Description

Illustrated with more than 100 color and black-and-white photos, a rich celebration linking the vibrancy of Black identity and expression with mainstream popular culture from the past to the present.

The top memes, movements, and milestone moments dominating today’s social media have focused on Beyoncé, Black Panther, Black Lives Matter, Lil Nas, Kanye, Serena and Meghan Markle. Driven by Black millennials, these trending topics demonstrate the influence and power of Black artistry and celebrity in American popular culture and around the globe. As Shirley Neal argues, this is more than just a fleeting style. It is a profound display of how pop culture is being used as a conduit for the revival of Black identity, culture, and history.

The impact of Blackness in pop culture has never been as significant as it is today. African-themed searches have grown exponentially, and the surge of interest in Black pop culture crosses generations. Beautifully designed, Afrocentric Style explores the connection between Black identity and mainstream culture, interweaving more than 100 full-color and archival black-and-white photographs with thought-provoking commentary that offers parallels between the top Afrocentric stories that have trended on social media and their historical roots.

Timely and timeless, this stunning anthology educates celebrates, and elevates readers' knowledge about the powerful influence of Afrocentric Style on mainstream pop culture and America’s increasingly diverse society.

About the Author

Shirley Neal is a journalist, author, and documentarian, whose works have mainly focused on Pop Culture, Africa, and Black Identity. Her cover story for Forbes Africa highlighting Oprah Winfrey’s works in South Africa is among the franchise’s most in-demand issues. Shirley has served as a contributing writer and editor for Ebony. She is a graduate of Boston University, with a B.A. in Liberal Studies and earned her professional certification as a literary Ghostwriter from California State University Long Beach. Neal lives in Los Angeles.