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MALIK BOOKS & PAFF JOIN FORCES FOR BLACK HISTORY MONTH
BLACK-OWNED, INDEPENDENT BOOKSTORE BRINGS THE LOVE OF READING TO THE 31ST ANNUAL PAN AFRICAN FILM & ARTS FESTIVAL
LOS ANGELES, CA (February 1, 2023) – For Black History Month, Malik Books is excited to bring the love of reading to the 31st Annual Pan African Festival & Arts Festival. During the film festival’s run, the black-owned, independent bookstore will host a book-signing and Q&A featuring attorney and television personality Eboni K. Williams, author of BET ON BLACK: THE GOOD NEWS ABOUT BEING BLACK IN AMERICA TODAY. The book calls for Black people worldwide to adopt a fresh, highly-informed mindset that will change lives. Devyn Bakewell, who serves as assistant managing editor of the Los Angeles Sentinel and the Los Angeles Watts, and a romance novelist – the author of GREATER LOVE and GREATER LIFE — will serve as a moderator.Audiences may be familiar with Williams thanks to her appearances on ABC’s “The View” and Season 13 of Bravo’s “The Real Housewives of New York.” In her new book, BET ON BLACK, Williams delves into some of the cornerstones of leading a first-class Black life, ranging from knowing one’s history to understanding the power of representation to investing in the sometimes challenging processes of success. As Williams writes in her introduction, “Black excellence is as much an individual journey as a collective one. I will admit that my belief in what I consider to be a fundamental truth about the place of Blackness in our society didn’t come effortlessly. My own road to embracing who I am and what I can do has been met with many obstacles in my career and personal life, a couple of which I’ll share with you. At one point in my education and career, I thought it would be easier to make myself smaller. But over time, I’ve learned how to stay true to my ideals, and Black foundation, so becoming small was no longer a viable option.” “We are excited to collaborate with the Pan African Film Festival in celebrating Black culture,” said Malik Muhammad, who founded Malik Books in 1990 at the corner of Crenshaw and Martin Luther King Jr. boulevards before moving to the mall four years later. “Our bookstore provides a vehicle where people can embrace their Blackness and educate and empower themselves to connect with their African American heritage. Without censorship, a person can explore his or her own Blackness and be enlightened through the pages of hundreds of books at Malik Books.”
About Devyn Bakewell
Devyn is an activist for the Black community, advocates for women and children, and is a Romance novelist who believes Greater Love can lead to a Greater Life. In her debut novel, “Greater Love,” Devyn connects with people by bringing them closer through shared experiences. Devyn hopes that through her literary work, she can improve the plight of black youth, women, and anyone who faces systemic oppression. With Greater Life, she continues the conversation.
About PAFF
PAFF is one of the largest and most prestigious Black film festivals in the United States, taking place February 9-20, 2023, in Los Angeles. It attracts local, national, and international audiences as the nation’s largest Black History Month cultural event. PAFF presents and showcases a broad spectrum of Black creative works, particularly those that reinforce positive images and help to destroy negative stereotypes of Africans and African Americans. Since 1992, PAFF has remained dedicated to promoting Black stories and images through the exhibition of film, visual art, and other creative expressions. Most importantly, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) has designated PAFF as an official qualifying film festival for live-action and animation short films. Visit PAFF.org.
About Malik Books
Malik Books is a black-owned, independent bookstore specializing in books, calendars, cards, and gifts full of cultural diversity. This bookstore is a rare gem and offers a unique experience to its customers. Book loves can find all the hottest and best sellers of today, as well as hard-to-find books, or upon request, special order more than 12 million book titles. Malik Books served as the official bookseller of the 2022 Leimert Park Village Book Fair. Malik Books offer two locations – the Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza and Westfield Culver City. Visit MalikBooks.com.
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Sanford K. Sanford, Son of Isabel Sanford, Star of “The Jeffersons”, Guests On Harvey Brownstone Interviews
Harvey Brownstone conducts an in-depth Interview with Sanford K. Sanford, Son of Isabel Sanford, Star of “The Jeffersons”.
Sanford K. Sanford is the son of one of the most popular and beloved stars in the history of television, Isabel Sanford, whose portrayal of Louise Jefferson – or “Weezy”, as we came to know her – first on “All in the Family”, and then for 11 seasons on “The Jeffersons”, made her a household name.
After a distinguished career on the stage, she landed the role of “Tillie” in the classic 1967 movie, “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner”, opposite Katherine Hepburn, Spencer Tracy and Sydney Poitier. From there, she was cast as Louise Jefferson, next door neighbor to “the Bunkers” on the groundbreaking TV show, “All in the Family”. And THAT led to the incredibly successful spinoff, “The Jeffersons”.
Isabel Sanford received 7 Emmy Award nominations, and WON an Emmy in 1981, making her the first and still the only African American woman to win an Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series. She was also nominated for 5 Golden Globe Awards. She won TWO NAACP Image Awards, and in 1981 she won a Genie Award from the American Women in Radio and Television Association. And in 1985 she received an Honorary Doctorate from Emerson College. She has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. And in 2004, she and her co-star Sherman Hemsley, won a TV Land Award for Favorite Cantankerous Couple.
Sanford K. Sanford has written a wonderful, heartwarming book, entited, “Her Fans Call Her Weezy, But I Call Her Mom”, in which he shares many poignant and life-altering moments with his beloved Mama, and allows the reader to get to know the real person behind the beloved actress – a courageous single mother of 3 children who, despite many challenges in her life, showed remarkable determination and remained focused on becoming a successful actress. Our guest has had a successful music career as a percussionist, and he’s worked with Quincy Jones, Marvin Gaye, Johnny Guitar Watson, Bobby Womack, Cuba Gooding Sr. and The Main Ingredient.
Harvey Brownstone is a retired judge of the Ontario Court of Justice and was the first openly gay judge in Canada. He is also the bestselling author of “Tug of War: A Judge’s Verdict on Separation, Custody Battles and the Bitter Realities of Family Court” and hosted “Family Matters with Justice Harvey Brownstone,” a television talk show on matters involving the family justice system.
After a distinguished legal career, Harvey was appointed a judge at the age of 38 in 1995. He has presided in family and criminal courts. He has been a trailblazer in several ways. He was the first openly gay judge in Canada. He was the first sitting judge in the world to write a national best seller and to host a TV talk show.
Harvey has been a role model and icon in the LGBTQ community. When same-sex marriage was legalized in Canada in 2003, he was the only judge to make himself publicly available to officiate at weddings for lesbian and gay couples travelling to Toronto from all over the world to get married. In 2007, he officiated at the wedding of Edith Windsor and Thea Spyer, the American couple whose marriage triggered the 2013 United States Supreme Court decision overturning the definition of “spouse” in the federal Defense of Marriage Act.
In February 2021, Harvey launched his online talk show “Harvey Brownstone Interviews” on his own YouTube channel. He saw this as an interesting hobby. Within several months, the show attracted hundreds of thousands – and then eventually, millions – of viewers. Because of the overwhelming success of the show, Harvey decided to retire from the judiciary on December 31, 2021 after having presided as a full-time judge for 26 1/2 years. Free from the constraints imposed upon judges regarding the expression of opinions and the endorsement of private enterprise, Harvey now happily devotes his full-time attention to hosting “Harvey Brownstone Interviews” as a regular member of the public – albeit one with a rather illustrious and unique career history.
Watch Sanford K. Sanford on Harvey Brownstone Interviews on Youtube here:
The official website for Harvey Brownstone Interviews may be found at https://www.harveybrownstoneinterviews.com
Get “The Talk Show Blend” – Coffee For The Modern Day Trailblazer! By Harvey Brownstone from Breakfast At Dominique’s available at https://www.HollywoodBlends.com
For more information about Harvey Brownstone, here’s his Wikipedia page:
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