Month: October 2024

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Just The Facts: Whoever Controls The Media, Controls The Mindset Of The Masses, Therefore Ethics And Neutrality Should Be The Mainstream News’ Mainstay

Daily writing prompt
What’s something you believe everyone should know.
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A lot of people are up in arms about the Washington Post’s recent decision to not endorse a political candidate. However, I have to admit, I never liked the idea of mainstream media endorsing candidates, due to its sway over the masses. Malcolm X spoke about this power of the media to make the “innocent guilty and to make the guilty innocent.”

Now, in fairness, we depend on the news media to hold themselves to a high standard of journalistic integrity. But, with money as a strong influence behind the scenes, many wonder if that’s possible. Especially when there are bills to be paid and doors that need to be kept open for employees. But we are not ignorant of the power of media in all its forms. I am very familiar with the power of influence and the effect it can have on one’s life. I watched one influencer for ten years straight. She was mom and she had several failed relationships and she was always chasing a dream and a dollar. She was very beautiful, very vulnerable, and a stay at home mom like me at the time. I resonated with each crying spell and homemade fried chicken enchilada. But, the more I watched her, the more my life mirrored hers. I was slowly becoming a volatile red-lipped mess yelling at my kids to clean, and dreaming of dreams that I wasn’t working towards.

That is the power of influence and the reason I pay more attention to what I consume. You should too. It’s not easy, but it’s worth it. Remember, not only are we who they say we are, but we become what we focus on. It’s the reason I thought long and hard about the importance of sharing the problems, but highlighting the solutions of our world.

Plato once said that, “those that are able to see beyond the shadows and the lies of their culture, will never be understood, let alone believed by the masses.”

I have personal experience with being ahead of my time. It kind of forces you into a corner or the outskirts of your social circle. No one has the time or the capacity to think too deeply, too long, or too hard–and it’s an exhausting endeavor to be believed. But, I feel that change is coming. Who other than the news media, the most powerful entity in the world, should bare the responsibility of being factual and neutral? We are reliant on those overseeing our information to be fair, just, non-biased and balanced. Now, the people who work at institutions have opinions and they should, but they shouldn’t make it to the media.

“One of the reasons that we are in a free speech battle and many other societal battles at this time is because we have given freedom to the masses without parameters and ethics”–Luz

Yet when you think about the press and why people start them up, (myself included) it happens because you feel either misrepresented or overlooked. We do this because of those words imparted by Plato and Malcolm X–we need control and representation! You may feel that major outlets aren’t covering your issues. That’s a fair assessment as well. But, one of the reasons that we are in a free speech battle and many other societal battles at this time is because we have given freedom to the masses without parameters and ethics. I am largely speaking in the realm of journalism but you get my point.

Therefore in my opinion, major news outlets should not endorse candidates. They should remain objective and allow the people to make their decisions. Now, concerning the onslaught of misinformation administered by citizen journalists, and bloggers focused on entertainment operating with or without ethics, only reinforces the necessity of major news outlets being the standard-bearers of neutrality. In doing so, it serves as a form of checks and balances in the realm of reporting and influence. In my opinion, it was the right thing to do, and strong move for helping skeptical readers regain trust in their information sources.

What do you think? Should mainstream newspapers endorse candidates or lean heavily into religion?

Leave your thoughts in the comments.

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Forgiveness And Joy Keeps The Spirit Young

Written By La Luz

Daily writing prompt
What does it mean to be a kid at heart?
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I woke up this morning with hearing the saying, “After you’ve done all you can, you just stand.” After I heard that, I felt a peace wash over me. Some may or may not know, but I am an intercessor and I proudly stand in the gap for others who cannot pray for themselves. That is all of us some time.

In these days and times that feel very tense, and like we are having a battle between true and false, and light and dark–after we plead our case, it is time to stand. The world right now seems to be fueled by anger. There is a desperate need to stir up a hatred so palpable that if we succumb to this void, it will overtake us. There is a general belief that the truth rings true, and if it does, we don’t need to be cajoled within an inch of our life to receive it. However, there is nothing that we can do about the heaviness that exists. It is by design and has existed from the foundation of the world in an effort to steal your joy, faith, peace, and ultimately your hope. Anger robs us of the promise of happiness and cloaks our inner child with disbelief and agitation. Once this happens, we lack the ability to forgive. Forgiveness is a major conduit of change and transformational energy. It is of the highest vibration we lay hold of when we are able to forgive. When you forgive those who have wronged you, you are rewarded with a gift of youth and vitality because you have made your heavenly Father proud.

“Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” Ephesians 4:32

It is not easy to forgive. This is I know. If it is easy intellectually, we know that healing takes time. But when I really feel stuck, I like to look at my children who sometimes fight like cats and dogs but they could never be apart from each other. Even though my daughter knows that her brother is going to say something mean or do something mean, it never kills her desire to love him. I lived like that for a long time. In many ways I still do. It’s only when my ego kicks in and I worry about looking like a fool or being mistreated do I go down the rabbit hole of hypotheticals and scenarios of what could be instead of what has typically been–God’s protection, grace, and favor over my life.

“Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven” Luke 6:37

We often forget that everything is actually working in our favor. Every setback, every situation, and burden is strengthening our resolve to surrender. We know that sometimes forgiveness feels like a tall order, but that’s why Lamentations was written, every know and then we are going to complain. That’s ok. But, if you want to experience true freedom, true joy, then you must forgive. It has a way of lightening your spirit and allowing laughter to come in. When laughter comes in, you aren’t taking yourself so seriously. When you stop being so serious you can connect with your inner child and see the good in others. If you are guilty of wearing rose colored glasses, well, I’ m inclined to believe that you still made it out of your past situations ok.

Confession

I am a believer in going to confession. I go once a month and each time I go, I try to go deeper into identifying what my issues and faults are against others. Almost all of them are rooted in pride or unforgiveness and the absolution redirects me towards family time. We have to be thankful for our families. Everything that we are doing is about family. I am a big kid at heart so I play too much with my kids. I like to scare them or roll around my house chasing them. I like to dance and sing loud and laugh. All of these things keep me happy, youthful and young. It also shows my kids that there is a contrast to my seriousness and that I am learning and growing too. If you feel you need permission to enjoy yourself or be a kid at heart, take this as confirmation. Go do something you used to love to do. Get some friends together or go roller-skating. Whatever you do, enjoy your life. It is a gift.

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Home Is Where My Heart Is, And I’m Grateful About That

Written By: Chiara Atoyebi

Daily writing prompt
What’s something most people don’t know about you?
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“For every house is built by someone, but God is the builder of everything” Hebrews 3:4

Growing up, I moved around a lot, and I always dreaded the question “Where are you from?” I never stayed in one place too long while growing up, so the question often threw me off. Many people identify home with a person or believe home is where they were born, but for me, home is wherever I am.

In our world, we get so caught up with “repping” things, and in many ways, these conventions are things that can weigh us down and keep us from taking flight in life and enjoying what the world has to offer. For me, life is about taking in as many experiences as possible and making memories, and for a while, I have enjoyed making those memories from home.

When my personal space is tranquil and filled with delicious seasonal smells and laughter from loved ones, I feel like the wealthiest person in the world. If you follow me on social media, every now and then I will mention my love for snacks. In my household, snacks are a big part of making any home feel comfortable, and I go on a snack run daily.

“Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty” John :35

In my past, I was known for going out regularly and I enjoyed every minute of it. However, once I settled in and became a mom, I started to relish my home life. Home is the one place that I consider to be a buffer to the outside world. Throughout my life, I looked for comfort outside, but that was because my living spaces were not comfortable enough. I didn’t invest enough in my living spaces because I always had my eyes on my future home. I was more focused on my future living spaces instead of tending to the present living space that I was so fortunate to have. However, once I made the small shift in my mentality to focus on what I had been given stewardship over, my living space began to transform. I began to think less about getting my artwork into a gallery or a show, and more about showcasing my work in my home. I thought less about going to the latest restaurants and tried my hand at recreating some of my favorite takeout meals and got quite good at it.

Now, it seems like my homecooked food is the better option because of the freshness and love I put into it. When I transformed my mentality, not only did my home transform, but the things I wanted to manifest outside of it were coming into fruition. This is called being a good steward of what we are blessed to have, and the reward is abundance.
In many ways, our homes are a reflection of who we are spiritually and how we view the world. While I am imperfect and fall short of my goals sometimes in my inner and outer sanctums, I strive to build my foundation on solid ground. In doing so, home is wherever I am. If it is not in the condition I desire, then I know it is within me to make it what I desire.

The spirit of the Divine resides in my heart, and I know that I am empowered to create beauty all around me, no matter what the circumstance. Wherever the Lord is, my home is, and I know it is well. So if you get around me and feel comfortable—that is what you are feeling. You are feeling the love and peace of home, and that makes me happy.

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Lorna Simpson: The Absence of And Fulfillment (C)olor

Written By: Chiara “Luz” Atoyebi

The 1980s will go down in history as a time that American’s were finding their true voice. Women, LGBTQ, communities of color, and women across the nation were demanding to be heard amidst the bullhorns of Reaganomics and conservative politics. The now-famous -pop art style of the ’80s that was signature to artists like Keith Haring, Andy Warhol, and Jean-Michel Basquiat depicted the various social issues of the time visually captivating images that utilized repetition as a technique or drew viewers in with their bold color palettes. These artworks and the artists themselves were making bold statements about the world we live in and made us ask questions. Somewhat on the outskirts of the (pop)-ular Pop Art movement were many African-American photographers making art that dealt with the obstacles of navigating race, gender, and sexuality in America. At the forefront of that effort was Brooklyn based artist Lorna Simpson. Simpson is a renowned multimedia artist and photographer whose work often explores themes of memory and representation, particularly in relation to identity, gender, race, and history. She gained prominence in the 1980s and 1990s with her photo-text installations, such as “Guarded Conditions” and “Square Deal,” which challenge viewers to think deeply about these issues. Simpson’s work frequently combines photography, film, video, painting, drawing, audio, and sculpture to create a multifaceted exploration of memory and history. She is known to juxtapose images with narrative text while encouraging viewers to look beyond surface appearances to consider the deeper implications of representation.

Simpson, Lorna. Twenty Questions (A Sampler) 1986. Photo in the Public Domain

Her work, similar to Baltimore based artist, Zoe Charlton ‘s work deals with debunking stereotypes concerning black men and women. Where Charlton is masterful with her pencil art, Simpson uses black and white photography to deconstruct the images of black women in order to show their many layers. In the absence of flash or color, the viewer focuses on the moment in which the subject exists with pretense.

In doing so, Simpson concludes there is nothing more “magical” about a black woman than in any other woman–at least upon first glance. Yet by honing in her in this way with out overly pronounced bosoms and backsides, she was able to draw attention to the sensuality in the mundane that is her body. She too, like every other woman—is a woman of many facets. One of the many ways the Simpson explores the body is through her work Memory and Representation.

The intimate portrayal created by the artist stands in stark contrast to other artists who aim to explore black women, their sexuality and their essence differently. For example, Kerry James Marshall’s untitled work Beach Towel displays a very vulnerable and seductive black woman on a beach towel in a backyard. Of course, Black women are also this representation as well, making it hard to over generalize and at times marginalize the body.

All of these images challenge the ongoing conversation of how African Diasporic women, and their images, show up in the world.