Kindred and the Spirit of Black Women

There are a couple of sayings that are prevalent in our society. “Black Americans are the backbone of our society” another is, “Behind every great man, there is a great woman”. Taking these sayings into consideration, it could be concluded that Black women have had a large part in the establishment of family life in this country.

Octavia Butler exemplified this in her novel, Kindred (1979), with just a minimal number of characters. By the introduction of the slave character named Sarah and Alice in addition to the main character of Dana, Butler showed the great strife that Black American women have went through to keep their family together.

Sarah, a slave on the Weylin plantation was a dominant figure in the novel, established as being the one who worked in the cookhouse on the plantation. Dana, a woman of the 1970's was introduced to Sarah on her third visit to the past when Rufus, Dana’s past relative and heir to the Weylin plantation, unconsciously called her back to the past in order to help him after he fell out of a tree. Despite the presence of Rufus’ mother, Margaret Weylin, Sarah made sure that the household chores were in order and did not take care of her master’s household out of love or kindness, but out of the love for her own family's well being.

After having two of her children sold away from the Weylin plantation, Sarah did whatever she could to try to keep her last child, Carrie, close to her and away from the auction block. Sarah tried to keep what was left of her family by being obedient to her owner, bringing the first example of how Butler shows how Black women went through strife to keep their family together.

The next example can be fund in the the character development of Alice who was introduced in the novel early on. It was Dana’s second visit to the past where she was introduced to her, then a free Black, while patrols were accosting Alice’s mother and her husband. As Alice grew, Rufus began to take a liking to her, and eventually bought her. Rufus had children with her, and even though these children were half white, Alice still regarded them as part of her.

There was a point in the story where Alice had the impression that Rufus had sold her children away, causing her to become so distraught that she took her own life before she found out the truth that her children were still close to her. This example shows the ramifications that are brought on to a person when their family is broken apart. Alice saw that her duties as a Black woman had been usurped with the “selling off” of her children, becoming so heart broken from this that she thought it best to end her life rather than to continue living.


The next example of Black woman cherishing their family structure that Bulter gave to her reader is brought to light with the character of Dana, a Black woman living in 1976. She is a modern woman and is married to a white man living in California, making her living as a writer. All of a sudden Dana started to be snatched back to the past and the reason of this displacement, Dana soon realized, was to ensure the survival of her heirs.

Dana was repeatedly compelled to save the life of Rufus, a white plantation owner, and also her relative, despite the repeated mental and physical abuse that was inflicted on her by him and his family. Bulter used Dana as the ultimate example of the way that Black women have been a major factor for keeping their family together. Dana endured the physical and mental abuse from the Weylin family when snatched back to slave days, not because wanted to, but because her entire family's survival was dependant on her strength.

My Own Stimulas Package...No Pun Intended

For the past few months, I have been getting Black Enterprise magazine delivered to my apartment. I am not sure how I got on their mailing list because I do not pay for it, but I am not complaining.

Not surprisingly, this month's issue focuses on the economy and ways that regular folks can save a few dollars here and there. The issue takes a look at the situations of families, singles (with and without children), divorcees, retired couples and even widows and shows them ways to save money in these tough economic times.

Though I have respect for BE, mostly due to the fact that I am an African American business owner (shameless plug: ION Consultants), they do have a way of perpetuating the Black community's blind eye towards gays.

I guess that is what I am here for.

Earlier in the year, I formulated a simple four step financial plan that will assist gays around the country in navigating through the economic downward spiral in which our nation will be facing in the upcoming months, while still keeping up with the Jones'.

Though mostly written in a satrical fashion, there are key points that can be used to save money.

Step One: Check Up On Your Checking Account

One way of saving a couple of duckets is to go through your checking or saving accounts and take a good inventory of all the automatic deductions that you have established. Do you really need to spend $45 a quarter for your Gay.com subscription? How about your Netflix account? I know
that $20 per month is not a lot to spend on three movies at any one time, but when was the last time you visited your local library? You know they have DVD's as well, and they are free. Not only that, they have those things that go on bookshelves. You could even learn a thing or two in the process.

Step Two: The Smaller The Better

It's not always the size that matters. Speaking of Netflix, if you simply cannot live without your subscription, how about cutting your movie delivery from 3 to 1 at a time? I am sure that the extra two movies will still be waiting for you in your que when you are ready for them. You can also take a good look at your cell phone bill. If you are paying for 600 minutes per month but only use about 250 minutes on average, maybe it's time to switch to a less expensive plan.

Another area to investigate is that of your gym membership, which I know you must have.

Ask your gym if there is a way to save on your monthly costs by only paying for a membership to one of the gyms in town instead of having the all inclusive package.

Step Three: Entertain Yourself

Get your mind out of the gutter bois. I am not saying become a hermit and only leave your apartment to go grocery shopping. What I mean is, take a good look at the money which you shell out each time that you have a night out on the town, and see where you can save a little bit of cash. It may be as simple as passing on one round of drinks or even guzzling down a domestic beer verses the expensive imported microbrew which you are accustomed.

Step Four:Put Your Money To Work

All that hard work to save money will do no good if you just go out and blow it all on a new pair $300 designer Seven jeans or your next trip to Cabo San Lucas. Why not make that extra cash start working for you? Explore some investment options that will foster financial returns such as money markets, certificate of deposits or savings accounts. For those who find that they have a bit more cash after the afore mentioned saving strategies, you may want to stash your cash into more lucrative investment ventures such as real estate or 401k plans.

By no way are these steps a complete and all encompassed financial strategy. There are several different variables which must be factored into your individual financial saving's equation. But, by taking these baby steps in the financial walk of life, with a little help with a professional financial advisor you will be sprinting to financial freedom in no time.

Must See Movies

I am not too much of a movie buff, meaning that I go to the movies maybe 4 times per year. I mostly just wait until I can order them via Netflix, pop in a bowl of popcorn and call it a night.

This being said, I am a sucker for sequels and prequels. For example, I seem to venture out to the theatre to watch every single new Harry Potter film. This will be the same for the following two films:

X-Men Origins



Star Trek (2009)

Can B-Boy Style Survive The Office?

For years, there has been a rift in the thought by some African-Americans as to what is professional dress. The sixties showed African American conforming to the social norms of the workplace. Straight-laced suits and ties fell strictly in line with their white counterparts.

The 70’s brought about a change, where afro’s and bell bottomed pants dominated the professional African American dress. This was mainly because of the radical Black Power and Civil Rights movements which was the love child of the turbulent fifties and sixties. The 80’s showed a return to more subdued professional dress of the African American male with the 90’s doing more of the same.

With the millennium came and resurgent of everything that was culturally relevant. African Americans felt more confident with themselves and were not as ashamed to relinquish our flare for color, style and glamour on the rest of the work.

The surprising thing was, the rest of the society thought the same way. Tommy Hilfiger, Donna Karen New York (DKNY) and other upscale designers saw that urban street where was not just adored on the street corner, but also embraced in the office place. This also led the way for many African American designers and labels to get their foot in the door.

One of our nation’s fastest rising and most visible African American fashion moguls is Sean ‘P.Diddy’ Combs. Combs’ clothing line “Sean Jean” was founded in 1998 and has taken on the likes of Tommy, Abercrombie, and Pierre Cardin in everything from sales to window time at Macy’s.

This line has become one of the most famous lines in hip-hop and un-arguably, that most famous launched by a celebrity, it was only a matter of time before the his hip and urban street savvy style surpassed it’s urban street personal and bombarded its way into the suits and styles of business life.

Russell Simmons is yet another established African American mogul who has taken the street wise street wear from the curb and and infused it into the business district. Some would say that being the older brother of Rev. Joseph Simmons, better known as "Run" of Run-DMC would have given him and ‘in’ on discovering what was hip. That is not entirely the case. Simmons has street credibility on his own right. He began his career by promoting such famous rap act as Kurtis Blow and went on to found Def Jam Records where LL Cool J and the Beastie Boys became famous.

Def Jam was not the only thing that made Simmons famous. Been only one of his many companies, Simmons established Rush Communications to umbrella a movie production house, management company, advertising agency and a clothing company called Phat Farm. Though the line is expensive it has found homage in the streets and has recently made its way into the boardroom.

My overall suggestion when it comes to incorporating you personal flair at your place of business is to be true to yourself without compromising professionalism.

African Americans in Cinema

Morgan Freeman: Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Rolefor: Million Dollar Baby (2004)

Forest Whitaker: Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Rolefor: The Last King of Scotland (2006)

Dreamgirls (2006): African Americans in Cinema (9)

The last in my series of African American Academy Awards winners who took home the coveted award for acting brings us to a movie that transcends generation by bring the glitz and the glamour of the popularity of Motown into the next generation.

Dreamgirls (2006), originally a Broadway musical, takes through the life of a singing group, plucked from obscurity in their urban Midwestern town into the bright lights of popularity.

Loosely based off of the success story of the Supremes, JenniferHdson took home the Academy Award for Best Female Actress in a supporting role for her portrayal of Effie White, a role made famous two and a half decades earlier by Jennifer Holliday. Here is just a taste of Holliday's performance during 1982's Tony Awards:

Ray (2004): African Americans in Cinema (8)

This movie almost slipped under my raider.

Jamie Foxx was awarded an Academy Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of the late great Ray Charles in the movie Ray (2004).

I would be kidding myself if I wrote a review due to the fact that I have never watched this film in its entirety, but the following is a glimpse into what I have missed and have yet to see.

Training Day (2001): African Americans In Cinema (7)

Once waiting a few moments, an unprecedented two African Americans were presented the top award for acting in the same year.

Training Day (2001), takes you through a day in the life of Jake Hoyt, played by Ethan Hawke, a Los Angeles police officer trying to get on an elite narcotics task force captained by Alonzo Harris, played by Denzel Washington.

From the beginning of the movie, we see that Jakes ‘straight as an arrow’ Robin hood persona act is not in agreement with Harris’ thug mentality; living by the code of the street rather than the word of law. This becomes apparent when Harris and Hoyt stop a car load of college students, instead of arresting them for procession of illegal substances or giving them a traffic ticket, Harris confiscates the paraphernalia and instead of turning it in, he persuades Hoyt to ingest the confiscated material, writing off the experience as a ‘rite of passage’ for a rookie narcotics agent, saying that a real narcotics officer have to know how the drug tastes and feels in order to obtain the desired results.

As the remainder of the day drags along, Harris shows Hoyt more and more of his dirty deeds and, to Hoyt’s dismay, leads him further and further into the world of corruption. The
The movie cumulates at the end of Hoyt’s first day on the job with Hoyt pulling into his driveway and going home to his family, while a radio broadcast tells of Harris’ death, reporting it as occurring 'in the line of duty' during the drug raid earlier that day.

Denzel Washington went on to win an Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in the film.

Monster's Ball : African Americans in Cinema (6)

As we take a final push to chronicle all the films in which African Americans have been award Academy Awards for acting.

After looking at the film Ghost, we only have to wait a few more years, instead of a few decades, before we see another African American win an Academy Award for acting. This is when Monster’s Ball (2001) was released.

The movie follows Hank Grotowski, played by Billy Bob Thorton, a widower, who works as a prison guard and Hank’s son, Sonny, played by the late Heath Ledger, works with him at the prison.

They both reside with Hank's ailing father, Buck, played by Peter Boyle who happens to be a racist and who drove his own wife to suicide. Hank hates his father because of how Buck's hate has now become his own, in so far as how he treats Sonny as well as Black members of his neighboring community.

Hank and Sonny help in the execution of Lawrence Musgrove, a incarcerated member of the prison where Hank and Sonny are employed. The prisoner, played by Sean “P.Diddy” Combs, is turned out to be the husband of Leticia, played by Halle Berry, who went on to receive the Academy Award for Best Actress for her role. Leticia’s son is shown to have taken on his father’s murderous traits.

Hank becomes romantically involved with Leticia after her husband’s execution without revealing the fact that his hand was the one who placed her husband in eternal rest.
Tensions mount as Hank’s father, who disapproves of the inter-racial affair, and Laticia discover Hank’s well kept secrets.

As in most films, the climax of the film is where all the excitement is, so I will refrain from revealing the conclusion of the story. That’s for me to know and you to find out.

Jerry MaGuire: African Americans in Cinema (5)

An Unlikely pairing, Tom Cruise and Cuba Gooding Jr. star in the next file which adds to the series of reviews where African American actors took home the coveted Academy Award for acting.

In Jerry Maguire (1996), a professional sports agent named Jerry Maguire’s leap of new found faith leads him to write a statement that promotes better service, fewer clients, and less focus on the “bottom line”. After he sends out the mission statement to his cohorts, Jerry is fired from his job.

He decides to go out on his own to form his own agency, but is only able to convince one of his former clients, played by Cuba Gooding Jr., to join him, in addition to just one of his former colleagues, played by a Renee Zellwegger.

It was in this role this role which Cuba Gooding Jr. used to take home the Oscar for Best Actor in a Supporting Role.

Lily Does Cincinnati!

Lily Tomlin, comedienne extraordinaire and who made of 9 to 5 (1980) a staple in any gay man's entertainment repertoire, made Cincinnati laugh out loud Friday night at the Aronoff in "A Night of Classic Lily Tomlin".

After the show, Ms. Tomlin hosted a meet and greet, where the procedes went to Cincinnati's Stop Aids, in which I volonteered, so I was anle to get a few upclose shots of the event.

See more of my pics of the event here.

Ghost: African Americans In Cinema

It was a Christmas miracle when we did not have to wait another few decades to see another African American received the Academy Award for acting.

Whoopi Goldberg received an Academy Award for her supporting role as Ode Mae Brown in the movie Ghost (1990).

In this thrilling tale, Sam Wheat, played by Patrick Swayze, and Molly Jensen, played by, Demi Moore, are one of the most loving couples ever.

On their way back to their new apartment they run into a roughneck named Willy Lopez, played by Rick Aviles, resulting the death of Sam. As a ghost, Sam comes to the realization that the robbery was planned by no other than his best friend, Carl Bruner, played by Tony Goldwyn who hired Willy to rob Sam in order to get Sam's wallet, containing the password to Sam's computer, which would allow Carl to conclude a money-laundering deal he was involved in. In order for Sam to make sure that Carl does not get away with the dastardly deed, he has to warn Molly and ask for her help. The only problem is that only a very few people can speak to a ghost so Sam employs the help of Oda Mae Brown who is the sunshine to this dark and dreary film.

With the help of Oda Mae, Sam thwarts Carl and Willy's plans to get huge amounts of money and Carl soon discovers the presence of Sam's ghost. Carl sends Willy to kill Oda Mae and her sisters, but with the interference of Sam, Willy fails and is hit by a truck and dies. After this, Molly finally believes in the existence of Sam's ghost, but an outraged Carl storms into her house and threatens Sam to kill Molly and Oda Mae if he doesn't give him the money which was supposed to be stolen by Willy.

He fails, of course, and by accident he gets killed by a half-broken window crashing down on him thus fulfilling his mission to save Molly.

Glory: African Americans in Cinema (4)

As I countdown the number of African Americans honored for acting, there has been a pattern of the Academy to wait a few decades' in between the them handing the coveted award to an African American actor.

Could this be due to the roles in which African Americans are given, or is it because those voting on Academy Awards do not know how to recognize good acting when they see it?

Who knows?

All I know is that Whoppie Goldberg and Oprah Whinfey were both passed over in their portrayal of Celie and Sophia (respectively) in The Color Purple, in the mid 80’s and the world does not see another African American awarded an Oscar for acting until the movie Glory (1989).

This film follows the rue story of an all African American Civil War unit, led by Col. Robert Gould Shaw, played by Matthew Broderick. Shaw, an abolitionist, struggles against racial prejudice in many forms while fighting for The Union.

In one scene, Shaw attempts to get supplies for his troops and is shunned and battered by other white soldiers for commanding an all Black unit.

Not being shaken by the adverse sentiment, Col. Shaw goes on to convey to his troops the importance of appearance and being a better and more qualified than the other soldiers just to be considered equal.

The climax depicts the Union's attack on Fort Wagner, which was spearheaded by Col Shaw’s troops, who took heavy losses and was hailed and highly decorated for its bravery.

Denzel Washington played a mis-fited soldier in Col. Shaw’s unit and went on to be awarded an Academy Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role, making him the fourth African American in Academy history to be awarded the coveted award.

Click here for the trailer.

Oh Happy Day!

Today I was scheduled for 6 hours of over time, but by the grace of the powers above, that OT was cut in half.

When I walked outside, the sun was shinning and I felt I had regained my Saturday back. This was the song that played in my mind when I saw the sun shinning on the blanket of snow outside.

Winter Storm of 2009!

Well if you are like most of the people here in Cincinnati, you are stuck at home.

Unfortunately, I was not one of the smart one who actually believed the weather forecasters when they said that the city would be shut down today...

Who knew?

So I woke up this morning to an empty refrigerator, no cable television and no Netflix movies. So instead of settling with just doing cartwheels all day, I decided to brave the cold and put Cincinnati's public transit to the test.

I have to say that I have always been a firm believer of public transit and METRO today passed the test.

I caught the 24 up to the Corryville Krogers where I could get some yummy snacks and a few movies from the BlockBuster.

The problem was on the trip back when our bus got stuck in the snow, so instead of waiting around for hours until a bus could save us, I decided to brave the cold and make the mile trek back down to OTR.

I got some good shots along the way. Here are some of them, but you can find the rest of them on my FaceBook page.

But if I had to do it all over again, I would have stayed in the house!