WSSN Stories

(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK—ENN)— LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA— To commemorate Smokey Bear’s 75^th year of delivering wildfire prevention messaging, replicas of iconic Smokey Bear scenes by artist Rudolph Wendelin will be on display through April 16 at the Gateway to Nature in El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historical Monument. This is the only stop in Southern California where the exhibit will take place during regular business hours, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Tuesday through Sunday. This is a free family friendly event. This exhibit is hosted locally by the Los Angeles Center for Urban Natural Resources Sustainability (LA Urban Center) as a stop on a larger national traveling exhibit.

Since 1944, Wendelin created hundreds of Smokey representations that highlighted national resource conservation and wildfire prevention. It is Wendelin’s more humanized representation of Smokey Bear that is commonly known today. Under his direction Smokey assumed his ranger hat, jeans and shovel. The touring exhibit consists of 16 replica pieces of artwork from the National Agricultural Library. For additional information please call the LA Urban Center at 213-628-3718.

Black & Positively Golden celebrates a new movement to uplift communities & inspire excellence through education, empowerment, entrepreneurship

(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK—ENN)— McDonald’s USA announced the launch of Black & Positively Golden, a new campaign movement designed to uplift communities and inspire excellence. It highlights all things positive and focuses on stories of truth, power and pride, while celebrating Black excellence through education, empowerment and entrepreneurship.  Being an active member in the communities McDonald’s serves has been fundamental to the business since its inception. Black & Positively Golden is a natural extension of the brand’s long-term commitment to the African-American consumer, and part of its larger efforts to reconnect with customers and build a better McDonald’s.

“At McDonald’s, we strive to connect with our customers by showing up in ways that matter to them,” said Lizette Williams, Head of Cultural Engagement & Experiences, McDonald’s USA. “Prior to launching the Black & Positively Golden campaign, we spent time with our African-American customer base and heard from them on what’s most important. We are leveraging this platform to shine a brilliant, powerful light on Black culture and excellence in a way that matters most to our consumers. This is the largest African-American campaign we have launched in 16 years and it continues to demonstrate our longstanding commitment to this community.”

The new campaign is brought to life in partnership with McDonald’s Black Owner/Operators nationwide. These entrepreneurs bring positive economic opportunities to the neighborhoods they serve in numerous ways, including hiring directly from the community, providing scholarships and engaging in other philanthropic activities.

“McDonald’s has long supported African-American communities. We maintain a commitment to our neighbors through various parts of our business – including scholarship partnerships with Historically Black Colleges and Universities, generational wealth-building with franchisee training and partnering with minority suppliers,” said Nicole Enearu, a second-generation Owner/Operator and member of McDonald’s U.S. Marketing African-American Consumer Market Leadership Committee. “Through our new Black & Positively Golden campaign, we aim to further connect with and inspire the African-American customer.”

Continuing the growing momentum of the brand’s economic impact and commitment to diversity, Enearu is one of 300 African-American McDonald’s franchisees representing more than 1,500 restaurants.

In an effort to reach consumers in places where they already live, work and play, Black & Positively Golden commences a yearlong commitment to the YWCA USA, supporting the organization’s Women’s Empowerment 360 Program, an initiative designed to empower women of color who aspire to be entrepreneurs. Currently, more than 70% of participants are African-American. McDonald’s financial support will help empower approximately 5,000 up-and-coming businesswomen across the U.S. with education curriculum and other tools needed for success.

The commitment with YWCA USA officially kicks off tonight, in the celebrated and largely African-American Leimert Park neighborhood with an interactive, community event at the YWCA Greater Los Angeles. The event will feature a transformative empowerment mural created by LA-based artist Enkone. Attendees will help co-create the community mural by adding their own words of affirmation. There will be an appearance by actress/comedienne Yvonne Orji, a special performance by multi-platinum recording artist Normani and more. The one-of-a-kind event will shine a light on African-American culture and demonstrate the power words have to inspire Black excellence.

“As part of our commitment to the community, we are excited to kick off Black & Positively Golden with an expanded commitment to the YWCA, an organization that shares McDonald’s core values,” Williams said. “McDonald’s has restaurants in many communities that are also served by the YWCA, and we have local ties to the organization. For instance, we’ve supported their Chicago chapter for more than 30 years. With their focus on women entrepreneurs of color, the partnership is a great fit and we’re thrilled to extend our support nationally.”

“We are honored that McDonald’s has chosen to extend their partnership with us. The community-led event and mural project is incredibly special. The mural will live at one of our centers, located in a historic, predominantly African-American community, and will stand as a beacon of positivity and empowerment,” said Faye Washington, CEO and President of the YWCA Greater Los Angeles.

In conjunction with the YWCA launch event, McDonald’s will debut the campaign with a 60-second anthem television spot on Saturday, March 30, during the 50^th NAACP Image Awards. Consumers will also engage with campaign elements in some of their favorite and most trusted digital, print, radio and broadcast outlets all year long. Understanding the importance of social media for engaging the African-American audience and especially millennials, the brand launched a new Instagram channel for the Black & Positively Goldencampaign – @wearegolden, highlighting moments of positivity, exciting programs and consumer experiences, as well as people who are shining examples of Black excellence in the community. The channel also provides resources to help uplift communities through education, empowerment and entrepreneurship.

The Black & Positively Golden campaign also will be supported through a series of events throughout 2019. First up is McDonald’s Inspiration Celebration Gospel Tour set to kick off in late April, followed by consumer experiences at BET Experience and Essence Festival. In addition, Black & Positively Golden will provide $60,000 in scholarships to foster educational empowerment among HBCU students through its partnership with Thurgood Marshall College Fund. For more information visit TMCF.org/McD.

For more information on McDonald’s new Black & Positively Golden campaign, follow @wearegolden on Instagram.

(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK—ENN) LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA— As previously announced by the NAACP, some of the biggest names in film, television and music turned out for the 50th NAACP Image Awards on Saturday, March 30, which was broadcast live on TV One from The Dolby Theater in Hollywood.

Hosted by Anthony Anderson, highlights from the evening included Beyoncé being named as the NAACP Entertainer of the Year and NAACP President Derrick Johnson presenting her husband Sean “Jay-Z” Carter with the prestigious President’s Award. Congresswoman Maxine Waters’ fiery acceptance speech energized the audience as she was being honored with the NAACP Chairman’s Award.

Additional honorees included REACH Media nationally syndicated radio host Tom Joynerwho was presented with the Vanguard Award, and Ne-Yo, who was awarded the inaugural Black & Positively Golden Music Honor sponsored by McDonald’s. The Marvel Studios film “Black Panther” took home several awards including Outstanding Directing in a Motion Picture (Ryan Coogler), Outstanding Writing in a Motion Picture: Film (Ryan Coogler, Joe Robert Cole), Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture (Michael B. Jordan), Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture (Danai Gurira), Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture (Chadwick Boseman), Outstanding Breakthrough Role in a Motion Picture (Letitia Wright), and Outstanding Ensemble Cast in a Motion Picture. Anthony Anderson also took home the award for Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series for his role on “black-ish,” which also won Outstanding Comedy Series and garnered other awards.

Viewers of the 50th NAACP Image Awards were able to get an exclusive
preview of the Bobby DeBarge Story trailer, which premiered during the
telecast and premieres on TV One in June 2019.

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50TH NAACP IMAGE AWARDS WINNERS

As previously announced by the NAACP, winners took home awards in diverse categories. 

NAACP Entertainer of the Year: Beyoncé 

NAACP Chairman’s Award: Jay-Z

Outstanding New Artist:Ella Mai (10 Summers/Interscope Records)

Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series (Television): Anthony Anderson – “black-ish” (ABC)

Outstanding Directing in a Motion Picture (Film):Ryan Coogler – “Black Panther” (Marvel Studios)

Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture (Film):Chadwick Boseman – Black Panther (Marvel Studios)

 Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture (Film): Amandla Stenberg – “The Hate U Give” (20^th Century Fox)

Outstanding Ensemble Cast in a Motion Picture: “Black Panther” (Marvel Studios)

Click here for the full press release and complete list of winners. 

Find the 50TH NAACP IMAGE AWARDS footage guidelines and additional clips of Tom Joyner, Donna Brazille and the “black-ish” cast.

By Aanu Adeoye, CNN

(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK)— VIA CNN— Rapper Nipsey Hussle’s death in a shooting near his clothing store was greeted with shock and disbelief by celebrities and fans alike.

The 33-year-old musician, real name Ermias Davidson Asghedom, was shot dead in an attack on Sunday that also left two others injured.The city of Los Angeles where he grew up and dedicated his life to helping kids break out of the cycle of gang violence mourned his passing.

But somewhere, thousands of miles away in east Africa, Nipsey’s death was felt even more keenly by the people of Eritrea.

Just in a day and half, @NipseyHussle visited many places in #Asmara.
Me: 'Aren't you tired?'
N: 'NO, I am VERY excited!'#Eritrea pic.twitter.com/alydCWcvuO

— Hadnet Keleta (@hadnetkeleta) April 20, 2018

His father, Nipsey once said, fled a war in Eritrea to settle in the US.

Hussle visited Eritrea twice in his lifetime: first as an 18-year-old when he spent three months and most recently in April 2018.

With his brother Samiel and their dad, Hussle met the Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki and sat down with the Ministry of Information’s website for a wide-ranging interview about his life and experiences growing up in Los Angeles in a culture of gang violence.

@NipseyHussle is an 'A class' rapper and a successful business man. He visited Dolce Vita textiles in #Asmara yesterday to explore the business opportunities in #Eritrea. pic.twitter.com/oJZfqhCwmu

— Hadnet Keleta (@hadnetkeleta) April 20, 2018

Then he spoke of his love for Eritrea and his desire to connect with his extended family after fourteen years since his last visit.

“I am here to visit my family and reconnect with my grandmother, my cousins and everybody else,” Hussle said during the interview.

“I love to be here. The people, the food, the culture, and the lifestyle are extremely good.

“During his trip back to his father’s country, Hussle also visited a local textile factory in the capital Asmara to explore business opportunities.

Eritrea’s Minister of Information Yemane Meskel led the tributes to Hussle after news of his death broke.

Extremely saddened to hear the news of the tragic and untimely death of iconic recording artist/entrepreneur Ermias Asgedom (Nipsey Hussle). RIP & condolences to his family. (Nipsey visited his home country in April last year; Profile interview attached) https://t.co/AM87gfgRPu pic.twitter.com/EPaHJGCzm8

— Yemane G. Meskel (@hawelti) April 1, 2019

“Extremely saddened to hear the news of the tragic and untimely death of iconic recording artist/entrepreneur Ermias Asgedom (Nipsey Hussle),” Meskel tweeted.

“RIP & condolences to his family.”

Billion Temesghen, the Eritrean journalist who interviewed him last year, wrote on Twitter: “Eritreans worldwide feel sorrow for the loss of a talented star, a loving family man & a compassionate compatriot. Condolences to us all.”

Ermias Asghedom AKA Nipsey Husle was an Eritrean rap star, a preformance phenomenon, who had just returned home. In my pleasant talk with him I was delighted to learn of the Eritrean & African pride he carried deep inside him. He is a legend. compassionate compatriot. We miss him pic.twitter.com/ogWbp0HrhA

— Billion Temesghen (@billietemesghen) April 1, 2019

Hussle’s debut studio album, Victory Lap, was nominated for best rap album at this year’s Grammy Awards.

By Lou Yeboah

(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK—ENN)— You see, [Proverbs 15:3] says: “The eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good.” Those who think they have God fooled are only fooling themselves!

Listen, when the Holy Spirit gives you an opportunity, and He begins to touch your life, and He begins to deal with you and point out areas in your life that you need to change and then bring you to a place of repentance, and you say, “Yes, Lord, I repent, and then you turn back and act the same way, you’ve treated that which is Holy as common. You’ve profaned the Holy. You’ve been touched, blessed, convicted, repented–all these things have taken place–you draw near to God–only to go and do the same darn thang. I tell you, you ain’t fooling nobody but yourself, because you sho ain’t fooling God!

You pray and you weep and you repent and you say, “God forgive me. Cleanse me. Set me free, Jesus, please, Lord, pardon my sin.” Then you go and act the same way you did before.  You are in danger of judgment. How can someone be so active in the church and still be lost? How can you sit in so many worship services, and not grow in your understanding of God? How can you go into the presence of the Holy Spirit and not find conviction? Get yourself right! This is the ultimatum. In God’s message through Isaiah his prophet, the ultimatum is made clear. It is God’s way or it is God’s wrath, the choice is given, the consequences are made clear. “If you consent and obey, you will eat the best of the land; “But if you refuse and rebel, you will be devoured by the sword.” It is as simple as black and white. No gray areas, no need for arbitration, no compromise, no meeting God halfway. It is all or nothing. It is God or the devil. It is blessings or eternal cursing.  [Isaiah 1:18-20]. I tell you, you ain’t fooling nobody but yourself, because you sho’ ain’t fooling God!

We think we are so smart, we think we are able to pull a fast one on God. We ain’t fooling nobody but ourselves.  I tell you, “The time of ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men everywhere to repent.” [Acts 17:30]

The conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.

By Lou Yeboah

(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK—ENN)— “And the Lord said, [insert your name]! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren [Luke 22:31-32].

Yes, the Devil wants you. He wants to “sift you as wheat.” He wants to expose everything that could bring shame and accuse you before God. Let this be a warning to you. Satan would like to chew you up and spit you out! I tell you, as followers of Christ we must never be so naïve as to think that Satan pays most attention to those who have already surrendered to his demonic powers. No, the opposite is true. It is those who follow Christ and have a reputation for being godly Christians who have Satan on their backs. You better know that you know. And let me just say this, if you have never met the Devil, it is because you and the Devil are going in the same direction.

Satan, the serpent, the Great Dragon, Beelzebub, the ruler of this world, the prince of the power of the air, the evil one, and the adversary, who came to steal, kill, and destroy. Satan doesn’t give a crap about you. He is Satan. And—if you are a follower of Jesus Christ—he hates your guts with a passion. Like a roaring lion he is prowling about seeking to destroy you. You better know that you know!

And be sure of this, Satan is desirous to trip up the preacher, the deacon, the Sunday School teacher and every devoted Christian that he can. He is at work to keep a church fooling around with things that don’t matter while the world goes to hell. He brings friction into the Christian family to cause brokenness and ineffectiveness.  I tell you, there is a lion loose today, and he trying to defeat you, to bind you, to keep you from becoming what God would have you to be. Satan promises the best, but pays with the worst; he promises honor and pays with disgrace; he promises pleasure and pays with pain; he promises profit and pays with loss; he promises life and pays with death. But we can overcome him through our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ as we put on the whole armor of God. I tell you, be watchful! Because our adversary, the Devil, walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour” [1 Peter 5:8].

NEVER allow his-sight to see you – search to smell you – chase to catch you – grasp to hold you- tongue to taste you – teeth to crush you – throat to swallow you – stomach to digest you – and never let his lunch be you! NEVER ALLOW HIS- DECEPTIONS to derail you – DELUSIONS to detain you – DISSATISFACTIONS to detour you- DEPRESSIONS to destroy you – and DISAPPOINTMENTS to deny that God lives. The enemy’s schemes are ruthless and cunning. Know your weaknesses. Know where you are vulnerable, know what your Achilles Heel is, because if you don’t, Satan does and he will eat you up and spit you’ out!”

“Therefore let him that thinketh he standeth, take heed lest he fall.” [1 Corinthians 10:12]

 May God help us to stay alert, awake and anointed in the face of the evil one.

July 24, 1927 to March 16, 2019

(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK—ENN)— Anita Joy Dimery-Riley passed away on Saturday, March 16, 2019 at the age of 91.

Anita was a member of New Hope Missionary Baptist Church, where her passion was working with incarcerated youth through Prison Ministry, as well as being a member of the Eula B. Wheeler Mission Circle. She was also active in many community organizations, including Urban League and Adrianettes.

She is survived by her husband, Richard Riley; her son, Charles Slaughter and his wife Tracy; her son, Rudolph Dimery; and her grandchildren Lauren Dimery, Charles Slaughter and Sara Slaughter. She is also survived by her brother, John Watson and her sister Mary Abalos, as well as many other relatives.

Visitation will be held on Sunday, March 31 from 3 p.m. to to 7 p.m. at New Hope Missionary Baptist Church located at 1575 N 17th Street in San Bernardino. The service will also be held at New Hope on Monday, April 1 at 10 a.m. Internment will be at the Riverside National Cemetery on Tuesday, April 2 at 9:30 a.m.

(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK—ENN)— Women have worked tirelessly to have their voices heard in a male-run society. Through tests and trials, they have pushed their voices to the forefront, shedding light on the injustices constantly thrust against them.

Women’s History Month applauds these successes.’

The month of March is a time to celebrate all that women have accomplished thus far. Yet it is also time to focus on the women’s movements that many are still fighting for.

The way that women go about making sure the world hears their voices and opinions varies. Whether it’s marching, speaking, dancing—there are many ways for women to express their thoughts. More and more women are going about that by writing poems, essays, short stories, and fiction; women are using the pen-to-paper technique to shed light on thoughts, opinions, and injustices.

During March there are numerous female authors who release books. Some of these empowering books written by women of color are focusing on or include current themes found in society today. These authors use their books to demonstrate how impactful words are for gathering support and creating solidarity.

Empowering Books Written by Women of Color March 2019

A Woman is No Man

Etaf Rum’s novel, A Woman Is No Man, focuses on arranged marriage and how that severely affects a young woman’s self-worth. The bravery shown by the female characters leaves something for women across the world to latch onto.

Long Live the Tribe of Fearless Girls

Long Live the Tribe of Fatherless Girls, written by T Kira Madden, is a raw debut memoir about her life as a queer and biracial teenager living in the privileged and racially tense Boca Raton, Florida. Honesty and compassion rip through the pages—and with no apology for it either.

Internment

Another novel that has intense ties to the present climate of the United States is Internment by Samira Ahmed. Set in the near future United States, this novel follows a girl and her parents as officials force them into an internment camp for Muslim American citizens.

Good Talk: A Memoir in Conversations

This is a bold and wry graphic novel that talks about identity, interracial families, and division—all in the form of questions. These questions are ones many found themselves asking during the 2016 election; specifically, the racial climate of the country is talked of with an odd, but necessary, intimacy.

These books all share a common theme—strong women; women who do not give up even with adversity consistently thrust upon them. Whether it’s books that focus on celebrities and their feminist standpoints (think Beyoncé) or high fiction novels that show the courage and strength of women, there is much to learn from these characters.

Courage is resilient—standing up for what you believe in is of the utmost importance. Without that, where would Women’s History Month be?

By Carol McGruder

(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK—ENN)— Coming of age in the 1970s, I can still vividly remember seeing Marvin Gaye at the Kool Jazz Festival at the Oakland Coliseum and thinking how wonderful it was that Kool cigarettes were supporting our artists. I was a teenager and didn’t connect that Big Tobacco’s sponsorships, product giveaways, and money were simply part of their master plan to get and keep Black people hooked to menthol cigarettes. It was predatory targeting and customer recruitment all dressed up as support for the Black community.  Their ability to link this deadly product to the natural “coolness” of Black people was a true marketing triumph.

Menthol has been the tobacco industry’s recruitment tool for far too long. It has been added to cigarettes for nearly a century, masking tobacco’s harsh flavor, making the smoke feel smoother and easier to inhale – but that ease comes with a price.  The smoothness of menthol allows smokers to inhale more deeply, so harmful particles can settle lower in the lungs.  Menthol cigarettes are also harder to stop – people who use menthol cigarettes have a lower rate of successfully quitting.

2019 marks 10 years since the passage of the Tobacco Control Act (ACT) – an historical piece of legislation that among other things, banned flavored cigarettes, all flavors except menthol. While the Act was intended to stop the tobacco industry from using the allure of sweet, enticing flavors to hook a new generation to cigarettes, it failed to do one important thing. Stop the sale of menthol-flavored cigarettes.

Yes, the Tobacco Control Act was a huge victory for all of us who had worked for decades to combat the tobacco industry but exempting menthol cigarettes from the initial legislation was a heartbreaking setback and anyone who loved Black smokers knew it.

Big Tobacco would like us to believe that this exemption was preserving smokers’ choice, particularly for communities of color, who have higher rates of using menthol cigarettes.  For example, in California, 70 percent of African American adult cigarette smokers smoke menthols – the highest usage rate of any group.  Big Tobacco is using choice as a smokescreen to hide the fact that menthols are one of their best tools to addict new customers, and they refused to let it, and Black people, go.

Let’s look at what’s really going on. Since the Tobacco Control Act was signed, although cigarette use has declined in the U.S. in recent years, sales of menthol cigarettes have steadily increased, especially among young people and new smokers, essentially having the opposite effect the Tobacco Control Act intended!

The milestone we should be celebrating are the more than the 320,000 deaths that would have been averted by 2050 had the menthol cigarette ban gone into effect in 2011.  And though Black folks are only ten percent of the U.S. population, a third of those saved lives would have been African Americans. This huge disparity is a testament to the effectiveness of the decades of predatory tobacco industry targeting that we have endured.   Menthol cigarettes are the main reason why African American communities experience the greatest burden of tobacco-related mortality of any racial or ethnic group in the United States. Smoking-caused illnesses continue to kill more African Americans than AIDS, car crashes, murders, drug and alcohol abuse combined.

It’s important to note that menthol sales bans do not criminalize individual people who smoke menthol cigarettes or punish smokers targeted by the tobacco industry for decades to use these deadly products – they are merely aimed to prevent their sale. The truth behind the smoke is that the tobacco industry is working hard to prevent sales bans – It’s estimated that the industry’s contributions to the African American community is as high as $25 million per year. I hope that our people have more information now than they did in the seventies and that they know  what the tobacco industry is really trying to buy…our future.

Make no mistake, this year we have an opportunity to take a major step forward in protecting our state’s health — one that’s 10 years in the making. Banning the sale of menthol cigarettes is a strong message from our elected officials that our cities will no longer participate in the sale and distribution of these deadly products.  Let’s not miss this chance to get rid of menthol cigarettes for good. To learn more about menthol visit www.tobaccofreeca.com.

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Carol McGruder is Project Director of the African American Statewide Coordinating Center Ms. McGruder is a seasoned veteran of California’s tobacco control experience and has served as an advisor in many capacities, most recently as a founding member and Co-Chairperson of the African American Tobacco Control Leadership Council (www.savingblacklives.org). In 2017, the San Francisco National Association for the Advancement of Colored People honored Ms. McGruder for her community activism. She is a recipient of the prestigious Jefferson Award for community activism in tobacco control and in 2007 she was the American Legacy Foundation national honoree for “Community Activist of the Year.”

An impressive lineup of women-directed films in 2019 may increase the critically low number of female directors who made it onto the 2018 list of top films.

(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK—ENN)— Successful women-directed movies in 2018 dropped 3 percent from the previous year.

According to a report from the Center for the Study of Women in Television and Film, only 8 percent of the top 250 films at the domestic box office had female directors. This is even lower than the 9 percent of female directors who made into 1998’s list of top films.

However, a slew of promising women-directed movies scheduled for release this year may help turn this statistic around for 2019.

New female-directed films range from action to Indy and are led by familiar and up-and-coming directors.

Captain Marvel was one of the most anticipated movies of 2019 and comes from co-directors Ryan Fleck and female filmmaker, Anna Boden. The two have previously worked together on multiple films such as Half Nelson and It’s Kind of a Funny Story.

Their newest project hit theaters on March 8 and scored a solid 82 percent on Rotten Tomatoes. The film takes place in the 90s and centers around a strong female protagonist who becomes one of the most powerful heroes in the universe.

Other female-directed films scheduled for release this year include The Sun Is Also a Star, a romantic coming-of-age film by Ry Russo-Young, and The Kitchen, a comedy directed by Andrea Berloff about three women who take over their husbands’ mob empire in the 1970s.

Disney fans will be happy to know that the highly-anticipated sequel, Frozen 2 will premiere on November 22, 2019. The film was co-directed by Jennifer Lee and Chris Buck—the same filmmakers who created the first movie.

Thanks to this impressive lineup of releases, an increase in the number of female-directed movies that make it into this year’s list of top films are promising. However, only time will tell if there will be an improvement from the critically low percentage of successful women-directed films in 2018.