When I moved to Atlanta at the turn of the century, I used to ride the MARTA, switch on my Walkman and listen to the city’s favorite radio station: V-103. Everyone who was anyone that mattered (as far as the world of urban radio was concerned) worked at V-103. Frank Ski, Wanda, Ryan, Portia Foxx. […]
First of all: Happy John Boyega Day! Today –and forevermore, quite frankly – John Boyega belongs to all of us, not just Nigerians. Just like sister Lupita is for Africa. Kenya alone cannot commandeer all her shine! Much has been written and commented about Black representation (or the lack of) in film, particularly in the […]
“If you could go back 10 years and advise your younger self, what would you say?” As much as I hate this question because of the impossibility of the phenomenon ever taking place and therefore for the insatiable craving it creates, I find myself pondering and eventually answering it. If I could go back 10 […]
Being a creative is easy. You get to lock yourself in a cocoon and create a fantastical world full of imaginary beings, wild, unlikely scenarios and color. So much color! The universe of the Creative Mind is capable of holding unimaginable amounts of joy, bliss and happiness. Or not. The Creative can frame his/her world […]
No, I’m not pregnant. And I’m not adopting (yet). Every time a woman hollers about having “an announcement”, folk assume a baby is involved. DAG. I mean, just because I look like I ate a baby doesn’t mean I’m having one. Okay, so yeah. I AM having another baby… but not the sort made of […]
The first time I heard about Daniel Holtzclaw – and the atrocities now synonymous with his name – was in September of this year. Now that the depth of his crimes are widely known, it may shock many of you to know that he was placed under arrest as early as August, 2014. It certainly […]
It’s the holiday season at long last! Yes, sir! It’s that time of year that children all over the world have been looking forward to for the past 11 months. It’s time for parents to PAY UP! They’ve been good at school and in the grocery store with the promise of that new Lego set, […]
Like many Black folk around the world, I find myself puzzled by what happened at Trump Towers this week. We want to know how did so many Black clergymen and women find themselves willingly meeting with Donald Trump in support of his bid for president? And furthermore, what was the purpose of mingling with a […]
No. Nope. We said “You can NOT!” Ok, then tell me why. I’ll think about it. Make a list of all the items you’ll need to make a YouTube channel successful. We’ll go from there. Yes. That means you can have a YouTube channel. This is the story of how my pre-teen goaded me into […]
It’s hard to believe, but Thanksgiving has officially gone global. Millions of people representing the gumbo that is our humanity celebrated the holiday that marks the apex of an American genocide and land grab in their own unique ways. Twitter entertained and enthralled us with various versions of Thanksgiving with families of different ethnicities including […]
With yesterday’s announcement of that his SUVs are now available for commercial sale, Apostle Dr. Kwadwo Safo joins an elite clique of African automobile manufacturers and designers on the continent. Only a handful of car manufacturing companies sport the “made in Africa” brand on their vehicles: Kiira Motors Company (Uganda) Innonson Vehicle Manufacturing Company (Nigeria). […]
Ho, ho, ho, Friends! The rainy season is here (unless you’re in South Africa, where it’s summer) and the season of ChrisKwaHannuFestivus is upon us! Formerly known as ChrismaKwanzaHannukah, ChrisKwaHannuFestivus is a celebration for those of us who do not discriminate against any of the holidays that traditionally take over the month of December. It […]
We are introduced to the power of music from our infancy, cautioned about it in our religious lives, rendered mesmerized by its power in our private moments. “Scientists” have long convinced expecting mothers that by exposing their babies to classical music from Back and Brahms, they will exponentially increase the intelligence of that child. Pastors […]
I know, I know! I promised in the Spring that I would not discuss Ghana politics, particularly since a sizable chunk of the MOM Squad is not Ghanaian. You guys have to give me a pass on this one. I beg you. This is an issue that has been burning on my heart for the […]
I gave birth to my eldest daughter 9 weeks premature. Her early delivery by C-section was the result of external factors plaguing me; mainly stress. Between the numerous healthcare professionals, well-wishers and hospital cleaners, I was also visited by a number of consultants: lactation, AM Care, etc. However one of these professionals was not on […]
Corn cobs Yams Super glue No, these are not the ingredients for an abstract art project. These are just a few of the visual props used in Nnenna Marcia’s hilarious, disturbing and erotically bent book of short stories titled “West Africa Hot”. (If you haven’t picked it up yet because you’ve never heard of it, […]
It always starts with a meme, doesn’t it? Memes are easily digestible. Men, who on average use 13,000 fewer words a day than women, find their brevity delightful… even instructive at times. Some think a meme tells the whole picture. (*whispers* It doesn’t.) Meme-based manhood is going to render a lot of dudes frustrated in […]
“Mommy. NOBODY likes me.” My sister stiffened at the declaration. Her son is five, and is the only minority in his Fairfax county kindergarten classroom. Standing at no more than 38” and weighing about the same in pounds, Aiden is one of the smaller children in his age group. He is a jumble of emotions […]
The entertainment industry is a lot like a gladiator melee: movement at light speed, shouting, blood, gore and backstabbing….and that’s just behind the scenes. The gloss we see on screen is the result of many sleepless nights, coercion and egos bruised and bent to until they fall in line with management’s personal vision. And then […]
We live in the digital age, and we consume much more news and information than our fore bearers just a generation ago did. Studies have revealed that we are assaulted with 174 newspapers worth of data, and that we receive five times more information than we did in 1986. If you’ve been feeling overwhelmed by […]
“I think Rae Dawn Chong is the only black woman to fly a plane in a crunch time situation.” “Who?” “Rae Dawn Chong. You know…with the curly hair?” “Is she Chinese? Her last name is ‘Chong’…” “Babe. Tommy Chong is her dad. Cheech and Chong?” Marshall grabs his iPhone and sets about Googling. He has […]