For two-decades, Angelenos have prayed, desired, chanted, and petitioned the National Football League to return to the City of Angels.  That desire became a reality on January 12, 2016 when NFL owners, by a vote of 30-2, approved the move of the St. Louis Rams to the City of Inglewood.  That’s right, the city of Inglewood affectionately known, as the ‘City on the Move’ will become home to the Los Angeles Rams. 

 

Remember when “Triple Crown winners ran at Hollywood Park and when the Los Angeles Lakers were winning championships at the Forum?”  According to Inglewood’s Mayor James T. Butts, “This is right at the top of our finest moments,” and he should know. 

 

Mayor Butts helped to broker a deal that most thought would not and could not happen.  The L.A. Watts Times talked with Mayor Butts about this transformative and historical accomplishment.

 

LAWT: Congratulations on the NFL returning to the Los Angeles area.  You must be so thrilled.

 

JTB: I’m very thrilled.  In fact, my father took me to the Coliseum as a young boy to see the Rams.  I grew up on the Roman Gabriel, Jack Snow, Fearsome Foursome, Deacon Jones Rams so for the City of Inglewood to be the vessel that brings a football legacy back to the region is a double honor.

 

LAWT: From the very beginning when the stadium was just a dream, did you always believe it was possible to bring the LA Rams to Inglewood?

 

JTB: When I took office on February 1, 2011, there was already a 60-acre parcel owned by Wal-Mart in the Hollywood Park Tomorrow area.  This parcel was already titled to be a mixed-use office, retail, park, and hotel space.  I thought that a football team in the remaining space as a joint venture would be a fantastic thing. 

 

So I began talking with Mark Davis of the Oakland Raiders and we couldn’t put the money together right for that.  So we negotiated with Madison Square Garden concurrently for them to invest a $100 Million in the Forum and that turned out to be so successful.  Within 11 months, the Forum became the No. 1 concert venue in the greater Los Angeles area.

 

About two-years ago, Stan Kroenke came along and that morphed into discussions about a joint venture with the Stockbridge Capital Group and the owners of Hollywood Park Tomorrow to bring a football team back to this area.  This discussion caught fire and I personally felt that this would be the best venue for the NFL from an economic profit standpoint and for the quality of uses that would be available for the NFL that would not be available anywhere else. 

 

Our parcel was twice as big as what Carson was offering - 298 acres, about twice as large as Vatican City.  We were proposing 1.7 million square feet of retail and office space, an 80,000-seat stadium, 6,000-seat performance venue, 300-room hotel, 2,500 residential units, and 25 acres of public parks, playgrounds, and office space and there is still room for things like the NFL Networks, and a west coast Hall of Fame.  So here you had a venue that instead of being available for use 10 days a year is now available 365 days a year with synergistically compatible uses that would draw people to each.

 

LAWT: It’s interesting that you would say that because NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said the “Inglewood Stadium will change not just NFL stadiums but sports complexes around the world.”  Your reaction to his statement.

 

JTB: That is my total sentiment and that was our dream that this is not just a sports complex but also an entertainment center.  It’s our belief that this will be the No. 1 entertainment venue in the world because of the uniqueness of the combination of uses.

 

LAWT: I know you have previously stated that no public funds will be used to build the stadium or any of the private parts of the development.  So I would like to ask you a series of true/false questions.

 

True or False. The City of Inglewood will never pay one dime for construction of the Stadium or any of the private parts of the development?

 

JTB: Absolutely true.  We will never pay for the construction of the Stadium and one private thing that goes up there.

 

LAWT: True or False.  The developer will pay 100% of the construction costs for the public and private parts of the development?

 

JTB: It’s a 100% true.

 

LAWT: True or False.  The City of Inglewood has a hiring goal of 30%?  And if true, how will you track this?

 

JTB: Actually the goal is 35%.  They will have to turn in certified payrolls and that’s how we will track this.  But let me say this, you cannot discriminate against people on the basis of where they live so this is not the type of thing where thou shalt not hire someone from a certain zip code.

 

What this means is that you provide training programs, and outreach to give Inglewood residents the opportunity to obtain skills that they might not have so that they can qualify for these jobs. 

 

With the Forum we surpassed our 35% hiring goal.  We anticipate now that there will be over 40,000 construction jobs over the six or seven year build-out period and 12,000 permanent and part-time jobs.  The advantage of someone being involved in projects like this is that once you become union certified and once you have completed your job here, you can qualify for other jobs.

 

LAWT: True or False.  There are no liens on any city asset for the building of the stadium or any private parts of the development?

 

JTB: There are absolutely no liens of any type for public or private parts.

 

LAWT: True or False.  The City of Inglewood will get four public parks covering 26.1 acres and the developer will pay for the maintenance of those parks?

 

JTB: The parks will be deeded to the City over time.  So that is true.  There are three acres of those parks that have security implications for the private development itself.

 

So 23 of those acres will be deeded to the City and the developer will absolutely pay for the maintenance of those parks.  The developer can recoup that costs if we make more than $25 million in taxes in a year from the totality of the development.  And if we never make more than $25 million in a year, there will never be a reimbursement for any of the public services that the developer provides for us.

 

LAWT: True or False.  The City of Inglewood will receive four acres of land for its use and that land is already valued at $8 million?

 

JTB: True – its 4.5 acres and yes, its valued at $8 million.

 

LAWT: Many skeptics did not believe that the City of Inglewood or you could pull off a win/win deal.  Most people probably do not realize that you have a Master’s in Business Administration and considerable management experience.  Were your surprised by that?

 

JTB: The media in general has a cognitive basis, racially at times when it comes to assessing capacity.  I really want to make this clear.  The first thought is this: if the city is Black or Brown primarily as we are, the thought is that they could not possibly pull this off so they are being used.  Every radio show or television show that I went on in the beginning, the narrative was: isn’t clear to you that the Rams are using you as leverage against St. Louis?  That was their narrative.  I would say no, I’ve met Stan Kroenke and I believe he is serious and he knows I am a serious person, and we both believed that this could work.

 

When they found that he (Kroenke) purchased the land, the narrative was this: well you really don’t understand the deal you’re involved in; you’re really paying for this.  Even though it was explained to them as clearly as I am explaining it to you, they would go out to the site and say things like who’s really paying for this?

 

I was interviewed by one reporter who asked me on camera if I was prepared to resign if things didn’t turn out the way I said it would.  I want you to get this….we are talking about the City of Inglewood having the opportunity of a lifetime but instead the narrative is my resignation, if somehow we loose our dream of having a team because of my error.

 

Here we are talking about the City of Inglewood making this bold move to do something that no one has been able to accomplish in 21 years and yet my possible resignation is the focus of the story.  I learned a lot about people’s perceptions and biases of a place during this process.  All I could do was to represent our project and our city in a professional manner.

 

I believed that if the decision was going to be made based on what made economic sense, I knew the choice would be Inglewood.  But it was a vote and sometimes votes are not rational, they are political.  Whenever there is a vote, you depend upon relationships and how people feel about the participants, votes can be irrational sometimes... hey…I lost three mayoral races before I was elected Mayor.

 

LAWT: That’s what makes this story so great, your persistence and gravitas.  Five years ago, the City of Inglewood was on the brink of bankruptcy.  Can you put into words what the stadium project means to the to you personally?

 

JTB: I was an Inglewood police officer for 19 years from 1972 to 1991.  I left the department as a deputy police chief where I ran the department day-to-day.  I was Chief of Police in Santa Monica for 15 years and we cut the crime rate by 64%.  By the time I left it was an international tourist destination and I thought that would be my greatest body of work.  I was recruited to work for the Los Angeles Airport System in charge of counter-terrorism, the police department, and security and by the time I left, we were rated No. 1 in the country by the Transportation Safety Administration.

 

When I came here (the City of Inglewood), we were a very inefficient city and I had to do a lot of tough things.  We have gone from having our last $11 Million in the bank to having $40 Million in the bank; we’ve raised property values by 51%, and Moody’s has upgraded us and said that our financial position is robust, our cash balance is stronger than the US median and we’ve far surpassed other Moody-rated cities in terms of financial stability.  I’m extremely proud of that.  I’m proud of our City Council, and all those who worked on this project.  I’m bursting at the seams with pride.

 

LAWT: There have been environmental concerns raised about project and the safety of the location of the stadium.  Would you care to respond to those concerns?

 

JTB: It really isn’t a concern.  The Staples Center and the Coliseum are in the flight path…that’s a part of life in Los Angeles. 

 

LAWT: I’m sure you’ve heard from many well-wishers.  Have you heard from Los Angeles Mayor Garcetti and can you share any of that conversation?

 

JTB: I have not heard from Mayor Garcetti.

 

LAWT: The Los Angeles Lakers left in 1999 and now 17 years later, Inglewood is a major player in the nation’s second largest media market.  Any future plans to run for Governor or Senator from California?

 

JTB: (Laughter….lots of laughter)

Marlon Wayans is a true multi-hyphenate: an actor/producer, comedian, writer and film director. His films have grossed more than $750 million in domestic box office, an average of nearly $50 million per outing. As a stand-up comedian, Marlon sells out theaters and clubs alike, nationwide.

 

On the feature film front, he recently starred in and produced “A Haunted House” which grossed over $18 million on a $2 million budget. On the television front, he'll soon be shooting a pilot for NBC slated to debut next fall.

 

Marlon's additional big screen credits include “White Chicks”; “Scary Movie”; “Scary Movie 2”; “Mo’ Money”; “Above the Rim”; “Don’t Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood”; “The Sixth Man”; “Senseless”; “Dungeons & Dragons”; “Requiem for a Dream”; “The Ladykillers”; “Behind the Smile”; “Little Man”; “Norbit”; “Dance Flick”; “G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra”; “Marmaduke”; and “The Heat”.

 

On TV, Marlon has appeared on “In Living Color”; “Children's Hospital”; “Second Generation Wayans”; and “The Wayans Bros” which was the highest rated comedy on The WB network. Here, he talks about his latest offering, “Fifty Shades of Black”.

 

Kam Williams: Hey Marlon, thanks for the time.

 

Marlon Wayans: How’re you doin’, Kam?

 

KW: Where did the inspiration come from to do a parody of “Fifty Shades of Grey”?

 

MW: Initially, I just wanted to learn something from the novel, because women loved it so much. I was thinking of writing my first parody book, until I saw the movie. Then it kinda just hit me. I decided to scrap the book and do a spoof because the film gave me such great archetypes to work with in characters that I knew would be enjoyable to take to extremes. Playing a really bad lover was a lot of fun.

 

KW: So, your approach to Christian was to flip the script.

 

MW: Yeah, he goes to extremes. He’s a stalker, and it gets uncomfortable. And he’s also an extremely bad lover. I thought, what if he’s a great package with all these tools that excite women until they get him into bed where he's just awful.  

 

KW: How was it working opposite Kali Hawk, who plays your primary love interest, Hannah?

 

MW: Kali was great and a lotta fun! She was perfect for Hannah because, in the movie Hannah’s a virgin and, in real life, Kali’s a prude. So, that kinda worked hand-in-hand.

 

KW: What message do you think people will take away?

 

MW: I think women were a little upset with “Fifty Shades of Grey” because the female lead was so submissive. “Fifty Shades of Black” is different in terms of that.  

 

Movies are always fun when there’s an objective and you meet a lot of obstacles along the way. And in this film, the hardest person to dominate is a black woman. She refuses to play that stuff white girls will play. You get a couple of spanks in and she’s like, “Oh, hell no!” Hannah flips that from the original.   

 

KW: What was the most surprising thing you learned about your ancestry when your brother Keenan had your lineage traced by Skip Gates on the PBS-TV series “Finding Your Roots” the other night.

 

MW: It was interesting to learn I was Asian. I had no idea. I was wondering why I liked sushi so much. [Laughs]

 

KW: I found it fascinating how strong your ancestors’ bonds were even during slavery, with an escaped slave being willing to risk his freedom to rescue relatives.

 

MW: Yeah, they went back to go get somebody. He thought, “Hey, what’s freedom without my family?” For him to go back was awesome.

 

KW: I see that sort of loyalty as a trademark of the Wayans family to this day. I can’t tell you how many actors and actresses have told me over the years that somebody with the last name Wayans gave them their big break. Just think of all the people who got their start on “In Living Color”: J-Lo, Jamie Foxx and Jim Carrey, to name a few. And so many others since. 

 

MW: It’s funny you should say that. Generosity kinda runs in our family. My dad is a very generous guy, and my my mom’s always giving advice. So, Keenen was ultimately a wonderful teacher. He taught me and Shawn and Damon to be the same way. Those jewels are of no value ‘til you pass them down. Sound advice is one of hte best things you can share with someone. We want to see other people succeed, and I guess that's something we all inherited. It’s just part of our matrix. 

 

KW: The first time I interviewed you, I brought my son along who was only in the 4th grade at the time. And I’ll always appreciate how you and Shawn took a little time out to talk to him and to take pictures with him. And it made for a cherished childhood memory he'll never forget. Thanks!

 

MW: Aww, great!

 

KW: Will you be boycotting the Oscars?

 

MW: Look, if I get the memo and everybody’s doing it, sure. I’m happy that they’ve immediately started making some changes. I was really touched by the swift reaction. But the bottom line is that everybody has a little bit to do with it. It’s not entirely the Oscars’ fault. The Oscars represent Hollywood, and Hollywood needs greater diversity. We need more African-American filmmakers, and we need the larger budgets to make big box-office spectacles like The Revenant. And we need the audience to support a smaller-budgeted art film that’s about us, if we put one out. So, it’s kinda everybody collectively, from the studios to the distributors, especially the overseas distributors who tend to look at blacks a little differently. I do comedy. Comedy has no color. and that’s what I’m constantly trying to convince them. I don’t make black movies. I’m a black man that makes comedy. comedy is colorless. Also, we as filmmakers have to develop young directors and cinematographers who’ll make the kind of films that are needed. Then, if we have an onslaught of these pictures coming out, it’ll be undeniable. Of course, we’d get the accolades we’re looking for. But you can’t expect it, if you’re only releasing 4 or 5 movies a year. That’s not enough. So, we have to over-produce, Hollywood has to help us with that, and then the audience has to come support it. We all have to put our money where our mouths are and support each other. At the end of the day, what I look for is a communicative approach to resolving problems. I don't think you need segregation and separatism. I think you have to come together at the table, communicate, and make things work. You have to build bridges, not burn ‘em. Right now, I believe that, collectively, we’re all at that impasse where we all need to come to the table, and all take some responsibility for making sure this never happens again.  

 

KW: Speaking of colorblind casting, I just saw your nephew, Damon, Jr.’s upcoming film, “How to Be Single”, where he plays one of Dakota Johnson’s love interests, but with no mention of his color. Have you seen it? 

 

MW: No, not yet.

 

KW: Well, it’s a tremendous film. How do you feel about going up against your nephew?

 

MW: It’s not a direct competition, since it’ll be released a couple weeks after “Fifty Shade of Black.” I’d be rooting for my nephew regardless. I don’t believe in competition. Everybody has their own audience, and I wish everyone luck. in the film industry, one success is good for us all.

 

KW: What’s your target audience with “Fifty Shade of Black”?

 

MW: I don’t know. It’s everybody who loved “Fifty Shade of Grey”, everybody who hated “Fifty Shade of Grey”, and everybody who never saw “Fifty Shade of Grey”. [Chuckles] My audience is people who like to laugh, and I’m hoping to get a good female crowd in there, because I think this movie really plays to them as much as it does to guys. So, I’d say it’s a perfect date movie.

 

KW: Harriet Pakula-Teweles asks: With so many classic films being redone, is there a remake you’d like to star in?

 

MW: Look, Groundhog’s Day is a flawless movie. Of course, I would love to find a way to do that. But that’s such a classic, and there are some things you just don’t want to touch.

 

KW: Finally, what’s in your wallet?

 

MW: Right now? My credit cards, my ID, and probably an old condom that’s been in there since the 6th grade. [Laughs]

 

KW: Thanks for all, Marlon, and best of luck with the film.

 

MW: I appreciate you, Kam.

 

To see a trailer for Fifty Shades of Black, visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZBPoakMk_o

Rob McConnell, the manager for body engineering at the Toyota Technical Center, said that he often draws inspiration from the fashion industry.

 

“A little secret, hopefully no one is recording, but me and my wife sit and watch ‘Project Runway,’” McConnell told a small group of Black journalists at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. “Yeah, I’ll admit it.”

 

McConnell said that, in a lot of ways, fashion designers are engineers.

 

“It’s all connected. You gotta pull from a lot of different places to get your inspiration, your ideas,” he said. “You gotta come up with something new. That means you have to look outside the box.”

 

McConnell said that he gets excited about the fashion industry, specifically and how to marry the fashion industry to the development and design of a vehicle and how to execute it through engineering.

 

McConnell discovered that he was passionate about design at an early age. As a child he played with Matchbox cars, Hot Wheels and Legos. He also competed in the Boy Scouts’ pinewood derby.

 

“That’s engineering and that’s design,” he said. “That’s the biggest challenge that we have when we’re kids, realizing that this excitement may actually lead to bigger and better things.”

 

For McConnell, those bigger and better things included a 15-year (and counting) professional career at the Japanese automaker and a number of United States patents.

 

According to his Toyota biography, McConnell served as the project design lead for multiple North American Production vehicles including the restyled 2013 Toyota Avalon.

 

McConnell was also the team leader for the body and exterior for the 2014 Toyota Camry, Toyota Sienna, Toyota Venza, and Toyota Tundra. Now he manages exterior lighting development for vehicles like the Toyota Camry and Toyota Avalon.

 

McConnell noted that eyewear has risen as a fashion statement in recent years.

 

“How do we do that? We do that in the headlights,” he said.

 

“The headlights are a statement, they are a signature, they are the eyes of the vehicle, and with the 2016 Toyota Avalon, we refined the daytime running lights.”

 

McConnell notes that his goal was to create memorable experiences for Toyota customers. As a result of his engineering he believes that when you see the 2016 Toyota Avalon on the road or in your review mirror, you know exactly what it is.

 

“Your eyes can tell a story and the eyes of the vehicle can tell a story,” said McConnell. “They speak to the depths of the vehicle and the soul of the vehicle and that’s what I hope to accomplish with the future vehicles that I work on.”

 

McConnell suggests that young people who are interested in going into engineering or automotive design sharpen their critical thinking skills, get involved in team projects, or even work on cars in an effort to expose themselves to the opportunities that are out there. He said that students in middle school and high school need to think about college and their careers as early as they can.

 

“The key point is that you gotta open your mind and it’s really about understanding the opportunities that are out there,” he said. “You may get into it and decide that you don’t want to go into engineering, but it might spawn your thought to go in a different direction, which is really the push.”