The 6th Edition of the Hollywood and African Prestigious Awards (HAPAwards) returns with the theme - 'Connecting Black Excellence Globally' on Saturday, October 29, 2022, at the historical Ambassador Auditorium, 131 S. St. John Ave, Pasadena, California 91105.
All Stories
“No one who cares about contemporary American drama — or the millions of residents yearning for the ever more elusive American dream from the holding cell of their politicized limbo — should miss this play.” – Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times
(Los Angeles, CA – June 6. 2022) Kick off Black Music Month with the story of Black music and its origins with MOJA: A Music Saga, the history of Black Music from Africa to America's Gospel, Blues, Jazz, R&B, Funk, and Hip-Hop. The eight-volume set rolls out one new audio experience per month this summer.
When it comes to innovators, Pan African Film + Arts Festival (PAFF) executive director Ayuko Babu has fearlessly worked to break down barriers for people of color in the international film world for nearly 30 years.
The arts are all around us. Whether experienced as the creator, the aficionado, or the spectator; simple pleasures like watching a movie, taking a dance class, playing an instrument, writing a poem, painting a picture, or attending a theatrical production, become art.
Many folks have carved out a successful career by playing poker. However, the road to becoming a professional poker player is not paved with gold. A post by SkillUp Ed on Medium.com notes that in order to become a top poker player, one needs to be aware of their opponents, be ready to adapt to new environments, learn the art of bluffing, diligently put in the hours, as well as having the ability to keep calm in stressful situations.
As Brett Dismuke, General Manager of ALLBLK and WE tv at AMC Networks, speaks directly to the Black community in this very raw and candid interview, we are met with what sits heavy on his heart. We are reminded, "it is our job to redefine for the Black entertainment experience what Black entertainment can be." And the imperative of highlighting not only positive images but also all images--authentic images--in the Black stories we tell. Which he goes on to further express, "this is an intentional conscious effort" being seeded into the content and programs found on the trailblazing ALLBLK streaming platform.
What happens when your dreams become a reality? Looking at Kadeem Hardison's life, I'd say, you'd experience living life out loud. When Suite Life SoCal walked into his carefully positioned home in one of the hillsides of Southern California for our cover photo shoot, it was evident that Hardison is living a life where he fully expresses himself.
Larrance “Rance” Dopson's climb to the top might best be described as the quintessential “pulling yourself up by the bootstraps” cliché. As the founder and CEO of 1500 or Nothin', a trailblazing musician collective full of the top record producers, songwriters, musicians, and music videographers, including none other than famed producer, singer, and songwriter James Fauntleroy, II, Dopson has helped steer this dynamic organization as they write the new rules for success.
Building a decades-long Hollywood career from scratch is an ongoing hustle. For Black women pursuing traditionally male jobs in entertainment, scaling the gates of the movie business is doubly tricky, with the prejudices of race and gender working against them. Nevertheless, La Faye Baker, the first African American woman to serve as stunt coordinator for a major motion picture in Introducing Dorothy Dandridge (1999), has made a name for herself as a trailblazer in stunt work, and she's still hustling.