#FASHIONFILES: Maty Fall Covers Vogue Italia December 2021 in Poetic Images by Pavarotti + Kamara
Italian model Maty Fall covers the December 2021 issue of Vogue Italia, shot by Rafael Pavarotti with two of her closest friends, Khady Sow and Ndack Ndiaye. The young ladies are dressed in pure white, Dior elegance styled by Ibrahim Kamara.
In a second Vogue Italia December 2021 cover, the team honors Federica ‘Kikka’ Cavenaghi, who passed away prematurely at age 28 this fall after a short illness. Maty Fall wears a garment from the 16Arlington brand Cavenaghi founded together with her partner Marco Capaldo.
You can see more HERE!
#RHOSLC’ Reunion Outfits Slammed As Cheapest In “Housewives” History’
Mary Cosby bailed on ‘RHOSLC’ reunion, likely not returning for Season 3
There’s much to discuss at the “Real Housewives of Salt Lake City” Season 2 reunion, but the cast’s outfits already have people talking.
On Thursday, Bravo released a sneak peak at what the ladies wore — minus Mary Cosby, who skipped out on the get-together — and fans were quick to judge the flashy looks.
“Was the theme ‘dress your worst?'” one person commented on a Bravo fan account on Instagram. “It’s giving millennial prom,” another said of the photos of Meredith Marks, Jen Shah, Heather Gay, Whitney Rose, Lisa Barlow and Jennie Nguyen.
Ventured a third, “This might be the worst in ‘Housewives’ history.”
Many compared Shah — who will no doubt be the focus of a majority of the reunion, as her arrest for fraud and subsequent fallout were all chronicled on the season — to Disney villain Yzma from “The Emperor’s New Groove,” thanks to her gown’s purple velvet fabrication and feathers.
Jen Shah’s purple velvet and feather gown drew comparisons to Cardi B and “The Emperor’s New Groove” villain Yzma.
An eagle-eyed fan even recognized that the design looks suspiciously similar to Cardi B’s Jean-Louis Sabaji dress from the 2021 American Music Awards.
Marks, who was feuding with Shah all season, also incorporated feathers into the sleeves of her teal Christian Cowan suit.
But fans were not impressed, as the jeweler has sported the young creative’s looks multiple times on the show (and Cowan happens to be a mentor to Marks’ tracksuit-designer son, Brooks).
Whitney Rose opted for a one-sleeved green velvet look with an accompanying single glove. The reality star herself compared it to Elphaba’s outfit from “Wicked,” tweeting, “I’m through accepting limits cause someone says they’re so.”
Gay, meanwhile, wore a navy velvet gown that drew “mother of the bride” comparisons, and Nguyen’s asymmetrical blue lace gown and Barlow’s metallic purple midi didn’t quite hit, either.
“Im gonna watch this reunion with sunglasses,” a fan wrote, referencing the many shimmering materials.
Judging by social media, the reception to these looks was icier than the snow in Salt Lake.
#MusicNews: Robert Glasper Unveils “Black Radio 3” Album Tracklist and Release Date
Robert Glasper has officially revealed the details for his long awaited “Black Radio 3” album. The project will release on February 25th, 2022, which is almost exactly 10 years from the date his original highly regarded “Black Radio” album came out.
As he’s been known to do with each of his projects, Glasper assembled an all star cast to feature on “Black Radio 3”. The album will include appearances from Q-Tip, BJ the Chicago Kid, H.E.R., Lalah Hathaway, Common, Musiq Soulchild, Ledisi, Jennifer Hudson, India Arie, PJ Morton, and many more.
“Black Radio 3” features the previously released singles “Better Than I Imagined” with H.E.R. and Meshell Ndegeocello, “Shine” with D Smoke and Tiffany Gouche, and newly released “Black Superhero” with Killer Mike, BJ the Chicago Kid and Big K.R.I.T.
If the album is anything like the original two releases in the Black Radio series, this will be an instant classic. Stay tuned.
Robert Glasper “Black Radio 3” Tracklist:
1. In Tune (featuring Amir Sulaiman)
2. Black Superhero (featuring Killer Mike and BJ The Chicago Kid and Big K.R.I.T.)
3. Shine (featuring D Smoke + Tiffany Gouché)
4. Why We Speak (featuring Q-Tip + Esperanza Spalding)
5. Over (featuring Yebba)
6. Better Than I Imagined (featuring H.E.R. and Meshell Ndegeocello)
7. Everybody Wants To Rule the World (featuring Lalah Hathaway and Common)
8. Everybody Love (featuring Musiq Soulchild and Posdnuos)
9. It Don’t Matter (featuring Gregory Porter and Ledisi)
10. Heaven’s Here (featuring Ant Clemons)
11. Out of My Hands (featuring Jennifer Hudson)
12. Forever (featuring PJ Morton and India.Arie)
13. Bright Lights (featuring Ty Dolla $ign)
#HipHopNews: Travis Scott Teases His New Project ‘Utopia’
Travis Scott continues to work on Utopia.
The Houston rapper has stayed away from social media in the wake of the Astroworld tragedy, but he returned to Instagram on Friday (Jan. 14) to share a series of photos, including one of himself at the beach.
He also seemingly confirmed that Utopia is on the way, posting a pic of a pair of black Apple AirPods Max headphones engraved with the name of his fourth album.
The beach photo may have been taken in Mexico where Travis has been recording Utopia, the follow-up to 2018’s Astroworld.
In a recent interview with Billboard, producer Wheezy revealed that he was headed to Cabo to finish the project. “Yeah, still working on it and putting the finishing touches on that,” he said. “He’s back in Cabo working on it and I’m going out there soon. I’m going out there probably in the next two or three weeks to link up with him.”
Travis previously said that Utopia would feature a “whole new sound.”
“I never tell people this, and I’m probably going to keep it a secret still, but I’m working with some new people and I’m just trying to expand the sound,” he told i-D magazine. “I’ve been making beats again, rapping on my own beats, just putting everything together and trying to grow it really. That’s been one of the most fun things about working on this album. I’m evolving, collaborating with new people, delivering a whole new sound, a whole new range.”
The day before the deadly Astroworld events on Nov. 4, Travis dropped a pair of tracks, “Mafia” and “Escape Plan,” but it’s unclear if they will appear on Utopia.
#BoxOfficeNews: ‘Scream’ Reboot Debuts To Bloody Impressive $30.6 Million
“Scream,” a reimagining of a horror franchise that appeared to have run out of steam, dominated the box office, earning a scary good $30.6 million.
The sequel is projected to earn $35 million over the four-day Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend, a spectacular result considering that “Scream” only cost $25 million to produce. It also represents some positive news for the bruised and battered cinema industry, considering that “Scream’s” success comes amid a spike in COVID-19. It helps that “Scream’s” target demographic is younger, which means that they may not have been as spooked by the highly contagious omicron variant that is fueling the latest iteration of a seemingly endless pandemic.
Paramount and Spyglass Media backed the reboot, which marks the first new chapter in the “Scream” series in a decade and shares a title with the 1996 original — the “Scream” saga is apparently so over integers. The film also brings back familiar faces such as Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox and David Arquette, who are once again haunted by a serial killer in a Ghostface mask. “Scream” debuted in 3,664 locations.
And while Sony’s “Spider-Man: No Way Home” was forced to surrender its box office crown for the first time since it opened in December, the superhero sequel still managed to put up some superb results. The film is projected to have a four-day result of $26 million. With more than $700 million in the bank, “Spider-Man: No Way Home” will now become the fourth-highest grossing domestic release in history, behind only “Avatar” ($760 million), “Avengers: Endgame” ($858 million) and “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” ($936 million).
The popularity of the film is so out-sized that it was even name-checked during “SNL” this weekend with President Biden urging people to stop seeing “Spider-Man” in order to check the spread of omicron.
The opening weekend result for “Scream” is in the neighborhood of the inaugural results for other pandemic era horror hits such as “Halloween Kills” ($49.4 million) debut and “A Quiet Place Part II” ($47.5 million). It also represents a major improvement on 2011’s “Scream 4” which opened to a dispiriting $19.3 million.
Unlike other movies released during COVID, “Scream’s” low budget means it will have some impressive profit margins — films like “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” and “No Time to Die” have led the box office, but their high cost meant they lost money during their theatrical releases at a time when ticket sales are depressed.
Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett direct “Scream,” taking over the series from its founder Wes Craven, the horror maestro who died in 2015. Melissa Barrera, Jenna Ortega, Jack Quaid and Dylan Minnette round out the cast of the horror sequel.
Universal and Illumination Entertainment’s “Sing 2” captured third place on the domestic box office chart, earning $8.3 million. The film is projected to earn $11 million over the four-day holiday, which will bring its haul to $122.1 million.
Big Daddy Kane apologizes for mistaking ASL interpreter for rowdy concert-goer
Big Daddy Kane is apologizing for pushing an American Sign Language (ASL) interpreter back from the stage during a performance on Friday evening.
The rapper, 53, took to Instagram to share a personal message about the incident, describing it as a misunderstanding because he had no idea anyone would be onstage with him during the performance. He also offered a "sincere apology" to the interpreter, whom he identified as Billy Sanders. Sanders has previously gone viral thanks to the nickname #ASLBae.
"So I know a lot of people out there saw this," Kane said, before launching into a video clip showing him repeatedly pushing Sanders, who was translating his performance behind a large pile of concert equipment.
"But see what y'all didn't see was this," said Kane, who flashed back to the video, which shows him shaking hands with Sanders after the song was over. On the video, Kane can be heard saying that "they didn't tell me what was going on" and telling the audience "understand and understood, I want everybody to enjoy it, you feel me?"
Kane continued, explaining that the incident was simply a case of mistaken identity.
"I've done a lot of crazy stuff in my life. But I would never try to disrespect an interpreter that's doing sign language for the deaf community onstage," he explained. "No one told me what was going on. No one told my manager that there was going to be an interpreter. We were clueless, so when I came on stage and saw someone just mouthing the lyrics, I was trying to get them off the stage."
The initial video of the musician pushing the man, taken by a concert-goer, gained significant traffic on the internet, causing some to criticize Kane's actions.
"But no one showed the clip of me apologizing to the brother and allowing him to stay on stage and finish the show. No one showed the clip of me apologizing to the crowd. Because as I said in the clip, I want everyone to enjoy the show, and that means even those who can’t hear it," Kane shared in his video message.
Kane closed out his personal video be reiterating his support for all concert-goers, including those who are hearing-impaired.
"Anyway though, much respect to the deaf community. I would never disrespect y'all, and once again, much love to that interpreter," he said. "Again, I apologize, my brother."
Prince's Estate Worth $156.4 Million In Final Valuation
After six years of legal quarrels, all parties have agreed on a value for legendary singer Prince's estate.
The Internal Revenue Service and the estate's administrator, Comerica Bank and Trust, have agreed to a value of $156.4 million, a figure that the heirs to the estate have also accepted, according to Minnesota's Star Tribune.
The final valuation exceeds the $82.3 million valuation initially submitted by Comerica. The IRS determined earlier this year that executors of the pop icon's estate undervalued it by 50 percent, estimating $163.2 million instead in court filings.
Prince died in April 2016 of an accidental fentanyl overdose at his Paisley Park home in Minnesota at age 57. He did not have a will, leaving his sister Tyka Nelson and five other half-siblings claims over his estate.
The estate will be divided between three of Prince's oldest siblings and Primary Wave, an independent music publishing and talent management company that purchased the interests of the music icon's younger siblings.
Charles F. Spicer Jr., court appointed advisor for the remaining heirs of the estate, confirmed the valuation to EW, adding that the family is thrilled that the extensive legal battle has reached a conclusion.
"We're looking out for the best interest of fans [and] ensure that Prince's legacy remains for generations to come," Spicer said. EW has reached out to the IRS and Comerica Bank and Trust for comment.
The IRS and Comerica settled on the real-estate portion of Prince's estate last spring, but still had to contend with trickier valuations of more abstract assets, including rights to Prince's music. Comerica initially requested a trial over the valuation issues, but called the $156.4 million settlement "fair and reasonable" on Friday.
Had Comerica and the IRS gone to trial, the settlement decision would have been prolonged, resulting in more legal fees for the estate; Sharon Nelson, one of Prince's half-siblings, previously lambasted Comerica over their "thousands of court filings" that cost the estate "millions in legal fees" while speaking to Billboard in 2019.
Ne-Yo discusses how R&B has changed: “I love you became you my b*tch”
Where has all the love gone in R&B music? According to Ne-Yo, love songs are still being made within the genre — the tone has just changed over time. During a recent interview with Page Six, the “Sexy Love” singer said, “R&B music definitely has gone through an era that is much harsher than we all remember.”
“‘I love you’ became ‘you my bitch,’” he explained. “Now it’s like, okay, we got to move with the times but at the same time, love is not a trend or a fad. It’s not something that is supposed to go out of style. It’s like saying water is going out of style. No, you need it to live.”
The R&B superstar — who once sang he was “so sick of love songs” — said that mentality has dampened connections, and limited the possibility of finding “genuine true love.”
“I definitely feel like the way that love has been approached as of late may have something to do with why relationships are not lasting as long as they once did,” the father of five said.“People don’t look at it the right way. It’s like everyone looking for love got some conditions on it. If he ain’t got this much money; if she ain’t got that much booty. Or whatever.
“And that is always going to be an issue for genuine love,” he continued.
On Monday (Jan. 17), fans will get to watch Ne-Yo hit the stage as the host of the 2022 Urban One Honors. The awards show, which was taped in December 2021, was the singer-songwriter’s first-ever hosting gig.
He told Entertainment Tonight that as soon as he found out he had landed the job, he “instantly started researching hosts” that he admired.
“I love Kevin Hart as a host to anything, he always keeps it real light and funny, but keeps it moving. Jamie Foxx is always really good, he’s the guy. It feels genuine, he’s not the guy who’s gonna read cue cards. I’m studying them,” Ne-Yo said.
The 2022 Urban One Honors: “The Soundtrack of Black America” premieres Monday, (Jan. 17) at 8 p.m. EST on TV ONE.
Rihanna Braves the Snowy Weather for Dinner in NYC
Rihanna is enjoying a night out! The 33-year-old singer, makeup mogul, and fashion designer braved the snowy weather as she stepped out for dinner on Sunday night (January 16) in New York City.
As she stepped out for a bite to eat, Rihanna went makeup-free while wearing a green jacket over a navy sweatshirt paired with ripped jeans and white high-top sneakers.
Rihanna‘s latest outing comes several days after she and boyfriend A$AP Rocky showed off their unique styles as stepped out for a dinner date in Los Angeles.
Forbes recently named the Most Powerful Women in the World
Prince Harry Threatens Legal Action If Security Isn’t Provided For Him And His Family When He Visits The United Kingdom
A letter from Prince Harry’s lawyers filed a pre-action protocol letter to the Home Office department of the United Kingdom Government as reported by TMZ. The letter specifically states if Prince Harry and his family are not offered security while visiting the country, they will seek a judicial review.
In a statement, his legal spokesperson wrote, “Prince Harry inherited a security risk at birth, for life. He remains sixth in line to the throne, served two tours of combat duty in Afghanistan, and, in recent years his family has been subjected to well-documented neo-Nazi and extremist thread. While his role in the institution has changed, his profile as a member of the Royal Family has not. Nor has the threat to him and his family.”
The statement also clarifies that Meghan and Prince Harry pay for their own security in the United States but the same situation doesn’t apply to him in his birth country. Prince Harry wants to bring his children to the UK but due to this specific situation, he feels that it’s too dangerous.
Despite dropping his title as a Royal Family member, he still wants protection for himself and his family.
#TRAGIC: Missing Gay Rights Activist Found In Florida Landfill After Reported Homicide
A gay rights advocate in Florida was found dead in a landfill in what authorities believe was a homicide.
Jorge Diaz-Johnston, 54, the brother of former Miami Mayor Manny Diaz, had been last seen alive on Jan. 3, Tallahassee police said. Shortly after a missing person alert was issued for him Saturday, his body was found in a trash pile at a landfill in Baker, Fla, about 60 miles east of the Alabama border, according to the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office.
Diaz, who served as mayor of Miami from 2001 to 2009, released a statement on Twitter confirming his brother’s death.
“I am profoundly appreciative of the outpouring of support shown to me, my brother-in-law Don, and my family after the loss of my brother, Jorge Diaz-Johnston,” wrote. “My brother was such a special gift to this world whose heart and legacy will continue to live on for generations to come.”
While he had a high-profile brother, Diaz-Johnston made a name for himself. In 2014, he and his husband, Don Diaz-Johnston, and five other same-sex couples sued the Miami-Dade County clerk’s office after they were barred from getting married.
“For us, it’s not just only a question of love and wanting to express our love and have the benefits that everyone else has in the state, but it’s an issue of equality, and it’s a civil rights issue,” Jorge Diaz-Johnston told NBC Miami at the time.
In January 2015, a Miami-Dade circuit court judge ruled in the couples’ favor, legalizing same-sex marriage in the South Florida county more than a year before the Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage nationwide.
Elizabeth Schwartz, who represented the six couples in the case, called Diaz-Johnston’s death “heartbreaking.”
“They fought so hard for their love to be enshrined and to be able to enjoy the institution of marriage, and for the marriage to end in this way — in this gruesome, heartbreaking way — there are no words,” she told NBC Miami.
MARTA CEO Jeffrey Parker Dies by Suicide After Stepping in Front of Train
Jeffrey Parker, the CEO and general manager of the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority, has died, according to members of the MARTA Board of Directors.
Bill Floyd, a member of the MARTA Board of Directors, confirmed that Parker died on Friday after stepping in front of a train at the East Lake MARTA station in Decatur, Georgia, according to Decaturish.com.
According to the MARTA website, Parker had over 35 years of experience in both the private and public sectors of the transportation industry. He first assumed the role of CEO and general manager in March 2018 and was recently helping MARTA take on its "most ambitious transit expansion and modernization program since its founding forty years ago."
Chairwoman Rita Scott announced Parker's death by suicide in a statement on Saturday, calling him "an outstanding leader and steward of MARTA whose passing leaves us all heartbroken."
"As Chairwoman and on behalf of my fellow MARTA board members, we are devastated at this loss as we valued Jeff's leadership and looked forward to him bringing his vision for transit to fruition," said Scott. "The entire metro Atlanta region owes him a debt of gratitude for his transformational efforts and we will not stop working to build on the foundation he created."
She continued, "As we struggle to understand the complexity of this tragedy, we grieve with and for his wife Erin, his daughters and all of Jeff's family and friends as well as his MARTA family."
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp mourned Parker's death on Twitter Saturday, honoring the late CEO for his "incredible mind for transportation and logistics" and his "heart for people," adding that "he will be greatly missed.
"Marty, the girls, & I are saddened to learn about the tragic passing of Jeffrey Parker - GM/CEO of MARTA," Kemp wrote. "In addition to a remarkable professional career in the public/private sectors, Jeffrey was known for his civic engagement and support for the advancement of his communities."
The Amalgamated Transit Union Local 732 also mourned Parker's death and extended its condolences to his family in a statement shared Saturday on Twitter.
"Parker understood the importance of MARTA and public transit for our city, our members, and our citizens," said Britt Dunams, president of the ATU Local 732, on behalf of more than 2,500 union members.
Dunams said the union had recently been working with Parker "to further strengthen the relationship between our Union and management that recognized the critical role our members have played in keeping our communities moving through the challenging times of the pandemic."
The union vowed to continue its efforts "and strive to make MARTA safer, more accessible, and more affordable for all Atlantians" in Parker's memory.
The MARTA Board of Directors named Collie Greenwood, who had been serving as MARTA's Deputy General Manager, as interim CEO at an emergency meeting held Saturday in the wake of Parker's death, according to Decaturish.com.
If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), text "STRENGTH" to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 or go to suicidepreventionlifeline.org.
Dr. King’s Original “I Have A Dream” Speech On Display At National Museum Of African American History And Culture
Martin Luther King Jr. Day (Monday, Jan. 17) will be marked by an exhibition of Martin Luther King Jr.’s original address from the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC).
The speech’s exhibit, which was first on display in fall 2021, will be reinstalled just in time for people to see the historic document ahead of the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday this year. From January 13 to February 27, it will be on display in the “Defending Freedom, Defining Freedom” gallery.
The museum will be open to the public for normal working hours over the holiday (10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.). Online, you can get advanced and same-day free timed-entry passes. There will be no walk-ups allowed. Other items related with King, such as the Congressional Gold Medal awarded posthumously to him and Coretta Scott King in 2014, a laundry pail used by King during the Selma to Montgomery march, and a program from his funeral at the Ebenezer Baptist Church, will be shown alongside the speech.
In addition to showcasing King’s speech, the museum offers two virtual offerings that allow visitors to commemorate the occasion from the comfort of their own homes, including a blog post detailing little-known facts about the civil rights leader.
For more information about the museum, visit nmaahc.si.edu.
Senate Awards the Congressional Gold Medal to Emmett Till and His Mother
*Emmett Till was a Chicago teenager (14-years-old, to be sure) whose life was cut short in 1955 by White supremacists who abducted him from his great-uncle’s home and tortured him to death. Four days earlier, Till had allegedly whistled at a white woman at a white grocery store in Mississippi, which was why he was murdered.
The Senate has now passed a bill to posthumously award the Congressional Gold Medal to Till and his mother Mamie Till-Mobley. It’s what his mother did at the funeral that especially brought her to the limelight: she insisted on an open casket to vividly demonstrate the level of brutality her son endured while dying.
“I want the world to see what they did to my baby,” she said.
Jet Magazine went ahead to publish photos of Till’s severed, unrecognizable face. These photos triggered an outrage of Black Americans and fired up the civil rights movement of the 1960s.
Family of Martin Luther King Jr. Lead Rally in Arizona for Voting Rights
Ahead of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, family members of the civil rights activist organized a rally in Arizona in support of federal voting rights legislation.
MLK’s eldest son, Martin Luther King III, was joined by his wife Arndrea Waters King and their 13-year-old daughter for an on-the-ground campaign for voting rights, rallying local activists and supporters at Pilgrim Rest Baptist Church, a predominantly Black church in Phoenix.
“Arizona, in one sense, is near ground zero, I say near because unfortunately, there are 19 states that have passed regressive laws, including our own state of Georgia,” King III told MSNBC’s Vaughn Hillyard in an interview Saturday.
He went on to say that they “believe that as it relates to getting this, these bills passed, that Senator Sinema has been one of the challenges.” According to him, “it made sense to come to Arizona,” because, “some regressive laws, we feel, have been put in place that make it harder for people to vote.”
The rally comes just days after Arizona Senator Kyrsten Sinema gave a speech about her support to uphold the legislative filibuster. “We must address the disease itself, the disease of division, to protect our democracy,” Sinema said.
Ahead of the march, King said in a press release that the rally was arranged “to call on Senator Sinema to urgently pass federal voting rights legislation and ensure that the Jim Crow filibuster does not stand in the way.”
“Our daughter has less rights around voting than she had when she was born,” King said in a statement. “I can’t imagine what my mother and father would say about that. I’m sure they’re turning over and over in their graves about this.”
A 74-Year-Old Black Woman Gets Exonerated After Spending 28 Years in Prison for Wrongful Murder Conviction
Joyce Watkins had been on parole since 2015, but it wasn’t until Wednesday when she was exonerated, that she was truly free. She spent 27 years in prison after being convicted of first-degree murder and aggravated rape.
Watkins is the first Black woman to be exonerated in Tennessee and the third woman in the state’s history.
To date, there have been over 2,800 exonerations of both men and women in the U.S. according to the National Registry of Exonerations. Blacks make up 40 percent of that number and are seven times more likely to be wrongfully convicted of murder than white people.
In 1987, Watkins and her then-boyfriend Charlie Dunn went to Kentucky to collect her four-year-old great-niece Brandi. An hour and a half after arriving home, Watkins noticed blood in Brandi’s underwear. When the four-year-old became unresponsive, she immediately took her to Nashville Memorial Hospital. Brandi died a day later—cause of death was severe vaginal injury and head trauma.
It was never made clear as to why Brandi wasn’t with her mother, though social workers had received complaints and reports of abuse in reference to another one of her’s great-aunts—Rose Williams, which is where she was staying prior to Watkins and Dunn picking her up. Brandi’s mother was in Georgia at the time. Nothing came of the social worker investigations.
A year later, Watkins and Dunn were both arrested and convicted. In 2015, when they were up for parole, Watkins was released. Dunn died suddenly before being released.
Watkins immediately sought the help of the Tennessee Innocence Project. “We got this case because she (Joyce) came to us,” Jason Gichner, senior legal counsel with the Tennessee Innocence Project told CNN. “She just showed up at the office and said, ‘Let me tell you my story. I need your help.’”
According to The Registry of Exonerations, “a Black prisoner serving time for sexual assault is 3.5 times more likely to be innocent than a white sexual assault convict.”
A report was filed on November 10, 2021 asking that Watkins and Dunn’s convictions be overturned. Several variables proved their innocence—most prominently, the medical examiner’s original report that said the abuse took place within the nine hour window in which Brandi had been under the supervision of Watkins and Dunn.
That report, filed by Dr. Greta Harlan was later recanted and said that the injuries could have been inflicted 48 hours before Watkins retrieved Brandi. According to CNN, Dr. Shipla Reddy said in the new report that Harlan’s “methodology for dating the head injury based upon a lack of histiocytic response in the brain tissue is not a legitimate method for dating pediatric head trauma.”
Detectives did not question any of the people Brandi had been around—including the soldiers on the army base where she’d been staying with Williams and where the rape was later suspected to have occurred.
In November of last year, Muhammad A. Aziz and Khalil Islam were exonerated for the assassination of activist and revolutionary Malcolm X. Reports filed on their behalf by Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. and the Innocence Project revealed that the FBI and the NYPD withheld evidence that would have corroborated Aziz and Islam’s innocence when they were originally on trial. As with Watkins and Dunn, NYDP failed to question possible suspects and other people of interest.
Like Dunn, Islam who died in 2009, was posthumously exonerated.
Watkins told Fox17 Nashville, “I thank all the people for their prayers and helping me get out of this mess which has cost me half of my life for nothing. But I’ll get over it.”
Jasmine Guy Says ‘A Different World’ Cast Were Less Respected In Hollywood: “It Was Always A Fight With Them”
Jasmine Guy says ‘A Different World’ cast were not treated equally in Hollywood as other hit show cast members.
‘The Cosby Show’ spinoff, ‘A Different World’ had a good run during the late ’80s and early ’90s. But while fans were loving the ethnic comedic series, one of the show’s main characters says the feeling wasn’t mutual behind the scenes.
Jasmine says it was not easy getting their network, NBC, to approve episodes in a recent interview.
“It was always a fight with them. They [NBC] never wanted to do anything deep that we wanted to do,” Guy said.
Jasmine also adds how the cast was constantly reminded of how their show only gets airtime thanks to Bill Cosby.
“We were always told we stayed on the air because Cosby’s on the air. Our power was always diminished in Hollywood, to the networks, to the powers that be. We were not treated as I saw other actors treated on other hit shows,” the actress continued.
‘A Different World’ made its debut in 1987 and followed the lives of college students attending the fictional Hillman College.
New York Middle School Parents Call Out Racist Assignment
After several parents expressed outrage over an Upstate New York school’s homework assignment, its administrators have issued an apology.
Sixth graders at Mill Middle School in the Williamsville Central School District received an assignment obtained by CNN from their Spanish class. They had to translate sentences from English into Spanish.
One of the sentences they had to translate was one saying: “You (friendly) are Mexican and ugly,” and another on the same worksheet that read, “You (politely) are pretty and American.”
“Shocked at this Spanish homework assignment in Williamsville Central School District loaded with such blatant racism,” Allison Wainick, a school district parent, said on Twitter. “Can we even begin to unpack all that is wrong here? Who is developing this curriculum & where is the oversight?”
In a statement posted to their official Facebook page, the school district admitted that the assignment created by the teacher was “unacceptable.”
“We are addressing the situation to ensure this does not happen again. The District does not condone any instructional material that denigrates our students, families, culture, or beliefs,” the statement read. “This assignment fails to meet our standard and will be dealt with appropriately.”
The Williamsville Central School District is located on the outskirts of Buffalo.
The teacher’s identity hasn’t been identified or the potential consequences they may face. However, Nick Filipowski, the school district communications director, told CNN that they would not make a statement on the incident.
“I’m extremely disappointed with Mill Middle for letting the disgusting and inexcusable language such as this to be presented in the classroom,” Wainick’s husband, Marcelo Florencio, told The Buffalo News. “I believe there is no place for it in school or our children’s lives.”
“I, personally, don’t feel this Spanish teacher — or anyone who approves of this kind of curriculum content — has any place in WCSD or elsewhere,” Florencio said, adding that the assignment showed a “blatant lack of ethnic sensitivity and bias.”
Other parents expressed concern in messages posted on the school district’s Facebook page.
“As a Latina whose children attend Mill and Williamsville I am in complete shock,” one mother wrote.
Another Hispanic mother also showed disagreement with the assignment.
“This is completely unacceptable,” she said. “There must be serious consequences. An apology from the District is not enough, this is not something that children can forget.”
Thieves Take $1 Million In Jewelry From Lori Loughlin And Mossimo Giannulli’s LA Area Home
Lori Loughlin and Mossimo Giannulli had $1 million in jewelry stolen from their Los Angeles area home earlier this month.
Law enforcement sources told TMZ that the couple was not home when the burglary occurred. According to the outlet, the suspects were dressed all in black and wore masks. They were captured on surveillance video.
The thieves smashed a window to gain access to the house. They made off with Loughlin’s jewelry box. The break-in was discovered by a housekeeper.
Authorities believe the crime was committed by a South American crew that comes into the US to commit burglaries and then leave. They are not sure if the couple was specifically targeted or if it was random. Police are still investigating.
The actress previously spent time in jail after committing a crime of her own. She spent two months behind bars last year for her part in a college admission bribery scheme. Giannulli also spent time in jail for his role in the plot.
Loughlin was most recently mourning the death of her Full House co-star Bob Saget. “I love you, Bobby,” she told Page Six. Her camp told TMZ that between the burglary and Saget’s death, she understands the most important thing in life is family and love, not material things.
The outlet reports that they’ve added security around the clock following the break-in.
AND FINALLY FROM “THE CRAZY PEOPLE SHOPPING AT WALMART” FILES
JUST DON’T DO IT
Sometimes people just like putting others around them in the most uncomfortable situations ever.
HAVE A GREAT DAY EVERYBODY!!!!!!!!
EFREM
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