Hello Meltingpot Community,
It’s been awhile since I’ve had time to watch television on a regular basis. Technically, I still don’t have time, but you know what they say; where there’s a will, there’s a way. And boy, do I have the will to watch these three new shows on Netflix in March.
Messiah
People who know me IRL (In real life) know that if I weren’t writing about race and culture all the time, I’d be a religion reporter. Religion and spirituality fascinate me. I also believe the world’s religions provide us with our greatest stories. Even more, I find religion a great source of comfort. Fun fact, I’m working on a novel right now where the main character is a minister and the book is narrated by God.
All that to say, I’m a sucker for any good movie or film with a religious theme. Netflix’s new series Messiah totally fits the bill. I saw the trailer for Messiah a few weeks ago and remembered thinking it looked really good. This week I’m on Spring break from Temple, but since nobody else in my household is as well, Spring Break for me looks a lot like regular life. So, to celebrate, I gifted myself permission to watch Netflix this week in the evenings. I remembered Messiah and decided to check it out.
People, this show is riveting! I’m forcing myself to only watch two episodes per night, even though it is completely binge worthy. The premise of the show is that there’s this man who claims he is the son of God and he has a message from his father for mankind. The first episode began in Syria amidst the current war there, but eventually the action moves from Syria to Israel and now things are going down in Texas. The majority of the first episode was in Arabic and Hebrew and I loved that.
Messiah has me hooked because the plotting and pacing is phenomenal and smart, but also because the show is covering current events like the wars in the Middle East, immigration here in the United States and our racist president. More importantly though, it’s asking important questions about faith and our treatment of our fellow human beings. All of my cylinders are firing when I watch this show. I even get to practice my rudimentary Arabic, learned years ago when I was an exchange student in Morocco. I pray (no pun intended) that the series is renewed for a second season. It’s really that good. (Available Now)
She Did That
Released last month in time for Black History Month, She Did That is a documentary exploring the lives of four dynamic Black female entrepreneurs. Here’s what Fortune magazine wrote about the film. ” Spotlighting well-respected industry leaders through exclusive, never-seen-before footage, ‘She Did That.’ features vulnerable conversations with four fly female entrepreneurs – Luvvie Ajayi (New York Times best-selling author, speaker and digital strategist), Lisa Price (Founder, Carol’s Daughter), Melissa Butler (founder, The Lip Bar) and Tonya Rapley (founder, My Fab Finance.) Their powerful testimonies as to how grit and perseverance set the stage for success reminds audiences that Black women are indeed bosses in business, embarking on their own ventures at six times the national average.”
I’m excited to tune into this film because I am always inspired by female bosses, but also, I’m kind of low-key checking it out because the filmmaker Renae Bluitt created the film as an extension of her blog. Yass! From blog to movie. Are you thinking what I’m thinking Meltingpot community? (Available Now)
Self Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam CJ Walker
Speaking of female bosses. Finally a feature film (actually it’s a limited series, not a single film) about the one and only, Madam CJ Walker. For those of you who are not elbows deep into the history of Black hair in America, Walker was one of the first African-American self made millionaires who made her fortune by building a hair care empire. Oh, and by the way, she was a single mother and the child of former slaves. Her story is absolutely remarkable and I’m sure it will make a riveting series because her life was never dull. She traveled the world, participated in civil rights activities, built an impressive multi-faceted company and invested heavily in the African-American community. Self Made launches on March 20. If you can’t wait that long to learn more about Walker, check out this article on PopSugar or read her official biography, On Her Own Ground, written by her great, great granddaughter, A’Lelia Bundles.
What are you tuning into this month, Meltingpot Community? I hope I’ve convinced some of you to check out these offerings. Let me know if you do and we can compare notes!
Peace!
