Investigation
Meet Lydia Dupra, The Self-Proclaimed “Heaux Mentor†Who Helps Sex Workers Boost Their Brands And Business (Video)
June 27, 2018
Not a pimp, mind you, but a “Heaux Mentor†at the center of what we have here on this ep. of Red Light.
New restrictions associated with FOSTA/SESTA, a law designated to curb sex trafficking, has dramatically impacted the lives of America’s sex workers, limiting the way they can communicate about their work online. Unsure of how to navigate the adult industry’s rapidly changing landscape, a growing number of women are seeking help from Lydia Dupra—a self-proclaimed “Heaux Mentor†who helps sex workers build and manage their brands and make connections. We met up with Dupra for a look at her controversial business, sat down with her clients to hear how she’s mentored them, and talked about how her job and the industry are changing with the passage of FOSTA/SESTA.
– VICE
Posted in Film, Investigation, Series, Videos | 
Tags: Heaux Mentor, Lydia Dupra, Prostitutes, Sex Workers, Sex Workers Pay This Woman to be Their Mentor | 
No Comments »
Being a White Student At A Historically Black College (Documentary)
June 25, 2018
“I feel like I belong here if I’m putting in the work. It’s that simple.”
Whew. When he asked dude, “Do you feel like you really belong here?” Tiago answered like that. VICE does it again! Really digs into this perspective of a White student attending an HBCU (Historically Black Colleges and Universities).
On this episode of ‘MINORITY REPORTS,’ we met up with Tiago, a White freshman at Morehouse College, an HBCU in Atlanta that counts Martin Luther King, Jr. and Spike Lee as alumni.
We sat down with him to hear why he decided to enroll in the school, asked his peers for their thoughts on having white students on campus, and followed along as he showed us what it’s like to be one of very few non-black students at school.
– VICE
Now, if you are even thinking about reducing this topic to ‘any student can go anywhere’… Let’s not waste your time. Come back in an hour or something. This is deep exploration like VICE documentaries do. Gonna stay? Okay, press play.
– @ojones1
Posted in Education, Human Interest, Investigation, Videos | Tags: Atlanta, Being a White Student at a Historically Black College, Georgia, HBCU, Historically Black Colleges, Historically Black Colleges and Universities, MINORITY REPORTS, Morehouse College, non-Black, non-traditional, Tiago, VICE | No Comments »
Due Out Mid-Summer, An Epic Bio Film Will Tell Us All “Whitney” (Trailer)
May 18, 2018
Hours before the film's World Premiere at Cannes Film Festival, experience the official U.S. Trailer for #Whitney. The voice. The icon. The untold true story. #ILoveYouWhitney pic.twitter.com/63aJEQsu41
— Whitney (@whitneythefilm) May 16, 2018
This July 6th in U.S. theaters… there will be tears. Man, oh, man. They got commentary from Bobby, best friends, family, and insiders who KNEW “Whitney” for real. The film promises to tell all, ALL of it! Sure you want to know it ALL?
Really think about that. The answer is ‘yes’ of course. But if you murmured the words, “I Love You, Whitney“ at the end with the cat in the trailer… just saying, everything about the ‘beautiful people’ in our lives wasn’t beautiful. Prepare for that, but certainly keep the love. Always.
Posted in Celebrity, Film, Investigation, Relationships, Trailer, Videos | Tags: Cannes Film Festival, Whitney, Whitney Houston | No Comments »
Indonesian Teenagers Making Fast Cash In Illegal Motorcycle Races (Documentary)
May 16, 2018
This is insane! Man, things youth do, thinking they are immortal and invincible. Plus, there’s the money. Definitely a risk vs. reward thing to do; these high-speed illegal street races. Faster & furiouser. Watch!
Motorcycles rule the streets of Indonesia. By day, the bikes zip through Jakarta, ferrying residents to and from work—but by night, the roads give way to the underground world of illegal street racing. Kids as young as 12 compete in the high-speed sprints, where riders can make a small fortune off a single race. The rewards are great, but the risks are just as high: Flying down roads at breakneck speeds, one, small mistake can cost a “speed jockey†their life.
On this episode of ‘VICE INTL,’ VICE Indonesia went inside Jakarta’s dangerous, high-stakes street racing scene. We met up with a 16-year-old rising star to hear how he got involved, talked to the cops cracking down on illegal drag racing, and checked out a sprint ourselves—watching as two teenagers faced off for more cash than most Indonesians make in a month.
– VICE
Started watching this with that BDP joint “Love’s Gonna Getcha” in mind… kids like: “I make about a G a week. F**K school!”
Posted in Film, Investigation, Lifestyle, News, Series, Travel, Videos, Youth | Tags: Eza Wira Atmaja, high speed races, high speed racing, illegal, illegal street races, illegal street racing, Jakarta, Motorbike Race, Motorbike Racer, Motorbike Racing, Motorcycle Races, Motorcycle Racing, Racing, speed jockey, street races, street racing, VICE, VICE Indonesia, VICE INTL | No Comments »
Check Out This New Investigative Documentary Series On Netflix, “Dirty Money” (Trailer)
April 30, 2018
Man oh, man… This isn’t even art imitating life, rather a [Netflix] video series reporting it. We pretty much assume that big businesses and “Dirty Money” (that ‘anything for a buck’ mentality) go hand-in-hand, right? Well, these stories – teased in the episode trailer above – should not surprise you. The first episode is on Volkswagen… supposed to mean the “People’s Car” in German… yeah, but which “people” (probably ‘The 1%’) is it really ‘for’?
Posted in Business, Film, Investigation, Series, Trailer, Videos | Tags: Dirty Money, Netflix | No Comments »
Michael K. Williams On Vice On HBO (Documentary)
April 23, 2018
Chalky White goes back to lockup. Okay, that’s a Boardwalk Empire reference for those who don’t know or remember. But this is good. So is his new show “Hap & Leonard” (check local listings).
Actor Michael Kenneth Williams (HBO’s The Wire) goes in depth and explores mass incarceration and the juvenile justice system.
#HBO #VICEonHBO
VICE does it again.
Posted in Activism, Celebrity, Film, Investigation, Series, Television, Videos | Tags: criminal justice system, Full Episode, HBO, Michael K. Williams, Michael Kenneth Williams, Premiere, Raised in the System, Season 6, VICE | No Comments »
Hollywood Sex Tape Broker (Documentary)
April 6, 2018
Wow. Point blank, like that. Kevin knows and declares that people in Hollywood do stupid things; like putting out sex tapes (or even making them, risking them getting leaked). Says he is the man to see if you want to release a celebrity sex tape… and the man to see if you don’t want a sex tape to see the light of day. In short, he’s the man…
VICE went to Los Angeles to meet Kevin Blatt, who’s now become Hollywood’s go-to guy when it comes to releasing or obtaining a celebrity sex tape. After releasing Paris Hilton’s ‘1 Night in Paris,’ Blatt’s been involved in sex scandals with A-list celebrities and was even an expert witness at the Hulk Hogan-Gawker trial. On this episode of ‘Fameish,’ he leads VICE through the underground celebrity sex tape industry, arguing that his business has done “more good for people than bad.”
Posted in Film, Investigation, Videos | Tags: Fame, Fameish, Hollywood's Most Notorious Sex Tape Broker, Kevin Blatt, Sex Tape Broker, VICE | No Comments »
HBO’s ‘King In The Wilderness’ Examines The Final Years Of Dr. King (Teaser)
April 5, 2018
We’ve posted on activist/educator Dr. Bernard LaFayette on here, a close associate of Dr. MLK Jr. back in the day. Bet money he could speak on this and more (and he might). But let’s see what this HBO joint has to say. Looks intriguing.
Coming in April, this documentary follows Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. during the last few years of his life, from the vital role he played in the Voting Rights Act of 1965 to his assassination in 1968.
– HBO
Learn About Malcolm X And His Influence Then & Now (Trailer)
March 30, 2018
Martin and Malcolm. That’s how we usually characterize the study. Both exerted Overwhelming Influence in our struggle for Civil Rights. Understandably, we get more ‘fed’ to us about moderate Martin (and that ain’t his whole story…facts). But the Malcolm food is out here. We’re bringing you some here and now. Take a taste!
Viewers join in on a road trip from the nation’s capital to the headquarters of the voting rights struggle, Alabama, with Malcolm X co-worker, journalist and lecturer, A. Peter Bailey for a journey through the countryside to meet friends and family of Malcolm X and fascinating front-line veterans of the war for civil rights. We’ll draw the curtain on public perception of Malcolm X, to show you the real man through personal stories from those who knew him.
– BB Unity
Sports: Is Bill Preston Good Enough To Go From NCAA To NBA Basketball? We Will Never Know (Video)
March 27, 2018
I feel like, if I was still playing in college, I’d be much more successful.
Damn. Talk about a cultural upheaval. They didn’t like the way his transportation situation looked and the NCAA took Preston away from college basketball… and possibly his ticket to success in life for him and his family??? Wow.
Billy Preston should be playing with Kansas in the NCAA tourney right now. Instead, his career is in limbo because of an NCAA investigation that was never completed.
– VICE SPORTS MEETS
Posted in Human Interest, Investigation, Sports, Travel, Videos | Tags: BC Igokea, Billy Preston, Bosnia and Herzegovina, college eligibility, NCAA, NCAA investigation, VICE, VICE Sports, VICE Sports Meets | No Comments »
“The Camels Of Arabia” Tells A Story Of Traditions, Pride, And Million Dollar Prizes (Documentary)
March 26, 2018
VICE continues to bring us insight by focusing on what’s important. Want to learn about a people, focus on what is important… to them. “The Camels of Arabia” are VERY important. Watch and learn…
Camels are the Clydesdales of Saudi Arabia, venerated for their good looks, grace, and speed. Even as the country rapidly modernizes, the animals remain a central part of Saudi culture, and a lucrative one—with prized camels selling for more than $1 million.
VICE trekked to Al-Dahna for the King Abdulaziz Camel Festival—the largest of its kind—where titans of business and politics in the Middle East flock each year for a display of the finest camels in Saudi Arabia. Hundreds of participants pit their camels head-to-head in a frenzied race and beauty contest for a chance to win roughly $57 million in prize money, and a chance to meet Saudi Arabia’s king and crown prince.
– VICE
Posted in Film, Investigation, News, Series, Sports, Videos | Tags: Al-Dahna, Beauty Pageant, CAMEL BEAUTY CONTEST, CAMEL RACING, CAMELS, CROWN PRINCE, HBO, King Abdulaziz, KING ABDULAZIZ CAMEL FESTIVAL, KING SALMAN, MOHAMMAD BIN SALMAN, News, robot jockeys, Saudi Arabia, VICE, VICE News, VICE News Tonight, VICE Specials, VNT | No Comments »
An Enslaved Family Worked A Plantation Almost 90 Years After The Civil War Ended (Documentary)
March 23, 2018
It’s one thing for post Civil War slaves to be freed on paper, to actually BE freed from slavery is a whole thing altogether. Consider the ‘lag time’ between that Emancipation Proclamation and the slaves coming to know that they can stop ‘slaving’ for no wages… that they can stop being mistreated, brutalized and/or otherwise denied basic human rights & dignity. Especially with no formal education, exposure to ‘outsiders’ (not even mass media or Internet). Think ‘Massuh’ went to them slaves right away to tell ’em, “Y’alls free now”? Hell no. But just how long were they still enslaved? VICE goes to ‘The Slavery Detective of the South’ to get her to tell the whole story.
Slavery might have ended on paper after the Civil War, but many White landowners did everything they could to exploit newly freed slaves well into the 20th century. Thousands of Black laborers across the South were forced to work against their will as late as the 1960s—a new form of enslavement that went on in the shadows of rural America.
VICE’s Akil Gibbons traveled to Louisiana to meet genealogist Antoinette Harrell, the “slavery detective of the South,” who tracks down cases of modern-day slavery and abusive labor practices. They talk to a man whose family was held on a plantation against their will into the 1950s, and explains how she uses decades-old records to uncover how slavery was perpetuated long after the Civil War ended.
– VICE
Watch The World’s Strongest Man Throw Back Some Kegs And Take Down 7 Meals A Day (Documentary)
March 22, 2018
Brian Shaw. Small-town Colorado dude. Three-time winner of the World’s Strongest Man contest. Check out VICE Sports’ coverage on him. And he is not only tossing kegs; dude can lift CARS!
Tagging Along For A Day In The Life Of A Pornstar (Video)
March 20, 2018
Full disclosure: I watch a LOT of porn; to be certain, lots more than the BuzzFeed staffer doing this piece. And I don’t know Mia Li. So… I have some “research” to do (bow-chicka-wow-wow LOL). But I kind of figured that pornstars’ off-set lives are probably much tamer than most would think. Case in point: This video.
– @ojones1
Posted in Interview, Investigation, Lifestyle, Videos | Tags: A Day In The Life Of A Pornstar, Buzz Feed, Buzz Feed Video, BuzzFeed, BuzzFeed Video, BuzzFeedVideo, Mia Li, Pornstar | No Comments »
“The Trayvon Martin Story” Documentary Series Coming To Paramount Network (Trailer)
March 3, 2018
They say that time heals all wounds. It does not.
Whoa. That’s a quote to frame, esp. for this case.
Paramount Network has teamed up with executive producer Shawn Carter for a landmark television event, “Rest In Power: The Trayvon Martin Story,†based on the life and legacy of Trayvon Martin. The six-part non-scripted documentary series will be the definitive look at one of the most talked-about and controversial events in the last decade that spurred the impactful worldwide “Black Lives Matter†movement. “Rest In Power: The Trayvon Martin Story,†premieres in July on Paramount Network.
#ParamountNetwork #RestinPower #TrayvonMartin
And yeah. The exec producer is that Shawn Carter.
Women Of Color Are Trying To Get Out Of The United States (Video)
February 15, 2018
Damn. Has it come to this? Our sistas go on retreats… women do, PEOPLE do… but the driver for WHY they are going in this piece. They need PEACE! And a SAFE space! A vacay trip is about ‘escape’ but this is an ESCAPE escape from the real harm they suffer.
It comes as no surprise that a time when White supremacist groups have gained increased public notoriety and the President has disparaged African nations as “sh!tholes,” many Black Americans are feeling isolated and unsafe in communities or workplaces.
Many of them are turning those frustrations into acts of self-preservation, and are spending significant money to get outside of the country and away from the people who make them feel that way.
Since the election of President Trump, at least 5 black-owned trip organizations have told VICE News that they’ve experienced upticks in interest from clients eager to get out of the United States.
VICE News followed a group of women to the Women of Color Healing Retreat in Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica; a travel experience that emphasized yoga, vegan food, political education seminars, and specifically banned White people.
– VICE News Tonight
And the commentary of Trump, and his supporters. Just watch.
Posted in Cover Story, Film, Investigation, News, Series, Travel, Videos | Tags: Costa Rica, Puerto Viejo, VICE, VICE News, VICE News Tonight, Women of Color Healing Retreat | No Comments »
Take A Sneak Peek At “Death Row Chronicles” (Trailer)
February 1, 2018
BET’s documentary series “Death Row Chronicles†premieres Tuesday, February 20th, at 10 p.m. ET.
Posted in Hip-Hop, History, Investigation, Series, Television, Videos | Tags: BET, Death Row Chronicles | No Comments »
Cover Story: Watch The Cyntoia Brown Documentary And Learn About How Her Story Has Gone Viral (Video)
November 27, 2017
Have you heard, or been following, the #FreeCyntoiaBrown movement? Cyntoia Brown has already been in prison for well over a decade, convicted of murder as a teen. The story has recently resurfaced and gone viral. Gotten the attention of celebs like Rihanna, and Kim Kardashian (see what she tweeted after the jump) has said she has reached out to her lawyers to see what she could do to help.
Embedded above is a documentary on Cyntoia. Watch. Watch NOW. They are snatching copies of the documentary offline with the quickness (took digging to find this one). At least the PBS Independent Lens trailer (after the jump) should remain stable, since it has been since 2011. Matter of fact, eff that: going in after the jump and posting all the clips PBS left up. Maybe PBS will re-release the documentary itself in full. This story should be known, told and retold. Tragedy begets more tragedy. You (me, we). Must. LEARN!
Also, you can also become better versed in the various details of the case and campaign to get Cyntoia Brown freed via the links below.
(More backstory and catch-up content after the jump, including clips from Roland S. Martin on TV One and Big Tigger on Atlanta’s V-103 radio.)
WHY CYNTOIA BROWN IS ALL OVER SOCIAL MEDIA (CNN)
CELEBRITIES SUPPORT TEEN KILLER (CBS NEWS)
CELEBRITIES RALLY BEHIND TEEN SENTENCED TO LIFE IN PRISON (NBC NEWS)
ME FACING LIFE: CYNTOIA’S STORY (PBS)
African Men Being Sold Into Slavery In 2017 (Video)
November 24, 2017
Big strong boys for farm work… 400… 700…
You are watching an auction of human beings.
Holy sh!t. That ache in your gut is probably not as profound as it would have been a century ago, or if you were actually being auctioned, but it SHOULD NOT BE THERE AT ALL! Just like this slave trade going on today. It should not be going on, in Libya, or ANYWHERE!
Smugglers in Libya are auctioning migrants off as slaves. At a property outside Tripoli, CNN’s Nima Elbagir witnessed a dozen men go under the hammer in the space of minutes.
– CNN
Posted in Activism, Investigation, News, Television, Travel, Videos | Tags: CNN, Libya, Migrants, Migrants being sold as slaves in Libya, Nima Elbagir, sold as slaves, Tripoli | 2 Comments »
PBS To Feature “The Story of Black Colleges & Universities” On ‘Independent Lens’ (Trailer)
November 20, 2017
Last year, we got the new mind-blowing documentary from Stanley Nelson about the rise and fall of The Black Panthers. This year, like right now, we get a trailer letting us know about the new new documentary due out 1st Quarter 2018 – “Tell Them We Are Rising: The Story of Black Colleges & Universities.”
Stanley Nelson, the preeminent storyteller of the African-American experience and Firelight Films, the award-winning production company committed to making films about pivotal events, movements, and people in American history, unveil a new full-length trailer for the upcoming documentary Tell Them We Are Rising: The Story of Black Colleges and Universities. The trailer provides a fast-paced, rousing overview of the complex history of how HBCUs, havens for Black intellectuals, artists and trailblazers, offered a path of promise toward the American dream, educated the architects of freedom movements throughout the decades and cultivated leaders in every field.
Tell Them We Are Rising: The Story of Black Colleges & Universities premieres on the acclaimed series Independent Lens on PBS on Monday, February 19th 2018 at 9p ET (check local listings). For more details on the film and #HBCURising campaign go to www.hbcurising.com
– Firelight Films
Posted in Activism, Call To Action, Education, Film, History, Investigation, Television, Trailer, Videos | Tags: Black Colleges, Essence, HBCU, Historically Black Colleges, Historically Black Colleges & Universities, Historically Black Colleges and Universities, INDEPENDENT LENS, PBS, Public Broadcasting Service, Public Broadcasting System, Stanley Nelson, Tell Them We Are Rising, Tell Them We Are Rising: The Story Of Black Colleges And Universities, The History Of HBCUs, The Story Of Black Colleges And Universities | No Comments »
