Is My Black Beautiful?

Tiffany K. Daniels of ZionsDestiny.com

 

 

Growing up, I always secretly wanted to be darker. My mom always told me how beautiful she thought Black women of a darker complexion were, so I naturally wanted to look like them. Even though my mother always told me I was gorgeous and that she even wished she was my color sometimes, I still wanted to just be at least “Naomi Campbell” dark.

From my grandmother telling me not to stay out in the sun too long or I’d get “black,” to magazines and music videos casting light-skinned, long-haired beauties as the focal points of their imagery, I began to be socially brainwashed to believe that my mocha complexion would never be as attractive as my caramel colored friends.

None of these ideas are new, however. The stigma associated with Black women and their skin complexion goes back to slavery when lighter-toned slaves were allowed to work inside the home and darker-toned slaves were forced to work in the fields. Mulatto slaves were also often sought after by slave masters for sexual favors. After slavery was abolished, it was acceptable for white elitist to take a Black woman in as a permanent mistress. These mistresses were sometimes very well taken care of financially (by standards of that time) and often given a home and monthly living expenses by their “patrons,” making them the envy of many dark-skinned Black women and giving them a sense of superiority. This might all sound archaic, but women today are still struggling with the issue of wanting to look lighter. Even while I was doing research for this article, I found an article titled “How Black Women Can Lighten Their Skin”!

The My Black Is Beautiful Campaign was started by Proctor & Gamble Multicultural Brand Manager, Kisha Mitchell Williams, and Assistant Multicultural Brand Manager, Pamela Rhett, a couple of years ago in hopes of celebrating African American women of all complexions and shapes. The company has actively taken a stand against what has become known as “colorism” by showcasing the many different beautiful shades African American women embody.

TO READ THE REST OF THIS INTERVIEW, VISIT  - BeautyGirlMag.com

Your Birthday Wish Could Save Millions

Well you guys, my birthday is coming up and this year, I want to do things a little differently!
All of my birthdays have always been about me. I always felt like my birthday was the most important day of the year next to Christmas and my mom’s birthday (hey, I can’t compete with the birth our our Lord and Savior and the most spectacular woman to ever walk on this earth, lol).

This year, I don’t want it to be about me so…I’m giving up my birthday.

I’m turning 24 years old, and instead of asking for gifts, I’m asking for $10, $24 (for my age) or more from everyone I know as well as my loyal BeautyGirlMag.com readers. But I’m not keeping a dime of it. Every penny will be used to help build freshwater wells for people in developing nations.

I’ve set my goal for $100 just because my birthday is coming up so soon, but my campaign will be open until December. I may even switch it over later and ask for donations instead of Christmas presents because I would love to raise the entire $5,000 needed to fully fund a well.

According to the charity: water web site, a billion people in the world are living without clean water – but how much are they really living? Millions contract deadly diseases from contaminated water. 45,000 people will die this week alone. The lucky ones won’t, but still walk hours each day to get dirty water to give to their families. In Africa alone, people spend 40 billion hours every year just walking for water. It is common for women and children to bear the burden of water collection, walking miles to the nearest source, which is unprotected and likely to make them sick.

My birthday wish this year is not for more gifts I don’t need; it’s to give clean and safe drinking water to some of the billions living without it. I want to make my birthday matter this year.

 TO READ THE REST OF THIS INTERVIEW, VISIT  - BeautyGirlMag.com

Never Too Late to Remember: How 9/11 Changed My Life

On September 11, 2001, the world seemed to stop turning as people watched in horror as what we soon learned were terrorist crashed planes into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. We continued to be amazed as we got word that a fourth plane had crashed into a field in the rural farmland near Shanksville, Penn. after passengers attempted to stop a hijacking that is believed to have been scheduled to crash into the White House.

Shock, anger, sadness and disbelief were the initial reactions as the death toll was reported. Over the next few days before finally capping off at approximately 3,000, reactions to the event varied. Some people felt the need to secure their homes; others wanted an immediate reaction from the government to secure the nation from another attack, but then high school freshman Shanta Westry of Mobile, Ala. saw it as the beginning as the next chapter of her life.

E5/CDT Shanta Westry, 24, joined the United Stated Army National Guard on Sept. 27, 2004, and just a couple of weeks after her graduation from John L. LeFlore High School of Communication & Arts, Westry left for Basic Training. As a member of the 690th Chemical Company, she was deployed in 2006 and served her country in Iraq for 18 months.

Now back in the States, Westry is attending school at the University of South Alabama while still maintaining her dedication to the Army.In honor of our servicemen and women who so dutifully serve our country, I decided to sit down and have a chat with Ms. Westry about what the nine-year anniversary of that tragic September morning means to her.

TO READ THE REST OF THIS INTERVIEW, VISIT  - BeautyGirlMag.com 

Beauty Break with Kari Dent

Recently, I was able to spend a full day with part time radio personality for WECC 89.3 FM “The Lighthouse” and inductive Bible study teacher Kari King Dent. A native of Orangeburg, SC, Dent currently resides in St. Marys, GA with her husband, Pastor Ian Dent of Camden Crossroads Community Church, and her daughter Amelia. She is also the creator of Precept Camden (http://PreceptCamden.com), an online personal Bible study resource center with an online class feature that has students worldwide!

In the aftermath of heavily participating in her son Seth’s wedding, Dent found time to travel to Mobile, Ala. and teach an eye-opening Contextual Principles in Inductive Study course at In Worship’s latest training event.

I was fortunate enough to steal a few moments with the Bible study “guru,” who also holds a Bachelor of Science in Interior Design from Winthrop College (now Winthrop University), and pick her brain and have a little girl talk!

Q: What is your definition of beauty?

I love clothes, shoes, accessories, and makeup! And I believe that all of us should take what God gave us and make the most of it. However, I believe that you can have the outside looking beautiful, but if you don’t have a beautiful spirit inside, you are just an empty shell. Some of the most beautiful women I know don’t spend an excessive amount of time on their appearance, but they are so kind and loving and filled with the Spirit of God that they just exude this aura of beauty. That’s how I want to be. I want to do my best to look attractive, but people might be surprised at how little effort I actually put into it. (Or maybe they wouldn’t! *chuckles* ).



TO READ THE REST OF THIS INTERVIEW, VISIT  - Beauty Girl Magazine
 
~Ashley Danielle

More Than Rubies

My beautiful mother, Felicia M. Spencer,
was called home by our Father on July
19, 2010 after a year and a half of trying to recover
from a diabetic coma and other illnesses.

I’m still a little in denial. Some people might think I’m crazy for saying that, but no matter how much reality fills the phrase, “she’s gone”, my mind still refuses to accept it as truth.

My mother, the woman who is responsible for everything I am today, is no longer someone I can call when I’ve had a bad day, text message in the morning just to wish her well, laugh with over Julia Roberts movies or chat with about my latest big idea to save the children of the world, and somehow, I’m supposed to find a way to compact her entire existence into the small chambers of my heart.

When the nursing home first called us in the middle of the night requesting that we come quickly, I didn’t even flinch. I figured she had a fever again and they needed to take her to the hospital or something. Even after watching the nurses and emergency response team avoid eye contact with me as I walked into the building, I still didn’t think anything was severely wrong. Maybe it was because we’d had so many scares over the last year that I figured this was just another medical overreaction, or maybe it was because (deep down) I was still just a little girl thinking her mother would live forever as she’d promised.

Ever since that night, time has been all out of whack. I’ve barely been able to breathe at times, let alone write new blogs. But I’m coming around. My mom always loved to read my latest articles, poems, short stories…whatever. She couldn’t wait for my book to come out, and she always appeared to be just as anxious to read my college research papers (even though I’m sure she wasn’t, lol).

TO READ THE REST OF THIS POST, VISIT Beauty Girl Magazine

DBC 2010

What's up?!!!!

I'm so sorry that I haven't been updated like I need to be, but my writing has been forced to take a backseat to my latest assignment from God; teaching.

I've been volunteering with Doulos Boot Camp at my church and, I must admit, it's taking up a great deal of my time. But I truly adore the work I am doing with the youth. The program is designed to help mold the participants into dedicated "bond servants" for Christ. It's so beautiful to see them transforming into a little army for God, as opposed to being conformed by the things of this world.

I am overseeing all of their special projects that involve writing. The most popular project of the moment is their blog, DoulosBlog2010.blogspot.com. It's AMAZING! If you've ever used your age as an excuse for why your relationship with God isn't what it should be, then you should definitely read their posts. These teenagers are making huge strides to devote their lives to God, and I feel so blessed to be a part of it.

So, be sure to check out the blog and PLEASE leave comments for the kids!

Miracles & Blessings
Ashley Danielle

To Be Real: Speak

(NOTE: This is the second installment of a three-part series on ways to grow beautiful in God’s eyes by learning to be real about your relationship with Him)

You guys may not believe this, but I’ve been told that I can be a little blunt.

I know, I know. You’re probably thinking, “Not you, Ashley! We know you always carefully think of the perfect words to use in any given situation.” Well, that’s not always the case.

Direct, I am. Tactful, not so much. But hey…I’m working on it.

But it’s really not something I feel I should make apologies for just yet. I’m not the type to just throw words around carelessly and not consider how they might affect the person I’m directing them towards. As Christians, we are told that “fools will be punished for their proud words, but the words of the wise will protect them (Prov. 14:3 NCV)”. So, we should always think before we speak.

However, we should never compromise our loyalty to our great and magnificent God in an attempt to not offend anyone else.

A couple of days ago, a good friend of mine told me about a disagreement she and her former roommates had about the décor of their apartment. The extreme differences in their personalities created a diverse interior design atmosphere. Just as my friend is a devout soldier for Christ, one was a self-proclaimed atheist and the other didn’t appear to lean either way more than the other.

TO READ THE REST OF THIS ARTICLE, VISIT: Southern Beauty Magazine

ASHLEY AMISS: "No Fishing"

Without question, our past greatly affects who we currently are and where we are trying to go on our natural and spiritual paths. I don’t know about you, but I know for a fact that if I had not made it through the struggles I have encountered in my 23 years of living that I would not be the woman I am today. The countless mistakes I’ve made in my life have all been learning experiences to me: the difference between love and hate, between friends and family, and between mediocre and extraordinary.Whether we used to be known as the Life of the Party (another tequila shot, anyone?), the Aimless Wanderer (just how many majors have you had since you’ve been in college?), or the Wild Child (alright! street racing time!) it’s never too late to change.

But change is not always so easily accepted by those who knew us when we were still trying to find our place in life.

Recently, a spiritual leader and new friend of mine said some of us need to get shirts with a big “NO FISHING” sign on the front to warn people that fishing for the old version of our new selves is pointless. After my burst of approving, yet very unlady-like laughter (hey, it was funny). I began to ponder even more on his statement. For those of you who may have moved away from home, how often do you find your family members bringing up the things you did when you were headed ‘on the road to nowhere’ without even attempting to mention how you finally got your “Productive Path GPS” working properly?

Some of us are still in the city in which we were raised, and have to deal with the occasional run-in with old acquaintances who refuse to accept that you are steadily growing into the man or woman God has intended for you to be. They find your longer skirts unappealing, can’t believe your blouse it buttoned almost all the way to the top and as soon as you walk away, they start sending mass text messages about how fake you have become.

TO READ THE REST OF THIS ARTICLE, VISIT: Southern Beauty Magazine

Miracles & Blessings,
Ashley Danielle

"Lupus & Healthy, Summer Skin"

In honor of Lupus Awareness Month, I’ve decided to provide our beautiful readers who are living with Lupus with a few tips on how to enjoy the summer sun while being mindful of their delicate skin. According to the Lupus Foundation of America, Lupus is a chronic, autoimmune disease that can damage any part of the body. Autoimmune basically means an individual’s immune system cannot tell the difference between foreign invaders of their body and its healthy tissues; therefore, it creates auto-antibodies that attack and destroy healthy tissue. A symptom of Lupus is extreme, skin sensitivity to light. This can result in the appearance of rashes or skin lesions. These markings can be subtle or quite noticeable but should always be taken care of properly. With summer right around the corner, the lure of teeny bikinis and relaxing afternoons at the park may affect your better judgment.

- Try your best to reduce your skin’s exposure to direct sunlight. I know this may
sound like a hard task for summer, but the long term effects could be dangerous to
your skin and overall health. Also, be aware of some forms of artificial light.
Fluorescent and halogen bulbs produce UV light that can be very harsh on the skin
of people with any form of Lupus.


- WEAR SUNSCREEN! As someone living with Lupus, you should already know that too
much exposure to the sun is a big no-no. Wearing sunscreen year-round should
already be part of your daily skin care routine, but consider increasing the SPF
level you usually use in the upcoming summer months. One easy way to do this is by
using a moisturizer with a higher than usual SPF. Some say anything over SPF 15 is
good, but I’ve heard great things about Health Defense Daily Moisturizer SPF 50 –
Sensitive, which protects against UVA and UVB rays (as all of your moisturizers
should). Plus, it only cost about $14 at your local drug store.

TO READ THE REST OF THIS ARTICLE, VISIT: BeautyGirlMag.com

ASHLEY AMISS: "To Forgive Is Divine"

Coming in a close second to “I’m sorry”, the words “I forgive you” may be the most difficult three-word combination for any human to utter. No, let me rephrase that. They may be the most difficult to utter honestly.

I don’t normally go around quoting Alexander Pope, but he hit the nail right on the head when wrote “to err is human, to forgive is divine.”

Now don’t get me wrong, I haven’t always had such a forgiving heart. I could have been labeled as a “Master Grudge-Holder” not so long ago. Betrayal was not something I took lightly, and I figured one act of dishonesty or maltreatment was enough for me to completely dismiss a person from my life. No looking back. No second chances. I even remember times when someone would challenge one of my unwavering grudges with a comment like: God forgives us all of time, why can’t you?” Then, I would slyly reply, “In what world do you think I am on the same level as God?!”

As you can tell, I was clearly delusional.

Why is it that we give so much power to those who have wronged us? When we hold on to grudges, not only does it drain us spiritually, it often doesn’t even make the person we are holding the grudge against break a sweat. Without their knowledge, we unnecessarily hand over our day-to-day emotional state to someone who is probably still going about their carefree lives.

About a month ago, a female friend of mine (who is actually more like a sister than a friend) and I exchanged rather unflattering words after we let rumors interfere with our relationship. As most of us do when engaging in arguments, she threw a few verbal punches that were extremely below the belt. A couple of weeks went by before we looked each other in the eyes, let alone spoke to one another.

TO READ THE REST OF THOS ARTICLE, VISIT: Southern Beauty Magazine

"Show You KARE"

“Nothing in life comes easily.”

This is one life lesson that beauty industry bombshell Keisha Bogan Trammell knows all too well. Coming from a troubled background, Trammell has fought poverty, discrimination and social status stereotypes to build her own beauty empire. Owner and master stylist at Beautiful Klue Salon in Smyrna, Ga., she has stayed true to her personal motto, “Image is Everything…Be the Example.”

In Nov. of 2005, Trammell found herself displaced from her home in New Orleans, LA and going into pre-term labor in Starkville, MS. Since the hospital in Starkville was unable to properly care for her delicate situation, she was forced to travel to Jackson with no connections for shelter, money or food. While watching her daughter fight for her place in this world on Christmas Eve, a room at a local Ronald McDonald House became available and Trammell was able to remain close to the hospital.

In Oct. of 2009, Trammell officially launched the KARE Foundation and the first Project KARE event was held at the same Ronald McDonald House that helped her so many years ago. KARE Foundation volunteers assisted Trammell and her family as they delivered “KARE packages” to residents containing basic toiletries, as well as a special token of beauty.

Today, Keisha Bogan Trammell is still making great strides with her foundation. In March of 2010, she delivered a motivational speech at the University of South Alabama as part of the foundation’s current speaking tour. Afterward, I was lucky enough to steal a few moments of her time and pick the brain of this ultimate beauty girl!

TO READ THE REST OF THE ARTICLE, VISIT: BeautyGirlMag.com

Miracles & Blessings,
Ashley Danielle

ASHLEY AMISS: "To Be Real...Laugh"

NOTE: This is the first of a three-part series on ways to grow in beautiful in God’s eyes by learning to be real about your relationship with Him.)

I laughed out loud the other day.

Yep, I was standing near my kitchen table and let out a sharp, humorous roar in response to something funny on the TV (I think it was Suite Life on Deck or something like that). Now, this may not sound like such a big deal, but allow me to explain. A little over a month ago, I sat at that very table and let out a similar screech of emotion.

The difference: the sound was filled with despair.

After returning from an extremely exciting Bible study session, I found myself on a spiritual high and figured I’d call an old friend. He and I hadn’t been on the best of terms, but I wanted to share some of my new revelations about my relationship with God with him since he’d seemed so down lately. Unfortunately, I underestimated how much power someone else’s sorrow can have over my own emotional state.

TO READ THE REST OF THIS ARTICLE, VISIT: Southern Beauty Magazine.

Miracles & Blessings,
Ashley Danielle

"A Chat With Delvyn Crawford"

Growing up in an environment where my biological father was practically nonexistent, I developed many negative opinions about men. Though he was replaced by an awesome step-father, I still had a tendency to categorize all men as being undependable or emotionless. However, I have had the chance to come in contact with several amazing men through traveling as a writer, and by simply volunteering in my community.

A few weeks ago, I was fortunate enough to come the across founder and CEO of Gutter Enterprises, Delvyn Crawford. Since starting the company in May of 2008, Crawford has been able to provide the Southeastern area of Wisconsin with inspirational entertainment through music, documentaries, and community events. I recently had the opportunity to have a chat with Delvyn Crawford about Gutter Enterprises and get his thoughts on what “all around true beauty” really is.

TO READ THE REST OF THE ARTICLE, VISIT BeautyGirlMag.com

BeautyGirlMag.com - "Suene Grande"

Though we are well into the twenty-first century, cultural and racial barriers for minorities in the United States are still being demolished everyday. Historical “firsts” by minorities in the U.S. are continuously being conquered and we have no other choice but to salute them.In the past four years alone, we have seen amazing successes from minorities.

No longer is coming from a low-income family or receiving a less than proper education reason enough to slip into the stereotypical roles set by closed-minded aspects of our society. In 2005, Condoleeza Rice was appointed our nation’s first female Secretary of State; Barack Obama was elected as our first African-American U.S. President in 2008, and I’m sure you’ve been just as excited as I have about our first Hispanic-American Supreme Court justice being sworn in over the summer (I am woman. Hear me roar!)

Last year, here in the belly of the Mobile Bay, we were blessed with a femme-fatale first of our own. In the spring of 2009, Jamie Ramseur became the first Hispanic-American to be selected as a Crewmate for the USS Alabama....

TO READ THE REST OF THIS ARTICLE, VISIT :Beauty Girl Magazine

P4CM T-shirts still making an impact

It's been over two years since Pastor Justin Cox of the Passion for Christ Movement launched the highly anticipated, and just as equally controversial, Ex T-Shirts. I'm happy to report that the movement is going strong and people wearing the beautifully true apparel are still popping all over the nation.I'll put pics up of me in the two I bought as soon as they get here. I've heard several friends of mine say they plan on ordering a several of the shirts soon, and I can't wait until we all strut through the streets of this so-called "Bible belt" we live in rockin' them!

If you don't already have one, check out their Web site and get one on the way to your city today!

Be blessed.

ASHLEY AMISS - Exploring Shame

"...I absolutely love spending time with my niece. Even though she’s only eight years old, she may be the best friend I’ve ever had. Last weekend we had a much-needed “girls day”, which included dance class, lunch made by yours truly and an afternoon at the skating rink with some of the middle-school-age girls I’ve built relationships with through Code BLUE Youth Mentoring Program. While trying to ensure she didn’t fall and take me down with her (yea, that didn’t go over so well), I looked into those hopeful eyes of hers, took in her imagination-infused smile and suddenly remembered something I’ve heard her say more than once, “I want to be just like Ashley.”

And I instantly became frightened beyond belief..."

TO READ THE REST OF THIS POST, VISIT: Southern Beauty Magazine

ASHLEY AMISS - It's sort of like that movie, Transformers

...I’d like to begin this blog by first apologizing for my absence. While facing the beginning of a new year, I also found myself facing more obstacles than I’d ever faced (at one time) in my entire life. It seemed as if the enemy was attacking me from every side and it was causing me to have difficulty maintaining stability and organization in my day-to-day activities. I was having more bad days than good, was crying more, was snapping at people more and my tolerance level was somewhere below -3.

One day, I looked up and I didn’t recognize myself in the mirror.

Who was this person who barely had the energy to get out of bed and make it too work? Who was this person who was losing hope in her deliverance from such trying times? And how could she continue to write spiritual pieces, trying her best to speak an uplifting word or two into the lives of others, while her own spirit so desperately needed to be cleansed? So, I took a little vacation from writing to y’all and decided clean house...

TO READ THE REST, VISIT: http://SoBeautyMag.com

I'm Back!

Hi loyal readers! First, I want to thank everyone who kept up with my other blog posts for SoBeautyMag.com and BeautyGirlBlog when I stopped writing here. You guys are amazing! But I have finally decided to reopen Felicia's Daughter and have plans to give it a complete makeover.

Some of my readers have mentioned how they wished I wrote more often than once a week, but that's something I just can't do at my other outlets. So, I will be posting snippets from my blog posts for the other two sites I'm featured at and then a link for you to check out the rest on the main pages, but I will also post articles that can only be found here!

I pray that each of you continue to support me in my new project, and also continue to follow me on Twitter @ http://twitter.com/TheAshleyMcGee

*miracles and blessings*

~Ashley Danielle