‘Barbershop’ actor to host Image Awards

The NAACP has chosen Cedric the Entertainer to host its 34th annual Image Awards show on March 8, despite his jokes in the film “Barbershop” that angered some black leaders.

His character made mocking remarks in the film about civil rights icons the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks, sparking complaints upon its release in September from the Rev. Jesse Jackson and the Rev. Al Sharpton.

Kweisi Mfume, president of the National Assn. for the Advancement of Colored People, said the uproar was “overblown,” noting that other characters in the film shouted down the remarks that Cedric’s character made. He said he hoped choosing the comedian as host would help put the controversy to rest.

Fox will broadcast a tape of the awards program March 13.