Keke Palmer – Rising Star.

I saw Keke Palmer as a young actress in the movies “Jump In” and “Madea’s Family Reunion”. I thought she was a pretty good young “up and coming” actress. I didn’t know that she was born in Harvey, Illinois and lived for a while in Robbins, Illinois. These are two Southwestern suburbs in Chicago, Illinois. Keke and her family moved to California in the hopes of her pursuing a promising acting career. I am familiar with both of those suburbs.

   When I was a young man, my parents took me to a mall called Dixie Square in Harvey. I knew people from college who lived there.  I ate at a restaurant near a grocery store called Trogdon on 135^th and Pulaski in Robbins. I worked advertising sales for a “shopper” newspaper called Penny Saver Publication. I had parts of Robbins as my sales territory. No other salesperson wanted Robbins to be part of their sales routes.

   I found out why one day when I was calling on store owners to purchase advertising. I will never forget one store owner who told me that he didn’t need to advertise his store in Penny Saver. His reasoning was that the store made its money mostly on the sales of alcohol and cigarettes. I had never heard of such a thing. The store owner was serious. I was shocked at the statement. I’m sure that Keke is not saying, “There is no place like home” in reference to Harvey or Robbins, Illinois.

   Now at age 20, Keke Palmer has her own talk show on BET. The word is that the show is a “trial run”. Who cares? “trial run” or not. How many 20 year olds get the chance to have a talk show? I don’t understand the working of television, but I guess keke Palmer represents the voice of the younger generation. Keke Palmer and other African women on television solidify the fact that they have arrived and represent the power of black women in the media. I hope Keke Palmer’s show becomes a regular on BET.