• Arts and Culture

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

June 15, 2021

Lin-Manuel Miranda Apologizes for ‘In The Heights’ Lack of Dark-Skinned Latinx Actors

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The acclaimed Hamilton actor and playwright, Lin-Manuel Miranda, has issued a public apology after his latest film was called out for its lack of Afro-Latinx representation.

In The Heights was one of Miranda’s breakout musicals prior to his Hamilton success. Fans were excited to see the film adaption based on life in New York City’s Washington Heights neighborhood. However, many were surprised when the film released on Friday and saw that the cast didn’t look like The Heights that many New Yorkers have known it to be.

Social media users blasted the film for having a cast consisting of primarily light-skinned actors and none that resembled a mixture of people who actually live in the culture-filled community.

During an interview with The Root’s Felice León, director Jon M. Chu was asked why the film had little to no dark-skinned Latinx actors in it. He appeared apologetic about the lack of representation and he mentioned how they tried to incorporate a mixture of dancers that represent what people in The Heights are actually known to look like. But they fell short.

After catching wind of the public scrutiny, the musical’s creator took to Twitter to apologize for the casting snafu.

“I hear that, without sufficient dark-skinned Afro-Latino representation, the world feels extractive of the community we wanted so much to represent with pride and joy,” Miranda said in a statement shared on Twitter. “In trying to paint a mosaic of this community, we fell short. I’m truly sorry.”

He touched on how he created the hit musical in his early days as a playwright due to not feeling represented.

-LMM pic.twitter.com/CHfdLgFUz3

— Lin-Manuel Miranda (@Lin_Manuel) June 14, 2021

“I started writing In The Heights because I didn’t feel seen. And over the past 20 years all I wanted was for us – ALL of us – to feel seen,” he said. “I’m seeing the discussion around Afro-Latino representation in our film this weekend, and it is clear that many in our dark-skinned Afro-Latino community don’t feel sufficiently represented within it, particularly among the leading roles. I can hear the hurt and frustration over colorism, of feeling unseen in the feedback. I hear that, without sufficient dark-skinned Afro-Latino representation, the world feels extractive of the community we wanted so much to represent with pride and joy.”

A lot has changed for Miranda in the last 20 years. He might’ve needed this little wake-up call to be reminded about the importance of representation for all people of color.

St. Louis Community College (STLCC) at Forest Park in St. Louis is addressing the need to build a bridge of confidence in the classroom through the Black Male Achievers Academy (BMAA), which is still recruiting 100 Black Males to support.

The program is targeted to assist Black men who are attending college for the first time in the fall, according to The St. Louis American. The BMAA is designed to improve recruitment and retention of African American students. According to the article, the BMAA will be held from June 21-July 30 on the St. Louis Community College at Florissant Valley and STLCC-Forest Park campuses.

A social science and reading class, preparation for upcoming English and math courses, and other discussions will be held. Participation benefits include receiving three credit hours and a STLCC academic scholarship of up to $3,000 for two-academic years.

Education Week once reported that young Black men who attend and graduate from colleges in the United States have the lowest test scores in both K-12 education as well as college. For these reasons, improving academic confidence, support, and motivation can prove vital for them to become successful. A program like BMAA may provide beneficial tools for young Black males who need a solid, positive reference point.

“I grew up in North St. Louis surrounded by the complexities of an urban environment. Survival was always a challenge. I lost so many childhood friends at a young age to gun violence, and it was a hard pill to swallow. It’s hard to look to the future when you are seeing things like this daily in your community,” Chester Henderson, an STLCC continuing education program information and enrollment assistant told the St. Louis American “As a first-time student, I needed help understanding and navigating the process of being a student. I wanted to know how to be successful.”

Black male high school graduates who have not yet begun college must possess a 1.5-3.0 grade point average to apply for the BMAA program. A  recommendation letter written by  their high school counselor or a teacher must also be emailed to Franklyn Taylor, vice president for student affairs at St. Louis Community College at Forest Park, at ftaylor65@stlcc.edu. Taylor’s work phone number is (314) 644-9212.

The Atlantic once reported about the importance of youth establishing lasting relationships and mentors in high school, leading into college. Additionally, the America’s Promise Alliance pointed out that youth from disadvantaged backgrounds face more challenges than a middle-class youth who may grow up having access to supportive coaches, tutors, or mentors.

• News

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

June 15, 2021

Biden Nominates Four Atlanta Scholars to Join The Civil Rights Cold Case Records Review Board

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Back in 2015, Emory University professor Hank Klibanoff got firsthand experience with how hard it has been to get information on civil rights cold cases.

The professor had sent a request to the FBI asking for information on the murder of Isaiah Nixon, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. But he was told they had no records of the case after Nixon was shot and killed in front of his children for voting in the 1948 Georgia Democratic primary.

After sending another request to the National Archives, they sent the Pulitzer Prize winner and former newspaper editor back a lengthy report explaining why there is little to no account on old cold cases.

“Anyone who wanted to get federal government records on civil rights cold cases ran into bureaucratic hurdles,” Klibanoff said. “It wasn’t that they didn’t want to be cooperative. It is just that over the years, nobody kept good records.”

On Friday, the White House announced that they have added four scholars to the Civil Rights Cold Case Records Review Board. The board was launched under the Trump administration but no action was taken in allocating the project’s $1 million funding.

The board will consist of a panel of five and President Biden has already nominated four people for the slots. Klibanoff is among the four, along with Stanford professor Clayborne Carson, Emory University instruction archivist Gabrielle Dudley, and civil rights lawyer and former state judge Margaret Burnham.

“There are those of us who have been working in this field for a good while now who have been trying to unearth this history case by case, but we haven’t had much government support,” Burnham said. “What we are trying to look at is the nature, scope and effect of violence in the mid decades of the 20th century. Until we have a full sense of that, we won’t really have a sense of Jim Crow. And until we understand Jim Crow, we won’t understand where we are today.”

Once the official board is in place, they will work to review numerous unsolved civil rights cases from the 1950s and 1960s.

Their hope is to “declassify government files and subpoena new testimony in the hopes of reopening cases or revealing publicly why many were never fully investigated.”

• Education

by Derek Major

June 15, 2021

HBCUs Have Been Denied State Funding For Decades, Now State Lawmakers And HBCU Leaders Are Fighting For That Money

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Historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) have been underfunded by their states for decades as billions of dollars have been withheld. Now HBCU leaders are fighting to get the money they’re owed.

College presidents and lawmakers in states including Maryland and Tennessee have spent months digging into past state budgets to determine how much money states have kept from HBCUs and how to put that money to the best use on campus.

According to CBS News, more than $1 billion is at stake for up to 50 HBCUs that have found a way to educate Black men and women with limited resources.

Lawmakers in Maryland have approved a measure paying $577 million to Coppin State University, Maryland Eastern Shore, Bowie State University, and Morgan State University. The payments will be made over a decade, beginning in 2022.

The settlement stems from a 15-year legal battle between the state and its HBCUs, which alleged the state underfunded the state’s four HBCUs while developing programs at traditionally white universities that directly compete with and take prospective students from HBCUs.

An investigation by state budget officials in Tennessee determined Tennessee State University, a public HBCU, has been underfunded by $544 million since 1950. Harold Love, who helped lead the effort to determine how much the state owed TSU, told CBS it’s about more than the money.,

“That $544 million figure represents not just how much money Tennessee State did not receive from the state — it also represents how much money Tennessee State had to take out of its own reserves to fulfill the [federal] match requirements,” Love told CBS.

According to a study conducted by the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities discovered between 2010 and 2012, more than half of the nation’s HBCUs did not receive their full funding.

HBCU athletics have been affected as well.

According to the Houston Chronicle, while many non-HBCU schools enjoy pristine athletic facilities and stadiums, HBCU athletics are forced to make due.

TSU’s baseball team does not have its own stadium; instead, they practice and play in a city park. The football team has to play its games off-campus at BBVA stadium, a field largely used for soccer and track and field that has been deemed unsafe for football due to its track and field elements.

Additionally, the school’s 18 collegiate athletic teams all share one weight room, which requires the staff to keep an airtight schedule to make sure every athlete gets a workout.

The efforts in Maryland and Tennessee have led to similar efforts in several Southern states, including Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia.

• News

by Derek Major

June 15, 2021

Power And Natural Gas Prices Skyrocket In Texas And California As Heatwaves Continue

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Reuters – Power and natural gas prices in Texas and California spiked this week to their highest levels in months as homes and businesses cranked up air conditioners to escape brutal heatwaves.

The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), which operates most of the state’s power system, urged consumers on Monday to conserve energy through Friday. The California ISO, which operates most of that state’s grid, told consumers to prepare to conserve energy if needed.

Both grids have imposed rotating outages over the last year to avoid widespread collapses of their power systems – California in August 2020 and Texas in February 2021.

Rotating outages are supposed to leave a limited number of customers without service for a short time before switching to another group of customers. In Texas, ERCOT drew criticism after millions of homes and businesses were left in the dark – many for days.

For this week, ERCOT forecast power demand would peak at 70,816 megawatts (MW) on Tuesday, up from 69,943 MW on Monday, which was a record high for June. The grid’s all-time high was 74,820 MW in August 2019. One MW typically powers about 200 homes on a hot summer day.

To meet that peak and have enough reserves in case something goes wrong, ERCOT has said it expects to have about 86,862 MW of supply available this summer. On Monday, however, the grid said an unusually large 11,000 MW of generation was out of service.

In California, the ISO forecast power demand would reach 39,856 MW on Tuesday and 41,219 MW on Wednesday. That compares with the grid’s all-time peak of 50,270 MW in July 2006.

To meet that peak and have enough reserves, the California ISO said it expects to have about 50,734 MW of supply available this summer.

State Price for Monday Price for Tuesday Price for Wednesday 2020 Average

Power MWh MWh MWh MWh

Ercot North Texas $84 $407 $25.52

Palo Verde Arizona $158 $120 $364 $40.71

SP-15 California $155 $120 $190 $40.18

Natural Gas mmBtu mmBtu mmBtu

Waha Texas $3.15 $3.02 $1.18

SoCal City Gate California $4.45 $8.32 $3.02

PG&E California $4.09 $4.51 $3.01

Note – Power in Megawatt Hours (MWh) and gas in million British thermal units (mmBtu)

Note – The power and gas prices this week were the highest since the February freeze in Texas boosted

prices across the country.

(Reporting by Scott DiSavino; editing by Barbara Lewis and David Gregorio)

A Black-owned, vegan ice cream shop called Whipped Urban Dessert Lab has released a “Taste Of Freedom” flavor in honor of Juneteenth, according to VegOut.

Sisters Courtney Blagrove and Zan B.R. launched the New York City-based business to introduce people to delicious frozen oat-fused deserts since oats aren’t typically a go-to ingredient used to make the sweet treats.

According to VegOut, the sisters discovered that 75% of African Americans are lactose intolerant. Uncovering this tidbit led to opening the Whipped Urban Dessert Lab’s flagship store –which is located in Manhattan at 95 Orchard St. The store features tasty treats like hard-scoop vegan ice cream flavors from coffee waffle crunch and strawberry shortcake to cinnamon apple crisp. Patrons can also add a wide array toppings or sauces.

The vegan ice cream flavor that is raising awareness about Juneteenth was sparked by a portion of  Booker T. Washington’s autobiography, Up From Slavery, Blagrove and B.R. said.

The renowned educator and presidential advisor who eventually found freedom, reportedly enjoyed ginger cakes.

“We use food to celebrate Juneteenth, also called ‘Freedom Day,’ while also recognizing that there is still much work to be done to achieve equality and true freedom for all,” Blagrove and B.R told the outlet.

Urban Dessert Lab’s website explains that the lifestyle brand embodies food, culture, and elevated experiences. The description aligns with the culture of Juneteenth.

Juneteenth, celebrated on June 19, is a key event in 1865 when the Galveston, TX, community was informed that the last of America’s enslaved people were free due to President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation.

Blagrove and B.R are standing proud with a business they deem is “the world’s first oat milk ice cream shop.”

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

June 15, 2021

Waffle House Manager Went Out Of His Way To Help Server Attend His HS Graduation

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An 18-year-old Waffle House server almost skipped out on attending his high school graduation so that he could work his shift.

Timothy Harrison showed up to work on the day his graduation was scheduled to work at the popular eatery. But his 38-year-old manager, Cedric Hampton, wasn’t having it and made sure Harrison attended his graduation and received his diploma.

“I was going to get him there no matter what,” Hampton told the Washington Post.

Hampton is the manager at the Waffle House in Center Point, AL. He and the staff at the location worked together as a village to ensure that Harrison would attend his graduation ceremony, The Washington Post reports. The teen had originally requested the day off so that he could attend the event.

But after realizing his family couldn’t make the event, and having no ride to get to the ceremony located an hour away in Birmingham, Harrison opted to come into work for a 7 am shift despite not being scheduled.

“They did want to go very badly, but sadly, they couldn’t,” he said of his mother who couldn’t get the day off at her daycare job. He is not in touch with his father. “I didn’t have a ride, I didn’t have tickets, and it was a plan that I couldn’t put together all the way.”

But Hampton jumped into action to get the teen to the ceremony, according to WBRC.

“I said, ‘Go home, get your paperwork, call the school, and we will figure out the rest.’ For me, it was a no-brainer,” Hampton said. “Graduation is one of those things you get to do once in life, and when you’ve worked all these years going to school to have that moment it’s necessary to be there.”

He noted how much Harrison looked disappointed in missing his graduation and knows the event is a memorable milestone that shouldn’t be missed.

“I could see in his eyes that he really wanted to go, and I was going to get him there no matter what,” Hampton said. “No kid should miss their high school graduation.”

The father of three was elated to see Harrison leave the ceremony smiling from ear to ear. He was unable to go inside because of COVID restrictions. But he waited in the parking lot until the ceremony was done.

“It was most definitely the best day of my life,” Hampton said. “The experience was amazing.”

• Arts and Culture

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

June 15, 2021

LA Artist Creates Instagram Community Highlighting Black Men With Gardens

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Los Angeles-based artist Nelson ZêPequéno, is the visionary behind the viral Instagram page @BlackMenWithGardens. The page boasts over 130,000 followers, where he shares eye-catching shots of Black men and boys planting, harvesting, and being at one with nature.

ZêPequéno works as an artist, production designer, and entrepreneur but feels his company’s Instagram page is a part of his life’s calling. He already sells customized t-shirts with flowers and plants embroidered on them through his Plants & Anime platform. The site also sells custom art, handheld florals, and clock planters. His gardening Instagram page only confirms the authenticity of his overall brand.

“It’s to solve creative problems in only a way that I can uniquely,” he told The los angeles times.

The page highlights the personal connection and stories Black men and boys share with gardening. Running the page has helped the artist tap further into his creative vision and purpose. He has been an artist since a child after immigrating to the United States from his native Ghana.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Black Men With Gardens (@blackmenwithgardens)

“My big sister when I was younger, she’d just like draw better than me,” ZêPequéno said of his childhood. “And I just wanted to be able to draw better than her. So I decided to get better.”

As he grew older, he became inspired to create art using everyday objects in ways the average person wouldn’t think of.

“I had this overall vision that I could live my life based off of things that I created with my mind and hands,” he said.

He took a liking to plant life 10 years ago after he noticed the taboo many had around cannabis culture.

“I started growing weed and learning cannabis horticulture indoors and outdoors,” he explained. “That just gave me an overall appreciation of admiring plants because growing cannabis requires you to really observe them on an almost microscopic level.”

Now his love for art, plants, and being true to his creativity has earned him a career and a cult following on social media.

• News

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

June 15, 2021

One Woman Dead, Three Injured After Car Plows Into Police Brutality Protesters

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One woman was killed and three others were left injured after a car plowed into a group of protesters in Minneapolis.

The group was protesting against the recent fatal police shooting of 32-year-old Winston Boogie Smith Jr., a Black man, and father of three who was killed by U.S. Marshals on June 3, The Guardian reports. His death prompted a series of protests and vigils throughout the city with many calling for a more transparent investigation into his death.

The attack against the protesters occurred just before midnight on Sunday when the suspect rammed their car into the group before being pulled from the vehicle and arrested, authorities said. The Minneapolis Police confirmed the murder on Twitter saying the woman was pronounced dead at the hospital. Authorities released a statement saying a preliminary investigation found that drugs or alcohol use by the driver may have contributed to the crash.

“I’ve never seen anything that horrendous,” Zachery James told The New York Times. “I watched her body fly.”

Garrett Knajdeck confirmed to the Star Tribune that his sister Deona M. Knajdek was the woman that was killed. She was a mother to two daughters and was set to celebrate her 32nd birthday on Wednesday.

Smith’s death has sparked outrage in the community in the wake of the murder of George Floyd. Smith was killed by members of the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force during an attempted arrest on felony firearm charges, a statement said. Officers say Smith wasn’t compliant with their commands and displayed a handgun during the arrest, prompting them to discharge their firearms.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0MgEVJMoavY

Evidence from the scene suggests that Smith fired his weapons, officers report. But his family is denying the claims asking for body camera footage. However, police say there is no bodycam footage from the arrest available. The lack of information around the case has prompted an outcry from Minneapolis residents who are still healing from the murder of George Floyd and the recent police shooting of 20-year-old Daunte Wright.

Tennis phenom Naomi Osaka has been getting major support from people from sports players, entertainers, and the average everyday citizen.

According to For the Win, three-time Olympic gold medalist Gabby Douglas sided with Osaka’s decision to withdraw from the French Open to protect her mental health given the demands placed on her by the organizers of the tournaments.

Douglas knows first-hand the challenges of being a top-performing athlete.

“Every person knows what they need to fix themselves, to heal themselves, and everyone’s different. For me, I know being an athlete, you go through so much already. If you need to step back, that’s what you need to do,” she told the outlet.

Last week, Osaka pulled out of the Berlin WTA 5000 grasscourt tournament citing she needed to focus on her mental health. The No. 2 ranked tennis player withdrew from the French Open two weeks ago after being fined $15,000 for not attending her post-match news conference after her victory against Patricia Maria Tig.

Douglas also said, “Coming from that I focused on really healing myself, healing my mind and my body. I’m not on social media a lot because social media did damage to my personality, in a way. So I’ve just been taking years off of social media, off my phone, and really just kind of getting back to who I am.”