Apple TV+ today unveiled the trailer for its highly anticipated limited series “Lady in the Lake,” a seven-part mystery thriller set to premiere on July 19, 2024.
Academy Award winner Natalie Portman leads the cast as Maddie Schwartz, a housewife with a hidden past who becomes determined to reinvent herself as an investigative journalist. Opposite her is Emmy nominee Moses Ingram, portraying Cleo Johnson, a Baltimore mother grappling with both societal and personal challenges.
The series opens in 1966 Baltimore, where the disappearance of a young girl throws the city into turmoil. As Maddie becomes fixated on Cleo’s mysterious death, the lives of these two women collide, setting them on a dangerous path.
“Lady in the Lake” is directed and created by Alma Har’el, known for her visionary work. Described as a “fevered noir thriller,” the series promises to explore themes of ambition, sacrifice, and the cost women face in pursuit of their dreams.
The trailer is sure to captivate fans with its dark atmosphere, suspenseful pacing, and powerhouse performances by Portman and Ingram. Joining them is a talented supporting cast including Y’lan Noel, Brett Gelman, and Byron Bowers.
The series is produced by Crazyrose and Bad Wolf America, with executive producers including Har’el, Portman, and the late Jean-Marc Vallée. The soundtrack, composed by Marcus Norris and Bekon, further deepens the series’ immersive world.
“Lady in the Lake” premieres globally on Apple TV+ with the first two episodes on July 19th, followed by weekly releases until the finale on August 23rd.
Related
Discover more from Where Is The Buzz | Breaking News, Entertainment, Exclusive Interviews & More
This weekend, the country will celebrate Juneteenth, a day that commemorates the official end of slavery in the United States, over two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed. Although people have celebrated Juneteenth since 1865, Texas was the first state to make it a holiday in 1980. And it only became an official federal holiday in 2021.
If you’re looking for ways to teach your kids about Juneteenth, we’ve rounded up a list of books that explain why we celebrate the day in the most kid-appropriate way possible. And as you read with your little ones, you may learn a little something yourself.
Everyday heroes are all around, and they’re truly making the world a better place.
No mission is too small for these heroes. That includes converting a van into a mobile health clinic offering free routine checkups in rural Ghanaian communities; developing a “dream incubator” to amplify Black-women-owned businesses in the nation’s capital; and fighting head-on against Florida’s restrictions on teaching Black history in schools by simply touring historic sites.
These are just a few small examples of the Herculean efforts made by this year’s 10 honorees for TheGrio 2024 Heroes Award.
The annual award shines a light on leaders who positively impact our communities, culture and the world.
Meet the 10 honorees for TheGrio Heroes Award for 2024!
Osei Boateng, Founder, OKB Hope Foundation
Through his OKB Foundation, Osei Boateng has been delivering medical services and health education to the most remote and rural Ghanaian communities. His medical team set out each week in a van converted into a health clinic, offering free routine checkups.
Rhiannon Carnes, co-founder and executive director, Ohio Women’s Alliance
Rhiannon Carnes founded the Ohio Women’s Alliance, the only Black-led organization within a statewide coalition that spearheaded a campaign and eventual passage of a constitutional amendment safeguarding reproductive rights. This effort made Ohio the seventh state in the nation to approve such an amendment.
Marvin Dunn, founder and president, Miami Center for Racial Justice
Marvin Dunn, a historian and activist, has led the fight against Florida’s Stop WOKE Act with his “Teach the Truth” tours and “Teach No Lies” marches. Dunn, who is planning to build a “peace house” on the land in memory of the Rosewood Massacre, has been verbally and physically attacked for his activism.
As the first executive director of Moms Demand Action, Angela Ferrell-Zabala leads one of the nation’s largest gun safety organizations. She took over amid a surge in gun violence in the U.S. With that, Ferrell-Zabala has since focused on broadening MDA’s mission and efforts. That includes making gun makers accountable for gun safety, supporting programs and initiatives in communities most impacted by gun violence and building up the next generation of leaders.
Recommended Stories
Angel Gregorio, entrepreneur and activist, Black + Forth
Angel Gregorio transformed a 7,500-square-foot lot into a retail oasis to provide an affordable commercial space in D.C. for Black businesses, particularly to amplify Black women entrepreneurs. She also hosts a farmers’ market twice a month, which kicked off in April.
Jacqueline Hubbard, president, Association for the Study of African American Life and History-St. Petersburg Chapter
Jacqueline Hubbard and ASALH St. Petersburg Chaptertook a page of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) playbook and re-launched Freedom Schools as a response to Florida’s new standards on how to address Black history in schools under the Stop WOKE Act.
Chris “CJ” Matthews, founder and global kid activist, Blankies 4 My Friends
Kwane Stewart, co-founder and board president, Project Street Vet
Since 2011, Kwane Stewart has walked the streets of San Diego offering medical care to pets of people experiencing homelessness. Through his nonprofit Project Street Vet launched in 2020, he expanded his mission, offering support in Los Angeles, the Bay Area, Atlanta, Orlando, and New York
Mychal Threets, librarian
From his viral TikTok videos and Instagram reels, Mychal Threets became a social media sensation advocating for local libraries and the love of reading. Lauded as “A modern-day Mr. Rogers meets LeVar Burton,” Threets currently serves as the resident librarian for PBS and the literacy ambassador for the Children Literacy Initiative.
Jabee Williams, executive director, LiveFree OKC
Jabee Williams launched Live Free OKC, the city’s first initiative dedicated to building peace and reducing gun violence. Community activism isn’t new for Williams, who has held food and toy drives for his northeast community.
Sabrina Carpenter continues to climb the pop music ladder with her latest single, “Please Please Please.” Debuting at #2 on this week’s Billboard Hot 100, the song becomes Carpenter’s highest-charting single of her career, surpassing the massive success of her previous hit, “Espresso,” which peaked at #2 earlier this year.
This achievement marks a double dose of history for Carpenter. She joins the legendary Beatles as the only artists in Hot 100 history to land their first two top 3 hits simultaneously, without any featured artists. This feat underscores Carpenter’s solo star power and the immense popularity of her music.
“Please Please Please” isn’t just breaking records on the charts. The song has also become a streaming phenomenon, surpassing 100 million streams on Spotify in a record-breaking nine days for Carpenter. This accomplishment makes “Please Please Please” her 13th song to reach the 100 million mark, and the fastest she’s achieved this milestone.
Carpenter joins an elite group of female artists whose songs have reached 100 million streams in record time. While “Please Please Please” falls just short of the top five fastest tracks, it still signifies the immense popularity and connection Carpenter has built with her audience.
With “Please Please Please” soaring on the charts and streaming services, Sabrina Carpenter continues to solidify her position as one of pop music’s hottest stars. It will be exciting to see what new heights she reaches with her upcoming music.
Related
Discover more from Where Is The Buzz | Breaking News, Entertainment, Exclusive Interviews & More
Willie Mays was a baseball-loving kid from Alabama who became a sports icon. In his 22 years with the New York and San Francisco Giants, Mays hit 660 home runs and had 3,283 hits in total.
The “Say Hey Kid” displayed strong ability in the five “tools” of the game — hitting for power and average, running, fielding and throwing — thanks to a winning combination of power, speed and intelligence. Mays, considered by many to be the best all-around player in the history of baseball, died Tuesday, June 18, of heart failure, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. He was 93.
“My father has passed away peacefully and among loved ones,” Mays’ son, Michael Mays told the Chronicle “I want to thank you all from the bottom of my broken heart for the unwavering love you have shown him over the years. You have been his life’s blood.”
Mays once said his parents knew that their young son, born May 6, 1931 in Westfield, Alabama, would become a star athlete. “My father said to me, ‘You’re not going into a cotton field, that’s No. 1’,” Mays reflected in a 1996 interview with the Academy of Achievement in Washington, D.C. “That means picking cotton down there, putting it in a sack, carrying it on your shoulder. ‘You’re not going to do that. You’re going to play baseball … You’re going to be the best in baseball’.”
American professional baseball player, manager and coach Leo Durocher (1905–1991), Giant manager (fourth from right), puts smiles on the faces of visiting Polo Grounds celebrities and two of his Giants players Willie Mays (right), Judge Francis Rivers (second from right), Monte Irvin (third from left), Wesley Williams, fire department captain (second from left), Paul T Haley, Harlem YMCA health director (left), New York, August 1951. (Photo by Curt Gunther/Keystone/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
Mays’ father and grandfather had both played baseball on the all-Black teams in the segregated South. His mother was a high school champion sprinter. Before Mays could walk, his father — a steelworker — taught him how to catch. By age 14, Mays was playing on his father’s team at the steel mill.
At 16, Mays began playing professionally with the Birmingham Black Barons in the segregated Negro Southern League. His father wouldn’t let him drop out of high school to pursue his dream, limiting Mays to playing in home games. After he graduated from high school in 1950, the New York Giants purchased his contract from the Barons and he spent two seasons in the minor leagues. And then he got the phone call to join the Giants at the Polo Grounds in New York.
Mays acknowledged that playing in the big leagues wasn’t something he ever expected to achieve. “I didn’t think I would have a chance, because of segregation. I didn’t think I would ever get out of Birmingham,” he said.
Sports
He credited Jackie Robinson — who in 1947 became the first Black major league player — with paving the way for him and other Black players. “Robinson was important to all Blacks. To make it into the majors and to take all the name-calling, he had to be something special,” Mays said. “He had to take all this for years, not just for Jackie Robinson, but for the nation.”
Initially, Mays struggled in the league. He was hitless in his first 12 times at bat — which could have sent him back to the farm leagues. But Giants Manager Leo Durocher stuck by his young center fielder, who eventually broke through the barrier. Mays hit a home run over the left-field roof and ultimately hit 19 home runs for the season. He also became known for his enthusiasm for the game and his work on the field, leaping and diving for catches. The Giants won the National League pennant that season.
U.S. President Barack Obama presents Baseball Hall of Famer Willie Mays with the Presidential Medal of Freedom during a ceremony in the East Room of the White House Nov. 24, 2015, in Washington, D.C. Obama presented the medal to 13 living and four posthumous pioneers in science, sports, public service, human rights, politics and arts. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Amid his early successes, Mays was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1952. In 1954, the year he returned to the game, his Giants won the pennant and later the World Series against the Cleveland Indians. Mays led the league in hitting and had 41 home runs that year and his team dominated in the series in four consecutive games. In the first game, he made a spectacular over-the-shoulder catch of a 462-foot drive, forever known as “The Catch.”
Joe DiMaggio said Mays, who won the Rawlings Gold Glove Award 12 times, had the greatest throwing arm in baseball. He was named Most Valuable Player twice and appeared in 24 All-Star Games. At bat, he drove in more than 100 runs a year for eight straight years and his record of 660 home runs is still the third highest in the record books.
Mays continued to play with the Giants when the team moved to San Francisco in 1958. By 1966, he was the highest-paid player in the history of the game. He returned to New York in 1972 when he was traded to the Mets, retiring after the 1973 season. He continued working in baseball as a part-time coach and public relations executive for the Mets. In 1986, he became a special assistant to the Giants president.
He was elected into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York, in 1979, his first year of eligibility. Ironically, that same year he became embroiled in a controversy involving the gambling industry. Shortly after his induction, he took a job at an Atlantic City casino as special assistant to the president and as a greeter. Hall of Famer Mickey Mantle was also a greeter at the time. Then-baseball commissioner Bowie Kuhn barred both men from taking part in organized baseball for violating the league’s rules on gambling. Peter Ueberroth, the next commissioner, lifted the ban in 1985.
Mays received honorary degrees from numerous schools, including Yale University, Ohio State University, Dartmouth College and San Francisco State University. The Sporting News ranks him second only to Babe Ruth among the 100 greatest baseball players of the past century. ESPN lists him eighth in its ranking of the 20th century’s Top 100 North American athletes. Former President Barack Obama awarded Mays with the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2015.
A statue of baseball legend Willie Mays stands in Willie Mays Plaza before the game between the Colorado Rockies and the San Francisco Giants on Sept. 2, 2004, at SBC Park in San Francisco. (Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images)
The San Francisco Giants retired his No. 24 and a larger-than-life statue of him sits at the main entrance of AT&T Park, the team’s stadium. The Giants also included Mays in the inaugural class of greatest players for the team’s Wall of Fame, which was unveiled in 2008.
In 2017, Major League Baseball renamed the World Series MVP Award the Willie Mays World Series MVP Award.
Mays is survived by his son Michael, who was adopted in 1959 with his former wife, Marghuerite Wendell Chapman. (The couple divorced in 1963.) In 1971, Mays married Mae Louise Allen, who died in 2013.
Kendrick Lamar attends The 2023 Met Gala Celebrating “Karl Lagerfeld: A Line Of Beauty” at The Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 01, 2023 in New York City. Photo: Arturo Holmes/MG23 for The Met Museum/Vogue (Getty Images)
To usher all of Los Angeles (and the rest of the culture, by extension) into the summer—Kendrick Lamar is going up on Juneteenth for a special “Ken & Friends” pop up concert.
Taking place at The Kia Forum in Inglewood on Wednesday, the Compton native will no doubt cement his status as the winner of his beef with fellow rapper Drake (as if we all needed another reminder) while paying an ode to a city that has contributed so much to both his career and hip-hop as a whole. But he’s obviously not going it alone.
So it’s in anticipation of the upcoming, highly anticipated concert (which will also be streamed on Prime Video for those who weren’t able to score last minute tix)—we though it’d be fun to speculate jus who Kung-Fu Kenny might bring out on stage with him.
Boo’d Up singer Ella Mai is adding another member to her team! The 29-year-old Brit was spotted sporting a baby bump while celebrating her boyfriend, NBA champion Jayson Tatum’s victory with the Boston Celtics.
Eagle-eyed fans noticed Mai rocking Tatum’s jersey during a post-game outing with friends. Another video captured her at TD Garden, following the Celtics’ win against the Dallas Mavericks.
— Shannonnn sharpes Burner (PARODY Account) (@shannonsharpeee) June 18, 2024
The couple, who’ve been together since 2019, has largely kept their romance private. Despite sparking speculation with courtside appearances and social media glimpses, they’ve remained tight-lipped about their relationship.
Tatum, 26, is already a father to son Deuce, whom he shares with his high school sweetheart.
Related
Discover more from Where Is The Buzz | Breaking News, Entertainment, Exclusive Interviews & More
Editor’s note: The following article is an op-ed, and the views expressed are the author’s own. Read more opinions on theGrio.
Juneteenth is a moment to celebrate the freedom of Black people across America and a reminder that freedom must be earned again and again. It was a Black woman, Opal Lee, who organized to deliver Juneteenth as a federal holiday. You might not know her name, or her story, when at age 89, she walked across 14 states — 1,400 miles — from her home in Fort Worth, Texas to Washington, D.C. to advocate for making Juneteenth a national holiday. Doing the work while going unrecognized is a familiar challenge for Black women in America.
Every election we hear how Black women are “the backbone of the Democratic Party,” its most loyal voting group that has turned out at the polls at higher rates than any other group for the past five presidential election cycles.
In 2020, Black women voters propelled President Joe Biden into the White House. In fact, 90% of Black women voted for the Democratic presidential nominee, securing his ultimate victory over Donald Trump, especially in key battleground states like Georgia and Pennsylvania.
But our voting power has not translated into our own electoral success, and we remain vastly underrepresented in elected office.
Even as Black women gained representation with Kamala Harris becoming the first Black woman vice president of the United States in 2020, in her elevation to higher office, America lost its only seated Black woman senator. There were still no Black women in the Senate when Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson was confirmed to the Supreme Court in 2022. Since then, Laphonza Butler has been appointed to fill the seat of the late Dianne Feinstein in California, making her only the third Black woman to ever serve in the upper legislative chamber.
It’s time to make Black women the face of the Democratic Party, not just its backbone. We deserve the tools and resources needed to not just win but to thrive.
And this year, Black women have the candidates on the ballot to make that reality. Everyone needs to do their part to step up and support them.
Just look at Angela Alsobrooks in Maryland and Lisa Blunt Rochester in Delaware, who are within striking distance of becoming the first two Black women to serve in the U.S. Senate at the same time.
Look at Lateefah Simon, who led a nine-way primary with 56% of the vote in her bid to succeed Congresswoman Barbara Lee in California’s 12th Congressional District (she will face another Democrat in November). And Janelle Bynum, who won her primary as a Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee-backed candidate on her way to flipping Oregon’s Fifth Congressional District from red to blue.
Advancing Black women up the political ticket is at the core of Emerge’s work as we head into the heat of the 2024 elections. Our Seated Together program is a first-in-the-nation advanced candidate leadership program designed specifically for Black women who aspire to run for higher office.
And it’s working, at all levels of government. Cohort members have already seen successes in the advancement of Ohio state Rep. Emilia Sykes to Congress, now representing Ohio-13, Pennsylvania state Rep. Joanna McClinton to Pennsylvania speaker of the House, and Tennessee state Rep. London Lamar to the Tennessee Senate.
Research shows that when Black women run for office, they win at higher levels than their white and/or male counterparts. I believe this is because they don’t just understand the issues facing everyday Americans from all backgrounds, but they live those issues — from economic insecurity, access to health care and issues of equity and equality.
That’s why we don’t have to sacrifice progress for perfection when the right candidates are on the ballot. While the presidential race will attract the most attention, local mayoral, state legislature, gubernatorial and congressional races will have much more impact on Americans’ day-to-day lives — that is where Black women candidates are working to generate energy and attention.
That is why I am so optimistic about November. I have seen the enthusiasm and the impact of Black women leaders who have been lifted up by our organization and driven to become part of the American political system. This inspires me, and I hope it inspires more women of color to turn up to the polls or run for office themselves.
As we celebrate Black resilience and achievements this Juneteenth, we must carry the fight into November and vote for candidates who will stand up for equality and freedom for all people.
A’shanti F. Gholar is the President ofEmerge, the nation’s only organization dedicated to recruiting, training and empowering Democratic women to run for office–and win.
It’s been a month since Kendrick Lamar slayed the dragon, and definitively beat Drake in the rap battle of the century.
‘The Chi’ star Jacob Latimore on What Fans Can Expect This Season
Instead of gloating on social media or posting memes to rub it in the Toronto rapper’s face, Lamar has been quiet. Patiently waiting for the right moment to “pop out and show n****s.” Now that time is here.
On Juneteenth, K-Dot will finally get the victory celebration he deserves, and perform at “The Pop Out: Ken & Friends” concert at The Forum in Ingelwood, Calif.
The show and the timing are significant for several reasons, outside of the fact that Lamar won a rap battle against one of the biggest pop stars in the world.
It’s no secret that the Compton MC is extremely prideful about where he’s from, his Blackness, and the hip-hop culture as a whole. He’s displayed it throughout his illustrious career as a rapper, and during his recent rap battle with the 6 God.
For example, although the song, “Not Like Us” is a scathing diss track that makes some serious accusations against Drake and his crew, it’s also a message to all who attempt to latch on to the “culture” for fame, fortune and clout, but were never truly apart of it for the love or respect. The Toronto rapper is just the face of it (for Kendrick).
Just listen to the entirety of the third verse, where he essentially breaks down his rivals disregard for a Black mecca like Atlanta and claims that he’s been using the city and it’s artists. He revokes Drake’s culture card claiming he’s “not a colleague” but a “f***ing colonizer.”
Not Like Us
Although “Ken & friends” will be enjoyed by millions, it will mean something more for people who truly recognize he significance of Juneteenth in the Black community. Especially since Lamar has so many other songs outside of “Not Like Us” that resonate with the Black community and speak to the difficulties we experience in this country (“Alright,” “Black the Berry,” “M.A.A.D City”).
“Ken & Friends” will be a victory lap for Black people everywhere and celebration of his people in his community. The fact that it’ll rub salt in Drake’s wounds is cherry on top for Lamar and his fans.
Lionsgate’s sci-fi thriller “Latency” hits home video shelves this week, following its successful theatrical run that began on June 14th. The film stars Sasha Luss (“Anna”) and Alexis Ren (“The Enforcer”) and is the directorial debut of James Croke, who also wrote the screenplay.
In “Latency,” Luss takes on the role of Hana, a talented gamer crippled by agoraphobia. When presented with the chance to test a revolutionary new AI-powered gaming system that reads brainwaves, Hana sees a path to overcoming her limitations and reaching the peak of her abilities. However, as she delves deeper into the virtual world with the help of her best friend Jen (Ren), the lines between reality and Hana’s subconscious begin to blur.
Kori Nicole Barnes sat down with Luss and Ren to discuss their experiences filming “Latency” and the challenges and thrills of exploring themes of artificial intelligence, mental health, and the ever-thinning line between the real and the virtual.
Watch the full interview below!
Related
Discover more from Where Is The Buzz | Breaking News, Entertainment, Exclusive Interviews & More
