• I Came, I Saw, I Conquered Caribana

    ***Disclaimer: The official name for Caribana is The Scotiabank Toronto Caribbean Carnival. Scotiabank doesn’t even have the rights to the name, “Caribana,” but it’s one of those things that just stick. Kind of like how no one in Chicago calls The Willis Tower by its current name, we still say Sears Tower. So… yo mama…

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  • Cheekie Does SXSW: Part 1

    South By Southwest has always been on my bucket list. And since you’re never too young to start checking things off of the bucket list — and since I’m a filmmaker myself and shit — I decided to go this year. One of my friends suggested that I write about my experience and Damon one-upped…

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  • On #BlackBrunch And Bottomless White Tears

    Earlier this week, NYC protesters supporting the #BlackLivesMatter movement decided to take it up a notch and encroach upon “White spaces” in order to express their outrage over police brutality against Black folks. I thought it was a splendid idea. More often than not, creating awareness about an issue to facilitate change means making folks…

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  • My Name Is Tonja. And I Think About Committing Suicide

    “Ain’t too much sadder than…” I was a Robin Williams stan growing up. And, yes, most of that had to do with his voice work as “Genie” in Aladdin. But, when I saw that, I had to see it all. Mrs. Doubtfire. Hook. Good Will Hunting. Ferngully. Jumanji. The Birdcage. Even a little ‘Mork & Mindy.’ He was…

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  • When Creatives Collide: Run You.

    Writers tend to find inspiration in a variety of sources. Hell, I believe this is true for all creators. The venues in which I call my muses are infinite in that I really do view any and everything as a potential story to tell. From an exchange between commuters that I witnessed on the train…

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