Crystal in the City

Interactive and informational media based on current issues in different communities to promote political awareness to minorities.

[crystalinthecity]

First off, I’m thankful for the vision to see and the heart to feel this awesome piece of artwork. I’m thankful for my mind to understand and truly appreciate the passion and skill of @lenawaithe ’s pen game and the execution and direction of @msmelina @shionat @devhynes ; the acting accuracy by @jodiesmith @danielkaluuya —every thing about this film. I’m grateful for getting a chance to personally thank @pinky907 for giving us the opportunity to experience this moment. This movie wasn’t for our pleasure, it was for us to become so involved into these characters we could relate to, that we become moved to change our thoughts to not focus on our past but our present, realizing we are still on the fight for our freedom internally and that it is still so important we stand together when we have to defend ourselves of this, no questions asked! We are literally all we have and we have to continue to press forward and carry on the legacy of the Black leaders before us the best way we know how. I could stand tall after those credits were done and honestly say in that moment, that I was thankful God made me a Black Woman. #HappyThanksgivingY’all https://www.instagram.com/p/B5bzQJgAfDm/?igshid=1qdxcni4qsf2l

[crystalinthecity]

Got caught up working and forgot to post my boy for his bday. Happy Belated Birthday @barackobama ! Always in our hearts and minds. Thanks for what you did for our culture, for our history. Whenever someone says something negative about you they immediately have to say a positive after, and THAT’S what I call a solid human being. We salute you forever, King! 🤴🏾 🇺🇸 https://www.instagram.com/p/B0yHAV1ABqy/?igshid=1x6np3mpbiki3

[crystalinthecity]

Yesterday, June 19, 2019, we celebrated the 154th Anniversary in which African American slaves were officially set free in Galveston, Texas. Don’t get it twisted like they did us with Christopher Columbus, Abraham Lincoln’s sign-off of the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863 did NOT establish ALL slaves to be free. Texas was not free. It wasn’t until the surrender of Confederate General Lee and Gordon Granger coming to deliver the message to the Texans of Galveston that made it official. The purpose of Juneteenth is to celebrate African American freedom and achievement, while encouraging self-development and respect for all cultures. ‘Till this day we must NEVER FORGET. Keep fighting, keep striving, and making sure all of our people our free and seek justice! àṣẹ #Juneteenth ❤️💚🖤 (at Galveston, Texas) https://www.instagram.com/p/By7y-VogEzu/?igshid=11dx891749w5o

[crystalinthecity]

Been over-working a lot lately but I’m still determined to get back to this woman by summer (or end 😂). It’s been a challenge, especially living in the South, but these pics are my motivation to embrace the fit lifestyle I used to live. I was always happy and had high energy from eating the right things + building stamina on a weekly basis. Miss you @relentlessfitnessbykevin @nolimitssportsandfitness Thanks for introducing me to that life, It’ll never leave me! #hussleandmotivate #themarathoncontinues https://www.instagram.com/p/BxyeZPTAsss/?igshid=1wwbdd0i53aiw

[crystalinthecity]

SUPER excited to see some action taking place with the help of @bet this Sunday! 😱 I always felt the more aware of the situation we are a as a community, the more we would be willing and able to change it. It’s important to use our platform like this to build a network of not just “activists,” but moms, fathers, and family members who seek a better future for themselves and their children. Those who understand our education system is criminalizing our black and brown kids in the hood. Those who understand that adding police officers with guns on campus won’t solve our problems, but only further create a mental area of confinement to fuel the school-to-prison pipeline system. S/O to @la_studentsdeserve @drknucklehead_esq @aclu_socal @_notprisons @studentsnotsuspects for continuing the good fight in #LosAngeles for our students. It’s time for more of the 🌍 to see! ✊🏾 #studentsdeserve #endrandomsearching #tunein https://www.instagram.com/crystalinthecityla/p/BvksgPtgLFK/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1gz8da16k56m9

[crystalinthecity]

What a beautiful experience it was to be living in Atlanta and having the opportunity to visit @thekingcenter for Dr. Martin Luther King’s Birthday this year. I definitely felt his spirit and loved watching the youth enjoy there time admiring his stomping grounds. I learned so much more about what his presence meant and how incredibly relevant his nonviolent teachings are today. Big shoutout to @delta for keeping the @thekingcenter open during the #GovernmentShutdown What a great gift! 🎈🙏🏾🎈#visionsofking (at The King Center) https://www.instagram.com/p/Bs8vdgigZ19/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=17zfer7sshviu

[crystalinthecity]

Thanks Governor Bill Haslem for doing the right fucking thing! #CyntoniaBrown, it’s time to come HOME! God. Changes. Minds.... She will be eligible for release August 7th and she will be on parole for 10 years 🙃Def would like to see her getting released sooner and some money getting out back into her pocket for serving 15 already but the most important thing is she can enjoy her partial freedom as a woman in her 30s. Great to see the attention we put in to something receiving this type of outcome. She will be a legend forever and a walking promise that justice is real and can be granted with hard work, faith, determination and unity. To all the girls who fell victim to sex trafficking and wrongfully punished by the system, this ones for you! #Tennessee #Justice https://www.instagram.com/p/BsW3qHcgFSc/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1ekbn5hjr47tj

[crystalinthecity]

This is not a movie, this is who’s getting sworn into congress tomorrow! 💺 💺💺💺💺💺 Now this is how you rep your hood! Young, poppin’, smart, strong ass DIVERSE women all getting a seat at the table 😱. Time to turn it up ladies🔥! I love @ayannapressley ‘s mood, it screams we didn’t come to play hunty!! Under Cheeto’s term? How they do that? Ha! 👏🏾 👏🏾👏🏾You can imagine what these ladies will be up against as they push for lawmaking reform but, I’m confident they will have our support this year and beyond. Let’s go. Climate change up first. What’s next? So inspired. Logging off, got work to do! From left: @ocasio2018 @ayannapressley @ilhanmn @deb4congressnm #VeronicaEscobar @shariceforcongress #NewWave #HowWeComin #PullUpGameStrong #WeFoundLoveInAHopelessPlace #2019 📸 @vanityfair https://www.instagram.com/p/BsJUs87Al2c/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1u55fjyescjjv

[crystalinthecity]

The last candle for today....Imani or #Faith, to believe with all our hearts in our people, our parents, our teachers, our leaders, and the righteousness and victory of our struggle. Have a great and healthy Happy New Year! 🎆🎈🎊 #canyoufindmedoe #HappyKwanzaa #Imani 📸 @samteague_thephotographer https://www.instagram.com/p/BsHqzS-gsU0/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=9uppn9fyjqqj

[crystalinthecity]

The sixth candle is Kuumba or #Creativity. To do always as much as we can, in the way we can, in order to leave our community more beautiful and beneficial than we inherited it. I look at this as an obligation based upon the beautiful lives we lost to police brutality. Their souls live in our hearts forever as we march on, knowing that in order to see a change we must come together and create solutions in our legislation that would instill real fear into these crooked ass cops who feel as though consequences for shooting unarmed black men just aren’t that bad. Let our creativity continue to inspire new leaders in this process with strong hearts and ideas to ensure we are always building our communities for the better. #Kuumba #HappyKwanzaa https://www.instagram.com/p/BsHmADOgN4B/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1lkanxp1ykwqf

[crystalinthecity]

The 5th candle represents #purpose or “Nia.” It means to make our collective vocation the building and developing of our community in order to restore our people to their traditional greatness. I was very fortunate this year to make a leap and move to a whole new city, but not just any city. A city where people like to call “The Black Mecca” right now for a lot of historical and progressional reasons amongst the African American culture. I was able to immediately work with people who shared the same purposes in life: to make sure that we continue to progress and not be manipulated by the system just because we choose to not be present and use our voices. We understood we still have work to do and that our freedom today did not come by night, but over the years of work put in by our leader ancestors. #Nia #HappyKwanzaa https://www.instagram.com/p/BsHh3KgA0oD/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1xtk2fc1vyqzy

[crystalinthecity]

For the fourth day of #Kwanzaa we have Ujamaa or #CooperativeEconomics, meaning to build and maintain our own stores, shops and other businesses and to profit from them together. When we spend money with our people, it comes back to us. Every weekend, #LemiertPark has a festival to celebrate African culture and showcase their unique art, food, or merchandise. Harun is a black-owned coffee shop where you can literally study African American culture by picking up a book, purchase clothing by black designers, or gaze into local African American artists’ work. Koh’s Grill has been cooking around LA and really knows how to bring the flavor while paying homage through their menu item names. These establishments are what it takes to maintain black representation around the world but it’s up to ya to support so that they can continue to grow 🌱. & s/o to my brother @damisfoods for getting his product into a grocery store in Brentwood this year (last slide) 🔥. Go check him out! #UjamaaDay #HappyKwanzaa (at Leimert Park Village African Art & Music Festival) https://www.instagram.com/p/Br_XgEuA4JP/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1c5pdhutl4w2r

[crystalinthecity]

Ujima Day, was yesterday! The third day of #Kwanzaa where we focused on ”Collective Work and Responsibility.” This principle means that it’s up to us to build and maintain our communities. It’s also important to look at our brothers’ and sisters’ problems and solve them together. When @nacoleonh_3 and I canvassed we were asked by an older man if we were getting paid...our reply was “no, we’re not doing it for the money, we’re doing it because we are passionate about our people getting out to vote and making the right decision (Stacey Abrams).” Shoutout to all the canvassers that were on ground making sure our people knew when, where, and why they needed to vote this past election. Sometimes you gotta do things for ya people from your heart and work for free to make sure issues get confronted and handled. This is how we made it our responsibility to get it done. Love you @nacoleonh_3 ! #HappyKwanzaa #UjimaDay (at Smyrna, Georgia) https://www.instagram.com/p/Br-xGgbApY1/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=2r5u2rapbr2y

[crystalinthecity]

Felt like posting this picture to celebrate the first day of Kwanzaa that represents #unity. I took this photo inside of the newly opened @haruncoffee shop in #LeimertPark . If you’re familiar with the area, you’re aware of the gentrification that’s trying to take root here, but this black-owned business is here to stay. Artwork on display by @7g7m7bygm ‘s #BlackExtremist exhibit. #HappyKwanzaa (at Leimert Park Village African Art & Music Festival) https://www.instagram.com/p/Br4LwnjALC3/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=17b0tpo4f4yd0

[crystalinthecity]

First it was Hanukkah, next it was Christmas, now it’s a new favorite of mine, #Kwanzaa! Today marks the first day of a week long celebration of African-American culture, heritage, and UNITY, something we could all use right now. The seven candles in the kinara symbolizes a a principle for each day. Umoja (Unity), Kujichagua (Self-Determination), Ujima (like “Ujima Village” if you from L.A., means Collective Work & Responsibility), Ujamaa (Cooperative Economics), Nia (Purpose), Kuumba (Creativity), and Imani (Faith). I want to make sure I am giving recognition to our African Ancestors moving forward, though they are what drive me and give me hope that if we come together and follow these principles, we can begin to see the change we want to see. 🖤❤️💚 #HappyKwanzaa #PanAfricanism #BlackLivesMatter https://www.instagram.com/p/Br4Ifw6Amst/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=ivv7nvf3srcw

[crystalinthecity]

Cyntonia Brown, We are fighting for you. We hear your cries. The justice system is fucked up but we are moving towards a better one with you in mind. As a young woman growing up in the hood, I know all about protecting yourself from sick men. I know about pimps and I know about predators. You did nothing wrong baby girl. God is on your side and we will make sure you don’t spend the next 51 years locked up for defending yourself. Tennessee is a southern state at the end of the day and I know for a fact you would have been out if you were in California. A minor and a victim of sex trafficking. I understand what’s happening. I care. Your situation affects me everyday and pushes me to continue to educate and motivate us to push for reform and all together the progression of our people and youth. We will not be silenced on this situation. You will be set free! ❤️ Shoutout to the Black Lives Matter member in Nashville who challenged the Governor’s ability to grant her clemency and all the celebs out here doing they part to spread awareness. We all we got y’all! Call the Governor’s office at [phone] while he’s reviewing her case and considering her clemency. https://www.instagram.com/p/BrVd8ufAJ53/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1vbgx52791yqa

[crystalinthecity]

So happy to be coming home for this monumental event SATURDAY, December 15, 2018 at the California African American Museum 100 Black Kids Creating the World. Dreamhaus is a non-profit organization made up of a group of young artists and innovative thinkers from LA that inspire the youth to dream. They have been working diligently all year to open the doors of their new home, still centrally located in South Los Angeles, to house all of their incredible work and ideas to give back to the community. I was honored to help out a bit before I moved to Atlanta, but now I’m coming back to celebrate at their 5th annual Toy Drive. 🎁 • You don’t want to miss this! They are collecting toys to give back to a local school. There will be food by @grilledfraiche , an open bar, sounds by the homie @deejay.fm , and an audio journey by the very talented, Burning Benjamins. Be apart of the change you want to see in the hood for Christmas! 🌲 • Uber/Lyft highly recommended. $15 parking. 11-15 years of age appropriate donations suggested. Dreamhaus Installation and Merchandise available for purchase. Event is from 7-9 P.M. @caaminla @dreamhausla @smbdy2me #100BlackKidsCreatingTheWorld https://www.instagram.com/p/BrVQygQALqA/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1nbguo40i4vm1