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To Be Real: Black Girls Are Magic

In 2011, I had started a new job with nice national nonprofit organization after having been laid off from a small local nonprofit. For this new job, I was a program coordinator for a national writing “contest” for middle school students. It was nice to be able to link my background as a writer with nonprofit work.

In the first few months of this gig, I discovered that some guy who had attended my college had written a play about a gay guy who pledges a fraternity. My novel Lazarus, and its sequels, were about a gay guy who had pledged a fraternity. But this was no mere coincidence–not only had my novel been released while he was a student, but my novel was aggressively promoted on campus. There’s no way he didn’t know about Lazarus before he wrote his little skit.

My suspicion of his guilt was only reinforced. I reached out to ask to read his work so I could ensure that it was substantively different, and he refused.

Needless to say, I was upset, not just because a fellow Hoya had clearly been inspired by my novel, but wouldn’t cooperate just to try to prove me wrong.

At the end of the day, my mentor told me there wasn’t much I could do unless I could prove that he had lifted passages from the actual novel. And frankly, I wasn’t going to catch the Chinatown bus to New York just to see his rip-off Mad TV sketch version of Lazarus, so I let it go. If I felt he was poised to make any money off of this, I surely would have pursued further action.

My mentor intimated that the best thing I could do was ensure that the people knew whose work came first and whose work was superior.

And that, my friends, is how I relaunched my career.

***

Since that incident, and because of it, I have become more sensitive to moral issues of intellectual property. Not just the legal aspects, but the parts that deal with community, friendship, brotherhood, and the like.

I believe in putting others on. I believe in Usher mentoring Justin Bieber and Diana Ross “discovering” Michael Jackson, even though that’s more narrative than fact. I believe in sitting at the feet of elders, and mentoring, and writing groups, and all the things that build camaraderie among writers.

I believe in the class of 2005, those gay black writers who had their debut novels that year, including Dayne Avery, Fred Smith, Alphonso Morgan, and me.

I met E. Lynn Harris. We gave each other the Alpha handshake.

It’s levels to this.

Am I a great mentor to other writers? Not especially–I could be much better. But I believe in friendliness and cordiality. I am not going to hate on K. Murry Johnson’s Image of Emeralds and Chocolate because it was the first gay black vampire novel. I bought his novel. I support his career. The fact that Birth of a Dark Nation has black gay vampire main characters is a coincidence that Johnson and I are cool with.

Buy our books. You can’t get enough gay black vampires.

The point is that we have to know each other, communicate with each other, and be nice to each other. There is room at the table for everyone to be great in my business.

***

That’s why this #BlackGirlsAreMagic incident currently exploding on Twitter is so problematic for me. In a nutshell, writer Kenesha Williams has created a speculative fiction (!) literary magazine (!!) focusing on black women and girls as protagonists (!!!). I really liked the idea when I heard about it a few days ago and automatically presumed that it had the blessing of Auntie Peebz (@thepbg), who is the originator of the phrase #BlackGirlsAreMagic as a “thing.” She sells t-shirts and everything.

Sure, is it possible that somebody somewhere said “Black girls are magic!” at some point in their lives? Yes, it’s possible. But when you Google “Black girls are magic” literally every page that comes up points back to Auntie Peebz in some way, except for one: an article about Kenesha Williams’ literary magazine.

The logos are similar to me as well. Not identical, but reminiscent. So that says to me there may have been at least some kind of inspiration from one logo to the next.

Kenesha, sis. You have a great idea here and I do believe a speculative fiction literary magazine with women and girls as protagonists is necessary, amazing, powerful, and absolutely on time. And I know that literary magazines are not money-making ventures. They are labors of love that (God-willing) get your name out there as the arbiter of new fiction, and “put on” new authors who might not be featured anywhere else due to sexism and racism in mainstream genre publications.

But you have got to change the name.

This is not a trademark issue. This is an issue of sisterhood.

This isn’t about what you’re allowed to do. We’re legally allowed to do a lot of things. But this thing? his thing you shouldn’t do.

Please do the right thing and change the name. I want to be able to support this publication and all the wonderful emerging writers who will be featured. But I will not support your publication unless the name is changed.

PS:

American Ultra: There Are Black People In It

American Ultra is the story of an underachieving, weed-smoking white guy who is a former CIA operative whose memories of his life as an agent have been wiped. When the CIA decides it’s time for him to be purged, his killer instincts kick in and he realizes he is more than he seems.

As I said in previous posts, I use MoviePass now so I can see a different movie every day for only $30 a month. I told my mom it’s like “use or lose” leave for the cinema. Since American Ultra was heavily advertised as a “stoner film” I had low expectations of seeing any black people.

Since I intentionally don’t do a whole lot of investigating before I choose the film I want to see, I was pleasantly surprised to see John Leguizamo. He is probably one of my favorite Latino actors and in my top five comedic actors/stand-up comedians of all time. I am talking all the way back to House of Buggin’ in 1995 on Fox!

But Leguizamo’s character troubled me. He said “nigga” an awful lot to the main character. I *think* I understood what the writers were trying to do. I mean, one would not expect a small town West Virginia hustler to be politically correct. And yes, I’ve seen plenty of Latinos say nigga (and it does not bother me) and I have seen black people call white people nigga (and it does not bother me). But there was something about John Leguizamo delivering these particular lines to this particular character that bothered me.

Maybe it’s because this guy, Max Landis, wrote American Ultra. Not exactly who I have in mind when I consider who has the agency to say nigga.

At any rate, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that John Leguizamo has a great body for a man of a certain age.

Which brings me to the black people who are in American Ultra. You already see Lavell Crawford pictured above. There was also Sam Malone, James Moses Black, and an actor who played one of the assets (not sure which one, but he had dreadlocks).

You know, considering I had low expectations, I was disappointed anyway. Unlike Vacation, which had stellar, but brief performances by Keegan-Michael Key and Regina Hall, the appearances by every black actor in American Ultra was forgettable. I don’t think the acting was bad, per se, but I think the dialogue was just blah–for the black actors as much as the rest of the entire cast.

You know, I really tried to like the film. It had a creative premise, fun action scenes, and believable performances by everyone, I suppose. And it was much more of an ensemble piece than I expected. But the plausibility of a plot is important to me, no matter how far-out it might be. Could it happen? If it could happen, is the script making me believe it? Are the actors?

In this case, I think the actors tried, but they couldn’t make a wack script hot.

At the end of the day, I could have randomly caught this on cable and enjoyed it. I left the theater feeling annoyed.

So yes, American Ultra has black people in it–but it might as well not.

Straight Outta Compton: There Are Black People In It

There were a million and one ways Hollywood could have messed this movie up.

Thankfully, they did not. They started by having the presence of mind to cast black actors in the role of actual black people.

They don’t always get that right. But this time they did.

There are a lot of black people in this film.

Ironically, but perhaps authentically, a many of the stadium concert scenes were filled with white extras in the seats. I found that somewhat odd, but I never went to an NWA concert as a child, so perhaps that was accurate. It is a fact (don’t ask for sources) that hip-hop earned its wealth through album sales in the white suburbs. So the concert scenes in this film were a very subtle, but powerful nod to that idea.

When I first heard there would be an NWA movie, I was scared that it would be wack. Now that I’ve seen it, I am truly happy with how it was done! Most, if not all of the roles were cast perfectly. To me, the standout was Jason Mitchell as Eazy-E, but every actor did a good job. I was very happy to see Aldis Hodge as well–it’s just a shame that it was in the relatively small role of MC Ren.

As is the theme of my reviews, I reiterate that there are black people in this film. However, you will not see many black women. Although the ones you do see are depicted positively (Dr. Dre’s mom as well as the partners of the NWA leads), you will not see a conversation about the misogyny of the era and of the genre. While that’s a disappointment, I don’t think social justice warriors would be disappointed in the authentic portrayal of the meaning of NWA as a moment in time, especially juxtaposed against the Rodney King verdict and ensuing riots.

I liked this film. I really did. I encourage you all to see it while it is in theaters.

Vacation: There Are Black People In It

I recently saw the film Vacation, a continuation of the National Lampoon’s Vacation franchise from the 80s. It was not very good. But there were black people in it, namely Keegan-Michael Key and Regina Hall! They were pretty good.

Sorry I don’t have much else to say. Wasn’t a good film or a good use of black folks. It was the typical “Black neighbor/friends juxtaposed against kooky white family” for a scene. Oh well, maybe next time!

Trainwreck: There Are Black People In It

I try to only support those films and television shows that have black characters, preferably in leading roles. I don’t dislike white people. I just really make a conscious effort to support art, culture, and media that is reflective of my experience and that of my people. I think something happens to the souls of people of color when they don’t see themselves.

So when I signed up for MoviePass, the service which allows you to see as many movies as there are days in the month for a small monthly fee, I knew I was going to have to see “white” films if I was going to get my money’s worth.

The first film I saw was Trainwreck with Amy Schumer. I had wanted to see Dope, but that had already left my local theater. Gallows was also on my list, but it got terrible reviews. So Trainwreck it was. I literally knew nothing about the movie except it was supposed to be some sort of bawdy romantic comedy with some familiar faces from Saturday Night Live and some cameos and walk-ons from other celebrities I was familiar with.

Since you can get full reviews elsewhere, I will just share the three most important things:

I really did enjoy the movie!
Bill Hader is like really cute to me.
There really were black people in it!

No, it wasn’t a predominately black cast, but I enjoyed not only the portrayal of the black people who were present, but the real (if not awkward) discussions of race among the white people in the movie. There were a few jokes that were related to black folks/hip-hop/urban culture that clearly flew over the heads of many in my theater, but earned hearty guffaws from the people of color sitting near me.

Look out for LeBron James, Method Man, Leslie Jones, Tim Meadows, Amar’e Stoudemire, and a few others making notable appearances.

Again, it was a great movie and I am glad it kicked off my MoviePass experience. (And if you want to try MoviePass, please click on the link to use my referral code.)

Where in the World is Rashid Darden?

Pictured above: Me and my buddy Doug in Philadelphia.

A lot has happened since I last wrote.

But first of all, hey! How y’all doing? That’s good.

My life has been busy, eventful, and largely fulfilled.

In January, I made my first vision board. We actually did them as part of the rush activities for my chapter of Gamma Xi Phi Professional Arts Fraternity – both members and prospective members did them. On my board was several things, and I’m happy to say that by the mid-point of 2015, many of the things on my vision board have manifest.

First and foremost, I have broken through much of my depression and anxiety. Not cured–never cured, perhaps–but less sad and less anxious. Definitely grateful for that.

I got two part-time jobs. One is as Outreach Manager for the DC Recovery Community Alliance, where I am doing communications and development work like I am accustomed to. The other is a temporary assignment at the Life Skills Center of DC, where I will be doing operations and other things over the next few months.

I’m also still doing photography! I had a gig a few weekends ago and another in a few weeks.

I have some much-needed leisure travel planned for the fall! In fact, counting some fraternal travel, I may very well be in three different states in less than seven days! More on that in a future entry.

Speaking of fraternalism, I got a national committee appointment in Alpha Phi Omega. I am the Alumni Relations Chairman, which means I help Alumni Associations in the fraternity, among other policy issues.

And perhaps most excitingly I was elected National President of Gamma Xi Phi! Our National Convention was in Philadelphia in mid-June and although it was a lot of work, it was also very fun.

I’m not dating anyone, but I’m committing myself to going out more so that I can actually meet new people in the flesh from time to time. We’ll see how that works.

And as far as the writing goes, I suppose it’s official — I’m on hiatus. I would surely like to continue work on Blood of a Dark Nation or Yours in the Bond, but the truth is a lot of other things are more important than that to me right now, not the least of which is living life and pursuing happiness. I am always going to be a writer and I will complete my projects. But perhaps not in 2015. Maybe when I get more settled into my new positions.

I do appreciate all of your support and your patience! Please stay in touch with me via social media–I’d love to hear from you.

Kids These Days: Best Practices for Youth Step Shows

In February, I was asked to be a judge for a youth step show at my alma mater, Georgetown University. As the founder of the GU Step Team (GUST) I was honored to come back and participate.

There were three teams: Dem Raider Boyz, the Lady Raiders, and the Lady Legacy Step Team. I enjoyed the show and photos are below:

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But I did want to bring some things up for people to consider when coaching teams or sponsoring step shows.

Always teach the history before you teach the choreography. Stepping is an African American art form, first and foremost. In its present form, it comes from African American fraternities and sororities via many other cultural traditions. If any stepper does not know this, they should not perform.

There is a difference between boys’ teams and girls’ teams. They should compete in their own divisions, not against one another.

You can have too much of a good thing. Consider dividing your team into smaller squads. Yes, large squads are impressive, but smaller squads are more versatile.

Stop appropriating traditional steps from fraternities and sororities. Instead, go on YouTube and find videos of great choreography, period. Beyonce does it. So can you. Incorporate moves from different time periods into brand new percussive steps.

You don’t have to grit. And some teams are calling it the “stank face” which is even worse. Gritting comes from the black fraternal experience and I am not comfortable with youth emulating it. There’s a time and place to learn what gritting means and why it’s done. High school is not that time.

Finally, know that there is life after stepping. Stepping is a form of dance, and dance is an art, so that makes you an artist. Take those skills with you to college and consider joining a dance troupe. And obviously there are professional step teams and dance troupes to join after college, too. if you are good, keep going!

I am looking forward to my next youth show. Hopefully there will be many more teams that are ready to handle the stage.

Film Review: Rag Tag

A few months ago, I watched a film called Rag Tag that had been in my Amazon wish list for literally years. I hadn’t made a point of watching it because I hadn’t been given any particular recommendations to do so. But thank goodness for Netflix.

I apologize for the sparseness of this review. I had really, really intended to write a review within a week of watching it. Then life happened. Oops.

So Rag Tag is essentially a gay black love story set in the UK. Basic premise: two boys who are best friends are separated in their adolescence and reunited in their early to mid 20s. Both have lived their lives trying to conform to heteronormativity, but have failed because they were essentially in search of one another.

The bad news is that this is a low-budget film which often looks like it. But isn’t that the case with so many pieces of art that emerge in support of the black gay aesthetic? Drawing on my own experience, I know that my first novel Lazarus was not a masterpiece, but it remains a sentimental favorite for many of the readers who knew me way back when.

Similarly, Rag Tag is not perfect, but it is necessary. There is a dearth of black gay romance on television and in film, so this movie fills the void (somewhat). It feels authentic. It feels right.

As a bonus, the viewer will also get to see this story unfold on two continents, neither of which includes the Americas. The portion of the story centering on Africa drags at times, but it so important in deepening the story of Rag and Tag.

Rag Tag didn’t win any Academy Awards, but it did remind me that it will have a special place in the hearts of every black gay boy who needed to see themselves depicted in a positive and realistic way.

Find it on your favorite streaming video platform or be a pal to the filmmakers and purchase the DVD.

Me and Paul Beatty

In case you missed it, I met my literary hero Paul Beatty this week at DC’s Politics & Prose. I’m still beaming on the inside. Here are the photos:

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Family and Lovers

Today’s “Tarot Tuesday” entry will be a little different. I want to delve into my philosophy and synthesize a few readings I’ve recently conducted.

Someone recently asked me if my Tarot readings were “real” or if I cheated somehow. I suspected that they wanted to know whether I practiced the art (science?) of “cold reading.” According to Wikipedia, “Cold reading is a set of techniques used by mentalists, psychics, fortune-tellers, mediums and illusionists to determine or express details about another person, often to imply that the reader knows much more about the person than the reader actually does.”

I wasn’t offended by the question. There are a lot of charlatans out there. And for what it’s worth, I don’t think I have some peculiar gift that nobody else has.

I listen.

I listen to what the universe is trying to tell me through the cards and I pass it along to whoever is asking the question.

A young man I know recently embarked upon a professional journey which took him overseas. For him I drew the four of swords. This typically means a period of resting or recharging after a period of challenges. But something about the position of the swords themselves was puzzling me. Then it occurred to me that the swords represented his family. Father, mother, and sister were heading in one direction and he was heading in another, not only physically, with his move, but philosophically, politically, you name it.

He’s doing well with his move and I’m happy I was able to give him some reassurance in that process.

More recently, I had a conversation with a woman who was having some internal debate regarding her future happiness. I drew the ace of wands in the reversed position–a card of exhaustion and a loss of enthusiasm. From there, she and I had a revealing conversation (details that will not be shared here) that culminated with me reminding her that she has to take care of herself before she can help anyone else.

People only ever really want to know about love, family, and career in these readings. I’d love a reading that was about passing a class or writing a book. But it is what it us.

I don’t find readings about love, family, or careers to be challenging. People come to those readings already knowing their personal truths. They’re just buried deep inside them and the cards show them symbols that help them make connections that are important to them. That part is easy. Doing the work to change your life for the better–that’s the hard part. And a Tarot card reader can’t do that for you. But we can point you in the right direction.

I give Tarot readings that begin at $45. Send me a message if you’re interested!