The movie, My Girlfriend’s Back, recently released on VOD and DVD, started so slowly that I had to watch the DVD twice to barely appreciate the storyline. Maybe the tale is great for the teen and young adult set, but this story of a boy born of modest means and moving up in the corporate world with the support of a wealthy gold-worshiping girlfriend is a bit trite.

Yoba (Why Did I Get Married) plays the corporate climber convincingly, but CHH Pounder, who played the upper-class mother-in-law in-waiting, never convinced me that her character knows the difference between chicken from Popeye’s and B. Smith’s. And its 2011, can you believe that a Stanford-bound woman believes that she has to revert to doing a hoochie dance to get her man?

 

10th Annual Art in The Garden Spring Show & Sale
Saturday, April.30, 2011 - 12p-6p
Sunday May1, 2011 - 1p-6p
3218 Chestnut Street, NE, Washington, DC 20018
For more information call 202-269-2757

Creative Artists Mother Day Shopping Event - Anacostia
Friday, April 29, 3p to 8p
Saturday, April 30 from 11a to 7p
Sunday, May 1 from noon to 7p
Black Space Gallery, 1922 MLK Ave in SE Washington
For more information call Millee Spears,

202-678-4499

 

click below for view

A BLACK WOMAN'S SMILE BY TY GRAY EL:

SPOKEN WORD

The West African nation of Ghana and the East African countries of Eritrea and Ethiopia have three of the top 10 fastest growing economies in the world says the 2011 forecast by the Economist (magazine) Intelligence Unit. Ghana ranked number 2 behind the mid-eastern country of Qatar. Six of the slowest are European countries. At the bottom of the list was Puerto Rico.

Several African nations have also demonstrated impressive growth between 2001 and 2010, The Economist found that six of the world’s ten fastest-growing economies during this period are in sub-Saharan Africa.

More than 85 people attended the free showing of Bronx Princess and Promised Land at Glory Baptist Church in Old Jeshwang, The Gambia. PBS had previously broadcast the movies in the U.S. and Port of Harlem magazine and Timbooktu Bookshop of New Bakau, The Gambia, presented the films in Old Jeshwang.

During the discussion session, parents' comments on the Bronx Princess (which is the story of Rocky’s coming of age as a Ghanian-American) included “the mother being old school and the daughter being fluent only in her own generation.” One young adult added, “parents need to be patient.”

Rev. Felix Branson of Old Glory said he could deliver a 2-hour sermon on Promised Land, the story of the South African government’s promised to transfer 30 percent of the land from Whites to Blacks within 10 years after the end of White-minority rule. He said metaphorically, “Go for your promised land, let no one take it from you.”

Us Helping Us (UHU) is one organization that is continuing its mission of reducing the transmission of HIV in the African-American community despite budget cuts. ”Funding for our program targeting young adults, 18 to 24-year-olds, will end in six months and that program may have to cease,” says Ron Simmons, President/CEO of UHU. 

Year Up is offering free IT Training for 18-24 year olds who live in selected areas including New York City, Metro DC and Chicago. The program is for one-year, intensive and provides urban young adults with a unique combination of technical and professional skills, college credits, an educational stipend and corporate apprenticeship. Their mission is to close the Opportunity Divide in urban environments.

This program asks for a 1 year commitment between the hours of 8:30a and 5p. They provide the student with a stipend and after six months internships at companies such as Freddie Mac and AOL.