black history
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This Is Winning: The Grammys Song of the Year and Record of the Year Had Never Been Claimed By Rap—Until ‘This Is America’
Rap had some big moments at the 61st Annual Grammy Awards, which is a huge feat given the ceremony’s history with the genre. I’m still on a high after witnessing the highly lovable Cardi B accept a history-making award, making her the first solo woman artist to win Best Rap Album. It only took 30…
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Young Money: 14-Year-Old Marsai Martin Inks First-Look Deal with Universal
Black History Month may be off to a bizarrely shitty start (Virginia blackface, fashionista blackface, and “black bastards”, oh my!), but Marsai Martin is swooping in to save the day with her young winning ways. The 14-year-old actress and executive producer has just inked an overall deal with Universal Pictures, according to The Hollywood Reporter.…
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'She's Small Like Me': First Look at Cynthia Erivo as Harriet Tubman
As film is a visual medium, it makes sense that buzz heightens once the audience gets a peek at movie stills, photo shoots or other behind-the-scenes photos connected to a film. Such is the case with Harriet, an upcoming biographical drama from Focus Features, chronicling the story of Harriet Tubman, who helped free hundreds of…
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Black Myself: Rhiannon Giddens Forms Supergroup ‘Our Native Daughters’ and Reclaims the Soul of Country Music
Four women. In 1966, Nina Simone famously sang the strikingly diverse yet intersecting narratives of four fictional-but-unforgettable black women. Now, four women who could be considered Simone’s spiritual daughters—award-winning musician and composer Rhiannon Giddens, acclaimed neo-folk singer-songwriter Amythyst Kiah, classical and folk artist Leyla McCalla (formerly of Giddens’ Grammy-winning band, the Carolina Chocolate Drops), and…
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Julie Dash to Direct Angela Davis Biopic, Iconic Activist Will Be Involved in Production
Criminally underrated and mother of black film, Julie Dash is tackling a much-needed biopic. As the Daughters of the Dust helmer told Shadow & Act at Sundance, she’ll be directing a biopic about Dr. Angela Davis. Filming is set to begin in June. The biopic will come from Lionsgate, with Brian Tucker confirmed as the screenwriter…
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First Look: Don Cornelius Tells Gladys Knight About His ‘Not Whitewashed, Not Toned-Down’ Vision in American Soul
Get ready for more love, peace and souuuuul in your life, because BET’s latest dramatic vehicle, American Soul, is coming. From BET’s press release: American Soul is the story about the struggle to make the dream of Soul Train come true. Set in the early 70’s, filled with music, dance, fashion and glamour, this is…
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Civil Rights Institute Cancels Gala Honoring Angela Davis After Outcry From Jewish Community
One of the nation’s most prominent civil rights museums has reneged on its plans to celebrate one of America’s most outspoken freedom fighters, igniting a national controversy after seemingly genuflecting to grumbles from the area’s Jewish community. On Jan. 4, the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute released a weirdly nonspecific statement canceling its plans to bestow…
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A Rosa Parks Feature Biopic May Be Coming to Theaters for the First Time
Rosa Parks’ legacy has been depicted in several forms, including the 2001 Academy Award-nominated documentary Mighty Times: The Legacy of Rosa Parks, and the 2002 TV movie The Rosa Parks Story, starring Angela Bassett. Still, we have yet to see an epic feature biopic on the big screen about the iconic civil rights activist. Winter…
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8-Year-Old Girl Dressed Up as Michelle Obama for Cultural Heroes Day and Our Lives Will Never Be the Same Again
SPOILER WARNING: Black Girls Are Magic. For Cultural Heroes Day, 8-year-old Ella-Lorraine Brown decided to tap into our forever first lady Michelle Obama’s formative years as a freshman at Princeton University. And we’re all better for it. “She was really in awe of the idea that with hard work you could become anything,” Ella-Lorraine’s mother…