Posted in Celebration, Resources

#30DaysofBlackJoy…Day 7-“Joyful Black Spaces”…Black Spaces That Bring Me Joy!! – HBCUs

Wednesdays will be dedicated to “Joyful Black Spaces” and will be highlighted by guest blogger Lauren N. Jackson. Lauren serves as the Director of First and Second Year Experiences at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), and is the founder of three initiatives to support Black women and girls; “Black Girls Study,” “Leadership Development for Women of Color,” and the “LeadHERs Mentoring Program.” Lauren is also currently pursuing her Ph.D. in Education with a concentration in Educational Leadership, Policy, and Justice from VCU. 

What are Black spaces? 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 Historically Black Colleges and Universities, also known as, HBCUs. In 1838, the first HBCU, Cheyney University was established. At a time where Black education was limited at predominantly white institutions and when racial segregation and discrimination were prevalent in American society, Cheyney, like other HBCUs were founded to address this inequality and provide educational opportunities for Black students.

Since then, HBCUs have played a vital role in shaping the educational landscape for African Americans in the United States. They continue to produce scholars who make significant contributions around the world in various fields like STEM, literature, politics, sports, and arts. Prominent figures such as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (Morehouse College), Booker T. Washington (Hampton University), Thurgood Marshall (Howard University), Toni Morrison (Howard University), Oprah Winfrey (Tennessee State University), Terrance J (NC A&T), and Kamala Harris (Howard University) are among the distinguished graduates of HBCUs. HBCUs serve as beacons of hope where students feel a sense of pride, identity, belonging, community, and most importantly, JOY!  

If you are interested in learning more about the 107 HBCUs, check out the following links: BlackPast, History of HBCUs-Thurgood Marshall College Fund , and HBCU First Timeline .

For all my RVA peeps a special shout-out to two of our local HBCUs – Virginia State University (Etrrick/Petersburg, VA) and Virginia Union University (Richmond, VA). I would also like to shout-out the visionary of #BlackFutureFeminist and the #30DaysofBlackJoy series, Dr. Grace D. Gipson who is a proud alumna of Clark Atlanta University (Atlanta, GA)!

Want to get more insight about HBCUs through the lens of the media? Grab some friends, a few Black-owned snacks, and watch these movies, TV shows, and documentaries. 

  • A Different World (1987)
  • School Daze (1988)
  • Drumline (2002) 
  • BET’s College Hill (2004)
  • Stomp the Yard (2007) 
  • The Great Debaters (2007)
  • Tell Them We Are Rising (2018)

See you all tomorrow!!

Posted in Feature Spotlight, New Trailer Alerts!!, On the Desk..., On The Radar

Weekly Trailer Alerts!!

Let’s hit the ground running and showcase some new tv and film trailers!! Gonna be a jam-packed month, I can feel it in my bones!! So without further ado let’s see what is on deck! Check out this week’s trailers below:

Final Season-Never Have I Ever (Streaming on Netflix June 8th)

The Crowded Room (Streaming on Apple TV+ June 9th)

Season 2-The Wonder Years (Streaming on Hulu June 14th)

Jagged Mind (Streaming on Hulu June 15th)

Season 2-And Just Like That… (Streaming on Max June 22nd)

Make Me Believe (Streaming on Netflix June 23rd)

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem (In theaters August 2nd)

Posted in Celebration, On the Desk..., Resources

#30DaysofBlackJoy…Day 5-Culinary Blackness

Before I begin, let me first apologize for what is to follow (#sorrynotsorry lol)…last night I went out with some friends and had this AMAZING shrimp basket with sweet potato fries and LORD HAVE MERCY it was sooooo good!! And the lightbulb went off…Grace your post for Monday should be all about food and drinks!! The Black culinary experience is definitely a space where we exude a great deal of Black Joy!!

There is such a rich history as it relates to the culinary world that you cannot talk about food and drink without bringing in the Black/African diaspora! So here we are!! As a budding foodie, wine lover, and restaurant experimenter, I knew one of these 30 days had to focus on the greatness of the Black culinary world. I have so many memories about my grandma’s cooking, trying fresh seafood in Australia, going to the vineyards in South Africa, my cousin Terry getting me my first drink on the Queen Mary, and being in second heaven while dining on some delicious steamed mussels and frites in Brussels.

Today’s Black Joy Moment is all about highlighting Black chefs, restaurants, mixologists, cookbooks, and anything to make your culinary senses go haywire!!

Notable Black Chefs/Bakers/Mixologists

  • Tiffany-Anne Parkes- Pastry Chef/Creative and owner of Pienanny and A Seat Above The Table (Instagram: @pi.naan.ee)
  • Arley Arrington- Baker and owner of Arley Cakes (Instagram: @arley.cakes)
  • Nina Compton- Chef and owner of Compère Lapin and Bywater American Bistro in New Orleans (Instagram: @ninacompton)
  • Tanya Holland- Chef, author, and owner of Brown Sugar Kitchen (Instagram: @mstanyaholland )
  • Lazarus Lynch- Chef, author, and founder of the culinary brand Son of a Southern Chef (Instagram: @lazaruslynch)
  •  Jermey Elliott- Mixologist/Bartender and co-owner of Double D’s Bar (Instagram: @jermeygelliott)

Black Culinary Documentaries/TV Series

Featured Black Cookbooks

  • Southern Cooking, Global Flavors ~Kenny Gilbert & Nan Kavanaugh
  • Ghetto Gastro Presents… Black Power Kitchen ~Jon Gray, Pierre Serrao, and Lester Walker with Osayi Endolyn
  • Everyone’s Table: Global Recipes for Modern Health ~Gregory Gourdet with JJ Goode
  • Caribbean Vegan: Plant-Based, Egg-Free, Dairy-Free Authentic Island Cuisine for Every Occasion ~Taymer Mason
  • Vibration Cooking Or, The Travel Notes of a Geechee Girl ~Vertamae Smart-Grosvenor

Additional Information

Stay hungry and thirsty my friends!!

See You Tomorrow!!

Posted in New Trailer Alerts!!, On the Desk..., On The Radar

Weekly Trailer Alerts!!

It’s almost officially Summer Time!! Time to hit up the movies and see what’s coming to the streaming networks!! Check out the new trailers below:

Season 6-Black Mirror (Streaming on Netflix June 15th)

Season 3-The Righteous Gemstones (Streaming on Max June 18th)

World’s Best (Streaming on Disney+ June 23rd)

Season 4-Jack Ryan (Streaming on Prime Video June 30th)

Full Circle (Streaming on Max July 17th)

Justified: City Primeval– (Streaming on FX July 18th)

Posted in A Professor's Thoughts..., Celebration

Coming Soon…”30 Days of Black Joy!!”

What is Black Joy? Black joy is a celebratory term that has been used to acknowledge and highlight the experiences of happiness, pleasure, and contentment within the Black community. As a powerful and affirming concept, Black Joy incorporates resilience, creativity, and the strength of Black individuals and communities locally, nationally, and globally. In simple terms It’s Happiness…It’s Resistance…It’s Freedom!! Ultimately, Black joy is a counter-narrative to many existing dominant narratives of pain, oppression, and struggle that often define the representation of Black people in media and society.

Every year around this time I am led to share, promote, and celebrate the many ways in which Black Joy is personified and expressed. Over the next 30 days, there will be daily posts (via the BFF website, Instagram, and Facebook) celebrating the various forms and expressions of Black Joy. This is seen through art, music, dance, local/national/global community engagement, personal achievements, storytelling, and soooo much more!!

Now before we dive into our celebration, check out some of these articles to get your mind ready!!

So over these next few weeks and days, I hope that you are able to celebrate the wins, challenge the stereotypes, find fulfillment, and embrace joy!!

Day 1 begins on June 1st, so stay tuned each day for your daily dose of JOY!!

Photo by cottonbro on Pexels.com
Posted in Feature Spotlight, New Trailer Alerts!!, On The Radar

Weekly Trailer Alerts!!

I know it’s been a minute but I am getting back into the swing of things. Keeping it short and sweet and to the point, check out these hot new television and film trailers!!

Based on a True Story (Streaming June 8th on Peacock)

Surrounded (Streaming June 20th on MGM+)

Season 2-The Bear (Streaming June 22nd on FX/Hulu)

Hijack (Streaming June 28th on Apple TV+)

Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning, Part One (In theaters July 12th)

The Creator (In theaters September 29th)

Posted in New Trailer Alerts!!, On The Radar

Weekly Trailer Alerts!!

Spring is Here in Full Force!! And it’s the top of the month, which means we also got some new trailers on deck!! Check them out below:

Love Again (In theaters May 5th)

Love to Love You, Donna Summer (STreaming on HBO Max May 20th)

Season 5-Mayans M.C. (Streaming on Hulu May 24th)

Platonic (Streaming on Apple TV+ May 24th)

Season 6-Black Mirror (Streaming on Netflix this June)

All the Light We Cannot See (Streaming on Netflix November 2nd)

The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (In theaters November 17th)

Posted in New Trailer Alerts!!, On the Desk..., On The Radar

Weekly Trailer Alerts!!

Check out this week’s new set of trailers!! Getting you ready for the Spring and Summer !!

Polite Society (In theaters April 28th)

Queen Cleopatra (Streaming on Netflix May 10th)

Class of ’09 (Streaming on FX May 10th)

High Desert (Streaming on Apple TV+ May 17th)

Muted (Streaming on Netflix May 19th)

Fast X (In theaters May 19th)

Talk To Me (In theaters July 28th)

Posted in New Trailer Alerts!!, On the Desk..., On The Radar

Weekly Trailer Alerts!

It’s the top of the month and we got new alerts for you! Check them out below:

Dead Ringers (Streaming on Prime Video April 21st)

Clock (Streaming on Hulu April 28th)

White House Plumbers (Streaming on HBO Max May 1st)

Elemental (In theaters June 16th)

Extraction 2 (Streaming on Netflix June 16th)

Marvel Studios’ Secret Invasion (Streaming on Disney+ June 21st)

Blue Beetle (In theaters August 18th)

Posted in New Trailer Alerts!!, On the Desk..., On The Radar

Weekly Trailer Alerts!!

A new week and a new set of trailers! Check them out below:

Rye Lane (Streaming on Hulu March 31st)

Pretty Baby: Brooke Shields (Streaming on Hulu April 3rd)

BEEF (Streaming on Netflix April 6th)

Waco: The Aftermath (Streaming on Showtime April 14th)

The Professor (In theaters April 21st)

Love & Death (Streaming on HBO Max April 27th)

Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story (Streaming on Netflix May 4th)