The film is a treasure of exclusive interviews and live performances from the legendary arts and music festival FunkJazz Kafé. Diary also shares cerebral narratives on the status of black music peppered with commentary by a diverse field of aficionados such as Cee-Lo Green, Erykah Badu, George Clinton, Roy Ayers, Dick Gregory, Professor Griff, Jamie Foxx, Speech (Arrested Development), Dallas Austin, Chuck D, Cornel West and many more.

Over a decade in the making, Diary of A Decade’s premier screening was held this summer at the 2011 National Black Arts Festival in Atlanta to a packed audience at the Rialto Center for the Arts.

Pick up the Fall Savoy 2011 for an interview with the film’s Director/Producer and creator of FunkJazz Kafe Jason Orr.  For more information about Diary of a Decade or FunkJazz Kafé visit www.funkjazzkafe.com.

The second film from T.D. Jakes’ TDJ Enterprises “first look” partnership with Sony Pictures, “Jumping the Broom” landed in third behind big-budget films “Thor” and “Fast Five,” managing to outperform expectations despite heavy competition which included another wedding-themed romantic comedy. The film also marks a diversity milestone as what is likely the first major studio release featuring a predominantly African American cast, creative team and shepherded by an African American studio executive.

“We are ecstatic with the performance of ‘Jumping the Broom,’” said DeVon Franklin, vice president of production, Sony Pictures.  ”This is the second film under our tremendous partnership with T.D. Jakes and TDJE, and there will be many more to come!”

The successful opening weekend dispels misconceptions about the PG-13 rating and films with family-friendly themes, both widely viewed as box office hindrances for adult movies.  At the same time, “Jumping the Broom” introduces Jakes and TDJ Enterprises as a new force in Hollywood to share a stake of the Black family film market.

Leveraging a plethora of pre-existing relationships and social media networks to create a savvy, non-traditional marketing strategy helped this film to reverse trends and drive increased audiences to the theater, outpacing early estimates.

“I have known T.D. Jakes some 20 years, first in book publishing and now in film,” said Michael Lynton, chairman and CEO, Sony Pictures Entertainment.  ”He never ceases to amaze me with his ability to succeed in every forum of media.  It is a privilege and an honor to share this success with him in the film business.”

Boasting an all-star ensemble cast that includes Angela Bassett, Paula Patton, Laz Alonso, Loretta Devine, Meagan Good, Tasha Smith, Julie Bowen, Romeo Miller, DeRay Davis, Valarie Pettiford and Mike Epps, “Jumping the Broom” explores the cultural and spiritual challenges of abstinence, motherhood, family, and relationships alongside themes such as forgiveness, family secrets, and misperceptions.

“When DeVon Franklin presented this opportunity to inquire about my level of interest in the project, I read the script and became excited about making this movie under our ‘first look’ deal with Sony.  It was clear that we had something uniquely special,” said T.D. Jakes, CEO of TDJ Enterprises.  ”It has been an incredible blessing to work together with Tracey Edmonds, Glendon Palmer, Elizabeth Hunter, Curtis Wallace and Salim Akil in developing and producing ‘Jumping the Broom,’ a movie for which we are all very proud.”

Entertainment Weekly’s Owen Gleiberman, who graded the film with an “A-” described “Jumping the Broom” this way: “You’ll laugh – a lot – but you’ll also shed tears of recognition at this funny, salty, strife-torn look at the agony and ecstasy of family.”

“Jumping the Broom” is the third film produced by TDJ Enterprises. The two prior projects included the independently financed and produced “Woman Thou Art Loosed,” based on the national bestselling book and annual women’s conference, and “Not Easily Broken,” the first film under the company’s partnership with Sony.

Devon Franklin is a featured speaker at the upcoming Savoy Women’s Leadership Conference on June 16th. Visit our conference page by clicking here.

Conjure, the innovative new spirit from Chris “Ludacris” Bridges, announce that after an exceptional first full year of operations, the company has appointed new co-CEOs to oversee the company’s ongoing operations.

In addition to executing a national rollout in over 40 markets during its first full year, the brand achieved notable critical and commercial success. Conjure was the winner of Beverage Information Group’s Rising Star Award and a gold medalist in both the 2011 San Francisco World Spirits Competition and the 2011 Wine and Spirits Wholesalers of America Tasting Competition. Conjure also earned impressive reviews in leading publications, including, among others, The Tasting Panel and Wine Enthusiast. In the twelve-month period ending March 31, 2011, the brand has sold over 100,000 cases.

The company has appointed Kim Birkedal Hartmann and Jeff Dixon as its new co-CEOs. Both have served as Directors of the company since September 2010. Mr. Birkedal Hartmann is a fourth-generation wine and spirits producer out of France and Mr. Dixon is the co-founder of record label Disturbing tha Peace.

Mr. Birkedal Hartmann and Mr. Dixon, appointed in April 2011, are replacing Hans Holst and Paul-Andre Petersen of Birkedal Hartmann and Dr. Harry Kohlmann and Chris Mehringer of Park Street Advisors. Dr. Kohlmann and Mr. Mehringer, who stepped down earlier this year, oversaw the launch, operations build-out, and accelerated growth of the brand in the United States. Birkedal Hartmann and Park Street will remain investors in the company. Park Street Imports, LLC, an affiliate of Park Street Advisors, will continue to serve as the exclusive importer of Conjure Cognac in the United States.

Park Street’s Managing Partner, Dr. Kohlmann, adds, “We are proud to have been involved in such a successful brand launch and look forward to the continued success of Conjure.”

Premier celebrity choreographer and creative director to the stars Laurieann Gibson shares her expertise with many hopefuls as they embark on the moment of their lives in BORN TO DANCE: LAURIEANN GIBSON . The eight-episode series premieres Tuesday, August 2 at 10:00 PM*. With her successful career working with A-list performers from Sean “Diddy” Combs to Alicia Keys and currently the creative director behind megastar Lady Gaga, Laurieann joins forces with BET Networks to give the next generation of dancers a chance to realize their dreams.

BORN TO DANCE: LAURIEANN GIBSON chronicles the journey of 20 aspiring dancers in an intense chance of a lifetime dance competition. From week to week, Laurieann unleashes her hottest choreography and signature tough love to give these young dancers the tools they need to take their careers to the next level as they battle it out for the number one spot and the ultimate prize of $50,000.

BORN TO DANCE: LAURIEANN GIBSON is produced by BET with Executive Producers Laurieann Gibson and Ted & Perry Compan

In its Agency Report 2011, published on April 25, Advertising Age ranks multicultural advertising agency GlobalHue as the No. 1 African-American agency and the No. 2 Hispanic agency for 2010.

While this is the third consecutive year that GlobalHue has placed first on the African-American list, the agency’s second place on the Hispanic list is new, up from third place in 2009.

“We are honored to have achieved this position of industry leadership and wish to extend our thanks to our clients and staff for making it possible,” says Donald A. Coleman, founder and CEO of GlobalHue. “With large African-American and Hispanic segments, GlobalHue is the largest U.S. multicultural agency overall.”

Six Latin American countries are featured in the series: Brazil, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Mexico and Peru

The series is the third part of a trilogy which began 12 years ago with Wonders of the African World

Black in Latin America, a new four–part series on the influence of African descent on Latin America, is the 11th and latest documentary film from renowned Harvard scholar Henry Louis Gates, Jr. presenter and writer of the acclaimed PBS series African American Lives (2006), Oprah’s Roots (2007), African American Lives 2 (2008), Looking for Lincoln (2009) and Faces of America (2010).

Black in Latin America is the third of a trilogy that began in 1999 with the broadcast of Professor Gates’ first series for public television, Wonders of the African World, an exploration of the relationship between Africa and the New World, a story he continued in 2004 with America Beyond the Color Line, a report on the lives of modern-day African Americans. Black In Latin America, premiering nationally Tuesdays April 19, 26 and May 3, 10, 2011, at 8 p.m. (ET) on PBS (check local listings), examines how Africa and Europe came together to create the rich cultures of Latin America and the Caribbean.

Latin America is often associated with music, monuments and sun, but each of the six countries featured in Black in Latin America including Brazil, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Mexico and Peru, has a secret history. On his journey, Professor Gates discovers, behind a shared legacy of colonialism and slavery, vivid stories and people marked by African roots.

12.5 million Africans were shipped to the New World during the Middle Passage. While just over 11.0 million survived the arduous journey, only about 450,000 of them arrived in the United States. The rest—over ten and a half million—were taken to the Caribbean and Latin America and kept in bondage far longer than the slaves in the United States. This astonishing fact changes the entire picture of the history of slavery in the Western hemisphere, and of its lasting cultural impact. These millions of Africans created new and vibrant cultures, magnificently compelling syntheses of various African, English, French, Portuguese and Spanish influences.

Despite their great numbers, the cultural and social worlds that they created remain largely unknown to most Americans, except for certain popular, cross-over musical forms. In his new series, Professor Gates sets out on a quest to discover how Latin Americans of African descent live now, and how the countries acknowledge—or deny—their African past; how the fact of race and African ancestry play themselves out in the multicultural worlds of the Caribbean and Latin America. Starting with the slave experience and extending to the present, Professor Gates unveils the history of the African presence in six Latin American countries through art, music, cuisine, dance, politics and religion, but also the very palpable presence of anti-black racism that has sometimes sought to keep the black cultural presence from view.

Episode One: Haiti & the Dominican Republic: An Island Divided

In Haiti, Professor Gates tells the story of the birth of the first-ever black republic, and finds out how the slaves’ hard fought liberation over Napoleon Bonaparte’s French Empire became a double-edged sword. In the Dominican Republic, Professor Gates explores how race has been socially constructed in a society whose people reflect centuries of inter-marriage, and how the country’s troubled history with Haiti informs notions about racial classification.

Episode Two: Cuba: The Next Revolution

In Cuba, Professor Gates finds out how the culture, religion, politics and music of this Island are inextricably linked to the huge amount of slave labor imported to produce its enormously profitable 19th century sugar industry, and how race and racism have fared since Fidel Castro’s Communist revolution in 1959.

Episode Three: Brazil: A Racial Paradise?

In Brazil, Professor Gates delves behind the facade of Carnival to discover how this ‘rainbow nation’ is waking up to its legacy as the world’s largest slave economy.

Episode Four: Mexico & Peru: The Black Grandma in the Closet

In Mexico and Peru, Professor Gates explores the almost unknown history of the significant numbers of black people—the two countries together received far more slaves than did the United States —brought to these countries as early as the 16th and 17th centuries, and the worlds of culture that their descendants have created in Vera Cruz on the Gulf of Mexico, the Costa Chica region on the Pacific, and in and around Lima, Peru.

In Black in Latin America, Professor Gates’ journey becomes ours as viewers are introduced to the faces and voices of the descendants of the Africans who created these worlds. He shows the similarities and distinctions between these cultures, and how the New World manifestations are rooted in, but distinct from, their African antecedents. A quest he began 12 years ago with Wonders of the African World comes full-circle in Black in Latin America, an effort to discover how Africa and Europe combined to create the vibrant cultures of Latin America, with a rich legacy of thoughtful, articulate subjects whose stories are astonishingly moving and irresistibly compelling.

The Savoy Women’s Leadership Conference delivers an empowering day, with substance and style that will connect you with resources and connections that celebrate the leader in all of us.

ING’s has partnered with Savoy as the title sponsor for the conference.  Wells Fargo has also joined the conference as a sponsor of this dynamic day of programming dedicated to Women’s leadership.

Registration for the conference will begin soon.  Sign up for our newsletter to receive the latest announcements regarding the 2011 Savoy Women’s Leadership Conference.

To categorize Hill as multifaceted understates the depths of his talent and intellect. A distinguished veteran of film and television, he has delivered distinct performances in film including Spike Lee’s Get on the Bus, The Visit, Lackawanna Blues and many more. In 2010, Hill proudly joined the star-studded cast of the highly anticipated screen adaptation of For Colored Girls. Since 2004, Hill has starred on CSI:NY as Dr. Sheldon Hawkes – a role that has earned him three NAACP Image Awards.

While in Boston attending Harvard, Hill joined a black theater group, perfecting his craft and realized that acting was something he did well and enjoyed. “I was going to graduate from law school with a lot of student loan debt. I decided to go take a job as a lawyer, make a high salary and pay off my student loans. Then I would go do what I wanted if I decided to make a change.” Hill’s decision to pursue acting was influenced by words of wisdom he received from a dying uncle.

“My uncle said to me that in life, if you are making any decision based solely on money, it’s the wrong decision. Money can be a factor in the decision, but if it is the only reason it’s the wrong decision,” Hill said as he reflected upon the defining moment. “That did it for me, I went on to pursue acting in New York and became one of the most over educated waiters ever to work at a late night diner.”

Hill’s journeyman approach toward success as an actor has forged a resume of important work on memorable television and film projects with some of the biggest names in Hollywood. “A lot of actors that inspired me, I’m proud to have had an opportunity to work with like Denzel Washington and Morgan Freeman. The late Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee are the epitome of what we can be as artists. They were so much more than great actors. They were leaders in their community. They were activists. They were people who were loved and spread love to others. I had the opportunity to work with Mr. Davis during the filming of Spike Lee’s Get on the Bus. Mr. Davis and I sat next to each other during most of the filming because we were actually on a bus. He would tell me stories about Godfrey Cambridge and Paul Robeson and shared things that spoke to my heart and made me proud to be a part of this fraternity of actors. Ossie Davis and Paul Robeson represent for me the greatest of what I aspire to be.”

In 2006, with CSI: NY on the air and a busy career, Hill published Letters to a Young Brother (Gotham Publishing) and the book made the NY Times Best Sellers list much to his surprise. “I wrote the first book because a lot of young brothers were writing to me and reaching out to me expressing a need for mentorship and I couldn’t keep up. So I decided I was just going to write something that speaks to what these young brothers were asking me and get it out to them. That way there would be mentorship on paper.” Hill experienced challenges while trying to find a publisher for a mentoring based book targeted towards young black men. “When I went to publishing companies I experienced true institutionalized prejudice. They would say, Hill we are a for profit company. We don’t do charity books. Hill, you are pitching us a book for a population that doesn’t read. I was so insulted by that response. But then I was so proud to partner with Gotham books, a division of Penguin who established a great track record with a book called The Pact in 2003, about three young African American men that made a pact to become doctors and succeeded.” With a growing literary audience, Hill continues to write, delivering Letters to a Young Sister: DeFINE Your Destiny in 2008 and The Conversation in 2009.

Book signings, social media, promotional tours and speaking engagements have allowed Hill to understand how being an author and celebrity impacts and influences people. “Every one of us as celebrities must be completely aware of the influence we have positive or negative. For a celebrity to walk around and say, I’m no one’s role model is asinine and crazy. Having published these books, one thing that’s been proven to me is that young people are watching everything we do on the screen and off the screen. Everything. They model our behavior.”

“If we are given this platform as celebrities, how are we using that platform? Are you using it to do good? Are you using it do negative things? Often times the microscope is even sharper when it comes to African-American celebrities because our community looks toward our celebrities and lifts them up in a way other celebrities are not.” Although Hill has chosen to be a political and social activist, he doesn’t expect the same from everyone else. However, he holds strong opinions on the accountability of celebrity. “There is a responsibility that comes along with the platform and power of celebrity. If you are actively monetizing your platform of celebrity, then there is a responsibility that comes along with that monetization in my opinion.”

In the 2008 Presidential election, Hill was a vocal and visible supporter of now President Barack Obama throughout the campaign. The two were classmates at Harvard Law School and views the progression of his Presidential friendship as not much of a surprise. “You have to understand that Harvard Law School is a pretty competitive place. A lot of people who go there expect or think they are going to be President of the United States. It’s almost like, Ok, yeah that’s supposed to happen. So in that context there wasn’t an ‘oh-wow’ or ‘I can’t believe it’ factor when he became President. There was however the ‘oh-wow I can’t believe it’ factor because the right result happened in the election.” Post election, Hill is supportive of President Obama’s performance. “President Obama is an extremely intelligent, hard working person who really cares about this country. I feel great having someone like that in the White House because I know every morning he’s getting up bright and early working towards the best interest of all of us. Sometimes his results aren’t what you want because there are a lot of things the President can’t impact completely and a lot of things beyond his control. But he’s working hard and applying his intelligence to solving problems and I’m really proud of that.”

When Hill heard about Tyler Perry directing the film adaptation of For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow Is Enuf by Ntozake Shange he knew he had to be a part of the project. “I asked my agent to beg and plead, and beg and plead Tyler Perry to allow me to be in the film. For Colored Girls is a legendary piece of material. Certain things come along in one’s career that you want to be a part of. This is a women’s film and men are the supporting characters while the women and their stories are the stars. Ntozake Shange created a story when she wrote the play about promise, passion, betrayal, pain and redemption. Tyler Perry has done a phenomenal job. As an actor, often times you know when you are doing a project that’s special. There’s no question when we were shooting For Colored Girls, everyone including the crew knew it was special. I went to a screening and it’s an incredibly powerful piece of work I’m proud to be a part of. ”

Hill Harper continues to expand and develop by pursuing new mediums to avoid being defined by a category or title as an artist. “Courage is one of my favorite words. The root of the etymology of courage is ‘cour’ which means heart. I hope that over the next number of years as I mature that I will have courage and heart to do the things that aren’t the easiest, safest or most popular. But rather things that are right, true and necessary. That goes for personal decisions and professional decisions. Hopefully I can have the courage to continue to make new and different choices to challenge myself and in so doing inspire others to do the same.”