Annabelle’s Book Club

"Why aren’t we allowed to age?" This is the question singer/songwriter @susannahbmusic is exploring in her confronting guest post on the blog today, sharing her own story of struggling to accept herself and find confidence in a youth-obsessed world. "Melting fat, freezing fat, I’ve done it all. I had liposuction under my chin in my early 30s and it was great (If I were reading this out loud, here’s where I would look around the room and pause for effect). Then, the chin thing morphed into a nose thing and I convinced myself that I should get a nose job to help my acting career. But I was scared to wake up with a different face. What if I didn’t like it? Eventually, I made peace with it. (Here’s where I would pause again, with a raised eyebrow…) Time passed, I got older — watch out, this is going to be a trend — my baby fat became loose, sagging skin. And like a warrior revisiting the battlefield, I returned to disliking it. The features changed, but the loathing-a-part-of-my-face stayed constant." It's a journey that many of us can identify with, no matter the stage we are at. How do we push back against the constant messages about being younger, and paying money to buy products and services to change who we are? "I am blessed to have a loving husband who often tells me I’m beautiful. Unfortunately, the volume of his sweet words plays much more quietly than the shrieking alarms that blare nonstop all around me – in magazines, social media, and TV – about anti-aging. The goal is to move towards self-love and self-acceptance, perhaps by sharing stories like this of how challenging it is to resist societal pressure. My prayer is that I stay energized and healthy for the rest of my life." As the saying goes, loving yourself is one of the most radical acts of self-care. Read Susannah's post filled with eye-opening personal anecdotes and hilarious self-reflections, via the link in our bio.💋💄 . . . #love #bodyimage #selflove #confidence #bodypositivity #aging #youth #obsession #beautystandards #filter #nofilter #botox #cosmetic #image

If you haven’t yet tuned into the world of Live Battle Rap, it’s time to get with the program. Streaming platform Caffeine has become the go-to destination for battle rap culture and its global community of Hip-Hop diehards, through its exclusive partnership with the Ultimate Rap League (URL). The URL is the premier battle rap sporting platform presenting competitive emceeing from each spectrum of the industry. URL is supported by industry vets from Sean “Puff Daddy” Combs, J. Prince Jr., NLE Choppa, Method Man, Busta Rhymes, and more. But the name you need to have top of mind is @nunu_nellz , aka the URL Princess and MC extraordinaire. Nunu Nellz has been involved in the culture of battle rap for over a decade. Hailing from the borough of Queens in the city of New York, her humble beginnings started as an assistant for the Ultimate Rap League. From there, she transitioned to hosting battles and events all across the country. The most recent event she co-hosted for URL on Caffeine was the highly anticipated return of Kings vs. Queens battle rap event, which features the top male and female battle rappers going head-to-head against each other. Currently in its 4th year, Kings v. Queens continues to be one of the “can’t miss” events of the year for battle rap die-hards, as nearly 2M viewers tuned-in to Caffeine to watch last year’s action packed card of inter-gender match-ups. We went one-on-one with Nunu Nellz herself, learning more about her foray into the MC world, and how she hopes more women and girls will be unafraid to step up to the mic and take the stage. "Right now, we’re in a good space with female battle rap. Events such as King vs. Queens provide a great opportunity for the ladies to show up and show out. Having a vet in the game like Babs Bunny has proven to be such a blessing. She’s really taken on mentoring up and coming talent and creating opportunities and spaces for other female emcees to thrive." Get to know Nunu Nellz, aka the URL Princess, via the link in our bio! 🎤 . . . #emcee #rapbattle #kingsQueens #caffeine #music #genre #industry #femaleMC #NunuNellz #stepup #takeupspace #mentor #instagood #WCW #womenshistorymonth

A quick look at what is happening in the world via any newsfeed is enough to instantly make us feel dread. For us, TV and film is about so much more than escapism, it can be a window into a world that we want to live in, and give us hope. Wanna know what brings us joy today? The @disneychannel’s brand new original series ‘Saturdays’, which premiered on March 24, and can also be viewed on @Disneyplus. The series revolves around 14-year-old Paris Johnson, and her best friends Simone and Ari, who hone their roller skating skills on the cool parquet floor of Saturdays, a local skating rink in Chicago. Together they form the We-B-Girlz skate crew, and are determined to show and prove they have the hottest skate routines on the planet. This fun and empowering coming-of-age roller skating story from Marsai Martin’s production company is a beautiful portrayal of friendship, featuring 3 Black girls front and center. We had the chance to chat with the three lead actresses – @daniellejalade who plays Paris Johnson, @DariadJohns who plays Simone Samson, and @PeytonzBasnight who plays Ari – about the representation of authentic Black female friendships on screen, and what they hope young audiences especially will love about the show. "Representation is important because it increases confidence and gives you validation. The impact that I hope girls that watch the show receive is that we are human and deserve to be seen as fun, quirky, cool friends that have great relationships and loving families. I hope when they see us they know that they can do and be anything if they work hard,” said Daria. Read more from the cast members of 'Saturdays' via the link in our bio! 🛼 . . . #saturdays #friendship #representation #disneychannel #disneyplus #blackgirls #blackgirlmagic #Hollywood #rollerskate #family #tween #fun #comingofage #instagood #best

What does it take to follow your dreams? It’s not the easiest thing to do, but also not impossible as host, model and content creator @micaelaverrelien can attest to. Micaéla’s journey did not start out in fashion and media. In fact, her career began on Wall Street working as an accountant. Yet while she was still in the 9-5 corporate grind, she started creating content in her spare time. Eventually, she left her accounting job and dove into the world of modeling. That step forward paid off, and Micaéla has since appeared on websites like Vogue, Nylon, Refinery29, and NYMag, as part of her journey to become a multifaceted creative and on-air talent. She has also been a creative director for projects with Urban Outfitters, Teen Vogue, and The Metropolitan Museum. Most recently, Micaéla completed her 250th episode of the “Macy’s Live” show, where she hosted live shopping events and chats with industry leaders about new products. We spoke with Micaéla about what it means to her to pivot with purpose and how to show up unapologetically in all she does: "I have been on sets where I’ve dimmed my light and I hated how I felt afterwards. So moving forward I promised myself that I would never do that ever again. I always go in being my authentic self. I know as a woman of color who is dark-skinned, curvy, with big curly hair I make a statement even when I don’t say anything. I learned to allow that statement to be my narrative and that it is okay to take space because my ancestors earned this." Wanna follow Micaéla's blueprint for pursuing your creative passions? Head to the link in our bio to read more. ⭐️ . . . #friday #passion #pivot #model #blackwomen #career #wallstreet #fashion #style #pursue #womenofcolor #instagood #followyourdreams #best

"A child’s initial tools for learning when growing up are toys. The toys we obtain and how we play with them shape who we become as adults" Today on the blog we're featuring an enlightening guest post by IT professional and entrepreneur Kusuma Reddy, who is the founder of @culturoramatoys. Through her multicultural toy business, she aims to promote diversity and empower women and children. Hailing from India and migrating to the US in 2015, Kusuma knows first hand the impact dolls can have on the minds of children. "When I was a volunteer teacher at an informal slum school in Bangalore, one of my students brought a white Caucasian doll to the classroom. The doll was her proud possession and she wanted to show this off to her friends in the class. As we started talking about the doll, there were some shocking revelations from these young girls. Unfortunately, those kids believed that white skinny girls with blonde hair and blue eyes are "beautiful" which is why the dolls all looked like "beautiful foreign girls" and we Indian girls were not beautiful enough to be made into dolls." It was a moment that stuck with Kusuma for many years, prompting her to create a solution. "what started as a simple conversation with one of my students led to the creation of Culturorama Toys. What sets Culturorama Toys apart from other toy companies is our focus on handmade dolls that showcase traditional Indian features, fabric, dress, and accessories. These dolls are handmade by rural women artisans in India, who use high-quality organic materials to create beautiful and unique dolls that reflect the rich heritage and culture of India." Her mission is to help Indian girls feel empowered by their heritage: "I want our girls to be proud of who we are, what we wear and how we look. I wanted to create toys for children that reflect their unique experiences and backgrounds and help them develop an appreciation and understanding of different cultures." Learn more about Culturorama Toys via the link in our bio! 👧🏽🧸 . . . #toys #girls #dolls #india #entrepreneur #diversity #culturorama #representation #skincolor #empower #culture #browngirls

Meet Danielle Edmond - founder and CEO of @StayGoldenCosmetics and @uQueenOrganics who now presides over a 7-figure beauty empire that was built with glitter!. The Jamaican born entrepreneur has had a fascinating career path, which actually began in the world of sports. @danz.edmond was the co-captain for Jamaica’s national basketball team, before pivoting to modeling, and eventually launching her own business after moving to the US. She founded Danz Distributors LLC in 2013, the parent company of Stay Golden Cosmetics and uQueen Organics. Stay Golden Cosmetics offers vibrant and fierce eye and lip glam, while uQueen Organics is for rejuvenation – of skin, body, and being. Starting with just 5 glitter lip kits, conceived on her Brooklyn NY living room floor in 2017, Stay Golden Cosmetics has since evolved to 20 varying lip shades and eye pigments and has been seen on the likes of Nicki Minaj, Lizzo, and Cardi B. From scoring points on the basketball court, to taking the beauty world by storm, we spoke with Danielle to learn more about Stay Golden Cosmetics, and the impact of more women of color disrupting the white-centric fashion and beauty industry. “As a model, I found myself always redoing my makeup after sitting in a makeup artist’s chair – it’s sadly still a thing! But what truly shifted gears for me was my education in Marketing. I love the idea of marketing towards women of color because for a while, the majority of beauty commercials didn’t really represent women of color with deep skin tones like mine.” Read more about Danielle's cosmetic empire via the link in our bio! ✨👄🇯🇲 . . . #staygoldencosmetics #jamaican #entrepreneur #glitter #beauty #womenofcolor #makeup #cosmetics #organic #uQueen #Blackwomen #marketing

If you’re anything like us, you are probably sick and tired of the puritanical cultural and political force rearing its ugly head, influencing legislation and our education systems. We have a LOT of un-learning to do when it comes to ideas around sexuality, bodies, and autonomy, but it is going to take some work to reach a place where we are a culture fully embracing sex positivity. One woman who is going the extra mile to shift our way of thinking about sexuality and taking ownership over our bodies is entrepreneur and sexologist Tyomi Morgan who has dedicated her life to raising awareness and providing education to underrepresented individuals in the field of sexuality. @realglamazontyomi is an international pleasure coach with 12+ years experience as a thought leader, writer and influencer in the field of sexuality. She is also the founder of The Cowgirl Workout™ – where sex and fitness meet. In addition to her work, Tyomi is a member of the National Coalition for Sexual Health, and an on-set intimacy coach in film and TV. With 107k followers on Instagram, and over 140k on Twitter, it’s clear people want to hear what she has to say! Here's what Tyomi told us about how we can individually do the work to break down misconceptions around healthy sexuality: "Women of color come to me mostly with insecurities about their bodies. A number of them feel disconnected from their bodies and feel embarrassment or shame in intimate movement, and this is where I step in with empowerment via somatic movement healing practices. Women of color have been highly fetishized, yet made to feel inferior in claiming sexual freedom. I help my clients develop an awareness of the sexual autonomy they possess and empower them to make their own decisions in pleasure." Learn more about The Cowgirl Workout via the link in our bio! 🧡💋 . . . #sexuality #healthy #BIPOC #sexologist #entrepreneur #TheCowgirlWorkout #TyomiMorgan #shame #body #fetish #womenofcolor #autonomy #sexpositive #culture

What defines a woman? Who gets to decide on that definition? These questions are as controversial as they are dehumanizing, especially given the current landscape of gender discrimination. A new documentary, released on Canadian broadcast TV on March 8, International Women’s Day, exposes how ugly the gender wars are for female athletes. From award-winning Canadian filmmaker and former athlete who has experienced gender discrimination herself, Phyllis Ellis brings the timely @categorywomandoc which delivers a damning exploration of “sex testing,” a deceptive and harmful practice in international women’s sport, that has for over 80 years sabotaged the careers and impacted thousands of international female athletes, notably women of color. ‘Category: Woman’ tracks the devastating medical, social, cultural, emotional and economic impact that such rulings can have on the lives and careers of female athletes from the Global South. Phyllis encourages all of us to stand in solidarity with athletes from the Global South, to create a sporting world free of sexual, physical and psychological abuse, sex testing, misogyny, racism and gender discrimination. Here's what Phyllis shared with us about this documentary: "Gender cannot be questioned or determined, it is personal to each of us. Why it is dangerous and life threatening, is the deep gender-based racism that is at the forefront. Like Dr. Zine Magubane narrates in the film, 'Some bodies are marked. Bodies that are Black, and Brown and female have a particular type of marking. They are marked as insufficiently human. How do you castigate a category of people as insufficiently human? By throwing their gender into doubt'. The film’s message, [the athletes'] message is about informed consent, and that athletes can say no. No is a complete sentence, not a negotiation." Learn more about 'Category:Woman' via the link in our bio.🏃🏿‍♀️🎬 . . . #category #woman #gender #sextesting #sports #olympics #gender #discrimination #humanrights #athlete #womenofcolor #LGBTQ #informedconsent #globalsouth #medical #cultural #impact #phyllisellis #instagood