Blurb reviews about books, movies, and songs and the thoughts and feelings they generate. The reviews for these pieces are when either the leading or one of the major characters are black.
Speaking of the Oscars…let’s leave the slap heard (and seen) around the world alone for now. The Academy Awards aka The Movies Recognized By White People Award Show is no longer #OscarsSoWhite. Let’s take the time to recognize the youngest person ever nominated for the Best Actress Award. Quvenzhané Wallis at aged nine was nominated…
The Salon, released in 2005 is a comedy directed by Mark Brown. The movie was written by Mark Brown and Shelley Garrett. Mark Brown also wrote the Barbershop movie starring Ice Cube released in 2002. Shelly Garrett was the writer of the famed Beauty Shop stage play. The Salon stars Vivica A. Fox as Jenny,…
A Voice from the South was written by Anna J. Cooper in 1892. Anna Cooper was one of the most prominent African American women scholars of her era. She was a sociologist, educator, an activist, and an author. Anna Cooper was born in Raleigh, North Carolina in 1858. Her family was enslaved by George Haywood,…
Beloved is a drama and psychological horror movie directed by Jonathan Demme. Jonathan Demme previously directed Silence of the Lambs and Philadelphia starring Denzel Washington. The film is based upon the book Beloved written by Toni Morrison which was published in 1987. Beloved is inspired by true events of the slave Margaret Garner who escaped…
The Negro Soldier is a World War II film released in 1944. The film was propaganda used by the Army to persuade black men to enlist and fight in WWII. During World War II, the United States and the Armed Forces both were still segregated. Jim Crow laws were in full effect at the onset…
The Red Record is authored by Ida B. Wells-Barnett. First published in 1895, the full title of the book is – The Red Record: Tabulated Statistics and Alleged Causes of Lynching in the United States. In the book, Ida B. Wells details not only lynching, but the struggles of blacks in the United States. The…
Directed by Robert Townsend, The Five Heartbeats is a musical drama featuring an all-black cast. This culture classic stars Robert Townsend, Leon, Michael Wright, Diahann Carroll, Harry Lennox, and Harold Nicholas. The Five Heartbeats is a pseudo-biopic movie about a male r&b group formed in the 1960’s and their career throughout the subsequent decades. The…
The Negro Motorist Green Book was authored by Victor Hugo Green. The Green Book was a travel guide for black travelers during the Jim Crow era. The guide was published annually from 1936 – 1966. It was created for black travelers to find establishments that would welcome their business. The travel guide listed businesses in…
Set It Off is a drama directed by F. Gary Gray and tells the story of four black women in Los Angeles. The director, F. Gary Gray directed Friday the previous year along with many R&B and rap videos. Set It Off stars Queen Latifah as Cleo, Jada Pinkett-Smith as Stony, Vivica Fox as Frankie,…
Sketches of the Higher Classes of Colored Society in Philadelphia was written by A Southerner – a southern writer who wanted to remain anonymous. This book was originally published in 1841 and is viewed as culturally important. The author attempts to give a detailed account of the higher class of colored people in Philadelphia. He…
Night Comes On is a drama directed by Jordana Spiro and tells the story of 18 year old Angel and her 10 year old little sister Abby. Angel and Abby are in separate foster homes due to the murder of their mother by the father. The movie opens with Angel remembering her mother as a…
Our family simply cannot get enough of Denzel Washington movies. Denzel has played so many roles from an activist, a boxer, a ghost, coaches, fathers, husbands, a gangster, a pilot, attorneys, soldiers, and hired guns. He has also played the role of a cop or detective many times. In all his diverse roles, we root…
