Page 6 - Florida Sentinel 4-19-16 Edition

President Meets With Rappers And Entertainers On Criminal Justice Reform
First Lady Michelle Obama On Cover Of Seventeen Magazine
President Barack Obama greets singer Alicia Keys on Dec. 1, 2011, in Washington, D.C.
President Obama met privately with a group of so- cially conscious and highly influential rappers and singers on Friday at the White House to push for support of his My Brother’s Keeper platform, dedicated to helping young men and boys of color and criminal justice reform.
The Hill reports that rappers Busta Rhymes, Common, J. Cole, Wale, Ludacris and Chance the Rapper attended the meeting, in addition to singers Alicia Keys and Janelle Monae. Other outlets report that Nicki Minaj, TalibKweli, Pusha T and Rick Ross
Talib Kweli, Busta Rhymes, Pusha T and J. Cole leaving the White House after meeting with President Obama.
When was the last time you saw a First Lady on the cover of Seventeen magazine? Prob- ably never. First Lady Michelle Obama covers the May issue of the magazine, along with two lucky teenagers who won the chance to inter- view her.
In the interview, Gemma Busoni and Zaniya Lewis asked FLOTUS about the ad- vice she gave her own daugh- ters about picking the right university. The question is quite apropos because Malia Obama is graduating from high school next month.
“The one thing I’ve been telling my daughters is that I don’t want them to choose a name,” Mrs. Obama said. “I don’t want them to think, ‘Oh, I should go to these top schools.’ We live in a country where there are thousands of amazing universities. So the question is, what’s going to
First Lady on May cover of Seventeen Magazine.
work for you?”
The First Lady didn’t say
which college Malia has cho- sen, but since Malia has an eye toward the film industry, I’m quite sure it’ll be one with a great film program.
were in attendance. Senior adviser Valerie Jarrett and My Brother’s Keeper task force chairman Brod- erick Johnson also at- tended the meeting.
All of those invited have either been active in social justice movements or have formed non profit organiza- tions that fall in line with the goals of the organiza- tion, including Keys’ in- volvement around criminal justice.
“Many of these artists have lent their voices and platforms to promoting these issues.’’
The President has also tried to keep momentum be- hind a bipartisan coalition
looking to pass legislation in Congress that would reduce prison sentences for many non-violent drug offenders.
The White House sees the recording artists as allies who can help raise aware- ness on both issues during President Obama’s final year in office.
Keys recently launched an initiative to push law- makers to take up the crim- inal justice reform bill. She cut a video in February call- ing on Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) to pass the legislation.
Ludacris has set up a foundation aimed at pro- moting leadership and edu- cation for young people.
Pres. Obama Recruits Superstar Steph Curry For My Brother’s Keeper Initiative
If the activities from last week are any indication, Pres. Barack Obama plans to re- ally make his My Brother’s Keeper initiative a success before he leaves the White House.
The President
has been recruiting
and using African- American entertain-
ers and athletes to
drum up support of
the program, which focuses on Black male excellence and support, and this week re- leased a video with profes- sional basketball player Steph Curry on mentorship.
In the one-minute clip, President Obama beats the Golden State Warrior in a game of ... Connect Four, and drills down the importance of mentorship, one of the tenets of My Brother’s Keeper.
After a few scenes where the President helps Curry with
President Obama and Golden State Warrior superstar Steph Curry.
Pres. Obama, Under Armour's Kevin Plank Hit The Links Sunday In Baltimore County
What a Sunday in Balti- more County for the links — blue sky, low 70s, a spring afternoon with the com- mander-in-chief.
President Barack Obama and Under Armour CEO Kevin Plank played golf Sunday in Owings Mills, the Caves Valley Golf Club.
The motorcade of SUVs arrived early afternoon at the club, with 962 acres of hills, pastures, woods, wet- lands.
The other golfers paused to watch and photograph.
No matter those rules about cellphones allowed only in cars and private rooms.
Two White House aides played, too. The club has 33 overnight rooms, a library, two dining rooms, a dress code: after 6:30, jackets shall be worn to dinner. But Pres. Obama didn't stay.
He left in his blue polo shirt, baseball-style cap and khakis about 6:15 p.m.
An Under Armour spokes- woman confirmed Plank golfed with Pres. Obama. She did not say who won.
a resume, a science project, his jumper (ha!) and talks to him about his life, a voice over says, “You don’t need to have all the time or the answers to make a difference in some- one’s life. And you don’t need to be an NBA star or Presi- dent of the United States to be someone’s hero.”
The President then looks into the camera and says, “Support My Brother’s Keeper,” and Curry chimes in, “Be a mentor.”
White House News
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