8 Times 'Dear White People' Gave Us Our Whole Lives
I could start this piece with a list of things that I don't like about Dear White People, but that list would be pretty short. For starters, we won't get to indulge in the highly-anticipated third volume until Friday, and secondly, there should definitely be more scenes featuring a shirtless Marque Richardson, but I digress.
Related: Season 3 Of Netflix's 'Dear White People' Officially Has A Release Date
While we await the return of Winchester, it's only right that you go back and re-watch every single episode before August 2nd, and thanks to xoNecole, you can skip straight to the good parts with our list of the best moments from the show so far. Without further ado, here are 8 watch-worthy moments from the show that you'll want to catch up on before the new season premieres.
Light spoilers ahead.
Coco & Troy's Situationship Comes To A Head
Courtesy of Netflix
Season: One
Episode: Six
I think we're all guilty of being so anxious to meet "Mr. Right," that we settle for "Mr. Right For Now" in the meantime. For Coco, that man was Troy Fairbanks, AKA, the Barack Obama of the Ivy League. Throughout the first season, we see Coco and Troy's situationship evolve from f*ck buddies to having the makings of being a real power couple; that is until Troy's chronic f*ckboy-ism kicks in and damns it all to hell.
Despite his affinty to be an asshole, we do see some extremely cute moments from this couple. When Troy accidentally pulls off Coco's wig during sex and put on his durag to match her Meek Mill braids, our entire hearts melted.
A Candid Convo About Colorism
Courtesy of Netflix
Season: Two
Episode: Five
Dear White People proves that colorism isn't some mythological creature that lurks in the shadows, issa real-life issue that affects our personal relationships. In the first season, Coco and Sam's relationship dips its toe into the light skinned/dark-skinned waters, but the previous season made an effort to really "take it there," using Sam and Joelle's relationship as a diving board.
In Volume 2 of the series, Sam and Joelle attack the 'Pam and Gina' narrative from a realistic perspective when the friends have a multi-layered disagreement about the levels of black privilege.
... And Sisterhood
Courtesy of Netflix
Season: Two
Episode: Nine
Nothing brings people together like loss, and near the end of the second volume of Dear White People, we see that happen in a major way with the Black girl magicians of Winchester.
While Kelsey may have been a one-dimensional character with a cute purse in Season One, we get to know more about the tiny-dog toting princess in an intimate girl chat between her and Coco, who reveals shocking news about her decision to have an abortion. Along with delving into touchy topics like colorism, women's rights, and sexual identity, these women also show what sisterhood truly means as a Black face in a mostly white place.
Reggie's Fine Ass... Being Fine
Courtesy of Netflix
Season: Boffum
Episode: Every Episode
Marque Richardson is a national treasure and should be protected at all costs. This 33-year-old actor drizzled his chocolately chocolateness all over this show, and it's safe to say that his performance deserves all the awards. Along with becoming Joelle's newest love interest, Reggie also faced his share of trauma in the series. After an altercation with a police officer at an on-campus party sends Reggie into a downward spiral, we get to see another, more vulnerable side of the character.
Tessa Thompson Slid Thru With A Reality Check
Courtesy of Netflix
Season: Two
Episode: Ten
In the moment we've all been waiting for, Sam and her alter ego, Tessa Thompson, who played Sam in the show's prequel film, meet and it was everything we'd hoped for. The show's creator and showrunner Justin Simien said that even if Tessa didn't star as Samantha in the movie's spinoff series, he wanted the actress to be an essential part of the show. That's when Rikki Carter's character came to mind.
Joelle Finds Herself In Too Deep With A Hotep Hottie
Courtesy of Netflix
Season: Two
Episode: Five
Although Joelle and Reggie's melaniny matrimony seems like a match made in heaven, Reggie's inabiilty to get right leads her right into the arms of the hotep of her nightmares. While this episode points out some of the hardships of millennial dating in the digital age, it also addresses the Kelly Rowland effect that Joelle feels has come to light since coming to Winchester.
Sam Checking TF Out Of Gabe's Privilege
Courtesy of Netflix
Season: Two
Episode: Seven
I'm not the only one who had a few choice words for Gabe after discovering that he was the one who called the policeman that nearly killed reggie, and Sam let that be known in Volume Two. Finally bringing her boo's white savior complex to a heel, Sam gave Gabe a read that every ally needs to hear.
The Hero Reveals Himself
Courtesy of Netflix
Season: Two
Episode: Ten
Right when we think we have Ivy League life all figured out, the gang discovers a secret society that has the potential to turn Winchester upside down. In the final episode of the last season, we learn that the narrator is none other than our favorite on-screen uncle, Giancarlo Esposito, who also has something to do with an elite group of Black ancestors that we will likely learn more about in Volume Three.
Featured image courtesy of Netflix.
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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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Why We'll Probably Never Hear Lupita Nyong'o Share Her Relationship With The World
Lupita Nyong'o is sharing a transparent look into her life after a recent breakup.
In a cover story for NET-A-PORTER, the A Quiet Place: Day One star shed light on the significant heartbreak she experienced following the end of her relationship with ex-boyfriend and TV host, Selema Masekela.
As a public figure, Nyong'o, 39, sought to divulge the news of the breakup in hopes of presenting a more authentic perspective on the pain that follows a separation.
"I was living in a lot of pain and heartbreak," she told the publication. "I looked at the environment of my social media and thought I don’t want to be a part of this illusion that everything is always coming up roses. Surely there is a lesson for me to learn in this, and I just want to be real about it."
The Black Panther star went on to explain that her choice to be transparent with her fans about her breakup came from the certainty she felt after ending the relationship. “In my mind, when I shared my relationship status with the world, it was because I felt sure about it,” she said.
While she didn’t know how the news would land with her fans, she found relief in knowing she wasn’t alone in her experience.
“I knew how it could be interpreted; I knew it would have a life of its own,” she reflects. “But then I started to see the comments and people were being so loving and supportive. The ones that moved me the most were other people sharing their pain and their heartbreak.”
Nyong'o and Masekela went Instagram official in December 2022, publicly announcing their relationship in a couple's video. In October 2023, Nyong'o took to her personal Instagram account to share the news of her breakup in her caption, writing, "At this moment, it is necessary for me to share a personal truth and publicly dissociate myself from someone I can no longer trust.”
She continued the vulnerable note, "I find myself in a season of heartbreak because of a love suddenly and devastatingly extinguished by deception. I am tempted to run into the shadows and hide, only to return to the light when I have regained my strength enough for me to say, 'Whatever, my life is better this way.' But I am reminded that the magnitude of the pain I am feeling is equal to the measure of my capacity for love."
These days, Nyong'o tells NET-A-PORTER that she is prioritizing profound self-discovery that extends beyond her career. She notes having a deliberate and unhurried approach to understanding herself.
She also alludes to keeping her relationships private moving forward after noting it was "very, very sage" of her not to talk about her private life professionally in the days before her last relationship. "I'm going back to those days by the way," Nyong'o shares of her reinstated boundaries around her personal life.
Earlier this month, Nyong'o made headlines alongside her new boyfriend actor Joshua Jackson. Nyong'o and Jackson went through public splits from their respective SOs in October 2023, with the latter splitting from his long-time partner Jodie Turner-Smith following her divorce filing from the Dawson's Creek alum.
The pair have been spotted together as early as December 2023, but nothing screamed "couple" quite as loudly as their recent getaway to Mexico for Nyong'o's 41st birthday featuring passionate displays of affection.
"Our purpose in life is to love. And so you have to get back in it," she tells the outlet, seemingly alluding to her budding new romance.
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Featured image by Taylor Hill/Getty Images