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2013 Essence Music Festival Recap........

Ok so this post is loooong overdue but I wanted to give a recap on my Essence Festival experience. This was my fourth time traveling to NOLA for the festival and I had just as much fun this time around as I did in 2007 when I went for the first time. If you love music, food, being around people, and having a good time than you have to at least make a trip to the Essence Festival once in your lifetime. From concerts to celebrities, contests to seminars, giveaways, food, shopping, and the night life; there’s a little something for everyone to do whether young or older. The weekend of festivities kicked off on the 4 th of July with the first annual “Family Reunion Day” at Woldenberg Park. The day was filled with free live musical performances and the night ended with a fireworks show. My favorite performances were from Biz Markie, Cupid, and Tweet. Tweet has been off of the music scene for a minute so it was good to see her doing her thing and making new music, and might I add

Will We Still Remember Trayvon?

I took a little hiatus from blogging, but now I’m back to add “my 2 cents” on the Trayvon Martin case. What can I say that hasn’t already been expressed about the outcome of the Trayvon Martin/George Zimmerman trial? I had to think long and hard about what Trayvon’s story meant to me before I could put into words what I wanted to say.    My initial reaction when I heard the judge read the “not guilty” verdict was shock; I thought at the least Zimmerman would have been charged with manslaughter for taking the life of another person. My second reaction when I heard the verdict was sympathy for Trayvon’s parents. I can’t imagine the pain his family is going through to have to deal with not only losing a child but to also see the person that took their child’s life go free without having to face the consequences of his actions. It’s hard for me to comprehend how an unarmed teen with a bag of skittles and a drink posed enough of a threat to a man to have his life taken away fr

One Moment in Time: Remembering Whitney One Year Later...

   There are some moments in life that you can look back and vividly remember every single detail. I will never forget the moment when I heard the news that Whitney Houston had passed away. I was out shopping when I overheard two women talking about a female singer who had died. I could barely make out what they were saying, but I heard them say the words "Whitney" and "singer." I remember becoming so anxious and nervous that I couldn’t concentrate on shopping anymore. I took the clothes that I wanted to buy to the cashier, and I hurried to my car to check my phone that I had left on the charger. I had a few missed calls and some text messages, but one text in particular confirmed the news that I was dreading to hear. It read: “ Whitney Houston is dead. ” I remember driving back home, listening to the radio in a state of shock. I pulled my car over and turned down the music, and I just sat in silence for a few minutes while taking in the news. No,

A Dream Fulfilled.........

    On Monday, I sat in front of my television in awe and watched along with millions as President Barack Obama was sworn into office for the second term as president of the United States.   January 21, 2013, wasn’t just inauguration day; coincidently, it was also the national holiday for the late civil rights leader, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Fifty years ago Dr. King stood not too far from where President Barack Obama took the oath and delivered a speech that left an unforgettable imprint on the nation. Dr. King fought so hard for equality and justice, and it was his ultimate dream that people could live in a world where they’re not judged by the color of their skin, but rather by the content of their character. He longed for a day when our differences would not limit us to unequal opportunities. I never thought I would see a black president so early in my life, and I’m so grateful to know that when I have children, they will be

Dreams..........

    One of my old classmates reached out to me in November and asked me to check out a track called "Dreams." I didn’t get a chance to listen to it until mid-December, but I must say when I finally heard the song I was impressed. Anyone who knows me well knows that I’m an avid music lover, especially when the music has meaning. "Dreams" is without a doubt a song with substance; it definitely speaks to the mind of the conscious thinker. The song sheds light on certain taboo issues in the black community, issues people are reluctant to address. These issues include the constant occurrence of senseless violence and people’s lack of morals and priorities. The verse below which is actually one of my favorite verses on the track speaks on one of those issues: “We conditioned to the violence…… black and brown riots, to the point that our alliance follows moments of silence, and it’s sad that the people never see the evil…….. so long as the Gucci belt mat

Out with the old and in with the new.................. 2013 has arrived!!

OMG…. It’s hard to believe another year has come and gone. I can still vividly remember bringing in 2012, and anticipating what the year had in store for me. I decided to opt out of “popping bottles” at a party this year, and instead take the time to reflect on my experiences in 2012, and meditate on what exactly I want to accomplish in 2013. I stopped making resolutions a couple of years ago because I always ended up breaking them before the end of January. Instead of making resolutions, I decided with each new year I will simply aim for progress in any area of my life, whether it’s minor or major. I definitely made progress from 2011 to 2012, and this time next year I want to be able to look back and see that I’ve made progress as well. It’s so easy to become stagnant so I constantly do self-evaluations to check my growth. With a new year comes a new beginning so with that being said, make the most out of 2013. If you have a dream, work on pursuing it. If you hav