Culture & Entertainment
However, in my opinion, one of the best things about it is the characters. They are complex, OK? Just when you think you've kind of figured them out, it's like no, there's another layer. My friends and I have this weird habit of connecting ourselves with characters from different shows. You know what I mean, "I'm Joan Clayton mixed with a little bit of Lynn (Girlfriends)," or "I'm Issa with Molly tendencies (Insecure)." But, with this show, I still haven't quite figured it out. Check out the snapshot of the characters below to see which ones you connect most with.
And don't forget to check out the final season of Dear White People on Netflix (September 22), because we all could use a good TV binge.
Samantha White (played by Logan Browning)
Samantha White is such a Renaissance woman. She's dynamic, fueled by her beliefs and passion, and loves hard. As a biracial person who is also pro-Black, she struggles sometimes navigating between two identities and a question looms of whether or not her activism and wokeness are rooted in overcompensation. But is it? Because her morals and values are such an important part of who she is, it can sometimes lead to conflict in her personal life.
Reggie Green (played by Marque Richardson)
Reggie is a good guy and a fervid activist. He also has a sometimes-y will they or won't they love thing with both Samantha and Ashley Blaine Featherson-Jenkins' character, Joelle. He's trying to do right and move past the trauma and hurt that he faced in earlier seasons (no spoilers). But in doing that, he sometimes loses his way which causes him to be disconnected from others.
Joelle (played by Ashley Blaine Featherson-Jenkins)
First of all, honorable mention about actress Ashley Blaine's wedding photos. They're absolutely beautiful. But, back to Joelle. Her character has a complicated relationship with best friend Samantha, tells it like it is, she's kind-hearted, zealous, and is always there for everyone, but sometimes it's to a fault.
Lionel Higgins (played by DeRon Horton)
Lionel Higgins was a somewhat shy and insecure guy who is growing into himself, especially when it comes to owning his sexuality. Although he still loves writing and being the comedic relief, he's become a much more confident man who yearns to make a difference.
Colandrea “Coco” Conners (played by Antoinette Robertson)
Coco is ambitious, stylish, and a bit of a mean girl. However, she started as someone who was desperate to fit in with her white counterparts, and has grown into a woman determined to create her own path.
Gabe Mitchell (played by John Patrick Amedori)
Gabe cares a lot. Like literally about his relationship with Samantha, the causes he cares about, and his work. It's a good quality but sometimes it can cause him to seem pretty stressed and even oblivious to bigger issues.
Troy Fairbanks (played by Brandon P. Bell)
Now, while this actor has remained fine, the character has changed dramatically. Troy started as a basically a rich playboy. But, he's now someone who is finding his own voice and discovering more about himself and his peers.
The 90s musical-inspired final season of Dear White People is now streaming on Netflix.
Dear White People: Vol. 4 | Official Trailer | Netflix
Featured image courtesy of Netflix
He's actually an 'Emmy-winning' those things.
Additionally, he's an 'Emmy-winning' those things that has the ladies lining up at the door to shoot their inevitable shot (because when you're beautiful, you already know it's coming your way). The actor joined Buzzfeed for their 'Thirst Tweets' segment, a segment where celebrities read tweets hilariously lusty tweets about said celebrity, that are found on the internet. And listennnnn, the ladies did not disappoint.
The video opens with him introducing himself and saying:
"I'm a little bit afraid of what these are going to say because my timeline be off the hook. Let me see what y'all got."
The tweets started out simple and complimentary:
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"That's tame, that's very tame. I'll take it."
He then goes on to say that he loves his beard and he loves to cook! Ladies, he cooks! He loves to wear his grill too, which he proudly claims that ladies that love that will 'mess around and get snatched up.'
But then the ladies started asking what we all wanted to know:
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Well, we're on count 52, but I have all night to keep going. #kanyeshrug
"You should tweet me compliments more often. If you tweet me, I'll read them in the morning. I'll make a calendar of all your tweets, or just for every month, it'll be a different tweet, and I'll just read it. Keep my confidence high. I like that."
And slowly started getting to the point:
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After getting a good laugh, at the thought of women doing kegels on sight, he says:
'That's funny.'
I'm confused...you didn't know this was normal, sir? *stares in collective Black woman confusion*
The whole entire, and CLEAR, point:
Giphy/YouTube
"Alright, you better holler at me. I appreciate the respectfully, because respectfully is important. But getting your back broke like a glow stick is important too."
He ends the video reading a few more tweets and even shared a quickly story about the life affirmations his grandmother would speak into him.
Watch the full hilarious clip below:
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Featured image by Brian Ach/Getty Images for TAG Heuer
In fact, one of the things that I love most about them is that they often try to do all of the above in new and creative ways. For example, Steph Curry is one of the loudest sponsors for the Howard University Collegiate Golf team. And because we know that golf isn't as prevalent in the Black community as a sport such as basketball, this is what I mean when I say they find new and creative ways to be involved.
They find the holes and seek resolutions.
This is especially true in their latest efforts: the effort to eliminate food deserts in Oakland. And they're doing so with a loud and colorful school bus.
The 'Eat. Learn. Play. Bus' is a hot pink, pale blue and yellowish gold mobile bus that will roll through the streets of Oakland, in an effort to do much more than the old school ice cream trucks that we know from back in the day. Instead, this bus will feed, teach, energize and engage Black children (and other youths of color) in Oakland's stressed communities. Ayesha opened up about the vision saying:
"This idea came basically from me wanting to find a way to eradicate food deserts within the Oakland area. At first, the idea was around, 'How can we find locations where people can come and pick up fresh produce and other things for their families?' Logistically, especially with Covid, that idea started to seem far-fetched."
From here, according to reports, CEO of Eat. Learn. Play. suggested a bus and the rest goes down in we-gotta-look-after-our-communities history. Cruising Kitchens was solicited to convert the bus, and Oakland mural artists Illuminaries created the visuals on the bus that include Ayesha Curry cooking, Stephen Curry shooting a basketball, local landmarks like the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge and more. So awesome!
Kelly Sullivan/Getty Images for Eat. Learn. Play.
One side will function as a food truck or mobile pantry to provide the community with free hot food and fresh produce to children and families. The other side is a stacked library, packed with books and ways to engage all, which is the Currys way of staying on top of Oakland's troubling literacy rate (Black children in Oakland are four times more likely to be reading many years below their grade level in comparison to white students #whew). The bus also houses flat-screen TVs, a sound system to get the kids pumped, and a bus rooftop area that can hold up to 35 children. Of the schedule, Steph says it will travel randomly to schools, community centers, and churches.
"We want mystique about it. So it may show up anywhere, take on a life of its own and has the capabilities to host an event anywhere."
Ayesha added:
"And I know a guy who plays basketball, so we added a basketball hoop for the play pillar. It turned into this bigger-than-life idea. It's not the teacher's fault. It's not the parents' fault. It's a community issue. Let's get together, give this model a try and see if we can create some excitement around reading. If we can all join together and try to fix the issue together and turn these numbers around, then I think we're doing something right."
Adore these two! Be sure to be on the lookout, Oakland!
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Featured image by Kelly Sullivan/Getty Images for Eat. Learn. Play.
