By CHRIS SIMMONS
It’s eulogy time for two “urban-based” situation comedies. To be more precise, it’s more like the end of an era. Again.
The CW’s decision to cancel EVERYBODY HATES CHRIS after four seasons, and THE GAME after three, means that the netlet (an industry term which, loosely translated, means “a little network that WOULDN’T”) will no longer air comedy series starring (and created, written and directed by) African-Americans.
We’ve been here before, right? Remember back in the day when FOX ran entire nights’ worth of shows like …

Today we kick-off a new series of columns by Chris Simmons. Chris Simmons is a veteran writer in the entertainment industry who has been nominated for two Emmys and has won other awards, including the Humanitas Prize for developing the animated series STATIC SHOCK. But first and foremost, Chris is a lifetime student of television, having co-authored books, articles and even wrote TV trivia questions for game shows! He’s now setting his sights on how TV intersects with people of color, and he invites you to read pieces from …

I’ve been on the road since last Saturday, so I apologize for the light posting. By the weekend I’ll be back in the saddle, with regular posting starting tomorrow.
But in the meantime, I can’t say I’m surprised by the hard right calling Judge Sotomayor a “racist” for a statement she made regarding “making better decisions than a white male.” Personally, I want to hear her explain more fully what she meant. It is certainly clear that in her judicial rulings she has not been overtly “empathetic” to people of color. …

I remembered that Morgan Freeman paid for a racially integrated prom in his home state of Mississippi, last year. It was a first for his town. I had not remembered that some of the white residents of Charleston, Mississippi, so opposed the idea of a racially integrated prom night, that they sponsored a competing “whites only” prom on the same evening.
But a New York Times profile of another segregated prom season, this time in Montgomery County, Georgia, brought it all back.
The senior proms held by Montgomery County High School students …

I voted today. Here, in Los Angeles, I was one of the few to do so. With prospects of skyrocketing taxes, deep cuts to education and healthcare hanging in the balance, almost nobody cared enough to cast a vote. At the time I write this on Tuesday night, a 12% voter turnout is predicted.
What happened to us?
And by us I mean all of us who gathered last November to stand in line for as long as it took to cast our vote. For a moment, when I stepped into my …

Double Click the link to read Paulo Serodio “Africa 102: A more colorful view than black and white”
Since my first post on Paulo Serodio’s lawsuit against the New Jersey Medical School, related to allegations that Serodio was harassed and unfairly suspended for calling himself a “white African American”, the comments section has been very active. The discussion caught Mr. Serodio’s attention and he has submitted the article, that at least a couple of commenters, cited to justify Serodio’s suspension. I appreciate that Mr. Serodio submitted the article here. We …

Please join me TONIGHT for All About Race on the Radio at 7pm PST/10pm EST. Tonight we have special guest Farai Chideya whose new novel “Kiss the Sky” features an alternative look at the music world from the perspective of a black punk/alternative rock songstress, Sophie Clare ‘Sky’ Lee.
I loved the book and while reading it I felt I had an insider’s backstage access to rock and roll life. Farai puts the good, the bad and all of the in between, right there on the page.
In addition to discussing …

As a former ABC news investigative journalist, I know that researching one story can lead you to a bigger, more important one. From the comments following the Paulo Serodio post, it appears that the ABC article I referenced in my original post only got a small part of the story.
That is disturbing to me on a profound level.
I have looked everywhere I know to look for the NJMS Plexus article Serodio wrote, that was referenced by a commenter. I would like to read and post Serodio’s article so we …

I cannot give you a short answer about why I call myself black. I guess it has to do with my predominant racial heritage, being born in the 60’s and being a testament to experiencing the world from a particular kind of frame. Overall, I think the common labels we use when discussing amorphous concepts like race, gender, sexuality and attractiveness are uncomfortably constricting and lousy at describing the nuance of human experience.
With this in mind, I was surprised and disappointed by the story of Paulo Serodio. Paulo Serodio …

If you’re a black male and want to be a successful CEO, it’s better to have a non-threatening ‘babyface’ than one that conveys maturity and power. According to a new study conducted by Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management, some people find a serious, mature face on a black man just too scary. Read on:
Black Fortune 500 CEOs with a “babyface” appearance are more likely to lead companies with higher revenues and prestige than Black CEOs who look more mature, an upcoming study says. [American Express CEO, Ken Chenault, pictured above, …

Please join me TONIGHT for All About Race on the Radio at 7pm PST/10pm EST. Tonight we have special guest Julia who writes the blog, “Nobody Asked You” which chronicles her life as a white woman who’s raising a black adopted son. I’ve talked with Julia and you can trust that our conversation will be energetic, candid and insightful.
Won’t YOU join us?
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/allaboutrace
Call in number (347) 326-9704
Want in on the conversation? Call me at (347) 326-9704. We’ll be taking calls throughout the show. The chat room will also be open …

I hope all of you had a splendid Mother’s Day. I hope each of you had someone to celebrate or were celebrated. Here’s to love and laughter:
A groovy kind of “dozens”

Mother Lovers

I apologize for the slow posting this week. I’m working up a couple of goodies, including some more insight on that CBS poll that talked about blacks and whites feeling better about race relations. In our comments section, reader N-2-Me-I-C pointed out some information that contrasts the studies findings. I am taking a harder look at what’s happening around us, too.
In the meantime, I wrote a little piece (pun intended) about the Oprah KFC coupon mess a couple days ago. Please click on over and have a look:
Oprah’s Free …

Latoya Peterson of Racialicious has put together an overview post that incorporates most of the arguments and observations surrounding the meteoric rise of white rapper Asher Roth. [See 'New York Times' article] I’m a fan of classic rap and hip hop. The new stuff that I like is not the type of music to get radio play. Put out a song with too much melody and sophisticated lyrics about real issues and you are sure to have limited spins.
Asher Roth’s catchy little ditty “I Love College” did catch my …

Please join me for All About Race on the Radio this evening at 7pm PST/10pm PST. Tonight it’s 30 minutes of just you and me. I’m going to tell you more about why I talk about race and why you and everybody else should too.
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/allaboutrace
Call in number (347) 326-9704
And I’ll share with you my number one pet peeve about comments that come in response to my posts both here and at AOL BlackSpin.
And we’ll talk about a tale of two hit and run cases taking place right here in Los …