Actor Michael K. Williams (Photo: Asim Bharwani/FlickrCC)
The internet is buzzing with news iconic actor Michael K. Williams has died. Multiple media outlets including The Hollywood Reporter are reporting the celebrated actor who played some of the most interesting and complicated characters on television including Omar on The Wire (HBO), Chalky White on Boardwalk Empire (HBO), Montrose Freeman on Lovecraft Country (HBO), Bobby McCray in When They See Us (Netflix), Jack Gee in Bessie (HBO) and Leonard Pine in Hap and Leonard (AMC), was found dead today in his apartment. Born in Brooklyn to a Bahamian mother and father from Greenville, SC, Williams starred in over 111 productions. He trained as an actor with the National Black Theater company in New York City.
Michael K. Williams as Montrose Freeman in Lovecraft Country. (HBO)
Williams who was known for a scar down the front of his face which he got in a bar fight in his twenties, was discovered by the late actor and rapper Tupac Shakur. He was cast as High Top, the brother and henchman to Shakur’s drug kingpin Tank, in the film Bullet (1996). He also appeared in numerous music videos of superstars like George Michael and Madonna and was photographed by world-famous photographer David LaChappelle. A star of many talents, Williams also choreographed Crystal Water’s 1994 single, “100% Pure Love.” Williams credits his childhood friend Dana “Queen Latifah” Owens as his inspiration for getting into the music business.
Williams received three Primetime Emmy awards for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie for his work in Bessie (2015), The Night Of (2016) and When They See Us (2019). The thespian also won a Screen Actors Guild award for Outstanding Ensemble in Television for his role as Chalky White on Boardwalk Empire and most recently won the Critics’ Choice Television Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for his role as Montrose Freeman in Lovecraft Country.
Williams was in a longterm relationship with actress and director Tasha Smith at the time of his passing.
Williams was 54.
This story is developing.
This article was written by Nsenga K. Burton, Ph.D., founder & editor-in-chief of The Burton Wire. Follow Nsenga on Twitter @Ntellectual.
Camille A. Brown will make history as the first Black woman
The Great White Way is getting a little browner. Producers Nelle Nugent, Ron Simons and Kenneth Teaton have helped make history with their announcement Tony Award nominee Camille A. Brown will direct the upcoming production of Ntozake Shange’s, “for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf” on Broadway in 2022. This will mark Brown’s directorial debut on Broadway.
Brown, who served as choreographer on the 2019 production of the play at The Public Theater off-Broadway, will also continue in her role as choreographer on Broadway, making her the first Black woman to serve as both director and choreographer on a Broadway production in more than 65 years.
Among the previous Broadway productions Brown has choreographed are Once On This Island and Choir Boy, for which she received a Tony nomination in 2019, making her the first Black female choreographer to receive the honor in more than two decades. She is also known for her work on “Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert,” the Oscar nominated Netflix film Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, as well as the Metropolitan Opera’s production of Porgy and Bess. She is the founder and artistic director of the award-winning dance company Camille A. Brown and Dancers.
“I’m extremely thrilled and honored to helm this new production of for colored girls…,” said Brown. “It’s an amazing feeling to bring this seminal show back to Broadway 45 years after it opened at the Booth Theatre on September 15, 1976. I look forward to diving into the divine Ntozake Shange’s choreopoem and celebrating her legacy.”
“It is an honor to help usher the return of Ntozake Shange’s groundbreaking work to Broadway under the direction and choreography of Camille A. Brown, who is herself blazing a new path on Broadway as the first Black woman in more than 65 years taking on this dual role,” said producer Ron Simons. “I am quite confident that the ancestors and Ntozake’s spirit are lifted.”
A groundbreaking work in modern American theater, for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf returned to The Public for the first time since it premiered in 1976, before its breakthrough run on Broadway.
Filled with passion, humor, and raw honesty, legendary playwright/poet Ntozake Shange’s form-changing choreopoem tells the stories of seven Black women using poetry, song and movement. With unflinching honesty and emotion, each woman voices her survival story of having to exist in a world shaped by sexism and racism.
Brown is a prolific Black female director / choreographer, who has received numerous honors including a Guggenheim Award, Bessie Award, Jacob’s Pillow Dance Award, Doris Duke Artist Award, United States Artists Award, 2 Audelco Awards, 5 Princess Grace Awards, and a New York City Center Award. She has received a Tony nomination, 3 Drama Desk nominations, 3 Lortel nominations and an Obie award for her work in theater. She is an Emerson Collective fellow, a TED fellow and the recipient of a Ford Foundation Art of Change Fellowship. Brown is the 2021 Distinguished Artist, presented by The International Society for the Performing Arts.
This post was curated by Nsenga K. Burton, Ph.D., founder & editor-in-chief of The Burton Wire. Follow Nsenga on Twitter @Ntellectual.
Ahmaud Arbery, 25, was killed by Gregory and Travis McMichael, while jogging through their neighborhood. (Photo: Chavous B. Johnson and Reid Funeral Home)
September 2 (Brunswick, GA) – Nationally renowned civil rights and personal injury attorney Ben Crump issued the following statement Thursday in response to the indictment of former Georgia district attorney Jackie Johnson for violating her oath of office and obstructing a police officer in connection with the investigation into the killing of Ahmaud Arbery.
Attorney Ben Crump has issued the following statement:
“The path to justice for Ahmaud Arbery and his family has been a long and arduous one. But today’s indictment is yet another step in the right direction. Former DA Johnson may not have pulled the trigger on the day Ahmaud was murdered, but she played a starring role in the cover-up. Ahmaud was stalked, gunned down, and his killers were allowed to freely walk the streets for months. And why? Because DA Johnson wanted to protect one of Ahmaud’s killers: former police officer Greg McMichael.
“While nothing will bring back Ahmaud, we can make sure his death was not in vain. Today’s indictment sends a clear message to those in law enforcement and in the justice system whose actions and ethics fail to meet the standards of their office: corruption, evil, racism, and hate have no place here. We demand that former DA Johnson be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law without leniency.
“Ahmaud was denied all consideration the day he was murdered and in the months following his death – it’s past time that those responsible be held accountable for it.”
Read more about the Arbery case which The Burton Wire elevated here.
Follow The Burton Wire on Instagram or Twitter on @TheBurtonWire.
Iconic performer, activist and spyJosephine Baker. (Photo: Google Images)
The internet is buzzing with news iconic performer, civil rights activist and spy for the French resistance during WWII, Josephine Baker, will be reinterred at France’s Pantheon, which is the nation’s highest honor. The St. Louis native will become the first Black person, Black woman and sixth woman. interred at the famous monument. Considered Franco-American, Baker. became a French citizen after marrying her third husband Jean Léon (born Levy) in 1937. Baker will be the third woman interred based on her merit and not marriage at the famous monument.
Baker left America for France to escape anti-Black racism and segregation, becoming a world-renowned performer who is most famously represented wearing her trademark banana dance skirt. In WWII, Baker joined the French resistance as a spy, getting military information to allies. Baker, who would sew the messages. into her clothing, used her travels as a world-famous dancer as her cover. In 1963, Baker traveled to Washington to participate in the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom led by Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. who delivered his historic “I Have a Dream” speech.
Josephine Baker at the March on Washington(1963) – Google Images
A trailblazer Baker, who was bisexual, adopted twelve children of all racial and gender backgrounds referring to them as her “rainbow tribe.” Celebrated essayist Laurent Kupferman and one of Baker’s sons, Brian Bouillon Baker lobbied French President Emmanual Macron to bestow the honor on Baker.
“A petition to honor Baker at the Panthéon was started by Kupferman on May 8, which is celebrated as Victory in Europe Day, and gathered almost 38,000 signatures. Baker ‘should not be inducted only because she was a woman or because she was Black’, Kupferman said. ‘She should be inducted because of the acts of courage she performed for the country.'”
Baker died in 1975 at the age of 68 after suffering a stroke. The icon had recently made a triumphant return to the stage before the stroke in an attempt to return to her prior cultural and economic status.
Baker’s body is currently interred in the Monaco Cemetery in Monaco. She was buried in a French Military uniform wearing medals for the work she performed as part of the French Resistance. The legendary performer’s remains will be reinterred at France’s Pantheon, which is the nation’s highest honor and reserved for national heroes.
Baker will become the first Black person, Black woman and sixth woman interred in the celebrated monument, which is located in Paris’ Latin Quarter. Baker will join world renowned scientist Marie Curie, philosopher Voltaire and women’s rights activist Simone Veil at the Pantheon.
The ceremony to reinter Josephine Baker at the Pantheon will take place November 30.
This article was written by Nsenga K. Burton, Ph.D., founder & editor-in-chief of The Burton Wire. Follow Nsenga on Twitter @Ntellectual.
Tennis star Naomi Osaka. (Photo: Twitter/@NaomiOsaka)
Tennis star Naomi Osaka. has pledged her earnings from her next tennis tournament to help the Caribbean nation of Haiti which was struck by a 7.2 earthquake, leaving nearly 1300 people dead. Osaka, who is Haitian and Japanese stated Saturday on Twitter:
Photo: Twitter/@naomiosaka
“”Really hurts to see all the devastation that’s going on in Haiti, and I feel like we really can’t catch a break. I’m about to play a tournament this week and I’ll give all the prize money to relief efforts for Haiti. I know our ancestors blood is strong we’ll keep rising.”
The Western and Southern Open is held at the Linder Tennis Center in Mason, OH. Rescue efforts were suspended today in Haiti as Tropical Depression Grace bore down on the first Black republic of the Western Hemisphere.
This post was written by Nsenga K. Burton, Ph.D., founder & editor-in-chief of The Burton Wire. Follow Nsenga on Twitter @Ntellectual.
UPDATE: As of today, the death toll has climbed to 1,297 people as the search continues for survivors. Rescue workers continue to search feverishly as the Caribbean nation braces for a quickly approaching tropical storm.
A major 7.2 magnitude earthquake has struck the western side of the Caribbean nation of Haiti. Haiti is still recovering from a 2010 catastrophic earthquake which killed 250,000, and left more than 3 million people impacted by the fallout.
Seismologists said the epicenter of the quake was 78 miles west of the capital of Port-au-Prince (Saint-Louis du Sud) and the effects were felt as far away as 200 miles in Jamaica.
Multiple news outlets are reporting more than 200 people are dead and some like the BBC are expecting that number to climb as search and recovery efforts continue.
Check out a report by CBSN News correspondent Vladimir Duthiers, who is Haitian-American, and has reported extensively from Haiti:
A little more than one month ago, Haiti’s President Jovenel Moise was assassinated at his home, leaving the country reeling. On July 20, 2021, Ariel Henry was appointed prime minister of Haiti. Henry said there is “extensive damage” and has declared a state of emergency through the end of the month. Elections for the new president will be held next month.
This story is developing. Follow The Burton Wire on Twitter @TheBurtonWire for updates.
This news brief was written by Nsenga K. Burton, Ph.D., founder & editor-in-chief of The Burton Wire. Follow Nsenga on Twitter @Ntellectual.
LOS ANGELES – The Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN) and its first-ever health initiative OWN YOUR HEALTH announced today an exclusive partnership with Hologic’s Project Health Equality public health initiative. The partnership will bring awareness to the disparity of healthcare Black women receive in the areas of breast, cervical, and uterine fibroids; provide access to education and preventative tools using Hologic’s comprehensive research and resources; and share original content from celebrated OWN creative visionaries highlighting the authentic stories and voices of Black women.
Key insights from leading public health, academic, and professional health organizations indicate that healthcare is a critical social justice issue that will require collective resources to eradicate. The facts are clear:
Black women are 40% more likely to die from breast cancer.*
Black women experience higher mortality rates from cervical cancer than any other racial or ethnic group.**
Black women are 2x as likely to die from cervical cancer than white women.***
Black women are 2.4x more likely to undergo a hysterectomy for uterine fibroids.****
Black women are 3x more likely to be hospitalized for fibroid-related issues as white women.*****
“As a global leader in women’s health, one of our top priorities is to ensure the women we serve have access to life-changing and life-saving care and resources,” said Karleen Oberton, Hologic’s chief financial officer. “It is more important than ever to address health disparities for Black women – and there is no better partner than OWN to make real change happen. With our resources and OWN’s reach and resonance, we are steadfast in our commitment to serve Black women everywhere.”
“COVID-19, societal pressures and the ongoing racial justice movement have highlighted that stark disparities continue to exist regarding affordable and accessible healthcare, systemic racism, and racial discrimination in healthcare, especially for Black women.” said Jennifer Giddens, head of marketing at OWN. “We are proud to announce this important partnership that supports awareness and action to Black women to own their whole health – physical, mental and emotional as it has never been more critical to use OWN’s wide-reaching platform to meet our audience where she is with support, tools and resources to prioritize her health and wellness.”
The Epidemic Within The Pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic raised broad awareness of how Black women – and Black communities — have been disproportionately impacted by the virus. This is also the case for other health conditions. In many health areas, Black women experience lower preventive screening rates and follow-up care than other ethnic groups and, accordingly, may be diagnosed with illness at a later stage.
Additionally, Black health disparities often exist as a result of unique stressors such as systemic racism within and outside of the United States healthcare system, racial segregation of neighborhoods, racism-related chronic psychosocial stress and medical mistrust. The OWN YOUR HEALTH and Hologic Project Health Equality partnership addresses the physical, mental and social/emotional aspects of health for and about Black women.
Key Healthcare Issues for Black Women in America:
To inform the campaign, OWN is implementing a study to identify key healthcare issues, attitudes, and behaviors affecting Black women in America. The study includes questions about Black women’s experience of bias in healthcare settings, the impact of past trauma on receiving care, their existing relationships with healthcare providers, and inquiry into cervical, breast, and uterine health and screenings.
OWN YOUR HEALTH focuses on three key pillars affecting Black women’s health:
Proactive Prevention – including routine screenings, nutrition, physical activity, health education and accountability.
The Unspoken – including fertility, motherhood, sexual and relationship health, trauma, financial health, and treatment options.
Superwoman – source of pressure many Black women regularly experience – the obligation to project an image of strength and to suppress emotions, to resist accepting help or admitting vulnerability and prioritizing caregiving to others and community to the detriment of self.
Jennifer Hudson has a bevy of accolades including a BAFTA Award, a Golden Globe and Academy Award for her brilliant portrayal of Effie White in Bill Condon’s film version of the iconic Broadway musical Dreamgirls. Hudson knows the stakes of bringing a beloved story and electric musical performances to the big screen. The BAFTA award winner has had many roles on television and film since then including starring in 2013’s film version of Black Nativity, but playing her idol Aretha Franklin, the Queen of Soul and by all accounts a musical genius, is something else.
It isn’t as if Hudson hasn’t played a legend before. In 2011, she starred as freedom fighter Winnie Mandela in the Darrell Roodt directed film of the same name. Playing a woman doing whatever it takes to win the fight against Apartheid in South Africa against all odds is one thing. Playing the woman who changed rock ‘n roll and R&B and hand-picked you to play her in a movie while facing her mortality is another. Aretha Franklin is an institution and any actress who takes on the role of bringing Franklin’s story to the big screen is engaged in some heavy lifting in the entertainment world.
A young Jennifer Hudson meets Aretha Franklin for the first time in 2004 after opening a show for the Queen of Soul. (Photo: Jeremy Lawson/JHUD Twitter)
Hudson acknowledges the surreal aspect of playing a woman who she grew up idolizing and informed her musical style. “I grew up singing in church and anybody who sings in the choir idolizes Aretha Franklin,” says the two-time Grammy award winner. “Preparing for this role, I had to think about the acting and the music. I feel blessed and grateful to be here,” added Hudson, who sang at Franklin’s star-studded funeral.
Hudson, who got her break as a contestant on American Idol and rose to superstardom through her role as Effie and Grammy win for her self-titled debut album, is known and respected in the music world for her singing chops and gospel influences. Hudson, who also sang at music legend Whitney Houston’s funeral, understands the role of the church and faith in her life as well as Franklin’s.
“I think it’s so powerful the film starts in the church and ends in the church,” says Hudson. She added that is was important for her to have faith at the center of the narrative of the film, directed by Liesl Tommy.
Like Aretha, whose life was difficult and full of obstacles and tragedy, Hudson has suffered her own with the devastating loss of her mother and nephew at the hands of an enraged and violent family member. At the height of Hudson’s fame, the celebrated performer was dealt a personal blow from which many never recover. Hudson persevered and maintained her significance in the music and film world much like Franklin, married and gave birth to a son the following year.
It is clear that Hudson, who first met Franklin backstage after opening a show for her in 2004, understands the significance of being selected by the Queen of Soul to play this role. Yes, she is tremendously qualified to play the role, but the Chicago native’s steps are also ordered to be chosen by Franklin for the role. Just as Hudson learned to develop her style of singing in the church and from watching and listening to Franklin, Hudson also learned something about herself when making this film. Hudson learned to own her voice.
“It wasn’t until Aretha owned her voice, we all got our Queen of Soul,” says Hudson. Like Franklin who is perhaps the most influential music artist of our time and left a legacy of excellence in multiple genres, Hudson understands remaining true to your core values and yourself is what will bring you the joy and reward many are seeking.
“if we all took the time to look within ourselves and own our own voice, then we would see what queen or king is under there and find the gift to give to the world,” adds Hudson. It is clear that Hudson, who studied piano in preparation for the role, has many more gifts to give and this performance is one of them.
RESPECT premieres Friday, August 13, 2021 in a theater near you. Check local movie listings for screening times.
This article was written by Nsenga K. Burton, Ph.D., founder & editor-in-chief of The Burton Wire. Follow Nsenga on Twitter @Ntellectual.
The world is officially recovering from the 2021 Olympics which took place in Tokyo, Japan, the second time for Tokyo and the fourth time for Japan. The Jamaican women’s track team showed up and showed out by sweeping the 100 meter final.
Elaine Thompson-Herah of Jamaica defended her title as the fastest woman in the world, winning gold in the 100 meters race and breaking the late, great Olympic champion Florence Griffith Joyner’s record of 33 years in the process. Thompson-Herah was the defending gold medalist in this event and her legendary teammates Shelly-Ann Fraser took home Silver while Shericka Jackson took home the Bronze medal.
This isn’t the first time Jamaican women swept the 100. Led by Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, they swept the 100 in the Beijing Olympics (2008), with Fraser winning the gold and teammates Sherone Simpson and Kerron Stewart tying for second place.
Jamaica, which gained its independence from the U.K. in 1962, has won 87 medals since 1948. One cannot talk about Olympic greatness without mentioning the Jamaican track and field dynasty as evidenced by Usain Bolt, Merlene Ottley, Arthur Wint, Veronica Campbell, Donald Quarrie and of course Fraser-Pryce.
It is impossible to discuss Jamaican champion track athletes or Olympic champions without discussing Herb McKenley, the pioneer of Jamaican sprinters. In addition to winning the silver in the 200m and bronze in the 400m in the 1952 Helzinki Olympics, McKenley had the vision to create track and field clubs throughout Jamaica to create more competitive runners. McKenley served as the director of Jamaica’s national team, 1954-1973 and in 1992 received the Silver Order, from the International Olympic Committee, in recognition of his contribution to athletics for half a century.
Interestingly in her quest to retain her title, Thompson-Herah recently switched training clubs before the 2021 Olympics, which may account for what some have called the “frosty” response from her teammates to her record breaking run. Thompson-Herah’s win further demonstrates the importance and impact of McKenleys vision for having training clubs available throughout the country.
As we celebrate the wins of the Jamaican women’s Olympic track and field teams, it is essential to remember these world-class athletes are standing on the shoulders of those who came before them, and continuing the legacy of outstanding Jamaican track athletes.
This article was written by Nsenga K. Burton, Ph.D., founder & editor-in-chief of The Burton Wire. Follow Nsenga on Twitter @Ntellectual.
A collage of artist Steve R. Allen's Olympics work
created over the years as "official" artwork for the games. Allen has served as an official artist for eight Olympic games. (Photo and Copyright held by Steve Allen)
In a move to demand equity in the business of Art for Black people, renowned international Artist Steve R. Allen is gifting select HBCU’s coveted pieces of Art featured in the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture as part of a multimillion-dollar gifting initiative.
Born in a one-room shack in North Carolina and without any formal art training, Mr. Allen’s artworks have been acquired by private collectors around the world. The self-taught artist served as the official artist for eight Olympic Games. Five of Mr. Allen’s artworks hang in the Smithsonian Museum of African American History and Culture Founding and Permanent Collection in Washington, D.C. His extensive body of work has taken him all over the world and stimulated international dialogue about the significance of art on social justice.
Throughout his career, Mr. Allen has noted the lack of representation on the business side of art as it relates to high end auction houses and mind-boggling private banking transactions that value artworks as tradable assets. His HBCU gifting initiative serves as social commentary on the financial value of Black art in American culture and is a demand for equity amongst Black people in the business of art.
“This gift, along with those that follow, aligns with my mission to expose the variety of visual contributions of African American artists to students, scholars and collectors and, moreover, to demand equity for my brothers and sisters in the business of art. My intention is to strengthen the position of Black institutions as innovative places for teaching art and revealing its power and financial value,” says Allen. “I cannot think of a better way to honor my mother, Rev. Dr. Rebecca Bowden Allen Johnson, an alumna of Shaw University, and brother Arthur Lee Allen’s, legacies than by providing Black and other audiences around the country with access to these artworks.”
The Atlanta University Center in Atlanta, Georgia (which includes Clark Atlanta University, Morehouse College, Spelman College, ITC Interdenominational Theological Center), Florida A&M (Tallahassee, FL), and Stillman College (Tuscaloosa, AL), are the initial recipients of the coveted Art and will host formal receptions in 2022 to mark the occasion.
Mr. Allen’s papers were acquired by Emory University’s Stuart A. Rose Manuscript, Archives and Rare Book Library alongside other luminaries including Langston Hughes, Alice Walker and Josephine Baker.
For more information about Mr. Allen’s charitable giving and programming, please visit the Steve R. Allen Foundation.
This article was curated by Nsenga K. Burton, Ph.D., founder & editor-in-chief of The Burton Wire. Follow Nsenga on Twitter @Ntellectual.
