Washington Informer

To celebrate Our History Month, beginning Monday, Jan. 31 at 10 PM ET, and airing each weeknight over four weeks, TV One will present Way Black When, a month of high-profile programming designed to reflect back on the golden age of black culture that emerged during the 1970s, ‘80s and ‘90s.

The centerpiece of the initiative is Way Black When: Prime Time, a high-energy, one-hour talk show that will showcase Black pop culture icons across three decades – the ‘70s, ‘80s and ‘90s -- including actors, comedians, athletes, musicians and many more--from Black Power through Hip Hop. Guiding a live studio audience and television viewers on their trip back through ‘blackness,’ will be three hosts, each of whom embodies a decade’s essence. Comedian and actor Sinbad will conduct a fantastic voyage through the 70’s…Niecy Nash keeps it moving and groovin’ through the 80’s… and comedian and actor Chris ‘Kid’ Reid picks up the final leg of the Way Black When journey with 90’s Hip Hop. Each night, guests who characterize the specific week’s decade will be showcased, along with a musical act and a comedian who provide the tunes and the tone of the time. The series will include a “Retro Trek” segment of nightly comedic sketches spoofing memorable hairstyles, fashion trends, and cultural fads from each decade., Each week, TV One will feature a Heroes, Newsmakers, Icons and Celebs (HNIC) segment in which "Washington Watch" host Roland Martin will provide a look back at the major news events of the day.

Life is a struggle
.
From the moment the doctor smacks your behind and you gasp your first breath, til the moment you gasp out your last, you have to work hard to get where you live, what you own, how you move, and who you move with.

Some people fight more than others – literally and philosophically speaking. As you’ll read in “Eye of the Hurricane: My Path from Darkness to Freedom” by Dr. Rubin “Hurricane” Carter, LLD (with Ken Klonsky), the aftermath of the battle can sometimes lead to a better life for the warrior.

Young Rubin Carter was known as a boy with fast fists. He wasn’t a bit scared to take down opponents that vastly outweighed him, and he’d do it, too, especially if the opponent was harming a vulnerable person.

His fists got him in trouble. He spent time at Jamesburg State Home for Boys in New Jersey, where he beat up a pedophile. He later escaped and joined the Army, where Carter found a mentor who taught him about Islam and helped him overcome a speech impediment and gain confidence.

The Army was also where he honed his boxing skills but boxing was ultimately his undoing. According to Carter, the Mob tried to get him to throw a match and when he didn’t, he was framed for the murder of three white people. Though he was innocent, Carter was sent to prison for three consecutive life terms.
But he never allowed the system to imprison his mind.

Carter wrote a book about his life while in prison, and he sent it to dozens of people, including celebrities. His words came to the attention of some Canadians who believed in him and his innocence. They worked to clear him and, nearly two decades after he walked into prison, he was a free man.