Tracy Hopkins

Sultry soundtracks and intriguing backstories featuring Beyoncé, Aretha, Whitney, Tina, Nina and some music-industry hidden figures will add sizzle to your summer watchlist.
We love music — sweet, sweet music. So even as Black Music Month comes to a close, keep the celebration of our music and culture going by adding these films featuring some of our most fabulous and fearless female melody makers, including Aretha, Beyoncé, Whitney, Tina and Nina, to your summer must-see list. Trust us, thes...

Shade, sculpture, skylines, seasonal events, shopping. Get off the beaten path and step into a view that inspires.
We can all agree that walking does a body good. Research shows that walking for at least 30 minutes each day can lower the risk of heart disease and stroke, prevent and control type 2 diabetes, lower cholesterol, strengthen your bones and help maintain a healthy weight. Walking can also reduce stress and boost your mood. For these physical and mental health benefits, I often like...

Last year we had a day’s notice. This year we’ve got big plans: A-list entertainment, car shows, parades, picnics, festive foods, step shows, riverboat parties and more.
On Thursday, June 17, 2021, President Biden signed a bill into law certifying the first new federal holiday since Martin Luther King Jr. Day became one in 1983. Juneteenth (short for June 19) commemorates the date slavery was abolished in Texas and marks the official end of slavery in the U.S. Although President Abraham Linco...

Are you looking for some hot fun in the summertime in cities that are a quick flight, train ride, or drive from New York City? Well, pack your bags and bring your good vibes only for getaways to Philadelphia, Miami, Baltimore, and Toronto, where you’ll find plenty of Black cultural attractions and outdoor activities. Keeping COVID-19 updates in mind, here are five festival highlights to put on your calendar, including one close to home.
ODUNDE Festival in Philadelphia; June 5-12
https://www.o...

Six “Blackfamous” screen queens have been stealing scenes opposite their white peers for years. Tinseltown betta recognize!
You’ve probably heard the expression “Blackfamous,” which is used to describe Black actors who are stars in our galaxy but may not be as well known to white audiences. As a result, some have achieved less mainstream Hollywood recognition or box-office clout than their non-Black peers, or than Black stars like Halle Berry and Viola Davis.
For example, Vivica A. Fox gained...

Sometimes, the journey back to yourself means leaving others behind. Consider these destinations. Plus: events with Roxane Gay, Tressie McMillan Cottom and others

Whenever I need to recharge, release and reflect, I treat myself to a self-care full solo retreat.

Years ago, I was stressed out by my full-time job and splurged on an excursion to Red Mountain Resort in St. George, Utah (RedMountainResort.com), which came highly recommended by a girlfriend. Although I could count on one hand the nu...

One of the nonsocially distanced activities we’ve missed the most during the pandemic is attending live music festivals. But with equal parts common sense and careful planning, this spring/summer season we’re ready to let the music play in a group setting.

If you’d like to join in on the music festival fun, here are our seven picks across the country, in Canada and the Caribbean. So use those frequent-flier miles, grab a friend or get a solo ticket and get ready to dance the afternoon or nigh...

Madea returns. Viola Plays Michelle Obama. Gabrielle shines in a remake. Documentaries spotlight single moms and a matriarch media mogul.
Last year, many of us weren’t able to see our daughters, moms, sisters, aunties, daughter figures or mother figures in person for Mother’s Day, and Sisters From AARP recommended a few movies to watch together virtually. This year, however, as coronavirus cases continue to decline, getting together seems safer and possible. So, grab some healthy snacks, brea...

Michelle “Mikki” Taylor (MFA ’02), a master instructor in the Fashion Design Program in the Chadwick A. Boseman College of Fine Arts, has been practicing sustainability in fashion – essentially the ability to produce and create fashion without harming the environment and producing waste – before it became a trending movement.
Today, she teaches a course on sustainability and she always encourages her students to think in that manner with all their designs. “The cost in saving in materials and...

Many sisters have planned or enjoyed a New Orleans ‘Girls’ Trip.’ Now let’s unpack details on dreamy destinations featured on ‘Bridgerton,’ ‘Insecure’ and more.
Admit it, as much as we love the sexy and scandalous onscreen shenanigans of Simon, the Duke of Hastings, Queen Charlotte, Lady Danbury, Will, Genevieve and Marina on Bridgerton, the scenery is just as captivating. All those palaces, gardens and estates invite opulent adventure. If watching has stirred up your wanderlust, hey, why not...

Plastic surgery and personal trainers, or protein and a positive outlook? You might be surprised how these lovely leading ladies keep looking their best.
Good genes may be part of the Black don’t crack equation, but other factors that keep the fountain of youth flowing include eating healthfully (it’s the veggies, lean protein, fatty fish and whole grains for us), staying active, drinking plenty of water, getting those preventative health screenings and prioritizing rest and self-care. And if...

They continue to break rules, records, barriers, silence and new ground. For Women's History Month, we're giving these trailblazing legends their flowers.
During Women’s History Month, we’re appreciating and celebrating legendary music divas like Dionne Warwick, Diana Ross and Tina Turner for their artistry and accomplishments, as well as luminaries in the realms of dance, literature, costume design, science and education. Some of these she-roes, including Judith Jamison, Alice Walker, Ruth C...

These sisters in the spotlight let their alluring uniqueness shine. They remind us that what’s on our heads doesn’t determine how regally we wear our crowns.
For Black women, our hair is often celebrated as our crowning glory. So, it takes an act of courage when we make mane moves and snip our locks and shave off our tresses. But sisters, we’re also not afraid to show up, show out and shine, and more of us are taking the bold step to make the big chop.
Need an incentive? Black-woman-owned T-s...

Producing a documentary about song and dance man Maurice Hines and his famous friends afforded me a front-row seat to watch Black history in the making.
When I was younger, my mother and I would take bagged-lunch bus trips from Baltimore to the Big Apple to see shows featuring African American performers. On two of these Broadway-bound excursions we were delighted by musical matinees starring smooth song and dance man, the late Gregory Hines, first in Sophisticated Ladies and then in Jelly’s ...

In the mood for a good chuckle? Tune in our favorite comedies from the ’70s to the present.
If laughter is the best medicine, then streaming and syndication is like a 24-hour pharmacy that delivers. Binge-watching the feel-good, funny TV shows we’ve enjoyed over the years has been a healing escape since the pandemic began. And as we navigate changing times, revisiting comedy classics reveals how, in some ways, times can change for the better. The fashions (and fat jokes) may be played out — b...