"African capitals complain, with good reason, that Libya has become a toy of various powers," according to one analyst.
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Monday, February 3, 2020
Tabitha Jackson named Director of Sundance Film Festival
The 2020 Sundance Film Festival awarded several Black content creators with awards on Sunday and announced some major news. Award-winning filmmaker, Tabitha Jackson was named the annual film festival’s new Director by the Sundance Institute.
SUNDANCE 2020: Black films and Black women win big at annual film festival
“I founded Sundance Institute with the clear mission of celebrating and supporting independent artists and the Festival is the platform where we can showcase their stories. As we approach our fortieth anniversary, I’m pleased to have Tabitha lead us as we move into the future and meet the next generation of artists and their stories,” said Sundance Institute founder Robert Redford.
Tabitha Jackson is the first new director in 11 years and she has served as the director of the festival’s documentary film program for the past six years. Now, she’ll replace John Cooper, who is moving into the newly-created role of Emeritus Director.
SUNDANCE 2020: Here’s why ‘Charm City Kings’ was our favorite film of the festival
“It is exciting to be amplifying the voices and work of independent artists in these challenging and fast-changing times,’” Jackson said. “My role, working with a team at the top of their game, will be to ensure that the festival remains as effective, vital and transformational in the years going forward as it has been in the past–and to make sure that we have fun doing it. I can’t wait to get started.”
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Donald Trump wants you to forget his racist policies. His Super Bowl ad proves it.
The Trump administration works overtime to keep Black people from attaining political and economic freedom. Yet the president’s reelection campaign called a clever play on Super Bowl Sunday with an ad that sells Trump as a compassionate, conservative fighter for justice.
In the campaign’s second ad spot for the Super Bowl, Trump’s campaign features the story of Alice Marie Johnson, a 64-year-old grandmother granted clemency after getting a life sentence and serving more than 20 years in prison for a nonviolent drug offense. The ad uses emotional footage from the moment of her release, where Johnson is surrounded by family while tearfully thanking Trump.
But this ad isn’t really about uplifting Johnson. Instead, Trump’s Super Bowl ad exploits her case to mislead voters and claim credit for criminal justice reform work that he didn’t do. It’s an act of political trickery that’s more insidious and harmful than it may seem on the surface.
READ MORE:
The ad’s timing and placement are far from coincidental. The NFL and the San Francisco 49ers, who played in Sunday’s game, have spent more than three years mired in controversy after tanking Colin Kaepernick‘s career. Kaepernick taking a knee during the national anthem, an otherwise silent act of protest against police brutality, and the ensuing backlash, relegated him to being blacklisted by team owners.
Trump repeatedly derided Kaepernick as a means to rally supporters in 2016. After taking office, he eventually gave himself credit for keeping the former 49er unemployed. All the while, he has continued touting “law and order” messages that protect law enforcement from valid critiques. Trump also openly encourages and praises police violence, with appeals to his “guys” being as tough as MS-13 gang members.
Trump leveraged the popularity of Super Bowl commercial breaks to place himself on a pedestal for doing the bare minimum to support Black lives. Johnson’s story arguably wouldn’t have landed on his radar, had it not been for months of lobbying efforts led by celebrities like Kim Kardashian West. She’s not mentioned once in the ad, nor are the actions of other influencers and lawmakers.
READ MORE: 5 Things I want Kim Kardashian to make happen now that she got Trump to spring Alice Johnson out of prison
Kardashian amassed a legal team to help make a case for Johnson’s clemency, and used her celebrity to persuade Trump, culminating in the June 2018 prison release. During that same period, members of Congress introduced the First Step Act, a bill that underwent several bipartisan revisions, before Trump ever came around to supporting any reforms. His change of heart, in large part, can be directly attributed to Kardashian West’s work.
“Politicians talk about criminal justice reform” appears on screen at the ad’s halfway mark. And directly after, the phrase “President Trump got it done” shows up more than twice as large as any other displayed text during the 30 seconds of air. Typical Trump. All about himself.
Sure, he granted Johnson clemency. Yet Trump rarely and barely ever uses his executive power to support Black people who seek opportunities for a better life, regardless of whether or not they’ve been incarcerated.
[Donald Trump] doesn’t care about Black people
Days before the big game, the Trump administration kicked off Black History Month by expanding its immigration ban to include Eritrea and Nigeria, the most populous nation in Africa. In addition, people from Sudan and Tanzania will become ineligible for the diversity visa program. Trump’s immigration restrictions date back to the first weeks of his presidency, targeting predominantly Muslim, African and Latin American countries — “sh*thole countries” as he calls them — despite court challenges and swift rebukes from several civil rights groups.
The timing of the Super Bowl ad featuring Johnson, arguably functioned to deflate backlash from the NFL’s controversies on race issues, and divert attention away from charges of racism tied to new immigration restrictions for four African countries.
The spot also landed, along with the game itself, on the eve of the first 2020 presidential primary contest in Iowa, and afforded the campaign an opportunity to drive home a narrative that Trump and his voting base can weaponize against valid critiques of his racism.
It’s the advertising equivalent of the “I’m not racist, I have Black friends” or “I tried to help Black people” excuses that some white people use to defend themselves when challenged about racial prejudice.
A number of the Democratic candidates’ platforms include criminal justice reforms that go many steps further than the president likely ever would, despite what his Super Bowl ad suggests.
READ MORE: Actress Helen Mirren says thanks to Kim K, J Lo – big butts are acceptable
Even with the absence of visible, Black resistance at the Super Bowl this year, the two halftime show headliners managed to use their platform to challenge Trump on justice issues that affect Black and Brown people from Latin American countries. They reminded us of the law enforcement abuses and misuses of presidential power that Trump’s campaign ad glosses over.
Sunday’s halftime performance featuring Shakira and Jennifer Lopez included a symbolic display of children in cages, a nod to the tens of thousands of migrants jailed or confined in camps, subjected to life-threatening conditions, along with parents separated from their children at the border with Mexico. It’s a direct result of the Trump administration’s “zero tolerance” immigration policy.
Lopez also donned a two-sided, feathered cape with the Puerto Rican flag and U.S. flag, which could be interpreted as both a celebration of her heritage and a reminder of how the Trump administration has spent more than two years hampering aid to an American territory ravaged by multiple natural disasters.
READ MORE: A 6.4 earthquake rocks Puerto Rico amid heavy seismic activity
READ MORE: WATCH | Father-daughter lawyer duo fights for the rights of Black residents in Puerto Rico
Trump’s Super Bowl ad touts how “thousands of families are being reunited” because he eventually signed off on the First Step Act. All the while, his administration’s immigration policies at the southern border continue to rip families apart. The lagging efforts to help rebuild infrastructure in Puerto Rico adds insult to injury as displaced families and thousands of others still struggle to access basic necessities as earthquakes continue to strike.
During his 2016 campaign, Trump tried to drum up support from African-American voters by asking one simple question: “What do you have to lose?”
Four years later and reality still bites. “Make America Great Again” has since morphed into “Keep America Great.” Black people — and millions more who struggle amid Trump’s attacks on people of color and the impoverished — have a lot at stake.
Exploiting one Black woman’s pain with a high-priced, primetime ad shows just how far Trump’s campaign will stretch the truth to convince Americans that the president and his policies aren’t racist.
Yes, we’re happy Ms. Johnson’s painful imprisonment is over.
But the whole truth about Trump and his policies still hurts.
Derrick Clifton is a Chicago-based writer on the intersections of identity, culture and social justice issues. Follow them on Twitter: @DerrickClifton.
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Billy Porter set to appear on ‘Sesame Street’ in his iconic Oscars dress
These days it’s as if Billy Porter can do no wrong, and now it’s been confirmed that the Pose star will be one of the celebrity guest stars making an appearance during the 51st season of Sesame Street.
According to The Daily Mail, last week beloved children’s television show posted photos on social media from a shoot featuring the Broadway star hanging out on the iconic set.
READ MORE: Teen singer Billie Eilish responds to fans disturbed about Drake texting her
Fans quickly noted that the 50-year-old was rocking one of his most memorable red carpet looks during a visit, specifically the velvet gender-bending Christian Siriano tuxedo gown and jacket that he wore to the 2019 Oscars.
“@theebillyporter bringing those fierce vibes to Sesame Street for #Season51,” the show wrote in the Instagram caption, later adding on Twitter that it was “an iconic day with an iconic person.”
“Y’all, talk about iconic… I was tickled to meet @elmo and the gang at @sesamestreet!” Billy replied.
READ MORE: ‘POSE’ star Billy Porter: “Conservatives are human beings too”
Last month Porter co-starred on the big screen alongside Tiffany Haddish, Rose Byrne and Salma Hayek in the female-driven flick, Like a Boss.
In the movie, Mia (Haddish) and Mel (Byrne) play best friends who run their own cosmetics company — a business they built from the ground up. Both the actor and comedy veteran Jennifer Coolidge provide support to their bosses while delivering scene-stealing laughs for the audience all throughout the film.
“It’s such a beautiful movie about friendship, about real friendship — your ride or die — the people who are there for you and present for you whenever you need them, however, you need them, unconditionally,” he said last month during an interview with Good Morning America. “I was raised by strong women. I’ve always loved strong women — those are the people that have influenced me the most in my life.”
READ MORE: Billy Porter makes Emmy history with Best Actor win for his role in ‘POSE’
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Trump starts trending for tweeting out the wrong state for Super Bowl champs
President Donald Trump did what he does best Sunday night after the Kansas City Chiefs won the Super Bowl— tweet out misinformation that shows the nation and world just how factually challenged he is.
READ MORE: Colin Kaepernick’s girlfriend Nessa criticizes Trump and the NFL over Super Bowl ad purchase
Two days after Republican senators voted to not call witnesses in Trump’s impeachment trial, the president, who apparently watched the Super Bowl, took to Twitter to congratulate the right team but in the wrong state.
“Congratulations to the Kansas City Chiefs on a great game, and a fantastic comeback, under immense pressure. You represented the Great State of Kansas and, in fact, the entire USA, so very well. Our Country is PROUD OF YOU!” Trump tweeted before he or one of his reps deleted the tweet and updated it with the correct state of Missouri.
However, it wasn’t before many screenshot it and Trump began trending.
Marc Lamont Hill took to Instagram to post the older tweet under the caption: “Who’s gonna tell Trump that the Kansas City Chiefs are in Missouri, not Kansas?”
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Who’s gonna tell Trump that the Kansas City Chiefs are in Missouri, not Kansas?
Joy Reid retweeted a marked up tweet from James McKenzie that juxtaposed both the original tweet sent at 10:15 pm and the edited and corrected tweet at 10:27 pm. She captioned it, “Had they not changed this, how many Republican Senators and Reps would have rushed to cameras by morning to insist that the Chiefs DO play in Kansas, and only the people should decide if that’s untrue?”
Had they not changed this, how many Republican Senators and Reps would have rushed to cameras by morning to insist that the Chiefs DO play in Kansas, and only the people should decide if that’s untrue? https://t.co/XO8CDFZnfe
— Joy Reid (@JoyAnnReid) February 3, 2020
Others joined in on her thread, mocking the president.
“A bit surprised there isn’t already a resolution to merge the 2 states into the “Greater State of Kansas” just to cover his stupidity,” responded Polly OHara.
“His fan base relishes his ignorance,” wrote S Townsend Ramirez.
Claire McCaskill, a former senator from Missouri, went low in his critique of Trump’s post.
“It’s Missouri you stone-cold idiot,” McCaskill tweeted.
Had they not changed this, how many Republican Senators and Reps would have rushed to cameras by morning to insist that the Chiefs DO play in Kansas, and only the people should decide if that’s untrue? https://t.co/XO8CDFZnfe
— Joy Reid (@JoyAnnReid) February 3, 2020
Michael Steele, former lieutenant governor of Maryland and ex-head of the RNC, was stunned.
“I got nothing for this one. #SimplyStupid,” Steele wrote.
I got nothing for this one. #SimplyStupid.
— Michael Steele (@MichaelSteele) February 3, 2020
Unlike the comments on Joy Reid, Steele is followed by a lot of Republicans who took to his comment section to defend The POTUS, stating that it was an honest mistake and that the #SimplyStupid should be applied to The Democrats.
READ MORE: Trump gets ripped for suggesting Frederick Douglass is still alive
This isn’t the first time Trump has hit Twitter with inaccuracies. And it’s a good chance that it won’t be the last.
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Jay-Z and Beyoncé did not stand for the National Anthem during Super Bowl
Did Jay-Z and Beyoncé take a knee at the Super Bowl?
Not literally, but in essence, they may have. As everyone stood while Demi Lovato belted out the National Anthem at Super Bowl LIV at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, the Carters along with their baby girl, Blue Ivy, remained seated. This comes even after Jay-Z’s now six-month partnership with the NFL went into effect.
READ MORE: NFL coach says he supports player protest movement ‘I’ve been stopped because I fit the description’
On Sunday, Jay and Bey sat a few rows from the field and remained seated even while everyone around them stood, including their bodyguard, according to TMZ. DJ Khaled came by and dapped up the fam while the pair were seated.
Talk about a statement.
Yet for all the optics, and the new PSAs rolled out by the NFL that spotlight police brutality, racism, the criminal justice system and other important causes, Colin Kaepernick still hasn’t been signed to a team.
In November, Kap had a practice session just outside of Atlanta and his reps sent his combine footage to 25 NFL franchises. Initially, sources told ESPN that some teams were interested in pursuing Kaepernick, 32, and that it may take weeks for a contract to materialize, but that it was coming. This hasn’t happened, and now sources speculate that it won’t. The quarterback has been out of work for over three years, ever since he started taking a knee during the playing of the national anthem, in protest of police brutality and social justice inequities. Kaepernick’s last NFL job was as quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers, who happened to be playing in the big game Sunday night, which he took to the Super Bowl in 2013.
The NFL would contend that they have tried to work with Kaepernick, but he is not cooperative.
The league blames Kaepernick for switching up on his NFL scheduled workout in Atlanta and moving the session to Riverdale, which is roughly an hour away. Twenty-five NFL teams showed up at the Atlanta Falcons’ practice facility, but when Kaepernick moved it to Riverdale after potential problems with a liability waiver, only seven teams showed up.
Jay-Z took some flack from Kap’s girlfriend when he partnered with the NFL.
The rapper countered that he would bring issues important to Black America to the league’s leadership.
READ MORE: The Kaepernick Effect: Is Jay-Z’s new deal with the NFL a conflict of interests?
However, this is not all activism for the billionaire emcee from Brooklyn. He is also spearheading entertainment for the league and his Roc Nation partnered with the NFL and Pepsi to bring Jennifer Lopez and Shakira to co-headline a high-energy Super Bowl Halftime Show.
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15 Top Civil Rights Songs That Promote Freedom and Justice for Black History Month
During Black History Month it is important to reflect and think about how much change is still needed since the Civil Rights movement in the 1960s. To get inspired to continue to make a difference, take a look at these top civil rights songs you should have on your playlist rotation.
15 Top Civil Rights Songs
1.Glory – Common ft. John Legend
‘Glory’ is a collaborative track by John Legend along with rapper Common from the soundtrack of the 2014 film Selma.The song contains powerful and meaningful lyrics, such as, “Freedom is like religion to us, justice is juxtaposition in us.”
2. Freedom – Various Artists
This 90s classic, featuring top music stars across several genres, including TLC, SWV, En Vogue, Queen Latifah, Patra, Michelle Ndegeocello, Aaliyah, and Vanessa Williams, was a major girl-power moment during the time. It is included on the soundtrack for “Panther” a 1995 Mario Van Peebles film about the controversial political group.
3. Harder Than You Think – Public Enemy
‘Harder Than You Think’ is the first single off of Public Enemy’s 20th anniversary album, which was released in 2007. The song was also selected by NBC to debut on their Super Bowl XLIX commercial. Public Enemy’s ‘Say It Like It Is’ is the backdrop for the Selma trailer. This song is definitely empowering.
4. One Love – Elle Varner
“I know it’s crazy to think of this daily; imagine no one needing guns, only once impossible maybe…” These lyrics are the opening words to this song, which revolves around the idea that one day we can change and have a peaceful world.
5. Black Rage – Lauryn Hill
This song was dedicated by the artist to Ferguson, to help promote peace and support those fighting for racial equality in Mississippi. There are sounds of children in the background of the song, and shares the factors she believes that inspires “black rage.”
6. Don’t Shoot – The Game ft. Various Artists
This song is also a tribute to Michael Brown. Purchases on iTunes go directly to the Michael Brown Charity. The heartfelt song brings together all your favorite rappers for an unforgettable hit.
7. We Gotta Pray – Alicia Keys
This song is inspiring for anybody, where the superstar sings, “Sirens everywhere, singing that street song. Violence everywhere, barely holding on…” The song was produced immediately after the grand jury’s decision not to indict the officer involved in the death of Eric Garner. The three-minute long song begs for strength and peaceful protests. At the end of the video, Eric Garner’s face is shown.
8. We Shall Overcome
This song was made as a protest song, and became a staple song during the Civil Rights Movement. The song derived from a previous gospel song by Charles Albert Tindley. ‘We Will Overcome’ was published in 1948. Joan Baez performed the song live at the White House for President Obama.
9. Lift Every Voice and Sing- James Weldon Johnson
Also known as the “Black American National Anthemâ€, the song was first performed as part of a poem in 1900 in a segregated school in Jacksonville, Fla. Principal of the Stanton School, James Johnson, wrote the poem to honor guest speaker Booker T. Washington. The song has been redone by various artists including Ray Charles (his rendition below), Bebe Winans, Maya Angelou and Melba Moore.Ă‚ When Rene Marie was asked to perform the national anthem in 2008 at a civic event in Colorado, she caused massive controversy by swapping the words for the lyrics of Lift Every Voice and Sing. The Rev. Joseph Lowery also used lyrics from the song at President Obama’s inauguration ceremony in 2009.
10. Pride (In the Name of Love) – U2
A major hit for international sensations U2, this song become an anthem for peace, freedom and human rights. It was inspired by the civil rights movement and celebrates the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr.
11. Say it Loud, I’m Black and Proud – James Brown
The lyrics of this song focus on prejudice blacks in America have faced. It was released in two separate singles but both held the No. 1 spot on the R&B singles chart for six weeks. It also peaked at No. 10 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song quickly became a black power anthem.
12. I’ll Take You There – The Staple Singers
‘I’ll Take You There’ was on the Hot 100 for 15 straight weeks, and eventually reached the number one spot. The song is also looked at as a “call-and-response” type of song. While it was released in 1972, it still remains one of the most recognized and successful songs of the century.
13. When the Revolution Comes- The Last Poets
Released in 1970, right in the heart of the civil rights movement, after the death of Martin Luther King Jr. The song was extremely fitting, and definitely caused a frenzy.
14. Get Up, Stand Up- Bob Marley and Peter Tosh
Marley created this song during his Haitian tour, after seeing the poverty stricken country. The song is symbolic for standing against oppression, and is a international Bob Marley legendary hit.
15. The Times They Are A’ Changin – Bob Dylan
In 1964, Bob Dylan produced the album: The Times They Are A’ Changin, and the first song had the same title. The album consists of songs that address racism, poverty, and plead for social reform and positive change. One of his most famous songs is this one, and Dylan says it was a song with purpose.
Don’t see one of your favorite empowering songs on this list? Let us know a few more in the comment box below or give a shout out to and follow @BlackEnterprise on Twitter or Instagram.)
Editor’s Note: This story was originally published on February 1, 2019
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Black History Month: The Son of a Slave Who Ran for President, George Edwin Taylor
Almost a century before Barack Obama made history as the first African American to become president of the United States in 2008, a black man by the name of George Edwin Taylor set his eyes on the White House in 1904.
Born in 1857 as the son of a free woman and an African American slave, Taylor worked as a professional journalist before getting involved in politics. However, he discovered that neither the Democratic nor the Republican Party represented the interests of people of color.
In 1904, an all-black independent party called The National Liberty Party nominated Taylor to run for president on a third-party ticket. Taylor’s candidacy was largely ridiculed as a joke and his name was left off the ballot in most states. Nevertheless, Theodore Roosevelt was re-elected as president. Still, Taylor’s run symbolized the growth of political power that black Americans acquired following the Reconstruction Era.
According to Jacksonville.com, a few days after the election, Taylor explained in a newspaper interview why he decided to launch a presidential campaign.
“Yes, I know most white folks take me as a joke … but I want to tell you the colored man is beginning to see a lot of things that the white folks do not give him credit for seeing. He’s beginning to see that he has got to take care of his own interests, and what’s more, that he has the power to do it,” he told the paper.
Eight years later, Taylor moved to Jacksonville, Florida, in late 1912 and worked as the manager of the Promotion Publishing Co., which printed a newspaper aimed at the city’s black residents. Records also show that he worked as the editor of the “colored section” of the Florida Times-Union and later for the Florida Sentinel, a progressive newspaper. He died in 1925. Forty-seven years later, congresswoman Shirley Chisholm launched a presidential campaign under the Democratic ticket, becoming the first African American candidate for a major party.
Editor’s Note: This story was originally published on February 1, 2019
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