Feb. 6, 2006

Al Shearer is best known to African-Americans as the notorious prankster Hits on BET's 'Hits from the Streets.' The Ohio native, who was featured on Ashton Kutcher's MTV practical joke show, 'Punk'd,' shows off his serious side in the Disney film 'Glory Road'. In the movie, based on the victory of the Texas Western basketball team and its all African-American starting lineup at the 1966 NCAA tournament and the racism they endured, Shearer's character is attacked in a bathroom stall and called the n-word.

In real life, Shearer says he's never been called the n-word, but he has faced racism in other ways. "I haven't got called a n-a yet, but I have faced blatant racism," he says. "I have a black Escalade with 24-inch rims and it's black on black -- the rims are black, the tint is black and truck is black. I got stopped seven times and like three of those times was the same cop."

Shearer says each time the police claimed to have stopped him for making a right turn on red. Since it became a regular occurrence for him, he'd crack jokes with the questioning officer. "I'm like, 'Dude is it you again? You didn't want to stop the eight cars in front of me that turned right on red? It's my truck again. Same truck. It was mine last week. Still my registration, still me on that license and still me in the truck,'" he says, laughing.

The 28-year-old admits he's grateful that racial profiling is the only discrimination he's really faced in his life. "That's probably been the worse thing. It's been a blessing that I have not been a victim of anything more overtly racist," he says.

But Shearer sympathizes with the many that faced racism head-on, saying that during Black History Month, people should salute those who were actually there at the height of the Civil Rights Movement and survived the struggles of racism. "I take my hat off to anyone who lived in the Civil Rights era and raged against the machine and kept it together and dealt with the racial climate of that time. I just don't have that temperament. In 1966, I would have either been in a box or behind bars. I wouldn't have been able to do it. Every time you see someone that lived through that era, you should take them out to dinner, buy them a drink or give them a hug. They went through a lot of stuff," he adds.

Double Play

Fresh on the heels of us reporting last week that 'Law & Order' and 'Rent' star Jesse L. Martin will play late soul great Marvin Gaye in an upcoming biopic, several other actors are publicizing their desire to bring the stories of iconic entertainment personalities to the big screen.

'Las Vegas' star James Lesure may have to learn how to tap dance to recreate his dream project. "Gregory Hines. I thought about [it]. Sometimes people say that I look like him. I love to dance. I don't tap so well, but I'm open to taking lessons," Lesure says. The former star of 'For Your Love,' says he has also considered playing tennis hero Arthur Ashe. "I don't know much about him, but he seemed like a sweet individual, a man of dignity that achieved great things in his life."

Vivica A. Fox is passionate about playing trouble-prone R&B diva Whitney Houston. "I would love to play Whitney. It's something that I've put out in the universe. I did approach some people, but they felt that right now wasn't the right time to do it. But whenever they do that or whenever it is done, it would be my dream role. I think Whitney is an incredible entertainer, she's a great woman, and because of things that are happening in her life right now, a lot of people have forgotten her contribution to the music industry. I want to remind them," says the star of Lifetime's 'Missing.'

Keith Robinson is currently shooting 'Dreamgirls' alongside Beyonce Knowles, Jamie Foxx, Jennifer Hudson and Eddie Murphy, but that's not the only musical in which the singer-actor would like to appear. "I'd like to play Donny Hathaway in a movie," says Robinson, who has also starred in the film 'Fat Albert' and on NBC's 'American Dreams.'

Buzzworthy

Mia Amber, who appeared in the film 'Road Trip,' and 'America's Next Top Model' contestant Toccarra Jones, who graces the current cover of 'King' magazine, are the new faces of Ashley Stewart's new spring 2006 campaign. Both full-figured models are featured on billboards for the plus-size women's line. See a video from their photo shoot at www.AshleyStewart.com.

'The Apprentice' and 'Surreal Life' star Omarosa Manigault and model-turned-'Ultimate Hustler' creator/executive producer Datari Turner have teamed up to teach a course at the Los Angeles Learning Annex called "How to Produce, Participate and Profit from Reality Television." The classes will take place on Feb. 8, and March 21, and focus on subtopics such as 'Successfully pitching your ideas;' 'Impressing casting directors and nailing the audition;' 'Turning great ideas into a great treatment;' and 'Negotiating the best deals.' Manigault and Turner say previous reports that they dated were not true and that the two are only friends and business associates. On Feb. 10, Manigault will also be the keynote speaker at Essex County College in Newark, N.J.

Bestselling author and nutritionist Dr. Ro is throwing a Valentine's Day soiree at her uber-popular Bethesda, Md. boutique Everything Ro. The new TV One personality, who has also had shows on BET and Lifetime, will host the gathering on Sat., Feb. 11, from 1-4 p.m. "We'll be serving champagne and chocolate-dipped strawberries and having lots of surprises," Ro tells us. For details, visit www.everythingro.com.

Celebrity photographer Arnold Turner will kick off Black History Month with an exhibit called 'Arnold Turner Presents: A Journey Behind the Music." The display will be featured at the ArcLight Cinemas in Hollywood and kick off with a celebrity reception hosted by Victoria Rowell ('The Young and the Restless') on Feb. 6. Destiny's Child, Janet Jackson, Jazzy Jeff & Fresh Prince, Mariah Carey, Queen Latifah and Snoop Dogg are among those featured in the exhibit, which runs through March 15.

BV Scene

Rapper Ludacris dining with his entourage, including DTP rapper I-20, at Chicago's The Bella Lounge... Malcolm X's daughter Malaak Shabazz holding court with AOL Black Voices' Karu F. Daniels at the National Black Arts Kickoff Festival at New York City's Puck Building. The soiree was hosted by Essence magazine's Susan Taylor... Prince and Eric Benet partying like it was 1999 at the Los Angeles hotspot Cabana Club following the premiere of 'Something New'... Shaun Robinson of 'Access Hollywood,' Tara Reid and Morgan Freeman dining separately during Sunday brunch at the Four Seasons Los Angeles at Beverly Hills... Queen Latifah, The Game, Nick Cannon, Michael K. Williams ('The Wire'), rapper Monie Love, Bryce Wilson, Sheek Louch, Jim Jones, Naughty By Nature, Styles P., Julissa ('106 & Park'), Big Gipp and WNBA player Teresa Weatherspoon at Ed Lover, Shakim Compere and Jimmy Henchman's birthday party at Sol in New York City.

Can't Say Names ...

What bestselling author apparently has four children by four different women, though only one child is acknowledged? Said author, whose books have become national touring plays, is apparently not active in the lives of three of his children and is regularly late with his child support checks for at least one child. "What's really sad is that he sits on panels and does speaking dates nationally pretending to be a role model for black men," said a source. Now the author is slated to head to court and attempt to terminate his parental rights for at least one of the children.