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Source: Michael Ochs Archives / Getty
As many offer tribute to the late television legend Norman Lear after his death, we take a look at the television shows featuring predominately Black casts he produced which changed the culture.
Source: Steve Granitz / Getty
The passing of television icon Norman Lear at the age of 101 has paved the way for a further examination of the shows that the producer and writer was responsible for bringing to the screen and in the process, impacting comedy and American society greatly with a focus on social and political themes of the time.
His work (which included having an astonishing eleven hit shows on air at one time) included shows airing in the 1970s and 1980s that showcased the Black community in roles that captured their full scope and would have a major impact on the industry for decades afterward. We take an in-depth look at the Black-focused shows of Norman Lear that had major success.
Sanford & Son
Source: NBC Television / Getty
Reworking a popular British sitcom Steptoe & Son, Sanford & Son became a smash hit when it aired on NBC in 1974. Ribald veteran comedian Redd Foxx was tapped to star as Watts-based junkman Fred G. Sanford and Demond Wilson as his son, Lamont. Featuring beloved recurring characters such as Aunt Esther (LaWanda Page), the show was Lear’s first featuring an all-Black cast and was a solid ratings giant all of its six seasons, coming in second only to Lear’s iconic All In The Family on CBS. It would end in 1977 after a contract dispute between Foxx and NBC.
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Good Times
Source: Michael Ochs Archives / Getty
A spin-off of the Bea Arthur-fronted Maude (which was itself a spin-off from All In The Family), Good Times focused on Maude’s former housekeeper Florida Evans (Esther Rolle), and her husband James Evans (John Amos) as they raised their three children in the projects in Chicago. Good Times was co-created by Eric Monte (who wrote the cult classic Cooley High) and Mike Evans, who starred as Lionel on All In The Family. The show would become another hit series for CBS, despite some turbulence with Rolle and Amos over concerns of negative stereotypes as the character of J.J. (played by comedian Jimmie Walker) was thrust into the forefront with his “Dyn-O-mite” catchphrase (which Lear actually detested at first). Good Times would go on to be revered by many, with numerous Black stars appearing on the show including Janet Jackson as Penny Gordon.
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The Jeffersons
Featuring Sherman Helmsley as the quick-tempered laundry owner George Jefferson and Isabel Sanford as his wife, Louise, The Jeffersons would become another major hit series for Norman Lear with roots in All In The Family. The Jeffersons would represent America’s first look at an upwardly mobile Black family as the couple moved from living next door to the Bunkers to the Upper East Side. With a catchy theme song (you’re humming it right now as you read this no doubt) and a unique perspective thanks to the strong cast, The Jeffersons would run for ten seasons from 1975 to 1985 on CBS.
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Diff’rent Strokes
Source: Michael Ochs Archives / Getty
This sitcom by Norman Lear first made its debut on NBC in 1978, with Gary Coleman and Todd Bridges starring as Arnold and Willis Jackson, two recently orphaned Harlem children taken in by wealthy Park Avenue widower Phillip Drummond (Conrad Bain) and their daughter, Kimberly (Dana Plato). The show would run for eight seasons on NBC and ABC highlighted by Coleman’s magnetic charm and the “very special episodes” that tacked issues like racism and drug use.
227
Source: Fotos International / Getty
Lear would be an uncredited executive producer for 227, a show that would become part of NBC’s vaunted Saturday night comedy block in the 1980s. Marla Gibbs, who rose to fame as the wisecracking housekeeper Florence on The Jeffersons, starred as housewife Mary Jenkins as part of a trio of friends and neighbors Rose Holloway (Alaina Rose Hall ) and Sandra Clark (Jackee Harry) in the same Washington D.C. apartment building. 227 was also the debut of Regina King, who played Mary’s daughter Brenda. The show would last for five seasons.
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Source: THE GAP / THE GAP
One of the most well received collaborations is getting a second edition. The GAP and Dapper Dan have partnered up for a new DAP GAP campaign.
Hype Beast is reporting that the national retailer is tapping the iconic atelier once again to bring his distinct flavor to a new collection. The initiative was announced on Giving Tuesday and is framed as a love letter from Dapper Dan to his beloved hometown of Harlem. This time he shares the spotlight with other Harlemites including several local legends and up and coming change makers. Joining Dan are the likes of Melba Wilson (owner of icon Melba’s Restaurant), Felipe Luciano (an original member of The Lost Poets) and fashion model Alberth Johnson.
Source: THE GAP / THE GAP
Dapper Dan shared his enthusiasm regarding the project in a formal statement. “A breakthrough is when people finally find their space in areas they have never been before, but a breakout is when you take the culture and the people who created it and bring it around the world. When Gap came to me, this partnership signified a breakout for the culture,” said Dapper Dan. “This DAP GAP campaign is my love letter to Harlem, and my way of continuing to propel our culture and community forward. Gap gave us the global presence that allowed us to have the breakout and I can’t wait for the next generation to be a part of this movement.”
Included in the capsule are hooded sweatshirts, matching logo sweatpants in houndstooth print, hats, socks, and a tote bag. The collection is available in sizes toddler 2T to adult XXXL and retails from $25 to $128. Dapper Dan will launch the collection at The Gap store on 125th Street on December with a wider release to follow.
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Source: LANVIN / Lanvin
Future has just added yet another notch on his already decorated belt. The Atlantia rapper has launched his first ever collection with LANVIN.
On Monday, November 20 the French luxury fashion house unveiled Future’s inaugural drop. According to a press release Future drew “upon the LANVIN archives to create a unisex collection, which emphasizes his love of layering and tailoring, with an impressive flair for accessories”. The “Too Many Nights” MC detailed his approach in a formal statement, “I created a vibe with this collection, something you can feel when you wear it. Jeanne Lanvin drew inspiration from her life and lifestyle. We are the same in that way, we create from experience”.
Source: LANVIN / Lanvin
The capsule touches on some streetwear staples including t-shirts, hooded sweatshirts and accessories. The stand out though is the Loose-Fit Printed Jumpsuit. Made of denim this piece features an LANVIN branding throughout, a square neckline with straps and metal buckle closure, belt loops at the waist and two patch pockets in the back. We also get their Hyper Curb sneakers in two colorways; each with an oversized tongue and fat laces.
LANVIN Lab is an experimental space inviting creative partnerships with proven and rising international talents that challenge and reinforce the house’s cultural values and position. The Future x LANVIN Lab collection is available now and can be shopped here.
Source: iOne Digital / Urban One
Houston’s Honeyland Festival went down November 11 & 12 in Crown Festival Park and it was a heaping helping of Black excellence in the food, beverages, music, and art industries.
Urban One was proud to be an Official Media Partner and was on the ground to document the festivities that included Texas rap legend Bun B on hand to serve up his Trill Burgers to attendees.
“Everybody here is a Black vendor, on some level. It’s targeted for our demographic, but it’s by our demographic,” said Bun B of the festival.
Some of the acts who performed included Coco Jones, Tobe Nwigwe, Summer Walker, Miguel and Chlöe Bailey. Urban One spoke to a few Hip-Hop legends including Scarface, Slim Thug and Z-Ro, and Paul Well, besides the aforementioned Bun B.
Watch them discuss participating in the Honeyland Festival and what it means to put on for Houston in the video above.
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Source: Johnny Nunez / Getty / Bishop Lamor Whitehead
Gaudy Brooklyn Pastor Bishop Lamor Whitehead got some justice when one of the men who robbed him during a livestream service pleaded guilty.
Spotted on Gothamist, Say-Quan Pollack, 25, pleaded guilty to a federal robbery charge for stealing Bishop Lamor Whitehead’s jewelry during a church service stream.
The incident happened in July 2022, and the judge will sentence Pollack in the coming months, the website reports.
Per Gothamist:
Pollack swiveled in his chair and occasionally rubbed his face during the proceedings, which lasted about half an hour. At times, Pollack asked Judge William F. Kuntz II to repeat his questions before he responded with a “yes” or a “no.”
“I participated in a robbery,” he said after pleading guilty. “I took another person’s property with a threat.”
He said he went to school through eighth grade and received a high school equivalency degree in jail.
The robbery went down as Whitehead preached at the Leaders of Tomorrow International Church in Canarsie last year.
According to prosecutors, three men, dressed in all black, wearing masks with guns drawn, entered the church, forcing the pastor to drop to his knees.
Whitehead could be heard saying, “Yo, alright, alright, alright.”
Police later arrested Pollack and Juwan Anderson. Pollack was supposed to plead guilty to the crime earlier this year but backed out of the deal he made with prosecutors earlier this year.
Despite Pollack pleading guilty, Anderson has done the opposite and maintains his innocence. The third man involved in the robbery has not been found.
Bishop Lamor Whitehead Also Has His Problems With The Law
As for the good Bishop, the man who says he is a “mentee” of the op, aka NYC Mayor Eric Adams, has also found himself in trouble with the law.
Whitehead was indicted in federal court in Manhattan for allegedly stealing $90,000 of retirement savings from a church member.
He also got called out for using homophobic and fatphobic slurs.
That’s not something a good Christian would do.
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Photo: Johnny Nunez / Getty
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Source: AliExpress / AliExpress
It’s not close to Valentine’s Day, but Swae Lee and AliExpress are throwing a little something something for all the single people out there who’ve got a little (or a lot) of time on their hands. Singles’ Days aka the 11.11 Global Shopping Festival properly kicks off a few days early.
Starting November 9 (unless you’re a VIP and can drop in the day prior), AliExpress and Swae Lee will be hosting a Singles Day VIP pop up shop in Soho where attendees will be treated to quite the shopping festival and a few lucky fans will actually have the chance to meet and greet Rae Sremmurd rapper himself. AliExpress has also linked up with Tinder and BLK to set up shop at 69 Mercer Street from November 9 – 12, where they will feature a gang of tech, home goods, wellness, beauty and fashion products at up to a 50% discount along with deeper cuts depending on how much customers spend while they’re there.
Sounds like a helluva deal.
“I’m excited to team up with AliExpress on Singles’ Day because to me it’s a day to celebrate self-care, self-expression, and individuality,” said Swae Lee in a statement. “My music and style have always been about being true to myself and standing out from the crowd. I believe everyone should be able to express themselves in their own unique way, and AliExpress offers a wide variety of unique products that help people do just that.”
But the real caveat for fans is their chance to meet Swae Lee, and 11 lucky people will get the opportunity to do just that. All they have to do is follow the instructions that AliExpress has set up which includes following @aliexpressUS (IG), posting a screenshot of the most unique product you can find on the AliExpress app, tagging @aliexpressUS (IG) and using the hashtag #AliExpressSinglesDay. Of course you must be 21 years of age or older to participate in the Swae Lee sweepstakes.
Check out Swae Lee’s Singles Day VIP pop up announcement below (you can get more info on Singles’ Day right here) and let us know if this is something you’ll be attending in the comments section.
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Source: The Balvenie / The Balvenie
On Friday, November 3, the Balvenie Single Malt Scotch Whisky and Questlove continued their partnership by announcing the release of The Craft of Holiday Entertaining, a limited-edition advent calendar.
Source: The Balvenie / The Balvenie
The Craft of Holiday Entertaining is artfully curated by the six-time GRAMMY Award Winning and Academy Award-winning multihyphenate, and The Roots crew member, to heighten your at-home bar for the holiday season. Since it’s in collab with the Balvenie, whisky enthusiasts will be catered to at it features 12 premium items that include a limited-edition deck of Quest for Craft playing cards, Glencairn tasting glasses and holiday chocolates as well as a QR code to redeem a bottle of The Balvenie DoubleWood 12.
“At the heart of my partnership with The Balvenie is our shared passion for craftsmanship and the journeys that elevate something from great to exceptional,” said Questlove in a statement. “I love to host Food Salons, game nights, and dinner parties and create unforgettable experiences for my guests – especially during the holiday season.”
Quest and Balvenie recently dropped the latest episodes of their Webby Award-winning digital series, Quest for Craft, which is available on The Balvenie’s YouTube channel.
You’ll be able to purchase the Craft of Holiday Entertaining Advent Calendar at TheBalvenieHolidayShop.com beginning on Friday, November 3 and it will cost you $225.
Source: The Balvenie / The Balvenie
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Source: Allen Berezovsky / Getty
There’s a musical based on the life and achievements of boxing legend Muhammad Ali on its way to Broadway in fall 2024, and one of the artists tapped to work on the music for the stage play is none other than rapper, producer, songwriter and Hip-Hop legend Q-Tip.
According to Deadline, Richard Willis, the lead producer of the musical titled Ali, signed Q-Tip, whose real name is Kamaal Ibn John Fareed, as the play’s music producer, co-lyricist and cast album producer. Besides being part of the team that brings to melodic life the story of arguably the greatest boxer in history, Q-Tip gets the privilege of working alongside director, author and deputy artistic director of UK’s National Theatre Clint Dyer, who directed Othello as well as Get Up, Stand Up! The Bob Marley Musical. The “Vivrant Thing” rapper will also work with the show’s composer Teddy Abrams, whose past work bringing music and Ali’s legacy together inspired the new production.
From Deadline:
Back in 2017, Abrams wrote multimedia opera-rap-oratorio mashup The Greatest: Muhammad Ali, which premiered with the Louisville Orchestra at the Kentucky Center in Louisville.
That production got Abrams, and others, thinking that there should be a full-scale Broadway musical about the pivotal historical figure who transcended his sporting achievements.
“I am very excited to be collaborating with Teddy, Clint, Casey and Sean in telling The Greatest’s story on stage,” Q-Tip told Deadline. “Muhammad Ali has always been a hero to me!”
And the show’s producer is just as excited to have the A Tribe Called Quest veteran on board.
“We want to take the traditional musical theater structure that works and then tip it on its ear a little bit,” Willis said. “Q-Tip produces songs and albums for a massive audience so he knows how to do that thing that’s slightly different than what normal musical theater is. So we tip it, and make it original and fresh and new and hummable. All that energy in the right direction is the job, right?”
Dyer agrees.
“Q-Tip has proven himself as one of the greatest hip-hop artists of his generation and beyond,” he said. “Having his talents onboard will give this musical every possibility to honor Ali’s greatness. I could not be happier with this appointment.”
“We’ll use his hip-hop beats, and his talents will be used in other areas as well,” Dyer continued. “This show’s covering a lot of areas of music and we’ll exhaust all of Q-Tip’s knowledge. You’ve got to remember that Q-Tip’s into all kinds of music, not just jazz and hip-hop. For instance, his next album is all rock ‘n’ roll, so hold on. Let’s see what he comes up with for Ali!”
Actually, back in 2020, Q-Tip teased the future releases of three new albums, but as of now, his last solo studio album is still 2009’s Kamaal The Abstract. So, it looks like Dyer might know something we don’t. Either way, it’s always great to see Q-Tip out here doing big things as both a solo artist and collaborator. Salute!
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Source: Tasos Katopodis / Getty / Magic Johnson
The Billionaires Boys Club for Black notable athletes just got its fourth member, and it’s none other than Magic Johnson.
According to the financial bible, Forbes, Magic Johnson is now a billionaire. The NBA champion and Pro Basketball Hall-of-Famer reached the wealth milestone thanks to a combination of all of his lucrative investments in “professional sports teams, movie theaters, Starbucks cafes, and a health insurance provider,” according to the website.
Johnson becoming a billionaire makes him only the fourth professional athlete to do so, joining his buddy Michael Jordan, LeBron James, and Tiger Woods.
Forbes reports Johnson’s minority stake in the Washington Commanders after billionaire Josh Harris’ $6.05 billion purchase of the team in May, stakes in the WNBA’s Los Angeles Sparks, MLB’s Los Angeles Dodgers, and the MLS’ LAFC, plus other major investments pushed his net worth to $1.2 billion.
While Johnson’s investments in sports franchises, Starbucks, and Loews get all of the attention, Forbes points to his investment in Iowa-based life insurance company EquiTrust as the one that makes up the most significant portion of his net worth.
Per Forbes:
Forbes now estimates his net worth to be $1.2 billion—the result of his stakes in those teams, and major investments in a slate of industries, including a 60% stake in Iowa-based life insurance company EquiTrust he purchased in 2015.
EquiTrust makes up the largest portion of Johnson’s personal net worth—since the purchase, the Iowa-based company’s assets have skyrocketed from $16 billion to $26 billion, with annual revenues of roughly $2.6 billion.
Magic Johnson Could Have Been A “Trillionaire” Already
While Johnson has nothing to be upset about regarding his net worth, he could have already been a trillionaire if he had made one investment back in his playing days, and that’s taking Nike’s offer of stock options instead of the cash with Converse.
According to the numbers, Johnson missed out on $5.2 billion.
Still, being worth $1.2 billion is nothing to sneeze at. Congrats to the Magic man on the accomplishment.
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Photo: Tasos Katopodis / Getty
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Source: Robin L Marshall / Getty / Brittish Williams
Basketball Wives star Brittish Williams is learning the hard way that if you do the crime, you will have to do time.
Spotted on the Riverfront Times, Williams will have to do time and was sentenced to four years in prison after pleading guilty earlier this year to 15 counts of “various types of fraud.”
According to the RFT, Williams’ crimes she was accused of included not paying taxes and under-reporting the income of her businesses.
Williams also allegedly used other people’s identities to open bank accounts without their knowledge.
Williams, who starred in Basketball Wives and Marriage Boot Camp: Reality Stars and former co-host of the St. Louis radio station Hot 104.1, asked a judge for leniency during her sentencing, but Judge Henry Autrey was like nah.
Per Riverfront Times:
In court today, Williams and her attorney Beau Brindley asked Judge Henry Autrey for leniency in sentencing.
“I knew better, and I did wrong anyway,” Williams said, adding that the idea of being separated from her daughter was “heartbreaking.”
Judge Autrey seemed largely unswayed, telling Williams that he believed she possessed a “fraudster mentality.” He pointed out that in total, WIlliams’ various frauds led to her taking in $150,000 a year from 2017 to 2020.
“That’s a pretty damn good wage,” he said.
Autrey also suggested that Williams’ fame impacted his sentencing decision, saying, “Not only are you out there for people to watch your entertainment, but also for people to watch you. … That’s a big obligation.”
The website reports Williams dodged a bullet because it was recommended she do 63 years in prison. Still, her punishment was significantly more than the 18 months in jail or probation suggested by her attorney.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Diane Klocke pointed out that Williams was still committing fraud well after she was indicted and counseling people, telling them they don’t have to pay taxes the first few years of running a business.
After her indictment, she was still collecting pandemic-related rent relief under false pretenses and submitting bogus medical bills to an insurance company.
Williams also traveled without permission while still on pretrial monitoring, according to Klocke, who also notes that her wearing of an ankle monitor was subplot during a season of Basketball Wives.
Following her sentencing, one of her friends lunged at a reporter as they filmed her leaving court.
Welp.
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Photo: Robin L Marshall / Gett