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Emerson College’s only independent, student-run newspaper since 1947

The Berkeley Beacon

Emerson College’s only independent, student-run newspaper since 1947

The Berkeley Beacon

Emerson College’s only independent, student-run newspaper since 1947

The Berkeley Beacon

Hadera McKay

Hadera McKay, Content Managing Editor

Hadera McKay (she/her) is a senior at Emerson College pursuing her BA and accelerated MA in Publishing and Writing. She primarily writes on the convergence of Blackness and pop culture. Her writing has appeared in Catapult and she is currently an Editorial Assistant for the literary journal Ploughshares.

Latest from Hadera McKay
Illustration by Rachel Choi.

Panem Today, Panem Tomorrow, Panem Forever: Exploring the Social Implications of “A Ballad Of Songbirds and Snakes.”

By Shannon Garrido and Hadera McKay / December 6, 2023

Citizens of Panem, in the name of nostalgia and not-so-carefully concealed social commentary, the time has come to delve into another dystopian teen drama...

Should we have school spirit?

Should we have school spirit?

By Shannon Garrido, Hadera McKay, Sasha Zirin and Hailey Akau / September 20, 2023

After the events of orientation, where eager Emerson freshmen were welcomed by shrill undergrads serenading them in their cars, it's natural for incoming...

Pope and Cleo are the dark-skinned couple of my dreams

Pope and Cleo are the dark-skinned couple of my dreams

By Hadera McKay, Opinion Editor / March 2, 2023

On Thursday, Feb. 23, the third season of the global sensation “Outer Banks” was released on Netflix. The action-packed family show follows a group...

An Open Letter to Emerson’s Social Media Manager

An Open Letter to Emerson’s Social Media Manager

By Hadera McKay, Opinion Editor / January 25, 2023

Dear Emerson College Social Media Manager,  Did your finger slip on the post button? Were you only half-awake? Were you in a rush to get to the labor-free...

Illustration by Hailey Akau

The original ‘Gossip Girl’ ate up Thanksgiving episodes

By Hadera McKay, Opinion Editor / November 16, 2022

Thanksgiving—along with being one of the more deeply-offensive and antiquated colonial holidays celebrated in this God-forsaken country—is also a time...

Illustration by Rachel Choi

Acknowledging Black rappers goes beyond listening to their music.

By Hadera McKay / November 2, 2022

On Tuesday, Nov. 1, Kirshnik Kari Ball, better known as rapper Takeoff, was shot and killed outside of a bowling alley in Houston. As a talented technician...

Photo of Hayley Williams

Paramore is for the Blacks. Argue with the wall

By Hadera McKay, Opinion Editor / September 28, 2022

On Sept. 28, punk rock band Paramore released its new single “This is Why,” after a five-year hiatus, ultimately signaling its reigning return with...

Photo by Hadera McKay

‘I’m Glad My Mom Died’ is Gen Z’s entrance to the celebrity memoir

By Hadera McKay / September 7, 2022

On April 4, 2022, Entertainment Weekly released the first look of the cover of Jennette McCurdy’s memoir, “I’m Glad My Mom Died.” McCurdy, largely...

Illustration Lucia Thorne

What the hell happened to Wendy’s money?

By Hadera McKay / April 13, 2022

“How you doin’?!” When I was 9 years old, my grandmother used to make me repeat talk show host Wendy Williams’ famous catchphrase. She assessed...

Courtesy of Meryl Prendergast's Instagram.

Meryl Prendergast: The artist behind the new exhibit ‘Stitching Earthly Scars’

By Hadera McKay, Opinion Editor / April 13, 2022

English indie-pop singer-songwriter Dodie is seen wearing Northeastern University student Meryl Prendergast’s clothing collection, “Stitching Earthly...

Illustration Lucia Thorne

How you feel about the slap at the Oscars says something about your perception of Black men

By Hadera McKay / March 31, 2022

“Keep my wife’s name out of your f—cking mouth!” Those were the words that— muted in the producers’ attempts to de-escalate the gravity of...

Hadera McKay

Escapism or Erasure: the challenge of consuming white content as a Black person

By Hadera McKay / March 17, 2022

This past spring break, I finally finished my three-month-long first watch of the late 90s classic, Sex and the City. As the end credits ran, I was more...

Super Bowl halftime show reflects the Black experience, but its efforts are performative

Super Bowl halftime show reflects the Black experience, but its efforts are performative

By Hadera McKay / February 17, 2022

Barring Eminem—this year’s Super Bowl halftime show was an unequivocal celebration of the Black experience, from the tactful location of SoFi Stadium...

Sam Levinson and Blackness: Did the white man get it right?

Sam Levinson and Blackness: Did the white man get it right?

By Hadera McKay / February 10, 2022

BAFTA (British Academy of Film and Television Arts) nominated writer, producer, and director of the hit HBO show “Euphoria,” Sam Levinson has faced...

Why we still love 'Twilight'

Why we still love ‘Twilight’

By Hadera McKay / December 11, 2021

Why do the Twilight movies make us so intensely, undeniably uncomfortable?  Is it because we are instantly shown a problematic love story between an...

Is Taylor Swift revolutionary or is she just white?

Is Taylor Swift revolutionary or is she just white?

By Hadera McKay / November 11, 2021

With the upcoming re-release of Taylor Swift’s award-winning album Red on Friday, it’s about time to investigate exactly why we love this white woman...