Ladies, how y'all feeling? Fellas, y'all alright?
Between B. Smith's death, Kobe and GiGi's memorial, anticipating the upcoming election, and worrying about the damn coronavirus, it's safe to say that February was a rough year for us all.
While I may not be able to stop your co-worker from getting on your last nerve or your neighbor's dog from sh*tting on your lawn, I can give you a list of Black AF Netflix titles to help get you through the month.
Because binge-watching Netflix with unlimited wine is self-care (and self-care is essential) here's a list of titles to get you started:
Harlem Nights (March 1)
Harlem Nights
Richard Pryor, Eddie Murphy, and Redd Foxx. Name a better trio… I'll wait. Featuring Lela Rochon, Jasmine Guy, Arsenio Hall, the late Charlie Murphy, this classic late 80s-comedy is the boost of throwback flavor you didn't know you needed this month.
Space Jam (March 1)
Space Jam
Before LeBron and D Wade, there was MJ and Bugs (Bunny, that is). I think it's safe to say that no '90s baby's childhood was complete without this film somewhere in the mix and you can get all the nostalgia by streaming this throwback classic on Netflix right now.
The Story of God With Morgan Freeman: Season 2 (March 1)
National Geographic
I'ma let y'all finish, but Morgan Freeman is the greatest voice-over narrator of all-time, and the actor used his killer commentary skills to star in seasons one and two of the National Geographic documentary series, The Story Of God.
Freedom Writers (March 1)
Grab a box of tissues and your favorite blanket to watch a young Mario star alongside actress Hilary Swank in this 2007 real life-inspired drama about a troubled group of students who find peace in their pens.
Always a Bridesmaid (March 1)
BET
This BET original screenplay by Yvette Nicole Brown tells a story that many single women over 30 know well and was even nominated for an NAACP award for Outstanding Writing in a Television Movie.
Shawshank Redemption (March 1)
Last September, this Stephen King-inspired film celebrated its 25th anniversary after being nominated for seven Oscars in 1995 and sadly, it still reflects the flawed criminal justice system that is in place today.
Mo Money (March 1)
Amazon Prime
Written by and starring Damon Wayans, this goofy rom-com was originally released in 1992 and also features Stacy Dash, Bernie Mac, and Marlon Wayans.
Cop Out (March 1)
Cop Out
Originally released in 2010, this film stars Bruce Willis and Tracy Morgan star as NYPD detectives who get mixed up in a world of trouble while trying to sell a rare baseball card.
Spenser Confidential (March 6)
Starring Winston Duke, Mark Wahlberg, and Iliza Shlesinger, this Netflix original comedy-thriller has violence, dirty cops, and political conspiracy theories, making this the perfect film for the action movie buff in your life.
On My Block: Season 3 (March 11)
The trailer for season three of On My Block dropped and it is clear that sh*t has officially gotten real for our Freeridge fam. Making its way on the platform on March 11th, the series promises even more twists and turns as the teenagers come into their own throughout the upcoming season.
Black Lightning: Season 3 (March 17)
The CW
The only thing missing from this Black AF list is our favorite Black AF superhero household, the Pierce family. The third season of the CW series will be available to stream on March 17th.
All American: Season 2 (March 17)
The CW
Season 2 of The CW's All-American came to an end last month but luckily for fans, they can indulge in all of the high school football drama in this Taye Diggs-led sitcom all over again on Netflix March 17th.
Self Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam C.J. Walker (March 20)
While Madam C.J. Walker is wildly known for as the mother of Black hair products, she was much more than a beautician and Netflix's latest original four-part limited series gives us a glimpse into the life of the wealthiest Black woman in America in the early 1900s. With an all-star cast of entertainers like Octavia Spencer, Blair Underwood, Tiffany Haddish, and Bill Bellamy, Self Made is the Black AF biopic we didn't know we were missing.
Uncorked (March 27)
Netflix
Written and directed by Prentice Penny (Insecure), this Netflix original stars Niecy Nash, Courtney B. Vance, and Mamoudou Athie in a story about a Memphis man whose dreams of being a Master Sommelier are often clouded by his father's expectations to carry on the family BBQ business.
Featured image by Harlem Nights.
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A basis for why I feel this way? Another quote immediately comes to mind. Famed author Jane Austen once wrote: “There is nothing I would not do for those who are really my friends. I have no notion of loving people by halves, it is not my nature.” You know, back when I also wrote “10 Things You Should Absolutely Expect From Your Friendships” for the platform, I shared that some of the traits of a friend — a real friend — include loyalty, honesty and compassion. And if you can’t say that your spouse is this way (as they say the same thing about you), chile…what is y’all doin’ over there?
So, why am I talking about marriage when this article is supposed to be about friendship? It’s because, something that life has taught me, kinda sorta the hard way, is we should vet potential friends — especially close friends — almost like we would a spouse.
And if you keep reading, I think you’ll get why I framed the intro in the way that I did.
Why Friendships Are Still Hella Essential
GiphyOkay, so before I get into why it seems that people have fewer friends than they ever had before, let me just say that, even as an ambivert who enjoys my own company and has absolutely no problem with being alone a good amount of the time, every personality type needs friends. That’s not just my opinion;science makes it a fact. Not only do studies support thathealthy friendships help us to feel more satisfied with our lives, but they can also reduce our chances of experiencing depression, stress, and anxiety and they increase longevity overall.
This is why — without going too deep because it’s kind of another topic for another time — it’s important to not allow past hurts and disappointments from former friends (or folks you thought were your friends) to cause you to build up walls as you declare that you don’t need anyone. When you do that, all you’re really doing is working against your own health and well-being. The saying that “no man (or woman) is an island”? It is absolutely true.
That said, even if it’s just a couple of people, make sure that you’ve got individuals in your life who you can call a friend and, in turn, they can say the very same thing about you, okay?
Are All of Those People Your Actual Friends? Or Do You Just Happen to Know a Lot of Folks?
GiphyAight but what if you happen to be someone who swings on the other side of few? Meaning, if someone were to ask you how many friends you had, you’d quickly declare that you’ve got too many to count. Listen, not to patronize or anything yet, but whenever I hear folks (especially if they are over 35) say something along those lines, it takes me back to high school — a time when so many of us thought that so long as we knew a ton of folks and/or we were popular, clearly, we had many friends.
Wisdom and pure ole’ dealing with humans on a consistent basis will teach you that an article that I wrote a few years back for the platform has a title that is spot-on: “According To Experts, We Only Have A Few Friends — Here's Why.” According to it, the average American (based on a survey that was conducted) has somewhere around 16 friends. Oh, but wait. Last fall, I wrote another article for the platform entitled, “What's The 'Five Friendship Theory' All About?” According to it, if you’re someone who takes the word “friend” and the responsibility that comes along with it very seriously and quite literally, as an adult, you can probably only maintain about five close friendships.
Why? Well, that brings in another article that I once wrote: “Life Taught Me That True Friendships Are 'Inconvenient.'” Chile, I don’t know about y’all but my friends know that if I call you that, you can call me in the middle of the night, and you can have money towards your rent (I’m not your mama but we all have hard times sometimes) and I’m gonna have your back in a way where you’ll wonder where you stop and I start — and no, I don’t have a lot of bandwidth for a ton of those people.
Okay, but what if you’re someone who is like, “I know that I have more than 16 and definitely more than five friends, no question”? The next thing that I would encourage you to explore is a theory by Aristotle (check out “According To Aristotle, We Need ‘Utility’, ‘Pleasure’ & ‘Good’ Friends”). Without even realizing it, many of us have people who we use the word “friend” for when…it’s kind of like how social media apps say “friend”: we’re familiar with one another and enjoy some of the same things, we might even have some of the same goals; at the same time, though, we’re not “all-encompassing friends.” We just get along really well at work (utility friends) or like to go to brunch at the same spots sometimes (pleasure friends).
Taking all of this into account, are you sure that you have a ton of actual friends? Or do you just happen to know a lot of people and you use that word for the lack of having another?
And that brings me to my next point.
There’s A LOT of Space Between “Friend” and “Enemy”
GiphyIf you read a lot of my friendship content, something that you will notice me saying quite a bit is that there is quite a bit of space between friend and enemy. It needs to be mentioned, as often as possible, because there are some people who get offended if you don’t consider them to be a friend — and that is unfortunate. I say that because the conclusion shouldn’t automatically be that they are your enemy just because “friend” isn’t what immediately comes to your mind.
They can be an acquaintance. They can be “cool people.” There is someone in my life who, while we’re not friends in the traditional sense, we are each other’s confidant; years ago, we agreed that we would be the place to tell each other whatever and it would stay between us — that is the main purpose that we serve in each other’s lives. Some people, you may consider to be spiritual family in the sense that you care for them and have some deeply profound things in common and still, they are not exactly a friend (I mean, a lot of blood relatives aren’t “friends” with each other).
All I’m trying to say here is we’re all too old now to only put folks in two boxes when it comes to this particular relational dynamic: friend or enemy. So, take some time out to seriously reflect on what you consider the various people in your life to be. I can promise you from personal experience that the sooner you know and the clearer you are, the easier it will be on everybody — because needs and expectations will be clear to you (and them once you articulate them) too.
What Got Folks to Having Less Friends? The Pandemic Plays a Significant Part.
GiphySo finally on to what inspired this piece to begin with. A part of it was an article that was published last year by Big Think entitled, “Americans more than ever have no friends. Here are 5 steps to make more friends.” Another was something that The New Yorker published back in 2021; it’s entitled “What COVID did to friendship.” Y’all don’t have enough time and I don’t have enough space to get into the fact that, just because the media may be talking about it less, that doesn’t mean that we’re not still in a pandemic.
In fact,one article stated my thoughts on it quite well when it said, “The real question, then, is not whether COVID is still a pandemic, but how much COVID illness and death are we willing to accept?” SMDH. And one of the things that has come with experiencing COVID is an interesting type of PTSD: detachment. There are plenty of articles out here to support the fact that my saying that is not merely my opinion.
Even according to the American Psychological Association, loneliness damn near skyrocketed, especially during lockdown and, unfortunately, a lot of people have not recovered from it. That’s why it did not surprise me at all when I read that more than ever, many people do not consider anyone to be a best friend; fewer people are relying on friends for any type of real support, and there is a semi-steady decline in people having friends, especially quality friendships, overall.
In fact, as far as close friends go, currently, close to 50 percent of Americans say that they only have three or fewer, and a relevant contributor to that was what the pandemic revealed as far as people’s proactive participation in other individuals’ lives (I actually read that young women were the ones who lost touch with friends during the peak of the pandemic the most). I also thought it was interesting that some studies cite that 12 percent of Americans say that they don’t have any friends at all.
Is the pandemic the only cause? No. So are things like people working more hours and spending more time online than they probably should (which also increased due to the pandemic, though). To that, Teen Vogue once published, “Social Media Is Impacting IRL Friendships” and Healthline once published, “Social Media Is Killing Your Friendships.” Then we also have to factor in having families of our own which can also take up a lot of time, and that sometimes can cause us to forget to nurture our friendships; so, before you know it, they fade to black. Not due to a fallout or anything, just…life.
And all of this? Some people are saying that it has led to what is known as a “friendship recession.” A huge flag about that is there are reports that a drop in close friends can cultivate a type of loneliness that is just as health hazardous as smoking a whopping 15 cigarettes a day. Not good, y’all. Not. Good.
Quality over Quantity Is Key. Just Make Sure That You Have a Friend or Two.
GiphyOkay, so what is my overall point? That’s a fair question. Just like sometimes “life life-ing” can make us forget to tend to our friendships, if you don’t stumble across content like this, you might not even realize that you’re feeling mentally stressed, emotionally strained, or super isolated and it’s all because you need to prioritize your friendships — because your mind, body, and spirit need them. Again, science has proved it.
At the same time, if, like a client of mine, you find yourself getting a little bit paranoid because you have noticed that over the past several years, your close friend count has been far less than what it used to be, this article proves that you are absolutely not (pardon the pun) alone. Honestly, there’s nothing wrong with having a very small circle of friends because quality is gonna beat out quantity every time; you just need to assess when it happened and why so that you can be sure that you are choosing it to play out that way and it’s not due to some underlying cause that you hadn’t taken into consideration — until now.
An Italian priest by the name of Thomas Aquinas once said, “The happy man in this life needs friends.” Even if it’s just one or two people, please make sure that you have folks who aren’t just your friend but your very close friend. You need them. They need you.
Everyone else, figure out where they fall and nurture accordingly. Life is a lot. We all get by with the help of our friends. Real talk, y’all. Thank goodness for them.
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Featured image by jose carlos cerdeno martinez/Getty Images
