The Other Mothers of Manhattan

Hi Meltingpot Readers,

Boy, did the cover image on yesterday's New York Times magazine take my breath away. The cover line reads, "The Other Mothers of Manhattan." It is a photo essay of Manhattan's nannies. It is the real-life version of my novel, Substitute Me. The accompanying essay is by Mona Simpson and it is hauntingly familiar, all of the issues it raises. But the best part is this audio slide show. Check it out and let me know what thoughts come to mind.

I know I too hate the word nanny. It sounds so elitist and not a word I am comfortable using. And yet to call a grown woman a babysitter doesn't sit well either. What do you call your child's caregiver? What do you think of this story?

I'm listening.

Peace!

Abraham Lincoln, Harriet Tubman & Vampires

Hello Meltingpot Readers,

Am I the only one who just heard about the film, Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter? People, I just saw the book in the bookstore the other day and then, come to find out that the Tim Burton produced film hit movie theaters last month!

Where have I been?

Okay, maybe I did hear about it, but promptly shelved it with the 'ridiculous things that I don't understand' section of nonsense in my brain.

But then a couple of days ago, I noticed an ongoing conversation in the Black Twitterverse about a bi-racial actress named Jaqueline Fleming, playing Harriet Tubman in the film. So, I felt compelled to investigate.

Let me begin by saying that once I got the gist of the book's (and movie's ) premise -- slave owners in the United States were really vampires and our muscular 16th president was uniquely qualified to annihilate them -- I was intrigued. To me it sounded like the type of bloody, violent, revenge fantasy story for Black people that Inglorious Basterds was for Jewish people. Here's an article from the Daily Beast that explores the positive of the book's conceit.

But, of course the movie couldn't measure up to the book's aspirations. In fact, the film apparently was pretty tepid and the filmmakers shied away from any kind of potentially powerful message. But don't take my word for it, since I didn't even see the film. Read what Entertainment Weekly film critic, Lisa Schwarzbaum had to say.

So, from here, do we really care that Harriet Tubman, who appears in only a couple of scenes in this reportedly lackluster production, has literally been whitewashed? Some people really do. Over on Madam Noire they explain why.

In my opinion, the very idea that Harriet Tubman be cast as bi-racial with light skin and European features is more preposterous than portraying Abraham Lincoln as a vampire slayer. I mean, Harriet Tubman was Harriet Tubman because she was dark and African looking. Her color and her looks informed her destiny in life. That's not true for all people. Some people's destiny is forged, despite their looks. But for Tubamn, that wasn't the case. Colorism or a system of pigmentocracy was very much in place in antebellum America. And though often unspoken, still is today.

So, do we protest the film? Do we rally the troops? I'm going to pass. Why? Because this film is clearly so bad, nobody is going to watch it anyway. And Harriet Tubman is hardly in it. Why bring more press to a bad film? In the meantime, I'd rather work on my next book which is going to explore these issue of color and colorism in a way that hopefully will bring more attention -- and hopefully healing -- to the topic than a vampire slaying president ever could.

Just wondering. Have any of you seen the film or read the book? What did you think?

Peace!

And The Winners Are for the Fela! Tix

Hello Meltingpot Readers,

I'm posting bright and early this Thursday morning to announce the winners of the free tickets to see Fela! on Broadway, next Tuesday night at 8 pm. So without further ado, the winners are:

1. Jackikay
2. Ms. "Unknown" Commenter #2 on Monday's post.
3. Hadiyyah
4. The Golden Papaya
5. Sharontina

Congratulations to you all! I hope you love the show. Now, here's what you have to do to get your two free tickets. Send me an email at myamericanmeltingpot@gmail.com with your real name and an email address where your tickets can be sent. You will be able to print out your tickets and take them to the show for entry on Tuesday. But you must send me your emails by end of day today or else I will pass the tickets on to someone else. And people, if you know you can't make it to Tuesday's show, please let me know so I can give those tickets to another reader. Thank you all and congrats again.

Peace!

Fela! on Broadway: Vibrant and Thrilling

Hi Meltingpot Readers,

I know you're dying to know. How was Fela! on Broadway? People, it was AMAZING. I laughed. I cried. I danced. I fell in love with the music.

Even if you don't win a free pair of tickets from me, I encourage everyone to go see Fela! on Broadway before it closes on August 4, 2012.

The reviewers haven't lied. The show is vibrant and thrilling. At one point, before the second act even, the entire audience was on their feet, dancing and singing with the actors on stage. If you love world music, a good story, and fabulous dancing, Fela! will satisfy.

But here's why I LOVED the show so much. Fela Kuti has a truly fascinating and important life story. His contribution to music, politics, civil rights and the Black aesthetic is so huge, I can't believe more people, myself included, don't include him in the same conversations with Malcolm X, Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr. He used his art as protest. But make no mistake, he was an innovative and groundbreaking musician first. Clearly the show on Broadway didn't get into all of the controversy of Fela Kuti's life, after all, it's about entertainment first, but nonetheless, they give you enough information to make you want to know more. To come home and find out for yourself who the man behind the music really was.

The other reason I loved the show was that there were just so many beautiful Black people on the stage.  The African aesthetic was on full display, from the brilliant costumes, to the set design, to the AWESOME hairstyles. Afros, dreds, braids, oh my! It made my heart sing.

So, dear readers, you have until midnight tonight to leave a comment on Monday's post to be entered in the drawing. Five lucky readers will win a pair of tickets for next Tuesday's show.

Good Luck!

Peace!

FELA! Back on Broadway: Free Tickets for Meltingpot Readers!

Hi Meltingpot Readers,

Today is your lucky day and mine. First, let's get it straight that Ms. Meltingpot loves a good Broadway show. After all, she named babygirl after her favorite character from the great White Way and though I've never really talked about it here, briefly entertained  the idea of a career as a great stage performer. Musical comedy was going to be my thing. But, alas, Ms. Meltingpot cannot sing worth a lick.

So, instead, I just enjoy as many shows as I can...and pray one of my children will have a voice that can take him all the way to Broadway. I'm kidding. Sort of.  But I'm getting so far away from the point. And the point is, tonight I'm going to see FELA! on Broadway! Yes, I mean the 2010 Tony-award winning show about the Nigerian musical genius and political activist, Fela Kuti. Yes, the one produced by Jay-Z, Will and Jada Pinket-Smith, and Ahmir 'Questlove' Thompson from the Roots. Yes, the one that is back on Broadway for only six-weeks. Yours truly is going tonight.

And here's the thing. While I can enjoy most any good song and dance, coupled with an overly dramatic story line, I obviously have a soft spot for a show with a Meltingpot sensibility. Check out the following description of Fela! from Down Beat magazine and tell me this doesn't have Meltingpot written all over it.

" In addition to being visually and musically explosive, “Fela!” elucidates Kuti's politics and run-ins with the law. It contextualizes his convictions in relation to U.S. civil rights activism and illuminates African religion and culture. It also demonstrates how African rhythms, calypso, James Brown, John Coltrane, Chano Pozo and Martin Luther King Jr. all informed both his music and political stance."


I am so excited. And the thrill isn't only mine. I have five pairs of tickets for the 8pm evening show on July 17 to give away to you, my dear readers! If you want to see Fela! on Broadway for free, all you have to do is leave a comment here and tell me why you want to see the show. I will randomly draw five names on Wednesday (July 11) night at midnight. Winners will be posted on Thursday (July 12) morning. So check back on Thursday to see if you won and to collect your tix.


Here's a preview of Fela!



Be inspired.


Peace!

Stumbled Upon: YA Novel, Kimchi & Calamari

Hello Meltingpot Readers,

So, all of my loyal readers know that I practically live at the library. In the summer it's no different, except I usually haul my kids with me on my visits. They love the library too. When we go, they immediately run off to read graphic novels and other things I usually won't buy for them. And they're perfectly cool with me picking out their books for the week. I don't know how long this is going to last but for now it works for me.

So, this summer I've been trying to get my sci-fi loving 11-year-old to read more realistic fiction. I still try to find stories that I think will speak to him as a 11-year-old boy who likes sci-fi and fantasy. So, for example, last week he read The Orphan of Ellis Island, about an orphaned Italian-American boy who falls through a time portal and goes back in time and meets his Italian ancestors. He loved it. Yes! Yesterday, I stumbled upon a book called Kimchi & Calamari. You know with just that title, I was intrigued.

Sure enough, the book is about a Korean boy adopted by an Italian-American family. The boy in the story is 14 years old and dealing with typical teen boy stuff, plus he's dealing with identity issues and a search for a birth parent. Here's a link to a review (cuz I haven't read it yet.) And here's how the author, Rose Kent sells, Kimchi & Calamari:

" Kimchi and calamari is a quirky food fusion — and exactly how fourteen-year-old Joseph Calderaro feels about himself. Why wouldn’t an adopted Korean drummer feel like a combo platter given

1. his face in the mirror and
2. his proud Italian family?

Now Joseph has to write an ancestry essay for school. But all he knows is that his birth family put his diapered butt on a plane to the USA.

What Joseph does leads to a catastrophe messier than a table of shattered dishes — and self-discovery that he never could have imagined."

Sounds good right? It'll be next on the list for my son. And I'll tell you how it goes.

Has anybody else read Kimchi and Calamari? Any thoughts? Any other realistic fiction suggestions for an 11-year old boy with Ms. Meltingpot for a mom? I'm listening.

Peace!

Independence Day, Freedom and One More Black Chef

Hercules
photo by Virginia.org

Happy Fourth of July, Meltingpot Readers!

I don't know about you, but as an adult, the Fourth of July just isn't as much fun as it was when I was a child. Growing up, the 4th was my favorite holiday. We decorated our bikes, participated in the neighborhood parades, played old-fashioned games at the park and ate ice cream. At night, it was a big family bar-b-cue followed by fireworks down by the lake.

Now that we live in Philadelphia, the birthplace of the nation, you'd think the 4th would be an even bigger deal, but somehow the thrill is gone for me. And part of the reason is that when we talk about celebrating our independence, the great hypocrisy of an independent nation with enslaved individuals as the backbone of the country's success, just doesn't sit well with me. What are we truly celebrating?

But, I'm not mad. I love this country and the independent spirit that defines it. And like I always do, I have found the way to honor 'my people' and their unique contributions to independence. So, instead of praising the founding fathers who saw fit to reduce their slaves to less than human status in their declaration of independence, I am celebrating the Black men and women who fought for their own independence, instead of waiting for it.

Since I have Black chefs on the mind and George Washington is kind all over the 4th of July holiday, I'm celebrating the life and courage of Washington's excellent (enslaved) chef, Hercules. Known only by his first name, Hercules ruled the presidential kitchen with an iron skillet, replaced the previous White chef because his culinary skills were just that good, and was a budding entrepreneur who enjoyed a respected status in Free Black society in 18th century Philadelphia. But still, he was slave and that didn't sit well with him. So he planned and executed a flawless escape. He fled on Washington's 65th birthday, never to be heard from again. Now that's freedom and independence I can celebrate. To read more about Hercules, and his culinary genius, check out this link.

And however you celebrate this day, make it a good one! BTW, we're having tacos for dinner before the fireworks. That's the Meltingpot way.

Peace!

Music Monday: French Pop for French Lessons

Hi Meltingpot Readers,

So the push to parlais francais is on. And while I've been watching toddler videos and sometimes switching to the French version on some of my favorite films, I thought about listening to some French music to help me along. Of course I had no idea where to start. And then I remembered.

Way back in the 1980s, somewhere around 1987 I believe, my sister came back from her AFS summer abroad experience in France. I was so in awe. In just three short months she had become totally Frenchified. She ate her French fries with mustard instead of ketchup. She wanted to put raisins in the chicken! And the music. My sis brought back a handful of vinyl records that she played over and over again in her room, while I listened just outside her door. I couldn't understand a single word, yet I fell in love with the music anyway. When she told me that the young singer, Daniel Balavoine had died tragically in a helicopter crash, I was even more impressed. French music. Tragic death. Romance and Drama? As a 13-year-old girl in suburban Milwaukee, wanting to escape her hum-drum existence, Daniel Balavoine gave me a reason to believe.

Here's a song that I used to sing. I could sing this entire song phonetically but had no idea what I was saying. I never saw the video. So, here it is. If anyone would be so kind and tell me what the song is about, I sure would appreciate it. Sadly, my French skills, still aren't that great. Merci!

"Not the Nanny" Syndrome Doesn't Discriminate

Hi Meltingpot Readers,

Recently, a lovely journalist from TODAY Moms interviewed me about what I call the "Not the nanny" syndrome. You know, that irritating situation when people mistake you for your child's caregiver because you might be of color and your baby looks kind of White? I know it happens all the time to Black girls like me who procreated across the color line and managed to spit out babies lacking in melanin. But it also happens to Latina women, Asian women and even White women.

I met a White woman recently who was married to a Filipino man. Her two children look more Asian than White. She told me that, while breast feeding, someone  asked her if she was the nanny?! So, my dear readers, apparently the syndrome doesn't discriminate.

Get a group of women together who have children that don't look like them and we can tell all kinds of hilarious stories, besting one another with the more outrageous comments people have thrown our way. And truth be told, sometimes they are funny. But a lot of times, those comments hurt. They hurt in a way I never expected. It's not because I feel so insulted to be mistaken for a nanny. And it's not even because I think people are being small-minded or insensitive by questioning my child's parentage. At the end of the day, it hurts because there's something visceral, I think, about wanting to see something of yourself in your offspring. It's that simple and that complicated.

I have never been told, 'gee your kids look just like you.' And it's not something I ever dreamed about hearing either. I'd rather hear, 'gee your kids sure are smart/talented/healthy.' But to be told over and over, your kids look nothing like you? Aye, there's the rub. What's more, I think that for women of color to be mistaken for the nanny, the underlying insult comes not from being mistaken for a domestic worker, but for not be respected enough to be mistaken for the mother. Ya dig?

Let's be clear though. The "I'm Not the Nanny"syndrome doesn't keep me up at night. I don't wring my hands in agony over the injustice of my kids looking more like their pale-face papa than me. In fact, until someone throws it in my face, I'm not thinking about it all. It's just another one of those fascinating Meltingpot moments that I think so many of us can relate to and perhaps help each other through.

What do you think? Is there more to the Not the Nanny syndrome? Is it something more people should be aware of? Is there a cure?

I'm listening.

Peace!

Black Chefs Rising: Food for Thought

Hello Meltingpot Readers,

I just wrote a story for TheGrio.com on rising culinary star, Nilton Borges, Jr. He's an Afro-Brazilian (which I know can be viewed as redundant) who is making his mark as the executive chef at Amali Restaurant in New York City. Amali is a Mediteranean restaurant, specializing in seasonal, local fare.

I really enjoyed talking to Borges because his 'son of a Black doctor in Brazil with pressure to follow in his father's footsteps, to restaurant worker in the United States' story was fascinating. And familiar. Borges said he had two hurdles to being accepted in fine dining kitchens here in the US, being Black and an immigrant. Please check out the story and leave a comment if you feel so inclined.

And speaking of Black chefs. Did everybody pick up their copy of Marcus Samuelsson's new memoir, Yes, Chef. Finally, we hear the details to his amazing life story from Ethiopia to Sweden to New York City and back again. Samuelsson says his whole life has been about 'chasing flavors.' Sometimes I feel the same way.

Case in point, for my mother's birthday, I prepared a dinner that brought together all of the flavors of my past; Moroccan chicken, rice salad with avocado and oranges, green beans with toasted almonds and a banana pudding with 'Nilla wafers for dessert. Kinky Gazpacho all the way.

Where would you have to go to chase the flavors of your past?

I'm listening.

Peace!

And We're Back...

Hi Meltingpot Readers,

Pardon me for disappearing on ya'll for an entire week. Ms. Meltingpot seriously got sucked into a Southern way of life. I blame it on the heat and the sweet tea and the fried fish galore. I just never managed to even turn on my computer. I kept saying, oh, I can't wait to blog about this or that and then, faster than you can say 'kiss my grits,' it was time to pack up and come home.

Seriously.

Suffice it to say, dear readers, I'm back. I'm relaxed and refreshed and ready to jump back into reporting on the Meltingpot experience. Thanks for sticking around.

I did take this one picture in the bathroom of a tiny cafe we stopped in for lunch, thinking of all of you. It made me think, yeah, I can take a break from the news for just a little bit. Enjoy!

It's Still a Yankee Paper To Us

Whistling Dixie: Ms. Meltingpot is Heading South

Hello Meltingpot Readers,

Ms. Meltingpot is packing up and heading south. Not forever, just for a little respite to officially welcome in the summer. I'm visiting my folks -- who in a fit of madness moved below the Mason Dixie line -- and plan to while away the hours sipping sweet tea, writing and dipping my newly painted toenails into the salty sea water of the Atlantic ocean.

That is my plan. What will probably happen is that I'll be trying to keep my boys from driving me crazy, extracting sand from babygirl's mouth and praying that everyone under age 12 will fall asleep before the sun goes down.

So, stay tuned for my southern tales of adventure, all next week here on the Meltingpot.

Peace!

Happy Loving Day! A Day Late...

Hi Meltingpot Readers,

Yesterday was Loving Day. Did you remember to celebrate? I kind of forgot. But just like I feel like every day is Martin Luther King, Jr. day when you're Black in America, every day is Loving Day when you're a Black woman, married to a Spanish man and you have three brownish kids. I mean, we celebrate interracial marriage being legal every morning we wake up in the same bed together. Ya dig?

That being said, there are some things I would like to do in honor of the great sacrifice Mildred and Richard Loving did in order to have their marriage recognized by their home state of Virginia. Namely, I'd like to fly my entire Kinky Gazpacho family to the Mixed Roots Film and Literary Festival this weekend in Los Angeles. But it ain't gonna happen, because we just don't have the funds this year. (sigh) But we'll get there hopefully next year.

I'd also like to get a chance to see the new documentary about the Lovings, The Loving Story. It's being screened at Mixed Roots, but you already know, I won't be there. (bigger sigh). Here's the trailer.



I'm not sure when I'll be able to see the film, so in the meantime, to satisfy my Loving Day wanderlust, I'll probably just troll the internet and look for all of the slideshows that feature 'our favorite celebrity interracial couples.' I admit, it's a guilty pleasure. But one I really only indulge in, on Loving Day. I swear.

Okay, dear readers. Did you do anything to celebrate Loving Day? Are you going to? Let's hear it. You know I'm listening.

Peace!

Black Hair Rule # 1: Don't Cut A Baby's Hair Until Age One!

Hi Meltingpot Readers,

Now you know you've never seen a photo of my kids here on this blog, and you never will. Some things -- not a lot, but some -- remain sacred. But I can't do justice to this post without sharing a shot of Babygirl. Here she is.

Babygirl

Well, at least the top one-third of her. What I want you to get a look at is her unruly hair that is clearly a hot mess and in her way. So, part of the reason her hair a hot mess is because she just ran strained pears through it and before that, she'd been outside sweating, so sweat + pears = hot mess. But the other reason Babygirl's hair is mildly problematic is that it's always in her face. I try to put it up in ponytails, but Babygirl has hair like chicken feathers. It's soft and thin and won't hold a style for more than two minutes. El esposo keeps begging me to let him at least trim her bangs, but he knows I'm going to say no, because everybody knows that Black hair rule #1 is that you never, ever, ever cut a Black baby's hair before she turns one! That's like biblical law. Like 100-years-of-bad-luck-or-else law.

I did an unofficial survey of random Black women and they all confirmed that you don't cut a Black baby's hair before age one. When I asked why, the reasons varied and included:
"I don't know, you just don't do it."
"If you cut it, their hair will never grow."
"Cutting a baby's hair is just bad luck. For the baby and the mother."
"I'm not sure exactly, but I know it has something to do with the baby's skull not being fully hardened."
And as Babygirl's godmother said,  "You might just invite bad spirits if you touch her hair too soon."

Okay then.

The way I look at it, Babygirl has less than two months before we can trim some of those locks so she can actually see. I think she'll survive. I don't know if I actually believe the legends, but it's a tradition I've followed with my boys and so I'm going to keep it up, for tradition's sake. We have so few of those left anyway. And while I'm 99 percent sure that bad spirits have better things to do than hunt us down because of an early hair cut, that one percent would probably keep me up at night.

What do you think, dear readers? Have you heard that you should never cut a baby's hair before age one? Is this really only a Black thing? What are the consequences you've heard for early cutters? And I know Black people can't be the only ones with wacky traditions around a child's first year of life. Let's hear yours.

You know I'm listening.

Peace!

School's Out! Ms. Meltingpot's Plans for the Summer

Hello Meltingpot Readers,

In just a few short minutes, my boys will burst through the door with all the exuberance and excitement expected from the last day of school. Yes, it's official. Summer is here.

In the Kinky Gazpacho household, summer really is summer because el esposo and I both work in academia, so in theory everybody is free from work. Of course in reality, not so much. El esposo is getting his PhD and this summer he has to study non-stop for his comprehensive exams in early fall. The boys will be in day camp for only three weeks. Babygirl? Well, she'll be passed off between el esposo and I throughout.

But what about me, you ask? What's on my agenda for the summer? Besides camp counselor, chef, chauffeur and babysitter? Well, I'm glad you asked. Here's what I'd like to accomplish before September 1st. And I figure if I write it down here, you guys can keep me on task. Or at least drop a comment or a suggestion once in a while to keep me motivated. So, in no particular order, here's what I have to do this summer:

1. Write the proposal for my next book. Yes, I'm already working on the next book project. It's non-fiction and a significant departure from my previous books and yet the themes of identity and discrimination will ring familiar. Just a hint, the book has to do with the color purple. Not the book, by Alice Walker, but the actual color purple.

2. Upgrade The Meltingpot. Dear, readers, I went to the awesome Blogging While Brown Conference last weekend and was so inspired. I love The Meltingpot. I love you all. If I could quit my day job and just produce awesome stories for this blog, I would. In the meantime, I can at least make the Meltingpot experience a little more user-friendly and unique. So stay tuned for the upgrade.

3. Write a few magazine articles that I've been thinking about for the last couple of months.

4. Learn French. Okay, I already wrote about my dream of learning French a few posts back. Well, I'm on my way. In true Meltingpot style, I checked out a French book & CD from the library. I've been watching some films in French and English and I've found some free online websites to visit that promise me I'll be speaking like a native in no time. (By the way, if anyone can recommend any other online websites for language learning, please let me know. Merci!) Of course, I'm not going to master an entire language in eight weeks, but I want to be comfortable enough that I can represent our family's interests when we ...

5. Go to Montreal! Okay, so, this has gone from dream to reality. We are going to Montreal, come hell or high water. Here's why. I need some place to practice my French and motivate me to keep practicing my French. I want the children to have an experience in a foreign country this summer and we can (inexpensively) reach Montreal by car. And I really want an excuse to eat French fries smothered in gravy, but be able to call it a cultural experience.

6.  Update passports. Can you believe, dear readers, that I have to get passports for all three of my children. I knew babygirl needed a new passport and so I just checked the boys', just in case. Wouldn't you know, they both expire in July. Did I mention operation Montreal happens in August? How do you say poetic justice in French.

So, there you go dear readers. Those are my summer plans. Of course, I didn't mention some sort of exercise should also happen in all this. Running? Walking? Bike riding? Chasing my boys around the park? Swimming? Who knows? But I'm sure it will all be an adventure.

So, what are you all doing for the summer? Please share and inspire us all. I'm listening.

Peace!

Meet Bino and Fino: They're Cute, They're Animated, They're African

Hello Meltingpot Readers,

I think you'll recall that a while back I wrote about this great new global African style and culture magazine called Arise. I just picked up the latest issue and read a small article about a new African cartoon series called Bino and Fino.

I admit, I was drawn into the story because of the picture of the adorable Black girl butterfly character, but after doing some more digging about the series, I got even more excited about the show. Bino and Fino is the creation of Nigerian architect turned animator, Adamu Waziri who lamented the fact that African youth don't have cartoons that feature modern African children in positive settings. He said in an interview that when Disney 'does Africa' they show lions and talking animals in the jungle. You never see people in a modern urban setting. And so the show -- targeted to three to five year olds -- Bino and Fino was born. The show is now being seen in the UK and in various countries in Africa. Three cheers to Waziri for making a difference.

Here's a clip of Waziri talking about the origins of the show and why it's so important for Bino and Fino to exist. And not for nothing, don't you just love Fino's Afro puffs?



Enjoy.

Peace!

Music Monday: Zap Mama

Hi Meltingpot Readers,

Do you know Zap Mama? If you don't, you should get acquainted. Here's one of my favorite songs, called Damn Your Eyes. Enjoy.


For all of you fans, what's your favorite Zap Mama song? I'm listening.

Peace!

Issa Rae isn't Awkward

Me & Issa Rae

Hello Meltingpot Readers,

Remember back in the fall, I wrote about the popular new web series, The Mis-Adventures of the Awkward Black Girl (ABG)? Well the writer, creator, and star of the under-the-radar hit spoke last night in Philadelphia as part of the Celebration of Black Writing and yours truly was in the audience.

Hearing Issa Rae talk about her reasons for starting the show -- because she couldn't find anything on regular television that featured smart, snarky humor and Black characters -- and her grassroots source of funding (hello Kickstarter),  made me a fan for life. Last night I went and watched some new episodes and found myself laughing more than I did the first time. Regardless, I'm going to be a fan of Issa Rae's for life. She really isn't waiting for something to happen, she's making it happen, for herself and all of the other actors and crew on the show. Tonight she announced that the entire second season -- which will premiere on June 14 -- has been fully financed by Pharrell Williams and will air on his I am Other YouTube Channel.  Woot! Woot!

And the good news doesn't stop there. ABG just picked up a Shorty Award for best web series.  A Shorty Award is like the Oscars of stuff that happens online. Seriously. And you know there's lots of stuff online, so that fact that ABG beat through the clutter to get nominated and win is pretty awesome.

So, dear readers, I am inspired. I hope you are too.

Have a great weekend.

Peace!

Ballet Documentary is a Meltingpot Must-See!

Hi Meltingpot Readers,

How many of you ever dreamed of being a ballerina? Even if it was just for a minute. I had that one-minute dream, but it was quickly squashed by my ballet teacher who informed my mother that I just didn't have a dancer's body... at age five! Luckily, I found gymnastics to be more my style and then I was on to swimming and ice skating and... well, you get the idea. Clearly, I didn't even have the mental fortitude to be a ballerina. But I still get shivers of excitement when I watch other young people dance.

So, you can imagine my delight when I heard about a new documentary, called First Position that follows six young people in their quest for a prestigious ballet scholarship. I originally heard about the film because of the young Black girl profiled. Her name is Michaela DePrince and she was orphaned in her native Sierra Leone, adopted by a White American family and triumphs in the film. I was hooked just hearing that nugget. But the film follows five other great kids, with diverse backgrounds, boys and girls. I am excited to see this movie because if finally shows other faces of ballet besides young White girls.

But rather than me trying to get you all excited, why don't you just watch the trailer and decide for yourself. Let the shivers commence.



Peace!

"Who's an American Indian?"

Hello Meltingpot Readers,

Happy Memorial Day!

I was going to take the day off from writing today, since it is a national holiday, but then I came across this article penned by Jesse Washington of the Associate Press. The article is titled, "Who's an American Indian?" and it examines the claim by senate candidate Elizabeth Warren that she is part Native American.

It's a fascinating story that touches on the pervasive myth that we all have a Native American ancestor lurking in the branches of our family trees. I know for Black people, that mythical Indian ancestor is always linked to the relative with the 'good hair.' Like, "She has good hair because our great-grandmother was part Cherokee." Sometimes 'good hair' is just referred to, in the Black community, as "Indian hair."

But I digress. Elizabeth Warren is very much a White woman, so she's not interested in 'good hair.' Some people allege she's claiming Native ancestry to gain campaign votes. Read the story and see for yourself. I think a critical point that Washington makes in the report is that there is a difference between claiming Native ancestry (which many people may have) and calling yourself a Native American because your great-great-great grandmother on your daddy's side, was part Cherokee.

What do you think, dear readers? Should Warren have kept her mouth shut about her heritage? Do you think if you're going to claim Native ancestry you should have to do something to prove your allegiance to the tribe? I'm totally listening.

Peace!