“Isis Brantley, you’re under arrest for braiding hair. You’re going to jail.” The year was 1997, two years after the state of Texas cited the natural hair advocate and expert ‘braidologist’ for doing hair in her home without having a cosmetology license. It was the single catalyst that resulted in 18 years of legal wrangling… Continue reading Culture Vs. Commerce: Isis Brantley’s Hard-Fought Battle To Braid
Category: Pop Life
Miscellaneous topics, trends and columns
“Straight Outta Compton”: Watching, Remembering & The Impact Of NWA
I was a junior in high school, safely ensconced in North Texas suburia and youthful naivete when I discovered the music of NWA. The hardcore beats and clever sampling in their songs was what drew my attention at first, but what ultimately earned my support were the rhymes. The verses were more than catchy couplets… Continue reading “Straight Outta Compton”: Watching, Remembering & The Impact Of NWA
“When Someone Believes In You, You Shine”: “Motown: The Musical’s” Charles Randolph Wright
Knowshi: How do the original Motown superstars feel about their younger acting counterparts and how they’ve been portrayed? Wright – “They’ve been incredibly supportive: the man [Gordy] who wrote songs and produced for them was there when they were teens, so having that is my secret weapon in having it feel authentic, his insider knowledge… Continue reading “When Someone Believes In You, You Shine”: “Motown: The Musical’s” Charles Randolph Wright
Piper Huguley: Expanding Expectations In Historical Romance
“There just wasn’t a lot written by African-Americans back then.” “No such thing as college-educated black women in the 1860s.” “Beverly Jenkins is already writing African-American-themed historical romances, so why bother?” Piper Huguley, a professor at Spelman College, grew tired of hearing the misconceptions and wanted to set the record straight, so she poured an… Continue reading Piper Huguley: Expanding Expectations In Historical Romance
Motown: The Musical, Legends & Legacies
In the late 1950s, Motown Records was nestled between a beauty shop and a funeral home on West Grand Boulevard in Detroit. Founded by one-time boxer and factory-worker, Berry Gordy Jr., the one-time residence known as ‘Hitsville USA’ was the catalyst responsible for discovering and nurturing talents that spawned era-defining classics and unforgettable stage and… Continue reading Motown: The Musical, Legends & Legacies