Barry Jenkins, the Award-winning director of Moonlight and If Beale Street Could Talk, is set to direct a film based on the life and work of Alvin Ailey (1931–1989), Deadline reports. Ailey is thought to be one of the most prominent choreographers of the 20th century. He founded the Alvin
OlaRonke Akinmowo is fulfilling her purpose, and enriching others’ lives in the process. Based in Brooklyn, New York, Akinmowo’s company The Free Black Women’s Library is an innovative mobile library which currently includes over 1,000 books by Black women authors. The dream began four years ago for Akinmowo, on the
Issa Rae has recently unveiled her ambitious new project: Adapting Tayari Jones’ Award-winning 2011 novel Silver Sparrow for the big screen. Jones verified to Oprah Magazine that Rae has optioned the film and will produce. Silver Sparrow begins boldly with an opening line of “My father, James Witherspoon, is a
A current exhibit at the California African American Museum (CAAM) honors the life and monumental artwork of Ernie Barnes (1938-2009). Barnes, who is considered of the most influential African-American artists, is also the first American professional athlete to become a well-known painter. In his large-scale paintings, Barnes often captured glimpses
By MJ VanDevere and Doug Alston, co-founder of JARO Media Services Many of us know Swizz Beatz (Kasseem Dean), the legendary producer behind sounds from some superstars like Jay Z. You may not know that in addition to his musical prowess he is an avid art collector. Beatz is
In his memoir I’m BETTER not BITTER, Anthony Tuggle takes us through his very personal journey with God—a journey that ultimately molded him into the Dynamic Husband, Loving Father, Friend, and Prolific Leader that we see before us today. After receiving the devastating news of kidney failure, and the
In his latest venture, Guava Island, Renaissance man Donald Glover (aka Childish Gambino) shares the screen with Rihanna and Letitia Wright (Black Panther) to bring forth a tale of black cultural expression and the power of art. Guava Island tells the story of musician Deni (Glover) and his passion for
Boston’s newly appointed poet laureate, Porsha Olayiwola, has had quite the journey as a Black queer poet. In an interview with Essence, the 30-year-old recalled how she used a particularly disheartening and insensitive comment at her first poetry reading as fuel to write honest poetry about blackness and identity. The
In a new picture book titled The Undefeated, artist Kadir Nelson brings Kwame Alexander’s “This One Is For Us” poem to life through eye-catching illustrations. Written in 2008, the poem was inspired by the election of our first African-American president, Barack Obama, which coincided with the birth of his daughter.
For more than 30 years, TED Talks have granted a global audience with the opportunity to listen to a wide range of culturally diverse speakers discuss a multitude of “ideas worth spreading.” In our current digital age, we now have the ability to watch these conferences instantly, bringing these
