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Jim Ellis’ story is one of passion and pain.  When Ellis (Terrence Howard) arrived in Philadelphia in the summer of 1971 it was in hopes of landing a teaching position.  Instead, the only employment the recent college grad could find was a dead-end job closing down a rundown recreation center located in a disadvantaged area of North Philly known as Nicetown. But after discovering that the gymnasium had a swimming pool, instead of preparing the dilapidated facility for the wrecking ball, Jim decided to try and renovate it.  He knew that if he did not the neighborhood kids would lose their only local outlet for constructive supervised exercise.  Rather than allowing them to get into trouble on the streets, he invited them inside for a chance to cool off in the pool.  Then, put them on a serious training regimen in order to turn them into a team capable of holding their own against the best swim clubs in the area.  In the end, Ellis not only succeeded in his efforts to resurrect the Marcus Foster Recreation Center, the program he created has continued to flourish for the past 35 years, providing a healthy environment for aspiring young athletes in the inner city.  This admirable achievement is the subject of Pride, a biopic based on the exploits of a real-life role model. 

Unfortunately, the movie is flawed in a couple of glaring respects, the first, in terms of its infuriating use of the N-word.  In the film, the slur is never employed by whites, not even by Ellis’ squad’s racist cross-town rivals, the Main Line Academy Barracudas.  But it is repeatedly used by blacks, a glaring anachronism ignoring that the embracing of the offensive term by African Americans is relatively recent development.  Why would a movie about and entitled bride, feature character demeaning themselves in such a fashion? Perhaps the answer lies in the fact that first time director, Sunu Gonera, was born in Zimbabwe and lived in South Africa until he went to Hollywood to make this picture.  So, he was simply unfamiliar with American history, and that once upon a time it was whites who primarily hurled the ugly epithet, not blacks.  Additionally, Isaiah Washington would have been in good company with the homophobic humor in the movie that was not really necessary to the picture.  Otherwise, Pride unfolds in fairly formulaic fashion for a sports movie, with Terrence Howard turning in on of his captivating performances as the charismatic coach.  An afroed Bernie Mac is most memorable as a marble-mouthed janitor/assistant coach.  Kimberly Elise co-stars as Sue Davis, who is a love interest, and city councilperson.  The rest of the principal cast that is recognizable stereotypes is rounded out by Tom Arnold as Bink the bigot, Diana Ross’ son, Evan (ATL), as Reggie the retard, Regina Nehy, as Wilhemina, the token girl, and Alphonoso MCCauley, who played bucktoothed Bucky in “Fat Albert”, as another awkward dork.  Well-intentioned, at best, “Pride”, regrettably, will cause you to hang your head in shame. 

Divas Raising Hell…It has been a minute since I have written something under this subject, but Star Jones Reynolds made me bring it back.  Star Jones Reynolds will return this fall on the cable network that launched her television career over 15 years ago once she gave up her job as an assistant district attorney in New York.  Court TV announced that Star was hired to host an as-yet-untitled show this fall that will discuss criminal justice issues that intersect with pop culture.  “This is the perfect time in our culture to see how the law, politics, and entertainment come together,” Star said.  “Some people say it has been on a collision.  I say it has been connected.”   It was Court TV that gave the once extremely obese Star her start in 1991 as a legal commentator for the William Kennedy Smith rape trial.  She soon moved on to NBC, spending several years there as a legal correspondent for the “Today Show” and NBC Nightly News.  Most of you will recall the days when the very heavy Star wore more make up than most drag queens reported on the O.J. Simpson trial.  It made for great TV and Star should pay O.J. for how badly she talked about him.  Everyday it was an oxymoron to see this black woman against O.J. when most black people where in support of him.  The world knows about the falling Star’s exit from “The View,” most people that once like the over the top diva began to hate how she used her position on the show to get sponsored items for her wedding and promote herself. 

Reynolds appeared on an episode of “Law & Order: SVU.”  The episode, titled “Screwed,” was the season finale where Star played herself, along with Nancy Grace, who weighed in on a high-profile case of a young man, played by Christopher “Ludacris” Bridges, who was on trial for the murder of a woman and her baby.  It was working with Ludacris on this episode that he asked the over the top lawyer to be one of his special guest at his foundation dinner.  It only seems like yesterday that I was at the All-Star game when Al asked Star to marry him and she hit the floor like a ton of bricks.  Then a very heavy Star was overwhelmed that the Virginia native asked for her hand.  Well, I have always heard many of the negative things that people had to say about Star, but it was not until that night in Atlanta that I had my run in with the overbearing legal analyst.  After my interview with the fired talk show co-host we posed to take a photo when I gave my camera to her husband Al.  He actually volunteered to take the picture, but he was actually in no shape to help himself nor do a kind deed for me or anyone else.  I actually watched Star follow her drunken husband around most of the night in effort to not allow him to get out of her sight.  Purportedly this is typical behavior when the two of them go out that when Al has too much to drink Star has to watch him for fear of what he might do or get into.  Well, once Al had taken the photo he dropped my camera when he attempted to had it back to me.  Quickly the couple bent down to pick up my digital camera, but was already broken.  “It is not broken is it?”  Al asked.  In a very disappointed tone I told them he had in fact broken my camera.  I actually waited to see if either Star or Al would have enough class to offer to replace it and when I discovered they were not going to offer I asked for them to purchase me a new one.  Star became extremely offended and put her hand on her hip and tried to read me about wanting a photo with her in the first place.  Well, what did she do that for—I quickly reminded her that she was not even on TV and I only wanted to recap on her having been axed from “The View.”  Star Jones is just as tacky and cheap as she looked when she first appeared on television.  The questionable couple left to go club hoping.  At the time of their departure I mentioned my broken camera to Al again, he apologized asked for my card and agreed to purchase another for me once he returned to New York.  Additionally, he apologized for his wife’s behavior and told me that I have to excuse her and that she could be a real B*tch at times.  We laughed and I thanked him in advance for the new camera that I am still waiting to receive in the mail. 

A moment of silence…Calvin Lockhart, star of stage and screen whose character name of Biggie Smalls in the 1975 film “Let’s Do It Again,” was used by late rapper Notorious B.I.G., died in his native Nassau, Bahamas from complications from a stroke.  He was 72.  The actor starred in a string of films in the early to mid-70s, including “Cotton Comes to Harlem,” “Uptown Saturday Night,” and “Myra Breckinridge.”  He also starred opposite Eddie Murphy in 1988’s “Coming To America,” and in January of this year, he completed work on “Rain,” an upcoming film shot in the Bahamas.  Born September 18, 1934 in Nassau, Lockhart was classically trained and became the only black actor ever invited to be an actor-in-residence at the Royal Shakespeare Company at Stratford Upon-Avon.  Bahamian Prime Minister Perry Christie said the following about Lockhart’s passing: “Although his acting career was of relatively short duration.  Calvin’s cinematic charisma and talents won him high praise from critics and audiences alike all around the world.”   Calvin produced and directed several major stage productions and also appeared on television in London, Germany, and the U.S., including the television series “Dynasty.”  He will be long remembered. 

Oprah Winfrey offered words of wisdom to graduates for Howard University in Washington D.C. during the school’s commencement ceremony.  In addition to delivering the speech, the Queen of Talk received an honorary doctor of humanities degree, the President H. Patrick Swygert announced.  “When one thinks about the criteria for a great commencement speaker, there are few things that come to mind: engaging, inspiring, charismatic and a champion of change,” Swygert said.  “Our commencement speaker this year is certainly all that and much more.”   Many individuals wonder how the school was able to secure Lady O, but it has been said that Dianne Atkinson Hudson, who is on Howard’s board of trustees, it one of Oprah’s advisers.  Oprah was not the only one honored by Howard on Mother’s Day; Dr. Walter Eugene Massey also received an honorary doctor of humanities degree.  Massey stepped down as president of Morehouse College.  Oprah has given 5 million plus during the twelve years that he served as president. 

It was a great deal of talk about who would take Dr. Massey’s post after he left.  Morehouse’s board of trustees narrowed it down to three men: Dr. Calvin Butts, Dr. John Wilson, and Dr. Robert Michael Franklin.  Butts is the well known out spoken pastor of Abyssinian Baptist Church that told the alumni when asked why would he want the position that he was called by God himself to be the president of Morehouse and to lead the school forward.  Well, Calvin might have thought he was called by someone, but it could not have been God because Dr. Robert Michael Franklin was selected to carry the school forward.  Franklin has been the Presidential Distinguished Professor of Social Ethics at Emory University and the former President for the Interdenominational Theological Center.  Wilson did not seem to leave much of an impression at all.  He had a long drawn out power point presentation, but he lacked the polish it would take to be the president of Morehouse. 

According to my “Street Committee”…The gospel artist formally known as Tonex has made it official that he is leaving gospel and is now going to party like a rock star.  The singer has always been known for his wild hair styles and outfits, but a great musical talent cannot seem to really do what he wants to do musically in the confined genera of gospel.  Now calling himself The Black Maverick, he is just that, an independent artist—defining his split from gospel he recoreded a song with him rapping called “The Naked Truth” on his myspace page where he speaks in unknown tongues.  Not sure if it was Tonex or 50 Cent by the number of profane words he uses to officially make his split.  In the rap he addresses his sexuality, his divorce and even eludes to having been sexually molested at the age of six.  It was rumored that he had a nervous breakdown that was really a nervous breakout, Anthony Williams was not crazy, but being forced to go crazy by trying to live up to something that he was not. But what others wanted him to be.  It has been reported that he has stepped down from pasturing his late father’s church and officially preached his last sermon this past weekend in Oakland, California.  The Black Maverick purportedly went though a very tough divorce around the same time and the wife left him with nothing, but his music.  A lot of talk whirled though the church community about his sexuality might having been the cause for this viscous split, but that might not be true; seems Maverick has been seeing a video vixen by the name of Jesse White that just so happens to be the mother of Ne-yo’s child.  Allegedly Ne-yo has denied that Jesse’s child is actually his and refused to pay child support and has even talked about her in the media.  Only time will tell how this all plays out.  In the meantime we can look forward to this double disc rock album by the artist formally known as Tonex. 

Jay-Z says that all the rumors about him having a bunch babies are untrue and that his only child’s mother is from the islands.   His people released a statement  saying the rumors are not true and that people who use children to get publicity should be ashamed of themselves.  Continuing in Hip Hop news, the word is Irv Gotti is going pop and has signed Vanessa Carlton along with another group called The Thunderkatz that can be compared to The Black-Eyed Peas.  He might get a chance to sign Tonex if he gets dropped from Varity for making a rock album and a rap song with him cursing about his metamorphosis. 

The word is that Kim Kardashian might be polishing super male model Tyson Beckford knob.  Seems the two of them have been chilling with each other on the regular since her sex tape when public and she was paid a another hunk and a chunk to suffer though the embarrassment of having her most intimate moments recorded for the world to see.  The new porn star celebrated her birthday in Las Vegas absent of her best friend Paris Hilton due to all her legal troubles. 

Out Magazine has a serious list in a recent issue.  The magazine is claiming the top 50 gay people in the world.  What makes this so hot is they reveal a number of suspected gay people that have not come out to the world yet.  Here we go, Anderson Cooper, we all know the well respected journalist.  He just so happens to be Gloria Vanderbilt’s son, but he has never admitted to being gay.  They have Coop, a rapper from Houston # 2 on their list.  Jodie Foster is another person that is on the list, but has never said she was a lesbian.  Benny Media, the talent agent is on the list and I am not sure if he has ever come out or not.  While I am on the subject of outing, there is a person that I know who is gay, but is living a lie and has a wife and two children and maintains a relationship with a man.  In addition, to having a powerful position where he sometimes hire young men that are overly qualified in all areas, but work the are to perform.   He also pastors a church while living on the down low.  To bad I cannot say any names.