God & Oscar

Last night the 79th Annual Academy Awards featured the most international cast of nominees ever. And the actors up for the golden statues were an impressive mix of ethnic flavors, not just chocolate and vanilla either. In years past, Black people would be so happy to have just one Black face represented amongst the nominees, even if it was an award for sound-mixing. But last night there was actual Black on Black competition. In the category of Best Male Actor, Will Smith AND Forrest Whitaker were nominated. Just like in tennis, Black actors have proven that given a chance, they will rise to the top and dominate.

And speaking of Black actors, why is it only the Black actors thanked God when they won an Academy Award? Jennifer Hudson began her thank you speech for Best Supporting Actress with, "Look What God Can Do." And Forrest Whitaker also invoked the Almighty when he gave his impassioned and emotional words of gratitude after winning Best Actor. But Alan Arkin didn't. Neither did Helen Mirren. So does that mean God only helps Black people with their acting? Does God use Affirmative Action when deciding which actor to support? Hmm? Are the White actors too proud or embarrassed to admit that God has something to do with their success? Do they secretly thank God in their mind and just not on stage in front of all their peers and the television viewing audience? Or maybe God isn't really in their vocabularly.

It is true, the audience seemed kind of unsure of how to respond to JHud's holy talk. Nobody really clapped or gave big ups to the big G. Not like at the Grammy's where Mary J. Blige thanked God like every 5 seconds (even Ludacris gave God some credit for his big win) and the crowd went wild.

Does God have a place in Hollywood? Maybe, Maybe not. But here's the thing. You notice the ones thanking God were the ones who walked away with the Oscar at the end of the night.

Let the Church say Amen!

Peace!

If You Give a Camel a Book...

I love books. I love books so much that when I walk into Barnes & Noble, my heart turns summersaults and I have to contain my joy at seeing so many books in one place. I love books so much that the library for me is more fun that an amusement park. I go giddy with greed when a librarian tells me I can take out 10 books at a time. Books are like a potent elixir for me. They amuse me and entertain me. They sustain me when I feel empty inside and they nourish my creative spirit. I love the way they feel and smell and look piled high on all of the empty surfaces in my house. When I lived in Morocco as a teenage exchange student, my books dragged me out of the depths of a culture shock so intense I thought I would never survive. And now I have found that I can send my most treasured possessions, my books, to save someone else.

Enter Masha Hamilton, an amazing writer, author and journalist who also loves books. Her latest tome is a novel called, The Camel Bookmobile (due out this spring) and it is about an American woman whose life is transformed after spending time with a traveling, camel-borne library in the Kenyan dessert. The story is a complete work of fiction, but the Camel Library is 100 percent for real. To service the nomadic people living in the northeastern dessert section of the country, a librarian travels with a camel carrying boxes of books for the people to borrow and hopefully return. Hamilton visited Kenya and traveled with the camel library to conduct research for her book. She returned to the States determined to help sustain this precious literary resource. In her own words, Hamilton a Brooklynite and mother of three, told the Meltingpot why:

"Going out with the camel bookmobile in the northeastern province of Kenya, and seeing the reaction as the books were laid out under the acacia trees, was extremely moving -- as it would be for anyone who loves reading and books. The region was in the midst of a drought and famine, and even in the best of times, the people live with chronic poverty. Nevertheless, they were waiting eagerly for the bookmobile and were genuinely and deeply immersed in the books.

Many of those who were 18 or 20 years old told me what a difference the camel-borne library had made in their lives, how they felt more connected to the world at large, and how the books and the ability to read made them feel greater possibilities in their own lives."

Today, Hamilton has created the Authors for African Litearcy Project, an opportunity for authors to quite simply send a box of books directly to the Camel Library in Kenya. It seems so simple, but it still takes that first step that many of us, even with the best intentions, never get around to doing. Hamilton set it up so folks just have to take a box of books to the post office and voila, a life is transformed. Says Hamilton:

"Sometimes I get discouraged about the world's problems that seem too big for me to do anything about on an individual level, [but this project] feels like a place where we can reach across the globe to make a real difference."

The Meltingpot loves this project on so many levels -- the diversity of authors involved, the collision of White American and Black African culture in Hamilton's novel -- but most importantly because it's bringing different cultures together through the pages of a book. Read On!

Meltingpot Moments from the Grammys

Last night I watched the entire 3-hour-plus telecast of the 49th Annual Grammy Awards, the first time I've sat through an awards program in a loooooong time. And I have to say, I was riveted the whole way through. There were so many multi-culti meltingpot moments I thought ...If only the whole wide world could just be one big music video, then peace would reign for ever and ever.

So in no particular order, my five favorite Meltingpot Moments from the Grammys.

1. Cristina Aguilera channeling the spirit of James Brown. Whose idea was that? Had to be a visionary to think a 90-lb blonde girl could do justice to the baddest Black soul singer known to man. And for what it's worth, I was impressed.

2. Shakira and Wyclef doing their "Hips Don't Lie" thing. But note to Mr. Wyclef, Shakira can dance "like that" not because she "comes from Colombia" but because her father is Lebanese.

3. Justin Timberlake singing his duet with the adorable, ambiguously brown girl who won the American Idol-rip off contest to sing with JT. I just couldn't help but wonder what would happen if Justin stopped dating Hollywood blondies and went for a Black chick. Would his career soar or would he lose his loyal fans? I mean if he's going to embrace Black music, dancing and style (you know there was a time when Justin sported cornrows!) then why not embrace the ladies as well?

4. Queen Latifah and Al Gore presenting best Rock Album. I didn't make the connection, but the Queen and former Vice President made a pretty powerful couple. Think about if they ruled the world. We'd have a happy green earth populated by regular sized women full of self-confidence.

5. Chris Rock introducing the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Is he a fan? Or was he the only one willing to use profanity on live TV?


Rock On from the Meltingpot!

(photo from BBC)

Obama Makes My Day!

Tomorrow, February 10 is going to be a special day. Because it's my birthday? No....(even though it is) but becasue, tomorrow, February 10...

SENATOR BARACK OBAMA IS GOING TO OFFICIALLY ANNOUNCE HIS CANDIDACY FOR PRESIDENT! Whoop! Whoop!


Now everyone knows that the Meltingpot is a big fan of Senator Obama and this news would have appeared here no matter what, but in a perfect meltingpot moment, I discovered the news of the big announcement on the website of the Asian-Americans for Obama website. I love it! Already this man is a symbol of hope for America's meltingpot masses. If the colored folks of this nation actually united behind one man and his vision can you imagine the revolution? It would definitely be televised.

Obama in 08!

Peace Out!

Good News!

There's no connection to any of these items today except that they all made me smile.

1. Black kids are on top ...of the political game. Just when you thought young Black America was doomed to die out from either gun violence or just the stress of being Black, come to find out (thanks to the The Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning Engagement) that young Blacks (ages 15- 25) are the most politically conscious and active youth in the nation. According to the 2006 report done by the The Center, " compared to young Latinos, Whites, and Asian-Americans, young African-Americans are the most likely to vote regularly, belong to groups involved with politics, donate money to candidates or parties, display buttons or signs, canvass, and contact the broadcast or print media. They are also the most likely to raise money for charity." Right On! Now if all of these politically active young people can get behind a certain senator from Illinois in 2008, the revolution might just come.

2. Beyond Borders -- I just discovered this great blog by a Philadelphia woman who plucked her three daughters from their comfortable suburban lifestyle and plunked them down in the Gambia, West Africa. Why? Because she could. The whole family is staying for three months, the kids are in school, they live like the natives and mom is blogging about it here. It's a fascinating read and a testament to one woman's belief in teaching her children about the oneness of humanity.

3. Fashion Forward -- I discovered Swirl Syndicate on another blog (Our Kind Of Parenting) and had to post something about it. This is a company started by a frustrated Black mother of a whiteish-looking child. It happens when us colored folk love across the color line and get these pale, pale babies who people think we're just watching or perhaps we stole them. She channeled her frustrations from being mistaken for the nanny into an adorable line of clothing for mixed children and the people who love them. Check out Swirl Syndicate here.

And that's all she wrote.

Peace Out!