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BEHIND THE Ì
SCENES
Build Your Child’s Self-Esteem
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1CCÍPCICT
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hv L isa Collins.
W here Did Todd Bridges Go W rong:
His mon says it was the drugs and Todd
is now a different person, but those who
have been close to Todd say it was
partly his arrogance and partly a
recklessness that fostered his drug habit.
Nonetheless, on February 17, former
actor, Todd Bridges, who co-starred in
the N BC hit series ‘ ‘D if f rent Strokes’ ’,
will have to tell it to the judge when he
answ ers charges of attem pted murder,
at a prelim inary hearing. The charges
stem from an incident at a Los Angeles
“ ro ck ” house, in which a man shot five
tim es, fingered Bridges as his assailant.
Bridges, who pleaded not guilty, was
declared a danger to the community
and is being held w ithout bond. If
convicted, he could face as severe a
p e n a lty
as
life-
im prisonm ent....M eanw hile D itfre n t
Strokes Star Gary Colem an Filed Suit
Against His Parents: Last Tuesday, in
Santa Monica Superior Court, actor Gary
Coleman charged that his parents (W.G.
and Edm onia Colem an) and a former
business adviser, Anita DeThomas,
“ improperly profited” from the monies
he earned during his TV success,
diverting the funds to themselves. The
suit also alleges the the trio invested
unwisely and m ism anaged his assets.
The law suit did not specify what
Colem an, who turned 21 ju st last week,
will seek in dam ages, but did say that
the actor felt his parents to have been
duly influenced by DeThomas. Coleman,
w ho’s been acting since he was five,
cam e to prom inence in 1978 as Arnold
Jackson on “ D iff rent Strokes” , a series
that had been designed ju st for him.
Cam paigning For Best Actor: W arner
Bros is putting a great deal behind its
thrust to have Forest W hitaker taken
into consideration for an Oscar.
W h itak er, w ho gave a b rillia n t
perform ance in the movie “ B ird’ .also
already received a Golden Glove
nom ination for best actor. It was the
first lead role for the 27-year old actor
Order Black Achiever» Activities
Books for Children, Grades K-8th.
who portrayed jazz altosaxophonist
fey
These books pinpoint Black inven­
tors through astronauts.
Garland Lee Thompson
Charlie “ Y ardbird” Parker. Ironically, *
W hitaker claimed to have know n very
little about Parker before taking the role
smokey Bares All In New Book: It is * ■
billed as Smokey’s own story and details
*
his record successes and personal failures,
including the cocaine abuse that *
threatened his life and career. The *
book, slated to be released next month, *
and retailing for S 18.95, also tells the *
real story behind his wife’s tragic attempts
______ *
to have a child and their ultimate success
with “ adoption” using a newly <
introduced technology for surrogacy, *
the reasons for his break from the *
M iracles, and about the other women in *
his life and how they affected his
*
m arriage....But, Smokey isn ’t the only
R&B star who is putting his life to *
paper. Gladys Knight is putting the *
final touches on the autobiography she’s *
doing for New American Library, called *
“ Contrary To Popular O pinion” . Once
*
finished, she will team up with Dionne
*
W arwick and Patti LaBelle for a
*
“ Sisters” tour.
Short Takes:
Heads turned when *
superstars Lionel Richie and Michael *
Jackson turned up to dine and no doubt,
*
talk business at Ma M aison Restaurant
*
in Beverly Hills.. ..Sad to report of A nita
Baker’s recent m iscarriage. It would *
have been the first child for Baker who *
was married on Christmas Eve. Marilyn *
M cCoo has been meeting to discuss the *
possibility of a co-starring spot in an
*
all-black version of the Broadway hit—
“ 42nd Street” , which is being planned *
for a spring opening..Ben Vereen, who *
is the celebrity spokesman for Drug- *
Free America, will be honored at a *
congressional reception on March 7th,
*
hosted by Senators Ted Kennedy and
Orrin Hatch, for his work in advising *
youngsters through-out the country of *
Grades
$6.95 ca.
___
K-4Vol. II Inventors ____
___
5-8V ol. Ill In Space ____
___
5-8 Yol. IV Women
Maya Angelou
sales.
M otow n/Solar M erger—On Again, O ff
A gain? It was alm ost official or so
everyone thought until last week talks
between Motown and Solar ceased. And
while, there is no official word yet as to
the status o f the deal, it appears that
talks may once again be underway after
is was reported that some irreconcilable
differences betw een Dick Griffey and
Motown had caused negotiations to sour.
A Hollywood trade reported last week
that the deal, which has been in
negotiation now since October, had fallen
through due to the inflexibility o f Solar
Records chief Dick Griffey. W ord is
G riffey, who ju st recently settled out-
o f-c o u rt a b re a c h o f c o n tra c t/
discrim ination suit h e’d filed against
W arner Com m unications, Inc., is said
to be in a financial bind.
M odel Black Businessman Sued For
M isuse O f Funds In N ation’s Second
Biggest Credit Union Failure On Record:
A federal grand jury is now looking into
th e
N a tio n a l
C re d it
U n io n
A dm inistration’s charges o f fraud and
m isuse o f funds against businessm an
Law rence King, 44, in the failure of
Franklin Com m unity Federal Credit
Union, in O m aha, Neb. The institution
____
_
Add $.25 per book for postage
THE QUEEN OF “ THE
to w riie a rtid e s .s h o n s m c s a n d p o c m s
for national periodicals. She currently
BLACKS” G R A C E S“ OCR is a Reynolds Professor o f American
Studies at W ake Forest University in
TOW N” WITH POETRY
W
inston-Salem , North Carolina, where
AND WIT
I plan to see her again at National Black
W ednesday afternoon, February 23rd. Theatre Conference this sum m er of
It was lunch at the Heathman Hotel, August, 1989.
PORTLAND ARTS &
“ the watering hole” ol Portland literary
LECTURES
PRESENTS
and art circles, after our (IFCC) matinee
Maya
Angelou
returns
to town, after
o f “ The C olored M useum ” (as
three
years,
during
Black
History, ’89,
dram aturg/production stage manger,
at
the
invitation
of
the
Portland
Arts &
currently running at the W inningstad
Lectures
Series.
Under
producers,
Julie
Theatre). I joined my fellow journalist,
Mancini
and
Phil
O
tum
,
a
sellout
crowd
Stephen M cPherson, seating with our
dear friend and artist, Maya Angelou, gathered at First Congregational Church
the original “ Q ueen” of Jean G enet s last Thursday night, February 23rd, to
great tragic-farce, “ the Blacks.” She see and hear Angelou present her poetry,
was and is still “ The Q ueen” of “ The storytelling, the poems o f Langston
Blacks,” theatrically speaking and Hughes, Paul Laurence Dunbar, Edna
St. V incent Malay, Ann Spencer (19th
perhaps in other dimensions as well.
the dangers o f drugs and alcohol....N ext *
century
black poet), Mari Evans (current
W hile recalling the opening of that New
week: A report on the star;studded Los *
black
woman
poet, living in Indiana)
York, East Village theatre production
Angeles prem iere of “ I’m Gonna G et
(then the longest running O ff Broadway and many others.
*
, . - . » < • - » » »
l • - _-
You Sucka” .
dramatic play), “ Her M ajesty,” Maya Dressed in an elegant black sequin-
*
Angelou, “ held court” Throughtout topped gown, she turned pages slowly
*
the afternoon, sipping her white wine, as she moved sm oothly from side to
*
light lunch and letting me nibble at her side and wiped her brow gently as she
*
whole w heat bread and butter, she sat eased carefully through her poem s of
* regally weaving her powerful personal self-love, that stated: “ If I have the
tales and m oments of the history o f her luck to be Black on a Saturday night”
*
experience as an actress with the super and “ Poem for old Black m en.” (A
was closed down by federal regulators
*
hit Jean New York and gave a host of good actress can get aw ay with alm ost
in November o f last year, after some
$37 million in funds was discovered * great and near great Black actors, such anything.) I rem em ber great lines that
missing. King, who had been praised * as James Earl Jones, Cecily Tyson, rocked the SRO (standing room only),
for his community work and positive * Roscoe Lee Browne, Helen Martin, mainly white house, learning about Black
role model im age, is now being cast as * Godfrey Cam bridge, etc., some much History, such as the one from the poem
needed work exposure and training.
a man who used the institution’s funds
of M ari Evans, “ W here have you gone
*
Later, after I came to New York with with the rent rqoney.” She gave us Paul
to finance a lavish lifestyle that included
limousines, excessive personal charges, * the Charlc G ordone [play, “ No Place Laurence Dunbar’s “ Little Brown Baby
To Be Somebody (he originally played with sparkling eyes,” “ M asks,” Ann
and a high-political profile. (In ’84,
the Valet in “ The B lacks” . , I worked Spencer’s “ Letter to my sister” and
King threw a party for several hundred
Republican conventiongoers at D allas’
with her as a stage m anager when she Langston H uges’ poem, describing the
Southfork Ranch). Already, the empire
received a Tony nomination for her rich tapestry of people o f color in,
King built, is crum bling, as he’s had to T? performance in 1973 for her Broadway “ H arlem ’s Sugar H ill.’ ’ Miss Angelou,
sell off some personal holdings to pay * debut in Jerome K ilty’s play, ‘ Look as she insisted to called (when a young
legal fees that
are expected
— --------
r ---------- to reach
A w ay.” The piece was about Mary W hite woman questioner addressed her
$500,000. His wife, Alice, was also
Todd Lincoln and her Black seamtress/ from the floor as “ M aya’ ’), gave us one
nam ed in the suit. According to one
confidantc, Elizabeth Kecklcy, starring of my favorite poets, Edna St. V incent
Om aha insider, the black com m unity is
with G eraldine Page at the 48th Street M alay’s poem, stating “ That is all I
being very hush-hush about the matter. C Playhouse with Rip Tom directing.
will do for death
WRITING BROUGHT HER
“ It’s a touchy subject. H e’s helped a *
“ R everend” Angelou, who was raised
lot of people. No one really knows
RELIEF FROM THE
(3 -1 3 yrs) in Stamp, Arkansas, standing
w hat to believe.”
+C PROBLEMS OF LIVING
in the pulpit, delivered her “ serm on”
Dwight Gooden becomes highest salaried
Maya Angelou has written three in rhyme, song and moving stories, as
pitcher in baseball history: NY Mets C aut^biographical novels, “ I Know Why
she “ preached” of love, great Black
pitcher, Dwight Gooden, 24, became
The Caged Bird Sings” (1970): “ Gather
and W hite poetry and carried on
the highest salaried M et when he signed £ Together in My N am e” (1974); and
som ething fiece, while slowly pulling
a three-year, $6.7 million pact that could
“ Singin’ and Swingin’ and Gettin’ Merry
the audience in and releasing us with
actually net him more than $7.8 million.
Like C hristm as” (1976). Earlier in such soulful mom ents as the piece about
Terms of the agreement call for a $500.00
1971, She published a collection of 39
the man, who said: ‘ ‘The woman I love
signing bonus; $2.25 m illion sa la ry -
poems, “ Just G ive Me a Cool Drink of is fat, and chocolate to the bone. And
1989; $1.7 m illion-1990; and $2.25
W ater ‘Fore I d iiie ,” which earned her every time she shakes. Some skinny
million in 1991. Among other provisions
, a nomination for a Pulitzer Prize. Other
woman loses her hom e.”
m
in a m Gooden
o o u e u v could
u u iu receive
jw v i.v
books by Ms. Angelou include: “ Oh
in tne
the pact are that
$100,000 if voted W orld Series MVP;
pray My W ings are G onnaFit Me Well; N o w Isay .co m eb ack .M s.M ay a.co m e
$50,000 if voted a playoff MVP;
still I Rise; “ The Heart of A back, A n g elo u ,‘cause we love to have
$100,000 for a Cy Young Award, and
W oman; “ Shaker, W hy Don’t you you for “ tea and d o ,” at the Heathman
$25,000 if he is selected for an all-star
Sing?;” ’ “ All G od’s Children Need too. W rite on, to “ the a T rained” lady
r
Traveling Shoes;” and “ Now Sheba M aya, Queen of “ The Blacks” and
game.
do,” and a lot of lovin’ W hite folks
Sucker Deal Pays Off: The gamble has
P Sings the Song.
___
too!
“ Jum p back, like she say in the
paid off for United Artists in its funding
A COLLEGE PROFESSOR
poem
,
jum p back!” And I say, "w rite
o f “ I’m Gonna G it You Sucka” -3 0 - +C
NOW
Ar
In
the
past,
she
had
edited
a
ncwsweekly
on,
with
ya “ jum p back” self! “ Jump
year old Keenen Ivory W ayans parody
published in C airo, Egypt andcontinues b a c k " real soon, y ’all hen-0--------------
of the 70’ sblaxploitation films, starring
*
W ayans, Jim Brown. Dawnn Lewis,
Isaac Hayes and Bem ie Casey. United *
Artists advanced W ayans $3 million to *
do the film. By last w eekend, “ Sucka’
*
which only this week prem iered in Los *
Heating Oils
Angeles, had already grossed over $8
*
million. Next week: W ill Em erge, the
1 0 4 N .E . R u s s e ll S t.
m agazine targeting buppics, ever truly *
*
P o r t la n d , O R 9 7 2 1 2
em erge. Find out next week
Amt
K-4Vol. I Inventors ____
Mail to:
Mills Enterprises
P. O. Box 11072
Portland, Oregon, Oregon 97211
Telephone (503) 681-0874
PIZZA HUT ALL-STAR SOFTBALL CLASSIC RAISES
$50,000 FOR THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR
SICKLE CELL DISEASE
ON THE
MONEY
CC1 Hopes For Out-Of-Court Settlement
W ith Dick Gregory: Last October,
Com edian Dick Gregory filed a federal
lawsuit, accusing the directors o f the
nutrition com pany he f o u n d e d -
Correction Connection, Inc. o f trying to
force him to sell his stock. The company’s
director, in turn countercharged that the
com edian had incurred over $160,000
in questionable American Express
charges. Ju st last week, a company
spokesm an said that they are working
tow ards an out-of-court settlement. At
the request o f G regory’s legal counsel,
a prior court date had been pushed back.
Recently, G regory, who remains on the
board o f directors, but is not active in
the com pany’s day-to-day operations,
was cited in violation o f an court order
that prohibits him from distributing the
product, other than through mail order
Qty
4
2589
lebnu-y 5 1989
ofiaÉB P NM ioiìa Associ
•pii pISe.,se| $ ¡50000 00
fifty Thousand ami
------------- DOLLARS
u&uueat '■ ifls&3teo A I
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-K
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-K
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W ICHITA, KS, February 23, 1989 - The sixth Annual Pizza H ut A ll-Star
Softball Classic held on Sunday, February 5th and televised live by NBC Sports
W orld, raised $50,000 for the National Association for Sickle Cell D isease
(N ASCD). The funds will be used for research to help bring about a cure for the
deadly disease which affects more than two million Black Americans.
(Pictured left to right) Dr. Nelson McGhee, immediate past chairm an o f the Board
for NASCD; Ms. Zem ona Clayton, Chairman o f the Board for NASCD; Antoine
M ilton, National Poster Child for Sickle Cell Disease; Ms. Dorothye Boswell,
Executive Director for NASCD and Steven S. Reinem und, President and C hief
Executive O fficer of Pizza Hut, Inc., gather around the check presented to the
N ASCD following the game.
The Pizza Hut Annual Softball Classic pits professional baseball stars from the
N ational and American Leagues in a 7-inning gam e o f slow-pitch softball. This
year’s gam e, played at the Boardwalk & Baseball am usem ent park in O rlando,
Florida, was won by the National League 20 to 14. Andre Dawson of the Chicago
Cubs was the Most Valuable Player o f the game.
1-
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