Posted in Dr. G's Weekly Hot Topics, On The Radar

Dr. G’s Weekly Hot Topics!!

New Month and a New Set of Hot Topics!! Check them out below :

Living HistoryMedal of Honor awarded to one of the first Black U.S. Special Forces officers…Nearly 60 years overdue, on March 3rd President Biden awarded retired Army Colonel Paris Davis the Medal of Honor, the U.S. military’s most prestigious decoration, for Davis’ acts of valor as a commander during the Vietnam War. Now 83 years old, retired Army Colonel Davis was one of the first Black officers to lead a U.S. Special Forces team in combat. 

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Course correcting the history of gynecology…In partnership with the “Under-Told Stories” project at the University of St. Thomas in Minnesota, Alabama artist Michelle Browder is looking to change the historical narrative around the history of gynecology.

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For all my Skateboarders!!… This month the U.S. Postal Service is set to launch its latest collection of artistic stamps celebrating the “Art of the Skateboard.” The image below features the work of four skaters-turned-artists on photographs of skateboards, curated by art director Antonio Alcalá. Crystal Worl (Alaska)-Tlingit/Athabascan heritage with a blue-indigo salmon graphic; William James Taylor Junior (Virginia) concocted a red-and-orange abstract design; Di’Orr Greenwood (Arizona) celebrated her Navajo roots with a bright palette depicting eagle feathers, as well as the sun’s rising and setting tones; and lastly, Federico “MasPaz” Frum (Columbia-born/Washington, D.C.) created a stylistic jaguar. The collection will be available for purchase beginning March 24, 2023.

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Keeping with the theme of Women’s History Month, Marvel just dropped a surprise new TV series on Disney+ MPower about the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s roster of female heroes. The four-part docuseries is now streaming in its entirety on the service. Executive produced by Zoë Saldaña, “the show blends footage from MCU movies and shows with new animation and interviews with Marvel stars to explore some of the franchise’s top stars and their long and complex history.”

The four episodes of MPower are “The Women of Black Panther” (which focuses on Danai Gurira’s Okoye, Lupita Nyong’o’s Nakia, Florence Kasumba’s Ayo, and Letitia Wright’s Shuri), “Captain Marvel” (which also features Ms. Marvel and Monica Rambeau from the upcoming The Marvels movie), “Scarlet Witch” (which also includes Kathryn Hahn’s Agatha Harkness and even Kat Dennings’ Darcy Lewis) and “Gamora” of the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise (whose story also obviously dovetails with her sister, Nebula, played by Karen Gillan). See the trailer below:

All four episodes of MPower are streaming now on Disney+.

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Painter Spotlight!! Providing a voice for Black maternal mortality and morbidity through art…Chicago-based artist/painter Ashley January shows her vision and past experiences of the above in her solo exhibit, “Human I Mother I Black”! See some of her work below:

(Photo credit Ashley January, left-COVID Shelter in Place With Baby, 2020; top right-Quinn and Ashley Study #2, 2020; top bottom-Crystal and Dylan Study, 2020)

You can also follow her artistic journey here!

Posted in Feature Spotlight, On the Desk...

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

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, Uncategorized

Black Joy is the Future!!

#SuchAVibe…

On this past Saturday afternoon, I had the opportunity to participate in some real life “Black Girl Magic”!! As part of the “Black Feminist Future Series” put on by the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, myself and four other AMAZING Black Afrofuturist women (Susana Morris , Tiffany E. Barber, Esther L. Jones, and Kinitra D. Brooks [moderator]) took part in a very fulfilling conversation about Black women and theories of the future!!

Nothing like sharing the “virtual” stage with a group of brilliant minds such as these Black women!! My mind, body, and soul were overflowing with Black joy and hope!!

Check it out below:

For more upcoming “Black Feminist Futures” events at the Schomburg check out the following link here!!

Posted in Feature Spotlight, On The Radar

Dr. G’s Upcoming Events!!

Nothing like keeping busy and enjoying it all at the same time!! And why not share with you!! Check out some of my upcoming events!! Mark your calendars!!

*February 7th, 2022 (1 pm/ET)- “Black History Month in the Workplace”, Having Tough Conversation Series-Monthly Series (Virtual Lecture) [OCOO-Office of The Chief  Operating Officer]…(Washington, DC/Richmond, VA)

*February 15th, 2022 (4 pm/ET)- “The Art of Storytelling: Black Imagining of Politics and Pop Culture”, [Featured Series Speaker], Berglund Seminar Series-Virginia Commonwealth University-Honors College (Richmond, VA)…Registration TBA

*February 19th, 2022 (12:30-2 pm/ET)-“Black Women and Theories of the Future” (virtual) [Invited Panelist], Schomburg Center-Black Feminist Future series, Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture-The New York Public Library (Harlem, NY)…Register Here

Join us for Black Woman and Theories of the Future, a virtual conversation detailing and discussing Black women’s cultural and academic contributions to Afrofuturism past, present, and future. The program features Dr. Susana Morris (Georgia Institute of Technology), Dr. Kinitra Brooks (Michigan State University), Dr. Esther Jones (Clark University), Dr. Tiffany Barber (University of Delaware), and Dr. Grace Gipson (Virginia Commonwealth University).

*February 23-26, 2022-

“The Future is in Her Hands: Rewriting Black Girlhood Narratives and Experiences in Comics,” 43rd Annual Southwest Popular/American Culture Association (SWPACA) Conference, [Conference Presenter], (Albuquerque, NM)

“Teaching & Research with Critical Race Theory” 43rd Annual Southwest Popular/American Culture Association (SWPACA) Conference [Invited Panelist], (Albuquerque, NM)

Despite the fact that Critical Race Theory (CRT) has been around for over 40 years, it appears that a lot of folks – especially those who have little understanding of what it is, its history, and how it is used (and not used) – have recently discovered it exists and have formed ill-informed opinions as to its appropriateness in education. CRT originated among diverse legal scholars and led to the development of other “branches” of CRT such as LatCrit, TribalCrit, and Asian CRT. According to the American Bar Association, “CRT challenges white privilege and exposes deficit-informed research that ignores, and often omits, the scholarship of people of color.” Parents and politicians in the United States have come out in force, disrupting school board meetings, proposing legislation, and even calling for a ban on the teaching of CRT at all levels of education, calling it “indoctrination” and divisive. This roundtable attempts to do a number of things: provide historical background regarding the development of CRT, provide context for the recent public outcry regarding its supposed use in the classroom, share ideas and resources regarding CRT in the classroom and research, and discuss attempts to impose bans or legislation that misunderstand and seek to limit the use of CRT in education and how one can respond. Participants also welcome additional experiences, ideas, resources, and strategies from folks in the audience.

2021 Conference Graphic
Posted in Feature Spotlight, Jaya's Pop Culture Minute-PCM, On The Radar

Jaya’s Pop Culture Minute (PCM)- “A Year in Review”

Not only do you get Dr. G’s 2021 Faves, but I had to make sure I gave you a bonus list! Check out Black Future Feminist Intern Jaya as she offers her two cents for 2021!!

Here is a list of my favorite things that came out and/or discovered for the first time this year. These are things that I discovered that really stuck with me through this crazy year. So for my final post of 2021 here are a few things that got me through this year and here’s to a new year!

My Favorite Albums:

  • Paul’s Boutique ~Beastie Boys
  • Midnight Marauders ~A Tribe Called Quest
  • Call Me If You Get Lost ~Tyler the Creator
  • Vs. ~Pearl Jam
  • There is Nothing Left To Lose ~Foo Fighters
  • Divine Feminine ~Mac Miller
  • Planet Her ~Doja Cat
  • Lately I Feel Everything ~Willow Smith
Photo by Jessica Lynn Lewis on Pexels.com

My Favorite Books:

  • Hamlet ~William Shakespeare
  • Flowers for Algernon ~Daniel Keyes
  • The Handmaid’s Tale ~Margaret Atwood
  • A Game of Thrones ~George R.R. Martin
  • The Song of Achilles ~Madeline Miller
Photo by Taryn Elliott on Pexels.com

My Favorite Movies:

  • Eternals (2021)
  • Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)
  • Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021)
  • The Last Black Man in San Francisco (2019)
  • Sound of Metal (2019)
  • Little Miss Sunshine (2006)
  • The Truman Show (1998)
  • Fargo (1996)
  • Goodfellas (1990)
Photo by Tima Miroshnichenko on Pexels.com

My Favorite TV Shows:

  • Invincible (Prime Video)
  • Squid Game (Netflix)
  • Arrested Development (Netflix)
  • Clickbait (Netflix)
  • The Falcon and The Winter Soldier (Disney+)
  • Hawkeye (Disney+)
  • Downton Abbey (Peacock)
  • Gotham (Netflix)
  • Cowboy Bebop [Anime] (Funimation)
Photo by John-Mark Smith on Pexels.com

Cheers to what is to come in 2022!!

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

Dr. G’s Pop Culture Faves-A Year in Review

2021 is just about over, but not before I share a few of my pop culture faves!! I wanted to compile a list of few of favorite shows, movies, comic books, documentaries, short films, podcasts, and soundtracks that made an impact on me in a major way this year!!

These are a few of my favorite things from 2021…Check them out below*:

  • Comic Books/Graphic Novels
  • Eve (Victor LaValle, Boom! Studios)
  • Far Sector (N.K. Jemisin/Jamal Campbell, DC Comics)
  • Nubia and the Amazons (Stephanie Williams/Ayala Vita, DC Comics)
  • Wake: The Hidden History of Women-Led Slave Revolts (Rebecca Hall/Penguin Books)
  • Run: Book One (John Lewis/Andrew Aydin/Nate Powell/L. Fury, Abrams Books)
  • Bitter Root (David Walker/Chuck Brown/Image Comics)
  • Podcasts: True-crime reigned supreme in this category!! Gotta love a good mystery.
  • Jemele Hill is Unbothered
  • Suspect
  • Over My Dead Body
  • Dr. Death
  • Movies
  • The Harder They Fall (Netflix): An ode to Westerns done in style!!
  • No Time To Die: Ahhh where will the Bond legacy go next
  • Candyman: Thank you Nia Dacosta for this beautiful piece of horror!!
  • Shang-Chi and the Legend of Ten Rings: 10/10
  • Spider-Man: No Way Home
  • Zola: A movie that offers A LOT of different perspectives regarding one weekend!
  • The Unforgivable (Netflix)
  • Army of the Dead/Army of Thieves (Netflix)
  • Gunpowder Milkshake (Netflix): More action films with women leads especially those of color is definitely needed!!
  • Raya and the Last Dragon
  • Judas and the Black Messiah
  • King Richard
  • Concrete Cowboy (Netflix): I’m a sucker for a good western and some Black history!
  • Cruella: Who says you can’t like villains!
  • Dune
  • The Tomorrow War (Prime Video)
  • Red Notice (Netflix): Ryan Reynolds…That’s all I gotta say!
  • Outside the Wire (Netflix)
  • Short Films
  • Us Again (Disney+)
  • Don’t Go Tellin’ Your Momma
  • Twenty Something (Disney+)
  • Bao (Disney+)
  • For the Birds (Disney+)
  • Loop (Disney+)
  • How to Raise a Black Boy
  • Documentary
  • My Name is Pauli Murray
  • Summer of Soul (Hulu)
  • Pride (Hulu)
  • This is Pop (Netflix)
  • Blood Brothers: Malcolm X & Muhammad Ali (Netflix)
  • Mary J. Blige’s My Life (Prime Video)
  • Television Shows
  • Insecure (HBO Max): That last episode… (chef’s kiss)….The end of an era…Sunday nights will never be the same… (le sigh) #DayOne
  • The Wonder Years (ABC): Nostalgia, Comedy and the Black Experience
  • The Underground (Prime Video): Powerful, Visual American History Lesson
  • Invincible (Prime Video)
  • Wheel of Time (Prime Video): Definitely up there with Game of Thrones and Lord of the Rings
  • The White Lotus (HBO Max): I have never been so drawn into a show that made me laugh, cringe, drop my jaw, and so much more…Everything is not always what it seems…
  • Nine Perfect Strangers (Hulu): I do believe what happened actually took place in real life, which is pretty scary if it did…
  • Only Murders in the Building (Hulu)
  • Love Life (Season 2) (HBO Max): I LOVE #BLACKLOVE and ALL its many layers!
  • Queen Sugar (OWN Network): Another show that when it comes to a close, I will truly miss this show!! #DayOne
  • Arcane (Netflix): Definitely looking forward to the next season! Fun to watch!
  • The Falcon and Winter Soldier (Disney+): My fave of the Marvel series on Disney+ so far…They pulled out all kinds of surprises!!
  • What If…? (Disney+): Still missing Chadwick Boseman
  • Run the World (Starz): Love seeing Black female friendships and when cities become actors (I see you Harlem!)
  • Succession (HBO Max): All I can say is just watch it!!
  • Reservation Dogs (Hulu): Please more of this!!
  • Evil (Paramount+): Catholicism is a whole different beast (pun intended)
  • Blood and Water (Netflix): Had to represent SA!!
  • Cruel Summer (Hulu): Shout out to my sista-friend Lesley Bonner for this one!! Talk about being drawn in!! It’s all about the little details!
  • Soundtracks (Television and Film) (I did this instead to avoid having to narrow it down to one artist/group or album)
  • The Harder They Fall
  • Insecure (I owe a great deal to this soundtrack, I became aware and a fan of so many new artists because of each seasons soundtrack!!)
  • Judas and the Black Messiah
  • Coming 2 America
  • Cruella
  • BMF
  • Queen Sugar
  • Tom & Jerry (Now this one surprised me!! But trust me on this one!)
  • True Story (A Whole lot of Philly Soul)

*The listings are in no particular order.

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

Just in case you missed it!!-“The Portrayal of Women in Media & Entertainment”

Earlier this month I had the opportunity to sit on an AMAZING panel with a great group of women to discuss women in media and entertainment as part of the Meliora 2021 celebration at the University of Rochester!!

So I wanted to make sure I shared the video with you just in case you may have missed the LIVE presentation, or you just want to re-cap!!

Check it out below:

Posted in Feature Spotlight, On The Radar

Upcoming Event for Dr. G!!

Glad to be able to participate in another event where I get to talk about a few of my favorite discussion topics: race, gender, media, and entertainment!!

On this coming Friday October 1st (12-1 pm/ET), I will be taking part in the Distinguished Panel Discussion: The Portrayal of Women in Media and Entertainment presented by the University of Rochester-Women’s Network!! Check out the info below:

Over the last few decades, the portrayal of women in film, television, and magazines has evolved, and in some cases, improved to include a stronger presence and influence of women both in front of the camera and behind the scenes. Join our esteemed panelists virtually for a conversation exploring the issues around the media’s portrayal of women and girls—from effects on body image and self-identity—to the ways in which media both limits and empowers women and girls in today’s society.

This virtual panel includes myself as well as an awesome group of women: Kate Hearst (Film Historian, Critic, and Filmmaker), Roberta Myers (longest-serving Editor-in-Chief and Vice President of Brand Content of the US edition of the fashion media brand, ELLE), KaeLyn Rich (Vice President of Organizational Advancement at UltraViolet) and Norma Holland-Moderator) (Director of Public Relations and Engagement for the Office of Equity and Inclusion at the University of Rochester)!!

To register to attend click here!! See you all Friday!!