Sinbad Reflects on His Parents

"My mother and father taught me everything: integrity, honesty, being responsible. My father said you can't be anything unless you accept responsibility for all your failures. My mother wanted me to have a tough hide but a tender heart."

                                                          - Sinbad, Parade, September 1994

A Little Girl, A Bowl of Cheerios, and A Whole Lot of Hate

It's somewhat ironic that a 30 second Cheerios commercial could show just how far America has to go when it comes to race and media.

The Cheerios commercial that has ignited a racist backlash is rather simple in its premise. A young girl - who happens to be biracial - asks her mother if Cheerios are good for your heart. Her mother responds that they are indeed healthy for your heart. The commercial then cuts to her sleeping father on the couch who awakens to see an avalanche of Cheerios on his chest. Here's how it all plays out: