BlackGyrlArt

TV Talk with the Sista

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Today we will talk about how in 1976 the South African government declared a state of emergency.  For 13 years the children of South African resisted. Often referred to as the Soweto Uprising, a musical was written called Sarafina.

It tells the story of how thousands of children were beaten and tortured. 8,000 children were in prison. This story is about South African teenagers fought against apartheid in the Soweto Uprising.

We first saw this story on Broadway. I remember because at the end there was a song Free Nelson Mandela. I can’t put into words what that experience was like, but WOW.

Beyond entertaining, the message of this movie moved me. Nelson Mandela has become one of my favorite people in life.

Listen Episode 5

Art of the Month

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Nina Mae McKinney (June 12, 1912 – May 3, 1967) was an American actress who worked internationally during the 1930s and in the postwar period in theatre, film and television, after beginning her career on Broadway and in Hollywood. McKinney was born June 12, 1912, in Lancaster, South Carolina, to Georgia Crawford and Hal Napoleon McKinney. Shortly after McKinney’s birth, her mother often hid from her abusive husband in the house of Colonel Leroy Springs (of Springs Industries), for whom she worked as a domestic.

Her first job on stage was in the chorus line of Blackbirds of 1928 which starred Bill Robinson. She then had a role in the King Vidor’s movie, Hallelujah which led her getting a 5-year contract from MGM. She had a few roles with them, but none were leading roles.

She moved to Europe where she worked in nightclubs and theaters, doing an occasional movie. She toured playing nightclubs and worked on some Britishe films. But eventually moved back to the United States in 1939 when Germany invaded Poland.

She played maids and sex workers because those were the roles offered to people of color during that time period. She would get an occasional role that was off that path. In 1949 she landed the role of the jealous girlfriend in Pinky starring Jean Crain, Ethel Barrymore and Ethel Waters.

In 1951, she performed her last role in summer stock. She moved back to New York City in 1960. She died in 1967.

TV Talk with the Sistas

/ Psal121 / Leave a comment

Today we will talk about how in 1976 the South African government declared a state of emergency.  For 13 years the children of South African resisted. Often referred to as the Soweto Uprising, a musical was written called Sarafina.

It tells the story of how thousands of children were beaten and tortured. 8,000 children were in prison. This story is about South African teenagers fought against apartheid in the Soweto Uprising.

We first saw this story on Broadway. I remember because at the end there was a song Free Nelson Mandela. I can’t put into words what that experience was like, but WOW.

Beyond entertaining, the message of this movie moved me. Nelson Mandela has become one of my favorite people in life.

Listen Episode 5

Art of the Month

/ Psal121 / Leave a comment

Zora Neale Hurston was an American writer, anthropologist, folklorist, and documentary filmmaker. She portrayed racial struggles in the early-20th-century American South and published research on Hoodoo and Caribbean Vodou. The most popular of her four novels is Their Eyes Were Watching God, published in 1937. She also wrote more than 50 short stories, plays, an autobiography, ethnographies, and many essays.

Hurston traveled extensively in the Caribbean and the American South and immersed herself in local cultural practices to conduct her anthropological research.

During a period of financial and medical difficulties, Hurston was forced to enter St. Lucie County Welfare Home, where she had a stroke. She died of hypertensive heart disease on January 28, 1960, and was buried at the Garden of Heavenly Rest in Fort Pierce, Florida. Her remains were in an unmarked grave until 1973.

Art of the Month

/ Psal121 / Leave a comment

Zora Neale Hurston was an American writer, anthropologist, folklorist, and documentary filmmaker. She portrayed racial struggles in the early-20th-century American South and published research on Hoodoo and Caribbean Vodou. The most popular of her four novels is Their Eyes Were Watching God, published in 1937. She also wrote more than 50 short stories, plays, an autobiography, ethnographies, and many essays.

Hurston traveled extensively in the Caribbean and the American South and immersed herself in local cultural practices to conduct her anthropological research.

During a period of financial and medical difficulties, Hurston was forced to enter St. Lucie County Welfare Home, where she had a stroke. She died of hypertensive heart disease on January 28, 1960, and was buried at the Garden of Heavenly Rest in Fort Pierce, Florida. Her remains were in an unmarked grave until 1973.

TV Talk with the Sistas

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In this episode we will talk about the movie Black Panther. It is one of the Marvel family of films, distributed by Disney. It made 1.3 billion dollars in box office. Black movies do sell. It was nice to have a brown super hero and for him to have his own movie.

It was nice to have brown people saving other brown people

Wakanda created an amazing space for brown people.

Listen Episode 4

Art of the Month

/ Psal121 / Leave a comment

Zora Neale Hurston was an American writer, anthropologist, folklorist, and documentary filmmaker. She portrayed racial struggles in the early-20th-century American South and published research on Hoodoo and Caribbean Vodou. The most popular of her four novels is Their Eyes Were Watching God, published in 1937. She also wrote more than 50 short stories, plays, an autobiography, ethnographies, and many essays.

Hurston traveled extensively in the Caribbean and the American South and immersed herself in local cultural practices to conduct her anthropological research.

During a period of financial and medical difficulties, Hurston was forced to enter St. Lucie County Welfare Home, where she had a stroke. She died of hypertensive heart disease on January 28, 1960, and was buried at the Garden of Heavenly Rest in Fort Pierce, Florida. Her remains were in an unmarked grave until 1973.

My Art Work

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Explore the world of African American history and culture through my creative expression in art. From stunning abstract pieces to detailed portraits, each work reflects my passion for storytelling and the beauty of human experience. Whether you’re an art collector or someone looking to add a unique piece to your home, you’re sure to find something that speaks to you here.

I invite you to browse, enjoy, and find that perfect piece that resonates with your soul.

Feel free to reach out for any custom requests or inquiries. Thank you for supporting my art!

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TV Talk with the Sistas

/ Psal121 / Leave a comment

Black Panther

In this episode we will talk about the movie Black Panther. It is one of the Marvel family of films, distributed by Disney. It made 1.3 billion dollars in box office. Black movies do sell. It was nice to have a brown super hero and for him to have his own movie.

It was nice to have brown people saving other brown people

Wakanda created an amazing space for brown people.

Listen to Episode 4

Art of the Month

/ Psal121 / Leave a comment

Zora Neale Hurston was an American writer, anthropologist, folklorist, and documentary filmmaker. She portrayed racial struggles in the early-20th-century American South and published research on Hoodoo and Caribbean Vodou. The most popular of her four novels is Their Eyes Were Watching God, published in 1937. She also wrote more than 50 short stories, plays, an autobiography, ethnographies, and many essays. Hurston traveled extensively in the Caribbean and the American South and immersed herself in local cultural practices to conduct her anthropological research.