May 28, 2010

Lifestyle

Sex & The City II: Reflections

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Whoo-weee Memorial Day Weekend is here and for many of us that means the first real break since January. Now summer is upon us and I can feel New York City finally ease back into a rocksteady sexy sway. This weekend as I remember all those, including my uncles and father, who courageously fought for a country that so often denied them their manhood, their American-hood, I’m looking forward to celebrating life with all of Read more...

May 26, 2010

Art, Best Of, Real Talk

High Fashion or Low Class?

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mural_blackbluedress

For some reason Venus’s provocative tennis outfit at the French Open got me thinking about Sofia Maldonado’s mural on 42nd Street and the uproar it created over whether it was a bold expression of art and culture or a simple promotion of stereotypical images of Black and Latina women. Why and when does art’s imitation of life become so problematic? High art or a low down dirty shame? Clearly it’s not just girls in the Read more...

May 23, 2010

Real Talk

The Killing of Aiyana Jones

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Damn Detroit Police Department! You burned, shot and killed Aiyana Jones, a little seven year old girl. It’s my sincere hope that the cameras for A&E’s “The First 48” television series that trailed you and filmed the whole incident didn’t spur your heroics! I know reality shows, very well indeed. Please tell me that this wasn’t a performance for the cameras!

These words, believe it or not, are straight outta the mouth of Baby Phat Read more...

May 19, 2010

Real Talk, TV/Film

Wannabes & Jigaboos

Conceited. Pretty. Entitled. Ignored. Ugly. Marginalized. The Wannabes versus The Jigaboos is a psychosocial battle of the Light-skinned versus the Dark-skinned. Cafe au lait, high yella, and red boned on one side. Chocolate, ebon, and tar baby on the other.

It’s so crazy illogical to me that in 2010, even with a happily married and madly inspiring wannabe President and jigaboo First Lady, we still don’t see that Black is Black is Black. No matter Read more...

May 14, 2010

TV/Film

Just Wright: Gold Rings & Glass Slippers

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Thanks to Linda Villarosa and the folks over at The Root (Teresa Wiltz & Sheryl Salomon), I had the opportunity to attend an advance screening of Just Wright and to interview Queen Latifah along with the film’s director, Sanaa Hamri for my first assignment for the “online magazine that provides thought-provoking commentary on today’s news from a variety of black perspectives.” Here is my story (in part), which focuses on the Cinderella fairytale in the Read more...

May 10, 2010

Real Talk, TV/Film

Lena Horne (6.30.1917 – 5.09.2010)

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Between her appearances on Sesame Street and her starring role as Glinda the Good Witch in The Wiz, I thought Lena Horne was the prettiest, the kindest, loveliest woman in the world. Her demeanor was positively exuberant when she sang and in silence, she was dignified and divine. I swear, when I was little, I really thought she was this goddess of sorts. When I prayed to Jesus at night, I always envisioned Ms. Read more...

May 6, 2010

books, The Goods, Videos

Pam Grier – Funny, Fly & Foxy

Yesterday, for the second time in my life, I had the wonderful privilege of seeing and speaking to actress, icon and Black super heroine– Pam Grier, who was in Harlem promoting her new book: Foxy: My Life in Three Acts. I first met Ms. Grier two years ago at the Black Girls Rock Awards gala at Lincoln Center. She was humble, outgoing, gracious and bad to the bone. Our chat was brief, but her Read more...