By Mark Kennedy, Entertainment Writer
NEW YORK (AP) --An angry and emotional Dave Chappelle spoke on the killing of George Floyd in a surprise Netflix special, saying America was being punished for its mistreatment of black men.
"I don't mean to get heavy but we got to say something," said Chappelle, who added that America is enduring "the wrath of God" for a string of police assaults on black men.
The special was released Thursday and is streaming free on Netflix's comedy YouTube channel. It was taken from a show at an outdoor pavilion in Yellow Springs, Ohio, with about 100 attendees on June 6.
Floyd died May 25 after a white Minneapolis police officer pressed his knee on his neck for more than eight minutes even after he pleaded for air and stopped moving, an ordeal caught on video. Chappelle called his special "8:46" in part after the length of time the officer was on top of the handcuffed Floyd.
It is also the time Chappelle was born on Aug. 24, 1973. "I can't get that number out of my head because it was my time of birth on my birth certificate," he said.
"When I watched that tape, I understood this man knew he was going to die," said the comedian. "I can't tell you, as a man, watching another man, go through something like that, what it makes you feel like."
Chappelle added that he has been quiet until now for a reason. "Answer me: Do you want to see a celebrity right now?" he asked. "No, this is the streets talking for themselves. They don't need me right now."
Chappelle also explored the violent deaths of such black men as Eric Garner, Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown and Philando Castile. "One after the other," the comedian said. He also slammed the National Rifle Association and celebrated Kobe Bryant.
He ended by noting that his great-grandfather — once a slave — was part of an African American delegation that was asked to come to the White House following a lynching during the presidency of Woodrow Wilson.
"These things are not old. This is not a long time ago. It's today," Chappelle said. "These streets will speak for themselves whether I am alive or dead. I trust you guys."
SMPTE elects board officers, regional governors
SMPTE®,the home of media professionals, technologists, and engineers, has revealed the board officers and regional governors who will serve terms beginning in January 2025.
Three new officers--Richard Welsh as SMPTE president, Eric Gsell as SMPTE executive VP, and Polly Hickling as SMPTE Education VP--have been elected for a two-year term from Jan. 1, 2025, to Dec. 31, 2026. One SMPTE officer, Lisa Hobbs, will be continuing her service as SMPTE secretary and treasurer for another two-year term. Additionally, Raymond Yeung will be stepping into the role of standards VP on Jan. 1, 2025.
“SMPTE’s membership has spoken,” said SMPTE interim executive director Sally-Ann D’Amato. “These officers have been tasked with an important responsibility, one each of them is prepared to tackle head-on. These next two years are looking bright for SMPTE!”
In addition to the officers, 10 regional governors were elected by the Society to serve two-year 2025-2026 terms.
These include the following regional governors, re-elected to continue their service:
Asia-Pacific Region Governor
Tony Ngai, Society of Motion Imaging Ltd.
EMEA - Central & South America Region Governor
Fernando Bittencourt, FB Consultant
United Kingdom Region Governor
Chris Johns, Sky UK.
USA - Central Region Governor
William T. Hayes, Consultant
USA - Eastern Region Governor
Dover Jeanne Mundt, Riedel Communications
USA - Western Region Governor
Jeffrey F. Way, Open Drives
Also elected were four newcomers to the SMPTE Board:
Canada Region Governor
Jonathan Jobin, Grass Valley
USA - Hollywood Region Governor
Allan Schollnick, Voxx... Read More