By Ron Wynn NASHVILLE, TN — While the popularity of mainstream media isn’t exactly soaring, those who are still getting the bulk of their news and information from it apparently trust Black newsmakers. “NBC Nightly News” anchor Lester Holt topped all broadcast TV anchors in the latest survey taken by The Hollywood Reporter in conjunction with the survey/research firm Morning Consult. The survey was conducted earlier this month among a sample of 2,239 U.S. adults. They were asked opinion about 40-plus major TV news stars and also surveyed about trends regarding America’s fractured media diet during this presidential campaign year.…
Author: Ron Wynn
By Ron Wynn NASHVILLE, TN — The “Beverly Hills Cop” franchise that began in the ‘80s hasn’t died yet. The latest incarnation is set to appear next month, and like many other notable recent projects will be issued on a streaming platform. Netflix released the trailer for “Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F” last week and it’s now widely available online. The film returns Eddie Murphy to the role that made him a film superstar, and is the fourth in the series. Aside from Murphy it will also feature both familiar franchise veterans some newcomers. The cast includes Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Taylour…
By Ron Wynn NASHVILLE, TN — The Vanderbilt Commodores are hoping that postseason play will help bolster a season that began great, but then had lots of rough stretches, particularly in SEC play. Vanderbilt finished the regular season at 35-20, and only a 12-4 victory in the finale at Kentucky gave them the requisite 13 conference wins many observers feel were essential in getting an NCAA Tournament bid. They won’t know until the weekend if their streak of appearances will increase to 18, but they did know where they would be to start the SEC Tournament portion of the postseason.…
If there were ever any remaining doubts that boxing, once among the nation’s most popular sports, has lost its importance and impact it’s the fact over the weekend a heavyweight championship bout occurred and it got less attention than the NBA and NHL playoffs, regular season baseball, the PGA championship, pretty much everything else happening. Making things even more depressing for what few boxing fans remain is that it was a historic fight. Oleksandr Usyk, a left-hander from the Ukraine, defeated Tyson Fury in a split decision that according to the reporters who covered it was a great 12-round bout.…
By Ron Wynn NASHVILLE, TN — Whenever actors portray actual people, especially those of historical significance, there’s a special challenge involved. Andre Holland acknowledges that taking on the role of Black Panther founder Huey P. Newton in the upcoming Apple + TV series “The Big Cigar” was quite a formidable undertaking. “The story I’m about to tell you is true, at least mostly true, at least how I remember it,” Holland said during a recent Hollywood Reporter interview. “But it is coming through the lens of Hollywood, so let’s see how much of my story (Newton’s) they’re really willing to…
By Ron Wynn NASHVILLE, TN — Seldom does a show have such potential that it gets a season two renewal before season one begins. But that’s the case for a new show coming soon to Prime Video. It’s a program spotlighting the brilliant Washington detective Alex Cross, a creation of the prolific author James Patterson. The first Cross novel was written in 1993, and there have been 32 primary and 36 total works featuring the character. Prime Video announced during the winter that there would be a new Alex Cross show debuting either in the spring or summer. Now they’ve…
By Ron Wynn NASHVILLE, TN — The Vanderbilt Commodores are in an unfamiliar position. With three games remaining in the regular season, they are unsure of their position regarding the NCAA Tournament. They have made it the last 17 consecutive seasons, but this year their record in conference play is 12-15 after Sunday’s 3-0 win over Tennessee. The Commodores still lost the series, but at least they ended their losing streaks at nine to Tennessee and within the SEC overall. They remain in fifth among Eastern Division teams, and their weekend opponent Kentucky leads the East at 20-7, and are…
Tennessee State University continues making splashes in the athletic world. Last week they announced the hiring of a genuine basketball legend as the next head coach of the women’s team. Athletic Director Dr. Mikki Allen announced the appointment of seven-time WNBA All-Star and former San Antonio Spurs assistant coach Candice Dupree as the 13th head coach in program history. “I am thrilled about the opportunity to lead and coach the future of women’s basketball at Tennessee State University,” Dupree said in a statement.. “I am eager to continue building our program in alignment with the incredible culture and values embodied…
NASHVILLE, TN — Some of jazz’s top artists will be in town this week as Vanderbilt’s Blair School of Music hosts the sixth International Jazz Composers Symposium. It begins Thursday and continues through the weekend. It’s presented by the International Society of Jazz Arrangers and Composers (ISJAC). The 2024 Symposium features noted master artists Anat Cohen, Oded Lev-Ari, John Clayton, Danilo Pérez, John Beasley, and Mike Holober. Ryan Middagh’s professional jazz ensemble will serve as the house band for guest artist performances, and other Blair jazz faculty will be involved with various aspects of the conference. “Hosting ISJAC is a…
Baseball was once a hot sport in Black neighborhoods nationwide. Top African American baseball players were revered the way NFL and NBA players are today. But it hasn’t been that way since the late 20th century, and increasingly young Black athletes looking for college opportunities have opted for football and basketball, rather than baseball. But the sport is still being played at several HBCUs, and recently Tennessee State announced it would be bringing baseball back after an absence of over three decades. Athletic director Dr. Mikki Allen and outgoing President Glenda Glover made the announcement, setting a target date for…