The West Coast is having a Heat Wave. While the East Coast is gearing up for a tropical storm. Cities like Boston and Minneapolis have experienced the hottest month of June to date; and the South is set to break records for the summer heat. Yet, it's still like Christmas this July. Between new music, shows, and movies, July seems to be the best time to go out and return home to rest up in front of the screen.
Luckily for us, those moments of rest can be just as entertaining as having a night out on the town. And with the help of Netflix and their upcoming originals, there's no chance of their being a dull moment. Fresh off the sleigh, Netflix has delivered ten new pieces to add to their New Black Netflix lineup. From the emotional short documentary, Audible, to the action-packed Gunpowder Milkshake, Netflix has something for everyone this upcoming month.
Check out what's new and Black on Netflix this July, while avoiding unnecessary summer sweats.
Audible: July 1st
This original Netflix documentary follows The Orioles, a football team from Maryland School for the Deaf, who haven't lost a game in 16 seasons. Although, that quickly changes when they are defeated by a local football team. Now, in hopes to return to their original standing, The Orioles head on a journey to earn their title once more, while refusing to allow their deafness to be a hinderance.
Born to Play: July 1st
Low on funds, but full of passion comes the Boston Renegades on their road to redemption. After losing their championship match the previous year, Born to Play highlights a women's football team which consists of unpaid athletes of various ages, 19-49. With relentless determination and motivation, the women of Boston Renegades dedicate their time, bodies, and salaries to their dream of being professional football players.
The Best of Enemies: July 1st
Based on the book The Best of Enemies: Race and Redemption in the New South by Osha Gray Davidson, comes The Best of Enemies. This film focuses on the rivalry between the radical civil rights activist Ann Atwater and the leader of the Ku Klux Klan, C. P. Ellis. Ann Atwater is known for her involvement in the betterment of African-American communities, while focusing on reducing school violence and ensuring the peaceful desegregation of schools.
The film stars Taraji P. Henson and Sam Rockwell as Ann Atwater and C.P. Ellis, respectively.
Why Do Fools Fall In Love: July 1st
Why Do Fools Fall in Love follows the life of Frankie Lymon until his death at the tender age of 25. Particularly, the movie follows Frankie Lymon and the three women who claim to have been married to Frankie upon his death and want to lay claim to his estate. The film gives a playful, charismatic, and entertaining take on a tragic story about show-business and loyalty. This Gregory Nava picture features Black icons, Larenz Tate, Vivica A. Fox, Halle Berry, Lela Rochon, and Little Richard.
We The People: July 4th
We The People is a new Netflix series that combines civic sessions with catchy musical tunes. A 10-episode series created by Chris Nee, executive produced by the Obamas, We The People sets out to teach viewers about the rights and duties of being an American Citizen. Nee states that, "The entire project was about finding ways to talk about things that have become very partisan and not take sides." With hope, this mini-series will inspire younger viewers to become more interested in politics and their civic duty.
Gunpowder Milkshake: July 14th
Two words: Angela. Bassett.
According to Netflix, this upcoming film is the "mother of all action films." Gunpowder Milkshake is an action-filled story about a mother-daughter assassin team and their friends, as they revolt against the group of men who fight to take everything from them. The Netflix original also stars Game of Thrones legend Lena Headey, Haunting of Hill House/Bly Manor queen Carla Gugino, Doctor Who alum Karen Gillan, and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon alum Michelle Yeoh.
Naomi Osaka: July 16th
Up until 2017, the name Osaka was barely uttered beyond the tennis community. Now, just four years later, Naomi Osaka has become a household name and she has a story to tell. In this three-part mini series, we get a glimpse of tennis-player and Grand Slam winner, Naomi Osaka's life and career as she overtakes the world of women's professional tennis.
Django Unchained: July 24th
Written and directed by Quentin Tarantino, returns Django (Jamie Foxx) accompanied by dentist-German bounty hunter, Dr. King Schultz (Christoph Waltz) to Netflix's streaming service. Django Unchained follows Django, a freed slave, two years before the Civil War. On a mission to hunt the South's most-wanted criminals, Django discovers that his long-lost wife, Broomhilda (Kerry Washington), remains a slave and sets out on a mission to free her.
All American: Season Three: July 27th
After announcing his return to South Crenshaw High at the end of season two, season three of All American picks up with the festering of grievances and rivalries. With Spencer and Coach Baker changing teams, the stakes between Beverly High and Crenshaw has now reached the all-time heights with father pitted against son and friend pitted against friend. Tune in to figure out who will win the rivalry and what will become of Spencer and friends their final year of high school.
Resort to Love: July 29th
Resort to Love/Netflix
In the early 2000s, romantic comedies were like the air you breathe: all around and all encompassing. Now, finding a romantic comedy is like finding a musical strictly made for the big-screen, rare and often underwhelming. Though, that might be set to change. Netflix's new romantic comedy Resort to Love, produced by Alicia Keys, tells of an inspiring singer who obtains a resident job at the island resort and spa. Meanwhile, she discovers her ex-fiancee and his current finance plan to get married at the venue. It stars Christina Milian, Jay Pharoah, and Sinqua Walls.
Featured image via Resort to Love/Netflix
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The seeds for these entrepreneurs were planted during their time as students at schools like Spelman, North Carolina A&T, and more, which is why xoNecole caught up with Look Good Live Well’s Ariane Turner, HBCU Buzz’s Luke Lawal and Morehouse Senior Director of Marketing and Comms and Press Secretary Jasmine Gurley to highlight the role their HBCU roots play in their work as entrepreneurs, the legacy they aim to leave behind through the work that they do, and more as a part of Hyundai’s Best In Class initiative.
On Honoring HBCU Roots To Create Something That Is For Us, By Us
Ariane Turner
Courtesy
When Ariane Turner launched Look Good, Live Well, she created it with Black and brown people in mind, especially those with sensitive skin more prone to dryness and skin conditions like acne and eczema.
The Florida A&M University graduate launched her business to create something that addressed topical skin care needs and was intentional about its approach without negative terminology.
Turner shared that it is important to steer clear of language often adopted by more prominent brands, such as “banishing breakouts” or “correcting the skin,” because, in reality, Turner says there is nothing wrong with the way that our skin and bodies react to various life changes.
“I think what I have taken with me regarding my HBCU experience and translated to my entrepreneurial experience is the importance of not just networking,” Turner, the founder and CEO of Look Good, Live Well, tellls xoNecole.
“We hear that in business all the time, your network is your net worth, but family, there’s a thing at FAMU that we call FAMU-lee instead of family, and it’s very much a thing. What that taught me is the importance of not just making relationships and not just making that connection, but truly working on deepening them, and so being intentional about connecting with people initially, but staying connected and building and deepening those relationships, and that has served me tremendously in business, whether it’s being able to reach back to other classmates who I went to school with, or just networking in general.”
She adds, “I don’t come from a business background. As soon as I finished school, I continued with my entrepreneurial journey, and so there’s a lot of that traditional business act and the networking, those soft skills that I just don’t have, but I will say that just understanding how to leverage and network community and to build intentional relationships is something that has taken me far and I definitely got those roots while attending FAMU.”
On Solving A Very Specific Need For The Community
Luke Lawal Jr.
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When Luke Lawal Jr. launched HBCU Buzz, his main focus was to represent his community, using the platform to lift as they climbed by creating an outlet dedicated to celebrating the achievements and positive news affecting the 107 historically HBCUs nationwide.
By spotlighting the wonderful things that come from the HBCU community and coupling it with what he learned during his time at Bowie State University, Lawal used that knowledge to propel himself as an entrepreneur while also providing his people with accurate representation across the internet.
“The specific problem in 2011 when I started HBCU Buzz was more so around the fact that mainstream media always depict HBCUs as negative,” Lawal says. “You would only see HBCUs in the mainstream media when someone died, or the university president or someone was stepping down. It was always bad news, but they never shed light on all the wonderful things from our community."
So, I started HBCU Buzz to ensure the world saw the good things that come from our space. And they knew that HBCUs grew some of the brightest people in the world, and just trying to figure out ways to make sure our platform was a pedestal for all the students that come through our institutions.”
“The biggest goal is to continue to solve problems, continue to create brands that solve the problems of our communities, and make sure that our products, our brands, our companies, and institutions are of value and they’re helping our community,” he continues. “That they’re solving problems that propel our space forward.”
On How Being An HBCU Alum Impacts The Way One Shows Up In The World
Jasmine Gurley
Courtesy
Jasmine Gurley is a proud North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University alum. She is even more delighted with her current role, which enables her to give back to current HBCU students as the Senior Director of Brand Marketing and Communications and official press secretary at Morehouse College.
“It was a formative experience where I really was able to come into my own and say yes to all the opportunities that were presented to me, and because of that, it’s been able to open the doors later in life too,” says Gurley of her experience at North Carolina A&T. “One thing I love about many HBCUs is that we are required to learn way more about African American history than you do in your typical K through 12 or even at the higher ed level."
She adds, “It allowed us to have a better understanding of where we came from, and so for me, because I’m a storyteller, I’m a history person, I’m very sensitive to life in general, being able to listen to the stories and the trials that our ancestors overcame, put the battery pack in my back to say, ‘Oh nothing can stop me. Absolutely nothing can stop me. I know where I came from, so I can overcome something and try anything. And I have an obligation to be my ancestors’ wildest dreams. Simultaneously, I also have a responsibility to help others realize that greatness.
Gurley does not take her position at an HBCU, now as a leader, lightly.
“People think I’m joking when I say I’m living the dream, but I really am,” she notes. “So I wake up every day and know that the work that I do matters, no matter how hard it might be, how frustrating it may be, and challenging it. I know the ripple effect of my work, my team, and what this institution does also matter. The trajectory of Black male experiences, community, history, and then just American advancement just in general.”
On the other hand, through her business, Sankofa Public Relations, Gurley is also on a mission to uplift brands in their quest to help their respective communities. Since its inception in 2017, Sankofa PR has been on a mission to “reach back and reclaim local, national, and global communities by helping those actively working to move” various areas of the world, focusing on pushing things forward for the better.
“Through Sankofa, we’ve worked with all different types of organizational brands and individuals in several different industries, but I would think of them as mission-based,” says Gurley.
“So with that, it’s an opportunity to help people who are trying to do good in the world, and they are passionate about what they’re doing. They just need help with marketing issues, storytelling, and branding, and that’s when my expertise can come into play. Help them get to that moment where they can tell their story through me or another platform, and that’s been super fulfilling.”
Join us in celebrating HBCU excellence! Check out our Best In Class hub for inspiring stories, empowering resources, and everything you need to embrace the HBCU experience.
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