New Indy Flick: Middle of Nowhere

First, I want to give a rousing applause to our lil sister, Quvezhane Wallis from last summer's "Beasts of the Southern Wild" who grabbed an Oscar nomination for best actress yesterday.  It should be noted that she was only a mere 6 yrs. old when she filmed the movie and I blogged about her performance last summer so scroll down to read it.

Just needed to put the word out about this upcoming new indie movie for some attention to refocus on since "Django Unchained" has seemed to suck up all the oxygen on conversations about films and Black movie goers right about now.  Also interesting to note, Jamie Foxx was not nominated for an Oscar for portraying the lead character, a former slave who sought revenge and reclaimed his wife.  Hmmmm.

How lucky are we to have 2 strong independent Black films available soon for our viewing, critique and enjoyment.  I can't wait to see this one, "Middle of Nowhere", a movie with very real issues we're all familiar with, beautiful new talent that make us hungry for more casting diversity in Black films and not the same ol' faces or types of beauty, and a welll crafted script about a black woman making critical life choices about her future and happiness all add to my eagerness to catch this one.

Check for the screenings in your area on fandango.com and share your thoughts about our images on the big screen.

New Independent Black Films: Movie Alternatives For The Holidays

 

Just found out about this new indy joint produced by and starring Chicago rapper, Common and a recent favorite at Sundance. This looks like a good bet for anytime of year, but especially with the usual holiday film fare and Oscar-hungry dramas.  It'll be good to see black men and the complex issues raised around manhood,the transgenerational values being passed onto our  boys, and serious questions about survival being played out on the big screen.

I'm looking forward to seeing it as soon as it opens in NYC just to see Dennis Haysbert (remember he was the velvet-voiced President Palmer on Fox's 24), Charles Dutton, Michael Kenneth Williams from The Wire and Ms. Meagan Goode showcase their talent.

Looking Forward To The Next 4 Years

  

The election is over and Barack Obama came through with a comfortable win over the overly confident multi-millionaire, Mitt Romney. Two months later, The Republicans are still licking their wounds, clinging to denial and trying to get it together for 2016. They seem to not accept the changing demographics across this country with regard to women, the middle class, the poor, immigrants and the all-talked about Latino vote. 
 
As for the Democrats and the Black vote, there's also a sort of denial or unwillingness for Black America to accept that although we are the most loyal demographic within the Democrtic Party, we are the most overlooked and taken for granted. To be honest, I had some problems with President Obama's ignoring the specific plight of African Americans in his first term, even though I understand where that came from. I get it, I realize he had to straddle the political/racial fence and not appear too willing to place racial preference in policy and scare everyone else that he was Black America's President and not the President for the whole nation. Basically, he had to quell any fears that he might be giving us some undue public policy advantages because we belong to the same group. 

But how about the fact that over 90% of the Black vote went to him and we deserve some policy attentions for helping to put him in office. The LGBT community, Latinos and women all gained some policies that addressed their needs in response to their votes that helped get him in office. He didn't just do some token gestures to placate them, he created sound, long-term policies that will support their respective agendas and concerns as they move forward into the next generation. So my question is: What did we get other than a lecture about fatherhood and how we should stop complaining and take off our house slippers and get to work? Not much.  He never addressed the prison industrial complex, stop and frisk police practices, black business formation and the loss of homes in the foreclosure debacle through predatory lending (see Wells Fargo). We got told, "A rising tide raises all boats". If so, how come we're always at the bottom of the ship. I don't pretend to feel the President can repair all the problems that affect Black America but we are owed some policies that address our specific needs and we need to be aggressive, in his second term, in demanding attention be paid to our agenda as his constituents and not his racial brothers and sisters.
We'll need to be politically mature now more than ever.  I'm not willing to go the route of Tavis Smiley or Cornell West, but attention and action needs to happen from us and for us.  There's way too much poverty that is so accepted in our community, and it doesn't really matter what city you travel to, it always looks just about the same.  I travel and look at our situation and have to wonder just how has having a Black President actually benefitted our condition on the whole. 

I would be happy if Obama actually starts talking about the poor.  Just getting the topic on the radar is a start since there hasn't been any real policy to attack poverty since the Johnson administration.   Poverty, that bad word nobody uses anymore because "the middle class" sounds more paletable to Middle America, but little do they realize they are slowing becoming today's poor.

Never Too Late For Health, Wellness And Happiness

Hello everybody.  I came across this woman on Youtube and thought it'd be nice to share with anyone who thinks it may be too late to make real life changes.  Meet Wendy Ida who fled with her children from an abusive husband and changed her life at 43.  She applied changes in her diet and made a commitment to fitness and living well.  Now she's fabulous at 60 years young, a Guiness Book world record holder and happily re-married to a supportive and wonderful man.

Like my pastor said, "It gets greater later".

The First Presidential Debate: Mitt-One, President Obama-Zero

Wow! It's been 4 years already.  We're now at the big stakes election four years after Barack Obama won the bid for the nation's highest elected office and became the first Black President of the United States of America.  But was anyone watching last night's first presidential debate?  I think it's safe to say Mitt took it just by being aggressive, appearing as a statesman and knowing his stuff. 

My beloved President was more reactive than proactive and should've attacked Mitt more and stopped him from interrupting him every 10 minutes.  It wasn't a good look.  He's just not an aggressive guy and seems to not know he's in the fight for his political life.  If he'd just throw a jab or a hook this would be all over because we know Mitt isn't that bright a guy inspite of his wealth and having served as Governor of Massachusettes.  President Obama has the intellect to run circles around him but quite frankly has no good old fashioned "grit" to go toe-to-toe with a half wit who keeps interrupting him. 

But it revealed something I've suspected for a minute, his campaign is weak.  It's only because Romney is so stupid to say the things he's said on a hot mike that's cost him some points in key states.  But if he hadn't, the race would be neck-in-neck.  Taking advantage of Romney's misfortune doesn't mean he's been leading a strong campaign reminding us of his accomplishments and plans for the future.

The Obama campaign didn't seem strong until the famous "47%" rantings and that fact is starting to show.  He may have become a little too comfy with his marginal lead in the key swing states, and I say marginal because when you're a black man in a political fight with a wealthy white guy you always have a marginal lead no matter what the polls say.  Hopefully he'll get his sleeves rolled up and get ready for round two and throw a decent punch.

Gabby Douglas: Our Champion

Can we please stop!!!  A beautiful, articulate, brave and powerful Black girl wins 2 gold medals and all we get in the digital universe, from mostly black females, are the chorus of boos about her hair and how she needs a perm and should represent us better.  How about this: Gabby is a Black girl, knows it and isn't scared of her nappy roots showing.  I'm like, damn!!  We have to put our internalized self-hate on display for the whole world to see instead of congratulating and reveling in this Olympic moment.

And Ms. Douglas, you go right on ahead with your chocolate skin, flat nose, full lips, big thighs and developed glutes and don't pay none of our idiots any mind.  As a matter of fact, I glowed when I read her comments about her win and what she thought of all the hater-tweets about her "unkept" hair.

"Nothing is going to change. I'm going to wear my hair like this during beam and bar finals.  You might as well just stop talking about it."

Judging by her comments we can see her parents did a hell of a job developing her athletic prowess and more importantly, her mind.  All that it takes to win a gold medal while you're a teenager dealing with all the stuff teens struggle with and to have that focus and presence is nothing short of astonishing.  She is an elite athlete at the top of her sport and some of her own people don't know how to give her the unrestrained support she should get automatically.  I have to kind of blame it on this instant information society we're in too.  I mean any and every idiot hits the send or enter button to air every random thought that should stay in the confines of their own small mind. 

Me, I'm praying for her to take home the gold in tomorrow's balance beam finals and wear her hair proudly and defiantly just like it is.

Frontline on AIDS in Black America

On Tuesday, July 10th, PBS' Frontline will be airing  a documentary on the growing AIDS epidemic in the Black community.  I encourage everyone to watch so we can get some understanding of why and how this 30 plus years old disease is steadily escalating among young Black men and women across the nation. 

Back in the 90's, I sat in a public health workshop and a woman shared how her husband unknowingly gave it to her and that he was still healthy but her health was failing.  She was a retiree in her 60's waiting to enjoy her golden years and had to deal with all the emotional, financial and health tolls that came with her new HIV diagnosis.  Recent stats reveal that the HIV infection rate among women in Washington DC rivals that of South Africa.  How is this happening?  Black women especially need to be aware of the past histories of sexual partners and by all means wear condoms, everytime.  Yes, I know, but everytime.  Because you only really know your own risk level, not your partners.  And that includes husbands.  Regularly using condoms and HIV testing are really our only defenses so that we know our own status and can prevent spreading infection to others. 

But I'm curious about what informs the sexual choices that Black women make which ends up putting so many of us at risk.  Are we too afraid to ask a man to use a condom because we want to keep him given the dimishing numbers of available, datable black men in our communities.  Do our feelings of love and trust interfere with our heads and good safe sex practices?  Does the heat of the moment get the better of us?  Does the fact that many brothers don't want to use protection to begin with and then judge women who keep condoms in their nightstand draw factor in our choices? I read a recent Essence article where a woman stated her boyfriend doesn't like to use condoms and isn't willing to get tested and she was asking for advice about what to do.  I was shocked that here was this ignorant, selfish dumb ass in the year 2012 apparently unconcerned about his own health and that this woman should need any advice on how to handle her situation.  But then the luke warm response from the Essence columnist just floored me.  The advice should've included directions to this young woman to put on her Nikes and run from his silly ass, quickly, and change her number. 

I had a work friend years ago who I ran into and she shared with me that she had just tested positive.  This was a 31 year old educated, beautiful, former model who walked the streets of NYC like it was her personal runway and was now dealing with getting insurance and finding services to help her handle her changing world.  I lost touch with her but she runs across my mind every once in a while when I read news articles about the alarming rates of infection in our community. 


The down low syndrome can't alone explain the surging infection rates in Black women, but we're not being honest if we don't claim responsibility for learning as much as possible about all sexual partners and then still protecting ourselves.  And let's face it, a brother just ain't gonna tell you straight up he does dudes too, that's why using condoms is so mandatory.  Bisexuality is a topic of conversation that the community needs to have no matter how painful, shocking, shameful, embarassing, whatever.  NO, I need to change that:  we need to talk honestly about sex and sexuality.  Period. And I mean real talk.  When I was growing up all my mother and the mothers of my friends really armed us with was the "don't get pregnant" orders and some fear talk to keep us from the natural curiosity about our developing bodies and minds.  I shudder to think how simple minded we were about sex and how vulnerable we all were: the friends who became teen moms, had abortions, fought STIs and just carried the emotional baggage of having sex too soon.  And while studies are showing the HIV infection increase and its relationship to poverty, we shouldn't feel safe if we're not among the poor.  Every sexually active human being assumes a risk. Period.

Also, we Black women need to be more vocal about this epidemic because while much media attention is given to the increasing infection rates among us, I wonder if the government's campaign efforts and marketing have increased in our community.  The national and local departments of health's programming, outreach and education efforts should reflect the changing faces of this disease.  Lately, I almost never hear anything from media about condom use and AIDS prevention and all that stuff we heard regularly, say 15 years ago.  It's time to re-address topics around sex, different sexualities, high risk sexual practices that increase chances for contracting the HIV virus and the cultural mores and attitudes that are prevalent in the black community around sexuality.  Let's face it-none of us are immune from getting this disease as long as we are sexually active.  I read that 80% of African American women who contract the virus do so through heterosexual intercourse so this is a preventable disease and we all ought to check out the upcoming Frontline and share our thoughts about it's growing presence in many of our lives.

BEAUTIFUL BEASTS

 

Last Saturday night I saw the wonderful new independent film, "The Beasts of the Southern Wild" starring Quvenzhane Wallis in her acting debut as Hushpuppy the spunky six year old girl living in the bayou with her alcoholic father as she courageously faces her dramatically changing life.  The film was directed by new filmmaker Benh Zeitlin a New Orleans transplant from Queens, NY who takes us on a journey seen through the eyes of this unusual little black girl who is trying to save her sick father, understand the circle of life and save their bayou community, The Bathtub.  She is wild and fierce as she's raised by the land and nurtured by a strong, passionate community with centuries old ties to the land.  A place where babies aren't confined to strollers but can roam and explore.  The film uses folklore, imagination and good old fashioned story telling to depict her understanding of life and how she navigates through her world with an old soul's wisdom and knowing. 

I loved how her connection to the earth and the living things we share the land with was developed with sensitivity for all of us to see, especially young urban children with only the community pool and their local park to revel in for their summer.  They need to know that wearing the new Jordan's or having RocaWear doesn't make your childhood rich or magical.  Fishing, catching frogs, running through the grass and racing with fireworks in both hands all make being little special.  With that in mind I really hope parents take their children to see this film and get them outdoors more.

  The film also offers a lot to think about as we discuss global warming, the ice caps, and a green economy as trending topics but oft times don't connect with given our comforts of modern living.  But most of all, I hope people see this film for the singular acting from the child lead.  All the actors were nonprofessionals in their first acting jobs and were all great, but Ms. Wallis left me wanting to see her next movie before the credits rolled.  She is a powerful new artist, honest and clear.  A movie with a great original story and great acting, what more can you ask for in a summer movie ?

Happy Daddy's Day!!!

I just wanted to send my love and appreciation to all the great fathers out there who are sacrificing for and inspiring their little cubs all the world over. 

My dad died when I was eleven but I always remember him coming home tired from a hard day's work, taking his evening shower, sitting down to dinner, watching The Mets games on channel 9 here in NYC, (Yes, we were a National League household) and drinking a cold miller beer.  His presence and the feeling of safety and protection I felt with him around was very real.  My father was from a generation where the child rearing was almost totally left to the mother but he provided and cared for all 6 of us no matter what.  A jazz musician by trade, he could have left to live a bohemiam life and seek out a life that only satisfied his own pleasures, but he chose to be a family man with a predictable routine and to deal with the everyday problems that come with raising a household full of kids.  None of us knew the indignities and crap he had to endure just trying to work honest jobs and be the provider, he took a lot and never complained about his life.

Honestly, I tire of hearing father's day shout outs that include props to the moms who are doing double duty or just mentioning the old addage"moms are moms all their lives", gets on my damn nerves.  Moms who may be widows or abandoned and left to hold the bag are warriors but they're not fathers.  Mothers Day was in May and mothers should get all their accolades and praise on then (and honestly, throughout the rest of the year),  but Father's Day is in June and it seems like they get some acknowledgment but end up sharing their shine with single mothers.  Can we just give an unequivocal "happy father's day" to the men?  Period.  And how about all the brothers who are raising other men's kids and claiming them as their own.  They hardly ever get a mention when all the conversation is on the dead beat dads dodging their child support payments.  As a cat once told my brother, "really, we're all raising each others kids".   

We can't let our men be replaced with thin air or overwhelmed  women tired of holding it all together.  We need YOU!!  And right now.  You are irreplaceable and your children are different because of your presence and guidance.  Now there are some men who have no business raising kids as they currently are.  And some men are better men because their fathers weren't in their lives.  For instance, if your father was a pimp and he believes women should be slapped around just to remind them to stay in their place, your father is not a good role model and really shouldn't be around kids.  But for all my brothers trying to be better men and better fathers, I send you a big kiss and for those who know they should be doing better, seek some support from your church or link up with a men's group.  Not knowing the way isn't a sin, not caring or trying to know the way is.

She's Baack!! Awkward Black Girl Season 2

Yay!!!  Awkward Black Girl is back for a 2nd season online and I'm looking forward to see how her choice of White Jay over her cute-as-hell coworker is gonna go, her sweet but nutty BFF, Cece and that crazy bunch of coworkers that lightened my days with laughter last summer.  Just happy to see that Issa Rae was able to raise enough money and continue telling her story her way.  Would love to see her on tv, maybe TVOne would be a good look, but she's great on any medium.  Look for new episodes with the season two premiere jumping off on Thursday, June 14th. 

What A SCANDAL!!!!!

I hope we're all watching the ABC drama, "Scandal".  It stars Bronx-native, Kerry Washington and a strong supporting cast including the very cute Columbus Short.  This political drama is written and produced by the prolific Shonda Rhimes of Grey's Anatomy and Private Practice.  As happy as I am for her success, I've been a little disappointed by her shows' black female characters.  They tend to be accomplished and  polished but without any life balance.  Meaning: no man or long term romantic relationships or marriage.  Or they're just plain non-existent like on than silly medical drama in Latin America that was short lived and I can't even remember the name of that had no black female character.  It always feels like her black female characters never seem to have any inner life worth showing on tv:  family connections, lovers or even "viable" lovers.  They seem to just simply support the lives of their White BFF.  It was just sad when Audra McDonald's character on Private Practice was wooed by a dying older white guy with terminal cancer and a white paraplegic researcher.  Like really.  I mean a healthy man of any race is a good start, but I was always curious as to why she never paired her with a hot brother on her level with a good heart.  Was that too much to ask for?


But I digress.  On the new tv drama, "Scandal" all that I felt was lacking in the development of her black female characters gets some redemption in this tight political thriller.  The lead character, Olivia Pope, is a serious political DC power broker with sharp instincts, extreme confidence and a tender heart.  She's strong but not too much so that we don't see a human being with needs and tenderness.  Kerry Washington's portrayal is so dead on with her expressive doe eyes and flawless skin, you believe her every line revealing Olivia Pope's strength and vulnerability.  In the story, Olivia Pope ended an affair with the current President and left the White House to start her own PR firm or otherwise known, crisis managment team.  I've enjoyed the way Ms. Rhimes has allowed the history of the main characters to unfold with their relationship to Olivia, including the passionate affair between Olivia and The President that she's still trying to pour water on to put out the obvious fire that still smolders between them.


It was interesting how the network handled the episode that showed the build-up and consummation of their illicit romance.  ABC had actually had a parental warning about the show having "a sexual nature" and for "mature audience" and "parental discretion is advised".  Blah, blah, blah...  I was expecting something really shocking, maybe even partial nudity like they gave us with NYPD Blue, but it was just a steamy scene but nothing that needed a parental advisory.  I believe it could only have been that it was an interracial love scene that ABC felt the need to prepare the audience for what they were about to see.  Our history is full of similar stories that mix race, sex  and politics.  Just think Thomas Jefferson or Strom Thurmond, and all the others who've fathered many mixed children and then donated guilt money to HBCU's so their progeny would have a decent shot at life.  Most of these herstories involve violence - as in rape, abuse and exploitation since African women came to the shores of North America.  But this wasn't the exploitive relationship we've seen before.  She's an accomplished "fixer" saving his campaign and while working so closely together they fell for each other.  Her character pauses and really contemplates what she's about to do before heading to his hotel room and goes in eyes wide open.  She made a conscious decision to sleep with him while standing on her feet.  She is not a victim. 


But what I really appreciate most are the writer's crafty plot twists that kept me on the edge of my sofa dying to see the next episode.  And the character development is the best you'll see on network tv.  The writers are teasing out the critical facts about the supporting cast nice and slowly and the personal histories of Olivia's team while we gradually see Olivia Pope as a flawed, complex woman who hides behind her job while she heals her heart and let's go of a man she can never ever have.  Also, the honest quality of the writing hits a nerve of authenticity that's rare on tv.  There was a powerful scene in the season finale that includes the confrontation of the First Lady and her husband's former mistress, Olivia, and the dialogue was something I didn't really expect from network tv.  Let's just say it was very raw and something I'd imagine a real power wife would actually say to the mistress.  If you didn't watch it, you owe it to yourself to watch it OnDemand.  So it's essentially a sad love story in the middle of this political thriller with murder, pregnant White House interns, hitmen, political maneuverings and tightly guarded secrets. 


What I'm curious about though is how will mainstream America respond to this story.  Will America be able to handle a story with a strong female lead that is Black and romantically pursued by the very married President who is White...and Republican?  That's a lot for America to handle all in 60 minutes once a week.  But I'm hoping black folks and the rest of America will tune in to watch some very good writing and characters we've never seen before and consider how likely these situations are to actually happen.  I mean the lead character is based on the very real Judy Smith, a DC power player who also worked in George Bush's White House.  And you know there were rumors that Bill had a child of color back in Arkansas.  Who knows?  But a well done dramatic television show with a powerful Black female lead that is in control and handling her business is something to watch no matter how you feel about left/right politics, swirling or how likely the story is to actually happen.

Lauren Hill & Rohan Marley: Breeding, The Value Of Marriage And Black Commitment

Where do I begin?  I feel for Lauren, truly I do.  She had 5 babies with the man and was with him from the time she was in her early twenties.  A couple of things jump at me about Rohan and his Brazilian fiancee.  First, how did L-Boogie have 5 (FIVE) kids with a man and not get married.  It's true that you can't make anyone do anything, especially if they don't want to, but after 2 kids why not put a cap on it, literally.  Birth control works and we have many options.  When did she see that he had no interest in marrying her and say to herself I need to pause on having more children until my relationship is stable and progressing.  Maybe she had no interest in marriage, but personally I'm not buying that one.  The stories about his cheating and her unknown personal issues have all been public.  For a while there it seemed maybe she had some sort of breakdown.  And yes, individuals and relationships have their ups and downs, but those two managed to make five children through it all.  But my broader questions are: what does this shituation represent for other black women at-large and have we totally stopped questioning what is our worth as women?

Marriage brings certain legal rights that baby mama-ism just doesn't, for the father and the mother.  For a man, becoming a father is a matter of sex that led to a pregnancy. Now whether he wants to enter the role of daddy is a whole other matter. But when a man decides to marry a woman he is committing to stand by her and their children through anything, take an oath before God and enter a legally binding contract with her. Husbands and fathers are actually willing to face death to protect their wives and children. It's not a role for punks as real men know.

Women need to think hard and long before they take sexual chances with a man that may not be there for them and his seeds.  And a man shouldn't toy with a woman's body and bring five souls into this world and not want to honor them with his last name and claiming the mother as his wife.  That's just me.  Have we become baby makers for brothers while they give their commitment, loyalty and hearts to other women?    Why aren't we looking out more for ourselves and for the futures of our children.  Sex is a splendiforous thing, but I think sometimes you need to deny yourself that pleasure until you feel safe and know as best you can just who you're connecting to.  There's just too much mattress diving going on today and women and girls thinking they're as emotionless and detached as guys are.  Deciding to have sex with someone is always a leap of faith but we need to get as much information about who it actually is we're bonding with up front.  Questions about his values, what he gives most of his attention to, measuring his actual behavior with his talk and how he views women and relationships are just starters.  Because you are connecting, and not just physically.  Oxytocin can have you stuck on some dude 2 years later who may not be worth shit, but you could still be wondering about his sorry ass because he sweated on your belly and held you afterwards.

It has just started to feel like sisters have become little more than breeders for the black race, and I hope my feelings are wrong because we offer so much more.  And if so, some of that is our fault.  Given our low marriage rate and baby mama syndrome, is it just that our men seem to think we're good enough to have their babies but not good enough to be their wives?  Or do we just do too damn much while not expecting them to do or offer much in return. 

Now you know I have to address race because it is what it is.  I'm sure that 2 people of different races can and do fall in love and it have nothing to do with anything but love.  Great.  But Rohan Marley chose to marry a blue-eyed Brazilian that doesn't look Rasta.  There used to be an old saying that "Black men talk black, sleep white and marry light".  Well that game seems to have changed recently because many of them aren't even marrying light anymore, they're going straight outside to marry Asian, White or Hispanic women.  As if the coveted light-skinned black woman isn't cutting it anymore.  Have Black women become so disposable by our men?   

If nothing else I wish Lauren the best in charging ahead with her life as a woman, a mother and an artist.  And I hope her very public life serves as a conversation piece for Black women around motherhood, wifehood, sex and relationships (or "relationshits" as they can sometimes be).

Positive Aging and the Amazing Annette Larkins

Just needed to post this video for anyone who hasn't seen the amazing Annette Larkins of Miami, Florida.  At 70 years old she is a stellar example of how graceful and elegant we can all age.  If you notice her neck, skin and muscle tone in the video, tell tale signs for a woman's age, she literally looks at least 30 years her junior.  And let's not even talk about her body: she resembles a video girl with her tiny waist and shapely figure.  Now being born an African-descended woman has its benefits as many of us know the old adage "good black don't crack", but it took lots of hard, consistent work to get to where she's at.  Yes, her melanin rich skin was a good head start but not enough to attain her youthful appearance into her seventh decade.

To start, she is a raw foodie, which I've tried many times (Big Ups to Raw Soul in Harlem, NY www.rawsoul.com), and has been living vibrantly from a diet that includes mung beans, raw food and juices for the last 27 years.  Raw foods maintain the enzymes that give us energy and vitality, and at least for her have stopped the aging clock.  But I think her outlook on life, confidence and willingness to go for whatever she wants has enabled her to grow gracefully as well.  A life with regrets and stagnation are not conducive to good physical health.  Spiritual growth and grace are also essential as we age and it looks like she has that in abundance.  We don't need expensive gym memberships, plastic surgery, fad diets or "anti-aging" cremes.  I've never understood that marketing term, really the only thing that is "anti-aging" is dying because we're aging every day.  If we're not aging then we're dead, right?  But a commitment to lifestyle changes that include a vegetable and fruit dense diet, exercise (triathalon level fitness isn't required), a devotion to inner peace and balance and an inquisitive mind can get us close to where she is.  I can't say that I would soley consume a raw food diet, but I'm definitely going to incorporate more of it in my diet at least on a weekly basis.  I may even take a raw food cooking course so I can make some favorite recipes at home.  Thank you to Ms. Larkins for being an inspiration of what positive aging can be.

David Banner Said What?

You know I just posted my gratitude to David Banner for his insight on the Trayvon Martin case just last nite.  I find out today that after those comments, he said that hip hop artists don't have an obligation to speak about Trayvon Martin, but do have an obligation to make hit songs. 

I mean damn!! Just when I thought there was an unafraid brother in the industry.  Was this about his need to keep the love with the rest of his rap cohorts that don't stand up for sh*t, or was he scurrrred after realizing he said some powerful stuff and wanted to quiet down the masses.  I mean all that money they make collectively and the threat they pose to the mainstream when they have something to say that is serious is power.  Because nobody really likes a serious Black man-not even other Black men.  Keep making & playing plantation shit about your sexual verility, your luxury items, your condos and cognac so nobody has to deal with the broke ass community that produced your celebrated behind.  He was my hip hop hero until I read that shit.


Where was Talib Kweli, Lupe Fiasco, Common, Mos Def, hell KRS-1?  Where the fuck are yall at?  Your sons and daughters are watching.

David Banner on Trayvon Martin and What We Need To Do Now

It has taken me a while to collect my thoughts and reflect on the killing, demonization and disrespect of Trayvon Martin.  George Zimmerman shot and killed this 17 year old for for being "suspicious" in his relatives gated community as he walked with a hoodie carrying Skittles and an iced tea after a store run during the Super Bowl last February.  The family didn't know he was in the morgue for 3 days, police wouldn't release the 911 tapes to them and treated their murdered child like a perpetrator with constant references to his being a "Black male" in the incident report. They needed international media coverage, marches and politicians to mobilize en masse before Zimmerman would even be arrested for anything. It's all been so heartbreaking as I look at his young full face and see the grieving faces of his parents on one more media outlet asking for simple justice. 

But what has shocked me has been the little Black Enterprise interview with hip hop artist, David Banner, and his compelling analysis of the event.  I'm shocked because no Black pundit put it down the way he did with an understanding of social power, the underlying issues America has with Black men and what Black folks need to do to effect any change.  For me, this is one of the most shining moments in recent hip hop history.  Insight, information and social critique used to be normal in hip hop, now we get to hear it after a tragedy by an MC who also happens to be a brave intellect, music producer and businessman.


As I think about it, I didn't see any brothers from the music industry in all the media coverage about the killing analyzing or voicing their outrage about it, at least not eloquently or with any real insight.  The Miami Heat, politicians and actors have all put their hat in the ring with support but I couldn't find a prominent brother in the music business which has so much attention and influence on the minds of young Black men to make some noise the way Kanye West did back when he spoke honestly about George Bush during Katrina (even Chaka Khan produced a song in support).  Wonder what's got their collective tongues tied?  However, the exception is David Banner who put it in clear terms: that the fear of Black men and the fear of reprisals that haven't occurred  from Black America, given the history of oppresion, puts people on edge and on the offensive to strike first, maybe because of some innate fear about the physicality of Black men,  their perceived sexual prowess or the media's fixation with Black criminality.  Maybe its a combination of all these things.  But there's definitely something that makes people very uncomfortable with our men and feel that they have some power to control their behavior. 


The state legislatures created the Stand Your "Redneck" Ground Law to give citizens the right to protect themselves if they feel threatened.  How vague, you can feel threatened by anything, doesn't mean that anyone is actually threatening you.  Arizona Governor, Janice Brewer, accosted our president when he deboarded Airforce One about something she didn't like in a book that he allegedly said.  So she aggresively puts her finger in his face and lets him know how she feels.  Afterwards during an interview about her conduct with the president, she said "I felt threatened".  This was interesting since she ran up to him and was the aggressor, and incidentally the Secret Service should've had her ass face down on the tarmac.  So basically you can aggress against a Black man, even the President, then claim to feel threatened and play the victim and get away with it the way she did.  But can a Black man stand his ground if he feels threatened by Whites? Trayvon Martin was killed because he didn't make a White man feel comfortable.  Period.  Zimmerman's safety was never in question until he accosted a teenager who was doing nothing wrong.  It's so sad and upsetting, the police are using their guns and badges to control the movement of any Black man they want to with unwarranted stop and frisk tactics and now average White citizens feel that extends to them too.  There's been a growing sense that we are living in a police state, at least in the Black community.  But as this case becomes clearer, it seems many whites feel deputized by their whiteness to control the behavior of Black men they deem threatening.


I like what David Banner says about this sense of fear the majority has about this unseen internal rage that we don't express, especially given all that's been done to us, and that there's this unspoken fear that we would seek reprisals if put under certain conditions, conditions like one more of our children being murdered for being a "suspect".  I know how powerful a thing Black rage is, but the unhealthy truth is that we're more likely to turn that energy against each other.  As David says, we're killing each other.  We may rob or steal from them, but the greatest damage we do is to each other.  But in this year of big political shenanigans, will we make the overarching issue the targetting of Black men by the criminal justice industry a real political issue that we can leverage?  Every other group is lobbying and doing the political shuffles to get some of what they want but Black people.  We get cast with President Obama's rising tide and hope our boat doesn't sink instead of holding our politicians accountable and leveraging our strong democratic votes to get government to address the contemporary nature of policing that is assisting in destroying our community.


There are broader systemic disparities we need to focus on like the mass incarceration of Black men, draconian stop and frisk tactics that cast drag nets in our neighborhoods to justify why cities keep increasing the numbers of police officers as crime rates drop. Drugs (the abuse and sale) in the White community goes undiscussed in the national dialogue on drugs and crime. Suffolk County, NY has an increasing problem with affluent young Whites addicted to heroine, but you won't see this at all on the evening news.  Let's not even add to the mix the addiction and abuse of crystal meth, ecstasy and prescription pills that are at epidemic levels and overwhelming hospital ERs in certain parts of the country but you won't see that on 60 Minutes.  Then, are the incarceration rates of Whites increasing alongside these increasing numbers of drug use?  Are the police stopping and frisking White teens to catch all the drugs that are being made, used and sold in their communities?  We can't let the Trayvon Martin case be relegated to one more of the injustices we have to suffer and hope and pray for a conviction. 


There are bigger issues for us to pay attention to and force ourselves to wake up and take action.  Wearing a hoodie as a sign of protest isn't enough.  That silent, primal yell that so many of us had when we first saw the pictures of Trayvon in his football uniform, on the ski slopes or on horseback made many hearts ache because he could be our son, nephew or little cousin.  He was a child from a solid family that gave him exposure to the bigger world and not the stereotype of the young black thug the media loves and sadly we've come to worship.  They seemed to have done all the right things and shouldn't have had to bury their baby.  But we don't do any favors to the rest of our youth struggling to stay alive with a bulls eye on their backs if we don't at least maintain a concerted effort to keep our agenda on policing alive and on the minds and pocket books of our law makers.

Is Food The New Fashion?

Been a while since I shared some thoughts on my own blog, but I had a very needed respite from some things, but I'm back and ready to type.  I needed a break from the Penn State travesty, The Republican Party, life changes for 2012 and career woes.  Hell I just needed a media break from all the injustices in the world! So now that I'm recharged, I'm ready to type and type I will.

Anyhoo, as we welcome Spring into our lives and start planting seeds for this year's harvest I've been thinking a lot lately about how food has become a new fashion trend and people who before couldn't tell the difference between brie and gouda are these new epicurian food snobs.  The Food Network, The Cooking Channel, ABC's The Chew.  I'm like, where did all this food coverage come from?  And more curiously, why?

I'm a proud member of a women-led, organic, community farm in the South Bronx called La Finca Del Sur.  I have to confess to being a life-long foodie (hell, my favorite movie is "Like Water For Chocolate"), and as a native New Yorker I grew up eating all kinds of yummy foods from all over the world.  In my home there were no fancy culinary concoctions created to excite the palate, but the diet I grew up on was provided by the good home cooking skills of my parents and 4 older sisters.  There were hot meals cooked daily with lots of fresh vegetables, beans, and poultry.  But there was also a tin of lard for deep frying and fried bologna sandwiches on a Saturday afternoon along with an ice-cold Pepsi.  Today,  much of what I ate then, growing up in my working class household, I would never eat today, i.e. a fried bologna sandwich.  And although I still appreciate the food values I grew up with that nourished me, I have just simply broadened my palette and experiment with all kinds of spices and recipes that I would never have seen in my younger years.  For instance, today I cook with fresh basil, tomatillos, cilantro and jalapeno peppers (all compliments of La Finca), that were never in my mother's kitchen.  She can't stand the smell of garlic, so I never even smelled fresh garlic until I was in my twenties.  Now I cook with it almost everyday for it's health properties and rich flavor. 

I enjoy cooking and do so most of the time.  It's not in my DNA to dine out or grab takeout everyday.  And what the hell-- it's too costly.  Even in college I cooked a lot in my dorm room on a hot plate (illegaly I might add) rather than eat what was prepared in the cafeteria.  And I don't mean Oodles of Noodles either.  Not that the dining hall food was bad, but I just liked my fried steak with Rice-A-Roni and spinach better than what they offered.  So that being stated, I like to eat and I like to cook. One of my favorite side dishes is carrot soufle which I learned to make just 2 years ago.  Now its one of my, and my guests, favorite sides.  I like to learn new things in the kitchen and remix old recipes and appreciate the taste of fresh food.  And after a brief illnes I learned to appreciate the medicinal value our food offers.  Food heals our bodies and is a global expression of love and affection. But it feels like something else is going on today around food.  People are taking things just a little too seriously, to me anyway.  Recently, a little old lady who's a food critic gave The Olive Garden a great review and was chided heavily by highly emotional food bloggers who felt that that was gauche.  The notion that a common chain restaurant, with more or less low priced food, got a favorable review was an insult and these food nuts went on the attack.  Then you have people doing email and text chains in cities like Los Angeles and NYC about food trucks selling some "hot" new food and people (mostly twenty somethings) all start traveling and lining up to buy some shit made on a food truck (Great niche marketing). 

It's like food has become one more thing to keep people separated.  There's this food snobbery spreading like wildfire and it's not doing much to bring people together around a universal human need-- to eat.  Not that food snobbery is new, the rich who could afford to eat at high priced restaurants make sure that the food stays high priced to keep "regular" people away from where their precious behinds sit and eat a meal.  I've heard people drop the names of dishes like they're dropping the names of VIPs or celebrities just to impress or create envy in others.  Maybe this is just a sign of the times, the natural shift with everything else in society, the yuppification of everything we consume, live and love.  NYC used to be a working class, concrete jungle of a town.  Now, it's lattes, burger bars and who can get a slice of pizza anymore? Not to mention made by an Italian or Sicilian-American.  And that's another thing--authenticity is done.  Even the job titles for people in the food industry have changed, like what the hell is a barista?  Isn't that just a waitress or waiter in a well priced coffee bar.  I even saw an online job ad for a "food designer" which basically amounted to someone who stages and takes pictures of beautifully plated dishes.  Like, really? 

There ends up being this world where people live in food deserts and others are paying good money at Whole Foods talking about the virtues of eating whole, fresh food.  As if my grandmother and mother never ate that way and they just discovered something new, and we should all be eating this way if only the rest of us were as lucky as they are.

I think what will cure all this foolishness is to get people back in the kitchen.  Cooking is the equalizer.  That means getting the kids to cut, chop and snap and getting men/husbands to pitch in helps us all to connect to our food before it comes to us all appetizing and hot on the plate.  People will need more fresh produce and pay more attention to what's in their ground beef and we all know the market always responds to consumer demands. And ladies, having deft skills in the kitchen is never a bad thing.  It shows that you can take care of yourself and make a healthy, righteous meal and shows a man that you can cook and nourish his offspring should you both decide to connect.  Never have I heard so many young women brag about the fact that they can't cook.  Really, we make time to do the things we want to do.  If we made cooking a part of our busy lives there are ways to get it in with planning and organization. 

I don't think food should be treated like the new Louboutin shoes.  Food and the hands that pick our produce and grind our meat are all valuable.  It should be an American right for healthy food in our schools and in our supermarkets.  It shouldn't be a new tool for elitism and separation: we're segrated enough by education, vocation, location, gender and race. We shouldn't use food to feel superior over the next one.  I just wanna know where I can get a real slice of pizza on the island of Manhattan.