netflix strong black leads
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Watch: Nappily Ever After's Sanaa Lathan Says You Don't Need Marriage to Be Complete
Sanaa Lathan broke the internet when she revealed her big chop last September. Lathan, who has dazzled the big screen since the late ‘90s, has rocked a number of styles throughout her career— but this moment was different. Lathan’s big chop was a part of her role as Violet Jones in Nappily Ever After, which…
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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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Out of the Box: Logan Browning Talks Identity, Colorism and the Problem of Privilege
Identity is no small issue for Dear White People’s Logan Browning. Aside from her leading role as the oft-confused but always outspoken biracial firebrand Samantha White, Browning tells Refinery29 she’s spent her entire life being asked: “What are you?” My first answer is: “My parents are Black.” Part of the reason I say that is…
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Nappily Ever After: Sanaa Lathan's Netflix Original Untangles Our Issues With Hair
A woman’s identification with her hair can be a powerful thing, but for a black woman, it is a tangled identity fraught with the ongoing effects of racism, respectability politics and beauty standards that have historically marginalized our hair along with everything else. With the rise of the natural hair movement, it’s sometimes easy to…
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Superwoman: Glow Actress Sydelle Noel Talks Black Love and Why She Should Be Our Next Action Star
Sydelle Noel has all the makings of a major female action star: She’s athletic, adventurous, has major charisma and is absolutely gorgeous. Oh, and she does all of her own stunts—as a recurring character on the television show Arrow, a Dora Milaje in Marvel’s blockbuster Black Panther and, most recognizably, as the formidable Cherry Bang…