If news of The Wiz coming to NBC wasn’t fabulous enough the announcement this week of R&B diva Mary J. Blige and Queen Latifah joining the cast just sweetened the deal. Queen Latifah is being cast as the Wiz and Mary J. is set to play the Wicked Witch of the West.
There is also a little buzz that the network is trying to woo Queen Bey to join the party as well but no deal has been reached as of yet. Could you imagine all those queens on one stage?!? I can’t wait to see who is going to play Dorothy—she will surely have big ruby slippers to fill.
These days it seems we are all desperate for a little joy. Cue songstress Erykah Badu. The singer penned an essay on making time for joy in your life for Essence Magazine this week.
Here is a snippet of her essay:
We must remember that we are powerful beyond measure. Each obstacle we are faced with is another opportunity to use our power. It is a step toward our greatness. After all, we have asked to be great.
Sometimes we all need a little reminder to seek joy and own our power.
Pop Off of the Week: Bill O’Reilly vs. Me
Apparently advocating that transgender people be treated as you know, people and that media outlets that mis-gender people be fined by the FCC, hit a nerve. Fox News conservative talk show host Bill O’Reilly decided to use a clip of my recent Melissa Harris-Perry show appearance as fodder for one of the most transphobic segments I’ve ever seen on TV.
In the segment he goes so far as to call me a “loon” for suggesting that the FCC which fines networks for cursing, nudity etc. should hold the media accountable for their treatment of transgender people. Clearly, if Bill wants to use his precious airtime to call me a “loon”, then I must be on to something.
Poliwood Round-Up: Trending Topics in the #BlackTwitterverse This Week
Trend of the Week: #SamDubose
It happened again. Samuel Dubose is yet another victim in a string of unarmed black people being killed my police. He was pulled over by campus police for a missing license plate tag. Officer Ray Tensing said that Dubose was trying to run over him which is why he shot him, however video of the horrific incident proves otherwise.
Tensing has since been fired from his job and charged with murder and voluntary manslaughter. I don’t know how many more innocent people need to become hashtags before we recognize that black people are under attack in this country and something needs to be done.
THREE: Check Mate
That’s what Drake did to Meek with his diss track “Charged Up”.
In the track he raps, "Is that a world tour or your girl's tour?". Drake also responded to the ghostwriting allegations with: "This for y'all that think that I don't write enough / They just mad 'cause I got the Midas touch". Meek took his sweet time responding to Drake, with his song “Wanna Know” and the interwebs were not at all impressed.
As Twitter beefs go this one is unevenly matched. Drake has become raps new phenom and I’m pretty sure you would be hard pressed to name one of Meek’s hottest songs. Just saying.
TWO: Boy Wonder
In a surgical first, 8-year old Zion Harvey became the first person to undergo a double hand transplant. He had a life threatening bacterial infection when he was 2-years-old that required both his hands and feet to be amputated. 40 doctors operated on Zion for 10-hours.
When asked what he wanted to do first with his new hands he said, “My favorite thing [will be to] wait for her [his little sister] to run into my hands as I pick her up and spin her around.” His spirit and resilience won over doctors. I dare anyone to watch this little boy’s story and not cry.
ONE: The Right to Rise
Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton took the stage as the one of five presidential candidates speaking at the National Urban League conference. Clinton didn’t waste anytime taking Jeb Bush to task, using the former Florida Governor’s presidential slogan the “Right to Rise”. She went in on how denying people healthcare doesn’t give people the right to rise and also said, "you cannot seriously talk about the right to rise and support laws that deny the right to vote."
Clinton also made mention of #BlackLivesMatter and said the names of Trayvon Martin and Sandra Bland among others. (For the record, so did Martin O'Malley and Bernie Sanders). Black Lives Matter will indeed play a significant role in the presidential contest.
