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Sleight Is an Imperfect Magic Trick Well Worth the Ride
Sleight could, and maybe should, have been a disaster. It is not a “superhero film” in the vein of comic book legends Marvel and DC; yet it is also not a “magic film” like The Prestige or Now You See Me. It could have failed because subverting genre expectations is dangerous. Do it right, and…
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Let's All Remember The Time Bill O'Reilly Got His Ass Handed To Him By Cam'ron
As Bill O’Reilly’s televised reign of lies comes to an end, I cannot help but reflect upon the fact that, 14 years ago, he unwittingly set the stage for one of the greatest and Blackest moments in the history of cable news. The Set Up Cam’ron and Dame Dash were invited to be guests on The O’Reilly…
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Bill O’Reilly’s Most Outrageous Black Moments
After more than 20 years, Fox News forced Bill O’Reilly out after a series of sexual harassment allegations came to light. What’s worse, after an internal investigation of O’Reilly’s behavior, the company apparently found more. It all came to a head after an April 1 New York Times article revealed that Fox News and Twenty-First…
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A Heathen’s Guide to Black Church on Easter Sunday
Easter—or, as the “woke” Christians call it, Resurrection Sunday—is one of my favorite holidays. Not because of the deep, symbolic weight of the day, but because of the fashion. Black folks are aesthetically creative on a regular day—yet, on Easter, everyone is a black dandy. There will be pastel suits, white hats and reflective sunglasses,…
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Without Question, 1997 Was (Maybe, Possibly) the Best Year in Black Music
1997 was the best year in black music. Let me rephrase: 1997 was probably the best year in black music. I know. You think I’m crazy. Hear me out—but first, a caveat. I admit that, as a child of the ’90s, my musical tastes are deeply influenced by my proclivity for hip-hop and ’90s…
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Betty Shelby, The Tulsa Police Officer Who Killed Terence Crutcher, Believes (Wait For It) That She's The Victim Here
Back in September, Terence Crutcher, an unarmed Black man, was walking to his car with his hands up when he was shot by Tulsa police officer Betty Shelby. This incident was caught on video by both a police dash cam and an aerial video from a police helicopter wherein an officer looking on the scene…
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Racial Progress in Film Remains Slow Drag 30 Years After Hollywood Shuffle
Robert Townsend’s Hollywood Shuffle was released 30 years ago this year. Although it couldn’t have been noted at the time, Shuffle became a foundational film that launched the careers of two of our most prolific filmmakers and made us aware of an entire family of comedic geniuses—the Wayans family. I most remember the film for…
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Who Could, Should and Will Win at the 89th Academy Awards
I have a complicated relationship with the Academy Awards. As I’ve said before, when we need the approval and validation of the dominant group in order for us to see our own work as valuable, we engage in a form of internalized racism that centers whiteness even as we engage in the subversive work of…
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"Get Out" And 10 More Films About The Existential Terror Of Existing While Black In America
Jordan Peele’s Get Out takes the existential realities of black men in this country and uses it as the plot for a horror film. A black man going to meet the parents of his white girlfriend is enough to send shivers down one’s spine—especially given the history of violence directed toward black men who were…
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Dear Oscars: Don’t Do to Moonlight What You Did to These 5 Black Films
Oscar season is upon us. On Sunday, Feb. 26, 2017, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will honor what it deems to be the best films of 2016 during the 89th Academy Awards. After two years of #OscarsSoWhite, this year we have a record six black acting nominees, three films with predominantly black…
