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Marvel Announces Cast of Upcoming Black Panther Film

by Brian Griffith
written by Brian Griffith

Photo by  Bryan Ward via Flickr

Following the widely successful release of Captain America: Civil War, Marvel has begun to announce the cast of the upcoming Black Panther movie. Black Panther, a character created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, is a superhero with enhanced strength, endurance , and reflexes. According to the comics, he is part of the royal family of Wakanda, a fictional African country. As the Black Panther, he protects his home country from invaders or the forces of evil.

Black Panther first made an appearance in the Marvel Cinematic Universe in Captain America: Civil War, which many people have been raving about.

There are several Black and African superstars who will be in Black Panther, including Michael B. Jordan and Lupita Nyong’o. Chadwick Boseman will return as Black Panther after his appearance Captain America: Civil War.

There is no known plot for the movie at this time or even who the famous actors mentioned above roles will be in the upcoming film. However, it should be a best seller just like its sister film Captain America: Civil War. And it has a following already from various communities who are tired of seeing superheroes that do not look like them.

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Kerry Washington Portrays Anita Hill in New HBO Film

by Brian Griffith
written by Brian Griffith
Photo via Flickr
Kerry Washington is portraying Anita Hill in the upcoming film Confirmation. Anita Hill, a professor of law for many years, was instrumental in pushing for stronger sexual harassment laws being taken more seriously, especially for black women.
Confirmation tells the story of Hill’s battle against Supreme Court Justice member Clarence Thomas. In 1981, shortly after becoming a professor, Hill accused Thomas of sexual harassment. Thomas had just been identified as the presidential favorite to replace Thurgood Marshall as Supreme Court Justice. Thomas and Hill worked together for the Department of Education and as well as the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
At the time, Hill’s accusations weren’t believed due to the strong character and air of infallibility that Thomas portrayed. Having “followed” Thomas from the Education Department to the EEOC, many people found fault with her testimony stating that because she stayed employed with him she could not possibly have been harassed or else she would have left.
The case garnered national attention twenty-five years ago; however, died down immediately after lawyers and lawmakers made it go away once Thomas became a Supreme Court Justice. However Hill’s story is still one often cited in discussions on sexual harassment in the workplace. Kerry Washington hopes to use the upcoming film as a platform for inciting more progressive dialogue about sexual harassment in the workplace.
Confirmation is set to premiere April 16th at 8pm on HBO.

 

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The Media Misrepresent the Revolution

by Brian Griffith
written by Brian Griffith

Photo by Steve Rhodes via Flickr

“We want Freedom. We want power to determine the destiny of our Black community”; this is the first point of the Black Panthers’ 10 point program. The 10 points were centered around bettering the Black community and dissociating from the broader white community.

 

The leaders of the Party were able to see the injustices surrounding their Black brothers and sisters, and they were able to come up with a comprehensive program to help. Thus, the party was started. In its original form, it was dubbed The Panther Party for Self-Defense then quickly changed to the infamous name of the Black Panther Party. Huey Newton and Bobby Seale, the founders, had a vision for a future; they wanted Black people to prosper despite the various barriers presented during the time period.

 

This massive movement started on a college campus among students. On the upcoming 50th anniversary of the Black Panther Party’s founding, it is odd that there is still so much controversy surrounding the Party. Back when the party was thriving, the central focus was building up of Black citizens, by Black citizens, for Black citizens.

 

The mass media did not and has not covered anything about the Panthers except their violence. The media then and now continues to exclusively focus on the Black Panthers carrying guns, and what they did with their guns.

 

It is true the Party and its members carried guns;however  this was not the main focus of the Party. The party was for the advancement of Black individuals on every level: socially, economically, and mentally. Atlanta Black Star reports that the Party had free: Health Clinics, breakfast programs, Youth Institutes, Food programs, and much more.

 

The Black Panthers towards the middle of the last century stayed true to their ideals of elevating the Black community through assembling these programs in dense metropolitan Black areas. These programs built up the Black communities and provided all types of services to the various people utilizing them.

 

Some of the people, who were instrumental in keeping these programs alive and protected from the government that wanted to shut them down, are sitting in jail or seeking asylum in other countries to this day. One, Joanne Chesimad, is on the FBI Most Wanted List; she is better known as Assata Shakur. During her time in the Black Panther Party, she was a member of the Black Liberation Army. One of the many jobs of the army was to protect the Black residents as well as the facilities in the Black community. While she has a brief history with police, she, essentially, has been criminalized for safeguarding the rights of poverty stricken Blacks.

 

Another Black Panther Party member, Marshall Conway, was just released from prison two years ago. According to CBS news, he was been charged with shooting a police officer and was sent straight to jail. However, his trial, as NAACP has emphasized, was not fair, and he was just put away based on his affiliations with the Party.

 

The decision to have Conway released from prison caused much controversy two years ago. There are others in jail serving lifetime sentences with no hope of ever returning to the larger society. Many of whom do not have any substantial evidence convicting them and are kept away solely due to their affiliations with the Party.To the government they a threat, and, as a result, had to be extracted from normal society.

 

On the dawn of the 50th anniversary of this esteemed  party, there is much about the Black Panther Party people still do not know. Members of the Party remain incarcerated; some are running underground missions; and others are even trying to reorganize the Party to its prime. While paying homage to the anniversary, remember the efforts made by this revolutionary Party.   

 

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Is There Still a Need for Black History Month?

by Brian Griffith
written by Brian Griffith

Photo via Flickr

“Either you want to segregate or integrate,” said Stacey Dash expressing her feelings about Black issues in America today. Recently, the  infamous Ms. Dash has been receiving a lot of attention for her outspoken declaration that things like BET and other “Black only” award shows are no longer needed at this time. She even goes as far to say that Black History Month should not exist.

 

Her polarizing comments stem from the quote above. If we as a Black community are to be truly integrated into a white dominant media and society, we must abandon entities like BET and Black History Month, which keeps us from fully integrating into the society. With Black enterprises like these, they stop us from being able to partake in the larger, white media.

 

However, while I do see the point Ms. Dash is making, I think it is imperative to remember why these entities were created in the first place. The Black only industry markets were created to give Black people specifically, the ability to participate in media outlets without having to worry about not being casted due to the color of their skin. Also, awards shows, like BET, were created in order to commemorate excellent Black people who went largely unrecognized by the white dominated Academy Awards.

 

Black History Month was created  in order to honor innovative Black people of all time, who worked tirelessly to position us where we now stand in society. This is one of the many reasons why Black enterprises are a necessity to make sure our talent and ability does not go unrecognized. As far as I am concerned, these different enterprises will never truly go away like Dash is calling for.

 

There will always be a need for recognition of the Black community because the greater media and awards do not care for the more meticulous side of the Black experience or struggle. Thus, the month of February is just a enlarged version of the couple of times Black people are celebrated throughout the year. It is not wrong to say that if we have a month celebrating Black culture and its history, we may in fact, be isolating ourselves from others. Yet, it is wrong to say we are segregating ourselves from others because of these Black only events that give many young Black people someone to look up to and admire.

 

In addition to this, Black people everywhere are able to see people who look like them, typically, working for them, and trying to make a real difference in the community, unlike the majority of what media shows us. The media only shows Black people engrossed in violence and some type of negative activity, which ultimately degrades the Black community. However, Black History Month and enterprises like BET are around to show us and the rest of the world how great our community truly is. So, yes Stacey Dash, we, a Black community and people, need BET and Black History Month as a relief from the constant bombardment of negativity about the Black community given to us by the mainstream White media. Our history teaches and reminds the younger generation that they have many dynamic individuals to look up to.

 

What do you think? Is Black History Month still relevant?

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New Study Finds Marijuana Use Leads to Lower Cognitive Function

by Brian Griffith
written by Brian Griffith

Photo by James St. John via Flickr

Have you smoked marijuana recently? If yes, you may be negatively affecting your cognitive function.

According to a recent study, users of marijuana (also known as weed) remembered fewer words during middle age in comparison to those who do not use the substance. They also exhibited lower performance in all three aspects of cognitive function: verbal memory, processing speed and executive function.

Recently there has been a surge in the number of teens smoking marijuana. One reasons is the belief that marijuana isn’t harmful. However, this is being found to not be the case. More and more research is being conducted to identify effects of the drug.

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Forest Whitaker is Starting Anew

by Brian Griffith
written by Brian Griffith

Photo by Stephen Poff via Flickr

Forest Whitaker is no stranger in taking on complex characters. However, he is trying his luck in a different way; he is undertaking the role of Erie Smith.

For those unfamiliar with the character of Erie Smith, he comes from the one-act play called “Hughie” written by Eugene O’Neill. In the play, Erie Smith is a small-time gambler and a big-time drinker.

Whitaker is new to the world of Broadway. Even more interesting, his debut has to deal with a character that has been never been played by a Black man. This comes after the wave of #OscarSoWhite, so Whitaker has much to live up to. He comes on the heels of many different White actors playing the role of Erie Smith. While this may be new to Whitaker, I have the upmost confidence in his abilities to bring this character, Erie Smith, to life on Broadway.

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What Type of Showers Are You Taking?

by Brian Griffith
written by Brian Griffith

Photo by Steven Depolo via Flickr

When dealing with a hard day of school, one of my favorite things to do is to hop in the shower. While this might not be an activity most people see as a highlight, I certainly do! The nice warm water hits my face, trickles down my body, and, for an instant, makes me forget about all of my problems. But, recently, I have found out some problems with my own personal showering habits. We all love a hot shower at the beginning or end of the day, but they can be bad for the skin.

 

According to Reader’s Digest, “showers, especially in the winter, are way too hot and long.” It is pretty interesting that hot showers are not, necessarily, healthy for the skin. They are so relaxing and an escape from the plight of a college education, yet their length may be something to be mindful of. Longer, hot, showers “strip your skin of natural oils and lipids that help trap water to keep it moist”. Who would have thought that the shower, the thing that brings water to the body, would prevent the body from keeping water.

 

Will this make me change the way I feel about taking a nice hot shower? Probably not! I enjoy taking a hot shower far too much to care about the oils in my skin; however, I feel as though this is something most people do not know. Many people I have talked to here on campus agree with me that a nice hot shower to end or begin the day is amazing. However, some of these people take really long and hot showers.

 

How someone stays in the shower is beyond me, but I understand the impulse to stay in that long. The shower, unlike many other things in our college life here, is an escape. It does not demand anything of the person in it; it does not care how long or short you are with it; and it does not even care what you look like. All the shower requires is for someone to turn the nozzle, and thus engage.

 

So, after looking at the shower in a different light, I can see why people feel compelled to stay in longer than what might seem normal and reasonable, especially considering California is in a drought!

 

Another essential part of the shower is the soap. What kind of soap you use, what kind of properties does it have, and what type of feel does it give you? These are all questions, which I believe, are important to the showering experience. However, one woman, Dr. Robynne Chutkan, says it is better to not use traditional soap at all. She says “normal movement and exercise require soap in your armpits and groin, but the rest of the body is fine with a rinse only.” She goes on further to say that if one must use soap, only use organic, mild brands.

 

To me, this is a lot to ask from our soap/body wash loving community. For people to just rinse off, it takes all the love and affection a shower brings, and throws it away. But, there is sort of an upside. You are allowed to save money on shower supplies since you are not using them as heavily!
With these two new insights of looking at showers, I dare you to critique the way you shower and see if you fall into either or both categories.

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What About Global Warming?

by Brian Griffith
written by Brian Griffith
Photo by Climate Safety via Flickr
Global warming or global climate change has been an issue for years, specifically in the 21st century. 2015, according to CNN News, was the hottest year on record.
The change does not seem to be too monstrous, right now. Looking at the day to day, we do not tend to notice the difference between how hot it was this time last year or five years ago for that matter.
But, to pay close attention, the world has been having more extreme weather. Here, in California, El Nino has been making his mark on the state. California, at least the last two years I have been here, has been unreasonably hot. Knowing that each year, it is becoming hotter should be indicative of a time for a change.
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