If you grew up watching Barney & Friends, or parenthood started for you in the early 1990s, then you probably have encountered several earworm songs from the American children television series. David Joyner, who played Barney for 10 years, explained to Business Insider why "I Love You" was one of his favorite songs. Business Insider caught up with Joyner and he shared how his intuition led him to land the role of Barney the Purple Dinosaur. The following video was initially published on BusinessInsider.com
Clearly, Joyner followed his inner voice. What about you? We'd love to hear your views in the comment box below. Or email your views to TCsViews@gmail.com.
As a Black-American woman in the midst of testing her multimedia journalism skills in advertising, my eyes are always wide open. I've been analyzing every single commercial and ad in magazines, newspapers, transportation hubs, as well as the ones that appear on my favorite television shows, black-ish. The Richard Youngster episode that aired March 29, 2017, on ABC, opened my eyes even more. While social media expressed their disappointment of Chris Brown's appearance on the show, I was applauding the writers. About what? Blacks working in advertising and the lack of Blacks working in the business. I'm talking about the absence of Black creatives, talent, focus groups, and Blacks in executive positions at global agencies. There were several truths in the episode, but the one that caught me off guard was how Richard Youngster was compared to Stepin Fetchit. Which, by the way, I never heard of until Andre, Rainbow and Ruby broke it down.
Unfortunately, most people missed the history lesson, and the in your face message of what it's like to be a minority working in advertising. Even industry advertising newsletters didn't get or send a memo. Lucky for me, I did get the memo because my eyes are opened...even wider. Did you get the memo? Discuss in the comment box below or e-mail your views to TCsViews@gmail.com.
It's so refreshing to see women coming together to support one another. We need more women uplifting each other. Unfortunately, some critics didn't get message. Instead, they body shamed these women. Who wouldn't want to be part of a tribe whose members are doctors, lawyers, beauticians, bus drivers, etc.?
Watch, listen and learn... from the ladies who burn tires.
Learn more about the clique of chicks on their Facebook page.
Whenever you hear or read stories about racism in America, the two ethnicities that first come to mind are Blacks and Latinos. But what about all the other ethnicities in America? The New York Times recently addressed racism toward Asian Americans in an open letter penned by deputy metro editor, Michael Luo. An Open Letter to the Woman Who Told My Family to Go Back to Chinasparked the social media campaign #thisis2016. The trending hashtag is filled with stories from Asian Americans who encountered racism from strangers on the streets, co-workers and even church members. In the following vlog, two friends reflect when the racists remark "Go back to China" put their friendship at stake.
Do you have an Asian American friend that you offended? Please share the lesson you learned in the comment box below, or email your views to TCsViews@gmail.com.
The creative process of an artist has several components. Many of those elements consists of using five senses. However, did you know there are three more senses humankind rarely consider during the creative process?
Emmett Wigglesworth is an 82 year-old New York based artist who sat down with Artz of Culturez TVto explain how some artists choose to send a "message" through their work using more than just their hearing, sight, smell, taste and touch.
Are you an artist with the gift of being a messenger? We'd love to hear your creative process. Leave your comments below or email your views or a voice memo to TCsViews@gmail.com.
Racial barriers continue to plague Americans and it's causing distress in the melting pot of the Land of the Free. The unjustified killings of Black Americans by the hands of police officers has yet to subside. And now innocent police officers have more to worry about after five of their fellow comrades were gunned down by a lone sniper in Dallas following a peaceful Black Lives Matter protest. The social chain of events have left many undivided. People are confused and arguing about #BlackLivesMatter vs. #BlueLivesMatter and everything in between. In the following video, MTV's Franchesca Ramsey drops facts, stats and knowledge surrounding #BLM on all fronts. I highly encourage you to take notes.
Here's a documentary I found a few years ago. I'm surprised Gideon's Army hasn't received more recognition beyond National Public Radio and the New York Times. Let me respectfully take that back. The film premiered on HBO in July 2013 and it was awarded the editing prize at 2013 Sundance Film Festival. However, you probably never heard of it. The film's producers, Dawn Porter and Julie Porter, takes a deeper look into the daily work of public defenders Brandy Alexander, June Hardwick and Travis Williams. They are on a mission to find justice in the Deep South's judicial system.
What documentaries are on your must see viewers list? Share your comments below or email them to tcsviews@gmail.com.
Eugene Jacques Bullard is the first Black-American fighter pilot in history and a national hero.
As an expat living in France he joined the French Infantry at the start of World War I. France awarded Bullard the Croix de Guerre and Medaille Militaire after being seriously wounded. In 1916, Bullard joined the French Air Service where he trained as a gunner and a pilot. When American pilots volunteered to help France and formed the Lafayette Escadrille, Bullard asked to join but by the time he became a qualified pilot the infamous volunteer group were no longer accepting new recruits. As an alternative, he joined the Lafayette Flying Corps. He served the French flying units and completed 20 combat missions.
When the United States joined World War I, Bullard was the only member of the French Flying Corps who was not invited to join the US Air Service. Why? The USAS only accepted White men.
After WWI Bullard became a jazz musician in Paris and owned a nightclub which he named L’Escadrille. When the Germans invaded and conquered during World War II, L'Escadrille and Bullard became hugely popular with German officers. However, the Germans didn't know that Bullard, who spoke fluent German, was working for the Free French as a spy. He then joined a French infantry unit, but was discharged after being severely wounded.
By the end of WW2, Bullard had become a national hero in France. In 1959, the French government named him a national Chevalier. After returning to the United States his accolades went unnoticed.
In 1960, the President of France, Charles DeGaulle, paid a state visit to the U.S. and one of the first things he wanted to do was to meet Bullard. That sent the White House staff scrambling because most of them, never heard of him. They finally located him in New York City, and DeGaulle traveled there to meet him personally. At the time, Eugene Bullard was working as an elevator operator.
Shortly after Bullard met with the President DeGaulle, he passed away. Very few Americans knew of Eugene Bullard. This is just one more legend whose story should be in the Black history books. Do you have a story to share about a legend in Black history person who paved the way for Black Americans? E-mail your submission to TCsViews@gmail.com or leave your views in the comment box below. Be sure to follow Artz of Culturez on Facebook to keep track of stories and little-known facts that may not be covered here on the blog. Related Stories: * Henrietta Lacks: The Most Influential Person in Medicine * Buzz Feed History Lesson on Black Inventors * Saul Williams
Black History Month continues to be educational and motivational. It's amazing what I found throughout social media feeds. I recently came across another accolade of Black American history. This time it revolves around a mathematician and her work with NASA.
(Katherine Coleman Goble Johnson)
* The following was spotted on Facebook and edited for clarity A White man may have been the first to walk on the moon but, Katherine Johnson, a Black mathematician, got him there. A math genius, Johnson entered West Virginia State University, a Historically Black College, at the age 15. While there, professors at the campus competed to have the Johnson in their classes.
There comes a time when life comes to a stand still. High school and college graduates are the main ones who gets stuck in the middle of the crossroad as they try to figure out what road to take and wonder, 'What's next?' As some try to map out a plan, panic sets in. While others decide to remain stagnate and trap themselves in their comfort zone. However, I'm a true believer that everyone has a purpose in life and it's up to every individual to figure out their destiny. If you're one of those students, or even someone who is stuck in a rut in any aspect of your life, Carol Frazer Haynesworth's book, Coauthor of your Great Destiny - What makes ordinary people become extraordinary, may just be the guide that can help you get unstuck. Press the play button to see and hear more.
(D'Angelo, right, with Bobby Seale in Berkeley, Calif. ) (Photo Credit Zackary Canepari for The New York Times)
It's always refreshing to hear how things were during the Civil Rights Movement, especially when the story is being told by the Black Panther Party co-founder, Bobby Seale. It's even more compelling when a musical Black American artist takes part in the conversation. In the following video, Seale and R&B singer, D'Angelo, hit the nail on the head during a New York Times video interview when D'Angelo said, "Ain't nobody talkin' about nothin'," when it comes to the music today. "We as artists we have a responsibility. The kids are paying attention to us. They're lookin' at us."
Portrait photographer, Raphael Rapior, sold nearly everything he owned to make his journey from Germany to New York City's art scene. He even sold his most prized possession – his camera.
However, Rapior's passion to snap faces of the living isn't driven by a big payday, he's inspired by by his younger brother. When he realized that his brother couldn't verbally express emotions, Rapior taught himself how to pay attention to his brother's facial expression. This gave Rapior the motivation to capture the emotions of people around the world.
Rapior hopes to inspire people with his work as he snaps images and share stories of cultures you don't hear or see everyday. First stop... India, which inspired his NYC photography debut of In Shiva's Shadows.
Press the play button to see and hear more.
Would you sell everything you own to pursue your creative passion? Share your answers in the comment box, or e-mail your views to TCsViews@gmail.com.
Featured poet of the week: Laura Swearingen-Steadwell
Spoken word poetry has always stayed near and dear to my heart. So when I came across @AllDefPoetry on Instagram I figured that it would be fitting to continue National Poetry Month and share some of their featured poets with you.
For more spoken word performances, subscribe to All Def Poetry on YouTube at http://bit.ly/alldefpoetry. Are you a spoken word performer? Share your lines with us in the comment box or send your recording to TCsViews@gmail.com.
If you live in the Northeast region of the United States you've been anticipating the first signs of Spring. Unfortunately, the first day of Spring came with a blanket of snow, which gave people a reason to post their disappointment all over social media with images and memes poking fun at Mother Nature.
There was one post that caught my attention which reminded me that Spring is on its way. Artist Demont Pinder dug way back in the crates to 1989 for Biz Markie's rendition of the blissful, blooming, blossoming season with the music video – It's Spring Again. Click the YouTube play button below ...
Let us know what track reminds you that Spring is coming in the comment box?
It’s been a week since the 57th Annual Grammy Awards took center stage in the middle of my living room. The sweet voiced, British male vocalist, Sam Smith, made quite the impression to America’s pop music scene as he walked away with four Grammys. But I am not going to give you a run down of who won what because you can get the full list at www.grammy.com.
The social media audience certainly had their fun with the Grammys. Most of the comments that scrolled through were folks expressing their thoughts about who should win, how people performed, and others were trying to figure out who the hell is Beck and why he beat out Beyonce, Ed Sheeran, Sam Smith and Pharrell Williams for Album of the Year.
My high school years were spent listening to all types of genres of music from the early 1990s, so I was fully aware of who Beck is. However, I didn’t know he came out with his Morning Phase album last year.
By now you've probably already broken several of your #ResolutionsFor2015. Of course people aren't going to admit their failures on social media and create a hashtag for their broken resolutions ... why should they? There's still hope to keep the remainder of your resolutions for 2015 in tact. On New Years Day Twitter was flooded with tons of advice on how to keep those annual promises to yourself. DuomoInitiative.com had a resolution tweet that linked to their YouTube channel which caught my attention. The following video may help you stick to your 2015 plans.
Do you have a strategic plan on how to keep your resolutions for 2015? Tweet me @TCsViews or email me at TCsViews@gmail.com.
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