(It's Oscar season again. And as I wrote last year there is a lot Tyler Perry, who has never won an Oscar, can teach us about Black Hollywood & White Hollywood Awards.) Regardless of what you think of his movies, I’d be willing to bet Tyler Perry gives not one damn about his lack of Oscar wins. Because he stays winning in the areas where winning really matters. It also … [Read more...]
Dear Kwanzaa Haters: Not This Year
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There really is something beautiful about participating in a community wide celebration of something. Holidays are just that - collective agreements that something special is happening or needs to be commemorated. No one's holiday fell from heaven and landed in our laps. Some are inspired by spiritual or religious movements. Others may have more secular beginnings regardless … [Read more...]
Nate Parker Speaks Part 2: Mike Brown, Art & Activism, The Nat Turner Project
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Nate Parker: Using Art to Tell Stories that Heal This is the second segment of our two part interview (catch part one here) with Activist/Actor/Director Nate Parker. Parker stars as Officer Kaz Nicols in his latest successful film Beyond the Lights. He just released #AmeriCAN, a powerful PSA inspired by the death of Mike Brown and the events in Ferguson, MO, and is … [Read more...]
Take Your Classic Beauty & Shove It Up Your Class
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You’re No Classic Beauty… I simultaneously laughed in disbelief and cringed with pain when I read Alessandra Stanely’s racist September write up about Viola Davis and Shonda Rhimes. Specifically the line that read: “Ignoring the narrow beauty standards some African-American women are held to, Ms. Rhimes chose [Viola Davis] who is older, darker-skinned and less classically … [Read more...]
Relax, Relate, Release…Repeat!
Focus on the Important Things Remember that episode of A Different World when Whitley Gilbert (played by Jasmine Guy), couldn't get over the fact that her rich, ex-boyfriend Julian had moved on? In this scene (which you can see in the clip below) Whitley (who always had a capacity for les dramatics) tries to get over him and sees a shrink who whips her into shape with a dose … [Read more...]