“Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever” is that gift that keeps on giving. First aired in 1983, the special was a mainstay in my childhood for years later thanks to the newfangled wonder that was VHS recording. This is the same…

How come nobody told me today was Shakespeare’s birthday? Just because he’d be an impossible 455 years old, I guess. I’ve studied some Shakespeare (mostly by force) but never fully embraced the common perception that his works are hard to…

Dorian Harewood epitomizes the problematic nature of the category “obscure black c-listers.” Yes, I know I’m the one responsible for its creation, but please allow me to re-explain what the term means because I’ve fielded numerous questions about…

If I were a space alien who just landed on earth I’d expect a network with the name “Black Entertainment Television” to take responsibility for rejuvenating our fractured culture and blessing our people with as much black artistic expression as…

Charles Dickens’A Christmas Carol is one of the most re-made stories in the history of literature, and if you have never seen the black version, John Grin’s Christmas starring Robert Guillaume as the Scrooge character, you are far from alone.…

I’ve realized that the underlying purpose of this blog is going to have to be cataloguing the minutia of black pop culture, which is long overdue. Therefore, I’m starting this new feature, “The Black Version.” If you haven’t seen “the…