Very Important Biracial: Laura Izibor

As a biracial woman whose diverse family tree includes ancestors from the Emerald Isle, I was thrilled to come across the amazing Laura Izibor. The daughter of an Irish mother and a Nigerian father, the 26 year-old Dublin-born-and-raised Izibor won a national talent competition at 15 and at 17 began the process of  recording her album The Truth Be Told. Over the 4 year period she was recording, she also performed live and in 2009 debuted The Truth Be Told. Her deep and soulful vocals have earned her the rightful nickname The Soul of Ireland. In the years to come, this gifted artist will undoubtedly bring us more funky rhythms and awesome vocals.

Dale Hansen: Winner of the Internet, Feb 14, 2014

Dear readers, I'm adding yet another regular feature to this blog, Winner of the Internet. These will be humorous or impactful videos that I feel are worthy of attention. The series' first video is one that was shared amongst some of my Facebook friends and which has been spreading across the web. Dallas sports anchor Dale Hansen delivered a response to all the hoopla surrounding University of Missouri defensive lineman Michael Sam, an NFL prospect who recently came out. Thank you Mr. Hansen, for being fair, honest, reasonable and funny.

Oh Cheers Cheerios!

 


Although the outcome of the Super Bowl wasn't as I would've liked, there were some bright spots amongst the disaster. The halftime show brought the cool with the funky Bruno Mars and the always-awesome Red Hot Chili Peppers and the oft-anticipated Super Bowl commercials kept me guessing, from Maserati's clever Quevhazane Wallis ad (yep, you fooled everyone, sneaky, sneaky!) to the nostalgic Radio Shack spot, ( hell yes for the 80s!) to the Cheerios Family. Yep,  the family who brought so much chatter to the internet last year returned in a humorous ad that featured  adorable 6-year old Grace Colbert slyly negotiating her way into a puppy after discovering impending big sisterhood. Once again, bravo Cheerios!

Farewell Philip Seymour Hoffman

 



As Americans were set to gather with friends and family to munch on  their favorite foods and root for their team of choice, the acting world lost a giant of the craft. 46-year old thespian Philip Seymour Hoffman passed away in his home in New York City of a drug overdose and left a gaping hole in the world of acting.  From his engaging role as Dusty in the otherwise-cheesy Twister to Ben Stiller's ridiculous sidekick in Along Came Polly to his stunning Oscar-winning turn as author Truman Capote in Capote, Mr. Hoffman was a rare jewel in the complex exercise of  the performing arts and he will be sorely, sorely missed. Philip Seymour Hoffman leaves behind his longtime companion costume designer Mimi O'Donnell and his three young children

Interracial Love is....

Sweet and simple, this Buzzfeed video speaks to the everyday realities of couplehood that just happens to cross racial lines.
Love Sweet and Simple

The Matching Game: Wal-Mart Edition

Recently, Prince William VA resident John took a trip to his local Wal-Mart with his three young  daughters. After leaving and arriving back home, he was greeted by a knock on his front door by Wal-Mart security, suspicious that the four-year old and twin two-year olds had been kidnapped by him, reasoning that because he is white and the children are brown, their presence around him was suspect. It was quickly established by John that the difference in skin tone is due to his wife of 10 years, Keana, being black. This unfortunate misjudgement brings to light  the erroneous impressions about our families and lives that we in the biracial community are faced with on occasion. This is why media such as this blog exist,  because as long as incidents such as this are still happening, it's important to help people understand who we are as a community and how we fit into the American story.

Very Important Biracial: Phil Lynott

While everyone else is guzzling green beer while adorned in plastic shamrock necklaces, I'm gonna do my part for Irish pride by discussing one of the most talented musicians of the 70s and 80s, the late very great Phil Lynott. Phil was born in West Bromwich, England in 1949 to Irish mother Philomena Lynott and Afro-Guyanese father Cecil Parris and was raised by Philomena in Birmingham and Manchester until he was sent to Dublin at age 4 to be raised by his grandparents. In the 60s  he led several bands, including the popular Grand Slam, culminating in the formation of Thin Lizzy with Grand Slam band mate Gary Moore. With Thin Lizzy, Phil utilized his soulful voice, great musicianship and songwriting abilities to craft stories that told of love and heartache, the joys of fatherhood, biracial heritage and pride in his Irish backround. Tragically, this gifted artist died in 1986 at the untimely age of 36 due to the effects of drug use, leaving behind his estranged wife and two daughters, and left those who were graced with his songs with eternal musical joy and beauty.