Film
The Three Versions of The Jazz Singer and the Sinister Bargain of Jewish Whiteness
For scholars, weighing the context of the classic film’s use of blackface is a valuable thought exercise. For a Jew, it is an exorcism.
African American
Art
Nona Faustine's Family Album
Faustine's depiction of household shared by three generations of Black women presents matriarchy as a source of power.
Art
Six Black Artists Test the Limits of Portraiture
"The Black Index" at UC Irvine pursues knottier narratives of self-representation.
Art
How Swann Galleries Set the Stage for the Modern African American Art Market
For the past 13 years, Swann has been the only major auction house with a department dedicated to African American art, setting auction records for artists such as Sam Gilliam, Faith Ringgold, and Charles White.
Film
An Essential Watchlist of Groundbreaking Black Documentaries
These films illustrate both the undeniable threat of white supremacist capitalist patriarchy and the incomparable strength of Blackness.
Art
Commemorating Juneteenth? Here Are a Few Black-Organized Events to Support
As the Black liberation holiday is being embraced by the mainstream, it feels important to note that actions (and dollars) speak louder than words. Here are a few Black-led organizations to support on June 19 and beyond.
Art
What Does It Mean to Exhibit “Black Excellence”?
Two shows in New York City take profoundly different approaches to the idea, but are worth comparing for how they represent being Black and talented or accomplished.
Film
A New Film Series Teases Out the Complex History of Black Heroines On Screen
“Each film in the series, in its own way, provides a more authentic connection to Black women's expression, stories and experiences,” said Dara Ojugbele, one of the curators of the two-week program at MoMA.
Art
Artists and Scholars Join to Discuss the Creation of Black Visual Archives
The free-to-attend Black Portraiture[s] conference will focus on the creation of visual archives in the context of landmark moments in Black history.
Interview
Locarno Curator Calls Out the Politics of Film Festival Programming
Greg de Cuir Jr. talks to Hyperallergic about curating a retrospective of Black film for the 2019 Locarno Film Festival.
In Brief
Patrons Wore Blackface and Colonial-Era Costumes to Party at AfricaMuseum
Images emerging on social media showed partygoers dressed in pith helmets and blackface at the museum. The colonial-era museum apologized for the event, admitting a "lapse in judgment."
Podcast
The Largely Unknown History of Blackface in Canada
Here's how Toronto's Gardiner Museum is using a figurine in its collection to peel back the layers of violently racialized imagery in Canada.