Fresh Face [#016 - #017]: Kinee Diouf and Honorine Uwera

Two of the freshest new faces in modeling belong to: Honorine Uwera of Rwanda and Kinee Diouf of Senegal.

Their collective resumes include work for Moschino, Louis Vuitton, Yves Saint Laurent, Marc Jacobs and Jean Paul Gaultier and coveted positions in magazines from Trace to Elle.

Watch for Kinee walking for Project Runway finalist Jillian Lewis during the final episode of Season 4.

In the global world of fashion, African girls stay rockin' the runway and Haute couture is so much better for it.

NOW: 'A Raisin in The Sun' Premieres

Set your TVs! A Raisin in The Sun premieres tonight on ABC.

A landmark in black theater history, the classic tale gets a fresh new look with stars Phylicia Rashad, Sean P. Diddy Combs, Sanaa Lathan, Audra McDonald and costumes by Gersha Phillips.

Having seen and loved the 1961 version, it'll be hard not to compare the two but we're thankful ABC decided to develop this literary classic after the success of Oprah's 2005 Their Eyes Were Watching God adaptation.

If this tradition continues, we'd love to see them tackle some work of the brethren; Richard Wright's Native Son, Ralph Ellison's Invisble Man, or James Baldwins' Go Tell it on the Mountain perhaps...? Hey, we're just putting out there in the hopes that someone at ABC catches it...

Tonight at 8, be sure to pay the Younger family a visit.

related posts: A Raisin In The Sun to Hit the Small Screen, Nov. 2006

The Female MC Class of '88: Who's Who?

We're bringing '88 back! Just when you thought Black History Month ended with the Civil Rights Era...



How many female emcees can you recognize? Cheat sheet below.

Twenty years ago, pioneering female emcees sat down for this historic photo shoot captured by legendary music photographer, Janette Beckman. Beckman recently released a book of her hip-hop photography The Breaks: Stylin’ and Profilin’ 1982–1990, which includes over 100 photos from hip-hops golden era.

Can you guess who's who?

(Answer key: Monie Love, MC Lyte, Roxanne Shante, Ms. Melodie, Sweet Tee, Yvette Money, Sparky Dee, Finese, Synquis and hip-hop predecessor Millie Jackson)

A Valentine Fit For A 'King'...

(Legendary Civil Rights Leader, Martin Luther King Jr. and wife, Coretta Scott King)

...and Queen.

Happy Valentines Day!

Beyonce, Tina and 'Mary' @ The Grammys

(Beyonce & Tina Turner perform 'Proud Mary' ostage at the 50th Annual GRAMMY Awards.)

We think Beyonce and Tina Turner did a phenomenal job of making Mary proud.

Did you miss the show-stopper?



Beyonce's tribute to the jazz, blues and soul singers who came before her was also a nice tip of the hat to decades of female singers, who, too often go unheralded.

The Grammy's fusion-of-the-past-and-present theme initially just looked like a crafty marketing idea, but blossomed into a sensationally memorable event.

Holy Shirley Chisholm! A Change is A' Coming!

"I am, was, and always will be a catalyst for change" -- Shirley Chisholm

Few would have predicted that 36 years after New York congresswoman, Shirley Chisholm's, historic bid for presidency in 1972, Barack Obama would emerge a prime contender for Chief Executive of the U.S. with his own hopeful message of change.

Obama's compelling sweep of four states this weekend is just another sign that Americans are not only ready for change but acting on it, and fighting back with a weapon so rarely used: the ballot.

Something is in the wind on these shores and we're all for pulling off our jackets and basking in it. The fervor and creativity of Obama supporters around the country just does our heart good. Check it out:

Coming Soon: Keke Palmer makes a 'Comeback'

Fresh Facer, Akeelah and The Bee star, Keke Palmer, is currently filming Comeback, a true story about a teen female quarterback (Jasmine Plummer) who leads her team to the National Pop Warner Football Tournament. Ice Cube's Cube Vision is producing and Cube will co-star as Palmer's uncle and coach, a former high school football star.


Also onboard as Keke's mother is Tasha Smith, who first caught our eye as an abusive female pimp in the Meagan Good-produced indie, Miles From Home. And after stealing practically every scene she appeared in Tyler Perry's Why Did I Get Married, we've gone from casual observers to serious fans of Tasha's work.


Ice Cube's Cube Vision continues to surprise with its diverse producing choices: From the Barbershop franchise to the Are We There Yet films and an upcoming remake of Welcome Back, Kotter, Cube refuses to pidgeonholed himself. Not bad from a Boy N The Hood! O'shea Jackson is living proof that Hip Hop can (and will) mature gracefully.

Comeback is currently shooting in Shrevesport, Lousiana and is tentatively scheduled to be released later this year.

The Birth of Rosa Parks

(1955 booking photo of Rosa Parks in Montgomery, Alabama)

On this day in 1913, Rosa Parks, aka "The Mother of The Civil Rights Movement," was born. Her single effort of resistance in 1955, spawned the movement that would change the United States of America forever and we are eternally grateful.

If one little woman from the segregated Tuskegee, Alabama south could change a nation, imagine what kind of greatness we are all capable of.

The Cocoa Lounge celebrates the life and work of Rosa Parks today. Happy Birthday!