From 'Devotion' To 'Shirley,' This Is Christina Jackson's Moment

Christina Jackson’s acting career was a happy accident. Growing up in Newark, New Jersey, she had no interest in sports, but her love of reading prompted her seventh-grade teacher to suggest the drama club. “The first play, I played Frenchy in Grease, and I was terrible because I was so nervous,” she tells ESSENCE. “I vowed I would never let that happen again.” After learning to work through her nerves, Jackson embraced the energy of the theater. “You can hear the laughs. You can hear the tears —the sniffles,” she reflects. “You can hear everything in real-time, even though you’re supposed to block all of that out. I think there’s something very connected about theater.”

Those first plays in elementary school invigorated The Good Fight actress’s love of storytelling. For over a decade, she’s worked on series like Outsiders, Boardwalk Empire and Deception. But now, in her upcoming role in the war epic Devotion, where she stars opposite Jonathan Majors, Jackson is starting to feel a fundamental shift. 

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Tribeca Film Festival Creates Opportunities For Burgeoning Black Filmmakers

Cinema has returned to New York City full force with the 20th annual Tribeca Film Festival. While movie-watching from home certainly has its advantages, the Tribeca Film Festival’s triumphant return with in-person programming is a turning point for the film community and movie lovers everywhere. 

Founded by Robert De Niro, Jane Rosenthal, and Craig Hatkoff the year after the 9/11 terror attacks rocked the city, 20 years later, Tribeca is serving as a place of communion as the city emerges from a year of uncertainty, isolation and confusion. Though the festival is typically held in April, this year it’s running from June 9-June 20 with Juneteenth programming that celebrates and recognizes Black talent in front of and behind the screen with in-person and virtual viewing options. 

Continue reading at ESSENCE.