For Us, By Us - TV Series for Consideration

Shout out to Lynn H. of Oakland for passing this information along.


Asha May, together with her mentor Debbie Allen, Idris Elba and Lance Gross have created an excellent TV series Milk + Honey. Idris and the Brown Paper Dolls company (Chicagoans and Howard U, FAMU & Spelman, grads Dana Gills, Asha Kamali May, and Jeanette McDuffie) have been working on this series for over 3 years. The show was created to showcase diverse images of women of color that are rarely seen on the big or small screen, and also to create more opportunities for black actors.

The "Milk + Honey" scripted series will soon be seen on all platforms and is looking to get picked up by a TV network. Still, they need 1 million views of the trailer which is posted on the website. Check it out.

www.milkandhoneyseries.com

A High Tech Lynching - The Trial of Barry Bonds

I love baseball. It was my father's favorite sport. However, I am not a fan of Barry Bonds. And I'm pretty sure I wouldn't be on his list of favorite people.

That said, what we are watching take place in Federal Court in San Francisco is a true high-tech lynching. If Clarence Thomas thought he had been wronged, (Anita told the truth) he must now realize what happened to him was nothing compared to this.

Yesterday, in federal court, a forum funded with taxpayer dollars, that's me and you, the U.S. Government called Bonds' former mistress to the stand where she told the entire courtroom about his physical anatomy. How humiliating is that? Talk about taking away a guy's manhood.

Now, I'm pretty sure Barry Bonds used steroids. We all know it. But, do we care? After all, he wasn't the only one. Hank Aaron knows he is the true homerun king and has no interest in this trial at all.

Meanwhile, the Wall Street gangsters who took down the nation's economy roam free.

What's up with that?

Isabel Wilkerson, Mon. March 21 at San Francisco's Herbst Theater

City Arts and Lectures presents Pulitzer Prize Winning Journalist Isabel Wilkerson in conversation with Michael Krasny.

Monday, March 21, 2011
Herbst Theater in San Francisco.
401 Van Ness (at Grove)
San Francisco CA

For more information and tickets:

City Arts and Lectures

Student Behind Racist Rant Decides To Leave UCLA

One thing we all know about the internet is that nothing is private. So, freedom of speech aside, if you're going to go on a tirade and you don't want to suffer any possible backlash - don't do it on YouTube.

I'm sure most of you have heard about the UCLA student (third-year undergrad) who posted this hateful video blasting Asian students for talking on their cell phones in the library. But she went further. She even complained about them being in her building and their families visiting and was clearly just irritated by the fact that Asians were at UCLA.

I first heard about this video gone viral on Tuesday but today was the first time I had actually seen it. Oh. My. God. The bigger story here is not how she is so clearly Ms. Anonymous rants about the "hordes" of Asian students that "UCLA accepts into our school every year," but how there is a whole new generation of racists on the prowl. I don't know if it's Sarah Palin or the Tea Party or the Confederate Flag which is to blame, but clearly, we're all in big trouble.

The figures I read this morning were that at least 37 percent of the school's 26,000 undergraduates are Asian, 32 percent are white, 16 percent are Hispanic and 4 percent are black. So, it seems the only reason this student (whom I won't name here) didn't bother to target blacks in the library is because there aren't enough blacks at her school for her to even notice or care. That's another post, another subject, another day.

But more importantly, if you look on the internet for this student's "viral video," you might be surprised at how she ever got into UCLA in the first place. I know many qualified black students who were denied admission last year. But, interestingly enough, "Ms. Daisy Duke," has made it there for three years. In those three years, did none of her UC courses teach her anything about political correctness? Or, what about just plain old-fashioned common sense?

It makes me sad and afraid. Very afraid.

2011 Bay Area Women History Makers Awards Luncheon - March 25, 2011

Mark you calendars for the 2011 Bay Area Women History Makers Awards Luncheon to beheld at Scott's Seafood Restaurant in Jack London Square in Oakland. The reception begins at 11:00 a.m. with the Luncheon and Awards Program to Follow at 11:30.

For more information or to purchase tickets, contact:

CDA Consulting Group
510-653-4085

Cost is $75.00 per person

Mistress of Ceremonies will be Barbara Rodgers, Host of Comcast Newsmakers and Barbara OnTV

Former Oakland A's slugger Mitchell Page dies at 59

I was shocked and saddened to hear of Mitchell Page's passing. I had the pleasure to meet Mitch back when he was a member of the Oakland A's and was once a guest of his wife, Nikki, at their lovely home in the Oakland Hills.

I remember him as a "gentle giant," with a very kind heart. Prayers and condolences to his family, friends and former teammates. Especially his son, Kyle.

Catch Anthony Mackie in "The Adjustment Bureau"

I just spent two enjoyable hours of a rainy Sunday afternoon in the movie theater. I happen to like Matt Damon and so I selected "The Adjustment Bureau."

Not only did I enjoy the movie, I was pleasantly surprised to find that Anthony Mackie was one of the main characters in the movie. And he actually played a good guy. Imagine that.

I have seen him in several other films, most recently, "Night Catches Us" with Kerry Washington. He's got skills.

It's a great movie. It reminded me a little of "Field of Dreams," except for all the running which made me think of "The Pelican Brief."

Two thumbs up for Mr. Mackie's performance. And Matt Damon wasn't bad either.

Honey, Hush!

Remind me to never get on Oprah and say anything about my personal business. Now, Iyanla Vanzant (famed author and motivational speaker) is revealing that things in her personal life started to unravel after she appeared on Oprah's show and mentioned something about her husband's financial assets or lack thereof. Anyhow, I salute the Sister Vanzant for keeping it real and wish her all best in finally being able to pick up the pieces. Which really goes to show that we all have problems. So, keep lifting each other up. Because we all have peaks and valleys. And as my grandmother used to say, "When you're up, you're with a crowd, when you're down, you're by yourself."

And speaking of talk show hosts, Wendy Williams ("How you doin?")is going to sit down with The Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin, on the March 2nd Wendy Williams Show. Maybe Wendy can get to the bottom of the story. If she can't, no one can.

And, on that note, I'm going to say have a great evening and remember "Loose lips sink ships."

Peace and Blessings,

D.