“Aretha was the key to learning how magical music could be.  She’s the example …architect in the music industry which is what I aspire to be.”  She also had a real love for clothing & style.  It was cool to wear clothing through time… from the 70’s to 80’s” – Cynthia Erivo

 

Cynthia broke out as Celie in the broadway hit The Color Purple, earning her a Daytime Emmy Award, a Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album, and a Tony Award for Best Actress.  And in 2019, her leading role as Harriet garnered her Golden Globe and Oscar nominations.  THIS is how I was introduced to this AMAZING talent.  My mom still watches the film almost everyday. LOL!

During our roundtable she provided a lot of great insight on her role as Aretha… I was taken as she reflected on Harriet Tubman and the late great Cicely Tyson.

“My goal was not to be perfect but to be truthful… and I led with that.  I will never be that person but my intentions were in the right place with empathy in telling the story.  Harriet liked stories… if she liked that, I knew there was a tenderness … a soft side.  I got to show that and hopefully you knew more about her than you knew.  Cicely is one of many I admire who had a variety of full body careers.  Who kept you guessing by playing many different roles.” – Cynthia

What’s next for Cynthia? Here’s a few projects coming your way!

• New role as Franklin in National Geographic’s Emmy-winning anthology Genius, which premieres in March 2021.
• Will star in the upcoming film Talent Show
• A future biopic about Nigerian princess Sara Forbes Bonnetta.  (I’m really excited about this one  )
• Planning to release her first album with Verve/Universal Music Group in 2021.
• Last but not least… National Geographic’s Genius: Aretha coming soon!

Watch the behind the scenes trailer:

For all of her wonderful accomplishments… Cynthia Erivo will be presented with the SCAD “Spotlight Award”!!!

NOTE: I was able to capture this queen at the 2019 NAACP Image Awards.

Photos RobinLori

Stay tuned for more exciting coverage from SCAD aTVfest!

In 2018, Kenan received the Emmy Award for Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics for the SNL song “Come Back, Barack” and was nominated for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series in 2018 and 2020. On film, Thompson has appeared in Hubie Halloween, The Magic of Belle Isle, Snakes on a Plane, D2: The Mighty Ducks, and Good Burger, among others. He has also showcased his voice talents in The Grinch, Trolls World Tour, Wonder Park, The Smurfs, Space Chimps, Rock Dog, and more. His upcoming projects include Paramount’s Clifford the Big Red Dog and the Disney+ reboot of Home Alone.

Thompson has made tons of contributions to SNL with his hilarious impressions, including The Rev. Al Sharpton, Charles Barkley, Steve Harvey, and more recently… the gorilla glue ad with Regina King. LOL, take a look!

I had a chance to attend a virtual chat with the Kenan cast during #atvfest.  Here’s a few questions & answers from the session:

Question: What was at the top of your mind in creating the cast?

Kenan: “It’s a Family dynamic we haven’t seen before… a professional environment, bringing worlds together with SNL.  I’m in Atlanta, on the radio and it’s a lot fun & silliness happening at home. Everyone getting on each other’s nerves a little but love each other”.

Question: Will we continue to see the aspect of your TV wife’s death? How will it progress?

Kenan: We don’t want it to be too down because it it is a sitcom… but will be exploring how men deal with grief/death… and how it takes a village with family and friends.

Question: Why ATL?

Kenan: “It was a writers choice…. based on me… the character. And I wanted to keep it closer to home… to make it feel more comfortable for the viewer.  Seeing me sell real estate… no one is really interested in that. LOL!”

Kenan on NBC 

Raising two kids is a three-man job in this unconventional family comedy from executive producer Lorne Michaels. Kenan Thompson stars as a single dad trying to balance his career as the host of a popular morning show in Atlanta with raising his two spirited daughters. While his father-in-law Rick (Don Johnson) and his brother Gary (Chris Redd) try to help him, they usually find a way to make things a whole lot harder.

Watch the trailer!

Sending another huge congrats to Kenan on receiving theVirtuoso Award!

Now in it’s ninth year… SCAD aTVfest celebrates the best of design, creativity, and innovation in television and streaming media. The university’s annual signature event VIRTUALLY took place on Feb. 4-6, 2021.  Visit aTVfest.com for more information.

In 2015, Roses in Concrete Community School opened in East Oakland, California. With a name inspired by a book of poetry written by Tupac Shakur, the school aims to create a model for urban education that prioritizes the needs of youth and families in the community it serves.

In the school’s first year, Google.org provided $750,000 to help launch its unique vision. And last Friday the team celebrated the announcement of our additional $650,000 grant to help the school build a first-of-its-kind computer science (CS) curriculum

“The purpose of education is not to escape poverty, but to end it.” – Dr. Jeff Duncan-Andrade, Founder of Roses in Concrete Community School

An industry veteran with over 30 years in Hollywood, Salli has been featured in over 20 major motion pictures and starred opposite a number of Hollywood’s top actors, including Samuel L. Jackson in The Great White Hype, Denzel Washington in Antwone Fisher, and Will Smith in I Am Legend. She recently directed several episodes of OWN’s hit show “Queen Sugar,” starring her husband Dondre, and can currently be seen in the Freeform show “Stitchers.”

 

Other honorees included Ozzie & Will Areu (, president & Vice President of Tyler Perry Studios, actresses Tichina Arnold , Teyonah Parris  and Donna Lowry, veteran broadcast journalist and 20-year BWFN board member.

Additionally, four college students were awarded with scholarships during the luncheon. Danielle Boyd (New York University),  Atiara Brown (Atlanta Technical College), Sarah Griffin (Atlanta Technical College) and Ariel Jones (Louisiana State University) were among the honorees.

Side Note: I truly enjoyed spending the afternoon with the BWFN.  The media team was treated with royalty as  we were invited to sit and enjoy the luncheon and awards program.  Special thanks to Saptosa of 135th Street Agency for the special invite.

Click through the gallery for more pics of the red carpet with special guest Atlanta City Councilman Ceasar Mitchell, actress Terri Vaughn and more!