George Zimmerman, story page 3

New York’s
Beacon
website:
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Vol. 23 No. 20
Showing the Way to Truth and Justice
May 19 - May 25, 2016
E-Mail
[email protected]
75 Cents
KILLER
ZIMMERMAN
OFFERS
MURDER
WEAPON FOR
AUCTION
“I am honored and humbled to announce the sale of an
American firearm icon,” George Zimmerman, story page 3
2
BEACON,
May 19 - May 25, 2016
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S
G
eorge Zimmerman is
showing his disturbingly mental state again.
For the second time, he is offering to the public what he calls
“a piece of American history”:
the gun he used to take Trayvon
Martin’s life in 2012.
“I am honored and humbled to announce the sale of
an American firearm icon”
the auction reads. “The firearm for sale is the firearm
that was used to defend my
life and end the brutal attack from Trayvon Martin
on 2/26/2012.” He listed the
Kel-Tec PF-9
But Zimmerman struggled
to find a site that would carry
his gun
The gun was initially placed
for sale on GunBroker.com, but
the site rejected the idea and
pulled the listing.
Just as the auction was set
to open, a notification appeared
saying the “item you have
requested is no longer in the
system.”
“Our site rules state that we
reserve the right to reject listings at our sole discretion, and
have done so with the Zimmerman listing,” GunBroker said in
a statement.
“We want no part in the
listing on our web site or in any
of the publicity it is receiving ,
“Our mission is to esteem the
Continued on page 4
Ferguson police fire teargas
at with nonlethal projectiles
before they were taken into
custody. “No reasonable officer
would have believed that the
force used in detaining and arresting Devereaux and Hermsmeier was necessary and/or
justified,” the lawsuit said. Graw, a correspondent with
German daily Die Welt, alleged
that a St. Louis County officer
told him he should be ashamed
of being a journalist and said
reporters were “telling lies
about Ferguson.” Later, one
of the officers who arrested
him — allegedly Marcial Amaro — identified himself as
“Donald Duck,” according to
the lawsuit.
Herrmann, who writes for
German regional newspapers,
said he was arrested while
wearing his press credentials and carrying a camera. The journalists agreed to
issue a joint public statement
with St. Louis County that said
the resolution would “ensure
that the County’s policing
activities are consistent with
the County’s expressed commitment to keeping the public
informed” and would not interfere with the police’s ability to
protect the community.
While the reporters agreed
to keep the terms of the settlement private, confidential
agreements with government
entities in Missouri can be obtained through public records
requests.
West Point correct not to punish fist-raising Black women
By Kim M. Keenan
George Curry Media Guest
Columnist
I
remember the first time
I saw a Black raised fist.
I was watching the 1968
Summer Olympics in Mexico
City and two Black athletes,
Tommie Smith and John Carlos, raised their black-gloved
fists and bowed their heads
on the medal ceremony stand
during the playing of the “The
Star Spangled Banner.” I was
too young to know what it
meant, but I was old enough to
recognize the inherent personal
power in their gesture.
Smith and Carlos, who were
later inducted into the National
Track and Field Hall of Fame,
angered many Whites back
home; they were vilified and
were subjected to death threats.
In an HBO documentary
years later, Smith said: “We
were just human beings who
saw a need to bring attention
to the inequality in our country.
I don’t like the idea of people
looking at it as negative. There
was nothing but a raised fist
in the air and a bowed head,
acknowledging the American
flag - not symbolizing a hatred
for it.”
Nearly a half of a century
later, 16 Black female West
Point cadets, posed in their traditional gray dress military uniforms, just weeks before their
graduation. In the group photo,
each raised a clenched fist,
touching off another firestorm
in the U.S.
Officials of the United States
Military Academy in Annapolis, Md. opened an investigation on April 28 into whether
the women violated Army rules
that prohibit political activities
while in uniform.
The firestorm that they ignited only highlights what it
means to be a Black woman
in an America that has no
collective consciousness of
what that means on a daily
basis. When Beyoncé and her
dancers included a raised fist
in her “Formation” performance during the Super Bowl
this year, her usual spectacular
performance was tinged with a
bit of controversy. At West Point, these young
women are poised to lead us
into a future where military
leaders look like Black women
and experience life as Black
women, and where they are
being vilified for a harmless
photograph. This is not a photograph where they are scantily
clad or displaying signs, flags,
or symbols of disrespect to
anyone. Each woman simply
has her arms raised culminating
in a fist. One wonders how West
Point could even consider such
an action a threat. A more tangible threat is the
paucity of African Americans
at the military academy. West
Point is 70 percent White, most
of them males. The 16 cadets in
the photo represent all but one
of the Black women graduating
on May 21 in a class of 1,000 1.7 percent.
Some critics charged that
the women were participating
in a Black Power gesture or
aligning themselves with the
Black Lives Matter. However,
Mary Tobin, a 2003 graduate of
West Point and an Iraq veteran
who is a mentor to some of
the seniors, told the New York
Times: “These ladies weren’t
raising their fist to say Black
Panthers. They were raising
it to say Beyoncé. For them
it’s not a sign of allegiance to
a movement, it’s a sign that
means unity and pride and
sisterhood. That fist to them
meant you and your sisters did
what only a few people, male
or female, have ever done in
this country.”
Even Black males who predated them at West Point were
ostracized. Henry O. Flipper,
who became the first Black
graduate from West Point in
1877, endured four years in Annapolis without a fellow cadet
ever speaking to him.
A half-century later, nothing
had changed.
As Associated Press story noted, “Benjamin O. Davis
Jr. entered West Point in 1932
as its only black cadet and spent
the next four years shunned.
He roomed alone, and no one
befriended him. The future Tuskegee Airman and trailblazing
Air Force general later said he
was ‘an invisible man.’”
Are we really saying that
the unspeakable slights and
insults that Cadets Flipper and
Benjamin O. Davis, Sr. endured
are still the standard for the
treatment of Black cadets at
West Point? Or worse, perhaps
the message to these young
women is that they should endure and remain quiet, rather
than express their feelings in
this bastion of White maleness. In fact, in 1976, the year before women were first admitted,
male cadets described themselves as “the last class with
balls,” according to the New
York Times. Some seniors
posed for a photo holding basketballs, footballs and baseballs
yet were never threatened with
punishment.
A voice keeps bubbling up
in me and it just keeps saying,
“I know how these Black
women feel.” I know the
feeling of climbing a mountain with everyone looking,
watching, and perhaps waiting for me to fall. There is
the feeling of having someone moving barriers in front
of my path or misunderstanding that I want the same
things that they want on the
same terms.
West Point’s decision not
to punish the women was the
correct one. Their biggest sin
was sharing their personal triumph over the Internet against
the background of a military
that until recently refused to
allow them to serve in the same
positions as men. Kim M. Keenan is the President and CEO of the Multicultural Media and Telecommunications Council (MMTC).
Prior to taking the helm at
MMTC, Keenan served as
General Counsel and Secretary
of the NAACP. She is a past
president of the National Bar
Association and the District of
Columbia Bar.
newyorkbeacon.net
Trayvon Martin murder weapon
removed from auction 2x’s
T. LOUIS – Four journalists have settled a lawsuit
against the St. Louis County Police Department over their
arrests in Ferguson, Missouri,
during the unrest that followed
Michael Brown’s death – but
they won’t be allowed to talk
about it.
Under the deal, Ryan Devereaux, Lukas Hermsmeier,
Ansgar Graw and Frank Herrmann cannot “take any steps to
publicize any of the terms” of
the settlement. The agreement
requires St. Louis County to
pay $75,000 to resolve the
federal civil rights lawsuit from
the reporters, but like many
settlements does not require the
county to admit liability.
The agreement, a copy of
which was obtained by The
Huffington Post through a
public records request, will
also require all officers with the
police department to undergo
mandatory in-service training
on media access and the right
to record police activity.
The four journalists filed
their lawsuit in March 2015,
accusing police of battery, false
arrest and unreasonable search
and seizure.
Devereaux, who works for
The Intercept, and Hermsmeier,
a freelance journalist, said that
despite having their hands in
the air, identifying themselves
as press and wearing their press
credentials, they were shot
3
BEACON, May 19 - May 25, 2016
Journalists arrested in Ferguson
barred from talking about settlement
4
Gannett ups its offer Trump’s ex-butler calls
to buy Tribune
for Obama to be killed
BEACON,
May 19 - May 25, 2016
newyorkbeacon.net
G
annett raised its all-cash
offer to acquire Tribune
Publishing to $15 per
share, up from $12.25 per
share, according to a Securities
and Exchange Commission filing Monday.
The increase raises the stakes
after Tribune Publishing earlier
this month rejected Gannett’s
unsolicited bid to acquire the
Chicago-based owner of the
Chicago Tribune, Los Angeles
Times and nine other major dailies at about $479 million plus the
offer to assume Tribune’s debt of
$385 million. The revised offer
values the total deal to Tribune
Publishing at $864 million, rather
than $815 million.
Revised after Gannett met
with Tribune shareholders, the
heightened offer represents a
premium of 99% to Tribune’s
closing price of $7.52 per share
on April 22, the last trading
day before Gannett revealed its
initial offer of $12.25.
Shares of Tribune Publishing rose 23% Monday to
$14.15.
“Gannett, with the assistance of its outside advisors,
is ready to immediately engage with Tribune on an expedited basis,” Robert Dickey,
president and chief executive
officer of Gannett, said in a
news release. “Our increased,
all-cash offer provides Tribune
shareholders with a significant
premium of 99 percent and immediate, certain value. By not
engaging constructively with
Gannett … we believe Tribune
is jeopardizing its shareholders’
investment and disregarding
their best interests.”
Chinese bank buys London gold vault
C
hina’s ICBC, the world’s
biggest bank by assets, is
buying a massive vault
in London as it looks to grow
its gold and precious metals
business.
It will be the first Chinese
lender to own a vault in London.
The vault, which is in a
secret location, is being sold
by Barclays and can hold up
to 2,000 metric tons of gold,
silver, platinum and palladium.
ICBC’s purchase will give it
more influence over the trading,
pricing and storage of precious
metals.
No financial details are
available but the deal is ex-
pected to be completed in July.
China accounts for more
than a quarter of global gold demand but trading of the yellow
metal remains centered out of
London and New York.
The London bullion market
has seven providers of vault
storage services, including the
Bank of England.
Trayvon Martin murder weapon
removed from auction 2x’s
From page 3
2nd amendment and provide
a safe and secure platform
for firearms enthusiasts and
law-abiding citizens; our association with Mr. Zimmerman
does not help us achieve that
objective.”
Several hours later, the same
listing went up on UnitedGunGroup.com. A spokesman for
the website said he had spoken
with Zimmerman by phone
and agreed to list it after GunBroker.com was overwhelmed
with traffic.
But it seems that the bidding
on UnitedGunGroup.com was
taken over by bogus buyers.​
The bidding was up to $65
million by two bidders. One
username that reportedly bid
on the gun but later deleted
its account was “Racist McShootFace”; another user went
by the name “Tamir Rice,” the
12-year-old Black boy who was
gunned down by a police officer in Cleveland in November
2014. The listing has since been
taken down
It’s the second time the listing has been taken down.
United Gun Group was notified by George Zimmerman
that he temporarily withdrew
his auction to remove false
bidders. He plans to re-list
his property sometime this
week for a shorter duration,”
it tweeted.
“Martin’s family said they
are focusing on ending gun
violence through their Trayvon
Martin Foundation rather than
on Zimmerman.
“This election season, we
are laser focused on furthering
that mission,” they said in a
statement. “As such, the foundation has no comment on the
actions of that person.”
On the night of the 17-yearold’s death, Zimmerman saw
Martin walking and called
authorities, calling him a “real
suspicious guy” and saying he
was “up to no good, or he’s on
drugs or something.”
Zimmerman told a dispatcher he was following the
teenager, to which the dispatcher responded, “Okay, we
don’t need you doing that.”
But Zimmerman disregarded
this instruction and instead
engaged in an altercation with
the young man that ended in
Zimmerman fatally shooting
Martin.
Zimmerman was acquitted
of second-degree murder in
2013.
T
he US Secret Service has
launched an investigation
after Donald Trump’s former butler called for the death
of President Barack Obama.
Anthony Senecal wrote in a
Facebook post that Mr Obama
“should have been taken out
by our military and shot as an
enemy agent in his first term”.
Senecal worked for Trump,
the presumptive Republican
nominee for president, for
nearly 30 years.
The Trump campaign quickly disavowed Senecal’s remarks.
“He is not employed by
Mr Trump, and hasn’t been
since June of 2009,” Trump
campaign spokeswoman Hope
Hicks said in a statement.
“We strongly condemn these
horrible comments from Mr
Senecal.”
Mr Senecal’s post, which
was not public, was first reported by Mother Jones, but he
later confirmed its authenticity
to several news organizations.
Later on Thursday, Senecal, 84, told CNN that Mr
Obama should be «hung» outside the White House. He also
called the White House the
«White Mosque».
The New York Times profiled Senecal in March, saying
despite retiring in 2009 he has
stayed at Mr Trump’s Mar-aLago estate in Florida as “a
kind of unofficial historian”.
“He understands
Mr.Trump’s sleeping patterns
and how he likes his steak
(“It would rock on the plate, it
was so well done”), and how
Mr Trump insists - despite the
hair sa
salon on the premises - on
doing his own hair,” the profile
read.
London mayor Sadiq Khan
invited to address US
Conference of Mayors
US Conference of Mayors invites new London mayor Sadiq
Khan to address 84th annual meeting in Indianapolis
W
ashington, D.C.—
On behalf of U.S.
Conference of Mayors President and Baltimore
Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, Conference CEO
and Executive Director Tom
Cochran today extended congratulations to the new Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan,
and invited Khan to address
the Conference’s 84th Annual
Meeting in Indianapolis this
June.
“The mayors of the United
States have been watching
this race intently, and were
delighted by the news of your
historic victory and your desire to meet and collaborate
with the mayors of the United
States,” said Cochran in a
letter to London City Hall. He
added, “The U.S. Conference
of Mayors has a proud history
of engaging internationally,
and we feel strongly about our
relationship with London City
Hall. On the occasion of your
election, we look forward to
welcoming you to the United
States and fostering an even
stronger relationship between
London and our mayors.”
Cochran invited Khan to
visit the United States and
speak at the 84th Annual Conference of Mayors, which will
be held on June 24-27th in Indianapolis. In 2001, the Conference of Mayors hosted Ken
Livingstone, the first Mayor
of London, at its 69th Winter
Meeting in Washington.
Khan, the son of a Pakistani
bus driver and a longtime figure
in the Labour Party, is the first
Muslim to be elected mayor of
a Western capital.
Cochran said, “Mayor
Khan’s election comes at a time
when anti-Muslim sentiments
are evident in Europe and the
United States. The Conference
of Mayors condemns bigotry
in all forms, including Islamophobia, and mayors have engaged with Islamic clergy and
communities over the course of
our history.”
About The United States
Conference of Mayors -- The
U.S. Conference of Mayors is
the official nonpartisan organization of cities with populations
of 30,000 or more. There are
nearly 1,400 such cities in the
country today, and each city is
represented in the Conference
by its chief elected official, the
mayor. Like us on Facebook
at facebook.com/usmayors, or
follow us on Twitter at twitter.
com/usmayors.
Tuskegee, AL Mayor Johnny
Ford
Thelma Moore, former chair
of the National Association of
Black County Officials (NABCO).
The presidential forum,
scheduled for Saturday, June 11,
will be moderated by George E.
Curry, editor-in-chief of EmergeNewsOnline.com. He will
be joined in the questioning of
candidates by Chinta Strausberg, a reporter for the Chicago
and Gary Crusader Newspa-
pers, and Webster Guillory,
retired tax assessor of Orange
County, Calif.
“The 1972 National Black
Political Convention in Gary
was the kickoff to what became
the powerful Black political
revolution, which led to the
election of more Black political
leaders than had been elected in
the United States since Reconstruction,” the organizers said
in a statement. “Now is the time
for Black America to return to
Gary, convene a second National Black Political Convention;
recharge our batteries; develop
a Black agenda, and announce
it to the world, and leave Gary
prepared to implement that
agenda.”
That agenda will be developed at next month’s convention, which will be held at the
Genesis Convention Center.
Positions are expected be taken
on such issues as education,
justice, energy, voting rights,
gun control, health, environment, economic opportunity
and the treatment of Black
veterans.
In addition to Saturday’s
presidential candidates forum,
on Friday there will be an
intergenerational Town Hall
discussion.
Newark, NJ Mayor Ras Baraka
The first convention had as
its theme, “Black Politics at
the Crossroads.” The agenda
included:
Home rule for Washington,
D.C.
Establish a national network
of community health centers
Establish a system of national health insurance
Elimination of capital punishment
Create a new urban-based
homestead act
Government guarantee of
$5,200 income for a family
of four
Minimum wage guarantee
of $2.50
Establish a Black United
Fund
Effective enforcement of
anti-trust legislation
To register for convention
and obtain more information
on this year›s convention, go
to theNBPC.com.
Conveners of this year’s
convention said, “We must set
our agenda as Black Americans, and be able to say to
both the Democratic National
Convention and the Republican
National Convention, ‘We in
Black America have set our
agenda and if you want our
vote and support, then you must
consider the Black agenda...’”
Lyin’ Donald Trump is the Biggest Liar
By George E. Curry
George Curry Media
Columnist
W
h e n S e n a t o r Te d
Cruise was running
for president, Donald
Trump, now the presumptive
Republican nominee, enjoyed
referring to him as “lyin’ Ted
Cruise.” At one rally, he said,
“Lyin’ Ted Cruise - L-y-i-ndash.” Actually, he should have
said “apostrophe” instead of
“dash,” but accuracy is not important to Trump.
Fact checkers have determined that of all the presidential candidates, present and
departed, Donald Trump is the
biggest liar.
“PolitiFact has been documenting Trump’s statements on
our Truth-O-Meter, where we’ve
rated 76 percent of them Mostly
False, False or Pants on Fire,
out of 77 statements checked,”
the Pulitzer Prize-winning fact
check site stated. “No other politician has as many statements
rated so far down on the dial.”
Trump came out of the gate
lying.
“When Trump declared his
candidacy on June 16, 2015,
PolitiFact looked at five statements from his announcement
speech. All of them were inaccurate, the website said.
And things have not gotten
any better since.
PolitiFact noted, “When it
comes to inaccurate statements,
the Donald was on fire:
* ‘I watched when the World
Trade Center came tumbling
down,’ he said at a Nov. 21
rally in Birmingham, Ala. ‘And
I watched in Jersey City, N.J.,
where thousands and thousands
of people were cheering as that
building was coming down.
Thousands of people were
cheering.’ Pants on Fire. There
is no video of thousands of
people in Jersey City cheering.
Weeks later, Trump continues
to stand by his claim but has not
been able to point to evidence to
back it up. Public safety officials
on the ground in New Jersey say
it never happened.
* ‘The Mexican government ... they send the bad ones
over.’ Pants on Fire. There’s no
evidence to show the Mexican
government encourages criminals to cross the border. Most
illegal immigration comes from
people seeking work. Recent
estimates show illegal immigration from Mexico dropped
off dramatically during the
recession and has remained low.
* ‘Whites killed by whites
- 16%. Whites killed by blacks
- 81%,’ said an image he shared
on Twitter. Pants on Fire. Most
people are killed by someone
they know, and someone of the
same race. The correct number
for whites killed by whites was
82 percent in 2014, while the
number of whites killed by
blacks was 15 percent.”
FactCheck.org, like PolitiFact, has found many of Trump’s
assertions to be lies.
For example, it reported, “As
CNN’s Jake Tapper explains
in his latest fact-checking video,
there is no evidence that Hillary
Clinton started rumors during
the 2008 presidential race that
Barack Obama was not born in
the United States.
“Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee
for president, repeated the false
claim that Clinton was the
original “birther” during a May
4 interview with CNN’s Wolf
Blitzer. Trump said Clinton
‘questioned his birth certificate’
and ‘brought it up years before it
was brought up by me.’”
Not only was Trump one of
the original birthers, he said he
sent a team of private investigators to Hawaii to look into
the falsehood, saying Obama
allegedly not being born in the
U.S. was “one of the greatest
cons in the history of politics
and beyond.”
Of course, that was dispelled
when Obama produced his original birth certificate.
Trump also tells a lot of lies
and half-truths about the North
American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). The Washington Post observed that Trump
repeatedly associates the trade
agreement with Bill Clinton, but
that›s only half true.
“Bill Clinton was certainly
a supporter of NAFTA who
pushed approval through Congress. But it was negotiated
and signed by President George
H.W. Bush. (Here’s a photo.),”
the Post said. “Moreover, more
Republicans than Democrats
voted for the deal, as the trade
pact was vehemently opposed
by labor unions. One key ally for
Clinton was then-House Minority Whip (and later House speaker) Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.), who
is said to be on Trump’s list of
possible running mates.”
It continued, “So Clinton did
not negotiate NAFTA, nor did he
sign it. But he did put his political prestige on the line to get it
approved by Congress - even as
two top Democrats, House Majority Leader Richard Gephardt
(Mo.) and House Majority Whip
David Bonior (Mich.), opposed
it. In the House, NAFTA passed
234-200; 132 Republicans and
102 Democrats voted in favor of
it. The Senate approved NAFTA
61-38, with the backing of 34
Republicans and 27 Democrats. “In both the House and the
Senate, more Democrats voted
against NAFTA than for it - a
signal that the Bernie Sanders
wing of the Democratic Party
was strong even then.”
PolitiFact noted, “Trump
hasn’t apologized or backtracked on his statements. Instead, when challenged, he
offers flimsy explanations and
suggests he shouldn’t be held
accountable - or simply insists
he’s right.
“’People maybe call me out,
but they turn out to be wrong,
also,’ he said in an interview
Sunday with George Stephanopoulos. ‘And many of the
things I’ve said - and I think
just about all of them - they may
have been controversial at one
point, George, but they’re not
controversial in the end, because
people start to say, you know,
Trump’s actually right.’”
Not surprisingly, that, too,
is a lie.
George E. Curry is President
and CEO of George Curry Media, LLC. He is the former editor-in-chief of Emerge magazine
and the National Newspaper
Publishers Association News
Service (NNPA). He is a keynote
speaker, moderator, and media
coach. Curry can be reached
through his Web site, georgecurry.com. You can also follow
him at twitter.com/currygeorge,
George E. Curry Fan Page on
Facebook, and Periscope. See
previous columns at http://www.
georgecurry.com/columns.
newyorkbeacon.net
ASHINGTON - Two
of the last three remaining presidential
candidates - former Secretary
of State Hillary Clinton and
Senator Bernie Sanders - have
agreed to participate in a forum
in Gary, Ind. and submit to
questions of particular importance to African Americans. An
invitation to Donald J. Trump,
the presumptive Republican
nominee, has been extended
and he is expected to attend.
The presidential forum is
part of the National Black Political Convention, which will
return to Gary, Ind. June 9-12,
more than 40 years after the
historic 1972 gathering.
This year’s convention is
being co-convened by former
Gary Mayor Richard G. Hatcher, one of the original conveners of the 1972 convention;
Tuskegee, Ala. Mayor Johnny
Ford, who was founding chair
of the World Conference of
Mayors and founding co-chair
of the National Policy Alliance;
Gary, Ind. Mayor Karen Freeman-Wilson; Newark Mayor Ras Baraka; Roy Charles
Brooks, Commission Tarrant
County, Texas; Webster Guillory, Founding co-chair of the
National Policy Alliance; and
BEACON, May 19 - May 25, 2016
National Black Political Convention to
set Black agenda in Gary, IN June 9-12
W
5
Editorial
6
Donald Trump and
the Spectacle of Lying
BEACON,
May 19 - May 25, 2016
newyorkbeacon.net
Beacon
Walter Smith: Publisher & Editor-in-Chief
Miatta Haj Smith: Co-Publisher & Executive Editor
William Egyir: Managing Editor
By Lee A. Daniels
George Curry Media
Columnist
D
The Price of Dehumanization I
By Susan K. Smith
George Curry Media
Columnist
t never ceases to amaze
- and trouble me - how
it seems that this society
has no sensitivity to or regard for the need for African
Americans to get accountability for injustices they
have suffered.
When Trayvon Martin was
killed by George Zimmerman, the lack of sensitivity
shown to his parents was simply appalling. Their unarmed
son had been killed by a
would-be security guard who,
from accounts given, was
clearly in the wrong. That the
all-White jury acquitted Zimmerman was painful in and of
itself, but over and above that
pain was the pain that this
society seemed oblivious to
the need of these parents to
obtain justice.
It is perhaps the lack of
justice, the lack of assigning accountability to police
officers who kill African
Americans but who are given
a slap on the wrist, if that,
and sent back onto the streets
that causes the deepest pain
in the African American community. Our lives matter. The
American justice system,
however, has never seemed
to acknowledge that.
The United States Constitution is largely to blame. The
3/5 clause in our foundational
document gave White people
permission to consider Black
people as less than human.
Chattel slavery was heinous
in and of itself, but the fact
that it resulted in Americans believing it was OK
to treat African Americans
as property, as objects, not
subjects, had a devastating
effect, long-term, on how
African-Americans are still
treated in this country.
While African-Americans
held on for dear life to the
words found in the Declaration of Independence, “all
men are created equal,” the
fact is that the founding fathers of this nation did not
consider African Americans
to be “men” or “women.”
The gracious extension of
rights and privileges given
to American citizens was
never intended to reach past
White, land-owning, males. Historian Richard Morris
wrote, “the people of ‘we the
people of the United States,’ a
phrase which was coined by a
wealthy white landowner, did
not mean Indians or blacks
or women or even white servants.”
Colonial society was not
democratic, nor was it egalitarian, said historian Howard
Zinn in his seminal work A
People’s History of the United States. This nation was
dominated by men “who had
enough money to make others
work for them.”
African Americans were
nothing but objects, never
worthy of a fair trial tried
by a jury of their peers. The
Fugitive Slave Laws made it
OK for White men to capture
escaped African American
slaves and to kill them without repercussion. There was
no accountability then, and
there is little to no accountability now when African
Americans are killed by law
enforcement officers. America is living out its legacy of
the dehumanization of Black
people.
What escapes America is
that African Americans are
human beings, regardless of
how bad and complete has
been their dehumanization
and criminalization. When
Nicole Brown Simpson was
murdered, her family wanted
O. J. Simpson to pay for the
crime. When Chandra Levy
was murdered in Washington,
D.C., her family wanted the
murderer found and be made
to pay for the crime. When
the little children at Sandy
Hook were murdered, those
families wanted the killer
to pay for the crime. When
the terrorists planted bombs
at the Boston Marathon, the
victims wanted the terrorists
to pay for the crime.
Human beings want jus-
tice, be they Black or White,
but it seems like the cry for
justice by African Americans
is regularly ignored. And that
must be that because for too
many people, African Americans are just not human.
Did the officers who shot
and killed 12-year-old Tamir
Rice see him as a child? Did
they see his sister, whom
they threw in the back of a
police cruiser, as a human
being, distraught because her
brother had been killed and
she had been blocked from
attending to him?
Did the officers who left
Michael Brown’s body on
the hot Ferguson, Mo. pavement for four hours after
he had been shot and killed
see him as a human being?
Did they wonder how seeing
their child lying dead on that
pavement would affect his
parents? Probably not.
The problems that have
arisen for the African-American community because of
having been dehumanized
have been legion; much of
the anger that erupts on urban streets from time to
time comes from bottled up
resentment that comes whenever any person, regardless
of color or nationality, feels
dehumanized.
This nation is on a dangerous trajectory. No nation can
survive that has dehumanized its own citizens. It is not
only African Americans who
h av e b een d eh u m an i zed ,
but so have women, people
with disabilities, members
of the LGBTQ community,
Native Americans. Langston
Hughes asked what happens to a dream, deferred?
And Plato said that tyranny
naturally arises out of democracy.
All human beings yearn to
be treated as such, and when
that does not happen, rage
boils into active revolution.
America seems not to understand, and that will ultimately
be a tragedy for us all. Rev. Susan K Smith is an
ordained minister who lives
in Columbus, Ohio. She is
the author of several books,
including “Crazy Faith: Ordinary People; Extraordinary
Lives” and “The Book of Jeremiah: The Life and Ministry
of Jeremiah A. Wright, Jr.
She is available to preach or
do keynote addresses. Reach
her by emailing revsuekim@
sbcglobal.net
uring his march to the
Republican Party nomination, Donald Trump
has repeatedly demanded that
for the time being all Muslims
should be barred from entering
the U.S., making it a cornerstone of his campaign.
Then, last week, he declared
that idea was “just a suggestion.”
Which statement was the
lie?
Throughout his campaign,
Donald Trump displayed a firm
allegiance to the Republican
orthodoxy against raising the
federal minimum wage. Until
this month, when he said he
favors raising the federal minimum wage.
Which declaration was the
lie?
In the midst of the primary
campaign, Trump promised to
follow political tradition and
release his tax returns as the
other candidates have done
since the early 1970s. Last
week, he said he wouldn’t do so
before the November election
because a federal audit of his
taxes wouldn’t be finished that
soon. Besides, Trump added,
“there’s nothing to learn from
them,” and he further said he
didn’t think voters were really
interested in examining the
documents.
Which of those statements
is a lie? Get the picture? Those
looking to pin down what Donald Trump actually believes
about the issues facing the
American nation - and coherent prescriptions for bettering
American society are missing
the point. The Republican
presidential nominee has only
one standard: Lie continually.
Lie about anything.
Lie
about everything.
Earlier this month, the
“Fact Checker” columnist of
the Washington Post noted
that 26 separate times thus far
during his campaign the column has given Trump “Four
Pinocchios” for statements he’s
made - meaning that Trump
was brazenly lying when he
made them.
That number represented
70 percent of the times the
Fact Checker column reviewed
Trump claims. The article said that “most
politicians will drop a talking
point if it gets labeled with
‘Four Pinocchios’ by the Fact
Checker or ‘Pants on Fire’ by
PolitiFact (another widely-respected journalistic fact-checking operation). No one wants to
be tagged a liar or misinformed,
and we’ve found most politicians are interested in getting
the facts straight ....”
“But,” the passage contin-
ues, “... Trump makes Four-Pinocchio statements over and
over again, even though fact
checkers have demonstrated
them to be false. He appears
to care little about the facts;
his staff does not even bother
to respond to fact-checking
inquiries.”
In fact, Trump’s lies on
the campaign trail have been
so numerous that in December Politifact gave his entire
campaign its annual Lie of the
Year designation - because “it
was hard to single one (lie)
out from the others. So we
have rolled them into one big
trophy.” True, Trump’s propensity for lying likely stems
from his own overweening
insecurity and vanity. But,
of course, there are broader
forces at work in his defeating the now-laughable “deep
bench” of Republican current
and former officeholders the
GOP once boasted of. Political scholar Norman Ornstein
of the conservative American
Enterprise Institute told Politifact that among them are the
public’s desensitization to inflammatory rhetoric, the rightwing’s assault on science and
expertise, and the increasing
influence of partisan media in
American society during the
last three decades. Those negative forces have intensified
during the last eight years, as
the conservative movement
encouraged a politicized race
war against President Obama.
“Trump came into an environment that was ripe for
bombastic, inflammatory, outrageous statements without
having to suffer the consequences,” Ornstein said.
There’s plenty of evidence
that Trump’s supporters are
not bothered but thrilled by
his inconsistent and incoherent policy positions, and his
outright lies. On the one hand,
they regard his outwitting the
media and both parties as their
revenge against the “elite.”
And they cheer his win-byany-means-necessary attitude
because they, like him, want
to dominate everyone else and
they don’t care how they get
Continued on page 8
HEALTH
7
W
U
S scientists have cloned
the Zika virus - an important step towards
fast-tracking a vaccine against
the disease.
The man-made copy is a
replica of the strain that is
spreading across the Americas and has been linked to
brain deformities in newborn
babies.
In tests at the University of
Texas, the clone could infect
mosquitoes - the carrier of
Zika - and cause disease in
laboratory mice.
Experts say they can use
this in experiments to design
a good vaccine.
It is hoped a candidate will
be ready for testing in the
coming months.
But it could be many years
before there is a safe and effective jab that can be offered
to the general public.
Experts say a vaccine to
protect expectant women,
and others at high risk of
infection, is one of the most
effective ways we have of
beating it.
Many different research
groups around the world are
working to make such a vaccine.
The US National Institute
of Allergy and Infectious Diseases hopes to start human
clinical trials on its ​vaccine
candidate by September.
What’s needed is a “safe”
version of Zika that will be
enough to make the body ward
off the infection without actually causing disease.
The University of Texas
team say their cloned virus
should help with achieving
this. They have published
their findings in the journal Cell Host & Microbe.
Until now, researchers had
known the structure of Zika,
but they had not replicated it
- at least not this strain.
U K e x p e r t D r To m
Blanchard, from Manchester
University, is using a safe derivative of an existing smallpox vaccine to try to make a
new antidote for Zika.
He said: “The challenge for
people like us who are developing vaccines is to separate
out the harmful effects of the
virus from the beneficial effects. We want to have something that will replicate but
will not cause damage.
“Research such as this
could help.”
Prof Polly Roy of the London School of Hygiene and
Tropical Medicine said: “This
is good. Scientists have everything to play around with
now.”
She said that as well as designing a vaccine, researchers
would also be able to test antiviral drugs that might lessen
the effects of Zika if someone
was already infected
More than 55,000 tweets have been outlining examples of emotional abuse
mine any case you might have to
discredit them or bring a spotlight
on their behaviour.”
Mock you
“They publically embarrass
you. That can include on social
media too, where they reveal anecdotes designed to get a laugh
at your expense. If you aren’t
laughing and they continue
with this behaviour, it is a form
of emotional abuse,” says Perl.
Won’t see your point of view
“This is a form of ‘stonewalling’. When your partner refuses
to engage in conversation, or deflects issues that concern you and
manipulates you into believing
your point of view is not valid,”
says Perl, “it’s another form of
control.”
Use things you’ve said
against you
“These can range from how
many sexual partners you’ve
told him you’ve had to any
form of deviance; whether it’s a
sexual fantasy or something you
wouldn’t want anyone to know.”
says Perl.
Try to make you jealous
“There is a difference be-
tween people who are physically
and emotionally abused,” Perl
says. “Abusers often suffer with
unmanageable anxiety, and so
look for partners who they believe can compensate for their
inadequacies. In such manner
they consciously and deliberately
target the recipient. The emotionally abused are generally secure
and intelligent people. They
aren’t meek. However they are
generally co-operative, facilitative and can be natural people
pleasers.”
Zahira Kelly told Trending
that it was not one isolated experience that caused her to create
the hashtag, and she has given
more context to her personal story
in this blog.
She said she wanted to let
abused people know that they
“were not imagining the horrible
emotional and psychological
effects of what you experienced.
Even if it doesn’t qualify as abusive under common notions that
only validate physical abuse, it’s
still real and your pain is real.
And you deserve so much better.
We all do.”
newyorkbeacon.net
Scientists clone Zika
for vaccine race
hen Dominican-American writer Zahira Kelly started the hashtag
#MaybeHeDoesntHitYou, she
had no idea that it would trend
with thousands of women, and
even a few men, taking the opportunity to discuss their own
experience of psychological maltreatment.
“Abuse is often seen as very
cut and dry, and only physical.
For several years now on social
media, on a daily basis I talk about
many different forms of abuse
and what they look like,” Kelly
said she
created the hashtag in order to
enable people to “suss out damaging situations”.
And counsellors agree with
Zahira that there are signs of
identifying whether you are being
emotionally abused. We isolated
a few from the tweets on Kelly’s
trend.
Other people think they’re
great
Abuse is often seen as very
cut and dry, and only physical.
For several years now on social
media, on a daily basis I talk about
many different forms of abuse and
what they look like,” Kelly told
BBC Trending.
She added that she created
the hashtag in order to enable
people to “suss out damaging
situations”.
And counsellors agree with
Zahira that there are signs of
identifying whether you are being
emotionally abused. We isolated
a few from the tweets on Kelly’s
trend.
“Emotionally abusive people
are very concerned with their
public image,” counsellor Amanda Perl told Trending. “They are
often extremely charming to the
outside world in order to under-
BEACON, May 19 - May 25, 2016
Signs you are being emotionally abused
International
8
BEACON,
May 19 - May 25, 2016
newyorkbeacon.net
Justin Trudeau to push for
transgender rights in Canada
N
ew legislation proposed
by the Liberal government aims to expand the
Canadian Human Rights Act to
cover transgender people and
amend the Criminal Code hate
speech provisions to include
transgender people
A similar measure was proposed in the House of Commons in 2011, but failed to pass
the Senate
“I sincerely believe that in
Canada we can and we should
do more,” Trudeau said.
The Liberal government
said the details of the legislation would be made public on
Tuesday.
Amanda Ryan, a transgender activist said that the move
was welcome but largely symbolic because most Canadian
provinces have enacted similar
protection.
“It will have a strong psychological impact,” she said.
The move comes as the issue
of transgender rights has risen
to prominence in the US
On Friday US, President
Barack Obama issued a sweeping order, saying transgender
school pupils should be allowed to use toilets or changing rooms that match their
gender identity.
Trudeau made the announcement after receiving the
Laurent-McCutcheon Award,
which honours advocates for
gay rights.
His father, former Prime
Chinese city Wuhu embraces
driverless vehicles
C
Canada Prime Minister Justin
Trudeau wants to expand legal
protection for transgender
people
Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau,
posthumously received the
same award in 2005 for
de-criminalising homosexuality in 1969.
Trudeau and his Liberal
government have campaigned
on a platform of expanding
gay rights.
He plans to march in the
Toronto Gay Pride parade in
July, becoming one of the first
world leaders to take part in
such an event.
On Monday, Trudeau said
he would march in Montreal’s
parade as well.
hinese hi-tech firm Baidu
has unveiled a plan to let
driverless vehicles range
freely around an entire city.
The five-year plan will see
the autonomous cars, vans and
buses slowly introduced to the
eastern city of Wuhu.
Initially no passengers will
be carried by the vehicles as
the technology to control them
is refined via journeys along
designated test zones.
Eventually the test areas will
be expanded and passengers
will be able to use the vehicles.
“They want to be the first
city in the world to embrace
autonomous driving,” said
Wang Jing, Baidu’s head of
driverless cars, in an interview
with the “This is the first city that is
brave enough, daring enough
and innovative enough to test
autonomous driving,” he said.
Mr Jing said the first phase
of the trial would last about
three years and would involve
restricted areas in the city
where buses, mid-size vans and
cars would be tested.
After three years, the areas
of the city in which the autonomous cars can drive will be expanded and the service will be
commercialized to allow some
of the three million inhabitants
of Wuhu to use it.
After five years, he said, the
whole city will be open to the
driverless vehicles which will
mix with human-driven cars,
trucks and buses.
Mr Jing said the city was
keen to use robot vehicles because they were a much more
efficient way to transport people and goods.
The current model in which
many households own a car
was a “great waste” of resources, he said, because most of the
time private cars stood idle.
By contrast, he said, robot cars
would be much more heavily
used.
A study released this week
suggested that greater use of
driverless cars could promote
congestion. The study by accounting group KPMG suggested the robot cars could be
used widely by groups, such as
the young and old, who do not
usually drive thereby increasing the numbers of vehicles on
the road.
Mr Jing said he hoped the
Wuhu trial would lead to projects elsewhere.
“We are trying to give the
experience and data to the
central government so they
can see the benefit and that will
make it easier for us to push to
other cities in China,” he said.
“We hope it will be a starting
point that lets us take it to other
countries.”
Baidu is known to be
working closely with German
car maker BMW on the development of control systems
for autonomous vehicles.
The cars emerging from that
partnership as well as others
made by Chinese car maker
Chery will be used in the
Wuhu trial.
Many tech firms, including
Google, and car manufacturers
are also working on control
systems for robot cars.
The An-225 is a cargo
plane, this trip is was carrying
a 117 ton generator for a WA
mining company. It’s capable
of carrying 250 tons which is
the equivalent of roughly 52
elephants.
It has set over 200 world
records, including lifting the
world’s heaviest cargo and the
world’s longest cargo.
The Antonov An-225 Mriya is a strategic airlift cargo
aircraft that was designed by
the Soviet Union’s Antonov
Design Bureau in the 1980s.
The An-225’s name, Mriya
means “Dream” in Ukrainian.
It is powered by six turbofan
engines and is the longest
and heaviest airplane ever
built with a maximum takeoff
weight of 640 tonnes. It also
has the largest wingspan of
any aircraft in operational service. A second airframe was
partially built; its completion
was halted because of lack of
funding and interest.
The Antonov An-225, originally developed specifically to
transport the Buran spaceplane
, was an enlargement of the
successful Antonov An-124 . There is only one of these
planes in the world.
Donald Trump and
the Spectacle of Lying World’s largest plane lands in Australia
From page 6
to do that.
Trump has shown the world
how willing a segment of
White conservatives is to shed
all the “values” they’ve been
pretending they exalt if it’ll
restore the one thing they hold
most dear: White conservative
rule. That’s why more and
more overt White racist groups
and individuals have openly
endorsed Trump (endorsements that he - “wink-wink”
-- disavows). There hasn’t
been such a prominent, openly
racist candidate running for
president since Alabama Gov.
George C. Wallace in 1968
and1972.
That reference is important
for two reasons. One is because
Trump is using the same strategy - bigotry and the Big Lie
- that enabled legalized racism
to operate so brazenly in the
South and less so in the North
for nearly a century after the
Civil War.
The second is that, ironically, Trump’s supporters
are so blinded by their bigotry they can’t see they’re
being suckered by Trump,
the “elite” demagogue, in
the same way the Southern
segregationist politicians of
old fooled that region’s white
populace about the racial
realities of America’s future
- and the now-hated GOP
establishment fooled White
conservatives these last eight
years by promising to defeat
President Obama.
Which brings to mind a bit
of old folk wisdom: You can
fool some of the people all of
the time.
Lee A. Daniels, a former
reporter for The Washington
Post and the New York Times,
is also a former editor of The
National Urban League’s The
State of Black America. He
is a keynote speaker and author whose books include Last
Chance: The Political Threat to
Black America.He is writing a
book on the Obama years and
the 2016 election. He can be
reached [email protected]
T
he hulking Antonov An225 Mriya cargo plane,
which boasts six engines
and wings that measure almost
300 feet long recently landed in
Perth, Australia amid puffs of
smoke from its many wheels.
The plane, which measures
about 275 feet long and is
known for its ability to carry
huge cargo loads, touched
down under partly cloudy
skies, and was greeted with
sprays of water. The Antonov An-225 Mriya
transported a power generator
from the Czech Republic for a
Western Australia state mine
site, local media reported.
The plane is 84m-long
and weighs 175 tonnes without
cargo or fuel, when fully loaded and crewed it can hold up to
600 tonnes.
The aircraft is over seven
metres longer than a Boeing
747-8 Intercontinental and 11
metres longer than the Airbus
A380-800.
About 25,000 people lined
the airport fence to get a
glimpse of the plane, according to local media.
9
BEACON, May 19 - May 25, 2016
newyorkbeacon.net
Dare to find a career where you can truly make a difference.
Your skills and talents could be exactly what we need to
build the next generation of great teachers. Get resources to
explore whether teaching is right for you at teach.org.
10
Ask Alma: Can’t stand my niece Marilyn Monroe’s personal items up for auction
I
BEACON,
May 19 - May 25, 2016
newyorkbeacon.net
By Alma Gill
NNPA Columnist
Dear Alma,
I can’t stand my niece and it’s
my sister’s fault. She made her
daughter this way. Since the day
her daughter was born, my sister
has kissed the ground she walks
on. My sister has given my niece
everything she has ever wanted –
or even thought she wanted. This
girl has never had a “not about
you” experience.
She grew up having fits to get
her way and her mother obliged.
If you tried to discipline her or
intervene, my sister wouldn’t
have it. My niece has traveled the
world and her mother has footed
the bill. She finished college, but
doesn’t work. She has a home;
my sister pays the mortgage. My
sister works two jobs and sends
her daughter a monthly check.
It’s not a huge amount but that’s
not the point.
My niece makes every situation and family event about her.
I’ve seen her take over family
weddings, graduations and funerals, no kidding. I’m telling
you, she has to have all the attention at all times.
When she was a child, all I
could do was sit by and watch,
but now that’s she’s a 23-yearold woman, I just can’t take it
anymore. Oh, and did I mention, she’s a super b*tch to her
mother!
Recently, I’ve stopped hanging out with my sister because I
just cannot stand to be around
her one and only daughter acting
all ugly and ungrateful. I know
at some point my sister will
notice that I’m not hanging out
as much. How do I tell her that I
can’t stand her daughter and its
time she changed her ways? Name withheld, Atlanta, Ga.
Who are you saying should
change her ways, your sister
or her daughter? Either way
girl, you’ve got to let it go, this
ain’t your plant to water. You’re
grown and your niece is grown,
this is a matter between two
grown women. When speaking about conversations, there’s no need to have
a sit-down with her mother. That
would be a waste of time anyway. In the words of Mz. Diana
Ross, your sister’s got a “Love
Hangover” for her daughter, “she
ain’t tryin’ to get over.” Uncomfortably for you, your
conversation, if you decide to
have it, should take place between you and your niece. Nope,
you know what? I take that back.
Your niece obviously loves herself very much and doesn’t see
a need to change......right now.
Life on the other hand will
deliver her a dose of reality at
some point that will stop her in
her tracks. Trust me, cuzzin –
Karma will visit in due season
and there won’t be a dang thing
your sister can do about it. I shudder to think how ill-prepared her
darling daughter will be. Keep
her in your prayers.
On this sunny day, if I were
sitting in my right mind rocker,
I’d try to talk you into working
it out with your niece, but I
won’t. Control what you can
Auntie, and that would be your
level of cooperation. How about
you show up for everything
you’re invited to that consists
of four or more attendees. That
way, you’re never stuck standing, sitting or texting alongside
your niece. If invited to any
threesomes, don’t go, you’re
unavailable.
Not all life lessons remain the
same. If at any time you notice a
change in your niece, hallelujah,
there’ll be room to bloom and
grow. But if not, no worries, God
requires you to love her, but you
ain’t gotta like her!
Alma
Alma Gill’s newsroom experience spans more than 25
years, including various roles
at USA Today, Newsday and the
just love it when someWashington Post. Email quesone says something to me
tions to: alwaysaskalma@gmail.
that inspires me to think
com. Follow her on Facebook about things differently. Case
at “Ask Alma” and twitter @ in point; over the weekend I
almaaskalma.
went to dinner with a couple of
friends. As conversations go . .
. we managed to talk about our
various interests and, of course,
work! We have a great deal in
common; we are entrepreneurs,
and we have a lot of creative
energy and ideas that we would
originally added to make tweets fit like to pursue.
We look forward to our
into a text message. When the
company launched in 2006, before dinners because it is an opporsmartphones were available, many tunity for each of us to seek
users typed their tweets as texts guidance and frank input from
one another. Our conversations
before posting them.
Dorsey has since described the are enlightening, thought prolimit as a “beautiful constraint” that voking and sometimes downright eye-opening! If you work
“inspires creativity and brevity”.
However, the company has for yourself, you know what I
struggled to attract new users and mean . . . it’s easy to get stuck
has seen its share price decline by and frustrated because the
more than 70% over the past year. solution that you are seeking
Last June, Twitter announced it to a challenge is often right
would increase the limit on direct in front of you, and you don’t
messages between one user and recognize it because you are
too close to the situation! I call
another to 10,000 characters.
In January, China’s biggest it the “vacuum cleaner effect.”
Much like a vacuum cleaner,
microblogging service, Sina Weibo, dropped its 140-character which sucks up everything in
limit, allowing some users to write its path, the “vacuum cleaner
effect” happens when you work
longer posts.
Twitter ‘to stop counting photos
and links in character limit’
M
icroblogging site Twitter is to stop counting
photographs and links
in its 140-character limit for
tweets, according to a report from
Bloomberg.
The change could be made
within the next two weeks,
Bloomberg quoted a source as
saying.
The company has not yet commented on the report.
But in January, founder Jack
Dorsey said Twitter would explore ways of enabling its users to
write longer posts.
Links currently take up to 23
characters of a tweet, reducing the
space available to users for their
own writing when sharing other
online content.
The 140-character limit was
n anticipation of what would
have been Marilyn Monroe’s 90th birthday, a oncein-a-lifetime auction and exhibition of the actress’s personal
items is set to tour the world,
starting next week at London’s Design Centre Chelsea
Harbour. The comprehensive
collection will feature more
than 800 items once owned by
Monroe, including clothing,
jewelry, letters, drawings, and
notes.
The majority of the wardrobe pieces up for sale have
b een p ro v id ed b y Dav id
Gainsborough-Roberts, who
is credited with amassing the
largest collection of Monroe
film costumes in the world.
The black sequined dress
she wore while singing “I’m
Through With Love” in Some
Like It Hot will be for sale,
as well as the rhinestone
and diamond earrings that
framed her face in How to
Marry a Millionaire and the
elbow-length gloves from The
Seven Year Itch.
The rest of the pieces in the
auction are from the private
estate of Lee Strasberg, who
was Monroe’s acting coach
and confidant. After she died
in 1962 at age 36, Monroe left
the majority of her personal
possessions to Strasberg and
his wife, Paula. “The items that
we are bringing from the estate
of Lee Strasberg have never
before been seen since Marilyn
I
passed away,” explained Martin
Nolan, the executive director
of Julien’s Auctions, who has
been working on amassing the
collection for more than a year.
“They’ve been in storage since
the 1960s.”
Nolan hopes the trove of
personal effects, like her watercolor and crayon drawings,
will shed new light on the multiple dimensions of the actress.
“The world didn’t know that
she was an artist,” said Nolan.
“Here, we see Marilyn as the
intellectual, we see Marilyn as
the poet, as the artist. But we
also see Marilyn as the very
vulnerable.”
Toward the end of her life,
Monroe notoriously struggled
with depression and addiction
to barbiturates. In 1961, she
was committed to the Payne
Whitney Psychiatric Clinic in
New York. (Her mother spent
most of her life in and out of
mental institutions.) She wrote
about the harrowing experience
in a letter to her psychologist,
which is also part of the auction.
In the letter, Monroe describes feeling trapped: “They
asked me why I wasn’t happy
there,” she wrote. “I answered:
Well I’d have to be nuts if I like
it here.” Her former husband
Joe DiMaggio, whom she remained close with after they
divorced, was the one who later
helped her get released from
the clinic. A few of the baseball
player’s personal items will
also be featured in the auction,
including an alligator-skin
jewelry case inscribed with
DiMaggio’s initials that was
found under Monroe’s bed after
her death.
Nolan said that while there’s
no crown jewel of the collection, he has his personal
favorite: a small gold minaudière, which contains a loose
powder compact, mirror, comb,
two dimes—“So she could
make calls for a taxi or her
friends”—eight Phillip Morris
cigarettes, and a Revlon lipstick
(Bachelor’s Carnation shade)
from 1947. “It’s just a little
delightful time warp from a
21-year-old Marilyn Monroe
when she was only a model,”
said Nolan. “Something she
might have used for a night out
on the town.”
THE ADAMS REPORT©
Try Something Different!
alone and rely only upon your
own perceptions and expertise.
Nothing comes in unless you
allow it, and nothing goes out
unless your machine malfunctions big-time, then stuff spews
all over the place! Only then
are you forced to look outside
of your vacuum cleaner for
answers or input. Now, you and
I both know that to limit your
interaction with others also
limits your perspective. Think
about all the good information
you are missing out on!
Now, back to my friends. .
. When I shared my challenge
with them of course they were
able to look at it from their
point of view and they even
gave me some concrete suggestions. The issue that appeared to
be so complicated and perplexing to me became crystal clear
in a matter of moments. No
one waved a magic wand, but
though their unfiltered vision;
they managed to see possibilities that eluded me!
Well, my girlfriends were
right on the money! No matter how many times I remind
myself to step outside of my
cozy, creative environment;
from time to time, I find myself
in my vacuum cleaner dealing
with the effect! So, I asked my
friends how they manage to
overcome the aforementioned
“effect” and their answer was
quite simple, “Audrey,” they
said. “It always boils down
to how much you enjoy wallowing in that dusty vacuum
cleaner bag. Whenever you feel
a need to change that funky bag,
throw it away from yourself
and don’t bother replacing it.
Instead, just try something different!” It seems simple enough
and now that I think about it,
maybe too simple . . . but definitely worth trying. So don’t
wait for your vacuum cleaner
to malfunction. Face it, we all
lose focus at times, and it’s too
easy to go inward and collect
nothing but dust; but when
things aren’t going quite the
way you planned, and you need
a new perspective; maybe a
simple solution is the best one.
So why not just, try something
different? Think about it. See
you next week.
CONNECT: TALK! with
AUDREY is now on FACE
BOOK and TWITTER. I invite you to say hello or share
your thoughts with me on my
Face Book Fan Page and on
Twitter.
VISIT: TALKWITHAUDREY.com and checkout my
online radio show, TALK!
with AUDREY for a weekly
interviews that will inform,
motivate and inspire you. Audrey Adams is the host
of TALK! with AUDREY a
weekly, radio show about issues
that empower women, featuring
entertaining, inspiring and
interviews with experts and
authors from the health, fitness,
financial, and travel industries.
TALK! with AUDREY provides
insightful, intelligent, information to encourage viewers
to improve the quality of their
life and pay it forward. THE
ADAMS REPORT©
11
BEACON, May 19 - May 25, 2016
newyorkbeacon.net
America’s beverage companies are giving you even more beverage choices — many with
fewer calories and in smaller portion sizes. And our new signs are reminders to help you find
the balance that’s right for you.
See what else we’re doing at BalanceNewYorkCity.org
12
Sweltering ‘Havana Nights Dance Party’ causes heat wave in Harlem
BEACON,
May 19 - May 25, 2016
newyorkbeacon.net
By Audrey J. Bernard
Society Editor
H
arlem residents were
having a heat wave
when hundreds of festively dressed guests attended
the Cuban-themed Havana
Nights Dance Party Benefit
on Thursday, May 12, 2016
at New York City’s premier
community arts institution,
the Harlem School of the
Arts (HSA), revered for its
dedication to arts education
in four disciplines -- music,
dance, theatre, and visual arts
-- all within the award-winning
37,000 square foot facility
located at The Herb Alpert
Center, 645 Saint Nicholas
Avenue, Harlem, New York.
The School’s reputation for
artistic rigor and excellence
attracts constituents of diverse
socio-economic and ethnic
backgrounds from all five New
York City boroughs, Westchester County, Connecticut and
New Jersey. HSA’s alumni
and faculty are counted among
the most talented leaders in
the arts.
As guests neared the velvety
red carpet they were greeted by
pulsating sounds of Afro-Cuban beats mixed by DJ China.
As guests danced their ways
into the vibrantly decorated
building -- where they were met
by HSA’s President Eric G.
Pryor -- they were transported
from the storied Harlem Village
to red-hot Havana, Cuba and
began to party all night long
with peers, faculty and the
community while sipping on a
mojito and rolling a cigar in the
courtyard. Guests also enjoyed
live Cuban performances and
relished in a large scale celebration of culture, with savory
catered food by Sweet Hospitality Group, specialty drinks
and electrifying entertainment!
Proceeds will benefit HSA; and
a Havanalicious time was had
by all!
The beautifully produced
evening was sponsored by The
Williams Capital Group and
Sweet Hospitality Group. Luminaries on the benefit committee included A. Scott Bolden,
Marcie Cleary, Inez Daniels,
Harlem Blue, Daree Lewis,
Ambiance
HSA dance students perform
Eric G. Pryor, HSA
Board Member Julie
Rose (Photo by Terrence Jennings)
Julio Peterson, Eric G. Pryor
(Photo by Terrence Jennings)
HSA Board Member Janice
Savin Williams, Keisha Sutton James (Photo by Terrence
Jennings)
Debbie Brenan, The Williams
Capital Group (Photo by Terrence Jennings)
HSA Board Member Julie
Rose, Rick Westler (Photo by
Terrence Jennings)
Erika Martin, Julio Peterson, Michelle Fizer Peterson, Bryce Petty, Alexander
Smalls, Chavon T. Sutton,
Sweet Hospitality Group,
Christopher J. Williams and
Janice Savin Williams. Entertainment was provided by
The Fat Afro Latin Jazz Cats,
Oyo Oru Dance Ensemble,
DJ China, Has Music and
Dance Students. For more
information on Harlem School
of the Arts courses, programs,
and events, visit www.HSAnyc.
org. (Photos by Steven Schnur)
13
A
view exclusive digital content
that focuses on perseverance,
community and achievement
from Day and others. “When
we conceived this program,
our goal was to develop partnerships that could offer mem-
orable and exclusive experiences to our customers, stated
William Rhodes, director of
marketing, McDonald’s USA.
“We are beyond excited to
launch this campaign.” (Photos
by Don Sherrill)
The Brooklyn United Marching Band and dancers perform
newyorkbeacon.net
connect with others. During
the festival, Coca-Cola and McDonald’s will present exclusive
daily performances, celebrity
appearances and prize giveaways. “For this year’s Essence
Festival program, we wanted
to captivate the essence of the
Essence audience with a strong
and positive message and bring
it far beyond the actual event,”
said Dan White, vice president,
U.S., The McDonald’s Division
of The Coca-Cola Company.
Andra Day holds up her image
“Andra is perfect. Her song
featured on Essence’s Cois an incredible modern day
ca-Cola cup
empowerment anthem, and
bringing it to people in their
ccording to McDoneveryday moments makes it
ald’s, things do go better
so special. Andra’s lyrics
with Coke! As a result
exemplify the mission of this
these two mega conglomercampaign – to empower and
ates have partnered to present
connect with our fans. Our
an epic event – the first of its
desire is to spark a social
kind collaboration -- the Rise
media discussion for fans to
Up Essence Festival program
join in and share empowerfeaturing Grammy nominated
ing stories.”
artist Andra Day on more that
Additionally, the partners
40 million Coca-Cola cups in
are also teaming up with
select McDonald’s restaurants
Shazam to feature new viacross the country. To celebrate
sual recognition technology
the launch of this program, on
for content distribution as
Monday, May 2, 2016, Day
an extension of the “Share A
joined press and fans at the McCoke and a Song” program
Donald’s in Times Square, 220
that will exclusively feature
West 42nd Street, New York
Day’s image and lyrics of
City who raised a Coca-Cola
her song “Rise Up” on the
toast to the soulful singer out
packaging of Coca-Cola,
of the newly issued Coke cups
Diet Coke, Coke Zero and
containing Day’s image and
Coca-Cola Life at participatlyrics.
ing McDonald’s restaurants.
After high-steppin’ perThis is how it works. Each
formances by the Brooklyn
cup becomes a portal to an
United Marching Band and
exclusive digital experience
dancers who also performed
where music enthusiasts can
an electrifying rendition of the
scan the specially marked
artist’s “Rise Up” anthem, Day
Coca-Cola cups and watch
participated in a brief meet and
a short film titled I Rise,
which features Day and other African American women
sharing the strides they are
making in their communities.
In addition, when music fans and McDonald’s
customers purchase Coca-Cola fountain products
at McDonald’s restaurants,
they will learn how to enter the Coca-Cola Rise Up
Andra Day poses with McDonald’s Owners/Operators (l-r) Lau- Essence Fest Sweepstakes
ra Tordella, Rodney Witherspoon, O/O Angela Adderly, O/O Jim for a chance to see Day
perform at the EF2016 in
Lewis, Andra Day, O/OMarty Gillis, O/O Jim Swanson, O/O
Jack Bert, Crystal Reynolds, Elizabeth Campbell and O/O Brian New Orleans, June 30-July
3, 2016. “Shazam is excited
Hariston (Photo by Ronnie Wright)
to partner with world­-class
brands like Coca­-Cola and
McDonald’s,” said Greg
Glenday, chief revenue
officer, Shazam. “We are
witnessing more large-­scale
activations connecting fans
with breakout artists like
Andra Day. It’s great to see
both global brands leverage
our proprietary technology
to build evangelists within
their most desired audiences.”
The Rise Up Essence
Fest program offers people
the chance to win prizes and
Andra Day with McDonald’s crew
greet in which she answered
questions. She too ended on
a high note! “I am overjoyed
to be a part of this program!”
exclaimed Day. “The reach of
Coke and McDonald’s is undeniable, and I’m thrilled these
iconic brands are joining forces
to inspire local communities
through messages of peace and
motivation in unique ways. It’s
an added bonus that they are
using the lyrics to ‘Rise Up’ as
a part of those messages.” This
multimedia collaboration was
brought to life by Coca-Cola’s
music marketing agency partner, Deviant Ventures. The spiritually fueled celebration -- which was sponsored
by Coca-Cola and produced by
Irving Street Rep. -- culminated in an exciting drawing
of the winning ticket for an
all-expense paid trip to Essence
Festival 2016 (EF2016) in
New Orleans which includes
roundtrip airfare for 2, ground
transportation to and from
local airports, $500.00 cash, 4
nights at a hotel in New Orleans
(double occupancy) and a pair
of tickets for all 3 nights of
performances July 1, 2 and 3 at
EF2016 sponsored by the NY
Metro Owner Operators Association. The drawing was one
by a very happy New Jersey
couple. This inspiring event
was hosted by WLBS radio
personality, Shaila Scott from
“Middays with Shaila,” and attended by several McDonald’s
Black Owners/Operators.
EF2016 creates special moments for women to focus on
themselves, rejuvenate, and
BEACON, May 19 - May 25, 2016
McDonald’s announces ‘Rise Up’ Essence
Festival event featuring Andra Day
14
A SPECTACULAR EVENT
BEACON,
May 19 - May 25, 2016
newyorkbeacon.net
McDonald’s Gospelfest 2016 winners are…
N
ewark, New Jersey –
Gospel fever radiated
from McDonald’s Gospelfest, the New York Tri-State
area preeminent Mother’s Day
Gospel event on Saturday,
May 7, 2016 at the Prudential
Center. More than 3,000 contestants shared the stage with
some of the greatest in Gospel
Music including Yolanda Adams, Tamela Mann, Bishop
Hezekiah Walker and LFC,
Pastor Shirley Caesar, Tye
Tribbett, Karen Clark Sheard,
Pastor Donnie McClurkin, the
original “Dreamgirl,” Tony
Award-winner Jennifer Holliday.
McDonald’s Gospelfest
2016 was an evening to remember. “Every year I’m in
awe of the wonderful talents
and gifts that God has so abundantly blessed us with to share
with the world. Every year it
gets bigger and better” says
the Emmy Award-winning
Executive Producer/Director
of McDonald’s Gospelfest, A.
Curtis Farrow.
McDonald’s Gospelfest
has grown to be one of the
nation’s preeminent Gospel
celebrations. There’s no other
Gospel concert in the New
York Metro area with so many
Gospel greats perform all on
one stage, for one night.
The first African American
to win a Tony Award for Choreography for the Broadway
musical “The WIZ,” George
Faison unveiled the world
premiere of a his new original piece entitled “Kingdom
Come.” The piece totally
captivated the audience and
had everyone in awe. Another show stopping moment
was a performance by the
Dutchess of Gospel, Emilly
Cissy Houston, who performed
a special dedication in memory
of Prince with a song entitled
“Until We Meet Again.”
Mya Gomez
Omusubi Sisters
Over thirty years later,
McDonald’s Gospelfest has
emerged to be a Gospel celebration that brings joy, inspiration, encouragement and
hope to millions of Americans. Previous McDonald’s
Gospelfest participants have
gone on to successful careers
in entertainment, including the
renowned Bishop Hezekiah
Walker. Walker backed by his
Love Fellowship choir was one
of the headliners in this year’s
show and set the atmosphere of
praise to another level.
2016 McDonald’s
Gospelfest
Winners…
(1) Rap Kenneth Armstrong “Army Regime” Jamaica, NY (2) Poetry Imani
Alleyne Jamaica, NY (3)
Praise Solo/Trio Mya Gomez
Bronx, NY (4) Praise Dance
Group Sinai’s Radiant Liturgical Dance Ministry Jamaica, NY (5) Step Regime
Kenneth Armstrong
Performing Arts Step Team
Brooklyn, NY.
(6) Group Omusubi Sisters New York, NY (7) Comedian Bill Gilbert Hackensack, NJ (8) Teen Soloist
Jacqueline Render, Neptune,
NJ (9) Male Soloist Bernard
McClinton, Newburgh, NY
(10) Female Soloist Quanisha Dockery Newark, NJ
(11) Youth Choir 100 Voices of Hillside Hillside, NJ
(12) Adult Choir Kean Gospel Choir Kean University,
Union NJ.
Imani Alleyene
Special Featured
Performances
(13) International Don’t
Give Up Choir Japan (14)
Arthur Thompson – Soloist
Asbury Park, NJ (15) Kayla
Williford-Jones, Teaneck, NJ
(16) Ronnell Harrison, Plainfield, NJ. (17) Jasmine Bell,
Middletown, NY (18) Karina
Vartanian, Central Islip, NY
(19) Keith Bellamy, Asbury
Park, NJ. (D.T.)
Presenting the 2016 ‘Shirley Chisholm
Women of Excellence Awards’ honorees
By Audrey J. Bernard
Society Editor
newyorkbeacon.net
N
ative Brooklynite
Shirley Chisholm
made history when
she became the first African
American woman elected to
Congress and the first Black
major candidate to run for
President of the United
States. She was also the
first woman to run for the
Democratic nomination for
president. Born, bred and
educated in Bed-Stuy, she
was a bona fide catalyst
of change and paved the
way for Barack Obama
to become the first African American President.
To keep her legacy alive,
N e w Yo r k S t a t e S e n a t o r
Jesse Hamilton, Brooklyn
Borough President Eric
L. A d am s and Brooklyn
City Councilwoman Laurie Cumbo launched the
S h i r l e y C h i s h o l m Wo m en of Excellence Awards
in 2015 to recognize the
achievements of outstanding Brooklyn women. In
honor of Women’s History
Month, on Friday, March
18, 2016, Senator Hamilton,
BBP Adams and Councilwoman Cumbo continued
her legacy and values by
recognizing the achievem e n t s of 12 outs ta nding
women at the second annual
Shirley Chisholm Women
of Excellence Awards at
Brooklyn Borough Hall, 209
Joralemon Street, Brooklyn,
New York.
The twelve 2016 honorees
who continue to carry on the
values of the late pioneering
leader included: Misty Copeland, principal dancer,
American Ballet Theater;
Miri Ben-Ari, Grammy
Aw a r d - w i n n i n g v i o l i n i s t ; Wa i Ye e C h a n , d i r e c t o r, C h i n e s e - A m e rican Planning Council,
Brooklyn Branch; Digna
Layne, Community Development and Outreach
Coordinator, Good Shepherd Services; Dr. Elisa
English, social worker
and therapist; Jamilah Lemieux, digital editor, Ebony Magazine; Devorah
Benjamin, founder,
Keren Simchas ChossonV’Kallah; Tracy Hobson, executive director, The
Center for Anti-Violence
Education; Arelia Martinez, District Leader, 51 st
Assembly District; Sondra
Youdelman, executive director, Community Voices Heard; Hettie Barnhill, Broadway entertainer,
mentor & choreographer;
and Dr. Eda Harris-Has ti c k , pr of es s or, Medga r
BEACON, May 19 - May 25, 2016
AUDREY'S SOCIETY WHIRL
15
Congresswoman Shir- The 2016 Shirley Chisholm Women of Excellence
ley Chisholm
honorees
MC Kerry Coddett
Volunteers Maxine Vergara, Pia
Raymond, Carmen Martinez
Brooklyn Borough President Eric L. Adams
Honoree Digna Layne & family, Hon. Cumbo, Sen. Hamilton
Honoree Wai Yee Chan (middle) & family, Hon. Cumbo, Honoree Dr. Elisa English,
Hon. Cumbo, Sen. Hamilton
Sen. Hamilton
Sen. Hamilton, Honoree
Jamilah Lemieux, her
daughter, Hon. Cumbo
Honoree Tracy Hobson
Evers College.
Other participants in the
stellar program included:
Kerry Coddett who served
as emcee; Sweet Aminata
of Green of Poets Cafe performing a Maya Angelou
poem; Chanel Paisley singing “One Moment in Time;”
and original dance selection
by Laurie Taylor of Soul
Movement; and comedy by
Ayanna Dookie. (Photos by Hon. Cumbo, Eda Harris-Hastick & family, Sen.
MOKM photography)
Hamilton
Hon. Cumbo, Honoree Sondra Youdelman, Sen. Hamilton
Hon. Cumbo, Honoree Hettie Barnhill, Sen.
Hamilton
Hon. Cumbo, Honoree Arelis Martinez,
Sen. Hamilton
BEACON,
May 19 - May 25, 2016
newyorkbeacon.net
16
Wednesday’s Woman
The Apollo Theater welcomes new
Executive Producer Kamilah Forbes
Compiled by Audrey J. Bernard
Woman's Editor
K
amilah Forbes is the
new executive producer
at the legendary Apollo
Theater. A director, producer,
and co­founder of Hi­ARTS/Hip
Hop Theater Festival, Forbes
will join the Apollo in September 2016. The announcement
was made by Jonelle Procope,
president of the Apollo Theater
on Tuesday, May 10, 2016.
“Kamilah is a deeply creative
and collaborative producer,
with a sensibility that embraces
so many artistic disciplines and
a commitment to supporting
emerging artists that parallels our own,” said Procope. “We’ve been fortunate to work
with Kamilah as a guest curator
on Breakin’ Convention and the
Women of the World Festival.
As we continue to expand our
artistic offerings and our audiences, we’re so proud to welcome Kamilah to the Apollo.”
Forbes’ diverse body of
work includes leadership roles
in the nonprofit and commercial
fields, developing presentations engaging artists from
around the globe. Notable credits include What’s Going On, a
partnership with the Kennedy
Center on the occasion of the
40th anniversary of Marvin
Gaye’s seminal album; One
Mic: Hip Hop Culture Worldwide, a month long festival
that brought together more
than 75 artists for a range of
performances and education
programs; serving as associate
director of the recent Broadway revival of A Raisin in the
Sun; and as producer for seven
About Kamilah Forbes
Co­founder and artistic director of Hi­ARTS,
Kamilah Forbes, is an award-winning director
and producer. In her diverse body of work,
Forbes is noted for having a strong commitment to the development of creative works by,
for, and about the Hip-­Hop Generation. Her
talent in the range of aforementioned endeavors
has been said to “cast a vivid and evocative
spell on both the national and international
stage.”
While her family originally hails from Jamaica, Forbes was born and raised in Chicago.
After graduating from Howard University with
a degree in theater, Forbes partnered with one
of her former classmates and friends, actor
Chadwick Boseman (42, Get On Up) and wrote
a theatrical piece fusing the elements of her
generation’s sensibilities, thrust and penchant
for social justice, coining the aesthetic ‘hip­hop
theater’. Forbes and Boseman presented the
piece at the National Black Arts Festival and
in other venues.
A year later, the Hip-Hop Theater Festival
was born. Over the last 16 years, Forbes has led
the Hip-Hop Theater Festival as it has grown
from a fledgling project into an independent
nonprofit organization with a truly national
scope. Presented in New York, San Francisco,
Washington, D.C., and Chicago, the festival
has featured the works of nearly 100 artists
from the United States and from around the
world, including England, Brazil, and Canada.
Many new and well­known artistic forces have
had their work leveraged under Forbes’s artistic
direction, including OBIE Award-winner Will
Power, TONY Award-winner Sarah Jones,
Rennie Harris, Nilaja Sun, Marc Bamuthi
Joseph, and Indio Melendez, to name a few.
seasons of HBO’s DEF Poetry
Jam as well as the recent live
television event The Wiz.
Throughout her career,
Forbes has also spearheaded innovative audience engagement
initiatives utilizing traditional
and digital platforms, engaging
a breadth of audiences with creative works across disciplines.
For the last 15 years, Forbes
has served as co­founder and
producing artistic director of
Hi­ARTS, building the company into a celebrated New York­
based nonprofit that engages
artists in the development of
new works across the performing and visual arts, provides
residencies for emerging companies, and education programs
to increase access, participation, and diversity in the arts.
The organization grew out of
the Hip­Hop Theater Festival,
which Forbes co­founded with
Danny Hoch and Clyde Valentin. Hi­ARTS, which now has
its permanent home base in
East Harlem, continues to stage
the Festival annually in cities
around the country.
“The Apollo Theater offers
a uniquely rich platform for
the development of new work,
engaging artists of all backgrounds and from all corners
Hi­ARTS received the Union Square Arts
Award under Forbes’ direction, as well as a
special award given by the New York Regional
Association of Grantmakers for “its innovative
approach for addressing socio­political issues
in NYC and beyond.”
Other projects produced by Ms. Forbes
include: What’s Going On—the 40th anniversary celebration of Marvin Gaye’s
seminal conversation with America (with
John Legend as Marvin Gaye, Sharon Jones
as Tammy Terrell, and Dap, Sonia Sanchez, and others); One Mic—a month­long
multi­d isciplinary celebration of Hip­H op
Worldwide; and Nas’ 20 Year Anniversary
of Illmatic—a celebration of the classic hip­
hop album, accompanied with 96 players
from the National Symphony Orchestra—all
staged at the Kennedy Center.
Forbes first came to prominence as the
writer/director of Hip­Hop Theatre Junction’s
premier work “Rhyme Deferred.” Forbes has
produced several works for both television
and theater, most notably the seven­season
Peabody Award-winning series Russell Simmons presents Def Poetry on HBO. She was
also a co­executive producer on the Brave New
Voices documentary series on HBO, in addition
to executive-producing the most recent PBS
special The Women’s List.
Forbes has received numerous accolades
for her work in the arts, including a Josephine
Abady Award, AUDELCO Award nomination, NAACP Image Award, numerous Helen
Hayes Award nominations, DC Commission
Distinguished Artist Award, Tony Award, and
The Mayor’s Arts Award for Emerging Theatre
Artist.
of the world,” said Kamilah
Forbes. “My own career has
continually found inspiration
in so much of what is deeply
rooted in the Apollo’s legacy. I’m thrilled to join the Apollo’s
leadership team, and to be part
of shaping this great institution’s future.”
Forbes will build upon the
programming vision and foundation established by Mikki Shepard, who served as
executive producer and also
led the institution’s strategic
planning, development, and
marketing initiatives. Shepard
spearheaded the development
of the Apollo’s artistic vision
encompassing the mounting
of major new productions and
commissions, the setting up of
international partnerships, and
the creation of programs that
support emerging artists across
a range of disciplines, all rooted in the Theater’s legacy of
championing groundbreaking
artists.
Shepard joined the Apollo a
decade ago and worked jointly
with Jonelle Procope, the Theater’s president, in leading the
institution through an unprecedented period of growth of its
operations, programming, and
resources. Together they have
reinvigorated the nonprofit into
a major presenting and commissioning institution serving
local, national, and international audiences. Over the course of
its current 2015/2016 season,
the Apollo will present over
100 performances on its stages. The Theater also recently
launched a new series featuring emerging comics, Apollo
Comedy Club, and presented
its first opera, the New York
premiere of Charlie Parker’s
YARDBIRD.
The Apollo’s season culminates on May 21 with Jazz and
Spirit, featuring the premiere
of a new commission with
GRAMMY Award-winning
pianist and composer Arturo O’Farrill and scholar and
activist Dr. Cornel West. The
institution’s annual fundraising
gala will be held on June 13 of
this year, celebrating the Theater’s legacy and supporting its
performing arts, education, and
community initiatives.
The legendary Apollo Theater—the soul of American
culture—plays a vital role in
cultivating emerging talents
and launching legends. Since
its founding, the Apollo has
served as a center of innovation and a creative catalyst for
Harlem, the city of New York,
and the world.
With music at its core,
the Apollo’s programming
extends to dance, theater,
performance art, spoken word
initiatives, and more. This
includes the October 2014
premiere and 2015 international tour of the dance celebration project James Brown:
Get on the Good Foot, the
annual Africa Now! Festival,
Apollo Club Harlem, and the
recent New York premiere of
the opera Charlie Parker’s
YARDBIRD. The Apollo is
a presenting organization
that also produces festivals,
large­scale dance and music
works organized around a
set of core initiatives: Apollo
Music Signature Programs—
Amateur Night, Salon Series,
Apollo Music Café; Legacy
Series— work that celebrates
and extends the Apollo’s legacy through a contemporary
lens; Global Festivals including the Women of the World
(WOW) Festival and Breakin’
Convention, international and
U.S.­based artist presentations
focused on a specific theme;
and Special Projects, multidisciplinary work with partner
organizations.
Since introducing the first
Amateur Night contests in
1934, the Apollo Theater has
served as a testing ground for
new artists working across a
variety of art forms, and has
ushered in the emergence of
many new musical genres—
including jazz, swing, bebop,
R&B, gospel, blues, soul, and
hip­h op. Among the countless legendary performers
who launched their careers
at the Apollo are D’Angelo,
Lauryn Hill, Machine Gun
Kelly, Miri Ben Ari, Ella
Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan,
Billie Holiday, James Brown,
Michael Jackson, Gladys
Knight, Luther Vandross, and
Stevie Wonder; and the Apollo’s forward­looking artistic
vision continues to build on
this legacy.
The Apollo Theater is a
not-for-profit organization
with the mission to extend
the institution’s role in fostering artistic innovation and
in building appreciation of
American culture around the
world. For more information,
visit www.apollotheater.org.
About the Apollo
Theater
WHAT’S GOING ON
PEOPLE OF NOTE
2016: USA-NY-BRAZIL
Hillary Clinton
support network. The pundits
disappoint. Trump should be
the greatest motivation for
nonwhite Americans to turn
out in record numbers, exceeding the Obama 2008 and
2012 number in November
to insure that Hillary Clinton is the next White House
occupant.
Bryce Covert’s 5/16 NY
Times opinion piece, WHEN
WAS AMERICA GREAT,
AGAIN? is required reading. Covert’s allows that
the Trump message about
returning to America’s former
glory is coded to white males.
Covert identifies the good ole
days of the federal programs
from the New Deal, Social
Security, 1935; Unemployment Insurance; to The Fair
Labor Standards Act, 1938,
to Unionization, and the GI
Bill, whose chief beneficiaries were white men. Original
programs were modified to
insure that Jim Crow structures would remain intact.
They excluded groups like
“agricultural and domestic
workers,” the sources of most
Black employment. Southern
Congressmen worked for
those exclusions. The GI Bill,
conceived as equal opportunity legislation, failed Black
GIs when its execution became the jurisdiction of state
and local governments. Women did not fare well under
those programs. Covert cites
the book, “When Affirmative
Action Was White,” which
deals with Black exclusion
from major American benefit
programs. Another nudge to
get out the vote!
The 2016 Summer Olympic Games begin on August
5 in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, a
nation besieged by political
and economic woes. Brazil’s
Legislature voted to suspend
President Dilma Rousseff on
corruption charges. She faces
an impeachment trial. Attorney Michel Temer, Rousseff’s
VP is the new Brazilian president. Convicted of violation
of campaign finance limits.
Temer is far right politico
as is his cabinet which is all
male and all white….huh?
Brazilians favored a new general election. Politics aside,
Brazil has some Olympian
Olympics problems like the
Zika virus and the polluted
RIO waters
NYC/NYS: NYC Mayor
Bill de Blasio is the target
of NYS and Federal prosecutor investigations into
his 2014 campaign funds
violation germane to achieving Democratic majority in
NYS Senate. Embittered
campaign donors have
gone public about de Blasio
2013/2014 solicitations and
subsequent misuse of funds.
These probes interfere with
Hakeem Jeffries
de Blasio mayoral re-election efforts. Already, Bronx
Boro Prexy Ruben Diaz Jr;
Congressman Hakim Jeffries;
Hakeem NYC Comptroller
Scott Stringer; John Catsimatidis; Brooklyn Boro Prexy
Eric Adams and real estate
developer Don Peebles will
be contenders for the 2017
NYC Mayoral race. Federal
Prosecutor Preet Bharara has
Albany’s executive branch
nervous about expanding
Preet Bharara
his corruption investigation
about former Cuomo aides.
Bharara’s office has convicted two NYS Legislature
grandees, Sheldon Silver and
Dean Skelos, who got stiff
sentences.
EDUCATION NEWS/OPS
Congratulations to the
Wadleigh Scholars Program’s (WSP) Class of 2016.
Launched in the 60s, the WSP
focuses on middle school
students, attending Wadleigh
and other public schools, and
prepares them for admission, with scholarships, to
America’s best college prep
schools. The prep sessions
are rigorous Saturday cultural
enrichment classes. The 2016
WSP scholars are Di’Avian
Cook, en route to Fontbonne
Hall Academy, in Brooklyn;
Tafari Friday, to Phillips
Academy, MA; Yasmine Jaffier-Williams, to Wellesley,
CSP, MA; Jade Mc Cormock,
to Stoneleigh Burnham, MA;
Lina Philizaire, to Masters
School, NY; and Kailani
Small, to Miss Halls School,
MA.
Are there any NYC residents interested in a free,
comprehensive14-week,
hands-on IT (Information
Technology) training course
and in paid internships.
Qualifications: ages 18-24;
NYCHA resident, NYCHA
Section 8 voucher holder.
Applicants should report to
the Info Session on May 24
at 1 pm for complete particulars at the REES Central Office, located at 787
Atlantic Avenue, Brooklyn
NY, 11238. Program is a
NYCHA/REES initiative.
The NYC Small Business
Department oversaw similar programs in 2013 and
2014.
Actresses Viola Davis,
Oscar Winner and star of
“How To Get Away with
Murder, and Kerry Washington, SCANDAL topliner
are proud owners of independent film companies who
will partner with ABC-TV.
The Davis film company is
named Juvee. Washington’s
company Simpson street has
already produced the HBO,
film CONFIRMATION about
Anita Hill and 1991 Clarence Thomas confirmation
hearings for the US Supreme
Court.
Her Excellency Shirley
Shirley Barnes
Barnes, retired U.S. Ambassador, recently visited
France, to attend celebrations
commemorating the 150th
anniversary of the presence
of the U.S. Consulate in
Strasbourg. A U.S State Department career diplomat,
she served as US Consul
to Strasbourg during the
Clinton Presidency before
being named Ambassador to
Madagascar.
Four Manhattan’s Community Board 10 members
were among the honorees at
the Harlem’s annual Men Of
Distinction Awards, hosted
by NYS Assemblyman Keith
Wright and NYC Councilwoman Inez Dickens on
May 17. The CB 10 members
who made the cut include
real estate developer Brian
Benjamin; Attorney John
Lynch; real estate executive
Manny Rivera, and Assistant
Corrections Commissioner
Keith Taylor.
Remember the NY based,
multi-tasking wife/mother,
entrepreneur Barbara Miles,
the mastermind behind the
Chocolate Singles franchise:
Chocolate Singles Magazine, CS Special Networking
events, CS Caribbean Travel
Destinations and more. After
15 years, she abandoned CS
for a quieter life in Atlanta
where she started teaching,
her original calling, again.
Her new page-turner memoir,
MS THANG GOES BACK
TO SCHOOL, recounts her
glorious plot-twisted life
from her early teaching days,
to marriage, to businesswoman, to teacher in a 21st Century American classroom. Visit
barbaramilesbook.com
Belated Taurus birthday shout outs to Mayor
Bill de Blasio, Our Time
Press co-publisher Bernice
Green; Bobbi Humphrey;
author/philanthropist Louise Meriwether; Schomburg
Director Dr. Khalil Muhammad; Margaret Troupe; Harlem Arts Salon; fine artist
Anthony Barboza; Alyson
Williams; Stevie Wonder;
Terrie Williams; publisher
Otis Wright
Happy Birthday wishes to
Gemini natives: Harlem doyenne Beverly Alston; Naomi
Campbell; Ice Cube; Dr. Sandra Epps, Morgan Freeman;
actor Ronnie Grant; Gladys
Knight; Naomi Horsford;
Patti Labelle; thought leader/
scholar Edgar Ridley; Karen
Soltau; Kendrick Lamar;
Mamadou Niang; Wadleigh
Scholars Program Edouard
Plummer; Bob Tate; culinarian/author Pierre Thiam;
Donald Trump; former Senegalese President Abdoulaye
Wade; Kanye West and North
West; actress Sundra (Sunny)
Williams
ARTS AND CULTURE
Congratulations to Kamilah Forbes, 39, cofounder of
the nonprofit HI-ARTS was
named new Artistic Director
Rihanna
Rihanna announced Global Scholarship Program via
her Clara Lionel Foundation.
Scholarship applicable to
tuition at U.S. colleges for
citizens/natives of Brazil,
Barbados, Cuba, Haiti, Grenada and Jamaica. Annual
scholarship awards range
from $5000 to $50,000 and
renewable for three years.
Visit Scholarsapply.org/
claralionelfdn.
Kamilah Forbes
at the Apollo Theater, who
succeeds uber arts executive
Mikki Shepard, who steps
down in June after a 10-year
run. Ms. Forbes credentials
include Broadway revival
of A RAISIN IN THE SUN;
associate director of Broadway musical HOLLER IF
YA HEAR ME, inspired by
Tupac Shakur’s life; and the
WHAT’S GOING ON project at the Kennedy Center, 40
Years after its release
NYC Councilman
Mathieu Eugene and the NY
Haitian Community invite
you to attend the Haitian Flag
Day celebrations at Erasmus
Hall H.S., located at 911
Flatbush Avenue, Brooklyn, NY. For more info, call
718.287.8762
A Harlem based entrepreneur, Victoria Horsford can be reached at [email protected].
newyorkbeacon.net
In metaphysics, it is
speculated that that you get
what you deserve. What then
is America’s karma that in
2016 our presidential hopeful
choices are Madame Secretary Hillary Clinton and
Xenophobic, racist, reality
show host Donald, an alleged
billionaire! How and when
did Americans lose our way
as decent people who are
critical thinkers? You look at
the list of people who Trump
has enlisted as advisers, Governor Chris Christie, former
NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani,
who will provide counsel on
Moslems and Dr. Ben Carson,
who specializes in maligning
Blacks publicly. No, we must
avoid the dystopian Trump
world that he foresees when
America can be great again.
Everyday, one reads and
hears political pundits, who
are honest to say that they
do not understand Trump’s
America and what is going
on in the heads of the Trump
BEACON, May 19 - May 25, 2016
By Victoria Horsford
17
Entertainment
18
By Don Thomas
John Legend sticks
up for Chrissy Teigen
extent of the shaming, Chrissy
tweeted: “I went to dinner.
People are pissed. Good morning!”
Legend has stuck up for
Teigen about the mom-shaming she has been receiving. John received no such
comments, and he’s upset
about the double parenting
standards. Taking to Twitter,
he wrote to his 7.8 million
followers.
“ F u n n y t h e r e ’s n o
dad-shaming. When both of
us go out to dinner, shame
both of us so Chrissy doesn’t
have to take it all. We’ll split
it.” And social media was
quick to praise the new dad
for sticking up for his wife.
“You’re so sweet. Un-
BEACON,
May 19 - May 25, 2016
newyorkbeacon.net
Grammy/Oscar-winner
fortunately the majority are
women-bashing and shaming
other women. Very sad,”
wrote one woman. “Thank
you for addressing the lack of
dad-shaming. New parents,
male or female have the same
responsibility. Adult time is
needed,” added another.
“It is SO important to have
time as a couple after babies
come. No shame in that at
all,” agreed one tweeter.
Teigen has gotten some flak
since becoming a mother.
Others didn’t think there
should be any shaming at all.
“Don’t accept the shaming
game for either of you. No
one can parent your child better than you,” wrote one user.
“Shouldn’t be ANY shaming.
Moms need breaks too. Makes
us better moms, better wives,
better souls,” added another.
Since posting, the tweet
has been liked over 25,000
times and retweeted 7,800
times. This isn’t the first
time Chrissy has faced criticism over her parenting
choices. She shared a picture
of herself cradling her newborn, and people accused her
of attention-seeking.
John shared a picture of
his newborn and was praised
for being a good dad. It seems
that moms just can’t win. In
many modern families the
parenting duties are often
split equally, but it’s always
moms who are hauled up in
front of the firing squad.
Chrissy Teigen and John Legend went out on a date just after
their baby was born, but only Chrissy faced the flak. (Photo: Rex
Features)
B
ig props to Composer/
Grammy/Oscar winner
John Legend for standing up for his lady — and
even bigger props to his wife,
Supermodel/Entrepreneur
Chrissy Teigen for not letting
the trolls get to her in the first
place.
While she’s clearly relishing life as a new mom, Teigen
has gotten some pretty harsh
flak since welcoming daughter Luna Simone. Her husband, John, has had enough
of it. The new dad is so fed
up with people criticizing his
wife’s parenting skills that he
has hit back by asking people
to dad-shame him too!
It seems every parenting
decision Chrissy makes is
met with criticism. When
the couple was photographed
going out to dinner a week
after giving birth (you know,
because no parent has needed
a break for a few hours), the
model was bombarded with
comments from people slamming her for leaving the baby.
Sharing a screenshot of
some of the hate-fueled com- Chrissy Teigen shared this picture of her newborn daughter Luna Simone and was accused of
ments to give an idea of the attention-seeking. (Photo: Instagram/chrissyteigen)
The thirtysomethings are back and -- there goes the Neighborhood . . . again!
are all funnier the second time
around!
Storyline: Now that Mac
(Rogen) and Kelly Radner
(Byrne) have a second baby on
the way, they are ready to make
the final move into adulthood:
the suburbs. But just as they
thought they’d reclaimed the
neighborhood and were safe to
sell, they learn that the new occupants next door are a sorority
even more out of control than
Teddy (Efron) and his brothers
ever dreamed of being. Tired of
their school’s sexist, restrictive
system, the unorthodox ladies
of Kappa Nu have decided to
start a house where they can do
whatever the hell they want.
When Shelby (Moretz) and
her sisters, Beth (Kiersey Clemons) and Nora (Beanie Feldstein), find the perfect place
just off campus, they won’t let
the fact that it’s located on a
quiet street stand in their way
of parties as epic as the guys
throw. Forced to turn to the
one ex-neighbor with the skills
to bring down the new Greeks
next door, the Radners -- alongside best friends Jimmy (Ike
Barinholtz) and Paula (Carla
Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising
Theatrical Poster
S
cores of exciting fans from
the Hollywood neighborhood came out to see their
favorite stars from Universal
Pictures’ fun film, Neighbors
2: Sorority Rising on Thursday,
April 28, 2016 at the Hollywood
premiere at the Regency Village
Theatre, 961 Broxton Avenue,
Westwood, CA. The second
installment of the fun franchise
is just as hilarious and brings the
belly laughs like it did in Neighbors 1. Once again Seth Rogen
returns as actor/producer.
Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising was directed by Nicholas
Stoller and in addition to Rogen, also stars Zac Efron, Rose
Byrne, Chloë Grace Moretz,
Dave Franco, Ike Barinholtz,
Jerrod Carmichael, Carla
Gallo, Christopher MintzPlasse, Kiersey Clemons,
Beanie Feldstein, Selena Gomez and Lisa Kudrow who
Jeff Shell, Zac Efron, Ron Meyer
Evan Goldberg, Ike Barinholtz, Nathan Kahane
Donna Langley, Nicholas Stoller, Brian L.
Roberts, Jeff Shell
Gallo) -- bring in charismatic
Teddy as their secret weapon. If he can infiltrate the sorority
and charm his way through it,
the thirtysomethings will shutter
the Kappas’ home. But if they
think that their neighbors are
going down without a fight,
they have severely underestimated the power of youthful
ingenuity and straight-up crazy. Get ready for a tsunami of
continuous laughs!
Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising’s dream creative team
comprises: producer/writer
Evan Goldberg; producer
James Weaver; writers/executive producers Andrew Jay
Cohen & Brendan O’Brien;
and executive producers Nathan Kahane, Joe Drake, and
Ted Gidlow. The film will be
released by Universal Pictures
on Friday, May 20, 2016.
The cast and crew were
joined by top brass at the
premiere including: Universal Pictures Co-Chairman
Donna Langley, Comcast
Corporation Chairman &
CEO Brian L. Roberts, Universal Filmed Entertainment
Group Chairman Jeff Shell,
Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Jerrod
Carmichael, Zac Efron
Ron Meyer,
James Weaver, Seth Rogen,
Brian Williams Evan Goldberg
Brian Roberts, Zac Efron, Donna Langley
Chairman & CEO of Comcast Corporation Brian L.
Roberts, NBCUniversal Vice
Chairman Ron Meyer, producer Evan Goldberg, executive producer Nathan Kahane,
news anchor Brian Williams,
and producers James Weaver,
Evan Goldberg, and writers
Andrew J. Cohen and Brendan O’Brien. (Photos by Getty
Images)
Zac Efron, Donna
Langley, Seth Rogen
Andrew J.
Cohen, Brendan O’Brien
UNIVERSAL PICTURES PRESENTS IN ASSOCIATION WITH PERFECT WORLD PICTURES
A POINT GREY/GOOD UNIVERSE PRODUCTION A NICHOLAS STOLLER FILM SETH ROGEN ZAC EFRON ROSE BYRNE
“NEIGHBORS
2: SORORITY RISING”
CHLOË GRACE MORETZ DAVE FRANCO IKE BARINHOLTZ MUSICBY MICHAEL ANDREWS
DIRECTOR OF
EXECUTIVE
PHOTOGRAPHY BRANDON TROST PRODUCERS NATHAN KAHANE JOE DRAKE TED GIDLOW ANDREW JAY COHEN BRENDAN O’BRIEN
PRODUCED
BASED ON CHARACTERS
BY SETH ROGEN p.g.a. EVAN GOLDBERG p.g.a. JAMES WEAVER p.g.a.
CREATED BY ANDREW JAY COHEN & BRENDAN O’BRIEN
WRITTEN
BY ANDREW JAY COHEN & BRENDAN O’BRIEN & NICHOLAS STOLLER & EVAN GOLDBERG & SETH ROGEN
DIRECTED
A UNIVERSAL RELEASE
BY NICHOLAS STOLLER
© 2016 UNIVERSAL STUDIOS
Brooklyn Beckham,
Chloë Grace Moretz Carla Gallo
STARTS FRIDAY, MAY 20
Rose Byrne
Kiersey Clemons
Kiersey Clemons
CHECK LOCAL LISTINGS FOR THEATERS AND SHOWTIMES
newyorkbeacon.net
Dave Franco, Jerrod Carmichael, Seth Rogen, Zac Efron, Nicholas Stoller, Ike Barinholtz, Evan Goldberg, James Weaver, Christopher Mintz-Plasse and Halston Sage attend
Universal Pictures’ Neighbors 2: Sorority
Rising premiere at Regency Village Theatre
on April 28, 2014 in Westwood, California.
BEACON, May 19 - May 25, 2016
AUDREY'S REEL WHIRL
with Film Reviewer
Audrey J. Bernard
19
Flick-Chat
20
Bilked investor blames TV host
BEACON,
May 19 - May 25, 2016
newyorkbeacon.net
By Kam Williams
Senior Movie Critic
K
yle Budwell (Jack
O’Connell) was a
working-class guy from
Queens who never had enough
cash in the bank to play the
market until his mother died
and left him $60,000. Against
his better judgment, the roughedged truck driver put every
penny of that inheritance into
Ibis Clear Capital, a security
being promoted by TV money
guru Lee Gates as “safer than a
savings account.”
Gates is the glib host of
Money Monster, an investment
advice show on the mythical
FNN Network. The clownish
character played by George
Clooney was obviously inspired by bombastic Jim Cramer of CNBC’s “Mad Money.”
Anyhow, in less than a
month, Gates’ “stock pick of
the millennium” goes bust,
leaving Kyle frustrated, broke
and at the end of his rope. Next
thing you know, he shows up at
the television station with a gun
looking for answers.
He crashes the set of Money
Monster during a live airing,
and proceeds to place a vest
filled with explosives on Lee.
Producer Patty Fenn (Julia
Roberts) gives in to Kyle’s
demand that the show continue
to broadcast.
Finger on the trigger, he
proceeds to grill Lee about the
George Clooney, Julia Roberts and Jodie Foster in scene from “Money Monster”
stock collapse while ranting
and raving about how “The
system is rigged!” Kyle’s sure
that Gates must have been
aware that the stock was going
to tank, and he demands that
all of the Ibis shareholders be
reimbursed their $800 million
in losses.
Meanwhile, the police descend on the set, led by patient
Captain Powell (Giancarlo
Esposito) who summons a
hostage negotiator. During
the ensuing standoff, the truth
about Ibis slowly emerges in
front of millions of viewers,
and the company’s CEO, Walt
Camby (Dominic West), becomes implicated in a shady
manipulation of his stock.
So unfolds “Money Mon-
ster,” a high-octane thriller
directed by Jodie Foster. This
movie is also a modern morality play which levels some
serious accusations at Wall
Street. Credit goes to George
Clooney and Julia Roberts for
committing fully to a production resting on a farfetched
premise that could’ve very
easily proved unconvincing in
less talented hands.
A riveting thriller featuring
classic screen chemistry coming courtesy of bankable Clooney and Roberts. Excellent (4
stars). Rated R for pervasive
profanity, brief violence and
some sexuality. Running time:
98 minutes. Studio: Smokehouse Pictures. Distributor:
Sony Pictures
Fireman faces moment of truth
By Kam Williams
C
aleb Abrams (Jensen
Atwood) is single today
only because his former
fiancee, Asia (Michelle D. Ivy),
broke off their engagement
the night before the wedding.
During the year since, the buff
Baltimore fireman has rededicated himself to his career
while pursuing a love of painting in his spare time.
However, everything changes the fateful day he finds the
body of a homeless man (Edgar
Gregory) after extinguishing
a fire in an abandoned farmhouse. Shaken to the core, Caleb cries on the shoulder of his
pal Shelby (Omar Gooding), a
veteran colleague who warns
that “you’re going to see a lot
of things you wish you could
forget.”
Still, the tragedy continues
to exact an emotional toll, as
witnessed by his roommate,
Imani (Danielle Ward), who
asks, “Are you ever going to
paint again?” “I lost my passion,” he confesses, before
conveniently turning the tables
by challenging her to finish the
book she’s been writing for the
On set of “Before I Do”
last decade.
In addition, Caleb’s frustrated father, Pastor Spoon Abrams
(Michael Pittman), notices that
he hasn’t seen his son in church
for a month of Sundays. “Are
you too busy for the Lord?” he
asks, adding, “It’s time for you
to grow up.”
Consequently, at almost 40,
Caleb suddenly finds himself
contemplating his mortality
and facing a fear of growing
old alone. And even though
he’s been dating a new woman,
Breanna (Andrea Kelly), their
relationship can neither fill the
void left by the loss of Asia nor
erase the traumatizing image
of the hobo’s corpse from his
head.
By contrast, most of his
friends seem to be adjusting
to adulthood just fine. Shelby
and his wife, Jasmyn (Kathleen
Purcell-Turner), are eagerly expecting their first child. Marlon
(Lamar Barnes) and Imani have
just announced their engagement and she’s asked him to
serve as Best Man when they
tie the knot.
Nevertheless, still waters
run deep, and there are a number of skeletons waiting to burst
out of the closet in “Before I
Do,” the latest offering from the
very talented Kimberly Conner.
Besides writing and directing,
Kimberly also co-produced the
picture and appears in the film
in a support role as the coroner.
Thanks to superb acting by
a top-flight cast, it’s easy to get
lost in the story, since it feels as
if you’re watching a real-life
tale. The character-driven drama deftly interweaves several
compelling plotlines en route
to a satisfying, if cleverly-concealed resolution it would be a
crime to divulge.
Rather than risk spoiling a
whit of this intriguing, urban
soap opera, permit me to close
with a lines excepted from the
poem “I Am Woman,” a touching tribute to Black females
recited by Imani: “I am woman,
minus the thighs and flowing
hair. Proud of my rich skin
tone, coarse hair and full lips. I
am a woman with a story to tell.
And a past as deep and dark as
my roots. I am a woman, and
despite what you think. When
you look down your nose upon
me. I possess dreams, aspirations and knowledge.”
Kudos to Conner and company for managing to make a
thought-provoking, cinematic
treat for African Americans
designed to simultaneously
elevate, enlighten and entertain.
Excellent (4 stars). Unrated.
Running time: 60 minutes.
Studio: Predestined Arts &
Entertainment / New Millennial.
with First Night Reviewer
Audrey J. Bernard
L’Chaim! Fiddler on the Roof wins Outer Critic Award; is
nominated for 3 Tony Awards; and 3 Drama Desk Awards
BEACON, May 19 - May 25, 2016
THEATER TALK
21
newyorkbeacon.net
Cast Opening Night Curtain Call
Fiddler choreographer Hofesh Shechter, director
Bartlett Sher and musical director Ted Sperling
join the company on stage
Fiddler stars Danny
Burstein, Jessica Hecht
Fiddler on the Roof at The
Broadway Theatre Marquee
O
ne of Broadway’s most
revered plays -- Fiddler
on the Roof -- returned
to Broadway in November,
2015 and officially opened
on Broadway on December
20, 2015 to rave reviews at
the Broadway Theatre, 1681
Broadway, New York City.
No matter how many times
Fiddler plays Broadway, seeing it is like seeing it for the
very first time! It’s one of the
Great White Way’s favorite
productions. The current
production won the 2016
Outer Critics Circle Award for Three of Tevye’s daughters: MelOutstanding Actor in a Musi- anie Moore, Samantha Massell,
cal (Danny Burstein); and is Alexandra Silber
Fiddler cast members George Psomas, Karl Kenzler,
Nick Rehberger, Brandt Martinez, Reed Luplau
nominated for 3 Tony Awards:
Best Revival of a Musical,
Best Performance by an Actor
in a Leading Role in a Musical (Danny Burstein), and
Best Choreography (Hofesh
Shechter). Fiddler is also up
for 3 Drama Desk Awards:
Outstanding Revival of a
Musical, Outstanding Actor in
a Musical (Danny Burstein),
and Outstanding Director of a
Musical (Bartlett Sher).
Kudos to Tony-winning
director Bartlett Sher and the
team behind South Pacific and
The King and I who bring an
original and authentic vision
to this exhilarating theatrical
Fiddler director Bartlett Sher, lyricist Sheldon Harnick, Danny Burstein
Fiddler cast members Tess Primack, Jennifer Zetlan,
Alix Korey, Matt Mousey, Jonathan Royse Windham,
Austin Goodwin, Sarah Parker, Marla Phelan
masterpiece from Tony winner Joseph Stein and Pulitzer
Prize winners Jerry Bock and
Sheldon Harnick.
Starring Danny Burstein
and Jessica Hecht, Fiddler on
the Roof is the heartwarming
story of fathers and daughters,
husbands and wives, and life,
love and laughter. This classic
musical is rich with Broadway hits, including “To Life
(L’Chaim!),” “If I Were A
Rich Man,” “Sunrise Sunset,”
“Matchmaker, Matchmaker,”
and “Tradition,” and features
stunning movement and dance
from Israeli choreographer
Hofesh Shechter based on the
original staging by Jerome
Robbins.
The ensemble features
Julie Benko, Eric Bourne,
Stephen Carrasco, Eric Chambliss, Jacob Guzman, Reed
Luplau, Brandt Martinez,
Matt Moisey, Sarah Parker,
Marla Phelan, Tess Primack,
Silvia Vrskova and Jonathan
Royse Windham. Fiddler
on the Roof has a book by
Joseph Stein, music by Jerry
Bock and lyrics by Sheldon
Harnick. The original Broadway production of the show,
which opened in 1964, had
the first musical-theatre run to
surpass 3,000 performances.
Fiddler set designer Michael
Yeargan, costume designer
Catherine Zuber
Brian Stokes Mitchell with wife Allyson Tucker, Michael Cerveris with nephew Julian Savage
The show won the 1965 Tony
Award for Best Musical.
The production also has
scenic design by Michael
Yeargan, costume design by
Catherine Zuber and lighting
design by Donald Holder.
Fiddler on the Roof marks
these designers’ fifth Broadway production working with
Sher. Sound design is by Scott
Lehrer; casting is by Telsey
+ Co./Abbie Brady Dalton;
dance arrangements are by
Oran Eldor. Jeffrey Richards
Associates is the Press Representative.
The production is produced on Broadway by Jeffrey
Richards, Jam Theatricals,
Louise Gund, Jerry Frankel,
Broadway Across America,
Rebecca Gold, Stephanie P
McClelland, Barbara Freitag
& Company/Catherine Schreiber & Company, Greenleaf
Productions, Orin Wolf, Patty
Baker, Caiola Productions,
The Nederlander Organization, Gabrielle Politz, Kit
Seidel, TenTex Partners,
Heal Theatricals, Edward M.
Kaufmann, Soffer/Numoff
Entertainment, Clear Channel
Spectacolor, Jessica Genick
and Will Trice. (Photos by
Bruce Glikas @Broadway.
com)
Off-B’way
BEACON,
May 19 - May 25, 2016
newyorkbeacon.net
22
Banned play re-visited!
By Ernece B. Kelly
(Drama Critic)
T
he Pulitzer Prize winning playwright Paula
Vogel (“How I Learned
to Drive” and “The Oldest
Profession”) has once again
hit a dramatic highpoint with
the play, “Indecent”. It’s a 100
minute, bittersweet, 40+ year
romp tracing the evolution of a
play, “The God of Vengeance”
which ended its United States
run in 1923 with a police raid,
resulting in jail time for the
actors and a trial charging obscenity!
“Indecent” opens with the
stage manager, Lemml, introducing the ten actors--each
plays multiple roles--who immediately spring into lively
dancing accompanied by an
on-stage trio: clarinet, violin,
and accordion, playing traditional joyful Eastern European
Jewish music associated with
celebrations like bar mitzvahs
and weddings.
The revelry ends with a
scene of Slomo and his wife,
discussing his play, “The
God…”. He takes it to prospective producers only to find them
unwilling to sponsor it because
A gripping lesbian relationship
Cast spring into lively dance on stage
of the inclusion prostitution and
a lesbian relationship--arguably, the most tender scene of
two women lovers ever written
for the theatre is enacted.. One
incensed producer claims it will
“throw petrol on the flames of
anti-Semitism!”
Echoes of the experiences of
African American artists who
have been discouraged or even
denied opportunities because
they “might set back the race”
resonate in that scene. The
problem goes back to Richard
Wright’s “Native Son” with its
protagonist Bigger Thomas and
comes up to 21st century Kara
Walker with her controversial
art works.
But the troupe prevails--performing successfully in Europe-Berlin, Rome, and St.
Petersburg among other places--eventually coming to New
York City where they perform
in Yiddish in Lower Manhattan.
But trouble looms when--after translating the script into
English--they move the show
Uptown to the Apollo. They’re
arrested!
Moving back to Europe in
the 1930’s they face Hitler’s
terror, live in a Polish ghetto in
the 1940’s and eventually are
forced to enter a concentration
camp. The beautiful and unexpected climax had audience
members (including this critic)
in tears!
Technically, “Incident” is
enriched by David Dorfman’s
choreography and graced by
several kinds of projections-among them the United States
legal decision condemning
the play and Yiddish dialogue--kudos to designer Tal
Yarden.
Actors Richard Topol, Katrina Lenk, Mimi Lieber, Max
Gordon Moore, Tom Nelis,
Steven Rattazzi and Adina
Verson are uniformly excellent,
morphing smoothly from one
role to another.
“Indecent” is a superb dramatic piece, a fascinating playwithin-a-play, and an important
comment on the history of intolerance. “Indecent” is in the
Union Square neighborhood
at the Vineyard Theatre until
June 12th.
Grammy Award-winning Singer/Actress Faith Evans kicked-off one of the largest Newark, New
Jersey Celebration 350 parties of the year: The Founders Weekend Festival, held at the spacious
Newark Symphony Hall, on Friday May 13. The weekend of music, culture and entertainment
celebrates the 350th anniversary of Newark’s founding. For more info visit nc350.org (Photo:
Christine DaCruz)
CLASSIFIED
newyorkbeacon.net
entitled action is to foreclose a Tax
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described as follows: ADDRESS:
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LOT:1170 COUNTY: New
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By:
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TO THE ABOVE NAMED DEFENDANTS: The foregoing Summons is being served upon you by
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***
STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA,COUNTY OF WAKE, IN
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MAY 28th & 29TH
THIS IS A RAIN OR SHINE EVENT
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From South Beach to the Berkshires.
Special Weekend Events Inlcude Wine, Beer
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May 19 - May 25, 2016
newyorkbeacon.net
Marc Rasbury
BEACON,
SPORTS
BEACON
24
The Real Playoffs Start Now By Marc Rasbury T
hus far we had to suffer
through some sub par
postseason NBA play.
The only thing that has been
intriguing to many basketball
fans is how injuries have impacted the outcome of various
series through the first two
rounds. Now, we get some
worthwhile contests that have
become Must See TV especially after Oklahoma City
Thunder took the first game of
the Western Conference Finals. For the most part the best
four teams in each conference survived and advanced.
Some may say that the San
Antonio Spurs were the better
than the Thunder. But face it
folks, it looks like the Oklahoma City matured and grew up
right before our very eyes. This
very talented squad stopped
making silly mistakes down
the stretch and held off San Antonio making Greg Popovich’s
crew look old in the process. Now we have the Oklahoma
City Thunder and Golden State
Warriors in the West and the
Cleveland Cavaliers against
the Toronto Raptors in the
East. The Spurs, whose 67win season flew under the
radar screen because of the
Warriors record-breaking season, may have been the more
anticipated series. But how
can you be disappointed with
a Thunder-Warriors match up
and boy did the series got off
with a bang. The Thunder shocked the
basketball world by taking the
first game of the series 108102 over the heavily favored
Warriors. Game 1 was a tale
of two halves. In the first half,
the Warriors looked like they
were going to run the Thunder
out of Oracle Arena. Stephen Curry, the Leagues
unanimous chosen MVP, lived
up to the hype before intermission. He was draining threes
and slicing through the Thunder’s interior defense as if it
was the Path of Least Resistance. His fellow Warriors
were able to do the same
because they ran their offense
like a well precision machine.
They spaced the floor, moved
without the ball and gave up
good shots for better shots as
they took a 13-point lead into
the locker room at the intermission. Conversely, the Thunder
looked out of sync in the first
half. Russell Westbrook looked
as if he could not live up to the
pressure. He shot 1 for 9 and
committed several unforced
turnovers during the first two
quarters. The Thunder big men
looked like fish out water as
they switched on the Warriors’
guards on the perimeter. The
Russell Westbrook has raised his game of late
Thunder were down as many
as 14 points in the late second
and early third quarters. Then a funny thing happened after intermission. A
total role reversal had taken
place. The Warriors became
the turnover machine while
Westbrook looked like Walt
Frazier in Game 7 of 1970
Finals. The Thunder pg scored
19 points in the third stanza
catapulting Oklahoma City
into the lead. While the Thunder got rolling, Golden State
looked the inexperienced team
rather than the poised defending champions. And I feel the
defending champs got a little
cocky. The Warriors starting taking
quick shots that couldn’t find
the bottom of the net. That led
to several fast breaks and easy
buckets. The next thing you
know, the Thunder were up
by 8. Kevin Durant chipped
in 26 points despite going
10 for 30. Russell ended up
with 27 points. Steve Ad-
ams (16 points and 12 rebounds) and Deon Waiters (10
points and 4 assists) also came
up huge in the contest. If Waiters, Adams and Andre Roberson can give you this type of
production, we are in for one
hell of a series. One thing that impressed
me about the Thunder in Game
1 is that Oklahoma City’s Head
Coach Billy Donovan did not
succumb to the thought of going small and stuck with his big
line up especially after the first
half. He stuck with his bigs and
that paid off in the second half. One disappointing aspect about Game 1 was the
blown non-call where Westbrook clearly traveled in the
closing moments. At the time,
Golden State was down 3 with
.21 seconds left. Westbrook
takes the inbound pass racing across the halfcourt line
before calling a timeout. Just
over the line, he appears to
have dragged his pivot foot.
Timeout was granted. Had the
Warriors got the ball back, who
knows what could have happened. The officiating has to
get better. Too many games
are being determined by bad
officiating. Over in the East, the two top
teams will get it on Tuesday
night. After sweeping their
first two playoff series, many
feel that the Cavs will make
short work of the Raptors. Yes,
Cleveland should win but I
would not put my money down
on a sweep. The Raptors took
2 out of 3 from the Cavaliers
in the regular season. One of
the reasons why Toronto gave
Cleveland fits this season is the
playoff their backcourt. Kyle Lowery has had his
merry way with the Cavs.
Kyrie Irving is not at his best
defending quick guards. As a
matter of fact, defense is not
his forte at all. As Miami
found out in Game 7 of their
Semi-Final Eastern Conference Series, Lowery can go off
with the best of them. On the other sidelined, you
still have the best overall player in the world, a guy named
LeBron James. He is still capable of putting Cleveland on his
back and taking his crew to the
Finals by himself. This year he
may not have to do that. It looks like he will have
a little help. It seems as if everybody wearing a Cleveland
uniform is hitting threes at an
alarming rate. Irving is playing
like a first team All Pro. Kevin
Love is having his way in the
post and beyond the arc. Even
late season pick up, Channing
Frye came off of the bench
and dropped 27 points in one
playoff game. This should an interesting
two weeks. After several so so
series, we finally have a couple
of Conference Finals worth
paying attention to. There are
no major injuries with the exception of the Raptors Jonas
Valanciunas . If the refs can get
their act together, we should
have two intriguing series.