Department of Languages and Literature, VSU

06/08/2026

On this day in East Tennessee history, June 7, Poet Nikki Giovanni is born in 1943. She attended Austin High School in Knoxville. Her first major collection of poems was published in 1970 as Black Feeling, Black Talk, Black Judgement.

06/04/2026

Curry Barker, 26, directed the horror film Obsession after building an audience on YouTube. The film was shot in about 20 days for roughly 750,000 dollars and has crossed 100 million dollars at the box office.

Obsession increased its box office in both its second and third weekends. Barker made short thrillers online before the feature.

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06/02/2026

On May 13, 1994, Crooklyn premiered as one of Spike Lee's most personal films. Starring Zelda Harris, Alfre Woodard, and Delroy Lindo, this coming-of-age story about a Black family in 1970s Brooklyn had deeply personal roots that stretched back decades before cameras rolled.

The story began with Joie Lee, Spike's sister, reflecting on their family life in 1973 when she was just eight years old. She teamed up with her brother Cinqué to turn those childhood memories into a screenplay, initially pitching it to Nickelodeon as a children's series. When the network rejected their family story, Spike saw the cinematic potential and decided to bring it to the big screen instead.

With a budget of 14 million dollars, the entire production was filmed in just two months, almost entirely on Arlington Place, a single block in Bedford-Stuyvesant. This one-block enclave became the perfect backdrop for capturing the essence of Black family life in 1970s Brooklyn. What started as rejected television content became a beloved cultural touchstone that preserved a specific moment in Black American experience. Crooklyn stands as proof that sometimes the most personal stories, rooted in authentic family experiences, create the most lasting cinema.

06/02/2026

LeVar Burton is set to take center stage at Howard University as he delivers the commencement address and receives an honorary doctorate, marking a powerful celebration of education, legacy, and representation. Known for his iconic roles and lifelong advocacy for literacy, Burton’s presence at the graduation carries deep symbolic weight for the next generation of graduates.

For decades, he has used storytelling as a tool for empowerment, from inspiring young readers through Reading Rainbow to championing access to education in underserved communities. His work has consistently bridged entertainment and learning, making him a beloved figure across generations.

Now, standing before one of the nation’s most historic HBCUs, Burton’s recognition reflects not just his career in media, but his lasting impact on education and cultural uplift. His message continues to encourage students to dream boldly, read widely, and lead with purpose.

06/02/2026

What if movement was recognized as literacy? 💃🏾📚

In an article for Literacy Today magazine, University of South Carolina doctoral candidate Tempestt S. Johnson examines how majorette dance serves as an embodied literacy practice and a space for identity affirmation, connection, and liberation for Black girls. She also offers practical classroom ideas for incorporating movement and honoring students' lived experiences.

📍Read the article: https://buff.ly/uleXG5V
📍Become an ILA member for full access to our Literacy Today archive: https://buff.ly/k1S4Twh

06/02/2026

Mati Diop competed for the Palme d'Or at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival with her debut narrative feature Atlantics. It was the first time in the 72-year history of the festival that a Black woman had competed for the top prize. Diop, a French-Senegalese director and actress, had previously directed several short and medium-length films but no fiction features.

Atlantics won the Grand Prix at Cannes, the second highest award in the main competition. The film was co-produced by France, Senegal, and Belgium, and set in Dakar. Netflix acquired international rights following the Cannes premiere. Diop was not the first Black woman to screen at Cannes, but was the first to compete for the Palme d'Or in the main competition in the festival's history.

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05/29/2026

Bring Reading Back . . .

Turning the University back into a space where reading drives academic exploration would reinvigorate students with a deeper sense of meaning, forming life-long learners rather than pumping out careerists.

05/21/2026

Betty Boop is returning to theaters in her first starring feature film since the 1930s, with Quinta Brunson attached to lead an origin story centered on the iconic animated character gaining a life of her own 🎬 The project is being developed by Fleischer Studios alongside producers connected to the character’s estate, reviving one of animation’s earliest global stars nearly a century after her debut in 1930. Betty Boop became a defining figure of early animated cinema through a series of theatrical shorts produced during the Golden Age of Hollywood animation.

05/21/2026

Malcolm D. Lee is officially entering the thriller genre with "Strung", a psychological journey starring Chloë Bailey.

Chloë plays a gifted violinist who lands a dream job that quickly turns into a nightmare as she uncovers the deadly secrets of an elite family.

The cast also includes Lynn Whitfield, Lucien Laviscount, Anna Diop, and Coco Jones.

Check out the trailer: https://www.theqgentleman.com/post/2026-05-chloe-bailey-stars-in-malcolm-d-lees-new-psychological-thriller-strung/