As the highly anticipated portraits of former president Obama and first lady Michelle are unveiled at the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery on Monday morning, history is made. Amy Sherald and Kehinde Wiley, personally selected by the Obamas, are the first African-Americans commissioned to paint official presidential portraits. The artists of choice are stirring conversations […]
With the opening weekend of Black Panther projected to reach groundbreaking heights, the Electoral Justice Project recognized a great opportunity to help get citizens registered to vote at screenings across the U.S. Back in October, Kayla Reed, Rukia Lumumba, and Jessica Byrd founded the Electoral Justice Project (EJP), a mission by the Movement for Black […]
Drake’s generosity has been shining lately, and now the hip-hop artist wants to encourage others to pay it forward as well, in efforts to spread much-needed compassion, love, and kindness throughout the world. In his recent ‘God’s Plan’ video, Drake humbly donated nearly $1 million to Miami’s community. Gifts such as a full-ride college scholarship, […]
We’ve got exciting news for admirers of the Smooth Operator. After a lengthy eight-year hiatus, the legendary Sade has returned to record a new song specifically for Ava DuVernay’s A Wrinkle in Time, set to be released on March 9th. Award-winning director Ava DuVernay took to Twitter to announce the news, saying, “I never thought […]
When you consider the superb cast and crew behind the film, there’s no surprise about Black Panther’s raving success. The remarkable talent is highly evident in new behind-the-scene footage by Vanity Fair, where visionary filmmaker Ryan Coogler offers an in-depth breakdown of the casino fight scene in South Korea. Featuring T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman), Okoye […]
Erik Killmonger is not a villain and Black Panther is not just a superhero movie; it’s an Afrofuturistic exploration of pain and pride that both bridges and complicates the black persons and peoples of the Diaspora. It is a contemporary artistic expression of Pan-Africanism that challenges us to consider/reconcile/accept the lived experiences of our individual […]
Michelle Obama announced on Sunday that her memoir, Becoming, will be released on November 13th of this year. As one of the most compelling and inspirational women in our time, it comes as no surprise that the former first lady’s memoir has quickly surfaced as one of the most anticipated reads in the recent decades. […]
Created by Idris Elba, the upcoming Sky One series In The Long Run is roughly based on Elba’s childhood. Set in 1980s London, the series will follow the Easmon family, who has settled in England after leaving their West African home country, Sierra Leone, over a decade ago. Elba will star as Walter, a family […]
Nigerian-British filmmaker Jenn Nkiru’s short film Rebirth Is Necessary is an enthralling work of art. As part of NOWNESS’ Black Star series, the series gave rising directors, such as Nkiru, an opportunity to demonstrate Afrofuturism through their own personal lenses. As the final film in the series, Nkiru leaves us with an array of […]
“We are not born equal, so we must be made equal by the fire,” is one of the many unsettling lines from HBO’s new teaser trailer for Fahrenheit 451. Based on Ray Bradbury’s critically acclaimed 1953 novel by the same name, Fahrenheit 451 is set in a hopeless dystopian world where knowledge is considered […]