Latest news with #LoveJones'
Miami Herald
12 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Miami Herald
44 percent: Liberty City bookstore opens on Juneteenth, Black dentists
When Juneteenth became a federal holiday in 2021 at the wishes of Opal Lee, a retired teacher and activist in Marshall, Texas, I worried it would become too commodified. I'm sure I wasn't the only one. And four years later, here we are: the catered events that aren't free for the community and the sales offered by corporate entities selling fashions that don't bear the colors of the Juneteenth flag — red, white and blue (because it's ours, too)— among other things, are on full display. It is tough to see a holiday centered around Black liberation become so commercialized, and in a sense lose the meaning intended for it in less than half a decade. It's disheartening, but I'm reminded of why the Roots Bookstore & Marketplace exists and why it's necessary: to serve the community. It gives me hope for what could be on a holiday in which it feels like dividends over people are prioritized. However you decide to celebrate your Juneteenth, I hope you keep Black communities in mind when doing so. Also, it's OK to do nothing for Juneteenth and take the time to use it as a reset for your mind and body. INSIDE THE 305: On Juneteenth, their dream of bringing a bookstore to Liberty City becomes reality I had the pleasure of getting a sneak peek inside the Roots Bookstore & Market, the brainchild of the late Danny Agnew, his brother Phillip and their friend Isaiah Thomas, before it opened, and it is for us. From Black classics from Zora Neale Hurston and Maya Angelou to Black erotica from authors such as Zane and Eric Jerome Dickey novels and the ambiance of jazz, hip-hop and R&B floating in the space, this is for us. 'We're not monolithic:' Nia Long, Larenz Tate reflect on Love Jones, Black films It was such a joy to hear the lively conversation and witness the magnetic chemistry between Nia Long and Larenz Tate, co-stars of the iconic '90s classic film 'Love Jones' at the American Black Film Festival. The two sat down with Access Hollywood's Scott Evans, discussing their bond, the chemistry behind the iconic film, some of the challenges they faced and the importance of showcasing Black love on screen. Above all what was clear from both of them was Black films should highlight the breadth of our culture: 'We're not monolithic,' Tate said. 'We have a story to tell.' Less than 4% of dentists are Black. This South Florida family wants to change that I'd been following the Phanord family on Instagram, contemplating them as potential dentists when I first moved to South Florida. My colleague Michael Butler wrote a wonderful profile on the family's legacy and why it's essential for them to continue it. Roger Phanord and his twin sons, Kyle and Kevin, are now practicing together at North Miami's Phanord and Associates, a dental clinic with 12,000 active patients, a number Roger says is uncommonly high for a general practice, Butler reports. The three men are part of a small fraction of Black dentists in America, who make up less than 4% of all dentists in the U.S. Through mentorship, the family seeks to increase that number and help diversify their industry. OUTSIDE THE 305: Marla Gibbs Announces Memoir 'It's Never Too Late' Beloved actress Marla Gibbs is finally releasing her memoir 'It's Never Too Late.' People magazine reported. Gibbs, who is 94 years young, is known for her roles as Florence in 'The Jeffersons' and Mary in '227.' HIGH CULTURE: Juneteenth celebrations in Broward, Miami-Dade Should you choose to celebrate Juneteenth outside the confines of your home, the Herald has compiled a few events for your choosing, which vary from free to paid. No matter what you do, have a safe and joyful Juneteenth.
Miami Herald
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Miami Herald
‘We're not monolithic:' Nia Long, Larenz Tate reflect on Love Jones, Black films
Still shots from the film 'Love Jones' displayed on the screens Saturday inside the New World Center in South Beach as scores of people danced to the sounds of Cameo, Strafe and a host of R&B favorites before transitioning into the romcom soundtrack. With sultry sounds of the 'The Sweetest Thing' filling the room, Nia Long and Larenz Tate sauntered into the room, almost floating, with matching white outfits and black shades before the pair essentially picked up where they left off as if we were seeing Darius Lovehall (Tate) and Nina Mosely (Long) continue their story in the iconic film. It was that magnetic chemistry between the two long-time friends that flowed into their conversation with Access Hollywood reporter Scott Evans, discussing their bond, the chemistry behind the iconic film, some of the challenges they faced and the importance of showcasing Black love on screen. 'It's very easy to kiss these lips,' Long said, complimenting co-star Tate, eliciting laughs and cheers from the crowd. The duo's history with ABFF dates back to its inception, when they were honored at the first festival. At that time, as Evans told the audience, ABFF founder Jeff Friday was at Sundance when he saw Love Jones win the Audience Award. 'I remember meeting Jeff, and what I remembered is I hadn't seen anyone so excited about Black films, Black people who wasn't a filmmaker,' Long said, as an image of her at her first ABFF showed. 'It was such a beautiful thing to see.' 'This is a place that nurtures, inspires and loves on us,' she added. RELATED: Larenz Tate comes to Miami to talk about 'Love Jones' But for as much as the film is a cult classic, it was deemed a flop by industry standards, Long underscored, having had a budget of $7 million yet only earning north of $12 million during its original release. It remains the only film from director Theodore Witcher. 'We still had to prove to studios that black love was important,' she said. 'We still had to prove that Black people could come and support us, not in killing each other or in gang violence.' Long said she doesn't knock those films – she and Tate have starred in 'Boyz N The Hood' and 'Menace to Society' respectively – but emphasized 'the core of who we are when we take care of each other is love.' Tate noted the film also didn't have the best marketing and oftentimes decision makers didn't look like them. 'We didn't have a Jeff and Nicole Friday that would understand, because they know us, they know the audience,' he said. 'We didn't have that advantage.' Still, he said, it opened doors for the breadth of Blackness to be shown in films such as 'Soul Food' and 'The Best Man.' 'We're not monolithic,' he said. 'We have a story to tell.' READ: Black Film Festival spotlights Black storytelling with a made-in-Miami film One scene that helps fuel that is when Darius, played by Tate, is speaking with his friend Savon, played by Isaiah Washington, and tells him that Nina could be 'the one.' 'It's an example of Black men being vulnerable,' Tate said. 'You got a chance to see vulnerability from us and you didn't get a chance to see that often.' Perhaps the most palpable experience from the film is the chemistry between the Long, Tate and their co-stars and the desire to stay in the moment to hold the audience's attention. Such was the case when Long got her hair wet at the end of the film against her wishes. 'I didn't want to take the audience out of the moment,' she said. But beyond their on set chemistry, Long said Tate made her feel comfortable on set even after breaking the ice with a kiss during some rehearsal time before they began filming. Long of course obliged him as he went 'whole tongue.' Still, she said Tate made her feel comfortable on set, doting on the gentlemen that he and his brothers, Larron and Lahmard, are. 'For Black women, the most important thing for us is to feel safe,' she said. 'He made me feel safe.' That respect was particularly needed when Nia had to confront a director of photography who spoke to her crudely between takes during an intimate scene with Tate. 'He said, 'Nia, can you move your ass over to the right?'' Long said. She swiftly shot back: ''This is not a…porn,'' Tate recalled. 'Always have empathy for the artist,' Long said. 'Treat the actor with respect and treat the woman with respect.' As for where their characters might be in 2025, Tate said they're soulmates: 'Whether they're together, not together…they haven't forgotten each other.' Long said Nina and Darius have a connectedness: 'You can still live and love each other exactly where you are and you're still connected,' she said. 'And you know, at some point in time you can circle the block and it's still going to be good.'
