Review of 369 Manifestation Journal for Black Women

 

I read this book out of curiosity. It looks great, it’s a good size, and I like the cover and the line drawings inside.  I like the way it has been produced.  Sometimes self=published books are not produced to a high standard, but this one has been.  

This is a workbook on using affirmations.  Each day, there is a new affirmation.  Each page has ample space for writing out your affirmations.

The author, Limitless Abundance, favours the 3-6-9 method of writing an affirmation three times in the morning, six times in the afternoon and nine times in the evening.  She states that this approach is based on numerology.

I know nothing about numerology and have no experience of using the 3-6-9 method so, who knows?  It might be highly effective.  I do know a lot about affirmations, though, and have written three books about them myself.  One thing I know is, they really work.  

The book contains beautiful affirmations - one for each day as well as monthly ones.  For example:

I AM A BROWN SKIN BEAUTY WHO KNOWS HER WORTH.

I POSSESS INNER BEAUTY, STRENGTH AND RESILIENCE.

I AM FREE TO CREATE THE LIFE I DESIRE TO LIVE.

I AM POWERFUL, MELANATED AND

CAPABLE OF RUNNING MY WORLD.

You will notice all of the affirmations are in the present tense, which is the way to do it. I wasn't too sure about the ones for turning around negativity, though.  I was always taught to stick to positive language when using affirmations.  

One problem I have with the book is that, as it is a low-content book, it does not go into any detail about working with affirmations.  In my experience, and that of the hundreds of students I have worked with, when we start to use affirmations or, indeed, make any move of positive progress towards a goal, we immediately become aware of what is getting in the way.  This often shows up as resistance. 

So, for example, we start thinking, “I don’t believe the affirmations”, “this isn’t going to work”, or something similar.  Or we find other things to do that stop us from doing our affirmations.  Or we just don’t want to use the process anymore.

It would be great if she went into this more, and gave us information on how to address this very common problem.  Actually, although it feels like a problem, it’s really just part of the process.

Another criticism I have is that the author doesn’t talk about the healing process.  She has a few affirmations about letting go of the past, but this often requires deeper work.

Many, perhaps most, people have been through trauma at some point in our lives.  Black people have experienced specific types of trauma, and our trauma is often inter-generational, meaning we pass it on from one generation to the next until we heal it  This book does not and cannot address this, and I think it is vital to do so if we are serious about manifesting what we want.

Final verdict: This is a lovely book which, although it has some limitations, may help you with your manifestation process.

Go here for my video:  What Are Affirmations?    

Please share/comment.  Thanks.  

 

Stylist’s Black British Women’s Census

Black women in the UK are more likely to be spoken about than to be spoken to.  This is just one of the findings of Stylist’s Black British Women’s Census.  Go here to read more.  

Did you know that Black women in the UK are FOUR TIMES more likely to die in childbirth than white women?  And nearly twice as likely to experience stillbirths? 

Do you think Black women in the UK are fairly and accurately represented?  Please comment below and please share.  Thanks.  

Domestic Violence + the Coronavirus Crisis

As we all know, for many, the current covid-19 outbreak is having tragic, even lethal consequences.  And the long-term impact on the economy is yet to be seen. 

The global lockdown in the wake of the covid-19 pandemic is having many positive, beneficial consequences.  Street crime, burglary and other crimes are down (although cyber crime and internet fraud are on the increase).  The air quality has improved, and the impact on the environment means that fewer are animals dying.  Go here for more about the positive aspects of the coronavirus.  It's useful to have a fresh perspective. 
 

However, one of the many downsides is that people locked down togther for an ongoing period of time are more likely to experience domestic violence.  Some sistas are locked down with their abusers - and even their killers.

For Black Women Suffering Domestic Abuse, Coronavirus Quarantines are Life-Threatening.

Four in 10 Black women experience physical abuse. We’re also more likely to endure psychological abuse such as humiliation, bullying, name-calling, coercion and control.

Although we are being told, "Stay inside, don't go out", the message to any woman in a violent situation remains:  Get Out!

Go here for more about how to escape from a violent situation, and where to find resources to support you.  Remember, our self-care MUST be our priority.

Go here for more about how the coronavirus is disrupting all of our lives - as well as being potentially postive for our future. 

Go here for more about how we can look after our mental health during the coronavirus crisis. 

And, as we all need to smile and laugh more than ever these days, go here for some coronavirus humour.

Please share this with your networks and please comment below.  Thanks. 

Charlotte Sophia, Invisible Queen

Queen Charlotte Sophia

As you may know, Queen 
Charlotte Sophia, consort of George III, was a Black woman - a woman of African ancestry.  

Dr. Stephanie Myers from Black Women for Positive Change has recently produced a book, Invisible Queen, about Queen Charlotte Sophia.  You can listen to it below. 

Go here for more Black history links.  

The Week of Nonviolence 2017

Dr, Stephanie Myers

Listen below to find out: 

What is the background to the Week of Nonviolence?  How did it first come about?  

What are the goals of the Week of Nonviolence?  

What events are being planned for the Week of Nonviolence?  How to get involved?  

How does violence affect Black communities and other communities all over the world?  And what can we do to transform the culture of violence?  

I was joined by Dr. Stephanie Myers, Co-Chair of Black Women for Positive Change. 

The Week of Nonviolence was founded by Black Women for Positive Change in 2014 and is in its fourth year. 

Go here for more about the Week of Nonviolence 2017. 

Listen below for more.   Please share this with your networks, and please leave your comments below.  Thanks. 

590 Black Deaths in Police Custody

Marcia Rigg Protest about the Death of Sean Rigg, London

Check out my previous blog posts:  Protecting Our Communities

We Need Solutions That Work. 

According to this article, 590 Black people in the UK have died in police custody.

This article fails to mention that some of the 500 people killed by the police, with impunity, were women. Some were disabled. Some were probably both. 

Call their names:  Cynthia Jarrett, Joy Gardner.   

Also, Cherry Groce was confined to a wheelchair for the rest of her life after being shot by the police in London.

This post appears to be pitting disadvantaged groups against each other. We need to stand together. I am Black, a woman and disabled. I have a problem with the way this site has posed the question, “If it was 590 women or 590 wheelchair users, would there be a national outcry?”.

All deaths in police custody need to be highlighted, awareness needs to be raised, but racism is something that affects Black people in every area of our lives, whether or not we are women or disabled. We need to keep highlighting this. 

These are just some of the many reasons why I am hosting the Blogging Carnival for Nonviolence 2015.   

Plus check out this blog from Naturally Moi:  The Woman Who Filmed the Eric Garner Killing Is Suing the NYPD.   

Please leave your comments below.  And please share this with your networks.  Thanks. 

First Day of Wimbledon

Serena Williams, Wimbledon Champion

On the first day of Wimbledon fortnight, I am collecting images of Venus and Serena Williams here.

Let's celebrate these two amazing, powerful, strong and beautiful sistas who have broken so many boundaries and will ALWAYS be champions! 

Soul Survivors: Slave Narratives

In the light of 12 Years a Slave, I have re-purposed this blog.  

Soul Survivors is a collection of what are commonly termed "slave narratives".  

Like Solomon Northrup, the author of 12 Years a Slave, many of the authors were descended from people who had been born free in the United States but kidnapped and sold into enslavement; and several had been freed by their owners but still found themselves enslaved and sold.  

One woman even took her owner to court to sue for her freedom and won. 

What is unique about this collection, edited by Marcia Williams, is that it contains only narratives by women.

The stories in Soul Survivors cover a wide historical range, from the Revolutionary War in 1776 to the end of the American Civil War in 1865 and beyond.

This collection also contains Incidents from the Life of a Slave Girl, by Harriet Jacobs, which many of us have already read as a separate volume. This is one of the rare texts which portray the sexual harassment and abuse which enslaved African women and young people must have commonly experienced.
 
Click here for details of, and a short film based on, my choreopoem, Harriet, which examines the life of Harriet Jacobs.

Jacobs shares her own experiences as a way of depicting the immorality that was inflicted upon enslaved women, and to which they were often forced to submit. I can't help thinking that many women probably did not write of these experiences, either because of embarassment or because they feared being labelled "immoral" or "loose" themselves.

African American women, during and after enslavement, were often at pains to prove that they were not sexually "immoral" because our women were commonly labelled as such by their enslavers, who used this as a justification for raping or prostituting African American girls and women.

Jacobs describes having to hide in a small attic for seven years to escape from her libidinous 'owner' who was so obsessed with her that he scoured the country trying to track her down. She also depicts how, prior to her escape, her white mistress heaped scorn and abuse on her and other enslaved women because of her husband's licentious behaviour and her own intense sexual jealousy.

Many of the women describe the horrendous physical abuse, including beatings, whippings and heavy labour, that they continually experienced.  Many of these personal histories were recorded in order to support the abolitionist cause.

In fact, one of the authors, Mary Prince from the Caribbean, states, "I am often much vexed and I feel great sorrow when I hear some people say that slaves ... do not need better usage and do not want to be free. They believe the foreign people who deceive them and say slaves are happy". She continues, "There is no modesty or decency shown by the owner to his slaves".

The authors all describe their great sorrow and grief at having been sold away from their own children, partners, parents, brothers and sisters, and their attempts to reunite with their family members. They also relate the enslaved African people's constant attempts to gain their freedom by any means necessary, either through escape or through purchasing their own or their children's freedom, sometimes saving up for years in order to do so. 

My one criticism of this collection is that it could have done with better editing. There are no historical or bibliographic notes or indications as to the sources of these narratives. The table of contents does not even contain page numbers. The narratives sometimes jump around in time and I found this confusing. 

Having said that, Soul Survivors is an important addition to any collection of African diasporic history. 

Click here to order Soul Survivors.

Black Women Make Movies

This Saturday, 17th November. London Black History Walks will screen two films by and about African women.  

              

Ugandan Superladies - Rose, Leila and Susan are three  ordinary Ugandan women concerned with homes, families and jobs, but they also share the dream of becoming champion rally drivers. They face the double challenge of achieving sporting success while fighting prejudice and sexism in the male world of motor rallying.The film documents their journey take as they struggle to put together their cars for the Pearl of Africa Uganda Rally 2009, the most coveted motor sports title in East Africa.  Showing with:

The Window - Moji dreams of being a window dresser but is held back by her husband Samson and things start to look even worse for her when Samson's second wife arrives from Nigeria to live in their one-bedroomed Peckham flat with them. However the two women,rather than being rivals,form a bond and,after a public show-down at Samson's chieftancy ceremony, attain their independence plus Q and A with screenwriter Funke Oyebanjo

Saturday, 17th November

Room B36, Birkbeck University of London, Malet St (entry on Torrington Square)

Tube: Russell Square/Tottenham Court Road

Free entry. First come, First served 

This event sponsored by National Association of Black Saturday Schools www.nabss.org.uk and Birkbeck, University of London  

Plus:  Performing Black Bodies in White Spaces  (Repeated by popular demand)

Saturday 17   November 5pm to 8.30pm

Birkbeck University of London, Tube: Russell Square/Tottenham Court Road

Free entry  if you click here to book and get venue details 

This event sponsored by National Association of Black Saturday Schools www.nabss.org.uk and Birkbeck, University of London  

London's Top Black Men and Women of Power

Courttia Newland

Black Enterprise has identified London's top Black men and women of power.  Not sure I agree with their choices.  

London's Top Black Women of Power 

It's great to see writer Courttia Newland included in the list of London's Top Black Men of Power.  

In Black Success Stories, I did not just list people's accomplishments.  I asked them how they achieved their successes.  It's all there in the book.  

Dark Girls Lecture with Directors

The Dark Girls documentary explores color prejudice/colorism among African American women. See below for a trailer.

The Du Sable Museum in Chicago will hold a lecture with Bill Duke and D. Channsin Berry, the directors of Dark Girls, on Monday, October 10, 2011.

For details of this and other events, see Black History/Cultural Events.

See also: Chicago African Festival of the Arts.

For more great stuff like this, click here to join Nurture Success.

See also: Africa and Africans on Film.

Dark Girls: Preview from Bradinn French on Vimeo.

Do Black Men Need to Man Up?

Check out this blog from Very Smart Brothas: Do Black Men Need to Man Up?

There are LOTS of responses to this one. You can read them, and/or add your own.

Some of my thoughts:

Who is responsible for the crime and violence in the ghetto? My answer: white men.

Who is to blame for Black men behaving irresponsibly?

Does strong Black female leadership require Black men to be weak - or absent?

What we need is a new kind of strength - the kind that takes account of feelings, needs, the whole person. Click here for my article on Strong Black Woman Syndrome.

As I said, lots more has been said. So click here to check it out.

Black Women Hair Skin & Beauty, The Black Image

London Black History Walks presents:

Black Women Hair, Skin & Beauty
Sunday 24 April 2-6pm
Lost Theatre, 208 Wandsworth Road SW8 2JU
Tube: Stockwell. Entry:£7.00. Book in advance with London Black History Walks

A visual exploration of how history, mis-education and "race" affect fashion, self-esteem, employment and education of black women and men. This film montage features Black women from all over the world talking about their hair, their skin and how they learned what is beautiful. This is event is often oversubscribed.

See also: Next Black History Events, which lists more events.
London Black History Walks - my interview with Brother T.

400 Years of Black Women Resistance Leaders

This month sees several events this month in London celebrating the contribution of African women.

Black History Studies are continuing their series of films Celebrating International Women's Day through Film. Last week, they screened a film about an awesome woman, Ida B. Wells, a tireless anti-lynching campaigner from the 19th and 20th centuries, last week. More about this soon.

For the next films in the series include:

* Wednesday 16th March 2011- Zora Neale Hurston: Jump At The Sun

* Wednesday 23rd March 2011- Sisters In Law (a great film about women lawyers and judges in Cameroon challenging domestic vilence)

* Sunday 27th March 2011- Assata Shakur: A Biography

Click here for more information.

See also, African Superheroes Day.

We will be joined by Charmaine Simpson from Black History Studies on What U Need to Know tomorrow night, 2 p.m. EST, 7 p.m. UK time. We will be discussing Black economics. Click here for a preview.

Friday 25 March 7.30pm-10.30pm
400 Years of Black Women Resistance Leaders @ Positive Mental Attitude Community College, 26 Reginald Close (off Admiralty Square) Deptford SE8 4SS Tube: New Cross, Deptford Bridge www.pmacc.co.uk Entry £8.00 waged £5.00 unwaged

Biographical details of black women from all over the world who have resisted slavery, colonialism and racism . Women do not get the historical credit they deserve, this event will provide video and documentary evidence of the who, what and why of 45 female leaders who used pistols, pens or placards to fight for equality.

Women include: Queen Amina, May Jemison, Dora Akunyili, Dame Jocelyn Barrow, Leyla Hussein, Una Marson, Hawa Taako, Lt. Sanite Belair, Althea Gibson, Carlota, Mavis Best, Fawzia Hashim, Dr Beryl Gilroy, Edna Ismail, Benadita Da Silva, Charity Adams, Janet Alder, and many more.

Median Wealth for Single Black Women $5

I read recently that single African American women's median assets total £5. That's FIVE DOLLARS.

That means some single sistas have more than that, and some have less. That's right, LESS than the £5 average.

Click here to read more.

This is one of the reasons why I wrote Success Strategies for Black People.

Here's another one:

African American unemployment sits at almost double the rate of the nation average at 16.5 percent, and black males that are between the ages of 20 to 24 have a 34.9 percent chance of being unemployed

Click here to read more.

In tough economic times, there's all the more reason why we need strategies that work for us. This book is about overcoming our mental habits and patterns that hold us back, so that we can achieve our unlimited possibilities.

Click here for Zhana's Amazon Author Profile.

Why Can't Successful Black Women Find Good Black Men? (Part 3)

Click here for Part 1.

Click here for Part 2.

Des has some excellent videos on his website, featuring Hill Harper.

We know Hill Harper as an actor from CSI New York. He is also the author of several books, including The Conversation: How Black Men and Women Can Build Loving, Trusting Relationships.

To read more, see Black Men, Women, Relationships

One point Hill makes is that Black men talk to each other, Black women talk to each other, but the sistas and the brothas are not communicating with each other. Des and the panellists at his event made the same point.

Des's work is all about building lasting relationships. His work is not for those who are just grazing, cruising or looking for short-term romance. If you are serious about building a lasting relationship with a partner, click here to check out his site.

Des will be holding a singles event in which you are guaranteed to meet at least 50 Black men and chat to all of them in the course of the evening. Click here for info and to book.

Click here for the Success Strategies fan page.

To find out about future events for the Black community, click here to join Nurture Success.

Why Can't Successful Black Women Find Good Black Men?

I went to a great event on Saturday night called Why Can’t Successful Black Women Find Good Black Men?

I don’t agree with the basic premise. We can attract the partners we want, we just need to find the strategies to do so. More about this below.

It was a very lively event. There was a panel of four – two brothas and two sistas – who expressed their views on a range of topics, such as

- the reasons why people don’t come to these events
- self-development and empowerment
- are Black women too independent?
- are Black men intimidated by women who ear more than they do?

And lots more.

The people on the panel and in the audience were being very real. I was pleasantly surprised, as I have heard about similar events being held in the ‘90s in which the sistas were very angry (with good reason) and basically slagged off the brothas. Everyone had intelligent points to make, although I didn’t agree with everything that was said.

I highly recommend these events. Click here to find out more.

Strategies

Des O’Connor (no, not that Des O’Connor), who presented the event, was highly skilled. He suggested several strategies for meeting the kind of man you want to meet.

For example, during the World Cup, go to a sports bar when one of the African teams is playing. There will be plenty of men there.

I think that’s a brilliant strategy. Having said that, I can teach you ladies how to attract a man wherever you are. And I can teach you fellas how to attract a woman. If you want a same-sex partner, I can help with that, too.

To find out how to do this, come to my Relaxation Workshop in London on Saturday. Click here for details.

Relaxation is a big part of attraction. Our emotions influence our ability to attract what we want. This is Law of Attraction stuff.

I will be blogging more about last Saturday’s event. Des will be holding a singles event in which you are guaranteed to meet at least 50 Black men and chat to all of them in the course of the evening. Click here for info and to book.

Click here for the Success Strategies fan page.

To find out about future events for the Black community, click here to join Nurture Success.

Black History: Telling Our Stories

October is Black History Month in the UK. For BHM events and resources, see Black History International.

In my recent interview with Loretta N. Green, we talked about the importance of telling our stories. Harriet Jacobs recorded her experiences in her book Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, and I have told her story in my choreopoem, Harriet. A film of Harriet will be shown as part of the BFM London Black Film Festival.

Click here to read more and hear more radio interviews.

Black Men, Women, Relationships

This month in Essence, there is an article called “Where Is the Love” about relationships between Black men and women.

Hill Harper, author of Letters to a Young Brother and Letters to a Young Sister, has just brought out a new book entitled The Conversation: How Black Men and Women Can Build Loving, Trusting Relationships.

One point he makes is that single-sex conversations will not bring about progress – in other words, men and women need to talk to each other.

I would argue that single-sex conversations are important, and may feel like a safer place to start. But in the end, we are a complete race and brothas and sistas need to connect and communicate with each other.

I would argue further that it’s not just a matter of talking – it’s also about how we talk and listen to each other. When there are forums for men and women, there tends to be a lot of judging and blaming, a lot of accusations. We need to learn a new language for communication – the language of Nonviolent Communication.

We have learned toxic ways of relating to each other and we are paying the price with broken relationships.

Did you know that:

Only 38% of Black children live in two-parent homes.

In 1966, more than 84% of all African American children were raised in two-parent households. By 2006, that number was at just 31%, compared to

• 80% of Asian American children and
• 70% of white American children?

The article lays the blame for problems between Black men and women firmly at the feet of internalised racism, i.e. self-hatred. I couldn’t agree more.

For more about this, see The Key to Confidence.

Hill also argues that many Black women are looking for a man who is financially well-off. I’ve heard this so many times before. I think this is probably because many of us yearn for material security. But we need to learn to provide this security for ourselves, while still being open to a loving relationship.

Hill adds that most of us would not have dated Barack Obama.

I say: If we define a potential partner by his paycheck or bank balance, rather than the qualities he is bringing to the relationship, we are selling ourselves short.

This is about core values. Are you looking for someone with whom you feel secure, with whom you can share yourself and express yourself freely and openly?

Hill finishes by talking about authenticity. If you feel like you have to put on an act when you are with men, how are you going to be happy in a relationship?

My work is about solutions – building happy, healthy relationships, families and communities. Check out my communications course October 10th-11th.

See also: This article about empathy.

Hatred of Black Women

What is with the hatred of Black women?

The latest victim (that we've heard about) is the London woman who was scheduled for execution in Laos. They have let her off now - at last - but only because she is pregnant!

http://www.blackvoices.com/newsarticle/_a/pregnant-woman-escapes-death-penalty-in/20090505100309990001

She got pregnant in jail. She was accused of drug trafficking, but her friends say she has never touched drugs.

A couple of years ago, there was the woman in northern Nigeria who was threatened with being stoned to death.

But before we expect others to love and appreciate us, we need to learn to love and appreciate ourselves. I am told many sistas jumped on Rihanna after her bloke (allegedly) beat her up. And look what happened when Tyson raped that young sista. So many women blamed her.

If this is how we treat each other, we can't be surprised when others abuse, exploit and oppress us. Can we?

We need to learn to love, appreciate and value ourselves and each other. Seriously, yall, this is life and death.

Check out my article on The Key to Confidence.