Codie Elaine and Tommy Oliver of OWN's Black Love Series. (Photo: OWN)
After more than five years as the #1 non-sports cable telecast in its time period among African-American women, “Black Love” will come to a close with the airing of the series’ finale Saturday, August 27 (10 p.m. – 11:00 p.m. ET/PT) on OWN.
For six seasons, the NAACP-nominated docuseries, from filmmakers Codie Elaine Oliver and Tommy Oliver and Confluential Films, has sought to answer the question “What does it take to make a marriage work?” and has featured the real, honest, emotional and transparent love stories of Black Love from some of the most successful people in entertainment and business as well as everyday couples.
Throughout its run on OWN, the series has sparked elevated conversations and showcased some of America’s favorite Black couples, and in the final episode couples share the reality behind the term “relationship goals” and reveal that the true goal is knowing that tough times will come and go, no matter who you are and what your relationship looks like from the outside.
Nomsa Maseko of BBC News Africa is reporting, Misuzulu ka Zwelithini has been crowned Zulu king in a traditional ceremony in South Africa. After a year-long battle over the rightful heir to the throne, Zwelithini, the 48-year-old is the son of the previous king, was named Zulu King.
Maseko reports:
“Thousands of people gathered Saturday (August 20, 2022) for the traditional coronation at KwaKhangelamankengane Palace, where the king entered the sacred cattle kraal to invoke his ancestors before being announced to both the living and the dead as the new Zulu monarch.
He was expected to wear the hide of the lion that he hunted for the royal event, a key feat in proving he is indeed the chosen one. More than 10 cows were slaughtered in preparation for the festivities.”
Next month, Zwelithini will participate in a state ceremony hosted by the government.
The Zulu Kingdom is best known for defeating British troops during the 1879 battle of Isandlwana. The throne has no formal political power, but a fifth of South Africa’s population is Zulu and its monarchy remains hugely influential with a yearly taxpayer-funded budget of more than $4.9m (£3.5m).
Arts Legend Melba Moore to receive Joseph R. Biden Lifetime Achievement Award at Morehouse College Aug. 26, 2022,
Legendary Tony Award-winning and Grammy-nominatedsongstress, Melba Moore, has achieved many milestones in her dynamic career. From Broadway to television, hit records to high accolades from arts and civic leaders, Moore has overcome personal and professional obstacles on the road to her iconic status.
Friday, August 26, 2022, Moore will receive the Joseph R. Biden Lifetime Achievement Award, honoring her career. The event will take place at Morehouse College in Atlanta GA. At the event, she will also receive the Presidential Volunteer Service Award for her commitment to improvement within urban communities.
Moore is no stranger to awards for her many talents and service. Moore won the TonyAward for best featured actress for her performance in Purlie (1970) and a Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Performance in that same year. Moore has been received several Grammy nominations for her songs, ”Read My Lips” and “Lean on Me” and Best New Artist in 1971.
In recent years, the Harlem-born, Newark raised dynamo’s rendition of “Lift Every Voice & Sing” (recorded in 1990) was added to the US National Recording Registry by the Library of Congress in 2017 as an “American Aural Treasure”. The rendition was also entered into the Congressional Record as the Official Black National Anthem. Moore’s rendition of the national Black anthem was also added to the US National Recording Registry by the Library of Congress as an “American Aural Treasure”. Moore recently released her latest album, Imagine.
Moore will also be a part of the 2023 Hollywood Walk of Fame Class, which will include Lenny Kravitz, Sheila E., Charlie Wilson, Garrett Morris and Ludacris. Moore will receive the star for the Live Performance category.
This article was written by Nsenga K. Burton, Ph.D., founder & editor-in-chief of The Burton Wire. Follow Nsenga on Instagram or Twitter @Ntellectual or @TheBurtonWire.
#BringBackOurGirls protest in Nigeria. (Google Images: 2014)
The internet is buzzing with news that two of the 276 schoolgirls kidnapped from a Christian school by Boko Haram eight years ago in Chibok, Nigeria, have been found. The BBCis reporting the Nigerian army has found two more of the female students abducted by Boko Haram. Both abductees were found with children and gave birth while in captivity. Other victims of the mass abduction have described being forced to convert to Islam and marry the group’s fighters.
The two abductees were found at a military medical facility. The 276 girls were abducted from their school dormitories April 14, 2014 by notorious Islamic militant group Boko Haram. Fifty-six of the girls were able to get away from their captors by jumping off the transport and running into the bushes, while the others remained in captivity and were forced to convert to Islam and marry their captors. The brazen abduction became an international cause with political leaders, celebrities and activists calling for their safe return.
Politicians, celebrities and activists campaigned for the return of the abducted Chibok school girls in 2014, joining the international effort founded by Nigerian activist Obiageli “Oby” Ezekwesili (Photo: Google Images)
Between 2016 and 2018, three Chibok girls were found or rescued in the Sambisa forest hideout of Boko Haram by the Nigerian military, while 103 were freed following negotiations between the Nigerian government and Boko Haram. The freed girls were rehabilitated at a government facility and sent to an American school in Nigeria.
Economist and activist Obiageli “Oby” Ezekwesili, founder of #BringBackOurGirls campaign. (Photo: Google Images)
Nigerian activist and former World Bank vice-president Obiageli “Oby” Ezekwesili led the global campaign to free Nigerian schoolgirls kidnapped by Boko Haram extremists. Ezekwesili started the #BringBackOurGirls campaign and co-founded Transparency, one of the world’s leading organizations dedicated to combating government corruption. In 2018, Ezekwesili unsuccessfully ran for president of Nigeria.
This article was written by Nsenga K. Burton, Ph.D., founder & editor-in-chief of The Burton Wire. Follow Nsenga on Instagram or Twitter @Ntellectual or @TheBurtonWire.
UPDATE: Brittney Griner was sentenced to nine years in prison. The WNBA legend is planning to appeal her sentence.
Brittney Griner’s trial for possession of cannabis oil and cartridges resumed today. Griner testified she was forced to sign documents without knowing what they said or being given an explanation of what the documents contained, upon her arrest. The WNBA legend also testified she was not given an explanation of her rights or access to lawyers when she was detained. After being interrogated for hours, she was finally allowed to hand over her personal belongings to a lawyer, before being handcuffed and put into a cell.
Griner also testified the court appointed interpreter only translated a “fraction” of the transcription of Griner’s police interrogation following her arrest in February. Griner admitted to having used vape cartridges and cannabis oil to alleviate chronic pain but did not know how they ended up in her bag. The basketball legend said she had been really stressed out having recently recovered from Covid-19, and packed quickly before leaving. She says she may have inadvertently put the cartridges in her bag because she was moving so fast in order to make the 13-hour flight. Griner also stated she had no criminal intent with the cannabis oil and cartridges.
Griner faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted of transporting drugs. The trial which has drawn international attention, began July 1 and there is no indication of when the trial will end. However, the court has authorized Griner’s detention until December 20, 2022.
Griner has played for Russia’s professional women’s team for seven years. Like many other WNBA stars who are woefully underpaid, the basketball legend plays overseas to earn additional income during the offseason.
Read The Burton Wire for updates on Brittney Griner’s trial.
This article was written by Nsenga K. Burton, Ph.D., founder & editor-in-chief of The Burton Wire. Follow Nsenga on Instagram or Twitter @Ntellectual or @TheBurtonWire.
Jordan Peele has been compared to horror and psychological thriller giant Alfred Hitchcock and science-fiction legend Steven Spielberg, but Peele is in a league of his own. Peele’s masterful ability to merge two beloved film genres, with social commentary on issues of race, gender, class, and sexuality is unparallel in the current filmic landscape.
Initially celebrated for his comedic chops, Peele burst onto the horror scene with his cult-classic horror Get Out (2017) and followed-up with the scary and often meandering Us (2019). Both films used symbolism brilliantly and succeeded as horror films because the monsters were familiar characters, symbolic of society and played by characters who look and feel like us. There is an otherworldliness about Peele’s films that traffic in the mundane, to highlight the complexity of the precariousness of a world driven by a perverse need for power, influence, and capital. Peele humanizes those who live on the margins or the underbelly of society and brilliantly recasts their lives into the horror show that is often America and what it means to live on the margins of society while the tokenism and appropriation of your culture is center stage.
Peele delivers with Nope, a film set on the margins of Hollywood, focusing on the family of the Black jockey captured in the early films of trailblazing photographer and filmmaker Eadweard Muybridge. By incorporating Muybridge’s short film, “The Horse in Motion,” Peele elevates the importance of Black jockeys in the many aspects of American culture and the significance of the Black presence and influence at the beginning of Hollywood.
The Haywood family is a Black family that has worked as horse wranglers for Hollywood for over a century. They are the descendants of the Black jockey showcased in the Muybridge film and are still stuck in the same position as their ancestors despite the change in time and ostensibly space. Keith David plays Otis Haywood, Sr., the patriarch of the Haywood clan who is hell bent on maintaining his ancestor’s greatest dream. Daniel Kaluuya stars as Otis, Jr. (OJ), who works with his father and is unimpressed by the movie business or the jackasses that permeate filmmaking culture. Although OJ, who is Black, is the expert on the movie set, he is belittled and demeaned by all of the White folks on set from the director to the production assistants. Keke Palmer stars as Emerald, the free-spirited daughter who plays to the hostile audience, literally listing all of her skills and abilities as she performs servitude. The audience suspects if Emerald was white, the offspring of Hollywood royalty, and working with all of those skills, Emerald would be the star or director of the film and calling the shots. Such is not the case with the Haywood clan, who are relegated and reminded of their position on the lower rungs of society and Hollywood throughout the film.
Desperate for money and fame after being kicked off set, the Haywood family decides to capture the greatest spectacle ever – unidentified flying objects (UFOs), now called unidentified aerial phenomena (UAPs). OJ and Emerald set out to photograph and record the alien life that is omnipresent yet largely ignored by those who live with them on the outskirts of Hollywood. Instead of engaging scientists or the government, the Haywoods set out to do it themselves so they can reap the financial rewards and adoration of an industry and public that has little to no use for them otherwise. The Haywoods embody the “find a way or make one,” spirit of Black independent cinema and literally create and capture the story that was always worth telling but undervalued by Hollywood and society.
Along the way, they pick up Angel (Brandon Perea), a techie with an obsession with outer space and Antlers (Michael Wincott), a maverick cinematographer who is still chasing cinematic glory in spite of his elite status in the industry. Antlers who insists he captures images, but is not part of the story, disposes of his philosophy, deciding to be part of the spectacle and jeopardizes the entire shoot and lives in a harrowing scene.
One of the most interesting parts of the film is the number of Easter Eggs (intertextual references) strewn throughout the narrative. In fact, it is an intertextual reference to 1980s sitcoms that is most harrowing and provides the context and strongest symbolism of tokenism and what tokenism means for people of color pursuing the Hollywood dream. Ricky “Jupe” Park (Steven Yeun) is a former child star who survived a merciless attack by a chimpanzee named Gordy during the taping of a hit 1980s sitcom. Jupe now runs Jupiter’s Claim, a Western-themed amusement park, pulling in an audience that would probably be at Disneyland if they could afford it. Instead, Jupiter’s Claim fits the bill, and Jupe who survived the brutality of the attack and the tokenism of Hollywood, clings to his desire to be the star of the show. While he appears to work with OJ in taking horses off of his hands to keep the horse farm going until OJ can afford to buy them back, Jupe actually works against his closest ally in order to create a spectacle for attendees at the expense of all involved.
Nope is a commentary on so many things – the environment, animal cruelty, racism, sexism, heterosexism, the entertainment industry – and shows how all of those things are interconnected in shaping who we are as a society. It’s the intersectionality for me.
With a storyline told through a historical lens that interrogates society and the people who make up this world and the next, strong performances and a brilliant use of camp and other comedic tools, Peele does it again, making a must-see film that will be talked about in film classes, barbershops, dinner tables, Hollywood, and the like for many years to come.
This review was written by Nsenga K. Burton, Ph.D., founder & editor-in-chief of The Burton Wire. Follow Nsenga on Instagram or Twitter @Ntellectual or @TheBurtonWire.
Chef Big Moe Cason's show, "World of Flavor with Chef Moe Cason" debuts on National Geographic.
(Photo: National Geographic)
The National Geographic Channelhas done it again. The channel known for bringing high-quality non-fiction programming to viewers brings the larger-than-life grillmaster Big Moe Cason to the small screen. The Iowa-born, Minnesotan learned the art of grilling from his Virginia grandparents. Retired from the Navy, Cason leaned into the cooking techniques used by his grandmother Margaret and mother Mary Cason, eventually turning a hobby into a profession. He began traveling to food festivals and fell in love with grilling techniques used by grillmasters from Texas and Kansas City. “I married what I knew with what I learned from the grillmasters from Texas and Kansas City,” says Cason. “I love the simplicity of Texas Bar-B-Q. It’s the seasoning and the smoke which can be a double-edged sword,” he adds.
It’s no wonder the television series is called, “World of Flavor with Big Moe Cason.” Cason talks enthusiastically about the flavor profile of his grilled meats. The series follows the U.S. Navy veteran and champion BBQ pitmaster as he travels around the world to create mouth-watering meals for the locals. Chef Cason also explores the history of the local culture and culinary influences, incorporating all of the above and some techniques into his meals. For example, in an episode featuring foods of South Carolina, Cason explored the rich history of Gullah and Geechee culture and their foods. He learns from a historian, fisherman and fellow grillmaster who teaches him to use dry milk in his seasoning for sausage — a technique Cason incorporates in his sausage. Cason’s final dish pulls in all of the history, culture and culinary delights learned on this trip.
One of the things that is most endearing about Big Moe’s big presence on screen, is his humility and willingness to learn from others. Big Moe seems just as happy learning to use cheesecloth to make delicious beef tenderloin as he is when sharing his tips for fantastic food. Cason also engages in different experiences, like scaling a wall at a military base which he hadn’t done since enlisting, and fishing for oysters, which he had never done before. Both activities were worthwhile because he proved to himself he could do it and learned something new that he could incorporate into his meal for the locals. Cason gets a little misty-eyed when discussing his family influences and connecting with local culture, which is reminiscent of his upbringing. ‘World of Flavor’ shows the connection between local and global culture and all of the information and influences it takes to make a meal that is as delicious as it is meaningful.
The four-part series, “World of Flavor with Big Moe Cason,” debuts July 25, 2022 at 10 p.m. EST on the National Geographic Channel. Livestream of the series is also available on FUBOtv.
This article was written by Nsenga K. Burton, Ph.D., founder & editor-in-chief of The Burton Wire. Follow Nsenga on Instagram or Twitter @Ntellectual or @TheBurtonWire.
Al-Jazeera is reporting Russia’s war on Ukraine is drawing millions of dollars away from other crises including the food shortage crisis in Somalia. Funding that typically goes to the vulnerable nation are being diverted to the war on Ukraine, devastating Somalia.
To give some perspective, the U.N. reports Ukraine’s appeal for $2.2B has been 80 percent met, while Somalia’s much smaller appeal has been 30 percent funded. Somalia’s aid funding is at less than half of last year’s level even though Western donors have sent more than $1.7B to respond to the war in Europe. Yemen, Syria, Iraq, South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Palestinian territories are also being affected by this diversion. The Horn of Africa region where Somalia is located, is experiencing its worst drought in decades.
In April, the World Food Program raised an alarm that 20 million people are at risk of starvation this year as delayed rains worsen an already brutal drought in Kenya, Somalia and Ethiopia.
Experts and aid workers also say the war in Ukraine has contributed to rising costs of fuel and food in many countries across Africa. Wheat imports make up 90 percent of Africa’s $4B trade with Russia and almost half of the continent’s $4.5B trade with Ukraine, according to the Africa Development Bank.
“If we don’t manage this [food crisis] very quickly, it will actually destabilize the continent,” Africa Development Bank president Akinwumi Adesina warned.
Al-Jazeera also reports, “In a single hospital in Somalia, more than two dozen children have died of hunger in the past two months alone.”
This article was written by Nsenga K. Burton, Ph.D., founder & editor-in-chief of The Burton Wire. Follow Nsenga on Twitter @Ntellectual.
WNBA legend Brittney Griner is led into a Russian courtroom to learn of her trial date.
(Photo: Google Images)
WNBA Superstar Brittney Griner will stand trial in a Moscow court on cannabis possession charges, nearly 5 months after her arrest at a Russian airport tomorrow (July 1). Griner has been held in jail since being detained without an opportunity to speak to the public or for herself. Russian airport officials claim they found cannabis oil vape cartridges in Griner’s luggage February 17. Some pundits argue that Briner is a political prisoner as she was taken into custody shortly after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Griner, who plays on Russia’s national team, has lived there part-time for seven years. If Griner knows the laws and hasn’t broken any before, then why would one of basketball’s greatest players do it now, especially in wartime?
In response to a public outcry about Brittney’s case, the U.S. State Department classified the Texas native as “wrongfully detained” by the Russian government in May.”The welfare and safety of U.S. citizens abroad is among the highest priorities of the U.S government,” the State Department said.
Social media influencers and international media called out Russia because no one had seen or heard from Griner for weeks after her arrest. Those claims were buoyed by reports from Griner’s wife Cherelle who said it was difficult to contact the two-time Olympic Gold medalist. Cherelle also said Griner is alone and without help or assistance in the Russian jail. Griner’s oldest sister Shekera made a video plea June 10 to bring Griner home, “safely and quickly.”
WNBA legend Brittney Griner is led into a Russian courtroom to learn of her trial date. (Photo: Google Images)
On July 27, Russian authorities paraded Griner into court wearing handcuffs and shackles to announce the upcoming trial date.
Jonathan Abrams and Tania Gunguli of The New York Times are reporting that the trial is an exercise to convict Griner because there is no presumption of innocence in the Russian judicial system. When charged, you are convicted and sent to trial so prosecutors can present evidence and the defendant can be sentenced. Griner faces 10 years in prison if convicted. ESPN’s T.J. Quinn has reported similar concerns about Griner’s bleak options with this trial and that Griner is being held so Russia can trade her for Russian prisoners being held in prison in the U.S.
There have been calls for President Biden to step in to try and extricate Griner from the Russian prison. Ben Proudfoot, director of the Academy award-winning shor film, The Queen of Basketball, asked for President Biden to intervene and “Bring Brittney Home,” during his acceptance speech. Griner’s sister Shekera and wife have also asked President Biden to bring Brittney home.
The Burton Wire will be closely following Griner’s trial which starts tomorrow.
This article was written by Nsenga K. Burton, Ph.D., founder & editor-in-chief of The Burton Wire. Follow Nsenga on Instagram or Twitter @Ntellectual or @TheBurtonWire.
Judge Ketanji Brown is sworn in as the 116th Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. (Screenshot)
Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson. (Photo: Google Images)
The honorable Ketanji Brown Jackson made history today by becoming the first Black woman to be sworn in as an Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court. Justice Brown Jackson will join a court in turmoil following unprecedented rulings repealing voter rights protections, a controversial ruling on gun rights and overturning Roe vs. Wade, which ends a woman’s right to an abortion and the right to make decisions about her reproductive health. In addition, Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas is mired in controversy over his presumed role in the insurrection amid the role of his wife Ginny, who is an alleged organizer of the attempted coup to overthrow Congress and overturn the 2020 U.S. Presidential election.
Justices Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett are under fire for lying about their intentions on abortion during their Congressional hearings after making decisions contrary to their stated positions on those topics in the hearings. Chief Justice John Roberts is being lambasted for having lost control of the court by allowing justices to make decisions based on religious doctrine instead of the U.S. Constitution.
Jackson joins a 6-3 conservative court, replacing Justice Stephen Beyer for whom she clerked. We wish Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson good luck.
This article was written by Nsenga K. Burton, Ph.D., founder & editor-in-chief of The Burton Wire. Follow Nsenga on Instagram or Twitter @Ntellectual or @TheBurtonWire.
