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Voted Best Male Entertainment Journalist of the Decade by the Disilgold Soul Literary Review in 2006, Kam Williams is a syndicated film and book critic who writes for 100+ publications around the U.S. and Canada. He is a member of the New York Film Critics Online, the African-American Film Critics Association, the NAACP Image Awards Nominating Committee, and Rotten Tomatoes. In addition to a BA in Black Studies from Cornell, he has an MA in English from Brown, an MBA from The Wharton School, and a JD from Boston University. Kam lives in Princeton, NJ with his wife and son.Book Reviews | Film Reviews | DVD Reviews | Celebrity Interviews | Commentaries
Jurnee Smollett & Denzel Whitaker
The Great Debaters Interview The Great Young Stars in The Great Debaters In The Great Debaters, Jurnee Smollett and Denzel Whitaker more than hold their own opposite a couple of Academy Award-winners in Denzel Washington and Forest Whitaker. These accomplished young stars deliver powerful performances portraying members of all-black Wiley College’s 1935 debate team which won the national championship. Born into a family filled with talented thespians, Jurnee’s siblings, Jazz, Jake, Jocqui, Jussie and Jojo, are also professional actors. Only 21, she already has won a couple of NAACP Image Awards, both for her work on the TV series Cosby. Jurnee got her start at the age of five on TV, enjoying recurring roles, in turn, on such shows as Hanging with Mr. Cooper, Full House and On Our Own. By the age of 10, she had landed her first title role on the big screen, as Eve in the critically-acclaimed Eve’s Bayou. 17 year-old Denzel’s resume’ is practically as impressive, as he made his auspicious acting debut at 11 opposite Denzel Washington in Training Day. Since then, he’s appeared on numerous television programs, including One on One, ER, All That, The War at Home, Teachers, and The Suite Life of Zack and Cody. Here, the gifted pair share their thoughts about their latest outing as James Farmer, Jr. and Samantha Booke.
DW: Hey, Kam! KW: Thanks for the time. DW: Not a problem. How’re you doing? KW: Great. How intimidating was it for you working with Oscar-winners Denzel Washington and Forest Whitaker? JS: It wasn’t intimidating… DW: Because right when you step into the audition room, Denzel demands a certain level of professionalism. Also, he sets a professional tone, and a collaborative tone among everybody. Nobody’s bigger than the rest. It’s one of those situations where you can’t be intimidated otherwise we wouldn’t have made it past the first audition. It’s all about being a professional and performing, although at the end of the day you might sit back and realize, “Wow, I just did a scene with Denzel Washington.” I’d be standing at the snack line saying, “Did I really just do that?” But, at the same time, when you step back onto the set, and hop back into character, you’re ready to shine a light onto a story that not many people have heard of. And so many little things are playing in your mind that you don’t even think about the fact that you’re doing so-called acting in front of Denzel and Forest. KW: Did you have a sense, as you were making the movie, of the significance of the story, historically? DW: No, I only really got a sense of its importance after the film. But I have to say that during the lynching scene you could feel the importance of the film, of what it meant to grow up during that era. And to feel what our ancestors felt. JS: Yeah, once I saw the film, I was really blown away by how impactful it was even on me, and I’d been there for the entire process. But while you’re doing it, you’re so focused on being present that you have to forget all the external stuff in order to make it honest, to make it natural. KW: Denzel, given your name, did you feel predestined to act as a child? DW: No, not at all. Acting didn’t occur to me till about seven years ago. I knew who Denzel Washington was, but never did it occur to me that I had the same name as an Academy Award-winner. It didn’t drive me to acting, but it’s definitely a compliment when someone says something like, “Hey, you’re little Denzel.” KW: What do you hope this picture will impress upon young kids? JS: The film has so many messages. One is the power of the spoken word. We see it today in poets and hip-hop artists. The power of our tongues… The power of having an opinion and using your mind as a weapon versus using something like a gun or a knife… Using the tools that God has given you as your biggest strength. That was the ticket out. That was how we got to where we are now, because there were so many people who decided to pick up a book, and fed their minds with that kind of fuel. KW: Next is what I call the Jimmy Bayan question. Where in L.A. do you live? DW: I live in the South Bay area. JS: And I live in the Valley. KW: Is there a question that nobody ever asks you that you wish somebody would ask? JS: Yeah, what’s your favorite cereal? [Laughs] KW: Okay, what’s your favorite cereal? DW: Jurnee, what’s your favorite cereal? JS: [Hesitates] Ummmmm, see, I go back and forth between oatmeal and Wheatena. DW: And I go back and forth between Cinnamon Toast Crunch and Fruit Loops [Laughs] JS: [Laughs heartily] KW: I like natural oatmeal, the grain that you actually cook. JS: Yeah, definitely! Old-fashioned, not that quick stuff either. Kam, what do you put in your oatmeal? KW: Soy milk, honey, cinnamon, nutmeg, a dash of vanilla and a dollop of butter. JS: Ooh, you do it up! I put cinnamon, bananas, raisins and coconut oil. KW: Wow! That sounds delicious! I’m going to try that. JS: And I’ve also tried it with some walnuts. KW: Denzel, how about you? Is there a question that nobody ever asks you that you wish somebody would ask? JS: Ask him what’s his favorite song? KW: Why, is there a song he plays all the time? I heard that he likes Rapper’s Delight. DW: Oh, that’s something from my past that my cast members don’t know anything about. JS: Rapper’s Delight? KW: Old school. I heard that you can rap the whole song. DW: Not the whole thing, just the first segment of it. It was before the Kids’ Choice Awards, the first one I ever attended. I was on Nickelodeon’s All That at the time. They were like, “Okay, now we’re going to bring someone up from the audience to sing Rapper’s Delight. If you know this song, raise your hand.” Everything was new and exciting, and I started waving my hand, because and I’d heard it once or twice on my mom’s radio. Then all of a sudden they call on me and I’m just standing there with a dumb look on my face. So, I run up on stage and grab the microphone, and the next thing you know I’m rapping and shaking people’s hands in the slime pool pit. It was cool! KW: The Columbus Short question. Are you happy? JS: You know what? I’m immensely happy. I walk in a space of gratitude. I’m so grateful to God for blessing me with an amazing family and the opportunity to do what I love. I love what I do, and I’m so proud of this film. DW: I’m very happy. I’m proud to be doing the work that I’m doing. And I’m anxious and hopeful that my next body of work will be as significant as this film. KW: Do you know what picture’s up next for you? DW: No, sir. But having Denzel and Oprah put their hands on you, so to speak, is something special. After this, I’m just trying to see what scripts are out there. I’d really like to find more roles that are meaningful. KW: Jurnee, you were Eve in Eve’s Bayou. JS: Yes, sir. KW: So, you landed a title role pretty young. JS: Yeah, I was 10. KW: How does it feel to have been a part of such an important film at such a young age? JS: Thank you. I’m really, really proud of Eve’s Bayou because we made it 11 years ago, and still people come up to me and tell me how much it touched them and how much they loved that film. It was also important to my development because I learned a lot on that set. I gained an immense amount of confidence from that film, and learned a lot about my craft. I’m very grateful to have been able to work with so many talented filmmakers and actors during my career. I’ve learned so much from them. It’s been my college, in a way. KW: Eve’s Bayou was filmed at several locations around Louisiana’s Gulf Region. Do you have anything to say about the handling of Hurricane Katrina? JS: Oh God! You can’t shut me up about it. My mom is from New Orleans. And all of my maternal relatives were there during Katrina. We couldn’t even find my uncle for four months. We literally didn’t know where he was. I had been there just four days before the storm hit. KW: Have you been back?- JS: Yes, the first time I went back was two months after. I went with the Children’s Defense Fund. We went all around… to the Lower Ninth Ward… and to some of the freedom schools that the Children’s Defense Fund is building. While there are a lot of people down there who are working hard, we’re not giving them enough help. I can’t tell you how many people I know whose lives have been turned upside-down. All of my maternal relatives have left, with the exception of my uncle. Everyone else is either in Houston or Dallas or Atlanta. They’ve been able to rebuild their lives, but not everyone is as fortunate. I could tell you stories about children who were supposed to be on medication whose mothers couldn’t get their prescriptions filled for months, because of all the red tape they had to go through. I was like, “This is America? They did nothing wrong to deserve this.” This was a national disaster, and yet so many children had to pay such a heavy price. KW: Despite being young, you are very active with many charities and social causes. I know you were over in Africa working with AIDS patients, too. JS: Yeah, I was fortunate enough to go to South Africa with Artists for a New South Africa. That trip changed my life, man. The stuff you see… and the stories you hear firsthand… I mean, that country has such beauty, and yet such pain. The spirit of the people is amazing, but there’s still a lot of work that’s just got to be done. It’s so easy to take the things we have for granted. Little things like electricity, running water and a roof over our heads. They have to work so hard to get things we feel entitled to. There’s hunger for an education over there. Being there made me realize what’s important in life, and made me reevaluate a lot of things in my own life. KW: Well, thank you both for the interview. I’m expecting even bigger things from both of you down the line and hope to speak to you again when you’re working on new projects. DW: Oh, we’d love to. JS: Yes, thank you.For photos, visit: http://imdb.com/gallery/granitz/6743/Events/6743/ActressJu_Dimit_15254188_400.jpg?path=pgallery&path_key=Smollett,%20Jurnee Or: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/great_debaters/photos.php Or: http://imdb.com/gallery/ss/0427309/Ss/0427309/GD_POSTER2_final.jpg?path=gallery&path_key=0427309 Or: http://www.thegreatdebatersmovie.com/ posted May 7, 2008
The Eye Interview Alba’s Core Though born in Pomona, California on April 28, 1981, Jessica Maria Alba moved to Biloxi, Mississippi while still an infant when her father was transferred by the military. The peripatetic army brat came back to California with her family at the age of three, before relocating to Texas, and then finally settling in California at the age of nine. Soon thereafter, Jessica exhibited a serious interest in acting, and landed her first screen role in a kiddie comedy called Camp Nowhere. She next made a string of support appearances on TV and in movies till landing the breakout role as the Dark Angel on the Fox-TV series of the same name. Since, she has starred in such films as Good Luck Chuck, Awake, Fantastic Four 1 & 2, Sin City, Honey, The Ten and Into the Blue. Alba, an attractive blend of Latino, French and Danish, was named #1 on Maxim’s Hot 100 List of 2001, #1 on Ask Men’s 99 Most Desirable Women List of 2006, #6 on FHM’s Sexiest Girls of 2002, #3 on E TV’s 101 Sexiest Celebrity Bodies, of 2006, #4 on Empire Magazine’s 100 Sexiest Movie Stars of 2007, #12 on Stuff Magazine’s 102 Sexiest Women in the World List, Victoria Secret’s Sexiest Woman Celebrity in 2007, etcetera. Jessica’s about to trade in that pinup image for mother and wife, because she’s expecting and engaged to actor Cash Warren, son of UCLA basketball great Mike Warren. Here, she talks about her life, her career, and her new movie, The Eye, a horror flick where she plays a blind violinist haunted by frightening visions after her sight is restored by a double corneal transplant operation.
KW: Hi Jessica, congratulations on the baby. JA: Thank you. KW: Have you picked out a name yet? JA: I’m thinking of names. KW: What are some of the ones you’re considering? JA: I would never share that. KW: How do you think life will change after the baby is born? JA: I have to believe that when you have a child and you have someone that needs you and needs your time, you kind of can’t be self-interested anymore and you have to consider that any time you spend away from your child is invaluable. And so I think I’ll just probably be a bit more choosy and not work for two years straight like I just did. KW: You get a lot of attention because of your looks. Has that influenced how You pick parts? JA: I never base anything on my appearance, to be honest with you. I don’t think that people would hire me just because of that. There’s so many much, much cuter girls in L.A. that would do just about anything to get roles. And if it was just about looks they would be getting them. So I have to believe that I bring more to the table than that. And whether it's likeability or an appeal or something more, I don’t know. KW: Do you think you’ll find yourself gravitating towards different types of roles now? JA: I think, initially, I’m going to probably do more character-driven roles, more indies, ensemble casts, smaller budget. Not necessarily the big, box-office, tent- pole movies. And then, I’ve always had my eye out for an action movie since I finished Dark Angel. It’s been this long since I finished that and I still haven’t found that good, female-driven, action flick I’ve been looking for. So, if you have any suggestions, send them my way. KW: Will do. What sort of research did you do for this role where you had to play a blind person? JA: I went to a blind orientation center in LA and one in New Mexico. And I lived among people who were learning to deal with blindness, particularly in New Mexico. And I learned how to read braille, how to label everything in the house, and to walk with my cane. I just sort of learned how to exist as someone with blindness. KW: Which did you find more challenging? Playing the violin or playing blind? JA: Violin was definitely more difficult, because I played a soloist, the best of the best. There are people who’ve been playing that instrument since they were three years-old and who practice eight hours a day who still don’t become soloists. They’re just in the orchestra. So, that was tough for me because I wanted to come off as realistic and as believable as possible in order for the audience to really take the journey with me in this movie. KW: How is this version of The Eye different from the original? JA: The Hong Kong version was more bitter than sweet in the end. And ours was definitely bittersweet, without giving anything away. KW: Your previous picture was Awake, another thriller. How does that compare to The Eye? JA: Wow, they don’t compare at all. The Eye is way more scary. It’s a horror movie, for sure. Awake is more a psychological thriller about someone who is dealing with a surgery and trust. And everyone in his life is sort of betraying him. The Eye’s about a girl who has a corneal transplant. She gains the ability to see, she takes on psychic abilities of the girl, of the donor, and starts to see death before it happens, and she doesn’t understand. She’s literally seeing for the first time, taking in the world, and also seeing horrible things. So yeah, The Eye’s definitely more scary. KW: What’s up next for you? JA: I am coming out in a comedy with Mike Myers, The Love Guru, which is his first original character since Austin Powers. It’s absolutely hilarious! To me, this was like a dream come true, because he is the Peter Sellers of our generation, I feel. He’s a genius and he’s primed in every phrase in pop culture. That was huge because I love comedy and, if you’re going to work with anybody in comedy, Mike is definitely someone to learn from. KW: What’s the movie about? JA: I play the owner of a hockey team and he is a guru who fixes peoples, an all around guru. But it’s mostly about love and loving yourself and fixing your love life. My key hockey player’s love life is totally screwed up and our team is losing, and everyone thinks the team is cursed because of me. So, I hire Mike Myers to fix my guy’s love life and hopefully we can win the Stanley Cup. It’s a very funny broad comedy. KW: Do you have anything to say about the untimely death of Heath Ledger? JA: Oh my God, it was… it’s such a huge loss, and the most tragic, saddest thing ever… I can’t imagine a more… it was just horrible. And I just feel for his family and his friends and everyone that’s close to him. And I… I don’t know… I guess I’m just sensitive to the fact that he is in the public eye and the fact that people can all have an opinion about him when I feel like he should just rest in peace and people should grieve without having this extra attention on how he passed. It’s a huge loss for the acting community and really so, so shocking and so, so sad. KW: Columbus Short gave me this question. Are you happy? JA: [Sarcastically] You know what? I sound so bummed out right now. Of course, I’m happy. KW: Where in L.A. do you live? JA: In L.A. KW: Will you tell me the general neighborhood? Nosy Jimmy Bayan, realtor to the stars, wants to know. JA: I live in L.A. in the hills. [Hollywood Hills] KW: Is there a question you always want to be asked but no one ever asks you? JA: Not really, reporters get pretty in there. They get right to just about everything. KW: Well, best of luck with the baby and thanks for the time. JA: No worries. Bye.For photos, visit: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/10008606-eye/photos.php Or: http://www.theeyethefilm.com/ Or: http://www.lionsgatepublicity.com/epk/theeye/ Or: http://www.imdb.com/gallery/ss/0406759/Ss/0406759/13_300dpi.jpg?path=gallery&path_key=0406759 posted May 7, 2008
The Doll
Interview Emmy-Winning Black Filmmaker Expounds on His New Film Born in Grand Rapids, Michigan to Ruth Boyd and Doyle James, Danté James currently resides in Durham, North Carolina with his wife Delores, and his daughter Monika. An independent filmmaker, in June 2006 Danté began an appointment as an Artist-in-Residence instructor/filmmaker at Duke University. For WNET's Great Performances, he is also developing a feature-length performance documentary on the evolution of Jazz in the Paris community of Montmatre. In June, 2008 he will produce and direct a dramatic film for his undergraduate alma mater, Grand Valley State University. Mr. James was awarded an Emmy in 2006 for his work on the four-part, PBS series Slavery and The Making of America, narrated by Morgan Freeman. For WETA in Washington, DC, he produced and directed the national Emmy-nominated film, Marian Anderson. And he produced and directed, A. Philip Randolph: For Jobs and Freedom, a 90-minute feature documentary. Danté was recognized as distinguished alumnus by Grand Valley State in 1994, and in December 2007 the university awarded him an honorary PhD. In addition, he has a Masters of Arts in Liberal Studies Degree from Duke University. James has served as a funding review panelist for the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the National Black Programming Consortium, and the National Endowment for the Arts. He is a member of both the Writers Guild of America and the Directors Guild of America.
KW: Hey, Dante’, how ya’ been? DJ: I’m fine Kam and I thank you for your interest in my latest film. Too often films of this nature draw very little if any media attention. KW: Has everything settled down at Duke and in Durham now that the lacrosse team controversy is behind you? DJ: On the surface, things are back to normal but, unfortunately, both the university and some of the professors who had the courage to confront the issue are dealing with various lawsuits. KW: How have you been spending your time on campus as Artist-in-Residence? DJ: First of all, I really enjoy teaching and interacting with students. In the Fall, I teach for the Center for Documentary Studies and, in the Spring, I move over to the Film/Video/Digital Program. So my Fall class addresses non-fiction documentary filmmaking and the Spring class is generally grounded in narrative fiction filmmaking. But being at Duke is very similar to all of my past production efforts. In all of my productions I always have student interns. Students bring a special energy to productions. They see possibilities, where some people who have been in production for a number of years see limitations. I’m not saying that all of the students’ possibilities become reality, but their energy and fresh ideas make an important contribution to every film that I make. KW: What interested in you turning The Doll into a short film? DJ: A couple of summers ago, when I was working on my masters, I did an independent study in African-American Literature. I was drawn to the work of Langston Hughes and Charles W. Chesnutt. I read every short story they had written. But The Doll, written by Chesnutt and published in 1904, really resonated with me because of the work that I had recently completed on the Slavery and the Making of America series. One of the things that was important to the slavery series was to go beyond Emancipation and the Reconstruction Era so that viewers could gain a better understanding of the legacy of slavery. The Doll was a dramatic fiction story that addressed the legacy of slavery and much more. KW: Tell me a little about its author, Charles W. Chesnutt. DJ: Charles W. Chesnutt was born before the end of the Civil War and grew up in North Carolina during the Reconstruction Era. When he began his writing career, black Americans had been free for only twenty-five years. In the late 1890’s, long before the Harlem Renaissance, before Langston Hughes and Zora Neale Hurston, Chesnutt became the first African-American writer to use the white-controlled mass media in the service of serious fiction on behalf of the black community. Prior to Chesnutt, stories about the black experience by white writers were often degrading and paternalistic. Chesnutt began to define black Americans from their own points of view. His stories reflected the dignity and humanity of black people while also capturing the horror of slavery, racism, and oppression. KW: I understand that Chesnutt is being honored with a commemorative postage stamp this month. How did that come about? DJ: I’m not sure how often the US Postal Service decides to honor an African-American with a commemorative postage stamp. I do know that they form a committee and the committee makes the decision as to who should be honored. My good friend Henry Louis Gates was on the committee that selected Chesnutt. It is ironic that two other people that I have made films about have also been honored, Ms. Marian Anderson and Mr. A. Philip Randolph KW: Will you be participating in any celebrations of his contributions? DJ: That is a very interesting question in that today a representative from the postal service for the state of North Carolina came to my house to watch the film and said that he definitely wants to include the film in celebrations throughout the state. KW: When and where in the South is The Doll set? DJ: Most Chesnutt scholars believe that the setting for The Doll is Cincinnati, Ohio which is technically a northern city. But it is as far south as you can go in Ohio, and it separates Ohio from Kentucky. KW: Did you write the script? How faithful is it to the source material? DJ: Joy Kecken, a Maryland based filmmaker and screenwriter and I wrote the first drafts of the script. But as we got closer to production and locations were selected and the film was being cast I made changes in the script to conform to my vision of the film. Yet it was also a collaborative effort in that my students, my lead actor and co producer, and the production designer all came up with ideas that became part of the script. KW: How did you go about casting the film? DJ: The original idea was to cast the film with actors from the Durham area. However when Joy Kecken found the perfect location in Annapolis, MD, we decided to cast the film and hire crewmembers from the great pool of talent that existed in the Washington DC/Baltimore area. The only cast member I selected was the lead actor Clayton Lebouef. We had met many years ago and, after seeing him in the HBO film Something the Lord Made, I knew he would be excellent as Tom Taylor, the main character of the story. Clayton, who lives in Washington, DC, consented to assume the role of co-producer and took the lead in casting other actors from the area. The idea was to use local talent to keep our production costs down. Local talent could go home at night, no hotels, and no travel expenses. KW: What were some of the critical choices you had to make in shooting and editing it? DJ: The biggest challenge was to make a piece of literature come alive visually while also respecting the integrity of the original story. We had to find ways to compact the story and show the story instead of telling it as Chesnutt does. One of the major changes in the story is the end of the film. The story is set in the early 1900s and tells the story of Tom Taylor, the black proprietor of a hotel barbershop. Taylor’s humanity, his dignity, and his responsibility to family and community are severely challenged when he realizes that he has an opportunity to avenge an injustice that was inflicted on his father decades earlier. The original story ends when the town judge passes judgment on the man who committed the injustice. In the film, Tom Taylor, the black man fulfills that responsibility. KW: The picture depicts a time when blacks were expected to be very deferential towards whites. To what extent has that aspect of Southern culture changed? DJ: I think it has changed significantly. The proof is in the support that Barrack Obama is getting. But I also think that there are many isolated incidents everyday where whites in the North and the South still feel and act entitled. KW: What type of audience is the film aimed at and what message do you expect people to get from it? DJ: Clearly the film is designed for use in schools, churches, and community groups. Two of the main themes of the film are: Anger and revenge are natural human emotions but how do we deal with these emotions in a civil society? And: If one exacts revenge, how does that act impact one’s family and community? KW: If a church or a school is interested in obtaining a copy, or having you show the film and lead a discussion group, how can they contact you? DJ: I can be contacted at 919-475-9879 or via email at djames2015@nc.rr.com. Additionally, the film is available along with a guide of classroom activities at DMDFilms.com KW: Do you have anything you want to say about the passing of your colleague, St. Clair Bourne? He was a professor at Cornell when I was there. DJ: St. Clair was a committed filmmaker who opened many doors for filmmakers like myself. His films, his friendship, and his commitment to equality and justice will be greatly missed. KW: What advice do you have for aspiring filmmakers? DJ: Make films that are in service of the subject matter and your audience. Too often young filmmakers lose sight of the fact that the films are not about them. They are about the subject matter and relating that subject-matter to the audience in an engaging way. KW: Are you happy? DJ: I’m very happy both personally and professionally but I’m also troubled by film and television images and stories that disrespect the history and culture of black people. I think it is important for filmmakers, actors, writers anyone in this business to understand that the integrity of black people should not be for sale. KW: Well put. Thanks for the time, Dante’. DJ: Thank you, Kam.For photo, visit: http://www.dukenews.duke.edu/mmedia/hires/dante.JPG posted May 7, 2008
The Canterbury’s Law Interview Keith on Call Born Kentucky, but raised in Georgia, Keith Robinson is a dynamic and multi-talented actor/singer/songwriter who can be seen on the new FOX drama premiering in April called "Canterbury’s Law." The show is a courtroom drama starring Julianna Margulies as an iconoclastic defense attorney who's willing to bend the law in order to protect the wrongfully accused. Keith plays Chester Grant, a congressman's son who’s embarrassed by his privileged upbringing and has turned his back on politics. The show premieres on FOX in April 2008. Keith is probably best known for the role of C.C. White in the screen adaptation of Dreamgirls. Keith also performed "Patience," an Oscar-nominated song from the film with Jennifer Hudson, Beyonce’ and Anika Noni Rose Patience at last year’s Academy Awards. Earlier, he played Bill Cosby in the 2004 hit film Fat Albert. On television, he met with success in recurring roles on the NBC drama "American Dreams" and FX's critically-acclaimed Iraq war series, "Over There." He won a 2006 Camie (Character and Morality in Entertainment) Award for his stellar work in "The Reading Room," an original Hallmark movie starring James Earl Jones. Youngsters might recognize him as the Green Ranger of the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. And most recently, Keith enjoyed a supporting role in the new holiday classic film This Christmas for Sony Screen Gems. When not on the set, Keith can be fund in the recording studio working on his first solo album, Utopia, which will be released sometime this Summer. The passionate crooner is very excited to be bringing his unique brand of R&B to his fans. KW: Hi Keith, thanks for the time. KR: Thank you, thanks for having me. KW: What interested you in Canterbury’s Law? KR: It was an edgy law drama that had a unique spin on how they solved the cases. KW: You play the son of a congressman on the series. Tell me a little about your character. KR: His name is Chester Grant. He’s a young, focused hotshot lawyer who’s eager to make his mark, somewhat like a young Johnny Cochran. His father is a well-off, crooked politician and they bump heads a lot. KW: How did you prepare for the role? KR: I did some reading and watched a lot of episodes of "Matlock" and law shows. KW: How is working on a TV series different from working on a movie? KR: A movie is a more creative process. You are not as pressed for time. On a TV series you have more time deadlines and it can be routine, a good routine, but routine. KW: Your breakout role, I suppose, was as the Green Power Ranger. Do little kids come up to you on the street because of the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers? KR: Little kids do come up to me, but I do not consider that to be my breakout role. I would consider my breakout role to be Dreamgirls. KW: So are you recognized more as C.C. White from Dreamgirls or as the Green Ranger? KR: Definitely CC. White. KW: Were you at all intimidated being surrounded by such a star-studded cast in Dreamgirls, since it included Jennifer, Beyoncé’, Eddie Murphy, Jamie Foxx, Danny Glover, Loretta Devine, Jaleel ‘Urkel’ White and others? KR: No. I felt like I was just as qualified. I was honored, but not intimidated. KW: I know that your debut CD is going to drop this summer. How would you describe the music? KR: Classic soul with a fuze of hip-hop. KW: Where can fans go to hear a sample of your singing? KR: To iTunes, where they can download the single "Red Eye." Or they can visit my MySpace page at www.myspace.com/KeithrobinsonofficialKW: Which do you enjoy more, singing or acting? KR: I love them both equally. KW: The Columbus Short question: Are you happy? KR: Yes, overall. KW: The "Realtor to the Stars" Jimmy Bayan question: Where in L.A. do you live? KR: I live in The Valley, Chino. KW: The bookworm Troy Johnson question: What was the last book you read? KR: I just finished Sidney Poitier’s autobiography, The Measure of a Man: A Spiritual Autobiography. KW: The Tasha Smith question: Are you ever afraid? KR: Yeah. KW: Is there a question no one ever asks you, that you wish someone would? KR: What do you want to be remembered for? KW: Okay, what do you want to be remembered for? KR: I want to be remembered as someone who tried to make good on their God given talent and wasn't afraid to chase their dreams. KW: When did you know you know you wanted to be in showbiz? KR: I think when I was 8 years old. I did a play where I played a rhino and I really dug it. It was on from there. KW: What advice do you have for anyone who wants to follow in your footsteps? KR: Never stop believing in yourself, and don’t let anyone discourage you. KW: Do you answer your fan mail? KR: Yes, as much as I can. KW: Thanks again for the interview, Keith, and best of luck with all your endeavors. KR: Thank you. For photos, see attachments, or visit: http://imdb.com/name/nm0732803/mediaindexOr: www.myspace.com/Keithrobinsonofficialposted April 3, 2008
The Descent Interview Renaissance Hunk
Born in Bath, England on June 5, 1974, Marcus Patrick is of Cherokee, Jamaican, Cuban, English, Irish and French extraction. In addition to acting, Marcus is the former Heavyweight British Tae Kwon Do Champion and a 2nd degree Black Belt. At the age of 17 he was discovered by “American Idol” judge Simon Cowell who instantly signed the promising talent on as a member of the international boy band Worlds Apart. After touring for several years, Marcus turned his attention to acting in order to pursue his dream of following in the footsteps of his childhood idol, Bruce Lee. So, he then moved to America and began studying acting, first in New York, then, in Hollywood. Soon, he encountered success both on TV and in movies, appearing in a number of commercials, sitcoms, soaps and finally theatrically-released films. On television, he guest-starred on “CSI Miami”, “My Wife and Kids” and “Beyond the Break”. But a critically-acclaimed stint playing bad boy Jamal Cudahy on the popular daytime soap “All My Children” served to turn Marcus Patrick into a household name. On the big screen, Marcus recently co-starred opposite Rosario Dawson last year in the lead role of Adrian in the psychological suspense thriller “Descent.” Meanwhile, also in 2007, he was seen in “Dirty Laundry”, “Love and Other Four Letter Words” and “I Do I Did.” As for upcoming projects, Marcus has been tapped by world-renowned Marvel Comics animator and writer Stan Lee to star as his first black superhero in the upcoming feature presently known as The Untitled Stan Lee Project. No stranger to controversy, the handsome hunk posed for the September 2007 Playgirl Magazine cover story, which included a nude photo spread. This ostensibly led to Marcus’ being fired from the daytime soap opera “Days of Our Lives,” where he had been enjoying a recurring role as Jett Carver. Here, forthcoming Marcus reflects on all of the above and more. KW: Hi Marcus, thanks for the time. MP: You’re welcome. KW: You have such a diverse ethnic background, being a combination of Native-American, Jamaican, Cuban, English, Irish and French. How do you think of yourself, as British, as black, as a comblinasian as Tiger Woods says, or as all of the above?MP: I think of myself as a being on Earth. We all came from Africa according to the most credible research, so we are all one! KW: You were discovered at 17 by American Idol’s Simon Cowell. Is he as mean in real life as he is on TV?MP: He was cool to me. He had a lot of faith in me. But he can be pretty harsh on other people. I once saw him cuss out a fellow band member with his upper crust British accent and I had to Laugh. KW: What was it like suddenly being famous as a teenager and touring the world with Worlds Apart?MP: It was a bizarre experience, with so many stories. It was a good training ground for the future that lay ahead for me. I knew the band and the music wasn't for me but I saw it as a good apprentice vehicle. Now the music I write comes from my heart. If I don't feel it, I don't sing it. KW: The group’s big hit, Heaven Must Be Missing an Angel, was remake of a song originally done by Tavares. Ironically, a friend of mine played piano for Tavares back then.MP: Yeah we were doing those songs from all the great bands and not really doing the best job of them, so it felt like we were pretty useless at the time. I felt embarrassed often when performing because I didnt believe in the product we were pushing. Tavares was an amazing band, we were just a couple of teens making a mess on stage. [Laughs] KW: How did you find enough time to train at Tae Kwon Do to become the British heavyweight champ?MP: My father was a karate teacher, so I trained since I was five years old with him. He made me do gymnastics, piano, swimming, and karate. Every day, I had an after school activity. He didn’t want me to end up in a gang. I appreciate him more than he knows. So, when I was fifteen, I became junior champion and British champion. When I was 16, I became the men’s heavyweight champion. I had a big advantage because from starting so young, I was a natural fighter. The irony of it all was that I began to feel remorse for those who I had hurt during competition, and I realized I no longer wished to hurt other men for my ego’s needs. I wished to instead help empower men the way Ghandi, and Martin Luther King would have. That’s when I knew the fight game was no longer for me. KW: What made you give up singing for acting?MP: The business in music can be a rough one, especially if you come from a small town, as I did. I found the business to lack integrity and I had no idea how to handle that at such a young age. So, I quit for a while and decided I would only do things for my own pleasure. Years later, I felt inspired to write songs again and do it the right way this time out the gate, I’m a man now who’s seen the world, not a little boy from a small village. Acting is a fun passion of mine. I will tell many stories in the future to help awaken the world to issues we need to tackle as a race on earth. And I plan to have fun with it too! KW: Why did you decide to relocate to Hollywood?MP: Hollywood is the Mecca for entertainment; it was the natural place for me. KW: Jimmy B., Jimmy Bayan, realtor to the stars, wants to know where in L.A. you live?MP: I live in Canoga Park/Woodland Hills and I love my neighborhood. Right next to the biggest mall I’ve ever seen and my favorite restaurant, "Follow Your Heart". KW: You’ve had recurring roles on three soap operas: Passions, All My Children and Days of Our Lives. Do you feel in danger of being typecast as a soap opera actor?MP: Not at all, my four films releasing this year are very different, not at all that soapy style writing. I had fun with he soaps, met the fans, now they can follow me into the TV and film world. KW: On the big screen, you were recently in Descent which just came out on DVD. The movie didn’t do well at the box-office, despite critical acclaim. I gave it four stars. Without giving anything away, how would you describe your role in the film?MP: The movie was given a limited release in theaters due to its graphic sexual content. It’s a shocking movie, and my role is the big shocker. I really believed it will be a hit on DVD, and that people will talk about it. The content is so graphic and shocking, how can they not? KW: How was it working with Rosario Dawson? MP: Rosario was a pleasure. She is a free being... very focused on her work and very nice to all. She likes to explore everything and has little fear for anything.KW: You were also in Dirty Laundry, which to my knowledge, was the first film with a predominantly black cast to explore the theme of being on the down low. What did you think of the movie? MP: As bad as this sounds… I still haven’t gotten a chance to see it yet.KW: What’s up next for you? MP: My focus is getting the Stan Lee film greenlit, so I can star in my first action film. And I have just been offered my own Web TV show called "The Marcus Patrick Show." Good title, huh? [LOL]KW: Last fall, you were on the cover of Playgirl, and rumor has it that that’s the reason why you were fired from Days of Our Lives. What do you think? MP: Yeah, I think so. Those older folks are afraid of these things. The fact that I dance at both gay and straight bars is also a media scare for them. Silly, really, ‘cause half of the daytime fans are a part of the gay community. I had no doubt that by embracing the gay community, I might have helped the dropping ratings.KW: Do you have any regret about doing full-frontal nudity? MP: I never did full-frontal nudity. We had a contract that stated no full-frontal. What actually happened was we were experimenting in the studio with silhouette shots and they promised I would be blacked out. The contract states no full frontal and Playgirl kind of breached it because they wanted to give the fans what they wanted. I just figured “What the heck? They probably did me a favor.”KW: Did you get a lot of new fans after appearing in Playgirl? MP: Tons. You figure about two million copies sold, so I had a lot of fans writing to me. It was great!KW: Why did you start stripping in gay clubs? Because you were fired for that nude layout? MP: I've been dancing and stripping for years. That’s how I pay the bills. It’s also great fun for me and great cardio. I get so bored on the treadmill. Hey, I’ll just get paid to do my cardio. [Laughs]KW: Would you make a porno movie if somebody offered you enough money? MP: Who knows? If they offered me a clean million dollars, after all taxes and fees paid, I'd become Dirk Diggler [the fictional porn star played by Mark Wahlberg in Boogie Nights] that day! [LOL]KW: You’re a handsome guy. Have you ever tried modeling? MP: I tried it when I was younger. I just couldn’t wait around for designers to pick me. So, I focused on my talent and passions. Of course, if campaigns come along now that would be great. They can use me as a celebrity model. I just love to sing, act and dance really.KW: What type of exercise regimen do you have to maintain to keep in that shape? MP: Well I hit the gym once a week. My experience as a trainer keeps me fit. All I need to do is a full body workout once a week. And I hit the track every Sunday with a group of friends and my agent Gar. The rest is my diet, really. I eat no animal products, so I really put no fat in my body. Other than vegetable oils. The dancing also really keeps me lean.KW: You’re a vegan. That’s a pretty strict vegetarian diet. What types of foods do you typically eat, and what do you never eat? MP: No animal products period. No meat, no eggs, no dairy and no animal flesh. I eat grains, nuts, vegetables and fruits. I love soymilk and cereal. I eat that in the morning and before I go to bed!KW: Bookworm Troy Johnson wants to know what was the last book you read? MP: “The Power of Now” by Echart Tolle.KW: The Columbus Short question: Are you happy? MP: I always feel great! Life is too short for anything else other than happiness. That’s why I want to share my lifestyle with others so they can feel as great as I do!KW: What question do you always wish someone would ask you, but no one ever asks it? MP: How do we create heaven on Earth?KW: Okay, how do we create heaven on Earth? MP: Everyone needs to know someone from a different culture, creed, age, gender, and country so we can finally end this insane behavior with some goal to survive and start granting each other the respect of our spiritual being.KW: What advice do you have for someone who wants to follow in your footsteps? MP: Follow your heart impulses.KW: Do you have a website where your fans can get in touch with you? MP: Yup! www.marcus-patrick.com and www.myspace.com/marcuspatrickKW: Do you answer your own email? MP: Yes I do! It takes a lot of time, but I have a lot of energy and respect for my supportersKW: Thanks again for the interview, Marcus, and best of luck. MP: You’re very welcome! I appreciate your time and interest in me.For photos, see attachments, or visit: http://www.marcus-patrick.com/ Or: http://imdb.com/name/nm1913997/mediaindex Or: http://www.myspace.com/marcuspatrick Or: http://www.thesoapdispenser.com/images/gallery/marcus-patrick_292x400.jpg posted March 7, 2008
The Interview Quoting Raven
Born in
Not long
thereafter she would join Jello pitchman Bill Cosby on his popular,
Emmy-winning sitcom, worming her way into She made her big screen debut in 1994 as Stymie’s girlfriend in The Little Rascals, followed by well-received performances in Dr. Dolittle 1 & 2 and The Princess Diaries 2. Singing since she was 4, Raven has also enjoyed quite a musical career, releasing her first CD, Here’s to New Dreams, in 1993. And she is currently working on her fourth album which is scheduled to drop sometime this Spring. Among her many accolades are seven NAACP Image Awards, including a couple just this year for That’s So Raven. The former child star deserves to be commended for avoiding the host of woes which have befallen so many of her kiddie colleagues en route to adulthood, such as her ex-roommate Lindsay Lohan and misfit mom Britney Spears. Here, Raven talks about her new movie, College Road Trip, a family comedy where, opposite Martin Lawrence, she plays the teenage daughter of an overprotective police chief. KW: Thanks for the time, Raven. RS: Hi! KW: How was it working opposite Martin Lawrence? RS: He was very professional, although he’s so funny it was often hard to keep a straight face while shooting. But having watched and studied him, I knew what I was getting into. I knew what I had to prepare for, and how to react towards him. KW: What message do you want audiences to walk away with from College Road Trip? RS: That family is very important. And that, yes, everybody wants to grow up, but you have to realize that parents always think of their kids as that little boy or girl, so you have to help them see that you’re growing up and can handle yourself in a respectful manner. KW: Have you mapped out a plan so that your fans who have known you as a little girl will accept you as a woman?
RS: Of course. I think any business you
go into, you should definitely write up a plan, whether in KW: What did you learn about showbiz during your formative years on the Cosby Show? RS: Honestly and truthfully, since I was 3 to 5 years old, I think I learned everything subconsciously from their actions, namely, professionalism, to always be creative, and to always enjoy yourself, but at the same time know that this is a job, and to take it seriously because a lot of people’s livelihoods are at stake. So, you need to be professional. KW: One of your fellow cast members in this film was Donny Osmond, another former child star. What was it like working with him? RS: I have to say he was fabulous and down-to-earth. Even though he’s been in the business as long as he has, he’s still a real person. We sat down and talked, and he made me laugh. KW: Did the two of you ever discuss your both having grown up in the industry? RS: Yes, we definitely talked about it. We have a lot of things in common, surprisingly. I think that’s why I enjoyed him so much, because he knows these struggles that I go through, and because he overcame all of them and is still working to this day. He’s the type of person who’s cool about it when he’s spotted on the street even though he’s bombarded by so many people. He can still live a life; and I like that about him. KW: You’re playing a girl about to go to college in this movie. Do you ever wish you had gone to college in real life? RS: Well, I still have college in my plans. I think you can go to college at any age. It depends on the person that you are. I had a lot of work after high school, so that wouldn’t have worked for me. KW: When is your new CD going to be released? RS: That’s still up in the air. They keep pushing it back. I’ve been very busy, and I still have to do the artwork. I’ll be going on tour from April all the way into August. I’m very proud of that, and I think I’ll always continue to have both aspects in my life, just because it’s a creative outlet for me. KW: Which do you find more challenging acting or singing? RS: How do I say this without sounding full of myself? Seeing that I’ve don’t both for so long, they’re not all that difficult. With my music, none of my albums really sold that much, so I need people to realize I’m doing this because I do really love to sing, to write, and to dance. When I perform, I don’t use a lip-synch track. I want people to realize that I’m not joking when I do all my work. KW: Bookworm Troy Johnson was wondering, what’s the last book you read? RS: The last book I read was The Fulfillment of Enlightenment by Deepak Chopra. I think that’s the title. KW: Would you describe yourself as happy? RS: Would I describe myself as happy… Yeah… [Laughs] I’ve never gotten that question before except from my psychiatrist. KW: I got that question from Columbus Short.
RS: Oh,
KW: Jimmy Bayan, “Realtor to the Stars,”
wants to know where in RS: I’m not telling nobody where I live. KW: Can you just say what neighborhood?
RS: I live in KW: Are you ever afraid? RS: Yes, I’m always afraid. I’m afraid to fail. KW: Well, I’m sure you’ll enjoy nothing but continued success. Thanks for the interview, Raven, and good luck with this movie and all your upcoming projects. RS: Take care, and have a good day.For photos, visit: http://disney.go.com/disneypictures/collegeroadtrip/ Or: http://imdb.com/name/nm0712368/mediaindex Or: http://www.ravensymonepresents.com/index.html posted March 3, 2008
The Why Obama
Can’t Win Interview Prophet Shelby Explains Why Black Messiah Obama Won’t Win Shelby Steele is a controversial public intellectual who often finds himself at the center of controversy because of his conservative stances on such issues as Affirmative Action, reparations, welfare and other government entitlement programs. As an African-American, this makes him a much in demand media darling who Republicans wheel out whenever they need a black man to weigh-in on a hot-button issue.
Consequently, he’s been a popular guest
on the TV talk show circuit where he has generally been reduced to
speaking in soundbites. For this reason it was very enlightening to
see him recently speak at length in “What Black Men Think,” a
brilliant documentary by Janks Morton which afforded
By profession, Steele is a research
fellow at the Hoover Institution at For his work on the PBS television documentary “Seven Days in Bensonhurst,” he was recognized with both an Emmy Award and a Writers Guild Award. In 2004, President George W. Bush, citing Steele's 'learned examinations of race relations and cultural issues,' honored him with the National Humanities Medal.
Here,
KW: Hey, SS: Pretty good, how are you? KW: Thanks for the time. SS: Sure. KW: Well, I found much of what you had to say in your new book thought-provoking. But do you have any second thoughts about your Obama prediction, or about making it the subtitle of your new book? SS: Well, I don’t know if I did that well, here. [Chuckles] You know, you’re sitting there trying to come up with a subtitle. This wasn’t the best one. Nevertheless, I still think it may be difficult for him to go all the way. KW: If he gets the nomination, you can be sure that McCain and the Republicans are going to mount a serious campaign. SS: Right, there’s a long way to go. But that wasn’t the point off my book, obviously, so I regret that title. KW: “Why Obama Can’t Win” sounds like an attention-grabber dreamed up by somebody in the marketing department. But let me ask you about your first book, “The Content of Our Character.” I actually agreed with much of what you had to say in that book, but it seemed that soon thereafter you became a media darling among conservatives who were quick to co-opt some of your words as a rationale for dismantling Affirmative Action. Did you sense how you might be being used in this fashion? SS: I take responsibility for what I write. I came to have really strong views about Affirmative Action. In the next book I wrote, “A Dream Deferred,” I took on the issue a lot more directly. But it’s always there, even in “White Guilt.” So, here you are, where people are inviting you to speak about what you really believe. That’s how that went. Certainly, in the media, there have not been many black voices that have argued against Affirmative Action with any decent logic. KW: I reviewed your book “White Guilt,” where you said “I walked right into stigmatization as an Uncle Tom.” How did that make you feel to be seen this way? SS: Well, this is interesting, and I think it relates to my Obama book where I talk about “bargaining” and “challenging” and how we, as blacks, entering this great American mainstream wearing a mask because, when you’re a minority, you don’t have the same power as the majority. That’s something that has just been a part of our survival mechanism. Well, I tried not to wear those masks, not to give whites the benefit of the doubt or to hold them on the hook, but to simply speak as an individual. I knew that if you’re going to do that in a society that has this history, this past, and this way of relating through masks and so forth, that you’re going to get some blowback. So, I was not surprised, and I fully accept that you can’t write the way I’ve written and not get blowback. You will. And in fact, you learn from it. It sharpens me and I hope it makes me a better writer. KW: To be honest, after loving your first book, I was disillusioned by the way that you seemed to become a Republican spokesperson for the anti-Affirmative Action movement. However, I recently came to appreciate you again when I saw you in Janks Morton’s documentary “What Black Men Think.” It really showed you in a new light.
SS: Right. Oh
yeah, I think it’s a really great film. One of the points it made
for me, both participating in it and then later viewing it, is that
you get a chance to see how these ideas that are often labeled
conservative actually come out of a great concern for black KW: I agree, even though I see myself as a progressive liberal, politically. What was the extent of your involvement with the project? SS: Janks came out and conducted the interview. Then he left, and I had no idea what to expect. When I saw it, it blew me away. It was a powerful piece of work. And he did it in such a way that made it palatable. It wasn’t shrill or preachy. KW: In your Obama book, you say he won’t win because he has to wear masks to win. Don’t the white candidates have to do that, too? SS: All politicians are going to mask to some degree in order to present themselves in away they think will get them votes. What’s different in Obama’s case is that he’s wearing a racial mask, this “bargainer’s” mask, and I think very effectively, whereby he gives whites the benefit of the doubt. He’s essentially saying, “I am going to presume you are not racist, if you won’t hold my race against me.” So, his mask is a distinctly racial one. This approach is old. It’s been around for a long time. There have been black bargainers all the way back to Louis Armstrong, and I’m sure even far back beyond that. KW: Well, when you compare Obama to Louis Armstrong that makes me think of Satchmo’s smiling and mugging deferentially with the big handkerchief. Do you think that’s a fair comparison?
SS: Well,
Armstrong came from a whole different world 100 years ago. And he
had to do things that, obviously, no black has to do today, thank
God. Certainly, Obama doesn’t have to adopt those sorts of hideous
expressions. Yet, at the same time, he does strike this bargain
which makes white people feel this comfort with him because he is in
code saying to them, “I’m not going to rub
KW: What I’m
curious about Obama is, where did he get his black accent, if he
wasn’t raised around black people, but by a white mother from SS: It sounds a little hollow. Sometimes, he’s Martin Luther King, sometimes, he a black militant from the Sixties, then he’s a Baptist minister. He can be so different. There’s not yet an Obama voice. That troubles me on other levels. It’s hard to know what bag he’s going to come out of when he takes to the podium. You’re making the point that, given his background, he doesn’t have the flava’, that he’s a bit artificial and struggling to get there. Yeah, sure, that is part of what I talk about in the first half of the book. I think this need to belong has trailed him all of his life. KW: It reminds me of a guy who tried to befriend me in college, saying, “We mulattoes have to stick together.” I didn’t understand why he was trying to bond, because, even though I’m light-skinned, both of my parents were black and I had been raised in a black neighborhood, so I obviously had a different set of life experiences. What was your childhood like having one black parent and one white parent? SS: I grew during segregation in an all-black segregated neighborhood with segregated schools, etcetera. I was raised by a great father, my hero, who I much admired. So, I never really had anxiety in the way that someone like Obama would have. When he walks down the street alone, since no one knows who his mother is, they’re just going to see him as a black guy. That’s the fact of it. He has to be a black, yet he has an insecurity about it, and maybe overcompensates. I talk about that in the book. Part of it comes from a desire to establish your bona fides as a black. KW: Did you feel that you had to deny half of who you are, because the world only saw you as black? SS: I think my situation was probably different from somebody younger than I who came up after segregation and maybe grew up in an integrated or mostly white suburb. I was raised in a completely black world. In those days, if a white woman married a black man, she lived as a black woman, and that was just the end of it. So, I don’t have a feeling of being bi-racial. I don’t have a connection to it. People often come up to me thinking I do have a connection to it, and I kind of let them down because I really don’t. My mother was deeply involved in a black community and when she died, these are the people who came to her funeral. Still, I do empathize with the younger people who may feel torn. I just myself have not had that feeling.
KW: Do you
think it’s possible for a black male born in SS: Good question. Jack Johnson was famous for not wearing any mask. Yes, I do think it’s possible today, but you will probably pay the kind of price that Shelby Steele has paid. You’ll get some blowback for it, because your own group is going to have some expectations of you. Take me, for example. I decided to live as an individual and as I grew older, and thought more, and read more and experienced more, my views became more conservative. But my group is liberal. Not only that, they say, “If you’re not liberal and not a Democrat, you’re not black. If you’re conservative, you’re a sellout.” Here, then, I’m living with tha |