Excerpts from the Diary of a Diva

I had to laugh when I read Janelle's post because it was almost like she got inside my head and wrote my words. I, too, have been writing but not publishing. My reasons were much like hers in that I wasn't ready to reveal certain things. However, I'm at a place now where I'm going to have to share. In order to tell this current story, I'm going to have to go back to another time and place in my life... The year was 2000, and I was living in the Bronx. My hairdresser, my only friend at the time, had invited me out to kick it after my appointment. The plan was to have drinks and hit a club. So there we were, two beautiful women taking in the nightlife in New York City. We hit the bar, stayed for a while, and headed to the club. Even though my friend is tall and gorgeous, she wasn't giving the men any play because she's happily married. I, on the other hand, was just trying not to look like wallpaper in her presence. At some point, we got separated as she fend...

I usually leave the entertainment-type stuff to my girl, Tiffany , but this song -- Lions and Tigers and Bears by Jazmine Sullivan -- really touched me. How many times have we thought something similar about a romantic situation? I'm not scared of lions and tigers and bears, But I'm scared of loving you. I'm not scared to perform at a sold-out affairs, But I'm scared of loving you Am I the only one who thinks it's an impossible task? Why won't it last? Is that too much to ask? Why do we love love, when love seems to hate us? Even though this Philly native is only 21, her experience in music is vast. Ms. Sullivan got an early start as a Apollo Amateur Night contestant, and she's been going ever since. She was signed to Jive Records, but got dropped before anything was released. Her singing and songwriting skills were honed by working with Missy Elliot on Fantasia's Free Yourself album and by writing Say I for Christina Milian. By the time she got her s...

I wish I could say I was strong enough not to be moved by a man. Unfortunately, I can't. Yet again, I am in a state of emotional limbo after speaking to Mr. Perfect . This time, I'm the one to blame. After telling one of my girlfriends about MP, I called him this evening because I wanted to hear his voice. Thanks to the three-hour time difference, I caught him in bed. Even though I offered to let him get his rest, he said he'd get up to talk to me. Mistake number one. Mistake number two began as we talked about some situations at work. One of the things I've always loved about MP is that we're in the same industry and we can talk about our careers. It's all about having a man relate to me vertically instead of just horizontally. The final faux pas occurred when I told him that I'd be in his city in a couple of months. I had been debating with myself on whether or not I'd let him know I was coming. All that faded when I heard his sleepy little voice. His ...

As America basks in the glory of a Barack Obama presidency, there are still those who seek to tarnish this great nation. The Fort Worth Star Telegram reported several incidents that showcased the intolerance of some people. I'd love to say that I'm surprised, but I'm not. When you grow up in Texas, there are just certain things you expect. Those incidents notwithstanding, the election of Barack Obama ushers in a new day in our country. Yes, there are those whose collars have dropped low enough for us to see the color of their necks. But I now know that there are more people in this country who are interested in the content of a person's character than the color of his or her skin. Speaking of the color of Obama's skin, he essentially imbodies what America is. He's got White blood and African blood. This man is, as he puts it, a mutt. And he's our mutt. He's a virtual melting pot of culture, and he's smart, articulate, and classy beyond belief. ...

I'm so extremely proud of our country. We did something I didn't think we would do -- elect a Black man as president. I could wax poetic on what it means to me, an African American, to see Barack Obama in the White House, but you already know it means a lot. I could say a few words on how wonderful it'll be to have a real live Black family in Washington, but again, that's already been done to death. In fact, there's really nothing I could add to the discussion that hasn't been heard before. However...that won't stop me from weighing in on the most important event in my lifetime. Here are a few election quickies from the mind of MackDiva: 1. I was so proud of John McCain. Even though his own presidential dreams have been utterly and completely dashed, he was still very classy and eloquent in his concession speech. I also believe he meant what he said about working with President Obama. What struck me most was that if the John McCain of last night had been on ...

After almost two years, what we've been working for and waiting for has finally come to pass. Barack Obama is the next president of the United States. While I'd love to wax eloquent on this historic day, I'm too emotional right now. In fact, the only reason I'm posting is that I wanted to have a record of what was done and when. For my family members who didn't live to see this day... For the children I hope to have one day... For Black people and White people and Asian people and Latino people... For America... We did it!

If you think that America is a progressive nation, think again. One of my good friends overheard the following conversation between two White women while standing in line at a grocery store in Texas: Woman 1: You know, we just can NOT let that Democrat get in the White House. Woman 2: Well, why not? I was really considering him. Woman 1: Do you know what would happen if he got into the White House? Woman 2: Well, no. What? Woman 1: He's gonna put us in White Slavery as payback for what we've done to his people! Woman 2: Uh, you realize his mother was White? Woman 1: That don't matter! Woman 2: Well, I tell you what, I just won't vote for McCain. Woman 1: Okay, good. Discuss among yourselves...