Dorian Missick (Center) By Brenda Alexander The remarkable story of Brian Banks leaves you both angry and inspired. A high school football star, his future was interrupted when he was accused and convicted of raping a classmate. He spent 5 years in prison after copping a plea deal, afraid of a potential 41-year-to-life sentence. After being released, his accuser messaged him…
Sanaa Lathan By Erickka Sy Savané If you’ve ever wondered what it might look like to see all your black girl hair issues on film- can’t leave the house without your hair whipped, growing up with white dolls as the standard of beauty, spending yo’ last dime to get yo’ hair did- uhhhh, the Nappily Ever After movie starring Sanaa…
Mya By Mwabi Kaira We were introduced to songbird Mýa in 1998 as a young 18-year-old when her platinum self-titled debut album hit the scene. She established herself as a triple threat with her beautiful voice, killer dance moves and acting chops. Over the years, we have seen Mýa on both the big and small screen in In Too Deep,…
Sens Dessus Dessous Cast By Ta-ning Connai Matamba Kombila is not your average filmmaker. While most directors have the primary focus of creating stories to engage their audience, she takes it a step further with goals to impact her cast through a hair challenge aimed to build true self-esteem. Who in the world does something like that? Matamba did that….
Tessa Thompson and Lakeith Stanfield By Dawn Washington Sorry to Bother You is Spike Lee’s Bamboozled, Jordan Peele’s Get Out, and Childish Gambino’s music video, This is America, with a little bit of Michael Jackson’s Thriller sprinkled at the end. That said, there is a lot going on in the Boots Riley film about a Black man, Cassius Green (LaKeith…
The ‘Girlfriends:’ LaVeris/FilmMagic By Brenda Alexander Like many, I was disappointed in the lackluster season 8 finale, which turned out to be the series finale (cancellation), of Girlfriends. Fans who grew close to the characters and related to their relationships, were left with no real resolution, or even a happy ending. After years of failing in love, Joan Carol Clayton…
Algee Smith & Amandla Stenberg By Sharee SilerioThe novel that led to a bidding war that first-time authors dream of is officially a feature length film, and now we can take a first look at the story from book to script to screen! The first trailer for ‘The Hate U Give’ premiered at the BET Awards, and has collected…
Fox News commentator Rachel Campos-Duffy By Brenda Alexander White Hollywood is apparently enraged with their employer, 21st Century FOX, over FOX News coverage of #45’s controversial border policies, which over the past few weeks have held immigrant children separated from their families and detained in unfamiliar (and horrible) territory. If you’re not familiar with 21st Century FOX as a company,…
Janicza Bravo (left) & Aziah Wells King (right) By Sharee Silerio Have you ever read a story so tantalizing, mysterious and real that you couldn’t stop reading it? Have you found a Twitter thread so interesting that you had to follow it from beginning to end? If not, then your chance to experience both lies in “Zola” a viral Twitter…
Photo: OnlinEpikairotita.com By Sharee Silerio Since 2009, our hearts have been captured by President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle. They’ve inspired us to care, do, and become more so we could have a positive impact on the world. When they left the White House, it felt like our favorites were leaving us behind. Books have been written on their…