Netflix's 'Dear White People' Embraces Controversy and Creates Some
*By Alyssa Caverley*
The best way to start a conversation about uncomfortable topics may be to showcase young, smart, attractive people in a TV series having erudite and funny conversations about uncomfortable topics.
That's part of the conceit of the Netflix show "Dear White People," a series that follows a group of college students at a fictional Ivy League university contending with issues of race, social justice, and cultural bias.
"You see the trials and tribulations we go through being black in a predominantly white space," said DeRon Horton, one of the stars of series. "A lot of people have waited to see the show, so they see it isn't what they presumed and they find that it's really sexy, funny, and conversational, and who doesn't like to have a conversation about what is actually current in life."
The second season of "Dear White People" is now available on Netflix.
The series, created by Justin Simien, is based on his 2014 film, which had its premier at Sundance. The show touches on some pretty serious issues, but Horton said it approaches controversy with a sense of humor.
"Laughter doesn't have a race or a gender, so it's the same thing as love and that's what we're trying to spread in the series too," Horton said in an interview Tuesday with Cheddar.
Horton plays Lionel Lionel Higgins, a Winchester University student journalist turned activist who came out as gay in the first season. In the new season, Lionel learns new things about himself as he encounters racial and social barriers on campus.
For the full interview, [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/dear-white-people-star-deron-horton-on-larger-acceptance-of-show-for-season-2).
Cheddar's Kristen Scholer caught up with all-time NBA great Shaquille O'Neal in his hometown of Newark, NJ, working with Icy Hot to repair rundown basketball courts around the country. The Hall of Famer also spoke about the current NBA finals between the Boston Celtics and Golden State Warriors and had a lot of praise for the Warrior's guard Stephen Curry. "He's the greatest shooter of all time. I had a conversation with Stephen A. [Smith], where does he rank? He's a special player. He has his own category," Shaq said.
On this episode of On The Job presented by ADP: Gemma Burgess, CEO of Ferguson Partners, explains what people are looking for in an employer, and how to convey positive work culture to potential employees; Amy Leschke-Kahle, Vice President of Performance Acceleration at The Marcus Buckingham Company, an ADP company, breaks down how encouraging employee engagement and empowering employee voices can benefit every workplace and busts a myth about employee engagement while working from home; Jim Huether, CEO of Hyperice, discusses Hyperice's new employee mental health initiative, known as the Workplace Alliance, with 100-plus companies to combat the ongoing mental health crisis and how they're taking a hands-on, data-driven approach to the mental health crisis.
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Catching you up on today's top entertainment stories with a recap from the 75th Annual Tony Awards, including red carpet interviews and Jennifer Hudson receiving her EGOT, and "Jurassic World: Dominion" topping the box office.
The Tony Awards made its sensational return to Radio City Music Hal for the first time since 2019. 'A Strange Loop' stole the show, winning Best Musical while Adrianna Debose hosted in the most spectacular way possible. Cheddar News was joined by Broadway Reporter Leigh Scheps to break down the 75th Annual Tony Awards.
U.S. stocks closed Thursday at their lowest levels of the trading day, as investors continue to eye inflation ahead of the May CPI report out Friday. Art Hogan, Chief Market Strategist for National Holdings, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
U.S. stocks closed Friday at session lows after May CPI data showed inflation in the U.S. has not peaked and is still rising rapidly. For the week, the S&P fell 5.06%, the Dow lost 4.58%, and the Nasdaq dropped 5.60%, marking the worst week since January for all three major indexes. Mike Zigmont, Head of Trading and Research at Harvest Volatility Management, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
Benefits brokerage, Nava Benefits, raised $40 million in a Series B round. Nava says it's on a mission to fix healthcare, one benefits plan at a time. The startup is working to bring benefits to small business that are normally available to only Fortune 500 companies. Brandon Weber, Co-Founder and CEO of Nava Benefits, joined Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
Auction house Christie's will be presenting "Legacy of the GOAT," which will include a rare Michael Jordan signed rookie card and sneakers. Caitlin Donovan, the vice president of Christie's handbags and accessories department. joined Cheddar News to discuss the special memorabilia selection for the NBA great. "He's been a global phenomenon, so he's really shaped '90s culture and streetwear culture," she said. "And we see bidders from every pocket in the world."
