Black Boy Joy...and Pain

Jenkins and McCraney. Photo Credit: N/A

At the close of another (always too brief) Black History Month, celebrations of our accomplishments past and present recently reached a pinnacle on one of the world's largest stages: the 89th Academy Awards. In a year that broke records for presenting the most African-American nominees with Oscars wins, the barrier was further broken when the year's Best Picture award was (ultimately) presented to "Moonlight," the fictionalized story of a young black man's arduous journey to manhood and in discovering his sexuality, while growing up on the tough streets of Miami. Having received the Best Adapted Screenplay award earlier in the evening, when its writer Tarell Alvin McCraney gave his acceptance speech, he thanked everyone on behalf of himself and director Barry Jenkins as just "two boys from Liberty City (Florida) up here on this stage representing the 305."

Trayvon Martin. Photo Credit: N/A

Amidst so much "black boy joy," however, I was reminded of the pain, as the Oscars February 26th award date also marked the fifth year anniversary of the death of Trayvon Martin--a non-fictionalized, young black man on his own journey to manhood, whose life was cut short on a Florida street, and who's death sparked the movement we came to know as Black Lives Matter. Yet, such a stark juxtaposition of highs and lows has always been the norm within "our community," where we're often leery of celebrating too long in anticipation of what may be yet to come; where the same weeping that endures for the night and brings joy in the morning easily gives way to those joys that endure for a moment but can give way to tears that last a lifetime; where on our journey toward progress, we tread lightly lest we make one wrong step; and where we're reminded that although awards and accolades, while warranted and often long overdue are appreciated, will never compare to the magnitude of change that's still needed and of the work that's left to be done.

Kalief Browder. Photo Credit: N/A

On such a note, the debut of hip hop mogul Jay-Z's powerful six-part docu-series, “TIME: The Kalief Browder Story”(trailer here) premiering March 1st on Spike TV could not be more timely. Having debuted at the Sundance Film Festival and also featured in Ava DuVernay's powerful Netflix documentary "13th," that examines the prison to pipeline phenomenon, the docu-series follows Browder, a former Bronx resident, who was sent to Rikers Island prison in 2010 at age 16 without a trial following allegations over a stolen backpack. His experience at the prison complex unveiled abuse from guards and inmates, as well as countless days in solitary confinement. The case was eventually dismissed and Browder was released from prison in June 2013. He committed suicide in 2015. And, yet, Browder's story is but one of many that need to be told and for whom we continue to fight.

Ava DuVernay. Photo courtesy of Instagram @ava

So, as the fanfare of award season concludes and we're able to give the #OscarsSoWhite hashtag a rest (for now), let us not be blinded by temporary celebrations of "inclusion" and continue to invest our time and best resources in what really matters: keeping the movement alive and moving it forward. As African-American, history-breaking, Emmy, Tony, and now Academy Award winner Viola Davis said in her acceptance speech this year, "[When I'm asked] what kind of stories do you want to tell, Viola?” I say, exhume those bodies, exhume those stories. The stories of the people who dreamed big and never saw those dreams to fruition..." Stories just like Trayvon's. Stories just like Kalief's.

A Black History Love Letter

Photo Credit: Erica Kennedy

As February competes with two of my favorite celebrations--Black History Month and Valentine's Day--it was difficult deciding which would be the focus of this month's blog. Luckily, a recent New York Times article highlighting the historical wedding announcement (here) of one of my favorite icons in Black History made me realize the two need not be autonomous. So, for the love of my people and the written word, I salute Ida Bell Wells-Barnett (July 16, 1862 – March 25, 1931).

I was a print journalism major at Howard University when the life of Ms. Wells, also a journalist, in addition to being a newspaper editor, activist, suffragist, sociologist, and feminist, became more of interest to me. Notably known for strapping herself with a pad, a pencil, and a pistol, Ms. Wells set out to document the conditions of blacks in the south and, most hauntingly, the lynchings that were taking place there. Fast becoming a target from angry white men and women, Wells was advised by friends to ease up on her editorials. Instead, she declared "[I had] already determined to sell my life as dearly as possible if attacked. I felt if I could take one lyncher with me, this would even up the score a little bit."

Photo Credit: Erica Kennedy

With that same fiery will, determination, and tenacity, it would be no surprise that, in addition to the many movements she created and was a part of throughout her life, that her most impacting would be working closely alongside historians and activists, W.E.B. DuBois and Booker T. Washington to found the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People in 1909. Ms. Wells would continue her activism, working with Frederick Douglass to organize boycotts, touring the U.S. and Europe with her anti-lynching campaigns, and serving as an educator, all the while continuing to publish articles and pamphlets to bring awareness about the "Negro experience" in America, proving that she always knew the pen was mightier than the sword--even if not mightier then her pistol--and continued in the fight for equality, until her death.

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Although there are countless African-American heroes who not only shaped black history but American history, Ms. Wells' "unapologetic boldness" as an early female journalist is worthy of recognition and celebration, which is why on an anticipated visit to the National Museum of African-American History & Culture, I anxiously made my way through countless, powerful exhibits stretching from the Middle Passage to the Reconstruction Era, searching earnestly, until I came "face-to-face" with her, and then I smiled. And I exhaled. Because long before the Oprah's, the Cathy Hughes',  the Gwen Ifill's, and countless other tellers of our stories, there was Ida: courageous, intelligent, innovative, unshakable, and determined to not only make a difference but to be the difference.

At a time when claims of "fake news" is used in an attempt to dismantle the truth and the ethics of journalism are being constantly called into question, I am reminded of the power of the written word and in the importance of capturing both the good and bad of history. As we venture forth in this country's uncertain climate, where justice and liberty are facing a "lynching" of their own, let's all remain steadfast and vigilant in our fight to speak the truth and to be the truth, whether by picking up a pen or even a protest sign and, like our ancestors, continue to be foot soldiers for justice--just like Ida.

Happy Valentine's Day and Happy Black History Month!

Photo Credit: S. Ffolkes

In the Interest of Time

Despite the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, I was able to carve out a few moments to retreat in the comfort of several Oscar-buzz worthy movies. One that I last blogged about and eagerly awaited seeing was Will Smith's "Collateral Beauty"--a modern day spin on A Christmas Carol, that finds three spirits teaching the living a thing or two about, well, living.

Smith plays Howard Inlet-- an advertising executive and the walking embodiment of positivity for friends and colleagues--whose life is turned upside down by an unexpected tragedy. But before he falls into a mental abyss of darkness, leaving him both disconnected and disinterested in the world around him, the movie opens with him during happier times, sharing with his team the following observation: "We long for love. We wish we had more time. We fear death." Although these words are used to inspire his employees of how to better assess what will drive consumers to buy certain brands, these ideologies show up in the personification of three "people" who help Howard make sense of the world that's crashed down around him and who also help him navigate his way back to his former self.

Having experienced both the sanctity of love and the certainty of death, his proclamation regarding "time" resonated most deeply with me. Naturally, as I grow older, I become more keenly aware of how unappreciated the gift of time is, often displayed by how foolishly we all spend it and waste it. Not necessarily the hours in the day but the months and years those hours eventually compile to become, where projects go uncompleted, dreams go unrealized, and desires go unfulfilled. Where we find ourselves staying stuck in neutral for far too long or settling for less far too often. As we closed out 2016--a year that seemed to be wrought with an unusual amount of great loss--we were constantly reminded that tomorrow is not promised, and that time is indeed fleeting and precious. And, if we were listening to our souls, we were probably challenged to be more mindful of the who's, what's, when's where's, and why's on which we spend our time going forward.

As Benjamin Franklin once said, "Lost time is never found again." When we begin to fully embrace the magnitude of this truth, we will all be more protective of this gift and treat it with the care it so rightfully deserves. As 2017 unfolds and I embark on exciting, new challenges of my own, it is also my hope that you, too, will be inspired to take dreams, opportunities, and goals "off your shelves" and begin to seize your moments now--in the interest of time. Happy New Year!


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Black (Male) Power on the Big Screen

In a week that turned (the pragmatic segment of) America on its head with the election of a new Commander-in-Chief, whose ideologies and words throughout his campaign have been less than welcoming to America's often forgotten and "huddled masses," now more than ever are we in great mourning as we sit in the dawn of the departure of America's 44th and first African-American president; a pioneer whose every movement outside, on his way to, and ultimately in the White House has been fueled by the dream of inclusion. As the Free World's current leader begins to transition power to the elected, more than losing an ally, a peacemaker, and a voice for the people, in President Obama, we will also mourn the loss of a daily representation of greatness, power, and tenacity--sitting on the highest pinnacle of our nation's platform--beautifully embodied by a Black Man.

Just as life often imitates art, now, more than ever, am I excited to see that in the coming months, art will continue to imitate life in its placing of black men in positions of power, front and center, on the big screen. As we await a new dawning, let's continue to find comfort in the ways in which we are continuing to make strides in spite of our changing climate by recognizing six upcoming films with black male actors in leading roles, bringing us award-worthy performances as victors and not (stereotypical) victims, through laughter, action, triumph, and even gritty reality. See you at the theater!

November 18th - The Take (formerly titled Bastille Day) starring Idris Elba (Action) - Michael Mason (Richard Madden) is an American pickpocket living in Paris who finds himself hunted by the CIA when he steals a bag that contains more than just a wallet. Sean Briar (Elba), the field agent on the case, soon realizes that Michael is just a pawn in a much bigger game and is also his best asset to uncover a large-scale conspiracy.

December 16th - Collateral Beauty starring Will Smith (Drama) - When a successful New York advertising executive suffers a great tragedy he retreats from life. While his concerned friends try desperately to reconnect with him, he seeks answers from the universe by writing letters to Love, Time and Death. But it’s not until his notes bring unexpected personal responses that he begins to understand how these constants interlock in a life fully lived, and how even the deepest loss can reveal moments of meaning and beauty.

December 23rd - Fences starring Denzel Washington (Drama) - From award-winning playwright August Wilson, Fences tells the story of an African-American father and one-time promising baseball player, now working as a Pittsburgh garbage collector, who struggles with race relations in the United States while trying to raise his family in the 1950s and come to terms with the events of his life.

February 17th - Fist Fight starring Ice Cube (Comedy) - When one school teacher gets the other (Cube) fired, he is challenged to an after-school fight.

February 24th - Sleepless starring Jamie Foxx (Action) - An undercover Las Vegas police officer (Foxx) must race against time to save his kidnapped son from a crew of murderous gangsters.

2017 - All Eyez on Me starring Demetrius Shipp Jr. (Bio-Drama) - A biopic following rapper Tupac Shakur's career, including his time at Death Row Records and his involvement in the rivalry between East coast and West coast rappers, culminating in his murder in 1996.

Videos courtesy of YouTube

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Celebrating HBCUs; Howard U. In Primetime

On Saturday, TV One ran a marathon of "A Different World"--the award-winning, iconic, 80s/90s sitcom, directed by Howard alum, Debbie Allen, set on the campus of Hilman College, a fictitious HBCU (historically black college and university). When the sitcom debuted in 1987, for the first time ever, little brown boys and brown girls were seeing people who looked like their brothers, sisters, even themselves, fighting for social issues, earning degrees in art and engineering, and gettin' their party on while doin' it (cue the scholarship fundraiser episode featuring a performance of Heavy D and the Boyz, which was a part of Saturday's lineup). Never having been duplicated, thanks to its syndication, a whole new generation of youngsters can continue to be inspired.

Complimenting the marathon, each episode featured the #HBCUPride hashtag along with periodic captions on screen highlighting black entertainers who attended HBCUs from Samuel L. Jackson (Morehouse) to Lionel Richie (Tuskegee) to Keisha Knight Pulliam (Spelman). I'm also sure it's not a coincidence that the celebration of "A Different World" and HBCU pride came a week after the network's creator, Cathy Hughes', recent $4 million dollar donation to Howard University, in which the University will re-name its School of Communications in her honor. Although Ms. Hughes is not an alum of Howard, her investment in the University was cemented long before her recent donation, when in 1973, she became General Sales Manager of Howard's radio station, WHUR-FM, increasing station revenue from $250,000 to $3 million in her first year and also created the “Quiet Storm” format, which revolutionized urban radio and was aired on over 480 stations nationwide.

Ms. Hughes, now owner of both TV One and Radio One, is black entertainment excellence at its best. However, the excellence of Howard has always been present in the arts, on stage and behind the curtain; in the booth and on the mic; in front of and behind the camera. That is why it gives me great pleasure to recognize that three current prime-time television shows and one hit streaming show is being lead or enhanced by Howard alums. So, let's pause to revel in some Bison pride and celebrate a few of Howard's talented own who are changing the face of television. 

This Is Us (NBC: Tuesdays, 9-10 p.m. Eastern) - This American TV dramedy series created by Dan Fogelman follows the lives of triplets--found, not separated at birth; if you tune in, that statement will make perfect sense--as they navigate life, love, and careers. One of its leading actors is Sterling K. Brown, most notably recognized for his award-winning portrayal of attorney Christopher Darden, in FX's "The People vs. O.J. Simpson." Sterling is a standout, but he is well complimented by Howard alum, Susan Kelechi Watson, who plays his tough-loving wife, Beth. Each week Watson doles out real talk along with real love, that brings Sterling's character, Randall, even more to life.Without Beth, there would be no Randall. Without Randall, this show would be far from the hit that it is. Susan, Howard U salutes you!

Empire (Fox: Wednesdays, 9-10 p.m. Eastern) - Unless you've been living under a rock, you know about those Lyons kids, Lucious and, of course, the infamous Cookie. The American musical drama television series created by Lee Daniels and Danny Strong centers on the fictitious hip hop music and entertainment company, Empire Entertainment, and the drama among the members of the founders' family, as they fight for control of the company. But love her or hate her, the "empire" at Empire would have long crumbled if not for Cookie. Safe to say, the show may have crumbled by now as well if Howard alum, Taraji P. Henson, who plays Cookie wasn't breathing new life and drama into the show each week with her jaw-dropping antics--and fans can't seem to get enough. Taraji, Howard U salutes you!

Black'ish (ABC: Wednesdays, 9:30-10 p.m.) - When the Huxtables danced off into the sunset in 1992, we didn't think we would ever have another black family we could love--or relate to--again. Make way for the Johnsons--an uber successful, lovable, black California family navigating the nuances of life while struggling to hold firm to their identity and purpose. Leading this rambunctious family of six (soon seven) is patriarch, Andre Johnson, played by Howard alum Anthony Anderson. It's no doubt that Tracee Ellis Ross, who plays Andre's wife, Rainbow, is the real comedian on the show, but Andre is indeed its heartbeat. Anthony, Howard U salutes you!

Luke Cage (Netflix) - When the anticipated Netflix original, Luke Cage, created by Cheo Hodari Coker and based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name, debuted the weekend of October 1st, there were reports that the throngs of people who fired up their device to get a front row seat to the first ever TV series featuring a black super hero in its lead, crashed Netflix's server. No surprise. The every day black man turned superhero cleaning up the streets of New York with nothing more than will, determination, strength, and, of course, an indestructible body, was guaranteed to be a hit. And hot on his trails to uncover his secret is Detective (and superhero in her own right) Misty Knight, played by Howard alum Simone Missick. From its first episode, Missick and Mike Colter, who plays Cage, heated up our screens with their steamy love scene, but whether together as lovers or on each other's trails as foes, they keep things hot! Simone, Howard U salutes you!

As Howard University is in the throws of its annual Homecoming week celebration as I write this, I want to take this moment to salute all of my fellow alumni--and alumni of all HBCUs--regardless of where they're making their presence felt because one thing's for sure--wherever we are and whatever we're doing--our presence is indeed palpable. Let's keep changing the game!

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