Month: February 2017

Hollywood has long struggled with a lack of diversity ― and a new report shows that, although it’s getting a bit better, we still have a long way to go. 

The 2017 Hollywood Diversity Report, which was released by the Ralph J. Bunche Center for African American Studies at UCLA on Tuesday, focused on roughly 200 theatrical films released in 2015 and 1,206 TV shows that were airing or streaming in the 2014-2015 season. 

Let’s start with the few bright spots in the report: The study found that people of color made gains relative to their white counterparts in mostly front-of-camera roles ― a win for greater visibility and representation. But it’s important to note that minorities were still underrepresented on every front that the report identified between 2014-2015. The biggest racial imbalance was among film writers, where minorities were outnumbered by greater than seven to one.

People of color actually lost ground in four areas, which were mostly behind-the-camera roles. There were fewer minority film directors, film writers, cable scripted leads and digital scripted show creators in comparison to the report from last year. The study noted that these behind-the-scenes roles are often the “powerful positions responsible for which stories get told.”

The biggest racial imbalance was among film writers, where minorities were outnumbered by greater than seven to one.

The report also found that part of the diversity problem can be traced to the whiteness of the top three talent agencies, a trend that the Center has identified in its previous diversity reports. For example, in 2015, just 10.4 percent of film directors represented by top agencies were minorities, which is a decrease from the year before. 

While rosters of these “gatekeeping” talent agencies are overwhelmingly white, diversity still pays off with viewers. According to the report, films with relatively diverse casts enjoyed the highest median global box office receipts and the highest median return on investment. Meanwhile, the report showed that films with little diversity among cast members earned much less. 

Most recently, “Hidden Figures,” a film about three black female mathematicians at NASA, surpassed expectations at the box office and has been hailed as an example of just profitable diversity can be. 

The report concluded on a poignant note about the way that meaningful stories with racially representative casts can impact the bottom line in film and television. 

“Diversity sells, first and foremost, because today’s audiences are themselves diverse and in search of stories and characters with whom they can identify,” the report reads. “…Quality storytelling plus rich, diverse performances equals box office and ratings success. Year after year, the evidence supporting this equation continues to mount.”

Head here to read the 2017 Hollywood Diversity Report in full. 

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Source: HuffPost Black Voices

The American Jewish community is receiving bomb threats with a frequency that modern leaders have never seen ― and those threats are a threat against everyone. 

The silence from the White House has been deafening. It took President Donald Trump weeks to acknowledge that Jewish community centers across the country have been hit with wave after wave of bomb threats. His address was deemed too little, too late by advocacy groups, and his administration has yet to address nationwide anti-Muslim sentiments with zeal.

Even though the White House has finally recognized the string of bomb threats, Jewish communities are not getting the attention they need, just as hate groups become more emboldened. Threats have been made against 54 Jewish community centers in 27 states and one Canadian province since Jan. 9, according to the Jewish Community Center Association of North America. 

This is not just a message to destabilize Jewish institutions, it’s also a siren call to fellow travelers to do something worse.
Brian Levin, director of the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at California State University, San Bernardino

They affect everyone, because each Jewish community center is a vital part of its community.

What Is A Jewish Community Center?

Like your local YMCA, JCCs act as a cornerstone of the neighborhood, offering arts and music programs, preschool, fitness courses, camps and religious services. They’re open to everyone in the community.

JCCs are everywhere, and they’re being threatened. 

“In some communities the JCC is the community center for that locality,” David Posner, the JCCA’s security counselor, told The Huffington Post. “It’s important for everyone to be concerned about these bomb threats. [The suspects] are doing this because JCCs are informed by Jewish value ― but they have meaning to the entire community.”

Each time a JCC is threatened, whether it’s a hoax or not, countless days are interrupted ― children’s day camps are halted as police sweep buildings and worried parents leave the office to pick up their kids. Your tax dollars are spent on making the centers safe again.

Communities are suffering, and though the FBI told HuffPost on Tuesday that it’s still investigating four spates of bomb threats, there is no sign that the suspect or suspects will stop calling.

The Threats Have Broad Implications

The JCCA and many local authorities have labeled the threatening calls ― many of which were confirmed to be similar to this one ― a hoax. Yet as the calls gain traction in the media, they’ve become less of an immediate threat and more of a callout to other bigots. 

“The person doing this might just feel in their comfort level in making phone calls, where they can disguise the language and make threats ― but propaganda of the deed is a big part of the anti-Semitic neo-Nazi community,” said Brian Levin, director of the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at California State University, San Bernardino. “This is not just a message to destabilize Jewish institutions, it’s also a siren call to fellow travelers to do something worse. That’s why we need a big response back.”

There is no doubt among experts and Jewish community leaders that the calls mark a sharp increase in hateful sentiments over the past few months. Leading human rights organizations are calling on Attorney General Jeff Sessions to create a special task force to look into the threats.

If the hateful acts aren’t properly handled ― by authorities and the White House ― we could be seeing the tip of the iceberg.

“What we do know is hate crimes often occur serially with escalating severity, particularly in a discrete geographic community or if there’s a community that is targeted and there appears to be no pushback from the moral leaders of society,” Levin told HuffPost.

“The question is, how sustained will this trend be?” he said. “Is there going to be an erosion effect that has much more long-term consequences than perhaps a spate of bomb threats, which may be done by a bigot or a sociopath or a copycat?”

To combat the problem, leaders want to see more from Trump’s administration than acknowledgement ― they want a wider investigation, hate crime laws in all 50 states, and more involvement from the Justice Department, says Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan Greenblatt.

“[Trump] needs to go from saying it’s an issue to taking steps to solving the problem,” he said during an MSNBC appearance on Tuesday. “We saw over the political campaign, some of these white supremacist ideas finding their way into the mainstream … and then after the election we’ve seen a surge of hate crimes. We have lacked the statements on the record from the White House until now, to shoot this down. The extremists love a vacuum.”

Less than 24 hours after Greenblatt’s appearance on national news, the ADL’s headquarters in New York also received a bomb threat.

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Source: HuffPost Black Voices

This is why Chrissy Teigen is the queen of Twitter. 

Earlier this week, people on the social media app pointed out how much her husband, John Legend, looks like the animated-character-turned-beloved-internet-meme Arthur.

A user who goes by the name Emily Sowah shared the below tweet, which prompted some hilarious responses. 

In response, Teigen posted a perfect meme of her own: 

She’s too good. 

As it turns out, though, Legend had apparently never heard of Arthur (!!!) until folks online started comparing him to the cartoon aardvark. 

Meanwhile, we’re over here like: 

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Source: HuffPost Black Voices

The Oscars air on Sunday, which means a ton a of heavy-hitting actors will be together in one place. This doesn’t happen very often, except perhaps in the mind of Tommy Dickie. 

Dickie runs us through the entire program ― impressions, clips and all ― so there’s really no need to even watch the award show on Sunday.

#OscarsSoDickie

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Source: HuffPost Black Voices

This February, HuffPost Black Voices is honoring black men and women who are paving the way to a better future for black America. We are highlighting the work of deserving individuals who are striving to make the world a more inclusive place across their respective fields.

This week, we’re honoring some of the trailblazers in the world of sports and entertainment.

From a groundbreaking sabre fencer to a multi-hyphenate actor, the following men and women who have ― inadvertently or not ― used their talents for the betterment and advancement of black culture.

Here are seven entertainers and athletes we believe have been making noteworthy cultural strides.

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Source: HuffPost Black Voices

Jamie Foxx became the victim of a racial incident while on location in Croatia. 

Foxx was the target of a racist slur at a restaurant in the coastal town of Dubrovnik, where he is filming “Robin Hood: Origins,” on Sunday, the Associated Press reported. Police responded to a reports of “particularly arrogant and rude” insults ― including “one of the guests on racial grounds” ― made by two men. Disorderly conduct charges were filed against the men, and police are looking into whether to pursue more.

Foxx is not specifically named in the report, but he posted about the encounter on Instagram Stories. In a video still on The Daily Mail, Foxx says, “They drunk up in here. I came to the table and they banged on us in Croatian.” It also appears that the individuals in question were being escorted out by law enforcement.

While both videos are no longer available on the actor’s account, on Monday Foxx uploaded another one talking about the beauty of the country along with the hashtags #backonmyfunnyshit and #blackman. 

Europe has seen a rise in far-right sentiment in recent months. Croatia has had problems with racist chants occurring during soccer games, making headlines over the summer during the Euro 2016. 

“It’s not that they are really (intentionally) racist,” Croatian journalist Aleksandar Zoliga told Vice Sports at the time of the country’s national soccer team, “but they are ignorant and don’t take this problem seriously.”

A rep for Foxx was not immediately available to comment. 

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Source: HuffPost Black Voices

Though Aziz Ansari usually plays the silly guy on screen, he’s also known for calling out our serious injustices.

Whether it’s tackling racism in his “SNL” monologue or bringing attention to the sexism women face every day, Ansari has schooled everyone on issues in the no B.S. kind of way only he could. 

In honor of Ansari’s 34th birthday on Thursday, we invite you to treat yo’ self to these seven times he was the voice of reason in the crazy world we live in.

When He Made His “SNL” Monologue About Combating Racism

While expectations were already high for the first-ever South Asian “SNL” host, Ansari managed to bring the house down with his monologue in January. 

Ansari, whose parents are immigrants, made it clear that the country is, in fact, great. He explained that his family still loves America despite the divisive political climate and “they’re not leavin’.” 

But he also acknowledged the rising xenophobia, racism and Islamophobia following the election and called on President Donald Trump to do something about it.

When He Explained How Ridiculous It Was To Be On The Fence About Voting 

During this past election cycle, many celebrities came out to urge citizens to fulfill their civic duties. But no one quite did so like Ansari. 

In a video by climate change advocacy group NextGen Climate, the actor boiled down exactly how crucial it was to get out to the polls. 

“What the f**k do you need?” Ansari said in the video, later adding: “There’s a f**king guy running that says he hates brown people. That’s not enough?”

When He Called Out Hollywood For Limiting Roles For Asians To Stereotypes

Asians hardly nab any speaking roles in Hollywood. When they do, they’re often cast as tropes. And Ansari wasn’t shy about bringing this up around a group of industry vets.  

During a The Hollywood Reporter roundtable discussion featuring several actors, including Anthony Anderson and Jeffrey Tambor, Ansari spoke about how many viewers were surprised to see actors of diverse backgrounds playing characters who deviated from stereotypes on “Master of None.” Usually, this isn’t the case. 

“A lot of times when people write for Indian actors or Asian actors or anybody somewhat different, it is insulting because they have a certain view of, “… Oh, this Indian guy, let’s put him in the cab or in the market,’” he said. “Let’s not make him the guy who is this woman’s love interest,” or something like that, ‘:et’s get the white guy for that, of course.’”

When He Wrote A Sobering Op-Ed About Islamophobia In The New York Times 

Back in June, the comedian wrote a piece, entitled “Why Trump Makes Me Scared for My Family,” about how Islamophobic rhetoric during the election cycle has affected his family and others of Muslim backgrounds. 

Following Trump’s offensive tweet about Muslims after the Orlando shooting, Ansari, the son of Muslim immigrants, broke down why hate speech is so harmful to those of the faith. And also why it’s just absurd. 

When He Dragged Rupert Murdoch For Tweeting Islamophobic Comments

After the Charlie Hebdo attacks in Paris, Rupert Murdoch tweeted inflammatory comments about Muslims around the world being held responsible for the actions of extremists. And Ansari unleashed a Twitter rant.  

The actor flipped the script on Murdoch, and launched the hashtag “#RupertsFault.” Ansari tweeted about incidents relating to the Christian community and how the billionaire could be responsible for them, showing the flaw in Murdoch’s logic.

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Source: HuffPost Black Voices

This article is part of HuffPost’s Project Zero campaign, a yearlong series on neglected tropical diseases and efforts to fight them.

Most people aren’t familiar with Guinea worm disease ― that’s because it has almost disappeared. 

In 1985, the disease had infected about 3.5 million people. At last count, only 25 cases remain.

People contract the Guinea worm, a parasite, by drinking contaminated water. The worm is about as thick as a piece of spaghetti and can grow as long as three feet. It lives inside the body until it’s ready to emerge from the skin in a long and painful process.

Today, the disease exists in only three African countries, and it’s not fought with pills or vaccines, but with education, proper tools and the empowerment of local community members. The Carter Center, a nonprofit founded by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, has been instrumental in drastically reducing cases of this disease.

The Huffington Post sat down with Dr. Donald Hopkins, a special adviser to The Carter Center on the eradication of Guinea worm, to talk about the road to stamping out this disease forever. Watch the video above to learn more.

Video produced by Sharaf Mowjood, shot by Chelsea Moynehan, Shane Handler, Dan Fox and Mike Caravella and edited by Chai Dingari.

The Carter Center is a recipient of grants from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which also funds this series. All content is editorially independent, with no influence or input from the foundation. If you’d like to contribute a post to the series, send an email to ProjectZero@huffingtonpost.com. And follow the conversation on social media by using the hashtag #ProjectZero.

More stories like this:

• This Man Went Abroad And Brought Back A Disease Doctors Had Never Seen
• 18 Diseases The World Has Turned Its Back On
• A Parasite Attacked This Dad’s Brain And Destroyed His Family
• Volunteers With No Medical Training Are Fighting Diseases The World Ignores

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Source: HuffPost Black Voices

Shaquille Rashaun O’Neal showed up to work at 5 a.m. today, I’m told as I waltz into New York’s Chelsea Market roughly six hours later. 

Shaq is here to promote Oreos and we’re testing out a “mind reading Oreo” technology game. He didn’t know it yet, but I’d made it my new life goal to beat him at this made-up game, if only so I could utter the same words Aaron Carter once did in his hit 2001 single, “That’s How I Beat Shaq.”

“Look at his shoes, he’s wearing size 23 Toms!” whispers an associate as I watch the former NBA pro laugh and joke with everyone in the room.

He’s shooting promos for Oreo in a glass-encased room, where fans have gathered outside. Because he’s Shaq, he keeps bringing people in for selfies. O’Neal even spent a few minutes convincing a mother to come inside and hand over her baby. He loves the baby and the baby loves him. 

Shaq is more imposing than you’d expect him to be and even friendlier than you’d think. He likes to give cameramen and photographers a hard time when they take too many shots of him, but still never says no. He found out someone working on the Oreo account didn’t have a girlfriend so he spent part of the event trying to drum up a date for him. Shaq told me that he’s a great matchmaker.

He’s also great at portion control. The Basketball Hall of Famer told me that he always eats at least three Oreos when he sits down to eat the cookies, but he never goes past a sleeve. Shaq pairs his Oreos with 2 percent milk (he dips each one twice) even though the move is actually quite risky for him. 

“I’m lactose intolerant,” he said. When I asked if he takes a Lactaid beforehand, O’Neal said no. 

We got into the best varieties of Oreos (Shaq likes lemon and mint-covered Oreos, but says Original is the best). He told me Oreo Thins were “cute” and expressed interest in a new flavor he just heard about, called Pumpkin Spice, though he doesn’t want to try them. He’s also never had a double-stuffed Oreo and has no interest in trying them.

“I’m big on rituals. I’ve been doing this for years, no need to switch up now,” Shaq said. “Even though I did switch up [with] the lemon.”

We delve into locker room snacks (he said there were always peanut butter sandwiches around) and after a few more minutes of chit chat, the interview was coming to a close. It was almost time to participate in this made-up game, one where we use “mind reading technology” to move an Oreo ― hanging by a string from the ceiling ― in order to complete a “hands-free dunk.” Participants wear a white headband with “brain sensing technology” that is somehow connected to a cookie:

To win, one must concentrate on the cookie and move it forward using only your mind, like so: 

I’d gotten in one round of practice before my interview (I’d miss the coveted Oreo dunk by millimeters) and then watched Shaq crush a fellow interviewee before we met up. Despite Shaq’s size, strength and incredible athletic ability, I had a feeling I could beat him. 

“Do you want to play against me in the Oreo challenge?” I asked in a shaky voice as we got up from the couches where I was interviewing him. My stomach was rumbling, but I couldn’t tell if it was from nerves or the amount of Oreos I’d eaten. 

“If you wanna lose,” he said. 

We walked over to the table where the game was set up and we’d attempt to out-mind-read each other. I accepted a blue hair tie from an Oreo associate so I could put my hair up and properly put on my “mind reading” headband. 

“She’s putting her hair up, she’s serious!” Shaq said. I was. Shaq began chatting with a few fans before we got into the game, which allowed me some time to practice my Oreo mantra. Apparently by concentrating on the dangling cookie and blocking everything out, you could move it faster to your side of the table and dunk it. 

Finally, the time had come to play. Shaq and I counted to three and then pressed a button on an iPad to get the game going. I immediately focused on my Oreo with razor-sharp concentration, drawing laughs from Shaq. 

“OHHHH, look at her eyes!” he said. “Wow.” He tried psyching me out by magically waving his hands and then putting his head down to concentrate, but it didn’t work. Pretty soon, my Oreo was moving and Shaq’s was staying still. 

“Progress report!” he demanded. An Oreo associate answered, “She’s beating you, Shaq.” 

“It ain’t moving!” he said, while I took this joyous opportunity to shit talk one of the greatest athletes of all time. “I’m in your head, Shaq,” I said. 

Finally, his Oreo started to move a little bit, but I was close to victory. I started to smile like an idiot, eyes crossing as I stared at the Oreo quickly approaching my forehead. 

I think my scream of victory at the end says it all: 

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Source: HuffPost Black Voices

We’re nearly three months into 2017, but Trevor Noah says the “shitty” year of 2016 “just never ended.”

In an interview with Mashable to promote his new Netflix comedy special “Afraid Of The Dark,” the “Daily Show” host jokingly dubbed the year that saw Donald Trump voted into the White House as “the first year that just refused to stop.”

“We’re calling it 2017 because we use calendars,” said Noah. “But we’re still in the same year, let’s be honest.”

He also revealed who his dream guest would be, and commented on how the news cycle under Trump’s administration had affected the production of his show.

Read the full interview via Mashable here and check out the trailer for his Netflix stand-up show below:

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Source: HuffPost Black Voices