Black cinema is in the midst of a revival, with black writers and directors creating stories that are reflective of the black experience.  The latest of such films is Jordan Peele’s highly anticipated horror/comedy Get Out.  The film received 100 percent positive reviews from Rotten Tomatoes, which is a rare occurrence.  According to the LA Times Get Out also topped the box office with $30.5 million in ticket sales.

I have an awful lot of friends. I don’t mean Facebook friends. I mean real, If I die tomorrow this is where I keep my toys. Please dispose of them before my mom finds them, or they end up in an evidence locker,” because I watch too much Law and Order SVU friends. For any situation I may ever find myself in, I have at least 3 people I can call to get me out of it. I am very blessed in this regard. For this reason, it’s hard to keep up with everyone. I don’t see or talk to all of these friends every day, because who has the time? Whenever possible I schedule time to spend with my friends, and this often means a long ass pow wow wherein we catch each other up on what has happened in our lives since last we spoke or hung out.

A post shared by EBONY (@ebonymagazine) on Feb 16, 2017 at 9:35am PST

Loving this retro glam look from Jurnee Smollett-Bell on the cover of Ebony. We live for a good jumpsuit moment, and her post baby body is a refreshing change from the ones we typically see.

The red carpet for the 59th Annual Grammy Awards was so underwhelming that it’s not even worth mentioning besides this sentence. The show itself was an emotional roller coaster, and I’m glad I stuck around for the awe inducing moments.  So let’s get started.

 

A photo posted by Us Weekly (@usweekly) on Feb 13, 2017 at 8:50am PST

Chance the Rapper continues to make us proud as the community Youth Pastor who sometimes curses. I genuinely teared up watching his performance, because you could really feel his passion for this. I’m not a part of Rap Genius twitter, so I’m not sure if anyone else has done this, but I find it so admirable that he earned two Grammy’s as an independent artist having never sold an album. Real talent will sell itself I suppose?

Last night’s SAG Awards were very politically charges, as is everything these days.  Performers like Kerry Washington defended the right, nay necessity of actors to be activists saying, “A lot of people are saying right now that actors shouldn’t express their opinions when it comes to politics. But the truth is, actors are activists no matter what, and we embody the worth and humanity of all people. This union helps me to do that. I am Kerry Washington, and I am an actor.”  Mahershala Ali made a point to highlight the value of really seeing people regardless of surface differences. Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Veep), Taraji P. Henson (Hidden Figures), and David Harbour (Stranger Things) were among other winners who used their acceptance speeches to offer words of criticism, hope, and encouragement in the aftermath of the Muslim Ban, and the changing climate of the country.

Fences and Hidden Figures cleaned up with wins for Denzel Washington and Viola Davis for best Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role and Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role, respectively.  Hidden Figures won Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture.  I have been on the edge of my seat waiting to see how well Moonlight would do this season, so Mahershala Ali’s win for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role sent me to the moon (see what I did there).   In these times of divisiveness and social unrest, it’s also helpful to see a cast of such diverse women in Orange is the New Black take home a win for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series.  For a full list of winners click here.

Now for the fun part.

I’m not sure why, but I have intense writer’s block.  Maybe it’s the mounting anxiety from the social injustices promulgating from the White House, but I just haven’t been feeling like what I’m writing about is really important given what’s going on in the world.  But, in the name of consistency, and flexing my writing muscles as often as possible, I am giving you ten random thoughts I’ve had today.

The day after the election felt like a bad dream.  I know that sounds cliche, but truly that’s what it felt like.  From the time I walked out of my door, I felt like I was in an alternate universe.  It felt like the city of New York took one long exhale, and fell into a collective emotional slump.  The subway ride into the city was uncharacteristically quiet.  New York prides itself on its strength in the face of adversity.  You can flashback to the days that followed 9/11 and the ways in which this city showed its resilience, yet the day after the election the entire city felt defeated.  We all walked around in a haze of fear and uncertainty.  “I spent all night trying to comfort my wife.  She was in tears the entire night,” I heard a coworker say.  Whispered conversations could be overheard throughout the office as we tuned in and out of post election coverage, and we all sauntered home to unpack the feelings of the day.

 

Given the state of social unrest in our country, it is only fitting that I wore a Mod look reminiscent of British-bred 60’s counter culture. If you have no idea what I’m talking about think Twiggy and Mary Quant. While some were embracing the refined style of then First Lady Jackie Onassis, across the pond suburban teens were wearing mini skirts, shift dresses and cropped hair. Hence why many refer to Mod and hippie clothing of the 60’s as sub culture or counter culture fashion.  I have always loved Mod 60’s fashion, especially when it made a resurgence in the 90’s via Cher Horowitz and the Olsen twins. As an adult; however, I didn’t really think I could pull off a shift dress look. Shift dresses have no defined waist, and given my unrelenting fear of looking pregnant, I try to stay away from them. Even if I choose to indulge in a dress that has no waist, I belt it to create one. I said all of that to say, this was my definition of taking a fashion risk, and it was okay. I’m still not confident I don’t look like I need to stop by Planned Parenthood, but hey I tried.  And for under $20 (Zara end of season sale comes through once again) what’s the worst that could happen?

Photo: Tre Thomas

I am so excited to present to you guys the first ever Not Carrie Bradshaw Chats. This new video series will feature monthly interviews with some of our favorite influencers in fashion, media, pop culture, and music. This month I sat down with model, entrepreneur, host, and media personality Malyia. You may recognize her from the viral video from The Today Show, wherein she was a natural hair model, and the stylist just had no idea what she was doing with textured hair. In the inaugural episode of NCB Chats, we discuss post-election anxiety, what it means to have diversity in media, and what our role as black women in media should be to push forward the task of being active citizens.

Details on my look will be in next week’s fashion story.

 

 

I am obsessed with layering. This is partly out of necessity, because I have a 9 to 5 job in a very conservative corporate environment, in addition to my 5 to 9 job in media. This means I am likely running to cover an event right after work, and I need to be able to go from conservative Jessica to Not Carrie Bradshaw Jessica quickly (although the two are not vastly different). Adding or taking away a layer helps me to avoid carrying a large suitcase around the crowded streets of New York to do a Diana Ross level wardrobe change.