The Grio

Is Facebook founder Zuckerberg really Newark’s friend?

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(AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

By Talia Whyte

theGrio

Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg is expected to announce that he is making a $100 million donation to create an educational foundation for the Newark, N.J. school system on The Oprah Winfrey Show today. He will appear alongside New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and Newark Mayor Cory Booker, who is expected to find matching donations for a total of $200 million.

Under an agreement with Gov. Christie, Booker will take back most authority over the school system, which has been under state control for the last 15 years due to mismanagement in the city in the early 1990s. The donation is much needed, as Newark has one of the worst school systems in the country, where nearly half of the city’s high school students end up dropping out. In addition, New Jersey recently missed out on a $400 million federal education grant due to a clerical mistake. So, Zuckerberg’s “friending” of this school system with about 40,000 students and a budget this year of nearly $940 million comes at an optimal moment.

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Why Oprah’s legacy is a mixed bag for some black males

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(AP Photo/Harpo Productions, Inc., George Burns, File)

by Talia Whyte

theGrio

Today, media diva Oprah Winfrey begins the final year of her groundbreaking talk show. From her book club to O magazine, Winfrey will take her empire into a new era with the start of her OWN cable network next year.

By now, everyone has their favorite Oprah episode, whether it was the show where all the audience members got brand new cars (and paid $7,000 to keep them) or the infamous Tom Cruise couch jump. In the 25 years she has been on the air, Winfrey has not only helped set the standard for other daytime talk shows, but has also broken down many barriers for other female minority television personalities who follow in her footsteps.

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Laurence Fishburne’s teenage daughter sells sex to buy fame

By Talia Whyte

theGrio

I could only imagine what actor Laurence Fishburne is thinking about right now.

For the last week the Internet has been buzzing about his 19-year-old “actress” daughter Montana Fishburne who recently announced she will be starring in a Vivid Entertainment-produced porn film due out later this month. She claims that “performing” in such a film will help boost her Hollywood career, and that she is ready for the porn world because she already knows how to “do it well.”

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Why Africa Vogue is considered out of fashion

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by Talia Whyte

theGrio

For the last few months, famed Cameroonian photographer Mario Epanya has been on a campaign to convince Vogue publisher Condé Nast to create an African version of its hallmark magazine. He went as far as creating fictitious magazine covers, featuring models from the African Diaspora. Apparently, Epanya’s bid was rejected by Condé Nast, according to an announcement recently on his Facebook page.

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