“I believe there is power in words, power in asserting our existence, our experience, our lives, through words.”
— Jesmyn Ward, The Fire This Time: A New Generation Speaks about Race (2016)
My 2021 Black-Owned Business Round-Up
Today is my favorite day of Kwanzaa because it’s UJAMAA aka Cooperative Economics. Why? Because you can say a lot about me, but one thing you CAN’T say is that I don’t support Black.
In 2020, I determined that I supported 67 Black-owned businesses and I was BIG proud of myself but I knew that I could go harder in 2021. Keep reading to see if I was over/under my 2020 number of 67 businesses supported.
6 Tips for Protecting Your Information Online
If I may cut to the chase…
It’s all fun and games being online until your ish gets hacked.
I’ve been there and it SUCKS. My personal Instagram page was gone from the ‘gram for 3 months and I only had like 2K followers. Let’s just say… it was a long three months! Lol
20+ Black Friday Deals For Service Providers and Creatives
This is not a drill! It’s a great time to invest in your business and I’ve got you covered with the rundown.
From memberships to candles that provide mindset shifts, I got you!!
Lemme know where you’re shopping in the comments and be sure to share this if you found it helpful!
One Year With You
Happy Halloween, family!
I can’t believe I’m saying this, but today is my one-year anniversary! Wow wow WOWWWWWWW.
I’m in awe as I’m typing this because I remember exactly the wide range of feelings I was experiencing last year before I went live. There were so many things going on in life that just felt wrong, but my spirit led me to take a chance on myself and I am SO glad I did.
Don’t Let Them Steal Your Joy
If there’s anything I’ve learned as a Black woman in the US, it’s that our joy will always try to be snatched but we have to fight to keep it. We have to protect our mental by any means necessary. We need to find the good moments in some particularly crappy bouts of days in order to stay sane.
What I've Learned About Grief So Far
I was fine. Nothing was wrong. I was having an incredibly productive day. And that's when it came back.
I did my best to hold back the tears because again, I was having a really good day, but I ultimately surrendered. I'm batting zero against my waves of sadness and I knew I just needed to let it flow. The bad moments will always pass. Even though it really sucks when you're in the thick of it.
Before You Try To Act Like It’s All Good Today, It’s Not + Storm Resources
So while yes, glory to God I am returning to some sense of normalcy and I am okay, we cannot continue to operate in this rush to return “back to business”. Cancel the unnecessary meetings. Let people breathe. That work can wait. Many families, particularly Black and brown, and suffering catastrophic levels of damage that aren’t just a short-term fix. I anticipate insurance companies screwing over people of color when they make claims and many people are displaced. The work is just beginning and it’s time to saddle up and raise hell.
The Diverse Stock Photo Round-Up You’re Looking For
Fun fact about me: Anytime I see a conference I am interested in, the first thing I do is check out the speaker lineup. If I’m not feeling the diversity or lack thereof, I’m not going. Period. There’s no excuse.
Another thing I do as a consumer when I’m reviewing a brand’s social media is to check and see if they have people that look like me (you know, darker skin, fuller features, coily hair, etc). If I have to continuously scroll, I’m not spending my coins, and it’s as simple as that.
35 Quotes That Make Me Proud to Be Black AF
I wanted to be intentional with starting the month off with some positive vibes because last week’s full moon energy had me going crazy (true story). As I began to curate this collection of quotes, I found it to be therapeutic. There is so much foolery happening around us during this pan dulce and I have found myself retreating inward more than I normally do. However, reading these quotes gave me hope and drive. It is my hope that you also find one or a few that jump out to you and you hold onto them. Tweet it, write it down, or put it on your mirror. I write this in love and say “thank you” to the brilliance of our ancestors, legends, and people as a whole.