#Renee have one of those art accs

[broken-heart-raven-queen]

All the Foxes have to be so grateful for TikTok not being a thing at their youth because I know FOR A FACT Nicky would have broadcasted their life there.

[vantablade]

I don’t know who this will be helpful for, but in the interest of amplifying some black voices re: the content I consume, and anybody who might be interested in that sort of thing. Specifically I’m very interested in astrology, spirituality, tarot, as well as commentary, and I did some research into some black commentary YouTube channels if that’s your thing. Also I’m a sucker for Twitter so there’s some of my favourite Twitter personalities to spice up your feed not only with some educational content but also just... good content. 

There’s also a dash of other subjects like writers (three Tumblr writeblrs/writers, a Black-owned publishing house to keep an eye on with some new independent releases, and my current favourite author whose trilogy made me fall in love with fantasy all over again). 

Obviously it is severely reflective of my character that I did have to research certain creators because of my lack of exposure, and that does come from a white perspective in that I’ve never felt the pressure to engage with Black content the way I should haveーbut the only way to move forward from that is to actively seek them out, make adaptions, and introduce new content creators into my life. And hopefully, to my white mutuals (since I’m in no place to preach to anyone else), introduce some stuff to you guys too.

Because Black lives do not only matter when we’re mourning the lives lost, but Black lives matter when they are actively creating content we can support, across all platforms and genres. Whether it’s Black film, Black writing, Black art, Black YouTubers, etceteraー and while we should absolutely introduce more critical reading into our lives in order to develop a much more intelligent, nuanced perspective on the subject of race, we shouldn’t only view Black people as politics suppliers, but people who create content all across the board, especially when we consider that Black culture and Black creators are often the biggest influence on social media and modern culture. This is just a small, very niche list of what I have foundー and I would love recommendations! Your favourite designers, your favourite artists to follow, your favourite gaming channels (especially those who focus on thorough lets plays!), your favourite Black creator in any sort of environment. Under a read more just because this post is already long. 

Black Spiritualists/Astrologers/Tarot Readers who I really love:

Shonnetta’s Divine Tarot ~ A YouTube channel which does really long, in depth tarot readings for the signs and pick a cards if that’s your thing, she’s super bubbly and energetic and has great energy

 Itsbabyj1 ~ She does really fun but also well-researched videos, she’s super playful and knowledgeable about the subject. She has some really fun, laid back videos like how to tell if your crush likes you based on your sign, which if anything is just fun to indulge

Similarly, astrokit does really fun but also educational videos! Some based on crushes, or pet peeves, etc, but likeー she can even help you figure out your own chart bit by bit like her latest video on Moon in the houses. She’s sooo cute and has such an airy energy, I’ve spent many an hour relistening to her crush or pet peeve etc videos in the background because she has a really nice voice

If you want to learn some more advanced techniques, this interview with Darren King is really educational! He hasn’t made a lot of content yet but he’s a great speaker and his vid is so good, and you can even book a reading with him through the website

Sunshine Tarot ~ all of her readings are super accurate imo, she has such a homely vibe, she’s so charismatic that her videos feel like she’s really there with you. 

Gaialect ~ does occasional Tarot readings for the signs, she’s super kind and direct, originally quite a presence on Twitter and I feel like she really has a great camera presence and a good friendliness.

AstroDeeStars ~ again, just super good charisma & really informative videos. Not super active but you can watch her old content and be informed on the subjects!

ijaadee ~ A very advanced yet really personable astrologer who specialises in offering horary charts, and works with really detailed methodsーshe’s really interesting if you’re into that sort of thing!

Jalen Astrology ~ a black, nonbinary (and potentially gay) astrologer whose personality is stunning, and they’ve done some great threads iirc!

RetroJ ~ similar to ijaadee in subject matter and advanced subjects, but he does have some great introductory threads that you can look through. Also does a wide array of consultations if you vibe with that!

BlackWomenCry ~ A sex astrologer! They do really fun yet in depth analyses of signs and qualities, especially regarding sex and unpacking trauma. Worth a follow for sure

Misc (ASMR, Book Youtube, Publishing Houses/Writeblrs, Influencers):

LatreceASMR ~ A black woman ASMRtist for if you’re trying to relax, her stuff is super chill & she has a really comforting voice! I really like her earlier low fi stuff

Sung Mook ~ another ASMRtist! I love her character work and her roleplays so much, she has the gentlest voice you will ever here. Big sleepy I really recommend

Mina Reads ~ A booktuber! I’m still getting into the booktube scene so I’d also love recs if you’re into it as well, they’re really funny! (I believe their pronouns might be she/her but I can’t remember completely so I’d rather stay on the safe side). Also, they often review or read books focused on and/or written by Black people, which can be a great introduction to fiction by Black authors!

Yah Yah Scholfield ~ Horror writing, fantastic short stories, also publishing a lesbian horror novel this year 

Sandra T. ~ Yah Yah’s publisher/editor and a writer herself, that’s her main blog but she also posts her work here and she runs her own publishing company which currently has a poetry book, a compilation of short surrealist short stories, and Yah Yah’s novel): Oni House Press

Lydia ~ Another black writer! She posts excerpts of her writing work and I’m a huge fan of her stuff. Her writing is so... emotive, rich and inspiring.

My favourite book trilogy that I reference often is N. K. Jemisin’s The Broken Earth trilogy which is an incredible fantasy series, and I really recommend it as an introduction to fantasy, right now I’m also starting her other series. TBE is notable not only for its incredible world-building and character work (I cried... several times lol) but also for its subtle, natural integration of LGBT peopleーand I mean LGBT people, not just a token gay character but also trans characters, with even minor reference to nonbinary people. She has some other series that I can’t advocate for yet, because I haven’t read them, but of course when one series is so good, of course I have faith in her other work. 

Warsan Shire’s poetry is also groundbreakingー you’ve probably already seen it everywhere, whether in snippets or in huge excerpts, and she even contributed the poetry to Beyonce’s Lemonade. I read Teaching My Mother How to Give Birth which is a super short but very rich poetry book, which is also a great entry into it. 

Rashida Renee ~ you’ve probably used one of her scans in a moodboard, or seen someone use it. A Black trans woman with a huge knowledge on fashion and fashion culture, and highly influentialー I love having her on the TL. Also was a huge Tumblr presence, I’m not sure if that’s still a thing, but I believe she was scorpioenergies and she was fuckrashida.

Silver Summer ~ also known on Tumblr as trapcard I believe (also used to be blastortoise, a huge “comedy” Tumblr acc), another Black trans woman who is just ... naturally funny, very quick-witted and livens up the TL. Also a fan of KPOP if you’re into that thing.

jaboukie ~ you’ve definitely seen his tweets screenshotted. Funny as hell but not afraid to use his account to amplify things, lost his blue tick (rip) for the cause of mocking fools. 

D4Darious ~ a film YouTuber! but not just film, the act of making film, for any aspiring filmmakers out there.

The commentary channels I found through research but have not fully immersed myself in their content yetー Kat Blaque, For Harriet, Angie Speaks, T1J, D’Angelo Wallace, Joulzey. This is obviously not a comprehensive list whatsoever so I’m always taking more recommendations <3

[timknoxphotography-blog]

The Strength of Character Boxing Reveals in a Woman

Saloni Sharma from Zimbabwe

Every photo is an opinion, taken from a view that is being sharpened in every picture.

My intention here was to produce a series of powerful, strong images of real women. Thanks to conversations with Bruce Silverglade, the owner of Gleason’s Gym, and the women who train there, my original intention found a home: in the strength of character that the sport of boxing brings to women.

All pictures were taken on location, in front of the Manhattan bridge, after I had asked each woman to think about what boxing means to her. The large stone blocks were chosen, colosseum-like, as a contrast to shoot against.

Jessica Young is a jazz singer born in Melbourne, Australia of Cantonese/Cambodian decent. 

“At the age of 4 I started ballet 5 hours a day 5 days a week for 13 years. I compare a lot of the footwork in boxing to ballet; you need to learn to float and move with ease and grace. It then must be combined with the speed and impact of your punches and defense. It’s a very disciplined art-form. Similar to ballet, professional boxers make it appear to look swift and easy, but it certainly is not. I have been boxing for 2 years, and not only do I love the discipline that is required of boxing, but it gives me a sense of empowerment that can only come from within. The empowerment is not one of a physical nature, it’s entirely mental. I feel fit, I feel strong, I feel confident.” 

Gabriella “G-Daddy” Gulfin has been boxing for four-and-a-half years and is about to turn Pro MMA and Pro Boxing. Won golden gloves in 2016. Nokia Jujitsu Panamas. ACC Strawweight Belt. Black Belt Tae Kwon Do.

“With boxing I really like the awareness of my body where my body is in space, how I distribute my weight. Especially when I box, I feel like I’m dancing and that I’m expressing myself. I’m kind of dancing with the person I’m fighting with. I love that women tend to be very technical when they fight. I pay a lot of attention to detail, when I throw punches, keeping my elbow down, and snapping my punches and chambering them quickly.”

Carolyn DiCarlo, age 59, is the architect that designed the new Gleason’s gym.

“As a woman, the gym for me is a haven. The minute I walk into the gym, I leave the stresses of the day outside on the curb. After boxing now for close to 7 years, I still get butterflies in my stomach while I’m walking in. Whether it’s to spar or just train I still get nervous. What’s empowering for me is to get to feel those feelings and know exactly what to do with them, to walk straight into the fear and show up anyway. Boxing has trained me to be brave. You really have no choice once you’re in there. In life, much like in the ring, it’s all about showing up, and as my coach Darryl always says: it’s not always about hitting, it’s about not getting hit. I apply that to my life every day.”

Fiona Beswick is a senior in high school and began boxing 3 months ago, after taking photographs at Gleason's for a school project. 

“I was fascinated by the sport. It was unlike anything I had seen before. I decided to box because I wanted to see what it would be like to broaden my perspective from being someone that knew little about the mechanics of boxing, what it takes to box, and solely having the point of view of a photographer/outsider, to pushing myself to get in the ring. I can say that I have really enjoyed training especially in an environment like Gleason's that is very supportive.” 

“Boxing is a male dominated sport, women's boxing is not covered (on television, or really at all) or publicized to the same extent. It challenges what is stereotypically considered feminine, as well as traditional gender roles. I think it is important for women to know that boxing is an empowering thing to do, and to support female boxing so that women feel comfortable trying the sport and are supported in their aims to become stronger. Boxing is important for physical health, and in terms of mental health it increases confidence—something I personally definitely lacked. I’m a nervous person and find it very empowering.”

Jenna Gaglioffi is No. 2 Amateur Boxer and strength and conditioning coach.

“I love working with all athletes, and I love helping people. I am a mentor to help young adults stay on the right track.” says Jenna, “When I was a little girl, my older brother would always teach me how to protect myself. Competitively, I have been boxing for a year. I want to help female boxing grow! There are so many female world champions that people don't know about, and I want them to be recognized for their greatness! Boxing is empowering. Women and men tell me that I am empowering, motivating, and inspiring. As a woman, it makes me feel amazing knowing that I can help other people just by boxing.”

Hannah Benson is currently an undergraduate senior at New York University where she studies Arabic, Middle Eastern & Islamic Studies and Creative Production. She loves being able to learn to face fear; “there is nothing scarier than having a twelve-year-old boy punch you in the face,” she says. “It makes you confident in unfamiliar situations.”

“Since I started boxing at Gleason's, I found myself a team and a coach I have built a bond with. Working alongside them makes coming back each day worth it. My physical strength has been a large part of my identity since a young age. As a woman with an identity, I do know that the physical and mental strength that I gain from boxing is an important part of me feeling like my best and truest self.”

C’Lynne O’Brian, 51, is a health industry professional and has been boxing for two years. 

“This training works out entire body. It is very empowering, and you always feel great after; you can feel your self getting stronger. You walk into the gym and don’t feel intimidated. It is a very motivating environment. I’ve always trained with Bernard Peterkin, he makes all the difference. As a woman it is empowering. When you walk in [Gleason’s], there is no difference between men and women. It is not modified because you are woman. Anybody can do it.”

Selena Shannon has had two amateur fights and has been training for a year.

“I wanted to train to do stunt work at first, but now and for the last year I’ve spent training to fight” says Selena. “It teaches a lot about yourself. Gleason's is a world famous gym, so I thought that it would be a good place. As I started, I fell in love and decided to fight. You do see a lot of women who have been abused get involved in the sport—it’s definitely a pattern. But rather than be victimized, I can raise above it now. We want to see more female boxers. As a woman it has given me the ‘Yes-I-Can’ attitude. Despite the fact that women are oppressed in this society, every day I can be my own champion. You have to put your heart into it. You find out the person you are when you have no choice and when you can’t back out of the ring.”

Renee Rickenbacker is a bio chemistry student in her final year and has been boxing for eight months. 

“I feel very empowered by the sport. Besides getting in shape, it’s the mental strength. You have to keep going even though you are completely exhausted. Boxing has been predominantly male, and being a woman in boxing just shows I can do it too. I’m not sure whether or not I’m going to actually fight. I chose Gleason’s because I heard Muhammad Ali trained here, and they have a legacy of champions here. You really don’t know what your body and mind are capable of until you're in the ring.”