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R. Kelly and Soweto Spiritual Singers set to perform “Sign of a Victory” at FIFA World Cup opening ceremony (audio)

FIFA and Sony Music Entertainment announced today that “Sign Of A Victory” written and produced by R&B superstar R. Kelly has been selected as the official anthem of the upcoming 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. One of three official songs for the event, the soaring ballad reflects the spirit of giving and will highlight the charitable aspect of the World Cup. R. Kelly and the Soweto Spiritual Singers will perform “Sign Of A Victory” (<-- click on link to listen) together at the opening ceremony on June 11th at the Johannesburg Soccer City Stadium. All proceeds from the song will benefit African charities including the official campaign of the 2010 FIFA World Cup "20 Centers for 2010."

The Awareness Film Festival Los Angeles 2010: Not your Cannes

Changing the world. While all the glitz and glamour is happening in the South of France for the Cannes Film Festival, in Los Angeles a small film festival is setting out to have four days full of meaningful feature films and eye-opening documentaries: minus the yachts, starlets and fanfare. The stars of The Awareness Festival are the stories of strength and courage, revealing tales of corporate greed and our shrinking resources, consequences of today’s technology and trials of the body, mind and soul.

Observe HIV Vaccine Awareness Day on May 18

May 18, 2010 will mark HIV Vaccine Awareness Day (HVAD), an annual observance day that recognizes the thousands of volunteers, community leaders, health professionals, and scientists that work to develop a safe and effective preventive HIV vaccine. The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) – the Federal sponsor for HVAD – hopes the day will encourage communities to learn more about HIV vaccine research and support those who are currently volunteering in clinical vaccination trials.

Concert: Sierra Leone Refugee All Stars, May 12 in West Hollywood

Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars are a group of musicians who escaped the horrific violence of Sierra Leone’s civil war, landed in a West African refugee camp and formed a band to keep their spirits up and their hopes alive. From these humble beginnings the band has now grown to be an international musical sensation. Their can’t help but dance live shows and their musical message have earned them devoted fans around the world. They’ve known the horrors of war firsthand and have become ambassadors of peace. An unbelievable testament to the human spirit, the journey of Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars exemplifies the universal healing power of music.

The Lipstick Portraits: Artists and celebrities take on modern day slavery

The Somaly Mam Foundation has been named the beneficiary of Michael Angelo’s The Lipstick Portraits, a series of striking and provocative portraits that stand in solidarity with women and children enslaved by the sex trade. Using red lipstick as a unifying motif, the portraits capture the strong and independent spirits of sixty inspiring women and men who have marked themselves with red lipstick as a statement of solidarity, personal freedom, and condemnation of those who destroy countless lives with the shackles and brutality of sexual slavery.

In Defense of Thomas Jefferson debunks Jefferson slave sex scandal

The belief that Thomas Jefferson had an affair and fathered a child (or children) with slave Sally Hemings—and that such an allegation was proven by DNA testing—has become so pervasive in American popular culture that it is not only widely accepted but taught to students as historical fact. But as William G. Hyland, Jr., demonstrates, this “fact” is nothing more than the accumulation of salacious rumors and irresponsible scholarship over the years, much of it inspired by political grudges, academic opportunism, and the trend of historical revisionism that seeks to drag the reputation of the Founding Fathers through the mud. In this startling new book, Hyland shows not only that the evidence against Jefferson is lacking, but in fact he is entirely innocent of the charge of having sexual relations with Hemings.

GET DOWN: New HIV/AIDS PSA and movement targets at risk youth

Lionqueen 192 Productions, Inc. and Bleu Life Media today announced the release of the GET DOWN public service announcement and accompanying HIV/AIDS awareness campaign. GET DOWN, written, produced and directed by Kim J. Ford (Lionqueen 192 Productions, Inc.), is an edgy new HIV/AIDS PSA that candidly portrays sexually active youth of various sexual identities who are experimenting with multiple sexual partners and the consequences they deal with as a result. The PSA also features celebrities Dawn Richard (of Dirty Money and formerly of Danity Kane/MTV’s Making The Band), Demarco Majors (formerly LOGO’s Shirts & Skins), and Siri Music artist Stefani Vara, who lent their time and voices to the project.

May 4, 2010: 40 years after Kent State massacre in Ohio

..National Guard troops fired on a large crowd of students who were demonstrating against Nixon’s invasion of Cambodia. Those killings in Ohio helped shape the attitudes, politics and history of my generation, and so it seems frankly strange that so little public notice is given to the anniversary of Kent State, or to its aftermath on American college campuses. Oh, once a year, the press drags out the photo of the young woman on her knees crying next to a dead student, but that’s pretty much it. We Americans aren’t exactly known for caring deeply about our own history, but regardless of our national amnesia, it’s a simple fact that May 1970 was a turbulent, chaotic time that scared hell out of the established order.

Saturday, May 8, 2010 leave a bag of non-perishable food by your mailbox and help stamp out hunger

I posted information about this super easy to participate event, Stamp Out Hunger, last year (see “May 9, 2009- Leave a grocery bag of perishable food and help Stamp Out Hunger!”), and the time has returned once again! On Saturday, May 8, 2010 support the National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) in the largest food drive of its kind in our nation. All you need to do to participate is the following:

Columbus, OH: King Arts Complex “Global Reflections” Gala, Shirley Murdock to perform

PNC proudly presents the King Arts Complex 23rd Anniversary Gala “Global Reflections,” Saturday, May 15th 8:00 p.m.-2:00 a.m. at the King Arts Complex 867 Mt. Vernon Avenue. Global Reflections is the premiere event of the 2010 season! The King Arts Complex will take you on a journey to various destinations around the world including North America, Latin America, Africa, Asia, and the Caribbean celebrating our rich and diverse threads while reflecting our soulful connections and commonalities!

What I’m Reading: “A Game of Character” by Craig Robinson

In “A GAME OF CHARACTER: A Family Journey from Chicago’s Southside to the Ivy League and Beyond” (Gotham Books; April 20, 2010; $26), Craig Robinson takes readers behind the scenes to meet his family and the other important influences in his life who have contributed to his success both on and off the basketball court. The result is a stunning tribute to his parents, coaches, and other mentors who have contributed to his ongoing search for what it truly means to have character.

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