M) B lack H istory M
February 9, 2005
onth
Page A9
Focus
Chris
Rock
to
Host
Oscar
Awards^
Show will set
record for
black actors
(A P)- Six years ago, Chris Rock
joked that the Academy Awards
looked like the "million white man
march” for its traditional under-rep­
resentation of blacks.
performer to receive two nomina­
tions in the same year, as lead actor
for his soul-stirring portrayal of Ray
Charles in “Ray” and supporting
actorfor “Collateral,” playinga wily
c ab d riv er w ho holds his own
against a relentless hit man.
In the best-actor race, Foxx’s
competition includes Don Cheadle
for “Hotel Rwanda,” in which he
plays real-life innkeeper Paul
Rusesabagina, who shielded refu-
Colonel Oliver (Nick Nolte) a n d Paul (Don C headle) d is c u s s the
d a ngerous conditions o u tsid e th e h o tel in U nited A rtists ' dram a
“H otel Rwanda. "
This time, with Rock taking his
m aid en v o y a g e as h o st o f
Holly wood’s biggest party, he will
preside over a record Oscar night
for black actors, who earned five of
the 20 nominations.
Jamie Foxx was the first black
gees during the Rwandan geno­
cide. Sophie Okonedo earned a
supporting-actress nomination as
Rusesabagina’s wife.
Among Foxx’s rivals for sup­
porting actor is Morgan Freeman,
who earned his fourth nomination,
playing an ex-boxer and resident
sage of a run-down gym in “Million
Dollar Baby.”
T he w ave o f n o m in a tio n s
com es three years after another
historic O scar celebration for
blacks, when Halle Berry won the
b e s t- a c tr e s s
a w a rd
fo r
“ M o n ste r’s B all” and D enzel
W ashington took the best-actor
honor for “Training D ay.” It was
the first tim e blacks won both
lead-acting prizes, and with “ A 1 i”
star W ill Smith also nom inated,
the first time in 29 years that
blacks earned three nom inations
in the lead categories.
“I think you have to look toward
Denzel and Halle for being such
great am bassadors,” said Foxx,
considered the favorite to win the
best-actor prize for “Ray.” “They
made it look good, did they not? It
was so great to see them up there
holding those statues. Whatever
race you are, you couldn’t help but
think they looked great.
“To be wrapped in that beautiful
black skin, it made young actors
such as myself want to do more in
film and be able to go to that big
dance. The opportunities are get­
ting better.”
Rock’s presence as host will add
to the luster for blacks at the Feb. 27
Oscars. The feature-length docu­
mentary nominees include “Tupac:
Resurrection,” a portrait of slain Chris Rock will h o s t o f th e 77th Annual A cadem y Awards on
rapper Tupac Shakur, and the docu- Feb. 2 7 . (AP photo)
The c a s t o f B E T's “College Hill. '
‘Black Hippie’ Performs at IFCC
Reflects on
growing up
middle class
Interstate Firehouse Cultural
Center will host David Daniels’ tour­
ing performance “Black Hippie
Chronicles.” Developed with the
guidance of the late Spaulding Gray,
and inspired by Gray’s own work,
M inneapolis-based performance
artist Daniels reflects on his jour­
ney through the worlds of peace,
love, pot and growing up in Middle
Class Black America.
For Daniels it is “a story of as­
similation gone wrong.”
As the son of a doctor who was
Mardi Gras
at Interstate
Firehouse
‘Masks, Music and
Mayhem' gala Saturday
Mardi Gras ¡scorning to Portland
with Interstate Firehouse Cultural
Center’s third annual Mardi Gras
fund-raising gala, “Masks, Music
and Mayhem," on Saturday, Feb.
12 from 7 to 11 p.m.
Attendees will be transported to
the world of Mardi Gras with au­
thentic foods, live music from jazz
band “Everything’s Jake,” and the
crowning of the Mardi Gras King
and Queen.
Matt Zaffino, NewsChannel 8
meteorologist, returns for the sec­
ond year as celebrity host.
Tickets are $40 per person, or
two for $75.
For in fo rm atio n w w w .ifcc-
arts.org, or call 503.823.4322.
David D aniels
the first African American in Hart­
ford, Conn., to have his own medi­
cal practice and a mother who was
an educator and Civil Rights activ­
ist, David was raised in an environ­
ment unknown to many black fami­
lies in the 1960s.
He describes a socially and reli-
giously conservative home where
there was a strong motivation to
become “white,” to assimilate rather
than celebrate the cultural differ­
ences o f their heritage.
Daniels turned to counterculture
as a response to his upbringing, and
became a hippie like so many
“privileged” young people rebell­
ing from their conservative roots.
Performances will be held on
Saturday, Feb. 19 at 7:30 p.m. and
Sunday, Feb. 20 at 3 p.m. and 7:30
p.m. at the IFCC Theatre. Tickets
are $10 general, $8 students and
seniors for evening performances
and $6 general, $4 seniors and stu­
dents for the matinee performance.
For more reservations, call 503-823-
4322.
The African American Men's Club
"In the commnnity...for the commnnity"
AAMC Valentine's Day Dance
Saturday, February 12, 2005
9 PM - 2 AM
Ramada Inn at the Airport
6221 NE 82nd Avenue
Portland, Oregon
503-255-6511
woman trying to plan a future for«
her daughter.
The Oscar attention comes at a*
time when movies headlined by!
blacks. Ice Cube’s “Are We There:
Y et” and Samuel L. Jack so n ’s»
“Coach Carter,” are topping box«
office sales.
Following in the next couple of-
months are Will Sm ith’s “Hitch,”
Queen Latifah’s “Beauty Shop,”«
Anthony A nderson’s “K ing’s Ran-»
som ,” M artin L aw rence’s “Re-«
bound,” B ernie M ac’s “G uess!
W ho” and Cedric the Entertainer’s!
“The Honeymooners.”
Not a bad spring lineup for an!
industry that had only a handful of!
black performers with consistent«
mainstream appeal before the mid-1
1990s, such as Richard Pryor, Eddie«
Murphy and Sidney Poitier.
In the academ y’s 77-year his­
tory, a scant 3.2 percent o f the act-J
ing nom inations have gone to!
blacks. W hile that figure has risen!
from 2.8 percent three years ago, it!
remains a weak track record given!
that blacks make up 13 percent of!
the U.S. population.
Star Jones to Host E! Red Carpet
BET Show Features New African American Cast
“College Hill” launched its 13-
week run on BET last week at 9 p.m.
in the “Wild Wild W est” of the
Oklahoma plains at Langston Uni­
versity with a special one-hour se­
ries premiere. Featured is a new cast
of eight, but with the same saucy,
volatile mix of eclectic personalities
and on- and off-campus hi jinx that
marked its debut last season. From
classroom to chaos, the network’s
cameras are there 24/7 to catch al 1 of
the action.
m entary short-subject category»
featu res “ M ighty T im es: The»
Children’s March,’’chronicling anti­
segregation efforts in Alabama in»
1963.
Among foreign-language con-»
tenders is the first South African«
film nominated for an Oscar, “Yes-«
terday,” about an HIV-positive*
Caption: S ta r J o n e s will h o s t
E! R ed Carpet for upcom ing
award sh o w s.
(AP) - Star Jones Reynolds will
be back on the red carpet for E!
Entertainment Television’s cover­
age of this year’s Screen Actors
G uild, Gram m y and A cadem y
Awards.
Ted Harbert, president and chief
executive officer of E! Networks,
said he was thrilled Jones Reynolds
would continue as host of E l’s
“Live From the RedCarpet" awards
specials.
“Her passion and knowledge
about the world of entertainment
make her the ideal person to repre­
sent E! in our showcase event
telecast,” Harbert said in a state-»
ment Monday.
Peninsula Little League 2005
(Serving the Youth of Inner North & Northeast Portland ages 5-15)
vist our website at: www.eteamz.active.com/peninsulalittleleague
Saturday, February 5, 2005
Early Bird Sign-ups ($10.00 discount, 2/5/05 only)
Saturday, February 12,2005
Saturday, March 5, 2005
Softball Program
Level
Minor
Major
Junior
Peninsula Park Community Center
700 N Portland Blvd
10:00 am - 2 pm
&
Portland O bserver
4747 NE M LK J r Blvd
Ages
7 -9
10- 12
1 3 -1 5
Questions contact:
M ark Washington
503-288-0033
Baseball Program
Level
T-Ball
Farm
Minor
Major
Junior
Ages
5 -6
7 -8
7 -9
10- 12
1 3 -1 5
Hours: 10 am - 5 pm (Mon - Friday)
Questions contact:
Michael Mangum —
Participation Fee - $85.00 (per player)
$150.00 Family Maximum (2 or more children)
The fee includes prepay o f fundraiser.
503-957-6274
503-901-1722
Items to bring to sign-ups:
Birth Certificate
Proof o f Address
Doctor/Insurance Information
Player Fee
O N L IN E
Registration
N O W AVAILABLE!
Go to our website listed
above and click on
Register Now!
Managers, Coaches & Umpires Neede
Coaches Clinic TBA
Call 503-993-0846 for more information
LIVE MUSIC Again! @
B illy R eed ’ s
R estaurant i B ar
2X08 NE MLK
50 3-493-8127
wwK.billyreeds.com
Watch for more coining dates
Lets Do it again!
Fairly Honest Jon
Wed 1/26/05 $3 cover
DJ Chata Man
Thu 1/27/05 $3 cover
Ticket Price: $20.00 per person
Dress: After 5
Dance...Music...Fun...Raffle...Food...No Host Bar
Randy Star &1116 Flirt Band
Sat 1/29/05
$3 cover
Chata Addy & Susutna
Kenney Polson Jazz
Fri 1/28/05 $3 cover
Sun 1/30/05 No Cover