Dr. Maurice Watson is Pastor of the Metropolitan Baptist Church. His congregation held a backpack drive to benefit students of William Paca Elementary. They are still in need of 300 more backpacks. If you’re able to assist, please reach out to the church for more information on how you can help.
Keith Wonderboy Johnson talked about his song, “Try Jesus” to help people get through the coronavirus pandemic as well as “Something Is Happening” with Gloria Wilson that is from a movie entitled, “Negative Exposure.” He told me he plans to produce a new song in the Go-Go style. We can’t wait to hear that!
“If it’s on the Screen, we are definitely on the Scene!”
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It was old home week for me, as I was joined by my former BET colleagues. Harold McCoo and Kathy Andrews took us all down memory lane. Kathy shared stories of best and worst moments with Laurence Fishburne. Harold described how Denzel Washington looked out for him. But the funniest moments came when it was revealed what Harold is most famous for. He’s the reluctant star of YouTube.
These guys are hilarious and it was great to learn how they process.
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The night started with an animated conversation with comedian, actor, entrepreneur, J. Anthony Brown. So glad he found time for us as he’s got so much going on, co-hosting a daily morning show on the Steve Harvey Morning Show. He’s starring in a new Tyler Perry sitcom on BET, “Assisted Living!” We talked about many things, including how after several long months battling leukemia, he’s grateful to God he’s now cancer free.
We then welcomed the hilarious and multi talented comedian, Tony Baker. He captured most of our attention from his hilarious animal videos on Instagram. Tony took us through a little journey of how he became the voice of the animals. It really is fun to watch. He is “spot on” with the sound effects and everything! I’m surprised that Disney hasn’t swept him up to do voiceovers for animation. It’s just a matter of time.
Family of William Green reaches $20 million dollar settlement with Prince George’s County
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Largo, Maryland (Monday, September 28, 2020) – Prince George’s County has reached a $20 million settlement with the family of William Green. He’s the unarmed Black man fatally shot by officer Michael Owen, Jr. last January while handcuffed in a police cruiser.
County Executive Angela Alsobrooks made the settlement announcement this morning while joined by the Green family along with their attorney Billy Murphy. “This settlement in no way makes up for the loss experienced by Mr. Green’s mother, children and family,” said Alsobrooks. “However, when we are wrong, and we need to take responsibility, we will. When we need to make reforms in our police department, we will; and in circumstances where we must defend our department, we will.”
The officer accused of fatally shooting Green has since been fired and now faces a barrage of charges. Owen was arrested not long after the shooting and charged with second degree murder, voluntary and involuntary manslaughter, first-degree assault, and use of a firearm in the commission of a crime of violence.
On the evening of January 27, Prince George’s County Police took Mr. Green into custody following a series of car collisions. Mr. Green was subsequently handcuffed behind his back and placed in the front passenger seat of Prince George’s County Police Department Corporal Michael Owen’s cruiser. A short time later, Owen fired seven shots from inside his police cruiser, six of which struck Mr. Green, killing him. It was initially stated by the officer that Green, who was handcuffed, attempted to gain control of his weapon, but use-of-force specialists within the department were unable to corroborate that. Owen was charged with murder and taken into custody less than 24 hours after the shooting.
“The number here reflected the heinous nature, the brutal nature, the senseless nature of what happened to Mr. Green,” said Murphy.
After a 3 year $211 million modernization, the MLK Library is opening up its doors again virtually to the public. Here’s you chance to see what the new library looks like and how the library will operate under the COVID-19 guidelines. My guest is Richard Reyes-Gavilan – Executive Director of DC Public Library
The MLK Library will reopen after a 3-year $211 million modernization. There will be a reopening virtual ceremony allowing people to take part. For more information go here:
Tune in to Taking it to the Streets, weekday mornings at 6:15, 7:08 and 8:40 on the Steve Harvey Morning Show on 96.3 WHUR.
Follow me on facebook and twitter at @bobbygailes for updates and to stay connected.
The average age of persons with the coronavirus is getting youngers
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Washington, D.C. (Friday, September 25, 2020) – A new report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that the median age of people with the coronavirus in the United States is getting younger. Persons in their 20s now account for more cases than any other age group with 20 percent of the infections.
Americans in their 30s make up the 2nd largest group of COVID-19 cases. Meanwhile, the number of infections in persons 40 and older appears to be steadily decreasing.
The coronavirus pandemic has changed the way nearly all of us conduct our lives in some way. For many of us… it has changed our personal finances. According to The Bureau of Labor Statistics, of the 20 million jobs lost in April, 55% of the cuts impacted women. Even if you did not lose your job, how you spend and save has changed. We’re talking about strategies to keep your finances intact in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Michelle Singletary, Columnist, “The Color of Money”, The Washington Post
Virginia’s Governor and wife are isolating for next 10 days after testing positive for the coronavirus
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Richmond, VA (Friday, September 25, 2020) – Another indication that the COVID-19 pandemic isn’t over. Virginia Governor Ralph Northam and his wife have tested positive for the coronavirus. The governor’s office made the announcement this morning, saying it appears Northam doesn’t have any symptoms, but his wife is experiencing mild symptoms.
The Northams tested positive yesterday after learning earlier in the week that one of their residential staff members had the virus. The couple is said to be in good spirits and will isolate for the next 10 days. ” As I’ve been reminding Virginians throughout this crisis, COVID-19 is very real and very contagious,” Northam said.
The Executive Mansion and Patrick Henry Office Building are closed today for deep cleaning.
Benjamin Crump, the Breonna Taylor family attorney, is questioning the grand jury process in the case that led to her death. We continue to examine the impact of the grand jury decision, protests and what justice means, going forward.
A. Scott Bolden, Attorney & Political AnalystPhillip Bailey, USA Today ReporterAprill O. Turner, Vice President, Campaign for Youth Justice
WASHINGTON (AP) — Congressional leaders, including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi are pushing back after President Donald Trump declined to commit to a peaceful transfer of power if he loses the Nov. 3 presidential election. McConnell vowed an “orderly transition” as has been done since the nation’s founding. Pelosi said she trusts voters.
On Thursday, the White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said the president will accept the results of a “free and fair election.” She insisted, as Trump does, that there is a potential for many fraudulent ballots. Still, the response from Capitol Hill was unequivocal, that lawmakers expect a peaceful transition, if Trump loses.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Authorities are pleading for calm while activists are vowing to fight on in Kentucky’s largest city after a gunman wounded two police officers during anguished protests over the decision not to charge officers for killing Breonna Taylor. A new round of demonstrations in U.S. cities was set off by outrage over a grand jury’s failure to bring homicide charges against the officers who burst into the Black woman’s apartment six months ago. The state attorney general said the investigation showed officers were acting in self-defense when they responded to gunfire from Taylor’s boyfriend. Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer insisted Thursday that violence won’t cure his city’s pain.
MISSION, Kan. (AP) — Claire Reagan was feeling overwhelmed as her oldest child’s first day of kindergarten approached and with a baby on the way. The 5-year-old boy has autism, and she worried he would struggle with juggling in-person and virtual learning, and that she wouldn’t have enough time to give him the help he needs.
So she decided to wait a year before sending him to school.
“I was stressed about everything and then thought ‘Why does he need to start kindergarten?’ And it was like a weight was lifted,” said Reagan, a 36-year-old high school teacher in the Kansas City suburb of Olathe, Kansas.
Thousands of parents around the U.S. have made similar decisions, having their children delay or skip kindergarten because of the coronavirus pandemic. The opt outs, combined with huge declines in preschool enrollment, are raising worries about the long-term effects of so much lost early education.
“If there is a group for which you would be particularly concerned, it is these very young students who are not having these foundational experiences,” said Nate Schwartz, a professor at the Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University.
Kindergarten isn’t required in most states, and in normal times parents sometimes “red-shirt” children who would be young for their kindergarten class to given them an extra year of developmental readiness. But enrollment numbers have plunged in many places this fall as parents weigh health concerns and the prospect of helping young children to navigate distance learning while also holding onto their jobs.
In Los Angeles’ public schools, kindergarten enrollment is down about 6,000 students, or 14%. In Nashville, Tennessee, public kindergarten enrollment is down about 1,800 students, or 37%, from last year.
According to a University of Oregon survey conducted in early September with 1,000 parents from around the U.S., including 242 with a child who was supposed to start kindergarten this fall, 17% of respondents said they were delaying their children’s schooling. Among those, the most frequent reason cited was safety concerns, followed by concerns about managing virtual schooling and other responsibilities, according to Philip Fisher, a psychology professor at the university who is leading an effort to measure the effect of the pandemic on young children and their families.
Fisher said the vast majority of parents reported that they were making sure their kids were attending all of their virtual lessons and completing their coursework without the assistance of hired help or other adults, making juggling their own work a challenge. He said that parents are overwhelmed, particularly those in low-income communities where schools are more likely to be offering only remote instruction.
“We think young kids are likely getting lost in the shuffle,” he said.
Reagan, who is also keeping her 3-year-old daughter home from preschool, said she held off with kindergarten for many reasons, including her own pregnancy and instructions to quarantine for two weeks before she delivers in the fall. She said her job allows her to work from home and her family has insurance that will continue to pay for some of her son’s therapy.
For many young students, the delayed start of primary school follows a disrupted preschool experience. Among preschool-age children, participation rates plummeted in the spring, as programs closed and children stopped attending, according to a report from the National Institute for Early Education Research at Rutgers University. The group is planning a follow-up report, but all indications are that enrollment hasn’t fully rebounded, said Steven Barnett, senior co-director of the institute.
He said public preschool programs such as Head Start have been “substantial equalizers” for low-income families.
“When that falls apart, parents are not going to be able to fill the gap,” he said. “The people who are dependent on free public education as equalizers can’t make up the difference when left on their own.”
Some parents feel their children may be ready for in-person school but not for virtual school, said Anna Markowitz, an assistant professor of education at the University of California, Los Angeles.
“They are thinking I can’t work and monitor my child’s Zoom schooling. Parents are really in an impossible situation,” she said.
Only 17 states and Washington, D.C., require children to attend kindergarten, Markowitz said. Parents elsewhere can bypass kindergarten and just send their children to first grade next fall. In a typical year, only about 4% of children who are eligible to begin kindergarten are held back by their families, said Chloe Gibbs, a Notre Dame economist.
The National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine released a report in July focused on younger children. Its advice was to prioritize the reopening of schools for children in kindergarten through fifth grade with well-funded safety measures in place. But since the report was released, high rates of community spread have made in-person learning more risky in many communities, turning young learners into virtual learning guinea pigs.
“When you look at the distance learning research, very little has been carried out on young students, even below middle school,” said Brown University’s Schwartz, who is a member of the committee that wrote the report and is also running a project that provides research to school leaders who are trying to make decisions during the pandemic. “Few people were even considering that it could be considered with kids this young.”
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — For months, actors, sports stars, musicians and other celebrities have been using their platforms to call for justice in the police shooting death of Breonna Taylor, including at Sunday’s Emmy Awards. Her picture was used on the cover of O:The Oprah Magazine this year and even Beyoncé sent a letter to the Kentucky Attorney General asking for justice.
After a grand jury on Wednesday indicted one of the Kentucky police officers on criminal charges, but not for her death, many celebrities and sports stars decried the decision.
Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron referenced the calls from stars and their likely reaction during his remarks, and urged people to keep protests peaceful.
“There will be celebrities, influencers and activists who having never lived in Kentucky will try to tell us how to feel, suggesting they understand the facts of this case, that they know our community and the Commonwealth better than we do, but they don’t,” Cameron said. “Let’s not give in to their attempts to influence our thinking or capture our emotions.”
Here are how some stars and athletes reacted to the decision.
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“It’s a very complicated situation. But it ain’t right and enough already. Enough already. It’s time for some people to go to jail.” – Queen Latifah, recording artist and actor, in an interview with The Associated Press.
“I was born and raised in Kentucky. Cut tobacco on the farms of Kentucky. Both my parents and my sister live in Kentucky. I own a home in Kentucky, and I was there last month. The justice system I was raised to believe in holds people responsible for their actions. Her name was Breonna Taylor and she was shot to death … by 3 white police officers, who will not be charged with any crime for her death. I know the community. I know the commonwealth. And I was taught in the schools and churches of Kentucky what is right and what is wrong. I’m ashamed of this decision.” — George Clooney, in a statement, referencing Cameron’s comments about celebrities.
“I don’t have many words right now…. but all I can say is I’m praying for the city of Louisville right now!!!” – Donovan Mitchell, NBA player, former Louisville Cardinals player, via Twitter.
“No amount of money has ever brought a life back. Ask yourself ‘Why so long for Breonna Taylor?’” – Stevie Wonder, in a video message.
“The white supremacist institution of policing that stole Breonna Taylor’s life from us must be abolished for the safety and well being of our people. #BreonnaTaylor #SayHerName #AbolishThePolice.” – Colin Kaepernick, via Twitter.
“It’s all kind of numbing. On one hand it’s like I KNOW I’m not crazy there’s a real problem in our country. On the other I’m sad that everyone doesn’t see it and some don’t want to. Of course I know God is at work. It’s just tough to process it all. #BreonnaTaylor” — Lecrae, recording artist, via Twitter.
“‘To be a Negro in this country and to be relatively conscious is to be in a state of rage almost all of the time.’ James Baldwin. #BreonnaTaylor” — recording artist and actor Common, via Twitter.
“Daniel Cameron is on Donald Trump’s short list as replacement of #RGB on the Supreme Court. The same man who decided to not charge the officers responsible for killing #BreonnaTaylor. Vote.” — Kerry Washington, actor, referring to Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron, via Twitter.
“This is is a PRIME example of Rotten to the CORE!!! UnJust!!!! Disrespectful and BLATANT DISREGARD!!!! Infuriated!!!!!!!” – Alicia Keys, recording artist, via Twitter.
“Everyone needs to register to vote. Vote early, go hard, we got to go hard. This is not a year to take it easy, because no one has taken it easy on us. You know, and there’s no reason that young woman should not be walking around today, there’s no reason her mom should be burying her child.” — Queen Latifah, in an AP interview.
“I don’t pretend to be an expert in the law, an expert in the legal system of every state. What I do know, what I do understand is whatever the law, whatever is protecting (the police) in this case and many other cases is hard to comprehend, hard to understand. If this is the protections they have, we have a real problem. There was an anticipation that this was not going to go down the way it should have. That’s been proven with the news we got today.” — Atlanta Hawks coach Lloyd Pierce, in a media call on Wednesday.
“My heart is broken for the family of Breonna Taylor. once again we’re left with nothing that they try to make seem as something” – Ella Mai, recording artist, via Twitter.
″“Of course people are going to get on the street and they’re going to show you their pain, they’re going to show you their anger. And you have to meet that by listening. You cannot meet that by pushing back with, what are essentially baseball bats and poison that you’re spraying in people’s eyes and noses. But that is what will happen.” — writer-director Aaron Sorkin in an AP interview.
“It’s really disappointing because justice should be served for her death, Breonna Taylor, and this movement in general, Black Lives Matter, and understanding the neglect of not only Black people but colored people in general. The injustices and the police brutality and the systematic racism and everything of that nature. It’s bigger than just sports or politics or the color of your skin. It’s about how you treat people.” — Washington Football Team quarterback Dwayne Haskins, via press conference.
“Brett Hankison is indicted for shooting into the apartment NEXT to Breonna Taylor & not for KILLING HER. He’s fired for shooting into BREONNA TAYLOR’S apartment & not for KILLING HER. This is systemic racism. Property is worth more than a Black woman.” — W. Kamau Bell, comedian, TV host, via Twitter.
“This is why police need to be defunded and ultimately abolished! We time and time again hope for a sliver of justice but why would we get that when the system is designed to protect the very folks that are murdering and terrorizing us. This isn’t a bad apple, it’s a rotten tree.” — Layshia Clarendon, WNBA player for the New York Liberty, via Twitter.
“Bulls— decision!!! BLACK LIVES MATTER!!! Cannot be said enough times.” — Viola Davis, actor, via Twitter.
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Associated Press Writers Jamia Pugh in Los Angeles, Paul Newberry in Atlanta and AP freelance reporter Adam Zielonka in Ashburn, Virginia contributed to this report.
Here’s a listing of upcoming events taking place in the DMV.
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WHUT
WHUT reminds you to read, talk, sing, and play with your children every day. Get free educational tips on how. Text WHUT to 274448.
Montgomery County Nominations
Do you know someone whose contributions have positively impacted human and civil rights in Montgomery County? The County Office of Human Rights is accepting nominations for its Hall of Fame thru October 15th. www.montgomerycountymd.gov.
Autism
When it comes to autism, finding the right words and community can be tough in these challenging times. Find out how. www.autismspeaks.org
PG Domestic Violence Event
The Prince George’s County Department of Family Services invites you to “Girls Talk, Love United,” a virtual domestic violence discussion October 17th. www.loveunited2020eventbrite.com
Breast Cancer Walk
Join the fight against breast cancer. The Georgiana Thomas Grand Chapter is hosting a Zoom 5k Breast Cancer Walk October 3rd. MEAGTGC5kVirtual.eventbrite.com
Tenant Rights
Do you have questions about your tenant rights in DC? Housing Counseling Services, Inc. is hosting a series of virtual workshops throughout the month of October to answer your questions. www.housingetc.org
Fire Safety
Fire Safety Week is October 4th thru the 10th. Did you know that cooking is the #1 cause of home fires and home fire injuries? Learn the facts about fire safety. www.nfpa.org
WHUR’s Community’s Choice Contact
To get your non-profit on WHUR’s Community’s Choice, email Renee Nash at rnash@whur.com at least three weeks prior to your event.
This morning we are spotlighting DC’s own filmmaker Merawi Gerima. He has a new film on Netflix called “Residue” and its based here in DC and features real-life themes like gentrification, mass incarceration and economic disparities. My guest is Merawi Gerima – DC Filmmaker
The film takes place in DC and features real-life themes – gentrification, mass incarceration and economic disparities, the dreams of young Black men and the assault on Black male identity. The casts are DC natives and locals and it was shot in DC. The film debuted on NexFlix September 17th and in selected theaters. RESIDUE premiered as an official selection at this year’s 77th Venice International Film Festival’s
Heartbreaking decision today for those hoping criminal charges would be filed in the death Breonna Taylor. Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron, conducting what amounted to a criminal law class on why two officers were not charged and why the officer who was indicted had nothing to do with Taylor’s death. We’re looking at all of the angles in this complex issue.
Guests:
Glenn Ivey, Former Prince George’s County State’s Attorney
Dr. Valethia Watkins, Director, The Women’s Studies Graduate Certificate Program & Associate Professor, Afro-American Studies, Howard University
Ron Hampton, Former DC Police Officer and Criminal Justice Consultant
Alvin Herring, Executive Director, The Faith in Action Committee
Ashok Chandran, NAACP Legal Defense Fund Assistant Counsel
Magic Johnson talks candidly about police brutality and his own fears of police.
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(Wednesday, September 23, 2020) – He’s a basketball legend and a multi-millionaire business owner. But even with his iconic status and money, Magic Johnson says police still make him nervous.
Johnson spoke recently as part of a panel discussion at the virtual Congressional Black Caucus Annual Legislative Conference. Johnson opened up to California Congressmember Maxine Waters about past interactions with police. “When I see a police car, I still get nervous, and I have to, you know, do everything the right way,” said Johnson. Johnson is the owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers and a Basketball Hall of Famer and gained his fame with the Los Angeles Lakers. “If I do get pulled over, my hands are on the steering wheel. I’m going to abide by the commands and I’m going to try to do everything the right way.”
“Police brutality is running rampant through our country and we have to somehow bring a stop to that,” Johnson added.
None of the officers involved in the shooting of Breonna Taylor are facing charges in her killing.
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(Wednesday, September 23, 2020) – A grand jury has handed up an indicted against one of the police officers in the shooting that ultimately ended in the death of Breonna Taylor. Ex Louisville officer Brett Hankison has been charged with three counts of wanton endangerment in the March 13th shooting.
Hankison is not actually charged in the death of Taylor. His charges stem from firing his weapon that ended up in adjacent apartments to Taylor. No other officers are charged in the case.
The grand jury announcement, followed by comments from state Attorney General Daniel Cameron, has angered many who had been hoping the officers would face murder charges in Taylor’s death.
Taylor’s family attorney calls grand jury result outrageous and offensive.
We know the story… it took two and a half years after The Emancipation Proclamation for black slaves in Galveston, Texas to get word that slavery was over. We’re talking to social activist Opal Lee. She is 93 years old and shows no signs of slowing down in her quest to make Juneteenth a federal holiday.
Vice President Joe Biden talked with Steve Harvey this morning about his plan for Black America, his running mate, U.S. Senator Kamala Harris and the importance of getting out the vote.
Michael B. Jordan, Gabrielle Union, Dwyane Wade, Megan Thee Stallion and Tyler Perry have all made the Time100 list of the most influential people in the world in 2020.
Other entertainers include Jennifer Hudson, The Weeknd, Billy Porter and Jojo Siwa.
Time100 also honored Dr. Anthony Fauci, tennis player Naomi Osaka, Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, and Black Lives Matter founders Patrisse Cullors, Alicia Garza, and Opal Tometi.
For a complete list of this year’s honorees, see here.
Sayers died Wednesday at the age of 77, according to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Relatives say he was diagnosed with dementia. His wife said she partly blamed his football career.
CHICAGO (AP) — Chicago Bears Hall of Fame running back Gale Sayers has died. Sayers made his mark as one of the NFL’s best all-purpose running backs and was later celebrated for his enduring friendship with a Bears teammate with cancer. Nicknamed “The Kansas Comet,” Sayers was considered among the best open-field runners the game has ever seen. Yet it was his rock-steady friendship with Brian Piccolo depicted in the 1971 film “Brian’s Song” that marked him as more than a sports star. Sayers died Wednesday at the age of 77, according to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Relatives say he was diagnosed with dementia. His wife said she partly blamed his football career.
U.S. coronavirus death toll now the highest in the world and climbing.
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Washington, D.C. (Wednesday, September 23, 2020) – The United States coronavirus death toll topped 200k yesterday and now experts are predicting that number could nearly double by next year.
The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington estimates the U.S. death toll will likely hit nearly 380,000 by the end of this year. Officials say while that projection is staggering, the loss of life could reach more than 445,000 by the end of 2020 if health and safety mandates are relaxed.
The U.S. COVID-19 death toll is now the highest in the world. Health experts say by the end of this year, we will likely have more coronavirus deaths than suicide, kidney disease, diabetes, influenza, and pneumonia combined.
Ginsburg will lie in repose for two days at the court where she served for 27 years and, before that, argued six cases for gender equality in the 1970s.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The casket of late Justice Ruth Ginsburg has arrived at the Supreme Court for a private ceremony with the eight remaining justices, family and colleagues. Ginsburg’s flag-draped casket arrived at the court at 9:30 a.m. and was carried into the court’s Great Hall past her former law clerks who lined the steps and wore black masks. Ginsburg will lie in repose for two days at the court where she served for 27 years and, before that, argued six cases for gender equality in the 1970s. Thousands of people are expected to pay their respects during two days of public viewing outside the court. Ginsburg, 87, died Friday of metastatic pancreatic cancer.
The March on Washington Film Festival is underway. This year’s event is virtual. But the fun and excitement remain. My guest is Isisara Bey – March On Washington Film Festival
The March On Washington Film Festival is an annual civil rights and social change legacy project. The festival this year will be from September 20th to 27th and will be all virtual. The festival will honor the life and Legacy of the late Congressman John Lewis. For more information go here:
Tune in to Taking it to the Streets, weekday mornings at 6:15, 7:08 and 8:40 on the Steve Harvey Morning Show on 96.3 WHUR.
Follow me on facebook and twitter at @bobbygailes for updates and to stay connected.
A disease disproportionately impacting African Americans is getting new attention under the coronavirus pandemic. This is National Sickle Cell Awareness Month. We look at the increased risk of having the disease under the COVID-19 pandemic and the new hope for treatment.
Nicole Williams-Militsits, Advisory Board Member, The Howard University Center For Sickle Cell Disease. (not pictured)
Dr. James Taylor, VI, MD., Director, Center for Sicle Cell Disease, Howard University
The U.S. death toll from the coronavirus has topped 200,000, by far the highest in the world, hitting the once-unimaginable threshold six weeks before an election that is certain to be a referendum in part on President Donald Trump’s handling of the crisis. The count is kept by Johns Hopkins University, based on figures from state health authorities. The real number of dead is thought be much higher, in part because many COVID-19 deaths, especially early on, were probably ascribed to other causes. The number of lives lost in the U.S. is equivalent to a 9/11 attack every day for 67 days. It is roughly equal to the population of Salt Lake City or Huntsville, Alabama.
(Louisville, KY) — Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer is issuing two executive orders this afternoon ahead of any decision in the Breonna Taylor case. Mayor Fischer declared a state of emergency, which gives him the power to implement a curfew and hire people to deal with possible unrest. The second order limits access to five downtown parking garages and bans on street parking. Fischer says he doesn’t know when Attorney General Daniel Cameron will announce a decision on charges.
“The cops still haven’t been held accountable,” King said in a Zoom session with media. “She represents just decades, hundreds of years of violence against Black bodies. Wearing Breonna’s likeness and representing her and her family and the stories that we were exploring, presenting and holding a mirror up to on ‘Watchmen,’ it felt appropriate to represent with Breonna Taylor.”
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Regina King and Uzo Aduba used the come-as-you-are fashion edict for Sunday’s virtual Emmy Awards to highlight the national struggle for social justice.
Both Black actresses wore T-shirts featuring Breonna Taylor, the 26-year-old EMT from Louisville, Kentucky, who was shot and killed by police in March. King’s T-shirt featured Taylor’s face.
“The cops still haven’t been held accountable,” King said in a Zoom session with media. “She represents just decades, hundreds of years of violence against Black bodies. Wearing Breonna’s likeness and representing her and her family and the stories that we were exploring, presenting and holding a mirror up to on ‘Watchmen,’ it felt appropriate to represent with Breonna Taylor.”
King won for actress in a limited series or a TV movie as the masked hero in HBO’s “Watchmen.”
Taylor was shot in her apartment after police officers executing a no-knock warrant burst in and killed her after returning fire from her boyfriend. None of the officers has been charged. One was fired and two others were placed on leave.
Aduba, sitting behind a table at home, wore a black T-shirt with Taylor’s name in gold. King and Aduba were pleased to see each other’s fashion choice.
“I loved when I saw her shirt and standing in it with such strength and power, which we all know she has,” said Aduba, winner for supporting actress in a limited series or TV movie for “Mrs. America” in which she played Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm.
Aduba wanted to give a boost to the demands for social justice that have swept the nation during the coronavirus pandemic this year. Without an audience or red carpet, nominees were encouraged to wear whatever they wanted and say anything in accepting their trophies from wherever they chose to be.
“I would be remiss not to bring in some of what is happening outside in the streets and the experiences of so many who look like myself,” Aduba told reporters via Zoom.
Damon Lindelof wore a black T-shirt with “Remember Tulsa ’21” in yellow letters while accepting the Emmy for limited series writing for “Watchmen.” Cord Jefferson, who shared the award, and Lindelof stood in front of a banner reading “Give a Damn” that was hung from a fireplace mantle.
Lindelof, who is white, was drawing attention to the race riot in Oklahoma that occurred after white residents, many of them deputized and given weapons, attacked Black residents and businesses in the city. Jefferson called it “the original sin of our show.”
“This country neglects and forgets its own history often at its own peril, and we should never forget that,” Jefferson said.
“This Is Us” actor Sterling K. Brown presented the show’s final award for best drama series. He took the stage at Staples Center wearing a black T-shirt with white letters BLM for Black Lives Matter and a white raised fist.
Tune into the Steve Harvey Morning Show tomorrow morning at 7am as Steve will talk with Democratic Nominee Vice President Joe Biden about his plan for the country, the Black community, and much more.
“We’re just a group of guys that are opinionated,” Hart said. “Our views mesh sometimes, and they don’t. But having the conversations and talking about the topics that most are afraid of is where we basically strive.”
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Kevin Hart is bringing more of his funny back to SiriusXM.
The satellite radio company announced on Tuesday a new multi-platform deal with Hart and his comedy network Laugh Out Loud. The superstar comedian-actor will host new regular and live programs on his channel, Laugh Out Loud Radio, while expanding additional comedic programming that includes radio shows, podcasts and on-demand video.
Hart said the deal with SiriusXM will give him more creative control. He said the new programs will enable him to provide more “real, raw and authentic conversations.”
“That’s our priority,” said Hart, who launched LOL three years ago. His radio show “Straight From The Hart” debuted on Pandora through SiriusXM last year. “If we can continue to engage at a very high level, being ourselves and being true to who we are, the success is endless.”
As part of the deal, Hart will interview top comedians on his new regular show. He will also host more live editions of his bi-weekly program with his longtime friends called the Plastic Cup Boyz, who include Will “Spank” Horton, Na’im Lynn, Joey Wells, Harry Ratchford and Wayne Brown.
“We’re just a group of guys that are opinionated,” Hart said. “Our views mesh sometimes, and they don’t. But having the conversations and talking about the topics that most are afraid of is where we basically strive.”
Hart called working alongside the Plastic Cup Boyz a bonus.
“This is about giving my team a chance to shine, giving my team a chance to grow,” he said. “The men that they all have grown into and become, it’s dope to see, myself included. As a group, we’ve shared so much and done so much. So to give people a bird’s eye view into our world, our life and conversations that we normally have daily, I think it’s special.”
Scott Greenstein, SiriusXM’s president and CCO, said he believes the collaboration with Hart can create a “bold vision of what comedy should be in the audio world.”
“When Kevin does something, he goes all in, and so we’re absolutely thrilled to enter this exciting new chapter with such a massive talent,” Greenstein said.
“We are pleased to have Chairman Morse serve as the Opening Convocation speaker as we kick off the new school year,” says President Wayne A. I. Frederick. “It is both a privilege and an honor to have Dr. Morse deliver this inspirational message at such a significant time in our University’s history. As a fellow alumnus and supporter of the Hilltop, I know he will challenge our students with a message filled with personal experience and wisdom.”
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WASHINGTON – Laurence C. Morse, Ph.D., alumnus and chair of the Howard University Board of Trustees, will deliver the keynote address during the 153rd Opening Convocation on Friday, Sept. 25, 2020. As part of changes in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, this year’s festivities will broadcast at 11 a.m. ET on WHUR 96.3 FM and rebroadcast on Oct. 2 at 11 a.m. ET on WHUT-TV. During the ceremony, Chairman Morse will be honored with the Presidential Medal of Achievement.
“We are pleased to have Chairman Morse serve as the Opening Convocation speaker as we kick off the new school year,” says President Wayne A. I. Frederick. “It is both a privilege and an honor to have Dr. Morse deliver this inspirational message at such a significant time in our University’s history. As a fellow alumnus and supporter of the Hilltop, I know he will challenge our students with a message filled with personal experience and wisdom.”
Opening Convocation is a time-honored tradition that officially signals the beginning of the academic year. The address will welcome the Class of 2024 and acknowledge recent achievements of the University during the adversity of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Chairman Morse is a co-founder and managing partner at Fairview Capital Partners, a private equity investment management firm. He has said that it would be difficult to imagine the arc of his professional career without the benefit and foundation he received as a Howard undergraduate.
Prior to co-founding Fairview, he held positions with TSG Ventures, Equico Capital Corporation and UNC Ventures. He serves on the advisory boards of a number of venture capital partnerships, including U.S. Venture Partners (USVP), Battery Ventures, Sierra Ventures and Trinity Ventures. Trustee Morse is a member of the board of directors of Webster Financial Corporation (NYSE: WBS) and the board of trustees of Harris Associates Investment Trust (the Oakmark Mutual Funds). He is a former member of the board of trustees of Princeton University, and served three terms on the board of the Princeton University Investment Company (PRINCO).
Chairman Morse was appointed to the Board of Trustees in 2014 and most recently served as a vice chair of the University’s Board from July 1, 2019 to June 30, 2020. During his tenure, he has served as chair of the Development and Alumni Relations Committee, vice chair of several committees, including Audit and Legal, Compensation and Succession and Executive as well as co-chair of the Howard University Hospital/Adventist Ad Hoc Committee. He also served as a member of the Finance and Student Life committees.
Chairman Morse graduated summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from Howard University, having spent his junior year at The London School of Economics and Political Science as a Luard Scholar. He earned a Master of Arts degree and Ph.D. in economics from Princeton University and was a postdoctoral fellow at Harvard University.
The former Democratic presidential candidate has helped raise more than $20 million so that felons who completed their prison sentences can vote in the presidential election. Bloomberg also has pledged $100 million to help Joe Biden win Florida.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Just days after after Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis won a court victory to keep felons from voting until they’ve paid off fines, restitution and court fees, billionaire Mike Bloomberg has stepped in to help them pay off the debts.
The former Democratic presidential candidate has helped raise more than $20 million so that felons who completed their prison sentences can vote in the presidential election. Bloomberg also has pledged $100 million to help Joe Biden win Florida.
A federal appellate court ruled on Sept. 11 that in addition to serving their sentences, Florida felons must pay all fines, restitution and legal fees before they can regain their right to vote. The case could have broad implications for the November elections. Florida has 29 electoral college votes that are crucial to President Donald Trump’s hopes of staying in the White House.
Under Amendment 4, which Florida voters passed overwhelmingly in 2018, felons who have completed their sentences would have voting rights restored. Republican lawmakers then moved to define what it means to complete a sentence.
In addition to prison time served, lawmakers directed that all legal financial obligations, including unpaid fines and restitution, would also have to be settled before a felon could be eligible to vote.
The Florida Rights Restitution Coalition had raised about $5 million before Bloomberg made calls to raise almost $17 million more, according to Bloomberg advisers, who weren’t authorized to speak on the record because the announcement hadn’t been made yet.
The money is targeted for felons who registered to vote while the law was in question and who owe $1,500 or less. That accounts for about 31,100 people, Bloomberg advisers say. In a state that decided the 2000 presidential election by 537 votes, that could be critical in a year when polls show Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden in a dead heat.
Organizers for the group say they aren’t targeting people registered with a particular political party.
“To hell with politics, to hell with any other implications or inuations, at the end of the day it’s about real people, real lives, American citizens who want to be a part of this,” said Desmond Meade, the group’s executive director. “People with felony convictions have had their voices silenced for so long.”
The Florida Rights Restitution Council said other donors include John Legend, LeBron James, Michael Jordan, MTV, Comedy Central, VH1, Ben & Jerry’s, Levi Strauss & Co., the Miami Dolphins, the Orlando Magic, the Miami Heat and Stephen Spielberg.
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This version corrects the name of the group to Florida Rights Restoration Coalition.
This morning a conversation with the newly appointed president of Prince George’s Community College. Like many colleges and universities across the DMV, Prince George’s Community College students are virtually learning. We’ll discuss the new moving forward initiatives. My guest is Dr. Falecia Williams – President of Prince George’s Community College
Dr. Williams in the newly elected President of Prince George’s Community College. She is the 9th president of the college overseeing nearly 40-thousand students. She took her position just last month. More information on programs, go here:
Tune in to Taking it to the Streets, weekday mornings at 6:15, 7:08 and 8:40 on the Steve Harvey Morning Show on 96.3 WHUR.
Follow me on facebook and twitter at @bobbygailes for updates and to stay connected.
She was only the second woman appointed to the highest court in the land… but Supreme Court Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was arguably the most well-known and influential. We look at the impact she had on The Supreme Court, the nation and the fight to fill her seat.
Delegate Eleanor Holmes-Norton, (D) District of Columbia
Dr. Michael Fauntroy, Political Science Professor, Howard University
Erinn Martin, Policy Counsel for The Public Policy Project at The Lawyers’ Committee For Civil Rights Under Law.
(Washington, DC) — DC Water is warning District customers to be on the lookout for two men passing themselves off as utility workers. The warning comes after police report that two men dressed as construction workers attempted a home invasion on the three-thousand block of M Street SE. Police say the pair attempted to gain entry into a home identifying themselves as DC Water employees needing to check on pipes inside the home. The resident refused to let the men inside before calling police.
Final farewell to Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg set for this week.
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Washington, D.C. (Monday, September 21, 2020) – The Supreme Court has released details for the final farewell to Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. She will lie in state at the Supreme Court Wednesday, September 23rd and Thursday, September 24th.
Ginsburg’s body will arrive in front of the court just before 9:30 a.m. Wednesday. According to a statement released by the high court today, there will be a private ceremony in the Great Hall. Public viewing will be allowed under the Portico at the top of the Supreme Court building’s front steps from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Wednesday and 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Thursday where Ginsburg will lie in repose.
Former law clerks to Justice Ginsburg will serve as honorary pallbearers and will line the front steps as the casket arrives. Supreme Court police officers will serve as pallbearers. The Justices will remain inside the Great Hall where the casket will be placed on the Lincoln Catafalque, which has been loaned to the Court by the U.S. Congress for the ceremony. A 2016 portrait of Justice Ginsburg by Constance P. Beaty will be on display in the Great Hall.
A private burial service is set for next week at Arlington National Cemetery.
Multi-Grammy award winning Gospel artist Cece Winans joined me on this latest installment of HUR@Home. Cece shared that although 2002 has been an incredibly tough year, there is light at the end of the tunnel. Her daughter and son-in-law are expecting their first child together in December. Cece’s latest single, “Never Lost” is inspiration to get us through COVID-19 and the many obstacles of 2020.
DC releases updated list of high-risk coronavirus states
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(WASHINGTON, DC) – Today, DC Health released an updated list of high-risk states where the seven-day moving average of daily new COVID-19 cases is 10 or more per 100,000 persons. Mayor Bowser issued Mayor’s Order 2020-081 with requirements for all people traveling into Washington, DC from high-risk states.
Anyone coming into Washington, DC from a high-risk state (within the prior 14 days) who was traveling for non-essential activities will be required to self-quarantine for 14 days from their arrival in the District. Individuals traveling from high-risk states after essential travel or arriving in the District for essential travel are required to self-monitor for symptoms of COVID-19 for 14 days and, if they show signs or experience symptoms of COVID-19, they are to self-quarantine and seek medical advice or testing.
Travel to and from Maryland and Virginia is exempt from the Order. This list should be used until Monday, October 5.
States that were added to the updated list include: Alaska, Arizona, Delaware, West Virginia, and Wyoming.
States that were removed from the updated list include: California, Hawaii, and Ohio.
High-risk states that require 14 days of self-quarantine:
Alabama
Alaska
Arizona
Arkansas
Delaware
Florida
Georgia
Idaho
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana
Minnesota
Mississippi
Missouri
Montana
Nebraska
Nevada
North Carolina
North Dakota
Oklahoma
South Carolina
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas
Utah
West Virginia
Wisconsin
Wyoming
All individuals coming into Washington, DC from high-risk states can find the full Mayor’s Order atcoronavirus.dc.gov/phasetwo.
We are kicking off the week with some important information about HBCUs and how you can join the ladies of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority in supporting Historically Black Colleges and Universities.It’s National HBCU Impact Day and HBCU Week Observance. My guest this morning is April Gaines-Jernigan – Basileus of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Xi Omega Chapter
National HBCU Impact Day and HBCU Week Observance are designed to encourage support for Historically Black Colleges and Universities. The AKAs will promote the importance of giving back to support scholarships and education for youth.
Tune in to Taking it to the Streets, weekday mornings at 6:15, 7:08 and 8:40 on the Steve Harvey Morning Show on 96.3 WHUR.
Follow me on facebook and twitter at @bobbygailes for updates and to stay connected.
You’ve heard the term, feast or famine. Feasting is really important for black-owned restaurants right now with the start of black restaurant week today for the DC metro. Since the pandemic shutdown… businesses have experienced a financial famine because restaurants were first closed and then at a limited 50% capacity.
Derek Robinson, Marketing Director, Black Restaurant Week
WASHINGTON (AP) — Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a diminutive yet towering women’s rights champion who became the court’s second female justice, has died at her home in Washington. She was 87. Ginsburg died of complications from metastatic pancreatic cancer, the court said.
Ginsburg announced in July that she was undergoing chemotherapy treatment for lesions on her liver, the latest of her several battles with cancer. Ginsburg spent her final years on the bench as the unquestioned leader of the court’s liberal wing and became something of a rock star to her admirers. Young women especially seemed to embrace the court’s Jewish grandmother, affectionately calling her the Notorious RBG.
Ruth Bader Ginsburg helped shape the modern era of women’s rights – before she went on the Supreme Court
(The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.)
(THE CONVERSATION) When he nominated Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg to the Supreme Court, President Bill Clinton compared her legal work on behalf of women to the epochal work of Thurgood Marshall on behalf of African-Americans.
The comparison was entirely appropriate: As Marshall oversaw the legal strategy that culminated in Brown v. Board of Education, the 1954 case that outlawed segregated schools, Ginsburg coordinated a similar effort against sex discrimination.
Decades before she joined the court, Ginsburg’s work as an attorney in the 1970s fundamentally changed the Supreme Court’s approach to women’s rights, and the modern skepticism about sex-based policies stems in no small way from her lawyering. Ginsburg’s work helped to change the way we all think about women – and men, for that matter.
I’m a legal scholar who studies social reform movements and I served as a law clerk to Ginsburg when she was an appeals court judge. In my opinion – as remarkable as Marshall’s work on behalf of African-Americans was – in some ways Ginsburg faced more daunting prospects when she started.
Starting at zero
When Marshall began challenging segregation in the 1930s, the Supreme Court had rejected some forms of racial discrimination even though it had upheld segregation.
When Ginsburg started her work in the 1960s, the Supreme Court had never invalidated any type of sex-based rule. Worse, it had rejected every challenge to laws that treated women worse than men.
For instance, in 1873, the court allowed Illinois authorities to ban Myra Bradwell from becoming a lawyer because she was a woman. Justice Joseph P. Bradley, widely viewed as a progressive, wrote that women were too fragile to be lawyers: “The paramount destiny and mission of woman are to fulfil the noble and benign offices of wife and mother. This is the law of the Creator.”
And in 1908, the court upheld an Oregon law that limited the number of hours that women – but not men – could work. The opinion relied heavily on a famous brief submitted by Louis Brandeis to support the notion that women needed protection to avoid harming their reproductive function.
As late as 1961, the court upheld a Florida law that for all practical purposes kept women from serving on juries because they were “the center of the home and family life” and therefore need not incur the burden of jury service.
Challenging paternalistic notions Ginsburg followed Marshall’s approach to promote women’s rights – despite some important differences between segregation and gender discrimination.
Segregation rested on the racist notion that blacks were less than fully human and deserved to be treated like animals. Gender discrimination reflected paternalistic notions of female frailty. Those notions placed women on a pedestal – but also denied them opportunities.
Either way, though, blacks and women got the short end of the stick.
Ginsburg started with a seemingly inconsequential case. Reed v. Reed challenged an Idaho law requiring probate courts to appoint men to administer estates, even if there were a qualified woman who could perform that task.
Sally and Cecil Reed, the long-divorced parents of a teenage son who committed suicide while in his father’s custody, both applied to administer the boy’s tiny estate.
The probate judge appointed the father as required by state law. Sally Reed appealed the case all the way to the Supreme Court.
Ginsburg did not argue the case, but wrote the brief that persuaded a unanimous court in 1971 to invalidate the state’s preference for males. As the court’s decision stated, that preference was “the very kind of arbitrary legislative choice forbidden by the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment.”
Two years later, Ginsburg won in her first appearance before the Supreme Court. She appeared on behalf of Air Force Lt. Sharron Frontiero. Frontiero was required by federal law to prove that her husband, Joseph, was dependent on her for at least half his economic support in order to qualify for housing, medical and dental benefits.
If Joseph Frontiero had been the soldier, the couple would have automatically qualified for those benefits. Ginsburg argued that sex-based classifications such as the one Sharron Frontiero challenged should be treated the same as the now-discredited race-based policies.
By an 8–1 vote, the court in Frontiero v. Richardson agreed that this sex-based rule was unconstitutional. But the justices could not agree on the legal test to use for evaluating the constitutionality of sex-based policies.
Strategy: Represent men
In 1974, Ginsburg suffered her only loss in the Supreme Court, in a case that she entered at the last minute.
Mel Kahn, a Florida widower, asked for the property tax exemption that state law allowed only to widows. The Florida courts ruled against him.
Ginsburg, working with the national ACLU, stepped in after the local affiliate brought the case to the Supreme Court. But a closely divided court upheld the exemption as compensation for women who had suffered economic discrimination over the years.
Despite the unfavorable result, the Kahn case showed an important aspect of Ginsburg’s approach: her willingness to work on behalf of men challenging gender discrimination. She reasoned that rigid attitudes about sex roles could harm everyone and that the all-male Supreme Court might more easily get the point in cases involving male plaintiffs.
She turned out to be correct, just not in the Kahn case.
Ginsburg represented widower Stephen Wiesenfeld in challenging a Social Security Act provision that provided parental benefits only to widows with minor children.
Wiesenfeld’s wife had died in childbirth, so he was denied benefits even though he faced all of the challenges of single parenthood that a mother would have faced. The Supreme Court gave Wiesenfeld and Ginsburg a win in 1975, unanimously ruling that sex-based distinction unconstitutional.
And two years later, Ginsburg successfully represented Leon Goldfarb in his challenge to another sex-based provision of the Social Security Act: Widows automatically received survivor’s benefits on the death of their husbands. But widowers could receive such benefits only if the men could prove that they were financially dependent on their wives’ earnings.
Ginsburg also wrote an influential brief in Craig v. Boren, the 1976 case that established the current standard for evaluating the constitutionality of sex-based laws.
Like Wiesenfeld and Goldfarb, the challengers in the Craig case were men. Their claim seemed trivial: They objected to an Oklahoma law that allowed women to buy low-alcohol beer at age 18 but required men to be 21 to buy the same product.
But this deceptively simple case illustrated the vices of sex stereotypes: Aggressive men (and boys) drink and drive, women (and girls) are demure passengers. And those stereotypes affected everyone’s behavior, including the enforcement decisions of police officers.
Under the standard delineated by the justices in the Boren case, such a law can be justified only if it is substantially related to an important governmental interest.
Among the few laws that satisfied this test was a California law that punished sex with an underage female but not with an underage male as a way to reduce the risk of teen pregnancy.
These are only some of the Supreme Court cases in which Ginsburg played a prominent part as a lawyer. She handled many lower-court cases as well. She had plenty of help along the way, but everyone recognized her as the key strategist.
In the century before Ginsburg won the Reed case, the Supreme Court never met a gender classification that it didn’t like. Since then, sex-based policies usually have been struck down.
I believe President Clinton was absolutely right in comparing Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s efforts to those of Thurgood Marshall, and in appointing her to the Supreme Court.
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license.
ATLANTA (AP) — A Black man who was pinned down and repeatedly punched by a white Georgia sheriff’s deputy during a traffic stop that was caught on video said that he couldn’t breathe and lost consciousness during his arrest. Roderick Walker told reporters at his lawyer’s office Friday that he feared for his life. The Clayton County Sheriff’s Office has said the deputy seen repeatedly hitting Walker was fired for “excessive use of force.” According to an incident report, Walker was beaten and arrested after sheriff’s deputies pulled over a Jeep Grand Cherokee he was riding in on Sept. 11, citing a broken taillight and a front-seat passenger not wearing a seatbelt. Walker was released on bond Thursday.
Marques Houston said “LOVE is the only thing that matters!”
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Newlywed Marques Houston was all smiles, as he talked about finding real love. He tied the knot just three weeks ago and is still gushing about how blessed he is to have real love in his life! He’s exercising his script writing and acting chops too. Marcus joined forces with his former manager turned movie director, Chris Stokes, to form his own production company Footage Films.
Stokes joined the conversation, to tell us about their new film, Trigger. He also encouraged aspiring writers and actors to reach out. They’re hiring. Watch the interview for all the details.
The beautiful, and very talented singer, actor, Chrissy Stokes, joined in, to talk about her love for music, acting, and being a creative person. In the end, they all wished their fans blessings, perfect health, and love!
“We went so far as to obtain the lenses from ‘Gone with the Wind’ to shoot our movie so that we could take that same weaponry that was intended to misinform, to correct the record,” Bush said.
NEW YORK (AP) — Janelle Monae says she “felt so much rage and anger” when she stepped onto a former slave plantation for the first time to film the psychological thriller “Antebellum.”
In the movie, set for release Friday, the pop star and actress plays a successful modern-day author that finds herself trapped in alternate time periods, including the terrifying reality of a runaway slave. Remembering the moment she arrived on that plantation set, she becomes visibly emotional.
“My ancestors were stolen. They didn’t steal slaves or servants. They stole doctors. They stole lawyers. They stole musicians. They stole mothers, fathers. Humans that mattered,” she said.
Much of the horror of “Antebellum” is in its unflinching depiction of the violence inflicted on slaves. Monae hopes the film acts as a catalyst for discussions about systemic racism in a politically divided nation. She says it’s essential to “confront the pain” of the past in order to understand the present state of Black Americans — and address police brutality and social injustice.
“You cannot talk about the present and everything we’re dealing with the police without knowing the past and understanding that in the South during the Civil War that the first police institution was the same slave patrol meant to control, meant to monitor free slaves, meant to kill, meant to discriminate against free slaves,” Monae said.
The movie grew out of a literal nightmare that co-writer-director Gerard Bush had after his father died. He awoke remembering “this woman, Eden, that was screaming desperately for help that felt like cross-dimensional in a sense.”
“I was really emotional from the experience. And I took out my notepad and took all of the notes from the nightmare,” Bush said.
Bush and filmmaking partner Christopher Renz say they used 1970s horror films as inspiration. They hope to unsettle audiences when depicting terrors of the pre-abolition South. The Oscar-winning 1939 film “Gone With the Wind” became a touchstone. Bush describes it as both a “horror film” and “a piece of really effective propaganda.”
“We went so far as to obtain the lenses from ‘Gone with the Wind’ to shoot our movie so that we could take that same weaponry that was intended to misinform, to correct the record,” Bush said.
In addition to Monae, the cast also includes Jack Huston, Eric Lange, Kiersey Clemons, Gabourey Sidibe and Jena Malone.
Like many films this year, the pandemic has led to multiple delays in releasing “Antebellum.” Bush notes the significance of the settled final date: “We didn’t do it deliberately. But it just so happens that the date of September 18th is the anniversary of the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850,” he said.
Bush said he realizes that audiences will be uncomfortable watching the film, but he believes that unsettling times calls for unsettling art.
“We need to catalyze a national dialogue or advance the dialogue around this country’s original sin. I think that we’re going to need to confront it head on and dismantle the scaffolding that keeps these inequities in place so that we can build something new, more equitable for everyone,” Bush said.
The new film “ Antebellum ” begins with a famous William Faulkner quote: “The past is never dead. It’s not even past.”
This is a very literal introduction to a film about the evils of de facto and de jure oppression of Black people in America that’s crafted as a high-concept nightmare. Essentially, a modern-day woman finds herself trapped and enslaved on a plantation and must find a way to escape and reclaim her identity. Perhaps the overused quote was a warning about the journey we were about to go on. Because while the concept is certainly intriguing, the execution falls woefully short of its potential. In other words, this is no “Get Out,” although it would like to be.
Written and directed by Gerard Bush and Christopher Renz (in their feature debut) the film begins on the plantation. The camera floats over familiar images of Southern hypocrisy as a little white girl in a sunny yellow dress skips over to her mother on the steps of their grand estate while enslaved Black people work around them and Confederate soldiers march through the grounds. Janelle Monae is introduced as one of these enslaved people, Eden. And it’s not long before the brutality starts — branding, lynching, assault (verbal, sexual and physical).
We’re in this “past” for over 30 minutes before the film essentially stops and reboots itself in a modern setting where Monae is now Veronica Henley, a famous and wealthy writer and public intellectual who is going on a work trip. She has a picture-perfect life: A loving husband and a beautiful daughter, a magazine-worthy apartment, professional success and confidence. She’s the kind of notable author who gets asked to speak on television and at conferences about racism and empowerment. In an alternate reality, this could be the beginning of a rom-com.
But things are a little off here and the audience, along with Veronica, begin to see the cracks in this so-called progressive society where she is subjected to dehumanizing microaggressions and bigger slights over the course of a day. There’s the concierge at the hotel who takes a call instead of helping her. There’s the host at the restaurant who seats her and her friends by the kitchen when other tables are open. And there’s the woman (Jena Malone) whose compliments of Veronica ooze with degrading condescension.
Malone is in the “past” too, perusing the slaves for purchase. And the film comes to reveal (as the trailer does in just a few minutes) that the plantation is neither the past nor a dream, but a very real place where Black people are kidnapped and taken so that white supremacists can “play” at living in the antebellum South, kind of like Westworld but without the pretense of robots.
The machinations of the plot are not subtle and the film seems more interested in showcasing torture rather than illuminating the racism that lives on today.
Monae said in an interview with Entertainment Weekly that most films about racism are white savior films — even some that she’s been part of. It is a failing of cinema and storytelling when an experience is only shown through a certain lens that helps absolve and even make the oppressors feel good. “Antebellum” is supposed to be a rebuke to that. But it just doesn’t come close to delivering on all its big ideas, despite Monae’s powerful performance. The movie is strongest in the modern setting and full of cliches on the plantation.
And this is fine. Part of leveling the playing field is allowing for failure from all areas. Besides, a big swing and a miss is always more interesting than a safe approach.
In the end, “Antebellum” will inspire conversation, just probably not the one the filmmakers anticipated.
“Antebellum,” a Lionsgate release, is rated R by the Motion Picture Association of America for “disturbing violent content, language, and sexual references.” Running time: 105 minutes. Two stars out of four.
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MPAA Definition of R: Restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.
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Follow AP Film Writer Lindsey Bahr on Twitter: www.twitter.com/ldbahr
Heritage radio station WHUR has been the “go to” station for decades for many households in the DMV and beyond. People fall in love with the music, community outreach, and mostly the on air personalities. It’s radio… so, you hear us, but you don’t see us.
Last night, we changed all of that. It was an entire Love Fest, as I chatted with each host about their careers and personal lives. I then challenged each one to tell their listeners something personal, that they likely didn’t know about them.
Wow! We all learned about each other. For example, did you know that Autumn Joi was a track star? How about Frank Ski being a huge, and I mean HUGE animal lover? I mean, even PETA would be proud of some of the things he’s done.
We reminisced about the glory days of WHUR… and there were many! However, we all agreed when I suggested, “These are the good ole days!” Stronger than ever! WHUR is Family.
