536 Search results for "black people on tv"

‘The First Purge’ will finally center people of color in its violent, dystopian narrative
by Andrew Keahey The Purge series is an interesting phenomenon; a horror franchise with heavy commentary on American class politics, privilege, and security. Sure, it absolutely helps to fulfill the public’s desire for stylized hyper-violence, a craving once consistently nurtured by the Saw franchise, but it also endeavors to do much more with the stories […]
“Why can’t we just let Black people enjoy something?”
There is Joy and then there is joy. It may seem like Joy only liked you as a child, but it’s not really her fault that she visits less and less now that you are older. She can survive better that way. This world is out to kill her, to stamp her out. And the […]
‘MTV Shuga’ is a messy millennial edutainment series educating African youth about sexual health
by Kathleen Anaza Drawing in viewers with juicy telenovela-style drama, star-studded casts and curated soundtracks, MTV Shuga has become a favorite among the scandalous and socially-conscious television viewer on the African continent. Over five seasons, Shuga has operated as three self-contained miniseries, each set in a unique country and with a distinct cast. The stories […]
Black mental health care needs to involve more than therapy
Editor’s Note: May is Mental Health Awareness Month and National Masturbation Month. This is also the month that we celebrate Mother’s Day. At BYP, we will be exploring these topics alongside the theme of Imagination and the Arts, and we are interested in publishing works that address these topics and the things surrounding them. By Antoine […]
Iconic Black men are falling from grace. Good.
Editor’s Note: This essay contains discussion of domestic violence, sexual assault, and mentions of r/pe Eldridge Cleaver was a predator—a night stalker. He practiced on “black girls in the ghetto” where he knew the crimes would not be investigated before he eventually ventured across the tracks to methodically rape white women. “Rape was an insurrectionary […]
13-year-old #1000BlackGirlBooks creator interviews 11-year-old March for Our Lives advocate about honoring Black girls
The ancestors must smile at Black girls like 11-year-old Naomi Wadler and 13-year-old Marley Dias. Both used their creativity and access points in challenging society to ask, “What about the Black girls?” Many activists, commentators and policymakers lauded Wadler as the most compelling speaker at the recent gun control demonstration March for Our Lives for critiquing […]
Black dreams and storytelling have long been a part of the push towards Black liberation
by Jamila Mitchell The emancipation of freed slaves and subsequent constitutional amendments of the 20th century meant that white people could no longer marginalize Black folks through the physical bondage of chattel slavery. Faced with new restrictions, they quickly resigned to maintaining their rule through a new age of psychological warfare on the formerly enslaved, […]
Call me Akata: Reclaiming our birthright as Indigenous and African people born on American soil
by Chelsea Neason In 1964, Malcolm X made history with “The Ballot or the Bullet”. With this speech, he proclaimed a bone-shaking truth: Black people born in America are not Americans. In Detroit, MI during one of the most impactful decades of visible Black resistance in the United States, Malcolm declared: “We are Africans, and […]
For Black people who avoid mental health treatment for reasons other than our “culture” or fear of malpractice
*Editor’s Note: March is National Disabilities Month and our themes at Black Youth Project are Ableism & Physical and Mental Health. We are interested in publishing works that address these topics and the things surrounding them. Content Warning: rape, mental health* “… mad methodology resists rote positivism and deﬁes the cult of objectivity; it listens for […]
‘Black Lightning’ gives hope to nerdy Black kids like me
by Antoinette Gregg This essay contains minor spoilers for Black Lightning. I had no idea what to expect when I sat down to check out Black Lightning last Tuesday night. I’ve been watching other CW shows like Arrow and The Flash, and I wondering what this leading Black man would have in store for us. […]
China’s controversial hip-hop ban elicits charges of anti-Blackness
Did the Chinese government issue a crotchety “get-off-my-lawn” to hip-hop appreciators and contributors to hip-hop culture in the Asian country? Is it saying, “to hell with you Millennials making us look bad all over the world” or preserving the innocence of Chinese youth whose consumption of adult material could shape problematic perspectives? It depends on […]
“I’m is talking right”: How the stigma around Black language holds us back from liberation
By Jae Nichelle There has been a language division among Black Americans for decades: African American Vernacular English (AAVE) vs. Standard American English (SAE). AAVE is a dialect used by Black people in social settings that pervades hip-hop culture, while SAE is the dialect generally taught in schools. Most people across racial lines do not […]