Welcome to the New Black Renaissance

Today, I happened to stumble across my new year’s resolutions from 2008. Looking back, a lot of the habits that I wanted to change 10 years ago are still things that I need to work on. That’s depressing, but I’m not alone in the millions of people who make these promises to themselves that they don’t keep. New Year’s resolution customs are more common in Western culture, but it happens all over the world. It’s a tradition that has BEEN happening for quite some time. NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS ORIGINS The ancient Babylonians are regarded as the first people to make New Year’s resolutions about 4,000 years ago. They were also the first to hold celebrations to bring in the new year – they were recorded every year in mid-March when the crops were planted. During this 12-day religious celebration, known as Akitu, the Babylonians crowned a new king or reaffirmed their loyalty to their reigning king. They also made promises to the gods to pay their debts and return any borrowed objects. If

I have saved almost every piece that I’ve written since I was in the 7 th grade; that’s when my creativity began to emerge and demand more of my attention than the television. The one essay that I imagined keeping for the rest of my days was the one that granted my acceptance into Florida State University. From the tender age of eleven, I had my educational plans in order. I knew the middle and high school that I was going to attend. And I knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that I would apply to FSU and attend in the fall of 2008. Most of my premonitions came true. I attended the primary and secondary schools of my choice, and I was accepted to attend FSU. I chose to go to the University of South Florida instead of living out my all-time educational dream. This decision was difficult and based off many factors, but my most emotional rationale was grounded in the lie that I wove to create my admissions essay. At that point, I didn’t understand that my ability to create a

“Stronger than lover's love is lover's hate. Incurable, in each, the wounds they make.” I’d rather be reading Medea by Euripides rather than starting my weekly wash-day routine. Euripides'  Medea  opens in a state of conflict. Jason has abandoned his wife, Medea, along with their two children. He hopes to advance his station by remarrying with Glauce, the daughter of Creon - king of Corinth. Jason's recent abandonment of his family has crushed Medea emotionally, to the degree that she curses her own existence, as well as that of Jason and her two children. Fearing a possible plot of revenge, Creon banishes Medea and her children from the city. After pleading for mercy, Medea is granted one day before she must leave. After securing sanctuary in Athens, Medea sets her plan for revenge in motion. She intends on using her last day to complete her quest for justice. An easy read when it comes to the genre of Greek tragedies, for me Medea stands as the

“He had undergone the tortures of Doc Crookman’s devilish machine in order to escape the conspicuous-ness of a dark skin and now he was being made conspicuous because he had once had a dark skin! Could one never escape the plagued race problem?” I’d rather be reading Black No More by George Schuyler instead of making sure I get enough sleep for my early shift tomorrow. Published in 1931, this Harlem Renaissance novel considers what would happen if Black people could be turned into White people. After being rejected by a beautiful White girl from visiting from Atlanta, Max Disher – Black Harlem native, decides to become White. Max is the first to undergo a new and painful scientific transformation and becomes Matthew Fisher. His life changes completely, as he can go to certain parties and congregate with groups of White people without being detected. He even joins forces to become the leader of a white supremacist group in Atlanta and marries the pretty white girl who rejected

About a week ago I attended a small fashion show presented by LC’s Café & Supper Club and Veronica Morgan, owner of Ronnie’s Simple Sewing. The fashion that I saw amazed me, especially since the show consisted of ten pieces that transformed into over 50 outfits! Impossible, right? Nope. Very possible and very chic. Veronica Morgan’s business was born in December 2016 from the inside of her wardrobe. She found herself ridding her closet of the clothes that she didn’t wear, only to refill it with new purchases. This was a constant struggle of hers. Instead of continuing this vicious cycle she decided to do something about it. As a seamstress, Ronnie reused her excess clothes that were out-of-style to create new pieces. Instead of filling her closet with purchases, she began to fill it up with clothes that she made. She had another thought: Why did people need to buy multiple garments to achieve multiple stylish looks? They didn’t, and she knew why not. And thus, Ronnie’s Wr

The first sitcom aired that on American television was Mary Kay and Johnny in 1947. The first all-Black cast sitcom emerged as a spin-off from a minstrel radio show with a White casted duo. It was Amos ‘n’ Andy . Deemed a show of racial stereotypes by some and a pivotal point in history for Black actors in lead roles by others, this show aired in 1951. The first time an African American starred in a non-stereotypical role on television was in 1968, in Julia – she was a mother, a widow, and professional nurse, living with her son in a nice suburban home. In the same instance, the show was a presentation of what was described as a White Negro – being produced, written, and directed by White people. The first Black-sitcom to portray the Black experience without enforcing common stereotypes and keeping a realistic view of Black life was Sanford and Son in 1972. The lack of representation of people of color within the media has been up for debate. And although the amo