On this 40th anniversary of observing a U.S. federal holiday honoring the life and legacies of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., this blog post riffs on perceptions, expectations, and inheritances across generations and cultures.  There are so many elements to enjoy and appreciate about the characters, storylines, themes, and visual cues and queues that make Heated Rivalry compelling media. For me, Shane and his nuclear family dynamics in isolation and in the context of a racialized worldview resonate as familiar.  An expectation of excellence projected onto and infused into a beloved only child* born to parents who endured hardship and overcame challenges in order to succeed as individuals and as a couple, these parents set high standards and expect their offspring to meet and exceed them. It's a common stereotype about Asian people. It's been my personal experience that Black people in and from African nations and in the United States aspire and strive toward greatness as th...

Rewatching Heated Rivalry and reading upbeat romances have distracted me from and helped me take time to process 2 recent losses of people who have loved and encouraged and supported me throughout my life. They lived long, mostly healthy, rich, meaningful lives that contributed so much to others. I'm working hard to let my gratitude outweigh my grief.   These books offered intrigues and added joy.  [bookstack of 7 books, from top to bottom: All the Men I've Loved Again, Second Chance Romance, Much Ado About Hating You, All Superheroes Need Photo Ops, Crash Test, Undead and Unwed, The Baby Dragon Bakery]  All the Men I've Loved Again by Christine Pride asks What if? when young lovers who were separated by challenging circumstances cross paths again later in life.  Crash Test by Amy James offers fans of Heated Rivalry a racing world homage that hits similar emotional notes and nods within a more condensed timeline and different narrative structure.  Much Ado About...

Generous, thoughtful people who love me gave me lovely books for Christmas! One to help me feed my body, another to strengthen my spirit, and a third one that supports maintaining hair health and appearance. [3 books arranged face up: Taste of Home Made from Scratch Home Cooking Made Easy, Beautiful Braids Boutique Workbook Learning to Braid Natural Hair Techniques, Black Firsts 4,000 Ground-Breaking and Pioneering Historical Events 3rd Edition]  Taste of Home, Made from Scratch Home Cooking Made Easy  Beautiful photos of the final results with each step-by-step recipe, some with multiple photos to show recipe progression.  Beautiful Braids Boutique Workbook, Learning to Braid Natural Hair Techniques by Nicole Taylor  This book offers definitions of terms, tools, supplies, and techniques in addition to detailed text instructions and results photos for braiding beginners. A test, skills drills, and lined pages for note taking at the end encourage practice for further ...