Kenyan officials are accused of violating local laws and cultural practices by exhuming the body.
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Wednesday, August 14, 2019
Tuesday, August 13, 2019
The Troubles: Does South Africa hold lessons for Northern Ireland?
Oprah Winfrey reveals why she was moved to tears when Tarell Alvin McCraney pitched her ‘David Makes Man’
David Makes Man has been on our radar ever since theGrio had the pleasure of visiting the show’s set several months ago. In January, we watched as the show’s executive producer, Michael B. Jordan discussed the series alongside its stars, (Phylicia Rashad, Alana Arenas, and Akili McDowell and showrunner Dee Harris- Lawrence and shared snippets of the beautifully authentic series.
Just last week, theGrio sat down with Oprah Winfrey and the show’s creator, Tarell Alvin McCraney, and a handful of journalists to find out how this groundbreaking show came to be.
“From the very first time I heard the pitch, I sat in the room, I closed my eyes and I was doing everything I could not to cry during the pitch because it’s kind of unprofessional,” Oprah admitted.
“I knew if he was able to do a portion of what the pitch represented, that we would have something that would be, in its own way, a phenomenon.”
That may be the perfect word to describe what David Makes Man stands to be when it premieres on OWN this week. Visually, it’s as stunning as McCraney’s Oscar-winning film, Moonlight, and conceptually, it has never been done before.
Tarell Alvin McCraney, Phylicia Rashad, and Akili McDowell dish on ‘David Makes Man’
“First of all, most of the stories I read growing up were always about Black girl stories…So, sitting in the room with Tarell was the first time I thought, ‘Wow. I really don’t know much about Black boys, nor have I ever actually thought very much about Black boys.’ I don’t spend a lot of time thinking about Black boys so I thought the series and the way he pitched it would offer the rest of the world an opportunity to see inside a world that we rarely get to see,” Oprah explained.
“I believe that what he and the team have done, what he and Dee [Harris-Lawrence] have done, what everyone has collaborated to create is this series that validates the Black boy.”
From the very beginning of the first episode, McCraney invites viewers inside the heart and mind of one Black boy, David, or D.J., or Dae, depending on who’s around. The title character is flawlessly portrayed by Akili McDowell.
“It’s really about finally being able to see myself and get that validation of self and seeing characters, reading characters–I read Tar Baby and I know Tar Baby is the one that no one likes to talk about, but when I read Tar Baby it was one of the moments where I was like, ‘I know this southern boy. Oooh, I know him so bad. I know wanting after a person so wonderfully.’ And then to sort of turn around and see Florida life in a way that I hadn’t seen since Zora Neale Hurston, I thought to myself, ‘Well, that’s what I’ll do. I’ll reach into my pocket, my corner of the world, and show it as best I can,'” McCraney said.
“And so I’m grateful for that legacy. I’m terrified of it,” he continued. “You want to be noble you want to stand up in front of it. But you also know, in order to truly do it, you have to bare yourself, flaws and all. There’s no way to really be a part of that legacy or add to it unless you show your full self. That means the warts and all. And that’s the terrifying part of it.”
Tarell Alvin McCraney, Michael B. Jordan, Phylicia Rashad preview ‘David Makes Man’ at Sundance
It’s hard to believe there could be anything terrifying about unveiling this masterful project to the world. It’s beautifully shot, expertly cast, and magnificently written, inviting viewers into a world so many will identify with. The show is rooted in highlighting the intentional and unintentional ways Black folks “adjust” or code-switch to navigate their every day lives. It also examines trauma, and its effects, in a way we have never seen; forcing us to confront so many of our own demons through the fascinating and complex characters McCraney has created.
“I didn’t use the word ‘trauma’ in the pitch. I view it as turning points, moments of awareness. What are the moments where you are made most aware?”
“One of the things that as really necessary for me in telling the story was talking about how David, as a child, how we, metabolize these moments,” he said.
Oprah knows how to spot something special, and this show may be her most valuable find yet.
David Makes Man premieres August 14 on OWN.
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Why Trump’s MAGA muppets Diamond and Silk are calling Democrats the party of white supremacy
Donald Trump has long relied on the shucking and jiving of two of his most prized puppets Diamond and Silk to get his hateful messages across and now the distastrous duo are slamming Democrats.
—John Legend and Rihanna call out Donald Trump over El Paso and Dayton mass shootings—
Trump reposted a video by the two messy vloggers who defended his hateful rhetoric by calling the Democrats the “party of white supremacy,” The Daily Mail reports.
“You know we hear these people calling our president ‘white supremacy.’ But guess what? They represent the party that created white supremacy right here in the United States,’” Lynnette Hardaway, who goes by Diamond, told Fox Business Network’s Lou Dobbs on Friday night.
The two were responding to the onslaught of criticism Trump has received after two mass shootings occurred within hour of each other in El Paso and Dayton. Many have blamed Trump for inciting the racist acts with his refusal to condemn white supremacists and for inciting supporters at his rallies.
Diamond said Democrats “demean and demonize the President of the United States.”
Silk said she was tired of white men calling another white man, Trump, a racist and said she was sick of them playing the “race card more than Black people.”
“You know, as a black woman I know what racism do look like. But it’s really funny to me to see another white man call another white man a racist when they never experienced racism. That’s disgusting to me.”
—African American museum in Baton Rouge vandalized after beloved founder’s murder—
.@DiamondandSilk on @LouDobbs talking about who’s really playing the “Race Card” pic.twitter.com/y6Wv2ZyK1E
— Diamond and Silk® (@DiamondandSilk) August 12, 2019
And Diamond even took a shot at 2020 candidate Joe Biden who was recently called out for defending a segregationist saying:
“And who they need to look at is Joe Biden because he’s the one who said he reached across the aisle to work with segregationist – he didn’t have to reach far. It’s not going to be long before he tells us how he used to sit down with KKK members as well.”
The MAGA muppet show continues.
The post Why Trump’s MAGA muppets Diamond and Silk are calling Democrats the party of white supremacy appeared first on theGrio.
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African American museum in Baton Rouge vandalized after beloved founder’s murder
A month after Baton Rouge’s Louisiana’s founder of the African American history museum was killed, city leaders were shocked again to learn that the historic landmark had been vandalized.
—White man posing as ‘Black homosexual’ online gets arrested for violent article comment—
Sadie Roberts-Joseph, the 75-year-old founder of the Odell S. Williams African-American Museum and a well known community activist in the Baton Rouge area was murdered just three miles from her home last month.
An arrest was quickly made but now local police are investigating the destruction of the Odell S. Williams African-American Museum which was vandalized and has been left in shambles with damage to its windows and other structures, The Advocate reports.
Facebook images show the extent of the damage by vandals with broken chairs and garden equipment and windows smashed, looking like the aftermath of a hurricane.
Roberts-Joseph body was found in the trunk of her car last month and police arrested her former tenant, 38-year-old sex offender Ronn Jermaine Bell for the murder. Police allege that Bell was behind $1,200 for rent and owed the money to Roberts-Joseph.
The post African American museum in Baton Rouge vandalized after beloved founder’s murder appeared first on theGrio.
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Former NBA star loses it after being sentenced to nearly four years in prison for gun and drug charges
On Monday former NBA player Sebastian Telfair was sentenced to 3 ½ years after police found firearms, a semi-automatic rifle, ammunition, a ballistic vest and marijuana inside his vehicle in 2017.
—Georgia high school football team investigated after bloody bullying incident caught on video—
Although Telfair avoided a 15-year max prison sentence, the lighter sentence still apparently wasn’t good enough as he performed in the courtroom and broke into an unhinged rant, the NY Daily News reports.
“God still sits on the throne,” he said.
“My kids gonna think I hurt somebody,” he shouted out at another point.
“They’re going to give you everything you need to destroy yourself,” he said quoting Tupac Shakur.
“Please don’t take me from the society right now. I’m 34. I can go play in China for another six years, take care of my family,” he pleaded at another point.
Telfair was a first-round draft pick back in 2004. He began his career with the Portland Trail Blazers. He also played for the Boston Celtics, Minnesota Timberwolves and other teams before ending his career in China in 2014.
He also ranted about his daughter saying she’s “sick because I wasn’t around her, literally got sick, mental illness because I wasn’t around,” he said about his 14-year-old as Judge John Hecht sat patiently and listened to his outbursts in Brooklyn Supreme Court.
The judge explained that he had to render the decision by law.
“I’m not going to say very much, I’ve observed you throughout the trial,” Hecht said. “I don’t think the people disagree… the judgement in this case sir, is what the jury convicted you of … You’ve achieved greatness in your life and this case doesn’t take that away.”
—People keep stealing ‘Old Town Road’ street signs in Massachusetts—
The post Former NBA star loses it after being sentenced to nearly four years in prison for gun and drug charges appeared first on theGrio.
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Alex Rodriguez’s jewelry and personal items stolen from rented SUV
A-Rod was robbed.
Yankees legend, and J. Lo fiancee, Alex Rodriguez reportedly had an estimated $500,000 in electronics and jewelry stolen from his rented SUV on Sunday.
A-Rod was reportedly in San Francisco working as a broadcaster at the San Francisco Giants game against the Philadelphia Phillies for ESPN.
—Why Jennifer Lopez and fiancé Alex Rodriguez went to strip clubs ahead of her stripper movie role—
TMZ reports that a camera, camera equipment, laptop, jewelry and miscellaneous electronics were boosted from a rented a black Nissan sport utility vehicle.
The vehicle was reportedly three blocks from where A-Rod was working but the robbers broke it while A-Rod and staff members were having dinner after work, The SF Chronicle reports.
Rodriguez has released a statement about the theft:
“I am saddened that several items that were of a personal nature and irreplaceable with sentimental value were taken. I am encouraged that local law enforcement has security footage of the crime and are doing all they can to get the items back.”
ESPN also released a statement:
“It’s an unfortunate situation,” ESPN officials said in a statement. “We are working with local authorities to address it.”
—Morehouse creates fund to help eliminate student loan debt—
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VIDEO CONFESSION: T-Pain on going from $40 million to being so broke he couldn’t buy his kids burgers
T-Pain has felt the pain of being broke after he earned millions.
The rapper sat down with The Breakfast Club and opened up about his financial struggles and the lessons he’s learned going from really rich to financial ruin.
—WATCH: T-Pain bounces when hit with beach ball during concert for youth group—
“So now I know what the high end is and what the low end is,” he told Charlamagne tha God, DJ Envy, and Angela Yee. “I’ve been mega-rich, you know, I’ve been super broke, right in the middle of thinking I was mega-rich, and then got rich again, and you know learned how to really give a s— about money.”
The Florida native has been on both sides of the financial spectrum. At one point he said he had $40 million in the bank and then the next he recalls a time when he had to beg for a few bucks to buy his kids a burger, PEOPLE reports.
He explained, “I, like, had to borrow money to get my kids Burger King.”
Oh he was BROKE, broke!
The singer admits that he was irresponsible when it came to his spending so much so that his he “almost” lost his $6 million Atlanta home.
Also last year, T-Pain revealed that his brother was suffering from a mystery illness and he paid bills for his medical treatment totaling $1,402,977.
But he now says he’s financially back in the green.
“Once you give a s— about the money you’re making, then, you know what I’m saying, you feel much better about your accomplishments, you feel much better about what you’re doing, you start paying attention to your work that makes you money,” he said.
He’s also gearing up to make more records.
“There’s a lot of s— that comes with it,” he continued. “When you put out records, you gotta do the right things, you gotta, you know, you gotta go through the motions and really give a s— about it.”
The post VIDEO CONFESSION: T-Pain on going from $40 million to being so broke he couldn’t buy his kids burgers appeared first on theGrio.
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Lil Nas X’s viral song sets more records on Billboard charts
Lil Nas X is galloping his way to two new records on the Billboard charts thanks to the massive success of “Old Town Road.”
The song that beat out Mariah Carey and “Despacito” to become the longest-running No. 1 hit in the history of the Hot 100 chart has now set records on Billboard’s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop songs and Hot rap songs charts, respectively.
“Old Town Road,” which features Billy Ray Cyrus and is spending its 19th week at No. 1, surpasses the record set by Drake’s “One Dance” on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop songs chart. Drake’s track spent 18 weeks at No.1.
On the Hot rap songs chart, where Lil Nas X’s county-rap tune is also spending its 19th week on top, the 20-year-old beats the record set by Drake’s “Hotline Bling,” Iggy Azalea’s “Fancy” and Missy Elliott’s “Hot Boyz.” The latter three songs each spent 18 weeks at No.1.
Last month Lil Nas X’s viral song became the most successful No. 1 song of all-time when it reached its 17th week at No. 1 on the all-genre Hot 100 chart — Billboard’s main chart for singles — surpassing the 16-week record held by Carey and Boyz II Men’s “One Sweet Day” and Luis Fonsi, Daddy Yankee and Justin Bieber’s “Despacito.”
“Old Town Road” is now spending its 19th week on top of the Hot 100 chart.
Lil Nas X’s song, which has achieved most of its success through audio streaming, was originally a solo song but he added Cyrus to the track. The song also has remix versions featuring Diplo, Young Thug, Mason Ramsey and BTS, and Billboard counts the original song and its remixes as one when calculating chart position, thus helping “Old Town Road” stay on top.
The post Lil Nas X’s viral song sets more records on Billboard charts appeared first on theGrio.
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Missy Elliott will receive MTV Video Vanguard Award
Missy Elliott, one of the most iconic players in the history of music videos, will receive the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award at the 2019 MTV Video Music Awards.
MTV announced Monday that Elliott will also perform on Aug. 26 at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.
Since her debut video for “The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)” in 1997, where she sported an inflated trash bag with confidence and charisma, Elliott has been a powerhouse on the music video scene with an oddball, eccentric and creative style that’s inspired generations after her.
Her upcoming performance on the VMA stage will mark her first since 2003.
Elliott became the first female rapper inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame earlier this year.
The post Missy Elliott will receive MTV Video Vanguard Award appeared first on theGrio.
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