It’s July 1st, and we are opening the month with some fresh new entertainment set to hit your TV and movie screens. I’ve got a nice kamikaze mix ready for you to view! Check out this week’s new trailers below:
Washington Black (Streaming on Hulu-July 23rd)
My Oxford Year (Streaming on Netflix August 1st)
Magic City: An American Fantasy (Streaming on STARZ August 15th)
America’s Team: The Gambler and His Cowboys (Streaming on Netflix August 25th)
Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale (In theaters September 12th)
Another exciting week of television and film trailers is coming your way! Looks like the summer just keeps getting hotter!! Check out this week’s trailers below:
Noah’s Arc: The Movie (Streaming on Paramount +/Showtime– June 20th)
Ballard (Streaming on Prime Video– July 9th)
Tyler Perry’s Madea’s Destination Wedding (Streaming on Netflix– July 11th)
The Pickup (Streaming on Prime Video– August 6th)
Alien: Earth (Streaming on Hulu– August 12th)
Thursday Murder Club (Streaming on Netflix– August 28th)
A Big Bold Beautiful Journey (In theaters September 2025)
For all my Norfolk, Suffolk, 757 (and even Richmond) folks, come check me out as I talk with my friend and colleague Dr. Kaniqua Robinson about Blackness and Horror in the films “Sinners,” “The Blackening,” and “Woman In The Yard” 🎥 !!
Definitely gonna be a fun-filled time!!
Check out the details on the flyer below!!
If you need a refresher, check out the trailers below:
Now I know it has been quite a few months since I have posted… life has been life-ing!! 2025 has been moving and shaking, and I cannot wait to share more with you!! However, I could not this chance pass me by to share a recent article in which I was interviewed about the smashing cinematic hit, “Sinners”!
Richmond Times-Dispatch: Saturday, May 3rd, 2025
Shout out to the AMAZING Michael Paul Williams for his invitation to share some of my thoughts, I truly enjoyed the movie!!
While these are just a few snapshots of my thoughts, let me just say that Ryan Coogler is a GENIUS!! I have seen the movie twice already and will probably catch it again!!
Run, tell your friends to check it out, and then make sure you go with them too :-)!!
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)
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)
Another year to celebrate and reflect on a moment in history! Juneteenth is about freedom! On this day in 1865 two years after President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation, Union troops announced to over 250,000 unaware Black folks in Texas..that they were free! And over a half-century later in 2021, this day was officially named a federal holiday.
I’m still amazed and proud that I am here to see the holiday come to fruition. To think that freedom was delayed (especially for two years, any amount for that matter) is truly an injustice. I cannot even begin to imagine…BUT the dream was delayed not diminished. While the holiday is not perfect (there is room for growth), the history of Juneteenth will always be around, which is important! Freedom did come!
As an African American Studies professor, I am always talking about the experiences of Black folks in and out of the diaspora, particularly in popular culture. And when thinking about those experiences I cannot help but consider the past. As a people, we have encountered daily trauma, joy, pain, motivation, and so much more. These expressions are projected in many ways, many speaking to the ultimate goal…simply being free!! This freedom is shown through our music, food, tv shows, films, language, and so much more. In our own unique way, we have been able to unapologetically give ourselves permission to be empowered and live free in spite of what might be happening in the world.
In the spirit of celebrating being free and living in one’s purpose, I have gathered a few options of some good books to read, a few movies to watch, and some podcasts to add to your morning commute that speak to being FREE! Check them out below:
Books
On Juneteenth ~Annette Gordon-Reed
We Are Each Other’s Harvest Celebrating African American Farmers, Land, and Legacy ~Natalie Baszile
Four Hundred Souls ~Edited by Ibram X. Kendi and Keisha Blain
Magic Enuff ~Tara M. Stringfellow
Shoutin’ in the Fire ~Danté Stewart
Night Flyer: Harriet Tubman and the Faith Dreams of a Free People ~Tiya Miles
I’m Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness ~Austin Channing Brown
Movies/Film & TV Series
Miss Juneteenth (2020)
Beyond the Canvas-Art: Black Women Lead (2023)
Pose (2018-2021)
Mending Walls: The Documentary (2022)
The Learning Tree (1969)
High on the Hog: How African American Cuisine Transformed America (Netflix)
Juneteenth: Celebrating Freedom and Legacy(CNN) [Airing June 19 at 10pm ET/PT]: The third annual special will feature musical performances and conversations with John Legend, Patti LaBelle, and Smokey Robinson discussing freedom, progress and recognizing the people that paved the way.
Additional documentaries, films, and television shows (provided by VCU News)
Now we cannot leave without offering some reflections on popular food and drinks that many folks consume during this celebration. During Juneteenth celebrations it is customary to partake in a feast, but particularly red foods take center stage. Red symbolizes the resilience from bondage. As noted by Chef Chris Scott who spearheaded the first James Beard Foundation’s Juneteenth celebration, “the red symbolizes the blood that was shed by Black Africans and Black Americans during slave capture, slave travel, and slave trade here in the state and in the Caribbean.” Some of the common foods found on a Juneteenth menu include:
Strawberries (especially strawberry soda pop)
Sorrel
Watermelon
BBQ
Red beans and rice
Red Velvet Cake
Deviled eggs
Remember these are just the basics, it is up to you what you want to include, you can even make your own creations or remix a recipe. Just make sure it’s with family and friends as you celebrate and reflect on the notion of freedom!!
As an extra bonus check out this past episode where I talk with my friend and academic colleague about why Juneteenth Matters!!
Black Future Feminist 