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 [...]

Doing the Sundance

I got two heads ups from Facebook friends who are heading to Park City, UT in January. First I have to say I love Billy Luther’s poster for his documentary “Grab,” and the tagline: “Indian-Giver Redefined.” Billy’s film, “Grab” is a portrait of a little-documented Grab Day in the villages of the Laguna Pueblo tribe, [...]

The Haps: From Sea to Shining Sea Island

Note: This post has been updated. Some December treats from Georgia and South Carolina are coming to DC this month. David Pleasant’s “Drum Folk” at the Anacostia Community Museum” Since August, Word, Shout, Song:Lorenzo Dow Turner Connecting Communities through Language has been on exhibit at the Anacostia Community Museum. The exhibit has been extended through [...]

Final Night for “The Man” – Latoya Peterson of “Racialicious” joins Q&A with Clayton LeBouef

Friday, 26 November 2010, 16:44 | Category : African American, Culture, Movies, People
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Don’t miss the final night for the free presentation of Rod Serling’s 1972 film “The Man,” Sunday, November 28 at 8 PM at Busboys and Poets (5th & K Streets, NW), part of the Focus In film series. Latoya Peterson, owner and editor of Racialicious, a blog that keeps tabs on the intersection of race [...]

For Colored Girls….Follow the Light

Tuesday, 23 November 2010, 20:13 | Category : African American, Books, Culture, People, The Arts, Women
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Any and all posts, rants and raves about the film adaptation of Ntozake Shange’s choral poem, for colored girls who have considered suicide when the rainbow is enuf, have gotten just what’s coming to them…attention, retweets, ping backs, Facebook recommends. I remember many moons ago, a young Shange, hot off the success of her “for [...]

6th Senses – Project 60 Celebrates E. Ethelbert Miller

Project 60 Friday, November 19, 1:30 PM Gelman Library, George Washington University The Special Collections Research Center at GWU’s Gelman Library will honor E-bert! — that’s E. Ethelbert Miller on the first day of his 6th Inning (read 60th birthday). When Ethelbert invited me to moderate the panel of family and friends on his writers [...]