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Oakland Actor Daveed Diggs to Portray Frederick Douglass in Cable Miniseries

Published

4 years ago

October 1, 2020

Oakland’s Daveed Diggs, as Frederick Douglass, in James McBride’s “The Good Lord Bird,” debut miniseries begins October 4, on Showtime cable network

Celebrated writer James McBride will see his award-winning book, turned miniseries, “The Good Lord Bird,” make its cable broadcast debut on the Showtime Network, starring Ethan Hawke, as slavery abolitionist, John Brown.

The story is told from the point of view of “Onion,” a fictional enslaved young boy (portrayed by newcomer, Joshua Caleb Johnson) who becomes a member of Brown’s family of abolitionist soldiers battling slavery in Kansas, and eventually finds himself in the famous 1859 Army depot raid at Harpers Ferry, an inciting incident of the Civil War.

Rounding out the series is Daveed Diggs (“Hamilton”); Orlando Jones (“Sleepy Hollow”); Hubert Point Du Jour (“Blindspot”) and Beau Knapp (“Seven Seconds”).

“The Good Lord Bird” is an irreverent and dramatic tale of Antebellum America and the ever-changing roles of race, religion and gender in American society. The series begins Sunday, Oct.r 4^th@ 9 pm ET/PT.

I spoke with Daveed Diggs, the beloved Oakland native–turned Broadway sensation and television star — about this high energy, high impact, and very stylized story by James McBride who wrote “The Color of Water.” Diggs is cast as legendary African American abolitionist and orator, Frederick Douglass.

Sandra Varner/Talk2SV: I found myself in rapt attention watching your interpretation of Frederick Douglass as portrayed in this James McBride story. As such, Douglass knows the power of his human currency as a person of literal value; equally, the power and prowess of his persuasion as an orator. Did you see those aspects as characteristics you needed to draw upon?

DIGGS: Oh, definitely, and that’s a great observation. I think it was really necessary to portray a Frederick Douglass who was very aware of what he was capable of and what he was doing. He had a sense of pride that could come off as overblown or pompous. He was that good and that famous. You don’t know very many people who become that famous and that good who don’t know it.

TALK2SV: So, in keeping with this reflection of Douglass, do you own the power of your prowess as an artist?

DIGGS: It’s a conversation I’m having weekly with my therapist, laughter. I don’t know that I do or at least, I haven’t found the same comfort in it. Part of that, I think, is good because it keeps me trying new things, keeps me from thinking that I’ve figured it out; at times, it can be detrimental. I think sometimes I look for help. I look to offset the responsibility or agency (of my talent) and that’s not always the right thing to do. Sometimes, I actually am the adult in the room [laughter] and I’m trying to come to terms with that, but, it’s hard.

TALK2SV: It is said of this story, that the slave uprising at Harper’s Ferry (in Virginia, October 1859), was the precursor to the Civil War. If allowed, I’d liken Frederick Douglass as the precursor to Martin Luther King, Jr. Do you think the dots connect well between these two extraordinary men?

DIGGS: I do. I do. If you can attach a really powerful message with virtuosic writing and attach a person to that, you have a figure with the power to change culture and create culture. I think Frederick Douglass was aware of that [essence] and I think Dr. King was aware of that, too.

I grew up working with Youth Speaks (www.youthspeaks.org), a poetry organization in San Francisco, which focuses on teenagers writing poetry. A primary reason to teach Spoken Word to young people is it forces you to make Spoken Word sound pretty; forces you to take your very valid ideas and come up with a way to make people listen to you, even if they are not particularly conditioned to listen to you. That’s a really powerful tool for young people. And that’s the same rubric that I think MLK and Fredrick Douglass were working with–if my mouthpiece is strong enough, if I can work these words and perform these words in a way that will move people, spiritually and emotionally–that is how you get people on the side of a cause.

TALK2SV: You have created a distinguished footprint, already. Let’s let’s talk about your performance cachet, specifically, portability and transmutability. You flow seamlessly between stage, television and film. What anchors your performance arc that allows you to virtually transport us, the viewer, and go along with you in each format, no matter the character portrayal?

DIGGS: Just trying to understand the mechanics, I’m still learning how to do that in the TV space and in the film space, too. I did so much theater coming up — I understand the mechanics of the stage, very well. It’s the thing I fall back on, the technique of it; I know what reads to a (performance) house of various sizes. I’ve played in every size house there is. So I have the technical ability to adapt. The more I work in the TV and film space, the more I understand those technical elements along with the other part of it. I can’t remember who told me this, either a director I was working with or an actor but, they said 80% of the job is to understand the tone of the piece. I really do find that to be true. If you understand the spirit of the piece you are making, you can be successful, but it really has to do with looking at the totality of the piece. What is the world we want to be snuck into? Make all your choices and point back to them; when I do that, then, I find I am in better shape.

Michelle Snider

Associate Editor for The Post News Group. Writer, Photographer, Videographer, Copy Editor, and website editor documenting local events in the Oakland-Bay Area California area.

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Michelle Snider

Associate Editor for The Post News Group. Writer, Photographer, Videographer, Copy Editor, and website editor documenting local events in the Oakland-Bay Area California area.

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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

3 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.

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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

3 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.