Tag: Kenya

Posted in Black Joy, Celebration, Feature Spotlight, On the Desk..., On The Radar

Dr. G’s Weekly Hot Topics

Posted on by drblackfuturefeminist

New Month and New Hot Topics!!

We are jumping right out the gate with this one!! A new documentary from Shonda Rhimes/Shondaland and Netflix tells the story of how the first Black Barbie doll came to be in 1980. Directed by Lagueria Davis and produced by Shondaland’s Shonda Rhimes, Black Barbie “shows the impact of three Black staffers at Mattel on the doll’s debut, and how they influenced generations of young Black girls and the Barbie brand as a whole.” 

Want to get some fashion inspiration? Or find out just how top stylist Law Roach has created a fashion legacy… Well stylist to the stars Law Roach is dropping his first book, How To Build a Fashion Icon: Notes on Confidence. It’s available for pre-order on Banks Square Books and Amazon and will hit shelves, on September 24, 2024.

A Black Feminist icon has been immortalized with a statue in the very spot where she gave an empowering speech. On May 29th the city of Akron and the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund unveiled a plaza and statue dedicated to abolitionist Sojourner Truth. In 1851 Sojourner Truth gave the seminal speech “Ain’t I a Woman?” to a crowd gathered at the Universalist Old Stone Church in Akron for the Ohio Women’s Rights Convention. This statue and plaza represent a space to tell one of America’s inspiring story of faith, truth, justice, and freedom!

In more inspiring news, the Kenyan government has partnered with several HBCUs to help boost STEM Education across the waters. Representatives from Clark Atlanta University, Spelman College, Morehouse College, Howard University, and executives from higher education and business circles signed a framework agreement pact to establish an exchange between Kenyan universities and HBCUs. With many STEM programs on the rise here in the U.S., Kenya has established itself as the “Silicon Savannah of East Africa”and according to Kenyan president  Dr. William Samoei Ruto, it has also “been a global player in shaping the growth of the technology industry.”

This next feature is all about food and nourishment! Whether you are going for the first time or revisiting an oldie but goodie food spot….Check out these Black-owned restaurants that can be found all across the U.S.:

As an extra bonus, with June being Black Music Month each week I will bring you the latest Tiny Desk concerts featuring some of the hottest Black musical artists!! This year’s Black Music Month-Tiny Desk Concert series features Black women artists all across the spectrum from “veterans who’ve paved the way for what we hear today in Black music, to those who are carving out their own paths.”

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!!