Tag: #BlackGirlMagic

Posted in A Professor's Thoughts..., Dr. G's Travels, On the Desk...

#TanzaniaJourneyTravels-Day 4: Soaking up the Serengeti!!

Posted on by drblackfuturefeminist

Today was one of those days where I got to check off a major activity on my bucket list…Going to the Serengeti!! I was like a kid in a candy store!! In many ways riding through the Serengeti (which in the Massai language means “endless plains”) I realized how much of the Lion King is based off of this region. It is also a protected national park that is one of the Seven Wonders of this World and spans across 12,000 square miles. It is also renowned for its massive lion populations, and this was definitely made evident on today…

While it was great to admire the many animals, riding through was also quite calming and peaceful. Considering all that has transpired for me personally and professionally this particular part of the trip was well needed. In many ways, riding through Serengeti National Park was like icing on the cake! It’s that sweet treat you’ve been waiting for after a great workout!!

Dr. G getting ready to enter Serengeti National Park!!

The Serengeti is home to a mass amount of grazers (elephants, gazelles, warthogs, giraffes, zebras, among others) and is maintained by the Tanzanian and Kenyan governments.

Some of the many miles of plains at Serengeti National Park.
Photo credit: Dr. G

In addition to visiting the Serengeti we got an opportunity to visit The Olduvai Gorge. Here at this gorge which is known as the “Cradle of Mankind” due to it being the site of the first human remains of the first human being to walk on Earth. Talk about seeing the first footsteps of mankind…

Dr. G standing in front of the Oldupai Gorge (also known as Olduvai Gorge)
Photo credit: Dr. G

Super glad I was able to share some more highlights with you all, I was not sure if I would have Wi-Fi, but I pulled out the W! Continue to stay tuned and I will see you tomorrow!

~Dr. G

Posted in A Professor's Thoughts..., Dr. G's Travels, On The Radar

#TanzaniaJourneyTravels-Day 3: It’s Safari Time!!

Posted on by drblackfuturefeminist

Jambo!! (Swahili for Hello!) Today was all about the “Safari Life”!! For today’s excursion we spent the day driving up to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area which is a national park that consists of highland plains, savanna, savanna woodlands and forests.

Dr. G at the entrance of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area

As a conservation area it also home to the Great Migration, a massive annual migration of millions of wildebeest, zebras, gazelles, and other animals, which we were fortunate enough to witness.

You know I had to get a selfie with the elephants #DSTinTanzania

This was truly a grand experience! Witnessing these animals in their natural habitat versus gawking at them behind a cage or fence. During this 6-hour safari (yep you read that right!) we would see four of what is considered Africa’s “Big 5” (Elephant, Water Buffalo, Lion, Black Rhinoceros) but also take in the calming landscape. The only one we missed today was the leopard, but hopefully we will see one at the Serengeti! In addition to see almost all of the “Big 5” we would also see flamingos, an ostrich, warthogs, giraffes, baboons, hippopotamus, wildebeests, gazelles, zebras and so much more!

A few of the animals even brought some comic relief…

Here is one the Big 5 in all their glory!! We were able to get pretty close this king and queen of the pride lands :-). Shout out to all my Leo’s in the virtual building!

I would find it very interesting how many of the animals had no issue with us driving in our 4X4 jeeps taking pictures and admiring their day to day. But as our guide Waziri would tell us, they see these vehicles everyday, they were born and coming out the womb seeing it, so it is just a part of the routine. However, the moment anyone would step out their vehicle, they scattered across the plain!

I will say taking a Ngorongoro safari is truly an eye-opening experience you will never forget, and the fact that it essentially has a unique micro-climate, one can enjoy it year round.

To close out the post let me share some #PostcardViews worthy images to start your day…

Now normally I would say “see you tomorrow” …. however I may be MIA due to the fact that I will be in the Serengeti, staying the night (with no wifi), but fret not I will have much to share once I am able!

So see you soon!

~Dr. G

Posted in New Trailer Alerts!!, On the Desk..., On The Radar

Weekly Trailer Alerts!!

Posted on by drblackfuturefeminist

Jumping back in the saddle with some new trailers!! Getting you ready for the Fall Season!! Check them out below:

Young Love (Streaming on Max– September 21st)

Heist 88 (Streaming on Showtime– September 29th)

Appendage (Streaming on Hulu-October 2nd)

Totally Killer (Streaming on Prime Video– October 6th)

The Burial (In theaters October 6th…Streaming on Prime Video October 13th)

Lessons in Chemistry (Streaming on Apple TV+ – October 13th)

Aquaman and The Lost Kingdom (In theaters December 20th)

Posted in New Trailer Alerts!!, On the Desk..., On The Radar

Weekly Trailer Alerts!!

Posted on by drblackfuturefeminist

As summer comes to a close, it’s time to usher in the fall! The TV shows and movies are still coming in, so we definitely need to take advantage of this while we can!!

Check out the trailers below:

Retribution (In theaters August 25th)

Spellbound (Streaming August 31st on Hulu)

The Other Black Girl (Streaming September 13th on Hulu)

A Haunting in Venice (In theaters September 15th)

Wilderness (Streaming September 15th on Prime Video)

Still Up (Streaming September 22nd on Apple TV+)

Rebel Moon (Streaming December 22nd on Netflix)

Posted in Monthly Book Recommendations, On the Desk..., On The Radar, Resources

Dr. G’s Monthly Book Recommendations-August 2023

Posted on by drblackfuturefeminist

Another month has coming and the reading lists continue! Hopefully you were able to enjoy the summer with a few good reads. But just in case you need a new literary fix, you know I always got you covered!

Check out this month’s book recommendations below:

  • Honey & Spice ~Bolu Babalola
  • The Secret to a Southern Wedding ~Synithia Williams
  • The Fraud ~Zadie Smith
  • Forgive Me Not ~Jennifer Baker
  • Forged By Blood ~Ehigbor Okosun
  • The Unsettled ~Ayana Mathis
  • As You Walk On By ~Julian Winters
  • Ander & Santi Were Here ~Jonny Garza Villa

Don’t forget to support your local bookstores and libraries!!

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!

“But surely to tell these tall tales and others like them would be to spread the myth, the wicked lie, that the past is always tense and the future, perfect.” -Zadie Smith (White Teeth)

Posted in Celebration, Holiday Celebration!!

It’s My Birthday!!

Posted on by drblackfuturefeminist

In my Stevie Wonder voice, Happy Birthday to me!! I am blessed and grateful to see another year of life! 42 Years Young (Shout out to Jackie Robinson)!!

I love being a Summer Baby, nothing like celebrating on a sun shining day!! Let me also make sure I shout some Birthday twins, my high school classmate James Benson, my Soror and Big Sista Tamiko Jackson, and my celebrity girl crush Angels Bassett!!

Now in addition to today being my Birthday, it is also National Rum Day!! So make sure to have an ice cold Rum Punch, Dark and Stormy, or Mai Tai in honor of me today :-)!

Cheers to 42 and many, many more!! It’s time to celebrate!!

Posted in New Trailer Alerts!!, On The Radar

Weekly Trailer Alerts!!

Posted on by drblackfuturefeminist

It is literally the first of the month, my favorite month to be exact :-)!! August 1st, 2023!! So happy to share with you this week’s new trailers, check them out below:

Coming Soon-Young Love (Streaming on MAX)

Season 3-Only Murder in the Building (Streaming August 8th on Hulu)

Ladies First: A Story of Women in Hip Hop (Streaming August 9th on Netflix)

Miguel Wants to Fight (Streaming August 16th on Hulu)

Season 3-The Morning Show (Streaming September 13th on Apple TV+)

A Haunting in Venice (In theaters September 15th)

SAW X (In theaters September 29th)

Posted in A Professor's Thoughts..., Uncategorized

Enjoying Nature…

Posted on by drblackfuturefeminist

So this past weekend, I had an amazing opportunity to hang out with some Grad School colleagues and friends out in West Virginia!! And let me tell you it was perfect prescription that I didn’t realize I needed!!

To step away from the hustle and bustle in this manner is something that I need to implement more! Taking in the beauty of nature was soothing to my soul!

Don’t believe me see the pictures below…

Just taking it all in!!

Posted in Dr. G's Pop Culture Corner (PCC), Feature Spotlight, On the Desk...

Sharing Some Animation Goodies!!-Dr. G’s Pop Culture Corner (PCC)

Posted on by drblackfuturefeminist

Good People! Good People!!

So it is nothing like having good friends who keep you posted on new goodies that are dropping within the pop culture arena! While preparing for our weekly writing session, my colleague and friend Michael Hall shared with me a new Disney+ animated anthology series that dropped last week called Kizazi Moto: Generation Fire! Immediately I did a quick Google search and to my delight, I was hooked! Premiering on July 5th Kizazi Moto: Generation Fire is a new series that blends elements of Africanfuturism, Afrofuturism, cyberpunk, sci-fi, and fantasy to tell 10 inclusive stories of African histories and cultures.

“This is Africa as you’ve never seen it before.” Advanced technology, spirits, aliens, and time travel…SIGN ME UP!!

Produced by Triggerfish Animation Studios and Walt Disney Animation Studios, executive produced by Oscar-winning director Peter Ramsey (Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Rise of the Guardians) with Tendayi Nyeke and Anthony Silverston as supervising producers, Kizazi Moto: Generation Fire is what Ramsey describes as a series with “recognizable genres and recognizable aspects of contemporary culture, but they’re wrapped in African culture.” You got my attention! Plus the representation of the African diaspora is in full effect, with stories from such countries as South Africa, Egypt, Kenya, Nigeria, Uganda, and Zimbabwe…GAME CHANGER!!

With a cast that includes Florence Kasumba (Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Captain America: Civil War, Wonder Woman, “Emerald City”), Kehinde Bankole (“Desperate Housewives Africa”, Blood Sisters), Nasty C (“Blood & Water”), Mo Ismail (“Star Trek Beyond”, ) and a plethora of up-and-coming African talent, Kizazi Moto: Generation Fire is definitely gonna change the game of how we tell animated stories!!

Now while I have not watched the series as of yet, I am already convinced this is legit greatness right here!! Just going off the trailer, the diverse representation, vibrant animation still shots, the voice cast, and the series direction, I’m willing to put my money on it sight unseen!

Photo Credit: Disney

This is totally in my personal and professional wheelhouse!! I am loving that more diverse African stories are being told and shared!! Cause trust me that content has and is there, the whole world just needs to see it!!

And just in case you need a little more convincing see the trailer below:

I am totally hyped about this series and siked that ALL episodes are available to watch!

I know what I will be binging on tonight!!

Hit me up in the comments and let me know what you think!!

Posted in #30DaysofBlackJoy Series, Celebration, Resources

#30DaysofBlackJoy…Day 29-A Mixtape of Black Joy!!

Posted on by drblackfuturefeminist

Before I let (you) go (nod to Frankie Beverly & Maze), let me leave you with a few reminders and nuggets that can give you your perfect dose of #BlackJoy!!

Photo by EKATERINA BOLOVTSOVA on Pexels.com
  • Black Joy is a movement of celebration! It’s what John Blake (CNN Enterprise writer/producer) calls ‘trauma-free Blackness!’
  • Black joy as an act of resistance is healing!
  • Black joy is global and open to all! As noted by author Sophie Williams, “Read books about Black and brown people living, not just dying. Engage in content where they thrive, rather than just survive. Remembering the full and complex range of lives and emotions in marginalized people is humanizing, and a lot of fun. You’ll feel better for it.”

Today’s #BlackJoyMoment is a mixtape of #BlackJoy resources!!

  • A Beautiful Resistance. … A collection of short films, long-form stories, and Q&As that celebrate Black Joy, Black dreams, and Black living. 
  • Black Joy and Resistance, … A digital photo book of Black joy and resistance by Adreinne Waheed
  • Museum of Black Joy … A borderless exhibition and interactive archive of non-traumatic Black life in Philadelphia and beyond.  It utilizes the traditions of storytelling and emerging technologies to acknowledge and advance experiences rooted in Black joy.
  • Reckon-Black Joy … Energize your mind, body, and spirit every Monday and Friday with a newsletter highlighting stories of Black liberation from across the nation.
  • The Black Joy Project … A worldwide movement of healing, community building, and resistance curated by Kleaver Cruz
  • BlackQueerJoy … A curated IG page that showcases images of Black LGBTQ+ people around the world in moments of pure joy. 
  • Blavity … A site that posts daily uplifting news and commentary.

Black joy isn’t about erasing the difficulties of the Black experience, but showing the whole truth by creating balance. ~Kleaver Cruz

Photo by Henri Mathieu-Saint-Laurent on Pexels.com

See You All Tomorrow!!