Whenever there has been a threat to something we hold dear, and when it has seemed hopeless, with little to no opportunity to respite or recourse, there has always been something that has been resurrected from the darkness.
Call it grit, call it grassroots, call it stick-to-it-iveness or gumption, when the people decide that they want something, they make the necessary moves to make it happen.
Photo by Rob Lambert on Unsplash
Read MoreI believe the film addresses something much more difficult and even scary for people to talk about, but that's the cool thing about the film. Jordan Peele takes a situation that people are scared to talk about and literally turns into a scary movie.
“So...what situation does the film address?”
I'm glad you asked.
Read MoreI saw God, I saw color, I saw suffering, and I saw victory. These people reached inside of themselves and pulled out the most vulnerable of gems; clad in emotion, sincerity, and rhythm, their art stood there cosmically like an eclipse shielding our eyes from the blinding sun.
Read MoreIf you have a song in your heart that needs to be sung, step to the mic. If you are not satisfied with the world around you and have a truth you must speak to, step to the mic. If you believe that your passion and creativity can change or even save a life, step to the mic.
You just might start a revolution.
Read MoreIt’s unlikely such a gathering existed anywhere else in Lynchburg that night, enjoying alternating performances of poetry and song.
Read MoreMy heart is heavy and weary. Every day presents a battle on my timeline, in the newspapers, in my music.
So where is this hope supposed to come from? Where am I supposed to find this inspiration to create some change or revolution or positivity from this madness?
Read MoreI believed that every song had to have a beginning, middle, and end. To avoid any confusion, every piece that I shared with the world had to hold all the components of the story. Often I over-lyricized to make sure I spelled out all the correct conclusions. Every song needed a clear message, a goal post, a thesis statement.
What I didn’t realize at the time was that the heaviness was suffocating my creativity.
Read MoreListen to the words. Embrace them. They tell a story and whether the language is familiar or foreign, overstand the intensity beyond the instruments and voices. Know that no matter how far we’ve come, the finish line seems to shift depending on who is running the race.
She saw. She came. She conquered.
Read MoreBeing a visible black woman is a number of things, often times conflicting. Equally frustrating and rewarding. It’s liberation and bondage. It’s giving all while holding back.
Because the truth of the matter is, I don’t know if they can handle all of me.
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