If you’re familiar with my writing you know that I constantly raising the banner for better roles for Black women in Hollywood. It turns out that I was missing out on one of the better stories because it’s on a site dedicated to improving people’s lives. “Diary of a Single Mom”, is already in is second season and is hands down one of the best dramas you’ve probably never seen. In under 15 minutes, which is the length of each episode, you’ll be sucked into the world of Ocean Jackson and her family and friends. And if you’re like me, you won’t want to leave.

Click below to listen to the interview:

The web series stars  Monica Calhoun (you know her from “The Best Man” and “Players Club”), who is doing her best work as Ocean flanked by a stellar ensemble cast that includes Valery Ortiz and Janice Lynde, as fellow single mothers, along with Leon, Richard Roundtree and the one and only Billy Dee Williams. Yes Billy Dee is on the web. What I love about this series is how adeptly they’re able to bring up issues that many of us are facing everyday. Townsend, Calhoun and company don’t shy away from anything. From a lack of education to health issues and domestic violence Ocean and company are going through some stuff. But somehow even in the midst of their struggles, you feel a sense of hope beneath the despair. And that makes you want to tune in to see what happens next. And the best thing about a web series is you can start from the first episode of Season One and catch up in no time. (Although I wouldn’t recommend what I did which was watch a marathon). Even if you’re not a single mom you’ll still be interested in Ocean and her plight.

But what makes this show great is the man that has brought it to life, Robert Townsend. If you know me then you also know that I’m a fiend for “The Five Heartbeats” but I also think that Townsend’s body of work is amazing. I chatted with him recently about the genesis of the series, the stories he is trying to tell, the plight of Black women in Hollywood and why he still loves what he does. Listen to our chat then get thee over to Diary Of A Single Mom and check out Ocean for yourself.

This downright balmy weather has me thinking about the day I can ditch the winter wardrobe in favor of some fun, flirty dresses. I have got to say that I wouldn’t mind wearing this Elie Tahari ‘Malia’ Dress ($398). After my rotation of black separates and dresses a bright print feels refreshing.  Plus the shade name itself, Buddha Orange, makes me smile. And the dresses best feature, the cutaway shoulders, seems to flatter many a woman’s figure. What’s not to love?

Model, activist and author, Waris Dirie, was in Madrid yesterday for the premiere of the movie based on her memoir, “Desert Flower”. The film which stars another supermodel, Liya Kebede, tells the story of Dirie’s journey from Somalia—where she endured female genital mutilation (FMG) at the age 5 and was sold into marriage at 13—to her rise to prominence as a world famous model. Dirie now runs an eponymous foundation to bring attention to the continuing practice of FMG, and hopes to raise awareness and also bring about its end. From what I can tell, the movie hasn’t opened here in the U.S but I do hope that Dirie finds a US distributor for this film. And from the looks of the trailer, Kebede looks like she’s doing a good job. Check it out below:

It was pretty obvious Gabourey Sidibe was having a great time at the Academy Awards on Sunday night. And besides the whole “if fashion were porn” or the occasional “I’d do him” comment caught by the cameras,  she was just a young, sister living a dream. And there’s nothing wrong with that. But we all know she’s not like the rest of Hollywood and sooner or later  somebody would say something about her size. Forgive the awful pun but it was the proverbial elephant in the room. I thought the first blow would come via Joan Rivers, but she was on her best behavior during the E Fashion Police recap show. (Although there was the comment made by one of the panelists that Queen Latifah knows how to dress for a ‘big’ woman or some other BS). While most of the media decided that politcal correctness was the route to take when it came to Sidibe, Howard Stern said PC be damned. So he brought the subject up on his show on Monday. And the thought just made me cringe before I even knew what he had to say.

Then I cringed again when I read the transcript:

“There’s the most enormous, fat black chick I’ve ever seen,” Stern said. “She is enormous. Everyone’s pretending she’s a part of show business, and she’s never going to be in another movie. She should have gotten the best actress award because she’s never going to have another shot. What movie is she gonna be in?”

Then the sister who served as his sidekick, Robin Quivers, co-signed on the conversation and agreed that Oprah Winfrey was a liar for saying that Sidibe actually had a brilliant career ahead of her. Although Sidibe has already snagged a supporting role in Laura Linney’s new series on Showtime called The Big C and has another film in the pipeline, people are amazed that she’s actually working. Is it because they’re having a hard time separating the actress from her character? Or is it because Sidibe just doesn’t fit their ideal? Whatever the reason, it’s refreshing to see that Sidibe doesn’t seem to care and isn’t sidelining herself because of her so-called limitations. Now I’m sure that she’s aware of the reality: most Black actresses in Hollywood are struggling to find meaningful work. But she’s also young and fearless. So who are we to hold her back?

So while she’s getting offers, I was amazed to discover that Sidibe’s success will probably be measured against some weird benchmarks. Yesterday’s Los Angeles Times in which a Ministry of Gossip item acknowledges the Stern kerfluffle and then linked Sidibe’s future with that of Jennifer Hudson, ‘who’s also not a skinny woman’. Then they have the nerve to compare Hudson’s roles since her “Dreamgirls” win with the career trajectory of Renee Zellweger. Nowhere acknowledging a debut album, a horrendous family tragedy or a baby in the mix. Even with those things she’s managed to appear in two pretty high profile films, “Sex and the City” and “The Secret Life of Bees.” Apparently, that’s not good enough for an Oscar winner.

But Black women who win Academy Awards definitely know better. Halle Berry has never gotten as many  offers as Zellweger or Nicole Kidman or Kate Winslet for that matter. Whoopi Goldberg made plenty of bad movies as Hollywood attempted to find a formula that worked for her (i.e, made a whole bunch of money).  While Hattie McDaniel had to be content with a servant role on both the big and small screen.

The truth is Sidibe might succeed precisely because she has decided not to act like we think a fat girl should. Instead of sitting in the corner quietly hoping that no one will notice her,  she’s saying ‘hey world, look at me’. She’s crushing on Justin Timberlake,  Gerard Butler and giggling like any young woman her age should. And her infectious personality and audacious spirit will not be diminished because she makes many in Hollywood uncomfortable. (For the record, anything above a size 6 makes Hollywood uncomfortable.) So while I may have some concerns about the impact her weight may have on her long-term health (I would be lying if I didn’t admit that) I’m not asking this sister to conform to please me or anyone else. But according to Jezebel her team is already caving and have suggested that she lose weight. And so it begins…

***UPDATE***
Click below to listen to the audio from the show:

Today, my friends over at the The Red Pump Project are busy celebrating an important milestone: it’s been one year since they decided to initiative more purposeful conversations on HIV/AIDS. And they chose a good way to do it because most of us love shoes and we’re always more than happy to rock a red pump (or red ties for men). So in addition to joining their 500 in 50 campaign, I had to choose a red pump as my pick of the day too. My fantasy choice today are these Christian Louboutin Metallic Pumps ($535). They definitely generate some heat…. But I didn’t chose some ridiculously expensive shoes today just for fun. I’m all about the Red Pump because it’s a way  to commemorate  National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day. As you read this post there’s a good chance that someone else is being impacted by the disease—a woman tests positive for HIV/AIDs every 35 minutes. So don’t think you’re too cool to be tested. Just do it. And if you live anywhere near the Windy City, score yourself a ticket to their first anniversary bash on March 25th, at which they’ll honor Rae Lewis Thorton, the sister that gave a face to HIV/AIDS when she graced the cover of Essence back in the day. Thorton brings new meaning to the word warrior and we can all learn a lot from her.

When actor/director Forest Whitaker took to the stage on Sunday night,  it seemed that he left a few things behind, namely a significant number of pounds. I wonder if it’s in preparation for his new role in the “Criminal Minds” spin-off? The odds are pretty strong that CBS will pick up his pilot come fall. In the meantime, this brother is keeping busy. Last night, he was here on the East Coast for the opening of “Our Family Wedding” in which he stars along with America Ferrara, Lance Gross, Carlos Mencia and Regina King. Although it seems quite a bit like a Black/Latin version of “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner?”,  I may see it for the cake fight between Whitaker and King alone.

Okay sister, being a superwoman may have some consequences. As we run here and there trying to get it all done, getting a good night’s sleep seems to be the luxury we’re willing to give up. Well maybe we need to rethink that. According to The National Sleep Foundation’s 2010 Sleep in America Poll lack of sleep crosses racial lines. However, when they broke things down they found that we (aka Black folks) get the least amount of sleep, a little over six hours (over 30 minutes less than both Whites and Asians). We’re also more likely to be diagnosed with sleep apnea.  The African Americans polled said they get more than enough sleep but the truth is we all may be fooling ourselves about the role sleep plays in our overall health.

Thomas Balkin, chairman of the National Sleep Foundation’s board told USA Today:

“That African Americans report the least amount of sleep and that they report needing less sleep each night to perform best during the day bears more research, Balkin says. He points out that inadequate sleep is starting to be associated with obesity, heart disease and diabetes, diseases that are more prevalent among African Americans.”

That’s one explanation for the health issues that impact our community disproportionately. And although a good night’s sleep might be one of the simplest ways to improve our health (it isn’t going to be a cure all). Of course getting more sleep is easier said than done—especially in an economy where we may have to juggle more than one obligation (or job) to make end’s meet. But what we don’t want to do is take that “In Living Color” skit about the Jamaican family with lots of jobs to heart. While we laugh at the premise (yes, it’s still funny) that kind of thinking may actually put us down for the count.

The good news in all of this is in spite of our go-go lifestyles, we are still more likely to pray before we go to bed—which may give us a more restful sleep too. (There’s also a good chance that we might have sex.) Just two more good reasons to go to bed earlier than you used to.

If you’ve visited this site before you know I’ve got a thing for ELEW (aka Eric Lewis). This talented pianist, who’s developed his own genre, Rockjazz—a mix of jazz, rock with elements of ragtime and hip-hop thrown in—has got me listening to his interpretations of everyone from The Rolling Stones’ “Paint it Black” to Linkin Park’s “Easier to Run” and Coldplay’s “Clocks”. And let’s just say that’s not an easy feat. But when I listen to his music, I can’t help imagining the faces this brother is probably making as he does things to those 88 keys that have never been done before. Anyway, the good news is that ELEW Rockjazz Vol. 1 ($12.99) is now available on CD as well as a download. I love my Ipod but it’s always nice to have the actual album too.

Actress Kerry Washington had the day off  from “Race” so she was free to join the President and First Lady at the White House yesterday for the International Women’s Day Reception yesterday. Former “American Idol” alum Katharine McPhee performed while Madeline Albright delivered a few words.