VIDEO DISCUSSION: The Hollywood Black Hairstyling Dilemma

The lack of black hairstylists and those competent in styling black hair in Hollywood has been an ongoing struggle for some of Hollywood’s biggest names gracing the big and small screen.

Actress Viola Davis recently told Ebony magazine: “That has not been my narrative lately of hair because I refuse it. I reject it … I don’t think that people understand our hair … they don’t understand that we’re different, and yet, the same. What I find is, hair is something that a lot of people don’t honor when you do film.”

In rejecting the notion of not having a competent hairstylist on set, Academy Award-winning actress, Viola Davis, says she refuses to work with hairstylists who can’t do black hair.

Black hairstylists are competent in doing all types of hair, so why can’t other hairstylists be as competent?

Is it too much to ask that non-Black hairstylists be competent in styling black hair?

VIDEO DISCUSSION: The growing number of conservative abortion laws and why are men so quiet? The Beyhive stings Ms. Dionne Warwick

In Episode 144 of What's The 411 recorded on June 4, 2019, the hosts, award-winning journalist, Kizzy Cox, and comedian, Onika McLean, are talking about:

Abortion Rights and the Lack of Male participation

Where are the men who believe that women have the right to full agency over their bodies? Why are they so quiet?

Hollywood Needs Help in the Black Hair Department

The lack of black hairstylists in the entertainment industry has been an ongoing struggle for some of Hollywood’s biggest names gracing the big and small screen. Is it time for Hollywood’s non-Black hairstylists to learn how to style Black Hair? Viola Davis thinks so.

Dionne Warwick got entangled in the web of the Beyhive

Iconic songstress, Dionne Warwick, ran afoul of Beyonce’s most fervent fans, the Beyhive, because of a response she gave during an interview with Essence. The Beyhive thought Ms. Warwick was throwing shade at Beyonce when she stated the following when answering if Beyonce is an icon:

‘It’s wonderful to see how she’s been able to create what and who she wanted to be and who she is.’

‘Now, sustaining and becoming an icon that Gladys Knight, or Patti LaBelle, Johnny Mathis, Frank Sinatra, or Sammy Davis Jr. is? I doubt that, I really do. I love her to death, and I can really appreciate her talent. But that status I just mentioned, those four names? [She has] a long road [ahead].’

Is it all a misunderstanding on the part of the Beyhive or, did Ms. Warwick really throw shade at Beyonce?

The Mother of XXXTentacion’s Child Wins Right to DNA Sample

A judge ruled that XXXTentacion’s girlfriend, Jenesis Sanchez, can obtain a sample of the deceased rapper’s DNA. X's mother, Cleopatra Bernard, was a proud grandmother at the time of X’s baby’s birth. However, later she attempted to block Ms. Sanchez from receiving the DNA sample. In the end, the judge sided with Ms. Sanchez and granted the petition.

Reports state Ms. Bernard isn’t too happy. Can you write this script?

Children’s Sharing Etiquette

Most of us grew up with lessons from our parents and teachers about sharing our toys, books, and other childhood possessions with our friends and classmates. However, some psychologists are turning that life lesson upside down, saying that it’s okay for children to not share their possessions.

Is this generation of psychologists going off the rails, or, were we brought up the wrong way?

Porsha, Porsha, Porsha

The Internet is all abuzz over what appears to be a breakup between Real Housewives of Atlanta star, Porsha Williams, and her new beau, Dennis McKinley over what appears to be his cheating with another reality TV star, Sincerely Ward. 

It’s one thing to have a breakup in private, but a public breakup with someone who is the father of your newborn child, that’s rough. However, Porsha’s fans really got amped and seemingly have her back after learning that All About The Tea and Tasha K of Unwine with Tasha K seem to have receipts to prove that Dennis was cheating on Porsha while using her to climb the social ladder.

Stay tuned, after all, it’s reality TV.

They knew their husbands were involved in the unsavory and illegal activity of thievery. And when their spouses were killed pulling off a major heist, they also knew that day might come. But what they didn’t expect was to be threatened with death, if they didn’t repay money stolen by their now deceased partners. Viola Davis, Michelle Rodriguez and Elizabeth Debicki play the widows who have to delve into a world they know very little about to save their own lives.

The movie, Widows, boasts an exceptional cast and compelling story but is badly tainted by a virtual smorgasbord of negative stereotypes of the African American community.

While any plot involving criminals displays seedy characters; in Widows, this seediness if mainly painted black. There’s the dishonest, self-serving black pastor; thugs parading as legitimate politicians; a ruthless, very dark-skinned enforcer/killer; and African Americans, are referred to as people who kill each other and who can’t stop making babies.

And of the black women characters, one gets made a fool of romantically, and the other is a masculine, athletic man-woman.

As is often the case with these types of troubling portrayals, this script is the product of a black man, Steve McQueen, who co-wrote and directed the film.

Viola Davis is absolutely amazing. A powerful screen presence, coupled with an uncommon ability to display a full range of emotions, each with authenticity and credibility. Unfortunately, there are not a lot of roles for 40ish African American women and they often have to take what is offered to them.

Widows gets a cast diversity rating of “A-”. Set in Chicago, it contains actors of color but not as many Hispanics and Asians as should be, for the highly diverse Windy City.

At two hours and 10 minutes, this movie goes on way too long. As I have said in the past, few films tell a story that takes more than 90 to 100 minutes to tell. It’s rated “R” for violence and language.

The verdict is: See Widows. Despite my criticisms, if this film succeeds we’ll see more of Viola on the screen. And that would be a very good thing!

The movie Fences is built upon the strong foundation provided by a superlative cast of Denzel Washington, Viola Davis, Jovan Adepo, and Mykelti Williamson

In playwright August Wilson’s Broadway play turned film, Fences, it is Pittsburgh, Pa in the 1950s. Troy (Denzel Washington) is a middle-aged, former Negro League baseball player who now drives a garbage truck. He bears the scars of his career disappointments and the damage from being a black man in America during that time. His wife, Rose, (Viola Davis) conjures up an image of the line from the Spinners song Sadie “Sweeter than cotton candy, stronger than papa’s brandy.” She keeps the house as well as the peace between her and Troy’s son, Cory (Jovan Adepo) who wants to play football. Troy opposes athletics for his son. Cory thinks his dad is afraid he’ll prove to be the better athlete. The truth is Troy believes his son will be denied a fair chance to compete and end up disappointed. Troy also deals with his WWII injured brother, Gabriel’s (Mykelti Williamson) permanent mental and physical limitations as well as guilt over how he handled his brother’s settlement payment from the federal government.

There’s a lot going on in Fences. The movie, Fences, is built upon the strong foundation provided by a superlative cast. Denzel Washington and Viola Davis, to use a baseball analogy, knock the ball out of the park. Together they provide the forceful screen presence that this drama had to have. Denzel Washington also directed the film. Jovan Adepo is angry, intense, and confrontational which makes his character, Cory, absolutely credible. But the true unsung hero of Fences is Mykelti Williamson. As compelling as the other performances are, Williamson more than met the challenge of playing a severely handicapped individual.

This film also captures the essence of working class family disputes where mothers embrace their children’s career dreams, while fathers in their own loving way, want kids to be practical. While dreams are nice, dads think their kids should devote their energies to activities which will help them earn a living.

For these reasons, Fences is a See It!

On the other hand, the dialogue is very wordy, long sentences and soliloquies by the characters. Effective scriptwriting allows the viewers to understand past events from bits and pieces of discourse throughout the film. However, in a lengthy kitchen discussion, Troy and Rose lay out all the details surrounding Gabriel’s war injury. Then they go through the intervening developments before bringing the situation up to date. Viewers are now fully informed. However, in a real-world exchange, there would be no need to rehash facts well-known to both but instead they would address only the most recent issues and maybe cite the past to support a current point of view.

Additionally, as I began to digest this film, I wondered why August Wilson felt it necessary to write a story which encapsulates the worst stereotypes, criminal and immoral behavior for his characters. While I won’t discuss them all, two are worth mentioning.

At one point, when talking to a friend, Troy relates how as a young teen, his father catches him being intimate with a 13-year-old girl. His father begins beating him. Not for what he is doing but so that his father could have a turn with the girl! Is this really how a father would respond? Maybe in a small percentage of cases, but this is not the norm.

Rose shares with Troy how she grew up with siblings in which all are halves, no two with the same mother and father. That might be a tale a character could tell today but based upon the time period of this story, Rose would have been born in the early 1900s. Black families were much more intact then than today. Census figures from that time show that the vast majority of black babies born in the early 1900s were born to mothers and fathers who were married!

Then there’s the N word. It’s actually the first word Troy utters and there’s no shortage of the slur throughout the rest of movie.

August Wilson, an interracial African-American, his father was German, seemed to be willing to stretch credibility to taint these characters. Maybe he thought it made them more interesting. While I recommend Fences, we need more true stories like Hidden Figures and less made up ones like Fences.

Fences is 140 minutes and rated PG-13 for its thematic elements, language, and some suggestive references.

Taraji P. Henson, Nate Parker, Birth of a Nation, and Barbershop 3: The Next Cut, Get No Love from Golden Globes

The nominations for the 74th Annual Golden Globe Awards were announced this morning on NBC's "Today" live from the Beverly Hilton Hotel.

Denzel Washington, Ruth Negga, Mahershala Ali, Viola Davis, Octavia Spencer, Tracee Ellis Ross, Anthony Anderson, Issa Rae, Courtney B. Vance, Thandie Newton, Donald Glover, Kerry Washington, and Sterling K. Brown are among the actors vying for a Golden Globe Award. Hans Zimmer, Pharrell Williams, and Benjamin Wallfisch are nominated for Best Original Score – Motion Picture for Hidden Figures. The song, How Far I'll Go (Moana), written by Hamilton creator, Lin-Manuel Miranda, is nominated for Best Original Song – Motion Picture.

Although Washington received a nom for Best Actor in a Movie, Drama category for Fences, he failed to receive a Best Director nomination for directing the film. The movie, based on the August Wilson play of the same name, which also stars Viola Davis, who received an acting nomination, also failed to receive a nomination in the Best Picture - Drama category.

Filmmaker Barry Jenkins received a nomination for Best Direction – Motion Picture for Moonlight, and the film received a Golden Globe Best Motion Picture – Drama nomination.

Actors Don Cheadle, Laura Dern, and Anna Kendrick were joined by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association President Lorenzo Soria, Dick Clark Productions' executive VP of television, Barry Adelman, and the Miss Golden Globe trio — Sophia, Sistine, and Scarlet Stallone in announcing the nominees. Yes, the young ladies of the Miss Golden Globe trio are related to actor Sylvester Stallone; they are his daughters and will assist in handing out the trophies during the ceremony.

Produced by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, the Golden Globe Awards will air live from the Beverly Hilton Hotel on NBC on Sunday, January 8, 2017, at 8-11 p.m. ET/5-8 p.m. PT. The ceremony will be hosted by comedian Jimmy Fallon.

Here is the full list of 2017 Golden Globe nominations:

Best Motion Picture – Drama:

"Hacksaw Ridge"
"Hell or High Water"
"Lion"
"Manchester By The Sea"
"Moonlight"

Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy:

"20th Century Women"
"Deadpool"
"La La Land"
"Florence Foster Jenkins"
"Sing Street"

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama:

Casey Affleck – "Manchester By The Sea"
Joel Edgerton – "Loving"
Andrew Garfield – "Hacksaw Ridge"
Viggo Mortensen – "Captain Fantastic"
Denzel Washington – "Fences"

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama:

Amy Adams – "Arrival"
Jessica Chastain – "Miss Sloane"
Isabelle Huppert – "Elle"
Ruth Negga – "Loving"
Natalie Portman – "Jackie"

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy:

Colin Farrell – "The Lobster"
Ryan Gosling – "La La Land"
Hugh Grant – "Florence Foster Jenkins"
Jonah Hill – "War Dogs"
Ryan Reynolds – "Deadpool"

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy:

Annette Bening – "20th Century Women"
Lily Collins – "Rules Don't Apply"
Hailee Steinfeld – "The Edge of Seventeen"
Emma Stone – "La La Land"
Meryl Streep – "Florence Foster Jenkins"

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture:

Mahershala Ali – "Moonlight"
Jeff Bridges – "Hell or High Water"
Simon Helberg – "Florence Foster Jenkins"
Dev Patel – "Lion"
Aaron Taylor-Johnson – "Nocturnal Animals"

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture:

Viola Davis – "Fences"
Naomie Harris – "Moonlight"
Nicole Kidman – "Lion"
Octavia Spencer – "Hidden Figures"
Michelle Williams – "Manchester by the Sea"

Best Director – Motion Picture:

Damien Chazelle – "La La Land"
Tom Ford – "Nocturnal Animals"
Mel Gibson – "Hacksaw Ridge"
Barry Jenkins – "Moonlight" 
Kenneth Lonergan – "Manchester by the Sea"

Best Original Screenplay:

"La La Land"
"Nocturnal Animals"
"Moonlight"
"Manchester By The Sea"
"Hell or High Water"

Best Motion Picture – Foreign Language:

"Divines" – France
"Elle" – France
"Neruda" – Chile
"The Salesman" – Iran/France
"Toni Erdmann" – Germany

Best Motion Picture – Animated:

"Kubo and the Two Strings"
"Moana"
"My Life As a Zucchini"
"Sing"
"Zootopia"

Best Original Song – Motion Picture:

"Can't Stop The Feeling" – "Trolls"
"City Of Stars" – La La Land
"Faith" – Sing
"Gold" – Gold
"How Far I'll Go" – Moana

Best Original Score – Motion Picture:

Nicholas Britell– "Moonlight"
Justin Hurwitz – "La La Land"
Johann Johannsson – "Arrival"
Dustin O'Halloran, Hauschka– "Lion
Hans Zimmer, Pharrell Williams, Benjamin Wallfisch – "Hidden Figures"

Best Television Series – Drama:

"The Crown"
"Game of Thrones"
"Stranger Things"
"This Is Us"
"Westworld"

Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy:

"Atlanta"
"Black-ish"
"Mozart In The Jungle"
"Transparent"
"Veep"

Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series – Drama:

Rami Malek – "Mr. Robot"
Bob Odenkirk – "Better Call Saul"
Matthew Rhys – "The Americans"
Liev Schreiber – "Ray Donovan"
Billy Bob Thornton – "Goliath"

Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series – Drama:

Caitriona Balfe – "Outlander"
Claire Foy – "The Crown"
Keri Russell – "The Americans"
Winona Ryder – "Stranger Things"
Evan Rachel Wood – "Westworld"

Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy:

Anthony Anderson – "Black-ish"
Gael García Bernal – "Mozart in the Jungle
Donald Glover – "Atlanta" 
Nick Nolte – "Graves"
Jeffrey Tambor – "Transparent"

Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy:

Rachel Bloom – "Crazy Ex-Girlfriend"
Julia Louis-Dreyfus – "Veep"
Sarah Jessica Parker – "Divorce"
Issa Rae – "Insecure"
Gina Rodriguez – "Jane the Virgin"
Tracee Ellis-Ross – "Black-ish"

Best Limited Series:

"American Crime"
"The Dresser"
"The Night Manager"
"The Night Of"
"The People v O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story"

Best Performance by an Actor in a Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for
Television:

Riz Ahmed – "The Night Of"
Bryan Cranston – "All The Way"
Tom Hiddleston – "The Night Manager"
John Turturro – "The Night Of"
Courtney B Vance – "The People v O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story"

Best Performance by an Actress in a Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television:

Olivia Colman – "The Night Manager"
Lena Headey – "Game Of Thrones"
Chrissy Metz – "This Is Us"
Mandy Moore – "This Is Us"
Thandie Newton – "Westworld"

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television:

Felicity Huffman – "American Crime"
Riley Keough – "The Girlfriend Experience"
Sarah Paulson – "The People v O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story"
Charlotte Rampling – "London Spy"
Kerry Washington – "Confirmation"

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television:

Sterling K Brown – "The People v O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story"
Hugh Laurie – "The Night Manager"
John Lithgow – "The Crown"
Christian Slater – "Mr. Robot"
John Travolta – "The People v O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story"

Viola Davis is first Black Woman to Win an Emmy for Lead Actress in a Drama Series

Last night, the Television Academy held its 67th Emmy Awards. It took 67 years, but it finally happened, a non-white woman won an award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series.

Progress.

Award-winning actress Viola Davis won an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for her role in How to Get Away with Murder. 

Other Nominees in the Category:

• Claire Danes, "Homeland"
• Taraji P. Henson, "Empire"
• Tatiana Maslany, "Orphan Black"
• Elisabeth Moss, "Mad Men"
• Robin Wright, "House of Cards"

Award-winning actress Uzo Aduba, won the Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama for Orange Is the New Black.

Other Nominees in the Category:

• Joanne Froggatt, "Downton Abbey"
• Lena Headey, "Game of Thrones"
• Emilia Clarke, "Game of Thrones"
• Christina Hendricks, "Mad Men"
• Christine Baranski, "The Good Wife"

Actress Regina King was a real surprise of the night with her win for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series for American Crime.

Other Nominees in the Category:

• Sarah Paulson, "American Horror Story: Freak Show"
• Angela Bassett, "American Horror Story: Freak Show"
• Kathy Bates, "American Horror Story: Freak Show"
• Mo'Nique, "Bessie"
• Zoe Kazan, "Olive Kitteridge"

Tracy Morgan Returns

Comedian/actor Tracy Morgan made a triumphant return to the Emmy stage. Morgan handed out the award for Best Drama Series to "Game of Thrones." He also thanked his family, friends, and his new wife for their help in his recovery.

Plus French Montana losing no sleep over Khloe Kardashian; London street artist, Pegasus, brings Kanye West's 2020 Bid for US President to the UK; Brooklyn's first ever soca flash mob; and more!

In What's The 411 Episode 63, the panel of host Kizzy Cox and correspondents Courtney Rashon and Onika McLean are talking about ballerina Misty Copeland; Bravo's The Single Project wins an EMMY; Black-owned Restaurant Month; Tracee Ellis Ross and Jessica Simpson hanging out together; tennis star James Blake assaulted by NY police officer; actress Viola Davis joins actor Denzel Washington on August Wilson journey; Chrissy Teigen's ''No Hot Nannies'' Comment Causes an Uproar; K. Milele's New York Fashion Week show; and so much more!

QUICK TAKES

KIZZY: Ballerina Misty Copeland reveals she is engaged to her longtime boyfriend of 10 years, corporate attorney, Olu Evans, who is also a cousin to actor, Taye Diggs. Describing the turn of events in her life, Misty told Essence magazine, 'I can't believe my life right now!'

ONIKA: Of course, I am happy to report, Bravo's, The Singles Project, which followed six New York City singles on their quest to find romance, has officially won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Creative Achievement in Interactive Media - Multiplatform Storytelling.

COURTNEY: Pop star Rihanna is always on the scene during New York Fashion Week and this year was no different. Rihanna held her New York Fashion Week Party at the New York EDITION hotel, which was attended by Chris Rock, Timbaland, Pharrell, Wiz Khalifa and others.

Onika: Black-owned restaurants Month kicked off in Brooklyn and Manhattan on September 9. Thirteen restaurants are participating in the event started by blogger Genese Jamilah. She created the event once seeing her I Don't Do Clubs blog post listing 100 black-owned restaurants had become very popular.

KIZZY: London street artist, Pegasus, brings Kanye West's 2020 Bid for US President to the UK with street art featuring the lovely Kim Kardashian in her "break the Internet" photo.

Courtney: It looks like rapper French Montana is not brooding over Khloe Kardashian's new romance with NBA basketball player, James Harden. It's reported that Rich Kids' Dorothy Wang will be joining French Montana on tour.

KIZZY: It is kind of strange putting the names Jessica Simpson and Tracee Ellis Ross in the same sentence, let alone in the same location. Yet the two are joined by the holy matrimony of their siblings Ashlee Simpson and Evan Ross and Jessica and Tracee were on hand for a big family celebration, Evan's birthday bash.

WHAT'S POPPIN'

Former Tennis Star Assaulted by NY Police Officer

COURTNEY: You have to have been under a rock to miss this item; retired tennis star James Blake experienced a violent assault by the NYPD outside the Hyatt Regency Hotel near Grand Central Station. Blake stated that he was waiting outside his hotel, and five white undercover officers allegedly threw him down to the ground, causing Blake to suffer minor injuries. The police officers never apologized after the incident. Mayor de Blasio stated there will be a full investigation regarding the attack by the officers.

Actress Viola Davis Joins Actor Denzel Washington on August Wilson Journey

ONIKA: Actress Viola Davis is going to work with Academy Award-winning actor Denzel Washington in a film adaptation of August Wilson's play "Fences." Denzel Washington is directing and Viola will be starring in the film, according to The New York Times. Both Denzel Washington and Viola Davis starred in the Broadway version of Fences in 2010 and Viola also won a Tony award for her role in the play.

Chrissy Teigen's ''No Hot Nannies'' Comment Causes an Uproar

KIZZY: The Twittersphere has exploded over this comment Chrissy Teigen made during an interview at Lauren Conrad's New York Fashion Week show:

"No hot nannies, drivers, or maids," she quipped last week. "It's an ongoing joke in my house. I do want to have kids one day, so it's something that I have to think about. But the rule is no hot nannies. I trust John, but you never know with these men."

Some responses were: "Chrissy Teigen Just Said Something Lame About Hiring Women"

Of course, Chrissy is wondering why does she have to defend a running joke?

ONIKA: For years, New York Fashion Week has been the who's who in the hip-hop and all the other fabulous industries. I had the pleasure of attending the K Milele line- please Google her- she has been the brains and beauty behind all the fabulous urban brands. She is currently working on Nikki Minaj's line and working on her own fashion line. It was a fabulous event and what was so special, she had all of her stylist friends styled one swimsuit several different ways.

FAB411

New York Fashion Week Hair and Makeup Trends

COURTNEY: During NY Fashion Week, the runways were heating up with fresh and sexy hair and makeup trends for the spring looks. The make-up trends included barely-there makeup, bold lines made with eye shadows and eyeliner and lips stained with natural flesh-like rosy tones and face embellishment, such as piercing and decals were also seen on the runway. Thicker, more natural looking eyebrows are also popular this season.

For hair, twists and knots were a huge trend on the runway and the wet sleek hair look either pinned up or in a pompadour style was also a major trend for fashion week.

UNDER THE RADAR

The City of Baltimore Settles with Family of Freddie Gray

KIZZY: Baltimore has reached a settlement with the family of Freddie Gray for $6.4 million. Freddie Gray was the young black man who was fatally injured while in police custody, his death incited protests and riots back in the spring. The criminal trials of the six police officers will continue however and Baltimore's mayor, Stephanie Rawlings-Blake is saying that the settlement isn't an admission of liability just a way to avoid a long drawn-out litigation in a civil case. The settlement is more than the payout for 120 lawsuits against the Baltimore Police Department combined since 2011, reports the Baltimore Sun. The police union president called the deal "obscene", but what I think is obscene is that a young man who was in police custody was handled so roughly his spine was critically injured and he was denied medical attention while being transported to jail. What do you think about the settlement?

LeBron James Partners with Project Learn to create I Promise, Too

COURTNEY: Recently we reported that LeBron James' Foundation, "I Promise," has pledged 1100 college scholarships for students to attend The University of Akron in Ohio. According to the Huffington Post, LeBron has expanded his scholarship program by partnering with the adult educational organization, Project Learn of Summit County. The new initiative is called "I Promise Too," which will help parents earn their GED's and prepare them to enter the workforce.

CARIBBEAN COOK-UP!

Oba Stephens Bring First Soca Flash Mob to Brooklyn

KIZZY: BROOKLYN recently made history with its first ever soca flash mob! While dancing to Angela Hunte and Machel Montano's song Party Done, soca lovers locked down the plaza in front of the Barclay's Center with some wicked waistline moves, choreographed by dance instructor Kiara Ross. The event was organized by Oba Stephens, a Trinidadian but was an opportunity for people from all over the West Indies to show their national pride and unite for Caribbean pride. Hundreds of people participated and some put the estimates anywhere from 900 to nearly 2000 people. Oba plans to do another soca flash mob in Houston, Texas next month.

Brooklyn's Pre-West Indian Day Parade Festivities Brings Out Good and Bad

KIZZY: Brooklyn was also the site of the annual West Indian Labor Day parade which routinely draws about 2 million people to Crown Heights each year. It's a wonderful display of Caribbean culture with parties and performances by soca artists and steel pan drummers leading up to the parade and beautiful mas costumes and trucks playing high-energy soca music the day of, participants can also sample all types of Caribbean cuisine from fish cakes to jerk chicken from the many vendors who line the parade route along Eastern Parkway.

Unfortunately, the huge crowds also occasionally draw the wrong crowd. And this year at the Jouvert celebration, which takes place in the early morning before the parade, thugs brought violence to the festivities. One person was stabbed to death and 4 others were injured including Carey Gabay, a lawyer for Governor Cuomo's office. Mr. Gabay was shot in the head by a stray bullet around 3am Monday morning and, as of this taping, is in a coma still fighting for his life. Now in the wake of this violence some officials are calling for changes to Jouvert, including marking off the Jouvert route and checking all those who pass through it much like they do during New Year's Eve in Times Square. I was talking about this issue on the Brian Lehrer show and thought that wouldn't be a good idea because there's too many people and more importantly Jouvert takes place in a residential area, who knows who residing in the surrounding apartments might choose to settle a beef at that time--completely getting around those security checks. What do you think we can do to stop the violence?

ON THE CARPET:

George Zimmerman Gets Called on the Carpet, yet again

KIZZY: I don't know how many times we can drag this man on the carpet but here we go or rather here he goes again: George Zimmerman! Zimmerman has been selling paintings of the confederate flag in collaboration with a Florida gun store owner who recently declared his business a Muslim-free zone. Zimmerman tweeted his reason for painting the flags,

"I painted the confederate flag backed by the American flag because I believe that anything can stand with the American flag behind it. "He added: "My confederate flag painting also represents the hypocrisy of political correctness that is plaguing this nation."

A post on the store's website also said Mr. Zimmerman painted it "in honor" of Andy Hallinan, the gun store owner "for being a true patriot and leading the country into a better, safer America." As though being anti-Muslim is a sign of true patriotism! Zimmerman is selling his paintings for $50 a-piece to help with his and Hallinan's legal fees (who's being sued by the Council for American-Islamic relations). It's unclear how many he's sold so far but a painting of the American flag he did sold on eBay for more than $100,000! There is so much wrong with this story: the racism, the profiting off of racism, George Zimmerman is just a mess--he's been in legal issue after legal issue since he killed Trayvon Martin and I really don't understand how he's not in jail by now. For this and everything else, George Zimmerman I'm calling you on the carpet.

REALITY TV RECAP

Caitlyn Jenner Expresses Feelings about "I am Cait" Halloween Costumes

COURTNEY: In a recent episode of I am Cait, Caitlyn Jenner expressed her feelings toward the controversial Halloween costumes inspired by her Vanity Fair cover to Matt Lauer. Jenner states that "she" doesn't care and is not offended. The costumes are already appearing online.

Threesome Talk on Love and Hip

ONIKA: In Love and Hip Hop news. Is it cheating when you agree to a threesome? Ladies, I'm telling you don't open Pandora's Box and I'm not talking about the bracelet company! When you agree to have another woman in your bed, there is no guarantee she will want to leave! In some cases, she could be the Puerto Rican Princess and marry your man!

PIPELINE

KIZZY: Actress Vivica A. Fox will play the big sister to Taraji P. Henson's character, Cookie Lyon, in EMPIRE.

ONIKA: The 50 Cent produced drama series, POWER, is shooting its new season all over Brooklyn!

Music Legend, Quincy Jones to Receive the EBONY Achievement Award;
Wendy Williams, Audra McDonald, Viola Davis, Shonda Rhimes, Pharrell and Others to be Honored

EBONY® Magazine's EBONY Power 100 Gala is scheduled for November 19 and will be held at the historic AVALON Hollywood in Los Angeles. For a third consecutive year, Nationwide will proudly present the prestigious affair to celebrate honorees on the 2014 EBONY Power 100 list.

The EBONY Power 100 list salutes the achievements of the most influential African-Americans in the country. Among the game changers honored this year are television producer, Shonda Rhimes; actresses Audra McDonald, Viola Davis, Laverne Cox, and Gabrielle Union; radio personality Rickey Smiley, NBA stars LeBron James and Kevin Durant, singer Usher Raymond, talk show host Wendy Williams, producer Pharrell Williams comedian Kevin Hart, ballerina Misty Copeland and Bishop T.D. Jakes.

"This event pays tribute to those who have made it their mission to make a positive impact on their industries and in their communities," said Matt Jauchius, Chief Marketing Officer at Nationwide. "Nationwide is honored to once again present the EBONY Power 100 Gala and celebrate the achievements of these amazing men and women."

Hosting the star-studded evening will be comedian and actor Wayne Brady. Brady is known for his television work on Whose Line Is It Anyhow, The Wayne Brady Show and Don't Forget the Lyrics.

Legendary icon Quincy Jones, will befittingly receive this year's coveted EBONY Achievement Award. Known for his groundbreaking strides in music and film, Jones is arguably considered one of the most innovative pioneers in entertainment.

Paying tribute to Quincy Jones will Queen of Funk Chaka Khan, Grammy-award winning vocalists Patti Austin and James Ingram, hip-hop pioneers Slick Rick and Doug E. Fresh, soul singer KEM, dance performer Savion Glover and jazz musician Terence Blanchard. At the helm of the evening's musical tribute to Jones will be renowned music director, producer and musician Ricky Minor whose band will serve as the house band.

The 2014 Power 100 list will appear in the December issue of EBONY on newsstands the week of November 17. The full list of the EBONY Power 100 can be found here. 

Comcast will also broadcast the event on CelebrateBlackTV.com and Xfinity On Demand during the month of December.