Category: Feature Spotlight

Posted in Feature Spotlight, On the Desk...

For All My ATL Folks! “Our Friend Jean: HBCU Tour” at Clark Atlanta University Art Museum

Posted on by drblackfuturefeminist

For my ATL peeps!! This might be something of interest for you!! As part of the HBCU Exhibition Tour, Our Friend Jean is a one-week Pop up Exhibition Featuring 20+ of Jean-Michel Basquiat “Early Works“.

Our Friend, Jean is a sampling of Jean-Michel Basquiat’s earliest works on loan from several collectors who knew him intimately, as friends, collaborators, and lovers. Featuring 20+ artworks including drawings, writings, apparel, mixed media collages, and ephemera. The group of collectors consists of Jane Diaz, Hilary Jaeger, Katie Taylor, Lucy Sante, Al Diaz, and photographer Alexis Adler who also served as a co-curator with Erwin John and Stevenson Dunn, Jr.. Through this exhibition each collector shares uniquely intimate stories of their friend Jean.

The exhibition lends a voice to the unsung collectors of the world, those who offer an artist critical early support out of genuine friendship. It is precisely this type of support that can spring board an artist’s career to unimaginable heights. Friendship is what distinguishes the group of collectors who are lending their works to the “Our Friend, Jean” exhibition.

This exhibition was curated by The Bishop Gallery and supported by the Hennessey, Thurgood Marshall College Fund, and The Black Group.

The exhibition is free and will be housed at the Clark Atlanta University Art Museum from October 28-November 4.

For more information and to register to attend, see here!!

Posted in A Professor's Thoughts..., Feature Spotlight, On The Radar

Featured Upcoming Panel Conversation with Dr. G!!

Posted on by drblackfuturefeminist

On November 06, 1992, a group of students stood in protest against an act of racism at Georgia State University. This protest, and the demands that they issued to the university, led to the creation of the department of African-American Studies (now Africana Studies). To honor their courage, as well as those that supported them, we will celebrate the thirtieth anniversary of the protests during the 2022-2023 academic year.

On November 3rd, I have the pleasure of giving back to one of my alma maters, Georgia State University-Department of Africana Studies. As part of the 30th Anniversary Celebration events, I will be participating in a Freedom School Panel with Alumni professors.

The panel will take place November 3rd at 7pm via Zoom.

To register for the panel and for more information about the entire week of events, check out the following link!!

Posted in A Professor's Thoughts..., Feature Spotlight, Monthly Book Recommendations

Dr. G’s Monthly Book Recommendations- October 2022

Posted on by drblackfuturefeminist

Fall is here!! Another one of my favorite times of the year!! Nothing like the crisp breeze blowing, the crunchy leaves, the sweaters and knee-high boots, and the early nights! And as always why not have a good book to curl up and read. Well I got you covered!! Check out this month’s book recommendations below:

Photo by Shawn Reza on Pexels.com
  • find her. keep her ~Renaada Williams
  • Bittering the Wound ~Jacqui Germain
  • Black Women Will Save the World: An Anthem ~April Ryan
  • Love in the Age of Dragons ~Fatima R. Henson
  • Running to Fall ~Kalisha Buckhanon
  • Mr. Loverman ~Bernardine Evaristo

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!!

“I really don’t think life is about the I-could-have-beens. Life is only about the I-tried-to-do. I don’t mind the failure, but I can’t imagine that I’d forgive myself if I didn’t try.” ~Nikki Giovanni

Posted in Dr. G's Weekly Hot Topics, Feature Spotlight, On the Desk..., On The Radar

Dr. G’s Weekly Hot Topics!!

Posted on by drblackfuturefeminist

Let me tell you!! I am excited about this week’s Hot Topics!! I got some goodies on deck for you!! So much happening in the world!! Check it out below and see for yourself:

  • Fresh off the press!! The new Black Panther: Wakanda Forever trailer just dropped and it is stunning!! It hits theaters November 11th! Tickets are on sale now, so make sure you grab yours…I got mine!! In addition to the trailer, check out this feature piece from EW as they go behind the scenes with director Ryan Coogler and the cast to discuss the sequel.
  • And a special shout out to my alma mater Clark Atlanta University!! Just a few short days ago, CAU was been selected as the home of the New PROPEL Center, a global headquarters for innovation. It will serve as a global HBCU technology and innovation hub committed to strengthening the Black talent pipeline. The location is approximately 5.2 acres and will hold special historic and cultural significance to the CAU campus. As noted by CAU president George T. French, Jr., Ph.D., “Here at Clark Atlanta University, our leadership, faculty, and students are humbled to be a partner in the launch of the PROPEL Center and to have the opportunity to execute this long-term partnership.”
  • Over across the pond there is a new arts group, the Africa Arts Collective, that is aiming to “showcase African artists and aid in community cohesion.” The Africa Arts Collective is a “new multi-disciplinary arts group aims to showcase African talent living in Northern Ireland, and aid community cohesion.” According to Rahim Saphy, an acrobat, dancer and comedian from Tanzania, “the Africa Arts Collective will bring joy, vibrancy, colour and inspiration to the local arts scene.” 
Dancer Cuthbert Tura Arutura and acrobat Rahim Saphy at the launch of the African Arts Collective in Belfast Picture date: Saturday October 1, 2022. PA Photo. See PA story ULSTER Arts. Photo credit: Niall Carson/PA Wire
  • Over the weekend, Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson completed her formal swearing-in ceremony on Friday September 30th. As told by Brown Jackson during her initial confirmation speech, “It has taken 232 years and 115 prior appointments for a Black woman to be selected to serve on the Supreme Court of the United States. But we’ve made it…We’ve made it. All of us.”
  • And closing out this week…A new medical school is being proposed at Morgan State University (Baltimore, MD), the first at an HBCU in 45 years!! As relayed by CBS News, Morgan State is teaming up with Ascension St. Agnes Hospital to launch a for-profit, private medical school, which will provide more opportunities for undeserving students. The school is set to open in 2024 and will have 700 students and 150 employees.

Posted in A Professor's Thoughts..., Feature Spotlight

Featured Upcoming Community Talk with Dr. G!

Posted on by drblackfuturefeminist

Anytime I can get a chance to give a talk in the community especially to the youth, I welcome the opportunity. This coming Saturday I have the great pleasure of serving as the “Kick off” speaker for the “Saturday Sojourners Program” put on by The Light Community Church (Richmond, VA).

The kick-off program will be a “Table Talk” discussion on “Behind the Veil: Who Do You See?”!

See the flyer below for more details:

Posted in A Professor's Thoughts..., Feature Spotlight, On the Desk...

Dr. G Featured in a New Edited Book Collection

Posted on by drblackfuturefeminist

HOT OFF THE PRESS!!

Family and Friends….I got some exciting news for you!! I have a chapter featured in the latest collection Teaching with Comics: Empirical, Analytical and Professional Experiences (2022) (Palgrave Macmillan) !!

Here is a brief description of the book:

This edited collection analyses the use of comics in primary and secondary education. The editors and contributors draw together global research to examine how comics can be used for critical inquiry within schools, and how they can be used within specific disciplines. As comics are beginning to be recognised more widely as an important resource for teaching, with a huge breadth of topics and styles, this interdisciplinary book unites a variety of research to analyse how learning is ‘done’ with and through comics. The book will be of interest to educational practitioners and school teachers, as well as students and scholars of comic studies, education and social sciences more broadly.

Now the title of my chapter is, #BlackFemaleIdentityConstructions: Inserting Intersectionality and Blackness in Comics !!

You can find the full text here!!

The physical copies will be available for purchase late September early October, but you can access it now!!

Posted in Dr. G's Weekly Hot Topics, Feature Spotlight, On the Desk..., On The Radar, Resources

Dr. G’s Weekly Hot Topics

Posted on by drblackfuturefeminist

And we are back with some new hot features!! A lot is happening in the world, and I’m all for sharing with you!! Check out this week’s new hot topics!!

  • History Being Made!! An E-Sports degree is coming to a South Carolina HBCU!! With the popularity of gaming and e-sports on the rise, as a billion dollar industry, it is only fitting that HBCU’s pick up the baton and make their mark in this arena. Two years in the making Benedict College is offering a major in E-Sports (to go along with their already existing esports gaming room), making it the first HBCU to do so.
Photo Credit: Benedict College
  • Looking for a southern-inspired meal on your next Delta flight, starting September 1st Delta Airlines travelers leaving out of Atlanta will be able to enjoy a variety of dishes curated by a Black Woman Chef, Mashama Bailey. Chef Bailey is a James Beard Foundation award-winning chef and also serves as the co-founder and Executive Chef of The Grey in Savannah, Georgia.
Chef Mashama Bailey
Some of the dishes that will be featured on the in-flight menu (Photo Credit: Delta Air Lines)
  • Making your way to DC anytime soon?? Well make sure you visit the 15 new murals that are part of DC’s 15th anniversary celebration of MuralsDC art program. The first mural (seen below) can be found on the parking lot of the Chik-fil-A on Maryland Ave. in NE DC. More of the installations will be housed in the “Art Allery” an art gallery in an alley on H Street.
MuralsDC first 15th anniversary mural (Photo Credit: MuralsDC)
  • Gospel singer and civil rights activist Mahalia Jackson now has a dedicated public plaza named in here honor. Mahalia Jackson Court is an 8,500-square foot space housed on 1 E. 79th St. in Chatham, IL that will feature daily food trucks, music, curated art and a playscape for children. Visitors will also be able to check out a history display, which will feature various artifacts.
  • This past week it was announced that a prequel series revolving around the high profile Netflix show Bridgerton will showcase the glamorous and fierce Queen Charlotte just wrapped up production!! The show’s director Tom Verica announced it on his Twitter…
  • Imagining a Utopian Future for Queer Nigerians is a new idea being portrayed in Nigerian photographer Daniel Obasi’s latest book “Beautiful Resistance” an artistic collaboration with Louis Vuitton, which chronicles the LGBTQ+ experience in Lagos.
An image featured in Obasi’s newest book. (Photo credit: Daniel Obasi)
Posted in Feature Spotlight, Monthly Book Recommendations, On the Desk..., On The Radar

Dr. G’s Monthly Book Recommendations-August 2022

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It’s My Birthday Month!! Yay!! Nothing like celebrating another year of life…one full of blessings!!

Photo by Genaro Servu00edn on Pexels.com

This list right here…I’m really digging it!! Not just because it’s my Birthday month, but because these some hot literary joints!! One even has a film adaptation hitting theaters soon! But don’t take my word for it, check them out for yourself!!

  • The Silent Twins ~Marjorie Wallace
  • Golden Ax ~Rio Cortez
  • How You Grow Wings ~Rimma Onoseta
  • The Witchery ~S. Isabelle
  • The Black Period ~Hafizan Augustus Geter
  • The Getaway ~Lamar Giles

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 have to talk about liberating minds as well as liberating society.” ~Angela Davis

Posted in Conversations with Beloved & Kindred, Feature Spotlight

“Summertime Conversations” with Beloved & Kindred-“Nope”

Posted on by drblackfuturefeminist

Tune in on this Thursday August 18th at 3 pm/ET as Dr. Robinson and I bring you a special #SummertimeConversation on the 2022 summer film from Jordan Peele Nope!! While we wrapped up Season 2 with our discussion on Blackness and horror, we could not help but offer a few thoughts on this compelling film!!

Check it out on Auburn Avenue Research Library Facebook Live and YouTube !!

This discussion explores the newest Jordan Peele film Nope. The residents of a lonely gulch in inland California bear witness to an uncanny and chilling discovery. After random objects falling from the sky result in the death of their father, ranch-owning siblings OJ and Emerald Haywood attempt to capture video evidence of an unidentified flying object with the help of tech salesman Angel Torres and documentarian Antlers Holst.

And just in case you want to refresh your memory of the movie, check out the trailer below AND go see it in a theater near you:

Posted in Feature Spotlight, On The Radar

First Look at the Disney+/Disney Channel’s “Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur”Animated Series

Posted on by drblackfuturefeminist

Nothing like a new television series to take you back to your childhood days!!

During last month’s San Diego Comic Con there were several major announcements made and trailers revealed!! Two in particular that stopped me in my tracks were of course the trailer for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and the trailer for the much anticipated animated series Marvel’s Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur!! With Moon Girl (Lunella Lafayette) being deemed as one of the smartest people in the Marvel Universe, this is prime content for little girls (especially little Black girls) who are interested in the STEM field. As a follower and reader of the comic (even wrote a chapter in my dissertation about her), I am truly hyped to see this hit the television screens!!

Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur follows the adventures of 13-year-old Lunella (voiced by Diamond White) and her 10-ton T-rex, Devil Dinosaur (voiced by Fred Tatasciore). Additionally, the main cast includes Alfre Woodard as Lunella’s grandmother, Mimi, Libe Barer as Lunella’s best friend/manager, Casey, Sasheer Zamata as Lunella’s mom, Adria, Jermaine Fowler as Lunella’s dad, James Jr., Gary Anthony Williams as Lunella’s grandfather, Pops, and executive producer Laurence Fishburne as The Beyonder,

Also announced at San Diego Comic Con, the legendary Raphael Saadiq will serve as the executive music producer for the show.

To get a little taste of the series and Lunella, Casey and Devil Dinosaur prepare for their mission in New York City’s Lower East Side, check out the teaser trailer below:

In addition to the lead roles, the series is is set to feature the following star power guests: Alison Brie, Andy Cohen, Daveed Diggs, Maya Hawke, Jennifer Hudson, Wilson Cruz, Method Man, Asia Kate Dillon, Cobi Smulders, Wesley Snipes, and more. Additionally the following actors will have recurring roles: Omid Abtahi, Utkarsh Ambudkar, Michael Cimino, Indya Moore and Craig Robinson.

Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur is set to premiere on the Disney Channel and Disney+ in 2023!! Looking forward to this animated goodness!!

Also, check out the awesome series poster below:

Photo Credit: Disney