With the critical and box office success of Get Out, A Quiet Place, and Hereditary, as well as the ongoing success of shows such as The Walking Dead and its offshoots, horror has been making its way from the shadows into the mainstream gaze. The Purge franchise — known for its brutal films and social commentary — even has a 10-part miniseries made for network television on USA Network. Horror narratives are having a pop-culture moment for sure. But why? Why are more and more people drawn to such dark visions and on-screen violence? Why do those of us lifelong fans of horror stories keep coming back for more? Is there a “pleasure” in horror?  

For me, certain kinds of horror movies serve a therapeutic function to help me deal with trauma. From the safety of my home or home library, I watch these movies and descend into someone else’s worst day. Through their journey, I go on my own all the while knowing I am safe and protected. The films that are most effective for my self-therapy tend to be trauma-of-the-home films. These stories feature someone who needs to return to the scene of a childhood trauma or loss, and how they cope with that dark history. Favorites like Pascal Laugier’s Martyrs, Flowers in the Attic, and the 1990 IT miniseries have been some of my biggest collaborators on this road to healing.

Because I had a nomadic upbringing around the world, it’s not possible to return to any of my original sites of trauma. These trauma-of-the-home narratives give me an opportunity to join others as they return to houses and places haunted in different ways, and confront my own demons along with them. I’m also a rare female fan of the rape-revenge genre. The more feminist installments of these films like Revenge and M.F.A. have helped me process and move beyond terrible events. Horror films have been indispensable for maintaining my mental health.

Writer and professor Kate Durbin also uses certain kinds of horror movies in this unusual way to help confront and heal past trauma from the safety of her own home. For Durbin as well, the “pleasure” in watching horror movies is in direct correlation to how it helps confront and heal past trauma.

“I find stories of hauntings and possession films to be up there at the top for me. Trauma possesses and haunts us; we may try and escape it but it never fully goes away. It leaves traces in us and in the environment,” Durbin says. “I like films like The VVitch and Jennifer’s Body, films that deal with the trauma of being in a woman’s body in a misogynistic world. I like that the women in these films turn into monstrous demons/witches both as a result of their trauma and in defiance of it.”

Durbin first discovered this strange healing power of horror when she began developing college courses on the genre 10 years ago. She tells me, “I realized I found horror therapeutic sometime in the early years of teaching it. I feel horror is a safe space in which to process trauma (at least for me, I know a lot of people find it the opposite). And I’m talking about collective, cultural trauma as well as my own personal trauma.”

For Graveyard Shift Sisters founder and lifelong horror fan Ashlee Blackwell, one of the pleasures gleaned from horror involves centering the faces and voices of Black and other POC. Both on and offscreen, these faces are often hideously marginalized in horror movies and the broader horror production industry. In particular, Black women in horror tend to get the brunt of the worst treatment and focusing on their experiences suddenly becomes an act of social and political subversion.

In an interview with Remedial Horror Blackwell writes, “I spent my entire life feeling like the only Black woman who had a deep interest in horror, and that only doubled my frustration because I didn’t want to believe such an irrational musing.” In fact, it was Blackwell’s series on Black Girl Horror Nerds in October 2014 right here on BGN that helped lead to Graveyard Shift Sisters.  

Beyond this important de-marginalizing aspect of her work, Blackwell’s enjoyment of the genre is also deeply personal. The worlds created by horror storytellers as well as relatable characters to empathize with — people who remind you of friends or those you love in terrible situations — draws her back into the genre again and again. Blackwell tells me, “Regular, complex people in these extreme circumstances who you mourn for and cheer on to survive is an important element of the human condition. That instinct to survive is probably our most primal, and the best filmmakers have the unique ability to make us believe in the supernatural, dystopia, etc. and pull us in with a reflection of ourselves.”

For Dread Media founder Desmond Reddick, part of the pleasure of horror is the fan community. It builds around the genre as well as being able to promote and discuss indie creators and their projects in the industry. On an individual level, Reddick also sees horror films’ endings as giving a virtual middle-finger to happy Hollywood finishes. Doing so is like taking pleasure in the dismantling of the “all’s well that ends well” notion, which is rarely true in real life.

Reddick says, “It’s also inspiring to see someone put into harrowing circumstances and coming out the other end stronger. And there’s something profoundly comforting in an unhappy ending as well. The pure gall to do it says, ‘F*ck Hollywood’”

Reddick also sees lifelong horror fans as a special breed of pop culture consumers. He tells me, “Monster Kids are different, I think. We look at the world in a different way. We can see something beautiful in a film or book that ends horribly and know that life is often exactly that.” I agree that there is great comfort and pleasure in being able to examine a situation in a movie and know that it would play out similarly in real life. That can be the scariest thing about horror. And also the most meaningful, and pleasurable part.

When it comes to theories of horror, Durbin’s and my method of horror movies as self-therapy corresponds with Julia Kristeva’s notion of “the abject.” This involves the often-painful and uncomfortable exploration of the physical, social, cultural, and psychosocial spaces where a rupture has occurred. We find solace in those spaces as we simultaneously try to repair them. Durbin’s process also involves Barbara Creed’s notion of the monstrous feminine and reclaiming a female body abused by patriarchal forces.

In many ways, Blackwell and Reddick’s enjoyment of horror relies on Laura Mulvey’s notion of the gaze — and its power — in horror films in particular. Blackwell has shifted what is the traditional white male gaze in horror movies to that of Black women, and this opens up an entirely new framework through which to enjoy and analyze horror stories. Reddick and his community appreciate horror as a kind of collective, examining horror movies from a group gaze as well as a personal one.

In these contexts, the “pleasure” in horror is not necessarily an enjoyment of being frightened or scared, but rather a chance for personal and communal development through specific types of narratives. Horror, then, becomes more than just pleasurable entertainment even through its discomforts: Horror becomes a place of power, both personal and communal.  

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BGN among a team of journalists in San Fransisco at Amazon’s Deliver The Future, attended an event where Tye Brady along with host of Amazon executives unveiled new tech and products being launched by Amazon.

The company has taken an extraordinary leap forward with the debut of Blue Jay, Amazon’s next-generation robotic system. Unveiled by Tye Brady, Chief Technologist of Amazon Robotics, Blue Jay marks a pivotal evolution in the company’s ongoing journey to create technology that’s faster, safer, and more human-centric than ever before.

In Brady’s words, “Blue Jay is three assembly lines of robotics all in one.” It’s an elegant metaphor for a system that blends versatility, precision, and scale. Unlike earlier robotic technologies that specialized in single tasks such as sorting, picking, or stowing Blue Jay integrates multiple robotic arms that can perform these functions simultaneously within a single workspace.

Traditionally, these processes occur in separate zones of Amazon’s same-day fulfillment centers, requiring vast physical space and complex logistics coordination. Blue Jay changes that paradigm. By uniting several core workflows under one orchestrated system, it condenses multiple steps of the fulfillment process into one intelligent hub, streamlining operations and saving valuable time.

Each of Blue Jay’s robotic arms operates with sophisticated perception and motion capabilities, enabling the system to identify items, handle them with precision, and adapt dynamically to changing workloads. The result is an adaptable platform that doesn’t just follow programmed commands it makes real-time decisions to optimize efficiency.

From a technical perspective, Blue Jay represents a major leap in robotic orchestration. It’s built on a foundation of advanced control algorithms, sensor fusion, and machine learning, allowing multiple robotic arms to coordinate as a single, unified system.

That coordination is key. Managing one robotic arm is complex enough but synchronizing several in the same environment requires a deep understanding of timing, spatial awareness, and collaborative motion planning. Each arm must move independently yet harmoniously, avoiding collisions while performing concurrent actions like picking, stowing, and consolidation.

Under Brady’s guidance, the Amazon Robotics team has been able to translate years of research in robotic perception, haptics, and AI into a working system that feels almost symphonic in its execution. “It’s a single system with three times the versatility and tasks that it can accomplish,” Brady said. “It’s the next generation of what we think robotic coordination can look like.”

As with all of Amazon’s robotics innovations, Blue Jay is not about replacing peopleit’s about empowering them. The system’s design philosophy is rooted in safety, collaboration, and human-robot interaction.

By integrating Blue Jay into same-day fulfillment sites, Amazon can reduce repetitive physical strain for associates while increasing the speed and accuracy of order processing. Associates will be able to focus on decision-making, quality control, and problem-solving, while Blue Jay handles the labor-intensive components of movement and manipulation.

This approach reflects Brady’s long-standing belief that AI and robotics should serve working people. “We’re building technology that makes work safer, smarter, and even more rewarding,” he explained. In practice, that means developing machines that understand human intent, adapt to their environment, and function as trusted partners not faceless automata.

Blue Jay is the latest milestone in Amazon’s broader robotics roadmap. It follows Vulcan, a system that introduced a robot’s first sense of touch, and Deeply, an orchestration platform that manages thousands of mobile robots to move inventory faster and more efficiently.

Together, these technologies form a continuum: Vulcan gives robots sensory intelligence, Deeply gives them coordination, and Blue Jay brings it all together in a compact, multi-functional form factor. Each project builds upon the other, reflecting Brady’s systems-engineering roots and his belief in iterative, layered innovation.

What makes Blue Jay’s debut especially exciting is that its implications extend far beyond Amazon. Every lesson learned, every algorithm refined and every motion perfected contributes to a growing body of knowledge that will shape robotics across industries.

“The same core capabilities we’re developing here,” Brady explains, “are the building blocks that will one day enable machines to navigate truly unstructured environments.” The technology that helps a Blue Jay robot grasp an item safely and efficiently could one day help a domestic robot assist with household tasks or a medical robot provide precise, delicate care.

As Amazon continues to expand its robotics and AI capabilities, systems like Blue Jay show how automation, thoughtfully applied, can create workplaces that are safer, jobs that are more fulfilling, and a world where human creativity and robotic precision move forward together.

The post Project Blue Jay: Amazon Robotics’ Next Leap Forward appeared first on Black Girl Nerds.

Academy Award–nominated actress and BWOB co-founder Danielle Brooks is going back to her roots in South Carolina to ignite the passion of young performers with the Century Cycle Continues Monologue Competition, a new annual program honoring the spirit of Black storytelling.

Hosted in partnership with The South Carolina Governor’s School for the Arts and Humanities, Brooks’ alma mater, and supported by BWOB, the competition invites high school students to carry forward the legacy of legendary playwright August Wilson while embracing the voices shaping theatre today.

The challenge: perform a 1–2 minute monologue from a contemporary or classic playwright of color. The goal: keep the narrative alive because while Wilson’s “Century Cycle” may be complete, the story of Black theatre is still being written.

“The stories of Black playwrights have shaped theatre in profound ways,” says Brooks. “I want South Carolina students to feel that legacy to see themselves in it, and to keep the cycle going.”

Students can submit their monologues by January 3, 2026, at cccmonologuecompetition.com. Finalists will be announced on February 3, and will perform live on February 28, 2026, at the Governor’s School. Hosted by Danielle Brooks herself, the event will feature a panel of esteemed judges and cash prizes for the top three winners.

It’s a rite of passage for young artists stepping into their power.

Submissions for the Reading Series are open now, and Black women playwrights are encouraged to apply at www.blackwomenonbroadway.org/events.

Together, these two initiatives the Century Cycle Continues Monologue Competition and the BWOB Reading Series embody BWOB’s commitment to honoring legacy while building new pathways for Black women in theatre.

From the classroom to the stage, BWOB is making sure the next generation of storytellers knows: your voice belongs here.

Image Credit: Angela Orellana

The post Black Women on Broadway Launches Two Groundbreaking Initiatives Celebrating Black Women’s Voices in Theatre appeared first on Black Girl Nerds.

Jeff Friday, the visionary founder of the American Black Film Festival (ABFF) and CEO of Nice Crowd, has launched Ask Jeff, a new mentorship initiative designed to give African American college students — particularly those attending HBCUs — free career advice and professional guidance.

This isn’t your average career program. Ask Jeff offers students the rare chance to connect one-on-one with Friday himself, gaining insight from a leader who’s spent nearly three decades building pathways for Black talent in entertainment. Students can submit an interest form, upload their resumes, and send in their questions to get started. Once selected, they’ll schedule a personalized virtual session with Friday for tailored mentorship and industry insight.

The idea for Ask Jeff was born out of a real moment. In 2023, Friday delivered the commencement address at Howard University’s School of Communications and told graduates to reach out if they ever needed advice. Many took him up on it, asking about everything from breaking into the business side of film to navigating networks and opportunities. That outpouring of curiosity and ambition sparked the idea to turn his open-door offer into a formal platform for students nationwide.

Through Ask Jeff, students can ask about careers in distribution, marketing, finance, management, or live event production essential areas where Black representation remains limited but crucial. While the program isn’t a job placement service, it offers something far more valuable: trusted, hands-on mentorship from someone who’s been where they are and climbed all the way up.

“For nearly three decades, my mission has been to create pathways for Black talent in Hollywood,” Friday shares. “Ask Jeff is my way of extending that mission directly to students who are hungry for advice and perspective. When I graduated from business school and wanted to break into entertainment, there were very few people I could turn to for career guidance—especially on the business side. I just want to make sure today’s students have more resources than I had.”

With Ask Jeff, Friday continues his legacy of empowerment — cultivating the next generation of Black executives, producers, and industry leaders who will shape the future of entertainment. Questions to Jeff Friday can be directed via Google form HERE

The post Jeff Friday Launches “Ask Jeff” — A Free Mentorship Platform for HBCU Students Pursuing Careers in Entertainment appeared first on Black Girl Nerds.

If you haven’t seen the movie Sinners, please do not read further as spoilers will be mentioned below.

Sinners has sparked intense discussions across social media about loyalty, identity, and cultural intersectionality. In the film’s pivotal moment, Grace’s controversial decision to invite vampires inside of Smoke and Stack’s (Michael B. Jordan) Club Juke has ignited passionate discourse online. Many viewers see her actions as a layered commentary on survivalism, assimilation, and the historical complexities of cross-cultural alliances under pressure. Others have criticized the move as a symbolic act of betrayal, questioning whether the film reinforces harmful stereotypes or opens a necessary dialogue about trust and belonging in Black spaces.

Across TikTok videos, X (Twitter) debates, and Reddit think pieces, Grace has emerged as a lightning rod for conversations about how marginalized characters navigate systems of power and whether her choice was an act of desperation, complicity, or quiet rebellion.

Chinese culture and history play a crucial role in shaping the film’s emotional core and authenticity. That authenticity is no accident and it’s rooted in the contributions of cultural consultant and journalist Dolly Li, whose work bridges storytelling and identity. As it relates specifically to this controversial scene, it was brought up in this week’s IN PROXIMITY podcast. Li sat down with host Paola Mardo and discussed how the moment is far more layered than it appears.

Li explains that when Remmick (Jack O’Connell) speaks to Grace in her native language — something he does with no other character — it triggers a powerful emotional response rooted in the immigrant experience. “As an immigrant, when someone speaks to you in your mother tongue, it evokes something beyond logic,” Li says. “It can awaken memories, vulnerabilities, and even a survival instinct.”

She also adds a fascinating layer of historical and linguistic accuracy. “I responded with that era, the most immigrants came from either Canton or Toisan. The early, early immigrants really did come from Toisan, and a lot of them could speak Cantonese. But I was like, if you want to be super accurate, Toisan, but how many people will understand it? Not that many. You could go with Cantonese and easily get away with it, but I love that they went all the way and chose Toisan. Toisan and Cantonese were the two communities that made up the early immigrants. Toisan is in southern China, within the Canton region, but they speak their own dialect.”

This film just further demonstrates how careful attention to dialect, history, and language can transform a scene from mere plot point to cinematic artistry.

Li interprets Grace’s decision as one born from deep emotional manipulation and not a simple act of treachery. Remmick weaponizes language and love, embodying the soul of Grace’s late husband to exploit her trust. The result is a moment that’s both heartbreaking and haunting. One that reveals the film’s brilliance in weaving heritage, identity, and power into its storytelling.

Li adds:

Because when you’re an immigrant in America and you don’t speak English and someone speaks to you in your native language, it evokes this emotion in you that is so hard to describe, right? It’s not just like code-switching. You’re unlocking a totally different side of the brain. And I think this is why I think the film was also so brilliant in that moment where you have this Irish vampire who was able to embody the soul of her husband, to the degree where he could tap into this really deep language to really mess with her and her emotions like that is that is some really dark, dark, spiritual stuff”

In the end, Grace’s choice serves as a mirror for audiences, reflecting the difficult moral terrain that immigrants and outsiders often navigate in pursuit of safety and belonging. By centering such a complex, emotionally charged moment, Sinners pushes viewers to reconsider how betrayal, survival, and identity intersect. And how language can be both a bridge to connection and a weapon of control.

The post The Meaning Behind ‘Sinners’ Most Talked-About Scene and the Chinese History That Inspired It appeared first on Black Girl Nerds.

The fact that Reed’s mother and legal representatives have reportedly reviewed these findings signals a growing demand for answers and underscores the importance of independent oversight. It is a reminder that official reports are not always final and that families, especially those who have historically been marginalized often must fight to ensure that every angle is examined thoroughly. With Kaepernick’s involvement, this case has gained renewed attention, highlighting how influential figures can help amplify the voices of those seeking justice, particularly when institutional trust is fragile.

This development raises several pressing questions. How did the initial ruling of suicide fail to account for evidence of blunt force trauma? Were there procedural oversights, or worse, negligence in how authorities investigated Reed’s death? While it is crucial to respect the ongoing investigations and the integrity of the legal process, it is equally important to acknowledge the emotional and psychological toll that conflicting narratives place on families. For Trey Reed’s loved ones, this is not an abstract debate. It is their lived reality.

Moreover, the situation illustrates the broader systemic patterns affecting Black students and communities in Mississippi and beyond. Historically, marginalized families have faced barriers when seeking transparency or independent review in cases of sudden or unexplained deaths. The decision by Reed’s family to seek a second autopsy reflects a wider distrust in systems that too often prioritize expediency or institutional reputation over the pursuit of truth. When prominent advocates like Kaepernick step in to fund independent investigations, it sends a powerful message: communities will not wait silently for answers, and public attention can be a tool for accountability.

It is also worth noting that the reporting of this case is still unfolding. According to the Chicago Crusader, inquiries regarding Reed’s autopsy records should be directed to Mississippi authorities or the law offices of attorney Ben Crump. The fact that media outlets and investigators are pointing to official channels for these documents reinforces the importance of due process, but it also highlights the need for transparency at every stage. Journalists, activists, and concerned citizens all play a role in ensuring that such cases are not forgotten or buried under bureaucratic inertia.

Ultimately, the tragedy of Trey Reed is a stark reminder that the pursuit of justice often requires persistence, vigilance, and collaboration. The second autopsy’s findings may challenge the official narrative, but they also offer a glimmer of hope: that with dedicated advocacy, families can uncover truths that might otherwise remain hidden. In a society grappling with ongoing issues of racial inequity, mental health, and institutional accountability, Trey Reed’s story compels us to confront uncomfortable questions about who is believed, who is protected, and whose lives are valued.

As the investigation continues, the imperative is clear: authorities must provide transparency, families must be heard, and the public must remain engaged. The stakes are too high, and the consequences of silence too severe, for anything less. Trey Reed’s life and the questions surrounding his death deserve nothing short of a thorough, independent, and just examination.

The post Second Autopsy Reveals Shocking New Details in Trey Reed Case appeared first on Black Girl Nerds.

There is no denying that scary movies are the cornerstone of pop culture entertainment.

Analysts at CableTV.com created a national report revealing each state’s favorite horror film. This was an interesting study and I’m not sure how scientific it is, I have to say, I think it’s pretty accurate. My favorite scary movie of all time is the Wes Craven’s Scream. As it turns out, my fellow Virginians are also fans of the 1996 flick. So this study already has earned some bonus points with me. If you’re not familiar, Scream is part horror and part parody about a fright-masked knife maniac who stalks high-school students in middle-class suburbia. The film makes fun of the very genre it depicts and executes it brilliantly.  Kevin Williamson, most notably known as the creator of Dawson’s Creek, wrote the screenplay.

Put A Ring On It In 18 States

The Ring (a scary film about watching a scary film), is the top horror movie in eighteen states — capturing the most states by a landslide. The Ring is an adaptation of the Japanese psychological horror film Ringu. The story is about a videotape filled with nightmarish images that leads to a phone call foretelling the viewer’s death in exactly seven days.

The Scariest Movie Most People Seen

In this same study, a sample of people revealed which film was the scariest movie they’ve ever seen. The movie It based on the Stephen King novel of the same name took the prize for this one. It started as a book in 1986, later adapted into a TV miniseries in 1990 and then released as a feature film in 2017. The movie’s sequel It: Chapter One will arrive in theaters September 6, 2019

Kids Love Horror Films

The average age of respondents said they watched their first horror film at 7.2 years old. I can co-sign on this. My first horror film was A Nightmare On Elm Street. I was actually 6 years old when I saw it. This 1984 horror-comedy is about a charismatic midnight mangler by the name of Freddy Krueger. He preys on the teenagers in their dreams — which, kills them in reality. My brother (a year younger than I) used to draw pictures of Freddy all of the time.  Freddy became a pretty significant character in our childhood.  My mother was pretty liberal about the kind of movies we watched. I mean, after all, this is the same mom that allowed her 9-year-old daughter to watch Hellraiser.

State Pride For Horror Locations

There’s nothing better than showing some pride for your state that was the setting for a horror film. Three states’ favorite movies are set in the state where they are a favorite: Colorado with The Shining, Pennsylvania with Night of the Living Dead, and Texas with The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. As for Texas, I mean it’s in the title! How can you not show some love for this film in your state?

What do you think of the list?  Do you agree with the selections? Fire at will in the comments below and have a happy and safe Halloween!

The post Favorite Horror Films In The U.S. Broken Down By State appeared first on Black Girl Nerds.

Welcome back to BGN’s Throwback Thursday where we reminisce and rehash old memories featuring our favorite TV characters from year’s past!

In a media landscape often dominated by stereotypical portrayals, the quirky Black girl TV character has emerged as a refreshing and necessary presence. These characters, from the elegance of Claire Huxtable to the awkward charm of Joan Clayton, invite audiences to explore the complexities of Black womanhood with humor, depth, and authenticity.

Part of the reason I write this column is that most of the shows I discuss had a huge hand in molding me into who I am today, and I think I am just starting to realize just how true that is. In my formative years, the lack of Black women characters in mainstream shows left me starved for more people that looked like me. As a result, I would either make up a Black female character for the show that would suspiciously act and talk like me or seek out and watch a show with a predominantly Black cast.

I was well aware of the stereotypes, as I never fit into that particular, strong, sassy Black woman archetype at all. It made me feel isolated and alone and different, in a bad way. So I deferred to television and I searched for anyone with whom I felt a common bond, that made me feel normal. I know that wasn’t the healthiest way to cope, but it gave me some sense of perspective — especially when I finally started to find characters I could relate to. They weren’t completely like me, but they were different enough from the norm that I could look to them on some level and think that “hey I don’t have to be a certain way after all.” So I want to recognize those characters that are a little quirky, a little different because Black women are not a monolith; we are more than neck rollin,’ finger snapping caricatures. We are people like any other, who are constantly learning, loving and evolving — no matter how out of the norm we are.

Denise Huxtable (The Cosby Show)

Denise was so effortlessly cool, young me couldn’t stand it. Known as the resident fashionista, Denise’s hippie-chic look projected an air of extreme self-confidence. Denise would wear want she wanted and do what she wanted and you would deal with it. Of course, outside the sensible, sanitized world of the Cosby’s Denise could come across pretty milquetoast (Hello A Different World!), but she always came across as having a strong sense of self. Black women are often expected to be all things to all people, to always be the strong pillar of support for others to lean on. Denise made it ok to say, “no I’m going my own way.”

Ashley Banks (Fresh Prince of Bel Air)

As the youngest Banks child on Fresh Prince of Bel Air, it would be easy for the show’s writer to go the bratty half-pint route with Ashley. A spoiled, stuck-up little princess— essentially a mini Hilary. Boring! Instead of reveling in her family’s wealth and social standing, Ashley was easily the most down to earth character on the show. She wasn’t aggressive, she didn’t have an attitude, she was just…chill. That doesn’t mean she was perfect— as she matured into a teenager, the show used her as a vessel for storylines focusing on the trials and tribulations of puberty.  As Ashley’s character developed, she also exhibited a bit of a feminist streak, leading to confrontations with Will and (her father)Uncle Phil when they would try to be well-meaning but would smother her and exhibit overprotectiveness instead. Ashley could have taught a course in conflict resolution because she knows how to shut down some nonsense without getting messy. It was the strong, calm act of assertiveness she would employ when Will was overprotective while chaperoning her on a date, or when Uncle Will refused to let her go on a date. Ashley was depicted as a person, with very clear wants and desires, a dark-skinned Black girl that was depicted as an everyday, normal teenager.

Lynn Ann Searcy (Girlfriends)

Lynn was artistic, free-spirited, uninhibited and looking for her place in the world. On the one hand, she wasn’t afraid to express herself, to open about who she was sexually, even if her friends may have thought her a bit crass at times. On the other hand, she had an entire aspect of her life that was a mystery to her. Lynn did not know her biological parents and was raised by a White couple beginning from a very young age. She didn’t embrace her African-American background until college. “Acting White” is a common insult hurled at Black women who dare to study, listen to punk music, or have friends of other races. It can be a frustrating and demoralizing experience to have two parts of yourself that can’t be reconciled. However, Lynn showed that it was possible to love all aspects of yourself and by doing that you will find worthwhile friends to accept you for who you are.

Synclaire James Jones (Living Single)

Synclaire could be so goofy, at times she sounded like she was on an entirely different show. She made a great foil for her cousin, smart, level-headed Khadijah. She was silly, but what’s wrong with being silly sometimes? Synclaire was also a very positive person, often seen with a bright smile her face. She was so refreshing. I admit that growing up, her character wasn’t my favorite and I often overlooked her as her behavior often weirded me out. However, as an adult, I can better understand who she was and what she represents. Being your authentic self takes a ton of confidence, and it says a lot of her that she rarely lost her chipper attitude, even when her friends would brush her off. Happy! How often do we get to see Black women genuinely cheerful and content? It’s always: she’s a single mother with two jobs; a wife whose husband is cheating on her; the rock of the family that has to pull everyone together while everything is falling apart. But you know what? Synclaire’s gonna be happy, because she has a good job, a roof over her head a boyfriend/husband who is her literal other half, and friends and family that also love her. She has nothing to be upset about. Imagine that, a Black woman…happy! It’s ok to stop and smell the roses, especially when those roses are from your own beautiful blooming garden.

As the industry continues to evolve, these characters remind us that quirkiness is not a flaw — it’s a window into the diverse, hilarious, and courageous lives of badass Black women across media. Their stories encourage more creators to craft characters who are complex, relatable, and unapologetically themselves.

The post Celebrating Quirky Black Girl TV Characters appeared first on Black Girl Nerds.

One of the most intriguing aspects of the film were the Dora Milaje — an elite army of women warriors who defended the fictional kingdom of Wakanda. The women bodyguards were dedicated and principled, which provided the film’s moral compass.

The Dora Milaje were modeled after the Agojie warrior women (also known as the Dahomey Amazons), who defended the western African kingdom of Dahomey in the 1800s and were the central military force in the society. Now, the Agojie are the focus of the new film, The Woman King.

On June 13, 2022, I had the opportunity to attend a special footage screening of The Woman King in Los Angeles. Director/writer Gina Prince-Bythewood provided these remarks about the film: “It’s an historical, epic, action drama about an incredible group of women very few people have heard of. It’s history that is normally written out of history books. It was humbling and empowering to get to know these women. Our cast is phenomenal, and they just brought such grace, passion, and humanity to these real women.”

As the screening started, within minutes the women warriors quietly rise up out of the brush, before an attack. The audience knew right away that this was going to be an exciting ride. The film’s trailer and photographs have been saturating social media, as well as the videos showing the actors’ grueling physical training for their roles. They did their own stunts!

It’s also exciting to learn that the inspiration for these powerful women is rooted in reality. The Kingdom of Dahomey and the Dahomey Amazons have a rich and noteworthy background.

The Kingdom of Dahomey existed from circa 1600 until 1904 within what is presently known as Benin, a West African country. The area was initially settled by the Fon people, who still exist today. They took residence and established a king to rule over them. It wasn’t until their third king came into power in 1645 that they truly began to establish themselves and hone their power.

The kingdom would capture people and sell them in the Atlantic slave trade in exchange for rifles, tobacco, and alcohol. The Kingdom of Dahomey kept some captives to enslave, forcing them to work on plantations and cultivate food for its army and royalty. The Annual Customs of Dahomey would include the mass execution of enslaved people for human sacrifice.

The Kingdom of Dahomey became known for its intricate artwork and its all-woman military unit known as the Dahomey Amazons. In the mid-1800s, the kingdom began to decline with pressure from Britain to stop slave trading. During this time, King Ghezo (played by John Boyega) was in charge and against ending the lucrative business.

The Kingdom of Dahomey eventually became French Dahomey, a colony, ten years later. It transitioned to a self-governing colony, the Republic of Dahomey, with full independence in 1960. Nearly 20 years later, the area became the People’s Republic of Benin, which later simply became Benin. That is the official name today. 

The truth is, all the history of the Kingdom of Dahomey is a lot to take in. Unfortunately, much of the documentation about the women warriors comes from the perspectives of white visitors and documenters, including naming them Amazons. However, they called themselves Mino, which means “our mothers” in Fon language.

As you might guess, those white visitors saw the Dahomey Amazons as “overly masculine.” The army became large in number with estimations of 6,000 women by the mid 19th-century. What I found interesting is that the women remained single, dedicating their lives to the kingdom and avoiding things associated with traditional womanhood. 

Bythewood told Vanity Fair, “We didn’t want to show them as just one thing — badass women who killed,” she said. “They also laughed and loved and cried. We wanted to show their full humanity, not just the cool part that would look good in a trailer.”

They went through intense training and deadening their emotions towards death and violence. Becoming a Mino was a way for many of the women to obtain wealth, status, and influence. Viola Davis’ character Nanisca represents one of the Mino’s commanders, a woman warrior whose skill and leadership exceeds the others.

The last living Dahomey Amazon is thought to be Nawi, a main character in the film played by South African actress Thuso Mbedu. In the film, Nawi is a young recruit who comes under the guidance of Nanisca. The army had girls as young as eight years old join their ranks. So, it is possible that Nawi could have been around this age when she began to fight in battles.

The Dahomey women warriors have popped up in the entertainment world like Lovecraft Country and Black Panther. The Dora Milaje obviously drew some inspiration from these warriors. The film screening revealed that Nanisca and Nawi will fight alongside each other against enemies who enslaved their people and tried to destroy them.

This film is “based on powerful true events,” which means it will not be a documentary or story that sticks to the facts. We can expect some creative liberty taken, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. The Kingdom of Dahomey engaged in some questionable practices that made me cringe to learn about. Although it’s important to understand that was the norm during that time period, there were still actual human beings behind all the wars. These women likely served because they wanted to protect their families or prove themselves in some way. It is also possible that they were not given a choice.

The Woman King is a great vehicle to humanize the Dahomey Amazons in a way that white male documenters did not in their observations. It will be interesting to see how this film will depict the Kingdom of Dahomey and its women warriors.

The Woman King makes its World Premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival September 9 and releases exclusively in theaters September 16.

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It’s the waiting for each episode that gets to us. So, in the meantime, here are 10 gems we picked up from The Falcon and the Winter Soldier press conference we hope will tide you over. In attendance was Marvel president and producer Kevin Feige, director Kari Skogland, head writer Malcolm Spellman, Anthony Mackie (Sam Wilson), and Sebastian Stan (Bucky Barnes). Check out the content below. 

1. The Falcon and the Winter Soldier is the second series coming out on Disney+, but it was actually the first one they started making.

Kevin Feige: This is the second one that is coming out onto Disney+ but, as Malcolm and Kari well know, it was our first one that we started.

2. The Falcon and the Winter Soldier is all about the action, which is very comparable to the Marvel films.

Feige: It really starts off with a bang. We kept saying, “If we’re going to do a series with Falcon and Winter Soldier in it, we need to at least start off with the best action that we’ve ever seen.

Sebastian Stan: It was pretty on par with the films, I felt. Actually, even more evolved and intense, I would say. It feels like the action really intensified in a lot of ways. We’re always finding new ways to have them evolve with their action sequences. But it’s tonally the same as the movies.

Anthony Mackie: It’s more hand-to-hand combat. It’s more physical. It’s more assertive. It’s more of us utilizing our strengths, instead of something else. So, because of that, the stunt guys had a field day. Wyatt [Russell], Sebastian, and I did a lot of stunt training to be able to go in, and a lot of the stuff you see is us. But we had amazing stuntmen to go in and kick ass for us.

3. We get some backstory to the life of Sam Wilson.

Feige: We’ve seen a lot of cool action with both of them before. And more importantly, as I think you also see in that first episode and will see much more over the course of the series, we learn who the heck they are. We know a little bit about poor Bucky Barnes and what he’d been through. Sam Wilson, other than that he likes the job, is an inherently moral man, had been in the service, and worked with PTSD, we didn’t know much about him. So, it was really an opportunity to go deep.

4. The series was shot as a 6-hour film.

Kari Skogland: From the beginning, we were making a six-hour film. We just kind of figured out where to snip it at certain hour marks. Malcolm and I did a lot of looking at shows, but primarily movies, that were in our paradigm because we have a buddy-cop kind of relationship going on. So we looked at some of those. I looked at a lot of different influences to help me put it into a box. I looked at David Lean. I looked at Midnight Cowboy. So, I really go very wide and then try to put it in a pot and sorta stir it and come up with something that is uniquely signature for our look.

5. The Falcon and the Winter Soldier was inspired by movies and shows with a buddy cop vibe.

Malcolm Spellman: There was about a 12-second moment in Civil War where it feels like every single Marvel fan, Kevin Feige, and all his cabal partners knew that these two guys were going to be able to support a movie or franchise. The buddy-cop or, the buddy-two-hander genre, what we loved about them is the range tonally. You can go from something as gritty as 48 Hrs. to as comedic as Rush Hour, but in between there is that first Lethal Weapon and that first Bad Boys. What we liked about it was it allows Sebastian and Anthony to do what they do and create that magic, but also allows the broader creative if you need to take on real issues, or if you need to get into something very Marvel-y, it’s a very durable form of storytelling.

6. Some of the themes we find in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier revolve around identity, acceptance, and PTSD.

Stan: We’re really finally kind of zooming in on [Bucky’s] quest for identity and in terms of really accepting his past and sort of re-educating himself about the world that he’s currently in, the ideals and principles he might’ve lived by, and been driven by at one point that perhaps no longer serve him the same way. The whole subject of PTSD and the experience that they both share as soldiers, as men who have served, is one of the things that bring them together. There’s a bit of an honor code between them.  Even though they come from different ideas or opinions about things, there’s mutual respect. PTSD grounds both of these characters in very realistic ways.

7. The characters from these Disney+ series will go back and forth between the Disney+ series and the Marvel Studios features. 

Feige: If we were able to do another season, there are certainly ideas. The slight difference, of course, is as you’ve all heard me say, and I think is becoming clear with WandaVision, that they really will go back and forth between the Disney+ series and the Marvel Studios Features. So, where characters show up, and how, sometimes will be in a direct Season 2, sometimes will be in a feature, and then into an additional season. We’re just not gonna say who does what right this second.

8. The Falcon and the Winter Soldier is ultimately about the world after the Thanos snap.

Spellman: What worked out really nicely was [it’s] where Endgame leaves off. Dispatching Thanos has created a situation where the entire world is dealing with one single issue, which is very familiar to what’s going on today. Everything is born from that. The villains in this series are responding to that. In fact, every villain in the series would tell you they are a hero. The heroes are responding to that in their personal lives. That story plot, it’s all born from one single, organic thing. This continuum from what happens after Endgame sort of galvanizes and affects everybody on the planet at the same time and creates a nice cohesion, and direct lineage to the MCU.

9. Marvel is all over the fan theories and usually on the same page. But, they still like to play with our emotions. 

Feige: We’re all fans within Marvel Studios. So, it really is kind of the same balance that we’ve been trying to strike for the last ten-plus years. Figuring out, yes, how to exceed expectations, but also how to subvert expectations. I’ve never thought of it in terms of what people want versus what they need. It’s just, how do you provide the best, most engaged level of storytelling to the audience? Sometimes that is subverting what they expect. There are times where something comes up totally out of left field that even we weren’t anticipating. Like, for instance, an aeronautical, aerospace engineer is asked about. That turned into a whole thing. That was new to us. But other than that, we’re usually quite in sync with what people are expecting, and either delivering on that or surprising and subverting that.

10. There are 10+ series in the works right now for Disney+.

Feige: We were pretty committed even before the success of WandaVision. We’re in the works on 10+ series and have been for a number of years now. It again is just another marker for us staying the course, as well as the fans willing to go with us to new unexpected places, which is what excited us about the opportunity to do a series on Disney+, now with The Falcon and Winter Soldier that you’ll see soon. So it was a nice boost of confidence that we can continue down that path we started a few years ago.

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier will premiere on Disney+ March 19, 2021. 

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