When I interviewed model Erica Mena for VIBE.com, I had no idea that it would lead to my first  TV appearance. Technically, I’ve been on TV before if you count web TV where I’ve hosted segments or gotten interviewed, and even random appearances on the news as a kid for whatever program I was a part of. However, this was my first time on a major network actually being featured. It’s definitely something that was on my bucket list and that I will hopefully do again–but better.  Yet over all it was an interesting learning experience.

Back Story:

I interviewed Erica Mena for VIBE.com shortly after the super trailer for VH1′s Love & Hip-Hop was released. At that time, most people saw a brief clip of Kimbella and Erica engaged in a vicious fight and wondered who the heck Erica was because she was a pretty face entangled in a brawl. My boss, Datwon Thomas, was good friends with Erica and figured that she would make a good interview. I reached out and Miss Mena had no qualms about speaking her mind. Little did I know, my interview ran as the girls were still taping the show and it sparked more beef. That’s when I got a call from Mona Scott-Young about recreating the interview for TV. So, what no one except for the parties involved knew was that the interview was taped so that viewers could have a frame of reference for what the heck Kimbella and Somaya were talking about. Peep the interview, along with more insight to how it all happened after the jump…

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Dashira Harris, my friend and fellow journalist, is producing an informative documentary entitled Negro, which is about Latino identity. So far she has traveled to Colombia, Brazil and the Dominican Republic but she has a long road ahead of her in order to complete her journey exploring this complex subject matter. However, in the meantime check out part one where she interviews various people (shouts to Dee Vazquez at 12:11) about racism, colorism and the social consequences of colonialism on the Latino community. Dash drops some serious historical facts about the connection between the African slave trade and the development of Latin America.

I love her for this! I got chills because I had no idea about that African community in Colombia. I’ve blogged a couple of times about my own experiences with Latinos who have called me ugly or “mona” (monkey) based on their own ignorant self-hate and denial but I digress. If you like what you saw then help Dash keep this going. Support her at Go Fund Me and “Like” them on Facebook.

This is a short horror flick by my homegirl Tiffany D. Jackson. She’s a horror buff like me, which I love because it’s hard to find other people who appreciate the genre. Check this out:

Interesting twist, right?

I’m super late posting this but this is an interesting movie about how women in the West have taken over Yoga. I never knew this but it used to be a predominately male activity. Watch:

Check out the Yoga Woman site here.

This documentary preview has been making rounds online. It’s about various women’s struggles with being dark skin. In case you haven’t seen it, watch:

Dark Girls: Preview from Bradinn French on Vimeo.

I am a dark skinned woman. I am not a victim. I am not unfortunate. I am not pretty for a dark skinned girl. I am not ugly because I am dark. I am brown and beautiful. I was made by my creator with love, and in the spirit of diversity. I pray for people who self-hate and I pray for those who are ignorant and inane enough to believe that complexion determines what is attractive.

I cringed when I watched the trailer for Dark Girls because of the self-loathing and the pain that these women are still dealing with as a result of lingering post-colonial psychology. No one should hate them selves that much, especially because of someone else. It’s not just in the Black community that we deal with this type of self-hate, brown people all over the world struggle with this problem⎯this ridiculous White worship that negates our creator’s plans. Even if you don’t believe in any type of God, the fact that every inhabitant of this Earth looks different should attest to the verity that this was part of the plan. There isn’t one standard of beauty. Logically, that concept should be simple but it’s not so uncomplicated because people insist on being stubbornly blind to the fact. Mankind has such a strong desire to label everything because of our personal insecurities, that even if we were all the same complexion and had the same type of hair we’d then most likely be divided by height, size, eye color and so on.

Dark Girls is culturally relevant to everyone because African people throughout the Diaspora (including Latinos), and Asians too, need to have these uncomfortable conversations and face the ugly truth so that we can hopefully correct the problem. However, I’m also tired of this rhetoric because we’ve been dealing with this issue for centuries but with no real progress. So…

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My former intern, Amanda Koger, is working on a documentary about what it’s like to be plus size in Chicago. What you are about to watch is a seven minute piece that examines some of the stereotypes that are placed on overweight people.

“I wanted to focus on the lives of women because they are the ones who are looked upon as these sexual beings but once their image doesn’t line up with the media’s view of sexy then they are tossed aside,” says Koger. This video is just a starter to a larger project that she is working on.

So, the reasons that I say this is a pre Mother’s Day giveaway are because there aren’t any present giving holidays coming up any time soon and because these particular movies make me think of my mother because she likes movies like this (especially for lazing around on a Sunday), so I figured these would make someone else’s mother happy too. You can give them to her on as part of a non cliche gift pack (since moms always tend to get fragrances and stuff of that nature) that possibly includes popcorn, a good book and other simple amenities packaged in a cute basket or something along those lines/

The movies I am giving away are ConSinsual and Heaven Ain’t Hard To Find. See inside for movie details and how one lucky individual will win both!

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Inspiration for this webspace of mine has been fleeting, which is why I haven’t blogged since January but I digress. In the name of Harry Potter, check out a brief snippet of The Deathly Hallows Part 2, out July 15.

Spotted at Parlour Magazine

Across 110th Street, 1972 (Sorry, couldn’t find a better poster)

Plot summary from imdb:

This is a violent urban thriller about a corrupt old white cop and an honest young black cop chasing three black robbers-cum-murderers who ran away with $300,000 that belonged to the Italian mob. The police must find them before the sadistic Mafia henchman Nick D’Salvio reaches them first.

More after the jump…
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If the name Vikter Duplaix doesn’t ring a bell, you’ve probably still heard his music. The DJ, singer, songwriter, producer and instrumentalist and has worked with Jill Scott, Erykah Badu, The Roots, Faith Evans, Teddy Pendergrass and more.

The Philadelphia native also found time to release his own albums. His third studio LP, Love Machine drops in January but in the meantime, you can catch him on Centric’s DJ competition, Smirnoff Presents: Master of the Mix, where he competes with other professional DJs to showcase his crown pleasing skills through a series of various challenges.
GangStarrGirl.com caught up with him to chat about his new project, doing reality TV and the elements that make a good dj.

More after the jump…

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