Nicknamed The Reggae Girlz, Jamaica’s women’s football team made history by qualifying for the 2019 Women’s World Cup. They are the first women’s soccer team from a Caribbean country to quality for the prestigious soccer tournament. Watch France 24’s report on this dynamic group of women.
Read more at France 24.
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Famed University of North Carolina and NBA basketball star George Lynch is making a difference. The man who counts a high school championship (Patrick Henry (Roanoke, VA – 1989), college championship (UNC Tarheels – 1993) and a first-round draft pick to the Los Angeles Lakers among his many accomplishments has now added head basketball coach to the list. Lynch who still holds the record for most steals at the storied UNC Tarheels basketball program, has gone from stealing basketballs to stealing hearts and minds as head coach of the Clark Atlanta University Panthers. In his quest to build a world class basketball program at Clark Atlanta University in Atlanta, Lynch has picked up where former CAU head coach, Arkansas basketball Hall of Famer and NBA world champion Darrell Walker, laid a foundation.
Lynch has been working on building a strong program through hard work, close relationships with his players and being adamant about the student part of the student-athlete title. “The players are here to get an education first and then comes basketball. That is what Coach Smith taught me and that’s what I teach them,” says Lynch, who blossomed under the guidance of legendary UNC basketball coach Dean Smith. “I didn’t have one issue with my CAU basketball players not going to class this year. I’d run into professors on campus who would say great things about the players as students and that’s how it should be,” says Lynch, who instills discipline in his players which they apply to their life and the basketball court.
“We finished third in the conference this year, which is not bad,” the first-time collegiate head coach states. “Coach Walker left me three great Seniors who were self-motivated, very respectful and solid students so that helped a lot.” Lynch, who previously served as an assistant coach at Southern Methodist University, strength and conditioning coach at University of California Irvine and an Assistant Coach for the Detroit Pistons, took the job for just that reason – to build a great program and ensure that players were getting what they need on and off the court.
When considering the move to be a head coach at CAU, many Division I coaches cautioned Lynch about going to an HBCU because they said he’d spend more time fundraising than coaching. Lynch has managed to do both, pouring all of his time and energy into the program, especially the players. “The way I see it is any kid that I had an opportunity to share my experiences with would benefit from having me as a coach. I understand where the students are coming from. Many of the players grew up in poverty and without father figures. Although I had my dad in my life, my parents were divorced, so I understand a lot of those experiences,” says Lynch who spent time guest lecturing in Valerie Harris’ Public Relations class the day of our interview.
Lynch understands that he has been in a privileged position in all aspects of his career including playing pro basketball for the Grizzlies, 76ers and Charlotte Hornets. The man who told students during his guest lecture to “fight for what you want out of life and this institution,” is hell bent on giving back what was given to him by Dean Smith and other NBA coaches over the course of his professional career. “Coach Smith and Brown (Larry) didn’t care what school you came from. They treated you the same and wanted to coach kids who love the sport. I feel the same way,” says Lynch who feels good about his decision.
Even though Lynch is happy about his decision, doesn’t mean there haven’t been challenges coaching at this Division II program. “The number one challenge we have as a program is fundraising and resources,” offers Lynch, who only gets seven scholarships for students whereas most other programs get a minimum of ten. “We also need to change the culture here and make it one where alumni and former players want to come back and be a part of the team,” Coach Lynch. “That’s why my foundation is having a fundraiser – to help close the gap in funding here and to create an environment that will bring the community together around basketball.”
Although quiet in demeanor, Coach Lynch is ambitious in his planning, thinking and motivating. When asked what he wants his legacy to be at CAU, he ponders for a moment. “I want to make sure we take funding and resources out the equation so we can concentrate on continuing to create great student athletes who are disciplined, role models for their fellow students and athletes, exhibit high ethical standards and give their all on and off the basketball court,” says the philanthropist. “I want my legacy to be he built a great basketball program with players who excelled on and off the court.”
For more information about Coach Lynch’s Arts for Athletes fundraiser, click here.
This article was written by Nsenga K. Burton, Ph.D., founder and editor-in-chief of the award-winning news blog The Burton Wire. Follow her on Instagram or Twitter @Ntellectual or @TheBurtonWire for more news about the African Diaspora.
Black Public Media (BPM) and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) have announced the recipients of the Jacquie Jones Memorial Scholarships. The $300,000 scholarship fund, made possible by CPB, is inspired by the life and work of Jacquie Jones, the Peabody Award-winning director and former executive director of Harlem-based BPM, who was steadfast in her commitment to helping foster diverse content creators prior to her death in January 2018.
“Jacquie Jones’s legacy is one of vision, innovation and inclusion. We are very proud that the first recipients of the Jacquie Jones Scholarships — Rachel Dickson, Kevin Shaw, Loira Limbal, Jameka Autry, Jasmin Lopez, Yvonne Shirley and Orlando Bagwell — through their storytelling honor this vibrant legacy,” said CPB President and CEO Pat Harrison.
Awardees include:
A Place to Learn, produced by Rachel Dickson and directed by Kevin Shaw, on the fight to save an elementary school that is central to Chicago’s black community;
Through the Night, produced by Loira Limbal and Jameka Autry and directed by Limbal, a vérité documentary that addresses the impact of the current economy on the lives of working mothers and a childcare provider at a 24-hour daycare center in New Rochelle, New York;
Silent Beauty, directed and produced by Jasmin López, a filmmaker based in New Orleans, Louisiana, an autobiographical exploration of one woman’s family history with child sexual abuse and a culture of silence;
Gil Scott-Heron, produced by Yvonne Shirley and directed by Orlando Bagwell, about the iconic poet and musician and his personal and political struggles.
“These projects, and the makers behind them, speak to our mission to bring diverse content and makers to the public media audience,” said BPM Executive Director Leslie Fields-Cruz. “It’s what Jacquie advocated throughout her career.”
Grant Clark, Jacquie’s husband, said, “As a family, we look forward to celebrating the growth of these filmmakers who, through public media, are shining light into places often overlooked — just as Jacquie did.”
Watch this video to learn more about Jacquie Jones’ life and career.
Click here to learn more about Black Public Media.
The 2019 Met Gala has come and gone and left in it’s wake major fashion disasters and winners. Some stars came to create scenes while others came to make a statement. Hollywood it-showrunner Lena Waithe and it-fashion designer Kerby Jean-Raymond represent the latter, reminding folks that black, queer culture is the foundation of “Camp.” The dynamic duo arrived on the pink carpet wearing 80s style suits with the words “Black Drag Queens Invented Camp,” emblazoned across Waithe’s back. The pinstripes on the suits were actually lyrics to Diana Ross’ iconic hit, “I’m Coming Out.” Using words on his clothing is one of Jean-Raymond’s signatures. The suits also featured buttons designed by it-jeweler Johnny Nelson which highlighted iconic rap artists like Nas, Tupac and Nipsey Hussle and LGBTQ icons like RuPaul, Olivia St. Laurent and Willie Ninja.
The 2018 CFDA (The Council of Fashion Designers of America) nominee for Emerging Talent and 2019 CFDA nominee for Menswear Designer of the Year (Pyer Moss) is committed to telling black stories — American stories — through his fashion so much so that he says 20 percent of his clothing is about fashion and 80 percent is about stories.
The Haitian-America, NYC born fashion designer has been working in fashion since age 15, when he worked under the tutelage of legendary fashion designer Kay Unger. He worked with Unger honing his craft and experiencing life as a black boy growing into a man in New York City and all that came with it.
At the 2015 New York Fashion Week, Jean-Raymond had his professional breakthrough with Pyre Moss’ show which tackled police brutality and invoked the Black Lives Matter movement. On some of his garments were the words “Breathe,” a nod to Eric Garner who died in 2014 at the hands of six NYPD police officers who put him in a choke hold and sat on him even though he said he couldn’t breathe eleven times during the 19 minute ordeal. Check out a video of Jean-Raymond’s show below (Warning: Not Necessarily Safe for Work):
Since then Jean-Raymond has gone on to be nominated for numerous awards, collaborated with Reebok on a luxury men’s sneaker line and launched several collections including American Also which is a three-part re-telling of American History through three different collections that center on black Americans. Jean-Raymond says the idea started from a conversation with other black men discussing how even though they were born in the United States, they don’t feel like they belong here. Check out his interview with High Snobiety below:
Jean-Raymond’s latest collaboration is with Reebok and film director Director X entitled Seven Mothers which tells his personal story and the death of his mother at age 7. The film is told through imagery, stories and of course fashion.
Kerby Jean-Raymond is disrupting industries — fashion and film in order to place black people and black culture at the center of the narrative. This disruption includes the 2019 Met which embraced iconic writer Susan Sontag’s strict definition of camp in her iconic 1964 essay, “Camp: Notes on Fashion,” which erases the significance of black and queer culture in the rise of camp in the New York fashion world. Jean-Raymond and Waithe’s fashion statement at the 2019 Met Gala is in keeping with his style of using fashion to critique and complicate fashion for the betterment of society.
This post was written by Nsenga K. Burton, Ph.D., founder & editor-in-chief of The Burton Wire. Follow her on Twitter @Ntellectual. Follow The Burton Wire on Twitter or Instagram @TheBurtonWire.
Variety is reporting streaming giant Netflix has acquired an African animated series entitled, “Mama K’s Team 4,” a first for the streaming service. The show is produced by South Africa’s award-winning Triggerfish Animation Studios and British kids’ and family entertainment production company CAKE. Christopher Vourlias reports:
“The series follows four teenage girls living in a futuristic version of Lusaka, Zambia, who are recruited by a retired secret agent to save the world. It was created by Zambian writer Malenga Mulendema, who in 2015 was one of eight winners of the Triggerfish Story Lab, a pan-African talent search backed by the Cape Town-based animation studio and The Walt Disney Co. The series is designed by the Cameroonian artist Malcolm Wope.
In the past decade, Triggerfish has become a powerhouse in South Africa’s burgeoning animation industry. Its first two animated features, “Adventures in Zambezia” (2012) and “Khumba” (2013), are two of the five top-grossing South African movies of all time.”
In December 2018, Netflix announced it would begin aggressively acquiring original content from African countries. One of the shows Netflix acquired in December 2018 is Queen Sono, a classic spy drama featuring Quantico, a woman spy, who juggles dangerous missions and personal drama. Played by South African actress Pearl Thusi, the show will see Quantico travel across the African continent on missions with a home base in South Africa.
To read the article about Mama K’s Team 4 in entirety, visit Variety.
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On Thursday, April 11, 2019, ten producing teams will take to the stage at the third annual PitchBLACK interactive pitching session, a spirited battle of content creators vying for up to $150,000 in funding. The event is part of Black Public Media’s 13-week 360 Incubator+ for broadcast programs, web series and virtual reality projects, a program designed to identify and pipeline quality black content. The PitchBLACK forum, hosted by veteran producer Sandra Rattley, will be held Thursday in NYC. Winners will be announced at an awards ceremony on Friday, April 12.
Based in Harlem, Black Public Media (BPM) is the nation’s only nonprofit dedicated solely to media content about the black experience. Its 360 Incubator+ hones the skills of experienced producers and filmmakers — and their projects. Since mid-January, the participants, or 360 Fellows, have been working intensively under the guidance of mentors in preparation for PitchBLACK, a high-stakes pitching session in front of industry professionals.
The six projects competing for a license agreement for public media distribution and funding ranging from $50,000 to $150,000 include the broadcast projects The 3,000 Project by Keith McQuirter and LaNora Williams-Clark (mentor Chris Hastings), Changing State by Leola Calzolai-Stewart and Kiley Kraskouskas (mentor Sonia Gonzalez-Martinez); The House I Never Knew by Randall Dottin (mentor Byron Hurt); Commuted by Nailah Jefferson (mentor Yoruba Richen); Listen to My Heartbeat by Nyjia July (mentor Sabrina Schmidt Gordon) and A Love Supreme: Black, Queer and Christian in the South by Katina Parker (mentor Michèle Stephenson). The two digital projects participating are A Good Man, a web short by Michael Fequiere (mentor Joe Brewster) and Heroes of Color, a web series by David Heredia (mentor Kimson Albert).
Two virtual reality projects vying for engagement campaign funding of up to $100,000 are Greenwood Avenue by Ayana Baraka (mentor Rachel Falcone) and Points of View by Alton Glass and Donovan DeBoer (mentor Michael Premo).
On Friday April 12, a benefit supporting the work of Black Public Media will begin at 7 p.m. Filmmakers Michèle Stephenson and Joe Brewster will receive the inaugural Trailblazer Award. The winner of the first Nonso Christian Ugbode Digital Media Fund award, will also be announced. The award is named after Ugbode, a renowned digital storyteller and BPM’s late director of digital initiative. Representatives from American Documentary Inc. / POV, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, Ford Foundation, Foundation for a Just Society, MacArthur Foundation, Sundance Institute, Surdna Foundation, Third World Newsreel, Tribeca Film Institute and Women Make Movies will also be in attendance.
BPM Executive Director Leslie Fields-Cruz and BPM Founding Executive Director Mable Haddock will also be on hand for this exciting experience.
For more information on the projects, check out this look book. For more information on BPM’s 360 Incubator+ initiative, click here.
For more information on Black Public Media, visit www.blackpublicmedia.org or check Twitter (@BLKPublicMedia) or Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/BlackPublicMedia).
This post was curated by Nsenga K. Burton, Ph.D., founder & editor-in-chief of The Burton Wire. Follow her on Twitter @Ntellectual or @TheBurtonWire.
The world is mourning the loss of rapper and philanthropist Nipsey Hussle who was killed over the weekend in front of his Marathon clothing store in Los Angeles, CA. Born Ermias Asghedom, Hussle was an entrepreneurial rapper who bought a strip mall in the Crenshaw district of Los Angeles, creating businesses and jobs for people in the community. Forbes recently chronicled his philanthropy and business interests.
NPR Music critic Rodney Carmichael writes:
“Nipsey Hussle was widely respected in the hip-hop world, not just for his musical contributions but for the hustle ethic personified in his chosen stage name. He overcame the obstacles of an unforgiving environment, made famous by generations of West Coast rap legends, to become one of the most beloved and inspirational figures within the culture.”
Hussle rose to fame with a number of mixtapes and creative marketing techniques. For example, in 2013, he independently made 1000 copies of his CD Crenshaw, selling them each for $100. Rap legend Jay-Z purchased 100 copies of his CD raising Hussle’s profile outside of the independent rap industry. Hussle said he wanted to use a “scarcity model” to combat the idea of giving away music for free.
Hussle released his first project, Slauson Boy Vol. 1, in 2005. In 2008, he released the mixtape Bullets Ain’t Got No Name Vol. 1. The Compton raised rapper’s last album, Victory Lap, was released in 2018 after years of anticipation and earned the philanthropist a 2018 Grammy nomination for Best Rap Album.
A father of two, Hussle was in a longterm relationship with actress Lauren London, having recently been featured on the cover of GQ magazine. Hussle and London share a son Kross, who was born in 2016. The doting father brought his daughter Emani (born from a previous relationship) and London to the 2018 Grammy Awards. Hussle, who is of African-American and Eritrean descent, outfitted a local elementary school with sneakers for students and giving much needed renovations to the building. Hussle grew up with his mother, never meeting his father who was Eritrean. Hussle recently visited Eritrea learning about his East African heritage.
A former gang member who turned his life around, Hussle was scheduled to meet with Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti and the Los Angeles Police Chief Michael R. Moore to discuss how to end gang violence in Los Angeles the day following his death. Los Angeles police have issued an APB for Eric Holder, who is suspected of killing Hussle and injuring two others.
Hussle was 33. Rest in power.
This post was written by Nsenga K. Burton, Ph.D., founder & editor-in-chief of The Burton Wire. Follow her on Twitter @Ntellectual. Follow The Burton Wire on Instagram or Twitter @TheBurtonWire.
The entertainment industry is reeling over the sudden death of Veteran comedy writer and producer Eunetta T. Boone. Boone is Executive Producer and Showrunner of Season 3 of the Disney Channel’s Raven’s Home, co-starring Raven-Symoné. According to Boone’s obituary, she died of a heart attack and was found in her Los Angeles home March 20. In the wake of Boone’s death, Raven-Symoné and the Disney Channel released statements.
Raven-Symoné’s statement:
“My heart is heavy following the loss of ‘Raven’s Home’ executive producer Eunetta Boone. Eunetta was a pioneer and an inspiration to everyone she met. She was a masterful storyteller, an empathetic leader and a beacon of light to so many. I’m sending love and my deepest sympathies to Eunetta‘s family and friends and all who knew and loved her. She will be missed. Thank you for everything Eunetta.”
The Disney Channel’s statement about Boone’s death:
“Eunetta Boone was a wonderful person and a consummate storyteller and teacher, and through her leadership on many productions including ‘Raven’s Home,’ she did so well what she enjoyed most — mentoring creative talent. Eunetta will be dearly missed and fondly remembered by everyone who knew her. All of us at Disney Channel grieve her passing and send our deepest condolences to her family, friends and colleagues.”
Boone wrote and produced for a myriad of television sitcoms including The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Living Single and The Parent ‘Hood. Boone served as executive producer of My Wife & Kids and The Hughleys simultaneously. She also created and served as showrunner of the show One on One starring Flex Alexander and Kyla Pratt. In addition to her work in the field, Boone also worked as a screenwriting instructor in UCLA’s Extension Program. She holds journalism degrees from the University of Maryland (B.A.) and Columbia University (M.S.).
Please find Eunetta T. Boone’s Obituary below:
Eunetta Boone, showrunner of “Raven’s Home,” has passed away at the age of 63 from an apparent heart attack. Boone, who inspired many diverse writers throughout her career, had taken the reins on the third season of the popular Disney Channel series last year. She was found deceased in her Los Angeles home on Wednesday morning (March 20).
Boone’s reputation as a consummate storyteller was well-earned through her roles as creator and executive producer of the comedy series “One on One” and “Cuts” as well as having been co-executive producer of “My Wife and Kids” and “The Hughleys.” She also wrote on the staffs of “The Parent ‘Hood,” and “The Fresh Prince of Bel Air.”
After “One on One,” Boone taught screenwriting at UCLA Extension for six years. Last year she decided to return to producing and threw her hat in the ring to join the staff of “Raven’s Home.” She was brought on as a consultant toward the end of season two which led to her being asked to run the series in season three which is in production.
Boone began her career as a sports reporter for the Baltimore Sun, the first African American woman to cover sports in Baltimore. She graduated from the University of Maryland with a Journalism degree and received her Master of Science in Journalism from Columbia University.
She is survived by her mother, Eunice Taylor; sister, Regina Ward; nieces, Breawna Taylor, MaKenna Ward and a host of friends and family.
Rest in power.
This post was curated by Nsenga K. Burton, Ph.D., founder & editor-in-chief of The Burton Wire. Follow her on Twitter @Ntellectual. Follow The Burton Wire on Twitter @TheBurtonWire.
Mucad Ibrahim, 3, is the youngest victim of the Mosque attacks that took place in New Zealand in March. According to Carol Kuruvilla of Huffington Post, Ibrahim was separated from his family during the attack at Christchurch’s Mosque al Noor. Mucad was one of 50 worshippers at the Noor and Linwood mosques killed in the massacre.
According to the article:
“Mucad loved to play on iPads, kick around a soccer ball and chat with older people, his family and friends told The Associated Press. He was intelligent and full of energy, his brother Abdi Ibrahim said, and always seemed to be laughing. Mucad was born in New Zealand to a Somali family that immigrated to the country 20 years ago, seeking to escape violence in their homeland. The family regularly attended traditional Friday prayers at Al Noor Mosque. Afterward, Abdi Ibrahim and his friends would go to nearby Hagley Park to play soccer. Mucad often tagged along to cheer for his brother and kick a soccer ball around on the sidelines.”
Mucad was separated from his father and brother during the melee. Rest in power little one.
Read more at Huffington Post.
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Reuters is reporting Brazil has waived visa requirements for visitors from the United States, Canada, Japan and Australia. In an effort to boost tourism, the Brazilian government waived the requirement, which previously occurred during the 2016 Olympics hosted by Brazil. The move coincides with President Jair Bolsonaro’s visit to the United States this week. The United States does not plan to reciprocate the visa waiver.
Read more at Reuters.
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