While most of the country has embraced therapy and wellness culture, mental health within the Black community remains taboo. However, now, more than ever, Black mental health is the most important thing to be prioritized. According to the CDC, the death rate of Black Americans has declined about 25 percent over 17 years, primarily for those aged 65 years and older. However, younger Black Americans are living with or dying of many conditions typically found in white Americans at older ages. Social factors due to racism… Read more

Following the protests occurring throughout the United States ignited by George Floyd’s murder, it is not uncommon to walk down the streets and be met with sights of shattered glass, damaged buildings, and broken windows. Responses to these changes in our cityscapes have been varied: some choose to focus on its destruction, while others have espied it as an opportunity for creativity. In the wake of protests, there has been a surge of graffiti artists taking to the streets to spread the movement’s message. Boarded-up… Read more

Come sisters, we fly! Mary, Sarah and Winifred Sanderson are set to return to the screen in a Hocus Pocus sequel 27 long years after the original film came out and over 327 since they first prowled the streets of Salem stealing the souls of children, but who’s counting? The 1993 film was by no means a box office hit. Directed by Kenny Ortega and released in the middle of July, Hocus Pocus only made about $40 million in the box office (not a great figure for a Walt Disney film) and got its fair share of scathing… Read more

A couple days ago, BUST recommended 10 movies and documentaries about racism and police brutality that white people have to watch to educate themselves on the issues surrounding the Black Lives Matter protests that are taking place globally. And while many companies, like Netflix, are trying to address the issue by compiling a list of black movies and shows together to highlight Black History and achievements, there is something that must be discussed. During the week of June 4, The Help was one of the most watched… Read more

As of this morning, June 15, 2020, members of the LGBTQ+ community are officially protected from being fired due to their sexual orientation or gender identity under the Civil Rights Act of 1964. This comes after a trying and tumultuous week for members of the LGBTQ+ community with the Trump Administration’s recent attacks on transgender folxs’ rights and the tragic deaths of two Black trans women, Riah Milton and Dominique “Rem’mie” Fells. Chief Justice John Roberts and fellow conservatice Justice Neil Gorsuch joined… Read more

With novels, nonfiction classics, and guidebooks on race flying off (virtual) bookshelves, we decided to compile an assorted list of must-reads—ranging from the humorous to the heartbreaking to the educational—all written in the past few years by Black women authors, and all previously reviewed in BUST's print magazine. Right now, books like Ijeoma Oluo’s So You Want to Talk About Race and Robin DiAngelo’s White Fragility are at the top of the New York Times bestseller list, but let’s keep the momentum going and read… Read more

Last night, the Louisville Metro City Council voted unanimously to ban no-knock warrants, the type of warrant that was used when Breonna Taylor was killed by the Louisville Police Department. The legislation, which comes just a few days after what would have been Taylor's 27th birthday on June 5, will be titled Breonna’s Law in her honor. Bre, this is for you! 🙏🏾 #BreonnasLaw not only BANS no-knock warrants in Louisville, but also requires the use of body cameras by anyone executing a search warrant. Thank you all for… Read more

If you’ve been anywhere near the internet since May 25, which hopefully you have been, you’ve probably heard the demands to defund and abolish the police quite a bit. The fact of the matter is, many are weary of these phrases and do not fully comprehend what they mean, nor do they understand that terms like “police reform” and “demilitarize the police” are not enough if we want to create a future free from police brutality and racial injustice at the hands of cops. Earlier this week, the Minneapolis City Council voted… Read more

Dena wasn’t like the other roles May Calamawy had seen for Arab women. When she auditioned for the role of Ramy’s sister in the eponymous Hulu series Ramy, she wasn’t playing a character that was fighting to protect her children or facing severe oppression. Instead, she was going out for the role of a 20-something law student who wants to move out of her parent’s place in Jersey. She’s annoyed by her brother and his entitlement as he explores his Muslim faith and tries to figure out what it means to be a “good person.”… Read more

This week, we’re enjoying new music by H.E.R, Soko, and more. For even more of our entertainment picks, check out last week’s Black Lives matter edition of this column. MOVIES/TV Taste the Nation with Padma Lakshmi Hulu’s new cooking show follows award-winning author and Top Chef host Padma Lakshmi as she embarks on an American tour, meeting with immigrants across the country to learn about different relationships between food and identity. All episodes available to stream on June 18. MUSIC/PODCASTS “I Can’t Breathe”… Read more

A seasoned character actor with impeccable comic timing, Judy Greer is probably best known for her role as Kitty Sanchez on Arrested Development. (“Say goodbye to these!”) She’s also appeared in plenty of girl-culture classics, including 13 Going on 30, 27 Dresses, and the very feminist 2018 reboot of Halloween. Her latest project—which she both executive produced and stars in—is an episode of Into The Dark, a Blumhouse-produced horror anthology series that premieres a feature-film-length episode every month tied to a… Read more

Two weeks ago, just before the murder of George Floyd, the video of Amy Cooper, a white woman, calling the police on Black man, Christian Cooper (no relation) in Central Park, went viral. Christian Cooper, an avid birdwatcher, merely told Cooper to put her dog on a leash, in accordance with the park’s section rules. She became frantic and called the police, stating that there is “an African-American man threatening my life.” The viral video sparked many conversations about race--specifically focusing on white women's… Read more

Liz Klinger knew there was a problem. It was the beginning of March, and the Bay Area native was starting to hear reports about personal protective equipment (or PPE) shortages on the news as coronavirus started to spread in the United States. Klinger called her mom, a nurse in the Bay Area, to ask about how conditions were at her hospital. She didn’t have a mask. Realizing her mom’s situation was widespread, one Thursday night Klinger jumped on a Zoom call with Alper. After some hours and a couple glasses of wine,… Read more

What was once a platform that only seemed to consist of cringy lip-synching videos, TikTok has now turned into one of the most used apps in existence with over 800 million active users worldwide. Like many other social media platforms, communities for different interest groups have begun to form, making it easy to find your niche. I don’t claim to be a TikTok expert (although, I do--regrettably--spend most of my waking hours on the app) but one of the most entertaining and surprisingly, relaxing communities on the… Read more

For the past year or so, the state of Virginia has been caught in a number of controversies, such as its Governor Ralph Northam’s use of blackface in a medical school yearbook. But one of the women making headlines and actual change in Virginia is Jennifer Carroll Foy. As of May 27, 2020, Carroll Foy is the first black woman to running for statewide office in Virginia. If elected, she could be the first black woman governor in the entire country. This crisis has forced us to reckon with a truth that's been just beneath… Read more

Last night, American political activist, philosopher, professor and author Angela Davis appeared on the United Kingdom’s Channel 4 News to make a statement on the Black Lives Matter movement that can only be described as “immense,” as one Twitter user put it. Perhaps best known for her 1981 book Women, Race, and Class, Davis has been a force in civil rights, feminism, and prison abolition from the 1970s to today. this feels immense, to hear Angela Davis say these things https://t.co/i92XBVIbCG — jes skolnik… Read more

Founded by Joanne N. Smith in 2000, Girls for Gender Equity (ggenyc.org) is a Brooklyn-based outreach group that addresses the unique barriers faced by young Black women. With the 2020 election season in high gear, GGE is now sharing one of their signature projects, “The Black Girl Bill of Rights,” with various candidates through digital town halls held by young activists. Members of GGE’s pool of youth organizers established this list of nine proclamations in April 2016, and it details rights every Black girl is… Read more

We spent the beginning of our COVID-19 quarantine creating our best Summer Issue ever! On the cover, we’ve got New Orleans’ dynamic ambassador of bounce music Big Freedia doing the absolute MOST! And inside, we’ve got in-depth interviews with Stranger Things new young star Maya Hawke, comedy powerhouse Jaboukie Young-White, Margo Price and the women behind some of the most beloved puppets on Sesame Street. We’ve also got a rowdy roundup of work by flapper cartoonists; true tales from America’s first female-led… Read more

In solidarity with #BlackLivesMatter and in the effort to #AmplifyMelanatedVoices , BUST just released a special episode of the Poptarts podcast led by Black BUST staffers that delves into their feelings surrounding the recent activist uprising taking place around the world in the wake of the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery. BUST’s Digital Editorial Director Bry’onna Mention and Poptarts Producer Logan del Fuego shape the discussion while addressing sources for reliable news, explaining the… Read more

On Tuesday, June 2, Ella Jones became the first-ever Black Mayor-elect of Ferguson, Missouri. Six years ago, this Missouri city gained national attention when a white police officer killed a Black teenager named Michael Brown. Protests erupted throughout the city seeking justice for Brown, propelling the Black Lives Matter Movement to the forefront of national consciousness. Today, protests are once again taking place in Ferguson as well as around the world, this time in the name of Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, Tony… Read more

In the midst of the civil uprising of Black Lives Matter, on June 1, 2020, a Black trans woman was attacked in Minneapolis, MN. BUST has chosen to not embed or share the video as we do not wish to provoke pain or trauma, but it is widely available. The trans woman in the video is 21-year-old Iyanna Dior. She was attacked by a mob of 20-30 mostly Black cis men in a Minneapolis gas station, reportedly after a fender bender. Dior was able to escape and has since spoken out. In a post on her Facebook, she announced she… Read more

In case you hadn't heard, a ton of famous brands and companies are being exposed for sending millions of dollars to the GOP and Trump's re-election campaign, and your favorite beauty brands are no different. Company board member and family heir of Estee Lauder, Ronald Lauder, was found to have donated hundreds of thousants of dollars to pro-Trump groups. It's important to note that Estée Lauder is actually an umbrella company, so while some of these individual brands support Democratic causes, Estee Lauder still still… Read more

Much of the civil uprising across the country under the Black Lives Matter movement is due in part to the callous murder of George Floyd by four police officers in Minneapolis, MN on May 25. However, far too few are as familiar with the killing of Breonna Taylor. Back on March 13, 2020, the 26-year-old EMT was fatally shot in her home in Louisville, KY by Louisville Metro Police Department officers. As the New York Times reported, the LMPD was investigating two suspected drug dealers. A judge ordered a “no-knock”… Read more

We’re doing something a bit different for this week's round-up—although some of our pop culture picks are new (CupcakKe is back!), many are all-time favorites that you can easily stream, download, and purchase this week to support Black artists and educate yourself on racism—and the fight against it—in America. Featuring documentaries, feature films, and books you can purchase directly from Black-owned bookstores, here’s what BUST is reading, watching, and listening to this week. MOVIES/TV 13th Ava DuVernay’s… Read more

In our usual white amnesia, people have forgotten America’s history of riots dating back to the 1700s. As you likely learned in history class growing up, Americans tried to politely speak to England and show them a list of demands, but once it was clear independence would not be given, the newly formed colonies rioted for their freedom. There was violence, property destruction, and anger-filled riots all across the colonies. We read about them now in textbooks as massacres and battles but make no mistake: many of these… Read more

More than ever, it is important that we amplify black voices without overshadowing them. Allies have to do so much more to further ourselves not just as not racist but as anti-racist. Joining the protests and donating bail is helpful, but we must also actively educate ourselves on the issues at hand. To start, here are 10 documentaries and movies that can help teach more about racism and police brutality in America: 1. Selma (YouTube)Just to see how little has truly changed, you should first watch the film Selma about… Read more

Jane Fonda really has been and forever will be that b*tch. The 82-year-old Academy Award winning actress, perhaps best known for her stand-out rolls in films like Barefoot in the Park, 9 to 5 and Book Club, has never been one to keep quiet about injustice. Just last year, Fonda was arrested on numerous occasions in Washington D.C. for her “Firedrill Fridays,” where she and many of her celebrity friends would stand in protest of big oil and climate change. Her activist work did not start and end there, however. Fonda… Read more

While today marks the first day of Pride Month, it is important to continue recognizing and speaking out about racial injustice, systemic racism, and the police brutality that is being protested across the nation today. The Stonewall Riots, which are often attributed with kicking off the greater queer liberation and LGBTQ+ rights movements were, at their core, a protest and rebellion against brutality at the hands of the police. Many of the participants at Stonewall, now more often referred to as an uprising or a… Read more

Comedian and actor Yvonne Orji is best known for her role as Molly on HBO’s “Insecure” and her film credits include “Night School” and the upcoming “Vacation Friends.” She co-hosts the critically acclaimed podcast “Jesus and Jollof,” with her pal Luvvie Ajayi, and her upcoming book “Bamboozled by Jesus: How God Tricked Me Into the Life of My Dreams” will hit shelves next year. Her first hour-long HBO comedy special, “MOMMA, I MADE IT,” comes out June 6 and it is super funny and touching and women in particular will… Read more

On May 25, George Floyd, an unarmed Black man, was murdered by a Minneapolis police officer named Derek Chauvin. Chauvin, who had 18 previous police brutality complaints against him, wasn't arrested until several days after Floyd's murder. In an effort to seek justice for Floyd, people began to gather in protest in Minneapolis. The protestors were met with rubber bullets, tear gas, water bombs, and excessive force at the hands of the police leaving many injured and many more taken into police custody. As protests… Read more

Summer’s almost here and we could all use a sweet escape. And while your mileage might be limited, your imagination doesn’t have to be. Allow Hayley and The Crushers to transport you to their candy-laquered, neon world. On the heels of their third full-length album,Vintage Millennial, (January 2020, Electric Pop Records) the San Luis Obispo, CA-based surf punks are bringing a few more popsicle flavors to the picnic with their latest E.P. BUST is excited to premiere their video for upbeat summer anthem "Jacaranda," off… Read more

The Vanishing Half: A Novel By Brit Bennett (Riverhead Books) What starts off similarly to Brit Bennett’s debut novel The Mothers—an observer opens up the tale that’s about to unfold—quickly turns into a deeply emotional, thought-provoking, and at times, frustrating story about two once inseparable sisters now living parallel lives. Like everyone in Mallard, a tiny Southern community, 16-year-old twins Stella and Desiree are both light-skinned. Scared of getting stuck in their small town forever, the two decide to… Read more

We’re celebrating the start of the month with new books, new shows to stream, and—of course—new Gaga. Read on for what’s on BUST’s radar this week. MOVIES/TV In My Skin The latest UK hit to move to a US streaming service is In My Skin, a Welsh coming-of-age dark comedy about a teenager navigating adolescence while looking after her mom and dad, who are living with mental illness and alcoholism. The complete series, including four never-before-seen episodes, heads to Hulu on July 30. The High Note Tracee Ellis Ross and… Read more

Fried chicken sammies are having a moment. But you don’t have to wait in line at Popeyes or give your hard-earned cash to an establishment with an anti-LGBTQ philanthropy record (ahem, Chick-fil-A). You don’t even have to eat meat! You can make a finger-lickin’ good fried chicken (or meatless “chicken”) sandwich right at home. Buttermilk Love Buy a couple pounds of chicken (I like boneless, skinless chicken thighs because dark meat is delicious but if you prefer breast, knock yourself out). Cover in buttermilk seasoned… Read more

No, we’re not here to tell you to put down the cake and hop on the treadmill, and we’re tired of the media, and social media, sending the message that fat is evil and we all must stay teeny-tiny during quarantine. Everyone has a different healthy journey, and we’re here to tell you there’s no wrong way to do it—unless you’re body-shaming yourself or others. Almost everyone has some sort of struggle with food and body positivity, whether it is worrying that we eat too much, too little, or not in the right way. And being… Read more

The FX on Hulu mini-series, Mrs. America, shows an intimate portrayal both of anti-choice activist, Phyllis Schlafly, and leading feminists of the 1970s—Gloria Steinem, Shirley Chisholm, Brenda Feigen, Betty Freidan, Bella Abzug, and more. The premise of the show is to tell the story of how progress on the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) stalls, but the mini-series does far more than that. Simply put, the show places a spotlight on why this happens and how misinformation—in an era before “fake news” was widely… Read more

Rising star Dani Montalvo plays titular character Lorena Bobbitt in Lifetime's I Was Lorena Bobbitt which premiered on Monday, May 25. I Was Lorena Bobbitt depicts the John and Lorena Bobbitt case that made headlines in the early '90s, when Lorena, after years of abuse from her husband, cut off his penis while he was asleep. This beautiful TV movie drama, directed by Danishka Esterhazy, received incredible reviews and many went to social media to show their support of the movie that Bobbitt herself executive produced.… Read more

Supporting your child is crucial to their growth. Let alone supporting your LGBTQ+ child. LGBTQ+ children need all the love and support they can get. Retired NBA star Dwyane Wade sets an awesome example for his 12-year-old daughter Zaya. @dwyanewade 𝐿𝑖𝑒𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠!!!!! ##ZayaWade ♬ original sound - lightycxrson Paper Mag hailed him "Father of the Year"in a recent article and there’s no denying that. From the moment his daughter wanted to be called Zaya up to their recent quarantine hair makeovers. He took to TikTok and… Read more

EVER WONDER WHY mermaids have the best hair? If the effects of this all-natural DIY mask for your locks (from my book, Wild Beauty, $18, captainblankenship.com) are any indication, my guess is it has to do with seaweed. I’m not gonna lie; this smells briny like the ocean. It makes me feel like I am on the beach smelling seaweed drying in the sun. This gently exfoliating and detoxifying blend with bentonite clay and kelp cleanses environmental elements, such as dirt and pollution, and rejuvenates your hair and scalp.… Read more

If you need a heartfelt Indie flick to watch during quarantine, we suggest you start with Clementine. Sydney Sweeney stars in Lara Gallagher’s directorial drama debut Clementine with Otmara Marrero. As we’ve seen time and time again in works like Euphoria, Sharp Objects, and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, the 22-year-old from Washington is a powerhouse performer. In Clementine, Sydney plays Lana, an impressionable young woman who tries to start a relationship with an older woman searching for refuge at her ex’s lake… Read more

In each issue of BUST, Amber Tamblyn reviews a book of poetry. From our Spring 2020 issue, here's her review of Lilith, But Dark by Nichole Perkins. Nichole Perkins has written a beautifully aching and illuminating portrait of a Black woman’s life in her essential collection, Lilith, But Dark (Publishing Genius Press). These poems shine on every page, whether in the shadows or in the light of life’s most extreme circumstances, including family violence, love, longing, and the gloom of loss. In “Athena of Nashville” she… Read more

ALICE SMITHMystery (Repost Network) Alice Smith has made a career of commanding genres—rock, soul, R&B, and beyond—while remaining authentically herself. She’s the rare performer who sounds best live, when the raw, emotive power of her voice is free to strike without studio tinkering. Luckily her new EP Mystery (a follow-up to her Grammy nominated 2006 debut, For Lovers, Dreamers & Me, and 2013’s She), captures the magic of her evocative sound. Smith enlivens ballads like “Mystery” and “The Meaning” with jolts of… Read more

If only Lana Del Rey could just promote her new music without having to drag other women musicians. Del Rey, who is known for her melancholic songs such as sleeper hit "Summertime Sadness," made her unfiltered thoughts about fame, feminism, and the music industry known in a Thursday Instagram post. "[I'm] fed up with female writers and alt singers saying that I glamorize abuse when in reality I'm just a glamorous person singing about the realities of what we are all now seeing are very prevalent emotionally abusive… Read more

Every day might blend into the next, but thankfully, there’s still new music every week—and some other pop culture offerings, including rom-coms, novels, and more—to keep things fresh. Read on for what we’re listening to, reading, and watching at the end of May. MOVIES/TV AKA Jane Roe This new documentary follows Norma McCorvey—aka, the real Jane Roe from 1973—in her last days, and tells the story of her life, including a startling confession about why she turned against abortion in the ’90s. Airing May 22 on FX. The… Read more

For the first time in 20 years, I have time to reflect on some of the pictures I have made: for bands, for magazines, for myself. This quarantine is affecting everyone in both individual and collective ways. I feel lucky this is how it is affecting me. Certain images are bringing back my time as a photographer just starting out, and how the culture of New York then has become part of my DNA. As most of us were getting our first emails in the late '90s, the music scene in New York City — especially in Manhattan below… Read more

The days blurred; I’m not positive, but I think my breaking point occurred while washing a sink full of rancid baby bottles, the stink sending me into a burst of rage and tears. Although, it could have also happened when I disassociated while reading Brown Bear, Brown Bear for the thousandth time, watching my son heave every toy he owned out of his play crate. Either way, it was clear: the time to leave the city had arrived. I’m fortunate to have had the opportunity to leave. After three weeks and four days, my wife,… Read more

SABA LOU Novum Ovum (Khannibalism/Burger Records) The daughter of legendary garage rocker King Khan, Saba Lou’s rock roots are free flowing, retro, and raw. But make no mistake, the vibe is all her own. Poetic and a little punk, at once sultry and spunky, it’s garage-soul with beatnik snaps. Much like Lou’s 2017 debut, her second full-length album, Novum Ovum (“new egg” in Latin), is self effacing, yet fully in your face. Each of the 10 tracks celebrate womanhood from a vivid, unexpected angle that leaves you feeling… Read more

WHILE MANY OF US MILLENNIALS are opting out of having children, we’ve found another way to nurture life: becoming plant parents. This spring, why not take your green thumb to the next level by starting from scratch? Or, more literally, from seed? According to the Environmental Protection Agency, only 15 percent of farms and agriculture-related businesses are women-owned and operated, so when you’ve decided which vegetables, herbs, and flowers you want to grow, get your goods from these woman-owned companies. San Diego… Read more

When shit hits the fan, it’s human nature to want to make jokes about it. Seriously. Call it what you will, a move to lighten the mood, deflecting, a coping mechanism, a front you put up to hide the fact that you’re .5 seconds from panicking at all times, we all do it. Something as serious as the Coronavirus should certainly not be taken lightly, but as we’re all hunkered down in our home for god only knows how long with anxiety at an all time high, a little making-fun of the situation we’ve all found ourselves in is… Read more

WHO RUN RWANDA? Women. Ever since the country’s tragic genocide nearly 25 years ago, the women left behind have been rallying together. As entrepreneurs, politicians (nearly 68 percent of the country’s government officials are female), and business owners, women are building Rwanda up, and the heart of all the action is Kigali—the capital city’s become a center for technology, tourism, arts, and more. This small country is known as the land of a thousand hills, and driving through Kigali can feel like breezing across… Read more