black-is-beautiful18

[black-is-beautiful18]

Write it shitty, write it scared, write it without a clue but don't you be so spineless and have an AI write fanfic for you.

[black-is-beautiful18]

August 3

Syreeta Wright, known mononymously as Syreeta, was an American singer-songwriter, best known for her music during the early 1970s through the early 1980s. Wright's career heights were songs in collaboration with her ex-husband Stevie Wonder and musical artist Billy Preston. Wikipedia

Born: 1946, Pittsburgh, PA

Died: July 6, 2004 (age 58 years), Los Angeles, CA

Deborah Anne Dyer OBE, known mononymously by the stage name Skin, is a British singer, musician and songwriter. She is the lead vocalist of Skunk Anansie, who are often grouped as part of the Britrock movement in the UK, and has gained attention for her powerful, wide-ranging soprano voice and striking look. Wikipedia

Born: 1967 (age 58 years), Brixton, London, United Kingdom

Kristie Ray: August 3, 1971 (It was entirely too difficult to find good photos of this lady. Smh)

Jourdan Sherise Dunn is a British model. She was discovered in Hammersmith Primark in 2006 and signed to The Squad Management in London. She began appearing on international runways in early 2007. In February 2008, she was the first black model to walk a Prada runway in over a decade. Wikipedia

1990

[black-is-beautiful18]

the funny thing is that i don't think younger people - and i mean those under the age of 40 - really have a grasp on how many of today's issues can be tied back to a disastrous reagan policy:

war on drugs: reagan's aggressive escalation of the war on drugs was a catastrophic policy, primarily targeting minority communities and fueling mass incarceration. the crusade against drugs was more about controlling the Black, Latino and Native communities than addressing the actual problems of drug abuse, leading to a legacy of broken families and systemic racism within the criminal justice system.

deregulation and economic policies: reaganomics was an absolute disaster for the working class. reagan's policies of aggressive tax cuts for the rich, deregulation, and slashing social programs were nothing less than class warfare, deepening income inequality and entrenching corporate greed. these types of policies were a clear message that reagan's america was only for the wealthy elite and a loud "fuck you" to working americans.

environmental policies: despite his reputation being whitewashed thanks to the recovery of the ozone layer, reagan's environmental record was an unmitigated disaster. his administration gutted critical environmental protections and institutions like the EPA, turning a blind eye to pollution and corporate exploitation of natural resources. this blatant disregard for the planet was a clear sign of prioritizing short-term corporate profits over the future of the environment.

AIDS crisis: reagan's gross neglect of the aids crisis was nothing short of criminal and this doesn't even begin to touch on his wife's involvement. his administration's indifference to the plight of the lgbtq+ community during this devastating epidemic revealed a deep-seated bigotry and a complete failure of moral leadership.

mental health: reagan's dismantling of mental health institutions under the guise of 'reform' led directly to a surge in homelessness and a lack of support for those with mental health issues. his policies were cruel and inhumane and showed a personality-defining callous disregard for the most vulnerable in society.

labor and unions: reagan's attack on labor unions, exemplified by his handling of the patco strike, was a blatant assault on workers' rights. his actions emboldened corporations to suppress union activities, leading to a significant erosion of workers' power and rights in the workplace. he was colloquially known as "Ronnie the Union Buster Reagan"

foreign policy and military interventions: reagan's foreign policy, particularly in latin america, was imperialist and ruthless. his administration's support for dictatorships and right-wing death squads under the guise of fighting "communism" showed a complete disregard for human rights and self-determination of other nations.

public health: yes, reagan's agricultural policies actually facilitated the rise of high fructose corn syrup, once again prioritizing corporate profits over public health. this shift in the food industry has had lasting negative impacts on health, contributing to the obesity epidemic and other health issues.

privatization: reagan's push for privatization was a systematic dismantling of public services, transferring wealth and power to private corporations and further eroding the public's access to essential services.

education policies: his approach to education was more of an attack on public education than anything else, gutting funding and promoting policies that undermined equal access to quality education. this was, again, part of a broader agenda to maintain a status quo where the privileged remain in power.

this is just what i could come up with in a relatively short time and i did not even live under this man's presidency. the level at which ronald reagan has broken the united states truly can't be overstated.

[black-is-beautiful18]

Ambessa and Power

I've said before that Ambessa's rise to power feels like a fall from grace of the personal kind. She ends up the head of the family like she always wanted, but the succession war costs her everything and puts her in a terrible position for the fight against the Black Rose.

Ambessa is willing to go to great lengths to become her grandfather’s successor, but she does suffer because of those decisions she makes.

So, what are those beliefs that lead her to make decisions that she knows will hurt her ?

1. Necessity

By the time she is at war with Ta'Fik, one could argue it's too late to find a peaceful solution. She can't not fight for the position as head of the family because Ta'Fik already wants her dead. Obviously, she wouldn't let Ta'Fik win, even if she knew that he had no intention of hurting her, but by the time the war started, the conflict that started the feud between them was already old. Necessity does play a role here.

Apart from the succession war, violent conflict seems to be so common in Noxus that you need to be strong if you want to survive. Ambessa believes that life in Noxus is inherently dangerous and that you need to be strong and powerful to stay alive.

"I'm not sure. But this is Noxus; half of these Houses are run by spineless vipers, and the other half are starving drakehounds. One wrong step, and they'll bite. If Mel isn't strong enough to fend them off-"

Ambessa when talking to Azizi about Mel.

2. Upbringing

Ambessa is raised by her grandfather, who strives to make her a warleader in his image. She is 10 years old when she starts training under his tutelage and 15 when she first goes to war.

She puts a lot of emphasis on the importance of choosing the life you want. When asking Rell if she wants to be a soldier, she tells us that Menelik gave her the very same choice, but later on, in a conversation with her older brother, we learn that Ambessa's mother gave her to Menelik at a young age to make up for her brother's cowardice on the battlefield.

From then on, Ambessa's only parental figure is someone with a very specific goal for her in mind. Ambessa knows that her grandfather raises her to make her a warrior and because she has the potential to be his heir. She doesn't see that as contradictory to her ambitions being born of her own free will (I do).

We all are socialised one way or another, and all our decisions exist in the context of our upbringing, but we aren't all pushed into one direction as strongly as Ambessa was.

Choices and actions that adhered to the warrior way, that proved ambition and skill were rewarded; everything else was punished with disregard or exclusion.

The result is ambition and a want for power that becomes inherent to Ambessa, so much so that she can't imagine herself without it.

"In her youth, her grandfather had given her different tokens of his approval at this victory or that proving."

3. Hunger

Ambessa is ambitious and does enjoy being seen as strong and exercising power.

When talking to Rell, she talks about the "joy of the hunt" as one of the joys of a warrior's life. There are parts in the book where she does enjoy killing (eg. Killing Smik). I wouldn't say that she likes killing in general. Smik was personal. The overall attitude she has towards it seems to be a practised lack of empathy. Violence is a means to an end for her and not the end itself.

In some places in the book, she describes her want for power and her ambitions as "hunger".

"As your own hunger has brought you here, said a dark voice in Ambessa's mind."

4. Duty and Family

The explanation she uses most commonly is that she fights to become the head of the clan for her family.

In Arcane, when she is confronted by Mel about wanting to start a war in Piltover, she declares that she would "set the world ablaze to protect [their] family."

When she hugs her children goodbye, she is reminded that she goes to war for them, even though they absolutely do not want her to fight.

When her grandfather tells her about his ominous vision for the family, she sees it as her duty to prevent that vision from becoming true.

Sometimes, when she talks about fighting for the family, it's also in reference to bringing glory to the clan and strengthening them.

Depending on what she means, she wants power for protection, which plays into the necessity aspect again or for its own sake (to make the family powerful).

In the cases where it's about protection, the family she is referring to are often Kino, Mel, and Azizi, sometimes Rell and Rictus. Those are people she genuinely loves and wants to protect and keep safe.

When it's about glory, "family" often becomes a more abstract concept. It's more about the clan as a whole and less about the people in it. Sometimes, the pursuit of power for the Medarda name can even be detrimental to the individuals who carry that name.

Ambessa uses both of these definitions of family. Glory and protection are both important to her, but she does refer to Mel and Kino very often. There is a lot to be said about the things she does in the name of family, but no one can say that she does not love those kids or that she doesn't try to do what's best for them with limited emotional means at her disposal.

"How can I prove to you that I only ever wanted what the clan needed?"

Ambessa to Gessik

"In his embrace, though, the anger didn't diminish. It simply took on a new form. Mel's and Kino's faces appeared behind her closed eyelids. She needed to make them safe."

Ambessa, after finding out about the death of her husband

5. Power is supposed to be uncomfortable

Ambessa has values and feelings that are in conflict with every single thing she does in that book, but she almost never acts on them.

The reason for that is that she doesn't view power as something that is easy to come by or comfortable to have.

Some people believe that humankind is inherently evil and that we must control ourselves so that we don't all kill each other.

Other people believe that we are so good that we must force ourselves to kill another human being if the need arises or that something terrible must have happened to people who are violent or they wouldn't be violent.

I feel like Ambessa's worldview is closer (not identical) to the second one. Now, that might seem like a contradiction if she also believes that Noxus is dangerous because everyone wants to kill each other, but I don't think that's necessarily the case.

She doesn't believe that all the other houses are evil and just giving into their urges when they fight each other. Compassion is seen as the easy thing to do. Mel wanting to spare the princesse's life was seen as weak. Killing her, on the other hand, is the strong and difficult thing to do.

That's why she never listens to the feelings that tell her that something is wrong. She believes that the right decision is supposed to hurt like a muscle after training.

"Nothing Ambessa said as they traveled had made Mel understand just how uncomfortable power was."

[black-is-beautiful18]

Black Women in Period Costumes

[black-is-beautiful18]

Miss Black American 1972

[black-is-beautiful18]

Noxus imaginings and Chosen of the Wolf pondering

I will answer to a higher calling.

I believe that one of the central themes in the Noxus spinoff will be duty. Whether it is a duty to oneself, to family, to a place or an ideal. I believe there will be a general sense of calling for the characters.

The sense of duty could possibly conflict with Mel’s fourth principle of compassion. What happens when your sense of duty conflicts with your own sensibilities. Who does one answer to, the collective or oneself?

The reason I bring up Ambessa’s book is because a sense of duty is an underlying theme for almost all of the characters and a source conflict. Each character answers to a different calling as well. The disastrous consequences of when duties conflict and people refuse to bend, so they break.

The Noxus spin off will ponder these question: who am I ? Who do I wish to become? Who do I need to become? My own personal headcanon is that the first season or act ( if there are more than just 9 episodes) will be very introspective, especially for Mel. She will need to figure out what she answers to. Family? A sense of duty? Justice? Herself?

*Would love some thoughts on this cause the sense of duty theme is rarely brought up on my side of the internet.*

[black-is-beautiful18]

Chosen of the Wolf Spotlight

Ambessa calling Mel beautiful 😫

[black-is-beautiful18]

Modern au Mel Medarda

hair 1 hair 2 hair 3 hair 4

glitter shoulder tattoos* leg tattoos

1. top skirt sandals ear cuff purse

2. dress* heels gloves earrings choker piercing

3. top skirt* acc panty sandals arm accs necklace

4. top pants shoes earrings flowers purse

5. outfit(simfinds) boots leggings lip cuff earrings

*recolored myself/altered by color slider

[black-is-beautiful18]

Chosen of the Wolf Spotlight

How Rudo sees Mel. She is more precious than the sun to him.

[black-is-beautiful18]

So much happening here.

Ambessa having such an intense fear of being forgotten that the thought of Ta'Fik coming to mock and kill her is a comfort.

Her immediately worrying about what her death would mean for her family.

It always comes down to these two things with her, legacy and family. In her goals and in her fears.

The bond she has with Rictus is everything. One look, and he knows what's up. That's her best friend right there.

Their whole escape was really impressive, tbh. I feel like Ambessa's cunningness and strategic mind are often taken for granted in discussions about her. We know she can fight, and we know she looks cool when she does, but throughout the entire book, the odds were never once in her favour, and she still made that work.

[black-is-beautiful18]

Arcane really fucked up making Ambessa a big bad(TM) in season 2. Her ambitions and drive coming off as an omniscient person pulling certain strings are terribly misaligned with what we have learned of her character in season 1 and her book.

It is yet again another case of the character of black women in stories being misshaped and inflated to be perceived as the villain of the story when her story is one that cannot be reduced to villainy for the sake of driving the overall story. It doesn't make sense.

In my opinion she, and by extension Mel, are case studies of generational trauma. Women who move and sacrifice for the sake of survival, care for their family and loved ones, and suppressed emotion.

All of those parts of Ambessa that make her a compelling character were completely ignored. And it is a damn shame.

[black-is-beautiful18]

Chosen of the Wolf Spotlight

Uggh lord please take all her suffering give it to the nearest man. Don’t worry Ambessa you were enough for me.

[black-is-beautiful18]

✅️Vetted by @gazavetters , my number verified on the list is ( #515) ✅️

Please don't skip this, we are starving to death in Gaza 😭😥

Make it viral to save my kids ❤️😔

We deprived from all of these basics of life and left for no reason. Our stomachs are empty and our children are hungry. We are silently waiting to die. You are our last hope. Please do not forget us and donate even a little. Our dream became meat and chicken after we were full of hope and life and wished to become doctors and engineers. This war is a real genocide that is not fair 😭‼️

Update Chuffed;;

$3,857 Raised of $100,000

Ends in 8 weeks on 31 Aug 2025, 11:45am

Today is 29th of Jul and the starvation is increasing day by day 💔💔💔😢😢😢😢

Please read this till the end 💔🙏🙏🙏

I'm Areej Shatat I'm a mother for three kids and need your help in getting a bag of flour for my kids to feed them some bread and to know more about us, there is nothing to eat except bread so please make your best efforts to give me some money to buy a bag of flour for those kids 💔💔💔

My daughters and son always ask me: “When will we eat like other children?”💔💔💔😢 and there's no answer for this‼️

One bag of flour costs 1000$ please help me to have this money each two weeks so in one month I need 2000$

Please share this as much as you can 🙏🙏🙏🙏😢😢😢😢😢

I also have baby reem who is only 6 months and she needs diabers One bag of this costs 100$ and I need every month 4 bags so it costs 400$

Also one can of milk costs 100$

Please do your best to help even with 5$

Please Donate here please my babies are waiting you 😢🙏🥺🥺🥺⬇️⬇️

You can support me here 🙏❤️

Or directly here

Or here

[black-is-beautiful18]

“But Sally Bowels isn’t supposed to be a good singer! 😡”

Nowhere is that stated. It’s simply an acting choice based off of something from the book that still doesn’t exactly say that Sally is a bad singer. Like it’s nowhere in the script or anything. Marisha Wallace was great on the West End and I have no doubt she’s gonna be amazing on Broadway. Her choosing to make Sally a good singer because she is now being played by a Black woman and therefore is Black was an educated decision. I remember Marisha taking us on her journey as Sally in the West End and actively reading about Black people in Germany during WW2. She knows what she’s doing. In one of her videos where she explains her singing choices it is clear that she even did research on Black cabaret singers in Europe. One happening to be Josephine Baker. These clubs were segregated. Black women could not get jobs if they could not sing or dance. It didn’t matter what was going on with the white performers. They had to be good. They had no choice. That is how Marisha is interpreting her Sally and I personally love it. Anyone else that has a problem with it can take it with god at this point cuz if you really think these performers are just doing whatever without approval from the director…Yikes.

[black-is-beautiful18]

🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇 ANTI DEPRESSION BAT ATTACK 🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇 🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇

[black-is-beautiful18]

Billy Porter has never been the smartest person in my eyes, but what we’re not gonna do is be racist and antiblack. Absolutely not. I don’t care if you don’t think his casting in Cabaret makes sense or if you don’t like his acting choices. You can say that without being offensive. This goes for anybody. White, Black, Asian, Latino, etc. Cuz I see y’all. Other Black ppl who aren’t afraid to call this mess out see y’all too. At first, I didn’t get what the big deal was and that was mainly because I am not familiar with Cabaret. Why was everyone acting so weird about the way he chose to sing that specific song? No one had bothered to say the exact why until today, and now I get it. Then there’s his role in general as the Emcee…When you cast Black performers our Blackness is not something we can take off. Billy choosing to make it so that his version of the Emcee is an African American man who fled to Germany to escape America makes total sense. He could have gone with being a Black German man but Billy is not German and he also picked an interpretation that worked well with him. As he has every right to. People are being absolutely obtuse about it though which doesn’t surprise me. Then there’s just the need to pick him apart completely. Saying “he sounds like he’s in Hamilton” is not the gag y’all think it is and is in fact getting you side eyed by many ppl cuz that’s racist as heck. Again: I don’t care if you don’t like Billy’s acting choices. You have your right to your opinion, but we are not going to start saying slick stuff thinking that it’s clever and funny when really it just makes you look like an idiot. And yes, it is racist. If that comment is coming from ppl from the Hamilton fandom as well…I don’t put it past y’all to be racist because that’s the exact reason why I left the fandom but that’s another story for another day. I just need y’all, since you’re so comfortable being racist, to state the real reason as to why you don’t like Billy Porter in Cabaret and call it a day.