Remembering SNL's First Black Female Cast Member Danitra Vance

With Oprah Winfrey scheduled to pay tribute to the cast of Saturday Night Live in her final year on television, this clip of Lady O when she hosted SNL is making the rounds:



While the other sista in the skit only last one season, Danitra Vance was a gifted performer who made history as the first African American woman who joined the SNL line-up. Why Danitra? Well, see for yourself:



Here she is appearing alongside the talented Vickilyn Reynolds and legendary Ms. Loretta Devine, featured in the soon to be released Jumping The Broom:



Sadly, at the young age of 40, Danitra lost her courageous battle with cancer in 1994 (fellow SNL alum Gilda Ratner also passed away from cancer).

Thank you Ms. Vance for the work you left behind. Job well done!

Hey Hollywood, Where Are The Young Black Leading Men?

BROTHERS IN SHOW BUSINESS - THE NEXT GENERATION

Shortly after the Oscars ended Sunday, Samuel L. Jackson sent an e-mail to a Times reporter wondering why no black men had been chosen to present awards on the film world's biggest stage.

"It's obvious there's not ONE Black male actor in Hollywood that's able to read a teleprompter, or that's 'hip enuf,' for the new academy demographic!" Jackson wrote. "In the Hollywood I saw tonite, I don't exist nor does Denzel, Eddie, Will, Jamie, or even a young comer like Anthony Mackie!"

Jackson may be on to something, at least when it comes to the young comers.

There is still a sizable number of black actors in Hollywood with box-office clout and meaty roles, a point that will be underscored when the NAACP hands out its annual Image Awards in Los Angeles Friday night. Will Smith is the biggest movie star in the world, a title he's held now for several years, and Denzel Washington remains at the peak of his box-office powers.

But most of the prominent male black stars sit on the other side of 40. The best known of the next generation -- say, Derek Luke (36), Chiwetel Eijofor (33), Idris Elba (39) and Mackie (31) -- are not only less influential, they're not nearly as popular in their 30s as the previous crop was at their age. (Washington, for instance, had already won an Oscar and made "Glory," "Malcolm X" and "Philadelphia" before he hit the big 4-0.)

That's not because any of these actors aren't capable of pulling off a "Malcolm X" or a "Philadelphia," of course. It's because they're not given the chance. Mackie has one of the more substantive studio roles for a younger black actor in a while as Matt Damon's guardian angel in this weekend's "The Adjustment Bureau." But it's hardly the role of a lifetime.

"It's frustrating that the movies I want to make I haven't been able to make," Mackie told 24 Frames. "Orlando Bloom was given 15 opportunities after 'Lord of the Rings.' Black men are given no opportunities."

Race in Hollywood is a subject close to Mackie's heart. He's studiously avoided the "Who's Your Caddys" and "Big Momma's Houses" of the film world, going instead to indies such as "The Hurt Locker" and, almost as frequently, to the stage.

"In the early 1990's, every black actor you know now was starting out and making movies. They were making more movies under Daddy Bush than we are under Obama, which is ridiculous," Mackie said.

Keep reading...

Hot New Actor Jesse Williams Is Making People Go Terrence Howard Who?

Brooklyn native Jesse Williams is intentionally trying to seduce you with those piercing hazel green eyes. Is it working???

Hollywood's new "it" guy has quite a lot on his plate, causing the Black actors IMBD page to be up almost 20% in popularity. Two films, The Cabin in The Woods and Red Tails are currently in production, he's in Sarah Jessica Parker's The Washingtonienne, and Jesse is also making hearts flutter in Brooklyn's Finest (Yes he is!)


Keep your eyes on this one ladies. We likey!