Can we talk about how beautiful and healthy Bucky looks here and who we should thank for this?
From now on Ryan Coogler should be the only director to touch Bucky’s character. He didn’t have to give so much thought to this, since it was only a small post credit scene, but I guess he is just too good at his job to half ass anything.
Look at how careful he is with the light, the angle, the colors, every single detail in this shot is made to highlight Bucky’s peaceful state of mind, his vulnerability, his beauty inside and out and how kindness and care can uplift a person, doesn’t matter how damaged by life they were. He gives Bucky time to breathe and process before he speaks, to look around and contemplate, there’s no rush, the exchange between him and Shuri is short but it carries a lot of meaning and understanding. The choice for his hair was Ryan’s suggestion too and speaks volumes how he, as a director, is not afraid to demolish toxic masculinity and standards, the way he always portrays strong men in his movies with so much sensibility and vulnerability at the same time that he establishes how much strength it was required to get them to this point.
A huge contrast compared to the Russos’ constant greasy & sweaty aesthetic for him after The Winter Soldier. What a visionary, he is truly one of the most talented directors of this generation and you can see it in every shot of any of his films.
A Black Panther poster illustration I did. I really enjoyed working on this one, I had an initial idea of using traditional patterns and prints from different countries in Africa and using them to build up the Black Panthers head (Like in the back ground) but then I really wanted to draw some of the characters. I thought Danai Gurira looked amazing as Okoye and decided to add her, and I couldn’t pass up the chance to draw a Panther! :D Hope you guys like it!
I’m so happy to be able to have witnessed two landmark wins in Black history. Ruth E. Carter became the first Black person to win an Academy Award for Costume Design. Hannah Beachler became the first Black person to win an Academy Award for Production Design. They are 2 of 3 Black women who have won Academy Awards for things besides acting and they brought home Marvel’s first two Oscars ever! Black Americans continue to break barriers and this is such an impactful moment for Black American women, especially those interested in film! Congratulations to Black Panther!
Stand With Us Today for #BlackoutBlackFriday. Take a Moment and Sign Up for Our Thunder Clap: http://bit.ly/2g5wyq9. Blackout for Human Rights is Hosting its Third Annual Blackout Black Friday with a Call to Action Encouraging All Concerned Citizens to Join in a Nationwide Economic Blackout on Black Friday, One of the Most Important Shopping Days of the Year. After Unprecedented Success in 2014 and 2015, Blackout is Once Again Calling on Americans to Refrain From Shopping on Black Friday and to Instead Stand with the Citizens of Ferguson, Standing Rock, Baltimore, Chicago, New York City, Flint, Oakland and All Those Who Have Suffered Atrocious Race-Based and Class-Based Acts of Hate.
Human Rights Group Plans to Protest Black Friday for a Powerful Reason: http://bit.ly/2gn3WIM via ATTN:
Blackout For Human Rights Hosts Black Friday Boycott, Events: http://bit.ly/2gip1Xy via Colorlines
Third #BlackoutBlackFriday Kicks Off With Special Screening of ‘I Am Not Your Negro’ + More: http://bit.ly/2fzcUUJ via Shadow & Act
A Human Rights Group Is Encouraging America to #BlackoutBlackFriday and Here’s Why: http://bit.ly/2goyVDf via Raw Story
Blackout is Organizing Free Community Events Around the Country Including Special Events in Oakland, New York City, and Los Angeles:
Our Third Annual #BlackoutBlackFriday is Today. Join Us Today for a Nationwide Major Retail Boycott and Day of Action to Stand United Against Racism and Spark Change: http://bit.ly/2g5wyq9. We Are Making Black Friday (November 25, 2016) a Nationwide Day of Action and Major Retail Boycott. Together, We Have the Power to Make a Difference and Stand Up for Our Fellow Brothers and Sisters. Join Blackout for Human Rights on #BlackoutBlackFriday and Have Our Voices Heard! We’re Hosting Special Events in New York City, Oakland and Los Angeles that will be Free and Open to the Community. Please See Details Below and RSVP Today:
#BLACKOUTBLACKFRIDAY LOS ANGELES EVENT
WHAT:Event Includes a Special Screening of Ava DuVernay’s 13TH, a Special Advanced Screening of Raoul Peck’s I Am Not Your Negro, a Featured Panel Discussion, Live Performances and More
WHERE: Cinefamily at The Silent Movie Theatre (611 North Fairfax Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90036)
WHEN: Friday, November 25; 1:00 PM to 7:00 PM PST (Doors Open at 12:30 PM PST)
WHAT:Event Includes a Special Screening of Ava DuVernay’s 13TH, Live Performances by Chinaka Hodge and Samora Pinderhughes, and More
WHERE: Red Bay Coffee (3098 E 10th St, Oakland, CA)
WHEN: Friday, November 25; 3:00 PM - 9:00 PM PST
RSVP: Free Tickets at Door. Limited Seating, Arrive Early
#BLACKOUTBLACKFRIDAY NEW YORK CITY EVENT
WHAT:Special Advanced Screening of Raoul Peck’s I Am Not Your Negro and Featured Panel Discussion.
WHERE: Film Society Lincoln Center’s Elinor Bunin Monroe Film Center Theater (144 W. 65th Street, NY, NY)
WHEN: Friday, November 25; 5:00 PM - 8:30 PM EST (Doors Open at 4:30 PM EST)
RSVP: Free Tickets at Door. Limited Seating, Arrive Early
Before the Events on Black Friday, Check Out the Film Trailers for 13thandI Am Not Your Negro! Panelists and Special Guests for the Events will be Announced on November 24.
Our #JusticeForFlint Event on Sunday Raised Over $150,000 for the People of Flint Affected by the Flint Water Crisis. Although Our Event is Over, the Fight for Justice and Democracy in Flint Has Just Begun. To Support Our Brothers and Sisters in Flint, Please Donate Today: rev.ms/Flint. Check Out All the Highlights and Unforgettable Moments from Our Event That Featured Live Musical Performances by Stevie Wonder, Janelle Monáe, Ledisi, Musiq Soulchild, Robert Glasper, Royce Da 5'9, Vic Mensa and Many More:
I Went to Flint, Drank the Water, and Saw the Future of Civil Rights: http://nym.ag/1RvJO1d via NY Mag
“‘We’ve really been moved by the hope you guys have and the bright future that’s here. So our heart really goes out to you. We’ve been inspired since we’ve been here,’ Ryan Coogler told the crowd at #JusticeForFlint” USA Today: http://usat.ly/1RQ7MGZ
11 Things You Missed If You Watched the Oscars Instead of Justice for Flint: http://bit.ly/1Ysqpn2 via MIC
“In Flint, the message was a strong — and direct — one in the at-capacity auditorium: Music, poetry, art has the power to incite change, start and further conversations, inspire the afflicted.” The Hollywood Reporter: http://bit.ly/24G17Gv
Justice for Flint Benefit Show Raises $156,000 for Water Crisis Relief: http://bit.ly/1nih7fJ via MLive
“Performing for a city poisoned by its own state government, a group of stars provided necessary Academy Awards counter programming” MTV: http://on.mtv.com/1R5BUBa
Why Ava DuVernay and Ryan Coogler Went to Flint Instead of the Oscars: http://bit.ly/1Sxqky5
“‘Flint didn’t exist in a vacuum before this happened, before its local and state government decided to systemically poison them. Flint has been a hotbed for racial injustice for decades: from mass incarceration, to school inequity, to really inalienated immigrant community, to unprecedented rates of unemployment,’ Jesse Williams said.” The Guardian: http://bit.ly/1XaqCKk
Ryan Coogler, Ava DuVernay Raise Over $100,000 For Flint Water Crisis: http://bit.ly/1p0Tmdw via Revolt TV
“Monáe and others delivered the kinds of performances that have made them stars, but what got my attention were the faces of the people of Flint, shining in the settling darkness as they listened. I saw eyes glistening with unshed tears and arms upraised to the heavens, emotions tugging at the edges of lips set hard against the grim. I saw hope in faces furrowed with anger and pain, and I heard the sound of huge hearts breaking in compassion for their terrible plight. These artists didn’t come to Flint so their egos could be served. They raised their voices so that the people of Flint could be heard and, one by one, ordinary people took the stage to bear powerful witness to what had happened to them. To what is still happening to them” Salon: http://bit.ly/21jyryq
Join Janelle Monáe, Ava DuVernay, Ledisi, Musiq Soulchild, Robert Glasper, Jesse Williams, Jasiri X, Ryan Coogler, Royce Da 5'9, Hannibal Buress and Many More in #Flint at Our Free #JusticeForFlint Event This Sunday! To RSVP for Free, CLICK Here → http://bit.ly/24nzv8Y!For More on Our Event, Check Out the Articles Below:
There Will Be A Star-Studded Free Event For Flint On Oscars Night: http://bzfd.it/20TsBn9
Ava DuVernay, Hannibal Buress, Ryan Coogler to Headline Free Event for Flint, Michigan: http://bit.ly/1oFuvfD via Entertainment Weekly
Ryan Coogler to Host Free Event for Flint Water Crisis Victims on Same Night as Oscars: http://bit.ly/21dtoFa via Complex
Celebrities Organize #JusticeForFlint Event on the Same Night of the Oscars: http://bit.ly/1T50z9m via Blavity
Take a Moment to Read the Insightful Articles Below on the Flint Water Crisis to Learn More About the Situation:
“Since the city’s emergency managers decided to draw Flint’s water from the highly corrosive local river, this small city of 100,000 people – just 70 miles from Michigan’s great lakes, the world’s largest freshwater source – has suffered alone, let down by local, state and federal officials and almost entirely ignored by the rest of America.” The Guardian: http://bit.ly/1Tz1GxH
Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder’s successive emergency managers are now gone from Flint, but the wreckage of their rule there still pollutes many homes. The crisis in Flint is, on the surface, about water. The Flint debacle also is about democracy.” Democracy Now: http://bit.ly/1Q6gdLt
“Environmental racism is an issue of political power: Polluters and waste sites are placed where politicians expect little or no political backlash.” The Nation: http://bit.ly/1V3R2wL
“What we have here is a horrific clash of race, class, politics and public health.” The New York Daily News: http://nydn.us/1SIrHL7
“First Flint’s auto manufacturing benefactor began cutting jobs. Then white flight pulled people into the suburbs. Residents of Michigan began agitating over taxes and ushered in laws that kneecapped the city’s finances. All of it set the stage for a massive public health disaster that has touched nearly everyone in the city.” Think Progress: http://bit.ly/20LtFyF
We Fear the Water: Residents Struggle to Cope with Flint Water Crisis: http://bit.ly/1oCERwL
“You know how many babies here is affected now man, for the rest of their lives? And to my understanding and my little research it’s irreversible once you get lead poison in the brain. It’s nothing you can do about it. And it’s like giving a whale a tic tac for bad breath man, giving us a case a water a day. How we supposed to bathe, man? I got a wife, and I got a daughter here. I need way more than one case of water now. The people in charge need to take responsibility for what they’ve done to this city, man! People out here are mad as hell man, and I’m one of ‘em.” Flint Resident Alvon Leighton in National Geographic: http://bit.ly/1PNL6YC
From #StudentBlackOut to #BlackoutBlackFriday (NEXT Week), the Unity and Power of the People is on Full Display. The #Blackout Movement is Taking Over the Country. Join Us Next Friday for Our Second Annual Blackout Black Friday: http://bit.ly/1jbQkzJ and Read the Articles Below on Yesterday’s Nationwide Student Blackout:
“Students across the country united for a day of action on Wednesday to challenge the racial inequities they face on campus. Calling it #StudentBlackOut Day on social media, student activists from more than 37 colleges led their peers in protests” The Huffington Post: http://huff.to/1lzpfbG
#StudentBlackOut Movement Demands Institutional Change in Schools: http://bit.ly/1NhiVSn via The Root
Just like you, maybe, I saw the Vanity Fair portrait of Michael B. Jordan and Ryan Coogler and I thought it was beautiful. Two straight men showing affection for each other. And just like you, maybe, I followed the online criticism that it sparked. Hundreds of comments poured in that seemed to fall into one of the following categories: (1) That’s gay. Get this out of my face. (2) Why does America need to keep emasculating Black men? (3) Don’t worry, this is brotherly love not the other, bad kind of love. (4) We should celebrate love because all love is beautiful. And just like you - maybe - I was prompted to wrestle, yet again, with the impossibility and absolute necessity of queer men of color on screen. Which is, of course, not to say only queer men of color but all diversity within color so that we avoid the danger of single stories and false paradigms.
This is not about Michael B. Jordan’s and Ryan Coogler’s sexuality; it never was. It’s about what people feel when they see avatars of themselves doing something they’ve been strictly warned against.
In 2014 Nate Parker, the writer-director-star of the Sundance hit The Birth of a Nation (the soon-to-be Best Picture nominee, not the deeply deeply racist 1915 movie), sat down for an interview with BET. He said that to “preserve the black man you will never see [him] play a gay role.” The video has since been taken down but, like an elephant, the internet forgets nothing; an article on Ebony and a now-defunct URL from Bossip have preserved this quote for posterity.
“Preserve the black man.” “Emasculation of black men.” There is a clear parallel between Parker’s promise and the Vanity Fair portrait criticism: maintaining value through preservation of image.
We care about images of ourselves on screens, whether they are our own or similar to our own. Just as we check selfies to make sure we look good in them, or untag pictures of ourselves if they don’t represent who we want to be, we also care about the celebrities and roles that are meant to represent us. Pictures and celebrities are our avatars; they stand for us when we’re not there. They are our proxies in fantasy worlds and historical re-tellings and red carpet photographs. They are meant to be just like us. Maybe.
People of color have far fewer avatars on screen than our white counterparts. And with that comes a protectiveness of how our avatars are presented. I read Nate Parker’s promise to never play a gay character and the comments about the “emasculation of the black man” not as hate, but as terrified preciousness. The fear that one of the limited reflections they see of themselves will be devalued and shattered with the slightest wrong move.
Nate Parker is not the enemy. Nor are the commenters. Though their statements are hurtful, myopic, and couched in femmephobia, their unfortunate words are only symptoms of the problem. The real enemy is the system that has so disproportionately limited the options for The Other that all of us “Others” are left fighting over what it means to be a Good Other. Like Kerry Washington so brilliantly said, “we have been pitted against each other and made to feel like there are limited seats at the table.”
Part of the privilege of whiteness is the diversity of white avatars that appear on screen. There is less preciousness because there are so many options.
Now let’s revisit that selfie analogy. It’s like white people were handed smartphones with unlimited storage and data and told to take selfies of themselves while people of color, all people of color, were thrown one disposable camera with the same instructions. All we can do is take 27 photos and hope - against all odds - that one of them will look just like us. All of us. Maybe.
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