My event for “The Chosen,” Jordan Chiles controversy, RIP “Famous” Amos
My event for “The Chosen,” Jordan Chiles controversy, RIP “Famous” Amos
Friday, August 16, 2024.
What I’m Reading
The Long Road to Reopening Hospitals in the Rural South, Capital B News
Capital B’s Aallyah Wright spent several months exploring how hospitals in predominantly Black communities in the rural South—in states like Mississippi, Georgia, and Tennessee—found ways to reopen despite all odds.
‘Mama’ of the Movement, THE BITTER SOUTHERNER
This is an incredible read from one of my favorite digital magazines. For The Bitter Southerner, Chaya Tong tracked down 93-year-old Carolyn Daniels, an activist who survived bombs, guns and dogs while housing the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee as they worked to register Black voters in South Georgia.
The other Black politician who says he was with Trump in that near-fatal chopper crash, POLITICO
Trump keeps insisting he nearly crashed in a helicopter with former San Francisco mayor Willie Brown, but it was actually a *different* Black man — former California state senator Nate Holden. “I guess we all look alike.”
During the National Association of Black Journalists convention earlier this month, I moderated a Q&A session with actress Amber Shana Williams who stars in “The Chosen,” the hit historical drama series centered on the life of Jesus Christ. We had a packed house for the event — in fact, we hit capacity! If you’re interested in watching our conversation, here’s the link. You can watch episodes for free on “The Chosen’s” website.
What’s In The News
Across America
California: The viral librarian Mychal Threets is getting his own library card, and it will be available at Berkeley Public Library branches this fall…
Connecticut: I spoke with Connecticut Public Radio’s Shanice Rhule about the lack of Black-owned businesses on various “best of lists” in the state…
Florida: The trial of an Ocala woman accused of shooting and killing her neighbor, Ajike “Aj” Owens, through the front door, began this week…
Illinois: Dolton Mayor Tiffany Henyard is back in the headlines after an investigation uncovered the village is more than $3.5 million in the hole…
Kentucky: A former University of Kentucky student pleaded guilty to several charges related to a racist attack on a Black student that went viral in 2022…
Louisiana: A company building a massive $800 million grain export facility in a historically Black community is “ceasing all plans,” a major win for the residents who’ve spent years fighting the project…
Michigan: A Detroit judge was temporarily removed from the bench after he had a sleeping teenager placed in handcuffs and jail clothes while she was on a field trip…
Missouri: Marcellus Williams is scheduled to be killed in September for the death of Felicia Gayle. There’s just one problem — he didn’t do it. Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey is fighting to execute him anyway…
New Jersey: A Seaside Heights man who delivered a fatal punch to a man who called him a racist slur has been sentenced to three years in state prison, officials said…
Ohio: A Blendon Township police officer was indicted on murder charges in the shooting of Ta’Kiya Young, a pregnant Black mother killed by police in a grocery store parking lot…
Pennsylvania: Three young summer employees learned unforgettable life lessons while working at Harriett’s Bookshop in Fishtown…
South Carolina: Brittany Martin, a mother of five arrested while protesting after the murder of George Floyd, must remain in prison, a court ruled…
Texas: Former Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner was picked to be the Democratic candidate for the seat vacated by the late U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee…
Vermont: A judge has denied the city of Burlington’s request to dismiss a lawsuit alleging that police used excessive force and discriminated against a Black teenager whose mother had called law enforcement to teach him a lesson about stealing…
Wisconsin: Sherman Park Grocery Store, one of Milwaukee's few Black-owned grocery stores, is working to bring relief to residents struggling to find healthy options…
What’s Happening
On the campaign trail: For The New York Times, Zolan Kanno-Youngs and Erica Green wrote about the Black men rallying around Vice President Kamala Harris’s campaign and some of the challenges she still faces in securing their votes…Harris’s sorority, Alpha Kappa Alpha, has formed a political action committee…The National Black Caucus of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters has endorsed Harris, but the larger union has not yet…
The last known U.S. slave ship is too “broken” to be extracted from the murky waters of the Alabama Gulf Coast and should stay underwater, a report recommends…
For Mother Jones, Garrison Hayes spent a week with Black Republicans. Here’s what he learned…
Adria R. Walker went to the 20th annual Sweetgrass Festival in South Carolina, which aims to promote and preserve the centuries-long tradition of sweetgrass weaving, which was started by enslaved people in the region…
There’s a growing trend by far-right extremist groups to try to sow chaos by destroying the energy infrastructure that keeps society functioning, according to extremism experts…
Wells Fargo is accused of defrauding its shareholders by talking about its commitment to hiring diversity, while holding "sham job interviews of non-white and female applicants it had no plans to hire”...
The Illinois sheriff who hired the deputy that was charged with murder in the shooting of Sonya Massey has retired…
This is promising: Five tenant unions are forming a national federation to take on the power of multistate real-estate capital…
Industry news: Eva McKend is starting a new beat at CNN, and will be covering Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz…Joel Anderson, the host of Slate’s “Slow Burn,” was laid off…
Wow: The interim president of Florida A&M University has requested the immediate resignations of his entire senior leadership team…
From Noella Williams for Vox: I’m a Black vegan. Why don’t you see more of us?...
A south suburban Illinois school worker pled guilty to stealing $1.5 million worth of food, mainly chicken wings…
Entertainment News
End of the Olympics: Gymnast Jordan Chiles has been stripped of her bronze medal after the sport's highest court mandated a score change, Olympics officials said. Here’s a solid explainer listing all the twists and turns since the initial ruling…
More: U.S. women won the 4x100 relay, giving anchor Sha'Carri Richardson her first Olympic gold medal…Noah Lyles was reportedly diagnosed with COVID two days before the 200-meter final. He finished 3rd…Steph Curry pulled off some of the most amazing shots you’ll ever see to help U.S. men’s basketball win gold over France…
I recently previewed Lee Daniels’ forthcoming film, “The Deliverance,” a thriller set to be released only on Netflix on August 30th. Andra Day and Glenn Close star as a mother-daughter combo in the film, alongside many familiar faces…
Summer on Martha’s Vineyard is increasingly becoming known as a haven for Black film as figures from Spike Lee to former President Barack Obama attend the Martha’s Vineyard African American Film Festival…Speaking of Obama, he recently dropped his annual summer playlist (one song is conspicuously absent)…
Legendary Chicago bluesman Buddy Guy is officially retiring from the road come fall. But that doesn’t mean he’ll never play again…
The legendary New York photographer Jamel Shabazz captured these amazing photos of young folk before the war on drugs ravaged their communities…
According to Amazon, Tyler Perry’s “Divorce in the Black” has “driven more sign-ups to Prime Video in the U.S. than any Amazon MGM Studios-produced movie to date”...
Roy Wood Jr. is set to host “Have I Got News For You,” CNN’s adaptation of the long-running comedy panel show from across the pond…
For BET, William Ketchum III spoke with Phonte and Nicolay of The Foreign Exchange about how their enduring transatlantic collaboration is stronger than ever…
Former Disney Channel star Skai Jackson was arrested last week after an alleged domestic violence incident…
The family of Isaac Hayes is seeking $3 million in licensing fees for Trump’s continued use of "Hold On, I'm Coming” at his rallies…
For GQ, Blair Underwood spoke with Frazier Tharpe about his accomplishments over his four-decade career — and the roles he's still hoping to play…
Janet Jackson shared that she’s related to some familiar names — Tracy Chapman, Stevie Wonder and Samuel L. Jackson — but the jury is still out on whether she meant they’re her “Black cousins.” IYKYK...
Obituaries
Winsome Sinclair, the casting director for some of your favorite Black films like “Waiting to Exhale,” “The Best Man,” and multiple Spike Lee joints, has died. She was 58…
Houston artist and producer BeatKing has died, according to his manager. He was 39…
Don’t Miss
Can you beat my time on Black Crossword? 55 seconds!…
In an excerpt from the book “Beginning Again,” Nikki Giovanni talks about the great (and often misunderstood) people that called Appalachia home…
A decade after Michael Brown’s death, NPR’s “Morning Edition” went to Ferguson to ask: What’s changed?...
Student journalists: Apply to the Chronicle of Higher Education Fall Reporting Workshop. Travel, lodging and food are all covered. The deadline is August 19…
The application for the LinkedIn for Journalists program is available! I recommend applying — you get a 12-month subscription to LinkedIn Premium Business if accepted…