Two Icons …. Two Amazing People …. Two people who changed the game!! I will forever be inspired!! #NichelleNichols #BillRussell #StarTrek #Uhura #Celtics #TheGOAT #Activist #BlackExcellence #RestInParadise🙏🏾
The ancestors are gaining some heavy hitters!!
Hopefully you are staying cool in this heat, because Summer is ALL the way here!! So why not continue the party with some HOT reads!!
This month we continue bringing in those literary gems!! Now don’t forget to stop by your local bookstore (virtually or in-person) and pick up your copies!! Enjoy!!
And remember you can always go back and check out the previous month’s list and past recommendations in the “Resource” section of the website!!
“We read books to find out who we are.” ~Ursula K. Le Guin
Mixing it up for you this week! Plenty of options to choose from drama to horror with a splash of 80s nostalgia. Check them out below:
Surface (Streaming on Apple TV+ July 29th)
Paper Girls (Streaming on Amazon Prime July 29th)
Wedding Season (Streaming on Netflix August 4th)
Smile (In theaters September 30th)
See How They Run (In theaters September 30th)
Matilda (Streaming on Netflix December 2nd)
For all those who were hovering the social media timelines waiting to see what would drop at this year’s San Diego Comic Con, no need to wait any longer!! Marvel Studios officially dropped this teaser trailer for the much anticipated Black Panther: Wakanda Forever!! I could not just drop this one in the regular listing of new trailers, this needed a post ALL BY ITSELF!!
From the opening moment, with a remix version of Bob Marley’s “No Woman, No Cry” and Nakia standing on Wakandan shores deep in thought. The only lines spoken are from Queen Ramonda (played by Angela Bassett) and they are full of emotions. It is literally like a musical motion picture, with featured moments. We see several return characters including Okoye and Ayo, Shuri (with a new haircut…I like!!), Nakia, M’baku, Agent Ross and some new faces one particular that I am siked about RiRi Williams/Ironheart (played by Dominique Thorne), Aneka (played by Michaela Coel), and a first glimpse at the film’s villain, Namor (played by Tenoch Huerta). What this teaser trailer does well is project the future not just of one the MCU’s most advanced nation, but of the Black/African diaspora!!
And this trailer would not be complete without a shout out to T’Challa!!
Literal chills up and down my spine!! Patiently waiting….But Sooooo Ready for this one!!
Check out the new poster as well!!
It is set to hit theaters November 11th, 2022!!
Nothing like opening your email after coming back from an international trip and seeing yourself featured in your universities newsletter.
Upon my return from Belgium, what do I see in my inbox a feature where I contributed my thoughts as part of the Leaders for Inclusive Learning (LIL) program that I participated in during 2021-2022.
Here are a few excerpts where I discuss the importance of one-on-one student engagement and alternative methods of evaluating student learning:
“Not all students are open to engaging in the classroom. It can be intimidating . One-on-one conversations allow professors to get to know their students in a way that can be more comfortable than a large classroom…”
—
“There are other ways to evaluate student learning, and the LIL program got me to broaden my thinking. I have a lot more fun formulating the syllabus now…”
I also speak to a specific change that I made when updating my syllabi, regarding office hours/check-in sessions.
“I used this time to check in and learn about a student without them feeling worried or having the conversation just focused on grades…we often talked about something outside of the class, and many of the students were free and open.”
I really enjoyed my experience with LIL! I was not only able to gain new knowledge and resources, but I was also able to gain a new network of colleagues on the VCU campus that may not have happened otherwise. The fact that this program began during the pandemic, really speaks to the access afforded to faculty as well as the specific attention given towards transforming the classroom.
To read more of about the LIL program, my thoughts along with my fellow LIL cohort members see here!!
You ready for some new television and film?? Well you know I got you covered!! Check them out below:
Season 5-Grown-ish (Streaming on Freeform and Hulu July 20th)
Limited Documentary Series-The Last Movie Stars (Streaming on HBO Max July 21st)
Honor Society (Streaming on Paramount+ July 29th)
Honk for Jesus. Save your Soul. (In theaters and Streaming on Peacock September 2nd)
The Woman King (In theaters September 16th)
The School for Good & Evil (Streaming on Netflix September 2022)
Amsterdam (In theaters November 2022)
As we close out another season of Conversations with Beloved & Kindred, we wanted to make sure you get a chance to view the latest episode, just in case you missed it!!
For our final feature in examining Blackness and horror we talked about the 2016 film The Girl With All The Gifts!! With this film, we get an opportunity to discuss what it means when you really listen to what children have to say and power that they possess literally and figuratively!
Once again do not just take my word for it check out our commentary and see for yourself!
Another one that will blow your mind!!
Check out the episode below:
In collaboration with Georgia State University’s Department of African-American Studies, the Auburn Avenue Research Library (AARL) hosted Dr. Grace D. Gipson, who presented on the topic This Fourth of July is Yours, not Mine? Understanding Frederick Douglass’ “The Meaning of July Fourth for the Negro”.
In the shadow of America’s most revered holiday, Independence Day (2022), Dr. Gipson discusses the historical significance and contemporary relevance of Douglass’ July 5, 1852 speech, commemorating the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Dr. Gipson use Douglass’ biting oratory as a lens to examine the ongoing structural underpinnings of systemic anti-black violence that continues to thwart freedom for Blacks in the United States.
See the presentation below:
I always appreciate the opportunity to annually collaborate with Auburn Avenue Research Library and discuss this poignant speech! It is a speech that we have to constantly refer to, so the conversations around freedom and justice do not go silent!!
My Freedom Matters!! ~Dr. G
For all my NYC fans, make sure you check out Door Comic Con!! WinC International and The Door NYC are collaborating with each other for this amazing outdoor mini-con! This outdoor festival will be a part of their annual block party and will help to kick off their 50th anniversary!!
This is an event you do not want to miss!!
The Door 555 Broome St, New York, NY 10013, USA
The event will take place from 12pm-5pm with an After-Con Kiki Cosplay Ball at 5:30pm-9:00pm.
For more information and to RSVP, click here!! This event is Free.99, but donations are always welcomed!!
Black Future Feminist 