The Playlist: Funk, Soul, and Body Release
Some anxiety does not need another explanation. It needs a doorway out of the body.
Sometimes anxiety does not leave through thinking. Sometimes it l [...]
The Architecture of Sound & Soul: Celebrating Marlena Shaw This Black Music Month
When we talk about the giants of Black music, certain household names instantly clear the room. But there is a specific, sacred tier of artistry occup [...]
Helen Baylor’s Testimony| I Had a Praying Grandmother
Helen Baylor’s gospel classic “A Praying Grandmother” is more than a personal testimony—it’s a spiritual archive for many Black families. It speaks to [...]
🎵 Tennessee: A Prayer for the Weary Soul
“Lord, I’ve really been real stressed, down and out, losin’ ground…”
Those first words from Arrested Development’s “Tennessee” still feel like pr [...]
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. [...]
When You’re Trained to Consume a Culture but Not Understand It (Amplifying Affirmations for Black Creators)
It isn't that people think that Black art should never be critiqued, but there is undeniable and die-hard racism within the critiques. Further, when m [...]
The Black Performance Genius Behind America’s “Iconic” Jazz Style
I like Bob Fosse too. He was a brilliant dancer and choreographer. But his style is heavily influenced by Black dancers. You can't even put too mu [...]
Inspired by Survivor Viola Davis: You Don’t Need Perfect Weather to Bloom
Some flowers wait for sunshine.Others learn how to grow toward the light
even while clouds remain overhead.
Gratitude to a shining star....Viola Da [...]
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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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 [...]
Vivica A. Fox: A master class in showing up and showing out from her days on Soul Train
Soul Train dancers were not “just dancers.”
They were artists.
People sometimes talk about Soul Train like it was simply a place to party.
But look [...]
Black Music Month, Bay Leaves, and the Pages That Hold Our Stories
Some traditions are loud.
A choir lifting a song.
A drum carrying memory across generations.
A family reunion filled with laughter.
Other trad [...]
Survivor Affirmation: For Patti LaBelle, the Beautiful Assertion
Before the world knew her as Patti LaBelle, she was Patricia Louise Holte, a girl from Philadelphia with a voice that could rise from the church floor [...]
You Have Every Right to Be Beautifully Represented
✦ [SurvivorAffirmations.com] ✦
Dear Survivor,
You have every right to speak your mind about how you are represented.
Your story.Your image.Your s [...]
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 [...]
Your Authentic Voice Belongs In This Season
There is something I’ve noticed across history — and I feel it stirring again.
Whenever those in power get too big, too loud, too controlling…wheneve [...]
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 [...]
8 Lessons for Survivors from the Film Mi Familia
I first saw this film back when walking down the aisles of Blockbuster on Friday nights was hot.
I picked up the case, saw a lot of my favorite acto [...]
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 [...]
7 Ways Listening to Sad Music Can Relieve Sadness (podcast recording)
Podcast Episode Link
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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?Â
Now all those years watching Soul Train and I did not make this connection when MC Hammer, who I a [...]
Growing Up in the 70’s | Black Perspective
Gratitude and appreciation to @Kimbar1313 on Tiktok for reminding us that we can be going through difficult times but creating your own joy. In fa [...]
Survivor Affirmations Inspired by The Joy Luck Club (with audio book)
There’s something sacred about The Joy Luck Club.Not just the story—but the witnessing. The layering. The quiet truths that refuse to stay buried.
Le [...]
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 [...]
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
đź“… Â 1964: During a tour of South Africa, sh [...]
Black Classics Reading List Created by Chelsea Yvonne
In the spirit of Juneteenth, free your mind!Â
These Black literary classics are worth a read or re-read.Â
Gratitude to Chelsea Yv [...]
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 [...]
🌿 You Were Never Meant to Live for Their Applause (w/playlist)
Survivor, I see you.Maybe you’ve been praised for being strong. Maybe you’ve been ignored for being too real.Either way, too many of us were taught th [...]