Entertainment
What James Earl Jones can teach us about activism and art in times of crisis
James Earl Jones starred in “The Great White Hope,” exploring a boxer’s life reflecting race and cultural struggles, symbolizing a different form of activism.

Dominic Taylor, University of California, Los Angeles
The death of James Earl Jones has forced me to consider the end of an era.
Harry Belafonte, Sidney Poitier and Jones were giants in my industry. They were Black performers whose ascents to stardom occurred in the tumultuous 1960s, when I was an infant. All three were politically active, although each operated in a significantly different way.
In 1967, there were more than 150 riots fueled by racial tensions in U.S. cities. Many Americans worried that the nation would implode over racial conflict, and President Lyndon B. Johnson appointed the Kerner Commission to study the sources of racial turmoil.
At the time, Jones was an actor of growing renown on television and the theatrical stage. He had performed in “Danton’s Death” on Broadway and was featured on NBC’s “Tarzan,” among other projects.
Jones found himself grappling with a question that has roiled many artists, then and now: In troubling times, what is an artist to do?
He didn’t give rousing speeches, as Belafonte did. Nor did he hand-deliver cash to student activists in Mississippi during the Freedom Summer, as Poitier had done.
Instead, Jones decided to work on a play about a boxer, “The Great White Hope,” which had been written by Howard Sackler at Arena Stage, a Washington-based theater company in the growing regional theater movement.
Embodying Black power
While cities were burning all over America, why would an actor hoping to make a difference sign on to play a boxer? If they aren’t willing to put their life on the line, shouldn’t they at least work on a play about the Civil Rights Movement, racism or police brutality?

However, “The Great White Hope” wasn’t a simple, sentimental sports drama. Sackler based the play’s protagonist, Jack Jefferson, on boxer Jack Johnson, who became the first Black heavyweight champion in 1908.
African Americans riotously celebrated Johnson, who had captured the title just 45 years after the Emancipation Proclamation. In the face of virulent Jim Crow racism, Johnson stood as a man who, if given a fair shot, could beat anyone.
In his book “A Beautiful Pageant: African American Theatre, Drama and Performance in the Harlem Renaissance, 1910-1927,” theater historian David Krasner argues that Johnson’s victory was one of the key events that fueled the Harlem Renaissance, the Black intellectual and cultural movement that birthed jazz music, the poetry of Langston Hughes, the writings of Zora Neale Hurston and the sculptures of Augusta Savage.
The confidence Johnson inspired was contagious: If a Black man could handily beat a white man in a boxing ring, there was no reason Black artists and writers couldn’t fashion groundbreaking works, plumbing their lives and their histories – as Hurston did – to become champions of Black culture.
The play is written in three acts, and it follows Jefferson and his fictional white lover, Eleanor Bachman, from 1908 to 1915. After Jefferson wins the title, the government hounds the couple, in part because of their interracial romance. Officials eventually detain them as they enter Ohio under the Mann Act, a law ostensibly enacted to halt prostitution but often used to intimidate interracial couples. The government tells Jefferson that it will drop the charges if he’s willing to throw a fight to an inferior white boxer.
Jones won a Tony Award for his portrayal of a Black man possessed with talent, confidence and strength, whose biggest problem was that he simply refused to stay in his lane. https://www.youtube.com/embed/IVyvwZ_Yh0g?wmode=transparent&start=0 A scene from the 1970 film version of ‘The Great White Hope,’ which also starred James Earl Jones.
A different kind of fighter
Boxer Muhammad Ali was also a big fan of Jones’ performance.
Ali had been stripped of his heavyweight title in 1967 because he was a conscientious objector to the Vietnam War, refusing to enlist after being drafted. When Ali saw “The Great White Hope,” he felt like he was looking in the mirror.
“You just change the time, date and the details and it’s about me!” Life magazine quoted him saying.
It’s strange to think about how historical events can be distilled into emotions like fear, love, jealousy and righteousness. But James Earl Jones was somehow able to hold a Black boxer who loved a white woman in conversation with someone unable to bring himself to fight in Vietnam.

Jones probably knew that a performance on a stage seen by a few thousand people would do little to end the Vietnam War, racial inequality or police brutality.
But I think Jones was looking to change the culture. He was trying to change the country’s understanding of what it means to fight – and what a freedom fighter is.
Is a fighter someone who knocks out their opponent? Or someone who follows their heart? Is a fighter someone who takes up arms at the behest of their government? Or is a fighter someone who’s willing to risk their livelihood for their values?
Sometimes, activism can be as simple as making art to the best of your abilities – or, as W.E.B. Du Bois wrote, “to use beauty to set the world right.”
Dominic Taylor, Acting Chair of Theater, School of Theater, Film and Television, University of California, Los Angeles
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
Join us at Looking for an entertainment experience that transcends the ordinary? Look no further than STM Daily News Blog’s vibrant Entertainment section. Immerse yourself in the captivating world of indie films, streaming and podcasts, movie reviews, music, expos, venues, and theme and amusement parks. Discover hidden cinematic gems, binge-worthy series and addictive podcasts, gain insights into the latest releases with our movie reviews, explore the latest trends in music, dive into the vibrant atmosphere of expos, and embark on thrilling adventures in breathtaking venues and theme parks. Join us at STM Entertainment and let your entertainment journey begin! https://stmdailynews.com/category/entertainment/
and let your entertainment journey begin!
Discover more from Daily News
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Entertainment
Get Ready for the Premiere of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 3!
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 3 will premiere at the 2025 Tribeca Festival from June 4-15. The series continues crew adventures aboard the U.S.S. Enterprise, exploring new themes and characters.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 3 Premeire:
Exciting news for Star Trek enthusiasts! According to an official announcement originally published on startrek.com, the third season of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is set to premiere at the 2025 Tribeca Festival. This much-anticipated event will take place from June 4 to 15 in New York City, showcasing a lineup filled with both new and returning television programs, as well as independent episodic series.
Festival Highlights
The Tribeca Festival is renowned for its world premieres and exclusive panels featuring cast members from major networks and streaming platforms. Following the premiere screening of Season 3, attendees can look forward to an engaging conversation with key cast members, including Anson Mount (Captain Pike), Ethan Peck (Spock), Celia Rose Gooding (Uhura), Babs Olusanmokun (Benga), Carol Kane, and the creative minds behind the series, executive producers Alex Kurtzman, Akiva Goldsman, and Henry Alonso Myers.
What to Expect in Season 3
As we dive into Season 3, we reconnect with the beloved crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise, still commanded by Captain Pike. This new season picks up from the intense conclusion of Season 2, where the crew faced a harrowing encounter with the Gorn. However, as they navigate through uncharted territories, new life and civilizations await them, alongside a villain who will truly test their grit and resolve.
Strange New Worlds promises to infuse an exciting twist into the classic Star Trek narrative, elevating both beloved and new characters to new heights. Viewers can look forward to a range of thrilling adventures that explore themes of faith, duty, romance, comedy, and mystery—delivering genres never before seen in the Star Trek universe.
A Talented Ensemble Cast
The series boasts an impressive cast, including Anson Mount, Rebecca Romijn, Ethan Peck, Jess Bush, Christina Chong, Celia Rose Gooding, Melissa Navia, Babs Olusanmokun, and Martin Quinn. Additionally, fans can expect appearances from guest stars such as Rhys Darby, Patton Oswalt, Cillian O’Sullivan, Melanie Scrofano, and Carol Kane, with special guest star Paul Wesley also joining the adventure.
Ticket Information
For those eager to witness the premiere, single tickets will be available for Tribeca members starting April 24, with sales opening to the general public on April 29. Be sure to visit TribecaFilm.com to learn more about the festival programming and secure your tickets. Memberships and festival passes are also available for a more immersive experience.
Where to Watch
After its premiere at the Tribeca Festival, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds will stream exclusively on Paramount+ in the U.S., U.K., and various regions across Latin America, Europe, and Asia. In Canada, the series will also be accessible on Paramount+, while it will stream on SkyShowtime in several other European markets.
Stay tuned for more updates as we approach the premiere date! For the latest news, follow @StarTrek on TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter. The adventure is about to continue—engage!
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Related Link:
https://www.startrek.com/news/strange-new-worlds-season-3-tribeca-2025-premiere
Looking for an entertainment experience that transcends the ordinary? Look no further than STM Daily News Blog’s vibrant Entertainment section. Immerse yourself in the captivating world of indie films, streaming and podcasts, movie reviews, music, expos, venues, and theme and amusement parks. Discover hidden cinematic gems, binge-worthy series, and addictive podcasts, gain insights into the latest releases with our movie reviews, explore the latest trends in music, dive into the vibrant atmosphere of expos, and embark on thrilling adventures in breathtaking venues and theme parks. Join us at STM Entertainment and let your entertainment journey begin! https://stmdailynews.com/category/entertainment/
and let your entertainment journey begin!
STM Daily News is a vibrant news blog dedicated to sharing the brighter side of human experiences. Emphasizing positive, uplifting stories, the site focuses on delivering inspiring, informative, and well-researched content. With a commitment to accurate, fair, and responsible journalism, STM Daily News aims to foster a community of readers passionate about positive change and engaged in meaningful conversations. Join the movement and explore stories that celebrate the positive impacts shaping our world.
Discover more from Daily News
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
family fun
Easter and School Holiday Escapes, A Family-Friendly Retreat at Sheraton Bali Kuta Resort

Discover more from Daily News
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Consumer Corner
NIKON ANNOUNCES THE NIKON Z5II: LET FULL-FRAME BE THE NEXT STEP IN YOUR CREATIVE JOURNEY
Amplify any Aesthetic & Unleash Your Full Creative Potential with the Most Feature-Packed Camera in its Class
MELVILLE, N.Y. /PRNewswire/ — Today, Nikon announced the new full-frame / FX format Z5II, an entirely new generation of intermediate-level camera that miraculously manages to fit the latest high-end features into a lightweight camera body that will help kickstart any creative spark. The Nikon Z5II is the easiest way to level up a user’s captures with full-frame image quality, incredibly fast and intelligent autofocus (AF), excellent low-light performance, one-touch film-inspired color presets and the brightest viewfinder of any competing camera.1 The new Nikon Z5II uses the same high-power EXPEED 7 image processing engine as Nikon’s highest caliber professional models, the Z8 and Z9. The benefits of this processor are immediately apparent, affording incredible levels of performance and extremely fast AF with subject detection powered by deep learning (AI) technology. This highly accurate, high-speed focus is a massive leap from its predecessor, locking in at approximately one third2 the time. In addition, the new camera now utilizes a highly sensitive back-illuminated (BSI) CMOS sensor for beautiful rendering of textures and details, even in dimly lit situations such as indoors or nighttime landscapes, with minimal noise. The Z5II further fuels your creative drive with a dedicated Picture Control button and innovative tools like Imaging Recipes and Flexible Color Picture Controls, all of which help users create a truly distinctive look with unparalleled creative control of colors. “The benefits of the Z5II go far beyond its attainable price and small size, offering users the benefits of our most advanced EXPEED 7 processing engine, a proven full-frame sensor along with unexpected pro-level features and performance,” said Fumiko Kawabata, Sr. Vice President of Marketing and Planning, Nikon Inc. “This is the camera many people have been waiting for in order to make the move to mirrorless, since nothing comes close to matching the value of features and performance in its class.” Reliably Fast Focus and Performance The AF on the Nikon Z5II is remarkably precise and super-fast, effortlessly locking-on and tracking a wide range of moving subjects. From fast-paced portraits or action shots, the system helps you to never miss a crucial moment, even when a subject is backlit. The cutting-edge AF system can detect up to nine types of subjects for stills and video, including people (faces, eyes, heads, and upper bodies), dogs, cats, birds, cars, motorcycles, bicycles, airplanes, and trains. But it’s not just the focus that’s fast—thanks to the next-generation processing power, the Z5II also offers high performance features from pro level Z models, to excel in any shoot.- 3D-tracking AF mode keeps the target subject in focus even if it moves rapidly or erratically. This allows for subject tracking, even at high burst speeds, for sharp images again and again when photographing sports, animals or other fast-moving subjects.
- The first full-frame mirrorless Nikon camera with AF-A focus mode. In this mode, the camera automatically switches between AF-S and AF-C focus modes in response to subject movement or changes in composition with still shooting. This allows the camera to automatically focus on the subject, with no setting adjustments when photographing. This new feature makes it simple to photograph pets, kids or other subjects whose movements are difficult to predict.
- Fast continuous shooting speeds3 with a maximum frame rate of 14 frames per second in mechanical shutter mode and up to 15 or 30 frames per second (electronic shutter) with full autofocus.
- Pre-Release Capture4 function when shooting in C15 and C30 modes is capable of recording images buffered up to one second before the shutter-release button is fully pressed, capturing the action before a user can react.
- Class-leading autofocus detection down to -10EV5 delivers accurate, reliable focus in dim and dark conditions—great for concerts, live performances, festivities, available light portraiture, astrophotography and more.
- A broad standard ISO sensitivity range of 100-64,000, expandable to Hi 1.7 (ISO 204,800 equivalent), delivers exceptional low-light capabilities and outstanding image quality with minimal noise. The max ISO is 51,200 for video recording.
- The 5-axis in-camera vibration reduction (VR) system provides superior image stabilization equivalent to a 7.5-stop6 increase in shutter speed at the center and a 6.0-stop increase at the peripheral areas of the frame. This allows users to create with confidence in lower light and get sharper results, even when handheld or at lower shutter speeds.
- Focus-point VR7 tailors stabilization to the area covered by the active AF point, for sharp rendering of the subject, even when it is positioned near the edge of the frame.
- Starlight View Mode makes focus and composition simple in extremely low light, while the Warm Color Display Mode helps preserve night vision when working in complete darkness.
- Extended shutter speeds up to 900 seconds (15 minutes) in manual exposure mode. Perfect for extreme long-exposure nightscapes and star trails.
- Capture immensely vivid and detailed 4K/30 UHD video, with no crop. This gives creatives the ability to shoot in 4K at full-frame, with more wide-angle freedom. For higher frame rates, the camera can also capture up to 4K/60 with a 1.5x crop.
- Flexible in-camera video recording options with 12-bit N-RAW8, 10-bit H.265, and 8-bit H.264. This is the first camera to be able to record N-RAW to an SD card.
- N-Log9 tone modes offer greater flexibility for color grading. This means Z5II users also have access to the free RED LUTs, which were developed in collaboration with RED for users to enjoy cinematic looks.
- Full HD/120p for flexibility to create 5x slow motion videos in 8-bit H.264.
- Hi-Res Zoom10 uses 4K resolution to zoom up to 2X in-camera during Full HD shooting, without any loss of quality. This is useful when using prime lenses to get closer to a subject and add a dynamic look to footage.
- Product Review Mode will seamlessly switch focus between the user and any objects that they hold up to the camera. Users can even customize the size of the active AF area.
- Upgrade streaming while connected via UVC/UAC-compliant USB port, transforming the camera into a high-quality webcam for live streaming.
- The Z5II also includes ports for headphones and microphones.
- Dual SD card slots
- Bird detection mode makes it easier to detect birds in motion and in flight.
- Equipped with Nikon’s exclusive portrait functions, including Rich Tone Portrait that realizes radiant and beautiful rendering of skin textures, and Skin Softening that smooths the skin while leaving hair, eyes, and other details sharp.
- Capture high-resolution images with Pixel Shift shooting11 to portray stunning depth and rich textures, from architectural details to rocky landscapes and vibrant artwork, creating images at a staggeringly high resolution of up to approx. 96-megapixels (must be processed with free Studio NX software).
Connect with Nikon on Facebook , X , YouTube , Instagram , Threads , and TikTok. Specifications, equipment, and release dates are subject to change without any notice or obligation on the part of the manufacturer. 1. Based on Nikon research as of April 3rd, 2025.
2. Measured in accordance with CIPA standards. The measurement values are based on the following testing conditions: Subject brightness of 10 EV; in photo mode using aperture-priority auto (A), single-servo AF (AF-S), single-point AF (center), at 70-mm focal length with the NIKKOR Z 24-70mm f/4 S.
3. Max framerate of 14 fps in mechanical shutter mode is JPEG only. C15 and C30 are JPEG only, electronic shutter modes. Rolling shutter distortion may occur depending on the type of subject and shooting conditions.
4. Available only with JPEG recording.
5. In photo mode using single-servo AF (AF-S), single-point AF (center), at ISO 100 equivalent and a temperature of 20°C/68°F with an f/1.2 lens.
6. Based on CIPA 2024 Standard. Yaw/pitch/roll compensation performance when using the NIKKOR Z 24-120mm f/4 S (telephoto end, NORMAL)
7. Only in photo mode with NIKKOR Z lenses not equipped with VR. Does not function when multiple focus points are displayed.
8. When a frame size and rate of [[FX] 4032×2268 30p], [[FX] 4032×2268 25p], [[FX] 4032×2268 24p], [[DX] 3984×2240 30p], [[DX] 3984×2240 25p], or [[DX] 3984×2240 24p] is selected for [Frame size/frame rate] in the video recording menu. Picture quality is equivalent to that of a video quality setting of [Normal]. Use of Video Speed Class 90 (V90) SD memory cards is recommended.
9. When [H.265 10-bit (MOV)] or [N-RAW 12-bit (NEV)] is selected for [Video file type] in the video recording menu.
10. Hi-Res Zoom is available when all the following conditions are met:- [FX] is selected for [Image area] > [Choose image area] in the video recording menu, [H.265 10-bit (MOV)], [H.265 8-bit (MOV)], or [H.264 8-bit (MP4)] is selected for [Video file type] in the video recording menu, and – a frame size and rate of [1920×1080; 30p], [1920×1080; 25p], or [1920×1080; 24p] is selected for [Frame size/frame rate] in the video recording menu.
11. Both the subject and the camera must be still. RAW images shot with the pixel shift shooting feature must be combined using NX Studio.
*SRP (Suggested Retail Price) listed only as a suggestion. Actual prices are set by dealers and are subject to change at any time. SOURCE Nikon Inc.
Discover more from Daily News
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
-
Urbanism2 years ago
Signal Hill, California: A Historic Enclave Surrounded by Long Beach
-
News2 years ago
Diana Gregory Talks to us about Diana Gregory’s Outreach Services
-
Senior Pickleball Report2 years ago
The Absolute Most Comfortable Pickleball Shoe I’ve Ever Worn!
-
STM Blog2 years ago
World Naked Gardening Day: Celebrating Body Acceptance and Nature
-
Senior Pickleball Report2 years ago
ACE PICKLEBALL CLUB TO DEBUT THEIR HIGHLY ANTICIPATED INDOOR PICKLEBALL FRANCHISES IN THE US, IN EARLY 2023
-
Travel2 years ago
Unique Experiences at the CitizenM
-
Automotive2 years ago
2023 Nissan Sentra pricing starts at $19,950
-
Senior Pickleball Report2 years ago
“THE PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARDS OF PICKLEBALL” – VOTING OPEN