A Mess(Age) In A Bottle…Supporting a Fellow Sista!!
Soooo I’m in my local Target (one of many lol) getting my annual #BlackHistoryMonthGear at Target and what do I see as soon as I walk in… Mess In A Bottle !! I’ve been following this sista, Kalilah Wright, on her blog and Instagram since the beginning!! Just super excited about this brand and even more siked to see it in a store like Target. And I appreciate the fact that we are seeing more #BlackOwnedBusinesses in accessible places. I just think about my mom and some of her friends who may not necessarily shop online, but will be in a Target in a heartbeat!! Just having a place where you can drive or take the bus and grab a few items is truly ideal!
Plus, I am all about supporting fashion movements especially when there is a powerful message!
And I cannot forget that the inventory was perfectly placed, you will not miss it…Trust Me!!…Great store placement!!
And I cannot forget that the inventory was perfectly placed, you will not miss it…Trust Me!!…Great store placement!!
Look forward to spending more coins on #MessInABottle and following her success!!
To Be Young Gifted and Black: Finding Black Excellence in “The Hill We Climb”
Sweet Baby Jesus!! Today (and yesterday) we witnessed #BlackExcellence and #Herstory in multiple ways, from the swearing in of Madame Vice President Kamala V. Harris, to the inspiring benediction by Rev. Dr. Silvester Beaman, to the full display of Black fashion (Pyer Moss, Christopher John Rogers, Sergio Hudson), to the powerful and poignant National Youth Poet Laureate Amanda Gorman !! My cup runneth over and I was filled with pure joy and happiness.
However, one moment in particular that stood out for me was witnessing 22-year old Amanda Gorman recite her poem The Hill We Climb on the Capitol steps this morning! Gorman’s poem was more than just words on a paper, but a call to the past, a moment to reflect, a call to action, and a space to inspire. Glowing and shining like the North Star, Gorman stunned audiences with her long yellow coat and crisp white shirt, with a ruby red headband atop her braids … listening to her reminded me of watching Maya Angelou share her poem On the Pulse of Morningat President Bill Clinton’s 1992 inauguration.
“Now we assert: How could catastrophe possibly prevail over us?“
Gorman’s words, poise, and presentation inspired me as a fellow Black woman and it is my hope and prayer that her action and representation inspires not only young girls, but women of all ages to make their voices heard!
National Youth Poet Laureate Amanda Gorman delivering her poem “The Hill We Climb” during the Biden-Harris Inauguration on January 20th, 2021
Everything about this occasion reads dignified, graceful, and refreshing! She had such a natural flow…literally and physically! Gorman’s eloquent moment in so many ways channeled the legacies of Shirley Chisholm, Maya Angelou, Ella Baker, Toni Morrison, and Fannie Lou Hamer!! The foundations they established laid the groundwork for a young Black woman like Amanda Gorman. Ahhhh they would be so proud! The acknowledgement of this moment is essential and should not be forgotten, if anything we should continue to see more moments like this one!
Let me tell you the ancestors are truly smiling today!!
“For there is always light if only we’re brave enough to see it, If only we’re brave enough to be it.“
To see the full video and transcript, please see here!
So let me just start out by saying when I saw the flyer below I immediately felt like a kid in a candy store and they had all of my favorites right at the front door (yeah pretty excited)!! As a Black woman who studies and is a comic book fan this is quite significant and major! Even with the success of the 2018 Black Panther blockbuster (R.I.P. Chadwick Boseman) and I would even add the Dora Milaje and Shuri on the big screen, there is still a need for regular and consistent images in film and television (particularly in the comic book realm). Thus, this (re)introduction of Monica Rambeau into the WandaVision series on Disney+ is a major move!! Monica Rambeau is a force to be reckoned with in the comic book universe (at one point she helmed the title of Captain Marvel)!! And the fact that actress Teyonah Parris is in the role gave it extra cool points!! Glad to see that she is getting some just due as an actress, Ms. Parris got talent!
As you will see throughout my posts, I am very much an advocate for more diverse representation of Black women within the comic book medium. It is crucial that comics display a continuous diversity of characters!! Little Black girls and boys should not have to wait until they are adults before they see someone that looks like them within pop culture (and honestly society as a whole).
Now even in my excitement with everything about the series, I do have my reservations as I am hoping that Rambeau’s character (in particular) will not be surface-level and that she will have a long-lasting impact!! There is SO much potential and SO many opportunities with this character…
WandaVision premieres its first two episodes on today January 15th via Disney+!!
~Dr. G.
Teyonah Parris as Monica Rambeau in the new “WandaVision” on Disney+
Black Future Feminist 