As Oprah Winfrey’s TV interview with Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex reverberates internationally, it’s left the more than 50 million viewers grappling with the couple’s claims of racism and lack of support that Meghan says drove her to thoughts of suicide. But for many Black women worldwide, the headlines and social media discussions were painfully familiar. With social media conversations questioning whether racism affected Meghan’s treatment by the British press and royal family, many Black women say it is yet another example of a Black woman’s experiences with racism being disregarded and denied. “White supremacy seeks to isolate you, make you feel like no one is listening and no one is supporting you. It uses that as a tool to keep in power,” said Gaye Theresa Johnson, associate professor in the Department of African American Studies at UCLA. “And so when you aren’t validated in your feelings or feel supported, that does real harm.” The former Meghan Markle, daughter of a white father and a Black mother, said that when she was pregnant with her son Archie, a member of the royal family expressed “concerns … about how dark his skin might be.” The former television star also said she sought mental health help through the palace’s human resources department but was told there was nothing it could do. Almost as soon as the interview aired, many were quick to deny Meghan’s allegations of racism. The New York Post published a column titled, “Meghan Markle’s interview was full of bull.” British television host Piers Morgan quit his job on “Good Morning Britain” after facing backlash for saying on air that Meghan lied about suffering suicidal thoughts in what he called a “two-hour trash-a-thon of our royal family.” On Tuesday, Buckingham Palace released a statement saying the “whole family is saddened to learn the full extent of how challenging the last few years have been for Harry and Meghan” but that “some recollections may vary.” Johnson said the doubts and questioning cast against Meghan’s claims were emotionally wrenching for many Black women, who may relate to the trauma of having their personal experiences with racism invalidated by others. “It’s an insult when people are incredulous about the racism people like Meghan Markle experienced because that incredulity speaks volumes about what people refuse to see, what is right in front of their eyes all the time and that some people have to navigate daily,” she said.A statue stands in front of Buckingham Palace in London, March 9, 2021. Britain’s royal family is absorbing the tremors from a sensational television interview by Prince Harry and the Duchess of Sussex.”That takes a toll on a person and their mental health.” Dr. Anita Thomas, executive vice president and provost at St. Catherine University in St. Paul, Minnesota, said watching Meghan’s interview with Winfrey was emotional. “It speaks to the burden that many African American women face,” she said. “For Black women, it was upsetting to see that, even when she had the courage to speak out about her experiences with racism, that she didn’t get the support that she needed and, in many ways, her experiences were invalidated.” Thomas said enduring such treatment requires “psychological and emotional energy” to navigate. “As a psychologist, I hope people talk about this effect of racism and sexism on psychological functioning,” she said. Sinai Fleary, founder of the UK-based Reggae and Rasta lifestyle publication Jus’ Jah Magazine, said while she initially saw an outpouring of support for Meghan, she quickly saw that change on social media. “They will dismiss, gaslight and ignore what we have been saying, and what Meghan and Harry have been saying,” Fleary, who lives in London, wrote on Twitter. “This is how the media and certain parts of the public work. Same formula, every single time.” Fleary told The Associated Press that Meghan’s interview brought back her own memories of being racially profiled in shops and seeing white women clutch their bags on public transit when they saw her. “If racism as blatant as what Meghan spoke about is immediately denied, will people believe me when I tell them about these less overt, daily examples of racism I face every day?” she asked. Fleary said the UK has a long history of dismissing Black women in conversations about racism. “They’re never believed,” she said. “It’s always deny and dismiss. It can be so blatant and people will still say they don’t see it.” Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, pointed to the racist attitudes of the British media as a reason for stepping away from royal duties and moving to North America last year, something Harry reiterated in the interview with Winfrey. As Meghan and Harry began dating, many pointed to the relationship as evidence of Britain entering a “post-racial” era, but the racism Meghan faced from the British media told another story. When the news first broke of their relationship, publications were quick to refer to Meghan in racist terms, with one tabloid columnist referring to her “exotic” DNA. A Mail Online headline stated Meghan was “[almost] straight outta Compton,” and a Daily Star headline asked whether Harry would “marry into gangster royalty.” Then, when Meghan and Harry announced they would step away from official royal duties last year, people quickly began to question that racism was what drove Meghan away. Heather McGhee, author of the book “The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together,” said the immediate rush by some to deny Meghan’s allegations were upsetting. And that denial is something Black women face every day, she said. “Very often, Black women in conference rooms and offices experience discrimination and have no recourse, in the same way that one of the more powerful Black women in the world had no recourse except to give it all up,” McGhee said of Meghan. “I hope we realize there’s a much less powerful version of Meghan likely at your office or school who is being discriminated [against] and doesn’t have champions. I hope this encourages more people to stand up for their Black co-workers, neighbors and friends.”
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The U.S. Special Envoy for Climate John Kerry said Wednesday the world’s developed countries – which emit most of the world’s greenhouse gases – “have every capacity” to address the climate crisis.
Speaking at a joint news conference in Paris with French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire, Kerry stressed that no one country or government can address the issue alone. Referencing the 2015 Paris Agreement, Kerry said it was about everyone accepting the same emission reduction goals.
But he said, too few nations have abided by their commitments. He said, “The point of Paris ((agreement)) is everybody has said that we will get on this road, and the problem today is we’re not on that road sufficiently.”
Former U.S. president Donald Trump had withdrawn from the Paris agreement, and U.S. President Joe Biden very soon after he was sworn into office, agreed to rejoin the accord.
French Finance Minister Le Maire said France was “very happy” about the U.S. decision, telling reporters that climate issues are the “main challenge of our generation and future generations.”
The 2015 Paris climate change accord commits countries to put forward plans for reducing their emissions of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, which is released from burning fossil fuels.
Kerry also mentioned the international summit to be hosted by the U.S. next month, featuring 20 of the world’s major economies – and biggest polluters. The summit is expected to lay out some of the groundwork ahead of November’s United Nations climate conference in Glasgow.
While in Paris, Kerry met with French President Emmanuel Macron, with whom he also discussed climate change. He told reporters they had a very thorough discussion on how critical this moment in history is to address the issue. He conveyed that Macron wants to work with Biden on the reduction of emissions as well helping provide the tools to do so.
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Israel’s premier museum for Islamic art has scrapped the planned auction of scores of rare and precious items after public outcry over the attempted sale, which had been expected to fetch millions of dollars from wealthy private collectors. In a settlement struck Wednesday, the Sotheby’s auction house agreed to return 268 items from London back to the L.A. Mayer Museum for Islamic Art in Jerusalem. The agreement ends a saga that drew broad condemnation and threatened to gut one of Israel’s prized public art collections. Art experts criticized the attempted sale to private collectors, saying it had been hidden from the public and violated the museum’s founding mission to edify the Israeli public about the Islamic world through art. As part of the arrangement, the Al Thani Collection, an art foundation funded by the ruling family of the energy-rich Gulf Arab state of Qatar, “will generously provide an annual sponsorship to the L.A. Mayer Museum for Islamic Art” for 10 years, while one of the Islamic Art Museum’s pieces will be given on long-term loan to the Al Thani Collection’s gallery at the Hotel de la Marine in Paris. The Israeli daily Haaretz said that Sotheby’s would receive a 2 million pound cancellation fee. Neither Sotheby’s nor the museum would provide details on the fee or the annual funding for the museum, though the auction house said “given the circumstances, Sotheby’s reduced its withdrawal fees.” The item to be loaned is an intricately decorated, 11th-century silver jug, part of a hoard of silver objects discovered in the early 20th century near Nivahand, in northeastern Iran. The item was purchased early last century by art collector Ralph Harari, who later sold it to the museum’s founder, Vera Salomons. An Arabic inscription beneath a frieze of running animals on the jug reads: “Perfect blessing, lasting wealth, abundant happiness and overall security to its owner.” It was not one of the items originally up for auction at Sotheby’s in October sale. Israel and Qatar do not have formal diplomatic relations, but contacts exist to facilitate Qatar’s transfer of hundreds of millions of dollars in aid to the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip. Sotheby’s said it had facilitated the cooperation between the Islamic Art Museum and the Al Thani Collection. The Islamic Art Museum and the Hermann de Stern Foundation, which had initiated the Sotheby’s auction, welcomed the agreement, saying it “will ensure the continued operation of the museum over time.” “This is a truly momentous final outcome and we are thrilled to be partnering with The Al Thani Collection Foundation in this way to further our shared aims of increasing cultural exchange, while allowing the museum to continue to enhance art and culture for the benefit of the Israeli public and art lovers,” the museum and the foundation said in a joint statement. The Al Thani Collection said it was “very pleased to play a part in the survival of a unique institution that makes a meaningful difference to the communities around it.” Controversial saleThe items from the museum’s collection, including several centerpiece objects and prized antique watches, were slated for auction at Sotheby’s in October. The Hermann de Stern Foundation, a Liechtenstein-based trust that funds the bulk of the museum’s budget, said the sale was aimed at covering the cost of maintaining the institution. It insisted that it had the legal right to sell the items. The Hashava Foundation, an Israeli art theft prevention organization, petitioned the Supreme Court in November to halt the auction. It said the sale was “in gross violation” of Israel’s laws governing museums and antiquities, and that it would cause “irreversible damage and major loss to the general public.” Meir Heller, Hashava’s founder, said the organization was proud that the petition “achieved its aim and brought about the return of this rare and precious collection to Israel and its exhibition for the public.” The museum was established in the 1960s by Salomons, the scion of a British-Jewish aristocratic family who died in 1969, and named for Leo Arie Mayer, a prominent scholar of the Middle East. It is home to thousands of Islamic artifacts dating from the 7th to the 19th centuries. It also has a collection of antique watches handed down by the Salomons family, including dozens by the famed Parisian horologist Abraham-Louis Breguet. His timepieces adorned European royalty in the 17th and 18th centuries, including Marie Antoinette. Among the items that were to be auctioned were a 15th-century Ottoman helm inlaid in silver calligraphy, a 12th-century bowl depicting a Persian prince and a collection of antique watches, including three designed by Breguet. The removal of the artwork drew public outcry by Israeli President Reuven Rivlin, Israeli Culture Minister Hili Tropper, museum curators and academics, and forced the postponement and eventual halt to the auction. “I am delighted that all our strenuous efforts to preserve intact the entirety of the collection of the L.A. Mayer Museum have come to such a successful conclusion,” Tropper said, saying the Al Thani Collection Foundation’s “generosity is a great tribute to the spirit of cross-cultural cooperation.”
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One of the most dramatic claims in Prince Harry and Meghan’s interview with Oprah Winfrey was the allegation that their son was denied a royal title, possibly because of his skin color.
Harry and Meghan’s son, seventh in line to the British throne, is Archie Mountbatten-Windsor. In contrast, the children of Harry’s older brother, Prince William, are Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.
Meghan said that while she was pregnant “they” — presumably the palace — “were saying they didn’t want him to be a prince … which would be different from protocol.”
She implied it might be a case of “the first member of color in this family not being titled in the same way that other grandchildren would be.”Was Archie Snubbed?
Queen Elizabeth II has nine great-grandchildren, including Archie. They are not princes and princesses, apart from the three children of Prince William, who is second in line to the throne and destined to be king one day.
A decree issued by King George V in 1917 limits the titles of prince and princess to the children of the monarch, children of the monarch’s sons and “the eldest living son of the eldest son of the Prince of Wales” — that’s William’s son Prince George.
Bob Morris from the Constitution Unit at University College London, said the rule was drawn up to trim the increasingly unwieldy number of princely titles.
“Queen Victoria had nine children who were all princes and princesses, and then they had children and so forth, and George V took the view … that something needed to be done to tidy up the situation,” he said.
The queen has the power to amend the rules, and in 2012 she decreed that all the children of Prince William and his wife, Catherine, not just the eldest, would be princes and princesses.
Under the George V convention, Archie is not a prince, but will become one as the grandchild of a monarch once current heir to the throne Prince Charles is king.
In her interview, Meghan said she was told that “they want to change the convention for Archie.”
It is unclear what she was referring to, but Morris said Prince Charles has let it be known “that he favors a smaller royal family” when he takes the throne.
Archie was eligible for a “courtesy title” at birth, such as Lord Archie Mountbatten-Windsor. At the time, it was reported that Harry and Meghan had chosen not to give him a title.
But Meghan told Winfrey that “it was not our decision to make.”Does The Title Affect Archie’s Security?
Meghan expressed concern that without a title, Archie “wasn’t going to receive security.”
But a royal title such as prince or princess does not automatically bring security protection. Full-time working royals — including Meghan and Harry before they moved to North America last year — receive taxpayer-funded police bodyguards. Senior royals who have jobs outside the family, such as Prince Andrew’s daughters Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, do not.What Does The Palace Say?
Buckingham Palace has not responded to specific allegations in the interview. In a statement, it said “the issues raised, particularly that of race, are concerning. While some recollections may vary, they are taken very seriously and will be addressed by the family privately.”
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Longtime NBC and CBS correspondent and television anchor Roger Mudd has died at the age of 93. CBS News says Mudd died Tuesday of complications of kidney failure at his home in McLean, Virginia.
The journalist famously once stumped Sen. Edward Kennedy by simply asking why he wanted to be president. During more than 30 years on network television, Mudd covered Congress, elections and political conventions. He was also a frequent anchor and contributor to various specials. His career coincided with the flowering of television news, when the big three networks and their powerhouse ranks of reporters were the main source of news for millions of Americans.
Besides work at CBS and NBC, he did stints on PBS’s “MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour” and the History Channel.
When he joined Robert MacNeil and Jim Lehrer’s show in 1987, Mudd told The Associated Press: I think they regard news and information and fact and opinion with a reverence and respect that really is admirable.''The Place To Be,” which came out in early 2008, and described the challenges and clashing egos he encountered working in Washington, where among other things he covered Congress for CBS for 15 years.
He wrote a memoir,
In an April 2008 interview on the NewsHour,'' he said heabsolutely loved” keeping tabs on the nation’s 100 senators and 435 representatives, all of them wanting to talk, great access, politics morning, noon and night, as opposed to the White House, where everything is zipped up and tightly held.'' CBS Reports: Teddy,” which aired just days before Kennedy officially announced his attempt to challenge then-President Carter for the 1980 Democratic presidential nomination.
Mudd received a George Foster Peabody Award for his November 1979 special
In the report, Mudd asked the Massachusetts senator a simple question: Why do you want to be president?'' Well, I’m, uh, were I to make the announcement to run, the reasons that I would run is because I have a great belief in this country. … We’re facing complex issues and problems in this nation at this time but we have faced similar challenges at other times. … And I would basically feel that it’s imperative for this country to move forward, that it can’t stand still, for otherwise it moves backward.”
Kennedy was unable to give a focused answer or specify what he personally wanted to do.
It was enough to prompt New York Times columnist Tom Wicker to give Kennedy the Safire Prize for Nattering Nabob of the Year.'' Carter went on to win the nomination for a second term, only to fall to Ronald Reagan in the general election. On the stump Kennedy can be dominating, imposing and masterful, but off the stump, in personal interviews, he can become stilted, elliptical and at times appear as if he really doesn’t want America to get to know him.”
As Mudd told viewers:
Mudd spent a fair amount of time in the CBS Evening News'' anchor chair, substituting for Walter Cronkite when he was off and anchoring the Saturday evening news broadcasts from 1966 to 1973. Nightly News” with Tom Brokaw for a year before Brokaw went solo in 1983, and for a time co-hosted
But he lost out to Dan Rather in the competition to succeed Cronkite as the news anchor at CBS when the latter retired in 1981. Cronkite, for one, had backed Rather because he didn't think Mudd had enough foreign experience.
It was then that Mudd jumped to NBC as its chief Washington correspondent. In addition, he co-anchored NBC'sMeet the Press,'' the Sunday morning interview show. a promotable commodity” rather than a public service. His departure had been rumored since he sharply criticized NBC News for canceling the newsmagazine show
But when he left NBC, he said management viewed news as1986,'' which he co-anchored with Connie Chung. Roger Mudd was one of the most gifted journalists of my lifetime. An astute political reporter and guardian of the highest standards. Roger’s dedication to fundamental journalistic practices remains a marker for future generations,” Brokaw said.
In five years on NewsHour,'' Mudd served as a senior correspondent, essayist and occasional anchor. He hosted a number of reports on American history and education, includingLearning in America: Schools That Work” and The Wizard: Thomas Alva Edison.'' NewsHour” in 1992 to teach journalism at Princeton University, describing the offer to teach at the Ivy League school as simply too appealing to turn down. He also was a host and correspondent for The History Channel from 1995 to 2004.
Mudd left the
Among his other awards over the years, Mudd shared in a Peabody for the 1970 CBS documentary The Selling of the Pentagon,'' which looked at the military's public relations efforts. Mudd was the narrator of the program, which the Peabody judges said waselectronic journalism at its best.”
Early in his career at CBS, Mudd was teamed with Robert Trout to anchor coverage of the 1964 Democratic convention after CBS _ using Walter Cronkite as anchor _ trailed NBC’s Chet Huntley and David Brinkley in the ratings at the Republican convention. The memorably named Mudd-Trout team did not conquer NBC’s duo, and Cronkite was back as anchor on election night that November.
In 1990, he received the Joan Shorenstein Barone award for distinguished Washington reporting.
Before joining CBS News, Mudd worked at radio station WTOP in Washington. Before that, he was news director at WRNL Radio in Richmond, Virginia, a reporter for the Richmond News Leader and a research assistant with the House Committee on Tax-Exempt Foundation. He was also an English and history teacher and football coach at Darlington School in Rome, Georgia.
In 1977, Mudd received an honorary doctorate from Washington and Lee University, his alma mater. He donated his 1,500 volume collection of 20th-century Southern writers to the university in 2006. He earned a master’s degree in American History from the University of North Carolina in 1951.
Mudd, who was born in Washington, was a distant relative of Dr. Samuel Mudd, the doctor who was arrested for treating an injured John Wilkes Booth shortly after Booth assassinated President Abraham Lincoln. The doctor, who was eventually pardoned, said he hadn’t been aware of the killing when he aided Booth.
According to CBS News, Mudd and his late wife, the former E.J. Spears, are survived by their four children, as well as 14 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
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U.S. President Joe Biden’s two dogs have reportedly been sent back to his home in Delaware after what has been described as aggressive behavior toward a member of White House security.
The U.S. cable channel CNN first reported late Monday one of the dogs, Major, had bitten a security staff member, citing people close to the situation. There was no report on how serious the bite was, but apparently staff felt it warranted to remove the dogs from the White House and its grounds.
Major, at three years old, is the younger of the Biden’s two German shepherds and was adopted from a Delaware animal shelter. The CNN sources said the dog has been known to display “agitated” behavior, including jumping, barking and “charging at some staff members. Reports say there has been no comment from the White House.
The other dog, Champion, is at least 13 years old and slowed by age. Both are the first rescue dogs to live at the White House.
In interviews, first lady Jill Biden has indicated it has taken the dogs some time to get used to their surroundings at the White House since moving in January. She said they tend to “run all over.”
The CNN sources which confirmed the dogs had been taken to Delaware indicated it is not unusual for the animals to stay there with “minders” when the first lady is out of town. Jill Biden left Monday for a two-day trip to Washington state and California.
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Buckingham Palace said Tuesday the British royal family is “saddened to learn the full extent of how challenging the past few years have been” for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, popularly known as Harry and Meghan.Following a widely publicized CBS interview Sunday with Oprah Winfrey, in which issues of race, family dynamics and suicidal thoughts were raised, a Buckingham Palace statement issued on behalf of Queen Elizabeth said, “While some recollections may vary, they are taken very seriously and will be addressed by the family privately.”The statement, published on Twitter, also said the couple and their son Archie will always be “much loved family members.”The statement comes after Markle, who is biracial, said a member of the family raised concerns over “how dark” Archie would be. The former actress is now pregnant with her second child.In February, the palace announced the duke and duchess would not return as working royals, almost a year after it was announced that they would be stepping down from their duties as working members of the royal family. The couple moved to North America later that year. They currently reside in California.Tuesday marks the first time the royal family has publicly responded to the issues raised in the Sunday interview.
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Britain’s royal family was plunged into crisis Monday, a day after the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, known popularly as Harry and Meghan, said in an interview that a royal had raised concerns about the color of son Archie’s skin and that the child would not be made a prince. “So, we have in tandem the conversation of, you won’t be given security. He won’t be given security. He’s not going to be given a title. And also concerns and conversations about how dark his skin might be when he’s born,” Meghan told media mogul Oprah Winfrey in the interview broadcast Sunday evening on U.S. television network CBS. Meghan is the biracial child of a Black mother and white father. Questioned about the allegations later in the interview, Prince Harry said the conversation had taken place early in his and Meghan’s relationship. They did not name the person who made the comment.Sorry, but your browser cannot support embedded video of this type, you can
FILE – Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex gesture during their visit to the Storyhouse in Chester, Cheshire on June 14, 2018.British analyst Richard Fitzwilliams said the extent of Harry and Meghan’s broken relationship with the royal family has been laid bare. “They feel angry and bitter. This is an ultimate act of revenge, because it’s unclear precisely how the palace will respond to it. However, you cannot do nothing when allegations of this sort are made. And most particularly, the allegation of racism — that will be absolutely toxic. But this is, I would emphasize, only one side of the question,” Fitzwilliams told VOA. Critics said Winfrey should have questioned Meghan’s behavior more closely. “This is a woman who seems to make a habit of falling out with people. But none of Meghan’s real behavior was questioned. It was an absolute exercise in torching the House of Windsor, and I came away with a very distasteful taste in my mouth,” royal biographer Anna Pasternak told BBC News. The revelations will be painful for Queen Elizabeth, Fitzwilliams said. “What they paint is a portrait of isolation, and the palace is portrayed (as) a form of prison. This is extremely destructive, and I don’t think it will play out happily in any way at all. The queen, at nearly 95, will be deeply hurt by it. It’s worthwhile remembering Prince Philip (the queen’s husband) at 99 is recovering from a procedure to treat a preexisting heart condition.” Divided publicThe interview is proving divisive among the British public. “As a Black woman, she (Meghan) didn’t get it very easy within the royal family, and the newspapers weren’t exactly friendly about it, either,” said Karen Louise, a 39-year-old photographer from London. Seventy-five-year-old London resident Elaine Naylor criticized the couple’s decision to go ahead with the interview. “I think they’ve done the wrong thing. And I’m sorry, really, because I don’t think they’ve done themselves any good at all,” Naylor said. The royal couple visited South Africa in 2019, a country with which Harry has forged a lifelong bond. Residents of Johannesburg Monday offered support for Meghan. “As soon as they got married, you know, the British tabloids just started attacking her. From the word, ‘go,’ they started attacking her. So, I think there is racism playing a part,” said Johannesburg resident Timmy Mathebula. Problem for BritainThe acrimony of Harry and Meghan’s separation from the royal family sits in stark contrast to the hopes of their marriage in 2018, Fitzwilliams said. “Harry and Meghan were going to be the couple who would modernize the monarchy, reach out to young people — particularly persons of color, and especially in the Commonwealth. It was a fantastic idea, and she was so articulate, too. But this does not represent anything resembling the reality with the resentment behind this interview.” The accusations could impact Britain’s image abroad. “I think Britain perhaps has got a problem here, because younger people, persons of color, you will find perhaps different views. … It will be interesting to see the polls. But this is terribly destructive,” Fitzwilliams told VOA. Harry also revealed he and Meghan are expecting a girl. “To have any child, any one or two, would be amazing. But to have a boy, then a girl. What else can you ask for?” he said. But the interview will be remembered most for the couple’s allegations made against the royal family as the world awaits its response.
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International Women’s Day celebrates women’s achievements and highlights issues of women’s rights. To mark the occasion Monday, the U.S. State Department presented the International Women of Courage Award, and VOA spoke with a recipient. VOA’s Arash Arabasadi has this report.Camera: AP/REUTERS/SKYPE Produced by: Arash Arabasadi
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Malala Yousafzai is a Nobel laureate known around the world for her activism, but she’s also a cartoon fan, and is taking her love of television and film to Apple TV+.
Yousafzai, 23, who graduated from Oxford last June, announced Monday that she has partnered with Apple in a multi-year deal to develop dramas, documentaries, comedies, animation and series for kids.
Yousafzai was the youngest winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, in 2014, for working to protect children from slavery, extremism and child labor. In her home country, Pakistan, she was outspoken in insisting that girls have a right to an education. She was shot in the head by a Taliban gunman while riding a school bus at age 15. She recovered and went on to fight against girls’ oppression worldwide.
In an interview with The Associated Press, Yousafzai talked about her love of cartoons as an escape, how she stays hopeful in a sometimes bleak world, and how she will mark Monday’s International Women’s Day.
This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.
AP: Your new deal with Apple includes comedy and animated shows. Are you a comedy fan?
Yousafzai: In my childhood, it was Cartoon Network and, you know, seeing “Tom and Jerry,” “Courage,” “Scooby Doo” and all of those TV cartoon shows. When you are a child — and especially when terrorism started — to know that there is sort of this world in cartoons where you can escape from the reality around you and just giggle and laugh and just entertain yourself. You know, I have been watching comedy movies from Bollywood to Hollywood, and I am a big fan of animation as well. I have not missed a single animation movie. It just keeps you engaged and entertained and also gives you very beautiful messages.
AP: You’ll also be developing documentaries and maybe covering your world travels to help girls?
Yousafzai: I definitely want to do documentaries and non-scripted shows, and it will cover a lot — hopefully my own journey as well — and the incredible girls that I meet…. But there’s so much more to explore and to learn. I’m excited. You know, I’m still at the stage where I’m exploring ideas. I can tell you that there are so many incredible ideas and it’s so difficult to pick and choose one.
AP: A stat on your website suggests it will take 100 years until all girls have access to education. Sometimes the news is so dark, how do you maintain hope?
Yousafzai: I think when you raise your voice, it can have an impact and it can bring change. What will make me pessimistic is if we don’t do anything. So as long as we keep doing our part, there is optimism, there is hope. I think it’s just the silence that keeps things going as they are.
AP: How are you going to mark International Women’s Day?
YousafzaI: We need to just take a bit of a break and celebrate the accomplishments that women have made. And I’m not just talking about historical figures and activist women — we need to applaud them and appreciate them. But us as individuals, who are in school, in colleges studying, or parents who are coping with COVID and being at home and managing their kids and also doing work and managing these Zoom calls and everything. So to all the women who just coped — especially last year, you know — take a break and be proud of yourself. You have done an incredible job.
AP: Many girls look up to you as a hero. Who are your heroes?
YousafzaI: I have many, many heroes, from my parents to historical figures like Benazir Bhutto, Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela. But the people who have actually and truly inspired me are the young girls that I have met in my journey. Girls from Iraq to Brazil, Nigeria, Kenya. So many of these girls have incredible stories that they have seen — wars, conflicts. They have become displaced. They have been forced into marriages at early ages. But they do not give up on their dreams and they are still fighting for the right to education, for their right to a safe future. If they are not giving up on their fight for education, then why should we?
AP: How has it been in quarantine at home?
Yousafzai: I spent the last two months of college at home because of COVID. And I was taking my exams at home and I graduated at home and it’s all just been home, home, home. I have two younger brothers and it’s quite difficult to manage your work while they’re in the house. They have their own sort of schedule and timetable. And I would have an important call and they would just come to my room and not appreciate that. But still, you know, they are my brothers and I love them. So we’re just coping with it and trying our best not to argue too much.
AP: What is your message for young girls who want to be activists?
Yousafzai: My message to young girls is always, never underestimate yourself. We are often told that you have to grow older and get a PhD or something, and then once you are 50 or 40, then you can change things. Follow that path if you want, but you can change things now as well. Do not underestimate the power you have, even in the small actions that you take, whether that is raising awareness, doing fundraising for a cause you believe in, talking to somebody that doesn’t agree with you…. Talk about why women’s rights and girls’ rights are important, why climate change is important. All of these things matter.
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Meghan, the wife of Prince Harry, accused Britain’s royal family of raising concerns about how dark their son’s skin might be and pushing her to the brink of suicide, in a tell-all television interview that could send shockwaves through the monarchy.The 39-year-old, whose mother is Black and father is white, said she had been naive before she married into royalty in 2018, but that she ended up having suicidal thoughts and considering self-harm after pleading for help but getting none.Meghan said that her son, Archie, now 1, had been denied the title of prince because there were concerns within the royal family about “about how dark his skin might be when he’s born.””That was relayed to me from Harry, those were conversations that family had with him,” Meghan recounted in an interview with Oprah Winfrey aired on CBS late Sunday.Meghan declined to say who had aired such concerns, as did Harry, who said his family had cut them off financially and that his father, Prince Charles, heir to the British throne, had let him down and refused to take his calls at one point.Buckingham Palace had no immediate comment about the interview, which aired in the early hours of Monday morning in Britain.The sit-down conversation with Winfrey was the most anticipated royal interview since Harry’s late mother, Princess Diana, shared intimate details of her failed marriage to Charles in 1995, denting the heir’s reputation and the family’s standing in the eyes of the British public.Nearly three years since her star-studded wedding in Windsor Castle, Meghan described some unidentified members of the royal household as brutal, mendacious and guilty of racist remarks.She also accused Kate, the wife of her husband’s elder brother, Prince William, of making her cry before her wedding.While the family came in for open criticism, neither Harry nor Meghan attacked Queen Elizabeth directly.Still, Meghan said she had been silenced by “the Firm” — which Elizabeth heads — and that her pleas for help while in distress at racist reporting and her predicament had fallen on deaf ears.”I just didn’t want to be alive anymore. And that was a very clear and real and frightening constant thought. And I remember how he (Harry) just cradled me,” Meghan said, wiping away tears.’Really let down’Harry and Meghan’s announcement in January 2020 that they intended to step down from their royal roles plunged the family into crisis. Last month, Buckingham Palace confirmed the split would be permanent, as the couple looks to forge an independent life in the United States.Harry, 36, said they had stepped back from royal duties because of a lack of understanding, and he was worried about history repeating itself — a reference to the death of his mother, Diana, who was killed in a 1997 crash as her car sped away from pursuing photographers.Asked what his mother would say about events, he said: “I think she would feel very angry with how this has panned out and very sad.”He felt “really let down” by his father and added: “My family literally cut me off financially.”Harry denied blindsiding Queen Elizabeth, his grandmother, with his decision to shun life within the monarchy, but said his father stopped taking his calls at one point.”I had three conversations with my grandmother, and two conversations with my father before he stopped taking my calls. And then he said, ‘Can you put this all in writing?’”Detractors say the couple wanted the limelight but were not willing to live with the attention it brought. To supporters, their treatment shows how an outdated British institution lashed out against a modern, independent biracial woman.Lies and tearsThere have also been allegations of bullying against Meghan which appeared in The Times newspaper in the buildup to the couple’s appearance. Buckingham Palace said it would investigate the claims, adding it was “very concerned.”Meghan told Winfrey that people within the royal institution not only failed to protect her against malicious claims but lied to protect others.”It was only once we were married and everything started to really worsen that I came to understand that not only was I not being protected, but that they were willing to lie to protect other members of the family,” Meghan said.Meghan denied a newspaper story that she had made Kate, Duchess of Cambridge, cry before the wedding and said it was a turning point in her relations with the media and the palace.”The reverse happened,” Meghan said. “A few days before the wedding she (Kate) was upset about something, pertaining to yes, the issue was correct about the flower girl dresses, and it made me cry. And it really hurt my feelings.”Meghan, who said they were not paid for the interview, conceded she had not realized what she was marrying into when she joined the British monarchy and “went into it naively.”The couple also revealed that Meghan, who is pregnant with their second child, was expecting a girl.Harry said Meghan had “saved” him from his trapped royal life. “I would disagree, I think he saved all of us. You made a decision that certainly saved my life,” Meghan said.”This is in some ways just the beginning for us.”
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Britain’s royal family on Sunday braced for further revelations from Prince Harry and his American wife, Meghan, as a week of transatlantic claim and counter-claim reaches a climax with the broadcast of their interview with Oprah Winfrey.The two-hour chat with the U.S. chat show queen is the biggest royal interview since Harry’s mother princess Diana detailed her crumbling marriage to his father Prince Charles in 1995.Diana’s shock admission of affairs on both sides, and her life in the world’s most famous family, was watched by more than 22 million people in Britain — a record.But that could be eclipsed by Harry and Meghan’s tell-all with Winfrey, who has reportedly sold it to U.S. broadcaster CBS for $7-9 million (£5.1 million to £6.5 million, 5.9 million to 7.6 million euros).Winfrey also retains the international rights, which will feed an appetite of interest about Britain’s centuries-old monarchy — and their troubles — across the globe.”Tin hats on,” one royal aide was quoted as telling the Sunday Times, after a drip of excerpts in which Meghan complained about the strictures of royal life from her gated Californian mansion.Viewers will tune in to see if she and Harry have scores to settle with Buckingham Palace since leaving the royal frontline — and if so, how far will they go?Smear campaign?Close attention will be paid to any suggestion by Meghan, who is mixed race that racism played a part in their shock decision to move to North America.The former television actress, 39, has been portrayed in some British newspapers as headstrong, calculating and spoiled, and the couple reckless and selfish for quitting royal life.But in her defense, Meghan’s supporters, particularly in the United States, have seen hints of racism, claiming the monarchy could not deal with a “strong black woman.”In one excerpt, Meghan, who is pregnant with the couple’s second child, accused the royals of orchestrating a calculated smear campaign and “perpetuating falsehoods” about them.That came hours after revelations she was facing an internal palace investigation into claims that she bullied royal household staff after she and Harry married in a fairytale wedding in 2018.Further reports the couple are facing a probe into their charitable foundation have been seen as a counter-offensive by the embattled royals in a bitter battle for public support and sympathy.No winnersJust hours before the broadcast, Harry’s grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, and other senior royals, including his father and older brother William, make their own TV appearance.The Commonwealth Day celebration normally passes with little fanfare in Britain, but this year is being watched closely for signs of implied criticism of Harry and Meghan.Excerpts released Saturday showed William and his wife Kate — with whom Harry and Meghan have reportedly fallen out — praising global health workers for their work during the coronavirus pandemic.That is likely to be viewed in British newspapers in contrast to Harry and Meghan, who have been criticized for complaining about their life, even after signing lucrative deals in the last year.The couple, known formally as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, are likely to get more public sympathy — and a greater profile — in the United States.But royal author Penny Junor said the whole affair was “a mess”. “I don’t think there are going to be any winners in it,” she said.’Come out swinging’The Sunday Times said the queen, 94, would not watch the interview, which is due to air in full on Sunday night in the United States and Monday night in Britain.The weekly quoted unnamed courtiers as calling the situation a “circus”, and the palace would “come out swinging” if individuals are attacked.Viewers will also watch to see if Harry sheds light on his rift with William, after reports he and his wife Kate were lukewarm towards Meghan.They are also likely to expand on their attitudes to the media, which they said prompted their departure, and against whom they have launched a slew of legal claims.”My biggest concern was history repeating itself,” Harry, 36, told Winfrey in one excerpt, referring to his mother’s death in a 1997 Paris car crash as she fled paparazzi photographers.Harry and Meghan first stepped back from royal duties in March last year. It was confirmed last month they would not return and were stripped of their royal patronages and honorary titles.
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Two documentaries shine a light on women defying the odds in the face of brutality and corruption. VOA’s Penelope Poulou spoke with the filmmakers and has the story.
Camera: Penelope Poulou Producer: Penelope Poulou
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Meghan Markle, Britain’s Duchess of Sussex, says she is now “ready to talk” along with husband Prince Harry, ahead of a highly anticipated weekend airing of an interview with Oprah Winfrey.Markle credits her newfound freedom for opening up about the limitations put on her by the royal family and her appreciation for making her own decisions.”It’s really liberating to be able to have the right and the privilege in some ways to be able to say, ‘Yes … I’m ready to talk,’ ” she said.Markle believes now is the time to share her side of the story and how life has changed since leaving the royal family.“We’re on the other side of a lot of, a lot of life experience that’s happened,” Markle said. “And also that we have the ability to make our own choices in a way that I couldn’t have said yes to you then, that wasn’t my choice to make.”Markle and Prince Harry, who tied the knot in May 2018, stunned the royal family in January when they announced they would step down from their official royal duties to live independently in Montecito, California.Since coming to Montecito, the couple announced their new commonwealth project, Archewell Foundation, named after their son Archie. Teaming with chef José Andrés’ World Central Kitchen, the foundation said it would create Community Relief Centers in regions of the world prone to climate disasters.Sunday’s interview comes after Buckingham Palace announced Wednesday it would be launching an investigation into claims Markle bullied her staff while still living as a royal in London.“I don’t know how they could expect that after all of this time, we would still just be silent if there is an active role that the firm is playing in perpetuating falsehoods about us,” Markle said.Oprah with Meghan and Harry will air this Sunday at 8 p.m. EST on the CBS television network.
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A lot of food is wasted around the world, and the United Nations says it needs better data to determine just how much.
Citing the environmental impact of food production, the U.N. says understanding the scope of food waste is crucial.
Despite the lack of data, the U.N. estimates in its report that 17%, or 931 million tons, of the food produced around the world went to waste in 2019.
“Improved measurement can lead to improved management,” Brian Roe, a food waste researcher at The Ohio State University who was not involved in the report, told the Associated Press.
The U.N. says once the scale of food waste is known, it will be easier to come up with potential solutions, such as turning waste into animal feed or fertilizer.
According to the U.N., food waste is not limited to developed countries, but is a growing problem in poorer countries where refrigeration might not always be available.
“For a long time, it was assumed that food waste in the home was a significant problem only in developed countries,” Marcus Gover, CEO of WRAP, a charity that works with governments to reduce food waste, told Reuters.
Clementine O’Connor, of the U.N. Environment Program and co-author of the report, said many countries “haven’t yet quantified their food waste, so they don’t understand the scale of the problem.”
In the United States, one way to mitigate food waste could be to clarify the meaning of food labeling, such as “sell by,” “best by” and “enjoy by” dates, according to Chris Barrett, an agricultural economist at Cornell University.
He said some people might throw away food based on those dates even though the food may still be safe to eat.
“Food waste is a consequence of sensible decisions by people acting on the best information available,” he told AP.
The U.S. Agriculture Department estimates an American family of four wastes about $1,500 worth of food each year.
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Prince Philip has had a successful heart procedure at a London hospital and is expected to remain for several days of “rest and recuperation,” Buckingham Palace said Thursday.
The palace said the 99-year-old husband of Queen Elizabeth II “underwent a successful procedure for a pre-existing heart condition at St Bartholomew’s Hospital.”
“His royal highness will remain in hospital for treatment, rest and recuperation for a number of days,” the palace said in a statement.
Philip, 99, has been hospitalized since being admitted to King Edward VII’s Hospital in London on Feb. 16, where he was treated for an infection. On Monday he was transferred to a specialized cardiac care hospital, St. Bartholomew’s.
Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, said Wednesday that Philip’s condition was “slightly improving.”
“We’ll keep our fingers crossed,” said Camilla, who is married to Prince Charles, eldest son of Philip and the queen.
Philip’s illness is not believed to be related to the coronavirus. Both Philip and the monarch received COVID-19 vaccinations in January and chose to publicize the matter to encourage others to also take the vaccine. FILE – Prince Philip The Duke of Edinburgh has been hospitalized.Philip, also known as the Duke of Edinburgh, retired in 2017 and rarely appears in public. Before his hospitalization, Philip had been isolating at Windsor Castle, west of London, with the queen.
Although he enjoyed good health well into old age, Philip has had heart issues in the past. In 2011, he was rushed to a hospital by helicopter after suffering chest pains and was treated for a blocked coronary artery.
The longest-serving royal consort in British history, Philip married the then-Princess Elizabeth in 1947. He and the queen have four children, eight grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.
His illness comes as the royal family braces for the broadcast of an interview conducted by Oprah Winfrey with Meghan, Duchess of Sussex.Britain’s Prince Harry and his wife Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, are pictured in this undated handout photo supplied to Reuters, following an announcement that they are expecting their second child.Meghan and husband Prince Harry quit royal duties last year and moved to California, citing what they said were the unbearable intrusions and racist attitudes of the British media.
Relations between the couple and the palace appear to have become increasingly strained. On Wednesday, the palace said it was launching a human resources investigation after a newspaper reported that a former aide had accused Meghan of bullying staff in 2018.
In a clip from the pre-recorded Winfrey interview, released by CBS, Winfrey asks Meghan how she feels about the palace “hearing you speak your truth today?”
“I don’t know how they could expect that after all of this time we would still just be silent if there was an active role that the firm is playing in perpetuating falsehoods about us,” the duchess says.
“The Firm” is a nickname for the royal family, sometimes used with affection and sometimes with a note of criticism.
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With this past year’s city-shaking protests and quarantine closures, shops in cities across the country have been boarded up. In Seattle and other American cities, the plywood, – along with walls, sidewalks and even roads – have become a canvas for artists. As life gradually returns to normal, one question lingers: what will happen to the protest art many see as part of history in the making? Natasha Mozgovaya has more.
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Bunny Wailer, a reggae luminary who was the last surviving member of the legendary group The Wailers, died on Tuesday in his native Jamaica, according to his manager. He was 73.
Wailer, a baritone singer whose birth name is Neville Livingston, formed The Wailers in 1963 with late superstars Bob Marley and Peter Tosh when they lived in a slum in the capital of Kingston.
They first recorded catapulted to international fame with the album, “Catch a Fire.” In addition to their music, the Wailers and other Rasta musicians popularized Rastafarian culture among better-off Jamaicans starting in the 1970s.
Wailer’s death was mourned worldwide as people shared pictures, music and memories of the renown artist.
“The passing of Bunny Wailer, the last of the original Wailers, brings to a close the most vibrant period of Jamaica’s musical experience,” wrote Jamaica politician Peter Phillips in a Facebook post. “Bunny was a good, conscious Jamaican brethren.”
Jamaica’s Prime Minister, Andrew Holness, also paid tribute to Wailer, calling him “a respected elder statesman of the Jamaican music scene,” in a series of tweets.
“This is a great loss for Jamaica and for Reggae, undoubtedly Bunny Wailer will always be remembered for his sterling contribution to the music industry and Jamaica’s culture,” he wrote.
While Wailer toured the world, he was more at home in Jamaica’s mountains and he enjoyed farming while writing and recording songs on his label, Solomonic.
“I think I love the country actually a little bit more than the city,” Wailer told The Associated Press in 1989. “It has more to do with life, health and strength. The city takes that away sometimes. The country is good for meditation. It has fresh food and fresh atmosphere – that keeps you going.”
A year before, in 1988, he had chartered a jet and flew to Jamaica with food to help those affected by Hurricane Gilbert.
“Sometimes people pay less attention to those things (food) but they turn out to be the most important things. I am a farmer,” he told the AP.
The three-time Grammy winner died at the Andrews Memorial Hospital in the Jamaican parish of St Andrew, his manager, Maxine Stowe, told reporters. His cause of death was not immediately clear. Local newspapers had reported he was in and out of the hospital after a stroke nearly a year ago.
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Here are the winners in key categories for the 78th Golden Globe Awards, which were handed out on Sunday. “Nomadland” boosted its Oscars momentum by taking home the prizes for best drama film and best director for Chloe Zhao. On the comedy side, “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm” was named best musical or comedy film, and Sacha Baron Cohen was named best comedy actor. “The Crown” dominated in the television drama categories. Comedians Tina Fey and Amy Poehler were back to host the event — the first major awards show of a pandemic-era season that culminates with the Oscars on April 25 — though they were on opposite coasts due to the coronavirus crisis. FILM Best film, drama: “Nomadland” Best film, musical or comedy: “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm” Best director: Chloe Zhao, “Nomadland” Best actor, drama: Chadwick Boseman, “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” Best actress, drama: Andra Day, “The United States vs Billie Holiday” Best actor, musical or comedy: Sacha Baron Cohen, “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm” Best actress, musical or comedy: Rosamund Pike, “I Care A Lot” Best supporting actor: Daniel Kaluuya, “Judas and the Black Messiah” Best supporting actress: Jodie Foster, “The Mauritanian” Best foreign language film: “Minari” Best animated feature: “Soul” TELEVISION Best drama series: “The Crown” Best drama actor: Josh O’Connor, “The Crown” Best drama actress: Emma Corrin, “The Crown” Best musical or comedy series: “Schitt’s Creek” Best musical or comedy actor: Jason Sudeikis, “Ted Lasso” Best musical or comedy actress: Catherine O’Hara, “Schitt’s Creek” Best supporting actor: John Boyega, “Small Axe” Best supporting actress: Gillian Anderson, “The Crown” Best limited series or TV movie: “The Queen’s Gambit” Best limited series or TV movie actor: Mark Ruffalo, “I Know This Much Is True” Best limited series or TV movie actress: Anya Taylor-Joy, “The Queen’s Gambit”
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Drama “Nomadland” and satire “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm” won movie honors at the Golden Globes on Sunday in a mostly virtual bicoastal ceremony that was marked by impassioned calls for more diversity and the dominance of Netflix. “Nomadland,” a moving drama about van dwellers in recession-hit America from Searchlight Pictures, also took the best director prize for Chinese-born Chloe Zhao.It made Zhao only the second woman to win at the Globes in that category, and the first woman director of Asian descent to win. “For everyone who has gone through this difficult and beautiful journey at some point in their lives, this is for you,” said Zhao. “We don’t say goodbye, we say see you down the road,” she said, quoting a line from the movie. The two wins for “Nomadland” increased the profile of the film ahead of nominations in March for the Oscars. Sacha Baron Cohen, the creator of “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm” from Amazon Studios was named best comedy movie actor, while singer Andra Day was a surprise winner for her lead role in “The United States vs. Billie Holiday.” “Donald Trump is contesting the result!” Baron Cohen joked about the win for the “Borat” sequel, which was a satire on the America of the former U.S. president. Netflix Inc’s period drama “Mank,” about “Citizen Kane” screenwriter Herman Mankiewicz, had gone into Sunday’s show with a leading six nods but ended the night empty-handed.78th Annual Golden Globe Awards, Feb. 28, 2021.Nevertheless, the streaming service was the biggest winner on Sunday, with four wins in the movie field and six for television, including best TV drama series “The Crown” and limited series chess saga “The Queen’s Gambit.” The usual chummy gathering of A-listers at a gala dinner in Beverly Hills, California, was replaced by webcams in the homes of celebrities that were either dressed up or, like “Ted Lasso” star Jason Sudeikis, in casual garb. Hosted by Tina Fey in New York and Amy Poehler in Beverly Hills, the small physical audiences were made up of masked frontline workers. Peter Morgan, creator of “The Crown” said he missed being together. “I’m just sorry I am sitting here in my tragic little office and not surrounded by the people who make this show such a pleasure,” Morgan said, appearing by video. However Jodie Foster, a best supporting actress winner for the Guantanamo prison legal drama “The Mauritanian,” told reporters backstage that she felt it was one of the best Golden Globe shows ever. “It didn’t feel like it was filled with so much artifice,” said Foster. Emotional high points included a posthumous best actor award for Chadwick Boseman, who died at age 43 last August from an undisclosed battle with cancer. “He would say something beautiful,” said his widow Simone Ledward Boseman, as she fought back tears. “I don’t have his words.” British actors Daniel Kaluuya and John Boyega were among other Black winners chosen by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA), which has been lambasted in recent days for having no Black people among its 87 members.Daniel Kaluuya at the 78th Annual Golden Globe Awards, Feb. 28, 2021.”Soul,” the first Pixar movie to have a Black character in the lead, was named best animated movie and won best score. The HFPA was the target of jokes and comments throughout the night. “We all know awards shows are stupid,” said Fey. “Even in stupid things, inclusivity is important and there are no Black members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association.” Members of the HFPA appeared briefly on Sunday’s show and pledged to do better. Jane Fonda, 83, used her lifetime achievement acceptance speech to make the case for elevating all voices in Hollywood, saying that stories “really can change people.”
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Black British actors Daniel Kaluuya and John Boyega, and animated movie “Soul,” were among the early winners at Sunday’s virtual Golden Globes ceremony, which took place under a cloud following a furor over diversity.Kaluuya won best supporting actor for his role as Black Panther activist Fred Hampton in “Judas and the Black Messiah.””This took it out of me. I gave everything,” said Kaluuya, accepting the award via a webcam.Boyega won the supporting actor award for his role in the “Small Axe” series of TV movies about life as a Black person in 1970s London. “Soul,” the first Pixar movie to have a black character in the lead, was named best animated movie.The usual chummy gathering of A-listers at a gala dinner in Beverly Hills has been overshadowed by the coronavirus pandemic and controversy over the lack of Black members in the 87-member Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) whose members choose the Golden Globe winners.Actor Laura Dern presents the Best Supporting Actor award, in this handout photo from the 78th Annual Golden Globe Awards in Beverly Hills, California, Feb. 28, 2021.Three members of the HFPA appeared on the show and pledged to do better.”We look forward to a more inclusive future,” said Ali Sar, the current president, who is from Turkey.Comedians Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, hosting from New York and Los Angeles respectively, opened the show by lobbing a series of jokes at the expense of the HFPA.”Let’s see what these European weirdos nominated this year,” Fey said.”We all know awards shows are stupid,” she said. “Even in stupid things, inclusivity is important and there are no Black members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. I realize HFPA maybe you guys didn’t get the memo … but you’ve got to change that.”In the movie category, Netflix period drama “Mank,” about the screenwriter of “Citizen Kane,” went into Sunday’s show with a leading six nominations, including for best drama movie, for actors Gary Oldman and Amanda Seyfried, and for director David Fincher.The biggest competition comes from Searchlight Pictures’ “Nomadland,” a moving documentary-style drama about van dwellers in recession-hit America, and star-laden 1960s hippie courtroom drama “The Trial of the Chicago 7,” also from Netflix. The #MeToo revenge black comedy “Promising Young Woman” and the unsettling aging tale “The Father” round out the film drama nominations.Aaron Sorkin won the Golden Globe for best screenplay for “The Trial of the Chicago 7.”The Disney+ TV film of hit Broadway musical “Hamilton” and Amazon Studios’ “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm,” a satire on the America of former President Donald Trump, are seen as front-runners in the best comedy or musical movie category.For television, the Netflix royal series “The Crown” leads the way with six nods, followed by quirky small-town comedy “Schitt’s Creek” on Pop TV.”Black Panther” star Chadwick Boseman, whose death at 43 of an undisclosed battle with cancer stunned fans and the industry, is considered the favorite for a best actor Golden Globe. His last performance, as a brash trumpet player in drama “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” was released after his death.Jane Fonda and TV producer Norman Lear will get lifetime achievement awards on Sunday.
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When drained of glamour, what’s left of the Golden Globes?That’s one of the biggest questions heading into the 78th annual awards on Sunday night. The show, postponed two months from its usual early-January perch, will have little of what makes the Globes one of the frothiest and glitziest events of the year. Due to the pandemic, there will be no parade of stars down the red carpet outside the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, California. Its hosts, Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, will be on different sides of the country.More than any award show, the Globes revel in being an intimate banquet of stars. When the show begins at 8 p.m. EST on NBC, with Poehler in Beverly Hills and Fey in New York’s Rainbow Room, the circumstances will test the Globes telecast like never before.Presenters will include Awkwafina, Joaquin Phoenix, Kristen Wiig, Tiffany Haddish, Margot Robbie and Angela Bassett. At least some of them will be present at one of the two locations. Pre-show coverage is still going forward on E! beginning at 4 p.m. EST and on NBC beginning at 7 p.m. EST. The telecast will be streamed on NBC’s website with a television-provider log-in, as well as on the Roku Channel, Hulu with Live TV, YouTube TV, AT&T TV, Sling TV and Fubo TV.Lack of diversityBut pandemic improvising is only part of the damage control the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, which puts on the Globes, finds itself dealing with this year. A pair of extensive reports by the Los Angeles Times and The New York Times in the week leading up to the awards renewed scrutiny on the press association and its 87 voting members.While the HFPA has long been known as an organization with members of questionable qualification — most of its members don’t write for well-known publications — and are known for being swayed by high-priced junkets, the reports again forced the HFPA to defend itself.Among the most damning details was the revelation that there are no Black voting members in the group, something that only reinforced criticism that the press association — which host Ricky Gervais last year called “very, very racist” in his opening monologue — needs overhauling. This year, none of the most acclaimed Black-led films — Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, One Night in Miami, Judas and the Black Messiah, Da 5 Bloods — were nominated for the Globes’ best picture award.In a statement, the HFPA said it would make “an action plan” to change. “We understand that we need to bring in Black members, as well as members from other underrepresented backgrounds,” the group said.For some, none of the revelations were surprising. Ava DuVernay tweeted in response to the Los Angeles Times article: “Reveals? As in, people are acting like this isn’t already widely known? For YEARS?”Two-time nominee Sterling K. Brown, who’s presenting Sunday, said in an Instagram post that “having a multitude of Black presenters does not absolve you of your lack of diversity.”“87 people wield a tremendous amount of power,” said Brown. “For any governing body of a current Hollywood award show to have such a lack of voting representation illustrates a level of irresponsibility that should not be ignored.”42 nominations for NetflixYet the Globes have persisted because of their popularity (the show ranks as the third most-watched award show, after the Oscars and Grammys), their profitability (NBC paid $60 million for broadcast rights in 2018) and because they serve as important marketing material for contending films and Oscar hopefuls. That may be especially true this year when the pandemic has upset the normal rhythms of buzz in a virtual awards season lacking the usual frenzy.The Globes are happening on the original date of the Academy Awards, which are instead to be held April 25.Netflix comes in with a commanding 42 nominations, including a leading six nods for David Fincher’s Mank and The Crown also topping TV nominees with six nods. Aaron Sorkin’s The Trial of the Chicago 7, also from Netflix, is also a heavyweight with five nominations.Chloe Zhao, the Nomadland filmmaker and Oscar frontrunner, is expected to become the first woman of Asian descent to win best director at the Globes and the first woman since Barbra Streisand won for Yentl in 1984.Chadwick Boseman, nominated for best actor for his performance in the August Wilson adaptation Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, could win a posthumous Golden Globe. Boseman is widely expected to be nominated for an Oscar.And Borat Subsequent Moviefilm stands a good chance of being crowned best picture, comedy or musical. With many of the leading nominees in the drama category — among them Mank, Nomadland, The Father, Promising Young Woman and The Trial of the Chicago 7 — Sacha Baron Cohen’s sequel could emerge a big winner. Cohen, who won a Globe for his performance in the first Borat film, is nominated for Borat and for his role in The Trial of the Chicago 7.Jane Fonda, a seven-time Globe winner, will receive the Cecil B. DeMille Award for lifetime achievement. Norman Lear will be honored for his television career and accept an award named after Carol Burnett.
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Officials at the Pompeii archaeological site in Italy announced Saturday the discovery of an intact ceremonial chariot, one of several important discoveries made in the same area outside the park near Naples following an investigation into an illegal dig.The chariot, with its iron elements, bronze decorations and mineralized wooden remains, was found in the ruins of a settlement north of Pompeii, beyond the walls of the ancient city, parked in the portico of a stable where the remains of three horses previously were discovered.The Archaeological Park of Pompeii called the chariot “an exceptional discovery” and said “it represents a unique find — which has no parallel in Italy thus far — in an excellent state of preservation.”A detail of the decoration of a chariot that was found in Civita Giuliana, north of Pompeii. Officials at the Pompeii archaeological site near Naples announced its discovery Feb. 27, 2021.The eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD destroyed Pompeii. The chariot was spared when the walls and roof of the structure it was in collapsed, and also survived looting by modern-day antiquities thieves, who had dug tunnels through to the site, grazing but not damaging the four-wheeled cart, according to park officials.The chariot was found on the grounds of what is one of the most significant ancient villas in the area around Vesuvius, with a panoramic view of the Mediterranean Sea, on the outskirts of the ancient Roman city.Archaeologists last year found in the same area on the outskirts of Pompeii, Civita Giulian, the skeletal remains of what are believed to have been a wealthy man and his male slave, attempting to escape death.The chariot’s first iron element emerged January 7 from the blanket of volcanic material filling the two-story portico. Archaeologists believe the cart was used for festivities and parades, perhaps also to carry brides to their new homes.While chariots for daily life or the transport of agricultural products have been previously found at Pompeii, officials said the new find is the first ceremonial chariot unearthed in its entirety.The villa was discovered after police came across the illegal tunnels in 2017, officials said. Two people who live in the houses atop the site are on trial for allegedly digging more than 80 meters of tunnels at the site.
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A former U.S. Olympics gymnastics coach with ties to disgraced sports doctor Larry Nassar died by suicide Thursday after being charged with two dozen crimes, including forms of human trafficking, Michigan’s attorney general said. The announcement from Attorney General Dana Nessel came about three hours after a news conference where Nessel announced that John Geddert was charged with crimes, including sexual assault, human trafficking and running a criminal enterprise. The charges were the latest fallout from the sexual abuse scandal involving Nassar, a former Michigan State University sports doctor now in prison. Geddert was accused of turning his Michigan gym into a yearslong criminal enterprise by coercing girls to train under him and then verbally and physically abusing them. FILE – Larry Nassar sits during his sentencing hearing in Lansing, Mich., Jan. 24, 2018.He was accused of lying to investigators in 2016 when he denied ever hearing complaints about Nassar, who is serving decades in prison for sexually assaulting female athletes in a scandal that counted hundreds of victims and turned USA Gymnastics upside down. Geddert, 63, was head coach of the 2012 U.S. women’s Olympic gymnastics team, which won a gold medal. He has long been associated with Nassar, who was the Olympic team’s doctor and also treated injured gymnasts at Twistars, Geddert’s Lansing-area gym. Geddert was accused of recruiting minors for forced labor, a reference to the gymnasts he coached, according to documents filed in an Eaton County court. A message seeking comment was left with his attorney. Nessel said the coach used “force, fraud and coercion” for financial benefit. FILE – Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel speaks during a news conference in Lansing, Mich., March 5, 2020.”The victims suffer from disordered eating,” Nessel said, “including bulimia and anorexia, suicide attempts and attempts at self-harm, excessive physical conditioning, repeatedly being forced to perform even when injured, extreme emotional abuse and physical abuse, including sexual assault.” The charges against Geddert included two counts of sexual assault against a teen in 2012. Nessel acknowledged that the case might not fit the common understanding of human trafficking. “We think of it predominantly as affecting people of color or those without means to protect themselves … but honestly, it can happen to anyone, anywhere,” she said. “Young, impressionable women may at times be vulnerable and open to trafficking crimes, regardless of their stature in the community or the financial well-being of their families.” Assistant Attorney General Danielle Hagaman-Clark said the charges against Geddert had “very little to do” with Nassar. Geddert was suspended by Indianapolis-based USA Gymnastics during the Nassar scandal. He told families in 2018 that he was retiring. On his LinkedIn page, Geddert described himself as the “most decorated women’s gymnastics coach in Michigan gymnastics history.” He said his Twistars teams won 130 club championships. But Geddert was often portrayed in unflattering ways when Nassar’s victims spoke during court hearings in 2018. “What a great best friend John was to Larry for giving him an entire world where he was able to abuse so easily,” said Lindsey Lemke, now a coach at the University of Arkansas. “You two sure do have a funny meaning of friendship. You, John Geddert, also deserve to sit behind bars right next to Larry.”
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