Debra Lee, Debbie Allen, and More Distinguished Black Women Honored at the Women of Power Summit

The 15^th annual BLACK ENTERPRISE Women of Power Summit kicked off on Thursday at the Mirage in Las Vegas with a gala that honored a handful of African American women who’ve reached the pinnacle of success in their careers. Each year the summit welcomes hundreds of professional women of color for a three-day conference that celebrates and empowers corporate leadership. Recipients of the Legacy Awards Gala, hosted by PepsiCo, included Debbie Allen, an award-winning actress, director, choreographer, and producer; Debra Lee, the former CEO and Chairman Emeritus of BET Networks; and Myrtle Potter, the CEO of Sumitovant Biopharma. Gale V. King, the EVP and chief administrative officer of Nationwide, received the coveted Barbara Graves Legacy Award, which was named after the late founder of the Women of Power franchise.

Gale V. King, EVP and chief administrative officer at Nationwide, at the 2020 Black Enterprise Women Of Power Summit

“I’ve been in four cities this week, but I’m delighted to be here. This means so much to me,” said Lee while accepting the first legacy award of the night. “Black Enterprise has been part of my life for at least 50 years.”

The businesswoman went on to address some of the challenges she faced during her three-decade career at BET, especially after she was named as CEO of the network in 2005. “I know how hard it is to remain profitable, keep true to your principles, and remain authentic in this industry,” she said.

Under Lee’s 13-year stint as chief executive, the network was widely criticized for airing racy hip hop music videos that critics argued stereotyped African Americans and degraded women. At one point, black faith leaders led ongoing protests in front of Lee’s Washington, DC home for seven months starting in September of 2007.

“When I took over as COO and CEO, I had to find my voice and figure out what I wanted my vision to be. I couldn’t run the company like the founder had. I had to figure out what I wanted to accomplish, and, as you saw, it was in the middle of protests outside my house for seven months,” admitted Lee. “That was a difficult time for me.”

Lee, however, doubled down on her decision to continue to air controversial content despite the pressure to prohibit explicit music videos. “As a lawyer, I believed in First Amendment rights. I believed in the rights of young people to like the kind of music [that] they liked,” she said.  “We reviewed every video that went on the air and if we thought it violated our standards, we’d sent it back to the labels. I wasn’t going to turn over that authority to someone else.” She added, “I wasn’t going to give that up just because there were protesters at my house. Now, why they didn’t go to Jay-Z and Ludacris’ house? I don’t know. They were the ones making the music,” she said, inciting laughs from the audience. Nevertheless, Lee says the incident forced her to take an introspective look at what she wanted BET to represent and how she wanted to shape her legacy.

Debbie Allen at the at the 2020 Black Enterprise Women Of Power Summit

Allen, who currently directs and stars on ABC’s “Grey’s Anatomy” and recently signed on as the new brand ambassador for Easy Spirit, danced on stage before delivering a heartfelt speech about her decades-long career in entertainment and her drive to keep going. “All my friends are retired. I don’t know what that is,” she joked, explaining that she had no desire to spend the rest of 70’s on cruise ships.

Didn’t make it to Vegas? No worries. Follow all of the action via the Women of Power Summit Livestream and on social media under the hashtag #BEWPS.

 

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Nathaniel Woods executed hours after Supreme Court denies stay

Nathaniel Woods was executed on Thursday night just hours after the Supreme Court had initially granted a temporary stay, but ultimately reversed that decision.

In the minutes before Woods, 44, was set to die by lethal injection in an Alabama prison, Justice Clarence Thomas halted the execution “pending further order of the undersigned or of the Court,” ABC News reported.

Hours later, however, the court denied the stay and the execution was back on.

Woods was convicted of capital murder in the 2004 shooting deaths of three police officers. However, he was not directly a part of slayings. Despite that, prosecutors successfully convinced a jury that Woods was part of a conspiracy in the murders carried out by his co-defendant Kerry Spencer.

Spencer maintained that Woods had nothing to do with the slayings and, according to CNN, said he even ran during the shooting which also left a fourth officer injured.

READ MORE: Georgia death row inmate whose appeal dragged on dies in prison

The court’s reversal came after Republican Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey reviewed a letter requesting a reprieve from the death sentence. Ivey ultimately decided that she would allow the execution to proceed.

“Governor Ivey does not presently intend to exercise her powers of commutation or reprieve in this case,” general counsel William G. Parker Jr. wrote.

“While Governor Ivey reserves the right to grant clemency at any time before an execution is carried out, she has determined, based on her review of the complete record, including the matters presented in your letter, that clemency for Mr. Woods at this hour is unwarranted.”

Woods’ family and supporters have maintained his innocence and desperately pleaded for Gov. Ivey to stop the execution from moving forward. In the days leading up to the initially scheduled execution, Martin Luther King III sent a letter to the governor on Woods’ behalf.

READ MORE: MLK III urges Alabama governor to stop execution of Nathaniel Woods

“Killing this African American man, whose case appears to have been strongly mishandled by the courts, could produce an irreversible injustice. Are you willing to allow a potentially innocent man to be executed?” King wrote.

“My father said, ‘injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere,’ and so I pray that God grants you the courage to do the right thing: to delay his execution.”

Woods has sought to appeal his conviction, citing inadequate representation from his lawyer – mainly for withholding information that says he cannot be convicted of capital murder as an accomplice.

He said his previous counsel also convinced him not to accept a plea deal that would have given him a sentence of 20 to 25 years in prison.

The Alabama Supreme Court and the U.S. Supreme Court had previously denied Woods’ appeal.

Birmingham police officers Carlos Owen, Harley Chisholm III, and Charles Bennett were shot and killed on June 17, 2004, while serving a misdemeanor assault warrant for Woods in Birmingham at what is believed to have been a crack house.

Spencer confessed to being the sole gunman who killed the police, however, both men were convicted on capital murder charges. Prosecutors argued that Woods and Spencer acted together to kill the officers.

The sister of Officer Chisholm also came out against the execution in a statement to ABC.

“I am writing to express my sincere wishes for Governor Ivey to stop the execution of Nathaniel Woods. I am the sister of Harley Chisholm III. I do not think that Nathaniel is guilty of murder. I urge Governor Ivey to reconsider her decision not to intervene,” the statement said.

“There is no harm in allowing more time for the courts to investigate,” the statement added.

“I want the new evidence to be brought forward and evaluated by new attorneys. Please do not move forward with the hasty decision to execute Nathaniel. My conscience will not let me live with this if he dies. I beg you to have mercy on him.”

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‘Twenties’ centering masculine queer Black woman is ‘groundbreaking’ but not perfect

I am a dapperqueer Black woman.

It means that I’m more at home in bowties and wingtips than dresses and kitten heels. To be honest, it means that I don’t even know if kitten heels are worn with dresses; it’s just a cute term that my wife used.

Mostly, my dapperqueer identity means that I spent my formative years drawing from an aesthetic with very few examples and resources. Like other Black women, I cheered for characters that began to show us as powerful, intelligent, and yes, sexy without regard to European standards of beauty.

READ MORE: Cast of BET’s ‘Twenties’ opens up about the groundbreaking new series and working with Lena Waithe

And yet, Black intentionally masculine of center women remained in the background, if we were present at all. It’s like Jewelle Gomez’s 1990s question, “where are the Black lesbians in fiction” echoed on the television landscape.

So like many Black queer women, I turned to the Internet and devoured content from amateur and indie producers. I even became one myself, writing and producing a web series (Quare Life) about a dapperqueer Black woman and her queer friends navigating relationships and life on the south side of Chicago.

Eventually my research and writing took me to Lena Waithe. We were two Black dapperqueer women writers from the south side of Chicago. I watched her Emmy-winning episode of Masters of None and it was like seeing my life on screen.

(Photo by Leon Bennett/Getty Images for BET)

I wrote about Waithe as an example of a dapper aesthetic of Black womanhood. When her debut series The Chi premiered on Showtime, I penned a review for Playboy. It did not include my personal disappointment that the show was not an extended version of the Masters of None “Thanksgiving” episode. Come on, Lena, I thought. Where we at, fam?

I’ve never met Waithe in person but I’d like to think that her new show, Twenties, is her ethereal response of We right here, fam.

(Disclaimer: This is not a review of Twenties, rather it’s my initial response, as a Black queer woman, to a show written by a black queer woman with a black queer woman lead.)

Twenties is clearly a love letter to Blackness — and a range of Blackness at that — from the opening phrase of “I got melanin” to generously placed cultural references. I caught sight of a wall of Black princes (the singer formerly known as, and once again known as, Prince and Prince Akeem of Zamunda).

Blackness also found its way in the form of Waiting to Exhale references; character names (Ida B, Hattie); and a James Baldwin book all within the opening minutes.

READ MORE: Here’s how Lena Waithe made Disney history in ‘Onward’

Waithe’s care in curating what feels like authentic Black spaces for the screen is apparent. I remember the set of her character’s southside home in “Thanksgiving” and seeing dishware that every Black household in Chicago had in their cabinets in the ’90s. I felt at home.

Twenties achieves the same effect for its characters’ demographics — early to mid-twenties Black folk for whom Waiting to Exhale is a throwback and detaching from cell phones is a first-time experience.

(Photo: BET Networks)

We’re introduced to the lead character, Hattie, through a series of shots straight from the “Joy of Sex” textbook (Black lesbian version) and voiced over by Waithe. I sat upright with rapt attention, which continued as Hattie’s partner, Lorraine, reinforced that their relationship was strictly casual.

I was midway through mental applause for presenting a lesbian relationship that wasn’t invested in chasing the model of heteronormative monogamy when I learned that Hattie’s partner is regarded as straight — or as Hattie corrects her mother and friends “fluid.”

Essentially meaning that her casualness is reserved for same-gender interactions.

Hattie’s best friends Nia and Marie advise her to stop dating straight women and I understand their concern. But when I find out in the same scene that her friends are also straight women, the advice — although sound — just hits a bit differently than had it come from other queer Black women.

It’s like when a caring white friend (but white nonetheless) gives genuine advice on something you experience as a Black person. No matter how sound or solid the advice, it’s mitigated through a person who not only hasn’t experienced the matter but also has de facto benefited from it at some time.

At this point in the episode I begin to get the sinking suspicion our Black lead in Twenties is still a token character. Hattie (as of episode two) seems to be the only openly queer woman. Although a quirky coffee shop cutie makes eyes at her and Hattie’s boss, Ida B, gives me casual-straight-but-will-dabble puma vibes, Hattie is the lone Black lesbian in these episodes, and seemingly, in her life. 

READ MORE: Lena Waithe denies stealing ‘Girls Room’ Atlanta screenwriter

L-R) Parker Young, Scott Mills, Jonica T. Gibbs, Lena Waithe, Christina Elmore and Gabrielle Graham attend the premiere of BET’s “Twenties” at Paramount Studios Stage 17 on March 02, 2020 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Robin L Marshall/Getty Images)

Twenties demonstrates a flair for humorously presenting ranges of Blackness — from Nia’s expectation for her date to pay for coffee because of Jamaican sensibilities to Ben’s preference for white women and white friends.

Yet what of Black lesbians who don’t seem to be a part of their Black queer communities?

Hattie reminds me of those Chicago Black lesbians who only hung out in queer areas on the predominantly white north side, and were utterly clueless to the thriving community of Black lesbians that spanned generations on the south side.

Sometimes I’d befriend them and invite them into that Black lesbian utopia of friendships, mentorships, parties, community events, and partnerships. Sometimes my invites were declined.

I wonder what to think of a Black lesbian who seemingly doesn’t have Black lesbian friends (as of episode two). Of course, Twenties’ story plot is clearly described as a Black lesbian and her two straight friends, so it can be argued that what I am describing lies outside of the show’s scope.

Yet marginalization occurs when the same group of people always fall outside of scope and this is most true for Black queer women, which is why a show that places one as a lead is so “groundbreaking.”

It just seems that Black queer/lesbian communities (as in there are more than one of us) remain outside of the scope of shows relegating us to always being the token.

Apparently, even in one of our own’s creation.

M Shelly Conner is an assistant professor of creative writing at the University of Central Arkansas. She writes about black womanist experiences through a dapperqueer aesthetic. Her debut novel everyman is forthcoming (Blackstone Publishing).

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‘Love is Blind’ star Carlton Morton sparks suicide fears after bisexuality backlash

Carlton Morton, star of the Netflix hit reality series Love is Blind, sparked fears of suicide this week after posting a cryptic response to backlash over his identity as a bisexual Black man.

Morton, whose explosive blowup with short-lived fiancée Diamond Jack became one of the most talked-about moments of the show, took to his Instagram on Tuesday to address the lack of support he’s received since the show’s airing.

“I’m really done,” Morton said in the post. “Black lives matter until it’s an LGBT Black life.”

READ MORE: 5 reasons we can’t stop watching ‘Love Is Blind’ + find out who’s still together (SPOILERS)

For those who don’t know, the binge-worthy series sees singles participate in a blind dating experiment to determine if they could find love after getting to know each other in just ten days. The catch is, however, they do so while in walled rooms called “pods” — never getting the chance to meet their soon-to-be fiancé(es) until they’ve already agreed to an engagement.

Carlton Morton and Diamond Jack meet for the first time on “Love is Blind.” (Photo: Netflix)

Morton chose not to tell Jack that he was bisexual until they were already engaged and enjoying their pre-honeymoon. Their fairytale quickly spiraled into a hard-to-watch shouting match that ended with Jack quoting Beyoncé lyrics and Morton making disparaging comments about Jack’s “wig.”

Reactions on social media have been nonstop and have led to heated debates online about bisexuality, specifically bisexual men. In particular, many have accused Morton of leading Jack on. Others have outright said he’s not actually bisexual, but gay.

In his Tuesday post, Morton — who’s also appeared in the Real Housewives of Atlanta years go — said he would no longer talk to the press and claimed that his so-called “celebrity” friends on social media did nothing to defend his “character.”

 

View this post on Instagram

 

Thanks for the 3 of y’all who supported me in this. I feel alone and don’t want any of this life anymore. I’m fighting ALONE. And it HURTS.

A post shared by Carlton Morton (@carltonmorton) on Mar 3, 2020 at 1:55pm PST

“I’ve argued for tons of people. Ya’ll see ANY of those people speaking up for me? I’M DONE,” Morton wrote.

“Thanks for the 3 of ya’ll who supported me in this. I feel alone and don’t want any of this life anymore. I’m fighting ALONE. And it HURTS.”

Morton’s post quickly caused some people to fear that his use of words suggested that he was maybe having thoughts of suicide. Comments of support came pouring in.

“You are LOVED!” commented Chicago radio and TV personality Kendra G., apparently a friend of Morton. “Please please please reach out to me if you ever need to talk. I just tried to text you but not sure if your number is the same. Mines is. Send you love and a huge hug.”

“Mannnnn, keep staying true to yourself! You are an inspiration to so many. Nothing but respect!” wrote Instagram user @richasbrandon.

“I hate that that you have to endure this. I wish there were some words of comfort that I could render to get you out of this headspace,” another person commented.

“We can’t change ppl but we can continue to live and be our authentic selves. I will pray for your strength this evening. May you be guided on this journey.”

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A Chicago Man Was Shot Twice By Police. His Crime Was Walking Between Train Cars

For a group that is meant to de-escalate situations, the police seem to be straight-up terrible at it. Unfortunately, their failings often result in someone getting hurt if not flat out killed.

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