this.soul.loves

dynamicafrica:

A List Of Some Of My Favourite Books By African Writers.

In honor of International Literacy Day, I compiled a list of some of my favourite books written by African authors (with the exception of the book about Fela). There are many books I could’ve added to this post but these were the first that came to mind.

There’s no order to this list and each comes highly recommended as they, in some way, changed me for the better. If I had to pick a favourite it would undoubtedly be Zimbabwean writer Tsitsi Dangarembga’s Nervous Conditions simply because it was the first book I read in which I related so deeply to several of the characters - and still do. From Nyasha’s struggle with depression and being caught between two cultures she feels alienated by, to Tambu’s hunger for a world beyond her circumstances. Ugandan author Okot p’Bitek’s Song of Lawino and Song of Ocol comes in a close second, it’s just about as cheeky and blunt as I am in some parts and, perhaps a little out of narcissism, is why I enjoyed it.

Between these 18 books you’ll find everything from the personal to the political, and everything in-between. There’s love, there’s romance, there’s struggle, there’s strife, there’s beauty and there’s ugly too. No story is as simple as their titles may suggest, just read Camara Laye’s L’enfant Noir (The African Child) that explores the author’s early childhood in Guinea under French colonisation, or South African writer Sol Plaatjie’s historical novel Mhudi written in 1919 that placed a woman at the center of a story that deals with survival, displacement and early European colonisation in South Africa.

For anyone interested in reading these books, I found some of them available online (not all are complete):

(via thissoulloves)

Makeup Master post for Beginners

lazygirlguidetomakeup:

Skin Care:


Foundation+ concealer:

Blush:

Eyes:

Lips:

Brushes

Other tips:

(via ethiopienne)

Anonymous asked: do you have anything on somali galbeed/ogaden genocide?

cajabo:

Edit: Sorry it’s taken me so long to fix these links. I added three more documents: 

moodofthought:

I feel spiritually depleted. I feel unfocused. Un-enthused. Dry and soulless. I’m masturbating without passion. Having sex that isn’t riveting. I’m missing something.

I realize I’ve arrived here before, where GOD has proven to be the answer. And my mind defaults to, “and there is no greater.” yet i feel i’ve assumed a location in my life that has my soul left stagnant. i can’t remember the last time i had FUN. like i was laughing my life away, and having a deliberate fun.

i’ve been aspiring and attempting to arrive at a certain awareness that will afford me physical successes. right, so i’m in the business school, leading organizations, going to Rwanda. And it’s all this deliberate, 1-2-3 boom! Am i ready for the big leagues yet dance… And it’s all wrong.

I’m not asking enough whys. I’m not being myself. I’m not speaking from my soul. and waking up with a dance in my heart. I’m not excited to engage. I’m not dying to live. I have to pull myself out of bed. Procrastinate until the point of personal shame. 

I try to force myself into heightened awareness where i decide i’m going to catch my entire life, and when i make the inevitable stumble, i stumble back into self-loathing.

i want to level up. i want to be authentic. authentic is becoming diluted. i want to lock eyes and mean it. i want to speak with a gusto, and snap and a strength. i want to laugh because i cannot escape it. i want to make love because my body cannot resist it. i want to seek out ties because my soul desires the specific company of another.

Calculations, and pretending for the Jones’ziz has me left depleted, directionless, unmotivated, and wondering why I’m laying in my childhood bed approaching 23 in the state that I’m in.

Where does my life head. What’s the next stage. I need a big jump. I need to soar. I am losing my style, my spark. I am craving my chest to feel hallow with the airy tinge of menthol begetting a refreshing captive moment. I want to feel alive. I want to remember why God put me here.

Why I am alive. Why I wake up every morning. Why I work as hard as I do. Because I’m beginning to forget.

Like, HI GUISE. I’m working 20 credits! I’m taking economics! I’m in business school! Doncha know I’m the president! Hey look I’m on it! I’m a leader! So the fuck what. Who cares. Is diversity that shit?

Idk ask yourself these things. Where is your cool? Where is your natural. Where is your unfettered slayage. I want to leave carnage. I want to GLOW with moments. I must shine with the manifestation of my passion embarked onto my day to day.

Stop trying. Stop trying to stop trying to stop anything to try. I want to BE. And walk my day to day. and allow the purpose to unfold and the gifts of the universe to unfold themselves to me. I have a special glint. My soul’s eye is foggy.

Supply chain logistics. My spiritual life cannot emerge and dis-track my decidedly necessitated work-life. I have committed to business. I have comitted to leadership. I have committed to 20 credits. Now I must do my best.

I think about my dad. And somehow that relationship being in limbo. I wonder if it effects the way I see myself, and love myself. The way I connect with others and the barriers that I feel present. Do you need everyone to love you? Yes, your personal brand… But remember authenticity. Are you smiling and giving your chipper best because you’re afraid of alienation? Are you perfecting facial functions and eye intensity to hide your fear that you’re fat, ugly and worthless?

Do you dress audaciously to detract from your fear that you’re uninteresting and no one truly wants you around? Why do you want to be invited? Why do you want people gushing over your presence? Are you content with a concept of content living.

Who are you looking to please? Do you want your father to see your successes, and hate himself for not being able to oblige your universal need of him. Do you live to prove the point that you don’t need anybody and that the money is going to solve your eternal lonliness. That eternal travel will allow you a free run from your truths.

You’re a quirky, dorky queer boy from Cheverly, Maryland. You have a sleepy disposition and frantic spills of consciousness. You listen and love hard. And live details in the moment. You look between the lines and love being love and living in it. You love to sing the wonders of the world, and unabashedly revere its beauty. You ask poignant questions, and cherish the heightened truths of community being all we have and all we need. You enjoy lifting your brothers, and singing joyous flattery to your sister’s majesty.

janaecamri:

mainstreamoutcast:

ibeoutchea:

didyaknowanimation:

Today’s black history month post is about Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child, a television series that had its original run from 1995-2000. The show was made for HBO Network, airing on their family channel alongside programs like Crashbox and A Little Curious.

Happily Ever After was a series aimed at retelling classic children’s tales like Jack and the Beanstalk, Pinocchio, Rumplestiltskin, Robin Hood, etc with different cultural twists on them. This often involved settings in places like Taipei, Mexico, Africa, Jamaica, the American Southwest (for Native American characters), and Japan. The series was notable for its abundant portrayal of characters of color.

The show was directed by Bruce W. Smith (you guys should be familiar with him by now), the man behind The Proud Family and the director of the film Bebe’s Kids. There is an artistic similarity between all three works to some degree or another. 

The re-tellings were very unique, and included examples like: Robinita Hood, the tale of Robin Hood where the vigilante hero is a Latina woman, Goldilocks (with golden locs) and the three bears retold in the Caribbean, an inuit retelling of Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Snow Queen,” and more.

The stories often not only fleshed out diverse cultures with everything from the West Indies to Korea, but there was a notable focus on women in many episodes. Stories often took roles traditionally given to males and portrayed the heroes as women in the re-tellings. There were often messages of empowerment found within these.

The show was also known for its many celebrity voices. Just about every episode had several guest stars. Some guests include, but are not limited to: Harry Belafonte, Tyra Banks, James Earl Jones, Will Smith, Chris Rock, Salt-n-Pepa, David Allen Grier, Raven-Symone, Denzel Washington, Dionne Warwick, Cree Summer, and Vanessa Williams. 

While the show did finish its initial run 15 years ago, it has been running on the HBO Family Network ever since. There are only 39 episodes, so one could jump in any time and get through the whole series.

Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child currently airs every morning on HBO Family from 7:30 to 9:00 AM. The show is also available on HBO on Demand.

I loved this show. Still watch when I can.

What a time to be alive.

This was very important to me

(via raysymone)

youngblackandvegan:

there are more ways to measure growth besides degrees and money

have you grown as a person? have you developed your relationships? have you worked on your character? have you cultivated your legacy? have you worked to be a blessing in the lives of others? have you given back? have you taken on new responsibilities? have you become more reliable? have you become more thoughtful? have you become more creative? have you explored your passions? have you invested in your spiritual, mental, and physical health?

(via raysymone)

dynamicafrica: “The Afrikana Review - Call For Submissions! The Afrikana Review is a young adult literary magazine that is seeking to disrupt and expand the black narrative with an eclectic body of fiction, poetry, essays, interviews, and art from...

dynamicafrica:

The Afrikana Review - Call For Submissions!

The Afrikana Review is a young adult literary magazine that is seeking to disrupt and expand the black narrative with an eclectic body of fiction, poetry, essays, interviews, and art from black writers.

We’re looking for stories that are out of the box. We’re not looking for the same old same old narrative of slavery, colonialism, poverty, and racism. Don’t get us wrong, those stories are important. They’re a part of our history and they remind us of our resilience and how far we’ve come as a people. But, we want to provide a balance in the literary world. We’re looking for stories that feature black protagonists interacting with vampires, shape shifters, mermaids, and aliens. Stories that reflect the struggle and resolve the conflict teens UNIVERSALLY face TODAY, from THEIR point of view. Because they too are the default.

We look forward to reading your voice and your brilliance. Send your questions, fiction, poetry, and non-fiction to:Afrikana.editor@gmail.com. And don’t forget the quarterly theme is Fight to the Death. Submission email subject lines must be in ALL CAPS.

Follow us on twitter!

Follow us on Facebook!

Visit our site!

Submissions are closed March 1st, 2015.

(via theafricatheynevershowyou)

flanneryogonner:

Hi y’all! 

I’ve compiled a list of readings that speak to issues of nationalism, indigeneity, colonialism, and resistance/decolonization

The list is of course limited to what readings I’ve encountered at some point. They also come from a variety of academic disciplines and political movements (settler colonial studies, native studies, queer theory, postcolonial studies, feminist studies, trans studies).

And, with a few exceptions, these files were legally uploaded and shared… a lot of the time by the authors themselves, which I feel the need to point out because I love when authors can/do share their work online for free. (I say this not because I’m worried about the sanctity of ‘intellectual property’ but because I’m worried about things being deleted.)

Also re-linking to this list of pdf readings, “Natives Read Too,” from The Yáadihla Girls!

 human rights/war/nationalism/sovereignty 

transnational/native/postcolonial feminisms & feminist critiques: 

decolonization, art, and resistance (not necessarily feminist):  

queer theory/sexuality studies/native studies/trans studies 

*Actually just going to link to this page of Dr. Puar’s work because it’s  great and relevant (and she also has a lot of work on Israel/Palestine).


critiques of humanitarianism/developmentalism: 

[Really wish I knew more about this kind of work.] 

Biopolitics, science, environmental justice 

and…. U.S. politics  

(via infinite--igloos-blog)