Look To The Stars News: United Negro College Fund

Lionel Richie Honored By United Negro College Fund

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 13:00:00 -0000

Legendary singer Lionel Richie was honored with an Award of Excellence by the United Negro College Fund on Saturday night.

Celebrities such as Natalie Cole, Stevie Wonder, Akon, Katharine McPhee and comedian Cedric the Entertainer attended the 31st annual An Evening of Stars event, held at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium.

“[Richie] is a national treasure and we’re proud to claim him, not only as a graduate of our storied member school, Tuskegee University, but as an artist of international renown and longtime supporter of UNCF and the work we do to make sure that every child in America gets an education that starts in preschool and doesn’t end until college graduation,” said UNCF’s CEO Michael L. Lomax.

“It is such an honor to receive this award from UNCF,” said Lionel Richie. “I am a product of a Historically Black College and University (HBCU) and that experience has had a tremendous influence on my life. I understand the importance of a college education and the impact it can have on our children and our nation. I am honored to join stars like [”Aretha Franklin":http://www.looktothestars.org/celebrity/1621-aretha-franklin], Stevie Wonder, Lou Rawls, Quincy Jones, Smokey Robinson and Patti LaBelle who have received UNCF’s Award of Excellence and who support UNCF and its students."

The event will air nationwide on January 23rd and 24th, 2010 on BET Networks and WGN and on more than 40 stations in major cities.

Michael Jackson's This Is It Film To Be Released

Wed, 22 Jul 2009 13:00:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

It has been reported that a film is to be released of the final footage from Michael Jackson’s rehearsals for his This Is It concerts, with some of the proceeds to go to charity.

Sony Pictures is in final negotiations to acquire the film – at a price of $60 million – with 90% of the profits to go to the Jackson Estate, which will include a charity to be set up in the King of Pop’s name.

Jackson was a huge supporter of charities in his lifetime, and his family hopes to keep his memory alive with the new charity. The singer often visited underprivileged children and children affected by disasters and in hospitals, and worked with organizations such as the Jane Goodall Institute, the TJ Martell Foundation, the United Negro College Fund, the Michael Jackson Burn Center for Children, the Prince’s Trust, the Great Ormond Street Hospital, Childhelp USA, Ronald McDonald House Charities, Make-A-Wish Foundation, Boys’ and Girls’ Clubs of America, Children’s Defense Fund, Elizabeth Taylor’s AIDS Foundation and many more.

The film is set for release on October 30.

Michael Jackson's Charity Legacy

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 15:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Michael Jackson, who passed away last week, featured significantly on the pages of Look To The Stars. He was a passionate supporter of charity, and was honored by many different organizations for the work that he did and the compassion that he showed.

As well as writing We Are The World with Lionel Richie and helping to organize the United We Stand: What More Can I Give benefit concert in the wake of September 11, Jackson also donated the proceeds from a song to victims of Hurricane Katrina, often donated items to charity auctions, and was to donate some of the proceeds from his upcoming shows in London to charity. He set up a burns unit for children and also established the Heal The World Foundation, whose work has included airlifting 6 tons of supplies to Sarajevo, instituting drug and alcohol abuse education and donating millions of dollars to less fortunate children.

But this is only the tip of the iceberg. A comprehensive timeline of the late singer’s charitable work has been published by Jackson Action. The list includes his work with underprivileged children and children affected by disasters, visits to hospitals, and work with organizations such as the Jane Goodall Institute, the TJ Martell Foundation, the United Negro College Fund, the Michael Jackson Burn Center for Children, the Prince’s Trust, the Great Ormond Street Hospital, Childhelp USA, Ronald McDonald House Charities, Make-A-Wish Foundation, Boys’ and Girls’ Clubs of America, Children’s Defense Fund, Elizabeth Taylor’s AIDS Foundation and many more. It also details Jackson’s efforts to airlift 60,000 doses of children’s vaccines to Tblisi, Georgia, and his donations to hundreds of charities. To view the timeline, click here.

The charity world has lost a valuable supporter, and Look To The Stars extends our best wishes to Michael Jackson’s family, friends and fans.

Hill Harper Becomes A Scholarship Namesake

Thu, 19 Mar 2009 11:30:00 -0000

Written by Catrina K. Sally

CSI vet Hill Harper can now add scholarship namesake under his list of many achievements.

The talented star recently had an educational award created in his honor. The award is managed by the United Negro College Fund and will be an exclusive scholarship of the Boys’ and Girls’ Clubs of America. The Hill Harper Mentoring Scholarship will be granted to financially challenged college bound students.

Harper comments: “I am honored to have a scholarship that represents so much that I believe in named for me… at a time when [”President Obama":http://www.looktothestars.org/celebrity/998-barack-obama] is urging Americans to serve and First Lady Michelle Obama is asking us to consider making that service mentoring at-risk children."

Hill Harper is a dynamic force in the realm of celebrity charity. The actor is a prominent author and activist. His charity work includes leading the United Negro College Fund’s HBCU Empower Me Tour, serving as a Big Brothers Big Sisters mentor, and creating the MANifest Your Destiny foundation. His dedication to charity shows no signs of wavering. Look for more of Harper in the future.

Joss Stone, Anita Baker To Shine for UNCF's An Evening of Stars

Mon, 01 Sep 2008 12:30:00 -0000

Grammy-winning ladies of soul Anita Baker and Joss Stone are set to join Oscar winner Jennifer Hudson and American Idol winner Fantasia at the UNCF’s tribute to Patti LaBelle.

The UNCF’s 30th Anniversary An Evening of Stars® Tribute to Patti LaBelle Presented by Target promises to be a night to remember as the charity salutes Patti LaBelle before a live audience on Saturday, September 13, 2008 at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, California.

Also scheduled to sing Patti LaBelle’s praises will be the incomparable Dionne Warwick, the soulful Brian McKnight, the multi talented comic and singer Wayne Brady and gospel legend Yolanda Adams. Additional performers and an all-star cast of presenters, to be announced
later, will join UNCF’s salute to the soulful songbird during a two-hour tribute that will air in January 2009.

Patti LaBelle, who has been an active supporter of UNCF through her appearances on past AEOS® tributes and participation in numerous UNCF fundraising events, will be on hand to accept UNCF’s Award of Excellence, given in recognition of her distinguished career as an artist and for her longstanding support of UNCF. She joins the esteemed company of prior award honorees Lou Rawls, Quincy Jones, Steve Wonder, Aretha Franklin and Smokey Robinson.

Returning for his twelfth year as executive producer and director of An Evening of Stars® is five-time Emmy® winner Louis J. Horvitz. Horvitz and his team received the prestigious NAACP Image Award for a Tribute to Stevie Wonder benefiting the UNCF earlier in 2007.

In a career that has spanned more than three decades, Horvitz has helmed many high-profile programs, including “Fashion Rocks,” “VH-1 Concert for New York City” benefiting survivors of 9/11, and “Live Aid”.

Tickets to An Evening of Stars® Tribute to Patti LaBelle Presented by Target are now on sale at the Kodak Theatre box office, the Ticketmaster web site and at all Los Angeles area Ticketmaster locations. Ticket prices start at $28.

For more information on AEOS, visit www.uncf.org/aeos.

The United Negro College Fund is the nation’s oldest and most successful minority education assistance organization. Its mission is to increase minority degree attainment by providing financial support to its 39 member institutions, reducing financial barriers to college and serving as a national advocate for minority education. UNCF institutions and other historically black colleges and universities are highly effective, awarding 18 percent of African American baccalaureate degrees. UNCF administers more than 400 programs, including scholarship, internship and fellowship, mentoring, summer enrichment, and curriculum and faculty development programs. Today, UNCF supports more than 60,000 students at over 900 colleges and universities across the country. UNCF’s recently redesigned logo and brand identity feature UNCF’s torch of leadership in education and its widely recognized motto, “A mind is a terrible thing to waste.”® Learn more at www.UNCF.org.

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