black celebrities
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Jussie Smollett: Actor, Activist, Singer, Director and Man Who Leads With His Blackness
Jussie Smollett ended his day at 1 a.m. on Saturday morning, got on a plane and flew from Chicago (where his hit series Empire is filmed) to New York City. Hours later, the actor had an afternoon call time at the Tribeca TV Festival. Smollett made it on time; he was neatly put together and…
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Night School: The Urbanworld Film Festival Launches With a Lesson in Black Creativity
The thrill is far from gone. In its 22nd year, the Urbanworld Film Festival started strong with a screening of the upcoming comedy Night School, starring Kevin Hart and Tiffany Haddish and directed by Girls Trip hit-maker Malcolm D. Lee. The energy inside the AMC Empire Theatre in New York City’s Times Square was nothing…
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Forever Bae: Why Maya Rudolph Is So Relatable—and Rightfully Back on Hollywood's Radar
She’s hilarious, adorable, versatile, has a profound love for Prince and is descended from the musical genius that was Minnie Riperton, but after decades in entertainment, lately, Maya Rudolph has been enjoying the kind of buzz usually reserved for ingenues. It all started when she co-presented with comedienne of the moment Tiffany Haddish at the…
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Call It Evolution, Not a Comeback: Kelis Covers Essence's Global Beauty Issue
“The only way you are really ever going to be truly content is if you are constantly evolving,” says Kelis in Essence magazine. And she knows a bit about evolution, first hitting our radar in the early aughts as a genre-defying singer-songwriter, and evolving in the years since into a chef, cookbook author and farmer.…
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She Got That Glow: Writer Nnedi Okorafor Gets the Escort of a Lifetime to the 2018 Emmys
When you’re an emerging name in the realm of fantasy and science-fiction writing and your first novel is being adapted into a series by award-winning premium network HBO, there are few things better than being invited to the Emmys. That is, of course, unless your escort for the evening is none other than network darling…
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Think Pink: Our Faves Were Coming Up Roses at the 2018 Emmys … and in Nike … and Whiteface?
If there was a signature color at the 2018 Emmys, it was pink. Yara Shahidi (in Gucci), nominee Tracee Ellis Ross (in Valentino Haute Couture), and award winner Thandie Newton (in Brandon Maxwell) all showed up in rosy hues, as did several other celebs, who wore shades ranging from blush to bold pink. Does it…
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Don't Talk About It, Be About It: The 2018 Emmys Prove Diversity Is Still a Work in Progress
The 70th Primetime Emmys opened with several racially charged jokes, talk of diversity and a celebrity-laden musical number called “We Solved It,” touting the most diverse group of nominees in Emmy history. But the joke was still on us, because most of the awards would still go to white nominees. The first winner of color…
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Shine Bright: Issa Rae, Childish Gambino and More Make an Impact at Rihanna's 4th Annual Diamond Ball
If there was any more anticipated event than Rihanna’s Savage x Fenty show on Wednesday night, it was Thursday night’s fourth annual Diamond Ball, benefitting the star’s Clara Lionel Foundation. Hosted by Insecure star Issa Rae with Atlanta star Daniel Glover’s alter ego, Childish Gambino, as the featured performer, followed by DJ Mustard, the evening,…
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Hilfiger and Hamilton Hope for a Hit: TommyXLewis Launches at New York Fashion Week
One of the most star-studded events of September’s New York Fashion Week didn’t feature a runway show. It didn’t need to, since most of the celebrity guests at the U.S. launch of TommyXLewis, Tommy Hilfiger’s collaboration with English racecar driver Lewis Hamilton, arrived wearing pieces of the new collection. Hamilton, who has been teasing the…