‘Hair Love’ wins at the Academy Awards for Best Animated Short

Hair Love, the beautiful story about a Black father learning to fix his daughter’s natural hair, nabbed the Oscar for Best Animated Short.

Matthew A. Cherry, former NFLer, wrote and directed the film and Karen Rupert Toliver, along with Cherry, produced it. Other producers were actress Gabrielle Union and retired basketball player, Dwyane Wade. As the team’s guest, they brought DeAndre Arnold, the Texas teenager who was suspended from school and told he couldn’t walk in his graduation ceremony for refusing to cut his locks, to the Oscars ceremony with them.

READ MORE: High schooler banned from graduation because of dreadlocks invited to Oscars by Gabrielle Union, Dwyane Wade

Cherry dedicated the award to late NBA legend, Kobe Bryant, who himself won in the best animated short category two years ago for Dear Basketball. Cherry said he created the film “to see more representation in animation and to normalize black hair,” reported The Hollywood Reporter.

“We have a firm belief that representation matters deeply,” Rupert Toliver added on the Oscar stage.

Hair Love beat out Dcera (Daughter), Memorable, Sister and Kitbull.

One of the reasons why the celebrity duo, Union and Wade, invited Arnold and his mom to the Oscar ceremony was because they were impacted by his real-life Hair Love story.

“When we heard the amazing story of a young Black father with long beautiful locs just trying to figure out how to do his daughter’s hair, we knew that we had to support any way we could, we had to get involved any way we could — the same way as when we heard about your story and you just wanting to wear your hair the way you want at school,” Union said in a video she posted to social media.

Arnold came with his natural hair perfectly coiffed. He wore a black suit with stunning blue lapels.

READ MORE: Animated short ‘Hair Love’ is giving us all the feels

After winning the Oscar, Cherry explained that through the film, he hoped to open up the field of animation to more Black stories like Hair Love.

“This was kind of an opportunity, I think, to put a little bit of positivity in animation,” Cherry explained backstage, reported The Hollywood Reporter. “You know, back when we did the Kickstarter campaign back in 2017, there wasn’t a lot of representation in animation. And when I was coming across a lot of these viral videos of dads doing their daughter’s hair, they were just so inherently joyful. Our biggest challenge was just to maintain that joy that made people gravitate towards those videos in the first place. So to be here and doing something like this with black hair and black families, it’s just, it’s literally a dream. And I never would have thought in a million years we would win an Oscar for something like this.”

The post ‘Hair Love’ wins at the Academy Awards for Best Animated Short appeared first on TheGrio.

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Documentary ‘Building Atlanta,’ About Legendary Black Businessman Herman J. Russell, Premieres

Appearing during Black History Month, a new documentary film is being released on the inspiring life and legacy of iconic Atlanta businessman Herman J. Russell.

In the making for over a year, Building Atlanta: The Story of Herman J. Russell, is about the trailblazing entrepreneur who founded and built H.J. Russell & Co. into one of the nation’s largest black-owned commercial real estate development and construction firms. The nearly hour-long film premieres on ATL PBA on Sunday, Feb. 16 at 9 p.m. and re-airs at 9 p.m. on Feb. 23. The film includes interviews with notable people from Atlanta who knew Russell and witnessed some of his accomplishments.

Started in 1952 by the late Russell, the company has grown into a nationally known player in an industry dominated by white males. The firm evolved from its start as a plastering business into a builder that has transformed the skylines of American cities, particularly Atlanta. Among the high-profile projects built with Russell’s involvement were the $1.5 billion Mercedes-Benz Stadium and the Georgia Dome—the current and former homes of the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons.

In 1979, Russell founded Atlanta-based Concessions International, the first African American-owned business to become a top airport concessionaire in America. That business today does about $50 million in annual revenue. But Russell’s journey was not easy. In his book, Building Atlanta: How I Broke Through Segregation to Launch a Business Empire, Russell talked about challenges his company faced and overcame during his business career. His entrepreneurial spirit lasted throughout his life until his passing in 2014.

Building Generational Success

“For our family, having our father’s and grandfather’s story told through the eyes and words of those who knew him best is a particularly impactful approach the filmmakers use,” said Herman J. Russell’s son, Michael B. Russell, CEO, H. J. Russell, in a press release.

“As humble as he was, I think he would enjoy seeing what his friends had to say about him in addition to seeing his life story on television. He would hope this documentary will inspire people, particularly young people, to strive even harder to reach their personal potential against all odds, and that’s what we hope it does too.”

Michael Russell, who became the company’s CEO in 2003, told Black Enterprise about how his father’s efforts laid the foundation to help H.J. Russell become the nation’s largest black-owned construction company. “He really established the reputation and brand from the results he produced over the 50 years he was involved with the business,” Russell says. “And from that, we’ve been blessed to be able to take that legacy. build upon it, do what we said we were going to do and execute at a high level.”

This year, the younger Russell projects the company’s revenue will rise slightly up to $180 million. With revenue around $178 million, H.J. Russell was No. 25 on the 2019 Top 100 list of the BE 100s, Black Enterprise’s annual ranking of America’s top black-owned businesses. The gain is expected to come from additional construction volume that H.J. Russell has been engaged in or will be engaged in 2020.

Leaving a Legacy of Entrepreneurship

In the documentary, the voices of Russell’s proteges are heard, along with business partners who witnessed firsthand his challenges. For instance, Robert “Bob” Holder, founder and chairman of Holder Construction, stated, “Herman and I were born within a month of each other, and within three miles of each other, but the two worlds could not have been more different. Everything I was born into was designed to make sure I succeeded; everything he was born into was designed to be sure he did not succeed. And Herman, in his lifetime, overcame all of that.”

As a lasting legacy to Russell, the Russell family has created the Russell Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship, designed to encourage and support generations of entrepreneurs, especially black entrepreneurs, as he did throughout his life.

“The documentary is the inspirational back story on which the Russell Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship (RCIE) is being created,” said Russell’s son and namesake, H. Jerome Russell Jr., who is chairman of the board of RCIE. “We want current and aspiring entrepreneurs to come to RCIE to reach their potential as entrepreneurs, and this film will help our members understand the legacy and foundation on which RCIE is built.”

The full documentary will be hosted on H. J. Russell & Co.’s YouTube channel and eventually on pba.org after the second airing.

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Documentary ‘Building Atlanta,’ About Legendary Black Businessman Herman J. Russell, Premieres

Appearing during Black History Month, a new documentary film is being released on the inspiring life and legacy of iconic Atlanta businessman Herman J. Russell.

In the making for over a year, Building Atlanta: The Story of Herman J. Russell, is about the trailblazing entrepreneur who founded and built H.J. Russell & Co. into one of the nation’s largest black-owned commercial real estate development and construction firms. The nearly hour-long film premieres on ATL PBA on Sunday, Feb. 16 at 9 p.m. and re-airs at 9 p.m. on Feb. 23. The film includes interviews with notable people from Atlanta who knew Russell and witnessed some of his accomplishments.

Started in 1952 by the late Russell, the company has grown into a nationally known player in an industry dominated by white males. The firm evolved from its start as a plastering business into a builder that has transformed the skylines of American cities, particularly Atlanta. Among the high-profile projects built with Russell’s involvement were the $1.5 billion Mercedes-Benz Stadium and the Georgia Dome—the current and former homes of the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons.

In 1979, Russell founded Atlanta-based Concessions International, the first African American-owned business to become a top airport concessionaire in America. That business today does about $50 million in annual revenue. But Russell’s journey was not easy. In his book, Building Atlanta: How I Broke Through Segregation to Launch a Business Empire, Russell talked about challenges his company faced and overcame during his business career. His entrepreneurial spirit lasted throughout his life until his passing in 2014.

Building Generational Success

“For our family, having our father’s and grandfather’s story told through the eyes and words of those who knew him best is a particularly impactful approach the filmmakers use,” said Herman J. Russell’s son, Michael B. Russell, CEO, H. J. Russell, in a press release.

“As humble as he was, I think he would enjoy seeing what his friends had to say about him in addition to seeing his life story on television. He would hope this documentary will inspire people, particularly young people, to strive even harder to reach their personal potential against all odds, and that’s what we hope it does too.”

Michael Russell, who became the company’s CEO in 2003, told Black Enterprise about how his father’s efforts laid the foundation to help H.J. Russell become the nation’s largest black-owned construction company. “He really established the reputation and brand from the results he produced over the 50 years he was involved with the business,” Russell says. “And from that, we’ve been blessed to be able to take that legacy. build upon it, do what we said we were going to do and execute at a high level.”

This year, the younger Russell projects the company’s revenue will rise slightly up to $180 million. With revenue around $178 million, H.J. Russell was No. 25 on the 2019 Top 100 list of the BE 100s, Black Enterprise’s annual ranking of America’s top black-owned businesses. The gain is expected to come from additional construction volume that H.J. Russell has been engaged in or will be engaged in 2020.

Leaving a Legacy of Entrepreneurship

In the documentary, the voices of Russell’s proteges are heard, along with business partners who witnessed firsthand his challenges. For instance, Robert “Bob” Holder, founder and chairman of Holder Construction, stated, “Herman and I were born within a month of each other, and within three miles of each other, but the two worlds could not have been more different. Everything I was born into was designed to make sure I succeeded; everything he was born into was designed to be sure he did not succeed. And Herman, in his lifetime, overcame all of that.”

As a lasting legacy to Russell, the Russell family has created the Russell Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship, designed to encourage and support generations of entrepreneurs, especially black entrepreneurs, as he did throughout his life.

“The documentary is the inspirational back story on which the Russell Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship (RCIE) is being created,” said Russell’s son and namesake, H. Jerome Russell Jr., who is chairman of the board of RCIE. “We want current and aspiring entrepreneurs to come to RCIE to reach their potential as entrepreneurs, and this film will help our members understand the legacy and foundation on which RCIE is built.”

The full documentary will be hosted on H. J. Russell & Co.’s YouTube channel and eventually on pba.org after the second airing.

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50 Cent And Snoop Dogg Go After Gayle King Over Kobe Bryant Comments

CBS News anchor Gayle King got heat from 50 Cent And Snoop Dogg for comments she made about Kobe Bryant during an interview with a friend of the late basketball legend.

During a CBS This Morning interview with WNBA basketball player Lisa Leslie, King asked about Bryant’s legacy and brought up Bryant’s 2003 rape charge. The criminal case against Bryant was dropped on Sept. 1, 2004, after the accuser declined to testify, USA Today reported. In August of that year, the woman filed a civil lawsuit, which was settled out of court on March 2, 2005.

“It’s been said that his legacy is complicated because of a sexual assault charge,” King told Leslie, who was friends with Bryant. “Is it complicated for you as a woman, as an WNBA player?”

“It’s not complicated for me at all,” Leslie replied. “I just never have ever seen him being the kind of person that would do something to violate a woman or be aggressive in that way. That was just never the person that I know.”

On Twitter, King’s line of questioning was slammed.

Among King’s critics was 50 Cent. The TV producer, entrepreneur, and investor tweeted a clip of the interview with King and commented on it in a video.

“Gayle King, why would you do that to your people? You know what people are going through right now. Why would you ask a question like that, trying to tarnish somebody’s image? You do that to your own Black people. You sad. Black people need to stop trying to hurt Black people for success.”

Snoop also had some words for King and the media that were posted on Twitter.

“Gayle King, out of pocket for that shit. Way out of pocket,” Snoop said. “What do you gain from that? We expect more from you Gayle. Don’t you hang out with Oprah? Why are y’all attacking us. We your people. You ain’t coming at Harvey Weinstein asking those dumb ass questions. I get sick of y’all. I want to call you on it. How dare you try to tarnish my boy’s reputation. Respect the family and back off. before we come get you.”

Gayle King and Oprah seem to go after certain stories without class , but ignore the stories involving their Hollywood friends. You bring up something about Kobe right after his death for ratings or relevance? Kobe Bryant has passed away and journalist lack class #KobeBryant pic.twitter.com/W69lpwZofA

— Horace Towns (@thehoracetowns) February 5, 2020

The article was written by Dana Sanchez for The Moguldom Nation.

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