The Big O promised to uphold Bush’s faith-based program.  Cue the conservative crowd: Screams and Hallelujahs.  However, the Big O promised to correct one glitch in the program—the ability of groups to receive federal aid and discriminate in hiring practices on basis of religion.  Cue the conservatie crowd:  Boos and hisses.  Cut to the National…

New York Times Tamar Lewin authored an interesting piece yesterday on black high-schoolers and their unwillingness to take the Advanced Placement [AP] exam.  As we know the AP program allows students to take university-level courses and if they pass the final AP exam they can earn college credit.  Lewin’s article points out that while Americans…

Gold medalist Michael Phelps was allegedly caught at a party using a bong and the View’s Whoopi Goldberg defended the use and confessed her history with smoking trees.  Now this could a perfect opportunity for me to comment on Phelps marijuana use or the so-called role model factor, or even Whoopi’s pride for admitting something…

Obama’s stimulus package, the bill he hopes will save the country from an economically dismal future, includes a “Buy American” clause. The clause instructs that U.S. steel, iron, manufacturing goods are to be used in construction work funded by the stimulus package. Well, it makes sense to me. I think. You know, considering it’s our…

A friend of mine posted a Facebook video blog claiming Barry Jenkins’ debut film Medicine for Melancholy was the best film he’d seen in years.  And since I’m a sucker for anything that’s smart, meaningful, witty and, in this case, revolves around an indie black couplet… well I ran to the theater.  Medicine for Melancholy…

The story has been circulating from quite some time.  South African Sandra Laing was born and classified as “coloured” in the 1950s, but both parents were “white”.  And certainly that’s genetically possible:  white parents bringing home a bouncing baby girl whose complextion is a bit more golden than theirs and whose hair shows a bit…

Rush Limbaugh, the Republican’s darling, is no stranger to straight-from-the-gut politcal commentary.  It’s what’s in his gut that demands examination.  And his latest rantings about Obama’s stimulus package as well as the Civil Rights-trained dummies who support him… well, they rank high on his diseased gut crazy.  Unlike many, I certainly don’t believe Limbaugh was…

Joaquin has always ranked high among my favorite American actors.  From John Ridley’s U-Turn to Signs to Walk the Line, Phoenix brings a courageous exploration of humanity in most of his roles and that’s important to me.  So the flags went up several weeks ago when he announced he was leaving film acting to pursue…

Sundance honored Chris Rock’s documentary Good Hair over the weekend with A Special Jury Prize for U.S. Documentaries.  Apparently, Good Hair was one the most talked about projects up there in Utah.  And that’s no surprise.  Black folks love or hate us some “good hair”.  The documentary, inspired by Rock’s daughter’s disappointment in not having…

Producer-director Lee Daniels [Monster’s Ball, The Woodsman] has hit the high mark with Push.  A coming of age tale about Precious, a pregnant Harlem teen who navigates through incest, physical and emotional abuse, racism, self-hatred, illiteracy, HIV and obsesity [this is not a Disney flick]… Precious struggles until she stumbles upon a radical schoolteacher who…