In a recent blog on the ESSENCE.com Web site, Demetria L. Lucas, the ESSENCE relationships editor and some of those who responded, took an exasperated tone to what they perceived to be the flood of popularly distributed articles, books and movies that make Black women the poster children for being frustrated and single (or unhappily unmarried). The point was made that White women and women of all colors, though they may be more likely to marry, have the same complaints and dating challenges, and that the wildly popular "Sex and The City" franchise was proof positive of this fact.


It is with this conversation thread in mind, and the memory of my own similar foray into the topic of Black women and dating (with similar conclusions) a whole eight years ago, that I viewed both "Sex and the City 2," based on the popular former TV series, and "Just Wright," the new romantic comedy starring Queen Latifah and the latest rapper-turned-actor Common.


With reference to the power of popular narratives, and how life often imitates art, the first important thing to say about "Just Wright" is that it counters this popular narrative that makes Black women missing in action when it comes of love and marriage. Not only does Leslie Wright (Queen Latifah) have romance in her life, the film takes a pointed look at the industry, game, whatever you want to call it, of women landing a rich athlete. And, without needing to state it outright, it comments on the type of Black woman (tall, thin with light skin) that is usually shown to occupy that spot. In this movie, Paula Patton does the honors.


Director Sanaa Hamri gives Leslie's character unswerving sympathy and support. The movie allows us to have empathy for and to like Leslie, just as we liked the character Kenya in Hamri's "Something New," another outside-the-box movie about the love life of a professional, Black, single woman. While "Just Wright" gives a plus-sized sister a chance at love, "Something New" explores what happens when a Black woman dates a White man.


Even with these two meaningful roles for Black women, there are still many critics who just can't get past their own stereotype of the Black bitch or comfort with pitiable characters like those in the controversial film "Precious." Some will say that these professional Black female characters are not "likeable," a subtle but potent descriptor they have in their arsenal to attempt to slay a smart, assertive Black woman.


Though the 35-year-old Leslie is tiring of men considering her only as a potential homegirl-best buddy, she is moving on with her life when she meets Scott McNight (Common), star of her beloved New Jersey Nets. She is the head of physical therapy at a New York hospital, she has purchased her own home. She has the love and support of both of her parents.


While Hamri may have set the scene, it was up to Queen Latifah and Common to carry it off. And while they did a decent job, neither was a sparkling romantic lead. Common has a great smile and, despite one or two awkward moments, comes off as genuine on the big screen. Queen Latifah did not always look attractive and, quite frankly, some filmgoers (who called my radio show on WPFW FM in Washington, DC) wonder about the realism of her continued casting in heterosexual romantic comedies if she is, indeed, a lesbian. (She has never confirmed or denied persistent rumors about her sexuality.) It could be that she is not making statement about her personal life in order to preserve her acting career. How many romantic comedy roles would there be for a professed Black lesbian?


While the Black romantic heroine is still relatively rare, we are accustomed to sympathizing with White women, from Doris Day in the 1960s, to Meg Ryan in the 1980s, to the chicks in the recent "He's Just Not That Into You." In this tradition, "Sex and the City 2" allows Carrie, Miranda, Samantha and Charlotte to move into the next phase of their romantic relationship lives. They are no longer in hunting mode. With the exception of wild girl Samantha, they are all married and their attentions have turned to, as Carrie says, "what happens after you say I do."


Even though the quartet of women enjoy privileges of color and class, the issues they wrestle are shared by women universally. Carrie wants to keep the sparkle in her marriage and resist night after night on the couch in front of the TV. Charlotte's children, particularly the younger screaming one, are driving her crazy. Miranda must devote extra time to her unsatisfactory work situation, at the expense of time spent with her son.

An opportunity for a free trip to Dubai adds complication to all of their lives and allows for some of the sillier moments in the flick. If you are a "Sex and the City" fan, spending time in the lives on these women, who want to simultaneously hold onto their femininity and sense of accomplishment, is more important than whether the movie is considered fine cinema by the cadre of primarily male film critics. It is special that the lives, concerns and even the whimsies of women can be presented with the same kind of splash as the next male action flick.


Certainly, Black women look forward to the time when our lives, from singledom to marriedom and beyond, can also be so examined and celebrated on the big screen. (Because there will be those who speculate, I have been married, divorced, and I am getting married again on Juneteenth 2010). A new narrative can be created. There may be the 45 percent of Black women who aren't married but they are not the wretched of the earth. And, of course, there is also that majority, that other 55 percent.

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