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PEOPLE & ARTS Tuesday 18 February 2020
National Black News Channel makes debut

By BRENDAN FARRINGTON about historically black col- ally.
Associated Press leges and universities, how A recent look at the net-
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — federal housing policy pro- work showed stories rang-
Former U.S. Rep. J.C. Watts posal could affect them or ing from an investigative
was beaming like a proud just simply making people piece on whether a major
parent as he talked about aware of positive accom- credit reporting company
the launch of Black News plishments African-Ameri- has an algorithm that gives
Channel — a project he's cans are achieving, Watt blacks lower credit scores,
worked on for years to cre- said. to a look at privacy con-
ate what's now the nation's "We are more than athletes cerns on dating apps. And
only 24-hour news network and entertainers, and on like other networks, it cov-
aimed at African Ameri- the hard news side, we're ers weather, sports and en-
cans. more than crime," said tertainment.
He was sitting at the net- Watts, who was a star quar- And Watts, a father of six,
work's Tallahassee studio terback at the University smiled when asked what
with Gary Wordlaw, head of Oklahoma in the 1980s the viewers saw when his
of news and programming, and later played in the Ca- new baby was born.
watching a countdown nadian Football League. "Later in the day I went
clock as the network pre- "For every 17-year-old Af- around to staff saying, 'This
pared to go live. rican American male that will be a trivia question:
"I was sitting there lean- you show me that's being In this Thursday, Feb. 13, 2020, photo, Black News Channel What's the first story ever
ing forward looking at the carted off in handcuffs on Chairman J.C. Watts discusses the launch of the nations only aired on the Black News
screen, and Gary goes, the 10 o'clock news ... I can 24-hour news network during an interview in Tallahassee, Fla. Channel?"
'OK, in about two minutes show you 50 17-year-old Af- There's a two part answer.
we're going to see if this rican American males that uars owner Shad Khan pro- expects to soon be avail- The first image was a photo
baby comes out.' And sure get up every morning try- vided the capital to get the able in more than 100 mil- of the National Museum of
enough it did," Watts said in ing to figure out, 'How am channel on air. While Khan lion households. African American History
an interview at the studio. I going to make my mother hasn't disclosed how large Watts said he hopes that it & Culture in Washington,
"We birthed a child on Feb. proud of me.' That's the sto- a check he's writing, he has isn't just African-Americans D.C. Watts, a Republican,
10 at 6 a.m. Eastern Stan- ry doesn't get told enough." said it's enough support to that tune in. teamed up with civil rights
dard Time -- a healthy child Other channels focused on keep it alive for years. "For anyone who wants to leader and Democratic
-- and now we have to nur- African American audienc- While there were some have a deeper relation- Rep. John Lewis to pass
ture it on to adulthood." es, such as BET and TVOne, glitches that kept the net- ship, a deeper understand- legislation to create the
The goal of the network is have had news program- work from being seen in all ing of the African-Ameri- museum.
to reach black audienc- ming but haven't concen- the markets it was hoping to can community, I think we The first story was about the
es with stories that give a trated solely on news. reach during the first week can be helpful," Watts said. Academy Awards the night
broader perspective about Watts serves as chairman launch, Watts said those The network has about 60 before. "The first thing out of
their community than what of the network, and it's a problems will be resolved. employees at its home in the box was the picture of
other networks provide. project that he's worked on The network has or is work- Florida's capital city, and the African-American Mu-
That could include health for years. It received a lift ing on agreements with ca- has bureaus around the seum, and 15 seconds later
issues unique to African when billionaire business- ble, satellite and television country with plans to have it was programming —the
Americans, discussions man and Jacksonville Jag- streaming companies and a staff of about 100 nation- Oscars," Watts said. q

Museum's Rembrandt knockoff turns out to be the real thing

ALLENTOWN, Pa. (Associ- Rembrandt himself was re- way I think the artist meant
ated Press) sponsible for the original, you to."
Thanks to modern tech- delicate brushwork under- When "Portrait of a Young
nology and some expert neath. Woman" was bequeathed
detective work, a nearly "Our painting had numer- to the museum in 1961, it
400-year-old painting that ous layers of varnish and was considered to be a
had long been attributed that really obscured what Rembrandt. About a de-
to an unknown artist in you could see of the origi- cade later, a group of
Rembrandt's workshop has nal brushwork, as well as experts determined that
now been judged to have the original color," said it had been painted by
been a work of the Dutch Elaine Mehalakes, vice one of his assistants. Such
master himself. president of curatorial af- changes in attribution
For decades, the Allentown fairs at the Allentown Art are not unusual: Over the
Art Museum displayed an Museum. centuries, as many as 688
oil-on-oak panel painting Conservators used a va- and as few as 265 paint-
called "Portrait of a Young riety of tools, including X- This photo combo provided by Allentown Art Museum shows ings have been credited
Woman" and credited it ray, infrared and electron from left, before and after restoration of a painting called "Por- to the artist, according to
to "Studio of Rembrandt." microscopy, to bolster the trait of a Young Woman." Mehalakes. The museum
Two years ago, the paint- case that it was the work has not had the painting
ing was sent to New York of one of the most impor- a conservator at New York ment that it's an authentic appraised — and has no
University for conservation tant and revered artists in University's Institute of Fine Rembrandt. intention of selling it — but
and cleaning. history. Arts who restored "Portrait "We're very thrilled and authenticated works by
There, conservators began The scientific analysis of a Young Woman." excited," Mehalakes said. Rembrandt have fetched
removing layers of over- "showed brushwork, and a Outside experts who ex- "The painting has this in- tens of millions of dollars.
painting and dark, thick liveliness to that brushwork, amined the 1632 painting credible glow to it now The painting, currently in
varnish that had been that is quite consistent after the completion of its that it just didn't have be- the museum's vault, will go
added over centuries — with other works by Rem- two-year restoration con- fore. You can really con- on public display starting
and they began to suspect brandt," said Shan Kuang, curred with the NYU assess- nect with the portrait in the June 7. q