In honor of the anniversary of the 5–6-day uprising entitled, the “Watts Rebellion,” one must revisit the energy that surrounded that time. It was a breaking point. A new vernacular was being introduced to the status quo. As the minds of the collective community began to expand, a new reality took shape with spiraling raw energy.
The message was clear and channeled through entities that were beyond control. This moment challenged the unspoken contract of every local abiding citizen and brought a new culture in order.
On August 11, the essence of the uprisings that took place in 1965 is still felt today; National Public Radio (NPR) shared articles describing a not-so-distant past influencing current times. One can still physically see the effects of a boiling point that overspilled into the streets of Watts and South Los Angeles.
The moment labeled the “Watts Rebellion” marched to a familiar tune of racial injustice.
Recounting information reported by History.com, the tip of the iceberg, which had a titanic effect on the local community of Watts and surrounding neighborhoods, generated after two police officers stopped a Black motorist by the name of Marquette Frye.
They were under the impression that the motorist was intoxicated. A crowd gathered on Avalon Boulevard and 116th Street, with the air of a fatal outcome surrounding the arrest.
The city was socially fatigued from the lack of political support, which ignited the coals that held a somber flame of hopelessness within the hearts of the collective community. The night grew warm from the buzz of residents taking the reins for change into their own hands.
Faces glowed from the ambers of flames, roaring from torched buildings. People were taking anything that could be carried home, savoring the moment’s raw energy circulating through the Watts, fulfilling a need that has always been there.
Many people took to the streets within a 50-mile radius of South-Central Los Angeles; a police act with an unfortunate tie to racial profiling led to “five days of violence,” with over 34 dead, 1,032 injured, and nearly 4,000 arrested according to History.com. Over the 5–6-day period, over 14,000 national guards were assigned to that area.
This was a distinct moment in time because of the range and spread of the social upheaval. A well-known confrontation between police and people of color takes many different forms; however, the clearest silhouette is seen at the base of the smoldering ash, which was all that was left from buildings that once stood and supported the community’s infrastructure. According to many reports, there was an estimate of $40 million in property damage.
Interpreted as the “war on poverty,” during that time, the city was seeing hands reached out with no one on the other side to uplift them and no city investment within these areas of focus, leading to the combustion of civil unrest and social change.
Because there were no resources before the eruption, recovery came in centimeter measurements. Much like the effects of the present COVID-19 trauma in underserved populations, pre-existing conditions became open wounds, bleeding out from the community faster than they can be bandaged.
In today's context, this historical moment is labeled as the “costliest urban rebellion of the Civil Rights era,” seen in the Civil Rights Digital Library (crdl.usg.edu).
It would be easy to say, “this is a thing of the past,” however, a similar event occurred half a century later in 2020. The name George Floyd rings in the ears of many and resonates with the fight against police brutality that is still been seen today.
Much like the George Floyd movement, the Watts uprising in 1965 pushed the needle forward.
The fires worked metaphorically as a smoke signal for the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) under the watchful eye of activist, Martin Luther King, Jr., bringing more attention to the environmental impact on the overall quality of life.
Today's public servants weighed in on the massive impact of such a historical event. Timothy Watkins, President & CEO Watts Labor Community Action Committee stated, "Never before have so few been neglected by so many as the People of Watts in the City of Los Angeles."
Councilmember Mark Ridley-Thomas weighed in on the moment and its aftermath. In reflection of the passing of 50-years to Watt's uprising, Ridley-Thomas stated, “Despite all the social and economic progress since the events in Watts, and after the civil unrest that followed the Rodney King beating trial verdicts, it seems the more things change, the more they remain the same.”
He continued, “To some, Ezell Ford, Eric Garner, Tamir Rice, and Michael Brown are all poignant reminders that something still just isn’t right. And yet, sitting on our hands during an election cycle can’t be the answer either.
The battle for justice requires that we be vigilant in maintaining possession of all the tools at our disposal and that we be strategic in their use. In the struggle for political power and influence, abstention is retreat. Apathy is surrender. Indifference is betrayal.”
Assemblymember Mike Gipson reflected on the 56 years of growth from 1965 and stated, "On this anniversary, we reflect on things that have changed and how far we have yet to go.
Martin Luther King, Jr. Hospital, Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science and California State University Dominguez Hills are just a few of the early changes, but more is needed."
Gibson continued, "My current legislation, AB 1425 seeks to bring internet/broadband to housing developments and low-income residents so that students and households can have access to studies and resources ..."
Close attention needs to be paid to the repetition of history; it defines the moments where humanity has yet to see a solution. As one revisits the past and reflects on the day South Los Angeles felt the burn of their despair, the work becomes clear for the present.
After their first-round exit from the NBA Playoffs by the Pheonix Suns, the Los Angeles Lakers filled their roster with the league’s most notable veterans.
It all started on July 29, when the Washington Wizards traded guard Russell Westbrook for guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, forward Kyle Kuzma, center Montrez Harrell second-round picks in 2024 and 2028 and a 2021 first-round Draft pick.
Westbrook helped the Washington Wizards have a contending run last season, making a career high of 11.7 assist per game. In his career, Westbrook made 23.2 points per game and averaged a triple double in four different seasons.
In 2019, Westbrook expressed interest to Kawhi Leonard about playing for Los Angeles.
This information led Leonard to recruit Paul George as a teammate.
Two years later, Westbrook finally earns a chance to play for a team in his hometown.
More of the Lakers young players began to depart as guard Alex Caruso signed a $37 million, four-year deal with the Chicago Bulls. Center Andre Drummond signed a one-year deal with the Philadelphia 76ers.
While Drummond and Harrell recently joined the Lakers squad, Caruso and Kuzma were the longest tenured Lakers on the 2020-2021 roster.
Caruso had a hustler’s spirit that helped the Lakers win the 2020 Championship, shooting at 43.6 percent in field goals throughout his career. The Texas native will be getting a significant pay raise, earning $8.6 million for his first season with the Bulls after the Lakers paid him $2.7 million last year.
Kuzma dazzled Lakers fans with his 16.1 points and 6.3 rebounds per game during his rookie season but became a role player after forward Anthony Davis arrived in Los Angeles.
On Tuesday, the Lakers and forward Anthony agree to a one-year deal. Anthony and James were in the 2003 NBA Draft together and have been friends throughout their careers. Anthony is the only current NBA player who has four Olympic medals.
During the 18 years in the NBA, Anthony shot at 35.3 percent in three-pointers and scored 23 points per game. The 10-time All-Star spent the last two seasons with the Portland Trailblazers, helping them reach the playoffs.
Anthony spent the first eight years of his NBA career with the Denver Nuggets before being sent to play for the New York Knicks.
Anthony has made 13 Playoffs appearances, but has never reached the conference finals.
Ariza hopes to return to the conference finals in the purple and gold after being out for 12-years. Like Anthony, Ariza is known for his three-point shot accuracy and shot at 35.2 percent throughout his career. The last time he was in a conference final, Ariza was helping the Lakers secure their 15th championship.
Ariza also played for the Washington Wizards, Houston Rockets, Orlando Magic and the Phoenix Suns.
Early in his career, Howard guided the Orlando Magic to five Playoff appearances.
In 2009, the Orlando Magic reached the NBA Finals, but fell to the Lakers in five games. During that playoff run, Howard scored 20.3 points and 15.3 rebounds per game.
Guard Wayne Ellington played for the Lakers during the 2014-2015 season, getting 36 starts and 10.0 points per game. Ellington had a career high of 12.0 points per game and shot at 42.1 percent in field during the 2018-2019 season when he played for the Detroit Pistons.
Despite being in the NBA for 12 years, Ellington has only competed in three different Playoffs. In the postseason, Ellington scored 7.1 points, 2.3 rebound, and 0.5 steals.
Ellington has played for several teams, including the Minnesota Timberwolves, Cleveland Cavaliers, Dallas Mavericks, Brooklyn Nets, Miami Heat, Detroit Piston, and the New York Knicks.
Guard Kent Bazemore turned down a two-year contract with the Golden State Warriors for a one-year contract with the Lakers.
Bazemore has been in the NBA for nine seasons, but only had four seasons where her reached the Playoffs.
During the 2015-16 Playoffs, Bazemore had 10 starts and scored 11.9 points and 6.6 rebounds per game.
During the 2013-2014 season, Bazemore played for the Lakers for 23 games.
Along with playing for the Atlanta, Bazemore played for The Golden State Warriors and the Sacramento Kings and the Portland Trailblazers.”
Ladies and gentlemen and all of those that live in-between hold on to your proverbial hats because “The Suicide Squad” from the beautiful mind of writer/director James Gunn, Warner Bros. Pictures’ is scheduled to open nationwide in theaters and IMAX on August 6.
This new superhero action-adventure from the DC world features a collection of the most degenerate delinquents in the DC lineup.
Here’s how it starts. Buckle up — welcome to hell—a.k.a. Belle Reve, the prison with the highest mortality rate in the US of A. Where the worst Super-Villains are kept and where they will do anything to get out—even join the super-secret, super-shady Task Force X. Today’s do-or-die assignment? Assemble a collection of cons, including Bloodsport (Idris Elba), Peacemaker, Captain Boomerang, Ratcatcher 2, Savant, King Shark, Blackguard, Javelin, and everyone’s favorite psycho, Harley Quinn. The next step, arm them heavily and drop them (literally) on the remote, enemy-infused island of Corto Maltese. Trekking through a jungle teeming with militant adversaries and guerrilla forces at every turn, the Squad is on a search-and-destroy mission with only Colonel Rick Flag on the ground to make them behave...and Amanda Waller’s government techies in their ears, tracking their every movement. And as always, one wrong move and they’re dead (whether at the hands of their opponents, a teammate, or Waller herself). If anyone’s laying down bets, the smart money is against them—all of them.
At the Zoom press conference held last week — the team teased actor Idris Elba (“Avengers: Infinity War”) with many of the cast confessing that they signed on for an opportunity to work with the gifted Elba who plays Bloodsport, a world-class marksman, specializing in brutality—his hands, and anything he wields with them, are deadly weapons. He’s trained by his mercenary father from the moment he was born, which developed him into a hardened criminal with one, hidden soft spot, a weakness that Amanda Waller uses to persuade (i.e. blackmail) him to join the Squad.
“Bloodsport is a character that lives deep in the vaults of the DC world,” says Idris Elba. “He comes from this sort of very tough military background and has an incredible amount of tech. But he’s quite a grumpy guy and not fun to be around. He’s disgruntled. He’s been in jail for a long time and hates the system. He hates Superman—he’s in jail for putting him in intensive care.”
Writer/director Gunn confessed that the creative team at Warner Bros gave him free rein to cast the film as he saw fit. “I’ve been a fan of Idris’s for a long time,” Gunn says. “I didn’t even know what character he was going to play at first, I just knew I wanted Idris to play the character.”
To that end, the directors’ desire to work with Elba was discussed more than once. As for Elba’s opinion of Gunn, he said this: “I love James, man. I was really happy to be given this role. He came to see me and was super hyped, and I just fell in love with his spirit immediately. And I really enjoyed watching how he works because you’re watching a master.”
There are a lot of creative people that make a film like “The Suicide Squad” come to life. For example, drawing Bloodsport, aka Robert DuBois, may be an artist’s dream, but bringing him to life was a big challenge, due mainly to the weapons integrated into his suit. He is the ultimate soldier, transforming at will and always ready for action.
“His super-suit is just next-level,” Elba says. “It’s the ultimate in warfare and in the film you get to see Bloodsport really utilize it, which is pretty exciting. I think people are going love it because it really does transform into everything. I had a lot of fun running around with things that pop out of my arm and my leg and just transform in my hand. It’s a very cool suit.”
At the Zoom press conference, Elba confessed that the suit didn’t fit as well as I suspected. “We did this fitting and I said to James, [this suit] ‘doesn’t fit like it use to’ and he [James Gunn] laughed about that, using it as a base for my character. We played the idea that Bloodsport was been in jail and is not as fit as he use to be, he’s an older dude and he’s still handy.”
Once she had designed the costume, Makovsky worked closely with Legacy Effects to create 3D printouts. Then, once they had a physical costume created in her costume department, her team collaborated with Legacy and the props department for the final product to appear as though the weapons were organic to the suit, and vice versa. The process, which would normally take four months from design to prototype, took six weeks as that was all the time they had.
Makovsky tested several color palettes for the character to create the most menacing version possible. Tests ranged from reds to blacks, but the final color is a very dark blue, with copper metal.
Elba recalls the day on set when the cast first came together in costume. “When we rehearsed, we didn’t see our costumes; we saw images, but when we finally saw each other to shoot, it really did sort of bring it all to life, this jigsaw puzzle of characters coming together in this twisted fantasy film.”
For a sequence in the film requiring a disguise of sorts, Makovsky dressed Elba in a 1980s-style sport coat, complete with a tennis club emblem, paired with a droopy pair of pleated polyester pants and woven sandals, taking inspiration from period photos from Cuba and South America.
Identifying a weapon of choice for Bloodsport would be a feat considering the very suit he wears puts any number—a seemingly endless number—of weapons at his fingertips, each one building on itself at will. He also carries a slingshot that can be transformed into a garrote, which can in turn become a flail. The possibilities are endless.
Makovsky says, “A lot of the design for Bloodsport was based on the action. James was adamant that the costume be practical and not a CG costume. I will say that it was a challenge because trying to figure out what pieces would come out of the costumes and what they would be... Some of the weapons weren’t designed yet at the time we began working, so we literally all worked together to get this costume made.
Legacy Effects, who made all the hard bits in the costume, and I would sit together at their computers and design the piece that turns into the gun based on prop’s designs for the actual weapon and then assess how it comes out and what comes off and what is this and so on. They were so wonderful, they worked 24/7 to do this so we could then get it in a 3D printer and then have it actually made. We had many meetings with James, Legacy, props, and myself, drawing on a life-size cutout of Idris, devising every piece of weaponry to correspond with the action."
“We had what I call a typical base of a superhero suit,” she adds. “From there, because of all the action, you’ll see in the film he has a shoulder piece that comes off and can turn into a mace. The two chest pieces, he pulls them out, they turn into guns; they clip into a piece from his belt that becomes the barrel, and another piece like that is a silencer. He has pieces on his legs that he will grab one from here, one from there, clip them together and it’s another weapon. There’s a sword on his back, a little piece that, when he pulls it out, turns into a large sword. There’s an accelerant on his leg. I mean there’s so much stuff on his costume!” she laughs. “Not only do the pieces come out of the costume, Idris needed to be able to replace some of them on camera, without effort!”
Despite being one of the most inherently brutal Super-Villains on the Force— thanks in large part to his full-body arsenal—Bloodsport has his vulnerable moments, as well as his vulnerabilities, one which induces him to take on Waller’s mission: the welfare of his daughter, Tyla, played in the film by Storm Reid. And he also factors into one of the most comedic pairings, sparring with John Cena’s character, Peacemaker.
“Bloodsport and Peacemaker are both vying for top position as leader, and there’s a little rivalry that goes on, which is quite funny and we play it out in different moments,” Elba says. “Probably one of my favorite moments in the film, ‘cause it’s just crazy, is what they do to try and one-up each other, and it just gets worse and worse. It is the biggest cinematic dick-swinging competition you’ve ever seen and it’s funny as well.”
Warner Bros. Pictures Presents An Atlas Entertainment/A Peter Safran Production, A James Gunn Film, “The Suicide Squad.”
“The Suicide Squad” stars Margot Robbie (“Birds of Prey,” “Bombshell”), Idris Elba (“Avengers: Infinity War”), John Cena (upcoming HBO Max series “Peacemaker,” “F9”), Joel Kinnaman (“Suicide Squad”), Jai Courtney (the “Divergent” franchise), Peter Capaldi (“World War Z,” BBC’s “Doctor Who” ), David Dastmalchian (upcoming “Dune,” “Ant- Man and the Wasp”), Daniela Melchior (“Parque Mayer”), Michael Rooker (the “Guardians of the Galaxy” films), Alice Braga (“Elysium”), Pete Davidson (“The King of Staten Island,” TV’s “Saturday Night Live”), Joaquín Cosio (“Spider-Man: Into the Spider- Verse,” TV’s “Narcos: Mexico”), Juan Diego Botto (“The Europeans”), Storm Reid (“The Invisible Man,” “A Wrinkle in Time”, “Euphoria”), Nathan Fillion (“Guardians of the Galaxy,” TV’s “The Rookie”), Steve Agee (“Brightburn,” “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2”), Sean Gunn (the “Guardians of the Galaxy” films, the “Avengers” films), Mayling Ng (“Wonder Woman”), Flula Borg (“Ralph Breaks the Internet”), Jennifer Holland (“Brightburn,” upcoming HBO Max series “Peacemaker”) and Tinashe Kajese (TV’s “Valor,” “The Inspectors”), with Sylvester Stallone (the “Rocky,” “Rambo” and “Expendables” franchises), and Viola Davis (“Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” “Suicide Squad”).
Directed by James Gunn (the “Guardian of the Galaxy” films) from his own screenplay, based on characters from DC.
The film was produced by Charles Roven and Peter Safran, with Zack Snyder, Deborah Snyder, Walter Hamada, Chantal Nong Vo, Nikolas Korda, and Richard Suckle executive producing.
“The Suicide Squad” is rated R for strong violence and gore, language throughout, some sexual references, drug use, and brief graphic nudity.
It opens nationwide in theaters and IMAX on August 6, 2021, and will be available on HBO Max in UHD, HDR10, Dolby Vision, and Dolby Atmos on supported devices for 31 days from the theatrical release.
Here is a link to the Zoom press conference for “The Suicide Squad” from writer/director James Gunn, Warner Bros. Pictures’ new superhero action-adventure from the DC world.
A historic moment occurred in the life of Charles Drew University of Medicine and Science with the institution’s receipt of $50 million to fund its own four-year medical degree program.
The allocation came courtesy of the California legislature, which earmarked the huge amount for the school in the state’s 2021-2022 budget and Governor Gavin Newsom signed off on the apportionment.
As a result, CDU will have 60 additional spots for Black and Latinx students pursuing a healthcare degree to complement the existing 28 slots that the university offers through its joint program with UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine.
In addition to further diversifying the profession, the new medical program transforms the vision of the CDU’s founders and the community into a reality.
“This has been a dream of the people in South Los Angeles, probably going back in the early 1950s with the Charles R. Drew Medical Society advocating for a medical school in South L.A.,” said Dr. David M. Carlisle, CDU president.
“Since our founding by leaders in the community like Lillian Mobley, Nolan Carter, Johnnie Tillman, and others, there has been a desire for this area to have a four-year medical degree program,” added Angela Minniefield, CDU senior vice president of Advancement and Operations.
“We are deeply appreciative of this support from Governor Newsom and the state legislature.
With this funding, CDU aims to increase the number of Black medical graduates practicing in the State of California by almost 30% and the number of Latinx graduates by nearly 20%,” Carlisle noted.
“This will not only enhance our attractiveness and reputation as a health professions university, but it will also help us address our mission in a very direct way by providing us the additional resources and infrastructure necessary to train the health professionals who will address the medical needs of the communities where they live and work.”
The new medical degree program will begin in Fall 2023. To house the program, a new 100,000-square-feet building will be constructed in 2022.
The facility will contain classrooms, virtual and standard anatomy laboratories, staff and faculty offices, as well as common spaces to support all students in the university’s three schools and colleges.
As expected, CDU staff expressed excitement about the independent four-year program and credited the school’s long-standing commitment to social justice and health equity for underserved populations.
“The university has a legacy of training very diverse health professionals. Over our 55-year history, we have been placing providers where they need to be and making sure that the complexion of the provider matches the complexion and culture of the community where they’re going to be,” said Minniefield.
“We made a case to the state legislature for investment in the university and the increased capacity of our university to launch a four-year medical degree program. The governor signing the budget that includes $50 million for the university is vote of confidence as well as a testament to our legacy of training Black and Brown providers for Los Angeles communities that are most under-resourced,” she shared.
Carlisle described the allocation as “an optimal alignment of all the various elements that occurred at this juncture.”
One contributing factor was the report by the California Future Health Workforce Commission of 2019, of which he was a member, that called for CDU to “start planning for our own four-year medical education program,” he said.
Another reason for the funding, Carlisle believed, “is that all of the commissioners and many of the state policy makers recognized the university’s historic contributions to the diversification of the physician workforce and other health professions in California as well as our commitment to primary care and our demonstrated production in terms of getting people into underserved, under-resourced communities to provide health care.”
A report by the California Wellness Foundation, which validates Carlisle’s comment, estimated that one-third of all minority physicians practicing in Los Angeles County are graduates of the CDU medical schools.
Since its founding in 1966, the university has graduated in excess of 600 physicians, 1,270 physician assistants and 1,700 other health professionals.
Also, more than 1,400 professionals have earned degrees at CDU’s Mervyn M. Dymally School of Nursing since it opened in 2010.
The president’s passion for providing medical professionals and resources to disadvantaged populations is only matched by his deep humility in serving as the chief executive for CDU.
“It’s just an honor for me to be in this role and I want to do everything I can to make the university stronger, bigger and better,” insisted Carlisle, “so that we can be more effective in addressing the healthcare needs of South Los Angeles.”
LAWT Managing Editor Brandon I. Brooks contributed to this report.