American University Professor Opens Country’s First Go-Go Museum
BRANDON SMITH | Dec. 10American University Professor Natalie Hopkinson just helped open the nation’s first go-go music museum in Southeast.
Culture
Reggae and Revolution Songs: Bob Marley’s Timeless “One Love” Legacy
ADAOBI NWATU | Mar. 7In honor of Black History Month, American University’s Caribbean Circle, an on-campus organization dedicated to providing space, promoting community, and embracing students of Caribbean heritage, sponsored an outing to see the movie Bob Marley: One Love.
This is What Betting on Black Looks Like
ADAOBI NWATU | Feb. 26All good Chef? Yes Chef! Congratulations to Ayo Edebiri on her Golden Globes win. Let's remind ourselves how she stole our hearts and became the "People's Princess."
Never the Money, Always the Principle: The Burial Review
GRETCHEN WALKER and ADAOBI NWATU | Oct. 28, 2023The Burial is a movie that does two things: tell a life story and ask us to be honest about the exploitation that these big corporations and companies do. Typically movies of the “small lawyer, big corporation case” genre are dramatic and thrilling. However, this movie seemed to fall flat, leaving more questions than answers.
Black Women Will Lead Revolutions, Even If We’re Scared
ADAOBI NWATU | Oct. 9, 2023As a parting gift, my high school librarian gave me the book Required Readings for the Disenfranchised Freshman written by Kristen R. Lee. I put off reading it during the summer but recently finished it within the first month of my freshman year of college. I’ve found myself in the same situation as the main character, Savannah Howard. The two of us are living similar lives as young Black students starting college at predominately white institutions, scared for our lives. Both of us are struggling to fully accept that our capabilities and accomplishments have guided us into the next phase of our lives. Both of us understand that there is a new game afoot, and we hope that life has equipped us with the skills to overcome it. However, our paths diverge when anti-Black hate crimes begin happening on her campus.
Rita Moreno: Legend of the Broadway Stage and the Silver Screen
JACE RIVERA | Apr. 27, 2023Through iconic and awarding winning roles in West Side Story as Anita and on the Electric Company to historic accomplishments like being the first latina and Puerto-Rican to win the pinnacle of acting awards known as the EGOT, Rita Moreno’s impact spanning eight decades has indisputably paved the way for young latino filmmakers, actors, and directors.
SoFaygo Pink Heartz Album Review
PHILLIP KULUBYA | Dec. 8, 2022Pink Heartz is the second album by Atlanta rapper, SoFaygo. The 21-year-old dominated the underground Soundcloud scene from 2018-2020 with his unique melodic delivery that felt like a breath of fresh air in the rap world. In addition, his collaborations, and his rap feuds, made him a hot topic among fans.
Tiktok and Cultural Appropriation: The Clean Girl Aesthetic and its roots in Black and Brown Communities
ONI CHAYTOR | Dec. 8, 2022TikTok has established itself as “the giant” of social media video-streaming platforms, as its users are relying on the app to view and participate in hundreds of thousands of trends that have been going viral on the platform. From dancing to cooking videos, Tiktok has become the go-to app for all things trendy.
Celia Cruz: The Queen of Salsa and Her Iconic and Bold Style
JACE RIVERA | Dec. 7, 2022“[Celia Cruz] no es una pasa de moda]” sings the legendary Celia Cruz, the iconic Queen of Salsa and arguably, one of the most synonymous singers with Cuban music. Born in Havana, Cuba, on October 21, 1925, Cruz was born of humble beginnings and would become a fixture in dance halls and clubs during her 20s. As an Afro-Latina woman, Cruz was raised believing in the diasporic religion of Santeria which fuses West-African folklore traditions and music orally preserved by African enslaved people in the Caribbean.
Iayze Demons 2 Deluxe Album Review
PHILLIP KULUBYA | Dec. 7, 2022Demons 2 Deluxe is an exciting project by Fort Worth rapper and producer, Iayze (pronounced Jace). The highly anticipated deluxe album arrived on September 19th, bringing many songs that fans had anticipated for months. His first album entitled Demons was one of the nineteen-year-old artist’s more popular 2021 releases and is known for having the lighthearted song, “Day by Day.”
JID’s The Forever Story: Yea…he did that
EHREN LAYNE | Dec. 7, 20222022 has undoubtedly been a fantastic year for Hip-Hop/Rap. Great releases from artists like Kendrick Lamar, Denzel Curry, Saba, Freddie Gibs, Conway the Machine, LUCKI (I did not like his album, but who am I right?), and Black Thought have dominated the rap scene this year. It is damn near impossible to crown any of these men the prestigious “Rap Album of the Year” award. But for those who don’t know, I correctly predicted Jazmine Sullivan’s 2021 Grammy win for “R&B Album of the Year,” and now that I’m rightfully cocky about my foresight, I’d like to try my hand again at another Grammy prediction.
age/sex/location - What can’t Ari Lennox do?
YOUNG MIN MILLER | Dec. 7, 2022In her sophomore album, age/sex/location, Ari Lennox delves deeper into her narrative of of finding love from online chatrooms, self-acceptance of her needing love, and her struggles she goes through in finding these romantic relationships. Her heavy melodies and potent lyricism deliver a solid album that you will find yourself coming back to.
Op-Ed: Paint Cans and Police Sirens: The Complexity of Graffiti Art
SAGE DUARTE | Dec. 6, 2022The seemingly simplistic words spray-painted on buildings and landmarks have such a rich history with complex racial politics surrounding it and provide accessibility to create art for artists of all backgrounds. These factors combined are why instead of brushing graffiti off as vandalism and a crime, it should be recognized as a valid art form.
Closing Breast Cancer Survival Rate Disparities Among Black Women
ISABELLA LONG | Dec. 2, 2022As 2022 approaches its end and we begin to think of things we wish to better for next year, it’s important to take the time to give breast cancer disparities among Black women a platform.
Edward Enninful and How He Has Brought Representation to British Vogue:
ONI CHAYTOR | Nov. 7, 2022In the past, diversity in the fashion industry was essentially non-existent; from models on the runway to the masterminds behind the development of fashion magazine issues, fashion typically did not make space for Black, Indigenous, and other people of color
TikTok: the Home of Cultural Appropriation
MADISON JACKSON | Nov. 7, 2022With over 680K fans, influencer Gracie Nortron was addressed for her video, released in late June, for cultural appropriation. Norton’s attempts at colonizing agua fresca, calling it spa water, caused an uproar among POC communities, mainly the Latine community, for her lack of credit given to Latine culture.
‘I'm Winning Ho’: The Fatphobic Discourse around Lizzo
ONI CHAYTOR | Nov. 7, 2022Celebrities–whether musicians, actors, or influencers–are unfortunately susceptible to bullying and harassment from society and even members of their own fanbases.
Euphoria: A Question of Representation
DAISY ARANHA | Mar. 17, 2022As Euphoria’s second season comes to a close, it only seems fitting to comment on the new season. Like most people, each Sunday, my knee is bouncing in anticipation for the clock to strike nine, so I can indulge in the gripping show. With that being said, Euphoria is undoubtedly an aesthetic masterpiece. It is filled with breathtaking cinematography, amazing costume design (excuse me while I try and inevitably fail to do some of those incredible makeup looks), and one of the most pitch perfect soundtracks I have ever heard, courtesy of Labyrinth. Sam Levinson overall has done a fantastic job in creating a thrilling show that leaves the audience on the edge of their seat.
Celebrating Black Comedy: The 85 South Show
EHREN LAYNE | Mar. 14, 2022In the spirit of Black History Month, I’d like to tell you all a joke: if you’re cheese with no crackers, what are you? Answer: crackalackin!
Is There Truly A Light At The End Of The Tunnel? How The Weeknd’s Recent Album Makes Listeners Question The Afterlife
HELINA MESFIN | Mar. 3, 2022As we begin the new year, a famed artist, The Weeknd recently released his fifth studio album titled Dawn FM on January 7. Most would agree that his recent work is quite different from his previous projects as coming after the success of the acclaimed album, After Hours, The Weeknd had almost any direction open to where he wanted to go next. Dawn FM introduces a new concept and artistry from The Weeknd that clearly was never explored before, but nonetheless, very exciting to see unfold.
