America’s dirty little secret is White supremacy. There I said it.

As an African American woman in this country, it’s not safe for me to turn a blind eye to the climate of race relations and civil rights in America. We can no longer afford to pretend that racism isn’t weaved throughout the very fabric of America’s existence, and the march on Charlottesville is huge reason why.

Over the weekend, on the campus of the University of Virginia, we witnessed about a hundred or so white men and women march throughout the sleepy college town a night before their big “Unite the Right” rally. They proudly held up Nazi salutes with one hand and their now famed tiki-torches in the other. They chanted things like “blood and soil,” “you will not replace us,” and “White lives matter,” along with other reported racial epithets. It was like something out of the 1960’s. They confidently, no they angrily paraded throughout the campus and finally stopped under the statue of Robert E. Lee where all hell practically broke loose.

Photo courtesy of Vox.

There was pepper spray and chemical spray used amongst the protesters and counterprotestors…clubs and torches being flung. There were recorded fist fights and beatings. The news swept through Twitter like a wild-fire and took the world by storm. There were responses of sorrow, indifference, fear, anger…you name it, the world expressed it. The one emotion that annoyed me the most was that of surprise. Why are we surprised? Why are we now just getting “woke,” because it’s trendy? These people have lived amongst us, dormant, for decades. If you’re Black, you’ve likely experienced stories of these types of people from your family, friends, and community. They were our “Boogie-Man.”

African Americans have continuously rallied for support against these people for years but it’s almost been as if folks thought we were crying wolf – citing things like Black Lives Matters, Black on Black crime and drug epidemics as the supposed root of the problem. But the internet has ripped off the band-aides and rose colored glasses, and now here we are. These are your teachers, preachers, politicians, cops, doctors, nurses, lawyers, business owners. These wolves hidden in plain sight are the future of America and they hate all people who don’t look like them or represent their beliefs. They are domestic terrorist. You all are finally seeing “post racial” America for what it really is…a hot, disgusting mess.

Photo courtesy of Yahoo.

Writer for Vox, German Lopez, said it best when speaking to the fragility of these self proclaimed “victims” who marched at UVA…

[su_quote cite=”But they’ve seen their racial security challenged. They saw the first black president with Barack Obama. They see demographic statistics that show white Americans will no longer be the majority in the coming decades. They see all of this talk about Black Lives Matter and the importance of diversity, including through policies like affirmative action. They see recent moves to tear down Confederate monuments in the South. And they themselves may have been accused of racism at some point in their lives, perhaps after they raised concerns about any of these issues.”][/su_quote]

These folks are mad because they will one day no longer hold the majority of this country. So on Friday, August 11th, 2017, the pot officially boiled over .

Photo courtesy of Slate.

The next day, hundreds more of neo-Nazis and Ku Klux Klan members met for part two of their rally but something was a little different. The news had spread about the evening before and a larger group of counterprotesters and media outlets joined. It all ended with a fatal car crash killing thirty-two-year-old Heather Heyer with 19 other people injured. The driver was 20-year-old James Alex Fields Jr. of Maumee, Ohio.

Photo courtesy of CNN.

There is still fallout happening after this whole debacle. The President made a statement that was actually applauded by the likes of David Duke, there’s been more criticism of the police, two officers actually died in route to the rally, the Republican party is scrambling, Deandre Harris has been talking about his beating, and the public is just stunned. It’s all so amazing to see unfold, and I don’t mean that in a good way. It’s insane, and all I can feel is interchangeable sadness and numbness. Most embarrassingly, the world is watching. Our dirty little secret, is secret no more. It’s just dirty.

Time to clean house. <3

-D.Wright

So in this week’s stories of women murking the game, we have TV vet Judge Judy Sheindlin who is literally sitting on a gold mine!

She’s in the works of selling her 10,400-show archive back to network giant, CBS, for a whopping $95 million! That’s more money than I could ever fathom but really want to because who wouldn’t want to wish that much money on themselves? Like what do you do with it? Scrooge McDuck it? Buy a boat? Invest in the next big start-up? I don’t know, but this 70-year old diva is in her 21st season and currently makes around $45 million a year helping people realize how dumb they are for trying to “get over” on the law. Anywho, this is such a boss chick move.

But what’s the lesson?

The lesson is to work hard and know your worth! This is a woman who clearly understands her power and her demand.

I used to have such a difficult time with requesting pay for my creative services and now I feel like like as my star rises and my services are requested more frequently, the value of my time also increases. I can’t sell myself short for the sake of playing the nice-girl card. Who said it? Ms. Yoncé, I think it was, told the world “eff you pay me.”

Over the years she’s made incredibly smart, strategic, and very consistent moves with her brand as well as her business. She knows her 10-million viewers like the back of her hand and gives the people what they want – a smart and sassy, no-nonsense incarnation of the law.

She’s been #1 like forever and lives a quiet life with her family. This is the way to do it folks! Invest in yourself, live happily, build your empire quietly and shock the freaggin world without personally announcing a got-dog on thing! Yassss Ms. Judy…Just yasssss.

Give me my money. –#JudyTaughtMe <3

-D.Wright

So if you didn’t know, I’m a music creative and writer who currently works in the technology industry.

I’ve had about 15 years of experience in the music industry, have written stories and songs for as long as I could write and even got a Creative Writing degree to back up my passion of songwriting. It’s different, I know.

Most recently (ok, over the past year) I decided to be a grown up, because it’s never too late to abandon a woman-child mentality. I challenged myself to take advantage of whatever amazing opportunities came my way and came to realize I wanted more. I don’t mean the simple promotion more, which is totes cool, I mean the unfathomable more. I want the, I can’t believe this is my life, how cool is this – more. Now, I have a pretty nice little gig going but I knew that if I really wanted the freedom my heart desired career-wise, I had to give my dreams some new life.

So here it is, advice from a person in transition of making their unfathomable dreams an attainable reality.

Take Matters Into Your Own Hands

You are responsible for your own dreams. No one owes you their love or support when it comes to something you feel passionate about. You will be your biggest cheerleader, supporter, motivator and whatever other -er or -or noun you come up with. Support is a gift, it’s your cherry on top. It’s not a main ingredient and it took me years to honestly realize it. Along with that you can’t wait for other people to help move your forward. You must use every tool and resource you have to push yourself further. Again, this beautiful and amazing thing is YOUR responsibility. Why would a mother immediately let someone bond with her child right after giving birth? Unless some medical hurdles get in the way, it ain’t happening. Your dream is your baby that you nurture and grow. It’s yours to help grow.

Seek Counseling

It’s tough being on a journey solo-dolo and feeling like you have the weight of the world on your shoulders. In your times of growth and exploration of your  dream you have to make sure that your mental well being is taken care of. Just as you exercise your body, you want to make sure that your mind-set and emotional state are in tip top shape. Getting in tune with your spirit and your mind is one of the most overlooked and empowering things you could gift yourself. With my spiritual and emotional growth, I’ve really felt a genuine breakthrough. I know I’m finally turning into the best version of myself. I don’t fear anything and I’m ready for the world. Take care of yourself, you won’t regret it.

Never Compare Yourself To Anyone

It’s great to gain inspiration from other amazing people, but your path isn’t their path and your experience will never truly align with theirs. I used to think that I was supposed to be a Disney star before being a pop princess at 18, but guess what…that made no sense. I didn’t even know how to get a tape to Disney and I barely even knew anything about the music business. What I did know was that I was a shy person with lots to learn and a ton of untapped potential. As the years went by, I saw my friends and peers (who I grew up with) in the business become internationally acclaimed creatives, working on TV shows, making tons of money, starting amazing businesses and everything else you could imagine. I began to doubt myself. They looked perfect, acted perfect, sounded perfect, lived perfect and Instagram did not help!

After a mental breakdown or two, I had to pull it together. I realized I’ll never be someone I’m not. I don’t want to even know the things they’ve been through to get what they have and I’d probably never be willing to make the sacrifices they made. I had to learn I’m the expert at my life and that my knowledge, faith, and works will take me where I want to go.

Don’t get me wrong folks, I’m still learning but I feel so powerful now and can’t wait to see what my future holds. How are you giving your dreams new life? <3

-D.Wright

Photo courtesy of Getty/Michael Loccisano.

If you haven’t checked out HBO’s The Defiant Ones by now, you are truly missing out on a gem. It’s a revealing look into the lives of music’s most influential dynamic duo, Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine. TDF is a four episode mini series that leaves no subject about the “power-bros” off the record. You want drama, comedy, romance, and amazing freaggin’ music – it’s all there for you.

Why I enjoyed it…

The Hits
The soundtrack to this thing and insane. Sure I might be biased because I grew up with the music these guys put out and felt super nostalgic, but it was truly epic. It’s easy to forget how many hits these guys were apart of but with the retelling of their story, it’s all inspiring to hear. You have the likes of N.W.A, Dr. Dre, Snoop, Ice Cube, Nirvana, Bruce Springsteen, Nine Inch Nails, Marilyn Manson, Gwen Stefani and No Doubt, U2, Stevie Nicks, Fleetwood Mac, and so many other artists featured. Off the music alone, I think you’ll enjoy it. Like seriously.

Photo courtesy of G L Askew II, via HBO

The Videography
Allen Hughes did a phenomenal job with the direction and filming of this docu-series. It was shot beautifully and he really managed to get revealing interviews from everyone their team spoke with. You feel like you’re literally listening to your folks tell this bomb story about your family history – in glossy, Hollyhood music video format though. The detailed shots are so intricate that you could sense even the smallest emotional queues and this is just from the cut aways people! It’s as if he’s speaking through the cinematography. Watch it, it’s truly mesmerizing.

Photo courtesy of Joe Pugliese /AUGUST/ HBO

The Truth
These interviews are jaw dropping. I sat there like “Noooo, nooooo this couldn’t have happened. This wasn’t a thing.” Guess what, it did and it was. This thing is scandalous in the best of ways. There are stories of crime, abuse, drunken debauchery, drugs, sex, and the list goes on. Legendary artist dropping eff-bombs is just the icing on the cake folks. A viewer is made privy to personal details on historic music industry incidents from over the last 20+ years. You finally receive your “welcome” behind the velvet rope.

The Comedy
Snoop Dogg has to be my favorite person out of all of this. I mean everyone had humorous moments, like the story of when Dre almost ruined his Apple deal with ONE drunken Facebook video, or when Eminem revealed his annoyance with slinging Beats headphones in the early days. But that held no comparison to the comedic relief Snoop Dogg provided throughout the entire documentary. He’s awesome and yes he’s high as a kite, but he does not bite his tongue in the least. You know he’s telling the truth. So here’s the real lesson, you want to find out what was really going on…ask Uncle Snoop.

Watch it, it’s totally worth a good binge on your couch. They truly did it for the culture. <3

-D.Wright

First off, I’d like to say that Rep. Maxine Waters  is my soul sister. She’s my fairy shade mother and queen of giving no effs. Representative Waters is strong, opinionated, all about her business and taking the social media stratosphere by storm with her no nonsense approach to political buffoonery. This woman is sprinkling her sweet-and-sassy Black Girl Magic all over Washington and taking no prisoners as she gains new fans across the country.

I obviously love her, and think she’s hilarious but there are so many reasons why she’s caught the attention of the world and millennials in particular…Her trolling skills are none to be reckoned with. Over the past year she’s trended on Twitter with her remarks on the 2016 elections, James Comey, her Black woman at work situation that stemmed from inappropriate comments made by staunch conservative and terrible human being, Bill O’Reilly, and now from her latest command to her adversaries – never waste her time. Auntie now has us all reclaiming our time and we’re here for it.

Photo courtesy of the Los Angeles Sentinel.

Even though she was clearly sending a message to Treasury Secretary  Steven Mnuchin, we can all learn a lesson from those three simple words – reclaiming my time.

I’ve decided to give you good people a good word today and here it is…

When to Best Reclaim Your Time

• Reclaim your time from pointless conversations
• Reclaim your time from failing relationships
• Reclaim your time from dead end jobs
• Reclaim your time from sabotaging yourself

Photo courtesy of Elle.

Reclaim your time from pointless conversations.

Why on earth would you argue with someone just for the sake of argument? My dad always told me to never argue with a fool and I don’t take that advice lightly. Sure, debates are cool but if you’re consistently finding yourself locked into stressful conversations that are causing you to lose brain cells and sleep, go ahead and reclaim your time. Move around and don’t engage in petty conversations or become the person mad at yourself for falling into traps you saw set. Then for my net gnats, don’t tempt yourself. Don’t voluntarily jump into the black holes of Twitter hashtags and Facebook comments. Go read a book or something. Reclaim your time.

Reclaim your time from failing relationships

If your romantic, familial, or friend relationships are terrible going nowhere fast (not at your doing)…do yourself a favor and reclaim your time. Get out of there quick! There’s no need for you to engage in unhealthy interactions with people who don’t honor the person you are or are working to be. Don’t argue with your uncle at the cookout. Don’t throw wine on Susan at that nice charity gala. Reclaim your time. Surround yourself with people who bring the best out of you and lift you up in life.

Reclaim your time from dead end jobs

If you’re unhappy and ready for a change, it’s time to stop giving energy to those jobs doing nothing for your purpose. I’m not saying be an idiot and quit the job that’s paying your bills, I’m saying begin to align yourself with work that makes you happy and helps you leave the footprint you want on the world. Consider getting extra training or certifications for your dream job or even create your own job! Just don’t sit there and complain about “the man” taking the best years of your life when you can create the life you want doing the work you’re passionate about. I’m just saying, reclaim your time.

Reclaim your time from sabotaging yourself

This is a tough one because you might actually think you’re always awesome and continuously winning (but no one else does because you’re a joy kill or a leech) or you might just be the one who beats yourself up over the smallest feats. Stop it! Reclaim your time. You have to snap out of self destructive behaviors and seek sound, healthy counsel from those who can help you be your best self. If your friend tries to course correct some things they see going awry, reclaim your time and reroute. If you are your own worst enemy and suffer from low self esteem… stop it right now! Reclaim your time. Do some soul searching, find a spiritual advisor or therapist and get to work. Be that light you desire to see!

Photo courtesy of Vibe.

Maxine Waters was just trying to tell this dude to get to the point. I challenge us all to get to the point and stop wasting valuable time.

Thank you Auntie Maxine…thank you. You are eternally my #WomanCrushWednesday! <3

-D.Wright