This post and giveaway is sponsored by COUNTRY Financial November in Chicago means crisp air, falling leaves and a return to glamorous indoor events. It’s the time of year for evening gowns and fabulous coats, suits and shiny shoes, arts and culture. This Thursday evening in Chicago I’ll be there at the Harlem Fine Arts…
culture
Happy Birthday, Bob Marley.
I was born in Trinidad and raised on Bob Marley’s music. Back in 2010, I wrote this homage that still is so true: When I was a toddler, my dad spent time in Jamaica studying for a master’s degree. When he returned, he brought what seemed like Bob Marley’s entire record collection with him.Uprising. Natty Dread.Burnin’. Survival. Rastaman…
RIP Geoffrey Holder, Trinidadian Renaissance Man.
The world lost Geoffrey Holder at the beginning of this week. The great man was 84 years old. It’s been fascinating seeing the various ways that the media has covered his passing. CNN described him as “famed dancer, 7-Up pitchman.” Deadline said “RIP Un-Cola Man, Bountiful Artist.” The New York Times recognized him as a…
This Is The Final Issue of JET Magazine
If you’re looking to cop a piece of black history for your archives, keep an eye out for the final print issue of JET Magazine, which hit newsstands today, Monday June 9th. This final issue is a tribute to the past 63 years of publication, a dedication to the years that JET was the publication…
Beauty Brand History–Blue Magic. Still Blue. Still Magical.
Beauty Brand History is a new regular series here on Afrobella. We all have the brands we’ve grown up using, the brands we’ve known our whole lives. Here are memories and the true stories behind the beauty brands we love. Think back to the first time you remember having your hair combed. What do you…
Does the Diva Dishwashing Sponge Make You Mad?
I’ll admit it, I can be really sensitive about anything hair related. I’m not a fan of afro wigs on Halloween or unsolicited touching of natural hair or insensitive remarks about hair texture or type. I am all about celebrating what I’ve been blessed with. Because I love my own hair, I sometimes collect natural…
The Genius of Marley, The Man and The Movie
When I think back on the earliest songs I knew and my earliest childhood memories, Bob Marley is there as the soundtrack. In my mind’s eye, I can remember seeing news footage of his funeral on Panorama, Trinidad’s national news program when I was a kid. Of course, I was only three. This may be…
Hoping For Justice In the Name of Trayvon Martin
It’s been a little more than month, since 17 year old Trayvon Martin was murdered. He was walking home with Skittles and an Arizona Ice Tea, talking to his girlfriend and getting back to watch the rest of the NBA All-Star Game with his family. If you’ve been following the news, you already know what…
Who’s Going to see Fela! in Chicago?
The first time I heard the music of Fela Kuti, I was a college student visiting Chicago. My then-fiance-now-husband, our dear friend Carol (check out her hilariously named food blog!) and I were driving around downtown with a hilarious, gregarious cab driver. He was blasting Fela Kuti — together we heard Teacher Don’t Teach Me…
I Believe in Resolutions
At the end of the old year and the beginning of the new, I tend to become very philosophical, and a little supersitious. That’s when you’ll most likely find me reading the previous month’s Astrology Zone, making lists in my diary, or cutting inspirational photos and phrases out of magazines. I’m a big believer in…