Category: Events

New Black Girl Magic

I must admit, I have never really been a fan of tennis, but recently my bae sat down and explained the game to me and now that I understand how things work and now that I can follow the game I actually enjoy watching it.  Another thing that has me checking tournament schedules and sitting in front of the TV is all of the #BlackGirlMagic I see on the screen.  So now we don’t only have to watch Venus and Serena we have so many more talented tennis players to watch.

Venus and Serena are not the only two faces we see in tennis that look like us.  I love watching the Williams sisters play, their strength, power and control are bar none.  They show with each and every match they play that their star status was not given to them that it was earned.  And while they are aging out in tennis years, they have blazed a trail that is being followed by a new batch of strong, dedicated and winning African American girls and girls of color.  Not only are these talented young ladies following this trail they are paying homage to the two sisters from Compton, California that made more girls like me take a notice to the game of tennis.

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So if you are not a tennis fan, I encourage you to get to know the game or if nothing else watch these rising stars as they take their place among the tennis elite.

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Sloane Stephens                                                                                                                           Sloane just won the Miami Open a few days ago and she is definitely one to watch.  A native of Plantation, Florida this young woman is a tennis star on the rise.  Sloane also won the US open last year (2017) and has at least 6 singles titles under her belt.  Her athleticism and power during her matches make her great to watch.  She is definitely going places and will be winning more titles in her career.

Sachia Vickery                                                                                                                           Another Florida native, Sachia Vickery is just as enjoyable to watch as the Williams sisters and Sloane Stephens.  Vickery admits that Serena Williams is one of her idols as well as tennis great Martina Hingis.  My first time watching Sachia was during the Indian Wells Tennis tournament and she was powerful as she took out the third seed to advance.  She did not win the tournament however she did give an amazing performance.

Naomi Osaka                                                                                                                                 Osaka, born in Japan won the Women’s Division of the Indian Wells tournament.  Osaka the daughter of a Haitian father and Japanese mother was a silent threat.  You can tell by her demeanor that she is shy, but she is not shy on the tennis court.  She was able to advance through each round, even taking out Sachia Vickery at the Indian Wells BNP Paribas tournament to win the title.  The 20 year old was able to walk away with the largest amount of prize money in her career.  There is so much more to be seen from this talented powerhouse.

Madison Keys                                                                                                                         Rounding out this list of #BlackGirlMagic tennis players to watch is Madison Keys.  Madison is from Illinois (yaaa for a homestate representative) and she is just as dynamic on the tennis court as Sloane, Sachia and Naomi.  Madison’s tennis idol is Roger Federer and he is definitely a great person to admire.  Madison is coached by former tennis great Lindsay Davenport and is ranked in the top 10 of players in the Women’s Tennis Association.  I haven’t yet seen her play but I am looking forward to it.

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The best thing about each of these young women is that there are at the beginning of their tennis careers and they have a long was to go.  I look forward to many more years of watching them play and watching them keep the mantel that Venus and Serena created.  The strength, power and professionalism of these young women make them great already with only greater things ahead of them.  Look out WTA, #BlackGirlMagic on the rise.

 

Be Blessed! Be Fabulous!

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Girls Trip: Big Fun, Big Laughs

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Girls Trip officially hits theaters this Friday.  Fortunately, I have already seen the movie so I can to share a little TEA with you all about the movie.  So here goes…

Thanks to Universal Pictures and the organizers of BlogHer I as able to see an advance screening of this movie during the annual BlogHer conference myself and a select group of bloggers were able to see this movie a few weeks ago, and I am happy I had the opportunity.  This was one of the funniest movies I have seen in a very long time.  When I say funny, I mean laugh out loud, tears in your eyes funny.  This is a plan the evening, go see the movie with your girls and then head out for margaritas and martinis to talk and possibly plan your own Girls Trip.

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This movie took place at one of the largest and heavily attended events for African Americans, the annual Essence Fest in New Orleans.  Essence for those who haven’t been is a time for fun, inspiration, food and partying.  I have attended Essence several times, and while I did not have as much fun as theses women did I did experience a few similar issues.  1.  Lodging during Essence is always an issue.  If you plan to go, book your hotel as soon as the dates are released.  You do not want to end up in a less than desirable hotel in New Orleans during Essence, IJS.    Secondly, you will party at Essence if you plan too.  There is no shortage of partying and fun during Essence, but back to the movie.

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Essence was an appropriate backdrop for this movie.  The characters, the situations and the events fit perfectly.  There could not have been any greater locale for this movie.  Tiffany Haddish, was the star of this movie.  She is real, hilarious and keeps you laughing throughout the movie.  Her character keeps the fun and at times the drama going.  If you don’t have a friend like her or similar to her you need to find one.

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This movie is laugh out loud funny.  It is be carful drinking during the movie because you could possibly choke laughing.  There are serious parts and serious issues that occur during the movie, but for the most part expect to have many belly laughs.  Expect to leave the theater feeling good and in a good mood.  Girls Trip is definitely a chick flick so I would suggest going with your girlfriends and not on a date night.

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My rating for Girl’s Trip is a 10. It gets 10 stars.  This movie will have you laughing until you cry, reminiscing about your college days and the days when asymmetric hairstyles and 8-ball jackets were the fashion, and reflecting about the responsibility and challenges that everyday life brings.  Go see this movie and after you see it come back and let me know what you think in the comments.  I know me and my girls have already planned our Girls Night out to see Girl’s Trip.

Be Blessed, Be Fabulous!

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