The Opinionaires

The Opinionaires sit down for an interview with 2011 Urban X Female Performer of the Year, Nyomi Banxxx. She discusses how she was introduced to the Adult Entertainment industry and the keys to her success in the industry. She also discusses maintaining romantic relationships as a pornstar, Plans to retire at the end of the year and her Popalock charity.

Follow her on twitter @NyomiBanxxx

Also, be sure to check out her website: NyomiBanxxx.com

The Opinionaires and Victoria Fortune Present BS’ and MOFO’s
A night of limtless convo, great drinks and good vibes.

Filmed and Edited by Alexis Johnson
Photos by Jenelle Coy

The Opinionaires interview Chevenee Reavis, Director of Strategic Alliances for world renown charity organization Water.org. We discuss Water.org’s mission to provide water and sanitation to the countries most in need, the many challenges to running a non-profit organization and Water’s most exciting initiatives, the WaterCredit and “Donate Your Voice” program. 

Also, follow them on twitter: @Water

The Opinionaires collaborate with HBCUBUZZ.com founder and CEO Luke Lawal. We discuss how the website was started, some of the challenges of entrepreneurship, and Hbcubuzz.com’s involvement in the HBCU equality movement.

Follow them at @HBCUbuzz

and check out their website www.HBCUbuzz.com

The Opinionaires deliver our interpretation of current events, including: The Trayvon Martin tragedy, and the Invisible Children’s Kony 2012 campaign. We also discuss some new updates on the Opinionaires movement.

Follow us on Twitter @Opinionaires

The Opinionaires welcome to office the newly elected Howard University Student Association elected officials Brittney Foxhall (President) and Madiagne Sarr (Vice-President). We discuss the controversial election, the Believe platform, and how they plan on changing Howard for the better.

They also drop some rhymes for the listeners.

The Opinionaires interview MC/ Party Promoting talent Justin Phillips, better known as @iHoeNation. We share some of the things we have learned about the Howard Culture as well as discuss what it means to be one of the youngest MCs in DC.

Follow him on Twitter: @iHoeNation

Usually when I write I like to speak on social phenomena from a position neutral of race, religion, or any other factor that may put limitations on the message. But today I write as an African American, To African Americans.

Today, America was tasked with lying to rest one of the most beloved Pop Stars of the 1990s, Whitney Houston. None held Houston dearer to their hearts than the Black community and We were given the honor of putting together the Homecoming service for the legend.

I personally did not choose to watch the funeral. I did not feel as though it was something to be made a spectacle of. I can understand that to not broadcast the funeral would be to deny millions of people who Whitney’s music touched to pay final respects, which is fine, but I still didn’t feel as though it was for me to see.

I did, however, want to get a survey of the impact the funeral was having on the American people and, more specifically, Black people. I watched my Twitter and Facebook real-time feeds as a usually haphazard bunch focused solely on this event. Of course there is always power in the unification of any type of people for any type of cause, but I couldn’t help but become frustrated that the most powerful stimulus of unification amongst Us is tragedy. The death of Whitney Houston and ensuing funeral jarred my memory as to all the times in which We chose to take the position of the reactor to tragedy as opposed to a force that prevents tragedy. Had We, the same people who chose to shower Whitney in praise in reflection of her legacy, made a conscious effort to unify and get her the necessary help at the peak of her drug woes she may still be alive. Had We, the same people who chose to become collectively outraged in the moments leading up to the unjust death of Troy Davis, unified to show that this type of failure in the justice system would not be tolerated Mr. Davis and many others in similar situations may still be alive today. Unfortunately there are many more examples of this sort of lag in unity that the Black community suffers from, but for the sake of retaining focus I will assume you understand the underlying point.

We as a people have the ability to manipulate the environment that affects us more than we know. It is frustrating to see that our most proactive effort often comes in the form of empty complaining, and our most inspired effort occurs long after the damage has been done. It is time for us to realize that social change is not a game of catch up, or any type of game at all. It is, however, a constant movement, which requires a cognizant and strategic approach on a daily basis.

When will We use the powerful bond that occurs when We unite as a means to protect Our people against tragedy? I still have hope that We can become unified by default as opposed to unified by occasion.

- Sean Valentine

I learned early the advantages of practicing control experiment behavior. Our minds are our most inward being, & the first layer outside of our minds that is visible to others on the plane of consensual reality is our behavior. Our behavior, speech patterns (as speech itself may be the most deceptive act in all of history), and facial expressions are most indicative of what is going on in our minds. Whether we are aware or not we are constantly being analyzed & analyzing others behavior in order to gather information and make informed decisions. Control experiment behavior consists of being so dry, so general, so emotionless & so bland that no one can tell what you’re thinking. I made control behavior an integral part of my behavior in my more outgoing & talkative years as a kid. There were times where I’d lie to my mother & in my silence, reluctance to speak at a whim, or change of speech pattern in reference to my normal behavior, she could easily tell that I was lying. When I had to lie, I had to think more and word my sentences more carefully in order not to snare myself in my own words and talk myself into my own demise. This is when I basically decided ” I’m not saying shit anymore”.  I’d be slow to speak as if I was lying whether I was lying or telling the truth.  Whether I was lying or telling the truth, I’d be a man of few words & camouflage my unjust behavior amongst my more noble behavior. Being perceivably emotionless keeps people from getting inside your head. 

The beautiful thing about information is that it is all based on a measure of some sort. And with every measure there is an understood, whether mentioned or not, point of reference. For someone to say  ”It is tall” is a very different statement depending on whether it’s in reference to a person, a mountain, or a skyscraper. With no visible reference point, & seemingly consistent behavior over the cascade of emotions we humans are faced with, predicting ones mind-state or intentions is almost impossible. To deny someone the consistent norm or reference point that makes up a measure is to deny them information. Information is power & to give others information, (Especially information about yourself) is to give them power over you. 

 I also learned young to never let people see you being too happy. Seemingly, Every time I expressed excitement about an event (party, school social event, etc.) it was hanged over my head and threatened to be taken away as a disciplinary measure should I not do or behave as I was supposed to. This taught me to conceal my intentions and only to express excitement behind closed doors. 

 Be very selective about who knows what makes you happy. When people want to realign your interests to their advantage, what makes you happy will be the thing they try to negotiate with and take from you.  

 Even in our minds we are drunken with democracy in that people do not want to see someone being happy (especially happier than them) that they have not elected to be happy or feel deserves to be happy. 

—BK

The Opinionaires join forces with director Jux Alexander in a short interview to explain who we are and what to expect from us as we progress with The Opinionaires Movement. Enjoy. 

Check out Jux Alexander and some of his other short films here. 

Also follow him on twitter @JuxAlexander

New Twitter Page: @Opinionaires.

Tell a friend, to tell a friend, to tell a financially secure Cougar.

Through time and experience I’ve developed a strong distaste for the F word. it’s always used in a misrepresented manner. The person who advertises it is always one step ahead. The F word being “Free”. Of course. I actually hate the word free, and even more than that I hate how easily and blindly people gravitate toward the word. Hate is a strong word, and I can probably only count on one hand the number of things I truly hate in life, but free is definitely amongst the top.

In NO culture is “something for nothing” acceptable. In NO culture, yet this is the image that the word free paints and the dream it sells. The word free appeals to American greed specifically, because of our inclination to get as much as we can for as little as possible, often ignorant to who or what is paying the price for these commodities. The housing crisis is a prime example. The word free wasn’t used per say, but Americans greed and desire to have more for close to nothing is what led them into the snare trap that is the housing crisis.


With “free” there’s always some underlying motive or some unexpected last minute contingency. So often that I take more of a liking to a $ sign with a figure next to it than the word free. When being charged, I have an idea of what type and quality of service I can expect to receive and when things DO stray away from the plan, which is a rarity, I can expect to be compensated for my inconvenience.  There’s been countless times that me and mine have struck out for a club or some party that was advertised as “free” and when we got there it wasn’t. At this point, my time, gas, cologne, etc. has been wasted. My only options are to tough it out and pay the money or to go home and chalk it up as a loss. Either way, it goes without saying that it’s a lose-lose situation for me and a win-win for whoever is hosting the event.

Some of my female friends have argued with me that they go on free dates all the time or they get into events for free. They’re doing one of two things:

1)   Failing to realize that dude is buying their time and company, and if he could get it otherwise by any other means truly for “free” then he wouldn’t be wasting his money or time going out with her.

2)   Acknowledge that the guy IS buying their time and company, but consider both their time AND company to be of no value, making it a one sided exchange, and ultimately making it “Free”

Both of which are a problem.

Females who get into the club for “free” I assume must know that they’re getting in as a token, an investment, to attract and get guys to come to the club. I imagine that few probably draw the correlation between the free-ness and  them standing outside in line scantily clad waiting to get in the club that OBVIOUSLY has plenty of vacant space.  Yeah, that whole standing outside for a long time with “ya girls” process is called ad-ver-tising and its all inclusive with the “free-ness” you sought out for the evening.

Ultimately, NOTHING is free. Just because there’s no money or something of some dollar amount exchanged does not make it free. If you’ve taken time, traveled a distance, or exerted ANY energy toward something, it is at that point that you have paid an upfront cost, invested capital, and it becomes NOT free.

—BK