Thee Silver Platter w/ Tali Payne

Last year was the first year I decided to celebrated Kwanzaa, it was a solo journey that I felt drawn to st udy. The days of knowledge and cultural love as the year came to an end was just what my heart needed. Illustrious and honored is what I felt as I studied the purpose of Kwanzaa. I did not have a huge celebration or any type of group gatherings, but I made it my responsibility to study the meanings of each day. I did some research and I watched some films to gather a clear understanding of what Kwanzaa really was and why this holiday is just as important as other holidays. Throughout my research I discovered the word Kwanzaa derives from a phrase in Swahili that means “first fruit.” The phrase is “matunda ya kwanza” and this American celebration was originally founded by an Africana studies professor by the name of Maulana Karenga in 1966. Kwanzaa is a seven-day cel ebration of African-American culture that starts on December 26 and ends on new year’s day. Each day of the...

Ambition is the thing that carries us when we want to give up, but we NEED to see our vision through. When you want to cry or just sleep life away you need to rely on your God given hustle to get you to the next level. This quote by Madonna was especially important to me because I remember the times when I cried because I felt like a failure and my life was nowhere near what I envisioned it be. I remember people telling me I should give up college and just find a trade, but my heart said something different. Your ambition will get you far as long as you move in light.  -Tali Payne

This is the simplest yet profound thing any woman should ever want to hear. In a world that is quick to tell a woman what to wear, who she is, when she should speak, how she should walk, where she must work and who she must date in order to be somebody this is all you want to hear as a form of re-enforcement into who you actually are and what you have the ability to accomplish. Your confidence is constantly being shut down, like your body being slammed against the pavement of social acceptance in today's world and it will only get worse as technology advances. this quote by Coco Chanel is a saying that every woman should keep at the forefront of their brain as soon as they wake up in the morning and throughout the day. -TaliPayne

Today is Valentine's day, a day known for the lovers around the world. I once read an thesis and a debate on Valentines day what what it really means. I laughed because i don't see how so many people can hate a day that was meant for love. If you dont have a valentine, be your own Valentine and treat yourself to something sweet. Love comes in many forms or tell a friend, a sibling, a cousin and even your parents you love them today. Today as I was scrolling on social media I was overjoyed by the amount of Black celebrites I seen married, dating or on the quest to find love and i found that inspiring because often times, unless we make space for love Black people dont get an opportunity to be soft and accepting to love we are always on edge having to fight against oppression and public oppinions. Enjoy the love in the air. Don't be bitter, be sweet,