Monday, February 10, 2020
Said Benrahma: The Algerian eyeing promotion with Brentford
from BBC News - Africa https://ift.tt/2OChvGT
via
50 Cent And Snoop Dogg Go After Gayle King Over Kobe Bryant Comments

CBS News anchor Gayle King got heat from 50 Cent And Snoop Dogg for comments she made about Kobe Bryant during an interview with a friend of the late basketball legend.
During a CBS This Morning interview with WNBA basketball player Lisa Leslie, King asked about Bryant’s legacy and brought up Bryant’s 2003 rape charge. The criminal case against Bryant was dropped on Sept. 1, 2004, after the accuser declined to testify, USA Today reported. In August of that year, the woman filed a civil lawsuit, which was settled out of court on March 2, 2005.
“It’s been said that his legacy is complicated because of a sexual assault charge,” King told Leslie, who was friends with Bryant. “Is it complicated for you as a woman, as an WNBA player?”
“It’s not complicated for me at all,” Leslie replied. “I just never have ever seen him being the kind of person that would do something to violate a woman or be aggressive in that way. That was just never the person that I know.”
On Twitter, King’s line of questioning was slammed.
Among King’s critics was 50 Cent. The TV producer, entrepreneur, and investor tweeted a clip of the interview with King and commented on it in a video.
“Gayle King, why would you do that to your people? You know what people are going through right now. Why would you ask a question like that, trying to tarnish somebody’s image? You do that to your own Black people. You sad. Black people need to stop trying to hurt Black people for success.”
Snoop also had some words for King and the media that were posted on Twitter.
“Gayle King, out of pocket for that shit. Way out of pocket,” Snoop said. “What do you gain from that? We expect more from you Gayle. Don’t you hang out with Oprah? Why are y’all attacking us. We your people. You ain’t coming at Harvey Weinstein asking those dumb ass questions. I get sick of y’all. I want to call you on it. How dare you try to tarnish my boy’s reputation. Respect the family and back off. before we come get you.”
Gayle King and Oprah seem to go after certain stories without class , but ignore the stories involving their Hollywood friends. You bring up something about Kobe right after his death for ratings or relevance? Kobe Bryant has passed away and journalist lack class #KobeBryant pic.twitter.com/W69lpwZofA
— Horace Towns (@thehoracetowns) February 5, 2020
The article was written by Dana Sanchez for The Moguldom Nation.
from Black Enterprise https://ift.tt/2OH9LTM
via
What Is the Internet of Things? A WIRED Guide
What Scientists Can Learn From Alien Hunters
Asisat Oshoala: Nigerian is hungry for more Barcelona success
England in South Africa: Tourists win third ODI by two wickets to draw series
Sunday, February 9, 2020
Emmanuel Adebayor: Paraguay's Club Olimpia agree 'deal in principle' for Togo legend
WATCH: Janelle Monae calls out #OscarsSoWhite during opening number: ‘Happy Black History Month’
Janelle Monae took subtle shade to new heights when she opened the 92nd annual Academy Awards by acknowledging #OscarsSoWhite when she took the stage.
The multi-talented star kicked off her performance with a rendition of “Won’t You Be My Neighbor” before jumping into an original song that highlighted the show’s lack of diversity.
BLOSCARS: Our list of Black folks and films that should have been nominated for Oscars
“The Oscars, it’s so white, it’s time to come alive,” she sang while flanked by dancers dressed as characters from some snubbed films including Queen & Slim and Dolemite Is My Name.

“From ‘Dolemite’ to ‘Parasite,’ it’s time to shine,” she sang at another point in the song, despite the fact that the Netflix film wasn’t nominated. She also made mention of other perceived snubs including Hustlers and Jordan Peele‘s Us.
PHOTOS: Janelle Monae, Regina King, Cynthia Erivo and more SLAY at the Oscars
The 34-year-old beauty was joined onstage by Billy Porter who sang a bit of “I’m Still Standing” and the two continued to make bold statements throughout their set.
Just in case her message wasn’t clear, she made sure to drive it home before wrapping up her incredible number.
“Tonight we celebrate all the amazing talent in this room, we celebrate all the women who directed phenomenal films…And I’m so proud to stand here as a black queer artist telling stories,” she said. “Happy Black History Month.”
*no mic drop needed*
Check it out:
The post WATCH: Janelle Monae calls out #OscarsSoWhite during opening number: ‘Happy Black History Month’ appeared first on TheGrio.
from TheGrio https://ift.tt/2ScAZUz
via
WATCH: Cynthia Erivo OWNS Oscars stage with ‘Stand Up’ performance despite losing Best Actress
Cynthia Erivo may not have won the Academy Award for Best Actress but that didn’t stop the Harriett star from owning the Oscars stage on Sunday night.
Her rendition of “Stand Up” was easily the night’s most powerful performance and proved why the triple threat has the pipes to portray Aretha Franklin in the upcoming anthology series Genius.
She nearly brought the celeb-filled house down when she started singing after a sweet introduction from Zazie Beetz and Ricky Minor.
Cynthia Erivo transforms into Aretha Franklin in National Geographic’s upcoming anthology series
Check out her incredible performance:
PHOTOS: Janelle Monae, Regina King, Cynthia Erivo and more SLAY at the Oscars
TheGrio caught up with the talented beauty right before she performed a tribute to Janet Jackson at Clive Davis’ annual Pre-Grammy Gala a few weeks back and she shared her thoughts on being one of the only people of color nominated for an Academy Award this year.
“What it means is that I hope it serves as an example as to why we need to start opening our arms to us. We need to start giving us roses. There are so many wonderful performers this year, wonderful directors who have made wonderful films. And I don’t want this to be it. I want this to be something you look at and go ‘this doesn’t feel right,'” she said.
BLOSCARS: Our list of Black folks and films that should have been nominated for Oscars
“So now we need to extend our arms and open our arms to other women of color and other black women who do wonderful work in film so that I’m not the only one. I want to share it with people. I want to share it with my sisters, I want to share it with my brothers. I want to be able to look across the room and see someone who has done the work just me, as much as I have so we can share in that moment. You know, it’s not supposed to be a lonely place.”
The British beauty admitted the lack of diversity on this year’s list of nominees made the honor is somewhat bittersweet.
“Yeah. You know, because I want to be able to share it with other people,” she said.
The post WATCH: Cynthia Erivo OWNS Oscars stage with ‘Stand Up’ performance despite losing Best Actress appeared first on TheGrio.
from TheGrio https://ift.tt/38gVgOC
via
OSCARS 2020: The complete winners list (UPDATING)
The 92nd annual Academy Awards took place on Sunday in Los Angeles and while there wasn’t a long list of Black nominees this year, a few of our faves (Obamas) proved victorious at the Oscars.
American Factory won Best Documentary, continuing the success of the Netflix film produced by Barack and Michelle Obama‘s production company. Hair Love nabbed the trophy for Best Animated Short, bringing the beauty of Black hair to the forefront when Matthew A. Cherry accepted his well-deserved award.
Check out the full list of winners:
Best actor
Joaquin Phoenix, Joker
Leonardo DiCaprio, Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood
Antonio Banderas, Pain and Glory
Adam Driver, Marriage Story
Jonathan Pryce, The Two Popes
Best director
Bong Joon-ho, Parasite
Sam Mendes, 1917
Todd Phillips, Joker
Martin Scorsese, The Irishman
Quentin Tarantino, Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood
Music (original song)
“I’m Standing With You” from Breakthrough
“Into The Unknown” from Frozen II
“Stand Up” from Harriet
“(I’m Gonna) Love Me Again” from Rocketman
“I Can’t Let You Throw Yourself Away” from Toy Story 4
“Glasgow” from Wild Rose
Music (original score)
Joker
Little Women
Marriage Story
1917
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
International feature film
France, Les Misérables
North Macedonia, Honeyland
Poland, Corpus Christi
South Korea, Parasite
Spain, Pain and Glory
PHOTOS: Janelle Monae, Regina King, Cynthia Erivo and more SLAY at the Oscars
Makeup and hairstyling
Bombshell
Joker
Judy
Maleficent: Mistress of Evil
1917
Visual effects
Avengers: Endgame
The Irishman
The Lion King
1917
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
Best film editing
The Irishman
Jojo Rabbit
Joker
Ford v Ferrari
Parasite
Best cinematography
Roger Deakins, 1917
Rodrigo Prieto, The Irishman
Lawrence Sher, Joker
Jarin Blaschke, The Lighthouse
Robert Richardson, Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood
Best sound mixing
Ad Astra
Joker
1917
Ford v Ferrari
Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood
Best sound editing
1917
Ford v Ferrari
Joker
Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
Best supporting actress
Laura Dern, Marriage Story
Florence Pugh, Little Women
Margot Robbie, Bombshell
Kathy Bates, Richard Jewell
Scarlett Johansson, Jojo Rabbit
Documentary short feature
In the Absence
Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone (If You’re a Girl)
Life Overtakes Me
St. Louis Superman
Walk Run Cha-Cha
Documentary feature
American Factory
The Cave
The Edge of Democracy
For Sama
Honeyland
Best costume design
Sandy Powell & Christopher Peterson, The Irishman
Mark Bridges, Joker
Arianne Phillips, Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood
Jacqueline Durran, Little Women
Mayes C. Rubeo, Jojo Rabbit
Best production design
Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood
The Irishman
1917
Jojo Rabbit
Parasite
Live-action short film
Brotherhood
Nefta Football Club
The Neighbors’ Window
Saria
A Sister
Best adapted screenplay
Steven Zaillian, The Irishman
Greta Gerwig, Little Women
Taika Waititi, Jojo Rabbit
Anthony McCarten, The Two Popes
Todd Phillips & Scott Silver, Joker
Best original screenplay
Rian Johnson, Knives Out
Noah Baumbach, Marriage Story
Sam Mendes & Krysty Wilson-Cairns, 1917
Quentin Tarantino, Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood
Bong Joon-ho, Parasite
Animated short film
Dcera (Daughter)
Hair Love
Kitbull
Memorable
Sister
Animated feature film
How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World
I Lost My Body
Klaus
Missing Link
Toy Story 4
Best supporting actor
Brad Pitt, Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood
Al Pacino, The Irishman
Joe Pesci, The Irishman
Anthony Hopkins, The Two Popes
Tom Hanks, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
Best picture
1917
The Irishman
Jojo Rabbit
Joker
Little Women
Marriage Story
Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood
Parasite
Ford v Ferrari
Best actress
Cynthia Erivo, Harriet
Renée Zellweger, Judy
Scarlett Johansson, Marriage Story
Charlize Theron, Bombshell
Saoirse Ronan, Little Women
The post OSCARS 2020: The complete winners list (UPDATING) appeared first on TheGrio.
from TheGrio https://ift.tt/2SfVTT0
via
PHOTOS: Janelle Monae, Regina King, Cynthia Erivo and more SLAY at the Oscars
The 92nd annual Academy Awards went down on Sunday night and although there wasn’t much melanin on the Oscars nominees list, there were tons of beautiful Black stars slaying on the red carpet.
BLOSCARS: Our list of Black folks and films that should have been nominated for Oscars
Check out a few of our favorite looks:
Cynthia Erivo

The Best Actress nominee hit the red carpet looking like a fierce competitor in her gorgeous white gown and killer manicure.
Mahershala Ali

The star of last year’s big winner Green Book wore all black when he hit the carpet with his lovely wife Amatus Sami-Karim.
Spike Lee & Tonya Lewis Lee

The iconic director paid tribute to the late Kobe Bryant with his custom-made suit that displayed the NBA star’s numbers while his wife opted for a lovely white gown.
Regina King

The Watchmen star was the picture of elegance in this blush gown and a wrist full of bling.
Maya Rudolph

The comedienne looked pretty comfortable in her sensible flat sandals and drapey sequined dress.
Questlove

The Roots frontman obviously opted out of the black-tie dress code when he hit the Oscars red carpet this year.
Zazie Beetz

This beauty chose a strapless black midi-dress with tons of sparkle and a blinged-out choker to finish off her look.
Blac Chyna

We can’t figure out how this reality star got an invite to Hollywood’s biggest night but she showed off lots of leg and a much shorter ‘do for the occassion.
Tamron Hall

The host whose show just got picked up for a second season was looking regal in this black and white ensemble.
Billy Porter

The POSE star proved he’s not playing games when he hit the Oscars carpet in this bold look.
Janelle Monae

The superstar hit the carpet in this hooded, Ralph Lauren masterpiece adorned with more than 170,000 crystals.
The post PHOTOS: Janelle Monae, Regina King, Cynthia Erivo and more SLAY at the Oscars appeared first on TheGrio.
from TheGrio https://ift.tt/38dxEKJ
via
Mental health in Kenya: ‘I was accused of bewitching my husband’
Africa Eye: Torture ‘rampant’ among Nigeria’s security forces
Baseball Little League All-Star pitcher Mo’ne Davis makes Hampton University softball debut
Six years after she grabbed the hearts of the world as the first girl in the baseball Little League World Series to pitch a winning game, Mo’ne Davis is going on to burn up the fields for the well-known HBCU Hampton University.
In her inaugural game for Hampton, located in Hampton, Va., Davis helped the Pirates beat North Carolina A & T 15-4 in the team’s season opener, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported.
Davis, who is from Philadelphia, told the news organization she was a little jumpy about her college-level debut in Greensboro, N.C.
”On the bus ride, I was nervous,” said Davis, 18. “It was the first real game that actually matters so I was a little nervous. But once Coach Angie (Nicholson) said, ‘Go out there and have fun. You guys have worked so hard, just play your game,’ that just shook the nerves away.”
READ MORE: Shaq honors Kobe Bryant at ‘Fun House’ party during Miami Super Bowl weekend
Davis said she is enjoying the calm outside of the spotlight that vaulted her to the cover of Sports Illustrated in 2014 and made her a national hero. For now, she told the Inquirer, she just wants to enjoy the college experience and work on her game.
“I wasn’t really big into the spotlight,” she said. “That’s not who I am. It’s nice to be out here. It’s just fun to be with this team.”
Nicholson told the news organization that one of Davis’ best qualities is her humility.
“It’s the coolest thing ever,” Nicholson said. “She doesn’t make it a big deal. That’s what’s great about it. You would never know it. She doesn’t see herself in that light.”
READ MORE: Jay-Z and Beyoncé did not stand for the National Anthem during Super Bowl
Nicholson said Davis is one of her best players but she still has to work on her hitting.
Davis said she hopes to improve enough to land a spot on the conference all-freshman team.
”I think this should be a fun season,” she said. “Really, overall, I just want us to do well at as a team, hopefully win the conference — but just to go out there and fight with my brand new family I have and play for them.”
The post Baseball Little League All-Star pitcher Mo’ne Davis makes Hampton University softball debut appeared first on TheGrio.
from TheGrio https://ift.tt/2H9On5z
via
(WATCH) Congress Members Respond to President Donald Trump’s Tweets
Just a few hours before President Donald Trump took the stage to address the nation at this year’s State of the Union, Congresswoman Maxine Waters, hosted her annual Millenial Media Row. It was an event created to open up a space between digital media outlets and members of the Congressional Caucus.
“This is perhaps the most important event that we do all year,” she told TheGrio. “The whole idea is, we got to invite people into this capital that normally don’t get invited into the capital. We want you all to know this is yours too.”
Congresswoman Waters, or as we affectionally know her as “Auntie Maxine”, is not afraid to voice her disapproval towards the President and she has been a driving force behind his impeachment. President Trump was recently acquitted by the Senate after being charged for two articles of impeachment: one for abusing his power and the other for obstruction of Congress.
READ MORE: True Story: Maxine Waters Talks Politics, Feminism & Being “Auntie Maxine”
“He is so disruptive, so dishonorable that he should be impeached. As a matter of fact, the House of Representatives did impeach him. I believe it was December the 18th, about 8:20 in the evening. We voted to impeach him. We sent it on over to the Senate. They have been intimidated by this president. They don’t want to stand up to this president. They don’t have the guts to do what America needs. And so whatever he says, just dismiss it as another lie,” Waters said.
Auntie Maxine is not the only one fighting to get the president out of office. TheGrio spoke with other members of Congress about their current views of the president, especially his case of twitter fingers.
President Trump has become notorious for voicing his opinions and thoughts on twitter, and we brought up some of his latest tweets to the congress members to get their initial reactions and their take.
My Approval Rating in the Republican Party = 95%, a record! Big Iowa win. Approval Rating overall = 53%, a new high. With our great Economy and other major successes, would be 20 points higher without the phony Witch Hunts and Hoaxes???
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 4, 2020
“So ninety-five percent is very suspicious,” Congresswoman Gwen Moore told TheGrio. “It is so sad to see people who are very decent people are abdicating their own moral conscious, their own intelligence. For this president who is corrupt, who’s abused his power, who has questionable mental health and has no values. It’s sad for our democracy.”
Where’s the Whistleblower? Where’s the second Whistleblower? Where’s the Informer? Why did Corrupt politician Schiff MAKE UP my conversation with the Ukrainian President??? Why didn’t the House do its job? And sooo much more!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 3, 2020
Congresswoman Brenda Lawrence– MI 14, simply called out the president on his lack of clarity on the term “Whistleblower”. “President Trump, I often struggle with your ignorance. The whole purpose of a whistleblower law is to protect and to allow them to be anonymous. I struggle with your ignorance.”
Wall is moving along strong, tall and quickly. Thank you Jim for all of your help! https://t.co/1dlC0dZ0ui
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 2, 2020
In response to the Wall tweet, Congresswoman Barbara Lee called out Trump’s bluffs “Another lie. What can I say? He just lies, lies, lies.”
READ MORE: Stacey Abrams predicts she’ll be president by 2040
And of course, we couldn’t leave out President Trump’s infamous error on what state Superbowl Champions the Kansas City Chiefs were based. He mistakenly tweeted and deleted Sunday, that the Kansas City Chiefs represented the Great State Kansas very well, not realizing that the team is based in Missouri. Although, the tweet was deleted social media users were quick to screenshot and blast Trump.
“Let me introduce you, Mr. President, to a map and give you a geography lesson 101. Or perhaps you could actually check with your staff before hitting post because Kansas City Chiefs play in Missouri. Duh.” said Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz.
The list of tweets from President Trump goes on and on, and the congress members were not holding back with their responses to the Commander in Chief.
The full digital story “Trump Tweets” can be found above.
The post (WATCH) Congress Members Respond to President Donald Trump’s Tweets appeared first on TheGrio.
from TheGrio https://ift.tt/39jq3dA
via
Disgraced school principal resigns after saying ‘karma’ caused Kobe Bryant’s death
A high school principal in Washington state has resigned after suggesting that ‘karma’ caught up with basketball great Kobe Bryant, who died in a helicopter crash Jan. 26 in Calabasas, Calif., along with his daughter, Gianna, 13, and seven others.
Liza Sejkora, former principal of Camas (Wash.) High School, was referring to allegations of rape made against Bryant in a highly publicized 2003 case, thrown out of criminal court when the accuser declined to testify. A civil case with Bryant’s accuser, a Colorado hotel employee, was settled out of court.
On Friday, schools Superintendent Jeff Snell announced Sejkora’s departure, KGW8 reported.
“This has been a tumultuous week,” Snell said in a statement. “However, I’ve been impressed with the level of professionalism our staff members have displayed as well as the caring and compassion from our families.”
The superintendent said the school district is working on a transitional plan, according to KGW8.
The development comes after a swift national backlash in reaction to Sejkora’s comment, made in a now-deleted Facebook post the day Bryant died.
“Not gonna lie,” the former principal wrote. “Seems to me that karma caught up with a rapist today.”
She ended the post with an emoji of someone shrugging.
A screenshot of the post was taken in the hour that Sejkora had it up, drawing widespread criticism and a plan by students to stage a walkout.
READ MORE: Date set for Kobe Bryant and Gigi’s public memorial service at Staples Center
On Friday, Sejkora said in a statement that she was working on a departure plan with school district officials.
“I am working with the Camas leadership to resign my position as principal of Camas High School,” she said. “Students and staff deserve to have a learning environment free of disruptions.”
Before the principal’s resignation, Snell said he could not understand the remarks.
“Anytime there’s a loss of life, I hope that all of us come together and rally around that,” KGW8 quoted Snell as saying. “It didn’t come across that way. That’s really unfortunate.”
The post Disgraced school principal resigns after saying ‘karma’ caused Kobe Bryant’s death appeared first on TheGrio.
from TheGrio https://ift.tt/2SfnYKa
via
Philly girl gifted with charter school scholarship by Trump at State of the Union already enrolled at the school
Well, this is uncomfortable… It turns out that the Black Philadelphia girl that President Trump announced at his recent State of the Union address would be getting a scholarship to be able to attend the charter school of her choice is already a student at the school.
Janiyah Davis was one of a handful of people of color asked to stand during the president’s State of the Union speech on Tuesday.
READ MORE: Nancy Pelosi shreds Donald Trump’s State of the Union speech. Right there on the podium.
Trump, entering a re-election campaign that some experts predict will largely hinge on Black voters, characterized the fourth-grader as one of many youngsters reportedly trapped in failing public schools.
in actuality, Davis already is attending a charter school and it’s one that is well- known and highly sought, the Philadelphia Inquirer is reporting. In September, Janiyah transferred to Math, Science and Technology Community Charter School III, also known as MaST III. It is funded by taxpayers and, so, there is no tuition.
Janiyah’s mom, Stephanie Davis, told the news organization that there was a lot of confusion around her daughter’s invitation to the president’s annual speech at the U.S. Capitol in Washington. A few weeks ago, she got a telephone call from the principal at her daughter’s former school, Olney Christian School, saying Janiyah may be up for a scholarship. Then, Davis told the Inquirer, she received a call from a man who repeated the scholarship possibility and advised Davis to expect a call from the White House.
“I thought it was a scam,” Davis said, adding that she didn’t believe it until she received an official email from the administration.
READ MORE: George Washington University president apologizes for racially insensitive comment
Even then, the teacher’s assistant and mom said, she had no idea she and her daughter would be asked to stand during the speech.
“I never knew it was going to be this big,” Davis told the Inquirer.
Janiyah’s previous school cost $5,200 a year, which Davis was struggling to pay, she said.
Davis said she was “surprised” and “honored” about being asked to stand during the 90-minute speech. She said she also was surprised about the scholarship.
Angela Morabito, a spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Education, told the Inquirer that Janiyah was picked for a scholarship because “Education freedom is about going to the best school for your child. Even the ‘best’ school, as ranked by statistics and averages, isn’t the best fit for every child.”
The post Philly girl gifted with charter school scholarship by Trump at State of the Union already enrolled at the school appeared first on TheGrio.
from TheGrio https://ift.tt/2uvu9jW
via
Snoop Dogg insists he wishes no harm for Gayle King in wake of the Kobe Bryant interview fracas
Rapper Snoop Dogg is clarifying an important point when it comes to his recent scathing words about CBS’ Gayle King’s recent interview about basketball great Kobe Bryant‘s legacy.
View this post on Instagram
P. S. A. From the peoples champ now carry on and be nice to others 💯🙏🏿 KB8/24. 🙏🏿💜💛
A post shared by snoopdogg (@snoopdogg) on
“I’m a non-violent person,” Snoop said in the video. “When I said what I said, I spoke for the people who felt like Gayle was very disrespectful toward Kobe Bryant and his family.”
The post Snoop Dogg insists he wishes no harm for Gayle King in wake of the Kobe Bryant interview fracas appeared first on TheGrio.
from TheGrio https://ift.tt/3bo9wXv
via
Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson shares emotional video of him delivering his father’s eulogy
In a gripping 11-minute video posted to Facebook and Instagram, grieving actor/professional wrestler Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson shared clips from his eulogy at the funeral of his dad, Rocky Johnson, who died Jan. 15th of a heart attack.
Johnson, 47, thanked the public for the wave of condolences and shared about the moment he learned his 75-year-old father had passed away. Rocky Johnson, a native of Canada, blazed wrestling trails and was the first Black Georgia Heavyweight Champion.
READ MORE: Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson calls Elizabeth Warren ‘a baller’
“Man, I wish I had one more shot you know just to say goodbye, say I love you, say thank you, say I respect you, but you know, I have a feeling he’s watching, he’s listening,” Johnson said.
“I know my dad would be saying, ‘Kayfabe the tears,’ ” Johnson added with a chuckle, using the professional wrestling term that refers to staged portions of the sport.
The gentle giant appeared to be struggling to keep his composure as he gripped the lectern and spoke to the crowd.
“As you guys know, he went very quick,” Johnson said. “I was on my way to work the other day on Jan. 15th and I was just pulling into work and we were shooting that day and it was the very first day of production.”
Johnson was referring to the Netflix production of Red Notice.
Johnson said his wife, Lauren, called, and he got the news from an unidentified person named Cora as he was pulling into the parking lot of the production site. He described being in a fog and wishing everything was just a dream as he walked onto the set and hundreds of members of the production staff bustled around, waving to him and wishing him a good morning. The video showed a portrayal of that time from Johnson’s perspective.
“In that moment, I just thought, ‘What do I need to do? What’s the next thing that I need to do?’ And I heard a voice say ‘Well, hey, the show must go on,’ and that was my dad, that was my old man who told me that.”
READ MORE: Nick Gordon died from a heroin overdose
As Johnson recounts this, the video shows the elder Johnson at one of his victories and a much younger Dwayne Johnson, sporting a short afro, in the audience.
The younger Johnson acknowledged his dad’s upbringing and said he’s built upon it to raise his own children. He recognized his dad as a racial trailblazer.
“For my dad, when he broke into the business in the mid-’60s and throughout the late ’60s and into the ’70s in the United States where racial tension and divide was very strong, and in the ’60s and the ’70s you have a black man coming in, it’s an all-white audience and all these small little towns that eventually I would go on to wrestle in — but at that time he changed the audience’s behavior and actually had them cheer for this black man,” Johnson said.
The post Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson shares emotional video of him delivering his father’s eulogy appeared first on TheGrio.
from TheGrio https://ift.tt/2UJJmJb
via