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About The skanner. (Portland, Or.) 1975-2014 | View Entire Issue (July 29, 2015)
News Bobbi Kristina Brown, daughter of Whitney Houston, dead at 22 Jonathan Landrum Jr., Associated Press DULUTH, Ga. (AP) — The brief, chaotic life of Bobbi Kristina Brown was never really her own. Born and raised in the shadow of fame and litiga- tion, shattered by the loss of her mother, Whitney Houston, Bobbi Kristina was overwhelmed by the achievements and demons of others before she could begin to fi gure out who she was. Her demise was the most awful inheritance of all. Bobbi Kristina died on Sunday at Peachtree Chris- tian Hospice in Duluth, Georgia, about six months after she was found face- down and unresponsive in a bathtub in the suburban At- lanta townhome she shared with Nick Gordon, the man she called her husband. She was 22-years-old. “Bobbi Kristina Brown passed away July, 26 2015, surrounded by her family. She is fi nally at peace in the arms of God. We want to again thank everyone for their tremendous amount of love and support during these last few months,” Kristen Foster, a representa- tive for the Houston family said Sunday. The Fulton County Med- ical Examiner’s Offi ce confi rmed Bobbi Kristina’s death Sunday night and will issue a news release on Monday. Police said she was found Jan. 31. A police report de- scribed it as a “drowning.” Bobbi Kristina was the only child between Houston and Brown. She was hospitalized for months in Atlanta — even- tually being placed in hos- pice care — after being found in a manner grimly similar to the way her mega- star mother died three years earlier. Gordon said at the time it seemed Bobbi Kris- tina wasn’t breathing and lacked a pulse before help arrived. Brown — the sole heir of her mother’s estate — did have dreams. She identifi ed herself on Twitter as “Daughter of Queen WH,” ‘’Entertain- Kids Co-Write Play about Racial Tension By Arashi Young Of The Skanner News Z Bobbi Kristina Brown er/Actress” with William Morris & Co., and “LAST We honor the many accomplishments of African Americans. It is our primary goal as a labor union to better the lives of all people working in the building trades through advocacy, civil demonstration, and the long-held belief that work- ers deserve a "family wage" - fair pay for an honest day's work. A family wage, and the benefits that go with it, not only strength- ens families, but also allows our communities to become stronger, more cohesive, and more responsive to their citizens' needs. Our family wage agenda reflects our commitment to people work- ing in the building trades, and to workers everywhere. In this small way, we are doing our part to help people achieve the American Dream. This dream that workers can hold dear regard- less of race, color, national origin, gender, creed, or religious be- liefs. The Pacific Northwest Regional Council of Carpenters Representing more than 5.000 construction workers in Oregon State. Do you want to know more about becoming a Union carpenter? of a dying breed.” She told Oprah Winfrey shortly after her mother’s death in 2012 that she wanted to carry on her mother’s legacy by sing- ing, acting and dancing. But her career never took off. Actor and producer Tyler Perry said she had a future as an actress after her debut on his TV show “For Better or Worse” in 2012, but she only appeared in one epi- sode. Aside from two ill-fat- ed reality TV shows and the occasional paparazzi video, her image mostly showed up in the “selfi es” she post- ed online. She attended award shows and appeared on red carpets with her mother and father. She performed a duet with her mother in 2009, singing “My Love Is Your Love” in New York’s Central Park. She became social media sensation, sending more than 11,000 tweets and at- tracting 164,000 followers. As the news of her death spread across social media, several celebrities tweeted their condolences. Grammy-winning per- former Missy Elliot tweet- ed, “My heart is truly heavy. May u rest in peace with your mommy #BobbiKris- tina sending prayers 2 the Brown/Houston family.” “Empire” star Taraji P. Henson tweeted, “Rest in heaven.” “RIP #BobbiKristina My deepest sympathies 2 your father #BobbyBrown n your GrandMa #CissyHouston We will miss ya 4sho dar- ling ;) Actress Vivica A. Fox said on Twitter. And Winfrey tweeted, “Peace at Last!” Read the rest at www.theskanner.com Page 8 July 29, 2015 The Portland and Seattle Skanner ara Smith stands alone in her classroom. She gets good grades and is pleasant to her teachers, who all believe she will achieve great things in her life. She is also lonely, bullied and harassed for her suc- cess. She is the subject of relentless teasing, being labeled an “Oreo” — too Black on the outside, too White on the inside. Only 10 years old, she wonders aloud to the empty room. “Acting White? What does that even mean? My mom says we have to work fi ve times as hard to get one step forward,” she asks. Zara’s story is one of many told in Between the Lines, a play from the Maverick Main Stage Produc- tion Company. The dramatic company hosted encore performances of the drama at the Alberta Abbey on July 24 and 25. Nearly all of the performances in Between the Lines are from youth between the ages of six to 14. Jennie Brown, the director and founder of Maverick, told The Skanner News every play Maverik produces is an original work inspired by the cast. Between the Lines grew out of cast conversations about race. In rehearsal exercises leading up to the writing of the play, Brown kept hearing her young ac- tors tell each other things like, “You’re acting White,” or, “You’re acting ghetto.” “We kind of explored that together. ‘What does that mean? What does race mean to you guys?’ We really had some very in-depth conversations around that, and it just seemed like a perfect time to make it something for public to come take part of,” Brown said. “It’s an issue that is very real, particularly in this area.” The play tells stories of racial tension and gentrifi ca- tion through the eyes of elementary school kids, their teachers and parents. At the center of plot is Zara’s teasing by another girl, A.J. Both girls compete with each other through singing and dancing performances and an upcoming talent show, which only heightens the tension between them. The Skanner News spoke with some of the young cast members about their experiences co-creating and acting in the play. Sinai Jones, who plays Zara Smith, said the play makes people think about racial tension beyond Black versus White. “I think that our community feels like racial tension is always about it being Black and White, when that is not necessarily the case. But people get bullied and judged because of their circumstances, their stereo- types, what they have and what they don’t have,” she said. Eleven-year old Dakhi Davis, who plays the class clown Milo Sweets, said the play combats the prej- udice that Black students can’t be successful without “acting White.” “Black people can be smart, too, and get good grades and so can White people. Any race can do good and be successful,” Davis said. Many of Maverick’s young actors met Brown when she brought theatre arts classes to local public schools. When budget cuts dropped the theatre program, Brown would move on to another school, often bringing per- formers with her during after-school workshops. Eventually, she started Maverick independently so that any student could access the program, regardless of school attendance. Between the Lines closed with the school talent show. Milo arranged a show-stopping medley of Jackson 5 songs and Zara and A.J. mended fences through com- passion, understanding and duet. Tanisha Jones, mother of Sinai and her younger sis- ter (and fellow cast member) Nia, said she was proud to see youth show off their talents and represent their communities. “I’m proud to see the cast of youth from our com- munity who really refl ect what our community looks like and the fact that this play was based off of … their experiences,” Jones said. “I was eager for them to get the message out and be able to deliver that to the community.”
