“I don’t know what I look like anymore.”

The words slipped out my mouth as a mumble, and as they floated off into the air, I sat there stunned by how true they were. Keeping my eyes focused downward, I pretended I was a tiny speck of dust traveling through the grains of the hardwood floor. This is a technique I use to keep myself from breaking into tears. I perfected it in the 2nd grade.

I didn’t grow up chubby; I was fat. No ph, no thick; I was just fat. The biggest of my cousins, my grandmother told my mother I should spend a summer with her in Spanish Town, as she was sure America was making me fat. My days at school were hell. I was the only girl in my class to have to order adult-sized uniforms and wear a bra before our time. After enduring a school ride home being teased for having crumbs on my cheek, I spent the afternoon locked in the bathroom hugging the toilet. I turned the knob on my radio all the way up and let SWV drown out the sounds of me throwing up.

The women on my father’s side of the family were all heavyset, but the genes they carried with a womanly pride crushed my self-esteem before I  became a teen. I couldn’t even feign the confidence of a Gabby Sidibe; my tears came too easy. After one too many cafeteria meltdowns, I found that if I found something else to get lost in, I could make it through the teasing without tears. By the time the check yes or no game was being played in middle school, I had already learned I was not the kind of girl who got a note. No boy would like or even like, like me. Sitting on the sidelines, I watched as my friends talked about crushes, found summer loves, and then boyfriends. I listened to their conversations and wondered what it would be like to have a boy call my house phone. And it wasn’t just the boys. I wondered about things to which my friends never gave a second thought. What would it feel like to wear a bikini to a pool party and not dread being the girl in the big t-shirt? How did it feel to eat half a plate of food and be stuffed? When would I have a picture of myself that I could say was my “favorite”?

Those questions were harder than the ones my teacher would ask us in class. And so I became the girl with all the answers, the nerdy one hiding my stomach behind books. It wasn’t the worst form of escape; by the time of my high school graduation I was off to a top college on a full ride. “Ha-HA, skinny girls! The joke was on you!” I wanted to say this, but it wouldn’t have been true. So instead I did what I had always done: I found other places to hide.

I was exposed on a Wednesday morning in the emergency room of our campus hospital. I woke up feeling something cold touching my stomach and when I realized it was the cooling jelly for my sonogram, I nearly passed back out.

“Don’t’ worry. You’re not pregnant.”

“I know I’m not! What are you doing to me?”

The doctor explained that I had a ruptured cyst on my ovaries that had caused internal bleeding. Cysts could be caused by many things, but given my family history (ovarian cancer running on my mother’s side, diabetes on my father’s), mine was most likely hereditary. Because I had a large amount of fat stored in my stomach, it had pressed down on the cyst, causing it to rupture. Listening to the doctor speak, I searched the room to find something to get lost in, but couldn’t find anything for my eyes to trace.

Exam rooms are stark and sterile. Without a crevice to hide, without a way to distract them, the tears in my eyes welled up and fell down my face. I thought about my dad’s mother, who I had kissed goodbye as she laid in a coma after her last stroke. I remembered the Sunday afternoon my uncle came to help my dad fix his car and left in an ambulance after his heart seized with our minivan propped above him. I was that fat. Fat. And if I didn’t do something about it, I was going down the same path.

When I called home to tell my mom about what had happened, she was silent. The moment quickly lost its seriousness when she sighed, “Oh. And I thought it was just bad gas.” I laughed as much as I could in spite of the pain.

The next couple of weeks, I went to every free class our gym offered, bought every Lean Cuisine pack I could get my hands on, and stuffed a granola bar into every handbag I had. Total weight loss: one measly pound. By the next month I had gained that back and more. My weight yo-yoed like a celeb’s on-again off-again relationship. If I lost what I said I would, I rewarded myself with a “bad night” of pizza and hot wings. Eventually, I realized taking one step forward and 10 back to Papa John’s was probably not going to get me where I needed to be.

There was no magical moment where things in my head clicked. I wish I could tell girls that there was, but there wasn’t. I just worked every day to overhaul 20 years of avoiding exercise and putting crap into my body. Four years later, I had cut my mile time from 16 minutes to 12, become gym regular, and had re-learned how to eat what I needed instead of how I felt. I had started my freshman year weighing 178 pounds and graduated at 132 pounds. Losing 46 pounds had moved me from a size 16 to a 4. I was healthy and proud of myself for the work I did to get there. I finally arrived at my goal weight. And I had no clue where I was.

A report on MSNBC called it “Phantom Fat,” saying:

“Losing pounds doesn’t automatically shed larger-than-life self-image… often times, the brain hasn’t ‘caught up’ with the new, leaner body, particularly for people who were obese for many years and then experienced rapid weight loss.”

The smaller me still had the bruised heart of the chubby kid. I over analyzed every compliment, convinced there was a jab hidden inside it somewhere. I was ready for any fat joke people could think of. I shunned anything body skimming because I didn’t want to show my rolls. After years of staying under the radar of the opposite sex, I was severely awkward upon being approached. When the goons on the steps of my dorm suddenly felt the urge to make conversation, I used my headphones that had shorted in one ear to slide past. From learning what size I was in the Joe’s I could finally fit to buying my first bikini, I felt like I was light years behind the born and bred size 4s. Even in this skin, the insecurity from my childhood was still with me.

I have come a long way, but I am still not where I should be. If the weight loss was stage one, confidence gain was stage two. Ironically enough, sweating was the easy part compared to this. I couldn’t just hop on a treadmill and melt away years of being ashamed of my body. The damage was deeper than that. As a girl, I would imagine what it would be like to have a body as perfect as the celebs in the magazine. I say “imagined” because I didn’t really ever believe I could actually lose weight or change the way I looked. After losing the pounds, I was in such disbelief at how different I looked and how different I was treated that I put up the defenses I had as a girl.

I am getting better and loving the woman I’ve become. But every now and then, the 2nd grader in me resurfaces. And to keep it real, being smaller hasn’t made my life a walk in the park. I’ve had petty girls click-through my Facebook photos like a Janet photo timeline, all to determine whether or not I’m gaining it all back. I’ve had guys come at me with the pickup line, “Damn, you look good … now” (which, for future reference, is a deal breaker). But I am learning that big or small, short or tall — someone, somewhere will notice you and what matters is how you deal with the attention. I am still learning not to put a guy through the Spanish Inquisition on our first date, because I was waiting for him to admit he is only attracted to me because I am not a big girl anymore. I am still learning that punishing my body in the gym for hours is not the right response for indulging in a cheeseburger. I am still learning the art of gracefully accepting a compliment without attaching an ulterior motive to good intentions.

My hips may have gotten smaller, but like Lucile Clifton’s, they still “need space to move around in. They don’t fit into little petty places.” After all this loss, I am so grateful for what I have gained. I am day by day learning that my body is just the shell on my soul and that I truly, truly do deserve to be loved as I am. So here’s to stage two, to crawling from the crevices and being unafraid to love this woman I’ve become.

The post Sweat, Then Tears: Learning Self Love After Weight Loss appeared first on Clutch Magazine.

Does former Bill Clinton put it down on the dance floor? For now, it seems we’ll never know.

According to the former President, he’s turned down ABC’s invitation to join the cast of ‘Dancing With The Stars.’ Making an appearance on The Rachel Ray Show” Clinton was asked by a fan if he had ever considered doing the show. He answered:

“This is interesting — actually they contacted me once about this,…And I told them I didn’t have the time to train for it. You know you actually go out there and train — you really work at it.”

Apparently, Cheryl Burke had made a remark to USA Today saying she would love to be Clinton’s partner and so the DWTS folks reached out.  And while he’s turned down this invitation, it seems the former President may be putting on his dancing shoes sooner than you think.

“Just last night Hillary said to me, ‘You know, when I’m not Secretary of State anymore, we should go take dancing lessons.’ So we’ll start with the tango,” the former president said.

Source

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For the first few weeks writing these, I really wondered if the words I was writing, the experiences I was sharing were resonating with anyone. Posting these pieces almost felt like a black hole. Every once in a while someone would say they wished they had hair like the woman in the stock photo and I’d think, “Well, at least they clicked on it.” And so I wrote into the black hole for months.

But during that time something changed. Waking up I had to fight for my head to be clear and my thoughts to be coherent. And that process changed the way that I approached each day. So did the why- it wasn’t about setting the tone, but disrupting it. Writing became about asking “Are you growing” everyday.

If there is one thing I’ve learned from doing this is it takes discipline to ask yourself that everyday. It takes time to sit down with yourself and reflect that much. It takes a lot from yourself to ask that everyday.

Growing can feel exhilarating but often it doesn’t feel like change at all. It feels like a slight stretch, a strain, a small difference but it begins to work something inside us all. Most days growing can feel exhausting. No one really tells you that. But growing can just feel like a constant struggle where you leave parts of you behind.

Thinking of the things I’ve lost in the months since I’ve started this journey has made me realized the amazing life I’ve gained. I wouldn’t trade a single part because I know I’ve gotten what I should. And that, I think, is the blessing: that often the things we no longer carry show us how far we’ve come.

This will be the last one of these for a while. And I am so grateful that I was able to add this to my experience. To use it to learn from all of you, to share and to grow. And I hope that even when it’s hard you’ll just everyday wake up and choose to keep doing so.  I pray that you will do the work it takes to come into the lives we’re created to have.  I think when we find that we make each other better.  I think when we find what we’re here for only then we can have and give love.

I though about leaving you with a quote from my grandma or from Jhumpa but decided to go with this instead.

She did not tell them to clean up their lives or go and sin no more. She did not tell them they were the blessed of the earth, its inheriting meek or its glorybound pure.

She told them that the only grace they could have was the grace they could imagine. That if they could not see it, they would not have it.

Here,’ she said, ‘in this here place, we flesh; flesh that weeps, laughs; flesh that dances on bare feet in grass. Love it. Love it hard…” - Toni Morrison, Beloved

The post Morning Motivation: Just Grow appeared first on Clutch Magazine.

Well those questions remain unanswered after the first episode but a new one has arisen following the performance of Anika Rose as a hotel maid who reports being raped by an Italian diplomat in SVU’s take on the Dominique Strauss Kahn saga. While I thought Rose’s performance was a moving one- throughout the twitterverse many seemed to take issue with her portrayal of a Sudanese refugee claiming that her accent was not authentic. Still, it should be pointed out that acting is the craft of emulating a character. Accents are part of that job and are often criticized for authenticity- not only in actors of color. Just ask Anne Hathaway about the reviews for “One Day.”

That said, the case of “twitter protests too much” did bring up an interesting question one asked throughout the night: why don’t networks use African actresses to portray African characters? While the diasporas are certainly in and of itself diverse, finding rising African actresses isn’t impossible. There’s Uche Jombo, Mona Lisa Chinda, Chika Ike, Genevieve Nnaji, Oge Okoye, and Jackie Appiah just to name a few.

On the other hand one could argue that even then critics would argue that the role of a Sudanese hotel maid required a Sudanese actress, not just an African one. Remember the days when the struggle was just to get black women time on the small screen?

What did you think of Anika Rose’ performance on last night’s SVU season premier? Is there a need to see more African actresses playing roles scripted as such or are we just never satisfied? Let’s discuss!

The post Anika Rose plays maid in SVU’s DSK-inspired season premiere: What did you think of her performance? appeared first on Clutch Magazine.

Were the first years of Obama’s White House hell for the women who worked there? According to Ron Suskind’s new book, “Confidence Men: Wall Street, Washington and the Education of a President”, the early days were tough times for female staffers.

Suskind’s book alleges that women working in the White House were not pleased with the testosterone driven culture of 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.- a culture lead mainly by strong male personalities like Rahm Emmanuel. “Confidence Men” claims staffers felt alienated and left out in meetings where at one point, footballs being tossed around during briefings was a regular occurrence.

Ruth Graham of The Grindstone writes that though the initial quotes from the book made Obama’s White House seem like a hostile environment for women, that the quotes needed to be put in further context. She writes:

First, it’s important to note the full text of Dunn’s widely quoted accusation that the White House was a “genuinely hostile workplace to women.” That certainly got my attention — it became the headline of the post I wrote yesterday about this. But today Dunn’s full quote emerges, and it makes clear that Obama himself was not the problem: “I remember once I told Valerie [Jarrett] that, I said if it weren’t for the president, this place would be in court for a hostile workplace,” Dunn says in Suskind’s recording of their interview. “Because it actually fit all of the classic legal requirements for a genuinely hostile workplace to women.” [Emphasis added.]

At first, the president dismissed the complaints on the grounds that the White House was a naturally competitive, intense environment. In other words, the women would just have to deal with it if they wanted to thrive.

That’s when senior advisor Valerie Jarrett came to the rescue. As she relays it, “I said, ‘Look, I think that we have some issues with making people, particularly the new women, a part of the team and giving them a better sense of you and how you value their opinion.’ ”

Source

Indeed Valerie Jarrett’s roles seems to be the true high point of the story as the Washington Post reports she was the first to address the tension directly with the President.  After hearing similar concerns from several female staffers, Jarrett raised them with President Obama and changes were made.

Those tensions prompted Obama, urged on by senior adviser Valerie Jarrett, to elevate more women into senior White House positions, recognize them more during staff meetings and increase the female presence in the upper ranks of the reelection campaign. “There were some issues early on with women feeling as though they hadn’t figured out what their role was going to be on the senior team at the White House,” Jarrett said in an interview Monday. “Most of the women hadn’t worked on the campaign, and so they didn’t have a personal relationship with the president.”

Source

The situation in Obama’s White House seems to show that sexism can surface in even the most enlightened environments if the fraternity culture is left unchecked. Still, it seems without a female senior advisor close enough in the ear of President Obama that other female staffers could have seen the frat environment continue.

What do you think about the tension for female staffers in the White House? Expected for high-pressure environment or unacceptable anywhere? Tell us what you think Clutchettes and gents- weigh in!

The post Obama’s White House hostile workplace for women? “Confidence Men” says frat culture ruled early days appeared first on Clutch Magazine.

TIME Techland reported on the growing gap between online behavior and in person behavior as it applies to offensive slurs and found that the internet has made many go numb to seeing hurtful words on their cellphone, tablet and computer screens.

Some slurs like “slut” and “retard” vary in their perceived offensiveness to those polled, but also include some incredibly offensive words like the “N-word.” Curiously, when the respondents were surveyed broadly about offensive terms, half said they wouldn’t use them. However, 54% said they would be okay using such terms around friends.

There’s also something about the Internet providing a crutch for others. About 61% of those polled said that they wouldn’t be bothered very much or at all if they saw someone using the “N-word” online or in a text message. That doesn’t change the fact that about 60% of African-American kids included in the survey would still be offended if they saw that word used against someone, according to the poll results.

So what gives? Why are people more likely to see slurs on the internet as less harmful than ones in person? According to The Associated Press:

“Those surveyed are twice as likely to say biased slurs are used to be funny as they are to think that the user is expressing hateful feelings toward a group of people. Another popular reason: to sound cool.”

Source

What do you think Clutchettes- does the internet desensitize us to racial slurs? Weigh in and let’s discuss!

The post Is the ‘N-word’ less offensive when used online? New poll’s disturbing finds appeared first on Clutch Magazine.

There will always be those creases that won’t lie down flat. Those people who are out to do you wrong, those situations where you can’t win. There will always be these things because this is life and without these things there’d be no conflict in our stories.

And I’ve been tempted to give into those reasons now more and more. As the days get shorter and tempers do too, it’s easy to run out of patience for the universe to do its thing. I mean how long can we sit and wait on karma to manifested on those who’ve hurt us? How long can we sit in hope’s waiting room praying that our time our moment will finally come?

When you’ve been doing it for a while, you can put it in perspective. You can say the wait is just a set up for something better. But what happens in that period of doubt? When it slowly begins to creep up on you that you might have been sitting all that time for nothing. When your head fills with questions, “Am I doing what I should be?” “Do I even belong where I am dreaming?” “What could I have done differently on my way here?”

The truth is every time we go to utter a complaint we should think about an old saying I once heard my aunt say: If you can tell it, be grateful for it.

There are very few things that knock us on our back and leave us unable to speak. While life can throw us for a loop, we often don’t realize our very ability to complain is proof that we’re not done yet. Instead of settling for bemoaning our situation, it’s time we tap into the strength it took us to get this far. After all, if we can tell it, it means we’re still here, still able to accomplish even more than we have thus far.

Today, remember to be grateful for the experiences of the past. Instead of complaining be filled with praise and let the words from your mouth speak into your future.

The post Morning Motivation: If You Can Tell It appeared first on Clutch Magazine.

The argument, compelling as it is, helped the Obama administration at a time when Republicans have insisted on no new taxes. But Buffet’s point has raised an interesting question: just who is Warren Buffet’s secretary.

The Atlantic reports:

Not surprisingly, the billionaire Obama-backer has more than one executive assistant, individuals who are not secretaries per se in duties any more than in titles. Indeed, they help with media and other calls and are sometimes quoted in the press as company spokesmen. Asked point blank if she were Buffett’s secretary, she said, “I am not.”

Debra Ray, who passed me on to Kizer, took more ownership of the new secretarial role she’s been cast in. “I am one of them, yes,” she said, though her actual title is also executive assistant, not secretary. You’re famous, I told her. She laughed. “Oh, Mr. Buffett is the famous one.”

Source

Though tracking down Warren Buffet’s secretary is easier said than done, the folks at MoveOn.org have used the icon to capitalize on their campaign to support President Obama’s proposed Millionaire Tax. In the video below, several Americans declare “I am Warren Buffet’s secretary.” Check it out and tell us what you think!

The post The “I am Warren Buffet’s secretary” movement begins appeared first on Clutch Magazine.

While promoting his memoir, former Vice President Dick Cheney threw out the suggestion that Secretary of State Hillary Clinton would make a great opposition candidate for President Obama.  It seems while selling his book, Cheney thought it’d be a good idea to stir up some liberal banter as well.

While Hillary did not comment on Cheney’s comments, her husband did and he had a mouthful to say. The always humorous ex-president responded to Cheney’s suggestion on CBS’ Face the Nation, saying that his wife has no intention of running against President Obama in 2012:

“I also have a high regard for Vice President Cheney’s political skills, and I think one of those great skills is sowing discord among the opposition…I think he’s right that she’s done a heck of a job…But she is a member of this administration, and committed to doing it.”

Still, Clinton says he doesn’t mind sparring with Cheney every once in a while.

“…I think he, by saying something nice about her in the way that he did, knew that it might cause a little trouble. I don’t want to help him succeed in his political strategy. But I admire that he’s still out there hitting the ball.”

The post Bill Clinton laughs at Dick Cheney’s mind games, says Hillary 2012 not going to happen appeared first on Clutch Magazine.

That was the reaction of Rep. Charlie Rangel, when the Democrat congressman “stumbled upon” a Rick Perry fundraiser in Harlem last night.

The Texas Governor’s team got a surprise guest when Rangel arrived outside of Papasito’s Bar in Harlem. The spot was selected for Perry’s meeting with local business leaders but home turf is home turf and Rangel insisted he was just seeing what was going on.

The National Journal reports:

As to whether Perry’s overture would be effective in a district that Obama won in 2008 with 93 percent of the vote: “Aren’t you here to figure out what the governor is doing here? Aren’t you?” he asked reporters. “I’m here for the same reason.”

Rangel arrived just a few moments before Perry, who was quickly whisked inside after telling reporters only that he was there to “see more supporters here.” The event lasted about 30 minutes. Lenin Lopez, who runs a café on the same block as Papasito’s, said he was one of about 50 people in attendance. Lopez said Perry largely spoke about taxes and employment, as opposed other issues facing the community, such as lack of health care. Lopez added that while it was nice to hear Perry speak, most of his listeners were Democrats.

So what did Rangel think of Perry?

Rangel left the event, where he kept unlikely company with New York’s Republican Party Chairman Ed Cox, and Charles Glazer, a top fundraiser for former President George W. Bush, before it was over. When asked what he thought of meeting Perry for the first time, he laughed, “He’s tall and he’s from Texas, that’s clear.”

Source

While I am not buying Rangel’s “I tripped and stumbled into the frontrunner of the GOP race,” I do respect his political saavy. By showing up, he stole the headlines away from Perry who otherwise might have had a few fluff pieces and one happy public relations team.

What do you think of Rangel turning up at Perry’s event in Harlem? Let’s discuss Clutchettes and gents!

The post Oops! Charlie Rangel crashes Rick Perry’s Harlem campaign stop appeared first on Clutch Magazine.

As it turns out, the Vouge editor prefers the silence of the countryside over the hustle and bustle of Manhattan. In an interview with New York Times’ Magazine, ALT explained his affinity for the quieter Westchester village he calls home.

Now I live in Worthington, in a house built in the late 1800s, with four white columns and a circular porch painted a pale pearl gray that I imagined Pauline de Rothschild might have used. It’s from the porch where I can see the yard (I don’t call it a garden), which has become my sanctuary….The happiest moments of my childhood were spent on my grandmother’s front porch in Durham, N.C., or at her sister’s farmhouse in Orange County, where chickens paraded outside the kitchen’s screen door and hams were cured in the smokehouse. Up here at night, all is quiet, and you never hear a sound after 10 p.m.

Though suburb living comes with a certain peace, it also comes with certain cons. Namely, bats.

The downside of being around all this nature is that twice I have had a bat fly into my bedroom, having slipped in through the cracks of the screened window. I do not wish this experience on anyone. Nothing is more unpleasant than running screaming down the stairs, lying awake until dawn on the sofa, waiting for pest control to show up, only to hear, “Oh, it could be in your blanket or sheets, or behind a mirror.” (Once, a bat was found snoozing in the bathtub.) I’ve spent a small fortune on trying to deter bats from nesting in the cracks of the chimney or setting up house in the attic, and a great deal of time having the arborvitae and holly bushes framing the porch covered with burlap so deer don’t treat them like a buffet. But these are small prices to pay for peace.

Source

While I had to laugh at the visual of ALT huddled on a couch covered with one of his fabulous capes, I have to admit I see why he chose to live outside of the city. Growing up in a suburb then moving into Manhattan, I appreciate the quiet so much more. Still, there’s a time for everything and right now I’m enjoying city living. Maybe the crickets and bats will come later in life.

What do you think Clutchettes- burb or city life? Weigh in and tell us what you think!

The post Andre Leon Talley talks suburb living and hiding from bats appeared first on Clutch Magazine.

Even R. Kelly couldn’t have thought this up.

A bar in Canada is coming under fire from patrons who are offended over the state of the establishments urinals. No, this is not a sanitary issue- more a sensitivity one. See as it turns out someone thought installing urinals in the men’s bathroom in the liking of a woman’s mouth with red lipstick would be a nice touch.

According to iNews880:

A formal complaint has been filed by the Public Safety and Compliance Team against “O2′s Taphouse and Grill.” There have been some questions surrounding their urinals, which some people say, are shaped like women’s lips at their west end location.

While some have said that the urinals are sexist, O2’s management doesn’t seem to think so. In a letter responding to offended patrons, Neal Seifeddine, one of the bars owners writes:

Opinion is always based on past experiences, there for perspectives are different. When my business partner first saw the urinals he thought it was the Rolling Stones lips. I heard someone on face book thinks it looks like the Dairy Queen Lips. I really didn’t think they where women’s lips at all. I probably thought the same thing as the people who designed it; that it would be funny to make a urinal in the shape of a mouth, girl or guy. My point is that there are so many different perspectives one can take in this issue. When I first seen this urinal, I thought this is funny.

Source

What do you think of the urinals- are they offensive or just plain silly? Let’s discuss Clutchettes and gents!

The post Offensive? Bar uses urinals inspired by women’s mouths appeared first on Clutch Magazine.

There are few things that bother me more than hearing the GOP argue that taking the rich at higher levels is somehow socialist. Apparently, the President has gotten fed up with hearing Republicans like Paul Ryan call asking richer Americans to contribute to eliminating the deficit “class warfare.”

Today, laying out a $3 billion dollar long term plan to erase the nation’s deficit, President Obama responded strongly to critics on the right who are against his so called Buffet Rule, a rule that would ask those making over a million a year to pay the same level taxes as those in the lower tax bracket.

According to CBS News:

“This is not class warfare — it’s math….The money has to come from some place. If we’re not willing to ask those who’ve done extraordinarily well to help America close the deficit… the math says everybody else has to do a whole lot more, we’ve got to put the entire burden on the middle class and the poor.”

The President continued:

“I reject the idea that asking a hedge fund manager to pay the same tax rate as a plumber or teacher is class warfare. I think it’s just the right thing to do.”

Source

What do you think about President Obama’s so called Buffet Rule- is it unfair or long overdue? Weigh in Clutchettes and gents- tell us what you think!

The post GOP backlash over Millionaire Tax: Why is it only ‘class warfare’ when it affects the rich? appeared first on Clutch Magazine.

Leaving Kingston behind, I would rest my head on my pillow being careful not to make too much of a dent. Before I knew it I’d be there in an airport where checking in all over again would mean another gate to play in. The souvenir shops were my favorite. They were always chock full of things my mother knew I did not need. Still, that never stopped her daughter from holding up everything from Celine Dion albums to “My friends went to Miami and all they got me was this stupid” keychains, shirts and tote bags. Because half of the fun was saying “Pleaseee” and watching her face as I did it.

When I went back my sophomore year of college, I saw the same “MIA” on my ticket, but this time was not as pleased. My layover was 6 hours not, the 2 I had thought and I was stuck without much to do other than pray for wireless and sleep. For some reason those hours felts like whole days as I went through the list of things waiting for me to attend to. It was nothing like being a little girl with a plastic carry on.

It’s crazy to think how much has changed since then. Sure there is more to do, more waiting on me when I get home and it’s the same for all of us. My friends and I seem to have a never-ending list of things to be done. A checklist that’s never fully filled in. Sometimes I think that list is so overwhelming that we are always going through it and trying to fit one of our many tasks into the space we have between.

Sometimes the best thing we can do with the space in between is let it be. Though we all think about what we could be doing, there is always the destination. What is between can be simply peace. And as unsettling as that seems, sometimes enjoying the layover is what we need to do.

Today, choose to use your layover for reflection and be confident your journey is taking you to the right destination ahead.

The post Morning Motivation: Layovers appeared first on Clutch Magazine.

The Republicans have yet to choose a nominee, and therefore, most Americans have yet to learn much about their records or visions for the country. Their candidates are busy courting the Tea Party, signing off on any economic pledge it might demand – no revenue increases under any circumstances, ending Medicare as we know it, draconian cuts that will hamper job creation. And Americans are increasingly rejecting the Tea Party’s agenda and its ideological rigidity – following the debt negotiations, an AP poll found the Tea Party’s approval rating sinking to 28-46. When Americans learn the details of the Republican candidates’ plans, the choice about America’s future will come into clear view.

He continues:

Despite the Republican candidates just beginning to undergo the media scrutiny that occurs during a presidential campaign, from North Carolina to Nevada, the President remains ahead or in a dead heat with the Republican candidates in the battleground states that will decide the election in 2012. And ultimately it is in those battleground states where voters will choose, 14 months from now, between two candidates, their records, and their visions for the country.

Source

While I do agree with Axelrod’s assumptions about the debt deal, I feel slightly less confident in Obama’s ability to win the swing states that he did in the 2008 race. After all, both the midterm and special elections suggest that Dems are steadily loosing the ability to declare traditionally blue leaning districts as “safe.”

Yesterday, in an article on CNN, Democratic Strategist James Carville argued that President Obama’s team needs to be more worried, writing:

People often ask me what advice I would give the White House about various things. Today I was mulling over election results from New York and Nevada while thinking about that very question. What should the White House do now? One word came to mind: Panic.

We are far past sending out talking points. Do not attempt to dumb it down. We cannot stand any more explanations. Have you talked to any Democratic senators lately? I have. It’s pretty damn clear they are not happy campers.

What do you think Clutchettes- should the White House heed Carville’s advice or is Axelrod right to be confident in President Obama’s odds? Weigh in- let’s discuss!

The post Axelrod says Obama will be fine in swing states: What do you think? appeared first on Clutch Magazine.

Relatable is hard to pull off in the middle of a fantasy based film. Living in a world where you could systematically remove a person from your memory is a blessing or a curse depending on how you see it. But most of us will never live in that world and for the most part will be grateful except for those painful moments where memories hurt the most.

That said, it’s like Angie Stone once said- memories don’t live like people do. And for the most part many of us live our lives caged in by fear. We don’t aim as high as we could because we’re afraid we’ll go outside our lines. We do this not realizing those lines aren’t boundaries, they’re watermarks. Like the growth wall that parents keep to mark how tall their child has become, life gives us marks to see how high we can rise.

Being afraid of heights often stems from the same ice cracking fear- the fear of what if? But what if we reversed our what ifs to be possibilities? Would this world be so scary then?

Today, reverse your what ifs and overcome your moments of fear. Those little cracks can be frightening or openings of promise. Don’t lower your vision, change your perspective instead.

The post Morning Motivation: Little Cracks and Openings appeared first on Clutch Magazine.

Luckily, someone at The Hollywood Reporter was willing to shell out the $9.95 monthly fee to watch Beck be Beck. And from their report, we head that the show was, as expected, a rage cage.

This time, Beck went off about the planning of the New York City World Trade Center September 11th tribute.

Glenn Beck kicked off his new Internet-only series Glenn Beck by trashing the 9/11 memorial ceremony, calling it a “complete and total disgrace” that first responders were not invited.

New York City officials had previously stated that there was not enough room at the former World Trade Center site to accommodate all the family members and security precautions. But Beck wasn’t buying it. He also complained about the lack of clergy at the service, calling it “a slap in the face of God.”

Source

While there are many who would agree with Beck on his point about the limited invitations, the show reverted quickly back to illogical as Beck led a discussion about the difference between “good Muslims” and “bad Muslims.”

The post Glenn Beck calls 9/11 WTC tribute ‘slap in the face of God’ appeared first on Clutch Magazine.

While many have been speculating that President Obama’s decision to hold of on reform of the smog standard would push Lisa Jackson to resign, the head of the Environmental Protection Agency says she has no plans to leave the administration.

Breaking weeks of silence, Jackson addressed the rumors speaking to the press after a meeting in the Senate Hart Building. When asked if she had plans to leave her post, the EPA head replied, “No ma’am.”

In the past weeks, many have called for Jackson to resign in protest to the White House putting plans for the new rule on hold. The White House claims that new regulations against smog would add regulatory uncertainty to an economy already in great flux.

Though she did not make a public statement expressing her discontent, it would not be a stretch to say she is privately upset with the decision as reforming the 2008 ozone rule was one of her major goals at the EPA.

POLITICO reports:

Revising the George W. Bush administration’s 2008 ozone rule has been a top priority for Jackson since she assumed the helm of the EPA in 2009. Some of her supporters said she might not stick around much longer in light of the decision, and others have even called for her to resign in protest.

In 2009, Jackson said setting a tougher smog standard “is one of the most important measures we can take to safeguard our health and our environment.” And she recently said the Bush-era rule was “not legally defensible.”

Source

The post Despite speculation, Lisa Jackson staying on as head of EPA appeared first on Clutch Magazine.

Eminem’s famous Chrysler ad has earned an early Emmy in the pre-show awards for Best Commercial of 2011.

According to Ad Age:

Wieden + Kennedy has picked up its third straight Emmy Award for Outstanding Commercial—this time for Chrysler’s “Born of Fire” Super Bowl spot starring Eminem. The two-minute spot was directed by Samuel Bayer of Serial Pictures and edited by Tommy Harden of Joint Editorial.

Source

The initial Super Bowl airing of the spot generated a great deal of buzz and was revamped throughout the year to include spinoff beyond the one starring the Detroit-native. Eminem and Chrysler beat out several other high-profile ads including Subaru’s “Baby Driver” ad and Old Spice’s “Questions.” One notable omission from the nomination was the Voltswagen “The Force” with the adorable kid dressed as a Jedi and attempting to turn on his family’s household appliances and car.

The post Eminem’s Detroit Chrysler spot wins early Emmy appeared first on Clutch Magazine.

One of the few rappers, whose live show I will gladly pay for, the Chicago rapper has undeniable talent. In the past few years, there have been more legal scuffles than records, but with a number one debut for his most recent release, LASERS, it seemed things were on the upturn. And then there’s this.

HipHopDX reports:

The LP, which originally spawned the hits “Kick, Push” and “Daydreamin’” featuring Jill Scott, has been repackaged with an additional four tracks including “Theme Music to a Drive-By,” “Tilted,” “Carrera Lu” and “What It Do.” Videos for “I Gotcha” featuring Pharrell Williams and “Daydreamin’” are also included in the special edition.

Source

I don’t know Lu…I don’t know.

Anyways, at least this has given us all a brief moment to reminisce.

The post Five years later: Is Lupe Fiasco’s “Food & Liquor” really ready for an anniversary edition? appeared first on Clutch Magazine.

Some morning you will open your eyes and see the ceiling and know today will be different. And the change won’t be one that everyone can see, but you’ll feel it. Rather, you’ll feel less. Less of the burdens, less of the pain. And in the end understanding is a lightweight to carry. She can come with you in whichever bag you choose.

But you won’t get up right away. You’ll probably lay there wondering what to do now with your freedom. Usually, this is what people do the morning after they mourn. And if she’s anything like her mother, she’ll take a little longer to let go. I’m not sure what she’ll cling to. Maybe it’ll be a shiny looking friend, a shiny looking man, but whichever, it’ll be a shiny looking illusion. Because we’ve always loved those- they look so beautiful filled with orchid and hours of our time.

I won’t guilt trip you, because I’ll understand then too. That on those mornings when you wake up and feel as if getting up will mean shedding your skin that you’ll want to lay in it a little more. Just to try and figure out why it never felt foreign before. And that’s ok because everyone takes their own time.

Everyone does.

And as daughters I think we should have been told as much. That there’s no schedule for mourning. That love and learning happens usually without much say from us. But that there are days when you’ll wake up and see it so clearly.

You’ll see that you deserve to be given orchids, time and truthfulness. That you deserve friends who understand what a friendship is. That you deserve to wake up every day eager to do work that fulfills you. That you deserve to be angry at the universe sometimes. And that you are allowed to fall asleep with tears pasted between you and your pillow, although that’s not the way I wish you’d go to sleep.

But I will understand because I’ve passed through this space before. Many times. So much so that I knew where to grip the walls to hold myself between. But don’t admire that familiarity, don’t emulate that part. Because getting to know pain too well can take away thing, piece of you and your fingertips shouldn’t become this worn. You should know better. Not because I think my experience will be enough for you, but because loving you I know it’s what you deserve. Better.

And that when days like that come, on those mornings, I think you should smile because they don’t come often. But they can change this whole thing called life.

The post Morning Motivation: For You, When It’s Clearer appeared first on Clutch Magazine.

This week, video captured using a cell phone showed a UN Peacekeeper from Uruguay raping a young man with his face down on a mattress. On the video, the victim, 18-year old Johnny Jean, is shown being assaulted on the video while the Peacekeeper and several of his colleagues are heard laughing in the background. The attack took place in the southern town of Port-Salut.

WARNING GRAPHIC VIDEO BELOW:

Both Jean and his mother, Rose Marie Jean, spoke out about the incident on local radio stations and testified beore a judge in a hearing on the July 28th assault. Initially, a preliminary UN report ruled out that a rape had occurred but the video made the charges impossible to ignore.

Since, Uruguay says they have dismissed the navy commander responsible for the assault and are launching an investigation as well.

In a letter apologizing to the Haitian people, Commander of the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH), Major General Luiz Ramos wrote:

As commander of the military forces of the United Nations Mission for Stabilization in Haiti, I want to express my sincere regret for the unfortunate events caused by a small number of soldiers of MINUSTAH in Port-Salut…It is very unfortunate that the bad actions of a few tarnish the many good works of many others. Every day, the vast majority of staff of the MINUSTAH is working to display a high level of professionalism and discipline, and build good relations with the Haitian people. We are guests in your country.

Source

Speaking of the incident, Haitian President Michel Martelly called the attack “a collective rape carried out against a young Haitian” and said it would not go unpunished.

The post UN Peacekeeper caught on camera raping Haitian man appeared first on Clutch Magazine.

This week, Nigeria seemed to confirm this by aiming to replace 10 percent of their reserves, historically held nearly completely with U.S. dollars, with Chinese Yuan instead. Bloomberg reports:

The nation plans to start holding the Chinese currency next quarter, predicting it will appreciate given the strength of China’s economy, central bank Governor Lamido Sanusi said today in an interview in Hong Kong, adding that the target was set more than a year ago. He said the yuan will “inevitably” become a reserve currency and that increased convertibility outside China had boosted its appeal.

Source

While the move is clearly another sign of the lack of surety of the US dollar, Sanusi said that choosing the Yuan does not mean Nigeria thinks America is on the decline.

“Confidence in China doesn’t mean lack of confidence in America. Europe and America will continue to be important parts of the world. Having said that, it will be almost living in a dream world to ignore China. It’s the second- largest economy in the world and it’s well-managed.”

 

The post Nigeria says no thank you to US dollar, goes for Chinese yuan instead appeared first on Clutch Magazine.

It’s been months since former Congressman Anthony Weiner was in the headlines for several inappropriate Twitpics that sent the political world reeling. Now, since resigning and falling out of the scrutiny of the spotlight, Weiner is back in the news with some better news than before.

According to The New York Posts’ Page Six, the estranged Democrat is expecting a little bundle of joy.

Huma Abedin and Anthony Weiner have a little Weiner on the way. Sources say Abedin has been telling friends and family that her ultrasound shows that they’re expecting a boy. Abedin, who is about six months pregnant with her first child, recently returned from a romantic “babymoon” with her husband in France and Italy.

Source

While there was much speculation over whether or not the couple would stay together, they seem to be to be working on their marriage together away from the glare of stateside cameras. The State Department aide has long been a private person and will likely remain discrete in the months to come.

In other news, today Weiner’s old district seat is back up for grabs and despite robocalls from former President Bill Clinton and Governor Andrew Cuomo asking voters to support Democratic candidate David Werpin, Republicans are hoping for an upset.

The post Weiner Jr.! Shamed Congressman and wife expecting a boy appeared first on Clutch Magazine.

James Kaliardos, head of the MAC Pro team that for Diane Von Furstenberg’s’ Spring 2012 collection, spoke to The New York Times about where he found his inspiration. In the piece, Times’ writer Catherine Saint Louis reports:

One of his inspirations, he said, was “an African face,” because “African women have found this way to look absolutely stunning no matter what the situation is.” So he wanted to use makeup strategically to give the models’ natural features more impact.

Writing for The New York Times’ Magazine, Stephanie LaCava blogged from backstage at the DVF show:

For makeup, this meant James Kaliardos used M.A.C. products for a face inspired by the land where it all began: Africa. The idea was to highlight the planes and tones of the face using an earthy (literally) palette of eight Crème Color Base shades, including Ochre, Pale Peach and Dark Brown. The inner and outer corner of the eye was highlighted with a khaki variation, while the middle of the lid was done in white or yellow. There was no lip, just as nails were kept clean, coated with only Sally Hansen’s Hard as Nails. Kaliardos described the ingenuity of the woman who inspired him, “No matter her economic situation, she finds a way to look beautiful— regal even.”

Source

Since Africa is a continent with many diverse people, it’s not clear what Kaliardos meant. Both Liya Kebede and Charlize Theron call it home- proving that there is no one “African look.” Still, as the makeup artist explained the aesthetic of his work, he gave a little glimpse of what he meant explaining that he was going for a “natural” face.

By contrast, “when we say ‘no makeup’ makeup, it’s like no makeup.” He laughed and said, “It looks great, but it looks raw.”

Quite frankly, I think we’re all more than tired of hearing people in the fashion and beauty industries use Africa as a synonym for “of the earth.” In every incarnation it draws on the continent for inspiration for the primitive and is carelessly glorified without even a second thought that the association may be ignorant or offensive.

What do you think of Kaliardos’ comments? Weigh in Clutchettes and tell us what you think!

The post Do Explain: DVF makeup artist says he found inspiration from “an African face” appeared first on Clutch Magazine.

The article on the cover was about self-sabotage- a topic my girlfriend said made her think of me. I should mention here that we also have the kind of friendship where this did not offend me- after knowing each other since our bubble in our plaits days, I trust her instincts because I know she always has my best interest at heart.

After pouring over several pages of the piece, there was one concept that struck me the most. The author explains why we often make choices that hurt us in the end, writing that we often make choices that ultimately hurt us in the end because initially it just feels good.

While I am not entirely self-destructive, like any other person there are moments when I have a hint of those tendencies. We’ve all made choices that were ultimately hurtful to us in the long run, justifying them by how they make us feel today. I’ll just stay at this job that’s not right for me because at least they’re paying me something. I’ll just stay with the man who is wrong for me because at least when I’m with him I feel something. I’ll just stay with this group of people who don’t care about me because at least I’m around something.

The thing is that those small choices can leave us with a big life we never wanted. No matter the initial feeling, ultimately we’re left with pain or worse nothing. Often we can see clearly what the healthier choice would be but don’t make it because of what it would mean right now. But what if being on your own, alone, or out on a limb right now would mean happiness later? Would knowing that happiness was guaranteed make the choice easier to make?

While no one can fully guarantee their outcome, we all know that walking the path we were meant to be on will ensure a better journey than wondering down a road that is not our own. Often we miss the blessings and things meant for us because we are busy walking down someone else’s road and not taking the steps on our own. While there is no one that an tell you whether either will lead you to a better place, missing the moments can often leave you with an empty journey. And in a life without many sure answers, sometimes the rewards of the journey are what we really need.

Today, stop missing your fulfillment walking down someone else’s path. Take your own journey, even if the first steps are hard and know you’ll be rewarded down the road.

The post Morning Motivation: Choosing Better appeared first on Clutch Magazine.

The fire occurred along the Lunga Lunga road in Nairobi’s Industrial Area. The pipeline is approximately one kilometer and runs through the Sinai slum. Prime Minister Raila Odinga, who visited the site, said the true tragedy was that it could have been avoided.

“Its unfair for people to die like this.”

While the Nairobi City Council firefighters were doing their bet to fight the blaze, word is they have reached out to private firm to help as well.

President Mwai Kibaki visited patients with severe burns at the country’s largest public hospital.

Police said some of the residents of the slum were killed while trying to scoop up the fuel from the burst pipe and from the sewer.

“The scene is bad, there is a large number of people burnt to death,” Owino said.

“There are many bodies, we are yet to count them. Sometimes poverty can push you to do very dangerous things.” 

Source

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“I think that it’s very sobering being here today and I have a lot of empathy with people who lost family and lost partners in that tragedy…A huge part of being human is losing people; for these people who lost someone it’s especially more painful because it didn’t need to happen. I was thinking about that today, `How does that complicate their grief?’”

Rae married her husband two days before the attacks and lost him to a drug overdose seven years later. While she has remained discrete about dealing with his passing, the Grammy-nominated artist has written and sung about it in her recent sophomore album, The Sea. Giving words of encouragement to the victims of September 11th, Rae said:

“I hope that the way in which they lost people hasn’t stopped them from processing what’s happened and moving forward and having new things develop in their lives.”

The post Knowing loss herself, Corrine Bailey Rae feels for 9/11 victims appeared first on Clutch Magazine.

This time, the voice taking aim at MLK’s character is America’s beloved icon Jacqueline Kennedy. In a new book looking at the former First Lady’s life, JFK aide Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr.’s interviews with Jackie O show she was less than impressed with MLK’s humor and handling of his personal life.

The New York Daily News reports:

Kennedy, in one of seven Q&A sessions with former JFK aide Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr., said King had mocked her slain husband’s funeral Mass and its celebrant, Cardinal Richard Cushing.

“He made fun of Cardinal Cushing and said he was drunk at it,” Kennedy recounted. “And things about they almost dropped the coffin. I just can’t see a picture of Martin Luther King without thinking, you know, ‘That man’s terrible.’”

Kennedy’s negative impression of King was forged in part when she heard about FBI tapes that captured the married activist in a hotel room with another woman.

Her own philandering husband – whose extra-marital romps were yet unexposed – urged the First Lady not to judge King for his indiscretion, she recalled.

While many in the blogosphere have taken offense to Jackie O’s comments, they do not seem much unlike the criticism of MLK’s personal life voiced by many other historians and sisters in the past. Though we love to preserve our heroes, they too have flaws. In my opinion, criticism of an icon’s personal life does not talk away from the impact and reach of their work.

What do you think of Jackie O’s comments on MLK? Offensive or just the truth Clutchettes and gents?

The post Jackie O. thought MLK was “phony”: Are we really mad? appeared first on Clutch Magazine.

As the men in navy blue thanked the one above for peace in the city, I fiddled with the gold foil top of a disposable butter packet. Buttering my roll, I thought that it was strange to pray with police officers. For years I’d been taught to whisper a prayer should I even come in contact with them.

Somewhere after kindergarten career day, my perception of police as protectors faded away. In its place was the supported belief of many people of color that at worse police were abusers, at worse men who could themselves take a life or take moments of yours our your loved ones away. When the time for me to get a car came, my father told me should I ever be pulled over to press his number into the keys of my cell phone quickly so he could hear. When I told this to my classmates at my private school drivers ed class, they scoffed. But then again, they hadn’t had their cousins held in holding for “talking back.” They hadn’t wept for four days while the police sent us on a three-borough precinct chase.

So while peace seemed a new blessing following the September 11th attacks, for many black New Yorkers, it was an unsettling quiet. Two years before had been the hail of 41 bullets that killed Amadou Diallo and the angry shouts of protests of the months that followed. But on the day a plane came crashing into the North Tower, that noise silenced us all.

Watching the local news that day, I felt pride to be raised in this city. I understood fully why they called our firefighters the bravest. And for the first time seeing the pure heroism of the men in blue, I understood why they called our police officers “New York’s Finest.” Watching those men pulling bodies out of rubble, passing buckets of debris down a chain of first responders, it felt as if you were watching this thing we called patriotism- a pride in our country and its ideals and a willingness to sacrifice for it.

Five years later, the sound that shook reality back into our streets were the bullets that pierced through a Nissan Altima to take the life of Sean Bell. The humility and community that had cloaked our city was gone. The brief forgiving light that reflected off the badge was gone. Here again were the menacing faces under the brimmed uniform caps. Here were the men you had been warned about. The ones who protected some but left the ones who looked us slumped over steering wheels and trapped in bloody hallways.

The NYPD’s relationship with people of color remains a tainted one. Their violation of women worsens with every month that passes. And yet as a young woman of color, September 11th reminds me of the short time they were our protectors. While we couldn’t repair the years of ruined trust, we saw a glimpse of what they could be. We felt for a moment a piece of what our counterparts felt. They were our heroes. And in a moment it was gone.

At that breakfast though, there was a glimpse of what the NYPD could be, what it was at its best. Men who took seriously their duties to not only protect but serve. Looking back at that dark Tuesday, I can’t help but think that if we all held on to their better spirits, what a city this could be.

The post NYPD and Dark Tuesday: When they were our heroes too appeared first on Clutch Magazine.

Reid joins the team at LX TV’s “New York Live”, the 5 p.m. news show that is the channel’s first after work summary of the day’s events. The show is a new addition to LX’s lineup and was given a test run yesterday afternoon online. Though it had its glitches, hopefully, they will be cleaned up in time for the show’s official debut this coming Monday, September 12th.

LX executives say they hope for “New York Live” to have a strong emphasis on advocacy pieces, a focus that should bring out the best in Reid. The anchor and Northwestern University J-school graduate has made appearances on several major networks from NBC to CBS.

Though she most remembered for anchoring BET Nightly News between 2001 and 2005, she also made an impact covering the 2004 Republican National Convention for CNN. She appeared on the cable network’s morning show and expanded into morning talk with a stint on The View.

Prior to the move to LX, Reid co hosted the widely syndicated D.L Hughley Morning Show from New York’s 98.7 KISS FM. In recent years, she had appeared on the VH1 show, “Let’s Talk About Pep” with her friend, Sandra Denton aka “Pep” of Salt-N-Pepa.

We wish Jacque the best in her new move.

The post Former BET anchor Jacque Reid lands gig on local NY news channel appeared first on Clutch Magazine.

“When one bases his life on principle, the 99 percent of his decisions are already made.”

Sometimes I wish that quote wasn’t anonymous, because I’d like to sit down with the person who said it first and pick their brain. Because while living by principle is an amazing concept, in practice, it seems almost impossible to do.

In principle, life is simpler. You know what you stand for without any doubts. You understand why you’ve been put here no question about it. You know what the right thing to do is so you do the right thing. It all adds up, it all makes sense, it’s all there in front of you. Simple.

In reality though, life is never like that. Life is the family you love that may not support you. Life is the friends that are always there when you need them, almost every time. Life is the job, the school, the freelance that you do because you’re sure about it, except for those panic filled days when you’re not. Life is the reoccurring cycle of relationships that you can’t really stand behind but cling on to because, well it’s life. Life is, for many people, longer than it is short. It is a long series of choices but mainly things beyond our control, so when those choices do arise, we have to think smart.

For all the times life doesn’t ask our opinion, there are terrifying moments where it is all up to us. And in those moments, I’ll admit I am probably more scared than when things are out of my hands. After all, driving always seems simpler in the back seat. So what do you do when you have the wheel? When you finally get your chance after watching the turns you wouldn’t have taken? Well for most of us, we do either one of two things. One, stay on the same road and never turn or two, second guess ourselves and spin in circles.

In order to be able to call the shots, you have to spend time watching them being called. But beyond watching you have to be preparing, readying yourself for the moment you’re given some control. It means spending time thinking about those tougher questions that no one really wants to. Who am I? Why am I? and most importantly- what do I care about?

I think when we’ve answered those questions, it does become simple. I think when we work out our stuff internally, the world outside our heads becomes a lot more clear. It takes effort, it takes time but its worth working it all out first in order to do the right thing.

Today, relish in the helplessness of not being in control. Realize being in the backseat is not the waiting room, its time to prepare for the right thing.

The post Morning Motivation: Do the right thing appeared first on Clutch Magazine.

Though many may not have noticed, Michelle Obama appeared at last night’s join session of congress wearing a familiar purple shift dress. It is the same Mario Pinto dress Mrs. Obama wore the night then Senator Obama solidified his lead against Hilary Clinton during the 2008 Democratic Primaries. Besides its political significance, that night was also remembered for another newsworthy event: the “fist-bump” heard around the world.

For those who do not fully remember that moment or just want to relive the awesomeness of it, here is the clip of that night in St. Paul, Minnesota.

While many may shrug off the First Lady’s wardrobe choices as irrelevant, there’s no convincing this writer that it wasn’t. Michelle Obama is the object of fashion observers everywhere and each repeated pick is obsessed over and praised. Wearing the purple victory shift cinched by a black-knotted belt, the woman of the White House made sure that when the Commander-in-Chief looked up to the balcony, he’d see his wife in the dress she’d worn the night he defied the odds.  As her husband pitched a $447 billion dollar jobs proposal to Congress, the First Lady seemed to be quietly speaking to the pollsters, opposition and naysayers as well.

After all, in the nights before St. Paul, few people thought Michelle Obama’s husband could win the White House. In her stunning purple the First Lady’s message seemed to be, “Watch him do it again.”

The post Why First Lady Michelle Obama wore the famous ‘fist-bump’ dress to her husband’s job speech appeared first on Clutch Magazine.

After news broke that Cooper had landed the first television interview with late soul singer Amy Winehouse’s family, word leaked that the family had a very big incentive to sit down with the silver-haired fox.

According to Page Six:

Sources say Cooper landed his first interview with the parents of the late Amy Winehouse by offering up to a six-figure payment for the Amy Winehouse Foundation. A program insider insists the figure was closer to $30,000 for the charity set up by Mitch and Janis Winehouse in memory of their daughter, who struggled with drug and alcohol addiction and died in July. The charity will launch Sept. 14 on her birthday, two days after Cooper’s show.

“It was one of several charitable causes that we hope to help in the year ahead,” a show rep said.

What do you think of the donation from Anderson Cooper to the Winehouse family’s charity? Is there something fishy about it or is it all in good faith? Tell us what you think Clutchettes and gents- let’s discuss?

The post Anderson Cooper lands first interview with Amy Winehouse’s family by donating to their charity appeared first on Clutch Magazine.

The star says he will be shedding the name Mos Def. But Mos is no reverse Ron Artest. The rapper, born Dante Terrell Smith, says he will be using a new alias:

“I’m retiring the Mos Def name after 2011. I’m actually doing it. Yasiin. That’s it.”

So why is the rapper changing his name now? As he explains to MTV News:

“Mos Def is a name that I built and cultivated over the years, it’s a name that the streets taught me, a figure of speech that was given to me by the culture and by my environment, and I feel I’ve done quite a bit with that name and it’s time to expand and move on. Also, I didn’t want to have to deal with having any moniker or separation between the self that I see and know myself as.”

Something tells me, it will be harder for Mos to get folks to stop calling him Mos, than it will for Ron Artest to make “Metta World Peace” stick.

What do you think of Mos Def changing his name to Yasiin? Will it stick or will he always be Mos to us?  Weigh in Clutchettes and gents!

The post Mos Def’s 2012 resolution? Getting everyone to stop calling him Mos Def appeared first on Clutch Magazine.

For the October issue, Chanel Iman, Miranda Kerr, Doutzen Kroes, and Adriana Lima posed in 80s inspired swimwear and accessories. The women, probably most known for their work as Victoria Secret models, share the secrets to looking great in front of the cameras and strutting on runways all over the world. Each woman share a different secret to being a “bombshell.” For Chanel, it’s not about what you say, it’s about how you carry yourself. She said:

“Any woman who has a positive attitude about herself and carries herself with class but doesn’t try too hard and say, you know, ‘Hey, look at me, I’m a bombshell,’ is basically a bombshell. It’s just a woman with a positive, strong attitude who knows she has it going on.”

The post What makes a ‘bombshell’? Chanel Iman and other VS models let ELLE know appeared first on Clutch Magazine.

Career development seminars can be hit or miss. It is either you walk away with something great or you walk away with a bunch of papers that have little meaning and lots of Venn diagrams and charts.

But, in the midst of this Great (not great) Recession, the value of good advice seems to have risen. Everyone seems to be looking for that next perfectly timed piece of wisdom that will come and change their lives. And I don’t say this condescendingly. In fact, in that casual “everyone”, I’ll do what most writers don’t- I’ll even include me.

Maybe we all have fallen into this culture out of fear. It would certainly be justified. Everyday we hear reminders of what the economy isn’t doing, how people aren’t being hired and then conveniently timed reassurances from the top economists who didn’t see this whole thing coming. No double dip coming. Nothing to see here folks. Don’t panic. Just move it along.

What we really want to hear is that our inner potential is greater than all the factors against us. What we really want to hear is that our story will not be like the ones that run on the front pages and home pages. What we want to hear is that we will be the successful, the ones who survive this thing, the ones who aren’t damned to income stagnation for the rest of our lives. The ones who get to show our children that we did something meaningful with this part of our lives.

Somewhere along the red lines plummeting ever downward, I think we began to seek that affirmation. We started to need that message. We started to lean heavier on our faith than ever before. We started to need that whole self-help genre and we started to resent Oprah for leaving us right when we needed it most. We became word seekers- speak to my soul and give me peace. And we’re always seeking, like addicts trying to find the next fix.

In the midst of all the seeking, I had the word I needed spoken bluntly by an aunt I hadn’t seen in over a year. Halfway through my career lament, she gave me the “hush child” one eyebrow that has always stopped me midsentence ever since I was a child. And admittedly, I was ready to take in a word that would carry me through the week when she roughly said, “No one will ever care about your growth as much as you do.”

While it hit me with a jolt, my aunt’s dry words had more blessings than the profound one we often seek. See, I think the problem became that we stopped looking for reassurance and started looking for others to stretch us further than we would force ourselves. So instead of using our energies seeking the next perfect word, we may need to start pushing ourselves to the levels of growth we’re too afraid to touch, yet think we deserve.

Today, stop seeking out a place to unload your fears and instead address them one by one. All the words in the world but only you can challenge yourself to become fully, fearlessly you.

The post Morning Motivation: As Much As You Do appeared first on Clutch Magazine.

When asked what moments from recent history had the greatest effect on their life- nearly half of Americans said the economic recession has the biggest impact on their lives. Next, 20 percent listed the September 11th terrorist attacks.

Americans see little sign of improvement in the nation’s economy. Nearly four in ten (39%) surveyed in August said their personal economic situation has deteriorated in the past year, up four percentage points from a month earlier. Just 14% said their situation has improved and 47% said it stayed the same.

Source

With the current worry about unemployment and the economy certainly is on the nation’s mind, the results of the poll aren’t all that surprise. The question asked respondents what has affected them the most personally in the past decade and while the ten year anniversary of 9/11 has caused reflection, for most Americans the economic downturn remains what plagues them day to day. Still, seeing the attacks listed second does conjure up old emotions. It seems just yesterday, our biggest worry as a country was the next attack. Now, it seems the double dip has become American’s greatest fear.

What do you think of the poll? What’s been the event in the past decade that affected your life the most? Tell us Clutchettes and gents- let’s discuss!

The post What’s impacted you more: 9/11 or the recession? appeared first on Clutch Magazine.

I’m not sure how many U.S. troops were hardcore Soulja Boy fans to begin with, but if any of our country’s servicemen or servicewomen are planning to buy any of the rapper’s albums, they won’t find it on the shelves near their bases.

According to reports, the U.S. Department of Defense is boycotting Soulja Boy’s music and removing it from its over 3,100 facilities after he bashed them on his song “Let’s Be Real.” The track, featured on the rappers “Respect My Hustle” record, offended the department for its comments about law enforcement officers and army personnel. The lyrics in question are:

Im On Da Loose
F*ck Da F.B.I. & F*ck All Da Army Troop
Fightin’ For What
B*tch Be Yo Own Man


While its bad enough that Soulja’s lyrics are close to the most horrible thing in life, they’re also very insensitive to those fighting to protect his goony taken for granted freedom. Still, if there is some flicker of light, Soulja did offer up his apology in a letter penned on his GlobalGrind blog. In it, the remorseful rapper writes:

As an artist, I let my words get the best of me. Sometimes there are things that we feel, things that we want to express, and when we put them on paper and speak them out loud, they can come out wrong.

When I expressed my frustration with the US Army, not only did my words come out wrong, I was wrong to even speak them. So, I write this to give my sincerest apology to all members of the United States military services, as well as their families that were offended by my most recent lyrics.

As a young man who grew up in the post-9/11 era, I have watched our country fight two wars that seem like they are never going to end.

I have seen thousands and thousands of our brave men and women get killed in battle and often times, I think for what? A lot of people in this country are struggling to make ends meet and I think a lot about what if we had never gone to war.

Where would our economy be? Our schools, our after-school and work programs, our streets? I mean, damn, 48 people got shot in New York City just this past weekend … in 3 days … I’m not saying that it is just because of a bad economy, but at a certain point we have to take care of our own people.

In no way would I ever want to offend those who are protecting our freedoms … a lot of homeboys who I grew up with, a lot of people who come from the neighborhoods we live in … In no way do I want to hurt any of our honorable soldiers who put their lives at risk, regardless of how they feel about the two wars we fight in.

I am just frustrated that we haven’t been able to bring you all home quick enough and my frustration got the best of me. I am deeply sorry.

What do you think of Soulja’s lyrics about the troops? Was his apology enough? Is the Army right to keep his album off their shelves? Weigh in Clutchettes and gents- tell us what you think!

The post US Army to Soulja Boy: F*ck you too appeared first on Clutch Magazine.

The First Lady will be honoring the winners and finalists of the National Design Awards next Tuesday, September 13 with a celebratory luncheon at the White House. The Awards honor designers across fields including everything from fashion to typography. Among this year’s finalists are Clive Wilkinson Architects, Chris Milk, Hoefler & Frere-Jones, Prabal Gurung and Jason Wu.

While they are traditionally held in late July, the National Design Awards are coming a little later this year- specifically in the middle of Mercedes Benz’s New York Fashion Week. Given the precarious timing, both Gurung and Wu have indicated they will be unable to made the trip to D.C. for the ceremony.

Prior to the luncheon, the First Lady will be meeting with some younger designers at the The Teen Design Fair. The event will take place at the Smithsonian’s Reynolds Center for American Art and Portraiture and the future stars will hear a keynote address by Tim Gunn.

Bill Moggridge, director of the Smithsonian’s Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum said of Mrs. Obama’s involvement:

“The First Lady is an influential champion of design and arts education, and we are honored to once again have her support as honorary patron of the National Design Awards.”

The post Michelle Obama to host National Design Awards at White House during New York Fashion Week appeared first on Clutch Magazine.

Shortly after being notified by Yahoo’s Chairman Roy Bostock, Bartz sent out an email to her colleagues at the company. And by colleagues, I mean every single employee at Yahoo. Each and every one.

See below:

From: “Carol Bartz” 


To: “all-worldwide@yahoo-inc.com”
Subject: Goodbye

 

To all,

 

I am very sad to tell you that I’ve just been fired over the phone by Yahoo’s Chairman of the Board. It has been my pleasure to work with all of you and I wish you only the best going forward.

 

Carol

Giving some background on her firing, Kara Swisher of The Wall Street Journal writes:

Bartz was apparently on a plane today on the East coast, as was Bostock coming West, so there was no chance to meet in person. As is her tough-as-nails nature, she went for the dig anyway.

During her 32-months at Yahoo, Batz has had a rough tenure, often butting heads with senior staff and investors. In face, Yahoo stock actually went up in the moments following news breaking of Batz being let go. Still, being fired over the phone does seem like a low-ball move for someone that high up.

Was Bartz wrong for sending an email blast to staff? Do you think the Yahoo CEO reaction to being slighted was unprofessional or justified?

The post Slighted? Yahoo’s CEO fired over the phone, sends employee email blast appeared first on Clutch Magazine.

“You ain’t never seen a spirit like mine.”

It was true. She was the most unshakeable person I knew. Carried herself with confidence but with an ease that suggested it was nothing she thought over. It was that kind of poise and her talent for fried plantains that made her an easy choice for a fake grandma after my real one had passed away.

Mrs. Powell was a piano teach, choir director and former US Air Force dispatch. She told me about how she took calls from soldiers calling home from Vietnam, how she sang in front of the troops during their dinners- one of the few women of color to do so at the time. She never talked about the oppression and challenges that inevitable followed her through her life. She always had more reasons to be thankful than reasons to complain. In this way, she was similar to my real grandmother, whose stern face could quickly break into a blinding smile.

When Mrs. Powell had to go to the hospital for stomach pains, we thought nothing of it, mainly because she sounded so positive and reassuring on the phone. So when we got the phone call that she had gone septic and died, it felt like a brick to the back of the head.

After her passing I found myself more confused than sad- at the way her husband seemed to be stronger than any of us there. Grabbing me by the should he patted me like an old football coach and smiled an unexpected smile in deep contrast with his dark suit. He made me realize that even though life had taken from him, he refused to be emptied. He had learned that much from his big love and that much couldn’t be taken away.

I think we fight harder for our happiness when the things that inspired it are gone. It is then that we see its intrinsic value, that joy in soul is valuable enough for us alone. Lately, I’ve realized that taken things are no excuses for a stolen spirit. In fact, the empty room is often a test to see if how we are is tied to what we have. It’s a test that true character, humbleness and gratitude pass everytime.

Rose Kennedy once said:

“Birds sing after a storm; why shouldn’t people feel as free to delight in whatever sunlight remains to them?”

Today, whatever your past losses, choose to let your spirit delight in whatever else remains.

The post Morning Motivation: Whatever Else Remains appeared first on Clutch Magazine.

Are weed-smokers really skinnier?

That is the question that is up for debate after a new study shows that people who smoke weed carry less body fat than those who don’t.

Using data from two epidemiologic studies of U.S. adults, researchers found that between 22% to 25% of participants who didn’t smoke pot were obese. But only between 14% and 17% of those people who admitted to taking a toke at least three times a week were overweight.

Source

So, apparently, some weed-smokers are less likely to obese than non-smokers. Still, researchers say they do not want the study’s findings to become a blueprint for those looking to shed a few pounds. Dr. Yann Le Strat, co-author of the study cautioned:

“The take-home message is certainly not ‘smoke cannabis, it will help you lose weight. The possibility that cannabis is associated with a lower risk of obesity remains an interesting hypothesis, but certainly does not counterbalance its negative effects on health and mental health.”

The post Is Puff, Puff, Pass the New Fad Diet? New Study’s Surprising Find appeared first on Clutch Magazine.

After a slight scuffle over scheduling, the White House has settled on a date for President Obama’s much anticipated jobs speech.

Originally planned for Wednesday, the same date as the GOP debate, White House Press Secretary Jay Carney said the speech was moved in order to be sure that the President could deliver the address with both parties of fully in attendance. But now that he has center stage, some say the President may become the ire of more than just Republicans but football fans as well.

Brian Steinburg of AdAge writes:

The White House has scheduled the speech to take place sometime between 7 p.m. and 8 p.m. and NBC was, as far as we could tell at press time, figuring out whether it will televise the usual pre-game hoopla. An NBC Sports spokesman did not return queries, but an NFL spokesman said, “We’re preparing for the game and a big night at Lambeau Field and in Green Bay.”

Marketers would probably prefer the football. The speech will be televised across umpteen different channels, commercial free. And football — well, it’s football. Already, the general manager of NBC’s Green Bay affiliate told the Post-Crescent newspaper of Appleton, Wis., that he’d pick up a feed of the game over a feed of the president if NBC were to offer both.

While logical thinkers know that a plan to get Americans back to work is more important than football, the NFL season opener after a long lockout drought will probably have more than a few fans anxious for their network to get back to the game.  Perhaps its why the White House team has been assuring the public that the President will give his speech and be off the screen before kickoff.  White House spokesman Jay Carney said:

“I can assure all you football fans that he will be completed before kickoff…It means he will have the opportunity to watch the game, like millions of other Americans.”

The post Obama’s Job Speech Goes Up Against GOP and NFL appeared first on Clutch Magazine.

Journalists in the region say that many Black African migrants in Libya are being arrested without just cause except suspicion of their dark skin and being held in jails without any indication of when or if they could be released. David D. Kirkpatrick for The New York Times reports:

Many witnesses have said that when Colonel Qaddafi first lost control of Tripoli in the earliest days of the revolt, experienced units of dark-skinned fighters apparently from other African countries arrived in the city to help subdue it again. Since Western journalists began arriving in the city a few days later, however, they have found no evidence of such foreign mercenaries.

Still, in a country with a long history of racist violence, it has become an article of faith among supporters of the Libyan rebels that African mercenaries pervaded the loyalists’ ranks. And since Colonel Qaddafi’s fall from power, the hunting down of people suspected of being mercenaries has become a major preoccupation.

Source

The unjust arrests of African migrant workers being arrested is not only a violation of individual rights but also reflects badly on the opposition regime that is now trying to establish its legitimacy and governmental control.  It is not the first incident of racism fueling the actions of rebels- earlier this year reports of lynchings of several migrants leaked out of the country during the early opposition campaign.

Sarah Leah Whitson of Human Rights Watch commented in a release on the situation:

“It’s a dangerous time to be dark-skinned in Tripoli…[the rebel leadership] has legitimate concerns about unlawful mercenaries and violent activity, but it can’t simply arrest dark-skinned men just in case they think they might be mercenaries.”

Source

The post Dark-Skinned in Libya: African Migrant Workers Arrested Without Cause appeared first on Clutch Magazine.

Before the festivities started, the two of us, in comfy pants and sunglasses, walked down the aisles surrounded by contractors and DIY-ers. The mission was to find a new shade of paint for the living room. Our tranquil green had seemingly grown into an overwhelming beast of continual vomiting. These, of course, were my words not hers. She would never explain why we needed primer to the sales associate that way.

We picked a color in record time. In a whopping 15 minutes, we had gone through all the racks from Behr’s basics to the Martha specialty finishes that I am convinced no human except Martha herself can successfully pull off. We settled for ‘Igloo’ a pale, barely-there grey that would erase any memory of the half spa, half nauseous mixture that we’d picked out years ago when it was in every page of the multitude of home décor magazines.

As my mother debated whether Igloo was enough of a contrast against Powder White, I thought about how hard it is to let go of something that has become familiar. Our surroundings are often our indicators of whether or not we are safe or in harms way. But most times the classification is not that simple. In life, safe is not always a good thing. Sometimes the best thing for us is the dread that comes with floating or falling away.

As we head back to work, to school, to life, we all know we are due to face some familiar things that we should have let go or sent away. Often the only thing that keeps us from fully doing what we know we should is the belief that our fear can overcome us and leave us without the comfort we seek. Zora, always one for needed words, thought years ago about what fear- not about what it could take away, but what it could give in return. She wrote:

“Through indiscriminate suffering men know fear, and fear is the most divine emotion. It is the stones for altars and the beginning of wisdom.”
While there is no primer to put over the things that make you scared, every wall blank or covered with the fears we can’t hide, is a canvas for something beautiful.

Today, stop avoiding your fears and instead confront them and use that boldness to build a strong foundation and a new start.

The post Morning Motivation: A Fresh Coat appeared first on Clutch Magazine.

According to HLDI Senior Vice President Kim Hazelbaker, the reason why Escalades have such high claims is not because thieves find them easier to break into and take.

“A pickup that can’t be driven away is still vulnerable to having tools and cargo snatched from its bed.”

Still the Escalade is not the only truck or luxury vehicle that thieves love to find.  The Chrysler 300 had one of the highest rates of theft in its category of passenger cars.  And if you’re looking for a vehicle that thieves will pass on by?  Invest in a Mini Cooper Clubman- they’re average theft loss is $1 per year.

For the lists of the cars of the highest and lowest frequency claims, see the lists below:

Thieves love:

1. Cadillac Escalade
2. Ford F-250 crew cab four-wheel-drive
3. Chevrolet Silverado 1500
4. Ford F-450 crew four-wheel-drive
5. GMC Sierra
6. Chrysler 300
7. Ford F-350 crew cab four-wheel-drive
8. Chevrolet Avalanche 1500
9. GMC Yukon
10. Chrysler 300 Hemi

Thieves hate:

1. Audi A6 all-wheel-drive, large luxury car
2. Mercury Mariner (2009-10) small SUV
3. Chevrolet Equinox (2010) midsize SUV
4. Volkswagen CC (2009-10), midsize car
5. Chevrolet Equinox four-wheel-drive (2010) midsize SUV
6. Lexus RX 350 (2010) midsize luxury SUV
7. Saturn Vue midsize SUV
8. Chevrolet Aveo (2009-10) mini station wagon
9. BMW 5 Series all-wheel-drive large luxury car
10. Mini Cooper Clubman two-door car

The post Thieves may love Escalades but they sure hate A6s appeared first on Clutch Magazine.

‘The Help’ has been without a doubt the summer’s most controversial film, but it seems that all the uproar has only helped to catapulted it to major box office success. In less than three weeks, the film based on Kathryn Stockett’s novel has grossed $100.8 million dollars in the U.S.

Staring Emma Stone, Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer, the film has beat out four new films in recent weeks to keep its number one slot for the past two weekends running. The film was bested by ‘Rise of Planet of the Apes’ when it debuted August 10th.

While there is no doubt that the buzz and major conversation around the film helped to keep it on the minds of potential movie goers, many claim that the film’s ability to appeal to both black and white audiences is the reason why it has done so well. In her analysis of the film’s audience, Pamela McClintock of  The Hollywood Reporter writes:

Rare is the film whose top 10 grossing theaters include the Paradiso 16 in East Memphis, Tenn. — a residential and commercial area — and the Lincoln Square 13, smack-dab in the middle of New York City.
Why is this happening? Box-office observers say Help’s twin appeal owes to the popularity of Kathryn Stockett’s best-selling novel (a DreamWorks executive reports seeing groups of women at the ArcLight Sherman Oaks bringing the book to the movie) as well as the film’s Southern-themed story and large biracial cast. On Help’s first weekend in release, the top three theaters were in Memphis, Jackson, Miss. (where the story is set), and Dallas.

Source

While it’s no secret that many critics including several black commentators and organizations claimed the film romanticized a period of horrendous racial discrimination and reduced the struggles of many to center around a privileged young white woman writer and a couple of black maids, the criticism does not seem to have kept audiences from flocking to see the film.

What about you Clutchettes and gents- have you see The Help? If not were you just not interested or did the controversy deter you? Let’s discuss!

The post All Press Is Good Press? The Help Has Pulled In $100M So Far appeared first on Clutch Magazine.

Christian Science Monitor reports:

Using what’s come to be known as the “Waffle House index,” he checks to see if the restaurant is open in any given area. If it is and serving a full menu, the index is green. That means there’s water and power, he says, and area residents should be fairly well off. If the restaurant is open but serving a limited menu, the index is yellow. That means there’s water but no power. If the restaurant is closed, the Waffle House index is red and there’s no power or water.

Source

While the method isn’t entirely scientific, Fugate says it proved to be a good indicator for him when he headed up Florida’s Department of Emergency Management. During his tenure there, he helped the state prepare for and recover from several major hurricanes during the mid 2000’s. And as The Wall Street Journal points out- the state of the menu after 2005’s Hurricane Katrina was better than the state of many of the emergency services meant to help.

The company fully embraced its post-disaster business strategy after Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Seven of its restaurants were destroyed and 100 more shut down, but those that reopened quickly were swamped with customers.

Source

The post How bad was the storm? FEMA and the ‘Waffle House Index’ appeared first on Clutch Magazine.

The filmmaker and the heavy former heavyweight champion are teaming up on a new project for HBO. Though it is only in the early stages, the series will be loosely based on Tyson’s early career and adjusting to life in the ring. The series, titled Da Brick, will be set in “Brick City” itself, Newark, N.J.

According to The Hollywood Reporter:

Much as Entourage was inspired by producer Mark Wahlberg’s life, Da Brick will reflect aspects of Tyson’s upbringing. It marks the latest in a string of Hollywood projects for Tyson, who has turned up in the Hangover franchise as well as Animal Planet’s Taking on Tyson. Last season, he added a cameo on Entourage to his resume.

Source

So far, the casting for the project seems promising with Attack the Block’s John Boyega, NCIS’ Milauna Jemai, The Wire’s Julito McCullumand and Gossip Girl’s Kamahl Naiqui Palmer. Boyega will play the lead character, Donnie, who, after turning 18 and being released from juvenile detention starts out on a journey to find out the kind of man he wants to be.

The project has tons of potential and we can’t wait to se the genius that comes when Spike and Mike get to work.

The post Spike Lee, Mike Tyson working on HBO boxing drama appeared first on Clutch Magazine.