Chadwick Boseman Proved Not All Heroes Wear Capes At The MTV Movie Awards
I'm black every day. In a world that deems my blackness inferior, it's a relief to see highly publicized moments that reaffirm the power in my identity as an African American woman. Last night, millennial America successfully brought true Wakandan power to the MTV Movie & TV Awards and it was lit af.
Tiffany Haddish, the first black woman to host in the show's 27-year history, kicked off the ceremony with a Black Panther skit and affirmed to the audience that she was in fact the first and only black woman to earn more than $1 billion dollars in the box office, Michael B. Jordan threw some serious shade at Roseanne after winning Best Villain, and Black Panther won the most honorable award of the night, Best Movie.
The best moment of the night by far, goes to the delectable King T'Challa, who has a habit of stealing the show in the best ways possible. Chadwick Boseman added another award to his long list of accolades after winning Best Hero in a movie, but he proved his true kingship to the world after we saw what he chose to do with the highly coveted honor.
Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for MTV
During his acceptance speech, he said:
"Receiving an award for playing a superhero is amazing, but it's even greater to acknowledge the heroes that we have in real life. So I just want to acknowledge somebody that's here today. James Shaw Jr. Where are you? Stand. If you don't know James Shaw Jr., he fought off a gunman in Antioch, Tennessee at a Waffle House. He saved lives. Come on up here."
Shaw, a 29-year-old real life superhero, rose to fame in April after his brave attempt to wrestle the gun out of a mass shooter's hand prevented what could have been a massacre. Even after his bold act of heroism, he sought to help the families of the victims who were killed during the tragedy by creating a GoFundMe page that raised more $200,000.
Shaw met Boseman on stage and where the actor told him in true T'Challa fashion:
"This is gonna live at your house."
Wakanda has become more than a fictional country in Africa from a movie, and has transformed into a realistic safe place for people of color in this country to find power and empower others in their blackness. Upon winning the award for Best Movie, the men of Black Panther said that they never could have imagined that the film's concept would have such a widespread impact. Michael B. Jordan said:
"It's incredible when the stereotype used to be people of color couldn't bring y'all out to the theater and be able to make these types of films. So the fact that we're able to do this on this scale, this movie and this project means the world to us."
His Black Panther co-star, Winston Duke added:
"Thank you all for not just investing in not just a beautiful story, but investing in a continued conversation for what this industry and what this culture can achieve, and what we all can aspire to be."
T'Challa, thanks for reminding us that we're all kings and queens in real life, and most importantly that not all heroes wear capes.
Featured image by Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for MTV
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Taylor "Pretty" Honore is a spiritually centered and equally provocative rapper from Baton Rouge, Louisiana with a love for people and storytelling. You can probably find me planting herbs in your local community garden, blasting "Back That Thang Up" from my mini speaker. Let's get to know each other: @prettyhonore.
ItGirl 100 Honors Black Women Who Create Culture & Put On For Their Cities
As they say, create the change you want to see in this world, besties. That’s why xoNecole linked up with Hyundai for the inaugural ItGirl 100 List, a celebration of 100 Genzennial women who aren’t afraid to pull up their own seats to the table. Across regions and industries, these women embody the essence of discovering self-value through purpose, honey! They're fierce, they’re ultra-creative, and we know they make their cities proud.
VIEW THE FULL ITGIRL 100 LIST HERE.
Don’t forget to also check out the ItGirl Directory, featuring 50 Black-woman-owned marketing and branding agencies, photographers and videographers, publicists, and more.
THE ITGIRL MEMO
I. An ItGirl puts on for her city and masters her self-worth through purpose.
II. An ItGirl celebrates all the things that make her unique.
III. An ItGirl empowers others to become the best versions of themselves.
IV. An ItGirl leads by example, inspiring others through her actions and integrity.
V. An ItGirl paves the way for authenticity and diversity in all aspects of life.
VI. An ItGirl uses the power of her voice to advocate for positive change in the world.
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Tyler James Williams Explains Why His And Quinta Brunson 'Abbott Elementary' Characters Should Remain Friends
While Abbott Elementary fans are hoping that Janine and Gregory end up together, the show’s star has another take. Tyler James Williams plays Gregory on the Emmy award-winning sitcom, and he recently stopped by The Jennifer Hudson Show to share his point of view on his storyline with Janine, which Quinta Brunson plays.
“I hate to say it. I know that everybody’s always mad at me for this. I don’t necessarily want to see them together,” he revealed. “It’s partially an actor’s choice, but also somebody who, like, I read a lot of scripts all the time. I watch a lot of TV, a lot of film. I don’t think that we see displays of platonic love between two people often. I think it’s really easy to go right to they have feelings for each other, therefore they should be together. I like this dynamic of exploring withholding that and just actively loving each other where they are. That I like to see more.”
If you recall, they were co-workers who became friends but were secretly crushing on each other. They’ve had many awkward run-ins during and after school, like the unforgettable club scene where they were dancing nervously with each other in season one, and in season two, they finally kiss. However, it only made things even more awkward, and they decided to just be friends. Tyler further explained why he thinks it’s important to showcase that type of relationship on screen.
“I think it’s time for that. I think TV allows people to see things that could be their lives for the first time, and I think seeing a healthy friendship that is deeply caring about one another in a work atmosphere needs to be shown more than the relationship,” he concluded.
Abbott Elementary comes on every Wednesday at 9 p.m. EST on ABC.
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Feature image by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images