THINGS ARE HEATING UP IN THE WORLD OF ENTERTAINMENT.

It’s with great pleasure that we present to you our Black Hollywood issue. So many African-American actors, directors, writers and producers have been gaining significant ground in film, television and cable of late. They are telling stories of our lives and culture that can be told only through a Black perspective. So we are spotlighting this new wave of exciting talent, which includes Jordan Peele, who recently became the first Black writer to win a best original screenplay Oscar, for his film Get Out. And our list of hot directors includes Ryan Coogler, who directed the megahit Black Panther and is executive producing Creed 2, scheduled for release this fall.

Another star assuming a key role in Hollywood is Omari Hardwick, this month’s cover subject, who has captivated audiences in the hit Starz TV crime series Power, convincingly playing the multilayered character James “Ghost” St. Patrick. Hardwick has an inspiring story that he shares with EBONY readers; it is one that describes his rise from struggling actor living in his car to in-demand actor who is giving back to others. Fans can see him in this summer’s Sorry to Bother You.

Although we do love bringing you the stars, EBONY continues to maintain another important role: keeper of the truth. As such, we felt it necessary to enlist one of our great authors and scholars, Michael Eric Dyson, who has written many best-selling books and is a professor at Georgetown University, to address the importance of why our Black creatives don’t have the luxury of making work that is culturally uninformed. He also pays tribute to one of our great actors and activists, Harry Belafonte, and stresses the need for artists and entertainers to continue the mission of those enlightened individuals who came before them.

Other issues we continue to face are related to health and lifestyle. An expanded Bon Appétit section, in which we present recipes from three top chefs and nutrition advice from our experts, covers the Black vegan movement. And while the media have presented the opioid epidemic as a problem that impacts only White suburban and rural populations, the national death rate among African-Americans rose 41 percent in 2016, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Indeed, Black lives do and should matter, especially as it pertains to this latest drug crisis.

We sincerely hope you enjoy reading about your favorite celebrities and becoming more informed about today’s issues.

—Linda Johnson Rice,
CEO of Ebony Media Operations