When you don’t know….you don’t know.” The first time I heard that expression was in 1997 when I first saw the film Hoodlum. Two characters were in the midst of a Harlem turf battle during a Depression-era numbers racket in Harlem, and mob boss Charles “Lucky” Luciano grouses to Ellsworth “Bumpy” Johnson about another gangster,… Continue reading Act Like You Know: When ‘Tacky’ & ‘Tone-Deaf’ Go Viral
Tag: Dallas Morning News/Briefing Column
“No Matter How Much You Wanna Switch….”
.Just over 26 years ago, Ice Cube cemented his hip-hop status with his seminal debut, Amerikka’s Most Wanted. Along with brilliant sampling and now-classic rhymes, Amerikka… featured a scathing interlude calling out those who insisted on ‘going along to get along’ rather than rocking the boat when it came to confronting racism: “A message to… Continue reading “No Matter How Much You Wanna Switch….”
Loving Our Laylabug: The Life She Has, The Future We Want
Flowers, breakfast in bed, handmade cards and a trip to my favorite bookstore: simple pleasures and affection from my family made my Mother’s Day joyous and next weekend, we look forward to yet another milestone: the birthday of Baby Girl on May 21st. With Darius’ graduation and the girls’ annual dance recital just around the… Continue reading Loving Our Laylabug: The Life She Has, The Future We Want
Birthday Love, Life Lessons: a Decade With The Diva
Dear Daughter Nia, Last Monday wasn’t the sunniest of days: thunder roared, lightning flashed and storms swirled over and around us. But what still made it special for all of us was that on April 11, ten years ago to the day, you became a part of our lives. With outstretched arms and a steady… Continue reading Birthday Love, Life Lessons: a Decade With The Diva
New School Madness: How Old School Truths Can Benefit The Millennial Generation
Ripped denims, fluorescent sweatshirts, jheri curls and gravity-defying styles that soaked up hair spray and compromised the ozone layer. The 1980s was a decade of extremes and eccentricities. It’s understandable why some regard it as an era they would rather forget, but for many who are 40-plus, it was where we came of age. “The… Continue reading New School Madness: How Old School Truths Can Benefit The Millennial Generation