Have you been watching Simone Biles at the Paris Olympics? If so, you know greatness when you see it. “She’s not even human,” I’ve heard several people say of the world’s most decorated gymnast – who’s been wowing star-studded crowds. And on Tuesday, Biles clinched her fifth Olympic gold medal as she triumphantly returned to the women’s gymnastics team final, reinforcing her … [Read more...]
By the early 1950s, Frank Sinatra’s career had hit a low ebb. No one wanted him as a singer or an actor. Yet when he read the book From Here to Eternity, which was about to be made into a movie, Sinatra knew he was born to play the part of Maggio. So he contacted the producer, Harry Cohn, offering to test for the part. Cohn turned him down flat. But then the actor they’d cast … [Read more...]
One Saturday when I was 14, my friend Erin and I were hanging out at my home when the minister of our church stopped by to lay his hands on my mom’s sprained ankle. As this was not standard procedure for Methodist ministers, Erin and I exchanged dubious looks. We instinctively knew what the adults seemingly didn’t – that Rev. Patliff was a creepy old man. And my mom was still … [Read more...]
Our beautiful green planet just marked a shocking new milestone – enduring 12 consecutive months of unprecedented heat. Every single month from June 2023 to May 2024 was the world’s hottest such month on record, and this alarming trend appears likely to continue. For those of us in the Northern Hemisphere, who are about to mark the beginning of summer, this is sobering news. … [Read more...]
What if, all through your childhood, your dad told you things like, “You’re gonna shake up this world,” and, “You’re gonna win Wimbledon.” And drove you past mansions in the wealthy part of town, assuring you that some day you’d have one of your own. For two young Black girls growing up in the 1980s in a sketchy neighborhood south of L.A., such aspirations may have seemed … [Read more...]
