REFLECTION & REASON

> Sometimes I just hate black history month. I hate remembering the unfortunate past of our ancestors. I hate being reminded of the "evils" of white people, and the permanent damage slavery and it's aftermath has done to black people. I hate the photos, I hate the video footage, the riots, I hate all of it because it hurts too much to imagine that these things and behaviours were once standard . I avoid it. Yes, I'm a coward in that I don't want to confront the images and stories if I don't have to. I haven't seen Amistad. I've never sat through Roots, although I've tried many a time to read it and watch the movie. Hell I'll admit it: I haven't even finished reading Malcolm X! As a writer, a communications graduate, and as a black person...I should be ashamed to admit it. But I just HATE the fact that this extreme overt ignorance is only a few generations away from my reality now. And then I had to go and watch "The Help." Lord...

Sometimes...I can't blame the brothers for being annoyed. Sometimes I understand exactly why some men have no behaviour. I get it...I can see why they are apathetic when it comes to the antics of their female counterparts. Sometimes I don't want nothing to do with women because even I don't understand what's going on in your minds! CRAZINESS! I don't want to be a traitor to my gender, BUT sometimes I see things, and hear things, and think about things that drive me nuts! So this is my plea for women..."us women"...to smarten up, and get your shit together ! Yes, I'm single, unmarried, and I have no children. What do I know? Maybe this doesn't qualify me to even dare speak on these subjects. Maybe it qualifies me even more. Nonetheless, here is my bad advice to my sisters everywhere...but especially you in Toronto. Wake up! 1) Educate Youself ~ Education doesn't require thousands of dollars and a university degree, but it does require dedicati...

When I hear good music , I realize it has the ability to take me out of the audio experience, and into a visual wonderland. The way the instruments collide, the movement of the bass and rhythm, and the overlay of the artist's voice create another dimension of experience. When I hear good music , it inspires dialogue, it motivates creativity, and reveals storylines to me. As an author, I thrive on receiving new lyrics, and intricate sounds. As a music-lover, I appreciate receiving new creations and allowing them to transport me beyond the CD. Beyond the liner notes. When I hear good music , I realize that there's nothing else in the world that can tell a story, and explain an emotion or personal journey, like music can. Tyrese is an actor, and has the gift of storytelling , so as a songwriter, his talent is evident with the way this musical plot moves and develops. It is more than just an album, it is an experience. If Tyrese Gibson 's 5th studio release " Open Invitati...

I am impressed by R&B singer/ actor/ model/ author Tyrese Gibson. Physical beauty aside, I am impressed by the role he is claiming in pop culture, and the effort he is making to share his wisdom, carve his niche, and maintain his abilities across the entertainment spectrum. He is a pop prophet on the rise: speaking by divine inspiration; a spokesman for a movement; gifted with moral insight and powers of expression. There haven't been many lately. I think with the hype and excitment of Barack Obama entering the United States presidency, there was a huge void filled in pop culture discourse and "urban" cultural leadership . Obama represented the voice of reason, the voice of hope, and the voice of self-identity for many. I've always felt that since the highly visible and highly vocal fraternity of the Civil Rights Movement, that there has been a lack of dominant leadership. Black male leadership, specifically. Rather than looking to ministers and politicians, busin...

As a child of the 80's, it should be no surprise that I grew up a fan of the Muppets. As an adult of the millennium...sometimes I still think of them fondly. I realize that there was a consistent theme within their shows, their missions, and their passions that are still evident in my present-day interests. So they're puppets, I know. So their stories were fictional: I get it. And believe me, they're not the ONLY source of motivation and direction in my life, but every now and then I realize how much I loved them as a child...and I completely understand why . Created by puppeteer Jim Henson, the Muppets were a gang of fun-loving and dynamic animals and personalities who were introduced to society through the television show: The Muppet Show . Beginning in 1976, this program brought viewers 120 episodes and embedded them in history for life. Every night on The Muppet Show, theatre director Kermit the Frog would try frantically to bring the show together, despite inevitable...