Muhammad Ali graces the cover of EBONY magazine’s August 2016 where several celebrities write short stories reflecting on his greatness. Come inside for the cover, plus check out the first look at the New Edition cast….
EBONY magazine bids farewell to legendary boxer and activist Muhammad Ali with a special tribute in their August 2016 issue.
Guest editor Marc Lamont Hill, actors Nate Parker and Don Cheadle, author Dream Hampton, scholar Eric Dyson and Ali’s beloved daughter/retired boxer Laila Ali pay their respects to the G.O.A.T., dubbed the Black Superman, with short stories reflecting on their fondest memories of the international star. In an exclusive interview, Laila will open up about some special and intimate moments she shared with her dad.
In addition to the Ali tribute, EBONY recognizes the 50th anniversary of the Black Panther Party. From a history lesson on the group’s beginnings to a full-out syllabus for those (still) not in the know, this feature is a much-needed primer in the era of the #BlackLivesMatter movement.
“When you read about Ali’s legacy, combined with the mission of the Black Panthers, you cannot help but draw striking parallels to the civil rights struggles we still face today,” explains Kyra Kyles, new editor-in-chief and senior vice president of digital editorial for EBONY Media Operations, LLC via press release. “This is really an eye-opening series of stories and clearly, one that needs to be shared with current and future generations.”
We can’t wait to get our hands on a physical copy!
On the television front...
BET just unveiled the first sneak peek at the cast for the highly anticipated New Edition biopic titled, The New Edition Story. And we’re here for it!
The cast recreates the R&B boy band’s classic album cover Home Again (the original cover seen below) and they totally nail it. The pictorial features Elijah Kelley (Ricky Bell), Algee Smith (Ralph Tresvant), Luke James (Johnny Gill), Woody McClain (Bobby Brown) Keith Powers (Ronnie Devoe) and Bryshere Y. Gray (Michael Bivins).
The 3-part miniseries will follow the group from their humble beginnings as kids in Boston to global megastardom - weathering the highs and lows of controversy, personnel changes, and the ultimate cost of fame.
The rest of the cast includes, LaLa Anthony, Yvette Nicole Brown, Monica Calhoun, Lisa Nicole Carson, Sandi McCree, Wood Harris, Michael Rapaport, Faizon Love, Duane Martin, Tank and Bre-Z.
Director Chris Robinson (ATL) will be helming the film with Jesse Collins executive producing. Ricky Bell, Michael Bivins, Ronnie DeVoe, Johnny Gill, Ralph Tresvant, Bobby Brown and Brooke Payne are tapped as co-producers of the miniseries.
Mark your calendars! The New Edition Story is set to premiere January 1, 2017 on BET. Y'all ready?
Photos: EBONY/BET
