Palestinian-Chilean pop star Elyanna makes history at Coachella 2023 The singer was the first to perform a full set in Arabic at the festival. By Zaru, Emily Lippiello, Caterina Kipreos Barbera, and Zohreen Shah Palestinian-Chilean singer Elyanna made history at Coachella on Saturday as the first artist to perform a full set in Arabic at the iconic music festival in Indio, California. “I’m…
Halle Bailey Is an Inspiration in the Newest ‘Little Mermaid’ Teasers Responses to the singer’s beautiful portrayal of the mermaid Ariel in the Disney live-action remake have ranged from inspired to disheartening. By Kathy Pierre Fact checked by Karen Cilli As the release date for Disney’s live-action remake of The Little Mermaid approaches, more scenes from the movie starring Halle Bailey have surfaced and…
Queen Latifah on How Her Filmmakers Initiative Is Fixing One of the Industry’s “Biggest Problems” By Njera Perkins Queen Latifah is determined to fix one of the most glaring flaws in the film industry: the unrelenting lack of representation, access, and opportunity for women filmmakers of color. “When you speak to two out of three Black people, when they say…
Mabel Cadena Talks Representation & Portraying Namora in ‘Wakanda Forever’ By Virginia Isaad Mabel Cadena was once told that people of color couldn’t be superheroes but this past summer she along with the rest of the cast of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever proved them wrong. Cadena plays Namora, the right-hand woman to Namor (Tenoch Huerta), the feathered serpent God K’uk’ulkan aka Namor of Talokan,…
Meet Kavi—the First South Asian American Girl Doll Meet Kavi—the First South Asian American Girl Doll By Pooja Shah American Girl unveiled its 2023 Girl of the Year: Kavika (“Kavi”) Sharma. Retailing at $115, Kavi has made history as the first South Asian American doll, aligning with the company’s goal to create products that spotlight examples from diverse backgrounds and cultural roots. “Kavi joins…
Latinas Are Raising a New Generation Of Runners Many positive effects come from running, but the lack of representation and barriers in Latinx communities have prevented them from reaping the benefits. These parents are trying to change that. By Priscilla Blossom Growing up, I absolutely hated running. I was always one of the slowest runners in class, and often teased about it.…
Stacey Sher on the Future of Movies and Streaming The veteran film and TV producer shares her perspective on what the technology shifts roiling the entertainment business mean for both artists and audiences. By Daniel Eisenberg In her three decades of producing movies and TV, Stacey Sher has seen how fast and radically the industry can change, from the rise of…
Ex-Education Secretary Says Department of Education ‘Should Not Exist’ By Merdie Nzanga WASHINGTON – Betsy DeVos, who served as secretary of education under former President Donald Trump, said over the weekend to a conservative group in Florida that the department she led should be abolished. “I personally think the Department of Education should not exist,” she said Saturday during a Moms for…
The First Indian Barbie Doll Is About to Change the World It’s a small step for the toy, but a large step for brown skinned people. By Rituparna Som “When I look at my nieces and nephews, it’s a whole other world for them. It’s not that discrimination is gonna go away overnight. But I really do believe that seeing…
Asian, Pacific Islanders Lack Representation in Hollywood By David Oliver Asian and Pacific Islanders are scarcely represented in the film industry, according to a new study – and the numbers are more concerning when broken down by gender and sexual orientation. Research from the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative found just 44 films featured an Asian or Pacific Islander lead or co-lead, 14 of which…