Showing 13 results for:
viola-davis
Popular topics
All results
Krystal’s fourth South Carolina location opened in Orangeburg on Monday, Dec. 9, thanks to a partnership with Charlamagne Tha God — also known as Lenard McKelvey — and his wife, Jessica Gadsden-McKelvey. The couple are spearheading a five-store expansion of the quick-service chain across South Carolina, with the grand opening of the new Krystal location set for Dec. 20 — an event that will include Charlamagne Tha God himself, according to a press release. The new Krystal slider restaurant, located at 1486 Chestnut St., will be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. For the media personality and entrepreneur, the project holds personal significance. “Orangeburg is special to us because it’s the home of South Carolina State University, my mother’s alma mater, while my wife’s father is an alumni of Claflin University,” he shared ahead of the store’s opening. “I also have an honorary degree from SCSU, where I established the Ford Family Endowed Scholarship Fund, so it’s a blessing to...
The “Circle of Life” takes on new meaning now that James Earl Jones, the legendary actor and voice of “The Lion King’s” Mufasa, has passed away at the age of 93. The Voice We Almost Never Heard Jones, a Mississippi native who later moved to Michigan, faced early childhood trauma that led to a stutter and several years of not speaking, based on a CNN profile. “I was mute from grade one through freshman year in high school — mute because I just gave up on talking,” the actor explained in a 1986 interview with KCRA-3. “I can’t cut it. You’re mute that long, you become very curious about expressing yourself.” James Earl Jones Found His Voice His interest in self-expression, shaped by his early challenges, would lead to a voice that resonated across the globe. Jones’ voice became one of Hollywood’s most iconic and recognizable, a gift to the entertainment industry that reverberated for decades. The deep baritone-voiced star would go on to hone his craft at the University of Michigan in...
A deeper dive into NASA’s research led Lisa Dyson to become an innovator leading a multi-million-dollar company. Call To Action Dyson founded Air Protein, a startup developing an alternative to animal protein using air fermentation. As previously reported by AFROTECH™, the company drew from NASA’s 1960s research that allowed astronauts to convert carbon dioxide into food. “A colleague of mine, Dr. John Reed, and I, we were interested actually in carbon recycling here on Earth,” she said during a Ted Talk in 2016. “We wanted to come up with technical solutions to address climate change, and we discovered this research by reading some papers published in the ‘ 60s, 1967 and later articles about this work. And we thought it was a really good idea. And so we said, ‘Well, Earth is actually like a spaceship. We have limited space and limited resources, and on Earth we really do need to figure out how to recycle our carbon better. So we have the idea, can we take some of these NASA type...
Prominent individuals in entertainment are joining forces to provide self-help resources to the Black community. This is being made possible through the inception of ALTR, described as a motivational and self-help app, per the company’s LinkedIn. The platform was co-created by David A. Wilson, founder of TheGrio, and Brandon John-Freso, who serves as the company’s chief technology officer, and is supported through a partnership with Viola Davis and husband Julius Tennon’s JuVee Productions. ALTR serves to provide audiobook miniseries that will tend to “the distinct life obstacles faced in the Black community,” Variety reports. These audiobooks will include topics such as: Mental well-being Feelings of isolation Financial stability Spirituality Personal relationships And more “There is a yearning for solutions and knowledge from our cultural perspectives,” Wilson told Variety. “Our authentic voices are lacking in the existing self-help, wellness and educational platforms, which is...
In 2015, film and television producers Lee Daniels and Danny Strong debuted the critically acclaimed television series, “Empire,” starring actors Taraji P. Henson and Terrence Howard. As characters, they portrayed a complicated couple attempting to navigate the duality of family and business. Each week, viewers were engrossed in the drama of this fictitious musical dynasty, but behind the scenes everything wasn’t as glamorous as it seemed. Howard has been in a legal battle over his salary from the show since December 2023. According to a previous post from AFROTECH™, the “Hustle & Flow” actor claims he received up to 50% less than what his white counterparts would have made in a starring role similar to “Empire’s” music mogul character Luscious Lyon. Terrence Howard’s Complaints Based on the lawsuit documents filed against the Creative Artist Agency (CAA), the complaint alleges that Howard was unaware of the fees and conflict of interest the agency would impose. Additionally, after...
For six seasons between 2014 and 2020, Shonda Rhymes had television audiences on lock every Thursday, partially due to the thrilling drama series “How To Get Away With Murder.” Starring the iconic Viola Davis, the hour-long show chronicled the complicated daily life, career, and antics of its main character, Annalise Keating. Although Viola Davis gave viewers a captivating weekly performance, her time on the ABC series was not the first nor last time she would have audiences in a proverbial chokehold, enamored by her acting chops. According to an interview with the Harvard Business Review, Viola Davis was born on a former plantation in Saint Matthews, SC, and raised in poverty. She faced continued racism after moving to Rhode Island. However, her humble beginnings didn’t stop her from discovering her love of acting and using that as a tool for her success. “I had a passion for acting because it was therapeutic. Art heals the mind. Art is supposed to move you, shake you, make you...
One week ago, American soccer history was made with the stunning debut of Lionel Messi in the MLS (Major League Soccer). The international star came on the pitch in the second half of a match between Inter Miami and Cruz Azul. Messi, playing for Inter Miami (owned by another soccer legend, David Beckham), scored the game-winner off of a free-kick. Fans went wild and so did internet searches as many wondered just how much the superstar is making to play for a struggling team in a league struggling even more. Along with those searches, many asked, “Who are the richest athletes in the world?” Iconic Players The top five richest athletes in the world are made up of three golfers, a basketball player, and a soccer player. Interestingly enough, their earnings come more from the endorsement deals made along the way of illustrious careers, rather than just player contracts. Shoe deals, jerseys, drinks, and more helped these players rise above and beyond to capture a piece of the pie known...
Similar to how Michael Jordan’s name and likeness helped Nike to become heavy in the culture, Grant Hill rocking Fila made the footwear company blow up in the ’90s. Though the former NBA star signed with the brand, there was once a Nike deal on the table. During an interview on “Knuckleheads” podcast, Hill recalled initially being sold on Nike and speaking with its founder Phil Knight, who had the vision for the brand’s global expansion.
You can’t have an adequate conversation about sneaker culture without talking about the global impact of Michael Jordan and his line of signature shoes, as evidenced by the film “Air,” chronicling the inception of the Jordan sneaker era. With so much popularity around Nike and their relationship with Jordan, would you believe there was a time during the Jordan era when he didn’t have the biggest contract and most popular shoe among athletes? Welcome NBA legend Larry Johnson to the chat. According to a LinkedIn post, Johnson stated that he was offered a $1 million shoe deal with Converse in 1991. Johnson entered the league in 1991 as the No. 1 draft pick by the Charlotte Hornets. He had a stand-out rookie season, earning him the 1992 Rookie of the Year award, and in 1993, he signed what was then considered the largest contract in NBA history worth $87 million over seven years. However, after that historic deal, Johnson suffered a sprained back that would impact the longevity of his...
Viola Davis may be one of the most successful actresses in the world today — but she didn’t always have it easy. In an exclusive interview with The Wall Street Journal — whom she sat down with to promote her new Showtime series, “The First Lady,” in which she plays Michelle Obama. T he actress revealed that her humble upbringings forced her to go to extremes to avoid going hungry. “I mean, her Hunger Free program for kids,” Viola Davis said to the outlet, referring to Michelle Obama’s advocacy for the passage of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act. ” I mention that because I was a kid who was hungry. I grew up in abject poverty. I dumpster-dived. I stole money for food. And I think Michelle Obama, coming from the South Side of Chicago, was very aware of [that kind of poverty].” First Lady Michelle Obama’s advocacy for the act resulted in her husband, President Barack Obama, signing the act into law in 2010. While Davis herself, couldn’t take advantage of the act when she was growing...
Black Hollywood actresses have been making waves in the entertainment industry for decades. This was a notable year for many Black women entertainers — both veterans and those new in the game. Though oftentimes their contribution to the culture is not reflected in their salaries. For example, Viola Davis was the only Black woman featured on Forbes’ list of the Top 10 highest-paid actresses of 2020. Davis earned $15.5 million thanks to her legendary performance in the role of Annalise Keating in the show “ How to Get Away With Murder” and “ Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” on Netflix. Despite this, Black actresses have been able to break through glass ceilings in the face of a global pandemic and continue to build impressive discographies and net worths. Check out some of the most popular Black actresses along with their net worths below. 1. Kerry Washington ($50 million) Photo Credit: Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for AFI) According to Forbes, Kerry Washington was the only Black woman to...
For many of us, making a change, sharing our work, or trying to reach new levels of success comes with thoughts of “I’m not qualified enough. Why would anyone pay to hear what I have to say?” Even if you avoid not giving an opinion during a meeting, because you have a nagging feeling you don’t belong, have the experience or right to speak up, it’s a sign of the impostor lurking within you. Coined by Suzanna Imes and Pauline Rose Clance, impostor syndrome is a series of thoughts and feelings of inadequacy that relate to self-doubt and a fear of being outed as a fraud. Despite your accomplishments, you downplay your achievements, and can’t escape the feeling that one-day people are going to find out you’re a fraud. “Maybe I Don’t Deserve Success” Even highly successful people like Viola Davis and Maya Angelou have talked about their struggles with impostor syndrome. Angelou once said: “I have written eleven books, but each time I think, ‘uh oh, they’re going to find out now. I’ve run...
Academy Award-winning actress Lupita Nyong’o is set to re-team with her Little Monsters director, Abe Forsythe, for an untitled science fiction comedy that has been won by Universal Pictures. According to an exclusive Deadline report, Forsythe will write the script and direct, while Nyong’o will produce the project alongside Made Up Stories’ Bruna Papandrea, Jodi Matterson and Steve Hutensky. While details about the plotline are under wraps, the project has been described as a mix of Men In Black meets Miss Congeniality . This is just the latest in a long list of upcoming projects (mostly vehicles) for Nyong’o, who has Little Monsters coming out later this year via NEON and Hulu. The actress, who won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress in 2014 for her performance as Patsey in 12 Years A Slave, is on board to star in a remake of John Woo’s 1989 action flick, The Killer and the international spy thriller, 355 . She’s also producing and starring in an adaptation of Trevor...