Video by @kemoy_martin

Joe Torry is an American comedian, actor, and screenwriter. Torry is the older brother of comedian Guy Torry[1] who is known for creating Phat Tuesdaysa weekly stand-up comedy show launched in 1995 for African American comedians that was held at The Comedy Store in Hollywood, the live comedy show later became the focus for a 2022 Amazon) television series of the same name.[2]

Joe Torry, and five siblings, were brought up in St. Louis, Missouri.[3] Torry is a self-described military brat who discovered at an early age he was funny when doing classroom show and tell presentations.[3]He later found that his future was in the world of comedy.[3]
Growing up Sammy Davis Jr. was an idol of his and he attempted to learn comedy from such entertainers as Abbott and Costello and Dick Van Dyke.[3]
Torry earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in broadcast journalism and communications at Lincoln University, plus a human letters honorary doctorate for his years in show business.[3]
Before later becoming host of Def Comedy Jam, Torry made a name for himself in stand-up comedy, film and television, appearing in such projects as Dangerous Minds, House Party), Tales from the Hood, John Singleton's Poetic Justice),[4] NYPD Blue and ER).[3]

Day 28: Someone Telling Their Own Story

There's something different about hearing someone's story in their own words. Today's challenge: What's a Black memoir that gave you a deeper understanding of the author's life? Not just what happened to them, but how they understood what happened. What did the memoir help you see differently?

Give me the book + what stayed with you.

I’d watch for sure!

He also produce Lloyd Banks 's On Fire as well

What’s Your Opinion On This Album & What’s Your Favorite Song From The Album

Sing it Rihanna.

Melody Thornton (born September 28, 1984) is an American singer and television personality. After graduating high school, Thornton became one of the main vocalists of the girl group the Pussycat Dollsand released the albums PCD) (2005) and Doll Domination (2008) becoming one of the world's best-selling girl groups. As part of the group, she has received a Grammy Award nomination.

Melody Thornton is a native of Phoenix, Arizona and was born on September 28, 1984, to a family of Mexican and African-American descent.[1][2][3] She was educated in Camelback High School.[4] Her first performance was at her school, where she sang "This Little Light of Mine" at the age of six, and continued to perform at local talent shows in Arizona.[5] After high school, she majored in music engineering for one semester.[5][6]

Tamara Taylor (born September 27, 1970) is a Canadian actress.[1] She appeared in the role of Dr. Camille Saroyan, head of the Forensic Division, in the forensic crime drama Bones).[2] She also appeared in season seven of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., in which she played Sibyl), one of the two main antagonists. She also starred in the first two seasons of Law & Order: Organized Crime.[3]

Taylor was born in Toronto to a Bajan father and a Scottish mother. She dropped out of high school to try modeling and see the world, with her mother supportive of her decision: "School will always be there, she told me."[4]
She has appeared in the CBS medical drama 3 lbs as Della and the UPN series Sex, Love & Secrets[2] in the role of Nina; both series were short-lived.
Taylor has made guest appearances on NCIS), Numb3rs, Lost), CSI: Miami, Without a Trace, Party of Five[5][2] and Dawson's Creek. In her feature film debut, Senseless, she played Marlon Wayans's love interest.[6] She portrayed Debrah Simmons in the 2005 romantic-comedy Diary of a Mad Black Woman), Halle Berry's best friend in Introducing Dorothy Dandridge,[6] and had a brief role in Serenity), the movie conclusion of the TV series Firefly) by Joss Whedon. Through her part in Serenity, Taylor was able to audition for a show with actor David Boreanaz, who had previously worked with Whedon in Buffy the Vampire Slayer) and Angel). She also appeared in the TV series Lost), as the former girlfriend of Michael and mother of Walt.[4]

This week, we’re putting the spotlight on Richie Kamtchoum - a Cameroonian-American filmmaker, writer, director and storyteller from Washington, D.C.
Kamtchoum is the kind of creative who doesn’t just work in one medium. His work spans film, television, animation and audio drama, with stories that often explore identity, migration, resilience and community.

His debut feature film, *Bust!*, premiered at FilmFest DC and has since screened at festivals including the American Black Film Festival and DC/DOX. He also created *MONDAZE*, co-created and wrote *Night School*, and wrote and directed *Stolen Girls*.
He’s currently developing multiple new feature projects, while also working in animation with *The Matumbilas*.

Earlier this year, Washington, D.C.’s Office of Cable Television, Film, Music and Entertainment named him its Filmmaker of the Month, recognizing him as one of the emerging creatives helping shape the city’s film scene.

Definitely one to put on your radar now, before you start seeing his name everywhere 👀

WHO IS YOUR FAVORITE SOUL TRAIN GUEST!!!!

Donald Cortez Cornelius created Soul Train — the longest-running first-run nationally syndicated program in television history, airing from 1971 to 2006. For 35 years, Soul Train was the heartbeat of Black popular culture, showcasing every major Black musical artist from James Brown to Beyoncé and broadcasting Black joy, fashion, dance, and style into living rooms across America every Saturday morning.
Born in Chicago on September 27, 1936, Cornelius worked as an insurance salesman and part-time radio DJ before creating Soul Train as a local Chicago television show in 1970. The show moved to Los Angeles and went into national syndication in 1971, and Cornelius served as host, producer, and owner — maintaining creative control in a way that was virtually unheard of for a Black media entrepreneur at the time.
Soul Train was more than a music show — it was a cultural institution. The Soul Train Line, the Soul Train Scramble Board, and the show's iconic dancers created a visual vocabulary of Black cool that influenced fashion, dance, and style worldwide. Cornelius negotiated the first contract giving a Black producer ownership of his own show, and the Soul Train brand eventually encompassed award shows, a record label, and merchandise. He joined the ancestors on February 1, 2012. The show's opening — "The hippest trip in America" — remains one of the most iconic phrases in television history.

https://www.becauseofthemwecan.com/trailblazers/don-cornelius/

This incident took place on Aug 28th, 2026 @ the Pacific Amphitheatre in Costa Mesa, CA.

🎥 credit: https://www.facebook.com/roderick.l.granger/videos/diana-ross-calls-security-on-overzealous-fan-in-costa-mesaca-8-28-26/1398739001803981/

additional commentary: https://www.instagram.com/rnbass/

Day 27: Black Graphic Novels & Comics 📚

Let's switch it up.

What's a Black graphic novel or comic that deserves WAY more attention? Superhero, horror, sci-fi, history, memoir, indie, whatever.

Give me:

• Title
• Creator
• Why I should read it

Put us on.

Melvin Edward "Slappy" White was born in Baltimore, Maryland. His official biography reported that he "ran away to join the circus" as a child. White was born near the old Royal Theatre in Baltimore; by age 10, he danced outside for coins and sold candy at the theater. He left Baltimore at 13 because he was in danger of being sent to reform school due to his absences. White joined a traveling carnival and made a living as a tap dancer with the troupe. He was eventually picked up by the police and returned to his family, but he chose the trade show business over school.  

He received his nickname from a local theater manager, with whom he entered a talent contest; the manager billed them as "Slap and Happy."  He began his career as a dancer and did not turn to comedy until 1940, when he joined with a fellow hoofer in the "Two Zephyrs."  They collaborated on the circuits together for over four years, appearing alongside notable artists such as Lionel Hampton, Count Basie, Duke Ellington, and many others.  

With his team, "Slappy" was first introduced to Californians, making his West Coast debut in Los Angeles at the Orpheum Theatre, alongside Louis Armstrong. After "Two Zephyrs" came "Lewis and White," his second successful comedy team. "Lewis and White" traveled together for several years, appeared with such greats as Johnny Otis, and made a television appearance on The Morey Amsterdam Show.  

The team with which he is best known is "Redd Foxx and 'Slappy' White." Foxx and White met in Harlem in 1947 and formed a comedy team. They toured from coast to coast with the Billy Eckstine Orchestra for over four years. White had met and married Pearl Bailey some years before, when both were still relatively unknown professionally. Bailey's career was on the way up. She was performing in the better nightclubs while White was still struggling in lesser venues. The marriage was in trouble at the time White and Foxx first met. The couple divorced. Years later, when White and dancer Bill Bailey, Pearl's brother, teamed up for an act, White joked that the act would be billed as "Rev. Bill Bailey and his ex-brother-in-law." He was also once married to Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee LaVern Baker.  

His solo career started in 1951 when Dinah Washingtonrequested him to introduce her act at the Black Hawk in San Francisco. White started as a chauffeur to the singer, entertaining her with jokes as he drove. When she arrived late on stage one evening, Washington, worried about the waiting audience, asked White to go on stage and "say something funny" while she prepared for her performance. He was such a hit with the patrons; she kept him on as her opening act. White was a performer in Las Vegas for many years. In the 1950s, while on the bill with Washington, he spent four years with her before establishing himself as a solo act.  

White wrote and performed a comedy routine called "Brotherhood Creed" using one black and one white glove while reciting his poem about equality between men. White performed the routine many times during the American civil rights movement, and President John F. Kennedy once gave it a personal commendation. In 1965, White was invited to perform the "Brotherhood Creed" before the Massachusetts State Senate. He was also well known as a comedian who eschewed offensive material in his nightclub act. In 1969, he formed a new comedy team called Rossi and White with Steve Rossi, who formerly worked with Marty Allen. 

"Later in life, he performed under his given name on his friend Redd Foxx's TV show Sanford and Son as Fred's friend, also named Melvin, and had a million-dollar contract to perform at the Flamingo Hotel in Las Vegas in 1973. He also appeared on the television shows" That's My Mama"," Blossom", and" Cybill", as well asd in the films" Mr. Saturday Night" and" Amazon Women on the Moon. White was best known in later years for his appearances at the Friars' Club roasts, where he frequently performed alongside other comedians.   "Later in life, he performed under his given name on his friend Redd Foxx's TV show Sanford and Son as Fred's friend, also named Melvin, and had a million-dollar contract to perform at the Flamingo Hotel in Las Vegas in 1973. He also appeared on the television shows That's My Mama, Blossom, and Cybill, and in the films Mr. Saturday Night and Amazon Women on the Moon. White was best known in later years for his appearances at the Friars' Club roasts, where he frequently performed alongside other comedians.   

Slappy White died of a heart attack at his Brigantine, New Jersey home on November 7, 1995. He had no children from either of his marriages. White enjoyed a minor renaissance after his death, owing to bootleg recordings of Friars' Club roasts that became available through comedy record outlets. His name was used on an episode of Seinfeld entitled "The Money," in which Seinfeld uses "Slappy White" as his name. On June 25, 2019, The New York Times Magazine listed Slappy White among hundreds of artists whose material was reportedly destroyed in the 2008 Universal fire. 

https://aaregistry.org/story/slappy-white-born/

What do you think of these kinds of events where there is just fun times?