It’s literally the first of the month, and I know I have been off the map…Life has been Life-ing! But what better way to come back than to drop some new trailers that you will definitely want to cash in on! Check out the trailers below:
Abbott Elementary (Streaming on ABC-October 9th)
Caddo Lake (Streaming on Max- October 10th)
Exhibiting Forgiveness (In theaters October 18th)
Venom: The Last Dance (In theaters October 25th)
Season 2-Lioness (Streaming on Paramount+ – October 27th)
CROSS (Streaming on Prime Video-November 14th)
The Six Triple Eight (Streaming on Netflix-December 20th)
Let’s jump right into it this week, 2024 Times 100 list honoree and Golden Globe winning actress Taraji P. Henson just dropped her debut children’s book. Her book, “You Can Be A Good Friend (No Matter What!) was released on June 18th and tells a story that “shows kids the great things that can happen when we approach others and ourselves with empathy, patience, and love.” It’s the perfect story for classroom story time, bedtime reading, easing those back-to-school jitters, promoting friendship over bullying, and embracing the importance of standing in one’s own uniqueness. You can find her latest book anywhere books are sold
Need a refresher on Season 1 of the Onyx Collective/Hulu legal drama Reasonable Doubt ? Check out this 1-minute breakdown featuring the show’s lead, Emayatzy Corinealdi:
Season 2 premieres on Hulu on August 22, with episodes dropping every Thursday. And while you wait you can stream the first season now.
Looking for a new wine to jumpstart your summer?? As we celebrated another Juneteenth on last week, Mother New York (of Mother Design) launched Auntie Whine, a limited-edition wine that honors all the aunties and their signature dance moves. “Named for how aunties whine their hips at family gatherings, this wine captures the essence of these joyful moments.” It’s the perfect blend of cocoa butter notes and a smooth, silk bonnet-like mouthfeel just right for your next BBQ! In addition to the wine it comes with a sweet, soulful Spotify playlist of songs!!
In some more good TV news, STARZ is dropping the “Down in the Valley” premiere a WEEK early!! Aww shucks, you know who is a happy camper…that would be ME!! It is set to drop on this Friday June 28th at midnight/ET on STARZ. Hosted and executive produced by Nicco Annan, who is best known as Uncle Clifford in STARZ’s critically acclaimed tv show “P-Valley,” the six-episode half-hour docuseries follows Annan as he explores the people, sensuality, music, culture and stories of the South. “The series confronts uncomfortable truths, challenges societal norms, and advocates for a more inclusive and enlightened future.” Check out the trailer below:
This Jeopardy! host for 37 years is being honored with a Forever Stamp…Who is Alex Trebek? The well-known hostess who passed away in 2020 from pancreatic cancer is getting his own stamp!! Each stamp will read “This naturalized U.S. citizen hosted the quiz show ‘Jeopardy!’ for 37 seasons.” And underneath upside down, you can find the answer: “Who is Alex Trebek?” The new stamp will become available on July 22nd.
For all my foodies, check out these Black-owned restaurants in the Fort-Worth area of Texas:
And to close us out we got Four Features blazing this week’s Tiny Desk Concert-Black Music Month, a nice mix of gospel, soul, r&b, country, hip hop and pop!! Yes to ALL of this, check them out below:
Another day, another dollar…well in this case another set of trailers!! Highlighting Black and Brown folks this week! Everything from sports to making herstory in the Mexican police ranks! Check out this week’s trailers below:
Sprint: The World’s Fastest Humans (Streaming July 2nd on Netflix)
Simone Biles Rising (Streaming July 17th on Netflix)
Women in Blue (Streaming July 31st on Apple TV+)
Season 3-Bel-Air (Streaming August 15th on Peacock)
Let me start you off with something to ‘perk’ you up…Pun intended (lol)….For all my coffee drinkers, especially Café Bustelo fans, the brand is launching 3 new ‘Espresso-Styled’ Iced Coffee drinks. This is the first in their 96-year history!! The new Iced Coffee collection includes three different flavor options: Unsweetened, Sweetened, and Vanilla. Great thing about these new iced coffees is that they are designed to be consumed straight out of the fridge, just open and pour into a glass. Now the Sweetened and Unsweetened versions of the iced coffee will be available at several retailers starting with Kroger and Walmart, and the Vanilla, called “Vainilla,” is a Target exclusive. So stay tuned, all three should start popping up in the refrigerator aisle very soon.
In television news, leading up to the Season 4 premiere of the Emmy-nominated series The Boys, creator Eric Kripke announced that the Amazon Prime Video show will close out in Season 5. Kripke explained his decision to end the run on its fifth season in a conversation with the Hollywood Reporter, “From the very beginning, I wanted to wrap it out around Season 5…And then I would say plans really solidified that we were going to actually do it years ago. I think we were probably in the middle of making season three, so it could have been three or four years ago that we always knew.”
#TheBoys Season 4 Premiere Week is a good time to announce: Season 5 will be the Final Season! Always my plan, I just had to be cagey till I got the final OK from Vought. Thrilled to bring the story to a gory, epic, moist climax. Watch Season 4 in 2 DAYS, cause the end has begun! pic.twitter.com/3p7Wt4jGA6
Prime Video will drop the first three episodes of The Boys Season 4 on Thursday, June 13.
There’s a NEW MAYOR in town, on June 3rd, Lilian Seenoi-Barr made history becoming the first Black Mayor of Northern Ireland (Derry City and Strabane.) Truly a historic moment for the country of Ireland, as Ms. Seenoi-Barr came to the country 14 years ago as a Kenyan refugee. Growing up in a Maasai village she would grow up in “a home filled with love, unity, hard work and commitment to justice and freedom” – values she plans to carry forward into her service. This is also not her first time making history. Ms. Seenoi-Bar also broke barriers when she became the first Black woman to become an elected member of the “public office in Northern Ireland” as a councilor. Seeing news like this gives me hope that there is still for progressive change!! During her tenure as Mayor Ms. Seenoi-Barr seeks to to eradicate “poverty, attract investment and support young people to achieve their full potential, create jobs and advocate for quality affordable housing.”
Looking for something to do Labor Day weekend, why not check out Nas With the Las Vegas Philharmonic! In celebration of the 30th Anniversary of his debut album “Illmatic,” hip hop legend Nas is doing three performances (August 29-September 1) at the Encore Theater (Las Vegas). In a statement from Nas he notes, “I am excited to partner with the Las Vegas Philharmonic to bring this first-of-its-kind performance to Encore Theater and to showcase my music to my fans in Las Vegas in a whole new way.” Tickets have gone on sale and can be purchased here.
Talk about reclaiming space, this next feature spotlights two Black Hotel owners reclaiming a “gentrified space” in the Venice Beach area. Co-Founders Kamau Coleman and Michael Clinton have established a new boutique hotel, The Redline Venice (perfect name), as a way to provide a beautiful space and to tell the stories of Black and Brown folks who played a role in the Venice Beach area as a haven for artists, musicians, and creatives. The naming of the hotel is a direct and deliberate nod to the practice of redlining. As a boutique hotel it consists of four suites (studio, 1-bedroom, 2-bedroom, and 3-bedroom) and an amazing rooftop that can be used to rest, relax, and build networks! What a great way to ensure that the history of Black folks who made a innovative mark to the area get their just due and for an opportunity to build long-term economic wealth and power.
Lastly, as an HBCU grad, I am super siked about this news right here and the fact that Cali is where it’s happening is an extra bonus!! Beginning in the Fall 2024 school year, California will get its first HBCU!! Through a landmark initiative and collaboration between Huston-Tillotson University (HTU), the National College Resources Foundation (NCRF), the San Diego County Office of Education, and the University of La Verne there will be two satellite campus housed in San Diego and Los Angeles County. This is HUGE as we can see the expansion of HBCUs moving towards the West Coast!!
And to close us out we got a triple header for this week’s Tiny Desk Concert-Black Music Month Feature, a nice mix of soul, hip hop, and jazz!! I’m so loving this, check them out below:
So I completed a 2-week Writing Sprint retreat last week, and boy was that an awakening experience. Nothing like working in a community with others who have similar goals and pursuits. I also enjoyed the accountability of making sure I stayed on task. I will admit my body was in shock considering I had just finished the semester and jumped right into this retreat, but needless to say, the benefits outweighed the very minimal cons.
So for a couple of days this week, I took a few days of reprieve and chill time. I honestly needed to just take some days to do nothing, I had been on 100 for an entire semester, that I just needed a break. Lord knows I felt some guilt for not doing work for those few days, but it also felt good to just wake up with no agenda.
So often academics do not give themselves time to recalibrate and reset, but trust when I say it so necessary! It’s no point running on fumes and expect to be productive. And especially as a Black woman in the academy, I gotta make sure to take care so that I can make sure to tell my story and ensure that others can do the same.
This week I’ve been getting back into the groove, and it feels good to get back into the zone! Back to the Sister Night chapter, and grinding out these episode breakdowns. As I noted in an earlier post, this summer I am primarily dedicated to writing for the book and a couple other projects that are in the works. Everyday that I put pen to paper (or fingers to the keyboard), I am getting one step closer to the goal.
I’m feeling good, I’m feeling excited, I’m amped for this journey! Well let me get back to it!
It’s a new month with a whole new set of trailers! Summer is upon us folks and the prospects are looking really good!! We got a nice mix of final seasons, period dramas, anti-heroes, some history lessons, action, and even a little child’s play!! Check out this week’s trailer below:
Origin (Streaming on Hulu-June 10th)
Season 3- Bridgerton, Part 2 (Streaming on Netflix-June 13th)
WondLa (Streaming on Apple TV+ – June 28th)
Season 4- The Umbrella Academy (Streaming on Netflix-August 8th)
Harold and the Purple Crayon (In theaters August 2024)
It’s Day 2 of the Reclaiming Her Time: The Book Journey!! Another productive day in the writing game! I really felt the juices flowing today, so when I say I was riding the wave … I was moving and shaking!
Now I know I dived right into this new adventure on yesterday, so I just wanted to give some backdrop to what is taking place! So this “Reclaiming Her Time” journey is all about my first book manuscript titled, Reclaiming Her Time: Exploring Black Futures in the Black Female Superhero…when I say I am super excited about this project words cannot even begin to express! This project is very much like my baby. You gotta feed it, nurture it, give it sustenance and so much more! Never did I think I would get an opportunity to write about something that I treasure and love so much….Black Female Superheroes, but the day has come.
I am currently working on a chapter about Regina King’s character Sister Night/Angela Abar in the HBO/Max series “Watchmen.” Her specific story in this award-winning television series is one that engages with many topics including self-agency, being perfectly imperfect, historical trauma, family legacies, and so much more. Watching her story play out is one that inspires, excites, and adds another layer to the greatness that is a Black woman!! She is one of the many Black female comic book heroes that I will be examining in the book.
So over the summer, you will get a chance to see how this all plays out. The inner workings, the highs and lows, and all the wins!! I am super amped that you will be a part of this journey with me!!
Black Future Feminist 