So, never mind the passing of the health reform bill. Forget about the importance of mailing back your Census form. Erykah Badu gets naked in her music video, and it immediately grabs our attention. Anyone who has seen the Beyonce “Single Ladies” video had to wonder what could top THAT. After watching Beyonce sing and […]
It is what it is – but it shouldn’t be! Next week, my crew and I will be on the road for three weeks straight, going from city to city raising awareness for the all-important 2010 Census. The message is clear and simple – so clear and simple, I’m surprised we have to hit it […]
By now, you’ve probably heard that my great-uncles, Meeks and Thomas Griffin, received posthumous pardons the day before yesterday. My family and I experienced the sweet smell of victory when an injustice served almost 100 years ago was reversed. Nothing could bring my uncles back, but we did as much as we could. And sometimes […]
Today, my brother and my two sons will appear before a parole board in Columbia, South Carolina, not because we’re in any kind of trouble with the law, but to try to right a wrong done to my great-uncles almost 100 years ago. So, last night, I tried to put myself in the shoes of […]
There’s a story about a black mechanic who always drove an old, sort of run-down car to work each day, giving his white employers the impression that it was his only mode of transportation. His wife once came by the job to visit and drove his much newer, much nicer vehicle. The man got upset […]
A few weeks ago, when South Carolina Rep. Joe Wilson yelled out “You lie!” during President Obama’s health care speech, J. Anthony Brown, TJMS sidekick and native South Carolinian, announced that he was no longer from that state – he was done. For as long as he could remember, he’d lived with blatant racism, segregation, […]
For a lot of chubby kids like me, school days were horrible. I hear stories about how they were taunted, bullied or just hated. I didn’t experience any of those things. People didn’t think bad about me. Most people just didn’t think about me at all. So, now when I meet the women who ignored […]
One thing celebrities love to make clear when they return from taking time off from the spotlight for whatever reason is that they are NOT making a comeback. And they all seem to be fueled by the LL Cool J classic, “Mama Said Kock You Out,” which declares “Don’t call it a comeback, I been […]
June officially kicks off wedding season, which is only a problem if you’re dating someone wants to get married and you don’t, or if all your friends are getting married, and the closest you’ve come is being a bridesmaid, or you’ve had multiple bad marriages, and just the thought of someone getting married again makes […]
Fresh off of Congressman Joe Wilson’s outburst during President Obama’s health care reform address to Congress, tennis-super star Serena Williams went smooth off on a a judge who made a bogus call against her. I was thinking of how far we’ve come, and, even with that success, there will always be controversy. I was thinking […]
We’re in the thick of the NBA finals, as the Los Angeles Lakers face the Orlando Magic for title of NBA champions. And whether you’re a die-hard fan of either team or are a member of the ABL Club – for Anybody but the Lakers – you’ve been watching the games or have at least […]
The other day, when everyone was hyped up about parents who had decided to keep their kids out of school so they wouldn’t have to hear President Obama tell them to stay in school, we jokingly said that those parents and school administrators who caved in to their pressure ought to be “pimp-slapped.” We said […]