

While 2020 has felt like a never-ending movie in and of itself, there is something to be said about the escapism that can be found inside of a movie that reels you in or a binge-worthy series. And being that it is the top of the month, Netflix is once again coming in clutch with the release of a roll-out of movies and shows that are new to their platform.
Every month, the streaming giant goes out with the old and in with the new, and November is no different. As always, xoNecole has you covered with the Strong Black Lead releases that Netflix has on deck this month. From Woo and Two Can Play That Game to Fruitvale Station, there is a little melanated drip for everyone (and with a sprinkle of pre-holiday cheer). Without further ado, here's what's new and black AF on Netflix this month.
What's New On Netflix: November 2020
11/1: Boyz n the Hood
What some people may not know is, Boyz n the Hood is the late director John Singleton's feature directorial debut. In the wake of the 1991 release, the film has gone on to be a defining film of its time and of its genre. Starring Cuba Gooding Jr., Morris Chestnut, Ice Cube, Nia Long, Angela Bassett, Regina King, and Laurence Fishburne, Boyz n the Hood is a coming-of-age story following the lives of three young men facing issues that come with life in the hood.
11/1: Jumping the Broom
On a much lighter note, Jumping the Broom is a 2011 film helmed by Salim Akil. The rom-com stars Laz Alonso and Paula Patton as engaged couple Jason Taylor and Sabrina Watson respectively. The movie, which also features a star-studded cast, follows the drama and the hilarity that ensues as the couple prepare to make things official and jump the broom.
11/1: School Daze
School Daze is a Spike Lee Joint of epic proportions. You get HBCU life depicted. You get the laughs that come with a smartly-penned comedy. You get the theatrics of a musical. And you get the remarkable forces that are Laurence Fishburne and Giancarlo Esposito. And it wouldn't be a Spike Lee joint without exploring deep-rooted issues that plague our community (read: colorism), so you get that too.
11/1: Chappelle's Show
It's like November came through and knew exactly what we needed: Dave Chappelle's unapologetic, raucous humor in the form of his famed sketch comedy show, Chappelle's Show. The series, which ran from 2003 to 2006 on Comedy Central, spawned several infamous parodies revolving around culture and race. Although Chappelle walked away from the show in 2005, the legacy he left behind was already cemented. Now, we get to relive it all over again. Life is good.
11/1: Two Can Play That Game
Two Can Play That Game/Film screenshot
I don't know about you, but the chemistry between Morris Chestnut and Vivica A. Fox alone is a good enough reason to give this 2001 rom-com another watch. Two Can Play That Game was a depiction of the games people play and a reminder that taking the honest route isn't as played out as we think. Still, it's fun to see Vivica's character Shanté make Morris' character squirm. And even more thrilling to watch when Morris steps up to the plate to give her a taste of her medicine.
11/1: Woo
Woo/Film screenshot
In this 1998 movie, "woo" isn't a verb, it's a noun. One that Jada Pinkett Smith embodies. The actress plays the title role as Woo. Woo has her world wrapped around her finger and often feels like the author of her own story, except when it comes to the men that she dates. That is until she meets Tim, played by Tommy Lee Davidson.
11/5: Operation Christmas Drop
Being that it's November, we're inching into that time of year again when the holiday season is back in full swing, so it comes as no surprise that Netflix wants to sprinkle some Christmas cheer so early this season. Kicking things off is Operation Christmas Drop, starring The Vampire Diaries' Kat Graham and Alexander Ludwig.
11/5: A New York Christmas Wedding
Have you ever wondered what life might have been like if you had acted on the feelings you had for someone else? This holiday-themed movie explores what happens when an angel visits a soon-to-be bride before her Christmas Eve wedding. The main character Jennifer's "what if" is turned into a "what could have been" when the angel shows her her life if she followed her heart.
11/6: Citation
Based on true events, Citation tells the story of a student who finds herself up against her school when she reports a popular professor for trying to rape her. The award-winning Nigerian film stars Jimmy Jean-Louis.
11/6: Country Ever After
Country Ever After (originally named Country-ish) is a Netflix reality series that follows Coffey Anderson, a country singer, and his wife hip-hop dancer Criscilla Anderson. Talk about opposites attract. The show will center around how the two navigate their love and careers, as well as their faith and family.
11/12: Fruitvale Station
The film that started it all between one of my favorite film duos, director Ryan Coogler and actor Michael B. Jordan. Fruitvale Station depicts the life of Oscar Grant, a 22-year-old unarmed black man who was murdered one night in Fruitvale Station by a police officer. Coogler wrote and directed the film and told the story through flashbacks that showed glimpses of the last day of Grant's life.
11/13: Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey
A 2020 film directed by David E. Talbert, Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey has two things the holiday season calls for: Christmas and musicals. Starring Forest Whitaker as Jeronicus Jangle, the musical also features Anika Noni Rose, Keegan-Michael Key, Phylicia Rashad, and newcomer Madison Mills. In it, toymaker Jangle and his granddaughter create an invention that could change the trajectory of their lives.
11/16: Loving
Loving tells the true story of married interracial couple Richard and Mildred Loving. The two were eventually thrown into jail for their relationship and then banished from the state of Virginia. The biographical drama tells a fictionalized version of what would ultimately lead to a monumental Supreme Court decision (Loving v. Virginia) that would change the way interracial marriage was viewed forever.
11/16: Whose Streets?
Whose Streets? is a 2017 documentary directed by Sabaah Folayan that gives an account of the events following Michael Brown's tragic murder at the hands of a police officer in Ferguson, Missouri. What followed was the Ferguson Uprising, and Whose Streets? offers a first-hand account of how a tragedy woke the community up.
11/20: Voices of Fire
Pharrell Williams has the Midas touch when it comes to music. The famed producer's ear is bar none, so it shouldn't be surprising that the multi-hyphenate is using his craft to find new voices. Voices of Fire is a docuseries that follows his journey to find the best voices to be a part of his gospel choir.
11/27: Dance Dreams: Hot Chocolate Nutcracker
Dance Dreams/Film screenshot
Dance Dreams: Hot Chocolate Nutcracker is a Shondaland production (her first collaboration on Netflix, btw) documentary film that showcases famed choreographer Debbie Allen and the dancers of the Debbie Allen Dance Academy as they put on their annual Hot Chocolate Nutcracker show.
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Eva Marcille On Starring In 'Jason’s Lyric Live' & Being An Audacious Black Woman
Eva Marcille has taken her talents to the stage. The model-turned-actress is starring in her first play, Jason’s Lyric Live alongside Allen Payne, K. Michelle, Treach, and others.
The play, produced by Je’Caryous Johnson, is an adaptation of the film, which starred Allen Payne as Jason and Jada Pinkett Smith as Lyric. Allen reprised his role as Jason for the play and Eva plays Lyric.
While speaking to xoNecole, Eva shares that she’s a lot like the beloved 1994 character in many ways. “Lyric is so me. She's the odd flower. A flower nonetheless, but definitely not a peony,” she tells us.
“She's not the average flower you see presented, and so she reminds me of myself. I'm a sunflower, beautiful, but different. And what I loved about her character then, and even more so now, is that she was very sure of herself.
"Sure of what she wanted in life and okay to sacrifice her moments right now, to get what she knew she deserved later. And that is me. I'm not an instant gratification kind of a person. I am a long game. I'm not a sprinter, I'm a marathon.
America first fell in love with Eva when she graced our screens on cycle 3 of America’s Next Top Model in 2004, which she emerged as the winner. Since then, she's ventured into different avenues, from acting on various TV series like House of Payne to starring on Real Housewives of Atlanta.
Je-Caryous Johnson Entertainment
Eva praises her castmates and the play’s producer, Je’Caryous for her positive experience. “You know what? Je’Caryous fuels my audacity car daily, ‘cause I consider myself an extremely audacious woman, and I believe in what I know, even if no one else knows it, because God gave it to me. So I know what I know. That is who Je’Caryous is.”
But the mom of three isn’t the only one in the family who enjoys acting. Eva reveals her daughter Marley has also caught the acting bug.
“It is the most adorable thing you can ever see. She’s got a part in her school play. She's in her chorus, and she loves it,” she says. “I don't know if she loves it, because it's like, mommy does it, so maybe I should do it, but there is something about her.”
Overall, Eva hopes that her contribution to the role and the play as a whole serves as motivation for others to reach for the stars.
“I want them to walk out with hope. I want them to re-vision their dreams. Whatever they were. Whatever they are. To re-see them and then have that thing inside of them say, ‘You know what? I'm going to do that. Whatever dream you put on the back burner, go pick it up.
"Whatever dream you've accomplished, make a new dream, but continue to reach for the stars. Continue to reach for what is beyond what people say we can do, especially as [a] Black collective but especially as Black women. When it comes to us and who we are and what we accept and what we're worth, it's not about having seen it before. It's about knowing that I deserve it.”
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
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Okay, so let's start here. Did you know that approximately 75 percent of Americans suffer from dehydration? And, while you might think that this article is running during the summertime because that is when we tend to be outside and perspiring the most, the reality is this could actually be published any time of the year. Why?
Because there is no time on the calendar when our bodies don't need a good amount of fluids running through them—you know, being that we're made up of around 65 percent water ourselves.
When your body has the right amount of fluids running through it, not only can that help to keep you nice and cool, but it can also keep your muscles and joints working at their optimal levels (you know, like while you're swimming or taking long walks along the beach 'n stuff). Plus, spending a lot of time out in the sun can definitely put you on the road to being dehydrated—quick, fast, and in a hurry.
If you're wondering if you already are dehydrated, but you're not sure what signs to look for to confirm it, here are 10 that tend to get overlooked, far more than they ever should.
1. Thirst
If you've ever heard the saying, "If you're thirsty, you're already dehydrated," there is actually a significant amount of truth to that. When there is a lack of fluid in our system (or too much sodium in our body), the amount of water volume that we need in order for our body to work correctly drops, which makes us want to drink more.
You can stay on top of this by drinking 2-3 cups of water per hour (when you're awake, of course). If you do that, you should avoid feeling thirsty or parched. And, when it comes to your body "flowing" smoothly, that's a good thing.
2. Fatigue
Word on the street is that when you're at the point of dehydration, you've already lost somewhere between 2-3 percent of your own body fluid. If that happens, it makes total sense that you would start to feel tired, drained, lethargic, and fatigued. When there isn't enough fluid in your system, your blood volume drops, and that keeps your brain from getting all of the blood (and oxygen) that it needs.
Plus, dehydration makes your heart pump faster than it needs to as well. So yeah, if you want an energy pick-me-up, drinking more fluids is a surefire way to go.
3. A “Pop Off” Spirit
If you feel like you're about to snap on somebody, drink something first. A couple of glasses of water, if you can. While it might sound crazy on the surface, another bona fide indication of dehydration is that you're in a bad mood. How do the two dots connect?
When your fluid levels are low, the neurons in your brain are able to easily detect that. As a result, they will signal to other parts of your brain what's up, including the area that regulates your moods. Hmph. Considering 75 percent of Americans are chronically dehydrated, it makes you wonder how many are irritable, short-tempered, and just plain mean, simply because they don't have as much fluid in their body as they should, huh?
4. Blurred Vision
Have you ever had moments when, while scrolling through your Instagram or trying to watch television, your eyes suddenly became blurry? Before you freak out, drink more. Our eyes need fluids in order to remain moist and comfortable. This means that when we are dehydrated and our body fluid levels drop, that can result in dry and irritated eyes. This is just one more reason why drinking more water is such a good idea.
5. Sugar Cravings
If you want to get a grasp of just how serious sugar addiction in this country is, check out Healthline's "America's Deadly Sugar Addiction Has Reached Epidemic Levels." But if you're typically not someone who is big on sugar, and yet, you find yourself having moments when you can't seem to get enough of it, this could be another sign that you're dehydrated.
Something that our organs need is a healthy amount of glucose. Well, when we don't have enough liquid in our body, that can make it difficult for organs like our liver to release glucose and provide our bodies with an energy boost. As a result, we might think that we need a sugar rush when really, all we need is to drink more. How crazy is that?
6. Unexplainable Breakouts
Whenever I get pimples that have nothing to do with my period, it's usually a heads-up for me that I need to drink more water. Something else that drinking more does is flush toxins out of our system and help to keep sebum from clogging up our pores. A lot of us are out here thinking that if we put everything under the sun on top of our zits that they'll go away. But the reality is, if we drank more good ole' H20, we probably wouldn't have so many pimples to deal with in the first place.
7. Bad Breath
There is someone I went to high school with who had the worst breath ever. Well, she and a guy I went to college with actually ran neck and neck with this particular "award." In hindsight, something that I realize they had in common is that I rarely, if ever, saw them drinking water. It was juice, soda—anything but. Here's the thing about that—when we don't get enough fluid into our system, that keeps us from producing the amount of saliva that we need in order to flush out oral bacteria.
When bacteria linger, not only does that create a breeding ground for tooth decay, but it can make our breath smell pretty damn tart as well. Just one more reason to drink more; more specifically, drink more water. For your sake and the sake of those around you.
8. Constipation
Quiet as it's kept, one of the leading causes of constipation is dehydration. We eat our food, it goes into our colon, and, if we don't have enough fluids in our body, our colon takes in the water from the food waste, making it harder for the waste to pass through us.
Constipation can ultimately lead to everything from hemorrhoids (from straining to having a bowel movement) and stomach aches to a lack of appetite and bad breakouts. All of it sucks. Avoid this by getting at least 6-8 glasses of water in on a daily basis.
9. Muscle Cramps
Do you ever get random Charley horses in your leg? Aren't they the absolute worst, especially if they happen in the middle of the night? That used to happen to me until I got more water into my system. What I discovered is that whenever I'm dehydrated, the lack of water (and sodium) that my muscles need can result in them tightening up in a way that oftentimes feels just like cramps.
This is really important to keep in mind, especially if you work out (and sweat) a lot or you plan on spending a lot of time outdoors where you'll lose a fair amount of body fluid.
10. Dry Skin
As we age, something that we definitely need to do is get more fluids into our system. When we don't, our skin starts to lose elasticity, which can lead to sagginess and wrinkles. Not to mention the fact that if our skin's pores don't get enough fluid, the natural sebum that we produce can decrease, resulting in our skin becoming mad parched and looking super dry.
So, if you want your skin to be soft, supple, and moist, you already know what I'm gonna say, right? Water will help to prevent your skin from looking and feeling parched, which can keep you looking younger than ever for longer than expected. Drink up, sis.
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Originally published on July 8, 2020