Voting by Color

I have to admit I haven't been watching a lot of TV these days. What with the writer's strike, a general lack of interest and my busy life, the boob tube just wasn't calling my name.

Then, in a moment of weakness, I watched one episode of American Idol and now I'm hooked. I can't help it. I just find the show fascinating. I love listening to the 2 or 3 kids who can actually sing. And Simon's biting comments, while often cruel, leave me rolling on the floor in laughter. (You know he's doing that to keep the show in the spotlight.)But the real draw for me is seeing America's Meltingpot up there on the stage competing in the ultimate popularity contest.

I wonder do people really vote on talent (Does anybody remember Sanjaya?) or are these contestants being evaluated by their hotness factor? And then I wonder how and if race/ethnicity fits into the equation. Do the Black people vote Black? Are the Filipino voters overjoyed because there are at least two of their kind of people in the running this season? And what about those ambiguously brown contestants with the kinda/sorta Hispanic could be Italian surnames? Whose vote do they get? Based on the presidential primary coverage, one can't blame me for thinking that people vote based on who looks like them the most.

Now of course I could be completely wrong in assuming that the thousands of viewers who actually take the time to send in their vote only support their racial brethren, but it does make me pause. And if the opposite is true, if people strip away all of their ethnic/racial biases and just vote based on whether a person has true pop star appeal, then that's pretty cool too. Revolutionary, in fact. Of course there's probably no way to find out what's really at play in voter habits, but it sure is fun to watch the ride.

Stay Tuned.

Peace!

A Meltingpot Film & Literary Festival!

Hey Meltingpot readers...This Just In. Los Angeles will be the site for the 1st Annual Mixed Roots Film and Literary Festival.

The brain child of the two hippest Mixed Chicks around -- and hosts of the online talk show Mixed Chicks Chat -- Heidi Durrow and Fanshen Cox, the Mixed Roots Film and Literary Festival "was created to support and encourage emerging and established filmmakers and writers to tell stories of the racially and culturally Mixed experience." How cool is that!

The Festival runs from June 12 - 15, 2008 to coincide with Loving Day. Filmmakers and literary folks who want to participate in the festival should head over to the website and check out the call for submissions section. You have until March 4, so don't delay.

I had the pleasure of meeting Ms. Durrow at last year's Loving Decision conference. I am so inspired by her attitude of action. When she thinks something should be done, she gets it done. This Festival is just an example of what one (or two) people can do to get this revolution started. Take note!

I'm looking forward to seeing all of you Meltingpot readers in the City of Angels in June.

Peace!

It's Love Day!

I'd like to say something deep and meaningful about love, but instead I've provided some Meltingpot (eye)Candy for your Valentine's Day treat. Here's to Lovin in technicolor!

Enjoy!


Peace and Love!

Spain Shows Its Racist Side... Again

Okay, so I'm married to a Spaniard. I'm Black. I wrote a book, Kinky Gazpacho: Life, Love & Spain (due out March 4, 2008) about being Black in Spain and Spain's peculiar attitude and history with Black people.

So of course I have to comment about this latest incident of Spanish fans spouting racist taunts at Black Formula One driver, Lewis Hamilton. True confession, I know nothing about race car driving and what I do know is from watching Will Ferrell and Sacha Barron Cohen in Talledega Nights (very funny movie) so this is coming from the heart.

This SUCKS! It is ridiculous that in the year 2008 people in any country can dress up in blackface (yes they did! see photo above!) yell foul racist language in a crowd and feel that it is okay in the name of supporting your favorite race car driver. Hello? or Perhaps I should say, Hola? And don't forget Spaniards are not above throwing banana peels and making monkey noises during soccer matches when Black futbolistas come on the field. Por favor, people.

Time International writes a story about this latest incident and Spain's history of rabid, racist sports fans. You can read about it here

Being that my children are half Spanish and my husband still calls Spain home, I still have to figure out what to do with this information. Do I boycott any future trips to my husband's homeland? Do I keep going but wear Black in protest and refuse to speak to any of the locals? Probably not. Because there are still parts of Spain and Spanish culture that I love. And while many people may view these incidents and write off Spain as a Black spot of Europe (no pun intended) I have to remember to use some perspective.

If a Spaniard, or any other foreigner read about the Jena 6 tragedy or any number of racial profiling police brutality cases, they'd say America was a racist country as well. And we are! As is Spain. But as all of you know, despite the acts and attitudes of many Americans, this is still a country that in many ways embraces and celebrates diversity. I wouldn't say Spain celebrates diversity, but the people individually can be very welcoming and open-minded when it comes to racial differences...except in Sports!


So I will continue to go to Spain. And maybe my role there will be to be a cultural ambassador and knock some sense, I mean educate Spain's citizens about Black people, political correctness and well, just what is appropriate during a Formula One race.

Wish Me Luck.

Peace!

Black Literature Gets a Party

Two posts back I was lamenting the lack of contemporary fiction that featured characters of color by authors of color. Well, apparently I'm not the only one with the same feelings of frustration. But luckily, instead of just blogging about it, some people have decided to do something about it.

Stemming from a simple editorial written in the New York Times Book Review by author, Martha Southgate, ringShout was born. ringShout is "dedicated to recognizing, reclaiming and celebrating excellence in contemporary literary fiction and nonfiction by Black writers in the United States." Still in it's infancy, ringShout is currently just a lot of positive energy and great minds working together to show the world that street fiction is not the beginning and the end of African-American literature.

If you check out the ringShout website you'll find a downloadable list of recommended titles of the best contemporary Black fiction and nonfiction. It's a long list, which goes to show that ringShout was really needed because there is such a misconception that this work doesn't exist. The truth is the work does exist but the publishing industry and commercial bookstores don't know what to do with it.

Well the party is starting now. Happy reading and spread the word about ringShout!

Peace!