For Brown Girls, Karyn Washington, Light skin vs. Dark skin, Low self-esteem

She committed suicide because of her skin color!

The ReadyWriter

forbrowngirls

She was the founder of “For Brown Girls” an initiative to encourage dark skinned women to celebrate their beauty. At just 22 years old, she committed suicide in what many believe was due to her low self-esteem issues.

Karyn Washington launched her #DarkSkinRedLip initiative after rapper A$ap Rocky cautioned dark skinned girls against wearing red lipstick.  The mission of both of her endeavors was to encourage darker skinned women to celebrate their beauty.

The story has gotten the attention of those who feel that the African American community can often become fixated on skin color as a way of measuring a woman’s beauty.  

Although no one knows if these self-esteem issues directly contributed to Washington’s passing, it is clear that they didn’t make her life better. Not in her mind anyway, which is why I did the show in October 2012 on light skin vs. dark skin because it is a sad state and mentality that some women of color suffer and believe.

Sad.

Conversations Of A Sistah, National Poetry month, Poetry, Tracy L. Bell

The Gifts of a poet? Tonight on “Conversations Of A Sistah”

The ReadyWriter

african-american-woman-writing-check1-500x270

What is a poet? We know what the common answer to that question would be: A poet is a person who writes poetry. However, a poet’s work can be literal, meaning that his/and or her work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his/or her work can take on many different meanings and forms.

Poets exist in nearly every language and have produced works that vary greatly in different cultures and different times. Poets have used various styles that have changed through the course of literary history, resulting in a history of poets as diverse as the literature they have produced. Some poets write poetry for pleasure or as an occupation.

Poetry can be written in many forms, even from the poet’s imagination however, a genuine poet will write from experience and feelings which altars the soul.

April is National Poetry month, so join me tonight at 8:00 PM on “Conversations Of A Sistah” via “Conversations Live” as we explore some great poets of our time.

All links in this post, make it possible to access this post.

And if you would like to share your poetry on the air, here’s your chance…call the show at 1-347-426-3645 and press “1” to speak with me the host…

See you on the air, if you dare to share!

Most joyful let the Poet be;
It is through him that all men see.

A Raisin in a Sun, Broadway plays, Denzel Washington, Lorraine Hansberry, Performance

Denzel Washington in…’A Raisin in the sun’!

The ReadyWriter

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I saw Denzel Washington in Lorraine Hansberry’s 1959 reprised drama “A Raisin in the Sun” a couple of weeks ago and he gave a phenomenal performance.

Reprising Sidney Poitier’s role, Denzel is stunning as the dreamer-schemer Walter Lee Younger, whose frustration throbs at the heart of an American classic that is as deeply humorous as it is affecting.

The story spins around an inheritance of $10,000, or about $100,000 today. The money is willed to Lena (a wonderful LaTanya Richardson Jackson- Samuel L. Jackson’s wife) by her late husband — and she plans to use it to move the whole family into a white suburb. But there are bumps along the way.

Jackson brings dignity, strength and laughter, while Anika Noni Rose charms with contagious exuberance as Beneatha, who wants to be a doctor and to learn more about her African heritage.

As Walter’s long-suffering wife, Ruth, played by the sublime Sophie Okonedo whose voice is thick, strong and horrible on the ears.

Washington’s performance registers the colors of joy, despair, fury and determination and I love him!

Books, Centino Kemp, CEO's Blog, Conversations Of A Sistah, New Book Release, Tracy L. Bell, What he said

The 5th man in the Eddie Long sex scandal…Tonight on “Conversations Of A Sistah”

The ReadyWriter

Centino_Kemp

One of the accusers, who were involved in the Bishop Eddie Long sex scandal, published a new book that details their alleged abusive relationship.

Centino Kemp (pictured above), is one of the five accusers who claims Long, an Atlanta-based mega church bishop, had an abusive gay relationship with him when he was a teenager.

The five accusers and Long, who has denied the allegations, settled out of court but Kemp decided to speak out in his new book “First Lady” which was co-written by T. Benson Glover. The tell-all biography is currently Amazon’s eight most popular non-fiction book for Kindle, the websites’ e-reading device.

Kemp, 22, was not a member of the New Birth Missionary Baptist Church, which Long headed in Atlanta, nor was he on any of the lawsuits against the bishop.

Aside from the scandal, he was born on May 7, 1989 in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida and raised in the Bahamas. Kemp is known for being a promiscuous character and has appeared in several minor film roles and leading roles in dramatic plays such as; ‘Why do fools fall in love’, ‘Dear Liza’, ‘AIDS’ and ‘Don’t be stupid’ in the Bahamas. Centino is one of the most determined, original, genuine and talented young men to hail from the Bahamas.

Tune in tonight at 8:00 P.M. on “Conversations of A Sistah” via “Conversations Live” as my special guest Centino Kemp discusses his book and his alleged affair with Eddie Long.

Use any of the “Conversations links” in this post to access the show.

See you on the air!

Food and Dining, Good food, New Restaurants, The Grilled Chicken Palace

The Grilled Chicken Palace in Hillside, NJ

The ReadyWriter

Grilled_Chicken_Palace

It’s been a while since I featured a food post and I thought I’d share with you my venture to the Grilled Chicken Palace on Hillside Avenue in Hillside, NJ over the weekend.

Owned by this Sistah I went to High School with, she runs a pretty impressive take-out joint to satisfy your every taste bud. A friendly staff of professionals, who are “on point” and courteous, I was shocked when we walked in and were asked “If it was our first time there?” and when we replied “Yes“, we were told we were going to get a taste test. Well the food was OUT OF THIS WORLD!

This is not a soul food restaurant in my opinion, the food had more of a Caribbean flair. They had everything but the kitchen sink on the menu; from rice and beans, to condoles and rice, from collard greens to a stir fried mixed vegetables of cabbage, broccoli, zucchini and carrots.

The home of a variety of chicken and I don’t eat meat but you can wrap your appetite around her Palace chicken, curry chicken, pineapple chicken or drunken chicken, just to name a few; each meat had its own flare. And the choices of fish are endless, from the Terriyaki grilled salmon to the lobster and shrimp pasta with spinach. The menu is ever-changing and “all of that” with a big fat bag of chips!

You can “top your meal off” with any of her desert selections; “Red Velvet cake” “Sweet potato cheese cake” “Coconut cake” or the ‘Chocolate chip mouse cake”.

With a full serviced staff, an awesome chef and a packed house, you won’t go wrong to satisfy your cravings, so bring your appetite because this place is “off the hook!” and sure to please.

I wanted to feature the owner and former school mate as a guest on “Conversations Of A Sistah” during “Women’s History Month” but she’s too shy to pull it off….so you’ll just have to visit the restaurant and have the “best food experience” for yourself.

If you’re ever in Hillside, NJ make your way to Hillside Avenue because The Grilled Chicken Palace is way more than just chicken but it lives up to its name.