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Washington Post
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Washington Post
‘Forever' is supposed to be a teen romance. So why are Black moms obsessed?
The messages in my mom group chat kept multiplying. First there were 10 unreads. Then 12. Now 20. What episode are you on? Catch up! When can we discuss? Cocktails! We were all suddenly and unexpectedly hooked on 'Forever,' the Netflix teen romance adapted by executive producer Mara Brock Akil from the 50-year-old Judy Blume novel of the same name. Brock Akil had already painted the fullness of the Black experience on TV in both multi-cam sitcoms ('Girlfriends,' 'The Game') and hour-long dramas ('Being Mary Jane,' 'Love Is __'). Her shows offer dimension and something to chew on. It's no surprise that her sumptuous take on 'Forever' is teeming with Black life. What was surprising was how 'Forever' — a story known for tackling love and sex from two teens' perspectives — snuck up on us. We're middle-aged mamas after all. We should've been getting precious sleep that Thursday in May when the show dropped, not bingeing until 2 a.m. But hidden inside the show's meet-cute plot was an emotional snare rigged specifically for Black mothers. Set in Los Angeles in 2018, 'Forever' follows high-schoolers Keisha (Lovie Simone) and Justin (Michael Cooper Jr.) as they trip into a first love that's confusing, all-consuming and life-changing. But what continues to spark discussions among the Black women I talked to wasn't the drama between those star-crossed lovers from the opposite sides of the 10 freeway. No, they focused on the mothers of 'Forever' — particularly Justin's 'catastrophic' parent, Dawn, who reared her children from a place of fear, protection and a deep love that so many in my mom group recognized. For them, watching Dawn (Karen Pittman), an upper-class Black mother trying to safely and successfully launch her child into adulthood while navigating the meteors of adolescence and the minefield of being a Black man in America, was a gut check. It was like looking into an iPhone camera and a crystal ball, the images familiar and a little fear-inducing too. Is that what I really look like? Sound like? ''Forever' is hitting me hard,' messaged one friend, whose son is on the cusp on puberty. Another was particularly moved by 'how our dreams for our children and for who they will be can become their biggest challenges and obstacles,' she wrote. Others saw themselves in Dawn as the mother of neurodiverse son, an athlete, a child raised in privilege they didn't have. 'When I tell you I'm this mama!!!' texted another friend. When we first meet Dawn, she establishes herself as a mother who is 'not one of your little friends.' It's New Year's Eve and Justin wants to go to a party. But Dawn, husband Eric (Wood Harris) and their younger son already have family game night set up. Draped in a silk robe and holding court at their kitchen island, she grills Justin about this 'party' like a prosecutor: Was he invited specifically? Where is it? Who all's going to be there? Blank stare. 'No information, no party,' says Dawn, emphasizing her stance with a 'not gonna happen' hand slice across her neck. 'We got cops out here shooting Black boys like it's open season and I'm tripping?' Dawn says incredulously. Justin argues that some of his fancy private-school classmates don't even come home on the weekend. Dawn fires back that they're mostly White and he is most definitely not. The conversation devolves. Justin gets sent to his room, where eventually Eric, the straight-talking dad, throws his son a lifeline with some conditions. But the lines are drawn. Dawn's boundaries are clear. She isn't budging when it comes to her son. Why were we gobsmacked? It's not as if Black mothers haven't been fixtures on mainstream television, from Julia Baker ('Julia') to Rainbow Johnson ('Black-ish'). They've been single, married, widowed, poor, bougie, homemakers, doctors, lawyers and English professors. Sure, there have been a handful of Black TV mothers who occupy a particular social stratum on the small screen — married, professional, outspoken. Clair Huxtable of 'The Cosby Show,' to start. But Dawn — with her elite degree, quiet-luxury closet and type-A kung-fu grip on her son's future — felt familiar to us but distinct on TV. Not because of her CV (but there was that), but because her brand of parenting was so uniquely tied to her identity as a Black woman raising a Black son in America today. She isn't a Clair or an Aunt Viv or a Rainbow. 'Those characters feel real, but they also feel like a TV show, right?' sociologist Mia Brantley said. 'When you watch Dawn, there's a realistic aspect to her. I see my friends. I see my own mother. And now that I am preparing for motherhood I see parts of myself. I see conversations me and my spouse are having about raising a son.' The obstacles Black children and the parents raising them (particularly the mothers who still in 2025 take on the lion's share of the emotional labor) can't be resolved in three acts and three commercial breaks. 'There's a realistic nature to the way these conversations are being depicted. These conversations are messy,' said Brantley, who should know: An assistant professor at North Carolina State University, she researches Black mothering in the United States, particularly how women imbue their children with their own racial identity. Brantley said Dawn's heightened concern regarding Justin's physical (and emotional) safety could have been pulled directly from a chapter in her forthcoming book, 'Mothering on the Defense,' which examines the long-term affects that the stress of raising Black children can cause their parents. But the hypervigilance is understandable, Brantley said. The overprotectiveness that flat-out avoids milestones such as getting a driver's license or staying out past midnight is rooted in love. 'Mara did an amazing job of depicting what reality is like for Black parents,' Brantley said. Brittany Packnett Cunningham, an activist and mother of two, saw herself in both Dawn and Justin. 'Black upper-middle-class children are raised really tightly,' said Packnett Cunningham, who grew up in St. Louis attending predominantly White schools but whose parents did the 'extra work' of making sure she was rooted in African American culture. She had a stricter curfew than her White peers. The idea of a gap year? Pfft. The only colleges on the table were elite institutions. Once Packnett Cunningham started watching 'Forever,' she couldn't stop. Soon she texted her husband, Reggie, 'I need you to see this.' 'Forever' put a bullhorn behind the common conversations happening in living rooms in Baldwin Hills, Shepherd Park and Park Slope — about the pitfalls of sending Black children to mostly White schools, tasking your child with being 'undeniable' despite knowing how impossible that is, the adultification of Black girls, the genuine excitement that your Black son is dating a Black girl, all the specific anxieties that only Black mothers experience. 'There's just so much there about how our villages function for our children. To be able to access a story about that as a parent and as someone who was once young, dumb and in love is a really special thing,' Packnett Cunningham said. 'So much of this writing is just healing people,' she said. 'I'm prepared to watch is as many times as it takes me to get what I need from it.' Meanwhile, Pittman — Dawn herself — has seen your DMs, the good and the bad. She's gotten so many notes from women who love the character that the veteran actress is thinking of putting 'I am Dawn' on a T-shirt. (Among my mom group, she'd have some buyers.) 'Even if we don't always agree with what Dawn does, we do look at her and we think, 'Gosh, I understand,'' Pittman said. 'I'm deeply compassionate, where this woman is concerned. I know why she's making every choice she's making. I have a very serious take on her. I have a very deeply felt take.' Yes, Pittman has kids, including an adult son. What kind of mom does she think Dawn is? In show, the character says she's been told she has a 'catastrophic parenting style. I damn near have a panic attack if my child wears a hoodie.' But off screen Pittman struggled to define Dawn's mothering, which can be as soft as it is sharp. When Justin needs a mental health day, she recognizes it instantly and gives him space. And when he's shirking on his college application? She lectures him on being 'undeniable.' 'She appears to be very antagonistic in the story,' Pittman said. 'She presents as the villain. She must be, you know, heavy in the role. Her behavior must be much more … angular?' 'Elbows out?' I suggested. 'She's elbows out! And she has to be, you know. Dawn is the supervillain. And that's a steep fall to go, from the superhero to the supervillain,' Pittman said, explaining from her own experience what it's like to parent a young man versus a little boy. Your child's perception of you shifts. 'I'm telling you it's painful,' the actress added. Pittman, who is a series regular on 'The Morning Show' and appeared in the first two seasons of 'And Just Like That,' had been waiting for a role like Dawn. She wanted to play a very specific kind of mother. Not one who's marginalized in the plot, or limited to setting up punch lines for the funnier dad. 'We've been nestled behind our husbands as Black woman on American television, to support them and support the kids. But this character elbows her way to the front, you know what I mean?' For the actress, Dawn isn't alone in the cultural zeitgeist as a professional and outspoken Black mother — she contains some Ketanji Brown Jackson, some Michelle Obama. To that point, Pittman is also very interested in those other DMs she gets, from folks criticizing her character — she's way too aggressive, she's not submissive to her husband, she's racist because Dawn wants her son to date a Black girl. Obviously Karen is not Dawn, but she'll accept that award thank you very much. 'I feel like we could actually be having a cocktail talking about this,' Pittman said when we spoke. Funny she should say that. The same week Netflix announced 'Forever' would get a second season, the thread of the mom group chat was getting too long to read. We needed to process in person, so we congregated one Friday night after putting our kids to bed to process together until the wee hours. Of course our hostess had notes and talking points, and we kicked off what would turn into a late-night conversation by naming our favorite characters. We couldn't all say Dawn. But she was in the room with us, snacking on prosciutto and grapes, because we felt she was us. That was Pittman's goal. 'I want you to just lean in,' she told me, 'and before you know it you see you.'
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
The 2025 Tony Awards: How to watch, streaming details, nominees, performers, and presenters
Broadway's biggest night is back — and it's sure to be packed with star power, dazzling performances, and fierce competition. The 2025 Tony Awards, celebrating the best of live theater, is a can't-miss event for theater lovers. Whether you're tuning in live or streaming online, here's everything you need to know about 78th Tony Awards. The 78th annual Tony Awards are held on June 8, beginning at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT. More from GoldDerby 'Forever' star Lovie Simone on traveling back to a 'nostalgic' time for Netflix's teenage romance show Tramell Tillman could make Emmy history as the first Black Best Drama Supporting Actor winner Kristen Kish dishes on Season 22 of 'Top Chef,' Emmys, and the show's global impact: 'It's all driven by the fans' The Tony Awards will stream live on Paramount+ with Showtime and broadcast on television via CBS. The ceremony will also be available on Paramount+ (for non Showtime subscribers) the following day. To watch the Tonys live, sign up for the Paramount+ with Showtime plan (information can be found here) or search your local listings for the CBS affiliate in your area. Tony, Emmy, and Grammy Award winner Cynthia Erivo will host the 78th Tonys from Radio City Music Hall in New York City. 'I am so proud and excited to take on this glorious honor,' Erivo shared in a CBS press release. 'I am looking forward to ushering the theatre community at large through a night that celebrates the wonderful performances we have witnessed throughout the year. I hope I can rise to the occasion.' The three-time Oscar nominee and Wicked star won the Best Lead Actress in a Musical Tony in 2016 for The Color Purple. SEE Tony Talk: Our final winner predictions in all 26 categories, including competitive Best Actress in a Musical and Best Play Revival Yes. Prior to the main telecast, Tony Awards: Act One will stream on Pluto TV, hosted by Darren Criss and Renée Elise Goldsberry, at 6:40 p.m. ET/3:40 PT. Several of this year's Tony Awards will be presented throughout Act One ahead of the main ceremony. As always, the Tony Awards will showcase performances from some of the most celebrated shows of the last Broadway season. Buena Vista Social Club Dead Outlaw Death Becomes Her Floyd Collins Gypsy Maybe Happy Ending Operation Mincemeat: A New Musical Pirates! The Penzance Musical Sunset Blvd. Just in Time Real Women Have Curves Hamilton reunion Broadway Inspirational Voices See the full list of 2025 Tony Awards presenters below. Sara Bareilles Danielle Brooks Kristin Chenoweth Bryan Cranston Auli'i Cravalho Charli D'Amelio Ariana DeBose Jesse Eisenberg Tom Felton Renée Elise Goldsberry Katie Holmes Julianne Hough LaTanya Richardson Jackson Samuel L. Jackson Allison Janney Rachel Bay Jones Adam Lambert Lea Michele Lin-Manuel Miranda Kelli O'Hara Sarah Paulson Carrie Preston Keanu Reeves Lea Salonga Jean Smart Ben Stiller Aaron Tveit Michelle Williams Oprah Winfrey Alex Winter SEE Ready for her close-up: Nicole Scherzinger takes the lead in Tony odds for Best Actress in a Musical Buena Vista Social Club, Death Becomes Her, and Maybe Happy Ending topped this year's Tony Awards nominations with 10 bids each. Close behind with seven apiece are Dead Outlaw, John Proctor Is the Villain, Sunset Boulevard, and The Hills of California. Buena Vista Social Club, Dead Outlaw, Death Becomes Her, Maybe Happy Ending, and Operation Mincemeat: A New Musical are up for Best Musical. English,The Hills of California, John Proctor Is the Villain, Oh, Mary!, and Purpose are the Best Play nominees. See the full list of nominees below. BEST MUSICAL Buena Vista Social Club Dead Outlaw Death Becomes Her Maybe Happy Ending Operation Mincemeat: A New Musical BEST MUSICAL REVIVAL Floyd Collins Gypsy Pirates! The Penzance Musical Sunset Boulevard BEST ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL Megan Hilty, Death Becomes Her Audra McDonald, Gypsy Jasmine Amy Rogers, Boop! The Musical Nicole Scherzinger, Sunset Boulevard Jennifer Simard, Death Becomes Her BEST ACTOR IN A MUSICAL Darren Criss, Maybe Happy Ending Andrew Durand, Dead Outlaw Tom Francis, Sunset Boulevard Jonathan Groff, Just in Time James Monroe Iglehart, A Wonderful World: The Louis Armstrong Musical Jeremy Jordan, Floyd Collins BEST FEATURED ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL Natalie Venetia Belcon, Buena Vista Social Club Julia Knitel, Dead Outlaw Gracie Lawrence, Just in Time Justina Machado, Real Women Have Curves: The Musical Joy Woods, Gypsy BEST FEATURED ACTOR IN A MUSICAL Brooks Ashmanskas, Smash Jeb Brown, Dead Outlaw Danny Burstein, Gypsy Jak Malone, Operation Mincemeat: A New Musical Taylor Trensch, Floyd Collins BEST DIRECTOR OF A MUSICAL Saheem Ali, Buena Vista Social Club Michael Arden, Maybe Happy Ending David Cromer, Dead Outlaw Christopher Gattelli, Death Becomes Her Jamie Lloyd, Sunset Boulevard BEST ORIGINAL SCORE Dead Outlaw, Music & Lyrics: David Yazbek and Erik Della Penna Death Becomes Her, Music & Lyrics: Julia Mattison and Noel Carey Maybe Happy Ending, Music: Will Aronson; Lyrics: Will Aronson and Hue Park Operation Mincemeat: A New Musical, Music & Lyrics: David Cumming, Felix Hagan, Natasha Hodgson, and Zoë Roberts Real Women Have Curves: The Musical, Music & Lyrics: Joy Huerta and Benjamin Velez BEST BOOK OF A MUSICAL Marco Ramirez, Buena Vista Social Club Itamar Moses, Dead Outlaw Marco Pennette, Death Becomes Her Will Aronson and Hue Park, Maybe Happy Ending David Cumming, Felix Hagan, Natasha Hodgson, and Zoë Roberts, Operation Mincemeat: A New Musical BEST CHOREOGRAPHY Joshua Bergasse, Smash Camille A. Brown, Gypsy Christopher Gattelli, Death Becomes Her Jerry Mitchell, Boop! The Musical Patricia Delgado and Justin Peck, Buena Vista Social Club BEST ORCHESTRATIONS Andrew Resnick and Michael Thurber, Just in Time Will Aronson, Maybe Happy Ending Bruce Coughlin, Floyd Collins Marco Paguia, Buena Vista Social Club David Cullen and Andrew Lloyd Webber, Sunset Boulevard BEST COSTUME DESIGN OF A MUSICAL Dede Ayite, Buena Vista Social Club Gregg Barnes, Boop! The Musical Clint Ramos, Maybe Happy Ending Paul Tazewell, Death Becomes Her Catherine Zuber, Just in Time BEST LIGHTING DESIGN OF A MUSICAL Jack Knowles, Sunset Boulevard Tyler Micoleau, Buena Vista Social Club Scott Zielinski and Ruey Horng Sun, Floyd Collins Ben Stanton, Maybe Happy Ending Justin Townsend, Death Becomes Her BEST SCENIC DESIGN OF A MUSICAL Rachel Hauck, Swept Away Dane Laffrey and George Reeve, Maybe Happy Ending Arnulfo Maldonado, Buena Vista Social Club Derek McLane, Death Becomes Her Derek McLane, Just in Time BEST SOUND DESIGN OF A MUSICAL Jonathan Deans, Buena Vista Social Club Adam Fisher, Sunset Boulevard Peter Hylenski, Just in Time Peter Hylenski, Maybe Happy Ending Dan Moses Schreier, Floyd Collins SEE 'Every beat is meticulously crafted': 6 'Purpose' Tony nominees offer an oral history of the Pulitzer Prize-winning drama BEST PLAY English The Hills of California John Proctor Is the Villain Oh, Mary! Purpose BEST PLAY REVIVAL Eureka Day Romeo + Juliet Thornton Wilder's Our Town Yellow Face BEST ACTRESS IN A PLAY Laura Donnelly, The Hills of California Mia Farrow, The Roommate LaTanya Richardson Jackson, Purpose Sadie Sink, John Proctor Is the Villain Sarah Snook, The Picture of Dorian Gray BEST ACTOR IN A PLAY George Clooney, Good Night, and Good Luck Cole Escola, Oh, Mary! Jon Michael Hill, Purpose Daniel Dae Kim, Yellow Face Harry Lennix, Purpose Louise McCartney, Stranger Things: The First Shadow BEST FEATURED ACTRESS IN A PLAY Tala Ashe, English Jessica Hecht, Eureka Day Marjan Neshat, English Fina Strazza, John Proctor Is the Villain Kara Young, Purpose BEST FEATURED ACTOR IN A PLAY Glenn Davis, Purpose Gabriel Ebert, John Proctor Is the Villain Francis Jue, Yellow Face Bob Odenkirk, Glengarry Glen Ross Conrad Ricamora, Oh, Mary! BEST DIRECTOR OF A PLAY Knud Adams, English Sam Mendes, The Hills of California Sam Pinkleton, Oh, Mary! Danya Taymor, John Proctor Is the Villain Kip Williams, The Picture of Dorian Gray BEST COSTUME DESIGN OF A PLAY Brenda Abbandandolo, Good Night, and Good Luck Marg Horwell, The Picture of Dorian Gray Rob Howell, The Hills of California Holly Pierson, Oh, Mary! Brigitte Reiffenstuel, Stranger Things: The First Shadow BEST LIGHTING DESIGN OF A PLAY Jack Knowles, Sunset Boulevard Tyler Micoleau, Buena Vista Social Club Scott Zielinski and Ruey Horng Sun, Floyd Collins Ben Stanton, Maybe Happy Ending Justin Townsend, Death Becomes Her BEST SCENIC DESIGN OF A PLAY Marsha Ginsberg, English Rob Howell, The Hills of California Marg Horwell and David Bergman, The Picture of Dorian Gray Miriam Buether and 59, Stranger Things: The First Shadow Scott Pask, Good Night, and Good Luck BEST SOUND DESIGN OF A PLAY Paul Arditti, Stranger Things: The First Shadow Palmer Hefferan, John Proctor Is the Villain Daniel Kluger, Good Night, and Good Luck Nick Powell, The Hills of California Clemence Williams, The Picture of Dorian Gray For those who want an advantage over the competition in their annual Tonys pool, check out the final Gold Derby winner odds in all categories. Make your own predictions and join the competition at Gold Derby. Best of GoldDerby 'Maybe Happy Ending' star Darren Criss on his Tony nomination for playing a robot: 'Getting to do this is the true win' Who Needs a Tony to Reach EGOT? Sadie Sink on her character's 'emotional rage' in 'John Proctor Is the Villain' and her reaction to 'Stranger Things: The First Shadow' Click here to read the full article.
Vogue
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Vogue
Beyond Blume: Mara Brock Akil Shares 9 More Books That Informed Her Netflix Hit ‘Forever'
With hits like Girlfriends, The Game, and Being Mary Jane under her belt, Mara Brock Akil is a bonafide legend—and her latest project, Netflix's swoonworthy Forever, is the newest TV show I can't stop thinking about. Forever is an adaptation of the 1975 novel of the same name by Judy Blume, one that has been banned time and time again for its depiction of a young woman coming into her sexuality. Growing up, Akil read all of Blume's books, but she was especially drawn to Forever for its honesty. 'It allowed so many of us to think about what could be ahead in relationships,' the producer and screenwriter tells me over Zoom, 'while also remembering to protect our futures.' When I nervously admit that I've never read Blume myself, she isn't surprised: It was a different time. When I'd reached high school, my coming-of-age novels took the form of Twilight, the Harry Potter books, and…hear me out…The Da Vinci Code. Yet Akil's Forever drops Blume's story squarely into the here and now, recasting its young lovers as Black teens in Los Angeles. Keisha Clarke (Lovie Simone) is a driven scholarship student who finds herself embroiled in an online scandal just after the series begins, while Justin Edwards (Michael Cooper Jr.) is an unassuming Black boy from a wealthy family and a predominately white high school. He's kind, handsome, awkward, a little lost—and when the two of them get together, what unfolds is a moving story of the push-and-pull between childhood and a burgeoning independence. 'What I translated was the emotion of that book, and by changing the details, it created a different type of plot,' Akil tells me. But what her show does maintain from the book serves as a reminder that, in 1975 as now, we all still want many of the same things: to find love, to feel free—but also to feel safe. I came away from the first season of Forever feeling unbelievably hopeful, a fleeting feeling these days. And while a second season of Forever was just greenlit (hooray!), I wanted something to hold me over. So, I asked Akil which books beyond Blume's source material had helped to inspire her vision for Forever. Find her nine picks below. Red at the Bone by Jacqueline Woodson Red at the Bone $16 BOOKSHOP 'This novel was a revelation to me. Woodson captures the emotional weight of generational legacy in a way that mirrors how I think about storytelling—through love, inheritance, and identity. It reminded me of the questions I asked when building characters in Forever: What history are they carrying? And how does that shape their choices?' Coleman Hill by Kim Coleman Foote 'Foote's multigenerational debut felt deeply personal to me, as someone who values lineage and community. I was drawn to how this story tracks migration, memory, and survival. As a creator, I'm always interested in the ripple effects of history—and this novel puts those echoes front and center.' Sula by Toni Morrison 'Morrison was my earliest blueprint for complexity and contradiction. Sula helped me understand that female friendship could be as mythic and meaningful as romantic love—and that Black women's inner lives were worthy of epic storytelling. It's a compass I still use.' The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Díaz The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao $17 BOOKSHOP 'Díaz's bold voice and fearless structure taught me that genre, language, and cultural specificity could coexist beautifully. Oscar's longing and imagination resonated with how I wanted to portray teen desire and vulnerability in Forever—as something both deeply personal and historically entangled.' My Train Leaves at Three by Natalie Guerrero My Train Leaves at Three $27 BOOKSHOP 'This quiet, beautiful book came to me recently, at a time when I was experimenting with my voice in new mediums. Guerrero's story of transformation through solitude and movement reminded me that healing and change are not always loud. I see this reflected in characters who grow in silence, in the spaces in-between. It officially comes out in July and is my number-one recommendation for young readers to pick up this summer!' White Teeth by Zadie Smith 'Smith's debut reminded me that humor, intellect, and social commentary can live in the same sentence. Her fearless take on identity, hybridity, and family showed me that the personal is always political—and that sometimes, it's also very funny.' Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston Their Eyes Were Watching God $17 BOOKSHOP 'This was one of the first books that made me feel seen. Janie's voice, her hunger for life, and her unwillingness to settle lit a fire in me as a young woman. Hurston's storytelling taught me that the journey to selfhood is sacred.' We Should All Be Feminists by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie We Should All Be Feminists $10 BOOKSHOP 'This manifesto distills so much of what I believe about equity and empowerment. I often recommend it to young women finding their voice because it gives language to things we've long felt but didn't always know how to name. It's brief but expansive—like the best conversations.' Stamped from the Beginning by Ibram X. Kendi (and its documentary adaptation) Stamped from the Beginning $31 BOOKSHOP 'As a storyteller and producer, I believe in truth-telling. Kendi's work inspired a documentary adaptation I produced with director Roger Ross Williams—it offers a clear-eyed view of systemic racism in a way that empowers young people to think critically. It's history, but it's also a call to action. That duality is powerful.'
Vogue
18-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Vogue
In Netflix's ‘Forever,' a Love Letter to Black Girlhood
When I was growing up in the '90s, there were plenty of Black characters on TV, but Brandy's Moesha Mitchell—a writer from Los Angeles who wore braids and carried a whole lot on her mind—was the one who felt like me. I was always imaginative and ambitious but didn't know how to channel those things. I wanted to be a writer but didn't think it was possible. But then I watched Maya Angelou guest star on Moesha, and I read Still, I Rise. Suddenly, I saw myself reflected in a way I hadn't before. It was the first time I felt seen—not just as the Black girl, but as someone with depth, creativity, and something tangible to offer the world. Years later, watching Lovie Simone as Keisha in Netflix's Forever has conjured a similar feeling. When I clicked play on the first episode of the series—producer and screenwriter Mara Brock Akil's adaptation of Judy Blume's 1975 novel of the same name—I didn't expect to be in tears at 2 a.m. But now, it strikes me as one of the best portrayals of Black girlhood I've seen in a long time. (Happily, it's already been renewed for a second season.) There aren't many shows out there right now for young Black girls. Before and certainly after the Grown-ish era ended last year, a noticeable gap emerged in coming-of-age stories centering Black characters. (We've come a long way from the UPN days, when Countess Vaughn, Kyla Pratt, and Essence Atkins all led their own shows.) As networks have doubled down on reality TV or leaned into reboots, investment in fresh stories about Black youth has become rare. Yes, we have Euphoria, an acclaimed and wildly popular show with Zendaya as a Black teenage lead. But Rue's story is rooted in addiction, mental illness, and survival—more reflective of an adult world than the everyday experiences of Black teens. Forever shifts the narrative, making a young Black girl's experiences with love, guilt, hope, and heartbreak feel worthy, even urgent. A teen from Los Angeles living with her single mom, Keisha is a student-athlete with her mind set on Howard University, caught in that uncertain space between who she is and who she hopes to become. She's also trying to piece herself back together after a betrayal that would hurt anyone: an ex leaks their sex tape.
Buzz Feed
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Buzz Feed
Lovie Simone & Michael Cooper Jr. Co-Star Test
Lovie Simone & Michael Cooper Jr. are putting their love to the test 💘✨ Find out how well they really know each other in a new Co-Star quiz on BuzzFeed Celeb. Full interview is at the link in bio. #ForeverNetflix #LovieSimone #MichaelCooperJr #KeishaClark #JustinEdwards
