Edward Brooke, the first black American to be elected to the U.S. Senate has died. He was 95. (Google Images)
Edward Brooke, the first black American to be elected to the U.S. Senate has died. He was 95. (Google Images)
NBC News is reporting that Edward Brooke, the first African-American in U.S. history to win popular election to the Senate, died Saturday.
The Republican senator, who represented Massachusetts for two terms from 1967 to 1979, died of natural causes at his Coral Gables, Florida, home, surrounded by his family, said Ralph Neas, Brooke’s former chief counsel.
The author writes:
“Brooke was elected to the Senate in 1966, becoming the first black to sit in that branch from any state since Reconstruction and one of nine blacks who have ever served there — including Barack Obama.
After Obama’s presidential election in 2008, Brooke told The Associated Press he was “thankful to God” that he lived to see it. And with the president on hand in October 2009, Brooke received the Congressional Gold Medal, the highest award Congress has to honor civilians.
‘Senator Brooke led an extraordinary life of public service,’ Obama said in a statement Saturday. “As the first African-American elected as a state’s Attorney General and first African-American U.S. Senator elected after reconstruction, Ed Brooke stood at the forefront of the battle for civil rights and economic fairness.”
Secretary of State John Kerry lauded his ‘remarkable political courage’ in being the first Senator to call for President Richard Nixon’s resignation on Nov. 4, 1973. Nixon stepped down nine months later.
Brooke helped lead the forces in favor of the Equal Rights Amendment and was a defender of school busing to achieve racial integration, a bitterly divisive issue in Boston. He also lent his name to the Brooke amendment to the federal housing act, passed in 1969, which limited to 25 percent the amount of income a family must pay for rent in public housing.”
Mr. Brooke was 95.
To read this article in its entirety, check out NBC.
For more about Mr. Brooke, check out Akosua Lowery’s profile of the legendary senator on The Burton Wire. The post originally ran on November 8, 2013.
Richmond Free Press founder Ray Boone, journalist and educator Chuck Boone, journalist Angelo Henderson and cartoonist Morrie Turner died in 2014.
Celebrated poets and activists Amiri Baraka and Maya Angelou.
The African Diaspora suffered the loss of many iconic figures. The world lost poet/actress/activist Maya Angelou and actress activist Ruby Dee, one-half of legendary couple Ossie Davis. Poet/activist Amiri Baraka and father of Newark mayor Ras Baraka also passed away. Award-winning author J. California Cooper died at age 82. Cooper won an American Book Award in 1989 for the second of her six story collections, ‘Homemade Love.’ Her short story ‘Funny Valentines,’ about a woman in a troubled marriage was turned into a 1999 television movie starring Alfre Woodard and Loretta Devine. Walter Dean Myers, author of young-adult fiction that featured the stories of African Americans, died at age 76. Colombian novelist Gabriel García Márquez also died at age 87. The Nobel Laureate wrote such seminal works as ‘One Hundred Years of Solitude’ and ‘Love in the Time of Cholera.’ Chicago poet and author, Sam Greenlee, best known for his novel The Spook Who Sat by the Door, died in Chicago May 19 at age 83. Author and former Black Panther Wayne Pharr died in September at age 64. Pharr fought the Los Angeles Police in a historic gun battle in 1969 and authored the book Nine Lives of a Black Panther: A Story of Survival.
Legendary dancer Geoffrey Holder, actress Juanita Moore and fashion designer Oscar de la Renta died in 2014.
Celebrated Cuban actress Elizabeth Peña, 55, ‘Designing Women’ actor Meshach Taylor, 67 and rising star Misty Upham of ‘August Osage County’ fame all passed away this year. Oscar nominated actress Juanita Moore (Imitation of Life and Black Caesar) died in January 2014 at 99. Lee Chamberlin, 76, one of the original cast members of the hit PBS children’s show The Electric Company, died. Legendary Trinidadian-American dancer and actor Geoffrey Holder also died as well as Mary Hinkson, a leading dancer in the Martha Graham Dance Co. She was one of the first two African-American dancers to join the legendary troupe. Dominican Republic born fashion icon Oscar de la Renta also passed away. De la Renta designed gowns for U.S. Presidential First Ladies including Jacqueline Kennedy, Laura Bush, Nancy Reagan, Hillary Rodham Clinton and Michelle Obama
Richmond Free Press founder Ray Boone, journalist and educator Chuck Stone, journalist Angelo Henderson and cartoonist Morrie Turner died in 2014.
Three-time Pulitzer-Prize winning photographer, Jamaican-American Michel du Cille died of a heart attack while covering the Ebola crisis in Liberia. Longtime journalist and educator Charles Sumner “Chuck” Stone Jr, one of the founders of the National Association of Black Journalists, died at 89. Morrie Turner, the first African-American comic strip artist who created the Wee Pals comic strip also passed away. Brumsic Brandon, Jr., creator of Luther, one of the first nationally syndicated comic strips to feature a mainly black cast of characters, died in November at 87. Angelo Henderson, Pulitzer Prize-winning Detroit journalist, radio talk show host and co-founder of a prominent community patrol group died at 51. St. Louis Post-Dispatch sports columnist Bryan Burwell, who regularly appeared on HBO and ESPN, died at 59. Raymond Boone, founder, editor and publisher of Virginia’s Richmond Free Press died in Richmond on June 3.
Former DC Mayor Marion Barry, Zambia President Michael Sata and Jackson, Miss. Mayor Chokwe Lumumba died in 2014.
Controversial yet beloved DC mayor and civil rights activist Marion Barry also passed away after a brief illness in November. The world mourned the loss of Franklin McCain, one of the Greensboro 4 who died and black nationalist icon and mayor of Jackson, Miss., Chokwe Lumumba who transitioned in February. Middleweight boxer, Rueben ‘Hurricane’ Carter, who was wrongfully imprisoned for 20 years for a triple homicide died in April in Toronto. A film starring Academy award-winning actor Denzel Washington as Carter was made in 1999. Former president of Haiti, Jean-Claude Duvalier, known as Baby Doc, died in Port-au-Prince, Haiti in October at the age of 63. Zambian president Michael Sata died in October after receiving treatment for an undisclosed illness.
Entrepreneur and philanthropist Herman J. Russell, exiled Cuban Architect Ricardo Porro Hudalgo and ‘Jheri Curl’ founder Comer Cottrell.
Herman J. Russell, an entrepreneur and philanthropist who turned a small plastering firm into one of the most successful African-American-owned real estate development and construction companies in America, died at 83 in November in Atlanta. Comer Cottrell, the creator of the wildly popular hair product, the ‘Jheri Curl’ died at his Plano, Texas home at 82. His company became a multimillion dollar entity and and helped launch a billion dollar industry. Cuban architect Ricardo Porro Hudalgo and political activist died on Christmas day at age 89. In 1957, Porro published an article, El sentido de la tradición, calling for a Cuban architecture that recognized the specifics of culture and history, “una arquitectura negra”. He was then forced into exile because of his support of the Cuban Revolution. A painter and sculptor, Porro went on to become one of the most celebrated architects of our time.
FGM Activist Efua Dorkenoo and Dr. Sheik Humar Khan, who dedicated his life to fighting Ebola died in 2014.
Sierra Leone doctor Sheik Humarr Khan, was one of the world’s top Ebola doctors. He died in July while treating victims of the disease. Ghanaian-born activist Efua Dorkenoo, who helped lead the campaign against female genital mutilation (FGM) in Africa and the Middle East died at 65. Known as ‘Mama Efua’, in 1983 Dorkenoo founded the Foundation for Women’s Health, Research and Development (FORWARD), a British NGO that supports women who have experienced FGM and tries to eliminate the practice.
South African R&B singer Lulu Dikane, Puerto Rican Salso legend Jose ‘Cheo’ Feliciano and legendary UK Reggae DJ Roberto Allen died in 2014.
The blogosphere lamented the deaths of legendary UK dee-jay Roberto Allen of Vibes FM in July and Hip-Hop pioneers Larry Smith and Henry “Big Bank Hank” Jackson. Smith, one of rap music’s first super producers, was instrumental in launching the careers of acts like Kurtis Blow, Run DMC and Whodini. Jackson, co-founder of the Sugar Hill Gang, died from complications due to cancer in December. The music world also said goodbye to Motown legend Jimmy Ruffin and legendary soul singer Bobby Womack, whose career spanned seven decades and included the ’80s hit ‘If You Think You’re Lonely Now,’ died at age 70. Country singer Kevin Sharp, 43, passed away and Puerto Rican salsa music great José “Cheo” Feliciano died in car crash at age 87. In March, House music legend DJ Frankie Knuckles died at age 59. South African Soul Singer Lulu Dikane died in December at 35 and Rob ‘DJ E-Z Rock’ Bryce, half of hip-hop duo Rob Base and DJ E-Z Rock, passed away at 46. John Blake, Jr., a celebrated jazz violinist, who merged classical technique with spirituals, folk music and blues died at age 67. Jazz trumpeter, composer and big band leader Gerald Wilson whose career spanned eight decades passed away at 96. Legendary pianist and composer Joe Sample passed away in Sept from complications due to lung cancer.
Jamaican born Olympic Fencer Kamara Barnes, South African soccer captain Senzo Meyiwa, America Olympic track and field legend Alice Coachman and Dominican baseball player Oscar Taveras died in 2014.
Tony Gwynn, 54, a first-ballot Hall of Famer who played for the San Diego Padres and was considered one of the best hitters in baseball passed away and MLB Rising Star, St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Oscar Taveras, 22, died in a car accident while visiting his home country of the Dominican Republic. Track-and-field legend, Alice Coachman, who became the first black woman to win a gold medal at the Olympics died at age 90. Jamaican born fencer Kamara James, 29 also died. She was one of the youngest fencers to represent the United States at the 2004 Athens Olympic Games at the age 19. Celebrated shot blocker and Philadelphia 76er Caldwell Jones, passed away at 64. South African Soccer Captain Senzo Meyiwa was killed in October by an intruder at the home of his girlfriend, Afropop singer Kelly Khumalo.
Film and television pioneer Ike Jones, documentarian William Greaves, renowned scholars Stuart Hall and Ali Mazrui passed away in 2014.
William Greaves, documentary filmmaker, producer and host of the groundbreaking TV news program Black Journal died at 88. Pioneering African-American filmmaker Ike Jones died in October. He was the first African-American graduate of UCLA’s prestigious film school and a producer of the film A Man Called Adam, starring Sammy Davis Jr., Ruby Dee and Ossie Davis.
The world said ‘goodbye’ to world renowned scholars Ali Mazrui and Stuart Hall. Kenyan-born Mazrui, wrote extensively about African and Islamic studies and North-South relations. Jamaican-born, UK scholar Stuart Hall, often referred to as ‘the godfather of multiculturalism’ died in February.
Eric Garner, Michael Brown and Yvette Smith were all unarmed when killed by police in 2014.
The Burton Wire’s Top News Stories of 2014
The Burton Wire is committed to covering news of the African Diaspora. This year has been a doozy with political and social unrest, the deaths of iconic, game changing figures, and the rise and fall of major athletes. Check out The Burton Wire’s top 10 news stories of the diaspora below:
The Rise of Mo’ne Davis
Mo’ne Davis named the 2014 Associated Press Athlete of the Year. You may remember Davis, a 13-year-old pitcher and honor student who took out player after player during the 2014 Little League World Series.
Mo’ne Davis.
Bob Maadi of AP writes:
“She was the first girl to win a Little League World Series game, and her performance dazzled fans young and old. Her steely gaze and demeanor on the mound were intimidating, while off-the-field, she shined in interviews. She told admirers that if they thought she was good at baseball, they should see her play hoops. Only in eighth grade, Davis already plays for her school’s high school varsity basketball team.”
Davis also appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated, has her jersey displayed in baseball’s Hall of Fame and was named Sports Kid of the Year by Sports Illustrated Kids. The three-sport athlete (basketball and soccer) says that basketball is actually her best game.
The Fall of Oscar Pistorius Storied Olympic Paralympian runner Oscar Pistorius, was convicted of culpable homicide in the murder of his girlfriend, model Reeva Steenkamp. Pistorius killed Steenkamp in his home after firing four shots through a closed bathroom door. Pistorius claimed that he thought she was an intruder while prosecutors believed that Pistorius, who had prior domestic violence incidences with other lovers, killed Steenkamp in a fit of rage. Pistorius was sentenced to five years in prison, but is only expected to serve 10 months. Prosecutors have appealed the sentencing.
Women gather to protest the kidnapping of 200 Nigerian schoolgirls in Chibok.
#Bring Back Our Girls
In April 2014, more than 200 Nigerian school girls of Christian and Muslim faith were kidnapped from their school in Chibok by Islamist terrorist group Boko Haram, which opposes the education of girls. Reports stated that the girls were sold into slavery as brides to militants in neighboring countries like Chad and Cameroon. The going price is alleged to have been $12 US. The government failed to intervene because they said going after the girls was too dangerous, igniting an international movement to #bringbackourgirls. After having the bad manners to co-opt the phrase, #bringbackgoodluck2015, Nigerian president Goodluck Jonathan eventually banned the hashtag and has announced multiple times that officials now know where the girls are located and that they will be returned, which has yet to happen. The failure to act on behalf of the girls, coupled with false promises, has led many to believe that the schoolgirls have been abandoned.
The Death of Dr. Myles and Ruth Munroe The religious world was shocked when Dr. Myles Munroe, president and founder of the Bahamas Faith Ministries International (BFMI) and Myles Munroe International (MMI), died in a plane crash in November, along with eight other passengers, including his wife Ruth,who was co-pastor of BFMI. Dr. Munroe was a celebrated pastor, teacher, broadcaster, motivational speaker, author and humanitarian. In 2012, he was awarded Peru’s Congressional Medal of Honor for his contribution to leadership development in Peru and other emerging Latin American nations. Dr. Munroe was chief executive officer and chairman of the board of the International Third World Leaders Association and president of the International Leadership Training Institute. The private plane headed to Freeport crashed after striking a crane.
The Killing of Unarmed Blacks in the United States by Police Officers
Eric Garner, Michael Brown and Yvette Smith were all unarmed when killed by police in 2014.
On August 9, 2014, Michael Brown, 18, was killed in Ferguson, Missouri by police officer Darren Wilson. The college-bound, unarmed 18-year-old was shot and killed after an altercation with Wilson. Witnesses said the teen was running away from Wilson with his hands in the universal surrender sign when he was shot six times by Officer Wilson. Wilson maintains that he was afraid for his life and that Brown attacked him. Brown’s lifeless body was left on display in the street in scorching conditions for four hours before he was taken away. The autopsy showed that Brown was shot from a distance by Officer Wilson. Prosecutor Bob McCullough has been at the center of controversy after putting on a case that many said was in defense of the police officer, not a victim. He has since admitted to knowingly putting a witness on the stand that he knew was lying. The grand jury failed to indict Officer Wilson and the city has erupted in protest. The hashtag #handsupdontshoot has become a rallying cry for protesters.
The killing of New York’s Eric Garner, husband and father of five by police officers who placed him in an illegal choke hold, also ended with a grand jury’s failure to indict the police officer. Garner’s videotaped killing sparked protests worldwide. Unarmed Black women have also been killed at the hands of police. Tanesha Anderson, 27, of Cleveland was killed after her head hit the ground when officers were performing a “take down” of Anderson, who was bi-polar. Rekia Boyd was fatally shot in the back of the head by Chicago police and Yvette Smith, 48, who was shot and killed by a member of the Bastrop County Sheriff’s Office, when she opened the door to let police officers in after calling for help. The list goes on. Will the denial about the unjust killing of unarmed blacks by police officers continue?
A Star is Born: The Rise of Lupita Nyong’o
Lupita Nyong’o at the 2014 Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards. (Google Images)
Yale trained actress Lupita Nyong’o literally took Hollywood and the fashion world by storm in 2014. The Mexican-born Kenyan thespian won the 2014 Best Supporting Actress Academy Award for her portrayal of Patsey, a tortured slave in Steve McQueen’s 12 Years a Slave. The celebrated actress slayed the red carpet, proving that she’s as much of a tour de force in fashion as she is on the runway. Nyong’o was named the new ambassadress of Lancôme and honored as Glamour Magazine’s Woman of the Year. The 31-year-old is redefining beauty and fashion in Hollywood. She’s also an activist, opposing the building of a minor league baseball stadium in what was once the center of Richmond, Virginia’s flourishing slave trade. Lupita is a woman after our hearts and minds.
Suicide of Dynamic Black Women in the Business of Empowering Black Women
For Brown Girls Blogger Karyn Washington and Miss Jessie’s co-founder Titi Branch committed suicide this year. (Photos: Google Images)
In April 2014, Karyn Washington, the 22-year-old founder of the For Brown Girls website, which sought to empower chocolate-complexioned black women, died after reportedly committing suicide. Diana Ozemebhoya Eromosele of The Root writes:
“Her passing is a devastating loss for legions of black women who went online to seek refuge in any one of Washington’s many initiatives, including the #DarkSkinRedLip project, which knocked down beauty standards and encouraged black women to find and rock whatever shade of red lipstick that best suited them.
Early reports suggest that Washington suffered from depression as she coped with the loss of her mother.”
Titi Branch, 45, co-founder of Miss Jessie’s natural hair care products died from an alleged suicide on December 4. Branch co-founded a curly hair salon in Brooklyn in 1997 with her sister Miko. They launched the natural hair care line named for their Grandmother in 2004. Titi is credited with creating Miss Jessie’s Curly Pudding, one of the lines most popular products. Miss Jessie’s products was one of the first natural hair care lines to be carried nationwide by retailers Target and Wal-mart.
The stigma surrounding Black women and mental illness has to go. We need help and need to be supported when asking for help or exhibiting signs of distress. If you need help now or know someone who is need of help, call the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 800-273-8255.
The Rise of Jackie Robinson West All-Stars Chicago’s Jackie Robinson West All-Stars won the U.S. title in the Little League World Series with a 7-5 win over Las Vegas’ Mountain Ridge. NBC Chicago writes:
“The team has become an inspiration for other black kids to try baseball, a sport that’s become less popular in the black community.
Dennis Butler, the father of the team’s manager Darrold Butler, says the inquiries have already started.
‘I’ve already had three or four phone calls,’ Dennis Butler said. ‘It is going to inspire the community in regards to the parents wanting to get their children to get involved.’
The players are having an affect on the city much bigger than baseball. The all-black team reside in neighborhoods like Auburn Gresham, Englewood and Chatham, communities that are at times, known for violence — not youth baseball.”
Along with being the first Chicago-area team to make it to the Little League World Series in 31 years, Jackie Robinson West also made history as the first all-black team to win the U.S. title. Team members met with President Barack Obama in November of this year. Before the world championship game against South Korea, the President tweeted that “we’re all so proud” of the team. Even though South Korea won the final game 8-4, Jackie Robinson West had already secured a special place in the hearts of Americans across the country.
The Rise of Tim Howard and the Fall of the World Cup?
USA Soccer goalie Tim Howard.
The world went crazy over World Cup USA Team goalie Tim Howard who kept team USA in the 2014 World Cup mix with 16 saves, the most in a World Cup game since 1996. The New Jersey born footballer who had dedicated his life to soccer, finally received the international recognition that he had earned over the years with his amazing performance during the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, and will ultimately help the U.S.A. embrace soccer as the dynamic international sport that it is. While Tim Howard’s star was rising, the World Cup’s star was falling. Brazil did not take heed of lessons learned from the 2010 World Cup held in South Africa. FIFA’s 2014 World Cup was plagued with some of the same challenges that led to anti-World Cup protests throughout Brazil, mostly Sao Paolo and Rio. Parties and murals demonstrated the conflict that Brazilians have over the abject poverty that many in the country face, while pouring billions of dollars into venues and infrastructure to host the 2014 World Cup. Coupled with controversy surrounding contracts that mainly benefitted FIFA as opposed to locals, the lead-up to the World Cup that many had hoped would land Brazil a 6th win, was mired in conflict. Despite losing the cup and the protests, Brazil won in economic terms. Talia Marcopoto of CNN writes:
“According to government figures, 1 million foreign tourists visited Brazil during the month-long event, far exceeding its pre-Cup projection of 600,000 visitors coming to the country from abroad.
About 3 million Brazilians traveled around the country during the event, just short of the expected 3.1 million.
Additionally, according to the government, of the million foreign visitors, ‘95% of them said they intend to return.’
‘We were saying that we would host the World Cup of World Cups,’ said President Rousseff in a statement. ‘Indeed, we staged the World Cup of World Cups.'”
Despite the economic gains, the outcomes fell short of projections. Coupled with ongoing protests and the continued poverty faced by many in the country, can you really count the 2014 World Cup as a win for Brazil?
The Ebola Crisis
Ebola victims are buried in mass graves in Sierra Leone. (Photo: National Geographic)
The Ebola outbreak took hold of the world, causing many to panic and mobilize over helping to end the infectious disease. More than 20,000 people have been diagnosed with Ebola and more than 7,800 people have died from the disease. Treatment of the disease has caused the loss of many including Dr. Sheik Humarr Khan, a doctor who was on the front lines fighting the Ebola outbreak in Sierra Leone. While American and UK doctors have been slow to travel to affected areas, Cuban doctors have led the fight against Ebola, sending the largest medical force to West Africa in order to fight Ebola. The United Nations (UN) has issued a call for more countries to contribute to the humanitarian effort in the fight against the infectious disease. A brigade of 165 Cuban health workers arrived in Sierra Leone in October, the first batch of a total of 461. In sharp contrast, western governments have appeared more focused on stopping the epidemic at their borders than actually stemming it in West Africa.
March 31, 2014: In this file photo, Al-Jazeera English producer Baher Mohamed, left, Canadian-Egyptian acting Cairo bureau chief Mohammed Fahmy, center, and correspondent Peter Greste, right, appear in court. (Google Images)
March 31, 2014: In this file photo, Al-Jazeera English producer Baher Mohamed, left, Canadian-Egyptian acting Cairo bureau chief Mohammed Fahmy, center, and correspondent Peter Greste, right, appear in court. (Google Images)
BBC News is reporting that the parents of one of the three al Jazeera journalists jailed on this day last year for spreading false news and supporting a terrorist group, are hopeful that they will be freed. The author writes:
“Speaking to the BBC on the first anniversary of their arrest, Peter Greste’s father said he was confident their convictions would be overturned.
Mr. Greste, Mohamed Fahmy and Baher Mohamed were sentenced to between seven and 10 years in June for spreading false news to help a terrorist group.”
On Thursday, the court will begin examining if proper legal procedures were followed in the case of the journalists and four students that were also convicted of the same crime.
Their sentences will either be upheld by the court or dismissed based on the findings.
English actor Christian Bale stars as Moses in the film 'Exodus'. (Photo Credit: Empire Online)
English actor Christian Bale stars as Moses in the film ‘Exodus’. (Photo Credit: Empire Online)
BBC News is reporting that Egypt has banned ‘Exodus,’ a Hollywood film based on the Biblical book of Exodus because of what censors described as “historical inaccuracies”. While many are lamenting the casting of English actor Christian Bale as Moses and Australian Joel Egerton as Ramses, the censorship has more to do with the historical events as opposed to the casting controversy over race.
The author writes:
“The head of the censorship board said these included the film’s depiction of Jews as having built the Pyramids, and that an earthquake, not a miracle by Moses, caused the Red Sea to part.
There have also been reports that the film is banned in Morocco.
Although the state-run Moroccan Cinema Centre (CCM) had given the film the green light, Moroccan business website Medias24.com said that officials had decided to ban the movie from being screened the day before its premiere.”
Victor Blackwell of CNNis reporting that the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office conducted interviews this month into the death of Kendrick Johnson, 18 months after the case was closed.
Johnson’s body was found rolled in a wrestling gym mat in Lowndes High School in Valdosta, Georgia in January 2013. The 17-year-old’s death was ruled an accident by county investigators. Johnson’s family disagreed with the findings. An independent autopsy was ordered by a judge after the family contested the coroner’s initial findings. The independent autopsy ruled Johnson’s death a homicide, caused by non-accidental blunt force trauma to the head. The independent autopsy also found that Johnson’s body had been stuffed with newspapers. The funeral home handling the body said that they never received Johnson’s organs from the coroner.
On October 31, 2013, the U.S. attorney for the Middle District of Georgia announced that the office would open a formal review into the death of Johnson. The Federal Bureau of Investigation is participating in that review process. The NAACP, attorney Benjamin Crump and other civil rights activists have been involved in finding justice for Johnson’s family. In December 2013, hundreds gathered for a “Who Killed K.J.” rally at Atlanta’s Capitol.
Johnson’s case remains officially closed despite the ongoing investigation.
Some blacks are seeking greener pastures in the wake of police brutality. (Photo Credit: Google Images)
Some blacks are seeking greener pastures in the wake of police brutality. (Photo Credit: Google Images)
The harsh reality of the Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown shootings along with the Brown and Eric Garner grand jury findings have given Abriel Bolton cause to proclaim her family’s search for a new home via Facebook. Bolton and her husband who currently reside in Florida plan to leave the U.S. before their toddler reaches kindergarten.
“Before my husband and I had a child, we always spoke about the state of Black America and our fears, especially if we had a son,” says Bolton.
Across the Atlantic, fashion designer Asanyah Davidson sits with locals in a Marrakech cafe, on vacation from her newly adopted home in Lagos, Nigeria. While increasingly overt racial tension is one reason Davidson left the U.S., she cites her desire to travel again and a better quality of life as another catalyst.
“I missed travel,” says Davidson. “That’s something that’s hard to do with a regular American 9 to 5. Vacations are like, this thing you take when you’re dead.”
She notes that despite her education and vast experience, it was difficult to be well compensated in South Florida. Moving back to New York would mean working just to live.
Bolton and Davidson are not anomalies. The black unemployment rate, police brutality statistics, and a less stressful existence are some reasons blacks are seeking greener pastures elsewhere.
Spurred by black nationalist Marcus Garvey, there was a 2oth Century movement for blacks to leave the U.S. in order to have self-determination and re-connect with people dispersed throughout the world due to colonial practices. While it is difficult to determine the number of black Americans that make up theapproximately 7.6 million American ex-pats living abroad, the conversation is increasingly taking place.
Gregory Howard, a writer for Deadspin, takes the conversation head on.
“When you look at the things that people take for granted and are owed them through the Constitution, and these same rights aren’t extended to blacks, then the only conclusion is that America isn’t for Black people.”
However, Howard believes that racism is a global phenomenon to some extent, so running away may not be the answer. Like some others, Howard thinks that spurring change on American soil may hold more promise.
Journalist Reniqua Allen understands his viewpoint. In a piece for Quartz, she questions whether America is the best place for African Americans.
“You hear the idea that America is not the place for black people,” says Allen. “I’m not 100% convinced either way, but it’s interesting to think about what our options are.”
Playing by unwritten rules is often used by blacks to navigate societal bias. New York Times bestselling author and attorney Lawrence Otis Graham wrote a compelling piece for the Princeton Alumni Weekly detailing how the myth of a privilege shield was shattered when his son was confronted with racism.
“When Trayvon Martin was shot, that was the first time that it became apparent to my children that even if they’re innocently walking through their neighborhood, a security or police officer, or even a resident, could cause them harm, even in they were completely in the right,” says Graham. Despite this factor, Graham says he’s never considered moving his family abroad. He has, however, made sure his family knows what you do if you are on the receiving end of police brutality and what to do if you are falsely arrested.
“I look at this as a domestic issue that can actually be changed and be improved, in the same way that Rosa Parks and others in Alabama were told to leave the South instead of trying to change its discriminatory policies.”
The operative question, then, becomes whether it’s fair to leave blacks without means to move as foot soldiers in the struggle, or to ‘quit America’?
History and Africana Studies professor Dontraneil Clayborne dismisses the notion that white Americans should be the only world citizens, and that blacks should be more global in their thinking.
“I don’t think it helps the cause to leave,” says Clayborne, “But for better or for worse, black people have been raised as individuals. We’re not a monolith – it boils down to a person’s purpose and intent.”
Black views rest on both sides of the issue. For some, the U.S. will always claim them as conflicted native sons, as in Randall Robinson’s Quitting America. For Abriel Bolton, the answer lies abroad.
“I don’t see it so much as running from something as running to something — a better opportunity for my son.”
This post was written by Dr. Chetachi A. Egwu, Associate Professor of Communication Studies at Nova Southeastern University. Her scholarship focuses on Black Internet Usage and the African image in film, with an emphasis in documentary. The Howard University alumna is the owner of Conscious Thought Media. Follow her on Twitter @Tachiada.
Grammy award-winning producer Rey Reel. (Photo Credit: Peter Benjamin)
Grammy nominated producer Rey Reel. (Photo Credit: Peter Baltimore)
Whenever Rey Reel is in the studio, there is no telling in what direction his creative juices might flow. The self-motivated 26-year-old producer is currently making a name for himself as a member of the Grammy award-winning producer Hit-Boy‘s syndicate of beatslayers under his imprint, Hits Since ‘87 (HS87).
A native of Sacramento, CA, the sonic-savvy, extremely down-to-earth man born Raymond DeAndre Martin was recently named a three-time Grammy award nominee for his work on Beyonce’s latest self-titled effort. He didn’t graduate from high school, so the proud student of music thinks possibly winning one of the coveted gramophone trophies is the equivalent to earning his diploma.
“This is like my high school graduation,” says Reel with his thick West Coast accent. “It’s my big awards ceremony, and I’m loving every minute of it. I’m soaking it up, but there’s way more work to be done.”
Reel’s self-coined “experimental” sound is crafted courtesy of FL Studio, a couple of keyboards and drum machines. He bangs out drum cadences that are sometimes sparse and gargantuan and other times syncopated and accented. As awesome as his music set up is, I’m sure some of the audio equipment at HIFISYSTEMCOMPONENTS.COM would enhance the quality of the music produced even more.
The booming thumps are layered under quirky melodic nuances that resemble bizarre video game effects or random distorted tones. “I don’t try to oversaturate anything that I do,” says Reel. “I don’t try to make the same sound. I want it to be a variation. It’s really hard to tell my production.”
“It’s harsh, but it can change,” says Reel calmly, “but I’m handling it very well.” Tight-lipped about who he is currently collaborating with in the studio, one project the beat maker hopes to get off the ground is a compilation album.
The ensemble LP, Reel says, will feature various artists performing over tracks that defy genres. Reel wants to include music he’s recorded with Sri-Lankan artist M.I.A. Ideally, Reel would like to feature Beyonce, producer Detail, the entire HS87 camp and surprisingly British outfit Soul II Soul.
One artist in particular really excites Reel. “I’ve always wanted to work with T-Pain,” proclaims Reel. “He’s one of my favorite writers.”
Never one to throw shade at other artists or their music, Reel, an avid listener of film scores and music from the 1990s, thinks many of the current records in rotation are being mimicked. He consciously chooses not to listen to the radio.
“I have to do what’s best for me in order to keep my ear refreshed and not in the moment,” says Reel. “I want legendary music, you know, longevity.”
The producer who is also an exceptional basketball player gets in his element when he talks about his HS87 peers. The vibe, Rey says, is always fun because each artist and producer takes ownership in the music.
Because everyone is so prolific and infectious, Reel honestly prefers to keep his musical preferences completely in-house. “I listen to us,” he says. “We are the future. We’re trying to make this impact, and at some point in time, it’s gonna come.”
As Reel further elaborates on HS87’s formula for making records, the analogy he uses to describe their chemistry is “a big puzzle.”
“We just go from there and create,” says Reel. “There’s no ego. Once we find the direction we want to go with, everybody just disperses and do their own thing. We all bring it back to one piece and find out how we collectively come together.”
Like his own production work, Rey Reel adds that HS87’s output defies musical categories. “We do everything with no expectations, so we never disappoint ourselves,” he says. “We just want the fans to appreciate everything we’re doing.” For many artists, music innovation is a top priority even if this means they only appeal to a smaller audience who appreciate such things. The ultimate goal is to bring it to the main stream.
Reel, who grew up between Inland Empire (IE) and Simi Valley, CA, met Hit-Boy through Oktane, one-half of Audio Push. He remembers having frequent conversations with Hit-Boy, then an ambitious producer and MC, in their IE apartment complex about making music.
Upon Hit-Boy’s return to California following a brief stint producing under superproducer Polow Da Don in Atlanta, HS87 was born. Hit-Boy, according to Rey, is the “coordinator.” As Rey starts to talk about Hit-Boy’s good qualities, he doesn’t know where to begin.
“He’s a good person all-around,” proclaims Rey. “He looked out for everyone around him. He treats us all equally in our creativity. He listens to everyone and values our opinion.”
“Instead of being a beatmaker, he helped me to develop the inner producer in me,” says Reel. “Collectively, when it comes together, it’s a creative vibe, and it just blows up.”
Audio Push, also childhood friends of Reel, continues to inspire him to put his best foot forward. Rey produced the lyrically exceptional hip hop duo’s infectious 2009 debut single, “Teach Me How to Jerk,” which racked up over three million streams on MySpace and over 20 million views on YouTube. For a relatively unknown artist at the time, this is good going, especially when Youtube has 1.8 billion unique monthly visitors and hopefully in the future, his total number of views can get closer to this statistic.
Making that record was the fuel needed to convince him that he should pursue music full-time. Audio Push’s and Reel’s system consists of the pair approaching the producer with their idea, and he lays down the track.
From there, the three guys give each other constructive criticism until everyone is satisfied. “They make me dig super super deep into my archive of beats and really produce a record or a real song,” says Reel.
Reel’s adrenaline really gets going whenever he witnesses Audio Push battle rapping. “They love to compete against each other lyrically, and that’s fun to watch,” he adds. “We just have fun, and when you have fun, it doesn’t turn into work. You’ll always come out with something positive.”
Always keeping his fans in mind, Reel, who admits he deleted his Twitter and Instagram accounts numerous times before because he has a tendency to rant, likes to keep his followers informed about the music, especially through SoundCloud. When he isn’t working, Reel makes it a point to spend time with his close friends and family in IE.
He’s proud of his accomplishments but refuses to live beyond his means. Ensuring he remains humble, Reel credits his ethnically diverse group of friends as his muse. “When I walk into a room full of people that I don’t know, I’m never there to stunt or show off,” urges Reel. “I’m there to embrace and ask questions.”
As far as horror stories, Rey’s career has yet to encounter any cautionary tales of shady management or indulgences. The most extreme crisis Reel has dealt with was the death of his sister in 2009, who he says had a great ear for music.
“I realized life is too short,” says Rey. “When she left, I took in all of the energy that she had and put that on myself.”
Otherwise, Reel’s life couldn’t be better. He loves being able to make music everyday of his life and work with great artists. He jokes about going into fan mode when he and Hit-Boy frequent a studio where Pharrell Williams works his magic.
The three Grammy nods still haven’t fully hit Reel yet, so he is keeping his expectations low despite the acknowledgement. Reel’s schedule is becoming increasingly hectic as he also concentrates on developing his acting career.
Reel hopes to set an example for generations of producers and creative talent to come behind him. “Whatever you choose to do, succeed at it,” says Reel. “Just do it if you’re passionate about it. Go forth with it and have fun. If you stop having fun with it, you won’t love it.”
This post was written by Christopher A. Daniel, pop cultural critic and music editor for The Burton Wire. He is also a contributing writer for Urban Lux Magazine and Blues & Soul Magazine. Follow Christopher @Journalistorian on Twitter.
Reservist Shaneka Nicole Thompson was shot by Ismaaiyl Brinsley, 28, who went on to kill two Brooklyn PD officers. (Google Images)
Reservist Shaneka Nicole Thompson was shot by Ismaaiyl Brinsley, 28, who went on to kill two Brooklyn PD officers. (Google Images)
This past weekend, I wrote a post on Facebook that was shared numerous times regarding the murders of NYPD police officers Rafael Ramos, 40, and Wenjian Liu, 32. I decided to share the post with readers because it seemed to strike a chord with so many. Other than correcting the shooter Ismaaiyl Brinsley’s age, this is what I wrote:
FACEBOOK: The attempt to use the murder of the two police officers in NYC over the weekend (which is horrible) to discredit a social justice movement dedicated to eradicating police brutality in black and brown communities is deplorable. Further, to isolate the murder of the officers from a chain of unlawful events including Brinsley shooting his ex-girlfriend in Baltimore hours before the murders is dishonest. The posts about the violence he wanted to exact against police officers were posted by him on his ex-girlfriend’s Instagram account. The murder of the police officers was not an isolated event — it was one of many despicable acts by a mentally unstable 28-year-old. To use his awful actions as an indictment against those who justly fight against injustice in our country in fact shows how mentally ill we are as a society. While you pray for the police officers, remember to pray for his ex-girlfriend who is being written out of this dominant narrative in an effort to undermine the very real need to continue to fight against police brutality, despite yesterday’s tragic events. #blackwomenslivesmattertoo FACEBOOK END.
Many of the initial reports about the murders were telling the story of a lone wolf who assassinated two police officers in the Bedford–Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn in an isolated incident, when there was so much more to the story.
More details about the shooter Ismaaiyl Brinsley, 28 are becoming available and it is clear that the Baltimore-Sun’s initial reports were true; the murder of the officers was not an isolated incident, although many national media outlets reported the opposite. Brinsley started on a path of destruction at 6 a.m. that began with the shooting of an ex-girlfriend Shaneka Thompson, 29, whom he shot in the abdomen at her Owings Mill apartment. Owings Mill is a suburb just north of Baltimore where many middle class Baltimoreans reside. Nicky Wolf of The Guardian reports:
“The wound was not fatal: Thompson’s condition was described as critical but stable. Brinsley took his ex-girlfriend’s phone and called her mother to apologise, telling her it was an accident and that he hoped her daughter would live.
Brinsley’s bus arrived at 42nd Street and 8th Avenue on Manhattan’s West Side at 10.50am. He was subsequently captured on video, taking the N train.
At 12.07pm, after sending a message to Instagram that said ‘this may be my final post’, Brinsley abandoned the stolen phone at the Barclay’s Center in Brooklyn. It has since been recovered by police.”
Brinsley’s heinous act was a series of actions by a man that was clearly out of his mind. Who shoots an ex-girlfriend and then calls her mother to discuss it? What person who is planning to assassinate police officers posts it hours before on Instagram? While many are blaming the murder of the NYPD police officers on Mayor Bill De Blasio, why was the intel that clearly indicated that Brinsley, who was born and raised in Brooklyn, was on his way to kill cops not relayed to Brooklyn PD? I guess after folks stop passing the buck, they’ll get around to finding out how this horrible event actually happened.
In addition to inappropriately blaming those who are justly fighting against police brutality in black and brown communities and laying the murders at the feet of the NYC Mayor’s office, many pundits, union leaders and police officers have neglected to even mention Shaneka Nicole Thompson. Therein lies the problem.
The idea that the lives of the members of the police department are more important or significant than Thompson, who is an Air Force reservist and health insurance specialist with the Veterans Administration, is a problem. Why should the lives of the slain officers have more value than hers? She also serves and protects this country and helps those who serve and protect this country, so why was the media so willing to leave what happened to her out of the ongoing discussions about Brinsley?
It’s the same reason that folks that want black women to march in the streets when unarmed black men are killed by police, don’t even flinch when they hear about unarmed black women and children being killed by police. There is little to no value placed on the lives of black women and girls in this country.
Take for instance, the murder of sleeping 7-year-old Aiyana Stanley-Jones. Where were the nationwide marches and die-ins when charges were dropped in October 2014 against Detroit police officer Joseph Weekley who shot and killed Aiyana while she was sleeping on the sofa with her grandmother? When did the shooting occur? Wait for it — during a raid while filming a reality television show on police officers. Black women writer/activists like Dream Hampton and Jessica Care Moore worked tirelessly to keep the story and memory of Aiyana alive, through organizing and demanding justice. Where was the national outcry for this child killed in her sleep?
Where is the national outcry for Tanesha Anderson, 27, who was killed after being slammed to the pavement by Cleveland police officers? Anderson, who was bi-polar, died after her head hit the concrete during a “take down” by police.
What about Rekia Boyd, who was fatally shot in the back of the head by Chicago police officer Dante Dervin or Yvette Smith, 48, who was shot and killed by a member of the Bastrop County Sheriff’s Office, when she opened the door to let police officers in after calling for help? What about Tarika Wilson, 26 or Tyisha Miller, 19 or Pearlie Smith, 93? You get the gist.
To quote Evette Dionne in her blog post on a similar topic for Ms., “Police kill black women all the time, too — we just don’t hear about it,” which leads me back to the murders of the NYPD police officers and the willingness of many journalists and stakeholders to initially dispose of, diminish or remove Shaneka Nicole Thompson’s presence from the story.
Where is the national outcry for the violence against Shaneka Nicole Thompson, who is as much of a victim of Brinley as the two slain officers? Thompson, a military woman who just happened to survive her life-threatening injuries, is still in critical condition. Where are the prayers for her? Where is the march against domestic or intimate partner violence against black women organized by black men? The American Bar Association reports that Black females experience intimate partner violence at a rate 35 percent higher than that of white females, and about 22 times the rate of women of other races. The number one killer of African-American women ages 15 to 34 is homicide at the hands of a current or former intimate partner, so why isn’t Thompson’s attempted murder by a former intimate partner newsworthy from the start of Brinsley’s campaign of terror?
Thompson’s life is as important as the lives of the slain officers and the lives of unarmed black men killed by police officers. It is unconscionable to expect black women to lead marches, protests and organizing sessions while allowing our murders and mistreatment by the justice system (Kellie Williams-Bolar and Marissa Alexander) to go unchecked. The lack of regard for the attempted murder of Shaneka Nicole Thompson by Brinsley in this now international story reflects the disdain, contempt and lack of value placed on the lives of black women.
If Thompson’s life doesn’t matter in the context of being another public servant gunned down by Ismaaiyl Brinsley, the same person that gunned down two Brooklyn cops which is now an international story and if it doesn’t matter in the context of intimate partner violence, then when does it matter?
As we go forward in this movement and pray for slain police officers and unarmed black men and boys, remember to pray for the lives of black women and girls, whose murders and attacks will more than likely go under reported or be willfully removed from news stories so that a dominant narrative and hierarchy can prevail. Black women’s lives matter too — they really do.
Producer Larry Smith with the members of Run-DMC. (Photo: Google Images)
Producer Larry Smith with the members of Run-DMC (The late Jason ‘Jam Master’ J Mizell, Darryl ‘DMC’ McDaniels and Joseph ‘Run’ Simmons. (Photo: Google Images)
In the early 1980s, Smith became one of hip hop’s first superproducers. He was instrumental in launching the careers of acts like Kurtis Blow, Run DMC and Whodini.
Born Lawrence Michael Smith in Queens, NY on Jun. 11, 1951, Smith was a self-taught bassist who became a session player for a slew of local bands spanning all musical genres. Thanks to his high school classmate, Robert Ford, Smith contributed the bass licks for Blow’s 1979 million-selling single “Christmas Rappin’.”
Eventually co-producing Blow’s first three full-length LPs, Smith became the bassist for Orange Krush, Blow’s back-up band. He connected with Blow’s then manager, Russell Simmons, to form Rush-Groove Productions.
Smith’s ear for raw and heavy snare loops led to the release of songs like “It’s Like That,”“Sucker MCs,”“Rock Box” and “Kings of Rock” going onto become instant classics for the trio. Smith, not Rick Rubin, was the first to integrate rock guitar into rap.
Smith was never the type that subscribed to fit in with what was being played on the radio. He produced Whodini’s 1984 platinum-certified second album, Escape, as well as their third effort, Back in Black, proving he could be just as innovative, funky and melodic.
Simmons and Rubin went on to build an incredible legacy with Def Jam, while Simmons’ relationship with Smith, who actually coined the term “Krush Groove” to denote a distinct beat from the drum machine, sadly soured.
Despite his tragic fate, what is undeniable is what Smith was able to accomplish in the studio. He credited keeping his ear to the streets and respecting each and every individual’s lifestyle he worked with as the basic components for some of hip hop’s most important recordings.
Hip hop producers like DJ Premier credits Smith as one of his top five influences. The talented bassist’s cause of death is unknown. He was 63.
This post was written by Christopher A. Daniel, pop cultural critic and music editor for The Burton Wire. He is also a contributing writer for Urban Lux Magazine and Blues & Soul Magazine. Follow Christopher @Journalistorian on Twitter.
Storied Olympic Paralympian runner 
The religious world was shocked when Dr. Myles Munroe, president and founder of the Bahamas Faith Ministries International (BFMI) and Myles Munroe International (MMI), died in a plane crash in November, along with eight other passengers, including his wife Ruth,who was co-pastor of BFMI. Dr. Munroe was a celebrated pastor, teacher, broadcaster, motivational speaker, author and humanitarian. In 2012, he was awarded 
Chicago’s Jackie Robinson West All-Stars won the U.S. title in the Little League World Series with a 7-5 win over Las Vegas’ Mountain Ridge. 
Smith was never the type that subscribed to fit in with what was being played on the radio. He produced Whodini’s 
