All articles tagged with #black representation
Democratic Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz announced she’s moving her reelection bid to Florida’s newly drawn 20th District in Broward County, a seat long associated with Black representation after Cherfilus-McCormick’s resignation; the move has drawn backlash from rivals, with Cherfilus-McCormick running again and several Black candidates entering the race as Republicans redraw maps to make CD-20 more competitive.
Guardian US columnist Jamil Smith argues that after the Supreme Court’s ruling weakening the Voting Rights Act, Republican-led states are redrawing electoral maps to erase Black political power for generations. He highlights Tennessee’s new map that disperses Memphis Black voters into Williamson County and points to similar moves in Louisiana, Alabama and Mississippi, framing this as a deliberate, long-term project akin to Jim Crow. The piece warns that affordability politics won’t save democracy if representation is decimated and calls for naming and resisting these structural changes rather than hoping for a quick fix.
A Washington Post timeline traces the arc of Black representation in Congress from post-C Civil War gains and Jim Crow suppression to a surge after the Voting Rights Act and civil rights era, a 1990s peak following redistricting, and a modern era culminating in a record 66 Black members in 2025, now facing new risks as court-driven districting could erode majority-Black districts and threaten past gains.
The article discusses the creation of Louisiana's second Black majority congressional district, its significance for Black voters, and the ongoing legal challenge that could impact voting rights and districting practices nationwide.
"The Wiz," a classic Black adaptation of "The Wizard of Oz," returns to Broadway with a revival directed by Schele Williams and an updated book by Amber Ruffin. The production aims to present a fresh take "through the Blackest of Black lenses," featuring a Black cast and creative visuals. While showcasing standout performances and creative visuals, the revival falls short of fully bringing modern Blackness to Broadway.
The animated reboot of "Good Times" on Netflix has received criticism for its mind-numbing portrayal of Black characters and outdated stereotypes. The series, set in present-day Chicago, follows the Evans family two generations after the original show, but has been panned for its repetitive stereotypes, stale jokes, and lack of humor. Despite a few interesting components, the reboot fails to infuse relevance and wit into its storytelling, ultimately missing the mark in connecting with a 21st-century audience.
Kobi Libii's film "The American Society of Magical Negroes" attempts to satirize the outdated Hollywood trope of the Magical Negro, but falls short due to its lack of new insights and absence of fully developed Black characters. The movie follows a Black artist who joins an underground network dedicated to placating white people for the safety of Black people, but the convoluted premise and muddled execution fail to resonate. The film's attempt to engage with Black radicalism is superficial, and it overlooks the progress made in Black storytelling in recent years, ultimately missing the mark in its social commentary.
CBS is developing a new daytime soap opera titled The Gates, which will feature a predominantly Black cast and focus on the lives of a wealthy Black family in a gated community. The show will be produced in partnership with P&G Studios and written by Emmy-winning daytime veteran Michele Val Jean. This marks the first Black daytime soap opera in 35 years and aims to provide impactful representation and fresh perspectives. Despite declining ratings in the genre, CBS is breaking the streak by launching this new series, which is set to bring multi-dimensional characters and Black culture to the forefront of daytime television.
More than 6,000 voters in a newly formed congressional district in Alabama received postcards with incorrect voting information due to a software glitch, raising concerns about potential disenfranchisement in a crucial race to boost Black representation and Democrats' hopes to flip the US House. The error occurred as a result of adjusting to the recent shift in state congressional districts, with affected voters receiving notices and still able to vote for the correct candidates. The redrawn map aims to increase Black voting power, potentially leading to the election of two Black congressional representatives from the state for the first time.
More than 6,000 voters in a newly formed congressional district in Alabama, designed to enhance Black voting power, received postcards with incorrect voting information ahead of the primary, raising concerns about the impact on a crucial race. The error, attributed to a software glitch, affected voters in Montgomery County, which now falls in the 2nd Congressional District after a federal court redrew new congressional lines in response to a U.S. Supreme Court ruling. Advocates worry that the misinformation could have discouraged Black voters from participating in an election seen as an opportunity to elect a representative who looks like them.
Issa Rae criticizes the entertainment industry for prioritizing Black stories less, citing the cancellation of several Black-led TV shows and the dismissal of diversity executives. Despite her pessimism about the industry's future, Rae is determined to be more independent in her work and is currently working on new projects. She believes that white audiences tend to reward traumatizing depictions of Blackness and is focused on telling diverse stories.
The Louisiana Senate has passed a proposed congressional map that would create an additional majority-Black district, as ordered by a federal court for violating the Voting Rights Act. The map, supported by Gov. Jeff Landry, would significantly increase the Black makeup of a district currently held by a Republican, potentially netting Democrats an additional seat in Congress. The proposal faces opposition from some Republicans, including the Speaker of the House, and is now headed to the Louisiana House for further consideration before the Jan. 30 deadline.
The 75th Primetime Emmys, hosted by Anthony Anderson, celebrated Black representation in television with a Black host, multiple Black winners, and reunions of under-appreciated Black television shows, making it one of the Blackest Emmys in recent memory. The ceremony coincidentally took place on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and featured nods to historic Black TV series and honorees. Notable wins included Ayo Edebiri, Quinta Brunson, Niecy Nash-Betts, RuPaul’s Drag Race, and Trevor Noah, with special appearances from Tracee Ellis Ross, Taraji P. Henson, and Sheryl Lee Ralph. Anderson's mother, Mama Doris, also stole the show as a charming human version of the play-off music for acceptance speeches.
Cord Jefferson, Emmy-winning writer and former journalist, discusses his feature film debut as both a writer and director with "American Fiction," a satirical take on Percival Everett's novel "Erasure." The film explores themes of race and hypocrisy in the book and film worlds, drawing on Jefferson's personal experiences as a Black artist in Hollywood. Jefferson highlights the limited expectations placed on Black artists and the need for more diverse storytelling. He also mentions the influence of films like "Hollywood Shuffle" and the work of director Nicole Holofcener. "American Fiction" won the top prize at the Toronto International Film Festival and is set to be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture.
"American Fiction," a satirical film directed by Cord Jefferson, explores the dominance of stereotypical "urban" novels in the Black book market and the challenges faced by Black writers seeking authentic representation. The story follows a frustrated writer who jokingly creates a gangster persona and unexpectedly finds success when a publisher picks up his book. The film, based on Percival Everett's novel "Erasure," delves into the complexities of monetizing Blackness for white consumption. "American Fiction" is set to release in December, sparking conversations about the state of the book industry and its portrayal of Black stories.