Press Play with Madeleine Brand
LAUSD’s Student Records Problem and the History of the Jheri Curl
LAUSD’s new computerized scheduling system has some students sitting around in auditoriums, waiting to be assigned to their classes. We discuss the ongoing issues.
By Madeleine Brand • • 50m ListenLAUSD’s new computerized record system has some students sitting around in auditoriums, waiting to be assigned to their classes. Now a judge has stepped in. Also, the director of the Centers for Disease Control compared the Ebola epidemic to HIV/AIDS today. We look at the similarities and differences between the diseases, and also take stock of the sometimes overblown panic about Ebola in the U.S. Then we catch up with Danielle Brazell, the new general manager of L.A.’s cultural affairs department. Next: the filmmaker behind the Twitter meme-turned-movie “Dear White People” on race and identity. And finally, Comer Cottrell, the self-made millionaire who popularized the Jheri curl, died Friday at 82. We look back on his life and legacy.
Banner Image: Schoolgirl with books on head by: CollegeDegrees360
In this episode
5 storiesLAUSD’s Student Records Problems
An L.A. Superior Court judge has ordered state education administrators to help the Los Angeles Unified School District fix problems related to its new student scheduling system, MiSiS. The teachers’ union blames superintendent John Deasy for the malfunctioning software. But Deasy applauded the judge’s ruling.
Read the story9 minEbola Panic
Today, the director of the Centers for Disease Control compared the Ebola epidemic in West Africa to HIV/AIDS. What are the similarities and differences between the viruses? Also, despite the scary comparison, health officials still consider an Ebola outbreak in the U.S. extremely unlikely. How overblown is our panic?
Read the story6 minL.A.’s New Director of Cultural Affairs
Danielle Brazell is the new head of the department of cultural affairs for the city of Los Angeles. We talk to her about her new post and her plan to put public art in every part of L.A.
Read the story9 minDear White People
Four years ago, a young filmmaker named Justin Simien started tweeting as @DearWhitePeople, with missives like: “Dear White People: The single ladies dance is dead. Please turn off your webcams and go about your lives.” Now, the concept has evolved into a movie, which opens in theaters Oct. 17th. We talk to the filmmaker.
Read the story14 minA History of the Jheri Curl
The man who brought the shiny hairstyle known as the Jheri curl to the masses died Friday at 82. Comer Cottrell was a self-made millionaire originally from Mobile, Alabama. In the ‘70s, he turned his LA-based business into the country’s leading maker of black hair care products. We discuss his life and legacy.
Read the story8 min
