Summer Breeze…Check….Sitting Poolside…Check…Good Book…Double Check!! Alright, good people, we are back with another edition of “Dr. G’s Monthly Book Recommendations”! As always, there is a little something for everyone, even the kiddos!!
Check out July’s Monthly Book Recommendations below:
You’ve Got a Place Here, Too: An Anthology of Black Love Stories Set at HBCUs ~Edited by Ebony Ladelle
If I Could Go Back ~Briana Johnson
The Girls Who Grew Big ~Leila Mottley
Positive Obsession: The Life and Times of Octavia E. Butler ~Susana M. Morris
King of Ashes ~S.A. Cosby
Toni at Random: The Iconic Writer’s Legendary Editorship ~Dana A. Williams
I Got You: A Brother’s Promise ~Derrick Barnes
Swing Time ~Zadie Smith
Lonely Crowds ~Stephanie Wambugu
As always, don’t forget to support your local bookstores!! Matter fact, for all my Chicago readers, or if you need to build out your bookstore network, check out these Black-owned bookstores in the Chi:
Boy, do I have some trailer goodies for you today!! I’m looking forward to sharing with you the latest film and television releases. And I must say this week is definitely on FIRE!! See for your self!! Check out this week’s trailers below:
Butterfly (Streaming on Prime Video August 13th)
Highest 2 Lowest (In theaters August 22nd & Apple TV+ September 5th)
NCIS: Tony & Ziva (Streaming on Paramount+ September 4th)
Happy Monday!! I am SUPER excited to finally share….I’m officially on @audible !! When this opportunity came across my email inbox, I literally had to re-read the message several times to make sure I was not tripping!! Seeing it all come together is a process I will never forget! Grateful and Thankful!!
A dream come true!! Bucket list item checked off!! Let me just say this: researching, writing, and the actual recording were no joke, but I am sooooo glad I did it!! This was such an amazing opportunity to create and write a six-episode series titled, “From the Wiz to Wakanda: Afrofuturism in Pop Culture”!!
The series, which can be found on Audible and The Great Courses, explores:
Afrofuturism is a cultural movement that seeks to explore and transform the experience of the African diaspora. Stretching across multiple art forms and genres, the movement taps into the limitless potential of creativity and the imagination to envision Black liberation through stories, music, architecture, fashion, music, and so much more.
In the six lessons of From The Wiz to Wakanda: Afrofuturism in Pop Culture, Grace D. Gipson of Virginia Commonwealth University will trace the history of the movement and introduce you to the writers, artists, and creators who are revisiting the past as they build a new vision for the future. From the work of pioneering Black writers like W. E. B. DuBois to the blockbuster Black Panther films and beyond, you’ll see how Afrofuturism is an ongoing cultural project that grows stronger and more multifaceted with each new generation of Afrofuturist creators.
A movement of both reclamation and innovation, Afrofuturism offers unique perspectives that will only continue to grow and evolve, challenging us to rethink the way we engage with history, pop culture, and our conception of the future. By fostering creative visions that push boundaries and shatter stereotypes, the Afrofuturist movement brings new, diverse narratives to life that are transforming our pop culture landscape in revolutionary ways.
When it is all said and done, Afrofuturism is a cultural and social movement that continues to evolve and transform the landscape of pop culture!!
Happy Valentine’s Day to all my BFF Family and Friends!! As a way of sharing my appreciation, here is a music playlist to get you in the spirit!! Enjoy!!
Here is a playlist I created called “Black Love Through Song” on Spotify:
Just a little something to get you in the mood for today and even for the rest of the week and month!! Happy V-Day!! Enjoy and Spread the Love!!
Where do I begin…2023 was another year to remember! It’s nothing like looking back on what happened in the world, what things I accomplished, where I’ve been, and what is in store. This is an opportunity to reflect on ALL that 2023 had to offer!! Traditions were made and carried over…tears were shed of joy and sadness…many lessons learned…new friendships made!! Now I know I will not cover everything but just think of this as an extended highlight reel.
So let us begin….
If I could describe 2023 in three words I would say Patience…Process…Breathe. These three words were very much applicable to me and all aspects of my life, and I would even argue to this year!!
Jumping right out the gate…AI has arrived no more hovering in the shadows. Not gonna say too much but not sure how this is all gonna shake out. Let’s just say it has shaken up a whole bunch of stuff. A part of me is like oooooo, and the other is like uh oh!
Continuing in this vein of the not sure where this is going, oh my, disappointments, and fails I’ll just drop a few names Elon Musk/X, The Flash movie, “Dilbert” cartoonist Scott Adams, Jason Aldean, Diddy, The Idol on Max, Jonathan Majors, Prince Harry’s memoir “Spare”, Ozempic, George Santos, the Met Gala cockroach, Jann Wenner, and how about 15 votes to pick a speaker of the House (for him to be later booted out)…trust me there are more, but I will spare you….
How about that Super Bowl performance from Rhianna and then the baby bump reveal?!? A new monarch and the coronation of Charles III, Damar Hamlin’s injury shaking the entire country on the first Monday of the 2023, Keith Lee vs. The City of Atlanta, Barbenheimer, Jeremy Renner being critically injured by his own snowplow, The Mega Millions jackpot tipped over $1 billion, Turkey and Syria were struck by a catastrophic 7.8 magnitude earthquake, India became the fourth nation to successfully land a spacecraft on the Moon, can’t forget the Montgomery Boat Brawl (will never look at folding chairs the same), Samara Joy earning the Grammy ‘Best New Artist’, no more cheap streaming, and then let me drop this mic…André 3000’s flute album [Listening to it as I type…Simply EPIC]!!
And one of my favorite movies of the year dropped this year Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse!! And I will say this with confidence the BEST Spider-Man movie (both animated and live action)…I will fight you for it!
In some #BlackGirlMagic news …. Missy Elliot and Chaka Khan were induced in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, with Missy’s becoming the 1st female hip-hop artist to be enshrined. It was announced that Ida B. Wells and Althea Gibson will be featured on the US quarters in 2025. Issa Rae dropped her new prosecco ‘Viarae’. America’s first gourmet biscuit brand is a Black woman-owned business, “Mama’s Biscuits”. Dove and Open Source Afro Hair Library launched the “Code My Crown” initiative (a guide for coding textured hair and protective styles in video games). Racha Tahani Lawler-Queen made history in Virginia opening the state’s first Black-owned birthing center, Gather Grounded Midwifery [Richmond]. Fisk University made history not just with the first HBCU gymnastics team but also in hosting a meet with all Black women coaches. And in wildlife news, Dr. Rae Wynn-Grant became the first Black woman in the U.S. to ever host a wildlife show on broadcast television, NBC’s Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom Protecting the Wild.
Much like the years before, there was plenty to celebrate in 2023! Professionally, I would see several publications become available to the masses ranging from book chapters edited collections, an article on Black Gamers and Black Girls finding space in comic books, and several book reviews. I’d be featured in various media outlets while continuing to serve my community. I was selected as a Faculty Mentor Fellow for the VCU Undergraduate Research and Creative Scholarship and a Humanities Research Center Residential Fellow-Health & Medical Humanities…both of these fellowships I get to continue the work that I do on Black female representation in comics, media, and popular culture. I’m also building my mentorship and community networks. 2023 would also present several #ProudProfessorMoments, especially seeing my AFAM students participate in the VCU Poster Symposium for Undergraduate Research and Creativity!! This among many other events would be reflected in being awarded the 2022-23 VCU Faculty Champion Award! Throughout this year, I continued to do work on my IG site “Black Girl Magic in Media” and even created a new site that focuses on the statements I make (professionally and personally) through fashion “DrGsTShirtCollection”. In addition to the fellowships, I would present at various conferences all across the U.S. Strides are being made and I’m excited about what is coming next in 2024…A few things in the works that I’m crossing my fingers on!!
Personally, I celebrated my 20th Delta Anniversary of being an illustrious member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. and graduating from Clark Atlanta University (Go Panthers!!) Wow does time fly!! I got a chance to travel to Raleigh, NC to see the Ruth E. Carter exhibit “Afrofuturism in Costume and Design” as well as the AWESOME “Afrofuturism: A History of Black Futures” at the National Museum of African American History and Culture, “We Who Believe in Freedom: Black Feminist DC” exhibits both in Washington, DC. During the early spring, I served as the first keynote speaker for CulpeperCon (Culpeper, VA) as well as participate in numerous events in the 757 area of Virginia centered on Afrofuturism and comics. To jumpstart my summer, I got an opportunity to go camping in West Virginia (nothing like being in nature) and visit the historical site of Storer College (an HBCU in Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, that operated from 1867 to 1955). And I started a new tradition of attending other HBCU Homecoming celebrations so that I can see how my fellow HBCU grads get it in!!
With 2023 being as one of my friends called it “The Jordan Year” I cannot help but think about how this year is like a four-quarter game of your favorite sport. There are multiple chances to get ahead, fall behind, and even come out as the winner. And speaking of sports, there were a lot of FIRSTS and REPEATS! This year we got to see the Denver Nuggets celebrate their first NBA championship, the Kansas City Chiefs won Super Bowl LVII, Brittney Griner made her reappearance in the WNBA after being detained in Russia for almost a year, The Vegas Golden Knights win their first Stanley Cup in only their sixth NHL season, Simone Biles makes history at the US Gymnastics Championships with her 8th all-around title [further cementing that she truly is a G.O.A.T.], Coco Gauff wins the women’s singles at the US Open, the Las Vegas Aces win the WNBA Finals against the New York Liberty becoming the first repeat WNBA champions in 21 years, and the Texas Rangers win their first World Series in franchise history, just to name a few!
We went through a historical SAG-AFTRA (suspended its 118-day strike on November 9) and Writer’s Guild of America strike (suspended its 148-day strike on September 27) and for a minute we were almost at a standstill with television and film. However, even with the strike in effect, several shows shined through in 2023 that are definitely worth mentioning:
Found (NBC)
The Irrational (NBC)
Justified: City Primeval (FX)
Class of ’09 (FX)
The Bear (FX)
Hijack (Apple TV+)
The After Party (Apple TV+)
Special Ops: Lioness (Paramount +)
Lawman: Bass Reeves (Paramount +)
The Chi (Showtime)
Billions (Showtime)
Winning Time: The Rise of Lakers Dynasty (Max)
The Gilded Age (Max)
Rap Sh!T (Max)
Lupin (Netflix)
Beef (Netflix)
They Cloned Tyrone (Netflix)
Loki (Disney+)
Rye Lane (Hulu)
Poker Face (Peacock)
The Continental (Peacock)
With the conclusion of several great series like Succession, Billions, Snowfall, Jack Ryan, and Loki I can only hope there will be more greatness in store for 2024!!
In the music world, Beyoncé went on her Renaissance World Tour (highest grossing to date) and let’s just say folks are STILL talking about it. She put new meaning to “traveling for what you want to see!” Ohhhhh and let me tell you about the NPR’s Tiny Desk concert series, they were killing it with the features this year!! I was like a kid in the candy store every time I got an alert on YouTube!! Some of my faves for 2023 you can check out below:
2023 was also a HUGE celebration for Hip Hop! As we know Hip Hop is not just a genre of music but a WHOLE MOVEMENT!! It would start with a Questlove curated a hip hop tribute at the 65th annual Grammy Awards ceremony, Hot 97-WBLS hosted the Hip-Hop Forever concert at New York City’s Madison Square Garden, Hip-Hop 50 Live at Yankee Stadium, Boom Bap Atlanta: Hip Hop 50 Fest, the National Museum of African American History and Culture’s (NMAAHC) hosted its annual Hip-Hop Block Party in Washington, DC, the Museum of Pop Culture (Seattle, WA) would showcase an exhibit Contact High: A Visual History of Hip-Hop, along with a host of events all around the world. Closing out the year of hip-hop celebration, it was a true treat to see Queen Latifah become a part of the 2023 Kennedy Center Honors!
Shifting gears…Self-care…This year I was more intentional about making sure I listened to my body more while taking care of it. I have said it before, I’m no spring chicken and my body has definitely reminded me of that recently. Starting over the summer I began booking monthly appointments for 60-minute full-body massages (Shout out to my girlfriends Antoinette and Shermaine). And MY GOD they have worked miracles!! Every month is a heavenly treat! That on top of my monthly loc maintenance appointments are just a few things that have become a part of the regular self-care routine. In 2024, I am hoping to add a few more things.
In addition to stepping up my self-care game, I plan to continue collecting more stamps on the passport. Now one thing that I got to do this year, which I LOVE, is travel (especially internationally)! Can’t quite pick a fave place but going to Tanzania and Curacao definitely warrants a return visit! You can check out my blog travels here!! I look forward to traveling the world even more in 2024 ( I already have a few more places planned)!
Switching gears to the music scene, I definitely got my fill of concerts….Catching Dru Hill, Jodeci, and SWV in Birmingham….Going to see Lauryn Hill in Denver for the 25th Anniversary of The Mis-Education of Lauryn Hill album tour (definitely one of the lucky ones)…Witnessing the greatness of Lakeside, Jermaine Dupri, Big Boi, and a repeat performance of SWV at Hampton’s Homecoming…All the way live!!
Now I will say there are several events that I am looking forward to in 2024 especially as it relates to Las Vegas Residencies. Here are a couple that I plan to put on my calendar:
Jodeci: The Show, The Party, The Las Vegas Residency
New Edition: Las Vegas
With the popularity of Usher’s residency, it seems like Vegas is becoming the HOT SPOT again!
This year we also lost a great many icons, many of which surprised me and hit me to my core. It never gets easier, but I do continue to be thankful for the legacies that they leave.
Fred White (January 1st)
Lisa Marie Presley (January 12th)
David Jude Jolicoeur ‘Trugoy the Dove’ (February 12th)
This year I celebrated turning “42” my Jackie Robinson year! Another year of blessings and good times with family and friends! I will always be grateful for life and another day to live it!!
Ahhhhh so before this post comes to a close I look forward to implementing a couple of new themes to guide me through the year… #FocusForward and #LightsCameraAction !! Stay tuned for how this will come to fruition!
So as we count down these last few days of 2023 I cannot help but think, Come on in 2024!!
Welcome back to another Wednesday edition of #JoyfulBlackSpaces with guest blogger, Lauren N. Jackson.
What are Black spaces? Just as a reminder, Black spaces are intentional spaces and environments designed to uplift and empower the Black community. These spaces bring JOY because they allow Blacks to rid themselves of the daily microaggressions, racism, and prejudices often experienced in society, and allows them to fully embrace their Blackness; their uniqueness, dialect, identity, and culture. Black spaces include spaces like: higher education institutions, restaurants, churches, museums and the like.
Today’s #BlackJoy moment we will focus on “Family Reunions/Cookouts.” As summer quickly approaches, Black families begin to prepare for their upcoming family reunions and cookouts. They begin sending out invitations, purchasing family reunion shirts, putting together the latest musical playlists, planning the menu, and organizing activities and games.
Family reunions and cookouts are special times when Black families come together to celebrate their shared heritage, strengthen family bonds, and create lasting memories. These gatherings allow family members from different generations to reconnect and reminisce about the experiences and customs that have defined their family history.
During these spaces of JOY, the air is filled with enticing aromas of grilled hotdogs and hamburgers, which creates a mouthwatering ambiance. The rhythmic pulses of beloved songs drive family members of all ages to hit the dance floor (typically the grassy portions of the large family backyard) and show off their best routines, such as the electric slide, cupid shuffle, wobble, or tootsie roll. Meanwhile, the older uncles may congregate around a table engaged in a boisterous game of spades, a famous card game known for strategic gameplay and lively banter. Playing spades not only entertains but also functions as a bonding experience, strengthening camaraderie and intergenerational relationships. For others who do not know how to play Spades (like myself), we competitively engage in games like Uno, Bingo, Checkers, Sorry, and Twister; to name a few.
While some family members are immersed in the lively atmosphere, others may seek refuge under a tree, seeking shade from the warm summer sun. Conversations and reflections take place in these shaded spaces. Relatives weave together the strands of their family history via stories, laughter, and heartfelt discussions. They reminisce about fond memories, recalling the triumphs, trials, and shared experiences that have molded their family’s journey. These spaces of JOY remind Black families how far they’ve come and the future that awaits.
We are back for another week!! And as we continue to celebrate Black Music Appreciation Month, today’s #BlackJoy curated playlist is an ode to Hip Hop!!
This year marks the 50th anniversary of Hip Hop, a musical genre that has become a global and cultural phenomenon. Hip Hop as anart form has touched every corner of our world and evolved into one of the most significant cultural forces today. In addition to being a form of entertainment, hip hop has played (and continues to do so) a role in being a voice for marginalized youth to speak about their frustrations, need for change, and times of joy!! As noted by communications/hip-hop scholar professor Aisha Durham, “some of the most innovative hip hop formations that you see today still come from those communities that may feel alienated, disaffected, or in some ways vulnerable — economically, socially, or politically.” Through it all hip hop has changed the game of life!!
In the great words of the late Notorious B.I.G., “you never thought that hip-hop would take it this far.”
See this week’s #BlackJoy playlist below:
As an extra bonus, check out the recent NPR Music #TinyDesk with Charlie Wilson!!
One last nugget check out this upcoming event “Hip Hop 50 Live” set to take place in the Bronx, NY!!
Don’t forget if there’s a track or two that you think should make the list, make sure to drop it in the comments section!!
Black Future Feminist 