This is video of harassment I witnessed just hours ago ago…
I was at Atlantic Station to see Hunger Games. After it was over, me and 3 friends were standing on the sidewalk talking about the movie. Suddenly, we see an Atlantic Station security guard following a black man (who looked to be in his 30s) and telling him that he needed to leave. After listening for a little while longer we realized the guard was telling the man that he had to leave Atlantic Station because his pants were too baggy. The man’s pants were NO WHERE NEAR baggy (just look at the video…). The man with the alleged baggy pants tried to walk away, but the guard kept following him, and was walking so close behind the man that it could’ve been a shadow. More and more police and security started to arrive. All this started over this guard deciding to enforce Atlantic Station’s “dress code” on this black man, whose pants were not sagging AT ALL. That same man told me to stop video taping the situation. This video doesn’t show it but I was told that the one who started the whole thing. It is worth noting that the target wore a hoodie.
According to these Atlantic Station dress rules (http://www.atlanticstation.com/rules), one would only be stopped if their clothing is “commonly recognized as gang-related, obscene, or offensive in nature.” I ask, what about this man’s clothing fit any of those descriptors?
#IAmTrayvonMartin #justiceforTrayvon - rally today, 5pm, downtown ATL @ the state Capitol (Taken with instagram)
Justice for Trayvon Martin: What Can You Do?
You’re outraged about Trayvon Martin. Disgusted by what’s happening in this case. But what can you DO? I signed the official petition created by his parents, and that’s a great first step, but I believe I can DO more. I believe we ALL can. Below I am providing contact information for the key players in this case. The Sanford, FL police chief, city manager (to whom the police chief reports), state attorney, and the mayor are all in positions of authority. Moreover, the family has been appealing to the FBI to take on this case. The FBI has the power to take the action that the Sanford Police won’t take. I also have the contact information for the main FBI agent who has been involved. CALL THEM, EMAIL THEM, AND EVEN WRITE THEM LETTERS! We cannot just sit on Twitter and rant, or post articles on Facebook. We must take ACTION!
The family has provided a sample letter for folks to use in emails or written correspondence. See it here.
Sanford Police Department
815 West 13thth Street
Sanford, Fl 32771
Phone: 407.688.5070
Fax: 407.688.5071
Sanford Police Chief
Bill Lee
Bill.Lee@sanfordfl.gov
407.688.5070 - Office
407.688.5071 - Fax
State Attorney
Norman R. Wolfinger
101 Bush Boulevard
P.O. Box 8006
Sanford, Florida 32772-8006
Phone: 407-665-6000
FAX: 407-665-6004
Sanford City Manager
Norton N. Bonaparte, Jr.
Norton.Bonaparte@sanfordfl.gov
407.688.5001
Sanford Mayor
Jeff Triplett, Mayor
407.688.5001
FBI Agent David Couvertier
(813) 253-1033
The Definitive Drake Playlist
For when you want to cool out a little bit…
- Crew Love
- Cameras/Good Ones Go
- Doin’ It Wrong
- The Real Her
- Marvin’s Room
- Lust For Life
- Houstatlantavegas
- A Night Off
- Bria’s Interlude
- Brand New
- Shut It Down
- Cece’s Interlude
- Find Your Love
Sometimes I think we as black women are far too sensitive about our hair!
I remember when Good Hair came out and some folks were mad that Chris Rock was giving away “our secrets.” I say, eh have fun with it. Hair is not meant to be such a serious thing. Cut if off, grow it out, throw some weave in it, add some color…whatever you want to do, do it!
With that said, a CNN reporter named Jeanne Moos did a package recently on a woman who’s afro was searched at the airport. It was playful and silly, some say disrespectful.
What say you?
Is Tyler Perry good or bad for Black Hollywood?
Touré and Dr. Boyce Watkins engage in a lively discussion about Tyler Perry and his effect on the black community. He was the top male money maker in entertainment according to Forbes. $130 million between May 2010 and May 2011! Is his success a “win” or is it really holding us back? Produced by yours truly! Please share your thoughts!
‘F&#%-NABJ-Gate’ Continues, The Help, and The Gala
August 7, 2011
After that [expletive] published, your presidential candidate was not pleased. She took it upon herself to email the entire NABJ membership to call The Monitor a liar and demand an apology and retraction. [hence the SALT] Our response…
Former NABJ presidential candidate Deirdre Childress has challenged a quote that appeared in a Saturday, August 6, NABJ Monitor article about the election. Childress said on Saturday morning that the comment was made “by an overzealous supporter and not me.” Monitor staff verified the initial quote during press time on Friday, August 5. On Saturday, staff had a follow-up conversation with the reporter who conducted the interview with Childress. The Monitor stands behind the original quote.
Enough of that! Moving on!
Saturday started with me attending (of course) The Black Athlete Manifesto, a forum about how sports journalists can best cover athletes. Since the journalists usually become very friendly and close with the players, how should the journalists approach the sticky situation of sometimes writing unflattering stories about those players? It was a panel featuring Stephen A. Smith, who is a very funny and engaging speaker. He, however, should never be on another panel again. He needs is OWN forum. He ALONE! He just talks too much to be alongside others!
#sidenote…Before the panel I went to get a little coffee and the young man who rang up my order was tryin to holla. I was running late so I had to cut our conversation short, but if you’re reading this, say hello cutie! Lol.
After the forum was the highlight of my day. I headed over the lecture hall, where I was treated to an advanced screening of The Help. I absolutely cannot say enough about this movie. Fantastic, amazing, hilarious, poignant, powerful, and meaningful. It really will become one of classic movie that all black people should watch. In 20 years we will be like “what, you’ve never seen The Help?! You need to watch that!”
The Help is based on a book by the same name written by Kathryn Stockett. The book (and movie) is complete fiction, but it is based on her experiences with the black maid who basically raised her. She interviewed other maids and used their stories to create her fictional work. The director of the movie, Tate Taylor, also grew up with a black maid. They came together to create a moving film starring Octavia Spencer and Viola Davis. All 4 of these folks held a panel discussion after the movie was over (moderated by Tamron Hall), so we got to hear firsthand what it was like to make the movie.
*MINI SPOILER ALERT* There are several scenes in which Viola Davis’ character has to stand quietly by as the white women she serves play bridge and say very nasty things about her. Viola said that even while filming, she felt the same frustration and powerlessness that we felt back when these things were daily occurrences. The movie was so touching because it made you say, “wow, these things happened to US. We cannot forget where we came from!” I could just go on and on! It was awesome. Go see it.
Another slightly controversial comment made by Octavia Spencer was that, in order to see more movies that tell our stories, we must support black movie makers, even we are not the biggest fans of what they create. If Tyler Perry makes money, then other black movie makers can come on the scene, and they will get more traction because Hollywood says, “hmm, black movie makers are money makers!” Something to think about before you go bashing Tyler. Supporting him paves the way for other black directors to come along.
After The Help, I went to the hotel lobby and had a little food and drink with some friends. We were expecting a cool, chill time, but of course there was a wedding reception that started shortly before we arrived. Can’t you take that somewhere else?? It was cool though, lol.
That evening, the NABJ Salute to Excellence Gala started at 6pm, and of course I started getting ready at 6pm. Oh, the CPT from which I suffer. My mom came up from D.C to come along, and she wasn’t helping the situation. We finally make our way over the Gala at 7pm, where we were definitely not the only latecomers. Oh black people when will we get it together!
The Gala was great, though. The real action didn’t actually start until 7 anyway (NABJ knows who they’re dealing with.) We saw some legends receive some great awards and give some very touching speeches. We also saw TJ Holmes introduce Kathy Times, the former NABJ President. His speech centered on the fact that although blacks in media are moving up, we aren’t there yet. He then got really serious and said…
“We may go home tomorrow in our 3 or 5 series BMWs. We may fly first class. You may leave your nice homes and drive to work in your fancy cars…and get there to work your weekend shift, like me.”
Y’all it got so serious in that room! He was playing no games. His face looked so angry. It was a very serious and very real moment. The black anchors, the black producers, the black supervisors…all on weekends (or overnights). We’re moving up, but we’re still not there.
I really enjoyed the Gala and it gave me several realizations. I want to produce work that is award winning! NABJ gives an award for “Emerging Journalist of the Year” and I want to win it! Eventually, I even want to run for NABJ office!
After the Gala was the after party, after the party was the hotel lobby, and after the lobby it was…to the room to go to sleep! Flight at 9:45 Sunday morning.
P.S: photos are on Facebook! https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.982986794647.2404932.22621618&l=6fb6ba694d&type=1
Election Day and Senior Nights
August 6, 2011
There’s Gregory Lee Jr., your new NABJ President. He was elected on Friday, and won with nearly twice as many votes as the second place candidate. This man has worked so hard for NABJ, he definitely deserves this!
But not everyone agreed.
Remember our candidate who burst into the newsroom Thursday and had a lot to say? She kept right on talking…right to the point where, after she lost, she said exactly what she thought about NABJ (9th paragraph).
Y’all she said ‘F&#% NABJ’!
Of course she denies it. But we stand by our story and the student who reported it.
But that actually wasn’t the beginning of my day! Friday morning and I woke up and headed to the newsroom. And that’s when I really began to notice something about Philly….
…it’s crazy. These folks hanging out in front my hotel were interesting to say the least. All types of characters were out there. Prostitutes, drug addicts, random guys calling us racist, and loud-talking kids wearing hot pink kicks. Oh, and the nearly naked man who was about 350 pounds chilling on the bench across the street.
After gouging out my mental eye, I walked into the newsroom and began working. It was an easy day because we were waiting for the much anticipated election results, which would come in around 7pm. Another member of my team and I decided to go vote that morning, since we expected the voting booth to get pretty crowded as the day went on.
But I guess they never got crowded, because when the results came out, there were only 500 votes. Please understand that NABJ has over 3000 members, and nearly 2500 of them registered for convention. Yet only 500 voted?? Voting has been open for weeks, and it was possible to vote online from home. Sigh…just like America, people aren’t exercising their right!
I left the newsroom around 7 and popped my head into the Sports Pioneer Awards Ceremony. If you notice, I always stop by sports events. It reminds me of long ago when I wanted to be the first black woman to commentate on NBA games…and I also enjoy being among the very attractive men. Haha. After the awards I stopped by the Disney Dreamers Academy reception for a little desert, drink, and socializing. Then it was back to newsroom for the final election results to be published and posted to the web. This is when I learned about “F&#%-NABJ-gate”.
So my whole post has been about Election Day, but what’s this Senior Night that I mentioned?
Friday night was the “Philly Love” party, presented by the Philadelphia Association of Black Journalists. Now, I’m all for a little old school music. Give me that 7 to 10 song set and I’m good. But the WHOLE night? All old school? I wasn’t prepared. I don’t know Philly. I didn’t know where else to go. It was here, or back to the hotel.
But Brittany, old school music is fun, don’t you love some Michael Jackson at a party? Oh absolutely. But it wasn’t Michael. It was JAMES. James Brown, and Sly and the Family Stone, and the Temptations…too. old. for ME.
We went back to the hotel, tried to find another move, and failed [in an epic manner]. Went to sleep and tried again on Saturday!
(Don’t forget: Facebook photos here https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.982986794647.2404932.22621618&l=6fb6ba694d&type=1)
a journalist. 