Black-Ass Gratitude
Welcome to the 106th installment of This Black-Ass Life! This week, we’re reflecting on the Black-ass things we’re grateful for this year. Most of all, we are grateful for YOU! (allow us this cheesiness)
Don’t forget: We've managed to grow this list thanks to y'all forwarding it to friends, so please keep it up! Forward this link to subscribe to five friends. And send us topics you'd like to see covered, texts from your Black-ass people, and any Black-ass anything from around the world & web.
I. The Facts
A few points of gratitude.
Singin’ ass Black women. Jazmine Sullivan, Summer Walker, Tems, Chloe and more put out gorgeous projects in 2021.
Writin’ ass Black women. Black Girl, Call Home, Jasmine Mans’ arresting, powerful book of poetry, Just as I Am, Cicely Tyson’s memoir, Have We Met?, a bright, surreal romance novel, You Got Anything Stronger, Gabrielle Union’s follow-up to her first memoir, Love In Color, Bolu Babalola’s perfect debut released in 2021 in the U.S..
Black-ass T.V.. POSE wrapped up its final season beautifully; P-Valley came with fire for season 2; Natasha Rothwell was the best part of White Lotus though her character deserved better; I (Mitu) do not care what y’all have to say, The Oval has been outstanding this year.
We are grateful for our vaccinations and specifically when The People’s Ambassador from Surrey County Karen Huger yelled she got “vassinated” to come to Gizelle’s driveway housewarming.
Unlike 2020, we were able to be in the same room with people we don’t live with. #PfizerPrincesses
Speaking of, we are grateful for the generous Real Housewives of Potomac and Real Housewives of Salt Lake City who have been handholding us through this pandemic with their humor and mess.
Black Beauties on magazine covers: Simone Biles, Alicia Keys, and the Williams Sisters.
Black girls quitting things to prioritize their mental health.
A few throwback faves we enjoyed in 2021: The Netflix movie Seriously Single, a revisit of Girlfriends and Kenan & Kel, and of course VROOM VROOM meets FAMILY FIRST with Fast & Furious.
Why does it matter?
Gratitude is good for your Black-ass mental health! Seriously.
What can my Black ass do?
We hope you show gratitude toward loved ones, your community and most of all, YOU!
II. Other Things
Black-ass happenings
Rest in peace to Young Dolph.
Venus Williams and family leader Olympia Ohanian won the King Richard red carpet.
Her power. Mariah Carey Christmas special soon come.
The Kings of Napa, a natural successor to Queen Sugar, is coming to OWN.
LeVar Burton will host his own trivia game show, Trivial Pursuit.
Princess Tiana is getting her own T.V. series.
LET HALLE DO OVER CATWOMAN.
Photos of Black freedom fighters being happy will always make us happy.
Our Black-Ass song(s) of the week (Mitu):
Rico forever. Here’s her Tiny Desk.
Things we look forward to / don’t look forward to:
I (Jumoke) look forward to all the schmaltzy Christmas moves AFTER Thanksgiving because I’m a purist.
I (Mitu) look forward to Merry Liddle Christmas Baby, the third movie in Kelly Rowland’s perfect Christmas movie series for Lifetime.
lll. Text from a Black-Ass Parent
The thing I (Mitu) am maybe most grateful for this year is the dog I just adopted, Tay (named by the rescue, not us though all love to Taye Diggs), and my mama is excited too.
Stay Black, thrive, and quit if you need to! We'll hit your inbox next on December 6.