Tag Archives: youth

Partay with Purpose! Hill Harper and Nate Parker Host Toy Drive Fundraiser

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Black Hollywood got in the holiday spirit last night for the “Manifest Your Destiny” 9th annual Toy Drive and Fundraiser at W Hollywood hotel.

Birth of a Nation star Nate Parker and Hill Harper arranged the festivities and called on their celeb buds to cross an item off a kid’s wish list.

“Soul Food’s” Vanessa Williams showed off her date for the evening–a Moana doll.

 

Vanessa, likely, put Moana under the tree with all the other donated toys that will go to impoverished kids through Salvation Army Transitional Living Center in LA and the Summer Empowerment Academy (SEA) foundation.

Checks are also appreciated–I mean look at those Kool-Aide smiles–as you can see.

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#Repost @werunhollywood ・・・ Actors and philanthropists @hillharper and @origi_nate accepting a check donation from @100blackmen at their "Manifest Your Destiny" 9th Annual Toy Drive & Fundraiser hosted by @lancegross with committee host @karrueche and @yvonneorji The donated toys and funds raised benefit disadvantaged youth, going to the Salvation Army Transitional Living Center in Los Angeles and the Summer Empowerment Academy (SEA) foundation, respectively. Go to werunhollywood.com for all the exclusive photos from this amazing charity event held inside the @whollywoodhotel #WeRunHollywood #HillHarper #NateParker #ManifestYourDestiny #9thAnnualToyDrive #100BlackMen #SummerEmpowermentAcademy #Philanthropy #Humanitarianism #GiveBack #Holiday #CarusoColeman #WHotelHollywood

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The 100 Black Men of America non profit presented Nate, Hill, Karrueche and Yvonne Orji with a cool G that will go towards supporting disadvantaged youth.

Richard Lawson and Tina Knowles made it a date night.

 

Insecure and How To Get Away with Murder casts collided for the fundraiser.

 

All I want for Christmas is a Black girl magic crossover. Amirite?

 

 

RIP Dawg! Tommy Ford’s Legacy of Youth Service

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It’s nearly 24 hours since learning Martin’s Tommy Ford has been taken off life support (result of suffering from a stomach aneurysm) and it still feels surreal.

It was a punch in the gut to find out he was on life support, but when he passed…

…Nawwww, Dawg.

Well, even though Martin’s sidekick died to soon to know how he got the draws or if he really had a job (who are we kidding? He ain’t have a job), the actor left behind more than a sea of smiling faces.

The Cali boy loved the kids like Marti Mart. He spent the last few months of his life mentoring the youth. In fact, his last film project was a documentary–it premiered at the American Black Film Festival in June–about bullying in the Black community that featured young kids.

He even arranged for the kids to create a PSA related to the doc and held a panel chat with LGBTQ youth.

Be sure to check out Through the Lens on Aspire TV this month.

A quick skim of The Parkers alum’s Instagram and he’s never far from paying coeds a class visit.

 

Grooming young men for the real world with his “Tommy Ties.”

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The TOMMY-TIE TOWN HALL MEETING was AMAZING! It brought tears to my eyes to see all of those beautiful young males being taught to be MEN! Thank you to all of the REAL MEN WITH REAL JOBS…who took the time to mentor and love on these incredible young men as they were GROOMED FOR GREATNESS! Huge shout out to Bishop McGill & Marshal Greg Countryman @marshal_greg_countryman who hosted this awesome fellowship! #tommyties #manhood #mentor #youth #brotherhood #townhallmeeting #celebration #tommytie #empowement #100blackmen #hbcu #greeklife #love #bond #brotherhood #brothers #family #fundraiser #church #fatherhood #fathersday #sundaysbest #e100 #mcm #freemason #shriners #kappa #alpha #blackfathers #rolemodel #blacklivesmatter

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And giving a motivational chat to pre-teens at the Boys & Girls Club of Orlando.

 

Thanks for the laughs, TF and inspiring us all. Including his two kids.

Cross Country Painting! Amar’e Stoudemire Launched Painting Series for Kids

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NBA baller Amar’e Stoudemire took his talents to Cali this week. I’m talking about those requiring a brush stroke and not a basketball.

The Miami Heat player partnered up with artist RETNA for a live art installation for local kids at Pan Pacific Park to get kids interested in picking up a paintbrush.

In between mixing colors on a canvas–that produced several paintings from Amar’e, RETNA and future Basquiat’s and Davinci’s–Stoudemire played some hoops with the kids.

This is the first stop on the ex-Knick player’s(couldn’t resist, I am native New Yorker after all) cross country tour to promote his “In the Paint” Series meant to connect young artists with emerging ones in local communities through his Melech collection, which fosters his two loves, P+B (painting and basketball.)

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The painting showcases are all to get youngsters motivated about the arts that arent’ necessarily revolved around rapping or singing. Not that anything is wrong with that. Who shouldn’t aspire to Beyonce on any given day? Yet, it would also be nice for kids to know Jean Michel Basquiat, Kehinde Wiley, Jamea Richmond Edwards, Toyin Ojih Odutola, like they do Drake and Nicki Minaj. You’ve likely seen all these artists’ masterpieces, if you’re an avid “Empire” fan like myself.

Anyway, kudos to Amar’e for exposing the kiddos to more forms of art. Below he displays his work, and talks about his passion for painting  with “Late Late Show” host James Corden and Betty White.

Amar’e topped off his artistic visit to Pan Pacific Park by dropping a $20,000 donation. Of course he was honored soon after by the city for his charity work.

 

Kanye’s Got Coins! Yeezy Donates Record Amount to Donda’s House

kanyewinkIn case you thought Kanye spent all his money on those fog machines and sparklers, think again.

The rapper/doctor dropped off a $133,000 check to the Donda’s House foundation–a non-profit he created to honor his late mom Professor Donda West–this week.

It’s a record amount for the Chicago org that empowers kids to pursue a career in the arts. Let the Yesus church say amen!

Kanye West took a portion from his earnings at the Louis Vuitton Foundation concert shows and donated it to Donda’s House. Awww… it’s like he combined two of his favorite things–fashion and his mama–to make a difference.

The Creative Director of Donda’s House, Che “Rhymefest” Smith, had this to say about the contribution to their coffers.

I really cannot thank Kanye enough for this incredible contribution. His leadership has enabled Donda’s House to grow quickly and impact the lives of over 160 of Chicago’s young people already in short history. This is a great honor and a true tribute to his mother’s legacy, who did so much for young artists.

Why do we hate him again? Someone remind me.