77 Search results for "imagery"

Why Poetry? Ten Poets and Poems To Read As We Close Out Black History Month.
by Jari Bradley During the peak of the pandemic in 2020, there were numerous online poetry readings being held for the public to attend. I was just finishing my Master of Fine Arts program after three years on the East Coast, and with all the calamity that the world felt comprised of at that time, […]
Kendrick Lamar’s Unapologetic Blackness at Super Bowl LIX
Kendrick Lamar dominated the news cycle in 2024 not only with his ongoing feud with Aubrey “Drake” Graham, but also with the announcement that he would be headlining the Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show. With the Kansas City Chiefs vying for a record-breaking three consecutive Super Bowl victories and Philadelphia Eagles’ running back Saquon Barkley […]
The internet, as a digital looking glass, can normalize violence for Black boys
by Donnie Moreland I’m entering my apartment lot, around 9:45 PM, having returned from the gym. My vision often obscured around this time, I’m hurried to brake as two figures creep along in front of me. The two feel my headlights on their backs, thus they oblige my curiosity, and turn around. They are Black […]
How the imagination of the ‘Lovecraft Country’ writer’s room failed us
by Kamilah Bush This essay discusses sexual assault and r/pe. The first episode of HBO’s Lovecraft Country is possibly one of the most perfect television pilots of all time, in my opinion. The opening shot, drops us in the middle of a typical enough looking war scene—it is a familiar cinematic landscape with images we […]
American “heroism” in times of crisis highlights just how disposable we are to the state
by Donnie Moreland As a boy, I remember learning about firefighters. I found their work as spectacular as the graphic novels, and Saturday morning superheroes, which crowded my daydreams. There was no difference between the cape and their fire helmet. And there were enough Black men, dawning the garb and colors of the local fire […]
Comic: Some Black folks do Witchcraft. Get over it.
by JeCorey Holder
‘Queen & Slim’ and what I (don’t) want from Black love stories
This essay contains spoilers for Queen & Slim He knew how to boost cars, and had learned to do it when he was younger. She was a harder woman than most, and ended up nursing an injured leg for most of the time that they were on the run together. An officer of the law […]
Comic: Queer folks existed in pre-colonial Africa and y’all can stay mad
by JeCorey Holder
Reclaiming our bodies through Black erotica
by Donnie Moreland Literarily, the words Black and erotic are dissonent. A by product of what would become synonymous with talk about sex, in the public domain, for Black folk—sin, depravity, immorality, etc. Though canonically scattered, some Black folk do dabble in erotic fiction. A previous romantic partner of mine introduced me to Zane—the most […]
How biphobia impacts Black bisexual men’s health
by Raymond Williams In the Black community, the subject of bisexuality is encircled by a contentious debate filled with hypocrisy, ignorance and misinformation. More than 40 percent of LGBT+ people of color consider themselves bisexual, but Black people bear a greater burden of consequences when identifying as such. According to the Human Rights Campaign, 77 […]
School district investigates teachers after displaying nooses as “back to school” necklaces in class
The Roosevelt School District of New York is investigating claims that nooses labeled as “back to school necklaces” were openly displayed in a classroom after community calls for accountability.
How Ariana Grande uses “Black Cool” in her incremental appropriation game
by Ayika Tshimanga Ariana Grande recently released a music video for her song, “7 Rings”, a repetitive pop-trap&B tune with all the necessary ingredients to bring out your innermost bad bitch. The bouncy trap beat, braggadocious lyrics, and an attempt to ooze the kind of confidence radiating from pop stars like Beyoncé on “Apeshit”, or Rihanna […]