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Actor and Comedian Bernie Mac Dies at Age 50

  CHICAGO -- Bernie Mac, the Emmy and Golden Globe nominated actor and comedian who worked his way to Hollywood success from an impoverished upbringing on Chicago's South Side, died Saturday at age 50. (9-8-08)

"Actor/comedian Bernie Mac passed away this morning from complications due to pneumonia in a Chicago area hospital," his publicist, Danica Smith, said in a statement from Los Angeles.

She said no other details were available and asked that his family's privacy be respected.

The comedian suffered from sarcoidosis, an inflammatory lung disease that produces tiny lumps of cells in the body's organs, but had said the condition went into remission in 2005. He recently was hospitalized and treated for pneumonia, which his publicist said was not related to the disease.

Recently, Mac's brand of comedy caught him flack when he was heckled during a surprise appearance at a July fundraiser for Democratic presidential candidate and fellow Chicagoan Barack Obama.

Toward the end of a 10-minute standup routine, Mac joked about menopause, sexual infidelity and promiscuity, and used occasional crude language. The performance earned him a rebuke from Obama's campaign.

But despite controversy or difficulties, in his words, Mac was always a performer.

"Wherever I am, I have to play," he said in 2002. "I have to put on a good show."

Mac started his comedy career at age 8, with a standup performance at a church dinner. In 1977, at age 20, he took that act to comedy clubs in Chicago.

His film career started with a small role as a club doorman in the Damon Wayans movie "Mo' Money" in 1992. Mac went on to star in the "Ocean's Eleven" franchise with Brad Pitt and George Clooney and his turn with Ashton Kutcher in 2005's "Guess Who?" _ a remake of the Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn 1967 classic "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?" _ topped the box office.

Mac also had starring roles in "Bad Santa," "Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle" and "Transformers."

The comedian drew critical and popular acclaim with his Fox television series "The Bernie Mac Show," which aired more than 100 episodes from 2001 to 2006.

The series about a man's adventures raising his sister's three children, won a Peabody Award in 2002. At the time, judges wrote they chose the sitcom for transcending "race and class while lifting viewers with laughter, compassion _ and cool."

The show garnered Golden Globe and Emmy nominations for Mac. He also was nominated for a Grammy award for best comedy album in 2001 along with his "The Original Kings of Comedy" co-stars, Steve Harvey, D.L. Hughley and Cedric The Entertainer.

In 2007, Mac told David Letterman on CBS' "Late Show" that he planned to retire soon.

"I'm going to still do my producing, my films, but I want to enjoy my life a little bit," Mac told Letterman. "I missed a lot of things, you know. I was a street performer for two years. I went into clubs in 1977."

Mac was born Bernard Jeffrey McCullough on Oct. 5, 1957, in Chicago. He grew up on the city's South Side, living with his mother and grandparents. His grandfather was the deacon of a Baptist church.

In his 2004 memoir, "Maybe You Never Cry Again," Mac wrote about having a poor childhood _ eating bologna for dinner _ and a strict, no-nonsense upbringing.

Mac's mother died of cancer when he was 16. In his book, Mac said she was a support for him and told him he would surprise everyone when he grew up. Woman believed in me," he wrote. "She believed in me long before I believed."

A.P Chicago

Hi, check this out.  Shirley

www.womeninmusicday.com / www.unitingthenations.org.

Women In Music c/o TMA PO Box 7685, Birmingham, B34 6WD, England

tel/fax: 0121 24 66 003  cell: 07929 151 979

Shirley - B,ham Council

 

Jonathon Hamilton sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of Leon Francis

Another Senseless Death! Another Wrecked Life! 

Leon Nathaniel Francis was born on the 1st March 1983. His short life ended tragically on the 27th December 2007.  He was fatally stabbed to death in his prime at the young age of 24.  Yesterday (Tuesday 12th August 2008), Jonathan Hamilton was sentenced for Leon’s murder and will bemade to serve at least 13 years behind bars. Leon’s senseless death and Jonathan’s prison sentence are yet more evidence of the destructive paths that a worrying number of our young people find themselves choosing in life. Statistics about knife and knife enabled crime and violence resulting in the death of Black young people belies the human tragedies, the burden some pain and the wide reaching impact on parents, family members, friends and an entire community.  No punishment the courts could have given to Jonathan could possibly relieve the pain and loss we havesuffered and especially the fact that Leon’s daughter, born after his death,will never know her father in the flesh.

Leon was a young man with huge potential, despite the turn that his life took as a result of the adverse prevailing social conditions around him.  Under very stringent MAPPA conditions Leon fought to maintain his focus of rehabilitation.  At the time of his death, he was on the verge of beginning a new life outside Birmingham and had secured a place on a BTEC Music Technology course, and was really looking forward to starting college.  He was ecstatic about his fiancés pregnancy and the thought ofbecoming a father.  Leon wanted desperately to secure a better life and was really looking forward to 2008 with increasing maturity.

His death and Jonathon Hamilton’s conviction further reinforce the drastic need for more preventative measures to tackle the increased involvement of young black men in anti-social behaviour, including gang and gun crime. Leon is yet another tragic victim of such crime who can all too easily be forgotten as another statistic, as society becomes more de-sensitised to a culture of murderous violence among our youth.  We have to ask why our bright, energetic children get drawn into this; why school becomes so sour for some and why the life chances that others take for granted are not apparent for our youth.

Leon represents yet another young black man who thissystem distances more and more from their roots and strips of their identityand sense of direction as African people born in Britain. He is a product of asystem that is unwilling to question the way the society has dealt with blackmen for generations.

Our entire family are totally devastated at Leon’s untimely death and were dreading the pain of a long trial to get justice for Leon. The unexpected guilty plea just minutes before the trial was a blessing and a huge relief.  We pray that Jonathon Hamilton and his family get the support they need to come to terms with his sentence.  We have both lost our sons – one to the grave, another to a prison cell. 

We are pleading with parents and families to work together to find solutions and save our children. Additionally, it is imperative that sound guidance and targeted support is given to those young people affected by Leon’s death and by Jonathan’s sentence in managing the irrelationships in the coming weeks and months.

Leon's Mother  

The Psychology of Self Harm and Behaviour

 This course is particularly for everyone who works with children and young people. For more on who should attend this one day Course, see the ‘Who Should Attend’ list below:

Please forward this information to anyone that would benefit from attending this Course.

Thanks 

The Psychology of Self Harm and Behaviour

1 Day Course

Do you often wonder why.?

1  Some children and young people self harm?

2  Some children and young people behave in a particular way and don’t seem to be able to break the habit?

3  Seemingly very intelligent young people throw their opportunities away and end up mixing with the wrong crowd, getting pregnant or get into debilitating habits like drug taking, alcohol or join gangs?

This 1 Day Course will cover:

1  An awareness of the underlying emotional and psychological challenges, patterns and beliefs that might be running young people’s lives.

2  How our inner world has a major impact on our outer world and the people around us

3  Possible signs to look out for

4  How you can have a great positive impact on children and  the young people that you work with

5  Suggestions for support and change

DATE:  Thursday 22 May 2008

Investment: £177 +vat (£207.98 inc vat)

Venue: Birmingham Commercial Training, Birmingham

Time: 09.30 @ 4.00pm

Lunch and refreshments will be provided.

WHO SHOULD ATTEND?

Anyone working with children and young people, including:

1 Teachers

2 Social Workers

3 Children’s Centre Managers/ Deputy Managers/Family Coordinators

4 Youth Workers

5 LEA (Local Education Authority) staff

6 Foster Carers

7 Nursery Managers

8 Extended School Staff

9 Child Protection Teams

10  Probation Officers

11  Family Support Workers

12  Connexions Staff

13  Ofsted

14  Primary Care Trust

15  Residential Staff

16  Learning Mentors/Mentor

17  C.A.M.S Staff

18  CAFCASS Staff

19  Childcare Partnership Managers

For further information contact Jennifer McLeod on 0121 551 1668 or email info@jennifermcleod.co.uk. Complete the enclosed Priority Booking Form to book this Course for staff and colleagues

Further joining instructions will be forwarded on receipt of your Priority Booking Form, which is attached and below.

** Places are limited. Please book your place now to avoid disappointment**

PS: Book your place now to avoid disappointment.

Jennifer McLeod is an International Speaker, Psychologist, Trainer, Inspirational Parent & Relationship Coach, and Author with over 20 years of people management experience and founder of the Born To Win! Programme for Young People, delivered in schools and colleges.

Shirley Cooper - Council

 

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