This is the scene I woke up to on my 33rd birthday: A simple, elegant, vibrant daisy brilliantly and naturally lit by the morning sun.
Tag Archives: health
A cautionary tale: Be a responsible steward.
1 Oct“When we are stressed our emotions and thoughts becomes unhinged and we say things we don’t mean.”- A friend of mine said this recently and it stuck with me.
Of course we strive for the kind of inner peace that is unshakable in the face of all chaos. We should exert similar effort to find sanctuary in our daily lives.
The reality is, we’re human and no one, certainly not life, is perfect. I don’t bother feeling guilty about not being perfectly at peace or in a sanctuary all the time. We have to be on the lookout for when we’re about to, (or just did) say something we didn’t mean, or allow chaos to develop around us.
This weekend began with a wonderful sunset view on the beach Friday evening. That night, a foul smell crept over the house. The search for the source was fruitless. Saturday morning the origin was identified: The neighbor’s cat had made its way into the basement. Didn’t make its way out.
A no-show animal disposal appointment, wrinkled noses and several scented candles later, it was time to face the funk. Literally. Then began the 3-phased chaos of the day.
Phase I:
POG* and I donned shower caps, hoodies, jeans and tennis shoes, and makeshift gas masks: For him a t-shirt, for me a heavily-perfumed wrap. Armed with prayer, multiple trash bags, fly spray, prayer, a shovel, bucket, broom, dustpan, bleach, prayer, and disinfecting spray, we descended into the pit of despair. In prayer.
Phase II:
Let’s just say it was more disgusting than any zombie movie ever was or will be.
Ever.
Compounded by olfactory and visual assault, communication was a mess at best: Keeping our eyes on the prize and hands on the tools, we were limited to verbal communication through mufflers. We sounded very much like I’d imagine an emergency medic unit would sound in the field. All urgent, barking, instructional and cooperative at once.
Phase III:
Several generous pours and sprays of bleach and aggravating scrubs with the broom later, we had effectively turned the basement into a toxic filth vapor bomb. At one point, as he swept the runoff toward the sump hole, creating a spatter-pattern only a detective could love, I urged him to aim carefully. His response?
“My eyes are closed!!!”
Yep. Bleach pouring in confined spaces. It’s funny in retrospect but at the time…
Phase IV:
On the final wash, things are looking cleaner… Until I saw my shiny clean red bucket in the middle of wet floor. And picked it up and placed it on one of his storage boxes. New filth entered, in the form of verbal sniping.
I called time-out immediately. For once, we opted out of the hug-it-out remedy since I couldn’t fathom burying my face in his animal disposal costume.
After some deep breaths of fresh air and a game-plan adjustment, we had to laugh over how easily we dealt with wartime ugliness, thankful we could see it for what it was.
Too often though, what’s rotten isn’t sitting there for you to smell, find and cleanup in an hour with some handy household tools. Too often, working together to purge filth feels bad, and can appear to be working against each other. Too often something can be said that isn’t really meant, and offense will run high, hurt deep.
Had funkiness and sarcasm-laden comments been a regular part of home we wouldn’t have known anything was wrong.
We are the stewards of our physical lives, our bodies, our space. We have to be responsible owners and take regular inventory not only to maintain order and health, but especially so we’ll know when something is out of order.
When we wait until something has become painful, infected, angry, foul or spoiled we’ve neglected our responsibility far too long. That neglect is a sign of imbalance and in some cases, can cause irreparable damage to our relationships, our person, or our property.
Physical neglect is both a symptom and cause of mental and spiritual clutter. Not a pretty cycle.
Remember to take care of what you’ve been given: Your body, your health, your home, possessions, relationships. Be vigilant, and when you find yourself neglecting these things take a minute to figure out what’s pulling you from them and refocus.
Grody as it was, I’m thankful for the stark reminder. Commence attic-to-basement physical and spiritual cleansing spree.
*POG stands for Powerful Man Of God, my love-nugget and best friend (the M is silent.)
Mortality and awakening
9 JulLast month, my best friend, the love of my life who is a really healthy, active, sensible eater and non-drinker, ended up in the hospital unexpectedly with a condition that usually causes sudden death, and is usually brought on by a sedentary lifestyle, obesity, and a host of other things.
None of which apply. He is a walking anomaly, exception, strange case.
This weekend Kyle Glover, an 11-year-old boy suffered a traumatic accident and is fighting for his laugh, having been declared brain dead.
Life is lost and given unexpectedly enough for us to understand: No earthly thing is promised.
Confronting mortality brings a powerful sense of perspective into your life.
All of a sudden, you are forced to realize when it comes down to life or death, nothing matters but you and God.
The following five statements are excerpted from an article about the top five regrets of patients living out their last days.
1. I wish I’d had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.
2. I wish I hadn’t worked so hard.
3. I wish I’d had the courage to express my feelings.
4. I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends.
5. I wish that I had let myself be happier.
Read more about the top 5 regrets.
For many of us, in this moment, we aren’t on our deathbed. We are alive and free, healthy and roaming. Don’t wait for a death scare to hit you or a loved one to awaken you.
Take a minute.
You never know what you’ll be faced with, but you can choose to let it strengthen you, re-center you.
Like these inspiring ladies:
Over the weekend, the Williams sisters have once again made history.
“Returning to the tennis court wasn’t easy for Serena who suffered a two year tennis drought after winning the Wimbledon in 2010. That same year… She underwent an emergency surgery for blood clots found in her lungs…
‘…I just wanted to make it out of the hospital. And I wasn’t even thinking about tennis. I was just thinking about my family, and thinking about just making it out of that moment. That’s when you realize you have perspectives about life… Ultimately, I’m the one out there and I make my own destiny.’”
Read more: Serena Williams Overcomes Adversity To Take Home 5th Wimbledon Trophy
Be inspired.
Be encouraged.
Every minute you’re alive is a chance to get it right.
Expressing yourself in style: Part II
9 JulIn the same way what we say matters, how we look matters.
Both are outward reflections of spirit.
Our aesthetic goal should be to focus on looking good, meaning: Healthy, well-groomed, appropriate, intentional, comfortable, and expressively, uniquely, you. That’s really all a sense of style is: Being intentionally, comfortably, expressively, and uniquely you.
Of course, style is yours to uncover. Some of us like a sporty look, others professional, still others very formal and others edgy.
This style series is meant to encourage you, both by dispelling the myth that style and self-care are shallow or irrelevant concerns, and by demonstrating looking good doesn’t have to an obsessively overwhelming concern.
So you have a sense of style. Or don’t (we’ll explore more later). But you’re open to discovering new things and enhancing the old.
Wonderful!
Except, that can be tricky if you don’t know how to deal with certain challenges and aren’t too keen on exploring the fun of fashion trial and error fun during your adult years. Not for the faint of heart.
Below are a few stylish tips I’ve learned over the years that help you look good just about anytime. Remember, looking good is: Healthy, well-groomed, appropriate, intentional, comfortable, and expressively, uniquely, you.
Hair: It’s tough to look intentional, comfortable and well-groomed when it seems you’ve been wrestling with bears and blow-dryers all morning. Going from the gym to the boardroom is very much a matter of the right hairstyle. Essentially, if you can find a style that doesn’t war with your natural hair texture and develop a functional relationship with it, you’re on the right track.
I embraced my curls, and my naturally kinky texture because I realized with a really tight curl, you can dance, exercise, sleep, toss, get windblown all you want and still look like you styled your hair that morning… Why turn back?
The key to my tight curls is the wet set. I’ve tried this on all hair types and races: Every single hair type responds to the wet set. The size of roller dictates the size of curl you’ll have, until hair is wet again. Choose carefully.
Fans: Nothing says health-alert, frazzled and out of control like pouring sweat. These are such a wonderful, classic, feminine way to keep cool at all times.
I’m rarely without one.
They’re quiet and small enough to use in a meeting, in church, at a movie, on a date.
And they’re so inexpensive! Most Asian grocers sell them, and if you buy sandalwood material they have a lovely scent. Spray your favorite perfume on others and enjoy a heavenly breeze whenever you want.
Wraps: It’s hard to look appropriate and be taken seriously when your neckline looks like a Hooters ad.
Take away the fuss of adjusting and self-checking with a wrap. Most wraps are 5-6 feet long and 2 to 3 feet wide. They often have fringe on the ends and come in a wide variety of colours, prints, and textures. Most urban garment districts sell them in bulk very inexpensively so I buy different colors and wear 2 or 3 at a time. Wear them with any and everything: a dress, tank top and jeans, suit.
You never have to worry about exposing more than you planned with one of these nearby.
And they’re all-weather: For warmth, wear wools or knits, or go sheer and light to stay cool and covered.
Mini-dresses: It’s always awkwardly inappropriate and uncomfortable to flash your legs and etc. at some innocent victim. There are places for short hemlines. And more often, not. You can wear a mini-dress anywhere appropriately by simply wearing a longer skirt layered underneath. Choose a complementary/matching color and be mindful the skirt beneath has a smooth waist. Adding a belt perfects the look. (No photos for the short skirt fix.)
Hats: Grooming isn’t always fail-proof, and whether your hair looks perfect or not, hats are an expressive way to top off a look. Disheveled hair, squinting eyes and peeling skin are not signs of inner peace. You can shield your lovely skin and eyes from the sun, and if needed, make an imperfect hairstyle look intentional. Wearing a festive fedora, beret, cowboy hat or sunhat works in every casual setting.
Hats can also eliminate worry about your style coming undone when you’ll be dealing with extreme weather.
Well-groomed: Finally, these two beauty products should be a staple for anyone who likes to appear put-together. More than a decade of trial and error doesn’t lie:
Smudge-proof, waterproof, self-sharpening eyeliner. Is there any more treacherous part of makeup than eyeliner? I don’t wear much else daily at all. No need to worry about racoon-eyes, smudges, or broken lines with these guys.
Having tried M.A.C, Chanel, Lancome, Smashbox, and more, I swear by Maybelline or Revlon for staying power: The photo below was taken in humid Jamaica, after sleeping through the night with eyeliner on.
More quick tips for hair, etc.
Expressing yourself in style
6 JulDon’t believe the lie that looks don’t matter. They do. People, art, fashion, natural wonders… Aesthetics, the way we look matters. Appearance is a powerful and meaningful tool you should master and wield responsibly.
But.
Don’t believe the lie that when it comes to looks, a specific standard of beauty matters. It doesn’t. There is none. Looking good is about looking healthy, well-groomed, appropriate, intentional, comfortable, and expressively, uniquely, you.
We have to take responsibility for how we look.
It’s important to hold ourselves responsible not only for the maintenance, development, growth, use and impact of our spirit and mind, but also for our physical appearance… In all arenas.
Think about it.
As adults, we’ve all developed (or are working to develop) social skills that allow us to function seamlessly in the different spaces of our life with different people: Family, friends, work, home, events, church, courtroom, grocery store, meetings, hospitals, etc.
Our appearance in each of those spaces matters just as much as the way we communicate and carry ourselves.
We would dress and behave completely differently at a festival than we would at a funeral. I’d hope.
So.
Having acknowledged the importance of appearance, today we deal with a myth:
The myth: The idea that we ladies can’t be both well-groomed and grounded, fun and well-coiffed, alluring and appropriate, active and poised.
Below are some pictures of yours truly in completely different places and outfits embracing looking healthy, well-groomed, appropriate, intentional, comfortable, and expressively, uniquely, me.
What I wear is a window into my spirit. For now, it’s very modern pinup: that means red lacquered nails, big curly hair, dramatic eyeliner, and a feminine, alluring, classic wardrobe full of wraps, color and interesting accessories. During my early teen years it was pretty dark: Black, baggy clothing, dark red nail polish and lipstick. In college it was Afro-chic. Maybe when I get older there will be a buzz-cut, boots and lace involved. Who knows?
At an amusement park
On a dinner cruise
On a wine tasting trip
Um. In a tree. (Camping trip)
Red nails, big hair.
Now… My lifestyle is that of an executive, worshiper, dancer, housekeeper, artist and cook. Regardless of what I’ve got on, I spend a whole lotta time every week working, crying, sweating, hair-whipping, messiness, and washing.
And, I refuse to spend a ton of time primping.
That means a glam look with a lotta not-so glam activities, and very little time to worry.
Note: Worry, like shame, guilt and regret is both worthless and wildly expensive.
Avoid at all costs.
Over the years I’ve uncovered simple ways to mesh personal style with lifestyle, maintaining comfort and poise.
The key is to remember that whether you like it or not, the way you look is expressive. It says something. So be intentional. You think before you speak, right? If not, you should consider it.
Take care of your health because you love you. Display that care wisely and lovingly. Put together your outfits like you’re creating a still life or arranging a centerpiece on a table: From head to toe, hair to nails it should be clear you care about you.
Honestly, not all of us do care. We may workout and eat right but hate the idea of makeup or heels. No matter how we choose to express ourselves stylistically, we still have to own the fact that we are sending a message with our appearance.
More to come.
Birthday brunch
Faith- Song lyrics
27 JunPain:
A sweet and oily ominous warning.
Trust:
Abandon, all surrendering, nothing knowing.
Blood:
Poisonous, precious, life and death,
Slow coursing, cycling,
Pure and light-filled.
Love.
Of all these, love.
Love.
Touch of skin warm with life,
Laughter floating formed in strife,
Ever failing ever ripe,
Deeper, deeper, deeper, still.
Deeper, deeper, deeper, still.
Love.
Of all these, love,
Love.
Gaze at you lit with life,
Tears outpouring, all is right,
Always living all ways life,
Higher, higher, higher, still.
Higher, higher, higher, still.
Trust
Abandon all-surrendering, nothing knowing.
Love.
Of all these, love,
Love.
Written June 16, 2012
By Tina Watkins
Nothing really matters…
21 JunSomehow, I found a man way better than I ever dreamed and fell in love with him. He fell in love with me, thank goodness or that would have been awkward. Since a few months before we realized we were head-over heels for each other, our friends, family, and random strangers have commented regularly on how powerful our display of love and appreciation for one another is.
We’re both open, cheesy, sappy romantics, and are best friends to boot. We are far, far from perfect but even our worst moments have been miraculously love-filled, love-deepening experiences.
I think the world of this man. He is incredibly handsome, sweet, brilliant, caring, talented, powerful, God-fearing, communicative, intuitive, loyal, strong, successful, and downright hilarious.
It is common to find me staring at him with that goopy-eyed mess reserved for cartoons with hearts reverberating from the character’s eyes.
On top of generally having a deep appreciation for who he is as a man, friend, artist, and spirit, I’ve been very intentional about demonstrating my appreciation for every big and little thing he does. I take special care to show appreciation for being open about the bad times.
I’ve showered this man with the (second-) deepest love and affection I could muster, from supporting and encouraging his spiritual walk, career, relationships, and personal development, to feeding every plane of his existence.
Our relationship has been the journey of a lifetime and it’s still only a toddler.
There’s nothing like a wake-up call to add a little perspective.
I realized recently that in spite of all that, I had been taking him for granted.
Not in the obvious, shallow sense. It was much more simple and profound. The reality simply never sunk in that one day he won’t be around. Not that we might break up or that we might have to make it work long distance. Not alive.
The realization and acceptance of mortality is the most effective reminder of what it means to truly appreciate someone.
I found myself moved to tears by the warmth of the skin covering his hand as I held it. The simple awareness that as I gazed on him sleeping peacefully, he was alive, his mind and heart fully functioning. The open joy of hearing him snore and knowing it means he’s breathing deeply.
It’s a scary feeling to look into the eyes of the person you depend on and find they are incapable of finding yours. Every glance after that is a love story.
Thankfully, along with the basic indicators of vitality we can also still enjoy the many other wonders that make our life together so joyous and purposeful.
Still, I pray I never forget that feeling, of knowing the ocean only runs so deep, of touching the bottom of the ocean floor, and knowing it can’t be danced upon.
I pray that forever, I weigh the importance of my choices against the value of life.
I guess, because it’s so hard, it makes stuff really easy.
Not much matters.
Maybe that’s why children and older folks are so carefree and intentional all at once. The beginning and ending of life is free of distraction from what’s most important.
What are you taking for granted?
What have you not acknowledged as impermanent?
What would you revel in with that realization?
When it all falls away: the importance of a firm foundation
7 JunThey say a man’s true character is tested when he has everything. The true quality of a man’s spirit shines when he has nothing.
What do you depend on in life, and from where do you draw strength, peace and clarity? When it all falls away… When you’re alone with nothing you discover true power: in the truth that you always have everything, and are never alone.
When it all falls away… The foundation of your life is exposed. When that foundation is firm, strong, unshakeable you can revel in its wondrous beauty, humbled, affirmed, awestruck… Overjoyed.
On Health: Be the best-looking you, ever.
8 MayRecently there’s been a flurry of activity about a health-related article posted in the New York Times. As I watch people I love struggle with their health and looks daily, sometimes winning and other times losing, I couldn’t be a silent onlooker.
At 32, I’m a healthy, active black woman at peace with who I am yet constantly striving to be a better me. As for my looks, Pog* once said: “The hilarious thing is, you’re awesome enough that even if you looked like a troll I’d be head-over-heels in love with you… But then, you’re hot enough that even if you acted like a troll I’d let it ride. And you’re BOTH! I win.”
That’s a bit much isn’t it. Suffice to say, he is attracted the God in my spirit, not the good of my looks.
You’ve heard it before and it’s true: Beauty is within. It’s you, wrapped in and radiating love for yourself and everyone around you, trusting you’re divinely loved and protected.
I’m very particular about how I write, sing, dance because what we share in our art is spiritually relevant. That’s why songs get us revved up or nostalgic, why certain colors and art pieces have different effects on our mood, why reading an angry letter or loving words makes an impact.
Today I’m shining light on two writers who paint true beauty perfectly and make me smile inside. Stevie Wonder’s, Ebony Eyes and Maya Angelou’s, Phenomenal Woman.
She’s a Miss Beautiful Supreme
A girl that others wish that they could be
If there’s seven wonders of the world
Then I know she’s gotta be number one
She’s a girl that can’t be beat
Born and raised on ghetto streets
She’s a devastating beauty
A pretty girl with ebony eyes
She’s the sunflower of nature’s seeds
A girl that some men only find in their dreams
When she smiles it seems the stars all know
Cause one by one they start to light up the sky
She’s a girl that can’t be beat
Born and raised on ghetto streets
She’s a devastating beauty
A pretty girl with ebony eyes
When she starts talking soft and sweet
Like birds of spring her words all seem to sing
With a rhythm that is made of love
And the happiness that she only brings
She’s a girl that can’t be beat
Born and raised on ghetto streets
She’s a devastating beauty
A pretty girl with ebony eyes
Pretty women wonder where my secret lies.
I’m not cute or built to suit a fashion model’s size
But when I start to tell them,
They think I’m telling lies.
I say,
It’s in the reach of my arms
The span of my hips,
The stride of my step,
The curl of my lips.
I’m a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That’s me.
I walk into a room
Just as cool as you please,
And to a man,
The fellows stand or
Fall down on their knees.
Then they swarm around me,
A hive of honey bees.
I say,
It’s the fire in my eyes,
And the flash of my teeth,
The swing in my waist,
And the joy in my feet.
I’m a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That’s me.
Men themselves have wondered
What they see in me.
They try so much
But they can’t touch
My inner mystery.
When I try to show them
They say they still can’t see.
I say,
It’s in the arch of my back,
The sun of my smile,
The ride of my breasts,
The grace of my style.
I’m a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That’s me.
Now you understand
Just why my head’s not bowed.
I don’t shout or jump about
Or have to talk real loud.
When you see me passing
It ought to make you proud.
I say,
It’s in the click of my heels,
The bend of my hair,
the palm of my hand,
The need of my care,
‘Cause I’m a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That’s me.
We’re not really caring for ourselves if we exercise and diet to get a six-pack, fit a dress, or stretch a t-shirt. We’re caring for ourselves when everything we eat, drink, think, and do shows we love ourselves so divinely we’re overflowing with it.
No matter what you look like, you are absolutely stunning just as you are in this moment. Right now, you are at your very best. Smile with that truth, and shine in it!
*Pog is a Powerful Man of God. The m is appropriately silent. 
Flowers are beautiful because they’re alive, they’re fruitful and perfect just the way they are.
Today, every day, honor this spirit of beauty within, for yourself and others around you.
On weight loss: Winning spiritual battles and conquering the physical
7 MayA friend, leader, father, artist, son, and grandfather, Willie Middlebrook, passed away this weekend after health complications following the onset of a stroke some time ago. As we mourn the loss of our friend and celebrate the peace of his homecoming, I can’t help but reflect on health and mortality.
Today in a fitness group I’m part of, a dear friend shared Black Women and Fat, an article written by Alice Randall on Cinco de Mayo, making me think of another dear friend who’s a wellness practitioner, mother, wife, and slim and healthy black woman. I read the article, thoughts swirling in agreement, disagreement and concern.
In the article, Randall writes: “FOUR out of five black women are seriously overweight. One out of four middle-aged black women has diabetes. With $174 billion a year spent on diabetes-related illness in America and obesity quickly overtaking smoking as a cause of cancer deaths, it is past time to try something new.”
I can’t oversimplify this.
Do
Not
Trust
Statistics.
No study covers every single case, and broad-based research is well-funded because that investment is tied in to economic gain.
How often is food policy set according to CDC statistics and what kind of influence is wielded by pharmaceutical companies and multinational corporations with profit attached to said policies ?
The article continues: “What we need is a body-culture revolution in black America. Why? Because too many experts who are involved in the discussion of obesity don’t understand something crucial about black women and fat: many black women are fat because we want to be.”
There are exceptions to every rule but it’s a dangerous generalization to say anyone is fat because they want to be. The article seems to be intentionally blurry about clinical obesity and size. Curvy, proportionate, and feminine are very different ideals than rotund, obese, and unhealthy. This ideal isn’t limited to one culture: The Venus di Milo, and Marilyn Monroe are some of the world’s most celebrated icons of feminine beauty.
I agree completely that we do need a body-culture revolution, but we are remiss if we limit it to one race or culture. The question of American health has to be tied into the question of capitalism and greed if we want to talk about why American citizens are the fattest people on the planet.
Further supporting the idea that culture and obesity are linked, Randall writes: “The black poet Lucille Clifton’s 1987 poem “Homage to My Hips” begins with the boast, ‘These hips are big hips.’ She establishes big black hips as something a woman would want to have and a man would desire.”
The female form has long been used as a symbol of fruitfulness, of political power and human strength in art and literature ranging from holy texts to sculpture. Limiting the discussion to one race, one gender, one body type, one sexuality, blurs the real issue.
Weight and health isn’t about attractiveness to men, sex, or culture. It’s about self-love, which comes from the highest love of all. Greed, gluttony, sickness and hate can’t survive in a world fueled by it, and improving spiritual health is way more effective than buying a treadmill.
Indeed, the metaphor in Clifton’s poem is about these larger issues of freedom, and power, not about the body or lust. Even the structure of the poem is open and free, underscoring the idea of breaking constraints, of being unbound, released. Clifton’s poem goes on:
they need space to
move around in.
they don’t fit into little
petty places. these hips
are free hips.
they don’t like to be held back.
these hips have never been enslaved
In another well-known poem about the power of femininity, Phenomenal Woman, Maya Angelou weaves the grace and beauty of the female form around the language of spiritual confidence, power, love and joy, simultaneously asking and answering the question of what true beauty is.
The poem begins with a brilliant juxtaposition of physical and spiritual, showing that life is what makes a woman beautiful, not appearance.
Pretty women wonder where my secret lies.
I’m not cute or built to suit a fashion model’s size
But when I start to tell them,
They think I’m telling lies.
I say,
It’s in the reach of my arms
The span of my hips,
The stride of my step,
The curl of my lips.
I’m a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That’s me.
The last stanza of the poem drives home her point, that the power of womanhood is the light of God shining within.
Now you understand
Just why my head’s not bowed.
I don’t shout or jump about
Or have to talk real loud.
When you see me passing
It ought to make you proud.
I say,
It’s in the click of my heels,
The bend of my hair,
the palm of my hand,
The need of my care,
‘Cause I’m a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That’s me.
Randall’s article consistently underscores the need for a health revolution: “WE have to change. Black women especially.”
Again, I agree. We do need to change, beginning with embracing the best version of ourselves and being intentional about changing the dialogue about race, humanity and spirituality. Every article, study, newscast, conversation and movie we have that talks about black people being sick, fat, lazy, stupid, broke, angry, ugly, or apathetic contributes to a false narrative.
While it’s important to acknowledge where work needs to be done, and to celebrate when we begin that difficult work, it’s important to make sure we don’t perpetuate that false narrative.
Often, it’s our silence that empowers lies. Our voices have to be used to communicate truth, our power to light the way.
Black people are the origin of humanity, life. Our history proves we are incredibly resilient, talented, brilliant, beautiful, athletic people overflowing with love for God and for mankind.
Black people, women, are not alone in that: That is the history of humankind.
How can we honor and celebrate humanity as a reflection of the divine by condemning ourselves with anything other than the truth of our divinity, our phenomenal-ness?
Shouldn’t a physical revolution be ignited by a spiritual one?
