Election news is heating up as we get closer to November. This week we have a lot of Oscars-adjacent news.
Election 2016
The Nightly Show looked at how candidates are addressing the Latino vote.
Twitter calls out Hillary’s spotty record with people of color, primarily black people, with #WhichHillary. This on the heels of a #BlackLivesMatter protestor calling Hillary out during a fundraising event.
More endorsements keep coming for both sides, as Spike Lee endorsed Bernie Sanders and Cornel West called Hillary, the “Milli Vanilli of American politics.”
Police Brutality & #BlackLivesMatter
Last week I mentioned the protests on behalf of Peter Liang. Vincent Chin’s niece wrote an op-ed about why Peter Liang and Vincent Chin are not the same.
Black Lives Matter protestors disrupted a fundraiser for Anita Alvarez, the Cook County state’s attorney who took forever to charge an officer for the death of Laquan McDonald.
The hospital that treated Eric Garner will pay $1 million to the family.
Mark Zuckerberg had to remind Facebook employes that “All Lives Matter” is a garbage statement.
This week Black-ish highlighted police brutality and the hard conversations that black parents have to have with their children.
National News
Related to the elections, MSNBC’s Melissa Harris Perry was fired after her releasing her email to staff about being pre-empted by election coverage.
The Michigan Senate approved $30 million to help pay Flint’s water bills.
Comedian Jus Reign was made to remove his turban at airport security because racism informs our “safety” protocols.
Remember the #CancelColbert movement? Activist Suey Park talks about how launching that hashtag effectively ruined her life.
Obama nominated the first black Librarian of Congress.
There’s a new black American Girl doll and she’s coming of age during the Civil Rights Era.
Celebrity Awards Season
Did you miss Sunday’s big event? No, I’m not talking about the Oscars. I’m talking about Sunday’s Justice for Flint event sponsored by Oscar-rejects like Ryan Coogler, Ava DuVernay, and others.
In case you needed a white someone to explain why Hollywood has a long history of whitewashing and terribleness, here’s Last Week Tonight’s bit on Hollywood whitewashing.
Well, at least white actors are starting to feel bad (for getting called out).
A bunch of actors talked about their experiences with Hollywood in a New York Times feature highlighting everyone but straight white dudes, and no, awards and roles are not just about acting better, Jamie Foxx.
Also this weekend, the Independent Spirit Awards recognized Idris Elba, Abraham Attah, and Mya Taylor, who is the first transgender actor to win a major acting award.
In case people are still not convinced that protesting and collective action works for awards season, the Saturn Awards moved John Boyega from supporting to lead actor after fan protest.
There is also a fairly long history of protest and action against Hollywood.
Meanwhile while some musicians called out the BRIT Awards for lack of diversity, others disagreed with #BRITsSoWhite.
Pop Culture News
If Misty Copeland were your girlfriend.
Richonne happened and the internet exploded. You can also check out Danai Gurira winning at life through her play Eclipsed.
Buzzfeed looks at the stereotype-defying Josh Chan on Crazy Ex-Girlfriend. Dear commenters, just because you can name two characters in shows you like, doesn’t mean that there’s a vast array of opportunities for Asian-American actors; see also the protesting following the casting of yet another white dude as a Marvel hero.
DC Comics has cast Danny Pudi (and Alan Tudyk) for their Powerless sitcom with Vanessa Hudgens, so consider me interested.
Michael B. Jordan may be in a Thomas Crowne Affair remake.
Michael K. Williams is in the new Ghostbusters and has great things to say about the cast.
Ava DuVernay is directing A Wrinkle in Time!
Ryan Coogler is developing a tv series around the world of juvenile detention.
Birth of a Nation gets a fall release date.
The year of Lin-Manuel Miranda continues as he’s in talks to join Emily Blunt in the Mary Poppins sequel. #EGOTforLin
Other women of color are using their voices to attract media attention to limited opportunities, i.e. Eva Longoria and her #BrownOut ribbon campaign and Queen Latifah, Amma Asante, and Frieda Pinto’s new production company called We Do It Together.
Here’s the trailer for First Monday in May about the annual Met Gala which is only interesting since last year’s theme was an Orientalist nightmare but you know ~fashion~.
Speaking of fashion, Ajak Deng quit the business calling them out for being fakes and liars.
Zac Posen also used mostly black models in his NY Fall Fashion Week show.
In, not sure if anyone wants, while the police may be boycotting her concerts, the Nation of Islam is offering to provide security for Beyoncé.
Here’s the video Steve McQueen directed for Kanye West.
If you’ve always wanted to be in a music video with Santigold, have a webcam ready and click this link.
It’s here! Rihanna’s video for “Work,” and not those disasters that were “translated for white people.”
If you needed a thinkpiece on Rihanna, here you go, and if you needed something that wasn’t a white singer doing an acoustic version of “Formation” or “Work”, here you go.
We end on the best video we didn’t see last week, which is this 106-year-old woman dancing when she meets the President.
