black hollywood
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A Prince Documentary Is in the Works at Netflix—with Ava DuVernay at the Helm
“Black excellence” is a phrase oft-used at The Root, but we’re not sure it’s quite adequate to describe this news: In the midst of completing her highly anticipated drama for Netflix, The Central Park Five, Oscar and Golden Globe-nominated filmmaker Ava DuVernay is also in production on another documentary for the network, this time about…
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#FlashbackFriday: What Clever Trick Helped Zendaya Become a Style Star?
Fun fact: Give us a major red carpet event to cover, and the first thing we’re wondering is “what will Zendaya wear?” At only 22 years old, the former Disney star has proven to be even bigger one the red carpet, sparking much-needed cultural conversations while exhibiting an aesthetic and sophistication wise beyond her years.…
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Best Dressed and Unbothered: Tracee Ellis Ross Covers InStyle’s November Issue
“I’m a winner, baby!” Okay, so, Tracee Ellis Ross likely didn’t scream that walking down the streets of Paris in couture for InStyle magazine’s Best Dressed issue, but she was definitely channeling her famous mama, giving us Mahogany vibes as she gleefully twirled in hot pink chiffon. But it’s no understatement to say Ellis Ross…
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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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Fellow Media Friends, It's Time for Us to Talk (Again) About How We Identify Black Women
Fun fact: The woman in the picture on the above left is not the controversial Omarosa Manigault Newman, but revered actress Angela Bassett. But you wouldn’t know that from several outlets that misidentified the Oscar-nominated actress after the Emmy Awards on Monday night. As reported by Yahoo News, which on Tuesday ran an article titled,…
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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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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…