Five Black Writers To Check Out This Week — 06/28/20
Seriously, go read an article by a black writer.
One of my goals with Hi, Phylecia is to feature films that highlight black life in all its glory. So this past week, I posted a review for the indie drama, Miss Juneteenth. The film follows the story of a former beauty queen turned struggling single mother who prepares her daughter for the “Miss Juneteenth” pageant in Fort Wort, Texas, the same pageant she competed as a teen. If you want to know what I thought about the film (spoiler alert: I like it), click here to read the review.
I also posted a blog post about my project, One Sentence Black Film Reviews. The purpose of this series is to showcase films that are for and by black people. This project is ongoing and will be updated weekly.
If you like what you read, please feel free to join my newsletter or buy me a cup of coffee on Ko-fi. Your contributions allow me to write essays, post reviews and create comics with illustrator Jules Rivera. Folks who donate to my page will receive a special shout on the following week’s article roundup. Currently, I am raising funds for my next set of one-panel comics.
And now on to our weekly roundup of articles written by black writers.
Articles to Read This Week
“Being Black in the White World of Wine,” by Dorothy J. Gaiter (SevenFifty Daily)
“One would think any industry that revolves around hospitality would want to be viewed as progressive, anti-racist, and inclusive. Some in the wine business do walk the walk. But the wine world as a whole lives on its curated image of an exclusive club, with gatekeepers male and female. White.”
Dorothy J. Gaiter candidly discusses detail what it is like to work in the predominantly white wine industry.
“As a black TV writer in a white industry, we need support – not doubt,” by Daniel Lawrence Taylor (The Guardian)
“As an actor, the lack of diversity on screen made me want to write to give people like me an opportunity, only to discover that the challenges of making it happen behind the camera were even more difficult.”
Daniel Lawrence Taylor’s call of action to the British entertainment industry is a must-read.
“How I’m Using Film To Fight Homophobia And Toxic Masculinity As A Black Queer Woman,” by Banzii Mavuso (Blavity)
“Black queer women are godly. Black queer women deserve all the love in the world. And Black queer women are not to be f**ked with.”
Filmmaker Banzii Mavuso writes on the importance of uplifting black queer women.
“From Recy Taylor to Breonna Taylor: Plight of Black women often forgotten when it comes to justice,” by Bonnie Watson Coleman (USA Today)
“Women in elected office, women in positions of power, women with the ability to bring the necessary attention, need to step up and include Black women’s experiences in calls for justice.”
U.S. Representative Bonnie Watson Coleman remarks on the treatment of black women in the criminal justice system is far from over.
“Miss Juneteenth Exclusive with Nicole Beharie,” by Miles Marshall Lewis (Ebony)
“Another one of the things I really love about this story is that this is Channing [Godfrey Peoples]’s love letter to her community. ”
Miles Marshall Lewis interviews Miss Juneteenth star Nicole Beharie.
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