Sneak Preview: Nelson George and Diane Paragas' Brooklyn Boheme

Join us for a preview screening of Brooklyn Boheme, a new documentary from award-winning Nelson George, director of the HBO feature film, Life Support (2007), which won Queen Latifah a Golden Globe for Best Actress.

Brooklyn Boheme takes a look back at the close-knit African American/Latino neighborhood in Fort Greene, prior to gentrification, when the community nurtured a new wave of original and uniquely talented artists, among them, Spike Lee, Chris Rock, Rosie Perez, Branford Marsalis, and many other creative innovators featured in this film.

Nelson George, Co-Director/Writer/Producer, Brooklyn Boheme; director, Life Support; author, City Kid, Hip Hop America, The Plot Against Hip Hop

Diane Paragas, co-director, Brooklyn Boheme; television writer/producer/director (BET, MTV and CBS News)

Presented with Kumble Theater for the Performing Arts, Media Arts Dept., Long Island University, Brooklyn Campus

Sponsored by BET

Book signing of The Plot Against Hip Hop follows.

WHEN: Tuesday, February 7, 6:30 to 9:00 pm

WHERE: Kumble Theater, Long Island University, Brooklyn Campus, Flatbush Ave.

(DeKalb & Willoughby)

Don't miss next month's preview screening with Nelson George and Diane Paragas. Space is limited, so be sure to RSVP at www.cencom.org. You can also e-mail info@cencom.org or call (212) 686-5005.

Fashion Night Out 2010

IT's A GLOBAL CELEBRATION OF FASHION

To build up even more hype around the second annual Fashion's Night Out, the powers that be behind the big event have released an enthusiastic campaign featuring a bevy of top models.

Directed by iconic fashion photographer Peter Lindbergh, the video shows 14 models in neighborhoods across New York City encouraging folks to shop Sept. 10 and support the fashion industry.

Vogue contributing editor Tabitha Simmons pulled fall's hottest looks and pieces from the Fashion's Night Out official apparel collection for the group, which includes Victoria's Secret stunners Miranda Kerr (who just announced her pregnancy), Karolina Kurkova, Doutzen Kroes, and Chanel Iman, as well as Lara Stone, Liya Kebede, Karlie Kloss, Abbey Lee Kershaw, Stella Tennant, Lily Donaldson, Jourdan Dunn, Sasha Pivovarova, Joan Smalls, and Caroline Trentini.

The PSA will be plastered all over New York -- in taxi cabs, television commercials, and online -- leading up to the event.

BP Oil Spill Map Gulf Of Mexico 2010 Oil Leak – Could Been Prevented?

BP Oil Spill Map Gulf Of Mexico 2010 Oil Leak – Could Been Prevented? The oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is quickly approaching 60 days. We’ve seen the photos, we’ve heard the heartbreaking stories about how the oil spill is killing wildlife and upturning the ways of life of people in the Gulf. We know the threat that the oil poses the rest of our nation’s eastern seaboard.

The question everyone wants to know is this: could the oil spill have been prevented? Had the rig operated correctly, the blowout preventer would have crimped the pipeline carrying oil, thus cutting off the flow of oil. The malfunction left a partially crimped portion of pipe and a big leak.

CBS reports about an email that indicates that BP made choices with cost in mind rather than safety. For instance, the company allegedly ignored Halliburton’s suggestion to place centralizers to keep the well casing centered. BP also allegedly chose a cheaper well casing over a better casing that would cost $7 to $10 million more.

Looking back, spending the extra money and heeding the advice of their contractor would have SAVED BP money…a lot of money. With the oil spill cost eclipsing the billion dollar mark, we can’t help but think that more than one executive wishes that they would have done a lot of things differently.

60 Minutes News correspondent Bryon Pitts

STEP OUT ON NOTHING
How Faith and Family Helped Me Conquer Life’s Challenges
BY BYRON PITTS
60 Minutes and CBS Evening News correspondent

In STEP OUT ON NOTHING (St. Martin’s Press; September 29, 2009; $24.99; 0-312-57766-4), Byron Pitts chronicles his astonishing story of overcoming a childhood filled with obstacles to achieve enormous success in life. Throughout Byron’s difficult youth – his parents separated when he was twelve and his mother worked two jobs to make ends meet – he suffered from a debilitating stutter. But Byron was keeping an even more embarrassing secret: He was also functionally illiterate. For a kid from inner-city Baltimore, it was a recipe for failure.

Throughout Byron’s life a few key people ‘stepped out on nothing’ to make a difference for him, from his mother who worked tirelessly to raise her kids right - while delivering ample amounts of tough love - to his college roommate who helped Byron practice his vocabulary. In STEP OUT ON NOTHING Byron even learns from those who didn’t believe in him, like the college professor who labeled him a failure and said he would amount to nothing. By following his steadfast passion for journalism Byron persevered and after fifteen years in local television, he landed a job as a national correspondent for CBS News in 1998. Not bad for a kid who couldn’t read.

From his challenged youth in Baltimore to his award-winning work covering 9/11 and Iraq, Byron’s exceptional story will resonate with those who struggle with any sort of learning challenge. STEP OUT ON NOTHING will also serve as a motivating tool for teachers, counselors and social workers.

Click here to view video:
KDKA in Pittsburgh, PA CBS 2-TV

“If you have ever been told, "You can't achieve your dreams," you need to read Step Out on Nothing. Byron Pitts has used his remarkable skills as a reporter to reveal his most fascinating story to date - the story of his own life. It is a triumphant tale of faith and family, and one man's determination to overcome seemingly impossible odds. This book will move you, inspire you, and make you look at your own difficulties in a whole new light.”
- Anderson Cooper, anchor of Anderson Cooper 360

“It seems unimaginable that someone of Byron’s intelligence and elegance could have faced so many struggles as a young man. No wonder he is such an inspired story teller – his own story is inspiring.”
- Katie Couric, anchor and managing editor of CBS Evening News with Katie Couric and 60 Minutes correspondent

"Byron Pitts had a secret . . . one he thought was shameful and embarrassing. So he kept it—for years and years. That he was able to is only one astonishing detail in his wonderfully candid, you-are-there memoir. Vividly written, Byron can tell a yarn with passion and intimacy. Step Out on Nothing is truly moving."
- Lesley Stahl, 60 Minutes correspondent

THE BOOK IS AVAILABLE AT THE Hue-Man Bookstore