Happy Sunday! Whether you're a new subscriber or an existing subscriber, welcome back. Here are a few articles you should check out from this week!
The NFL will be broadcasting an NFL game on Christmas Day. That's cool, but not as cool as Beyonce and Mariah Carey being enlisted to perform. Beyonce will do the halftime show and Mariah Carey will perform at the beginning of the broadcast. Netflix has been strategically making a move towards more live programming. We've seen it with their Chris Rock special as well as the Tyson vs Paul fight. What we saw during the Tyson and Paul fight was that Netflix was crashing due to the number of viewers. The fanbases of Beyonce and Mariah Carey are immense. Thinking about adding those fans on top of the NFL fans can only make one wonder if the servers will have the capacity to handle that many people streaming at the same time. We'll see Christmas Day.
This week a court decided that the Naval Academy can consider race in its admissions process. The rationale was basically that a more diverse military is a better military. This is interesting considering that the Supreme Court decided that race didn't need to be considered when colleges do admissions. So, the highest Court of the land believes race isn't a proper consideration for college, but a federal court believes a strong military is a diverse military. The court's not being on the same page is no surprise. Diversity has been an issue for the last few years and opportunities for Black people in any space should be fair but that simply isn't how things work in all spaces.
On Monday, J. Cole will be performing at Madison Square Garden for the 10th anniversary of Forest Hills Drive. What's been most impressive about the lead-up to this has been the attention to detail when it comes to marketing and promotion. First, they had a podcast episode that detailed the making of the project. Then this week, they invited a select group of fans to sit in on a rehearsal session for the performance. Tomorrow, on the day of the performance, they will be giving out 2014 tickets for $1, as an ode to his dollar and a dream tour he did earlier in his career. Up-and-coming artists should pay attention to these sorts of moves. As artists, nothing should be left to chance. Efforts should be made to capitalize on moments and connect to fans in every way possible. J. Cole and his manager Ibrahim have displayed that time and time again. Authenticity, strategy, and attention to detail allow for artists to have longevity. The artists that do the best don't skip steps.
The Maryland Equitable Justice Collaborative has set out some plans to address racial disparities in prisons. Among the recommendations are: (1) Ending non-safety-related traffic stops and enhancing data collection on police interactions. (2) Expanding access to trauma-informed mental health treatment in jails and detention centers. (3) Creating pilot programs for community-based reentry services and emerging adults ages 18-25. (3) Reforming parole processes to improve transparency and prioritize rehabilitation. (4) Reducing the automatic charging of children in adult criminal courts. (5) Addressing financial burdens on individuals under probation and parole.
This week, activist, author, and educator Nikki Giovanni passed away. Her impact was profound. Check a quote out below! We’ll also link to a conversation between her and James Baldwin.
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Jamie Foxx released a heartfelt special that was filled with laughs and cries.
Brad Walrond and Cheryl Clarke are using poetry to explore Black identity.
Travis Hunter won the Heisman Trophy, becoming the first player who attended an HBCU to do so. He attended Jackson State University before transferring to Colorado.
The Jay-Z assault accusation has seen some turns with both legal teams standing their ground.
NFL and Golf Wang release collaboration.
Lotto and Sha'Carri Richardson appear in the new Nocta ad.
Conversations this week:
Nikki Giovanni and James Baldwin have a conversation about Black families and Black relationships.
Check out our Malindi Press Play playlist that’s updated weekly!
Song of the Week: “Baphi” by Uncle Waffles (South Africa)
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