Change
Change is all around us. The weather changes. The seasons change. Time changes. People change. Life happens all around us, yet many of us struggle with change. Change is a constant. Embrace it. Do something new. Cut your hair. Try that new restaurant. Take the scenic route to work. Change is good for the soul. Sometimes, change is the very thing we need.
For Your Consideration
On the last day of Black History Month, I want to bring to light why representation matters in all forms of art, especially film. It's award season. The Academy Awards has come under scrutiny because of the #oscarssowhite controversy and the Moonlight mix up last year. For Your Consideration is a heading frequently used in advertisements in entertainment trade publications such as Variety, Backstage, and The Hollywood Reporter. They are directed towards members of awards voting groups in the entertainment industry, like the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences that annually presents the Academy Awards celebrating the best in motion pictures, or the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences which presents the Primetime Emmy Awards for television.
For Your Consideration:
- In 2012, The Times reported that Oscar voters were 94% white and 77% male. Four years later, the academy has made scant progress: Oscar voters are 91% white and 76% male, according to a new Times study. Blacks are about 3% of the academy, up from 2%; Asians and Latinos are each just over 2%, with both groups up slightly.
- The executive branch, which finances the movies and determines what films warrant an awards campaign, is 98% white. The public relations branch, which strategizes those awards campaigns, is 95% white.
- Jordan Peele is just the fifth black director nominated for the award, a distinguished group that includes John Singleton for 1991’s “Boyz n the Hood,” Lee Daniels for 2009’s “Precious,” Steve McQueen for 2013’s “12 Years a Slave” and Barry Jenkins for last year’s best-picture winner, “Moonlight.”
- No female black directors – no, not even Ava DuVernay or Dee Rees – have ever been nominated for a directing Oscar.
In a unanimous vote on 1/21/16, the Board of Governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences approved a sweeping series of substantive changes designed to make the Academy’s membership, its governing bodies, and its voting members significantly more diverse. The Board’s goal is to commit to doubling the number of women and diverse members of the Academy by 2020.
http://www.vulture.com/2018/02/how-new-oscar-voters-are-changing-the-way-the-academy-thinks.html
Black Power
The term "Black Power" was popularized by Stokely Carmichael and Willie Ricks during a speech in 1966. However, Richard Wright's book entitled Black Power was published in 1954. Since then, there have been several terms that celebrate Black Empowerment, (#BlackGirlMagic, #BlackGirlsRock, #BlackLivesMatter, #BlackisBeautiful, #ImBlackandImProud, #BlackPride, #BlackExcellence). All of these terms resonate within the Black community.
I finally saw Black Panther. I posed with my fist in the air next to signage. I dressed in all black. I encouraged my daughters, mother, and mother in law to do the same. We posed with our stuffed T'Challa beaming with pride. Representation matters. Gianna and Jai'Lynn will remember that three generations of their family went to see Black Panther on a school night. They will remember the Dora Milaje. They will remember the pretty little girl in the bathroom with dashiki. They will remember Shuri, the STEM genius.
Black Power is about representation in the global marketplace. It is about economic, social, and political empowerment. It is about positive media representation. It is about reclaiming our time, our talents, and our heritage.
Affirm
Happy Valentine's Day! For many, this is a day to affirm the love and affection they share with a loved one. For others, this is a day to affirm their love and affection towards themselves. Whether you are single or in a relationship, take the time to affirm yourself. You are beautiful. You are handsome. You are worthy. You are loved. You are gifted. You are driven. You deserve love. You deserve the best. Celebrate you. You are fearfully and wonderfully made. You are God's unique design. Love every part of you. Affirm you.
Power
A friend of mine asked me, what's your superpower? I'm a Marvel fan. So, my mind immediately started thinking of all my favorite superheroes. I'm not an Inhuman. I am not genetically engineered. I didn't have any freak accident that bestowed me with any superhuman abilities. I'm not a billionaire with an iron suit. I'm just me, and you are just you, but we do have power. Power by definition is the ability to do something in a particular way. It is the capacity to direct or influence the behavior of others. Power is a ripple in a pond. Power is a kind word. Power is a hug. Power is a word of encouragement. Power is a prayer. Power is a gesture. Power is an action. You have superpowers. Are you using them for good?
Below is a link to custom superpower tees:
https://squareup.com/store/totally-unique-tees
Words
I've always had a love affair with words. I started writing poetry in elementary school and eventually found myself reciting poems at spoken word venues in New Orleans and Atlanta. I loved to write, to listen, and to hear words. I learned that my words had power. I learned that I could speak and people would listen. I could write and people would read. I learned that my words had weight. I learned that I could inflict pain with my words. I could inspire with my words. I could condemn with my words. Proverbs says, "death and life are in the power of the tongue." Are you speaking life or are you speaking death? Use your words. They have power.
I’ve been in love with these words for some time
learned how to make them mine
and not get caught up in titles, cause they never really define
what’s between the lines
I learned that time heals all wounds
And hurt don’t heal soon,
So, I’m taking my time
When it comes to composing our rhyme scheme
Finding out what maturity means
Cause I’ve seen
what life is like without me and these words
without me and these verbs
without me being heard
clearly, its bigger than me
I stopped writing poetry
When it started writing me
Defining me, literally
putting my mind’s imagery
into stanzas and verses I’ve only heard mentally
It’s like my heart got a pen
And it won’t stop writing
These words ….
-Khia Stone
Noble
When I was a child, I couldn't wait to grow up. I wanted to be in charge. I didn't want anyone to tell me what to do. I was just like Simba, in the Lion King, singing, "I just can't wait to be king." I just knew that being an adult was going to be awesome. I did not see all the responsibility that came along with being an adult, only the benefits. I did not see the long hours or the overtime. I didn't see the budgeting and the planning. I didn't get it. The same can be said for most of us. We see things we want and are completely oblivious to what it takes to attain them. We see people's success and are clueless about their struggle. It's easy to admire someone's crown when you don't know their journey to it.
"Uneasy lies the head that wears the crown"- Shakespeare