by Guilaine Kinouani 

‘Each episode of depression I have experienced, I have experienced because of the struggles I have faced in my life as a Black woman’.

Those were the words spoken by a fellow panellist who went on to share her personal testimony of distress, as part of the discussion which followed the reading of Still Barred. Still Barred is a play which its author Damilola K. Fashola describes as ‘an exploration of four female prisoners’ psyches playing puppet to the punitive overpower of reality’. Like the play, the panel discussion focused on mental health and on the often invisible trauma of Black women in a context of intersectional violence. The events of the play occur, we are told, on the imaginary Steel Barred Island and focus on four characters: Elii, the dreamer; Mon, the marker; Jo, the writer; and Yaz, the washer.

Through intense and dialogical exchanges…

The #BlackPantherSoLit Twitter Hashtag Is Giving Us Life

Listen up Marvel Studios, black folks love comic movies and we are THRILLED about what’s in store for the upcoming Ryan Coogler-directed Black Panther film, however…

We are currently in the process of marketing your film better than you ever could. Thanks to Twitter user @ChadwickNChill black folks are going IN on the hashtag #BlackPantherSoLit and the results are uplifting and hilarious.

Flip the page to peep the tweets about the most anticipated Marvel film ever.

Image via Marvel

Source: NICHOLAS KAMM / Getty

President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama know how to throw a party and Friday night was no different.

The First couple hosted a state dinner honoring the leaders of Sweden, Iceland, Finland, Denmark and Norway. There were over 300 guests including actress Tracee Ellis Ross, rapper Common and singer Janelle Monae.

Other celebs who made the invite list included NBC’s Al Roker and Lester Holt, SNL’s Will Ferrell, Scandal’s Bellamy Young, actor-comedian Aziz Ansari and singer Demi Lovata who performed afterwards. There were also folks there with Nordic ties, including chef Marcus Samuelsson and Joel Kinnaman of House of Cards, The Associated Press reported. 

Source: OLIVIER DOULIERY / Getty

Of course, FLOTUS was on point rocking an off-the-shoulder dress by South Asian fashion designer Naeem Khan.  

Source: Drew Angerer / Getty

According to the…