Love Jones And The Renaissance Black Man

Love Jones is one of my favorite movies.

It’s also a classic in the black film world.

It’s a story about a relationship between a professional writer named Darius Lovehall (Larenz Tate) and a creative photographer named Nina Mosley (Nia Long). They’re both hard-working and focused creatives, striving to break new ground in their careers, who also happen to fall for each other in the process. Let me just say, Darius Lovehall was everything in this movie. He comes close to perfection (at least I think so) and he checks the following boxes: handsome, smart, soulful, funny, gainfully employed, and charming. What I love most about Love Jones though, is that in addition to the story between Darius and Nina, everything else about the film from the soundtrack, cast, settings, and dialogue, just flows well.

During one memorable scene, Nina referrers to Darius as a “Renaissance black man.” And I thought that description was wild because while Darius fits the definition, one could wonder if black men like him really exist? Darius really is the epitome of a Renaissance black man, which is something I don’t see too often in the black community, especially when it comes to quality men. Although Darius is a fictional character, a girl can still dream 😉. Regardless, Love Jones is a great film. If you haven’t seen it – check it out sometime.

The Day I Became A Kidney Donor

About a year ago, I had a dream my dad wanted to talk to our family about something serious. I wasn’t sure what he wanted to discuss, but I knew it was something I needed to prepare myself for. Around the time after I had this dream, I remember stopping by my parents place and sensing something was going on that they weren’t telling me. I tried to dismiss what I’d been feeling, but I couldn’t shake it. Something serious was happening. As I returned to my home after visiting them one day, I was in my kitchen washing dishes when a heaviness hit my heart like nothing I’d ever felt before. Something’s wrong with dad. That’s what that dream was about. God, what’s going on? As I continued washing dishes, I started crying and praying. Then in mid-spring, my dad held an unexpected family meeting that would change all our lives forever. He hesitated at first, and as his voice started cracking and he started crying, he said, “Well, I wanted to talk to ya’ll to tell you that I have kidney disea...

I’m Glad I’m Not Married

When I was about five years old, I was sitting in the backseat of my dad’s car when me, him, my older cousin (my aunt’s son), and my aunt (my dad’s sister) caught my aunt’s fiancé with another woman. My dad had been driving my aunt out to run some errands since she didn’t have a driver’s license or a car. When she spotted her man with another woman, she told my dad to pull the car over, got out of the car, and immediately addressed him. She wanted the keys back to her apartment and was done with him. The other woman she caught her fiancé with slapped him when she realized what was happening, and that was that. When my aunt returned to the car, she was clearly and understandably upset, and the ride back to her place was quiet. Although I was too young to fully grasp what was happening at the time, I knew it wasn’t good. And now, at 34 years old, I can’t imagine how much pain she was in. Her wedding had been planned and paid for – and she never made it down the aisle. My aunt was a beaut...

How To Respond To A Nasty Email

Technology has made many people bold, rude, and incredibly messy. Often to the point where some may hide behind words they’ve typed instead of verbally communicating a message they want to convey. Such can be the case when it comes to sending emails. Ah, emails. You know what they are. Electronic messages that can be quickly drafted, sent, and misinterpreted (because you can’t always interpret tones or emotions through them). Which is why it’s key to know how to respond to nasty emails if they should ever come your way – especially in the workplace. As a working professional, there have been plenty of times when a coworker or superior sent an email my way that was petty, mad disrespectful, and unprofessional. And before I learned how to properly utilize email etiquette, my first instinct would always be to clap back. I just felt the need to respond and to communicate that I wouldn’t allow anyone, no matter who they were, to disrespect me. And while I haven’t taken t...

Making Waves