J-HUD, SEAL BOOKED FOR NAACP IMAGE AWARDS: Plus, Diddy, Taraji P. Henson and Kerry Washington added as presenters.
*Jennifer Hudson and Seal are set to perform at the 40TH NAACP Image Awards, which will broadcast live from Los Angeles’ Shrine Auditorium on Feb. 12 (8-10 p.m. EST live on FOX.
Additionally, Sean “Diddy” Combs, Taraji P. Henson, Keke Palmer, Regina Taylor and Kerry Washington will present during the special joining previously announced hosts Halle Berry and Tyler Perry.
Chicago native Hudson and her self-titled debut album recently received four Grammy Award nominations. Her eponymous debut entered Billboard’s Top 200 at No. 2 and marked the biggest first week sales for an R&B female entry since 2004. The follow-up to her smash hit single “Spotlight” is the mid-tempo “If This Isn’t Love.”
Hudson received two NAACP Image Award nominations this year for her role in “The Secret Life of Bees” and six nods for her album “Jennifer Hudson.”
Seal recently released his sixth album, “Soul,” a collection of the all-time greatest soul classics produced by music legend David Foster.
Previously announced honorees include Former Vice President Al Gore and Dr. Wangari Muta Maathai, who will both receive the Chairman’s Award, as well as Russell Simmons, who will receive the Vanguard Award. Additional performers and presenters to be announced.
DAVID DUKE LASHES OUT AGAINST MICHAEL STEELE: Former klansman calls new GOP leader 'black racist' and 'Obama Jr.'
*Former KKK grand wizard David Duke, who once ran for governor of Louisiana, has called the newly appointed chairman of the Republican Party a "black racist," reports WDSU.com.
On Friday, GOP leaders voted former Maryland Lt. Gov. Michael Steele into the party's leadership post. Steele is the first African-American to hold that position.
Duke described those who supported the move as "traitorous," and cited Steele's positions on gun control, affirmative action and the death penalty in a sometimes rambling condemnation posted on his personal Web site.
"I think the insanity of nominating 'Mr. Amnesty' John McCain and now this black racist will lead to insurgency in the Republican ranks," Duke said. He further referred to Steele as "Obama Jr." and a "servile dog of Israel."
Duke has been largely off the mainstream political radar for years and no longer lives in Louisiana, He remains politically active, speaking largely to a fractional segment of the spectrum, WDSU.com reported.
WINFREY, PERRY TO PULL 'PUSH': Lionsgate acquires Sundance winner; Oprah and Tyler on board to plug through prospective film companies.
*Oprah Winfrey and Tyler Perry will team with Lionsgate to help promote its newest film acquisition, "Push."
The Lee Daniels-directed film took the Grand Jury Prize and the Audience Award in U.S. Dramatic Competition at last month's Sundance Film Festival. The story follows an overweight, illiterate African-American teen in Harlem who is about to give birth to her second child when she is accepted into an alternative school.
"I've never seen anything like it. The moment I saw 'Push: Based on the Novel by Sapphire,' I knew I wanted to do whatever I could to encourage other people to see this movie. The film is so raw and powerful--it split me open," said Winfrey, who will promote the movie through her company Harpo Films. Perry will promote via his shingle, "34th Street Films."
The cast includes newcomer Gabourey "Gabby" Sidibe in the lead role, Mo'Nique, Paula Patton, Mariah Carey, Sherri Shepherd and Lenny Kravitz.
BADU GIVES BIRTH AND IS ALL A-'TWITTER': Singer blogs about experience via popular social site.
*Not only did Erykah Badu and her boyfriend Jay Electronica welcome a baby girl over the weekend, but the couple actually found time to "Twitter" about the entire experience as it was happening.
Badu, whose real name is Erica Wright, used the social Web site to announce that she had a home birth that lasted about five hours and that she didn't use painkillers.
Moments before the birth, Electronica said, “I see the head. Full of hair.” Later, he added, “Feb 1. 2009 my first child, my daughter, was born at 1:30 p.m. exactly. It's the happiest day of my life.”
Badu's label, Universal Motown Records Group, says the baby was born Sunday and both mother and daughter "are doing fine."
The artist, who has a son and a daughter from previous relationship, released her fourth studio album, "New Amerykah, Part One (4th World War)," last year. "Part Two" will be released this month.
HALLE BERRY'S MAN LOOKING TO GROW FAMILY: Model says he wants a little brother or sister for baby Nahla.
*Nahla Ariela isn't even one-year-old yet and her daddy, model Gabriel Aubry, says he looking to have a second child with his girlfriend, Halle Berry.
"She needs a sibling," Aubry told People.com at Monday's Callaway Golf Foundation Challenge at the Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades, Calif., to benefit the Entertainment Industry Foundation. "I think it's important."
"I've never known anybody who's had a single child [and] I've always been around big families," adds Aubry, who has seven siblings. "I believe in big families."
And what does Berry, 42, think of his plans to expand the family? "She's okay with it," he says. "Absolutely."
Nahla, who turns 1 on March 16, is walking and talking, and even practicing a second language, says her dad.
"I don't want to say [what her first words were] but it was probably 'dada,' " he says. "She doesn't say 'dad.' She says 'papa,' which is the French version of it."
But to not hurt anyone's feelings, says Aubry, "Let's just say she said, 'mama.' "
WARWICK, VAN PEEBLES MARK APOLLO ANNIVERSARY: Celebs appear at Harlem landmark to announce upcoming events.
*Dionne Warwick, Melvin Van Peebles and Savion Glover were among the guests at the Apollo Theater recently for a presentation of events planned for the venue’s current 75th anniversary season, reports Variety.
The upcoming slate is anchored by the kickoff of the new touring production of “Dreamgirls,” beginning Nov. 6. Producer John Breglio said he received a huge response to his casting call for the musical.
“We had an open call here at Thanksgiving and at 4:30 in the morning we had nearly 700 women lined up along 125th Street, hoping for the chance to be in this iconic musical,” Breglio said.
Other announcements included several new partnerships with institutions such as Carnegie Hall, which will team with the Apollo on “Honor!,” an African-American culture festival curated by soprano Jessye Norman. The theater will join forces with the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of African American History and Culture on a touring exhibition to include selections from the Apollo’s photo and video archive.
Warwick, Glover and Chuck Jackson reminisced about their performances at the Apollo -- tapdance veteran Glover recalled visiting the upper, unrenovated floors of the building in order to get a more authentic vibe.
“When I performed here you had to run up and down the stairs to the fifth floor every half-hour,” responded Jackson. “When I came here this morning, they gave me a dressing room with a television and a shower. Mr.
Glover, you can have the upstairs.”
SPIKE LEE'S 'STRANGE' HEADED TO 'SXSW': Director's cinematic version of Broadway musical among 108 films screening at festival.
*Spike Lee's documentary "Passing Strange," which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival last month, has been chosen among the 108 movies to screen at the nine-day South by Southwest film festival in Austin.
Eight films each will compete for the grand jury prize in one of the festival's main competition categories: narrative features and documentary features.
"Passing Strange" will battle for the documentary prize against "45356," directed by Bill Ross; "Garbage Dreams," directed by Mai Iskander; "Say My Name," directed by Nirit Pered; and "The Way We Get By," directed by Aron Gaudet.
"We couldn't be more delighted with the SXSW 2009 lineup," film conference and festival producer Janet Pierson told Variety. "It's a great continuation of the quality SXSW is known for: plenty of compelling, new filmmaking talent across all budget lines, engaging documentaries ranging from the socially conscious to the hilarious, electrifying music films, prominent Texas themes, cutting-edge and smart Hollywood films, and an even greater exploration into global cinema."
The program directors chose their lineup from 1,511 feature-length film submissions, including 1,220 from the U.S. The film conference and festival takes place March 13-21.
LUCKY DUBE MURDER TRIAL BEGINS: Trio pleads innocent of killing reggae legend in Oct. 2007.
*Three men accused of killing reggae star Lucky Dube pleaded not guilty to murder charges Monday during the outset of the trial, reports SAPA news agency.
Sifiso Mlanga, Julius Xowa and Mbuti Mabe – all in their 30s – pleaded not guilty to the charges of murder with aggravated circumstances, robbery and hijacking at the Johannesburg high court, the agency said.
Dube, 43, was dropping off his teenage son at his brother's house in Rosettenville, southern Johannesburg when gunmen shot him three times at close range in full view of his two children. The October 2007 incident was believed to have been a botched hijacking.
The internationally-acclaimed singer recorded in Zulu, English and Afrikaans, and was one of the first to play reggae in his homeland.
BET ACQUIRES 'GAME' RERUNS: Network secures off-net rights from CW, will begin airing episodes this month.
*BET has picked up off-net rights to the CW comedy series "The Game" and will start airing episodes from its first two seasons this month, reports Variety. The deal also gives BET rights to the third season, which is set to debut on the CW this fall.
The show, starring Tia Mowry, Wendy Raquel Robinson and Brittany Daniels as wives and girlfriends of professional football players, marks the first series acquisition made by Barbara Zaneri, the former Choice Entertainment president who recently joined BET as exec VP of acquisitions.
"This is something I went after the minute I got to BET," she said. "Not only does it have really fresh African-American stars, but it has a great lineup of guest stars. People like Robin Givens and Vivica Fox -- these are people who are regularly on our network."
Working under BET original programming president Loretha Jones, who took over for Reginald Hudlin last year, Zaneri and her group have also been active on the film acquisitions front.
The cable channel has acquired rights to ABC's Emmy-nominated made-for-TV film "A Raisin in the Sun," as well as theatricals "Not Easily Broken" and "Soul Man," starring the late Bernie Mac.
OPRAH GIVES MONEY TO NEWARK NONPROFITS: TV host donates more than $1.5 million to five local schools and organizations.
*Oprah Winfrey has increased her investment in New Jersey by donating more than $1.5 million to several nonprofits in the city of Newark.
According to CBS, the talk show host and supporter of Newark mayor Corey Booker has given money to the North Ward Center; St. Benedict's Preparatory School; the drug-rehabilitation center Integrity House; a shelter for women and children called Apostle House and the community organization Newark Now.
The financial blessing is among more than a dozen grants from Winfrey's foundation to education and community groups nationwide.
In August, she pledged $1 million to an educational scholarship fund for students in the rural New Jersey town of Whitesboro, the hometown of her longtime boyfriend Stedman Graham.
DRUG CHARGES DROPPED AGAINST OBAMA'S HALF-BRO: George Obama was released hours after his arrest in Nairobi.
*George Obama, the Kenyan half-brother of President Barack Obama, had all charges against him dropped Monday following his arrest in a drug raid, reports CNN.
Police had originally said that Obama was arrested for possessing cannabis and resisting arrest, which can carry a sentence of up to a year in jail or hefty fines. But police spokesman Eric Kiraithe said Sunday that Obama was merely picked up with people who possessed marijuana.
"Being found with people who are in possession of cannabis is a petty offense," Kiraithe told CNN.
Obama and the president barely know each other, though they have met. George Obama was one of the few people closely related to the president who did not attend the inauguration in Washington.
In his memoir, "Dreams from My Father," Barack Obama describes meeting George as a "painful affair." His trip to Kenya meant meeting family he had never known.
CNN tracked down George Obama in August 2008 and found him at a small house in Huruma, a Nairobi slum, where he lives with his mother's extended family. His birth certificate shows he is Barack Obama's half brother. The two men share the same Kenyan father.
SNOOP'S FOOTBALL TEAM WINS IN TAMPA: Annual 'Snoop Bowl' took place on Saturday ahead of Super Bowl.
*In the shadow of last weekend's Super Bowl festivities in Tampa, more than 3,000 people gathered at a field Saturday to watch Snoop Dogg coach his Snoop Youth Football league to a 16-6 victory over the Tampa Bay All Stars in Snoop Bowl VII.
"Both teams are pretty good," said Millie Bryant, whose son Ventell played in the youth league championship at Gaither High School.
Former Tampa Bay Buccaneer Mike Alstott served as the coach for the Tampa Bay All Stars, while fellow NFL vets Deion Sanders and Arizona Cardinals' running back Edgerrin James watched from the sidelines.
Proceeds from The Snoop Bowl will go to local Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay, Florida, as well as the Children's Cancer Center.
EBONY/JET LOSES VETS IN 'REOGRANIZATION': Johnson Publishing hands pink slips to employees, including editorial director Bryan Monroe.
*Richard Prince's Journal-isms column reports of a major shakeup at Johnson Publishing Co. that has left Ebony and Jet editorial director Bryan Monroe without a job and other employees scrambling.
Monroe and others have been told they may reapply for jobs at the company, Johnson employees told Journal-isms. On Friday, the human resources department called some employees to tell them whether their jobs would be part of the new structure.
Per Journal-isms, employees first received word of the reorganization at a staff meeting three days following the presidential inauguration, which Johnson employees were told to cover using their own funds, for reimbursement later. Some drove the 11 hours from Chicago to Washington and stayed with friends, the Web site reported.
According to the Publishers Information Bureau, ad pages were down 22 percent at Ebony and 43.1 percent at Jet last year. Jet magazine has been combining issues once a month and calling each a "special double issue."
Lynn A. Norment, Walter Leavy and Malcolm West, three of the four managing editors at Ebony and Jet, are accepting buyout offers, the Web site reported on Jan. 12. On Jan. 23, the same day as the staff meeting, company spokeswoman Staci R. Collins Jackson issued a statement declaring Johnson's intention to "continue to be the pulse of Black America," adding, "We are executing a multi-phase reorganization by adding new capabilities to service the changing media environment and expand the presence of our iconic brands while strategically improving our operational efficiencies."
OBAMA BOWLS AND HOOPS DURING FIRST WEEK: President also says his youngest daughter wants to join a basketball team.
*Just before the Super Bowl on Sunday, President Barack Obama revealed that he's been making good use of the White House basketball court, and his 7-year-old daughter, Sasha, is planning to follow in his footsteps and join a basketball team.
Interviewed by NBC's "Today" show host Matt Lauer, the president also said he and the family have checked out the bowling alley, outdoor court and horseshoe pitch. Obama, who struggled at bowling during a campaign stop last year, joked that he wanted to use the gutter bumpers that are in place for children's bowling.
President Obama also joked about keeping his high-tech Blackberry, saying it's like the movie "Inspector Gadget," and that it transforms into a car should he need to make a quick getaway.
The first family is in the latest issue of Us magazine, but the president is missing from the cover photo, replaced by singer Jessica Simpson. A teasing Obama said that was a "little hurtful," then reading the cover said Simpson is in a "weight battle apparently."
ITTY BITTY BITS: 'Lincoln Heights' renewed; The Obama Valentine; documentary screens on Alcatraz.
*ABC Family has renewed black family drama "Lincoln Heights" for a fourth season with a 10-episode pickup, according to the Hollywood Reporter. The show revolves around a Los Angeles Police Department officer who moves his family from the suburbs back to his old neighborhood. Additionally, ABC Family has renewed college dramedy "Greek" for a third season and picked up three new female-oriented series, comedies "Ruby and the Rockits" and "10 Things I Hate About You" and drama "Perfect 10."
*Through Feb. 6, online photo scanning and restoration service ScanCafe is offering The Obama Valentine, or a way to insert President Obama into one of your old photographs. Send ScanCafe an old photo of yourself with a friend, flame or ex, and ScanCafe will use its digital photo restoration skills to digitally swap that someone out for President Obama.
The top three final images will win a $100 Valentine's Day dinner. Submissions must be a high-resolution photo (at least 1 MB) and there is no charge. To submit a photo, visit http://www.scancafe.com/valentine for instructions.
*Bay Area filmmaker Kevin Epps explores the cultural and socio-political dynamics of Alcatraz cinematic history in his new documentary "The Black Rock," which will screen on Feb. 17 on Alcatraz Island. Three hundred guests will be taken across the San Francisco Bay for the movie premiere, followed by a Q&A session. The meeting point will be Pier 33 at 5:15. For more info visit www.theblackrockpremiere.com.
EUR FILM REVIEW: The Wrestler
Mickey Rourke Resuscitates Career as Comeback Kid in Search of Redemption
Film Review by Kam Williams
*Rarely does the trajectory of an actor's life parallel that of a person he's portraying on screen as closely as Mickey Rourke's does in this intriguing character study highlighting how easily self-abuse can lead to lost opportunities and overwhelming regret.
After a spectacular start in Hollywood back in the Eighties, the oft-troubled bad boy spent most of the next couple of decades battling the host of demons which effectively torpedoed his meteoric rise.
Consequently, while watching The Wrestler, it's hard to ignore the similarities between the title character's quest for redemption and Rourke's own career comeback bid.
So, one can't help but wonder whether his recently landing an Oscar nomination for the role might be as much for this impressive tour de force as for finally getting his act together away from the camera.
In the film, he plays Randy "The Ram" Robinson, a pro wrestler well past his prime who, at the peak of his fame, had once sold out Madison Square Garden in a championship match. Now in his fifties and living in a trailer park in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Randy's been reduced to stocking shelves at a supermarket just to pay the rent, although he still harbors a dream of somehow recapturing the magic of his glory days.
That humbling road back has him dividing his weekends between wrestling in front of small crowds in modest arenas and signing autographs for fans at memorabilia shows. Finally, a potential big payday arrives when a promoter offers to arrange a rematch against The Ayatollah (Ernest Miller), the arch-rival he hasn't faced in twenty years.
Unfortunately, the Rocky-like road to resurrection is paved not only with good intentions and a rigorous training regimen but with plenty of potential potholes, too. First, Randy's evicted for falling behind in rent, and has to move into his car. Then, he whips himself into game shape with the help of steroids, free weights, a bleach rinse and a tanning machine, only to suffer a heart attack during a warm-up bout. After life-saving bypass surgery, the surgeon warns him that it's time to hang up his stretchy pants for good.
Disconsolate, unemployed and homeless, the ailing fighter finds a shoulder to lean-on in Cassidy (Marisa Tomei in an Oscar-nominated performance), the proverbial stripper with a heart of gold. However, because of her club's strict, "No contact with the customers" rule, she's afraid to fraternize and suggests that he search for his estranged daughter (Evan Rachel Wood) since,
"This kind of thing brings people together."
But when even that attempt at reconciliation aborts, Randy bottoms out, conceding "I'm a broken down old piece of meat, and I'm alone." With nothing left to lose, the only question left unanswered is: Will "The Ram" return to the ring for the scheduled rematch with his nemesis, or will he heed his doctor's orders and fade disgracefully into the sunset?
Though undeniably raw, realistic and relentlessly-grim, The Wrestler is also a riveting and emotionally-engaging mood piece which never hits a false note. Don't allow yourself to be put off by the pedestrian backdrop, for the movie is likely to resonate even with folks who feel pro wrestling is phony. Credit goes to Mickey Rourke for the deep psychic pain etched in his face in every frame that makes it easy to forget that the story is revolving around a "sport" where every contest is orchestrated and the outcomes are fixed.
Rourke, in turn, shall remain forever indebted to director Darren Aronofsky who had the good sense to typecast him as a washed-up has-been desperate for a last shot at redemption, even if the role wasn't exactly much of a stretch.
Excellent (4 stars)
Rated R for violence, nudity, sexuality, profanity and drug use.
Running time: 115 minutes
Studi Fox Searchlight
To see a trailer for The Wrestler, visit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=61-GFxjTyV0
DEREK LUKE: The Notorious Interview with Kam Williams
The Gospel According to Luke
*Derek Luke was born in Jersey City, New Jersey on April 24, 1974, one of three boys who blessed the holy union of his parents, Marjorie and Maurice.
After graduating from Snyder High School, Derek headed to L.A. where, as legend has it, he was discovered while working in a gift shop on the lot of Sony Pictures. He was plucked from obscurity by Denzel Washington to play the title role in Antwone Fisher.
An overnight sensation, Derek has gone on to enjoy a storybook career, appearing opposite some of the best in the business in everything from Pieces of April to Spartan to Catch a Fire to Lions for Lambs to Miracle for St. Anna.
Here, Derek discusses his latest outing as Sean "Puffy" Combs in Notorious.
Kam Williams: Hey, Derek thanks for the time. I was at a wedding recently where I sat next to Gayle Ford who says she met you over the holidays through Carl Dixon.
Derek Luke: Yeah, she knows my Uncle Carl.
KW: The Derek Luke legend is that you were discovered working in a gift shop. Is that true?
DL: Actually, I had stopped going to acting classes, and was supporting myself while pursuing my dream of acting. I got wind of an audition, and that audition went okay, and I ended up auditioning again. But then the film was shelved for a couple of years. Overall, I ended up auditioning for Antwone Fisher about five times before I got a chance to meet Denzel Washington. After I was back at work folding clothes and selling videos, Denzel came into the store while the real Antwone Fisher happened to be a customer. And as I was bagging him up, Denzel came in and said, "Yo, Antwone! I'm talking to you Derek Luke. I hired you. You're my Antwone
Fisher."
KW: What interested you in Notorious?
DL: I think it was the swag. I once heard Richard Gere say, "When I did Chicago, it was fun and reminded me about what acting was." When you do anything, it should be fun. And that's why I actually chose to be a part of this.
KW: What do you mean by swag?
DL: Swag is sort of your personal memorabilia. It's like the shadow of who you really are. It can be your walk, your talk.
KW: Oh, like swagger.
DL: Yeah. I did the film because there aren't a lot of times where the brand for the film is swagger, and I was excited about that.
KW: What did Puffy think of you playing him?
DL: My getting the role was based on his recommendation after his seeing me in Friday night Lights. He thought that the character was kinda similar to who he was and shared a lot of his aspirations. I didn't have to audition for the role because that movie auditioned for him, and he told me, "If anybody ever played me, I would want you." From there, we developed a bond, and today we're friends.
KW: I heard Lil' Kim isn't too happy about how she's portrayed in Notorious.
DL: I would just say that the movie shows a lot of empathy for her character, and she might be surprised once she sees it. I think Naturi Naughton did a wonderful job with the material that she was given.
KW: Who do you think killed Biggie?
DL: Oh man, maybe you can ask Chris Rock. He joked that they can find Saddam Hussein, but they can't find a killer who committed a murder on one of the busiest streets of one of our busiest cities. I would just say that God knows. I firmly believe that the film will comfort the hearts of those who have been mourning some of hip-hop's greatest to date. As the scripture says, "It ain't about the soul, it's about where your spirit rests."
KW: When you were a kid, did you pick a side in the East Coast-West Coast gangsta' rap war?
DL: Fans are sometimes the last to know you're being deceived. There was no East Coast-West Coast beef originally. What transformed love into hate? That has to be asked. This is the first time that it's come out of my mouth as analyzing who we are as a generation. This is why I wanted to be a part of this film, because the voice has to be bigger than the opinion. That's why I wanted to play Puff. I didn't owe him anything, and he didn't owe me anything. But as a fan, I had to become very neutral, and put aside my personal opinion. I refused to hate a coast. That's ridiculous! I found out that it was a media-generated controversy.
KW: Tasha Smith asks: Are you ever afraid?
DL: Tasha Smith. Do I know a Tasha Smith?
KW: Yeah, the actress in the Tyler Perry movies.
DL: Oh, my goodness! Right. Am I ever afraid? No matter what project, I've always had to bind up and wrestle fear, because acting is really about faith. And faith and fear can't really stay in the same room. So, in order for you to be more than a conqueror, you're going to have to defeat fear with faith. If you're in a present body, you will be dealing with that spiritual aspect, since fear is present.
KW: The Columbus Short question: Are you happy?
DL: Am I happy? Why'd you ask me that?
KW: I ask everybody that.
DL: The only times that I haven't been happy is when I haven't connected my purpose with my career because fame is lonely without purpose.
KW: The bookworm Troy Johnson question: What was the last book you read?
DL: God's Big Idea: Reclaiming God's Original Purpose for Your life by Dr.
Myles Monroe.
KW: "Realtor to the Stars" Jimmy Bayan asks: Where in L.A. do you live?
DL: I don't want to tell everybody that.
KW: How about just a hint.
DL: I live kinda off in The Valley.
KW: Rudy Lewis asks: Who's at the top of your hero list?
DL: Mostly the women in my life, because they pray for me.
KW: The music maven Heather Covington question: What's on your iPod?
DL: It's diverse. I listen to everything from Miles Davis' Sketches of Spain to 50 Cent and Jay-Z.
KW: Did you attend the inauguration?
DL: I'm very excited about President Obama but I could only be there in spirit because all the hotels were sold out.
KW: Is there a question no one ever asks you, that you wish someone would?
DL: I'd just like it if people would ask questions finding out who we actors are as individuals and finding out what we have to say. Every movie that I've been in is a part of a plan and a message. It's not just happenstance.
KW: Thanks again Derek and best of luck.
DL: Thank you very much.
To see a trailer for Notorious, visit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kDDv6pAbN_U
STEVEN IVORY: What I've Learned About Women
*Somebody tell me where the mystery is.
The Bermuda Triangle, how the Pyramids were built, the shelf life of the Hostess Twinkie, Lil' Wayne's success (dude, the guitar is a musical instrument, not a fashion accessory)--these are mysteries. Women are not a mystery.
You simply have to pay attention. Because understanding a woman without paying attention is like trying to sing a song without learning the lyric: you might know the melody, but you're going to open your mouth and make a fool of yourself.
Not that unraveling the female psyche isn't a major and ongoing undertaking. It is. But you have to be interested.
My curiosity began when I was four or five, with my mother. I first got the sneaking suspicion she was an actual person and not merely our appointed caretaker after falling asleep in the bed of my parents. Imagine five kids in a one bed room apartment. When I was very young, I sometimes slept with my parents.
I remember Daddy, in the wee hours of some mornings, gingerly carrying me into the living room and depositing me among my brothers and sister, who slept on two convertible couches (our sister had one to herself). He'd return to the bedroom and ominously close the door.
I'd lay awake in the darkness, pouting and wanting no part of my body touching my snoring brothers. I wasn't sure what was going on behind that bedroom door, but I was instinctively jealous--and, though I didn't understand it then, a little excited.
Further confirmation that Mama was someone nurturing independent thoughts and feelings came for me at age 11, when I overheard her respond to Percy Sledge's "When A Man Loves A Woman" on the car radio with, "Oh, that's my song!" A parent digging pop music was a concept I had difficulty grasping.
In elementary school, the female species left me dumbfounded. Only decades later did it occur to me that I probably had a chance with my third grade classmate and first love, Regina Pierre. On the phone we'd mostly just breathe, but at least she took my calls. I should have known that was a start.
Likewise, I lacked the intuition and vision to interpret the ass whuppin' fourth grade classmate Clara Albright put on me once a week as indication of a serious crush. At least this is how Mama, while applying the bandage, characterized the schoolyard assault. Forgive me, Clara, baby; your right hook confused me.
It wasn't until my early 20s that I had an epiphany: in the middle of foreplay, my thirty-something lover grabbed my graceless, probing hand and politely but succinctly said, "Honey, let me show you how I like that done."
Mortified, that evening I learned the precious value of paying attention to women and the unspeakable power in listening closely to both what is said and inferred.
For a man to profess knowing absolutely everything about women is akin to NASA announcing it has sufficiently explored the vastness of outer space.
Nevertheless, what I know about women I learned, one way or another, from women. And thus far I have learned that If a good woman is truly in a man's corner, he can do anything.
I have discovered that women can say one thing and mean another. Entirely. I have seen a woman's loyalty morph into obsession. I have learned that with women, it's the Little Things that warm their hearts.
I learned that women love men who can make them laugh. I've learned that size, while not everything, does matter.
I discovered the old notion that women remember everything is a fallacy. Rather, they recall what is important to them.
I've learned that a woman will lie to her man to make things right, even if she is told the lie hurts more than the deed she seeks to cover up.
Most of them absolutely love to kiss. Alas, to women, kissing and sex are two different things.
Some women are ashamed to admit they masturbate. Others never have.
To a woman, the worse thing is a man's infidelity--even if she herself is a cheater. She likes wearing an article of clothing that belongs to her man.
The loudest sound in the universe is a woman's silence.
The choices a woman makes regarding men generally reflect who her father is. Women often confuse sex with love.
A woman knows. And what she doesn't know, she still knows, but refuses to admit. A woman can find a seafood dish on any menu.
Until you actually experience it, don't believe what a woman tells you about her prowess in the kitchen.
It is estimated that one in four girls are sexually abused by age 18. That statistic is undoubtedly higher.
Most women have one girlfriend who will tell them exactly what they want to hear. Not all women are the sensitive, intuitive creatures that is a female's reputation.
A woman on a date will give a man head in the car just to get rid of him. Yeah, I know, but it's true.
Most important, I've learned that inside every woman, no matter who she is or her accomplishments, lives a little girl who simply wants to be accepted and cared for.
When a man figures this out, everything else somehow makes sense.
Steven Ivory's book, FOOL IN LOVE (Touchstone/Simon & Schuster) is in stores now or at Amazon.com (www.Amazon.com) Respond to him via STEVRIVORY@AOL.COM.
THE BRIDGE: Black Thought or African Thought?
By Darryl James
*For Black History Month this year, African descendants all over the world have something to celebrate—the actual making of history.
An historic event many of us thought we’d never see has actually come to be. Barack Obama was sworn in as the forty-fourth President of the United States.
The question that has yet to be answered, and rarely asked, is whether or not this event will change our lives.
I believe that it can only change our lives if we first change our minds.
Instead of discussing some great achievements by Black men or Black women, I’d like to discuss the great achievements that lie ahead of Africans in America. Those great achievements can only occur after we define ourselves with some practicality and foresight.
For example, some dead-brained Negroes claim that Barack Obama is not as important to us since he is the product of a white American mother and an African father. To them, he does not share the history we have, so he is not us.
To them I say, go straight to hell. And if any of their tiny little brains can process the thought, I ask what history do you think Africans have?
When it comes to Black History, most Africans in America start studying sometime around the beginning of the slave trade and bring it through to about the middle of the twentieth century. That’s a very short history for a people with such a rich background.
The problem is that we either define ourselves based on our attachment to America, or based on our attachment to Africa. As a people, we become fragmented, because some of us want no attachment to Africa and some of us want no attachment to America.
Further compounding the problem are two facts: One, that racist Americans (including some self-hating Negroes) want to deny us the birthright to this nation purchased by the blood, sweat and tears of our slave ancestors. Two, that some confused and self-hating Africans want to deny us the birthright to the African continent based on our “impurity,” after being mixed with other races over the centuries.
The argument really comes down to consciousness, because perception is reality. Whatever we perceive ourselves to be comes into existence. Our perception of ourselves does not have to be based on what the Devil’s children in white or black face deliver to us. Our perception of ourselves must be based on whatever we deliver to ourselves.
Personally, I believe that nearly every ethnicity in America except Blacks have it right. Italians are still Italian even if they speak no Italian and have never seen Italy. There are Polish people in this nation who define themselves as such even though the original Polish person in their family came to America four centuries ago.
But what of the African American? We are the only people in this nation who continue to redefine ourselves based on things outside of our consciousness.
Now, I already know that we are not a monolithic people. Some of us will go one way and some will go another. That having been said, if you are not with me, I’d like you to turn away, because I will not be speaking to you or for you.
I split African people from Black people in consciousness only. This is because they have two different ways of thinking. The Black man across the planet has embraced such titles as Negro, Colored, Afro-American, African American, Haitian, Jamaican, West Indian, Brazilian, etc. All of these titles are basically false, because travel to a land named “whatever” does not make you a person of “whatever” culture, or alter your cultural identity to “whatever.” There is a physiology, a psychology and a spirituality that Africa delivers to the African across the globe whether you embrace it or not.
From nation to nation, we can feel the same musical rhythms, we can feel the same history of attack, oppression, separation and confusion and we can feel the same spirituality if we embrace these things. No matter where you happen to be born on the planet, there are things within you that make you the physical and spiritual manifestation of Africa. You can reject this ideology and become American, Canadian, or whatever, but reality is not your friend and you will continue to be confused while failing to evolve.
Black people who define themselves based solely on their land of residence are defining themselves based on self perception, which is sad, because all of the lands outside of Africa continue to reject us, even as many of us attempt to embrace them.
People argue that we built America, and it is a great nation, so we should claim it as our own. I agree with that to a point, but because of the beautiful, rich and lengthy history of Africa, I would rather align myself with the history that begins on that continent than any nation.
As an American, Black history begins with slavery.
African history begins with civilization.
The first human civilizations sprung up off the coast of river valleys in the eastern region of Africa, such as the Nile. Africa became the center of mathematics and science, as well as religion. Our legacy has been obfuscated and stolen, but it is still there for us to claim.
The invasion of so-called Western Civilization brought confusion, including the confusion centered in our very definition of self.
We can embrace being Black, but only with the understanding that the most fundamental portion of being Black is being African. The most fundamental portion of being African is being balanced. Balance comes to us based on where we start our study.
Some people start studying history as Africans, and others start studying as Blacks. In both groups, many seem to concentrate on Black and/or African achievements without proper perspective. Without proper perspective--which involves an understanding of how an African or Black person arrived at their achievements--one can only marvel at the end result without having adequate information as to how these people arrived at the achievement.
We can trace many great inventions as well as math, science and art to Black people, but we will still have only a cursory attachment to those achievements as long as we fail to fully embrace an understanding of who those people were and how we are connected to them. That is why it is extremely important to embrace and celebrate the original consciousness of the African people, as opposed to focusing only on the achievements of these people after they arrived in America.
We should eventually free ourselves from titles and move toward consciousness, but the evolution has to begin somewhere. Black History Month, which began as Black History week is a great concept, but it should continue to evolve as our consciousness evolves.
African History Living should be year round, and the celebration must be a constant inward journey of our self to the root of our existence, beginning with the re-evaluation of the modern African under Western thought.
Yes, Black people, it is time for us to plan on creating Black History. That begins with defining ourselves.
Darryl James is an award-winning author of the powerful new anthology “Notes From The Edge.” He released his first mini-movie, “Crack,” and will soon release his first full-length documentary. View previous installments of this column at www.bridgecolumn.proboards36.com. Reach James at djames@theblackgendergap.com.
THE JOURNAL OF STEFFANIE RIVERS: Common Interests
*When someone tells me the plot to a movie before I see it, it tends to ruin the suspense factor. But what I have to say about Slumdog Millionaire should make you want to see it even more.
The movie won this year’s Golden Globe for best dramatic motion picture because it was well written and a true portrayal of life for most residents from the slums of Mumbai. But what struck me as most memorable was the movie’s depiction of child slave labor in India.
As a child, the main character of the movie and his brother were taken in by a seemingly good Samaritan after they were orphaned. That person turned out to be the head of a slave labor ring. He housed unsuspecting children and then used them for his financial gain. Most of the girls were turned into prostitutes. The boys were used as beggars on street corners. And some children were intentionally disabled because crippled children gained more sympathy and thus collected more money.
That’s all I have to say about the movie. But when it comes to children it seems there is no shortage of people across the world who will take advantage of a child’s innocence.
As a person of African descent most of my columns about slave labor have focused on children enslaved on cocoa fields in the Ivory Coast. Cocoa is the product used to produce chocolate products. And it’s the reason for my chocolate fasts during the months of February, April and October (see last week’s column).
But, because the life of every child is valuable, I would be remiss if I didn’t bring the same attention to children suffering abuse in other parts of the world. By no means is child slavery uniquely African.
It’s been almost one hundred fifty years since slavery was abolished in the United States. But it still thrives in many countries throughout the world. Slavery in third world countries is a serious problem and even though some effort has been made to end it human trafficking – especially of children between the ages of 6 and 16 – is a growing problem.
Next week I’ll tell you about other parts of the Middle East where child trafficking exists. In the meantime refrain from any forms of chocolate consumption in February as a show of protest against companies like Mars, Inc. that refuse to join chocolate coops which help prevent child slave labor in the Ivory Coast.
Steffanie Rivers is a free-lance journalist living in the Dallas, Texas metroplex. See the video version of her column at youtube.com/steffanierivers. To schedule speaking engagements or to send questions or comments email her at teamtcbadvertising@hotmail.com
VERONICA'S VIEW: They Still Have a Dream
Veronica Hendrix
*Dr. King’s dream had it genesis in the struggle of the enslaved and the oppressed that preceded him.
Those that have succeeded him have travailed in keeping his dream alive despite the many “dangers, toils and snares.”
We watched – or should I say the world watched – as a petal of that dream unfurled with the inauguration of Barack Obama as our new president. I feel incredibly blessed to be alive to witness the transition and shift of power that took place on that day. I feel incredibly hopeful that more petals of his dream will unfurl as time ascends and equalizes the inequities, abuses and pains of the past.
Each year I pause to commemorate the dream. And this year was no different, yet it was uniquely distinct from previous years with King Day being on the eve of a historic inauguration. So when about twenty-five family members and friends of diverse professions, races, beliefs and life experiences gathered at my home for my annual King Day brunch, it was a commemoration wrapped in celebration and poised in anticipation of a moment we’d all dreamed of in the quiet recesses of our minds.
Each year I circulate a book of Dr. King’s speeches among my guests and I ask them to select a passage or excerpt to read aloud from the collection. Their laser-like focus and care in selecting a passage is amazing to watch. I’ve found it’s something that really matters to them as each one toils over finding just the right passage that has meaning to them and meaning in the moment.
The readings from King’s speeches were particularly stirring this year. They were markedly electric, kinetic, and deferential. If a pin would have dropped during the readings, it would have pieced the moment.
Dreams are powerful. We should never underestimate them. They are often at the heart of what ignites change. When you give a voice to a dream, you breathe life and power into it.
So this year I asked my guests to do something new. I asked them to share their dreams by writing them on post-it cards which they affixed on a 22” by 27” inch poster whose background was overlaid with a blue sky and cumulous clouds. At the top of the poster I printed, “Martin had a dream. What’s yours?”
Their dreams were as diverse as their backgrounds. Here’s some of what they had to say:
“My dream is for the country to come together as one and STOP the wars and believe that our new president will make a difference.”
“My dream is that gang related violence in our communities will end.”
“My dream is that individuals working 2, 3, 4, etc. jobs to pay off student loans by some miracle will have their loans paid off.”
“My dream is that we find a cure for cancer and other life threatening diseases.”
“My dream is that President Obama’s term will bring prosperity to the country.”
“My dream is that our troops will come home to their families.”
“My dream is that discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation will end.”
“My dream is that my children and their children will realize that all is possible in their lives.”
“My dream is to live long enough to empower and motivate a new generation of women.”
“I have a dream that I will be blessed with the man of my dreams and my dream home this year.”
“My dream is for ONE love.”
These are just a few of their dreams. There were many more.
When I realized I was in a room full of “dreamers,” my spirit was refreshed. Show me a people who dare to dream, and I will show you a people whose dreams inspire action and ignite change.
So I have to ask you that same question, “Martin had a dream, what’s your?” And more importantly, what can you do from where you are to help that dream come true? (If you have comments about Veronica’s View, email them to vsview@yahoo.com.)###
EUR MOTIVATIONAL NOTE
The only thing that stands between a man and what he wants from life is often merely the will to try it and the faith to believe that it is possible. — Richard M. DeVos
CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS
Feb. 3: Singer Dennis Edwards (The Temptations) is 66.
WEBSITE OF THE WEEK
Got a long URL that needs to be shortened? The perfect solution is Not Long.com (www.NotLong.com).
Submit your favorite Web site to us along with a 15-20 word (or less) description to info@eurweb.com.
BLACK HISTORY
Feb. 3, 1920: The Negro Baseball League founded. (Source: www.BlackFacts.com)