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Memphis native adds to ‘Hicksters’ and its healing-through-laughter focus

NEW TRI-STATE DEFENDER — Jeremy Steven Walker, a rising Hollywood star, is taking on the big leagues by learning to master the creative arts while wearing multiple hats in the film industry.

Published

5 years ago

August 21, 2019

Oakland Post

By Brianna A. Smith

Jeremy Steven Walker, a rising Hollywood star, is taking on the big leagues by learning to master the creative arts while wearing multiple hats in the film industry.

Although Walker is a Memphis native who graduated from Germantown High School, he said the nine years he spent in Denver after high school is where and when he truly began to dabble into film and theatre arts. Jeremy Steven Walker, a rising Hollywood star, is taking on the big leagues by learning to master the creative arts while wearing multiple hats in the film industry.

“Growing up, Memphis wasn’t a city I felt was big on film and acting,” Walker said. “I think had I been exposed to it earlier, then I would’ve been able to get into the craft sooner.”

In 2008, Walker booked his first national commercial with Crocs, which aired during the Summer Olympics. Since then he has consistently booked roles and recently wrapped up the Pitsburgh-based comedy drama, “Hicksters.”

Filmed in and around the Steel City, “Hicksters” is Pittsburgh native Christina Wren’s (“Man of Steel,” “Batman v Superman”) newest comedy project.

It follows the adventures of Ruby Hadid-Robinson (Wren) and Alex Robinson (Walker), a millennial couple from New York whose lives take a turn when they lose their jobs around the same time they inherit Ruby’s late grandfather’s farm. As an interracial couple – Ruby is an Arab-American woman and Alex is an African-American man – they meet a slew of characters who learn, often through comedic blunders, that they have more in common with their new neighbors than they think.

“Unconscious biases, prejudices, stereotypes and racism all stem from fears of the unknown that have been ingrained in our lives,” said Walker. “You will see in a comedic way how we bring light to those issues on this show.”

“Hicksters” is a story about unifying, about striving to make life work as a millennial, about the current economy and cultural landscape. It is a quirky exploration of what it really means to be an American today.

“Our world is filled with so much love that should be shared,” Walker said. “Ultimately, Wren and her creative team want to highlight our similarities and how they pale in comparison to our differences.”

There are six episodes to the first season and after tuning in, I can say, Walker and Wren did a great job of nurturing their characters to reflect their humanity.

“It was really important that each character be human and relatable and have a clear point of view,” Walker said. “There’s not one perfect character or evil villain. It’s just a bunch of quirky people trying to live a life together.

“Wren wanted to make sure every character could be represented in a way that was yet funny and we could poke at all our quirks, but also honor the humanity in them.”

Walker believes that we all have stories worth sharing.

“‘Hicksters’ is an opportunity to explore the complexities of social exchanges,” he said. “Once we are open to share our stories, understand the foundations of our belief systems and open our minds to different perspectives, we can step forward, towards unity.”

The creative team decided the best way to share “Hicksters” was YouTube and www.hicksterscomedy.com. That way, there are no barriers to entry such as a membership or subscription – everyone has access.

“The best part about working and being a part of this project was the inclusion of diversity of people it took to create it,” Walker said. “Diversity is beautiful to watch.”

The creative team for “Hicksters” includes Wren (Muslim/white) and her husband, Demetrius Wren (a black man), who worked as a director, writer and executive producer. Writers Madilynn Beck (black) and Rachna Khatau (Indian) also added their own special comedic talents and personal experiences to the series.

(To keep up with Walker, follow him on Instagram @JWalkerScene. To catch up on “Hicksters,” visit youtube.com/twokidswithacamera or hicksterscomedy.com.)

This article originally appeared in the New Tri-State Defender

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IN MEMORIAM: Ramona Edelin, Influential Activist and Education Advocate, Dies at 78

NNPA NEWSWIRE — Born on September 4, 1945, in Los Angeles, California, activist Ramona Edelin’s early years were marked by a commitment to education and social justice. According to her HistoryMakers biography, after graduating from Fisk University with a Bachelor’s degree in 1967, she pursued further studies at the University of East Anglia in England. She earned her master’s degree before completing her Ph.D. at Boston University in 1981.
The post IN MEMORIAM: Ramona Edelin, Influential Activist and Education Advocate, Dies at 78 first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

Published

4 weeks ago

April 3, 2024

Stacy M. Brown

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
@StacyBrownMedia

Once upon a time, Black Americans were simply known as colored people, or Negroes. That is until Ramona Edelin came along. The activist, renowned for her pivotal roles in advancing civil rights, education reform, and community empowerment, died at her D.C. residence last month at the age of 78. Her death, finally confirmed this week by Barnaby Towns, a communications strategist who collaborated with Dr. Edelin, was attributed to cancer.

Born on September 4, 1945, in Los Angeles, California, Edelin’s early years were marked by a commitment to education and social justice. According to her HistoryMakers biography, after graduating from Fisk University with a Bachelor’s degree in 1967, she pursued further studies at the University of East Anglia in England. She earned her master’s degree before completing her Ph.D. at Boston University in 1981.

Edelin’s contributions to academia and activism were manifold. She was pivotal in popularizing the term “African American” alongside Rev. Jesse L. Jackson in the late 1980s.

Jackson had announced the preference for “African American,” speaking for summit organizers that included Dr. Edelin. “Just as we were called Colored, but were not that, and then Negro, but not that, to be called Black is just as baseless,” he said, adding that “African American” “has cultural integrity” and “puts us in our proper historical context.”

Later, Edelin told Ebony magazine, “Calling ourselves African Americans is the first step in the cultural offensive,” while linking the name change to a “cultural renaissance” in which Black Americans reconnected with their history and heritage.

“Who are we if we don’t acknowledge our motherland?” she asked later. “When a child in a ghetto calls himself African American, immediately he’s international. You’ve taken him from the ghetto and put him on the globe.”

The HistoryMakers bio noted that Edelin’s academic pursuits led her to found and chair the Department of African American Studies at Northeastern University, where she established herself as a leading voice.

Transitioning from academia to advocacy, Edelin joined the National Urban Coalition in 1977, eventually ascending to president and CEO. During her tenure, she spearheaded initiatives such as the “Say Yes to a Youngster’s Future” program, which provided crucial support in math, science, and technology to youth and teachers of color in urban areas. Her biography noted that Edelin’s efforts extended nationwide through partnerships with organizations like the National Science Foundation and the United States Department of Education.

President Bill Clinton recognized Edelin’s expertise by appointing her to the Presidential Board on Historically Black Colleges and Universities in 1998. She also co-founded and served as treasurer of the Black Leadership Forum, solidifying her standing as a respected leader in African American communities.

Beyond her professional achievements, Edelin dedicated herself to numerous boards and committees, including chairing the District of Columbia Educational Goals 2000 Panel and contributing to the Federal Advisory Committee for the Black Community Crusade for Children.

Throughout her life, Edelin received widespread recognition for her contributions. Ebony magazine honored her as one of the 100 Most Influential Black Americans, and she received prestigious awards such as the Southern Christian Leadership Award for Progressive Leadership and the IBM Community Executive Program Award.

The post IN MEMORIAM: Ramona Edelin, Influential Activist and Education Advocate, Dies at 78 first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

Stacy M. Brown

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Tennessee State University Board Disbanded by MAGA Loyalists as Assault on DE&I Continues

NNPA NEWSWIRE — Recent legislative actions in Tennessee, such as repealing police reform measures enacted after the killing of Tyre Nichols, underscore a troubling trend of undermining local control and perpetuating racist agendas. The new law preventing local governments from restricting police officers’ authority disregards community efforts to address systemic issues of police violence and racial profiling.
The post Tennessee State University Board Disbanded by MAGA Loyalists as Assault on DE&I Continues first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

Published

4 weeks ago

April 3, 2024

Stacy M. Brown

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
@StacyBrownMedia

Tennessee State University (TSU), the state’s only public historically Black college and university (HBCU), faces a tumultuous future as Gov. Bill Lee dissolved its board, a move supported by racist conservatives and MAGA Republicans in the Tennessee General Assembly, who follow the lead of the twice-impeached, four-times indicted, alleged sexual predator former President Donald Trump. Educators and others have denounced the move as an attack on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) and a grave setback for higher education.

Critics argue that TSU’s purported financial mismanagement is a manufactured crisis rooted in decades of underinvestment by the state government. They’ve noted that it continues a trend by conservatives and the racist MAGA movement to eliminate opportunities for Blacks in education, corporate America, and the public sector.

Gevin Reynolds, a former speechwriter for Vice President Kamala Harris, emphasizes in an op-ed that TSU’s financial difficulties are not the result of university leadership because a recent audit found no evidence of fraud or malfeasance.

Reynolds noted that the disbanding of TSU’s board is not an isolated incident but part of a broader assault on DE&I initiatives nationwide. Ten states, including Tennessee, have enacted laws banning DE&I policies on college campuses, while governors appointing MAGA loyalists to university trustee positions further undermine efforts to promote inclusivity and equality.

Moreover, recent legislative actions in Tennessee, such as repealing police reform measures enacted after the killing of Tyre Nichols, underscore a troubling trend of undermining local control and perpetuating racist agendas. The new law preventing local governments from restricting police officers’ authority disregards community efforts to address systemic issues of police violence and racial profiling.

The actions echo historical efforts to suppress Black progress, reminiscent of the violent backlash against gains made during the Reconstruction era. President Joe Biden warned during an appearance in New York last month that Trump desires to bring the nation back to the 18th and 19th centuries – in other words, to see, among other things, African Americans back in the chains of slavery, women subservient to men without any say over their bodies, and all voting rights restricted to white men.

The parallels are stark, with white supremacist ideologies used to justify attacks on Black institutions and disenfranchise marginalized communities, Reynolds argued.

In response to these challenges, advocates stress the urgency of collective action to defend democracy and combat systemic racism. Understanding that attacks on institutions like TSU are symptomatic of broader threats to democratic norms, they call for increased civic engagement and voting at all levels of government.

The actions of people dedicated to upholding the principles of inclusivity, equity, and justice for all will determine the outcome of the ongoing fight for democracy, Reynolds noted. “We are in a war for our democracy, one whose outcome will be determined by every line on every ballot at every precinct,” he stated.

The post Tennessee State University Board Disbanded by MAGA Loyalists as Assault on DE&I Continues first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

Stacy M. Brown

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Braxton Haulcy and the Expansion of Walker|West Music Academy

May 24, 2023 – Walker West Music Academy gets an early start on expansion. Join us for a Wednesday episode of The …
The post Braxton Haulcy and the Expansion of Walker|West Music Academy first appeared on BlackPressUSA.