BGLO

Category: African-American

  • ‘Bachelorette’ Rachel Lindsay Slams Show For Lack Of Diversity

    Essence Magazine:

    It took ABC’s The Bachelorette 13 seasons to tap their first-ever Black bachelorette and Rachel Lindsay said the series isn’t doing enough to break down the show’s “systematic racism” and overall lack of diversity.

    When Lindsay was hailed the first and only Black bachelorette back in 2017, we all celebrated. But we also side-eyed the fact that it took so long, especially since the series began in 2002.

    The reality star, who found love on the ABC series, marrying Bryan Abasolo, took to her blog to sound off about the show’s lack of diversity, writing that Black women interested in going on the series “know historically and presently that the show is not formatted for their success.”

    “I knew that I wanted to be a trailblazer in this franchise to diversify the lead role, to diversify the contestants trying out and casted for the show, and to diversify the audience watching this show,” Lindsay continued. “Well, I am sad to say that after almost four years in this franchise, we still don’t have the diversity that this show needs, and that our audience deserves.”

    The Dallas native added that many of the show’s leads seem like they don’t want to begin an interracial relationship on TV. Because of this, she wrote, “the sad reality is that people of color become placeholders as the token person of color to add some flavor to the second half of the season.”

    The reality star didn’t slam the series without giving them advice on how to rectify their deep diversity problems.

    Lindsay suggested The Bachelorette “stop making excuses for the lack of diversity.” She then wrote that producers should “cast leads that are truly interested in dating outside of their race” and then “diversify the producers on the show to make your contestants of color feel more comfortable.”

    The attorney also said producers need to “stop creating problematic story lines for people of color.” She’s referencing when called out the show in 2018 “for creating an emotionally-charged finale that baited me for three hours and labeled me as an angry Black female,” she wrote.

    NEW YORK, NY – SEPTEMBER 11:Rachel Lindsay and Bryan Abasolo attend the Dennis Basso Spring/Summer 2018 Runway Show during New York Fashion Week at The Plaza Hotel on September 11, 2017 in New York City.(Photo by Sean Zanni/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images)

    ESSENCE reached out to ABC for comment, but didn’t hear back.

    The reality star’s blog post comes on the heels of a new petition, calling for The Bachelor to cast its first-ever Black lead. With more than 71,000 signatures, the petition is supported by other Bachelor or Bachelorette leads, including Lindsay, Nick Viall and Kaitlyn Bristowe.

    The post ‘Bachelorette’ Rachel Lindsay Slams Show For Lack Of Diversity appeared first on Essence.

  • Aretha Franklin Still Reigns As Our Queen of Soul

    Aretha Franklin Still Reigns As Our Queen of Soul

    Essence Magazine:

    It’s impossible to quantify the impact Aretha Franklin has had on American popular music and culture. She appeared on Billboard’s pop charts more than 70 times and was awarded 18 Grammys. Then there’s the manner in which she transformed songs like “Respect” (originally Otis Redding’s), “Bridge Over Troubled Water” (by Simon & Garfunkel) and “You’ve Got a Friend” (by Carole King).

    And let’s not forget the space Franklin eternally holds in our hearts for being unapologetically and divinely Black—a cultural torchbearer who was among the first Black women to grace the cover of Time. Sometimes, like in 1970, Franklin was set to bail out the wrongfully arrested Angela Davis. Sometimes, like in 1985, Aretha cruised in a pink Cadillac.

    By 1970 Franklin was firmly established as the Queen of Soul— and began the decade with a Grammy win (her fifth) for “Don’t Play That Song.”

    For her entire career, she channeled our melancholia in songs such as “Misty,” “It Hurts Like Hell” and “Chain of Fools.” Her embodying of emotion for masses of people had to be exhausting, yet Franklin continued to dominate the charts through the sixties, seventies and early eighties.

    The singer’s enduring influence on today’s performers is seen in their desire to capture the emotional and vocal range of the Queen of Soul. Yet for today’s singers, it’s not just about a given song. It’s about the complexity of Franklin’s talent, the clarity of her instrument and musical ambition, her spiritual activism and the berry Blackness of her blues.

    Later this year Cynthia Erivo will pay homage to Franklin when she stars in the Nat Geo series “Genius: Aretha.”

    Cynthia Erivo will have the privilege of starring as Franklin in the upcoming National Geographic series “Genius: Aretha.” Franklin can also be heard in the music of artists for whom she cleared a path. When Mary J. Blige debuted in 1992 with “What’s the 411?,” she was immediately labeled Gen X’s Aretha.

    Blige was, and is, very much herself—but Franklin flows through Mary J.’s vocals most vividly in her 1997 hit “Seven Days.” In the concurrent glee and anxiety of the lyrics “on Thursday / things weren’t / the same,” Aretha lives and breathes. Turn up the volume when Alicia Keys sings, “My lovin’ feels like ooooo,” on 2003’s “You Don’t Know My Name.”

    Mary J. Blige’s vocals on her first two albums, inspired by Franklin, made her the Queen of Hip-Hop Soul by 1994.

    Like Franklin’s, Keys’s vocals thicken with pure yearning. When Janet Jackson leads with the soft, stomping chorus of “I Get Lonely,” Franklin is right up in there with an approving head tilt. Same for Deborah Cox’s 1998 soul-baring effort, “Nobody’s Supposed to Be Here,” and Karyn White’s 1988 hit, “Superwoman.”

    Yes, the list even stretches to include revved-up party jams and two-steps. You can hear the runaway love of Franklin’s “Day Dreaming” in Mariah Carey’s 1993 fave “Dreamlover.” And Beyoncé’s effervescent 2011 offering “Love on Top” has the top-hat-and-tails sparkle of Franklin’s seventies-era performances.

    It’s about the complexity of Franklin’s talent, the clarity of her instrument and musical ambition, her spiritual activism, and the berry Blackness of her blues.”

    —DANYEL SMITH, CULTURAL CRITIC

    “Can’t you see / The glow on the windowpane” stylistically echoes Aretha’s “I like the kind of ways / We have our fun.” And Franklin’s 1970s vibe shimmies through Whitney Houston’s 1999 single “It’s Not Right But It’s Okay” as well. Aretha’s aura is near ubiquitous.

    The sad lilt of her “This Girl’s in Love With You” is in Erykah Badu’s heartbreaking “Next Lifetime.” Brownstone’s 1994 smash, “If You Love Me,” is practically a tribute—from members Monica Doby, Nicci Gilbert and Charmayne Maxwell—to the heightened gospel licks of the Queen herself.

    R&B groups such as Brownstone were known for favoring Franklin’s “gospel licks.”

    And there is much about the mood of Ella Mai’s “Boo’d Up” that speaks to Franklin’s deep merge of the assertive and the tender. Aretha’s bold ecstasy is also alive in the booty-pop—“Bend over, big rover / We’re gonna tear the joint up”—of Megan Thee Stallion.

    All of this unabashed sharing of desire, of love? It’s the reason we weep—as President Obama did—when our brave Aretha hits those notes. She carries all the women who came before in her oeuvre: Ella Fitzgerald, Dinah Washington, Mahalia Jackson and more, artists who brought jazz and gospel from chitlin circuits to integrated concert halls.

    During 2015’s Kennedy Center Honors, President Obama became visibly emotional as Aretha Franklin performed “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman,” the Carole King–penned tune the Queen of Soul rerecorded and turned into an anthem.

    Measuring the effect of Aretha Franklin on American popular music and culture might well be impossible, but there’s joy in the attempt. Like Blackness in pop culture and the work of Black women in all things, Aretha Franklin’s influence—even when you don’t see it, even when you can’t hear it—is always there, strumming underneath everything.

    Oscar-winner Jennifer Hudson, who will portray Franklin in the upcoming biographical film “Respect,” sang at Franklin’s 2018 funeral. Hudson may well be the heir apparent to Franklin—a cultural icon of similar power and vocal range. But as with Franklin, there is much labor in Hudson’s love for us.

    Jennifer Hudson (seen here in 2019) was tapped by the Queen to portray the iconic singer in the biopic Respect (in select theaters Christmas Day).

    As she and all the others who carry on Franklin’s legacy know all too well, we’re just climbing higher mountains, trying to get home; and Queen Aretha is right there with us, lighting the way.

    Danyel Smith (@danamo) is a writer and cultural critic. Her upcoming book, Shine Bright: How Black Women Took Over Pop Music and Changed Culture Forever (One World/Random House), arrives in February 2021.

    This interview originally appeared in the May/June 2020 issue of ESSENCE magazine, available on newsstands now.

    The post Aretha Franklin Still Reigns As Our Queen of Soul appeared first on Essence.

  • ICYMI: Miss Black America’s TED Talk On Beauty Is What We Need Right Now

    Essence Magazine:

    Miss Black America Ryann Richardson is a force. The 30-year old social activist and founder of the Take Up Space MVMT reaffirms time and again why she won her coveted crown with her thought-provoking commentary and non-evasive truth telling.

    In a recent Op-Ed for Medium, she brilliantly sums up what many Black women, Black people, have been feeling these past two weeks. Despite the culture of this country, our identities are not to be lamented, but celebrated, because plain and simple, we’re dope.

    “Our Blackness smells like cocoa butter, incense, and accomplishments earned,” she writes.

    This isn’t the first time Richardson gave a word. She’s recently given some fascinating Instagram Live talks, including one with Makeup Museum co-founder Doreen Bloch, where she revisited the conversation about beauty as power and what that means. It’s from her TED Talk that was released in March which dives even deeper into this topic and explores how women should not be afraid or ashamed to wield the power of their beauty.

    “Beauty, as women, is our unique superpower. Yet we’ve been conditioned to believe that it lacks value. That we ought to distance ourselves from it if we want to be taken seriously,” she said. “Last time I checked men aren’t encouraged to abandon any vehicles for their power. That is a burden that lies squarely on our shoulders.”

    Richardson reveals that for years she tried to hide the fact that she was a beauty pageant queen. She clung to the idea that she would not be taken seriously in her tech circles if her colleagues knew of her “frivolous” leanings. Fortunately, becoming the 50th anniversary Miss Black America was difficult to keep private, and she finally merged the two versions of herself and found power in that truth.

    “Check your own hangups about beauty at the door,” she charged. “Im going to challenge you to own the inherent power of your own unique beauty. To leverage it boldly and unapologetically, whenever and however you see fit.”

    “It’s on us to give permission to the women and girls that will come behind us to be able to take up space as dynamic, complex, whole beings not these one dimensional tropes of what womanhood should be,” she continues.

    In our current climate her message not only rings true for young Black girls and women, but for Black people around the globe who have reserved wielding any power available to them in order to make their white counterparts feel comfortable. This notion of not making oneself small is something that we all need to hear right now as we push forward with this ongoing fight for equality and the right to live.

    Richardson’s TED Talk is one of the best 16 minutes you’ll have this year. And not because the first six months of 2020 have felt like hell on earth. But her talk is informative, it’s captivating, and if nothing else, it’s empowering.

    The post ICYMI: Miss Black America’s TED Talk On Beauty Is What We Need Right Now appeared first on Essence.

  • ‘Cops’ Canceled After 32 Seasons

    Essence Magazine:

    After 32 seasons, Paramount has canceled the docuseries Cops.

    “Cops is not on the Paramount Network and we don’t have any current or future plans for it to return,” a spokesperson for Paramount told Entertainment Weekly

    The show was initially removed from the air after footage of George Floyd being murdered by police sparked worldwide protests.

    Premiering in 1989, Cops aired on Fox for 25 seasons before being canceled in 2013. It was picked up by the Spike Network, which was later rebranded as Paramount in 2018. The true-crime reality show, which features actual police officers searching for and apprehending suspects, ran for a total of 1100 episodes over 32 seasons.

    Multiple studies have connected the show’s influence with racism. A study in 1994, determined its viewers associated Black people with violent crimes at a higher rate than non-viewers. In 2004, two other studies concluded that the show was racially slanted and could be used as grounds to bolster the practice of racial profiling. 

    Co-creators John and Morgan Langley revealed back in 2018 that they had intentionally made changes so that Cops presented a more diverse array of police officers and suspects in 2018. Still, it’s unsure what effect it had on the perception of Black people since at that point the show had been a fixture in American living rooms for 29 years. 

    Police cars DCPolice vehicles gather as environmental activists gather to protest to shut down the city during global climate action week on September 23, 2019 in Washington,DC. – Some 60 world leaders convene on Monday for a UN summit on “climate emergency” aimed at reinvigorating the faltering Paris agreement, at a time when mankind is releasing more greenhouse gases into the atmosphere than at any time in history. (Photo by Brendan Smialowski / AFP)(Photo credit should read BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images)

    Virtual racial justice organization Color of Change, who rallied against Fox renewing the show in 2013,  celebrated the series’ cancellation on Twitter. 

    “Cops has officially been CANCELLED off @paramountnet after our conversation with them this week and after millions of our members raised their voices to say stop #NormalizingInjustice,” they wrote. 

    JUST IN: #COPS has officially been CANCELLED off @paramountnet after our conversation with them this week and after millions of our members raised their voices to say stop #NormalizingInjustice! https://t.co/OKdAScgW3g

    — ColorOfChange (@ColorOfChange) June 10, 2020

    Their VP and Chief of Campaigns Arisha Michelle added in a separate tweet, “Crime TV plays a significant role in advancing distorted representations of crime, justice, race & gender within culture & #Cops led the way, pushing troubling implications for generations of viewers.” 

    A&E offers a similar program called Live PD that follows police activity across a variety of cities at the same time. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the network pulled an episode slated to air on June 5, and it’s still uncertain when the series will return.

    The post ‘Cops’ Canceled After 32 Seasons appeared first on Essence.

  • Protesters In Virginia Tear Down Statue Of Christopher Columbus

    Essence Magazine:

    A few days after protesters in Bristol, England tore down a statue of slave trader Edward Colston and tossed it into the Bristol Harbor, some protesters across the pond in Richmond, Virginia similarly took matters into their own hands, ripping down a statue of Christopher Columbus and pushing it into a lake.

    According to NBC12, the incident happened at around 9 p.m. at Byrd Park in Richmond after a peaceful demonstration honoring indigenous people.

    Protesters reportedly tore the statue from its foundation, spray painted it and then set it on fire, before it was dumped in the park’s lake.

    After it was taken down, the statue was dragged and rolled into the nearby pond. 📷 Coleman Jennings pic.twitter.com/TsJgydbIZB

    — VPM (@myVPM) June 10, 2020

    According to 13 News, the foundation on which the statue once sat was left to display a sign reading “Columbus represents genocide.”

    Hundreds of miles north of Richmond, in Boston, another Christopher Columbus statue was also damaged, having its head removed on the same night.

    Police are investigating the incident, news reports indicate.

    A @7News photographer was the first one to discover the head had been knocked off the Christopher Columbus statue along the waterfront in the North End. Boston Police were on scene investigating later overnight. pic.twitter.com/YIIHUiPua9

    — Korey O’Brien (@koreyobrienTV) June 10, 2020

    Statues representing colonization, the oppression of indigenous people, slavery and racism have come under sharp scrutiny once again in light of the police-involved killing of George Floyd. Protesters across the globe, who have long sought the removal of the problematic pillars in their communities, have seemingly stopped asking in some cases and started to take matters into their own hands either removing the offending statues themselves or vandalizing them.

    Police officers guard the controversial Frank Rizzo statue as protestors clash with police near City Hall, in Philadelphia, PA on May 30, 2020. Cities around the nation see thousands take to the streets to protest police brutality after the murder of George Floyd. (Photo by Bastiaan Slabbers/NurPhoto via Getty Images)Police officers guard the controversial Frank Rizzo statue as protestors clash with police near City Hall, in Philadelphia, PA on May 30, 2020. Cities around the nation see thousands take to the streets to protest police brutality after the murder of George Floyd. (Photo by Bastiaan Slabbers/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

    The post Protesters In Virginia Tear Down Statue Of Christopher Columbus appeared first on Essence.

  • Brandon Scott Clinches Democratic Nomination For Mayor Of Baltimore

    Essence Magazine:

    Several states headed to the polls on Tuesday, and in Maryland, a number of key primary races prompted what’s reported to be a rise in voter turnout. One such race was that of the 2020 Baltimore mayoral contest. In that election, Brandon Scott squeaked out a victory in a crowded Democratic field, making him the official Democratic nominee on the November 2020 ballot.

    Scott is running on the platforms of ending gun violence and building public safety, restoring trust in city government, and leading the city through COVID-19 and its aftermath. On his official campaign page he says he’s running for mayor because “the status quo just won’t work.” Scott beat out more than 20 other candidates for the victory, including Bernard “Jack” Young the incumbent mayor of Baltimore and his closest competitor, Sheila Dixon, the former mayor of the city. 

    Brandon ScottBaltimore City Council president Brandon Scott beat out his closest competitor by a little over 2,000 votes (as of publication) to clinch the Democratic nomination for mayor.

    “Tonight, we celebrate a hard-fought victory for the future of Baltimore,” Scott said in a tweet after being declared the winner. “From the bottom of my heart, I want to thank my family, my team, our volunteers, those who voted for a new way forward for Baltimore, and everyone who believes change is not just possible, but long overdue.”

    The Democratic nominee is the current president of the Baltimore City Council. At 36, he’s already had an impressive political career, running in 2018 alongside Jim Shea for the Maryland gubernatorial race. Though they lost, Scott remained committed to changing the city that raised him, emerging as a strong proponent of funneling more resources into underfunded communities. 

    In recent years, Baltimore has contended with gun violence, rioting in the aftermath of the Freddie Gray case, and scandals brought on by elected officials. Former Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh pleaded guilty to a fraud scheme that profited her $800,000 off of the sales of children’s books. She’s also expected to plead guilty to perjury in the case and report to a federal prison later this month.

    Pugh’s exit from politics created aaria-label=”State Del. Nick J. Mosby (opens in a new tab)” href=”https://www.essence.com/education/hbcus/hbcu-love-tuskegee-university-marilyn-nick-mosby/” target=”_blank”>State Del. Nick J. Mosby won that election.    

    The post Brandon Scott Clinches Democratic Nomination For Mayor Of Baltimore appeared first on Essence.

  • Bridal Bliss: Mia And William’s Upscale Glam Wedding

    Essence Magazine:

    In November 2017, Mia decided to give BlackPeopleMeet.com a try. A few days later, William discovered Mia’s profile and messaged her. “I appreciated the time and care that William put into his meaningful messages,” Mia says. “One night, I randomly picked up the phone to call William him our conversation lasted well over three hours. We instantly clicked and arranged a formal date the following week.”

    Within their 18 months of dating, William was smitten by Mia and knew she had the potential to be his forever. True to their habit of surprising one another with random trips and experiences, Williams planned a seemingly sporadic but romantic sunrise proposal that blew Mia away.

    Their upscale wedding was originally supposed to be filmed for a reality show. However, just a few days before the big day, their venue decided not to allow filming on their property. Mia and William had two choices: scramble to find a new wedding venue in 72 hours or lose out on the opportunity. They chose to follow their heart and pass up the show’s offer. “William and I [realized] circumstances are either God’s direction or protection,” says Mia.

    Looking back, the couple is not only happy to have kept their original wedding plans but also that they successfully secured diverse vendors for their wedding. “We wanted our money to flow through the hands of those that understood us the most,” the couple told ESSENCE. “We’re proud that 99% of our vendors were of color.”

    Scroll through the gallery for Mia and William’s gorgeous upscale North Carolina wedding.

    Want to see your wedding featured in Bridal Bliss? Send your story and a link to your wedding photos to bridalbliss@essence.com for consideration.

    The post Bridal Bliss: Mia And William’s Upscale Glam Wedding appeared first on Essence.

  • Check Your Voter Registration

    Check Your Voter Registration

    Essence Magazine:

    One way to avoid being a disenfranchised voter is to make sure your voter registration is valid. Often times, when people move from state-to-state, some may forget to register in their new area. To check to see if you’re registered to vote, click on your applicable state.

    District of Columbia

    The post Check Your Voter Registration appeared first on Essence.

  • A Black News Show Is Coming To Prime Time

    Essence Magazine:

    REVOLT TV is bringing Black community news to prime time. On Tuesday, the network announced that attorney and TV personality Eboni K. Williams would host and executive produce REVOLT BLACK NEWS airing every Tuesday and Thursday night at 9 p.m. EST.   

    “With everything going on in the news cycle right now, we need a space where Black culture and critical analysis combine to advance the conversation,” says Williams of the show that premieres this week.

    REVOLT’s new show comes at a pivotal time in our nation’s history as people of all races are choosing to confront the country’s treatment of Black people. In the aftermath of numerous police killings, men and women are risking their lives amid a pandemic to push for social and systemic change. Williams has previously spoken with ESSENCE on the matter, appearing during a recent town hall regarding the protests triggered by the death of George Floyd. She says she’s also looking forward to furthering the discussion on her new platform. 

    As a co-host on Revolt’s State of the Culture, Williams has often used her legal background to amplify news stories that directly affect the Black community. She plans to do the same in her role as host of REVOLT BLACK NEWS. “My legal experience, newsroom experience, and understanding of the issues uniquely positions me for this role,” Williams asserts. “I’m excited to help REVOLT elevate the dialogue and keep our audience educated and informed.” 

    In addition to tackling trending news stories, Williams says she’s also looking forward to covering and analyzing stories that impact and create opportunities for the advancement and empowerment of the Black people. She will do so through her legal expertise, but also by inviting guests on to discuss their thoughts on poignant political and social issues. 

    Revolt State of The Culture HostsNEW YORK, NEW YORK – FEBRUARY 17: (L-R) Brandon “Jinx” Jenkins, Eboni K. Williams, Remy Ma and Joe Budden attend Build Series to discuss their talk show “State of the Culture” at Build Studio on February 17, 2020 in New York City. (Photo by Manny Carabel/Getty Images)

    Speaking with ESSENCE, Williams shares that one of the guests she’s readily looking forward to interviewing is Snoop Dogg. Recently the rapper and media personality admitted that he will be voting for the first time in the upcoming 2020 election. “I ain’t never voted a day in my life, but this year I think I’m going to get out and vote because I can’t stand to see this punk in office one more year,” Snoop told radio host Big Boy. Though the confession was shocking, Williams was more taken by the explanation the entertainer gave for why he had not voted in the past.

    “He was brainwashed into thinking he was disqualified from voting because of his incarceration. That narrative is pervasive and it’s completely false. Many Black people are absolutely eligible to vote post-incarceration depending on their state and their charges,” Williams explains. “As an attorney, I look forward to going past the headline and using Snoop’s experience to further educate our people on accessing and using their voting rights and a pathway to political power.”

    This will not be Williams’s first go-round as a news host. The former public defender was a co-anchor on The Fox News Specialists for a brief stint in 2017. That year she told ESSENCE her first job as a news legal analyst started with the highly publicized Casey Anthony case, and that she fell in love with the opportunity to talk deeply about issues concerning law and justice. She’ll be able to do much more of that in her role on REVOLT BLACK NEWS which premieres on Tuesday, June 9 at 9 p.m. 

    The post A Black News Show Is Coming To Prime Time appeared first on Essence.