Harvard fest honors actor and rapper Queen Latifah (Harvard Further Assaults Credibility)

Boston Globe | Sunday, February 23, 2003 | Tenley Woodman

[Lance Romance]

Harvard fest honors actor and rapper Queen Latifah

by Tenley Woodman
Sunday, February 23, 2003

<!CAT-LONW!>

The Harvard Foundation for Intercultural and Race Relations rolled out the crimson carpet yesterday for Queen Latifah, its 2003 Artist of the Year, during Harvard's annual Cultural Rhythms Festival at Sanders Theatre.

``If these performers could run these countries, they wouldn't be on the verge of war,'' said the Oscar nominee, who is also hosting the Grammy Awards tonight.

Harvard chose Latifah for her outstanding artistic work and efforts to help needy college-bound students through her scholarship foundation.

Past recipients of the award include Will Smith, Denzel Washington, Debbie Allen, Halle Berry and Jackie Chan.

``I should be giving you an award, I'm having too much fun,'' said the New Jersey native.

Her recent performance as Mama Morton in ``Chicago,'' which is up for 11 Academy Awards, earned the actress and rapper an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress.

Students from 26 campus cultural groups performed for Latifah as she shouted words of encouragement and appreciation.

``You should see my family tree, it's a trip,'' said Latifah, whose background includes Philippine, Irish and North American ancestry.

Among her other accomplishments are numerous Grammy nominations and a Grammy for Best Rap Solo in 1994.

``This has gotta be more fun than the Oscars,'' Latifah told the crowd.

Her next film is ``Bringing Down the House'' with Steve Martin. She executive produced the movie, which opens in March.

[Lance Romance]

``If these performers could run these countries, they wouldn't be on the verge of war,'' said the Oscar nominee, who is also hosting the Grammy Awards tonight.

Need I say more?

[jimtorr]

........Latifah, whose background includes Philippine, Irish and North American ancestry.

Interesting. I guess they can't bring themselves to say white anymore, much less any European ethnicity that does not include some formerly oppresed group that the PC crowd recognizes.

I wonder if any American Indians or Mexicans in the group resent being lumped-in with the rest of North America?

[Tax-chick]

Jackie Chan is a brilliant businessman. He could probably run Hong Kong better than the Red Chinese!

[Lijahsbubbe]

If these performers ran these countries no one would have anything.

They're the greediest of the bunch with their huge diamonds (by the way , what about slave labor for diamonds),homes, cars and big butts.

[Izzy Dunne]

`If these performers could run these countries, they wouldn't be on the verge of war,'' said the Oscar nominee

So put your money where your mouth is, toss your name into the ring for election, foo!

[weegee]

Actress Queen Latifah Implies "Whole Cold War Thing" a Ruse