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Lupita Nyong'o's "Sulwe" at Netflix Is an Important Step for Representation of Black Girls

Netflix just picked up "Sulwe" by Lupita Nyong'o, a book about a girl "the color of midnight"

Sulwe, the children's book by Oscar-winning actress Lupita Nyong'o is coming to Netflix as an animated musical.

The book is about a girl born "the color of midnight" and her journey to self-acceptance. Based in part on Nyong'o's own experience as a dark-skinned woman, the semi-autobiographical book boasts/carries themes of self-love and anti-colorism.

Nyong'o, who struggled with self-image as a child because of her skin tone, called the book "a mirror for dark-skinned children to see themselves, a window for those who may not be familiar with colorism."

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Film Features

Sharing Black Stories: Hollywood's Obsession With Black Trauma

We need more Black films that aren't about pain

Sometime in the middle of June, seemingly overnight, bookmarks and highlights with titles like "Sharing Black stories" and "Celebrating Black Voices" emerged on streaming platforms.

While such branding efforts are usually reserved for Black History Month, these categories appeared as a response to the Black Lives Matter protests, which rippled through the industry in demands for more representation and recognition of Black people.

Streaming platforms responded by acquiring more Black content to feature prominently on their homepages, emphasizing their commitment to sharing and amplifying what they categorize as "Black Voices."

This seems like a good thing, a sign of progress. However, scrolling through the Black categories revealed more about Hollywood's gaze than about Black people — most of the showcased films could be separated into two categories: movies about slavery and movies about Civil Rights.

From Harriet and 12 Years a Slave to Selma or any other Martin Luther King biopic, most of the critically acclaimed films about "Blackness" seem to sensationalize Black suffering in order to offer a false sense of resolution and closure — as if racism began in slavery and ended with the March on Washington.

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TV Lists

6 Popular Black Sitcoms That Should Be on Netflix

These shows with strong black leads should be added to the streaming platform.

The addition of popular Black sitcoms from the '90s and early 2000s to Netflix's repertoire has been one of the highlights of the streaming platform in 2020.

Shows including The Parkers, The Game, and Sister, Sister have served as reminders of the golden era in Black prime time television. Here is a list of shows that should be added to Netflix.

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TV Lists

6 Unnecessary Character Additions to Popular Black TV Shows

Characters from hit Black sitcoms that weren't wanted or needed.

BB's Dolls & TV Archive

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This past summer saw Netflix add a plethora of popular Black sitcoms from the 90s & early 2000s to its platform.

Comedies including Sister Sister, Moesha, & The Parkers are now available to stream, with Half & Half and One on One to soon follow suit. These additions have stoked the fires of nostalgia while also bringing acclaimed favorites to a new generation.

While reliving some favorite moments through binge-watching, you can't help but notice where these and other shows like them took a turn for the worse. These shifts in momentum can be attributed to changes in the writing staff, the departure of a popular character, or the idea to add a new member to the cast.

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