Several Black stars showed up at the 96th Academy Awards Sunday night (March 10) in hopes of taking one of the most prestigious honors in entertainment. Late-night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel hosted the high-profile ceremony for the fourth time at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles with many actors, moviemakers, and celebrities in attendance.
Danielle Brooks, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Sterling K. Brown, Colman Domingo, and Jeffrey Wright were nominated for their phenomenal acting roles. This year’s presenters included previous Oscar winners and prominent actors such as Zendaya, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Mahershala Ali, and Lupita Nyong’o. Grammy-winner Jon Batistedelivered a heartwarming performance during the award ceremony.
American Fiction, directed by Cord Jefferson, competed with box office darlings Oppenheimer and Barbie for the biggest honor of the night: Best Picture. The film also contended with other heavy hitters for the category, including Anatomy of a Fall, The Holdovers, Killers of the Flower Moon, Past Lives, and Poor Things.
Below are all the actors who won big from tonight’s show!
Photo: Variety / Getty Images
Da’Vine Joy Randolph
Category: Best Actress In A Supporting Role
Film: The Holdovers
Photo: Getty Images North America
Cord Jefferson
Best Writing (Adapted Screenplay)
Film: American Fiction
Photo: Kevin Winter / Getty Images Entertainment
Kris Bowers
Category: Documentary Short Film
Film: The Last Repair Shop
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Whether planning a date night for your boo, looking to hang out with your closest friends, or just wanting to explore solo, each day should be filled with memorable experiences and time shared with those that mean the most to us.
ByLeCreme is a luxury candle maker and retailer based in downtown Atlanta. ByLeCreme offers luxury candle and fragrance making experiences within its brick-and-mortar inviting Atlanta natives and visitors to curate candle and fragrance takeaways throughout an elevated experience for singles and groups alike.
The Atlanta Voice spoke with founder of ByLeCreme, Sakari Sanders, about her business, business plans, and advice for other entrepreneurs.
Photo by Kerri Phox/The Atlanta Voice
The Atlanta Voice: Why did you decide to start your ByLeCreme?
Sakari Sanders: I decided to start ByLeCrème because I recognized a need for a brand that extended beyond product, but that spoke to a lifestyle rooted in luxury, confidence and transformation for the body and home. I initially worked in an art gallery and the entrepreneur in me wanted to sell everything that complimented the piece of art in a home, in addition to the art itself. ByLeCrème is more than a brand; it’s a celebration of individuality, self-confidence, and an encouragement to express one’s unique identity. We embody the essence of being the creme de la creme, offering unique experiences and luxury lifestyle products for those seeking something extraordinary.
AV: Was there a moment that inspired you to start this business?
SS: Starting ByLeCrème was a journey sparked by various moments in my life. Back in high school, I discovered my knack for business, and at Spelman College, I fine-tuned my skills in critical thinking through the creative lenses of art and marketing. Juggling the responsibilities of being a single mother, this pursuit of financial independence wasn’t just about stability—it became my guiding star, giving me these feelings of confidence and autonomy where I didn’t have it before. In spotting a gap in the market, I realized ByLeCrème had to be more than just products; it had to embody a lifestyle, embrace certain values, and offer experiences. At the time, I noticed that everyone wanted their home to have the same aesthetic – the artwork, decor and candles were all too similar. I wanted to create a decor/candle line that stood out, started conversations, and when people looked at the products, they knew it was a “ByLeCrème” piece not only from the overall look but also the quality of the product. I wanted to build a brand that resonated across generations—something my grandmother, mother, daughter, and future generations could connect with – a brand that tells the story of each person’s unique journey through time.
AV: What makes your candle brand, luxury?
SS: It’s all about the details and the experience we’re crafting. We’re not mass-producing these – each ByLeCrème candle is hand-poured in small batches, and that’s the secret sauce for creating that one-of-a-kind scent. But it’s not just about the process, it’s about the consumer journey. ByLeCrème is committed to helping individuals unveil their best selves. Our custom candles and fragrances are more than just a pleasant scent, they are meant to bring out the feeling of being the best version of you. The question, “Why do you smell so good?” becomes an invitation to share the confidence that ByLeCrème inspires.
Photo by Kerri Phox/The Atlanta Voice
AV: Is there a mentor in your life that inspired/inspires you as a business owner?
SS: In this journey, I’ve found tremendous value in the support of mentors, like Shari Mhango a serial entrepreneur and the owner of Koncept House Anthony Gee. They and others have been instrumental in helping me navigate challenges and foster growth. As a Black woman in a DTC business, I recognize the importance of humility and continuous learning. Leveraging these opportunities has been transformative, contributing to the evolution and success of ByLeCrème.
AV: Tell me a little bit about the ByLeCreme experience?
SS: The best part about the custom ByLeCreme experiences, is that it’s 100% catered to your wants and needs:
· Luxury Candle Making Experience: You get everything you need to create your own 8oz luxury soy candle. From picking a vessel and blending your fragrance to adding cool stuff like dried blooms or crystals, it’s a hands-on adventure to make a candle that’s uniquely yours. Pricing starting at $99 for a public session and $1,000 for a private session. To book, visit https://www.bylecreme.com/luxury-experience
Luxury Perfume Making Experience: Crafting your own signature 1.7oz eau de parfum. Happening weekly in Downtown Atlanta, this in-person event is led by expert perfumers who walk you through the basics of perfume making. With their guidance, you’ll create a unique fragrance using top-notch ingredients. Pricing starts at $65 for a public session. To book, visit https://www.bylecreme.com/luxury-experiences
AV: What are your business goals for the remainder of the year?
SS: Looking ahead, we are strategically expanding our outreach to new markets via consumers who share our commitment to inclusivity.
AV: Any advice to future business owners about taking the plunge?
SS: To aspiring business owners considering taking the plunge, I’d say, drawing from my own journey, it’s okay not to have all the answers from the start. I certainly didn’t get everything right immediately. It took some trial and error to discover what sets ByLeCrème apart. Through this process, I’ve learned to value the importance of honing your business skills, particularly as a Black women entrepreneur. You’ll find the most success when you find a balance between creativity and strategy. Embrace the learning curve, be open to adapting, and recognize that growth often comes when you push past those nervous butterflies.
Clark Atlanta University men’s head basketball coach Alfred Jordan (above) took a minute to be alone moments after the Panthers won the 2023-24 SIAC tournament title in Savannah on Sunday, Mar. 10, 2024. Photo by Donnell Suggs/The Atlanta Voice
SAVANNAH, Ga.- It took the head coach a number of years and a number of moves to get to this point in his career. As the buzzer sounded, the Clark Atlanta University Panthers supporters inside Enmarket Arena screamed, and the players on the court started hugging and high-fiving each other; the coach just sat under the basket.
Clark Atlanta Panthers head men’s basketball coach Alfred Jordan had tears in his eyes when he sat under that basket. He just sat there and took in the scene. In only his second season as a head coach, both as the leader of the basketball program at his alma mater, Jordan led the Panthers back to SIAC glory. The Panthers defeated defending SIAC tournament champion Miles College 65-55 on Sunday afternoon. The Panthers were headed back to the NCAA Division II tournament for the first time since Jordan was an assistant coach under former Panthers head coach and current University of Arkansas-Little Rock head coach Darrell Walker in 2018.
“This is something I prayed for and what God has for you no man can ever take it away,” Jordan, who was named conference coach of the year, said after the team was awarded the conference tournament trophy and cut down the nets. “CAU basketball is back.”
Ahead by eight points at halftime, the Panthers’ lead would balloon to as much as 17 points with 11 minutes remaining in the second half following a pair of free throws and a midrange jumper from graduate student point guard Jalen Nesmith (15 points and six rebounds). Miles College would fight back to trim their deficit to as little as four points with two minutes on the clock behind the stellar play of senior guard Alvin Miles. The 5-foot-11 Memphis native would drive the ball to the basket time after time in order to keep his team in the game. Miles was named to the SIAC All-Tournament team along with teammate sophomore forward Corey Trotter.
CAU guard Chris martin (with ball) scored five of his team’s final 10 points. Photo by Donnell Suggs/The Atlanta Voice
Conference player of the year Chris Martin, a fellow graduate student transfer and team leader for the Panthers, played the same role for his team that Miles played for his. Both took charge late in the game, with Martin (5-17 FG, 13 points, six rebounds, four assists, and two steals) scoring five of the Panther’s last 10 points.
The tournament’s most valuable player was not a senior or graduate transfer. It was a sophomore Division I transfer that saved his best game of the season for the biggest game of the season. Panthers forward Shemani Fuller scored a team-high 20 points to go along with eight rebounds, two assists, and a pair of blocks. One of those blocks came on a drive by Alvin Miles with the score 58-52 and Clark Atlanta in a scoring slump. Fuller ended the scoring for Clark Atlanta with a windmill dunk
“When you have veterans it makes the game that much easier,” said Jordan of the multiple graduate-student players on the Panthers roster, including twin guards Andrew and Elijah Stewart.
Earlier this season Jordan called his team “a work in progress” after a 6-2 start that included losing consecutive conference road games following an undefeated start. The goal then was to win the national championship, Jordan proclaimed. Sitting under the basket while his players jumped up and down, Jordan shook his head. “Sometimes experience can overshadow talent, but having both is a blessing,” he said.
(CNN) — Alabama Sen. Katie Britt on Sunday acknowledged that the graphic anecdote she employed to criticize President Joe Biden’s border policies didn’t occur during his presidency.
During the Republican response to the State of the Union address on Thursday, Britt described a woman’s story of being “sex trafficked by the cartels starting at age 12” before saying, “President Biden’s border crisis is a disgrace. It’s despicable. And it’s almost entirely preventable.”
Asked by Fox News’ Shannon Bream on Sunday whether she meant to give the impression that the story had taken place during Biden’s time in office, Britt responded: “No, Shannon,” before criticizing the president’s border policies.
“I very clearly said I spoke to a woman who told me about when she was trafficked when she was 12. So I didn’t say a teenager, I didn’t say a young woman, a grown woman. A woman, when she was trafficked, when she was 12,” Britt said.
Katz cited a 2023 press release from Sen. Marsha Blackburn, who, along with Sens. Britt and Cindy Hyde-Smith, went to Eagle Pass, Texas, in January 2023 – shortly after Britt took office – to hear from Karla Jacinto Romero, a human trafficking survivor, among others.
“The Senators learned about cartel activity in Mexico and the work being done to rescue victims of human trafficking,” the press release said.
Jacinto Romero has shared her story publicly, including in a 2015 hearing on sex trafficking held by the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Global Human Rights. Through a translator, she said that for four years, starting from the age of 12, she was “emotionally and sexually violated time and time again.” She explained how, at age 16, she was able to escape to a shelter and “grow into the activist” she became.
Britt has previously referenced the story she gave Thursday – including on Capitol Hill on September 27, 2023, according to her social media account.
White House spokesman Andrew Bates told CNN in a statement Sunday, “Instead of telling more debunked lies to justify opposing the toughest bipartisan border legislation in modern history, Senator Britt should stop choosing human smugglers and fentanyl traffickers over our national security and the Border Patrol Union.”
Senate Republicans last month blocked a major bipartisan border deal and foreign aid package that would have enacted restrictive border measures amid a torrent of attacks on the bill by former President Donald Trump and top House Republicans.
President Obama to visit Chicago for a first look at a demo of the ‘Power of Words’ – a digital media exhibit planned for the Obama Presidential Center Museum
As construction continues on the Obama Presidential Center, the Obama Foundation today announced two major updates on the Center’s progress, including new details on the Programs & Athletic Center and a visit from President Obama to view the first-ever demo preview of a digital media exhibit that will be on display at the Obama Presidential Center’s Museum.
As our “First Digital president,” President Obama continues his commitment to bring technology into powerful storytelling of his historic presidency — and help visitors see themselves as part of a living history. Today’s visit will include a close look at a two-story prototype of a digital media experience named the ‘Power of Words,’ which will be one of many innovative and never seen before exhibits featured at the future museum.
This exhibit highlights the diverse ways the Power of Words manifests through speeches, voices, song, poetry, and represented by the words of the Obamas as well as other changemakers and everyday people. Visitors engage from different vantage points, discovering new perspectives with each viewing.
At its full height, the ‘Power of Words’ will be an 88-foot-tall canvas for creativity and storytelling built into the monumental interior architecture of the museum.
“The Obama Presidential Center is a platform to create positive change for our shared future. So we are creating innovative and immersive new forms of storytelling to help inspire people who visit the Center,” said Foundation CEO Valerie Jarrett.
During his visit, President Obama will also meet with leaders from Moody Nolan, the largest African American design firm in the United States and Elevate Design Builders, a joint firm made up of Bowa Construction and AECOM/Hunt. Today the Obama Foundation announced plans to break ground on its Programs & Athletic Center on Monday, March 11. Ahead of the President’s visit, the Obama Foundation released never-before-seen renderings of the center to give visitors a glimpse of what they can expect to experience.
The Programs & Athletic Center will be one of four buildings on the campus and will serve as a hub for activities and gatherings for the South Side community. The building will be home to a premier gymnasium and studios for various recreational, wellness, and community activities. Just outside of the center’s doors, community members and other visitors can expect to find play areas, walking trails and a sledding hill.
The Obama Presidential Center will be a new type of civic institution dedicated to fostering a culture of democracy and positive change. A living, working place with an ambitious goal: to inspire and empower all people to get involved and bring change home to their communities, their nations, and the world. A vibrant, 19-acre campus with a diversity of spaces, programs, art and events that will welcome in people and inspire them to take action on the greatest challenges of our time.
In late 2025, the Programs & Athletic Center, along with the park space, is expected to open to the public. The Obama Presidential Center Museum is expected to open to the public in 2026. To learn more about the Center visit https://obama.org/presidential-center/.
By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent @StacyBrownMedia
A scathing report released by the Department of Justice (DOJ) Inspector General Michael E. Horowitz unveiled a disturbing pattern of operational and managerial deficiencies within the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP), shedding light on the alarming rate of inmate deaths. The report, covering the years FY 2014 through FY 2021, scrutinizes 344 deaths in BOP institutions and points to a multitude of issues, notably suicides, homicides, accidents, and a concerning number resulting from unknown factors.
Suicides emerged as the predominant cause of death, constituting over half of the 344 cases investigated. The DOJ Office of the Inspector General (OIG) identified recurring policy violations and operational failures contributing to inmate suicides. Among the highlighted deficiencies were lapses in staff completion of inmate assessments, inappropriate Mental Health Care Level assignments, and the heightened risk associated with single-celled inmates. The report uncovered a lack of coordination among staff departments, hindering the provision of necessary treatment and follow-up for distressed inmates. Furthermore, a glaring oversight revealed that the BOP failed to provide evidence of completing the required mock suicide drills essential for staff readiness. The report found that, despite a significant drop in the overall inmate population, plummeting from 214,149 in 2014 to 144,448 in 2021, the number of suicides within the BOP system surged.
The report also spotlighted BOP-run facilities’ failure to conduct mandatory “mock suicide drills.” Investigators said 67 out of the 194 BOP facilities were unable to provide evidence of running a single mock suicide drill between 2018 and 2020, violating the required three drills per year, one for each shift.
The OIG’s findings underscored significant shortcomings in the BOP’s response to medical emergencies, with almost half of the inmate deaths reviewed reflecting inadequate reactions. From a lack of urgency and unclear radio communications to issues with naloxone administration in opioid overdose cases, the report paints a picture of systemic failures compromising the safety and well-being of inmates.
Information Void Hinders Prevention: BOP’s Limited Understanding of Inmate Deaths
A critical revelation emerged regarding the lack of available information about inmate deaths, hampering the BOP’s ability to prevent future fatalities. The report exposed the BOP’s inability to produce required documents following an inmate’s death, limiting their understanding of circumstances leading to deaths and impeding the identification of preventative measures. The OIG also highlighted the absence of in-depth Action Reviews for inmate homicides or fatalities resulting from accidents and unknown factors, further limiting the BOP’s capacity to learn from these tragic incidents.
Operational Challenges: A Recipe for Disaster
Long-standing operational challenges such as contraband interdiction, staffing shortages, outdated security systems, and staff non-compliance with policies were identified as contributing factors in nearly one-third of inmate deaths. The report singled out 70 inmates who died from drug overdoses, emphasizing the pressing need for comprehensive reforms to mitigate these risks.
Recommendations for Reform: BOP’s Pledge for Change
The OIG proposed 12 recommendations to address the root causes of inmate deaths. In a rare show of unity, the BOP has pledged to implement all the recommendations, signaling a commitment to rectify these systemic issues, and upholding its duty to ensure inmates’ safe and humane management.
The report concluded that chronic understaffing contributed to multiple failures in the BOP. “The report is an urgent call to action. No family should ever have to receive a call that a loved one has died while incarcerated simply because a facility was understaffed, under-resourced or out of compliance with BOP policy,” Inimai Chettiar, Deputy Director for the Justice Action Network, said in an emailed statement.
“There is strong bipartisan support for comprehensive oversight of our nation’s prisons, and it is long past time for congress to enact the kind of transparency and accountability that will prevent deaths like these in the future. We are encouraged by Senator [Dick] Durbin’s prompt commitment to hold a hearing in the wake of the report’s release. Families of the deceased, and those whose sons, daughters, brothers, and sisters are being detained in federal facilities right now deserve immediate attention.”
By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent @StacyBrownMedia
Longtime South Carolina Democratic Rep. James Clyburn has announced his resignation from his House leadership position, effective immediately, while simultaneously committing to run for reelection. Clyburn, a staunch supporter of President Joe Biden, said he aims to focus on conveying the message of inclusivity and unity that defines the greatness of the United States.
During an interview on Sunday, Feb. 18, Clyburn, 83, expressed his continued disdain for former President Donald Trump’s “Make America Great Again” mantra, asserting that the country is already great but needs to ensure accessibility and affordability for all citizens. He encouraged Biden to emphasize his experience, wisdom, and commitment to maintaining connections with the American people during the upcoming presidential campaign.
“I am fond of saying, this is a great country in no need of being made great. We just got to figure out ways to make this country’s greatness accessible and affordable for all of our citizens. And Joe Biden is doing that. And we have got to stay focused on that,” Clyburn stated emphatically.
Clyburn, who had previously announced his intention to seek reelection, also reiterated that he’s only stepping aside as assistant Democratic leader, which marks the end of his influential tenure in House leadership. The move comes amid years of speculation about Clyburn’s retirement and the subsequent race to fill the void in the majority Black 6th Congressional District, covering substantial parts of the Interstate 95 corridor, Northeast Columbia, and North Charleston.
Expressing gratitude for the trust placed in him by colleagues throughout his career, Clyburn acknowledged the changing political landscape and his role in shaping it. Last year, he played a pivotal role in moving the South Carolina Democratic presidential primary to a leading position. He collaborated with Republican Governor Henry McMaster to expand broadband access to rural South Carolina.
The departure of Clyburn from his assistant Democratic leader role represents a broader shift in leadership dynamics, completing the transition from the era of former Speaker Nancy Pelosi, of California, to a younger generation led by Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York.
“I am deeply grateful for the confidence my colleagues have placed in me throughout my career,” Clyburn stated.
Excerpt: Expressing gratitude for the trust placed in him by colleagues throughout his career, Clyburn acknowledged the changing political landscape and his role in shaping it. Last year, he played a pivotal role in moving the South Carolina Democratic presidential primary to a leading position. He collaborated with Republican Governor Henry McMaster to expand broadband access to rural South Carolina.
I ask you just how hard is it to be a card-carrying Christian these days? I mean we’ve got card carrying Democrats and Republicans. You can get a membership card for every organization from the NAACP to the ACLU. The more I study the more I’m moved to realize that being a professed, in the spirit card-carrying man or woman of faith, is tantamount to putting a bullseye on your back and inviting a artillery barrage on your location. Scripture tells us that accepting Jesus Christ as a way of life was no easy task for early practitioners of faith. Being criticized,thrown to the lions for fun and games, beheaded or ostracized were all very real possibilities for those who believed and then lived according to the Word of God. Is today so different? Once you take up the standard of revolutionary thinking, once you commit your life to Christ, once you decide to live humbly in mercy and love and forgiveness isn’t it interesting the kind of attention you attract. “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.” 1 Peter 5:8-9
Looking around the world today, it is ludicrous not to recognize that religious persecution is still the number one cause of war and man’s inhumanity to man. CNN will attest to the fact that people all over the planet are being systematically annihilated. We sometimes take for granted the religious freedom we have in this country and I believe it has lulled us into a sense of being a Christian is somehow easy. Well it’s not and it never has been. It’s empowering. It’s enlightening.
It’s eternal but it is not easy. The good news is we are not alone and never have been. Living for God is probably the quintessential reality of human existence. Its reward is an inner understanding of the working of the universe that affords us to take physical life for granted in favor of life everlasting. Many of us believe in life after physical death. Christians have some insight into what to expect. Life as we know it is imperfect and cruel. Eternal life as we have come to believe is just the opposite. Rationalizing the difference is where faith resides. Is it any wonder then that belief in a deity that invites humility, demands love and recognizes mercy is cause for ruthless and radical reaction among those who would live otherwise? Is it any wonder that love for Christ Jesus invites the wrath of Lucifer in all of his forms? That target, that bullseye on your back should indeed be worn like a red badge of courage, because courage is what it’s going to take to withstand first the ridicule of the world and next the scorn of those who would tempt you with the weakness of your passions. And lastly, courage is the prerequisite for the certain death that will befall us all. If life after death is a fact that most of us agree upon, then I belive it stands to reason that that badge Christians wear is most certainly a ticket into a kingdom blood bought and faith preserved for believers; the same believers who are shunned and persecuted and murdered today and yesterday in the name of God.
I continue to be moved by the acts of faith in the Bible where a simple profession that Christ is the true Son of God invited certain and immediate death. Let me at least paint that target on my back and tell the world; come on with it.
May God bless and keep you always.
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A 2019 National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) Legacy Award winner, Washington is a communications practitioner in all forms of media for over four decades. He has served on numerous boards in…
More by James Washington
A Missouri television station is facing backlash after one of their news anchors called Black homeowners “colored,” an outdated racial term, during a live broadcast. St. Louis-based KMOV apologized to viewers for a February 26 on-air preview covering racial bias on home appraisals, according to St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
“Tonight, colored homeowners are sounding the alarm when it comes to undervalued home appraisals,” anchor Cory Stark, who is white, said live.
The live blunder triggered criticism from viewers, the community, and several Black-focused organizations. In a statement issued on March 1, the National Association of Black Journalists slammed the news station for using an “outdated, offensive and racist” term.
“Given that St. Louis’ population is 43% Black, and the city is no stranger to racial strife, we would hope KMOV would be more sensitive in how it covers the Black community,” the statement reads.
JD Sosnoff, KMOV’s vice president and general manager, said Stark unintentionally deviated from the original script and tried to remedy the mistake.
“It was in an original script as ‘homeowners of color’ and was inadvertently changed and mistakenly read on air,” Sosnoff told reporters.
The news station issued apologies in two broadcasts last week, including one from Stark himself.
“The word should have never come out of my mouth, and it does not reflect who I am or what First Alert 4 represents,” the anchor stated, per the newspaper.
NABJ acknowledged KMOV‘s apologies but urged the news station to retrain staff and invest in “recruiting and retaining Black employees both on and off-air.”
St. Louis County NAACP President John Bowman also condemned the incident but believes there wasn’t any malicious intent behind Stark’s mistake.
“Trust me, I’ve had enough experience dealing with people who intentionally show discrimination or racist behavior,” Bowman told the Post-Dispatch. “But I’ve interacted with Cory Stark, and at no time have I ever felt that about him.”
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An Atlanta United supporter sign asked the team to “Play It Pretty” during the home opener Saturday night. Photo by Donnell Suggs/The Atlanta Voice
Atlanta United returned home to a crowd of 67,727 inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Saturday night. The home opener is always a popular affair, but this one felt different. Coming off of a 1-0 season-opening loss in Columbus on Feb. 24, this match felt like the true beginning of the season.
And what a beginning it was. Atlanta not only won the match 4-1 but demonstrated that its back line will be a source of frustration for opponents this season. In two matches this season, Atlanta has allowed just two goals.
The victory was also the Mercedes-Benz Stadium debut for a number of Five Stripes players, including defenders Derrick Williams and Stian Gregersen.
“I would say it is improving big time, but I’m so upset about that goal. I want clean sheets,” Atlanta United manager Gonzalo Pineda said of the late goal New England scored. “We need clean sheets, it could have been a great reward for our back line and midfielders that did a great job.”
Thiago Almada of Atlanta United steps up to take a penalty kick during the first half of a Major League Soccer match against New England Revolution on Saturday, March 9, 2024 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. (Itoro N. Umontuen/The Atlanta Voice)
Early fireworks
Goals from Thiago Almada and Giorgos Giakoumakis set the offensive tone for the match. However early in the match, both teams earned shots on goal that brought the crowd to its feet. Atlanta nearly went ahead in the second minute of play on a shot by forward Saba Lobjanidze. Both shots on goal for New England were quality, including a header that hit the crossbar in the 13th minute and another in the 26th minute.
Atlanta United managed to take five solid shots on goal within the first 20 minutes of the match. One of which was a laser beam from Thiago Almada that was stopped. Almada would score his first goal of the season on a penalty kick just before halftime to put Atlanta ahead 1-0.
Atlanta dominated possession during the first half while also doubling up New England in shots on goal during, 9-4.
Giorgios Giakoumakis (center) celebrates with Caleb Wiley after scoring his third goal during a Major League Soccer Match between Atlanta United and New England Revolution on Saturday, March 9, 2024 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. (Itoro N. Umontuen/The Atlanta Voice)
During the second half, Atlanta expanded its lead to three goals following another penalty kick and a header, both from Giakoumakis, in the 55th and 60th minutes of the match. The later goal was assisted by defender Brooks Lennon. Giakoumakis would net his first career hat trick as a Major League Soccer player and put Atlanta ahead 4-0 following a goal in the 74th minute. Giakoumakis scored a team-high 19 goals in 30 matches last season.
What’s Next:
Atlanta United will host Orlando City on Sunday, Mar. 17, at 7:30 p.m. before traveling north of the border to face Toronto FC on Saturday, Mar. 23. The Five Stripes will close out the month of March with a home match against the Chicago Fire on Sunday, Mar. 31 at 3:30 p.m.
A white Georgia teacher is under investigation after he seems to have uttered the N-word in a TikTok viewed over 12 million times. According to WSB-TV, the DeKalb County School District has launched a probe into the educator, who was identified as a second-grade teacher at Indian Creek Elementary School in Clarkson.The viral video, uploaded by TikToker Derrick Dicaprio, follows a trend where two people poke fun at racial stereotypes.
“We’re interracial best friends. When the cops show up, I feel safe with him,” Dicaprio starts off the popular TikTok.
“We’re interracial best friends. When he calls me his n***a I feel so alive,” the white friend follows up. In another segment of the video, the teacher said, “We’re interracial best friends, of course, my family owned his family.”
The TikTok racked up another 900,000 views since it was published, but several parents and community members told reporters the video left them “disgusted.”
Gerald Griggs with the Georgia NAACP also slammed the viral footage in a statement obtained by WSB-TV:
“At no point, should the word, the N-word be used in any form or fashion by anyone. Let alone a teacher of any capacity. It’s not a word that should be used period. It’s a word that brings up so many emotions. So many negative connotations. It’s concerning that in the climate that we’re in right now, people feel comfortable using that type of language, there’s no excuse for it. There needs to be a thorough investigation.”
The DeKalb County School District confirmed they’re investigating the teacher’s offensive comments alongside the school administration.
“The District and Indian Creek Elementary School expect all employees to be positive role models for our children and will respond appropriately whenever that expectation is not met,” officials wrote.
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A daytime television drama with a predominantly-Black cast is currently in development, and it could be the first one on air in decades. CBS is working on an upcoming soap opera titled The Gates, which follows the lives of a rich Black family in a lavish gated community, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Emmy-winner Michele Van Jean, known for her work on The Bold & The Beautiful and General Hospital, will serve as the showrunner, as well as a writer and executive producer. The daytime veteran took to X (formerly Twitter) to thank everyone for showering her with support from the news.
“To everyone who reached out about #TheGates know that I appreciate you and I’ll get around to liking: responding to your comments so you know I see you But it’s gonna take a minute so be patient. In the meantime know I’m humbled and grateful for your support,” Val Jean wrote. “Wow. Let’s do this.”
To everyone who reached out about #TheGates know that I appreciate you and I’ll get around to liking:responding to your comments so you know I see you But it’s gonna take a minute so be patient. In the meantime know I’m humbled and grateful for your support. Wow. Let’s do this
CBS Studios is teaming up with the NAACP’s production venture in partnership with P&G Studios. Sheila Ducksworth, president of the CBS Studios NAACP venture, will also executive produce The Gates alongside Leon Russell, Derrick Johnson, and Kimberly Doebereiner.
“The Gates will be everything we love about daytime drama, from a new and fresh perspective,” Ducksworth said in a statement obtained by THR. “This series will salute an audience that has been traditionally underserved, with the potential to be a groundbreaking moment for broadcast television. With multi-dimensional characters, juicy storylines and Black culture front and center, The Gates will have impactful representation, one of the key touchstones of the venture. I’m excited to develop this project with CBS and P&G, two of the longest and most passionate champions of broadcast and daytime television, and the NAACP, whose enduring commitment to Black voices and artists is both powerful and inspiring.”
The last time a Black daytime soap opera was on air was NBC’s Generations, which debuted in 1989. It’s credited as being the first soap opera focused on Black American families, racking on many Emmy nominations and even an award before it ended in 1991.
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Tokyo (CNN) — Akira Toriyama, the Japanese manga artist who created the enormously popular and influential Dragon Ball series, died of a brain condition last week at the age of 68, his production studio said Friday.
Toriyama was the mind behind the fantasy martial arts franchise featuring Son Goku, a boy from outer space with superhuman strength and a monkey tail who embarks on a quest for the seven dragon balls.
The Dragon Ball universe remains one of Japan’s most successful global hits, captivating the hearts of many manga-loving teens and adults from around the world since its debut in the 1980s.
Toriyama’s death was announced on Friday by Dragon Ball’s official website in a shared statement from Bird Studio and Capsule Corporation Tokyo.
“It’s our deep regret that he still had several works in the middle of creation with great enthusiasm,” it said.
“He would have many more things to achieve. However, he has left many manga titles and works of art to this world,” it added, thanking fans for their support on Toriyama’s behalf.
The artist died of acute subdural hematoma, a form of brain bleeding, the statement said.
Born on April 5, 1955 in Kiyosu City, Aichi prefecture, Toriyama began drawing manga at the age of 23.
He made his debut as a cartoonist in 1978 by submitting a short story to manga fans’ magazine Weekly Shonen Jump.
His “Dragon Ball” series went on to be featured in the same magazine in 1984 and was front and center of a creative career that spanned more than four decades.
The franchise is based on classic Chinese novel Journey to the West and has since been adapted into into anime and the 2009 Hollywood action movie “Dragon Ball Evolution.”
As Son Goku sets off for his quest in search of the seven dragon balls, he fights off villains along the way and protects the Earth. As he ages, the storyline shifts to his descendants and friends.
The dragon balls, when collected, can summon Shen Long, a divine dragon that can grant any wish. Son Goku often ended up spending the wishes on his friends or restoring a heavily destructed Earth in the series centered on courage, friendship and kinship.
Prominent Japanese author and game designer Yuji Horii, a longtime friend of Toriyama, said they worked on the popular game Dragon Quest together.
“I can’t believe he’s gone,” he wrote on social media platform X.
Eiichiro Oda, creator of manga series “One Piece,” said the thought of never seeing his friend Toriyama again “fills me with sadness.”
Toriyama “took the baton from the era when reading manga would make you stupid, and created an era where both adults and children read and enjoy manga. He showed us the dream that manga can do things like this and that we can go to the world,” Oda said on the Shonen Jump website.
Many fans also paid tribute to the manga heavyweight online.
“Dragon Ball was my textbook for life. It taught me that I could overcome any hardship if I worked on it cheerfully and with enjoyment,” one fan wrote on X.
ATLANTA (AP) — The CEO of Rivian Automotive announced Thursday that the electric truck maker is pausing construction of its $5 billion manufacturing plant in Georgia to speed production and save money.
California-based Rivian had planned to start building its new R2 midsize SUVs at the Georgia site east of Atlanta. State and local governments offered an incentive package as large as $1.5 billion, one of the largest ever offered for an American auto plant.
But as the company unveiled the new SUV and made the unexpected announcement of additional R3 and R3X crossover models at an event Thursday, CEO RJ Scaringe said production of the R2 will instead begin at Rivian’s existing plant in Normal, lllinois.
He said the move would allow Rivian to get the R2 to market more quickly, sometime in 2026. It would also save $2.25 billion in capital spending for now, Rivian said in a news release. The company has been burning through accumulated cash quickly, even as it hasn’t met production targets at its Illinois plant.
“Our Georgia site remains really important to us,” Scaringe said. “It’s core to the scaling across all these vehicles, between R2, R3 and R3X. And we’re so appreciative of all the partnership we’ve had there.”
Rivian did not give a timetable for restarting work on the Georgia plant, saying in a statement: “The timing for resuming construction is expected to be later.”
Rivian’s share price jumped after the company announced its new models, closing at $12.51, up 13%. That’s still far below the colossal stock valuation it held when it generated billions in a public offering in 2021. On the company’s first day of trading, Rivian shares closed at $100.73, giving it a total stock market valuation of almost $86 billion — at the time, bigger than Ford and slightly lower than General Motors.
The site near Social Circle has been expected to eventually hire 7,500 workers and produce up to 200,000 vehicles by the completion of its first phase later this year. A second planned phase would boost capacity for an additional 200,000 vehicles per year by 2030.
State and local governments were projected to spend more than $125 million to buy the nearly 2,000-acre (810-hectare) site near Social Circle for Rivian, clear trees and grade land, documents show. That work has been finished, with the state turning the site over to Rivian. The state also has completed most of $50 million in roadwork that it pledged. But signs for Rivian Parkway at a new traffic signal on U.S. 278 had been removed Thursday.
Rivian currently produces its R1T pickup truck, R1S SUV and electric delivery vans for commercial users at its Illinois factory. The R1 vehicles currently cost $70,000 or more. The original plan was to produce R2 vehicles in Georgia with lower price tags aimed at a mass market. The first phase of Rivian’s Georgia factory is supposed to make 200,000 vehicles a year, with a second phase capable of making another 200,000 a year. The company said last year that the first phase would start production this year.
State and local governments offered Rivian an incentive package worth an estimated $1.5 billion. The deadline for the company to complete its investment and hiring under that deal was extended to 2030, as Rivian said it would slow its pace of capital investment and as neighbors opposed to development of the Georgia site mounted legal challenges.
If the plant isn’t ultimately built, it would dent Gov. Brian Kemp’s goal of making Georgia a center of the electric vehicle industry. The pause at Rivian contrasts with rapid construction at Hyundai Motor Group’s $7.6 billion electric vehicle and battery complex near Savannah. The plant in Ellabell, announced in 2022, could grow to 8,500 employees. The company recently said it now aims to begin production later this year, instead of in 2025.
Kemp’s office declined comment, referring reporters to the Georgia Department of Economic Development.
“Rivian has restated its commitment to Georgia,” the state agency said in statement. It added that state and local economic development officials remain “in steady communication with Rivian regarding its manufacturing plans” in Georgia.
JoEllen Artz of Morgan Land, Sky & Water Preservation, a group that has backed legal battles opposing construction of the Rivian project, said she hopes the pause means the plant will never be built.
“I’m happy with a pause at least,” Artz said.
She said that since the state cut down trees and compacted a building pad for the plant, drainage problems have worsened on the site, with water standing after heavy rains. She said the state and county should have consulted with local residents and studied the site before pushing through with plans for Rivian. She also questions whether electric vehicle demand justifies the plant, and said Kemp should have pulled the plug.
“There were so many times he could have backed out gracefully and said this wasn’t the place,” Artz said.
Women earn an average of 16% less than men. For every dollar earned by men, women earned 84 cents. The controlled gender pay gap, which considers factors such as job title, experience, education, industry, job level and hours worked, is currently at 99 cents for every dollar men earn, according to a study by Forbes.
Accenture and Goodwill of North Georgia celebrated International Women’s Day with a “Be Without Limits” panel discussion featuring diverse hard-working women.
The event included networking and an engaging panel discussion facilitated by Rose Scott, host of the midday news program, “Closer Look”, heard on Atlanta’s NPR station 90.1 FM – WABE.
Speakers on the panel included Packaged App Development Analyst at Accenture and Goodwill graduate, Erica Campbell, President and CEO at Georgia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Veronica Maldonado-Torres, Customer Support/Strategy/Consulting and Business Development at Chic-Fil-A, Inc., Nancy Easterling, and Managing Director for Accenture Song, Jayasree Amburkar.
Photo by Kerri Phox/The Atlanta Voice
Equality for All
The discussion focused on progress made in advancing gender equality and ways to accelerate equality for all. The event also was a great opportunity to celebrate the partnership in investing in women in non-traditional industries.
Amburkar said it’s going to take everyone’s power to get to a place of equality.
“How are we all going to help this ally ship for us to help women get what they deserve. With everything that we do day-to-day whether it’s taking the kids to school or working or anything like that, I believe we should be paid more,” she said.
Another way to get to equality, Amburkar said, is to call people in versus calling people out.
“Let’s give everyone a purpose and that purpose is to advance and they want that purpose. If we don’t have people who are on the other side, I want to believe in the goodness of humanity,” she said.
Campbell said people must be intentional about what it is they like to see, which is being paid equally to men.
“We have to be intentional about how we present ourselves, but also proving our worth and standing up for ourselves is so important,” she said.
Maldonado-Torres also said she thinks women are passionate.
“Statistically, there are more women in the United States than guys and we need the values, and the skill sets women bring to the workplace, and we need to continue to advance those avenues,” she said.
Torres said women need to learn more skill sets in the workplace such as negotiation, branding, and networking.
“To advance our women to get equal pay equity, we want our women to be able to stand on their word, their value, and to speak up. For a lot of us, those are cultural constructs that we’re confined to in our community,” she said.
Photo by Kerri Phox/The Atlanta Voice
The Value of Mentoring
Easterling said when she started her career journey, she didn’t have a formal mentor, but as she reflects, there were a ton of instrumental people in her life, both personal and professional.
“Those individuals supported, encouraged, and pushed me forward and honestly, one of the one that’s coming to my mind right now is my husband,” Easterling said. “He decided early on that my trajectory from a career perspective was going to be so much potential to better than him as he decided to stay home with our children and encouraged me almost pushed me to go to work.”
Easterling said fast forwarding to today, she has an opportunity to steward the leadership role she’s been given.
Maldonado-Torres said she grew up with a woman-owned business mother, who surrounded her with the example of how to do things with other businesswomen.
“I was able to absorb a lot and really learn. It wasn’t until I probably was about 30-ish that I really had my first kind of formal mentor,” she said. “I’ll never forget 27, I was asked to join my very first board of directors and the lady said, I just see something in you.”
Fast-forwarding to now, Maldonado-Torres said it was a blessing her mentor and her mom gave her opportunities and shared nuggets Torres didn’t see herself. Additionally, she said she is reflecting on her own legacy as she has a seven-year-old daughter.
“I need to make sure I’m doing my part to support this next generation and having those whispers, those moments, and someone reaching out and saying, ‘hey, you know what, I see something really, really amazing in you and you should join this leadership program,” she said.
The Clean Tech Infrastructure Academy at Goodwill
Additionally, Goodwill (in partnership with Accenture) recently began a four-week training program called “The Clean Tech Infrastructure Academy at Goodwill”.
Students who enroll in this program attends 40 hours per week and get paid $15 an hour to learn how to be maintenance techs for electric vehicle supply equipment, which is basically the charging stations for electric vehicles.
Atlanta is one of four accelerator locations nationwide. Training includes skills involved in solar and storage, electric vehicle charging, heat pumps, and energy efficiency.
To think that a year ago, it was a bit of a crazy idea I had during a phone call with a colleague at Goodwill of North Georgia and it turned into real opportunities for the people who are in this room,” Robin Boggs with Accenture said.
Bold squatters are taking advantage of laws and policies to rent out vacant houses to other people, stoking frustrations among homeowners and landlords, according to a report from The Atlanta Black Star. While some states deal with this issue, most of the focus is on Georgia due to the squatters’ rights protecting these invaders from violent oustings.
In the Peach State, squatters illegally take over uninhabited houses while not paying the rightful owners’ rent. The news outlet cited a WSB-TV investigation where a now-deactivated Instagram account was advertising houses, taking one-time payments, giving advice on limiting law enforcement intervention, and providing squatters the keys to homes.
Property owners’ hands are tied though since the squatters’ rights prevent them from removing these unauthorized inhabitants unless they go through the entire eviction process. In some instances, squatters would sell household appliances, trash homes, and even leave behind dangerous substances, according to various victim testimonies.
The issue is particularly prolific in the Atlanta metropolitan area. According to the National Rental Home Council, around 1,200 homes were invaded by squatters, more than any other metro area tracked by the council in the country, per Bloomberg.
WSB-TV interviewed a DeKalb County man who left his home to care for his sick wife. While he was away, the homeowner claims a group of squatters moved into the house he inherited from his late father and even changed the locks.
“Basically, these people came in … broke into my house and had a U-Haul move all their stuff in,” Paul Callins told reporters. He said these people showed up after he invested thousands of dollars into renovations and posted an ad looking for a government-subsidized renter.
“I guess they have done this before, because when I called the police, they said since they have a fake lease, that they can’t do anything, that it’s a civil matter,” Callins remarked. On Monday (March 4), the news station revealed Callins evicted the group of squatters, who reportedly had a 4-year-old child with them.
A bill aiming to crack down on squatters is currently making its way through the Georgia state legislature. House Bill 1017, introduced by Republican Rep. Devan Seabaugh, takes away squatters’ rights and makes squatting a criminal trespass offense.
“We have to stop it,” Seabaugh said. These squatters are criminals. They are harming homeowners, legal tenants, and realtors and making our neighborhoods unsafe.”
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National Geographic’s award-winning anthology series Genius, which chronicles some of the most innovative and impactful figures in our collective history, took a bold swing in its fourth season. While previous seasons told the story of just one person—Albert Einstein, Pablo Picasso, and Aretha Franklin respectively—the most recent season, Genius:MLK/X, parallels and contrasts the life journeys of two iconic Black leaders. Underground Railroad standout Aaron Pierre portrays Malcolm X, while the ever-impressive Kelvin Harrison, Jr., a New Orleans native who most recently starred in Chevalier and Cyrano, plays Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
When Woman King and Love & Basketball director Gina Prince-Bythewood and her equally multihyphenate husband Reggie Bythewood, creator/showrunner of Apple TV+ teen basketball series Swagger, were approached about featuring Dr. King for Genius, they suggested the series tackle them both figures. This was inspired by Dr. King and Malcolm X’s only documented meeting on March 26, 1964 at the U.S. Capitol as the Senate debated the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Two works based on this moment helped fuel the series: Jeff Stetson’s play The Meeting and historian Peniel E. Joseph’s in-depth 2020 book The Sword and the Shield: The Revolutionary Lives of Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. Stetson was an executive producer on MLK/X, while Joseph was part of the series’s academic “think tank” and even helped pen a couple of the eight episodes.
Steering the ship fell into the hands of showrunners Raphael Jackson Jr. and Damione Macedon, whose previous producing credits include the Starz series Power. Atlanta magazine caught up with the duo to discuss all-things MLK/X, now available to binge in its entirety on both Hulu and Disney+. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Aaron Pierre and Jayme Lawson as Malcolm X and Betty Shabazz
Photograph by Richard DuCree/National Geographic
What were your goals or game plan going into MLK/X?
Damione Macedon: What’s interesting is we had a whole plan going into it based on our knowledge at the time of Martin and Malcolm and Betty [Shabazz] and Coretta [Scott King]. I have a degree in history, and I was quite confident that I knew enough at the time to guide us through the story. Very, very quickly as we started doing our research, we put together a think tank with Reggie and Gina Bythewood. We got together a group of academic scholars who had written about Martin and Malcolm and Betty and Coretta for years, and, in some cases, knew them personally. Five minutes into our meeting with them, all of us realized we didn’t know nearly as much [as we thought]. It was a really cool, humbling moment, and we wanted the audience to have that kind of reaction when they watched the series. Every single hour, they can learn something new about who these people were, as human beings, not just the millions and millions of iconic things that they did, and people they touched. We were fascinated by what kind of people they were, what made them laugh, the relationships they had with each other, how they handled the birth of their children, how they handled the ups and downs of public life.
One of the more illuminating aspects of the series is the spotlight placed on the impact of not just their fathers, but their mothers and wives as well.
Raphael Jackson Jr.: It’s impossible for the two of them not to have found strong women as they grew older because of the landmark laid down by their parents and their mothers. It was the easiest thing to see once you lay down the story of why they were chosen by Coretta and Betty, because they sought out strong female representation in their lives that only made them better for what they did and what they were trying to do. So, when you lay that up against the women that helped raise them, it makes sense. We can see why Betty wanted to be with Malcolm and vice versa, and why Coretta wanted to be with Martin and vice versa.
Kelvin Harrison, Jr. and Weruche Opia as Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King
Photograph by Richard DuCree/National Geographic
How did Kelvin Harrison, Jr. (Martin Luther King Jr.), Aaron Pierre (Malcolm X), Weruche Opia (Coretta Scott King), and Jayme Lawson (Betty Shabazz) become these historical figures?
Jackson Jr.: One of the first things that that you see when you sit down with them is how committed they were to the roles and the enormity of taking on this task. And as creators and showrunners, all you can ever hope for or pray for is that you have talent that takes it seriously. Literally, within one second, that was asked and answered. So, for us, it was seeing the passion they had; they were ferocious with reading as much about Martin, Malcolm, Betty, and Coretta as they could. They came to the table with ideas and with conversations, that only enhanced stories that we were trying to get into the writers’ room.
With filming in Georgia, in Atlanta and Macon, how did you keep the story from leaning closer to Dr. King?
Macedon: We never did this specifically where this character gets this amount of page time. We tried to keep that as organic as possible. But what Atlanta brought for us, it cannot be understated on how it helped create this show for us. Filming in Atlanta, we, on one side, had extras. They were our arsenal and some of them had a direct connection to the Civil Rights Movement. We would have extras on our set at times, older extras, that remember marching with Dr. King, being in a barbershop with Dr. King, going to Ebenezer Church. And so that connection was palpable when we were filming. On the flip side of that, which was really illuminating for us, is we filmed Atlanta for everything. So, our New York is in Atlanta, our DC is in Atlanta. [Our Selma, Alabama, we filmed in Macon.] And what we found was, not only was Atlanta overly knowledgeable about the Civil Rights Movement as it related to Martin, they were equally as knowledgeable about Malcolm. We found the community in Atlanta and in the places that we filmed to be so engaged on both sides that it never felt one-sided to us while filming it there. And that’s a true testament to the people of Atlanta, to the community that they built to bring the TV and film industry there. It was great to work with everybody.
All eight episodes of Genius: MLK/X are streaming on Hulu and Disney+.
RuPaul holds his Emmy for Outstanding Reality TV Competition for “RuPaul’s Drag Race” during the 75th Primetime Emmy Awards on January 15, 2024.
Photograph by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images
Atlantans of a certain age can still remember the posters stapled everywhere on telephone poles across Midtown in the early 1980s: “RUPAUL IS EVERYTHING” and “RUPAUL IS RED HOT.” It was a guerilla grassroots marketing gimmick budding performer RuPaul Andre Charles had borrowed after seeing the nightlife promotional tool used effectively on a visit to New York City. It was classic “fake it ‘til you make it”—but the strategy worked. Sometimes, while dancing to Prince or Cyndi Lauper records on the balcony of his Charles Allen Drive apartment, people below would shout up to him, “RuPaul is red hot!” One night in the dressing room at Atlanta’s 688 Club, the performer even encountered a motivational piece of graffiti in response to his telephone pole marketing campaign: “In the blink of an eye, RuPaul will fade into obscurity.” Recalls Charles: “I took it as a compliment. You’re nobody until somebody hates you.”
Just like those faded (and now highly collectable) posters still cherished by local fans, the 12-time Emmy-winning global drag superstar fondly recalls his star-making days in Atlanta in the late 1970s and early 80s in his new memoir, The House of Hidden Meanings, released this week.
Photograph courtesy of the publisher
On Sunday, Ru will return to Atlanta, the city the San Diego native regards as his creative birthplace, for a live appearance and book release celebration at the Tabernacle downtown. The city of Atlanta has a starring role in over 100 pages of the 240-page memoir which ends shortly after the performer achieves global fame following the release of his 1993 album and instant MTV staple Supermodel of the World. After getting his show biz start here, RuPaul left Atlanta for the bright lights of New York, where he became a regular at the hot new nightspot Danceteria—where Sade was working a bartender and Madonna was just about to make the transition from waitress to pop music phenomenon. Here are five of the most Atlanta-centric moments recounted in the global drag performer’s new book.
1. Piedmont Park was the backdrop for the book’s title The book’s title is attributed to RuPaul’s Atlanta friend Larry Tee. Sometime during the Reagan administration, the two dropped acid and ended up waking up on the lawn in Piedmont Park where Larry, slowly coming off his high, told his friend, “Libra represents the twelfth house of Scorpio’s hidden meanings.” Writes Ru in the book’s set-in-Atlanta prologue, “After the drugs wore off, I realized it was nonsense. But it was beautiful nonsense, and it stayed with me forever.”
2. RuPaul’s drag debut was onstage at Northside School of Performing Arts In House of Hidden Meanings, Charles credits the impact of Northside high school drama teacher Bill Panell on his career. Somehow, Panell convinced the school to mount a staging of Tennessee Williams’s 1953 play Camino Real where Ru portrayed a drag queen named Queenie. As he recalls, “It was a Gothic surrealist daydream. The play was a mess, but it was a Tennessee Williams mess.”
3. Ru became a regular on The American Music Show by writing a fan letter After watching an episode of the kooky, no-budget Atlanta public access variety TV show hosted by James Bond and Dick Richards in 1982, Ru jotted down the show’s post office box shown on screen at the end of the program. He wrote to tell the producers he loved the show and as a budding performer would love to appear on the show. A week and a half later, Charles’ phone rang in his Midtown apartment. It was a TAMS producer asking him to come on the program. “I couldn’t believe it,” he writes. “Later I’d find out they were the ones who were over the moon with excitement. I was the first person who’d ever written in and asked to be on the show.” Charles would make appearances on the show for the next decade.
4. Atlanta’s drag scene provided inspiration In House of Hidden Meanings, RuPaul recounts seeing his first drag queen Crystal LaBeija perform Donna Summer’s “Bad Girls” onstage at Numbers, a gay club on Cheshire Bridge Road. She was so convincing a teenage Charles thought it might actually be the then-reigning Queen of Disco. By the time Illusions opened on Peachtree Street in the early 1980s, Ru was a regular at the club’s $2 “Monday Madness” drag show to see performers Dina Jacobs, Tina Devore, and Lily White. Of the evening’s hostess and self-proclaimed “head bitch,” RuPaul writes, “the biggest star was Charlie Brown, a white girl who always did Millie Jackson, specifically her version of (If Loving You Is Wrong) I Don’t Want to Be Right. The live version of the song led to a hilarious spoken-word breakdown, which Charlie had down pat.” Oh, and Ru’s signature catch phrase “You’re born naked and the rest is drag?” In the memoir, he attributes it to Atlanta drag performer Lakesha Lucky, who once uttered the one-liner onstage at the Sweet Gum Head on Cheshire Bridge Road.
5. RuPaul worked everywhere in the city A waitress named Chrissy (who, at the time, desperately wanted to date the openly queer budding performer) helped get Ru a job as a short order cook in the cafe at Davison’s department store at Lenox Square. He also was a ticket taker at the Film Forum at Ansley Mall, a custodian at a conference center on North Druid Hills Road, and a go-go dancer at Weekends in Midtown. He even tried his hand at stand-up comedy, performing a single ill-fated set at the Punchline. “I was terrible!,” recalls Ru in House. “Mostly I just rambled. I’d been terrified and I’d known going in that I would bomb but it was part of my philosophy: Just get the damn thing over with.”
RuPaul will appear at 4 p.m. Sunday, March 10 at the Tabernacle. The event is billed as “a spiritual awakening to celebrate the release of RuPaul’s memoir.” Tickets are available via Live Nation and range between $102 to $76, and each ticket includes a copy of The House of Hidden Meanings.
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