on the black hand side

New Interracial Comedy: Our Family Wedding [VIDEO]

March 12 is the premiere of another interracial couple movie, Our Family Wedding. This time it’s a Black-Mexican coupling which is not seen often. Based on the trailer, there’s nothing new about this movie as the usual shock, disapproval and ethnic comedy is apparent.

Adding Up a Family's Year "Buying Black"

 

Is there a directory of black businesses in your town? If so, have you ever really used it to support black-owned businesses? Well, check out John and Maggie Anderson's chronicle of their year of "buying black": Adding up family's year buying black - chicagotribune.com. 

• Some surprises? 
• Some not? 
• What can black-owned businesses learn from this experiment? 
• What do you think about the experiment? 
• Would you try it?

Photo:  Antonio Perez

Posted using ShareThis

Roland Martin Keeps it Real

Much has been said about the latest political gaffe involving Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. He's a racist and should resign….he's not a racist…double standard…blah…blah…blah. Regardless of your take on this situation, let's not allow a crucial issue to go unacknowledged by mainstream media and thus far it has.

Political commentator Roland Martin was very clear, bold and courageous when pointing the plethora of black faces in the media addressing the Harry Reid situation and the dearth of black presence on any other issues as if race is all black folks can talk about. Now I can't write what Brother Martin said verbatim. I can tell you it was concise, clear and on point. Let's hope the folks making decisions about the perspectives allowed on the air didn't miss that message.

America's racial issues can be diminished if more perspectives are shared with a greater, more diverse audience. People are a lot more alike than they are different. It's my experience that talking with folks who are different from me breaks down barriers. It also diminishes the power of the few to control the many and maybe that's why we're so disconnected in the first place.

Roland Martin, thank you for speaking the truth.

Power to the People.

Amazon Kindle Diversity

I've been using my Amazon Kindle for almost a year now. I enjoy the convenience of being able to download books to the unit without going to the bookstore or ordering a book and waiting for it to arrive. I won't go into all of the features of the Kindle because that's not this is about.



When the unit is on and hasn't been used a screensaver comes on. Usually it's William Shakespeare or some other caucasian person. No James Baldwin or Alice Walker or Maya Angelou or any other person of color. Imagine my surprise to see this screensaver of Ralph Ellison. I'd really planned to write Amazon about the lack of ethnic diversity in this feature. Either someone wrote them or they realized it on their own. Regardless the reason, I'm glad they made that move.



Before someone starts with hateration about this post, if you don't understand why the diversity is important then that warrants another discussion.



In the meantime, check out the Amazon Kindle or Barnes & Noble's Nook, or just go to a library, get a book and read.



Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

Sean "Diddy" Combs Gets Wax Figure

Sean "Diddy" Combs is immortalized in wax at Madame Tussauds Wax Museum in New York City. It's an amazing likeness. Combs is not the first rapper to be honored in this manner; Snoop Dogg and the Notorious B.I.G. are already among the celebrities honored.

Tiger Woods in Wax...and Hot Water

Here is a photo of a couple of visitors with a wax figure of U.S. golfing legend, Tiger Woods at the newly opened Louis Toussaud's Waxworks in Pattaya, Thailand.

Tiger’s stock has surely dropped in the last few days because of his adulterous ways. The damage control needed to repair his image will be tremendous. You can’t unscramble eggs so Tiger just has to make the best of this situation and try to ride this one out. --- especially the jokes that will be brutal. In the meantime, it's a safe bet that Woods will be Huggy Lowdown's Bama of the Week...Week...Week.

 

Pornchai Kittiwongsakul-AFP/Getty Images

World AIDS Day 2009: Universal Access and Human Rights

From Vanessa: Unplugged!:

Today is December1, World AIDS Day. It's estimated that 33 million people are living with AIDS. Some have not been tested and don't know know they are infected while others, especially in developing countries, don't have access to life-saving treatment.

Far too many people around the world are still dying from HIV/AIDS. HIV/AIDS can be treated and prevented. Know your HIV/AIDS status. Get tested.

From Avert.org:

HIV is a virus that damages human immune cells. It weakens the immune system and, without treatment, leads most infected people to develop AIDS.

Like all viruses, HIV infects the cells of a living organism in order to make new copies of itself. HIV can only be transmitted in certain ways and the purpose of this page is to explain how you can and can’t become infected.

HIV is found in blood and other body fluids such as semen and vaginal fluids. It cannot live for long outside the body, so to be infected with HIV you need to allow some body fluid from an infected person to get inside your body. The virus can enter the body via contact with the bloodstream or by passing through delicate mucous membranes, such as inside the vagina, rectum or urethra.

The most common ways that people become infected with HIV are:

• having sexual intercourse with an infected partner.
• injecting drugs using a needle or syringe that has been used by someone who is infected.
• as a baby of an infected mother, during pregnancy, labour or delivery, or through breastfeeding.

Treatment costs around 40 cents a day.

The results are nothing short of miraculous.

Someone on death's door can be brought back to life. In as little as 90 days.

This transformation is called the Lazarus Effect.

A new documentary called The Lazarus Effect, will be coming this Spring to HBO. Click here to find out more.

WORLD AIDS DAY

Started on 1st December 1988, World AIDS Day is about raising money, increasing awareness, fighting prejudice and improving education. The World AIDS Day theme for 2009 is 'Universal Access and Human Rights'. World AIDS Day is important in reminding people that HIV has not gone away, and that there are many things still to be done.

According to UNAIDS estimates, there are now 33.4 million people living with HIV, including 2.1 million children. During 2008 some 2.7 million people became newly infected with the virus and an estimated 2 million people died from AIDS. Around half of all people who become infected with HIV do so before they are 25 and are killed by AIDS before they are 35.

The vast majority of people with HIV and AIDS live in lower- and middle-income countries. But HIV today is a threat to men, women and children on all continents around the world.

Akira’s Hip Hop Shop: A Love Story Set to a Different Beat [VIDEO]

Sunday morning channel surfing while multi-tasking brought this gem of an independent short film to my television. Akira’s Hip Hop Shop is about an interracial relationship that’s rarely talked about let alone became the focus of a film. Asian male – black female couples are very rarely seen. This blog post is not about the sociological reasons why that coupling is not seen as frequently as Black male – Asian female couples or any other combination of couples.

Akira (James Kyson Lee) is faced with many daunting choices in addition to his love for Daphne (Emayatzy Corinealdi). Family pressures and ultimatums weigh heavily on his decisions regarding his relationship with Daphne and commitment to fulfilling his personal dreams and aspirations. Daphne is forced to  decide how she will live out her dreams.

Outside of the Asian male-black female, the movie is much of the same old things --- stereotypes about sex and disapproving family and friends. While Akira and Daphne are of different ethnic backgrounds, their similar interests in music and Asian culture make for refreshing dialog. They also find they are a lot more similar than different.

This is a short film. The full-length version of the movie (37 minutes) is available on Amazon.com and fills in the gaps of the shortened version but you still want more of this film. I don’t want to spoil the movie if you haven’t seen it; if you like romantic comedy with a little drama, check out Akira’s Hip Hop Shop.

Official Trailer: Akira’s Hip Hop Shop

Official Website: Akira’s Hip Hop Shop

Rent it or buy it online: Akira’s Hip Hop Shop

Follow Akira’s Hip Hop Shop on Twitter.

Ikea's heart of darkness: A tale of racism, lies and Swedish meatballs -- DailyFinance

A new book is out that purports to tell the truth about furnishings and household giant, Ikea. It is not pretty with reports of anti-semetic and racist comments by management and limitiations on growth for miniorities in the company.

Check out Ikea's heart of darkness: A tale of racism, lies and Swedish meatballs -- DailyFinance. Unfortunately, the book has not been translated into English just yet but it is sure to be a bestseller.

Judge Glenda Hatchett Finds Her Roots [VIDEO]

From You Tube:

Watch Judge Hatchett find her African roots while helping a troubled youth change his criminal ways. To trace your DNA and find your roots, visit www.africanancestry.com.