Black History Month is here and while the month is short and will be over before you know it, it’s a month where African-Americans of times past and present are honored for their sacrifices, achievements and accomplishments marked throughout history. It’s a time for us to reflect on that rich history and celebrate the lives of the ones lost and present whom paved the way for generations of other African Americans to walk in freedom and while this movement is still a “work in progress” for the most part, we’re proud that they stood fearlessly in the face of adversity to make sure we have some of the luxuries we have today such as the right to vote.

One way to honor and look back on African-American culture, history, activists and the actors that played them or played parts representing such troubling times is by way of a movie. I personally love watching movies, especially the ones that portray the African-American men and women whom did so much for us. So, if you just happen to have a down day this month and want to celebrate the occasion, listed below are 10 Classic movies portrayed by African-Americans that you should watch in honor of Black History Month. In no particular order they are:

‘Purple Rain’

What better way to celebrate black history and the life of music legend Prince. The musical drama features some of Prince’s most iconic songs and killer outfits.

‘Malcolm X’

‘Malcolm X’ is was Spike Lee classic, portrayed by Denzel Washington. The movie chronicled the life of the civil rights hero.

“‘Selma’

Ava DuVernay made history with ‘Selma’ in 2014, becoming the first black woman to have her film nominated for “Best Picture” at the Oscars. ‘Selma’ is a portrait piece of Dr. Martin Luther King as he led the march from Selma to Montgomery for voting rights.

‘Glory’

Free black men were conscripted to fight in the Union Army during the Civil War, but as this 1989 period drama shows, not even their willingness to sacrifice their lives for their country was enough to shield them from racism and segregation. Denzel Washington stars in the role that would nab him his first Oscar.

‘Barry’

‘Barry’ is one of two drama films (of what will surely be many) that take a glimpse at the life of a younger former President Barack Obama, the man who would one day become the first black president of the United States.

‘The Princess & the Frog’

In 2009, Disney made history by featuring its first ever African-American princess. Anika Noni-Rose portrayed princess Tiana in this film.

‘The Color Purple’

Okay, so there’s really nothing to say about this one but – CLASSIC!!!

‘The Wiz’

‘The Wiz’ in which stars Diana Ross and a very young Michael Jackson is the black version of ‘The Wizard of Oz’ story.

‘Carmen Jones’

Dorothy Dandridge became the first black woman to be nominated for a Best Actress award at the 1954 Oscars for her role in this epic musical, based on Bizet’s tragic opera ‘Carmen.’

‘A Raisin in the Sun’

Starring Ruby Dee and Sidney Poitier, this 1961 adaptation of Lorraine Hansberry‘s play is a film about an African-American family search for the American Dream and what happens when that dream is derailed.

These movies are sure to give you a dose of the richness of the African-American culture and a sense of why we should celebrate this month each year. We’re not just celebrating the culture but we’re acknowledging the people whom broke barriers in every arena which makes us glad to be a part of such an amazing history. You can find other classics listed here. Did your favorite make the list? If not what, African American movies are your favorite classics? Sound off in the comments.

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The Bond between “Blackish” star Tracee Ellis Ross and her superstar mom, the legendary Diana Ross, is so strong that you can literally  feel their closeness through the TV screen. It’s not one of those “okay, let’s do this for the camera” type of relationship either, but rather a relationship that Tracee has embraced since she was a child. In an interview with Essence, Tracee recalled how her mother instilled humility into her and her siblings, despite her musical icon status.

“I had a really great mom We had a lot, and as much as I knew that everybody didn’t live that way, she didn’t raise us with a sense of entitlement,” Tracee said.

Diana Ross’s hard work of raising Tracee and her siblings to be humble and work hard to earn their own keep; surely paid off as Tracee Ellis Ross has been nominated for an Emmy and Diana Ross chose the biggest outlet to show her daughter some well-deserved love and support. According to published reports, Ms. Ross took out a full-page ad in “The Hollywood Reporter” congratulating her daughter Tracee Ellis Ross for becoming a 2016 Emmy nominee for Lead Actress in a comedy series for her portrayal of “Bow” in the hit ABC series “Blackish”.

Even though the nominations were announced over a month ago – Diana Ross wanted everyone to know how proud she was of her daughter and her nomination, even Tracee was surprised as she didn’t expect her mom to do this:

OMG how cute r my mom @DianaRoss & family 4 taking an ad in @THR ☺️☺️ I ❤️U!! #blackish #Emmys #RossFamilyRocks pic.twitter.com/4Ihbvk8o1B

— Tracee Ellis Ross (@TraceeEllisRoss) August 17, 2016

Ms. Ross isn’t the only one excited, fans are also rejoicing at the nomination, which seems way overdue for Tracee who has grown a tremendous fan base since her debut role as “Joan” on the hit show “Girlfriends”.  Tracee obtaining the win for her lead role in a comedy series will be historic making her the first African-American woman to win in that category.The previous nominee was Phylicia Rashad, who was nominated for this category in 1986 for her role on “The Cosby Show”. So one might wonder if Diana Ross took out a full page ad just to congratulate her daughter for a nomination, what will she do if she wins?

The Emmy Awards will air on ABC September 18th @ 8pm.

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Shura is just getting started with the recent release of her new single “What’s it Gonna Be?” The British/Russian singer and songwriter has a certain sound reminiscent of an early 80’s Madonna, which is iconic in itself. The shallow drums and tambourine in the background call to the immediate image of hair metal bands and leg warmers.

The album art work and music synonymously mix the real world and her created world. By matching her own tastes with music of the past, Shura gets an outcome unlike her competition.  Shura’s greatest influencers are icons like most but specifically are artists from the 80’s. In an interview with HungerTV, she lists her inspiration as the following:

“The Velvet Rope by Janet Jackson was a game changer in terms of inspiration, but there’s a lot of early Madonna in me, I think. Growing up on those records had a massive effect on me. I’m absolutely freaking out over Whitney Houston’s ‘How Will I Know’ at the moment. Then there’s Patrice Rushen, Diana Ross, Tina Turner, Raphael Saadiq, Dilla and early Prince. On the newer side of things obviously Dev Hynes is a massive inspiration, I’m also a card carrying Drake fan – and I’ll always have a seriously soft spot for Mariah Carey’s The Emancipation of Mimi.”

I am personally curious to know how she is liking this new Drake and his even newer sounds featuring reggae tone. I think their styles would work well together considering her previous songs and inventive themes. One can only wish!

“What’s it Gonna Be?” is Shura’s fifth release from her upcoming album Nothing’s Real. Earlier releases from Nothing’s Real include enchanting, up-beat love songs like “2Shy” “Touch,” “White Light” and “Indecision.“ The album is set to release July 8th through Polydore Records, which is a British record label company under Universal Music Group. Similar artist’s under the label include Selena Gomez, Miley Cyrus, and The Beatles.

If you are interested in more of Shura’s music make sure to check out her Soundcloud, and pre-order her new album! Below is a track list of her released and unreleased singles from the album! Check it out:

01. (I)
02. Nothing’s Real
03. What’s It Gonna Be?
04. Touch
05. Kidz ‘n’ Stuff
06. Indecision
07. What Happened to Us?
08. (II)
09. Tongue Tied
10. Make It Up
11. 2Shy
12. White Light
13. The Space Tapes

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