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Mahershala Ali Makes History & Viola Davis Wins

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Mahershala Ali is the first Muslim to win an Academy Award as Best Supporting Actor for his role in 'Moonlight' and Viola Davis won Best Supporting Actress for her role in 'Fences.' (Photo: Google)
Mahershala Ali is the first Muslim to win an Academy Award as Best Supporting Actor for his role in ‘Moonlight’ and Viola Davis won Best Supporting Actress for her role in ‘Fences.’ (Photo: Google)

Mahershala Ali made Oscar history last night with his Best Supporting Actor win for his performance in the critically-acclaimed film Moonlight. Ali became the first Muslim to win the honor in the 89-year history of the Academy.

Beloved actress Viola Davis won her first Oscar as Best Actress for her performance in Fences, giving an outstanding acceptance speech.

Barry Jenkins’ Moonlight won best film, which was announced after a stunning mixup in which La La Land was accidentally read as the winner. Jenkins also won for Best Writing Adapted Screenplay.

Upsets include Denzel Washington’s loss in the Best Actor category for Fences, which went to Casey Affleck for his performance in Manchester by the Sea.  Ava Duvernay and Raoul Peck lost the Best Documentary award for 13th and I Am Not Your Negro to O.J.: Made in America. 

For a full list of winners, visit ABC.com.

This post was written by Nsenga K. Burton, Ph.D., founder & editor-in-chief of the award-winning news blog The Burton Wire. Follow her on Twitter @Ntellectual.

Follow The Burton Wire on Instagram or Twitter @TheBurtonWire.

South Africa: Anti-Immigrant Protests Erupt in Violence

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Protesters took to the streets of Pretoria, South Africa’s administrative capital, to protest the presence of “foreigners” in the country based on the widespread belief that many are engaged in criminal activity and taking jobs from South Africans. Police responded to the protesters with water hoses, rubber bullets and tear gas.

South African president Jacob Zuma condemned the most recent wave of xenophobia, asking for calm and stating that most immigrants in South Africa are law-abiding citizens who add value to society and the economy.

Targeted migrant groups include Zimbabweans, Somalis and Nigerians. Xenophobia in South Africa is not new. In 2008, scores of immigrants were killed, while hundreds fled to other countries after xenophobic attacks occurred for similar reasons. King Goodwill Zwelithini, chief of the Zulu people, was blamed for the attacks in 2008 after releasing a video telling “foreigners” to pack their bags and go home.

The most recent spate of xenophobic attacks started in Rosettenville, a neighborhood south of Johannesburg, where residents burned down a dozen houses that they said were being used by Nigerians as drug dens and brothels.

Herman Mashaba, mayor of Johannesburg, was being blamed for inciting this most recent xenophobic violence after saying that South Africans were being held hostage by foreigners, who are often blamed for the country’s high unemployment rate.

Read more at CNN or The New York Times.

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Black History Month Binge Watch: NBC’s ‘Timeless’

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Lucy (Abigail Spencer) works with 'Hidden Figure' Katherine Johnson (Nadine Ellis) in episode 107 of NBC's 'Timeless.'
Lucy (Abigail Spencer) works with ‘Hidden Figure’ Katherine Johnson (Nadine Ellis) in episode 107 of NBC’s ‘Timeless.’ (Photo: NBC)

Timeless follows the adventures of Lucy Preston (a history professor played by Abigail Spencer), Rufus Carlin (a scientist played by Malcolm Barrett) and Wyatt Logan (a soldier played by Matt Lanter) as they attempt to stop Garcia Flynn (Goran Visnjic) from changing the course of American history through time travel.

Sony Picture’s Television’s Timeless premiered on NBC on October 3, 2016 and as luck would have it, Timeless is currently airing on NBC Monday nights.  The show about time travel features three episodes dealing with the never-before-told stories of three African Americans who played integral roles in American history and culture.

 These stories of interest include:

 ·        “Space Race” (EP 107) which follows the ground-breaking work done by African American physicist and mathematician Katherine Johnson and her pivotal role in the success of John Glenn’s Friendship 7 space flight in 1962 and who is featured in the hit film, “Hidden Figures.”

·        “The Murder of Jesse James” (EP 111) that highlights the first Black US Marshall, Bass Reeves, who came to be known as “The Lone Ranger.”

 ·        “The Lost Generation” (EP 113) about the legendary performer Josephine Baker who became a spy for The Allies during World War II.

Perfect for binge watching, discussion and insight during Black History Month, Timeless reflects the good things that can happen when education and entertainment meet on network television.  

The aforementioned episodes (107, 111 and 113) are available to watch on NBC.com and for purchase on iTunes.

This post was curated by Nsenga K. Burton, Ph.D., founder & editor-in-chief of the award-winning news blog The Burton Wire. Follow her on Twitter @Ntellectual. 

Follow The Burton Wire on Instagram or Twitter @TheBurtonWire.

‘FunkJazz Kafé: Diary Of A Decade’ Screening in Atlanta

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(Photo: FUNKJAZZ KAFÉ: DIARY OF A DECADE Graphic)
(Photo: FUNKJAZZ KAFÉ: DIARY OF A DECADE Graphic)

You will always know a condition of a people by what is expressed in their music. 

Narrated by Chuck D (of Rock & Roll Hall of Fame group, Public Enemy), FunkJazz Kafe: Diary of a Decade is an award-winning documentary film that conveys the evolution of Black music and culture as told by the pioneers and next generation of soul music innovators. Covering the late 1980s through the early 2000s, this story reveals the ongoing challenges with the “mainstream” industry of the time, its impact of the departure of soul music and offers solutions for progressing responsibly for artists of today.

This is a classic film for music and social history lovers.

Special appearances in the film include: Janelle Monae, Jill Scott, Erykah Badu, Outkast, Dr. Cornel West, Common, Dick Gregory, Cee Lo Green, Roy Ayers, Jamie Foxx, George Clinton, Public Enemy, Omar, Caron Wheeler (Soul II Soul), N’Dea Davenport (Brand New Heavies), Loose Ends, The Mizell Brothers, Stic Man (Dead Prez), Talib Kweli, DJ, Kemit, Dallas Austin, Raphael Saadiq, Bilal, Organized Noize, Doug E. Fresh, Eric Roberson, Lil John Roberts, Algebra Blessett, Anthony David, Jamal Ahmad, Meshell NdegeOcello, Joi Gilliam, Dionne Farris, Van Hunt, Speech and many others.

A screening of FunkJazz Kafé: Diary Of A Decade will take place Feb 22 at the Plaza Theater  at 6:30 p.m. in Atlanta. 

There will be a Q & A with the film’s producer, writer and director Jason Orr, directly following the screening.

Follow FunkJazz Kafé on Twitter @funkjazzkafe or Instagram @funkjazzkafe.

Follow The Burton Wire on Instagram or Twitter @TheBurtonWire.

15 Afro-Latino Movies You Should Stream for Black History Month

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Manos Sucias. (Photo: Screen Shot)

Writing for REMEZCLA, Manuel Bettancourt contributed to a list of 15 Afro-Latino Movies that should be streamed during Black History Month. Check out some of his selections below:

They Are We (2014)  

Synopsis

Emma Christopher’s ebullient They Are We began with a simple question “Can a family separated by the transatlantic slave trade sing and dance its way back together?” Tracing back the origins of the Afro-Cuban songs and dances brought by an ancestor during the trade to Perico, Cuba, Christopher eventually found a remote village in Sierra Leone where, upon watching a recording of the Cubans’ songs and dances the people exclaimed “They are we!” Christopher’s film is a colorful celebration of Afro-Cuban culture, rhythmically pulsing with the percussive songs that have survived through centuries. (Available on Amazon)

 

Orfeu Negro (1959)

Synopsis

Marcel Camus’ retelling of the Orpheus and Eurydice myth set during Rio’s Carnival won the Palme d’Or at the 1959 Cannes Film Festival. (It’s also Barack Obama’s mother’s favorite film of all time!) Scored by a who’s who of bossa nova composers, including Antônio Carlos Jobim, Luiz Bonfá and João Gilberto, the vibrantly-shot film follows trolley driver Orfeu who, despite being engaged to be married, falls for the young newcomer to the city, Eurydice. True to the myth it is retelling, their love story is doomed from the beginning, but French director Camus finds plenty of joy in their many scenes together, including the colorful dance sequences during Carnival, which map the Greek iconography of the Orpheus tale onto Afro-Brazilian and Candomblé traditions. (Available on Amazon and iTunes)

 

O Dia de Jerusa (2013)

Synopsis

As its title promises, Jerusa’s Day aims to present a day in the life of a woman living in the neighborhood of Bela Vista in São Paulo. Dealing with her loneliness in a community filled with widows and single women who live day to day, this short film offers a glimpse into what Jerusa’s world looks like with surprising candor and empathy. (Available on KweliTV)

 

 

Manos Sucias (2014)

Synopsis

Executive produced by none other than Spike Lee, Josef Wladyka’s debut feature follows two brothers, a desperate fisherman and a naive young man, who embark on a journey trafficking drugs up the Pacific coast of Colombia. And as they tow a narco-torpedo filled with million of dollars worth of cocaine, their differences will soon make their already dangerous trip: while Jacobo, still reeling from being left by his wife and losing his young son, wants to make enough cash to head to Bogotá, his younger brother, would-be rapper Delio, aspires to the glitzy gangster life. Both a thriller and a character study of these two Afro-Colombian young men, Wladyka’s film breathes new life into the Colombian drug flick, away from the busy streets and out into the green and oceanside outdoors. (Available on iTunes, Google Play and YouTube)

 

 

Find more Afro-Latino films and synopses at REMEZCLA.

Follow The Burton Wire on Instagram or Twitter @TheBurtonWire.

Dominican Republic: Radio Hosts Killed During Facebook Live Broadcast

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Photo: News broadcaster and journalist Luis Manuel Medina. (Photo: Twitter)

 

Photo: Twitter Feed

Eric Levenson and Sarah Faidell of CNN are reporting radio hosts Luis Manuel Medina and Leonidas Martinez were killed during Medina’s monologue while broadcasting on Facebook Live. Levenson and Faidell write:

“As followers of Luis Manuel Medina’s Facebook Live video watched another of his radio monologues on Tuesday, two loud bangs rang out. Viewers heard a woman yell. They then watched Medina look up from his microphone, his eyes tracking something off-camera. The video abruptly ends. Medina, along with his radio co-worker Leonidas Martinez, were shot and killed Tuesday while hosting their radio program in San Pedro de Macoris in the Dominican Republic, attorney general Jean Rodriguez said in a statement. The Facebook Live video that appears to show the final moments of Medina’s life remains up on his page, flooded by commenters mourning his death.”

Co-worker Dyanna Garcia de Fernandez was injured during the incident. Medina was host and Martinez co-host and producer of the show “Milenio Caliente,” on 103 FM. They talked about social and political issues.

Police have arrested three men for the murders.

Read more at CNN.

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aTVfest2017: SCAD Atlanta Hosts Hollywood for 5th Year

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ATLANTA, GA - FEBRUARY 02: Actors (L-R) .Aisha Hinds, Jurnee Smollett-Bell, Aldis Hodge and Amirah Vann pose with their Cast Award for "Underground" backstage on Day One of aTVfest 2017 presented by SCAD at SCADshow Greenroom on February 2, 2017 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images for SCAD)
ATLANTA, GA – FEBRUARY 03: Actor Joshua Malina and Actor Joe Morton speak at a Q&A for ‘Scandal’ during Day Two of the aTVfest 2017 presented by SCAD at SCADshow on February 3, 2017 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images for SCAD)

While the city of Atlanta is caught up in a frenzy over the Atlanta Falcons Super Bowl LI bid, Savannah College of Art and Design’s (SCAD) 5th annual aTVfest opened its three-day celebration of television and media productions with stars, screenings and workshops on Thursday, Feb 2.

Actress Jennifer Morrison was presented with the Spotlight Award following the screening and Q&A for ABC‘s “Once Upon a Time” with actor Colin O’Donoghue and co-creator and executive producers Adam Horowitz and Edward Kitsis.

ATLANTA, GA – FEBRUARY 02: Actors (L-R) .Aisha Hinds, Jurnee Smollett-Bell, Aldis Hodge and Amirah Vann pose with their Cast Award for “Underground” backstage on Day One of aTVfest 2017 presented by SCAD at SCADshow Greenroom on February 2, 2017 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images for SCAD)

After the show premiere of FOX’s “24: Legacy,” actors Anna Diop, Teddy Sears, Ashley Thomas and Sheila Vand,and executive producers Manny Coto and Evan Katz discussed the show with the audience. The cast of WGN America’s “Underground,” including actors Aisha Hinds, Aldis Hodge, Jurnee Smollett-Bell and Amirah Vann, received the Cast Award following the screening.

Day two included the screening of Starz’s “Survivor’s Remorse,” followed by a Q&A with show creator Mike O’Malley and actors RonReaco Lee, Tichina Arnold, Teyonah Parris, Meagan Tandy and Robert Wu and the cast of Scandal including Emmy award-winning actor Joe Morton, Jeff Perry, Joe Morton, Josh Malina and Cornelius Smith, Jr. Rising stars Jonathan Majors and Emily Skeggs were there for ABC‘s ‘When We Rise.’ The cast of OWN‘s Greenleaf including Lynn Whitfield, Keith David, Merle Dandridge, Deborah Joy Winans, Kim Hawthorne and Tye White participated in a Q&A during a press luncheon. Sherri Shepard’s new NBC show ‘Trial & Error’ was also screened.

ATLANTA, GA – FEBRUARY 03: Actress Sherri Shepherd attends press junket for Trial & Error during Day Two of the aTVfest 2017 presented by SCAD on February 3, 2017 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Vivien Killilea/Getty Images for SCAD)

The final day of the festival featured the cast of Fox‘s ‘Star’, Brooklyn Sudano and Gaius Charles of ‘Taken,’ Gina Torres of ‘The Catch’ and Justin Hires of ‘MacGyver.’

aTVfest takes place at several SCAD Atlanta locations including the SCADshow Theater, the Digital Media Center and the main SCAD Atlanta campus.

Find out more about aTVfest 2017 on Twitter @aTVfest.

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.

Madiba: BET Miniseries on Mandela Premieres Tonight at 8 p.m.

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Madiba (screen grab) CR: BET

BET‘s three-day miniseries Madiba, chronicling the life of iconic South African freedom fighter and humanitarian Nelson Mandela, debuts tonight at 8 p.m. EST. On the heels of BET’s smash miniseries The New Edition Story, Madiba stars Laurence Fishburne as Nelson Mandela, examining his rise to South Africa’s president after being imprisoned on Robben Island for daring to fight against oppression and tyranny. The 6-hour event which airs over three Wednesdays (Feb. 1, Feb. 8 and Feb. 15) also stars Orlando Jones as Oliver Tambo, David Harewood as Walter Sisilu and Terry Pheto as Winnie Mandela.

Directed by Kevin Hooks, the miniseries looks at a man whose clan name was Madiba. In South African culture, clan names are intimate names that reflect the person’s position in the community. It is given to the child by village elders as a sign of endearment and affection. Nelson is his English name given to Mandela by a teacher in school, which was customary at the time. Mandela led the fight to end Apartheid, a system of discriminatory and oppressive policies based on race in order to promote and preserve white supremacy, while oppressing black South Africans and other minorities.

In a BET interview, Laurence Fishburne says, “The story is certainly South African, but it is also universal.” Check out a sneak peek below:

 

 

Check out The Burton Wire’s photo gallery on Nelson ‘Madiba’ Mandela.
Set your DVRs for what is sure to be a compelling miniseries. Share your thoughts with us on Twitter @TheBurtonWire.

Find out more about this miniseries on BET.com. Check out the hashtag #yestoblack to add to the conversation.
This post was written by Nsenga K. Burton, Ph.D., founder & editor-in-chief of The Burton Wire. Follow her on Twitter @Ntellectual.

2017 SAG Awards: Hidden Figures Cast and Mahershala Ali Win

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Mahershala Ali stars in Moonlight. (Photo: Google Images)
Janelle Monáe, Taraji P. Henson and Octavia Spencer star in Hidden Figures.
(Photo: Fox)

The Hollywood Reporter has posted a complete list of winners of the 2017 Screen Actors Guild Awards. Among the winners were Hidden Figures for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture, Denzel Washington for Outstanding Performance by a male actor in a leading role (Fences), Viola Davis for Outstanding Performance by a female actor in a supporting role (Fences) and Mahershala Ali for Outstanding Performance by a male actor in a supporting role for Moonlight. Orange is the New Black won for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series, beating out Black-ish.

Mahershala Ali stars in Moonlight.
(Photo: Google Images)

Mahershala Ali, who is Muslim, spoke out against President Trump’s ban during his acceptance speech. Listen to his powerful words below:

Read more at The Hollywood Reporter.

Follow The Burton Wire on Instagram or Twitter @TheBurtonWire.

South Africa: E-Learning to Help Bridge Access Gap

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Google Images
Google Images

Tom Jackson of the BBC is reporting South Africa will make use of digital tools to help ensure access to primary school for millions of students. The trend is two-fold — learners will get the education they deserve and companies will generate revenue by providing access to education digitally. Jackson writes:

“This process is already evident in Africa, which according to Unesco has 30 million primary-age children not attending school, over half the global total.

Yet the continent is overcoming challenges surrounding lack of internet access and electricity to become a major player in the e-learning space.

According to a recent report from Ambient Insights, Africa is the region globally where e-learning revenues are most likely to increase, with South Africa the leading market on the continent.

The University of South Africa (Unisa), which teaches through distance learning, has over 310,000 South African and international students enrolled.

And mobile operators have launched digital learning projects, such as Vodacom’s “e-school” offering online educational content.”

Read more at BBC.

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