Comedian Dave Chappelle dropped the surprise special ‘8:46’ on Netflix’s YouTube channel Friday weighing in on George Floyd and other current topics.
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Arts + Culture: a space for local and national arts and entertainment stories, with an emphasis on stories pertaining to African and African Americans.
Posted inArts + Culture, Movies, Television
Watch ‘Just Mercy,’ ‘13th’ and more for free
In an effort to educate viewers about the topic of systemic racism, ‘Just Mercy’ and ‘Selma’ and the documentary ’13th’ are being offered for free.
Posted inArts + Culture, Television
Tracee Ellis Ross is ready for center stage with ‘The High Note’
Tracee Ellis Ross is ready for her close-up in ‘The High Note.’
Posted inArts + Culture, Television
‘Where The Pavement Ends’ links Ferguson to fate of neighboring Black town
The new documentary ‘Where The Pavement Ends’ links two towns, one Black and one White, together.
Posted inArts + Culture, Television
Filmmaker aims to understand a complicated father in ‘Daddy and the Warlord’
‘Daddy and the Warlord’ follows a daughter’s captivating quest to understand why her father collaborated with corrupt leaders.
Posted inArts + Culture, Television, Theater
Legendary stage and screen star Diahann Carroll dies at age 84
For those of us of a certain age, the multi-talented star of stage and screen Diahann Carroll was iconic.
Posted inArts + Culture, Movies, Television
Ava Duvernay’s ‘When They See Us’ blasts Netflix viewership records
‘When They See Us’ has been the most-watched series on Netflix, since its debut.
Posted inArts + Culture, Television
The Hot List: A summer TV snapshot
Summer TV viewing is in full swing with many returning favorites, as well as fresh offerings.
Posted inArts + Culture, Television
TV One launches new channel aimed at women of color
CLEO TV features a mix of new and old school original series, talk shows and lifestyle entertainment for today’s Black woman.
Posted inArts + Culture, Television
‘Flint,’ an understated but effective retelling of a real-life crisis
The fact-based script by Barbara Stepansky is adapted from the Time magazine article on the water crisis by Josh Sanburn, of course, national headline after headline long decrying the situation. Beyond that, this story is well told.
Posted inArts + Culture, Television
2018 Fall TV and Digital Hot List
Wondering when the heck your favorite TV shows featuring diverse casts return or eager to learn of new TV shows with actors and actresses of color? Look no further than the list below. Currently Airing Greenleaf (OWN) Family Drama. Featuring Lynn Whitfield, Keith David, Deborah Joy Winans, Oprah Winfrey, Lamman Rucker The unscrupulous world of the […]
Posted inArts + Culture, Television
Actress Avis-Marie Barnes relishes regular role on AMC’s ‘Lodge 49’
Jus a few weeks ago, Avis-Marie Barnes settled into her first regular role, as beloved Anita Jones on AMC’s quirky new comedy-drama ‘Lodge 49.’
Posted inArts + Culture, Television
‘Luke Cage’ star Simone Missick on being Black and unapologetic
Although Marvel’s Luke Cage focuses on a male superhero, it’s really the women of the comic book series who drive the plot. Take for example Det. Misty Knight, who is played by Simone Missick.
Posted inArts + Culture, Television
The Hot List: summer TV shows featuring actors and actresses of color
Your definitive guide to summer TV programs featuring actors and actresses of color
Posted inArts + Culture, Television
Issa Rae: African Americans must ‘reclaim’ their stories
Issa Rae once wrestled with either going to business school or law school after her graduation from Stanford University. She ultimately opted for neither as her career as a producer and creator became more focused and drew her away from her original post-college pursuits. “A clear path? No!” Rae told an audience of mostly women […]
Posted inArts + Culture, Black History Month, Special Editions, Television
Remembering trailblazing playwright and writer Lorraine Hansberry
On Broadway (1959), in movie houses (1961), and afterward on television, Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun increasingly held Black audiences — as well as White — rapturously spellbound. As hasn’t been done since, the American landmark helped usher this nation into the civilized world. The August Wilson of her day, Hansberry’s phenomenally unprecedented success came by […]
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‘Underground’ DVD: A nod to a short-lived television gem
Looking back on history, there’s an aspect of slavery to celebrate: the legendary underground railroad, which is done justice by short-lived but nonetheless noteworthy television series Underground (Sony DVD). Set on the fictitious Macon plantation in Georgia, this compelling drama is propelled by the cunning courage of seven souls making a desperate 600-mile run for […]
Posted inArts + Culture, Television
National Black Programming Consortium undergoes name change, keeps mission
The National Black Programming Consortium (NBPC) since 1979 has brought films and other programming produced by Blacks to the American audience. The organization now has a new name: Black Public Media (BPM). The name change was first brought up in 2011, but in the last couple of years, BPM Executive Director Leslie Fields-Cruz and the […]
Posted inArts + Culture, Television
Documentary honors local LGBTQ communities of color
October was LGBTQ History Month. In a serious homage to that history, TPT, our local PBS affiliate, released a new groundbreaking documentary on October 16 with viewing parties scattered throughout the Twin Cities. The documentary, Out North: MNLGBTQ History, available online and on the network’s station, is the “first-ever, full-length film to document and honor […]
Posted inArts + Culture
Television trailblazer Robert Guillaume dies at age 89
The late Robert Guillaume’s timeless, Emmy Award-winning portrayal of Benson on the hit series Soap, was more than memorably comic. The acerbic butler who sassed his silly, White employers in a manner many real-life domestic workers would’ve loved to without losing their jobs, departed from the ever-deferring stereotype of Beulah (a comedy show that aired in the ’50s […]