Wow! It’s June and so many good things have happened since my last post.
My Authorpreneurial Explosion event took place on Saturday, May 21, 2022. And an explosion it was!
There were 11 authors present, a full 5-piece live jazz band, 8 vendors, a magician, plenty of door prizes, great food, beautiful weather, private relationship coaching session, and RLS Media facilitating our relationship coaches through a live interview about relationships.
Our coaches talked to our audience about “Unconditional Love”, which they described as “showing favor and giving grace…”. In that regard, they left us with 4 topics to consider:
- Unforgiveness
- Artificial Harmony
- Sensitivity Denial
- Unconsciousness
There were well over 100 people in attendance, which helped to make our audience participation rich with engagement, Q&A, and much to be considered.
If you were present, you know what I mean. If you were not, you really missed a great conversation. However, all is not lost, because you can go to RLS Breaking News’ FaceBook page and catch the full uncut replay.
What’s next on the horizon. Well, it’s June, and June has much to offer: There’s Father’s Day, Graduations, Juneteenth, and Black Music Month.
Father’s Day came about in the 20th Century, in 1910 by Sonora Smart Dodd, to be exact. It came about as a complement to Mother’s Day. And its purpose is to celebrate fathers, but also fathering, and fatherhood.
So, don’t forget to honor your father or anyone who has stood in the gap for your father or along with your father. I’m sure they will appreciate the recognition and love.
Graduations for us have been woven into our society so deeply that it just seems to happen seamlessly. Graduations have been around since the 12th and 13th centuries, so, there is no wonder why they are thoroughly steeped into our culture.
But no matter how long this ceremony has been with us, we must take it as a serious rite of passage, where a student has satisfied the requirements to move from one stage in his/her academic life to another.
So, take this momentous occasion seriously and show your graduate some real love this June. I have one granddaughter graduating this June. Her name is Kafi Rosenbaum.
Kafi is exceptionally smart and since she was a small child, she has always wanted to attend New York University. She applied to get in for this coming fall and was accepted—no surprise there.
However, she decided to accept her second choice of schools, which is Spelman College, a private historically black women’s liberal arts college in Atlanta, Georgia. It is number 2 of all the Historically Black Colleges and Universities and number 54 of all colleges in the US. So, she’s in great company, and we are super proud of her.
Then there’s Juneteenth, which will be celebrated on Friday, June 17th, 2022, this year. The holiday was first celebrated in 1865 as a commemoration of the emancipation of enslaved people in the United States.
It is now a federal holiday in the US. During this year’s Juneteenth, you might consider having your own celebration to recognize this important event. Here are some suggested activities that you may consider:
- Decorate a space dedicated to Juneteenth
- Create some Juneteenth trivial questions
- Have a Juneteenth luncheon where the focus is on learning about the holiday
- Donate to a charitable organization in honor of the holiday
- Host a party and invite a special guest to share knowledge about the holiday
- Tour a Black Culture Museum or exhibition about Juneteenth
- Have a Juneteenth movie night and invite friends over
- Support a Black-owned business
- Have a family cook-off
- Design a Juneteenth sports day
And finally, former President Jimmy Carter, back in 1979, designated June as Black Music Month and celebrated in the White House. Our current President, Joe Biden, has also “issued a proclamation… recognizing June as Black Music Appreciation Month, celebrating the music as ‘intricately woven into the tapestry of our Nation.’”
There are so many celebrity-statused musicians and singers, however, homage should also be paid to those who have left an indelible mark on the music world as behind-the-scene people.
At the risk of sounding boastful, I am taking this opportunity to say that two people near and dear to me fall in that category. My husband, Curtis Hudson, who wrote and produced the megahit, Holiday, by Madonna, and my son, Eric Hudson, who wrote and produced the megahit, Flashing Lights by Kanye West.
Both have done much more, however, these two songs have been billed as classics. Who do you know that fits into that category—that is—someone who goes unnoticed, but someone who has left a tremendous mark on our music world? Talk back to me and let me know who you know.
Well, that’s it for now.
Until next time, keep flying on your own wings.