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!!
Wow!! We are flying through June, I feel like it just started and we are almost halfway through!! Well let’s not waste any more time, check out this week’s new trailers below:
Mastermind: To Think Like a Killer (Streaming on Hulu-July 11th)
Sausage Party: Foodtopia (Streaming on Prime Video-July 11th)
Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Streaming on Paramount + -August 9th)
Alien: Romulus (In theaters August 16th)
The Killer’s Game (In theaters September 13th)
Piece by Piece (In theaters October 11th)
Season 2-Arcane (Streaming on Netflix-November 2024)
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.”
During an official state visit to Spelman College last week, the president of Kenya signed an agreement with the U.S. to establish an exchange between Kenyan universities and HBCUs. https://t.co/5ZxM46Ju3u
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.”
It’s a new month with a whole new set of trailers! Summer is upon us folks and the prospects are looking really good!! We got a nice mix of final seasons, period dramas, anti-heroes, some history lessons, action, and even a little child’s play!! Check out this week’s trailer below:
Origin (Streaming on Hulu-June 10th)
Season 3- Bridgerton, Part 2 (Streaming on Netflix-June 13th)
WondLa (Streaming on Apple TV+ – June 28th)
Season 4- The Umbrella Academy (Streaming on Netflix-August 8th)
Harold and the Purple Crayon (In theaters August 2024)
Black Future Feminist 