Wendy Jane’s Weekend Sounds: Cheerleader by OMI
Just back from a week-long vacation to Jamaica with my two daughters, and friends. I’ll be posting about the awe-inspiring–on many levels–trip in the coming week, but thought it fitting to play a...
View ArticleProud Mama: My Daughter Leni’s First Guest Post on Wendy Jane’s Soul Shake
Ever since I can remember, my mom has never failed to inform me on race and black culture. I even questioned my mom, when I was about 5, if my grandpa was black because he’s not pasty like me. I wasn’t...
View ArticleWendy Jane’s Weekend Sounds: LL Cool J – I Need Love
I saw via Okayplayer that July 22nd marked the 28 year anniversary of LL Cool J’s I Need Love, so I had to pay respect and feature it on WJSS Weekend Sounds. Plus, I need love. I remember when this...
View ArticleDancing With The Queen: The Magic Of Ga’amang Mama G, Or How I Spent My...
“Just tell the story like you told it to me. I had goose bumps when you told me,” said my writing friend, Susan, when I lamented that I wanted to write about my recent trip to Jamaica, but loathed that...
View ArticleCharles Blow Talks “The New Civil Rights Movement” at Brown University
Last Thursday, I was fortunate to attend the John Hazen White Lecture at Brown University given by The New York Times journalist, and author, Charles Blow. Mr. Blow, 45, who began at the Times in 1994...
View ArticleWendy Jane’s Weekend Sounds: A Tribe Called Quest – Can I Kick It?
It’s been a while since I posted a song and I was thinking I’d post a song from The Jungle Brothers to explain the reason why, but then I heard that A Tribe Called Quest is reissuing a remastered...
View ArticleLooking At A Popular Question for WJSS: Why Are You Attracted To Black...
My friend Keith Thompson suggested, as part of his birthday greeting to me in early September, that perhaps now would be a good time to write a post where I reflect back on this blog, and see where...
View ArticleWe White People Think White Culture Is Cultureless – My Daughter Leni Looks...
I was glad when my daughter Leni told me that her 10th grade English teacher gave her class an assignment to write an essay, titled “My Cultural Identity.” I’ve heard white people say many times that...
View ArticleTrinity Repertory Company Performs Every 28 Hours, A One-Minute Play Festival
I witnessed a historic theatrical event Monday night–the world premiere of the One-Minute Play Festival’s Every 28 Hours at Trinity Repertory Company here in Providence. The One-Minute Play Festival is...
View ArticleBlack Major Movement Rally In Providence
Today in my city of Providence, Rhode Island I attended a rally for the Black Major Movement on the steps of City Hall. The Black Major Movement is working to make change in law enforcement, the...
View ArticleWendy Jane’s Weekend Sounds: Natural High by Bloodstone
I heard this 70’s soul anthem, while out on my morning walk, plugged into my Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes Pandora station. While I usually opt for my 80’s and 90’s Hip Hop, my MJ (of course!),...
View ArticleA Reader Responds: Elissa Butson, On Why She’s Attracted To Black Culture
Last month, I wrote a post that responded to the often asked question of why I am so attracted to black culture and matters of race relations. I had a few post comments and comments on social media...
View ArticleWendy Jane’s Weekend Sounds: Missy Elliott – WTF
She’s back! Missy Elliott is better than ever in this video, WTF (Where They From). Missy, Pharrell, killer dance moves, and, wait for it…marionettes! It’s been too long for this woman of great talent...
View ArticleWJSS: Looking Back on 2015; Wishing To Find Hope
As 2015 draws to a close, I wanted to take a look back at this year’s blog posts and share some highlights from each month. I am of course hoping that you’ll find the posts of interest to you. I know...
View ArticleWJSS Weekend Sounds: Natalie Cole – I’m Catching Hell
R & B Singer, Natalie Cole, daughter of Nat King Cole, passed away this week at the age of 65. Remembering Natalie as a significant part of my musical landscape during my teens and twenties, I...
View ArticleWhere I’m From: How My Father Shaped My Views on Race And Crossing Color Lines
My dad turned seventy-seven this past weekend. Happy Birthday, Dad! In your honor, I wanted to take a look back at how you helped shape my views on people, in particular, how I feel you shaped my...
View ArticleWendy Jane’s Weekend Sounds: David Bowie – Changes (and the changes he tried...
The world lost one of its artistic stars this past week, David Bowie. I wasn’t honed in on David Bowie when I was a teen because I was so into listening to funk and soul and R & B, but he was in my...
View ArticleWendy Jane’s Weekend Sounds: Leon Bridges – Lisa Sawyer
I have my friend, Keith Thompson, to thank for this weekend’s pick. It’s the lovely, Leon Bridges, with Lisa Sawyer, a song about his mother’s religious conversion. Bridges, 26, who hails from Fort...
View ArticleWendy Jane’s Weekend Sounds: Macklemore with Jamila Woods and other artists-...
Macklemore and Ryan Lewis just released their eight-minute song, White Privilege II (Apparently, Macklemore recorded a song White Privilege in 2005), and as expected it is being met with a mix of...
View ArticleRevisiting “Is Poppy A Black American?” During Black History Month
I first started working on this piece when my older daughter, Leni, was five years old. At sixteen now, she has a more formed opinion about her mother’s obsession with race relations, and has even...
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