"Life consists of different menus. What do you want for your life? What do you crave...personally, academically, spiritually and professionally? Satisfy your
appetite and quench your thirst, but do it with honor" - Alex Luma
Our lives, the structure and quality of them, are shaped by the words, the
decisions, and the lessons we make a conscious decision to
focus on. In a society that often capitalizes on your failures and imposes
systemic barriers based on social and racial dilemmas, following the
goals and dreams you were once barricaded from has to be a non-negotiable
legacy. Stereotypes shouldn't limit the youth who will become our future
innovators.
This blog strives to create a global wave and impact of change in society for
better social, race, environmental and economic conditions for a better future.
This blog features topics surrounding dynamic cultural
issues and the history of the African diaspora, as well as:
social etiquette skills
professional development opportunities
thought provoking images and quotes
self-written articles, reviews and poetry
STEAM fun facts
powerful moments in scientific and black history
art I find meaningful
videos
business/social change accomplishments
amazing innovations
and more.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once said, âLifeâs most persistent and urgent question is: âWhat are you doing for others?ââ
Martin Luther King Jr. was an inspiration and a key figure in civil rights advancement in the United States and around the world as well. He was born Michael King and his name remained as that until a few years later when his father, also Michael King, changed his own name to Martin Luther King Sr. to honor a great protestant reformer. His son's name was also changed to Martin Luther King Jr. M.L.K. Jr. was admitted to Morehouse College at the age of 15 and graduated at the age of 19. He received his Doctorate of Philosophy in Systematic Theology at the age of 26 at Boston University. In addition to being an American pastor, he was a humanitarian, activist and a prominent leader. Following the teachings of Mahatma Gandhi, he consistently used nonviolent methods in his lifetime. He married Coretta Scott on June 18, 1953 and settled in Montgomery, Alabama.
On December 1, 1955, after Rosa Parks was arrested for standing up for what she believed in and refusing to give up her seat on a bus to a white passenger, Martin Luther King Jr. joined the bus boycott. A few days later on December 5, 1955, he was elected president of the Montgomery Improvement Association resulting in him becoming the official representative spokesperson for the boycott. Martin Luther King Jr. and other leaders stood near the bus stops to evaluate their strategy in action. Buses drove by with no African American passengers on board or interested in boarding. Those who were boycotting believed in the cause to the extent that they chose to walk the distance, pedal bicycles, carpool and/or even ride mules. Seeing that the boycott was a success, thousands of people gathered at the Montgomery Church to listen to their leader, Dr. King Jr. Martin Luther King Jr. left the church that night with three demands:
Change the law requiring African American bus passengers to give up their seats to white passengers.
Bus drivers must be courteous to all passengers.
Hire African American bus drivers.
In January of 1956, during the aftermath of bus desegregation, King's house was bombed. On November 13, 1956, bus segregation was declared illegal by the Supreme Court, proving the boycott to be a success, thanks to the combined efforts of Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King Jr., the Montgomery Improvement Association and a united African American community. In June of 1957, both Jackie Robinson and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. had the pleasure of earning their honorary doctorates from Howard University. When Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in 1947 by becoming the first African-American to play in major league baseball, Martin Luther King Jr. was only eighteen years old. When Jackie made that leap and took that initiative, he metaphorically gave Martin Luther King Jr. and the civil rights movement the bat needed to knock racism and segregation as far out and down as possible.
In June of 1963, Martin Luther King Jr. led a freedom walk in Detroit with about 125,000 people. On August 28, 1963, he delivered his famous âI Have A Dream Speechâ, a 17 minute speech which was a call for racial equality and the end of discrimination. It was delivered during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. There were nearly 250,000 people in attendance at this illustrious civil rights demonstration. Throughout his lifetime, he was arrested 30 times for what was identified as civil disobedience. On January 3, 1964, he was portrayed as "Man of the Year" on the cover of Time Magazine. In late 1964, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
Other awards that Martin Luther King Jr. received include, but are not limited to:
Grammy Hall of Fame Award (2012)
Congressional Gold Medal (2004)
Presidential Medal of Freedom (1977)
Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album (1971)
Margaret Sanger Award in Human Rights (1966)
Spingarn Award (1957)
On April 4, 1968, while standing on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee, Martin Luther King Jr. was fatally shot. He died an incredibly motivated, well-spoken, hardworking, inspirational and nonviolent man. His faith, character and moral principles were centrally influenced by his mother (Alberta Williams King), father (Martin Luther King Sr.) and Jesus Christ. He is an outstanding emblem and example of the achievements within black history.
Martin Luther King Jr., may your words live on in the many minds and hearts of the present and future.
âPeople used to tell me a lot of things about Dr. King... that he was trying to take over the world and that he was making money on the civil rights issues. I didnât believe them, of course. I knew this was a dedicated man and that he has made tremendous personal financial sacrifices in the cause. I sort of wondered why people would stoop to talk about him. Then I realized that the world has always talked against great men. The best way to keep from getting talked about is to do nothing.â
â Jackie Robinson
âThe function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. Intelligence plus character - that is the goal of true education.â
â Martin Luther King Jr.
Follow my blog @unapologeticessenceâ
To read more of my Black History posts, visit Unapologetic Ingenuity & Luminary Essence - Black History.
February is Black History Month, a month set to observe the history of the movements and achievements of African Americans and their descendants.
âOur lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.â
â Martin Luther King Jr.
âIn my early years, there were a number of experiences that made me decide I could not afford the luxury of just being an actress. There were a number of issues I wanted to address. I wanted to use my career as a platform.â
â Cicely Tyson
âAll I want for my children â and I think all you want for yours â is a fair and equal chance and respect for their dignity as human beings. Give us that and weâll do the rest.â
â Jackie Robinson
âI'm a perfectionist. I'm pretty much insatiable. I feel there's so many things I can improve on.â
â Serena Williams
âWeâve been floating this country on credit for centuries, yo, and weâre done watching and waiting while this invention called whiteness uses and abuses us, burying black people out of sight and out of mind while extracting our culture, our dollars, our entertainment like oil â black gold, ghettoizing and demeaning our creations then stealing them, gentrifying our genius and then trying us on like costumes before discarding our bodies like rinds of strange fruit. The thing is though⊠the thing is that just because weâre magic doesnât mean weâre not real.â
â Jesse Williams
âThis all started as a love story. And it still is. This love transformed me from a curious, stargazing young girl to a professional astrophysicist, hot on the heels of celestial discovery. Who knew that chasing after the universe would ground me so deeply to my mission here on Earth. Then again, when do we ever know where love's first flutter will truly take us.â
â Jedidah Isler
âSpeak up. You have to project! If people can't hear you, it doesn't matter what you say.â
â Freeman A. Hrabowski III
âNASA is an incredible investment for our nation because what we do not only uncovers new knowledge, it helps raise the bar of human achievement.â
â Charles Frank Bolden Jr.
"I believe that higher education is one of the best investments anybody can make in their future."
â Barack Obama Â
âIf a black man is always cast as the drug dealer but rarely as the righteous successful business man, the conclusion is that it is not believable for a man of color to be inherently good or successful or on the side of righteousness. Good, bad or indifferent, tv helps define our collective reality. If a child grows up never seeing themselves representative as successful or as the hero, then they are the anomaly if they succeed and the expectation if they fail.â
â Yara Shahidi
Follow my blog @unapologeticessenceâ
To read more of my Black History posts, visit Unapologetic Ingenuity & Luminary Essence - Black History.
"I'm not interested in respectability politics or being part of the establishment. I want institutional change."
It takes effort and initiative to create positive and lasting change. If we stand back and do nothing, thatâs exactly what we will get in return...nothing. The problem canât be ignored. It needs to be addressed and change needs to be initiated and implemented, socially and institutionally. The world needs more leaders and visionary minds to stand up for what truly matters and take the initiative to create that lasting positive change for a better world, better society and for better living conditions.Â
One balmy evening as Kwame Rose walked through Mondawmin Mall in Baltimore, an elderly African-American woman spotted him among the bustle of shoppers, waved, and rushed over to say hello.
"Aren't you that Rose fellow â the one who was on TV protesting?" she asked, visibly excited. Appearing surprised, he smiled and politely affirmed that she had the right person.
"I'm proud of you, young man," said the lady, as she wrapped him in a bear hug. "Thank you," he said humbly, returning her embrace with a warm smile.
In his hometown and beyond, the 22-year-old is gaining recognition. Rose is among a new crop of young African-American activists in Baltimore and around the country who have emerged while agitating for social justice.
"I didn't know Freddie Gray, but I thank him for changing my life," he says of the 25-year-old Baltimore man whose April 2015 death in police custody triggered widespread protests. "I was given a sense of purpose, joining a movement to fight for countless Black people who have died due to racial profiling by law enforcement."
A mural of activist Kwame Rose by the artist Nether adorns a wall near the location where Freddie Gray was arrested August 10, 2016 in Baltimore, Maryland.Â
Photo Credit: Win McNamee / Getty Images
"I'm inspired and energized to fight for Black liberation and overall, make the world better," he says. "I'm not interested in respectability politics or being part of the establishment. I want institutional change."
âWokeâ by Empireâs Nessa, portrayed by Sierra A. McClain
When I heard the melody, harmony and rhythm coming from her amazing voice, I was lost for words and I literally had the same expression that Andre had on his face when he heard and witnessed her sing for the first time. This was an amazing song and this woman has got amazing talent. Her beautiful voice, music and delivery continue to captivate me.
Since its premiere in 2014, ABCâs hit comedy series black-ish has captivated the nation with its thought-provoking commentary about being a modern black family in America. In turn, it has produced a bonafide star in Yara Shahidi, who stars as the Johnsonsâ eldest child, Zoey. Aside from starring on the show, Shahidi has become a popular role
Yara Shahidi is an amazing individual, actress, activist and STEM advocate who delivers and articulates powerful messages of great importance. On âBlack-ishâ, a television show that has earned and deserves enormous critical acclaim for its discussion and tackling of complex social and race issues, Yara Shahidi portrays the character, Zoey Johnson.
One of her favorite Zoey lines is: "I'm cool, plus I'm black, which is cool, so I win twice.â
As stated within the article:
âUltimately, as an actor, every story has to be told, but itâs more than saying âI want to make sure that every black person on TV is a good role model.â What we are lacking now is the balance of good, bad and indifferent characters. We have a lot of characters that are entertaining to watch, and they are all played by talented people, but itâs not who you want to be or your sister or your mother or brother to be.â Â - Yara Shahidi
As a dynamic force in Hollywood, what keeps her grounded the most:
âI feel like there is nowhere to go other than the ground, if that makes any sense,â she said while laughing. She went into detail about stereotypes that black actors face and how they can be misinterpreted. âSo many times, actors will get bad reps for being full of themselves. Confidence, especially on women and people of color, is misconstrued as being conceited,â she said.
âWhat makes me just âYaraâ and not refer to myself as âan actress Yara Shahidi,â  is the fact that Iâm a kid and I like being a kid. I like having a normal life. My normal is different from most peopleâs normal, but there still is a balance of I talk to friends and sometimes I text too much, and Iâm also in school and balancing classes, and I have a family that supports that. So acting has not absorbed my entire world, which has allowed me to have a base reality. My base reality is our reality. Itâs not a set. Itâs not a character. Itâs not a show. Itâs planet Earth.âÂ
âSheâll have hour-long conversations with random people if she knows anything about what they are trying to do, like âok, here are all of my connections I have, hereâs this, hereâs that.â And so many people are like âstop talking and monetize that,â but it comes from this place in her heart where she canât stop talking if she knows how to help you, and that is just very powerful to watch,â she said.
To read the full article, visit:Â BLAVITY EXCLUSIVE: YARA SHAHIDI TALKS ABOUT NORMALIZING DIVERSITY, HER ASPIRATIONS, âBLACK-ISHâ & MORE
9-year-old Anaya Lee Willabus, is youngest published âchapterâ book author in U.S. history
âBrooklynâs Anaya Lee Willabus loves reading more than anything she can name.
Whatâs her favorite book? Well, thatâs easy. Her own.
Anaya is 9 and the youngest published author in U.S. history to write a chapter book. Her page-turner The Day Mohan Found His Confidence about a boyâs struggle to balance life at home and school has inspired students from New York to Guyana, where her parents were born.
 Anaya was one of several local residents feted Thursday at a Brooklyn Borough Hall Black History celebration honoring young community leaders.
âI like to read all genres, of books,â Anaya told the News. âI love both reading and writing. They both have something that I love in them.â
Donât get her wrong, her mother, Dimple, said. Anaya watches TV, eats candy and fights with her siblings like any other kid. But when it comes to books, thereâs just a certain magic that happens.â (via nydailynews)
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once said, âLifeâs most persistent and urgent question is: âWhat are you doing for others?ââÂ
The MLK Day of Service empowers individuals, strengthens communities, bridges barriers, creates solutions to social problems, and moves us closer to Dr. Kingâs vision of a beloved community. Â
Each year, Americans across the country come together on the King holiday (1/16/17) and throughout the year to serve their communities and neighbors. This is an effort and attempt to create and deliver solutions to the worldâs most urgent national problems. To find a volunteer project or register your own, visit http://mlkday.gov.
Martin Luther King, Jr⊠May your words live on in the many minds and hearts of the present and future.Â
I can have the greatest profession, be financially strong, leave a powerful and dynamic legacy⊠but if I donât take the time to help others or humanity, then I havenât done well.
Stop worrying and stressing about whoâs not paying attention to you. Work hard. Persevere. When you make it across the pathway to your vision, theyâll be pretending they understood your mindset and long term vision the whole time.
In a society that grows and feeds on your failures, following the goals and dreams you were once barricaded from has to be a legacy that should not be questioned.
The more you focus and the harder you work, the sooner youâll see your goals and the beautiful blessings associated with them. The more you give up and make excuses, the more time you waste on the outside of your dreams and the more time it will take to achieve those blessings and results you desire and deserve. Follow your dreams and be the best you that you can be, even if you have doubts that you can.
There will always be someone incapable of seeing your worth. Do not allow that person to be you. Have faith in yourself. Stay motivated and strive for success and greatness. Open the door to all that you deserve.
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