page contents data-mobile="true" data-tablet-width="1100" data-tablet-small-width="840" data-mobile-width="640">
Log in

Weinstein’s Sexual Harassment Allegations Exposes Hollywood

Eminem drops freestyle diss of Donald Trump and crickets from Trump; 50 Cent Claps back at Wendy Williams; Tyrese’s legal battle with ex-wife and; more

QUICK TAKES:

It’s Breast Cancer Awareness Month and quite frankly, every day should be Breast Cancer Awareness Day especially for Black women. So don’t ignore any irregularities with your breast and make sure that you or any woman you know gets her baseline mammogram at age 35 and every year after your 40th birthday, no excuses. In NYC, there are health facilities that provide free and low-cost mammograms, so no excuses!

By now, we all should have seen the movie, Hidden Figures, where Taraji P. Henson played the role of mathematician Katherine G. Johnson, also known as the human computer. As you know, Ms. Johnson did the mathematical calculations that helped the U.S. beat Russia into space. Well, the $30 million, 40,000-square-foot Katherine G. Johnson Computational Research Facility named in her honor finally opened!

Shonda Rhimes is among the 2017 Television Academy Hall of Fame inductees.

FOX orders five additional episodes of STAR for the current Season 2, and TV ONE’S BOBBI KRISTINA premiered #1 in its time slot among African-American households.

Aisha Hinds and Rockmond Dunbar join Angela Bassett in Ryan Murphy’s Fox Series 9-1-1; LHHATL’S Waka Flocka Flame and Tammy Rivera land a spinoff reality show, MEET THE FLOCKAS; Peter Gunz and his wife, Amina Buddafly are taking their relationship issues to MARRIAGE BOOTCAMP REALITY STARS and; Jordan Peele surprised a UCLA class inspired by Get Out. The class is taught by celebrated author and educator, Tananarive Due.

In not so good news, NeNe Leakes was fired from the XSCAPE REUNION TOUR over a rape joke she stated while on stage. Nene later apologized for the joke and after a few days said she ‘had a real breakdown’ after rape joke backlash.

And, the bad news keeps pouring in for Megyn Kelly. Unfortunately, celebrity publicists are bailing on NBC’s Megyn Kelly Today, so the show is having difficulty getting high-profile guests. Also, Megyn Kelly Today is not a good lead-in for Hoda Kotb and Kathy Lee Gifford’s show as it is dragging down the ratings of that show.

WHAT’S POPPIN'

Harvey Weinstein and Rape Culture In America

After journalist Ronan Farrow’s 8,000 word story, in which, 13 women made detailed allegations against film executive, Harvey Weinstein’s decades of sexual abuse against women ran in the New Yorker, all hell broke loose. Women who were abused by Weinstein now feel emboldened to speak up and a number of men are ducking for cover.

Are you surprised that Harvey Weinstein is getting the Bill Cosby treatment?

EMINEM is BACK!

Hip-hop rapper, Eminem, slammed Donald Trump with his freestyle rap at the BET Hip Hop Awards. Although Eminem received widespread praise, everyone is not happy. Rapper YG feels like chopped liver because he and Nipsey Hussle released F--k Donald Trump in 2016, to some praise, but not nearly as much as the amount of praise that Eminem is receiving. YG posted his displeasure on social and then deleted it.

Judge Says Tyrese Gibson’s Daughter Can Testify

It’s been reported that since singer Tyrese Gibson remarried, he and his former wife and mother of his child, Norma Gibson, have been in an ongoing feud. According to TheBlast.com, a judge has given Tyrese’s ex-wife, the option of calling their 10-year-old daughter Shayla to the stand if she chooses.

Is this a good strategy for Norma Gibson to call her 10-year-old daughter to testify in court?

50 Cent Claps Back at Wendy Williams

Talk show host, Wendy Williams, is used to people clapping back at her, but none like 50 Cents' hurtful barbs.

Fifty announced a party to celebrate the end of his court-ordered child support payments.

Wendy responded to 50-Cent’s announcement saying, “You’re 42. You got a 21-year-old son. Get your life.”

Fifty was not happy and he posted on Instagram what many perceived to be very hurtful responses to Wendy Williams.

Wendy’s fans seem to think 50 Cents went too far? Agree?

MOTIVATIONAL QUOTE OF THE WEEK:

Our Motivational Quote of the Week is:

“When a black voice is raised in protest to oppression, those who are comfortable with our oppression are the first to criticize us for daring to speak out against it.” – Harry Belafonte

 

  • Published in Episodes

Katherine Johnson Speaks at Hampton University's Commencement Program

Katherine Johnson delivers a powerful message to the Hampton University Class of 2017

Katherine Johnson, an African-American physicist, and mathematician, better known as the human computer and subject of the movie, Hidden Figures, delivered a message to the Hampton University Class of 2017 during their commencement program.

Johnson, a graduate of West Virginia State College (now West Virginia State University), a historically black college, made significant contributions to the United States' aeronautics and space programs with the early application of digital electronic computers at NASA.

Known for accuracy in computerized celestial navigation, Johnson conducted technical work at NASA that spanned decades. During this time, she calculated the trajectories, launch windows, and emergency backup return paths for many flights from Project Mercury, including the early NASA missions of John Glenn and Alan Shepard, and the 1969 Apollo 11 flight to the Moon, through the Space Shuttle program.

If you haven't seen the movie, Hidden Figures, you can probably stream it from Netflix, or watch it via your cable/satellite TV provider. It's a story you will never forget and undoubtedly will share with your family and friends.

Hidden Figures stars Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, Janelle Monae, and Kevin Costner.

What's The 411 Episode 110: Beyonce, Khloe Kardashian, Rachel Lindsay, and more

VIDEO: Jay-Z makes move to safeguard Beyonce's pregnancy; Khloe Kardashian reportedly desperate to get married; Bachelorette Rachel Lindsay makes history

What's Poppin' Quick Takes

Judge Kevin Eide has finally named the heirs to Prince’s estate.

A spinoff of ABC’s hit show, Black-ish, will soon be coming to a television near you. The tentatively titled, College-ish, featuring Yara Shahidi, will debut on Freeform (formerly known as ABC Family) sometime next year.

Katherine Johnson, an engineer, better known as the human computer and subject of the movie, Hidden Figures, delivered the commencement speech at Hampton University.

Anthony Weiner, a former congressman from New York repping Brooklyn, pleaded guilty to exchanging sexually explicit online messages.

According to Radar Online, Jay-Z has hired an around-the-clock, live-in nurse and a team of doctors to care for Beyonce until the babies are born.

Actress and singer, Keke Palmer, cut her hair and social media has gone crazy.

What's Poppin' Relationships

Aisha Tyler’s husband, Jeff Tietjens, filed for divorce and the judge ordered Tyler to pay Tietjens $31,250 a month in spousal support for the next four years plus a lump sum of $500k. The total is $2 million.

ABC-TV released the list of bachelor contenders on The Bachelorette that will be vying for new bachelorette, Rachel Lindsay’s heart. Lindsay, a Texas-bred lawyer, is The Bachelorette’s first Black woman to be a decision-maker.

Radar Online is reporting that Khloe Kardashian wants to get married to Cleveland Cavaliers player, Tristan Thompson, so badly that she is willing to buy the rings.

Rumor has it that Khloe is afraid that Tristan will go back to his former girlfriend and mother of his child, Jordan Craig.

What's Poppin' Politics

We mentioned Anthony Weiner earlier, he pleaded guilty to exchanging sexually explicit online messages, including violent rape fantasies, last year with a teen girl he knew to be underage. Is jail enough for Anthony Weiner?

Our Photo of the week is model Winnie Harlow who slayed in a Zuhair Murad gown on the red carpet at the 2017 Cannes Film Festival.

The411onBooks

What do Patti LaBelle, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Brandon Harris, all have in common? We're talking about them and their books in The4110nBooks segment.

QUICK TAKES: Prince, Yara Shahidi, Anthony Weiner, Beyonce, Keke Palmer [VIDEO]

WATCH VIDEO: WHAT'S THE 411 QUICK TAKES

It’s taken a little over a year, but Minnesota Judge Kevin Eide has finally named the heirs to Prince’s estate. They are his sister and five half-siblings.

A spinoff of ABC’s hit show, Black-ish, will soon be coming to a television near you. The tentatively titled, College-ish, will debut on Freeform (formerly known as ABC Family) sometime next year. The series, starring Yara Shahidi, will kick off with 13, 30-minute episodes.

Katherine Johnson, an engineer, better known as the human computer and subject of the movie, Hidden Figures, delivered the commencement speech at Hampton University.

Anthony Weiner, a former congressman from New York repping Brooklyn, pleaded guilty to exchanging sexually explicit online messages, including violent rape fantasies, last year with a teen girl he knew to be underage. He is likely to get 21 to 27 months behind bars at sentencing in September and he must register as a sex offender.

According to Radar Online, Jay-Z has hired an around-the-clock, live-in nurse and a team of doctors to care for Beyonce until the babies are born. It seems that Bey’s pregnancy is high-risk and the family wants to take precautions to ensure a smooth birth.

Actress/singer Keke Palmer cut her hair and social media has gone crazy.

 

Hidden Figures Brings #BlackGirlMagic to the Big Screen!

Count on seeing Hidden Figures and definitely take your daughters to see these black women excelling in math, engineering, and computer operations

It’s the early sixties. Three black women traveling in a blue and white 1957 Chevrolet head to work. Few people would guess that Katherine Johnson (Taraji P. Henson), Dorothy Vaughan (Octavia Spencer) and Mary Jackson (Janelle Monáe) work at the National Aeronautics Space Administration (NASA). One is a mathematician, one an engineer and the other a computer expert. Hidden Figures tells the fascinating story of these three amazing women and the vital roles they play in getting America’s space program off the ground.

The story behind Hidden Figures is incredible on multiple levels. According to a People magazine article, numbers fascinated Katherine Johnson from her earliest days. She counts everything including the number of steps it takes to walk to school. She enters high school at 10 and then graduates from college at 18. Her highly supportive father moves their family as necessary to ensure that she takes full advantage of the educational opportunities offered to her. Dorothy Vaughan graduates from Wilberforce University in Ohio at an even younger age, 16.

Johnson, Vaughan, and Jackson benefit from a NASA program which hired black women during War World II. The agency is so impressed by the mathematic talents of these women (who were called “computers”), it continues the program after the war ends opening the door for later arrivals.

Hidden Figures doesn’t just tell the stories of these three geniuses but provides a portrait of the racial dynamics of that time period. Including the segregated facilities and the closed minds attempting to undermine these women’s efforts and talents. Jim Parsons (of the Big Bang Theory) plays Paul Stafford who works along with Johnson at the Langley Research Center and who undercuts her by not supplying the necessary information to complete her projects. And he deeply resents her checking and sometimes finding errors in his calculations - which is her job.

Kevin Costner plays Johnson’s and Stafford’s boss and often has to referee their disputes and more times than not, sides with Johnson. He is a firm but fair supervisor who is forced to examine the prevailing segregationist policies and their effect on people like Johnson and her ability to do her job. And how she walks a half mile across the NASA campus to go to the segregated, colored women’s bathroom. Or how someone in his own department brings in a separate coffee pot for her rather than have her continue to use the one the rest of the group uses.

Recently deceased astronaut John Glenn reflects an uncommon acceptance and support of the women. When the NASA employees stand outside in a greeting line to meet the astronauts, the white employees are first. After shaking hands with them, a handler directs the astronauts back inside before reaching the black women. Glenn ignores the directive and walks over to speak and shake hands with the ladies. And before his first voyage, he makes clear that he won’t take off until Johnson reviews the computations of the NASA’s new IBM computer.

Overall the film is well done. One interesting scene is when Johnson who is a widow, rips into a man she meets at church (who later becomes her husband) because he’s surprised to find out that she’s a senior mathematician for NASA. The whole world would be surprised at her occupation! Why shouldn’t he? He later apologizes for his close-mindedness.

As to cast diversity Hidden Figures, gets an “A”. It represents the situation as it existed racially at that time.

See Hidden Figures because it has that rare combination of being both educational and entertaining. Also see it because if it’s a box office hit, Hollywood will make more films like it. And we need more films like it. Definitely take your daughters to see these women excelling in math, science, engineering, and computer operations (technology). One final point, in addition to being a member of the composing team to score the music for Hidden Figures, music producer, Pharrell Williams, is also one of the producers of the movie.

Hidden Figures is just over 2 hours at 126 minutes. Rated PG for thematic elements and some language. It gets our highest rating: See It!

Subscribe to this RSS feed