Vinnesha > Recent Status Updates

"'You were fly, dope, and amazing from birth,' I would tell that girl now. 'From the second you took your first breath, you were worthwhile and valid. And I'm sorry you had to wait so long to learn that for yourself.'"

Self-love. Compassion for oneself. There you have it.

"'Two warring ideals in one dark body,' as DuBois wrote; the dark body of a young girl. Each was me, but the constant code-switching--changing my language, demeanor, and identity expression to fit in--left me exhausted."

Girl, I feel you.

On her friends and family getting involved in drugs and gangs: "None of these people changed. The environment around them did. They were all good people who made choices that ended up having insane consequences. But their hearts never changed. They were playing roles assigned to them, the same way I did in Pleasanton. "

A welcome counternarrative to the indoctrination of Blacks as lacking "personal responsibility".

The fact she needed a light-skinned boy to validate her beauty is MADDENING.

There is a conversation to be had regarding light skinned black ppl, and light skinned non black people having a wider range of choice of potential partners in black and brown communities.

"I'm pretty, I thought. Kevin Marshall, this light- skinned boy with green eyes who is not supposed to find me attractive, found me pretty enough to kiss. On the level playing field of Omaha, a guy like Kevin was a huge get, having his pick of the pecking order of skin color that is in place in black and brown communities across the world. And he had picked a chocolate girl like me."

Tarsha Liburd. The only other black girl at her elementary school. And she felt she had to ignore her the entire time, for fear of seeming "blacker" by standing next to her. Ugh this part breaks my heart. But I wonder if Gabrielle ever tried to make contact with her years later? Hmmm...

"You are always chasing, always worrying about being exposed as the dumb black kid. On one hand, it puts your shoulder to the wheel, so you're always pushing, working, striving. But one misstep and it's over. An A minus can feel like Hiroshima...It's still an A, but what it feels like is 'Dumb nigger.' 'You're a joke.' 'Of course you missed it, nigger.'"

THIS WAS ME in hs. Inferiority complex + imposter syndrome.

"Most black people grow accustomed to the fact that we have to excel just to be seen as existing, and this is a lesson passed down from generation to generation. You can either be Super Negro or the forgotten Negro."

And it is problematic that we have internalized this mindset because it is an invisible battle. No matter how outstanding we are, we'll NEVER be seen as equal in this colonized world.

"...I stayed hyperalert to what I called the Black Pitfalls. What were the things that would make me appear blacker? I only ate chicken with a knife and fork...and no fruit on a rind."

I was hyperaware of my blackness in high school. But now I've realized that as long as we have afrocentric features, our blackness will ALWAYS show. Trying to run away from ot is like running away from your shadow. It's impossible.

I want to pour milk on the heads of all the schoolkids who had the nerve to call our dear Gabrielle (or Nickie as she was called) a "nigger".

I don't care if it happened almost forty years ago. Fight me.

Last update on this section: I see WAY too many black fathers compromise their family's well being for the sake of keeping up with the Joneses. It's disgusting because:
1. Having black kids in a white environment is NOT good for them psychologically.
2. Your black family will ALWAYS be black, so stop with the self-hate.
BONUS: The fears Gab's mother had about her black kids raised in white surrounding came to pass.

I am disappointed in both of her parents. At her father especially for compromising his kids' well being just to satisfy his own ego. He uprooted his wife and kids to Pleasanton, California, following a white work friend and getting as far away from Oakland as possible. "If it's good enough for Dave, it's good enough for us." Bullshit.

Her mother did NOT push hard enough to have her kids in a black environment. Sigh

The James Baldwin quote: "The very time I thought I was lost, My dungeon shook and my chains fell off."
This is spiritual food. As she says, sometimes we have to take off the shackles that we put on ourselves.

Another quote from Carrie Fisher: "Stay afraid, but do it anyway."

The first story, Sealed With a Kiss, wtitten by Celeste O. Norfleet, has all the cliches of a cheesy romance novel. But that's exactly what I wanted. Pure romance between two black people. The only thing that annoyed me was Carmen's stubbornness. And Dean was just a litte too "perfect" when he I returned to small town Hayden, Georgia. But overall, this cute, well written story is a nice compliment to the holidays.

On page 224 of 239. My first sci-fi book by a black author. It is soon coming to an end and I am sad about it.

I have been devouring this book! The characters are so addictive. I love our heroine. I also love how charming and witty the women protagonists are. Their ability to sweet talk their way out of compromising situations is quite fun to read. They are unafraid of the big, bad men who seek to intimidate them.

I wish I could give this book to every black high school freshman! They need to see themselves this genre!!!!

So far we've got a fast moving plot, strong willed characters, and brown skinned girls and women who are destined to take over the universe! A great start.

I do wish there was a map to explain the Aza universe, which includes the seven realms and many planets. This would help me to feel more grounded in the story.

I still don't understand how individuals can be brave enough to tell their story to strangers, period. But especially in the form of writing, where that story becomes tangible and immortal.

She didn't have to share her deepest and darkest secrets with the world, but she chose to. I deeply respect the mental + emotional labor she put in to confront her most painful flashbacks.

And she quoted James Baldwin. ♥

I will be live journaling my thoughts on this book, as I haven't even reached the Table of Contents and I'm already shook.

Yo, even her dedication is bomb. She is so empathetic to those who've experienced trauma. She feels for those who have been kept down, and who kept themselves down as a result.

We need more Gabrielle Unions.

It seems that when Gucci takes five steps, he ends up or is forced to take two steps back. I can respect his work ethic, and I sympathize with his experience as a black man who's spent so much of his life thus far at the mercy of the state.

I am SO glad I decided to pick this up at the library. The writing is excellenty organized, easy to follow. Hart gives some solid life advice-and he's funny. I am enjoying this read.

Things have significantly picked up speed. It seems that soon, at least two of our leading ladies will be able to "exhale". And they have all matured, even Robin lol