A Discussion With Amirah Vann & Robert Christopher Riley On Exploring The Horrors Of Domestic Violence On 'Underground'

NOTE: This includes very light spoilers from episode 202, “Things Unsaid,” which airs tonight on WGN America. This season of “Underground” is shaping up to be incredibly explosive, and only one episode has aired so far. One of the most enthralling aspects of this season has been the storyline around Amirah Vann’s character Ms. Ernestine and the domestic violence that she experiences. Separated from her entire family and enslaved on a rice plantation in South Carolina, Ernestine has found herself attached to an extremely volatile man.

Ahead of episode 202 “Things Unsaid,” I spoke with Amirah Vann and Robert Christopher Riley who plays Hicks, Ernestine’s lover and abuser on the series. We spoke about domestic violence within the institution of slavery, present-day advocacy, and their heartbreaking storyline.

Aramide Tinubu: Slavery was obviously a very brutal institution, but we don’t often consider the violence that occurred amongst enslaved people themselves. Did you know much about Hicks’ journey and trajectory before signing on to do this season of “Underground”?

Robert Christopher Riley: There was specific scene towards the end of the season which was the audition scene. It has a very long monologue, and if you pay attention, it’s all in there. At that moment, you learn who this guy is. I’m no stranger to any of our history, American or Caribbean. So, looking at Hicks’ story and what he’s gone through and obviously what he’s letting pass through him and the behavior that he’s mimicking; slavery was horrific for everyone.

AT: What about you Amirah? Did you have any idea that this would be Ms. Ernestine’s journey this season prior to reading the first few scripts?

Amirah Vann: I didn’t know prior to reading the first few scripts. The writers have such fantastic imaginations. They have an idea of where the journey is going, but they definitely keep things to themselves as they progress because they are always open to doing something else and taking things in a new direction. But once I read the first few scripts and I knew, I was thrilled because it’s another opportunity to speak and give voice to a really important crisis worldwide. I also knew that there was going to be a multitude of people who could identify and hopefully be helped in some way.

Continue reading at Shadow and Act.

SXSW Review: 'Dara Ju' Is A Brilliant Examination Of The Struggle Linked Between Familial Obligations & Crushing Personal Ambition

As the daughter of a Nigerian immigrant, many of my formative years were spent trying to please my father. Though it was unspoken, I was expected to thrive both academically and socially. I dared not dream of following the crowd, and there was no wide berth given for any girlish teenage slip-ups. Luckily, I loved learning and school, so a great deal of the time I held up my end of the bargain. However, when I didn’t, when I wasn’t interested in taking a higher-level math course in high school or learning more about my Nigerian ancestry, a storm would brew between the two of us, incinerating everyone who stood in our paths. In Yoruba, the phrase “dara ju” means “best,” and that was what my father wanted me to strive for. And in his feature-length directorial debut of the same name, director Anthony Onah explores what it means to cling onto that standard while experiencing immense pressure in every aspect of your life.

In “Dara Ju,” we meet 24-year old Seyi (played by Aml Ameen), a tightly wound and ambitious Wall Street trader who is finding it increasingly difficult to balance his two worlds. Through Onah’s use of tight frames that capture Seyi’s face and mannerisms, we watch as he travels from his tiny apartment in downtown Manhattan to the finance company where he works, Brown Harmon, each day. Dressed pristinely in tailored suits, Seyi is desperate to prove himself despite his coworkers undermining him at every turn. On the weekends, putting on his façade of the dutiful son, Seyi travels to his parents’ home in Hackensack, New Jersey where his mother and sister Funmi constantly care for his ailing and unyielding father.

Onah’s willingness to deal with the messiness of familial obligations is painfully refreshing in this film. Though his father is desperate to recover from his stroke in order to travel to his homeland once more, Seyi simply goes through the motions in terms of the care he affords his father, resenting the time and money spent caring for a man he no longer respects. It’s evident that some astronomical incident has created a gaping hole in their father/son relationship, and it seems beyond repair.

Continue reading at Shadow and Act. 

SXSW Review: 'The Work' Is A Compelling Documentary About The Barriers Of Invulnerability & The Pain That Shatters Us

Films set in prisons often center around stories of redemption, broken paths, journeys to freedom or the day-to-day movements of those who must now live their lives behind bars. It seems astounding to consider, but the mental, emotional and psychological statuses of those who are carrying out lengthy sentences particularly for violent offenses are often overlooked. Imprisoned men and women are seen as being without redemption; labeled as damaged goods for involving themselves in the things that have led them to jail in the first place. In his directorial debut, Jairus McLeary shifts the lens away from the actual crimes and circumstances that have led men to prison and instead looks at the psychological turmoil that is keeping them in mental chains within jailhouse walls. “The Work” follows a group of men; prisoners who are serving time within Northern California’s maximum security Folsom Prison, and everyday men who journey into the prison to discover what’s ailing them as they move about freely in the outside world. The program, which is run by inmates and ex-convicts of the Inside Circle Foundation, funds and facilitates the retreat. Extending over the course of four days, prisoners leave the politics of prison life (and correctional officers) at the door, engaging in intense group therapy with one another in an attempt to find the source of their pain.

As the film opens, we meet the outsiders who will be joining the prisoners in this revealing process. Charles a bartender, Brian, a teacher’s assistant and Chris, a museum associate, all show up in search of something that either shakes them out of their state of complacency or gives them clarity. With no true narrative in place, “The Work” seeks to follow the men along with their incarcerated brethren on their four-day journey to find some peace and understanding about themselves and their circumstances.

Continue reading at Shadow and Act.

Netflix’s ‘Burning Sands’ Is A Riveting Assessment of the Perils Of Greek Life & The Vulnerability Of Black Manhood

If you exist outside of the Greek world, and certainly if you attended a predominantly white university as a student of color, Greek life swirls around you.

You may be familiar with probates and socialize with friends who are members of sororities and fraternities, but you stay along the outskirts of it all. In his feature film debut, director Gerard McMurray peels back the curtain on Black Greek life in a shocking and riveting film about brotherhood, sacrifice and the freedom of individual choice.

Burning Sands follows Zurich (Trevor Jackson), a college student at the fictional Fredrick Douglass University, trying to survive Hell Week as a Lambda Phi pledge. With his academic work, girlfriend and social life all on the back burner, Zurich attempts to press forward with the hopes of making it through Hell Night; capturing the glory that is awaiting him on the other side.

We’ve all heard whispers about the hazing that occurs when pledging various Greek organizations, but it’s mostly unspoken, remaining below ground and so ingrained in the tradition that it’s never shown the light of day unless some major trauma or tragedy strikes. As he moves through Hell Week with his fellow pledges, enduring beatings, emotional abuse and so forth, Zurich begins to question his commitment to it all. His Big Brothers are ferocious and unrelenting in their punishments. Moonlight’s Trevante Rhodes, Segun Akande, and Rotimi star as Big Brother Fernander, Malcolm, and Edwin respectively. Their physicality, as well as their near constant taunting keeps the pledges on edge.

And yet, if you watch Burning Sands (or simply try to analyze the film's trailer) focusing solely on the trauma that Zurich and his line brothers endure, you would be missing McMurray’s entire point. Shot over the course of eighteen days on the Virginia State University campus, Burning Sands tells a story about Black brotherhood and what it means to belong to something much bigger than yourself. The hazing is admittedly horrible, and I would be naive to think that there is no truth to these volatile acts. However, it is not every story; nor is it the thread that makes this film so powerful. Instead, Burning Sands is a coming of age story about legacy, bonds, and the choices that shape us forever.

Continue reading at ESSENCE.com. 

Image: Netflix 

SXSW Interview: Warren G & Director Karam Gill Talk 'G-Funk' Documentary, Legacy & The Rise Of West Coast Hip-Hop

In the early ‘90s, hip-hop was spreading across the globe, while hip-hop artists from Los Angeles were putting their own significant stamp on the musical genre. N.W.A. was putting gangsta rap on the map, and Warren G, Snoop Dogg, and Nate Dogg were using elements from Motown, Funk, and R&B to create a new style of hip-hop, a style that would be later termed G-Funk.

The childhood friends formed the group 213 and were soon discovered by Warren G’s stepbrother Dr.Dre. However, when Snoop and Nate Dogg were signed to Death Row Records without Warren, it was up to him to break through on his own. In his feature directorial debut ”G-Funk,” Karam Gill sets that stage for Warren G to tell his very personal story about his contribution to West Coast rap and his determination to persevere.

Ahead of the film’s debut at South By Southwest (SXSW) this weekend, I spoke with Warren G and Karam about “G-Funk’s” origins, looking back in time and where hip-hop is today.

Aramide Tinubu: Hi Warren and Karam, how are you are doing?

Karam Gill: Hey how’s it going?

Warren G: Hello sunshine! I’m good; I’m just chilling.

AT: Dope! Congratulations on “G-Funk” and your upcoming premiere at South by Southwest (SXSW). The documentary is amazing, and it really opened my eyes up to some of the history behind West Coast hip-hop that I did not know about previously. Warren, why was it important for you to tell your own story, and how long have you been working on this narrative?

WG: The story has been in my head for years. (Laughing) Back in the day, they had that show on VH1; I think it’s called “Behind the Music.” So this has been in my head for so many years because I wanted to tell my story. A lot of dudes have been telling their stories, and I wanted to let people know what it was that I contributed to West Coast hip-hop and hip-hop culture in general. I created what people now consider the genre, G-Funk.

AT: Karam, how did you come onboard this film as the director?

KG: I met Warren I want to say two or three years ago. I was like nineteen or twenty at the time. I was in college, and I was just shooting photos, and I met him backstage. We went on the road together, and I did a bunch of tour stuff for him; just media work and marketing and branding stuff, and after awhile he would always mention these little tidbits from his life. They were these stories about G-Funk and whatnot. We realized that this was something that needed to be told right now. It’s this incredible story that no one knows, and so we started developing it.

AT: Los Angeles in the ‘90s is such a particular type of environment and space. I think John Singleton really was able to grasp it in his films, and more recently Ezra Edelman really got the tone right in his docu-series “OJ: Made In America.” You guys also got the aesthetic perfectly in “G-Funk,” how did you do it? Did you go through old home videos together? What was it like to unearth these things that probably hadn’t been seen in twenty years?

WG: It was incredible, and it just brought back so many great memories, like the moment when I played “Regulate” for Nate [Dogg] the first time. That feeling where you get the goosebumps; just seeing that and looking at it on the big screen was just so incredible. Everything from the things that Snoop [Dogg] said to Ice-T, it was just so incredible for me.

AT: Karam, what was your role in digging up all of this archival footage for the film?

KG: Well, when we first started talking about the film, Warren sent me the contact for someone who had two big tapes of a bunch of stuff. There was this guy who used to follow Warren around in the ‘90s. So I went through it, and I pulled all of the selects, and I showed it to Warren. Right when he saw it for the first time he said, “Wow, this is incredible.” He hadn’t seen it in awhile because it was in storage somewhere. So those were the main two tapes and then there was a bunch of other archival sources that we pulled from. We just kind of fit it together. Warren took a look at a lot of it, I took a look at a lot of it, and we just slid everything in where it fit. One thing we didn’t want to do creatively was force any archival that didn’t cater to the film, which is why we went with reenactments for some parts of it. So yeah it was a joint process for sure.

AT: Warren, one of the things I loved most about the film was your persistence. You knew from day one that you, Nate and Snoop had something with 213. You knew despite all of the setbacks and obstacles that you guys were going to make it. What drove you despite being pushed off “The Chronic” tour and Snoop and Nate being signed to Death Row Records without you?

WG: That moment right there when I didn’t get a ticket to go on tour to be with my brother and my best friends, that moment right there is what changed my whole shit. But, I turned that negative into a positive and I drained all of my energy into just creating music and not letting it ruin me or have me stressed out. All of that just made me work harder because I knew that I was talented because I had contributed to a lot of the successes that were happening at that time. So, I just poured all of the energy that I had into creating and writing music. I came out with “Indo Smoke,” and I also got to produce some music for Tupac and MC Breed called, “Gotta Get Mine.” They caught me at the right time because they caught me when I was trying so hard.

Continue reading at Shadow and Act.

Image: G-Funk

‘Underground’ Premiere Recap: This Ain't No American Dream

"Contraband," the first episode of the second season of Underground, opens with Beyoncé’s “Freedom” blaring as a roll of thunder awakens an enslaved man on the Fellow Plantation in 1858.  The man arises before sundown, and we watch him toil all day, sculpting a statue before handing his money over to his Master at sundown. Soon, a montage of his workdays reveals what he's really up to, stealing news clippings from around the plantation to teach himself how to read. “Soldier” is the first word he learns.

via GIPHY

Deep in some backwoods somewhere, we find a determined Rosalee running with some escaped slaves. This isn’t the meek Rosalee that we first met in season one. She expertly moves through the forest cutting off the slave catchers who are on her heels. Unfortunately, Rosalee just isn’t fast enough.  But, just when we think she’s cornered, an armed Black woman, who we soon learn is Harriet “Moses” Tubman, comes to her aid. Neither Harriet nor Rosalee are here to play games; both ladies are strapped and ready. Season two of Underground is already lit.

Back in Ohio, abolitionist John Hawkes is in court arguing for Noah’s release and return to Georgia as his wife Elizabeth looks on desperately from the back of the courtroom. The judge isn’t trying to hear John’s stall tactics, however, and in the meantime we learn that Noah has been incarcerated for five months. He ran six hundred miles from Georgia to Ohio only to end up back in chains.

In prison, Noah looks rough, fine as hell and fully bearded, but rough. As usual, he’s vigilant about his surroundings, watching and observing the enslaved men who are incarcerated with him. He picks up on a plot that two enslaved men have crafted to overtake the prison guards and escape, a plan he quickly realizes is trash.

Rosalee has gotten her group of enslaved men to relative safety at John and Elizabeth’s home, which has now become a full station on the Underground Railroad, We learn that she and Harriet got rid of the slave catchers by paying them off -- who knew that was a thing?! John also has good news for Rosalee; the judge has granted his request to “inspect” his sister-in-law’s property; aka Noah.  They won’t be able to jailbreak Noah though; he will be heavily guarded during the “inspection.”

However, Harriet wants the group to move on to the next station, but the men are tired and injured, so Rosalee doesn’t think it’s the best idea. Tubman isn’t buying it; she knows that Rosalee has other reasons for wanting to stick around, and she tells her that her plan to free Noah is dangerous. The most famous conductor of the Underground Railroad tries to reason with Rosalee to no avail. The two throw barbs with Rosalee telling Harriet that what she and Noah have isn't like her relationship with her husband John. But, Harriet reminds Rosalee that the journey to and from Georgia and Ohio is a lengthy one and if she's worried about Noah, their plan is destined to fail.

Continue reading at ESSENCE.com

Fusion's 'The Naked Truth: Death by Delivery' Is An Eye-Opening Look At How Healthcare Fails Black Mothers

On February 1st, artist and entertainer Beyoncé Knowles announced her pregnancy with a grand Instagram post. Though her announcement and her subsequent performance at the Grammys was met with glee, excitement, and congratulations across the globe; white female writers at alarming rates attacked the Lemonade singer for expressing her joy over the impending birth of her twins.

Some of these women suggested that being pregnant is nothing to celebrate, while others expressed that Bey’s joy was hurtful to them personally, because they were struggling to conceive; a few even called the announcement "tacky." It was interesting in my opinion that all of this backlash swirled around one of the most powerful Black women in the world, a Black woman who has been vocal about her own struggles with conceiving, and her miscarriage. After all, Black women are four times more likely to die during or just after childbirth than white women and in New York City, that number rises to an exorbitant twelve times more likely.

FUSION’s Nelufar Hedayat travels from rural Georgia to New York City; two vastly different places in the United States where maternal death is raging on. We learn that two-thirds of the counties in Georgia do not have labor and delivery centers, which put women living in more rural areas at astounding risks. Being so far away from medical services when a complication arises can be the difference between life and death.  Additionally, in NYC, Black women in the most affluent neighborhoods are four times more likely to die than white women living in the poorest areas of the city.

Continue reading at ESSENCE.com.

A Very Thorough Refresher On 'Underground' Season One

The first season of Underground opened in 1857 on the Macon Plantation in Georgia. The plantation’s Master, Tom Macon is in the midst of running for Senate while trying to manage his pregnant wife, Suzanna, their large cotton plantation and many slaves. In the twenty years that Tom has been the Master of the plantation, he hasn't had a single runway.

We are quickly introduced to Noah, one of Macon’s slaves whose been plotting for a way out. Right away we learn just how brilliant and clever Noah is. He is able to manipulate Tom into thinking he’d gotten lost when he was really paving the route for his escape.  Over the course of the first couple of episodes of Underground, Noah recruits several people to run with him. In the midst of his plotting and planning, he encounters Rosalee.

A young enslaved woman who works inside the Macon home with her Mama, Ernestine, Rosalee seems meek and quiet. She’s also a favorite of Master Tom. Rosalee’s brother James is around six and stays inside the Big House as well, a companion of the Macon’s young son, T.R. Her older brother Sam is a skilled blacksmith on the plantation. Immediately we pick up on the obvious tension between Ernestine and Mistress Suzanna, and we soon discover that Rosalee and James are also Tom’s children.

Another man of note is Cato, the Macon Plantation’s Black driver. He’s menacing AF; basically your typical Uncle Tom. Spying on Noah, he soon realizes what he’s plotting, and he blackmails Noah into letting him in on the escape. Along with Cato, Noah recruits the preacher Moses, his wife, Pearly Mae (who can read), their young daughter Boo, Rosalee’s brother Sam, a young slave named Henry and a large, strapping slave named Zeke.

In the midst of the daily occurrences on the Macon Plantation, we also meet Tom Macon’s Northern brother, John Hawkes. Though he’s pro-abolition, he’s wary about offering his home, which lies along the Ohio River, as a station on the Underground Railroad. We also meet his wife, Elizabeth whose desperation to have children seem to be driving her mad.  When the pair arrives down South to the Macon plantation in celebration of Tom’s daughter’s birthday, the horrors that they witness compel them to take real action.

After meeting Noah, Rosalee who had previously been fairly ignorant to the horrors of her own life has an awakening of sorts. An overseer whips her after she defends her little brother, and she narrowly escapes the clutches of Tom’s disgusting friends who are visiting for his Senatorial race announcement. Though she’s terrified of the consequences, she decides to run with Noah.

via GIPHY

As we all know, even the grandest plans don’t always play out as you'd expect; especially during this era. Despite Noah’s careful planning, which includes a stolen gun, a stolen seal, crafting tools to get across the bridge and forging free papers, Rosalee is accosted one evening by Bill, a drunken overseer. He tries to rape her, and she slashes his throat with a bottle in defense.  Horrified, she stumbles out of the man’s cabin to Noah. They decide then and there that their only recourse is to run immediately. In doing so, they leave Boo, Pearly Mae, Sam, Cato, Henry, Zeke, and Moses behind.

The next day the plantation is all-abuzz, Bill is hanging on for dear life (unfortunately) and Noah and Rosalee are missing. We think this might be the end of the grand escape plan, but in the final hour, Cato sets the cotton fields ablaze giving the men, now known as the Macon 7 time to run. Unfortunately, Sam and Pearly Mae don’t make it out with the others who eventually catch up with Rosalee and Noah. Noah, Rosalee, Cato, Boo, Moses, Zeke and Henry form the legendary Macon 7.

Continue reading at ESSENCE.com.

Kalief Browder's Family Reflect On His Life And Legacy Ahead Of 'TIME: The Kalief Browder Story'

On May 15, 2010, sixteen-year-old Kalief Browder, a Bronx, New York resident was arrested while walking home from a party for allegedly stealing a backpack. Though he was never convicted of the crime, Browder would spend over the next one thousand days of his life locked away on Rikers Island, being beaten, starved and tortured. Browder spent eight hundred of those days in solitary confinement before he was finally released, with all charges dismissed, over three years later.

A victim of a broken justice system, which cares little for impoverished people of color, Browder was unable to escape the things that he saw and experienced while at Rikers. On June 6, 2015, at the age of twenty-two-years old, Browder hanged himself at his home. The day before, he told his mother, Vendica Browder, “Ma, I can’t take it anymore.”  At the time of his death, Browder’s story was making waves across the country. Now, with their compelling, six-part documentary event series, TIME: The Kalief Browder Story, Spike and The Weinstein Company are finally giving Browder the voice he so desperately wanted. This comprehensive look at his life, case, and incarceration at Rikers allows Browder the opportunity to speak for himself.

The evening before the series debut, ESSENCE caught up with Kalief Browder’s siblings: Nicole, Deion, Kamal and Akeem Browder, his lawyer Paul Prestia and filmmakers, Jenna Furst and Nick Sandow for a special screening and Q&A in New York City. Bronx City Council member Ritchie Torres moderated the panel.

Ritchie Torres: For the Browder family, can you give us a sense of who Kalief was as a person?

Nicole Browder: Kalief was a normal person like all of us. He was a happy kid, a silly kid; he was very smart. He always stood up for what was right. He was hardheaded and very playful. We picked on him a lot of the time because he was the youngest. Before he went to Rikers, he was a normal teenager getting to know who he was.

Deion Browder: One thing I will always remember about Kalief was how energetic he was. He was always into sports. He always wanted to try new things. He would do a lot of things to stand out as if to say, “Hey, I am here!” But, he was just a fun and energetic person, and he brought life to everyone around him.

Kamal Browder: He was always the competitive type. I brought a game called NBA 2K, and his team used to always be the Portland Trail Blazers. I don’t know how he found out who Clyde Drexler was, but he used to always call him Clyde the Glide, and he used to do insane dunks to make me mad.

Akeem Browder: Kalief was my younger brother, and you look to your younger siblings, and you want to protect them. He was just a kid. I mean no matter how old my younger brothers or my sister gets, they’re kids to me.

Continue reading on ESSENCE.com. 

Review: 'TIME: The Kalief Browder Story' Is A Searing Look At One Man's Stolen Life And A Justice System That Has Failed So Many

The justice system is failing us right now, and it has been for years. If we look at the world around us, the man who walks the halls of the White House and the policies that are reigning down on the citizens and residents of this country, it’s clear that laws are being made to keep us shackled and immobile for generations and centuries to come. We are all being crippled whether literally or morally. However, no group of people has been more devastated, cast aside and broken by the system than impoverished people of color. In her astounding Netflix documentary, “13th” director Ava DuVernay, connected this thread that runs through the past one hundred and fifty years. It is a cycle of impoverishment, imprisonment, death and destruction, and it has been so deeply and so irreparably ingrained in our society that our youngest citizens have given their lives as a result of it.

On May 15, 2010, sixteen-year-old Kalief Browder, a Bronx, New York resident was arrested for allegedly stealing a backpack. Though he was never convicted of the crime, Browder would spend over the next one thousand days of his life locked away on Rikers Island, being beaten, starved and tortured. He would spend eight hundred of those days in solitary confinement before he was finally released, with all charges dropped in June 2013. On June 6, 2015, at the age of 22-years old, Browder hanged himself at his mother’s home. Not only did the justice system fail Browder, as his fellow citizens, we must also take responsibility.

During the two years between his release from prison and his death, Browder sought to tell his story. As a society, we denied him the right to life, we denied him the right to a fair trial, and in doing so, we attempted to deny his very existence. In a six-part documentary produced by Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter and The Weinstein Company, writer/director Jenner Furst outlines Browder’s life in detail. He allows the late young man to speak for himself while using archival footage, haunting surveillance tapes, interviews with his loved ones and commentary from activists like Michelle Alexander, Van Jones, and Jay-Z, as well as words from former Rikers inmates and corrections officers. “TIME: The Kalief Browder Story” highlights how deeply broken we are as a society and what little empathy we have for those whose paths are different from our own.

An evocative and emotionally devastating piece of work, “TIME: The Kalief Browder Story” fleshes out the full being of a young man who was under surveillance for the entirety of his short life. This scrutiny never afforded him the opportunity of a complete childhood, much less a chance at manhood.

Continue reading at Shadow and Act.

Image: SpikeTV

Review: Jordan Peele's 'Get Out' Is A Witty & Ferocious Horror Film That Unravels Modern-Day Racisim

In a debate on the subject of being Black in America, James Baldwin once said, “To be a Negro in this country is really… never to be looked at. What white people see when they look at you is not visible. What they do see when they do look at you is what they have invested you with.” There is a choice among some white people, to stand in their apathy and ignorance, clinging on to stereotypes about other groups and races in order to continue to make themselves feel superior. What comes forth in the wake of this, are ideals that are entrenched in both bigotry and white privilege, which are so horrifying that they are often borderline amusing.

First-time director Jordan Peele of “Key & Peele” explores modern-day racism through his hilarious and witty satirical horror film, “Get Out.” Brilliantly written, “Get Out” follows Chris Washington (Daniel Kaluuya in a career-defining role), a 26-year-old Black photographer who goes home with his girlfriend of five months, Rose Armitage (Allison Williams) to meet her family for the first time. Chris’ initial apprehension about the trip grows, especially after his homeboy, TSA agent, Rod Williams (Lil Rel Howery) warns him about going home with a white girl. His unease eventually prompts Chris to ask Rose, “Have you told your parents I’m Black?” Though she assures him her parents are not racist, Chris doesn’t seem too convinced. As expected, the duo barely reaches Rose’s parents secluded lake house before the micro-aggressions begin to swallow Chris alive.

Despite the warm welcome from Rose’s parents, Missy and Dean (Bradley Whitford and Catherine Keener respectively), Chris immediately starts to feel uncomfortable and out of place. (Hell, so did I.) The Armitages are almost “too nice” as if they are overcompensating for something. Their Black “hired help” also does little to put Chris at ease. The groundskeeper, Walter (Marcus Henderson), displays a quiet stoicism that appears to barely mask an underlying burning rage. Likewise, Georgina (the sensational Betty Gabriel), the housekeeper, embodies a Stepford wife, who hasn’t quite perfected the correct dosage of her happy pills. Right away, Chris feels that there is something off about the Armitage household. And yet, in the midst of such an awkward social and racial space, he tries to both ignore and justify their odd and often offensive behavior. This is particularly evident when Missy, a psychotherapist, tries to convince him to undergo hypnosis to cure his smoking habit.

Continue reading for Shadow and Act.

Interview: Director Sam Pollard On His New PBS Documentary 'The Talk- Race In America' & Speaking Out Against Injustices

Since our journey began in this country, parents of Black and brown children have had very frank and often chilling conversations with their offspring about encounters and interactions with law enforcement. While many police officers honor their code; others wield their power by brutalizing, terrorizing, murdering and wreaking havoc throughout communities of color.

In his two-hour PBS documentary, “The Talk- Race In America” veteran filmmaker Sam Pollard tackles police and race relations across the United States of America. Through six different segments, Pollard looks at a diverse number of perspectives from various communities as well as the police themselves, showcasing what has so deeply divided us while trying to determine how we can begin to change the narrative.

Pollard also speaks with well-known figures in our society including, rapper Nas, actress Rosie Perez, and director John Singleton, each whom have had their own personal and unforgettable encounters with law enforcement. Ahead of the film’s premiere, I sat down to chat with Sam Pollard about constructing this story and what we can tell our children as we move forward.

Aramide Tinubu: Hi Sam, how are you?

Sam Pollard: Doing good Aramide, how are you?

AT: Fine, thank you. Thank you so much for taking the time to speak with me about “The Talk.”

SP: My pleasure.

AT: You’ve worked on everything from “Eyes on the Prize,” to “American Masters” for Zora Neale Hurston and August Wilson, so you’re a master storyteller, especially when it comes to capturing the African American experience. So, how did you get the idea to do “The Talk?”

SP: Well, you know the idea really came from CPB, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. They felt they wanted to do something that looked at this conversation that parents of color have with their children about what happens when they interact with the police, and they wanted to look at it from all perspectives. They approached WNET about wanting to do a two-hour film and Academy Award nominee, Julie Anderson put me on this as the supervising producer. So that’s how I got involved. However, I’d like to say this, as a person of color who has been making documentaries for over thirty years, it’s been one of my main responsibilities that all of the films I do, be it “Eyes on the Prize,” or “August Wilson,” or “Rise and Fall of Jim Crow;” that we present the African American experience, because a lot of people don’t understand that’s American history also.

AT: That’s very true. For me, “The Talk” felt like a very different type of documentary for PBS. It had a very different tone, and what I really loved about it was the overarching, all-encompassing view across the country on police violence from different perspectives. We heard from the Latino community, the Black community, and you even looked at the police. So how did you tackle the different segments? How did you decide which stories you needed to tell?

SP: Well, Julie [Anderson] and I, both felt it was important to do a broad spectrum of looking at this story and looking at the complications of the story. We not only wanted to do it from the perspective of the people in the community, but we wanted to get the perspectives of law enforcement too. We felt it was important that we had stories that sort of touched on different areas. So, we had our associate producers, and our researchers do extensive amounts of research. In searching for those stories, part of this process is just getting down to a story that we think would be the most appropriate and then start making the film. And that’s where we came up with the different types of stories. We had the story of the police academy in South Carolina, that’s trying to make sure that their police officers understand how they need to be able to interact with the people in the community. That was one important story that we felt that we needed to do. We wanted to do a story about this organization called the Ethics Project that was developed by this woman named Christi Griffin. We wanted to look at how people of color felt it was important to get out and talk to white people, people who aren’t from our communities, to understand what we have to deal with every day when we become involved with the police. We wanted to do a story that looked at the Latino perspective. That’s why we found the story of Oscar Ramirez who was killed out in California. So, we were trying to make sure that we didn’t just become very narrow-minded in how we wanted to approach and be approached in telling this story.

AT: You talked about the extensive research that went into making the film. What was that process like, and how long did that take before you actually began filming?

SP: Well, we started the process in October of 2015. Then, as we did the research we started to reach out to different producers who we thought might be a good fit for the stories we wanted to do, and we brought them on in January 2016. We didn’t really start any actual production until March of 2016. So it was five months of pre-production before we actually went out into the field.

Continue reading at Shadow and Act.

Interview: Ice Cube Talks 'Fist Fight,' Finding That Perfect Comedic Rhythm & What's Next

As much as Ice Cube has helped shape the fabric of hip-hop, the rapper, actor, and entrepreneur has also been a constant presence on the big screen since his feature film debut in John Singleton’s 1991 film, “Boyz n the Hood.” Starring in various film or television projects every year since then, Cube has formed a name for himself outside of gangsta rap, a position that few of his contemporaries have been able to obtain. With a new deal between Fox 21 TV Studios and his production company Cube Vision, Ice Cube has a ton on his plate. Recently, he took the time out to chat briefly with me and Shadow and Act about his upcoming film “Fist Fight,” working with top comedians and returning to the director’s chair in the future.

Aramide Tinubu: Hi, Cube How are you?

Ice Cube: I’m alright, how you doing?

AT: I’m great thanks! I really appreciate you taking the time to speak with me today about “Fist Fight.”

Cube: No problem.

AT: This is a very different type of high school comedy that focuses on teachers instead of students. What convinced you to sign on to “Fist Fight” after reading the script?

Cube: It was being able to work with Charlie Day, I just felt like these two characters would be perfect to play off one another. Him as Mr. Campbell and me as Mr. Strickland. I just kind of knew it would be a home run.

AT: Your character, Mr. Strickland is a pretty tough teacher and a Black male educator which unfortunately is still relatively rare in this country. Were you inspired by teachers that you had in high school when you were coming up with Strickland’s back-story and mannerisms?

Cube: Yeah, he’s an exaggerated version of a teacher I had named Mr. Toussaint. He was a woodshop teacher and man; he was pretty mean. (Laughing) He had this afro that he would comb to the front and he would just yolk people up, he was not playing.

AT: I know that shooting the actual fight portion of the film took eight days to film. Did you choreograph the fight scene in the film, or did you and Charlie Day improvise it?

Cube: Nah, we had to choreograph that. We had a great team who put it together. It took us like three days to even learn the fight and then another eight days to shoot it. But yeah, you have to choreograph that thing, or you end up hitting each other.

AT: Comedy is so difficult to pull off, what were the most challenging aspects for you while filming “Fist Fight?”

Cube: It was just making sure that Strickland was his own unique character and that he wasn’t like the other characters that I’ve played. I’ve played some mean guys, so you have to figure out how to give it a different flavor, a different spin. That was probably the hardest part.

AT: Since your film debut in 1991 with “Boyz n the Hood,” you’ve really gone between dramatic roles and comedy. You have your own comedic style, but you worked with everyone from Cedric the Entertainer to Chris Tucker and now Charlie Day and Tracy Morgan. How do you get into a rhythm with your co-stars who have very different comedic styles?

Cube: It’s about just being true to the character and also trying to set up the comedian that I’m working with because ultimately that comedian has to be funny. So, it’s just really making sure that you are a good partner and learning how to pull them alley hoops to the guy you’re working with so you can just dunk it home. It’s worked out for me pretty good.

Continue reading at Shadow and Act.

Chatting W/ Orlando Jones & Director Kevin Hooks About BET's 'Madbia' & Uncovering Nelson Mandela

There have been many films and documentaries about Anti-Apartheid leader and South African President Nelson Mandela’s expansive life. However with BET’s EPIC three-part miniseries, “Madiba,” viewers will finally get a comprehensive and personal story of the man who became a legend.

Starring Emmy Award-winning and Oscar-nominated actor, Laurence Fishburne as Nelson Mandela and Orlando Jones as African National Congress leader and lawyer, Oliver Tambo, “Madiba” is being helmed by Kevin Hooks who is the first African-American director to take on Mandela’s life and legacy. Told over the course of three nights, this six-hour long miniseries, will follow Nelson Mandela’s story from his humble beginnings as a young rural boy to his election as the first Black President of South Africa. The mini-series will also pay homage to the many lesser known men and women who sacrificed and suffered alongside him in their quest for freedom.

Recently, I sat down to chat with director Kevin Hooks and actor Orlando Jones to discuss the expansive project, what they learned from Mandela’s journey and what we can all take away from his legacy.

Aramide Tinubu: Hi Mr. Jones how are you?

Orlando Jones: I’m really good, how are you?

AT: I’m fantastic thanks!

OJ: You know what? I think I am also fantastic; we share that. (Laughing)

AT: (Laughing) Great! Hi Mr. Hooks.

Kevin Hooks: Hi Aramide.

AT: Mr. Hooks, what drew you to this project? You’ve had such a long career in film so what made you decide you wanted to take on Nelson Mandela’s story? Was it a passion project for you?

KH: Well listen, I wish that I could say that it was a passion project of mine. I’ve always idolized Nelson Mandela since I became aware of him in the mid-1970’s when the United States really started to be much more vocal about the Anti-Apartheid Movement. So, I’ve always been a big fan, but the reality of it is that the project came to me. Lance Samuels came to my agents and said, “We are looking at various directors that may be interested in this project, and we’d like to meet Kevin.” So, I sat down and had dinner with Lance and a couple of his co-producers in Los Angeles. I had read the first four hours of the film at the time of the meeting, and I was very intrigued. I was like, “Ok, this is really something that resonates with me.” I think a lot of it has to do with the similarities between the Civil Rights movement here, and the Anti-Apartheid Movement in South Africa.

AT: Oh, most certainly.

KH: So, having grown up in the 1960’s, I really felt like that resonated with me. I was very interested in doing it, and I met with the producers once or twice after that and was ultimately asked to take the project on. It found me. I did not find it.

AT: There have been several other films about Mandela over the past few years, but this one is very lengthy and dives into various aspects of his life. How is it different from other projects that we’ve seen recently?

OJ: Well, I think part of the issue that has always existed is if you think you know the story of apartheid because you know the name Nelson Mandela, you truly can’t see the forest through the trees. Nelson was very much the spear, but the force behind him was a huge group of people over a long period of time. So, the endeavor was that no one has ever told that story.

AT: Not at all.

OJ: They have laid out what happened, but the interesting part of it which is what Nelson wanted people to know, was that it wasn’t just him alone. It was Oliver Tambo, his best friend who started the first Black law firm in South Africa. It was Walter Sisulu, who was already running the African National Congress (ANC) youth league who really groomed Nelson along with Oliver; it was Ruth First and Joe Slovo, and all of these people. It was Muslims and Jews and Christians and predominately Africans but some whites. It was really a multicultural group of people who took apart that heinous system. So to tell that story for the first time over the course of seventy-five years, it can’t be done in two hours, there isn’t enough time. It can’t be done in three, and we’re just getting below the surface of it in six. It’s wonderful to get to meet these people as humans as opposed to meeting them as heroes because when I look at things like Black Lives Matters and all of the things that are happening today it’s the exact things that they were fighting…

AT: Yes! It’s insane how we’ve gone back in time.

OJ: Yeah, it’s like, “Wow!” and it’s an amazing time because it reminds us that as African-Americans, our African ancestors actually did find a way to peacefully resolve the heinous circumstances that they were in. There is a blueprint for the change that we seek, so, for me, I think all of those elements are why I wanted to do this project and why this project is important, and this is why we wanted to do it now.

AT: Mr. Hooks, had Laurence Fishburne signed on to the project to play Nelson Mandela by the time you came on board?

KH: Laurence was not attached to it when I came on board but, when we started to talk about actors; Laurence was always at the top of my list. We’ve known each other for many many years, and we’ve worked together before, and we’re friends. He is just an immensely talented actor. I had heard that he always wanted to play Mr. Mandela, and I thought this could work out really well. So, we were very fortunate to get him to commit to it, and I’m sure not without some trepidation. He talks about the story of having said, “Yes” and fifteen minutes later sort of collapsing under the weight of the decision he had just made. But he was always someone who I thought would make a wonderful Mandela. In fact, I could not be happier with what he brought to the piece.

AT: Mr. Jones, since you play Oliver Tambo, what research did you have to do in order to embody this figure who had so much to do with dismantling apartheid in South Africa? To be honest, I don’t know very much about him myself.

OJ: Absolutely, it’s understandable. I remember meeting with his son Dali Tambo and he was really anxious to talk about the role. His father was in exile for thirty years and really did some extraordinary things for some very extraordinary reasons. So, one of the things that first stuck out to us was Oliver Tambo was for some reason the person they selected to be sent off to exile. The group knew obviously the South African government was going to come after them. They were like somebody has to leave the country and keep this thing going when they arrest us. They were like, “Oliver that’s going to be you.” And Oliver is like, “What are ya’ll talking about? I’m not leaving my country!” Less than a week and a half later, he literally fled the country and brought his family afterward and set up the ANC in exile. One of the first things he did was to use the Angleton Church to smuggle in all of the money to fight apartheid through priests. He was a really fascinating man with a fascinating mind for how to fight systemic oppression. Again, a really brilliant lawyer and for him more than anything, Nelson was his best friend, and he managed to get his best friend and his comrades out of prison and then died and had to hand to his best friend the thing he didn’t want to give him. His best friend after being institutionalized for twenty-seven years in a prison now had to figure out how to run a country. For Nelson, that was the most frightening, terrifying thing ever. He was like, “I’ve been in prison; I can’t do this.” And Oliver’s answer was, “You have to because I am dying.” So, that life, those men, those women, those people, I think is really why for all of us this project is so special.

Continue reading at Shadow and Act.

Sundance Review: 'Tell Them We Are Rising' Underscores The Legacy & Importance Of Historically Black Colleges And Universities

To this day, education is not an inherent right. The effects of segregation are still deeply steeped in the Black community, and unless there is careful nurturing within the family home or by some particularly devoted educators, many Black people in this country have found themselves severely under and uneducated. Despite the lack of resources that are devoted to many public schools particularly in impoverished communities; Black people have always desired the opportunity to learn more about not only themselves but also the world around them. After all, is that not education’s purpose?

In his documentary feature, “Tell Them We Are Rising: The Story of Historically Black Colleges and Universities,” Emmy Award-winning documentary filmmaker, Stanley Nelson tells the virtually untold story of the institutions that helped to redefine what it means to be Black in America. Beginning in the days of slavery when even teaching a slave to read could cost you your life no matter the color of your skin, Nelson opens his film by outlining what historian Marybeth Gasman labels as, the “brutality of ignorance.” White supremacists and plantation owners deeply feared uprisings should enslaved people become truly aware of the circumstances in which they were forced to live. Therefore, when Emancipation did come, the desire to read and learn spread like wildfire. It was as if, “the entire race awoke.”

Continue reading at Shadow and Act.

Image: Firelight Films

Sundance Interview: The Cast Of 'Burning Sands' Talk Pledging, Hazing & The Bonds Of Brotherhood

Fraternities and sororities at historically Black colleges and universes have had a significant impact not just on the students who are a part of them but on the Black community as a whole. In films like “Drumline” and “Stomp the Yard,” which are set on HBCU campuses, we often get a small glimpse into the sacred world of pledging, the focus of these film shining a light on other aspects of college life. Perhaps not since Spike Lee’s 1988 film “School Daze” has there been such a major focus on pledging Black frats and sororities and the hazing that often comes along with that.

In his feature directorial debut, “Burning Sands” director Gerard McMurray gives an emotionally honest and raw look into the world of 21st-century fraternity pledging. Told from the perspective of Zurich (Trevor Jackson “American Crime’) who is torn between honoring a code of silence and standing up against the intensifying violence of underground hazing, the film is a dark and gritty look at the bonds of Black brotherhood and rites of passage. Alfre Woodard, Steve Harris, Tosin Cole, DeRon Horton and Trevante Rhodes also star in the film. Ahead of the film’s Sundance debut, I got a chance to chat with Tosin Cole and DeRon Horton who play Frank and Square, respectively. We chatted about the history of pledging, getting into character and forming a brotherhood.

Continue reading at Shadow and Act.

Interview: Filmmaker Raoul Peck On His Oscar-Nominated 'I Am Not Your Negro,' Encountering James Baldwin & Confronting America

In his spellbinding and heartbreaking Academy Award nominated film, “I Am Not Your Negro,” Haitian filmmaker Raoul Peck examines the story that James Baldwin never finished writing. “Remember This House” was to be a sweeping narrative exploring the lives, journeys, and deaths of three pivotal men in our history; Medgar Evers, Malcolm X, and Martin Luther King Jr. An intricate and fascinating narrative, “I Am Not Your Negro,” gives us a view of both Baldwin and Peck’s journeys as Black men in America, encountering racism and violence.

Recently, Mr. Peck and I sat down to chat about the highly acclaimed film, the thirty pages from Baldwin’s unfinished text that sparked the idea and Peck’s own confrontation with America and Hollywood in our current political climate which as Baldwin stated, is one full of “apathy and ignorance.”

Raoul Peck: Hi Aramide

Aramide Tinubu: Hello, Mr. Peck how are you?

RP: I’m fine, thank you.

AT: Wonderful. I wanted to say first and foremost that I thought, “I Am Not Your Negro” was stunning. I saw it at the New York Film Festival last fall, and I watched it again last night. It is so riveting, especially considering the political climate that we find ourselves in.

RP: Thank you.

AT: I wanted to ask you first about how you got a hold of the notes from James Baldwin’s “Remember This House.” How were you able to get his estate to agree to hand them over, and what prompted you to do this film after receiving them?

RP: First of all, I decided a little more than ten years ago to tackle Baldwin; to go back to Baldwin. I’ve lived with Baldwin all of my life. I read him very early on as a young man, and he never left me. Baldwin is not somebody who if you read a book or two you cast him aside. He’s not that kind of writer. He’s a philosopher; he’s a poet, he’s a visionary. He has almost a scientific approach to this country, to the world and to human beings. So, he’s almost like a private philosopher that you can come back to and help understand whatever issue that you have or political question that you have. It’s all in Baldwin already. So you can read different books at different stages and come back to that thinking. So it’s very coherent. When I decided to go back, it was more or less to share that thinking with other people because I felt the time was right, and I felt that we really needed a voice like this. Because there were some victories with the Civil Right’s Movement; we have Martin Luther King Day, we have Black History Month, most people think everything is good now, we’ve solved all of the problems. We have monuments; we have museums. But, that’s not the case.

AT: Not at all.

RP: It was necessary politically to bring that back to the forefront and to bring these words in the forefront. When I went to inquire about the rights, everybody told me, “The estate will never even answer your letter, they are known to be very reluctant.” But, I just wrote a letter, and they responded within three days.

AT: Wow!

Continue reading at Shadow and Act.

Image: Raoul Peck

Director Chris Robinson & The Cast Of BET's 'New Edition Story' Talk Becoming NE, Authenticity & All Of That Dancing

The iconic musical group that shattered records and broke down doors is finally getting a biopic that has been nearly thirty years in the making. BET‘s “The New Edition Story” follows the legendary R&B group from their 1978 humble beginnings in the Orchard Park Boston Projects through breakups, reunions and everything in between. With director Chris Robinson (ATL) and executive producer, Jesse Collins at the helm and with the rare blessing and backing of real-life New Edition members who served as consultants and co-producers on the film, “The New Edition Story” just might hit the nail right on the head. The multi-talented cast includes Bryshere Y. Gray as Michael Bivins, Elijah Kelley as Ricky Bell, singer-songwriter Luke James as Johnny Gill, Algee Smith as Ralph Tresvant, Keith Powers as Ronnie Devoe, and Woody McClain as Bobby Brown.

At a recent screening of night one of the three-night event, I got the opportunity to chat with director Chris Robinson, Jesse Collins, Elijah Kelley, Luke James, Algee Smith, Keith Powers and Woody McClain. I also spoke with Dante Hoagland who plays a young Mike Bivins and Caleb McLaughlin who plays a young Ricky Bell. From the real-life vocals to those exquisite dance moves here is everything you need to know about, “The New Edition Story” ahead of its premiere.

Aramide Tinubu: Chris, I know you’ve stated previously that your very first concert was New Edition, so what was it like sitting in the director’s chair in a film about this iconic group?

Chris Robinson: You know what, it was a lot of pressure. These gentlemen are alive and well and they are professionals who still tour and still make magic with their music. Of course, being a big fan when you do a movie that is an act of non-fiction there is a lot of responsibility to tell a great story. You also have a responsibility to tell the story in an accurate way that respects the actual people that you are portraying. Sometimes you have to have reverence for them, and sometimes you have to tell the very difficult truth, and many times people who are involved with projects like this don’t like to see themselves in a certain light. There is absolutely a process that goes along with that. So when you’re tackling a biopic, especially when the people are here and alive and have an opinion, it’s a big deal. So for me being a fan and having such great relationship with our producer and BET, I wanted to take in on, and I’m glad I did.

AT: Jesse, what made you decide to do “The New Edition Story?” How did you get Chris Robinson on board?

Jesse Collins: So this story came from working with the guys, and I just saw how the dynamics of the group are just so fascinating. It’s not anything that anyone thinks it is and they kept this story away from us for so long and now getting the opportunity for them to pull back the curtain and show us how the group works is unbelievable. I got Chris Robinson involved because I’ve worked with Chris on a lot of awards shows and, “Real Husbands of Hollywood” and I knew that he could bring a vision to this movie that it needed so, we got him to get on board.

AT: Chris, what was your vision for the miniseries going into it when it was time to bring New Edition’s story to life?

CR: Since New Edition was my first concert as a teenager, I kind of feel like I prepped for 35-years in order to make this film. It was all about being authentic. Jessie Collins has spent 10-years creating this project. He told me about it years ago, and since then, the script turned into three scripts. We just knew that we needed to make sure that all of these NE Lifers were happy. When you make a biopic, and the people are here, you have a responsibility not only to tell an amazing story but to make sure that it’s right. Listen, every video, every commercial, every movie, it feels like this is a culmination of all of those skills. We shot three feature films in thirty-seven days, which mean that everything had to be right. Every perfect little point, everything. Some soldiers fell along the way. (Laughing) But, the beautiful thing about it was that the work shows. We were dedicated to the story, we were dedicated to the group, and these guys were dedicated to the craft.

AT: Let’s talk about how you all came on to the project.

Algee Smith: It’s funny because I actually auditioned to play Mike Bivins first. Then, they had me go back and audition for Ralph, so that was a funny moment.

AT: Keith what was it like to become Ronnie Devoe?

Keith Powers: It was amazing; I think it was such a blessing. It was a great deal of responsibility. However, it was a dream come true, because we got to really play these legends.

AT: This is the second time you played a real-life character, you played Tyree, Dr. Dre’s little brother in “Straight Outta Compton,” how was this experience different?

KP: In “Straight Outta Compton,” I was introducing people to Tyree, people didn’t know who he was unless you really know Dr. Dre, so I kind of got to introduce him the way that I really wanted to. Whereas with this project, people know Ronnie, so I have to really show them Ronnie on the screen. I couldn’t just do what I wanted and call it Ronnie because people can go online and pull up pictures of him and all of that, so it was really just introducing the character versus taking somebody that everyone is familiar with and putting him on the screen.

Continue reading at Shadow and Act. 

Image: BET

Interview: Producer Kimberly Brooks Revisits First Class Of Oprah Winfrey’s Leadership Academy 10 Years Later In ‘O Girls’

Ten years ago, mogul and philanthropist Oprah Winfrey opened The Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls (OWLAG), a school that would provide a once in a lifetime education and opportunities to South Africa’s most impoverished but intelligent girls. Winfrey said of her decision, “I wanted to help girls who really wanted it. They could see the possibility for themselves, if only. If only they had the means to do it.”

An assistant at “The Oprah Winfrey Show” at the time of the school’s unveiling, producer and co-host of “Nightline on Fusion” Kimberly Brooks was so struck by OWLAG that she penned a stunning letter to Winfrey asking to attend the school’s grand opening. The trip would change Brooks’ life forever, and she would form fast and life-long friendships with many of the OWLAG girls.

A decade later, Brooks caught up with five of these young women as they graduated from college and embarked on new opportunities in their communities. In the astonishing and emotional “O Girls,” OWLAG graduates Bongeka, Thando, Charmain, Debra, and Mpumi speak with Brooks about their life-altering experience at OWLAG, what’s next for them and survivor’s guilt. Recently, I sat down with Kimberly Brooks to discuss that infamous letter that would change her life, bonding with the “O Girls” and what she’s learned from Winfrey, the woman the O Girls refer to as, Mom O.

Aramide Tinubu: Hi Kimberly, how are you?

Kimberly Brooks: I’m good, how are you? How’s it going?

AT: I’m fantastic, thanks! Thank you so much for taking the time to speak with Shadow and Act about your fantastic documentary, “O Girls.”

KB: Oh, of course, thank you for taking the time.

AT: Wonderful. I found it so beautiful that this journey started with a letter that you wrote to Oprah Winfrey a decade ago. Did you ever think that the letter would lead you to where you are now as a producer and connecting with these young women?

KB: I knew I was going to be somewhere, but I definitely didn’t imagine in a million years that this would be the trajectory. I think even sitting right here talking to you; I’m still wrapping my mind around it because it’s just been so incredible how the dots have connected. I wrote that letter really feeling like I was going to get to go to South Africa. There was something inside telling me that I was going to be in Africa. Still, when Oprah said, “yes” and then keeping these bonds with the girls and everything that has happened after, it feels amazing to me how it all happened.

AT: What inspired you to commemorate the ten year anniversary of the girls starting their journey at the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls (OWLAG) through many of them finishing college and entering the real world?

KB: I actually didn’t have the idea in mind at all to do this documentary. What happened is one of the girls that I am really close with, who is not in the documentary, unfortunately; she came to visit me in Miami. While she was here on her spring break in 2015, I took her to work with me because she wanted to see where I work and what I do. I introduced her to my boss, and I told him that I knew her from my work at the Academy and that she had become like my little sister. He was really taken by the story and thought it was amazing. After she left, he suggested the idea of doing a special to see where some of the other girls had ended up after they graduated from OWLAG. It just so happened that the girls who had come to the States were getting ready to graduate college. The timing was just perfect.

Continue reading at Shadow and Act.

Interview: 'Hidden Figures' Author Margot Lee Shetterly Talks Uncovering A Rich & Powerful Story

Though her father was a research scientist at NASA’s Langley Research Center, writer, researcher, and entrepreneur Margot Lee Shetterly knew very little of the Black female engineers, scientists, and mathematicians that helped catapult the United States into the space race during the 20th century. As a result of her compelling 55-page book proposal, Shetterly’s book “Hidden Figures” was optioned for film. “Hidden Figures,” which debuts in theaters on Christmas Day tells the astounding story of Katherine Johnson (Taraji P. Henson), Dorothy Vaughan (Octavia Spencer), and Mary Jackson (Janelle Monáe), three of NASA’s ingenious “human computers” who were instrumental in helping the USA reach new heights in the midst of the Civil Rights Movement. Recently, I sat down with Margot Lee Shetterly to discuss her fascinating, best-selling narrative, and the film that has moved audiences across the country. We chatted about how she uncovered this untold story, handing the history over to Hollywood, and what she hopes we can all learn from these incredible women.Aramide Tinubu: I know that this was a deeply personal narrative for you because your father worked for NASA. What brought you to this project? Did you know about Katherine Johnson and the other Black female scientists in this story? Did your father ever talk about them while you were growing up?

Margot Lee Shetterly: I did know them growing up. My dad worked with Mary Jackson very closely at one point. I knew Katherine Johnson as well. They were all part of this group of Black engineers and scientists within this larger NASA community. So these people on one weekend would go to the HBCU Alumni Association Dance, and then the next weekend they would go off to the National Tech Association where they would put on their science hats and be together and talk about that.

AT: Wow.

MLS: Yeah, so I got to see them in this really fluid way. There was no disconnect between those parts of their identities; it was very normal. But you know, while I knew the women; I didn’t know their story and how they got there. It was really my husband who helped spark the idea. We were visiting my parents almost exactly six years ago and had run into one lady who is a Sunday School teacher, and my dad was talking about the work that she’d done, and it just turned into this larger conversation about these different women. My husband was like, “This is amazing! Wait a minute nobody knows about this!” And I was like, “Wow, I don’t know this story.” That was really the beginning of me saying, “OK, I need to know this story.” Six years later here we are.

AT: That’s so amazing. I know that your process was very different. A lot of times people write books and then they are optioned for film. However, you were writing the book while the film being shot, it happened pretty much simultaneously. What was that process like?

MLS: I would say it took three years of just research to really come to the point where I had the form of the book and was working to pull the book in its current structure together. So when they called me up, Donna Gigliotti the producer, who is really truly a brilliant visionary woman, she called me up just based on the book proposal. I was an unpublished author, and it was my first book, which is a big risk.

AT: A huge risk!

Continue reading at Shadow and Act.