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#WednesdayWisdom
"You don't have to earn rest. You do have to get hella (yes hella) intentional about choosing it though." — Octavia Raheem
Morning Musings
Another week, another outcry of people being Big Mad about what a Black woman chooses to do with her own life. This week’s example: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s decision to name their baby girl Lilibet “Lili” Diana Mountbatten-Windsor.
When an editor asked if I had "thoughts on folks hating on the name of the new royal baby," my initial reaction was one of confusion. What's there to hate?, I thought. I mean, I have an unusual name so I get if people are a little tongue-tied, but hate?!
Apparently one royal watcher found the first name, which is a tribute to Queen Elizabeth II's childhood moniker, "disrespectful." As if Harry and Meghan most likely didn't run it past the queen herself first. Give me a break.
As I ended up writing in my piece for ZORA, Little Lili has been alive for less than a week and is already the subject of undue scrutiny, much like her mother, Meghan. At this point, the duchess could come up with the cure for COVID and people would still find a reason to hate her.
And I can only wonder if Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge and Meghan's sister-in-law, would be receive the same level of criticism. Who's to say for sure?
But one thing I do know is that I love seeing Black women reclaim their power and control their narrative as Meghan Markle and Naomi Osaka have done recently. More of this, please.
Love,
L'Oreal
ICYMI
Ya girl had quite a few bylines this week. Get into them:
Nicola Yoon Questions Whether Love Is Worth It in ‘Instructions for Dancing’ (Shondaland)
Naomi Osaka Chose Her Mental Health. Here’s How You Can Too. (Shine)
Leave Lilibet Alone (ZORA)
Upcoming Events
June 9 (TONIGHT) at 6 CT: Friends, tonight's the night! After years of putting off starting a book club, our first meeting is finally here. We're reading Set Boundaries, Find Peace by Nedra Glover Tawwab. And if you haven't read or finished the book, you can still sit with us! This isn't Oprah's book club after all. ;) Register here for FREE!
Links I Love
1. Afrominimalism Offers a New Vision for Black People (Bitch Media)
2. Who Gets to Tell Me to Take Off My Bonnet? (Beauty IRL)
3. The Enduring Power of Moulin Rouge!, 20 Years Later (Vanity Fair)
My Latest Obsession
Confession: I'd never read a Nicola Yoon book before Instructions for Dancing and let me just say, she does not disappoint. I felt all the feels with this one (I laughed, I cried...and cried some more). Be sure to read my Shondaland interview with Nicola to learn more about the inspiration behind the book.
Now Hiring
Neighborhood Reporter for Block Club Chicago
Senior Marketing Manager for Grove Atlantic
Senior Associate, Comedy for Hulu
Communications and Marketing Manager for The National Book Foundation
Writer, Office of the President for Johns Hopkins University
Health Editor for Buzzfeed
Manager of Mentoring and Inclusion Programs for Chicago Innovation Foundation
Senior Merchant for Third Love
Thank You!
Thank you, Maryse, for buying this week's coffee!
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