In 2013 I got ambitious for Black History Month, and decided to kick off a month-long series on black beauty history. I titled it 28 Moments in Black Beauty History, intending there to be a new post every day. Things were going great at the beginning. I wrote informative, research-heavy posts about Josephine Baker and…
Issues
Afrobella Art – Tanekeya Word. Artist, Afrofuturist, Feminist, Visionary.
In 2011 I tried to launch a regular series called Afrobella Art. The intent was to feature images that inspire and celebrate our unique beauty, and the people who create and curate them. I started out OK but then ran into a wall of FAIL not too long after that because I was in…
The Dumbest Excuses We Make To Avoid Exercising
For years, I had such awful, stupid ideas about taking care of myself. For a long time my goals were in weight loss, and I was caught up in limiting ideas about dress sizes instead of considering health and wellness. As a teenager, I was bulimic and that began as a deliberate choice. Dumb. I…
How Do You Pay It Forward During The Holidays?
Every year ends with the usual mayhem. It’s the holiday season – time to shop till you drop and make sure you get something fancy for everyone on your list and then some! And don’t forget to get a few gifts for yourself, too! It’s a time of abundance for many. And for others,…
What Beyoncé’s New Album Release Taught Me
In case you took a social media break over the weekend and missed the explosion, Beyoncé released a new album when absolutely nobody was expecting it. 17 songs. 14 videos. And all she did was post a sneak preview video on Instagram and say “surprise!” She sold 450,000+ in the first day. Her latest release…
The Plus Size Princess Fitness Initiative – So Smart & Inspiring!
I’ve shared my health and fitness journey here off and on, but more often lately that kind of sharing has been off. I figure if I don’t want to talk about it, I should be about it. For me, my journey to wellness has never been about fitting into a specific dress size or being…
Iman! Gabrielle! Bethann! And…Me? My Essence Upfront Panel Experience
I’ve said this quite a bit when asked about what it’s like to be who I am and do what I do – my job is an ever evolving, always exciting exercise in perpetually rising to the occasion. That’s the most appropriate explanation for last Thursday’s experience. I was flown to New York City,…
Apparently I Look Like the Eggo Waffles Girl
There’s a commercial on TV quite a bit lately, and EVERY TIME it airs, I get tweets and texts and Facebook messages about it. Have you seen the latest Eggo Waffles commercial? Apparently lots of people think the little girl in it looks like me. Or could be my child. Either way, LOL! I…
Things We Can Learn From Jenifer Lewis
Jenifer Lewis is a whole lotta woman. She’s a powerhouse actress, a groundbreaking performer of stage and screen, and a legend who has worked with the best in the business. And I can tell you from personal experience, she gives AMAZING quotes in interviews. I learned that from personal experience when I interviewed her…
Natural Hair – Things I Wish I Knew When I Was In College
The whole concept of #ThrowbackThursday (#TBT) on Instagram is a trip. Every week I find myself digging in the proverbial crates for an old photo of myself that nobody’s ever seen before. Every week I come face to face with an old hairstyle I barely recognize anymore. Every week, you get to see a flashback…