In this Nov. 24, 2012, file photo, Grambling State coach Doug Williams reacts after a play against Southern University during the Bayou Classic college football game in New Orleans. Grambling players ended their boycott after speaking with former coach Doug Williams, who advised them to, "Go out there and play football." (AP Photo/The Times-Picayune, Brett Duke) by Melinda DeslatteAssociated Press Writer BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — A nearly weeklong boycott by the Grambling State University's football team including forfeiting its game at Jackson State has made more people aware of the campus's financial struggles and drummed up interest from donors around the country, Grambling's president said Tuesday.
This photo released by the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff's Office shows Woodrow Karey, Jr. after being charged in the shooting death of Pastor Ronald J. Harris, Sr., Saturday, Sept. 28, 2013. (CNN Photo/Calcasieu Parish Sheriff's Office) by Lateef Mungin (CNN) -- A sheriff says he's closer to finding the motive behind the fatal shooting of a Louisiana pastor who witnesses say was gunned down by a former deacon as the horrified congregation looked on. Friday's shooting may have resulted from allegations of a complicated sexual relationship between the pastor and the deacon's wife, Calcasieu Parish Sheriff Tony Mancuso said.
This image released by NBC shows, from left, Tracy Pollan, Michael J. Fox, and Wendell in a scene from "The Michael J. Fox Show," premiering Thursday at 9 p.m. EDT in a special hour-long edition. (AP Photo/NBC, Eric Liebowitz) by Frazier MooreAP Television Writer NEW YORK (AP) — "I've always wanted one thing," says Wendell Pierce. "To have a diverse career, to be a journeyman actor." Mission accomplished this fall. With no fewer than four projects in release, Pierce will meet himself coming. Earlier this month, he made his latest appearance in a recurring role on the USA law drama "Suits." He has a new film opening, an edgy indie drama titled "Four" wherein he plays a family man who keeps his homosexuality secret while he hooks up harmfully with a teenage boy through an online dating site. In December, he returns as fancy-free jazz trombonist Antoine Batiste on HBO's glorious New Orleans series "Treme," airing its final season. And that's all on top of Pierce's dandy new role on "The Michael J. Fox Show," which premieres on NBC Thursday at 9 p.m. EDT in a special hour-long edition.
Lupita Nyong'o arrives at the premiere for "12 Years a Slave" on day 2 of the Toronto International Film Festival at The Princess of Wales Theatre on Friday, Sept. 6, 2013, in Toronto. (Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP) by Rob MerrillAssociated Press Writer TORONTO (AP) — The upcoming film "12 Years a Slave" is a harrowing look at slavery, but its stars, including Brad Pitt, say it's a subject that needs to be explored more on the big screen.
In this Feb. 3 photo, Beyonce performs during the halftime show of the NFL Super Bowl XLVII football game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Baltimore Ravens, in New Orleans. The singer headlines at the 2013 Essence Music Festival, with other nightly concerts held in the Superdome to include, Maxwell, Jill Scott, Charlie Wilson, LL Cool J, New Edition, Emile Sande, Trey Songz, Janelle Monae and several others. The festival dates are July 4-7, 2013, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey, File) by Chevel Johnson NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Nearly two decades after Essence magazine launched a festival here to "party with a purpose" and celebrate Black culture, music and people, the Essence Fest may be facing some new competition. Like Essence this weekend, last weekend's BET Experience, held in Los Angeles, had Beyonce as a headliner. It also had panels discussing topics important to the community and spanned a three-day weekend — a format Essence until recently had used for years. But Michelle Ebanks, president of Essence Communications Inc., said the similarities end there.
ROLAND MARTIN by Roland Martin (CNN) -- If you listen to the groupthink echo-chamber know-it-alls in Washington, the Republican Party has been decimated,...
RIOT OR MASSACRE?--This Feb. 15, photo shows a historical marker near the Grant Parish Courthouse in Colfax, La. which describes a day of violence that helped condemn African Americans to a century of Jim Crow in the American South. (AP Photo/The Lafayette Daily Advertiser, Bill Decker) by Bill Decker | The Advertiser COLFAX, La. (AP) — A brown and silver historical marker near the Grant Parish Courthouse describes a day of violence that helped condemn African Americans to a century of Jim Crow in the American South.
DOCKED--The cruise ship Carnival Triumph is moored at a dock in Mobile, Ala., Friday, Feb. 15. (AP Photo/Dave Martin) by Brendan FarringtonAssociated Press WriterMOBILE, Ala. (AP) — When their cruise ship lost power, passengers aboard the Carnival Triumph could have been selfish and looked out only for themselves and their loved ones.Instead, they became comrades in a long, exhausting struggle to get home.
