Free Republic

As protest and rallies against racial injustice and the killing of Black lives continue, there is a seismic shift happening in the country as the civic unrest is shining a blinding light on systemic racism against Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) — and the world of theater is the latest to get that spotlight. An open letter addressed to “White American Theater” was published on Monday demanding change. The letter was filled with ugly truths that those who have worked in the theater industry have experienced for decades. Among the 300 BIPOCs who signed the letter were Lin-Manuel...

The inclusion of Spanish actor Antonio Banderas as one of the few “coloured” Oscar nominees by some U.S. media has sparked controversy and an immediate reaction from social networks, which have been quick to point out that he is European and white. Hollywood publications such as Deadline and Vanity Fair mentioned Banderas as one of the few cases of “people of colour”” nominated for Oscars, after Monday’s official announcement of the candidates for the Hollywood Academy Awards. Both newspapers cited Banderas along with African-American actress Cynthia Erivo as the only “black” actors nominated for this year’s Oscars, in the face...

Planned Parenthood is harnessing star power in a new effort to advertise abortion. But with its straw-man messaging, Planned Parenthood and its celebrity PR team are only preaching to their choir. They’re not converting anyone. On August 26, Planned Parenthood announced that it had collected the signatures of nearly 140 musicians as part of its latest campaign for abortion called “Bans Off My Body.” To boast about its supporters, the nation’s largest abortion provider purchased an ad listing the artists – from Lady Gaga to Ariana Grande – in Billboard magazine. Planned Parenthood began its campaign in June in response...

Tony Award winning Nigerian-British actress Cynthia Erivo used her Verified Blue Check Mark Twitter account to post a threatening message to President Donald Trump on Friday, invoking ‘Juju, voodoo and magic’, warning Trump he is ‘not safe.’ The threat was made in response to alleged comments by Trump in an Oval Office meeting with lawmakers about immigration in which he referred to African nations as ‘s***hole countries’. Trump denies he used that word but acknowledges using ‘tough’ language.