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NEWMAYOR YORK TREND DAVID DINKINS, REP. CHARLES RANGEL, Serving New York City, Nassau & Suffolk Counties
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THE ALTERNATIVE VOLUMEPERSPECTIVE 26 ISSUE 40
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December 17, 2015 - December 23, 2015
VOLUME 29 ISSUE 14
Since 1989
June 13th, 2019 - June 19th, 2019
HONORED WITH LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS
J O H N S O N P U B L I S H I N G C O M PA N Y FA D E S A S A R C H I V E S A R E A U C T I O N E D It is a dark not only black2015 history, founded in November 1942 by AfricanThemoment Black in Stars News Annual but American history as the photographic, American businessman John H. Johnson. Awards will MayorHeadquartered at 200 S. Michigan Avenue video and musical Dinner archives of thehonor reknowned Dinkins, JohnsonDavid Publishing EmpireRep. goes Charles up for in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Johnson Rep. Yvette Clarke, auction Rangel, to satisfy outstanding debts of the Publishing Company was privately held, company. JohnPeebles, H. Johnson, who and its chairman and Chief Executive Officer R. Founder Donahue Barbara started Arnwine, with a meager amount of financing Inez Barron, Sabrina (CEO) was the founder's daughter, Linda will remain a history making entrepreneur Johnson-Rice. Led by its former flagship Lamb, Rudy Crew, Stephen publication, Ebony, Johnson Publishing and visionary to Dr. be admired and respected Byrd, Aliaefforts. Jones, and him theinCentral for his enterprising Joining the was at one time was the largest AfricanPark Five survivors gross injustice early years of building Johnson of Publishing American–owned publishing firm in into theon premier publishing, radio December 18beauty, from 6:00pm – the United States. Johnson Publishing and communications his Company also published Jet, a weekly 10:00pm atempire, MIST was Harlem, 46 West wife Eunice Johnson. Together they made 116th Street. Johnson Publishing into an international enterprise. “Each honoree chosen for Now, years after the sale Ebony and Jet recognition hasofdemonstrated Magazines, the lights will officially dark for in exceptional leadership go and vision Johnson Publishing as the last assets, the David Dinkins her orarchives his respective photographic are sold. profession or and in some significant The saleendeavor process for Johnson Publishing’s was a member of the New York has contributed towards historic measure photography and media archive, City Council, representing the creating a more society in this which includes more than 4just million images 40th council district in Brooklyn, and thousands of hours of video and music country,” says Black Star News succeeding her mother, Una S. footagefounder dating backand to 1948. The archive publisher Milton was appraised at $46 million in 2015. T. Clarke. In the current 114th
of 11 stories and cost nearly $8 million. The building was designed by an AfricanAmerican, John Moutoussamy and was also noted as the first African-American owned building in Chicago's downtown area. In the early 1970s, the company's staff consisted of 300 people; 175 of them were located at the Chicago headquarters while the others worked at branch offices in Los Angeles, New York City, and Washington D.C. Johnson's family held roles within the company. His wife, Eunice W. Johnson, was the founder, secretary, treasurer,
gaining York more than million readers. After of the and1.3 a former chancellor the instant success of Ebony, Johnson York public schools system. createdNew another publication, named Jet in 1951. Jet, dubbed the "The Weekly Negro Pioneering producers Stephen News Magazine", was a mini-size weekly Byrd and Alia Jones, through their magazine that featured African American company Front Rowpublic Production, entertainers, community issues, brought “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof” figures and a woman (predominately black) featuredand as "Jet's Beauty of the Week". “A Streetcar Named Desire” Beginning in 2011, Jet magazine wentto with a multi-ethnic cast from a weekly publication to bi-weekly, Broadway. In 2016 they bring later converting into digital only in July “Eclipsed” with Oscar Winner 2014; publishing its last print magazine in Lupita Nyongoperated ’O to Broadway. June 2014. The company a book division, and has published books such Honorees, the so-called Central as The New Ebony Cookbook and the more Park 5, areInto collectively and controversial Forced Glory: Abraham individually heroes. They are Lincoln's White Dream. The company produced the film The Secret Selling survivors of one ofofthe ugliest Charles Rangel the Negro Market, which was released in York’s miscarriage of justice in New 1954. The film was designed to encourage history; having been railroaded majority. She now leads The advertisers to promote their products and unjustly convicted for a crime Transformative Justice Coalition. servicesand in the African-American media. they did not commit and for which produced Ebony/Jet Celebrity Arnwine was for 26 years executiveThe company Showcase, spinoff television show sentences from theya served long prison director of the Lawyers’ Committee magazinesfrom that debuted on August seven years to 13 years for Civil Rights Under the Law. the two ranging Allimadi. “Obviously much work 1, 1982. It was eventually pulled off the before being exonerated when the Congress Clarke serves on Inez Barron, honoree, formerly aair because Johnson H. Johnson was needs to be done here and actual rapist confessed. They are: the Energy and Commerce State Assembly member, is nowdissatisfied with the quality of the guests. around thethe world.” Now, years after sale of Ebony Yusef Abdus Salaam; Raymond Showcase, a weekly, nationally Committee, responsible for a New York City council memberEbony/Jet and JetThe Magazines, syndicated TV show hosted by Greg gala startsthe at lights 6:00pmwill with a Santana Jr., Antron McCray, Kevin consumer protection, food and a champion of education for Gumbel and Deborah Crable debuted in officially go dark Johnson cocktail hour for to be followed by the Richardson, and Kharey Wise. safety, energy development, public our youth. September 1985. By the show's third year in Publishing asand theawards last assets, the There health, communications, the dinner ceremonies. Black News, which focuses 1987, itThe became theStar only Black-syndicated Honoree Imhotep Gary Byrd is program to reach 92 percent of Black U.S photographic archives are sold. by will be musical entertainment environment, and interstate and on investigative journalism, has a legendary radio talk show host television households and 73 percent of opera singer Cassandra Douglas international commerce. been featured as a result of some if from November 1951 until June and director the Ebonyproducer, Fashion Fair. and of executive radio DJ, U.S. television households, strengthening its and from harmonica phenomenonmagazine, 2014, when it became digital only. In later His son, John H. Johnson Jr., served as a on CNN, The New R. Donahue Peebles, honoree, is According to the most recent updates, Gabe positionits as news the No.scoops, 1 Black-oriented interview poet, songwriter, music recording William Galison. David Dinkins is years, Johnson Publishing Company fell into staff photographer for both Ebony and Jet York Daily News, The New Fried, CEO of Hilco Streambank, has said a leading developer and founder of and entertainment show. The last episode ofYork artist and producer, rapper, honored foraLifetime debt, leading to the sale of its historic 820 S. magazines from 1975 until his death in writer that “There has been great deal Achievement of interest Post,aired Thein Village Voice, and Brill’s the program October 1993. The Peebles Co., the nation’s largest December Johnson's activist. daughter Linda and1981. community He began — he was New York City’s first Michigan Avenue headquarters in 2011 and in this significant collection of visual assets Content magazine. African American-owned real Johnson-Rice servedasasafashion his career radio coordinator DJ in BuffaloFor over 40 years beginning in 1958, The for months now, with interestedmayor partiesand alsothereafter its publications in 2016. In April African American hosted the Ebony Fashion Fair, estate firm with Company $3.5 billion 2019, Johnson Publishing filedworthof the Ebony Fashion Fair before rangingwelcomed from large corporations, family Past Black Star News honorees at age 15. For over 30becoming years, he’s company Nelson Mandela to thefor Chapter 7 Bankruptcy Liquidation in a a traveling fashion show started by Eunice CEO in 2003. of properties under development the company's offices and estates, celebrities, sports have included: Gil Noble (Like It been a talk show host at WBLS and city after his release in 1990. W. Johnson. The show raised money for U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Chicago, the figures, museums and private collectors.” or management — heending was one In 1942,WLIB The company published their first Is), Rep. Maxine Waters, Soledad radio in New York City. Hescholarships and charities in cities across company’s 76–year run. Rep. Publishing Charles Rangel, honored Digest. Negro Digest, of the pioneering developerswho magazine, Negro The Johnson collection also includes O’Brien Ms. Camille Cosby, States(CNN), and Canada. The fashion also has a after Friday night radio talk the United From its beginning, the company had several which was modeled the Reader's for Lifetime Achievement, has helped turn around and revitalize current artists like Jay-Z and Beyoncé and fair held its last show in 2009 due to the Voza Rivers (New Heritage Theatre), show on WBAI. The first was inside the Supreme Digest was published from November served in Congress since 1971. He locations. is dates back to photographs of Dr. Martin the once-blighted Anacostia illness and later death of Johnson. InAmel Errol Louis (NY1 News), Life Building at 3501 S. Parkway Ave (later 1942 until 1951 due to the decline in founder Luther King Jr. Honoree Sabrina Lamb, a recipient of The Bronze medal for addition, Johnson Publishing produces neighborhood in King Washington, Larrieux (Entertainer), Dr. William renamed Dr. Martin Luther Jr. Drive), D.C. readership after Ebony and Jet magazines Top subject matters covered by the collection a line of cosmetics marketed to women of World of Money, is a champion helping save soldiers behind enemywhich served A champion of African-American as the headquarters from were created. The magazine returned to Pollard (Medgar Evers College), include line church, television, sports, food of financial literacy forlater youth-- she of color. Named Fashion Fair Cosmetics, during the Korean War. 1942 until 1943. Due to the company'sPeebles’ circulation in June 1961 and was economic empowerment is Edwards (NYand Jets), Nayaba and fashion. Many of the photographs that lineHerm was founded in 1973 at one teaches knowledge handlingThe expansion, Johnson purchased a building renamed Black World in 1970. about Under the contemplating a possible run for NYC comprise the archive the pages time was available in over 2,500News), stores La-Verna Rep. Yvettegraced Clarke is a Democratic Arinde (Amsterdam at 5619 S. State Street in 1943. Six years new name, the magazine was and published money, budgeting planning. across the world. A United Kingdom creditor mayor in 2017. of Ebony and Jet publications. collection member of the US The House of Fountain (Columbia University), later, the company's headquarters relocated for six years until it was canceled again includesRepresentatives 3.35 million negatives and slides, petitioned a judge to force the company to Dr. Rudy Crew, honoree, is one of from New Lillian Roberts (DC37), Desiree Dancy to 1820Honoree South Michigan Avenue, a former in 1976. The company began publishing Barbara Arnwine, civil 983,000 photographs, 9,000 audio/visual sell its Fashion Fair Cosmetics UK assets in th funeral home that was converted into office Ebony magazine in November 1945. Ebony the nation’s leading educators. He’s York whose 9 district covers (New York Times), Greg Floyd (Local rights lawyer, is a champion of items, and 166,000 contact sheets. April 2019. 1949. In December 1971, the focusedpresident on the African American community, much of central Brooklyn. Before space inprotecting 237), Rev. Al Sharpton (National of Medgar Evers College voting rights of ethnic culture, and achievements. The magazine Johnson Publishing Company, Inc. company moved to 820 S. Michigan Avenue. entering Congress in 2007, she -- cont'dand onmany Pageothers. 2 Action Network), of The successful, City University of New minority groups — the emerging quickly became (JPC) was an American publishing company The newly constructed building consisted at one time
INSIDE T HIS ISSUE: IS SUE : INSIDE THIS
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June 13, 2019 - June 19, 2019
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N AT I O N A L
NABJ Hosts Black Male Media Project to ‘INSPIRE BLACK MEN’
The National Association for Black Journalists (NABJ) is on a mission to “Inspire Black Men.” That’s why the organization created the nationwide Black Male Media Project – an initiative designed to change the way Black men are viewed in society and attract more brothers to work in media. To fulfill that mission locally, NABJ South Florida is hosting “Beyond the Mugshots: Shaping Positive Reflections of Black Males” at 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, June 1 at the Miramar Cultural Center, 2400 Civic Center Place in Miramar. Special guests include: NBA Champion Udonis Haslem of the Miami Heat, rapper and activist Luther Campbell, President and CEO of Big Brothers Big Sister of Miami Gale Nelson, iHeart Radio personality and community activist Papa Keith, CEO of Move the Crowd Miami Paul Wilson,
and Moguldom founder who created Moguldom.com, Bossip and Madame Noire Jamarlin Martin. Local media anchors Calvin Hughes and Layron Livingston of WPLG, Darryl Forges, Johnny Archer and Jawan Strader of NBC6, and Donovan Campbell of WSVN will also be in attendance.
NABJ invites the community to join them at this FREE event. Participation from organizations that mentor young men is particularly encouraged. However, women and girls are welcome too. NABJ South Florida President Russell Motley said it is important to
participate in changing the oftentimes negative narrative that surrounds Black men. We must do more to highlight the great work that fathers, mentors and Black men in general are doing to impact the world for good. “This event will be powerful on so many levels,” Motley said. “We’re doing our part to demonstrate a more realistic view of Black males that, surprisingly, many people may not see. For example, studies show that far more Black men attend college now than are locked up in prison. The only way to interject this and other positive narratives is to educate the public and the media, and to keep these conversations going.” In addition to NABJ South Florida, this event is being sponsored by the City of Miramar,Miami-Dade Economic Advocacy Trust (MDEAT), Chef Kulture and the State of Black Food: Homecoming.
COLORCOMM Announces Honorees
Of
Circle Awards
ColorComm, Inc., the nation's premier platform addressing diversity and inclusion from across the communications, marketing, media, and advertising arenas will host its 6th Annual ColorComm Circle Awards honoring eight change makers in the industry. The ColorComm Circle Awards currently serves as the only Awards Ceremony to honor women of color in communications. The Awards Dinner will take place on Wednesday, July 24, 2019 opening night during ColorComm's 6th Annual Conference held at the Ritz-Carlton, Key Biscayne in Miami, Florida.
The ColorComm Circle Awards currently serves as the only
Awards Ceremony to honor women of color in communications. "We are thrilled to honor a select group of women who've not only had an impressive career, but who've had a ground-breaking year. The ColorComm Circle Awards is the Golden Globes of our industry," said ColorComm Founder Lauren Wesley Wilson. "Our honorees are more than their titles as they do the daily work to help strengthen the voices of those who are often underrepresented in the overall business and political discourse. Our honorees have made instrumental advances in our industry and we are thrilled to honor their work and share their stories," said Wilson.
Univision's Maity Interiano will Emcee the 6th Annual ColorComm Circle Awards and DJ Hannah Bronfman will headline the After Party. ColorComm is proud to honor: Rosanna Fiske, SVP, Corporate Communications, Wells Fargo Judith Harrison, SVP Diversity & Inclusion, Weber Shandwick Soon Mee Kim, EVP, Global Diversity & Inclusion, Porter Novelli Michelle Lee, Editor-in-Chief, ALLURE Magazine Kim Paige, Chief Operating and
Branding Officer, Sundial Brands April Ryan, White House Correspondent, American Urban Radio Networks Dia Simms, President, Combs Enterprises Michelle Wong, President, Dailey The ColorComm Conference is an annual business retreat connecting more than 500 executive leaders in communications, marketing, advertising, and digital from across the country. ColorComm's Conference will return to Miami, Florida for its 6th Annual Conference.
JOHNSON PUBLISHING COMPANY FADES AS ARCHIVES ARE AUCTIONED Aside from the publications, Johnson Publishing Company purchased WGRT radio station in May 1973 for $1.8 million from Atlass Communications Inc. The company later renamed the station WJPC and began broadcasting on November 1, 1973. WJPC was the first Black-owned radio station in Chicago. WJPC-FM, a predominately R&B and soul station operated from November 1973 until it was sold in December 1994. In May 2009, R.R. Donnelley & Sons Company, who printed Ebony and Jet magazines had taken out a mortgage against the company's headquarters due to its nonpayment of the magazine's printing bill. The mortgage totaled near $12 million. In July 2011, it was announced
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that JPMorgan was to become a partner in the company. Then-CEO Desiree Rogers stated that they hold a 'minority stake' and presence on the board. In January 2011, the company sold its headquarters of nearly 40 years located at 820 S. Michigan Avenue to Columbia College Chicago. In November 2017, The building was later sold by the college to 3L Real Estate for $10 million and was converted into luxury apartments named 820 Michigan The real estate company stated that Johnson Publishing Company's logo along with its former flagship publication names will remain located on top of the building. In March 2015, the company offered the Ebony/Jet photo archives, which span more
than 70 years, for sale. The move was made to reduce some of the company's debt. In addition, in June 2016, the company announced the sale of its publications Ebony and Jet magazines. The buyer, Clear View Group, a private equity firm based in Austin, Texas, created a new publisher called Ebony Media Corp. The publications concerning the specialty cosmetics business and fashion will be retained by Johnson. On April 9, 2019, The company filed for Chapter 7 Bankruptcy liquidation in a U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Chicago, Illinois. The company amount of creditors was listed between 200 and 999. The assets and liabilities listed for the company was between $10 million and $50 million. The company released a statement on their
June 13, 2019 - June 19, 2019
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bankruptcy fillings: This decision was not easy, nor should it have been, Johnson Publishing Company is an iconic part of American and African American history since our founding in 1942, and the company's impact on society cannot be overstated. On April 22, 2019, Mellody Hobson, president of Chicago-based Ariel Investments, and her husband, film maker George Lucas, petitioned to take possession of the Ebony photo archives. They stated that the collection was used as collateral on a $12 million loan that Johnson Publishing received from Capital Holdings V firm, which is owned by Hobson and Lucas, in 2015.
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NEWS
CON EDISON Projects Lower Summer Bills For Homeowners Con Edison is forecasting lower bills for
residential customers during this summer season, compared to last year, as the energy company invests more than $1.5 billion in its overhead and underground electric delivery systems to meet usage demands on peak hot days. A typical New York City residential customer using 350 kilowatt hours per month can expect a 6.5-percent decrease from $102.84 in 2018 to $96.20 in the June-to-September period. A typical Westchester residential customer using 500 kilowatt hours per month can expect an average decrease of 16.2 percent from $134.68 in 2018 to $112.88.
solar and other products and services that can help reduce monthly bills and provide a cleaner environment.” In a Con Edison pilot project, five White Plains electric school buses, normally idle during the summer months, will have their batteries fully charged and on standby to
Other investments focus on upgrades and reinforcements, including 27 network transformers and 58 overhead transformers. The company also plans to upgrade 61 underground feeder sections and 262 overhead spans. Con Edison projects that peak demand for
The projected decrease in residential bills is largely due to lower supply costs. Con Edison buys electricity on the wholesale market and provides it to customers at cost. Monthly bills for business customers are expected to be about the same as last year. A New York City business customer using 10,800 kilowatt hours with a peak demand of 31 kilowatts can expect average monthly summer bills to increase slightly from $2,156.55 in 2018 to $2,201.92 this year. I n n o v at i o n & I n v e s t m e n t s The company is also expanding new and evolving technologies such as battery storage. In separate projects, batteries are in place in Westchester, the Bronx and Queens to support the grid on sweltering summer days. “We strive to lead the transition to the clean energy future that our customers want and that new technology makes possible,” said Tim Cawley, president of Con Edison. “In addition to developing battery storage and installing smart meters, we’re making it easier for our customers to choose energy efficiency,
provide 75 kilowatts to the electric grid on peak hot days. Con Edison has installed a 10.6-megawatt hour (MWh) battery system on company property in Ozone Park, Queens. Con Edison will charge the batteries when demand for power is low and then discharge that power at peak times, taking pressure off the grid. On City Island, Con Edison has installed a 1-MWh battery system that will provide power to the grid as needed.
electricity this summer will reach 13,270 megawatts. The all-time record is 13,322 megawatts, which occurred at 5 p.m. on July 19, 2013. The company is always exploring new ways to keep service reliable. Con Edison has installed 4,000 remote monitoring devices in manholes to detect heat and gas in underground structures. By detecting heat and gas, the company can help identify needed repairs before electrical equipment fails. Con Edison also takes
infrared images of underground cables to look for hot spots that might indicate a repair is needed. Save More with Energy Efficiency Upgrades Customers can save money by using less energy. Con Edison offers customers incentives to make money-saving upgrades to their homes and businesses. For this summer, Con Edison is offering residential customers: A $25 rebate for buying a new Energy Star room air conditioner; $25 or more in rewards for enrolling a standard window air conditioner in the company’s Smart AC program; Up to $90 in rebates and rewards for a Wi-Fi-enabled AC. The company will provide a free Wi-Fi device that lets a customer control a room air conditioner through an app; A $50 rebate for buying a smart thermostat and another $85 for registering it with Con Edison. Since 2009, Con Edison’s energy efficiency programs have helped about 650,000 customers make upgrades preventing 5 million tons of carbon emissions. That’s the equivalent of taking more than 1 million cars off the road. As of 2018, the electric upgrades save nearly 2 million MWh of usage a year. The electric upgrades have saved 7.8 million MWh since 2009. The company also encourages customers to consider whether solar energy is right for them. Customers have completed nearly 26,000 projects that produce about 248 megawatts of clean, renewable power. That is equal to 325,500 MWh a year, enough to prevent more than 230,000 tons of carbon emissions, or the equivalent of taking 49,000 cars off the road.
L E G I S L AT O R A B R A H A M S P l a n s T o T r a n s f e r C o u n t y T o V i l l a g e (FREEPORT, N.Y.) Nassau County Legislator Kevan M. Abrahams (D - Freeport) announced he is reevaluating plans to transfer Cow Meadow Park to the Village of Freeport due to the dilapidated conditions of parks already owned by the village. During a press conference at Martin Luther King, Jr. Park on Thursday, June 6, Legislator Abrahams was joined by community leaders and community stakeholders who oppose the transfer of Cow Meadow Park to the Village of Freeport. Those residents joined Legislator Abrahams to say the village should invest more resources in their own deteriorating parks before assuming control of Cow Meadow Park. Cow Meadow Park is currently owned and operated by the Nassau County Department of Parks, Recreation and Museums. The
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County was considering transferring the property to the Village of Freeport, however, Legislator Abrahams raised concerns about the plan after discovering neglect at village-owned parks such as Martin Luther King, Jr./Steven Street Park, John J. Randall Park, Bishop Frank O. White Memorial /Northeast Park, and Glacken Park. “Our parks are a valuable community resource that when maintained properly, serve as welcoming community hubs and recreational facilities. However, I cannot in good faith give the Village of Freeport any additional municipal land knowing their current parks are in disarray,” Legislator Abrahams said. “Before taking on the additional responsibility of Cow Meadow Park, Freeport Village must invest the time and resources into their existing parks so they can reach their full potential.”
June 13, 2019 - June 19, 2019
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C O M M E N TA R Y
At Black Colleges, Baseball Teams Are Missing Before each game, Clarence Carter III glances across the diamond as the opposing team warms up. He peeks in the dugout, scans the outfield and takes inventory around the infield during batting practice, counting how many African-Americans he can spot on the other team. This is not an unusual drill for AfricanAmericans playing in the major leagues, where their numbers have dwindled in recent decades, or in the similarly exclusive world of youth travel baseball. But what makes this exercise striking is that Carter, a junior infielder at Bethune-Cookman University, plays for — and often against — one of America’s historically black colleges. “It did catch me by surprise; I’m not going to lie,” said Carter, who transferred to Bethune-Cookman from a community college in Fullerton, Calif. “I would have thought coming to an H.B.C.U. there would be more black people, but things aren’t always what you expect.”
There is a litany of reasons African-Americans have turned away from baseball. While baseball’s struggles to attract African-American talent and fans are well documented, the depth of the issue comes into sharper relief for teams in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, a group of historically black colleges and universities stretching from Maryland to Florida. At each of the nine MEAC colleges that compete in baseball, the baseball teams often feature more white and Latino players than AfricanAmericans. Consider the standard-bearer for the conference, Bethune-Cookman, which has won 19 MEAC championships and plays its home games at Jackie Robinson Ballpark, the same field where Robinson first suited up for a game after signing with the Brooklyn Dodgers. At times this season, the Wildcats have not started a single
African-American player. There is a litany of reasons AfricanAmericans have turned away from baseball, including the decimation of youth programs in areas where there historically have been large AfricanAmerican communities and the sport’s ballooning costs — both for equipment (a top-shelf aluminum bat runs about $325) and exposure (participating on travel teams can cost thousands of dollars a year). Billy Hawkins, a University of Houston professor who has written extensively on race and college sports, said young black athletes have become less likely to gravitate toward baseball because they — and their parents — have an easier time envisioning success in football and basketball. The numbers reflect that: African-Americans comprised 7.8 percent of opening day roster spots in the majors this year, down from the peak of 18.7 percent in 1981. “Major League Baseball hasn’t developed a cultural relevance similar to those other leagues,” Hawkins said of the N.B.A. and N.F.L. “These other leagues have prospered in attracting black players, but also having a blackness like you’d talk about in music or dress. For some reason, M.L.B. hasn’t evolved similarly.” To stay competitive, H.B.C.U.s have had to cast a wider net. Lynn Thompson, the athletic director at Bethune-Cookman since 1990, said he saw the start of the decline of baseball growing up in Daytona Beach in the late 1960s; in neighborhoods where his friends once rode their bikes to play sandlot ball, redevelopment paved over ball fields in favor of basketball courts and parking lots. Bethune-Cookman began recruiting out of Florida’s deep pool of Latino players early on, and Thompson said that he has given the same marching orders each time he hires a baseball coach, something he did for the sixth time last
August. “We just happen to be historically black; we’re not exclusively black,” Thompson said. “Our job is to tell the great story of
with the league's foremost expert. If Bethune-Cookman’s baseball team, which has four African-Americans, does not resemble its student body, which
Bethune-Cookman through the lives of these great kids who wear our uniforms, wherever they come from and whatever they look like.” This is a complicated stance, and it has drawn criticism. It is not unusual for H.B.C.U. football teams to recruit white kickers or punters, or to look farther afield to fill out their tennis and golf teams. But baseball can strike a different chord, particularly because of the legacy of the Negro Leagues and Robinson’s stature as a civil rights icon. “We’ve taken some heat from some people,” Thompson said. “But look, we’re Division I, and if you’re a high school kid and you’re playing right field and batting .198 and you think just because we’re an H.B.C.U., you think you ought to be able to get a scholarship, you’re wrong.” He continued: “When you come to bat against the University of Miami and this guy’s throwing 96 miles per hour with a slider that falls off the earth, you’ve got to be able to perform. Ain’t no excuses then.” Marc Stein has covered Jordan. He's covered Kobe. And LeBron vs. the Warriors. Go behind the N.B.A.'s curtain
is 79 percent African-American, it is nevertheless a melting pot. This year, there are players who are Dominican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Colombian, Peruvian, Mexican and Jamaican; there also are white players, who make up about half the 28-player roster. The team’s first-year coach, Jonathan Hernandez, 33, grew up in Hialeah, Fla., a heavily Cuban community near Miami, where he was a product of Major League Baseball’s Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities youth program. He has put together a promising recruiting class — including two African-American players — that is ranked 60th among Division I programs, according to one analysis. Bethune-Cookman is the only H.B.C.U. on that list. “I know that we’ve got to be able to give black players more opportunities,” Hernandez said. “There are definitely talented baseball players out there, and we have to find them.” Finding them, though, is getting harder; N.C.A.A. data from 2018 showed only 4 percent of college players are African-American. And when an H.B.C.U. identifies an exceptional black prospect, it soon finds itself competing against
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C a r d i B , D J K h a l e d , M i g o s , H . E . R . , L i l N a s X , B i l ly R ay C y r u s , T o P e r f o r m At " B E T AWA R D S "
BET Ne t w o r ks announces
the first group of performers for the 19th Annual BET Awards including Cardi B, DJ Khaled, Migos, H.E.R., Lil Nas X, Billy Ray Cyrus, Lizzo, Mustard, Lil Baby, City Girls's Yung Miami, Lucky Daye and Kiana Lede. Hosted by Regina Hall, the 2019 BET Awards will air LIVE on Sunday, June 23, at 8 PM ET from the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles on BET. Additionally, the network announced the first group of presenters that will take the stage, including Taraji P. Henson, Lena Waithe, Morris Chestnut, Yara Shahidi and Marsai Martin. As previously announced, Cardi B leads this year's nominations with a total of seven, including Best Female Hip-Hop Artist, two separate nods in both the Best Collaboration and Video of the Year categories, Album of the Year and the Coca-Cola Viewers' Choice Award. Drake follows with five nods for Best Male Hip-Hop Artist, Video of the Year, Best Collaboration and the Coca-Cola Viewers' Choice Award. Other leading nominees include Beyoncé, Travis Scott and J. Cole, who received four nominations each, with Bruno Mars, 21 Savage, Childish
Gambino, H.E.R. and Ella Mai each scoring three nominations. The 2019 BET Awards will simulcast LIVE at 8 PM ET across seven Viacom networks in the U.S. including BET, BET HER, MTV, MTV 2, MTV Classic, VH1 and Logo. Internationally, the show will simulcast for the first time on BET Africa at 2 AM CAT on June 24, followed by international broadcasts in the U.K. on June 24 at 9 PM BST, South Korea on June 25 at 9 PM KST and in France on June 25 at 9 PM CEST. Internationally, BET will honor Best International Act in-show, along with the fan-voted category Best New International Act, during the live red carpet preshow.
Connie Orlando, Executive Vice-President, Head of Programming at BET, will serve as Executive Producer for the 2019 BET Awards along with Jesse Collins, CEO of Jesse Collins Entertainment. BET.com/betawards is the official site for the BET Awards and will have all the latest news and updates about this year's show. Follow us @BET_PR and @BETAWARDS BET Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA, VIA.B), is the nation's leading provider of quality entertainment, music, news and public affairs television programming for the AfricanAmerican audience. The primary
BET channel reaches more than 90 million households and can be seen in the United States, Canada, the Caribbean, the United Kingdom and sub-Saharan Africa. BET is the dominant AfricanAmerican consumer brand with a diverse group of business extensions: BET.com, a leading Internet destination for black entertainment, music, culture and news; BET HER, a 24-hour entertainment network targeting the African-American woman; BET Music Networks - BET Jams, BET Soul and BET Gospel; BET Home Entertainment; BET Live, BET's growing festival business; BET Mobile, which provides ringtones, games and video content for wireless devices; and BET International, which operates BET around the globe. The BET Awards is one of the most-watched award shows on cable television according to the Nielsen Company. The BET Awards franchise remains as the number one program in cable TV history among African-Americans, and it is BET's number one telecast every year. It recognizes the triumphs and successes of artists, entertainers and athletes in a variety of categories.
NEW SHORT FILM IMAGINES AN AMERICA WHERE ROE V. WADE IS OVERTURNED With states recently passing abortion bans, the new short film “It Happened One Night” gives a realistic depiction of what the future of America will be if state legislators continue to follow suit.
a realistic depiction of what the future of America will be if state legislators continue to follow suit….
The short, showcased at the Global Women in Film Corner at Cannes Film Festival, examines an America that has overthrown Roe v. Wade and has turned a blind eye to sexual assault victims. The pro-choice short film was written, directed and produced by Jabreé Webber; a recent graduate of the University of Southern California with an MFA in the Film and TV Production. Starring General Hospital’s Paulina Bugembe and Drumline: A New Beat’s Duain Richmond, the film highlights a distressing decision for a Black woman with an unintended pregnancy in the aftermath of sexual assault. Incorporating the conversations of #MeToo and #ProChoice, this film personifies the negative consequences that could occur with state legislatures banning abortion.
Set in 2022, the ten minute short follows Bugembe’s character Tia as she grapples with a tough reality after returning home from a scheduled procedure. Unbeknownst to Daniel, her fiancé portrayed by Richmond, Tia's choice inspires a point of contention for the couple who would otherwise be happily in love. With the pressures of the outside world rising, the couple struggles to maintain their relationship and are forced to make a hard decision about their future together.
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“In this film, I explore the influence of money and power as it pertains to sexual assault and the survivors' livelihood,” said filmmaker Jabreé Webber. “Additionally, I explore the topic of sexual assault and how it affects survivors in their day-to-day, interpersonal relationships.” This film is important and timely as state
legislators across the country continue to pass laws banning abortions without any exceptions for rape or incest. The film links key issues of pro-choice and sexual assault as it illustrates a possible outcome for women in America as these new state laws pose a severe threat to overturning Roe V. Wade by the Supreme Court. “I am utilizing my voice and talent to raise awareness around this issue,” said Webber. “This film is a piece about social issues that affect our country as a whole.”
allowed her to discover her love for film-making. Whether acting, writing or directing - Jabreé aspires to combine her love for being behind and in front of the camera in the same ways that her mentors have. Jabreé aspires to utilize her talents in order to impact social change and enrich young people while also transcending social inequalities.
“It Happened One Night” has also been selected to be showcased at the Global Impact Film Festival and Independent Short Awards. Jabreé Webber is a fearless artist with an incomparable drive, distinctive approach and charismatic nature. The Detroit native graduated high school at the young age of 16 and is an honors graduate of the University of Southern California's School of Dramatic Arts and the School of Cinematic Arts' MFA Film and TV Production program. The artist’s exposure to different types of storytelling
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ENTER TAINMENT BEYONCÉ and Others Help BROWN SUGAR Celebrate Black Music Month B R O WN SUGAR , the popular subscription video on demand service from Bounce, is kicking off summer with a fresh lineup of titles to celebrate the season. June is Black Music Month and to honor the occasion, Brown Sugar has curated a series of films from music legends such as Prince: Purple Rain, Michael Jackson: The Journey, Beyoncé: On Top, Rihanna: No Regrets and Winans: The Lost Concert. For Father's Day, consumers can explore the "Brown Sugar Daddies" collection of movies featuring influential father figures: Hotel Rwanda (Don Cheadle), Sounder (Paul Winfield) and The River Niger (James Earl Jones) as well as Season six of the Bounce original series Family Time (Omar Gooding). Debuting on the service this month are new titles including Ali: A Living Legend (Muhammad Ali), Before They Were Kings: Vol 1 (Chris Rock), Before They Were Kings: Vol 2 (Dave Chappelle), Laff Mobb's We
Got Next (Brely Evans), Sudie and Simpson (Louis Gossett Jr.) and The Other Brother (Mekhi Phifer). Popular returning titles in June are Foxy Brown (Pam Grier), Truck Turner (Isaac Hayes), Cooley High (Glynn Turman), The Mighty Quinn (Denzel Washington) and The Black Godfather (Rod Perry).
Viewers can watch these films and countless others on Brown Sugar along with complete seasons of top-rated Bounce originals such as Saints & Sinners, In The Cut and Last Call. Brown Sugar is available on Apple TV, Roku, Chromecast, Comcast Xfinity X1, Amazon Channels,
Amazon Fire TV, Amazon Kindle, Android and Apple smartphones and tablets and web browsers via BrownSugar.com. There is a free 7-day initial trial period for subscribers with a retail price of $3.99/month thereafter. Visit www. BrownSugar.com for more information.
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ENTER TAINMENT N E W P R E S I D E N T T O L E A D N Y T H E O L O G I C A L S E M I N A RY Rev. Dr. Walrond has begun her new role as the New York Theological Seminary’s (NYTS) 12th president — and as its first African American female president —on June 3rd marking a historic milestone for the 119-year-old institution. Dr. Walrond brings more than two decades of leadership in academia and ministry that will help shape new and distinctive programming to enhance the Seminary’s reputation in the nation and around the world. Established in 1900, NYTS has prepared women and men for faith-based ministries in New York and throughout the world for over a century. Among the distinctive attributes that distinguish the Seminary are its emphasis on ministry and mission, its openness to both women and men and its diversity of denominational and cultural traditions represented in its student body and alumni. Walrond’s appointment marks a new era for the Seminary’s increasingly diverse and multi-faith community. Walrond is mindful of the institution’s tradition and is looking forward to leading it into a new era. As president of NYTS, Dr. Walrond said she was proud “to have the opportunity to show all women that there are still many opportunities to be ‘the first’,” and she hopes that her Presidency can serve “as an example of what intelligence, discipline and determination can bring.” “As I assume the Presidency, I think about becoming the first female and the first African American female, and the great responsibility that accompanies this historic moment. My hope is to work collaboratively with the faculty, staff, students and board members to make NYTS a world renowned theological institution for preparing students for urban ministry. The more I learn about the history of New York Theological Seminary, the more I appreciate its vision — not just for the future of theological education, but for societal matters including education for incarcerated people,” she said. “The former administrations set a bar that I will strive each day to surpass, as I challenge myself and the NYTS community to make this historic and revered Seminary greater and grander.” “NYTS is truly blessed to have found such a dynamic and wellprepared leader. Rev. Dr. LaKeesha Walrond combines extraordinary vision and understanding of the
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importance of seminary education to ministry with solid, successful administrative experience directing major organizations. I have no doubt that she will lead the school to new heights and great success,” said Jeffrey C. Slade, M. Div., J.D., Chair of the Presidential Search Committee and Vice-Chair of the Board of Trustees of NYTS. Rev. Dr. Lawrence Hammond, Chair of the Board of Trustees at NYTS added “Dr. Walrond is truly the one that God has sent in this ‘Kairos Moment’ to lead our institution to its next level of academic excellence based on a solid foundation of vision and faith. We are extremely excited to have her join us in our ongoing pursuit of making NYTS a leader in theological education within the urban context.” Dr. Tamara R. Henry, Assistant Professor of Religious Education and a faculty representative on the Presidential Search Committee stated, “We are delighted to welcome Rev. Dr. LaKeesha Walrond as New York Theological Seminary’s new president and thrilled about the possibilities that await us together as we write this new chapter of our institutional story. As a search committee, we were not only impressed with the breadth and depth of Dr. Walrond’s experience, but also her exceptional capacity as a visionary leader, which will bring a fresh, bold and energizing approach to engaging theological education in the twentyfirst century.”
church, community and abroad. Her reach extends from several Christian denominations, colleges and universities to ministry work in South African, Canada, India and the Caribbean. She has served as a visiting speaker at the Heyman Center for Humanities at Columbia University, Union Theological Seminary, Princeton Theological Seminary and Spelman College. Dr. Walrond held senior leadership roles at Zion Temple Church in North Carolina and Lakewood Elementary School in Durham, North Carolina. In 2005, Dr. Walrond earned her Ph.D. in Special Education and Literacy from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She also holds a Master of School Administration with a focus in Educational Leadership and a Master of Arts in Teaching with a focus in Learning Disabilities from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Her commitment to ministry and education led her back to school post-doctorate to earn a Master of Divinity from Union Theological Seminary here in New York City. She received her
undergraduate degree from Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia. Dr. Walrond has been recognized by many organizations for her dedication to empowering the community. She was awarded the NAACP Leadership Award for her work in the African-American Community, was honored by the New York Liberty Women’s National Basketball Association, National Council of Negro Women and National Action Network and received “A Woman Who Worships Award” at McDonald’s GospelFest. Dr. Walrond is also the Author of two books; My Body Is Special (2017), a book that empowers children to take ownership of their bodies and provides them with problem solving tools to help them prevent unhealthy touching, and e-book Stronger Than Your Worst Pain: A Guide to Activating Your Inner Power, a book that empowers women to recognize their passion, power and potential to overcome life’s most difficult challenges. Dr. Walrond is married to Michael A. Walrond Jr. and they are the proud parents of Michael III and Jasmyn.
“I have watched Dr. Walrond evolve in her ministry for decades and she is a tireless faith leader with a devotion to uplifting communities through theology and education," said Dr. W. Franklyn Richardson, Senior Pastor of the historic Grace Baptist Church in Mount Vernon and Chairman of CNBC (Conference of National Black Churches). "She was the first female to preach at her hometown church in Texas and now she’s the first female to lead the New York Theological Seminary. We in the faith community are inspired by her unparalleled devotion to ministry and advocacy!” For over a decade, Dr. Walrond served as the Executive Pastor of First Corinthian Baptist Church in Harlem, New York where she focused on administration, ministry development and staff supervision. In that capacity she used educational and organizational strategies to maximize FCBC’s capacity and influence in the
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HE ALTH S tudents Win I NNO VAT I O N C H A L L E N G E To Serena and Venus Williams' Yetunde Price Resource Center (YPRC), in partnership with the Compton Unified School District (CUSD) and the Carrot Group, announced the winning teams in the Mission: Impact Challenge - Connected Community. In this Challenge, CUSD Middle and High School students formed teams to dream up innovative, feasible solutions using their Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (S.T.E.A.M.) skills to identify signs of people experiencing emotional trauma and build a community to support healing. The winners of the tenweek Innovation Challenge were announced yesterday at CUSD's 3rd Annual STEAMFest at Dollarhide Community Center in Compton. A distinguished panel of five judges, comprised of experts in trauma and technology, reviewed the presentations from each of the 12 semi-final teams (six from high school and six from middle school). Their scores, in combination with the votes from the event attendees, determined the Grand Prize winner and two Runner-Up teams at both school categories. The teams were scored based on originality of the idea; use and application of S.T.E.A.M. knowledge; feasibility; and potential impact. "I have been so impressed with all the Compton Unified students and teachers who participated in this Challenge," commented Serena Williams. "A huge congratulations to the winning teams. The technology solutions they thought of to help people in our community are incredible. Providing resources for people suffering from trauma is an issue that I care deeply about, and I appreciate that Compton students took this Challenge so seriously." THE SIX WINNING TEAMS AND THEIR IDEAS ARE: HIGH SCHOOL GRAND PRIZE TEAM: Dominguez High School students Andres Favela, Christopher Gilliam, Hilda Huerta, and Alex Perez developed a mobile phone application that uses A.I. to recognize someone experiencing trauma. RUNNER-UP TEAM: Compton Early College students Ja'niya Gray and Yajaira Soto developed an implant in the arm to help prevent panic/ anxiety attacks. RUNNER-UP TEAM: Dominguez High School students Giselle Arellano, Deliliah Franco, Jasmine Mack, and Justin Rodriguez developed a mobile phone application that
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activates meditation, chat, or games when someone is experiencing trauma.
MIDDLE SCHOOL GRAND PRIZE TEAM:
Clinton Elementary School students Perla Beltran and Demetrius Ramirez developed an interactive, computerized avatar that can offer treatment options for medical trauma. RUNNER-UP TEAM: Clinton Elementary
School students Rodolfo Camarena, Eduardo Gonzalez, Isaac Hernandez, Joshua Muniz, and Joaquin Ochoa developed a portable machine that identifies the types of trauma someone is experiencing and offers solutions. RUNNER-UP TEAM: Clinton Elementary School students Diana Bojorquez, Ivan Moreno, Alicia Ramirez, Mario Rosas, and Joseph Saldana developed an application that connects someone experiencing physical, sexual or domestic abuse to a health professional. "I am very proud of our Compton Scholars and staff who have taken on the Challenge. These students exemplify what Compton Unified School District endeavors to foster in every student -- scholarship and human compassion," said Dr. Darin Brawley, superintendent, CUSD. "Through the YPRC/Carrot Group's Connected Community Challenge, our students have unleashed their
inner creator and innovator to tackle a problem that is difficult for children and adults alike. The creative solutions ideated by these brilliant students are not only impressive, but they can make a tangible, positive impact on the lives of those suffering from trauma." In the U.S. alone, 7 out of 10 people have faced some form of trauma. Traumatic experiences such as
homelessness, gang violence, and bullying can have a lasting impact on physical, emotional, and mental well-being. Many people who suffer from trauma are unaware of its lingering effects. "Congratulations to all of the teams. The response to this Challenge has been absolutely incredible. The stories of impact across the students, faculty, administrators, and partners is overwhelming. We were thrilled to collaborate with the Yetunde Price Resource Center and Compton Unified School District to design this breakthrough and important Challenge," said Alan Zack, president, Carrot Group. "Many of these students deal with some form of trauma on a daily basis and drew from their own experiences to fuel their ideas" The two Grand Prize teams won a VIP Innovation Trip around Los Angeles, where they will meet leading innovators and experience
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cutting-edge technology. Each member of the two Grand Prize teams and the four Runner-Up teams will get VIP access to Two Bit Circus micro-amusement park in Los Angeles; an exclusive littleBits STEAM Kit bundle; and Beats headphones. The two Grand Prize teams' schools will receive $1,000 in science supplies. A Williams Sisters Fund Project, the Yetunde Price Resource Center
(YPRC) collaborates with partner organizations to offer traumainformed programs that promote individual and community-wide healing and resiliency. The Yetunde Price Resource Center was created to honor its namesake. Yetunde was the oldest of five sisters, the youngest being Venus and Serena Williams. When Yetunde was tragically killed in an act of senseless violence, she left behind three children, siblings, parents and a community that mourned her. As a result, the Price/Williams family wanted to ensure that anyone who has been impacted by violence could access resources in order to flourish. YPRC works to ensure that individuals who have experienced direct or indirect acts of senseless violence have complete access to existing resources and that where there is a dearth in services, new programming is created. Learn more at www.yprcla.org.
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MOVIE S
MOVIE REVIEW: MA
G e t h ome sa fe with Ma . Image used from slashfilm.com
Octavia Spencer has had a very interesting career. After winning the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress in 2012, she has gone on
to star in many high profile films such as Snowpiercer, Hidden Figures, Zootopia and The Shape of Water. But before she was such a high profile actress, Octavia Spencer mostly worked smaller roles in films most notably in horror. She had small, even barely noticeable roles in Pulse, Drag Me To Hell and Rob Zombie’s Halloween II, the latter being only a decade ago. Things have changed so quickly for the talented actress. Now Spencer returns to the horror genre this time as the main star and villain in the titular Ma. Will her foray into horror villain be successful, or should Spencer have stayed away? The story for Ma is like the character’s false nature: it only wants to play it safe. The story follows Maggie, a teenager who has moved with her mother back to her old home town. She quickly makes friends and in an attempt to get alcohol befriend a woman named Sue Ann who is incredibly generous and kind to them, so much so that she offers to open up
her basement as a place for them to drink and party. Soon Sue Ann’s home becomes the local hang out for all the high school students and she earns the nickname Ma. However after a few disturbing events the kids begin to move further away from Sue Ann which
ends up making her more and more dangerous. On the surface Ma comes off as a simple stalker film and unfortunately for the film and us it mostly is. Things start off rather slow with the kids and Sue Ann getting to know each other more and more, it honestly begins more like a drama then a horror film. But once it becomes clear that something is wrong with Sue Ann things begin begins to steadily spiral into a horror film. Honestly the pacing is quite good allowing us time to get to know the characters and establish the relationship with Sue Ann and the others. Be that as it may once the film finally forms into a horror film things become rather generic and even predictable. Sure it’s still a well made horror film with some decently tense moments and the third act itself is very exciting and makes for a very good, grand finale but it really does feel like “been there, done that” and in a time when horror films are better, smarter and more creative then they’ve been
By Jonathan Gonzalez in years and especially coming from the auteurs at Blumhouse I expected so much more. The story does have potential and even lightly touches on some interesting ideas. Unfortunately it doesn’t try to go for that potential, those “lightly touched ideas” come far too late.
The characters for Ma are mostly forgettable Sue Ann is a very good horror villain. Her initial kind and generous demeanor does a good job of masking her true self and even threw myself off guard for a moment. Despite her height and age she still manages to be an incredibly intimidating and imposing character in her moments of rage and in her quieter moments such as her manipulating the kids are rather unsettling. But Sue Ann is far more then a villain meant to be feared, in fact Sue Ann is one of the most sympathetic villains I’ve seen in a very long time. Throughout the film there are flashbacks of Sue Ann as a teenager and what sent her on the path to becoming who she is. While I feel they could have gone further and more grim with these flashbacks they still do an excellent job of framing the character. It isn’t long before you learn why she clings to these kids, why she has violent out bursts and before you
know it you actually find yourself rooting for her from time to time. The only flaw in her character is that the writers wanted to make Sue Ann a victim of racism, seeing that she’s lived her life in a predominately white, Podunk town but it only comes into play in the last ten minutes and as such doesn’t work which is a shame because it only would have made the sad, tragic story of Sue Ann even stronger and herself even more of a likable character. That being said I would honestly love to see Sue Ann in another film. If the likes of Jason Voorhees, Michael Myers and The Stepfather could find ways to come back surely Sue Ann as an idea or two up her sleeve. Maggie is an OK character. She’s more a typical horror movie hero: selfless, noble, wants to help everyone, etc, etc. She isn’t bad but she is bland, I honestly had to wrack my brains to think of anything to talk about her character but I keep coming up with nothing. The remaining cast of characters aren’t even worth mentioning. They exist to take up space and that’s about it. Heck, calling them paper thin would actually be giving them too much depth. There were far too many moments where I forgot most of these characters even existed and time and time again the shock of seeing a character who I forgot all about was more alarming then the film’s jump scares. It’s clear all the attention was given to the character of Sue Ann, as it should, but without memorable or likable characters to support the film really just comes off more as a one woman show.
Acting for Ma is carried solely by one person Octavia Spencer gives an excellent performance as Sue Ann. From the simple start Spencer is captivating and as the film goes on she gets better and better. Spencer makes for a frightening villain and is effective whenever she is driven to anger and violence. But the moments where we’re meant to sympathize with Sue Ann are even better. Not only are these moments moving but she creates such empathy for her character that the idea that she’s on the brink of a violent rampage is nonexistent.
At Black Colleges, Baseball Teams Are Missing both elite programs with more resources and professional teams dangling signing bonuses. Sherman Reed, in his ninth season as the coach at Coppin State, said that he commiserates with a handful of African-American college coaches, like Edwin Thompson at Eastern Kentucky and Kerrick Jackson at Southern University, about the difficulties of recruiting. “Economics plays such a big part of this,” Reed said. “More than people want to say.” Showcase events that gather the best talent, for example, can cost about $800 for a player to attend, and include as many as 1,000 players — but
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perhaps only a dozen African-Americans, Reed said. Of those, he said, eight might have major-college tools. “It’s a rat race to get those kids,” Reed said. “We like the kid, but Penn State is there and likes the kid, Vanderbilt is there and likes the kid. They always ask, ‘Coach, how many guys have you got drafted?’ I tell them, ‘If I get you, you’ll be the first one.’” At the other end of the food chain, he said, are the emails and phone calls from African-American high school players who Reed believes should be aiming lower than Division I. “Instead of ignoring the kid’s video, I try to be truthful,” Reed said. “I might say, ‘There’s some tools I like, but there’s a good junior college in your area where
you can learn your trade.’” The sweet spot for Reed works something like this: a tip from his extensive web of contacts about a player who, for whatever reason, has fallen through the cracks. Someone like Jahmon Taylor, a live-armed pitcher from Altamonte Springs, Fla., whom Rickie Weeks Sr. — the father of a former big leaguer and top overall pick out of Southern University — said was not being recruited. Or a player like Nazir McIlwain, a first baseman from Passaic, N.J., who could not afford the admission fee to a showcase that might have showed off his sweet swing to bigger programs. Lynn Thompson, the athletic director at
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Bethune-Cookman since 1990, gives every new coach he hires the same marching orders: “We just happen to be historically black; we’re not exclusively black.” Both are seniors at Coppin State now. Taylor owns the record for career strikeouts, and McIlwain set the one for hits. But they are among only six AfricanAmericans on Reed’s current roster. Back at Bethune-Cookman, Hernandez hopes for a similar progression for Khalil Smith, a freshman outfielder from Southfield, Mich. Smith starred on an entirely African-American team in high school, and he was close to Demetrius Sims, a minor leaguer in the Miami Marlins organization who starred at Bethune-Cookman.
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MOVIE S
MOVIE REVIEW: Brightburn Everyone knows the story of Superman. A baby who escaped the destruction of his home planet, crashed to Earth and was raised by a kindly couple in the middle of nowhere. He grew into the very personification of truth, justice and the American way, protecting the innocent and living by a strict moral code. Of course the idea of a “What If” story has always existed such as what if Superman grew up to become a villain? That’s what the film Brightburn delves into and it does not pull any punches with it’s concept.
The story for Brightburn is clever and very tense. The film follows Tori and Kyle Breyer, a young couple who find a baby in a spaceship and raise him as their own. The child, Brandon, initially grows into a kind young boy and early on a sense of tragedy already sets in. It hurts to see this family being happy and not having a care in the world and seeing this intelligent boy with so much potential and knowing full well what monster he will become gives a strong sense of dread throughout. It isn’t long until Brandon begins to turn evil and from here the film chooses not only to take it’s time with his transition but adds a unsettling sense of realism to it. Tori and Kyle soon discover images of gore and mutilated bodies mixed among hidden pornography in Brandon’s room, Brandon becomes quiet and aggressive. A rather interesting aspect of this is his growing sense of toxic masculinity where he begins to obsesses over and stalk a fellow classmate, acting as if she belongs to him. It isn’t just simply a Superman type character turning into mustache twirling super villain but rather psych 101, a look into how a boy turns into a serial killer which truly makes the whole thing even more disturbing. The story goes through a slow burn, building up to when Brandon becomes the bad guy and as it progresses the tension grows more and more to the point that even simple scenes keep you on edge. The tension pays off greatly with Brandon’s full transformation and final rampage which is exciting as it is terrifying and disturbing and it all works so well thanks to the building of tension. The subversion is interesting and works very well, however the problem with it is that it also comes off as accidentally xenophobic. Superman has always meant to symbolize an immigrant, now more then ever. So to make the immigrant the violent
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psychopath who rampages through the “heartland” comes off quite bad. It was clearly an after thought but still one that leaves a bad taste in one’s mouth. Whoops. Not only that but it feels even more could have been done with the story. While it is tense and engaging with a good payoff it still comes off as a simple serial killer origin and seems to play it safe too often. Much more could have been done with the story however what we get is still quite good and nice starting point in what has the potential to grow.
The characters for Brightburn are interesting but flawed Tori and Kyle Breyer are both pretty good characters though at times Tori can be more problematic. Tori is a good and loving mother who always defends her son and believes there is good in him. That’s fine, heck it’s what really lends itself to the tragedy of it all. However it doesn’t take long for it to become irksome as there is clearly something wrong with Brandon and her refusal to see it goes to far. Kyle, on the other hand, is a more likable character as from early on he knows
something is wrong and keeps trying to so something only to be stopped by Tori each and every time. Brandon is an interesting parallel to Superman. While Superman wants to do good and protect the innocent Brandon is cruel, arrogant, violent, misogynistic and wants to rule over mankind. This makes for not only an interesting juxtaposition but a pretty good villain. But like the story itself Brandon could have been so much more. The problem is that the writers wanted him to get to being The Bad Guy as soon as possible and thus threw out any kind of character development he could have had. Brandon starts off as an average
By Jonathan Gonzalez
boy: A good student, a good son who loves his parents, just your run of the mill American boy. However, he soon starts hearing sounds from the ship he arrived in as a baby, hidden in his parents barn, and at the drop of a pin is ready to become evil. Just like that. No struggle, no conflict, just “Oh, guess I’ll be evil then”. Again this is a boy who had a normal, loving upbringing and he never once questions why he should be evil. He never fights the temptation, he never simply wants to remain the good boy he’s always been and if that had been the case it would have given his character so much depth and would have lent itself to the film so greatly. He may be a good villain but he could have been more: A sympathetic, tragic character. Acting for Brightburn is well done Elizabeth Banks does well as Tory Breyer. Banks does a good job, working well with her costars and coming off sincerely as a mother protecting her child. Banks manages to carry the film through many scenes and is always a commanding presence.
David Denman does a good job as Kyle Breyer. Denman gives one of the finest performances of his career as his performance really made me feel for Kyle’s plight more and more. It is nice to see him doing more serious roles which really add to his acting talent. Jackson A. Dunn gives a phenomenal performance as Brandon Breyer. Dunn is incredibly unsettling as Brandon coming off as both cruel and smug all while being calm and collected. He has his moments of outbursts where he shows the underlying rage of his character and in such moments is intimidating
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but it’s his collected moments, his calculating moments which make him memorable. Mark my words this kid is going to have a long and successful career in the horror genre. Lastly the effects and makeup are absolutely stupendous. The effects used for Brandon’s powers are truly unbelievable. With his heat vision, flight and all the destruction he wreaks with them makes it seem like the film had a larger budget. However the budget is only six million and the filmmakers managed to make it look bigger and grander then it’s small budget would suggest. The makeup and gore effects are also effective. I tend to like gory movies and as such it would take a lot to cause me to even flinch. Brightburn didn’t make me flinch, he caused me to reel in disgust. The more practical effects are startling and grim looking painful and realistic while the minimal use of CG gore is used to it’s greatest potential as one moment in particular shocked me so much that I gasped out loud in the theater. Even John Wick 3 wasn’t
this visceral. With such good gore effects and even kills Brightburn is truly not for the faint of heart. Final Thoughts: While it doesn’t reach it’s full potential Brightburn is still a very entertaining horror film and an interesting “What If” Superman film. The story is tense and has some good ideas, the acting is done very well, the effects are amazing and the finale is a well earned payoff to the whole film. It isn’t for everyone but if a dark and gory subversion of one of our more beloved heroes is up your alley then check out Brightburn. Verdict: 3/5
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