My Goggle calendar gave me an alert that my presence was expected at the Viceroy Hotel. I was scheduled to interview iconic comedic actor Tommy Davidson—from “In Living Color” fame—about season two of his new show, ABC’s Vacation Creation which premieres on September 30th. Vacation Creation is not your typical travel show. People facing crisis or hardships; couples, individuals and families are treated to a vacation of a lifetime aboard an exotic bound cruise ship.
The Viceroy hotel is very easy to miss even though it’s near central park and just a stone's throw away from Carnegie Hall. Once you cross the heavy glass doors that separate the busting city from the dimply lit and surprisingly comforting interior, you realize that you are standing square inside understated elegance. The guests clamoring around the check-in desk are “dressed down” with big diamond rings anchoring their fingers and expensive limited edition designer handbags swinging off their shoulders. I don’t exactly blend and it seemed that all eyes turned in my direction when I asked the fashionable man behind the concierge desk where the press event for ABC’s Vacation Creation was being held? He blinked, smiled and checked his computer and said: “I have no idea what you are talking about.”
Ring: Beyonce’s “Diva” “I'm a, a diva, hey, I'm a, I'm a, a diva, hey..” —my ringtone—drowned the hotels’ house music. Turning I was face-to-face with Mrs. Tommy Davidson. On her feet she wore a pair of classic Jimmy Choo heels that made her long legs seemed like they had no end. She was clad in ripped blue jeans and was wearing a diamond on her ring finger—squared shaped and magnificent—that was so big and cut so splendidly that I dubbed it “light catcher.”
Tommy Davidson hugged me, greeting me like we were old pals about to jump into a catch-up session but in truth we never met. In person he’s not changed much from when he appeared on the Wayans’ In Living Color (1990 to 1994).
“Before you ask, I do not get sea sick. I love boats. I love traveling and I love giving deserving families an opportunity to relax and deal with important issues or honor those that they love….on a cruise ship.
What I really love about our show [Vacation Creation] is that it’s not like you gotta watch somebody learn to dance, or watch some dude make cakes, or somebody trying to sell something to sharks, or the I wanna see a bitch get slapped [on] TV. This is great life-changing TV and I get to watch people smile, a lot.”
In one hour with Davidson I came away with enough to write a small book including a children story about how Eagles are best friends and care about their communities. I also learned that he was member of the Choctaw Nation, a Black Indian like myself. I am part of the Miccosukee Tribe who were originally part of the Seminole nation but gained Federally recognized independence in 1962. According to Wikipedia the Choctaw, who originally occupied what is now the Southeastern United States, share a language that belongs to the Muskogean language family group. That group includes Creek-Seminole (also called Muskogee, Maskoke, Seminole).
So when Tommy Davidson greeted me like a long lost friend, he saw something inside of me; he saw that we were family.