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Bakari Sellers Reflects on History and the Future

NNPA NEWSWIRE — Sellers notes how his life has been bookended by tragedy – the 1968 Orangeburg Massacre and the 2015 Charleston Massacre, where he lost a friend. “This is the Negro experience in America,” Sellers decided. “I want to tell the stories about the Black women who always sit on the front two rows of the church wearing their big hats, and when you hug them, you smell like Chanel all day long, and they use two sticks of butter in their pies. And the stories of the men who served in Vietnam and who sit in the barbershop all day without getting a haircut and talking about why Muhammad Ali would beat Mike Tyson and when Dr. King came through town.”
The post Bakari Sellers Reflects on History and the Future first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

Published

4 years ago

May 3, 2022

Stacy M. Brown

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

At 22, Bakari Sellers had already made history.

The son of civil rights icon Cleveland Sellers, Bakari stunned the political world by defeating a 26-year incumbent state representative to become the youngest member of the South Carolina state legislature.

With the improbable 2006 victory, Sellers became the youngest African American elected official.

Sellers earned an undergraduate degree from Morehouse College and a law degree from the University of South Carolina.

Like his father, Sellers has displayed a commitment to civil rights and addressing issues plaguing Black America like education, poverty, domestic violence, and childhood obesity.

He served on President Barack Obama’s South Carolina steering committee during Obama’s historic 2008 run for the oval office.

A lawyer, best-selling author, and CNN commentator, Sellers earned the Democratic nomination for lieutenant governor of South Carolina in 2014.

Reflecting on his still young and already successful life, Sellers refuses to take anything for granted.

He continues to draw inspiration from his father, Stokely Carmichael, and other civil rights champions as he seeks to push the dialogue about the vast racial inequalities for which Black leaders have fought and died.

“I think in the conversations we’re having across the country; people want to know how to talk to their kids about the issues of race. So, with young Brown kids, Black kids, they’ll get a sense of pride,” Sellers said during an interview with National Newspaper Publishers Association President and CEO Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr.

“With white kids or others, they’ll read the book, and they’ll get a sense of understanding. We live in a country where we have an empathy deficit because we don’t know or understand the struggles of others. I think this book helps break it down for kids who are ages four to eight, if not younger, to understand and be prideful in who they are and where they come from,” Sellers continued during the interview that is available on PBS television’s The Chavis Chronicles.

While Sellers’ books like “Who Are Your People?” and “My Vanishing Country: A Memoir” have sparked needed dialogue, he plans to do more.

Notably, he said he wants to lift the importance of the civil rights movement.

“I want to put together an overview and then dig down deep into pieces, and maybe tell some stories about the heroes and heroines who got us this far, the shoulders upon which we stand,” Sellers asserted.

His father, Cleveland, counted as a key figure in pushing the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee – or SNCC – in the direction of grassroots organizing for Black political power.

Cleveland Sellers was one of the 28 people wounded during The Orangeburg Massacre in 1968.

The deadly incident occurred at South Carolina State University as highway patrol units fired upon nonviolent and unarmed student protestors.

Three students were killed.

“My father was shot in the shoulder,” Bakari Sellers remarked. “The unique part of that is that all of the officers were charged, and it was the first time in the country’s history that law enforcement was charged with federal crimes.”

A jury rendered not guilty verdicts, and prosecutors lodged five felony charges against Cleveland Sellers that carried a 75-year prison sentence.

“My father was charged, convicted, and sentenced to hard labor,” Sellers said. “Ironically, they misplaced evidence and backdated the indictment from February 8 (when the massacre occurred) to February 6, meaning that my father was really convicted of being a one-man riot.”

Sellers remarked how his family got involved in the movement after the murder of Emmet Till.

“My father came to Howard University and befriended Stokely Carmichael, and the rest is history,” he said.

Following Cleveland’s stint in hard labor, Sellers said his father returned home facing the odds of being Black with a felony on his record.

He recalled how his mother would give birth to his sister while Cleveland was in prison.

However, Cleveland would earn a degree from Harvard, and later, he landed a job as a college president.

“I joke that my family was probably the only guy on the yard with a degree from Harvard,” Sellers said.

He noted that his mother “was one of the strongest people I know.”

“Her family was middle class, and they weren’t necessarily too keen of the movement but aware,” Sellers recounted. “But my mother was part of that school desegregation class at Hamilton High School in Memphis, so there’s that history on both sides of the family,” he said.

Sellers notes how his life has been bookended by tragedy – the 1968 Orangeburg Massacre and the 2015 Charleston Massacre, where he lost a friend.

“This is the Negro experience in America,” Sellers decided.

“I want to tell the stories about the Black women who always sit on the front two rows of the church wearing their big hats, and when you hug them, you smell like Chanel all day long, and they use two sticks of butter in their pies.”

He continued:

“And the stories of the men who served in Vietnam and who sit in the barbershop all day without getting a haircut and talking about why Muhammad Ali would beat Mike Tyson and when Dr. King came through town.

“We have to own our story. If we don’t, people will tell you that Dr. King came down to this country, won a Nobel Prize, told you to judge people by the content of their character and not by their skin color, and then he died in his sleep. They don’t tell you about the revolutionary that was Dr. King.”

Dr. Benjamin F, Chavis, Jr, affirmed, “We are grateful to American Public Television (APT), PBS TV stations, CRW Productions, and the National Newspaper Publishers Association for enabling The Chavis Chronicles to produce such an inspiring and visionary interview with Bakari Sellers. In fact, the Sellers family continues to exemplify intergenerationally the best of what it means to be a Freedom-Fighting Family.”

The post Bakari Sellers Reflects on History and the Future first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

Stacy M. Brown

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Michael: The King of Pop’s Story Returns to the Big Screen

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — The curtain has finally lifted on one of Hollywood’s most anticipated films. Lionsgate has unveiled the official trailer and release date for “Michael,” the sweeping biopic about Michael Jackson that has been years in the making.

Published

1 week ago

November 6, 2025

Stacy M. Brown

By Stacy M. Brown
Black Press USA Senior National Correspondent

The curtain has finally lifted on one of Hollywood’s most anticipated films. Lionsgate has unveiled the official trailer and release date for “Michael,” the sweeping biopic about Michael Jackson that has been years in the making. Directed by Antoine Fuqua, the film will arrive in theaters on April 24, 2026, with the singer’s nephew, Jaafar Jackson, stepping into the spotlight to portray his legendary uncle.

The trailer wastes no time rekindling the aura of Jackson’s genius. Opening with a studio scene between Jackson and his longtime producer Quincy Jones, played by Kendrick Sampson, the clip builds from a quiet, familiar rhythm to the electrifying pulse of “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’.” Viewers catch glimpses of the singer’s childhood, flashes of “Thriller,” and the silhouette that redefined pop culture. Each frame reminds fans of why Jackson remains unmatched in artistry and influence. The cast surrounding the late pop king’s nephew, Jaafar Jackson, reads like a who’s who of Black entertainment and music history. Colman Domingo plays Joe Jackson, Nia Long portrays Katherine Jackson, and Larenz Tate takes on the role of Motown founder Berry Gordy. Laura Harrier portrays music executive Suzanne de Passe, while Kat Graham embodies Diana Ross. Miles Teller plays attorney John Branca, a towering entertainment lawyer and longtime Jackson confidant who later became co-executor of his estate. The film’s journey to release has been as complicated as the icon it portrays. Production wrapped in 2024, but legal hurdles over depictions of past controversies forced extensive reshoots and editing delays. Even so, Fuqua’s film now appears ready to reclaim the narrative, focusing on Jackson’s creative ambition and humanity beyond tabloid noise. IndieWire reported that the film had faced “a massive legal snafu” over a disputed storyline but was retooled to center the music and legacy that defined generations.

Maven. Photo Credit: Glen Wilson

“Michael” promises more than a chronological retelling. It aims to explore how a child star from Gary, Indiana, became the world’s most influential entertainer. The script, written by Oscar-nominated John Logan, traces Jackson’s early years with the Jackson 5 through the triumphs and isolation of global superstardom. With Fuqua’s cinematic eye and producer Graham King—who brought “Bohemian Rhapsody” to life—joining forces with estate executors Branca and John McClain, the film is positioned as both a tribute and a restoration of Jackson’s cultural truth. Branca’s work behind the scenes has long shaped Jackson’s posthumous success. After the singer died in 2009, Branca and McClain took control of the estate burdened by debt and turned it into a global powerhouse worth billions. Under their stewardship, Jackson’s projects have generated more than $3 billion in worldwide ticket sales and landmark deals, including a $600 million joint venture with Sony earlier this year. At its heart, though, “Michael” is a story about artistry that transcends scandal. It offers a reminder that, despite the noise surrounding his life, Jackson’s music still bridges continents and generations. The trailer’s closing moments capture that spirit. As the beat of “Billie Jean” swells and Jaafar Jackson moonwalks into a spotlight, audiences are left with a familiar feeling—the awe of witnessing something timeless return home.

“Michael” opens worldwide in theaters April 24, 2026. See the official trailer here.

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Donald Trump Is the Biggest Loser

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — The Trump Brand took a significant hit as it was swept up in the Democratic blue wave of the election last night.

Published

1 week ago

November 5, 2025

Oakland Post

By April Ryan

The Trump Brand took a significant hit as it was swept up in the Democratic blue wave of the election last night.

Chris Jones, Democratic candidate for U.S. House of Representatives (AR-02), says, “Last night was electric, and it was unquestionably a wave.” Democrats won big in what is widely considered a repudiation of Trump’s 9 months at the White House in his second term.

In the state of Virginia, which produced the first big election night win and saw the election of the first woman governor, Democrat Abigail Spanberger, 56% of Virginia’s residents disapprove of President Trump. In New Jersey, 55% of state residents disapprove of the president; in New York, 69% disapprove; and in California, 63% disapprove of the president. The Trump brand or his support for any candidates did nothing to benefit those he endorsed in this election. They actually lost in each race he publicly put his name behind. Trump endorsed former New York Democratic Governor Andrew Cuomo, who lost the New York mayor’s race in his run as an independent. And New Jersey Republican Jack Ciattarelli, who ran for governor with the presidential endorsement, also lost his prospective race.

The next question is, will the democratic momentum be sustainable? Jones further explained, “This can become a 2026 tsunami, but turning a wave into a tsunami takes energy. A lot of energy. It doesn’t just happen. The conditions are there. Now we have to work!”

Some Democrats would argue that the work is already underway. The pushback against Trump’s national redistricting efforts received a thumb in the eye from California voters. Prop 50, California Governor Gavin Newsom’s counterbalance to President Trump’s redistricting efforts, passed in California last night. Although Trump’s name was not on the ballot last night, his Republican policies were. The United States has now entered the longest government shutdown in its history. Forty-two million Americans are not getting SNAP benefits. Economists are acknowledging that the government shutdown is contributing to the rise in delinquent debt in the student loan, automotive, and credit card industries. These items are among the negatives Americans are protesting against.

Compounding Trump’s political problems is a tariff battle that’s directly impacting pocketbooks. The day after the elections, the Trump administration was arguing before the US Supreme Court in favor of the president’s tariff powers. Meanwhile, President Trump‘s poll numbers are underwater, standing at a 37% national disapproval rate

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Historic Beatdown: Democrats Sweep Virginia as Speaker Don Scott and Jay Jones Make History

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — In a clear rejection of the policies of President Donald Trump, history repeated itself in Virginia.

Published

2 weeks ago

November 5, 2025

Oakland Post

By Lauren Burke

In a clear rejection of the policies of President Donald Trump, history repeated itself in Virginia. Democrats once again swept all three statewide offices as they did in 2017 during Trump’s first term. Abigail Spanberger easily won the office of Governor, and State Senator Ghazala Hashmi won her race over John Reid to be the next Lieutenant Governor. The victories occurred against the backdrop of a historic win in Virginia by Spanberger that will give Virginia its first woman Governor.

Spanberger’s widely predicted win over Republican gubernatorial nominee Winsome Earle-Sears was called 17 minutes after the polls closed in Virginia at 7 pm. Former Delegate Jay Jones won his race against incumbent Attorney General Jason Miyares. His victory means Jones will be the first Black Attorney General in Virginia’s history. Jones’ win was particularly noteworthy since the last month of his campaign was consumed by the issue of private text messages from 2022 to Republican Delegate Carrie Coyner. Republicans ran a non-stop barrage of negative ads against Jones for a month.

Del. Coyner lost her bid for re-election to Delegate-elect Lindsey Dougherty. The Dougherty race was the number one target for House Speaker Don Scott and his campaign lieutenant, Delegate Dan Helmer. Coyner’s defeat was one of at least 13 victories for Democrats who have now added to their ranks in the Virginia House to historic margins. When the Virginia General Assembly returns to session in January, there will be at least 64 Democrats in the chamber. The widespread Republican defeat is a testament to a combination of historic fundraising, Democrats running in all 100 seats, dislike of President Trump’s policies, and an ineffective top of the ticket featuring Lt. Gov. Earle Sears.

+13: Speaker Scott and Del. Helmer Hit Historic Numbers in Fundraising and Power

As the evening ended, a glaring historic fact became clearer: The Virginia House of Delegates will expand to a historic number. The change means the largest Democratic House chamber in the modern era. There were several notable wins by Democrats running for the Virginia House. They include Virgil Thornton, Lilly Franklin, and Kim Pope Adams. Speaker Don Scott and his campaign chair, Dan Helmer, undertook a record fundraising effort never before seen in Virginia’s history. The moment of success for Virginia Democrats will be viewed as a positive signal for Democrats moving into the 2026 elections.