MyBrownBaby is a weekly blog that provides thought-provoking, insightful, wickedly funny commentary on motherhood, for moms who love their brown babies, by moms who do the same.
Through their posts, our MyBrownBaby bloggers lift the voices of African-American moms looking for the 411/advice/a high-five on everything from pregnancy and childrearing to sex, work, and relationships—all filtered through the lens of the African American experience.
I’ve kinda always been of the mindset that letting the kids win is a self-esteem booster—a feel-good strategy that gives kids the confidence they crave while they’re learning how to be competitive. And oh, it’s also a nifty way of avoiding teary outbursts and tantrums and stuff. The kind that no mom wants to deal with when the whole purpose of the fun, friendly, feel-good family game night was to be fun and friendly and whatnot.
But then, Michael Jackson came into our lives. More specifically, the new Michael Jackson Experience for Wii game. It’s got a sparkly glove and a “Workin’ Day and Night” routine featuring MJ when he was cute and fresh and not weird and I wanted to be his girlfriend. Plus, you get to do crotch-grabbing and lots of random twirls without having to explain yourself. Crotch-grabbing and twirls, people! I’m just saying, when that music comes on and the Michael Jackson with the afro starts strutting across the screen and I get to waving that Wii controller and the points start racking up? Yeah—I don’t really care if you’re eight or 11 or I pushed you through my loins or your mouth is poked out because Mommy, who watched and danced to the original “Remember the Time” video with Eddie Murphy and Iman, like, a gazillion times, has a distinct advantage over the little people in the room.
It is what it is. Get your weight up, son! Mommy’s the dance master. Take notes.
Now, no one is suggesting that we African American moms exclusively count on TV, songs, movies and the like to make our babies feel good about themselves. But it would be extremely naïve at best, disingenuous at worst, to suggest that the psyches of our girls aren’t affected by a constant barrage of media images that seek to set the standard for what’s right, what’s wrong and what we all need to fix to get to this stock version of “perfect.” It would be even dumber of us to suggest that non-black children aren't affected by this, either—that they don't come to some not-so-flattering conclusions about their African American counterparts when they have few to no references to refer to when forming those opinions.
So we black moms cloak our babies in the armor—ready them everyday for the battle against lazy beauty standards, pop culture ignorance, and outright black girl put-downs that seem to slap at them—and us!—around every stretch. In my daughters’ cases, I ended up making a border of picture frames filled with pictures of her family on the wall next to their cribs, so that they could see brown faces that look like theirs. I filled their bookshelves with as many books featuring black characters as I could find and requested that my friends do the same. They went to sleep listening to Stevie Wonder and Earth Wind & Fire and Satchmo and Kathleen Battle—artists with soulful voices and incredible, eclectic music filled with prideful messages that both our kids and we love to listen to. And Nick and I would whisper in their ears…you are the loveliest, prettiest, most deliciously chocolatey gifts from God any mommy and daddy could ask for.
But Lord, when we spend our days telling our daughters that their skin is beautiful and their hair is perfect exactly the way it grows out of their heads and their lips and nose and hips and booty are full of goodness and that they are, indeed, visible—that we see them, even if nobody else does—it does something to our girls’ psyche when someone other than their mamas says, “Hey, you’re pretty awesome just the way you are.”
Nobody tells little black girls such things.
But this week, two somebodies did...
To read this essay in its entirety, pop on over to the MyBrownBaby page on Parenting's The Parenting Post—and if you're so moved, please leave a comment. We need to show everyone—magazines, radio stations, ad agencies, companies who depend on our cash to stay alive—that black moms and our children MATTER, and I can't think of a better way to do that than by lifting our voices.
I love an uplifting song with meaningful lyrics—bonus points if the person delivering it can blow. Ledisi gets a star, an A+, and a super-sized bag of generic bodega chips for her single, "Alright." I make a point of playing this song every day, usually while I’m cooking dinner or just relaxing with my girls, not just because Ledisi is singing like it’s early Sunday morning, but because the words she’s saying send an incredible message—that no matter how broke/sad/confused/blah you are, you have to know that really, it’s going to be alright. It's about resiliency, see? And there's not a group on the planet more resilient than African-American mothers. This one is one of my theme songs, fo’ sho. Loves it!
This one goes out to my girl, B... she knows why.
sometimes the rain it makes me sad and it's alright
some things in the world make me mad and it's alright
I promise you, this made my LIFE when I saw it yesterday. You do remember the video for Bobby "The Kang of R&B" Brown's "Every Little Step," right? The all-white room? The giant letters? The black beater with the suspenders, shorts and dress shoes and socks? Riiiiiggght--THAT video. I'm not gonna lie: I remember crossing state lines, driving ALL NIGHT to get to Bobby Brown concerts to see him perform this song. And which one of us didn't want to be one of the hot girls in the video? Bobby Brown was kinda the kang. Him and Aaron Hall and Al B. Sure! and Keith Sweat and even Mike Tyson, whom I never personally found appealing but was kinda THE MAN back in the day (before he got to wailing on Robin Givens and raping groupies and whatnot).
Which brings me to today's offering, coming straight to you from Funny or Die, courtesy of that lunatic, Wayne Brady. This fool remade The Kang's "Every Little Step" video, with he and Mike Tyson taking turns "singing" the lede and doing all of Bobby Brown's manic dance steps. Even more delicious (or scary, depending on how you look at it) is the guest appearance from The Kang of R&B himself—Bobbay!
For the record, I straight stan for Wayne Brady. Always have. LONG before his hysterical star turn on The Chappelle Show. Since "Whose Line..."—for real. AND I own his album. What?! *ducking off my own page to dodge the red tomatoes and boos*
But whatevs. Wayne Brady can sing. And he's funny as hell. This is further proof. I guarantee that if you remember the original, ever loved/hated Bobby Brown, or just enjoy the hell out of watching Mike Tyson make a complete, unabashed ass out of himself, watch this. You'll love me long time.
My good friends over at BlackAndMarriedWithKids.com hipped me to this beautiful video of a couples' dance ministry at Chicago's own Trinity United Church of Christ. I mean, they had me at Babyface, but how lovely to see husbands and wives so publicly expressing their love for and commitment to one another through an art form so meaningful to us.
Mari and my nephew, Miles, were bored silly yesterday so I agreed to take them to the movies. The flick of choice: Despicable Me, starring Steve Carell. It's about an evil, thick-headed villain who hatches a sinister plot to steal the moon, only to have three cutie pie, cookie-selling orphan girls turn his cement heart into total mush.
It was a cute plot—reasonably funny. But what really got my attention was the music. There was just this surprising flavor running all up and through the score—bouncy, space-age tracks with delicious beats that gave a keen edge to what was clearly kiddie fare. I tell you, every time I heard a song, I'd turn to Mari and Miles and say, "Wow, that song sounds kinda hot!" I couldn't be sure, but two vocal offerings sounded so much like Pharrell and Justin Timberlake that I insisted we stick around to see who wrote the score and picked the musical tracks to what turned out to be a pretty cute movie.
Sure enough, big and bold up on the screen, Pharrell Williams' name popped up in the credits as the artist who provided the score, soundtrack and overall musical direction of the movie. The song we were bouncing to during the credits, "My Life," was written by Pharrell and performed by Robin Thicke (sounding just like JT).
How hot is that?
I've long been a fan of Pharrell and his N.E.R.D. crew, just because it seems he/they don't get stuck in conventions; there's always an aura of whimsy to the music—fresh, inviting, spicy, spacey. A lot like the kids. Which is why Pharrell's guiding the score and soundtrack for Despicable Me made total sense.
Even more, his star turn as the musical master behind a mainstream, big-release children's movie is downright inspiring. Mari, Miles and I talked all day long about how cool it is that Pharrell, a rapper, songwriter, and producer, didn't let other people's stereotypes of hip hop artists limit him—that his gift opened the door to his being able to stomp all up into a space traditionally dominated by white men. That talent, and that bravado, speaks to Pharrell's ability to cross all genres, all bounds.
To steal the moon.
Go 'head, Pharrell!
This song, My Life, was written and produced by Pharrell and performed by Robin Thicke for the Despicable Me soundtrack. To hear some of the other music on the soundtrack, check out these Despicable Me videos on YouTube or, do like I did, and buy the soundtrack on iTunes or Amazon for the kiddies. Mari, Miles and Lila LOVE it, especially the title track, "Despicable Me," and "Fun, Fun, Fun," "Prettiest Girls," and the SUPER CUTE "The Unicorn Song."
I was thoroughly turned out yesterday by neo-soul/hippie/rock star Raheem DeVaughn's new album, The Love and War Masterpeace. I'll tell you this much: that man knows how to make a sexy song and stretch beyond the cliches to make women feel good about listening to his music. He knows, too, how to speak on it when it needs to be spoken—something he did with his piece, "Nobody Wins a War." The title of the song, performed by DeVaughn with neo-soul heavyweights Jill Scott, Bilal, Anthony Hamilton, Chrisette Michele, Ledisi, Dwele and Chico DeBarge, as well as singers Algebra, Shelby Johnson, Citizen Cope and Rudy Currence, makes DeVaughn's intent pretty clear: war is not the answer. Dig what DeVaughn says about his song on Sound-Saavy:
I actually wrote it while Bush was in office. Now with Obama making the announcement that he’s sending in 30,000 more troops into Afghanistan... it’s right on time with the signs of the times, where we are as a people and where we are as a world. I just try to make music that reflects upon the time and get it out to the people and let them make their own observations. It’s a real dope record—a basic common sense record when you get into the lyrical content. At the end of the day, who really wins?
Even more incredible is the poem Jill Scott lends at the end of the song, which straight whips the government (all governments—not just America's) for choosing war instead of trying to, like, work it out:
We, the people speak, speak!
We want to be free of this sick bureaucracy
No more death tolls with our morning coffee
Oh, government, you have lost your feeling for LIFE!
It is war that you reap, but the loss is too great and the pain is too deep
The scars do not heal
Your system is thoughtless and your vision is weak
Your actions are hurtful
You never find what you seek
You make the sky a storm
You destroy the earth
Make possibilities bleak
Your lies are your destruction
Your justice stinks
Your pride is maniacal
You are the bearer of grief
Your win is shallow
Your truth is oblique
Your patriotism is garbage; It rots and it reeks
Of death in the wind
The foul stench of men
Basking in their cruelty
Rejoicing in their sin
You give up and give over so easily to the darker side
Because of your pride
You risk all of humanity
You send my children to murder human beings
Families they do not yet know
People they have never seen
You send my children to war
Without exasperating dialogue to get to the meat!
An equal understanding, as if there isn't even a possibility for peace
But there is ALWAYS a possibility for peace!
As unperfect as we are
we should in all ways reach
Deep, deep down in our beings
Oh, this wicked, wicked system of things
As our grandmothers say, 'Will soon be no more Will soon be no more.'
Because nobody NO ONE EVER WINS A WAR.
Yup... what Jill said.
Press play up top to hear "Nobody Wins the War"—it's well worth the listen.
Janelle Monáe and her extremely catchy tune, "Tightrope," off her sophomore album, "The Arch Android," are both just too cute for words. I especially love the lyrics, which, in my book, speak all-the-way truth: No matter how successful you are or how low you go, somebody always seems to be standing at the ready to either take you down a peg or two or, worse, applaud your downfall. The point is to find balance for you—damn what anyone else thinks. Loves it!
The "Tightrope" video was floating around on the FaceBook pages of a few of my friends last week; I've been finger poppin' and James Brown-ing it to the beat ever since. just thought I'd share. I hope you like it as much as I do.
I'm not going to complain and moan about the sorry state of music today—how it degrades and insults and reaches for the lowest common denominator. My complaints about such things are legendary.
No, today, I want to sing praises. For Bilal. A ridiculously talented artist with a vocal range that soars with the angels and gets low with the devil and dances all through the spaces in between. He is eclectic. Insightful. Beautiful. Respectable. And respectful.
He's only had one official album release—2001's First Born Second (a second offering, Love For Sale, never made it to store shelves). But he still performs regularly; I last saw him on the stage with Common, at the Maxwell concert in North Carolina, where he and Common worked a remix of the rapper's song, Come Close to Me. Bilal was singing the hook to his hit single, Soul Sista, over Common's lyrics; he was delicious. And though access to his musical brilliance is severely limited, I adore Bilal still.
Below is the video for the song that made me love him. What choice do I have when this man, with this angelic voice, dedicates a song to doing right by his lover? Like, when does that ever show up in a song these days?
Oh man, when Dreamgirls hit movie theaters on Christmas Day a few years back, Nick and I hosted a huge gift exchange and brunch at my house, and then we all rolled to the movie theater—25 people deep—to see Beyonce, Jennifer Hudson, and Anika Noni Rose light up the screen. What we saw was magical; I mean we danced and laughed all through the movie, and when we got home, my girls relived the experience every time they popped the soundtrack into the CD player. Both Lila and Mari love them some Beyonce, but they identified with Anika Noni Rose—thought she was pretty and funny and a great singer and all things generally awesome.
So when they saw that she's the voice of the lovely Tiana, Disney's first African-American princess in the upcoming film, The Princess and the Frog, let's just say they lost their natural born minds! And Mari and Lila, both HUGE fans of Disney movie music, have been w-a-i-t-i-n-g on pins and needles, needles and pins for The Princess and the Frog soundtrack, which includes original Disney music sung by Anika, Jennifer Lewis, Keith David, and even Ne-Yo, all wrapped in the sounds of jazz, zydeco, blues, gospel, pop, and more. When they come home from school today, I'm going to give them a sneak peek at the video featuring Anika (up top) and Ne-Yo (below), and let them listen HERE to snippets from the upcoming soundtrack, available in stores November 23—just a few weeks before the December 11th nationwide release of The Princess and the Frog.
AND if you're in the ATL area AND you have a little girl under age 12 AND she's willing to wear a princess costume and tiara out, she can get into the Georgia Aquarium FREE on November 21, between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., when the establishment will be celebrating the Georgia Aquarium Princess Day: A Benefit for Frog Conservation. There'll be parades, games, and fairytale fun (frog kissing is optional!). Click HERE for more info.
Woot woot—score! (I'm sorry, y'all, but this movie with the African American princess really does make me giddy!)
If you've read my post about MY BEEF WITH BLACK RADIO, you know I don't get in the car without my special home made mix of kid-friendly/mom-approved music. I mean, I'd much prefer the babies groove to Chrisette Michelle's "Be Okay," De La Soul's "Me, Myself & I," or Michael Jackson's "Can't Help It," than the hot mess they're pumping into out stereos these days. I mean, Lil Boosie's "Better Believe It"? Pleasure P's "Under"? Jeremih's "Imma Star"?
I. Can't.
And. I. Won't.
(Lest blood gush out of my and my children's ears.)
Nick hooked me up with a new iPod connection in my ride a few months ago, so I don't have to make my own mix CDs. But I have to admit, even with the thousands of songs I have in my iTouch, I've grown a little bored with my playlist. A couple weeks ago, I copped albums by a few of my favorite '90s R&B bands, including Intro, Brownstone, and Mint Condition. I also bought Jay-Z's latest, "The Blueprint 3," because his "Welcome to New York" and "Run this Town" put me in a New York state of mind (Go Brooklyn! Strong Island!) But dude, I need some new music—seriously.
Can you guys help me out? What's on your playlist these days? Let's swap some of our favorites so we can all up our music game (and keep the kids' ears pimp-free). Here's what's been in constant rotation on my iTouch:
• Melodies (feat. Leon Ware) — Liquid Spirits ::The architect of Marvin Gaye's "I Want You" pairs with a very cool hip hop/neo-soul group out of Europe::
• So Cold (feat. D’Angelo on Rhodes) — Don-E ::If you, like I, still stan hard for D’Angelo, you’ll love this smooth neo-soul singer, also from the U.K.::
• I’m Done — Tweet ::The most beautiful “beat it, Negro,” song I’ve ever heard::
• So Beautiful — Musiq ::This man knows his way to put a smile on a girl’s face::
• I Know You — Esperanza Spalding ::Thoughtful, fresh music!::
• Stop the World — Maxwell ::Um, Maxwell. Need I say more? I didn’t think so::
• Chains — Kirk Franklin ::A brilliant song that reminds us to curb the self-pity and drama::
This video, Maxwell's "Bad Habits," from his new album BLACKsummer'snight, makes me feel some kinda ways. I'll refrain from telling you exactly what kinda way that is, seeing as this is a family blog and all. But you'll know instantly once you take a looksie. *fans self and clutches pearls* Um, is it getting hot in here? Can somebody get me some Evian? Somebody?
I had some dear friends over for dinner last night, and while I was cooking—collards, macaroni and cheese, candied yams, fried corn, and Nick's smokin' smoked ribs—I was rocking out to the "Genius" mix on my iTouch, and stumbled across a beautiful poem that I'd never heard before. The piece, a prelude to the title track on Dwele's album, Some Kinda, implores us parents to encourage/coax/threaten/expect the best out of our children, because they just might be the next somebody special. I found myself playing it over and over again, just to digest the words and really think about what I'm doing here in my home to encourage/coax/threaten/expect greatness from my kids. After awhile, I was floating through my kitchen, talking about, "You better preach, Dwele!" I've always loved this musician's music, particularly his ability to tell a story and convey a message through his words. Check it out, enjoy!
And so it is You’re already one in a million before you take your first breath Or see your very own personal some kinda So keep on…
And she will let you know daily I brought you in and I will take you out But she won’t, though ‘Cause she herself believes that you have your very own special some kinda that you can bless this world with one day And that’s fo’ sho’ How the sayin’ go? Mama knows…
If you are blessed with dance And when you do with the concrete that holds your feet Slides and adjusts with your every movement as though it’s trying to keep you afloat just to see what you gonna do next? That might be your some kinda.
Keep on with your some kinda music, your some kinda art Your seed might be the first president of your kind When he or she gets here, don’t give up Nurture their some kindas
You may birth the next promoter of world peace World, please, in your lives, imitate this art that I have spoken
You never know where inspiration comes from—I realized I wanted to be a journalist when I saw NBC New York’s Sue Simmons interviewing New Edition. My sister-in-law Angelou was inspired to become an environmentalist while summering on her family’s 58-acre farm, not far from the Canadian border. My little girl, Mari, really digs marching bands, and was inspired to ask for trumpet lessons for her birthday so she can be in one.
Inspiration, you see, breathes life into dreams, and dreams breathe life into us. And sometimes, life is transformed and transforming because of it.
It was an episode of Mister Rodger’s Neighborhood, featuring the classical cellist Yo-Yo Ma that inspired and transformed my latest obsession, Esperanza Spalding. The critically acclaimed jazz bassist, who is transforming one of America’s greatest art forms, taught herself how to play the violin at the tender age of five because of that episode. And now, at just age 23, Spalding is a bright and shining star in the jazz pantheon, bringing her eclectic, graceful, funk-filled stylings and that angelic voice to stages all across the world—and inspiring my girls to follow their passions.
I stumbled across her music on iTunes (where I tend to look for bright new artists and listen-worthy music because Heaven knows I can’t count on black radio to help a sistah out), and I simply cannot stop playing her latest offering, Esperanza. The girls and I absolutely adore her young, hip, Afro-Brazilian update on the Milton Nascimento classic Ponta de Areia and the jazz standard, "Body and Soul," and her “I Know You Know,” and “Precious” make us stop what we’re doing and dance. We just dance and dance. And marvel at how someone so young could do something so incredibly original and fresh and incredibly cool—play the bass and sing and compose and lead her own band and teach at Berklee.
Esperanza, in essence, inspires.
On her website, EsperanzaSpalding.com, the artist acknowledges her gift, and gives humble thanks:
“I think there are some outside forces that have blessed me with creative talents, and I don’t want to disrespect whatever plan the cosmos or the heavens or God or whoever might have fore me, she explains. But based on what I know about myself right now, what I really want to do is reach people. I want to make great music, but I also want to use that talent to life people up, and maybe show them some degree of hope where there might not be any in their lives. My name means ‘hope’ in Spanish, and it’s a name I want to live up to.”
She most certainly does. Take a listen, and hear it for yourself. I’ve included two videos here—one of her performing Stevie Wonder’s “Overjoyed” in the East Room of the White House at Michelle Obama’s jazz concert, the other of her performing our favorite, Ponta de Areia, because, doggonit, you just need to hear it.
If you have the time, check out her website; if you have the $10, cop the album—it’s worth every penny, and I promise you, you’ll be inspired to let the babies listen in.
Enjoy!
Photo credit for Esperanza Spalding portrait: Johann Sauty Photo credit for Mari, a.k.a. Lil' Louis, on the horn: Proud mama, Denene Millner
I love India.Aire and Musiq Soulchild for many reasons, most certainly for their song-writing talent, their incredible voices, and their dedication to their art and their culture and their people. The two of them make beautiful soul music, universal in its appeal, but so extraordinarily meaningful to those of us who appreciate solid songs about self-empowerment (Aire's "Video" and "I Am Not My Hair"), the excitement of new love (Musiq's "Buddy," and "Girl Next Door"), divine power (Aire's "God Is Real") and responsibility (Musiq's "Betterman" and "Motherfather").
I especially love that India and Musiq have repped black love to the fullest on each of their albums—unabashedly, beautifully. And not just black love between men and women, but black love between mother and child. For sure, I found a different kind of meaning in Aire's "Beautiful Flower," when I sang it to Lila each night at bedtime:
You are everything I ask for in my prayers So I know my angels brought you to my life Your energy is healing to my soul You are a beautiful surprise You are an inspiration to my life You are the reason why I smile You are a beautiful surprise
As far as I know, India isn't a mom and those lyrics were intended for a man, but I found that every note, every word resonated with me as a mom, who, even with the second baby, was still astounded by the "beautiful surprise" God had sent my way. Still am, really.
My latest musical obsession, though, is a new song my two favorite artists recorded together—one that unabashedly celebrates black love, the kind between a man and a woman. It's sexy and super sweet, and I'm totally addicted; this song makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside, like a teenager tucked away in her room, rewinding the sweetness of the first kiss. The chorus alone gives me butterflies:
There is somethin' about your love That makes me just want to open up Your flavor is the sweetest thing in life I'm addicted to your chocolate high Cause i want you, and i know that you want me So let's stay close like we supposed to be And just get high off our own supply I'm addicted to your chocolate high
Addicted indeed.
Press play—I'm sure you'll enjoy it. In the meantime, I'll be somewhere hugging my husband—my own personal chocolate high!
Maybe I’m just getting old, but it’s hard as heck to relate to modern music these days. I mean, all you need to do is turn on a black radio station to witness the ridiculousness of lyrics that obsess on black pathology and private parts. Why, just yesterday, at around 4 p.m., while I was on my way to pick my child up from an after school activity, I heard an ode to alcoholism on the radio, with a gang of dummies shouting proudly how “tow up” they are from a day’s worth of drunken debauchery.
I guess you get what you pay for when you find talent not in small clubs or music schools or church pews, but fresh from the stack of portfolio headshots of some modeling agency somewhere. Talent be damned.
Which is what makes the singing duo Kindred The Family Soul so incredibly beautiful to me. To actually discover singers who seem like they were given their big break because of their talent is rare enough, but for Fatin and Aja to be a married couple with children and mortgages and seemingly normal, everyday lives, makes Kindred seem about as regular as Nick and me.
Too cool.
As a couple that’s been writing together for a decade, willing to allow people to peek into our relationship and share in our good days and the bad ones too, Nick and I are appreciative of the sentiments that Kindred expresses in their music, from their adoration of each other ("Where Would I Be"), to their dedication to one another, ("Rhythm of Love," and "This House"), to their recognition of the struggles of marriage and parenting ("Woman First"). Be clear: This isn’t your everyday, run-of-the-mill, black Hip Hop station fare; Kindred’s music is refreshingly honest, insightful, funny, head-noddingly familiar and fly. Nick and I have loved them from the beginning--quickly adopted their hit, "Far Away," as the ultimate African American married couple anthem. What black couple couldn't identify with the lyrics of this beautiful song?
I'm tired of broken street glass Not getting no ass Unless the baby’s sleep, but even then seems like we're trying to creep Tired of paying taxes, sending emails and faxes Tired of crooked cops, tired of black folk complaining that crime don't stop
I wanna go to a place where lovers go Do the things that lovers do No stress, a sweet caress from me to you I wanna do the things we used to do, Say the things we used to say Just lay, everyday (all day)
Far away from here/far away from here/far away from here Just jump in a taxicab, pack a bag, and get away fast.
You better tell it, Kindred.
Tell it.
To learn more about Kindred The Family Soul, click HERE. To buy their latest album, The Arrival, click HERE.
Oh, how I love Christmas--for the fellowship, the magic, the familial bonding. For the reminder of the miracle that brought us our Lord. Tonight, look toward the Heavens and thank God for sending us His son. Whisper it to your babies as you hold them tight. And remember that Jesus truly is the reason for the season.
I'm taking off a few days to celebrate my favorite holiday with my family and my incredible friends, but MyBrownBaby will return on Monday with a post that will do its best to make you think a little, giggle a little, and hold your children and loved ones just a little tighter--I'm sure of it. In the meantime, here's my gift to you: the insanely gifted and beautiful (with his fine chocolate self!) Brian McKnight, singing his new version of "The Christmas Song." And um, it's okay if you watch it two, three, four times. I sure did. Ha' mercy.
I love an uplifting song with meaningful lyrics—bonus points if the person delivering it can blow. Ledisi gets a star, an A+, and a super-sized bag of generic bodega chips for her single, "Alright." I make a point of playing this song every day, usually while I’m cooking dinner or just relaxing with my girls, not just because Ledisi is singing like it’s early Sunday morning, but because the words she’s saying send an incredible message—that no matter how broke/sad/confused/blah you are, you have to know that really, it’s going to be alright. It's about resiliency, see? And there's not a group on the planet more resilient than African-American mothers. This one is one of my theme songs, fo’ sho. Loves it!
And speaking of loves it, I’m so pleased to announce that the winner of the first MyBrownBaby contest is LaTonya Yvette of Che’ Demi’s Boutique, a loyal MyBrownBaby follower who has a terrific upscale baby boutique and a lovely blog, to boot. LaTonya wins three books in the Ruby & The Booker Boys series, autographed by the author, Derrick Barnes. Congrats, LaTonya!
Finally, I’d like to thank Jennae at Green Your Décor, Mama’s Got Moxie, and Angelika for showing me bloggy love last week for my posts, Our New First Family and Neighbors Gone Wild. Each of you encourages me to think longer and write harder—more than you’ll ever know. And a special thank you to Preston over at Me and the Blue Skies, who hit a sistah off with a Super Scribbler Award for Our New First Family. I wrote that piece from the heart, and I’m so glad that it touched so many others in the way that it was given—in the spirit of love and unity.
And now, as Preston did for me, I’m going to pay it forward by doling out some blog love to five of my favorites. I read these blogs faithfully because the people who run them can, quite simply, write their behinds off (and y’all should know by now how I feel about the written word). Here they are, presented with fond admiration in no particular order:
Oh, and the rules. Of course there are rules. The rules are:
1. Post the award on your blog. 2. Link me for giving it to you. 3. Link the originating post here. 4. Pass the award on to five more deserving people. 5. Post these rules for your recipients.
Be sure to come back tomorrow—I’ll have some exciting news about another MyBrownBaby contest as fabulous as the first! Until then, remember that it’s gonna be alright…
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