“The Man” is Back – Douglass Dilman Enters the 2012 Race –

Douglass Dilman is “The Man” and the first Black President in the 1972 drama based on the novel by Irving Wallace and staring James Earl Jones. The film is back in limited distribution through independent collaborative efforts and coming to National Geographic (Grosvenor Auditorium – 1600 M Street, NW, Washington, DC 20036) Tuesday, February 7 [...]

Countdown to 2012 – Things to Do

A lot of stuff is about to close down come 2012 — here in DC. There are a few things I’d like to see; one, I’ve already been there and done. Andy Warhol’s Headlines National Gallery of Art – until January 2, 2012 This one’s a maybe. It got a lot of good local press [...]

Thinking Different

Thursday, 6 October 2011, 11:27 | Category : African American, Black, Culture, People, Women
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Sometimes I have to remind myself of the power of thinking different for the common good, and some of us designed our lives around it. Steve Jobs 1955 – 2011 “Think Different” was one of my favorite Apple campaigns. I didn’t follow Steve Jobs as a personality like some people follow George Clooney. Or maybe [...]

TV Worth Watching

Monday, 19 September 2011, 20:31 | Category : African American, civil rights, Culture, LGBTQ, San Francisco, The Media
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Tonight network and cable television launch the new fall season of comedies, dramas, and [faux] reality. I chose to go to the vault this evening and watch a documentary produced by “then” National Educational Television aka KQED, San Francisco’s public television station (PBS). “Take This Hammer” documents writer James Baldwin‘s visit to San Francisco. These [...]

2011 Folklife Festival – Not to Be Missed

Yesterday I attended the opening ceremonies of the Smithsonian Institution’s annual Folklife Festival which the attention of returning back to my desktop by 2 PM. I didn’t get back until 5. There was no way I was going to miss the Funk Brothers, the Motown studio sessions band. Where do you think the Motown sound [...]

The Bounty that is June – Haps

Too much, too much. June must be the final push on the event scene before people begin dispersing to the vacation scene. Again, just scratching the surface: ITVS COMMUNITY CINEMA PRESENTS – “TWO SPIRITS” June 5 at 3 PM (Washington DC Jewish Community Center) June 12 at 5 PM (Busboys and Poets) FREE – For [...]

That Old February Magic

This is the month where programmers and cultural professionals go gaga. It’s always a February feast kicking off with Langston Hughes’ birthday (February 1). If you want to savor the history of the African American experience in the arts, you must, must, must get a copy of Black Magic: A Pictorial History of Black Entertainers [...]

Peace Be Still

Saturday, 15 January 2011, 20:17 | Category : African American, civil rights, Music, People, Poetry, Women
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The late great Gospel music artist Rev. James Cleveland’s “Peace Be Still” captures my thoughts surrounding recent events from Tucson to Tunisia, and also the observance of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birth. This past week, poet Nikki Giovanni made a visit to DC. My first introduction to her writing (as a child) was the [...]

Why?!?

Sunday, 9 January 2011, 19:08 | Category : African American, Arizona, DC, Justice and the Law, People, Politics, Sarah Palin, The Media, Women
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Yesterday’s shooting of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ) and 20 other victims (to date) at a meet-and-greet your Representative gathering outside a Safeway in Tucson, AZ left me speechless. The Congresswoman is currently in a medically induced coma after being shot in the head at point blank range. The chief neurosurgeon at the University of Arizona [...]

Eclectique Interview: Tracye McQuirter, author “By Any Greens Necessary”

I’ve always known Tracye as a vegan, health educator, and one of the most attractive energetic, and positive people you’ll meet in the capital city. As an omnivore, I credit Tracye’s pluses to her choices and priorities especially when it comes to food. I was honored when Tracye asked me to host her book launch [...]