardless of whether you itemize other deductions on your tax return.
Mark Luscombe, principal tax analyst for CCH, a tax information service, notes that state sales taxes alone can run 6 to 7 percent, before any county or local tax kicks in. That said, if you trade in a vehicle, your taxable purchase price may be lower.
Eligibility for this tax break begins to phase out for single people with adjusted gross income over $125,000 or $250,000 for married couples filing jointly. And the deduction does not apply on spending above $49,500.
PELL GRANT According to a summary from the office of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the maximum Pell Grant will increase by $500, to $5,350 in 2009 and $5,550 in 2010. The grants are generally for low-income students.
HIGHER EDUCATION TAX CREDIT This credit covers up to $2,500 of the cost of college tuition and other related expenses in 2009 and 2010. You’ll need to spend at least $4,000 in a single year to get the full credit. The credit begins to phase out for individual taxpayers with adjusted gross incomes over $80,000 or $160,000 for married couples filing jointly.
Forty percent of the credit is refundable, which benefits low-income students paying their way through school (who may owe no federal income taxes).
529 PLAN EXPANSION When you withdraw money from a 529 college savings plan, you can use it for tuition, room, board, books and other college expenses. In 2009 and 2010, families can also use the money for computers and computer technology, which could include educational software and Internet service for students living at home.
FIRST-TIME HOME BUYER CREDIT First-time home buyers are eligible for a refundable tax credit equal to 10 percent of the purchase price of their home, up to $8,000, if they made the purchase after Jan. 1, 2009, but before Dec. 1, 2009.
Unlike a similar credit that Congress provided last year, you don’t have to pay this one back over 15 years. The new credit, however, does phase out for individuals with incomes over $75,000 or married couples with incomes over $150,000 who file their taxes jointly. Also, you forfeit the credit if you sell the house within three years.
TRANSIT ACCOUNTS If you commute to work via public transportation, your employer may allow you to set aside pretax money from your paycheck to pay for the bus, train or parking. Currently, you can put aside only $120 a month for mass transit while those who drive and park can save $230. This year and next, those who take mass transit will also be able to put aside $230 each month.
A.M.T. PATCH Each year, Congress creates a temporary fix to keep millions of people from paying the alternative minimum tax. This year, the patch is part of the stimulus bill. “If you didn’t pay the A.M.T. last year, you probably won’t this year,” said Mr. Stretch of Deloitte. “For most people, this is a nonevent. They didn’t even realize they were in danger of being shot in the head by the A.M.T.”
This article has been revised to reflect the following correction:
Correction: February 17, 2009
The Your Money column on Friday, about provisions in the stimulus bill that will benefit consumers, referred incorrectly in some editions to the duration of changes liberalizing the use of 529 college savings accounts and increasing the amount of money commuters can set aside for transit costs. Both changes are effective in 2009 and 2010; they are not permanent.
Monday, February 16, 2009
Tyler Perry is still looking for respect
By Alan Duke
CNN
Editor's note: CNN writer Alan Duke has had two small voice-only roles in Tyler Perry's TV series, "House of Payne," which airs on CNN's sister network TBS. He has had no relationship with Perry beyond observing him on set.
Tyler Perry stars in "Madea Goes to Jail," which is due out Friday. Perry is trying to expand his reach to Europe.
ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- Tyler Perry wants to take his character Madea to Europe, but he's been told that audiences there won't relate to his stories about African-American lives. The films have made nearly $300 million at U.S. box offices.
The challenge to conquer Europe has "sat in my spirit," Perry wrote in a newsletter to his fans.
Perry, who just a few years ago was homeless and broke, has made a fortune proving naysayers and critics wrong with a successful string of low-budget movies based on his Christian-themed stage plays.
"I was once told [by] someone that my movies only appeal to black people and no one else," Perry wrote. "Now, I know that's not true."
When his first movie -- "Diary of a Mad Black Woman" -- debuted in 2005, people who had seen his stage plays in person or on DVD flocked to theaters, making it the week's top movie with almost $22 million in ticket sales.
Critics, who consistently pan Perry's productions, were confounded.
"They think I don't know what I am doing," he said in a CNN interview. "They think that this is all haphazard, that I am some sort of idiot or something."
Perry said he does not write to please the critics, but for a broad audience of all ages.
With six films already out and a seventh -- "Madea Goes To Jail" -- coming soon, Perry has never made a box office flop. His movies average nearly $22 million on opening weekends and almost $47 million in total domestic sales.
"Tyler Perry has a definite and growing fan base in this country and it's simply a matter of, can he create and grow a fan base in other countries," said independent producer Alex Franklin.
Franklin -- a former development executive at Lionsgate, the film company that distributes Perry's films in the United States -- was the first person at that studio to read his script for "Diary of a Mad Black Woman."
He agrees that Perry's movies should sell in Europe, but he said there is a tendency by distributors there to avoid films about African-Americans and films without major American stars who are well-known in Europe.
While Perry's casts have included Angela Bassett, Janet Jackson and Kathy Bates, many of his characters, including Madea, come from his stage plays, which are known only to a mostly black American audience.
But David Mann -- who is "Mr. Brown" in Perry's productions -- said he has seen the audience broaden since the early years of the stage plays.
"I can recall when we first started, I would say 90 to 95 percent of the audience would be African-American," Mann said. "But now, you look out there and it's like, 'Wow! It's just a rainbow.' "
Perry, in his message to fans, said he sees his stories as universal.
"I know that even though I write from an African-American experience and most of the time I have an all-African-American cast, that doesn't mean that other people from other walks of life can't relate," he said. "I think that any human being who goes through what we all go through can relate to my films.
"I know and remember that when I'm writing," he continued. "But when this person said that to me, they also said Europeans would never relate, and that sat in my spirit."
Perry said he flew to Europe in January -- "to find out for myself" -- with visits to Rome, Madrid and London. It was there that he wrote his letter to his American fans.
"So far, all of us seem to be pretty much the same," he said. "We love to laugh, we all have problems, we all want love, and we all have a church in every country. And since these are the things I usually write about, I don't see how that statement can be true. Do you?"
Perry could get his answer soon.
Lionsgate has not said if "Madea Goes To Jail," which debuts Friday, will be marketed to European audiences. But the company signed a joint venture deal last year with Eros International, an Indian film company, to distribute its films in India -- the second largest English-speaking market in the world.
If that arrangement does not take Madea around the world, then perhaps Perry will try it on his own, Franklin said.
"He has the money to back up his intentions," he said. "He proved his naysayers wrong in America, with his will and perseverance. There's no reason he can't do the same overseas."
CNN
Editor's note: CNN writer Alan Duke has had two small voice-only roles in Tyler Perry's TV series, "House of Payne," which airs on CNN's sister network TBS. He has had no relationship with Perry beyond observing him on set.
Tyler Perry stars in "Madea Goes to Jail," which is due out Friday. Perry is trying to expand his reach to Europe.
ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- Tyler Perry wants to take his character Madea to Europe, but he's been told that audiences there won't relate to his stories about African-American lives. The films have made nearly $300 million at U.S. box offices.
The challenge to conquer Europe has "sat in my spirit," Perry wrote in a newsletter to his fans.
Perry, who just a few years ago was homeless and broke, has made a fortune proving naysayers and critics wrong with a successful string of low-budget movies based on his Christian-themed stage plays.
"I was once told [by] someone that my movies only appeal to black people and no one else," Perry wrote. "Now, I know that's not true."
When his first movie -- "Diary of a Mad Black Woman" -- debuted in 2005, people who had seen his stage plays in person or on DVD flocked to theaters, making it the week's top movie with almost $22 million in ticket sales.
Critics, who consistently pan Perry's productions, were confounded.
"They think I don't know what I am doing," he said in a CNN interview. "They think that this is all haphazard, that I am some sort of idiot or something."
Perry said he does not write to please the critics, but for a broad audience of all ages.
With six films already out and a seventh -- "Madea Goes To Jail" -- coming soon, Perry has never made a box office flop. His movies average nearly $22 million on opening weekends and almost $47 million in total domestic sales.
"Tyler Perry has a definite and growing fan base in this country and it's simply a matter of, can he create and grow a fan base in other countries," said independent producer Alex Franklin.
Franklin -- a former development executive at Lionsgate, the film company that distributes Perry's films in the United States -- was the first person at that studio to read his script for "Diary of a Mad Black Woman."
He agrees that Perry's movies should sell in Europe, but he said there is a tendency by distributors there to avoid films about African-Americans and films without major American stars who are well-known in Europe.
While Perry's casts have included Angela Bassett, Janet Jackson and Kathy Bates, many of his characters, including Madea, come from his stage plays, which are known only to a mostly black American audience.
But David Mann -- who is "Mr. Brown" in Perry's productions -- said he has seen the audience broaden since the early years of the stage plays.
"I can recall when we first started, I would say 90 to 95 percent of the audience would be African-American," Mann said. "But now, you look out there and it's like, 'Wow! It's just a rainbow.' "
Perry, in his message to fans, said he sees his stories as universal.
"I know that even though I write from an African-American experience and most of the time I have an all-African-American cast, that doesn't mean that other people from other walks of life can't relate," he said. "I think that any human being who goes through what we all go through can relate to my films.
"I know and remember that when I'm writing," he continued. "But when this person said that to me, they also said Europeans would never relate, and that sat in my spirit."
Perry said he flew to Europe in January -- "to find out for myself" -- with visits to Rome, Madrid and London. It was there that he wrote his letter to his American fans.
"So far, all of us seem to be pretty much the same," he said. "We love to laugh, we all have problems, we all want love, and we all have a church in every country. And since these are the things I usually write about, I don't see how that statement can be true. Do you?"
Perry could get his answer soon.
Lionsgate has not said if "Madea Goes To Jail," which debuts Friday, will be marketed to European audiences. But the company signed a joint venture deal last year with Eros International, an Indian film company, to distribute its films in India -- the second largest English-speaking market in the world.
If that arrangement does not take Madea around the world, then perhaps Perry will try it on his own, Franklin said.
"He has the money to back up his intentions," he said. "He proved his naysayers wrong in America, with his will and perseverance. There's no reason he can't do the same overseas."
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Friday, February 13, 2009
If You!
Here's my answers but I would like to hear your answers.
1. If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
2. What one thing would you wish you had if you were trapped on an island?
3. What is the one trait you most admire in others?
Honesty
4. If you could travel to any place in the world for a week, where would you go and why?
St. Barts Island in the Caribbean
1. If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
2. What one thing would you wish you had if you were trapped on an island?
3. What is the one trait you most admire in others?
Honesty
4. If you could travel to any place in the world for a week, where would you go and why?
St. Barts Island in the Caribbean
Thursday, February 12, 2009
This year has brought us so many beautiful Pics
People gather for the inauguration of Barack Obama as the 44th President of the United States of America on the National Mall January 20, 2009 in Washington, DC.
Residents of Kibera, one of the poorest quarters in Nairobi gather to watch the inauguration ceremony of US President Barack Obama in Nairobi on January 20, 2009.
Spectators in Times Square watch President Barack Obama take the oath of office during his inauguration Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2009 in New York.
Barack H. Obama is sworn in as the 44th president of the United States as his wife Michelle Obama holds the Bible and their daughters Malia Obama and Sasha Obama look on, on the West Front of the Capitol January 20, 2009 in Washington, DC.
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