Ava DuVernay
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Queen Sugar's Latest Episode Brings Addiction and Trauma Front and Center
There’s a scene in the latest episode, “Oh Mamere,” of season 4 of Queen Sugar that is maddening to watch. In it, Darla Sutton (I legit had to look up her character’s last name; I’m not sure I’ve heard it uttered a single time on the show), played by fountain of youth-er Bianca Lawson, is…
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When They See Us, Angela Bassett, Sterling K. Brown Among 2019 AAFCA Winners
The African American Film Critics Association just announced the winners of its upcoming AAFCA TV Honors and as you can probably guess, there’s no shortage of black excellence among those set to be honored. When They See Us, the Ava DuVernay-helmed miniseries that’s poised to ransack every trophy during award season, was named Best Limited…
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The Glow Up Goes to NOLA, Day 4: Maybe My Mascara Should Run for President
No, Michelle Obama is not running for president, y’all. But we all know that if she did have the inclination, she’d have the coveted black female vote on lock. In fact, of all the headliners in Essence Festival weekend, it was our forever first lady who packed the Louisiana Superdome to the rafters when she…
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Black Student Protest Leads to Prosecutor in the Central Park Five Case Quitting Her Columbia Law School Job
Another day, another example of karma coming for folks in the fallout over the wrongful prosecutions of the Central Park Five. Manhattan Assistant District Attorney Elizabeth Lederer has quit her part-time gig as a professor at Columbia Law School after renewed calls for her ouster by the Black Law Students Association, the New York Daily…
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Prepare Yourself for the Emotional Rollercoaster Ride Known as Queen Sugar
For almost three years, we’ve all been on an emotional rollercoaster, courtesy of Ava DuVernay’s Queen Sugar. The lives of the Bordelon family have become our lives, and we’ve become invested in their highs and lows. If you’re a fan of the show, you know this family has its fair share of drama. You begin…
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Blacklisted: Publisher Kicks Central Park Five Prosecutor Linda Fairstein to the Curb
Sometimes life comes at you fast or — in the case of former prosecutor-turned-author Linda Fairstein — decades later, with Fairstein facing the latest comeuppance as a result of backlash since a revisting of her handling of the prosecution of five black and brown boys in New York’s infamous 1989 Central Park jogger rape case.…
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Queen Sugar Continues Its Matriarchy, Adds 4 New Directors. Cree Summer and Bryan Terrell Clark to Guest Star
Less than a week ‘til we’re back with the Bordelons! Queen Sugar has been living up to its titular name, having been helmed exclusively by queens—all female directors handpicked by creator and executive producer Ava DuVernay. The fourth season is adding more directors: award-winning music video director Lacey Duke, C. Fitz, Pratibha Parmar, Deborah Kampmeier…
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Auntie Who? Ava DuVernay Sets Some Boundaries and Sparks Major Debate—and The Root Digs In
So, it seems we owe Ava DuVernay an apology. Last Friday, when we ran her picture (along with buddy and co-producer Oprah Winfrey) above an article titled “Aunties Know Best? Data Suggests Single, Childless Women Are the ‘Happiest Population Subgroup,’” we never dreamed she’d consider it an insult. (After all, it got an overwhelmingly positive…