“font-family: Verdana; font-size: 13px; line-height: 14px;”>“We

often highlight the negative aspect, but we often don’t put enough

focus and energy on the positive things that black women have

done,” said author and filmmaker Dwayne Buckingham.

“font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Verdana;”>Since

2006, Buckingham has written books, created music and ventured into

filmmaking in an attempt to give props to black women for their

contributions to life and love in the community.

“font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Verdana;”>With

the boom of the single black female, Buckingham is chiming in with

his own advice for finding love. His perspective is in direct

opposition to Steve Harvey’s approach of offering an

opinion-oriented “how to get a man” guide. As a licensed therapist,

Buckingham brings tools from his trade to help bring black women

from beyond the woes of what they are missing from the opposite

sex.

“font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Verdana;”>Next

Thursday (Mar. 24), Buckingham will return home to screen his debut

documentary A Black

Woman’s Worth: My

Queen and My Backbone at the Tivoli.

“font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Verdana;”>“It all

depends on your view, what lens you’re looking out of,” Buckingham

said. “I look at the positive. This documentary highlights the

value of black women. At the end of the documentary, I have people

talk how black women have been instrumental in their lives and how

they’ve come to a place where they appreciate it. ”

“font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Verdana;”>Harvey

“font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Verdana;”>faults

women in their quest for love and recommends somewhat superficial

solutions to the problem. Buckingham goes beyond women’s appointed

duty to keep their hair done and body together while imposing a

sexual boundary system suggested in Harvey’s book.

“font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Verdana;”>“Black

women are constantly being undervalued, because we have brothers

who don’t understand what their value is,” Buckingham

said.

“font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Verdana;”>“If I

don’t know what I’m worth, then it’s hard for me to value you. As

black men, we are constantly being knocked down, so we strike out

against those we perceive to be less than and more inferior than

us, which is our women and our children. If both people are walking

in the dark, then how can you value the other person?”

“font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Verdana;”>As he

reflected on the fact that most of his successes were based on the

strength of the black women in his life – starting with his mother

and four sisters – Buckingham decided to project positive images

and pay homage through his writing.

“font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Verdana;”>He

hopes that his writing, music and new film serve as gratitude for

the sacrifices that black women have made for generations.

Buckingham also wants to spark a movement to help women lift

themselves into an atmosphere of self-love – which Buckingham

believes to be a prerequisite to romance.

“font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Verdana;”>“Look

at what you’ve done and what you’ve been through and see the

positive in that,” Buckingham said. “If you love and appreciate

yourself first, you can find what you are looking for.”

“font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana; font-weight: normal;”>A

Black Woman’s Worth will debut at the Tivoli (6801 Delmar in the

University City Loop) at 7 p.m. on Thursday, March 24. The film

will serve as the kickoff  of

“font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana; font-weight: normal;” lang=

“EN” xml:lang=”EN”>Coalition for Healthy African American

Relationships and Marriages

“margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;”>

“mso-bidi-font-style: normal;”>

“font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana;” lang=”EN” xml:lang=

“EN”>(CHAARM) St. Louis  R.E.A.L. Love weekend of workshop and

activities.

“font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Verdana;”>For

more information, call (314) 425-9315 or visit

“http://realloverhcs.eventbrite.com/”>http://realloverhcs.eventbrite.com/