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Raiders Cut Ties With Henry Ruggs III After Fatal Car Crash

Henry Ruggs, former NFL wide receiver facing up to 46 years in prison.

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Contributed by Lauren Taylor 

Henry Ruggs III, former wide receiver for the Las Vegas Raiders, is facing up to 46 years behind bars if convicted, according to prosecutor Eric Bauman. 
Ruggs was driving his Chevy Corvette at 156 mph with a blood alcohol level twice the amount of Nevada’s legal limit right before he rear-ended a Toyota RAV4 that then burst into flames, killing a 23-year-old woman, according to prosecutors.
ESPN reported that Tina O. Tintor was the name of the Las Vegas woman who died with her dog in the car, according to police. Bauman told the judge that airbag computer records show that the Corvette decelerated from 156 mph to 127 mph prior to the time of impact which occurred at about 3:40 a.m. Tuesday, rupturing the Toyota’s fuel tank and igniting a fireball.
“The Raiders are aware of an accident involving Henry Ruggs III that occurred this morning in Las Vegas,” the team said in a statement Tuesday afternoon. “We are devastated by the loss of life and our thoughts and prayers go out to the victim’s family. We are in the process of gathering information and will have no further comment at this time.”
Later Tuesday evening Ruggs was released from The Raiders after the statement was announced. Shortly after he was discharged from the hospital he was booked into a Las Vegas Jail. Kiara Je’nai Kilgo-Washington, 22,  Ruggs’ girlfriend has also sustained a severe arm injury, as she was in the car at the time of the crash as well. The two have a 3-year-old daughter together.
The district attorney said he may also file a weapon charge against Ruggs related to possessing a gun while under the influence of alcohol. Ruggs had a loaded gun in the car at the time of the crash.
In 2013, the NFL Players Association initiated a contract with rideshare services to provide free transportation to members “specifically to prevent tragedies such as this” said the prosecutor to the judge.

Las Vegas Justice of the Peace Joe M. Bonaventure said that in 16 years on the bench he had never heard of a crash involving a vehicle traveling so fast. Even this that, he rejected prosecutor Eric Bauman’s request to set Ruggs’ bail at $1 million and instead set the amount at $150,000  with strict conditions to include home confinement, electronic monitoring, no alcohol, no driving, and the surrender of Ruggs’ passport.

Ruggs has another court appearance on Nov. 10th.

This is following Raiders running back Josh Jacobs crashing a sports car into a tunnel wall on a roadway at McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas, less than a year ago.

Addressing Health Issues in Our Community

A virtual health conference is taking place Nov. 15th-18th

Posted by Bobby Gailes
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Public health leaders and faith communities from around the country are coming together next week to strategically address health disparities in the African American community.  It’s the 8th Annual Healthy Churches 2030 Conference by the Balm In Gilead.  My guest is Dr.  Pernessa Seele – Founder of the Balm In Gilead.

The 8th Annual Healthy Churches 2030 Conference is a 4-day virtual conference held November 15th-18th bringing together public health leaders and faith communities to address health disparities among African Americans. 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.

 

Virginia Elections Recap

What happen and why?

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If you’ve never seen a political pummeling on election day before… you now know what one looks like.  All you have to do is turn to Virginia’s election results.  Republicans ran the board from the governor’s race all the way to the house and have the political clout to do pretty much what they want once they take office.  What happen and why?

Mary C. Curtis, Columnist, Roll Call
Scott Roberts, Senior Director, Criminal Justice & Democracy Campaigns for The Color of Change

 

Gregory Schneider, Virginia Politics Reporter, The Washington Post

April Ryan, White House Correspondent/Washington Bureau Chief, The Grio, CNN Political Analyst

Republicans Block Another Voting Rights Bill In Senate

Alaska’s Lisa Murkowski cast the lone Republican vote in favor of opening debate on the measure.

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(Washington, DC) — Republicans are blocking another Democratic voting rights bill in the Senate. A motion to move the bill forward failed to hit a 60-vote threshold in the tightly-divided Senate. The latest voting rights bill is named after the late congressman and civil rights icon John Lewis. Republicans called the measure unnecessary. Majority Leader Chuck Schumer called it a “low, low point” in the history of the Senate. He said the Republican Party, “the party of Lincoln,” has turned its back on protecting voting rights. Schumer argued that Republicans won’t even agree to debate voting rights. Alaska’s Lisa Murkowski cast the lone Republican vote in favor of opening debate on the measure.

Kobe Bryant’s Estate To Receive $400M Following BodyArmor Sale To Coca-Cola

The Bryant Estate will receive an estimated $400 Million after Coca-Cola and Bodyarmor deal.

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Monday Coca-Cola bought out BodyArmor for $5.6 billion which means that an estimated $400M will go to the estate of the late basketball star Kobe Bryant.

Bryant, who became a shareholder in BodyArmor in 2013, passed away in 2020 in a tragic helicopter crash. His wife inherited control of his estate which Forbes reported being $600 million at the time of his death. He invested $6 million into the BodyArmor company, resulting in the $400 million dollar payout at the time of sale.

The NBA star told Forbes in 2014, “I put my skin in the fame,” after investing millions to join the Board of Directors. The founder of BodyArmor, Mike Repole said, “If it wasn’t for Kobe Bryant’s vision and belief, BODYARMOR would not have been able to achieve the success we had. I couldn’t be more excited to become part of the Coca-Cola family and set our sights on the future,” in a press release.

His share in BodyArmor was only a small part of his business savvy, Bryant continued to show his knowledge after retiring from the NBA in 2016. He invested in multiple companies and created multiple streams of income.

The acquisition for BodyArmor has been in the works since earlier this year.

DC Rolls Out Pop-Up Vaccine Clinics for Kids

DC health is moving to make it easier for parents to get their youngsters ages 5 to 11 vaccinated against the coronavirus.

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WASHINGTON, D.C. (Wednesday, November 3, 2021) – DC is set to host pop-up vaccine clinics for kids on Friday, November 5th.   DC Health will set up the clinics for children  ages 5-11 at two community centers: Takoma Community Center in Ward 4 (300 Van Buren Street NW) and Ft. Stanton Recreation Center in Ward 8 (1812 Erie Street SE).

Parents or guardians can bring their children between the hours of 3:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. to receive their first dose of the pediatric Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. Parents who are unable to bring their child will have the option to print and sign a form allowing a trusted family member to accompany their child to the pop-up vaccine clinics; those forms will be made available on coronavirus.dc.gov.

In the coming days and weeks, the vaccine will be available at more than 60 pharmacies, hospitals, and health centers across all eight wards. As the District learns which sites have received their vaccine doses and started vaccinations, that information will be updated on coronavirus.dc.gov. Additionally, vaccines.gov will get updated with which sites have the pediatric Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine.

Mariah Carey To Release New Holiday Music Feat. Kirk Franklin and Khalid

Mariah will be dropping new music with Kirk Franklin and Khalid, teaser for Christmas Special.

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Contributed by Lauren Taylor 

Mariah Carey recently made a tweet announcing her new song featuring Kirk Franklin and Khalid, ‘Fall in Love at Christmas’ which will drop this Friday, November 5th.

Twitter went into a frenzy when Carey tagged the wrong Khalid in her post, they all went flying to the random user’s page joking about his collaboration with one of the best singers in the world. The user has a similar user name to the singer-songwriter Khalid, Carey quickly added another tweet correcting the tag. `

One of the favorite Christmas songs of all time is Carey’s ‘All I Want for Christmas is You’ which sky-rockets the charts every year, although it only reached number one for the first time last year, it’s a household staple. The teaser of ‘Fall in Love at Christmas’ already has a different more mellow feel, we are excited to see how it will fare this Christmas season.

Fans are excited because this track is only a piece of her larger Christmas special that’s releasing in December on Apple TV+, ‘Mariah Carey’s Magical Christmas Special.’

Will she be able to outdo herself this season?

Adele’s New Album Tracklist Released

Adele Tracklist for ’30’ released, featuring hit single ‘Easy on Me.’

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Adele’s highly anticipated fourth studio album, ’30’, is almost here.

Set to release November 19th, this will be her first album in 6 years after the record-breaking ’25’ in 2015. The British superstar has released the tracklist with 12 songs featuring her single ‘Easy on Me’ which hit 24 million listens in one week.

During an interview with British Vogue, the ‘Hello’ singer, said that this album would be a way to explain the divorce of her ex-husband, Simon Konecki, to her nine-year-old son, Angelo.

The tracklist was posted online, with 12 songs plus 3 bonus tracks available on the deluxe edition.

01 Strangers by Nature
02 Easy on Me
03 My Little Love
04 Cry Your Heart Out
05 Oh My God
06 Can I Get It
07 I Drink Wine
08 All Night Parking (Interlude) (with Erroll Garner)
09 Woman Like Me
10 Hold On
11 To Be Loved
12 Love Is a Game
13 Wild Wild West (Bonus Track)
14 Can’t Be Together (Bonus Track)
15 Easy on Me (Bonus Track) (with Chris Stapleton)

What is upcoming for Adele? Well, she will be performing in London in 2022, which will be her first live show in five years. She will also be appearing on a CBS two-hour special with Oprah Winfrey called ‘One Night Only’ premiering on November 14th.

Damon Dash Prepared To End Feud With Jay-Z

Damon Dash and Jay-Z may be working to solve their relationship.

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Jay-Z left the ball in Damon Dash’s court after thanking him during his induction speech this past weekend at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ceremony. Damon Dash says he is prepared to end his 20-year feud with the Roc-A-Fella co-founder.

Dash and Jay-Z went through a huge fallout in the early 2000s after starting the record label, Roc-A-Fella Records, together. Over time the two have made jabs at one another through the media and have rarely seen each other for roughly 20 years. These problems seem to be a thing of the past as the two seemingly plan on reconciling their relationship.

Hov thanked many people during his speech, with Dame being one of them. “Shout out to Dame, I know we don’t see eye-to-eye, but I can never erase your accomplishments. And I appreciate you and I thank you for that.”

According to Page Six, Dame was touched, “It was beautiful, I’m glad he said it for the culture. We need to squash everything. So hopefully if that was an extended [olive branch] I’ll spin one back.”

He also went on to say that they should take one on one without lawyers involved. Their recent feud has been a lawsuit against Dash for his attempt in selling Jay-Z’s ‘Reasonable Doubt’ the first album released at Roc-A-Fella records.

Dash congratulates Jay-Z on his accomplishments acknowledging that it is a win for both of them, and it’s huge. Dash says he will forever think of Jay-Z as a brother, “We should not be divided. We have accomplished too much to be beefing… There ain’t no way I’m never gonna [not] consider [him] my brother — it’s just that we don’t see eye-to-eye.”

Hopefully, the two reconcile their differences, Dame believes it’s important for them to move past it and solve the problem. “We can talk it out and the culture needs to see two strong black men working out a problem. Even if they worked together they can go their separate ways they can still be cool.”

 

Preserving Those Special Moments

Join a scrapbooking workshop on Sunday November 13th

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Great activity to help teach families how to capture your child’s precious memories in a scrapbook.  My guest this morning has a free workshop coming up to show you how to spark your child’s creativity and show academic support.  My guest is Alisa Smedly – Coach

Coach Smedley’s Parent Scrapbooking Workshop is Saturday, November 13th at 12noon.  It’s free.  For more information, visit  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.

Listen to this mornings segment here:

 

Virginia Votes

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The polls in the Virginia’s governor’s race are closed as the commonwealth awaits the results of one of the most consequential political contests in years.  Democratic journeyman Terry McAuliffe and Trump-endorsed Republican Glenn Youngkin are running neck-and-neck.  But there’s so much more at stake in state that could turn red tonight.

Dr. Niambi Carter, Howard University Political Science Professor
A. Scott Bolden, Attorney & Political Analyst
Melanie Campbell, President/CEO, National Coalition on Black Civic Participation
Latasha Brown, Co-founder, Black Voters Matter

Cancer Survivor, Author Erica Campbell

Faith, family and a desire to survive

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We have a survivor’s story to share that is noteworthy and inspiring.  Erica Campbell is a survivor of Stage 4 Hodgkin’s lymphoma, an advocate for patient education, a fashion model… and now an author.

DC Council Chair Rejects Two Bowser Appointees

D.C. Council is expected to take up the appointees at its meeting later today.

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(Washington, DC) — D.C. Council President Phil Mendelson is turning thumbs down on two appointees to the Arts and Humanities Commission. Mendelson said he would not advance the appointments of former D.C. First Lady Cora Barry and Natalie Hopkinson to the commission. Both were appointees from Mayor Muriel Bowser. Mendelson said the two nominees were controversial figures and he made his decision without consulting with other members of the commission. D.C. Council is expected to take up the appointees at its meeting later today.

Cora Masters-Barry, Former DC First Lady

 

Natalie Hopkinson

Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade Returning

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You’ll be happy to know that the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is coming back this year.
The parade to mark the start of the holiday season will welcome back crowds this year after COVID 19 scrapped the parade route last year.
When it comes back on November 25th there will be 15 giant character balloons, 28 floats, 9 performance groups, 10 marching bands, over 800 clowns, and ole Saint Nick.
This will mark the 95th annual Macy’s Day Parade.
Have you ever been to the actual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade? What are your favorite parade balloons?

https://youtu.be/gpPeeUtN5Sc

VH1 To Air Jamie Foxx’s ‘Hip Hop Family Christmas’ & Nick Cannon’s ‘Miracles Across 125th Street’

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VH1 is ringing in the holidays with its first-ever “Naughty or Nice” holiday specials. This seasons programming will include Jamie Foxx’s “Hip Hop Family Christmas” and will star Keri Hilson, Ne-Yo, Terrence J, Serayah, MC Lyte, Redman, Valarie Pettiford, Jodi Lyn O’Keefe, Demetrius Shipp Jr, Billy Sorrells, Jonathan Kite, B. Simone, Jess Hilarious, Niatia “Lil Mama” Kirkland, Vena E., Vanessa Simmons, and Tank.

Also scheduled to air is Nick Cannon’s “Miracles Across 125th Street.” The special, written, directed, and starring Cannon will feature appearances by Lil Kim, Chrisette Michele, Tommy Davidson, Bruce Bruce, Luenell, Kierra Sheard-Kelly, Fred Hammond, Karen Clark Sheard, Akon, DC Young Fly, Jim Jones, Rickey Smiley, Teyana Taylor, and more.

Jamie’s Christmas special will air on December 6th and Cannon’s is set for December 20th. Other programming includes holiday specials from Kim Fields who will bring her production, Adventures In Christmasing.

Eva Longoria’s production, “Let’s Get Merried” and RuPaul’s “The Bit_h That Stole Christmas.”

What Christmas program do you watch every year?

Kevin Hart’s New Action Comedy Delayed Until Next Summer

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Kevin Hart’s action-comedy “The Man From Toronto” has been pushed back to next summer.

Originally slated for release in January 2022. The movie was to be Hart’s last collaboration with Sony. Kevin now has an exclusive development deal with Netflix.

“The Man From Toronto” finds Hart as a slacker who is forced to team up with an assassin, played by Woody Harrelson, after an Airbnb mixup.

Per Deadline, “The Man From Toronto” is to be released on August 12th.

What is your favorite Kevin Hart movie?

https://youtu.be/DcpsEXA9GFc

Kaepernick’s ‘Colin in Black and White’ Compares NFL to Slavery

Former NFL Player Colin Kaepernick’s Netflix Docuseries sparks conversation over the comparison of the NFL to slavery.

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https://youtu.be/ej42P9FTwZg

The new 6 episode limited series Colin in Black and White debuted on Netflix over the weekend. The series, created by former NFL player Colin Kaepernick and filmmaker Ava DuVernay, is causing conversation over a particular scene in which the NFL selection process is compared to a slave auction.

Kaepernick says, “What they don’t want you to understand is what’s being established is a power dynamic… Before they put you on the field, teams poke, prod, and examine you. Searching for any defect that might affect your performance. No boundary respected. No dignity left intact.”

This episode shows a reenactment of the selection process for a team, this includes the team officials examining the players during a combine and as they run drills. The scene then has the players walk off-screen onto an auctioning block in shackles being haggled over and sold to white men.

Opinions came in all forms as people took to social media to discuss their thoughts. Some found controversy in the message and others felt as though it was powerful and needed.

Kaepernick began his activism journey in 2016 where he took a knee during the national anthem in order to protest the injustices of Black people in this country. His peaceful act started the #takeaknee movement and received backlash from those who deemed it disrespectful.

Colin in Black and White is now streaming on Netflix

Tamar Braxton Adds Investor To Her Resume

Tamar Braxton just closed on a 10 million dollar subdivision investment.

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The reality TV star Tamar Braxton shares her excitement on Instagram as she announces the closing of her first investment property in Atlanta, GA.

In the post, she referred to her entire life being under construction, “new music, new book, new candles, new tv projects, & real estate.”

 

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A post shared by Tamar Estine (@tamarbraxton)

The singer wrote, “Today I closed on my first real estate investment project in Atlanta. It’s a 10 million dollar subdivision project and I’m super excited about it. It’s a  small upscale private gated community that will have a nature walking trail, fishing pond, basketball court, pool, etc. The homes will start in the low one million and are located 15 mins from Buckhead.”

She gave thanks to her manager Richie Rich who included her in the deal. She goes on to say that this isn’t the last of real estate investments for her, she is looking to create affordable housing in her hometown, Baltimore, Maryland.

She will join a long list of investors in the Atlanta area. As reported last week T.I. and Tiny just shared the progress of the affordable housing investment in Bankhead.

Jay-Z Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

Jay-Z, the first living solo rapper to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

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This past Saturday in Cleveland Ohio, Jay-Z was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, making him the first living solo rap artist to be added. The ceremony was full of celebs featuring tributes by comedian Dave Chapelle and Former President of the United States Barack Obama.

The 23-time Grammy award winner is well deserved to be on the shortlist of solo rappers inducted into this Hall of Fame. Others include Tupac Shakur, The Notorious B.I.G., and fellow 2021 inductee LL Cool J.

The night started out with a tribute video to the father of 3, led by his wife Beyonce and their daughter Blue Ivy. The two went back and forth reciting their favorite Jay-Z lyrics. The star-studded tribute video featured DJ Khaled, Sean Combs, Regina King, Jamie Foxx, Dr. Dre, and many many more.

The rapper began his speech by saying, “Thank you, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, for this incredible honor. And you know, growing up, we didn’t think we could be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. We were told that hip-hop was a fad,” During his speech he thanked many including, his mom Gloria Carter, sister Annie, business partners Tyran “Ty Ty” Smith and Damon Dash, and the late Notorious B.I.G.

According to People, The inductee ended his speech with, “Hopefully, I’m informing the next generation that anything is possible. I don’t know what’s next — In fact, I do know what’s next. I have to go to court Monday. There’s good and bad, life is about balance — But you know, tonight, we’re going to enjoy tonight. I appreciate this honor. Sorry for this long-ass speech, but I had to give it up. We did it, Brooklyn!”

Aside from the tribute video, Obama’s remarks came in a separate recording where he goes into how Jay-Z was an important part of his life.

“I’ve turned to Jay-Z’s words at different points in my life, whether I was brushing dirt off my shoulder on the campaign trail, or sampling his lyrics on the Edmund Pettus Bridge on the 50th anniversary of the Selma march to Montgomery,” said the former President.

This was not the first time that Obama has paid tribute to Jay-Z. Back in 2017 Jay-Z was the first rapper to be inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame and at the time Obama said, “I’m pretty sure I’m still the only President to listen to Jay-Z’s music in the Oval Office,” according to NPR.

While Dave Chappelle, who has been under fire for recent controversy regarding transphobia in his newest special, was able to induct Jay- Z in person.

The comedian started off his speech by saying, “I would like to apologize. I’m just f— with you,” and then he got serious and went on to say, “I’m honored that I got a chance to know you.” Chappelle spoke of Jay-Z as the embodiment of Black excellence.

Jay-Z took to Twitter after the Ceremony showing his appreciation for everyone. Saying, “Thank you to everyone in that video package, I’m definitely gonna cry in the car.”

Tune in and watch the ceremony special which will be featured on HBO and HBO Max on November 20th.

Exposing Our Youth To Careers in Public Safety

Get more information about the Coalition for Public Safety Training in Schools

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Inspiring youth to look at a possible career in public safety.  My guest this morning is opening up the doors to those possibilities.  His organization is called the Coalition for Public Safety Training In Schools, Inc.  My guest is William Taylor – President, Coalition for Public Safety Training In Schools

The Coalition for Public Safety Training in Schools is a non-profit organization geared toward the advocacy of local students interested in career in the field of public safety. 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.

 

Listen to this mornings segment here:

Time to Buy a New or Used Car?

What you need to know before you do!

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There’s nothing like the smell of a new car.  There’s the new leather, bouncy, comfortable seats and the feeling of accomplishment.  Getting out of the old hoopty and into a new set of wheels. These days, getting into a new or nearly new car is a serious financial committment.  From subcompact, economy cars to big baller luxury automobiles, cars have never been more expensive.  If you want one… is now the time to buy?  What should you know before you do?

Susan Hogan, Consumer Investigativer Reporter, News4 Washington

Randi Payton, Founder & Publisher, The Decisive Media Network

Just Announced: Bravo’s ‘Real Housewives of Dubai’ Is Coming!

Pack your bags, Real Housewives is going to Dubai!

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The 11th city that the Real Housewives franchise will explore will be the wonderful Dubai. This will be the first international location – Dubai, the city of riches, gold, and housewives.

 

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The announcement was made November 1st by Andy Cohen that The Real Housewives of Dubai will be coming to Bravo in 2022.

Executive producer Andy Cohen announced his excitement on the Today show, “this is going to blow the lid off the entire franchise.’ He also referred to Dubai as the “billionaires playground, the city of gold, the desert oasis,” we are sure that RHOD will bring us all of that and more.

Although the cast has not yet been revealed, it is sure to highlight a group of wealthy women navigating their social status and careers.

According to Bravo, the newest addition of the Housewives will have, “‘The City of Gold’ as their backdrop with its desert paradise and stunning modern architecture, The Real Housewives of Dubai is sure to serve up its own unique opulence, drama, and surprising twists.”

The Real Housewives Franchise is forever expanding. The franchise includes The Real Housewives of New York City, The Real Housewives of Orange County, The Real Housewives of Atlanta, The Real Housewives of DC, The Real Housewives of New Jersey, The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, The Real Housewives of Miami, The Real Housewives of Potomac, The Real Housewives of Dallas, and The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City. 

Howard Alumna Owned Coffee Company, Blue Bison Coffee, Now Ships

Blue Bison Coffee, a Howard alumna owned company, now ships across the US!

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If you love coffee and Howard then this business is perfect for you.

Mia Kennedy Wallace, Howard Alumna class of ‘06, owns the coffee company Blue Bison Coffee. Affectionately named after her alma mater’s mascot. This Charlotte-based coffee company was started by Wallace in 2020. Wallace created this company with thoughts of introducing a safe way to keep people connected during a global pandemic, a mobile coffee shop is a way for people to maintain socially distanced but still social. Being a mother of 3 she felt the need to make something that is COVID-19 safe and family-friendly.

 

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Her menu offers some fall favorites such as a pumpkin spice latte and caramel apple cider. Another ode to her alma matter would be her ‘Georgia Ave Blend’ a special blend of coffee named after the street near Howard University. This blend is a smooth dark roast with notes of dark chocolate, sure to be the pick-me-up you need.

Now in addition to serving great coffee, Blue Bison Coffee now ships coffee and merchandise across the US!

You can shop for Blue Bison Coffee on their website and follow them on Instagram @bluebisoncoffee!

Netflix’s ‘Squid Game’ Surpasses The Rare 3 Billion Minute Viewing Mark

‘Squid Game’ keeps breaking record after record.

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The seemingly overnight Netflix sensation Squid Game keeps breaking record after record.

According to Deadline, this series is now the best performing series in the U.S.’s 2021 rankings, surpassing over three billion minutes viewed in a single week’s time. These rankings are for the week of Sept. 27th. Squid Game is the sixth title to ever hit this milestone.

A letter was sent from Netflix to its investors on Oct. 19th expressing its amazement over the show’s success since its debut in September. “A min-boggling 142m member households globally have chosen to watch the title in its first four weeks… The breadth of Squid Game’s popularity is truly amazing.” 

The show cost $21.4 million to make and around Oct. 19th has earned an estimated $900 million in revenue. This show has been Netflix’s biggest series ever. Squid games nine episodes accrued a whopping 3.26 billion minutes of viewing the time frame of Sept. 27th to Oct. 3rd. 

You know a show is big when Saturday Night Live makes a skit about it. The night show did just that on Oct. 16th, featuring Pete Davidson and guest host Rami Malek. 

The idea for Squid Game stems from the personal financial struggles of the creator Hwang-Dong-hyuk. 

 

American Airlines Flight Problems Continue

American plagued by major flight cancellations for 4th day.

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DALLAS (AP) — American Airlines is still trying to dig out from under a blizzard of cancelled flights over the last few days. By midday Monday, American had canceled more than 350 flights. It’s the fourth straight day of major disruptions at American, which canceled more than 1,000 flights on Sunday. American hopes to fix its operation by hiring more flight attendants, pilots and reservations agents. The airline encouraged thousands of workers to quit last year when air travel collapsed during the pandemic, then was caught shorthanded when travel bounced back this year.

Mask Mandate May Return In Montgomery County

Under consideration by the county is a return to mandatory indoor mask wearing starting Wednesday.

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(Rockville, MD) — A week after its mask mandate ended, Montgomery County is poised to reinstate the restriction. Montgomery County’s acting health officer, Doctor James Bridgers says the move comes as the county has returned to the substantial transmission category of COVID guidelines. Under consideration by the county is a return to mandatory indoor mask wearing starting Wednesday. Doctor Bridgers say the Board of Health may mandate the use of masks unless the board amends the current regulation. Currently the board requires mandatory mask wearing if the county’s rate of transmission increases to the substantial level at any time during or after a seven-day period.

Global COVID Death Toll Tops 5M

Coronavirus deaths globally hit new milestone with the United States leading in overall deaths worldwide.

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Washington, D.C. (Monday, November 1, 2021) – The worldwide COVID-19 death toll has marked another dubious milestone.  More than 5 million people around the globe have now died from the coronavirus.  Even with that staggering figure, health experts say the number is still undoubtedly much higher.

The United States accounts for over 745,000 of those deaths.  That’s the most of any other country.  The global death toll is tallied by Johns Hopkins University and is about equal to the populations of San Francisco and Los Angeles combined.

Globally,  COVID is now the third leading cause of death behind heart disease and stroke.

The 5 million death toll is likely an undercount because of limited testing and people dying at home without medical assistance, especially in poor parts of the world, like India.

Here’s What’s Leaving Netflix in November 2021

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100 titles are coming to Netflix in November.
That means about 40 titles are leaving the platform.
Here’s what leaving Netflix:
Fruitvale Station
Million Dollar Baby
Pineapple Express
School of Rock
The Lovers
Richard Pryor: Live in Concert

Also leaving are all 6 seasons of Glee.
What’s on your list of things to watch on Netflix?

A Howard Alum Owned Company, En Root Travel, Will Help You Travel The World

These Howard alum created a travel company specifically for HBCU alumni and to support Black owned businesses!

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Contributed by Lauren Taylor

En Root Travel is the company that we never knew we needed.

Howard Alumnae Tyshana Richard and Nicole Sahbaee co-founded En Root Travel with the mission to “curate high quality, all-inclusive trips that connect HBCU alumni to Black cultures throughout the African Diaspora.” Both Richard and Sahbaee graduated from Howard University, Class of 2018.

“Black-owned businesses are vital in our trip curation process and we make every effort to support them as much as we can in America and in the countries we travel to.” – Nicole and Tshana.

With the three goals of tourism, service, and culture these women spend months planning trips that will give black people access to discover one’s culture. They’ve planned trips to the Bahamas and South Africa. The company also has itineraries for 2022 trips available that you can join, these include Jamaica, South Africa, Mexico, and more!

To learn more about their company and to join in on the travel, you can go to their website www.enroottravel.com and follow them on Instagram @enroottravel!

Oprah’s Favorite Things 2021 List Is Here!

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Can you believe it has been 25 years since Oprah started her Favorite Things list?
It started on her TV show and since her TV show ended she moved the feature online.
This year, in honor of the 25th anniversary of her Favorite Things list Oprah is focusing her list on small businesses and businesses owned by women and people of color.
The list is up now and available for people to purchase the items on Amazon.
Have you ever purchased an item from Oprah’s Favorite Things List?

Beloved Atlanta News Anchor, Jovita Moore, Dies From Brain Cancer

Beloved Jovita Moore passes away at 53.

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Longtime news anchor, Jovita Moore, died Thursday after seven months of battling an aggressive form of brain cancer. 

Moore was an award-winning news anchor with WSB-TV since 1998, she was 53 years old. Prior to WSB-TV, she worked at WMC-TV in Mephis and KFSM in Fayetteville, Arkansas, and Fort Smith Arkansas. 

She had an extremely successful career winning many Emmy Awards, coving multiple major events, even the inauguration of former President Barack Obama in 2009. 

Her death has led to support and love all throughout social media, mourning the loss of a wonderful mother, daughter, and friend. Mayor of Atlanta Keisha Lance Bottoms shared to Twitter that her family is “deeply saddened by the loss of our friend.” She also went on to say “Even those who did not know her personally felt a deep and personal connection to Jovita.”

There were sentiments shared by Tyler Perry who said, “I will miss your beautiful smile and warm laughter, let alone seeing you in my living room every day.” as well as Rev. Bernice King who said Moore, “was a tremendous blessing to metro Atlanta and the world and many others. 

 

The reporter was diagnosed with glioblastoma that often does not have a cure but can only be slowed with treatment. “I was really concerned about why all of a sudden I was forgetful, disoriented, and just not feeling myself. Feeling like I was in a fog and really want to get out of that fog,” Moore said earlier this year.

Moore is survived by her mother, her two children, and her stepdaughter. 

Howard Alum Susan Kelechi Watson Stars in New Netflix Series

New Netflix series stars Susan Kelechi Watson!

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The hit book Ada Twist, Scientist has been adapted into a Netflix series that both children and parents can enjoy. It also features a Howard Alumna who we are very proud of!

The picture book series was created by Andrea Beaty and illustrated by David Robert. The bestseller was indeed a hard act to follow but Higher Ground Productions understood the assignment. This production company is run by former US president Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama.

The story follows 8-year-old Ada, a young girl who loves science and wants to figure out how everything in the world works. She does so by asking questions, going on fact-finding missions, and engaging yet informing scientific experiments. With the help of her best friends Iggy Peck and Rosie Revere, her dad, older brother, her cat, and her mom who happens to be the voice of Howard Alumna, Susan Kelechi Watson.

Watson graduated from Howard University’s School of Fine Arts. She is most known for her current role in This is Us, as Beth Pearson. This Howard alum does not miss and we love to see it.

She is now the voice of Ada’s mom on the new Netflix cartoon, Ada Twist, Scientist that is available for streaming now!

Tracee Ellis Ross Responds To Being Called The ‘Poster Child for Single Women‘

Tracee Ellis Ross explains her self love journey.

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As most women know there is a stigma centered around being a single woman, especially for a period of time or at a certain age. Tracee Ellis Ross refuses to live her life feeling pressured by this stigma and the pressures of society.

The 48-year-old actress opened up about living life her way and loving herself as she looked amazing on the cover of Harper’s Bazaar’s November issue. With never being married or having a romantic relationship heavy in the eye of the public people have deemed her “the poster child for being single.” She responds saying, “Great. But what I would prefer is that I’m the poster child for living my life on my terms. And that there’s a version of that for everyone.”

Ross mentioned that there are only examples of women being happy through the lens of how they’re seen by a man. She explains, “ I didn’t see enough examples of different versions of how a woman can find happiness and joy and power and sensuality, sexuality, all of that, without it being through the lens of how I’m seen by a man.”

She is a woman who is comfortable in her skin and doesn’t live her life for anyone but her, which she expressed has been a “really long journey.”

The sitcom star is finding more beauty in her every day, she says “I’m the sexiest I’ve ever been. And when I say that, I mean I feel the most myself.”

A New Film Featuring DC’s Love For Roller Skating

Old School Rollers will be screening this Sunday November 7th

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Grab your skates and get ready for a roll down memory lane as we feature a look at DMVs love for roller skating and why a NEW film is helping roller skating make a big comeback.  My guest is Trenillo “Tree Walters” – Writer, Director and Executive Director of Old School Rollers

Old School Rollers upcoming screening will be Sunday, November 7th @ 4pm at the AMC Magic Johnson Theater 800 Shoppers Way in Largo.

 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.

 

Listen to this mornings segment here:

Keeping Pests Out of Your Home

We have the experts to help you understand why they’re there and how to keep them outside.

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This Halloween weekend will bring plenty of ghosts, goblins and witches to your door. You’re probably expecting them. What you’re not expecting and certainly not wanting this weekend or any other weekend, are other scary little creatures.  Spiders, waterbugs, centipedes, ants, roaches, fruitflies and mice.  Depending on where you live, snakes or lizards are not uncommon.  For some of us, no matter how hard we try, we can’t seem to get rid of them.  They’re annoying and sometimes scary.  What do you do?

Resources:

Van Postell, President/Owner, Blazin’ Pest Control: 301-532-2138

Frager’s Hardware

Charlie Hawkins, Assistant Manager, Frager’s Hardware
Van Postell, President & Owner, Blazin’ Pest Control

 

 

Vax Deadline for DC School Staff

City officials are expecting everyone to do their part and follow suit by Monday.

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(Washington, DC) — Time is running out for thousands of school employees in the District to get vaccinated against COVID-19. All adults who are regularly inside public, charter, private, and parochial schools as well as child care facilities must roll up their sleeves and take the shot by Monday. Mayor Muriel Bowser stated that bus drivers and regular volunteers are included and there is no test out option. City officials are expecting everyone to do their part and follow suit by Monday.

FDA Authorizes Pfizer COVID Vaccine For Younger Children

The kid-size doses are just a third of the amount given to teens and adults.

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WASHINGTON (AP) — The Food and Drug Administration has paved the way for children ages 5 to 11 to get Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine. The agency authorized the kid-size doses on Friday. But there’s one more regulatory hurdle. Next week, advisers to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will discuss which youngsters should get vaccinated. In the meantime, Pfizer plans to begin shipping millions of vials of the pediatric vaccine to doctor’s offices, pharmacies and other vaccination sites. The kid-size doses are just a third of the amount given to teens and adults.

Cynthia Bailey Tells Why She Missed Gregg’s Funeral

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Cynthia Bailey has revealed why she missed NeNe Leakes’ husband Gregg’s funeral.
Earlier in the week, NeNe did a radio interview and spilled the tea that Cynthia “didn’t even come to the repast.” She did later reveal that Cynthia did “come a week later after everything was done.”
In a sit down with The New York Post, Bailey revealed that she and her husband Mike Hill were out of town at the time of the funeral. Bailey did reveal that she “felt bad” about missing the service.
Gregg Leakes died on September 1 after a battle with colon cancer.
Do you think that Cynthia should’ve come back to be with her friend? Would you have still been upset with Cynthia for missing the funeral?

Kangol Kid Is Fighting for His Life

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Hip-Hop Legend Kangol Kid is currently fighting for his life.
Back in February, the pioneer was diagnosed with Stage 4 colon cancer and was admitted to the hospital this week to undergo surgery.
Everyone, please support my brother Kangol Kid from UTFO, said hip-hop promoter Van Sylk who is also battling Stage 4 cancer.
Kangol went into surgery on Thursday. There hasn’t been an update published on his condition.
How has cancer impacted your family? How soon do you think we’ll find a cure for cancer?

Prince Jackson Thinks Dad Michael Would’ve Supported Free Britney Movement

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Michael Jackson’s oldest son Prince Jackson was a guest on Good Morning Britain when he was asked what his father would think of Britney Spears and her wanting her conservatorship to come to an end.

Prince says he never heard his father mention Britney and her conservatorship but he says, “knowing my father and the compassion that he had for individuals who wanted to remain in control of their own life as it was his goal to be in control of his own life, I would think that he would be very supportive of her cause.”

Prince continues to promote his father’s legacy with philanthropy. He will be hosting “Thriller Nights” on the family’s estate this Halloween.

Do you think Britney will ever perform again?

Serena Williams Rookie Card Sells for $44,280—an Auction Record for a Female Athlete

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An autographed Serena Williams rookie card has sold for a record-setting $44,280 at an auction in New Jersey last weekend, according to ESPN.
The previous record for a female athlete was a Mai Hamm rookie card which sold for $34,440.
The executive chairman of Goldin Auctions said there are a lot of people putting together GOAT collections: “They want Pete, Ali, Jordan, Tiger, Brady, and they include Serena. I think that’s the single biggest impact that is lifting her cards above all other women athletes.”
A 2003-04 LeBron James card sold at the same auction for $2.46 million.
Why is there still such a disparity in media coverage and things like sports cards for women athletes compared to men?

T.I. and Tiny Start Affordable Housing Development

T.I. and Tiny start a new development project for affordable housing in Bankhead.

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Contributed by Lauren Taylor 

Atlanta rapper T.I. and his wife Tiny shared their new development project via Instagram. The ‘Whatever You Like’ rapper is adding this project to others in his repertoire, in 2017 he founded Buy Back the Block, a real estate venture that will reinvent his old neighborhood one building at a time. T.I. posted a video showing the land for his affordable housing development and the progress being made. In which, he states they are about 40% done and they should be done by sometime next year. This development of affordable housing is in Bankhead Atlanta, the neighborhood where T.I. grew up.

 

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A post shared by TIP (@troubleman31)

In the video, when referring to his new development T.I. says, “This right here used to be the old K-Mart, Giant Foord, and now we have affordable housing. 143 units going up. Big huge community ya dig?” It was also said that there is to be a community center, greenhouse, and garden in this new affordable housing project. The rapper mentions his excitement for the project, “This is our first project as developers [and] we’re proud of it.”

Tiny also posted the property on her story with the caption, “God just keeps blessing us to bless others. @Troubleman31 U da Man!! I love to say our big project is coming along.”

The couple faced criminal allegations earlier this year as 17 of 30 women came forward to press charges against the two. Per their lawyer, the victims have accused them of varying degrees of sexual abuse, drugging, and harassment. According to prosecutors, they did not face charges due to the expired statute of limitations on the incident in question which occurred in 2005.

How Chris Brown Goes ‘Above & Beyond’ To ‘Connect’ With Son Aeko, 1, While Miles Apart

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Chris Brown has two children, seven-year-old Royalty, and one-year-old Aeko, and according to a friend of the singer he goes above and beyond to connect with his children, especially Aeko who lives in Germany with his mother.  “Chris and Ammika don’t always see eye to eye, but Chris makes every intention to be in contact with his son and send him funny video messages and singing messages,” a source told HollywoodLife.com.  Brown hates to be away from his son and the source says the singer is gearing up for Aeko’s second birthday, “When Chris makes plans to do something, he always goes big. And he also loves surprises so if he has anything planned in the immediate future (as far as traveling to see him or sending pricey gifts) he’s definitely keeping it under wraps.” Do you live apart from your children? How do you connect with them?

Drake and Lizzo Showed Up For Taping Of Adele’s TV Special With Oprah

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Unless you’ve been under a rock you know Adele is back and has dropped her single, “Easy On Me,” and now the singer is getting ready for a star-studded television special and interview with Oprah.

The singer was recently doing an interview with a British radio show when she was asked if she ever let other celebrities give her advice on her music.

Adele revealed that she had played music for Drake last year but she doesn’t send it to various people. “That’s it….just Drake,” she said.

Drake gave her the thumbs up, posting on social media, “One of my best friends in the world just dropped a single… WOIIIIIII.”

Adele’s television special will air on November 14th on CBS and comes days before the release of her album “30” on November 19th. Lizzo, Kris Jenner, Gordon Ramsey, and Ellen DeGeneres were among the 300 people who attended the live taping.

Who is the person that you seek approval from?

Former First Lady to Guest on ‘Black-ish’

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Former First Lady Michelle Obama will be a guest star on the final season of ABC’s Black-ish.
I’ve been a fan of Black-ish’s wit and all-around brilliance, Michelle Obama said on Instagram. It was such a thrill to join in for an episode. I can’t wait for you all to see it.
Creator Kenya Barris announced that the show would be coming to an end with season eight back in May.
The final season is set to premiere next year. The exact date hasn’t been revealed yet.
What’s been your favorite Black-ish episode?

We Talked Everything From Alec Baldwin’ Tragic Mishap To Drake’s New Boo

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ALL the Ladies were here this week… and we spilled the tea. We laughed and talked about everything trending. From the Alec Baldwin shooting tragedy, Drake’s new boo, and the strains on a relationship while on a reality show.

Stacey Abrams’ Organization Donates $1.34M To Pay Off Medical Debt In Five States

Fair Fight Action an organization created by Stacey Abrams’ donates $1.34 million to RIP Medical Debt.

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Fair Fight Action, Stacey Abrams‘ voting rights organization, has donated more than $1 million to help fight medical debts in five states.

This organization created by Abrams, former Georgia gubernatorial candidate, and activist, has donated $1.34 million to the nonprofit organization RIP Medical Debt, according to a press release. This donation will go towards a debt originally totaling $212 million owed by 108,000 people across five states: Georgia, Louisiana, Arizona, Mississippi, and Alabama. This is the third-largest gift in RIP Medical Debt’s history.

RIP Medical Debt Says, “The more than 108,000 individuals will receive a letter in the coming days, contained in a yellow envelop, informing them that their debt has been relieved.” Abrams discusses her first-hand experience with medical costs in one statement, she also says, “For people of color, the working poor and middle-class families facing crushing costs, we hope to relieve the strain on desperate Americans and on hospitals struggling to remain open.”

Fair fight Action decided to focus its effort on the South this time around due to the fact medical debt is 30% higher in the South than in the North. The combined unpaid medical debt in America is now $141 billion – which doubles the estimates from earlier in this year.

The organization would like to promote full Medicaid expansion across the country to decrease the 72% of black households with debt and the 78% of households with a householder of Hispanic origin that carry debt.

Halloween Fun For The Entire Family

Howl-O-Scream is underway at Busch Gardens Williamsburg with fun for the whole family

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Lots of fun, thrills, and scream.  Busch Gardens Williamsburg is open serving up safe, fun, and family friendly excitement just in time for Halloween.  My guest is Matthew Edwards – Entertainment Manager for Busch Gardens Williamsburg

Busch Gardens Howl-O-Scream is back  Williamsburg.  For hours and 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.

 

Listen to this mornings segment here:

 

WHUR Fam Going All The Way Back To 1973

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What was Chocolate City like with D.C.’s favorite radio station, WHUR, back in the 70’s, 80’s & 90’s? Press play to reminisce with Kojo Nnamdi, Karen Campbell, Mansy Pullen and John Monds, and Candy Shannon. What a night!

Old School Rollers Movie

A new independent film looks at DC skate culture

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Are you a DC roller skating fan? Even if you’re not, you know it’s a culture all its own.  A new independent film looks at DC skate culture while weaving family and friendship into a homegrown storyline.

For free passes to the movie, email a request to: promotions@whur.com

Passes are available as long as they last.

 

Tree Walters, Walters, Writer, Director, Executive Producer, “Old School Rollers”
Kenneth “Rollo” Davis, Actor