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Spike Lee

Director Spike Lee will receive an honorary Academy Award for his work. Yesterday, The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced that Lee, along with actresses Gena Rowlands and Debbie Reynolds, would be presented an award at the Governors Awards ceremony in Hollywood this November. Lee will be recognized for all his many achievements over the course of his career. The people being honored were chosen by the board of governors. “They are responding to the fact that the academy is recognizing talent in front of and behind the camera that has been so instrumental in this business,” said Cheryl Boone Isaacs, Academy president. Read more.


University of Texas to Remove Confederate Flag Statue

A controversial statue that stands on the campus of the University of Texas at Austin will finally be taken down. On Thursday, State District Judge Karin Crump came to the decision to remove the statue depicting Confederate President Jefferson Davis. The statue was pushed to the forefront of campus-wide conversation after the tragic racially motivated shooting that took place in Charleston, South Carolina. The shooter could be seen posing with the historically complicated flag in photos before the incident. Read more.


Jamaica Appoints New U.S. Ambassador

Jamaica has appointed a new ambassador to the United States. Ralph Thomas, who previously served as the Jamaican ambassador for China, will take on the position next month. This marks his second appointment within 26th months. “Ambassador Thomas served in China during an important time for Jamaica/China relations, especially in the area of economic development, and ensured the continuation and strengthening of this relationship through the development of key initiatives. This level of critical thinking and creative energy is what we expect Ambassador Thomas to bring to the relationship with the USA, one of our major international partners,” said Foreign Minister Senator A.J. Nicholson in a statement. Read more.


Baratunde Thurston Joins “The Daily Show” Team

As we await The Daily Show with Trevor Noah premiere, more details about the show are being revealed. According to reports, Baratunde Thurston will serve as the supervising producer of the show and lead its social and digital expansion. “Baratunde brings a very unique set of skills to ‘The Daily Show.’ We’ve been admirers of his comedic work on all platforms for a long time,” said Michele Ganeless, Comedy Central president. “We’re thrilled he is joining the team and can’t wait to see what he and the team create for the show under Trevor Noah.” Thurston serves as the president and co-founder of Cultivated Wit and co-hosts the podcast “About Race.” Read more.

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NEWS ROUNDUP: Spike Lee To Receive Honorary Academy Award…AND MORE  was originally published on newsone.com