The public media partnership led by Maryland Public Television will present its first-ever HBCU Week NOW Student Film Festival in the winter of 2026. Produced in partnership with Black Public Media and the platform, the film festival is dedicated to showcasing the
By Claire Bellamy The singer will compose a commissioned score at the Fall Fashion Galaâs 10th anniversary celebration next month. Singer and songwriter Solange Knowles can soon add ballet composer to her impressive list of accomplishments. The New York City Ballet announced Monday that
By Claretta Bellamy Media and entertainment mogul Byron Allen believes the news and media industry needs more inclusion, an issue he will address now that he is the owner of the Black News Channel (BNC). In July, Allen was approved by a
It came down to the wire â the Emmys are next month, after all â but NBC and the Television Academy have finally found a host for this yearâs ceremony: âSaturday Night Liveâ star Kenan Thompson. Thompson, the longest-running cast member in
Netflixâs top executive team in Africa plans to continue spending on scripted and unscripted content across genres until it unearths the big âSquid Gameâ-like show that captures global buzz. During Tuesdayâs âSee Whatâs Next Africaâ showcase in Johannesburg, South Africa, the streamer
By Daniel Arkin In a video posted online Friday, Oscar-winning actor Will Smith â making his most extensive public comments since he slapped Chris Rock at the Academy Awards in March â apologized directly to the comedian and said he was “deeply remorseful” over
By Zoe Sottile Actress and singer Nichelle Nichols, best known for her groundbreaking portrayal of Lt. Nyota Uhura in “Star Trek: The Original Series,” has died at age 89, according to a statement from her son, Kyle Johnson. “Last night, my mother, Nichelle
By Elizabeth Parker A new opera, Castor and Patience, takes on the pervasive barriers to land ownership for Black Americans. With a libretto by former poet laureate and Pulitzer Prize winner Tracy K. Smith and a score by composer Gregory Spears, the opera
By Nathan Pugh When Code Switch has covered the theater industry, it’s often to call out some of the uncomfortable racial dynamics in the roomâwhether that’s the unease of watching Hamilton with a primarily white audience, controversies surrounding Asian representation in Miss Saigon, or the complexities
By Arturo Conde Actor Jay Ellis remembers watching the 1986 movie âTop Gunâ at an Air Force base in Austin, Texas. He was only 8 or 9 years old, and the blockbuster made him dream about becoming a fighter pilot. Ellis wanted
By Arrman Kyaw Rapper Travis Scott is giving 100 students at historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) $10,000 each as graduation gifts, USA Today reported. The money â a total of $1 million â is meant to help graduating students with final fees. It
