Designer Andrew M. Nowell Looks to the
Indiana Jones movies for inspiration in his latest looks.
Also Looking Back At
2020’s
Brighter Moments
Cover Model: Taylor Borders as Indiana Jones | Photo by: Phelan Marc
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The New Knits
BLACK BOYS is a documentary film that celebrates the full humanity of Black men and boys in America Synopsis: Executive produced by activist and two-time Super Bowl champion Malcolm Jenkins and written and directed by Sonia Lowman, BLACK BOYS is a documentary film that celebrates the full humanity of Black men and boys in America. Utilizing conversations and stories around education, criminal justice, and sports, the film reveals the emotional landscape of those experiencing racism and invites us to reimagine an America in which Black boys experience true belonging and unlimited possibilities. A film for this historic moment, in a nation, still struggling to rectify its racist legacy, BLACK BOYS serves as a rare glimpse into the emotional landscape of Black men and boys, illuminating their tenderness, vulnerability, joy, and resilience. Black Boys can be seen for free on NBC Peacock. https://www.peacocktv.com/black-boys BLACK BOYS features interviews with activist and rapper Vic Mensa, NBA AllStar Carmelo Anthony, two-time Super Bowl champion Greg Scruggs, NFL Hall of Fame inductee Cris Carter, Super Bowl champion Chris Long, award-winning sports journalist Jemele Hill, poet/activist Malcolm London, and former U.S. Secretary of Education, Dr. John King Jr. BLACK BOYS is executive produced by Malcolm Jenkins, directed by Sonia Lowman (“Teach Us All�), and produced by Never Whisper Justice in partnership with Listen Up Media and The Nation of
Artists.
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Stac k s and R ac k s: B r e a k in g d o w n
Travis Scott’s key 2020 d eals By Semmi W, revolt.tv
C O V I D - 1 9 h a s l e f t m a n y m u s ic ia n s p r e s s e d f o r m o r e in c o m e . B u t , n o t T r a v is S c o t t .
In 2020, tour money for artists disappeared, album releases got delayed; and any other scheduled entertainment events like film soundtracks and festivals were paused indefinitely, cancelled or rerouted to digital platforms for streaming. COVID19 has left many musicians pressed for more income. But, not Travis Scott. The Houston-born artist has continued to secure more bags through a series of strategic corporate partnerships with the likes of Nike, Sony, Epic Games, McDonald’s, and more. Scott is no stranger to working with global companies. Since 2017, he has collaborated with Helmut Lang, General Mills, and the MLB’s Houston Astros. The key difference in 2020 is that every major deal involving the “Franchise” artist has included co-branding opportunities with his own label and imprint, Cactus Jack. The special hybrid of creative consulting, product endorsement and exclusive merchandise drops Scott has delivered with each partnership has led to greater trust with both fans and multinational companies looking to stay connected to digital youth culture.
Travis Scott’s McDonald’s action figure is harder to than his sneakers. Travis grabbing a bite at McDonald’s.
In April, more than 12 million fans watched the first night of “Astronomical,” an event series hosted by Scott on Fortnite. In total, unique viewership for the three-day event amounted to more than 27 million users. Though Scott has never addressed or mentioned exact figures, reports estimate that he made at least $2.5 million from virtual merchandise like his performance avatar alone. Shortly after the ingame event, Scott released Cactus Jack x Fortnite, a collection of clothing and gaming accessories. Every item sold out. For his “Astroworld Tour” last year — the top grossing hip hop music tour of 2019 — he made $53.5 million in nine months. His partnership with Epic Games (the makers of Fortnite) made La Flame an estimated $20 million (gross, including merchandise) for a nine-minute performance. Tapping into gaming audiences across multiple time zones reveals Scott’s business savvy and understanding of his core fanbase. Free performances in the virtual world are definitely more appealing than the realities of COVID-19. The rapper was one of few mainstream artists who momentarily gave fans a way to escape isolation. He solidified his “Ragers” into an even more loyal community and consumer base.
Semmi W. for REVOLT
The artist’s ability to relate extends to even traditional, more established brands like McDonald’s and Nike. In February, the Travis Scott x Nike SB Dunk Low “Cactus Jack” kicks dropped alongside skating accessories and exclusive clothing merch. Nike pays Scott an estimated $10 million a year for his creative input and endorsement.
In September, McDonald’s released the Travis Scott meal. Known as the “Cactus Jack,” the meal consisted of a Quarter Pounder with cheese, bacon and lettuce; a Sprite, and fries with BBQ sauce. The collaboration marked the first time McDonald’s pushed a celebrity-endorsed meal since Micheal Jordan did it in 1992, the same year Scott was born. Nationwide, orders for the $6 Cactus Jack combo meal caused a breakdown in McDonald’s ingredient supply chain.
Sony Interactive Entertainment has also chosen to team up with the artist. In October, PlayStation named Scott an official Strategic Creative Partner. To secure the deal, the Sony-owned company paid him at least $1 million upfront. The multi-year arrangement is believed to be worth $20 million. Rumors of Scott designing his own PS5 game and co-branded console have been swirling around, but in an interview with Forbes, Scott remained tight-lipped, only confirming, “It’s all going to roll out in the next couple of weeks.” This holiday season, Scott has released TRAVX Space Rage, a limited-edition eau de parfum priced at $285 and candle for $95 through Swedish luxury fragrance house BYREDO. A day after Scott promoted it on Instagram, the collection sold out. There are no data or estimates yet on how much BYREDO paid Scott for the collaboration. The grandson of a Jazz composer, the artist stays hustling and is always looking ahead.
TRAVX Space Rage
Next year, in collaboration with AB InBev, the world’s largest brewing company, he will launch a line of flavored hard seltzers. The “Sicko Mode” star has also announced the return of his Astroworld festival in 2021. As he says in his Netflix doc, Look Mom, I Can Fly, “At some points in life, you have to be extreme.”
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WWW.SCOTCHPORTER.COM
There’s something about a fresh haircut that can change a Black man’s outlook on the world, change his outlook on himself. The experience extends beyond just the cut but to the environment of the barber shop. Growing up, getting a hair cut was a weekly event Antonio M. Johnson looked forward to more than anything. His uncle Jason was a barber and embodied everything cool. There in that tilted chair, under the hand of his uncle, surrounded by members of his community and totems of a shared experience, Johnson felt safe—felt like anything was possible. Over the years, he came to understand that barber shops are more than places simply to get a cut. They are about the only spaces in Ameri-can life created where Black men can speak and receive feedback about who we are, who we want to be, and what we believe to be true about the world around us. The interpretation of the barber shop as community center falls short of capturing what they really are for so many Black men: sanctuaries in a hostile land. You Next is an intimate photographic exploration of the ways Black barber shops operate as sites for the cultivation of Black male identity and wellness in major US cities—Gary, Indi-ana; Washington DC; New York City; Oakland; Atlanta; Los Angeles; Detroit; New Orleans; Montgomery; Memphis, and Johnson’s home-town of Philadelphia. These photos, interviews, and essays tell the full story of the Black barber shop in America. “You next” is what a barber says to customers to communicate that they’re on deck for a haircut; it’s the question between customers to determine where they are in line. Thus, it is an invitation, an invocation, an affirmation. Because after waiting your turn in a barber shop, sharing, laughing, debating, those magic words signify you are about to be transformed.
E N T R E P R E N E U R S H IP
THIS UK ENTREPRENEUR IS BRINGING HIS HAIRCARE LINE FOR BL ACK MEN TO THE US MARKET B y D a n a G i v e n s , b l a c k e n t e r p r i s e .c o m
Black haircare has become a lucrative business and more Black entrepreneurs have found ways to create more diversity for product selection when it comes to Afro-textured hair. Men’s haircare has also become a fast-growing niche with more black men looking for products to nourish their natural hair. After establishing a name for himself over in the U.K., this Black male entrepreneur is looking to bring his men’s care collection to the U.S. market.
Image via A&C Inc.
Aaron Wallace is the brainchild of his namesake luxury haircare brand designed with Black men in mind. Wallace started creating his own products and his experiences with customers during his time as a barber.
“I was cutting hair daily and having regular conversations with clients, who were mostly Black men,” said Wallace in an email interview with BLACK ENTERPRISE. “I noticed that many of us suffered from similar issues with our hair and grooming and were finding it difficult to find the best solutions for our hair type. I wanted to change that and created a range of products that would solve those problems.” Despite the challenges of entering a new, international market, Wallace looks forward to finally bringing his products to the U.S. “It’s been quite a challenge being based in the UK and having such interest from the US, mostly due to the challenges that come with shipping,” says Wallace. “Shipping costs have been a big hurdle for us as it raises the barrier for our US customers, however, this is something we have now found solutions for so I’m very pleased to now be able to serve our US and Canadian customers…we want to be as accessible as possible and soon you will be able to find us on local shop shelves.”
@byaaronwallace
www.byaaronwallace.com
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Cocktails to Enjoy This (and Every) Fall When it begins to cool down, you can finally start wearing sweaters and drinking rich, complex cocktails. By Sarah Rense, esquire.com
AIRMAIL
NEGRONI
BOULEVARDIER
The Airmail suits in-between weather well, as its rum, honey, lime, and brut champagne components will pull you in a few different directions.
There's some quibbling over whether the Negroni is the ideal summer cocktail or better suited for the early days of autumn. Who cares; just drink it.
To turn the Negroni in an unarguably autumnal direction, substitute whiskey for the gin and have yourself a Boulevardier.
Ingredients • 2 oz. golden rum • 1/2 oz. lime juice • 1 tsp. honey • 5 oz. Brut champagne Directions Stir rum, lime juice, and honey thoroughly with cracked ice in a chilled cocktail shaker. Pour unstrained into a Collins glass. Top with champagne.
Ingredients • 1 oz. London dry gin • 1 oz. Campari • 1 oz. vermouth rosso Directions Add the ingredients together in a mixing glass. Stir well with cracked ice. Strain into a glass over cubed ice. Garnish with a twist of orange peel.
Ingredients • 1 1/2 oz. bourbon or rye whiskey • 3/4 oz. Campari • 3/4 oz. sweet vermouth Directions Stir ingredients with ice in a mixing glass until chilled. Strain into a coupe glass. Garnish with an orange twist.
Soon enough, summer will end and fall will begin. ACs will give way to space heaters. You may even celebrate the changing of the season with some overtly fall-ish apple cider cinnamon whiskey pumpkin juice mimosa thing. But short of an apple orchard and pumpkin patch, there are plenty of classic cocktails that taste like autumn—as much as a cocktail can taste like a season. They feel weightier and more robust, hinting at colder weather to come, and playing around with color and nuanced flavor. Many of them put whiskey front and center, although you'll find a handful of gin, rum, and vodka admissions. All are good.
GODFATHER As striking as the Godfather himself, this drink achieves a balance between strong-jawed single malt and nutty amaretto. Ingredients • 2 oz. scotch whisky • 1/2 oz. amaretto Directions Stir the scotch and Amaretto well with cracked ice in a mixing glass. Strain over fresh ice into an Old Fashioned glass.
C0SMOPOLITAN Tart sweetness abounds in a Cosmo, enough to wake you out of a drizzly, dreary fall slump. Ingredients • 2 oz. vodka • 1 oz. Cointreau • 1 oz. cranberry juice • 1 oz. Rose's lime juice Directions Shake the ingredients in a shaker with cracked ice. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass, then garnish with lime.
BRAIN DUSTER With three ounces of alcohol— one of those ounces being absinthe—yeah, this cocktail will absolutely give your brain a dusting off. Ingredients • 1 oz. rye whiskey • 1 oz. absinthe • 1 oz. Italian vermouth • 1 dash Angostura bitters Directions Stir ingredients well with cracked ice in a mixing glass. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
EMPLOYMENT
Looking for a job? Facebook says Coursera partnership creates a path
Dalvin Brown, USA TODAY
Facebook has partnered with the online learning platform Coursera to kick start a program aimed at helping "diverse job seekers" land jobs. The two companies announced the news and the collaboration resulted in a social media marketing certificate program aimed at people with no prior industry experience who want to "become ready for social media marketing jobs within a few months.� The move comes as the U.S. grapples with job losses caused by the pandemic, and as Facebook seeks to address racial disparities among its ranks. "We know that this is just the beginning and that we have more work to do to ensure that we create opportunities for talented individuals from all walks of life to build careers in the digital industry,� said Judy Toland, Facebook's vice president and head of scaled solutions and global business marketing.
It's a 20-week program that costs $49 per month. It takes roughly four to six months to complete the course, so learners are looking at spending up to $294 total, depending on which specified classes they take.
The certification program was designed to teach social media marketing techniques and the relevant business skills required to land an internship or job in the Facebook advertiser ecosystem, the companies said.
After completing the certificate, you can share your information with a list of employers who are in the market for diverse talent, including the advertising agency Havas Worldwide, the hairstyling tools company L'ange Hair and the area rug firm Ruggable.
Certificate holders can also toss their hat in the ring for a role at Facebook. In addition, Coursera will offer the classes for free to some under-served communities through its social impact program.
Reyna Noriega, “Aquawomxn,” 2020, detail, for LIFEWTR Black Art Rising. REYNA NORIEGA AND LIFEWTR
LIFEWTR Announces
Black Art Rising,
It’s Latest Program Amplifying Social Progress Through Art
Shae Anthony, “UNAPOLOGETIC,” 2020, for LIFEWTR Black Art Rising. SHAE ANTHONY AND LIFEWTR
Premium water brand LIFEWTR announced its latest effort toward amplifying social progress through art with the launch of its Black Art Rising program today. The digital exhibition documents the diverse responses to the Black Lives Matter movement in 2020. The gallery was created to preserve this moment in time and help keep the movement alive by ensuring future generations have access to the art and artists who are acting as vanguards of change. At launch, Black Art Rising features protest art from eight creators at the forefront of racial justice. Consumers can browse the digital gallery on TheBlackArtRising.com. LIFEWTR also calls upon everyday creators to keep the movement strong by sharing original artwork for the chance to be aggregated into the Black Art Rising infinite digital gallery. A fund for everyday creators has been created offering $500 stipends to top original artwork submissions shared on Instagram through the #BlackArtRisingContest hashtag and tag @LIFEWTR to go toward art supplies for their future projects. These artists will then also see their artwork aggregated into the digital gallery. When we elevate creators equally, allowing them to inspire the world and be inspired by others, creativity can flow freely,” said Michael Smith, Sr. Director, Marketing, PepsiCo, Water+ Portfolio. “Unfortunately, it hasn’t been that way and Black creatives have long been underrepresented in the arts; at LIFEWTR, “we are committed to using our platform to spotlight the amazing talents of Black creatives, who now more than ever are inspiring others to use their voices with purpose and push others to address systemic racism head on.”
Through the Black Art Rising Fund, LIFEWTR is committing $50,000 to help increase the number of diverse voices speaking their truth through art. “I hope this program helps to continue the elevation of Black artists and their art until it becomes commonplace to see,” Shae Anthony, one of the participating artists, told Forbes.com. “No longer will seeing a framed portrait of a Black woman in a store be surprising or seeing the work of a Black artist in a large retailer be shocking.” Artists across America have been pouring out their outrage over the country’s continued struggle to collective acknowledge that Black lives matter, that a nation built on white supremacy and slave labor continues to promote systems which disadvantage minority groups, that police brutality against Blacks is a common experience and that deeply entrenched systems of oppression continue to operate in the U.S. This has resulted in an explosion of creativity. A tidal wave of profound, challenging, meaningful art meant to confront the nation’s inequities. “Art is a universal language, it helps us to communicate our experiences, dreams and amplify current events; it keeps us talking and thinking about the things we need to do to create change,” Reyna Noriega, another artist invited by LIFEWTR to participate on the project, told Forbes.com. “In the current climate I have seen art being used in so many ways that helps the movement towards Black liberation–educational tools, political activism, inspirational, emotionally charged pieces that start conversations, and joy filled works that inspire us to trek on, they are all a part of the work.” Artist Temi Coker agrees.
Temi Coke for LIFEWTR Black Art Rising. TERRI COKE AND LIFEWTR
Max Sansing, Constant Reminder for LIFEWTR Black Art Rising. MAX SANSING AND LIFEWTR
“As an artist it’s our responsibility to reflect the times,” he told Forbes.com when asked about his inclusion in Black Art Rising. “Art sparks conversation, and as an artist I believe we shouldn’t shy away from creating the work that will make people have those difficult conversations.” What could the impact of all the powerful artwork being produced in response to the varied horrors of 2020–racial and otherwise–be? “Art continues to speak even after the news and trending topics have gone silent, it shines a continual light because it can mean so many things to many different people,” Anthony said. “It’s this subjective interpreting that makes us want to share with others, and through this sharing, its message continues to spread; racial equality and justice are not just trending topics, they need to be spread constantly until they’re commonplace–art can do just that.”
LIFEWTR’s Black Arts Rising program represents the latest in a series of commitments the brand has made in using its platform to uplift emerging and underrepresented artists, down to the bottle itself. “LIFEWTR is aware that barriers exist in the creative world and that not all creators receive the same opportunities to showcase their work,” Coker said. “This digital exhibition is a way for them to uplift the work and voices of emerging Black creators.” Centuries of inequality won’t be evened by Black Arts Rising. No one person, no one project, can lift all that weight. But everyone, every corporation, can do something and they can start today. “My hope is that (Black Arts Rising) will empower and mobilize Black creatives with the resources they need to create and have their work expand not only their careers but the movement for Black lives,” Noriega said. By Chadd Scott, forbes.com
The key to a great shave is having superior lubrication. Our oil dramatically reduces the coefficient of friction to combat shave irritation. The result is a smooth, effortless shave with soft, nourished skin. Its vitamin-rich blend is formulated for all skin types (including sensitive, acneic, and problem) and works with both bladed and electric razors. Available on Amazon!
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The New Knits
Teremana Tequila Blanco is an ultra-premium tequila from Dwayne “The Rock� Johnson. Teremana Tequila is result of years of refinement resulting in a Tequila that embodies passion, positivity, hard work and fun. Teremana Blanco is made from 100% pure blue weber highlands agave & distilled in handmade copper pot stills.
Bronzeville's 7 On Sundays Run Crew & Nike When Nike gave us the opportunity to design a NikeByYou VaporFlyNext% that represented our crew, we were beyond excited. We also wanted to use the opportunity to dig a little bit deeper. 7onSundays NikeByYou design represents the historic Bronzeville neighborhood and the Southside of Chicago. The vintage tones and patches are an ode to the iconic photograph “Sunday’s Best”.
The hints of green on the laces and midsole were inspired by the color changes the many statues of Bronzeville (e.g. Victory Monument pictured to the left) experience due to oxidization. Lastly, the bronze swoosh option was a no-brainer to represent the AfricanAmerican cultural hub of the SouthSide. Thank you Nike Chicago and Nike Running for the opportunity .
Bronzeville's 7 On Sundays Run Crew
What is 7 on Sundays? Aaron: It's a run group that meets every Sunday at 7:00 a.m. on the Southside of Chicago. What does 7 on Sundays represent? Ian: It's about representation. We started running on 56th and Stony Island to show a group of Black men out here getting these miles every Sunday morning. It's grown into a bigger club with more Black men and more Black women and into this all-inclusive running club to just really give that representation in the running community on the Southside. Craig: I think the joke Erin and I had when we were working together at Nike, was that on the Southside of Chicago, you don't see any bikes in the bike lane. You just see cars driving through the bike lane. So we were like, what if we start running on the Southside of Chicago? What if we ran in those bike lanes to show people that there are Black runners out here and we are on the Southside of Chicago. Aaron: Seven also is the number of completion. Seventh day of the week. A lot of ties into the Black church community. It's not a Christian run club necessarily, but we're inspired by one of the tightest knit communities for African Americans, for black people in the Southside, the church represents so much. We want to bring that same kind of feel out every Sunday.
Read the whole article by clicking here.
Workwear Quilting Chuck 70 The best ever Chuck 70 gets a cold weather upgrade with a warm, onion-quilted design and colorpopped bindings. Two-two trail fleck laces complete the outdoor-ready look. The Chuck 70 holds its own on fashion week runways and city streets, making it the go-to sneaker for those looking to enhance and express their style.
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First Trailer for Lovely Animated Short 'Canvas’ by Frank E. Abney III
"If you have an idea, if you have something you want to work on, you owe it to yourself to try to make it happen." Netflix has unveiled an official trailer for an animated short titled Canvas, debuting streaming on Netflix this December. Directed by Frank E. Abney III (who worked for Pixar as an animator before this) and produced by Paige Johnstone. "After suffering a loss, a painter finds his inspiration to create again.” Canvas tells the story of a Grandfather who is sent into a downward spiral and loses his inspiration to create. Years later, he decides to revisit the easel, and pick up the paint brush… but he can't do it alone. Well this looks just lovely. "What I hope people take away from Canvas is that, no matter what you're going through, you can get through it and you don't always have to do it alone." I'm surprised that neither Disney or Pixar decided to make this themselves, but I'm happy that it will be on Netflix soon for everyone to enjoy. by Alex Billington, firstshowing.net
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This Christmas In Theaters and streaming on HBOMAX
Brandee Evans, Ledisi & Broderick Hunter Among Stars For Jussie Smollett's 'B-Boy Blues' by Trey Mangum, shadowandact.com
B-Boy Blues, the feature directorial debut of Jussie Smollett has set its cast. Production on the film kicked off last Saturday in New York City. It is an adaptation of James Earl Hardy’s best-selling book of same name. The novel “hilariously and heartbreakingly explores the love and life of a middle class, politically conscious magazine editor Mitchell Crawford and a Harlem born and bred ruff-neck bike messenger Raheim.” Shadow and Act has learned that the film's cast includes Brandee Evans, Ledisi and Broderick Hunter, alongside the film's leads, newcomers Timothy Richardson and Thomas Mackie as Mitchell and Raheim. Ledisi will play Mitchell's mother, Ann Walker and Evans will be his assistant, Michi. Other cast members include: Landon G. Woodson (Gene), Michael Jackson, Jr. (B.D.), Marquise Vilson (Babyface), Jabari Redd (D.C.), Brian Lucas (Angel), Heather B. (Aunt Ruth), Eric R. Williams (Gordon) Otis Winston (Anderson), Tiesha Thomas (Chrystal), Jahleel Kamara (Junior), Andre Virgo (Calvin), Bry’Nt Bailey (Kareem), Ilara Phoenix Williams (Anjelica) and Sampson McCormick (Telly).
Photo provided by Sharp and Associates PR
Smollett exclusively spoke to Shadow and Act about the film earlier this week, stating, “Like so many same-gender-loving, black men... B-Boy Blues was and continues to be a story that hits home for me in ways that not many people truly understand. With that said... it’s truly a universal story about Black on black love. I couldn’t be more psyched to have this project be my feature film directorial debut. To have someone as iconic as James Earl Hardy, trust me, to bring his vision to life is an honor I don’t take lightly. And to produce/finance it with the launch of my company, SuperMassive, which will invest in projects by LGBTQ+, women and filmmakers of color is what my life’s work has been for. I hope I do it justice, but with the cast and crew we’ve assembled... it’s looking damn Jood.” The film's crew is made up of 75% Black women and 60% queer-identifying people. The book was adapted by Smollett and Hardy, and they will producers alongside Wilson, Frank Gatson, Sampson McCormick, April Qualls and Madia Hill Scott. Smollett is producing the film through SuperMassive Movies, the newest arm of his Story Worthy Pictures production company. SuperMassive has raised seven figures in collaboration with Tom Wilson, Cleveland, OH-based radio broadcast investor. The label's funding will "help finance independent micro-budgeted projects from LGBTQ+, women and filmmakers of color."
HEALTH & WELLNESS
15 Ways To Dominate
Top trainers in pro sports tell you how to build muscle, lose fat and avoid injury. You may not get paid megabucks to run around a field for 80 minutes, but you can still use the wisdom of the smartest trainers in the business. Men’s Fitness spoke to some top coaches in Australia and the US, from rugby league to boxing, and got their best tips for weekend warriors. Whether you’re signed up for a charity fun run, a company sports day or something more serious, these tips will give you an edge on the competition.
01 Work Your Core
02 Don’t Cross Wires
“A good core stability program will improve your performance in almost anything and dramatically reduce your risk of injury,” says Grant Giles, a top triathlon coach and trainer of Tim Berkel, Copenhagen IronMan winner. “In the triathlon it’s three sports that require great core stability. We even have really elite triathletes who come in with core strength issues.” Grant uses a Swiss Ball with his athletes and also recommends bridges and single-leg squats.
“People try to do everything at once. They want to tone; they want to gain weight; they want to get fitter, and they constantly fatigue their energy systems,” says Donny Singe, Manly Sea Eagles strength and conditioning coach and owner of don.fitnessplatform.com. “Save cardio for cardio days and weights for weights days and you’ll get the most out of both.”
03 No Carbs at Night
04 Change Your Warm-Up
“Avoiding carbohydrates at dinner is an age-old weight-loss method that fighters have used for years,” says legendary boxing trainer Johnny Lewis. “I think most blokes eat too many carbs. If you can eat early and finish a meal by 6pm and not eat again until breakfast, it’s certainly going to work for you,” he says.
“If you’re in the gym twice a week, you need to be stretching 4 times a week,” says John Whitesides, head strength and conditioning coach for the NHL’s Boston Bruins. “If you have tight hips, it’s gonna be hard to shuffle laterally and pivot.” The fix: try using a foam roller on your legs, hips and glutes for a few minutes before you lift. It’ll break up scar tissue in your muscles and leave you fresh and ready to train.
05 Get Off Your Ass!
06 Shake Things Up
Lift while standing, when the move allows. “Mimic the environment of the athlete,” says Jeff Cavaliere, trainer to the New York Mets and founder of the AthLEAN-X training system. Seated dumbbell overhead presses do you no good on the field of play. “You’ve just trained yourself to move in a very specific and isolated manner, not how you move in real life,” he says.
Trying a variety of approaches is the key to great results, according to Lewis. “If you usually do 5km runs, try doing some sprints. If 3 sets of 8 is what you’ve always done in the weights room, go heavier and try 5 sets of 5. Your body will be forced to adapt and you’ll be faster and stronger next time.”
07 Go Big First
08 Train as you Play
“Always do complex exercises first,” says Bryan Doo, strength and conditioning coach for the NBA’s Boston Celtics. “Hit your major muscles, then the minor ones.” That means squats, deadlifts and cleans should always come before any kind of curl or extension.
Focus on exercises that let you move through space in a purposeful way. Set up for a cable crossover with one handle high and one low. Perform the movement one arm at a time, rotating your torso with your arm as you go. “We’re trying to get the body to move in the patterns it instinctively follows, but with more power and precision,” Cavaliere says.
09 Forget Numbers
10 Go For Long Haul
“If you could tell me how bench-pressing 400 pounds [180kg] can translate to being better in your intramural basketball league,” Whitesides says, “I’d love to hear it.” Focus on lifting a weight that allows you to use good form throughout the set. “If you can’t do 3 sets of 20 reps of push-ups, you’re notready to bench.”
Don’t do anything that you can’t keep up, day in and day out, for several months. Giles says that picking a doable program and sticking with it for months is key, even for professional triathletes. “In the end, even if you’ve done less than you thought you would have at the start, you haven’t done a hard session and had to spend 3 days on your backside recovering from it.”
11 Be Eccentric Don’t ignore the eccentric (or lowering) portion of any lift to emphasis the concentric (lifting) phase. “Guys want to run fast,” Doo says. “That’s great if you have a Porsche engine, but you don’t want to have Hyundai brakes.” To get better at stopping and starting, the next time you do step-ups, take 45secs to lower your leg down to the ground during each rep. If you can’t move slowly enough, hold a medicine ball out in front of your chest to counter-balance your weight. “Even if you just do it once a week, the benefits will be huge,” he says.
12 Do Hill Walking Hill walking is Singe’s secret weapon. Don’t think that just because it’s walking it’s easy – Singe has his guys doing repeat sets up and down steep hills, pounding their legs, core and lungs. “Intense walking in blocks of 800m does the trick. There’s no fear of lower back pain and no hip or calf injuries,” says the man behind the 2008 NRL premiers.
13 Focus on Balance
14 Buddy Up (And Kick Butt)
One side or portion of your body is often stronger than the other. That can cause your other muscle groups to work harder in an attempt to balance you out – this can possibly lead to injuries and weaknesses. “Unilateral training will help you overcome imbalances,” Cavaliere says. Try onelegged squats or presses with dumbbells working one arm at a time.
Grab a mate and compete against each other to see who can do more reps or taps, etc. For most guys, their competitive nature will push them to exceed what they would do on their own. 15 Work Your Way Up Ease your way into hardcore training. Each time you hit the gym or the track or the pool, train a little bit longer or lift a little more weight. “That’s the true secret to improved fitness and overall athleticism,” says NFL strength coach Steve Watterson.
On The Bike And Beyond Check cycling gear off the list with our training footwear and apparel built for the and beyond. Featuring our recently restock Cycling Shoe and training apparel.
Why Drinking Enough Water is the Key to Healthy Aging
We all know that drinking water is good for us. It helps keep your skin radiant, gets you energized, and aids in digestion. And because it does so many good things to your body, it also helps with overall healthy aging. Niti Patel, RD, MS, a dietitian based in New York City, explains that drinking water and aging are linked. “If you maintain an active lifestyle, you’re eating a variety of foods and taking in a lot of water, you’re going to have optimal health,” she says. Water is in all of our cells, she says, and those cells need water to work efficiently. From lubricating your joints to pumping blood to your muscles, you need water to perform nearly every bodily function. Recent data from the CDC shows that between 2015 and 2018, the amount of water Americans consumed decreased with age. Water contributed to 57 percent of total daily beverage consumption for adults aged 20-39, 50 percent among adults aged 40-59, and 47 percent among older adults aged 60 and over. Depending on your activity level and any chronic conditions, your water intake needs may decrease as you age. But also, as you age, you lose your ability to experience thirst. “[The elderly] are losing that ability to be like, ‘Oh wow, I should really have a sip of water, or I should eat something that has a lot of fluid in it,'” she says. “I was a caregiver for an elderly family member and I always had to be very forceful, be like, ‘Okay, let’s have a glass of water now. Okay, let’s drink some water.’ That’s something that you have to do as you get older.”
Additionally, dehydration is a common but often overlooked issue for seniors. Naturally, their body holds onto less water than young people’s bodies. And the symptoms of dehydration—dry mouth, fatigue, dizziness, and muscle cramps—can often be attributed to other issues or medication side effects, explains the Cleveland Clinic.
To try to get around this inevitable part of aging, you can establish good water habits when you’re young. Though you won’t feel thirst in the same way, if you’re used to regularly drinking water and eating water-rich foods, it might not be so hard to keep it up as you age.
Patel says one thing to do is to begin drinking warm lemon water right when you wake up. “Warm water with a pinch of lemon or lime, even just warm water in general, you’ll feel it because, throughout the night, you’re dehydrating, you’re not drinking anything,” she says. “Now you’re drinking this warm glass of water and you can feel it like nourishing your body. Like a wilted flower, you can feel yourself rising up again.” Also, she says to get in the habit of always keeping water nearby. “Don’t wait until you’re thirsty [to drink water,]” she says. “It’s always good to have a practice of sipping or drinking water or some beverage that’s good for you throughout the day. Try to add liquids throughout your day. And liquids could be munching on like cucumbers and hummus because cucumbers are a great source of water.”
SLEEPING NAKED
You could fall asleep faster without underwear For a night full of undisturbed sleep, you might want to consider forgoing underwear — and maybe all of your clothes, actually. According to Healthline, the ideal temperature for sleeping is a solid 65 degrees Fahrenheit. However, even with your thermostat turned down that low, you may find your layers are making you too warm. Yes, between your underwear, pajamas, partner, and however many blankets you hoard on your side of the bed, you could just be too toasty to drift off to sleep. We're not saying you should kick out your bedmate or throw away your blankets, but you may want to consider ditching the drawers. "Sleeping naked can help the skin cool off faster, which may help lower body temperature and allow a person to get to sleep sooner," Medical News Today explained. Going undieless will help if you're looking to turn down the heat in your bedroom — or, you know, up. You're not wearing any underwear, after all.
Gucci's Alessandro Michele's New Men’s Tailoring Campaign: Life of a Rock Star -- Photo Credit: Harmony Korine
STYLE
A$AP Rocky, Iggy Pop & Tyler The Creator In A Rock Star Tailoring Gucci Campaign By Allyson Portee, forbes.com
Gifted in his unique creativity, Gucci’s Creative Director Alessandro Michele, has flexed his tailoring muscles for the Italian House’s newest menswear collection. The idea behind the collection is the archetypical Rockstar lifestyle, where you have the meeting of 3 eccentric creatives in a Los Angeles 70s’ style modernist mansion coming together to be inspired and create. In a statement about the campaign, Michele sums up what he’s trying to achieve- elegance. “Male elegance can be unpredictable and strange,” he says.
The campaign was shot in February with A$AP Rocky; Iggy Pop; and Tyler, The Creator. Michele chose to work with music artist Cerrone, whose song “Supernature” was the inspiration for the video campaign. And, Harmony Korine working with Gucci again directed and did the photography. Michele opens up about this new project “With these campaigns, I am working on different ways of being elegant, and these three men embody this idea perfectly,” says Michele. “I like to tell the story of elegance in completely arbitrary and unexpected ways.”
Gucci's Alessandro Michele's New Men’s Tailoring Campaign: Life of a Rock Star -- Photo Credit: Harmony Korine
When the world started to reset in March, Michele was vocal in sharing how he was adjusting to the age of Covid, recognizing a need for rest in order to be creative. The House has created its own fashion calendar, as to not be rushed by the way things were in fashion. But the campaign was shot just before lockdown and is full of life, distinctive style, and unique dialogue with the three cult artists.
Gucci's Alessandro Michele's New Men’s Tailoring Campaign: Life of a Rock Star -- Photo Credit: Harmony Korine
“The result is a group campaign with three men who I believe had fun too,” Michele notes. “There is always this image of eccentricity, because they are in fact eccentric themselves. A certain type of fun is also portrayed and the idea of how one’s obsession with appearances can create a kind of common ground that can become a sort of brotherhood. It was beautiful to see these three men together, seemingly different but very similar.” From the moment of the first shots, those with a detailed fashion eye are drawn to the retro masculinity of the collection. It will take a slightly eccentric man himself, who’s audacious and comfortable in his own skin to strut Michele’s suits. The tailoring is impeccable and the sharp lines, masculine cuts, and bold fabrics all leave us on the edge of our seats to see what Michele will do next with Gucci menswear.
A$AP Rocky, Iggy Pop, and Tyler, the Creator, photo courtesy of Harmony Korine for Gucci
Watch Gucci’s New Men’s Tailoring Campaign: Life of a Rock Star
Credits: Creative Director: Alessandro Michele | Art Director: Christopher Simmonds | Hair: Paul Hanlon|Photographer/Director: Harmony Korine | Make-up: Thomas De Kluyver |Talents: A$AP Rocky; Iggy Pop; Tyler, The Creator. Video Music: “Supernature” Performed by Cerrone | Written By: Marc Cerrone, Lili Marlene Premilovich, Alain Wisniak | Published By: Kobalt Songs Music Publishing, Because Editions /Concord Music Publishing | Courtesy of Malligator Préférence under license from Because Music.
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A F a shi o n T r i bu t e t o Dr. Henry Walton "Indiana" Jones, Jr., by D e si g n e r , A n dr e w M . N o w e l l
Taylor Borders as Indiana Jones Distressed Leather Jacket Linen Messenger Bag Sand Washed Linen Shirt Cotton knee pleated oversized Trousers Fedora, Designer's own Boots, Berluti
I have been a big Indiana Jones fan since my teens. The heroic archaeologist on a never-ending quest for discovery and preservation. A true embodiment of brashness, daring and intellect, my perfect muse. When the world shut down in the early part of the year, I found myself tuning into Netflix to escape what was happening for a bit. Scrolling through the movie listings, I rediscovered Indiana Jones! I must have watched and re-watched all four of the films chronicling his adventures at least 20 times….each! I was back to my teens again and was inspired to create a menswear collection based in part on the iconic archeologist. In creating the collection, I forced myself to think outside the box and take risks, (much like Indy would) by discovering new ways to express myself creatively through my menswear designs. So, I set out on a journey that would take me far beyond the creative boundaries that I had imposed on myself. I experimented with new shapes, construction techniques, and draping methods. I incorporated fabrics normally used for womenswear into my collection. I reworked much of it to add a subtle exuberance to the everyday staples of a man’s wardrobe; Silk Brocade was used to create a track suit, inspired by Indiana Jones’ Egyptian friend, Sallah. A rich Silk Ebony Lace was used to create a long-sleeved V-neck sweater that was paired with a leather and fur motorcycle jacket. It is outside of what I would normally do, but it gave my work a fresh and new perspective. After I finished the collection, I had to figure out where I would shoot it. I had to find the perfect setting for this collection. I could think of no better place than the mountains of West Virginia. Getting to the actual shoot location was a journey within itself, but a rewarding one. A crew that consisted of a photographer, production assistant, stylist, make-up artist, three male models and myself, trekked through forests, hiked along densely wooded trails, stood on mountain cliffs 4,000 feet above sea level, waded across rivers, streams and waterfalls, all to get that perfect “Indiana Jones” shot. This collection is incredibly special to me. Not just because it was inspired by the man, Indiana Jones, but because It marks the beginning of something new in my creative journey as a Menswear Designer. Side note, 2021 is the 30th anniversary of the first film and it was just announced that the fifth and final film in the Indiana Jones movie franchise starts production in the Spring of 2021 for a July 2022 release, the same month as my Birthday! This menswear editorial is a fitting tribute to my Hero! Long Live Dr. Henry Walton “Indiana” Jones, Jr.!
Ahiman Sawadogo as "Henry Walton "Mutt" Jones III Leather Jacket with Fur Collar Black Vinyl Tank Top Long Sleeve Silk Lace V-Neck T-Shirt Raw Indigo Denim Jeans with Sheared Fur Pockets Nylon Cap: Model's own Socks: Carhartt Boots: Ross & Snow Gloves: Model's own
Ahiman Sawadogo as "Henry Walton "Mutt" Jones III Leather Jacket with Fur Collar Black Vinyl Tank Top Long Sleeve Silk Lace V-Neck T-Shirt Raw Indigo Denim Jeans with Sheared Fur Pockets Nylon Cap: Model's own Socks: Carhartt Boots: Ross & Snow Gloves: Model's own
Ahiman Sawadogo as Sallah Mohammed Faisel el-Kahir Silk/Nylon Brocade Track Jacket and matching pants Sneakers: Stylist's own
Adham McGuire as Major Arnold Ernst Toht Obsidian Silk/Wool Peacoat w/ Fur Collar Charcoal Nylon/Silk/Polyester Jacket with matching Grosgrain trimmed Tuxedo pants Black Mohair Rollneck Sweater Sunglasses; Model's own Gloves, Watchcap: designer's own
Taylor Borders Olive Green Nylon/Polyester Backpack Pocket Overcoat Wool/Cotton/Nylon Blazer Cotton Camo Pants Cotton Jacquard Flannel Shirt Silk Scarf and Fedora: Designer's own
Taylor Borders Cashmere Rollneck Sweater Mixed Media Denim/Leather Moto Jacket Backpack Pocket Denim Overcoat Cotton Denim Pants
Ahiman Sawadogo Nylon/Cotton/Polyester Jumpsuit Waxed Canvas Hip Bag Nylon Cap: Model's own Gloves: Stylist's own Boots: Bally
Ahiman Sawadogo Cotton Linen Trench Coach Scarf, Gloves and Jewelry: Stylist's own
Ahiman Sawadogo Oversized Cotton Denim Hooded Kimono Sleeve Bomber Jacket Cotton Denim Shorts Cotton Denim Gaiters Wool Scarf Sweater Vinyl Bucket Hat Boots: Timberland
Ahiman Sawadogo Wool Jacquard Shawl Lapel Coat with Matching Pants Cotton Leaf Print Shirt Vinyl Bucket Hat Boots: Taft
A Special Thank You and Credits for the
"Indy and Me�
A Fashion Tribute to Dr. Henry Walton "Indiana" Jones, Jr. Menswear Editorial Photography by Phelan Marc http://www.phelanmarc.com/ | @phelanmarc Men's Grooming by Leonard Smith https://www.styleseat.com/m/v/lsmithair?utm_campaign=vanity @lsmithhair Men's Styling by Walter Atta | walternogetenemy Production Assistant: Jacoby Payne | @allsoledout Male Models: Taylor Borders | @majortaylor_ Adham McGuire | @adhamgains Ahiman Sawadogo | @_ahiman Designs by Andrew M. Nowell Menswear www.andrewnowell.com @andrewnowell_menswear Shot on location in Blackwater Falls State Park
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2020
Before The Sun Sets On This Year Let’s Look Back At Some Of The Brighter Highlights Of This Tumultuous Year
We can all definitely agree that 2020 was a HOT MESS but despite the pandemic, fires, storms, the looting, job losses, lockdowns, election races and racial injustices, there were bright spots that kept us sane and hopeful for a better year. Here are a few of them.
LAST NIGHT A DJ SAVED MY LIFE
DJ D-Nice - “Club Quarantine” series Hip-hop pioneer DJ D-Nice all but became a household name as the pandemic first hit because of his marathon-style DJ sets that united socially distanced music-lovers who came together online in record numbers for his signature “Club Quarantine” series on social media. During the pandemic’s early stage, DJ D-Nice created a virtual remedy for anyone dealing with the lockdown blues. He hosted Homeschool at Club Quarantine on his Instagram Live, where he spun popular tunes on the turntables at his home. His sets started with just a few hundred viewers — mainly friends — then blossomed to hundreds of thousands. An array of celebs even tuned in: from Rihanna and Janet Jackson to Jimmy Fallon and Mark Zuckerberg. Michelle Obama and Oprah Winfrey popped in for a listen, and even Stevie Wonder tried to use the “join” feature to be on screen with D-Nice and interact with him. He is also a 2020 National Action Network’s Triumph Award winner.
IN THE DRIVER’S SEAT
BUBBA WALLACE NASCAR RACE DRIVER
Bubba Wallace is the only black full-time driver at NASCAR's top level and has had to scrap for sponsorship money his entire career. Since he has taken a prominent role as an activist — successfully calling on NASCAR to ban Confederate flags at its events and leading the conversation among his peers about racial equality — the only new friends Wallace has are celebrities and fans.
Bubba Wallace will be going places with Toyota in 2021. The NASCAR driver and his new boss Denny Hamlin unveiled the Cup Series car they will be fielding next year under the 23XI Racing banner. The new team is co-owned by NBA legend Michael Jordan and will wear his iconic No. 23.
(23XI Racing)
THE SKY IS NO LONGER THE LIMIT
Commander Victor Glover Makes History as 1st African American Astronaut to Live on International Space Station Victor Glover is making history as first African American NASA astronaut to live on the International Space Station. Commander Glover and three other astronauts left Earth this November in a capsule called Resilience and will spend about six months aboard the space station. Glover is not the first African American astronaut to visit the space station, but previous members were parts of space shuttle crews that only stayed briefly on ISS.
NASA Astronaut
Jeanette Epps to Become 1st Black Woman to Join International Space Station Crew
NASA astronaut Jeanette Epps is now poised to be the first Black woman crew member of the International Space Station (ISS), according to sciencetimes.com. In August, Epps was assigned to the NASA Boeing Starliner-1. The African-American aerospace engineer and astronaut will join the space administration’s first operational crewed flight for Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner spacecraft, in a mission to the ISS.
WON’T STOP!! CAN’T STOP!!
In 2018, then gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams realized her fight to become Georgia's governor had ended, but her efforts to increase statewide voter participation and defeat voter suppression were only just beginning. Ever since it's been a whirlwind for the former Democratic gubernatorial nominee. Abrams created the national voting rights organization, Fair Fight. In just over two years, her organization registered 800,000 voters in Georgia. Lookout for January 2021 Georgia’s Senate Election Runoffs. She is coming for those Senate seats!
(Photograph by Benjamin Lowy/Getty Images)
MISSOURI TEACHER OF THE YEAR
Darrion Cockrell Overcomes Childhood Gang Stint to Become Missouri Teacher of the Year By Tobias Carroll
For some people, the right teacher can change the world. The life of Darrion Cockrell is a prime example of that. He navigated a troubled childhood, which involved stints in foster care, his mother’s addiction to drugs and his own experience of joining a gang at the age of 10, before ultimately finding his own calling. Cockrell credits a number of the teachers he had when growing up with changing his life. Now, Cockrell is himself the kind of teacher who changes lives — the state of Missouri just named him its 2021 Teacher of the Year. CNN’s report on Cockrell’s life and award focuses on the speech he gave when he accepted the award. “My message for teachers is understanding the power that we have to make positive or negative impacts in the lives of others,” he said. Cockrell himself was ultimately adopted by his football coach when he was in the 7th grade. He graduated from the University of Missouri–St. Louis in 2013, where he studied education. He’s credited with reinventing his school’s physical education program, and spoke about his interest in making students’ experience in his class enjoyable. And he’s also used his own life story to keep his students engaged. His approach to making fitness enjoyable goes above and beyond his students. Cockrell also created after-school fitness programs for students and parents alike, and established a weekly basketball night for students’ fathers. Since the pandemic began, he’s continued to offer classes via Zoom for students and their families. Reading about Cockrell’s creativity and passion for his work, it’s not hard to see why he’s been honored by his peers — or why his life has inspired so many people.
VERZUZ
9.1 million viewers
FOR THE CULTURE!
How Swizz Beatz And Timbaland Helped Black Music Fans Feel Less Alone
During social distancing, Instagram Live sets from The-Dream, Sean Garrett, Ne-Yo, Johntá Austin, BabyFace, Teddy Riley, Jeezy, Gucci Mane and more are bringing us closer Through a series of IG Live faceoffs, producers, songwriters, singers and rappers have been giving us premium content for free. They’re offering the perfect shit-talking, reminiscing, feel-good time ― an urgent and necessary trip down memory lane during very uncertain times. These live battles have been a celebration of hip-hop culture and the people who breathe life into it. They take us back to that time we imitated a beat on the lunch table while singing our favorite hits with our friends or that time we threw it back a little too hard at the college house party where the walls were sweating as hard as we were. These sessions have been a celebration of the fans who keep the culture fueled, the multi-generations of artists we know and love, and all those behind the scenes whose genius often goes unsung.
Swizz Beatz and Timbaland kicked off our new favorite quarantine activity back on March 24 when the two
super producers took their long-standing friendly feud to Instagram. That first night on IG Live, viewers got an exclusive look at two masterminds leaning into the competitive roots of hip-hop and playing their best records. Meanwhile, the audience got to watch and comment alongside folks like Diddy, Jermaine Dupri, FunkMaster Flex, Jay Electronica, Common and more. Debating who’s won each battle has been fun. But I’m not gonna lie. As corny as it sounds, I feel like all of us witnessing the best producers and songwriters duke it out live are the biggest winners of all. Swizz Beatz and Timbaland have plenty to celebrate. The Verzuz co-creators released the official viewership numbers for the Jeezy and Gucci Mane battle livestream that took place on Thursday (Nov. 19) and it has surpassed all of the previous battles the virtual series has held so far. The two Atlanta rappers kicked off season 2 of the series and their reunion brought in a total of 9.1 million viewers, breaking the “all-time livestream viewership record.” The Verzuz team revealed the figures on Saturday (Nov. 21) thanking fans for their support—including those who gathered in large crowds to watch the “legendary showdown” together.
TURNING TRAGEDY INTO TRIUMPH
After Brandon D. Anderson’s partner was killed by a police officer during a routine traffic stop, Anderson discovered that the officer had a history of physical abuse, particularly during traffic stops — abuse that was never reported. Each of the 18,000 police departments in the U.S. has its own unique, often complicated process of reporting misconduct, and as a result, fewer than 5 percent of people report police violence when it occurs. “This leads to a lack of transparency about officer behavior and, more importantly, dangerously shortsighted policies governing our safety, as it is hard to write comprehensive policies meant to fix experiences that are never documented,” Anderson says. So Anderson created Raheem, a tech company working to hold officers and their departments accountable by making it easier to report police violence. Raheem helps people file complaints, find a free lawyer, and publicize their stories. Raheem’s research is already being used in cities across the country, and Anderson points out that things are changing.
Brandon D. Anderson Activist and Tech Developer
“This year, at least 13 cities are defunding their police departments, including New York City, Austin, Los Angeles, and Baltimore, mostly due to the defund the police movement, which has sparked the largest protest in world history,” he says. Reports can currently be submitted on Raheem.org. A mobile app, the first for reporting and livestreaming police violence, is on the way. (@raheem_org) - from out.com
MOST ENTRIES EVER ON THE BILLBOARD HOT 100
Drake earns his landmark 208th appearance, thanks to the collaborative "Oprah's Bank Account." Drake rewrites the record for the most entries ever on the Billboard Hot 100, as he lands his 208th career title on the latest list, dated March 21. Indirectly helping him earn the honor? Another pop-culture powerhouse: Oprah Winfrey. The track "Oprah's Bank Account," by Lil Yachty, Drake and DaBaby, debuts at No. 89, with almost all its chart points via its 10.5 million first-week U.S. streams in the week ending March 12, according to Nielsen Music/MRC Data, following its March 9 release. Now with 208 total Hot 100 entries in the history of the Hot 100, which dates to its Aug. 4, 1958, inception, Drake passes the Glee Cast, which banked 207.
Dr. Namandjé Bumpus
FIRST IN CLASS
Becomes 1st Black Woman Department Chair at Johns Hopkins Medical School
Dr. Namandjé Bumpus was appointed chair of the Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, MD. Dr. Bumpus is the first African-American woman to chair an academic department at the highly-rated medical school and the only Black woman currently chairing a pharmacology department at any medical school in the nation, according to Johns Hopkins.
Noah Harris, 20, Makes History by Being Elected 1st Black Student Body President at Harvard College Noah Harris was elected president of Harvard’s Undergraduate Council on Nov. 12, becoming the first Black undergraduate elected as student body president at Harvard University. Harris, 20, a junior from Hattiesburg, Mississippi, is majoring in government and co-chairs the Undergraduate Council’s Black caucus. Two other Black students have previously headed Harvard’s Undergraduate Council, but Harris is the first Black man to be elected by the student body.
KNOWING YOUR WORTH
Stephen Curry is clocking in at
$40.2 million for the 2019-2020 season with the Golden State Warriors. While the differences between Nos. 2-5 on the biggest contracts is minimal, according to Basketball Reference, here are the top 5 for this season. 1. Stephen Curry, Warriors, $40.2 million 2. Chris Paul, Thunder, $38.5 million 3. Russell Westbrook, Rockets, $38.1 million 4. John Wall, Wizards, $37.8 million 5. James Harden, Rockets, $37.8 million
The base value of Patrick Mahomes contract, including the next two seasons before his extension kicks in, is $477.631 million for an average of $39.8 million per year. Starting in 2022, Mahomes will make an average of $45 million per year.
Japan's Naomi Osaka has surpassed Serena Williams as the world's highest-paid female athlete, raking in $37.4 million in prize money and endorsements over the last year, according to Forbes.
Quarterback Russell Wilson Seattle Seahawks quarterback comes in at number 1 for the biggest contract of $35 million for highest paid NFL player.
DRIVING WHILE BLACK
LEWIS HAMILTON 7-TIME FORMULA 1 RACE CAR DRIVER WINNER
Lewis Hamilton is he first and only black driver to race in the Formula One sport, as of 2020. In the aftermath of Lewis Hamilton's seventh Formula 1 world title, is he now the greatest British sportsperson ever? Hamilton made history by equaling Michael Schumacher's all-time title record and few would bet against him sealing a recordsetting eighth world crown next year.
People from all walks of life chimed in on the debate. Piers Morgan branded Hamilton 'arguably the greatest [driver] the world's ever produced', while his former Mercedes team-mate Nico Rosberg described the seventh title win as 'one of the greatest achievements in sporting history as a whole’. There have been calls for Hamilton to be royally recognised, too - something that would not be a surprise given his glorious achievements.
DEFINITELY GETTING A READ
Former U.S. President Barack Obama just published his memoir two days ago, and already it’s on track to become the bestselling presidential memoir of all time. But how does it compare to other memoirs and other books?
Obama’s fourth book, A Promised Land, was released on November 17, when it set a first-day sales record of almost 890,000 copies, which includes audiobooks, e-books and pre-orders. That marked the biggest 24-hour sales period for any book published by Penguin Random House, which has also published the Fifty Shades of Grey series and John Grisham’s books. It’s not just a great debut. It puts him well ahead of first-day sales of memoirs by his two predecessors, George W. Bush (220,000) and Bill Clinton (400,000). And Obama’s the bestselling author in the house, though not by much—his wife, Michelle, sold 725,000 for the first day of her memoir, Becoming. President Barack Obama's memoir "A Promised Land" shattered sales records on its first day. GETTY IMAGES
THE GAME CHANGERS
Former Running Back
Jason Wright became
the 1st African American to be named President of an NFL Team Former National Football League running back Jason Wright was named the first Black president of an NFL team in August. He will be heading up the Washington Football Team. The hiring by team owner Daniel Snyder of the 38-year-old Wright, who rose quickly in the business world after getting an MBA at the University of Chicago and became a partner at McKinsey & Company, comes at a difficult time for a franchise that in past years was one of the league’s strongest.
Archbishop Wilton Gregory became the 1st African American Cardinal in the Roman Catholic Church Wilton Gregory, the archbishop of Washington, was elevated to cardinal, one of 13 new cardinals in the Roman Catholic Church, by Pope Frances. His elevation will make Gregory the first African-American man to hold such a position. Gregory was part of a select group of Catholic leaders that criticized Donald Trump for staging a photo op in front of St. John’s Episcopal Church near the White House earlier this year, amid protests about the death of George Floyd.
SHOW ME THE MONEY!
Dwayne Johnson, the wrestler
turned actor formerly known as the Rock, has again topped Forbes’s list of the highest-paid actors having made an estimated $87.5m (£67m) in the fiscal year ending June 2020. Next on the list were Ryan Reynolds and Mark Wahlberg, with $71.5m and $58m respectively. Save for Johnson, the names mark a considerable contrast to those on last year’s top 10, which was dominated by the stars of the Marvel franchise. Instead Netflix emerged as the leading employer, with at least 25% of the total $545.5m earnings paid out by the streaming giant. Forbes estimates Johnson was paid around $23.5m for the forthcoming Netflix film Red Notice and made considerable returns on his collaborations with the clothes and headphones brand Under Armour.
Viola Davis is the only Black actress
to make Forbes' list of 2020's highest-paid actresses. The top of the list went to Sofia Vergara, who earned $43 million. Among the top 10 actresses on the list included Angelina Jolie ($35.5 million), Gal Gadot ($31.5 million), Melissa McCarthy ($25 million), Meryl Streep ($24 million), Emily Blunt ($22.5 million), Nicole Kidman ($22 million), Ellen Pompeo ($19 million), Elisabeth Moss ($16 million) and Davis ($15.5 million). While Forbes acknowledges that this is the first time Davis has made the Forbes list thanks to her high payouts for How to Get Away With Murder and Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, the pay disparity is still in effect for Black actresses trying to compete with their peers.
VISIONARY. TRAILBLAZER.
There’s no one else like him. In the entertainment business and in life. He’s a true visionary. A trailblazer. In 2005, I saw my first Tyler Perry play. I knew then he was special. I watched the audience laugh, cry and delight in seeing themselves reflected in the story onstage. Since then, he has directed and/or produced 22 feature films and produced more than 1,000 episodes of TV, maintaining a sincere connection to the audience he serves. Last fall, Tyler made history, opening the largest privately owned motion-picture studio in the U.S., set on 330 acres. The former Confederate Army base is now a state-of-the-art production facility with 12 soundstages—each named after an iconic African-American figure. On Sept. 20, he made history again when he received the prestigious Governors Award at the Emmys. Though he now sits atop a growing pinnacle of successes, he’s always trying to help others. Whether addressing food insecurity and homelessness in his community, helping the families of George Floyd, Rayshard Brooks and Secoriea Turner, or donating millions, his giving always comes from a personal place. In a recent essay on his hopes for the future of our country, he wrote he will explain to his son “that progress is made in small steps and even if you get exhausted to fight on, because there are always signs of daybreak before the morning comes.” He makes me proud. And I know wherever the ancestors abide, his mother Maxine is there and they are all smiling, saying, “Well done, son, well done.” By Oprah Winfrey for timemagazine.com
THE COMMUNITY CHAMPIONS
Kierra Johnson
Executive Director National LGBTQ+ Task Force In September, Kierra Johnson was named the National LGBTQ Task Force’s first Black executive director after it was announced that in 2021 Rea Carey would exit her long-held position. Johnson is one of just a few queer-identified women of color leading a national LGBTQ+ organization. “I am excited about our work to better articulate the impact of issues that people rarely think of as LGBTQ issues on people of our community,” she says. “There is much work to be done to get the needed data and to tell the stories that are all too common and largely unheard of — nonbinary and trans people who are not being hired, queer young people living on the streets, and LGBTQ+ people of color [who] are targeted by the police. We are dying from diseases and ailments because our full humanity is often unrecognized, and it is entirely legal to refuse us quality, culturally competent care. This is the work I was born to do. This is the future of the Task Force.” (@kierradc)
Rashad Robinson
President of Color of Change Color of Change was created in response to the lack of federal aid to Black communities devastated by Hurricane Katrina. Since becoming its president in 2011, civil rights leader Rashad Robinson has helped grow the nonprofit into the largest racial justice organization in the U.S. During his tenure, the organization has added 7 million members and four new offices. This year, especially, “proved once again that the fight for racial justice can motivate and mobilize people like few other fights can,” he says. “In early May, people were saying that protest was over — there could be no protest in the age of COVID-19. And then look what happened when racial justice became the issue.… The uprisings we saw this year were the culmination of the last decade of a new approach to organizing for racial justice, and the next step is converting that energy and the new consciousness into real power. That’s what I call moving from presence to power.” (@rashadrobinson)
THE ULITMATE ROLE MODEL
“Cubist LeBron”
“LeBron James has consistently positioned himself throughout his career as a leader. He has shown leadership on the court as well as integrity in the community…” By Curtis Bunn, nbcnews.com
LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers before a game against the Celtics in Boston on Feb. 7, 2019. Maddie Meyer / Getty Images
Sports Illustrated’s annual Sportsperson of the Year honor was awarded to five athletes for 2020, including basketball stars LeBron James and Breanna Stewart. James and Stewart join Patrick Mahomes, Naomi Osaka and Laurent Duvernay-Tardif as this year’s honorees. It’s the third time James has been honored, having previously been selected in 2012 and 2016. In saluting the five “activist athletes,” SI praised the “five men and women who in 2020 were champions in every sense of the word: champions on the field, champions for others off it.” Speaking of James, the editors took special note of James’ tireless work “to end voter suppression and ensure that in 2020 everyone—especially Black people—had equal access to the polls.” As for Stewart, the 2018 WNBA MVP bounced back from a devastating Achilles injury to lead the Seattle Storm to their 4th WNBA championship, taking home WNBA Finals MVP honors for the second time in her career. More importantly, as SI noted, “When the moment came for Stewart to take a stand, the WNBA superstar didn’t hesitate. Her support of Black Lives Matter never wavered, from the season’s opening tip to the Storm’s title celebration.” LeBron James became the first athlete to be named Sports Illustrated's Sportsperson of the Year three times, when he was one of five athlete activists to receive this year’s honor.
“James, 35, long ago found his social and political voice. There is debate over whether he’s the greatest NBA player ever. But with his efforts for racial justice, education reform and Black community empowerment as well as his voting rights campaign and varied charitable work, there is no doubt that he sets the standard for the modern socially conscious athlete. It is for his careerlong dedication to service that we also honor him with this year’s Muhammad Ali Legacy Award. “He continues to embody Muhammad’s principles and core beliefs, using his celebrity platform to champion social justice and political causes that uplift all people. LeBron has actively used Muhammad’s example to guide, inform and inspire him along this path.” Lonnie Ali, the Greatest’s widow. Naomi Osaka, who wore masks honoring victims of racial violence during her run to the US Open title in September, told TIME, "but he has the most powerful voice.” Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton, another athlete to speak out against social injustice, also told TIME: "When I saw across the pond that another top athlete was also fighting for similar causes, I knew, OK, I'm not alone here."
James celebrates his fourth NBA title on Oct. 11 in Orlando; he’s the first player to win the Finals MVP award for three different teams. Douglas P. DeFelice—Getty Images
AGE AIN’T NOTHING BUT A NUMBER
Busta Rhymes shocks fans with major body transformation
Rapper Busta Rhymes feels like a brand new man after getting into “the best shape of his life,” sharing a before-and-after photo he hopes will inspire fans to take their health more seriously. The “Touch It” artist, 48, took to Instagram to share his progress, and while he didn’t reveal exactly how many pounds he’s dropped, the New York MC has clearly taken several inches off of his waist, trading his belly for a staunch six-pack. “DON’T EVER GIVE UP ON YOURSELF,” he told fans. “LIFE BEGINS RIGHT NOW!!! MY DEDICATION IS DIFFERENT!!
KAI GREENEINSTAGRAM
“I WOULD NEVER PUT OUT AN ALBUM AND NOT BE IN THE BEST SHAPE OF MY LIFE,” he added in reference to upcoming album, “Extinction Level Event 2: The Wrath of God.” “I RESPECT MYSELF TOO MUCH AND I RESPECT Y’ALL TOO MUCH!!! I’M ONLY HERE TO INSPIRE!!” Celebrity trainer Victor Muñoz has been working with the rapper throughout the COVID-19 quarantine, telling TMZ that he crafted a full-body workout to strengthen his chest and cut down on belly fat. Busta also switched up his diet, embracing leaner meats such as chicken, salmon and bison. Muñoz said the wordsmith also dramatically limited his booze intake.
Watch Rapper Method Man Grind Through 435lb/197kg Deadlift for 4 Reps
The legendary rapper pulled a respectable 435 lbs for four solid reps recently! If you’re a 90s kid, then chances are you’re familiar with legendary rapper Method Man (Wu-Tang Clan/Method Man & Redman), who also began an acting career in the late 1990s of which he’s still involved with. But the 49-year-old is also in amazing shape and appears to have a passion for the fitness lifestyle. Method Man (real name Clifford Smith Jr.) regularly posts training clips on social media and his strength is pretty impressive especially at his age. So he recently posted a training clip where he deadlifted 435lbs for 4 reps which seemed to go relatively smooth. Method Man - Images via @methodmanofficial Instagram
Chris Rock Flaunts His Abs At 55
HEALTH & WELLNESS Chris Rocks shows what simple lifestyle changes can do for the body. The veteran comic and actor is flexing his Fab abs at 55 for the latest edition of Hollywood Reporter! Rock attributes his new physique to a combination of walking, weight-lifting and cutting out sugar. He also accomplished something he had been talking about for years — he learned to swim, part of a new fitness regimen that’s contributed to what are now countable ab muscles. “Do you know how fucking hard it is for a grown-up to learn how to swim? You’ve got to not be scared to die,” he tells me, before acknowledging the absurdity of having a pool that he couldn’t previously use at his Alpine, New Jersey, home. “The other day, this guy says to me, ‘OK, you’re going to dive into the deep end and swim to the other side,’ and I’m like, ‘Are you fucking crazy?’ But then I dove into the deep end and I swam to the other side, and it’s a metaphor for what I’ve been trying to do during this time.”
Lenny Kravitz teaches how to have a ‘healed’ body at 56
Lenny Kravitz is an example of energy and fitness: he has just been on the cover of “Men’s Health” magazine, where he showed off his six pack and posed as a surfer in jeans. OK, strange choice. But what really amazes him is his age. 56 years! Do you want to reach that age more or less like that? The singer revealed his secrets to the magazine in the “Gym and Fridge” video series. After all, it’s never too late to lose fat and gain lean mass. First: have a LOT of green in the fridge. His has cucumber, mangoes, broccoli, kale, okra, rosemary and various types of dark green leaves. Fruits? He eats a lot of breadfruit (relative of jackfruit), soursop – his favorite -, kale, lemon and avocado, with their good fat. In fact, for Lenny, who is a vegan, it is very easy to have all this in hand, since he himself produces his own food, organically, on the property he has in the Bahamas – the star also owns a farm in Brazil, in interior of Rio, where he does the same. Lenny has already revealed that he enjoys making long detox diets from raw foods [a “raw food”], which last for about a year. And he says he is very careful with what he puts inside the body. When I’m in the Bahamas I try to eat as much raw food as possible, especially in the summer, when these beautiful fruits grow. And there are times when I don’t eat any sugar or fruit. I’m only in vegetables: sautéed spinach or cabbage salad. OK, you’ve already learned what to eat to have Kravtiz’s body. But what about fitness? Amazingly, at least when he’s in the Bahamas, he doesn’t work out in a super-equipped gym. Prefer the trunk of a tree. They are simple sessions of exercises in the open air, with some dumbbells and abdominals.
As if all that exuberant look was enough, Lenny still works out accompanied by a personal trainer, Dodd Romero, work for him 25 years ago. Even when in Central America, Romero helps you work out remotely via Facetime. I prefer to stay outside, with nature, instead of being confined to the gym. Workout five to six days a week. My exercises became more focused. I’ve been working out for less time, more efficiently Kravitz, who used to hate leg exercises, but today no longer. Physical exercise keeps my body and spirit in shape. And so I can be more creative.
Lenny Kravitz and his dogs Image: Reproduction
MADAME VICE PRESIDENT
Kamala Harris has always been a trailblazer. She broke barriers in California, made history in the U.S. Senate, and now she’s the first Black woman and first Indian American to be elected as Vice President of the United States of America. Kamala’s nomination and win is the realization of a dream that so many have struggled for so long to make possible. She was raised by a strong woman rooted in community to be a strong woman rooted in community. Her life and career have been defined by a fierce commitment to public service and an abiding belief in government as a force for good.
Nolwen Cifuentes for TIME
THIS IS OUR KING – WAKANDA FOREVER
‘Black Panther’ What Chadwick Boseman’s Legacy Means
By Clayton Davis
Courtesy of Marvel Studios
“Long Live the King,” the appropriate tagline on the poster for 2018’s “Black Panther,” captures this moment in history.
The significance of Chadwick Boseman, who died at 43 after a four-year battle with colon cancer, to the African American and Black community is immeasurable. When representing inspirational icons such as Jackie Robinson in “42,” James Brown in “Get on Up,” or Thurgood Marshall in “Marshall,” the depth of respect is to be expected. However, two years ago, Boseman asserted himself as a beacon of hope and legacy for current and future generations, when he starred in Marvel Studios’ first Black superhero film “Black Panther.” Boseman’s portrayal of T’Challa, the King of Wakanda, became a cultural phenomenon. Boseman’s poise and command of the screen latched on to the zeitgeist of a world being divided by political, social and cultural identities — as the United States was grappling with racism and xenophobia two years into President Donald Trump’s first term.
The outpouring from celebrities both in and out of the entertainment industry, including former President Barack Obama and vice presidential candidate Kamala Harris, provide the context of the legacy that Boseman made in his short career. Directed by Ryan Coogler, “Black Panther” was a smorgasbord of Black talent, both in front of and behind the camera. Grossing more than $700 million domestically, and becoming the 4th highest-grossing film of alltime in North America, the film proved to be more than another monetization success for Marvel. The film went on to be nominated for seven Academy Awards, including best picture, the first for the superhero genre. It won three awards on the night, including production design for Hannah Beachler and costume design for Ruth E. Carter, both becoming the first African Americans to ever win their categories.
Sitting in a New York theater for the all-media critics screening, among colleagues and critics from the metropolitan area, the adoration and adrenaline filled the theater for 135 minutes. I can recall many memorable all-media screenings throughout my career, but very few held as much significance and soulful connection than witnessing the son of T’Chaka teach generations of superhero fans about courage, mercy and respect with the knowledge of his father’s shame and sin. “A boy not fit to lead,” is what Winston Duke’s M’Baku calls T’Challa during their duel. As Boseman showed us with his illness, he digs deep, finds the inner strength of his ancestors, and shows a man who is jealous and hates him mercy. I can’t remember the last time that a movie had been such an educational space.
Courtesy of Marvel Studios
Black megastars that have preceded Boseman — such as Denzel Washington and Will Smith — all had that singular moment in which their careers became more than their physical appearance. The reception from critics for “Black Panther” was resounding and passionate, which mirrored the feelings of the casual film-goers of the world, an agreement you don’t find too often with movies. His emergence as the newest prolific figure in Black cinema led to other projects and media figures in the Hollywood industry. including Spike Lee in “Da 5 Bloods” (above pic) from earlier this year. Boseman’s final screen performance will be in George C. Wolfe’s upcoming adaptation of the August Wilson play “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” from Netflix.
The landscape of movies continues to evolve since the box office success of “Black Panther.” 2018 was a kinship that Boseman and his superhero character shared with all minority creatives. Although Boseman or any of the actors’ performances failed to garner Oscar’s attention, the film is cemented in a banner year for minority Academy winners. Rami Malek, Regina King and Mahershala Ali all won Oscars for acting, the largest group of minority acting winners in Academy history. As the 92-year-history of AMPAS shows, the public and greater cinematic enthusiasts don’t always pay attention to what won or was nominated, we will often talk about what wasn’t. Ask any film historian about “Citizen Kane” or “Vertigo.”
Boseman’s contribution to cinema was never about himself and what he could offer. He wanted to see the larger, collective good brought to an art form he loved deeply. Although you can find a loud, robust number of internet movie lovers complain about “Green Book” winning best picture, Boseman’s dedication to his craft will likely serve as an inspiration for any kid in Anderson, S.C., or a young Puerto Rican/Black kid from the Bronx.
The results didn’t just impact the scope in which Black cinema is now being expanded, as seen in Black cinema’s upcoming works by filmmakers such as Ava DuVernay and Barry Jenkins. Black Panther wasn’t just a symbol for the Black community; as is often overlooked, the Latinx community, full of rich, vibrant history shares its ancestry with Africa, proven by the talented number of Afro-Latinos who inhabit our world.
Watching T’Challa get dunked on by his sister Shuri, played by Emmy-nominee Letitia Wright, and taking in their mighty brother-sister dynamic and banter, is something that many Black and Brown movie-goers recognized within their own upbringing. Boseman brought the familiarity of our own lives, creeping into a science fiction realm but landing in the all too real reality of our own experience.
Courtesy of Marvel Studios
Another aspect that made Boseman’s turn as the king of Wakanda so profound is his precision and innate ability to access and elevate his co-stars. When the film won the best cast ensemble prize at the Screen Actors Guild Awards in early 2019, the actor’s guild rewarded 11 other actors that shared the screen with Boseman, including Lupita Nyong’o, Michael B. Jordan, Angela Bassett, Winston Duke and Wright.
During the acceptance speech, Boseman shares about the experience of going through the publicity run and receiving frequent questions regarding the anticipation of the film’s response. “Did we know the movie was going to receive this kind of response?” he says to his peers and viewers watching. “We knew we had something special that we wanted to give the world.”
Courtesy Screen Actors Guild Awards
To watch Boseman deliver the speech, now having the knowledge that he was battling colon cancer, and what you sacrifice for your craft as an artist, is deeply moving and will continue to be a pillar of the legacy that he has left behind.
“Too soon” is apt in describing Boseman’s death. “Courage and strength” is equally appropriate. In the words of Boseman himself, “To be young, gifted and Black.” That’s something we can hope all young Black and Brown children will carry with them for the rest of their lives.
‘Black Panther’ Mural With
Chadwick Boseman Unveiled at Disneyland By Janet W. Lee, variety.com Wakanda forever. Disneyland unveiled a Chadwick Boseman mural in its Downtown Disney shopping district. The artwork from Nikkolas Smith shows the late Marvel star giving the Wakanda salute to a young fan wearing a “Black Panther” mask.
Smith shared photos of his work on Thursday via Instagram, in which he is giving the Wakanda salute in front of the mural. “This one is special. My King Chad tribute is now on a wall on display at Downtown Disney,” he wrote. “It is a full circle moment for me: my final two projects as a Disney Imagineer last summer were working on the children’s hospital project and the Avengers Campus.” The child in the mural is wearing a hospital gown, to honor the late “Black Panther” star who visited children with cancer at St. Jude campus, while waging a private battle with the disease. The installation is titled “King Chad.”
“To millions of kids, T’Challa was a legend larger than life, and there was no one more worthy to fill those shoes than Chadwick Boseman,” Smith continued. “I’m so thankful to be able to honor Chadwick’s life and purpose in this way. I am grateful to the Disney family for being so supportive of my journey as an artist.” Boseman was diagnosed in 2016 with stage 3 colon cancer, and over four years, it progressed to stage 4, his family later revealed. Although he never spoke publicly about his diagnosis, he worked through his treatment for much of his film career. While Disneyland’s main park remains closed amid the coronavirus pandemic, Downtown Disney in California is currently open for visitors. Additional images from Smith’s work are available on the artist’s website.
MINDING MY OWN BLACK BUSINESS
BUSINESS
Killer Mike: Banking on Greenwood By Don Saint-James, eurweb.com
*Killer Mike is a Grammy-winning rapper, who has excelled as a songwriter, actor, activist, and entrepreneur. As October 2020, he can add banker to his portfolio of titles. Killer Mike, whose real name is Michael Render, is co-founder of the new Greenwood Bank. He shares ownership of Greenwood with civil rights icon and former mayor of Atlanta, Andrew J. Young and Ryan Glover, founder of Bounce TV Network. According to Killer Mike, who was born, raised, and still lives in Atlanta, Greenwood is a “FinTech Neobank,� which means it will function as an online bank/digital bank. Greenwood will offer full-service banking, to include savings and spending accounts, peer-to-peer money transfers, mobile deposits, Apple & Android Pay, Global ATM Networks, community reinvestments, two-day early pay, no hidden fees, and more. All deposits are FDIC insured up to $250,000.
BUSINESS “Greenwood is the Black bank of the future,” said Killer Mike. “When I was called by Ryan Glover about partnering with him and Andrew Young to start Greenwood, I was interested because the bank, besides it being a savings, deposit, and investment institution, is looking at getting in the game of adding capital to small and medium businesses, and creating Black and Latinx businesses looking to grow.” Glover adds: “It’s no secret that traditional banks have failed the Black and Latinx community,” said Glover in a statement. “We needed to create a new financial platform that understands our history and our needs going forward, a banking platform built by us and for us, a platform that helps us build a stronger future for our communities.” Greenwood Bank takes its name from “Black Wall Street,” which was part of the historic Greenwood District of Tulsa, Oklahoma. It was a center of African American enterprise, entertainment, wealth, and an investment capital. At its apex, it was said the dollar in this elite financial Black sector of Tulsa circulated 36 times and stayed up to a year in the Black community before leaving.
The Greenwood District was destroyed in 1921, when mobs of white people torched and destroyed it. By many estimates, up to 10,000 African Americans were left homeless, with approximately 300 Black people killed.
BUSINESS
Greenwood Bank Owners: Killer Mike (Michael Render), Andrew J. Young and Ryan Glover
The new Greenwood Bank, according to Killer Mike, wants to duplicate the longevity of the Black dollar that once circulated in the Black community of Tulsa. He said today, a dollar circulates for 20 days in the white community, but only six hours in the Black community. “Greenwood will be banking in the palm of your hand,” said Killer Mike. “Many things are going digital for African Americans. African Americans use their phones for banking, paying bills and other things more than other groups of people. Greenwood is perfect and fit for the time in terms of how we move around and bank. As brick and mortar banks are pulling out of our community, Black people still need access to banking as an alternative to check cashing places. Greenwood is the alternative. It’s perfect for our community.” While the Greenwood Bank is interested in serving all age groups, Killer Mike wants a big presence from Black and Latinx in Generation X (individuals born between 1961 and 1981) and Generation Y or Millennials (individuals born between 1982 and 2004). “I’m personally taking the challenge to get young people,” Killer Mike said. “My belief is that young people should be flocking to Greenwood the same way that our grandparents flocked to Black banks. Whether people live in Chicago, Detroit, D.C., Los Angeles, or Compton, I believe that we can do it in all those places. Greenwood gives them the ability to do their banking with the phones right in our hands. This is our time to take back control of our lives and our financial future.”
BUSINESS While Greenwood won’t open officially until January 2021, the bank, since launching its website on Oct. 9, has amassed a sizable list of individuals wanting to open a Greenwood Bank account. Opening an account will have other beneficial factors to impact Black and Latinx communities. According to Greenwood’s website, for every customer that signs up, the bank will provide five free meals to a family in need. With each swipe of a Greenwood debit card, it will prompt a donation to UNCF for education, or the NAACP to support civil rights initiatives. And every month, Greenwood will provide a $10,000 grant to a Black or Latinx small business owner that is a Greenwood c ustomer. “The work that we did in the civil rights movement wasn’t just about being able to sit at the c ounter. It was also about being able to own the restaurant,” said Young. “Killer Mike, Ryan and I are launching Greenwood to continue this work of empowering Black and Brown people to have economic opportunity.” To sign up for a Greenwood account or learn more about the bank, log on to www.bankgreenwood.com.
Wesley Lowery interviews Killer Mike, a Grammy award-winning rapper, activist, business owner and — as he revealed to 60 in 6 — co-founder of a black-owned bank.
NETFLIX'S LOST IN SPACE SEASON 3 CASTS RUSSELL HORNSBY
The Netflix series Lost In Space added Russell Hornsby to the cast lineup for season three. The show is a remake of the 1965 series of the same name and takes place in a futuristic world where interstellar travel is the norm. The first season was released in 2018 to relative critical and commercial success; a second season premiered in December 2019. The third season, which will feature Hornsby, is going to be the last of the series. Previously, Hornsby had a starring role in the series Lincoln Heights, NBC’s Grimm, and the Denzel Washington film Fences. He also recently acted in The Hate U Give and Creed II. So far, Hornsby’s role is unknown. According to Deadline, the actor will have a recurring role in the final season. Most of the other cast is returning from the previous seasons, including Molly Parker, Toby Stephens, Maxwell Jenkins, and Taylor Russell, among others. Zack Estrin, Kevin Burns, Jon Jashni, Matt Sazama, and Burk Sharpless all serve as executive producers. After the official announcement, Lost In Space shared a tweet welcoming Hornsby to the space fam. This word choice left fans wondering if Hornsby will play the biological father of Judy (played by Taylor Russell). Viewers will have to wait to learn, though—production on Lost in Space season 3 just started up again, and it isn’t expected to premiere until at least the end of 2021. When the final season of Lost In Space does make its way to screens, Hornsby is sure to be an asset to the ending. By in360news.blogspot.com
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2021
Working from home? Out of work? Here’s what you need to know now for next year’s tax season. By Andrew Seaman, Editor for Job Seekers & #GetHired at LinkedIn News
Working from home these days? Sorry, but workers who receive a W-2 from their employer can no longer write off expenses associated with a home office. (10'000 Hours)
Thanks to the coronavirus pandemic, next year’s tax season could bring some unpleasant surprises for people whose work life has been upended by office closures and job loss. Whether working from home or unemployed, experts say taxpayers should take steps now to avoid confusion come Tax Day. “It’s kind of a mess,” said Mark Mazur, the director of the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center. “The (tax) rules that have been in place for a long time didn’t contemplate the current situation.” Here’s what to know in order to avoid headaches later on.
Can I write off the desk I just bought? No. The Tax Credit and Jobs Act, which took effect in 2018, eliminated that deduction for workers who receive a W-2 from their employer. However, small-business owners and the selfemployed can claim deductions on their Schedule C form. “There are real business-related expenditures that wouldn’t be incurred if not for COVID and people won’t get a deduction,” said Julie A. Roin, a tax law professor at the University of Chicago Law School. W-2 employees can seek tax-free reimbursement from their employer for qualifying expenses. According to Roin, those expenses could include things like computer monitors, USB devices and internet service. Illinois law requires employers to reimburse employees for necessary expenses, as long as they’re within the scope of their employment and benefited the employer. But employers do not have to reimburse employees for normal wear and tear on items they use for work, expenses that were the employee’s fault, or if the employee did not comply with the employer’s policy.
I’m self-employed. What can I write off? Small-business owners and self-employed workers who want to claim deductions for their home office must meet two requirements. First, the taxpayer must regularly use the home office exclusively for work and not for any other purpose, such as home-schooling children or for hobbies. Second, the home office must be the main place where the taxpayer conducts business. People who conduct some business activities elsewhere can still qualify as long as administrative or management activities are performed exclusively in the home. “You basically have to run your business out of that space,” Mazard said. Those taxpayers may be able to deduct a portion of their mortgage interest, insurance, utilities, repairs maintenance, depreciation and rent. Or they could deduct a “simplified” amount by multiplying $5 by the area of the home used as an office, up to 300 feet. Will I have to pay taxes in two states? Chicago-area employers from Groupon to Uber have told employees to work from home — some indefinitely. Since the pandemic began, some Chicagoans have left their city homes for places like Door County, Wisconsin, or southwestern Michigan. Others have taken jobs with out-of-state employers expecting to continue working from home. “It gets pretty complicated pretty fast when you have out-of-state income,” said Charlotte Crane, a tax law professor at Northwestern’s Pritzker School of Law. “Different states have different approaches to this issue.” Illinois has agreements with Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan and Wisconsin that prevent Illinois residents from having to pay tax in those states. They still would have to file in Illinois. For Illinois workers earning income from the other 45 states, they may be entitled to an Illinois credit for taxes paid to those states.
Are my unemployment benefits taxable? Yes. More than 1.5 million Illinois residents filed for unemployment insurance benefits between March and July. That income, including any special coronavirus unemployment benefits, is taxable at both the federal and state level in Illinois, Illinois Department of Revenue spokesman Sam Salustro said. To avoid owing taxes next year, benefit recipients may choose to have taxes withheld from their unemployment check. If they don’t, or if the withholding amount is not enough, recipients can make quarterly payments to the IRS. They also can change their election for tax withholding after benefit checks start arriving.
What about stimulus payments? Stimulus payments issued under the coronavirus relief legislation are not taxable. Anyone who qualifies but hasn’t received a stimulus payment can enter their information on the IRS website or claim the amount as a credit on next year’s tax return. What else do I need to know? One way to make next year’s tax season run smoothly is to keep accurate and thorough records in a safe space. Anything claimed on tax returns must be documented in case of an IRS audit or examination. Some documents to look out for are stimulus payment records, coronavirusrelated medical expenses, and records of any time spent earning income in different states. “If you get a document in the mail that you think, ‘I wonder if I need this for my taxes,’ you should keep it,” Devine said. “You can always get rid of it. But if you lose it, it will delay the process.” By Katie Surma, chicagotribune.com
The IRS has a tax withholding estimator tool on its website to help users avoid any surprises.
Style is informed by a moment in time, and context is captured by presentation. The Brooklyn Circus/BKc is a menswear brand that finds inspiration in the pages of history books. Everything we make has a story, from the construction of our varsity jackets to the looms where our denim is woven, and we take these elements into consideration when we cultivate our brand. We are here to tell the story of style throughout American history and to emphasize the power of presentation. We want to change the way Americans dress, one iconic silhouette at a time through the 100-Year Plan. Welcome to the circus.
BKc Triple Black Knuckle Moto Jacket
BKc "Shelby Blues" Varsity Jacket
Five Things to Know About Jonathan Majors, Star of HBO’s Lovecraft Country
Photo: Stammtisch.604
Jonathan Majors, the star of HBO's Lovecraft Country, is one of Hollywood's hottest actors on the rise—see why he's so beloved by the biggest directors in town Actor Jonathan Majors, the star of HBO’s sci-fi drama Lovecraft Country (Sundays, on HBO) is one of those serious, award-nominated actors whose career is somehow still just heating up— but whose name is well on its way to becoming what one would call “household.” The Texas-raised star, 30, first burst onto the scene a mere three years ago, when he starred as activist Ken Jones in the four-part ABC limited series When We Rise, which followed the gay rights movement in 1970s San Francisco. At the time he was cast, Majors was still getting his MFA from Yale School of Drama. Two years later, he costarred in 2019's The Last Black Man in San Francisco, which was one of the most acclaimed independent movies of last year. (For which he was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award.)
Below, five more things to know about one of Hollywood’s hottest stars on the rise. Spike Lee handpicked him to star in June’s Da 5 Bloods In the Netflix film, which came out in June, Majors took on the role of David, the son of Delroy Lindo’s character who travels with his dad and his Vietnam Veteran friends to search for treasure—and perhaps closure. It cemented a relationship with Lee, for which he’s grateful. “Since we shot the film, we’ve spoken once a week,” Majors says of Lee. “That’s privilege. To be selected by him—you feel chosen. You’ve been drafted into the Spike Lee army, and it’s the most honorable position you could be in as an actor. You know that if he’s chosen you, he trusts you. It’s really emboldening.” He’s 6’1”, highly educated, and yes he's afraid walking around America “As a 6 ft black man, there’s no real reason for me to be afraid walking around. Biologically, you’d have a hard time dealing with me,” says Majors, who, like every Black American facing systemic and consistent racism, is completely fed up with it. “But I have an innate fear in me walking the streets. It’s not just about the police— it’s about what any white person [might do], because they have fear in them as well. Fear recognizes fear. But it’s life or death. You know who experiences that fear every day? Me. My friends. My brothers and sisters. It’s not playing fair.”
He grew up the son of a pastor Majors grew up outside of Dallas with his sister and brother, the son of a Pastor mother. He was estranged from his father who left when he was young, though the two are now on speaking terms. The recent Black Lives Matter movement recently brought them back together. “I hadn’t spoken to him in about two years, but I spoke to him this morning briefly,” Majors told PEOPLE in June, of connecting with his dad about the protest movement following the death of George Floyd. (Majors was often at rallies, protesting himself.) “He said he saw the same protests in the 60s, then in the 90s with Rodney King, and now again,” Majors said, noting that it seemed to both of them like the same thing keeps happening throughout history. “It’s no longer about “changing,” or going through a process of change [when it comes to racism and police brutality.] It’s about stopping. It’s time to stop. Just stop.”
He has a seven-year old daughter After attending a performing arts high school in Texas, Majors when to the University of North Caroline School of the Arts, and before he went on to the Yale School of Drama, he had a daughter—and he hopes every day that she gets the kind of education she deserves, and not just the standard “Black History” month students are currently taught each February. “I have a 7 year old who’s mixed race,” he told PEOPLE in June. “She has to understand that it’s actually not ‘black history’— it’s American history. The way it’s taught now, its honestly the Jim Crow system of separate but equal. We’ll give it one month, 12 pages in the history book…we’ll talk about Harriet Tubman, Rosa Park, MLK, then we’ll give you a little quiz about it. And that’s it.”
His new project is produced by Jordan Peele, and his next project is being produced by Jay-Z As an actor, Majors is in hot demand. He’s currently in Santa Fe, working on the The Harder They Fall, which is an all-black spaghetti western produced by Jay-Z, but he’s also gaining major accolades for his current role in Lovecraft Country, the HBO horror series produced by Jordan Peele and JJ Abrams. (It also stars Jurnee Smollet, Michael Kenneth Williams, and Courtney B. Vance.) Majors plays a Korean War vet who drives across Jim Crow America, fighting off both monsters and monstrous racism in order to find his missing father. He recently told the New York Times of his character Atticus: “He and I are very similar. All I’ve ever been in my entire life is a Black man. Same thing can be said for Atticus. The racial trauma that he carries, it is almost like breathing. And the thing that makes him special or different is that he refuses to just get along with it.”
He has just landed a key role in the upcoming Marvel film, Ant Man 3. Deadline first reported the news of his casting. While Marvel didn't have any comment, his character is believed to be the villain Kang the Conqueror. He would join Paul Rudd and Evangeline Lilly as Ant-Man and The Wasp. The report states, "Sources add that like with so many new characters in the MCU, there could be a twist with how the character is featured in future films, but as of now he is likely to be one of the main villains in the next installment in the franchise."
2020 was the year
Black Lives Matter as a movement, not just a moment
Artists memorialized George Floyd, who was killed by a Minneapolis policeman, with murals and other street art along Wilmington Avenue and 105th Street in Watts. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times)
For months this summer, these Black and brown faces looked out on us from the boarded-up windows of businesses in Venice, spray-painted on plywood and awaiting riots that never came. Every day, they reminded us — as if we could forget — of the trauma that police brutality inflicted upon our nation this year. That these images of the dead are now gone, discarded with the plywood as life has hobbled back toward normal, serves as a reminder, too: Turning a moment into a movement is hard, but not half as hard as sustaining it. Taking to the streets against police brutality and racial injustice in early June seemed like a natural reaction to the searing video of Floyd. What ethical, empathic human being wouldn’t rise up in anger after watching this Black man die on a Minneapolis sidewalk, his neck under the knee of a white cop who couldn’t have cared less about Floyd’s pleas for help? Who wouldn’t take a knee in solidarity after listening to Floyd cry out for his mother with his final breaths while three other cops casually stood by and watched?
Asanka Ratnayake, Getty Images Nurphoto, Getty Images
Black Lives Matter
George Floyd. Breonna Taylor. Andres Guardado.
Protesters stand on top of a burned LAPD cruiser as another burns at 3rd Street and Fairfax Avenue in Los Angeles on May 30. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
True, Floyd was hardly the first Black man — or woman or child, for that matter — we’ve watched die in a viral video, killed by someone with a badge for what often seems like the flimsiest of reasons. He’s not the last either. It’s just that some people decided long ago not to look. Police brutality, and the white supremacy that has both enabled it and protected it, endures. But Floyd’s death — and this year — were different. In the weeks before that awful Memorial Day in Minneapolis, efforts to slow a surge of coronavirus cases had shut down much of the country, particularly the corner of it that is California. For once, even the most privileged had few distractions — no dinner parties, no basketball games or shopping excursions. People were sitting at home in front of their computers and televisions, bored and restless.
Michelle Usher prays during a protest against the killing of George Floyd at the intersection of McFadden Avenue and Bristol Street in Santa Ana on May 30. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
So that video of Floyd? Everyone had to look. And many also felt they had to act, not just because of the blatant cruelty and injustice, but also because of what had happened to Taylor in Louisville, Ky., to Guardado in Gardena and to so many other Black and brown victims of police. The resulting protests persisted for weeks, held not just in urban centers, but in Santa Monica, Beverly Hills and other wealthy enclaves across the country. They were gloriously diverse and sometimes appallingly destructive. And they meant that, for once, people with power had to listen to people without it. It meant that Gov. Gavin Newsom had to speak up, acknowledging the failure of government to truly “tear out� institutional racism. And it meant that the Los Angeles City Council had to take a step toward, if not defunding the police, at least reducing the once-sacrosanct budget of the department.
Black Lives Matter
Boston Globe, Getty Images
It was the well-prepared founders of Black Lives Matter, including Californians Alicia Garza, Patrisse Cullors and Opal Tometi, who are most responsible for turning what could have merely been a moment of rage into a monthslong movement. They helped transform the public conversation from a reckoning over policing to one over systemic racism in healthcare, education, housing, employment, media and politics. They and activists from across America are why Presidentelect Joe Biden felt he had to pick a Black woman to be his running mate. And why Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, in her acceptance speech, had to talk about what it will take to sustain this mass multicultural movement for Black lives. Even when all the reminders are gone.
BLM
“There is no vaccine for racism. We’ve gotta do the work,” said Harris, who is also South Asian. “For George Floyd. For Breonna Taylor. For the lives of too many others to name. For our children. For all of us. We’ve gotta do the work to fulfill that promise of equal justice under law. Because none of us are free, until all of us are free.”
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Telling Male Friends 'I Love You' Is A Muscle Guys Need To Flex Every Day By Jeff Perera, Special To HuffPost
FG TRADE VIA GETTY IMAGES
Men can re-learn new rituals and practices to normalize showing love. I had never told my father the Three Words until the moment I placed a stuffed polar bear alongside him in his casket. That was almost two decades ago, but even today I find myself burying the Three Words under mumbles mouthed at my brother when I visit him and my two baby nephews.
The words can feel like a caged animal pacing back and forth for years until finally allowed to escape its cage within our chest.
The Three Words seem to make time stand still, for a brief moment, whenever men say them to one another outside of a romantic or sexual relationship. They are said platonically, but with the most sincere passion. Yet, throughout the chapters of my life there have been many men I never said the words to, and wish I had.
When a larger-than-life figure like Kobe Bryant — a man who cast a shadow almost seven feet tall — died in a helicopter crash, it especially impacted his former teammate, Shaquille O’Neal. We saw O’Neal struggle through tears as he recounted the many loved ones he had lost in recent years (including his sister). Yet, it was Bryant’s death that woke him up to the importance of telling the men in his life what they mean to him.
The Three Words: “I love you.” Why is it so hard for men to say ‘I love you?’
Expressing love to one another helps men build stronger and more meaningful relationships.
“We want,
need and crave deep connection as men and young men, whether we
are 16 or 60.”
Moments of vulnerability are key to deep friendships.
Anyone can struggle with showing appreciation, but why does it take a moment of tragedy for many men to show up emotionally in their own lives, and in the lives of the men they love? It starts in young adulthood. Referring to Niobe Way’s 20 years of research, Andrew Reiner writes that “many boys, especially early and middle adolescents, develop deep, meaningful friendships, easily rivaling girls in their emotional honesty and intimacy. But we socialize this vulnerability out of them (once they reach ages 15 or 16).” A day comes where young men stop forming nurturing bonds and begin to connect by trying to “break” one another. We do this to one another by teasing, bullying or “busting balls,” which can cause more harm than show affection. Actions and deeds between friends speak volumes, but the words left unsaid can echo for a lifetime. Physically, society gives men an incomplete vocabulary. It often means keeping each other literally at arm’s length. Men barely hug
enough, long enough. When we do greet each other, it’swith empty rituals like smashing clenched fists together, exchanging quick nods, or even a “bro hug” lacking intimacy. Men have been coded to believe that vulnerability means “weakness” and we should only expose a hole in our emotional armour for romantic connection or sexual gain. Like a choke-chain, that programming pulls us back when we find ourselves entering moments of vulnerability between men. This inability to express ourselves to other men can leave some men feeling emotionally stranded, even among friends. We want, need and crave deep connection as men and young men, whether we are 16 or 60, but social isolation among men is a growing concern. Our need for belonging can leave some men susceptible to radicalized movements of hate that prey on those of us in troubled emotional states, but there are also the risks for our mental and physical health both now and as we get older, including cognitive decline, depression and heart disease, according to the National Institute on Aging.
Heartfelt and sincere words spoken help to build bridges of connection between us. This means breaking the barriers that hold us from developing a fluency in emotions to say what you want to say, especially “I love you.” It takes daily practice Some women take the day before Valentine’s Day to celebrate the close friendships in their daily life. They call it “Galentine’s Day.” Years ago, I submitted to men the case for “Malentine’s Day” as a day to begin learning ways to proclaim, cultivate and nourish our male friendships through moments of vulnerability. We should say “I love you” when we mean to, need to and want to. And, yes, it takes intention and practice to break out of our social conditioning. Re-awakening these kinds of muscles takes time, but we can spot one another as men as surely as we do at the gym. Men can re-learn new rituals and practices to normalize showing love. This isn’t a conversation about what is wrong with us as men, so much as focusing on how we can get closer to filling the void inside us.
“If you love the men in your life, don’t wait to tell them.”
Each day, I invite you to: Take time to check in with yourself and what you are feeling. Tune into what your needs are, and what you might want to share or discuss with other men. Check in with a male friend, ask “how do you feel today?” and genuinely listen. Put the same conscious effort that you put into work or romantic relationships into nurturing your friendship. Talk about what you both need to open up to one another.Discuss building a stronger mutual trust, so you’d feel more confident about having deeper conversations. Chances are they’ve been wanting to have this talk as well. Start with words, then work up to deeds and actions to express love.How about a real hug instead of a bro hug? How about telling your buddy you need to talk? How about not changing topics when your buddy opens up? Invite each other to sit in your vulnerability; true strength is in speaking the quivering words you want to say openly.
Finally... Say the words! Years ago, I entered a very challenging period in my life. I am fortunate to have many incredible women in my life who work both professionally, and in their interpersonal interactions, around areas of growth, healing and change. I reached out to them at first, but caught myself and made a conscious choice: I needed to have these kinds of honest and real conversations with the men in my life. This led to the deepening of our relationships, and being able to say we loved one another. It’s not enough to just tell other men to be thoughtful, be empathetic, be consensual or be better, we need to model it. That means me, that means you. So, let the Three Words out. If you love the men in your life, don’t wait to tell them.
BLACK LIGHTNING'S CAST ON THEIR HOPES FOR SEASON 4, AND WHY THE SHOW IS MORE RELEVANT THAN EVER
B lack Lightning was one of the few Arrowverse shows that got to complete its latest season without being
interrupted by any COVID-related shutdowns. But while Season 4 of The CW series isn't quite in the works just yet, that didn't stop the cast from discussing what they'd like to see for their characters when the superhero show does eventually return during their DC FanDome panel.
Among those present were Cress Williams (Jefferson Pierce AKA "Black Lightning"), China Anne McClain (Jennifer Pierce AKA "Lightning"), Nafessa Williams (Anissa Pierce\ AKA "Thunder" and "Blackbird"), Christine Adams (Lynn Stewart), Marvin “Krondon” Jones III (Tobias Whale), Jordan Calloway (Khalil Payne AKA "Painkiller"), and James Remar (Peter Gambi), with the whole event moderated by actor and creator of The Meteor Man, Robert Townsend (Dr. Napier Frank). "I'd like to get back into the school," said Cress Williams of a possible direction for the show in Season 4, which would tie into his character's civilian identity as a high school teacher. "I'd like to get back into mentoring kids. The thing I'm most proud of is the educational aspect of the show." Adams, who plays scientist (and Pierce's ex-wife) Lynn Stewart on the series, had a different wish. "I would like to not be drunk or on drugs," she said, noting her character's current addiction to the drug Green Light, which gives its users physical powers. "I'd like to see Gambi be revealed as having a metapower of his own," mused Remar, whose character is responsible for creating the family's super suits. Before adding that he'd also like to see his character maybe flesh out his family and love life. "I'd like to see him maybe have a girlfriend... Maybe Gambi had a kid he reunites with, having not seen in him 25 years." Nafessa Williams also wouldn't mind seeing her character Anissa and her girlfriend Grace eventually walk down the aisle, especially seeing as their wedding was cut short towards the end of Season 3, before it wrapping with Grace attempting to kill her and then ending up in a coma. But mostly, she'd like the show to further tie the events of its fictional world into that of our real one. "I want to see some of what's happening in our world, and what's happening in our day," said Williams. "I just want to always stay on trend with that, and knowing [showrunner Salim Akil], we will." In fact, according to the cast, it's the show's ability to touch on events taking place in the present day that makes it so relevant — especially right now. "[The show] speaks truth to power, meaning, the state of our government," said Jones III, who plays villain Tobias Whale on the series. "Even though we're in a fictitious world, I think it aligns a lot of the time, with the current times. And it speaks to the people who are actually living that. People in Black communities." Jones III went on to add, "That's the truth of our experience and it's done in such a way that it's fantabulous, and it resonates not just with our community but with every community because it has such dignity and integrity." Nafessa Williams agreed. "We stay so true to what's happening that people are able to use our show as a mirror and learn from that." Adds Remar, "This show of the superhero shows, it feels real.” Jordan Calloway, who plays the occasional antagonist Painkiller, added, "We provide that hope not just through superheroes saving the day but also making difficult choices that are morally correct choices." There's no news as of yet on when Season 4 of Black Lightning will premiere, or start production.
All Star Wars Movies and Shows announced at Disney 2020 Investor Event The Disney Investor 2020 event made for a historically big day for Star Wars and Disney+ alike. During this event there were massive new slate releases for Marvel Studios, the Walt Disney Studios, Walt Disney Animation, Pixar, National Geographic and Star Wars. Disney confirmed the names of nine new Star Wars series for Disney+, and the confirmation of the next big Star Wars feature film, “Rogue Squadron.” With all of these new offerings comes varying timelines and types of media. Some will be series, like “The Mandalorian” on Disney+, whereas others are feature and short films. But, all of them are on the way as part of a massive new lineup of Star Wars content. Click here for more info.
A Special Thank You to: J A ME s c o l l i n s @jacuco_art_studio His painting was used for the Lebron pages.
“Cubist LeBron”
Acrylic on 36” x 48” stretched canvas.
“The Moon”
“Untitled II” “Black Thought w/The Roots” Take a moment to follow him on IG and check out his art!
30 COINS 30 MONEDAS
Begins January 4 – On HBO / HBOMax
Click Here To See The Trailer 30 COINS, an eight-episode drama series produced by HBO Europe in Spain, which recently premiered at the 77th Venice International Film Festival, introduces viewers to a world where nothing is as it seems, and nobody can be trusted. Father Vergara (Eduard Fernández) is an exorcist, boxer, and ex-convict who is exiled by the church to be the priest of a remote town in Spain. He wants to forget and be forgotten, but his enemies will soon find him. Strange things begin to happen, and an unlikely task force of Mayor Paco (Miguel Ángel Silvestre) and local vet Elena (Megan Montaner) seek the truth, while reality is distorted by a cursed coin at the heart of a global conspiracy.
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