lena waithe
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The Biggest Winners of 2018
As we reach this final day of the year in 2018, The Root takes our annual look back at the people, organizations and movements that captured our attention over the past year. From a Bronx rapper who was unapologetically herself to a former first lady who wrote candidly about her experience in the White House…
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2019 So Black: 10 Black Films and TV Shows Worth Looking Forward To
As 2018 gets ready to make her final curtain call curtsy, 2019 is about to strut onto the stage with a fierceness rivaling your favorite diva. We’ve looked back; we’re looking forward. Back back, forth and forth. Since President Processed Cheese is still in office, there may not be much to look forward to in…
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Lena Waithe and Brian Tyree Henry to Make It Rain 'Film Independent' Grants Totaling $125K for Indie Creators
There’s a pile of money up for grabs for indie filmmakers. Lena Waithe and Brian Tyree Henry will be doing the honors of presenting four annual Film Independent grants. “We are excited to be giving out four unrestricted grants, totaling $125,000, to some insanely deserving emerging talent,” said Waithe and Henry in a statement. Via…
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There Are Plenty of Black Women TV Writers, Hollywood. Y'all Just Don't Want to See It
It was 2017, and I was sitting in a packed theater in Salt Lake City, Utah watching horror-themed short films directed by women for Sundance’s midnight showcase. After the films faded to black and the lights went up, one particular white male producer went on a spiel during the panel about not being able to…
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Brown Girls and Beyond: Sam Bailey Is Adding New and Needed Voices to Our Narrative
Has there ever been a better time to be a black female content creator? Conventional logic would say no; after all, filmmaker Ava DuVernay just inked a $100 million dollar deal with Warner Bros., while Shonda Rhimes has moved her evolving empire of successful series to Netflix in a deal reportedly worth $150 million. And…
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Girl Power Grows Up: Dozens of Influential Women Explore the Meaning of Power
What does it mean to be a powerful woman? This is the question New York magazine’s Women and Power issue explores, interviewing and profiling some of the world’s most well-known women—and many who wield the power behind the scenes. Published online in the magazine’s style section, the Cut, the issue features 12 covers—8 in print,…
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You Ain’t Got These: Lena Waithe Is Creating a Series on Sneaker Culture
It’s no rare thing to be shoe-obsessed, but when it comes to the sneaker-obsessed, writer, producer and actress Lena Waithe is one of a rare breed. Waithe owns over 100 pairs, using her kicks to accent an eclectically casual wardrobe primarily comprised of “queer designers who happen to be brown and makin’ shit,” as she…
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6 Women, Endless Inspiration: Black Girls Rock! 2018 Reminds Us of Our Infinite Potential
“Tonight’s honorees represent our radiance and our royalty … Thank you all for showing the world how bright we shine and how hard we rock,” said Black Girls Rock! founder Beverly Bond, speaking to the audience at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center during the Black Girls Rock! Awards, which aired on BET on Sunday…
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Janet, Lena, Latifah and More: Black Girls Rock! Returns to the Red Carpet
The ceremony won’t be televised until Sept. 9, but on Sunday night at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark, N.J., black girl magic was on full display as an array of our established and future icons hit the red carpet for Black Girls Rock! 2018. Honorees Janet Jackson, Mary J. Blige, Naomi Campbell,…
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'I Really Stepped Into Myself': Lena Waithe Says Cutting Her Hair Liberated Her from Gender Norms
Lena Waithe doesn’t owe anyone an explanation for who she is, how she loves or why she cut her famous locs last month; but the writer, actress and producer graciously gave one to Vanity Fair’s cameras while on the red carpet for the Hollywood Foreign Press Association’s Grants Banquet on Thursday night. After joking that…