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So the term Strong Black Woman is a sign of masculinity? I just don't see it. There are references of strong, black women throughout literature. I bring up literature because literature has always reflected the times. I mean if you consider one of the best novels of the last 100 years Zora's "Watching God" and many of her short stories feature women who had to be strong. These women were representative of how Black women had to adapt to an oppressive society. I can't tell you what you see, but this one picture and a short blurb on the First Lady's arms being strong are not signs that Black women are being Masculated. I just don't see it. Serena is muscular as most women who play sports. If being muscular is considered masculine, then I guess men who aren't muscular are made like women? That's some off logic to me. When you say Black women in America these are the names that pop up in mainstream and in any discussions people have: Oprah, Halle, Beyonce, Serena, Kerry, Queen Latifah, and the list goes on and on and to me there isn't one woman on that list of popular women who can be considered masculine. Now to get back to your statement of how many other women are called Strong, the most famous picture of World War 2 is a picture of a White Woman making a muscle to show that women can do the work of men. So you can miss me with this idea that only the Black woman is being labeled as strong. The imagery of strong women has been around since the suffrage movement. It shows up throughout White and Black poetry and Native American poetry. Joy Harjo, Toni Cade Bambara and Anne Sexton, Native American, Black and White women writers have been crafting the images of women being strong since women had the ability to have their own voice, but this isn't any more prevalent than in Zora's short story Sweat. Women are strong and there is nothing wrong with it. The imagery of the strong woman was not begun in the last 50 years. I don't see any agenda and your few examples have done very little to convince me of an agenda against the sexuality of Black women. However, if you stated that there is an agenda to make Black women look oversexed then I wouldn't even attempt to argue against that.

Cynique When I say a "white-girl vibe" it's not about using proper grammar or presenting oneself in a wholesome way. It's a very subtle thing. Simone is perky, and the cadence and timbre of her speech is in the white teen age girl vernacular. I'd be willing to bet that she is also a Taylor Swift fan. Just an observation on my part and I'm sure she couldn't care less about my assessment. Obviously, with her fame and fortune she can act anyway she wants. I know what you meant. It's that overly cheerful almost "fake" type of peppiness that White Americans are world renown for. Also making declarative statements with a QUESTIONING inflexion on the end of it is clearly a post modern White youth thing along with beginning statements with "So...". People are often a product of their environment and being so close to her White teammates.... Whether she actually "dug"...I mean was spiritually moved....by Taylor Swift or Black Keys or any other type of music listened to by a predominately White American audience, matters less than the fact that she has to know something about these artists and other important aspects of middle class White American culture just to get along with her fellow teammates as well as the various circles she has to move in. What I like about her is the cheerful and seemingly positive disposition regardless of the cultural/ethnic package it's presented in. If she spoke in Ebonics and did her performance routines to rap music I'd be just as proud of her as long as she had that million dollar smile and upbeat attitude because I know that type of positivity is sorely needed in the Black community. I'm not saying Black people should walk around with a fake grin on their faces all day or pretend to feel other than they do. But even among eachother if we would be kinder, smile more, get rid of the "hardness" and the walls of defense we often put up around eachother and act more cheerful and dare I say "gentle" around eachother, I think there would be a lot more peace in our communities. Back when I thought it was wise to "stay" with women, what used to get me was how the woman I met at work who was all smiles, peppy, with a high feminine voice could change so quickly once she got home, and turns into a loud, cussing, hoarse voiced, ghetto diva.

Hi AALBC, I'm a literary publicist at JKS Communications working with David Lamb (award-winning playwright of The New York Times-celebrated stage play "Platanos Y Collard Greens"), who is releasing a satirical modern retelling of Charles Dickens' most beloved classic, set in NYC and perfectly blending humor, soul, and romance, On Top of the World (Until the Bell Chimes) (Woolley Mammoth Books, October 20). Would AALBC be interested in considering this title for a review? Title: On Top of the World (Until the Bell Chimes) Author: David Lamb ISBN: 9780986445309 Pub Date: October 20, 2016 Publisher: Woolley Mammoth Books Website: http://davidlamb.club/ Buy Link: https://www.amazon.com/Top-World-Until-Bell-Chimes/dp/0986445304/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1471979568&sr=8-8&keywords=david+lamb Accolades: ENGAGING, HEARTWARMING, HUMOROUS morality tale for our digital, consumerist age...filled with moguls, pop-culture and plenty of romance -- KIRKUS Reviews DYNAMIC novel about the price of fame packed with so many laughs and so much heart I couldn't put it down -- Talib Kweli A FAST and FUN read that shows love and friendship have the power to heal as beautiful smart, classy Belle helps the boy she fell in love with in college rise to the top only to find she created a monster -- Foreword Clarion Reviews This modern re-telling is a hoot! The anti-hero, Scrooje, is nothing short of entertaining and his wild antics keep the story moving at a brisk and hilarious pace. A highly entertaining yarn...incredibly fun -- Romantic Times FIVE STARS! Perfectly combines Humor and Romance in a witty, charming novel about race, class and celebrity worship that readers will love. -- Hollywood Book Review 2016 BEST FICTION (Pacific Book Awards). Modern retelling that mixes Heart, Soul and Bling in a Truly Smart creative blend -- Pacific Review of Books Fun and Entertaining story of fighting for love against all odds -- ESSENCE, best-selling author Nancey Flowers Synopsis: This retelling of A Christmas Carol has nothing to do with the holidays: Ebenezer Scrooge has been re-cast Scrooʝe Ebonyzer, music's biggest superstar and biggest jerk--handsome, brilliant, devious, and obsessed. Belle is a take-no-prisoners legal shark whose beauty causes traffic accidents as she stylishly zips through Manhattan. They never imagined being music's most powerful couple, but that's exactly what happened when Belle fell head over heels and gave the biggest nerd on her campus the ultimate makeover—only to realize too late she'd created a chart topping monster with an unstoppable ego. Now it's been three years since they've spoken, but tonight at Hollywood's biggest red carpet event, they'll be given a second chance. Will Scrooʝe listen to the ghostly advice of Marley, his best friend who (until his untimely drowning at a Brazilian poolside birthday bash) was as big a star as Scrooʝe? Will he finally do right by Cratchit, a genius comedian, whom Scrooʝe invariably rips off every chance he gets? And most important of all—will Belle even give him a chance? Masterfully blending heart, soul, bling and romance, this fresh satire about race, class, and celebrity worship will have readers laughing, thinking, and enjoying themselves from the first page to the last, all year round. Author Bio: Like Charles Dickens, DAVID LAMB grew up a poor boy in the big city who discovered that the pen really is mightier than the sword. Growing up in New York City, David went on to attend graduate school at Princeton University and NYU School of Law. While working as a lawyer by day, at nightDavid transformed into a writer and eventually wrote and produced the award-winning hit off-Broadway play "Platanos Y Collard Greens." Press Materials: https://drive.google.com/a/jkscommunications.com/file/d/0BzjhlP2ut_xFbmhzX2VEUlB2c0E/view Thank you for considering!