Proud to participate in the Skroll Institute study on the State of Social Impact Entertainment. Here I am with UCLA Dean of Theater, Film and Television Dean Teri Schwartz, CAA Michelle Kydd Lee, producer Cathy Schulman, moderator Ashe Lee and Skoll Center head Peter Bisanz.
What an amazing crowd! So many people came out to hear about such an important subject. I’m backed up by the amazing Michelle Kydd Lee.
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John Singleton was the youngest member of our generation of black directors, which includes Spike Lee, Robert Townsend, Mario Van Peebles and me, among many others. Now he’s the first one of us to pass away. His death has been heavy on my head and heart ever since it happened, so I just started writing about it to process it.
I was living in New York when I first heard about John Singleton. There was an incredible buzz about his script BOYZ N THE HOOD and for good reason…it was flat out great!
I didn’t meet John until much later. I remember being at the at the Four Seasons in Los Angeles, and ran into John, who invited me to join him at the Sony studio lot to see the just finished BOYZ N THE HOOD final print. It was a spontaneous moment, and I rolled with it.
I sat alone in a large screening room, trying to maintain my cool while this movie got all up in my feelings.
It was a huge critical and commercial hit, and well deserved. The movie launched so many stars, which John’s movies routinely did throughout his career. Making stars requires an eye for talent, writing star making moments, and directing them in a way that makes audiences remember those moments forever. John did that for so many actors that we love, like Ice Cube, Cuba Gooding Jr, Nia Long, Regina King, Tyra Banks, Tyrese Gibson, Taraji Henson and so many more.
We shared many interests: movies, politics, comic books. But what I loved most about him is that he wasn’t sneaky or shady. He loved black people, he loved black cinema, and he supported anyone who was about that. He sincerely wanted everybody to do well.
Years later, when times were tough for all black filmmakers in the ‘00s, we ran into each other at the Golden Apple comic book store. He was in the front of the store, and I was in the back. Both of us, against the odds, had gotten a movie made that year so we both had new product coming out. Without saying a word, we walked across the room to each other and hugged for a long time. No words needed to be said. We were both so happy for each other. They couldn’t kill us.
I think about that moment all the time. It was true brotherhood.
I want to shine a light on two underrated parts of John’s body of work. One was the Afrofuturist music video for Michael Jackson’s REMEMBER THE TIME. I can’t think of a better example of a short film that should have been made into a feature length musical. The cast was a Mt. Rushmore of black excellence: Michael Jackson, Eddie Murphy, Iman, Magic Johnson. It was funny, cool, magical and funky, with great choreography by Fatima Robinson. Can you think of another movie or TV show that showed what Egyptians really looked like?
The other film I want to highlight is BABY BOY. I remember all the controversy when it debuted at my brother Warrington’s black film festival in Acapulco. The film’s unflinching and often hilarious depiction of hood life and hood logic shocked a lot of people. But I thought it was brilliant and it has stood the test of time.
The last time I hung out with John was at a screening for SPIDER MAN: INTO THE SPIDERVERSE.
But it wasn’t just our fandom that brought us to an advance screening for the film. One of the movies three directors, Peter Ramsey was a friend of both of ours. He had done storyboards for my debut feature film, HOUSE PARTY, and John’s first feature, BOYZ IN THE HOOD.
Once I saw John sitting with his son Maasai, I plopped down in the seat next to him. We had a running commentary on how much we loved everything about the film as we watched it. We told Peter we bruised each other’s ribs from nudging each other through the movie.
I saw John one more time after that. The Oscars. With Black Panther, Black Klansman, Spider verse all nominated, along with the likely win of Regina King for best-supporting actress, there’s no way either one of us would miss the ceremony. We didn’t get a chance to talk, but when John and his longtime producer Paul Hall walked pass, I heard them say, “There’s Reggie. He gets things done behind the scenes.” What kind words.
I was fortunate to read two of John’s unproduced screenplays. They were both great and I couldn’t comprehend why they weren’t being financed. But I believed that eventually I would see them on the big screen because they were too good not to happen one day. Now he won’t be there to make those movies. That’s a damn shame and we are the poorer for it.
The idea that John is no longer with us is absurd. He had so much more to say. But we need to carry on, sharing the love of black people and black cinema in the way he did his whole life.
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This is exhibit is so good I’ve gone twice! Once at the opening then again with my kids and other families. I’d highly recommend that you all go support this celebration of black artists as well. It’s on display at The Broad museum in downtown LA at 221 S Grand Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90012 until September 1st 2019!
My daughter and I agree this is the artwork we most want in our house. Art + Larceny!
I never saw this piece by David Hammons before, but I love it.
My daughter takes a picture of a brilliant piece about the death of MLK.
At the opening I ran into one of my heroes, Greg Tate. Back in my New York days, we spent endless hours discussing every possible permutation of the black aesthetic. His Sun Ra meets P.Funk writing style is a huge influence on me. Plus he’s a great guy.
Michael Jackson and Bubbles by Jeff Koons, part of the permanent collection.
Kara Walker, part of their permanent collection.
Hanging out after the opening with Sheila Marmon, Amy DuBois Barnett, and Shaun Robinson.
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Phil Gurin and I have been executive producing the show for six years. We have a great time every time.
Byron Phillips and I producing the show from the floor. We’ve been doing the show together for seven years!
Mitch Marchand and Jon Macks write the show. Amazing talents and great guys.
The biggest stars of television…
…and movies are all in house!
Backstage with Michael B. Jordan
Byron and I talking with Vin Diesel right before he presents Outstanding Motion Picture…which turned out to be Black Panther, of course!
Jay Z after winning the President’s Award. With NAACP president Derrick Johnson and Sen. Kamala Harris, who is a presidential candidate herself!
By MICHAEL TWYMAN
Miles Brown plays Jack Johnson on the ABC show “Black-ish.” (Photo/Michael Twyman)
Tamera Mowry-Housley and Trevor Jackson on stage at the 50th annual NAACP Image Awards. (Photo/Michael Twyman)
One of the special privileges of serving on the NAACP Foundation Board and member of the Image Awards Selection Committee is being a VIP guest at the annual show. The 50th NAACP Image Awards held its signature event celebrating Black excellence in arts and entertainment for the very first time at Hollywood’s Dolby Theatre — the venue for the annual Academy Awards. The aesthetic beauty and charm of the theater is breathtaking when experienced in-person, and it is even more transformed and electrifying when filled with Black Hollywood’s finest and some of the most illustrious African American leaders of our time.
Not likely there’s any other occasion whereby I’d be seated in the row with journalist icons Roland Martin, April Ryan and Ed Gordon, and get to chat with Iyanla Vanzant, shake hands with Winston Duke, or hug Lynn Whitfield and tell her how spectacular she is on “Greenleaf.”
Much of the evening punctuated the role Black women play as mothers, grandmothers, activists, actors and trailblazers. Here are some examples: Image Awards host Anthony Anderson welcomed his mother on stage to give his acceptance speech for the Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series Award. Tracee Ellis Ross gave a tearful tribute to her famed mother, Diana Ross, for marking a 75th birthday milestone and being the single-most inspiration to her career as she received another Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series for “Black-ish.”
And, hip-hop mogul Shawn Carter aka Jay-Z won and shared very touching remembrances of his childhood in Brooklyn when accepting the NAACP President’s Award. He dedicated the award to his grandmother Hattie White. She raised seven kids in a walk-up apartment while earning $20 a week. He grew up in that same household, and through the love and tenacity demonstrated by her and the other women in his life he quickly learned it was nothing he could not accomplish.
Whereas there is nothing quite like the awards show itself, equally enjoyable was the pre-show dinner with master of ceremonies Loni Love, Tamera Mowry-Housley and Adrienne Houghton from “The Real.” Here, you’re really able to rub shoulders with dignitaries and engage in meaningful conversations. Nothing quite like meeting and speaking with producer Robert Townsend, TV One founder Cathy Hughes, sports commentator Stephen A. Smith within a span of 10 minutes during the dinner event. It was also very cool to fist-bump Indy homeboy Trevor Jackson, who was there serving as an award presenter. Another treat was Donna Brazile cracking jokes and keeping us in stitches during our rides on the coach shuttle to and from the event.
To cap things off, an A-list after-party was held at the Roosevelt Hotel on Hollywood Boulevard and hosted by Doug E. Fresh, with Teddy Riley and Blackstreet and Kool Moe Dee performing poolside. Regina Hall, Chadwick Boseman, Issa Rae, Omari Hardwick and Kofi Siriboe made their rounds at the event — all extremely gracious and unassuming in their demeanor and interactions with guests. What’s especially nice to see are young actors like Marcus Scribner and Marsai Martin being there with their families having a good time and mingling with all the more seasoned entertainers and high-profile political figures.
Of course it wouldn’t have been Hollywood if there wasn’t the random sighting of celebrities not attending the NAACP festivities. Such was the case when returning late to my hotel from the after party. Chillin’ just a few feet away from me in the lobby bar was none other than Jack Nicholson kicked back and sipping a martini … just as at ease as if he were in his own living room and clearly admiring all the Black “art” on full display!
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