Free Flow

A Word by Any Other Name....

2007-01-09T12:42:00.000-08:00

Bigots use it, rappers flip it, and like an infectious disease, the word "nigger" has spread all over the land.

Debate over whether it should be used or not is sure to rise to pitched levels when Johnson Publications announces in its February issues that it will no longer print the word in the pages of Ebony and Jet magazines.

Doesn't matter whether you sing it in rap lyrics or use it as a term of endearment, you don't have to click any further than here or here to understand that modern-day usuage will never erase the horrific, painful history of the word.

"Change, Change, Change"

2006-12-20T09:28:00.000-08:00

If you can't find the humor in it, growing older will amount to nothing more than a long, ugly slide into hot flashes, brittle bones and St. John's Wort. Read how I have embraced middle age (and my midriff bulge) here and how we women of a certain age are affirmed here .

Celebrating "Tyrone"

2006-12-13T11:45:00.000-08:00

The foul-mouthed MC, the selfish athlete, the irresponsible baby daddy. Negative images of black masculinity are ingrained into pop culture and constantly reinforced by the media.

Natalie Hopkinson and Natalie Y. Moore try to debunk some of those myths in their book, Deconstructing Tyrone, which I discuss in today's column.

If you're like me, you know more Everyday Tyrones then the aforementioned stereotypes. If that's the case, click here to celebrate Tyrone, the kind of black men we know and love.

Unexcused Absence

2006-12-06T05:28:00.000-08:00

That doesn't refer to me, though I have been gone for a while. I'm talking about the truancy epidemic among high school students that is sweeping the country.

Around 50 percent of kids drop of out school nationally, and that number is higher among black and Latino students. Lots of reasons for this, none of them simple, which makes solutions even more difficult. I try to address the dilemma in this week's column.
Meanwhile, here's a link to some useful information.

What do you think? We need some answers.

Black History Is America's History

2006-11-14T14:28:00.000-08:00

The proposed Washington D.C. memorial to the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. is just one of the reasons why everybody should know African American history.

While Dr. King gets his due in history books, other deserving African Americans do not. From the dawn of civilization in Africa and the wonder of the pyramids; across to an America built on the backs of African slaves; on to the civil rights movement, in which African American struggle won social justice for all people, black history is American history, and it should be taught comprehensively.

A group of proud and determined students in Philadelphia bravely stood up to the status quo in 1967 and demanded that African American history be a course offering. They'd be proud to know that today, it's a graduation requirement.

I celebrate the 39th anniversary of Philly's black student movement in this week's column. Knowledge is power. For all people.

R.I.P. Big "G"

2006-11-10T14:38:00.000-08:00

There will never be another like him. Eddie Levert's legacy was supposed to be Gerald, but life has a way of being cruel sometimes.

Leave your remembrances here.

Religion For Sale

2006-11-09T09:46:00.000-08:00

Ted Haggard's recent fall from grace says less about his own morality and more about the wholesale way in which organized religion has been co-opted by the Christian Right.

This uncompromising intolerance has seeped into the African American church, traditionally a place of inclusiveness.

Spirited, the book of essays written by African American gays and lesbians mentioned in this week's column, is available from its publisher, RedBone Press.

At least T.D. Jakes and William H. Gray III didn't fall for the Hurricane Katrina's political disapprobation. In other words, the okey-doke.

The Value of History? Priceless

2006-10-31T15:12:00.000-08:00

There are many treasure troves of African American history and culture on the East Coast. TheMoorland Spingarn Research Center at Howard University and Harlem's Schomburg Center for Research and Culture are the most prominent ones that come to mind.

But a little known gem is located right here in Philly. It's the Charles L. Blockson Afro-American Collection, housed at Temple University.

The collection is lauded as the fifth largest assemblage of black historical materials in the nation. But in many ways, it has been taken for granted by Temple.

The Blockson Collection is the subject of my column this week. If you're ever in Philly, make it your business to check it out.

Out Of Africa

2006-10-25T05:35:00.000-07:00

Madonna is due to explain her side in her unseemly adoption of a Malawian boy today on Oprah.

As I explain in this week's column, I'm not hating on the the Material Mom.

But there's something about the way she procured little David Banta -- calling ahead, as if she was ordering fast food, having her assistant hustle the baby through the airport with his head covered with a hoodie -- that is downright shady.

Sure, it could be that her mega-celebrity prevents her doing things the conventional way, but you can help but feel like the whole thing is a little distasteful.

Hey Madonna, did you want fries with that?

An interview with Tavis Smiley

2006-10-17T16:17:00.000-07:00

Author and political commentator Tavis Smiley stopped by today to share a few words with our readers. Listen to an excerpt from our podcast interview about the importance of giving back. More from the interview

Read an excerpt from "What I Know for Sure: My Story of Growing Up in America"

Too Phat For The Runway

2006-10-10T17:02:00.000-07:00

The healthy body image is abnormally skewed when designers consider pop diva Beyonce, who rocks more curves than Lombard Street, too fat to work the catwalk.

This is one of the issues examined in this week's column.

Me thinks the designers have mixed up their homonyms. Beyonce's not too fat for the runway, she's too phat for the runway.

R.I.P. Cleo

2006-10-06T05:53:00.000-07:00

As Cleopatra Jones, Tamara Dobson was the baddest sistah to kick some butt this side of Pam Grier.

She was 6-foot-2, sultry and strong. She made me proud to be an amazon.

She died of multiple sclerosis this week at 59. She will be missed.

Where'd I Put Those Marching Boots?

2006-10-03T19:00:00.000-07:00

It looks like The Boondocks is no longer. Aaron McGruder's desire to focus on his animated TV show means we no longer get our daily dose of truth to power punchlines served up by the Freemans -- Huey, Riley and Granddad.

I commiserate further in this week's column.

The revolution may not have been televised, but thanks to The Boondocks, at least it was comic stripped.

Silencing the Messenger

2006-10-02T18:26:00.000-07:00

You Monday Night Football diehards probably didn't realize that Eyes on the Prize, the critically acclaimed documentary on the civil rights movement, aired Monday night on PBS and continues on successive Mondays through Oct. 16 from 9 to 11 p.m.

Ever since Janet Jackson's wardrobe malfunction, the FCC has gotten petty over what's considered indecent and threatens to censor Prize for potentially threatening language, as my colleague, Gail Shister, reported.

You would think, that after numerous beatings and threats to his life, SNCC leader James Forman can at least be excused for saying "f*ck," and his story wouldn't be slapped with a potential $350,000 fine over 40 years later.

"We Got You"

2006-09-26T14:43:00.000-07:00

(l-r: Myra Allen, Regina Jean-Paul, Dion Robinson, Shaday Festus)

Can a celebrity's message inspire teens? That's the question I put to a group of students from Benjamin Franklin High School in Philadelphia. Last week, their school made headlines when rap impresario Diddy came to talk to them about personal responsibility.

In this week's column the kids answer the question, and also talk about what it's like to live in a city where the murder rate is 287 and counting.

They circle the wagons. "We help each other," Myra says. "If you're hungry, I got you. If you're scared to go someplace by yourself, call me up. That's just how we are."

I have another question for the students -- and I know they'll chime in because they're intelligent, articulate and extremely opinionated. If peace starts with you, what can you do to stop the violence?

Non-students, feel free. We need all the answers we can get.

The Power of Sports

2006-09-25T19:13:00.000-07:00

The New Orleans Saints resumed play against the Atlanta Falcons in their newly renovated $200 million Superdome Monday night -- Extreme makeover, Dome edition.

Watching the joyful fans on Monday Night Football made you realize that sports really does have restorative, even healing, powers.

But you couldn't help but feel for the locals. Four hours of escapism then "they go back to their FEMA trailers," said filmmaker Spike Lee, who refused to get baited into a criticism of the Bush administration on national television, especially with the president's daddy in the house. Trust me, Lee's searing HBO documentary, When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts, is indictment enough.

Spike did say that New Orleans is far, far from done. A year after Katrina, many neighborhoods in the city still haven't been rebuilt. You have to wonder if the Dome was made a priority because its fits with the playground theme that developers reportedly are pushing for New Orleans to become -- the Las Vegas of the South.

Weekend Pick

2006-09-22T14:47:00.000-07:00

Jamie Foxx's Oscar-winning turn as Ray Charles in the 2004 biopic Ray may have renewed interest in the man himself, but fact is, Charles' music had established him as an American icon long before Jamie even thought about putting on a pair of prosthetics.

It is Charles' music -- and only the music -- that will be celebrated in I Can't Stop Loving You , the jukebox musical that makes its United States tour premiere Tuesday at the Academy of Music in Philly.

It's in town for only a week, but it promises to be a high-energy show that will be well worth taking in -- if only to hear former Raelette Regi Brown growl "Ba-bay!" on the classic, "Night Time is the Right Time."

Playing the Race Card From a Stacked Deck

2006-09-20T06:30:00.000-07:00

Did you watch last week's premiere of Survivor? They've segregated the tribes according to race, which was bound to create controversy before the show even aired. In this week's column, I refer to it as Survivor Segregation.

Pundits described it as playing the "race card."

Like so many other people of color, I despise that term. It's just one more code phrase that blocks the import of what we have to say and prevents us from having an honest conversation about race.

Did Johnnie Cochran play the race card when he cross examined Mark Fuhrman in the O.J. Simpson trial? Or did he just expose him for the racist cop he was?

When we have bar room arguments over the merits of Barry Bonds' home run record and point out that white icons like Babe Ruth and Ty Cobb should have asterisks by their names too, because black and Latino ballplayers were not allowed to play against them, is that playing the race card? Or is it just pointing out that historically, the deck has been stacked against us?

You tell me.

Weekend Pick

2006-09-15T13:29:00.000-07:00

The world's greatest jazz singer performs at the Kimmel Center tonight in Philadelphia. That's where I'll be.

See ya Monday.

Press 1 Or Die

2006-09-12T13:40:00.000-07:00

This week's column is about the petty issue some folks have with having to press 1 for English.

You wouldn't think one more key stroke on a telephone pad would create such a uproar.

But it's not about having to press 1. It's about ignorance -- and fear.

The sad part is that we have allowed a spirit of meanness to monopolize a civil and honest discussion about immigration reform.

What do you think?

Birthday Reflections

2006-09-06T15:20:00.000-07:00

Can I re-claim my 9/11 birthday five years later? That's part of what my column addresses this week. Since 2001, birthday greetings have rung hollow. And after last year's disaster in New Orleans, I can't let this season pass without some serious reflection to chase down my birthday cake, because I'm accidentally linked to both events.

Weekend Pick

2006-09-01T14:43:00.000-07:00

Sheer wondering doesn't come close to touching the themes of love, abandonment and the burden of motherhood that Kim McLarin explores in Jump at the Sun. The novel takes a stark look at what it's like to be a mother and to be mothered, the payoff and the cost.

Full disclosure: I know Kim. She used to be a reporter at the Inquirer, which made me want to crack open her newest offering even more. So glad I did. A perfect read for a long weekend.

Ta-ta til Tuesday.

Real Men Samba

2006-08-30T14:12:00.000-07:00

And they cry, and change their kids' diapers, and, as my friend Phillip Kuhlman writes, are "not embarrassed to have a vase of flowers on their desks (they can grow them but not bring them to work)."

Read today's column for my take on the other things manly men do.

What's your idea of a real man? Let's start a list.

She Appreciates Good Music, Too

2006-08-28T19:12:00.000-07:00

This is why I love Billie Jean King. Not because she's been an unflappable crusader for the rights of women, gays and lesbians and people of color; not because she's helped bring tennis to the masses; not because she kicked Bobby Riggs to the curb during that groundbreaking match in '73.

I love Billie Jean because even after they named the U.S. Open facility after her in an emotional ceremony Monday night, instead of providing the obligatory photo op with the commemorative plaque, she shook her groove thang as Aretha's "R-E-S-P-E-C-T" wailed through the speakers. Still kickin it at 62.

I should be so lucky.

Spike's Requiem for New Orleans

2006-08-18T11:11:00.000-07:00

Spike Lee says he hopes you will feel something after you watch his four-hour documentary about Hurricane Katrina, When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts on HBO next week. (Acts I and II debut Monday from 9-11 p.m.; Acts III and IV Tuesday same time).

"I hope people feel anger, rage...I hope people get inspired to do something to help," he says.

Now's a good time to link you to Been There Clearinghouse, a site and blog started by Cooper Munroe and Emily McKhan, a pair of Mommybloggers I met at the BlogHer conference in San Jose last month. Been There is an informal clearinghouse that assists victims of Hurricane Katrina through donations and fulfilling of requests. Shows you the power of blogging in action.

I spoke to Spike last week for a story I wrote about his documentary for Sunday's Inquirer. When I asked why he used the word "requiem" in part of the film's title, he replied, "It is a prayer for the dead, but I think there can be hope at the same time."

Are you going to watch this week? Let me know what you think.

I'm out of computer reach until 8/25. Me and the better half will be donning yellow slickers, riding the Maid of the Mist in Niagara Falls.

Until then, holla!

The Bland Leading the Bland

2006-08-17T18:34:00.000-07:00

Since Ed Gordon took over for Tavis Smiley on National Public Radio almost two years ago, Gordon's show, News and Notes with Ed Gordon , suffered an 18 percent drop in the ratings.

NPR says Gordon hasn't connected with the audience; Gordon says NPR hasn't connected with him. But the bigger question, posed by St. Pete's Eric Deggans, remains: How can NPR breathe some fresh air into a more diverse listening audience?

It's Whatever

2006-08-15T18:55:00.000-07:00

This week's column examines the gold-tooth cheesin', oversized clock adorned, Nordic helmet wearing phenomenon that is Flavor Flav. His VH1 reality show, Flavor of Love, became an instant cult classic last season thanks to the outrageousness of its star. I mean, who else would have the nerve to publicly woo Brigitte Nielsen - as Flav did on The Surreal Life - besides Rocky?

I cut Flav a break. His past life as hype man for legendary Public Enemy still carries a lot of weight in hip hop circles. But that women who pooped on Flav's marble staircase? Somethin's got to go.

Weekend Pick

2006-08-11T19:54:00.000-07:00

Hunger, Erica Simone Turnipseed's second novel, follows her successful 2004 debut, A Love Noire. Hunger explores the rekindled love affair between Noire, an unfulfilled grad student, and her African lover Innocent, an investment banker, set during the chaotic aftermath of 911 New York.

Blackness is about the only trait Turnipseed's characters share. By the time you've finished Hunger, you'll feel like you've trekked across the African diaspora with this culturally diverse group of double degreed 30-somethings.

Have a good weekend.

She Lost By A Hair

2006-08-09T19:17:00.000-07:00

U.S. Rep. Cynthia McKinney lost her bid for Congress to Hank Johnson in the Georgia Democratic primary.

Reasons abound. To wit:

1. Voting irregularities (McKinney's claim)

2. The Evil Media (also her claim).

3. How about her constituents getting sick and tired of her antics? Whether spouting off conspiracy theories about 911 or going all Naomi Campbell on a Capitol Hill security guard, McKinney undoubtedly lost the respect of her base. Black folks don't always have to vote in lock step because a candidate is an incumbent, or a Democrat or an African American, you know.

4.Here's what I think: It had to be the hair. Lately it's looked a hot mess, and was hardly in "blackwoman order" as Prof. Kim would say.

Barbara's Dim View Of Black Hair

2006-08-08T14:34:00.000-07:00

In today's column, I explain why you don't mess with a black woman's hair.

I've concluded that The View's Barbara Walters was ignorant to that fact after watching video clips of her picking and poking at guest host Brandy and tugging at Tanika Ray's hair like she was pulling weeds in a garden.

And Barbara? Maybe it's not a wise thing to call Mo'Nique's kids "creatures" either.

Still Learning

2006-08-07T18:52:00.000-07:00

Duh. I just realized I hadn't set the "comments" setting correctly. I've adjusted it now so that anybody can comment, not just those with Blogger accounts.

So please do.

Am I In Or Out?

2006-08-07T17:46:00.000-07:00

I kind of feel like the designer who's made the ugliest dress on Project Runway. I don't know whether I'm in or out.

I discussed this recently with my friend Fizzle. She asked me how much editorial freedom I have since I blog for the newspaper's site. My answer? I honestly don't know. This is a whole new frontier for most papers; mine has yet to establish any guidelines.

I do know that my journalistic instincts tend to take over when I'm considering what to blog; sharing information and insights takes precedence over personal stuff. And even though I write an opinion column for the paper, my objective sensibility automatically kicks when in I'm blogging.

I'm torn. I feel the need to write about a community I want to be part of. I blame this schizophrenia on BlogHer '06. Had I not met so many cool people, I wouldn't find myself in this quandary.

So what do y'all think? Should I be in? Or out? Or can I be both?

I Need To Get My Sorry Self To The Gym

2006-08-04T19:23:00.000-07:00

Your jaw will drop when you read City Paper's piece about how old she is.

Spend some time burning some calories this weekend.

See you Monday.

Dream On, Karen!

2006-08-03T11:48:00.000-07:00

You know how people retort, "It's not brain surgery," when other folks whine about having to do something? Well, Karen Miller has a valid complaint.

Because for her, it was brain surgery.

Karen, a former Inky colleague who covered West Philly using the same hustler's instincts she used to self-publish Satin Doll, her first novel, in 1999, said she sensed she was ill months before she underwent surgery in May '05 because.....well, I'll let her tell you.

"All of a sudden, I couldn't dream. My writing was going so slow and you know how I can crank a book out (girlfriend wrote Satin Doll in two months). Then I started having seizures."

She was diagnosed with a benign tumor on her left frontal lobe, the side that powers conceptual thought. "I couldn't see the creativity in anything," she says.

Five days after she got out of the hospital, "I had my first dream. From July 12 to Aug. 14 I wrote 50,000 words and turned in a 78,000-word book."

Her fifth novel, Satin Nights, features the same sassy quartet of women we got to know in Satin Doll.

If you're in Philly on Aug. 15, come on by Karen's book party at Zanzibar Blue from 5 to 7 p.m. But just because you go doesn't mean that Karen won't try to sell you a book if you run into her on the street.

Though her work has landed her on plenty of bestseller's lists, "I will sell a book out of my car in a minute! The hustler in me has brought me this far. I'm not about to abandon that now."

A Blogging Community That Cares

2006-08-02T20:16:00.000-07:00

After I wrote Wednesday's column about blogging building community, I received an email from Cynthia Walker, who shared this link that was posted in tribute to her daughter, Jenn See, who passed away suddenly of a heart condition in June at the age of 26.

The post, Walker says, "addresses the very essence of your article."

Another emailer, Anna Beale, a BlogHer conference-goer, writes of women bloggers: "I love the notion that it is not all you or all me in this realm (blogosphere)...Not about you bulk up my blog or me yours, but that we can ally in a synergy far stronger than any part could be."

She also directed me to a Philadelphia-based online community, Womenmatter, which is in search of more writers. I checked it out. It seems a little heavy on medical/health subjects; some diversity in topics would be nice.

BlogHer '06 Reflections

2006-07-31T18:57:00.000-07:00

One of the best moments of BlogHer '06, held in San Jose over the weekend, was during Saturday's closing session featuring Arianna Huffington of the Huffington Post. J. Craig Williams, creator of a blog called "May It Please The Court," stood up during the Q&A and asked, "What can we [male bloggers] do to help you?"

I'm sure he was sincere in his intent, but after a weekend of female empowerment, his question came off as patronizing. You could almost hear 700 women rolling their eyes.

The answer he got, though, was worth listening to the question.

"Stop putting together so many damn lists!" yelled out a woman in the audience. "The top 10 this, the top 10 that. That's all male bloggers do. There are never any women bloggers on those lists."

The ballroom erupted in applause.

Talking with Kim at BlogHer '06

2006-07-30T20:55:00.000-07:00

I sat down with my friend, Kim Pearson, a seasoned blogger who is a professor of English and journalism at The College of New Jersey to talk about the power of blogging.

Blog, Sex, Stay at Home Moms

2006-07-30T17:21:00.000-07:00

Think that the aforementioned headline, with those keywords, will get me at the top of a Google page view? Maybe. That is just one of the strategies I learned about how to get more site traffic at the BlogHer '06 conference in San Jose over the weekend.

I absorbed so much information that I have to download myself. Suffice it to say, Lisa Stone, Elisa Camahort and Jory Des Jardins have started something special with BlogHer, an online community for women bloggers. Over 700 strong in San Jose, for the conference's second year.

The most interesting part of the weekend? Meeting the wonderful folks who influence opinion and ignite discourse with blogs such as Mochamomma (shout out to my girl Kelly, heck yes hair is political!) Liza at Culture Kitchen; Negrophile (hey George, my fellow povocateur in print), Tiffany B. Brown (not be confused with Tiff Black, a former Inky online editor), Fizzle (prayers that your adoption in Ethiopia goes well, Fizz); and my dear friend Kim Pearson, who is the person who encouraged me to blog in the first place.

And as soon as I figure out how to do it, I'll give all my new pals some link love on a blog roll.

Weekend Pick

2006-07-21T15:46:00.000-07:00

If you're into the type of offbeat, stylized thriller, the kind Quentin Tarantino makes, then make it a bankable first weekend for Philly homeboy Lee Daniels and see Shadowboxer, starring Cuba Gooding Jr. and Dame Helen Mirren. You'll also be riveted by performances by Macy Gray and funny girl Mo'Nique, as you've never seen her before.

On Saturday, check out Reelblack's First Weekend Party in honor of Shadowboxer at Fluid, 613 South 4th Street, in Philadelphia. Show your ticket stub from the film and save $2 on admission to the party.

I'll be back online 7/28, blogging from the Blogher conference in San Jose.

Peace.

Long Time No See, Mr. President!

2006-07-20T13:46:00.000-07:00

For the first time in five years, President Bush addressed the NAACP convention. It certainly didn't go unnoticed that George W. graces the nation's oldest civil rights organization with his presence at the very time the Voting Rights Act extension is about to cross his desk. Tavis Smiley made that point on The Tom Joyner Morning Show today; Sharpton rebutted President Bush's speech afterward.

No, I'm Oprah's Lesbian Lover!

2006-07-18T14:40:00.000-07:00

How absurd is it to think just because Oprah Winfrey and Gayle King have been friends for 30 years that they are gay? That assumption presupposes that the only deep and abiding relationships women have with each other are sexual.

I'm here to tell you women don't think like men. They think with their minds and with their hearts. I have four best friends I've known since kindergarten. Denise, Sherry, Dianne and Sandy have been my girls since the dark ages, and we're as close today as we were then.

Even though it sounds a little spacey, I truly understand Oprah's otherworldly quote. How to carry on would be my earthly challenge if I ever lost one of my friends.

Weekend Pick

2006-07-14T13:15:00.000-07:00

Don't forget, tomorrow night: Cedie!

See you Monday.

Racist? Game Over

2006-07-13T12:52:00.000-07:00

This was the photo for the ad Sony ran in the Netherlands for its new PlayStation Portable White video game. Needless to say, the billboards were yanked after an international outcry.

At the very least it's insensitive. At most? In my book, anything that harkens back to the days of legal white-black subjugation has got to go.

A Victory for Black Gay Bloggers

2006-07-13T08:39:00.000-07:00

It seems when bloggers organize, things get done. This press release came into my mailbox yesterday from Keith Boykin, a popular author and pundit:

Black Gay Bloggers Win Victory; LIFEbeat Cancels Anti-Gay AIDS Concert

Black lesbian and gay bloggers are declaring a small victory in the fight against homophobia today.

After a 48 hour protest against LIFEbeat, the music industry’s AIDS organization, and its decision to use homophobic reggae artists Beenie Man and TOK, LIFEbeat today released a statement that it is canceling its concert. LIFEbeat cited “the possibility of violence” as the reason for canceling the concert and not the use of anti-gay reggae artists.

“While we are extremely pleased that our efforts paid off, we want to make it perfectly clear to LIFEbeat and others, that no threats of violence were ever made against LIFEbeat’s staff and board of directors, nor the concert,” commented Jasmyne Cannick, activist and blogger. “Our campaign was simply to educate LIFEbeat about the history of the performers that they choose and to make them aware of the recent murders of gay people in the Caribbean. We did this through emails, blogging, phone calls, and faxes from all over the world.”

Author Keith Boykin added, “LIFEbeat still fails to address the issue of homophobia and its connection to the spread of HIV/AIDS.” He continues, “While we support the mission of LIFEbeat to educate our youth about the dangers of HIV/AIDS, we cannot support the use of blatantly homophobic recording artists to achieve that mission.”

“LIFEbeat has basically chosen to cop-out and blame us for their ill-considered decision to use these artists in the first place,” commented D.C. blogger Terrence Heath.

The concert was scheduled to take place at New York’s Webster Hall on July 18. Activists are now calling on LIFEbeat to move on with a new concert using gay-friendly artists and to donate the proceeds to J-FLAG, The Jamaica Forum for Lesbians, All-Sexuals and Gays founded by the late Brian Williamson who was murdered for being gay in 2004.

Mack's Party 4 Peace: Mark Your Calendar

2006-07-11T14:18:00.000-07:00

It's no secret: gun violence is real. In Philly's African American neighborhoods it's reached pandemic porportions.

Philadelphia promoter Charlie Mack is doing his part to stop the violence with his Party 4 Peace weekend, slated to kick off July 21. Mack, the gentle giant who spent a decade as Will Smith's personal assistant, has enlisted his former boss and lovely wife Jada to host the event, which includes a march for peace, a party and a celebrity basketball game.

If there's one thing we've learned from past years it's that when Mack promises star power, he delivers. The list of glitterati coming to town reads like a who's who from UPN's primetime lineup, as well as A-listers such as Queen Latifah and Regina King.

Where's the Philly Groove?

2006-07-10T19:17:00.000-07:00

My basketball jones is hanging over me like humidity in July. It's bad enough that the Sixers didn't make the playoffs, but there doesn't even seem to be a basketball presence in this town.

Maybe that's because Philly's basketball presence has taken his groove elsewhere. Once again, Allen Iverson will host his Celebrity Classic not in Philadelphia, but in Washington D.C. area starting Friday. He'll host a softball and celebrity basketball game, with the proceeds going to benefit underprivileged kids in D.C. and the Hampton Roads, VA area. Philly wasn't even an afterthought.

Could this be yet another omen that A.I. will be out of a Sixers uniform next season? (Place a heavy *sigh* here).

Meanwhile, in Miami, Alonzo Mourning hosts his 10th annual Zo's Summer Groove, which has raised $5 million for charities that aid children at risk. This year's star performer? Gloria Esteban and the Miami Sound Machine.

Zo's a free agent after earning a well-deserved ring with the NBA champion Miami Heat. He deserves to retire in a Heat uniforn.

Hello? Is it Lionel Richie You're Looking For?

2006-07-04T15:26:00.000-07:00

Had a real fun interview with Lionel Richie today. His new album, Coming Home, is due to drop later this month; his new single "I Call it Love" is already getting R&B radio rotation. He's due to perform with Fantasia at the "Welcome America" celebration in Philadelphia tonight.

Yeah, I know most folks see him as Nicole Richie's dad. But I'm a Commodores' fan from way back. I used to have "Brickhouse" as my ring tone and whenever I hear "Zoom" on the radio, I fly away to another time and place.

And by the way? He's 57, newly single and doesn't look a day over, say, 49. And he still rocks that jet black Gheri curl.

Here's the Cliff Notes version of what we talked about:

On why we will never hear him rap: "I tried to freestyle and it was so hard to do. The [young producers] said, 'Mr. Richie you won't make any money doing that.' That's when I realized it was an art form.

On Nicole conquering her heroin addiction: "I told her the only person who can save Nicole is Nicole. And she decided she wanted to do it and never looked back and I'm proud of her."

On being beloved in Iraq: "At first I thought it was a joke. And then the people on Nightline called me....The Shiites, Sunnis and Curds don't agree and they don't really like America....They asked them, 'What is it about America that you do like?' And they said Lionel Richie! I said, 'Lionel Richie?!'"

Dom Perignon is Hard to Rhyme

2006-07-02T18:09:00.000-07:00

At his Radio City Music Hall concert on last week, Jay-Z vowed to expunge all references to Cristal champagne in his songs. This came on the heels of 'Hova announcing his intention to boycott the expensive bubbly because of indifferent comments made by Cristal execs that Jay interpreted as racist.

But at times during the concert, Jay forgot to replace the Cristal lyrics. In a story in today's New York Times, Jay-Z explained that sometimes during a performance, he gets so deep into the flow that he operates on an "unconscious" level.

This days, he says, he's sipping Perignon and Krug blush wines. "I hope they're cool with us drinking it," Jay-Z says, "because I don't want to go through this again."

Here's some Jay-Z songs with "Cristal" lyrics. If you can insert appropriate substitutes, then maybe you should give Jay-Z a ring.

Fiesta

After the show it's the after party then
After the party it's the hotel lobby and
After the Belvee then it's probably Cris'
And after the original it's probably this (Fiesta)
Yes ma, Bed-Stuy, Fiesta

In My Lifetime (Remix)

All chicks is hollerin bout chica, the whole city's buzzin
wasn't checkin for me a dozen or so, months ago
Now I'm all they know, I'm a person
Lettin the Cristals breathe at the Barnacle Bar
Under my sleeve, vernacular, 50 G's
I'm talkin big cheese, you gotta be down to dig these, uhh

I Just Wanna Love You (Give It to Me)

You wanna see how far I'ma go
How, much I'ma spend but you already know
Zip, zero, stingy with dinero
Might buy you Cris', but that about it
Might light your wrist, but that about it

Who Should be New on The View

2006-06-29T05:14:00.000-07:00

Now that Star Jones Reynolds is leaving The View -- in the midst of accusations by Star that her departure felt like a firing and Barbara Walters saying she felt "betrayed" by Star -- we turn out attention to who should be Star's replacement.

Lots of names mentioned: Phylicia Rashad, Vanessa Williams, Oprah's BFF Gayle King.

But our choice is Sheryl Lee Ralph. Not only is the Dreamgirls star and Moesha mom bright, opinionated, charismatic and a committed humanitarian, she is married to our favorite state senator, Vincent Hughes.

As for Star, who fell out of favor with The View's audience for shamelessly promoting her wedding sponsors and her disingenuous weight loss, something tells me she'll be OK. She's proven to be a more than competent fill-in for Larry King on his CNN talk show and a capable businesswoman. She'll find a way to maintain the lifestyle to which she has become accustomed.

Did You Check Out That Kiss?!

2006-06-27T18:32:00.000-07:00

Observations from tonight's BET Awards, which seems to get better every year: Did you go slack-jawed like I did when, during their "DJ Play A Love Song" duet, Jamie Foxx and Fantasia engaged in such a big, sloppy open-mouthed kiss that it required Fantasia to wipe her face afterward?

It would have been embarrassing -- and Fantasia, who looked like she's packed on a few pounds acted as if it was -- if not for Foxx's ability to recover and not miss a beat.

That wasn't the only highlight. Beyonce and Jay-Z, hip hop's royal couple, opened the show with Beyonce's "Deja Vu," revealing the Dreamgirls star's new svelte figure. The hyper Chris Brown, 17, winner of the new artist award, did a back flip off the stage. Winner Mary J. Blige proved that she still rules as the queen of hip-hop when she rapped with Lloyd Banks, Missy Elliott, Papoose, Rah Digga, DMX (via video) and surprise guest Eminem on Busta Rhymes' "Touch It" remix.

But the show's biggest moment occurred in a musical tribute to lifetime achievement award winner Chaka Khan: she, Prince, Stevie Wonder, India.Aire and Yolanda Adams combined for a Khan medley. Gospel artist Adams proved that she could put a hurting on secular music by belting out an powerful rendition of "I'm Every Women.," And with Stevie Wonder and Prince providing the musical accompaniment, it proved once again the old school is indeed the best school.

Living with AS: My Friend's SEPTA Incident

2006-06-26T19:32:00.000-07:00

My friend, Kim Pearson, is a professor of English and journalism at the College of New Jersey. She is also afflicted with ankylosing spondylitis, or arthritis of the spine. The following is what happened to her Friday while traveling on SEPTA. I pasted this from her blog, Professor Kim's News Notes:

Having lived with AS for 20 years, I've grown fairly accustomed to the precautions I have to make when I travel. When I'm going to an unfamiliar place, I often call the airline or rail line I'm using to arrange for a wheelchair so that I can avoid long and tiring walks to baggage claim or through large terminals. If I think I need it, I arrange for an accessible hotel room. When I used a wheelchair some years back while waiting for my hip replacements, I always checked the accessibility of my routes and destination in advance.

I've generally had very positive experiences as my job has required me to travel all over the country in recent years. Airport, train, hotel and bus personnel have been supportive and helpful, in general. But yesterday I had an experience that made me realize that I was getting just a little complacent.

I had an errand to run that caused me to go Philadelphia's Holmesburg Junction station, a stop on the R7 commuter line that runs between Philadelphia and Trenton, New Jersey. SEPTA, the agency that operates the station acknowledges that Holmesburg Junction is not on its list of accessible stations for that route, and this picture makes part of the reason clear: you have to be able to climb steps to get to the platform, at least on the northbound side.

Yesterday, around high noon on one of the hottest muggiest days so far this summer, I climbed the steps with relative ease and was prepared to board my train. As this image shows, because the platform is low relative to the train, even able-bodied passengers have to use handrails and a wooden step to get on or off. Earlier in the day, I had successfully disembarked from a southbound train at the same station.

However, when I stepped on to the wooden step to get on the northbound train, I found that I could not get my foot up on the bottom step of the train. I asked the conductor whether he had a stepstool. He said, "This step [that we were standing on] is all they give us." I tried again to get my leg up to no avail. I asked the conductor whether he could help me, thinking that if he could brace me, I could use my arm strengh to hoist myself on to the step in some way. He stared at me. Finally he said, "Make a decision; I've got to go." I said, "What can I do? I can't get on the train?" He said, "Call Para-Transit" -- assuming, I suppose, that I knew what that was or how to take advantage of this service. "I'm stranded," I said, backing away from the train. He just looked at me, hopped aboard, and the train left.

There was no ticket office; there was not so much as a telephone posting a number that one could call for help. Fortunately, I have family in Philadelphia and this is the age of cell phones, so I was eventually rescued. I also happened to have a bottle of juice with me so that I could keep myself hydrated as I waited in the heat for help to arrive. But I had plenty of time to wonder what would have happened if I had not had those resources? And is a stepstool such an unreasonable thing to ask for? After all, SEPTA's guidelines for disabled passenger state that people who can stand, "can request to use ramps or lifts for boarding."

Have others run into this problem? What did you do?

In Their Rightful Place

2006-06-25T18:14:00.000-07:00

It hurt to hear that Martin Luther King's papers were scheduled to be auctioned at Sotheby's next week. Sure, the civil rights leader's adult children stood to make millions from the hand-written speeches, papers, documents and books, but nevertheless it was distressing to hear that they were willing to sell their own -- and America's -- legacy.

The good news is that a consortium of Atlanta business people including Mayor Shirley Frankin, who, by the way, is a Philadelphian, have acquired the archives for Morehouse University, King's alma mater. That insures that they will be taken care of, and more importantly, made available to the public.

Black Folks' Dirty Laundry: Shout It Out

2006-06-23T05:34:00.000-07:00

My Wednesday column of June 21 elicited this response (and a book suggestion) from an intellectual observer:

Ms John-Hall:
I read your column of 6-21 (Stop Coddling...) with great interest because it coincides with research interests I am pursuing.

Your observation that "Historically... black folks march in lockstep when it comes to public opinion...racist treatment...compassion..." is entirely correct, based on my reading of the subject.

There is extensive literature on this general topic, including the following book edited by Toni Morrison, who contributes the first chapter.

Race-ing Justice, En-Gendering Power: Essays on Anita Hill, Clarence Thomas, and the Construction of Social Reality

The thesis that Toni Morrison and the contributors explore is subordination of African American women (the treatment of Anita Hill by the Senate Judiciary committee and by the African American community) and the theme of racial solidarity (pride in Clarence Thomas as an African American man and his nomination to the Supreme Court).

My own research encompasses more than a willingness to be tolerant of "celebrity" misdeeds but extends to everyday actions in the community. This is the case with subjects that are not spoken of openly because they might reflect unfavorably on the African American community when viewed by outside observers. The specific subject matter of my own research is the mistreatment or abuse, in the form of violence or street harassment, of women by African American males. As long as the community remains silent, there are negative consequences that remain unaddressed by potentially effective intervention strategies. (Other similar "taboo" subjects include males "on the down low" and HIV/AIDS, and abusive child-rearing practices.)

Keep up the good work by calling attention to social patterns that have long-term negative consequences for the African American community.

Donald B. Wallace, PhD

A Reason Not to Get TiVo

2006-06-21T14:13:00.000-07:00

Every time I hear the opening line to Etta James' "Sunday Kind of Love" it makes me stop, drop what I'm doing and rush to the television.

Problem is, it's used only as the soundtrack for a 60-second Dockers commercial.

Just hearing James' voice, if only for a minute, simply reaffirms the need to give the R&B diva a TV special.

Abolish the "N" word: A movement?

2006-06-14T17:23:00.000-07:00

Today's Daily News cover featured a story about a group of Brooklynites who are trying to abolish the "N" word.

The web site is impressive. Be prepared for a graphic intro, though.

Geno('s) in a Bottle

2006-06-14T14:39:00.000-07:00

Wow! My Wednesday column about Geno's and American culture really struck a nerve. Yeah most folks thought I worked their last nerve, judging from the 50-plus emails and 20-plus voicemails I received.

Here's a sampling:

From John Bodnar in Yardley: "Is Gino's supposed to hire someone who could speak Spanish in order to take their orders in Spanish? If so, should Geno's also be required to hire people who could speak German, French, Chinese, Russian etc? Will the City of Philadelphia pay their wages?

From Carolyn Sloane: "I, with Mr. Vento, are sick and tired of having to 'press one' for English...What part of I-L-L-E-G-A-L don't you get???.....I guess you and everyone else out there who is trying so desperately to be politically correct (which nauseates me, btw) have to be reminded of what it took for my grandparents, and so many others like them to get over here LEGALLY.

From Kass M. Perretta: "I'm sick and tired of every ethnic group being catered to. I totally agree with Geno's and would send financial support to him if he needs it. And I would never pay to have my lips or derriere made larger. I am totally satisfied with my lily white, northern European complexion. Who would want a shelf butt!!

Shelf butt? Moi?

Tiger's Tribute

2006-06-13T05:22:00.000-07:00

Just in time for Father's Day: A poignant video tribute from Tiger Woods to his dad, Earl, on nikegolf.com

The video shows images of Tiger and his dad throughout the years and captures the closeness the two shared. At the end, the ad reads, "To Dad. And Fathers Everywhere."

Earl Woods, the man Tiger described as his best friend, died of cancer May 3.

Madea: Come Back!

2006-06-12T19:23:00.000-07:00

According to my girlfriends, whose opinions I value as much as any critic's, Tyler Perry's new sitcom, "House of Payne," which launched in the Philadelphia market last week, is painful to watch.

Here's the problem: The series, which stars Allen Payne as a fireman forced to move back with his parents, looks and sounds too much like one of Perry's stage plays. And that just doesn't translate well to TV, especially if Madea isn't in it.

That's right. Perry chose not to reprise his famous role as the pistol-toting granny for "House of Payne." In fact, it may be a while before we see Madea on stage again. Perry says he's putting her on hiatus.

The fifth of 10 espisodes aired today, and word is the second half of season is supposed to be better than the first.

If not, Perry can always fall back on his writing career. His advice book "Don't Let a Black Woman Take Off Her Earrings," written in Madea's voice, is holding steady at No. 9 on the New York Times bestseller's list.

The "N" Word on Trial

2006-06-09T06:23:00.000-07:00

Interesting piece in the New York Times yesterday about the trial of a white man accused of a racially motivated beating of a black man in Howard Beach last summer.

Central to the trial has been the usage of the "N" word and it prompted Harvard Law School professor Randall Kennedy to testify on the word's behalf.

Kennedy, author of "Nigger: The Strange Career of a Troublesome Word," testified that the word, once spewed solely as a racial epithet, now carries many different meanings. It's used by all different people, he said, and in music videos and popular songs.

His testimony seemed to help the defense, which claims that the black man, Glenn Moore, was about to commit a robbery when the accused, Nicholas Minucci, used the word as a form of "benign address" while he beat him with a baseball bat.

Excuse me, but when some white person is calling me a nigger while chasing me down the street with a bat, I would tend to think that it's racially motivated.

I interviewed Kennedy when his book was first published a few years ago. I asked him how he would counsel his children if they were ever called the "n" word.

He told me that his own parents had given him varying pieces of advice. His father told him that the slur gives any black person to respond physically if need be. His mother told him to "ignore it and run away."

Kennedy said he'd give his kids his mother's advice.

Can You Say Pat's In Spanish?

2006-05-30T18:29:00.000-07:00

I don't like cheesesteaks. Don't like the consistency of the meat, and the Cheese Whiz they ladle on the meat looks just plain nasty.

But if I did like cheesesteaks, I wouldn't buy one at Geno's .

As reported today by my colleague, Gaiutra Bahadur , Joseph Vento, who owns Geno's, said he would refuse to serve customers who couldn't say "cheese" in English. "Why should I have to bend?" he asks. I have a business to run."

Well, Mr. Vento, I would argue it makes good business sense to serve your Spanish-speaking customers since a majority of them live in your neighborhood. And while it is your right, as a businessman, to refuse the right to serve anyone, it's quite another thing to parade around town with "Speak English" signs in your truck and admonishing business owners for hiring illegal immigrants, blaring it over a p.a. system. That's straddling the line between free speech and hate speech.

So, for those of you who crave a 'steak and happen to be in South Philly, do yourself a favor. Skip Geno's and patronize Pat's King of Steaks, which is located directly across the street at Ninth and Passyunk.

Oprah's Bridge to Now

2006-05-24T12:47:00.000-07:00

Oprah Winfrey's Legends Ball which aired the other night brought tears to more eyes than mine (see my May 24 column). Oprah honored 25 legends in the arts, entertainment and activism with a three day extravaganza, thanking them for opening the door of opportunity and allowing her to soar through.

The legends were equally appreciative of Oprah. I was in D.C. recently talking to Dorothy Height, president emeritus of the National Council of Negro Women and she couldn't stop talking about Oprah's spirit. "So many people use what they have for themselves but she brings us all in," the 94-year-old Height said. "She calls us 'a bridge to now, but I think she's the bridge in bringing us all together."

Height was one of the ones to whom Oprah gave spectacular diamond teardrop earrings. The youngins got diamond hoops.

What Oprah did teaches us a thing or two continuing a legacy. And gratitude. It's just common courtesy to say "thank you," to folks who've helped you.

The Real McCoy

2006-05-19T12:18:00.000-07:00

Philadelphia has always been, and still is, a hotbed for music: Marian Anderson, Paul Robeson, John Coltrane, Bud Powell, Patti Labelle, Grover Washington, The Roots, Jill Scott, Musiq, The Philadelphia Orchestra.

Pianist McCoy Tynercomes straight from that vein. The West Philadelphia and keyboard virtuoso, who set a jazz standard as part of the John Coltrane quartet, layed new ground for the six years (1960-66) he was with the tenor saxophonist. The group's classic suite, "A Love Supreme" still reigns supreme.

Tyner returns home tonight to play at a Temple concert in his honor Saturday. On Sunday, organizers will laud him with a "This Is Your Life" kind of tribute.

At 67, Tyner still tours the world with his trio but he still thinks of his days with Coltrane.

He remembers one day Coltrane gave the band members some sheet music; it was "My Favorite Things." "I thought, this is from The Sound of Music. With Julie Andrews. Boy, how are we gonna do this? But John something in mind, and it became one of the signature pieces of the band."

Sure did. Thank you McCoy, for keeping up with 'Trane and keeping it real.

Star Gazing

2006-05-18T14:34:00.000-07:00

It appears my May 17 column on the Rosie O'Donnell - Star Jones Reynolds beef elicited a few emails. Some agreed that Star is an over the top attention-grabber with no discernible talent.

But others think that Mrs. Reynolds brings a moral perspective to the show that Meredith ("I don't wear underwear") Vieira and the rest of The View crew lack.

Ajay Jones, with whom I had a interesting email dialogue with today, notes that "We has black women hate entirely too much when it comes to success...any success...So what if Star wants to be fabulous, the white women get away with it every day, with no talent or education (Hello! Paris Hilton???).

Good point, Ajay. But my problem is not with Star's fabulousness, her Payless shoes, or even her husband, the equally fabulous Al. When you write a book about health and don't write about how you got healthy, that's wrong. You cease becoming an author and turn into a product pusher.

A New West

2006-05-16T19:10:00.000-07:00

Commentator Tavis Smiley is barnstorming the country with his new book, "A Covenant With Black America," which fell to No. 3 on the New York Times Bestseller's list after holding down the No. 1 spot for the last couple of weeks.

The tour for the book, which lies out a national plan of action for African Americans, has produced a new star pundit. He is Eddie Glaude, 39, a professor of African American and religious studies at Princeton University, who once studied under Cornel West, Princeton professor of religion and intellectual superstar. Now the two are colleagues and co-editors of Glaude's newest volume, "African American Religious Thought: An Anthology."

It was clear, from his appearance with Smiley on the Philadelphia stop of the tour at the New Covenant Church in Mt Airy last week, that Glaude has also picked up West's penchant for dynamic rhetoric.

The civil right struggle, he said, has made his generation's "political aspirations atrophy...People are saying, 'I wish we had Martin,' instead of looking to ourselves...What makes ["The Covenant for Black America"] so powerful is that it begins with a profound trust of everyday people."

That means me. Where'd I put my marching boots?

There He Goes Again

2006-05-15T18:52:00.000-07:00

Subtlety is not Bill Cosby's strong suit.

On Sunday, during a commencement speech to the class of 2006 of Spelman University, a historically black institution for women, the comedian challenged 500 graduates to take charge because, "the men, most of them, are in prison."

Maybe the $20 million gift he and wife Camille gave the school in 1987 gives Cosby carte blanche to say what he wants. And certainly dire statistics bear him out -- more black men of college age are in prison than in class.

We get your point, Coz, but c'mon! The sweeping generalizations? What would the graduating class at Morehouse think?

Anybody there? Holla!

2006-05-14T18:21:00.000-07:00

Yes, I have finally joined everybody and their cousins in the blogosphere. I will be writing the observations of a progressive, African American female wife mother baby boomer sports nut. In fact, I am watching the Suns-Clippers as I write this.

I have concluded, since my Sixers didn't make it and the incomparable A.I. is sidelined, that I don't have a favorite team in these NBA playoffs. I have favorite players, though. E. Brand is one. Nash. D. Wade. Big Ben Wallace. That kid who looks like Usher who plays for the Suns -- Barbosa.

My favorite is LeBron. He's so unselfish, but that could be the Cavaliers' downfall against the Pistons. I want to see LeBron truly take over a game, like Kobe. He can.