I know I'm a little late talking about this, so please forgive me. As a journalist, it's important to be timely, but to no fault of my own (my other job) I missed the first airing of BET's "BLACK GIRLS ROCK". The last two days, I've heard nothing but rave reviews of the show. From comments on Facebook to commentary from my mother, "BLACK GIRLS ROCK!" sent a message loud and clear for the world to hear. And the world was listening.
The other day, my mom was discussing the deets from the show with me and said, "YOU ROCK!" (I think my mom rocks too and I told her so.) I thought that was one of the most precious things I could hear from my 66-year-old mommy. One of my favorite sayings is I could put her in a display cube and put her on my dresser. :) But I digress...
In this day and age with an African-American First Lady in the White House, we look at how far we've come. (I wish my grandmother was here to see it.) Unfortunately, in other aspects, we're reminded of how much work we need to do. But, shows such as these FINALLY reflect the positivity in our community. As a journalist, I take responsibility in saying the media (of which I am a member) MUST take that responsibility in portraying the positive lights in our community, rather putting the spotlight on the negative parts of it. Every opp I have, I choose to write about a black girl who rocks. And there are A LOT of us out there!
Young girls and ladies need more shows like these and programs to reflect why we rock and how hard we rock! From the various ways we rep our beautiful manes and our stylish flair to our intelligence, strength, wisdom and creativity, WE ROCK HARD!
One of my favorite black girls who rocks (literally) is Chicago hip-hop alternative artist Nikki Lynette. I'll leave you with a quote from her, which is one of my all-time favorite quotes I captured as a journalist.
"My life kind of rocks right now, and I want it to rock harder."
Showing posts with label family. Show all posts
Showing posts with label family. Show all posts
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Friends...How Many of Us Have Them?
I was inspired by 80s hip hop group Whodini for the title of my post. Moreover, I was inspired by the recent move of two people who've grown to become more than my friends. They've become by big brother and big sister (how I fondly refer to them).
The other day, I had an epiphany. It's amazing how we as humans wait until important people in our lives leave (through death, relocation, etc.) to let them know how we truly feel about them.
For me, my friends are an extension of my family. It's not often you find people who you can relate to, know what you're thinking or can finish your sentences. How about the ones who challenge you, inspire you and motivate you? Let's not forget to mention the ones who share your taste in music, cuisine and fashion (or introduce to new experiences).
You know what they say - "There are big ships and small ships. But the best ship of all is friendship." I love all of my ships and look forward to many more adventures to come! :)
The other day, I had an epiphany. It's amazing how we as humans wait until important people in our lives leave (through death, relocation, etc.) to let them know how we truly feel about them.
For me, my friends are an extension of my family. It's not often you find people who you can relate to, know what you're thinking or can finish your sentences. How about the ones who challenge you, inspire you and motivate you? Let's not forget to mention the ones who share your taste in music, cuisine and fashion (or introduce to new experiences).
You know what they say - "There are big ships and small ships. But the best ship of all is friendship." I love all of my ships and look forward to many more adventures to come! :)
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Black Hair: A Deep-Rooted Issue
Actor and comedian Chris Rock made a documentary about it. I wrote my Thesis for graduate school about the topic. But, what recently caught my attention was Allison Samuels and her coverage about it.
Black hair.
I've haven't seen Chris Rock's "Good Hair" , but I plan to see it and am anxious to see what all the critics are talking about. From what I hear from my peers, it's humorous (didn't expect less from this HIGH-larious comedian) and rather informative. My peers (of all ethnicities) said they learned at least a handful of facts from the film.
Today, my sister emailed me a blog post from journalist Allison Samuels, which sparked my attention. In the post, she references an article she wrote about Angelina Jolie and her daughter, Zahara. Specifically, she wrote about Angelina's neglect for the care of Zahara's hair.
As a toddler, young Zahara asked her mother why her hair didn't resemble the hair of her mother's or her other siblings. Whoever said children aren't smart was lying. As young as she is, Zahara knows the difference, and like most children she doesn't have a filter and speaks the truth.
Would little Zahara have asked this question if her hair was combed and maintained properly? Maybe. Clearly, hair textures vary (even among African-Americans). But, the bottom line is how could a woman as rich as she is who has access to various resources have her child's head looking like that?
My sister often jokes you can tell something's wrong in a household when a black child's hair isn't combed. I won't speculate anything is going on in the Jolie-Pitt household. I'm not even trying to judge. I'm merely stating what's real. And what's real is often people of different cultures don't understand how deep-rooted hair is in the African-American community (especially among Black women).
I feel India.Arie in her song, but whether we care to admit it, we are in some way tied to our roots, our hair roots that is. I agree with Allison - we bond with our moms as they take care of our manes and teach us how to do so. We even spend millions of dollars collectively as a country in maintaining it (another story, one of which I wrote my Thesis on - did I mention that earlier?).
I don't think Allison wrote her article to be mean-spirited, but only to educate and inform people about an issue in our community. It's bigger than Zahara's hair. It's about how she views herself now, which will shape her self-esteem and self-image as a teenager and as an adult.
Black hair.
I've haven't seen Chris Rock's "Good Hair" , but I plan to see it and am anxious to see what all the critics are talking about. From what I hear from my peers, it's humorous (didn't expect less from this HIGH-larious comedian) and rather informative. My peers (of all ethnicities) said they learned at least a handful of facts from the film.
Today, my sister emailed me a blog post from journalist Allison Samuels, which sparked my attention. In the post, she references an article she wrote about Angelina Jolie and her daughter, Zahara. Specifically, she wrote about Angelina's neglect for the care of Zahara's hair.
As a toddler, young Zahara asked her mother why her hair didn't resemble the hair of her mother's or her other siblings. Whoever said children aren't smart was lying. As young as she is, Zahara knows the difference, and like most children she doesn't have a filter and speaks the truth.
Would little Zahara have asked this question if her hair was combed and maintained properly? Maybe. Clearly, hair textures vary (even among African-Americans). But, the bottom line is how could a woman as rich as she is who has access to various resources have her child's head looking like that?
My sister often jokes you can tell something's wrong in a household when a black child's hair isn't combed. I won't speculate anything is going on in the Jolie-Pitt household. I'm not even trying to judge. I'm merely stating what's real. And what's real is often people of different cultures don't understand how deep-rooted hair is in the African-American community (especially among Black women).
I feel India.Arie in her song, but whether we care to admit it, we are in some way tied to our roots, our hair roots that is. I agree with Allison - we bond with our moms as they take care of our manes and teach us how to do so. We even spend millions of dollars collectively as a country in maintaining it (another story, one of which I wrote my Thesis on - did I mention that earlier?).
I don't think Allison wrote her article to be mean-spirited, but only to educate and inform people about an issue in our community. It's bigger than Zahara's hair. It's about how she views herself now, which will shape her self-esteem and self-image as a teenager and as an adult.
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Family Really Does Matter!
Last week, I returned home from a fun-filled family reunion in Mississippi. I visited and met family members from my mother's side of the family who I met for the first time and those who I met over the last decade or so at the funerals of other family members. I figured it was about time to see these folks in a less melancholy atmosphere and connect with family members I've never known.
As my 27th birthday approached and has since passed, family takes a new meaning to me. While I was at the reunion forming new bonds with cousins, I couldn't help but reflect on my relationships with members of my immediate family (especially on my mother's side). My father's family, along with my father, reside in Nigeria. An entire world away. So, I thought about the relationships in my family, especially since my grandmother (Big Mama) passed away in 2005. I saw the love shared between my other family members at this festive event and said to myself: Why don't I see more of this in my immediate family? What's lacking? I thought, "These people are really on to something here!"
I could easily sit here and talk about all the things my immediate family is doing wrong, but I won't. To be honest, it's just too disheartening to do so.
But, I'll tell what you what I will do. I will embrace and nurture the relationship ties I have and just made. I will fight the urge to dwell on what I can't change and focus on what really matters!
As my 27th birthday approached and has since passed, family takes a new meaning to me. While I was at the reunion forming new bonds with cousins, I couldn't help but reflect on my relationships with members of my immediate family (especially on my mother's side). My father's family, along with my father, reside in Nigeria. An entire world away. So, I thought about the relationships in my family, especially since my grandmother (Big Mama) passed away in 2005. I saw the love shared between my other family members at this festive event and said to myself: Why don't I see more of this in my immediate family? What's lacking? I thought, "These people are really on to something here!"
I could easily sit here and talk about all the things my immediate family is doing wrong, but I won't. To be honest, it's just too disheartening to do so.
But, I'll tell what you what I will do. I will embrace and nurture the relationship ties I have and just made. I will fight the urge to dwell on what I can't change and focus on what really matters!
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