7

Apple TV+ unveiled the premiere date and a sneak peek at “Women in Blue” (“Las Azules”), an upcoming ten-episode Spanish-language crime drama. The series, led by an all-Hispanic cast and crew, marks another milestone in the streaming service’s commitment to diverse storytelling.

Created by International Emmy Award-winning showrunner and director Fernando Rovzar (“Monarca,” “Sr. Ávila”) and Pablo Aramendi (“Tijuana,” “Los elegidos”), “Women in Blue” is set to premiere globally with the first two episodes on Wednesday, July 31, 2024, on Apple TV+. Subsequent episodes will be released weekly through September 25, captivating audiences with its gripping narrative.

Set in 1970 and inspired by true events, “Women in Blue” follows the journey of four courageous women who defy the ultraconservative norms of the time to join Mexico’s first female police force. However, they soon discover that their squad is merely a publicity stunt to divert attention from a brutal serial killer haunting the city. Led by María (portrayed by Bárbara Mori), whose determination borders on obsession, the quartet, including Gabina (Amorita Rasgado), Ángeles (Ximena Sariñana), and Valentina (Natalia Téllez), embarks on a clandestine investigation to apprehend the elusive killer and restore justice.

The stellar cast features Bárbara Mori, Ximena Sariñana, Natalia Téllez, Amorita Rasgado, alongside Miguel Rodarte, Leonardo Sbaraglia, Christian Tappan, and Horacio García Rojas, promising captivating performances that will keep viewers on the edge of their seats.

Behind the scenes, the series boasts an impressive lineup of executive producers, including Fernando Rovzar, Wendy Riss, Erica Sánchez Su, Sandra Solares, and Billy Rovzar, all renowned figures in the industry. Produced by Lemon Studios, “Women in Blue” is poised to make a significant impact on the streaming landscape with its compelling narrative and diverse representation.

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Ryan Coogler is currently busy with Michel B. Jordan’s star-studded vampire period piece. However, when he wraps that up, he may be ready to return to Wakanda.

Internet rumors are swirling that Marvel Studios wants “Black Panther 3.” Of course, nothing is certain, so for right now this is all just rumor and speculation. We’ve always assumed we’d get another trip to Wakanda at some point, but understand that after the emotional turmoil of “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” the cast and crew probably needed a break.

Even though everything is still in the rumor stage, we have ideas about what we want to see in a third “Black Panther” movie. To that end, we’ve gathered four things we definitely want and one thing we absolutely don’t need from a possible “Black Panther 3.”

Want: Crossover With Other MCU Characters

As much as we love Shuri, Okoye, Nakia and M’Baku, the absence of major characters like T’Challa, Killmonger and Ramonda casts a huge shadow over the next film.

“Wakanda Forever” needed to be about both the characters’ and our grief. That didn’t leave time for practical questions about Wakanda’s line of succession or how it’s navigating the post-”Endgame” landscape we saw play out in “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.” We also need to know if any of “Secret Invasion’s” Skrulls infiltrated Wakanda’s leadership.

To address some of these questions and help set up any other Wakanda-based stories we may see in the future, it would be great to see other heroes come to the country and team up with Shuri, Okoye and M’Baku. We’re imagining something similar to “Captain America: Civil War.”

Want: Multiverse Wakanda

We’ve gotten glimpses of the multiverse in “Loki,” “What If…?” and “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.” But we want a full look at some of the alternate Wakandas that could be out there. In “What If…?” there was a universe in which Ramonda was the badass general of the army. And if alternate versions of Loki exist, there could be multiple variants of T’Challa across the multiverse.

Want: King M’Baku

Yes, Shuri is next in line for the throne, but she seems uninterested in ruling. She wants to spend more time in her lab creating fresh tech and finding new uses for vibranium. Now that M’Baku is an influential member of the country’s leadership, perhaps she passes the crown on to him, entrusting the warrior to keep the outside world in line.

Honestly, we just really want to see M’Baku at the U.N. Also, another cameo from Anderson Cooper as he introduces the world to the new King of Wakanda would be hilarious.

Want: Nick Fury

First of all, there’s no way that Nick Fury — a man who knows ALL the secrets —didn’t know the truth about Wakanda. Are y’all trying to convince us that Fury knew about aliens, but didn’t know about an African country with superpower level weapons? He probably worked with T’Chaka somewhere along the way and kept it secret so he would have a place to hide out if he ever needed it. We didn’t know about all his Skrull super-spies until “Secret Invasion,” so there’s no end to the secrets Nick Fury has been keeping all these years.

Want: Ryan Coogler’s X-Men

Coogler brings to the MCU a focus on the people behind the superpowers. T’Challa is more than the Black Panther. He’s a son simultaneously trying to live up to his father’s legacy and reckon with the mistakes he must now fix. Killmonger’s “burn the world down” plan is awful but his reasons are somewhat understandable. Shuri’s struggle between grief and vengeance is the most human element featured in any of these movies. If the writer/director brings this kind of nuanced storytelling to the world of mutants, he could give us a fascinating new take on the X-Men.

Previous films have focused on Professor Charles Xavier and Magneto’s differing approaches to mutant freedom. Charles believes that if they just show they can help society, they’ll have a better chance at being accepted. Magneto has much more violent ideas about how mutants gain their freedom.

Whatever happens with the X-Men, let’s hope we’re not starting from scratch. Though the earlier movies aren’t necessarily canon, it feels like they’re well-known enough that we don’t need to hear all about mutant genetics and DNA. If Coogler ends up directing the film, we hope that means Storm actually gets the story she deserves, and even finds her way to Wakanda.

We suppose we’ll just have to wait until the July 26 release of “Deadpool & Wolverine” to get a better idea of what to expect from Marvel Studios’ take on the X-Men.

Don’t Want: Namor and Talokan

Look, we see what they were going for with Talokan, but we don’t need to revisit the underwater kingdom, or its leader. One: He killed Ramonda and that’s unforgivable. Two: He was super creepy with Shuri. His weird obsession was uncomfortable and unnecessary. As far as Namor and Talokan are concerned, we’re good…no need to return.

4

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is an adventure story set 300 years after the death of the legendary Caesar, serving as the fourth film in the franchise following the events of War for the Planet of the Apes. The film follows Noa, a young ape who embarks on a quest with a human named Mae. This journey leads him to question everything he knows and to delve deeply into the intertwined fate of humans and apes.

Director Wes Ball shares why these films resonate with audiences, stating, “Story-wise, these films resonate with people because they blend sci-fi concepts with profound explorations of humanity. They tackle issues like class and race, about what it means to be human, allowing us to look at, analyze, and pinpoint deep issues about ourselves. They hold a mirror up to society and compel us to look at the problems we as humans face through the lens of this fantastical world.”

Peter Macon delivers a compelling performance as Raka, an orangutan Noa meets on his journey. Raka is the only one who remembers Caesar’s teachings of decency, morality, and strength.

Where Is The Buzz had the opportunity to talk to Peter Macon about the experience of filming this movie, the parallels between painting and acting, and more?

Check out the interview below:

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes hits theaters this Friday, May 10th.

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Filmmaker Ken Burns’ “Country Music” — 2019’s eight-part, 16-hour docuseries about the origins and history of country music — inevitably includes details about the Black contributions to what singer Kris Kristofferson calls “the white man’s soul music.” Viewers learn that the banjo (one of country music’s principal instruments) has African origins; Black blues guitarist Gus Cannon taught Johnny Cash how to play; Louis Armstrong played on the song that put country legend Jimmie Rodgers on the map, “Blue Yodel #9,” and so forth. As the first Black woman to write a No. 1 country hit, Alice Randall, award-winning novelist and longtime songwriter, did talking-head duty in “Country Music.” Now, she expands on being a Black artist in the genre and more in a new cultural memoir, “My Black Country: A Journey Through Country Music’s Black Past, Present, and Future.”

Following an unprecedented moment in which Beyoncé scored the top country album in America (the first Black woman in history to ever do so) and the recent chart-topping resurgence of Tracy Chapman’s “Fast Car” via country star Luke Combs, theGrio spoke with Alice Randall about her opinions on “Cowboy Carter,” Black country music’s pioneers, her own journey from Detroit to Nashville, and more. 

Editor’s note: The following conversation has been edited for length and clarity.

How does a Motown-raised, Harvard-educated Black woman become a Nashville-based country music songwriter?

I was born in Detroit in May 1959, the same year as Motown Records, in the same place. My family knew the Gordy family. Like other people know about teachers and policemen, I knew as a little girl that being a song publisher and starting a record label was a business and being a songwriter was an occupation because I knew songwriters. 

I had my first cut two years after I moved to Nashville, before I [signed with] Sony/ATV Tree. It was the Forester Sisters’ “Reckless Night,” a B-side of a No. 1 single. I had “Girls Ride Horses Too” [by Judy Rodman], which is a Top 10 song, and I had “Many Mansions” [by Moe Bandy], which was a Top 40. I was having success. But I also wanted to make a foray into Black musical country-westerns; to explore that relationship between movies and country music more in a Black space. To do that, I needed more money than what a big publisher could offer me. Trying to break into Hollywood was not something I would be able to do on my own. 

Hollywood has released scant few Black Westerns: “The Harder They Fall,” “Django Unchained,” “Posse.” How was your Hollywood experience?

My first project that I really tried to take out to Hollywood did get optioned by Quincy Jones and Oprah Winfrey’s company: “Mother Dixie,” which had a whole album of country songs to go with it. In the book, I say it’s in some ways my greatest artistic achievement — and it never got released.  … The demos are actually quite remarkable. That’s one of the next things I wanna do on the agenda, is get that released. And we’re taking a look again at dropping that original screenplay to Hollywood. The world is changing. [Director] Reggie Hudlin just reached out to me and said, “Do you have that ‘Mother Dixie’ screenplay?!” [laughter]

What are your thoughts on “Cowboy Carter”?

I think “Cowboy Carter” is an extraordinary achievement. In terms of popular music and country music, it is a high watermark for both genres. The precedent would be when Ray Charles dropped “Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music” in 1963, which was very important in the country music space and the history of popular recorded music. I think potentially this moment eclipses that because music has become more complex. 

This is a very rich album. In some ways that are not just hyperbole, “Cowboy Carter” is akin to Shakespeare. It contains multitudes — a deep, elastic text that a wide range of people can find themselves reflected in. And it’s entertaining on the surface but rewards the deepest engagement. Those are the ways in which it’s like Shakespeare to me.

As a Black country music scholar, what are your favorite tracks?

“16 Carriages,” I think, is in conversation with “Sixteen Tons,” a work song [by Tennesse Ernie Ford]. It’s in conversation with “Strawberry Wine” [by Deana Carter], about loss and innocence. It’s in conversation with my own “XXX’s and OOO’s (An American Girl)” [recorded by Trisha Yearwood], about the balance between love and money. It’s also elegiac. It’s in conversation with [the Christian hymn] “Will the Circle Be Unbroken,” about death. But it’s its own extraordinary, original work.

I also think “Texas Hold ’Em” is a shake-your-booty dance tune not unlike [Billy Ray Cyrus’] “Achy Breaky Heart” or [Brooks & Dunn’s] “Boot Scootin’ Boogie” in country music, but it’s actually a very deep song. The whole point is, life is not a game of cards. I think country music has four basic themes: Life is hard; God is real; the road, family and liquor are significant compensations; and the past is better than the present. But in Black country’s “the past is better than the present,” it’s an earlier part of your childhood when you were sheltered by parents or at an earlier part of a relationship. But the honky-tonk, the road, and the family are all in “Texas Hold ’Em.”

In “My Black Country,” I talk about the importance of [Nancy Sinatra’s] “These Boots Are Made for Walkin’ ” as a link to the world of country. That’s right there in my book — and then Beyoncé has sampled “These Boots Are Made for Walkin’ ” [on her song “Ya Ya”]! I also think [Beyoncé’s interpretation of the Beatles’ classic] “Blackbiird” is very important, giving an embodied lesson on what it takes to make a pop-folk song, which is Paul McCartney, and turn it into a country song by adding Black voices, aesthetics and Black gospel sounds. But it also points to the Stoney Edwards song “Blackbird (Hold Your Head Up High)” from 1976. I don’t think that’s a coincidence. Stoney Edwards is a Black country artist.

In “My Black Country,” you give props to DeFord Bailey, Lil Hardin, Charley Pride, Herb Jeffries and Lesley “Eslie” Riddle (also known as Esley Riddle) as a Mount Rushmore of Black country music. What were their main contributions?

I consider DeFord Bailey a father of Black country music. He is the godfather of all country music. He was the Grand Ole Opry’s first superstar. He helped launch the careers of Acuff-Rose and Bill Monroe, let alone the career of Charley Pride. And he [was] the first Black member of the Grand Ole Opry. He was an amazing harmonica player. He was a political artist in ways that people don’t often recognize. In 1927, he is gonna play the first sounds we hear after we first hear the words “Grand Ole Opry.” And he’s a third-generation Black hillbilly musician. He doesn’t come out of nowhere; he comes out of his own Black family to become the first superstar of country music.

Lil Hardin Armstrong is the mama of Black country to me. She will play on the first million-selling country single, [ Jimmie Rodgers’] “Blue Yodel #9.” She will play on every bar of that song, and she will be completely erased from the history of that song from the day it was recorded in 1930 in Los Angeles because she was a Black woman. Three geniuses played on that record: Louis Armstrong, Lil Hardin and Jimmie Rodgers. Only one person’s name got put on the record.

Charley Pride is the first Black country artist to be recognized as a superstar by the majority of the country world. DeFord Bailey was a superstar, but he wasn’t 100% recognized as such. Charley Pride would be [the Country Music Awards’] Entertainer of the Year in 1971, and when I arrived in Nashville in 1983, he’d already gone up to No. 1 on the country charts 29 times.

Herb Jeffries, “the Bronze Buckaroo” — people need to know that in the ’30s and the ’40s, a Black man was starring in, producing and masterminding Black country and western movies. He, at one point, was so famous that Herbie Hancock was allegedly named “Herbie” for Herb Jeffries. He filmed “The Bronze Buckaroo” movies on a Black-owned dude ranch in California. He was a true Marcus Garvey figure in the world of Black country. He did business with other Black people; he employed them and he is a monument to the real 19th-century and 20th-century Black cowboys that he portrayed in his films.

Traditionally, people say the mama of country [music] is the Carter Family … Eslie Riddle is an extremely important musician who taught songs and guitar techniques to the Carter Family. He is a foundation of country music that’s been erased, pushed off to the side, [and] had so much of his intellectual property, I believe, stolen from him.

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Does Nashville have a resistance to Black country artists?

I call it cultural redlining. I think there are layers of it. Music Row and radio are a small town; small towns are smaller for girls, but they’re even smaller for Black girls. … Up until Beyoncé, no Black woman had ever achieved that [level of success in country music]. The cultural redlining is quite intersectional, very much particularly focused on excluding Black women from these spaces.

All women have trouble on country radio historically, even Dolly Parton and Loretta Lynn. Cultural redlining is not just radio play, because now songs can be broken outside of radio. It’s [who is considered worthy of] investment in the first place. It’s putting together a team — marketing, promotion, clothing, the publishing deals — that allows someone to develop as an artist. It’s the belief that it can happen. 

One of the things that’s so interesting that changes it is the Beyoncé moment. I’ve been here 41 years; what we would hear is, “Bring me the Black woman who sings well enough, who’s attractive enough, who’s disciplined enough, who has the right songs, and I will make her a star.” The implication was that all these women who were arriving weren’t adequate in some way, which I don’t think was the case. Two Black women who should have had number ones a long time ago are Rissi Palmer and Rhiannon Giddens. They’re both extraordinary singers, great songwriters, beautiful by traditional American standards. There’s nothing they were missing. To me, they were culturally redlined out.

Beyoncé evaded the cultural redlining. She made her own assault on the citadel and proved that it can be done.

What kind of effect will “Cowboy Carter” have on the country music industry?

Only time will tell. But there is a difference between zero and one. If something has never been done, many people will believe it is impossible. Once it has been done, you are far closer to “again.” It’s gonna make it more possible for Black artists, particularly Black women artists, to pursue this and think they can do it. They’re also seeing this large Black audience that has always existed becoming visible in new ways. This large audience of white, Asian, Indigenous and Black people are listening to “Cowboy Carter” and making their presence known all over social media. This is a global event. It is very clear to anyone looking that people all over the world are ready to listen to country music sung by a Black woman.

Now, are they willing to listen to Beyoncé but not someone else? We already know people are downloading [the album’s featured Black female country singers] Linda Martell, Brittney Spencer, [and] Tanner Adell; they are seeing a Beyoncé bounce. I think Beyoncé’s album has started a global conversation. I anticipate that this is the summer of Black country, that all of America comes to understand how rooted in Black genius the best of country is.

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Miles Marshall Lewis (@MMLunlimited) is an author and Harlem-based cultural critic whose work has appeared in The New York Times Magazine, GQ, Rolling Stone and many other outlets. Lewis is currently finishing a cultural biography of comedian Dave Chappelle, his follow-up to “Promise That You Will Sing About Me: The Power and Poetry of Kendrick Lamar.“

A family has hired civil rights representation in the recent death of their loved one, A who was shot and killed Florida police shot and killed a Black U.S. Air Force member Friday (May 3). The Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release Friday that the officer “reacted in self-defense after he encountered a 23-year-old man armed with a gun.”

But was the officer even supposed to be there?

Civil rights attorney Benjamin Crump said in a press conference Wednesday that 23-year-old Senior Airman Roger Fortson was at home alone when someone aggressively knocked on the door without announcement.

Luckily, he had a witness: a friend on FaceTime, who also heard the knocking. While on the call, Crump said the person on the line heard Fortson call out to ask who it was. When he got no response, he decided to take measures to secure his safety.

“Concerned, he did what any other law-abiding citizen would do and retrieved his legally-owned gun, but as he was walking back to the living room, police burst through the door. When they saw the gun, they shot Roger six times,” Crump said in the conference.

Read more from NBC News:

As Fortson walked back through his living room, deputies burst through the door, saw that Fortson was armed and shot him six times, according to Crump’s statement. The woman said Fortson was on the ground, saying, “I can’t breathe,” after he was shot, Crump said.

Fortson died at a hospital, officials said. The deputy involved in the shooting was placed on administrative leave pending an investigation.

The woman said Fortson wasn’t causing a disturbance during their Facetime call and believes that the deputies must have had the wrong apartment, Crump’s statement said.

Doesn’t this remind you of something? The nation was in an outrage following the shooting and killing of Amir Locke, who was sleeping with his licensed firearm next to him when Minneapolis SWAT officers burst through the home, Upon seeing the firearm, one officer shot at him as he laid on the couch. Body cam footage showed he didn’t even have it in hand.

Crump and Fortson’s family demand the immediate release of the body camera footage related to the incident. The police department asked for the community’s patience in the investigation into what happened.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement and State’s Attorney’s Office will also launch probes into the incident, per The AP.

19

Real Madrid advanced to the Champions League final for the eighteenth time in their historic history, thanks to an electrifying display of tenacity and determination. A late deficit was overcome to clinch an exciting victory over Bayern Munich, forcing the players to demonstrate their extraordinary endurance once more on their path to the championship game.

The match was full of intensity and adrenaline, with both teams exchanging blows throughout. The first half finished in a draw, with opportunities for both Real Madrid and Bayern Munich. Vinicius Junior of Real Madrid showed off his offensive prowess early on, going agonizingly close to breaking the tie with a shot that rattled the post. However, Bayern Munich’s defense, commanded by the seasoned Manuel Neuer, withstood the persistent siege.

As the second half began, the game’s pace quickened, with opportunities flowing for both sides. Vinicius Junior was a constant threat down the left wing, gliding around opponents with his incredible dribbling abilities. However, it was Bayern Munich who broke the deadlock in the 69th minute, with Davies scoring with a well-placed strike.

Undeterred by the setback, Real Madrid rallied with an unyielding drive. Their perseverance was rewarded as Valverde’s shot appeared to level the score. However, the celebration was short-lived because the goal was ruled out after VAR intervention.

However, Real Madrid refused to be denied. With the clock ticking, they mounted a remarkable comeback. Vinicius Junior’s shot, which Neuer spilled, fell nicely to Joselu, who made no mistake in tapping home the equalizer. Just seconds later, from a set-piece, Rüdiger’s header found Joselu again, who finished his brace and secured Real Madrid’s spot in the Champions League final.

Manager Carlo Ancelotti’s technical acumen and the team’s unbreakable spirit were on full show, embodying the essence of the world’s best club. Real Madrid will now prepare to face Borussia Dortmund in the final at Wembley Stadium on June 1st, as they seek to secure their 15th Champions League title.

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Editor’s note: The following article is an op-ed, and the views expressed are the author’s own. Read more opinions on theGrio.

The king is (nearly) dead.

Long live the (next) king.

LeBron James is still among us and he still commands a lion’s share of NBA attention. But successors to his throne are circling, particularly in Minnesota, where 22-year-old Anthony Edwards is introducing himself to the public at large. “Ant-Man” is here, and he’s looking like “Thee Man.”

Arguments about the NBA’s greatest of all time have raged recently as James narrows the gap between himself and presumptive GOAT Michael Jordan. James is the league’s all-time leading scorer and just tallied more points in his 21st season than every other player combined at that stage of their career. At 39 years old, he averaged 25.7 points, 7.3 rebounds and 8.3 assists, which should be good enough to warrant his 20th consecutive All-NBA team selection. 

But no one ever said James reminds them of Air Jordan. 

That’s not the case with Edwards. People can’t stop comparing him to MJ in terms of style, athleticism, trash talk and killer mentality. Playing in obscure Minnesota hasn’t helped Edwards’ case to this point, but legends are born in the postseason. When making a name for yourself, nothing beats sweeping two games on the defending champion’s home court.

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“Obviously, they [Jordan and Edwards] have a lot of the same mannerisms,” Timberwolves guard Mike Conley told Fox Sports. “The moves, the fadeaways, the athleticism, the poster dunks, the blocks, the defensive stuff that he does. But really, just his drive is kinda the main thing. That same kind of work ethic, that same kind of ‘I don’t sleep at all at night because I’m ready to play, I’m ready to hoop.’” 

The Timberwolves are halfway to the Western Conference finals and headed home after obliterating the Denver Nuggets on Monday. Minnesota has yet to lose in these playoffs, which serve as Edwards’ coming out party. He averaged 31 points while brooming Kevin Durant and Phoenix in the first round, and then opened with a postseason career-high 43 points Saturday against the Nuggets. He netted 27 points in Monday’s Game 2 rout that put Denver’s title defense on life support.

Unlike the late great Kobe Bryant — who studied Jordan intensely and became the closest carbon copy to date — Edwards never intended to replicate His Airness. The similarities have come naturally, built on outrageous physical gifts and an insane work ethic, leading to unavoidable comparisons at the rim and on the wing.  

We’ve seen this story before. 

Fans and media began looking for the next Jordan before the original one retired (for the first time) in 1993. Busts like Harold “Baby Jordan” Miner and All-Stars like Grant Hill have fallen victim. Jerry Stackhouse and Vince Carter, among others who followed Jordan at North Carolina, were especially prone to be labeled. Bryant welcomed the characterization and wore it well.

Edwards prefers not to go there.

“I want it to stop,” Edwards said. “He’s the greatest of all time. I can’t be compared to him.”

He can and he will; his thoughts on the matter are irrelevant. Sports talk is fueled by “what have you done lately” and “what might you do next.” Stars rise and stars fade, and we’re addicted to sorting them through generational rankings, lists and tiers. We can’t help it.

Big men have their own category and San Antonio’s Victor Wembanyama (7-foot-4) is a threat to topple all predecessors, even as Denver’s Nikola Jokić continues to climb the charts. But 7-footers aren’t as relatable as shooting guards who can grab a rebound and go coast-to-coast, or cross a defender to his knees.

Technically speaking, there’ll never be another Jordan or fill-in-the-blank all-time great. Players get on the court, do their thing and put up numbers in their own individual styles. And though no one thinks Robert Horry (seven rings) is better than Jordan (six rings), winning championships is a separator, too. 

Edwards is striving for his first NBA title with no assurance of ever winning one. History is full of amazing players who fell short, including Hall of Famers Elgin Baylor, Karl Malone and Charles Barkley. There’s no shame in being on that list if such a fate awaits Edwards.

But he’s leading a bona fide contender in just his fourth season, in an eye-catching manner that suggests he’s only just begun and won’t stop any time soon. He’s in competition with Wemby, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Luka Dončić to become the “Next Face of the League,” the only American of the four. However, no one else is closer to being the next MJ.

Like it or not, “Ant Man” is that dude. 

Settle in and enjoy.

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Deron Snyder, from Brooklyn, is an award-winning columnist who lives near D.C. and pledged Alpha at HU-You Know! He’s reaching high, lying low, moving on, pushing off, keeping up, and throwing down. Got it? Get more at blackdoorventures.com/deron.

Whether you know it or not, May is Mental Health Awareness Month and in a new interview actor and comedian Marlon Wayans is opening up about his struggles.

His transparency is on full display in a cover interview with the New York Times where he revealed the sad fact that he fell into a depression following the deaths of his parents. Those hard deaths also came on the heels of losing nearly 60 people close to him in a matter of three years.

“When you talk about real-life pain, like parents passing, and you can get through that set and you can still be irreverent, edgy, crazy, silly, thought-provoking, and vulnerable, I think that’s growth,” Wayans told NYT.

He added:

“I miss my parents dearly, but I’m a different human with my parents gone than I was when they were here. Now I’m a man. I don’t have parents anymore, so I live differently. I understand the quality of life. I pray more, because when I pray I feel like I’m speaking to my parents and that they’re listening. I let them know what’s going on.”

Thankfully, the grief he experienced isn’t so bad that he’s stuck. In fact, the comedian has been able to find positivity and even laughter in his pain as he’s gearing up for the release of his new comedy special, “Good Grief,” which is set to premiere this summer on June 4 on Prime Video.

Taped at the iconic Apollo Theater in Harlem, the special will see Wayans talk about the impact of losing both parents as well as topics like “how his father taught him to be a man, the requirements to join the ‘Dead Mama Club,’ the surprises you encounter when changing your aging parents’ diapers, who is the funniest Wayans, and more,” per Deadline.

As previously reported by The Root, Wayans posted a heartfelt tribute in honor of his father’ Howell Wayans’ passing in April 2023. His mother, Elvira Wayans passed during the pandemic on July 2020.

5

Spanish state prosecutors have advised an investigating judge to shelve a probe into another alleged case of tax fraud involving Colombian pop star Shakira. The singer, already embroiled in a separate tax evasion case, faced accusations of evading 6.7 million euros ($7.2 million) in taxes on her 2018 income through an offshore company. Despite initial allegations, state prosecutors now cite insufficient evidence to pursue charges against the artist.

Shakira has consistently denied any wrongdoing in relation to her tax affairs. The decision to halt the investigation lies with the investigating judge, who will determine whether to proceed with the probe or dismiss the case altogether.

This development comes after Shakira reached a settlement with Spanish prosecutors in November, admitting to failing to pay 14.5 million euros (about $15.6 million) in taxes between 2012 and 2014. The singer, who currently resides in Miami, left Spain following her separation from former soccer player Gerard Pique.

The outcome of the ongoing legal proceedings will be eagerly awaited by fans and observers alike as Shakira navigates the complexities of her tax obligations and legal challenges.

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