11 Search results for "tessa thompson"

The white writer’s misimagination of Black characters in science fiction
by Inigo Laguda This essay contains spoilers for Another Life (2019) and Annihilation (2018) For a writer, I read astonishingly little. I chalk my aversion up to over-inundating myself with books as a boy and filling all my curious voids with grand words and fantastical tales. It’s almost like I nauseatingly engorged myself on literature […]
‘Sorry to Bother You’ is a study of the Black working class and the seductive appeal of capitalism
by Brittany Lee Frederick This essay contains spoilers for Sorry to Bother You Boots Riley’s Sorry to Bother You features a “dystopia” that is not at all foreign to working class Black America. Cassius Green (Lakeith Stanfield), who has just been hired by Regal View telemarketing, is encouraged by Langston (Danny Glover), an older and […]
Janelle Monáe and the road to ‘Dirty Computer’
by Victoria Collins Though she was absent of critical acclaim in the very beginning, Janelle Monáe set in motion the narrative of a dystopian reality that would serve as the backdrop for a decade-long narrative of freedom, love, and acceptance with her 2003 self-released album, The Audition. In 2007, she followed her debut album with […]
Nia DaCosta wins Nora Ephron Award at Tribeca Film Festival for ‘Little Woods”
With her debut film Little Woods, which stars Tessa Thompson and Lillie James as two estranged sisters, filmmaker Nia DaCosta made a splash at the Tribeca Film Festival. The film explores themes of sisterhood, poverty, family obligation, poverty, and reproductive rights. Taking place in rural North Dakota, Little Woods is set against the opioid epidemic […]
Janelle Monae confirms her queerness ahead of release of ‘Dirty Computer’
In a recent interview with Rolling Stone, singer/rapper Janelle Monae revealed that her sexuality is fluid, telling the magazine, “Being a Black queer woman in America-someone who has been in relationships with both men and women–I consider myself to be a free ass motherfucker.” Monae continued, “Later I read about pansexuality and was like ‘Oh […]
The question of Blackness: How conversations about Bruno Mars and Cardi B miss the mark
by Briana L. Ureña-Ravelo There has been much conversation regarding Blackness as of late. What it is, when and how it matters, and who can and cannot claim it. At times the conversation has been very illuminating and compelling, but more and more it has become overwhelmingly caustic and mired in elitist, ahistorical, and colonial […]
A 2018 calendar and watch list for Black moviegoers and film buffs
Nearing the end of each year, I like to compile a list of upcoming films that look intriguing to me or that I have been anticipating for months, or even years. This year, I tailored my list to be extensive and hella Black, just for y’all. Each of these feature a predominantly Black cast, Black […]
‘Thor: Ragnarok’ through a Black and Indigenous post-colonial lens
by Briana L. Ureña-Ravelo Warning: Spoilers up ahead! After months of anticipation, I finally saw Thor: Ragnarok and I was not in the least bit disappointed. Taika Waititi is the Indigenous Maori director, writer, actor, and comedian who made sure Indigenous people, jargon, humor, culture, and anti-colonial messaging was prominent throughout the movie, and who made […]
‘Dear White People’ Comes to Netflix
On May 5, all Dear White People enthusiasts received some very exciting news about the changes coming to the franchise. The movie is being turned into a show for Netflix. Netflix has ordered a TV adaptation of the Justin Simien 2014 comedy for a 2017 release date. Similar to the film, the Netflix series will […]
Queering Kwanzaa: How the seven principles remind me of QTPOC power
by Loni Amor This essay contains discussions of suicidal ideation. Inspired by First Fruit festivals of Southern Africa, African-American civil rights activist and academic, the extremely problematic Dr. Maulana Ron Karenga established Kwanzaa in 1966. Deriving from the Swahili phrase “matunda ya kwanza”, which translates loosely to “first fruits of the harvest”, Kwanzaa offers Black […]
Janelle Monáe’s ‘Pynk’ subtly acknowledges the existence of trans bodies, but we deserve more than that
by Tauri Moton It’s safe to say that a lot of people were excited for Janelle Monáe’s release of the “Pynk” video after the success of “Make Me Feel”, which was a visually pleasant and catchy ode to the fluidity of sexuality. Janelle seems to really be coming into her own and is choosing to […]