5/3/21 O&A NYC LOCKDOWN LEARNING: The Rise and Fall of Jim Crow Episode 1 Promises Betrayed

The premiere episode begins with the end of the Civil War and Reconstruction, periods that held so much promise for free black men and women. But as the North gradually withdrew its support for black aspirations for land, civil and political rights, and legal due process, Southern whites succeeded in passing laws that segregated and disfranchised African Americans, laws that were reinforced with violence and terror tactics. Continue reading

5/3/21 O&A NYC HOLLYWOOD MONDAY: I Am Not Your Negro

Master filmmaker Raoul Peck envisions the book James Baldwin never finished, Remember This House. The result is a radical, up-to-the-minute examination of race in America, using Baldwin’s original words and flood of rich archival material. Continue reading

4/14/21 O&A NYC BLACK LIVE MATTER: Former Officer Jim Potter Charge In Daunte Wright’s Death

By Walter Rutledge

Kim Potter, the former Brooklyn Center police officer will be charged with second-degree manslaughter in the death of  20-year-old Daunte Wright. This comes one day after the 26-year police veteran  resigned from the police department. State officials said Ms. Potter would be booked into Hennepin County Jail. She was taken into custody at the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension in St. Paul around 11:30 a.m. Wednesday.

Bodycam footage

Mr. Wright was killed Sunday during a traffic stop when Ms. Potter shot him with her two-pound black 9-millimeter Glock instead her eight-ounce yellow Taser. Police described the shooting as an accident, and body-camera footage showed her shouting the word Taser several times before firing her gun. The killing sparked protests and clashes with police on Sunday and Monday nights. Several cities in the region, including Minneapolis, St. Paul and Brooklyn Center, imposed curfews amid the protests.

Ex-officer charged with manslaughter

Ben Crump, who is representing the Wright family, said he appreciated that Washington County Attorney Pete Orput was pursuing justice; but a veteran of the police force knows the difference between a Taser and a gun. “This was no accident. This was an intentional, deliberate, and unlawful use of force”. If convicted charge carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison under Minnesota law.

3/9/21 O&A NYC INSPIRATIONAL TUESDAY: Marian Anderson Lincoln Memorial Concert- Voice of Freedom American Experience PBS

Marian Anderson stepped up to a microphone placed on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial and stared out at a crowd of more than 75,000 people. She had been barred from performing at Constitutional Hall, but thanks to clever advocacy by Walter White of the NAACP and the aid of high-powered allies like Eleanor Roosevelt, the concert was now set to make history. Continue reading

1/31/21 O&A NYC GOSPEL SUNDAY: Mahalia Jackson Documentary

Mahalia Jackson set the standard for gospel music and the Christain lifestyle. The undisputed queen of one of America’s most endearing music art forms born from the songs of sorrow, joy and praise of the African slaves.  Continue reading

1/29/21 O&A NYC LIFESTYLE: Cicely Tyson Recounts Life And Career In New Memoir

96-year-old stage and screen icon Cicely Tyson opens up to Gayle King about her impressive career and personal life, which she wrote about in her new memoir, Just As I Am.

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1/29/21 O&A NYC IN MEMORIAM: Cicely Tyson- The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman

Cicely Tyson passed yesterday January 28, 2021. In a career spanning more than seven decades, Tyson became known for her portrayal of strong African-American women.  Continue reading

1/18/21 O&A NYC HOLLYWOOD MONDAY: King in the Wilderness

HBO Documentary Films and Kunhardt Film Foundation present King in the Wilderness. The documentary chronicles the final chapters of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s life, revealing a conflicted leader who faced an onslaught of criticism from both sides of the political spectrum. While the Black Power movement saw his nonviolence as weakness, and President Lyndon B. Johnson saw his anti-Vietnam War speeches as irresponsible, Dr. King’s unyielding belief in peaceful protest became a testing point for a nation on the brink of chaos. Continue reading

1/19/21 O&A NYC LOCKDOWN LEARNING: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr: American History for Kids

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr, was a famous Civil Rights leader, pastor, and humanitarian. Continue reading

11/24/20 O&A NYC INSPIRATIONAL TUESDAY: Why We Fight – Bravery Comes By Answering The Call

John Robert Lewis (February 21, 1940 – July 17, 2020) was an American civil rights leader and politician. He was a member of the Democratic Party, and was the U.S. Representative for Georgia’s 5th congressional district from 1987 until his death. Continue reading