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Black Panther Does it For The Culture

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Not only is Black Panther poised to have the highest opening weekend of all time for a Marvel movie, it’s teaching as it entertains!

I love a movie with a message and Black Panther has plenty. This film does a wonderful job of discussing some complex political issues while being sensitive to how nuanced topics are. Womanism, the importance of youth in STEM, the relationship dynamics between Black men and women, transgenerational trauma from the carnage of the African diaspora, community accountability, and even a crash course on how to be a White ally permeated the film. Ryan Coogler and his production team did *that*! The importance of a film in an era like this is not just limited to the impact it has among adults.

Children, for the first time, have a mainstream movie where the main and ensemble cast are predominantly Black. The only White actors of the film serve as plot devices to further the complex emotional development of the main characters. Wakanda is a visual representation of the respectful amalgamation of African culture and the results were inspiring. Nakia, Shuri, Okoye, and the rest of the Dora Milaje are now idolized by a generation that is being raised to know their worth and walk in the pride of their heritage. Wakanda is a heartwarming view of Africa that could have been. Or is it? The dream of a prosperous homeland may be closer than you think.

 

Diverse landscape of Abuja, Capital of Nigeria

Abuja, Capital of Nigeria Wikimedia Commons

Africa is home to three of the 5 fastest growing economies in the world — Ethiopia, Ghana, and Cote d’Ivoire (The Ivory Coast). The economies of Nigeria, Egypt, and South Africa are the top three in the continent. While each nation has their own issues, its important for us now more than ever to change the narrative that paints Africa as a struggling nation. Wakanda is beautiful because Africa is beautiful and we mustn’t forget that.

Now we can be our own media, so get used to seeing Africa wholistically, we will show you the whole of the African story, not just the problems, but also the solutions and the beauty of the motherland… @ghanapeople Why Ghana? If you are looking for a cultural adventure in Africa or a safe English-speaking country in West Africa, it is difficult to argue for a different destination than Ghana. While we do not have a central wonder like the Pyramids in Egypt, or the density of wildlife as in eastern Africa, we do have many varied regions and cultures. This gives you the ability to have many different experiences within only one country – saving you on flights and visa applications. There are many reasons to visit Ghana! Friendly People Ghana is certainly the most welcoming country in the region, and according to Forbes magazine, was ranked the 11th friendliest country on earth. There is no other country in Africa that is so welcoming and hospitable. Her people are truly the #1 attraction of Ghana. Natural Scenic Beauty You will not believe what your eyes will see! Beautiful beaches, lakes, rivers, lagoons, waterfalls, highlands, virgin forests, sacred rock formations, and sahelian bush and desert. Safety Ghana is also one of the safest countries in Africa. While crime may be rampant in some other tourism destinations in Africa, it is an uncommon occurrence in Ghana, and visitors rarely have any problems regardless of where they travel. Guns are illegal in Ghana, so gun violence is almost nonexistent. The sense of being Ghanaian first is strong in Ghana, which gives our country a sense of identity unique to many countries in Africa. There are very few instances of inter-tribal or religious conflicts that plague so many of our neighbors. • • ?: @rajazakhour ✍: @s0nofmercy •

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Adults and children alike have a new sense of confidence after seeing such a long overdue of the celebration of our culture presented on the big screen. I hope it motivates us to invest in ourselves like never before, to encourage one another, and to be present emotionally for each other in the years to come.

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Rolling Ray Undergoes Surgery After Wig Catches On Fire

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Social media star Rolling Ray underwent surgery Tuesday morning to treat serious burns on his body after his terrible wig accident last week. 

In a series of IG stories, he let his audience follow along as he prepped for surgery.

Last week Rolling Ray announced he was hospitalized after his wig caught on fire! During a January 13 Instagram Live session hosted straight from his hospital bedside, he showed his severely burnt and damaged face telling viewers his “whole skin, legs, arms, feet, and everything” were burned.

In a more recent Live, Ray explained the incident that led to his whole wig catching on fire: an unfortunate smoking accident. “It just, like, lit on fire when I tried to light the cigarette,” he recounted. “So I get to trying to snatch the wig off. B***h, the fire goes to my f*****g shirt, to my feet, to my legs, to my back. It’s a fire everywhere, it’s a fire in the whole room.” 

Of course the internet trolled him in a disgusting display of ableism and heartlessness. Comments like “Rolling Ray should have stopped, dropped, and rolled” and “karma’s a b***h” had social media conflicted in its feelings about his accident. His sensation comes from his harsh and, often, below-the-belt reads (just last month he told Yung Miami to “dig (sic) up” her dead baby father. However, the criticism didn’t stop him from responding on Twitter. 

Rolling Ray might be problematic as all get-out, but we do not tolerate ableism here. We wish him well as he heals.

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Fantasia Reveals Gender of Baby On the Way!

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On Tuesday singer-songwriter and “American Idol” winner Fantasia Barrino took to social media to reveal that she is having a baby girl, her first child with husband Kendall Taylor.

In a series of Instagram stories, Fantasia showed pink fireworks being shot off during a gender reveal party, to her and her hubby’s excitement! She continued by sharing what her daughter-to-be’s name will be: Keziah London Taylor.

The news comes after the couple revealed they had struggled to conceive since their 2015 marriage. During a November episode of her IG Live show “Taylor Talks,” she described continuously praying for a child with her husband. Fantasia, a deeply devout Christian, was obviously elated when she shared the news.

“God I Want To Thank You!” she said in an Instagram caption. “You Gave Us A Seed even when the Doctor said that one of my Tubes [was] Closed you said Different. @salute1st I Love You King and I can’t wait to see who He or She acts Like.”

We can see Fantasia and family are all super excited to be welcoming a baby girl into their lives. All congratulations to her.

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Kim Kardashian and Kanye West Are Getting Divorced, Report Says

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In a story published Tuesday evening, Page Six is reporting that Kim Kardashian and Kanye West are getting divorced, with the two already in settlement talks. The news comes after the couple spent the holiday season separately – Kanye at his ranch outside Cody, Wyoming, Kim and the kids with her famous family in southern California. 

A source close to Kardashian was quoted saying, “Kim got Kanye to go up there so they could live separate lives and quietly get things sorted out to separate and divorce. She’s done.” Kardashian, 40, and West, 43, are said to be splitting because of marital problems directly related to Kanye’s very public mental health struggles.

For several years the rapper’s various antics have caused fans to worry. After coming out as a Trump supporter, West then announced his own 2020 presidential bid under a new political party: the Birthday Party. At a campaign rally in South Carolina, he was seen rambling, debating individual audience members, and at times, crying. In various interviews, he has rambled on almost incoherently, and his tweetstorms are now infamous.

For her part, Kim has always supported her husband and has openly discussed the difficulties of their marriage. Back in June, she shared on social media, “Anyone who has [bipolar disorder] or has a loved one in their life who does, knows how incredibly complicated and painful it is to understand… People who are unaware or far removed from this experience can be judgmental and not understand that the individual (has) to engage in the process of getting help no matter how hard family and friends try.”

It appears she has finally reached her limit in the union with the unnamed source saying, “She is serious about taking the bar exam and becoming a lawyer, she is serious about her prison reform campaign. Meanwhile Kanye is talking about running for president and saying other crazy s**t, and she’s just had enough of it.”

Separately, a source close to Kanye alleges the rapper is sick of his wife and her family, which might have some truth to it since he has tweeted some pretty nasty things about them in the past. “I been trying to get divorced since Kim met with Meek at the Warldolf [sic] for ‘prison reform,’” he said in a now-deleted July tweet. Recently, he hasn’t been featured on his wife’s Instagram and has largely remained out of the public eye.

With the news yet to be confirmed, the “divorce is imminent” reports are just rumors for now. We’ll be following the news as more information comes out.

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