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https://www.blackenterprise.com/olympic-gold-medalist-dominique-dawes-gymnastics-academy/

Famed Olympic Gold Medalist Dominique Dawes is setting up to open her own gymnastics school in the state of Maryland according to We Buy Black.

The 43-year-old mother of four children, a three-time gold-winning gymnast at the 1996 Atlanta Games, Dominique Dawes is opening a new gymnastics academy in Clarksburg, Maryland, less than 30 miles from where she grew up in Silver Spring. The Dominique Dawes Gymnastics Academy will open its doors in the Spring of 2020.

Dawes announced the news on Instagram, “Welcome to Dominique Dawes Gymnastics Academy! Join me on this exciting journey. Watch the transformation unfold. Opening Spring 2020. Clarksburg, MD. Submit your email at www.dominiquedawesgymnasticsacademy.com to receive DDGA newsletter and be the first to know about memberships, class schedules, summer camps, raffles and more! #dawesgymacademy“

A description of her academy is listed on the website: “Dominique Dawes Gymnastics Academy is a safe, supportive and empowering gymnastics and ninja gym for all! We aspire to inspire today’s generation of gymnasts and more. In a safe, caring, and uplifting environment, our athletes will develop the characteristics and self-confidence to reach their fullest potential in and out of the gym. Our desire is to plant seeds of empowerment, all while teaching quality gymnastics, fostering friendships and building memories that will last a lifetime.”

Dawes is thrilled to be embarking on this exciting journey. “All four of my kids are my motivation! They will be active in the gymnastics and ninja programs and I couldn’t be more proud to build a community to empower and positively encourage today’s generation of gymnasts and beyond. Words leave a lasting impact on the self-esteem of a young child, which is why it’s beyond gold medals here at Dominique Dawes Gymnastics Academy. Every child that walks through our doors will know that they are valued. My amazing staff will understand that the most important kid is the one standing right in front of them.”

The Olympian plans on opening more locations across Montgomery County in the coming years. “This is me leaving a lasting legacy in the sport of gymnastics. I know I was able to do it as an athlete. This is my way of doing it by creating a healthy, positive encouraging gymnastics community in this area, in the state of Maryland, that has been so supportive of me throughout my whole career,” Dawes tells Montgomery Community Media.

Dominique Dawes Gymnastics Academy is located at 22530 Gateway Center Drive, Clarksburg, Md 20871. For more information, you can send an email to info@dominiquedawesgymnasticsacademy.com.

https://www.essence.com/news/politics/jeffries-demings-impeachment-managers/

Speaker Nancy Pelosi has named impeachment managers for Donald Trump’s senate trial. Among the group of seven legislators are Congressman Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) and Val Demings (D-FL). Both lawmakers are members of the Congressional Black Caucus.

During Speaker Pelosi’s announcement, she said that the diverse group which also includes Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., Rep. Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y., Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif., Rep. Jason Crow, D-Colo., and Rep. Sylvia Garcia, D-Texas were chosen based on their background in the courtroom.

Today, I have the privilege of naming the Managers of the impeachment trial of the President. #DefendOurDemocracy pic.twitter.com/Y2613Ni3pC

— Nancy Pelosi (@SpeakerPelosi) January 15, 2020

“The emphasis is on litigators. The emphasis is on comfort level in the courtroom. The emphasis is making the strongest possible case to protect and defend our Constitution, to seek the truth for the American people,” Pelosi said.

WASHINGTON, DC, UNITED STATES, JANUARY 9, 2020: U.S. Representative Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) speaks during her weekly press conference at HVC Studio A in Washington, DC.- PHOTOGRAPH BY Michael Brochstein / Echoes Wire / Barcroft Media via Getty Images)

Prior to Congress, Demings served as Orlando’s first female Chief of Police. Upon the announcement of being named an impeachment manager, the 2016 electee said in a tweet, “The evidence against the president is overwhelming. The president abused his office to try to cheat in the 2020 election, and then covered it up. He shall be held accountable.”

Jeffries, who hails from Brooklyn, New York was recently named Chairman of the House Democratic Caucus. In a tweet Jeffries said he was “honored to serve as an impeachment manager” and promised to “follow the facts” during the trial.

Hakeem Jeffries Photo: One Hundred Black Men

Earlier this year the former New York State Assemblyman, while being recognized by the New York Chapter of One Hundred Black Men said, “It’s an honor to serve in the U.S. Congress at this particular moment in time. It’s a challenging time that we’re living through, but we stand on the shoulders of a whole lot of folk. We stand on the shoulders of so many who have come before us.”

Impeachment managers delivered the articles to the Senate on Wednesday. Mitch McConnell said he expects the trial to start on January 21.

The post Val Demings, Hakeem Jeffries Among Democrats Named As Impeachment Managers appeared first on Essence.

https://www.themarysue.com/let-chris-evans-and-robert-downey-jr-live/

We’re barely a month into 2020, and everyone still is asking Robert Downey Jr. and Chris Evans when they’re going back to Marvel. It’s not even been a year since they got their finales in Avengers: Endgame! There’s a certain level of nostalgia that we have, as fans, and when things come to an end, we want them to come back, which is probably why we have new Star Wars movies and a never-ending cycle of Batman movies at our disposal. And now … it seems as if people already have that same feeling for the Avengers, wanting our fallen heroes back in action.

That’s not to say I think either of these characters is now “unimportant.” Actually, the opposite. Just this week, Robert Downey Jr. talked with a little boy on The Ellen DeGeneres Show who learned how to speak and cope with autism through Iron Man. Wearing an Iron Man mask, the little boy was confident enough to begin speaking, and even named his dog “Mr. Stark.”

But the constant questions about whether or not they’ll return to the roles is … a lot. Just this morning, Downey was promoting Dolittle on The Today Show and was asked about going back to Tony Stark, and it got to the point where he finally said, “We’ll see,” in response to the question.

“We’ll see.” @RobertDowneyJr on the future of Tony Stark pic.twitter.com/DlZ0qHf0yp

— TODAY (@TODAYshow) January 15, 2020

And he isn’t the first, either. Evans talked with Scarlett Johansson about it on Actors on Actors, and I think part of the problem is that they feel obligated to not just say, “No.”

The thing is: We’re getting so many new heroes in Marvel’s next phase, and with the Disney+ programming, what if we let our nostalgia sit for a bit? That’s not to say I don’t want old man Steve Rogers in Falcon and the Winter Soldier or for Tony Stark to come back as Peter Parker’s new A.I. system in some way, but I do think that we can, you know, wait just a little bit. Avengers: Endgame came out in April 2019, and it’s January 2020, and we’re already continually asking them when they’ll be back?

Let’s look, instead, to the future. With rumors of an Iron Heart series and a confirmed She-Hulk and Ms. Marvel coming our way, we’re getting a new wave of younger, more diverse heroes, and maybe the time for Tony and Steve to sit back and enjoy is now. (Let’s be honest, we’re probably going to see them again in Black Widow and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, so just be patient, my young ones.)

The time now is for Shang-Chi and to let actors like Simu Liu have his chance. We’re getting The Eternals and seeing Kumail Nanjiani and Richard Madden shine alongside Angelina Jolie. Even Hawkeye is meant to be passing down his bow to Kate Bishop. It’s an era of change, and one that, honestly, is going to work for the Marvel Cinematic Universe and keep it alive.

Do I wish that Tony Stark also got to live to an old age like Steve Rogers? Yes, I also wish that Steve just said, “No,” to Sam and left it at that, but that’s an entirely different issue. No matter what happens with Chris Evans and Robert Downey Jr. in the future of the MCU, let’s focus on the new characters we’re going to learn about, the heroes we have left, and keep a little bit of hope alive for their return some point later down the line.

(image: Marvel Entertainment)

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 —The Mary Sue has a strict comment policy that forbids, but is not limited to, personal insults toward anyone, hate speech, and trolling.—

https://nerdist.com/article/lord-of-the-rings-tv-series-cast/

Whenever we get new word about Amazon’s forthcoming Lord of the Rings-inspired television series, I always feel like Bilbo Baggins. I picture him sprinting with abandon from the sanctuary of his shire out into the perilous but exciting unknown of Middle-earth, screaming to his neighbors, “I’m going on an adventure!” For, what is a trip into the imagination of J.R.R. Tolkien (or the varied artists committing to bring said vision to life onscreen) if not an adventure in its own right?

And I do indeed feel that rousing sense of adventure today as I hear about the series’ latest casting announcements. Amazon has enlisted a great big batch of actors to star in the series, which will serve as a prequel of sorts to what we’ve seen thus far in terms of screen adaptation by whim of the dutiful Peter Jackson.

If you’ve been keeping your ear to the ground, you know that Robert Aramayo (young Ned Stark on Game of Thrones), Joseph Mawle (Benjen Stark on Game of Thrones), and Morfydd Clark (whom you can see presently on Netflix’s Dracula and HBO’s His Dark Materials) will be headlining the cast. No word yet on who Mawle will be playing, but Aramayo has been saddled to a character called (Aramayo’s character has been called “Beldor,” while Morfydd Clark has been said to be playing a young Galadriel, portrayed in Jackson’s films by the great Cate Blanchett.

via GIPHY

Joining the project anew are the following names: Owain Arthur (of the hospital drama Casualty), Nazanin Boniadi (who has starred in TV shows like Scandal and Homeland and films like Bombshell), Tom Budge (most recently of the thriller Secret Bridesmaids’ Business), Ismael Cruz Córdova (Hector on Ray Donovan and Qin on The Mandalorian), Ema Horvath (most recently of The Mortuary Collection), Markella Kavenagh (most recently of True History of the Kelly Gang), Dylan Smith (the up-coming New York Film Fest favorite First Cow), Daniel Weyman (most recently Gentleman Jack), and newcomers Tyroe Muhafidin, Sophia Nomvete, Megan Richards, and Charlie Vickers. At present, who exactly the rest of these actors will be playing is still a great mystery.

In fact, that mystery bleeds into the very premise of the show. All we really know is that it’ll take place before the events of The Fellowship of the Ring, but that leaves a lot of room for possibility… and speculation! (One popular theory held that the series might follow the rise and fall of Númenor, though it’s been suggested as well that the story would take place closer to the events of Fellowship.)

Speaking on the search for talent, series producers J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay said, “After undertaking an extensive global search, we are delighted finally to reveal the first group of brilliant performers who will take part in Amazon’s The Lord of the Rings series. These exceptionally talented women and men are more than just our actors: they are the newest members of an ever-expanding creative family that is now working tirelessly to bring Middle-earth to life anew for fans and audiences worldwide.”

Keep your giant, flaming eye out for more Lord of the Rings news!

Featured Image: New Line Cinema

The post Amazon’s LORD OF THE RINGS Series Casts 15 Actors! appeared first on Nerdist.