Voices In Color

CBS News Turns Off Obama

Sorry for all of you who’ve already read about this but I couldn’t pass up posting this story. It seem that early this month CBSNews.com informed its staff via email that they should no longer enable comments on stories about presidential candidate Barack Obama. Why you ask? Because stories about Obama have been attracting too many racist comments.

"It's very simple," Mike Sims, director of News and Operations for CBSNews.com. "We have our Rules of Engagement. They prohibit personal attacks, especially racist attacks. Stories about Obama have been problematic, and we won't tolerate it."

CBSNews.com does sometimes delete comments on an individual basis, but Sims said that was not sufficient in the case of Obama stories due to "the volume and the persistence" of the objectionable comments.

Ahhh, the wonderful world of online where any idiot can have a voice.

Getting in Touch With Your Artsy Side

If you have an interest in art but aren’t sure were to start you should check out Gen Art. Gen Art showcases emerging filmmakers, musicians, visual artists and fashion designers but tries to do so in way that makes people feel comfortable and welcomed. They are one of the leading arts organizations and have a very loyal following among people who want to keep up with the latest developments in arts and entertainment. They hold over 100 events annually ranging from a week-long film festival to star-studded fashion shows, DJ competitions, art exhibits, multi-media events and tons more.

African American TV – TV One

No surprise really that the new cable network, TV One, is the fastest growing cable network in the country since we all know there’s very little on the major networks that feature’s African Americans. The channel reaches 45 of the top 50 African American markets.

TV One’s mission is to offer African Americans a broad range of lifestyle and entertainment focused programming in the markets where we’re a significant segment of the population. Although the network is currently no match for BET it is growing significantly – in 2006 it grew by 39%.

Depending on the quality of the programming is, this channel could be a nice addition/alternative to BET.

TV Series - Black Writers in America

Every once in a while you find inspiration when you least expect it. Like when you’re unwinding on the couch in your pj’s, knowing you should be unloading the dishwasher. Instead you flip aimlessly through 1,000 useless TV channels until you’re captured by the amazing and debonair Ossie Davis and he introduces you to several incredible black authors. A half hour later you’re enlightened, inspired and proud of what black folks are doing and have done.

I’m describing Black Writers in America a public television series that featured prominent African American poets, novelists, playwrights and essayists. Obviously the series is not current as Ossie Davis died in 2005 but the interviews are still totally compelling. Each episode features interviews with contemporary authors including Walter Mosley, Terry McMillan, Arthur Flowers, Ishmael Reed, Elizabeth Nunez, Tim Reid, and Junot Diaz who take us through their creative processes and discuss the struggles of race, identity and sexuality in their exceptional works.

TV Series - 1,000 Places to See Before You Die

How I didn’t get myself on this show I don’t know but I’m regretting it now. For those of you who love to travel but haven’t read the book, 1,000 Place to See Before You Die, you are being given a little gift by way of the Travel Channel. Inspired by Patricia Schultz’s best-selling travel book, the Travel Channel chronicles the journey of a young newlywed (now that’s the way to start married life) couple as they traverse the world for 14 weeks. The couple travels to 13 countries and covers about 100 of the book’s 1,000 locations.

If you’re interested in certain locales check out the programming schedule for specifics.

“Hello, Travel Channel, this is Angel. Sign me up for the next 100 places…”

Racial/Ethnic Diversity = Declining Public Programs

Interesting (but sad) article in the New York Times discussed that support for various types of public spending (i.e., health care, welfare programs, unemployment insurance, etc.) falls as diversity rises. It seems that America's racial and ethnic (also religious) divisions reduce the incentive to help one another. One of the studies sited in the article reported that the percentage of people who support welfare spending decreases as the number of recipients from their own racial group falls. Unfortunately I can't see any light at the end of this tunnel.

Dream Destinations

I’m an absolute travel fanatic. I think I would go just about anywhere. Over the years I've been to many places (with the help of some serious budgeting) but there are still planty more I’d love to see. In fact, there are so many I decided to write down my top ten dream destinations. They aren't in any particular order because, frankly, I'd be thrilled to visit any of them. Ideally I'd travel all over each country but that's a lot of time and a lot of money, so I tried to get more specific. Here are my ten:

1. Africa (starting with Morocco, Tunisia, and Egypt)
2. The Caribbean
3. South America (I'd start at Venezuela and work my way along the west coast)
5. India (Nepal, Delhi, Calcutta)
6. Japan
7. Maldives
8. Spain (Madrid, Valencia, Seville)
9. Portugal
10. Iceland

I'd love to hear about places traveled that you’ve truly loved (or really didn't). I'm also curious if any of you've based travel decisions on how you thought you'd be welcomed as an African American? I'd never given it any thought until I had nasty incident in Dublin, Ireland. I can't wait to hear from you.

Simple and Sophisticated - Reiss

Well-made clothes that are sophisticated and simple, without being boring, boring, boring (like, let's say the Gap or Banana) seem to be a hard combination to find these days. Reiss a British brand of men’s and women’s clothing is so doing all of that for me. From the everyday basics to a more dressed up look, the clothes are pretty close to my idea of perfect. It’s one of those stores that I could practically go into with my eyes closed, pick something and come out happy. The company currently has only a handful of stores in the US with plans to open 45 more.

Cute dresses, perfect little going out tops, adorable metallic shorts and sequined mini skirts - a girl coudn't ask for more.

Are Black Folks Going Green?

It seems to me that the eco/organic trend has captured the media’s attention almost as much as the escapades of Lindsay Lohan and Britney Spears (yawn). In the last few months almost every magazine I’ve looked at has eco this-or-that on it’s front cover. This got me thinking – are African Americans getting caught up in eco mania as well? It seems that we’re not only interested, but in some cases leading the pack. The April 2007 issue of Black Enterprise has a very interesting survey on organic food. The article says African Americans are more likely to buy organic than the general population.

I hope this survey finds it’s way into the hands of the marketers of some of the big name organic manufacturers and sellers because I don’t believe they make much, if any, effort to speak to us. I’d love to see their products in more of the stores where we’re shopping in and to see those stores doing more to connect with our communities.

In addition, a 2003 study regarding African Americans and environmental issues found that we’re more likely than whites to make lifestyle choices in favor of the environment and we’re just as likely to belong to environmental groups. The study, entitled “Dispelling Old Myths: African American Concern for the Environment,” was conducted by Paul Mohai, Associate Professor at the University of Michigan’s School of Natural Resources.

And one last note, this month’s Vogue has quite a few interesting articles on (very expensive) organic fashions. My question is when is someone going to make organic clothes that are not only as wearable and beautiful as the Vogue items but also affordably priced? I’d love to go green but can I get something in my price range?

Author - Rebecca Walker: Baby Love

I haven’t read this memoir yet but it’s high on my list for a variety of reasons, mainly because I’m such a fan of both Rebecca Walker’s and her mother’s, Alice Walker, work. Although she doesn’t mention her mother by name, she apparently doesn’t have a lot of kind words regarding her childhood. Aside from this, the book mainly deals with our generation’s many uncertainties. The book begins with the day Rebecca’s pregnancy is confirmed and ends as she and her partner bring their son home. Rebecca poignantly tells of her difficult journey to motherhood and reflects on her ambivalence regarding having children. Like many of us, she was raised to focus on attaining what many of our mothers, due to social conditions, could not. Having children was a bit more secondary.

The book recounts her mother’s opposition to Rebecca’s decision to have a baby and a confrontation regarding Rebecca’s account of their relationship in her previous book, Black, White and Jewish. Her mother ends their relationship and removes Rebecca from her will.

Rebecca faces serious complications during her pregnancy and distrusting of Western medicine, she finds herself overdosing on Google in her endless search for information. After all this Rebecca finds she’s changed her mind on many of her longstanding beliefs: she’s now a meat eater, in a committed relationship and a mom.

It sounds like an amazing journey that makes for great reading. Buy Baby Love at amazon.com.