SHAPING THE STORY Casting director Kim Coleman helped to bring Aretha Franklin’s world to life with a dazzling combination of established performers and gifted newcomers. By DIEDRE JOHNSON HEN KIM COLEMAN CAME ON BOARD AS CASTING DIRECTOR OF GENIUS: ARETHA, … Continued
DIEDRE JOHNSON FEBRUARY 23, 2021 When Sina Zere and her husband Brandon O’Neill unveiled Buff Experts in 2020, they already understood the challenges of running a business. Zere opened Buff Wax Spot, the first mini-chain of waxing bars in the Canadian city Edmonton, … Continued
Book Review by Diedre Johnson for Black Girl Nerds New York Times reporter Walter Thompson-Hernandez’s The Compton Cowboys is both a skilled insider’s look at a community of cowboys in the most unlikely of places and a homage to … Continued
By Diedre Johnson for The Crisis Magazine In the era of George Floyd protests, media outlets have been curating lists of what they think should be read to understand the Black experience and dismantle systemic racism. Many of the books … Continued
By Diedre Johnson Ricky Martin (“Jingle Jangle”), Nick Robinson (“A Teacher”) Dolores Huerta and Angélique Kidjo have close to a century of experience between them raising their voices to demand human rights. They come from different backgrounds — Huerta is … Continued
By Diedre Johnson for The Crisis Magazine John Lewis: Good Trouble isn’t filmmaker Dawn Porter’s first documentary but just may be the first set to debut with such perfect timing. The tragic, preventable deaths of George Floyd, Rayshard Brooks, Breonna … Continued
By Diedre Johnson for Black Girl Nerds Let’s not start this by saying this is not your grandmother’s (or your great grandmother’s) Perry Mason, because, actually it is. HBO’s prequel of Erle Stanley Garner’s mysteries is set in a visually … Continued
By Diedre Johnson NEED A LITTLE SPRING ZING? GET ACTRESS-TURNED-HEALTH GURU Shiva Rose’s TOP TIPS FOR WELLNESS These days it’s all about reinvention and the side hustle – just ask actress-turned-natural beauty product guru and author Shiva, now hosting her … Continued
By Diedre Johnson For Black Girl Nerds If you’re a fan of those 1950s musicals or Doris Day/Rock Hudson rom coms, then you know exactly what I mean when I say Amazon’s Mrs. Maisel is a dramedy with a touch … Continued
By Diedre Johnson for TV Soap Even the celebs love bagging a beauty bargain! These super staples and new goodies will take you from the office to errands to red carpet NEUTROGENA Hilary Duff Neutrogena is all that because way … Continued