A year ago today I hadn’t thought much about what happens when you die, or even what could happen when millions of people who feel a connection to a man like Michael Jackson suddenly lose him.

Today is Prince’s birthday, and in spite of all the years of musical enjoyment he’s provided I’m kind of mad at him right now. The first fit of anger is toward the fact that he’s fifty-two years old and looks…

{Editors Note: David Mills was a journalist, television writer, and blogger who died suddenly on March 30. He was part of the WWTD family, very brilliant, and only 48. The loss is tragic and my condolences go out to his family and loved ones. I admired David too much to not add to the wonderful eulogies from close friends and colleagues, and I hope that you either join me in remembrance or learn a little bit about a great talent that we

A few days ago Dj Stylus shared this video on Facebook and I haven’t been able to shake it since. He quipped, “I’m surprised that I saw this before Thembi, aka the mistress of all things obscure and Negronian.” Yeah thanks, but courtesy of this video I’ve developed a mild phobia related to brown leather and fringes. I’d never seen Fox’s Celebrity Duets let alone this performance, but there is so much squatting and doing-the-most-ness on the part of Alphonso Ribero that Chaka Khan’s trademark extraness is almost a mere distraction. Just watch

I know I’ve been slipping with timely posts of the quiz, but I keep realizing that I have to make them harder. Yes, you read that right. Here are this week’s standings…

“The Grio’s 100″ is a comprehensive list of black influencers from ten fields: sports, education, business, science and the environment, media, service an activism, politics, health, pop culture, and the arts. The list is driven by the need to highlight…

Let’s just say that the first round of scores were great, and that with enough luck and brainpower anyone can still take the lead or certainly place. I’m going to have to make these questions harder!

It’s hard to believe that twenty years have passed since Nelson Mandela was freed and the African National Congress decriminalized as an organization, but February 11, 1990 began a new era of multicultural democracy in South Africa. I saw Nelson Mandela speak a few years ago and as inspirational as his talk was I couldn’t stop reminding myself that this man had endured twenty-seven years of imprisonment for challenging the unjust racist system of apartheid – while the world watched.

Whenever I see Christopher “Kid” Reid on VH-1 or in a random commercial I ask “where is Play?” Play is the one I had a crush on, the one who was *really* cute, and, frankly, more than 50%…

I almost didn’t bring back the Black History Month Pop Culture Challenge this year. To be honest, I’ve been hit with a wave of winter malaise that’s kept me from being as enviably sharp as my usual quick-witted pop culture…

Black female entertainers have always walked a fine line between the stereotype of the vulgar, oversexed temptress and the large, asexual mammy figure. When it comes to creating a comedic persona, there’s nothing less-funny to black audiences than trite, overdone stereotypes (or, so I thought until Madea came along, but I digress**). Moms Mabley circumvented all of that by presenting herself as an toothless old lady in a bathrobe and raggedy hat who also had the foulest mouth around and couldn’t keep her mind off of sex.

It doesn’t seem like most of America is feeling the Hope anymore. Anyone could have predicted the fierce opposition that Obama has faced in office, and sadly he is on track to become a single-term mistake. How can Obama fix this? Well, in addition to the obvious need for progress on his campaign promises – health care, managing our two wars, and reviving the economy – Obama should reach for some low hanging fruit. If he does anything in his four years the least he can

After my much needed hiatus I’m refreshed and re-focused…well, sort of. Since I spent the first week of the new year laying low I only absorbed all of the motivational “let get it in 2010!” talk from afar, and am rejoining the online community in a regular winter blues state of mind. It’s cold. It’s not just December on the East Coast cold, it’s freezing. I spent my time away in FLORIDA where it was only fifty degrees or so, which is way better than the negative temperatures I would have faced at home but still a huge rip off

Information is still developing, but Alaina Reed Hall passed away on December 17 at the age of sixty-three. The cause of her death has not yet been officially reported but the actress, best known for her roles as Rose Holloway on 227 and Olivia on Sesame Street, has been very public about her ongoing battle with breast cancer. She participated in the documentary “Breast Cancer Examined: An African-American Perspective,” to commemorate 2009 National Breast Cancer Awareness Month and share her courageous approach to fighting the disease.

Sesame Street turns forty years old today, which is quite an achievement even though Muppets can’t die and don’t age. The real accomplishment is that the show is an iconic collection of stuff about childhood and learning about our world nice and early. My Five Favorite Things About Sesame Street are…

5. The Robinson Family. Sesame Street was originally created for black, disadvantaged pre-schoolers, so the black Robinson family was supposed to be the focus of the the show even before the Muppets became part of the cast. Gordon Robinson (Roscoe Orman, who has played Gordon since 1974) is a teacher and is wife Susan (Loretta Long) a nurse. Throughout the show’s run we’ve met