In June the much anticipated 2Pac
biopic All Eyez on Me was released.
The critics were brutal and a number of fans had mixed reviews as well. As a
2Pac fan, I enjoyed the film. While there were scenes in the movie that seemed
rushed, overall, it was well done. Having a glimpse inside the life of 2Pac was
incredible. He was a creative genius, activist, and poet, easy on the eyes,
bold, and outspoken, all of which All
Eyez on Me portrayed well. Prior to the release of the biopic, I was
already familiar with his music and a number of his films (specifically Juice and Poetic Justice) both being films where you could see his star
rising. His portrayal as Bishop in Juice
was terrifying in the best kind of way. He owned the part masterfully. And in
his role as Lucky in Poetic Justice,
you could still see the street side of him, with a chill and likeable vibe. What’s
incredible about 2Pac is the fact that his legacy still remains and not just
because of the release of All Eyez on Me,
but more so because of the meaningful art he created through his music.
Sure, he made some mistakes in his life, but to get a glimpse of what his
journey was like was real. And regardless of the negative reviews from the
critics, All Eyez on Me was great. If
you haven’t seen it, I recommend checking it out. It’s dope.
I’m a Black educator in my fifth year of teaching middle school English, and in my third as the 8th Grade English PLC (Professional Learning Community) Lead. And while I genuinely enjoy the purposeful work I get to do, seeing the growth of my scholars, and continuing to hone my skills in a content area I’ve loved since I was a little girl, I’ve had to confront some unpleasant experiences in this space. I’d been through much worse when I was an academic advisor at a Christian university. Racism, sexism, harassment, and workplace bullying were sadly norms in that environment. However, some of what I’ve experienced as a Black educator hasn’t been normal … It doesn’t seem normal to be the only Black educator in my department – in a predominantly Black school. One of my Black colleagues once said, “It should look like a Tyler Perry movie in here.” But it doesn’t. It didn’t feel normal being reprimanded in a meeting (during my second year of teaching) by an administrator who went in on...