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The Miss America Scandal–29 Years Ago Today
On July 23, 1984, the first black Miss America relinquished her tiara, replaced by the runner-up, also a black woman.
The multi-talented Vanessa Williams was crowned in 1983, the first African-American winner in the pageant’s over 60-year history. (Click here to watch her crowning.) But eight months later, nude photos of her cropped up. Penthouse editor Bob Guccione snapped them up and put her on the magazine’s cover with octogenarian comedian George Burns. 
As the scandal grew, Williams tearfully stepped aside, replaced by Suzette Charles, Miss New Jersey and also African American. Click here to watch her performance in the pageant’s talent competition.
Suzette Charles
Williams bounced back, launching a career as an actress and singer and earning multiple Grammy, Emmy and Tony nominations. Her 1988 debut album “The Right Stuff” spawned the hits “The Right Stuff” and “Dreamin.” Her second album 1991’s “The Comfort Zone” was a chart-topper and sparked the number-one hit “Save the Best for Last.” In 1995 her song “Colors of the Wind” from the animated film Pocahontas won a best original song Oscar.
On T.V. Williams played the role of the scheming diva Wilhelmina Slater on ABC’s Ugly Betty from 2006 to 2010. She received three Emmy Awards nominations before she moved to the network series Desperate Housewives and 666 Park Avenue.
Williams on Ugly Betty
Charles didn’t fare as well. She reigned as Miss America for only seven weeks, and continued with a modest singing and television career.
Not So Sunny in Florida
At rallies this weekend, protestors around the country called for a boycott of Florida following the wave of anger over George Zimmerman’s acquittal.
Rev. Jesse Jackson labeled Florida an “apartheid state” and Stevie Wonder says he’s won’t perform in the state until Stand Your Ground gun laws are repealed. Martin Luther King III has encouraged consumers to stop buying Florida orange juice and Dick Gregory demanded vacationers to skip Disney World in Orlando, Florida.
A moveon.org boycott Florida petition has collected 12,000 signatures. It reads: “Your state is not a safe place to vacation if your citizens are able to kill anyone they deem suspicious.” Click here to see and sign.
An effective boycott would cripple the state. MSN notes that tourism is Florida’s number 1 industry, bringing in nearly $72 billion and providing jobs for more than 1 million state residents or, more than 5 percent of the total population. The $1.1 billion citrus business supports about 76,000 jobs. 
But not everyone is falling in line behind a boycott. The National Association of Black Journalists decided not to cancel its annual convention in Orlando, July 31 – August 4. The group’s president challenged members to come to Florida and join in the discussion of the Zimmerman verdict and its ramifications. And at this writing, not all members of the Congressional Black Caucus agree on a boycott.
Like all economic boycotts, avoiding Florida and its products would hurt people who can least afford it. Blacks and Latinos make up 40 percent of the population and many own struggling small businesses. Still, making it hurt may be what it takes to repeal the state’s Stand Your Ground law.
To learn more, join the discussion:
Boycott Florida Tourism on Facebook
Must-See Movie–Fruitvale Station
Have you seen Fruitvale Station? If not, stop reading this post and run and out see it right now. It’s the best film of the year–this year’s Beasts of the Southern Wild: a well-made, deeply affecting independent movie that touches upon an issue painfully close to the headlines.
The film, a top-prize winner at Sundance, tells the true story of Oscar Grant, a 22-year-old Bay Area resident who, while unarmed, is shot to death by law enforcement officers. It couldn’t be more timely in the face of the Trayvon Martin tragedy and George Zimmerman travesty. But more importantly Fruitvale is the most complex, textured and realistic portrayal of a black man in American in years. It goes without saying that the first-time director, Ryan Coogler, is one talented brother.
Keep an eye on the starring actor, Michael B. Jordan. He played QB Vince Howard on Friday Night Lights as well as the heart-breaking role of young drug dealer Wallace on The Wire. The movie also stars the Academy Award winning Octavia Spencer (Minnie, in The Help) who shines, as Oscar’s mother, Wanda. But all the actors shine. 
Though the movie is in limited release (at the Angelika and Loews Lincoln Center in New York; why not Magic Johnson Theater?), it’s gaining momentum. On Friday, watch the BET documentary Fruitvale Station: The Story of Oscar Grant at 10 PM EST on Centric for a behind-the-scenes look at how the movie was made.
If we don’t support films like Fruitvale, there’s no point in complaining every season when the only black films star Madea. See Fruitvale to support it. But also see it because it’s damn good. Click here for the trailer.
Harlem in the Headlines
Harlem was in the news! Here’s a rundown on local coverage.
Mayoral front runner Anthony Weiner campaigned in Harlem over the weekend, with his wife, Huma Abedin. Huffington Post focused on her dress–one Michelle Obama also wore while campaigning for her husband. Who wore it best? [Photos from Twitter via Huffpo.]
Rys Powell
An article in the Daily News spotlights local entrepreneur Rhys Powell. His Harlem-based company Red Rabbit, provides healthy food for kids and employs 130 local residents. The start-up was recently named the Manhattan Small Business of the Year.
Assistant pastor Nicholas Richard preached on Sunday
On Sunday, Abyssinian Baptist church parishioners wore hoodies in reaction to the George Zimmerman acquittal. The Griot covers the historic church’s reaction to the verdict.
New York 1 covered Harlem Hospital’s air conditioning problem. (Everyone’s okay.) Click here to watch the video.
A Slap in Our Face: #No Justice
We live in a country where Black people can still hunted down and killed and no one has to pay. George Zimmerman’s acquittal is a slap in the face to people everywhere.
Where do we go from here? Martin Luther King asked that question in a 1967 speech. Read what he said.
“…And I must confess, my friends (Yes sir), that the road ahead will not always be smooth. (Yes) There will still be rocky places of frustration (Yes) and meandering points of bewilderment. There will be inevitable setbacks here and there. (Yes) And there will be those moments when the buoyancy of hope will be transformed into the fatigue of despair. (Well) Our dreams will sometimes be shattered and our ethereal hopes blasted. (Yes) We may again, with tear-drenched eyes, have to stand before the bier of some courageous civil rights worker whose life will be snuffed out by the dastardly acts of bloodthirsty mobs. (Well) But difficult and painful as it is (Well), we must walk on in the days ahead with an audacious faith in the future…” MLK Jr., August 1967
Read Dr. King’s entire speech here.
Harlem History–A Scandalous Madame from Back in the Day
Eliza Jumel is one of Harlem’s most infamous residents—in life and death. The former prostitute turned socialite lived at the Morris Jumel Mansion stretching from 160th to 162nd Streets near St. Nicholas and is buried at nearby Trinity Cemetery. During her long, storied life she befriended the French leader Napoleon Bonaparte and married a U.S. Vice President.
On Sunday, in honor of Bastille Day—France’s 4th of July—learn more about her.
Madame Jumel was born Betsy Bowen in Providence, Rhode Island in 1775. Her mother was a “working girl, but Betsy’s career in the “life” was short-lived. She became pregnant at 19, and headed to New York City with her newborn—and a plan for a new life.
She kept her past a secret when she met and married the wealthy French wine merchant Stephen Jumel in 1804. They moved to the Morris Jumel Mansion shortly after.
In 1815, the couple traveled to Paris. When the French economy soured in the 1820’s, Stephen Jumel’s fortunes did, too. He sent his wife back to the U.S. to sell some of his property. Instead of bailing him out, she used the money to buy her way into New York society.
Now a rich woman, she allowed her husband to live in their New York City mansion until he died in 1832.
At 57, Madame Jumel married Aaron Burr. The controversial former U.S. vice president was 79. The marriage didn’t last, and shortly after their divorce, Burr died in 1836.
Over the years, Madame Jumel tried to hold on to whatever past glory she once had. She even made visits to Europe proclaiming herself as the “Ex-Vice Queen Of America,” but by 1839 she began to withdraw to her mansion. She died in her sleep in 1865. She was buried in Trinity Cemetery and rests there still.
To learn more about Madame Jumel, read her 1865 New York Times obituary. And celebrate Bastille Day this Sunday with a walking tour of Trinity Cemetery honoring Madame Jumel with noted historian Eric K. Washington. Click here to reserve a spot. ($20 or $15 for members of the Municipal Art Society.)
Feeling Hot Hot Hot
Guess who?
It’s another scorcher. Though rain may be on the way, the heat is on. (Click here for today’s New York City forecast.)
What’s your favorite hot weather song? Ours is 1982’s Hot Hot Hot by Arrow. He was from the island of Montserrat, so he knew hot. Other songs that turn up the heat:
Hot in Here by Nelly
Too Darn Hot by Ella Fitzgerald
Summertime by DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince
(Love Is Like a) Heatwave by Martha and the Vandellas
Gonna Make You Sweat by CC + Music Factory
What’s yours?
Today in Black History–Daniel Hale Williams Performs Heart Surgery
On this day in 1893, Daniel Hale Williams became the first physician to successfully perform heart surgery. The pioneering Williams also opened Provident Hospital in Chicago, the first medical facility with an interracial staff.
Williams was born on January 18, 1856 in Hollidaysburg, After his father died, 10-year-old Daniel was sent to live in Baltimore, Maryland, with family friends. He became a shoemaker’s apprentice but disliked the work and decided to return to his family, who had moved to Illinois. Like his father, he took up barbering, but ultimately decided to pursue his education. He worked as an apprentice with Dr. Henry Palmer, a highly accomplished surgeon, and then completed further training at Chicago Medical College.
Williams, AKA Dr. Dan to his patients, set up his own practice in Chicago’s South Side and taught anatomy at his alma mater. Because of primitive social and medical circumstances existing in that era, Williams treated patients in their homes, including conducting occasional surgeries on kitchen tables. In doing so, he learned many of the emerging antiseptic, sterilization procedures of the day and gained a reputation for professionalism.
Provident Hospital, back in the day.
Because of discrimination, African-Americans were still barred from being admitted to hospitals and black doctors were refused staff positions. Knowing change was needed, Williams opened Provident Hospital and Training School for Nurses in 1891, the nation’s first hospital with a racial integrated nursing and intern program.
On July 9, 1893, a young black man named James Cornish was injured in a bar fight, stabbed in the chest with a knife. By the time he made it to Provident he was close to death, having lost a great deal of blood and in shock.
Williams was faced with the choice of opening the man’s chest and possibly operating internally though this was almost unheard of in that era because of the risk of infection. With little time to spare, Williams made the decision to operate and opened the man’s chest. He sutured the sac surrounding the chest, then applied antiseptic procedures before closing him up. About six weeks later, Cornish left Provident completely recovered and would go on to live for another 50 years. And Dr. Dan’s procedures were used as standards for future internal surgeries.
The patient.
When the American Medical Association refused to accept black members, Williams helped create the National Medical Association and served as vice-president. Williams died in 1931, having set standards and inspired medical and nursing students, both black and white, to push harder and achieve more .
Should Eliot Spitzer Be the City’s CFO?
Spitzer resignation
The Bible is clear about forgiveness. Ephesians 4:32 states, “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” And there are many, many other passages that discuss forgiveness, redemption and absolution.
But how far does it go? The luv guv for NYC CFO?
Yesterday, Eliot Spitzer announced his plans to run for New York City comptroller–five years after resigning with his pants down as governor of New York amid a prostitution scandal. (Click here to watch his resignation.) In making his bid, Spitzer, 54, said, “I am hoping there will be forgiveness. I am asking for it.”
Should we forgive Spitzer?
Cover boy, Spitzer
Americans are generally quick to overlook the sins of politicians. If you have any doubt, take a look at this brief “hall of shame” of politicos who have bounced back:
Bill Clinton: Several years ago, a Siena College poll ranked Clinton the 13th most admired president of all time–ahead of Ronald Reagan, Lyndon Johnson, both Bushes and even Barack Obama. This despite his 1998 impeachment for perjury and obstruction of justice and the bald-faced lie about Monica Lewinsky, “I did not have sexual relations with that woman.”
A teary Mark Sanford
Mark Sanford: In 2009, Republican governor Sanford of South Carolina “disappeared” while directing his staff to say he was hiking the Appalachian Trail. Instead he was using state travel funds to visit his mistress in Argentina. After a tearful admission and apology, he was censured and left office in disgrace–only to make a comeback this year. In May, he was re-elected to Congress. “I am one imperfect man saved by God’s grace,” he told supporters.
![Anthony Weiner for Mayor PSA [NSFW]](https://whcr.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/anthony_weiner_for_mayor1.jpg)
Anthony Weiner: In 2011 the N.Y. Congressman sent a photo of himself–in boxers with an obvious erection–to a 21-year-old woman via Twitter. After days of lies and denials, he finally confessed that this wasn’t the first time and resigned from office. Now two years later Weiner has apparently overcome the scandal, and his surname, and climbed to the top of this year’s campaign for New York City mayor.
Weiner is very popular with African Americans–just like Clinton. A Marist survey shows that 66 percent of African-Americans think Weiner deserves a second chance, compared with 45 percent of whites. In another poll, Weiner leads the only African American candidate, Bill Thompson.
What about Spitzer? He told the New York Times that he would bring his aggressive, hard-driving energy to the role of New York’s chief financial officer and monitor the effectiveness of government agencies, like the department of education. 
The question is, can we afford to trust Client 9 when we have a perfectly good candidate, Manhattan borough president Scott Stringer? (Ironically, the Post reports that Spitzer and Stringer are also running against Kristin Davis, the madam who says she arranged Spitzer trysts!) 
Bill Clinton rehabilitated his legacy by way of the good, international work of his Clinton Foundation, and his wife hasn’t hurt his image. And Weiner came out strong on his “apology tour,” and his beautiful, brainy wife hasn’t hurt him either.
So far Spitzer hasn’t shown much remorse or humility, and it’s unclear if his wife is standing by his side. One thing is to forgive, another is to forget.
Why Are Black Girls So Mean?
What happens when you Google “why are young black girls….?”
The writer asha bandela shared the experience yesterday with her followers on Facebook. When her daughter typed those words into a search for a project on young black girls and HIV/AIDS, before she could finish Google suggested “so rude,” “hair so short,” “so ghetto,” “so mean,” “so jealous,” and “so unattractive.”
By the way, try searching black women; here’s what Google fills in: “so mean,” “so loud,” single.”
bandele responded: “language and presumptions can kill. Change the conversation.”
Start talking the talk right now. Watch the new documentary “Imagine a Future,” directed and produced by Lisa Cortes, producer of the 2009 movie “Precious.” “Imagine a future” airs tonight at 9 PM on BET and is sponsored by the My Black Is Beautiful campaign–Procter and Gamble’s African-American answer to Dove’s much-discussed beauty campaign.
Tonight’s film focuses on Janet Goldsboro, an African-American teen from Delaware who travels to South Africa on a journey of self-acceptance and self-discovery. As she digs deeper into her roots, she also explores historical and contemporary beauty and the self-esteem challenges faced by many Black women. Clck here to watch the trailer.
The documentary also features the voices of Gabourey Sidibe, Michaela Angela Davis, Gabrielle Douglas, Tatyana Ali and Melissa Harris-Perry. It challenges viewers to re-think standards of beauty.
Following the premiere, BET will air Girl Talk, a summit-style discussion.
Watch with the young women–and men–in your life. And as bandele says, change the conversation.
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