YAASSSSS!

Even in the world of comic books and superheroes racism can’t hide in the shadows any longer. The Falcon and the Winter Soldier is wrapped in battles with super soldiers and arch enemies. They are out to stop world domination, again.  Yet through the lens of the Black Falcon, we get to see the world through a character who gets his own eyes opened to the world around him.

There is not a girl to get. Or a bomb to keep from exploding. It is way better than that.

Does the color of the skin or hair determine if someone will be a good superhero?

The story doesn’t preach.

They just tell a good tale that examines who can be a superhero.  I am a Marvel fan, so I started watching the series because it is Marvel. I love the Avengers. I mean Black Panther.

Side note: Anthony Mackie is having a moment. He has a dozen or so projects out, especially those where he is the lead.  He found a good rhythm with Falcon and the Winter Soldier. I find him very believable.

Cheers to Marvel for putting the African American in the lead and not ignoring the fact that he is African American.  Cheers that he is not the only African American in the film with a good role.

There is a moment in the film where Falcon says that Our people built this country, bled for this country and he should have the right to fight for it.

Truth is we fight for it every day. With every injustice we protest. With every struggle we join with others. We have not stopped bleeding or building.

I won’t give away the ending, but just know we have the right to be any damn body we want to be. I give it two fist pumps in the air and suggest you check it out.

Unerased

I had seen it before, it didn’t hit me until this time.

It was Victorian London with all manner of men and women. They were African, Asian, Anglo etc. They were through all facets of life, upper, middle, and lower class.

We were there. We had always been there.

We had been erased.

Through motion pictures and storytelling people of color had been erased from society as if they had not even existed.

I thought of all the Sherlock Holmes stories I had seen with not one person of color in it.

I thought of all the American History portraits I had seen without one person of color.

We had been erased.

I don’t normally watch stories that are from the horror genre or ones that tell satanic stories. Yet The Irregulars drew me in with the multiracial cast. Thaddea Graham leads the cast of Irregulars as Bea, a kick your butt trying to stay on the moral side of evil girl. The rest of the cast is fun and not all white.

It stretches the Holmes tail so our of sorts it becomes unrecognizable. Let me say this again. I don’t like horror. But I love Sherlock Holmes. (Make sure you catch the first episode of Season Three of TV Talk with the Sistas to find out how much I love this.)

Now I only watch The Irregulars in the day time, with the lights on and my bible on.

Clarke Peters has an eerie role in it, but kind of like a train wreck I can’t wait to see what he has up his white linen sleeve. I have loved Peters since his The Wire days. He always brings something to a performance.

The other thing that got me, Dr Watson is a brother. Royce Pierreson brings a nice layer to Watson that makes him more intellectual and less of a bumbling bodyguard.

NOTE: African Americans will watch other African Americans (or British Africans) in a movie, series, a play, a commercial, versuz to support our people. We are in the process of broadening the genre from just Black person in a new movie to Black person in a HORROR movie. Things you need to know before you cut the tv on in the middle of the night.

Let me just say some of the scenes in the show can get a person put out of a good Christian home. Don’t turn the sound up if Big Mama home.

Yet the thing this story does that captures my attention is that is unerases people of color. I feel if they see me, I should at least see them back.

Book of the Month

In a world that can seem hopeless, kids need a reason to hope. In addition to teaching our children how to get into college, play sports and chase the American Dream, there is something greater to be learned. He created the universe with stars and planets, yet the desire of His heart was to reconcile with people whom He loved. In this devotional, the author shares ideas of how to help your children have a personal relationship with God. Through scripture, art and stories, she shared the opportunities she had to teach her own child to get to know God.

Available on Amazon or Books2Read.com

Book of the Month

How To Raise God Wise Kids In A Satan Rich World

In a world that can seem hopeless, kids need a reason to hope. In addition to teaching our children how to get into college, play sports and chase the American Dream, there is something greater to be learned. He created the universe with stars and planets, yet the desire of His heart was to reconcile with people whom He loved. In this devotional, the author shares ideas of how to help your children have a personal relationship with God. Through scripture, art and stories, she shared the opportunities she had to teach her own child to get to know God.

Available on Amazon or Books2Read.com

Sample Chapter

Pick Your Village

And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

Hebrews 10:24-25

Society brags about self-made men who climb to the top. It leads you to believe that they did it by themselves. It reinforces the desire to be independent and not ask for help. People who need help are often thought of as weak.

As a single parent this was one of the easiest lessons. I knew I couldn’t raise a child on my own. I knew I was going to need help. God brought people into my life who would shape my daughter’s life. He does this for everyone because He believes in community. He understands the importance of this.

I can’t remember all of the names or all of the deeds, but I remember a kindergarten teacher who took my daughter home after school because I couldn’t get off work in time. I remember a group of friends who fixed up the house when we had no other means.

There have literally been hundreds people in our lives over the years. The beautiful thing was watching which people stick. Watching my daughter grow into a beautiful young woman with pieces of each person who poured into her life like a mosaic.

Not every person has been a good influence. However, I used those as teaching moments to say that not every person who comes into your life is there for your good. God will use it for good, but those people won’t.

Parents allow the person or persons God appoints to step in when you are just too tired. He knows we need an extra hand. He will send heroes to help guide their hearts because He has an interest in how the children turn out.

You will pick some, God will pick some. Don’t sweat it, just pray.

Pray that the Lord will give you people who will pray over your child, and always direct them towards God. He is a friend.

Book of the Month

How To Raise God Wise Kids In A Satan Rich World

In a world that can seem hopeless, kids need a reason to hope. In addition to teaching our children how to get into college, play sports and chase the American Dream, there is something greater to be learned. He created the universe with stars and planets, yet the desire of His heart was to reconcile with people whom He loved. In this devotional, the author shares ideas of how to help your children have a personal relationship with God. Through scripture, art and stories, she shared the opportunities she had to teach her own child to get to know God.

Available on Amazon or Books2Read.com

Book of the Month

An African American woman moved home to take care of her dying mother giving up the opportunity to experience a world beyond segregation. Zoraida Hughes Williams finds that some things have changed about her hometown of Fort Worth, Texas while some have stayed the same, like Hell’s Half Acre, an area where saloons, prostitution and gambling runs wild. Like most of the residents, she wants to keep her head down and stay away from trouble, but it comes in the unlikely form of an Anglo Baptist preacher. He messes up everything and almost gets them killed.

Available on Amazon.com

or Books2read.com which include Barnes & Noble, Apple, Indigo and more

SAMPLE CHAPTER

But Zo’s time back East had given her a greater sense of who she was as a colored person. But Hattie needed to have words with her daughter today.

“Is your sister back?”

Hardy stopped and looked at her mother. Hardy was next to the oldest child for her mother. She was her father’s oldest.  Unlike Zo, her skin was a rich creamy brown and her eyes matched. At 26 years old, she was the wife of a husband, John Oliver, who worked at the meat packing plant, mother of two and part time cook for a white Baptist minister.  Her days and nights were full, but she also looked after her very sick mother.  It was not as difficult since her oldest sister came back home. She only looked in on her mother while Zo went to town. She cooked too, because she didn’t think Zo knew how to.

“Mama, you asked me that ten minutes ago. She is not back yet. You know she has to go get the papers and sashay all over town.  She need to get a job with her uppity self. She think she too good to clean and cook. What else can a woman do?”

“She got some education, Hardy. She can teach or nurse. She gonna do better than me.”

Hardy came back in the room.

“Ain’t nobody gonna do better than you, mama. You raised us, sent us to school…”

“I’m not talking about that. I mean she got some real book learning.”

“She smart, but you know that Rev Norris, is really smart too.  He helped start a bible college right here in Fort Worth.”

“If I am asleep, you tell Zo to wake me up.” Hardy knew that tone. She knew someone was going to get a whipping, even if it was just with words.