The Careless Dismissal of Black Lives in the Problematic Suburbicon
I suppose from director George Clooney and co-writers Ethan and Joel Coen’s privileged perch, Suburbicon is their way of saying, Yeah, we heard you. We need to make more diverse movies. But in this thinly veiled effort to merely appease audiences, the filmmaking trio, along with additional screenwriter Grant Heslov, only managed to further marginalize and whitewash characters of color in a story that was so obviously meant to be another Fargo.
Read MoreFrancesca Andre’s Short Film Charcoal Explores Generational Effects of Colorism
You can't go very far as a woman of color without encountering the oppressive nature of colorism. While it certainly affects men's lives as well, the way it's tied to beauty standards for women (and the sexism involved in women being taught their only value lies in physical beauty) makes the way in which they interact with it distinct. Filmmaker Francesca Andre explores this in a unique way in her short film, Charcoal.
Read MoreFamily Superhero Comic Raising Dion Now a Netflix Series Thanks to Michael B. Jordan
When I first read Dennis Liu's Raising Dion, the story of a widowed mother raising a superpowered child, I was grateful for its existence on so many levels. Now, even more people will be able to experience this story, because Netflix has just given it a 10-episode series order.
Read MoreReview: Victoria and Abdul Tells an Important History, but Forgets a Crucial Perspective
2.5 out of 5 stars
The narrative unearths the deep friendship shared between Queen Victoria (Judi Dench) and her Indian advisor Abdul Karim (Ali Fazal).
Read MoreRiz Ahmed Becomes First South Asian Man to Win an Acting Emmy In An Evening of History-Making Awesomeness
Riz Ahmed became the first South Asian man to win an Emmy Award in an acting category!
Read MoreMahershala Ali Will Finally Make Me Give a Crap About True Detective
I love that we're living in a Golden Age of Television. There's so much good TV, there's too much good TV, so some shows have to go by the wayside if they don't immediately speak to my interests. I've never seen an episode of the critically-acclaimed (at least in its first season) True Detective on HBO. However, the arrival of the incomparable Mahershala Ali might make me change that.
Read MoreIssa Rae Pitches a “Black 90210 or Gossip Girl” and It Sounds Like the Best Show Ever
Attention TV networks and streaming services! Issa Rae has an idea for a new TV show that will almost certainly make you bank. Check out her pitch after the jump, and then get on that shizz before someone beats you to it.
Read MoreBrie Larson Urges Fellow White People to Check Out Crowdsourced “Syllabus for White People to Educate Themselves”
Brie Larson, our future Captain Marvel, is increasingly using her growing platform to try and do good in the world. Today, she retweeted a tweet from NY Times Magazine staff writer and host of the Still Processing podcast Jenna Wortham that contains a link to an amazing resource: the "Syllabus for White People to Educate Themselves."
Read MoreGina Prince-Bythewood’s More Than Ready to Bring Superheroes to the Big Screen in a Post-Wonder Woman World
We were thrilled to learn that Love and Basketball and The Secret Life of Bees director Gina Prince-Bythewood was taking the helm of the upcoming Spider-Man spin-off film, Silver & Black, becoming the first black woman to direct a big-budget superhero movie. With Patty Jenkins' Wonder Woman kicking ass at the box office the way it is, Prince-Bythewood is more than ready to bring superheroes to the big screen.
Read MoreInterview: Malcolm David Kelley on Kathryn Bigelow’s Detroit: “This Movie is Gonna Speak Volumes”
We're thrilled about the upcoming film, Detroit. First, because it's a Kathryn Bigelow joint, and we're thrilled when she creates anything these days. Second, the John Boyega factor. And third, because even though it tells a story of civil unrest from fifty years ago, it's sadly all-too-relevant today. Annapurna Pictures provided us with the second trailer for the film, which you can see after the jump.
Read MoreWanna Know More About The CW’s Black Lightning? The Creators Gave ATX the Scoop.
Black Lightning doesn't come to The CW until next year, but creators Salim Akil and Mara Brock Akil gave fans at the ATX Television Festival in Austin a little taste of what they can expect from the show.
Read MorePolice Officer Who Killed Tamir Rice Has Been Fired … But Not for That Crime
Good news! The cop who shot and killed 12-year-old Tamir Rice back in 2015 has finally been fired! Yay! The bad news? He was fired over "administrative charges" against him, and that subsequent investigation. Because apparently, administrative issues gets you totally fired, but killing a 12-year-old doesn't.
Read MoreRacists and Sexists Hate On Star Trek Discovery‘s Diversity Even Though It’s Still Unbalanced in Their Favor
It's not even that serious, you guys.
It always makes me laugh whenever the very people who complain that "liberals are too sensitive," or that we're seeing injustices where they don't exist are the first people to pitch a fit at the slightest hint that maybe white, straight, male, cis, able-bodied, straight-sized people aren't the only people in the world. It doesn't surprise me, but it does always make me laugh. After all, people often project their own behavior on others, amirite?
Read More5 Ways Netflix’s Master of None Is Saving the World—Or, At Least Saving Television
I've been a huge fan of Aziz Ansari's Netflix comedy, Master of None, since its first season. However, if you've inhaled Season 2 like I have, you already know that this installment of Dev Shah's story takes things up to a whole new level. What's more, it's exactly the kind of show that can contribute to saving the world. Or, at least saving television. **SPOILERS AHOY IF YOU'VE NOT YOU'VE NOT YET WATCHED MASTER OF NONE S2**
Read MoreWhen POC Are Marketable yet Unprofitable: The Colorless World of Episode Interactive
Imagine your favorite story coming to life; characters speaking, exhibiting emotions and movements that the words from your hardbound book sometimes fail to capture.
Read MoreMark Zuckerberg Whitesplains Diversity to Black College Students in North Carolina
Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg has been on a tour of all 50 U.S. states to reach out to folks outside of Silicon Valley and learn a little more about what their lives are like —and how they feel about things like community and tech, presumably to make Facebook better at serving them. However, at a recent stop at a university in North Carolina, a discussion about diversity became uncomfortable to watch.
Read MoreOverwatch Unveils a Brand New Hero, a Robot Built by a Genius Little Girl of Color
Overwatch continues to impress as today, they unveiled a brand new addition to their hero roster: Orisa.
Read MoreICE Agents Remove Detainee Diagnosed With Brain Tumor From Fort Worth Hospital
Immigration and Customs Enforcement continues to demonstrate their willingness to attack vulnerable populations today as they removed an undocumented immigrant diagnosed with a brain tumor from the hospital.
Read MoreCelebrate Black History Month With the Brilliant Black Female Minds of Hidden Figures
If you live in one of 14 U.S. Cities, there may be a FREE SCREENING in your future!
Not only was Hidden Figures a solid biopic with some lovely performances (Taraji P. Henson is basically always amazing), but it told a story in desperate need of telling. Now, in honor of Black History Month, 21st Century Fox and AMC Theatres are joining forces to provide FREE SCREENINGS of the film!
Read MoreDear White People Creator Justin Simien Intelligently Takes Down Supremely Ignorant Netflix “Boycott”
We're looking forward to the Netflix adaptation of Dear White People, and we had to laugh (and cry, and scream) at the people who not only believe that "white genocide" is a thing that exists (it isn't), but that it's something a Netflix show can cause, and so they're boycotting the streaming service. Thankfully, Dear White People's creator, Justin Simien, has put his laughing, crying, and screaming into coherent and intelligent words.
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