NOLA SUNDAYS ~ Suzanne Malveux!

As a black woman, or woman of color, which really usually means a person of mixed American heritage, we are often seeking, searching, on the look-out for success stories. Validations if you will, or upliftings; essentially strong tales of bona fide successes to confront what is essentially a type of low self esteem that has somehow been steeped in us. Mainstream America, in my generational era, were brought up always viewing people of color in negative lights: "Black-out" "we're in the black", "black-balled" and I can not count the many times folks, after meeting me and invariably questioning my heritage exclaim, "What? You're black? You can't be" like it is the worse thing in the world.

I am saying all of this to say that over the many months I have struggled with this election, strangled myself and my dog, I have wrestled with the ethnicity of Suzanne Malveaux! Yes perpetuating the sickness, though if I ever met her I would never ask!

I am a faithful CNN watcher, as you know. I know the political implications of watching network news, its biases, censorship, and that its ultimate content is in the sole interest of whomever's corporation and their whimsical soap box, but I like CNN and watched Soledad O'Brien every morning and was devastated when they stripped her of her morning desk duties. I knew her fascinating background (Australian, Irish and Afro-Cuban)and she continues to serve as an inspiration and a motivator as I go about my way in this life. Having people of color commenting on the goings on in our multi-ethinic world offers some semblance that our perspectives are not being left out.

Historically, women of color have always had positions of power and authority ( mundae as it were), even dating back to slave days~but it continues to move me, and support me when I SEE them and follow them, and admire them. It may sound crazy, but it is a truth for me.

Back to Malveuax! Finally today, after watching her last night as she did a tremendous job filling in for Wolf Blitzer on "The Situation Room", I Googled her. She shares my New Orleanian background! SO, I am giving her a "shout-out" today!

Born in 1966, Suzanne Malveaux is the twin of Suzette Malveaux. Suzanne is cum laud from Harvard (Soledad O'Brien also went to Harvard) and has a masters from Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism! She has lived in her native New Orleans, though she was born in Lansing, Michigan.

So, this NOLA SUNDAY belongs to Suzanne. A great and promising force in today's journalistic driven world, who can inspire and promote that women of color are smart, talented, intelligent and gumbo is REALLY good for the brain!

C'est tout!!