Civil rights activists Earl Ofari Hutchinson and Najee Ali demand actress Daniele Watts apologizes to the LAPD after new information was released. Also, Pulitzer Prize winning author Lawrence Wright details peace talks between Egypt and Israel. Then, author Mark Bailey tells Hollywood's drunken tales in his latest book.
Local civil rights activists demand Daniele Watts apologize to the LAPD
It’s been nearly a week since LAPD handcuffed, detained and released African American actress Daniele Watts in response to a complaint of indecent exposure. Watts has since filed a complaint with the department.
Her facebook posting and the subsequent release by TMZ of audio from the altercation reignited the debate about racial profiling, police procedure and when you are and are not obligated show an officer your ID. But today, civil rights activists Earl Ofari Hutchinson and Najee Ali, who both initially came to Watts’ defense, are calling on the actress to apologize to the LAPD in light of new information that they contend casts doubt on her claim. In their statement they explain that "civil rights leaders take the charge of racial profiling seriously and [it] is not to be claimed frivolously,” and they’ve been outspoken about the damage they believe her actions have caused for situations in which they say actual racial profiling is at play. Their announcement also comes on the heels of one from Attorney General Eric Holder, who is promoting a federal $4.75-million initiative in five communities to study racial bias and build trust between law enforcement agencies and the communities they serve.
Do you agree? Is the perception of racial profiling different for men and women? What kind of damage is done when doubt begins to be cast on these kinds of allegations?
Guest:
Najee Ali, Social and political activist; Director of Project Islamic H.O.P.E.
Paulette Simpson-Gipson, President of the Compton chapter, NAACP
Anatomy of the Camp David Accords: the most profound Mid-East peace treaty of modern times
Renowned journalist Lawrence Wright has long been fascinated by the Camp David Accords that brought a negotiated peace between Egypt and Israel. His new book, "Thirteen Days in September" was originally staged as play with its true-to-life compelling characters and the dramatic turns that ensued in 1978 at the rustic Maryland retreat of then President Jimmy Carter.
Stirred by his Christian faith to bring peace to the Holy Land, Carter brought together Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin for fraught negotiations. As First Lady Rosalynn Carter recounts, by day two, she could hear yelling all day long - Begin and Sadat had to be physically separated at one point. Wright provides vivid details (helped in part by Mrs. Carter's personal diary) of the three deeply religious statesmen- a Christian, a Muslim and a Jew - negotiating a hugely consequential accord.
Why does Wright think the details of the Camp David negotiations are so important? What insight does it provide into today's diplomatic and regional conflicts?
Guest:
Lawrence Wright, Author, “Thirteen Days in September: Carter, Begin and Sadat at Camp David,” Previous book “Going Clear: Scientology, Hollywood & the Prison of Belief;” Staff Writer, “The New York;” Wright won a Pulitzer Prize for “The Looming Tower”
Filmweek: “This Is Where I Leave You,” “A Walk Among The Tombstones,” “The Maze Runner” and more
Larry Mantle and KPCC film critics Tim Cogshell and Andy Klein review this week’s releases, including “This Is Where I Leave You,” “A Walk Among The Tombstones,” “The Maze Runner” and more. TGI-Filmweek!
This Is Where I Leave You:
A Walk Among the Tombstones:
The Maze Runner:
Guests:
Tim Cogshell, film critic for KPCC and AltFilm Guide
Andy Klein, film critic for KPCC and L.A. Times Community Paper Chain
The history of Hollywood as told through the bottom of a whiskey glass
The history of Hollywood has been dissected from a lot of angles, but writer Mark Bailey manages to offer a fresh take with his new book. “Of All the Gin Joints” chronicles the film industry from the Silent Era to the “New Hollywood” era in the 1970s through tales of drunken debauchery and boozy bonhomie starring some of the silver screen’s biggest names.
Did you know that Humphrey Bogart was arrested for protecting a couple of stuffed pandas—better known as his drinking buddies? Or that one of Bing Crosby’s sobriquets is “Binge Crosby”? Or that Ava Gardner commuted to the set of Night of the Iguana via the water ski and with a drink in one hand.
Guest:
Mark Bailey, author of "Of All the Gin Joints" (Algonquin Books, 2014). He is also an Emmy-nominated screenwriter for the documentary Ethel, about the life of Ethel Kennedy.