Black Actress Excellence
Becoming an actress isn’t easy, and it’s even harder for Black actresses. This is why it’s important to uplift and give recognition to those who are doing their best and succeeding. It also shows that there is a space in media for a variety—no need for pigeon-holing. Ayo Edebiri Ayo Edebiri was born in Boston, MA, U.S. She realized at an early age that she was into comedy; she participated in open-mic events when she was younger and did stand-up in her early 20s. She went to NYU to become a teacher but realized that it wasn’t the route for her. She changed her major to dramatic writing and graduated in 2017 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. Her switch turned out to be a great choice. It led to her landing a lead role in FX’s The Bear. She has been awarded time and again: she has one Emmy win out of two nominations, one Golden Globe out of two nominations, an NAACP and many more wins and nominations. She’s worn many different hats in the industry: writer, director and producer. Vanessa Morgan Vanessa Morgan was born in Ottawa, Ont., Canada. She is both a singer and actress, making her a double threat. She began singing at a young age, and that got her discovered while she was in California. She has given her acting talents to shows like Degrassi: The Next Generation and A.N.T. Farm. She also starred as the lead in My Babysitter’s a Vampire, which is both a movie and TV series that aired on Teletoon and Disney Channel. Morgan was added to The CW’s hit show Riverdale that’s based on the Archie Comics. She became a series regular in the third season. Unfortunately, she mentioned that she was paid the least, which was a sad but all-too-common occurrence for Black actresses. Morgan landed a lead role in the CBC/CW original series Wild Cards. She plays the confident con woman Max Mitchell. The series has been renewed for its third and fourth seasons. Quinta Brunson Quinta Brunson was born in Philadelphia, PA, U.S. She began attending Temple University to study communications. She decided to leave in 2013 to pursue a career in comedy in Los Angeles. Her experiences (and a good friend) led her to becoming a junior producer at Buzzfeed. She left the company in 2018 and began acting on mainstream TV. In 2021, Brunson and ABC released the hit show Abbott Elementary. (Edebiri is Brunson’s sister in the show!) Since then, the show and its cast have been nominated for and won many awards. Brunson has many nominations and has won two Emmys and a Golden Globe. Abbott Elementary has been renewed for its fifth season and will possibly be out in Fall 2025. Temple University granted Brunson an honorary degree in 2024; she was also able to address the graduating class. In the address, she jokes to her mom, “it only took me 11 years, two Emmys and one Golden Globe to finally get a degree.” Issa Rae Issa Rae was born in Los Angeles, CA, U.S. She attended Stanford University to study African and African American studies. During and after attending, she made a number of web series designed around Black lives. She cites the misrepresentation of Black girls on TV as the reason for her creating one of her web series. In 2016, Rae created Insecure for HBO. It ran for five years and ended on season five. The show was quite impactful. As one viewer said, “…Issa Rae is changing tv and has put the narrative of black women back in our hands…” Rae has also taken her acting to the silver screen. She’s acted in the summer hit movie Barbie and rom-coms like Photography and The Lovebirds. She founded the media company Hoorae (formerly Issa Rae Productions). It houses the management company ColorCreative that she co-founded with producer Deniese Davis. ColorCreative, in collaboration with SONY, created the film One of Them Days. Popular singer SZA (who had a small role in Insecure) and well-known actress Keke Palmer play the main characters in the film. These are just a few of the amazing Black actresses who work to create more representation for Black people in the media. Hopefully their presence encourages the industry to make more space for up-and-coming Black actors.
Viola Davis’s Iconic Wig Moment
Picture this: it’s 2014 and the soon-to-be-hit show How to Get Away with Murder is on. Viola Davis’s character Annalise Keating is at her vanity table after coming home from work. She takes off her wig, her eyelashes and her makeup. She finishes by putting lotion on her hands and neck. Iconic—in more ways than one. First off, the scene is much deeper than just getting undone after coming home. For many Black women, hiding their natural hair is part of their job, or as Angela Mackie-Rutledge puts it, “revenue protection.” Annalise Keating is in a job where some feel like they have to change their hair to fit in with the white majority. Actresses like Sanaa Lathan have talked about how Black actresses have felt pressured to hide their natural hair. this leads to her wearing a wig and makeup while she works. It is aptly described as her “armour” by Quinci LeGardye from Marie Claire and Shania Russell from Slash Film. This scene was one thing that Davis herself felt was necessary for the show. The show’s creator Peter Nowalk says, “Viola’s one request when she agreed to be on the show was to see Annalise without her wig.” Nowalk continues to describe Davis as both a genius actor and a genius storyteller. For Davis, this scene is “a bold choice to ground Annalise in reality.” It invited viewers to see Annalise Keating as a rounded character who, like many, physically separates her private self from her public self. This choice was a way to push against the norms of a character having “a glossiness that has no resemblance to life.” This was a scene for the viewers, even outside of the Black crowd. As LeGardye pointed out in her article, a character like Annalise Keating would normally be portrayed by a man, typically White. Vulture’s Diane Gordon reports on Davis’s decision to take the role at a For Your Consideration panel. Davis says, “When someone is described as sexual and mysterious and complicated and messy, you don’t think of me.” She knows what it’s like to have someone fit her into a mold. Davis attended Juilliard School—a prestigious arts (music, dance and drama) academy. While speaking with Diana Evans for The Guardian, Davis is very critical of Juilliard and its “crushing white-centrism, its desire to create the ‘perfect White actor’.” Her critique is that the school imposes the rigid way it thinks actors should go—the White way. Having such inflexible criteria leaves little room for actors of colour to express themselves their way. It was with all this knowledge that she asked Nowalk to include the wig removal scene. Davis is a great actress, and she knows that. To her, Annalise Keating is a character that “[reflects] the full scope of [her] talent.” She got to play a lead role in a popular show as opposed to “being the third girl from the left.” The scene was also “…showing an image that isn’t palatable to the oppressor.” This is a scene that speaks loud and clear to its audience without having any dialogue. Despite Juilliard trying to train her to be a White actress, Davis showed her range as a powerful Black actress. The online natural hair movement was very popular in the 2010s. By 2014, the community would be heavily embracing their natural hair. A scene like this was validating to any Black woman whose hair held high value to them. Many women would wear a wig as a form of protection. These women can also relate to the routine of taking everything off after a long day. As an actress with great talent and over 20 years of acting experience, it makes sense that this scene came from Viola Davis. For her efforts, she has become one of four Black holders of the coveted title of ‘EGOT’ (Primetime Emmy, Grammy, Academy Award/Oscar, Tony). She won an Emmy in 2015, a Grammy in 2023, an Oscar in 2017 and two Tonys, one in 2001 and again in 2010. Davis has the accolades to show that she knows what she’s doing. This wig scene pulled no punches, and it delivered the message that it needed to. For everyone’s sake, let’s hope she keeps posing great suggestions and has the right people listening to her.
Black Artists You Should Know in the GTA
Toronto’s creative landscape is brimming with talent, but too often, Black artists are underrepresented in galleries, overlooked in grant funding or expected to create only within narrow cultural expectations. That’s starting to change. A wave of Black artists across the Greater Toronto Area is enriching what art means, who it’s for and where it’s seen. From fabric portraits to powerful photo essays, these creators aren’t just making work—they’re telling stories that have long gone unheard too often. Take Gio Swaby, for example. Originally from the Bahamas and now based in Toronto, her textile portraits of Black women—stitched, layered and radiant—have been displayed in major institutions across North America. Her work reclaims softness, power and pride all at once, shying away from the negative stereotypes placed on Black women. Swaby’s 2024 solo exhibition Fresh Up at Art Toronto was a major cultural moment, proving that “fine art” can be rooted in family and community. Textile isn’t the only medium making waves. In west-end Toronto, Daniel Akinlalu captures striking portraits of Black residents and urban backdrops in work that feels part documentary, part love letter. His photography explores what it means to be Black in the city—not just surviving but thriving, celebrating, becoming. His recent series, featured in Humber ETC, draws attention for the way it quietly commands space in a loud world. Another essential voice is Shelly Grace, a multi-disciplinary artist who blends spoken word, photography and community education. Her work often centers Black girlhood, care and self-actualization, refusing trauma as the only narrative. In 2022, she was awarded Toronto’s Breakthrough Artist by the Toronto Arts Foundation, recognizing her unique ability to build bridges between art and activism. Of course, some artists defy easy categorization. Anique Jordan is one of those boundary-breakers. A visual artist, curator and cultural historian, Jordan’s work often draws from archival research to reimagine Canadian history through a Black lens. Whether she’s constructing surreal photographs or staging powerful performances, her work reminds viewers that Black presence in this country is deep, rich and enduring. Then there’s Esmaa Mohamoud, known for monumental installations that explore Black masculinity, vulnerability and athleticism. Her sculptures—like a series of deflated basketball forms cast in concrete—speak to systemic pressure and identity. Mohamoud’s work has been shown at the Art Gallery of Ontario and in public spaces as part of the Scotiabank CONTACT Photography Festival. These artists aren’t working in isolation. They’re part of a broader movement—one that’s reimagining not only the arts but the infrastructure surrounding it. They mentor, collaborate, host community programs and reclaim the artistic space in every sense of the word. And they’re not just creating for galleries or grants; they’re creating for each other—for the older generations and the younger ones who might finally see themselves being represented. Black art in the GTA is not a trend or a category. It’s a force—ever-evolving, deeply rooted and impossible to ignore.
Twelve Black fantasy authors
By Thean Sargeant It’s inspiring to see publishing houses and their imprints (think smaller, more specific publishing houses under one publisher) pick up manuscripts and imprints by Black authors. It’s even more inspiring to see many Black authors explore the fantasy genre. Many fantasy authors draw inspiration from their cultures’ mythology. If you’ve been thinking about reading fantasy, consider supporting these Black fantasy novelists. Ehigbor Okosun Ehi, as she likes to be called, grew up with the Nigerian mythology and traditions that she writes about in her books. This multi-degree holder’s debut book, and first of a duology, Forged By Blood, was published by Harper Voyager, an imprint of HarperCollins that is dedicated to science fiction and fantasy. Look out for the sequel, Exiled by Iron, in October 2024. Tracy Deonn (#1 New York Times bestseller) Known for her popular series The Legendborn Cycle, Deonn, who holds both a bachelor’s and master’s degree, has made quite a name for herself. In 2021, she won a Coretta Scott King – John Steptoe New Talent Award. Her books are published by Margaret K. McElderry Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster literary fiction and nonfiction for children and teens. Look out for the third book in The Legendborn Cycle, Oathbound in May 2025. Liselle Sambury (Canadian) Sambury, who holds a degree from Queen’s University in Ontario, is another author published by Margaret K. McElderry Books. She debuted in 2021 with her book Blood Like Magic, the first in the Blood Like duology. This book made Sambury a finalist in the 2021 Governor General’s Literary Award for Young People’s Literature — Text. The sequel, Blood Like Fate, came out the following year. Her two newer books Delicious Monsters and Tender Beasts are out now and available for purchase. Jordan Ifueko (#1 New York Times bestseller) Award-winning author (Nebula Award and Ignyte Award, to name a few) Jordan Ifueko is known for her Raybearer series. The series is partially inspired by her West African heritage and other world cultures. The imprint Abrams Books has published her work. Look out for her new, standalone book (based in the same world as Raybearer) The Maid and the Crocodile. Nia “N. E.” Davenport Davenport is both an academic and a published author. She is known for her popular Blood Gift duology published by Harper Voyager. The first book in the duology, and Davenport’s debut book, is The Blood Trials. The follow-up book, The Blood Gift, was published in June 2024. Deborah Falaye (Canadian) Growing up in Lagos, Nigeria equipped Falaye with knowledge of the Nigerian and Yoruba mythologies she needed to write her debut novel Blood Scion. Published by HarperTeen, another imprint for HarperCollins, in 2022, the book is the first in an unnumbered series. Look out for her second book War Widow in late 2024. Suyi Davies Okungbowa (assistant professor at the University of Ottawa) Another academic and author, OsasuyiOkungbowa, Suyi for short, has four science fiction books. Anaddon Books published David Mogo, Godhunter in 2019. Hachette’s imprint Orbit Books published two books in the Nameless Republic trilogy: Son of the Storm (2021) and Warrior of the Wind (2023). Tor Publishing Group, an imprint of Macmillan, published his standalone book Lost Ark Dreaming in 2024. The release of his last book in the Nameless Republic trilogy is anticipated. Terry J. Benton-Walker This master’s degree author wrote a popular series, Blood Debt, which contains two books: Blood Debt and Blood Justice. They were published by Tor Teen, an imprint of Macmillan. Walker also has a children’s fantasy series, Alex Wise, published by Random House Children’s Books’s imprint Labyrinth Road. Marlon James James is a Jamaican-American academic and author whose first book was published in 2005. His book Black Leopard, Red Wolf, published by Riverhead Books, an imprint of Penguin Group/Penguin Random House, marked his entry into fantasy in 2019. This book is the first of a planned trilogy titled The Dark Star. The second book, Moon Witch, Spider King was published in 2022. Look out for the final book in the trilogy White Wing, Dark Star. Moses Ose Utomi Utomi, a Nigerian American, takes inspiration from his West African culture and mythology. This academic published his first fantasy YA novel Daughters of Oduma with Atheneum Books for Young Readers, a Simon and Schuster imprint. His two published novellas are part of the Forever Desert trilogy. The books, published by Tordotcom, an imprint of Macmillan, include The Lies of the Ajungoand The Truth of the Aleke. The last book of the trilogy is forthcoming. Jamison Shea Shea’s debut book, I Feed Her to the Beast and the Beast Is Me, and its upcoming sequel, I Am the Dark That Answers When You Call, serves as their launch into the world of dark fantasy writing. Henry Holt and Co., who operate under Macmillan in the US, published their books. Rivers Solomon Award-winning academic and author, Solomon has been in the fantasy genre for seven years. Their book An Unkindness of Ghosts was published by Akashic Books, an independent, Brooklyn-based publisher. Their second book, The Deep (a novella), is based on a song of the same name that was commissioned from the hip-hop group Clipping for the show This American Life. The group members Daveed Diggs, William Hutson, and Jonathan Snipes are given credit on the book for their involvement. Saga/Gallery Press, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, published the book. Solomon’s third book, Sorrowland, is a gothic fantasy published in 2021 by MCD Books (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, whose parent company is Macmillan).
Who is Cree Summer?
By Thean Sargeant Cree Summer Francks, professionally known as Cree Summer, is an American Canadian actress who has graced both live and animated screens. Her father, Don Francks, was a Canadian actor, singer, and musician. Her mother, Lili Red Eagle Francks (née Clark), is a Plains-Cree African American actress and an adopted Red Pheasant Cree Nation member. Summer lived in both Saskatchewan and British Columbia before starting school in Toronto. She now lives in the U.S. Summer was interested in voice acting from a young age. With her father’s help, she landed the role of Penny in the 1983 Inspector Gadget animated show. In an interview with AV club, she said that her father was auditioning for the show and asked if his daughter could read for Penny. With that, it was the beginning of her acting career. Summer has voiced main characters, acted as multiple characters within a show, and played background characters for over 40 years. She has amassed over 250 roles across films, television shows, and video games. When asked how she thinks of voices for her characters, Summer told Splinter that she sees a picture of them and gets an “indication of what they sound like.” According to asitecalledfred.com, she also looks at the character’s age, jaw, and even teeth to determine what they should sound like. Aside from that, Summer uses the voices she gave her toys from when she had to entertain herself as an only child without a TV. Summer enjoys the non-competitive nature of the voice-acting world as she feels that other voice actors are silly people who enjoy doing their job. They “[know] their lane and what they’re good at,” she explains to AV club. Voice actors recommend one another for roles they know the other person would be good at. Summer has grown close to many in her voice-acting circle like Grey Delisle and fellow Torontonian Tara Strong, describing her relationship with the latter as one of the “sweet soul sisters for a million years.” While some of her characters have been white, Summer has brought many Black female characters to life. In the past, Black and brown kids didn’t see themselves depicted on screen as often as their white counterparts. According to Summer in AV Club, cartoons are one of the first times kids can see themselves, so it’s not good when Black and brown kids are not represented. She got excited when she saw her Rugrats character, Susie Carmichael, thinking that the character “looks like a real little brown girl, not like a white girl [coloured] brown.” She also feels that her Black princess in Atlantis: The Lost Empire doesn’t get the recognition a Disney princess needs. She hopes this changes. Summer’s work has also extended into live-action roles. She appeared on popular shows like The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and Living Single in 1994. Her longest role was Winifred “Freddie” Brooks in A Different World, a spin-off of The Cosby Show. She played the role from 1988 until the show’s end in 1993. Recently, she played a minor character on Abbott Elementary and will be starring in Disney/Marvel’s miniseries Ironheart. Summer has dabbled in singing and released one studio album called Street Faërie. Her love for singing carried over into her characters as she has sung for some of them. A few shows wherein Summer has sung are All Grown Up! as Suzie Carmichael, Drawn Together as Foxxy Love, and Codename: Kids Next Door as Abigail Lincoln (Numbuh 5). Summer has been unstoppable in pursuing the career she has loved since she was a little girl. She credits the start of her career to pure nepotism and hopes that her daughters can carry on the “family business” of voice acting.
Breaking Stereotypes with Abbott Elementary
By Thean Sargeant Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers about the TV show Abbott Elementary. In 2021, Quinta Brunson’s award-winning mockumentary Abbott Elementary graced the air. What started as an homage to Brunson’s mother, quickly expanded into a network show that doesn’t rely on Black stereotypes. Four of the show’s main characters are quite different, just like how Black people in real life vary. Janine Teagues (Quinta Brunson), Gregory Eddie (Tyler James Williams), Ava Coleman (Janelle James), and Barbara Howard (Sheryl Lee Ralph) each have unique problems that are resolved throughout the show. Janine is the most optimistic of the bunch. Her personality is that of an awkward adult who makes her way through personal relationships the best way she knows how. She is a college-trained teacher who ended her long-term relationship towards the end of the first season. She also has awkward relationships within her family, namely with her mom and sister. We, as the audience, get the feeling that Janine wants everything to fall in line and work out perfectly. We see her reel back from her perfectionism as she gains wisdom from those around her, mostly Barbara, who she looks up to. Gregory is a no-nonsense, nonchalant character. However, as the show progresses, he eases away from the tough Black man trope, and instead proves to be someone who can stick to his morals without seeming unapproachable. Audiences learn that his dad has a huge influence in his life (especially, since his mom passed). Sometimes, this influence is not so good, because it makes Gregory feel like he can’t stray from the path that has been mapped out in his head. His character is realistic, as he deals with heavy parental pressure, even into adulthood. Ava is a peppy, quick-witted, and selfish person who only does things to benefit herself. However, her character develops into someone who is slightly more willing to help others, even if it has almost little to no benefits for her. A college graduate who was the step class master for her sorority, Ava is an educated sassy lady who knows when to take situations seriously. While Ava’s character is hilarious, she is more than just a comedic relief. She is a character with flaws that she addresses as the show progresses. Barbara is an upbeat, older Christian woman who has been teaching at Abbott for years. Her character is based on Quinta’s actual mom who was a kindergarten teacher herself. Barbara can be seen as a stereotype, but there is some nuisance to her character that goes beyond reading the Bible and constantly talking about God. She is accepting of the LGBTQ+ community. This acceptance has caused strife between her and her church choir members who aren’t too accepting of the community. She also has moments when she doesn’t readily accept someone for being different from her. In season 2, episode 8, Barbara encounters a parent who has a profane word tattooed across her chest and a derogatory term on her jacket, which is seen after Barbara asks the mother to cover up. The problem grows as Barbara essentially assumes that the mom is an unwed single mother — she is not. When Ava suggests that the mother’s attire is okay as long as her child is okay, Barbara realizes that she should look at the situation differently. While she still doesn’t completely condone the mom, she accepts that people are different. She learns to let certain things slide. Abbott Elementary’s success proves that audiences have been looking for something that isn’t just overplayed stereotypes. The show has wrapped up its third season and is preparing for its fourth. Many stories are still to be told in it, so hopefully ABC continues to see the vision behind it for years to come.
Five books by Black authors to look out for this year
By Sydnee Walcott While reading may be boring to some, it has more benefits than one may think. Reading is a lifelong skill that gives people room to improve their memory, build their vocabulary, and gain more knowledge. One of the biggest things reading can do is teach people about the world around them and how they can do their part to help make positive change. Here’s a list of five books by Black authors to be on the lookout for this year. The Black American Handbook for 2024 The year 2024 started on a high note with the release of The Black American Handbook for 2024 by Albert Allen III. The handbook encourages Black people to do better for themselves in various sectors. Some content in the book touches on how the descendants of enslaved Black Americans should demand reparations payments from the U.S. for free labour, how AI opportunities benefit Black Americans, preserving family wealth, doing their art to combat the homelessness problem within the country, creating a political party that benefits them, and steps to making their goals become a reality. You Can Be a Good Friend (No Matter What!): A Little TJ Book Labelled as a New York Times Bestseller, award-winning actress and mental health advocate Taraji P. Henson’s debut picture book, You Can Be a Good Friend (No Matter What!): A Little TJ Book, is geared towards children ages four to eight. Lil TJ, a quirky, stylish, and somewhat off-the-cuff little girl, is excited for her first day of school. However, her feelings change upon her arrival when she realizes everything she does is different and makes her stand out in the wrong way. Things don’t get any better for TJ as one of her classmates, Beau, continuously teases her. This leaves TJ filled with anxiety and doubt until she remembers some important words of wisdom from her Grandma Patsy. This gives TJ the confidence to make new friends and help someone else in the process. Black Joy: Stories of Resistance, Resilience, and Restoration What was supposed to be an essay on Black joy for The Washington Post, became so much more when NAACP Image Award-winning author Tracey M. Lewis-Giggetts received an outpour of positive responses from readers. Black Joy: Stories of Resistance, Resilience, and Restoration, is a 288-page book filled with lyrical essays about the evolution of joy within Lewis-Giggetts life, even amid trauma. These essays allow readers to recognize the power of Black joy and knock down the one-note narratives of Black life as only being compromised by trauma and hardship. My Black Country: A Journey Through Country Music’s Black Past, Present and Future The year 2024 has been the breakout year for many Black artists within the country music scene. People have been looking forward to a year like this as Black people have contributed to the origins of the genre and have often seen their contributions get overlooked due to cultural appropriation. Award-winning professor, songwriter, and author Alice Randall, celebrates the Black origins of country music and how the genre brought Randall and her activist mother together. Randall has made her own contributions to the genre, becoming the first Black woman to co-write a number one country hit, Trisha Yearwood’s “XXX’s and OOO’s.” While touching on Randal and her mother’s bond through country music, the book celebrates the genre’s Black influences throughout its history, introducing them to a new generation of listeners. Kiki Finds Her Voice: Be True to You and Embrace Your God-Given Gifts While growing up, fitting in and becoming popular is what some kids look to achieve. At times, kids may find themselves in a situation where they might be subjected to peer pressure to achieve their desired popularity. However, kids often discover that becoming popular is not worth it if peer pressure is involved. The school talent show is coming up and Kiki is excited when she is invited to perform along with the popular girls. Her excitement is cut short when her new friends choose to sing a song Kiki’s parents don’t approve of. This puts Kiki in a difficult position as she has to decide if popularity and pleasing her friends is more important than speaking up and doing what she knows is right. Based on a true story in the life of Grammy-nominated gospel singer and actress Kierra Sheard-Kelly along with Molly Hodgin, this children’s picture book helps kids discover how they can use their God-given gifts in a positive light and how to be true to themselves when it’s not deemed as the popular thing to do. All books listed above are available for purchase in hardcover, paperback, and as an ebook for various apps and reading devices.
Weight
By Priscilla Wiredu That weight. That weight that has been on the shoulders of the first African forced onto that ship. The weight that crushed them amongst each other through the violent, uncaring waves. The same weight carried on the back of the first slave to set foot in the Americas. That weight that lived on slaves’ backs, their heads, their shoulders, their feet, keeping them down, submissive, scared. That weight makes them think that they were better off drowning in the water with others. The weight of grief is piled on top of that too, but for their survival, they push that aside. It’s amazing, the Black human body, isn’t it? The weight in which Black women carry when dealing with their boss’s families and their own. The weight Black men feel to “stay in their place” when minding their own business. The weight of hateful eyes looking at them, waiting for them to step out of line so they can unleash their animalistic hate. It’s like walking through a lion’s den covered in T-bone steaks. It’s dangerous to not be aware of this weight — Emmet Till, just a boy, was just getting used to his weight when his life was savagely torn from him. All because of the lie of a white woman. Now his mother carries his weight until her death. The weight has become our survival instinct. The weight of carrying our crying babies on our backs escaping the cotton fields at night. The weight of worrying when our Black family will return home, if at all. That weight. That immovable weight. That weight never goes away. Every Black American has felt it, personally or sympathetically. Whether it’s walking into a store to get something. Or encountering a police officer, Or walking home alone in the dark (where people are afraid of YOU, ain’t that some shit?) The weight Martin Luther King Jr. talked about in his iconic speech, how the weight he felt for every Black American and his dream to one day uplift it. The weight Rodney King felt as those three heavyset police officers beat him within an inch of his life, and were acquitted for doing so. The weight Ruby Bridges felt walking down the steps of her home, aligned with bigots shouting at her as she made her way to school. A weight no six-year-old should have to feel. The weight George Floyd felt on his neck for nine minutes. Recorded,slow, and tortuous weight. The weight of the gunshot that crashed through Ralph Yarl’s face, simply because he had the nerve to not know where he was. The weight OJ Simpson felt when the verdict at his trial was announced. The weight Barack Obama felt during his inauguration. This weight is ambivalent for Black people. This weight has made itself a home within every Black American, whether they acknowledge it or not. It should be crushing, it should be devastating, it should wipe anyone out. But it doesn’t. Because through everything Black people have been through, they have been granted strength. Resilience. Resistance. Pride. Love. Justice. Acknowledgement. Whether its ending generational trauma, or passing new laws, or positive representation, This weight is shared equally among Black people, and as a people, we have learned to distribute it among us so that no one suffers alone.
Nope: A Black Instinct
By Priscilla Wiredu Two years ago, I wrote an article about the portrayals of Black people in horror movies. The article discusses the types of roles Black people play in such films wherein they pretty much end up dying painfully and unjustly. The main point of this article was to showcase how Black people aren’t wanted in horror cinema unless they are suffering. They do not want to be seen as heroes, survivors, or protagonists. It would have been a solid theory that Black people simply wouldn’t survive in horror films. Now, a new theory arises: maybe Black people are too smart to get into horror movie plots. A survival technique Famed director Jordan Peele has made several films with Black actors with the underlying theme of these films being racism. Peele’s debut feature,Get Out (2017), follows the story of a Black man as he finds out the hypnotic and terrifying secrets of his white girlfriend’s family. As the title suggests, the protagonist has to get out before he becomes their next victim. On the Internet, many skits and videos comically show how Black people would react in horror movies, and why these films would then end faster than anticipated. It’s not because Black people are buzzkills and ruin the fun. Black Americans, specifically, have been socially engineered to avoid danger and conflict whenever it’s presented. They’ve inherited a generational survival instinct that has transcended even today. Experiences of the oppressed vs the oppressors Southern physician Samuel Cartwright (1793-1863) was famous for coining the term drapetomania, a racist fluke disguised as a mental illness that explained the psychology of enslaved Black people who escaped. Cartwright theorized that the enslaved who wanted to escape slavery were mentally unhinged since slavery made their lives better. He also believed Black people were put on this earth to be enslaved for White people. It was deemed unfathomable to break free from that. Of course, drapetomania has long since been debunked, with more verifiable studies on Black mental illness and well-being coming to light, and advancements in Black mental health help. However, the reason why it is mentioned here is paramount to explain why there is such a difference in approaching danger when it comes to Black and White people. As history tells us, White people came from Europe, participated in the most recent slave trade, brought Africans to Americas and colonized every group of color into their own little box. For decades, Black people have fought against slavery, Jim Crow, lynchings, hate crimes, and other racist systemic disadvantages to get where they are today. White people, on the other hand, have regressed when it comesto reigning superiority – no longer owning slaves, integrating with people of color,andracist laws being abandoned.However,White people, of course not all the time, now face consequences for their racist behaviors. Real-life horrors After putting up with racist practices, discrimination, gaslighting, and too many other forms of mistreatment to name, Black people in Western society have developed a sixth-sense sort of “power” that helps them understand they are not wanted in a certain area and therefore must leave if they want to live. Sundown towns, public lynchings, police brutality as examined in the murder of Emmett Till, and the horrors enslaved Black people faced on plantations explains why how Black people have developed this instinct. Ancestral Instincts Stories from the enslaved that are told from families to families, and news stories about police brutality and unjust killings of Black people, are enough to make Black people worry about their lives and safety that to just frolic into a haunted place as opposed to White people. White people have a superiority complex due to centuries of indoctrinating their beliefs and colonizing parts of the world. For example, White supremacists fear that they’re being replaced and facing karma for the damage they inflicted upon the world (which is far from the truth). Back to the drapetomania theory. Perhaps, Black people were mentally ill to want to escape slavery because if slavery was bad, what made them think the outside world would be any more welcoming to them? This theory in real life Black people are aware of the staggering difference between how they act and how White people act in dangerous situations. They are also aware of racism in horror films. The 2019 documentary, Horror Noire,details the history of racist cinema and how only recently have Black people mastered the horror genre. Of course, Black people try to make the best of it, making social commentary films, such as Peele’s Nope, Get Out, and the 2022 horror comedy The Blackening,a movie about Black friends who go to a cabin and try to survive a serial killer with their knowledge of horror films and Black peoples portrayals. Black Americans have used this instinct as a means of surviving in an racist anti-Black society for centuries. It has informed their arts, songs, poems,and struggles giving other members of society the chance to sympathetically view Black experiences from Black perspectives.
Five TV Shows That Broke the Colour Barrier
By Priscilla Wiredu For decades, Black Americans have fought for proper representation in Western media. As a result, Disney launched their first Black princess in the 2009 hit film The Princess and The Frog, Black Ariel in the 2023 live-action film The Little Mermaid –to name a few recent examples. The call for greater representation has been a long battle amongst Black Americans, along with the racial backlash they had received when such accomplishments have been made. Here are five historical TV moments that broke the colour barrier and helped pioneer Black TV. 1954 – Arthur Duncan on The Betty White Show” Renowned Golden Girls actress Betty White made a huge mark on American culture via her TV show Golden Girls. Three decades prior to this huge mark, Betty White had her own television show called The Betty White Show, where she would host weekly interviews with guests of her choosing. Betty White was an avid fighter for civil rights and fought against segregation. Using her show, she had a recurring guest, a Black tap dancer named Arthur Duncan, where they would engage in hearty conversation. Duncan would also perform small dances during his segments. Duncan was cited as the first Black man to appear as a regular on a U.S. talk show, and many people in America, especially in the South, had strong feelings about this. Hate mail and complaints called for Duncan to be taken off the show or for the show to be cancelled entirely. White, however, stood her ground. She allowed Duncan, as well as other Black guests, to appear on her show as she pleased. White was quoted as saying: “I’m sorry. Live with it”. Eventually, The Betty White Show was cancelled due to lack of sponsorship and low ratings. However, White’s choice to showcase a Black man on her show was an amazing stepping stone for Black audiences. 1967 – Eartha Kitt as Catwoman in Batman ABC’s live action Batman had casted the late iconic actress and singer Eartha Kitt to play Catwoman in its final season. Kitt’s portrayal as Catwoman wasn’t just for entertainment purposes. It was politically driven as well. Deep in the middle of the civil rights movement, and amid the Supreme Court’s striking down of the ban on interracial marriage, thanks to the famousLoving. V. Virginia court case, Kitt playing a provocative antagonist to a White superhero was quite the spectacle of the time. Many Black Hollywood actors who managed to achieve fame during those times did so by providing positive reinforcements for Black youth. Kitt’s Catwoman launched a legacy of empowering Black women to get into large Hollywood roles, as well as create their own superheroes decades later. 1974 – Good Times The late renowned American screenwriter Norman Lear made television history when his TV sitcom Good Times debuted on February 8, 1974. Good Times is said to have been the first TV show to depict a real Black family struggling in American life. Good Times is a staple in Black television because of the way it addresses racial identity and other issues. The protagonist in the series, James Evans Jr., the breadwinner of the family, and his wife, Florida, held authority in their household and were hard-working and loving parents to their children. Their children each were gifted in their own ways. James Jr. was a talented painter, Thelma was an aspiring doctor and feminist, and Michael was a firm believer in social change and justice. The show referred to figures of Black media, such as Ebony magazine, comedian Flip Wilson, and talented composer Isaac Hayes. Not only did Good Times portray Black families as beautiful, tight-knit and loving, they also honed in on social commentary when it came to race relations. Despite all these positive attributes, the characters had faced racial discrimination or some form of tokenism that was met with aloofness and disregard. Good Times shows that Black Americans can and do have the perfect nuclear family unit. 1966 – Star Trek The critically acclaimed TV series Star Trek, which debuted September 8, 1966, was influential not only in its compelling storylines and use of sci-fi lore but also because of the many lessons it taught about diversity and the power of representation. In watching Star Trek, viewers could reflect on society and its attitudes towards marginalised groups, as characters on the show are not just concerned about finding a utopia for humans, but rather about creating one themselves. The original Star Trek cast had a multitude of diverse characters, including Uhura, played by the beautiful late Nichelle Nichols, a Black woman who inspired many Black viewers by playing a female authoritative role. As if her appearance and acting skills weren’t enough, Nichols and William Shatner, who played Captain Kirk, had TV’s first interracial kiss, which aired on November 22, 1968. Despite some pushback from opposing viewers, Star Trek would continue to inspire millions and millions of fans years later. 1969 – Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood A children’s TV show that transcends generations in time and messages, Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood was an educational show that taught children about love, acceptance, facing your fears, and many other important lessons for growing up. Hosted by the titular character Fred Rogers, many episodes have dealt with serious issues, such as one episode addressing death and grief relating to the assassination of President Kennedy. Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood also took a stand against racial segregation. On May 9, 1969, in response to the banning of desegregated public pools, Rogers let Officer Clemmons, a Black police officer played by Francois Clemmons, soak his feet alongside him in his little wading pool. Clemmons declines, saying he had no towel to dry him off. In response, Mr. Rogers offers to share his towel with him. Clemmons agrees and steps into the water with him. This simple display of humanity taught audiences that people can share things peacefully without race being a debilitating factor. Mr. Rogers Neighborhood single-handedly exposed the bigotry of denying Black Americans their right