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Boston Globe
9 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Boston Globe
Danielle Deadwyler on the profound family bonds of ‘40 Acres'
Deadwyler, who was raised in Atlanta, studied history and African-American Studies at Spelman college, then got a masters in American Studies from Columbia University and another in creative writing from Ashland University. After getting her start on stage in Atlanta, Deadwyler, 43, has shown she can handle a gun and a fight scene onscreen in movies including 'The Devil to Pay' and 'The Harder They Fall' and 'Carry-On,' while also honing her acting chops in episodes of 'Atlanta,' 'Watchmen,' and ' Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Danielle Deadwyler in "40 Acres." Courtesy of Magnolia Pictures Advertisement But Hailey in '40 Acres' also feels, in a weird way, like a descendant of Deadwyler's two most acclaimed roles, as Emmett Till's mother Mamie in ' Advertisement 'They all think about how to shield, protect, and nurture their families, although they all go about it in different ways,' Deadwyler said in a recent video interview. 'But they all also understand the impact of history and legacy on their present situations.' Q. What drew you to this role and story? A. It was the family's connection to the land and the desire — the hardcore, passionate, urgent desire — to stay together, to stay connected by any means. And by any means, I mean, by any means. Hailey knows the government never gave a damn about Black people and that things happen to folks who look like her, historically. … So at this juncture, she is assuredly just saying to hell with anybody who crosses their fence. You will get the blade. At the time I read the script, I'd been thinking about family connectivity, recalling my maternal grandparents and what they had carved out for my mom and her siblings and the long history and the memories of being on their land and wanting to explore that in a story. Q. How much does each of these roles not just inform the next role you take on, but stay with you and affect who you are in real life? A. They do have connectivity, but every experience is unto itself. And Danielle is learning from them all, for sure, but hopefully they are learning from me, perhaps. It's a crossing of knowledge — the text is teaching me them, and I am having a fusion of sorts with the roles. But Danielle is always trying to come back to herself. Advertisement Q. Are there ways in which you relate to Hailey? Are you good with a knife? A. Oh, hell yeah. How did you know, Stuart? [ She laughs, but in a way that makes you believe she really may be good with a knife. ] No, I have an intensity like her and Berniece and Mamie. Or I had an intensity. I think I'm coming to a place now where I need a little bit more balancing. I guess that's what they've all taught me. They beat me up enough in this movie that I had to chill out. I had the understanding of the need to teach, to protect, and to defend doggedly, but over the last couple of years I've learned that it's actually true that things work a little better with honey. We learn that as we get older. In Hailey's world, there are violent, nihilist folks coming to kill [her] children on [her] land, so she needs to be vigilant with her son. As a parent I'm actually a little lenient — you can't rule with an iron fist — but I send things for awareness, things to have a conversation about. Like a lot of Black parents, I want to help my son understand the severe nature of the world outside. We've witnessed an onslaught of violence against Black children, Black teens, Black young adults, Black people in general. Q. You've had roles in action movies like 'The Harder They Fall.' What were the physical demands of this role like, and how did you prepare? Advertisement A. To be honest, 'Till' was more exhausting than any other role. Emotionally, but there's a physicality to it, too. As a dancer, I have an understanding through movement, and everything I get the privilege to do is imbued with the physical. With Mamie in 'Till,' there was a regalness, a rigidity, a discipline that had to happen for her, and that's a challenge. When does one slouch down into some release? Hailey was military and there's rigor, and she's erect, too, but we see her drink when she's alone, and there's the scene where she's smoking a little cannabis. She's got vices, because the world is difficult, so we get to see that physicality in her, too. The fight scenes are exhausting, but we had a team that was just lovely, including the stunt team, and so we just rolled with the punches. It's a dance — this is choreography. Q. In movies, you're usually so intense, and it feels like you can kill with a glare, but in person you're funny and fun to talk to. Do you want to show that side of yourself onscreen? A. I started in comedy and have done it on stage numerous times. And I am consciously trying to balance my life and my art, yes, I am. … You should keep your eyes open for the remainder of the year — there will be some fun stuff. I'm trying to do a wide span of things, a deep exploration of what it means to be in the world. And it ain't all drama. Interview was edited for length and clarity. Advertisement
Int'l Business Times
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Int'l Business Times
Did George Floyd Protesters Miss Their Moment For Change?
Outrage over George Floyd's killing by police catapulted Black Lives Matter into one of the largest protest movements in US history, with angry crowds chanting the slogan at rallies from Los Angeles to Washington. But five years on, the protesters are gone and an iconic monument outside the White House has been erased, leaving many to wonder if the movement blew its chance for historic change by failing to win over the American public. "It's very easy to wear the T-shirt, utter the slogan, but then you looked at what they were asking for," Yohuru Williams, who runs the Racial Justice Initiative at the University of St Thomas, told AFP. Despite widespread revulsion at racism and police brutality in the wake of Floyd's May 2020 death, many turned away when BLM activists broadened their message to calling for the defunding of law enforcement. National support for the Black Lives Matter movement is now 52 percent, according to Pew Research, down 15 percentage points since June 2020, a month after police officer Derek Chauvin killed Floyd during an arrest in Minneapolis. Initially, Floyd's death was hailed as a catalyst for a national reckoning similar to the 1960s civil rights movement. Protests, some turning into riots, spread across the country -- right up to the gates of the White House, where Donald Trump was serving his first term. Pent-up energy from Covid lockdowns fed the anger, which coalesced around BLM, until then a loose organization founded in 2013 to protest racially motivated violence. Activists soon widened their focus to systemic racism, with monuments of slave owners removed and some companies investing in diversity initiatives to support ethnic minorities. Despite the ambition, Williams said that BLM has achieved "very little." "The moral clarity of 2020 has not translated into enough political courage," Phillip Solomon, a professor of African-American Studies and Psychology at Yale University, told AFP. The George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, which proposed law enforcement reforms, including nationwide bans on dangerous chokeholds during arrests, has failed to pass US lawmakers. Solomon said Floyd's killing -- he called it a "lynching" -- opened an opportunity for change that was missed and is now facing a backlash. The election of Trump to a second term -- despite his racially charged rhetoric and heavy support from far-right figures -- reflects deep-rooted tensions, he said. "I think this moment is a microcosm of America," Solomon added. Race inequality has long sparked protests in the United States, where segregation only legally ended in the 1960s after a relentless campaign of marches and civil disobedience. Floyd's death came in the context of dozens of other high-profile instances of police brutality against Black people -- something that smartphones and social media can now rapidly document and share. There have been police reforms in some states primarily focused on limiting the amount of force officers can use, as well as local programs to send unarmed responders instead of police to selected callouts. However, many say these measures are insufficient. Medaria Arradondo -- serving as the first Black police chief of Minneapolis when Floyd died -- told AFP he was worried about the "grave consequences" of failing to enact more reforms. "I hope and pray that we as a nation are not sleepwalking our way into the next critical crisis," he said. Civil rights group the National Urban League this month published a report warning that marginalized communities have been "pushed deeper into survival mode" after Floyd's death. League president Marc Morial said at a conference that steps to address racial injustices have "been reversed with a vengeance." Trump's Justice Department has axed all outstanding civil rights investigations from the outgoing Joe Biden administration, ended police accountability agreements, and cracked down on diversity hiring. Some of Trump's more extreme supporters have gone as far as calling for Chauvin to be pardoned. But Arradondo said he remains optimistic. "History has shown we make incremental change," he said, "We're going to have a lot of hard work ahead of us, but I believe we will get there." Protests, such as this one in Minneapolis in June 2020, spread across the United States after George Floyd's death AFP Medaria Arradondo, seen here in April 2021, was police chief of Minneapolis when George Floyd died AFP
Boston Globe
04-02-2025
- Sport
- Boston Globe
Here's how Harvard women's basketball continues to bring attention to Black History Month
'Everyone knows that Harvard has this megaphone,' Turner said. 'And a lot of people are looking at us to be these leaders for the younger generations to come, and I feel like Black History Month is very important and essential in that area. We have to honor those that came before us. But also be an example for what's to come.' Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Enter Email Sign Up While the Crimson were huddled between quarters, a special clip played on the video board. Players shared stories of Black women who inspired them. Advertisement Turner offered effusive and unflinching praise for Claudine Gay, who made history two years ago when she became the university's first Black president. Gay's tenure was short, ending after just six months and marred by the controversy and subsequent pressures of a congressional hearing in the wake of unrest on campus as a result of the Hamas attack on Israel. Gay is now a professor of government and African and African-American Studies at Harvard. She's also one of the women's basketball programs most loyal supporters. 'Faithful fan,' Moore said. So Turner wasn't surprised that Gay was in the crowd on Saturday. 'She comes to all of them,' Turner said. Former Harvard president Claudine Gay remains a huge fan of the women's basketball program. Haiyun Jiang/Photographer: Haiyun Jiang/Bloom More than anything, Turner was happy that Gay got to see the message. Part of being at Harvard is that, many times, the people who inspire are also the people among you. 'I think that's the beauty of what Harvard is,' Turner said. 'For one, we're known for our connections, our networking. And for two, she made history — and she's a great human being. She's continuing to show up to our games. That is a role model that I aspire to be like. I wasn't just saying that for the cameras. I tell her all the time that I look up to her, and she will always be my president here. Advertisement 'That may be controversial, but I truly stand by that and believe that. And that just goes to show that, despite all of the adversity that hit her, she still made a way. And that's something that I hope to take from her and just to show again, these young Black girls, they can do the same thing. We may have to work 10 times harder but it can still get done.' Turner is a two-time All-Ivy League first-team selection and former rookie of the year who declared for the WNBA Draft in November and is capping her college career by averaging 21.2 points per game as a senior. She's also an African-American studies major who hopes to become a civil rights activist and lawyer. Her talent may very well allow her to play basketball beyond Harvard, but her vision allows her to see her role beyond the game. 'I just hope to be one of those role models that a lot of young girls that look like us can look up to,' she said. Moore wants that for all her players. In three seasons at Harvard, Moore has led the Crimson to 52 wins and a WNIT appearance, and this season they're projected to reach the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2007. Advertisement Moore, the fourth head coach in Crimson women's basketball history and first Black head coach, has also cultivated an environment such as the one Saturday that allows her players to reflect and honor their history. When the Crimson walked out of the locker room for pregame warm-ups, the entire team was draped in black T-shirts with a message in bold on the front: 'Black History Is American History.' The Kuumba Singers of Harvard College, an organization founded in 1970 to create a space for Black creativity and spirituality that now stands as the oldest Black organization on campus, performed the national anthem and 'Lift Every Voice and Sing.' Moore and her coaching staff wore gray monochrome jackets with screen-printed faces of prominent Black historical figures such as Martin Luther King Jr. and Shirley Chisholm. The Crimson walked off the floor with a 72-60 win, upped their record to 16-3 (5-2 in the Ivy League), and have a week to regroup before hosting Dartmouth Saturday. But the night was as much about embracing the responsibility that has come with the success as it was about basketball. 'I think, for me, any time that we can really honor us, we're going to jump at the opportunity,' Moore said. 'I think for me being a Black female head coach at Harvard, I want to make sure that we honor those that have come before us and also what we are doing currently — not just myself, but like these guys and what they're doing. 'We have so many wonderful young Black women on our team, and I want them to feel seen and heard and honored. So we're going to always make sure that we do this in February. I think it's really important to me personally, I think our staff and obviously our team, we have a lot of a lot of women that look like us. So we want to make sure that we have days like this.' Advertisement Julian Benbow can be reached at
