The go-go museum, X-odus, 'The Six Triple Eight'
Friday, November 22, 2024.
What I’m Reading
A New Museum Pays Homage To Go-Go, The Music Of The Nation's Capital, HuffPost
This week, I went to D.C.’s historic Anacostia neighborhood for the ribbon-cutting ceremony of the new Go-Go Museum and Cafe, which honors the genre’s place in the long lineage of Black liberation music. Go-go legends, city leaders and the museum’s curators spoke at the ceremony, which ended with musical performances. The museum fully opens in February, so make your plans to come see the nation’s only institution dedicated to the music of the nation’s capital!
Black Twitter helped define the internet — so where will the exodus from X lead?
Now that X is essentially Elon Musk’s tool to push his right-wing agenda, there’s been a lot of conversation on where Black social media users are headed next. Char Adams and J.J. McCorvey talked to folks to find out where the “X”odus leads. As for me, I’ve decided to stay on X but I will also utilize some of the other platforms, like Threads, Spill and Bluesky as well. Wherever people enjoy reading, I’ll be!
Segregation Academies Get Millions From School Voucher Programs, ProPublica
Stories like this show why ProPublica is the top investigative newsroom in the country. Private schools in the South that were created for white children as “segregation academies” are benefitting today from tens of millions in taxpayer dollars that come from school voucher programs.
What’s In The News
Across America
Alabama: Attorneys for death row inmate Toforest Johnson filed a petition seeking a new hearing after major concerns were raised…
California: Palm Springs will pay $5.9 million to compensate Black and Latino families whose homes were burned and destroyed in the 1960s…
Colorado: Learn about Denver’s first Black fire station and its more than 130 years of history…
District of Columbia: I went to the Negro Motorist Green Book exhibit, which gives visitors an interactive look at the guide that listed safe spots for Black Americans to eat and rest as they traveled across the U.S. during Jim Crow…
Georgia: Newly obtained records show there were problems with the gangway in Sapelo Island before it collapsed and killed several Black elders…
Maryland: A 7-year-old is recovering after his parents said he was “hung” in a Waldorf elementary school bathroom…
Massachusetts: The Urban League of Eastern Massachusetts has launched an initiative to help Black men struggling with mental health issues…
Michigan: A Black city councilman in Grand Rapids is refusing to support a $565 million tax incentive for a massive development without a more “meaningful local investment” by the project’s developer…
New York: One in eight NYC students was homeless last year, according to new data…
Nevada: A 43-year-old father was shot and killed by police in Las Vegas after calling for help during a violent home invasion…
North Carolina: The state Attorney General’s office is looking into allegations relating to the conduct of the Saint Augustine’s University board of trustees…
Ohio: The Dept. of Justice confirmed an investigation is underway into the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Department following the killing of Sonya Massey, who was shot by an officer after she called 911 for help…
Oklahoma: As Tulsa’s next mayor, Monroe Nichols has ambitious goals to increase housing and decommission homeless encampments…
Tennessee: Columnist Andrea Williams wrote about Tennessee State University’s serious money troubles…
Texas: Course changes at the University of North Texas’ college of education included removing words such as “race,” “gender,” “class” and “equity” from titles and descriptions…
What’s Happening
Malcolm X’s daughters are suing the CIA, FBI, the NYPD and others, accusing them of some involvement in his 1965 assassination…
The Washington Post uncovered details about a $45 million plan led by Elon Musk's advisors to target minority voters with ads that delivered falsehoods…The New York Times examined how the Kamala Harris campaign burned through a stunning $1.5 billion in a 15 week campaign. Roland Martin is quoted in the story, saying more should have been spent on Black-owned media…
More election fallout: Instead of charging to the front lines of the culture wars, many Black women have vowed to prioritize their own well-being first…For The Emancipator, Jay Connor writes “for Black male voters, apologies are in order, and some respect would be nice too”...
A bipartisan bill to make Black Wall Street a national monument is heading to the Senate for a full vote…
Christian nationalists are aiming to attract hundreds, even thousands, of like-minded people from across the country to Jackson County, Tennessee…
JSTOR: “The Emmett Till Memory Project teaches new generations about the tragedy that kickstarted the Civil Rights Movement. Preserving its digital assets is vital”...
Spelman College President Dr. Helene Gayle announced that she will not return to the presidency after she took a personal leave of absence…
Remember that odd story about the mystery donor who supposedly gave $237 million to FAMU? Here’s how that unknown Texan deceived colleges…
A jury awarded nearly $100 million in damages to the family and estate of Botham Jean, who was killed by ex-Dallas police officer Amber Guyger in his apartment…
Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Stephen Henderson is leaving Detroit’s public radio station after ten years on air…
For the Grio, Gerren Keith Gaynor spoke with activists and education experts about Trump’s proposal to seek “restitution” for so-called “victims” of DEI…
This is an eye-opening story from Capital B’s Adam Mahoney, who went to America’s deadliest prison for an annual prison rodeo…
From Danielle Douglas-Gabriel of The Washington Post: “Some HBCUs are seeing record enrollment growth while the rest of higher education contends with low head counts”...
Spirit Airlines has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection…
Entertainment News
I went to a screening of Tyler Perry’s “The Six Triple Eight” at the National Museum of African American History and Culture. Perry, alongside stars Kerry Washington and Ebony Obsidian, attended the screening and held a panel afterward. The film tells the little-known story of World War II’s only Women’s Army Corps unit of color. I’m planning on writing about the film, which will stream Dec. 20 on Netflix…
If you’re a fan of Denzel Washington, you’ll love this piece from Esquire…
Director Aaron Williams spoke with KRMG about his new film that aims to tell the untold story of Tulsa’s Black Wall Street…
My colleague Candice Frederick reviewed the documentary “The Honorable Shyne,” which she calls a “complicated portrait” of the man who served time in prison as Sean Combs’ “fall guy”...
My colleagues Njera Perkins and Taiyler Mitchell talked with experts and advocates on what the path forward looks like for holding alleged abusers accountable in the wake of Cassie’s lawsuit against Sean Combs…
Jussie Smollett’s conviction over allegations he staged a racist and homophobic attack against himself in Chicago has been overturned…
Michael Jordan is best known for his skills on the basketball court, but lately, he’s been making moves on the racetrack. GQ Sports followed His Airness’s quest for NASCAR glory…
Katt Williams has reportedly purchased a former Alabama military base to launch a movie studio…
Speaking of GQ, the magazine launched its “Men of the Year” series, which includes John David Washington and Malcolm Washington, Katt Williams, Pharrell and more…
For HuffPost, Ty Cole spoke with “Cross” star Aldis Hodge about the Prime Video series and how his character is redefining the modern-day hero with vulnerability and strength…
This story made all of the usual suspects angry: Disneyland has debuted Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, its first ride to celebrate a Black princess…
Metro Boomin is opening up about his ongoing beef with Drake in a new interview with Frazier Tharpe…
A sushi restaurant chain in Washington has temporarily shut down after fans of food critic Keith Lee claimed they saw something moving in his food…
Actors Jonathan Majors and Meagan Good announced they are engaged at the EBONY Power 100 event…More: Majors‘ ex-girlfriend dropped her lawsuit against him; it appears both parties came to some sort of deal after a joint notice was filed…
Jaleel White went on "CBS Mornings Plus" to talk about his memoir "Growing Up Urkel" and discuss what he’s been up to since leaving his “Family Matters” character behind…
Obituaries
Clifton Wharton Jr., a man of many firsts, including the first Black man to run a Fortune 500 corporation, become deputy secretary of state and be appointed president of Michigan State University, has died. He was 98…
Herlda Senhouse, who lived to become the second-oldest person in the United States, has died. She was 113…
Sir Lady Java, a “world-class entertainer and history-making titan of nightlife,” has died. She was 82…
Saafir, “the raspy-voiced Oakland rapper who infused the rhythms of avant-garde jazz into his rhymes,” has died. He was 54…
Don’t Miss
Can you beat my time on Black Crossword? 2 minutes, 29 seconds…
Netflix announced Beyoncé will perform at halftime for the Texans-Ravens game live on December 25…As you can probably imagine, ticket prices have spiked…
Beehiiv, a newsletter platform, launched a residency program for journalists that offers support, insurance and more. Check it out…Also: Working on a book or a film? The application for the 2026 Class of New America Fellows is live…
There’s a new mural of the late councilman Eric Mays on the north side of Flint, Michigan, by artist Krystal Cooke…
T-Pain says he’s forming a band! He’s encouraging submissions “no matter what instrument you play.” Time for me to break out the triangle…
I just read the article about FAMU and Gregory Gerami and like everyone else who worked with him, I’m left with more questions than answers lol. Like what is his end goal? Why does he love lying so much?