Tag: race

Posted in Monthly Book Recommendations, On The Radar

Dr. G’s Monthly Book Recommendations-May 2023

Posted on by drblackfuturefeminist

Graduation Season is in effect! The school year is coming to a close. Travel Plans are being made! And Summer is just around the corner! With that said, it’s time for you to get your summer reading list together! And I am here to help you make some selections so that you can drift into that literary dreamstate!

Check out May’s List Below:

  •  Last Summer on State Street ~Toya Wolfe
  • What the Fireflies Knew ~Kai Harris
  • Anywhere You Run ~Wanda M. Morris
  • The God of Good Looks ~Breanne McIvor
  • The Three of Us ~Ore Agbaje-Williams
  • Dances ~Nicole Cuffy
  • Before I Let Go ~Kennedy Ryan
  • You Think You Know Me ~Ayaan Mohamud

And remember you can always go back and check out the previous month’s list and past recommendations in the “Resource” section of the website!!

“Invest in the human soul. Who knows, it might be a diamond in the rough.”

—Mary McLeod Bethune

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

Dr. G Featured in “Pop Junctions” website!

Posted on by drblackfuturefeminist

Got some exciting news!! I have recently taken on a role as a regular contributor and editor with the academic website, Pop Junctions:Reflections on Entertainment, Pop Culture, Activism, Media Literacy, Fandom and More. On this site you can find a plethora of articles/posts discussing media & technology, to comic books, to social media, to gaming, to fandom and much more.

With all the conversations and reactions surrounding the teaser trailer of the upcoming spring film “The Little Mermaid” myself and another colleague of mine Bethan Jones decided to put digital pen to paper and share some of our thoughts. The piece is titled, “Part of Your World”: Fairy Tales, Race, #BlackGirlMagic, and The Little Mermaid.”

Here are a few excerpts…

In 2016 Disney announced a live-action adaptation of its 1989 animated film The Little Mermaid. Loosely based on Hans Christian Andersen’s 1837 fairy tale, the animation earned critical acclaim, took $84 million at the domestic box office during its initial release, and won two Academy Awards (for Best Original Score and Best Original Song). Given Disney’s recent foray into creating live-action adaptations of some of its most successful animated films, it’s no surprise that The Little Mermaid was added to the list. Yet controversy rose when Black actress Halle Bailey was announced as Ariel in July 2019. Among the critiques was the argument that the adaptation should be as close to the original as possible, and the original featured a white mermaid; that if a Black character was re-cast as white in a remake there would be uproar; and while representation in all forms is important it shouldn’t override the history of the characters…

Jones, “Part of Your World”: Fairy Tales, Race, #BlackGirlMagic, and The Little Mermaid

We even provided some history and background into the significance and importance of Black mermaids.

While the original fairy tale from Hans Christian Andersen does describe Ariel’s character as “her skin was as clear and delicate as a rose-leaf, and her eyes as blue as the deepest sea” this does not mean that there were no mermaids who were of color. In fact, water spirits and Black mermaids existed even before Christian Andersen’s 1837 fairy tale. It is important to note the global history of mermaids and water spirits due to the fact that the existence of Black characters in fantasy, magical realism, and science-fiction is often non-existent. If we think about this from an Afrofuturistic lens, these early Western tales did not see Black characters as even being a part of these narratives. The waters have always been seen as a sacred space literally and figuratively within African folklore. Housed within many African traditions, the water serves as a bridge between otherworlds, life and the afterlife. And the sea deity Mami Wata or La Sirene (which translates as Mother Water or Mother of Water) serves as the beginnings of many African mythical tales.

Gipson, “Part of Your World”: Fairy Tales, Race, #BlackGirlMagic, and The Little Mermaid

It was a lot of fun co-writing this piece and contributing to the conversation!!

To check out the full post/article see here!!

Posted in Dr. G's Weekly Hot Topics, Feature Spotlight, On the Desk..., On The Radar, Resources

Dr. G’s Weekly Hot Topics

Posted on by drblackfuturefeminist

And we are back with some new hot features!! A lot is happening in the world, and I’m all for sharing with you!! Check out this week’s new hot topics!!

  • History Being Made!! An E-Sports degree is coming to a South Carolina HBCU!! With the popularity of gaming and e-sports on the rise, as a billion dollar industry, it is only fitting that HBCU’s pick up the baton and make their mark in this arena. Two years in the making Benedict College is offering a major in E-Sports (to go along with their already existing esports gaming room), making it the first HBCU to do so.
Photo Credit: Benedict College
  • Looking for a southern-inspired meal on your next Delta flight, starting September 1st Delta Airlines travelers leaving out of Atlanta will be able to enjoy a variety of dishes curated by a Black Woman Chef, Mashama Bailey. Chef Bailey is a James Beard Foundation award-winning chef and also serves as the co-founder and Executive Chef of The Grey in Savannah, Georgia.
Chef Mashama Bailey
Some of the dishes that will be featured on the in-flight menu (Photo Credit: Delta Air Lines)
  • Making your way to DC anytime soon?? Well make sure you visit the 15 new murals that are part of DC’s 15th anniversary celebration of MuralsDC art program. The first mural (seen below) can be found on the parking lot of the Chik-fil-A on Maryland Ave. in NE DC. More of the installations will be housed in the “Art Allery” an art gallery in an alley on H Street.
MuralsDC first 15th anniversary mural (Photo Credit: MuralsDC)
  • Gospel singer and civil rights activist Mahalia Jackson now has a dedicated public plaza named in here honor. Mahalia Jackson Court is an 8,500-square foot space housed on 1 E. 79th St. in Chatham, IL that will feature daily food trucks, music, curated art and a playscape for children. Visitors will also be able to check out a history display, which will feature various artifacts.
  • This past week it was announced that a prequel series revolving around the high profile Netflix show Bridgerton will showcase the glamorous and fierce Queen Charlotte just wrapped up production!! The show’s director Tom Verica announced it on his Twitter…
  • Imagining a Utopian Future for Queer Nigerians is a new idea being portrayed in Nigerian photographer Daniel Obasi’s latest book “Beautiful Resistance” an artistic collaboration with Louis Vuitton, which chronicles the LGBTQ+ experience in Lagos.
An image featured in Obasi’s newest book. (Photo credit: Daniel Obasi)
Posted in Feature Spotlight, On the Desk..., On The Radar

Featured Event- “The Comic Book Spectrum: Race, Gender, and Comics”

Posted on by drblackfuturefeminist

Check out this upcoming event that came across my desk!!

As part of the Afrofuturism Festival at Carnegie Hall and the Women in Comics Collective International presents: “The Comic Book Spectrum: Race, Gender, and Comics” on February 26th, 2022 at 1:30 pm.

Photo by Teenie Harris 1940/1945

This panel discussion is part of a series that focuses on the effect that race and gender representation have on the comic book industry. It also serves as a platform where multimedia professionals can talk about their backgrounds, work, and thoughts related to the ever-changing spectrum that is comics.

**Take a journey to the world of Afrofuturism—an ever-expansive aesthetic and practice—where music, visual arts, science fiction, and technology intersect to imagine alternate realities and a liberated future viewed through the lens of Black cultures. Immerse yourself in Afrofuturism, Carnegie Hall’s 2022 citywide festival.**

To RSVP for the event, click here!

Posted in Feature Spotlight, On The Radar

Upcoming Event for Dr. G!!

Posted on by drblackfuturefeminist

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!!

Posted in Resources

Let’s Talk About Race-Black Lives Matter

Posted on by drblackfuturefeminist

Previously Posted on Happy Mama Happy Mini (June 2020)

Over the past few months, we have been struggling through a global pandemic—one that has disproportionately affected Black and Brown communities—while also trying to find some sense of comfort and happiness. However, we as country and even the world have recently witnessed a national outpouring of anger, frustration, passion, and protests in response to the ongoing pain of racial injustice and police brutality. With the recent national attention regarding the killings of Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and George Floyd, it is essential to create dialogues about these events and how we make meaning of them to invest in a better society. 

As stated by Black feminist and civil rights activist Audre Lorde, “It is not our differences that divide us. It is our inability to recognize, accept, and celebrate those differences.” Thus, as we continue to have discussion in our schools, churches, community events, and our homes it is important that we engage in these differences, while simultaneously equipping ourselves and others. Having the knowledge can lead to fruitful conversation and some sort of change. 

This knowledge can be found in a variety of resources, tools, books, films/documentaries, and community efforts. 

Below you will see a guide that seeks to equip us with the knowledge in hopes to bring about change: 

Multimedia

Graphic Novels/YA/Children’s Books

  • Dear Martin (2017) ~Nic Stone
  • The Poet X (2018) ~Elizabeth Acevedo
  • Bayou (2009) ~Jeremy Love
  • Something Happened in Our Town: A Child’s Story About Racial Injustice (2018) ~Marianne Celano, Marietta Collins,and Ann Hazzard
  • Saturday (2019) ~Oge Mara
  • The Youngest Marcher: The Story of Audrey Faye Hendricks, a Young Civil Rights Activist (2017) ~Cynthia Levinson
  • Each Kindness (2012) ~Jacqueline Woodson
  • “Resist: 35 Profiles of Ordinary People Who Rose Up Against Tyranny and Injustice” (2018) ~Veronica Chambers
  • Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You (2020) ~Jason Reynolds & Ibram X. Kendi
  • Parable of the Sower: A Graphic Novel Adaptation (2020) ~Damian Duffy & John Jennings
  • March [Trilogy] (2016) ~John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, Nate Powell
  • The Hate U Give (2017) ~Angie Thomas
  • ‘Still I Rise: A Graphic History of African Americans’ ~Roland Laird w/Taneshia Nash
  • Skin Like Mine (2016) ~LaTashia M. Perry
  • I Am Enough (2018) ~Grace Byers
  • Hair Love (2019) ~Matthew Cherry
  • Little Leaders: Bold Women in Black History (2017) & Little Legends: Exceptional Men in Black History (2019) ~Vashti Harrison

Films/Documentaries

  • I Am Not Your Negro (2016)
  • Race (2016)
  • Do the Right Thing (1989)
  • Fruitvale Station (2013)
  • If Beale Street Could Talk (2018)
  • Selma (2014)
  • The Hate You Give (2018)
  • Pariah (2011)
  • Get Out (2017)
  • Say Her Name: The Life and Death of Sandra Bland (2018)
  • Dear White People [Film (2014) & Netflix series (2017-2021)]
  • 13th (2016) [Netflix]
  • When They See Us (2019) [Netflix]
  • Seven Seconds (2018) [Netflix]
  • Time: The Kalief Browder Story [Netflix]
  • See You Yesterday (2019) [Netflix]

Books

  • White Rage: The Unspoken Truth of Our Racial Divide (2016) ~Carol Anderson
  • How to Be An Antiracist (2019) ~Ibram X. Kendi
  • Pushout: The Criminalization of Black Girls in Schools (2018) ~Monique Morris
  • From #BlackLivesMatter to Black Liberation (2016) ~Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor
  • Between the World and Me (2015) ~Ta-Nehisi Coates
  • So you want talk about race (2019) ~Ijeoma Oluo
  • White Fragility: Why it’s so hard for white people to talk about racism (2018) ~Robin Diangelo
  • Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?: And Other Conversations About Race (2017) ~Beverly D. Tatum
  • The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the age of Colorblindness (2020) ~Michelle Alexander
  • Parable of the Sower (1993) ~Octavia E. Butler  
  • ‘Choke Hold’: Policing Black Men (2018) ~Paul Butler
  • Citizen: An American Lyric (2014) ~Claudia Rankine
  • Bad Feminist (2014 ) ~Roxane Gay
  • Heavy: An American Memoir (2019) ~Kiese Laymon
  • Racism Without Racists: Color-blind racism and the persistence of Racial Inequality in America (2017) ~Eduardo Bonilla-Silva
  • The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America (2018) ~Richard Rothstein
  • No Ashes in the Fire (2019) ~Darnell L. Moore
  • ‘When They Call You a Terrorist: A Black Lives Matter Memoir’ (2020) ~Patrisse Khan-Cullors and Asha Bandele
  • ‘Eloquent Rage: A Black Feminist Discovers Her Superpower’ (2019) ~Brittney Cooper
  • ‘Algorithms of Oppression: How Search Engines Reinforce Racism’ (2018) ~Safiya Umoja Noble

This is not an end all, be all list, but meant to ignite and continue dialogues that can be difficult, but are very necessary. Hopefully, this list will also lead to the creation of building other resource guides that can be used in the fight against anti-Blackness and anti-racism. 

“We who believe in freedom cannot rest until it comes.” ~Ella Baker