Intro to our Juneteenth edition of Black Writers Week 2025 | Black Writers Week

Today, we are celebrating Juneteenth, a national holiday commemorating the end of slavery for African-Americans. Although President Abraham Lincoln published the proclamation of emancipation on September 22, 1862, with her to take effect in January 1863, it was not until June 19, 1865 – two and a half years – that the news arrived at the black people of Galveston, Texas. It took a civil war and a brigade of soldiers to spread the news.

Ms. Opal Lee, a retired teacher, is the grandmother of Juneteenth. She was at the forefront of a movement to make Juneteenth a national holiday. For years, she summoned steps of two and a half miles in the states of all of America to signify the two and a half years that it took the news to reach Texas. And finally, in June 2021, at the age of 94, she had the pleasure of seeing her dream come true. She stood alongside former President Joe Biden at the White House when he signed the bill, making Juneteenth a federal party.

Today, despite the executive orders which prohibit Dei – diversity, equity and inclusion – by the current administration, we will not back down. So, once again, as we have done since 2021, we will put our site back to black writers and criticism of black films to share their criticism, articles and observations on films and life itself.

That day, we provide film reviews written by Robert Daniels, Carla Renata, Peyton Robinson, Cortlyn Kelly, Jourdain Searles, Travis Hopson, Craig D. Lindsey, Sherin Nicole, Jourdain Searles and Brandon Wilson. We have television reviews written by Rendy Jones, Sherin Nicole and Kaiya Shunyata.

We are fortunate to share an article from the finalist of the Pulitzer Prize, Soraya Nadia McDonald. Odie Henderson returns to the site with a play celebrating the 50th anniversary of “Cooley High” and another wire mesh of the creative and romantic partnership shared by Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee. Danielle Scruggs compares and contrasts the reception of “Anora” and “Zola”. Sonia Evans Interview MyNew Technologies in Chief Myrin New about her new technological masterclass. Brenda Butler describes the story of Juneteenth for us in more detail. Mack Bates writes on Morgan Freeman, and there is much more to explore.

So join us in this important celebration. Happy Juneteenth!

Table of contents

Film / mini-series reviews

28 years later by Robert Daniels

Married hard by Carla Renata

Elio by Robert Daniels (coming)

Everything will be great by Cortlyn Kelly

Familiar Touch of Jourdain Searles

Image found: the manufacture of the Patterson project by Travis Hopson

Hell motel by Rendy Jones

Marlee Matlin: Not alone by Peyton Robinson

The queen of my dreams by Craig D. Lindsay

Sally by Sherin Nicole

Will by Brandon David Wilson

FEATURES

50 years later, Cooley High is still alive by Odie Henderson

Blood and soap bubbles on the surface of the “The Waterfront” of Netflix by Sherin Nicole

The glorious year of Morgan Freeman by Mack Bates

The light she left behind: Ananda Lewis (1973-2025) by Sonia Evans

Myrin New Masterclass in the entrepreneurship of modern black technology by Sonia Evans

On the renewed need and continues to “exterminate all the brutes” from Soraya Nadia McDonald

Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee by Odie Henderson

The rite to save a life by Sherin Nicole

Then they will learn: the truth behind Juneteenth by Brenda Butler

Third season transformer of HBO “The Gilded Age” dazzles and is delighted with Kaiya Shunyata

“Zola”, “Anora” and the Dei Mirage of Danielle Scruggs