Saturday Notes: KAWS, Amaarae, Gov. Wes Moore

Gov. Wes Moore reflects on first 2 months

New York Amsterdam News by Josh.barker

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore said Thursday he’s aiming for “the most full assault on child poverty” to ever happen in Maryland during his first legislative session, touching on a wide variety of topics in an exclusive interview with The Associated Press.

The governor, a Democrat, spoke about concerns in the banking industry after the second and third largest bank failures in U.S. history, his support for President Joe Biden, his thoughts on reparations for slavery, expanding the use of electric vehicles and police reform during the interview, among other topics.

Two months into his tenure, Moore, who is Maryland’s first Black chief executive and the third Black governor ever elected in the nation, noted the historical nature of his landslide November victory. He said his portrait will look “a little bit different” than the ones of white governors on the walls inside Maryland’s Capitol.

Gov. Wes Moore reflects on first 2 months - New York Amsterdam News

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore said Thursday he’s aiming for “the most full assault on child poverty” to ever happen in Maryland during his first legislative session, touching on a wide variety of topics in an exclusive interview with The Associated Press.

New York Amsterdam NewsBRIAN WITTE Associated Press

Art: KAWS Reflects on Time in New Paris Exhibition

KAWS Reflects on Time in New Paris Exhibition

On view at Skarstedt Gallery.

HypebeastShawn Ghassemitari

Film: AFROPUNK Cinema Noir: Tayarisha Poe Shines Bright

AFROPUNK by Ada Kalu

Tayarisha Poe’s second feature film, The Young Wife, debuted earlier this week at SXSW. With positive reviews, the cast boasts names like Kiersey Clemons, Leon Bridges, Aida Osman, Sheryl Lee Ralph and more. The Young Wife navigates themes of love through Clemons ‘following her over the course of her “non-wedding” day.’ As it stands, Poe’s sophomore film sees her team up again with Jomo Fray as cinematographer and Terence Nance (Random Acts of Flyness) whose music features in the first film. Over the past few years, she has worked on The Twilight Zone, Two Sentence Horror Stories and her debut feature, Selah and the Spades. In honor of TYF, I’m looking back at her first feature film and why she’s an exciting director to watch out for.

AFROPUNK Cinema Noir: Tayarisha Poe Shines Bright - AFROPUNK

Tayarisha Poe’s second feature film, The Young Wife, debuted at SXSW with positive reviews. I look back at their first film and why she’s one to watch.

AFROPUNKAda Kalu

Ghana Holds State Funeral For Christian Atsu

Ghana held a state funeral for soccer legend Christian Atsu in Accra on Friday (March 17th). Atsu, who played for the Turkish club Hatayspor, passed away last month after massive earthquakes rocked Turkey. (Those earthquakes, which began on February 6, have killed more than 50,000 people.)

Ghana Holds State Funeral For Christian Atsu

Ghanaian soccer player Christian Atsu’s family and loved ones come together to pay their respects at his funeral at the State House in Accra, Ghana.

OkayAfricaSughnen Yongo

Music: Amaarae explores love and sensuality on new single “Reckless and Sweet”

Amaarae is the gift that keeps on giving. Closing out 2020 with her critically acclaimed debut album, ‘The Angel You Don’t Know (TAYDK),’ featuring standout cuts like Cruel Santino and Kodey Radical-assisted “JUMPING SHIP” and promotional single, “LEAVE ME ALONE,” Amaarae reaffirmed herself as a force to be reckoned with. Soon enough, standout track “SAD GIRLS LUV MONEY”began garnering mainstream success and caught the attention of Columbian-American hitmaker, Kali Uchis for a remix proving that Amaarae’s penchant for topping worldwide charts.

Amaarae explores love and sensuality on “Reckless and Sweet” | The NATIVE

Ahead of her highly anticipated sophomore album, ‘Fountain Baby,’ Amaarae’s sensual vocals tell a story of a manipulative lover

The NATIVENwanneamaka Igwe

Amaarae Announces New Album Fountain Baby, Shares Video for New Song

“Reckless & Sweet” is the first offering from the record, which is due this year via Interscope

PitchforkCondé Nast

Haiti: What’s the Path Forward for Haiti?

The New Yorker - Culture by Marlene L. Daut

What’s the Path Forward for Haiti?

As the international community contemplates another armed intervention, a reckoning with history is long overdue.

The New YorkerCondé Nast

R.I.P. Lance Reddick, star of John Wick and The Wire

Lance Reddick, ‘The Wire’ and ‘John Wick’ star, dies at 60 - New York Amsterdam News

Lance Reddick, a character actor who specialized in intense, icy and possibly sinister authority figures on TV and film, including “The Wire,” “Fringe” and the “John Wick” franchise, has died. He was 60.

New York Amsterdam NewsMARK KENNEDY AP Entertainment Writer

TV: Bel-Air renewed for a third season at Peacock

Bel-Air renewed for a third season at Peacock

Peacock’s dramatic reboot of The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air just became the streamer’s longest-running live-action show

The A.V. ClubThe A.V. Club

African Literature: ‘I Wish I Had More Time to Write for Leisure’ Aby Sène’s First Draft

The Republic by Aby L. Sène

Academic and author of ‘Against Wildlife Republics: Conservation and Imperialist Expansion in Africa’ Aby Sène, believes pan-Africanism should not be presented in an alienating way: ‘To me, before any theory or ideology, pan-Africanism is first and foremost an instinct, an intense love for global Blackness that includes love towards all Africans across the globe, including the poor and working-class African, the agrarian African, the queer African, the incarcerated African, and so on.’

https://republic.com.ng/february-march-2023/first-draft-aby-sene/

StockX vs. Nike Court Documents Reveal that a Reseller Received 38 Fake Pairs of Air Jordan 1s from StockX

The StockX vs. Nikelegal saga contniues as recently unveiled court documents state that StockX sold 38 pairs of fake Air Jordan 1s to a customer/reseller. The documents state that the resale platform “authenticated” (wording which the company removed from its product pages as of November 2022) 38 fake pairs of Air Jordan 1s last…

Reseller Received 38 Fake Pairs of Air Jordan 1s from StockX | Nice Kicks

StockX vs. Nike court documents reveal that a reseller received 38 fake pairs of Air Jordan 1s from StockX. Learn more on Nice Kicks.

Nice KicksLuis Torres