American schools teach students that slavery ended with Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation in 1863. A PBS documentary explores the forced labor by newly freed black slaves between the Civil War and World War II.
“Slavery by Another Name,” based on the book by the same title, tells the story of the South through research into documents and interviews with scholars. The 90-minute film also features interviews with descendants of victims of forced labor.
Filming took place in Birmingham and Atlanta. It first aired on PBS in February 2012, a month after screening at Sundance.
Author Douglas A. Blackmon won the Pulitzer Prize for his book [Amazon aff. link] in 2009. Birmingham and Shelby County are featured prominently as centers for virtual re-enslavement of black citizens.
A look at today’s newspapers, with front pages showing Alabama’s win over Notre Dame for the BCS National Championship on Monday in Miami.
The second-ranked Tide (13-1) beat the top-ranked Irish (12-1) 42-14 to claim its third title in 4 years. For those who like streaks, the victory marked the state’s fourth national championship and the SEC’s seventh title.
Alabama
The Anniston Star
The Birmingham News
The Dothan Eagle
The (Florence) Times Daily
The (Fort Payne) Times-Journal
The Gadsden Times
The Huntsville Times
The Montgomery Advertiser
The Opelika-Auburn News
The Selma Times-Journal
The Tuscaloosa News
Indiana
The (Bloomington) Herald-Times
The Evansville Courier and Press
The (Fort Wayne) Journal Gazette
The (Fort Wayne) News-Sentinel
The Indianapolis Star
The (Jasper) Herald
(Lafayette) Journal and Courier
The (Munster) Times
The (Richmond) Palladium-Item
The South Bend Tribune
Florida
The Miami Herald
Pensacola News Journal
South Florida SunSentinel
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The New Year’s Day “Today” featured travel picks for 2013, made by Jetsetter.com, a travel booking site. Birmingham made the list, along with Miami, Pittsburgh, Croatia, Nicaragua and Marseille, France.
Video: “Today” features Jetsetter.com picks for 2013,
including Birmingham. (See full segment.)
Editor Kate Maxwell mentioned Birmingham’s 50th anniversary of the 1963 civil rights movement events, along with the affordability of local hotels.
Sadly, if you visit Jetsetter.com and search for “Birmingham,” you get … nothing. Pittsburgh (“The Birmingham of the North”) also turns up nothing on the site.
Searching for Birmingham on Jetsetter
When asked about this oversight, Maxwell said by email, “We’re always looking for new destinations for Jetsetter and hope to add some properties down South in the near future — Birmingham is definitely on our radar.”
So when booking your vacation in Birmingham, listen to Jetsetter.com, but don’t use Jetsetter.com?!
Georgetown defeated San Diego 3-1 Saturday at
home to earn its first trip to the Final Four.
Baseball may be dead in Hoover (for the time being), but soccer lives on.
The Final Four compete at Regions Park this weekend for the NCAA Division I men’s soccer championship, with Georgetown against Maryland and Creighton against Indiana.
UAB (10-8-2), the sole team from Alabama, lost in the first round Nov. 15 to UNC-Charlotte (15-4-3). If that sounds familiar, the Blazers lost to Charlotte in the 2011 opening round, too; the 49ers went on to lose to North Carolina in the finals.
No. 2 Maryland (20-1-2) plays No. 3 Georgetown (19-3-2) in the first semi-final match; No. 16 Indiana (14-5-3) faces No. 12 Creighton (17-3-3) right after. Creighton’s trip to the 2011 Final Four in Hoover ended against Charlotte in a double overtime 4-1 shootout.
The first semi-final takes place at 4 p.m. Friday, while the second follows at 6:30. The championship game takes place at 1 p.m. Sunday.
All games air on ESPNU. Tickets are $20, for either both Friday semifinal matches or the Sunday championship, $35 for all three in advance online or $20 per day at the gate and free for age 1 and younger.
For more information, visit the NCAA College Cup Soccer website.
Video: The official BCS rankings putting Alabama
and Notre Dame in the top game.
For those who enjoy the comforts of seeing the same teams again and again, this football post-season is for you …
• No. 2 Alabama capped another stellar season with an 11-1 record, a win over Georgia Saturday night for the SEC Championship and a BCS title fight against undefeated No. 1 Notre Dame next month.
The two storied programs haven’t faced each other in 25 years. Notre Dame leads the series 5-1, going back to New Year’s Eve 1973.
This marks the Tide’s third trip in 4 years, and the fourth consecutive year the state is represented in the national championship. The game takes place Jan. 7 in Miami and airs at 7:30 p.m. on ESPN.
• It wouldn’t be the BBVA Compass Bowl without Pitt. Literally.
Since the bank took over title sponsorship in late 2010, the 2011 and 2012 games invited Big East-but-soon-to-be-ACC member Pittsburgh to Birmingham’s bowl game.
Pitt (6-6) returns Jan. 5 to face the SEC’s representative, Ole Miss (6-6), making its first appearance in the game.
Kickoff is at noon at Legion Field, airing on ESPN. Tickets are $30 and $50 and can be purchased online or by calling (877) 464-9529.
• Hoover will play for the 6A state high school championship Friday. If that sounds familiar, it might be because this represents the Bucs’ 12th trip in the past 13 years. Dynasty much?
Undefeated Hoover plays Opelika (10-4) at 7 p.m.
Meanwhile, McAdory (14-0) makes its first trip to the big game on Thursday. The Yellow Jackets face Spanish Fort for the 5A title at 7 p.m.
All Super Six games take place Thursday and Friday at Auburn’s Jordan-Hare Stadium, airing on My68. Tickets are $10 and available online.
Danielle Murphree exits the “Big Brother” house in third place.
So close …
Danielle Murphree of Tuscaloosa finished third in the live season finale of “Big Brother.” She was evicted by Ian Terry, who then faced Dan Gheesling for the $500,000 grand prize. The 14th season of the CBS reality competition ended tonight.
Terry beat Gheesling in the final jury vote 6-1, with Murphree casting the lone vote for the latter.
Though she had a chance to win the final Head of Household, Murphree threw part one and lost to Terry in part two, putting her up for nomination against Gheesling.
Murphree lived with 15 other players in the “house,” a special two-story studio with cameras and microphones everywhere. What didn’t make it to broadcast was shown online to subscribers.
She was the only female contestant to win the weekly Head of Household competition, and did so twice during the season. Murphree provided several of the more memorable moments of the show, though not always intentionally.
Viewers will remember her for her relentless romantic pursuit of Shane Meaney, who didn’t warm up to her advances. Her other standout moments all revolved around Gheesling, who started the season as her coach but ended up lying to her and betraying her several times.
Video: Dan Gheesling shocks Danielle Murphree
by evicting her friend Shane Meaney.
Video: The aftermath
Murphree started out lying about her occupation, telling others she worked as a kindergarten teacher instead of a nurse. She found help in two alliances that got her to the final three.
She fared better than most previous Alabamians on the show, save for Jason Guy of Mobile who finished third in season 3.
After 70 days, only three of the 16 contestants on “Big Brother” remain, including Danielle Murphree of Tuscaloosa. She had faced eviction as early as Day 1′s competition, but has coasted into the final three on the 14th season of the CBS reality show.
Her two competitors are Dan Gheesling, a high school teacher from West Bloomfield, Mich., and Ian Terry, an engineering student from New Orleans. Danielle, Dan and Ian had been members of the Quack Pack and Silent Six alliances, which helped them survive the weekly challenges and evictions. One of them will win the grand prize of $500,000 on Wednesday’s live finale.
Dan returned this season as a coach to three players — including Danielle — after winning “Big Brother” in 2008. In a surprise twist, the coaches (all previous contestants) entered the game as players on Day 27, and Dan is the only former coach to go the distance.
Ian, a fan favorite, has used his extensive knowledge of past seasons to build alliances and to strategically eliminate major players.
Danielle has gone along with her alliances’ plans for the most part. She’s the only female player this season to win Head of Household, twice, and happened to win the Golden Power of Veto those same weeks.
Her most recent reign concluded in disaster on Thursday’s live eviction show. Having nominated fellow alliance members Ian and Dan for eviction, she would have let her “showmance” Shane Meaney pick the evictee. Dan, who has outfoxed most of his housemates this season, convinced Danielle to use her Veto to remove his nomination and put Shane up instead. She did, and Dan voted out Shane to everyone’s surprise.
Dan has made and broken promises to both Danielle and Ian several times. Thursday’s betrayal might put them both on guard.
Danielle may likely be going to the final two, but only as the eventual runnerup. This week’s final Head of Household competition winner will select the sole competitor to face off in the grand prize vote among the seven jury members (the most recent evictees). Dan would pick Danielle as a weaker competitor, though Ian might still take Dan as they vowed to do so earlier, despite Ian’s misgivings.
The jury would likely reward Dan or Ian’s aggressive gameplay more than Danielle’s coasting strategy. But $50,000 for second place and 75 days in captivity ain’t bad.
The show returns at 7:30 p.m. Sunday on CBS 42, followed by the 90-minute season finale at 8:30 p.m. Wednesday.
The Zingbot 3000 returns, and saves a real zing for Danielle.
Video: Danielle Murphree talks about her plans for “Big Brother.”
It’s been nearly a decade since Alabama banished one of its own to the “Big Brother” compound.
Danielle Murphree, a 23-year-old nurse from Tuscaloosa, will be among the contestants in the 14th season of “Big Brother.” The Alabama student works at Glen Haven Health and Rehabilitation in Northport; she expects to graduate in December with a bachelor of science degree in health services.
Murphree was born in Grant, pop. just under 900, in northeast Alabama. Should she last the season, she’ll win $500,000 on the CBS reality show.
In an interview with Big Brother Network, Murphree said her strategy would be to “lay low. I don’t want to seem a threat. I know I’m smart and competitive like athletic.
“I’m not playing my cards too soon. Not till weeks 10 or 9, and then I’m going to start coming out and winning.”
Cast members live in a house on the Los Angeles TV studio lot, captured 24 hours a day with cameras and microphones. Each week, two are selected for possible eviction, with cast votes deciding who will leave.
In addition to the 12 contestants, four past contestants — Dan Gheesling, Mike “Boogie” Malin, Janelle Pierzina and Rachel Reilly — will return. They’re rumored to be mentors but not players, picking and advising proteges for a chance at $100,000.
The other “Big Brother” contestants from Alabama are Jason Guy (season 3) of Mobile who finished third, Jack Owens Jr. (season 4) of Birmingham who finished sixth, and identical twins Natalie (Montgomery) Carroll and Adria (Montgomery) Klein (season 5) of Birmingham who finished eighth and seventh respectively.
From Danielle Murphree’s portfolio on Explore Talent
Three adjectives that describe you: Loving, outgoing and passionate.
Favorite activities: I love to dance. I could do that all day, every day. I love photography, scrapbooking, working out and swimming. Anything that keeps me active.
Most difficult part about living inside the “Big Brother” house: Being cut off from the outside world and not being able to listen to music or take pictures.
Strategy for winning “Big Brother:” To be considered someone that isn’t a threat and someone that doesn’t seem very smart. The people that are a threat are usually eliminated first.
Which past “Big Brother” cast member did you like most or least? I love Jordan (Lloyd), and I can’t stand Rachel (Reilly). Rachel is beyond annoying and fake with her whining and backstabbing. Jordan seemed honest, down to earth and fun.
What are you afraid of? I am terrified of snakes, dying young, heights and never finding my true love.
What is the accomplishment you are most proud of? Finally graduating nursing school and passing my NCLEX (National Council Licensure Eamination) on the first try.
Finish this sentence:My life’s motto is …: Love everything as if you were about to lose it.
What would you take into the house, and why? My camera because I love taking pictures; my iPad so I can play games and listen to my music; and my cell phone because I’m a chatterbug and love talking to people.
What would you do if “Big Brother” made you famous? Be a happy camper. I guess I would deal with the new challenges that I faced with fame, but I wouldn’t hate it. I wouldn’t mind being famous.
Celebrate Social Media Day with an old-fashioned tweetup!
Join us at the J. Clyde on Southside for a Saturday evening happy hour. We’ll have complementary hors d’oeuvres and the legendary J. Clyde beer selection.
RSVP in advance to be entered in a drawing for a $100 gift certificate to the J. Clyde!
Samford celebrates its second Southern Conference championship.
Samford will return to the NCAA Women’s Tournament to play No. 2 seed Duke (24-5, 15-1) on Sunday in Nashville.
The No. 15 Bulldogs earned their trip after winning its second consecutive Southern Conference championship on March 5 by beating Appalachian State 54-43. The Blue Devils are making their 18th consecutive tourney appearance, almost always as a Top 5 seed.
Samford (20-12, 12-8) exited the 2011 tourney after a first-round loss to Florida State 76-46. Duke lost to N.C. State 75-73 in the ACC tournament quarterfinals on March 2.
Alabama’s Trevor Releford, left, and JaMychal Green
will face Creighton first in the Big Dance.
Alabama returns to the Big Dance this week. The ninth-seeded Crimson Tide (21-11, 9-7) will play No. 8 Creighton in the NCAA Men’s Tournament on Friday in Greensboro, N.C.
Alabama lost to Florida 66-63 in the second round of SEC Tournament Friday in New Orleans. In the 2011 NIT finals, Alabama lost to Wichita State 66-57.
The Bluejays won the Missouri Valley Tournament, beating Illinois State 83-79 in overtime, and finished with a 28-5 record. They face the Tide in the Midwest region.
The game airs at 12:40 p.m. Friday (time TBA) on CBS 42 TBS. [See all tipoff times.]
From left, Emma Stone, and Oscar nominees
Octavia Spencer and Viola Davis star in “The Help.”
Hollywood has been reaching deep into Alabama’s past, present and future this week …
• Last week, “Red Tails” opened nationwide. The George Lucas-produced action movie follows the story of Alabama’s Tuskegee Airmen in their aerial battles against German pilots and their ground war against discrimination. The stars include Terrence Howard and Method Man. “Red Tails” reached No. 2 last weekend in box office take.
• Black history also plays a role in Tuesday’s Oscar nominations, which included two state connections. Montgomery native and Auburn grad Octavia Spencer earned a spot in the Best Supporting Actress category for her role as Minny Jackson in “The Help.” Earlier this month, she won the Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture.
The movie, based on Kathryn Stockett’s novel of the same name, follows the relationship of a young white woman and two black maids in Jackson, Miss., in the 1960s. “The Help” earned four nominations, including Best Picture, Best Actress for Viola Davis and another Best Supporting Actress for Jessica Chastain.
In the Best Documentary Short category, “The Barber of Birmingham: Foot Soldier of the Civil Rights Movement” scored a nomination. The 25-minute movie tells the story of James Armstrong, who marched carrying the American flag at Selma on Bloody Sunday in 1965. He was the first to file suit to desegregate Birmingham’s schools. Armstrong died at 86 in 2011 of heart failure.
Director Robin Fryday of San Francisco teamed up with director Gail Dolgin, who received a previous Oscar nomination for “Daughter from Danang” and died from breast cancer in 2010. “The Barber of Birmingham” had its Birmingham premiere in March at the Alabama Theatre.
The Academy Awards airs at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 26 on ABC 33/40.
• “A Smile as Big as the Moon” tells the true story of Mike Kersjes, a high school football coach and special education teacher who leads his special needs students to Space Camp in 1988. Kersjes and Joe Layden co-wrote the original book of the same name. The movie, filmed at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville and also in Wilmington, N.C., stars John Corbett, Moira Kelly and Cynthia Watros. It has its Huntsville premiere at 7 tonight and airs at 8 p.m. Sunday on ABC 33/40.
Video: Minny (Octavia Spencer) gets a taste of revenge
in a scene from “The Help.”
Video: George Lucas discusses the struggle to find funding
for “Red Tails.”
Video: interview with director Robin Fryday and
James Armstrong’s grandson Darren on
“The Barber of Birmingham.”
Video: Scott Douglas spars with Stephen Colbert
on the Jan. 16 “Colbert Report.”
“The Colbert Report” took up Alabama’s immigration law, HB56, once again. Monday, host Stephen Colbert “debated” Scott Douglas, executive director of Greater Birmingham Ministries.
The law has stirred debate over federal enforcement of immigration, labor rights, employment and more. Douglas spoke out against the law, saying the federal government should enforce a rewritten national law, rather than having local law enforcement uphold up to 50 separate state laws.
The comedy show had done a segment on HB56 in October, focusing on the law’s impact on state agriculture.
Video: “The Colbert Report” on Alabama’s immigration law
in October.
Danielle Murphree, a 23-year-old nurse from Tuscaloosa, will be among the contestants in the 14th season of “Big Brother.” The Alabama student works at Glen Haven Health and Rehabilitation in Northport; she expects to graduate in December with a bachelor of science degree in health services.
