Entertainment

Are Letitia Wright’s Vaccine Skepticism Tweets Creating a Teachable Moment?

Published

5 years ago

December 12, 2020

Kiki

Letitia Wright, Wikipedia

In February 2018, the world was introduced to Letitia Wright’s rendition of “Shuri” in “Black Panther.” With her witty one-liners, she instantly catapulted into global fame.

Wright recently shared a YouTube video from a channel named “On The Table.” In a now-deleted tweet, the “Mangrove” actress simply accompanied the link with a prayer-hand emoji, clearly indicating support of the content.

The Hollywood Reporter provides more background:

The “Black Panther” star tweeted a video from “On The Table,” a YouTube discussion channel, where the presenter opined at length about the efficacy of vaccines, the dangers of taking them and the supposed origins of the ingredients of a COVID-19 vaccine.

“I don’t understand vaccines medically, but I’ve always been a little bit of a skeptic of them,” the presenter Tomi Arayomi said toward the beginning of his fact-free monologue, which was full of personal anecdotes and his own general feelings on vaccines.

After Wright had posted the video to Twitter with the prayer hands emoji, she quickly became embroiled in arguments with users taking her to task for using her platform to spread misinformation on vaccines.

The British actress, who is currently starring in Steve McQueen’s acclaimed “Small Axe” anthology series, countered that she wasn’t against vaccines but thought it was important to “ask questions.” “I think it’s valid and fair to simply ask what’s in it,” she replied to one user.

Naturally, her tweets caused quite the reaction on Twitter.

What fueled the fire even further is that Wright leaned into defensive mode, replying to several of the tweets in kind.

“If you don’t conform to popular opinions. but ask questions and think for yourself….you get canceled,” Wright tweeted with a laugh-crying emoji. Unfortunately, the “think for yourself” type of phrasing sounds familiar as it has become typical to attempt to dodge any type of accountability—the continuous dodging only leading to an increasingly downward spiral.

In addition to the dangerous and factually unsubstantiated rhetoric, many Twitter users expressed concern for transphobic aspects of the video, as well—concerns which were also brought to Wright’s attention.

Even her Marvel peer Don Cheadle chimed in. Initially, he quote-tweeted Wright with “Bye Letitia,” then later backtracked a bit admitting he wasn’t fully knowledgeable about the situation (or hadn’t seemingly watched the actual video) before commenting.

After several fans explained why her tweets were harmful, Cheadle followed up with more tweets.

“If she went transphobe, fire away,” Cheadle tweeted. “But I’ll personally take it to her if she said something crazy. not to twitter. That’s how I do it with friends and how I hope they do it with me if I [%&$*] up. trying to find it now.”

“Jesus…just scrolled through,” he added. “Hot garbage. Every time I stopped and listened, he and everything he said sounded crazy and [$%&*] up. I would never defend anybody posting this. But I still won’t throw her away over it. The rest, I’ll take off Twitter. Had no idea.”

Other fans speculated on how Wright’s tweets may factor in her potential role in “Black Panther 2,” which has already been a source of speculation following Chadwick Boseman’s death.

It’s been nearly 50 years since the grotesque “Tuskegee Study of Untreated Syphilis in the Negro Male,” (also referred to as the Tuskegee Syphilis Study) came to an end, a historical travesty which understandably left generations of Black people skeptical about any sort of experimental medical procedures.

As Wright is British, it’s important to note that the United Kingdom has become the first country to authorize Pfizer/BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine, with the first shots rolling out next week.

According to a recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report updated just four days ago, Black, African-American non-Hispanic people have been diagnosed with COVID-19 at 1.4 times the rate of their white counterparts; have been hospitalized for the novel coronavirus at 3.7 times the rate of white non-Hispanic people and have died at 2.8 times the frequency.

It’s one thing to be open and honest about processing those valid feelings in a historical context, then follow that up with an earnest desire for education backed by facts; it’s entirely different to promote unfounded conspiracy theories about a significant and much-needed treatment for a deadly disease—especially when the very disease in question is disproportionately harming and killing Black people.

That isn’t healthy skepticism, that’s just another side of a dangerous coin.

In what may be Wright’s final say before an official statement comes out, she wrote: “My intention was not to hurt anyone, my ONLY intention of posting the video was it raised my concerns with what the vaccine contains and what we are putting in our bodies. Nothing else.”

The Root has reached out to Wright’s team for comment on this matter and will update if they respond.

I have a feeling this isn’t over, but we’ll see if this results in an actual teachable moment for Wright. After all, if you have “questions,” you should be fully open to the factual answers. Only time will tell…

Tonja Renée Stidhum is a staff writer for Entertainment at The Root.

Kiki

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Oakland Post: Week of February 11 = 17, 2026

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of – February 11 – 17, 2026

Published

2 days ago

February 16, 2026

Oakland Post

To enlarge your view of this issue, use the slider, magnifying glass icon or full page icon in the lower right corner of the browser window.

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Arts and Culture

Book Review: Books on Black History and Black Life for Kids

For the youngest reader, “As You Are: A Hope for Black Sons” by Kimberly A. Gordon Biddle, illustrated by David Wilkerson (Magination Press, $18.99) is a book for young Black boys and for their mothers. It’s a hope inside a prayer that the world treats a child gently, and it could make a great baby shower gift.

Published

1 week ago

February 10, 2026

Oakland Post

Photo of Black History Month book covers by Terri Schlichenmeyer.

By Terri Schlichenmeyer

Authors: Various, Copyright: c. 2025, 2026, Publishers: Various, SRPs: $17.99-$18.99, Page Counts: Various,

Everybody in your family has stories to share.

Your parents have told you some, no doubt. Your grandparents have offered a few, too, and aunties and uncles have spun some good tales. But there’s so much more to know, so grab one of these great books and learn about Black History and Black life.

For the youngest reader, “As You Are: A Hope for Black Sons” by Kimberly A. Gordon Biddle, illustrated by David Wilkerson (Magination Press, $18.99) is a book for young Black boys and for their mothers. It’s a hope inside a prayer that the world treats a child gently, and it could make a great baby shower gift.

If someone said you couldn’t do something that you were clearly able to do, would you fight to do it anyhow? In the new book, “Remember Her Name! Debbie Allen’s Rise to Fame” by Tami Charles, illustrated by Meredith Lucius (Charlesbridge, $17.99), a young girl in the Jim Crow South is told that she can’t dance because of the color of her skin.

She didn’t listen, though, and neither did her mother, who took her daughter to Mexico, where the girl soared! This is an inspiration for any 5-to-7-year-old; be sure to check out the back-of-the-book information, if you’re an adult fan.

Do you often hear your elders say things that sound like lessons? They might be, so “Where There is Love: A Story of African Proverbs” by Shauntay Grant, illustrated by Leticia Moreno (Penguin Workshop, $18.99) is a book you’ll like. It’s a quick-to-read collection of short proverbs that you can say every day. Kids ages 4-to-6 will easily remember what they find in this book; again, look in the back for more information.

Surely, you love your neighborhood, which is why the tale inside “Main Street: A Community Story about Redlining” by Britt Hawthorne and Tiffany Jewell, illustrated by David Wilkerson (Penguin Kokila, $18.99) is a book for you.

Olivia’s neighborhood is having a block party, but she’s sad when no one shows up. That’s when she learns that “the government” is discriminating against the people and businesses near where she lives. So, what can she and her neighbors do? The answer might inspire 6-to-8-year-old kids to stand up to wrongs they see, and to help make their neighborhoods stronger and safer.

And finally, if a kid wants a book, where can they go to find it? In “I’m So Happy You’re Here: A Celebration of Library Joy” by Mychal Threets, illustrated by Lorraine Nam (Random House, $18.99) is a good introduction to the best of what a library has to offer. The freedom to walk into a library and borrow a book is the theme here, as is the sheer happiness of being welcomed, no matter who you are. This is an easy book for kids as young as two and as old as five to enjoy.

On that note, if you want more, head to that library, or a nearby bookstore. They’ll be glad to see you. They’ve got stories to share.

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Art of the African Diaspora Celebrates Legacy and Community at Richmond Art Center

Published

1 week ago

February 9, 2026

Oakland Post

‘Be Still...’ by Virginia Jourdan is on display at the Richmond Art Center (RAC), in Richmond, CA. Photo by Carla Thomas.

By Carla Thomas

The 2026 Art of the African Diaspora exhibition is on display at the Richmond Art Center (RAC) through March 14. The one-room gallery bursts with more than 100 works – paintings, photographs, sculptures, and mixed-media pieces – each affirming the power, beauty, and vitality of cultural expression across the African diaspora.

Now in its 29th year, Art of the African Diaspora is the Bay Area’s longest-running exhibition of its kind. Its roots stretch back to 1989, when artist and educator Marie Johnson Calloway founded Colors of Black, a salon for African American artists. That gathering inspired artists Jan Hart-Schuyers and Rae Louise Hayward to establish The Art of Living Black at the Richmond Art Center in 1996. Their vision was to showcase the creativity of emerging and established Black artists, bridging communities and widening access to audiences historically excluded from mainstream art spaces.

Over the decades, that founding vision has expanded and evolved, carried forward by artists, family members, and the Richmond Art Center after the loss of Hart-Schuyers and Hayward. In 2018, a new generation of artists formed a steering committee to organize the event; a year later, the exhibition was renamed Art of the African Diaspora to embrace the broader global connections of people of African descent.

The new name reflects not only a broader cultural lens but also an empowered community network that supports artists across the Bay Area. As part of this year’s programming, RAC will host ‘Art of the African Diaspora: Public Art in Our Communities,’ a free panel on Sat., Feb. 21, from 12 to 1:30 p.m. Artists Kristine Mays, James Moore, and Malik Seneferu will join arts administrator Denise Pate for a conversation on the impact and process of public art. The discussion will be moderated by longtime arts advocate and producer Flo Wiley.

Each panelist brings a distinctive voice to the conversation. Mays, known for her ethereal wire sculptures that capture movement and spirit, has exhibited internationally and is represented in collections ranging from the Smithsonian to the Crocker Art Museum.

Sculptor and painter James Moore creates abstract metal works and colorful field paintings that explore movement, balance, and emotion. His recent public art installations include large-scale pieces in Richmond’s Shields-Reid Park. Malik Seneferu, a self-taught San Francisco native, has built a large body of work celebrating African American life through vibrant murals and expressive figurative art.

Representing the institutional side, Denise Pate oversees public arts investments as director of Community Investments at the San Francisco Arts Commission, advancing racial and cultural equity through funding and advocacy. Together, these artists and administrators will trace how public art emerges, from concept to community collaboration, and why it matters.

The Art of the African Diaspora exhibition runs through March 14 at the Richmond Art Center, 2540 Barrett Ave., Richmond. The center is open Wednesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission and programs are free and open to the public.