Welcome to the New Black Renaissance

“He had undergone the tortures of Doc Crookman’s devilish machine in order to escape the conspicuous-ness of a dark skin and now he was being made conspicuous because he had once had a dark skin! Could one never escape the plagued race problem?” I’d rather be reading Black No More by George Schuyler instead of making sure I get enough sleep for my early shift tomorrow. Published in 1931, this Harlem Renaissance novel considers what would happen if Black people could be turned into White people. After being rejected by a beautiful White girl from visiting from Atlanta, Max Disher – Black Harlem native, decides to become White. Max is the first to undergo a new and painful scientific transformation and becomes Matthew Fisher. His life changes completely, as he can go to certain parties and congregate with groups of White people without being detected. He even joins forces to become the leader of a white supremacist group in Atlanta and marries the pretty white girl who rejected...

About a week ago I attended a small fashion show presented by LC’s Café & Supper Club and Veronica Morgan, owner of Ronnie’s Simple Sewing. The fashion that I saw amazed me, especially since the show consisted of ten pieces that transformed into over 50 outfits! Impossible, right? Nope. Very possible and very chic. Veronica Morgan’s business was born in December 2016 from the inside of her wardrobe. She found herself ridding her closet of the clothes that she didn’t wear, only to refill it with new purchases. This was a constant struggle of hers. Instead of continuing this vicious cycle she decided to do something about it. As a seamstress, Ronnie reused her excess clothes that were out-of-style to create new pieces. Instead of filling her closet with purchases, she began to fill it up with clothes that she made. She had another thought: Why did people need to buy multiple garments to achieve multiple stylish looks? They didn’t, and she knew why not. And thus, Ronnie’s Wr...

The first sitcom aired that on American television was Mary Kay and Johnny in 1947. The first all-Black cast sitcom emerged as a spin-off from a minstrel radio show with a White casted duo. It was Amos ‘n’ Andy . Deemed a show of racial stereotypes by some and a pivotal point in history for Black actors in lead roles by others, this show aired in 1951. The first time an African American starred in a non-stereotypical role on television was in 1968, in Julia – she was a mother, a widow, and professional nurse, living with her son in a nice suburban home. In the same instance, the show was a presentation of what was described as a White Negro – being produced, written, and directed by White people. The first Black-sitcom to portray the Black experience without enforcing common stereotypes and keeping a realistic view of Black life was Sanford and Son in 1972. The lack of representation of people of color within the media has been up for debate. And although the amo...