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Ava DuVernay and Netflix Formally Respond to When They See Us Lawsuit, Claim Dialogue Is Protected Under First Amendment
Netflix and When They See Us writer-director Ava DuVernay are fighting back on a lawsuit filed against them and the figurative punches are formal. As The Root reported in October, police interrogation firm John E. Reid and Associates filed a lawsuit against DuVernay and the production company/streaming platform in regard to the hit miniseries, claiming…
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The Cast and Crew of Queen & Slim on Black Love Being 'An Act of Resistance, Protest and Resilience'
Beyond the political allegory of two black people going on the run after killing a cop, Queen & Slim is a love story. Queen (Jodie Turner-Smith) and Slim (Daniel Kaluuya) have bounties on their heads for the crime they’ve committed and throughout all of their trials and tribulations, they find a special sense of connection…
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'Oppressors, Not Protectors': The Cast of Queen & Slim Reflect on Policing
As Solange once crooned, “this shit is for us.” At the time of this article’s posting, I’ve seen Queen & Slim three times and I have no doubt this film was primarily created for us. Still, like any movie, you want as many eyes on it as possible, so I had to give writer Lena…
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21 Bridges: Yes, Chadwick Boseman Was Conflicted Portraying a Black Cop
Throughout their careers, actors tend to portray characters that challenge their beliefs and/or have morals that they might not necessarily agree with. To some extent, however, most actors tend to at least attempt to connect with their character. So what happens when the character represents a larger sociopolitical structure, especially from the perspective of a…
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Mo'Nique Files Race and Gender Discrimination Lawsuit Against Netflix Regarding 'Lowball Offer' [Updated]
Mo’Nique isn’t nearly done sticking up for herself. According to NBC News, the Oscar-winning actress and comedian is suing Netflix, accusing the popular streaming platform of race and gender discrimination in relation to the deal she was offered for a stand-up special in November 2017. If you remember, Mo’Nique took to various media outlets (including…
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Jay-Z Reportedly 'Pushed the Idea' of Colin Kaepernick Workout With NFL
When the news hit that Colin Kaepernick landed an unprecedented private workout opportunity with the NFL, naturally, some eyes turned toward Jay-Z. See, if you recall correctly, Jay-Z’s recent music and entertainment management deal with the NFL raised suspicions, as the 49-year-old rapper was a previous outspoken critic of the way the NFL had blackballed…
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The Solange-Curated Bridge-s at the Getty Center Is a Hypnotizing and Ethereal Viewpoint on Transition
There aren’t many experiences that have left me so truly speechless that they’ve stayed with me forever. Cue the unmatched Solange Knowles and Bridge-s. Brought to Los Angeles’ Getty Center Museum by Dropbox and Getty in partnership with IAMSOUND, Bridge-s explores the themes of “transitions through time.” From Getty’s press release: Exploring themes of transitions…
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John Legend Is (Not So Ordinary) People’s Sexiest Man Alive 2019
All of People Magazine loves all of John Legend because they’ve just chosen the crooner and pianist as 2019’s Sexiest Man Alive. Legend, who I’ve started lovingly referring to as “Piano Arthur” (Hey! His wife Chrissy Teigen fully embraces the meme joke!), was certainly honored, but those prideful feelings were mixed with a little fear,…
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Kevin Hart’s Surprise Appearance and Other Observations From My Seat at the 2019 People’s Choice Awards
I love award shows. Awards season is my Super Bowl and I spent many hours of my childhood beaming at the sparkly dresses, fancy venue decor and effervescent statuettes, wishing (upon a star) that I’d one day be able to get a seat at one of those coveted tables. With my current job as an…
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Jason Mitchell Says There's 'No Situation' With Tiffany Boone and The Chi Former Showrunner Used #MeToo Movement as an 'Ugly Weapon'
Jason Mitchell has done his first extended interview following misconduct allegations on the set of Showtime’s The Chi, his firing from Netflix’s Desperados, and subsequent terminations by his lawyer, manager, and agent. Mitchell appeared on The Breakfast Club Monday morning. The interview with Charlamagne Tha God and DJ Envy began with the 32-year-old actor referring…