For countless black moviegoers, Love & Basketball remains a classic. Complete with relatable black leads and an emotional, yet realistic plotline, the film plays for your heart and wins. But this triumph isn’t without tremendous effort. The film, which debuted in 2000, was a labor of love for screenwriter and director Gina Prince-Bythewood, rife with…

Fifteen years ago, we all adored the “Fab Four.” They came at a time that is barely recognizable today. Before Carrie and her crew, before Joan and ’em even stepped on the scene, nearly every black female in America had another set of friends to flock to—Khadijah, Synclaire, Max and Regine. Living Single was the…

Isis strikes a pose. Couture, not commercial. Her face alone is vogue—café au lait, high cheek bones that say high-fashion. Her pouty lips prove to be the perfect accessory to her doe-eyed smile, catching the light at every turn and tilt of the head. Her long legs slice through the air with precision. She is…

“Are you serious?” he asked. And though I was, I couldn’t help but notice the disbelief in his blue eyes, his pale face furrowed in confusion. I searched his expression for an inkling of empathy. There was none. “Why,” he had to wonder, “can’t I say the word ‘nigga’?” Before you judge, consider the confusion,…

My introduction to portrait artist Kehinde Wiley was happenstance—a tag-along-type adventure with a photographer friend to the National Portrait Gallery in Washington. Upon entering the gallery, I was greeted by space: a labyrinth of hollowed rooms demanding silence on behalf of the stark white walls. Amid this absence, Wiley drew me in with bright colors…