Editorials. Duckie Thot. Yaya Deng. Akual-chels Ring. Deel Ojulu. Laud Magazine. Images by Thom Ke

Editorials. Duckie Thot. Yaya Deng. Akual-chels Ring. Deel Ojulu. Laud Magazine. Images by Thom Ke
"ELLE" Editorials. Duckie Thot. Yaya Deng. Akual-chels Ring. Deel Ojulu. Laud Magazine. by Thom Kerr

Wednesday, January 18, 2017

My top list of "Black Power Couples"


Ladies and Gents have you met someone that inspires you just like I have, to be in a God created marriage and become a powerful institution.
The kind of union where each individuals know and respect their roles but also nurture and add to the power already within yourself.
I wanted to remind you that you don’t have to be a celeb in order to be a power couple.

Let me introduce you to my new favorite Afro-American top list. A new generation of black powerful leaders, entertainers, actors, business men, athletes etc...... the new influential, unstoppable and unbreakable. They are here to help and give back to others less fortunate. The truth is! to be a great couple, we need to teamwork to make the dream work.

The commitment to drive towards the same direction is key! Marriage is a partnership, not only to build a family but also to impact lives.
So boyfriends and girlfriends go tie the knot and for the ones already married, keep on inspiring us.


When you think about power couples, people like President Barack and First Lady Michelle Obama most likely come to mind. Farewell 1st family!



 Other power couples include:

Isabel Dos Santos and Sindika Dokolo

Isabel dos Santos (born 20 April 1973) is an Angolan investor considered by Forbes to be the richest woman not only in Angola, but the whole of Africa. In 2013, according to research by Forbes, her net worth had reached more than three billion US dollars, making her Africa’s first billionaire woman. She is the daughter of Angola's President José Eduardo dos Santos, who has ruled the country since 1979.

Sindika Dokolo (born 16 May 1972 in Kinshasa, Zaire, now Democratic Republic of Congo) is a Congolese art collector and businessman. He owns one of the most important contemporary African art collections, which includes more than 3,000 pieces.
He was brought up in Belgium and France by his parents: bank owner, millionaire and passionate for African arts, Augustin Dokolo and his Danish wife Hanne Kruse. He attended the Lycée Saint-Louis-de-Gonzague in Paris from which he graduated, later he studied economics, commerce and foreign languages at the Pierre and Marie Curie University in Paris.
In 2002, he married Isabel dos Santos, the eldest daughter of José Eduardo dos Santos, President of Angola.



Gabrielle Union and Dwade

Gabrielle Monique Union-Wade (born October 29, 1972) is an American actress. She began her career in 1990s, appearing on television sitcoms, before landing supporting roles in teen comedy films She's All That and 10 Things I Hate About You (1999). Her breakthrough role was in the 2000 teen comedy film Bring It On, after which she was female lead in the short-lived CBS medical drama series City of Angels later that year.
Union is best known for her performances in the romantic comedy films The Brothers (2001), Deliver Us from Eva (2003), Daddy's Little Girls (2007), Think Like a Man (2012) and Think Like a Man Too (2014). She also had starring roles in Bad Boys II (2003), Cradle 2 the Grave (2003), the critically acclaimed Neo Ned (2005), Cadillac Records (2008), and Top Five (2014). In 2013, Union began starring as lead character in the BET drama series Being Mary Jane, for which she has received critical acclaim and an NAACP Image Award. She co-starred in film The Birth of a Nation (2016), and will next appear in Almost Christmas and Sleepless.

Dwyane Tyrone Wade Jr. (born January 17, 1982) is an American professional basketball player for the Chicago Bulls of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He has established himself as one of the most well-known and popular players in the league. Wade had the top-selling jersey in the NBA for nearly two years, leading the league in jersey sales from the 2005 NBA Playoffs, until the midpoint of the 2006–07 season.
After a successful college career at Marquette, Wade was drafted fifth overall in the 2003 NBA draft by the Miami Heat. He was named to the All-Rookie team and the All-Star team the following twelve seasons. In his third season, Wade led the Heat to their first NBA championship in franchise history and was named the 2006 NBA Finals MVP. At the 2008 Summer Olympics, Wade led the United States men's basketball team, commonly known as the "Redeem Team", in scoring, and helped them capture gold medal honors in Beijing, China. In the 2008–09 season, Wade led the league in scoring and earned his first NBA scoring title. With LeBron James and Chris Bosh, Wade guided Miami to four consecutive NBA Finals from 2011 to 2014, winning back-to-back championships in 2012 and 2013. In 2016, Wade departed the Heat in free agency to play for the Chicago Bulls.





Alicia keys and Swizz

Alicia Augello Cook (born January 25, 1981), known by her stage name Alicia Keys, is an American singer, songwriter, pianist and actress. Keys released her debut album with J Records, having had previous record deals first with Columbia and then Arista Records. Keys' debut album, Songs in A Minor, was a commercial success, selling over 12 million copies worldwide. She became the best-selling new artist and best-selling R&B artist of 2001. The album earned Keys five Grammy Awards in 2002, becoming the second American singer to win five Grammys in one night. It produced her first Billboard Hot 100 number-one single "Fallin'" which won Song of the Year. Her sophomore album, The Diary of Alicia Keys, was released in 2003, spawning successful singles "You Don't Know My Name", "If I Ain't Got You" and "Diary", and selling eight million copies worldwide. The duet song "My Boo" with Usher, scored her a second number-one single in 2004. The album garnered her an additional four Grammy Awards in 2005. Later that year, she released her first live album, Unplugged, which debuted at number one in the United States. She became the first woman to have an MTV Unplugged album to debut at number one and the highest since Nirvana in 1994.
Keys has made guest appearances on several television series, beginning with The Cosby Show and most recently on season 2 of Empire. She made her film debut in Smokin' Aces and also went on to appear in The Nanny Diaries in 2007. Her third studio album, As I Am, was released in the same year and sold five million copies worldwide, earning Keys an additional three Grammy Awards. It produced the Hot 100 number-one single "No One". The following year, she appeared in The Secret Life of Bees, which earned her a nomination at the NAACP Image Awards. She released her fourth album, The Element of Freedom, in December 2009, which became Keys' first chart-topping album in the United Kingdom. Keys additionally collaborated with Jay Z on "Empire State of Mind" as a featuring vocalist, winning a Grammy Award as Best Rap/Sung Collaboration in 2010. It became her fourth number-one single on the Hot 100. She released her fifth album, Girl on Fire, in November 2012, which became Keys' fifth chart-topping album on the Billboard 200, spawning the successful single "Girl On Fire." Keys released her second live album, VH1 Storytellers, in June 2013.
Throughout her career, Keys has won numerous awards such as 15 Grammy Awards, and has sold over 35 million albums and 30 million singles worldwide. Billboard magazine named her the top R&B songs artist of the 2000s decade. In 2010, VH1 included Keys on its list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time. Billboard magazine placed her number ten on their list of Top 50 R&B/Hip-Hop Artists of the Past 25 Years. In February 2012, Keys was ranked 14th on VH1's 100 Greatest Women in Music list. Keys was ranked at number thirty-three on VH1's "50 Greatest Women of the Video Era" list and number 10 on their "100 Sexiest Artists" list.

Kasseem Dean (born September 13, 1978), better known by his stage name Swizz Beatz, is an American hip hop recording artist and record producer from New York City, New York. Born and raised in The Bronx, he began his musical career as a disc jockey (DJ) and has since added rapper, producer, record executive, creative director and fashion designer, to his repertoire. At the age of 16, he gained recognition in the hip hop industry, through his friendship and work with East Coast rapper DMX and the Ruff Ryders Entertainment record label.
Dean later found a protégé in Philadelphia-based rapper Cassidy, whose success helped the launch of his own label imprint, Full Surface Records. He went on to sign multiple artists to the label, including Eve and Bone Thugs-n-Harmony, among others. Dean also went on to release two albums under the label; the first was a compilation, titled Swizz Beatz Presents G.H.E.T.T.O. Stories, released in 2002, in conjunction with DreamWorks Records. He later released his debut studio album, One Man Band Man, in 2007.
Swizz Beatz has produced multiple hit singles for several prominent artists throughout various music genres, such as hip hop, pop, soul and R&B. His catalog includes "Ruff Ryders' Anthem" (DMX), "Banned from T.V." (Noreaga), "Gotta Man" (Eve), "Jigga My Nigga" (Jay-Z), "Party Up (Up in Here)" (DMX), "Check on It", "Ring the Alarm" (Beyoncé), "Good Times" (Styles P), "Bring 'Em Out" (T.I.), "Hotel", "I'm a Hustla" (Cassidy), "Touch It" (Busta Rhymes) and much more.
Swizz Beatz was named the first "Producer in Residence" at New York University, for the 2010–11 academic year. About.com ranked him number 27 on its list of the "Top 50 Greatest Hip-Hop Producers," while The Source placed him on its list of the "20 greatest producers" in the magazine's 20-year history. Fellow American rapper and music producer Kanye West has also praised Dean, calling him "the best rap producer of all time." Dean is married to American singer Alicia Keys, with whom he has two children.



 Jay-Z and Beyonce

Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4, 1969),best known as his stage name Jay Z, is an American rapper, businessman, and investor. Formerly known as Jay-Z, he is one of the best-selling musicians of all time, having sold more than 100 million records, while receiving 21 Grammy Awards for his music.[7][8][9] MTV ranked him the "Greatest MC of all time" in 2006. Rolling Stone ranked three of his albums—Reasonable Doubt (1996), The Blueprint (2001), and The Black Album (2003)—among the 500 greatest albums of all time. In 2014, Forbes estimated his net worth at nearly $520 million, making him one of the richest hip hop artists in the U.S.
Jay Z co-owns the New York 40/40 Club sports bar, and is the co-creator of the clothing line Rocawear. He is the former president of Def Jam Recordings, co-founder of Roc-A-Fella Records, and the founder of the entertainment company Roc Nation. He also founded the sports agency Roc Nation Sports and is a certified NBA and MLB sports agent. As an artist, he holds the record for most number one albums by a solo artist on the Billboard 200 with 13.He has also had four number ones on the Billboard Hot 100, one as lead artist. In 2009 he was ranked the tenth-most successful artist of the 2000s by Billboard as well as the fifth top solo male artist and fourth top rapper behind Eminem, Nelly, and 50 Cent. He was also ranked the 88th-greatest artist of all time by Rolling Stone.
Jay Z married American R&B singer Beyoncé in 2008. Their daughter, Blue Ivy Carter, was born on January 7, 2012.


Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter ( born September 4, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter and actress. Born and raised in Houston, Texas, she performed in various singing and dancing competitions as a child and rose to fame in the late 1990s as lead singer of R&B girl-group Destiny's Child. Managed by her father, Mathew Knowles, the group became one of the world's best-selling girl groups of all time. Their hiatus saw the release of Beyoncé's debut album, Dangerously in Love (2003), which established her as a solo artist worldwide, earned five Grammy Awards and featured the Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles "Crazy in Love" and "Baby Boy".
Following the disbandment of Destiny's Child in 2006, she released her second solo album, B'Day (2006), which contained hits "Déjà Vu", "Irreplaceable", and "Beautiful Liar". Beyoncé also ventured into acting, with a Golden Globe-nominated performance in Dreamgirls (2006) and starring roles in The Pink Panther (2006) and Obsessed (2009). Her marriage to rapper Jay Z and portrayal of Etta James in Cadillac Records (2008) influenced her third album, I Am... Sasha Fierce (2008), which saw the birth of her alter-ego Sasha Fierce and earned a record-setting six Grammy Awards in 2010, including Song of the Year for "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)". Beyoncé took a hiatus from music in 2010 and took over management of her career; her fourth album (2011) was subsequently mellower in tone, exploring 1970s funk, 1980s pop, and 1990s soul. Her critically acclaimed fifth album, Beyoncé (2013), was distinguished from previous releases by its experimental production and exploration of darker themes. With the release of Lemonade (2016), Beyoncé became the first artist to have their first six studio albums debut at number one on the Billboard 200 chart.
Throughout a career spanning 19 years, she has sold over 100 million records as a solo artist, and a further 60 million with Destiny's Child, making her one of the best-selling music artists of all time. She has won 20 Grammy Awards and is the most nominated woman in the award's history. She is the most awarded artist at the MTV Video Music Awards, with 24 wins. The Recording Industry Association of America recognized her as the Top Certified Artist in America during the 2000s (decade). In 2009, Billboard named her the Top Radio Songs Artist of the Decade, the Top Female Artist of the 2000s (decade) and handed their Millennium Award in 2011. In 2014, she became the highest-paid black musician in history and was listed among Time's 100 most influential people in the world for a second year in a row. Forbes listed her as the most powerful female in entertainment of 2015, and in 2016 she occupied the sixth place for Person of the Year.



Leila and Osi Umenyiora

Leila Luliana da Costa Vieira Lopes (born 26 February 1986) is an Angolan actress, model and beauty queen who won the titles of Miss Angola UK 2010, Miss Angola 2010 and Miss Universe 2011. Prior to being a contestant in beauty pageants, she studied business management at University Campus Suffolk in Ipswich, England. Lopes is actively involved in raising awareness about HIV/AIDS and the discrimination that people with the disease experience.

Ositadimma "Osi" Umenyiora (born November 16, 1981) is a Nigerian-American former defensive end born in England who played in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for Troy University and was drafted by the New York Giants in the second round of the 2003 NFL Draft. Umenyiora was a two-time Pro Bowl selection and holds the Giants franchise record for most sacks in one game. He is one of four British-born players to have won a Super Bowl, joining Marvin Allen, Scott McCready and former Giants teammate Lawrence Tynes.



Diamond Platnumz and Zari Hassan

Naseeb Abdul Juma (born 2 October 1989), popularly known by his stage name Diamond Platnumz (or simply Diamond), is a Bongo Flava recording artist and singer from Tanzania. He is best known for his hit song "Number One". Diamond has won numerous awards at Channel O and the HiPHop Music Awards. He performed at the Big Brother Africa 7 eviction show in May 2012. Diamond is considered influential among his fans, and is said to be the most loved and decorated Tanzanian artist at the moment. He was believed to be the highest selling Tanzanian artist of ringtones by mobile phone companies in 2013, as well as being among the artists earning the highest income in the African Great Lakes region's music industry.

Zari (Zarinah Hassan) is a Ugandan musician. 
Her heritage involves many countries, her grandfather on her moms’ side is Indian and her grandmother Ugandan, her grandfather on her dads’ side is Somalian and her grandmother a Burundian.





2face Idibia and Annie

Innocent Ujah Idibia (born in Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria), better known by his stage name 2face Idibia, or 2Baba, is a Nigerian singer-songwriter, record producer and entrepreneur. He officially discontinued the use of the name Tuface and selected 2baba or Tu-baba as his stage name. He is one of the most decorated and successful Afro pop artists in Africa. He is also one of the most bankable artists in Africa.
2Face has received one MTV Europe Music Award, one World Music Award, five Hindies Awards (Hip-hop award), four Channel O Music Video Awards and one BET award for his musical work, four MTV Africa Music Awards, one MOBO award, one KORA award, and numerous additional nominations.



Adewale Ogunleye and Dr Amira Baker-Ogunleye

Adewale Ogunleye (born August 9, 1977) is a former Former NFL American football defensive end who played eleven seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He was signed by the Miami Dolphins as an undrafted free agent in 2000. He played college football at Indiana.
Adewale Ogunleye, from Emure, Ekiti State, has been involved with several female celebrities - Sanaa Lathan and Kelis during his football prime. But now he is happily married. He also holds a Masters in Business Administration, while his wife, Amira owns few dental practice in Miami that is frequented by celebrities.




Carmelo and LaLa

Carmelo Kyam Anthony (born May 29, 1984) is an American professional basketball player for the New York Knicks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Anthony attended Towson Catholic High School and Oak Hill Academy before playing college basketball at Syracuse. In Anthony's freshman season, he led the Orangemen to their first and only National Championship and was named the NCAA Tournament's Most Outstanding Player. Anthony then entered the 2003 NBA draft where he was selected with the third overall pick by the Denver Nuggets.
Since entering the NBA, Anthony has been named an All-Star nine times and an All-NBA Team member six times. While playing for Denver, he led the Nuggets to the playoffs every year from 2004 to 2010, winning two division titles in that span. In 2009, Anthony led the Nuggets to their first Conference Finals appearance since 1985. In 2011, he was traded from Denver to the New York Knicks just days prior to the NBA trade deadline. On January 24, 2014, against the Charlotte Bobcats, Anthony set the Madison Square Garden and Knicks' single-game scoring record with a career-high 62 points.
Anthony has been a member of the USA Olympic basketball team a record four times, winning a bronze medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics and gold medals at the 2008, 2012, and 2016 Summer Olympics. He is the United States Olympic men's national basketball team all-time leading scorer,leader in rebounds and games played.




Will and Jada Pinkett Smith

 Jada Koren Pinkett–Smith (/ˌdə ˌpɪŋkt ˈsmɪθ/; née Pinkett; born September 18, 1971)[1] is an American actress, dancer, singer-songwriter, and businesswoman. She began her career in 1990, when she made a guest appearance in the short-lived sitcom True Colors. She starred in A Different World, produced by Bill Cosby, and she featured opposite Eddie Murphy in The Nutty Professor (1996). She starred in dramatic films such as Menace II Society (1993) and Set It Off (1996). She has appeared in more than 20 films in a variety of genres, including Scream 2, Ali, The Matrix Reloaded, The Matrix Revolutions, Madagascar, Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa, and Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted.
Pinkett Smith launched her music career in 2002, when she helped create the metal band Wicked Wisdom, for which she is a singer and songwriter. Smith also created a production company, in addition to authoring a book, published in 2004.
In 1997, she married actor Will Smith. They have two children, Jaden and Willow.

Willard Carroll "Will" Smith Jr. (born September 15, 1968) is an American actor, producer, rapper, and songwriter. In April 2007, Newsweek called him "the most powerful actor in Hollywood". Smith has been nominated for five Golden Globe Awards and two Academy Awards, and has won four Grammy Awards.
In the late 1980s, Smith achieved modest fame as a rapper under the name The Fresh Prince. In 1990, his popularity increased dramatically when he starred in the popular television series The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. The show ran for six seasons (1990–96) on NBC and has been syndicated consistently on various networks since then. After the series ended, Smith transitioned from television to film, and ultimately starred in numerous blockbuster films. He is the only actor to have eight consecutive films gross over $100 million in the domestic box office, eleven consecutive films gross over $150 million internationally, and eight consecutive films in which he starred open at the number one spot in the domestic box office tally.
Smith has been ranked as the most bankable star worldwide by Forbes. As of 2014, 17 of the 21 films in which he has had leading roles have accumulated worldwide gross earnings of over $100 million each, five taking in over $500 million each in global box office receipts. As of 2016, his films have grossed $7.5 billion at the global box office. For his performances as boxer Muhammad Ali in Ali (2001) and stockbroker Chris Gardner in The Pursuit of Happyness (2006), Smith received nominations for the Academy Award for Best Actor.




 Ciara and Russel Wilson

Ciara Princess Wilson (née Harris; born October 25, 1985), known mononymously as Ciara, is an American singer, songwriter, record producer and actress. Born in Austin, Texas, she traveled around the world during her childhood, eventually moving to Atlanta, Georgia where she joined the girl group Hearsay (not to be confused with the British group Hear'Say); however, the group disbanded after having differences. It was at this time Ciara was noticed for her songwriting. In 2002, Ciara met music producer Jazze Pha. With his help, she signed a record deal with LaFace Records.
In 2004, Ciara released her debut studio album Goodies, which spawned three hit singles: "Goodies", "1, 2 Step", and "Oh". The album was certified triple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), and earned her four nominations at the 48th Annual Grammy Awards. She released her second studio album, Ciara: The Evolution, in 2006 which spawned the hit singles "Get Up", "Promise", and "Like a Boy". The album reached number one in the U.S. and was certified platinum.
Her third studio album, Fantasy Ride, released in 2009, was considerably less successful than Ciara's first two albums. However, it produced the international top-ten single "Love Sex Magic" featuring Justin Timberlake, which earned her a Grammy Award nomination for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals. The following year, Ciara released her fourth studio album Basic Instinct, which was met with low sales and continued a downward trend in her commercial performance. In 2011, she signed a new record deal with Epic Records, and released her self-titled fifth studio album, Ciara, in 2013 which was preceded by the U.S. R&B/Hip-Hop top-ten single"Body Party". In 2015, Ciara released her sixth album Jackie, which included the singles "I Bet" and "Dance Like We're Making Love". The album debuted at number 17 on the Billboard 200 and sold 19,000 copies, which made it her lowest first-week album sales to date.
Ciara has also transitioned into acting in 2006 she made her film debut it All You've Got, followed by Mama, I Want to Sing! (2012) and That's My Boy (2012). In 2013, Ciara had a recurring role in the US TV series, The Game. Since making her musical debut in 2004, Ciara has attained eight Billboard Hot 100 top-ten singles, including a number one. She has also earned numerous awards and accolades, including three BET Awards, three MTV Video Music Awards, three MOBO Awards, and one Grammy Award. To date, Ciara has sold over 23 million records worldwide.

Russell Carrington Wilson (born November 29, 1988) is an American football quarterback for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League (NFL).
Wilson played college football for the University of Wisconsin during the 2011 season, in which he set the single season FBS record for passing efficiency (191.8) and led the team to a Big Ten title and the 2012 Rose Bowl.Wilson played football and baseball for North Carolina State University from 2008 to 2010 before transferring to Wisconsin. Wilson also played minor league baseball for the Tri-City Dust Devils in 2010 and the Asheville Tourists in 2011 as a second baseman.
Wilson was selected by the Seattle Seahawks with the 12th pick in the third round (75th overall) of the 2012 NFL Draft. In 2012 he tied Peyton Manning's record for most passing touchdowns by a rookie (26) and was named the Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Year. In 2013, he led the Seahawks to their first ever Super Bowl victory, and in 2014, led them to a second straight Super Bowl berth. Wilson has won more games (46) than any other NFL quarterback in his first four seasons, and is currently the second highest rated NFL passer of all time behind Aaron Rodgers. On July 31, 2015, Wilson signed a four-year, $87.6 million contract extension with the Seahawks, making him at the time the second highest paid player in the NFL.





AKA and Bonang Matheba

Bonang Matheba (born June 25, 1987) is a South African business woman, television & radio personality. She is well known for being the host of the popular SABC 1 music show Live. She also hosts SABC3's premium lifestyle and travel magazine series, Top Billing and its sister show, Afternoon Express. Bonang is currently the host on "The Front Row" a radio show on SABC's Metro FM. She will be on the next cover of our beloved 2nd issue of Afropolitain Magazine (www.afropolitain-magazine.com) go get your copy and don't forget to participate and leave comments.

Kiernan Jarryd Forbes, known by his stage name AKA, is a South African hip hop recording artist and record producer. He is a multiple award nominee and winner, both internationally and locally. His break through came after the release of his single, Victory Lap, followed by its remix, with features such as Khuli Chana. On the back of this, he released his first album, Altar Ego, which became a great success. He has grown to become one of the most significant hip hop artists in Africa. He is respected for his contribution to the growth of hip hop and the foundation of a legacy in Africa. He has influenced many and even stirred controversies with his intimidating and unique skill. His rise has been rapid, and he is popularly considered a young living legend. He recently started dating Bonang Matheba, the South African TV and radio personality, entrepreneur and model. Since their relationship became public, the couple have received widespread media attention. This has led to a synergistic relationship, and the two are often perceived as one of Africa's power couples.





Pauletta and Denzel Washington

Denzel Hayes Washington Jr. (born December 28, 1954)[1] is an American actor, director, and producer. He has received three Golden Globe awards, a Tony Award, and two Academy Awards: Best Supporting Actor for the historical war drama film Glory (1989) and Best Actor for his role as a corrupt cop in the crime thriller Training Day (2001).
Washington has received much critical acclaim for his film work since the 1980s, including his portrayals of real-life figures such as South African anti-apartheid activist Steve Biko in Cry Freedom (1987), Muslim minister and human rights activist Malcolm X in Malcolm X (1992), boxer Rubin "Hurricane" Carter in The Hurricane (1999), football coach Herman Boone in Remember the Titans (2000), poet and educator Melvin B. Tolson in The Great Debaters (2007), and drug kingpin Frank Lucas in American Gangster (2007). He has been a featured actor in the films produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and has been a frequent collaborator of directors Spike Lee, Antoine Fuqua and the late Tony Scott. In 2016, Washington was selected as the recipient for the Cecil B. DeMille Lifetime Achievement Award at the 73rd Golden Globe Awards.
In 2002, Washington made his directorial debut with biographical film Antwone Fisher. His second directorial effort was The Great Debaters, released in 2007. Washington's third directorial effort, Fences, starring himself and Viola Davis, was released on December 16, 2016.



Meagan Good and DeVon Franklin

Meagan Monique Good (born August 8, 1981) is an American actress. Beginning her career in 1985 at the age of four, Good has appeared in numerous television shows, films, and music videos.
In 2011, Good featured in an ensemble cast of the successful film version of Think Like a Man. She played Joanna Locasto, the lead character on the NBC drama series Deception. She also starred in the 2013 comedy Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues starring Will Ferrell. Good has also earned a reputation as a scream queen, having starred in the horror films Venom (2005), One Missed Call (2008), Saw V (2008), and The Unborn (2009).

DeVon Franklin (born April 13, 1978) is an American is an award-winning Film & TV producer, best-selling author, internationally-known preacher and motivational speaker. A recognized authority on spirituality, faith and the entertainment business, DeVon is committed to using the power of media as an inspirational tool. Beliefnet calls him one of the "Most Influential Christians Under 40," Variety Magazine named him one of the "Top 10 Producers to Watch," and Ebony Magazine has named him one of the "Top 100 Influential African-Americans in America."
Through his production company, Franklin Entertainment, DeVon recently signed a new multi-year first-look film deal with 20th Century Fox. In 2016, he produced the film MIRACLES FROM HEAVEN starring Jennifer Garner and Queen Latifah, which has grossed $73 million at the world-wide box office, making it one of the top-grossing faith-based films of all-time. Prior to starting Franklin Entertainment, DeVon was the Senior Vice President of Production at Columbia Pictures and a studio executive at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. He is also the author of two best-selling books, including the New York Times best-selleing THE WAIT, which he co-wrote with his wife actress Meagan Good.




Samuel Eto'o and Georgette Tra Lou

Samuel Eto'o Fils born 10 March 198, is a Cameroonian professional footballer who plays as a striker for Turkish club Antalyaspor. He is the most decorated African player of all time, having won the African Player of the Year award a record four times: in 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2010. He was third in the FIFA World Player of the Year award in 2005.
Eto'o scored over 100 goals in five seasons with Barcelona, and is also the record holder in number of appearances by an African player in La Liga. In 2010, he became the first player to win two European continental trebles following his back-to-back achievements with Barcelona and Inter Milan. He is the second player in history to score in two UEFA Champions League finals and the fourth player, after Marcel Desailly, Paulo Sousa and Gerard Piqué, to have won the trophy two years in a row with different teams.
As a member of the Cameroon national team, Eto'o was a part of the squad that won the 2000 Olympic tournament. He has also participated in four World Cups and six Africa Cup of Nations (being champion twice) and is the all-time leading scorer in the history of the Africa Cup of Nations, with 18 goals. He is also Cameroon's all-time leading scorer and third most capped player, with 56 goals from 118 caps. He announced his retirement from international football on 27 August 2014. In 2015, he received the Golden Foot Award.



Steve Harvey and Marjorie

Broderick Stephen "Steve" Harvey (born January 17, 1957) is an American comedian, television host, producer, radio personality, actor, author and singer. He hosts The Steve Harvey Morning Show, the Steve Harvey talk show, Family Feud and Little Big Shots. He is the author of Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man, which was published in March 2009, and the book Straight Talk, No Chaser: How to Find and Keep a Man.
Harvey previously hosted Showtime at the Apollo, starred in The Steve Harvey Show, and was featured in The Original Kings of Comedy. He is a three-time Daytime Emmy Award winner, and a 13-time NAACP Image Award winner in various categories.





Jesse Williams and Aryn Drake Lee

Jesse Wesley Williams (born August 5, 1981) is an American actor, model, and activist, best known for his role as Dr. Jackson Avery on the ABC Television series Grey's Anatomy. He also appears in the 2013 film Lee Daniels' The Butler as real life civil rights leader Rev. James Lawson. Previous roles include Holden in The Cabin in the Woods (2012), Officer Eddie Quinlan in Brooklyn's Finest (2009) and as Leo, Lena's boyfriend, in the film sequel The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 (2008).
Williams was born in Chicago, Illinois, the son of Johanna Chase, a professional potter, and Reginald Williams. Williams has stated that his mother is Swedish, while his father is African American, with some Seminole descent, from Georgia. He has two younger brothers who specialize in visual arts. Williams graduated from Moses Brown School in Providence, Rhode Island, in 1998. After high school, his parents each began teaching in the public school system, while his mother maintained her work in pottery.
Williams graduated from Temple University with a double major in African American Studies and Film and Media Arts. Following in the footsteps of his parents, he taught high school in the Philadelphia public school system for six years, where he used his degree earned at Temple to teach American Studies, African Studies, and English.

Aryn Drake-Lee
is a real estate broker. Many Grey's Anatomy stars eschew romance with other entertainers in favor of people with more "normal" jobs, and Jesse is no exception. Jesse and Aryn met when he was still a teacher in Philadelphia.



Boris Kodjoe and Nicole Ari

Boris Frederic Cecil Tay-Natey Ofuatey-Kodjoe , born March 8, 1973, better known as Boris Kodjoe, is an Austrian-born actor of German and Ghanaian descent known for his roles as Kelby in the 2002 film Brown Sugar, the sports-courier agent Damon Carter on the Showtime drama series Soul Food and was a recurring character on FOX's The Last Man on Earth. He currently co-stars on BET's Real Husbands of Hollywood and on the CBS medical drama Code Black.
Kodjoe was born in Vienna, Austria, the son of Ursula, a German psychologist of partially Jewish descent, and Eric Kodjoe, a Ghanaian physician who is of the Krobo people. His namesake is the Russian poet and writer Boris Pasternak. Kodjoe's matrilineal great-grandmother was Jewish and died in the Holocaust; his maternal grandmother survived the war in hiding. Kodjoe's parents divorced when he was six years old. He grew up in the vicinity of Freiburg im Breisgau. Kodjoe is fluent in German, English, and French, and speaks some Spanish. He has a brother named Patrick and two sisters named Nadja and Lara.

Nicole Ari Parker-Kodjoe (born October 7, 1970), also known as Nikki Kodjoe, is an American actress. She is known for her role as Becky Barnett in the 1997 film Boogie Nights and as the attorney Teri Joseph on the Showtime series Soul Food, which ran from 2000 to 2004. Additionally, Nicole co-starred on the short-lived UPN romantic comedy Second Time Around that lasted for one season and appeared in the 2008 film, Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins.
Parker was born in Baltimore, Maryland. She is the only child of her divorced parents, health care professional Susan Parker and dentist Donald Parker. After briefly attending the Montessori School, Parker entered Roland Park Country School where she stayed through high school. At the age of 17, she won Best Actress in the state of Maryland's high school competition and then moved to The Washington Ballet Company before applying to the New York University's Tisch School of the Arts. She graduated with an acting degree in 1993.


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