The NCAA on Tuesday opened the door to college athletes being able to profit from their own names and likenesses, and finally share in the billions of dollars their athletic prowess brings to colleges and universities across the country.
Antonio Moore’s new commentary video series on theGrio discusses economics, politics, and wealth, encouraging us to see news of the day in a whole new way.
In this episode, Antonio Moore discusses the new film, Harriet, Comcast, The Civil Rights Act of 1866 and the dots that connect them. Here’s the background:
Moore says it’s ironic that Comcast is attacking the Civil Rights Act of 1866, while at the same time, one of its subsidiaries through NBC Universal, Focus Features, is putting out the film Harriet starring British actress Cynthia Erivo.
“I personally made my own questions… of [Erivo’s] disparaging comments about African-Americans” says Moore, referring to past tweets of Erivo’s, which have raised eyebrows.
So once again, Harriet Tubman's life is an expression of so much that makes African-American descendants of chattel slavery a unique people with a unique lineage, culture & history.
How can you portray her when you dismiss and disrespect that unique lineage, culture and history? pic.twitter.com/oNIqIHUkd9
— 🇺🇸🌴eBoPeep🌴🇺🇸 (@eBoPeep) September 24, 2018
“But right now, we’re having the issue about the economics and business behind it all. And what we’re looking at is Harriet Tubman—who was in her 60’s or 70’s when the Civil Rights Act of ’66 has passed—who was there pushing for rights for all Black folks friends of Frederick Douglas, is basically being sold by the same company [and] commercialized by the same company that is attacking a Civil Rights Act of 1866.”
Moore also reveals that ADOS (American Descendants of Slavery) has called for a boycott of the Harriet film. He says many members feel it is a tragedy that as African-Americans they can’t support a film about one of our great icons.
“We have to be real about the rights that are present in front of us,” says Moore. “That are being trampled upon and trying to be taken back and the consequence of that. Do we understand the consequence of no longer being able to use Civil Rights Act that sets out the first framework for anyone that’s non-white to do contracting?“
In New Jersey, an ADOS member joined the local NAACP chapter and explained the Comcast lawsuit to the president. They canceled their screenings.
“Many times what happens with these films, African-American films, is that the model for promotion is right around a week before it to screen them with churches and civil rights organizations like the NAACP, ADOS chapters, Urban League. And what happens is that creates the promotional energy for the film. Well, if you have a lawsuit in the Supreme Court attacking a civil rights act less than a month away, you don’t deserve that support.”
Watch Moore’s full video commentary above and hit us in the comments below.
Commentary submissions in our Opinion section reflect the thoughts and views of writers, and are independent from theGrio newsroom. Pitches for editorials can be submitted to contributor@thegrio.com.
The post WATCH: Antonio Moore on uncomfortable truths about ‘Harriet’ film and Comcast appeared first on theGrio.
Howard University and Amazon Studios have teamed up to launch Howard Entertainment, an innovative new program designed to diversify the pipeline for talent across the entertainment industry. It is slated to begin in January 2020.
The announcement of the program came earlier this month. According to a press release, it will give black students a hands-on experience to network with Amazon’s industry partners and work in the entertainment industry.
“The vision of Howard Entertainment is to offer a one-of-a-kind experience for students interested in all aspects of entertainment, from project greenlighting to PR and marketing, to entertainment law and finance,” said President Wayne A. I. Frederick, M.D., MBA in a statement. “This relationship aligns with Howard’s strategic goals of enhancing academic excellence and inspiring new knowledge. Collaborating with Amazon Studios will enable us to marry academia and industry efforts to build a robust workforce of diverse entertainment industry leaders. With Howard’s proven track record of developing some of Hollywood’s most notable actors, comedians, and musicians, this next-level collaboration will enable us to have an even greater impact.”
Students will be taught by Howard faculty who will be supported by Amazon Studios employees and other industry professionals invited by Amazon. This model will provide the opportunity for students to be engaged in projects that offer “real world” applications and will help students develop “work ready” skills before graduating. Additionally, students will benefit from an innovative application of academic coursework and also hone entrepreneurial skills through the project-based approach.
“Amazon Studios has been working to create new pathways into the industry for talented students of all backgrounds and we are proud to team with Howard on this new program supporting aspiring entertainment leaders,” said Jennifer Salke, Head of Amazon Studios. “As we strive to delight our Prime Video customers, we’re ensuring there are diverse perspectives and experiences around the table to help us make the best decisions in all aspects of the business.”
The Howard Entertainment program is an immersive two-semester experience located in Los Angeles that offers HBCU students the opportunity to take academic courses during the spring semester and participate in a fellowship embedded in the entertainment industry during the summer semester.
Latasha Gillespie, Amazon Studio’s Global Head of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion said: “This program is all about intentionality—being intentional about increasing and preparing the next generation of African American, Latinx, and Native American storytellers, casts, crew, and executives working on these projects.”
Howard University and Amazon Studios have teamed up to launch Howard Entertainment, an innovative new program designed to diversify the pipeline for talent across the entertainment industry. It is slated to begin in January 2020.
The announcement of the program came earlier this month. According to a press release, it will give black students a hands-on experience to network with Amazon’s industry partners and work in the entertainment industry.
“The vision of Howard Entertainment is to offer a one-of-a-kind experience for students interested in all aspects of entertainment, from project greenlighting to PR and marketing, to entertainment law and finance,” said President Wayne A. I. Frederick, M.D., MBA in a statement. “This relationship aligns with Howard’s strategic goals of enhancing academic excellence and inspiring new knowledge. Collaborating with Amazon Studios will enable us to marry academia and industry efforts to build a robust workforce of diverse entertainment industry leaders. With Howard’s proven track record of developing some of Hollywood’s most notable actors, comedians, and musicians, this next-level collaboration will enable us to have an even greater impact.”
Students will be taught by Howard faculty who will be supported by Amazon Studios employees and other industry professionals invited by Amazon. This model will provide the opportunity for students to be engaged in projects that offer “real world” applications and will help students develop “work ready” skills before graduating. Additionally, students will benefit from an innovative application of academic coursework and also hone entrepreneurial skills through the project-based approach.
“Amazon Studios has been working to create new pathways into the industry for talented students of all backgrounds and we are proud to team with Howard on this new program supporting aspiring entertainment leaders,” said Jennifer Salke, Head of Amazon Studios. “As we strive to delight our Prime Video customers, we’re ensuring there are diverse perspectives and experiences around the table to help us make the best decisions in all aspects of the business.”
The Howard Entertainment program is an immersive two-semester experience located in Los Angeles that offers HBCU students the opportunity to take academic courses during the spring semester and participate in a fellowship embedded in the entertainment industry during the summer semester.
Latasha Gillespie, Amazon Studio’s Global Head of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion said: “This program is all about intentionality—being intentional about increasing and preparing the next generation of African American, Latinx, and Native American storytellers, casts, crew, and executives working on these projects.”
You’ve probably heard “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” on the radio while driving along the winter roads or maybe you remember the song from the cute Dwayne-and-Whitley scene in A Different World. Regardless of where you first heard the song, you may have, at one point, questioned the creepy lyrics.