The Best Medium, The Best Message...

I was nine years old in 1999, wow! Although I wasn't old enough to quite grasp the messages depicted in The Best Man then, I can thank the executive producers of BET for the constant airing and comprehension. Oh and my aunt Karen. She was the youngest of my mother’s sisters, and I observed her a lot. I observed her responses and reactions to the characters and issues were

Yet there was Universal’s “Best Man Holiday” this weekend, ringing up $30.6 million in ticket sales, challenging the juggernaut “Thor” and coming in with a number that would have actually topped the charts on plenty of other weekends.
(Steven Zeitchi, November 18, 2013, LA Times)

Let's fast forward to 2013 people. At twenty-two I sat in the theater taken away by the all-star, all-flawless, all African-American original cast in a 15 year sequel that managed to make perfect timing for the holidays. Kudos to the director, Malcolm Lee (cousin of director, Spike Lee) for the quite acquainted opening that feels like returning back to your warm spot on a sofa. From the cast to the script, and everything in between, the sequel felt overwhelmingly perfect! Yes, perfect. Think about how much changes in 15 years? Look’s, statuses, jobs, families, LAST NAMES …sheeeesh, overwhelming. Lol.
However, now that I am at the age of inquisitiveness I deeply felt a connection to this film in particular because of the significance of the issues it arose and the way it was delivered. Lee, who is also the scriptwriter, weighed the emotional highs and lows equably as he touched a number of topics of high interest:

Health Issues

The staggering numbers we face as a race when it comes to health related deaths are disconcerting. The health of our families and ourselves are important and so is the education on it. This should no longer be a taboo subject.

Religion

There is a copious selection of religions to choose from. The list seems to grow, or maybe my knowledge of it, as time advances. What I enjoyed about the depiction though, was no matter how you feel about religion or no matter who you pray to ….Faith is key.

Family (roles) and Friends

An all-time favorite portrayal of mine is the genuine connection of family and friends. The lessons you learn and the memories you keep seem to grow more profound when they come from the people who know you best. Families are merely groups of individuals who are related by love, there were so many different family variations.

Stereotypes

You knew it was coming! As a finale, I saved the best for last. Let us not leave out the conquest of the careers, the personalities possessed, the backgrounds explored, and even the positive connections that were held throughout the move. The loyalty, the perseverance, and the love. You felt it all.

I hope this film is one of many. As a observer of the arts, I think diversity in the media is important to keep a true perception. Director Malcolm Lee intellectually combined current issues in today's society, put them on the faces we love, in the situations we dream for, with the events we've pray about. Going to the movies as a family around *singing*" the most wonderful time of the year" puts you in the perfect setting for

BAM

...something you cannot avoid.

Editor's Note: "The medium is the message" is a phrase coined by Marshall McLuhan meaning that the form of a medium embeds itself in the message, creating a symbiotic relationship by which the medium influences how the message is perceived, creating subtle change over time.

Imani Shanklin-Roberts presents...

An Education

I had the pleasure of attending the lovely Ms. Imani Shanklin-Roberts' art exhibit this weekend at the Anacostia Arts Museum in Washington, DC. Entitled "An Education," this was the fourth showcase authored by Imani where she displayed some of her latest artwork expressing admiration and liberation of our culture. I took my little brother along, who is an aspiring graphic designer, to hopefully learn a little more about art appreciation.

Although currently a full time student at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, NY, Ms. Roberts is no stranger to the arts! "My dad is painter [and] I use to paint with him, so I've probably been painting all my life." "I took classes at the Corcoran [College of Arts and Design] in DC, and at the Art League in Virginia, so my parents always kept me in the arts," states Imani, as she laughs at the thought. Experience and knowledge are definitely skills that sets Imani above the rest, not to mention her appreciation of our race and heritage. The compassion and admiration she shares for each of her paintings (because you know I asked which was her favorite) only exemplifies the true message each painting possess. I paid attention especially to the fact that no painting at the exhibit had a description. When asked why she said, "I have a special connectivity to all of my art but thats not what I want. You know? I want people to go deeper into their self realizations and see what they get from it."

As a lover of urban culture, and woman glorification, I cherish the work Imani has produced. Her paintings illustrate the many dynamics of African American features. I find it amazing how each painting dominates the thought of maturity, growth and appreciation. She explained how our style, our swag, and even our hair makes us who we are as a people. "I'm all about illuminating different things that actually arts us," she says. Let me just add, guys, that this girl speaks straight from the heart. Museums are no place for true innovators like Imani, who admitted that she would much rather appreciate her art displayed in her hometown (check her out at Busboys and Poets) and in the home of friends and family.

But enough from me, who wants to see pictures from my experience at the exhibit?
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To learn more about Imani Shanklin-Roberts please visit www.imanishanklinroberts.com,
Hit her up on Twitter at @sr_imani
Or follow her via Instagram at @imanipurpose :)

Stay tuned for more publishings from this vibrant individual, she's on the way to the top!