Monday, May 26, 2014

Trailer for James Brown Bio Pic "Get On Up"



This will be in theaters August 1st and stars Chadwick Boseman who played Jackie Robinson in 2013's "42."

Sunday, May 18, 2014

Simple Justice 60 Years Later

In a unanimous decision on May 17th, 1964, the Supreme Court ruled that segregation in public schools was illegal. With that one ruling, the walls of segregation in America began to crack, and about 10 years later, crumble.

Brown v. Board launched the career of Thurgood Marshall and for the first time ever made it a requirement that minority students have access to the same books and facilities as white students. You better believe there was resistance. There were threats against black students who went on to integrate Little Rock Central High School in Arkansas, and those students became known as the Little Rock Nine. In 1960 there was the story of a 6-year-old girl who was subject to vicious taunts and threats from adults while being the only student in the classroom for nearly a year as she desegregated the New Orleans school district. Her name, was Ruby Bridges.

These days schools are still very much segregated here in the United States. A recent study just came out that said New York City has the most segregated public school system in the country. 60 years later, there is still work to be done.


Sunday, May 11, 2014

Looking Back at Rubin 'Hurricane' Carter

Boxer and activist Rubin 'Hurricane' Carter passed away last month, and thanks to a memorable film, his story will continue to live on.

Carter spent his formative years being raised in Paterson, New Jersey, and getting into his fair share of trouble. He was an up and coming boxer whose life took a turn for the worst when he along with his friend John Artis, were charged with three murders both denied they committed. Both were found guilty. Carter would serve 19 years in prison before being freed in 1985.

14 years later, Rubin 'Hurricane' Carter's story gained new-found recognition with the release of the film "The Hurricane." Carter was portrayed brilliantly by Denzel Washington. Here's the trailer below.



Denzel Washington on Influence

The real story, the universal story, is that we all stand on a pair of shoulders. We are, all of us, the sum of our influences. We've all been taken by the hand and led to a better, more purposeful place.

                                                                         - Denzel Washington, A Hand To Guide Me, 2006

Wednesday, May 7, 2014

Crazy Eyes

Watch Eddie Griffin in 'The New Guy' teach DJ Qualls the skill of Crazy Eyes.