Survivor Affirmation: I Appreciate Me for Being Me (featuring poet Steven Willis w Youtube video link)
Affirmation: I speak to myself in the tone I once searched for in others—
gentle, unhurried, faithful to my becoming.
Oh how I love, adore, and a [...]
Artist Jossie Harris Thacker: Building On Where You Come From — Without Going To War With It
Some of us were taught that “healing” means disowning everything that shaped us.
The accent.The neighborhood.The elders.The songs.The faith.The grit. [...]
BLACK GIRLHOOD CAME IN MORE THAN ONE SHADE 🤎
Look back at the Black girls many of us watched growing up.
Kim Fields.
Regina King.
Keshia Knight Pulliam.
Tempestt Bledsoe.
Kellie Sh [...]
Michael Wright Gave Black Audiences Something Hollywood Still Struggles to Give Us
I am genuinely saddened by the passing of actor Michael Wright.
His family has confirmed that Wright died on August 19, 2026, in Los Angeles. He wa [...]
Different Go-Go, Same Refusal to Disappear into Misery
I just discovered something beautiful.
There are two kinds of “GoGo.”
One was born in Washington, DC.
One comes from Tanzania.
And somehow [...]
Soul Train Dancer Tamechi Toney Briggs Influenced A Generation & Created Infamous MC Hammer Pants
I've been screaming! No one was going to tell me?
Now all those years watching Soul Train and I did not make this connection when MC Hammer, who I a [...]
Black Culture is SO Beautiful
Black culture is truly a wonderful vibe. Being Black is a beautiful blessing I wouldn’t trade for anything in the world!
Dear God, thank You for th [...]
12 Facts About Sounds of Blackness and Their Uplifting Song “Optimistic”
updated from 2 1 25
In times of struggle, we lean on music to remind us who we are, where we’ve been, and what we’re capable of. Sounds of Blac [...]
Soul Music Connects to Your Soul and Your Spirit
“Soul music is true to its name. It's music that connects to your soul, your spirit. … when people can emotionally connect with something or it helps [...]
I Don’t Remember a World Before Dolly Parton
I think some artists enter your life so early that you cannot remember becoming a person without them. Their voices get mixed up with childhood itself [...]
Women Are the Source, Not the Punchline
“It is not inclusive to sit silent while people mock the beauty and humanity of women. That is not progress—it is plain old misogyny. The same misogyn [...]
BLACK GIRLS WE GREW UP WITH 📺🤎
Before many of us knew the word “representation,” we knew the feeling.
We knew what it meant to turn on the television and see a Black girl there.
[...]
🌸 Groovy Affirmations: Becoming Beautiful to Myself, for Myself
The more I become myself, the more I become art.
I create my own rhythm of beauty—no mirrors required.
My reflection is a remix of every less [...]
The Healing Hum: A Sound Our Bodies Remember
Before we had language for healing…Before we knew the words nervous system or self-regulation…Many of us grew up in homes where someone hummed us th [...]
India.Arie Sings “I Am Light”: Plus 10 of Her Affirmations
"I Am Light" — India.Arie
The Vibe: A holy, minimalist prayer. Stripped down to just acoustic guitar and vocals, you are not your pieces—you are di [...]
The Harlem Photos That Were Hidden for 40 Years
These photos are evidence of resilience.
In 1970, New York City was officially collapsing. The media called it "Fear City." But while the world saw [...]
Before We Called It Therapy, Black Folks Had the Stage
There is an old kind of healing that many Black Americans know, even if nobody ever gave it a clinical name.
Some of us met it in a church basement [...]
When Being Yourself Is Labeled “Political”: Why some people are punished simply for showing up
Nat King Cole really was attacked on stage during a concert in Birmingham, Alabama, in 1956.
While performing at the Municipal Auditorium in Birmingh [...]
Before the Dress Code Debate: 8 Gentle Questions to Ask Yourself If You Never Feel Like Getting Ready
Some conversations become so loud that we forget to ask the quieter questions.
Recently, there has been discussion surrounding Tuskegee U [...]
Sometimes Integrity Gets You Removed: And That Doesn’t Mean You Were Wrong
🎤 Dusty Springfield was a British singer known for her soulful voice and hit songs in the 1960s. Wikipedia
📅 1964: During a tour of South Africa, sh [...]
Your Voice Is a Lighthouse: Keep Shining Through the Noise (Featuring Amazing Animated Story by BigBoi)
I woke up and encountered this story by BigBoi. Made my morning.
Your story has the power to do that too. Keep living. Keep crafting your storytel [...]
This Is Why I Study Our Art — Deeply, Tenderly, Proudly
There comes a time when I grow beyond saying:
“That’s just old.”
“Just something from back then.”
“Just music, just fashion, just dancing.”
No.
O [...]
🎵 Tennessee: A Prayer for the Weary Soul
I miss the days when there was prayer in hip hop. Vulnerability in hip hop. And baring of the weary sick and tired soul in hip-hop.
“ [...]
When You Stop Feeling Like You Have to Keep Proving Yourself
Lauryn Hill was awarded the BET Icon Award, and some are still saying that she didn't do enough. "It was just one album."
That framing leaves out a l [...]
Remember the Time: Memory Remembers Meaning, Not Calendars
Memory does not keep time the way clocks do.
It keeps impact.
It keeps feeling.
It keeps the moments when something inside us recognized truth befo [...]
What “Find 100 Ways” Teaches Us About Uplifting the People We Love
There are some songs that do not simply play.
They enter the room.
They adjust the light.
They sit beside you with a kind of grown tenderness [...]
7 Ways Listening to Sad Music Can Relieve Sadness (podcast recording)
Podcast Episode Link
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It’s Not About Safety. It’s About How He Used His Body.
Notice how people speak about sacrifices made for art vs. how they speak about sacrifices made for their favorite football or basketball player.....
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Compassion at the Table: Nothing New, This How We Do
Where I am from, when we say DEI, we’re saying:
“You belong here. I see you. I will work so that you can be safe, heard, and fully present.”
I [...]
Selena Quintanilla: 🌿 She Brought Joy to the World. And We Will Not Ignore What Took Her.
Selena Quintanilla carried something extremely rare.
Joy that felt real.Warmth that reached people across language, culture, and place.A presence tha [...]
WE GREW UP WITH THEM 🤎
There's something tender about realizing that some of the Black girls we watched on television aren't girls anymore.
Neither are we.
Kim Fields. [...]
Theme Music Playlist for the Storms
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