Like so many people, I only really knew Marion Barry to be the embarrassing DC Mayor crackhead. I lived in NY at the time.  That story which went nationwide made DC's Marion Barry a joke. Since then, if you have never done research on the transformative impact Marion Barry had on DC, you will never know just how powerful his legacy is or understand why he is loved my so many.  So here is just a little help to expand your perspective on this powerful beloved controversial figure.  Check out this 2010 documentary, The 9 Lives Of Marion Barry.

In light of what is happening in Ferguson, I believe it is imperative that we continue to take the time to learn about our leaders/elders/ancestors. You will not see their full fledged stories in the mainstream press. Just like MLK Jr's legacy has been diluted and reduced to that of a dreamer and Nelson Mandela as a forgiver,  Marion Barry's legacy to many is that of a crackhead.  (Wild right? smh) We know why these images are so dominant. These are warriors who challenged & fought white supremacy, empowered black people and in the process transformed our world, and our collective consciousness.  Their legacies are priceless and complex, filled with all kinds of valuable lessons.  I particularly appreciate Marion Barry's candid talk about his drug addiction in this film... It was such a powerful force behind his demise, and arguably his greatest achilles heel.

As you watch this film, you will undoubtedly make connections to what is happening in Ferguson (and even in our current congress with Obama).  I pray that my cousins/sisters/brothers/aunts/uncles in Ferguson know of Marion Barry's journey and in such find strength, courage and insight as they press on for justice, and raise up leaders of their own. RIP "DC's Mayor For Life" Marion Barry!  Your life has taught me so much. Thank you!

Shouts to Cactus Three, Flor Films and HBO

All over the world people are celebrating the legacy of the great comedian and Oscar winning actor Robin Williams.  You can surf the internet for various tributes to his rich career & incredible genius.  His death is also generating valuable discussions about depression, addiction and suicide. 

Many in the press have sited Mork and Mindy as being his great debut, but I strongly disagree.  Before Mork and Mindy, Robin Williams appeared on several episodes of The Richard Pryor Show in 1977 . Below is one of my all time favorite skits.  Finding this clip also reminded me of how The Richard PryorShow and writer for the show Paul Mooney were way ahead of their time.  Genius attracts genius what can we say? Warning if you are watching at work, becareful because this video will have you ROTFLYBO!

Will Baby Nori "spit" on Kanye's latest project? Perhaps! Mama Bear, Kim Kardashian posted this picture of their 1-year-old baby girl with the caption  '#BringYourDaughterToWorkDay.  I can't take it! (swooning) I just want to eat her up!!  North West is sooo adorable! Papa Bear, Kanye is currently working in the studio on his next album.   I  bet he will record a few coos to sample and turn them into a 16 bar masterpiece HA! Go 'head Nori SPIT!  That a gurl! lol

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/gossip/kim-kardashian-posts-new-photo-kanye-west-north-west-article-1.1891395#ixzz39cKURYLf

Say it ain't so! I love Chrisette on R&B Divas LA. Her style, her perspective, her openness and her willingness to share who she is...I think Chrisette would be one of the first people to admit she is not perfect (I think none of the Divas would say that about themselves) However, I have been enjoying her talent and her transparency on the show. Apparently, I am one of many who are being drowned out by folk who feel differently and express it in nasty negative ways - so much so that Chrisette is regretting her decision to do the show, and looks like she may not be down for another season. :(

On her instagram page this weekend, she penned an open letter, sharing her feelings:

"Hey can I write you a letter? Dear fans, Maybe you were right about me not doing a reality show. I have had so much fun staying beneath the radar. I’ve traveled to more countries then I can pronounce and made friends of fans and celebs alike, collabed with my favorite artists (you know I’m a nerdy hip hop head). Truth is, I wasn’t raised on R&B. I just happen to sound okay singing it.

I’ve never thought that wearing angel wings and trying to be open about feelings would make people send me evil tweets and receive awful phone calls. A Diva. Maybe that’s not the right term for artists now a days the way it was when Whitney was here. Maybe it’s meaning has changed. I’m truly just here to say hello. On your TV screens to show you who I am outside of this music/Hollywood stuff. Maybe reality was a mistake.

Maybe I should stay in my comfortable cave where I’m only loved. Half a million twitter followers, 200k insta Rich Hipster’s and 2.1 million Facebook likes have come from the music alone. From backstage hugs and kisses. From marriage proposals on my open hearted stage. From my quirky ever changing style. From hellos on the streets. From meet & greets. The moments un-telivised.

Some people aren’t meant to share their personality. Maybe I’m one of those people. One of those who are protected by the Art. Art is love and it covers. It shields. I don’t see myself doing reality again. I’ll hang out with my pet unicorn in Artist-ville. This negativity is tragic and I can’t transfer these vibes to my Art. I love you. I won’t speak negativity against any one on the show in any further interviews.

I won’t speak the name of people who quell my light. I can’t participate in brokenness. Healing is my ambition. Light is my nourishment. Be well. The Rich Hipster Captain #chrisette #ChrisetteMichele #Art #RichHipster #randbdivasLA #rbdivasla #rbdivas #iamstillhere #itsByTheGraceOfGod"'

You know what I say, don't let the haters quell your light! That's why they hate you gurl! Keep shining!

UPDATE: Word is out that Sherri Shepherd will play evil step mother, Madame in Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella! Shepherd made the announcement on The View, Tuesday, revealing that her life after talk show will be the Great White Way.  Cinderella will mark her Broadway debut. It will also be the first time in history that African-American actresses have played these roles on Broadway.  Go ladies!  SISTA POWER!   

On another note Sherri's surrogate gave birth to a baby boy! Deets from TMZ here.

SHOUTS! LOVE & more to the talented Keke Palmer.  Not only is she youngest person to have a talk show in TV history, but now she will be the first black Cinderella on The Great White Way! 

 Sept 9th, she will make her debut in the staring role in Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella at the Broadway Theatre.

"It's honestly one of those things that I can't believe is really happening," Palmer said by phone Friday from her Los Angeles home. "I'm very excited. Very excited and nervous as well — a bunch of feelings all at once."

Palmer, the former Nickelodeon child star best known for her roles in "Barbershop 2" and "Akeelah and the Bee," will be making her professional stage debut. The triple threat can act, dance and sing!  Her albums include the 2007 CD "So Uncool" and a self-titled 2012 EP.

You  may have recently remembered her as Chili in "CrazySexyCool: The TLC Story"  She  also appeared opposite Cicely Tyson and Vanessa Williams in Lifetime's "A Trip to Bountiful," which was nominated for an Emmy Award.

One of Palmer's heroines growing up was the singer and actress Brandy Norwood, who played Cinderella in a 1997 TV movie opposite Whitney Houston. "I feel like the reason I'm able to do this is definitely because Brandy did it on TV," Palmer said. "In me doing this, it shows everybody that everything is possible."

I personally wish they would make stickers of her as Cinderella. This way I can give them to my little 3-4 year old Princess ballerinas I teach! You can read more from this article by Mark Kennedy at ABCnews.go.com

I discovered this press release on EURweb.com and I had to share!

                                                            ********

*In response to the Nigerian crisis, John Legend and the Burkle Global Impact Initiative established #OperationGirl to help organizations around the globe that support girls.

Just a few days ago, we were excited and grateful to learn that Jenesse Center was chosen to participate as a beneficiary under this platform. We have a challenge to raise $100,000 with a deadline of August 18th to support Jenesse’s mission.

Esteemed Jenesse board member, Avis Frazier-Thomas said:

“I truly believe that folks underestimate their ability to make a difference in the lives of others. Each one. Reach one. Let’s spread the word. Please join our cause because with your help….WE CAN DO THIS!”

With your help of donations and spreading the word through your social media platforms, we are confident we can meet this challenge for the women, girls and families we serve.

Since 1980, Jenesse has been helping women and girls in South Los Angeles ─ and surrounding communities ─ to escape and overcome the trauma of domestic violence. Through our comprehensive, holistic service approach to domestic violence intervention, Jenesse seeks to remove every conceivable barrier to overcoming the effects of domestic abuse and breaking the cycle of violence that ensnares so many women and girls in our community.

Current programming includes emergency shelter services; transitional living program; mental health counseling; vocational education programs and services; case management; in-house legal services; on-site childcare and children’s enrichment programs, and more. Jenesse provides a nurturing and supportive environment where our clients recover and become empowered to put the pieces of their lives back together.

C.S. is a young woman who entered our program with her mother and brother to escape her mother’s abusive partner. Like many families we assist, C.S. and her family came to us hopeless and shattered because of the abuse and violence they had suffered. C.S. was in danger of derailing her own future by repeating the cycle of abuse that she had witnessed her mother endure. However, through the supportive, caring, holistic services we provided, C.S. and her family graduated our program renewed, complete, and strengthened.

Jenesse Center has been trailblazing new and successful approaches to domestic violence intervention and prevention since its inception nearly 35 years ago. Early on, we learned that shelter alone is simply not enough. In order to permanently break the cycle of violence in the lives of girls and young women, we must address those underlying factors such as lack of educational and employment opportunities, immigration status, poor self-esteem, dysfunctional family dynamics, and generational family violence that, without redress, leave women and girls vulnerable to abuse. Jenesse has discovered that by providing comprehensive programs within an environment that heals and nurtures minds and spirits broken by violence, women can overcome the effects of domestic violence and lead the lives they envision for themselves and their children.

The funds raised through the #OperationGirl Charity Challenge will be used to support and expand the following Jenesse Center programs that are specifically focused on the mental and emotional health of the women and girls receiving our services:
1. Jenesse Mothers and Children (“JMAC”) program
2. Jenesse Life and Style Fashion Center (“Style Center”)
3. BeSo YOU!
4. Jenesse Teen Angels
5. Girl Talk ─ Youth Conversations.

#OperationGirl $100,000 Challenge

2,000 People x $50=$100,000
1,000 People x $100= $100,000
500 People x $200= $100,000
200 People x $ 500= $100,000
100 People x $1000=$100,000

You have more power than you think. What you give and who you tell will make an impact! We CAN do this!
THANK YOU!

Click Here to Meet the #OperationGirl $100,000 Challenge for Jenesse

Source
Jeanine Taylor
JCEC PR
jeanine@jcec.com

In July,,. I told you on WHUR, we put her on official preggers watch.  Well now it is official. Swizz Beatz & Alicia Keys are expecting baby #2! Egypt will have a playmate! They revealed the news by posing the above photos on their instagram accounts in the we hours of Thursday morning, July 31.

She wrote:

“Happy Anniversary to the love of my life @therealswizzz!! And to make it even sweeter we’ve been blessed with another angel on the way!! You make me happier than I have ever known! Here’s to many many more years of the best parts of life!” Alicia captioned the photo, which celebrated their wedding anniversary.

Swizz shared a similar photo in which he is kissing Alicia’s shoulder.  Swizz write

“Love is life & life is love and we’re so excited for another GIFT from up above. Happy Anniversary my Goddess. 4 years of greatness & cheers to 100 plus more inshallah @aliciakeys ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️,”

As you know, Alicia gave birth to her first child, a son named Egypt, with Swizz in Oct. 2010. Swizz has three other children — Nicole, Prince, and Kaseem — from previous relationships.

Congrats to the happy couple on their exciting news!

(SOURCE)

I was wondering if there would ever be pushback for R Kelly's actions. He has been a well known pedaphile for years now. I recently overheard two women from Chicago talking about how they remember him driving around their high school to pick up girls.  Honestly, the support for R Kelly over the years ever since his actions were made public always greatly upset me, and I don't mean just the disturbing sex tape where he peed on a girl, but the series of stories that have surfaced and the general public's complicity in condoning his behavior...Whenever I have addressed R Kelly's transgressions, people have chastised me saying "What about forgiveness?" To which I ask "Do you forgive Sandusky?".... Anyhoo it looks like the chickens are just starting to come home to roost...

Late Monday, an Ohio music festival announced they had "decided to part ways" with Kelly and canceled his concert.

In a statement shared with HuffPost by the festival, a Kelly spokesperson said, “R. Kelly is sorry to disappoint his fans, but looks forward to seeing them in the near future during one of his upcoming tours.”

The original story continues below.

An Ohio music festival has found itself in a difficult position on the heels of its booking of controversial R&B singer R. Kelly as one of its headliners.

The Fashion Meets Music Festival, slated for Aug. 29-31 in Columbus, Ohio, has run into a number of troubles since they announced last month that Kelly would be playing their inaugural fest alongside jam band O.A.R. and Destiny's Child alum Michelle Williams, among others.

Earlier, two Ohio-based bands -- Damn the Witch Siren and Saintseneca -- have dropped out of the lineup since Kelly's booking was made public and Sunday Columbus Alive reported that radio station WCBE 90.5 FM has withdrawn from sponsoring the festival, also due to Kelly's previous addition to the lineup.

As WBEZ's Jim DeRogatis notes, ticket sales for the "I Believe I Can Fly" singer's previously-scheduled performance at the festival -- which started at $58.50 plus fees -- also appeared to be selling very slowly.

The pushback stemmed from Kelly's past allegations of child pornography and sexual assault, a story DeRogatis helped break and Jessica Hopper detailed in a viral news story for the Village Voice in December 2013.

"We feel [R. Kelly's] selection as a performer ignores his very serious allegations of sexual violence and assault," Saintseneca said in a statement explaining their decision. "We feel it is an affront to all survivors, who are already often overlooked and forgotten in our society." The band plans to host an alternative concert benefiting victims of sexual assault.

In response to the criticism, Fashion Meets Music Festival co-founder Bret Adams had previously defended the booking to Columbus Alive, noting that Kelly was acquitted of the allegations in 2008, saying, "we're not the morality police."

Kelly also headlined the Pitchfork Music Festival in Chicago last year, a booking DeRogatis lashed out against but which was not met by any bands or sponsors dropping out from the event. Kelly also played the Bonnaroo and Coachella festivals in 2013.

(SOURCE)

Grammy winning trendsetting pioneer, Jody Watley is an icon both in music, dance, fashion & more!  I was so excited when I stumbled across this NEW track on twitter. Shouts to SoulTracks.com.  She just released it and I love it.  It was the first piece of music I played this morning and I kept playing it again and again.  It is funky, groovy, spiritual and soulful.  It set my mood right and made me feel motivated and positive.  I had to get a full copy of her new CD PARADISE immediately!  You can get you some too on itunes, amazon & jodywatley.net! On top of playing all this good music -- she tweeted me this morning! Yes Ms Watley did! We had a conversation.  This is why I appreciate twitter. Jody loves Rahsaan Patterson who I am interviewing tomorrow on The Scene & we briefly talked about him. See an excerpt below lol

Stay close 'cause you know I plan to interview Jody for The Scene.  (my inner diva is screaming right now)  In the meantime, peep the phenomenal artist she adores Rahsaan Patterson.  That boi is one of the baddest singers/songwriters out here. If you don't know, you bet' WAKEUP! In fact, let me help u.  Check him out in concert here, and tomorrow on The Scene SiriusXM 141 HUR Voices.  #StillAThrill

Nina Millan is da bomb and absolutley hilarious.  This is her latest installment of the Beyoncelogues: Single Ladies, where she does a dramatic read of Beyonce's lyrics. You will never hear Single Ladies the same way again! Uh oh!  Warning you will laugh yr butt off. I did!

Want some more?  Here are her previous installments