Author: Ayanna Nicole

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Netflix and Shondaland Secure Rights for ‘Black Barbie’ Documentary

Variety reports that Netflix and Shondaland have secured the global rights to the documentary “Black Barbie,” which will explore the history of the first Black Barbie doll. Introduced three decades after the original Barbie in 1980, the film shows how three Black women at Mattel advocated for more diverse barbies.

Directed by Lagueria Davis, “Black Barbie” premiered at this year’s SXSW, receiving widespread acclaim for its insightful storytelling. Davis’s personal connection to the subject matter takes center stage in the documentary, guiding the narrative through the journey and cultural significance of the Black Barbie.

Davis’s aunt, Beulah Mae Mitchell, who worked at Mattel for 45 years, brings the documentary to life with her insights and experiences on not seeing herself represented in Barbie, and how that sparked change. “Black Barbie” delves deep into the intersection of merchandise and representation, capturing the struggles of Black women as they strive to amplify their voices and stories, refusing to be rendered invisible.

The film delves into the “importance of representation and how dolls can play a pivotal role in shaping identity and imagination,” intertwining perspectives from Mattel insiders, consumers, cultural commentators, and historians.

“Telling Black Barbie’s story has been such a personal journey and it warms my heart to celebrate the legacy of my aunt Beulah Mae Mitchell, Kitty Black Perkins, and Stacey McBride Irby in our film,” said Davis in a statement announcing the news. “We couldn’t have asked for better collaborators than Shondaland and Netflix to bring this story to the world.”

According to the synopsis, the film “celebrates the momentous impact three Black women at Mattel had on the evolution of the Barbie brand as we know it. Through these charismatic insiders’ stories, the documentary tells the story of how the first ‘Black Barbie’ came to be in 1980, examining the importance of representation and how dolls can be crucial to the formation of identity and imagination.”

Shonda Rhimes and Betsy Beers have joined as executive producers, part of Shondaland’s extensive collaboration with Netflix. This marks a significant step forward in sharing this compelling story with a global audience.

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‘The Space Race’ Documentary Unveils the Legacy of Black Astronauts Throughout History

National Geographic is gearing up to present an enthralling new documentary delving into the history of Black astronauts. Titled “The Space Race,” the documentary explores the Space Age by revisiting the experiences of Black astronauts, covering almost six decades of history. 

A recent featurette trailer provides a glimpse into the documentary, featuring Edward Joseph “Ed” Dwight Jr., who was chosen by President John F. Kennedy in 1961 as the first Black astronaut, though he ultimately was not selected by NASA despite his significant contributions to the program. The featurette also includes insights from Black NASA astronauts Leland Melvin and Victor Glover.

Directed by Lisa Cortés and Diego Hurtado de Mendoza, the documentary illuminates the narratives of Black pilots, scientists, and engineers who played pivotal roles at NASA from 1963 to the present day. 

“The Space Race” stands as a powerful reminder of the camaraderie forged in the face of shared struggles in predominantly white spaces, making it a profoundly moving and insightful exploration of the journey of Black astronauts.

The documentary is set to premiere on Disney+ in February 2024.

As an independent magazine with a small team, we rely on the support of our readers to keep JARO’s content free and accessible to everyone. Please support our ability to continue delivering the best of the African Diaspora with a donation as little as $1. Thank you! 

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Produced By Oprah, Hulu Drama Series ‘Black Cake’ Uncovers A Mother’s Mysterious Past

Hulu has unveiled the trailer for its upcoming drama series, “Black Cake,” produced by Oprah’s Harpo Films and adapted from Charmaine Wilkerson’s bestselling novel. The series revolves around the startling revelation of a mother’s hidden childhood secrets, which only come to light after her passing. This revelation leaves her children with numerous questions about the past and its relevance in the present day.

The highly anticipated show is set to premiere on November 1st, launching with three episodes. Subsequent episodes will be released every Wednesday on Hulu, promising viewers a captivating exploration of family mysteries and their enduring impact.

Here is the official synopsis of Black Cake:

Black Cake is a family drama wrapped in a murder mystery with a diverse cast of characters and a global setting. The story takes place in Jamaica, Italy, Scotland, England and Southern California.  In the late 1960s, a runaway bride named Covey disappears into the surf off the coast of Jamaica and is feared drowned or a fugitive on the run for her husband’s murder. In present day California, a widow named Eleanor Bennett, loses her battle with cancer, leaving her two estranged children, Byron and Benny, a flash drive that holds previously untold stories of her journey from the Caribbean to America. These stories, narrated by Eleanor, shock her children and challenge everything they thought they knew about their family’s origin.

The cast of the series includes Mia Isaac, Adrienne Warren, Chipo Chung, Ashley Thomas, Lashay Anderson, Faith Alabi, and Glynn Turman. Ahmed Eljah, Simon Wan, and Sonita Henry make appearances as recurring guest stars. Marissa Jo Cerar serves as the showrunner and executive producer.

The series is backed by a team of executive producers, including Oprah Winfrey, Aaron Kaplan, Carla Gardini, Brian Morewitz, Charmaine Wilkerson, and Michael Lohmann. “Black Cake” is a collaborative production involving Two Drifters, Harpo Films, ABC Signature, and Kapital Entertainment.

Watch the trailer below:

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At The National Black Theatre, nicHI douglas’s “(pray)” Choreopoem Celebrates The Black Divine Feminine

The National Black Theatre has unveiled its highly anticipated 2023-2024 season, called “Defiance of Our Bloom.” One of the season’s highlights is the groundbreaking world premiere of “(pray),” a co-production with Ars Nova at Greenwich House Off-Broadway. 

Playwright, director, and choreographer nicHi douglas leads this impactful choreopoem of sound, motion, and human connection, with captivating music by Starr Busby and JJJJJerome Ellis. Running from September 23 to October 28, “(pray)” embraces the intricate tapestry of spiritual legacy. It delves deep into the curiosity, anger, confusion, and euphoria that echo through generations of Black womxn across the African diaspora. This immersive experience channels the exuberance of a Sunday Baptist Church service through a surreal and Afrofuturist perspective. “(pray)” extends a compelling invitation, encouraging introspection into personal spiritual beliefs. It creates a sacred space, fostering the potential for profound human transformation by embracing the liberating essence of the Black feminine divine.

Currently on sale, tickets are Name Your Price and General Admission. Learn more by visiting arsnovanyc.com.

As an independent magazine with a small team, we rely on the support of our readers to keep JARO’s content free and accessible to everyone. Please support our ability to continue delivering the best of the African Diaspora with a donation as little as $1. Thank you! 

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New Exhibit: Chase Hall Pushes Boundaries with Coffee in His Captivating Artworks Of The Black Body

Chase Hall, an artist based in New York, uses the unpredictable medium of coffee to craft his masterful paintings featuring Black men occupied in a range of activities. In contrast to conventional paint, Hall describes coffee as having a mind of its own, explaining the artistic process as intensely physical and the ultimate outcome a continual challenge to predict.

Born and raised in Saint Paul, Minnesota, Chase’s artistic journey began during his teenage years while working as a barista at Starbucks. Later, he unearthed the creative and metaphorical potential of coffee as an artistic medium. With its roots in Africa and ties to the transatlantic slave trade, coffee becomes a dominant force symbolically that embodies both the historical and contemporary exploitation of the Black body. When applied to canvas, it also serves as a reflection of Chase’s own identity as the biracial child of a white mother and a Black father—an exploration that incites deep contemplation of the intersection between these two realms and their profound significance.

In his first solo exhibition, “The Bathers,” hosted at New York’s David Kordansky Gallery, Chase delves into the art historical depictions of Black figures in proximity to bodies of water. He grapples with themes of personal identity, self-liberation, and freedom, challenging conventional narratives about where Black people find happiness and define their existence. As Chase eloquently says, his art serves as a means of staking a claim in spaces that transcend conventional boundaries.

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Chase Hall, via moniquemeloche.com

Chase’s artist statement reads: “My practice is an exploration of the impossible absolute of biracial identity. Considering W.E.B Dubois theory of double consciousness, I am interested in redefining what visualizing the duality of a mixed-race experience can be in terms that are both personal and cultural. It’s a way to attempt to express my internal dialogue of existing in between fixed identities, black and white. Making paintings that are visual embodiments of past histories and present trauma, I aim to confront social and racial realities by creating unsettling moments through which we consider how dynamics of race are foundational to America.

The subjects and the landscapes of my paintings may be familiar, familial or historical. The colorfully, loose and audacious strokes on cotton canvas create representations that are coded in injustice, disinvestment and the resilient fortitude of people who have endured under tight constructions of identity. The cotton canvases remain partially unpainted, giving the impression that the surface is activated with white paint. It’s one strategy of engagement that seeks to force the viewer to account for the erasure of black achievement, history and identity under white supremacy. My use of impasto techniques next to tonal washes aim to liberate the paintings from a legacy of American portraiture which doubles as a metaphor for a history defined by perfection and exclusion. The strokes of color contending with a vacuous whiteness takes the shape of protest, in form. I utilize a mosaic style to build the flesh of my figures as a way to articulate racial confusion. On my canvases where whiteness seems to engulf color, rendering the figures and scenes incomplete, the racial absoluteness of both whiteness and blackness are evoked both conceptually and visually.”

“Chase Hall: The Bathers” is on display now through October 14th, 2023 at David Kordansky Gallery in New York. For ticket information, visit davidkordanskygallery.com.

As an independent magazine with a small team, we rely on the support of our readers to keep JARO’s content free and accessible to everyone. Please support our ability to continue delivering the best of the African Diaspora with a donation as little as $1. Thank you!