Poetreez A Show by Imani Klassic Davis ... Featuring Yours Truly

Check out the latest episode of Poettreez: The branch Out, Featuring performing poets Kalina Harrison, Princess Brown and me, Jessica Corbin. Spoken word is an art and through this venue those who are lyrically inclined. Spoken word has the potential to inspire and make people think. Poetry is my passion and spoken word my art. Enjoy this video of some Déf Jamin poets!!

Celebrate Black Love

So it's black history month and its valentine's day; one thing come to mind.... "Celebrate Black Love"! Now I'm not just talking romantic love (while that's always nice), we need to celebrate and continue the love for our black sisters and black community.

So during this black history month, this valentines day, this year, show appreciation for your community. Pay homage to those who have come before us and fought the sometimes fatal fights for the rights we enjoy today. Show appreciation for those older ones around us that continue to support and encourage us. Lets support each other as we work hard to make our dreams come true, doing what makes us happy!!!

Always show love and appreciation for that special person that's in your life all year long... Not just on valentines day!! And create a love that is even better than in the movies!!


Celebrate Black Love!!

Black History Beyond February

Black History Month has arrived; let’s see your black pride. As we enter another February, we will witness an onslaught of black pride. While I am never against black pride in Anyway shape or form, there is a need for black pride all year long. Recently Rosa Parks received the honor of being the first black woman to have a full body statue on Capitol Hill and will also be the face on the next series of forever stamps. With President Obama's second term many black Americans have concluded that all the issues with race have been solved. I however find this to be quite the contrary. The former overt attacks against African Americans have taken a more inside approach.
While there will be an influx of black media during the month of February, one wonders, where are all the black faces are during the rest of the year.

There has been a serious decline of quality black television, movies and print advertising since the 1990's. During the early 90’s there was at least 10 all black casted shows on major networks. “An examination of the networks’ current primetime lineups produces similar results concerning the quality and quantity of African American oriented programs. None of the three major networks (ABC, CBS, and NBC) have a show involving predominantly African American characters.” (Woodard) There has been an even more decline of black actors in movies television programs and advertisements in print and through visual means. In the music industry many black artists are developing a trend of crossing over into the pop department. “In early 2000, states A Piece in the Hollywood Reporter blacks played 15% of roles in film and TV. Today it has fallen to 13%.” (Thompson) My issue however is not with the pop genre but with musicians and producers not finding traditionally, black music “sound and soul”, marketable. What was once a treasured sound has now become a rarity among popular black artists.

During the summer of 2012, a campaign began to prove to advertisers that black media is a worthwhile investment. The campaign came to be known as "in the black", its target goal was to prove to investors that black America was a worthwhile target of consumers. One ideal way to track black consumers was to create, advertisements, in print and online that featured and catered to the African American community. The campaign would also promote more black businesses and television programs that centered on the African American community. There has been no report of the results yielded by the campaign since July 2012.

What will be left of our history and culture if we continue in the habit of selling our soul so to speak for bigger bucks, and both lighter sounds and faces. In reality, the black faces we do tend to see throughout the year in the media are rarely readily identifiably African American. We as consumers need to demand more of quality black entertainment. In a popular USA Network television series, Suits paralegal, Rachel Zane played by Meghan Markle is one of the few black characters on the show. Since the shows airing in June 2011, it was hard to identify her ethnicity. It isn't until the January 31, 2013 episode where we meet her clearly black father played by Wendell Pierce. Those of us who are or plan to be in the media industry should work to create mores spaces for African American faces, history, culture and entertainment.

Creative inspiration

Alrite fashionistas and style stars and big dreamers! This year is all about being you and feeling comfortable in your skin but working hard to reach your dreams. As I was reading my latest copy of "seventeen" magazine I realized that reaching your dreams is not as far away as one thinks. It simply takes effort, practice and hard work. So If you want to be a writer, start now, starting somewhere right now on a regular basis. If you want to be a stylist, start recording your own fashion through photos. In this the age of social media there so many chances for your life to take off and be where you want it to be, but without some sort of work effort no one would know. So stop falling into the slump of self doubt and get out there and make your dreams come true!

Colorlines; Shades of Brown

In Soledad OBrien's Latest installment of "Who is Black in AMERICA", the issues of color in the "black" community are discussed. The ways black people are defined by themselves and others was called into question. How one views self and how the world views you take on two different roles. she then asks her audience to define blackness. The terms black and African American can not be attributed to every person of color. In my opinion, to be black is to be a person of color while one who is African American is one who's parents and grandparents have been born and raised in AMERICA.

Yet issues among African Americans arise when people tend to get shade specific as if the brown paper bag test is still being applied. Both in social networking and in day to day conversation, people of color compare and contrast those of darker skin complexion to those of a lighter shade. To be lighter, makes one better and those who are darker. These are just a few of the slave masters tricks still at play. Shade divisions and contentions exist only to separate and divide the black community.

In the words of a very conscious friend of mine Jacob Maxey "most if not all people of color are still under some for of mental slavery. we tend to set our self back by falling into beliefs that have kept us lockdown still to this day." To be of any form of color is to be subject of being called or assumed black. This however should not be viewed as a derogatory term. The world is more populated with more people of color than white and this should be awe inspiring, to be of such a vast and beautiful people. So whether you are very light with just a hint of African or African American, or dark like the evening sky with a twinkle in your eye, believe in the beauty of you and your people.

Rosa Parks 1st Black Woman To Get Statue On Capitol Hill

Rosa Parks 1st Black Woman To Get Statue On Capitol Hill | Celebrity News & Style for Black Women | Page 2

In the spirit of celebrating black women all year long, It has just been announced that Civil Rights Activist Rosa Parks will be the first black woman to have a statue in her honor on Capitol Hill. While it has been known that Rosa Parks was not the first or only black woman to refuse to give up her seat, it was her Resistance that sparked the Civil Rights Movement in Alabama.

Each state receives the honor to nominate a leader from among them for a statue on Capitol Hill and Alabama Chose the Honorable Rosa Parks. Lets make this tradition of honoring African Americans throughout 2013. This is the Year for return of Blacks in popular culture, so let us support them in movies, music, books, politics and fashion.

Destiny’s Child To Release New Album

Beyonce announced Thursday on her official website that the group would reunite for a greatest hits compilation album titled "Love Songs". The album is scheduled to be released on January 29, 2013. Among the amazing singles the group has deliver over the years; the album will feature one new song titled “Nuclear”. Members Michelle Williams and Kelly Rowland will join Beyonce in the album release.

While it was announced late 2012 that Beyonce would be performing at the Super Bowl 48 Halftime Show, rumors have been swirling that Destiny’s Child members will be join “King B” on stage. If this is true, this year’s Super Bowl will be a show to remember.

The 90’s all girl group has certainly delivered great singles over the years together. We can’t forget their number one single “Bills, Bills, Bills” or “Bootylicious” which has now been added to the oxford dictionary. “Say My Name” remains a fan favorite till this day no matter your relationship status. “Independent Women” and “Survivor” had every young women feeling empowered and in control. The group has sold more than 60 million albums worldwide and anticipates those numbers to triple with the release of this latest album. So grab your girls and prepare to be jamming to Destiny’s Child latest album release.