Any word on a Prince appearance?

masbas said:

Not that I know of. The show is live this year, so we don't know who's appearing.

Prince's pic is in their header. Sick-'em Londell.

http://www.naacpimageawar...nguard.php

Thanks for the reminder.

I haven't FOX...

Hmm, might be a possibility! Thanks for posting.

squirrelgrease said:

He's probably in the header because he is nominated. I think they also own that photo (since it was taken at one of the previous NAACP appearances).

Didn't he receive the award in the past and that's why he's in the header? What is he nominated for this year?

masbas said:

What is the NAACP Image Awards all about ?

^NAACP Image Awards celebrates black artists and achievements.

kenlacam said:

What he said....

Here is what the NAACP has on their site as their description of their awards show.


NAACP Image Awards

Presented annually, the NAACP Image Awards is the nation’s premier event celebrating the outstanding achievements and performances of people of color in the arts as well as those individuals or groups who promote social justice.

The NAACP Image Awards is an exciting, star-studded salute to the best in entertainment. Honorees, presenters and performers have included many of the major celebrities in America as well as international political figures and dignitaries. There are 53 competitive categories in the fields of motion picture, television, recording and literature. There are also several honorary awards including the Chairman’s Award, The President’s Award and The Image Awards Hall of Fame.

The NAACP Image Awards originally aired late night for eight years in the “Saturday Night Live” time slot on the NBC Network. Since 1996, the NAACP Image Awards has been shown in primetime on the FOX television network, where they have become a major programming event.

To understand the importance of the NAACP Image Awards, it has to be placed in a social and historical context. Ideas and images create the belief systems that control our individual and societal actions. When it comes to forming ideas, reinforcing stereotypes, establishing norms and shaping our thinking nothing affects us more than the images and concepts delivered into our lives on a daily basis by television, motion picture, recordings and literature. Accordingly, there is ample cause for concern about what does or does not happen in these mediums when there is little or no diversity in either opportunities or the decision making process.

The NAACP has been involved in the continuing struggle for greater participation by African Americans in the entertainment industry and portrayal of Black people on the screen since 1915, when the organization launched a nationwide protest against the showing of the movie “Birth of a Nation" by D. W. Griffith. The film, set in the period immediately after the Civil War, depicted Black people as savages and the reconstruction era in our nation as a period of corruption. It remains today one of the most controversial films ever made.

Shortly after the NAACP's crusade against "Birth of a Nation," a group of independent Black filmmakers appeared on the scene: Emmett, J. Scott, George and Noble Johnson, and the legendary Oscar Micheaux defied the stereotypes and offered movies with Black actors in stark contrast to the images otherwise available. Films produced by these pioneers were tributes to Black endurance and ambition. These movies, referred to as "race films,” portrayed Black people as doctors, lawyers, teachers, and lovers. Plagued by financial and distribution problems, these films virtually vanished by the end of the 1940’s.

When the next professed great American cinematic masterpiece that featured African Americans, “Gone with the Wind,” was released in 1939, African Americans were less strident in their criticism, but less than happy with the film’s portrayal of them.

By and large they supported and applauded Hattie McDaniel who was awarded the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress in 1939 for her role in “Gone with the Wind,” becoming the first Black performer to win an Academy Award.

Before the end of the decade, television would be invented and introduced to the American public. With television, as was the case with motion pictures, the question of characterizations and opportunities for qualified Black men and women continued to be a problem.

At its annual convention in July 1951, the NAACP passed a resolution critical of the new television series “Amos 'N' Andy” and other programs stressing negative stereotypes. According to the resolution, shows like “Amos 'N’ Andy” depicted Black people in a stereotypical and derogatory manner, and the practice of manufacturers, distributors, retailers, persons, or firms sponsoring or promoting this show, the Beulah show, or other shows of this type are condemned."

Again, in 1963 and 1964, the NAACP adopted resolutions to mount a nationwide campaign to improve opportunities for "Negro" performers in motion pictures and television. NAACP Labor Secretary, Herbert Hill, conducted extensive negotiations with the Motion Picture Producers Association (MPPA), the heads of several major Hollywood studios and television networks, and officials of the labor/craft unions affiliated with the AFL-CIO International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees. Although the NAACP's campaign to eliminate racial bias in the entertainment industry received support from the Screen Actors Guild and Writers Guild of America West, craft unions in Hollywood continued to openly and systematically exclude Blacks as electricians, cameramen, carpenters, propmen, and other craft positions.

In 1967, at the height of the civil rights movement, the Beverly Hills/Hollywood Branch of the NAACP, concerned about the portrayal of the Black experience, established the NAACP Image Awards to honor outstanding Black actors, actresses, writers, producers, directors, and recognized those working in Hollywood who supported those artists.

In 1980, Executive Director Benjamin L. Hooks appointed a committee to look into the status of equal opportunity in Hollywood. The main focus of the committee was to examine the lack of opportunities for African Americans in the film industry. Despite the monumental events that had taken place in the movement for equal education, voting rights, women’s rights and employment laws, the entertainment industry remained intransigent.

As recognized by director Steven Spielberg at the 2000 NAACP Image Awards, the motion picture industry must confess its guilty hand in perpetuating the lack of diversity both in front of and behind the lens. As Mr. Spielberg then correctly stated, “there’s a lot to be done in the world we share. We still must acknowledge the painful absence of racial diversity within our very own industry. We need to hire studio executives of color. We need to foster young minority talent, both in front of and behind the scenes.”

kenlacam said:

Black people only ....no white people ?

LondonStyle said:

Yes, there have been white people honored and you will see many of them within the audience as invited guests during the program. Bono from U2, who I have the utmost respect for, because of his dedication to humanitarian work, I believe was honored last year.
[Edited 2/12/09 11:18am]

2elijah said:

I see...it's a big event ...

They have also had some of the most memorable award show performances in history.

Luther Vandross - "A House Is Not A Home"
http://www.youtube.com/wa...rbvFHDRtiY


Be Be and Ce Ce Winans featuring Whitney Houston - "Hold Up The Light"
http://www.youtube.com/wa...jZmPmy28gg


Kirk Franklin
http://www.youtube.com/wa...jrVS3erQVc


Marlon Jackson - Baby Tonight
http://www.youtube.com/wa...5uCaGpQZRY


Daryl Coley honoring MJ
http://www.youtube.com/wa...ASZ1-X-Ia4

[Edited 2/12/09 11:26am]

LondonStyle said:

It's pretty big. I has really grown in the last 20 years.

The majority of the winners are African American, but they have honored other ethnicities. I know Bono has been honored. Also Edward James Olmos and Christina Aguilara have been acknowledged.

daPrettyman said:

I miss Luther Vandross - "A House Is Not A Home" he was a real star!

kenlacam said:

In my opinion this just stretchens the border line between white and black. What's all that fuss about? I am "white", but will have a dark skin colour after lying under the sun for three days. Prince is black, but has a lighter skin colour than most other "black" people. So, where's the fucking difference between "black" and "white"? These awards celebtrating the success of one "race" are fucking childish and just as racist as exluding all "black" people from the Oscars would be.

Why don't we celebrate good music together? Music should unite and not divide.

Dave1992 said:

Well, the NAACP awards doesn't just honor music. They honor service to the community, music, books, art, educators and more.

To learn about the history of the organization, I highly suggest you read this link: http://www.naacp.org/abou.../index.htm

Here in the US, it's still such a racial divide. If African Americans didn't have these types of award shows, a lot of the work that African Americans do wouldn't get noticed. For instance, there are several good shows that have majority black casts (The Game, Girlfriends, Everybody Hates Chris, Noah's Arc, etc). These shows are always overlooked by the mainstream media. There are also LOTS of black authors that write wonderful books and these authors hardly get recognized for their work either.

In minority communities in the states, it's hard for any work to get recognition unless it is from a mainstream (or white) person. This is part of the reason we have award shows like the ALMA awards (hispanic and lation awards show) and the NAACP Image Awards.

daPrettyman said:

This is precisely what I was about to say Thanks for being so informative to those not in the know of what the NAACP stands for daPrettyman! The NAACP does not seek to divide, but UNITE people of all ethnicities and nationalities. You can also consider the NAACP the early stages for the Rainbow/ PUSH coalition. The Rainbow/PUSH Coalition is a non-profit organization formed as a merger of two non-profit organizations — Operation PUSH (People United to Save Humanity) and the National Rainbow Coalition — founded by Jesse Jackson. The organizations pursue social justice, civil rights and political activism.

I wouldn't be surprised if Prince is there because he usually is, even if he's not nominated. Moreover, this year is sure to be special because it's the centennial aniversary of the NAACP. Not only that, but we have our first African American president of which would have not been possible if the NAACP did not fight for civil rights so that ALL citizens could vote.
[Edited 2/12/09 12:51pm]

daPrettyman said:

I know NAACP awards is not only about music, it was just an example. I also know about the racial divide in the US.

In my opinion a "solution" to fight those divides is not to found an annual award show to honour "black" people only, but to finally honour both, equally. If certain people think they don't have to honour the work of African Americans, these African Americans seperate themselves even more by celebrating honour of people their skin colour only (with a few exceptions, so they won't get into trouble).

The main idea is good. Honouring people who didn't have the chance to be honoured in the past. But there are thousands of other people all around the world who have done marvellous work and never won awards, so why concentrate on "black" people only, when skin colour doesn't matter?

Dave1992 said:

Well, they don't concentrate on "black" people. They honor people that have done things to uphold a proper "image" of minorities.

I'm not disagreeing with you, but here in the States, the mainstream media always overlooks the work of minorities. Sure, many have broken barriers (Prince being one of them), but for the most part they aren't even acknowledged.

I also know that many people around the world are never honored for their great work, however, the NAACP Image Awards tries to acknowledge those that do.

I know it's hard to understand what black americans go through unless you are actually expereiencing it. That is why people are so excited about Barack Obama winning President. It has been such a long struggle for black americans in so many fields. Sterotypically, people don't think black people can do anything buy sing and play sports. It's when people like Barack and Oprah break those sterotypes that it becomes emotional.

I know for myself, when I saw Barack win the candidacy for President, I started to think of all of the struggles that my ancestors went through. When I say ancestors, I'm not just talking about the ones that were slaves, I'm talking about my grandparents that used to pay a poll tax to vote. I think about them picking up people in their community to go and vote and paying the 25 cent poll tax for each of them. I also think about all of the women that couldn't vote.

It becomes emotional, but I hope you get my gist. In a perfect America, your theory would be great. But, until then, we will have to have organizations like the NAACP to acknowledge OUR achievements and accomplishments.

daPrettyman said:

What he just said.

The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.

the acronym says it all.

Dave1992... a quick look at your profile says miles. I could only wish that people here could have your 'youthful' view.... racism would not exist. But it does and it has for a very long time. Its something you can only know fully about if you have experienced it.

Have non-blacks been honored...? Sure. if through their actions they helped instill racial pride. not being racist... just helping people feel good about themselves and their achievements in a society which for much longer than you or I have been alive has actively sought to suppress and demoralize people of color. The need for organizations which honor the achievements of minorities have been vital to our society. There already exist many honors which supposedly have no boundaries of race. Yet at an alarmingly disproportionate rate.. blacks (and other minroties) get ignored time and time again.

Its hard telling a child of color that he can be a surgeon when he grows up... if he never hears about the achievements of others of color who were surgeons. Times have improved... and the scope of the organization (and others like it) has evolved... but the gist remains the same.

BigDaddyHQ said:

I agree with both of you absolutely. I can only imagine how hard it must be for people with dark skin colour in some parts of the United States and you are right, I haven't experienced anything like that myself which may be the reason for my almost naive sounding theory. Having to deal with racial issues changes the way someone looks at the world of course and their own life and, to some point, my outright point about "why make a difference when there is no?" may sound unrealistic, childhish and farfetched. But the way it is meant to be is that there are no differences and when you look at someone with a darker skin colour you should see just another human being, as if you were looking at someone with a smaller nose than you, taller or smaller, just.. different, as we all are different and how should we ever achieve that without simply finally thinking and acting and believing in it? If everybody acted contrary to something all the time, because it seems "unfair" we will never find the golden mean. It may sound naive and I do understand why, but it seems like it's the only right way to deal with it and finally achieve something positive.




I understand why the results or the presidential elections are so important to you. Congratulations, I wish you good luck and I'm happy for you; I hope this will also have a positive impact on Europe and the rest of the world.
[Edited 2/12/09 13:36pm]

I watch them every year anyway so we'll see.

Dave1992 said:

If one does not reconize himself.....should he go unnoticed?

Graycap23 said:

No.. You didn't get my point. Who is "himself"? Are you referring to all the black people living in the US? That is what I don't agree with.

If one is excluded by a few idiots, should he veer away from all the non-idiots too?

Dave1992 said:

If u take one look at the Oscars and other awards shows, u will see the NEED 4 a show like this one.

Graycap23 said:

good answer Graycap