Gabrielle Union, actress, Hollywood, Black actresses, award

by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman

December 27, 2023

‘We’re Black Actresses’ Says Gabrielle Union In TikTok Trend Video

Gabrielle Union joins in TikTok trend to shed light on the plight of Black actresses in Hollywood.

Gabrielle Union is giving insight into the realities of being a Black actress in Hollywood through a new TikTok trend. Union posted the clip to her social media, adding to the rise of other Black actresses speaking out against issues in the industry.

The “We’re” trend depicts those of a specific identity or demographic, noting the habits or issues they deal with. Union decided to join in on the viral moment, using it to spark further conversation on the lack of equality for Black actresses, including unfair wages and being mistaken for one another.

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A post shared by Gabrielle Union-Wade (@gabunion)

“I’m a Black actress and producer in Hollywood. Of course, I’ve been mistaken for Garcelle Beauvais, Brandy, Ashanti, Sanaa [Lathan], Nia [Long], both Halles [Berry and Bailey] and both Reginas [King and Hall],” started Union.

She continued, noting many problems Black actresses face while pursuing their craft.

“I’m a Black actress and producer in Hollywood. Of course, our box office successes never matter,” said Union, who herself has starred in numerous films and shows yet still not receiving rightful pay.

“Of course, I have to put my glam team in my contract, cause.., ” laughed the mother of one, referencing how makeup artists are rarely equipped with products or the skills that work for Black people.

“I’m a Black actress and producer in Hollywood. Of course, I’m going to have to work until it’s… the end… because we can’t retire. We don’t make enough,” revealed the 51-year-old.

“I’m a Black actress and producer in Hollywood, and, of course, my favorite phrase is ‘don’t f*ck with my money,” she ended the video, nodding that Black women will continue to fight for their equal pay in the industry.

This video comes at the heels of fellow Black actress Taraji P. Henson speaking in a SiriusXM interview about how her pay has not increased since her 2018 film Proud Mary, despite her continued success and rise in Hollywood. Henson revealed that the pay disparity also led her to nearly back out of her newly released film, the 2023 adaption of The Color Purple.

Henson and Union are a growing number in their cohort speaking up for themselves as they continue to be lowballed despite their achievements. Black actresses are standing up for equality in Hollywood for themselves and the next generation.

The Color Purple, Rustin, offer only, Colman Domingo, audition, process, boardwalk empire

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

December 27, 2023

Colman Domingo: I ‘Lost My Mind’ After ‘Boardwalk Empire’ Rejection

Colman Domingo's time has finally come.

Veteran actor Colman Domingo, 54, is finally receiving his flowers thanks to back-to-back acclaimed performances in Rustin and The Color Purple.

Ten years ago, the Philadelphia native was stuck auditioning for “under-fives,” roles that only offered a line or two of dialogue, he told The New York Times. One was to play the maître d’ at a Black-owned nightclub in an episode of the HBO dramatic series Boardwalk Empire.

Domingo came to the callback audition dressed in a tuxedo and even sang and tap danced for the casting crew. He received a call from his agent and was sure he secured the part that would help take his career to the next level.

Writes Kyle Buchanan of the Times:

“His agent began that call by saying that everyone on ‘Boardwalk Empire’ had loved his audition. This is the one that’s going to change it up for me, Domingo thought. This is the one that’s going to finally be my big break. There was just one problem, his agent said. After the callback, a historical researcher on the show reminded producers that the maître d’s in those nightclubs were typically light-skinned, and Domingo was not. ‘Boardwalk Empire’ had passed.”

“That’s when I lost my mind,” Domingo recalled before telling his agent, “I can’t take it anymore, I think this is going to kill me.”

But a lot has changed since then. Domingo won an Emmy in 2022 in for his guest appearance on another HBO drama series, Euphoria. He’s also starred in Oscar-nominated films such as If Beale Street Could Talk (2018) and Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (2020).

Now his breakout role in Netflix’s Rustin could see him earn his first Best Actor Oscar nomination, Variety reports. The Color Purple raked in an impressive $18 million Christmas Day debut.

Now Domingo’s days of auditioning are far behind him.

“I became an actor that was ‘offer-only’ probably sooner than the industry thought I should have,” Domingo said. “But I decided I have a body of work. You can go and look at it, you can ask other directors about me, and you can make me the offer or not.”

Baltimore Police Department, violence, mental health,

by Sharelle B. McNair

December 27, 2023

Baltimore’s New Training Program Forces Police To Focus On Mental Health

The Baltimore Police Department is trying to redeem itself from its past reputation of corruption and violence.

The Baltimore Police Department is forcing its officers to prioritize their mental health with a new training course.

Through a partnership with the anti-violence organization Roca, officers must complete a program on emotional regulation using a video learning tool teaching the basics of brain science while examining the relationship between thoughts, actions, and feelings. Along the East Coast, the department is one of several to adopt the eight-hour Rewire course, including Boston PD.

Viewed as taking a different approach, the training focuses on officer health and wellness using activities such as yoga, meditation, and confidential counseling, according to Fox 45 News. The goal strives for early intervention of potentially problematic behaviors like the one reviewed in training. Officers are shown a three-minute video from 2007 where a Baltimore officer was seen scolding a teenager for ignoring orders to stop skateboarding and calling the officer “dude.”

“Your parents don’t put a foot in your butt quite enough because you don’t understand the meaning of respect,” the officer shouted while the teenager remained seemingly calm. The interaction ultimately cost the officer his job.

Program director Vernon Herron said the mandatory training prepares veteran and rookie cops to patrol the Baltimore streets by prepping their minds before it is too late. “They might go home and can’t get to sleep. They might get home and think they should turn to alcohol to manage the trauma. These are the things you don’t want them to do,” Herron said.

“In 2016, we averaged 216 interventions a year, and now we’re down to 35. It is having an impact on our employees.”

Officers in the course were asked to describe some of their most memorable calls for service. During one session, an officer reminisced about a case where three children were found decapitated, saying the images would haunt her for a lifetime. Instructor Lt. Lakishia Tucker says it takes a toll. “This stuff ain’t normal that we see, that we deal with, that we handle on a daily basis.”

Roca works with at-risk youth from the city’s poorest and most violent neighborhoods. The group says the population has more in common with officers than some may think. Since opening up in 2018, the organization has helped young men with life coaching, job opportunities, and behavioral health tools that help de-escalate conflicts before turning deadly. Founders feel if police are exposed to similar outlets, there will be a reduction in police violence, leading to brutal headlines and a lack of community trust.

The city of Baltimore is still trying to recover from the 2015 police-involved death of Freddie Gray. An investigation by the Department of Justice found a pattern of illegal police practices primarily geared toward Black people.

White People Dead, Tartinery, grand central station, dining concourse

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

December 27, 2023

Man Allegedly Stabs 2 Teens After Shouting, ‘I Want All The White People Dead’

Steven Hutcherson, 36, allegedly attacked two teenage girls old while they were eating with their parents at a Grand Central Terminal eatery.

Two teenagers visiting from South America were stabbed at Grand Central Terminal in New York City on Christmas morning. Now, the man who allegedly stabbed the pair is facing attempted murder charges.

According to The New York Post, 36-year-old Steven Hutcherson allegedly attacked the two girls, 14 and 16, while they ate with their parents.

The incident took place at Tartinery in the Grand Central Dining Concourse just before 11:30 a.m. on Dec. 25. The girls suffered non-life-threatening stab wounds, according to police officials.

As the family ate their meal, Hutcherson allegedly yelled out, “I want all the white people dead. I want to sit next to the crackers.”

Hutcherson then allegedly jumped at the girls, stabbing the 16-year-old girl in the back and stabbing the 14-year-old in the thigh. Right before that occurred, he stated that he wanted to sit at a table but did not intend to order anything.

Authorities said Hutcherson has 17 prior arrests and a history of mental health issues. In previous run-ins with police officers, he had been classified as an “emotionally disturbed person,” law enforcement sources told The Post.

The suspect was arrested and booked on felony counts of attempted murder, assault, criminal possession of a weapon, and misdemeanor endangering the welfare of a child.

His most recent arrest occurred on Nov. 7. “I’m gonna shoot you. I don’t care what kind of green card the government gave you,” Hutcherson allegedly told a stranger, according to the criminal complaint against him. “Open your mouth and say something. I will shoot you right now.”

He then pulled a weapon “from the side of his pants,” according to the complainant. Officials said police officers didn’t find a firearm on Hutcherson but did retrieve a knife.

Hutcherson was charged with criminal possession of a weapon, menacing, harassment, and assault in that incident. After pleading guilty to a lesser charge of third-degree assault, a misdemeanor, he was sentenced on Dec. 12 to a conditional discharge, according to the Bronx District Attorney’s Office.

He has been arrested several times since July and given two separate 15-day sentences. It’s unclear if he served any jail time.

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

December 27, 2023

Jordan Peele’s New Film Pushed Back Due To Actors’ Strike

The film Jordan Peele thought he would release in 2024 has been pushed back by a year due to the actors' strike.

The film Jordan Peele thought he would release in 2024 has been pushed back due to the actors’ strike.

The actor’s strike ended on Nov. 8 after a 118-day protest in what became the longest strike in Hollywood history. SAG-AFTRA and Writers Guild members were prevented from working until a deal was reached that took away time from movies and television shows that would have been in production.

Among those projects was Peele’s untitled fourth horror film that Universal had slated for a Christmas 2024 release but has since been pushed back to a date that has yet to be determined, The Wrap reports. The new film was set to go up against a holiday slate of film releases, including Paramount’s Sonic the Hedgehog 3, Disney’s Mufasa: The Lion King, and fellow horror film Nosferatu from Focus Features.

But considering the fanfare Peele receives when releasing a new horror film, it doesn’t matter who he competes with at the box office. Since his Oscar-winning debut with 2017’s Get Out, Peele has garnered a name that draws moviegoers to the theater to see his newest release.

His first three films, Get Out, Us, and Nope, have grossed over $680 million at the global box office, with Get Out raking in $176.1 million domestically and $255.7 million worldwide off just a $4.5 million budget. His film debut earned him an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay, becoming the first Black writer to do so.

The Comedy Central alum followed up with 2019’s Us, which earned $175 million domestically and $256 million worldwide off a $20 million budget. His most recent film, Nope was released in July 2022 and earned $123.3 million domestically and $171.2 million worldwide from a $68 million budget.

He’s also served in producer roles on Spike Lee’s Oscar-winning film BlacKkKlansman, Nia DaCosta’s Candyman, and a revival of CBS’ “The Twilight Zone, which he also hosted.

Along with his upcoming fourth horror film, Peele is also collaborating with Metal Gear Solid creator Hideo Kojima on his next video game, OD. One of Peele’s upcoming films is rumored to see him teaming up with Selena Gomez for an adaptation of the graphic novel Coyotes, Daily Mail reports.

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

December 27, 2023

YG And 4Hunnid Ways Host Toy Drive In Santa Monica, California

YG's non-profit organization, 4Hunnid Ways Foundation, hosted a Christmas Toy Drive in Santa Monica, California.

Christmas was a good one for some families in Santa Monica, California, thanks to a Christmas toy drive by hip-hop artist YG.

According to Complex, the Compton-bred rapper and his non-profit organization, 4Hunnid Ways Foundation, hosted a Christmas Toy Drive at Fame Cast Media in Santa Monica. The event was sponsored by the Zeus Network and was held to uplift children in foster care and families with autistic children.

YG attended the event with his daughters, Harmony, 8, and Vibe, 4, and his niece Londyn, 11, and nephew, Kreu, 7.

More than 300 disadvantaged children and their families attended the event. Family members met Santa Claus at the toy drive and participate in a talent show. A mobile game truck was on the scene as well as a mobile spa. Guests also were entertained by a dance crew and live performances.

This is far from the first time YG has helped those in need. According to AllHipHop, in 2020, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, his foundation distributed $10,000 worth of personal protective equipment to those in need.

4Hunnid Ways Foundation is led by YG’s mother, Shona Jackson. According to the organization’s website, it started as a place that assisted children in foster care but has since expanded. Its homeless program provides meals, food, clothing, and other household essentials. There’s also a program that helps people recently released from prison adjust to returning to the community.

4Hunnid Ways Foundation’s other services include counseling and job development and healthy eating.

Before his very successful toy drive, YG was seen at the 10th Annual TDE Holiday Concert and Toy Drive on Dec. 19, along with other notable recording artists, including SZA, Jay Rock, and ScHoolboy Q.

low-key, at home, card game, spades, pajamas, chef, party, friends, family

by Aniesia Williams

December 27, 2023

3 Ways To Enjoy A Low-Key New Year’s Eve

Here are some low-key ways to say farewell to 2023.

Originally Published Jan. 4, 2016

Happy New Year! Can you believe 2024 is here already? How did you bid farewell to 2022 this past New Year’s Eve? Were you turned up at the club or hanging out with friends and family? Even though I had some traveling to do, I was sure to find time to spend with family and friends. It was low-key, but cherished nonetheless.

Some of my friends and colleagues also kept it low-key. Here’s how they chose to ring in the new year.

A Dinner Party

A dinner party for close friends or relatives is at the top of the low-key list for ringing in the New Year right. The secret to pulling off a stress-free, memorable event is to enlist the help of a professional! I know folks who hooked up with celebrity chefs to create festive menus that allowed them to indulge in their favorite foods one last time before the ball dropped for 2023. (I went to one where Chef J.R. Robinson provided the eats.) Be sure to decide how many people you want to invite, your budget and your theme, if you pick one.

A Pajama Jam

There’s nothing more low-key than putting on your most comfortable PJs for an adult pajama party. Since you’re going to be up anyway, why not be comfortable all night? The key to a successful pajama jam is to invite people who will actually participate. Folks who show up “dressed to the nines” or in street clothes—and they haven’t brought PJs to change into—are just killjoys. Specify what passes for pajamas so no one feels uncomfortable or sticks out like a sore thumb.

Play a Game—Other than Spades

As New Year celebrations go, playing a few games is decidedly low-key. But why not pull out something other than the usual deck of cards? Some of my friends celebrated American Black culture with a hidden treasure called Black C ard Revoked. This game will have you debating like crazy, going back and forth about who’s wrong and who’s right. I wouldn’t be surprised if someone broke out with a song from The Five Heartbeats while answering some of these questions. The game is family-friendly—up to six can play at a time.

However you choose to bring in 2024, I hope it is meaningful. Here’s to a healthy, happy and prosperous new year.

by Lauren Nutall

December 27, 2023

2 Teenagers In Custody After Fatal Christmas Eve Shooting Of Sister

Two Florida teenagers have been arrested after the shooting death of their sister on Christmas Eve.

Two Florida teenagers have been taken into custody following the murder of their older sister on Christmas Eve, the Washington Post reports, an incident that stemmed from a dispute between the two brothers over who had received the most gifts.

While Christmas shopping with their family on Sunday, the boys began arguing, which continued as they arrived at their grandmother’s house in Largo, Florida, later that day, according to Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri, who spoke at a Dec. 26 press conference.

At one point, the younger brother, 14, drew a gun he owned and claimed that he was going to shoot his brother, 15, in the head, Gualtieri said. The older brother attempted to deescalate the situation, telling the 14-year-old that he did not want to fight and suggested he go for a walk.

Their uncle and older sister, Abrielle Baldwin, 23, also tried to intervene. “You all need to leave that stuff alone … . It’s Christmas,” Baldwin told them, according to Gualtieri.

Gualtieri said the 14-year-old then turned his weapon to her and shot her directly in the chest as she held her baby. Baldwin was pronounced dead at the hospital. Her baby was uninjured.

According to the sheriff, immediately after the shooting, the 15-year-old brother shot his younger brother in the stomach with his own handgun before disposing the weapon in a nearby yard and fleeing the scene. He was found at a relative’s house and taken into custody. The 14-year-old is reportedly in stable condition at a hospital.

“They’re not old enough to understand and have the right coping me mechanisms to deal with the stuff when they are upset,” said Gualtieri. “I mean the fact that two 14-year olds and 15-year-olds get upset with each other because one got more, I mean that happens. That’s just kid stuff but not with guns.”

The 15-year-old is facing charges of attempted first-degree murder and tampering with physical evidence. He is currently being held at a mental health facility after discussing harming himself.

santa, white, black, Russell Wilson, Christmas, Claus, Mr., Mrs.

by Stacy Jackson

December 27, 2023

Instagram Users Pressed After Ciara Posts Children With ‘White Santa’

The post has garnered more than 2 million views and over 4,000 comments.

Social media users sounded off on singer Ciara Wilson after she posted a video of a white Santa and Mrs. Claus celebrating Christmas at their home this past weekend.

The “Level Up” singer shared an Instagram video featuring her children: six-year-old Sienna Princess, three-year-old Win Harrison, newborn Amora Princess, and nine-year-old Future Zahir, whom she shares with her ex-boyfriend, rapper Future. The video showed three of the children welcoming Santa and Mrs. Claus into their home as they frolicked around in their holiday pajama sets. In the clip, Mr. and Mrs. Claus read to the children and give them presents. Several moments show the children sitting on Santa’s lap before they all posed for a final “Merry Christmas” message.

The Dec. 22 post has garnered over 2 million views and over 4,000 comments from viewers who added their thoughts about the Wilsons and their white Santa.

Some critics thought it was “cringe” to see the couple’s daughter “chillin’” on a white Santa’s lap.

“Representation is everything…why couldn’t Santa and Mrs. Clause be of color?” one user questioned.

Another commented, “I’m sorry, but they have too much access and wealth to not have gotten a Black Santa…everybody saying it’s selective outrage and that they’re technically white, but by who’s definition and under what conditions?” The commenter pointed out that when Black actresses Halle Bailey and Zendaya were cast in traditionally white roles: Ariel in The Little Mermaid” and Mary Jane in Spiderman, there was racist backlash questioning their suitability. However, the commenter argued that children lack an understanding of racism’s harms and see these actresses simply as playing beloved characters, positively impacting their imagination and perceptions.

Fans of the singer came to the family’s defense with supportive comments. One user wrote, “Can we get over Santa being white????!!! Please. Like how many of y’all cared when you were a child what color Santa was?? Just stop.” Another chimed in, “It amazes me how so many people can miss the point in all of this. So concerned about race and what other people do in THEIR home with THEIR family.”

The video also included her NFL star husband, Russell Wilson, who left his own comment admiring how his children, who he called “the sweetest,” welcomed the guests into their home.

Yo Gotti, Angela Simmons, rare, Hermes, birkin, handbag, 400k

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

December 27, 2023

Santa’s Got a Brand New Bag(s): Yo Gotti Gifts Angela Simmons With 3 Rare Birkin Bags Worth $400K

Money wasn't an issue for Yo Gotti this Christmas as he shelled out nearly half a million dollars on rare Birkin bags for Angela Simmons.

Money wasn’t an issue for Yo Gotti this Christmas as he shelled out $400,000 on three rare Birkin handbags for his girlfriend Angela Simmons, a source connected to the couple told People.

The bags are a Faubourg 20 in midnight matte, a 25 Noir Crocodile Niloticus Lisse Gold Hardware GHW, and a limited-edition Rock 25.

The 36-year-old entrepreneur took to Instagram on Tuesday, Dec. 26 to show off her wares. “Blessed beyond measures!” she captioned the post of photos and videos highlighting her lavish holiday.

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A post shared by Angela Renee Simmons (@angelasimmons)

Yo Gotti, real name Mario Mims, isn’t letting up on Simmons after revealing the “crush” he had her on his 2016 hit single, “Down in the DM.” Finally, on New Year’s Eve 2022 the pair announced their relationship in a luxury-style photoshoot alongsidse a Rolls Royce.

Days later the couple sat courtside at a Grizzlies-Cavaliers game wearing matching black outfits. By the summer, Yo Gotti released his mixtape I Showed U So, which features a musical ode to Simmons titled “The One.”

The couple displayed their love in the music video for the song, which has Gotti professing his affection for the businesswoman.

“You give me butterflies in your stomach/ Like we still in middle school/ And you give me nervous vibes when I’m missin’ you/ Girl, I’m a gangsta, and you got me kissin’ you/ First time ever, some s— I’ll never do,” he raps.

Simmons is no stranger to the spotlight. Her dad is rap legend father Rev Run of Run DMC. As a teenager, she starred on the family’s reality show, Run’s House, before appearing on Growing Up Hip-Hop as an adult.

In 2018, her son’s father, Sutton Tennyson, was fatally shot in Atlanta; her son Sutton Joseph was just 2 years old.