Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Oprah: The Truth of the Matter


Yesterday I was shooting the breeze with some of my co-workers over lunch when one of them proclaimed that an incredible story she was recounting to us must be true because it was on Oprah. She was kidding about this, but there are some people that take her advice as the Gospel truth and who take her to heart because she is deemed all-powerful and so what she says is golden, even in times when it's been exposed as faulty, such as in the case of author James Frey, who exaggerated his life experiences. I appreciate the good that she has done, but there are thousands of others in the trenches everday who don't get the attention she does, and I don't know about you, and I admit to being as interested in celebrities as the next guy, however I think there needs to be a balance between how much we look up to these figures versus how much appreciation we acknowledge those unsung who fight for the betterment of humanity everyday.

Saturday, February 27, 2010

Racial Division and Vanity Fair


While I was waiting at a local shopping center to meet a friend for dinner, I perused the bookstore, and there on the magazine rack, was a stark reminder that, despite the election of a black President and the increase in interracial relationships and marriages, in some corners time stands still. On the cover of the latest Vanity Fair was a group of up-and-coming young starlets, all white. Right next to this issue was Ebony featuring the acting phemon Gabby Sidibe, star of the acclaimed film "Precious". Although there are debates about the neccesity of separate ethnic publications, my main complaint regards the exclusion of a celebrated actress who at her greatest moment has been deemed not on par with the mainstream idea of talent and beauty. What a shame, I suppose it's their loss that even in this day and age, their vision is still so narrow. Hope remains eternal.

Monday, February 22, 2010

Congratulations Shani Davis.



On February 17, 27 -year old Shani Davis , who in the 2006 Winter Olympics in Torino, Italy became the first black person in Olympic history to win a gold medal in an individual event, made history yet again. People from the south side of Chicago, his hometown, to Washington, DC, where he opened a skating-oriented youth development program, cheered him on as he became the first speed skater to win the 1,000-meters twice in an Olympic Winter Games. Although media-shy, Shani has inspired people of color to go outside their athletic comfort zones, and I look forward to seeing more diversity in the future. Thanks, Shani.

Friday, February 5, 2010

Introducing Tyree Brown



As I was sitting vegging out in front of my TV the other day, I saw a commercial for the forthcoming series "Parenthood", an adaptation of the 1989 comedy. To my delight, I saw that two of the characters, played by Dax Shepard and Joy Bryant have a biracial son, played by 6-year old newcomer Tyree Brown, who is himself biracial. I applaud this on-screen portrayal of the biracial experience and look forward to watching the series beginning in March.

Thursday, January 28, 2010

God Bless Haiti



On January 12, 2010, the Caribbean nation of Haiti, a small island of about 9 million people, was struck by a 7.0 earthquake, which devastated the capital, Port-au-Prince and left, at last count, approximately 150, 000 Haitians dead. Although there have been a small number of people miraculously rescued from the rubble after 2 weeks, much of what is happening there speaks to the depth of tragedy that has occured. There is widespread starvation and survivors are dying from treatable injuries due to overcrowding of hospitals and lack of medical resources and equipment. Please do right by the strong, resilient citizens of Haiti by not only keeping them in your prayers, but also donating through the Red Cross or any reputable charity of your choice. Thank you, dear readers.

Inside the Mind of Sen. Harry Reid


US Senator Harry Reid (D-NV) sparked outrage and controversy in recent weeks when it was revealed in the new campaign expose "Game Change" that he called our illustrious (and currently beleagured) leader Barack Obama a "light-skin negro" with "no negro dialect, unless he wanted to have one". Poor dear, Harry Reid. Anyhow, below is the link to an article about this issue. Feel free to talk amongst yourselves (or better yet, in the comments section! ) Till next time, dear readers.

[url] http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/washington/2010/01/harry-reid-barack-obama.html [/url]