Vampires, Race, and a Global Pandemic: Standing with Bonnie Bennett

If you casually peruse my posts, you might be fooled into thinking I only watch things if a particular genre. That’s not true. But maybe there is a pattern I should think more deeply about. Anyway, that’s not what this is about. As I am writing this, I am enduring, like many, the realities of… Continue reading Vampires, Race, and a Global Pandemic: Standing with Bonnie Bennett

Where are the Coffee Shops in Black Atlanta?

Ok. So the title of this post is a little misleading, especially the term “Black Atlanta.” You might say that Black Atlanta is full of cafes and coffeeshops. Just look at the area just east of downtown formerly known as Sweet Auburn around Edgewood. Old Fourth Ward is the name of part of that area.… Continue reading Where are the Coffee Shops in Black Atlanta?

An Undetectable Blackness in Coogler’s ‘Black Panther’ (2018)

“Real G’s move in silence, like lasagna.”  My favorite line of Lil’ Wayne’s brilliant and catchy “6 Foot 7 Foot” resonates with me seven years later after seeing Marvel’s (Ryan Coogler’s) Black Panther for the second time. The fact that the “g” is silent in the word lasagna, and supposedly also “real G’s” in the… Continue reading An Undetectable Blackness in Coogler’s ‘Black Panther’ (2018)

Sweet, Raw, Refined: Fictions of Development in ‘Queen Sugar’

So I’ve recently started watching Queen Sugar (2016). Thanks, Hulu. I’ve settled into the fact that I’m always late to the party with shows that aren’t on basic cable – and I’m ok with that – so I hope this piece isn’t me beating a dead horse. At the outset, let me say that I… Continue reading Sweet, Raw, Refined: Fictions of Development in ‘Queen Sugar’

A Hard Look at ‘The Magicians’

I was going to write a post about my issues with one of my favorite TV shows, The Walking Dead. I just finished binge watching the last several episodes of the current season. But I got sidetracked when I stumbled upon a little new show called The Magicians on SyFy (well, I found it on… Continue reading A Hard Look at ‘The Magicians’

The Curious Race/Case of Lil’ Wayne

[This essay includes some derogatory language that may be unsuitable for some.] This whole Lil’ Wayne situation has got me thinking a lot about the intersection of race and class. Here’s a recap for those who don’t know: Recently, the rapper (and now author) sat down with ABC correspondent Linsey Davis on Nightline for an… Continue reading The Curious Race/Case of Lil’ Wayne