Amuse YOUR SENSES

1. Dominga Martin's "A Moment of Silence" for Crème Magazine is one of the more personal, public essays we read because she is in fact, a relative of Bobby Brown.  Martin's loving recollection of the first time she saw Whitney at her wedding to Bobby in 1992, and of Thanksgivings spent at Bobby and Whitney’s home (playing Spades and Taboo), offer a unique, candid glimpse into the superstar's life.  Martin, who is a filmmaker and editorial director of Creme magazine, links Bobby and Whitney as true soul mates who were frequently misunderstood. In conclusion, she implores readers to take a moment of silence for the grieving family, and to "...keep whatever you thought you knew about Bobby & Whitney to yourself, because if you have never had a personal relationship with either of them, you know nothing."  
Creme-magazine.com

2. Demetria Lucas, writer and relationship expert for Essence.com, did not know the artist personally – a point that she makes clear in her emotional tribute to the late singer. Nevertheless, "Real Talk: What Whitney Meant to a Little Black Girl" is indeed a personal account, littered with references to how Whitney infiltrated her everyday life growing up in the 1980s and early '90s: "[I]f I could, I’d go on at book-length listing my virtual encounters with Whitney…” Her words illuminate the experience of many ‘80s babies who came into the age of awareness and true consciousness with Whitney’s ethereal voice playing somewhere in the background. Essence.com.

3. My tribute to Whitney for the Women in Entertainment Empowerment Network (WEEN) is also a personal account featuring my own childhood memories, but with an emphasis on how Whitney’s words served to empower us. For me Whitney's song and lyrics encouraged a younger generation to be self-possessed and fearless: "[s]he sang quite poignantly that the greatest love of all resides within each of us... After her tragic loss, maybe one silver lining will be that we can finally align ourselves with this truth, and live and love in new and different ways.” Amidst all of the speculation regarding her personal life and now, her death, the lessons she imparted to girls like me through song will remain her greatest legacy. Weenonline.org.

4. dream hampton, a filmmaker and cultural critic  for Ebony.com, begins her tribute "Whitney Houston 1963-2012" with three words: "[w]e lost Whitney." Throughout the essay, hampton chronicles Whitney’s gospel beginnings, her career highs and even her personal lows. In her examination of Whitney’s fallibility, however, she also holds the public ("Our collective voyeurism, schadenfreude and hypocritical rush to judgment…"), and those around the singer ("Former cocaine addicts are unconvincing as 'casual' drinkers and those who love them must also carefully monitor their use of prescription drugs."), accountable. By illuminating the role that we all played in "los[ing]" her, hampton silences the judgmental finger that some will inevitably point in the wake of Whitney’s passing. Ebony.com.

5. There's no greater tribute than that from a mother. And Cissy Houston revealed the love she and Whitney shared in an open letter written to her daughter that appeared in the funeral program.

"The presence of God blessed our home with life, love, joy, and peace. You and your brothers were the center of divine love attracting God's richest blessings. You were a child of God. We had so much love in our home that was truly from on high.

 Karen J. Francis is a music writer and attorney living in New York City. Follow her on Twitter @karebelle.