by Daniel Johnson

October 15, 2023

Author James McBride Awarded $50,000 Kirkus Prize In Fiction For ‘The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store’

Kirkus Reviews has awarded its highest accolade, the Kirkus Prize, to three literary works examining history and community. African-American author, musician, and screenwriter James McBride was one of the award recipients.

The Kirkus Prize is considered one of the richest literary awards in the world, with $50,000 given annually to authors of fiction, nonfiction, and young readers’ literature.

Kirkus Reviews publisher Meg Kuehn gave a statement regarding the three winning works to NPR, saying: “History and community emerged as central themes in the most outstanding works of literature published this year.”

Kuehn continued, “We see these ideas come to life in wildly different ways in all three of this year’s winners, each one compelling from beginning to end, begging to be celebrated, discussed, and shared.”

McBride won in the fiction category for his novel The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store, which is set in the fictional town of Pottstown, Pennsylvania, in a racially mixed neighborhood called Chicken Hill. McBride also won a National Book Award in 2013 for his novel The Good Lord Bird.

“James McBride has created a vibrant fictional world as only this master storyteller can,” the Kirkus Prize judges said in a citation. “The characters’ interlocking lives make for tense, absorbing drama as well as warm, humane comedy. This is a novel about small-town American life that is clear-eyed about prejudice yet full of hope for the power of community.”

Héctor Tobar won for his nonfiction book Our Migrant Souls: A Meditation on Race and the Meanings and Myths of Latino. Ariel Aberg-Riger won the prize for young readers literature for her debut, America Redux: Visual Stories From Our Dynamic History.

McBride’s landmark memoir, The Color of Water: A Black Man’s Tribute to His White Mother, was published in 1996 and has sold millions of copies. It spent more than two years on the New York Times bestseller list.

His debut novel, Miracle at St. Anna, was made into a 2008 film by Oscar-winning writer and director Spike Lee, with the script written by McBride. His The Good Lord Bird, about abolitionist John Brown, was a Showtime limited series in fall 2020 starring Ethan Hawke.

While the Kirkus Prize is a relative newcomer to the literary awards scene, having only been around for 10 years, its award winners and finalists have contributed greatly to the American literary landscape.

Pruitt-Igoe, St. Louis, spraying, government testing

by Daniel Johnson

October 15, 2023

Former Residents Demand Answers And Reparations For Cold War-Era Military Experiments In St. Louis Housing Complex

In 2022, filmmaker Damien D. Smith’s documentary Target: St. Louis Vol. 1 chronicled the post-World War II secret military experiments on St. Louis residents of the predominantly Black Pruitt-Igoe housing complex. While Smith’s film was nominated for Best Documentary at the BronzeLens Film Festival, the stories the documentary told didn’t manage to generate much public interest.

Ben Phillips, one of the men who’d shared his experiences with Smith, is now telling his story and the stories of the families who lived at the housing complex to CNN. Phillips says that the U.S. Army had been conducting secret testing on the low-income housing complex, spraying a potentially carcinogenic chemical known as zinc cadmium sulfide, according to the National Institute of Health.

Phillips described the procedure to CNN.

“The majority of it was done at night. So, you know, you’re at home, it’s a summer evening, you got your windows opened up on the seventh floor because you don’t have air conditioning,” he said. “And it’s spewing this stuff off the roofs.”

Phillips said that this spray had a harmful effect, recalling, “I had a little sister who was having convulsions when she was about a year and a half old. It went on for about two and a half years, and then stopped.”

Phillips’ story reached the ears of United States Senator for the state of Missouri Josh Hawley. Hawley, a Republican, held a bipartisan rally at the U.S. Capitol calling for justice for Phillips and others with similar stories.

Hawley said during a press conference, “Dating all the way back to the Manhattan Project, the government used the city of St. Louis as a uranium-processing facility, as a major site, and then when that was over […] it allowed it to seep into the groundwater, it allowed it to get into Coldwater Creek, it allowed it get into the soil. Generations of Missourians—children—were poisoned because of the government’s negligence.”

He continued, “If the government is going to expose its own citizens to radioactive material […] for decades, the government ought to pay the bills of the men and women who have gotten sick because of it. They ought to pay for the survivor benefits of those who have been lost.”

The senator’s pursuit of compensation for the victims of nuclear radiation exposure culminated in an extension to the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act in July, and his legislation received an endorsement from President Joe Biden.

Filmmaker Smith, recounted what his grandmother, who hails from St. Louis, said she knew about the Pruitt-Igoe housing complex, and learned that cancer was a prevalent condition among ex-residents when he interviewed them for Target: St. Louis Vol. 1.

Smith shared with CNN, “I started doing some more research about it and it infuriated me that they can test on a population that they deemed to be basically sub-human.”

He said it “definitely stripped them of any constitutional rights.”

As for Phillips, he maintains that his ultimate goal is not motivated by financial gain. Rather, he wants the public to know about what he and others survived, telling CNN: “This happens so often to marginalized communities — African American communities — because they’re easier to prey upon because, at least back then, they hardly had a voice.”

Biz Markie, documentary, Sacha Jenkins, all up in the biz,

by Daniel Johnson

October 15, 2023

New York City Proclaims ‘Biz Markie Day’

The late rapper Biz Markie has a day of his own in New York City. Every Aug. 31 will officially be recognized as Biz Markie Day.

On Oct. 10, New York Amsterdam News reported that a ceremony at Marcus Garvey Park Amphitheater had recently been held to mark the proclamation. Fittingly, those whom Biz Markie inspired were featured performers at the event, including DJ Hollywood, D. Cross, and Oran Juice Jones, who reflected on Biz Markie’s influence on hip-hop, saying, “In life, it’s not the journey or destiny that’s important…what’s important is the people you bump into along the way, and I didn’t grow up with him. I bumped into Biz along the way, and every time I bumped into him, he was a beautiful cat.”

Biz Markie was born in Harlem, New York City, and raised on Long Island.

Laurie Cumbo, New York City’s commissioner of public affairs, read the city’s official proclamation of Biz Markie Day shortly before giving the stage to Tara Hall, Biz Markie’s widow. Hall told the crowd gathered for the occasion, “I’m so touched right now, I almost was in tears because of the love he’s receiving.”

Often referred to as the “Clown Prince of Hip-Hop,” Biz Markie was known for his jovial manner and endorsement of acts like Roxanne Shanté, and especially for his 1989 song “Just a Friend.”

The artist struggled with health issues related to a decade-long battle with type 2 diabetes. His illness led to hospitalization in April 2020. In December of that year, it was reported that Markie entered a rehabilitation facility as a result of a stroke he’d had suffered after going into a diabetic coma. He died at a Baltimore hospital on July 16, 2021, at age 57. Hall was at his side when he passed.

Prior to his death, the rapper had spoken about the mismanagement of his type 2 diabetes. He told USA Today what his doctor informed him could happen as a result.

“They said I could lose body parts. A lot of things could happen,” he said.

by Mary Spiller

October 15, 2023

Drake Ends Grammy Boycott To Submit His New Album, ‘Her Loss’

Seems Drake is no longer boycotting the Grammys. The rapper has submitted Her Loss, his album with 21 Savage, for Grammy consideration. The decision proves surprising, as he had previously renounced the Grammys.

Drake’s album debuted at number 1 on the Billboard 200 chart, and several songs have been recognized for potential awards, according to Billboard. Her Loss, in its entirety, has been submitted for 2024 Album of the Year and Best Rap Album in the awards show, according to The Hollywood Reporter. It includes Drake’s song with 21 Savage, “Rich Flex,” which is a submission for the Record of the Year, Song of the Year, Best Rap Performance, and Best Rap Song categories.

Another popular song, “Spin Bout U,” was submitted for the Best Melodic Rap Performance, Record of the Year, and Song of the Year categories.

In 2020, Drake openly criticized the Grammys on behalf of fellow artist The Weeknd. When The Weeknd received no nominations for his successful After Hours album, 36-year-old Drizzy took to Instagram and wrote, “I think we should stop allowing ourselves to be shocked every year by the disconnect between impactful music and these awards and just accept that what once was the highest form of recognition may no longer matter to the artist that exists now and the ones that come after.”

He continued, “It’s like a relative you keep expecting to fix up, but they just won’t change their ways.”

Drake stressed the need for a new music awards organization.

“The other day, I said @theweeknd was a lock for either album or song of the year, along with countless other reasonable assumptions, and it just never goes that way. This is a great time for somebody to start something new that we can build up over time and pass on to the generations to come,” Drake wrote.

The Weeknd expressed his disappointment as well. He wrote on X, “The Grammys remain corrupt. You owe me, my fans and the industry transparency…”

The Grammys remain corrupt. You owe me, my fans and the industry transparency…

— Abel Tesfaye (@theweeknd) November 25, 2020

Canadian-born Drake started withdrawing his submissions from the Grammys after the snubbing of The Weeknd. He also pulled back from the 64th annual awards in 2022 and this year’s awards as well. The next Grammy Awards will take place Feb. 4, 2024.

In addition to his own album, Drizzy has opportunities to be nominated with fellow rapper Travis Scott on his hit “Meltdown” as well as Young Thug’s “Oh U Want,” since both songs have been submitted in the Best Rap Song and Best Rap Performance categories. Prior to his boycott, Drake had won a total of five Grammys.

by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman

October 15, 2023

President Biden Urges Congress To ‘Recommit’ To Police Reform On George Floyd’s Birthday

On Oct. 14, what would have been George Floyd’s 50th birthday, President Joe Biden urged members of Congress to “recommit” to police reform legislation in Floyd’s honor. Biden signed an executive order banning chokeholds not long after Floyd’s death at the hands of ex-police officer Derek Chauvin in May 2020.

“George Floyd should be alive. He should be celebrating his 50th birthday with his young daughter Gianna, family, and friends. He deserved so much more,” shared Biden in a press statement.

Floyd was killed in Minneapolis by the Chauvin, who knelt on him for over nine minutes. The action prompted Floyd to yell “I can’t breathe” repeatedly as footage of the fatal incident sparked Black Lives Matter protests worldwide.

Floyd’s family received a $27 million settlement in 2021 after filing a wrongful death lawsuit, while Chauvin and three other officers were charged and sentenced for their misdeeds. Chauvin was found guilty on all three charges he was on trial for: second and third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter. He was sentenced to 252 months in prison.

However, justice for George Floyd and those who have been impacted by police brutality continues on. So as to see to it that Floyd’s life and death will never be forgotten, Biden returned the issue to America’s conscience.

“Today, we join his family to honor his life and legacy. And we remember the tragedy and injustice of his death that sparked one of the largest civil rights movements in our nation’s history and inspired the world,” expressed the president. “George Floyd’s murder exposed for many what Black and brown communities have long known and experienced — that our nation has never fully lived up to its highest ideal of fair and impartial justice for all under the law.”

Biden continued to call on Congress to pass legislation that will support agencies at the state and local level to “make policing safer.” Biden emphasized that he will sign any “meaningful” police reform that seeks to earn the trust of communities across the nation.

“Let us recommit to changing hearts and minds while enacting policies and laws that ensure our nation lives up to its founding idea: that we’re all created equal and deserve to be treated equally throughout our lives,” Biden said in the statement.

As the fight against police brutality remains prevalent, the remembrance of George Floyd brings the advocacy for justice reform to the forefront.

by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman

October 15, 2023

Mugshots And Videos Of Tupac And Biggie Expected to Fetch Big Bucks At Auction

For some wealthy Tupac and Biggie fans, the chance to own some coveted mugshots of the legendary rappers will be available soon. The photos, never exposed to the public, are expected to go for thousands of dollars at the GottaHaveRockandRoll auction.

TMZ reported the upcoming sale of the exclusive photos at the auction, which is set to be conducted from Oct. 25 to Nov. 10. The mugshots of both rappers are expected to be bought for around $20,000 to $40,000. The image of Tupac’s first arrest was taken with a Polaroid and was never before shown publicly. In addition to his own mugshot, the sale of Biggie’s picture will be accompanied by a thank-you note that includes the “Mo Money Mo Problem” artist’s signature.

However, the mugshots are not the only precious memorabilia being sold—a clear video of Biggie’s final performance in 1996 is up for grabs, too. The video shows the Notorious B.I.G. performing at a show during the Sting Festival in Jamaica on Dec. 26.

The video is especially sentimental to fans, as the 24-year-old died March 9, 1997. The video is estimated to be sold for well over a million dollars.

The hip-hop auction will feature other valuable items, including Biggie’s worn Bad Boy jacket and a signed flyer. Tupac also has a signed letter, known as his “First Friend in England” message, that will be available for bidders as well.

As the newly reopened case on who killed Tupac in 1996 gains traction, the auction will surely raise attention into the rapper’s death. Recently, a retired Las Vegas detective told a grand jury that the murder of Biggie and Tupac are connected, as also reported by TMZ.

Those wealthy enough to participate in the auction will have the opportunity to own parts of the rappers’ history.

by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman

October 15, 2023

Making Waves In Fashion: Mara Brock Akil Stars In Tyler, The Creator’s Lacoste Campaign

Mara Brock Akil is already known for her work behind the scenes in entertainment, most notably as the creator of Girlfriends. However, the showrunner is now the star of Tyler, The Creator’s new campaign for Lacoste, which includes a visual promo.

The video shows Akil dressed in pieces from the rapper’s Golf le Fleur line with the fashion brand, including a green sweater and tan checked midi skirt. In typical zaniness associated with the hip-hop artist, the advertisement features Akil in a wacky adventure alongside Tyler, who poses as a not-so-skilled sailor.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Mara Brock Akil (@maraakil)

The video shows the unlikely duo embarking on a “cheap” boat ride after Akil’s flight is canceled. Well-dressed and in distress, Akil wakes up ashore on an unknown island, where she is rescued by helicopter after writing “H-E-L-P” in some seaweed to gain attention. However, the hectic nature of her trip does not stop there, as she is dropped directly onto the shoot to showcase the new collection in an “all’s well that ends well” moment.

“Just a girl and her pink blush suitcase,” Akil captured the unorthodox campaign video, noting that Tyler directed the shoot. Despite the crazy lead-up to her arrival, Lacoste made sure to show behind-the-scenes images, detailing the new styles.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Lacoste (@lacoste)

Akil’s transition into on-camera talent was met with acclaim and surprise from her fans and peers. Issa Rae showcased her support of this new endeavor, commenting “Go Mara,” under the post. Michael B. Jordan went with fire emojis.

As the writer emerges as a fashionista, centering middle-aged Black women in new fashion campaigns is a stride in diversity for the fashion industry. Lacoste X le Fleur is available now for consumers to purchase; 21 new items are available that combine the rapper’s taste with the preppy fashion house.

by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman

October 15, 2023

Gail O’Neill, Top Model Turned News Correspondent, Dies At 61

Gail O’Neill, 61, a top model-turned-correspondent for The Early Show, died Oct. 10. A cause of death was not released.

Deadline reported the news on the famed model who appeared on the covers of Vogue and Essence and was included in the coveted Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue in 1992. The first-generation Jamaican-American had a successful career in modeling upon being discovered in the 1980s, walking for top fashion houses such as Ralph Lauren and Donna Karan and working for big-time companies like Revlon.

She was by no means destined to be a model. “By the time I was 11 or 12 years old, I was convinced that my tall, skinny frame was some kind of cosmic joke . . . with me as the punchline,” she once said.

However, her impact on the diversity of her profession was immense. O’Neill was one of the initial members of the Black Girls Coalition, which advocated for the upliftment and better treatment of Black models. She also stood firm on her values of equality and justice, refusing to model for companies that invested in South Africa while apartheid was still upheld.

As she transitioned out of modeling and into television, O’Neill emerged into a long-standing personality. Getting her start as a correspondent for The Early Show on CBS, she also starred in programming for CNN and HGTV. In her later years, she worked as editor-at-large for ArtsATL, a review platform for the arts scene in Atlanta.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by ArtsATL (@artsatlanta)

“This is such a devastating loss,” ArtsATL’s executive editor, Scott Freeman, said in a statement. “Gail was a great journalist who cared about her craft and the people she wrote about. She had a grand curiosity about the world, a hallmark of her writing style. She had the ability to take a reader along for the ride on her journey of discovery.”

O’Neill will be remembered for her style in fashion and prose, as her impact on activism, modeling, and journalism.

by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman

October 15, 2023

Kanye West Looking For New Distributors For First Album Since Anti-Semitic Controversy

Kanye West is currently on the hunt for distributors to help with the release of his upcoming unnamed album, reportedly a collaborative effort with Ty Dolla $ign, after his anti-Semetic antics.

According to Billboard, the project was supposed to be released Oct. 13, but has since been delayed for reasons shielded from the public. However, the news outlet reports that West and Ty Dolla $ign have been in discussions with several companies.

However, West’s scandal regarding remarks deemed anti-Semitic is as prevalent as ever given the recent outbreak of violence between Palestine and Israel. With this in mind, some companies are weighing the anticipated backlash in this current climate for working with West.

West’s former distributor, Def Jam, owned by Universal Music Group, dropped West in 2021 after his negative comments. This termination has led to West seeking a new partnership, including from some smaller distributors that view the opportunity to work with West as outweighing the cons that come from the association, Billboard reported.

Those who have listened to the Grammy winner’s latest work call it some of his best. This is not West’s first time working with Ty Dolla $ign, as the two have been collaborators since 2014. Both have featured on one another’s work, such as $ign’s inclusion on the Donda album and West’s addition to the 41-year-old’s song “Ego Death.”

West has kept a relatively low-profile, at least in speaking publicly, after being condemned for his comments. However, the volatile rapper has garnered some headlines for his relationship with newly official wife, Bianca Censori, and their public displays of affection that have veered into inappropriate territory. However, as the rapper rolls out a new album, fans are sure to hear what he now has to say.

Joan Naydich, Brendan Depa, Florida, autistic,

by Jameelah Mullen

October 15, 2023

Autistic Student Faces Up To 30 Years Behind Bars After Attacking Teacher’s Aide; Victim Will Not Assist In Reducing His Sentence

A Florida paraprofessional whom a Matanzas High School autistic student attacked has refused to support a more lenient sentence for the teen.

On Feb. 21, 17-year-old Brendan Depa attacked his teacher’s aide, Joan Naydich, when she wouldn’t allow him to play his Nintendo Switch in class. The incident was caught on the school’s surveillance video, where Depa was seen kicking and punching Naydich in the back and head, knocking her unconscious.

The teen weighs 270 pounds and stands 6’6.

Naydich was taken to the hospital and treated for her injuries. Her family launched a GoFundMe that raised over $100,000 to assist with medical and living expenses while she was out of work.

Depa, now 18, is being charged as an adult and faces up to 30 years in prison.

Initially, the autistic student was charged as a juvenile, which would have carried a lesser sentence. In June, a hearing was held to determine whether he was competent to stand trial. Circuit Judge Terence Perkins decided Depa was competent to stand trial after hearing the testimony of two psychologists. One clinician diagnosed the teen with psychosis and described him as “severely autistic, often violent and unpredictable, and requiring extreme assistance.“ The other said that Depa was autistic but aware and able to withstand a trial.

Depa’s attorney, Kurt Teifke, voiced his concerns about the judge’s decision.

“I have great concerns,” the attorney said. “I am not confining my opinions to diagnosis. Not at all. I’m talking about its manifestations. I’m talking about the behavior and the interactions and, frankly, everything that happens.”

Teifke described his client’s condition as “a cocktail of mental health disorders.”

Depa appeared in court on Oct. 11 for a pre-trial hearing. The 18-year-old teen is expected to plead guilty to avoid trial. His lawyer asked for an Oct. 30 plea hearing.