Explorations in Journalism, Music, Culture and Entertainment

I developed my journalism career as a freelance writer and a newspaper reporter. I’ve written for The Denver Post, The Boulder Daily Camera, Black Enterprise magazine, Africa Today magazine, the Urban Spectrum, the Denver Weekly News, The Ithaca Journal as well as the Examiner website and other websites and blogs. I’ve been fortunate to write about well-known and influential media personalities, including the late ABC news anchor Peter Jennings, former presidential candidate Ralph Nader, Black Panther co-founder Bobby Seale, filmmakers Spike Lee (Do the Right Thing, Malcolm X, Inside Man, BlacKKKlansman), Reginald Hudlin (House Party, Boomerang, Boondocks), Essence Magazine former editor-in-chief Susan Taylor, comedians Trevor Noah (host of Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show”), Dave Chappelle, Michael Winslow (Police Academy, Space Balls), actor David Allen Grier (Boomerang, A Soldier’s Story, In Living Color) and great musicians like Carlos Santana, Jimmy Cliff, Mary J. Blige, the Neville Brothers, Hugh Masekela, Black Uhuru, De la Soul, Digable Planets, the Beastie Boys, Ice Cube, Ice T, Femi Kuti, Joan Armatrading, the Detroit Underground Resistance, Marie Daulne & Zap Mama, Jonathan Butler, Johnny Clegg, Vusi Mahlasela, the Refugee All-Stars, Nina Storey and many others.

Special Stories, Fascinating Encounters and Memorable Conversations

Some of my favorite artists, features and media personalities that I’ve written about include Hugh Masekela, Jimmy Cliff, Marie Daulne of Zap Mama, the Sierra Leone Refugee All-Stars, Mike Banks of the Detroit Underground Resistance, Trevor Noah host of “The Daily Show, Dave Chappelle, Jonathan Butler, writer and producer Reginald Hudlin; former Essence Editor-in-Chief Susan Taylor and Ice Cube. Yes, that’s me with Ice Cube back in 1992 when he was touring with Lollapalooza promoting his Death Certicate album (one of us appears to have changed a lot more over the years!) You can find many of these articles on my Island of Spice blog.