The First Black Bachelor is announced

Well it's official...the Bachelor has (finally) cast it's first Black Bachelor.  After 10 years and 16 seasons the creators of the ABC show have finally decided to have a Black man in the lead role on the show.  Actually if you count the Bachelorette (upon which a Black woman has never been the lead, it's 23 seasons of this show.)

It's hard to believe that it's been 16 seasons of the Bachelor without a single Black bachelor, and honestly barely any Black people on the show period!  What a disgrace.  And what gets me a little upset is the statement made by the show's host Chris Harrison,

"Lamar Hurd campaigned for the role. In the end, his charm, wit and persistence won us over. We look forward to another amazing season of love and surprises."

I'm glad that Hurd held his ground and was able to 'win them over' by why the hell did he have to do that in the first place?

I think it's fair to assume that the lawsuit they have pending has a little something to do with their decision.

Two men filed a federal lawsuit in Nashville last Wednesday against the show claiming that they were given different treatment and little consideration compared to their white counterparts in search of the leading role on the show.

It's a shame that in this day and age we are still being stereotyped and pushed in a corner.  I can't think of a positive reality show that allows us to shine (other than The Apprentice....help me out ladies and gents....leave some in the comments because I'm drawing a blank), I can only think of the Housewives series, Basketball Wives, Flavor Flavs show which are NOT shining examples of our people on TV.

But back to the post at hand, now that there's a Black Bachelor...how many of you would be interested in applying?

Maybe one day we'll see a LGBT Bachelor or Bachelorette.....one day!

Autistic Boy Bullied by his Teacher...smh!

Imagine being a child going to school everyday with teachers that bully you.  No, no, you read it right,  TEACHERS that bully you.  That is what one 10 year old autistic New Jersey boy dealt with seemingly silently until his father placed a recording device in his pocket.

Dad, Stuart Chiafetz, claims he did that in order to find out why the school had reported that his son was acting out and hitting teachers.  

He found way more than he bargained for.  He listened to over six hours of recordings of teachers and teacher aides apparently talking about alcohol and sex in front of the class and yelling at his son telling him to 'shut your mouth'

In the recording you can hear Akian ask about seeing his dad. It appears that his parents have joint custody and he sees his mom for a period of time and then his dad for another.  And naturally, there is an adjustment period that he would have to go through where he needs a little more reassuring than others. He asks his teachers if he is going to 'see Dad after mom' and the teacher says 'no' asks him about library books then call him a 'bastard' after he begins to cry.

These are the people who are supposed to protect, nurture and teach our children?

The board of education did step in immediately after receiving a copy of the 6 hour recording and the teachers have apparently been disciplined, but is that enough?

Now, I'm not saying, by any means, that every time a child does something that seems out of character it's the school or teachers fault (because lets face it, some of Bebe's kids are still running around haha) but as parents you should stand up for your kids.  Looking around it seems as though parents are (generally) less involved nowadays as the pressures and demands of making a living have become greater.  

It troubles me know that had Akian's dad not stepped in, he probably would have been labelled as another 'problematic autistic boy' and his story would turn out very different.

Stuart's YouTube video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tfkscHt96R0

read more: http://blackandmarriedwithkids.com/2012/04/nj-dad-exposes-teachers-after-placing-a-recording-device-on-his-autistic-son/

It's Not Unusual

It was bound to happen!  Alfonso Ribeiro leads a flash mob in LA featuring the 'Carlton Dance' (of course).  I couldn't help but smile when I saw this video.  **I love how the crowd trying to record the flash mob is trying to dance as well.** It brought me back to the 90s for a few minutes....it was such a different time in the world.  Don't get me wrong, I life now - we've come a long way on many things, but the 90s were special.  The music was richer, the TV shows weren't ALL 'reality', it was just...nice.  I guess this is how our parents feel when they reminisce.  And it worries me to see what this generation has to 'look back on'....then I wonder where we're going as a society.  Looks like I'm in reflection mode today.  Lots on my mind.  Nonetheless enjoy the video and smile it's a beautiful day!

Love Me and My Hair

I stumbled on Singers Room a little while back from a friends Facebook page and it's actually a great source for music...I like mainstream music, but I also enjoy those artists who are relatively unknown.

the Singer's Room is truly a site for music lovers.  It has a great mix of both mainstream and non-mainstream artists.  It was sited as one of the top internet music sources by XXL magazine and was created in 2006.

What's cool about the site is that it is an outlet for artists to communicate directly with their fans and the rest of the music community.  If you are a music lover, check out this site.  You never know what you'll find! (certainly not the music you find on the radio)

I found this song on Singers Room over the weekend and it's a great song about loving yourself and your hair.  It's called 'Love Me and My Hair' by Juliette....hope you enjoy it.

Take this in and remember to love yourself.

http://singersroom.com/content/2012-04-21/Juliette-Love-Me-My-Hair/

How Do You See Yourself? Cat or Tiger?

How do you see yourself?  Your self image is so important because it ultimately effects how people see you.  The easiest way to define your self image is to answer the following: "What do you believe people think about you?"

See yourself as GREAT and have a powerful weekend!

Tupac Performs with Snoop Dogg

Snoop Dogg and Dr Dre had a concert the other day and Tupac appeared to spit a couple tracks....gotta love technology.  Thanks to a holographic image, fans were able to see Tupac perform once again on the stage.  He even had a dramatic uprising entrance and a dramatic exit.

He started off with 'Hail Mary' and even did '2 of Amerikaz Most Wanted' with Snoop Dogg.

Apparently Nate Dogg was supposed to appear in a hologram performance that night as well, but at the last minute they switched it to a video tribute.

Tupac's mother also loved the performance.  Dr. Dre reached out and got her approval before the performance and although she didn't watch it live she did watch a video feed via the internet.  

I can't imagine what it would be like to watch my son perform again after he's been dead for that long.  Tupac's movements were very life-like: he paced the stage and even pointed the mic to the crowd like he would have years ago. 

It's crazy to see Tupac performing even though he died 16 years ago....(can't believe it's been 16 years already!  Time sure does fly.)

I wonder who is going to appear in a hologram performance next?  Who would you like to see?

You know me...Biggie fan forever....baby, baby! And I would love to see him 'perform' again. 

***WARNING: there is language in this video***

The Power of Music

This video really warms every inch of my heart.  I think we can all identify with the ultimate power that music has.  Just a few notes can take you back to your first love, first break up, that first dance with your crush at your 8th grade dance, Christmas, your favorite concert just to name a few.

The video below is a clip of the upcoming documentary "Alive Inside."  In this video, an elderly man who has been in a nursing home for about 10 years, and is generally unresponsive, springs to life in remarkable ways and even sings songs from his favorite artist, Cab Calloway when he hears his favorite music.

If you didn't believe in the power of music before...you should now.  There is no denying that music is inspiring.

Listen to your favorite track and have a powerful day!

What is your favorite 'go-to' track?


read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/10/alive-inside-documentary-explores-music-effect-on-elderly_n_1416053.html

There Were Black Passengers on the Titanic? Who Knew?!

With the anniversary of Titanic Sunday April 15th, there's been a lot of reminiscing about the fatal crash  that killed many 100 years ago.  To be honest, I just assumed that given the year and the social climate of the time, that there would not have been any Black passengers on the Titanic.

Well I was wrong!

Apparently, there were two Black men on board among the 2,224 passengers on the Titanic who both perished.

Joseph Laroche, 26, a Haitian-born, French-educated engineer who was moving back to Haiti because he could not find work in his profession; and Victor Giglio, the son of an Italian father and Egyptian mother, and personal secretary to U.S. industrialist Benjamin Guggenheim.

According to the Chicago Tribune, who spoke with descendants of Laroche, he and his family were not supposed to be on board the Titanic at all.

"Laroche's mother had sent the family first-class tickets to travel on the French liner France. But just before departure, the Laroches learned that the ship wouldn't allow them to dine with their children. Out of concern about the younger daughter, who was sickly, they traded their tickets for second-class tickets on the Titanic."

It's said that Laroche's wife, who was pregnant at the time, and their two daughters made it safely to shore and lived in poverty until they received a settlement from the Titanic disaster.

The other Black passenger, Victor Giglio, however decided to 'go down like a gentleman' and sat at the bar drinking Brandy at the time the ship capsized.  He probably would have been denied a life boat on account of his colour anyway.

It amazes me that even 100 years later we are still finding new information about that tragic night when the Titanic went down. 

read more: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/columnists/ct-met-trice-titanic-0409-20120409,0,2696114.column

the Jacksons Set To Tour in June

The Jacksons are heading on their first tour since 1984.  The tour starts in June and has 27 dates scheduled.

I must admit....I kinda want to see them in action.  It has been 28 years since they hit the stage together...I wonder if Tito, Jackie, Jermaine and Marlon still 'got it'.

They seem to be excited about the tour and to be performing together after all these years.

I wonder what they will be performing? We all love the classics and it would be a concert that everyone and anyone can enjoy, but I wonder if they will break out any new songs, or do a tribute to MJ or have Janet perform with them on certain dates.

Of course there will be those who say 'they're only doing it for the money' which may play a role in the sudden return to the stage,  but as a performer I know that there's nothing like going back to your roots and stepping on that stage again.  It's something that you can't really explain....it almost feels like coming home.

Maybe with Michael's passing they realize that the best time to seize the moment is now and that tomorrow is promised to no one so why not do what you love NOW instead of putting it off any longer.

Just looked up the schedule and they're in Atlanta on July 8th....if I'm around I might consider checking them out.  (For the Canadian fans...they are at Casino Rama June 20th...)

I wish them the best!

Super Cool! Rosario Dawson dances with homeless man...

This video has been rolling around Twitter and Facebook for a little while now....but it does bring a smile to my face.  Even though it's staged it still brings light to the fact that a simple act just can make someones day a little brighter, and how important it is to keep your character intact at all times.

If you don't want to watch the entire thing, start at about 2 minutes into the video.

Happy Monday!  Hope you enjoyed your long weekend with lots of friends, family and fun!

Supercool!

Man Shot 28 Times Sentenced to 40 Years In Jail!

Yesterday, Howard Morgan a 61 year old black off duty police who was shot 28 times by white on duty police officers and survived was sentenced to 40 years in jail!

He was charged and sentenced with attempted murder. 

According to police, Morgan opened fire with his service weapon when four white officers tried to arrest him, which caused them to shoot him 28 times.  They initially stopped him for driving the wrong way on a one way street. 

28 times?!  You mean to tell me that you needed to shoot a man 28 times (21 in the back and 7 on the front) to get him to calm down?!  These officers left a man to die in a pool of blood after littering his body with bullets and somehow HE is the one charged with attempted murder?!?!  Morgan didn't even have gun powder residue on his hand, how could he have shot anyone?

This is also his second trial.  Apparently he was previously acquitted and found not guilty on three counts, including discharging his weapon, and the same jury that cleared him of opening fire on the officers, however, deadlocked on a charge of attempted murder.  Another jury found him guilty in January.  To make things worse, the January jury was not allowed to hear that Morgan had been acquitted of the other charges.

So I guess in this case the 'double jeopardy rule doesn't apply.  

When is enough, enough?  I can't imagine surviving being shot 28 times, and then basically being given a life sentence for allegedly trying to murder those who clearly tried to murder me.

Wake up America!  It's time to get it right!

Buying Black...what does that mean?

"We need to pool our resources. Your money is suppose to bounce 8-12 times before it leaves our race. Hispanics money 6-7 times. Black money doesn't bounce once. The sooner we get it, we run to the nearest race to spend it. Anytime you put your money in another groups hand, you are aiding them in wiping you out."
'PowerNomics' - Dr. Claud Anderson


I almost want to leave that as a stand alone statement and hear your thoughts.  It is quite the statement and it made me think about the financial state of Black people in North America. In the US 27.4% of all Black people live in poverty (the highest of all the races.) If we were to start buying Black would that help us lower these numbers?  

Micheal Baisden (for those who don't know, is a radio host in the states who brings up a lot of issues that are prevalent in the Black community) spoke about this issue on his radio show.  He asked why we don't buy Black and the consensus of the responses from the listeners was that 1) when we sell products/services they are too expensive and 2) we lack in customer service skills.  

Let's take a look at the hair industry, for example.  African Americans (even though we have the highest poverty rates) spent $507 BILLION (out of our total estimated buying power of $836 billion) on hair and hair products in 2009. And lets face it....most of that is not going into the hands of black owners.  Walk into most black hair stores in the USA and they are Asian owned.  Same thing with nails....always done (rarely by Black owned businesses).

I know we try to live in a 'can't we all just get along' age, but I wonder if that attitude is keeping us complacent.

Do you buy Black? Should we be making a greater effort to buy Black? Is buying Black the solution to helping us as a people? Or is this just a racist ideal?  

I am interested in hearing your thoughts.  

Stunning Photos of Former Slaves

Have a look at these amazing photos.  In the 1930s the Federal Writers Project of the Work Progress Administration collected more than 2000 first hand accounts of former slaves as well as 500  black and white pictures.  They were collected from 17 states and most of the people interviewed were in 80s 90s and some even past 100 years old.  

Many of the collected stories were written phonetically which gives the reader a sense of how they really were.  The article highlights the account of a 121 year old slave that said: " ‘Yo’ know de sta’s don’ shine as bgright as dey did back den. I wonah wy dey don’. Dey jes’ don’ shine as bright.’ "

I would love to see this collection of stories.  To look at a snippet of history, told first hand, would be incredible.

I have always wished I could somehow sit and have a conversation with those who were enslaved. See the hurt and joy etched on their faces.  Hear the nuances of their speech.  Hear the stories straight from their lips.  This collection may be as close as it gets.  

Has anyone heard of or seen this collection?

Click on the link below to view all the pictures. They are absolutely beautiful.

http://blacklikemoi.com/2012/04/african-american-heroes/stunning-portraits-of-former-slaves-photographed-seventy-years-after-the-emancipation-proclamation/