“I come as one, but I stand as ten thousand.” –Dr. Maya Angelou My great-great-great-great maternal grandmother was Mary Ann Barrett. In 1865, she was freed from slavery in Palestine, Texas. Her former enslaver was a lawyer. In freedom, Mary Ann Barrett studied under him to become one herself, but she wanted someone in her family to formally study law and become an attorney. She articulated this dream to her…
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The Mis-Education of the Negro, Carter G. Woodson Year of Yes, Shonda Rhimes Nineteen Eighty-Four, George Orwell Animal Farm, George Orwell salt., Nayyirah Waheed nejma, Nayyirah Waheed Lord of the Flies, William Golding Between the World and Me, Ta-Nehisi Coates I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, Maya Angelou Believing in Magic, Cookie Johnson Their Eyes Were Watching God, Zora Neale Hurston What was your favourite book this year?…
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Like most people, I’ve been a fan of the amazing and equally gorgeous Lupita Nyong’o since her Oscar-winning breakout role in 12 Years a Slave. Yesterday, Vogue realeased their October cover story, of which Nyong’o is the star. This is her third time gracing the magazine’s cover. I never thought I’d see a Vogue cover line be “I want to create opportunities for people of color,” but it is. And…
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Year of Yes is the second book I have read this year, and it is incredible! Shonda Rhimes put in these pages the perfect amount of wit, insight, funny, and truth. The harmony of story and thought could not have been scored any better. I read this book in less than a day. LESS THAN A DAY! I have not done that before (it usually takes me a least two…
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I was very saddened to learn of yesterday’s passing of legendary fashion designer Oscar de la Renta, aged 82. The late designer was truly an inspiration and one of the classiest and most elegant gentlemen in fashion. In tribute, here are ten of my many favorite quotes from the significant fashion spearhead. “You have to walk like you have three men walking behind you.” “I hate pretty. It’s a very…
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I wanted to try Instagram’s new time-lapse app Hyperlapse, so I sketched a photograph that I took of my friend Brooke. Can you tell it’s been a while since I’ve drawn anything? 🙂 Song: “Playlist For An Extreme Occasion: Pt. Zero” by Yo-Yo Ma Shot with an iPhone 5 I DO NOT OWN THE RIGHTS TO THIS MUSIC. No copyright infringement intended.…
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I was nominated by Sallie Mae to participate in the #PayNiasTuitionChallenge. I’ve challenged Bill Gates, Oprah Winfrey, Ellen DeGeneres, and Mark Zuckerberg! SHARE this so my nominees can see it! This is so real. (Please ignore this horrid thumbnail. Ha! Press play as soon as you can.) SHARE IT!…
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I don’t even drink Coca-Cola, but I wanted to start a cool photography series. Presenting #CokeInTheWild, a series in which I take the same Coca-Cola bottle or can and photograph them in . . . well . . . the wild. Below are a few of the photos. Be sure to follow me on Instagram or search #CokeInTheWild to see and/or add to the collection! Peace and love to you…
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I’m really excited. Last year, on 1 May 2013, I launched a project called Our Beautiful People (OBP). I sought to photographically document the people I meet and/or interact with from all sorts of places. Today, OBP is one year old. This project has challenged me in more ways than I thought it would. I’ve had to build courage to ask people for a photo and summon more courage to…
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I’ve been stifled for the past several months. School and clubs (and hopefully work) sate stifling the art. The things in which I take the most joy are suffering because of my demanding college experience. Because of my academic “distraction,” NIA SPEAKS is no longer in its prime, Our Beautiful People isn’t flowing the way I would’ve wished, creative writing has been paused, and my musical growth has been stunted.…
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