BrownGirlsFly

It’s pretty exciting for us to see Michelle Obama showing her daughters the world. Last year they vacationed in southern Spain and this year a good will trip to Africa! What an amazing way to grow up!

It’s Mother’s Day here in the US.  While many might argue that it’s an artificial holiday created by greeting card companies, there is something special about setting aside the time to reflect on your life, the role your mother has played in it, and the chance to thank her for all the love and sacrifice [...]

There’s something inside me that wells like a raging river when I hear stories of violence, abuse and discrimination against girls and women. Grappling with these realities, has influenced the work of BrownGirlsFly. Not only do we want to encourage brown girls in the Western world to exercise their travel wings, we want to spend time understanding and aiding, where possible, the lives of brown girls globally.

Step 1 is knowledge. We cannot pretend to exercise social responsibility until we first understand that there’s a problem, what dynamics are feeding it, and what needs exist. As we learn more in the coming months, we’ll share the highlights with you. In the Broken Wings series, we’ll share moving stories of brown girls who need a bit of healing and repair before they can fly.

Today’s focus will be on the role of women in Indian society, the pressure to bear a male child, and the consequences which have resulted from the overemphasis on male value.

My annual pilgrimage out West is long overdue and those Pacific blues are yanking vigorously on my heart strings. A few hours and wheels go up. But, am I putting the finishing touches on my Rick Steves issued carry-on bag? No, that would be too much like right. LOL! I’ve found something much more stimulating — California Dreamin’ (gotta love YouTube) and mentally planning my excursions for what little time remains between corporate meetings and business dinners.

Before snapping back to reality, I thought I’d share the 1968 footage of brown boy Jose Feliciano bringing some serious Boricua soul to the song first released 3 years earlier by the Mamas and Papas. I never really liked the original, but Feliciano’s re-interpretation is a-whole-nother story. His version really does put theirs to shame. Watch his video below.

We are avid Indie film aficionados — documentaries, political satires, even the occasional Hollywood-formula films — have a way of giving voice to the voiceless and teaching us just as much about ourselves as the world around us. Here are five films which have left an indelible mark on the BGF girls.

Under a bevy of brightness and bling, dozens of cities around the world literally come alive. So, it’s hard to imagine NYC’s Times Square, Vegas’ Strip, London’s Piccadilly Circus, Barcelona’s Magic Fountain or Shanghai’s skyline without the pulsing colors and animated lighting schemes. Well, last night, these cities that never seem to sleep, took a cat-nap in support of Earth Hour 2010, the annual anti-global-warming campaign. Here is a collection of the sights and sounds that inspired BrownGirlsFly.

There was a time that I only imagined traveling to sexy exotic locales like the French Riveria, Venice and Paris. While there’s still something to be said for a trip like that, I’ve developed an affinity for the random little places in the world that most people overlook. As such, I’ve always been a little curious about Iceland. Photos of the terrain have always reminded me of a surreal interpretation of moon rocks and moss. Check out the video-of-the-day capturing Djúpavík, Iceland.

The last time I was in San Francisco, I had dinner with friends one evening at the Cliff House. Little did I know that nestled in the darkness at the base of the hill sat the ruins of the old Sutro Baths, an upscale water park built in the late 1890′s by former mayor Adolph Sutro. The facility burned down in 1966 but the ruins remain. Here’s a little eye candy (aka High-Def video) for you to see how stunning it is for yourself