POLITICAL | URBAN | ENTERTAINMENT | GOSPEL | HISTORY & CULTURE

(Atlanta, GA) The 2017 Black Writers Weekend will host a number of premiere events celebrating the literary accomplishments of various authors, poets and writers including the Maya Angelou Lifetime Achievement award being given to famed poet Nikki Giovanni. The weekend culminates with a formal awards ceremony on Saturday, June 10, 2017 at the EpiRiverside Center located at 135 Riverside Pkwy, Austell, GA 30168. Comedienne Cocoa Brown and black Hollywood's new "it" guy Blue Kimble were tapped to co-host the award ceremony. "We wanted hosts that were guaranteed to keep the audience entertained and we know that both Cocoa and Blue have great comedic timing but we also know they are vocal about appreciating the strides in the literary community and appeal to a broad audience. We are excited to welcome both CocoaBown and Blue Kimble to the AAMBC family. I know they are going to make this an evening to remember," says founder Tamika Newhouse...

WATCH THE SEASON 4 TRAILOR SILVER SPRING, MD) – June 6, 2017  – Rickey Smiley For Real  returns to  TV One  with a hilarious fourth season of laughs, drama and teachable moments on  Tuesday, June 13 at 8 p.m. ET . This season the show covers the changing dynamics as  Rickey Smiley  works to balance a family of growing, opinionated young adults while expanding his entertainment empire by directing a sitcom and creating/hosting a game show. Various relationships will be revealed and tested throughout the season.   When  Rickey  learns that  D’essence  is working at a hookah club instead of attending college, he quickly intervenes and moves her from Miami to Atlanta. Under his watch and support, her  new  job will be to find employment and get back in school. However, Rickey is unaware that his decision will only move D’essence closer to her “situationship” with  Cornbread ,  Da Brat’s  artist. Doe...

MTV  will broadcast live Ariana Grande's "One Love Manchester" benefit concert today. The concert is  a benefit for victims of the May 22 suicide attack at the pop star's concert. at the website  www.onelovemanchester.mtv.com  , the network said Saturday. Grande will be joined by the  Black Eyed  Peas,  Robbie Williams ,  Justin Bieber ,  Katy Perry ,  Miley Cyrus , Coldplay and other stars. Disney's young adult cable network Freeform will air the full concert live at 2 p.m. EDT on Sunday, while  ABC  plans a one-hour highlight special following its NBA Finals telecast. The concert will also be broadcast on more than 130 iHeartRadio stations.

BET presents “ Celebration of Gospel LIVE !” coming to Atlanta, GA in a first ever concert event taping Friday, August 4 at 8 pm ET from the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre. Hosted by comedian and actor Jonathan Slocumb, the Gospel music extravaganza will include performances from award winning and chart-topping performers from Gospel and R&B. Donnie McClurkin, LeAndria, Travis Greene, Tina Campbell, Jonathan McReynolds Canton Jones, Cassandra Robertson, Jekalyn Carr, J.J. Hairston, Ricky Dillard, Angella Christie and Deitrick Haddon are set to take the stage with more to be added to this spectacular line-up. Presale tickets maybe purchased on Wednesday, May 31, 2017 at 10 AM until Thursday, June 1 at 10 PM at www.ticketmaster.com by using code “gospel.” General tickets go on sale Friday, June 2, 2017 at 10 AM at www.ticketmaster.com .   

 THURSDAY, JUNE 1 ST @7:30-8:30 PM FOR THE FOOD TRUCK ALLEY Acoustic Soul singer, songwriter and guitarist, C West, is bringing his inspiring and uplifting, decision-making melodies to the Alpharetta Food Truck Alley on Thursday, June 1, 2017 @ 7:30-8:30 PM. The event takes place at 1-37 Old Roswell Street in Alpharetta, GA with rotating food trucks, music stages and children’s activities. Proceeds benefit Serv International’s feeding programs in the countries of Kenya and Cambodia. C West writes decision-making songs about choosing right over wrong and leading a positive life. The 20-year old debuted his spiritual love song, “Breaks Your Heart,” earlier this year and he is currently promoting his new Top 40 radio single, “Focus.” The latter is earning broad airplay on both gospel and R&B radio station formats. “Heard this on Sirius, FM [That’s] what I’m talking about,” one fan wrote on YouTube while another simply wrote, “Love this song! STAY Focused.” https://...

WASHINGTON, D.C. --  This morning on  News One Now , h ost and managing editor Roland Martin  interviewed  Tanya Clay House , Former Deputy Assistant Secretary, P-12 U.S. Department of Education,  and  republican political strategist Rina Shah Bharara  about the significant cuts to civil rights agencies in President Trump's 2018 budget. The Education Department's Office of Civil Rights, which investigates discrimination charges in school districts nationwide, would eliminate more than 40 staffers from their jobs, the EPA would close its environmental justice program, and the Department of Labor's Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs will fold into the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. The environmental justice program aids minority communities dealing with the effects of pollution in their neighborhoods, and the office of Federal Contract Compliance programs audits federal contractors to ensure there's no discrim...

Obama call Trumps exit from Paris climate agreement 'absence of American leadership' A year and a half ago, the world came together in Paris around the first-ever global agreement to set the world on a low-carbon course and protect the world we leave to our children. It was steady, principled American leadership on the world stage that made that achievement possible.  It was bold American ambition that encouraged dozens of other nations to set their sights higher as well.  And what made that leadership and ambition possible was America’s private innovation and public investment in growing industries like wind and solar – industries that created some of the fastest new streams of good-paying jobs in recent years, and contributed to the longest streak of job creation in our history. Simply put, the private sector already chose a low-carbon future.  And for the nations that committed themselves to that future, the Paris Agreement opened the floodgates for businesses...