Looking for something to help your skin? Something that’ll keep the stress from showing? Look no further. White Tea to the rescue! Did you know that white tea is famous for the fine white hairs called pekoe that cover its leaves? This tea has grey-colored leaf buds and limish colored tea that’s known to be sweet, According to Teavivre, it was also considered to be the pinnacle of tea in china, so it was here before black tea!
Going back to the whole skin care routine, white tea is a must-have when it comes up to healthy skin. In a study presented with Organic Facts it is stated that:
“… this tea (white tea) may increase antioxidant effects of organs as well as plasma. Another study was done to investigate neuroprotective effect of white tea extract on hydrogen peroxide-induced toxicity. The results of this study showed that white tea extracts with its antioxidant properties help in cell neuroprotection.” This tea has antioxidants that help with quick recovery for skin that’s been damaged, and protects against UV lights.
Being a tea person myself, I’m considering doing a one week challenge of just white tea instead of my usual teas. It would be an interesting experiment, right?
Anywho, going back to the tea facts, a major benefit other than great skin is oral health. “But how and why?” you may ask. White tea is known to improve oral health as mentioned by a previous source, “the presence of polyphenols, flavonoids, and tannins help in inhibiting the growth of various bacteria that may cause plaque formation. The fluoride content found in this tea may also be effective in reducing the risk of dental caries or tooth decay/cavity.”  Ladies in gentleman keep in mind that this is not a replacement factor for oral hygiene such as brushing and flossing.
So bottom line here, folks: Get yourselves some tea! What do you have to lose? You can only gain from this experience, my recommendation on the topic of white tea is to start with a popular kind of white tea known as the silver needle. It has a beautiful scent and taste; lemme know if you give it a try!
As a college student, one thing you’ll never be able to get away from is an annoying classmate. Every semester I can guarantee that you’ll have at least one person who is skilled at consistently getting on your nerves, directly or indirectly.
What makes life even worse is when you have a group assignment and you just happen to have that person in your group. I can’t tell you the amount of times I have ended up doing a group project with people who just grind my gears because they don’t do their part! However, I never let my emotions stop me from achieving the ultimate goal—which is getting an A on all my assignments. In order to do so, I have had to become passive in some situations, and aggressive in others. There are times times I have even had to “check” my group members, so that the level of respect in the group stayed comfortably balanced.  The fact remains that no matter what class I am enrolled in, I have always encountered at least one student who irritated me to the core while working with them, so I devised a plan to help me through each semester I end up in this situation. I know you may be wondering, “What is this plan that Cherishe is talking about? What gems is she about to drop? I have been waiting for an annoying-classmate strategy forever!”
Well, as the innovators of the “Tootsee Roll dance” named their 1998 album, “The Wait is Over,” because in this blog post, I will share with you my nine-step plan that helps me get through each semester, and successfully complete each group project, regardless of who I am working with. Â
The nine steps are as follows:
Step 1: Pay attention to your group members’ work habits, and figure out the characteristics of each one. What I mean by this is be aware of what’s going on in your group, and what kind of people you are working with. If a group member is obnoxious from the beginning, then note that. If you have a group member who likes to steal other people’s ideas, watch out for them so you can protect yourself and your work. Pay attention to the signs around you; people will show you who they are, and you need to pay attention to the signs.
Step 2: Be prepared to do more work than what was originally delegated by the professor or the group leader if the situation arises. Group work can be the worst sometimes because there is usually one person who goes “missing” and conveniently ignores all efforts of correspondence from the group. When this begins to happen, you have three choices:
1) Check with the person and
2) Â Get the professor involved.
3) Buckle down and just do the work yourself.
*Reminder: Some people just aren’t reliable and if they decide that they don’t want to do their work, you may have to take it upon yourself to complete their part as well. Just make sure you let the professor know who should be credited for completing this section of the assignment.*
Step 3: Get everyone’s contact information, and keep your conversations with each group member saved until the end of the semester. As my father would say, “Make sure you get things in writing, and always save your receipts.” Text messages can be a saving grace for students who are having difficulties in their group. Save your messages as proof, just in case one of your group members accuses you of saying or doing something you didn’t do. That way you have evidence that you can use to hold them accountable, and also to defend yourself if it comes to that.
Step 4: Stay on top of your work and make sure your group members are doing what they need to be doing. If you have to, assume the role of the group leader; then, you have a reason to hound everyone about their progress on their individual parts.
Step 5: If at any time during the process of working with someone you feel disrespected, consider communicating this to them immediately. Don’t let anyone’s insolence slide, because once you let one thing slide, there’s the chance people will start ice skating all over you. Handle any issues that you have with your group members in a professional manner, and make sure you say what’s on your mind. If you don’t, tensions can build and the group meetings will not be a conducive working environment, which is the last thing you want if you’re striving for success together.
Step 6: Do your best to a bond with your group. If it doesn’t seem likely that you all will get along, at least connect with one group member. That group member will become your partner in crime and you both will serve as each other’s support system. This group member can become more of a friend, and someone who you will work with in the long run. Remember, group work can be difficult a lot of the time, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t use this assignment as an opportunity to network, and possibly make a connection with someone that could be beneficial in your future pursuits.
Step 7: Make sure that you consistently communicate with your professor about what’s going on in the group. If your group members are slacking and pulling the group down with them, let the professor know. This is not the time to “take one for the team”; rather you should look out for your team by discussing with your professor what is happening in your group. In doing so you are preventing one person’s insolence from jeopardizing the groups final grade. This is also your chance to make that person aware of what the group needs from them moving forward, in an effort to see change.
Step 8: Don’t let other people take credit for your work! When the day comes to present group assignments, here comes that one person who didn’t contribute but is prepared to put on a show and act like they contributed to the group work. You should respectfully talk to the person who didn’t contribute to the group project, and let them know that they shouldn’t present on work they didn’t do. If they are an individual with a nasty disposition, then I would say, again, you should get the professor involved. The last thing you want to happen is a full-out argument; that doesn’t look good on anyone’s part.
Step 9: After you present and get your passing grade, celebrate your victory. Reward yourself with great food from your favorite restaurant. A few semesters ago, my group members and I went to Rocco’s Tacos and Tequila Bar, which is right up the block from the school on Adams Street. Their guacamole is amazing! You don’t have to go there specifically, but make sure you celebrate. You deserve to be rewarded for all of your hard work, and a victory dinner is always a perfect idea.
Now that I have shared my nine steps to dealing with difficult classmates, put them to the test. The next time that you have to complete a group project, adopt some of the steps I mentioned above to the strategies you use to complete group work. As time progresses, keep me posted and let me know what you observed and how the steps did or didn’t help improve the situation you are currently dealing with. Does my strategy work for you? Positive and negative feedback are both welcome!
What is your “why”? What motivates you to be who you want to be? To do the work that you do? To attend school week after week working towards your degree? To strive for the things you want in life? Why do you have the goals that you have?
I ask myself these questions all the time. The answers always motivate me and remind me why I go to school, why I have chosen to work in the field of Human Services, and why I want to create the best life that I can for myself and my future family. Asking these questions always triggers reflective moments for me.
The program that I work with, This Way Ahead, provides a first job opportunity to over 400 teens throughout NYC every year who are looking to start their careers. As I am interviewing these young people to get into the program–meeting all these diverse, smart, talented, teens with different personalities–it’s so humbling and inspiring. It makes me think back to when I was 16 and 17 years old and I had all the dreams and plans you could think of. I wanted to be a teacher, a forensic scientist, and own a daycare/after-school center, all at the same time lol.
Do you remember when you were 16? Life was so free and so stressful at the same time right?! We thought we had it hard then, but we didn’t nearly anticipate the obstacles and struggles that would introduce themselves in the years to come. One thing I definitely did not anticipate was the discipline that college required. I was so used to being naturally strong academically and not needing to study because (1) I had great memory, and (2) I was charming and my teachers would probably give me high grades anyway because they liked me (but you didn’t hear that from me because that’s not okay lol). I got into Brooklyn College on a full scholarship so I had already told myself, “girl this is going to be a breeze.” A breeze, it was not.
I was overwhelmed by the amount of work assigned and the fast pace of the classes, and I felt totally unprepared by high school. I was also consumed by my new friends. We had so much fun together at the mall, at the local tattoo shop, and other hangout spots…all during the times we were supposed to be in class. Not to mention my boyfriend at the time lived a few blocks away from the campus. Just a mess, lol.
I didn’t do so well, obviously. I found myself “rebelling” against the conditions of the scholarship because I felt they were controlling my every move. I even ended up having to transfer out of Brooklyn College because I ended up on academic probation and did not pick up my grades the following semester. I got my act together at Bronx Community College but still made the mistake of withdrawing from classes late and ultimately, I ended up taking a break because of the financial consequences. I re-entered school a year ago after 6 years. Now today when I look back on the time I let slip from me, if I could go back, yeah maybe I would do it differently, but I am happy for how it all played out. I’m the high-achieving student I am now (*cough cough 4.0* lol) because I let the past motivate me to not waste any more of my own time and not to waste any more of my potential. I was able to learn from my mistakes, and use them to improve my work habits so that I could excel in school.
This experience taught me that there’ll be moments and memories in our lives that really humble us, and remind us why we do what we do. These moments reveal why we work so hard, why we want to make sure that we don’t end up in certain situations, and why we have certain goals, dreams, and motivations. That period in my life was, and still is, an important reflective moment for me because of the lessons I learned after going through it, and how I ended up on the other side stronger than I was before.
Back to my job. Now, when I first started at my job and we would be putting together our workshop curriculum for programming, my coworker would always want to put in a “What is your why?” activity where he would show his students a video, and then had a discussion with them around the things, and people that motivate them. My supervisor would always joke and ask him, “You’re not tired of that video?” lol and I thought it was hilarious because we could always look forward to him bringing up that video as a suggestion, without fail. As funny as I thought it was, when he actually showed me the video I understood why he used it for his students so much. It really got me to thinking, “What is MY why?”
They say first they laugh then they follow. Now look at me: Every new group of students I get, I’m the one getting joked on for playing this video for them. The video is of motivational speaker Eric Thomas, speaking to a group of college football players who are aspiring to succeed in the NFL. He uses sports references to relate to them and asks them questions like “What is your ‘why’ that leads you to want to play well on the field?” He asks them for who, what, or why they want to be successful, and why they even want to wake up in the morning. He talks about his own “why” and how it motivates him in his life.
Click and watch the video below and take a few minutes to think about your why. I love this video because when I heard it for the first time a few years ago, that’s the first time I actually realized my own why, and was able to identify it as a “why” and as a source of motivation.
So what is my “why”??
My “why I do what I do” is because I want to set an example: an example to the young people I mentor, and an example to my younger siblings and nieces. I want to make my parents proud, and myself proud. It means so much to me to (1) be my family’s first college graduate, and (2) to be showing my younger siblings and nieces that it’s okay for you to create your own pace. I work this hard in school to show them that you can bounce back from anything if you want to, and if you put your mind and will to it. There is a lot of pressure once you start college and I think people do not normalize it enough, as though it doesn’t exist. It comes easy to some and hard to others, and I want them to know that they are in control of their journey, and that they don’t have to hold themselves to anyone else’s standards or pace but their own.
My “why” for returning to college to get my degree even though I felt comfortable just working is because I’ve watched people close to me struggle financially, or be in a standstill position due to a lack of education, and I don’t want that for myself. I push through my tired days because I want to be better than statistics say people from my neighborhood, my culture, and my race can be. When my days get hard and I’m on the verge of giving up, and I am questioning why I need to do all these things– remembering my “why”, keeps me pushing for my success. Instead of quitting, I remember why I started and why I’m doing it.
After you watched the video, how did that conscious moment of reflection rejuvenate you in your purpose?
So I ask you now….”What is Your Why”?? Tell me in the comments!
I am majoring in Entertainment Technology here at City Tech, and I have spent the last three years getting to know the entertainment industry. I have remarked that it takes a team to put on any production or performance; there’s hardly such a thing as a “one man show.” Think about the credits at the end of a movie; all of those names represent someone who contributed in some way, whether as an actor or a makeup artist.
Because it takes a team of people who specialize in different fields, all working together to make one big project come alive, communication is very valuable to this industry. My major requires me to take four semesters of Technical Production, a course that allows me to experience what it’s like to work on a real crew and put on real productions in our school. This is the class where I have learned most of the communication norms and standards we use on site.
Danger!
Being in the entertainment industry can actually be dangerous. We are often dealing with ladders, heavy objects hanging in the air, electricity, and power tools, just to name a few things. The primary need for effective communication is to protect everyone’s health and safety.
For example, above the stage area of the Voorhees Theater hang two long, lattice-like structures called trusses. These trusses are attached to motors which enable them to be raised toward the ceiling or lowered all the way to the ground. They are used to hang lights or other equipment. Since the trusses are huge and the motors are very powerful, the person operating the motors typically alerts everyone in the vicinity by saying in a loud and clear voice, “We’re going to be lowering (or raising) the truss.” That would be the cue for everyone else to move out of the way. (Generally, the other crew members shout back “thank you” as a courteous gesture.)
Sometimes it takes four or five people just to move one piece of scenery or equipment. Take the huge Yamaha PM5D sound mixing console, for instance. Just opening up its protective road case and lifting it up and out onto a table can take five minutes. Our professors, Erica Stoltz and John Huntington, kept repeating to us that before we did anything, someone had to take initiative to be the leader, announce the method of lifting/moving, and then count it out (“on three… one, two, three”).
One method we often use (perhaps unofficially called “up and over”) means lifting an object straight up and then sliding it over horizontally to its desired location. It’s important to first state the method and also count it out because if everyone is in sync, the job will be accomplished more smoothly, but most importantly, the chances of someone getting hurt will be reduced.
Ask for Help
One thing I have appreciated about the professors in the Entertainment Technology department is that, for the most part, they do not believe in “dumb questions.” Many of them are accomplished technicians with loads of experience and knowledge; as intimidating as they might at first seem, they are not shy about sharing it. In my Technical Production Skills and Health and Safety courses, we were constantly reminded to ask for help if we needed it. It is way safer to consult the teacher or a fellow classmate on how to use a radial arm saw, than to just wing it and risk losing a finger!
What are some other industries or disciplines you can think of in which communication is crucial? Do you feel as if communication is very significant in your major? How so?
In a post that strays a little from my theme this semester, I would like to wish my daughter Ava a very Happy 9th Birthday!!!! On this day nine years ago I was in labor with Ava, I was 18 and freshly out of high school. Today on Ava’s ninth birthday I am a college grad, who is pursuing her Masters Degree. On the day Ava was born I had no idea what the future held because the picture I’d painted had dissolved into a whole new reality as a teenage mother. On Ava’s second birthday  I was failing out of John Jay College and was giving up slowly on myself and my future. On Ava’s third Birthday I used my whole tax return to throw her an elaborate themed party to mask how much I felt like a failure. I figured if all looked well then nobody would notice that I was working a crappy retail job and couldn’t figure out what I was going to do about college.
When Ava was four I went back to school and I had a firm sight on where I wanted to be– and nothing would get in my way. This June I will walk in my graduation ceremony and it will be the second time that Ava will have seen me receive a degree. I do this not only to provide from her but to show her that you can fall as many times as you want so long as you GET BACK UP!
My college career is Ava’s as much as it is mine because I’ve never been in college without Ava. Even when she was just a baby bump, she came to college with me. She’s sat through lectures with me, said goodnight to be over the phone, sat and watched me type essays and annotate article after article. While some nights she did complain, she always tells me I’m doing a good job and that makes it worth it– even on the days she is driving me insane. This year as Ava turns nine I see more of myself in her than ever, and I want better from her. I know she can be better, do better and reach higher than I ever have– and it frustrates me when she doesn’t. Nonetheless I know she is bound to be great and make a name for herself– after all, a queen only raises a queen!
Nowadays, I often times simply respond to whosoever directs a statement towards me, regardless of the name used. In reality, my given name is Denise Claire.
(I had typed in my name for a group project and the team leader looked at me and scoffed. I’m not trying to be pretentious, my dude. Nah, that’s my given name.)
Although I am officially Denise Claire, at home my family and friends call me Pebbles. I’ve adapted this into my day-to-day life at City Tech and for the most part, my professors and fellow students haven’t had a problem with it. (Of course there are some who look at me funny. Do they think it’s a gang name or a self-appointed nickname? I’m not sure.)
My maternal grandmother has taken to turning Pebbles into Pablo—Blo for short. In middle school, I befriended one Emiliano Sanchez, who continues to refer to me as Dennis the Menace Who Plays Tennis in Venice. My best friend from high school refers to me as Denchik. A girl in my advanced painting class in high school called me Brenda. My middle school assistant principal called me Rose. My Confirmation name is Rita. And of course, the wonderfully horrendous Key and Peele skit “Substitute Teacher” that haunts me with “De-NICE! Say your name correctly!”
My father tells me that he had initially wanted to name me Abigail Xena, if memory serves me correctly. Xena after the hit Xena the Warrior Princess. I’m not sure how that kick-ass name was replaced with Denise Claire, but I think it worked out. I don’t think I seem much like an Abigail….
Which makes me think:
Is there really much to a name? Do you make your name or does your name make you?
Do I look like “a Denise” or does “Denise” look like me?
What does “a Denise” even look like?
If a cat was actually called “fish,” would it be the same? If a cat were called a “fish,” a wolf a “rabbit”… Would we even realize the difference?
Is my name a reflection of me or am I a reflection of my name?
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Hi, y’all! I tried something new for the art this week. I really prefer traditional methods, but I still have to figure out how to scan it in so it looks at its best! Also, its all a learning process, so I hope you won’t be too hard on me! Thanks for reading and I’ll see you all next week!
Writing has become my safe haven…a place where I can emote and be completely honest by utilizing the words that I could never say aloud out of fear or anxiety. This is my fourth year working for OpenLab’s The Buzz. I am so honored to still have this platform…this opportunity…this venue to publicly talk to students by way of the internet. When I first started writing for The Buzz, my theme was anything food related. This would differ from food news, food innovations, new technology for food, new food machinery, or any interesting recipes. Being that my major as a student at City Tech was hospitality management and my area of focus was pastry arts, I was drawn to discuss any food topics because I wanted the fuel the City Tech society with a love for food that I had already developed.
This semester is going to be a bit different, in terms of my theme for my future posts as I want to still discuss food but I want to allow my writing to be more raw, candid, and personal by way of my own struggles. I want my writing to mean something more than just informational; I want it to be relatable. I would love for my writing to speak to people, for my voice to be heard through unspoken words…to help others by my own personal journey through life. I figure that every college student is struggling in some way in their lives, and so I want my posts on The Buzz to reflect those issues, to allow students to not feel alone in their woes. My entire life was academics; I literally forgot what life was like before school had taken over it. I could not remember my life in simpler days without the hassle of classes, homework assignments, group projects, exams, quizzes, midterms, and finals. My life was encompassed by the academic world…I felt as if my worth as a person solely relied on final grades and grade point averages.
Here I was, a new college graduate who had no idea what to do with her life now. I had no clue what my next step would be. I was so accustomed to attending school that I almost didn’t know how to be self-sufficient without it. It was heartbreaking and devastating. I had thought I knew all along what I wanted, but when I finished, I didn’t know what career to pursue. And honestly, I still don’t. So much has changed in my life during my collegiate years and I am finding it difficult to rekindle my focus onto my future, which includes my career. But, in the meantime, I have been trying to hone my skills in my love for pastry arts. I have made quite a few cakes and other desserts for a combination of friends or family members to become a better pastry chef. And it has allowed me to find my passion within this amazing career that I had somewhat lost after graduation. Each day, I am closer to finding myself…finding myself for a career role…finding myself without academics involved…finding myself as just a human being.
Man, anyone else feeling a bit tired or sleepy? Want a quick fix without caffeine in pure black coffee? Well, I think I have the perfect thing for you, Black Tea! According to Teavivre it’s history in china can be dated back to the Ming Dynasty being around the late 1500’s. The first black tea was produced in Fujian province around the Wuyi mountain. Personally for me I drink black tea in the mornings mainly to get myself to wake up. Black tea also has a healthy amount of caffeine as well as antioxidants. According to Organic Facts there are many benefits to drinking black tea. The first benefit of black Tea is that it prevents cardiovascular diseases. As we age it gets tougher to protect our hearts so why not make it easier for ourselves and drink a cup of black tea? A cup a day can keep coronary artery dysfunctions away. According to the American Hearts Association it’s also a good way to reduce your cholesterol level, this same study can also  be corroborated with Organic Facts.
Have an upset stomach? Not able to perform your daily tasks because of a stomach virus or flu? Black tea can also help you with digestion problems. Another benefit of this tea is that it treats diarrhea. As shown in Organic Facts “This tea has a healing effect on intestinal disorders due to the presence of tannins. It is advisable for all diarrhea patients to sip plain, black tea slowly for maximum benefits.” It’s due to this same factor being tannins, that black tea is also great for improving digestion. On the note of bodily systems black tea also helps people with asthma or if someone is sick with the common flu. The article further explains this effect, “as it expands the air passage, thereby allowing them to breathe more easily.”
Lastly but not the least important is that black tea prevents breast cancer, yes ladies and gents, it prevents the scary cancer that’s dangerous to us all. Going back to a paragraph seen in Organic facts:
“Drinking tea, either black or green, aids women in preventing cancerous growth in the breasts, especially women in the pre-menopausal phase. Tea also assists in raising the level of globulin hormones during the menstrual cycle. The presence of theaflavins in black tea destroys abnormal cells in the body before they cause any major damage or change into cancerous cells.”
Definitely a beneficiary tea in my books, which is why I have a plethora of black teas in my household to drink in the mornings. Loving tea yet? Because I know I do, want or need any recommendations on what teas to try? My personal favorite is Darjeeling black tea which is also known as the “ Champagne of Tea.” Lemme know in the comment box below on what you think!
Today, a wet and icy mix falls from the pale sky. The sun is casted by thick clouds of vapor accumulation and their secretions cascade down on everything below. Ultimately baptizing New York City in the side effects of a cold front colliding with warm. Everything gets washed away at one point then it freezes over; preserving the dirt and grime that lies beneath it. It will never see the true beauty of pure daylight that could potentially grace the city since the clouds stay well passed the sun’s departure and the moon comes out to play. As dusk rolls in like oceanic waves, the sky deepens; getting darker and darker by each minute. Our eyesight acclimates to the new surrounding as we acknowledge the absence of pure sunlight. Artificial light pours from street lamps, in different shades of orange, yellow, and fluorescent white. We’ve missed the daylight for so long; our skin craving to be kissed by those beautiful rays of light and warmth. What it is the power of light? What is it about light that makes everything so special and important? It has the potential to make the most beautiful things undesirable and the most ugliest of sorts seem so lively and stunning. As we live through the last few weeks of short days and long nights, we have to find a way to survive without the sunlight that we adore so greatly.
To aid us in our imminent imagination, we have 19,800 square feet of light that illuminates the cold grass on Madison Square Park. 900 golf ball sized spheres seem to hover over the icy compacted ground in the wake of the sun. They angulate in a certain premeditated rhythm. The light appears to move through the spheres in the form of an optical massage. The pattern fades in and fades out, goes fast then slow, makes twists and turns, and switches from one space to the next. It’s beautiful and the most relaxing thing to watch in that part of the city. Surrounded by taxi horns, rude New Yorkers, the everlasting darkness, and harsh lighting from the city, Whiteout creates its own definition of nighttime in the city and ultimately celebrates it.
Whiteout was made by Austrian born artist, Erwin Redl. He now lives in New York City, making artistic light installments for building facades. He went to an performing arts school in Austria named University of Music and Performing Arts, Vienna studying electronic music. Redl then came to America and studied computer art at the School of Visual Art, here, in New York City. After graduating in 1995, he was a featured artist in the Whitney Biennial 2002.
Redl explains that this piece was inspired by the darker and colder months of winter and how the grand scale was odd for such an urban setting like NYC. He reports in a press release which can be found in this Architectural Lighting article, “I am intrigued by the Park’s option of a large-scale installation that blurs the border between the virtual and the real. The physicality of the swaying orbs in conjunction with the abstract animations of their embedded white lights allows the public to explore a new, hybrid reality in this urban setting.”
The two beds of lights are built with a steel frame which hangs each light a foot over the ground. The cage is 12 feet tall.
Whiteout has been on display since November 2017 and will remain until March 25, 2018; which is five days after Spring would have begun. Enjoy it while the last weeks of winter graces us with its brutal beauty.
After watching the movie The Black Panther I was amazed to see that the warriors, or better yet, the protectors of Wakanda were fearless women who were skilled in the art of war. These women were prepared for battle at any moment and worked together to take down any opponent that stood in their way. That’s why, for Women’s History month, I chose to discuss the Women of Wakanda, also called the “Dora Milaje.” These women fiercely protected the nation of Wakanda and although they are fictional characters in a movie, they deserve to be discussed during this time of female empowerment!
I  choose the Dora Milaje as my topic of discussion for Women’s History month because they are the epitome of strength, pride, and unity. These women worked together to defend the nation of Wakanda, and they didn’t require the strength of any man to assist them.  Not only are these women a unit that values loyalty, life, and love; but they are led by a phenomenal woman named Okoye. Okoye, played by Danai Gurira, is the head general of the Dora Milaje, as well as the head of Wakanda’s armed forces. She, along with her army of skilled and highly trained officers, work together as a team to protect the royal family by any means necessary.  These women depict strength and discipline, and also show how powerful women can be when they come together as one. We are so used to seeing male-dominated armies, but the Dora Mijale, under the rule of Okoye, who prides herself on respecting culture, loyalty, and good character, show us an army of women that fights as successfully as any other army.
Throughout the film, the women of the Dora Milaje leave their mark on every scene they are in. Whether they are protecting the royal family, moving together in perfect unison, or sharing simple conversations with one another, their presence had a lasting effect on me. These women rarely ever smiled, but were caring individuals and avid believers in upholding the laws of the land. Okoye was so loyal to the Wakandian throne that during the major battle scene, when it seemed to be the only option, she was willing to kill the man that she loved in order to protect the Black Panther, his throne, and his family’s honor! Okoye’s act of loyalty to the crown showed showed that she wasn’t dependent on men to validate her, and didn’t let men influence her decisions. The women of the Dora Milaje were astonishingly strong, and although they are actors in a movie, as I watched, I found myself hoping that I could one day develop some of the characteristics that they displayed in the movie. Most of all, I hoped to learn to become faithful to a cause the way Okoye was devoted to the throne.
Okoye’s character stood out the most to me in the movie because she displayed the strength that I’ve seen in the women like my mother, aunts and grandmothers who hold my family together. Okoye’s “no nonsense” attitude—along with her unquestionable loyalty to her proposed purpose—struck a cord deep within me. As I became more and more familiar with her character, her mannerisms won over my heart. I saw her as a pillar of strength, and the powerful leader and fighter that I strive to be for the people I love. She taught me that you must always protect what or who is important to you regardless of the circumstances. Most of all she taught me not to let my loyalty to a position cloud my judgement when it comes to what is right, and what is wrong. Okoye’s personal journey throughout the movie was so special for me to view because I saw so many similarities between her and myself. She was strong, serious, passionate, and yet flawed like we all are. However, she was also kind-hearted, brutally honest, fun-loving, and able to admit her mistakes and learn from them.
In my opinion, Okoye and the rest of the Dora Milaje represent the true essence of strong, unapologetic women of African descent who are willing to protect their loved ones by any means necessary. Their power as a unit showed me how great and powerful women can be when we come together for a purpose, stand strong in our beliefs, and are led by a woman who is the absolute epitome of “Black Girl Magic”—the beauty, power and resilience of black women.The performances in this movie had an impact on my understanding of what kinds of people can serve in an army, or be an army general. I interpreted their success in these roles as being an example of non-traditional leaders. It made me realize that my notion of who can be a leader was limited by race and sex, and I didn’t even know it!
Woman are, and have always been leaders in their own right, but their promise is often downplayed because of the expectations society imposes on minorities. However, in this film, women are respected and honored, and are the true protectors, innovators, and leaders of Wakanda.
Of course, this was my personal analysis of The Black Panther movie, what’s your opinion?  Did your views on what a leader could be change after you saw the movie? Do you think women could do just as good of a job leading armies as men? What are your thoughts on being a woman, a leader, an innovator, or a mother? Give me your feedback in the box below.   I’m excited to see the differing opinions about this topic, especially because this month is Women’s History month!
Be honest, be free and let’s start this dialogue!
