Happy MLK Day! Honoring the Legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Is it appropriate to shorten Dr. King's name by simply saying "MLK Day?"

Part of me feels not so right about saying it.  The other part of me likes the notion of a contemporary take on a legacy.  That's the part of me that hopes and prays that Dr. King's legacy will never be forgotten.

But, even more than Dr. King's legacy, the movement.  

I confess that I missed opening weekend of the movie "Selma," but I did see it this weekend.  What better way to celebrate the holiday that with Ava Duvernay's historical drama based on the marches from Selma to Montgomery?

And while I am really happy this movie was made and seen by so many (and even nominated for an Oscar), I hope this is only the beginning.  

There is an entire generation of young folks who have no idea what the movement was really about.  To be quite honest, I don't believe that I know completely.  Only what I've read and researched and been shown in less accurate movies than "Selma."

I do know that the climate now feels right to tackle the subject.  With the shooting of unarmed teens and black men happening all too often, and the grassroots movement taking hold across the country in the form of marches, silent protests and tee-shirt campaigns, it's obvious that there's much work to be done.

So, instead of treating today as the "end of a three-day weekend," why not find a celebration in your area, participate, expand your knowledge of what this day really means?

If you haven't seen "Selma," there's no better time than today.

"Let The Church Say "Amen!"" - Rest In Paradise, Andrae Crouch

Andraé Edward Crouch 

(July 1, 1942 – January 8, 2015) 

I was surprised and saddened to look on social media tonight and learn that Andrae Crouch had passed away from complications of a heart attack.  Apparently, I had missed the news earlier in the week that he had been hospitalized.

I was just as surprised to realize he was 72 years old.  That's not old by today's standards by any means, but Andrae Crouch was one of those artists whose voice remained so strong and his music so timeless that he appeared ageless.

I had recently promised myself to spend more time looking inward and getting in touch with my spiritual self and devoting more time to prayer, realizing that love of God is certainly more than going to church.

"Let the Church Say Amen."

New Show for 2015 - "Empire" on Fox TV Starring Terrence Howard and Taraji P. Henson

I'm excited.  Haven't had any new shows to get excited about since last year's (sounds weird saying "last year") "How to Get Away with Murder."

Anxiously anticipating Fox's new show starring Terrence Howard and Taraji P. Henson, "Empire."

Lee Daniels' ("Precious" and "The Butler") newest offering is about Lucious Lyon (Howard) and his hip-hop empire.  Henson plays Lyon's ex-wife Cookie.

If the trailers are any indication, Fox and Daniels have a hit on their hands.

Let's hope this is just the beginning of more shows for and by African Americans in 2015.

Never Judge A Book By Its Cover, Or Its Size - "The Pecan Man" by Cassie Dandridge Selleck

I love pecans.  Really love pecans.

So when I found out my book club's December selection was "The Pecan Man," I thought, "oh, great a southern mystery and it involves pecans."

However, when I received the book, I was shocked by the fact that it was so small.  It's not much bigger than a pamphlet.  At not even 100 pages, I guess you could call it a "novela."  My first reaction was, "Are you kidding me?"

But despite its brevity, there is nothing small at all about the story it tells.  A brilliant piece of fiction written by Cassie Dandridge Selleck , which puts me in mind of "To Kill A Mockingbird."

Painful and provocative, nostalgic and meaningful.

Well worth the read.  A very small investment of time for a really great book.  

A winner.

"In the summer of 1976, recently widowed and childless, Ora Lee Beckworth hires a homeless old black man to mow her lawn.  The neighborhood children call hime the Pee-can Man; their mothers call them inside whenever he appears.  When he is arrested for murder, only Ora knows what really happened in the woods where Eddie lived.  But truth is a fickle thing, and a lie is self-perpetuating.  Ora and her maid Blanche soon find themselves in a web of lies that send an innocent man to prison for the rest of his life.  Twenty-five years later, Ora sets out to tell the truth about the Pecan Man.  (C) From "The Pecan Man" by Cassie Dandridge Selleck (2012 - all rights reserved)

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Break the Box Office! Go TODAY to see Chris Rock's "Top Five!"

So glad that I made the effort and got off the couch last night to go see Chris Rock's new movie, "Top Five."

After the last few weeks of hearing about the demise of a major Black comedian, it was really nice to see something that lets me know we can still laugh!

Haven't had this much fun at a movie in a while and it was great to see so many familiar faces on the screen.  Special shout-out to Tracy Morgan.  Get better.

I don't want to give anything away, but let's just say it's a romantic comedy, documentary, recovery movie all in one.

Who's your "Top Five?"

Starring:

Chris Rock, Rosario Dawson, Cedric The Entertainer, JB Smoove, Tracy Morgan, Kevin Hart and a whole lot more.

Rated R - and it's really Rated R - NOT for children.

A Christmas Prayer by Kimberla Lawson Roby

Kimberla Lawson Roby gets me.  She gets us.  She gets "the black experience."  

Ms. Lawson Roby has an appreciation for the black family, God, the black church and understands black life from every socio-economic perspective. Those are just a few of the reasons she's one of my favorite contemporary authors today.

Kimberla writes from the heart and from a deeper place than most African American fiction writers today. 

I couldn't be more pleased with her new Christmas novella "A Christmas Prayer," the latest in the Reverend Curtis Black series.  I, like many other people, am truly invested in this series.  And I'm never disappointed with her books.

What could be better than a novel which focuses on the true emotions that come around during holiday time - including sorrow.  Many of us are seeking to find joy during what is supposed to be a joyous time of year.  And, even if, especially if you're having a rough time this year, you should read "A Christmas Prayer."

Order online, pick it up at your favorite bookstore, grab a hot cup of cocoa, curl up on the couch and enjoy.  It's good for the season and good for the soul.

"Alexis Fletcher hasn't had a merry Christmas since losing her mother.  Every December she remembers the joy her mother brought to everyone during the holiday season, and wishes her family could be whole again.  And even as Alexis prepares to start a new family with her fiancé, Chase Dupont, outside forces threaten to destroy her potential happiness.  But fate has one more surprise in store for Alexis, and it might be exactly what she needs to finally embrace the one holiday that has brought her nothing but heartache."  (From Hachette Book Group)