Teyana Taylor Refuses To Accept ‘Disrespect’ After Oscars Security Incident
Despite the mild drama surrounding Teyana Taylor's actions, the night was still a huge success for the actress.
Teyana Taylor clarified the circumstances surrounding the March 15 Academy Awards video in which she spoke assertively to a security guard.
Taylor has solidified her place in Hollywood as an Academy Award nominee for her role in the Best Picture-winning film “One Battle At A Time.” Still, her ascension into the upper echelon of the acting world did not stop her from being allegedly manhandled by an Oscars security guard. Clips of the ceremony flooded media timelines during and after the event. The video of Taylor speaking directly to an unnamed person grabbed viewers’ attention. Speculation swirled and claims that the actress and R&B singer was assaulted in some manner.
The “A Thousand And One” actress spoke out, telling her fans that she is “fine” and was not assaulted but rather disrespected. Speaking to TMZ, Taylor said there is always a security guard who is overzealous, and “just doing a lot.” However, Taylor demands respect, as evidenced in the video.
“The first thing people do is definitely make assumptions. But at the end of the day, I just don’t tolerate disrespect – especially when it’s unwarranted, and it’s unprovoked.”
@Sirr_Roc_ELS used Taylor’s status as a divorcee to belittle her actions: “I see why Iman got that divorce. Too masculine.”
@MrDwein commented: “I bet that man didn’t intentionally do that or didn’t even do that at all. She just wants an attention…”
The incident garnered even harsher criticisms from detractors. However, the support was just as loud.
@Tee_Zee_zw showed support: “The academy will let anything happen backstage, but heaven forbid a woman speaks up for herself. imagine winning 6 Oscars for your movie and then having to fight security just to get on stage for the group photo. the irony is crazy. she handled that with the exact level of volume it deserved.”
@Sholzzola stated, “If someone crossed a boundary, she had every right to call it out.”
Despite the mild drama surrounding Taylor’s actions, the night provided a feather in her proverbial cap. “One Battle At A Time” scored the top prize at the ceremony, earning Best Picture and beating out cultural juggernaut “Sinners.” Her pivot into acting after over a decade in the music industry is concrete. Recently, she was named a “TIME Woman Of The Year,” and all roads lead to her continued success.
Ketanji Brown Jackson Keeps TPS Alive After Supreme Court Stands Behind One Of Her Sharpest Arguments
Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson has stood with immigrants against treatment from her fellow justices siding with President Donald Trump who abruptly interrupted legal status of TPS immigrants, sometimes standing alone.
Known as one of her sharpest dissents, the Supreme Court stood behind Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson by blocking the Trump administration from revoking Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for more than 350,000 Haitian and Syrian immigrants, Slate reports.
Without any dissents, the highest court in the land is allowing immigrants from those nations to continue living and working in the U.S. legally while it reviews the administration’s arguments that it has the power to strip protections overnight. So, without any emergency rulings, all nine justices will decide — including full briefings, oral arguments, deliberation, and an opinion — over inserting the shadow docket, with minimal explanation.
The first Black woman justice should feel vindicated after fighting for this cause for the last 10 months, supporting hundreds of thousands of law-abiding noncitizens who will stay protected from deportation temporarily. Brown Jackson has stood with immigrants against treatment from her fellow justices who have sided with President Donald Trump, who abruptly interrupted the legal status of TPS immigrants, sometimes standing alone. In one of her dissents, she condemned the conservative majority for its “grave misuse” of the shadow docket as a privilege toward the “bald assertion of unconstrained executive power over countless families’ pleas for the stability our government has promised them.”
She then encouraged her colleagues to resolve this dispute through the ordinary process, all while maintaining the status quo for immigrants, rather than issuing another snap judgment to please the Trump administration.
It’s not just immigrants from Haiti and Syria that Brown Jackson is siding with, but all immigrants. After the Supreme Court gave the green light to the administration to remove legal protections from more than 300,000 immigrants from Venezuela, she sent a stern statement against the court’s “repeated, gratuitous, and harmful interference.”
“I view today’s decision as yet another grave misuse of our emergency docket. This Court should have stayed its hand,” the justice wrote in October 2025, according to Newsweek.
“Having opted instead to join the fray, the Court plainly misjudges the irreparable harm and balance-of-the-equities factors by privileging the bald assertion of unconstrained executive power over countless families’ pleas for the stability our Government has promised them.”
She recently spoke out against shadow dockets in a rare dual appearance with conservative Justice Brett Kavanaugh.
The process allows policies to go into effect almost immediately, even if they’re in the early stages of legal challenges, saying it’s “not serving the court or this country well.” “I just feel like this uptick in the court’s willingness to get involved … is a real unfortunate problem,” Jackson said during a conversation moderated by U.S. District Judge Paul Friedman.
Barack Obama Challenges Anthony Edwards On The Court To Promote Obama Presidential Center Opening
Obama taps Edwards for a sports-driven video promoting his new Presidential Center in Chicago.
President Barack Obama has enlisted NBA All-Star Anthony Edwards for a sports-driven promotional video ahead of the opening of his Presidential Center in Chicago.
The Minnesota Timberwolves guard leaned into their easygoing rapport in a new video promoting the June 19 opening of the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago’s Jackson Park. Obama—recalling a 2024 meeting where Edwards declared himself “the truth” on the court—challenges the Atlanta native to a series of competitions, including a shooting contest, ping pong, and Connect 4, to determine who really lives up to the title.
The pair wrap up their friendly showdown by dipping their feet in the pool and vowing a rematch, one that Obama already has a location in mind for.
“The next one is going to be on my home court at the Obama Presidential Center on the South Side of Chicago,” Obama said.
The lighthearted clip builds on Anthony Edwards’ viral moment with Barack Obama during the 2024 Paris Olympics, featured in Netflix’s “Court of Gold.” When Obama stopped by USA Basketball’s 50th anniversary event in July 2024, he asked Joel Embiid what he thought of Edwards.
“He can hoop a little bit, huh?” Obama said, prompting Embiid to reply, “Just a little bit.”
Standing nearby, Edwards didn’t hesitate to respond with his signature confidence.
“Man, y’all better stand down. I’m the truth…” he said. “These boys know.”
As the center’s launch date approaches, reports are swirling about who will be invited, with a press release revealing that “legendary performances by global icons and powerful remarks from today’s most prominent voices” are expected. While former Presidents are expected to attend, it’s been confirmed that President Donald Trump is not invited to the grand opening, but former President George W. Bush will be.
“When visitors look up at the Obama Presidential Center’s Museum building, they’ll see three words: ‘You are America.’ Those words come from a speech I gave in Selma on the 50th anniversary of the march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge,” Obama wrote on Instagram. “They’re meant to honor the men and women who came before us, and to inspire the next generation to be messengers of hope.”
The center will feature a museum, a new library branch, and additional amenities across its expansive campus. Obama has previously said he chose to build the center—rather than a traditional presidential library—to help revitalize the Jackson Park neighborhood on Chicago’s South Side, where his wife grew up and where he launched his political career after being elected state senator in 1996.
New York Man Freed After Spending 19 Years In Prison For Robbery He Didn’t Commit
A New York man who spent nearly 20 years in prison for a robbery he didn't commit has finally regained his freedom.
A New York man has finally been freed after spending 19 years behind bars for using a money order he says he didn’t know was stolen.
Kenneth Windley walked free on March 16 after being wrongfully tied to a 2005 robbery he did not commit, stemming from his use of a money order he says he didn’t know was stolen to purchase a stove for his mother, NBC News reports. Nearly two decades after being convicted of second-degree robbery and sentenced to 20 years to life, a Brooklyn judge vacated his conviction after prosecutors revisited his claims of innocence and determined he was not involved in the crime.
“It cost me 20 years, but they said they corrected it now. So that’s all that matters,” Windley, 61, said.
Windley’s conviction stemmed from an April 1, 2005, robbery in Brooklyn’s Crown Heights section, where two men followed a 70-year-old victim into his building and robbed him of cash and blank money orders.
Authorities linked Windley to the crime after he used one of the stolen money orders to buy his mother a stove, and the victim later identified him. At his 2007 trial, Windley denied any involvement, saying he purchased the money order from two street sellers for about $400, believing it was legitimate despite suspecting they were hustlers. He testified he had never used a money order before and did not realize it may have been stolen.
Windley was convicted of second-degree robbery in March 2007 and, due to prior felonies, was sentenced to 20 years to life.
Years later, he located the actual perpetrators—incarcerated for a string of robberies targeting elderly men—who confirmed he had no involvement in the Crown Heights case. Their statements were backed by recorded prison calls and emails.
“It has taken many years, but today we are able to validate his account, release him from prison and exonerate his name,” Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez said in a statement.
Sienna Wings Founder Faces Trademark Battle Threatening To Derail Expansion
Sienna Wings cannot currently use its name in storefront signage due to a trademark issue.
Sienna Wings, founded by then-14-year-old Tyla Simone Crayton, is facing a trademark dispute that is blocking its expansion.
Sienna Wings went viral in 2020 for its teen CEO and its signature sauces, making Crayton an emerging restaurateur. She not only manufactured three flavors, Sweet & Tangy, Lemon Pepper, and Spice It Up!, but also opened multiple storefronts in her native state of Texas.
Business reached new heights during a 2021 appearance on “Shark Tank,” where Crayton brought her fan-favorite sauces to the business investors. During Crayton’s successful pitch, jewelry designer Kendra Scott offered the young entrepreneur and her mom, who helps manage the business, a $100,000 check to launch Sienna Sauce on the shelves of major retailers.
Five years later, the 22-year-old emerging chef has encountered a trademark battle that prevents her from scaling operations. While her newest storefront in Missouri City, Texas, can serve customers, many are unaware of its existence because of the restaurant’s lack of signage.
According to Afrotech, Crayton is currently embroiled in a signage issue with the Sienna Property Owners Association (SPOA), as the Sienna community is located within Missouri City. The young founder must sign a Trademark Coexistence Agreement with community developer Johnson Development, especially as her business’s “Sienna” name could conflict with the developer’s own restaurant, Sienna Grill.
However, Crayton says the current agreement would infringe upon her intellectual property, a move she says “unfairly blocked” her small, Black-owned business. According to KHOU11, the agreement would also grant Johnson Development “approval rights over any business changes or expansions, including to other cities, states, or countries.”
“They would also be able to control whether we have to ask permission if we want to exit or sell our company,” Crayton said to the news outlet. “Those are fundamental practices that you should be able to do as a business.”
To keep her business’s name and expansion in her control, Crayton refuses to sign the agreement as it stands. The founder already filed a failed appeal with the SPOA, leaving her business and current Shark Tank deal in limbo.
While Johnson Development claims that the agreements seek to protect the Sienna trademark, Crayton has argued otherwise, asserting that the developer’s contract could thwart her business’s growth. Crayton has also called upon her supporters to share their support for Sienna Wings, launching a petition with thousands of signatures from wing-lovers nationwide.
“Signing this petition is important because it supports fair treatment, protects small businesses from undue pressure, and helps ensure Sienna Wings can secure the signage they need to remain visible, accessible, and thriving in our community,” explained the self-proclaimed “Sauce Boss” in the caption.
In the meantime, Crayton and her mother-turned-business partner are trying to bypass this agreement by seeking hearings to revitalize her business.
Kevin Durant’s Latest Sneaker Release, Nike KD19 Will Debut June 13
A global release is also planned for June 17
Nike has just announced it will release Kevin Durant’s 19th signature shoe, the Nike KD19, in June.
The sneaker will be released exclusively on June 13 via the SNKRS app, with a global launch on June 17. The Houston Rockets forward debuted the footwear on March 16 before the team played the Los Angeles Lakers in Houston.
“Across basketball, few players are as smooth or as dangerous from anywhere on the court as Kevin Durant,” says Ross Klein, VP, creative director, Nike Basketball. “The KD19 embodies that edge: visually distinct, built for instant responsiveness and all-game comfort, helping players get to any spot and knock down any shot.”
This is the latest shoe in the KD collection, as the Nike KD18 was released a little over a year ago, in February 2025.
Hopefully, the new KD19 sneakers weren’t to blame for the Rockets’ loss to the Lakers that night. The team lost the game 100-92. After the contest, Durant took the blame for the defeat, according to ESPN.
“I just felt like I lost the game for us tonight,” said Durant. “It’s that simple. Of course, we probably could make more 3s, but it’s on me. I mean, to be honest, I’m the offense, and the opposing team is going to use all their resources and not let me get comfortable.
While wearing the new kicks, Durant did not do very well during the basketball game. Durant finished the contest with 18 points, as he shot 8-of-16 from the field (50%) but only made 1-of-5 shots in the second half, where he also committed six of his seven turnovers.
Feeling like his game was off for the night, Durant also added, “I didn’t need to have the ball as much as I did tonight.”
After the contest, the Rockets (41-26) are 1.5 games behind the Lakers (43-25) for the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference.
Video released on March 16 shows Officer Myth Louis-Jeune, who was charged in January with misdemeanor battery, repeatedly striking inmate Spencer Butler while he was handcuffed inside an elevator at the Miami-Dade County Pre-Trial Detention Center on March 1, 2023, NBC Miami reported. Following the footage’s release, questions have emerged about why the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office did not bring charges against Louis-Jeune until Jan. 30, 2026, despite the incident occurring nearly three years earlier.
“I got my a** beat,” Butler is heard yelling to an officer a day after the incident.
NEW: Miami-Dade corrections officer repeatedly punches a handcuffed inmate inside a jail elevator
Officer Myth Louis-Jeune, 36, was charged in January with misdemeanor battery for allegedly striking inmate Spencer Butler on March 1, 2023, inside the Miami-Dade County Pre-Trial… pic.twitter.com/k0pcB0LIKx
The video then shows Butler being placed in a window-lined room, where an officer is seen pointing a weapon through the glass. Several officers can be heard coughing before one shouts that there is “no ventilation.”
“Turn on the exhaust fan,” another officer yells.
Moments later, Butler is surrounded by multiple officers and taken to a shower for “decontamination.” One officer is heard informing him that he had been pepper-sprayed, though it remains unclear what prompted officers to deploy the spray.
“I didn’t have to get sprayed,” Butler yelled.
In another video, an officer asks Butler to write a statement detailing “what transpired in the elevator with Officer Louis-Jeune,” as Butler is heard asking how to spell words like “aggressive” and “excessive.”
Larry Handfield, an attorney for Louis-Jeune, said his client acted in self-defense and was “just doing his job,” describing Butler as an uncooperative and violent inmate who attacked the officer. Louis-Jeune has pleaded not guilty and is awaiting trial.
Prosecutors said the delay in filing charges came at the request of Louis-Jeune’s former defense attorney, who sought time to investigate, present mitigating evidence, and potentially introduce expert testimony.
However, a labor management report indicates the officer had previously been suspended following a November 2021 use-of-force incident.
Cécred To Launch New Styling Products That Beyoncé Says Are ‘Cowboy Carter’ Tour-Approved
The styling products were developed to help Beyoncé maintain her hair health during the "Cowboy Carter" tour.
Cécred, the haircare brand founded by Beyoncé, is launching a new collection that the singer already tour-approved.
Beyoncé assured her fanbase and Cécred lovers that the brand’s styling products can withstand anything, even a worldwide stadium tour. The seven-piece collection will feature products directly used on Beyoncé’s mane, assuring customers that the products’ hold means business.
Beyoncé came up with the new line from her own experiences managing her hair strength and health on tour. She informed WWD that she does not use chemical treatments to keep her tresses in place.
“A lot of these products were designed from a desire to solve my own issues with my hair while on tour,” explained Beyoncé. “I don’t use relaxers, so I’m very big on protecting the hair from heat damage when I style.”
Instead, she developed a solution of products that could create similar results without jeopardizing one’s hair follicles. The collection includes a Thermal Shield Mist, Heat-Activated Silk Glaze, Volumizing Mousse, Wrap & Set Foam, Strong Hold Gel, Flexible Hold Hairspray, and an Edge Brush.
Each product served a purpose during Beyoncé’s latest tour run. She also noted that the “unpredictable” tour led her to build products that could protect hair no matter the situation.
The mother of three added, “Tour weather is unpredictable. Pouring rain, crazy humidity, some shows in 100 degree weather. I’m drenched in sweat and those styles must make it through a three-hour show. I wasn’t finding stylers that could perform at the necessary level without affecting my hair health.”
However, the brand also uses science-backed technology and ingredients to back their results. Cécred incorporated a StemShield Complex to keep hair intact with each use.
“There is a styling product in the collection for whatever hair you are wearing: silky straight, big-body blowouts, buss-downs, braid-outs, slick-backs. And our advanced new technology, StemShield Complex, is something special to keep your hair healthy,” Beyoncé added. “I am proud that we have you covered from wash day to everything in between, and we will continue to invest in the best innovation for everyone’s hair needs.”
Co-founded with her mother, Tina Knowles, Beyoncé has garnered numerous awards for her innovative haircare solutions. While Beyoncé has always championed her brand as a real-life user, she used her unique day job as further prove of this latest rollout’s effectiveness.
“People assume my fans on stage are blowing just for the drama and hairography, but the heat under those lights gets real,” she continued. “I need products strong enough to keep my style while keeping it weightless enough to take flight. It’s taken years with lots of trial and error to find the best formulas. We have put each one of these to the test and I use it on my daughters before everything: blow dry, silk press, braid-out. We tested the mousse on my big Texas blowout all the way back in 2024 for the Super Bowl [ad].”
Each product cost ranges from $18 to $38, so buyers can use it whether on tour or on the clock. The set officially launches March 19 on the Cécred website, with an in-person release at Ulta stores this April.
Maj. Gen. Rodney Boyd, Assistant Adjutant General - Army, Illinois National Guard; Illinois Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton; and Brig. Gen. Daniel R. McDonough, Assistant Adjutant General - Air, Illinois National Guard, pose for a photograph at the conclusion of the Military Economic Development Committee quarterly meeting at Camp Lincoln Nov. 7. Military and community leaders came together to discuss support for military families facing a range of issues from childcare to quality of life. (U.S. Army photo by Officer Candidate Trenton Fouche, Joint Force Headquarters - Illinois National Guard)
Juliana Stratton Will Continue To Yell ‘F*** Trump’ Following Illinois Democratic Primary Win
If elected, she will hold the title of becoming the second Black woman to be nominated to the Senate from Illinois after Carol Moseley Braun, who was elected in 1992.
Illinois Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton may be heading to Washington, D.C. after securing the Democratic primary vote to potentially become the country’s sixth Black woman senator, Politico reports.
Taking over for Sen. Dick Durbin, who is retiring, Stratton beat out frontrunner Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi with millions in campaign donations, an endorsement from Gov. JB Pritzker, and a catchy campaign slogan where she and other supporters said, “F*** Trump.”
Her victory will put her on the ballot against former Illinois Republican Party chair Don Tracy in November. If elected as a senator, she will be the second Black woman to be nominated to the Senate from Illinois. Carol Moseley Braun was the first in 1992, passing the torch to Stratton with an endorsement.
Stratton was introduced by her daughter before giving her victory speech to dozens of supporters. “I am proud to serve as your lieutenant governor and I am humbled and honored to stand before you tonight as your Democratic nominee for the U.S. Senate!,” she shouted.
“We did it! Tonight we showed what’s possible when you listen to the people and give the people what they want.”
"I'm so proud to call her Mom and especially proud tonight to call her your Democratic nominee for United States Senate, Juliana Stratton."
—Cassidy Stratton calling up her mother on stage minutes after she became the Democratic nominee for Senate.
Stratton’s success painted a different picture than that of those who were assumed to have supported her. Members of the Congressional Black Caucus, who endorsed contender Rep. Robin Kelly, another Black woman, issued a warning that interference from Pritzker, who appeared in Stratton’s video, could split the Black vote and cost Democrats a chance at electing a Black woman to the Senate later this year.
But they may have been wrong, defying the beliefs of some strategists. Voters like Jade Brown admitted to struggling about who to vote for as senator, but after deep thought, came to the decision of Stratton. “She has a proven record of doing what she thinks is right and not tying herself to anybody else. She’s always been an independent voice,” Brown said, according to CNN.
Born and raised on Chicago’s South Side, the political leader began her career as a lawyer before winning a state House seat in 2016. In 2018, Pritzker leaned on her to join him on the Democratic ticket, and she has served the state of Illinois for the past eight years.
Receiving support from other powerful Democratic female figures on Capitol Hill, like Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Illinois Sen. Tammy Duckworth, while on the campaign trail, the lieutenant governor promised to work toward abolishing US Immigration and Customs Enforcement — ICE — and supported raising the minimum wage to $25 per hour, in addition to expanding Medicare access to all Americans.
Black Women’s Artwork That Everyone Should Have Eyes On
Black women artists have persistently transformed modern art through their presence in museums and galleries as well as public art spaces. Their artistic production gives widespread recognition to both restore forgotten histories and celebrate Black existence while transforming institutional approaches to Black representation.
These artists create their most culturally significant modern artworks through portraiture, sculpture, photography, collage, and large-scale installations. The following selection features Black American women artists whose work has received both critical acclaim and institutional acknowledgment, and you should keep your eyes on them.
In 2018, artist Amy Sherald created a powerful portrait of former first lady Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama. The Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery commissioned the oil painting, which became the official Obama portrait for its presidential collection. Sherald’s distinctive artistic approach breaks conventional portrait rules through her depiction of Obama, who sits before a light blue backdrop in a Milly-designed geometric dress. The painting’s effect is enhanced through Obama’s distinctive grayscale skin tones. The portrait’s debut attracted unprecedented crowds, which established it as the museum’s most popular exhibition piece.
Simone Leigh: Brick House (2019)
The bronze sculpture “Brick House,” by Chicago-born artist Simone Leigh, debuted in 2019 as the first public art installation for the High Line Plinth program in New York City. The sculpture reaches about 16 feet above 10th Avenue in Manhattan, while merging a Black woman’s bust with architectural elements that reference African and African American building heritage. This artwork represents a continuing investigation by Leigh into Black womanhood alongside labor and public art representation of Black women.
Phyllis Stephens: The Movement of Material (2023)
In 2023, Atlanta-based quilt artist Phyllis Stephens showcased The Movement of Material textile series, which features large-scale quilted artworks that honor dance rhythms and storytelling abilities.
Stephens displayed her hand-painted fabric quilted artworks at Almine Rech Gallery in a solo exhibition, which showed Black figures dancing through joyful, intimate, everyday moments. The ten-piece series unites African American quilting heritage with dance movement to study how rhythm and memory, and community influence Black cultural identity. Stephens found her inspiration in the shared characteristics of quilting and dance because both disciplines need rhythm and structure and emotional expression to create visual motion through color and fabric in each composition. The exhibition solidified Stephens’ status as a fifth-generation quilt maker who creates vibrant textile narratives that unite fine art with Black storytelling traditions.
LaToya Ruby Frazier: Flint Is Family (2016)
In 2016, documentary photographer LaToya Ruby Frazier started the photographic project “Flint Is Family” while she covered the water crisis in Flint, Michigan. Frazier received a commission from Elle magazine to document the crisis. Yet, she spent several months living among the community members while she focused her lens on poet and activist Shea Cobb and her family. Frazier portrays the human side of the environmental disaster that impacted Flint residents.
The photographic collection depicts the family in everyday routines as well as in activist activities. The images demonstrate the impact of water contamination on ordinary life in the predominantly Black urban area. The initial photo essay developed into a multi-year project called “Flint Is Family in Three Acts.”
Mickalene Thomas: Resist (2016)
The 2016 mixed-media painting “Resist” by Mickalene Thomas depicts a Black woman who reclines amid colorful, patterned fabrics and rhinestone decorations. These elements are hallmarks of Thomas’s artistic style. This artwork demonstrates Thomas’s continuous effort to redefine traditional art history while promoting Black feminine representation in modern visual arts.
Deborah Roberts: Let Them Be Children (2018)
In 2018, “Let Them Be Children” was created by Austin-based mixed-media artist Deborah Roberts. The collage shows groups of Black children through its combination of photographic fragments and painted elements. The artwork joined institutional collections after its creation and established Roberts as a leading contemporary artist who examines race identity and childhood in America through collage.
Jordan Casteel: The Baayfalls (2017)
In 2017, painter Jordan Casteel created “The Baayfalls,” a large-scale portrait that shows two Senegalese street vendors working in Harlem, New York. The painting became a mural installation, which was displayed along NYC’s High Line during 2019-2020. Casteel wanted to bring attention to the ordinary people who form the backbone of Harlem’s community with her artwork. Through bold color and intimate composition, she presents her subjects with dignity and individuality. Through her work, Casteel has helped to broaden contemporary portraiture by capturing Black urban life in America.
Bisa Butler: I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (2019)
In 2019, textile artist Bisa Butler made a quilted portrait called “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.” Butler used layered African wax fabrics and patterned textiles to create the portrait, which was inspired by Maya Angelou’s autobiography of the same name. Through this work, Butler demonstrates her commitment to advancing quilting as a contemporary fine art form while honoring its Black American cultural heritage.
The Art Institute of Chicago and the Smithsonian American Art Museum have displayed Butler’s quilts.
