Madonna has spoken. Though she did not bring an orphan back with her from Africa, the 48-year-old is planning to adopt a Malawian girl.
Madonna was accused of using her celebrity status to by-pass laws and speed up the process in the adoption of Malawian orphan David. Malawi officials are determined to prevent this from occurring with her next adoption.
In an interview with French magazine Paris Match, Madonna said a Malawi native contacted her soliciting help.
“She asked me for help as my fame could help focus on the problems. I started my own inquiry and I said to myself: ‘They need help!’”
Maybe this quote is the reason America does not think she is fit to be an orphan mother. She lacks genuineness.
It is obvious Madonna only agreed to help Malawi because they made her feel good about having the fame to bring attention to their orphanage.
Madonna is making a trip back to Africa tomorrow. Will she bring back another child from Malawi?
Though she is going to Africa to visit some charities she has set up there, rumors say that she is planning to adopt another child—this time a girl—to even out her family of two boys and one girl.
Madonna’s publicist and friend Liz Rosenberg denies the gossip.
Whatever Madonna decides to do once she gets to Malawi is her decision. If she chooses to adopt, she is aware of the type of hullabaloo she will cause in the U.S.
America cannot seem to perceive Madonna as a humanitarian or a fitting adoption parent, but Angelina Jolie is this and more in their eyes.
Living rap legend and multimillionaire business executive Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter is one of the celebrities giving back to Africa, but in a different kind of way.
He does not focus on AIDS in Africa. He does not focus on poverty in Africa.
His focal point is the global water crisis.
Water-related diseases are the leading cause of death in the world. Carter brought this to the attention of America last year, along with other unknown facts about dehydration, in the MTV documentary “Diary of Jay-Z: Water for Life.”
Carter urged Anheuser-Busch, a leading American brewer, to support the clean water project.
While on tour last year, Carter pledged to help raise funds for the PlayPumps International (PPI) campaign “100 Pumps in 100 Days.”
Last month on World Water Day (22), the campaign was launched. Ten PlayPump water systems—an innovative pump powered by a merry-go-round—will be installed in several African nations by the end of the summer. It is just the start; of course 90 more will be installed.
PPI has donated more than 800 PlayPumps water systems in South Africa, Mozambique, Swaziland and Zambia. Now, they will bring clean water to nations like Ethiopia, Kenya, Lesotho, Tanzania and Uganda. Their goal is to provide up to 10 million people with the benefits of clean drinking water by 2010.
Carter has always been known to stand out and do his own thing. He is a genuine humanitarian; he saw a problem in Africa where he can find a solution to that no other celebrity is thinking of while they are too busy competing with other famous faces to fight AIDS.
Rap star Paul Wall, along with music artists Tego Calderon and Raekwon, were recently featured on the VH1 Roc Docs special “Bling’d: Blood, Diamonds, and Hip-Hop,” in which they traveled to Sierra Leone, Africa, to witness first-hand the place where thousands were enslaved and killed over wealth brought on by the country’s diamonds.
Wall is well-known for his custom-made “iced-out” grills. He said diamonds and jewelry mean success, so he’s always been a fan of the two.
Their purpose for visiting Africa, I’m sure, was to educate them about what they do not see and what they fail to realize when their flossing around on stage with their shining mouth jewelry. They do not think about the damage people are doing to Africans, only cash and gluttony occupy their minds.
Wall said he loved the opportunity of seeing the diamond mines in Sierra Leone, but at the same time, “felt a lot of compassion” in his heart.
He felt compassion?
Wall uses many, many diamonds in his grill business!
Speaking like a jewelry maker, Wall said, “We have a responsibility to do our research to make sure we're buying diamonds that the miners weren't enslaved to mine. If you buy diamonds, you have a responsibility to ask questions and make sure you buy them from someone legitimate.”
It does not matter where the diamonds come from because someone, somewhere, is risking his life in a mine, working to make someone else rich.
Wall is not helping Africa. I hope his visit changed the meaning of diamonds to him.
Oprah Winfrey opened another school in South Africa on March 16.
Seven Fountains Primary School, funded by Winfrey’s Angel Network charity, has 25 classrooms, a computer center, three multi-purpose rooms, a library, a playground, a recycled water system, two sports fields, solar power and a vegetable garden.
Winfrey first visited Seven Fountains Primary School in 2002 when it was located on a farm, and she visited in 2004 after it had been moved to an under-equipped building with no windows.
She decided that the children needed a new facility.
The $1.6 million school caters to as many as a thousand students, whereas her other South African school—Oprah’s Leadership Academy for Girls—only serves 152 students.
Is Winfrey trying to see how many schools she can build for poor South African children this year? What about poor American children over here?
How much does someone have to do to prove their humanitarianism before it crosses the line and becomes a publicity stunt?
This year’s Red Nose Day, held on March 16, has everyone talking. Multi-award-winning writer and comedian Ricky Gervais is the fresh topic for bloggers for his comic relief act on saving Africa.
In his video, he pokes fun at celebrity endorsements—how they are only concerned with promoting themselves instead of actually helping—while he stages a trip to Africa. He pretends to be in an African village shadowing one of the poor residents.
The video is posted on many websites, and yes, of course it is on www.youtube.com.
Gervais has a way of making jokes out a serious situation, but it is no more than safe humor. He is not hurting Africans, and he is only speaking truthfully about celebrities who do not have their hearts in the right place.
Bob Geldof, known for his 1985 Live Aid concert, was crowned chief of development in Ajumako-Bisease, a town in Ghana, in 2004. Now the people and the town chief, Nana Okofo Kwakora Gyan III, are asking where the help is.
Geldof had promised numerous development projects. Among them was financing the building of a covered market with adjacent parking and roads leading to and from it and building a hospital.
After Geldof’s crowning ceremony, his responsibilities were given to him. He was told that he was expected to return to the town every August.
Is this so hard for him to do?
Why did he accept the title of chief of development if he hasn’t done much to build the town up?
Geldof has been helping Africa for more than 20 years. It had to have been genuine if he has been doing it this long.
His selfishness is making it hard for the true humanitarians to shine through.
Well, it looks as if Bono IS trying to boost his image and promote his campaign after all.
According to the U.S. advertising trade magazine Advertising Age, the (RED) campaign only raised $18 million, while it spent an estimated $100 million on an international profile boost.
“Weeds” star Mary-Louise Parker jumped to Bono’s defense in the accusations. She said she is also a campaigner for AIDS.
In the press releases, Parker told critics to get off Bono’s back.
“It’s hard, and I’m sure people always have the greatest intentions,” she said.
Parker said Bono is a major philanthropist with good intentions, and I agree that he is certainly out to do something great for the good of humanity.
On April 24 your votes will count more than ever. Well, at least this is what American Idol says. FOX, American Idol and the Charity Projects Entertainment Fund (CPEF) have teamed up on what they call “a historic event”—IDOL GIVES BACK. The two-night special is to raise awareness and money for children of poverty in Africa as well as America. On the second night, Pink and Gwen Stefani, along with several other artists, will be performing on the show. They say the money raised will equally benefit both areas of the world, and you know what? I believe them. I believe this event is genuine. The CPEF mission—to use the power of entertainment to drive positive change to achieve its vision of creating a just world free of poverty—is convincing. Though I don’t agree with using celebrity entertainers to persuade people to empty their wallets, I like the idea of American Idol getting involved. Seems like April 25 is going to be a night of star-studded fun and I hope I catch it.
Building a Dream: The Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy aired on ABC on Feb. 26. It is a special on how Oprah Winfrey built a school for disadvantaged girls in South Africa after a five-year long effort. I missed the show, but I would have liked to see it. I believe Winfrey is real in her giving, but she seems prejudiced when it comes to the male population. Her talk show is geared toward women. She gives up millions and millions of dollars to benefit them in every way imaginable. Why is it that she doesn’t do so much for little boys, too? Why isn’t her school in Africa for disadvantaged girls as well as underprivileged boys? In his article on Winfrey’s talk show episode about child slavery in Ghana, columnist Yao Fiagbeto, from Ghana, refers to Winfrey as “Queen of Benevolence.” This she may very well be, but she needs to realize that boys will become men one day. Winfrey the humanitarian should consider the boys of the world and of countries like Africa that are lacking in education and other fundamental areas of living whenever she goes off somewhere to genuinely give. Maybe then it will be considered as giving fully.
One of the biggest names in the “Help Africa” competition—Actress and Good Will Ambassador Angelina Jolie—is back in the running. This time, it’s not to adopt a child either. Jolie took a two-day trip to Chad to visit refugees from the war-stricken Darfur region on behalf of the United Nations to keep an eye on the fighting catastrophe over there. Will doing this give her the top spot on the “Who’s helping Africa the Most” list? It won’t help. People want to see celebrities going to Africa to build clinics, to donate millions of dollars, to build water systems, etc. If Jolie isn’t in Darfur to do any of these things or something of the sort, it will be seen as nothing more than a publicity stunt. She did something worth mentioning while she was over there though. She was present at the International Criminal Court (ICC) where those suspected of allegedly assisting with the arming and fighting in the region were identified. It’s just hard to look at situations like Jolie’s that give no detailed information as to exactly why she’s in Africa and whether the continent will benefit directly from her being over there. I’m convinced that she is a genuine humanitarian, but in this case, she’s back in the news by “public demand.” Of all the celebrity “Africa-helpers,” Jolie is among the favorites; everyone loves to see what Jolie, her “stud-muffin” husband and her two adorable kids are doing to help the world.
March 22 is internationally recognized as World Water Day. It was initiated at the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED). Since then, people have been coming up with ways to deal with water scarcity in countries like Africa and executing their plan on World Water Day. Rock legend Bob Geldolf, responsible for the 1985 Live Aid concert and 2005 Live 8 concerts to benefit Africa, is planning “Intellectual Aid”, scheduled to kick off on March 22. “Intellectual Aid” is a series of debates on Africa—the development and the role of Western countries—with German intellectuals. It’s no surprise that Bono wants to get in on the action also. Both celebrity musicians are interested in working with filmmakers and television broadcasters to increase awareness of the development of Africa. We don’t know what the solution of the debates are going to be, and we don’t know what the two’s hidden agendas are, if any; but, I’m not convinced of their genuineness yet and I don’t know if I ever will be. They are climbing the age pole; they need some way to keep their fame going strong while they still can. Africa, I'm sure they are certain, is the way to do it.
R & B singer Alicia Keys has been involved with the AIDS crisis in Africa long before Madonna wanted to adopt from Malawi and before Oprah built a school in South Africa. Keys is a Keep A Child Alive (KCA) Ambassador. Through the organization, she traveled to Wentworth, South Africa, to help build a clinic for HIV testing and treatment, counseling for alcoholism and drug dependencies, nutrition courses and women’s empowerment. Keys is no doubt a determined humanitarian, but it seems to me that the people who surround her use her famous name for their own personal agendas. Keys’ longtime friend Erika Rose said it’s so much shame in Africa because of AIDS, but Keys can inspire Africans to take advantage of the clinic. She said in an article about Keys’ trip to South Africa, “…just because Alicia Keys put her name on this building, now it's cool to go get tested. Now it's cool to go get treatment.” I catch Rose’s drift, but it could have been worded better. I understand what KCA means when it says it hopes the attention Keys gets will bring real results where progress has been sluggish, but doesn’t this make you think the organization is only trying to pick the biggest names in Hollywood to give Africans a bigger incentive to help themselves? Don’t get me wrong- KCA is doing great things for the people of Africa. I just feel that if Keys isn’t using her own name for fame, the company she keeps shouldn’t either.
Whoopi Goldberg, along with other celebrities such as Chris Tucker and Oprah Winfrey, has taken a DNA test that shows how much of her genetic makeup links back to Africa. The test shows that she is 90 percent Papel, which is a tribe native to Guinea-Bissau. Now, one might assume that since Goldberg has taken the initiative to find her roots, she will unquestionably pay a visit to her homeland, right? But, she has not, and according to an email to The Associated Press from her publicist Brad Cafarelli, Goldberg will not be traveling to West Africa “in the foreseeable future." Guinea-Bissau, being one of the world’s poorest nations, needs Goldberg’s help and many others help, too. They are practically begging her to simply come to the nation and learn about her people. Goldberg is obviously not a celebrity known for pulling publicity stunts, but what shall we call her? She has done a few humanitarian acts throughout her acting career, but I can’t recall any being done to assist Africa. This is quite a different case; she isn’t posing for publicity, but she isn’t engaging in humanitarianism in the situation either. I just find it interesting that she would see the cry of help from her ancestors and yet not seem to hear it or be moved by it at all.
Mia Farrow, internationally recognized actress and UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, was recently awarded a presidential Medal of Honour by the Central African Republic (CAR) President François Bozizé for her services to the conflict-stricken nation. The CAR and Chad have been at war with rebels to retake the town of Birao and the situation seemed to have been extremely chaotic, from troops armed in defense to women of the town being raped. Even through all of this volatility, Farrow was there, administering vaccination to the children to protect them from diseases that can be deadly like measles, malaria and polio. It takes passion and determination to do what Farrow is doing to help Africa. She isn’t just sending big money over there or lending a hand to promote herself or her next movie. Her humanitarianism is so real. Look at the way she looks at these children who are so entangled in confusion and conflict. Look at the way she looks at them and they way they gaze back at her. Look at the way she grips their little hands. It is as if you could see the passion straining from her fingertips. Look at the way Farrow’s pinky finger slightly touches the infant’s cheek. Look at the expression on the infant’s face. It looks as if the baby somehow felt the genuineness of Farrow’s actions. All of this, to me, signifies trueness. When the world can see what you feel inside just by the look in your eyes or your touch, then the world knows it's real.
I was originally searching for another Motorola (RED) commercial when I stumbled across this one. Is the concept for such a commercial not desperate and infuriating? I know I am supposed to be blogging about celebrity contributions to Africa, and technically I am because (RED) was created by Bobby Shiver and Bono, but a feeling so deep came over me as I watched this commercial. At first the feeling was confusion. I could not figure out what it is they are trying to portray or say with the African spinning around and changing his body shape, etc. Then, the feeling was ANGER. The commercial, which begins with one African man, now becomes an African man and woman together, spinning, fondling, and kissing each other. Then, a red screen pops, and in black capped letters it says: THERE’S A PHONE DESIGNED TO HELP ELIMINATE AIDS IN AFRICA. Then, the sleek red phone pops up in another screen and it says: PLEASE BUY IT. This commercial is dated 2006, and no wonder it hasn’t been shown on television! It would certainly strike attention from African Americans and especially from me. The way I perceive this commercial is like this: they are saying that that the men and women of Africa are contracting AIDS by sexual intercourse, making it seem like this is the only activity they participate in. They are saying that Africans will not stop engaging in sex, therefore, AIDS will continue to destroy Africa, so……PLEASE BUY THIS PHONE AND HELP THOSE WHO DON’T KNOW HOW TO HELP THEMSELVES… I’m sure many people who have seen or will see this video will understand my perception of it or will form such a one similar to mine. This commercial could have been handled in a different way to tap into people’s pockets; I have seen some (RED) commercials that have certainly touched my heart, and they weren't at all degrading to Africans.
Yesterday morning I saw a commercial for PUR water filters, and I discovered that along with all the A-list celebrities, the company is also in the fight to save Africa. PUR wants to save lives in Kenya by providing them with 50 million liters of clean water through the Children’s Safe Drinking Water program (CSDW). In its own right, PUR is like a batch of celebrities because I’m sure just about every one of the rich and famous class has purified water systems in their mansions. The commercial is intriguing in a way that you feel obligated to sympathize with the Kenyan children, and at the same time, compelled to buy a purifier for yourself. I am surprised, though, to see that the children on the commercial are smiling, displaying their gratitude for the clean water. Normally, they would be shown in a terrible light—standing or sitting, looking pitiful, with flies all in their faces and on their bodies. I think the fact that PUR avoided this look attracts more buyers. PUR is promoting a great cause, but it is clear that the company wants more publicity, more sales. On the program’s Web site, it tells how a donation will be made to provide Kenya with clean drinking water every time someone buys any PUR product. This is all fine and dandy, but it does not say HOW MUCH will be donated! This is a big clue to show everyone that they are only trying to boost buyers to buy their products. Some people are easily persuaded by emotion alone, so telling them that they will be helping a country where hundreds of thousands of children die each year from diseases because of no clean water to drink will definitely win them over.
Several U.K. celebrities teamed up this morning at the London Eye to launch the 2007 Big Nose Day to be held on March 16. Big Nose Day is one of the major ways Comic Relief—a British charity organization—raises money to help solve the poverty problem in Africa. The launch was for recognition of the arrival of 8 million bright-red clown noses in stores and shops. On the actual Big Nose Day, the businesses will present customers with the noses to wear when they give a donation to Comic Relief. The day’s events are packed with U.K. celebrities, songs are written by artists just for the cause, and everything from buildings to cars has a big, red nose! It sounds like a very fun day for everyone, but who’s really thinking about Africa when they’re prancing around with their flamboyant noses? I was shocked to learn that 60 percent of the money raised goes to Africa and the remaining 40 goes to less-fortunate people of the U.K. It is a great number for Africa, but why would the U.K. give a larger portion of money to fight poverty somewhere else, knowing about the poverty situation they are facing themselves? That is what I call genuineness! They kind of put the world’s problems in the back of their minds for one day of total fun and excitement in the spring of every other year: Red Nose Day. Celebrities come out and interact with everyone to give back and to celebrate for a worthy cause. They all can feel good about running around and playing different games with flashy clown noses on because they know at the end of the day they are bringing Africa one more step out of poverty.
Somalia-born model Iman Abdulmajid, in response to the AIDS pandemic in Africa, is the global ambassador for Keep a Child Alive (KCA). Big names in Hollywood have been throwing A-list parties to benefit the growing organization. The latest bash: shoe designers Elizabeth Rickard and Binith Shah along with actress Jessica Alba on Jan 24 at Iconology, an up-scale boutique in Los Angeles, C.A. Alba hosted the cocktail party, where the Rickard Shah limited edition Icon Collection was launched. Twenty percent of the proceeds from the shoe sales will go towards the benefit of KCA. Abdulmajid, being from Africa, has ties to her homeland and giving back should be her top priority; I see her humanitarianism as truly genuine. Contrarily, Rickard and Binith are only concerned with selling their new line of shoes. Only 20 percent goes to KCA? Come on, why not 50? Why not 35 percent at the least? It is clear that their hidden agenda is not so disguised, but it seems to me that Alba—out of the three—is more real with hers, even though I don’t think she would have agreed to host this party if Payless shoe stores were involved instead of Rickard Shah. Alba comes off as a bit more real to me because the write-up about the party on the Rickard Shah Web site says that she personally chose to partner up with KCA for the event. She is just another well-known name added to the sign-up sheet to save Africa. I am not knocking her for her efforts, but what else has she done besides hosting the party to give back to the “hot spot” Africa? How often does Rickard Shah throw celebrity parties to benefit KCA? How about for other organizations? These are questions Hollywood-turned-humanitarians do not answer when they announce that they have recently done something to help what used to be known as “the forbidden continent.” Why not give and keep giving, extend a hand and leave it in? Then, the world would be able to see some authenticity in their contributions.
Celebrities are jumping on the bandwagon to save Africa, and the line between an image booster and sincere help is hazy. Rock star Bono created his Red campaign last year to fight AIDS in Africa. Now, he is back on the scene soliciting more help for the corrupted continent from other countries. But, is he throwing himself into the problem for recognition? On Jan. 26, Bono sat next to British Prime Minister Tony Blair at the World Economic Forum held in Davos, Switzerland. They attended a session, “Delivering on the Promise of Africa.” Bono wants countries to be as consistent as he is in the aid of Africa, the countries that have pledged to lend helping hands. But, for what hidden purpose is he consistent? If there are any hidden agendas in Bono’s acts of humanitarianism, it is not to be the most helpful celebrity in the Africa situation. Bono is genuine in his efforts to build Africa up, debt cancellation being one of the biggest concerns. Being a minor in African American studies, you can understand that I have taken up a deeper interest in Africa and seeing her beauty through the fog of corruption. My heart began to melt as my eyes drifted over Liberian President Ellen Sirleaf Johnson’s quote in the article, "Blair, Bono Tout Helping Africa at Forum." Johnson said, “For God’s sake, we shouldn’t be so poor.” I have heard of Africa’s gorgeous and abundant shades of green and the richness of natural resources, but I have yet to see it all for myself. Akon has dedicated a song from his latest CD, Konvicted, to his homeland, which talks about the beauty in the land of Africa that no human beings can really understand until they have witnessed it for themselves. This had to have been what Bono experienced that motivates him to keep his hands in the business of saving Africa. His color-quote tells it all: “Africa is this magical, extraordinary continent and we’ve got to start describing it more as an opportunity than a burden.”
I am a graduate of Winthrop University in Rock Hill, SC.I was the editor-in-chief of The Roddey-McMillan Record (campus multicultural newspaper)from 2007-2009. I have a B.A. in mass communication, concentration in print journalism. I served as the SC Collegiate Journalist for 08-09 for the South Atlantic Region of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.
