Page A8 (Elje ^Jortlanò (Observer lanuary 29, 2003 Focus B ik er B oyz B uilds from B la ck C ast Film is an action packed Western on wheels Opening nationwide on Friday, Jan. 31, Biker Boyz is a contempo­ rary Western on wheels with des­ perados who live every day on the edge. Lawyers and city workers by day, they take to the streets in their leather gear to race by night. In the world o f underground motorcycle clubs, the undefeated racer known as Smoke is the undisputed “King ofCali."ButSm oke’sdom inanceof the set is about to be threatened by a young motorcycle-racing prodigy called Kid, who is determined to win Sm oke’s helmet and earn the coveted title. Biker Boyz stars Derek Luke, who is currently receiving critical and audience acclaim for his perfor­ mance in the title role o f Denzel W ashington's "Antwone Fisher." Luke also garnered the National Board o f Review Award for Best Male Breakout Performance forhis work in the film, which marked his feature film debut. Luke plays Kid, opposite Laurence Fishbume, as Smoke, who earned an Academy Award nomination for his portrayal o f Ike Turner in "W hat’s Love Got to Do With It.” Thefilm ’sethnicallydi verse cast also includes Kid Rock (“Joe Dirt”), Orlando Jones ("The Time Ma­ chine"), Djimon Hounsou (“Gladi­ ator” ), Lisa Bonet (“Enemy o f the State"), Salli Richardson-Whitfield (“Family Law"), Larenz T ate (“Love Jones"), Meagan Goode (“Eve’s Bayou"), Brendan Fehr (“Final Destination”), Rick Gonzalez (“The Rookie"), T erence I loward ("Hart's War,” “The Best Man"), Eriq La Salle (TV ’s “ER”), Vanessa Bell Calloway (“The Brothers"), Dion Basco (“ Love and Basketball"), Dante Basco ("Extreme Days” ), M elissa D eS ousa ("T h e Best M an ” ), K adeem H ard iso n ("Showtime”), and Tyson Beckford ("Zoolander"). Biker Boyz, which opens nationwide on Friday, features a predominately African American cast. W Spike Lee On Civil Rights Icons (AP) — Filmmaker Spike Lee says h e’s concerned that young moviegoers will form their first impressions o f civil rights icons Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King Jr. from a bitter character in last year’s comedy “Barber­ shop.” The keynote speaker at two events Saturday honoring King’s birthday, Lee told h undreds o f teen ag ers at the Lauderhill Boys & Girls Club that he didn’t laugh when he heard a character played by Cedric the En­ tertainer belittle Parks’ refusal to o f being sexually pro­ Filmmaker Spike Lee miscuous. makes a keynote B ut Lee said too • speech during an event many adults do laugh at honoring M artin Luther those scenes. Instead, King Jr, Lee did not he said they should be enjoy belittlem ent o f teaching young children Rosa Parks by Cedric abou the accom plish­ the Entertainer or ments, challenges and references to King's sacrifices o f the leaders promiscuity in ‘Barber­ ofthe civil rights m ove­ shop. ' ment. “To me, some things move to the back o f the bus. aren ’t funny,” said Lee, 46, a native Lee, the maker o f films such as o f Atlanta who grew up in Brook­ “Malcolm X,” "Do the Right Thing" lyn, N.Y. “If our' young children and the recently released “25th grow up thinking this, and that’sall Hour,” also didn’t find it funny they know about (Parks and King), when the character accused King then w e’re in trouble.” Go to Paris without leaving Portland Over 20 local African American artists are exhibiting textiles, paintings, prints, drawings, photographs, mixed media works and sculptures to reflect on one or more o fth e seven principles o f Kwanza. The IFCC is located at 5340 N. Interstate Ave. Gallery hours are Tuesday through Friday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturdays from noon to 4 p.m. through January. For more information, call 503-823-2070. (AP) — Comcast, the nation's largest cable television company, and Radio One Inc. said M onday they plan to launch a television network targeted toward black viewers. The netw ork, to carry en ter­ tainm ent, new s, opinion and sp o rts p ro g ra m m in g , w o u ld EEF1 AFRICAN AMERICAN MEN'S CLUB, INC. y 2(203 Valentines ^ a l l Annual Featuring The Kirk Green Band Life-long Portland artist and first ever James . DePreist Professor o f Art at Portland State University show an exhibit o f work and present a slide show o f additional works at Reed College in the Vollum Lounge at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 11. Shamsud-Din was the president o fth e Black Student Union at PSU in the 60's until he left Portland to work with the civil rights movement in the South. Since his return to the northwest in the 80s, Shamsud-Din has involved himself in mural projects at local high schools and government buildings in an attempt to create a sense o f community among African American artists. a KMHD 89.1 FM Fun ~'*Cf> S0/S° ^ . *eet vJDeart Celebration Get The Blues... February 14,2003 14.2003 Join Us at the RAMADA and Suites INN at the Portland Airport In Lea’s Landing Restaurant (lonuci ly OJCallahans) fo r Live Music Featuring Pianist Frank Elliot Vocal Jazz Concert The West Linn High School and South Eugene High School jazz choirs will join Genesis, Mount Hood Commun i ty Col lege' s vo­ cal jazz group, for an evening o f great jazz music. Init’s36,hyearof providing jazz entertainment, Genesis has won many awards overtheyears, includingthe pres­ tigious “db” award from Down- beat Magazine. The concert will be held Tuesday, Feb. 4 at 7:30 p.m. in the MHCC College The­ atre. General admission is $5 and $3 for students. For more infor­ mation, call, 503-491 -6923 compete with Black Entertainment “African-Americans have expe­ T elevision, founded in 1980 by rienced explosive population and billionaire Robert Johnson and per-capita income growth and are bought by Viacom Inc. in 2000. one o f this country’s most attrac­ The companies said they expect tiv e c o n s u m e r d em o g ra p h ic to launch the network by the middle groups,” said Alfred C. Liggins, o f this year. It will be designed to chief executive and president o f appeal mainly to black viewers from Radio One. He will be chairman o f 25 to 54 years old. the network. Sonia Sanchez poetry reading IFCC Kwanza celebration show To celebrate their 30lh anniver­ sary and the release o f their new CD “The Women Gather” on Earthbeat Records, Sweet Honey in the Rock return to Portland for a performance at Schnitzer Hall on Jan. 31. They will perform their uplifting and powerful a capella music. Programming will compete for viewers of Black Entertainment Television Isaka Shamsud-Din art exhibit From Jan. 25 to March 23, the Portland Art Museum will feature ‘Paris to Portland: Impressionist and Post-Impres­ sionist Masters in Portland Collections.’ The show incl works drawn from private collections in the Portland area and has work by Cezanne, Renoir, Monet, Gauguin, Picasso and prints by Toulouse- Lautrec, amongst others. Some o f these works have never before been seen in public. On Sunday, Feb. 2children and adultscan come to ‘Festival Parisian' to experience activities and entertainment inspired by the art collection. Kids can learn impressionist tissue painting, how to make art- paper waterlilies, water reflections captured in oil pastels and work on printmaking projects. Sweet Honey in the Rock anniversary New Network for Black Viewers I ) in n i- f fo r Tw o features Your Choice of I intrees: Steak & Lobster • Orange Duck • Braised Chicken • Stuffed Salmon p/w.s Chfuipagnc, Chocolates, and ft Red Rose Ob For only $64.95 Per Couple (G ratuty not included) •($ Friday Freeway Blues -4 pm to 6 pm Rhapsody in Blues ■ 6 pm to 10 pm Blues Palace ■ 10 pm to 2 am Portiani Spend the Night at the Ramadabin and Suites with a Chilled bottle of Champagne forTwo for only $74.00 Total Package for Room and Dinner for Two is only $ 138.95 (Not including Tax and Gratuity) Call 503-252-5151 for Reservations! Enjoy Valentine’s 'Day mr/> T'batfjpeiialfjoineonel1.! j it: Cold and flu likely. According to Surveillance Data Inc., your city has just been pOPbn alert for respiratory illness - which means the worst of cold and flu season is about to hit. Be prepared Stock up now. Anrt^NvMijSw 4du.com tor weekly cold and flu updates DayQuif « M W O II COLOTLU Relief ough lance of relief. « I <