Month: January 2021

Kalilah Wright: The Mess That Started in a Bottle

“Embrace the glorious mess that you are.” 

Judging by these words, you would consider a mess to be an entity that’s considered to be “disorderly” or “unorganized.” However, these very words spoken by Elizabeth Gilbert, journalist and best-selling author of Eat, Pray, Love, are just as affirming as the “mess” that created the company, “Mess in a Bottle.” Upon hearing those words, some people would actually think there’s a “mess” in a bottle, but that’s not the case. “Mess” is shortened for the word “message,” as in the affirming messages that are printed on many of the company’s products. 

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Ellie Goulding: The Lights Tour

The lights go out and the crowd roars. For someone like the extremely talented pop star who just recently began to receive recognition in the states, Ellie Goulding has done a remarkable job of obtaining a fan base. This becomes evident when a guitarist appears on the stage of the Center Stage venue located in Atlanta. Next, a drummer appears, then a keyboardist. The crowd screams louder with each addition to the band. Time stops for what seems like a good minute or two but there is still no sign of the girl we’re all waiting to see. 

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American Skin: Uncovering an American Tragedy

There was a survey circulating the internet towards the end of the year, asking people what place have they missed going to the most during the Covid-19 restrictions? I had three; museums, bowling alleys, and the show, aka the movie theater. I’m an avid museum-goer, bowler, and have gotten into movies a little more nowadays. One of the reasons I’ve become more interested in movies is because of the diversity of Black stories that are being told now. Part of the diversity stems from the fact, we as Black people are telling our own stories, whereas in the past they were being told from other people’s perspectives. From the likes of Lena Waithe and Ava Duvernay, to Ryan Coogler, Jordan Peele, and Nate Parker, they each have brought a unique way of Black storytelling to TV and the movie screen. Nate Parker seems to be the rebel of the bunch, and his latest film, “American Skin,” is a great depiction of where he stands. 

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Thebe Magugu: A Portal into South Africa

Thebe Magugu began his college career in fashion design, photography, and fashion media. Being born a year after apartheid had not diminished the scars and pain from the marks that white supremacy had left behind in South Africa. What it has done is pave the way for the birth of a 2016 luxury womenswear label which now features an e-commerce website that is modeled after a college course syllabus. However, the theme of education is illusive within the navigation of Magugu's official website.   

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Julie Mehretu: The Mind Behind the Art

In today’s society, the term “woke” is often regarded as a term of endearment to individuals that are extremely honest and vocal about the world’s atrocities that occur as they happen. It isn't often that we mention actual artists of that same caliber. One of the hidden trail-blazers that utilizes the term artistically is Ethiopian-American artist, Julie Mehretu. Mehretu is from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. She migrated with her parents to Michigan in 1977.

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