Missing, kissing, & dissing

by Victoria A. Brownworth

It’s Lent, again. So if you are giving up candy or other sweets for this period of self-abnegation, we recommend some televised confections that won’t break your flagellant commitments, but will still be fulfilling.

Missing Black women

We’re a bit of a Lifetime devotee for reasons we can’t quite articulate, but their true crime-ish movies are usually pretty good. Garcelle Beauvais (“Spider-Man: Homecoming,” “White House Down”) stars in the Lifetime original “Black Girl Missing” as part of the network’s Stop Violence Against Women campaign.

A new PSA for The Black and Missing Foundation will be part of the movie’s premiere, spotlighting The Black And Missing Foundation’s com- mitment to locating missing persons of color. Black Americans remain missing four times longer than white Americans.

Beauvais is also executive-producing the movie inspired by actual stories of missing women of color. The film details what happens when Cheryl (Garcelle Beauvais) gets into an argument with her daughter Lauren (Iyana Halley) over her desire to drop out of college. Cheryl initially thinks Lauren is simply ignoring her calls and texts, but Cheryl soon realizes Lauren is missing. While she attempts to get help from authorities and the media, they quickly dismiss the case, labeling Lauren as a runaway while they are all too consumed with another case – that of a missing white girl.

Lifetime will also debut the special, “Beyond the Headlines: Black Girl Missing,” following true stories of missing Black women featuring inter- views with their families and Black and Missing Foundation’s involvement in the cases. Natalie and Derrica Wilson of the Black and Missing Foundation are also consultants. “Black Girl Missing” debuts on Lifetime March 4.

Paris when it sizzles Freeform’s new reality show “Love Trip: Paris” is a fresh take on the dating show genre. It follows four Americans in a Parisian penthouse as they search for love, and it’s queer-inclusive.

Tony Award for Best Regional Theater. But awards meant little to her, according to her brother.

“You know, awards and such didn’t mean that much to my sister,” he said. “It was the work itself that was her passion and that gave her fulfillment. She appreciated the recognition, but her values were elsewhere. After she won the Oscar, when asked what it meant to her, she said she hoped it meant that she would get to work with wonderful actors and wonderful directors.”

Those who attend the show at the Strand will learn about some of Olympia’s other passions.

“Young people unaware of my sister’s career and her influence will learn about one of this generation’s greatest actresses and one of its staunchest activists for LGBT rights, for women’s rights, and a spokesperson for Alzheimer’s education,” he said. “She was a funny lady who, like Anna Madrigal, loved her family unconditionally and without judgment.

I know Olympia will be remembered as a great actress, an impassioned activist, and a beloved champion for gay and women’s rights. But I’ll remember as, next to my wife, the most influential person I ever knew who guided me, taught me, and loved me unconditionally.”t

“Remembering Olympia” March 3, 7pm, Strand Theater, 1127 Market St. $30. www.act-sf.org

Narrated by out gay actor Matt Rogers (“Fire Island,” “I Love That for You”), the series features four principles; Josielyn Aguiler, Lacy Hartselle,

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Above: Garcelle Beauvais in Lifetime’s ‘Black Girl Missing’

Below: The women of ‘Love Trip: Paris’