That Cool Thing That Happened Back in November (that I Somehow Forgot to Mention)

This was cool. And for the life of me, I can't imagine how the heck I forgot to post this Facebook screenshot back in November, when the article was first published on Vocal. But I did. (Whoopsie!)

Anywho, there it is, True Believer. Ain't it cool?!?! Yeah, super cool. 

Also, I decided a few days ago to move the article from Vocal over to Medium, so if you're lookin' for it–cuz you were, perhaps, too busy or too cool to read it the first time–you can find it by clicking here. 

Digable Planets - Rebirth Of Slick (Cool Like Dat)

Another Satisfied Reader

A two dollar tip isn't much, no. But it's the thought that counts, as goes the saying. And it does mean a lot to me when an anonymous reader thinks enough of one of my essays to dig into their "pocket" to send me a tip (it's an option on Vocal but not Medium, sadly). So, anonymous reader, in the immortal words of that old Bartles & James wine cooler commercial, "Thank you for your support." 🤓

I knew that Tiffany Haddish was a nerd...

Photo credit (stolen from): Marcus Williams @tuskegeeheirs

...but I didn't know that she was that much of a nerd. 🖤🖤

Janina Gavankar: The Way Back (Back, Forth & Forth)

My early-ish introduction to multi-hyphenate talent Janina Gavankar was her remarkable cover of Kanye's West's "Love Lockdown" back in 2010, which was promptly followed by the stunning music video shared below.

Today, Gavankar stars opposite Ben Affleck in the recently released film 'The Way Back' (2020).

Admittedly, though, it had been so long since I'd heard her name that I actually had to run a google search to make sure that the singer and the actress were one and the same. The subsequent confirmation made me love the previously posted quote of her comment to co-star Affleck (shared on Facebook) even more: 

"I’ve been marginalized for 15 years. There was no way I would get to act across from you in any of these years until now."

As is true for most of those whom we think of as an "overnight" celebrity, Gavankar's star turn didn't happen overnight. She was doing the work while the rest of the world slept. But also working twice as hard, as a brown girl, to earn one of those chances that are too frequently given to someone with half the ability.