“Black Male Frames charts the development and shifting popularity of two stereotypes of black male masculinity in popular American film: The shaman and the scoundrel… [The book] identifies the origins of these roles in an America where Black men were forced either to defer or to defy their White masters. These figures recur in the stories America tells about its Black men, … [Read more...]
Telling a simple story well
Dwight Hobbes talks about his two new books MSR “contributing writer” Dwight Hobbes has contributed to just about every category of story the newspaper runs: news, features, reviews, profiles and opinion. Over a year ago he added a new category to his output, an ongoing fiction series in weekly installments. That story has now taken form as a novel, Black & Single Blues, to … [Read more...]
J. MOST & the Command Steppers present 3 days of honor, competitive fun
On March 12, 13 and 14, the Mall of America (MOA) will host the 6th Annual Minnesota Steppers All Star Bash. The event features J. MOST, a local R&B recording artist, entertainer, producer and dance teacher. MOST is currently the instructor for The Command Steppers, which has 90 members, the largest step team in the Twin Cities. The fun begins on Thursday, March 12, … [Read more...]
Black Dynamite: A comic book dripping with racial indecency
Although Hollywood has become saturated with a preponderance of superhero films—namely those licensed by the Marvel Comics franchise—these projects rarely, if ever, feature an African American lead. In the comic-book realm, a sweeping wave of cultural diversity has inspired the “browning” of numerous, formerly European characters, including the ever-popular Spiderman, Captain … [Read more...]
‘Focus’: A farfetched, cat-and-mouse crime caper rich with eye candy
Jess Barrett (Margot Robbie) is an aspiring con artist who picked the worst guy to steal a wallet from when she settled on Nicky Spurgeon (Will Smith). She had no reason to suspect that he was a third generation flimflam man descended from a grandfather who ran a crooked poker game in Harlem back in the day. Nicky was more curious than infatuated when he accepted the seductive … [Read more...]