Fresh off her career defining roles in “Coffy” and “Foxy Brown,” Pam Grier returned in cult filmmaker William Girdler’s (“The Manitou”) “Sheba, Baby.” Continue reading
No comments
Category: Black History
2/28/23 O&A NYC INSPIRATIONAL TUESDAY: The Wade’s Fight For Human Rights at the NAACP Image Awards ’23
Truth speaking to power and the world Dwanye Wade and his wife Dabrielle Union share their admiration for their daughter Zaya Malachi Airamis Wade while receiving the President’s Award at the 54th Annual NAACP Image Awards ’23. Continue reading
2/27/23 O&A NYC HOLLYWOOD MONDAY: 400 Years – A Case for the Deliberate Destruction of the Black Community (2020)
400 Years – A Case for the Deliberate Destruction of the Black Community (2020) is the story of black people in America, from the 1400s all the way to 2020. This is a heavy history, full of pain, but it must be understood. Enjoy and wake up. A film by Kenjah King.
Continue reading
2/24/23 O&A NYC SHALL WE DANCE FRIDAY- CELEBRATING BLACK HISTORY MONTH: Rainbow Round My Shoulder- Donald McKayle with Mary Hinkson
Donald McKayle’s 1959 masterwork, Rainbow Round My Shoulder, is acclaimed as a modern dance classic. A searing dramatic narrative, it is set on a chain gang in the American south where prisoners work, breaking rock from “can see to can’t see.” Their aspirations for freedom come in the guise of a woman, first as a vision then as a remembered sweetheart, mother, and wife. The songs that accompany their arduous labor are rich in polyphony and tell a bitter, sardonic, and tragic story. It was created for the Donald McKayle Dance Company, and has been in the repertoire of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Batsheva Dance Company and Dayton Contemporary Dance, among others. The cast in the video excerpt includes Donald McKayle and Mary Hinkson. Continue reading
HOLLYWOOD MONDAY: Sidney Poitier- To Sir with Love (Happy Birthday Mr. Poitier)
A novice teacher faces a class of rowdy, undisciplined working-class punks in this classic film that reflected some of the problems and fears of teens in the 60s. Sidney Poitier gives one of his finest performances as Mark Thackeray, an out-of-work engineer who turns to teaching in London’s tough East End. Continue reading
2/9/23 O&A NYC THROWBACK THURSDAY: Marvin Gaye – I Heard It Through The Grapevine (A capella)
The incomparable R&B legend Marvin Gaye shows us he can bring the house down without music. Watch him slay his classic I Heard It Through The Grapevine. Continue reading
2/13/23 O&A NYC DIVA ALERT!!!: Rihanna’s Super Bowl LVII Halftime Show
Rihanna opened the show with a rousing rendition of her hit song, “Bitch Better Have My Money” and then pumped up the crowd with her dance hits “Where Have You Been” and “Only Girl (In The World).” She kept the energy up with new arrangements of “We Found Love” and “Rude Boy.”
Continue reading
2/13/23 O&A NYC HOLLYWOOD MONDAY: Brown Sugar: The History of the Black Female Entertainer (1985/1990)
Brown Sugar: The History of the Black Female Entertainer (1985/1990) is a 1985 documentary based on film historian Donald Bogles’ book Brown Sugar. One of the best docu-film about black female entertainers hosted by actor Billy Dee Williams. Continue reading
2/7/23 O&A NYC INSPIRATION TUESDAY: Maya Angelou- Still I Rise
“You may write me down in history With your bitter, twisted lies, You may trod me in the very dirt But still, like dust, I’ll rise.” – Maya Angelou Continue reading
1/4/23 SATURDAY MORNING CONCERT: John Henry- Dance Theatre of Harlem
John Henry is the tale of the steel drivin’ man who fights against automation. He challenges the steam drill and wins, but dies with his hammer in his hand. Choreographed by DTH Co-founder Arthur Mitchell in 1988, his ballet is a testament to the singular perseverance that allowed the folk hero to triumph over impossible odds. Continue reading
