1. 12 Feb


    STEVIE WONDER AND WHITNEY HOUSTON Stevie’s suit jacket. Whitney’s fur. This might be top 10 #PeakBlackness. Just try to look at this photo and not smile. #BeenTrill #toorare #BHM2013 Jason (props to Nyrie and Dayna for the heads up)

    STEVIE WONDER AND WHITNEY HOUSTON

    Stevie’s suit jacket. Whitney’s fur. This might be top 10 #PeakBlackness. Just try to look at this photo and not smile. #BeenTrill #toorare #BHM2013

    Jason

    (props to Nyrie and Dayna for the heads up)

     

  2. 10 Feb


    Frederick Douglass x Afro Sheen

    Just watch.

    -Ernest 

     

  3. 7 Feb


    MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. AND JACKIE ROBINSON It’s difficult to accurately capture the colossal impact both men had (and continue to have) on American history, so we honor them here. Two giants. Two stories. One culture. This is #PeakBlackness at its most determined. #CantStopWontStop #toorare Jason

    MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. AND JACKIE ROBINSON

    It’s difficult to accurately capture the colossal impact both men had (and continue to have) on American history, so we honor them here. Two giants. Two stories. One culture. This is #PeakBlackness at its most determined. #CantStopWontStop #toorare

    Jason

     

  4. 3 Feb


    Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter ( feat. Kelendria Trene Rowland x Tenitra Michelle Williams) - Super Bowl XLVII Halftime show

    Just 8 years after 25,000 human beings literally lived in the Superdome with no electricity or water after Hurricane Katrina, Beyonce (Pardon my French) tore the motherfucking house down with a stunning performance and a early contender for Peak Blackness moment of 2013.

    We had been hearing conflicting stories and rumors all week leading up to the show. Would we see a Destiny’s Child reunion? Would they sing “Bootylicious?” Does it seem like former Destiny’s Child member LeTavia Roberson edits her Wikipedia page to anyone else?

    In short: Yup, HELL yes, and Kinda?

    Peak Peak Peak Peak Peak. Today, we are all Independant Women Part I. 

    Ernest

     

  5. 1 Feb


    Da Brat’s “Give It To You” video 

    What happens when you take a already-jamming song and add a video featuring the likes of:

    • MC Lyte 
    • Jermaine Dupri (on drums!),
    • Bill Bellamy,
    • Mary J. Blige
    • T-Boz
    • 2/4 of Goodie Mob (Khujo and T-Mo, if you’re wondering)
    • Puffy
    • Biggie
    • Kris Kross
    • Too Short
    • Keith Murray
    • Every black person living in Atlanta in 1994?

    You get a very #Peak moment, that’s what you get. Watch this video and tell me this doesn’t look like the best party ever. I’ve been throwing functions since I was 9 trying to re-create the magic found in this clip. No luck…yet.

     Happy Black History Month.

    Ernest

     

  6. 1 Feb


    GORDON PARKS AND LENA HORNE The epitome of all that is BLACK and COOL and PEAK. Happy February 1st. #BHM2013 Jason (via The Black Vernacular)

    GORDON PARKS AND LENA HORNE

    The epitome of all that is BLACK and COOL and PEAK. Happy February 1st. #BHM2013

    Jason

    (via The Black Vernacular)

     

  7. 28 Jan


    COOLIO / L.V. / STEVIE WONDER

    1995. Billboard Music Awards. Single of the Year. Full string section. Full choir. Robes. Cornrows. Lumberjacks. L.V.’s shades. The young #Peak #Black prince that walks out with Stevie. “Respect” shirts. Stevie’s whole fucking outfit. “Gangsta’s Paradise.” 30 second standing ovation.

    And then there’s some French voiceover. And then Coolio and L.V. fight over the microphone and give the most uncomfortable acceptance speech ever while Stevie Wonder stands behind them most likely mortified, waiting for someone to take him offstage. It doesn’t get any more #Peak than this.

    Trammell

     

  8. 21 Jan


    SASHA OBAMA X MALIA OBAMA X TIME.

    Happy Martin Luther King Day. Happy Inauguration Day. Love to you and yours.

    Ernest

     

  9. 21 Jan


    givingmelife: *muah* Coretta & Martin 💋 #mlk #mlkday #etsy

    givingmelife:

    *muah* Coretta & Martin 💋 #mlk #mlkday #etsy

     

  10. 16 Jan


    JAMES EARL JONES, DIANA ROSS, AND MICHAEL JACKSON The photo, circa 1978, was taken after a performance at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre in New York City. It’s such a #PEAK moment because 1978 was a particularly significant year for all three stars: Jones, the year prior, voiced the role of Darth Vader in the first Star Wars film, Ross would begin recording Diana, her highest-selling studio album to date, in the coming months, and Jackson was in the early stages of working on Off The Wall, the album that would solidify his legend (why Off The Wall is better than Thriller is a conversation for another day). This is what we talk about when we talk Peak Blackness. Jason

    JAMES EARL JONES, DIANA ROSS, AND MICHAEL JACKSON

    The photo, circa 1978, was taken after a performance at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre in New York City. It’s such a #PEAK moment because 1978 was a particularly significant year for all three stars: Jones, the year prior, voiced the role of Darth Vader in the first Star Wars film, Ross would begin recording Diana, her highest-selling studio album to date, in the coming months, and Jackson was in the early stages of working on Off The Wall, the album that would solidify his legend (why Off The Wall is better than Thriller is a conversation for another day). This is what we talk about when we talk Peak Blackness.

    Jason

     

  11. 10 Jan


    DENZEL X HALLE X HISTORY On a day where little Quvenzhané Wallis (Say it with me: Qwe-ven-zhane) becomes the youngest Best Actress nominee EVER, it would be borderline disrespectful for us not to acknowledge what happened 11 years ago.  March 24, 2002: The Oscars are all-“Lord Of The Rings”-everything. Shire Gang was heavily in the building. Opie reigned supreme with “A Beautiful Mind.” Business as usual. Then we got a little bit of history. Halle Berry wins the Best Actress Oscar for “Monster’s Ball”. The first black woman to EVER win a Best Actress nomination. EVER. As in, EVER. That in itself is #PEAK status, but the night isn’t over! Denzel Washington. The man who people thought should have won an Oscar in ‘92 for “Malcolm X” (HE SHOULD HAVE.) #PEAK Mount Rushmore Black actor. He wins the Best Actor Oscar for his role in “Training Day.”  This is the first (and only, so far) time the winners of Best Actor and Actress are black. History and a Top 5 #PEAK moment, all in about 20 minutes. Not too shabby. And now, a soapbox: My sincere opinion is that quality black roles in film and television come when the people in charge of those decisions think it’s in their best interest financially to make shows and movies featuring positive black characters. It sucks. It’s true. Spend your money on “Beasts of The Southern Wild.” Take friends. Make it a #PEAK outing. Wallis DESERVES the Oscar this year and I’m rooting for her openly and loudly. Soapbox over, thanks for your time. Ernest 

    DENZEL X HALLE X HISTORY

    On a day where little Quvenzhané Wallis (Say it with me: Qwe-ven-zhane) becomes the youngest Best Actress nominee EVER, it would be borderline disrespectful for us not to acknowledge what happened 11 years ago. 

    March 24, 2002: The Oscars are all-“Lord Of The Rings”-everything. Shire Gang was heavily in the building. Opie reigned supreme with “A Beautiful Mind.” Business as usual.

    Then we got a little bit of history.

    Halle Berry wins the Best Actress Oscar for “Monster’s Ball”. The first black woman to EVER win a Best Actress nomination. EVER. As in, EVER.

    That in itself is #PEAK status, but the night isn’t over!

    Denzel Washington. The man who people thought should have won an Oscar in ‘92 for “Malcolm X” (HE SHOULD HAVE.) #PEAK Mount Rushmore Black actor. He wins the Best Actor Oscar for his role in “Training Day.” 

    This is the first (and only, so far) time the winners of Best Actor and Actress are black.

    History and a Top 5 #PEAK moment, all in about 20 minutes. Not too shabby.

    And now, a soapbox:

    My sincere opinion is that quality black roles in film and television come when the people in charge of those decisions think it’s in their best interest financially to make shows and movies featuring positive black characters. It sucks. It’s true. Spend your money on “Beasts of The Southern Wild.” Take friends. Make it a #PEAK outing. Wallis DESERVES the Oscar this year and I’m rooting for her openly and loudly.

    Soapbox over, thanks for your time.

    Ernest 

     

  12. 8 Jan


    MARLEY x WONDER

    This is incredible. It’s like Michael Jordan and Jerry Rice doing stretching exercises together. Or Malcolm and Martin proofing each other’s speeches. Or Clair Huxtable and Aunt Viv #2 trading war stories about their husbands and how to fill ALL THAT WALL SPACE. 

    Musically, it pretty much gets no more #peak than this. This is beautiful. Also, note the two different outfits, which means THIS HAPPENED MORE THAN ONCE. 

    This is fantastic. Just wonderful. 

    Rem

    (Thank you, Terryn, for finding these)

     

  13. 3 Jan


    AL SHARPTON AND JAMES BROWN What better way to start off the New Year than with a portly (and jubilant) Rev. Sharpton and the Godfather of Soul? To another 365 days of PEAK BLACKNESS! #ThePowerOfThePerm #toorare Jason

    AL SHARPTON AND JAMES BROWN

    What better way to start off the New Year than with a portly (and jubilant) Rev. Sharpton and the Godfather of Soul? To another 365 days of PEAK BLACKNESS! #ThePowerOfThePerm #toorare

    Jason

     

  14. 31 Dec


    SOUNDS OF BLACKNESS X RUTHLESS OPTIMISM X 2013 = #PEAK BLACKNESS?

    Skip to about 1:00.

    Today marks the last day of 2012. Instead of the usual pot of black-eyed peas (Other families do that for the New Year, right?) and passive-aggressive eye rolling, can I suggest a resolution that anyone can accomplish for 2013? 

    Optimism. 

    Simply put, be happy with yourself. 

    It’s HARD, right? You wake up and the Trinidad James of your field has skyrocketed to success, leaving you feeling like a double ass-burger with cheese. 

    Stop putting your accomplishments down. Stop comparing yourself to other people. Run your own race. Let that silly shit go. I’m not saying it’s easy. I am saying that doing what you’ve been doing and expecting different results isn’t going to change your life.

    On a day where Kanye and Kim announced the forthcoming future President of the United States (Donda Kardashian West ‘48, anyone?,) I think we can all agree that the fastest way to #PEAK status is to set goals that you can accomplish and then go blow them out of the water. 

    All the best to you and yours. Much more fun to come from us over here in the New Year.

    Ernest

     

  15. 27 Dec


    OSSIE DAVIS X RUBY DEE Can I soapbox for a minute? People, a show called “My Babies’ Mamas” is coming out. Ladies, an apparent goal is to target you. A direct quote from a VP of development: “All My Babies Mamas will be filled with outrageous and authentic over the top moments that our young, diverse female audience can tweet and gossip about.” You’ve seen this kind of show hundreds of times. Reality shows and their ilk exist because people want to be able to say, “Man, I may be broke and tired from working all day, but at least I ain’t as crazy as THESE people.” I get that. No shade being thrown from me on that point. Instead, allow me to present a bit of counter-programming: Look at that picture.  I find, in being black, a thing of beauty: a joy; a strength; a secret cup of gladness.  - Ossie The kind of beauty I want most is the hard-to-get kind that comes from within - strength, courage, dignity. - Ruby Black love, people. Now and forever more.  Ernest

    OSSIE DAVIS X RUBY DEE

    Can I soapbox for a minute?

    People, a show called “My Babies’ Mamas” is coming out. Ladies, an apparent goal is to target you. A direct quote from a VP of development:

    “All My Babies Mamas will be filled with outrageous and authentic over the top moments that our young, diverse female audience can tweet and gossip about.”

    You’ve seen this kind of show hundreds of times. Reality shows and their ilk exist because people want to be able to say, “Man, I may be broke and tired from working all day, but at least I ain’t as crazy as THESE people.” I get that. No shade being thrown from me on that point.

    Instead, allow me to present a bit of counter-programming: Look at that picture. 

    I find, in being black, a thing of beauty: a joy; a strength; a secret cup of gladness.  - Ossie

    The kind of beauty I want most is the hard-to-get kind that comes from within - strength, courage, dignity. - Ruby

    Black love, people. Now and forever more. 

    Ernest