Black, Female Storytelling in Pop Culture 101 For Aspiring Allies by An Aspiring Ally
photo credit: Goop
After listening to many Black voices this week, it has become evident how important it is to celebrate Black joy, Black creativity, Black storytelling. Elaine Welteroth (pictured above) has been an incredibly enlightening force not only her entire career, but certainly in the last few weeks. I highly recommend you follow her on IG and Twitter! Please go read her book, More Than Enough!
I think it’s important to note the title of this post. Should you join me in my efforts to become an ally, (and I really hope you do) we will always be aspiring allies. There are no gold stars, no benchmarks or awards. It will always be an ongoing fight and if you look like me, we’ll never understand what it truly means to be Black or a BIPOC. But you can act, you can step up and you can learn to improve your ally-ship. It’s a marathon, not a sprint.
We have been witness to an undeniable multitude of pain, trauma and suffering at the expense of our Black neighbors, friends and families. Enough was enough over 400 years ago and it’s time that we make some changes and create more opportunities for more storytellers and re-prioritize, well, everything!
While photographing our local Black Lives Matter protest here in B.C. for the organizers, it struck a chord in me when one of the speakers said, “We didn’t learn our own histories in school, we had to teach ourselves where we come from and how we got here, you know your histories. It’s time for you to rewrite school curriculum, for you to do your homework and to educate yourself on Black history.” Canada has its own relationship with racism, but it has been more and more fascinating to learn how much has been swept under the rug, similar to that in the States. This is especially true if you grew up in a very white village in Vermont, like I did. Another piece of valuable advice was this: “We invite you to celebrate our culture, our music, our writing, but if you are going to sing along or rap along, you must skip the n word, don’t even sing it along. Oh and pay us equal compensation.” I am paraphrasing what the speakers had said, but they are absolutely right!
While it is incredibly important to educate ourselves on the complex fabric that has led up to the last week so we can act, we need to also listen to first-hand experiences, celebrate creativity, achievement and advancement in storytelling. We need to amplify more joy. Black women are making waves in the entertainment industry; from Ava DuVernay’s A Wrinkle In Time and 13th, Shonda Rhimes’ Scandal, and Tiffany Haddish talking about how the survival skills she learned growing up in South Central L.A. got her kicked out of Scientology in her Netflix comedy special! We are starting to see only a few more directors pop up each year (come on guys, we can do so much better than this!), some more leading roles, and new series written by Black writers. Learning about racism goes faaaaaaaaaaar beyond a quick list of books and posting a black square on Instagram. It’s multi-faceted and everyone’s story is different. By investing in books, music, film, live shows and art made by Black folks as well as programs that make more of these platforms possible, it creates direct pathways to create more jobs and economic growth.
Just like the story goes, when you teach a person to fish…
As I listen and learn, it is also evident how important it is to clear the stage for intersectional female works by Black creatives. Black women receive alarmingly little recognition, compensation, you name it for their capabilities. This reality is really gross. While the title does read “female,” when I reference this realm, I will always be including any and all humans who identify as female, no matter what sex parts they were born with. It is really important to understand how the Black Trans and LGBTQ2 communities are often hit the hardest and to provide equal opportunity to these folks as well. Learn about Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera - trans women of color. They were two voices of leadership in the fight for the LGBTQ Civil Rights during the Stonewall Uprising. I also encourage you to learn about Stonewall. It’s deeply disturbing how humans are being treated on this planet for who they love, who they are and what they look like. It’s always been this way, now we just have cameras and social medias to spotlight it.
Below I have put together a list of shows, films, podcasts and music that I am striving to learn from in the following weeks that not only provide teaching moments, but also celebrate these forms of storytelling.
After all, my teachers and professors always required that we turn to primary sources first when learning history.
While putting this together, I was listening to Black Lives Matter on Here’s The Thing by Janet & Alexa. Highly, highly recommend!! In this episode, they talk about meaningful action as allies, perceptions of black culture, what not to do and their thoughts on the movement. Holy fuck, it’s profound and important to listen to!
This list by no means is perfect, but it’s a start, and it’s important to start.
Television & Film:
A Fall From Grace (2019) Directed by Tyler Perry on Netflix
AJ & The Queen on Netflix starring RuPaul Charles
Always A Bridesmaid (2019) on Netflix
American Son Starring Kerry Washington on Netflix
Anything and everything directed by Ava DuVernay: Selma (2014), For Justice (2015), August 28th (2016) 13th on Netflix (2016), A Wrinkle In Time (2018), When They See Us (2019)
*Becoming (2020) on Netflix about First Lady Michelle Obama
*Black-Ish, Grown-ish and Mixed-ish on ABC or Hulu
#BLACKAF starring Kenya Barris and Rashida Jones, based on Barris’s life on Netflix
*Dear White People starring Logan Browning on Netflix
Empire on Fox and Hulu starring Taraji P. Henson
*Insecure a series HBO by Issa Rae
* Hidden Figures (2016) about the under-credited Black mathematicians, like Katherine Johnson, who made it so we could land on the moon
Miss Virginia on Netflix starring Uzo Aduba (Orange Is The New Black) and Vanessa Williams
Nappily Ever After (2018) on Neflix
*Orange Is The New Black on Netflix
Pose on Netflix- about the LGBTQ non-gender conforming ballroom scene for African-Americans and Latinx scene in NYC in the 80s & 90s
Remastered: The Lion’s Share on Netflix about reclaiming agency for The Lion Sleeps Tonight
*Rhythm & Flow co-starring Cardi B. on Netflix
*Scandal written by Shonda Rhimes and starring Kerry Washington
*Self-Made on Netflix (2020) about Madame C.J. Walker, the first African-American Millionaire in the US. Starring Octavia Spencer
Serena- Documentary on Hulu on Hulu
Seven Seconds starring Regina King on Netflix
She’s Gotta Have It Directed by Spike Lee and starring Cleo Anthony on Netflix
The Lovebirds (2020) Starring Issa Rae
*Tiffany Haddish: Black Mitzfah standup special on Netflix
Toni Morrison: The Pieces That I Am on Netflix
*Twenty Feet From Stardom on Netflix about backup singers
Oprah Winfrey Presents: When They See Us Now
*What Men Want (2019) Starring Taraji P. Henson
* List items with this symbol are ones that I have watched so far or am in the process of watching
Podcasts that have impacted me:
Ashley Graham’s Pretty Big Deal Podcast with Elaine Welteroth
Barney’s New York Podcast with Diet Prada
Barney’s New York Podcast with Elaine Welteroth: Elaine Has A Message For You
Cleo Wades’ Ted Talk : Want To Change The World? Start by Being Brave Enough To Care
DVF’s Podcast with Elaine Welteroth: Claiming Your Path by Owning Your Purpose
DVF’s Podcast with Anita Hill: Steadfast In The Face of Oppression
Here’s The Thing Podcast Channel by Janet & Alexa
How I Built This Podcast with Lisa Price of Carol’s Daughter
Soulful Songstresses
Solange- Stay Flo Playing this on repeat
Someone Just Like You - Snoh Aelegra This was Elaine’s Brooklyn Stoop Wedding song and I can’t stop listening!
Further Reading:
These Movies Have Been Black Joy Approved by Sesali Bowen on Refinery29
23 Movies Every Black Woman Should See by Sesali Bowen on Refinery29
20 Must-Listen Black Women Podcasts of 2019 by Gayneté Jones on Black Enterprise
I hope this list leaves you feeling inspired to act and join me in the fight to become an anti-racist ally. Please feel free to share with any and all friends to prompt conversations and discussions and even add a spin to your book clubs! Would love to hear your thoughts and how these stories moved you!
All my love,
Brooke