Uncategorized

There were two big revelations from First Lady Michelle Obama’s new memoir, Becoming Michelle Obama (Crown; $19.48). First, is her revealing her miscarriage. The second is her daughters, Sasha and Malia, were conceived by IVF (in-vitro fertilization).

It’s this candor that makes Michelle Obama so beloved and such an inspiring figure particularly for women of color. Throughout the book, Obama shares insights of a life of pomp and circumstance as a first lady, yet one also filled with the everyday worries, anxieties, and self-doubts of so many women who hold it down as mothers and working professionals face. Obama’s balancing acts are just as commonplace and practical as many women charged with managing both worlds and realities.

From her new memoir, here are seven ‘real-life’ moments Obama shares to which so many black women can relate:

Her husband’s great idea didn’t seem so great to her as a wife – which speaks to the pragmatism of many black women.

When the opportunity arose for Barack Obama to run for Illinois Senate, she “didn’t think it was a great idea,” and thought her affable husband would “get eaten alive” by the political world. “But maybe I can do some good,” he said with a “bemused shrug.”

Barack Obama, perhaps as many wives and partners complain, was reluctant to try couples’ counseling after his entry into politics began to take a toll on their marriage.

“He was accustomed to throwing his mind at complicated problems and reasoning them out on his own…[]..Sitting down in front of a stranger struck him as uncomfortable, if not a tad dramatic.”

She felt uncomfortable in unfamiliar surroundings as a black woman.

In the book Obama writes Washington was confusing “with its decorous traditions and sober real-regard, its whiteness and maleness, its ladies having lunch off to one side.”

She wasn’t an instant cheerleader for her partners ambitions, but rather, a cautious pessimist.

Black women often show reserved caution toward loved ones’ ambitions, knowing how hard the world is on people of color. She thought Obama would not win the presidency. “Barack was a black man in America, after all. I didn’t really think he could win.”

As do many women, she placed blame on herself, even when not actually warranted.

For instance, she blamed herself for the ‘First time in my adult lifetime, I’m really proud of my country’ controversy. “In trying to speak casually, I’d forgotten how weighted each little phrase could be. Unwittingly, I’d given the haters a fourteen-word feast.”

She, as so many black women, had to deal with the “angry, black woman” stereotype.

“I was female, black, and strong, which to certain people, maintaining a certain mind-set, translated only to ‘angry.’..[]…I was now starting to actually feel a bit angry, which then made me feel worse, as if I were fulfilling some prophecy laid out for me by haters…”

She needed to stay connected with her sisterhood tribe.

On occasional retreats with her old girlfriends from her Chicago hood: “They gave me a lift anytime I felt down or frustrated or had les access to Barack. They grounded me when I felt the pressures of being judged, having everything from my nail-polish color to the size of my hips dissected and discussed publicly.”

The post “Becoming Michelle Obama”: 7 Real-Life Moments to Which Every Black Woman Can Relate appeared first on Black Enterprise.

Writer: Joe Henderson / Artist: Lee Garbett / Image Comics

Skyward #8 takes the time to focus on its characters and rightfully so. While the world building is always excellent, it can always feel like major character development, aside from Willa’s, is left behind. This issue gives us some major insight into our newest characters, Lucas and the farmers, as well as Willa’s relationship with Edison.

The last issue’s reveal, that the farmers worked for Barrow, certainly put Willa in a precarious position – right in enemy territory. So, it was only logical that she and Edison would look for the quickest way out. However, with them being in the middle of a bug-infested jungle, that is easier said than done. Willa hiding the truth of her mission from Edison also doesn’t make the situation any better.

At the farm, we quickly learn more about our new friend/enemy Lucas and the farmers. Turns out that farming in Zero G is perhaps the deadliest profession known to man. Barrow prepared them to survive the changing gravity and breed cows to supply food to the city. However, it also turns out that wasn’t enough for the cows to survive the hoards of giant bugs that would spawn out of the jungles. While not exactly a Soylent Green type of situation, let’s just say the substitute for cows practically begs people to look at their nutrition labels.

Lucas is an interesting character. He and Willa have an interesting exchange that brings the two closer. His backstory makes the reader feel sympathy for him but the way that Henderson writes him in this issue makes you question if he can be trusted. He’s a character that comes off as worn out. In fact, most of the farmers, feel like they are tired emotionally. It’s something that you can tell right away, which speaks to their daily life.

Willa is definitely trying her hardest to survive and stick to her mission. However, if this issue has a theme, it’s trust and learning who to put faith in. I do think Edison has more than earned her trust and you can see the strain on their relationship as she continues to hide the fact that she wants to fix the world’s gravity. I understand that she feels like her mission would hurt him but he’s come this far. As the story moves on, the ending leaves a lot of choices for Willa. Eventually, she is going to have to let someone in on her secret and trust that they can help her.

8.5 Weirdly Sexy Moments out of 10

Reading Skyward? Find BNP’s other reviews of the series here.

Want to get Black Nerd Problems updates sent directly to you? Sign up here!

Are you following Black Nerd Problems on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Tumblr, YouTube or Google+?

The post Skyward #8 Review appeared first on Black Nerd Problems.

Back in October, I had the chance to interview the producer and writer from Human Head Studios, developers of The Quiet Man. Unlike the usual AAA fare expected from Square-Enix, this was an […]

The post ‘The Quiet Man’ Is the Most Disappointing Game of 2018 appeared first on Geek.com.

“You can call her trendy
And superficial
An elegant hustler
But don’t you call her no tramp”

“Betty: They Say I’m Different’ is an intimate and experimental documentary into the life of funk music icon Betty Davis. Through a mixture of unseen archival footage, collaborator and family interviews, and psychedelic transcendental animation, the film chronicles the rise and subsequent self-imposed exile of the Queen Goddess of Funk. I was fortunate to finally catch the film at the 21st Indie Memphis film festival after a year of near misses and “almost got im” moments.

As free as a bird and just as distant, Betty Davis (born: Betty Mabry) herself looms over the material of this documentary, appearing only in abstract extreme close ups or her detached voice.  She is the force woven gracefully and mysteriously through the film as filmmaker Phil Cox tells the story of Betty’s childhood in Durham, North Carolina and Pittsburgh before her exodus to New York City.

While enrolled at FIT and taking in Greenwich Village musical trends, she spent her time writing songs and eventually sold the composition “Uptown (To Harlem)” to the Chambers Brothers in 1967. Her path included stints as a model, a relationship with South African trumpeter Hugh Masekela, and an aborted marriage to Miles Davis. The culmination of these experiences and her childhood dream leads to the creation of her own band and the release of three controversial albums – Betty Davis (1973), They Say I”m Different (1974) , and Nasty Gal (1975). Through her sexualized performances,  stage costumes, and dominant lyrics, she confounded just as many audiences as she enraptured.

Betty Davis remains a living pioneer in breaking boundaries for the perception and power of women in music, resonating through the years in not only funk, but also today in rock, pop, and hip-hop.  Her lyrics were written and performed from a perspective and directness that were up to that point the domain of men.  Unlike the the lyrics of her female counterparts, her lyrics were not about how a man made her feel, but rather she would do. In “He Was a Big Freak,” she sings: When I was his daydream / Ain’t no need to tell you what that means / I’d tie him up with my turquoise chain.  Many speak of her influence upon Miles Davis’ electric and avant-garde period after introducing him to the music of Jimi Hendrix and Sly & the Family stone. Betty, however, reveals and the genius of the woman who was a songwriter, bandleader, fashionista, and singer – a funk renaissance artist.

With a running time of only 52 minutes, the film feels more like a beginning than an ending. Alive and in good health, but still in voluntary seclusion, the Queen of Funk sits quietly from her own mythic mountain. The most touching scene of the film reunites Betty’s original band with her via speakerphone.  While the original members gather all together, Betty remains afar and directing the subject away from ever seriously meeting in person again.

Betty: They Say I’m Different is currently playing in select film festivals and cities across the world.  Delicate, personal, and honest, the film is worth watching any way you can – flights, cable, VOD, film festival, astral projections, etc. Check the film’s website and Facebook page for current updates for where you can catch the film near you.

Rating: 7.9 out of 10

@fatbellybella shares a message from Betty Davis (❤️❤️❤️) at They Say I’m Different doc premiere pic.twitter.com/N0i39rGDnO

— Joe Lynch (@branniganlynch) May 24, 2018

Want to get Black Nerd Problems updates sent directly to you? Sign up here!

Follow us on Twitter, Facebook,Instagram, Tumblr, YouTube and Google+?

The post The Mysterious Queen of Funk! Betty: They Say I’m Different Review appeared first on Black Nerd Problems.