YES! Weekly - May 12, 2021

CAROLINA BLUES FEST

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May 12-18, 2021 YES! WEEKLY

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MAY 12-18, 2021 VOLUME 17, NUMBER 19

10 5500 Adams Farm Lane Suite 204 Greensboro, NC 27407 Office 336-316-1231 Fax 336-316-1930 Publisher CHARLES A. WOMACK III

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publisher@yesweekly.com EDITORIAL Editor CHANEL DAVIS chanel@yesweekly.com YES! Writers IAN MCDOWELL MARK BURGER

BODY-WORN CAMERAS are a relatively new system and a rapidly improving technology— one that is still, unfortunately, a mystery to many members of the public. City officials and members of the police force all across the Triad are still engaged in a fight against misinformation regarding the legislation surrounding body-worn cameras and police surveillance policies— one that they wish to fix with policies to permit increased transparency.

KATEI CRANFORD JIM LONGWORTH JESSICA CLIFFORD HABIN HWANG

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PRODUCTION Graphic Designers ALEX FARMER designer@yesweekly.com AUSTIN KINDLEY artdirector@yesweekly.com ADVERTISING Marketing TRAVIS WAGEMAN travis@yesweekly.com Promotion NATALIE GARCIA

DISTRIBUTION JANICE GANTT KYLE MUNRO SHANE MERRIMAN ANDREW WOMACK We at YES! Weekly realize that the interest of our readers goes well beyond the boundaries of the Piedmont Triad. Therefore we are dedicated to informing and entertaining with thought-provoking, debate-spurring, in-depth investigative news stories and features of local, national and international scope, and opinion grounded in reason, as well as providing the most comprehensive entertainment and arts coverage in the Triad. YES! Weekly welcomes submissions of all kinds. Efforts will be made to return those with a self-addressed stamped envelope; however YES! Weekly assumes no responsibility for unsolicited submissions. YES! Weekly is published every Wednesday by Womack Newspapers, Inc. No portion may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher. First copy is free, all additional copies are $1.00. Copyright 2021 Womack Newspapers, Inc.

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4 The 35th annual 2021 CAROLINA BLUES FESTIVAL kicked off this Sunday with a virtual screening of the Emmy Award winning film Charlie’s Place on Sunday hosted by the Piedmont Blues Preservation Society. This year’s festival, themed Carolina Soul will be a mix of live entertainment and online, with the live performances being held in Downtown Greensboro.

5 The UNCSA (University of North Carolina School of the Arts) School of Filmmaking will present its annual showcase of fourth-year STUDENT FILMS on May 21st at Marketplace Cinemas Drive-In, 2095 Peters Creek Parkway, Winston-Salem.

Admission is free, but due to space limitations, registration is required.

6 On-screen, JOHNNY CRAWFORD seemed like a great guy, so we just assumed he was like that in real life. Turns out, we were right. Johnny could ride and rope with the best of them. He was a talented actor and an accomplished musician.

12 The 2021 GREENSBORO BOUND LITERARY FESTIVAL is guaranteed to have something for everyone, and with this

year’s theme of “21 Conversations,” there will be plenty to discuss. The annual event, held in May, creates a space for readers and writers alike to come together and share stories and experiences. This event is designed as a platform for dialogue and discussion to better understand and empathize with the human condition.

13 “Is this out of the box thinking or in the box?” Casey Raymer and the rest of the Kaleideum staff jokingly wonder as they finish organizing the party-in-a-box KALEIDOSCOPE BALL scheduled for the end of this month. Kaleideum, a hands-on, interactive museum based in Winston-Salem, is hosting its fourth annual Kaleidoscope Ball fundraising event on Friday, May 21.

14 Greensboro rapper Angel Grady, better known as LOVEY THE DON, emerges as a boss on her first full-length release, The Don Mother, out now. Taking listeners on the journey of a rising mafia boss, over 10-tracks, The Don Mother flows like an audio biography wherein the Don relays her origins of “challenging any opposer who dares to disrespect her character.”

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Carolina Blues Festival gets ready to groove

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STAFF REPORT

he 35th annual 2021 Carolina Blues Festival kicked off this Sunday with a virtual screening of the Emmy Award winning film Charlie’s Place on Sunday hosted by the Piedmont Blues Preservation Society.

This year’s festival, themed Carolina Soul will be a mix of live entertainment and online, with the live performances being held in Downtown Greensboro.

“Blues culture created the first Pop music the world ever knew. It evolved from the heart of the Black Americans into multiple other genres including Rock & Roll, Rhythm & Blues, and Soul and Beach Music. Soul & Beach Music matured right alongside the social and political issues of its day and remains a reminder of what a great opportunity we have to consistently grow and improve our country and it’s perspectives on art and culture. Carolina Soul is a reminder of who we are as Carolinians and that the soul of a people united are at the center of everything we do,” said Atiba Berkley, PBPS President.

This year’s line up includes blues legend Johnny Rawls, Roy Roberts, The Phoebes and Darryl Johnson.

Rawls, is the epitome of “soul blues” and with a career-spanning more than 50 years, he’s done it all. The Blues Music

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Awards, Blues Blast Awards, Living Blues Awards and the W.C. Handy Awards have all acknowledged Rawls with multiple awards and nominations including Soul Blues Album of the Year and Soul Blues Artist of the Year.

Roberts began in the music industry when he was just 14 years old, learning under Solomon Burke as a bass player.

Roberts subsequently picked up touring gigs with such luminaries as Eddie Floyd, “Little” Stevie Wonder, Dee Clark, and Otis Redding, while fronting his own band, The Roy Roberts Experience, on the regional club scene and Southeastern beach town circuit. During the disco years, Roy turned his talents to country music, touring with the great O.B. McClinton and releasing multiple country records. After a brief hiatus from the music scene, Roy built a recording studio where he produced records by regional gospel artists and even cut a gospel record of his own.

The Phoebes are one of the newest bands in the Southeast. Performing the perfect mix of Rock & Blues, they always represent.

Darryl Johnson is a bass player, singer, songwriter, composer, and producer with credits including song placements in film and TV. He started with The Original Drifters but is well known for playing with The Neville Brothers and Bob Dylan, and for producing Daniel Lanois’ solo albums.

The 36-year old nonprofit will also continue its legacy of recognizing those doing great work in the blues arena on May 15 by honoring the winner of the Mike Carr Junior Bluesman Award and the KBA Lifetime Achievement Award.

The Mike Carr Junior Bluesman Award recognizes emerging adolescent talents that are keeping the blues alive while the KBA Lifetime Achievement Award is presented to an individual who has made a significant contribution to blues culture through their work, volunteerism or investment.

“Often these awards are given to those who play the music or work directly with Blues related institutions. Achievement goes far beyond those stereotypes.

We only exist because of an amazing community of giving and caring people,” Berkley said, PBPS President.

For more information about the event or tickets, visit piedmontblues.org. !

Photos by Quentin L. Richardson of the previous 33rd Annual Carolina Blues Festival

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UNCSA Schools of Filmmaking and Drama offer virtual showcases The UNCSA (University of North Carolina School of the Arts) School of Filmmaking will present its annual showcase of fourthyear student films on May 21st at Marketplace Cinemas Mark Burger Drive-In, 2095 Peters Creek Parkway, Winston-Salem.

Contributor Admission is free, but due to space limitations, registration is required. For more information or to make reservations, call (336) 721-1945 or visit https://www.uncsa.edu/performances/index.aspx.

In addition, these films will be available on-demand Friday through Sunday (May 21-23), also via https://www.uncsa. edu/performances/index.aspx.

This year’s selection boasts a dozen short films conceived, produced, and edited by graduate students of the UNCSA School of Filmmaking.

-Adrift, written and directed by Brian Storck: A science-fiction fable about a space pilot who attempts to escape a desolate planet.

-Deepwater Sponger, written and directed by Connor Ryan: An ecological sci-fi thriller set in an alternate 1927, following the devastation of Earth by pollution.

-Home Sweet Home, written and directed by Connor Reveley: An ethereal fantasy/drama in which a man returns to his childhood home and is torn between the past and the future.

-Homecoming, directed by Travis Stewart: A contemporary drama set against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic.

-Jazmin, written and directed by Jo Hatcher: A fantasy in which a girl’s search for her missing sister leads her to a magical, undreamed-of world.

-Mist & Smoke, written and directed

by Christi Neptune: An animated fantasy pitting the forces of good and evil against one another.

-Peel, written and directed by Kalob Cebula: An animated drama in which a young woman must choose between a secure office job and her dreams of being an artist.

-Showdown, written and directed by John Curran: A vampire seeks the blood of the vampire lord to bring her lover back to life in this animated chiller.

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-Tiger Blanket, directed by Caro Knight: Stop-motion and mixed animation are combined in this fantasy that celebrates Hispanic culture.

-Umbra, co-written and directed by Connor Meehan: A suspense thriller in which a man moves into a new home infested with mold and hidden secrets.

-Virtue, directed by Claire Allen: An animated fantasy about two young interns who must put aside their differences in order lest they incur the wrath of their queen.

-Within Fallow Walls, directed by Alyssa Hodges: Set in Depression-era Oklahoma, a young boy confronts his father’s anger toward him.

“The School of Filmmaking is pleased to present these remarkable films by our fourth-year students for a limited time before these films are launched into the festival circuit,” said Dale Pollock, interim dean of the School of Filmmaking. “All of our students have worked very hard under unusual circumstances this year to bring their creative visions to life. Congratulations to the graduating seniors and to our faculty mentors who have guided and inspired them.”

The UNCSA School of Drama’s class of 2021 has also released a virtual showcase of the students’ work, which can be viewed at https://www.uncsa.edu/ drama/seniors/index.aspx.

Traditionally, the School of Drama’s students tour the showcase in-person to four cities: Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York. But due to the COVID-19 pandemic, last year’s tour was cut short, necessitating the use of a series of online videos highlighting the fourth-year students as they performed scenes and songs for theater. However, the virtual format allows the students to reach an even wider audience than the live format.

“Our graduating seniors have shown great resilience as they completed an entire academic year during the pandemic, committing to their training while adapting to the protocols in place that helped us all stay safe,” said Scott Zigler, dean of the UNCSA School of Drama. “They will be entering an industry altered by the events of the past year, but there is already a range of exciting opportunities as the industry opens back up and the world craves the arts and entertainment more than ever.”

Zigler noted that the transition to a virtual showcase wasn’t terribly difficult due to their extensive skills and training.

Homecoming “Approaching the virtual showcase this year as a given, and having an entire year to prepare it, students are able to much more effectively utilize the medium to introduce themselves to the industry they are about to enter. The on-camera skills our graduating students have acquired throughout their training at UNCSA have

not only been impactful in creating their showcase but will be essential as they start their careers.”

The official UNCSA website is https:// www.uncsa.edu/. !

See MARK BURGER’s reviews of current movies on Burgervideo.com. © 2021, Mark Burger.

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Remembering Johnny Crawford

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uch has been said about the importance of adult role models and the positive impact they can have on children.

But for those of us little buckaroos Jim Longworth who grew up in the 1950s, there was no finer role model than Longworth Johnny Crawford, at Large himself just a kid when he starred as Mark McCain on the hit TV series “The Rifleman.”

On-screen, Johnny seemed like a great guy, so we just assumed he was like that in real life. Turns out, we were right.

Johnny could ride and rope with the best of them. He was a talented actor and an accomplished musician. He had a genuine smile and a genuine interest in people. He had a great sense of humor and an even greater sense of humility.

He was the kind of guy you wanted to be

Jim Longworth with Johnny Crawford like, whether you watched him as a kid or got to know him as an adult.

I was lucky. I got to do both.

Johnny’s big break came in 1955 when Walt Disney tapped him to be one of the

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original Mouseketeers on the new “Mickey Mouse Club” television series. But when producers decided to pare down the large group, Johnny was an early casualty.

“They went from 24 Mouseketeers down to 12,” he told me, “and I was let go after the first season. It was very disappointing, but having done ‘The Mickey Mouse Club’ gave me confidence.”

In fact, young Crawford’s talents were in constant demand, and he stayed busy as a guest star in numerous TV series.

That led to an audition for “The Rifleman.” In an interview with TV Guide, Rifleman star Chuck Connors said, “The producers and I interviewed 20 or 30 kids to play Mark. Then Johnny came in the room, and before we even talked to him I said, ‘That’s him. That’s the Rifleman’s son!’”.

During the run of “The Rifleman,” Crawford was nominated for an EMMY and became a teen heartthrob with hit songs like “Cindy’s Birthday,” which reached number 8 on the Billboard charts. But unlike so many child actors who struggle with the transition to adulthood, Johnny stayed out of trouble and stayed active, first in film, then in the Army, and later as the leader of his own orchestra. In 1990, he reconnected with his high school sweetheart Charlotte Samco, and they married in 1995. In his later years, Johnny was a fan favorite at nostalgia conventions while continuing to conduct his band and act. In 2019, he was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, and he died on April 29, 2021, after battling COVID and a bout of pneumo-

nia. Johnny Crawford was 75 years old.

I met Johnny in 2014 when he attended the Western Film Festival in WinstonSalem, and in the years since, I would call him on his birthday and exchange holiday cards. Our last conversation was just prior to his Alzheimer’s diagnosis, and we talked about his role in “Bill Tilghman and the Outlaws,” a western film in which he portrayed silent movie star William S. Hart. Later that year, I interviewed Johnny’s pal, Paul Petersen (a fellow Mouseketeer and co-star of “The Donna Reed Show”), who told me about the diagnosis and his plans to start a GoFund Me campaign to help pay for Johnny’s medical care. I asked Paul when he first knew that Johnny was sick.

“My wife and I, Tony Dow, Johnny, and others were at the Hollywood Museum to honor Annette (Funicello), and we noticed that something was amiss with Johnny. He seemed to be a little confused, but we covered for him because that’s what you do for your friends. Later, when Charlotte had to put him in a facility, we knew what it was and how severe it was.”

In one of my earliest conversations with Johnny, I was pleasantly surprised to learn that he was a regular guy, just like those of us who had watched him on TV every week.

“Yeah, I was just like you and other kids at the time. I watched B westerns on Saturday mornings. I had all of the toy guns, and the Hopalong Cassidy stuff, and cap pistols. We all played cowboys and Indians, and my bicycle was my horse.”

In one of our more serious conversations, I asked Johnny

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to comment on the amount of violence in “The Rifleman.”

“The father/son relationship WAS the show. It gave the show a dimension that other shows didn’t have, which was a family of two people trying to make it in the Old West when it was pretty lawless.

But it was always understood that killing was a last resort, and the violence wasn’t to be used frivolously.”

My funniest memory of Johnny was when I was introducing him for a TV segment. During my opening remarks, I held up various memorabilia to the camera, including a Rifleman comic book and a 1973 Playboy magazine featuring a revealing photo of Johnny from a film in which he had appeared. “You’re my hero,” I said. “For which one?” he replied.

We both had a big laugh.

Speaking of heroes, there were plenty of TV cowboys who I enjoyed watching as a kid, but it was Johnny Crawford who I wanted to hang out with. Six decades later, I finally got my chance, and he didn’t disappoint. A real role model never does.

Donations to Johnny Crawford’s Alzheimer’s Fund can still be made

A young Johnny Crawford at www.johnnycrawfordlegacy.com. !

JIM LONGWORTH is the host of Triad Today, airing on Saturdays at 7:30 a.m. on ABC45 (cable channel 7) and Sundays at 11 a.m. on WMYV (cable channel 15).

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[LETTER TO THE EDITOR] WRITE US AT CHANEL@YESWEEKLY.COM

Meeting with Representative Kathy Manning Dear Editor, Since I helped to establish the UNCG chapter of Defend Our Future last year, I have personally submitted requests to meet with the offices of Congress members Virginia Foxx, Mark Walker, Ted Budd, Richard Burr, Thom Tillis, and Kathy Manning to have a conversation with us young adults, and particularly students, about climate crisis solutions. Although we have had positive experiences with staffers from Rep. Budd’s and Senator Burr’s offices, most Congress members are less inclined to hold public meetings. So when I spoke with Rep. Manning’s scheduler, Carolyn Calder, about hosting a Zoom event for more than ten or fifteen people, I expected her to say no.

The facility with which the meeting was scheduled was unprecedented. Not only did Carolyn arrange the meeting, but she maintained regular contact with me directly for over two months; we collaborated on an agenda including sections of time for our student group as well as Rep. Manning to speak; we were permitted to publicize the event; and finally, the conversation we had with the Congresswoman was incredibly refreshing.

If more than one person asked a similar WWW.YESWEEKLY.COM

question, the Congresswoman was gracious and reiterated her position. If the questions were piercing, she did not avoid them. She remained attentive throughout and addressed as many of each of our concerns as she could. When she did not know, she did not try to pretend to know.

As young people, we are regularly dismissed or even undermined by government institutions. It is no wonder many of us grow skeptical and even cynical towards our representatives. Congresswoman Kathy Manning actively worked toward minimizing those sentiments by engaging with her constituents.

What does this mean for Defend Our Future? As the national nonprofit or as the UNCG club, we now feel more comfortable reaching out to Rep. Manning with our opinions on the climate crisis. We look forward to building our connection with her office and providing them with our organization’s reports and other information about sustainable and renewable solutions.

Thanks again to Carolyn for making the process particularly easy, and especially Congresswoman Manning for her time! !

Sincerely, Andrea Santolim Geller, Greensboro

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[NEWS OF THE WEIRD] WEIRD SPORTS

Chuck Shepherd

The World Toe Wrestling Federation has announced that the 2021 championship matches will go ahead in August in Derbyshire, England (what a relief!) and organizers are looking for people who want to dip their

toes in the water of pro competition. Toe wrestling, The Northern Echo reported, takes place sitting down and barefoot, with the competitors’ toes linked. But matches are no tiptoe through the tulips: Ben “Total Destruction” Woodroffe, who is ranked second in the world (and had his toenails surgically removed to give him a competitive edge), had his ankle snapped in two places by 16-time champion Alan “Nasty” Nash — during a practice session.

“It’s a people’s sport; there are no levels or

qualifiers, and anyone can join,” Woodroffe said encouragingly.

OOPS

— A stone marking the border between Belgium and France dates back to 1819, but its provenance was no deterrent for a Belgian farmer who became annoyed that it was placed right where he needed to drive his tractor. The BBC reported that the farmer relocated the stone about 7.5 feet into French territory — a move that has tickled officials on both sides.

“I was happy, my town was bigger,” said David Lavaux, the mayor of Erquelinnes in Belgium. “But the mayor of Bousigniessur-Roc didn’t agree.” The farmer will be asked to move the stone back; “If he shows good will, he won’t have a problem, we will settle this issue amicably,” Lavaux said. Otherwise, he may face criminal charges.

— Kevin Johnson was arrested in Maricopa County, Arizona, after he left behind an obvious bit of evidence when he slashed two of his neighbor’s tires, the Maricopa Monitor reported. Francesca Wikoff found her flat tires on April 15, along with a severed finger lying on the driveway, and police said a trail of blood led to a nearby home. The night before, Johnson had allegedly become drunk and belligerent at a neighborhood get-together, where he shoved and threatened Wikoff and her husband before being asked to leave. He was charged with criminal damage and assault, along with other offenses.

GOALS

A police officer in Leicestershire, England, finally got his wish, to “tick off a water-based pursuit in landlocked Leicester,” on April 28. The 37-year-old perp was wanted for suspicion of assault and breaching a restraining order, Leicestershire Live reported. Police located his narrowboat, which has a top speed of 4 mph, on the Grand Union Canal, and one officer rode his bike alongside the boat for 8 miles as others waited for it at Lock 37.

“The suspect was arrested as he left the boat to travel through a lock,” a spokesperson said.

THE BIRDS

There may be just 500 California condors left in the world, but about 20 of them are meeting up at the home of Cinda Mickols in Tehachapi, California.

Mickols’ daughter, Seana Quintero, said the imposing birds showed up at the beginning of May, the Associated Press reported, and have trashed her mother’s deck. They’ve knocked over plants,

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MAY 12-18, 2021

scratched railings and ruined a spa cover and decorative flags. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service suggested “harmless hazing” methods to disperse the protected birds, such as shouting and clapping, or spraying water.

THE WAY THE WORLD WORKS

Matt Perkins and his husband were in the midst of having a pool installed in the backyard of their new home in Las Vegas when police and crime scene investigators showed up on April 26. The pool builders had unearthed some bones buried about 5 feet below the surface, the Associated Press reported. The bones turned out not to be human; they are those of a horse or other large mammal. More important, they are not recent: Nevada Science Center Research Director Joshua Bonde said they’re between 6,000 and 14,000 years old, dating to Earth’s most recent Ice Age. The area was once a watering spot for wildlife in the Mohave Desert. Bonde said U.S. laws give ownership of fossils to property owners; Perkins is deciding how best to preserve the antiquities.

THE WEIRDO-AMERICAN COMMUNITY

In rural Moffat, Colorado, the body of 45-year-old Amy Carlson, known as Mother God by the spiritual group Love Has Won, was found dead and mummified on April 28. Her body was wrapped in a sleeping bag and decorated with Christmas lights, Fox News reported. One of Carlson’s followers told police that he took in a group of people who he believes transported her body from California to his home. Saguache County Coroner Tom Perrin told police he believes Carlson died about four weeks ago. Seven people were arrested in connection with the case; they were also charged with child abuse, as two minors were found in the home.

BRIGHT IDEA

Here’s one way to keep your neighbors at a distance: Build a wall made of cow dung. In Lodi Township, Michigan, one farmer did just that, constructing a 250-foot-long wall of manure after disputing a property line with Wayne Lambarth. The wall generates an unpleasant stench, Lambarth told Fox News, but the anonymous farmer who built it denies it’s a “poop wall.” “It’s a compost fence,” he said. Officials in the area have said nothing can be done about it because it is on private property. !

© 2021 Chuck Shepherd. Universal Press Syndicate.

Send your weird news items with subject line WEIRD NEWS to WeirdNewsTips@amuniversal.com.

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Public Eye: What is the state of NC’s Body-Worn Cameras?

BY HABIN HWANG

hey were frontline workers— individuals who woke up at the break of dawn to keep a community afloat within its darkest days. They were fathers and mothers in loving families, sisters and brothers, congregation members, and community leaders. Now, their names have turned into slogans, the violent crimes committed against them echoing up and down the streets in protest.

According to the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), 1,004 people of all races were shot or killed by police in 2019. Including many infamous cases, such as the murder of George Floyd and the shooting of Breonna Taylor in early 2020, issues of police brutality were put in a national spotlight throughout the past year, highlighting the many shortcomings of municipal justice systems. More recently, the shooting of Andrew Brown Jr. in Elizabeth City, N.C., has put issues surrounding the storage and release of body-worn camera footage in police departments at the national forefront once again.

Body-worn cameras are a relatively new system and a rapidly improving technology— one that is still, unfortunately, a mystery to many members of the public.

City officials and members of the police force all across the Triad are still engaged in a fight against misinformation regarding the legislation surrounding body-worn cameras and police surveillance policies— one that they wish to fix with policies to permit increased transparency.

“We were the first department on the East Coast to be fully implemented with these body-worn cameras back in 2013, I believe,” commented Cody St. Pierre, president of the Greensboro Police Officers Association, in a statement to Fox 8.

In a partnered attempt by the Greensboro Police Foundation, a non-profit formed by local business and community leaders, and the Greensboro Police Department (GPD), funds were raised to deploy 125 AXON Flex cameras in early 2013.

On Sept. 18, 2013, 160 additional AXON Flex cameras were added to the program, along with 10 AXON body cameras and a three-year EVIDENCE.com program, with the intention of further protecting GPD officers. Currently, there are a reported 705 body-worn cameras and 230 vehiclemounted cameras in GPD deployment.

“Police organizations today must deploy technologies that promote effectiveness, efficiency, and public confidence,” YES! WEEKLY

MAY 12-18, 2021

stated Former Greensboro Chief of Police Ken Miller in a 2013 statement to AXON. “Body-worn video systems accomplish all and help raise the bar on officer performance. Our latest acquisition of the AXON flex cameras, mounting options, and EVIDENCE.com service enables us to equip all 500 of our field-based officers and tactical units with body-worn video cameras covering all shifts.”

Winston-Salem followed suit in July of 2014 with a similar body and vehiclemounted camera program with AXON. Initially purchasing 293 AXON cameras with a three-year subscription to the EVIDENCE.com program to gauge public reaction, they completed a second purchase on Nov. 26, 2014, to equip the entire patrol division with this technology following positive feedback. With 623 AXON body-worn video cameras and a five-year subscription to the EVIDENCE. com program being purchased, a robust police surveillance system was created in the process.

“The results we saw from our initial deployment of body cameras were very encouraging and included better interactions between our officers and the public,” said Former Winston-Salem Chief of Police Barry Roundtree in a 2014 statement to AXON. “We are looking forward to

having continued success with the AXON body-worn cameras and EVIDENCE.com technology from TASER as we deploy them to the entire police department’s patrol division.”

The cost of this all?

According to Lieutenant Adam Bell of the Greensboro Police Department, roughly under $200,000 is annually spent on-vehicle cameras, and around $350,000 is annually spent on body-worn cameras.

In a presentation hosted by the Greensboro Criminal Justice Advisory Commission (GCJAC), Bell honed in on the recording policies, costs, and storage policies implemented in GPD’s body-worn camera and police surveillance programs in an attempt to provide additional clarity on these prominent issues.

“The [Greensboro Police] department uses a camera called the AXON Body-2,” Bell stated. This standard issue is assigned to officers ranked Lieutenant and below and is required to be utilized by officers working in a uniformed capacity in any assignments that necessitates regular contact with citizens.

The AXON Body-2 offers over 12 hours of battery life and records 40 frames per second (fps), allowing a GPD officer operating on the standard 11-hour schedule

to record their full shift if needed. With a 142-degree diagonal field of view and a 200-degree horizontal field of view, the camera permits the officer to record slightly less than their normal field of vision. This is a drastic improvement from the original AXON Flex cameras implemented in 2013, which only had a 70-degree field of view. Though the standard recording is done on a low-resolution setting to make storage of these large files more efficient, it is still possible to visualize both people and actions in this setting.

Additionally, the surveillance technology is a part of the EVIDENCE.com program, a storage system that allows all footage captured by the body-worn camera (BWC) to be uploaded and stored for a limited time. Though all the footage recorded by the BWC is collected by the end of the day, categorized and labeled by the officer’s name and the associated case or event number, it is considered the property of the Greensboro Police Department, only accessible for official purposes.

Each officer is responsible for ensuring that their recordings are uploaded to the EVIDENCE.com software, noting in incident reports or citations of what was captured by the BWC if necessary. The footage is considered neither public nor

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personnel property by general statutes.

Vehicle-mounted cameras (VMC) abide by similar systems— the AXON Fleet is the standard issue for vehicle-mounted cameras, working in conjunction with bodyworn cameras. The VMCs possess triggers that allow the BWCs to start automatically recording the situation. Similar to the BWCs, the footage is all uploaded to the same EVIDENCE.com software.

Uploaded recordings are only retained for a limited period of time due to limitations on cloud storage, the length of retention varying based on the content of the recording. While recordings entailing non-criminal citizen contact, vehicle crashes involving warnings or infractions, or non-citizen involvement are only retained for 90 days, recordings entailing criminal charges of any sort are retained for three years. Additionally, field training videos are retained for a year, and administrative investigations are retained indefinitely.

Though the protocols for classification are elaborated upon in general statute and Greensboro Police Department’s Professional Standard 15.11, videos that could serve of evidentiary value, possibly resulting in a criminal charge, are generally retained for three years. However, non-evidentiary recordings are only retained for 90 days.

“The body-worn camera must be activated to record a citizen contact that becomes adversarial or any situation the officer believes would be appropriate to document the encounter,” stated Bell.

Situations that officers are not required to record throughout the entire duration of the procedure include DWI checkpoints or license checkpoints. However, if these situations become adversarial, officers are required to activate their BWC. Another time officers are prohibited from recording is when they are taking statements from juvenile witnesses or victims, as well as from victims of crimes of sexual nature to ensure the privacy of such individuals.

However, if an incident that required footage was not recorded or a recording was missing, an administrative investigation would occur, and appropriate disciplinary action would be taken accordingly.

Missing recordings are not the only complications that could occur within the process of storing and retaining BWC footage. With the Andrew Brown Jr. case, the public release of footage was another complication and flaw with the BWC system brought to the national forefront.

Andrew Brown Jr., 42, was leaving his driveway on April 21, his hands on the steering wheel, when sheriff deputies in a truck blocked his way out in an attempt to serve a drug-related search warrant.

Within 30 seconds, deputies ran up to WWW.YESWEEKLY.COM

the vehicle and opened fire on Brown unprovoked. Brown passed away while attempting to drive away from getting shot, making no known attempts at retaliation. Brown’s family attorney commented that the family lost count of how many shots were fired in the span of the 20-second body camera video that they were provided.

“My dad got executed just by trying to save his own life,” stated one of Brown’s sons in an official briefing. “The officers were not [harmed by] him at all. It’s just messed up how this happened.”

His grief is shared by religious leaders and social justice workers statewide, who are currently fighting to release the full body camera footage and BWC reform, which would prevent similar incidents from occurring. There are allegedly six longer video files that provide a fuller picture of what happened in the fatal shooting, five of which are from deputy BWCs, and one of which is from the police cruiser dashcam. However, none of this footage has been publicly released, and Brown’s family was only provided with a 20-second video. Furthermore, courts declared that the full footage would not be publicly released within the thirty days following the incident.

“They determined what was pertinent,” attorney Ben Crump commented at a news conference regarding Brown’s death.

“We want all of it because that’s what transparency is. Let us see it with our own eyes. We don’t need you to interpret it for us.”

This “lack of transparency,” according to Sheriff Tommy Wooten II of Pasquotank County, is not something that local municipalities can change. In a statement to local news sources, he revealed his support for laws that would allow more transparency with body-worn camera footage release, as well as his desire for the public to see the full, unedited video.

A single law passed nearly five years ago restricts such forms of the public release of BWC footage— House Bill 972.

House Bill 972 was passed in July 2016 under Former Governor Pat McCrory, declaring that BWC footage would no longer be public record and that police and sheriff ’s departments do not have the authority to release the footage on their own. McCrory stated that this reform was intended to protect officers and “increase transparency” towards the police department, claiming to aim for the codification of a new process for footage release.

Stating that only individuals in the video or family members, spouses, and attorneys of individuals in the video can watch it by asking the law enforcement agency in possession of the recording, there are heavy limitations to gaining ac-

Andrew Brown, Jr. cess to BWC footage. Additionally, copies of the footage cannot be made outside of the video viewing under the supervision of the agency. Additionally, for members of the public to gain access to this footage, the Superior Court must be petitioned in a request for the footage— a process that costs a couple of hundred dollars in itself.

Following a hearing, a judge would determine whether or not the release would subsequently occur.

Democratic lawmakers are currently debating HB 972, stating that the law only increases public mistrust towards municipal police departments and that the public has a right to be both updated and accurately informed. In light of these re-emerging concerns in the wake of Andrew Brown’s shooting, lawmakers are attempting to pass Senate Bill 510, which would flip the House Bill 972 decision on its head.

Senate Bill 510, which was filed two weeks before Brown’s murder, requires BWC and VMC footage to be released within 48 hours of an incident unless a law enforcement agency obtained a court order within this period of time to restrict the release of the surveillance.

“Accountability requires transparency, and the law, as currently written, delays that transparency,” stated Sen. Mujtaba Mohammed, D-Mecklenburg, one of the bill sponsors.

Senator Paul Lowe of Forsyth County has also previously made similar motions, petitioning the North Carolina General Assembly to grant Winston-Salem city officials the authority to view police bodycamera footage.

Greensboro city officials are also making similar motions to gain the same result— the timely release of unedited BWC footage. Shortly following the publicization of the Andrew Brown case, the Greensboro Police Officer Association (GPOA) penned an open letter to Governor Roy Cooper and Lieutenant Governor Mark Robinson on Apr. 28.

“We seek transparency!” Cody St. Pierre, President of the GPOA, stated in the open

letter. “This trend of rush to judgment and immediate vilification of police officers based on inaccuracies, speculation, rumor, politics, and social media rants is dangerous, unfair, and it threatens the ranks of good police officers in Greensboro, the State of North Carolina, and throughout the country.”

The letter also revealed that GPOA representatives had been closely working with state legislators for many years to overturn current legislation regarding the release of body camera footage, including House Bill 972. Under the current legislation, too many obstacles and delays have led to the untimely release of BWC footage, raising concerns about the transparency and credibility of both our local law enforcement and state legislators.

“We are not asking for special treatment or free reign to trample on the rights of citizens,” concluded St. Pierre. “Instead, we seek fair treatment and appropriate legislation so that members of the GPOA can rely on their training, experience, and proof— in the form of BWC footage— rather than being subject to ridicule, derision, and even threats that have no basis in fact or law.”

Chief Brian James of the Greensboro Police Department shares similar sentiments to strive for transparency and increased public trust towards the police department.

“We view this program as an important part in determining the facts around incidents involving police officers and the public,” he said, referring to GPD’s rigorous BWC program. “I support the release of BWC footage in critical incidents or in instances where it is necessary to maintain public trust and confidence.”

In the weeks following Andrew Brown Jr.’s death, peaceful protests and demonstrations occurred both in and out of Elizabeth City, as faith leaders, community reformers, and activists engaged in marches to show solidarity with the Brown family, fighting for the full tape to be released in a timely manner.

“Inept. Incompetent. Incapable of fixing this,” said Rev. Dr. William Barber II, President of Repairers of the Breach, a religious activism organization. “We need independent prosecutors, now. Release the tape, the whole tape, to everybody.”

Members across an array of faiths continue to join together in the coming weeks as the fight for justice to be served on Andrew Brown Jr.’s case continues. However, they all walk behind the same sign, with the same motto engraved upon their lips: truth, transparency, and accountability. !

HABIN HWANG is a 17-year-old Guilford County Schools Early College student at Guilford College.

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Boundless imagination: Greensboro Bound will feature John Sayles, many others at festival The 2021 Greensboro Bound Literary festival is guaranteed to have something for everyone, and with this year’s theme of “21 Conversations,” there will be plenty to discuss.

The annual event, Ian McDowell held in May, creates a space for readers and writers alike to Contributor come together and share stories and experiences. This event is designed as a platform for dialogue and discussion to better understand and empathize with the human condition. The authors and topics presented at Greensboro Bound span a broad swath of interests and subject matter, including the LGBTQ experience, speculative fiction, immigrant narratives, social justice, memoir, and romance, to name a few.

The festival has brought to the area its share of big names. This year is no different.

On Sunday, May 16, at 6 p.m., John Sayles will be taking part in “Wilmington’s Lie,” in which he and Pulitzer-winning journalist David Zucchino discuss the Democratic overthrow of Wilmington’s multiracial Republican government, which returned white supremacy to the coastal North Carolina city once known as the Black Charleston.

“I’m fascinated by hidden history,” said novelist and filmmaker John Sayles in a phone conversation last week. “The kind of thing that happens and nobody talks about, and that they keep on not talking about until they can pretend it didn’t happen.”

New York Times reporter Zucchino’s 2020 book Wilmington’s Lie is the setting for a long portion of Sayles’ massive 2011 historical novel A Moment in the Sun. This free online event is part of the 2021 Greensboro Bound Literary Festival.

Sayles’ first book was the darkly funny 1975 novel Pride of the Bimbos, and his first produced screenplay was the satiric 1978 horror film Piranha. To finance The Return of the Secaucus Seven, his 1978 debut as a writer/director, he wrote three more screenplays for New World Pictures: The Lady in Red, Alligator, and Battle Beyond the Stars.

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MAY 12-18, 2021

Sayles was born in Schenectady, New Los Angeles Film Critics Award for best York, and attended Williams College before screenplay. moving to Boston, where he worked blueSayles wrote The Howling for Joe Dante, collar jobs while writing stories for The Atwho directed Piranha, and redefined the lantic. Asked when and how he first heard cinematic werewolf in 1981. That same of the Wilmington Insurrection, he said year, Stephen Spielberg hired him to write he’d first heard of it during news coverage a horror film that, incredible as it might of the Wilmington Ten, the nine Black men seem, became E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. and one Black woman Night Skies, the film wrongfully convicted of Sayles was hired to write, arson and conspiracy in was meant to be produced MATT CARR PHOTOGRAPHY 1971, having served nearly

by Spielberg and directed a decade in prison before

by Tobe Hooper (The Texas winning their freedom on Chain Saw Massacre, Polappeal. tergeist). “Spielberg had This chapter in U.S. read a whole of UFO stuff history stuck in Sayles’ while researching Close mind until he decided Encounters, and he was to include it in his 2011 fascinated by a 1955 novel, which takes on the incident in which a rural state of America in 1898.

Kentucky farm family Another event that claimed to have been atbecame part of A Motacked by aliens. They ment in the Sun and his claimed to have defended 2010 film Amigo is the themselves with shotguns Philippine-American and rifles but could only John Sayles War. According to Sayles, knock the aliens down.” it’s also an example of The incident, which hidden history. allegedly occurred near Kelly and Hop“We went back about a year after we kinsville in Christian County, Kentucky, is shot it, and we showed it in the Philippines, famous in UFO lore as the Tube Kelly-Hopand almost nobody there had heard of kinsville Encounter, aka The Hopkinsville their major war, where they got indepenGoblins. dence from Spain but lost it to the United “I had this idea of Drums Along the MoStates in about an hour.” hawk, only with aliens rather than Native Another armed conflict was the subject Americans. So, it was basically a siege film, of one of his most acclaimed films. Sayles’ where the family has to batten down the 1987 Matewan, which starred Chris Cooper hatches, close all the windows and fight in his film debut and co-starred James Earl back. This was the era where everyone was Jones and Mary McDonnell, told the story concerned about cattle mutilations. The of the May 19, 1920 shootout between evil aliens wanted to do this to an 11-yearstriking mineworkers and operatives from old autistic boy who was a member of the the Baldwin–Felts Detective Agency in family, and the one good alien, who didn’t that town in Mingo County, West Virginia. want to harm the boy, and who frees him, “What was interesting in trying to gets left behind when the defeated crew research Matewan is that so little had takes off.” been written. It finally has a Mine Wars His script ended with the diminutive museum, but when we made the movie, good alien, which the farm family has they wanted nothing to do with us. So, nicknamed “Buddy,” abandoned in the we shot it in Thurmond, in the other part wilderness by the departing UFO. of the state. But Matewan has kind of “My last page became the first page embraced the history now, and in the of Melissa Mathison’s script for E.T. Usumuseum, they’ve got quite a bit of footage, ally, when you have anything to do with a including some of a newsreel that they movie, the Guild sends you the scripts of found up in somebody’s old movie theater everyone who worked on it after or before in Alaska only a couple of years ago. It was you did, When I read Melissa’s script, my funny because they found a little clip from first thought was, well, it didn’t have much this movie titled Smilin’ Sid, who was Sid to do with what I’d written, there’s just this Hatfield, whom David Strathairn plays, is one-page overlap. My second was, hey, this in it, and they also found a little clip from is really great.”

the 1919 World Series, which I also made a movie about.”

The movie was Sayles’ 1988 Eight Men Out, with an ensemble cast that included John Cusack, John Mahoney, Charlie Sheen, and Christopher Lloyd, which told the story of Major League Baseball’s Black Sox Scandal, in which eight members of the Chicago White Sox conspired with gamblers to intentionally lose the 1919 World Series.

As with Matewan and his 1996 Oscarnominated Lone Star, it’s one of his most acclaimed films.

When asked where a new reader might start with his fiction, Sayles recommended the 2004 short story collection Dillinger in Hollywood: New and Selected Short Stories.

“The stories in it were written over a 15or 20-year period, whereas almost everything in my first collection, The Anarchist’s Convention, was written in a single year.

So, there’s a wider range. One of the stories became my movie Casa de los Babys, which is a pretty good film.”

He also talked about his upcoming novel, tentatively titled Jamie McGillivray, to be published in late 2021 or early 2022.

“It’s based on a screenplay that I wrote 25 years ago that we were never able to raise the money for. It’s an epic that starts at the Battle of Culloden and ends at the Battle of Quebec. I got the idea because Robert Carlyle, a Scots actor I’d never met, whom you may know from Trainspotting and The Full Monty, called me up out the blue because he had this idea about a Highlander captured at Culloden in 1746, in the last major battle fought on British soil. Instead of hanging him, they transport him to the New World as basically a slave.

He escapes but is immediately captured by the Shawnee and is resold a couple of times until he is bought by the Lenape.

That Delaware tribe is trying to decide who to side with in the French and Indian War, the French or the English colonists. Jamie becomes their translator, but of course, he hates the English, and he nudges them towards the French side, which for the first year or so of the war was a good idea, and then not so good. It was so fun to write.”

For more information on the festival, visit www. greensborobound.com/festival/. !

IAN MCDOWELL is the author of two published novels, numerous anthologized short stories, and a whole lot of nonfiction and journalism, some of which he’s proud of and none of which he’s ashamed of.

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Party in a box for a cause: Kaleideum hosts fourth Kaleidoscope Ball

BY JESSICA CLIFFORD “Is this out of the box thinking or in the box?” Casey Raymer and the rest of the Kaleideum staff jokingly wonder as they finish organizing the party-in-a-box Kaleidoscope Ball scheduled for the end of this month.

Kaleideum, a hands-on, interactive museum based in Winston-Salem, is hosting its fourth annual Kaleidoscope Ball fundraising event on Friday, May 21. The museum originated from a 2016 merger between the Children’s Museum of Winston-Salem (now Kaleideum Downtown) and SciWorks (now Kaleideum North).

Raymer, the director of annual giving for Kaleideum, is excited for the event as it is an alternative to their previous black-tie gala-styled parties when the ball fundraiser began a few years ago.

“All nonprofits are struggling with this dilemma to event, not event, and how do we differentiate ourselves. So, we felt this was an opportunity for us to do something that was different and was quintessential Kaleideum,” Raymer said.

Raymer said the name Kaleidoscope Ball comes from the museum’s “kaleidoscopic thinking” and “overlapping lenses of thought” when it comes to learning. The educational experience of Kaleideum is multidisciplinary, with a focus on the arts, literacy, and STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics). This year the event is named Let’s Have a Ball.

According to Raymer, when the COVID-19 pandemic struck, last year’s ball was forced online as a safety precaution.

This year, with the downward trajectory of the virus, Kaleideum wanted to put a spin on the typical ball while also keeping safety in mind.

“Over the last year, Kaleideum has had to pivot in how we serve our schools, families, and community, and our annual fundraiser is no exception,” Elizabeth Dampier, the executive director of Kaleideum, said in a press release on the event. “Rather than hosting our traditional in-person Kaleidoscope Ball — or even a virtual event — we are excited to offer something completely new to our friends and supporters.”

Party-in-a-box is a play on words for a box of party supplies one purchases to take home and host their own party. Kaleideum worked with WestRock, a paper and packaging company, on the design for their boxes.

“We didn’t know we could move forward with an in-person event. We felt like people had been spending so much time on Zoom (and) on their computers,” Raymer said.

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In addition to preventing more Zoom fatigue, Raymer said the party-in-a-box idea was in the “spirit of flexibility and ingenuity” and allows people to stay in their “social bubbles.”

“We want to try to bring the party into homes so that people could celebrate the Kaleidoscope Ball with their families, with their bubble of friends, with a small group of neighbors. However, they feel most comfortable supporting the museum,” she said.

The box comes with charcuterie board items, such as meats, cheeses, crackers, fresh fruits, breads, and spreads, as well as signature Kaleideum glassware, streamers, music playlists, and more. The box also offers a signature lavender cocktail/ mocktail mix from Thirsty Buffalo to craft drinks with the provided lemonade.

A recipe card with a variety of drinks is included.

“To add a little more party to your box,” Raymer said for an additional charge,

Prosecco and wine are available.

One raffle ticket is provided in each box that gives purchasers a chance to win over $500 in gift certificates to local bakeries, restaurants, and specialty food shops.

More opportunities to buy raffle tickets are online.

With a laugh, Raymer said, the boxes are “actually quite large – we have to fit a whole party in there!”

While the Kaleidoscope Ball was originally an adult party, the museum created a kid’s box called a Kid-Cuterie, to get entire families involved. Children can dive into their boxes of snacks, experiments, and crafts, such as a make-your-own kaleidoscope kit curated by the Kaleideum education team for an additional $15 per child.

Prior to the merger, there were other fundraising events. However, now the Kaleidoscope Ball is the largest annual fundraiser for the museum. All the money raised goes toward funding the kids’ camp

scholarships, supporting hands-on learning experiences, increasing access to the museum through discounted passes, and enhancing educational programming.

“It is supporting all the things that make Kaleideum such a special and critical part of our community,” Raymer said.

The party boxes are capped at 300.

Anyone who wants a box should purchase one by Friday, May 14, Raymer said. Between 3-6 p.m. on Friday, May 21, people should pick up their boxes at the Millennium Center at 101 West 5th St, WinstonSalem.

While the fundraising event is for the community, many staff members are excited to take part. Raymer said she already ordered her box and is ready to spend time with her “pod” of people for some safe fun.

“We will crank up one of the playlists, and the kids will work on the crafts and the activities that will be included, so yeah, absolutely, I will be participating!” she said.

Visit https://one.bidpal.net/kaleidoscopeball2021/welcome to purchase the party boxes and raffle tickets or make a donation to the museum. Each standard adult party-in-a-box is $125. For $500, order a patron package, which consists of the party-in-a-box as well as bubbly, signature items from local artisans, and a family pass to the museum. Quantities are limited for the patron box.

The museum also suggests any photos taken during the Kaleidoscope Ball should tag Kaleideum on Facebook and Instagram. !

MAY 12-18, 2021 YES! WEEKLY

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tunes

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HEAR IT!

Introducing The Don Mother

G

reensboro rapper Angel Grady, better known as Lovey the Don, emerges as a boss on her first full-length release, The Don Mother, out now.

Katei Cranford Taking listeners on the journey of a rising mafia boss, Contributor over 10-tracks, The Don Mother flows like an audio biography wherein the Don relays her origins of “challenging any opposer who dares to disrespect her character.”

As Lovey, Grady is self-proclaimed to be “every man’s worst nightmare.”

“My music is mostly about encouraging women to be unapologetically them,” she explained, “and to assert themselves in this world the same way men are allowed to.”

Flipping themes and honoring one of her favorite films, “Lovey juxtaposes what is a well-known misogynistic narrative into her own reclamation of the Femme empowerment.”

Mafiosos aside, it’s a topic Grady has visited throughout her catalog, in ways both serious and cheeky, in tracks like “A Message to Girls” and “Girlz Rule, Boyz Drool,” where empowerment fuels her lyrical fire in an attempt to inspire beyond gender dynamics.

“I want girls—especially young Black girls—to know that it’s okay to be whoever you want regardless of what society is telling you isn’t okay,” she explained. “I was an outcast much of my life—I dressed weird, I was really quiet and liked different music. I was judged for who I was, and it took me a long time to realize it’s okay for me to be me. I don’t want it to take years

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MAY 12-18, 2021

for another young girl to realize that about themselves too.”

Those experiences have emboldened her mission to “show the world the beauty in Black Women’s diversity, and let other young Black girls know that they don’t have to conform to society or anyone else’s standards of ‘perfection’” she said.

“As an alternative Black woman, I know what it’s like to be rejected and misunderstood by others, even in our community, because some don’t believe that we can be as diverse and multifaceted and still be valid in our Blackness as people.”

Grady carries that mission throughout her catalog and across mediums, selfpublishing “Rare Flair Magazine,” which dedicated itself to the “Alternative Ethnic Youth,” over a three-year run. “It focused on underground creatives and their stories,” Grady said, noting the expense and time it took from focusing on her music.

“It took me a long time to get back to myself,” she explained of the two-year gap between releasing her previous ep and The Don Mother. “When I finally did, in 2020, I knew it was time to get to work.”

Lovey chronicles that notion in her latest single, “Workin’,” produced by frequent-collaborator Jarrett “P.U.R.P.” Spencer, who passed away before the track was finalized—and to whom she dedicates the video. “I hope I made him proud with this one,” she said. The record itself also marks some of the last production credits from Regular Erik.

Reflecting on her core values, the album’s first single, “Intuition,” celebrates personal evolutions and fearlessness, qualities Grady carries from influences like Nicki Minaj. “She came out the gate from the beginning knowing she was different, owning it and making everyone else love her for it,” Grady said of what draws her to Minaj’s work—specifically from the Roman Zolanski era. “She’s so beautifully weird,

yet so hard in her raps,” Grady continued, “and she created these alter egos—it’s genius.”

Other influences include Missy Elliot, who gets a homage on “Bling Bling”; while the “chopped and screwed” voice of Beyoncé appears on “On A Roll,” which was produced by Myra Chanel.

“I’ve got so many influences, it’s ridiculous,” Grady said, listing Kendrick Lamar, Kid Cudi, Azealia Banks, La Chat, and J.K. The Reaper; amongst Prince, Queen, and the Beatles. “Being from the south, I’m heavily inspired by the dirty south rap genre and wanted to implement a lot of that gritty feeling into the album,” she added, pointing to the second single, “Stoopid,” which samples the Memphisbased collective, Gimisum Family.

And then there’s the Godfather, the film that inspired not only the album but Grady’s entire stage persona. “Lovey is basically the female version of Don Corleone,” she said. “Not in the literal gangster sense, but in her mindset: the confidence, the swagg. Being a leader, unapologetically.”

The foundation of Grady’s leadership comes from experience in the Charlotte hip-hop collective, 1500 Forever, headed

by BigBabyGucci. She left for a solo pursuit and began releasing EPs, starting with The Futuristic in 2015, followed by Glitcher (2018) and Slime’s Child, which she considers “an ode to Young Thug” in 2019.

Along the way, Grady developed a passion for filmmaking. Using editing skills sharpened from days of “posting dumb YouTube videos,” she started shooting videos for artists and herself; and realized the director’s chair best suited her boss mentality. Working with videographer Braxton Langston-Chapman, Grady released the two-part promotional short film “The Don Mother” ahead of the album.

“With the record being based on a movie, having a visual element helps draw audiences to the story,” Grady said.

“I wrote the screenplay, did the set design, styled myself, and did my own hair and make-up. It was a blast.”

The N.C. A&T grad is currently studying audio engineering at the GTCC School of Entertainment Technology and eyeing film school for the future. “I’m a Capricorn, so I can’t stop working on things,” she said. “We’re planning to release a video for each track, so we’ll most likely be shooting videos all year long,” she added, noting her return to the studio and a new release planned by summer.

“The Don Mother” from Lovey the Don is out now. !

KATEI CRANFORD Is a Triad music nerd who hosts the Thursday Tour Report, a radio show that runs like a mixtape of bands touring NC the following week, 5:307pm on WUAG 103.1fm.

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last call [THE ADVICE GODDESS] love • sex • dating • marriage • questions

WAIT PROBLEM

This guy texts and FaceTimes me daily, and he finally asked me out. I was expecting a date, but it was a group dinner in his friend’s backyard, and he didn’t make a move all evening. I was sure he was into me, and we’re both fully vaccinated. What’s his deal? —Confused

Amy Alkon

Advice Goddess

Sexually, if your date is a total animal, you’d prefer it not be the sort that gets bungeed to the hood of a hunter’s station wagon.

The underlying problem here is “information asymmetry,” which Nobel Prize-winning economist Joseph Stiglitz explains as “Different people know different things.” (Asymmetry is simply a lack of symmetry, sameness: disproportion between parts of something, including unequally available information.) Information asymmetry is an element of “signaling theory,” an area of economics that looks at the ways people behave — flowing from the decisions they make — because of the information they have (or lack).

In this situation, you know you want the guy to end the evening all mwahmwah-makeout, but his mind might be filled with a bunch of bouncing question marks about whether you’re into him.

It’s also possible he realized he’s just not that into you, he wants to take things slowly, or he’s generally timid about making moves on women (or especially so in hopes of avoiding #himtoo).

What ends the asymmetric information stalemate? Information! Send signals revealing the information you have that he does not: “I’M INTO YOU AND WANT YOU TO MAKE A MOVE!” Flirting is the ideal way to communicate this, as it gives each of you an ego cushion — the ability to pretend it doesn’t mean what it seems to mean — that putting it out there in plain words does not. Powerful forms of flirting include: looking into his eyes while you talk, touching him, playing with your hair, and playing with your clothes or his. Err on the side of flirting heavily — way more than seems reasonable — because men can be a bit hint-blind.

His getting this information is likely to push him into action — or tell you he’s gotta bow out. But maybe consider being a little bit patient. It was one date!

My guess? Life mirrored art: those rom coms where the “nice guy” wants to kiss the girl at the door, but — whoa! There go his testicles, leaping out of his pants and going off to hide in the bushes, and he gives her a handshake goodnight. !

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GOT A PROBLEM? Write Amy Alkon, 171 Pier Ave., #280, Santa Monica, CA 90405, or email AdviceAmy@ aol.com (www.advicegoddess.com). Follow her on Twitter @amyalkon. Order her latest “science-help” book, Unf*ckology: A Field Guide to Living with Guts and Confidence. ©2021 Amy Alkon. Distributed by Creators.Com.

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