Tag: Day 7

Posted in A Professor's Thoughts..., Black Joy, Celebration, Holiday Celebration!!

Habari Gani?! It’s Kwanzaa Time-Day 7: Imani!!

Posted on by drblackfuturefeminist

Habari Gani, my friends?? What’s the good news?!

Today is the final day of Kwanzaa and my FAVORITE principle, Imani (Faith)!! Through Imani, we “believe with all our heart in our people, our parents, our teachers, our leaders and the righteousness and victory of our struggle.“

As a spiritual person, this principle hits really close to home for me as I am always trying to maintain my faith!! While it may not be easy, faith – especially during difficult and trying times – brings us closer to making our dreams a reality.

Photo by Monstera Production on Pexels.com

When I look back at this week of celebration, I realize none of the other 6 principles would be able to come to fruition without that mustard seed of faith!! Just think about it in order to have cooperative economics, we must have faith in the businesses that we support. To have purpose, we must have faith that we are here for a reason. It is essential that we have faith in ourselves, our leaders, teachers, parents, and in the victory of our struggle. As a free, proud, and productive people, we can do ALL things with just a little bit of faith.

“Faith is put forth as the last principle as unity is put forth as the first principle for a definite reason. It is to indicate that without unity, we cannot begin our most important work, but without faith we cannot sustain it. Unity brings us together and harnesses our strength, but faith in each other and the Good, the Right, the Beautiful inspires and sustains the coming together and the commitment to take the work to its end.“

Allow yourself to let go of any worry and trust in your Black excellence!! Never lose faith in yourself and our community. Be proud of who you are and the community you live in!!

“Keep your dreams alive. Understand to achieve anything requires faith and belief in yourself, vision, hard work, determination, and dedication. Remember all things are possible for those who believe.” ~Gail Devers

Until next year, while Kwanzaa is celebrated from December 26th-January 1st know that you can practice any and all of these principles year around! Remember Kwanzaa is a celebration of culture, community, and family!

Harambe and Happy New Year!!

Posted in Celebration, Resources

#30DaysofBlackJoy…Day 7-“Joyful Black Spaces”…Black Spaces That Bring Me Joy!! – HBCUs

Posted on by drblackfuturefeminist

Wednesdays will be dedicated to “Joyful Black Spaces” and will be highlighted by guest blogger Lauren N. Jackson. Lauren serves as the Director of First and Second Year Experiences at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), and is the founder of three initiatives to support Black women and girls; “Black Girls Study,” “Leadership Development for Women of Color,” and the “LeadHERs Mentoring Program.” Lauren is also currently pursuing her Ph.D. in Education with a concentration in Educational Leadership, Policy, and Justice from VCU. 

What are Black spaces? Black spaces are intentional spaces and environments designed to uplift and empower the Black community. These spaces bring JOY because they allow Blacks to rid themselves of the daily microaggressions, racism, and prejudices often experienced in society, and allows them to fully embrace their Blackness; their uniqueness, dialect, identity, and culture. Black spaces include spaces like: higher education institutions, restaurants, churches, museums and the like.

Today’s #BlackJoy moment we will focus on Historically Black Colleges and Universities, also known as, HBCUs. In 1838, the first HBCU, Cheyney University was established. At a time where Black education was limited at predominantly white institutions and when racial segregation and discrimination were prevalent in American society, Cheyney, like other HBCUs were founded to address this inequality and provide educational opportunities for Black students.

Since then, HBCUs have played a vital role in shaping the educational landscape for African Americans in the United States. They continue to produce scholars who make significant contributions around the world in various fields like STEM, literature, politics, sports, and arts. Prominent figures such as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (Morehouse College), Booker T. Washington (Hampton University), Thurgood Marshall (Howard University), Toni Morrison (Howard University), Oprah Winfrey (Tennessee State University), Terrance J (NC A&T), and Kamala Harris (Howard University) are among the distinguished graduates of HBCUs. HBCUs serve as beacons of hope where students feel a sense of pride, identity, belonging, community, and most importantly, JOY!  

If you are interested in learning more about the 107 HBCUs, check out the following links: BlackPast, History of HBCUs-Thurgood Marshall College Fund , and HBCU First Timeline .

For all my RVA peeps a special shout-out to two of our local HBCUs – Virginia State University (Etrrick/Petersburg, VA) and Virginia Union University (Richmond, VA). I would also like to shout-out the visionary of #BlackFutureFeminist and the #30DaysofBlackJoy series, Dr. Grace D. Gipson who is a proud alumna of Clark Atlanta University (Atlanta, GA)!

Want to get more insight about HBCUs through the lens of the media? Grab some friends, a few Black-owned snacks, and watch these movies, TV shows, and documentaries. 

  • A Different World (1987)
  • School Daze (1988)
  • Drumline (2002) 
  • BET’s College Hill (2004)
  • Stomp the Yard (2007) 
  • The Great Debaters (2007)
  • Tell Them We Are Rising (2018)

See you all tomorrow!!

Posted in A Professor's Thoughts..., Holiday Celebration!!

Habari Gani?! Imani-Kwanzaa Day 7

Posted on by drblackfuturefeminist

Habari Gani, my friends?? What’s the good news?! Today is the final day of Kwanzaa and my favorite principle, Imani (Faith)!! Through Imani, we “believe with all our heart in our people, our parents, our teachers, our leaders and the righteousness and victory of our struggle.“

As a spiritual person this principle hits home for me as I am always trying to keep the faith!!
While, it may not be easy, faith – especially during difficult and trying times – brings us closer to making our dreams a reality.

None of the other 6 principles would be able to come to fruition without that mustard seed of faith!! Think about this in order to have cooperative economics, we must have faith in the businesses that we support.

To have purpose, we must have faith that we are here for a reason. It is essential that we have faith in ourselves, our leaders, teachers, parents and in the victory of our struggle. As a free, proud and productive people we can do ALL things with just a little bit of faith.

“Faith is put forth as the last principle as unity is put forth as the first principle for a definite reason. It is to indicate that without unity, we cannot begin our most important work, but without faith we cannot sustain it. Unity brings us together and harnesses our strength, but faith in each other and the Good, the Right, the Beautiful inspires and sustains the coming together and the commitment to take the work to its end.“

Allow yourself to let go of any worry and trust in your Black excellence!! Never lose faith in yourself and our community. Be proud of who you are and the community you live in!!

“Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase.”

~Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Until next year, while Kwanzaa is celebrated from December 26th-January 1st know that you can practice any and all of these principles year around! Remember Kwanzaa is a celebration of culture, community, and family!

Harambe and Happy New Year!!