Voices In Color

Today's Black Fact

On this day in 1935, Eldridge Cleaver was born, the former Black Panther Party minister of information

Blacks Fleeing San Francisco

Since this is in my neck of the woods I thought I’d include this little tidbit.

The city of San Francisco seems to have just realized that Black folks are leaving in droves (btw: it’s not just black folks either) and they’re not sure why. Sigh.

Gee, could it maybe be the astronomical cost of living, poor public schools, and unsafe neighborhoods? It’s no wonder African-Americans are rapidly abandoning this famously progressive city.

San Francisco officials have vowed to stop the exodus and develop a strategy to win blacks back to the city. In June, Mayor Gavin Newsom appointed a task force to study how to reverse decades of policies -- and neglect -- that black leaders say have fueled the flight.

According to Census estimates, the number of blacks here shrank from 13.4% of the population in 1970 to just 6.5% in 2005 -- the biggest percentage decline in any major American city.

"San Francisco's strength is the fact that we don't just tolerate our diversity, we celebrate it," Newsom says. "One of the real gifts of living in this city is living together and advancing together across every conceivable difference. There's magic to that."

Well let’s see what magic the city’s task force pulls out of its hat. I doubt it’ll be more than a little white rabbit…

Afro/Ethnic Home Design

Aline Matsika has a knack for blending ethnic and contemporary elements in the interiors she designs. Her interiors often feature French furniture accented with African fabrics and accessories. After leaving Paris a decade ago she brought her unique flare to Soho, New York’s prime destination for fashion and furniture. Her rooms are both inviting and sophisticated.

Her furniture and accessories were recently featured on HGTV’s Designstar.

I love the Louis XVI couch in the last photo.

Handbags - Sukari Designs

I came across these gorgeous handbags in the August 2007 issue of Black Enterprise. Sukari (the name Sukari means "sweet" or "sugar" in Swahili) was featured as Black Enterprise's Best Emerging Handbag Line.

The line is designed by 32-year-old Alicia Ferriabough, a former entertainment lawyer. The luxury handbags in her New York City-based line are made of exotic skins, can be customized with 24-karat gold hardware, and cost up to $3,800. See more.

Today's Black Fact

On this day in 1966, Constance Baker Motley was confirmed as U.S. district judge and became the first Black woman on the federal bench.

If I Did It: Confessions of the Killer

I heard that this book, a hypothetical description of the murders for which OJ Simpson was acquitted in a 1995 criminal trial, but found financially liable for in a civil wrongful death trial is number one on amazon.com’s pre-order list. Sigh.

I propose another, more worthwhile option, $40 Million Slaves: The Rise, Fall, and Redemption of the Black Athlete, by William C. Rhoden. The book provides a historical framework for the past experiences of athletes and goes on to explain them today. The author, a sports columnist for The New York Times, also stresses the importance of black athletes gaining more power in the world of sports.

Today's Black Fact

On this day in 1957, Congress passed the Civil Rights Act of 1957, the first federal civil rights legislation since 1875. The bill established a civil rights commission and a civil rights division in the Justice Department. It also gave the Justice Department authority to seek injunctions against voting rights infractions.

Loeffler Randall For Target

I’m very excited to hear that Jessie Randall, of Loeffler Randall, is doing a line of shoes and bags for Target. So far the buzz is very positive. The folks at Elle magazine say the pieces are excellent. Even though I think the bags look fabulous, I’m going to hold back my excitement until I actually see them for myself. I had high hopes for the Devi Kroell line and that was a huge disappointment...

Click each image for a closer look.

The Bumpy Road to Fame And Fortune

With the overabundance of reality TV, along with the overabundance of folks who are famous for doing nothing (e.g., Paris Hilton, Lindsey Lohan, Nicole Richie) it’s no wonder that every kid (and many adults as well) out there thinks the road to fame and fortune is short and sweet. I hope a few of those young folks had a chance to read the article that ran in this last Sunday’s New York Times. It was an excellent piece that profiled several very accomplished actors and revealed the modest income they collect for all their hard work and accolades.

It’s a good dose of reality, thankfully without the reality TV.

Forever 30-Something?

Forever 21 has a new line aimed at thirty-somethings called Twelve by Twelve (uh, whatever that means). Betsy Zanjani, vice president of merchandising for the project, says, “…Twelve by Twelve is a grouping of items designed to go together, to be worn together. It will be a little bit more sophisticated, much more luxury.”

The line features things like fingerless gloves, hats, cocktail dresses and costume jewelry. Twelve By Twelve is higher priced than Forever 21, but each piece will cost less than $100.

Twelve By Twelve will launch its own Web site (twelvebytwelve.com) later this month. There will be ten to fifteen in-store boutiques in already-existing Forever 21 locales and Twelve by Twelve will get it’s own flagship shop at the Beverly Center in Los Angeles in the Fall.