Marie Antoinette is a tragic, historical example of how malice, hatred and lies can poison the minds and hearts of people to the point of fatality. Falsely remembered as the stuck-up French queen who poked fun at her starving subjects with the words “let them eat cake!” and for being one of the causes for the French Revolution of 1789. It is sad because the real story of this woman is that of scandal, propaganda and a misunderstood beauty. Marie was beautiful even in today’s standards. She had long, golden blond hair, big blue eyes and breasts so full that she allegedly used them as a mold for making bowls within her Hameau. The busty Austrian immediately impressed king Louis XV and he happily married her off to his son who beyond his shyness and anti-Austrian tutoring figured himself a lucky man. Rumors, Foreskin and The Diamond Necklace Sadly for Louis XVI he was born… [Read more]

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Probably the first Western, black mega-star, Josephine Baker was literally larger than life. Few if any women could move like her when it came to dancing and her perseverance trail-blazed a path that many women of color could follow in years after her death. Due to the United State being a racist environment of stagnancy for a future actress/singer, Josephine Baker fled to France in order to let her star shine. During the days of immense hardship for women like Josephine, France was a source of refuge for celebrities of color. Given the nickname of “Bronze Venus” by admirers worldwide, Josephine’s voice and dancing made her beloved to her French countrymen and eventually she revisited the United States as a star. Later on in life as an older woman, Josephine Baker was a fighter for Civil Rights, turning down the honor of leading the movement after the passing of Martin Luther King. Born Freda Josephine… [Read more]

It is one thing to show super-human aptitude for a country that loves you, but to do so for a country that deems you to be sub-human – to the point that they withhold honors earned in the line of duty is beyond belief. When you watch movies depicting D.Day (Normandy), the Allied attacks on the Nazi surge, and anything dealing with the 1940’s militarily, it is easy to forget that black people existed, let alone fought. It being very much a white man’s world during these times, blacks were kept out of books and camera view, especially when films were being made to record the military. Now think about how bad it must’ve been during World War I for African Americans who served in the Army. This sad fact led to men like Sergeant Henry Lincoln Johnson being overlooked and ignored, even when taking 21 injuries from an army of German soldiers as he… [Read more]