News: Black Women

Oldest African-American Siblings Share 324 Years Of History



Maggie Mae Thornton Renfro, a 114-year-old from Louisiana, lived by herself until she was 106 years old. Then adopted daughter Mattie Ellis moved in, helping with day to day chores like cooking breakfast. The centenarian is in relatively good health, having only three minor surgeries in her entire life, and taking just five medicines a day. She can still do things like feed herself, amazing family members and the Guinness Book of World Records. "We knew going into this that Maggie held the distinction of being the 4th oldest person in the nation, and the 7th oldest person in the world. And just recently we learned that she is the oldest African-American in the nation and her three sisters, they are the oldest African-American siblings in the nation, so that's a nice distinction to have," said Chris Broussard. Those siblings are 103 year old Rosie Lee Thornton Warren and 107 year old Carrie Lee Thornton Miller.

MUSIC REVIEW: Melanie Fiona, The Bridge



Back in May, Booker Rising highlighted this up-and-coming Canadian singer. Well, now Ms. Fiona's debut CD is out. The Associated Press says thumbs up: "Melanie Fiona might be eccentric or just in love. Either way, her debut CD is an impressive mix of tracks that presents the many sides of the woman. The Bridge finds the newcomer begging her man to stay put on the up-tempo Please Don't Go (Cry Baby), leaving her lover behind on the impeccable Monday Morning and demanding that her partner treat her right on the groovy first single, Give It to Me Right. Although eight of the 12 tracks use samples -- Fiona borrows from Martha & the Vandellas, the Rhine Oaks, Johnnie Taylor and others -- she proves she can hold her own on the songs that don't use interpolations."