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Essence Atkins: Movies, TV Shows & An Impactful Career
Essence Atkins: An Impactful Black Actress When it comes to the top Black actresses of her time in Hollywood, Essence Atkins is not usually mentioned. Names like Octavia Spencer, Regina King, Viola Davis and even the newly minted Zendaya often top the list of the best Black actresses of the past decade. But just because…
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The Black Movies of the 80s Every Film Lover Should See
If you are Black, or just a lover of Black cinema, then the Black movies of the 80s ought to represent something special to you. The 1980’s decade was a rebirth for black filmmakers and film lovers alike, as the 1970’s largely introduced the blaxploitation genre, which while positive in some aspects, was fraught with…
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Broadcasting Pioneers: Recognizing Influential Black Male News Anchors
Broadcast journalism is not a field that has always been welcoming to Black male news anchors, as this country has always struggled with its relationship with Black people. That complicated and tarnished relationship didn’t leave room for the country as a whole to trust a black person to bring them their news on a regular…
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The Black News Anchors Shaping TV Journalism
The History of Black News Anchors in America Many people believe Max Robinson to be the first Black news anchor on a major network and when he became one of the three anchors heading up “World News Tonight” in 1978. At the time, he was following in the footsteps of Malvin R. Goode, who in…
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The Cast of “Power” (Starz): Where Are These Black Actors Now?
“Power,” the captivating television series on Starz that premiered in 2014, drew in audiences with its engaging storyline and predominantly black cast. The show followed James “Ghost” St. Patrick, a nightclub owner and drug kingpin, as he tried to leave his criminal past behind. After six seasons, the series ended in 2020, leaving a lasting…
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Best Spike Lee Movies of All-Time
When you think of the quintessential, old school, purpose-driven, Black movie, there is no name more synonymous with that than Spike Lee. The best Spike Lee movies were the ones that spoke to Black people, focused on the prevailing Black issues of the time, delivered a message, had a style and framing that was uniquely…
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“Atlanta”: Recapping Every Episode of the First 2 Seasons
“Atlanta” has reached its series conclusion. And while some of us didn’t necessarily love the penultimate season, Season 4 of Atlanta did bring about some redemption. But it goes almost without saying that Seasons 1 and 2 were the pinnacle of the series creativity. They ushered in what we all thought “peak TV” should mean,…
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Where Were the Black Movies During the Pandemic?
Not so sorry to say it, but Hollywood failed us in 2020. Black people, yet again, seemed to be a very distant focus of any major studio or platform when it came to producing movies that were focused on our experiences and stories. Of course, if you talk to a Hollywood executive, they will point…
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Black Actresses Nominated for “Best Supporting Actress”
Let’s talk about the Black Actresses of the past decade that put forth Oscar-worthy performances for Best Supporting Actress. Whenever society does manage to find itself caring about the unheralded Black actress, often the talk is around the “leading lady”. However, there cannot be a leading lady without someone following behind her and supporting her.…
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Best Black TV Shows Ever: Top 5 Situation Comedies
It’s a debate that will reel in just about any Black person, and certainly any Black millennial who came up on TV during the 1990’s Black TV Renaissance: what are the best black TV shows ever? Well, that’s a really big question to ask, and it’s almost impossible to answer given the differences between sitcoms,…