Fall 2010 The Literacy Project. RICHIE ROBERTS AND THE AMERICAN GANGSTER Russell Crowe (above right) and The Roberts-Lucas family Richie Roberts (above left) pose on the set relationship began when Frank Lucas was of American Gangster. The movie in prison. The elder Lucas was released chronicled the rise and fall of Frank Lucas after serving seven years of his 70-year (played by Denzel Washington), a Harlem prison term. He agreed to provide drug lord who boasted he made information against various associates, $1,000,000 a day selling heroin he including corrupt cops. imported from Southeast Asia. Roberts said he wanted to make sure Roberts, now a defense attorney in that Ray Lucas did not recreate the drug Newark, New Jersey, was an assistant life of his father. Essex County (N.J.) prosecutor when he “He is a good kid,” Roberts said in an led a task force that brought down the interview on Conversations with Allan Lucas drug distribution operation. Wolper. Roberts, born in the Bronx, moved to Lucas never mentioned his son’s Newark when he was eight years old and relationship with Roberts in his graduated from Weequahic (pronounced autobiography, Original Gangster: The week-wake) High School, starring on the Real Life story Of One Of America’s Most football team. Notorious Drug Lords, a book that was co- He received an undergraduate degree authored by Aliya S. King. In that book from Rutgers University and a law degree Lucas said: “Thank you, Richard, for from Seton Hall University. everything that you have done, did, and Incredibly, Roberts is the godfather of still do for me.” Ray, the 13-year-old son of Frank Lucas However, Roberts will most likely and is paying his private school tuition. provide more details of that relationship Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe: the when he publishes his own autobiography stars of American Gangster. next year. Richie Roberts Curriculum Guide.............3 Columns on Listening, Profile..........................1 Coming up on Researching, and CONTENTS conversations with Allan Writing............................5&6 The Project...................2 Wolper...............................4 [1] There is no question that writers love to use CONVERSATIONS The hyperbole -- as Joanna Wolper does in her column on being consumed by consumerism. Or report on WITH ALLAN Project. a humorous exchange with a cab driver as Emeritus English Professor James Reiss does in WOLPER his piece. And both pieces were carefully Good writers are good constructed for maximum effect. WBGO-FM 88.3 FM salespeople. They write In their columns, Christine Redman-Waldeyer 54 Park Place for their readers. They Allan Wolper of Passaic County Community College and Pat Newark, NJ communicate. They want Winters-Lauro of Kean University explain the best 07102 you to understand what they’re saying and what way to achieve clear, understandable prose. they mean. They have a point of view, but they -Rutgers Newark Professor Allan Wolper has don’t disguise it with fancy language. You know won some of the most prestigious prizes in where they stand and what they’re all about. Allan Wolper journalism – including the Alfred I. duPont- Movie producers are in the selling business, Host/Producer Columbia University Journalism Award – the too. But they’re mainly in the entertainment Pulitzer Prize of broadcast news. [email protected] business. So facts are fudged, scenes are created out of the mind of a director, and people are saying things that no one ever heard before. Joanna Wolper The project is funded, in That’s the case of American Gangster, a Senior Producer part, by the Verizon Check movie that purports to show how Richie Roberts, a into Literacy program. former assistant Essex County prosecutor in New Fernando Vázquez Jersey, brought down Frank Lucas: one of the most notorious drug dealers in American history. Digital Editor Newsletter There is little doubt that Roberts was a key figure in getting Lucas to testify against some Inga Korsgaard fellow drug dealers, but there is an ongoing debate about whether his role was magnified to Photo Editor make a better movie. Doug Doyle WBGO News Director Thurston Briscoe Executive Producer WBGO Vice President Programming and Production Cephas Bowles WBGO President Chief Executive Officer Conversations with Allan Wolper archives are located at: www.wbgo.org/wolper [2] movie. Should the movie have changed the name Curriculum Guide for of the drug, realizing that could happen? Richie Roberts and the •Critics of movies based on real lives say Hollywood often misrepresents a story, giving too American Gangster much credit to some people and minimizing the roles of others. Make a list of all the real life characters in the movie and interview them to see whether their lives were portrayed accurately in The Movie the movies. •Richie Roberts was portrayed as the key figure in bringing down the drug empire of Frank Lucas. • What role, if any, should movies be used as research tools by high schools and colleges? But some journalists say that was a Hollywood creation. Research Roberts’ role in the Frank Do people tend to believe movies even when critics prove that the facts portrayed on the Lucas investigation. screen are totally made up? •When the movie was released three years ago, Frank Lucas and Richie Roberts appeared on • How much influence do movies have on American culture? television and radio, and made numerous Richie Roberts appearances at high schools and colleges. Do movies make heroes out of villains? Research the articles of those appearances and • compare what they said in their interviews with Compare the treatment of Frank Lucas in American Gangster to the Al Pacino character in the movie version of their lives. The Godfather triology? •Research the history of Weequahic High School in Newark, N.J. What influence, if any, do you • Why would the movie producers leave out the fact that Richie Roberts, who was credited with think the school had on the career of Richie Roberts? investigating and arresting Frank Lucas, became the godfather of the drug dealer’s son? Process • Do you think that Russell Crowe was picked to portray Richie Roberts because they look alike? Should producers of biographical films – called • Listen to the interview with Richie Roberts on biopics - pick actors because of their WBGO’s Conversations with Allan Wolper. List resemblance to the real life characters? all the issues covered in that interview. Frank Lucas and Richie Roberts today • Why do you think the producers selected • Watch the movie and take notes on possible Denzel Washington to portray Frank Lucas? issues to cover, comparing what Roberts said to what was portrayed in the movie. Suggested Topics • Scan the internet for newspaper and magazine articles on Richie Roberts and Frank Lucas. Select one of following: • Listen carefully to YouTube videos that featured interviews with them. •Compare the backgrounds of Richie Roberts and Frank Lucas. • Write a 500-word essay on a particular issue that you believe best serves the public. Show •Richie Roberts prosecuted Frank Lucas as an the article to someone who has no idea about Essex County detective, but is now an attorney in how real life detectives and drug dealers private practice in Newark. What does that say behave. about the criminal justice system in America? Russell Crowe as Richie Roberts • Take down their questions and respond to them •Compare the autobiography, Original Gangster in a rewrite of your essay so that anyone can by Frank Lucas to the movie, American Gangster. understand what you have written. •Street dealers called their drugs, Blue Magic, to • Show your teacher or professor your essay for take advantage of the publicity generated by the suggestions and write it one more time. [3] Coming up on Conversations with Allan Wolper Frank Lucas: The Original [4] Even with professors off-campus Professor Edwards encourages her Rearing reenergizing themselves many took the time students to examine the way modern media to answer my email queries. works and think about how they see Objective Dr. Noel Robinson, coordinator of themselves fitting in. Communications and Journalism at the Dr. Nessie Ndive-Hill, professor at Essex Writers County College of Morris, believes ethical County College and President/Founder of problems can best be confronted with critical Gender and Development Inter-Action Global Journalism demands thinking and sound judgment. Textbooks will Organization, says students must learn the that reporters master provide students with casework exercises, rules and application of grammar – a building critical thinking skills but it is real cases which win their attention. block and foundation for their research. And and develop a strong Robinson says that in addition to students need to learn how to be their own s e n s e o f m o r a l preparing a list of questions before an editors. “They must communicate to readers Dr. Christine principles. These two interview, students need to learn how to or viewers in a very simple and straight Redman-Waldeyer areas are difficult to evaluate what their source is saying. That forward way,” she says. define. attention to detail becomes important when “I tell my students they will make poor Teaching students how to think critically an interview subject avoids answering a judgment calls at first. I reiterate this point often can become a cumbersome task. question. And so she suggests that students by sharing one of my first reporting mishaps. I encourage students writing for our learn to rephrase their questions to try Covering a town hearing on candidates for campus newspaper to understand and get a better response. mayor, I became enamored with the fact that the difference between writing a Students need to Critical thinking requires maturity the panel included someone still in his news story as opposed to an that can best be gained through twenties.