Entertainment
OWN’s Got Plenty Good Loving on Friday Nights With New Season of ‘Black Love’
OWN’s popular series, now in its fifth season, takes viewers inside the joys and challenges of married couples. From co-creators Codie and Tommy Oliver, the famed husband-and-wife filmmakers have a sure hit on their hands with this four-time NAACP nominated docu-series.
A riveting collection of relationship chronicles will have you tuning in every Friday night to glean lessons learned and lived experiences of celebrities and everyday people on “Black Love.”
OWN’s popular series, now in its fifth season, takes viewers inside the joys and challenges of married couples. From co-creators Codie and Tommy Oliver, the famed husband-and-wife filmmakers have a sure hit on their hands with this four-time NAACP nominated docu-series.
“Black Love” is a veritable bounty of romantic perspectives from the Black community. A perennial favorite, “Black Love” was ranked No. 1 in its time slot across all cable with African American women age 25-54. The ground-breaking expose airs 10:00 p.m. ET/PT.
The hour-long weekly snapshot posits itself as a presentation of real, honest, emotional, and transparent love stories.
The new season features Chance and Tabitha Brown, R&B singer Kenny Lattimore and Judge Faith Jenkins; Grammy-winner Ledisi and husband Ron Young; singer/songwriter Tank and Zena Foster; “Greenleaf” actor Keith David and his wife Dionne; stylist Jason Bolden and interior designer Adair Curtis, plus others who will discuss topics from navigating finances, religious differences, parenting and the unexpected twists that are part of every couples’ journey.
Personally, “Black Love” is one of my favorite shows on television. I spoke with Season 5 cast members Keith David and his wife of 20 years, Dionne Lea Williams, about the back story of their love story.
David and Williams describe their relationship this way–
We protect our marriage, as much as we can, from the scrutiny of outsiders. We avoid negative feedback because we’re trying to do something positive for ourselves, for our family, and for younger couples who need to see longevity in marriage. It’s also about acceptance of each other and the things that make you, you. Sure, there are little annoyances, but are you going to nitpick all the time? Are you going to pick each other apart over the little things? The answer is, ‘No.’ It’s about acceptance.
Regarding the impact COVID19 had on the marriage, the couple articulated challenges of being in each other’s presence for extended periods, which was quite an adjustment.
David describes himself as a workaholic, working mostly away from home for the last 15 years. Williams said, “I had to get used to him being home. … Keith has a large personality and takes up the space in a room. I, on the other hand, like quiet. He’s a star and used to people doing everything for him. When he’s home, I expect him to help out around the house.”
They confess that their three children help to balance the family household dynamics. “They keep us accountable and we are dedicated to keeping our family together.”
Each episode seeks to answer the burning question, “What does it take to make a marriage work?” Here’s a clip from the show.
Activism
Oakland Post: Week of April 24 – 30, 2024
The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of April 24 – 30, 2024
To enlarge your view of this issue, use the slider, magnifying glass icon or full page icon in the lower right corner of the browser window.
Activism
Oakland Post: Week of April 17 – 23, 2024
The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of April 17 – 23, 2024
To enlarge your view of this issue, use the slider, magnifying glass icon or full page icon in the lower right corner of the browser window.
Entertainment
O.J. Simpson, 76, Dies of Prostate Cancer
Orenthal James (O.J.) Simpson, who rose to fame as a college football player who went on to the NFL and parlayed his talents in acting and sportscasting, succumbed to prostate cancer on April 10, his family announced.
By Post Staff
Orenthal James (O.J.) Simpson, who rose to fame as a college football player who went on to the NFL and parlayed his talents in acting and sportscasting, succumbed to prostate cancer on April 10, his family announced.
Born and raised in San Francisco, the Galileo High School graduate was recruited by the University of Southern California after he was on a winning Junior College All-American team.
At USC, he gained wide acclaim as a running back leading to him becoming the No. 1 pick in the AFL-NFL draft in 1969 and joining the Buffalo Bills, where he had demanded – and received — the largest contract in professional sports history: $650,000 over five years. In 1978, the Bills traded Simpson to his hometown team, the San Francisco 49ers, retiring from the game in 1979.
Simpson’s acting career had begun before his pro football career with small parts in 1960s TV (“Dragnet”) before “Roots” and film (“The Klansman,” “The Towering Inferno,” Capricorn One”).
He was also a commentator for “Monday Night Football,” and “The NFL on NBC,” and in the mid-1970s Simpson’s good looks and amiability made him, according to People magazine, “the first b\Black athlete to become a bona fide lovable media superstar.”
The Hertz rent-a-car commercials raised his recognition factor while raising Hertz’s profit by than 50%, making him critical to the company’s bottom line.
It could be said that even more than his success as a football star, the commercials of his running through airports endeared him to the Black community at a time when it was still unusual for a Black person to represent a national, mainstream company.
He remained on Hertz team into the 1990s while also getting income endorsing Pioneer Chicken, Honey Baked Ham and Calistoga water company products and running O.J. Simpson Enterprises, which owned hotels and restaurants.
He married childhood sweetheart Marguerite Whitley when he was 19 and became the father of three children. Before he divorced in 1979, he met waitress and beauty queen Nicole Brown, who he would marry in 1985. A stormy relationship before, during and after their marriage ended, it would lead to a highway car chase as police sought to arrest Simpson for the murder by stabbing of Brown and her friend Ron Goldman in 1994.
The pursuit, arrest, and trial of Simpson were among the most widely publicized events in American history, Wikipedia reported.
Characterized as the “Trial of the Century,” he was acquitted by a jury in 1995 but found liable in the amount of $33 million in a civil action filed by the victims’ families three years later.
Simpson would be ensnared in the criminal justice system 12 years later when he was arrested after forcing his way into a Las Vegas hotel room to recover sports memorabilia he believed belonged to him.
In 2008, he received a sentence of 33 years and was paroled nine years later in 2017.
When his death was announced, Simpson’s accomplishments and downfalls were acknowledged.
Sports analyst Christine Brennan said: “… Even if you didn’t love football, you knew O.J. because of his ability to transcend sports and of course become the businessman and the pitchman that he was.
“And then the trial, and the civil trial, the civil case he lost, and the fall from grace that was extraordinary and well-deserved, absolutely self-induced, and a man that would never be seen the same again,” she added.
“OJ Simpson played an important role in exposing the racial divisions in America,” attorney Alan Dershowitz, an adviser on Simpson’s legal “dream team” told the Associated Press by telephone. “His trial also exposed police corruption among some officials in the Los Angeles Police Department. He will leave a mixed legacy. Great athlete. Many people think he was guilty. Some think he was innocent.”
“Cookie and I are praying for O.J. Simpson’s children … and his grandchildren following his passing. I know this is a difficult time,” Magic Johnson said on X.
“I feel that the system failed Nicole Brown Simpson and failed battered women everywhere,” attorney Gloria Allred, who once represented Nicole’s family, told ABC News. “I don’t mourn for O.J. Simpson. I do mourn for Nicole Brown Simpson and her family, and they should be remembered.”
Simpson was diagnosed with prostate cancer about a year ago and was undergoing chemotherapy treatment, according to Pro Football Hall of Fame President Jim Porter. He died in his Las Vegas, Nevada, home with his family at his side.
He is survived by four children: Arnelle and Jason from his first marriage and Sydney and Justin from his second marriage. He was predeceased son, Aaren, who drowned in a family swimming pool in 1979.
Sources for this report include Wikipedia, ABC News, Associated Press, and X.
-
Community2 weeks ago
Financial Assistance Bill for Descendants of Enslaved Persons to Help Them Purchase, Own, or Maintain a Home
-
Activism3 weeks ago
Oakland Post: Week of April 3 – 6, 2024
-
Business2 weeks ago
V.P. Kamala Harris: Americans With Criminal Records Will Soon Be Eligible for SBA Loans
-
Community2 weeks ago
AG Bonta Says Oakland School Leaders Should Comply with State Laws to Avoid ‘Disparate Harm’ When Closing or Merging Schools
-
Activism2 weeks ago
Oakland Post: Week of April 10 – 16, 2024
-
Community1 week ago
Oakland WNBA Player to be Inducted Into Hall of Fame
-
Community1 week ago
Richmond Nonprofit Helps Ex-Felons Get Back on Their Feet
-
City Government2 weeks ago
LAO Releases Report on Racial and Ethnic Disparities in California Child Welfare System