Here’s what Jonathan Majors misunderstands about Coretta Scott King
Truly great men don’t treat women as props
If ever a couple embodied the saying, “Beside every great man is a great woman,” it would be Martin Luther King Jr. … Read the rest
If insensitive pronouncements and disingenuous statements could earn a “Peak Audacity Award,” this week’s winner would be Tyler Perry. The popular playwright, actor and filmmaker—best known for his outrageous pistol-packing matriarch alter ego, Madea—sparked instant outrage with his assertions during … Read the rest
Last week, 53-year-old music producer and self-proclaimed serial relationship cheater Irv Gotti appeared on N.O.R.E’s “Drink Champs” podcast, lamenting being unable to find new love with women half his age. Late last week, Myron Gaines and Walter Weekes saw their … Read the rest
In the spring of 2009, my life was in a state of flux. My assignments were dwindling after several years of contributing to the Arts & Entertainment section of The Dallas Morning News, and I was expecting our third … Read the rest
Well, it was beautiful while it lasted right?
Slowly but surely, many of us are having to return to the office. Our work group is on-site now three days a week. Layla was a big help and accompanied me to … Read the rest
In less than a month’s time, we’ll be experiencing a family first: a freshman and senior attending high school. Their classes have already been chosen, back to school shopping is underway and both of our girls are looking forward … Read the rest
“You are a ghost driving a meat-covered skeleton made from stardust riding a rock floating through space. Fear nothing.” —–Nev Schulman
Let’s keep it real, shall we?
As of today, knock on wood, I am a half a century old … Read the rest
Happy New Year! I am so glad to be on the other side of 2023 with you all. No matter how you greet it, witnessing the arrival is an accomplishment and a chance to begin anew.
As we observe and … Read the rest
“Only the most broken people can be great leaders.”
K’uk’ulkan/Namor, ruler of Talokan (Black Panther: Wakanda Forever)
When the family and I went to see the long-anticipated film last week, I already knew that we would be forced to … Read the rest
“Girl, let me tell you something: you kinda’ gettin’ up there. You’re running out of time and need to stop being so picky.”
I was a 30-something when I heard those word from a male relative, newly moved into … Read the rest
On July 24, a full audience of African-American women networked, connected with business owners and witnessed a panel of successful entrepreneurs during the Dallas stop of Brown Girls Brunch.
Initially kicked off last December in Atlanta GA, Brown … Read the rest
It happened earlier this Spring: my mother was visiting and we had all just wrapped watching the Aretha Franklin biopic, Respect. As I was clearing out the dishes and getting her a refill, she asked Nia and Layla if they … Read the rest
When Layla walked through the front door on Tuesday, I folded her into a hug. “I’m glad you’re safe,” I told her, kissing her cheek. “Did you know what happened earlier today in Uvalde?”
Confused, shook her head no. I … Read the rest
This Saturday, Calvin and I will officially become the parents of two teenagers, as our youngest daughter Layla, will be turning 13. As many parents do, we appreciate her progress so far and fondly remember the months and moments that … Read the rest
According to an idiom popularized by rapper and ‘business, man’ Jay-Z, “Men lie and women lie, but numbers don’t.” So even by this simple metric, Mary J Blige has “the numbers” that count: over 70 million in album sales, fifteen … Read the rest
On Independence Day in 2020, a clamoring throng toppled a statue of Christopher Columbus Baltimore neighborhood of Little Italy. When the cheering protesters dragged it down and sunk it beneath the depths of Inner Harbor, the statue became the latest … Read the rest
“I’ve been slow-walking this whole thing: stewing it, getting it into people’s systems and letting them absorb the aesthetic of it. So anytime the music is able to get out of me, I consider that a success. The press, … Read the rest
In the last few months, more than any other time, many of us have learned the value of self-care. For some, it’s a long pier, a collapsible chair and a lake to fish in. For others, it’s solitude and a … Read the rest
Inches of snow, wind chills below zero, burst pipes, and a poorly-maintained power grid unprepared to handle the demand for heat: Valentine’s Day 2021 and the days that followed will be memorable for all the wrong reasons this year, thanks … Read the rest
At the edge of the stage and in the gleam of a spotlight, stood a wild-haired, honey-hued, long-legged siren. With one hand perched on her hip and another wrapped around a mic, she issued a command to the throng … Read the rest
Spring has officially arrived and we are halfway through Women’s History Month. Observed every March, it’s a time set aside to examine, explore and celebrate the importance of, and accomplishments by, women.of all backgrounds, ages and cultures. After witnessing historic … Read the rest
“I am alive because of the blood of proud people who never scraped or begged or apologized for what they were. They lived asking only one thing of this world—-to be allowed to be.”
Those words were part of … Read the rest
Halloween was just upon us, and despite the pandemic, some found a way to stalk the streets, donning safety masks and costumes, in search of fiendish peers and free candy. But for others, images of Annabelle, Chucky and Pennywise are … Read the rest
No matter what you do or where you are, the Corona Virus, or specifically, COVID-19, is an inescapable reality. Across the country, the numbers of the afflicted and the dying are growing, ‘shelter in place’ is only now becoming a … Read the rest
“If I love you, I have to make you conscious of the things you don’t see.” James Baldwin
“The most disrespected person in America is the Black woman. The most unprotected person in America is the Black woman. The … Read the rest
“I don’t care if they like me. I didn’t come here to make friends. I don’t even care if they respect me, I know who I am. I got enough respect for myself. But I do not want them to … Read the rest
“I’se still climbin’, and life for me ain’t been no crystal stair.” Langston Hughes
“I am not tragically colored……I do not weep at the world.” Zora Neale Huston
“To be a Negro in this country and to be … Read the rest
If you were to ask an industry newbie what they aspired to achieve as an entertainer, the list probably includes a lot of what’s already a reality for Brandy Norwood. Her irresistible and eponymous 1994 debut, Brandy, went multi-platinum … Read the rest
It’s one of the most pivotal scenes in the classic 1985 film, The Color Purple: set in 1930s rural Georgia, Ms. Sofia (Oprah Winfrey) is in town running errands with her family, when she’s approached out of nowhere by Ms. … Read the rest