News

*Nearly 1,200 people signed an online petition last week demanding the organizers of DreamVoice disinviteRachel Dolezal, the white woman who made headlines in 2016 for lying about her European heritage and served as Spokane President for the NAACP.

“We take tremendous issue with Dolezal being given both an audience and opportunity to further monetize her exploitation of Black women and the community at large,” read the statement on Change.org.

DreamVoice had invited Dolezal to the event to participate in a Q&A after a screening of “The Rachel Divide,” a documentary about the impact her #whitelies had on her family. However, according to an Express-News report, after President Shokare Nakpodia met with the petition’s author and Dolezal opponents, organizers ultimately decided to uninvite her.

They agreed that her “presence here is going to be a distraction from the over 150 partners and 170 plus events that we have lined up,” Nakpodia said.

*The movie ‘Night School’ starring Kevin Hart and Tiffany Haddish and directed by Malcolm D. Lee, grossed $103 million worldwide.  Do you know why?  It is because it was silly enough to be funny.  I can say that, now that I have seen the movie three times.  I get the appeal.  There are times when I watch a movie, I want to be entertained and I do not want to think too much. This movie was light enough for me to be entertained and I am pretty sure I am not alone, after all, like I said, it grossed $103 million.  Not only was it funny, but the messages of not giving up, having second chances and if at first you don’t succeed, came through loud and clear.

I can admit the first time I saw ‘Night School,’ although I chuckled at some parts, I did not laugh from my gut…and I love to laugh.  However, the more I watched it, the more I laughed.  To be honest, although Kevin and Tiffany had lines that made me chuckle, most of my laughs came from people other than Kevin and Tiffany, like when Fat Joe’s character, a prisoner attending night school via skype, hauled off on prisoners who were preventing him from learning about the pythgorem theory.

‘Night School’ is about a high school dropout name Teddy Walker (Kevin Hart) who goes back to school nearly twenty years later to get his GED, the teacher, Carrie (Tiffany Haddish), who is tasked with getting him to the GED finish line, despite obstacles and the collection of misfit type classmates.  It does not take a genius to figure out that the night school gang will get their GED’s in the end, but there was a lot going on in between points A and Z.

Let’s see …Teddy is a successful bar-b-q grill salesman, that is until he accidentally blows up the place.  Teddy has a successful and well-off girlfriend who does not know he is a high school dropout, living paycheck to paycheck.  Teddy’s teacher Carrie has Teddy tested and learns he has a truckload of learning disabilities.  Someone Teddy bullied in high school is now the Principal of the high school and wants to get back at Teddy and goes a tad too far in the process.  If Teddy can pass the GED he can get a job as a financial analyst, however until then, he is hawking chicken.  His classmates resemble something from the Bad News Bears, Little Giants, Mighty Ducks, Cool Runnings or any other misfits make good movie you can think of.  I liked all those movies too.

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Night School’s director, Malcolm D. Lee, has been directing movies for twenty years, beginning with one of my favorites, ‘The Best Man,’ which was produced by his cousin Spike Lee.  Since then, he has gone on to direct ten films and become one of the highest grossing black directors in Hollywood.  I had a telephone interview with Mr.  Lee and we discussed working with Kevin Hart and Tiffany Haddish, what he’s learned since his early days of directing, what’s going on with the next Best Man installment and what’s next, overall,  for Malcolm D. Lee.

According to Lee, making Night School was, “tough, because we were rewriting the script as we were prepping the movie and that is never easy and always a challenge.”  Well then I guess it is a good thing that he had Tiffany and Kevin to work with him, both of whom he gave high marks.  I have wondered how it is working with various actors and about some of the horror stories you hear and read about.  Fear not Tiffany and Kevin fans, Malcolm does not have a horror stories about them and enjoyed working with both Kevin and Tiffany, saying about Tiffany, “she is always positive and a pleasure to work with.”  Considering Night School was his second go around with Tiffany, I believe him.

Kevin Hart and Malcolm D. Lee had never worked together; however, if the praise Malcolm gave Kevin is any indication, they will be pairing up again.  According to Lee, Kevin is a “consummate professional and works extremely hard.”  He went on to say, “he’s really funny.  He’s the kind of guy that can help you on set.”  Malcolm recounted a conversation he had with comedian Chris Rock, who told him to get someone who would be able to help him.  Although he admitted he did not know what Chris meant at the time, he does now and Kevin Hart is that guy.  According to Malcolm, “If something is not working, the rhythm is off or something like that, he can energize a scene in a way the good ones can really do and help you on set.”  That’s high praise from someone who directed nine movies and a ton of actors prior to connecting with Kevin Hart.  There are talks of an “Uptown Saturday Night” remake starring Kevin Hart, with Malcolm D. Lee directing, so if everything lines up, they may be paired again sooner rather than later.

Malcolm D. Lee and his production company Blackmaled Productions have a myriad of projects on their plate and I for one cannot wait to see what is next for the super director.  Since I am a fan of the Best Man series, I had to ask what is going on with Best Man Wedding, which was scheduled to be released in 2017.   According to Mr. Lee, everyone is working and it is hard for schedules to line up to make the movie, but there are still plans to make it.  I am keeping hope alive.   Whatever he chooses to do next, in light of the fact that Malcolm D. Lee’s last two projects (‘Night School’ and ‘Girls Trip’) grossed a combined $218 million, this underrated director will continue to make his mark.  I see why he made IMDB’s list of the Top 10 Highest Grossing Black Directors…and that was before Night School and Girl’s Trip were even made.

Source Link: https://www.eurweb.com/2019/01/eur-exclusive-malcolm-d-lees-night-school-silly-enough-to-be-funny/

*Kerry Washington, Congresswoman Maxine Waters and many social media users have slammed CBS News for its lack of Black journalists covering the 2020 election.

When the network recently announced its lineup of reporters and producers that will cover the campaign trail, one Twitter user noted what many agreed with: “It lacks representation from the largest minority group in the nation.”

The former “Scandal” actress took to Twitter to voice her frustration with the lack of representation. She wrote:

“Dear @CBS News, I am encouraged by the diversity you DID include. But when it comes time to discuss the inevitable role that race and racism will play in the election, who will you turn to for a perspective with nuanced & personal understanding of the African American experience?”

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The lineup of eight campaign reporters and four producers does not have any Black journalists. There are, however, several other minorities represented.

“Wow. I’m sure some exec somewhere looked at this and thought, “Hey! We’ve got a guy with an Arab name, a woman with a Latinx name, and an Asian! How diverse!” That exec is wrong,” wrote Twitter user N. K. Jemison.

User @Lexialex said: “If we have to get some non-whites, make them men. A couple of Asians and one of them A-rabs. That should do.”

And Auntie Maxine wrote: “CBS, the efforts on your website about your support for diversity flies in the face of your display of all of the reporters you’ve selected for the 2020 campaign. Not one black. What’s up with this? An explanation is needed.”

Many others agreed with Waters and Washington:

As reported by Yahoo, this isn’t the first time Washington has called out CBS News about its lack of diversity.

Back in December, she mentioned the network during a speaking engagement at The Wing. “Come along for the ride, CBS,” she said, encouraging the news team to embrace a woman of color.

Meanwhile, Twitter user @kiesehansen said of the mostly white team of newly assembled reporters that will be covering the 2020 election:

“A lot of these comments say “you couldn’t find one?” but we really should be asking, you couldn’t find at least two?? & I say that for all demographics that need to be represented. It’s 2019. No more being the ONLY one on a team, in the room, etc.”

Another commenter tweeted the network directly asked, “Does CBS stand for Caucasian Broadcasting Service now? Did we miss the memo?”

Source Link: https://www.eurweb.com/2019/01/kerry-washington-slams-cbs-news-for-not-hiring-black-journalists-to-cover-2020-election/

*A white writer for the Federalist, a conservative publication, has sparked outrage across social media with her essay about why she is raising her adopted African daughters as Americans — not “Black” girls or “African-American.”

Jenni White used the death of McKenzie Adams, a fourth-grader who committed suicide after she was bullied in a predominantly white school, to justify raising her daughters without knowledge of or their culture, per diversityinc.com.

In her article, titled “The Worst Racism My Children Have Experienced Came From Black Peers,” White writes: “Why would I raise them to identify with a specific race as if being members of the human race weren’t enough?”

SERENA WILLIAMS ‘LOVES BATH TIME’ WITH DAUGHTER ALEXIS OLYMPIA

“Yes, my daughters are from Africa, and they communicate with their family there regularly, but once we adopted them and landed in America together, they became Americans. Not African-Americans, not Black girls, but girls who would grow up in a nation where they were afforded the opportunity to become anything they wanted to become.”

She also reveals a conversation with her Black pastor 12 years ago, who encouraged her to teach the girls, then ages 4 and 9, about the Black experience in America. She replied to the pastor that her family doesn’t “see color.”

White claims to be a supporter of Martin Luther King Jr. and she follows Candace Owens’ Blexit movement AKA the “Black exit” from the Democratic Party.

Activist Tariq Nasheed noted of Jenni White on Twitter:

“If you have any doubt that these white supremacists go over Africa and adopt children, bring them back to the US, brainwash the kids, and use them as sleeper cells against Black American society, read this. I have been telling people this for years”

Source Link: https://www.eurweb.com/2019/01/white-conservative-woman-explains-why-shes-teaching-her-african-daughters-to-not-be-black/

*Although he’s an NFL quarterback, Jameis Winston still has a tendency to act like an immature idiot at the wrong time. One of those wrong times netted him a sexual battery lawsuit lawsuit from an Uber driver.

Well, it looks like Winston has “reached an agreement” to settle the  lawsuit, which was filed in Arizona, according to court docs filed in U.S. District Court.

As previously reported, the Uber driver claimed she picked up a drunk Winston from the Scottsdale bar scene in 2016 … and during the ride, he reached over and grabbed her vagina over her yoga pants.

Two years later, the woman — who goes by “Kate P.” in legal docs — filed suit against the Tampa Bay Bucs quarterback.

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In new docs filed in federal court in Arizona on Nov. 26, the woman’s lawyer says “Plaintiff has reached an agreement with Defendant to resolve her claims.”

“The parties are in the process of finalizing a settlement agreement but need approximately 10 days to complete this process.”

The terms of the settlement were not disclosed in the court docs, reports TMZ.  The site says it reached out to Winston’s camp for comment, so far no word back.

For his part, Jameis has previously publicly apologized to the Uber driver and claims he has “eliminated alcohol from my life.”

The news of the settlement was first reported by the Tampa Bay Times.

Source Link: https://www.eurweb.com/2018/11/nfl-qb-jameis-winston-settles-uber-driver-sexual-battery-lawsuit/

*Will Luke Cage graduate from the small screen to a feature film? Mike Colter says it’s a possibility he would love to explore.

“Yeah, sure”, said the veteran actor, who has played the legendary black superhero icon for 2 seasons on Netflix – which recently canceled the show. “If the storyline makes sense, of course.”

“It (a film) is above my pay grade”, Colter laughed during an exclusive interview with EURweb during a convention earlier this month in New Orleans. “These guys up there have a bigger understanding of the big picture (and) it’s completely up to them. But yeah, I would love for that to happen! I think he would do well on the big screen.”

While the future of Colter playing Luke Cage is in doubt, the veteran actor has numerous projects coming up in the near future.

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Later this month will see the release of the film “Before You Know It”, a more light turn for Colter that also includes stars like Alec Baldwin, Mandy Patinkin and Judith Light in the cast.

” ‘Before You Know It’ is a character-driven comedy that was shot in New York City”, said Colter. “We’ve got a great cast – and it was a fun departure for me to do a film that appealed to a different demographic.”

“To sum it up, these people…their dad passes away and they find out that their dad – who they thought was dead! – is alive and well and a soap opera actress! She’s on television every single day – and they didn’t even know that!  It sets up some nice comedy”, he said.

Colter said the project he has coming out after that, a film titled “Breakthrough”, is him shifting gears yet again.

“It comes out this Easter and is a faith-based film”, said Colter. “It’s about life and miracles and faith and God and asks, ‘What do things mean?’.”

“I think spiritual-based films are good because it’s something you can take your family to – not just believers, but non-believers as well,” he emphasizes. “I think it will do well and people will respond to it. It’s also got a great cast, including Topher Grace and Chrissy Metz.”

Another project Colter is involved in that us due out this year is the thriller “Fatale”, which is headed by Hillary Swank.

“It’s sexy and it’s shot in Los Angeles”, said Colter. “It’s a cool movie (that) people will respond to…It’s visually stimulating and the storyline is something that will have you on the edge of your seat. I’m looking to do things that are different and this is a project that I feel is very different.”

Colter said he feels he is getting more offers because of his being the lead in a high-profile series like “Luke Cage” and it’s fan base.

“Sure,” he admits. Interest is definitely driven by exposure, but a lot of times that exposure won’t get you offers that are different to what you’ve done. So, with that I have had to decide if I want to do things that are the same (as “Luke Cage”) or depart from that. For a lot of people, it’s just easier to keep doing the same thing. But as an artist or actor, I’m always looking to prove people wrong and do something different.”

“For me, that’s what gets me excited about coming into work”, said Colter. “You know? If it’s something I haven’t done or at least done recently, I’m always a little nervous – and that’s what gets me going!”

Having said all that, Colter is grateful for the break he got being cast as Cage, the first black American superhero in the history of Marvel Comics to carry his own title.

“Well, it was a breakthrough”, the 42-year-old thespian said. “Because what happens as an actor, there’s two realms you live in. There’s a realm of working actor, where people know your face, but they don’t quite remember from where. But you’re working and that’s a good thing. That’s one realm.”

“The second realm as a working actor – because of course there’s the realm of the nonworking actor, and no one wants to be there – is a role that sort of pops and you get an opportunity where people pay attention to you.”

“It’s a good thing and a bad thing”, Colter continued. “Why? Because once people focus on you for a certain role, then obviously they associate you with the role – and you just have to shake it up again.”

Colter admits to not being very familiar with the character of Luke Cage when it was offered.

“Not really”, he said. “I had heard of him, but didn’t know much about him.”

Colter feels there are some basic reasons that Cage resonates with all audiences and the black community in particular.

“I think the character has multiple meanings for different people”, said Colter. “I think it resonated with the black community in a very specific way. That is, if you weren’t a black person living in this time, or any time, you wouldn’t quite get it.”

Colter specifically cited Cage’s bulletproof skin.

“You know, if there’s a superpower that many in the community would want, that would be it”, he continued. “Not to get political, but that struck a chord. When it debuted, Trayvon Martin had just happened. Eric garner had just happened. Michael Brown. Things were happening and they were getting a lot of attention, so whether people want to recognize it or not, ‘Luke Cage’ debuting when it did was a timely situation.”

“As as the character making his live-action debut on Netflix, that was sort of going to give people a place to go and get respite, to have a departure. a fantasy. A little break. It was a fantasy that resonated with people in the real world.”

One of the things Colter said he cherishes about his experience so far as Luke Cage is being able to mingle with Cage’s creators on the comic book page, like Archie Goodwin, George Tuska, Roy Thomas and John Romita, Sr.

“It’s great, because for them it’s a resurgence of a character they created”, Colter said. “They have a library of characters that have been done and this character, if they have involvement in it, it’s sort of a resurgence for them as well. So, it’s good to see them get a sort of reawakening in their careers.”

As for the future of his cage, Colter said that if Marvel Studios head honcho Kevin Feige sat him down and said he wanted to do a “Luke Cage” movie, he’d be game.

“Sure. Why not?”              

As for Colter’s future, he said he feels the massive success of “Black Panther” will offer him and others more opportunities to play a black heroic lead in films.

“It’s always opportunity meets preparedness”, Colter said. “Sure. I think we’re always trying to diversify what we’re looking at onscreen that mirrors what we see in society. I think there’s a lot of content out right now. I think there’s a lot more opportunities.”

“I think everybody should be excited about it, because everybody is getting a chance to see themselves be represented onscreen and that’s important for young people.”

So what, to Colter, is the best thing about being cast as Luke Cage?

“The coolest thing about playing Cage is that I’m the first to play a character that means a lot to a lot of people”, Colter concluded. “I think it’s really cool to be the first to do something, so I’m very happy about that.”

Source Link: https://www.eurweb.com/2019/01/eur-exclusive-mike-colter-on-luke-cage-film-i-would-love-for-that-to-happen/

*The man responsible for a racist Facebook post suggesting FSU coach Willie Taggart should be lynched has been fired from his job at Hilton Grand Vacations, the company said in a statement Monday.

Social Media user Tom Shand allegedly wrote the offending comments posted using a Facebook account featuring his name.

Florida State president John Thrasher condemned the post on Sunday, calling it “ignorant and despicable,” and said the FSU attorney is investigating.

“Our concern regarding this situation has been a top priority. The person responsible for posting this information has been terminated,” Hilton Grand Vacations spokeswoman Lauren George said via email Monday. “His behavior was in violation of multiple company policies and the furthest example from being a reflection of our company’s values.”

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State attorney Jack Campbell also confirmed his office received word of the post and is looking into the matter.

“The nature of anybody being lynched in the Second Judicial Circuit is of grave concern to this office,” Campbell said in an interview with the Sentinel. “Any time a threat or lynching or any other things like that are made against one in our community, we’re going to look into it and if there’s a crime there, we’re going to prosecute it.”

As reported by nydailynews.com, the racist post was made in a Florida State fan group on Facebook on Saturday, shortly after the Seminoles lost to rival Florida 41-14 to finish a 5-7 season. The meme showed Taggart’s head edited onto an image of a man being lynched with the words “Believe in Something Even If It Means Sacrificing Your Rep,” referring to the Nike ad campaign featuring Colin Kaepernick.

Taggart, the first black football head coach in Florida State history, was hired last December from Oregon.

Source Link: https://www.eurweb.com/2018/11/florida-state-fan-fired-by-his-company-for-postng-racist-meme-of-coach-willie-taggart-being-lynched/

*When DJ Vlad penned a tribute post on Instagram which highligted AIDS Awareness, he did so at the expense of late rapper Eazy E, who allegedly died from complications related to the disease.

Many fans and his family have refuted his official cause of death. Rumors have long persistented that Eazy-E was killed by either Suge Knight or the CIA. Eazy’s daughter, Ree, took issue with Vlad’s post and she put the journalist on blast for suggesting her father died from AIDS.

“Rest In Peace #eazye. #hiv and #aids are real. Use a condom,”Vlad wrote. “Get yourself and your partner tested.”
In a video posted to her Instagram account, Ree slammed Vlad for using her father’s death to promote AIDS awareness.

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“In reference to that post that lame a** dude posted. For you to post my dad’s obituary, and say ‘rest in peace’, but to follow after talking about some AIDS is real, use a condom. He knows because he’s spoken to a few members of my family, in reference to my dad, and knows that it’s not AIDS that killed my father. That sh*t pisses me off.”

DJ Vlad responded by noting the many theories about how the co-founder of NWA died: “Suge Knight or the CIA secretly killed Eazy, I do not subscribe to this theory,” he wrote.

He concluded: “It’s been almost 25 years since Eazy’s passing and there’s still no cure for AIDS. Let’s make sure that his very important words have a positive effect on people’s lives and aren’t overshadowed by conspiracy theories.”

Eazy, whose real name is Eric Wright, died of AIDS-related pneumonia on March 26, 1995 at age 31.

Source Link: https://www.eurweb.com/2019/01/eazy-es-daughter-slams-dj-vlad-for-saying-rapper-died-of-aids-my-daddy-was-murdered/

*Social media users are in an uproar over photos of celebrity dads Dwyane Wade and David Beckham kissing their daughters on the lips.

“Is it wrong to kiss your children on the lips?” An Us Weekly writer asked after reading the angry comments under photos of the two superstar athletes showing affection for their daughters.

In one photo, the soccer champ is seen pecking his 7-year-old daughter Harper on the lips.

Many angry folks responded by saying “This is not appropriate” and “not on the lips!”

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Piers Morgan even slammed Beckham as “creepy” and “weird” for how he showed affection to his youngest child.

“It’s just weird right? Who does that with their kids? Who kisses their kids on the lips,” he said on “Good Morning Britain.”

Co-host Susanna Reid suggested celebrities not post pictures such as this online if they don’t want “the scrutiny”.

Viewers took to Twitter to share their thoughts on Piers’ opinion.

One wrote: “@GMB I agree with Piers 99.9% on all his crusades but have to disagree on this occasion. My 7 year old daughter regularly kisses me on the lips and that’s her way of showing her love and affection for her parents I don’t see anything wrong with this.”

Another commented: “#GMB Pierce Morgan I think u must have had an aunty that puckered up to u as a kid. David B is just sharing a tender moment with his little girl. Plus, she may have had a important life event. Which deserved a big kiss. When there young…a kiss is just a kiss.”

A third shared: “@piersmorgan if you think what Harper and David is weird I worry at the state of your mind . Was you damaged as a child or was you ignored ?? #gmb@susannareid100“

Meanwhile, similar criticism was going down on Gabrielle Union’s Instagram page where she posted a photo of her husband, Dwyane, kissing his daughter, Kaavia James.

One IG user wrote: “Don’t be kissing the baby in the mouth germs too soon for that @gabunion @dwyanewade”. Another user wrote, “adult germs whether it be parents or not can be more dangerous for newborns immune system to fight off.”

As noted by sandrarose.com, another reminded the power couple of a news report about an infant who contracted viral meningitis and after being kissed by an infected family member.

Source Link: https://www.eurweb.com/2018/11/social-media-users-troll-dwyane-wade-and-david-beckham-for-kissing-their-daughters-on-the-lips/

*On Monday, Jan. 14, the hosts of The Real remind everyone that they’re giving Dry January a try this week! They also talk about Jeff Bezos’ impending divorce, and co-host Loni Love performs a dramatic reading of his texts to his girlfriend to see if they can be considered “racy.” Also, does CBS News need to add African-American reporters to its roster of those covering the 2020 Presidential Election?

Then The Real reaches out to a TSA worker and his family who have been affected by the recent government shutdown, and lends them a helping hand. The show will be reaching out to people in similar situations during the rest of the week.

Later, actor Russell Hornsby visits to discuss his new series Proven Innocent, and shares why projects like his movie The Hate U Give are so important to provoke discussion.

Loni’s Dramatic Reading of Jeff Bezos’ “Racy” Texts

Loni’s Dramatic Reading of Jeff Bezos’ “Racy” Texts

Loni Love: He’s been getting roasted on social media due to the corniness of his texts.

Adrienne Houghton: I liked some of them!

Loni: But are they really corny? OK? So, I will do a dramatic reading of them, and you’ll be the judge.

[The Real audience applauds]

Loni: Let’s set the mood! Lights, please! Lights. [THE LIGHTS DIM]

Adrienne: This is what she was sending her friends.

[MOOD MUSIC BEGINS TO PLAY]

Tamera Mowry-Houghton: Ooh.

Jeannie Mai: Oh god.

Loni: “I want to smell you. I want to breathe you in. I want to hold you tight. I want to kiss your… lips. I love you. I’m in love with you. I miss you. I want to kiss you right now, and tuck… you in, slowly and gently and maybe in the morning, wake you up and not be so quite gentle with you. You know what I want? I want to get a little drunk with you tonight. Not falling down, no, just a little drunk. I want to talk to you, and plan with you, listen and laugh. I basically want to be! With! You! When I want to fall asleep with you and wake up tomorrow and read the paper with you and have coffee with you!”

Adrienne: Yes! Read the paper!

Loni: And SCENE!

[The Real audience applauds]

Adrienne: I’m here for it.

Loni: Lights!

Website: thereal.com

Twitter: @TheRealDaytime

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/therealdaytime

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/therealdaytime

Instagram: http://instagram.com/therealdaytime

Photo credit: Robert Voets/Warner Bros. Television

About The Real

Led by bold, diverse and outspoken Emmy Award-winning hosts, Adrienne Houghton, Loni Love, Jeannie Mai and Tamera Mowry-Housley all frankly say what women are actually thinking. THE REAL is a live daily, one-hour NAACP Image Award-winning and Emmy-nominated talk show on Fox Television Stations and in national syndication (check local listings), with a rebroadcast on cable network Bounce. The hosts’ unique perspectives are brought to life through candid conversations about their personal lives, current events, beauty, fashion and relationships (nothing is off limits). Unlike other talk shows, THE REAL hosts are admittedly a “work in progress,” and fearlessly invite viewers to reflect on their own lives and opinions. Fresh points of view, youthful energy and passion have made THE REAL a platform for multicultural women. Produced by Telepictures Productions and distributed by Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution, The Real is led by Executive Producer, Rachel Miskowiec (Good Morning America, Katie, The Tyra Banks Show, Judge Hatchett, The Ricki Lake Show) and shot in Los Angeles, California.

Source Link: https://www.eurweb.com/2019/01/the-real-helps-out-a-tsa-worker-and-russell-hornsby-stops-by-watch/

*There’s not enough room to print what this writer has to say about this fight so why don’t I begin by talking about how this fight compares to one of the greatest fights in boxing history.

You see, way back a little over 100 years ago on April 5, 1915 in Havana, Cuba in front of a crowd of nearly 40,000 roaring fight fans world heavyweight champion Jack Johnson came into the ring to defend his title for the ninth time against a big 6ft. 6in. 238 pound guy named Jess Willard who was considered to be the “White Hope” that could be finally the one that could dethrone the very first African American heavyweight champion.

And in what turned out to be a grueling match that was scheduled to go 45 rounds it all ended 1:26 in the 26th when Johnson was laying on his back from getting knocked out by Willard.

Jack Johnson held the title for a total of seven years before it all came down to that devastating knockout in Havana and what makes this so much of a significant match tonight with similarities is the fact that Deontay Wilder is a the current WBC world heavyweight champion who ready to put it all on the line tonight as he goes against the latest “White Hope” contender who is eager to take it all away from him.

These two guys are really big and tall heavyweights with Wilder being 6′ 6″ 212lbs and Fury coming in at 6′ 9″ 256lbs as of the weigh-in on yesterday. And this is what makes this  comparable to Johnson vs Willard as these two are set to go against each other tonight at the Staples Center in an event that will be telecast live on Showtime pay per view as the whole world will be watching to see if history will repeat itself as it happened back on April 5, 1915. As I always say we’ll see what happens.

(l-r veteran broadcaster Jim Grey, Lennox Lewis, Evander Holifield, Riddick Bowe, Gerry  Cooney, Michael Spinks, and Earnie Shavers. Not pictured is James Buster Douglas )

Folks I got to tell you something, my hat goes off to Steve Espinosa the head of Showtime Sports and Chris Deblasio for inviting come of boxing’s former heavyweight champs and legends to participate in a round table discussion yesterday at the media center. It nearly brought tears to my eyes to see these guys all come together and still be alive to talk about their careers and give their thoughts about the fight tonight. They all are people whom I had the great fortune to meet when I first started hanging around the sport in 1982 at Ceasar’s Palace. May Allah continue to bless all of them.

“When the tide goes out, that’s when you’ll find out who’s been swimming naked- Warren Buffet.

(Mohammed Mubarak with Gerry Cooney at Ceasars Palace 1982)

Jack Johnson 72″x 96″ oil and acrylic

Mohammed Mubarak can be reached at qmubarak06@aol.com for your comments. He is an artist as well and you can go to mubarakart.com and qmubarak06 on instagram and view his works.

Source Link: https://www.eurweb.com/2018/12/ringside-update-wilder-vs-fury-the-battle-of-big-heavyweights/

*As you probably know, the movie “Green Book” is all the rage. The film is the true story of Don Shirley, a queer black classical musician  (played by Mahershala Ali) and his Italian-American chauffeur, Tony “Lip” Vallelonga (Viggo Mortensen). Recently, the film a great evening at the Golden Globes and this past weekend, Ali won a Critics Choice Award for his portrayal of Don Shirley.

However, behind the scenes, there’s a big problem. You see, Shirley’s family is calling the movie as a “symphony of lies” and condemns its rosy portrayal of Shirley and Vallelonga’s relationship. The family insists that Shirley and Vallelonga had an “employer-employee” relationship, not a friendship.

After the Golden Globes ceremony, the movie’s stars were forced to contend with the film’s reputation. Backstage, Ali was asked to respond to Shirley’s family’s allegations.

“I will say that my job is always the same, and I have to look at what I’m responsible for doing and all the prayers, the energy, the time, the work, I am not one who is going to necessarily throw all that away over things I had no control over and had nothing to do with,” he said.

“I respect the family, I respect Dr. Shirley and his family, and I wish them well. I have a job to do, and I have to continue to do my job as I move on to my next project and treat everyone I work with respect. In this case I didn’t know they were around. I made contact, and I’ve spoken to the studio. I have to move on at this point.”

EUR EXCLUSIVE: MIKE COLTER ON ‘LUKE CAGE’ FILM: ‘I WOULD LOVE FOR THAT TO HAPPEN’

Technically, Ali has been addressing this controversy for some time now. After the Shirley family came forward with their complaints, Ali called Shirley’s brother, Maurice, personally. Recounting the call to Shadow and Act, Shirley’s nephew Edwin said, “What he said was, ‘If I have offended you, I am so, so terribly sorry. I did the best I could with the material I had. I was not aware that there were close relatives with whom I could have consulted to add some nuance to the character.’”

Stop right there. the fact that the Shirley family was not consulted during the film is a problem.

Al,so backstage at the “GGs,” Octavia Spencer, who also stars in “Green Book” was asked as well to speak about the issue the Shirley family is concerned with. Spencer is also the movie’s executive producer. However, unlike Ali, who answered head-on, Spencer pivoted the question back to what the movie meant to her.

“I’m a little troubled that answering that question could cause them any more distress. What I’d like to say in lieu of anything directed to the Shirley family is what it meant to me,” Spencer deflected. “I have been a part of four films from this era, and it was the firs time I saw a person of color with agency. This is a guy whose story needs to be out there.”

It doesn’t sound good to say, but at this point it appears that The Shirley family will just have to deal with the situation as it is: the movie portrays Don Shirley as a secondary figure in Vallelonga’s story when it should be the other way around.

Damn, that sucks. But what else is new in Hollywood?

Meanwhile, don’t expect the family’s criticism of the film to impede it’s progress during award season in Hollywood. As Refinery 29 states it, if the Golden Globes victory sweep is anything to go by, “Green Book” could still have a big night at the Academy Awards.

Source Link: https://www.eurweb.com/2019/01/marhershala-ali-octavia-spencer-respond-to-green-book-controversy/

*A Texas mom is demanding answers from a high school after her 21-year-old autistic son came home wearing a Confederate flag cap.

Amelia Mornes-Njoka says her son, Austen, played with the Special Olympics flag football team at Lewisville High School. But when he came home earlier this month wearing a Confederate flag hat, she had to rethink her trust of the district, per yahoo.com. 

“You trust these people with your kid who has a disability,” Amelia, told CBS. “You know and as far as I knew, I knew them well enough for my son to be around them without my supervision.

OTHER NEWS YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED: Toni Braxton Gets Emotional As She Discusses Surviving Divorce’ with Jada Pinkett Smith [WATCH]

Mornes said the coach told him to put on the hat and show it to his mother. When he asked what the flag meant, coach reportedly replied: “I don’t have no clue. Freedom.”

“He told me, like, put it on, keep it on, show it to your mom and stuff,” Mornes told CBS-DFW. “I said, ‘What does the flag stand for?’ I said, ‘I don’t have no clue,’ and he says, ‘Freedom.’”

His mother wants to know why three white coaches thought it was appropriate to give this hat to her son and mislead him about its meaning.

“My worst feeling was they were sitting there watching him and probably snickering or laughing under their breath,” she told the station.

In a statement released by Lewisville ISD, the district said the coach was a volunteer and that Mornes “expressed interest” in the cap and took it home.

The Lewisville Independent School District reportedly acknowledged to CBS-DFW that the coach was wrong in giving the hat to the student.  

“The adult volunteer, who is not an LISD employee, was wearing a cap the former student expressed interest in,” LISD said in a statement. “The student took the cap home. The volunteer coach contacted the parents to discuss what happened, and believed the situation had been resolved to everyone’s satisfaction.”

Mornes said going back to play on the team is “no good,” and his mother agrees.

Source Link: https://www.eurweb.com/2018/12/mother-outraged-after-white-coach-gives-her-autistic-son-a-confederate-flag-hat-watch/

*Fans of Wendy Williams’ talk show were surprised to see Don Lemon filling in for her on Monday. The daytime diva is taking another week off as she recoups from a shoulder injury.

Lemon joined a trio of notable women who held it down for Williams because “it takes four people to make up” for her absence.

Wendy was scheduled to return from holiday break on January 7, but the talk show was delayed another week, as explained on the show’s official Instagram account:

“Wendy Williams will be returning with all-new episodes of The Wendy Williams Show on Monday, January 14, 2019. After fracturing her shoulder, Wendy is on the mend and wants to return pain-free and be 200%, delivering the best show that millions of viewers tune-in to watch,” the post read.

OTHER NEWS YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED: Wendy Williams Delays Return to Talk Show, Husband Kevin Slams Staff Over Leaks to Media

Don was on a guest hosting panel that included Elizabeth Wagmeister from Variety and Page Six TV, actor/comedian Heather McDonald, and Judge Faith Jenkins.

“Wendy is on the mend. She will be back next Monday,” said Lemon. “We love you Wendy, we’re rooting for you, we want you to be back, we want you to be 400 percent.”

Fans previously took to social media to voice concern for Williams after she was slurred her speech on the December 20 episode of her show. She blamed it on the pain meds she had taken for her shoulder injury.

“As I reported earlier in the week, I have a hairline fracture on my upper arm, which hurts like hell. I’ve never broken a bone or experienced a fracture in my life,” she wrote. “In the key place where the fracture is, and trying to scurry around and do too much, I am now paying the price. I’ve never taken a pain medication in my life (except when I got snatched over 20 years ago) until this week.”

Watch Don Lemon announce the cast of “Celebrity Big Brother.”

Source Link: https://www.eurweb.com/2019/01/wendy-williams-show-returns-with-don-lemon-as-host-video/

*OK, here it is straight, no chaser. Because of the way it ended, Ice Cube is not a happy man today. We’re talking about the way the Deontay Wilder/Tyson Fury boxing match concluded Saturday night in Los Angeles at Staples Center.

The heavyweight championship fight ended in a split decision draw which is why Cube is straight up pissed.

A TMZ video guy caught up to the rapper/actor/businessman leaving L.A.’s Staples Center moments after the boxers fought to a 12 round tie, and he called the outcome “bulls**t” because he thinks Wilder was robbed. True enough, Wilder did knock down Fury twice — including in the 12th — but he got up both times.

As you can imagine, opinions are split. For instance, boxer Andre Berto who was at the fight, said he thought the result was fair, and he’s looking forward to a rematch.

Actor and provocateur, Michael Rappaport, on the other hand, said he expected more from Deontay.

Meanwhile, both Wilder and Fury are down for a rematch, however, it’s unclear where Anthony Joshua fits in all this.

That’s because a lot of folks thought that the story after Saturday’s bout between Wilder and Fury would be a unification bout with Anthony Joshua, but instead all the talk is about a rematch because Saturday night’s match ended in a split draw.

One judge had it 115-111 Wilder, which is an obscene card given that, if anything, Fury definitely won the most rounds. Wilder, though, put together a pair of knockdowns, including a huge one in the final round, and may have closed the gap enough by the end of it to make a draw or even a close Wilder win seem reasonable.

But the 114-110 Fury card and the 113-113 card that wound up being a draw were both much more in line with what actually happened in the ring on Saturday. Either way, it was still a great bout. Both fighters were asked about a rematch after the fact and both were open to it.

“I don’t know if it’ll be my next fight,” Wilder said, “I’d love for it, let’s get back into it. I think it was a great fight and we gotta do it again.”

Source Link: https://www.eurweb.com/2018/12/ice-cube-straight-up-pissed-over-wilder-fury-split-decision-watch/

*Kanye West was so inspired by the light-infused installations of artist James Turrell at the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art, that on Monday, the rap star announced plans to gift $10 million to the Turrell Art Foundation to help fund Roden Crater Project in an extinct volcano in Arizona.  

Turrell has been transforming the land into a series of rooms and tunnels since the ’70s. Kanye visited Roden Crater on Dec. 11. Days later he tweeted that the experience was “life-changing,” adding that one day “we will all live in Turrell spaces.” 

*Former Kansas City Chiefs running back Kareem Hunt apologized on Sunday for roughing up a woman back in February that was caught on surveillance video and released on Friday.

According to TMZ, the woman that Hunt slammed down and kicked was initially ready to press charges against the ex-NFLer, but she’s since gone ghost.

via TMZ Sports:

As we first reported, the woman repeatedly told Cleveland PD officers who responded to the scene she wanted to press charges. In the bodycam video we posted, she asked to see the surveillance footage, and also asked the police to look at it.

She said she wanted Hunt prosecuted for the alleged assault and/or for stealing her phone’s SIM card. In the attack video, you clearly see someone walk off with her phone. She says it was eventually returned but, apparently, without the SIM card.

OTHER NEWS YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED: Kareem Hunt CUT from KC Chiefs After Video’d Beating, Stomping Woman in Hotel – WATCH

Law enforcement sources say the woman never took her case to the city Prosecutor’s Office and hasn’t been cooperative with the prosecutor — which might be why no charges have been filed against Hunt.

Police reportedly considered the incident a misdemeanor assault, because the woman hadn’t suffered any serious injury. She would need to present evidence of serious injury for the incident to be upgraded to a felony, the report states.

She has 18 months to press charges.

As far as the release of the video… Hunt explained…

“That’s not me. That’s not the person I am,” he told ESPN. “It’s out there. It happened. I’m very embarrassed about it. I’m ashamed of myself.”

He also apologized to his family, the Kansas City Chiefs organization and the woman in the video.

Watch the clip above.

Source Link: https://www.eurweb.com/2018/12/kareem-hunt-victim-goes-ghost-after-demanding-charges-video/

*A new day brings more new R. Kelly criticism, and this time in the form of a newly surfaced clip that appears to debunk earlier claims that the singer was unaware Aaliyah was underage when they illegally married.

Kelly’s camp has in the past denied that he knew the late pop star was just 15 when they wed in secret in 1994.

However, a documentary filmed that same year has the controversial R&B crooner discussing Aaliyah’s age as he worked on her debut album.

“Right now I’m producing a very talented lady – a young lady. She’s 14, Aaliyah. She’s real street,” Kelly says in the clip above.

*Saturday night saw the first heavyweight title pay-per-view match in America since 2002. Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury fought to a split-decision draw in front of 17,6898 fans at Staples Center in Los Angeles.

Fury survived two knockdowns – including one in Round 12 that reminded many fans of wrestling legend Undertaker’s intros. The judges scored the fight 115-111 for Wilder, the second had it at 114-112 for Fury. With the final scorecard a tie at 113-113.

Before the match got underway, EURweb’s Jill Munroe hit the red carpet for the pre-fight event. On hand were ‘Shameless star’ William H. Macy, “The Affair’s” Dominic West, Desus and Mero, boxing legend Evander Hollyfield, Good Morning America’s Michael Strahan and journalist Jemele Hill.

Desus Nice and the Kid Mero gave Jill the scoop on their new upcoming Showtime series. After five months off of the Vice airways, the duo shared that their new show hits the air February 21, 2019.

Kid Nice gave a preview of what to expect with the new show.

“You can expect more of the same plus expansion. You’re still going to get what you want with the added bells and whistles.”

“A lot of people are afraid that we sold out, that it is just going to be us behind the desk, but our goal is to have you crying laughing by the end of it. It’s us with a lot more cursing and di*k jokes” said Desus Nice

ICE CUBE STRAIGHT UP PISSED OVER WILDER/FURY SPLIT DECISION (WATCH)

Jemele Hill talked about her recent move to the West Coast and the new projects she’s recently been working on.

“This part of my career is very different from what most of my career has been. Usually it was working for one entity, one company doing one thing. Now everything is a la carte. I love that I am able to create new content in different imaginative ways. L.A. is the place I needed to be to do that. Everybody is here. LeBron is like Noah’s ark, he brought everyone to the West Coast, two by two.”

Jemele is currently writing for The Atlantic, she is the featured narrator on Showtime’s LeBron James doc, “Shut up and dribble,” along with developing a scripted comedy with her best friend, Kelly Carter, that is being produced by Gabrielle Union.

All photos in this article by Jill Munroe. Check out more snaps from the red carpet:

Source Link: https://www.eurweb.com/2018/12/jemele-hill-evander-hollyfield-and-more-hit-the-carpet-for-wilder-vs-fury-photos/

*One Ohio father is being called a hero after he shared photos of the igloo be built out of snow for his disableddaughter.

Gregg Eichhorn’s actions have been hailed as “heart-warming” with social media users encouraging each other to “be like Gregg.”

But the father of nine insisted: “I’m not that special.”

“I just thought it was cool,” the said.

“My buddy Gregg built this handicap accessible snow fort for his daughter” said Daniel Thoms in a Reddit post, which gained more than 70,000 upvotes in 24 hours, per msn.com.

Gregg was stunned that his daughter’s igloo received so much attention from social media users.

“I just thought it was a cool snow fort” he said. “I enjoyed creating it with my other children.”

Gregg and his wife Katie have adopted eight children (with one adoption reportedly pending), six of whom were born with medical problems ranging from heart failure to developmental disabilities.

Gregg said the kids helped him build the igloo, which took four hours in total.

“What an awesome Dad” said one Reddit user.

“This is a special moment and very heart warming. The amount of joy on her face is making me tear up”commented another.

“Be like Gregg” one social media user told another.

“This is really amazing. My little sister is also in a wheelchair and I would love to do something like this for her!”writes Aesonn88.

Source Link: https://www.eurweb.com/2019/01/social-media-users-praise-ohio-dad-for-building-disabled-daughter-a-igloo/