Bené Viera
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Past articles by Bené:
You can thank the first female film director for the fact that movies actually have a plot
Alice Guy-Blaché was a secretary when she accompanied her boss, Léon Gaumont, to an event at the Lumière in Paris. People were gathered to witness the first demonstration of film projection. The film… → Read More
Maya Angelou wrote her first book because her editor said she couldn’t
Maya Angelou was deeply sad. Her friend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. had been assassinated a few months prior and depression had made a home in Maya. Her dear friend James Baldwin, or Jimmy and her… → Read More
This particular Democratic National Convention was all about slavery — and how to keep it alive
South Carolina Institute Hall was filled with the chatter of dissent. Northern and Southern Democrats were gathered at the Democratic National Convention in Charleston, South Carolina on April 23… → Read More
This Harlem Renaissance writer seemed to live an ordinary life — but her diaries revealed years of…
“Love and beautiful love has been mine from many men, but the great passion of four or five transcended that of other women — and what more can any woman want?” So wrote Alice Dunbar-Nelson in her… → Read More
This black fighter pilot broke all kinds of records. He doesn’t even have a Wikipedia page
On July 18th, 1944, Lieutenant Clarence D. “Lucky” Lester was, once again, about to live up to his nickname and make history. The Tuskegee Airmen fighter pilot from Chicago was flying a P-51 Mustang… → Read More
When this fancy restaurant refused to serve Josephine Baker, her badass takedown didn’t disappoint
Josephine Baker arrived with friends in tow at Manhattan’s Stork Club on October 16, 1951, craving shrimp cocktail and steak. It was one of the most prestigious supper clubs in the world, and there… → Read More
If this trailblazing journalist hadn’t been a black woman, you would know her name
One night in 1947, police arrested two dozen black men outside a bar in Ethel L. Payne’s Chicago neighborhood. When Payne tried to get more details about the arrests, the police were dismissive… → Read More
Octavia Butler’s science fiction made black girls heroes
When Madeleine L’Engle’s A Wrinkle in Time was finally published in 1962, following a brutal 26 rejections, a teenage black girl in California was sowing the seeds of a future as the grand dame of… → Read More
You Better Trust Metro Boomin
Prolific producer Metro Boomin knows how to make a hit. But even with a slew of chart-toppers under his belt, he wants more. → Read More
Insecure’s Yvonne Orji: TV Bad Girl, IRL Good Girl
On HBO's breakout show, Yvonne Orji plays the sexually liberated best friend. In the real world, she's a devout Christian who doesn't curse. → Read More
Bené Viera
Bené Viera is a journalist who writes about pop culture, race and gender. When she's not writing magazine cover stories she's somewhere in Brooklyn rapping the lyrics to "Ether." → Read More
Essay — DeAndre Levy’s understanding of misogyny feels magical —
The September leaves had just begun to transition from chlorophyll-filled green to translucent yellow. I was sitting in my Brooklyn apartment in 2014 chatting with my dad, a die-hard Ravens fan. Th… → Read More
Moonlight’s André Holland Talks About His Unforgettable Performance
Even in a film full of brilliant moments, André Holland’s third-act performance is a standout. He tells us how the whole thing came together. → Read More
Mahershala Ali Quit 'House of Cards' and Became Marvel’s New Villain
Talking to the foil of Luke Cage about breaking into the biz, being black in Hollywood, and creating mixtapes for each of his roles. → Read More
Bernie Sanders Has Lofty Goals, but Can He Execute Them?
There were a lot of skeptics in the audience during the Democratic presidential candidate’s speech at the National Action Network conference. → Read More
Hillary Clinton’s NAN Speech Sounds Good, but Does Anybody Really Believe Her?
The Democratic presidential candidate garnered much applause at the National Action Network conference, but didn’t win over this skeptic. → Read More
Why a Barbie with textured hair and a curvy body matters
Who decides what's beautiful? → Read More
Being Mary Jane Recap: No More Drama, No More Pain
In the season finale, M.J.’s life seems headed toward a new day, but an incident with a family member reminds her that she can’t escape being black in America. → Read More
Being Mary Jane Recap: I’m Not Your Superwoman
M.J. decides to butt out of family drama and focus on her career. → Read More
Being Mary Jane Recap: Selling Out
M.J. enjoys the perks of her new primetime gig but at what cost? → Read More