FROM SCRATCH: The Web Series RELOADED Episode 2, Part 1

Academy Award© winners dig deep into archives and hearts for LA 92, a documentary exploring the deep racial roots of the 1992 Los Angeles riots on National Geographic Channel.

By Dennis Huffington

April 12, 2017

There’s a saying: There’s no time like the present. Except there is a time like the present, and National Geographic is premiering LA 92, a documentary that dug up every nook and cranny of 1992 in the City of Los Angeles, a time just like the present. LA 92’s edge comes from the use of only archival footage tell its story. There are no interviews or experts, just raw footage of each and every catalyst, narrated by everyday people and news media alike. Even though I knew the outcome, I still sat in suspense because every second is authentic.

About 35 minutes in, my stomach began to burn and I felt the same disappointment and resentment as the real people in the documentary. America hasn’t recovered from Ferguson, Baltimore, and police brutality continues to deepen America’s political and racial divide, just like the divide in LA 92, the divide that has always been in America. LA 92’s tagline, The Past Is Prologue, couldn’t be more fitting. Just as the LA riots preceded Ferguson, riots in Watts preceded LA’s 92 riots.

From the opening of LA 92, it is crystal clear, that racism and police brutality have long been intertwined. We see a police department that not only criminalizes a group of people but also fails to protect that same group of people. The LAPD has long been tarnished by accusations of racism, and there is enough footage in LA 92 to uphold those accusations. In their own words, LAPD officers admitted they performed actions that were “violent” and that “police work can be brutal.”  The smoking gun was the admission that, “In Los Angeles, the chokehold is associated with death for blacks.”

One officer’s testimony in the Rodney King Trial sounds like the blueprint for George Zimmerman’s testimony during his trial for the death of Trayvon Martin in 2012. Both Zimmerman and the officer defended themselves by saying they were so scared of being killed by their victims that they acted violently and brutally in self defense. This mindset that African-Americans are inherently violent is the dangerous societal side effect of the systematic criminalization of African-Americans that has led to the murders of Michael Brown, Freddie Gray, Philando Castile, Trayvon Martin, Alton Sterling, and countless other African-Americans.

At one point of LA 92, someone shouts out “Black lives matter!” long before the hashtag. That is the importance of LA 92. This documentary is a case study that examines a system and not just a city or a year. LA 92 could easily be BALTIMORE 2015 or FERGUSON 2014. The buildup, explosion, and aftermath were all the same, yet we still have the same problems. The hysteria we see in LA is the same hysteria I witnessed firsthand living in St. Louis during 2014. I remember the boarded up storefronts and closed off highways. I also remember the burning buildings in Ferguson and military tanks parked in random locations, ready to pushback against any resistance.

Did we learn anything from any of those events? The answer is yes, but there is still much more to learn and that is what makes LA 92 a must-see.  

 LA 92 premieres at Tribeca Film Festival on April 21, followed by a screening tour including St. Louis on April 29, before premiering on National Geographic on April 30.

From Scratch Webseries RELOADED Episode 1 Part 1

From Scratch Webseries RELOADED Episode 1 Part 1

Everybody knows...that Phaedra is leaving RHOA!

GO Phaedra…No, really…GO!

Phaedra Parks makes history as one of the few people fired from reality TV for being too damn messy. At least that’s what reports are suggesting. The blogosphere is reporting that the ladies from Real Housewives of Atlanta were given contracts last week and everyone but Phaedra received one. In response, Phaedra has reportedly wiped all mentions of RHOA from her bio on Instagram and Facebook. Not going out without a fight, Phaedra is trying to take down RHOA producer Carlos King with her. Allegedly (in my Wendy Williams voice), Phaedra blamed King for telling her the story about Kandi’s sex dungeon and drugging of Porsha, which became a controversial story line. Rumors have been swirling that King was fired as well but King fired back with receipts that he planned on leaving since November. King posted his receipts online as well, citing a lucrative development deal for his company as his reason for leaving. All of this is to be revealed on the reunion this Sunday. A rep for Phaedra has claimed that the story is “untrue.” When it comes to Phaedra, “untrue” means true. Thanks Phaedra for the entertaining final season!

MAKE ROOM IN YOUR LIFE FOR 60 Days In: Atlanta

As evidence that society will go to any length to keep us entertained, distracted, controlled, or whatever conspiracy theory explanation there is for television out there, I find myself a fan of 60 Days In: Atlanta on A&E. I still don't know why in the hell these people would volunteer to go to jail for 60 days but watching the entire experience is amazing. Sometimes, though, I think the real inmates would be just as entertaining without the participants. The real inmates are the life of the show. Immediately, I was alarmed at the behavior of the inmates, but then I was more alarmed at the behavior of the employees. The environment would be enough to drive a person to act a damned fool.  The participants are pretty cool, but some of them stand out to me. Mauri is a former corrections officer who goes in to see the other side. She is mild-mannered young women who remembers being bullied growing up. I still don't understand why 60 damned days was necessary. You can figure out how you feel about jail in 7 days. I'd be ready to go after a night or two. Jail is bad. Don't Go. Stay in School.  Send me home!

OK SO...Phaedra divorced Apollo "Nita", not Apollo Nida.

Are you not entertained? The blogosphere has been buzzing after the divorce papers were thrown out recently. The timing was reality TV gold as season 9 of The Real Housewives of Atlanta wraps up with the cast questioning Phaedra about her recent divorce. I wasn't paying much attention on the show because it really doesn't matter much on the show. Then, I stumbled upon an article that said Phaedra purposely misspelled Apollo's last name on the divorce papers. Therefore, her husband Apollo Nida was unable to have access to the divorce filings. Apollo's lawyers gave statements that were reported by numerous sources. The couple has to start over from scratch with the proceedings due to a judge throwing out the ruling. Divorces can be quite tumultuous but this one looks like it could be magnified by the reality TV cameras. The Real Housewives of Atlanta season finale airs this Sunday night. Clips of an upcoming reunion look to be eventful, even for these ladies.  CHECK OUT VIDEO OF BOTH HERE  http://www.bravotv.com/the-daily-dish/rhoa-four-part-season-9-reunion