Cynthia Erivo
Staff and Wire Reports
LOS ANGELES — “Wicked” star Cynthia Erivo will be honored with the Stephen F. Kolzak Award at the 36th annual GLAAD Media Awards next month, the organization announced Feb. 12.
The award recognizes LGBTQ media professionals who have significantly contributed to visibility and acceptance. It is named after a Los Angeles casting director who fought against homophobia and HIV stigma in the entertainment industry, organizers said.
Past honorees have included Niecy Nash-Betts, Jeremy Pope, Laverne Cox, Wanda Sykes and Ellen DeGeneres.
Erivo, 38, stars as Elphaba in the film adaptation of the Broadway smash “Wicked.” She will reprise the role in the film’s sequel, “Wicked: For Good,” set to hit theaters Nov. 21.
A Royal Academy of Dramatic Art graduate, she rose to fame with her Tony-winning performance as Celie in “The Color Purple” on Broadway. She later starred as Harriet Tubman in the 2019 film “Harriet,” earning Academy Award, Golden Globe and BAFTA nominations.
The 36th annual GLAAD Media Awards will take place March 27.
Chappelle to receive
President’s Award
LOS ANGELES — Comedian Dave Chappelle will be honored with the NAACP President’s Award at the 56th NAACP Image Awards in Pasadena this month.
The President’s Award honors individuals for special achievement and distinguished public service. Past recipients include Usher, Gabrielle Union-Wade, Dwyane Wade, Rihanna, LeBron James, Spike Lee and Lauryn Hill.
Chappelle, 51, is the 2019 recipient of the prestigious Mark Twain Prize for American Humor. His work has earned him more than 30 nominations and awards in television and film for projects that include his groundbreaking sketch comedy TV series “Chappelle’s Show,” several comedy specials and multiple guest appearances on “Saturday Night Live.”
The NAACP Image Awards will air live Feb. 22 from the Pasadena Civic Auditorium on BET and CBS. This year, the broadcast will also highlight efforts to support communities in Altadena, Pacific Palisades and Pasadena affected by the recent wildfires, organizers said.
Council considers
free DASH rides
LOS ANGELES — The City Council is looking into the possibility of providing free transit on its DASH bus service in the next fiscal year.
In a unanimous vote Feb. 5, council members instructed the city’s Department of Transportation to conduct a cost-benefit analysis of its DASH fare collection. The analysis will examine the costs of TAP hardware, fare enforcement programs and administrative work associated with fare collection to see whether the city could get by without charging riders.
DASH provides bus service in downtown Los Angeles and 27 neighborhoods across the city. Buses in each route are designed to travel within their respective neighborhood and connect to other regional transit services.
As a result of the coronavirus pandemic, the city barred fare collection on DASH starting in March 2020. Fare collection was set to resume in January, however it actually began Feb. 1 after being delayed as a result of the wildfires that erupted in the L.A. region.
Riders pay 50 cents a ride, seniors and people with disabilities pay 25 cents and access cardholders travel for free.
Librarian receives
award from Irvine
LOS ANGELES — Los Angeles County Librarian Skye Patrick will be among seven recipients of the 2025 James Irvine Foundation Leadership Award.
The James Irvine Foundation acknowledged Patrick, the CEO of the Los Angeles County Library, as an outstanding Californian whose work exemplifies “exceptional leadership.” She along with the other recipients will receive a $350,000 grant to support their ongoing work and make lasting impact on their respective communities.
According to the foundation’s website, the award honors individuals and organizations who are making an impact across the state in library services, indigenous science and food sovereignty, Latina civic leadership, environmental justice, Black maternal health and representation in entertainment.
The James Irvine Foundation is a private, nonprofit grantmaking organization dedicated to expanding opportunity for Californians. It was established in 1937 by James Irvine II, a member of the Irvine family of real estate developers. It has provided more than $2.7 billion in grants to organizations in the state.
KBLA continues
climate justice work
LOS ANGELES — KBLA Talk 1580, will launch year two of its climate justice work. This $2 million, 12-month campaign will link and combat the relationship between climate change and poor health outcomes for African Americans, other people of color and the poor.
The campaign was recently named a national semifinalist for the American Climate Leadership Awards 2025 by ecoAmerica.
Climate inequities have taken a toll with multiple health triggers in the Black community, such as extreme heat and poor air quality, made worse by the recent wildfires.
The campaign’s focus areas include advocacy, coordination, communication, education and knowledge and awareness. Building on the success of last year’s campaign, KBLA Talk 1580 will tailor brand-specific health messaging to the Black community, use strategic alliances to create a healthful behavior pipeline, create culturally and socially sensitive health education opportunities, and enhance knowledge and awareness among Black community stakeholders.
Reward offered in
2024 shooting death
SOUTH LOS ANGELES — Authorities have announced a $10,000 reward for information leading to the people responsible for the death of a young woman who was shot while driving last summer.
Raejonette Morgan, 22, was driving her white Mercedes toward the Vermont Avenue on-ramp to the Glenn Anderson (105) Freeway at about 7:45 p.m. July 2, 2024, when another vehicle pulled alongside and someone opened fire.
The driver’s side of Morgan’s car was riddled with bullets, and the vehicle crashed onto a nearby sidewalk. The suspect vehicle fled the scene south on Vermont. Morgan died at a hospital two days after the shooting.
“We urge anybody who has any information about Raejonette’s murder to please, please come forward,” Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said at a news conference Feb. 11 announcing the reward.
Investigators described the suspect vehicle as a 2016 to 2018 blue Honda Civic with custom rims and rear window slats. Sheriff’s officials said the shooting may have been a case of mistaken identity.
Anyone with information was asked to contact the sheriff’s Homicide Bureau at 323-890-5500. Anonymous tips can be made through Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477.
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