UCAN Magazine Winter 2019

UCAN!

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VOLUME SIX ISSUE TWO

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Steve Harvey Sharing Words of

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Michael B. Jordan Chris Tucker Being a Blessing Teaming up with The Lakers Antonia Badon is our Actor Shining Bright Goings On: Eric B. Joins the Cast of Blue Bloods

Freddie Figgers Inspiring Us All

SEE IT FREE ON VIMEO

FROM THE EDITOR

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VOLUME SIX ISSUE TWO

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

STAR DAVIS CREATIVE

We hope you like this issue’s features. As you know, we’ve started to cover stories not just about success in entertainment but also about people who were extraordinary in everyday life. Freddie Figgers is a powerful example of how we can all succeed no matter how life starts.

Chris Tucker shows generosity to school children in Georgia. Michael B. Jordan is using his platform to positively influence young people who have not always had good role models or made the smartest decisions. Steve Harvey has had unmatched success in television, stage and radio, yet he lived through some very lean years before the arrival of his financial wealth. What we want to always show is that success is possible – no matter what.

We are soon to start a new year, and a new decade. Both are wonderfully symbolic times to set new precedents. Use our features to remind yourself to keep moving forward, no matter what. All of us have control over what direction our lives take.

Whenever you’re feeling like you can’t do or accomplish what you want in life - to always know that UCAN!

#CelebratingSuccessStories

DIRECTOR

RANDELL PEARSON SOCIAL

MEDIA

MANAGER

JACQUELINE MARIE ALVARADO CONTRIBUTING

EDITORS

DARYL NELSON ALTON PITRE ALEX SHERMAN EDITORIAL

PRODUCTION

MONICA TRAVELLINO ENTERTAINMENT

DIRECTOR

KAREN Y. BROWN RESEARCH

CENTER

DEIDRE GREGORY KEIDRA CAMERON MICHELLE DUBOIS ADVERTISING

DIRECTOR

KIMBERLY ANN RICHARDS

UCAN! MAGAZINE IS TRADEMARKED AND PUBLISHED FOUR TIMES ANNUALLY IN ENGLISH. UCAN! @ 2015 BY PEARSON DESIGNS, BROOKLYN NY,

Twitter: @UCANMagazine Instagram: @ucan_magazine Cover Photography: Steve Harvey Global

USA. REPRODUCTION OF ANY PARTS OF THIS PUBLICATION REQUIRES EXPRESS WRITTEN CONSENT OF THE PUBLISHER. UCAN! ACCEPTS NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR UNSOLICITED MANUSCRIPTS, PHOTOGRAPHY OR ARTWORK.

‘It Makes Me Happy’ CHRIS TUCKER PLAYS SECRET SANTA AT GEORGIA SCHOOL, SURPRISES STUDENTS WITH GIFTS

BY DARYL NELSON PHOTOGRAPHY BY JASON MERRITT Chris Tucker put smiles on the faces of a lot of children and their parents at Henry County Middle School in the Atlanta suburb of McDonough, Georgia, on Thursday, Dec. 19.

He did it by donating hundreds of gifts to students for the holidays. At the beginning of the school year, the children were asked to sign a Christmas wish list, but it wasn’t known that Tucker would be their Secret Santa. In total, about 300 Henry County families received gifts at the school, which were waiting for them when they arrived.

The actor and comedian, who’s probably best known for playing detective James Carter in the “Rush Hour” films, has his own 501(c)(3) organization called the Chris Tucker Foundation. And it was through that foundation that he donated the toys.

Reportedly, Tucker got all of the gifts together in under six short days.

“We raise money all year to do things like this, and if anybody needs something we want to help out,” he told WSB-TV in Atlanta. “The little we can do, if that makes them happy, it makes me happy.”

Besides swooping in with new toys for schoolchildren, Tucker’s foundation also puts on a musical theater program for kids ages 7-17 called “Camp Spotlight.”

Plus, each year he gives scholarships for people pursuing a two- or four-year degree. And he works with New Life Tabernacle Church of God In Christ in Atlanta to help combat homelessness.

Some of the toys the children received included bicycles, “Star Wars” action figures and scooters, which they started enjoying right on the spot.

In other related news, Tucker recently hosted TV One’s annual Urban One Honors on Dec. 5 at the MGM National Harbor in Oxon Hill, Maryland.

Some of the people honored at the event include Missy Elliott, Jamie Foxx and Chance the Rapper.

According to a press release, the ceremony honors “The accomplishments of individuals who have made extraordinary contributions in entertainment, media, music, fashion, sports, education and the community.”

The event will be televised on Jan. 20, 2020, at 8 p.m. EST on TV One.

MICHAEL B. JORDAN ACCOMPANIES INCARCERATED YOUTH INTO THE THE LAKERS PRACTICE FACILITY IN EL SEGUNDO WHERE THEY MET THE TEAM AND PLAYED A BASKETBALL GAME. (IMAGE BY SCOTT BUDNICK / ONE COMMUNITY) BELOW: ROBERT HORRY SPEAKS DURING ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION WITH INCARCERATED YOUTH. (IMAGE BY IVAN GUARD / REPRESENT JUSTICE)

LAKERS AND

MICHAEL B. JORDAN

HOST GAME WITH INCARCERATED YOUTH The Los Angeles Lakers and Michael B. Jordan host a conversation and basketball game with incarcerated youth at the team’s practice facility as part of Represent Justice campaign and NBA Play for Justice initiative.

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Eleven incarcerated young men and women from Ventura Youth Correctional Institution were surprised with an early Christmas gift on Monday with a field trip to the Lakers practice facility in El Segundo where they were able to meet the team and play in a five-on-five basketball game.

The event was a part of the Represent Justice campaign to humanize those who are locked up in bringing about hope and redemption to light and support the Jan. 10 release of “Just Mercy,” a film starring Michael B. Jordan, who plays the role of Bryan Stevenson -- a lawyer who fights to provide justice for an innocent Alabama man on death row, played by Jamie Foxx.

Prior to the basketball game, One Community film company President and CEO Scott Budnick moderated a profound roundtable discussion between Jordan and the youth who briefly shared their stories of their troubled upbringings and future goals. Some formerly incarcerated men, who are members of the Anti-Recidivism Coalition (ARC), also joined in on the conversation to offer their stories of success to serve as tangible hope for the youth currently on the inside.

“All eleven [youths] were picked because they are computer coders, college students and mentors, all while behind bars,” Budnick said.

Johnson chimed in and shared how he battled with staying out of trouble as a youth and always being one mistake away from getting in the wrong car with a friend or going to the wrong party.

Former Lakers Robert Horry and Metta World Peace also sat in on the session and shared how they were fortunate enough to stay on the right path as athletes when they were younger.

THE LAKERS TEAM TAKES PHOTO WITH INCARCERATED YOUTH AND ARC MEMBERS DURING NBA PLAY FOR JUSTICE EVENT AT THE TEAM’S PRACTICE FACILITY IN EL SEGUNDO ON DEC. 23, 2019. (IMAGE BY IVAN GUARD / REPRESENT JUSTICE)

Daniel “D Smoke” Farris, the winner of the first season of the Netflix music competition show, Rhythm & Flow was in attendance and shared his story before being challenged by a female youth to perform a spoken word piece.

The Lakers organization welcomed the young men and women with open arms. Lakers president Jeanie Buss and general manager Rob Pelinka were present during the session to give their full support of this first ever event to take place in their camp and facility.

Just as this event served to be meaningful for the Lakers faculty, it was more impactful for the youth who have been confined within gates for a long period of time.

“This is my first time leaving Ventura in three years,” one of the youths said.

Following the heartfelt exchange of oral sentiments, everyone went down to the courts where they met the entire Lakers team and then engaged in a Play for Justice game in which Horry and World Peace served as coaches.

The Ventura youth were mesmerized as they were presented with named Represent Justice jerseys and brand new Lebron 17 shoes that they were able to keep and take back.

“Tonight they are back in their jail cell, temporarily, but with hope, inspiration and a continued path of transformation,” Budnick said. “All are coming home -- the smiles and laughter today was healing for all.” Source: jungletography.com

Te d d y W i l s o n THEOIMAGERY.C OM

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Freddie Figgers W H E R E Y O U S TA R T D O E S N ’ T H AV E T O B E W H E R E Y O U S TAY Once a baby discarded by a dumpster, Freddie Figgers is now a CEO whose company is worth $62 Million.

Freddie grew up in rural Florida often being referred to as “the dumpster baby” throughout his elementary school years.

Instead of letting that ridicule scar his soul, he went on to flourish in ways that completely defy the odds, even for those with a more traditional start in life.

A good Samaritan called the police after discovering the newborn in distress. Freddie was checked into a hospital where he stayed for two days to recover from minor injuries incurred by his perilous beginning.

Once he became stable, Freddie was placed into the foster care system. He was taken in by Nathan and Betty Figgers, residents of nearby Quincy, Florida who already had a daughter of their own. The Figgers, regular foster parents, soon decided to adopt the baby.

“It’s a rural area, so after it happened, everybody heard about it,” Figgers tells Light Workers. “My parents told me the truth about what happened as I grew older. I thought about it a lot as a kid, and I’d have to say it was embarrassing when I was younger.”

However, it was during the same time that Freddie discovered his gift for technology. His father, Nathan, bought him an old 1989 Macintosh to play with. He paid $25 for it at a thrift store.

“He thought that a computer might help to keep me out of trouble,” said Figgers.

Nathan Figgers’ plan for his son worked like a charm! At just nine years-old, Freddie disassembled and reassembled the Macintosh multiple times. He would also figure out how to use some old radio parts to actually power up the computer.

“I still have it,” Figgers said about that first computer. “It’s what sparked my interest in technology.”

Freddie was so good at tinkering with computers, the city of Quincy would actually hire him, at 13 years-old, to fix theirs. By 15, he started his first company out of his parents’ living room called Figgers Computers. He specialized in computer repair and helping clients store data on servers he created.

While Freddie was in his early twenties, his father was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease. Before Nathan Figgers passed in 2014, Freddie had invented a GPS tracking, two-way communication device to help find and keep track of his father in case the disease would cause him to wander off.

“I created a device that I could insert in his shoe that would allow me to track him, plus talk to him through his shoe,” said Figgers.

“It was difficult to watch him decline—it’s something you never forget. I’ve always been so grateful to him and my mom. They taught me not to let my circumstances define who I was.”

In spite of this difficult situation, Freddie was able to sell his GPS tracking invention to an undisclosed company for $2.2 Million in 2012. He was 23 years-old at the time.

In 2017 Freddie’s privately-owned company, Figgers Wireless was appraised at more than $62 Million. Figgers is proud of his business, which sells smartphones and data plans. He is concentrating now on combining technology with health care and safety.

“The best thing any human being can do is influence another one,” Figgers said.

He sells a wireless blood glucose meter for people with diabetes that allows patients to download and share glucose levels through Bluetooth technology. And he is working on a project similar to his “smart shoe” technology to help families stay in touch with homeless loved ones.

“That could be me on the streets—I could have been homeless or dead if I hadn’t been found by the dumpster after I was born,” he said.

“I wouldn’t recommend my path to everyone,” says Figgers, speaking of his decision to drop out of college. “But it worked for me. When I was seventeen, I had 150 clients that needed websites and storage for their files. I just kept building from there.”

Freddie Figgers, now 30, is living proof that there is no limit to what a child can accomplish when given a nurturing and safe environment.

“My parents adopted me and gave me love and a future,” he said. “They did their best to make the world a better place, and now that’s all I want to do, too.”

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aving mastered the entertainment realms of television, radio and stage, Steve Harvey is generous when sharing his views on what propelled him to strive for, and reach, superstardom.

He knows all sides of life. We see the wealth and the opulence of his life today. Before the mega success of having seven projects in production at the same time, Harvey worked as an autoworker, a boxer, a carpet cleaner, an insurance salesman, and a postal carrier. He’s also experienced setbacks that most of us hope to never, ever go through.

In the late eighties, after having given up his job to pursue comedy, Steve Harvey was homeless. After sleeping nights in his 1976 Ford, he would shower at gas stations and at public swimming pools. Getting a comedy gig that provided a hotel stay was more of a luxury for him than most people realized.

Since Steve Harvey knows what it’s like to live in poverty and, more importantly, what it’s like to climb from scarcity to the top of the entertainment game – we wanted to share his top ten rules for success.

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NETFLIX HIT ‘THE IRISHMAN’ MARKS A TURNING POINT FOR HOW OSCAR - CALIBER MOVIES ARE DISTRIBUTED, AND COULD SPEED THE DEMISE OF MOVIE THEATERS

BY ALEX SHERMAN @SHERMAN4949

KEY POINTS: Netflix estimates more than 40 million people will watch “The Irishman” on Netflix in its first 28 days on the platform. The popularity of “The Irishman” on Netflix may put increasing pressure on media companies to push back on movie theaters to cut the traditional 90-day exclusive windowing of Oscar-caliber films.

The expense of seeing a movie and difficulty of getting to a theater with young kids has made windowing increasingly consumer unfriendly.

We’ve hit a turning point: Oscar-worthy movies are coming to your living room nearly as quickly as they arrive in theaters.

A year after showcasing Best Picture-nominated “Roma,” Netflix has made “The Irishman” and “Marriage Story” available to subscribers in November and December — around the same time they hit movie theaters — in preparation for awards season.

“The Irishman” is the latest gangster movie from director Martin Scorsese, featuring veteran actors Joe Pesce, Robert DeNiro and Al Pacino. “Marriage Story” is a highbrow drama on the divorce process written and directed by Noah Baumbach.

Both movies won Golden Globe nominations for Best Picture (Drama). Oscar nominations will be announced on Jan. 13.

It turns out a lot of Americans want to watch new Oscar-caliber movies in their living rooms. Netflix announced this week that more than 26 million subscribers watched at least 70% of “The Irishman” in the first seven days it was shown on the streaming platform. Netflix expects that number to balloon to 40 million in the first 28 days. The actual number of viewers is probably even higher, as each subscriber represents an account, not a single person, and people often watch movies in a group.

For comparison, Scorsese’s 1990 hit movie “Goodfellas” drew about 2 million people to movie theaters in its first week, based on available ticket sale data, said Rich Greenfield, a media analyst at LightShed Partners.

That probably means we’re going to get more of movies coming to streaming services sooner, which is great news for consumers. It’s also terrible news for movie theaters.

“Theaters are in deep trouble,” said Greenfield. “Consumers don’t want rigid windowing.”

Great for parents of young kids For decades, the theatrical window has protected the movie theater industry by limiting the release of films. Most new releases aren’t available as a streaming option in people’s homes until about three months after they showcase in theaters.

That can be frustrating for people like me. For years, I made a point to try to see as many Academy Award-nominated movies as I could before watching The Oscars. I enjoyed rooting for my favorite Best Picture nominee and, inevitably, cursing the Academy when it lost to “The Shape of Water” or “Crash” or whatever.

But once I had kids, my movie-going days came to a “Crash”-ing halt. As most Oscar-worthy films are released in theaters between Thanksgiving and Christmas, they typically don’t become available for home viewing until after The Oscars take place -- usually in February or early March. In recent years, I’ve gone from seeing nearly every Oscar-nominated movie before the award show airs to almost none. (Although I did see “Roma” last year -- thanks Netflix!).

This year, I’ve already seen “The Irishman” and “Marriage Story.”

The transition away from movie theaters for young parents isn’t a new phenomenon. But the gaudy viewership statistics for “The Irishman” suggests there’s enormous consumer desire to pair streaming services with high quality films.

Film production companies have toyed with narrowing theatrical windows before, such as charging an outrageous $59.99 for on demand viewing of the little known “Tower Heist” back in 2011.

The difference today is media companies have a new incentive: To bolster the subscription numbers of fledgling streaming services. Disney+, AT&T-WarnerMedia’s HBO Max, Comcast-NBCUniversal’s Peacock, Apple TV+, Amazon Prime Video and other Netflix competitors are going to have to compete with each other for market share.

If 40 million people are watching “The Irishman,” that’s probably a sign the executives running streaming services will view top-level movies as must-have programming -- content that can truly move the needle for new subscribers. Oscar-caliber movies are exactly what Apple CEO Tim Cook, WarnerMedia CEO John Stankey and others should crave to convince customers to sign up for their streaming services. Once consumers enter their credit card information, it’s a lot easier to get them to stick around for a while.

This may be an optimistic view. While it’s certainly beneficial not only for families with young kids but anyone trying to avoid spending ”$100 a night,” as Netflix chief content officer Ted Sarandos noted this week, movie theater companies have successfully lobbied to hold on to exclusive windows for decades. Perhaps they’ll continue to win this fight, even as consumers like me suffer.

But we’ve already seen Netflix disrupt the traditional pay-TV bundle, causing millions of people to cancel cable TV each year.

It’s not a stretch to imagine Netflix disrupting the theater industry too.

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ANTONIA BADON is an exceptional actress. She is not only known throughout college campuses for her theatre talent, she is also a Culturepreneur, a radio personality, a content producer and an experienced video editor.

Her performance in the Laurence Holder play, ZORA! is electrifying. She channels the spirit of Zora Neale Hurston’s adventurous energy and teaches theater goers, students, Zora enthusiasts and world travelers about the Harlem Renaissance in the 1920s. Watching this play, we actually feel the experiences and stages of the acclaimed writer’s life.

After watching Badon work, it’s not hard to believe her when she says that she was directed by God to become an actress.

“I had praying grandparents and one thing I took away was that seeking God first for direction was an absolute must. So, when I asked God for a career choice and He said theater, I answered in my spirit, ‘what am I going to do with a Theater degree?’ but I obliged and set off to get a dual Bachelor’s degree in Theater and Mass Communication.” Every day she makes it a priority to listen to that still, small voice of God. A native of New Orleans, Antonia Badon’s unique adaptation in ZORA! seems to transcend time and place with 19 character portrayals, 15 wardrobe changes, 15 authentic voices and 15 music transitions - all in an hour and 40 minutes.

Badon rises to the challenge of portraying one of the most gifted and prolific artists of the New Negro Movement (later to be known as the Harlem Renaissance).

She portrays, with fluidity and great detail, Zora Neale

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Hurston’s experience of leaving the small town of Eatonville, Florida and eventually coming to Harlem and being the first African American to enroll at the prestigious Barnard College. Badon flawlessly takes the audience through Hurston’s time of study with the renowned Franz Boaz, who ignited her interest in African-American Anthropology.

Badon radiates Zora Neale Hurston’s gift of storytelling with exceptional brilliance. Audiences at major universities and theaters are transfixed as the character reaches her apex and discovers her potential as an anthropologist, essayist and contributor to various projects with her contemporaries Langston Hughes, Richard Wright, Wallace Thurman, Alain Locke, W.E.B. Dubois and Marcus Garvey.

In addition to the many accolades for ZORA!, Antonia Badon won the Best Actress award at the 2019 Strawberry One-Act Festival.

ZORA! will be staged again Saturday March 7th, and Sunday March 8th at the BLACK SPECTRUM THEATER, 177-01 Baisley Blvd., Jamaica, NY 11434 For information go to www.blackspectrum.com or call 718-723-1800.

CHECK OUT ANTONIA BADON’S OTHER PRODUCTIONS Radio: The Harlem Renaissance Time Travel Show, Sundays 4:30 - 5:30 PM WHCR 90.3FM THE VOICE OF HARLEM TV: Renaissance Traveler, Saturdays 3:30 - 4:00 PM Spectrum Lifestyle Channel 2 | GDP Channel 5 | FIOS 34 | TWC 56 | RCN 83 or @ www.mnn.org

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PHOTOGRAPHY BY RONNIE WRIGHT When one hears the name Eric B. we usually think of the Hip Hop duo Eric B. & Rakim. These days, Eric Barrier is being paid in full on the small screen. He has been cast in a recurring role for CBS’ BLUE BLOODS. This follows a 2018 appearance on ABC family sitcom, THE GOLDBERGS. The legendary DJ turned actor screened his debut episode “Another Look,” at New York City’s Sugar Factory. Eric appeared as Detective Mike Gee on the police drama. The newly-introduced character is a longtime associate of Danny Reagan, played by Donny Wahlberg – who attended the screening along with veteran rapper Melle Mel (seen below).

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