BBC Africa is reporting Nairobi, the capital city of Kenya, is facing a water shortage because of changing weather patterns and aging water facilities. The article reports, “Residents in informal communities like Kibra pay private vendors for water, meaning they now control the supply and access to water in the community.” The privatization of water access has led to an increase in the exploitation of women and girls in exchange for water.
“Sextortion” refers to sex being used as currency instead of money for services or products — in this case water. According to the Water Integrity Network (WIN), the testimonies collected from women over the past five years in Kibera and Mukuru Kwa Njenga, which are some of the largest informal settlements in Nairobi, point towards an invisible, unspoken, and sinister consequence of corruption in the water sector i.e. sextortion. Sex for water is not a new phenomena. Check out the 2018 ANEW documentary short below:
The water crisis and the sexual exploitation of girls and women as a result of the water crisis shows no signs of slowing down.
This news brief was curated by Nsenga K. Burton, founder & editor-in-chief of the award-winning news site The Burton Wire. Follow Nsenga on Twitter @Ntellectual.
The McRipley family, Lisa (front), brother Jason, sister-in-love and niece and nephew. (Photo: Screen grab)
MS Activist Lisa McRipley. (Photo: Google Images)
MS Activist and National MS Society Michigan Chapter Trustee Lisa McRipley is sponsoring M² S² – the Inaugural Mighty Multiple Sclerosis Slide: A Hustle-a-thon to Help End MS, a fundraiser to help raise awareness and funds for Multiple Sclerosis (MS), Friday, April 22, 2022. MS, which was once thought of as a “white woman’s disease,” is impacting the African American community. According to Brain and Life.org, information about who is affected by MS has been upended in recent years by studies pointing to a higher incidence of the disorder in Black people compared with White people. “These studies suggest that the risk of developing MS is up to 47 percent higher in Black women compared with White men or women, and the incidence of MS is at least as high in Black men as among their White counterparts,” says Mitzi Joi Williams, MD, founder and CEO of Joi Life Wellness Group Multiple Sclerosis Center in Atlanta. “The old notion that MS is a young White woman’s disease continues to affect how soon Black people are diagnosed and how they are treated.” Luckily more awareness and attention is being paid to MS and it’s impact on African Americans, thanks to the work of McRipley and other MS activists.
In September 2020, McRipley worked with Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib of Michigan to bring her story about the high cost of MS medication to Congress, raising awareness about MS’s impact on African Americans, the need for more research and the need for affordable treatments including prescriptions.
The co-organizer of the National MS Society Black MS Experience Summit and recipient of a 2020 MS Inspiration Awardfrom the National Sclerosis Society for her work in this area recently announced M² S² – the Inaugural Mighty Multiple Sclerosis Slide: A Hustle-a-thon to Help End MS at the DoubleTree Suites by Hilton Detroit Downtown – Fort Shelby on April 22, 2022, 8 – 11 PM.
McRipley isn’t only an MS activist; she is someone who lives with MS. Fifteen years ago, McRipley received her dream job in Student Affairs at UC Berkeley working to develop a sense of community and inclusion for all students. Two months later, she fell for no apparent reason and couldn’t walk for several minutes. Days later, she fell again, and it became a pattern. After three years of doctors, specialists, and tests, she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. Eventually, Lisa moved back home to Michigan; she reached out to the National MS Society and became hopeful – then active! She also found that as a former student of dance, whenever she heard good music she danced and forgot about her MS.
McRipley’s love of dance led to her sponsorship of M² S² – the Inaugural Mighty Multiple Sclerosis Slide: A Hustle-a-thon to Help End MS, a fundraiser to support the nearly one million people who live with MS in the United States to, “Celebrate the MS Warrior in them!” McRipley, who danced for 10 years and was on the Pom Pom squad as a teen, has created a dance that is accessible to those living with MS. Watch the video for the routine here:
McRipley, who began volunteering at MS organizations after receiving her MS diagnosis, has dedicated her life to raising awareness about MS and keeping African Americans living with MS in the discussion.
McRipley doesn’t plan to stop dancing or raising the roof while raising awareness on the need for more research and advocacy for those diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis.
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For more information about this event or to make a donation, please visit https://mssociety.donordrive.com/participant/M2S2. You can also be a Virtual MS Slider and post your best #mightyMSslide at https://fb.me/e/2mSDmfYJR to be eligible for a special prize.
This article was written by Nsenga K. Burton, founder & editor-in-chief of the award-winning news site The Burton Wire. Follow Nsenga on Twitter @Ntellectual.
Pulitzer Prize winning author Alice Walker in conversation with award-winning playwright Pearl Cleage. (Photo: Screenshot)
Pulitzer Prize winning writer Alice Walker is on tour discussing her latest book, Gathering Blossoms Under Fire: The Journals of Alice Walker edited by Valerie Boyd, who passed away February 12 after a long battle with cancer.
Charis Books and More, the South’s oldest independent feminist bookstore hosted Walker, who was in virtual conversation with award-winning playwright and poet Pearl Cleage. The two discussed many components of the book including Walker’s process, collaborating with Boyd, the housing of Walker and Cleage’s papers at Emory University and the importance of journaling. Walker discussed using journaling to examine your personal growth and to remember the adventures in your life. Watch a clip from their conversation below:
Gathering Blossoms Under Fire: The Journals of Alice Walker is widely available at online and in-person bookstores near you.
Purchase Gathering Blossoms Under Fire: The Journals of Alice Walker from Charis Books & Morehere.
This article was written by Nsenga K. Burton, founder & editor-in-chief of the award-winning news site The Burton Wire. Follow Nsenga on Twitter @Ntellectual.
Ghofrane in 'She Had A Dream' documentary. (photo courtesy of ArtMattan Films)
The documentary She Had A Dream by Tunisian filmmaker Raja Amari premieres on AfroPoP: The Ultimate Cultural Exchange series tonight at 8 p.m. EST on WORLD CHANNEL. Season 14 of the acclaimed documentary series captures Black artists and activists shaping and reclaiming culture, advocating for change and mobilizing for brighter futures. She Had A Dreamoffers an intimate portrayal of one young Black Tunisian woman’s quest for political office and her fight against racism and oppression in a society that often seeks to overlook both.
The documentary follows Ghofrane, a 20-something Black woman from Tunisia as she walks the path of self-discovery of young adulthood while running for political office in a homeland where many still view her as an outsider.
Watch the trailer below:
A dedicated, charismatic activist and a modern, free-speaking woman, Ghofrane in many ways is the embodiment of contemporary Tunisian political hopes still alive years after the Arab Spring. She Had A Dream follows Ghofrane as she works to conquer her own self-doubts while attempting to persuade close friends and complete strangers to vote for her. As audiences follow her campaign, they also follow the dichotomies of her life as a woman striving for a role in politics in the Arab world and as a Black person in a country where racism is prevalent, yet often denied.
“The 14th season of AfroPoP shines a light on the collective power, strength and resilience of Black people and movements around the world,” said Leslie Fields-Cruz, AfroPoP executive producer. “Viewers will see artists use their platforms to push for progress and human rights and see ‘ordinary’ people do the remarkable in the interest of justice.”
Amari is one of these artists and Ghofrane is an activist. Exploring how racism has shaped her life in all aspects including her early school days, her romantic life and everyday activities, Amari’s film showcases how Ghofrane uses her experiences as impetus to work to bring change to her country for all people. A compassionate and hopeful exploration of the life and aspirations of Ghofrane, She Had A Dream sheds light on women’s roles in Tunisia’s changing society and one woman’s battle to create change for her community.
She Had A Dream airs on AfroPoP: The Ultimate Cultural ExchangeMonday, April 11 at 8 p.m. ET on WORLD Channel and begins streaming on worldchannel.org at the same time.
AfroPoP: The Ultimate Cultural Exchange is presented by Black Public Media and WORLD Channel. For more information, visit worldchannel.orgor blackpublicmedia.org.
This article was written by Nsenga K. Burton, founder & editor-in-chief of the award-winning news site The Burton Wire. Follow Nsenga on Twitter @Ntellectual.
TheTruthCheck.org spokesperson and actress Jenifer Lewis. (Photo: Tyler Iacona)
Legacy media outlet The Atlanta Voice unveils its first-ever health and wellness digital-first magazine
HealthPlus, The Atlanta Voice’s new monthly, digital-first magazine covering topics related to African American health and wellness has officially launched.
At a time when Covid-19 has created an unprecedented global pandemic that has deeply impacted the lives of African Americans, including the politicization of vaccines, and toxic work environments that have spiraled into a record-breaking, actively trending #GreatResignation, HealthPlusis focusing on closing the gaps in awareness, prevention, diagnosis, research, trials, treatment and care that contribute to lingering health disparities affecting people of African descent in the United States.
HealthPlus offers fresh content through engaging, interactive storytelling from a talented ensemble of veteran editors, journalists, photographers and designers. Their collaborative efforts have curated an informative, visually stunning media source that will empower and fully equip African Americans with the tools and resources they need to navigate the challenges of healthcare, self-care, and a complicated healthcare system.
HealthPlus will feature everything from news and updates, feature stories, historical essays, best practices, commentaries and interviews. HealthPlus will engage with a diverse group of stakeholders committed to helping Black and brown communities improve their health and the quality of their lives. HealthPplus will engage doctors, psychologists, celebrities, authors, clinicians, chefs, dieticians, nutritionists, humanitarians, counselors, athletes, personal trainers, corporate executives, entrepreneurs, academicians, and survivors of various illnesses to create content and dialogue about improving Black health.
Arranging its content and information in a practical, easily accessible fashion, HealthPlus brings exciting content about today’s most critical health concerns to digital consumers. “Health Bites,” one of HealthPlus’s key features, will serve quick blurbs on the latest health-related news. Rotating banners will highlight the new content available on the site. Additional topics will focus on all parts of Black health including exercise, medications, media, pop culture, homeopathic remedies, and various organizations and individuals on the ground working everyday to motivate Black people to take their health more seriously.
Twelve years in the making, HealthPlusis the vision of Janis Ware, publisher of The Atlanta Voiceand HealthPlus. HealthPlus is a serious effort to inspire the Black community to take control of their physical, mental, spiritual, and financial health in order to improve the quality of life for the community-at-large.
“I am thrilled that the a vision of providing a platform that allows and affords individuals access to information that could influence changes in behavior has finally arrived. Change that could ultimately alter the quality of their lives. HealthPlus is truly a platform whose time has come,“ says Ware.
The Atlanta Voice, launched with the motto,”A People Without a Voice Cannot Be Heard,” elevating the lives, stories and events of Black Atlantans since 1966. HealthPplus is now elevating the voices of Black Atlantans as it relates to health and wellness.
“Building on the tremendous legacy of The Atlanta Voice for elevating Black voices and stories, HealthPlus will unearth the information and stories Black communities need to see and hear in order to have improved health, access, and overall experiences with the healthcare system. Our team is sensitive to the historic challenges that African Americans face due to discrimination, including a lack of access to accurate information, resources, research trials, and abuse and exploitation due to blatant discrimination. Located in a city that houses world leaders in healthcare, research, science and innovation, HealthPlus was created to right those historic wrongs, while providing a road map for better health and wellness for Black Atlantans,” says HealthPlus editor-in-chief Nsenga K. Burton.
Working well over a year on launching the vertical and its ancillary products (e-newsletter and e-magazine), the HealthPlus team features a veteran editorial and business team. The HealthPlus team includes editor-in-chief Nsenga Burton, senior consulting editor Valerie Boyd, editorial director James Washington, creative director Michael Grant, and social media director director Alexis Grace. Unfortunately, Boyd, a former arts editor for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, University of Georgia professor of journalism, and author of “Wrapped in Rainbows: The Life of Zora Neale Hurston,” lost her battle to pancreatic cancer on February 12, 2022. The inaugural launch of HealthPlus is dedicated to Valerie’s memory.
HealthPlus is the first of the brand’s digital and multimedia properties. Along with the website, e-magazine and e-newsletter, HealthPlus will offer podcasts, livestreams and robust video content in the near future. For more information, visit healthplusmagazine.org.
This post was written by Nsenga K. Burton and Christopher A. Daniel. Follow Nsenga on Twitter @Ntellectual or @Journalistorian.
Actress Aunjanue Ellis attends the 2022 Santa Barbara Film Festival where she was honored for her outstanding performance in King Richard. (Photo: Boris Colletier/Flickr Creative Commons)
Academy award nominee Aunjanue Ellis is on a roll. Ellis, who has been delivering powerful performances since she first set foot on the big and small screen was one of the recipients of the 2022 Essence Black Women in Hollywood Awards. Celebrating 15 years of excellence, the celebrated awards ceremony recognizes the extraordinary achievements of the Hollywood film and television industry’s most inspiring Black women who are helping diverse Black stories to be told.
Held during Women’s History Month, this year’s awards highlighted “The Black Cinematic Universe” and honored luminaries like Nia Long (actress/producer/director), Quinta Brunson (actress/comedian, creator), Chanté Adams (actres actress/producer/director Nia Long (You People), Oscar-nominated actress Aunjanue Ellis (King Richard), actress/comedian/creator Quinta Brunson (Abbott Elementary), actress Chanté Adams (A Journal For Jordan) and Ellis, whose performance as Oracene ‘Brandy’ Williams in the Academy Award winning film King Richard, executive produced by Venus and Serena Williams, finally showed mainstream Hollywood what Black Hollywood and Taylor Hackford already knew — Ellis is a powerhouse on and off the screen. Ellis has won a number of awards previously including a Gracie Award (Book of Negroes), African American Film Critics Association Award (When They See Us and King Richard), Canadian Screen Award (Book of Negroes) and National Board of Review (King Richard) and the 2022 Academy Award nominee added an Essence Black Women in Hollywood award to her portfolio.
Ellis was introduced by King Richard co-star Will Smith, who won the Best Actor award at the 2022 Academy Awards three days later.
Smith sang her praises and spoke about Ellis’ integrity on and off screen as he shared stories of triumph and comfort. Hollywood heavyweight Smith’s introduction of the thespian included the following:
“If there is a central word that describes Aunjanue Ellis, it’s integrity,” Smith said. “She doesn’t care about money, she doesn’t care about ‘making our day’ on set, she cares about people. She cares about treating people right. She does not play injustice, she does not play unfairness, and she does not play brutality – verbal or otherwise. At the core of Aunjanue is a fierce, noble, integrity.”
Wearing bright red and returning the “Oops” of her Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated sisters seated in the audience, the Mississippi-bred star, spoke of “Dark Matter” and doing the work whether or not people see you. She asked the audience to close their eyes so they can really see the dark and then asked them to open her eyes.
The cerebral actress offered many observations.
“So much in the dark – about darkness — is derided, it’s made horrific, we’re trained to fear it, we’re trained to think that it’s ugly. It’s used as the basis for colorism, for racism. But there is this thing that’s called ‘Dark Matter’ and it makes up 80 percent of the entire universe. It’s called “Dark Matter” because people can’t see it but people know it exists because without it the behavior of the stars, the planets and the galaxies would make no sense. Much of my 27-year professional life has been in the dark. Work that no one saw, work that no one wanted to see or should see or noble work that was not valued by white institutions and yet I did it anyway in the dark.”
Ellis went on to challenge dominant ideas about feminism and woman hood citing words by Maya Angelou and Alice Walker and speaking about the centrality of Black women in telling Black stories as she called her über agent Andrea Nelson Meigs onto the stage with her. Ellis stated:
“I work in a profession that was tasked to tell my history—Black American history,” she said. “It looks to other cultures to do the telling; I tell stories that give Black women primacy. In other words, we are centered. We are not plot points—we are the plot. I have been told my stories are too dark. And that darkness means that it’s too Black; Hope does not look like a Black woman, but I know better. My hope comes from my mother and my sister and my grandmother.”
Watch Smith’s introduction and Ellis’ complete speech on Essence.com.
This article was written by Nsenga K. Burton, founder & editor-in-chief of the award-winning news site The Burton Wire. Follow Nsenga on Twitter @Ntellectual.
Lusia Harris, the first woman who was drafted by the NBA, was featured in Queen of Basketball, the 2022 documentary short that chronicled her life.
Executive produced by NBA superstar Steph Curry and NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal, The Queen of Basketball won the Best Documentary Short award at the Oscars. The short documentary chronicles the life of Lusia Harris, the woman who scored the first basket in Olympic women’s basketball history and the first woman officially drafted by an NBA team.
Ben Proudfoot directed the short, which educated die-hard basketball fans about the trailblazer. Told mostly in her voice, Lusia takes viewers through her life story highlighting the highs – groundbreaking basketball career and lows, a bipolar diagnosis, nervous breakdown, loss of confidence and self-redemption.
The story is as much about Lusia’s struggles as a Black woman born in the Mississippi Delta breaking all types of societal barriers as it is about Harris’ contribution to the game of basketball. Harris, who passed away recently, energetically tells viewers her life story and proudest moments, all of which are not related to her fantastic basketball career.
Grab your popcorn and a tissue and watch history unfold through the eyes of the Queen of Basketball, Lusia Harris.
This article was written by Nsenga K. Burton, founder & editor-in-chief of the award-winning news site The Burton Wire. Follow Nsenga on Twitter @Ntellectual.
Canadian singer Deborah Cox will make history as the first Black woman inducted into Canada's Music Hall of Fame.
(Photo: Junos on CBC Music)
The internet is buzzing with news that Canadian songstress Deborah Cox will become the first Black woman inducted into Canada’s Music Hall of Fame.
The Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (CARAS) and CBC announced award-winning recording artist and world-renowned Broadway, television, film and fashion icon, Deborah Cox will be inducted into theCanadian Music Hall of Fame at The 2022 JUNO Awards. Cox will be the first Black woman to receive the national honor.
With a career spanning almost three decades, Cox has released six critically-acclaimed albums and has scaled the R&B and pop charts with six Top 20 Billboard Magazine R&B singles and thirteen number one hits on Billboard’s Hot Dance Club Play Chart. To celebrate her induction during The 51st Annual JUNO Awards on Sunday, May 15, 2022, Cox will perform live from Toronto’s Budweiser Stage. The induction and performance are presented by longtime JUNO sponsor, TD Bank Group.
“I feel incredibly grateful to experience this true milestone moment,” said the Soul Train award winner. “Music has always been about community for me, and I am so thankful to the Canadian Music Hall of Fame and CARAS for not only recognizing myself, but my family, friends and loving fans who have supported me and helped make my dream possible for the past 25+ years. As the first Black woman to become an inductee, I am honored to have the chance to show our younger generations that they can achieve whatever they set their minds to with hard work, dedication and passion. I hope that my music can continue to bring peace, happiness and comfort to anyone who might need it, and empower people of all ages to follow their dreams and believe in themselves,” added the Grammy award-nominated singer.
Cox will join the ranks of Canadian music icons including Alanis Morisette, Buffy Sainte-Marie, Barenaked Ladies, Jann Arden, Joni Mitchell, k.d. lang, Leonard Cohen, Neil Young, Oscar Peterson, RUSH, The Guess Who, The Tragically Hip, Sarah McLachlan and Shania Twain.
“Deborah is a multi-dimensional artist who has been entertaining and captivating audiences around the world for over 25 years,” said Allan Reid, President & CEO, CARAS/The JUNO Awards.”Her resounding voice and powerful performances have made her an international icon. We are so privileged to celebrate her talent and can’t wait to see her inspire audiences this spring in her hometown of Toronto.”
Born in Toronto, Cox grew up in a musical household and showed an early interest in music with influences including Aretha Franklin, Gladys Knight and Whitney Houston, whom she calls her truest inspiration. She began performing professionally and recorded television commercials at age 12, and entered various talent shows in her teenage years before becoming a professional backup vocalist for Céline Dion.
In 1994, Cox was signed to Arista Records by Clive Davis, releasing her self-titled debut album the following year. Her second studio album, One Wish, was certified platinum in the United States and had two Number 1 singles “We Can’t Be Friends” and “Nobody’s Supposed to Be Here,” which became an instant hit and held the record for the longest running Number 1 R&B single of all time. After 14 weeks at the top of the charts, Cox earned a Billboard Music Award nomination for R&B Single of the Year, a National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) Image Award nomination, a Soul Train Award, a Lady of Soul Award and three JUNO Awards.
In addition to singing, Cox is known for her commitment to various social justice initiatives, including advocacy for LGBTQ2S+ rights, support for those living with HIV/AIDS, and the fight for human rights and equality for all. Cox was honored with Black Music Honors’ Entertainer Icon Award in 2020, in recognition of her 25 ground-breaking years in the music industry. In 2008, Cox received a star on Toronto’s Walk of Fame at the Scarborough Centre.
The 2022 JUNO Awards will be broadcast and streamed live across Canada, at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on CBC TV, CBC Gem, CBC Radio One, CBC Music, CBC Listen, and globally at CBCMusic.ca/junos and CBC Music’s Facebook, YouTube and Twitter pages.
This article was curated by Nsenga K. Burton, founder & editor-in-chief of the award-winning news site The Burton Wire. Follow Nsenga on Twitter @Ntellectual.
Amir "Questlove" Thompson accepts the 2022 Oscar for Best Documentary Feature Summer of Soul. (Photo: Screenshot)
Über producer Will Packer was tapped to produce the 94th Academy Awards ceremony and he did not disappoint with grand performances, powerful acceptance speeches and an unscripted slap seen around the world. Hosted by comedians Wanda Sykes, Amy Schumer and renowned actress Regina Hall, the Oscars were infused with African American influence and culture from the presenters to the music of Earth, Wind and Fire, Lupe Fiasco and many more during the transitions and commercial breaks. The show’s musical director was Adam Blackstone and included a super group composed of Blackstone on bass guitar, Robert Glasper on piano, Travis Barker and Sheila E. on drums. The Oscar’s orchestra was led by Baltimore’s Dontae Winslow.
Venus and Serena Williams introduce Beyoncé at the 94th Annual Academy Awards. (Photo: Screenshot)
Presenters included Venus and Serena Williams, Halle Bailey, Ruth E. Carter, Rosie Perez, Wesley Snipes, Jason Mamoa, Lupita Nyong’o, Tracee Ellis Ross and Tyler Perry. The ceremony opened with the radiant Williams sisters, who executive produced King Richard, announcing Beyoncé, who performed “Be Alive,” from the King Richard soundtrack, on the tennis courts in Compton, CA where the world champions trained as girls. Reminiscent of the style and look of Tobe Nwigwe’s, “Make It Home” music video, Beyonce sang her heart out surrounded by an all-white clad group of Black performers against a mint green landscape.
The show which has grown from 15 minutes in its first year (1929) to an average of 3 and ½ hours in recent years had some controversy when Packer, executive producer of Girls Trip, Think Like a Man and Ride Along, cut some categories from the broadcast in order to shorten the time, which has been blamed for low ratings in previous years. The Florida A&M University (FAMU) graduate stuck to his guns addressing the controversy head on in the opening act and moved through the program effortlessly.
Adriana DeBose accepts her Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for West Side Story. (Photo: Screenshot)
Ariana DeBose kicked off the ceremony with a Best Supporting Actress win for her performance as Anita in Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story. DeBose thanked Rita Moreno, who originated the role of Anita in 1962’s West Side Story, becoming the first Puerto Rican actress to win a Best Supporting Actress award. DeBose thanked Rita Moreno for opening the doors for other “Anitas like he”r and referred to herself as an openly Queer Afro-Latina, of which she is the first to win an Academy Award. She encouraged young people struggling with their identities to persevere and know that “there is a place for them here.”
Celebrated actor John Leguizamo introduced the song, “We Don’t Talk About Bruno,” from Disney’s Encanto soundtrack. Even though the song has become the highest charted Disney song in the last 28 years, Lin-Manuel Miranda opted to submit “Dos Oruguitas,” for Oscar consideration instead. Miranda, who was scheduled to appear, had to pull out of the broadcast after his wife tested positive for Covid-19. “We Don’t Talk About Bruno,” was performed by the Encanto cast Stephanie Beatriz (Brooklyn Nine-Nine), Diane Guerrero (Doom Patrol), Reggaeton singer Adassa, Colombian musicians Carolina Gaitán and Mauro Castillo and Grammy award-winning rapper Megan the Stallion . John Leguizano, who actually voices the character of Bruno Madrigal in the film, did not perform, which he joked about during the introduction.
Amir “Questlove” Thompson accepts the 2022 Oscar for Best Documentary Feature Summer of Soul. (Photo: Screenshot)
Amir “Questlove” Thompson won for Best Documentary feature for his film Summer of Soul. Thompson, who was accompanied by his mother, was overwhelmed by the win offering that the film covers the Summer of 1969 in Harlem but is relevant to what is happening today.
Comedian Chris Rock introduced the documentary category and made jokes about Denzel Washington’s performance in The Tragedy of MacBeth, at which the two-time Oscar winner laughed. Rock then ongratulated Jada Pinkett Smith for her role in G.I. Jane 2. Will Smith, who later won the Best Actor award for his performance as Richard Williams in King Richard, approached Rock and slapped him in the face and returned to his seat. American television muted the sound after Smith shouted to Rock to “keep his wife’s name out of your mouth.” Lupita Nyong’o sat stunned at what many thought was a comedic bit but soon realized was a real slap.
Sean “Diddy” Combs tried to calm the situation down following the smack. Upon winning the Best Actor award, Smith wept as he spoke of protecting his family of actors and producers as well as his wife. He spoke about being bullied and forced to take poor treatment due to his celebrity. He apologized to the Academy and his fellow nominees but not to Rock. With his win, Smith becomes the fifth Black man to win the Best Actor Oscar in the history of the Academy Awards.
Additional awards were given out earlier. Late last week (March 25), the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences awarded legendary actor Samuel L. Jackson, 73, an honorary Oscar for lifetime achievement in film and humanitarian efforts. Jackson, a prolific actor who has 197 acting credits, has delivered powerful performances in a host of films including Jungle Fever, Django, A Time to Kill, Eve’s Bayou, The Red Violin and the Star Wars and Marvel Universe franchises. One of Jackson’s most memorable performances was as Jules Winfield in Quentin Tarantino’s classic film Pulp Fiction, for which he was nominated for Best Supporting Actor at the 1995 Academy Awards. In his acceptance speech for the honorary Oscar, Jackson said, “I’m really, really proud to receive this statuette,” and “this thing is going to be cherished.” The Morehouse graduate also thanked “every person who has ever bought a ticket to any movie I was in.”
At the same event, Iconic actor Danny Glover, 74, received the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award for his human rights activism that has spanned the globe during the course of his career. Glover who is best known for his starring roles in The Color Purple, the Lethal Weapon franchise and critically acclaimed performances in The Color Purple, To Sleep With Anger, Places in the Heart, Freedom Song and The Last Black Man in San Francisco, has been engaged in civic activism and used his platform to shed light on many causes including ending Apartheid in South Africa. Glover’s activism began in the Haight Asbury neighborhood of his hometown San Francisco, where he was a part of the Black Panther’s Breakfast program and a student activist at San Francisco State University.
In 1988, Glover was appointed Goodwill ambassador to the UN Development Program and an ambassador for the UNICEF division in 2004, respectively. In those capacities, Glover worked with countries in Haiti, Mali, Namibia, Senegal, Jamaica and Columbia on causes including social justice, climate change and HIV/AIDS awareness. In 2005, he combined his love for acting and filmmaking with activism and co-founded Louverture Films in New York City. The production company is dedicated to producing independent films of historical relevance, social purpose, commercial value and artistic integrity. Since its inception, the company has produced nearly 30 films on topics such as Hurricane Katrina, post-conflict resolution in Nepal, and a film about Afghanistan.
The film Coda was the big winner of the night, winning three top categories: Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Picture and Troy Kotsur for Best Supporting Actor.
For a complete list of 2022 Oscar winners, click here.
This post 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.
Many in the arts, academic and writing world are mourning the loss of celebrated author Valerie Boyd, who passed away February 12, 2022, after a long battle with pancreatic cancer. Val was a mentor, colleague, collaborator, big sister, and friend. When I say I loved her with all my heart, I mean it. Outside of my mother, Val is perhaps the most generous, giving, and decent human being I have ever met. We had a lot in common: Southern Black women from Black cities, writers, Northwestern, Goucher, UGA, womanists, locs, social justice, food and a real love of Black people, history, and culture.
From the moment I met her, Val treated me as an equal and a sister. She invited me to places I wouldn’t know or think to go and exposed me to people I would otherwise not meet. Val was the kind of person to invite you to dinner with a friend and that friend would turn out to be a Pulitzer prize-winning author. She would curate meals which would turn into experiences, and you would learn that you had eaten the food of a James Beard award-winning chef or sipped cocktails created by a world-renowned mixologist. A great connector, Val was always bringing people together. I mean always.
Whether it was pairing students with mentors from the industry, introducing esteemed faculty from the MFA program in creative non-fiction she founded at UGA to each other or connecting Academy Award nominated actresses with artists to create beautiful art for cultural magazines, Val brought people together.
Val was also spontaneous. It was nothing to talk to Val on a Monday and learn she was on the other side of the country Friday because she had chatted with someone who sparked a desire in her to make something happen in that moment. She would call you one day and the next day you were at a biscuit pop-up in Bankhead, where she would tell you wonderful stories about her family and childhood. When with Val, she was uber present, gave her full attention and had yours. Her eyes were literally windows to your soul, she was open, honest, and funny. Her smile could light up a room. Val mastered the art of being honest with kindness, so her direct statements never came off as cruel. Val was unflappable. I never saw her angry or heard her raise her voice in multiple situations that would send the average person into a tizzy. Val never acted out of character. She gave the same respect she commanded.
Val and me gabbing and talking shop i.e. collaborating on HealthPlus. (Photo: NKB)
At the time of Val’s passing, we were collaborating on a project, HealthPlus, a digital-first publication dedicated to addressing African American health. Even though she was battling a very aggressive form of cancer, she remained positive and helpful and shared many of the tools and resources available like sound healing to help fight diseases. Our plan was to launch the publication and then to work on our dream project on Black Hollywood. We had that in common too.
Many know Val as the author of the definitive biography of Harlem Renaissance writer and documentarian Zora Neale Hurston, Wrapped in Rainbows: The Life of Zora Neale Hurston. Others know Val recently completed editing the journals of Pulitzer Prize-winning author Alice Walker for a book Gathering Blossoms Under Fire: The Journals of Alice Walker which comes out April 12, 2022. Hand-picked for this project, it is not lost on me that Alice, who helped resurrect the importance of Hurston’s work chose Val, the woman who wrote the biography Zora Neale Hurston deserved, to edit her most personal and prized possessions. Imagine the level of trust you have to have for someone to give them access to every fiber of your being.
I know Val as a loving daughter, sister, aunt, and long-time partner to Dr. Veta Goler. She was super proud of her family, especially her niece Kaylisha. A proud Aunt, her eyes lit up when she spoke of Kaylisha and their adventures together.
Val, our friend Christine Swanson and my daughter Kai. (Photo: NKB)
I know Val as a kind, humble, thoughtful friend, who was a big cheerleader throughout some of the most important times of my life like when I was adopting my daughter. Val attended my baby shower and had Kai and me over on multiple occasions. Her home was peaceful, beautiful, and welcoming. We loved to chat, vibe about music, film, literature and history and snacks. We were both foodies and had snack cabinets. We would share snacks, talk about snacks, laugh, talk about culture and politics, overindulge, and promise to do it again in the near future. Val was my person. She understood me and made me want to be a better writer and person by being around her, watching her interact with others and of course reading her work.
This photo of Kai was taken in Val’s sunroom. (NKB)
I know Val as great friend — a big sister if you will — and I will miss her Earthly presence immensely. If leaving your mark while you’re here on Earth is a person, then it is Valerie Jean Boyd. Although she is no longer here on Earth as we know it, I know for sure she is somewhere wrapped in rainbows. Rest in power Val. You are missed and you are loved. — Nsenga
Val’s celebration of life is Saturday, March 11, 2022, at 11 a.m. EST. Watch online at the following link https://vimeo.com/683541854.
