Lifestyle
Celebrating Black Film and Excellence on Martha’s Vineyard
22and The annual Martha’s Vineyard African American Film Festival (MVAAFF) kicked off on August 2 with nine days of programming, screenings, panels and parties featuring black filmmakers, actors and producers. The backdrop for the festivities was Martha’s Vineyard, a picturesque Massachusetts island within the Atlantic Ocean just south of Cape Cod, with its lighthouses, sandy beaches and farmland.
Each yr, the festival brings together vibrant celebrations of culture and community that shine a light-weight on successful Black professionals, creators, and trailblazers. This yr, MVAAFF screened roughly 70 shorts, feature movies, television series, and documentaries. Founded in 2002 by Run & Shoot Filmworks principals Floyd and Stephanie Rance to amplify Black voices, storytelling, and culture, it’s now an annual film festival that qualifies for the Academy Award for Best Short Film.
In addition to attending screenings, panels and social events, festival attendees soaked up the great thing about the Vineyard, an enthralling New England colony that has been a summer escape for black vacationers and luminaries for generations. In the twentieth century, when racial segregation prevented black Americans from accessing beaches, pools and resorts, they flocked to the island town of Oak Bluffs, a destination for black families in addition to distinguished leaders and artists, including Dr. Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., Massachusetts Senator Edward W. Brooke and Maya Angelou. Today, the small island is a haven for black Hollywood and celebrities like Jennifer Hudson, Spike Lee and the Obamas.
Below we present crucial events and program points that took place as a part of MVAAFF.
Hyatt on the Vineyard World
On August 8, World of Hyatt hosted Bar Noir, a night of cocktails, conversations, and community constructing on the Martha’s Vineyard Museum in Vineyard Haven. During the event, Tyronne Stoudemire, senior vice chairman of worldwide diversity, equity, and inclusion at Hyatt Hotels Corporation, spoke concerning the hospitality brand’s commitment to promoting and supporting Black entrepreneurship.
“Many organizations have responded or responded to the death and murder of George Floyd,” said Stoudemire, a recognized global DEI thought leader. “We responded with a program called Change Starts Here.” Launched in 2020, Stoudemire’s initiative addressed the initiative’s efforts to deal with systemic racism in three key areas: who they hire, develop, and advance; the communities they support; and who they buy from and partner with. In addition to job opportunities, this system also opens doors to further executive advancement, community development, and supplier diversity. It has also donated $1 million over three years to 6 community organizations situated in Chicago, Atlanta, and Minneapolis.
“It’s not just about money, it’s about care. It’s not just about care, it’s about helping people grow (and) invest in businesses,” he added.
Black Excellence Brunch
More than 200 guests wearing white gathered for The Black Excellence Brunch, held at Aria, an out of doors event in Edgartown, on Aug. 9. The invitation-only event honored actress and director Sanaa Lathan for her contributions to Hollywood over the past 20 years. During a live fireside chat with Trell Thomas, founding father of The Black Excellence Brunch, the 52-year-old star opened up about her family’s history of addiction and her journey to sobriety.
“I quit drinking six years ago,” Lathan said. “Addiction runs in my family. That’s what I did, and it was crazy because I found all these generations of alcoholics who had literally died.”
The star also spoke concerning the impact alcohol had on her life. “It was affecting my health. The people I allowed around me were not okay. And so I decided that this was something that ran in my family. I had to nip it in the bud.”
Instead of joining Alcoholics Anonymous, Lathan says she quit drinking on her own shortly before the pandemic. She then directed and co-wrote in 2022 on the Paramount+ channel, where she played a former mother and a girl recovering from addiction.
Sponsored by Camille Rose and featuring special beverages provided by Ciroc, the brunch also featured notable guests including director Will Packer, star Uzo Aduba, Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett, Win With Black Women founder Jotaka Eddy, former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms and Bravo forged members Alex Tyree and Nick Arrington.
“The Black Excellence Brunch was beautiful,” Arrington said, comparing the event to the colourful sense of community felt at an HBCU homecoming or a black family reunion. “It was beautiful, and everyone looked good,” he continued. “I think the best way to describe Trell’s brunches is that it’s a celebration. It’s a celebration of us.”
Thomas said he created the event series, which he founded in 2017, to foster community and connection while honoring the legacy of black excellence. The series reimagines the Sunday dinners he had together with his family growing up in South Carolina. What began as an area gathering at Thomas’ house has evolved into a worldwide celebration of underappreciated cultural figures from New York to New Orleans, South Africa and Ghana.
“Martha’s Vineyard is no stranger to amazing Black people, and it was amazing to be a part of the celebration of Black Excellence with our first-ever Black Excellence Brunch on the Vineyard,” Thomas, a veteran media expert, said in an announcement to BLACK ENTREPRENEURSHIP“It was a true honor to present flowers to so many wonderful people and celebrate a cultural icon like Sanaa Lathan.”
Director’s Brunch
On Saturday, August 10, MVAAFF, Comcast NBC Universal, and Black Experience on Xfinity joined forces to present “The Director’s Brunch” celebrating storytellers of color. Held at Aria, the reception featured a buffet brunch, a live DJ, and a panel discussion with MSNBC President Rashida Jones, award-winning filmmaker B. Monét, director Gia-Rayne Harris, Robert Baltazar, VP of DEI programming at NBCU Launch, and moderator Loren Hudson, SVP and Chief Diversity Officer at Comcast Cable. The panel explored the challenges Black filmmakers face in breaking through within the industry.
“I think the path of a director, especially if you want to be one, is not easy,” Monet said. It’s not like, ‘You go to film school and you are just going to make it. You know? I mean, the foundations are different for us, unfortunately,'” she said.
Rather than follow a linear path, Monet encouraged young filmmakers to try alternative methods of breaking into the industry, similar to producing short movies and observing other producers and artists.
Fight Night
MVAAFF concluded with a grand event that included a special screening, a star-studded panel, and an afterparty celebrating the premiere of the limited series Peacock on closing night.
The evening began with live music from DJ Trauma before festival founders Stephanie and Floyd Rance introduced acclaimed filmmaker and series executive producer Will Packer, who took part in a one-on-one fireside chat with journalist Danielle Cadet on Roc Nation’s iconic gold Lenny Santiago couch.
“There were a lot of interesting people sitting on that couch talking. This is the kind of cultural thing that is for us (and) that we can do at a film festival on Martha’s Vineyard (and not) anywhere else,” Packer told the sold-out audience.
The series, which premieres September 5 on Peacock, tells the story of the audacious armed robbery that took place in Atlanta on the night of Muhammad Ali’s famous 1970 return to the ring. Based on the acclaimed iHeart crime podcast, it tells the story of how the infamous holdup ultimately transformed Atlanta into the “Black Mecca.”
The story centers on a street hustler named Chicken Man (played by comedy star and actor Kevin Hart) who throws an afterparty to have fun a fight with a guest list of the country’s richest and most notorious gangsters. However, the night ends in probably the most brazen heist in Atlanta’s history. Suspected of masterminding the crime, Chicken Man is set to clear his name, but must persuade his old nemesis, J.D. Hudson (played by Don Cheadle), certainly one of the primary black detectives in town’s desegregated police force, to bring the perpetrators to justice.
Following the screening, Packer returned to the stage with showrunner, creator and executive producer Shaye Ogbonna and forged members Taraji P. Henson, Don Cheadle and Chloe Bailey for a discussion moderated by journalist Tiffany Cross.
“I’ve always loved and admired working with Will, and for this opportunity to come together was really, really cool,” Bailey said. “I’m an Atlanta native and I’d never heard of this heist story. And then to hear that I got to work with Taraji, Don, Samuel (Jackson) and the most incredible actors in the game, it meant the world to me.”
To cap off the evening, Peacock hosted the festival’s Closing Night Party at The Loft in Oaks Bluffs. The ’70s-themed bash was decorated with roses, disco balls and plush red carpets. Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens, former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, songwriter Ledisi, actor Glynn Turman, MSNBC President Rashida Jones and Destiny’s Child singer LeToya Luckett were in attendance.
Lifestyle
‘Busiest Thanksgiving ever’: How TSA plans to handle record air travel
DALLAS (AP) – While the turkey is probably going to taste savory, airports and highways are expected to be crowded during Thanksgiving the week during which the vacation period will probably end one other record day for air travel throughout the United States.
Persons answerable for maintaining the safety line, boarding areas and jet planes in motion – from the USA transport secretary and airline executives all the best way – I swear they’re prepared for the crowds.
But service employees strike at Charlotte Douglas International Airport threatens the middle in Carolina.
Airline passengers could also be as lucky as they’re last 12 monthswhen relatively few flights were canceled through the holiday week. Replay will probably be required weather cooperation. And even when the sky is blue, it’s missing air traffic controllers may cause delays.
Thanksgiving in numbers
The automotive club and insurance company AAA predict that between Tuesday and next Monday, nearly 80 million Americans will enterprise a minimum of 50 miles from home. Most of them will travel by automotive.
Drivers should get some rest gas prices. On Sunday, the typical price of gas nationwide was $3.06 a gallon, down from $3.27 this time last 12 months.
The Transportation Security Administration expects to the screen 18.3 million people in US airports through the same seven-day period. This could be 6% greater than on the identical days last 12 months, but could be throughout the schedule established for the whole 12 months 2024.
TSA anticipates 3 million people will go through this border airport security checkpoints on Sunday; greater than that might break the record of three.01 million set on the Sunday after the Fourth of July holiday. Tuesday and Wednesday are expected to be the following busiest days for air travel during Thanksgiving week.
TSA says it’s ready
“This will be the busiest Thanksgiving in the history of air travel,” said TSA Administrator David Pekoske. “Fortunately, our squad is also at an all-time high. We are ready.”
Pekoske said TSA could have enough screeners to keep general security lines under half-hour and features for individuals who pay extra for PreCheck under 10 minutes.
“Strike”
Service employees at Charlotte Douglas International Airport have walked off the job to protest what they call unlivable wages.
Charlotte Douglas International Airport officials say the present holiday season will probably be the busiest on record, with an estimated 1.02 million passengers flying from the airport between last Thursday and the Monday after Thanksgiving.
Several hundred employees were expected to miss work and proceed the work stoppage throughout Monday.
FAA staffing shortages may cause delays
However, a seamless shortage of air traffic controllers may cause flight delays.
Federal Aviation Administration Administrator Mike Whitaker said last week that he expected his agency to use special measures to cope with shortages at some facilities. In the past this included, amongst others: airports in New York and Florida.
“If we are short-staffed, we will slow traffic as necessary to keep the system safe,” Whitaker said.
The FAA has long grappled with a controller shortage that airline officials say will last for years despite the agency’s ambitious recruiting goals.
Holiday schedule shapes travel patterns
Thanksgiving falls late this 12 months, with the fourth Thursday of November falling on November 28. This shortens the standard shopping season and changes the rhythm of holiday travel.
With more time upfront holidaypeople tend to unfolded a visit abroad over more days, but everyone returns at the identical time, said Andrew Watterson, the corporate’s chief operating officer Southwest Airlines.
“A late Thanksgiving ends up leading to a lot of crowds – the Saturday, Sunday, Monday and Tuesday after Thanksgiving are usually very busy with Thanksgiving at that late time,” Watterson said.
Airlines did a comparatively good job of handling holiday crowds last 12 months, when weather was mild across much of the country. Fewer than 400 U.S. flights were canceled during Thanksgiving week in 2023 – about one in every 450 flights. So far in 2024, airlines have canceled about 1.3% of all flights.
Combining work and leisure
The increase in distant work also prompted the Thanksgiving holiday travel period for expansionsaid AAA spokeswoman Aixa Diaz.
“The pandemic changed everything,” she said. “We have seen post-pandemic people leaving at certain times, perhaps even the weekend before Thanksgiving, working remotely for a few days outside their destination, and then enjoying time with their loved ones.”
The nightmares of Thanksgiving’s past have further shaped holiday traffic. Drivers who I learned to avoid Traveling the day before and the Sunday after Thanksgiving creates recent bottlenecks on other days, according to Diaz.
“Because we warned for so long that Wednesday and Sunday were the worst days to travel, people said, ‘OK, I’ll leave on Tuesday and come back on Monday to avoid the rush,’” she said. “So now these two days are also crowded.”
Advice for travelers
Airport security officials are asking passengers to arrive early, not to place lithium-ion batteries of their checked luggage in case they overheat, and never to place weapons of their carry-on luggage. TSA discovered over 6,000 guns on checkpoints this 12 months and most of them were loaded.
Holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas attract many infrequent travelers, and questions often arise about what will be taken on a plane.
The TSA does list on their website items which can be prohibited or restricted.
Drivers should know that Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons will probably be the worst time to travel by automotive, but highways needs to be smooth over the Thanksgiving holiday, according to traffic evaluation firm INRIX.
According to the corporate, the very best time for a return trip for drivers is before 1 p.m. on Sunday and before 8 a.m. or after 7 p.m. on Monday.
In metropolitan areas similar to Boston, Los Angeles, New York, Seattle and Washington, “traffic is expected to be more than twice the normal volume on a normal day,” said Bob Pishue, an INRIX transportation analyst.
Lifestyle
Vivica A. Fox’s shocking transformation in new photos leaves fans stunned, months after criticism over her “puffy” appearance
After months of public criticism and constant comments about her appearance, Vivica A. Fox is proving that she will rise above the noise in style.
The “Set it Off” actress, who faced mockery from a whole lot of individuals online for her weight gain in addition to accusations of cosmetic surgery and photoshopping, is back with a striking new look that has fans excited.
The multilingual Fox took to social media to share her stunning look from the “It’s a Wonderful Lifetime” Christmas Celebration event held on Saturday, November 16 in Los Angeles.
Dressed in a wine-colored Badgley Mischka sequined suit with a draped belt, her hair perfectly styled and her face perfectly sculpted, 50 Cent’s ex-girlfriend dazzled her 1.7 million fans.
The post it featured photos of Fox with other stars who attended the event, including Jackee Harry, Tia Mowry, Romeo Miller, Jeanie Mae and more.
Many people were quick to note her radiant glow and renewed confidence, which many felt was missing from her previous posts.
Fans flooded Fox’s comments section with praise, showering love on the Black Hollywood icon.
“Yassss Ms. Foxy I mean Foxy lol you are killing it,” one person wrote, while one other exclaimed: “What a knockout!”
“Wow, you’re gone,” someone commented, describing how stunning she looked afterwards.
However, several people directly identified her much slimmer appearance in comparison with recent weeks, writing: “You’re losing weight” and “The weight loss and new glow looks phenomenal on her.”
Others added: “LAWDDDDDDDDDD….. WE LOOK AND FEEL LIKE A MILLION DOLLARS! ACT, Sister. WOW!”
Life and Hulu cooperated organize an event that allowed the general public to see that Fox continues to be one in all the best beauties of her generation.
For someone who has been an emblem of beauty and talent since her breakout role as Carmen Silva on Days of Our Lives, this new chapter in her journey reminds the world that reinvention and resilience go hand in hand.
Last yr, the NAACP Image Award winner celebrated her milestone sixtieth birthday by launching a media onslaught promoting her latest film, “The Lost Holiday,” and a number of other other ventures.
One of Fox’s notable appearances was on “The Tamron Hall Show,” which sparked conversations about her height in early October. Many said she looked “puffy” and her face and body looked plumper in comparison with her iconic roles in motion movies like “Independence Day” and “Kill Bill,” and her flashy fashion was a thing of the past.
Fans were concerned, with some suggesting she could have had “hormonal issues” that contributed to her looking “puffy.”
Others wondered if perhaps she was bloated for some reason, and others simply said people should show her grace.
“She’s not that big. I saw it on the show. Stop making it huge,” one person said, while one other added: “Yes, people gain weight… DAMN. Still looks great.
Fox’s recent appearance could also be what it takes to silence her critics, and it’s a strong declaration of self-love and perseverance. Her ability to remain busy and occupied despite the constant pressure of finding the suitable role when she’s in the highlight speaks volumes about her drive.
In a world where public figures are subjected to ruthless scrutiny, Fox’s ability to rise above negativity and shine is a fair brighter testament to her strength and resilience. While fans proceed to support her, the Why Do Fools Fall in Love actress confirms why she stays a cherished icon in the entertainment industry.
Lifestyle
Meghan Markle shares why she “can’t wait” for the holidays
Meghan Markle loves the holidays.
The Duchess of Sussex said this in a recent interview Marie Clairethrough which she told how she and her young family, including Prince Harry, spend every holiday.
Firstly, the 43-year-old mother of two is thrilled to share her joy together with her two children, Prince Arcihe, 5, and Princess Lilibet, 3.
“At first, I think as a mom with kids, you’re just happy that they’re there for you, but they don’t understand everything that’s going on yet,” she said. “But now we’re at an age where I look forward to seeing it through their lens every year.”
Meghan and her family’s holidays begin with what she called a “pretty low-key” Thanksgiving celebration.
“Over the last few years, as I’ve celebrated Thanksgiving here, like many of us, I’ve thought about always making sure there’s room at the table for friends who don’t have family, and that’s really key,” she said.
In her case, that meant welcoming people like Gloria Steinem to previous celebrations. But for the Sussexes, a low-key Thanksgiving also involves spending time with Meghan’s mother, Doria Ragland, who lives near their home in California.
“Being close to my mom is great,” she said.
She added that her family often makes sure they’ve “something fun to do.”
“Like any other family, you spend time having a great meal and then what do you do? Play games and stuff like that, someone brings a guitar – it’s fun,” she continued. “Every vacation is a new adventure.”
Meghan also added how vital it’s for her children to experience the “magic” of the holiday season, including “wonderful recipes that end up being formative memories.” Currently, this includes leaving carrots for Santa’s reindeer on Christmas Eve.
The Duchess met with Marie Claire at a Christmas dinner for Afghan women who recently moved to California through… Mina’s Lista corporation that helps Afghan women evacuate Afghanistan and find resources and support. Women also receive support through Welcome project of the Archewell Foundationwhich Meghan and Prince Harry launched in 2023 to extend support for women who resettled in the US from Afghanistan, People Magazine reported. There are currently 11 Welcome Project chapters in nine states.
The dinner was held at a modern kitchenware company owned by women and immigrants Our place and included good food, energetic conversation, and even poetry.
“From my viewpoint, one in all the reasons we desired to make certain we had the opportunity to be together again – so a lot of us – straight away is because as the holidays approach, and in some ways they’ve already began, it brings to evoke a lot emotion in people,” Meghan said during her dinner remarks.
“You miss home, you miss your country, and you can also find solace in the new community you have here,” she continued. “I’m grateful that we get to be a part of this community.”
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