Thoughts on My First Love

From Heart & Soul.com:

In my relationships workshops with teens and college students, I always ask about their first love. What was the person like? What did you like about them?
After smiles and talk of childhood sweethearts, I kindly burst their bubbles (sorry ladies).
Like most women, my first love is mom dukes. It is the original relationship and the first person’s acceptance and love we crave.
And last week I got to spend some time with my first love. I got to be surrounded by the first arms I ran to feel around me, and curl up in the first shoulder nook I claimed ownership to.
The older I get the younger my mother gets to me. I am increasingly able to see her as a woman complete with her own desires and dreams, and not just my shield and comforter. I flipped through old pictures and along with wishing they had saved me some of the fab clothes, I felt closer to the women in my family seeing pictures of them through the years.
These ladies did a lot for me to have the freedoms I enjoy, including living out my dreams in New York and heading to a book party tonight to celebrate the release of “Daring to Be Ourselves” by Marianne Schnall.
The book features quotes from inspiring women including Maya Angelou, Gloria Steinem, Cameron Diaz, Eve Ensler, Kerry Washington, many other phenomenal women . . .  and Charreah Jackson.
After the shock (read intimidation) and excitement of being included, I wondered what I said that was being published alongside game changers and poet laureates.  When I got my copy in the mail, I could only smile.
Under the section of what inspires you, there I was quoted about how seeing my grandmother and the powerful women before me do so much with a little kept me moving, along with wanting to do the same for my own granddaughters. I had shared that with Marianne more than a year before, a few months after losing my grandmother.
So tonight I am celebrating my first love, her first love, and the power that comes from standing on fabulous shoulders
Check out “Daring to Be Ourselves” now on sale: http://www.daringtobeourselves.com/

It feels good to be a Black woman

This post started on Nov. 6th and I kept hoping to finish this post this a few weeks ago, (yeah I know):

I am so happy to be a Black woman. And this weekend feels like our coming out party.

"For Colored Girls" is in theaters and I definitely encourage people to see it, regardless of your race, gender or feelings on Tyler Perry. I had the pleasure to interview writer Ntozake Shange on her work being adapted for the film and her life. And her honesty was refreshing and invigorating.

Being so starved to see faces like mine on screen with stories I can relate to.

Also excited for Black Girls Rock! The show was AMAZING and excited to tune in again. That's me, Jess and Charanna at the taping.

Update: So Black Girls Rock was historic and eems I even had a cameo. The calls and Facebook updates came in of friends who spotted me at the show. Exciting to be a part of a great moment for Black women and motivated to continue to share our stories and to be a leg as Ms. Ruby Dee so elegantly stated. My crazy and oh so cool buddy Jessica even took a screen grab of us at the show after the dynamic "Four Women" performance.

I was surprised that so many Black men had something bad to say on "For Colored Girls." But my insightful boyfriend may have a clue. Sitting in Kitchenette after a packed matinee of the film, I asked him would he recommend it to his guy friends. His reply was simple. "Naw. They not ready for that. May hit too close to home."

Happy November!

Why I love living in Harlem

Got an email from Black Atlas about Marcus Samuellson's new restaurant in Harlem called Red Rooster.   I was already excited about his new spot being on me and my roomie's block, and this video only added to my joy.

The red door next to the Maysles Cinema at :55 is our building. Luckily the Fried Chicken spot has closed and we are getting a new African/French bistro downstairs!

As you can see in this video, Harlem includes the diversity of our heritage and history as people of color. From high brow art to low hanging pants, it's all us.

Some of my favorite spots are featured including the Studio Museum (free on Sundays!) and 67 Orange. I'm glad Marcus is using his celebrity to spotlight our part of town. I happily shared with him a few weeks back that I had one of the t-shirts he designed for Target and he grinned right back.

Moving on up, uptown,