Morning Buzz: Top 5 stories for February 16, 2018
How much will Black Panther haul in this weekend?
Black Panther is the big story the weekend. The highly anticipated film is expected to top the box office.
Here’s today’s morning buzz…
‘Black Panther’ Opens Nation-Wide #WakandaForever
The highly anticipated Marvel film Black Panther premieres nation-wide today. The film broke records with advanced ticket sales and has generated more than 5 million tweets (also a record). The all-star cast featuring Chadwick Boseman, Michael B. Jordan, Lupita Nyong’o, Letitia Wright, and others have graced magazine covers and done a slew of interviews in national and international publications. A Black History Month debut for an Afro-futuristic film about a Black super hero in an uncolonized, fictional African nation is the definition of perfection. #WakandaForever
-theGrio
Florida School Shooting Suspect Has Alleged Ties to White Supremacist Organization
Nikolas Cruz, the 19-year-old suspected of killing 17 people at his former high school in Florida, has alleged ties to a known white supremacist organization. The leader of a hate group called Republic of Florida at first claimed Cruz was linked to his organization, but has since started to backtrack the group’s association to the shooter. Cruz was said to have participated in at least one training exercise with the group and participated in numerous marches. The Republic of Florida describes itself as a “white civil rights organization fighting for white identitarian politics.” The Anti-Defamation League, however, believes the allegations that Cruz is affiliated with the hate group are credible.
-ABC News
South African President Jacob Zuma Resigns
South Africa’s 75-year-old president Jacob Zuma stepped down from his post this week in a televised statement. Zuma ascended to the presidency in 2009 and has been dogged by corruption allegations for quite some time. His resignation comes after his party, the ANC, demanded hie step down or face a vote of no confidence. Cape Town, a popular destination in South Africa, has the unfortunate distinction of being the first major modern city to run out of water if the June 4 deadline scientists predicted comes to fruition. Cyril Ramaphosa has been sworn in as the new president.
-BBC
Alveda King Compares Mike Pence to Her Uncle Martin Luther King, Jr
Alveda King, niece of civil rights icon Martin Luther King, Jr., compared Vice President Mike Pence to her famous uncle. King made the remarks on Fox News in response to comments about Pence hearing the voice of Jesus. On the daytime talk show The View former White House staffer Omarosa called Pence “crazy” for believing he actually hears Christ. King defended Pence on Fox News, noting that MLK also heard the voice of God and no one ever considered him crazy.
-theGrio
Chadwick Boseman Gets Emotional About ‘Black Panther’ Fans Who Passed Away of Cancer
Black Panther star Chadwick Boseman got emotional at a recent press conference when he talked about two young fans of his blockbuster Marvel movie. Sway Calloway asked the 41-year-old about the impact of the movie on the African-American community. Boseman shared that he had been communicating with two terminally ill cancer patients during the filming of Black Panther. Their parents told him they were trying to cling to life long enough to see the film. Unfortunately, both patients passed away before the film’s premiere. Boseman was reduced to tears recalling the situation.
-theGrio
