Keepin' It REALLY Real

Black History: Never Stop Telling The Story

2010-02-24T02:17:00Z

by Dee Dee The month of February has been designated “Black History Month”. It actually began as “Negro History Week” back in 1926 when Dr. Carter G. Woodson, a black Harvard Ph.D and a son of former slaves, took it upon himself to bring awareness and recognition to the accomplishments, achievements and contributions of black people in our country’s history. As I write this article, Black History month is, well, almost history, but no matter when we talk about it, whether February or July or October,...(read more)

Martin Luther King, Jr.: An Undefended Legacy

2010-01-11T11:15:00Z

Martin Luther King, Jr.: An Undefended Legacy By Dee Dee January 10, 2010 Martin Luther King, Jr. was only 39 years old when he was assassinated in 1968 outside a Memphis, Tennessee motel room. I was 10 at the time, but I remember that day like it was yesterday. Playing at a neighbor’s house, I heard my mother’s screams from across the street and knew something bad had happened. No doubt, there were screams across the entire nation as millions of black Americans learned of King’s death. There has...(read more)

JIM CROWleygate

2009-08-07T02:40:00Z

The recent arrest of Henry Louis Gates (author, educator, intellectual, historian), in his own home, has sparked a lot of discussion to say the least. It seems that everybody has an opinion or a comment to make about this very sensitive topic of conversation. With that said, I figure I may as well weigh in on the discussion. The immense interest in this story says a great deal about race relations in this country. So many people believe that African Americans have made tremendous progress in terms...(read more)

The King of Pop

2009-07-05T01:35:00Z

June 25, 2009 is forever etched in my memory. I will never forget that day – the day Michael Jackson died. It started out like any other day for me – at work, going through my daily activities, that is, until I received a “Breaking News” e-mail from CNN that read: “Michael Jackson Taken to Hospital in Cardiac Arrest”. It was 4:10pm in my Central Time zone. I was in the middle of a phone call, but this was an e-mail that really disturbed, as well as distracted me. I asked the caller to hold for a...(read more)

Graduation

2009-06-02T18:19:00Z

It’s a sad day when you can’t attend a proud ceremonial event like a high school graduation without having to deal with a lot of “drama”. I attended my niece’s graduation this year where there were at least 300 seniors eagerly anticipating their next step in life – taking the plunge into the real world. The event was held in an enormous college arena. It was crowded, loud and very impersonal. I felt particularly bad as I spotted several frail-looking grandparents, aunts and uncles who were positioned...(read more)

Our First Lady

2009-03-31T12:48:00Z

by Dee Dee We’ve all had water cooler discussions about our new president, Barack Obama, but what about our just-as-famous First Lady, Michelle… Is she fabulous or what? She has definitely got the right stuff. And lately she’s been the talk of the town. Being the wife of the President comes with enormous challenges, even more so if you have children. You certainly must have the ability to effectively take multi-tasking to another level. Michelle Obama appears to be doing very well in that area. In...(read more)

There is a Bright Side

2009-02-25T03:30:00Z

by Dee Dee The U. S. economy has been spiraling downward for a while now. Economists say it will get worse before it gets better. I personally know several people who have been affected by this recession. Some have lost jobs; some have lost their homes. It’s really bad, but I know there is a bright side in all of this. I’m very thankful that I still have my job; however, the financial grim reaper has come to my company’s door, too. Wages have been frozen and furlough days (days off without pay) are...(read more)

Barack Obama: A Man for All People

2009-01-20T10:40:00Z

January 19, 2009 Barack Obama: A Man for All People by Dee Dee I sit writing this article on the eve of the inauguration of the first African-American president in the history of the United States. Ironically, it is also the day many across the nation are celebrating the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. – a man whose name is synonymous with the Civil Rights Movement. A man who dreamed of an America and a world where all men and women would be treated equally, based on the content of their...(read more)

Mr. President

2008-11-14T19:04:00Z

by Dee Dee The evening of November 4 th is as fresh in my mind today as it was that incredible Tuesday night. The night Barack Hussein Obama was elected the 44 th president of the United States. It was unbelievable. When it was announced that he won the election, I threw my hands in the air and cried. I watched as the news anchors stumbled over their words – not even believing what they were saying themselves. I watched as a crowd of over 200,000 people in Chicago went absolutely crazy. I thought...(read more)

The Race Of Change

2008-10-16T03:32:00Z

by Dee Dee Wow, an African-American candidate for president of the United States. A Black man. We are not imagining this. We are not dreaming this. This is real. Barack Obama is days away from being elected the next president of the United States. What would your great grandparents think about what’s happening today? Could they have even conceived it? My mother died just six years ago and she didn’t think it would ever happen. This has been the most interesting, informative, and exciting campaign...(read more)

Showtime

2008-02-04T16:55:00Z

by Dee Dee I vividly remember opening night of one of Tyler Perry’s films. After dinner, my husband and I had agreed to meet some friends at the movies. We sat in our seats, quietly talking amongst ourselves like others in the crowded theater, while several movie trailers played on the screen. As soon as the lights dimmed, we all stopped our chatter, settled back in our seats and focused on the screen to enjoy the movie. Prior to the movie’s introduction, we heard a woman say in a calm voice, the...(read more)

Got Milk?

2008-02-04T16:51:00Z

by Dee Dee Remember the old saying, “Why buy the cow when he can get the milk for free?” In many conversations with my mother, God rest her soul, she said that to me. My sister and I laugh about it now, because we never really knew what it meant until we became adults. We both wondered why Mama used to talk to us about cows and milk. It just didn’t make sense to us at the time, but now, we get it. We even passed that familiar-sounding metaphor on to our own daughters because it still rings true today....(read more)

January 2008

2008-01-02T02:11:00Z

A Future on Hold by Dee Dee I recently had the chance to speak in depth with a 20-year-old unemployed single mother, who lives in the housing projects with her two-year-old son. Melissa* had a nonchalant, indifferent attitude about her living situation and about life in general. However, she was very opinionated and vocal about her parents, and more specifically her mother. The first time I met this young lady was in 1994. She was a cute seven-year-old then, who came from a typical middle-class family....(read more)

Exclusive:

2007-12-02T20:13:00Z

Hollywood Bad Girls by Dee Dee What do Brittany Spears, Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan, and Nicole Richie all have in common? Well, that’s an easy question. A harder question might be – what don’t they have in common? Their bad-girl behavior in the last year or so seems to be the norm for young 20-something females in Hollywood. Their money, fame, or in some cases, lack of it, makes them prime targets for front page articles, magazine covers and headline TV news. It wouldn’t be so bad if the news was...(read more)

Getting Started

2007-11-14T16:31:00Z

Welcome to the first of many columns related to issues concerning the African-American community. The purpose of this column is to motivate, inspire, educate and empower black Americans to realize our true value and self-worth. I’m writing this column because I want to talk about our culture and our history. I want to uplift, inspire and motivate. And, in the process, I might learn a few things myself. To tell you just a little bit about me, first and foremost, I’m a black female, married Christian...(read more)