Source: (Photo by Johnny Nunez/WireImage) / (Photo by Johnny Nunez/WireImage)
Once again, Black culture has saved the day and brought in light amid these dark coronavirus times. In moments of crisis, people tend to lean towards the arts for comfort or to ease boredom. As everyone shelters in place, schools and businesses close, America is forced to stay inside. However, this has not stopped Black people from using their creativity and swag to captivate and entertain the entire nation. Here are five ways Black culture is easing America through COVID-19.
Cardi B’s Coronavirus remix
It was a normal day on Instagram and Cardi B went on one of her famous rants where she addressed the seriousness of coronavirus. As a result, DJ iMarkkeys created a remix which has sold more than 3,000 downloads in the U.S. Not only does this prove that Cardi doesn’t have to try when it comes to making a bop, but COVID-19 now has an anthem, or rather a musical point of reference future generations can look back on and show their children.
https://twitter.com/maggwen621/status/1245408363808083986
#SavageChallenge
Classy, bougie, ratchet. Megan Thee Stallion has turned Tik Tok on its head with her Savage Challenge. The song comes from her new album Suga. Famous celebs like Keke Palmer, Marsai Martin, Ryan Destiny and singer Normani, have all taken part along with many others. Learning choreographed dances for the sake of showing it to others has also brought us back to our childhoods. The challenge and the song has gone viral and given many the opportunity to put their energy into something active and fun.
Source: Jemal Countess / Getty
Netflix shows solely based on Black characters are trending
Netflix is a great cure for boredom and currently, two Black shows are listed in the streaming services top ten trending shows. This includes the CW TV show, All American and movie, Players Club. All American is about a Black high school student living in Los Angeles, who must balance homelife in South Crenshaw and football in Beverly Hills, aspiring to one day reach the NFL. The show is inspired by real-life pro football player Spencer Paysinger.
Players Club is a Black cinema classic, starring Lisa Raye McCoy, who plays a struggling college student who becomes a stripper to support her education and child. Her job comes with more challenges than maneuvering a pole. The film follows her difficult journey to overcome her struggles. Both shows highlight the complexities of Black pain and triumph.
DJ D-Nice’s House Party
DJ D-Nice kept the party vibe alive through his epic Instagram Live party. He had more than 100,000 viewers with a slew of notable black celebs who tuned in like Drake, Gabrielle Union, H.E.R., Janet Jackson, Erykah Badu, Tiffany Haddish, Mary J. Blige, Lena Waithe, T.I., Marsai Martin, Kelly Rowland, Tracee Ellis Ross, Queen Latifah, Ciara, Lauren London and Halle Berry.
DJ D-Nice not only gave us the party we never knew we needed but a chance to root for a possible love story as he and Halle flirted during the session. In the darkness of coronavirus, it was this legendary rapper, DJ and photographer who pulled the country to its feet, with his “homeschool” mixes.
Rerun plays of incredible moments from Black athletes
Even with the NBA games canceled sports channels still found a way to reach viewers through classic games that raised the bar for sports forever. On April 1, ESPN aired games 5 and 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors. In Game 5, LeBron James and Kyrie Irving took back the series and became the first teammates in Finals history to score 40 points each. Then in Game 7, Kyrie hit the game-winning shot and the Cavs completed the first 3-1 comeback in NBA Finals history. This gave Cleveland its first major sports championship in 52 years. American sports fans were given the chance to relive some of sports’ greatest moments, which were at the hands of black men.
When this virus subsides and outside opens up again, we’ll look back at how we managed this bizarre time in history. But we’ll be reminded that Black creatives helped us through.
