consciouskingdom - Tumblr blog

consciouskingdom · 4 years

Text

Jordan’s Dance: What We All Can Learn From His Steps

🏀 Growing up with an older brother who is an athlete & sports fanatic, sports were a common factor in everyday life. My family didn’t really have an off season - the year would flow from Basketball tournaments, to Baseball games, into warm sunny track meets and chilly Football nights. We would constantly fuss over TV time, I’d often lose the battle and be forced to watch hours of Sportscenter and highlight tapes while my brother shouted at the screen and debated the stats of the greats. So as someone who has been athletic-adjacent, I have a different love & admiration for sports stars & specifically thee #MichaelJordan ✨ Watching the first 2 episodes of his documentary #TheLastDance was so inspiring! And seeing the dope Black Aesthetic that oozed through the 80s and 90s fashion and imagery was nostalgia at its finest! (Glowing Dark Black Skin dripped in Gold Hoop Earrings and 2 sizes too large Zoot-Like Suites) •

KEY THINGS GATHERED FROM THE FIRST 2 EPISODES OF #TheLastDance 🏀

- Believe in YOURSELF! #Jordan had unwavering faith in himself & his abilities despite any naysayers, failures, injuries or hardships! He was constantly met with negative verbal reinforcement. His own Father doubted him, constantly comparing him to his siblings, placing Young Jordan in a mindset to actively seek his approval. His high school coach cut him from the basketball team (I wonder how he feels now). His college coach questioned his abilities, Jordan’s response: ‘I’m going to work harder than any person you've ever seen” and he did!

-Absolutely NOTHING tops HARD WORK! Jordan didn’t let anything distract him from putting his all into perfecting his craft! He shared a time where his teammates had a hotel room flowing with cocaine lines, bottles and women. The team partied so hard that cocaine became associated with their name - in the midst of all of that Jordan never indulged in even a single shot of alcohol.

-A Strong Team is ESSENTIAL! Jordan & everyone featured made sure to highlight the power of the amazing combo that was Jordan & #ScottiePippen ! Jordan was amazing but Pippen set the stage for the show to take place. Their chemistry was essential to the success of the team and the trust between them allowed for their true abilities to shine. Pippen stated Jordan helped him to grow as a man and an athlete. In a current society that constantly boasts about being “Self-Made” we have to ensure we don't get caught up in our own egos and bask in the praises that come with that title. Your team, your support system is vital and we must acknowledge and nurture them for true success.

-Know your WORTH & charge EXTRA! #ScottiePippen was one of the best players in the #NBA at the time & was severely underpaid because he signed a contract that didn’t reflect his value at all!! He stated at the time he didn’t want to take risk because he had so many depending on him. That mentality was rooted in self doubt & he ultimately regretted it. Don’t make the same mistakes - know who you are & what your capable of!! If it’s something you must bet on, it better be yourself!

One of the most beneficial things we can do is study the Greats and their journey to help excel our own trajectory, Michael Jeffrey Jordan crafted a legendary blueprint to follow!

“The Last Dance” is a 10-Part series that will air on ESPN Sunday nights and the full documentary will be available on Netflix after the premiere concludes. For more Content for the Culture, Follow us on Instagram @ConsciousKingdom check out our website ShopConsciousKingdom.com Tune into our Podcast at anchor.fm/FREADOM

4 notes · View notes

consciouskingdom · 5 years

Text

When They See Us

Queen Ava Duverney blessed us with “When they See Us” a 3 part series on Netflix about the horrific true story and journey of Korey Wise, Antron McCray, Kevin Richardson, Yusef Salaam and Raymond Santana, five teenagers of color who were wrongly convicted of raping, beating and leaving a white female jogger for dead in New York City's Central Park in 1989. It truly is a horror movie for me. I have been detained by police, attempted to be co-erced into admitting things I know I didn’t do & so have sooo many of the people I know & they all look like me. For many black people, Ive heard them comparing it to the gutwrenching feeling they felt wile watching Roots, its too real for us because we can see ourselves there.

It’s a film depiction of some of our greatest fears - Triggering memories of our own frightening encounters with police. Triggering memories of our brothers, lovers, sons and husbands who never made it home after being pulled over.

So much so that the amazing Ava had grief counselors & mental health specialist on the set while filming this. THAT’S how impactful this is. I appreciate how the story shows the impact of what this did to the wrongly convicted victims Family members as well.. Black fathers being so fearful for how their own lives would be affected they allowed their children to be railroaded like Bobby McCray, the father to Antron. The children themselves being emotionally and intellectually underdeveloped all screams to the Black community that we must advocate & fight to save our children by any means necessary. Teach them their rights/ laws/what to do & expect in those situations or at least establish a strong moral compass so they wont lie on others out of fear because these young men were manipulated by those factors. & its still happening, watch a few episode of “the first 48” the interrogation room may not be as intense (and keep in mind its cameras in there so we honestly never know what happens when those are off) but even on that show you see young black men & women have no idea what their rights are & will say anything under the hopes that “If I say this I can go home or get less jail time” OH, but When They See US! See us as beings and not numbers for quotas void of humanity. Although it be farfetched, it would be the cure!

Watch this FILM! (if you can) It’s a great artistic work that we all should attempt to watch if we can emotionally handle it & use it as a discussion piece to ensure history doesn’t continue to repeat itself.

The beauty of social media however has blessed us yet again as we are effectively canceling Linda Fairstein- she was the chief district attorney during the case of the Central Park 5 with no remorse & a vengeance who ensured they would be convicted. The crazy thing is this woman was viewed as a law enforcement hero back in the day. She is the inspiration for Law & Order: Special Victims Unit cause she was one of the first leaders of the Manhattan DA office sex Crime Unit. She was like the real life Benson but now she bout to be real life BROKE. Petitions have caused her to resign from all these prestigious boards & organizations she is a part of AND they calling for her books to pulled & all her cases be re-examined. One thing to learn from all of this & its universal LAW – What you throw out, comes back to you STAR. Whew child, thanks Innanets for finding Linda and canceling all that shit with the ferocity of Nino Brown!! Much success & blessings to the Central Park 5 EXONERATED FIVE!!!

For more Content for the Culture, Follow us on Instagram @ConsciousKingdom check out our website ShopConsciousKingdom.com Tune into our podcast for the full version at anchor.fm/FREADOM

#CENTRALPARK5 ConsciousKingdom AvaDuvernay #WhenTheySeeUs Netflix #donaldtrump #LindaFairstein

4 notes · View notes

consciouskingdom · 5 years

Text

Reparations Consideration?

The House is currently considering H.R. 40, a bill introduced by Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee that would create a commission to study and develop proposals for slavery reparations. During his term, President Obama awarded $12 million dollars in “assistance” to Holocaust survivors. The money was given to help these deserving survivors to help the “quarter of whom live below the poverty line.”

This gift was a continuation of Germany’s efforts to pay Jews reparations from 1952. Then, Germany awarded over a billion dollars primarily to the government of Israel, which had resettled many Holocaust survivors. This money genuinely helped a community who had lost everything – family members, friends, homes, clothing, jewelry, their livelihoods. It helped people who had lost everything and had to rebuild with nothing.

Reparations helped these people put their lives back on track. Much of the original reparations payment in 1952 went to building Israeli infrastructure, and look at how powerful and strong Israel is today. Jews endured their hardships for just twelve years, and that government paid the survivors billions of dollars.

The typical black family in this country has one tenth the wealth of the typical white family.

Black women die in childbirth at four times the rate of white women.

When wealth is stolen, it is not easily replaced.

Studies state that it will take Black families over 200 years to amass the wealth that white people have today. One generation alone barely makes a dent, so even as a first generation college student trying to break the mold you barely even put ya pinky toe in the water of wealth! How can one confidently say that billions of dollars given to former slaves, especially at the time that slavery ended, would not have narrowed this gap? Why do Holocaust survivors get reparations, but Black Americans are told to forget their history?

As we can see this will be a hot topic for upcoming elections but this is the time that we as a people need to come together & figure out what it is we even want. America has “tried” reparations for other groups, we as black folks should learn from those mistakes & have a plan. Indigenous Peoples did not get full control of money awarded to them; the Indian Claims Commission paid out 1.3 billion dollars but that broke down to less than 1000 per person at that time and most of the land that was "returned” was put in control of corporations & beneficiaries were given stocks but not actual land. In 2013, North Carolina became the first state in the country to pass a law intended to compensate the surviving victims among the 7,600 people who were sterilized under a decades-long eugenics program. The victims were largely poor, disabled or African-American. State lawmakers set up a $10 million fund to compensate them. Conflicts arose over who was eligible. A state commission and state courts denied claims from relatives of victims who had died. Others were deemed ineligible because they had been sterilized by county welfare offices and not the state eugenics program

In Chicago, part of a $5.5 million reparations from the city in 2015, agreed to compensate 57 victims — nearly all Black men from the city’s South Side — who said the police had beaten, shocked, suffocated and psychologically tortured them to obtain confessions. The city also agreed to finance a Torture Justice Center to provide counseling to victims and other survivors of police brutality. The city supported building a public memorial, and agreed to include lessons about the legacy of nearly 20 years of abuse into the public school curriculum. Students in Chicago now learn about police torture in history class. While this is a start, is it what we desire collectively?

What do we even want out of reperations? Money? Education? Land? Jobs? All of thee above? We gotta figure this shit out!

For more Content for the Culture, Follow us on Instagram @ConsciousKingdom check out our website ShopConsciousKingdom.com Tune into our podcast for the full version at anchor.fm/FREADOM

#Slavery SlaveryReparations ConsciousKingdom HR40 BlackReparations BlackPower BlackEmpowerment SocialInjustice

4 notes · View notes

consciouskingdom · 5 years

Text

Black Men Golf, Too!

According to the N.C.A.A., roughly 6 percent of collegiate golfers are Black, Latino or Indigenous (Native American). Despite the influence of Tiger Woods and media coverage of the sport, neither translated to a significant increase in the number of minorities who play. That hopefully will change with the new collab announced on Monday with Howard University and Steph Curry! ‘Steph Curry with the shot’ has extended himself beyond the basketball court to commit to help fund the golf program at one of the most prestigious HBCUs for at least 6 years beginning with the 2020-2021 season. Golf has always been difficult to access by communities of color, ESPECIALLY Black folks. Its more common that we are cleaning the country clubs that house golf courses than to actually be playing there for leisure. Those same country clubs are often still practicing segregation and regardless of socio-economic status wouldn’t grant our black asses membership anyway! We constantly face those barriers or worst; more systemic issues like the distance of locations offering courses and definitely the cost of equipment. Black families are struggling to purchase school clothes, the idea of costly golf lessons in distant affluent neighborhoods is simply off the table. THIS initiative changes that. This partnership grants more representation within the golf world and provides a new tier of success to obtain. With this option being offered at a historical black college/university it opens the door to more accessibility and the option to obtain an athletic golf scholarship to cover cost of obtaining a degree. It’s forward thinking objectives like this that push the envelope on what young black students can achieve! So let’s grab our visors, clubs and khaki shorts because as we do in all things, we taking over GOLF, y'all!

For more Content for the Culture, Follow us on Instagram @ConsciousKingdom check out our website ShopConsciousKingdom.com Tune into our podcast for the full version at anchor.fm/FREADOM

#ConsciousKingdom BlackMenGolf BlackGolfers Golf TigerWoods HBCU HBCUs HowardUniversity TheRealHU BlackColleges BlackUniversities

0 notes

consciouskingdom · 5 years

Text

Aunt Becky & Why We Need HBCUs!

Federal prosecutors say 50 people took part in a scheme that involved either cheating on standardized tests or bribing college coaches and school officials to accept students as college athletes -- even if the student had never played that sport. One of the actresses involved that made this a headline is Lori Laughlin aka Aunt Becky from Full House So the two scams were to cheat on the SAT or ACT, and the other was to use connections with Division I coaches and use bribes to get these parents' kids into school with fake athletic credentials. Some parents paid between $15,000 and $75,000 per test. Aunt Becky and her man paid bribes totaling of $500,000 to have their two daughters as recruits for the row team at USC but they aren’t even athletes and never competed, not even in high school. Instead, Aunt Becky sent photoshop photos of the girls on a rowing machine. We’ve been hearing about white people pull this for years; sitcoms make storylines about it cause its just something we allll know. White people have been benefitting from their wealth for centuries but tampering with the testing process?? Especially when as a WHITE person it’s already biased in your favor, is a whole new kind of low! Faking disabilities to get testing accommodations? Claiming to be an athlete?? WTF!

Considering there are actual talented Black athletes that could have secured that spot and acknowledging all the smart hardworking black students who spent their money on test prep courses and the actual test itself, this is unacceptable! I remember students selling candy and fundraiser events and the church covering the cost to just afford to take the test while little Amberrrrr can just use Daddy’s credit card & be great.

& of course we aren’t talking small scale schools, we are talking about the schools we were taught to place on this high pedestal since grade school : USC, Stanford, Yale, UCLA all the while being fed the Lie that degrees from HBCUs don’t hold weight in “corporate America”

We have to know the Importance of seeing value in Historically Black Colleges & Universities!

Geoffrey Owens aka Elvin from the Cosby Show graduated from Yale but the “prestigiousness” of this Ivy league didn’t protect him or aid him from having to work down at Trader Joes later in life. All of that ivy league but you are still BLACK. Norfolk State would never! HU (either one of em) would NEVER. HBCUs would NEVER allow alumni, especially not a famous celebrity alum to lack resources and/or opportunity. Someone; a professor, a soror or an old roommate gon have something for you outchea & the thing is they don’t want us at Ivy Leagues and Predominately white Institutions anyway. Thats why when we are there we have to create organizations that cater to Black and miniriroty students because its not a priority to them! Most black students at ivy leagues take the racism, the constant micro aggressions, being the token black friend & professors who don’t sympathize and are often harsher on them for the tag of #IvyLeagueGrad when they could experience so much & benefit so much more from an HBCU.

& I get it, we hear about white people doing this all the time. Most of the reactions I’m seeing are along the lines of “in other news, the sky is blue” and “everyone knows this.” Yet people often yell “affirmative action” anytime a Black person gets into college in attempts to diminish the accomplishment and black people getting an opportunity. The same happens even in the professional world like when Loretta Lynch was appointed Attorney General. If we got it, there must be a catch when in reality these ivy league schools have produced a lot of incompetent people & we buy into it because of their school title. Not to mention there are Black parents like Tonya McDowell – SAY HER NAME – Sis in jail for 5 years right now for falsifying her address so her child could go to a better school district while white folks dropping half a mil & staging photoshoots with what possibly could result in no penalty.

White people love full house so with Aunt Becky being involved I’m sure this will be highlighted more than expected so I’ll definitely be following this story but I’ll end with this piece of advice & Ima give yall this one for free - if you had 500K in liquid cash that you can afford to just splurge with/invest, don’t use it to get your kids into UCLA or any college for that matter.

Click the link below to view our video for more on this at: #fREADOM Podcast

#aunt becky #fullhouse #auntbecky #collegeadmissionscandal #college admission scandal #tonyamcdowell #tonya mcdowell #HBCU #hbcus #hbcusmatter #USC #consciouskingdom #conscious kingdom

1 note · View note

consciouskingdom · 5 years

Text

True Meaning Of Self Made = Black Women!

At 21, Kylie Jenner became the youngest “self made” billionaire – and I honestly don’t care about her money. I do care that no one is talking about how these white women have literally tried to morph into black women and profit from that! It’s wild that we can watch GET OUT and not realize that it’s happening in real life! Black women being historically condemned, murdered, exploited, and mocked for these very features that are now embraced and appropriated by non-black women....especially the Kardashian/Jenner family unit.

Everyone loves black women until it’s time to love a black woman. Like....actually love and put some respect on our names instead of wrongfully holding false titles & praise.

Pat McGrath is a legendary editorial and fashion makeup artist.

Before Instagram there was an entire makeup world that was centered on fashion, and Pat was the epicenter. She launched Pat McGrath Labs two years ago and consistently sells out. Eurazeo Brands, a New York investment firm, took notice and invested $60 million in the business, which gives McGrath’s line a valuation exceeding $1 billion. So let’s commend a true SELF MADE BLACK QUEEN!!

#consciouskingdom #conscious kingdom #makeup #blackmakeupartist #blackMUA #MUA #kyliejenner #kyliecosmetics #patmcgrath #pat macgrath #patmcgrathlabs #blackowned #blackownedbusiness

2 notes · View notes

consciouskingdom · 5 years

Text

Surviving R. Kelly....

This was hard to watch. Since the six part series premiered on Lifetime it has created a firestorm and we as a people have got to unpack all of this! To begin: I believe Every. Single.One. Of. These. WOMEN! And we ALL should.......BUT we don’t..... because the painful cries of Black Women fall on deaf ears. The series featured personal accounts from everyone including his security guards, back up dancers, his own brothers and most importantly, the survivors of his abuse. Their vivid and descriptive depictions of what they endured set social media on fire and everyone had an opinion to share. For everyone writing post, sharing memes blaming young black girls or still in support of Robert Kelly in any way - please read the following bullet points and get your life!

· Young Black Girls are not “FAST”, They are prematurely overly-sexualized, manipulated and preyed upon.

We can not attack young black girls for “seducing” older men. I’ve seen the memes shared with captions demeaning teenage girls that had older “boyfriends” picking them up from the high school parking lot...everyone is laughing & sharing their memories of this but ignoring the fact that these same men are aware of their power over a younger woman and exploiting it for benefit. A dominant dynamic is established when someone such as a young girl in poverty/lack thereof to basic necessities encounters a manipulator who will target that and use it to their advantage. Most of these young girls were thinking with a scarcity perspective fueled by desperation, craving more out of life and unfortunately predators were the respondents to their pleas as opposed to someone who could help. These type of men willingly and strategically use their age, money and perceived power to manipulate a younger naive mind. Preying on their need for emotional attention, financial support and validation; young girls are met with psychological brain washing tactics that they are in no way prepared to fight against. As early as I can remember - my body changed as I matured and older adult men were the first to comment and notice it. “Oh girl, you really starting to fill out”.....”You getting some hips and legs on you”...”You grown up now”.....”Come on over here and give me a hug, let me look at you”...comments like these occurred at family events, school and even my church growing up. Young black girls are objectified and violated in plain sight! And unfortunately because of that mindset that translates to our bodies are disposable and serve as an object of pleasure - no one acknowledges the pain endured when our innocence is stolen before we can even fully comprehend the full implications of the actions that are transpiring. Ask any black woman you know, she has a story in her childhood where this or something similar has occurred. The common misconception is that because it happens so often, the young girl is to blame because she is being “fast” or “frisky” and pursuing an older man but we ignore what the older man is doing to persuade and manipulate her to be there in the first place! Stop labeling her a whore, slut, fast or frisky! A young girl could be as "fast" as Sonic the Hedgehog but no child is promiscuous enough to entice an older person into being intimate with him/her if that older person did not have an attraction to children initially. We never question the motives of the predator but question the actions of those being preyed upon. In victim blaming, we blatantly ignore the psychological damage that young girls and women are suffering through daily. Predators are stealing their innocence resulting in damage to their self esteem and their ability to have agency over one's own body and life. That type of damage will literally permeate every aspect of her life until she is able to heal. Many who endure sexual traumas hide their hurt in the nearest bottle or whatever substance will numb the pain as they spend their lives drowning in shame. 60% of young black girls have been sexually violated before the age of 18 and the Black community can not just keep dismissing it as “Oh, She just acting grown.”

· “Consent” received from coercion and manipulation of a naive underage mind makes it null & void!

Many opinions argue that the women involved all participated willingly - I Call Bullshit! Within the black family that type of ideology runs rampant. By definition, consent is to give permission for something to happen or an agreement to do something. If someone is granting their permission for a sexual act to occur but it’s prompted by emotional manipulation, promises to aid in career advancement, physical abuse and fear: That’s. Not. Consent! Young black girls in under-served and inner cities are in circumstances in which older men are preying on their naïve nature, immaturity and survival needs. Living in poverty creates a scarcity mindset that forces you to result to desperate measures for basic necessities and financial support. Aside from being under the influence of substances I believe there is nothing stronger than being under the influence of mind manipulation. R. Kelly used vulnerability, power, money and persuasion to ultimately create their dynamic; just as an older family member or someone’s boyfriend will offer money and attention in the midst of their abuse of a young girl. Molestation followed by providing money and/or physical abuse is a form of control, NOT CONSENT! A known pimp & womanizer once said “Any boy can control a girl’s body but a Grown Man can control her mind” To see the parents of Joycelyn Savege and Domonique Gardner crying out for their daughters, popping up on Kelly's residences seeking their children was heartbreaking. They wouldn't speak to their families because that's how deep psychological manipulation is, its classic "Pimp" culture and was heartbreaking to watch. The survivors are not to blame here! (Yes I'm saying it AGAIN just in case you missed it in the last paragraph)

· R Kelly’s personal experience with sexual abuse is a deflection tactic & does not justify him repeating the cycle.

During the series, R Kelly’s brother admitted that he and his brother were both molested as children. My heart mourns for all black children who endure sexual, physical, emotional abuse. We NEED to discuss the sexual abuse Black boys go through as well! Black boys are sexualized as early and often as young girls. Calling a young black boy “sexy” or your “boyfriend” or stating you’ll be waiting for him when he turns 18 is predatory behavior. Unfortunately society encourages it when it’s revealed that a teenage boy has slept with an older woman but it’s still perverted! A real discussion about sexual abuse with black boys and the trauma they endure must occur BUT not at the expense of Black girls. During the series his own brother, Bruce Kelly, stated Kelly's attraction to young girls were a “preference”. Pedophilia isn't a preference, its a choice! Truly examine the amount of time, effort, money and energy put into creating the "pimp" dynamic of power that Kelly enforced; that's intentional, calculated and strategic. Being a victim to sexual trauma and knowing the damage it caused, could lead to a mindset of NOT repeating those same heinous activities....R Kelly didn't make that choice. He is wealthy, he could have pursued counseling/therapy and he didn't. To use his own abuse as an excuse is a defense tactic, his predatory ways cannot be justified because of a traumatic upbringing. This is precisely why I constantly stress the importance of therapy and counseling. The entire Kelly family needs help to not perpetuate this cycle.

· You can not separate the artist from the “art” when the art is a detailed description of his perverse actions and predatory lifestyle.

Seeing the comments online still crowning him as the “King Of R&B” literally sickened me. I personally recall being taught “I Believe I Can Fly” in elementary school, flapping my arms to scream the empowering lyrics. I recall my Mom cleaning our entire house with his songs crooning as we all sang along as I washed the baseboards. R Kelly provided a soundtrack for our lives. As much as we love “Step In the Name of Love” We absolutely must step away from this nigga! We can’t turn a blind eye to his actions because we love his musical genius. His security guards, producers who have worked with him, background vocalist and dancers ALL confirmed he had multiple bedrooms intentionally installed in his musical production studios. Read that again… he had multiple bedrooms *IN* the music studio…meaning he was sexually engaging and abusing young girls in between song takes. One of the survivors revealed that Kelly penned “You Are Not Alone” for Michael Jackson detailing her miscarriage of Kelly’s child while she was 17. Analyzing the lyrics he had Aaliyah sing for her debut single: “Boy be brave, don't be afraid, Cause tonight we're gonna, go all the way. Don't mean to be bold, gotta let you know, I gotta thing for you, and I can't let go my.. Age ain't nothing but a number, throwing down ain't nothing but a thang, This loving I have for you it'll never change”......

I know the music is catchy but don't compartmentalize just to serve what benefits you and undermines the severity of damage these women endured.

There is absolutely no way we can continue to separate the art from the artist when his art depicts the life he manifest and the young girls who are a part of it!

· Everyone surrounding Aaliyah during her time with him had concerns but no one took action!

A stage manager, his body guards, his entourage, his family, producers who created music for her, friends of Liyah who were also background dancers and toured with her all witnessed her relationship with Kelly. Per the docuseries, they all stated they had concerns but no action occurred to protect her. The bodyguard openly admitted he forged documents to aid in their marriage; at the time Aaliyah was only 15 years old. After Aaliyah's mother heard the background dancer Jovante Cunningham openly stated she saw Kelly having sex with Aaliyah she immediately denied it in a statement stating she and her husband were always with Aaliyah as she toured. With all respect to the Haughton family and the legacy of Aaliyah, her family failed her and everyone around her failed her. It seems her mother is afraid to admit the truth of this situation, not every parent can be around their teenagers 24/7 and that's okay. BUT don't shame others for speaking their TRUTH. It dawned on me after watching the details be described that perhaps he likely married Aaliyah so that she could get an abortion without having to get parental consent. If a murder is committed and someone witnesses it - they are an accessory to the crime. I'm demanding a legal reform that applies the same logic to everyone who enabled R Kelly!

After we've watched the episodes and read the countless memes, status post and tweets let us remember: Listen to Black WOMEN! Tears don't flow that easily nor does pain resonate in someone's voice like that without reason. Even if you deny the claims, we have legal documents that show Robert Sylvester Kelly married Aaliyah when she was 15. You can be pro-black and still hold Black men and women accountable for their wrongdoings. A black girl’s life is more important than some hit songs. I commend dream hampton and the superb cinematic efforts she executed in creating this docu-series! It highlights a truth so basic it pains me that I even have to state it: Anything that harms Black Women harms black PEOPLE in our entirety....and R Kelly must be added to that list.

Bye Robert, Get some help!

(Note: If this was triggering for you or you need someone to talk to, please email us at [email protected], confidentiality guaranteed...I love you)

ShopConsciousKingdom.com

#rkelly #survivingrkelly #aaliyahdanahaughton #aaliyah #consciouskingdom #conscious #kingdom #consciousness #blackwomen #black girls matter #respectblackwomen #muterkelly #mute r kelly #surviving r kelly #surviving r kelly review

351 notes · View notes

consciouskingdom · 5 years

Text

Jesus & Jollof: The Cure For the African/Black American Divide

Luvvie Ajayi & Yvonne Orji incite solidarity through their transparency, endless gems & witty rapport. Grab some water to wash down your jollof (its spicy, y’all) & enjoy my review of their First Live Podcast in Washington, DC!

I entered Lisner Auditorium feeling like I had entered into an AfroBeats Day party! Two throwback photos of my favorite Goat Queens served as the backdrop and I knew from there it was about to be Lit LIT! The 808s of Olamide filled the venue as I scanned the room beaming with pride at the sight of such Black Excellence! In true Black folks spirit, we fashionably showed up and showed out; however - I came to realize Africans take it to a whole other level! As an American-born, southern-customs raised, “regular” Black girl with a Pro-Black brand that highlights the Black connection to Mama Africa, I’ve experienced many awkward interactions with my peers who are direct African descendants. I’ve lost count of how many times First Generation Africans have attempted to pull my card for having products that display Africa so proudly. I often times felt as though a proud Black woman with knowledge of her true heritage but who also loved the hood who nurtured her - lacked a place in this world; I wasn't African enough for the Africans and was “too much” for my homeboys. I can sing along to Lil Boosie & Davido but when I wanted to talk about our oppression, similarities or the necessity of our unity.... neither audiences were interested. & then I discovered “Jesus & Jollof” - and whew chile, It was an eye opener for me! I had no idea there were so many parallels amongst the two very divided but close-knit groups.

After the DJ welcomed us in with the afrobeats vibes, the host kicked off the show with a burst of energy! I must admit, I felt a bit out of place when he began the call and response to rep which African country you’re from. As an American-born Black person, I have no damn clue - Colonizers ensured that! So when he belted out “Where my Nigerians At?”....”Where my Ethiopians At?”...I sat quietly waiting to hear a shout out to at least the DMV area (after all, we were in DC) but nah Sis, it didn’t come. I felt a bit slighted until his dialogue continued. He began his comedic monologue about words that could be used to describe Africans; he screamed on the mic adjectives like “Resilient” “Regal” “Royal” He then turned to more comedic attributes like “competitive” and “Loud”. He made a joke about the inadvertent humor that stems from long distance phone calls with African family members. As I leaned over laughing, I realized he was literally describing my MOM and Aunties! To show love to the true Jollof Warriors, there were giveaways for trivia questions about the show; I particularly enjoyed that part because the gifts were from local Black Owned Businesses - yassss Group Economics! The crowd erupted as the show began with Luvvie and Yvonne hitting some mean footwork to enter the stage- Bruh it was lit and a clear indication of the vibes they were serving us with this live show! From there, it was 2 hours of pure laughs and gem-dropping! To laugh along with their anecdotes of exercise as punishments and the drama-filled reactions of their mothers during their upbringing warmed my heart. I realized they could have easily inserted my own Mother’s name, removed the accent and the story would have remained the same. Just as Luvvie and Yvonne’s parents did, my parent raised me in a fine balance of love, fear of their disappointment and reverence. They constantly challenged me to aim for my goals yet for Africans their ambitions extend much higher. Without such a divide amongst the two groups, perhaps we could learn more from one another to further advance as a collective. And that’s the spice on the rice that is Jesus & Jollof! To witness the authenticity of their transparency regarding the trajectory of their journey is simply awe-inspiring; Yvonne and Luvvie are only 11 months into this thang and have accomplished so much already! Their resounding message of having faith and pushing through to achieve your dreams really hit home for me. As someone who often feels like I have to use my voice in a way that limits exclusivity to speak to and for all, Luvvie smacked me with a wake up call when she stated “When u talking to everybody, you not talking to nobody” Her words stressed the importance of fine tuning your message despite the limits others place on you. The mere fact that naysayers warned them about placing “Jesus” in their podcast name eerily mirrored the criticism I received for placing “Conscious” in my brand name. More than anything, I love that both of these successful, educated women so eloquently speak from their struggle as well as their success. Yvonne very candidly spoke about a time where she was simply working to work - out of determination to never be broke again however she followed up by saying be strategic in the moves you make and the importance of self care (I needed that reminder). Luvvie responded “Stay Hungry, Don’t be Thirsty” and I felt that in my spirit honey! As public figures, they spoke to the balancing act of sharing your successes on social media and Luvvie came with some barzzz yet again stating “Resist the temptation to perform your life.” I haven’t reached anything close to their level of success but for Luvvie & Yvonne to provide advice to my future millionaire self and state “ Have a vision & version of who u want to be with your success” I’m holding on to these gems to apply when my season comes! Which is another amazing point the two Goat Queens often emphasize: Living in your dream can ultimately inspire others to realize their own; and that’s exactly the energy I’ve been on since their live show, a new fire was ignited within me to produce more, create more and do so in a way that feels soul-soothing and therapeutic. Its important to not get caught up on the messenger so much that you miss the message. As a Black woman in America who doesn’t identify to be of the Christian faith, I never thought my safe haven would be found in two Nigerian Jesus Lovers but I have definitely found that in Jesus & Jollof! These "Foolish Goats” have cured my seasonal depression that I typically endure due to the holidays and the loss of my Father around this time. Regardless of your origin, faith or place you are in life, this podcast will undeniably elevate you in more ways than one! I’m definitely looking forward to Season two and I proudly declare myself a Jollof Warrior! AND I was able to get a quick selfie with Luvvie at the end! :-D -Conscious Kingdom ShopConsciousKingdom.com

#ConsciousKingdom YvonneOrji LuvvieAjayi Luvvie ImJudgingYou JesusAndJollof #nigerian #nigerianblogger #blackgirlswhoblog #podcast #podcastreview

0 notes