by Queen Muse

It’s been an amazing year for black women. From entertainment to politics to sports, black women have slashed records, made history, and stood up nobly for important causes, for themselves and for one another. These are the #BlackGirlMagic moments that made us laugh, cry tears of joy or shout a unified “Yaaasss!” in celebration of our fellow sisters.

By Dr. Lexx Brown-James

The premier of T.G.I.T. did not disappoint with Shonda Rhimes capturing us yet again with the romance, drama, and suspense built into ShondaLand. Shonda knows how to deliver and we were not disappointed.

by Diana Veiga

Acclaimed author (and Black woman oracle) Toni Morrison once said that Black women are the original girlfriends. “Black women have always been friends. I mean, if you didn’t have each other you had nothing,” Morrison said in a conversation with Maya Angelou and Nikki Giovanni for Essence.

by Kimberly Denise Williams

Hollywood’s issue with diversity is well documented—from its employment practices to the final images we see on screen. Even more, when we see black images taking center stage, they are often pre-Civil Rights Movement roles showcasing us as slaves or servants. There seems to be two strains of thought on why this is the case, and they are not mutually exclusive. For one, few people will argue against the blatant racism that existed then in comparison to the more complicated portrayals that could be included in a movie portraying the struggles Black people face today. Thus, it is easier to show racial tensions prior to the 1960s. Additionally, it is also easier for mainstream audiences to see Black people in subservient roles. This imbalance in portrayals has caused many to argue for more films focusing on contemporary representation of Black lives, and to dismiss the onslaught of movies—often greatly written, directed and acted—that focus on slaves and servants.

by Tracey Michae’l


I remember when I first encountered the side-eye. I was probably about six or seven and watching a "conversation" between my mother and a cashier at the A&P who tried it with her about a coupon. It was a thing of beauty, this way of cutting without knives. This way of making a point and putting folks in their place with only a brief, chastising look. And my mother, well, she is the Master Po of the art: a chief side-eye slinger who spent many years teaching her little grasshopper the ways of the craft.

Yesterday, Shonda Rhimes was on the cover of The Hollywood Reporter’s new issue. The caption underneath her read, “This is TV’s savior.” This came just one day after Viola Davis performed one of the most important scenes in recent pop culture on “How to Get Away with Murder” (a show that Rhimes serves as executive producer of): Davis’ character, Annalise Keating, is shown removing her wig, running her hands through her natural hair, and stripping off her makeup. This is an idea Davis had herself, and pitched to the series creator, Peter Nowalk.

I spend an excessive amount watching television. It is my favorite pastime. It is also my favorite mode of storytelling as it allows for steady, complex character development. Because of my obsession with TV, I spend a lot of time discussing it with my homegirls. On a weekly basis, I am analyzing some new plot development or character reveal with at least one friend. (When Scandal is airing new episodes, I’m doing it with every Black woman on my Facebook News Feed.)

Last year, Viola Davis drew criticism for her critically-acclaimed role as Aibileen Clark in "The Help." Davis shot down her critics, but in recent interviews she says she will never play a maid again.

“I'm tired of that,” Davis told CNN of playing maid roles. “We played – me and Octavia [Spencer], Aunjanue Ellis, Roslyn Ruff – we all played maids in ‘The Help’ and it was fabulous, it's a fabulous story because we were personalized and all of those things, but I think that people need to see an African-American in the 21st century integrated in the life of this town and family who's not in servitude."