Earlier this week, Oprah donated $12 million to the Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture. She also gave $1 million in 2007 and is a member of the advisory council. Oprah's gift is the largest to be received by the museum and it will name the 350-seat theater after her.
She said, "I am so proud of African American history and its contributions to
our nation as a whole. I am deeply
appreciative of those who paved the path for me and all who follow in
their footsteps. By investing in this museum, I want to help ensure that
we both honor and preserve our culture and history, so that the stories
of who we are will live on for generations to come.”
Now, we love our Oprah. She is worth $2.8 billion and Oprah critics aside (pipe down please), we can all agree that this is a great use of her millions.
The museum is set to open in late 2015.
A film about a former White House butler who served eight presidents struggled to get financial backers, until director Lee Daniels (Precious) approached wealthy African Americans for financing.
The film is inspired by Wil Haygood's Washington Post article about the life of Eugene Allen who served in the White House from 1952 to 1986. This butler was privy to much of the nation's recent history such as JFK's death, the Vietnam War, and the Civil Rights Movement.
Now that the film has its financial backers, it also has a list of big-name actors taking lead roles, and many taking reduced pay because they believe in this African American period drama.
Forest Whitaker (The Last King of Scotland, The Great Debators), stars as Cecil Gaines in the role of the butler, and his wife Gloria Gaines is portrayed by Oprah Winfrey (Beloved). Other butlers are played by Cuba Gooding, Jr. (Jerry Maguire) and Lenny Kravitz (Precious).
Robin Williams, John Cusack, Alan Rickman, Liev Shriver, and James Marsden play presidents Dwight D. Eisenhower, Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan, Lyndon B. Johnson, and John F. Kennedy, respectively. Their wives are played by Melissa Leo, Jane Fonda, and Minka Kelly.
Mariah Carey (Butterfly), Terrence Howard (Crash), Vanessa Redgrave (Julie), and Yaya DaCosta (America's Next Top Model), play smaller roles. Quincy Jones pens the original music for the film.
Look for the fall 2013 release of 'The Butler.'
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Tyler Perry will be creating two original scripted series for the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN). They will debut in 2013. Perry already has three television shows on TBS: House of Payne, Meet the Browns, and For Better or Worse.
The exclusive deal with OWN means that there will be no Tyler TV, the name of the cable network he had been shopping around to companies.
Although OWN has struggled since its start at the beginning of 2011, the ratings have improved in recent months.
SBW wonders if Perry will be dressing in drag for both series because there is enough mammification in his other projects. No need to contaminate OWN too.
More here.
Oprah Winfrey opened her Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls for underprivileged South African girls in 2007. Now 72 out of the 75 original girls are graduating with the help of her $40 million donation Saturday, January 14, 2012. South Africa is a nation still struggling from apartheid, and Winfrey has been committed to change the lives of those South African Woman.
"Every single girl is going to leave here with something greater to offer the world than her body." --Oprah Winfrey
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Earlier this week, Oprah donated $12 million to the Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture. She also gave $1 million in 2007 and is a member of the advisory council. Oprah's gift is the largest to be received by the museum and it will name the 350-seat theater after her. 
