Got Mine!

Well, after much angst, haggling and taking a poll, the new cover for the upcoming Trade version of Getting Hers actually speaks to the book, the potential audience and the characters.

They are three different, yet beautiful and determined women. The previous version of faces on the cover showed two women, who were pretty enough, but certainly looked as if they belonged on an Urban novel. My concern was not that the cover was not appealing, but rather that it sent the wrong message to potential buyers who would see the cover and expect to read about Sistah Girlz from Da Hood, which is not what GETTING HERS is all about.

I must say that I am pleased. I stood my ground and gave solid reasoning for my dissent and concern. Thankfully, my editor stood by me and they listened.

Mis-Marketing of Black Books

With the help of the very savvy Monica Jackson a poll was conducted to determine the book buying habits of both black and white readers when they were asked to compare the original and the tentative upcoming cover for the trade version of my novel GETTING HERS. The results were quite fascinating. Take a moment to click on the link above and check out the results. I'd love to hear your opinion.

My New Radio Show

I am thrilled and frightened.... why you ask? Well, beginning tomorrow, Thursday, November 10 at 7p.m. EST I will toss myself into the deep waters of web radio. Yes, I will be co-hosting CROSS TALK, with author Anna Dennis who will be coming to you from the West Coast (San Francisco) and me from New York City.

Listening in is easy. Simple type in Artistfirst.com into your browser at 7 P.M. EST, click on Listen Now and you're there. Of course remember to turn on your speakers!

Our debut guest is Taressa author of this sophisticated chic lit THE HOT SPOT.

Anna and I plan on making it informative as well as fun and we have a trick up our sleeves for our guest as well. Ssssh...

I do hope you can join us for our debut!

An Added Addition

I'm always looking for some new gadget or technology advancement. Because of my dear friend and tech advisor Monica Jackson I've added some fun stuff that I hope you will stop by and check out on WritersRooms

I'm still playing around with it, but I did add some info under calendar. I plan to have an ongoing forum, tips, and excerpts from my novels. You will always be able to access right from here.

Publishers Make Strange Bedfellows

Check out my recent post from Romancing the Blog

10/30/2005




“It’s a small world.” “There’s light at the end of the tunnel.” “All’s fair in love and war.” “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks.” “Don’t burn your bridges.” The list of cliches is endless but one that I’ve created specifically for this blog is:

Publishers make strange bedfellows.

While many of us are preparing to be tricked or treated for Halloween, romance authors are waiting with bated breath to see if the recent merger between Harlequin and BET Books is a trick or a treat.

BET Books, the largest publisher of African American romance and women’s fiction recently merged with Harlequin bringing with them three imprints, an extensive back list and a stable of authors that are some of the best unsung romance authors in the business.

On the one hand this appears to be a major plus for the BET authors. I think it is a major plus for the authors involved. The man/womanpower of the Harlequin machine is unparalled in the industry. Ideally, with the support and worldwide distribution of Harlequin, the authors of BET will see successes that previously have been unavailable to them. But there is always the other “slight” of hand.

As with any merger there is change, there is consolidation, there is reorganization. How this will play out among the authors is yet to be seen. Questions abound: will the guidelines remain the same or become more stringent to adhere to the guidelines of Harlequin which have proved so successful for decades? With so many authors under one roof is there room for everyone in the house? And the big question: will African American romances now be merged, sold, shelved and distributed alongside the Harlequin romances and with the same enthusiasm as the Harlequin titles?

The hope among the BET authors is that they will finally get the visability that they have missed over the past decade. But will this visibilty translate into greater sales from those who don’t, can’t, or haven’t read an African American romance? Will putting the books in the faces of those who say the reason why they don’t read them is because they can’t find them, make a difference and ultimately make names like Gwynne Forster, Francis Ray, Rochelle Alers, Monica Jackson, Lynn Emery, Jacquie Thomas, Shirley Hailstock, Donna Hill (grin) household names?

Will white readers be more inclined to pick up an African American romance when it is alongside one written by Nora Roberts, Holly Lisle, Brenda Joyce, Alison Kent? Will the might of Harlequin give African American romances the legitimacy, the validity that seems to have eluded them?

Or will this apparent treat only be a slight of hand, a changing of the guard and life simply goes on as usual?

In other news, not to be outdone, Kensington Publishing made an announcement that they were taking over Genesis Press (the second leading publisher of African American romances)–all of its backlist and authors and would kick off their new venture with reprints of books by Donna Hill, Gwynne Forster and Rochelle Alers. To say the least the legitimacy and work ethics of Genesis Press is questionable at best, but I will leave that for another diatribe. Hopefully under the helm of Kensington, what has plagued Genesis Press authors for the past five years will be rectified.

In the mystifying world of big business, mergers and takeovers are commonplace. But as the world gets smaller there are fewer places to hang your hat. If you have a falling out with your publisher it will become less and less easy to move somewhere else. Soon there will be nowhere to go as consolidations of publishing houses turn what was once a vast ocean of opportunity into a single stream with no outlet.

But if I may borrow yet another cliche: “where there is faith there is hope.” My hope is that this will be one of the most positively significant changes the romance industry has seen in decades. My hope is that all those faceless, nameless, talented African American authors will finally enjoy the fruits of their labors alongside their sister authors. My hope is that this will indeed be a treat and not a trick.

Stay tuned!

Rosa Parks--Dead at 92

It seems that everyday we lose another hero, another brick in the foundation of history. Today, we have lost Rosa Parks, the petite seamstress who decided to say "No." And that one word changed the course of American History and put Civil Rights on the map for all the world to see.

Below is the story. Read it, share it, live it.

Civil Rights Icon Dies at 92
By BREE FOWLER , AP

DETROIT (Oct. 24) - Rosa Lee Parks, whose refusal to give up her bus seat to a white man sparked the modern civil rights movement, died Monday evening. She was 92.


A Life of Courage




--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Talk About It: Post Thoughts



Mrs. Parks died at her home during the evening of natural causes, with close friends by her side, said Gregory Reed, an attorney who represented her for the past 15 years.

Mrs. Parks was 42 when she committed an act of defiance in 1955 that was to change the course of American history and earn her the title "mother of the civil rights movement."

At that time, Jim Crow laws in place since the post-Civil War Reconstruction required separation of the races in buses, restaurants and public accommodations throughout the South, while legally sanctioned racial discrimination kept blacks out of many jobs and neighborhoods in the North.

The Montgomery, Ala., seamstress, an active member of the local chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, was riding on a city bus Dec. 1, 1955, when a white man demanded her seat.


An Arrest Seen Around the World


Rosa Parks helped spark the civil rights movement by refusing to give up her seat on a Montgomery, Ala., bus for a white man.

Timeline:
· 1913: Born in Alabama
· 1955: Arrested for refusing to yield seat
· 1996: Received Presidential Medal of Freedom
· 1999: Received Congressional Gold Medal

Sources: biography.com, World Book



Mrs. Parks refused, despite rules requiring blacks to yield their seats to whites. Two black Montgomery women had been arrested earlier that year on the same charge, but Mrs. Parks was jailed. She also was fined $14.

Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick said he felt a personal tie to the civil rights icon: "She stood up by sitting down. I'm only standing here because of her."

The Rev. Al Sharpton called Mrs. Parks "a gentle woman whose single act changed the most powerful nation in the world. ... One of the highlights of my life was meeting and getting to know her."

Speaking in 1992, Mrs. Parks said history too often maintains "that my feet were hurting and I didn't know why I refused to stand up when they told me. But the real reason of my not standing up was I felt that I had a right to be treated as any other passenger. We had endured that kind of treatment for too long."

Her arrest triggered a 381-day boycott of the bus system organized by a then little-known Baptist minister, the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., who later earned the Nobel Peace Prize for his work.

"At the time I was arrested I had no idea it would turn into this," Mrs. Parks said 30 years later. "It was just a day like any other day. The only thing that made it significant was that the masses of the people joined in."

The Montgomery bus boycott, which came one year after the Supreme Court's landmark declaration that separate schools for blacks and whites were "inherently unequal," marked the start of the modern civil rights movement.

The movement culminated in the 1964 federal Civil Rights Act, which banned racial discrimination in public accommodations.

After taking her public stand for civil rights, Mrs. Parks had trouble finding work in Alabama. Amid threats and harassment, she and her husband Raymond moved to Detroit in 1957. She worked as an aide in the Detroit office of Democratic U.S. Rep. John Conyers from 1965 until retiring in 1988. Raymond Parks died in 1977.

Mrs. Parks became a revered figure in Detroit, where a street and middle school were named for her and a papier-mache likeness of her was featured in the city's Thanksgiving Day Parade.

Mrs. Parks said upon retiring from her job with Conyers that she wanted to devote more time to the Rosa and Raymond Parks Institute for Self Development. The institute, incorporated in 1987, is devoted to developing leadership among Detroit's young people and initiating them into the struggle for civil rights.

"Rosa Parks: My Story" was published in February 1992. In 1994 she brought out "Quiet Strength: The Faith, the Hope and the Heart of a Woman Who Changed a Nation," and in 1996 a collection of letters called "Dear Mrs. Parks: A Dialogue With Today's Youth."

She was among the civil rights leaders who addressed the Million Man March in October 1995.

In 1996, she received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, awarded to civilians making outstanding contributions to American life. In 1999, she was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal, the nation's highest civilian honor.

Mrs. Parks received dozens of other awards, ranging from induction into the Alabama Academy of Honor to an NAACP Image Award for her 1999 appearance on CBS' "Touched by an Angel."

The Rosa Parks Library and Museum opened in November 2000 in Montgomery. The museum features a 1955-era bus and a video that recreates the conversation that preceded Parks' arrest.

"Are you going to stand up?" the bus driver asked.

"No," Parks answered.

"Well, by God, I'm going to have you arrested," the driver said.

"You may do that," Parks responded.

Mrs. Parks' later years were not without difficult moments.

In 1994, Mrs. Parks' home was invaded by a 28-year-old man who beat her and took $53. She was treated at a hospital and released. The man, Joseph Skipper, pleaded guilty, blaming the crime on his drug problem.

The Parks Institute struggled financially since its inception. The charity's principal activity - the annual Pathways to Freedom bus tour taking students to the sites of key events in the civil rights movement - routinely cost more money than the institute could raise.

Mrs. Parks lost a 1999 lawsuit that sought to prevent the hip-hop duo OutKast from using her name as the title of a Grammy-nominated song. In 2000, she threatened legal action against an Oklahoma man who planned to auction Internet domain name rights to www.rosaparks.com.

After losing the OutKast lawsuit, attorney Gregory Reed, who represented Mrs. Parks, said his client "has once again suffered the pains of exploitation." A later suit against OutKast's record company was settled out of court.

She was born Rosa Louise McCauley on Feb. 4, 1913, in Tuskegee, Ala. Family illness interrupted her high school education, but after she married Raymond Parks in 1932, he encouraged her and she earned a diploma in 1934. He also inspired her to become involved in the NAACP.

Looking back in 1988, Mrs. Parks said she worried that black young people took legal equality for granted.

Older blacks, she said "have tried to shield young people from what we have suffered. And in so doing, we seem to have a more complacent attitude.

"We must double and redouble our efforts to try to say to our youth, to try to give them an inspiration, an incentive and the will to study our heritage and to know what it means to be black in America today."

At a celebration in her honor that same year, she said: "I am leaving this legacy to all of you ... to bring peace, justice, equality, love and a fulfillment of what our lives should be. Without vision, the people will perish, and without courage and inspiration, dreams will die - the dream of freedom and peace."

On the Air with Me!!

I recently did an interview on First Cut a satellite radio show hosted by Artist First.

To hear what I rambled about just click here Donna Hill

The host of First Cut is Nicole Stevenson and she has some great interviews in her archives. Check her out for upcoming shows at Artist First and click on First Cut for the schedule.

Enjoy

An Interview with Donna Hill

I recently did an interview on Artistfirst. If you click on Donna Hill you can hear the interview. Be sure to turn on your speakers.

Nicole Stevenson is the host of First Cut and has had some great folks on the show. Be sure to check out Artist First and her show First Cut for the schedule.

Enjoy!

Censorship on the Rise

The U.S. Government has its nose in everything these days. They have gotten us so paranoid about spooks in the attic, moles in the basement and secret cells living next door that we have inadvertently, little by little allowed them to erode our basic American freedoms all in the name of "keeping us safe." If we don't begin to pay attention to the laws that continue to slip under the radar one day we will all wake up and need to show ID to leave our homes.

As Gil Scott Heron infamously said, "The revolution will not be televised." Wake up America and check out this really scary article.

Censorship on the Rise in Hollywood
by Scott Holleran
http://www.boxofficemojo.com/features/?id=1918&p=e.htm

Always a new Gimmick

Always a new gimmick, and if you need someone to fall for it, the person is me.  I saw an ad about BLOGGER FOR WORD.  So I checked it out. And now I can write up my blogs without going into the blog account but simply typing in word and then publishing to the blog.  Pretty nifty.  

Abort Black Babies and Cut Down on Crime

Well, I'll be damned. When I woke up this morning, I swore I'd been tossed back into time and landed on some fucking plantation in Mississippi. But hell no, it was worst. It was 2005. I'm living in New York City and there is this asshole Bill Bennett who proclaims that although it is a reprehensible thought and totally improbable, if ya abort black babies ya cut down on crime ie, 1 + 1 = A.

I want to see how quickly this gets cleaned up. And if his sorry ass gets thrown off TV as it should be or better tarred and feathered.

Unfortunately, it is comments such as these that continue to seep into the underbelly of society. He said out loud what some others think or only speak of in like company. It is sad that black still equates bad, evil, crime and any good that comes from us is "the exception." And that there are still those who wish our demise by virtue of us not even being born.

I'm ill.

Literati

I've just created a new forum via Network54 called Literati It's bascially for discussion of anything literary: news, views, rants, insight the list goes on. It seems pretty easy to manage, so drop by and add a comment from time to time.

Where Oh Where Are the Words

I officially left my job on August 12 as a publicist with one of the country's busiest public libraries to devote myself fully to pursuing my writing, hopefully get better at it and get my own publicity business ImageNouveau up and operational. Let me make one thing perfectly clear... this staying home mess is more than a notion! I swear, by the time I get the kids to school, come back home, check email (of course) ignore the countless phone calls from creditors and telemarketers... it's lunchtime. Then of course, don't forget to take something out for dinner, and while you're down in the kitchen you may as well wash the floors, straighten up the dining room, take out the trash, hmmm clean the oven.

By this time I'm exhausted. So I eek out two pages, then its time to run out and pick kids up from school, then dinner, then homework, baths, yelling, bedtime, my favorite TV shows... check email again. Whew... I'm beat. And a grand total of 3 pages (on a good day) written.

I must say, while I was at work I got much more writing done. I sat at my desk and relished seeing how much I could get done before I actually had to do company work. Now, every little distraction is a real distraction.

I have more deadlines than time and the clock is ticking....

Any advice is desperately needed and welcomed!

Taking Off The Rose-Colored Glasses

I don’t know about anyone else, but I haven’t felt too “romancy” of late. Within the passed couple of weeks, I have seen a world that for many was only somone else’s problem, a life and lifestyle that was better left not discussed.

As we all stood witness to the devastation and the aftermath of one of America’s greatest natural disasters, the ugliness of the economic and racial divide gave Americans a good slap in the face. “Wake up!” those tortured faces cried, “this is the America that you have refused to see,” they shouted. “It’s so awful,” many moaned and sent money and clothes to assauge their consciences then proceeded back to our castles in the sky and hoped that things would get better, hoped that maybe one morning we’d wake up and it wouldn’t be in the news and in our faces, reminding us of things we’d rather not think about–think about the indisputable FACT that there is and continues to be two Americas–the America of the haves and have nots, the light and the dark. But as long as the have nots can be given a pittance, a little space, a few benefits and kept out of the spotlight then what is the problem?As in the telling words of the beloved Barbara Bush, “And so many of the people in the arena here, you know, were underpriviledged anyway, so this–this is working very well for them.”

By this time, there are sure to be some rolling of eyes and sucking of teeth and the inevitable question: what does this have to do with romance?

Romance, for the most part is the world as we wish to see it, the world we hope for, the fantasy that we create to help us and our followers escape the harsh realities of life. Of course, we gingerly sprinkle our stories with difficulties to give it substance and then our characters skip happily off into the sunset.

Yet, even in the world of romance the harsh reality of two Americas rears its ugly head and continues to exist. Let’s think of the publishing industry as America made up of nationalies or “genres.” Think of publishing houses as the government with the ability to set policy or “trends” (and of course dole out money when necessary) and think of bookstores as cities or municipalites who have the power to interpret the policy(trends) and put the nationalities (genres) wherever the see fit. Last, but not least, think of authors and readers as activists with the voice and the power to create a change within the fabric of America, Government, Cities and Municipalities.

There was a cry, a cry of outrage from the black activists and their followers who asked, petitioned, cajoled and demanded their fair share of America. They only wanted what everyone else had, to be treated and viewed and accepted as equals. To share the same space, the same goals and the same slice of the American pie.

“Oh my” thought the publishing industry, what could be their problem? Why are they in such an uproar about wanting something of their own? For heavensake, they don’t read anyway! Well, let the government handle it. And they did. They carved out little sections of the American pie and doled out a few slices but only in designated areas because of course America as a whole does not want to be reminded or have put up in their faces the inequity of the Industry.
Some governments even went so far as to create “mini nationalities” and gave them to local municipalities who decided where they would go. The activists should be happy now. We’ve thrown money at them, gave them a little slice of the pie and every now and again we even pick up one or two to prove to ouselves and our friends how liberal and generous we are.

Yet the activists and their followers remain disgruntled, marginalized and relegated to a section of the landscape where they can be overlooked until some natural disaster occurs and their plight slaps us in the face.

As authors and readers we have the power to shape policy, change minds and enlighten one book at a time–be true activists. Throwing money, and creating “mini-nationalities” will not change the fabric of the literary landscape. Change begins from within. Within our hearts–the core of romance. As authors we have the power to make the impossible possible. We have the power to make the dis-believers believe that there is good and justice, love and equality in the world. We have the power to change minds.

It’s easy to come to the aid of another when their circumstances are so dire, we think, just for an instant– “that could be me, no one should have to go through that.” But when the plight begins to fade and only appears on page six, or as an addendum to the late night news report, it’s easy to return to our castles in the sky believing that all is now right with the world. The last page of the book has been closed and the characters skip off into the sunset.

But nothing will change until we do, from within–one reader, one author at a time. Simply because the “crisis” has its denoument does not mean that the story is truly over. Everyone always wants to know “what happens next?”

Hey People - this is an email I received from a colleague. If there's anything that we can do to help people in New Orleans, its with resources as people - the government is overwhelmed, and acting much slower than these grassroots organizations.Here's a solid list of info thanx,Paul Compiled by hip-hop artist Kevin Powell:Monetary donations can be sent to these outlets, which we have confirmed are REALLY delivering services to folks in need........

BlackAmericaWeb.com Relief FundPO Box 803209Dallas, TX 75240OR you can make an online donation by going towww.blackamericaweb.com/reliefThis fund has been set up by nationally syndicated radio personality TOM JOYNER

NAACP Disaster Relief Efforts The NAACP is setting up command centers in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama as part of its disaster relief efforts. NAACP units across the nation have begun collecting resources that will be placed on trucks and sent directly into the disaster areas. Also, the NAACP has established a disaster relief fund to accept monetary donations to aid in the relief effort.Checks can be sent to the NAACP payable to NAACP Hurricane Katrina Relief Fund4805 Mt. Hope DriveBaltimore, MD 21215. Donations can also be made online at:www.naacp.org/disaster/contribute.php FYI, the NAACP, founded in 1909, is America's oldest civil rights organization.

www.teamrescueone.com Set up by native New Orleans rapper Master P and his wife Sonya Miller.You can mail or ship non-perishable items to these following locations,which we have confirmed are REALLY delivering services to folks in need....

Center for LIFE Outreach Center121 Saint Landry StreetLafayette, LA 70506 atten.: Minister Pamela Robinson337-504-5374

Mohammad Mosque 652600 Plank RoadBaton Rouge, LA 70805 atten.: Minister Andrew Muhammad 225-923-1400225-357-3079

Lewis Temple CME Church 272 Medgar Evers Street Grambling, LA 71245 atten.: Rev. Dr. Ricky Helton 318-247-3793

St. Luke Community United Methodist Church c/o Hurricane Katrina Victims 5710 East R.L. Thornton FreewayDallas, TX 75223 atten.: Pastor Tom Waitschies 214-821-2970S.

H.A.P.E. Community Center 3815 Live OakHouston, Texas 77004 atten.: Deloyd Parker 713-521-0641

Alternative media outlets where you can get a more accurate and balanced presentation of the New Orleans catastrophe....
www.diversityinc.com
www.alternet.org
www.blackelectorate.com
www.npr.org
www.daveyd.com
www.slate.com
www.bet.com
www.allhiphop.com
www.democracynow.org
www.blackamericaweb.com

PLEASE VISIT all these websites. Five things you can do to help immediately:

1. Duplicate what we are doing elsewhere in New York City, in your city or town, on your college campus, at your church, synagogue, mosque, or other religious institution, via your fraternity or sorority, or via your local civic or social organization.

2. Cut and paste the information in this eblast about Items needed by survivors of the New Orleans catastrophe:* Monetary donations* Where you can ship non-perishable items* Alternative media outlets* Five things you can do to help immediately and share this information, as a ONE SHEET, with folks near and far, via email, or as a hand out at your event, religious institution, and with your civic or social organization.

3. Voice your opinion to local and national media, and to elected officials,via letter, email, op ed article, or phonecall, regarding the coverage of the New Orleans catastrophe, as well as to the federal government's ongoing handling of the situation.

4. Ask the hotel you frequent, such as the Marriott or Holiday Inn, to give your hotel points to an individual or family in need of a stay for a night, a few nights, or longer, depending on how many points you have. Be sure to get confirmation that your points have been applied in that way. Encourage others to do the same. Also inquire if your airline Frequent Flyer mileage can be used for hotel stays as well. Finally, either offer to pay for hotel rooms, or encourage others to do so, including your place of employment or worship or your organization.

5. Dare to care about other human beings, no matter their race, gender,class, sexual orientation, religion, geography, culture, clothing,hairstyle, or accent or language. Like September 11th, the New Orleanscatastrophe is a harsh reminder that all life is precious, as is each day wehave on this earth.

AND REMEMBER that our attention and response to the New Orleans catastrophe needs to happen in three stages...DISASTER, RECOVERY, and REBUILDING. We need you for all three stages!

Get Ready Get Set--New Life

Well... tomorrow starts my first official day of self-imposed unemployment! Yahoo. Of course that does not mean that I will work any less, probably more.

Last week I celebrated my 50th Birthday and it was a blast. Close to 200 folks turned out to help me celebrate a major turning point in my life. And big props to my sister Lisa who put it all together with such class and style, that it wasn't just a party--it was an affair.

Stay tuned. Pictures to come!

Folks with Nothing To Do

Well, just as I was getting ready to visit my website, I type in all the needed info and BAM... my website is gone, poof! Apparently some asshole with nothing else to do, hacked into my site and removed everything.

Needless to say I am distressed at the moment. What is most disturbing is that it is a Wordpress site, virtually impenetrable...until now.

This is the second time this has happened which pressed me to move my website and domain. And here we go again. Hopefully, it will be repaired and operational sometime soon. In the meantime, I am sad and whining!

A Leap of Faith

Every now and again, that decision that has been plaguing you in the back of your mind begins to keep you up at night. You no longer simply "think about it" but begin talking about it to others. Generally it's to test the waters and see if anyone other than yourself thinks you're crazy. Little by little you begin consciously and unconsiously to put things in place to make the decision possible: going over the pros and cons, removing negative thinking and people of out your life and finally stepping out on faith and going for it.

This is what has happened to me. And after umpteen years of working for someone else, I've finally make the conscious decision to do my own thing and leave my very secure 9-5 and write full-time.

For those of you who have seen my writing history you may think--why the hell was I working a job in the first place. Well, a lot of it was security and having smaller children and to be honest, I actually liked my job. Something many folks cannot say. But, I've made the move and as of August 12, I will be officially "unemployed" for the first time since I was 19 years old. A scary but exciting thought.

I do hope that it will make me more productive (I have no choice--gotta write my ass off now!) But I am stepping out on faith and believing that I can do this and do it well.

All good thoughts and prayers are welcome!!!

Hustle and Flow--Have Black Folks Been Hustled Again?

Let me say this upfront--I luv me some Terrance Howard. Loved him in "The Best Man" as the irreverant Quincy, loved him as Ralph Abernathy in "Boycott." Now, accoriding to critics, he is in the performance of his career as the pimp turned rap star in "Hustle and Flow."

The camps are divided on this one: yes it is a movie about pimps and hos but it's also a movie about having a dream and going after it. On the other side of the fence are the advocates for quality and equity in the media and holding up a pimp turned rap star is not a character that should be applauded--that the negative images that the movie projects overshadow any good.

On a personal note, I have a problem with the notion that the only image that can be projected and have dreams is a black pimp. I'm sure they have dreams like everyone else... and maybe, just maybe it is the only way the could find to make a living. But come on!!!

There is a lively debate going on at divasincorporated@yahoogroups.com

I would love to hear opinions on the movie and how African Americans are portayed.