Whitney's 50th Birthday-You're Still Missed

Still hard to believe it's been over a year since we lost her, and we got another sad reminded of the person and iconic musician we lost because today would have been Whitney Elizabeth Houston's 50th birthday.

She died way too soon and is missed by her family, friends and legions of fans.

I play and look at my Whitney Houston CD's from time to time, see my copy of The Bodyguard and think about the fact that I will never be able to buy new music from her ever again or enjoy seeing her in concert.

I'm also thinking of her mother Cissy on this day, who had to endure what no parent ever wants to go through in having to witness the burial of their child. 

While the heavenly choir gained another singer, we're still pondering her loss.  We still have her music, the love, and all the memories of her she left behind to hold on to.

rest in peace Whitney, you're still missed.

Live Long And Prosper, Nichelle Nichols!

Today is the 80th birthday of iconic actress and space enthusiast Nichelle Nichols who was born on this date in Robbins, IL in 1932.

All us Trekkies know of her most famous role as Lt. Nyota Uhura of Star Trek and have heard the story of how she nearly quit the show after the first season but was convinced to stay by a Star Trek fan by the name of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.. 

In addition to making American television history with th first interracial kiss, in the later Star Trek movies her character was subsequently promoted to Commander in the movies involving the original cast.

She has been an inspiration for people of my generation and subsequent ones to not only follow their dreams, but reach for the stars.  

She was Dr. Mae Jemison's inspiration to become a NASA astronaut and was recruited by her during the 70's when Nichols worked for NASA as part of a program to not only encourage African-American youth to consider math and science careers but recruit women and minority astronauts.

Two of the people she recruited, Charles Bolden and Lori Garver are the current administrator and Deputy Administrators of NASA.

She also recruited Dr. Sally Ride, Col Guion Bluford, Dr Ronald McNair and Dr Judith Resnik

She has served since the 1980's on the Board of Governors for the National Space Society and is considered part of the NASA family.    She and many of her Star Trek castmates were on hand when the space shuttle Enterprise was christened.

Whoopi Goldberg was inspired to become an actress because of her and there are numerous women born in the late 60's and 70's who are named Nichelle or have it as a middle name.

Live long and prosper Nichelle, and happy milestone birthday!

Happy Milestone Birthday Dr. Barrett

I wrote a post back in 2007 about the late Dr. Monica M. Holloway-Barrett, and told the story about how I met her during the spring of 1980.. 

She impressed me so much that when I did finally get around to transitioning Monica was the name I chose in honor of her.  Her husband and daughter later discovered my initial post and thanked me for writing it.  

It was something I felt moved to do.

I've been thinking about her again because today would have been Monica's milestone birthday, and I couldn't let this day pass without saying something about it.

Happy milestone birthday, Monica.   You are still sorely missed by all who loved you, called you their friend and any of us who had the honor and pleasure of meeting you.

I Pity The Fool Who Isn't Celebrating Mr. T's 60th Birthday

Today happens to be Mr. T's milestone birthday and I could not let this day slide by without giving the inspiration for my weekly Shut Up Fool Awards a TransGriot birthday shoutout.  

Mr. T was born on this date in Chicago in 1952.  As he reminds us fools are everywhere, not just in the Republican Party and the conservafool movement..

But that's something the conservafools seem hellbent on proving on a depressingly regular basis in terms of their stranglehold on stupidity, but that's another post.

Happy birthday Mr. T, and may you have many more!
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Happy Milestone Birthday, Moni!

Well TransGriot readers, today I was blessed to see another birthday, and it's a big one. 

Yeah, I know we women aren't supposed to tell our age, but it's a Big Fracking Deal and a blessing to hit this milestone birthday.

I'm a Kennedy baby who was born at 10:45 PM CDT in the Lone Star State and has been on the planet long enough to witness desegregation occur 'with all deliberate speed', the African-American Civil Rights movement, women's rights, gay rights and trans rights movements.  

The space race happened with the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo programs rapidly culminated to a July 20, 1969 moon landing and several more after that, the Skylab program, and the space shuttle and international Space Stations.  

I witnessed the fall of the Berlin Wall and the Soviet Union, the Vietnam War, two Gulf Wars, the assassinations of President John F. Kennedy,  Sen. Robert Kennedy and the Rev Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, Watergate, gas lines in the 70's, Motown, the Philly Sound, disco, rap, hip-hop Neo-Soul, 8-track tapes, the CD, the iPod, color TV, cable, the Internet and the election of an African-American president.

And yeah, my body did a little morphing over the years as well to where I not only became a Phenomenal Transwoman, but a respected trailblazing award winning thought leader in the trans human rights movement.

I was also just six months old when the Cuban Missile Crisis broke out and the all too real specter of nuclear war threatened to end my life and the lives of millions of people around the world  

During my lifetime so far my beloved hometown has grown from 700,000 people to a world class international city with over 2 million residents.  I have seen an African-American and two female mayors be elected to lead it.   Annise Parker is the current one who is doing a damned good job of handling our city's business and she happens to have cut her activist teeth in our LGBT community as well. 

And to my disgust, I have seen my beloved Lone Star State move from progressive Democratic control and leaders we could be proud of such as Sen.Ralph Yarborough, Sen Lloyd Bentsen, Rep. Sam Rayburn,  President Lyndon B. Johnson, Rep. Barbara Jordan, Gov. Ann Richards and Rep. Mickey Leland to Republifool control and national embarrassments like Rep Louie Gohmert, George W Bush and Gov Rick Perry.

So while I haven't gotten that AARP card in the mail yet, or had some of my past and present birthday wishes for the trans community become a reality, what I have received and continue to receive is the blessing of you peeps showering me with love and birthday wishes from both sides of the International Date Line 

Thanks y'all.   Happy birthday to me and may I be blessed to live to see many more..

It's Moni's Milestone Birthday*

It's May 4, 2012 on the western side of the International Date Line, that is.  

Five decades ago I was born on this date in an all Black hospital in Houston's Third Ward.   The city looks a lot different than when I arrived on the planet.  

Overt Jim Crow segregation is over and my hometown is an international city with three times as many people and the innovative skyscrapers to prove it.

And yep, I'm light years different from the body I arrived in on that day.


I thank you peeps on the western side of the International Date Line and you early birds on this side of it  for all the birthday love you've been showering me with so far and it's deeply appreciated.

I consider myself blessed to still be standing tall and six feet above ground to see this day, and I hope I'm blessed with many more.

Happy 30th Birthday Serena!

Hmm...almost forgot I'm traveling on the milestone birthday of one of my favorite tennis playing siblings.

Today is the Big 3-0 birthday for Serena Jameka Williams, or as you TransGriot readers know who read my Williams sisters tennis updates I call 'Little Sis'.

While she had a disappointing and jacked up to say the least loss to Sam Stosur in the US Open final, considering the drama and health issues she's faced this year, she probably considers reaching this birthday a blessing.

It was wonderful to see her playing world class tennis and they'd better look out for Little Sis in 2012.  

Happy Big 4-0, Sanaa Lathan!

One of my fave Tony Award nominated actresses is hitting a milestone birthday today.  Sanaa McCoy Lathan was born on this date in New York City in 1971.

Her father is director Stan Lathan and her mother was a Broadway actress who once performed with Eartha Kitt

I've loved her ever since I saw her in The Wood and her breakout movie Love And Basketball, and mark any film she's in as a must add to my DVD collection. 

Happy milestone birthday Sanaa Lathan, and may you have many more.

Happy 50th Birthday President Obama

He's had a more stressful than necessary month leading up to it no thanks to the Republifools playing games with our debt ceiling and putting our AAA credit rating at risk, but today is the big 5-0 birthday for President Barack H. Obama!  

His enemies on the left and right still hate him, but yet he still rises, survives and thrives as he continues to outflank, outsmart, and outstrategize them while continuing to do what's right for the country.

Happy 50th birthday Mr. President!.    May you celebrate many more as a resident of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue and the 44th president of the United States of America.