Birthday Blessings

Happy Birthday, Mr. President. At times like this, I wish you were still leading us. Actually, at all times, I wish… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

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Ava DuVernay (@ava) August 04, 2019

Today, for the first time ever, you can celebrate President Obama's birthday on President Barack Obama Boulevard.… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

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Congressmember Bass (@RepKarenBass) August 04, 2019

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Happy birthday, @BarackObama. I miss you so much, my eyelashes hurt.

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Ellen DeGeneres (@TheEllenShow) August 04, 2019

Happy 58th birthday, #44. A true icon. We ❤️💙 you @BarackObama. https://t.co/evKb5cHZXn

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  (@Complex) August 04, 2019

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“WAP” Happy Birthday to a real one, @BarackObama. 🐐 https://t.co/CwLzBBBX8y

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Complex Sports (@ComplexSports) August 04, 2019

A true lover of the game. Happy 58th birthday to the one and only, Barack Obama 🎂🐐 (🎥: @NBA) https://t.co/uo3rUpIlfg

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Yahoo Sports NBA (@YahooSportsNBA) August 04, 2019

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“In the fleeting time we have on this Earth, what matters is not wealth, or status, or power, or fame, but rather h… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

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ARRAY (@ARRAYNow) August 04, 2019

“We are the ones we've been waiting for. We are the change that we seek" President Barack Obama. twitter.com/arraynow/statu…

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COMMON (@common) August 04, 2019

POTUS: Helping People Find Their Voice

A Gentle Human

Remind them. https://t.co/an9VboMTCv

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Ava DuVernay (@ava) July 08, 2018

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Wild Embers by Nikita Gill

August 28: The History Of A People

THREAD: Did you know this day is a mammoth one in African-American history? A date that has exposed two Americas. twitter.com/donmsantana/st…

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Ava DuVernay (@ava) August 28, 2017

I was invited to make a film for @NMAAHC. I chose to chronicle "August 28" as a day in the life of my people. deadline.com/2016/09/ava-du…

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Ava DuVernay (@ava) August 28, 2017

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@NMAAHC On Aug 28, 1833, slavery is abolished in the UK, contributing to the American abolition of slavery. This da… twitter.com/i/web/status/9…

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Ava DuVernay (@ava) August 28, 2017

@NMAAHC On Aug. 28, 1955: Emmett Till, 14, is brutally murdered by three white KKK members, becoming the flashpoint… twitter.com/i/web/status/9…

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Ava DuVernay (@ava) August 28, 2017

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@NMAAHC On Aug. 28, 1961, Motown released its first hit, “Please Mr. Postman” by the Marvellettes. Motown would go… twitter.com/i/web/status/9…

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Ava DuVernay (@ava) August 28, 2017

@NMAAHC On Aug. 28, 1963: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered his “I Have A Dream” speech, bending the arc a litt… twitter.com/i/web/status/9…

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Ava DuVernay (@ava) August 28, 2017

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@NMAAHC On August 28, 2005: Hurricane Katrina makes landfall and the government response reveals massive inequities… twitter.com/i/web/status/9…

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Ava DuVernay (@ava) August 28, 2017

@NMAAHC On Aug. 28, 2008: Senator Barack stuns the world and accepts the Democratic nomination for President of The… twitter.com/i/web/status/9…

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Ava DuVernay (@ava) August 28, 2017

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@NMAAHC The film I made ends there. But I always continue to track August 28. It is a magic date in black history.… twitter.com/i/web/status/9…

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Ava DuVernay (@ava) August 28, 2017

@NMAAHC On Aug. 28, 2016, @Kaepernick7 delivers his first official remarks on his reasons for protesting the nation… twitter.com/i/web/status/9…

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Ava DuVernay (@ava) August 28, 2017

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@NMAAHC @Kaepernick7 Written + directed from my heart, "August 28" stars Turman, Bassett, Cheadle, Oyelowo, King, H… twitter.com/i/web/status/9…

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Ava DuVernay (@ava) August 28, 2017

@NMAAHC @Kaepernick7 Check it out exclusively at @NMAAHC. Our history is a treasure trove of knowledge and guidance… twitter.com/i/web/status/9…

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Ava DuVernay (@ava) August 28, 2017

Chat Away

Soothe Your Soul

Royalty

Gonna go ahead and throw up my White House Correspondent's Dinner pic from when the President respected the press e… twitter.com/i/web/status/8…

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Ava DuVernay (@ava) April 30, 2017

Oscars: A Tweet Or Two

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Scott Mendelson: Why Ava DuVernay’s ‘Selma’ Oscar Snub Matters

The Oscar nominations were announced this morning. There will be plenty of analysis regarding good surprises and bad surprises, and I may dip my toes in later today. But the most egregious omission is the sadly not-entirely-surprising absence of Selma’s Ava DuVernay from the five contenders nominated for Best Director. To the extent that one can be “angry” about a certain filmmaker not being nominated for a major award that honors the best in filmmaking, I am angry. I am angry both because she deserved a nomination. I am angry because if the legacy of DuVernay’s Selma becomes shaped by its Oscar-season controversy, I fear that it will affect the artistic opportunities afforded to its African-American female director in a manner different than if Selma would have come under fire under the directorial lens of a white male filmmaker.

Martin Luther King, Jr., was born January 15, 1929—here after arrest, Montgomery Bus Boycott (1956): http://t.co/19SVx0eFDO

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Michael Beschloss (@BeschlossDC) January 15, 2015

"It may well be that the Negro is God's instrument to save the soul of America." - Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. #RememberMLK

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MyFeminismRealAF (@FeministaJones) January 15, 2015

To support/see @AVAETC work: Selma is in theaters, Middle of Nowhere is on DVD/iTunes, I Will Follow is on Netflix #fyi

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Whitney (@arieswym) January 15, 2015

Ms. DuVernay directed one of the very best films of the year and has been lauded and celebrated accordingly for the last two months and yet she was shoved aside for at least a few contenders who were nowhere near as celebrated. There is a real chance that this terrific and towering achievement that highlights the profoundly heroic and blood-stained work of those who worked with and for Martin Luther King Jr. during the “Civil Rights Era” will be forever defined by the notion that it wasn’t nice enough to a powerful white guy in a supporting role.

More here

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Oscar nominations exposed Academy's lack of diversity variety.com/2015/film/news… http://t.co/70tnrtGVcE

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  (@Variety) January 15, 2015

#OscarsSoWhite hashtag criticizes the Academy for lack of diversity among nominees: on.wsj.com/151s4u9 #Oscarnoms http://t.co/tZJJIofLfi

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Wall Street Journal (@WSJ) January 15, 2015

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#Selma should be seen by ALL. It is American history, human history. Take all your kids and show them YOUR history.

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L. Joy Williams (@ljoywilliams) January 15, 2015

Maybe Selma didn't get more #OscarNoms because the film doesn't depict white people as saviors. Hollywood LOVES white saviors.

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Baratunde (@baratunde) January 15, 2015

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#OscarsSoWhite we'll see a lot of "Je Suis Charlie" buttons on the red carpet, but no #BlackLivesMatter

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April (@ReignOfApril) January 15, 2015

#OscarsSoWhite they can count the number of people of color nominated in major categories every year on one hand. Oh wait. 😒

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April (@ReignOfApril) January 15, 2015

#OscarsSoWhite has owned Twitter this morning. Thanks, @ReignOfApril! cmplx.it/4SPJA http://t.co/RPDuHmYudK

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Complex Pop Culture (@ComplexPop) January 15, 2015

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Today go and see SELMA and you will understand why I am so proud to be a part of this film. #MarchOn http://t.co/jsldsSRV6q

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Wendell Pierce (@WendellPierce) January 14, 2015

If the Motion Picture Academy were a state, you probably wouldn't live there. theatlantic.com/entertainment/… http://t.co/Ssp3st2zYp

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Keith Boykin (@keithboykin) January 15, 2015

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#SELMA was not a perfect film. But the fact that it faced so much backlash b/c white folks were butthurt that they weren't centered in it...

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Awesomely Luvvie (@Luvvie) January 15, 2015

Racism exists for a reason, and it's not just because white people enjoy the view from front of the bus. The power is a security blanket.

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Awesomely Luvvie (@Luvvie) January 15, 2015

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"White male filmmakers have the luxury of being mediocre….” forbes.com/sites/scottmen…

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L. Joy Williams (@ljoywilliams) January 15, 2015

LBJ nominated our greatest Supreme Court Justice, Marshall, but also burned uncountable children to death. It's an ugly world.

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rootless (@root_e) January 15, 2015

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Why Ava DuVernay's 'Selma' Oscar Snub Matters onforb.es/1zhyi5w

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BWD (@theonlyadult) January 15, 2015

The Oscars shut out black actors and directors on.thegrio.com/14DX2qT

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theGrio.com (@theGrio) January 15, 2015

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I don't demand #OscarNoms for PoC every cycle, regardless of work. But in the year of #Selma, #Belle & #BeyondTheLights? #GTFOHWTBS H'wood!

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  (@Only4RM) January 15, 2015

So, while we don't need "white validation", an Oscar nod/win helps Black ppl who work in the film industry in such tangible ways

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Cocky McSwagsalot (@MoreAndAgain) January 15, 2015

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Fifty Shades of White #OscarNoms

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The Daily Edge (@TheDailyEdge) January 15, 2015

One of Oscar's biggest "Selma" oversights is, without a doubt, cinematographer Bradford Young. Rarely has our skin looked so good on film.

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Jamil Smith (@JamilSmith) January 15, 2015

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'See the Oscar news, Barack? If @TheAcademy was in charge, you'd never have been nominated in '08' http://t.co/qofibLBh6A

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TheObamaDiary.com (@TheObamaDiary) January 15, 2015

What, no Oscar nomination for Ava DuVernay? This is a joke, right? RIGHT? http://t.co/IYuBGsh8xC

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TheObamaDiary.com (@TheObamaDiary) January 15, 2015

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#Oscarssowhite they can't see a problem in this - The diversity gap in the Academy Awards #Oscars2015 #OscarNoms http://t.co/UOZLOM9Mnl"

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Media Diversified (@WritersofColour) January 15, 2015

Back in September, our @KyleBuchanan predicted this would be the whitest #Oscars in decades: vult.re/1Bw72jo http://t.co/AW3Q65TDH8

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Vulture (@vulture) January 15, 2015

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#OscarsSoWhite They didn't see Selma but their housekeeper said it was really good.

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Fed-Up Birthday Girl (@thewayoftheid) January 15, 2015

#OscarsSoWhite they don't see race. Or movies with black folks in it, apparently.

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rell (@Awkward_Duck) January 15, 2015

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There are films that win awards, and there are films that leave an indelible mark on our culture. Sometimes they're the same. Sometimes not.

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Mychal Denzel Smith (@mychalsmith) January 15, 2015

Last year, there was celebration after celebration of Do The Right Thing's 25th anniversary. Remember what beat it at the Oscars?

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Mychal Denzel Smith (@mychalsmith) January 15, 2015

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Fully expect American Sniper to take it this year. Not b/c it's the best, but b/c white bros want their white-washed white hero narratives.

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Januandrea Grimes (@andreagrimes) January 15, 2015

Amazing how only white people can act well.

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Olivia Nuzzi (@Olivianuzzi) January 15, 2015

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#OscarsSoWhite they don’t see the power of black leaders only thugs, victims, slaves or whores. Thanks Academy!

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DanielleMoodie-Mills (@DeeTwoCents) January 15, 2015

nominees for best picture: white man sniper white man actor white boyhood white man at hotel white man genius (x 2) white musician Selma

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kelsey mckinney (@mckinneykelsey) January 15, 2015

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Not a single non-white actor was nominated for an Academy Award this year.

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Jamelle Bouie (@jbouie) January 15, 2015

Of course, awards aren't everything. CRASH won Best Picture & that film is hot garbage. But it's frustrating when merit isn't acknowledged.

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Jamelle Bouie (@jbouie) January 15, 2015

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Honestly, who sees American Sniper then Belle and nominates Sniper?

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Dirk Lester (@Dirk2112) January 15, 2015

.@GoodGirlRoxy @Karnythia @ReignOfApril @poetichentai Gugu Mbatha-Raw had a breakout year. Could've earned nods for Belle/Beyond The Lights.

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  (@Only4RM) January 15, 2015

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I mean, fine, you don't think SELMA was among the best directed movies of the year? Cool. But Oyelowo gave a phenomenal performance.

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Jamelle Bouie (@jbouie) January 15, 2015

I'm not sure SELMA was the best movie of the year. But as per @devincf, its Bloody Sunday scene alone should put @AVAETC in "best director."

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Jamelle Bouie (@jbouie) January 15, 2015

With that scene, @AVAETC makes mass violence personal, terrifying, and strangely beautiful. It's fantastic filmmaking.

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Jamelle Bouie (@jbouie) January 15, 2015

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"Selma" was nominated for Best Picture, but nothing in directing or acting categories. Oscar, you've done it again. vult.re/1wdu5ZF

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Jamil Smith (@JamilSmith) January 15, 2015

Worth remembering that Oscar voters are 93% white, 76% male with average age of 63. (h/t @latimes)

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Bill Weir (@BillWeirCNN) January 15, 2015

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#OscarNoms No female directors, screenwriters, or cinematographers. No actors of color. #diversity

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David Daniel (@CNNLADavid) January 15, 2015

So ... the Academy includes not a single actor or actress of color in nominations, throws "Selma" in for 10-film Best Pic round. #Hollywood

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Joy Reid (@JoyAnnReid) January 15, 2015

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Thrilled at so much diversity in this morning's Oscar nominations. Really reflects the tapestry of talent in the creative community. #Not

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Nancy Giles (@nancygilesnyc) January 15, 2015

It was a big year for white actors in Hollywood. #OscarNoms http://t.co/ut1UK2aquz

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Nu Wexler (@wexler) January 15, 2015

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Oh, film industry. Watch out for women, people of color, and the queers. We're coming for you.

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Ashley Ford (@iSmashFizzle) January 15, 2015

And you know, @AVAETC just keeps releasing bangers. I don't think we've seen her best. She's making history.

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Charlene Carruthers (@CharleneCac) January 15, 2015