The year is 1993, I was a young boy a few years away from puberty, and I was addicted to The Real World: Los Angeles. While I didn’t understand half of the story lines—one roommate was staunchly pro-choice (later learned they were speaking of abortions), one roommate was a recovering alcoholic and a lesbian, another was virgin—I visually connected with a beautiful twenty-something young black woman from New York. Her name was Tamisha “Tami” Roman.

Tami to me represented the quintessential around the way girl. She was glamorous, energetic, focused, determined, and dealing with life one issue at a time—basically she was fly as hell. She sang (remember her group, Reality?), she worked out, she worked with AIDS patients, and when she laughed you knew it was from a place of honesty—yet to be jaded by a troubled marriage to a womanizing NBA star, sexual abuse, and violations of personal space. She was THAT chick. Or at least the editors at MTV made her seem as such. Read the rest of this entry »

1. WEtv Renews Mary Mary for Second Season
Gospel fans everywhere can say “Hallelujah!”

WEtv has renewed Mary Mary, the reality show about gospel sisters Erica and Tina Campbell, for a second season. The network has ordered ten hour-long episodes to begin airing in early 2013. [MORE]

2. Essence Magazine Honors Beauty Professionals and Top Products
This week, Essence magazine celebrated its second annual “Best in Black Beauty Awards” in New York City. The event, which was hosted by Essence’s beauty director, Corynne Corbett, and celeb stylist June Ambrose, highlighted the best beauty products as well as the top professionals in the field.

“We are in the business of celebrating Black beauty and the brands that get it right,” Corbett told the Huffington Post. “What better way to not only recognize those brands but also the people who are creating the products behind the scenes, in the studios, in the labs and beyond.” [MORE]

3. The 411 on Black Girls and Eating Disorders
Recently on VH1’s Behind the Music, singer and star of Moesha and BET’s The Game Brandy admitted that at the age of 19 she developed an eating disorder. It’s important to note that Brandy is not alone.

According to the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders, up to 24 million people of all ages and genders suffer from an eating disorder (anorexia, bulimia and binge eating disorder). Yet only one in 10 men and women with eating disorders receive treatment. Also, 50 percent of people with eating disorders are considered depressed and eating disorders have the highest death rate of any mental illness. [MORE]

4. Cissy Houston: Reality Show Could Launch Bobbi Kristina’s Career
Bobbi Kristina’s move into reality television has the blessing of her grandmother Cissy Houston.

TMZ reports the Houston family matriarch is telling friends she fully supports plans for her granddaughter, along with Whitney Houston’s brother Gary, his wife Pat and their daughter Rayah, to appear in their own reality show. The family signed the deal for the 10-part docu-series, which will begin airing later this year, with the Lifetime network last week. [MORE]

5. Rev. Jesse Jackson: Push for Gay Marriage Rights Like Slavery Abolition
As the flurry of reactions to President Obama’s declaration in support of gay marriage continues to swirl, Rev. Jesse Jackson added his opinion to the mix, lauding Obama for taking the bold step, but also calling for the president to take an even stronger stance. On Thursday, Jackson said President Obama should throw his weight behind federal freedom of marriage legislation in the same way abolitionists sought federal laws banning slavery. [MORE]

1. Obama Says He Supports Same-Sex Marriage
Facing mounting pressure to make a commitment one way or another on same-sex marriage, President Obama came out in support of the controversial issue Wednesday afternoon. He is the first president to support the issue.

“I have to tell you that over the course of several years as I have talked to friends and family and neighbors when I think about members of my own staff who are in incredibly committed monogamous relationships, same-sex relationships, who are raising kids together; when I think about those soldiers or airmen or marines or sailors who are out there fighting on my behalf and yet feel constrained, even now that ‘don’t ask don’t tell’ is gone, because they are not able to commit themselves in a marriage, at a certain point I’ve just concluded that for me personally it is important for me to go ahead and affirm that I think same sex couples should be able to get married,” Obama told ABC News Wednesday. [MORE]

2. Sponsors Back Out of Basketball Wives
Forget cat fights and bullying, VH1’s Basketball Wives may have a real problem on its hands. After a petition to boycott the controversial reality show, backed by Star Jones, started gaining steam, the hit franchise has lost its first sponsor. [MORE]

3. Doctors’ Attitudes About Race Can Affect Your Health
Over the years there have been an abundance of studies that have exposed how physicians‘ own racism plays out in the examination room. A recent study adds more fuel to the fire. [MORE]

4. Facebook Helps Veterans, Military Families Prevent Suicide
With a staggering 800 million active users sharing all manner of intimate details about their lives, Facebook is taking the opportunity to do more than provide users with updates on the latest lunch selections of friends and family — they’re saving lives. In an effort to augment the social media hub’s existing suicide prevention tools available to all users, Facebook is rolling out additional assistance for military families, active service members and veterans who may be in need of help. [MORE]

1. Box Office: Think Like a Man Beats Hunger Games
It was an upset bigger than if Kevin Hart dunked on LeBron James. Screen Gems’ Think Like a Man won the top spot at the box office this weekend, knocking reigning Hunger Games to third place and leaving Zac Efron’s The Lucky One in it’s dust at second.

The ensemble comedy, based on Steve Harvey’s bestseller and starring Hart, Gabrielle Union, Romany Malco, Meagan Good, Regina Hall, Michael Ealy and Terrence J, earned a surprising $33 million over the weekend, beating even the most optimistic expectations. [MORE]

2. Study Shows More Young Women Than Men Value a Successful Career
A new Pew Research Center study shows that more young women than young men strive for a successful career. According to the study’s results, 66 percent of women between the ages of 18-34 said a successful, high-paying job is important to them while 59 percent of men said the same. But women also placed high value on wanting to marry and have children. [MORE]

3. Black, Female and Republican
Mia Love may be headed to Congress as the first Black congressional representative from Utah. [MORE]

4. Resignation of Chief in Martin Case Rejected
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — The Sanford city commission rejected the resignation of the police chief harshly criticized for his handling of the Trayvon Martin case.

The commissioners voted 3-2 Monday to reject the resignation of Bill Lee. The majority blamed the uproar surrounding Martin’s death on outsiders. [MORE]

5. June Ambrose Shares How She Balances Family and Career
VH1 just released a sneak peek of the upcoming episode of June Ambrose’s Styled By June and in it she talks about how she doesn’t like waiting on a man and how she balances motherhood and a stellar career.

“I feel like my career and my personal life have become one because my career is so personal. I have children so I’ve learned when to shut down. I’ve learned then to put the phone down,” Ambrose says. “I cook a meal because I love to cook and creatively it’s an outlet and I think those things still allow me to be creative, but it allows me my family time as well.” [MORE]

(Los Angeles, CA) The Braxton sisters kicked off the new year with a special dinner and screening of their hit reality show “Braxton Family Values” at the swanky SLS Hotel.

Tamar, Trina, Towanda, Traci and mom, Evelyn (affectionately known as “Miss E”) dished on the upcoming Braxton’s album, Tamar and Vince’s spinoff and Towanda’s on-going marriage drama.

Much like the New York press dinner held last November, older sister Toni was missing in action. But her absence was due to a Lupus flare-up that required a hospital stay, and not the the sibling tension that has been rumored.

Guests of the intimate dinner included Kita Williams and Monique Jackson from VH1’s “The T.O. Show,” HGTV’s Tanika Ray, veteran journalist, Tanya Hart; Emmy Award winning film and television producer, P. Frank Williams; and Tamar’s husband, producer and music executive Vincent Herbert.

SPOILER ALERT: We hear an upcoming episode of the show will show the behind the scenes of Tamar prepping for her performance at the 2011 Soul Train Awards.

1. Evidence Grows That Black Students Are Disciplined at Higher Rates
The disparity between the rate of disciplinary action of African-American students and their white counterparts in the form as suspension and expulsion is apparently widespread and not confined to any one area of the country. [MORE]

2. Eddie Long’s School Shuts Down Amid Financial Troubles
After 18 years of operation, Bishop Eddie Long’s New Birth Christian Academy will close its doors indefinitely due to funding constraints, leaving hundreds of students without a school in the middle of the academic year. [MORE]

3. Heavy D’s Cause of Death Revealed
On Nov. 8, Dwight Arrington Myers, otherwise known as popular ’90s rapper Heavy D, collapsed, was rushed to the hospital and died. At the time of his death it was not clear what he died from — complications of recently diagnosed pneumonia, complications of a life of being morbidly obese, or something else. At the time of his death BET.com reported that he weighed 344 pounds, yet was working to lose weight and eat better. [MORE]

4. Michael Jordan Asks Girlfriend to Marry Him
Michael Jordan is looking to take his love with his current girlfriend toward the next step. Reportedly, the NBA legend wants to take trip number two down the isle of matrimony, asking his girlfriend, Yvette Prieto, to marry him while the two vacationed in Monaco. [MORE]

5. Love & Hip Hop Star Claims Reality-Show Catfight Killed Her Career
Newsflash: appearing on a reality show can kill your legitimate career. Love & Hip Hop star Erica Mena is learning that the hard way. The model and video vixen, who found herself in the midst of a classic catfight (glass-breaking, hair-pulling, bleeped-out words) with co-star Kimbella Vanderhee, claims the brawl has had a negative impact on her modeling career, and she’s blaming VH1. [MORE]

1. Money Monday: End of Year Tax Tips
The end of the year is near, and holiday cheer is here, but in the mist of gift wrapping and baking, it might not be a bad idea to prepare for tax season.

The time to file to Uncle Sam isn’t far away, and taking some time to squeeze in these steps during the holidays could be an extra gift to you in 2012. [MORE]

2. This Day in Black History: Dec. 19, 1933
Cicely Tyson born in New York City. [MORE]

3. Family-Based Programs May Reduce Fighting and Substance Abuse Among Black Teens
So who’s the best person to teach our kids about substance abuse? A Georgia-based study says perhaps it’s the parents. [MORE]

4. DMX, Wife to Appear on VH1’s Couples Therapy
Now that he’s kicked his drug habit and successfully rehabbed his own image, DMX is turning his attention to cleaning up his marriage. The rapper and his wife of 12 years, Tashera Simmons, have agreed to appear on VH1’s Couples Therapy, a new show created by the producers of Celeb Rehab with Dr. Drew. [MORE]

5. J.R. Martinez to Be a Dad
The Dancing with the Stars winner and his girlfriend expecting their first child. [MORE]

For more news and information visit, BET.com/news

1. Basketball Wives Star Tami Roman Sued by Ex-Manager
According to TMZ, Roman’s ex-manager Jerry Silverhardt is suing the reality TV star for refusing to pay him the commission he’s due for setting up her Basketball Wives gig. Silverhardt says that Tami only paid him for season two and then fired him without paying him for the work she did on season three. He claims his oral contract with Roman stated that she owes him 10 percent on all Basketball Wives paychecks from seasons three thru six. [MORE]

2. Lean on Me Actor Busted Buying 200 Pounds of Marijuana
Jermaine Hopkins, the chubby actor who is best remembered for his role in the 1989 classic film Lean on Me, was arrested in Arizona for allegedly buying 200 pounds of marijuana from an undercover police officer. [MORE]

3. Scottie Pippen Sues Media Outlets for Libel
Calling Scottie Pippen broke could get you served. The NBA hall-of-famer filed a $10 million lawsuit for “malicious libel” against several media outlets who made claims Pippen had gone bankrupt. The suit was filed Tuesday in federal court. [MORE]

4. Study: Dating Violence Causes Majority of Adolescent ER Visits
Researchers from Boston Medical Center have released some eye-opening findings: More than half of teenagers and young adults being treated in an urban emergency room admitted to either being the victim of interpartner violence or the perpetrator of this type of violence. Most of the participants in the study were African-American, living at or below the poverty line and were on government-funded health care such as Medicaid. [MORE]

5. New Orleans Teen Spanked on Video Is Shot Dead Outside Home
The online video depicting a New Orleans teenager being spanked by his uncle for his believed gang ties captured the attention of tens of thousands online. Sadly, less than a year after the video went viral, the 16-year-old was found shot dead outside his Terrytown neighborhood home. [MORE]

6. NCAA Could Rescind $2,000 Stipend for Student-Athletes
The proposal to give student-athletes a $2,000 stipend beginning next year is being met with resistance from some NCAA member schools, so much so the measure could be overturned. [MORE]

For more news and information visit, BET.com/news

1. Denise Vasi to Replace Stacey Dash on Single Ladies
VH1 is putting a ring on it for Denise Vasi. The network has tapped the All My Children star to replace a departing Stacey Dash on the popular series Single Ladies, reports PopularCritic.com. [Read more]

2. New Spike Lee Joint to Debut at Sundance Film Festival
After an ill-advised trip to Italy for his last directorial effort, Miracle at St. Anna, Spike Lee is bringing it home to Brooklyn for his new joint, Red Hook Summer. The film — a welcome return to Spike’s indie roots after a detour into the world of studio films — will premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in January. [Read more]

3. Postal Service Cutbacks to Affect Blacks
Forget the inconvenience of being unable to patronize your local branch, the severe cutbacks will mean much more for many Black families employed by the postal service. [Read more]

4. Oprah’s South African Dream Girls to Attend College
All of the girls in the first class of graduates from Oprah’s Leadership Academy for Girls have been accepted to college. [Read more]

For more news and updates visit Bet.com/news

1. Nicki Minaj, Adele Win Big at American Music Awards!
Nicki Minaj and Adele were the night’s big winners at the American Music Awards! The “Super Bass” rapper double-fisted with a pair of trophies for Best Rap/Hip Hop Artist (she beat her mentor Lil Wayne) and Favorite Rap/Hip Hop Album for Pink Friday. [Read more]

2. Watching Your Weight During the Holidays
You know you don’t want your poundage to soar. Here’s how to keep it under control and still enjoy the celebrations. [Read more]

3. You Say Tomato Sauce, They Say Vegetable
If Congress gets its way, frozen pizzas with tomato sauce will count as a vegetable in school lunches. [Read more]

4. DMX and Wife to Appear on VH1 “Relationship Rehab”
In 20 years of marriage DMX and his wife, Tashera Simmons, have been though a lot; quick success, numerous lock-ups, infidelity, drug addiction and rehab all while raising four children. They separated in July 2010, but now the couple, still best friends according to TMZ, want to work it out on national television. “Relationship Rehab,” a VH1 spin-off of “Celebrity Rehab,” will begin filming in December. [Read more]

5. Chris Brown Has Another Twitter Meltdown
Chris Brown has had issues controlling his anger especially when it comes to criticisms over his 2009 assault on ex-girlfriend Rihanna. On Thursday, the R&B singer unleashed his frustrations on Twitter in war of words that ended with him deleting his entire timeline on the social media site. [Read more]

For the latest in news and updates, visit BET.com/News