The Truth About Susan Rice
If you watched Barack Obama’s first official press conference after winning his re-election bid then you saw the President go ballistic when asked about the Republican’s response to U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice’s possible nomination for Secretary of State. To summarize, our Prezy said that anyone who has a problem with Ambassador Rice will have a problem with him. End scene! I feel Obama because the attack on Susan Rice is not only largely unfounded, but Read more...
FLYASPORA: QUEENS
Bawse. Sharp. Foine. Smart. Mahogany. Awkward. Classy. Regal. Erotic. Heard. Loud & Clear. Honey. Sho Nuff. Soft. Sexy. Hard. Foxy. Brown. These are Mickalene’s queens. Shoot, let’s keep it real, these are OUR Queens. Our mamas, our aunties, our sisters, our homegirls, our teachers, our grandmas. us. Crown high. Roots–deep & low. Bout it.
- “Rumble” (from the “Brawling Spitfire Wrestling” series); 2005
Brooklyn-based artist Mickalene Thomas is best known for her photographs and her elaborate Read more...
“VIBRATION COOKING”
You knew it was coming and here it is! The first book review in theHotness “Reading is Sexy” Series. Written by the self-described ‘potty-mouthed chef,’ mom & blogger, Stefanie Kelly, this review will break down the best of “Vibration Cooking” and make you a believer in hot skillet spirituality.
Vertamae Smart-Grosvenor is a charmed culinary master. She is the engaging and evocative author of “Vibration Cooking: Or The Travel Notes Of A Geechee Read more...
Kiss My Placenta!
Erykah Badu had to break bad when her fans voiced their disapproval over her reproductive life: “HOW DARE YOU DISRESPECT THE QUEENDOM… AND MY CHILDREN AND MY INTELLIGENCE.” It seems that folk are not pleased that the singer, songwriter, producer, actress and doula has had three children with three different men, so they went straight to her fansite to voice their discontent. Up in arms and all up in her womb, fans feel Ms. Badu Read more...
Black Gold Of The Sun
Black Gold of The Sun. Indian Gold. Ghetto Gold.
Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon.
She is Oyá, Yemayá and definitely Oshún.
Lakshmi and Kali.
Not Venus de Milo.
She is the mahogany, chocolate, amber glow of Black Power.
She is delicate and kick ass. Narrow hips and big ass.
She is Mumbai, Dubai and Bed Stuy.
She is Rum Raisin shellacked lips.
Afro-Sheen.
Afro-Queen.
Afro-Asiatic.
She smells like Chai.
Nagchampa.
A Mississippi Masala Mozambiquen Maroon.
She Read more...
Girls Do Run The World!
Big-up to the US women’s soccer team who rallied from behind to beat Brazil and played a nail-biter of a thriller this past weekend against Japan. Both teams showed heart, endurance and spirit throughout the competition. I’m not mad at Japan. If any one country could use an infusion of joy and excitement it would be Japan. And I love that a team of women, who were considered underdogs, were able to prove so many Read more...
5 Things We Can Learn From Frida Kahlo
Frida Kahlo– survivor, lover, revolutionary. When broken she reinvented herself. Her body was her canvas that became a site of empowerment for all women. Born Magdalena Carmen Frieda Kahlo y Calderón, Frida was a bonafide Cancer who loved to love and be loved. Tomorrow will mark the 57th anniversary of Frida Kahlo’s death. The defiantly beautiful Mexicana who created some 200 paintings and drawings during her lifetime would’ve turned 104 last Wednesday– her birthday and Read more...
Fashion Industry’s Problem With Black Girls
UPDATE (06.21.11): Vogue Italia Editor-in-Chief, Franca Sozzani, responds to recent claims that the Fashion Industry is racist. The title of her post, which was published yesterday, “Why It Is So Hard To Scout For Black Models?” never really gets answered. Instead Sozzani minimizes the allegations of racism by saying that the media has an unfortunate need to be controversial: “I feel sorry for being a journalist. I do understand that few of us do this Read more...
What is theHotness?
It never fails. I give someone my business card and I get an, “Ooohh, what’s theHotness” and, usually if it’s a dude, a raised eyebrow and a wink will accompany this sentence. Um no. Sorry, wrong kind of hotness, sir. I’m not running a Heidi Fleiss den of sex and scandal. “It’s a dotcom… we celebrate the brains, backbone and beauty of brown girls,” I respond. I hate to do it, but I always Read more...
Hot Grrrl: Ntozake Shange
Last Monday afternoon, after switching up my schedule, I nervously went to the Nuyorican Poets Café website to purchase tickets. I had postponed a conference call and changed my dinner plans, yet I wasn’t even sure if there were still tickets available for Ntozake Shange’s rare appearance that night at the legendary hot spot for spoken word, poetry and music. I clicked “1-Ticket” and sho nuff my card was charged $12 to see the woman Read more...