Look To The Stars News: Alfre Woodard

Stars Record Nelson Mandela's Favorite Stories

Thu, 17 Jul 2008 15:30:00 -0000

In honor of Nelson Mandela’s 90th birthday this week, Artists for a New South Africa (ANSA) announced plans to produce an audiobook version of Nelson Mandela’s Favorite African Folktales, an award-winning book of legendary tales hand-picked by the Nobel Peace Prize laureate.

An array of celebrated performers are donating their talents to the charitable endeavor; those already signed on to voice stories include Gillian Anderson, America Ferrera, Whoopi Goldberg, Samuel L. Jackson, Alan Rickman, and Jurnee Smollett. Nobel laureate Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu will record a special message to the world’s children that will be featured on the audiobook.

Emmy/Golden Globe winner/Oscar nominee Alfre Woodard, who co-founded ANSA in 1989, will serve as Creative Director of the audiobook. She said, “I was privileged to be with Nelson Mandela recently in London, where he challenged us, saying, ‘…our work is far from complete. Where there is poverty and sickness, including AIDS, where human beings are oppressed, there is more work to be done…after nearly 90 years of life, it is time for new hands to lift the burdens. It is in your hands now.’ With this audiobook, ANSA pays tribute to our friend and our hero, Nelson Mandela, on his 90th birthday. It will take the hands of all mankind to lift that burden and carry on the work. We hope you will join in and support this effort.”

Proceeds from the audiobook – slated for a Summer 2009 release – will benefit the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund (NMCF), a South African organization founded in 1995 to improve the way society treats its children; and ANSA, which works in the U.S. and South Africa to combat HIV/AIDS, provide comprehensive assistance to children orphaned by HIV/AIDS, advance human rights, educate and empower at-risk youth and build bonds between both nations through arts, culture and the shared pursuit of social justice. Both organizations are working to address the impact of the AIDS pandemic on children in South Africa, which has more people living with HIV/AIDS and more children orphaned by the disease than any other country.

“We’re deeply grateful to our generous partners and to the gifted artists who are helping bring these remarkable stories to life,” said ANSA’s Executive Director Sharon Gelman. “Our goal is to create an audiobook that can be enjoyed by people around the world, increasing awareness of Africa’s rich cultural heritages and creating a better future for South Africa’s most vulnerable children.”

In his original foreword for the folktale collection, Nelson Mandela wrote, “It is my wish that the voice of the storyteller may never die in Africa, that all the children of the world may experience the wonder of books.” With the forthcoming audiobook edition of Nelson Mandela’s Favorite African Folktales, his vision comes full circle, as the timeless tales he selected return to the great oral tradition that allowed them to be passed down for centuries, and will now enlighten and entertain children of all ages the world over

Artists Come Out To Shake the Blues

Tue, 20 Nov 2007 15:17:52 -0000

Written by Crystal A. Johnson

The charity Artists for a New South Africa (ANSA) held its annual concert and auctions on Thursday November, 15, 2007 at the Wiltern Theatre in Los Angeles. The “Shaking the Blues” benefit supports ANSA’s work fighting HIV/AIDS in the U.S. and Africa, with a portion of the proceeds going to the Treatment Action Campaign, a grassroots organization at the forefront of South Africa’s fight against AIDS.

Among the celebrities in attendance were Blair Underwood, Eric Benet, Anthony Anderson, Alfre Woodard, Heroes star Jimmy Jean-Louis, and Grey’s Anatomy star James Pickens Jr. Event chairs include Jackson Browne, Morgan Freeman, Samuel L. Jackson, George Lopez, Carlos Santana’s wife Deborah, Alfre Woodard and Forest Whitaker.

Not only was a baseball signed by Hall of Famer Dave Winfield on hand at the silent auction, but Dave and his wife Tonya attended the event. Close friends with Samuel and Latonya Jackson, the Winfields hope to personally visit South Africa soon.

The musical line-up featured stirring performances by The Roots and friends, Erykah Badu with Edith Funker, Nikka Costa, Doyle Bramhall II, Keb Mo, and Taj Mahal. The Roots roused the crowd with a rendition of Bob Dylan’s Masters of War, and the audience rose for Erykah Badu’s performance of her classic On and On.

In keeping with many other recent celebrity events, acknowledgement was given to the writers’ strike; James Pickens Jr spoke of supporting the writers before he introduced the grand finale performance by Taj Mahal.

Movie and K-ville star Anthony Anderson served as auctioneer for the live auction. As Blair Underwood battled for a diamond earring lot, Anderson comically referred to him only as “the man with the orange leather jacket on”. Underwood’s counter-bidder upped the ante, requesting a date with her opponent be included along with the earrings, which she won at $9,000. Not only did Underwood accept, but he promised it would be a dinner at the world-famous restaurant Spagos.

To encourage higher bids on a private lunch with Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Anderson jokingly suggested that the winner could take a picture with Tutu and put it on Myspace.com to be the envy of their friends. The lunch went for $15,500.

Los Angeles-based non-profit organization ANSA was originally founded in 1989 by noted members of the entertainment community, with an initial goal of supporting the struggle against apartheid. Over time, the organization’s focus has shifted to the fight against the African AIDS pandemic, advancing democracy, and equality in South Africa.

The effort to raise money is not over. If you want help the cause their are several items available at the online auction. To bid on the online items: www.charityfolks.com/ansa.

ANSA Shakes the Blues With Stars in Los Angeles

Fri, 02 Nov 2007 08:42:33 -0000

On Thursday, November 15, 2007, Artists for a New South Africa (ANSA) will host “Shaking The Blues,” a star-studded benefit, at The Wiltern in Los Angeles. The evening combines the power of music and activism to shake off our blues – from the personal to the global – and make a difference in the world. The event will feature blues-influenced musical artists as well as a multi-cultural array of renowned entertainers who are donating their time and talents to the fight against HIV/AIDS in the US and Africa.

The event begins with a pre-show cocktail party for major donors at 6 PM. Shaking The Blues performances start at 7:45, immediately followed by a VIP after-party. Those confirmed to appear include Erykah Badu, Nikka Costa, Keb’ Mo’, Taj Mahal Trio and The Roots, with Ahmir “?uestlove” Thompson serving as the event’s musical director. Additional highlights include appearances by George Lopez, Jurnee Smollett, Blair Underwood and other special guest stars soon to be announced.

Shaking The Blues, which continues ANSA’s tradition of presenting one unique and extraordinary major fundraiser annually, is chaired by Dianna Cohen & Jackson Browne, Myrna Colley-Lee & Morgan Freeman, LaTanya Richardson Jackson & Samuel L. Jackson, Ann & George Lopez, Deborah Santana, Alfre Woodard & Roderick Spencer and Keisha Nash-Whitaker & Forest Whitaker Host committee members include J.J. Abrams, Gillian Anderson, Johnny Clegg, Danny Glover, Dulé Hill, Quincy Jones, Norman Lear, Lebo M, Alexandra Paul, Chris Rock, Cicely Tyson, Blair Underwood, Alice Walker, Denzel Washington and other luminaries.

“Last year, ANSA was honored to host the 75th birthday celebration for our dear friend and advisor Archbishop Desmond Tutu said ANSA’s Executive Director Sharon Gelman. “He embodies the belief that justice and love will ultimately triumph and maintains a remarkable sense of humor, even in the face of enormous challenges. It is activists like him who inspire us to shake off the blues and take action to fix our world. That’s the spirit of Shaking the Blues, which promises to be one of ANSA’s best events ever.”

Proceeds from the event will support ANSA’s work in the US and Africa. ANSA will also donate a portion of the proceeds to the Treatment Action Campaign, the grassroots organization that is at the forefront of South Africa’s fight against AIDS.

Tickets range from $45 to $100, and are available through Ticketmaster at www.ticketmaster.com and (213) 480-3232. For major donor and VIP tickets, ranging from $250 to $75,000, contact Blue Room Events: (310) 491-1401.

A Shaking The Blues online auction of one-of-a-kind items and experiences from President Bill Clinton, Denzel Washington, J.J. Abrams, Dulé Hill, and many others, launched October 29 at www.charityfolks.com/ansa.

ANSA is a Los Angeles-based nonprofit organization working to combat HIV/AIDS, safeguard voting rights and democracy, advance human rights and equality, and assist and empower AIDS orphans and other at-risk youth. By working in partnership with effective grassroots organizations and pivotal movements on the frontlines of these issues, ANSA makes a substantial difference. Founded in 1989 to support South Africa’s quest to end apartheid and build a new democracy, ANSA is now dedicated to eradicating social and health inequities that are the legacies of apartheid, segregation, and generations of poverty. In the past decade alone, ANSA has raised $9 million for effective African programs, shipped 70 tons of medical supplies and books to impoverished communities, and educated millions of adults and young people in the US, South Africa, and across the African continent about HIV/AIDS and voting rights. For more information go to www.ansafrica.org

AIDS Orphan Project in Running to Win $5M in American Express Contest

Tue, 17 Jul 2007 09:32:51 -0000

American Express Members Project, an online initiative for card-members to vote on ideas to make a positive impact in the world, announced results of elections for the Top 25 projects. Among the winners is Artists for a New South Africa’s innovative program “Help African Children Orphaned by AIDS,” the only orphan or AIDS effort in the Top 25.

ANSA’s initiative to Help African Children Orphaned by AIDS now has the chance to move into the Top 5. American Express card-members can vote online for ANSA’s project #6841 to help the charity win up to $5 million. Top 5 voting begins July 17 at 12:00 am EST and ends Sunday, July 22 at 11:50 pm EST. Card-members may vote once in each round.

ANSA’s project empowers African communities to care for orphans in their midst. South Africa has more people with HIV/AIDS and more AIDS orphans than any other country. Recognizing the magnitude of the crisis, ANSA brought together leading African AIDS and child welfare experts to develop It Takes A Village (ITV), a cost-effective method of delivering essential services to orphans. Implemented by local organizations, ITV’s pilot programs have operated successfully for three years in KwaZulu-Natal (South Africa’s hardest hit province), served over 5,000 orphans, and strengthened local capacity to provide vital services. ITV provides loving care, food, clothing, counseling, legal aid, medical assistance, and other essential help to an orphan for under 50 cents a day.

ITV was initiated with funds donated by Deborah and Carlos Santana. George Lucas, Samuel L. Jackson and LaTanya Richardson supported ITV with the 2005 Los Angeles fundraising premiere of Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith. In October 2006, the Santanas, Jacksons, Alfre Woodard, Jurnee Smollett, and CCH Pounder traveled to South Africa to witness ITV’s impact in Ingwavuma, a community where 40% of adults have HIV/AIDS.

ANSA is a U.S.-based nonprofit organization working in Africa and America to combat HIV/AIDS, assist AIDS orphans, empower at-risk youth, and advance human rights and democracy. Founded in 1989 to support South Africa’s quest for freedom, ANSA has raised $9 million for effective African nonprofits, shipped 70 tons of medical supplies and books to poor communities, and educated millions in the U.S. and Africa about HIV/AIDS and voting rights. Archbishop Desmond Tutu is the Honorary Chair of ANSA’s AIDS programs. President Nelson Mandela said, “We will never forget those who stood by us in our darkest days…You have become a part of the progress we are making…We are strengthened by the knowledge that Artists for a New South will be with us.”

American Express Members Project Top 5 will be announced July 24, and one more elimination round will follow, with the winning project announced August 7. American Express donates $1 for every cardholder who registers, up to $5 million. To vote, visit www.membersproject.com. For more information go to www.ansafrica.org.

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