radicallyshe - Tumblr blog

[radicallyshe]

Still I Roar

The beauty of my curls The sway of my hips The curves in my body The fullness in my lips My unapologetic pride in our Black strides The beauty of my Blackness that I dare not hide

You're intimidated You're angry You're jealous But why? Does my Blackness make you uncomfortable? Would you like me to deny my Blackness to make our conversations more bearable? I will not.

My voice is too strong My knowledge is power You hate me so much you beg me to cower. I will not break. I will be silenced. I take pride in my Blackness and I don't need your White Privileged Ignorant guidance on how I should speak, how I should act, how I should dress. You will not suppress my Blackness.

[radicallyshe]

Let that s*!t go.

[radicallyshe]

Why am I mad?

I am angry... But why? Do you ever feel that rage in side that consumes your heart and your soul and then soon it will start to eat at your pride. You see, I’m not trying to harbor on these feelings that are stacked high as the seelings Or cure my anxiety with my next dealing of...medicine. 

I want to smile. I want to laugh. I want to feel overwhelming joy in my heart and soul and let the evil of my mind sink to my feet so I can WALK on it. Stomp on it. 

Why am I angry? Is it my struggles as a afro latina woman? Discovering ways to navigate through this adult world?

Or Is it the fact that I know too much now to not question the bullshit that’s fed to me on the daily in this society. 

Breath

I need to breath and release what is holding me because my spirit is crumbling My faith is dwindling and all I want to know is... Why am I mad?

[radicallyshe]

916

This is for my girls born in 96 That be ridin real dirty in the 916 Won’t you drop it real low gon n take some flics You be lookin too fly to not to be on ya sh*t

Gon spend a lil cash gon shake some a**  Tell ya girl to pull up Time to let time pass Don’t be worried bout tha haters They don’t never last You got that long college money not just the BA in BAD.

[radicallyshe]

[radicallyshe]

For who ever else needed this today 🧡

[radicallyshe]

[radicallyshe]

To my Sacramento girls trying to make it out:

When you graduate high school and enter to college, you’re thinking about all the fun things you’re going to get to do since you’re finally out of your parents home. Weekend parties. Dorm life. Spontaneous adventures. College is the life by the looks of it on our television screens. However, not everyone discusses the realities of transitioning into a four-year university and the different challenges you will encounter.

Coming from a family who immigrated to the United States and all successfully graduated college, the expectation was that everyone in our family would follow the same path. I had a rough start. I went into high school thinking I would graduate with an offer from Stanford and go pre-med but boy was I wrong! Instead, I failed my sophomore year and never passed my math or science classes. I went through my senior year walking on thin ice with a handful of college acceptance letters but I ended up falling through cracks. I was extremely upset with myself because I wanted to prove to everyone that I could go to a four-year university straight out of school but instead, I was going to a community college. This was humbling. I blamed myself because passing my senior year was easy but I could never find the motivation to pass some of my classes. I guess I needed something  to challenge me.

On my first day of community college, I did everything I could to ensure that I wouldn’t see anyone I knew. My goal was to come to school every day for the next two years and transfer with an Associates. Two years then turned into 2 1/2 years because I didn’t meet the requirements to apply for a university when I had expected to. Humbling experience number two. I was ready to leave Sacramento and was tired of hearing no. As much as I love my city, at that time there weren’t many opportunities for me to do what I wanted to do in entertainment. I had to continue my fight and end up at a four year university no matter how much work I had to put it.

My past two years at CSUN have been very rewarding. I have had the pleasure of completing two internships, have met many beautiful people, I’ve gained a few pounds from all of the amazing food, and I’ve learned things about myself I would’ve never learned if I didn’t leave home. Leave home. Get out of your comfort zone and stop depending on the people around you to make you happy. If you know what you want out of your life, then go and get it because no one is going to hand it to you. You need to work for it. You have to lose sleep for it. Everything that you want will not always come easy. I want more for you all because I remember what it feels like not having it for myself. If you needed a sign to tell you to be radical, here it is. Do it.

Today, here I am. A Alumni of California State University, Northridge. My journey was not easy and I had many sleepless nights and times of struggle. Besides all the doors that closed in my face, so many opened just by me taking a leap of faith to secure a successful future. Sacramento will always be home and I can’t wait to take everything I’ve learned back to my city. I write about my story because I want others to know that regardless of what has happened in the past, you can make a change for the better. People will tell you you can’t do something because they cannot do it themselves. Believe in yourself and what you’re capable of doing because you will surprise yourself. I did.

[radicallyshe]

Phenomenal Woman

by Maya Angelou

Pretty women wonder where my secret lies. I’m not cute or built to suit a fashion model’s size But when I start to tell them, They think I’m telling lies. I say, It’s in the reach of my arms The span of my hips, The stride of my step, The curl of my lips. I’m a woman Phenomenally. Phenomenal woman, That’s me. I walk into a room Just as cool as you please, And to a man, The fellows stand or Fall down on their knees. Then they swarm around me, A hive of honey bees. I say, It’s the fire in my eyes, And the flash of my teeth, The swing in my waist, And the joy in my feet. I’m a woman Phenomenally. Phenomenal woman, That’s me. Men themselves have wondered What they see in me. They try so much But they can’t touch My inner mystery. When I try to show them They say they still can’t see. I say, It’s in the arch of my back, The sun of my smile, The ride of my breasts, The grace of my style. I’m a woman Phenomenally. Phenomenal woman, That’s me. Now you understand Just why my head’s not bowed. I don’t shout or jump about Or have to talk real loud. When you see me passing It ought to make you proud. I say, It’s in the click of my heels, The bend of my hair, the palm of my hand, The need of my care, ‘Cause I’m a woman Phenomenally. Phenomenal woman, That’s me. 

[radicallyshe]

Raising awareness for mental health is extremely important. Many people suffer from depression and anxiety starting from a young age. Statistics show that 75% of people under the age of 24 suffer from depression. If this issue is so big, why aren’t we talking about it? We look to media to give us the latest trends on fashion, music, gossip and everything that’s hot. Deep down, we all know that these platforms could do more to raise awareness on issues that drastically affect our communities but, we are also the drivers of this platform.

Through catchy lyrics and rhythmic beats, Ariana Grande has captured the hearts and ears of people around the world. When my sister was going through a very dark phase in her life, she told me that the only CD she would constantly play is Ariana Grande‘s Your’s Truly album. I thought to myself, how can an Ariana Grande album save you from yourself? I was a huge fan back then but I don’t think I had dove into her music or the messages she was trying to send. Sometimes a powerful message falls short on young ears. Now that I am an adult, I am still a very big Ariana Grande fan but I listen to her lyrics with caution. I analyze her sweet melodies and thought-provoking content because the message she is trying to send to her audience, is even bigger than herself. After experiencing a mass shooting at her concert a couple of years ago and losing her best friend and lover, Mac Miller, to drug overdose, Ariana has had to fight to keep her mental health together. One of the most creative outlets to do this, is through music.

Sweetener, Ariana’s newest album, was a pivotal album and a great start for a conversation about mental health. Her lyrics on her song Get Well Soon say:

This is for everybody Babe, you gotta take care of your body, yuh yuh Ain't no time to deny it, that is why we talking about it Yeah, we talking about it So deal with it, don't try to get by it Ain't no time to deny it So we had to sit down and just write it

This song spoke to my heart, especially with so much going on in my personal life but I think her writing this, also helped save her from herself during a rough patch in her life. I have cried and laughed and danced to this entire album. Still she was not done. In the midst of a rocky stage in my relationship, she drops Thank You, Next. In most cases when we talk about an ex, there isn’t too much positivity surrounding the discussion. Even in music, it’s always about one upping the other person and feeling like you could do better. Although we all could most likely do better than our ex, what about being thankful for them and the memories you shared? What about appreciating the lessons they taught you and looking at your future optimistically? In her song she says “I’m so f*ckin thankful for my ex!” and I think that’s pretty radical.

A couple of weeks later she releases the visual and not only was it iconic, but it was dedicated to movies about strong women! She also implemented hidden images about immigration and other issues surrounding our world today. I say all of this because I feel as if Arianna grande is still very underrated. Her ambition and drive to raise awareness on mental health, social issues and women’s mobility, has gone unrecognized for too long. Now that her voice can no longer be unheard, people are listening. Her fight for change is saving the lives of many. Thank you, Ariana.

🎀 I just wanted to save these iconic moments from Thank U Next 💜 🎀

[radicallyshe]

The album titled The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill provides cover art depicted as a desk, schooling the listener on the black woman’s narrative typically unheard and undermined. Stories of struggle, self-love, God, and a recollection of past loves are preached through Lauryn’s unmatched angelic voice, rhythmic melodies, and neo soul vibes. She has an unparalleled smoothness and honest style about her with her natural hair, melanin woven into her skin, and flow that makes you bop your head up and down. As the music mogul described her music style, “[I wanted to] write songs that lyrically move me and have the integrity of reggae and the knock of hip-hop and the instrumentation of classic soul.”

Lauryn Hill has inspired and paved the way for many up and coming black female artists in the music industry. Artists such as Normani, Chloe x Halle, Rapsody, and a slew of others. Lauryn used her voice as a vehicle into the promise land of womanhood accompanied with blackness. Years later, her eternal musicianship still ripples through the industry and has inspired young female artists as they took time to comment on their hip-hop idol:

“Lauryn has her own unique way of storytelling and capturing every woman’s truth in a matter of minutes. She makes music with purpose that means something.” – Normani

“She paved the way for so many women in this male-dominated industry. And as young, black, female songwriters and producers, Ms. Hill has made us feel confident in our abilities. We look at her and say, “If she can do it, then so can we.” There are no limits.” - Chloe x Halle

” You’re going to get the real Lauryn, not a manufactured person. She didn’t care whether you liked it or not. You can tell without a doubt that she walked in her own light -- nobody could dim her. Maybe that's one of the reasons she left, because she knew she had that power. There's no fame, there's no amount of money that defines Lauryn.”– Rapsody

“What I love about Lauryn is I feel like there’s a constant battle between mind and heart. At the end of the day, you have to do what your passion is. Logically, it would have been better for me to graduate college and get a 9 to 5, but that’s not what my heart wants to do. Sometimes you have to follow your heart, that’s what I learned from her as an artist.” – Saweetie

“Her music oozes with honesty, and that is something I respect and have always looked up to. The album simply taught me to be myself and not be afraid of the different situations and emotions life takes you through. She taught me that it was okay to be unapologetically vulnerable -- but not naive. She put it all in her music, and that I thoroughly respect. If you can listen to an album 20 years later and still feel it as much as you did or -- in my case -- even more, it is a true and undeniable classic.” – Ella Mai

Many may not know that she created this masterpiece while pregnant. The emcee, songstress rejected society’s notion that they must choose between family and a career. The fourth track, “To Zion,” was for her son whom she carried while creating the album. she sings, referencing those who told her to consider an abortion so she wouldn’t ruin her career.

Men choices are never binary as seen with women with regards to choosing between family and career. This is typically seen with women high in power. Her album is timeless because it brings a sense of vulnerability and its universal message to reach people. The configuration of the album as a whole is just amazing which is why artists like Drake, J Cole, and I’m sure many others have sampled her music. 

[radicallyshe]

By: piernacruzada

[radicallyshe]

Bow down for the queen

[radicallyshe]