Tag Archives: #BlackLivesMatter

5 Reasons Black People are So Bomb in 2015

31 Mar

love black 7

Black people, have I told you I loved you lately?

Not a day goes by where I am not enamored by Black people’s all-around excellence. Whether I’m walking down the street, in the grocery store, or scrolling down my Twitter feed, my day is saturated with Black beauty, intellect, humor, activism, and creativity.

So let’s take a look at the top 5 reasons Black people are so bomb in 2015:

1. Black Beauty

Did you all see all the stunning photos from #BlackOutDay last month? Black folks seem to have every damn thing #OnFleek.

Black girls are stepping out with the most beautiful hair styles. The natural hair community is thriving, with baddies wearing faux locs, box braids, Senegalese twists, and afros of all shapes and colors. And the girls with weaves are gorgeous too (don’t get it twisted).

Black Love 2

And I don’t know if it’s because I live in LA, but the Black men I’ve been crossing paths with are hotties.

Black is beautiful—if you haven’t already noticed.

White folks (Ahem, Iggy, Kylie, etc.) would like to know what Black people are drinking to make us so freaking stunning. They’re probably somewhere listening to “The Blacker the Berry” hoping Kendrick left some breadcrumbs to the path to flawlessness.

2. Black Music

To Pimp a Butterfly AWWSpeaking of Kendrick, our artists are killin it (well, some of them). Hip hop fans are still enjoying the newly released To Pimp a Butterfly and entertaining arguments about whether or not Forest Hills Drive was better. Meanwhile, J. Cole’s new “G.O.M.D.” video was pretty fitting for the times, considering our blactivists and allies are fighting back against white supremacy.

Also, did you hear that the Misseducation of Lauryn Hill will be added to the Library of Congress?

The Library of Congress stated that the album is “a work of honesty in which Hill explores her feelings on topics that included the deep wonder of pregnancy, the pitfalls of modern relationships and the experience of the sacred. The album effortlessly fuses soul, rhythm and blues, rap and reggae. Hill’s vocal range, smooth clear highs and vibrato are stunning.”

Anybody want to disagree?

3. Black Humor + Intellect

I have to give a shout out to Black Twitter. Y’all always have me snapping my fingers, laughing my ass off, shouting hallelujah, and gaining serious insights. Black folks online are very good at telling you about yourself and making it hilarious. Just ask the celebrities that were made fun of in #BlackCelebsBeLike. Black Twitter and Black Tumblr  preach so much truth and demand our nation to “do better.” Hashtags like #BlackLivesMatter #BlackCelebsBeLike, #CNNBeLike, #NotJustSAE, #OverwhelmingBlackness and #NotJustUVA bring about necessary conversations.

Exhibit A:

Love Black 4

 

Exhibit B:

Love Black 3

And this jewel had me dying:

 

Love Black

Are your Twitter and Tumblr feeds not poppin like mine? Follow the people I’m following.

Additionally, we have our culture critics and intellectuals holding it down: Marc Lamont Hill, Melissa Harris Perry, Franchesca Ramsey, Jessica R. Williams, just to name a few. The knowledge that comes out of their mouths can and is changing our world.

4. Blactivist Protests
I know you don’t think those #BlackLivesMatter protests are a thing of the past. Nope—activists are still demonstrating, demanding justice, and not taking shit from our nation’s white supremacist mindset. Mainstream media may not be broadcasting it anymore, but we already know from those #CNNBeLike tweets that mainstream news outlets ain’t shit.

It’s been several months after the initial protest in Ferguson and I’m still getting emails and Facebook notifications about upcoming protests and small groups of activist meeting with elected officials. It’s inspiring to see people taking care of business.

5. Black Future
Of course, there is much more Black Excellence to come.

Things I’m looking forward to Black people doing:

  • Toni Morrison’s new novel God Help the Child
  • Brandy playing the role of Roxie Hart in the Broadway show Chicago
  • Michael B. Jordan playing the Human Torch in Fantastic Four
  • Anything Mo’ne Davis has coming out
  • The tons of black 2015 graduates making moves

Black people—you are bombAF.

Your Black Excellence encourages me on a daily basis. Thank you for being so inspirational.

P.S. This article is part of the Top Posts. Check out the Best of A Womyn’s Worth.

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Most Powerful #BlackLivesMatter Protest Moments

11 Dec
As I discussed in the previous post, Why Protesting Matters, the demonstrations across the nations and around the world against the killings of unarmed black men and women have been powerful. And they have not stopped.
So far, people around the world have been shutting down malls, freeways, street blocks, bridges, and many other places, to let our nation know that BLACK LIVES MATTER. Take a look at some of the most inspiring protests so far:
1. Ferguson protesters in Boston shouting “we see you” to inmates in a local jail.
Protest Jail2
2. Protesters in Ferguson protecting local stores from looters
ProtestProtectingStores
3.Wal-mart employees across the nation stage sit-ins on Black Friday
ProtestsWal-Mart
4. Protesters in Ferguson “Die-in” and shut down an entire mall in St. Louis on Black Friday
ProtestDieIn
5. Protesters in New York carry mock caskets for all the black lives lost to racist police
Protest MockCasket
6. #Blackout Black Friday Protesters in the Bay Area shut down Bart
ProtestBart
ProtestBridge
I recently found a newer protest happening this Friday at movie theaters across the nation to boycott the movie Exodus. I’ve discussed the whitewashing of black history and the casting of white characters for black roles in Why I’m Not Giving Hollywood Any More Money. Movies like Exodus show that Hollywood doesn’t give a shit about black people. Our dollars are powerful and shouldn’t support blatantly racist crap like this. So check out this protest:
ProtestExodus
Finally, if you saw any protests that inspired you and did not make my list- drop a note with link in the comments section.

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Why Protesting Matters

5 Dec
Protesting in Los Angeles

Protesting in Los Angeles

Protesting: Because We Can No Longer Remain Silent.

I protested at two demonstrations this week—both regarding the non-indictments of murders of Black men—however I quickly realized that these protests were about so much more:

  • Mass incarceration
  • Hindering our right to vote
  • Militarization of the police
  • Un-livable wages at Wal-mart and countless other billion-dollar companies
  • Racism on the internet
  • The lack of coverage for women of color who are raped, abused, and murdered by police

I’d rather not go on. Though you know I could.

Yet, with all of this injustice going on, I am inspired by the millions of people across the nation and around the world who are protesting. I am inspired by #ShutItDown, #HandsUpWalkOut, #HandsupDontShoot #BlackLivesMatter, and countless others. When I see the photos of demonstrators shutting down the Bart, the Brooklyn Bridge, Wal-mart, and other places, I want to jump out of my seat and join them. So I did. And we will continue—despite the difficulties.

Demonstrations aren’t always easy. People marching the streets are been arrested, threatened, and made examples of by the police. We’ve seen the hostile situation in Ferguson, where police interrupted legal protests with tear gas. We’ve seen around 300 people arrested in Los Angeles in just 2 days. And we’ve seen protesters in DC hit purposely by an angry driver, while police turn their heads and let the driver speed off. Protesting can put your life at risk.

But it is worth it.

Our predecessors marched despite being spit on, attached by police dogs, plowed down with powerful water hoses, bombed, and more. But they marched on. Their cause was worth it, and their fight has been passed down to us.

Every day since the Darren Wilson was let off without so much as a slap on the wrist, we have been protesting. And so far, I’ve seen demonstrations scheduled from now up until January.

We can’t let this movement die. This is on us.

Memorial at USC

Memorial at USC

If this racist system has been in place for more than 100 years, it will take more than a few days of protesting to tear it down. And when it stops trending on social media, we must continue.

So Ignite your inner Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, Malcom X, Angela Davis or whoever your hero might be. Contrary to what I used to believe after watching Chris Paul turn his jersey inside out and play for Donald Sterling, Black people are not cowards—though our celebrities might be. Why are they so silent these days? Where’s a Kanye rant when you need one?

I bet if Beyoncé and Jay-Z called for everyone to boycott Wal-mart until the workers receive reasonable wages, lots of folks would take their buying power elsewhere.

We can’t be silent like our careless famous folks of color. We can’t turn our jerseys inside out and go on with our lives. Business as usual means more police murders walk free while injustice continues.

We’re better than that.

As Desmond Tutu once said:

“If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor.”

P.S. I’ve been asking every protestor and supporter this question: Where do we go from here? Lots of folks are saying we need a monetary boycott. Maybe we need to reclaim the sentiments of the Montgomery Bus Boycott. That was successful because buses were forced to integrate. They couldn’t afford to lose black dollars. So maybe we should be a little more strategic about our buying power.

Tell me…Where do we go from here?

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