There’s every possibility NBA All-Star 2020 will be a joyous and momentous occasion. It may even be a highlight of an already exciting and parity-filled season.
But there’s a lingering sense around the league and the basketball world that this All-Star weekend will be rather mediocre — an escapable feeling like these All-Star festivities will be forgotten years down the line.
The changes the league has made to this particular weekend are meant to switch it up, to elevate the stakes and heighten the intrigue. But in reality, they may have the opposite effect.
The first three quarters of the All-Star game will be played in the regular format, but the fourth quarter — instead of being played in 12 minutes like normal — will be played with no time limit. The team that scores 24 points (a tribute to Kobe Bryant) on top of the leading team through three quarter’s score will be the winner. For example, if it was 100-92 after three quarters, the first team to reach 124 wins.
This is meant to be a touching tribute to the late great Mamba, while also adding intrigue by scrapping the clock for the final quarter and watching star players hunt for buckets. But the change is still odd and feels unnecessary. The last two All-Star games have had intriguing fourth quarters; in 2018 the game came down to a last-minute bucket by LeBron James.
There were other ways for the NBA to honor the Bryants, such as another move they made, with LeBron’s squad wearing the number 2 in honor of Gigi, and Giannis’ team wearing number 24 in honor of Bean. This change is touching, moving, beautiful, and we are definitely behind.
Team LeBron will wear No. 2 and Team Giannis will wear No. 24 jerseys at 2020 All-Star Game in honor of Kobe and Gianna Bryant.
Every All-Star jersey will also honor all nine people who lost their lives in the crash. pic.twitter.com/vFU8ers9Xx
The NBA has also implemented a change to the 3-point contest at All-Star weekend. Two new shots will be added, 6 feet behind the 3-point line, worth three points each. The rounds will be 27 shots instead of 25, with time limits of 70 seconds instead of 60.
This is an interesting change, especially with gunslinger Damian Lillard in the contest, but once again, was it necessary? The NBA likes to get cute with its changes, without addressing the real issues that cause the All-Star weekends to fall flat.
The dunk contest used to be a pillar of the weekend. We were treated to Michael Jordan versus Dominique Wilkins, Vince Carter putting on a show, hell, even prime-Dwight Howard going nuts. The biggest names in the league would participate in the dunk contest, and then the next night go head-to-head in the game.
20 years ago today, Vince Carter beat Steve Francis & his cousin, Tracy McGrady, in the epic 2000 Dunk Contest!
Now and recently, besides one year when Zach Lavine and Aaron Gordon faced off with some of the most unique dunks we’ve ever seen, it’s curtains. The NBA needs to look into incentivizing superstar players to compete or revamping the format to make the contest more exciting.
Some have speculated about adding in an event of a one-on-one bout between superstars for bragging rights and a hefty sum of cash for whoever wins. This, fans would like to see.
The NBA is a model league for how it addresses social issues and allows its players to speak up on matters in the national and global spotlight. It is innovative, lucrative, and flashy due to its stars that are larger-than-life and operate on the court without a helmet masking their face.
But right now, the NBA needs to be brave, and look itself in the mirror to decide what works and what doesn’t at All-Star weekend. The fans and players alike only want the best output. Adam Silver, let’s make it happen.
Stella Meghie is a creative and driven new film director whose movies paint poignant and profound portraits of love, life, and companionship.
Meghie’s newest film, The Photograph, is her most anticipated one yet, starring Lakeith Stanfield as a journalist writing a story on a recently-passed photographer, and Issa Rae as the photographer’s estranged daughter. It comes out in the United States on February 14, 2020.
Meghie is a specialist in delicately-crafted romance-comedies, and ThePhotograph looked to be just one of the genre. However, there are clear indications that this film is going to be delightfully unique, with a story deeply personal to Meghie and two brilliant actors in Stanfield and Rae.
“My grandmother was about to meet a daughter that she had when she was very young that went to live with her father that she hadn’t seen in almost 30 years,” Meghie mentioned in an interview about how this story’s idea was personal.
“‘What would it be like if you thought about someone every single day for 30 years, but didn’t see them and love them?’ Then I kind of flipped it from a familial thing to a romantic thing,” Meghie added.
Meghie is from Toronto, Ontario, and worked as a public relations agent in New York City before returning to school to get a degree in screenwriting.
“It just wasn’t as creative as I wanted it to be,” Meghie recalled. “So I decided to take a chance and quit, and go back to school.”
That chance worked out wonderfully for her, as she already has three films under her belt since 2016. Meghie’s path shows that it is never too late to change your direction, never too late to pursue your dreams.
Meghie’s first film was titled, Jean of the Joneses, a movie about a complicated Jamaican-American family in Brooklyn. This film explores culture, community, and family, and Meghie drew upon her own experiences and family when crafting the film.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RHsm1kHXaU0
Next came Everything, Everything, a romantic drama film about an 18-year-old girl who is restless because she is unable to leave her home. She eventually finds solace in her neighbor where a budding romance emerges.
Finally, Meghie directed her third film in the span of three years, a comedy titled The Weekend, revolving around a comedian who is obsessed with her ex’s new girlfriend and a guest during a weekend getaway.
The Canadian director predominantly casts black actors in her movies and focuses on black love. The personal narratives of love, life, and relationships she creates are important for purposes of representation for the average person of color to witness.
We’re hyped to see Stanfield and Rae in love on the big screen as soon as next week. Meghie is a budding star in the film industry; keep an eye out for her name going forward.
Dwayne Wade and Gabrielle Union are setting a proper example for raising kids and listening to how they feel.
Recently, Wade made an appearance on “The Ellen Show” this week. On the show, he explained how his 12-year-old daughter Zaya came to him one day and wanted to have a talk.
Zaya was born a male, named Zion. Being the great father he already is, Wade has always been transparent about loving his children unconditionally. He listens. Also, Wade understands that giving undivided attention to your children is the first step towards successfully guiding them.
Wade told Ellen,
“First of all, me and my wife Gabrielle Union, we are proud parents of a child in the LGBTQ+ community, and we’re proud allies as well. And we take our roles and our responsibility as parents very seriously.”
After listening and understanding, the next step is to educate yourself to best assist your child in what they are going through. Wade explained how him and Union are seeking more information on the LGBTQ+ community.
“When our child comes home with a question, when our child comes home with an issue, when our child comes home with anything, it’s our job as parents to listen to that, to give them the best information we can, the best feedback we can,” Wade told DeGeneres.
“And that doesn’t change because sexuality is now involved in it.”
The vernaculars used by Wade are not always correct, but that is not the takeaway from his interview. His care and his love are present, and his children surely know this.
Wade is making an effort to understand Zaya, what she is going through, and the LGBTQ+ community as a whole.
Furthermore, his platform as a retired NBA superstar, combined with his wife’s status in the entertainment industry, give their message a broader reach. Speaking with Ellen, about raising and caring for children, especially about sexuality, will have an enormous impact in homes across the country.
Meet Zaya. She's compassionate, loving, whip smart and we are so proud of her. It’s Ok to listen to, love & respect your children exactly as they are. Love and light good people. pic.twitter.com/G2lLVdD2VT
While spending quality time with her dad, Zaya said,
“What’s the point of being on this earth if you’re gonna try to be someone you’re not? It’s like you’re not even living as yourself…”
Our youth are often wiser and braver than we could ever imagine. By listening, first and foremost, without preconceptions and clogged ears, we give them the opportunity to be truly heard. It is then that parents can reach out and show support.
“Once Zion came home and said ‘hey call me Zaya and I’m ready to take on this,’ I looked at her and said, ‘you are a leader, you are a leader and it’s our opportunity to allow you to be a voice.'”
Zaya’s brother Zaire spoke out on Instagram to show love for his sibling.
Wade is still working on how to be a better father, but his work is already commendable.
Our youth often just need to be heard and to know their guardians are taking a vested interest and concern in them. LGBTQ+ issues are issues for all of us, and it all starts with caring for and understanding the children.
Miami Heat culture goes unmatched by the rest of the teams in the association. The hard work ethic, “speak your mind” approach, and get-after-it attitudes are staples of the franchise.
The Heat have conditioning tests at the start of training camp that players must complete, and if not, they are sent away. That was the case for James Johnson, a player that has since been traded away after he arrived at training camp unfit.
Johnson was not allowed to return to the team until he got his body right. The Heat are the only franchise known for being this strict with their players. The boot camp-like fitness regimen the Heat run is not the only thing that is admirable about the franchise.
Since Pat Riley took over as team president in 1995 and the implementation of Erik Spoelstra as head coach in 2008, they have been given the freedom by ownership to work autonomously, with full trust
This relationship has enabled Riley and Spoelstra to work without constraints, to hone in their talents and work as creatively as they want.
Spoelstra is adept at working with superstars like the Heatles: LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh.
The back-to-back championships in 2012 and 2013 are evidence of this. Spoelstra’s movement of Chris Bosh to the center position to clear space for his star wings helped make those rings possible.
Still, Spoelstra has also shown the ability to work with teams of less star power. Take a look at the Heat teams after 2014 and prior to this season. He puts his players in positions to succeed and they play hard every single night.
Pat Riley is a savvy professional. Sometimes he’s even seen as cunning and ruthless. Nicknamed “the godfather of the NBA,” Riley has an aura surrounding him that at all times demands respect.
He was a brilliant head coach with the Lakers, Knicks, and Heat, but he has proved himself to be an elite front office executive. His recent trade for wings Andre Iguodala and Jae Crowder from Memphis prove this.
He always takes a chance at star free agents, nailing the best player on the planet in LeBron in 2010 and Chris Bosh, and Jimmy Butler this past offseason.
Butler, a player with an interesting past and intense personality, has been labeled as “toxic” and “difficult” after his last stints in Minnesota and Philly, for his pressure on teammates and inability to work with others.
The truth, it now seems, is that Butler has high expectations for himself and his teammates, and if you’re not working as hard as he is, he is not going to respect you. Above all else, Butler just wants to win.
“When he was in other places, he got knocked for [speaking his mind]. He was disruptive toward his teammates, but you put him around some guys that actually want to get to the grind, what did he do for them? He upped their level of play, right?” said Iguodala, Butler’s newest teammate.
Dwyane Wade, the most beloved player in Heat franchise history, knew Butler and the Heat were a perfect match and encouraged him to sign in Miami.
“No. 3 was like ‘This Culture fits you,'” Butler told reporters. “It’s been great. Everybody here wants everyone to be better. To be great.”
Jimmy Butler was right about the young Bulls players back in '17, he was right about Fred Hoiberg, he was right about the softness in Minnesota, he was right about Philly being a team divided. 'Bout damn time Butler getting the credit rather than being painted the villain.
The Heat is now a collection of dogs and hard-working youngsters that have more to prove. Point guard Kendrick Nunn went undrafted in the 2018 draft before the Heat took a chance on him this season.
Shooting guard Duncan Robinson went undrafted in the same draft, and is now shooting 44 percent from 3-point-range on the season and starting alongside Nunn, Butler, journeyman Meyers Leonard, and first-time all-star Bam Adebayo.
Finding these diamonds in the rough and making smart draft choices have helped the Heat combine their strong culture with winning basketball players, great floor-spacing, and a diverse style of basketball, perfect for the 2020 NBA.
The Heat sits at fourth in the Eastern Conference standings and is among the teams most people see as viable championship contenders. They have outperformed expectations this season, and that is a testament to the franchise and the culture that is ingrained in South Beach.
“Stay ready, so you don’t have to get ready,” isn’t that what they say?
The culture of the Heat demonstrates that they are always a threat, always looking to improve, always looking to be great.
The franchise’s success should serve as a model for all visionaries and creatives seeking influence and prosperity. Success is built off of attitude, and it is not accomplished in a day.
“We have a firm belief that representation matters deeply,” said Karen Rupert Toliver, drowned out by applause in her acceptance of best animated short at the Academy Awards Sunday.
Toliver was accepting the award for her part in producing the short film, “Hair Love,” a delightfully sweet story about a Black father struggling, and then succeeding in doing his daughter’s hair.
Former NFL wide receiver Matthew Cherry wrote and directed the film, and joined Toliver on stage.
“Especially in cartoons, because in cartoons that’s when we first see our movies and it’s how we shape our lives and think about how we see the world,” Toliver continued.
“‘Hair love was done because we wanted to see more representation in animation. We wanted to normalize Black hair,” added Cherry. Cherry also dedicated the award to the late, great Kobe Bryant.
While “Hair Love” is a beautiful portrait of a father-daughter relationship and a message about working together to overcome an obstacle, it is also a call for action of a serious issue that discriminates against people of color.
In his acceptance speech, Cherry mentioned the CROWN Act, a law and acronym that stands for “Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair.” This law “prohibits discrimination based on hairstyle and hair texture.”
It was first introduced by Governor Newsom of California on July 3, 2019, and went into effect on January 1, 2020. New York was the second state to introduce the CROWN Act, and New Jersey followed suit.
Twenty-two additional states are considering the CROWN Act and are looking to introduce their own anti-hair discrimination bills.
DeAndre Arnold, the Texas 18-year-old who was forced to cut his hair or else not be able to graduate from his high school, was Cherry and Toliver’s guest at the Academy Awards. Arnold’s situation is heartbreaking, but even more disconcerting is that his story is nowhere near an anomaly
In the Spring of 2018, the United States Supreme Court refused an NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund request to review a case in which a black woman named Chastity Jones had her job offer rescinded in 2010 at an Alabama insurance company after she refused to cut off her dreadlocks.
Also in 2018, a 6-year-old boy was barred from school because of his dreadlocks.
https://youtu.be/wdcpriAe4Qk
These obstacles and interferences are issues white people do not have to worry about, and it is not a mystery as to why. The rules prohibiting certain hairstyles are not to increase productivity or promote inclusiveness that will eventually optimize the school or work’s capabilities.
They are discriminatory, they are racist, and solely against people of color.
Cherry and Toliver’s delicate and touching Hair Love short film is one more step into spreading awareness of this serious issue into the public’s consciousness. The short film was beautiful, moving, and fully deserving of the academy award.
It is not enough to fight back against discriminatory rules and practices. People must consider the question as to why these obstacles are in effect in the first place and then remedy the situation from there.
Only through deep understanding, honest reflection, and diligent action will injustice be fully eradicated. Hair Love, in essence, is about loving your hair and yourself.
The story also contains a message about love and labor between a family, as the father works hard to do his daughter’s hair. Wherein both father and daughter rush to see their wife and mother in the hospital and make her feel better.
This message can be carried over to the action that needs to take place, in line with the CROWN Act. Lead with love, and be diligent in finding a way for everyone to be happy and find peace.
And I don’t just mean the NBA player, top-of-his-craft, Finals MVP part.
Last summer, Iguodala was traded by the Golden State Warriors to the Memphis Grizzlies along with a lightly-protected first-round pick. The Warriors needed to shed salary to complete a sign-and-trade of D’Angelo Russell (who is now since gone), and Iguodala’s $17 million owed to him for the final year of his contract was an expense of which they needed to part ways.
Iguodala promptly worked out a deal with the Grizzlies (a supposed rebuilding team) for him to stay away from the team, still collecting his money, while they sought out a trade partner for the veteran wing.
The young Grizzlies players felt disrespected by Iguodala, leading to some comments and an internet-exchange between Steph Curry and Ja Morant.
Steph Curry and Ja Morant going back-and-forth on social media 👀
🍿 Ja engages with tweets about Andre Iguodala in Memphis 🍿 Steph posts Iggy championship pic to IG story 🍿 Ja responds with pic of KD with a championship trophy pic.twitter.com/FAT9fnKvZH
And while many people had reservations of whether or not the Grizzlies could find a trade partner for Iguodala, the Grizzlies remained adamant they would trade him. Then, Wednesday, the news broke that the Miami Heat, one of the strongest teams in the East this year, but a fringe-contender, had traded for Iguodala.
Miami has agreed to trade Justise Winslow, Dion Waiters and James Johnson to Memphis for Andre Iguodala, Solomon Hill and Jae Crowder, league sources tell ESPN. No picks in the deal.
And better yet, they signed Iguodala to a two-year, $30 million extension, the second year being on a team option.
The Heat traded three players that weren’t at all playing for three players that will. The Grizzlies got back a promising piece in Justise Winslow, and received the first-round-pick from the Warriors just to take on his salary. Both teams can be happy with the results, but the biggest winner here is Iguodala.
The majority of people within the NBA circle expected Iguodala to either get bought out and head to a contender, or get traded and resign with the Warriors next season.
But Iguodala, the savvy businessman who has excelled just as much in his work off the court as he has in his work on it, has managed to defy all of our expectations.
He managed to sit at home and collect checks, wind up on South Beach with no state taxes on a contending team, and earn himself a further contract extension at age 36. Iguodala truly made out like a bandit this season. It’s so astounding you can’t even really hate, just give a subtle nod of respect to the man that finessed the system.
The addition of Iguodala (and to a lesser extent Jae Crowder) make the Heat a viable championship contender this year. Iguodala’s defense and championship acumen make him an immeasurable piece to a team, and the Heat are surely ecstatic they were able to land the veteran.
When you’re young and have something to prove, you have to put your head down and get to work. But when you’re a veteran in your craft, often you get to make big decisions for yourself, and wind up with exactly what you were looking for.
Iguodala finessed his way into the best possible situation for himself, and for that, all we can really do is tip our cap.
Minorities are unfairly marginalized across many mediums. Even if they are at the forefront of a work, often with nefarious intent, they are put in place to present the illusion of diversity or inclusiveness.
There are many jobs that have the power to break barriers and provide inspiration for people.
But it is the creator of art, the owner, the director of the piece, that has the most profound impact on an audience, for they dictate everything shown.
Often, these creators come in the form of film directors. They have an almost-unrivaled power in the world of art to enact change.
For Black History Month, we wanted to take a look at 10 Black directors that have helped pave the way for Blacks in cinema and in the world.
These directors have provided inspiration and representation to Black people and other marginalized groups that are far too often excluded, and they deserve a moment to be recognized.
Spike Lee
There was no other place to start but with one of the greatest and most unique directors of all time. Shelton Jackson Lee, who was nicknamed “Spike” as a baby by his mother because of his toughness.
“I don’t think my films are going to get rid of racism or prejudice. I think the best thing my films can do is provoke discussion,” said Spike Lee, 1991.
Spike’s films often feel like they were ahead of their time. His debut film, She’s Gotta Have It, explored a sexually-empowered woman in Brooklyn with three lovers. In 1986, the idea of a woman with multiple lovers was not too far away from heresy. Spike said to hell with all that.
He followed that up three years later with possibly his most iconic film, Do The Right Thing, a film that explores heightened racial tensions, especially between African Americans and Italian Americans in Brooklyn on an especially hot day.
This film busted open a door to a conversation that America wasn’t ready to have. It’s this brutal honesty, authenticity, and ingenuity that have made Spike a pillar in the film industry.
His other films, including Malcolm X, the doc 4 Little Girls, and most recently, BlacKkKlansman have continued to tell stories that sometimes we aren’t ready to hear.
Ryan Coogler
Let’s take it to the younger generation real quick. Ryan Coogler, an Oakland-native, is one of the brightest young directors in Hollywood. At 33, he already has a multitude of projects under his belt that have shocked the world.
His debut film in 2013, Fruitvale Station, a biographical drama about Oscar Grant (played by Michael B. Jordan), drips with intensity and sorrow. It is a beautiful portrait of a man trying to right the ship of his life, all while being dragged down by the system.
The film speaks of injustice, and as a student at the University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts when Grant was shot, Coogler expressed his desire to make a film about Grant’s last day.
“I wanted the audience to get to know this guy, to get attached so that when the situation that happens to him happens, it’s not just like you read it in the paper, you know what I mean? When you know somebody as a human being, you know that life means something,” Coogler said.
Working with Grant’s family, Coogler created a beautiful film that leaves you with a pain in your heart as you walk away and an imprint on your mind just as deep.
Coogler has also directed Marvel’s Black Panther, and Creed, with all three starring Michael B. Jordan. Black Panther is a unique and delicately-crafted superhero movie; a film that has something to say about benevolence and ancestry.
Creed is a beautiful exploration of a man trying to discover his identity and forge his own path beyond the memory of his late father.
“I tend to like movies where the filmmaker has a personal connection to the subject matter,” said Coogler.
Show me a movie about Brooklyn better than Do The Right Thing.”
Barry Jenkins
Barry Jenkins was born in Miami, the youngest of four siblings, each from a different father. His upbringing as the child of a single mother in Miami surely served as motivation for his most iconic film, 2016’s Moonlight.
Moonlight follows the story of Chiron, a withdrawn boy who struggles with bullies and his own questions of sexuality, and a crack-addict mother.
This film has been lauded for its delicate discussion of Black masculinity, sexuality, and vulnerability. It is the first film with an all-Black cast and first LGBTQ-related film to win the Academy Award for Best Picture.
This film is pure and beautiful, a masterpiece crafted by one of the best directors alive.
Jenkins followed this up with If Beale Street Could Talk, another beautiful story, this time of a couple (Tish and Fonny) in Harlem whose future is put into question when Fonny is arrested for a crime he did not commit. If Beale Street Could Talk is based on James Baldwin’s novel of the same name.
Jenkins has a near-unrivaled ability to capture complicated stories in their true essence. The “devil is in the details,” as they say, but so is the beauty, and of producing; this is where Jenkins excels.
Ava DuVernay
Ava DuVernay grew up in Lynwood, California, and as an adult, her interest was not always in film. DuVernay first wanted to be a journalist, and then moved into public relations, before finally diving into film, namely documentaries.
For someone who only got into filmmaking in the past 15 years, DuVernay is a seasoned veteran and jack of all trades in the business.
Her 2014 historical drama film, Selma, was based on Martin Luther King Jr.’s efforts and was partly inspired by DuVernay’s time as a child traveling to the childhood home of her father, not far from Selma, Alabama.
https://youtu.be/MvK-ZeZ-cE0
Two years later, DuVernay directed 13th, a documentary detailing the end of slavery and how the United States government then legally persecuted African Americans by locking them up in jails and exploiting them for cheap labor.
The film was a harrowing delineation of our country’s wicked history, how injustice still reigns supreme, and an explanation of the modern prison system.
DuVernay has also been revered for her work creating, co-writing, and directing “When They See Us,” a drama miniseries based on the 1989 Central Park jogger case, where five male suspects were falsely accused and jailed related to the rape of a jogger in Central Park, most of them under-18.
DuVernay is a constant voice against injustice any and everywhere, and her projects are some of the most influential of this millennium. Through her work, she continues to inspire, educate, and work towards creating a more just world.
John Singleton
John Singleton, may he rest in power, was a native of South Los Angeles and an acclaimed director. His debut film, Boyz n the Hood, was a huge critical and commercial success and earned Singleton an Academy Award Nomination for Best Original Screenplay and Best Director.
The film explores, among other things, violence, gentrification, and African-Americans’ lives in tattered neighborhoods and their difficulties in trying to escape them.
Singleton was one of a kind, and unapologetically true to himself. His work, just on Boyz n the Hood alone, skyrocketed Cuba Gooding Jr., Ice Cube, and Nia Long to stardom. Singleton also directed Shaft, a crime thriller starring Samuel L. Jackson.
“My greatest achievement is, I’ve been in this business for over 26 years, and I haven’t lost my soul,” said Singleton.
Jordan Peele
Jordan Peele was known by the majority of us through his collaborative work with Keegan-Michael Key on “Key and Peele.”
But since the two comedy writers and actors agreed to disband, Peele has shown his keen eye and talent as a horror film director.
Released in 2017, Get Out was a startling and socially-conscience horror-thriller, where a Black man leaves the city with his white girlfriend to meet her parents.
“I would have voted for Obama for a third term if I could,” the dad tells him, in a cascade of eerie quotes and performances that let you know something is off here, but you can’t just figure out what.
The film highlighted a newer aspect of racism, whereby African-Americans are fetishized for their bodies, or athletic skill, instead of just being treated as human beings.
It is the liberal racism of today at play and is a horrifying movie because the themes present and actions taken are (despite some extreme hyperbole) could, and do actually occur in real life.
Get Out had us all shook, and for good reason. Peele established himself as a brilliant auteur.
To follow that brilliance up, Peele segued into his newest film, Us, which was more of an indictment on classist tendencies than racist ones.
This film may not have hit as hard as Peele’s debut, but it was still a brilliantly terrifying work that cast aspersions on the disenfranchised in this country.
Steve McQueen
Steve McQueen is a British director who is of Grenadian and Trinidadian descent. McQueen became interested in film during his time at Goldsmiths College, University of London.
McQueen directed plenty of short films before his first feature film, Hunger, released in 2008. Hunger covers the 1981 hunger strikes by Republican prisoners in Northern Ireland. His next film, Shame, also starred Michael Fassbender, as a sex addict living in New York.
In 2013, McQueen’s crown jewel, 12 Years a Slave, was released and won the Academy Award for Best Picture. 12 Years a Slave covered the autobiographical work of Solomon Northup, a free Black man who is kidnapped in 1841 and sold into slavery.
McQueen’s latest film, Widows, a film exploring four widows whose husbands were killed during a police shootout, was also lauded by critics. McQueen is one of the most talented directors creating works right now.
Kasi Lemmons
Kasi Lemmons is an American film director who most recently directed Harriet, the 2019 film of Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad.
Lemmons was born in St. Louis, Missouri, and she was eight, moved to Newton, Massachusetts. Lemmons was an actress, and even appeared in such films as The Silence of the Lambs and Candyman. However, she has stated that she always wanted to be a director.
“I’ve come to really believe that I have something to offer as a filmmaker, that goes beyond what I had to offer as an actress and maybe this is what I’m meant to do,” she said.
In addition to Harriet, Lemmons has directed Eve’s Bayou, The Caveman’s Valentine, Talk to Me, and Black Nativity.
F. Gary Gray
Straight Outta Compton, the widely popular 2015 film documenting N.W.A.’s ascension, was directed by F. Gary Gray.
Gray began his career by directing music videos, including “It Was a Good Day” by Ice Cube, and “Natural Born Killaz” by Dr. Dre and Ice Cube. It was only fitting then, that years down the line Gray and Ice Cube would be linked together in another partnership.
Gray has also directed films such as Law Abiding Citizen, The Fate of the Furious, and Men In Black: International. Gray has shown that he has the ability to direct big-budget action films and a biographical film like Straight Outta Compton.
Sidney Poitier
Sidney Poitier is a Bahamian-American director who has received an abundance of awards in his long and prestigious lifetime. Poitier grew up in the Bahamas but moved to New York when he was 16.
Poitier started out as an actor, and his first Academy nomination (for The Defiant Ones), was the first-ever for a Black actor. In 1964 he did win the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in the critically acclaimed Lilies of the Field.
Many of Poitier’s films broke ground in dealing with race and race relations. In the 70s Poitier turned to acting and directing, with the films Uptown Saturday Night (1974), Let’s Do It Again (1975), and A Piece of the Action (1978).
Poitier also directed Stir Crazy, featuring Gene Wilder and Richard Pryor, and received an honorary knighthood from Queen Elizabeth in 1974.
“So I’m OK with myself, with history, my work, who I am and who I was,” said Poitier.
As a groundbreaker in film, and one of the first Black actors/directors to be recognized for all of his worth, Poitier is a staple of the film industry and cannot be forgotten when the history of film is told.
Representation matters more to the audience than it does to the actual creators of content. The people we see across different mediums give us an idea about what kind of people (can) do the jobs that we desire to do.
These Black filmmakers are not just role models because of the great heights they have reached. They are role models because of the way they have educated and inspired countless people across different races, ages, and backgrounds.
We thank these filmmakers for their work, and for those still with us.
The Super Bowl is a bit of a national holiday, and for the majority of us that peeped the festivities, we were witness to a very unique commercial starring a young man.
That young man, of course, was 13-year-old athletic sensation Maxwell “Bunchie” Young, a boy who plays football in LA and gained national attention when he broke the age-10 world record for the 100-yard dash with a time of 12.4 seconds.
In the commercial sponsored by the NFL, Bunchie catches a football, spins and dashes past defenders, runs across fields and city streets, through the parade of Mardi Gras and other cities that are the home of iconic NFL teams. Bunchie sprints past NFL legends like Jim Brown and Ray Lewis, and current stars like Aaron Donald and Jalen Ramsey.
https://youtu.be/lbkafMhmvMo
“Oowee” Brown remarks upon seeing Young running. “Take it to the house kid.” This phrase is repeated by the other legends and stars in the video.
Finally, in a neat twist, Young finishes his run by emerging through the actual tunnel into the live Super Bowl stadium, much to the delight of the fans.
“It was just so loud,” said Bunchie later. “And the players were looking up to see my Super Bowl commercial and it was really crazy,” he concluded.
A post shared by BUNCHIE YOUNG (@theofficialbunchieyoung) on
Bunchie may still be a mystery to many, but with each passing year, his talent and gravity becomes more and more evident. Bunchie Young has an undeniably bright future ahead of him, and the NFL put him on full display with their commercial on Super Bowl Sunday.
Young had to make several trips between New Orleans and Chicago for the shoot.
“I couldn’t tell nobody. Everybody and their mom had to sign a (non-disclosure agreement.) It was so secretive. You couldn’t tell nobody,” he said.
Bunchie was named the 2017 Sports Illustrated SportsKid of the Year and garnered attention from colleges across the nation. Still, the young man has to be more concerned with where he is going to high school and passing all of his classes before he worries about college and the NFL.
Cam Newton, NFL star and quarterback for the Carolina Panthers once said,
“I’m a continuous work of progress.”
Newton spoke from his platform at UNINTERRUPTED Live: More Than A Football Player, an exciting event that took place Friday, January 31, in anticipation of the Super Bowl.
Along with Oakley, UNINTERRUPTED hosted the event in honor of NFL players that are so rarely seen, mainly because of the helmet covering their faces on the field.
Along with Newton, star cornerback Jalen Ramsey and upcoming NFL draftee Tua Tagovailoa spoke at the storytelling event.
“Everyone who’s had a part to do with my success, it’s their success at well,” said Tagovailoa.
Speaking a lot about the love he has for his big family, Tagovailoa joked that whatever team that drafts him should expect, in their city, a rise in the Samoan population.
The night’s theme was an extension of UNINTERRUPTED’s Glass Helmet campaign, or, “They Will Be Seen,” in which NFL players put on a transparent glass helmet and are able to be seen as the three-dimensional human beings they really are.
Each player also filled out a draft card, detailing their human attributes instead of their physical ones.
On Friday, three of the biggest names in football shared deep and intimate stories about who they are as people, enabling the public also to see football players for who they are without a helmet and pads on.
While their stardom sets them apart from us in some ways, on the inside they are just like any of us. They hold family dear to them, they have aspirations outside of their field (like Ramsey wanting to learn how to play the piano), and they are cognizant of the airflow on social media.
Newton says, “And I’ll be the first person to tell you, lotta times I may go down Instagram, Twitter… and I have to say ‘Damnn… I wore that.'”
But Newton is firm in the stance that he is not bashful or shy about anything. His demeanor — the way he talks, the way he presents himself — is “unapologetic, but most importantly, it’s unique.”
As an MVP, someone who has been at the very top of their field at a point in time, these words are inspirational.
Photo Courtesy: UNINTERRUPTED | Right to Left: Tua Tagovalio, Cam Newton, Nate Burleson
Also present at the event were UNINTERRUPTED’s Maverick Carter, the evening’s host Nate Burleson, Yankees star Aaron Judge, veterans Spice Adams, Emmanuel Acho, and James Lofton and UNINTERRUPTED Live veteran Taylor Rooks.
Photo Courtesy: UNINTERRUPTED | Right to Left: Taylor Rooks, Jimmy Spencer Maverick Carter, Aaron Judge
Former football player and hip hop artist Tobe Nwigwe also showed out with a musical performance for the night.
UNINTERRUPTED Live is helping pave a path for football players to be seen as “More Than An Athlete.” Friday’s event was the latest step in this effort, and it was a joy to hear the stories told by some of the most unique faces in sports.
Photo Courtesy: UNINTERRUPTED | Left to Right: Tua Tagovalio, Cam Newton, Jalen Ramsey
“Just by existing as a show, we’re breaking barriers, and we’re so grateful to be able to showcase an Asian-American experience that perhaps we haven’t seen before.” – Teresa Hsiao executive producer of Awkwafina Is Nora From Queens
Bolstered by its unique and layered characters, and clever, authentic writing, Awkwafina Is Nora From Queens is as original and entertaining of a comedy show we have seen in some time.
The Comedy Central show premiered on January 22, 2020, and was renewed for a second season before the pilot even aired.
True to the title, Awkwafina Is Nora From Queens is centered around Awkwafina’s character’s life living in Queens with her father and grandmother. All while trying to find her path in life as a woman in her upper-20s.
Along with Awkwafina, stars Lori Tan Chinn (of Orange Is The New Black) as Nora’s grandmother and BD Wong (of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit) as her father.
They are both downright hilarious, and Wong specifically made me laugh out loud several times. Still, Chinn might take the W for being the trillest foxy grandma out there.
Awkwafina first came onto the national scene when her song “My Vag,” went viral on YouTube. After she released more music, including her debut album “Yellow Ranger,” she transitioned into acting. But, trust, she’s still making bangers.
Since then she has appeared in supporting roles in Neighbours 2: Sorority Rising, Ocean’s 8, Crazy Rich Asians, and Jumanji: The Next Level.
Most recently, Awkwafina became the first woman of Asian descent to win a Golden Globe in any lead actress film category for her starring role in the comedy-drama The Farewell.
Awkwafina (whose real name is Nora Lum), based Nora’s character situation on her real-life before she became the global sensation she is today. Along with writer and producer Teresa Hsiao, Awkwafina wrote the pilot episode.
Hsiao has worked as a writer on the shows Fresh Off The Boat, We Bare Bears, and Family Guy, as well as being a writer and producer on American Dad.
In addition to being part of Awkwafina’s shtick, the brash comedy on Awkwafina Is Nora From Queens is reminiscent of some of the humor on Family Guy and American Dad.
No jokes are off-limits, no one is safe, and the showrunners don’t seem to give a f***. Also, there is no mind-numbing laugh track instructing you of when to laugh, and we thank the showrunners and the heavens for that.
Awkwafina and Hsiao are a great pairing of screenwriters in the pilot episode; as main components of the show, we hope and expect them to write more.
This show does not take itself too seriously. It does not try to push the Asian-American narrative down your throat and in the process of trying to counter stereotypes, end up perpetuating them.
Instead, Nora From Queens focuses on a girl’s life, her relationships, her future. And though her Asian-American identity is important to her and her family, it is not the basis for the whole show.
“The show features an all Asian-American lead cast, it’s by Asian-American creators, and we’re telling an Asian-American story… But we think it’s a universal story as well.”
Everyone who has experienced life in their 20s knows it is a whirlwind of emotions, relationships, decisions. There is no blueprint for how to successfully prepare yourself for the future and also enjoy yourself in the present.
The truth is we are all just guessing.
Awkwafina Is Nora From Queens is young, but so far it is a delightful and endearing show with likable characters and a hysterical, charismatic lead.
As with most good shows, we expect the writing to only get stronger, and that is a good sign for fans of comedy and Awkwafina to hear.
Make sure you tune in and check out Akwafina Is Nora From Queens every Wednesdays at 10:30 EST
