On blackgirlgrown’s Reading List

Career and Professional Development
Perhaps 2008 was the Age of Obama, but today is all about women in the workplace.  Before the Shriver Report there was Womenomics by Katty Kay and Claire Shipman.  Instead of lecturing corporate executives and business leaders on political correctness, Kay and Shipman make the strong case for women in the workforce.  [...]

Balanced Life — Nine Things You Can Do Every Day — Even When You Can’t Do Anything Else

Simple, yes. But extremely important, not just in the action but in the habit. Growing up, I always considered making my bed a chore. Now I understand it is about how you start your day…with purpose. I’m happy to report I accomplish about seven of the nine simple things. I [...]

McWhorter: What To Get a Black Person For Christmas

Always thought-provoking, John McWhorter provides his recommendations on what Blacks need this Christmas:  Bill Cosby’s State of Emergency CD.
So very “2004” by now – the days when the kickoff question for an interview on black issues was whether you agreed with the views of Bill Cosby. What was interesting was how many black people actually [...]

No Black Prince for Disney’s Tiana?

Black women across America gave a collective “It’s about time” when Disney announced pre-production on a film featuring a black princess.
Disney has traveled a long road to move from its early caricatures of lazy, big-lipped, bug-eyed, zoot-suited blacks to Princess Tiana, an energetic, smart and in-charge heroine. But as the national release of The Princess [...]

Why Precious is Important (Movie Review)

After I agreed to write a review for the movie Precious I began to wonder if I’m the right person to do so. I say this because I am by no means a big movie-goer. In fact Precious is only the third movie I’ve seen this year — He’s Just Not That Into You and [...]

Movies With Meaning: American Casino, Skin Deep, and TEN9EIGHT

As much as we were looking forward to seeing Chris Rock’s Good Hair, the reviews from the “girlfriend focus group” aren’t very positive. General consensus: Should have gone straight to cable to begin with.
However, there are three movies/documentaries opening that have meaning and relevance to our lives and communities:
American Casino: Filmed over twelve months [...]

Tyler Perry is Not “For Colored Girls”

Thembi Ford, over at The Root, laments the recent announcement that Tyler Perry will be making a full screen version of Ntozake Shange’s 1975 play For Colored Girls who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow is Enuf.
According to Ford:

Not only will he produce and direct the upcoming film version, the King of Coonery will [...]

Black on Black Neglect: Hook A Brotha Up

AverageBro.com has a guest post by Janks Morton, an independent black filmmaker, on how the “hook a brotha up” mentality is ruining independent black film. Janks, producer/director of Boys To Men and What Black Men Think, begrudgingly makes a plea for African Americans to support independent black film with the $$$ and stop getting bootleg [...]

The Black Caucus Vs. Radio One 101

If you live in a large urban metropolitan area you’ve no doubt heard Radio One’s Cathy Hughes blasting members of the Congressional Black Caucus. This is no honest disagreement among friends. Cathy Hughes has made it an all out war leaving collateral damage in her wake. So what’s the beef about? You guessed it: money.
A [...]

A Belated Thank You: E. Lynn Harris

I remember reading my first E. Lynn Harris book, Just As I Am, in college. Color me shocked and wanting to put the blinders back on. E. Lynn Harris opened my eyes to a world I didn’t even know existed!   And I hated him for it.
There it began, the “eyes wide open” outing of black [...]

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