The Slayage

Solange Knowles married Alan Ferguson in a ceremony yesterday in the Marigny district of New Orleans. It was an all white affair. I'm not big on weddings anymore and I have never been big on color themed parties. None of that matter when the pictures of Solange's wedding hit the Internet. Every photo was more epic than the previous one. I LOVE to see Black people in all white. We look so regal in it. The photos from the wedding are amazing. I love how unconventional all of it appears. Every photo screams Black Excellence. And, how can one not love Black Love?!? It is everything! There are some exclusive photos on Vogue's website. Congratulations to the happy couple!!

 

  

 

True Story!

BLACK IS BEAUTIFUL!! Period. There is nothing else that matters. In a world where Black people are bombarded with images and words that insist on telling us that black is synonymous with ugly, dirty, and less than, we need to know how beautiful we are. There is something so special about melanin. I love my Black skin and my Black people. We are beautiful. From our hair to our skin and down to the way we walk, Black is beautiful. I just need people to know that. We need to love ourselves, embrace each other. We need to protect Blackness at all costs. We are the change we need to see in the world. I have never wished to be anything other than my Black self. I love the color of my skin. I love the range of skin tones in my family. Love it. Our skin is kissed by the sun and blessed by the Most High. Also, my love for all things Black is not a swipe at whiteness or otherness. I am just partial to who I am and what I came from. Everyone should get into it.  Black IS beautiful.





Loving Black Love

I truly believe in Black love. It's something that I think need to be protected and projected onto the world. I haven't been that big on love these days. But, that has more to do with my personal issues than the overall idea. This weekend, my love for love was restored in a HUGE way. My little cousin got married Saturday. Her wedding was a great display of true love. Everything about it was wonderful. The setting was the gorgeous Benachi House in New Orleans. It was first time being there and I am in love with it. The ceremony and reception were outside. I literally cried from the moment the happy couple started saying their vows. They have been together a while. I've always known how much they love each other. But, something about the act of getting married made it that much more real. They were glowing and there wasn't a dry eye in the house. The groom even wrote a poem as his vows to his bride. They were amazing. I had the best time with them and the rest of our family. Love is great but there is something so incredible about Black love to me. 

What I have learned is that it's not about wanting him back because the reality is we can't ever go back. We are no longer those two people. There has been too much space and time and hurt between us to return. I do not know what the future holds but I know I cannot be bitter about a love lost. The reality is maybe what I thought was a forever love wasn't. Forever does not have an expiration date on it. Love is a beautiful thing. I want to be able to look back on the love I had with a smile. Because the love was amazing. I was changed by it. I loved who I was because of him and love. No one can take that away from me. My issue is with how it ended and the fact that I still do not have a comprehensive reasoning as to why it ended. I guess it will be one of those things I won't ever fully understand. I have given it to God because I cannot figure it out. What I do know is that my thoughts on love and marriage were restored this weekend by my cousin and her husband. I thought I would be sad and a bit envious at the wedding. I was dead wrong. I was so happy and tearful during the ceremony. True love really does conquer all. That is the thought I left with. I was full on love. I'm even open to the possibility of love again. However, I am still not ready to date just yet. I'm too busy loving me all over again. When the day comes, I'll know it. But, until then, I will continue to live vicariously through all of the Black love around me. Black love is e-very-thing!! Congrats again to my cousins!!

Movie Review: "The Best Man Holiday"

Before I begin, this is not a review that includes spoilers. Why would I want to ruin such a dope film? "The Best Man Holiday" is the long awaited sequel to the classic "The Best Man." It took 14 long years for fans of the film to get a sequel. I am of the mind that all movies/books do not necessarily need a follow up. But, in this case, I was all for it. The characters in both films felt familiar. I have watched "The Best Man" more times than I can count. I know most of the movie word for word, line by line. It was and still is that good. Because I was such a fan of the first, I have been super excited about "The Best Man Holiday" for a while now. Via Twitter, I have been hearing such great sparkling reviews of the movie. I simply could not wait to see it for myself. I waited until the second day to see it. The theater was packed. It was a predominantly Black audience. I was ready for greatness to grace the screen.

Anything good in life evokes an emotional reaction. There were times that I was laughing during this film. Other times when I was surprised. I cried more than once. I left the theater feeling lighter. It was simply a brilliant film. From the words to the characters to the scenery, everything was just right. Malcolm D. Lee, the producer behind both films, got it incredibly right. The cast, which includes Nia Long, Taye Diggs, Sanaa Lathan, Morris Chestnut, Regina Hall, Harold Perrineau, Terrence Howard, Monica Calhoun, and Melissa De Sousa, look incredible. I dare to say that they look better now in their 40's than they did before. It is true what they say, "Black don't crack!!" With a cast as beautiful as this one and the chemistry they share resonating through the screen, how could it fail? It simply could not. I can honestly say I truly enjoyed this film. So much so that I may even go see it again tomorrow. (Yes, it was that good to me). Also, I absolutely LOVED everything about Mia and Lance's house. It was decorated in my specific taste. Very classic and clean and understated. I loved their bedroom the most. The gifs below are hands down one of my favorite scenes in "The Best Man Holiday" when the guys do New Edition's "Can You Stand The Rain" for the talent show. It is not often that a sequel is as good as the first. This time, I believe the sequel eclipses the original. This is a dope film that everyone can relate to. Go see it for yourselves and let's discuss. Get into "The Best Man Holiday" this weekend. 

"Love & Hip Hop's" Proposal

On this week's "Love & Hip Hop," there was the epitome of a hood proposal. This reality show is funny to me. My favorite people on it are Chrissy and Jim Jones. Since day one of the first season, Chrissy has been all about taking their 8 year relationship to the next level. Jimmy doesn't seem to keen on the idea. Chrissy decides to take a vacation because she's stressed about the relationship. What ensues is some straight hood classic moments. I cannot even wrap my mind around this. But, I feel the need to share.



This was classic Jim Jones. This proposal was all him. It played out exactly the way you would imagine a hood dude like Jimmy to do. There was no down on one knee or no formal "Will you marry me?" It came a full season and a half after Chrissy threw a huge party and proposed to him. He never actually said yes. He did take the ring. But by the time season two premiered, he conveniently "lost" his ring. Chrissy promptly replaced it. They've been a couple for 8 years now. I'm not doubting that he loves her. It's clear from the show that he does. He adores her. It just doesn't seem like marriage is on his mind. From episode one, Chrissy has been hounding him for a ring. And, on Monday nights show, she got exactly what she wanted. The scene reminded me of Martin and Gina's failed proposal attempt, which you can view below.




It is not my idea of an ideal proposal. It was lackluster and not my speed. But, I think it works for them. It made Chrissy happy. It doesn't seem like Jimmy is in any rush to take that walk down any aisle. Hell, it took him this long to propose. I wouldn't be surprised if it took that same amount of time for them to get married. The consensus on Twitter falls into two categories. Either people were extremely happy for the couple or they weren't impressed by the delivery. Either way, I like them as a couple.

I don't think that pressuring a man into proposing is a good thing. I don't want it that way. I think that marriage would be doomed from the start. No woman can make a man do anything and vice versa. A proposal should come from a man's heart. It should be because he knows he was found the woman that he wants to spend the rest of his life with. And, a proposal should be a surprise. I don't want it to seem like it's expected. Of course, I want to be married. But, I will not hound a man to wife me. That's unladylike to me. Love is always love. That we cannot deny. Below, is one of my favorite tv proposals. Martin got it just right...the second time around. I propose that men take note of this one.



Oh and fyi, Chrissy's ring is sick!! Jimmy did great in that department. She's rocking a nice rock on her left hand these days.

Baby, Baby, Baby

"I'm tryna make us 3 from the 2 still the 1" - Beyonce' "Countdown" With the cutest announcement at last week's MTV VMA's, Beyonce and Jay Z stole the show. they are having a baby! Congrats to them! In the week that has followed the announcement, I have read some of the most ridiculous things about this unborn baby and pregnancy. Things I can not wrap my head around. So, I won't. I will just continue to be happy for them. I will also block out the nonsense that some people clearly believe. I will not drink the kool-aid.

There is a blogger that has decided that Beyonce is faking her pregnancy. Really? Seriously? I do not get that at all. But then again this woman hates Beyonce, Jay Z, President Obama alike. A baby is a blessing, plain and simple. I have read that people thought the way the Carters announced their pregnancy was tacky and calculated. I personally believe that they took the power away from the paps, media, and gossip rags by telling THEIR own business themselves. What a way to cut out the middle man. I thought the anti-announcement on the MTV VMA's Black carpet was cute. And, I LOVED Beyonce's performance and Jay Z's reaction. Then again, I am a fan of both.



There has also been a backlash against single mothers. I keep seeing people tweet/tumble/post that Beyonce did it the right way. She dated, got married and then had a baby. Granted that is the way we were all taught to do things. I am not doubting that. But, the reality is that single parenthood is more prevalent than not. This is our societal norm. I do not knock single parents. I am the product of one. And, what is even funnier is the fact that my parents were married. Things fall apart. I would never base my life decisions on any celebrity. I will not be having a baby because Jay and Bey are having one. That is just crazy. Anyone who thinks like that may need some help as well.

As a fan, I loved that the normally very quiet about their personal life Carters let us in on a secret. The excitement in both of their faces was amazing. That was the look of love that night. I do not get caught up in conspiracy theories. To me, they are two great entertainers who happen to be married, in love, and expecting their first child. That is a beautiful thing. All they owe the world is to entertain us. That is all. Ain't love grand?

Get More: 2011 VMA, Music, Beyoncé