Latest news with #ArthurScott
Black America Web
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Black America Web
We All Need To Get On Da Gild
Source: HBO / HBO I'mma need y'all to trust ya boy here. I am a grown-ass man. A Morehouse man. A man who knows where things in Home Depot are and can explain the relative pros and cons of any wall anchor. I am a product of the city that brought you Allen Iverson and Michael Vick, and I know how to order food from a carry-out. I have at least four different exotic daps in my arsenal, and my algorithm thinks I only care about sports, politics, and barbecue videos. And yet, every Sunday night, without fail, I've been on my couch with a glass of something brown, watching HBO's The Gilded Age like it's the NBA Finals. No, I don't watch it 'ironically.' No, it's not 'my lady's show' that I just happen to sit through. This is my show. I watch it alone and enthusiastically. I am all in on the late-19th-century real estate beefs, opera box tiffs, them hats that require their own zip codes, and the petty slights of society surrounding who gets an invitation to the ball. We care about your data. See our privacy policy. It's a show that is, ostensibly, about the interplay of wealth, status, and power in late-19th-century New York. But, in reality, it's storytelling that's found a way to extract intrigue from the banal. From one week to the next, we're exposed to the exhausting expectations of place, gender, and race in ways that seem quaint now, but were definitive and confining then. Honestly, it's a show that is more minor interpersonal narratives than any sweeping drama. So, you're not watching because of its relative intensity. You're watching because you're nosey. But more than anything, I'm here for Arthur Scott, Peggy Scott's father. Because grown-ass Black men, Arthur Scott is one of us. Now, for the uninitiated: Arthur Scott sells drugs in Brooklyn in the '80s. Okay, let me clarify. Mr. Scott is a pharmacist in 1880s Brooklyn, but the Shawn Carter parallel kinda works. Born enslaved, he hustled his way into one of the most respected professions available to Black men of his era. In a world that was hostile by design, he built something lasting, not just for himself, but for his family and community. If you're a Black man over 40, tell me you don't recognize that arc. Some of us started with nothing. Maybe not literal chains, but the economic ones of redlining, underfunded schools, and neighborhoods treated like containment zones. We came of age dodging police harassment and navigating the kind of 'twice as hard for half as much' pressure that made every choice feel like a potential life sentence. And still, we found a lane. Maybe it was law, medicine, engineering, corporate leadership, or entrepreneurship. Maybe it was learning a trade or becoming a community advocate. The details vary, but the grind is the same: take whatever you're given, flip that into a seat at the table, then turn that seat into a legacy for your children. That's Arthur Scott. A paper chaser who got his block on fire. But here's the thing about making something from nothing: once you get it, you guard it like your life depends on it. Because in a way, it does. Mr. Scott is proud, rightfully so, of the life he's created. And with that pride comes the reflex to control every variable. He wants Peggy to live a certain way, marry a certain type of man, and work in certain spaces. But, because of the shame he carries from his former enslavement, he operates with an existential sense of obligation to his family, but especially to his daughter. He wants her to be safe and, in his mind, safety comes from sticking to the rules that got them here. He sees the game for what it is and is trying to play it the best he knows how. Tell me that doesn't sound familiar. I've caught myself doing the same thing with my own daughters, assessing their world through my anxieties and steering them toward what I think is 'safe,' what I think is 'smart,' what I think is 'right.' It's not about stifling their dreams; it's about knowing how unforgiving the world can be for Black women, especially when the margin for error is razor-thin. But therein lies the ugly truth: sometimes that 'control' is just fear dressed up as love. One of the joys of The Gilded Age is watching Mr. Scott realize he is not the only leader in his household. Peggy, independent, talented, and unwilling to be quietly managed, is not afraid to challenge her father. Mrs. Dorothy Scott, his assertive spouse, is the kind of woman who can change the temperature in the room with one raised eyebrow. And then there's the broader community of Black women in Brooklyn's elite, strategizing for survival in a world that barely acknowledges their existence. Sound familiar? If you are a Black man of my generation, you've likely been surrounded and, if you're honest, guided by women like this. Mothers who told you 'no' with a tone that ended the conversation. Partners who had the vision to push past limits you'd made for yourself. Daughters who refuse to accept 'because I said so' as an answer. Aunties and sisters who will ride for you but also won't tolerate the play-play when you're out of line. In The Gilded Age , these women don't just support Mr. Scott; they expand him. They nudge him toward more progressive thinking, toward trusting the strength and judgment of that energy in his life, toward realizing that control is not the same thing as care. And Black men need to see this. I know some of the homies see The Gilded Age as 'that white people in costumes show.' I mean, yeah . But that's the thing, it's not just about them. The presence of the Scotts and the arc that encompasses their story changes the whole landscape. That peek at the primordial that eventually became institutional Black excellence. It forces you to ask: what else have we been left out of in the stories we tell about America? How many Black men like Arthur Scott lived, thrived, and passed on wealth — economic, cultural, and intellectual — while the history books skipped right over them? For Black men who've made it into middle age, watching Mr. Scott is like holding up a mirror. He's a man who is living with all the trappings and privileges of success, who regales his family with uncomfortable stories of surviving white supremacy. Watching him chuckle while discussing an uncle who was sold down the river over lunch feels no different than telling my kids about guys I knew who sold rocks back in the day. Slave auctions or corner boys, we were all on the block. Let's be real, Arthur Scott's pharmacy in 1882 provided him with the economic freedom that we all hope the gods of capitalism bestow on all of us someday. We're all pursuing a place where we can stake a claim in the economy and our community without having to ask permission or be exploitative. Being a provider and a pillar on your own terms and in your own time is a constant refrain of Black manhood. And here's where The Gilded Age earns my respect. It doesn't turn Arthur Scott into some perfect paragon. It lets him be stubborn, flawed, and human. But it also gives him something so many portrayals of Black manhood don't. It lets him change. By the end of certain arcs, you see a man who realizes that love isn't control, and that the next generation can handle more than you think, even if they do it differently than you would. That's a lesson I'm still learning. It's one thing to protect your children from the wolves. It's another to trust them to grow their own teeth. And it's another level entirely to trust that the women around you might just have a better map than you do. It's an odd paradox, really. If we do our jobs as Black men, eventually the people in our lives will not need us. In fact, our evolution is predicated on our obsolescence. So yeah, I'm a grown-ass man who loves The Gilded Age . I'll watch Arthur Scott debate the merits of propriety over a plate of oysters and see myself more clearly than I do watching a '30 For 30.' Because grown manhood, to me, isn't about sticking to the 'approved' list of hobbies, shows, or interests. It's about discernment. It's about knowing what feeds you, what challenges you, and what reminds you of who you are and who you can become. Some weeks, that might be interrogating a Nas verse and how it applies to my current situation ('I don't work this hard to be around people I don't like…'). Other weeks, it's Mr. Scott standing in his pharmacy, wearing the weight of both history and hope, realizing that his daughter's path doesn't have to look like his to honor the sacrifices that built it. So, judge me if you want. I'll be over here, waiting on Season 4, not just because it's polite society in high collars, but because somewhere in all that 19th-century décor is a story about us. We didn't work this hard to build our futures just to be saddled by our tastes of the past. Corey Richardson is originally from Newport News, Va., and currently lives in Chicago, Ill. Ad guy by trade, Dad guy in life, and grilled meat enthusiast, Corey spends his time crafting words, cheering on beleaguered Washington DC sports franchises, and yelling obscenities at himself on golf courses. As the founder of The Instigation Department, you can follow him on Substack to keep up with his work. SEE ALSO: Quiet Pivot: Black Men, Money, And The Search For 'Enough' You Deserve: A Black Man's Guide To The Soft Life SEE ALSO Black Men: We All Need To Get On Da Gild was originally published on
USA Today
01-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
3-star DL Arthur Scott picks Wisconsin over MSU following official visit this weekend
3-star DL Arthur Scott picks Wisconsin over MSU following official visit this weekend Michigan State football has been beaten out by the Wisconsin Badgers for a three-star defensive lineman from Ohio. Arthur Scott of Streetsboro, Ohio announced his commitment to Wisconsin on Sunday morning. Scott revealed his commitment to the Badgers via a post on his social media X account. Scott took an official visit to Wisconsin this weekend, which apparently went very well for the Badgers. Scott is a three-star defensive lineman in the 2026 class. He has a recruiting ranking of 86 on 247Sports. Scott ranks as the No. 115 defensive lineman in the 2026 class, according to 247Sports. He is also listed as the No. 59 player from Ohio in the class. According to 247Sports, Scott holds offers from 15 schools, but it was Michigan State, Rutgers, Cincinnati and Wisconsin that were considered the favorites for his commitment. He had official visits scheduled with each of those schools, but it's unclear at this time if he'll still be taking those visits following his Wisconsin commitment. Should Scott take these additional official visits, he'll be heading to Michigan State on June 13. Contact/Follow us @The SpartansWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Michigan State news, notes and opinion. You can also follow Robert Bondy on X @RobertBondy5.
USA Today
01-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
BREAKING: Wisconsin lands first commitment of class of 2026 official visit season
BREAKING: Wisconsin lands first commitment of class of 2026 official visit season Wisconsin landed a commitment from class of 2026 defensive lineman Arthur Scott on Sunday. Scott committed on the heels of his official visit to the program. He chose the Badgers over top contenders Cincinnati, Michigan State and Rutgers. 247Sports lists Scott as a three-star recruit, ranked specifically as the No. 115 defensive lineman in the class of 2026 and No. 59 player from the state of Ohio. While the recruiting service also notes upcoming visits to Rutgers on June 6, Michigan State on June 13 and Cincinnati on June 20, that schedule may change after his commitment to Wisconsin. Scott is Wisconsin's eighth commitment in the class of 2026 and second defensive lineman, following three-star Carmelow Reed. The class, which sat No. 45 in the nation before Scott's addition, is still in search of its first blue-chip recruit. Sunday's commitment should kickstart a flurry of additions to Wisconsin's class of 2026 during a busy month of official visits. Badger fans should hope that the timing is a sign of good things to come, as Scott was on campus over the weekend with several of the program's top targets in the class. Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes and opinion
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
3-star DL Arthur Scott of Streetsboro, Ohio schedules official visit to Michigan State
A newer Spartan recruiting target has locked in an official visit to Michigan State for next month. Arthur Scott of Streetsboro, Ohio announced on Friday that he'll be taking an official visit to Michigan State in June. According to a post on social media platform X, Scott will be visiting Michigan State on June 13. The announcement of an official visit to Michigan State comes only a few days after Scott picked up an offer from the Spartans. Advertisement Scott is a three-star defensive lineman in the 2026 class. He has a recruiting ranking of 86 on 247Sports. Scott ranks as the No. 115 defensive lineman in the 2026 class, according to 247Sports. He is also listed as the No. 59 player from Ohio in the class. Scott holds offers from 15 schools, according to 247Sports. Other programs that are showing interest in him with a scholarship offer are Rutgers, Wisconsin, Cincinnati, West Virginia, Akron, Bowling Green, Buffalo, Central Michigan, Kent State, Miami (OH), Ohio, Toledo, Western Kentucky and Western Michigan. Scott is also scheduled to visit Wisconsin (May 30), Rutgers (6) and Cincinnati (June 20), according to 247Sports. Contact/Follow us @The SpartansWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Michigan State news, notes and opinion. You can also follow Robert Bondy on X @RobertBondy5. This article originally appeared on Spartans Wire: Spartans lock in official visit for Ohio 3-star DL Arthur Scott
USA Today
24-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
3-star DL Arthur Scott of Streetsboro, Ohio schedules official visit to Michigan State
3-star DL Arthur Scott of Streetsboro, Ohio schedules official visit to Michigan State A newer Spartan recruiting target has locked in an official visit to Michigan State for next month. Arthur Scott of Streetsboro, Ohio announced on Friday that he'll be taking an official visit to Michigan State in June. According to a post on social media platform X, Scott will be visiting Michigan State on June 13. The announcement of an official visit to Michigan State comes only a few days after Scott picked up an offer from the Spartans. Scott is a three-star defensive lineman in the 2026 class. He has a recruiting ranking of 86 on 247Sports. Scott ranks as the No. 115 defensive lineman in the 2026 class, according to 247Sports. He is also listed as the No. 59 player from Ohio in the class. Scott holds offers from 15 schools, according to 247Sports. Other programs that are showing interest in him with a scholarship offer are Rutgers, Wisconsin, Cincinnati, West Virginia, Akron, Bowling Green, Buffalo, Central Michigan, Kent State, Miami (OH), Ohio, Toledo, Western Kentucky and Western Michigan. Scott is also scheduled to visit Wisconsin (May 30), Rutgers (6) and Cincinnati (June 20), according to 247Sports. Contact/Follow us @The SpartansWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Michigan State news, notes and opinion. You can also follow Robert Bondy on X @RobertBondy5.
