We were contacted by a writer who is looking to interview interracial couples with children for a piece in a magazine. You should be willing to have your names used and photos taken. If you're interested, please email (admin@everythingiric.com) asap (hopefully no later than this Thursday, 8/11) and we'll make the introductions.
Super duper senior Shazza Zulu (Gary Dourdan) tries to call out Kim Reese (Charnele Brown) for dating white Matthew.
Start scene at 6:52
Shazza Zulu: If we as Hillman men don't treat our women right, they'll go to somebody white. Kim Reese did.
Kim Reese: You pseudo intellectual, with a pseudo African name, spouting pseudo philosophy about a whole lot of nothing. In fact, the ONLY thing that's real about you is your green eyes, my bro-tha.
I'm pretty sure my friend Ky and I are the only two black people in America who are not watching the BET awards tonight. Ky simply hates BET for its past (?) crimes of not uplifting the black race when it was in such an amazing position to do so. My reason is a bit more shallow: I just don't like award shows. Never have. However, I do like following people's commentaries on Twitter and Facebook. Go figure.
I was super excited when I saw posted that Ms. Patti LaBelle would be performing. Not going to lie, I first fell in love with her as Chipmunk's (Dwayne Wayne) mother on A Different World, and then learned what an amazing singer she is. Don't judge me! I was born in the 80s. I wasn't old enough to understand or appreciate her music way back when.
Anyway, I fell in love with this song of hers back when J.J. Kennedy hosted "New York's Favorite Love Songs" segment (8 p.m.-midnight weeknights) on 106.7 Lite FM.
For your enjoyment, the interracial duet of Ms. Patti LaBelle and Michael McDonald singing On My Own.
Album : Winner In You
Year : 1986
On My Own
by Patti LaBelle and Michael McDonard
(Bacharach, Sager)
So many times,
Said it was forever,
Said our love would always be true,
Soimething in my heart always knew,
I'd be lying here beside you,
On my own
On my own
On my own
So many promises never should be spoken
Now I know what loving you cost
Now we're up to talking divorce
And we weren't even married
On my own
Once again now
One more time
By myself
No one said it was easy
But it once was so easy
Well I believed in love
Now here I stand
I wonder why
I'm on my own
Why did it end this way
On my own
This wasn't how it was supposed to be
OIn my own
I wish that we could do it all again
So many times
I know I should have told you
Losing you it cut like a knife
You walked out and there went my life
I don't want to live without you
On my own
On my own
On my own
Chorus Repeat
This wasn't how it was supposed to end
I wish that we could do it all again
I never dreamed I'd spend one night alone
On my own, I've got to find where I belong again
I've got to learn how to be strong again
I never dreamed I'd spend one night alone
By myself by myself
I've got to find out what was mine again
My heart is saying that it's my time again
And I have faith that I will shine again
I have faith in me
On my own
On my own
On my own
If you don't know it by now, I'm a huge fan of the relationship between “HawthoRNe” Jada Pinkett Smith’s Christina Hawthorne and Michael Vartan's Dr. Tom Wakefield.
Last season ended two interracial love triangles:
Tom - Christina - Nick (Detective Nick Renata, played by Marc Anthony)
Christina - Tom - Erin (Actress Abigail Spencer)
Now that Christina and Tom are expecting a baby we hope to retire these triangles for good. Let's focus on this new family being built. Although, we have to admit that Nick and Christina were adorable together.
I love folk rock singer-song writer music. I can't properly verbalize why I connect with this music on such a heartfelt level, but I do.
A fun tidbit that I recently learned is that Marc Cohn who sings one of my favorite, Walking in Memphis, is part of an intercultural couple. He is married to ABC News Correspondent Elizabeth Vargas. Vargas is Puerto Rican and Irish-American. They have two sons: Zachary Raphael, who was born on January 31, 2003, and Samuel Wyatt, who was born on August 16, 2006.
Oooh goodness it's getting hot here in NYC. I'm looking forward to the summer, but not that beating noon-day sun. I remember once upon a time I used to avoid the sun like the plague. Not necessarily because I was afraid of aging prematurely (yet another thing I would have worried about had I known to worry about it), but because I feared getting any darker than I already was. Those of you who've been reading this blog know that I've posted once or twice on that topic. Take a look if you haven't already:
Today,@swirlmag shared a preview for an upcoming documentary entitled Dark Girls. Powerful words from sistas who've shared a common pain. I'm looking forward to seeing more of this documentary. I hope they also balance it with some of the experiences of our light skin sistas as it relates to this topic of light vs. dark in the black community.
It's no surprise to anyone who knows me that I little black heart weddings. I don't necessarily like to attend them, nor am I a huge proponent of marriage - yes, I know I'm married. No, I'm more of a side-line viewer. I like to watch various TV shows and visit websites that capture all aspects of the wedding experience: the couple's story, the dress, the food, the decor...you name it. I'm especially excited when it's an interracial or intercultural couple because the diversity provides an added component.
One of my favorite sites to drool over is Wedding Nouveau. Below are some highlights of some of those I like the most. Trust me, it was a difficult decision.
I'm sure the author is a lovely, lovely person. However, I'm quite upset that she would try to pass this off as a book. The story sticks in my head because it is so poorly written. I'm all for suspension of disbelief in order to accept a storyline as plausible, but not when I can't get past all the technical errors. Where was the editor?
Phyl Newbeck is an enabler of geeks like me who love stats, facts and research about EVERYTHING Interracial and Intercultural. My copy of this book is marked, highlighted, dog-eared...whatever you can think of to indicate that it's been constantly referenced and read multiple times.
Sorry I've been slacking on the blog posts...work has been keeping me pretty busy. As a way to unwind, I've been watching nonstop reruns of the Golden Girls. I little black heart this show and all the ladies - especially Sophia, who I most identify with.
I have yet to meet the person (age, race, ethnicity, whatever) who has watched this show and not enjoyed it. If you are that person, please don't spoil it for me by admitting it.
The episode where Dorothy's son Michael is engaged to a black woman who is twice his age.
Sophia Petrillo: [Sophia walks in and sees Lorraine and her family, of African American decent] What is this a revival of Raisins in the Sun? Michael Zbornak: Grandma, this is my fiancé, Lorraine, and this is her mother and her two aunts. Sophia Petrillo: Wait-wait-wait-wait... This is your fiancé? Michael Zbornak: Yep, that's right. Sophia Petrillo: You couldn't find someone your own age? Greta: What is that supposed to mean? Sophia Petrillo: No offense, but it looks as though you're daughter's been around the block more times then a good humour man! Greta: [Turns to her sister] Hold my purse - those are fighting words! Rose Nylund: Stop it all of you! What difference does it make that Lorraine's a little long in the tooth and Michael's a skinny white boy? Can't you see they love each other? We should be celebrating not arguing whether or not it's right. Now what do you say we all join hands and sing a chorus of 'Abraham, Martin and John?' Greta: Is she for real? Dorothy Petrillo-Zbornak: Yep - frightening isn't it?
I'm moving over some old (as far back as 2009) posts from the main EIRIC™ site to here. Reason: I'm going with a different direction for the front page. Please feel free to take a look and provide your feedback.
Yours,
E
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Rochel is an Orthodox Jew, and Nasira a Muslim of Syrian origin. They are both young teachers at a public school in Brooklyn...each going through the process of arranged marriages through their respective religions and traditional customs. How do they handle it?
I'm moving over some old (as far back as 2009) posts from the main EIRIC™ site to here. Reason: I'm going with a different direction for the front page. Please feel free to take a look and provide your feedback.
Yours,
E
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Ms. Kelly Kapoor and Ms. Erin Hannon - the delicious interracial diva group known as Subtle Sexuality who can do it all: sing, dance, act and wear shiny gold spandex. You can catch them on NBC's The Office or visit their website below. Grab a hair brush, lock your doors and sing along with their hit Male Prima Donna.
I'm moving over some old (as far back as 2009) posts from the main EIRIC™ site to here. Reason: I'm going with a different direction for the front page. Please feel free to take a look and provide your feedback.
Yours,
E
Post:
Ms. Rowell (known to a lot of us Soap Opera fans as Drucilla Winters from the Young and the Restless) is an advocate for foster care children. The daughter of a white mother and black father, Ms. Rowell grew up in Maine and was a child in the foster care system for 18 years. If you haven't already, learn more about the foster care system and what you can do to help. The following link will take you to Ms. Rowell's foundation - The Rowell Foster Children's Positive Plan (RFCPP).
-L to R: Jasper (V's son with Jazz great Wynton Marsalis); Radcliffe's daughter, Victoria, Radcliffe Bailey (V's new and 2nd husband); Radcliffe's son; Maya Fahey (V's biological child from her first marriage)
I'm moving over some old (as far back as 2009) posts from the main EIRIC™ site to here. Reason: I'm going with a different direction for the front page. Please feel free to take a look and provide your feedback.
Yours,
E
Post:
Nisa keeps her [white] boyfriend a secret from her [Thai] family. As mice invade their apartment, she is forced to face what she’s really hiding from.
I'm moving over some old (as far back as 2009) posts from the main EIRIC™ site to here. Reason: I'm going with a different direction for the front page. Please feel free to take a look and provide your feedback.
Yours,
E
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Darius is the former frontman of the mainstream pop/rock band Hootie & the Blowfish, who made their mark in the mid-'90s. He is now a solo artist who recently had his first country album – Learn To Live – debut at #1 on the Billboard charts.
The 'It Won't Be Like This for Long' video (seen below) features his adorable biracial (Black AND White) children – Cary, Dani and Jack – who inspired the song. His lovely wife Beth is featured below.
I'm moving over some old (as far back as 2009) posts from the main EIRIC™ site to here. Reason: I'm going with a different direction for the front page. Please feel free to take a look and provide your feedback.
Yours,
E
Post:
Gabriel Aubrey has confirmed that he and actress Halle Berry have split after four years, and daughter Nahla, together.
I'm moving over some old (as far back as 2009) posts from the main EIRIC™ site to here. Reason: I'm going with a different direction for the front page. Please feel free to take a look and provide your feedback.
Yours,
E
Post:
Dear CIA, take note. Sandra Bullock managed to adopt a baby boy without ever appearing on the paparazzi’s radar. If she can do that, surely you can find Bin Laden. Anyway, congratulations Ms. Bullock and have fun being mom to 3 ½ month old cutie pie Louis Bardo. Louis is now joining the ranks of the estimated 28% of adopted children who differ in race or Hispanic origin from their adoptive parents.
Source:
http://www.census.gov/prod/2003pubs/censr-6.pdf
People Magazine
It's still a cold, dreary, rainy day in NYC. Hopefully it clears up soon. I miss spring.
While on my random morning research run, I was excited to discover this interactive feature on the New York Time's site titled Mixed America's Family Trees.
The description for the site reads:
The United States is in the midst of a demographic shift. Driven by immigration and intermarriage, multiracial and multiethnic Americans — usually grouped together as “mixed-race” — are one of the country’s fastest growing demographic groups. Examine the mixed-race family trees submitted by readers and listen to them describe their families, then submit your own.
This is probably the extra motivation I needed to go back to tracing my ancestral line. I took up this task in college but quickly gave up as I kept running into brick wall after brick wall. Multiple natural disasters and coups in Haiti do not make for expert record keeping.
I'll keep you posted on this journey. If you end up posting your tree on the site, please let me know. I'd love to feature it.
The article by Dr. Satoshi Kanazawa has since been taken down. The move of a coward, if you ask me. Either you stand by it, or you don’t. And if you don’t because you felt that you were wrong – APOLOGIZE.
Dr. Kanazawa is apparently known for controversial, racist bull in science clothing. Why Psychology Today and, apparently, the London School of Economics, would want to associate themselves with him is quite puzzling.
I’m not offended by the study, per se. My issue is more on the fact that he’s touting these results as fact when his methodology doesn’t lend itself to being factual. At least what little was included in the article – which was actually nothing. While I did sleep through most of Psych Stats, I do recall the importance of sample size, effect-size and random sampling on statistically significant results. All things that were not made clear in the article.
Adults can read the study and come to their own conclusions about the truth of it. However, that’s not the case for younger girls. What he’s saying is NOT anything new to black women. However, labeling it as scientific truth simply makes it even more difficult for parents to continue encouraging their little girls to see the beauty in themselves that this country tends to ignore – see any magazine rack for confirmation.
There’s a deep seeded issue about the attractiveness of typical African features – darker skin, wide nose, short hair, etc...- that has plagued the black community for years. From reading lots of actual scientific research, anecdotal reports, and my ownexperience, I say that a good percentage of the girls who fall in this category have dealt with – and possibly continue to deal with – self-esteem issues because of this topic.
There’s been a real push in the African American community to ensure that all shades and features of black are celebrated. However, it’s a tough battle to win (especially for people raising young girls) when so many messages say otherwise. It also makes it difficult that some of our own people share the same view as Dr. Kanazawa. I can think of many instances growing up when I heard the statement "you'd be so much prettier if you weren't so dark," or "stop staying out in the sun so much. Do you want to get even darker?"
This issue is one that will continue to exist until we force it out. The next time someone makes a comment (innocent or not) like "she's pretty for a dark skin sista," it might be worth having an open dialogue (don't attack!) about the sentiments behind those words.
As for those of you who are raising young black children (especially girls and especially adopted black children in non-black families), I can't stress enough the importance of celebrating their full beauty - everything from intelligence to physical features. The more you do, the better your child will be armed to fight the words of the Dr. Kanazawas of the world.
