Tag Archives: Black

Introducing Allen Iverson

Posted on April 24, 2016 by Sharyn

I recently watched Zatella Beatty’s documentary Iverson, available on Netflix streaming. When he was playing in the NBA, I never really knew much about Allen Iverson, except that he was something of a “bad boy” of basketball. After watching the … Continue reading →

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Thinking About a Global Blackness

Posted on March 28, 2016 by Sharyn

Now, before you read further, I need to make it clear that I am not thinking about Blackness in terms of myself. I am a white woman who happens to be a scholar of African American literature and theater, with … Continue reading →

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Langston Hughes and the Literary Canon

Posted on March 21, 2016 by Sharyn

In a piece for The Smart Set magazine, Richard Abowitz reminds readers that this past February marked the birthday of one Langston Hughes, popularly known as “the Bard of Harlem.” Over the course of the article, Abowitz parses out Hughes’ … Continue reading →

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On The Nightly Show and Diversity

Posted on March 7, 2016 by Sharyn

With all of the talk and arguments over diversity within entertainment, one theme has emerged, time and again: it is incumbent upon the producers, creators, and makers out there to deliberately hire more women and more people of color (POC) … Continue reading →

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OK, Scholars, Let’s Discuss “Formation” (Part II)

Posted on February 22, 2016 by Sharyn

In part two of this blog post, I’d like to talk about the Superbowl halftime show featuring Beyoncé and her coterie of backup dancers. (Part I is here) Much has been made of their outfits, which echo components of the … Continue reading →

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OK, Scholars, Let’s Discuss “Formation” (Part I)

Posted on February 15, 2016 by Sharyn

After a hiatus, the blog is back. And I, like everyone else, want to talk about Beyoncé’s new song and video, “Formation.” But before I do, I’d ask readers to first read/listen to the following: Yaba Blay’s article about the … Continue reading →

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Police Unions and Racism: 1973 & 2014*

Posted on December 31, 2014 by Sharyn

At the end of 2014, it’s hard to reflect on the year without considering the terrible violence committed against unarmed Black persons by police officers. Eric Garner. Michael Brown. Tamir Rice. John Crawford III. Akai Gurley. And these, really, are … Continue reading →

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