Today, a lot of the world has gone quiet with #blackoutTuesday posts filling up social feeds. I added my own, and spent the time I would’ve usually used posting on reading posts and learning about racism, white privilege and what’s happening in the US today. I shared some of my findings in my stories, but I felt like it just wasn’t enough – stories are temporary, and what happens after this initial wave of anger and action quiets back down?
I took to my community to ask them who they love to follow on Instagram. (If Insta’s not your platform of choice, feel free to look these peeps up where you hang out on the interwebs.) Even though my community is primarily for spiritual discussions, I didn’t want that to be a criteria. (Because lots of stuff feels good and has nothing to do with spirituality.) I wanted to know whose posts uplift you, inspire you, make you happy. (Or maybe it’s not how they show up online specifically, it’s what they write or the music or art they make – all of it counts.)
If you’re a member of the community and you’d like to contribute to the list, you can find the post here. If you’re not yet and you’d like to join, you can do that here.
One of the first things I noticed about the black squares taking over Instagram is how much space they occupied in my feed. The majority of posts that weren’t black squares were people posting whatever – memes, family pics, you name it – like they were oblivious of the movement taking place. (I get it – my pre-scheduled posts went out this weekend too, but come on.) Judgment aside, what this told me was my feed was WHITE AF, and I wanted to change that. So if you find yourself in the same boat, check out the accounts below to see if maybe there’s someone there that may expand the point of view in your social feeds.
Here’s the round up of the accounts my peeps love keeping up with:
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Now is a time of knowing when to share your soul message and look around to see who is sharing the stage with you . A time of keeping yourself afloat without numbing . A time of facing the dark and having the courage to walk through it . A time of keeping your heart open and acknowledging all the other emotions that make you human A post shared by Michelle Currie (@_michellecurrie_) on
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Do You Eat The First & Last Slice of A Loaf if Bread? | If you’re like me & you eat it Drop 🍞🍞🍞 | if you’re like my crazy ass fiancé @theianjordan drop 🤮🤮🤮 I need to know! #GreatBreadDebate A post shared by Karamo (@karamo) on
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Hi!!!! I’ve been a little quiet this week cause I was getting all the preorders shipped out for these prints 🤩 Thanks again for supporting this, y’all went crazy and I’m STILL blown away! ⠀⠀ If you wanna find out when everything is restocked, head to the link in my bio to sign up for the mailing list! Have the best weekend y’all 🤍 A post shared by DANIELLE COKE (@ohhappydani) on
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In case you’ve already watched every video on Youtube! Here’s another one! 😀 Watch the FULL version at Youtube.com/TrevorNoah (Link in bio & story) A post shared by Trevor Noah (@trevornoah) on
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Hello Unlearners! • The replay of this months Office Hours session with Valerie Wade is now available on our TGU platform. • Be sure to grab a pen and paper as there were lots of suggested research dropped by Valarie. • Plus we had a bit of frustrated viewer whom I had to remind that this work is not a gold star course that come to completion at any particular point in time. Anti racism work is ongoing knowledge + empathy +action. • I’m so glad you all are here to unlearn alongside me. • If you haven’t yet invested in being a part of The Great Unlearn I want to invite you to be a part of this community effort to show up more informed, more intentional. • #TGU is a self priced (starting at $5) and self paced learning community where every month I bring in a expert to guide us through unlearning our whitewashed colonized understanding of the world. With downloads, live events and resources each month you really get a chance to dive into things you didn’t know you needed to unlearn — you will exist differently in the world as a result. • Head to the link in the bio to get more details on how to join. A post shared by The Great Unlearn (@thegreatunlearn) on
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I’m excited to let you know that on May 6, @Netflix will release BECOMING, a documentary film directed by @nadiahallgren that looks at my life and the experiences I had while touring following the release of my memoir. Those months I spent traveling—meeting and connecting with people in cities across the globe—drove home the idea that what we share in common is deep and real and can’t be messed with. In groups large and small, young and old, unique and united, we came together and shared stories, filling those spaces with our joys, worries, and dreams. We processed the past and imagined a better future. In talking about the idea of ‘becoming,’ many of us dared to say our hopes out loud. I treasure the memories and that sense of connection now more than ever, as we struggle together to weather this pandemic, as we care for our loved ones, and cope with loss, confusion, and uncertainty. It’s hard these days to feel grounded or hopeful, but I hope that like me, you’ll find joy and a bit of respite in what Nadia has made. Because she’s a rare talent, someone whose intelligence and compassion for others comes through in every frame she shoots. Most importantly, she understands the meaning of community, the power of community, and her work is magically able to depict it. As many of you know, I’m a hugger. My whole life, I’ve seen it as the most natural and equalizing gesture one human can make toward another—the easiest way of saying, “I’m here for you.” And this is one of the toughest parts of our new reality: Things that once felt simple—going to see a friend, sitting with someone who is hurting, embracing someone new—are now not simple at all. But I’m here for you. And I know you are here for one another. Even as we can no longer safely gather we need to stay open and able to put ourselves in other people’s shoes. Empathy is our lifeline here. Let’s use it to redirect our attention toward what matters most, and find ways to better remake the world in the image of our hopes. Even in hard times, our stories help cement our values and strengthen our connections. Sharing them shows us the way forward. I love and miss you all. #IAmBecoming. A post shared by Michelle Obama (@michelleobama) on
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Sending love and vibes of support from my hometown to all those around the country (and globe) who need to feel it today. Stay informed, stay communicating, stay active, and stay safe. ✊🏾🖤🌈 #blacklivesmatter A post shared by Shangela (DJ) (@itsshangela) on
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@jasonreynolds83 and I chatted about #StampedBook and more with Brittany and Eric @thenodshow, one of the best new shows on Quibi! A post shared by Ibram X. Kendi (@ibramxk) on
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However you show up in the world, you are beautiful & you are enough ✨ A post shared by Ayanna Pressley (@ayannapressley) on
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Hello Planet🌏 . 👽The Soul Journey Webinar . 👽Theme: Clearing Karmic Energy & Breaking Karmic Cycles . ⏰Sunday, May 31st @ 12:00 PM/3:00 EST . 🪂Admission is 33$ . 💺250 Seat limit . 🛸There will be an interactive general reading followed by a Q/A about the theme . 🚀The link to get your seat is in my bio! A post shared by The Priest (@thetarotpriest) on
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Hey friends. I’m going to be taking some intentional time away from social media for the rest of this month. God said I have to stop, sit my ass down, and listen. Deep work in the external world requires deep work in the internal world. Quiet, rest, surrender, listening, dream time, journaling, and communicating with the Divine are how I recalibrate my center, recommit to my purpose, and receive the instructions for the next step of the journey. ••• We are the co-creating #goodancestors of the new world that’s coming. I want to hear what God, my ancestors and my higher self want me to know about who I am here to be and what I am here to do as we collectively move forward into the unchartered terrain of this new world. I’m also entering into a new era of my life – I can feel it – and I want to be fully present for what is waiting to give rise within me. ••• I’ll be back at the start of June with new podcast episodes, new #LiveWithLayla’s, a new masterclass, and whatever next instructions I receive in my time of intentional listening. I wish you all the best for the remaining 11 days of this month. I wish my Muslim sisters, brothers, and siblings Eid Mubarak in a few days’ time. And I wish us continued TLC (Truth, Love & Commitment) as we tear down the old world and dream the new. See you on the other side. ••• P.S. If you’re wondering about how to support my work while I’m away, one tangible way to do so is to continue to share my book #MeAndWhiteSupremacy. MAWS is currently on the US Indie Bestsellers list for the second week running (it’s at #10 this week, up from #15 last week)!! Please continue to do the work and share the work, so that we can reach even more people and create even more change. A huge thank you to everyone who has already bought and shared the book – I appreciate you! A post shared by LAYLA THEE ANCESTRESS (@laylafsaad) on
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The fine folks at @universalstandard have created a children’s book about fashion inclusion. You can buy the book at www.universalstandard.com/pages/childrens-book and 100% of the purchase price donated to @savewithstories, in partnership with Save the Children and No Kid Hungry! It’s a cute lil book and here I am reading it! A post shared by Roxane Gay (@roxanegay74) on
A lot of people have been asking me about how I feel about what’s happening in the world. To be honest, it’s hard to put into words (at least productive ones – I get a bit ragey), and I certainly haven’t done that in this post. Not because I’m avoiding the work, but because I’ve tried to channel it into episode 44 of The Lightwalker’s Path. Tomorrow I’m breaking the hiatus to share a new episode on the podcast that will expand about how this is making me feel and what I think we need to do as Lightworkers in these challenging times. You can listen here (once it’s live) or on your favourite podcast platform.
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