Ambassador Herbie Hancock believes what the world needs is a little jazz diplomacy. The renowned jazz pianist's first major initiative since being named a
UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador last July is to establish International Jazz
Day to be held on April 30 of every year. That date coincides with the
last day of what has been celebrated as Jazz Appreciation Month in the
U.S.
The Academy Awards have come and gone but T.J. Martin made history when
he became the first African American to win an Oscar for a best
documentary feature film, Undefeated.
Octavia Spencer won the 2012 Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her work in "The Help." She is one of just a half-dozen black actresses to have won an Oscar
in the awards' 84-year history. In the supporting actress category,
Hattie McDaniel won for "Gone with the Wind," Whoopi Goldberg for
"Ghost," Jennifer Hudson for "Dreamgirls," and Mo'Nique for "Precious,"
while Halle Berry won best actress for "Monster's Ball."
About a decade ago, Americans began receiving letters
requesting donations for the creation of a Smithsonian National Museum
of African American History and Culture.
Aretha Franklin performed at Radio City Hall on Friday. She may have shed a few pounds but her voice is just as powerful
and melismatic as ever, and that distinctive blues quaver was in great
effect on all of her numbers, especially on “Day Dreaming” and “Natural
Woman.”
