Category: Black is Beautiful

Homecoming

Published on by BriAlys

Beyonce’s documentary, Homecoming, on Netflix is amazing! If you haven’t watched it, do so HERE (Netflix account required or if not, maybe the TRAILER is enough for you … 😩).  Homecoming pays homage to black excellence, women, culture and traditional key highlights from HBCU bands, sororities and that classic New Orleans feel. Solange, Jay Z and Destiny’s child all made surprise performances.From the Guardian, “Since it debuted on the platform last week, the internet has been thick with analysis and awed gushing over the 137-minute celebration of the R&B titan’s landmark 2018 Coachella set: not just from Twitter minions, but the likes of Michelle Obama and Lin-Manuel Miranda. Last week, it was reported thatHomecoming is the first of three specials BeyoncĂŠ will deliver to Netflix in a $60m (ÂŁ46m) deal, the company having trounced the offer of her previous television partner, HBO.”

Listen below to a review of the documentary by NPR.

#thatisall 🙌🏽

Better Banking

Published on by BriAlys

A rapper by the name Killer Mike (also an avid Bernie Sanders supporter) made a call to action on a 107.9, a popular Atlanta radio station last week. He said,

We cannot go out in the street and start bombing, shooting and killing,” the rapper said during the town hall. “I encourage none of us to engage in acts of violence that will cause more peril to our community and others that look like us. I encourage us to take our warfare to financial institutions.

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Screen Shot 2016-07-24 at 9.18.22 AMThe result? EIGHT THOUSAND 8,000 PEOPLE OPENED ACCOUNTS AT CITIZENS TRUST BANK IN ATLANTA. That figure was reported last week by USA Today and many mainstream news outlets. Similar results were reported in Houston at Unity National Bank, the only black-owned bank in the state of Texas and at OneUnited Bank, with locations in Los Angeles, Miami and Boston. Think you’ll see this on the news?? Don’t hold your breath! Need to finad a black owned bak or credit union near, you, check out this list on Facebook and be sure to follow the conversation on Twitter, #BankBlackBankSmallBankLocal

Now THIS is a movement! #startsomewhere #dosomething #anything #getmad #divertmoneyawayfromthesystem 🙌🏽

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Yara Shahidi

Published on by BriAlys

Yara Shahidi plays Zoey on ABC’s Black-ish. She’s only 16 years old and already brands herself as a budding humanitarian and activist (her words). I recently ran across Yara’s work on Tracee Ellis Ross’s Instagram page. Tracee wrote, “🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾I don’t remember being this ‘woke’ or this clear when I was her age, but intelligent, conscious young women like my TV daughter @YaraShahidi give me so much hope for the future!“ After reading Tracee’s statement, I was intrigued so I watched the short video of Yara on Tracee’s Instagram page before finding and listening to her full speech on YouTube.

2-minute video snippet. Here are two of my favorite quotes from Yara’s speech at the 2016 Conference on Volunteering and Service (blog post):

  • Children are the anomaly if they succeed, the expectation if they fail.

  • I’m cool plus I’m black which is cool so I win twice ✌🏽️

Click the image below for more pics of Yara at the BET Awards.

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Shonda Rhimes’ Ted Talk

Published on by BriAlys

I’m a huge Shonda Rhimes fan. Shonda Rhimes is the new Oprah. She’s a great writer, inspirational speaker and her story is one that will leave you in awe. Yes, she’s also super successful; but, she’s also a very real and down to earth person. I feel like if know her personally – can you tell? I’ve read her book, “Year of Yes” once and I’m planning to read it again, very soon! I follow her on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. I try to read everything she writes. I ♥ Shonda.

Shonda recently released a Ted talk that I highly suggest you listen to – on your commute to work, while you brush your teeth, wash dishes or whatever mundane task you have next on your schedule.  Listen and enjoy.

Work doesn’t work without play. I said yes to less work and more play and somehow I still run my world. My brain is still global, my campfire still burns.


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