BLACK
Black
Welcome
Week
Review
VOICES
FUNMI
AKINYODE
FIND THIS
MONTH’S
FASHION SPREAD
ON PG. 6
TROY DAVIS:
A National
Tragedy
What Black
Athletes Have to
Face
Basketball
Wives L.A.
Edition:
Black
Women in
Pop Culture
Black Voices
meet the staff
Courtney Manning
Editor in Chief
ON THE COVER
Essencejoy Evangelista
6 BV street sweep
Managing Editor
3 Troy Davis
4 Basketball Wives
8 BWW Review
Jacqueline Jackson
Copy Editor
5 Black Athletes
Jordan Caldwell
Events Columnist
EVENTS
9 NAACP Theatre Awards
Samantha Ojo
Health / Education Columnist
10 Maya Angelou
HEALTH / EDUCATION
Aviance Washington
Fashion / Music Columnist
11 Intern/Scholar Postings
Kosiso Ugwueze
Photographer
Knia Frank
Opinion / Social Issues Columnist
De’Ron Marques
Marketing / PR Director
2
Troy Davis: A National
Tragedy
Around 11 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 21
marked a sad moment in not only politics but history
at large. After four years of appeals regarding his
death sentence, the U.S. Supreme Court went
through with the execution of an innocent man. Despite the fact that there was no physical evidence that
linked Davis to the accused 1989 killing of police officer Mark Allen MacPhail and no murder weapon
was ever found, Davis was still imprisoned and
spent twenty years on death row.
years trying to justify the initial accusation, the Supreme Court felt that if they didn‟t go through with the
execution, they might risk an even bigger uprising
and confirmation that their claims were insufficient
and not backed by evidence.
The court literally just gave up searching for the truth;
it is completely unacceptable that a country who
claims to be so rooted in „justice‟ would completely
disregard the undeniable amount of doubt regarding
this man‟s guilt and murder him for a crime he did not
commit. What does this say about our country‟s policies?
This tragedy has sparked conversation and
debate over the death penalty system, as it should.
This policy is clearly being abused and used as a cop
Davis was originally sentenced to death in
out when the feds don‟t want to do the work to get
1991 after the false testimonies of nine witnesses.
However, several of these witnesses have since ad- down to the cold, hard facts. Not to mention witness
mitted to being pressured to falsely testify against Da- credibility. Obviously, swearing an oath doesn‟t make
someone actually tell the truth. We need a new sysvis and have come forward with the truth. But of
course, the judge was still not convinced. A year later, tem. Our country‟s system is not only contrary to what
the court upheld this decision with no explanation as we supposedly stand for, but also extremely outdated. Hundreds of thousands of people are not only apto why Troy was ruled against.
palled, but outraged and calling out the government
This is simply an outrage and a wake up call
for its ill practices. People are not stupid, activism is
for African-Americans nationwide, not to mention a
still alive and well. What the system does not know, is
reminder that being “in the wrong place at the wrong that the people are only getting smarter, and the fight
time” doesn‟t cut it in this country if your skin has a
for justice will only get worse.
little melanin in it—because the government does not
-Courtney Manning
care, and they definitely aren‟t going to make an extra effort to prove your innocence. Sounds like after
3
Black Women in
Pop Culture
Three million people tuned in for the premiere
of “Basketball Wives: Los Angeles.” The show focuses
on the ever-so –interesting lives of the “wives” of basketball players. After three seasons in Miami, Florida, producers decided to move the show to Los Angeles. The
featured wife, Gloria, appeared on previous seasons of
Basketball Wives Miami. The other women, however, are
not all wives. They vary from “baby-mamas” to women
that have no direct relation to any basketball player. Every episode features a scene that involves a fight or a falling out. Sometimes it is hard to remember that these are
adults on television because of the way they portray
themselves which directly reflects upon black women in
the media.
This reality show is full of misrepresentations of black
women. Black women are shown as deceitful and disloyal. In
every episode, the cast members go out to lunch and either gossip about another woman or update each other on their personal
drama. Immediately following the lunch date, the women are
shown on the screen berating the same “friends” they just met
with, and that’s just trifling. The show encourages the women to
backstab each other to fuel drama and to boost ratings. They only
befriend each other to create alliances to feud with women outside of their circle.
Another misrepresentation of black women is the vulgarity and explicitness displayed. After a night of drunkenness,
Draya, the ex-girlfriend of Chris Brown, boldly asks to see cast
member Malaysia’s “woo-hoo”, as she prefers to call it. The
shocking part is the response to Draya which was “I don’t know
her yet.” It doesn’t matter whether she was your friend for fifty
years, that’s never appropriate, especially in front of viewers of
all ages. There are other instances when the conversation cannot
be understood because of all the censorship.
With an audience of three million, there are definitely
pre-teens with impressionable minds watching. The show conveys the message that it is acceptable to get physical with someone or call them out of their name whenever upset. As women,
we cannot demand respect from our men or anyone else until we
start respecting each other.
An episode features the women throwing a “passion”
party that turned out to be a life coach session, however, many
of the ladies were disappointed that it wasn’t what they thought it
would be: a sex toy party.
This reality show is just cheap entertainment that exploits a culture of people. We won’t truly be able to progress as a
race with negative images of our people in the media. Shows
ranging from “Basketball Wives” to “Bad Girls Club” characterize all women and make respectable women look bad. There are
plenty of strong black women that are independent and have a
successful career. They aren’t televised because no one is interested in watching someone successful. It is only the women with
little dignity that are willing to exploit the lives of their families.
Not all women look for the guy with the deep pockets to support
their narcissistic lifestyle.
The fact that shows like “Basketball Wives” and all of
the seasons of “Real Housewives” are considered “reality” television is problematic. However, the fact that millions of people
tune in weekly to support these negative portrayals is even more
concerning. Let’s stop just discussing how ridiculous this show
is and let’s start changing the channel to shows with more substance that allows us to keep our pride.
-Knia Frank
Reality Tea ®
4
for African-Americans. The story of making it to the
The Common
Misconceptions about
Black Athletes
pro‟s is an all too familiar one for our youth who categorize it as an opportunity to work up the ladder to
success.
These black athletes are fed this glorified career option on a silver platter, without a stronger regard to the foundation: education— it has become a
two-for deal targeted at black students. This idea of
There are many misconceptions created to
explain the supposed “innate ability” of black athletes
because they perform extremely well in sports. In college athletics, an increasing amount of attention is
placed on black student athletes because so many of
them are good at what they do.
playing collegiate sports, and ultimately professional
sports, in order to gain fame and financial security is
overrated and has been simplified. The practice and
dedication it actually requires is far beyond what people make it seem.
One common misconception held about black
“Me being black didn‟t help me become successful.
male and female athletes is that they are genetically
better at sports such as football, basketball and track. People just have those stereotypes, but it didn‟t really
have any connection to what I do,” said Slater.
However, behind this misconception lies a deeper
motivation for some black athletes.
Often times, young athletes are constantly
encouraged by family, teachers, and friends to pursue
athletics because sports has been stereotyped as a
way out of a low-income neighborhood and a get-richquick scheme. The problem with this is that instead
being able to play the sport for the love or fun of it,
many black athletes may feel pressured to excel in
order to increase his or her chances of playing sports
past high school. In this situation, the sport carries a
greater weight and black athletes are stereotyped
once again as being overly competitive.
But the reality is that many athletes are able to
assimilate into the professional sphere through the
academics they received at their institutions and do
have academics as a fall-back. However, many
teachers and students alike feed into the stereotype
that athletes, particularly black athletes, are unintelligent and slack off in class.
Many black athletes are successful because
they took the time to practice, get better, and stay focused each and every day. Whether they did it for
their family, to help out with their schooling, or to
make it out of their situation, doesn‟t matter. But con“I definitely saw athletics as a way to improve my
life, but I know that you need school as well, that
trary to popular belief, black athletes do not come out
you need to keep up with classes. I make sure I‟m
a student first. It would be hard for my family to pay of the womb running, shooting hoops or catching footfor college if I didn‟t have athletics, so I‟m thankful
balls.
that I could get somewhere and do something with
athletics,” says freshman Track & Field co-captain
Jovonte Slater.
-Essencejoy Evangelista
Along with the misconception that most blacks
have stronger abilities in sports is the concept that a
career in the NBA or NFL is an easily obtained goal
5
BV Street Sweep
Describe your style in one word. Who’s
your style icon? What influences your
style?
“whatevs”
“versatile”
“It’s a tie between Zoe Saldana and Gwyneth Paltrow.
I like to be comfortable. I
try to find the common
ground between comfort
and style”
“I don’t wanna say Lady
Gaga. Well everyone is
my style icon. Everyone
influences my style, what
I find in thrift stores and
malls”
-Dominick AndersonParham,
Sophomore, Biochemistry
-Funmi Akinyode
Junior, Broadcast Journalism
“Chanel Iman is my
style icon. Black
fashion influences
my style”
-Roshini Nwoko,
“Marlon Texiera
is my style icon.
Thrift stores influence my style”
Freshman, Health &
Humanity
-Kristopher Patrick,
Junior, Sociology
“sophisticated chic”
“trendy”
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“coordinated”
“sleek”
“I like the way Alicia
Keys and Beyonce
dress. Everyone at
SC dresses in their
own way and I like
to take what I like,
and put it in my own
way”
“Mehchad Brooks
is my style icon. A
lot of what my
friends are doing,
influences my
style”
-Chanel Moore,
Junior, Psychology
-Jonathan Wilson,
Junior, Neuroscience
“Style icon? More like style places—
Urban Outfitters and Forever 21. My
mood influences my style”
-Chardae Davis,
Sophomore, Business
“combination”
7
Black Welcome
Week Review
On Sunday, August 28, many African-
with the Black Student Assembly insignia on front in gold lettering. Not only did these notebooks commemorate the event, but
they were also a crowd pleaser.
Many African-American clubs hosted their own din-
American students informally kicked off the annual Black Wel-
ners and occasions throughout the rest of the week. These
come Week with a day trip to Manhattan Beach. Bus transpor-
events included Dinner with Annenberg Black Student Associa-
tation was provided by BSA, which departed from campus at 1
tion in the Annenberg West Lobby on August 31, The Cool Out
p.m. and returned at 6 p.m. The trip was a success: everyone
Barbeque hosted by Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc. August 30
had music, food, and fun, and most students were not afraid to
in McCarthy Quad, and the Deep Blue Back-to-School Pool Par-
get in the chilly Pacific Ocean water. This trip was especially
ty hosted by Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Inc. and Zeta Phi Beta
favored among the many freshman who were excited to experi-
Sorority Inc. at McDonald’s Swim Stadium on August 27. And
ence their Los Angeles surroundings for the first time, and the
to conclude the week was the Annual Labor Day Barbeque
beach was the perfect venue for this.
hosted by BSA and the CBCSA on September 5 in Alumni Park.
The formal kick-off and BSA organization fair occurred
on Monday, August 29 in the Ronald Tutor Campus Center. An
evening event, students were able to eat dinner provided by
Chick-Fil-A while getting acquainted with the 43 member organizations. The fair consisted of booths and tables where students
could sign up via email to receive more information about an
organization, and enabled students to have informal conversations with group members and leaders. These organizations
included the African American fraternity and sorority members
Graduates and undergraduates were both in line for food
promptly at noon; undergraduates, particularly freshman, were
excited to talk to graduate students over soul food about potential graduate schools and programs, while graduate students
reminisced about their undergraduate days. By the end of Black
Welcome Week, college felt real, some for the first time and
some for their return. Either way, the black community of all
ages was able to come together to meet new or familiar faces
during this special week.
of NPHC, African-Americans In Health, Fly Girls, HapaSC, National Society of Black Engineers, our very own Black Voices,
-Jordan Caldwell
and many more. BSA also provided free five-section notebooks
8
A Celebration of Black Theatre
On Monday August 29, while many were settling down
from a busy work day, a host of celebrities, philanthropists and
lovers of the art in theatre filled the Actors Guild of America for
the 21st Annual NAACP Beverly Hills Hollywood Branch Theatre Awards. The awards honored and celebrated some of the most
famous names in black theatre and community work. It shined
the spotlight on some of theatre’s past favorites and new greats
throughout the 16 categories while acknowledging the great
achievement of this years 4 honorees: Obba Babatunde, Diahann
Carroll, Raven Symone and Pamela Browner White. Those in
attendance included world-renowned actor Billy Dee Willams
and The Great Debaters star Jurnee Smollett. Hosted by Niecy
Nash the awards were filled with great laughter and live performances from American Idol singer Abraham McDonald and the
fast tapping of tap sensation Rhythm is Our Business.
The awards were developed over two decades ago to
increase the amount of visibility and awareness of theatre in the
African-American Community. It was developed to celebrate
some of the most influential artists in theatre productions and it
delivered. Billy Dee Williams, honored Diahann Caroll, who
received the Lifetime Achievement award. The honoree’s past
and present accomplishments were highlighted by a video
presentation that included some of her acting in the well-known
show Dynasty. Her acceptance speech reiterated the importance
of relationships. She emphasized how organizations like the
NAACP and relationships with people like Billy Dee Williams
helped her stay strong in her career and life.
Although the awards were the main event, throughout
the week before there were countless workshops and discussions
along with an event held at USC. On Saturday, August 27, the
USC Black Entertainment and Theatrical Association (BETA)
partnered with the NAACP Beverly Hills Hollywood Branch to
put on the Youth Program in Theatre Awards Festival. Local
students attended the event to learn more about the importance of
a theatrical education on the pathway to a successful entertainment career. Panelists at the festival included James Avery, Terrell Tilford, Anthony Sparks and Rhyon Nicole Brown. Each one
used their personal experiences to inform the youth in attendance
about education and acting. However, even with BETA empowering students to pursue an education in theatre there is always
the question of the support they will receive in the community.
According to BETA President and USC student Devon Martin,
the USC campus has been increasingly supportive to theatre,
specifically African-American productions. “At USC, there is at
least one SOT-produced African American play per year, but
typically one per semester. This is more than most major institutions for theatre in the country,” Martin stated.
Martin is right, not only at USC but also on stages
throughout the nation there has been an increase in productions
and casting for minority actors. The opportunity to work in theatre has increased all the way to the Broadway stage but for local
thespians in the Los Angeles community it is still too few. Even
with the unbelievable amount of presence in the Actors Guild of
America theatre, black performers in the Los Angeles theatre
community and throughout the nation are constantly facing difficulties to be cast and seen. Actors in the black community find it
difficult to be cast because roles are selected based on audience
preference and the ability to generate revenue. In entertainment,
the bottom line is what audiences want to see is what is seen in
our mainstream theatre outlets. Tia Boyd, the executive and creative producer for the awards observed the reasons behind our
lack of African-American theatre awareness. “In White America
when a play or film is made it is considered culturally suitable
for all audiences, black movies and plays are deemed culturally
suitable for black people only unless Denzel Washington or Halle
Berry have key roles,” said Boyd.
The issue is awareness. Although there are three black
theatre companies in Los Angeles alone, each only produces a
certain amount of work a year and the amount of publicity received is limited as well. Major production companies are heavily focused on the bottom line, which is what the audiences want
to see. This results in less awareness of theatre events for our
African-American community to explore, support and enjoy.
Because of this, actors maintain both their passion for acting and
a job for second income. It is not only the actors but also the
themes behind many African –American films that make it difficult for black actors to be cast in roles that challenge their creativity and stretch as performers.
The awards however, act as a catalyst for great things to
come in the theatre community. As the audience enjoyed the
smooth sounds of the live band and great presentations on the
night’s honorees it became apparent that theatre was alive and
vibrant in Los Angeles and the 21st Annual NAACP Beverly
Hills Hollywood Branch Theatre Awards would continue to be a
key platform for the greatness in African-American Theatre to be
showcased but the support needed to progress theatre isn’t to be
forgotten, especially in times when the economy has taken a direct hit at the local entertainment community. “I think that whenever the economy is bad, entertainment is the first place that
funds are cut. As long as the “theatre” is good, it will have support as long as people know about it. One of the problems is that
the directors, producers and actors are so busy refining their
work, no one is doing the publicity on it, and therefore no one
knows about what’s going on. I think if you build it, they will
come and they will support,” said Karen Chappelle, Supervisor
Deputy Attorney General.
Therefore, as the theatre awards heads into its 22 nd year
in 2012, producer Tia Boyd’s vision of a televised show over the
next five years is possible with the help of community involvement. To keep an organization like the NAACP strong, we need
to become members and support it but also to keep an event like
the Theatre Awards thriving in Los Angeles. We can take advantage of some of the amazing opportunities to get involved and
see some of the well-known productions by outstanding performers in our local community. -Jacqueline Jackson
9
An Evening
with Maya
whose ancestors were involuntarily
variety of cultures
surrounding us,
brought to the country on slave ships. She and read literature to see the world from
described the ways that the younger gen- multiple perspectives. To better undereration should value diversity. After men- stand our daily lives and our future, “you
Angelou
tioning the increasing percentage of
students who are the first in their family
need to know that someone was there
before you,” Dr. Angelou stated.
“I am a human being; nothing human can
to come to an institution of higher learn-
The most moving and resonating moment
be alien to me.”
ing, Dr. Angelou asserted to the audience was the story of a parent who thanked Dr.
These were among the first words
spoken by the gracious and humble Dr.
Maya Angelou on Wednesday, September
7, during her speaking engagement at
USC. The USC Program Board Speakers
that, “you have been paid for by your an- Angelou for “the life of her daughter.”
cestors.” Though not monetary pay, she
explained that our ancestors paid for us
by sacrificing their lives for our newer
generation to have opportunities.
After the woman’s daughter had repeatedly attempted suicide, her friends
brought her to one of Dr. Angelou’s
speaking engagements. Immediately
Committee worked to bring Dr. Angelou
One opportunity that Dr. Angelou
afterward, the young woman called her
to the University Park campus.
encouraged all audience members to take mother saying she would never attempt
Sporting sunglasses under bright
stage lights, 83-year old Dr. Maya Angelou
embraced Bovard Auditorium using only a
chair, a microphone, and her wisdom to
captivate the audience, a sign of true talent. Students, faculty, and members of
the Los Angeles community at large gathered in awe and appreciation of one of
the world’s most celebrated educators,
advantage of is visiting a librarian. “We
suicide again. The extraordinary impact
have ill-used librarians. They develop with that Dr. Angelou holds for people across
the dignity and
diligence of a heart
surgeon, or computer engineer,” Dr.
the world is just one example of a phrase
she used: “I am willing to be a rainbow in
Angelou explained. The poet jokingly pro- someone’s clouds.”
claimed, “Tell them Maya Angelou sent
you.” After a quick laugh, the audience
transformed, showing a wave of silence,
respect, and attention.
The evening served as a once in a lifetime event -- inspiring, enlightening, and
unifying a collection of diverse students,
faculty, and members of the community.
artists, and activists.
Dr. Angelou asked the audience to
Dr. Angelou emphasized the different
types of people at USC, from students
whose ancestors came from Eastern Eu-
-Mikella Wickham
look for Women’s, Men’s, Irish, AfricanAmerican, or Spanish poetry. Her point
was clear: embrace diversity, explore the
rope, fleeing discrimination, to people
10
INTERNSHIP & SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
Freshman, sophomore, junior, senior? Doesn’t matter. You need experience in your field.
Miles High Productions (Hollywood, CA)
Miles High Productions is a digital entertainment marketing company specializing in all genres of
music and styles based in Hollywood. Seeking interns to support their growing roster of artist
clients. Intern will learn social marketing, tour / press marketing, direct to fan marketing and
setting up artist pages on various websites. Flexible hours. College credit. For more info or to
apply, contact Chris Schutzman at chip@mileshighproductions.com
McNair Scholars Program (USC)
The McNair Scholars Program prepares high-achieving USC undergraduates to engage in
research and for graduate school. Throughout the Spring, Summer and Fall, the program provides
services aimed at promoting graduate school preparation, research competency, writing skills
and career development. For more information, visit http://mcnair.usc.edu. Applications are due
October 25, 2011.
Universal Music Group
Universal Music Christian Group is seeking talented interns who are interested in learning about
the Christian / Gospel Music Industry. Candidates with a background in music, entertainment,
marketing, and / or graphic design are preferred. Experience in Excel, Photoshop and the web are
a plus. Responsibilities will include research, data entry, and administrative / clerical duties. Must
be available 15-25 hours a week. For more info, contact careers@thecollegeexpo.org
American Copy Editors Society
The American Copy Editors Society awards several scholarships each year, available to junior,
senior and graduate students who will take full-time copy editing jobs or internships. Must be
pursuing a career as a copy editor and demonstrate relevant coursework and copy editing
experience to be eligible. All applications due by November, 15, 2011. For more info and to apply,
visit http://www.copydesk.org/edfund/apply/ .
Cardiovascular Medical Group of Beverly Hills
Internship will be focused on community outreach, marketing, PR and social media. Looking for a
tech-savvy individual with excellent written and verbal communication skills and can work on site.
For more info, call 310-278-3400.
-Samantha Ojo
11
BLACK VOICES
bvoices@usc.edu
Twitter: @USCBlackVoices
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