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The Top 10 Blog Posts and or Magazine Articles for Black Christian Women in December 2019…

 

Hello World!!!

Happy New Year (and Merry Christmas since I missed that…)I took a sabbatical from blogging while I launched my debut novel Destination Wedding but I’m BACK now! I will tell you more about that launch in another blog post, but in the mean time, let me focus on the goal of this blog – blogging the cross section of faith, relationships and pop culture!

So much has happened during my month away and even in these first days of this New Year and I will get to that – but slowly as I get back to my mostly twice a week blogging schedule. In the mean time, as I get back into blogging shape (LOL), I’m back with my monthly roundup of blog posts and or magazine articles for black Christian women. Below is my Top 10 monthly roundup of blog posts and or magazine/newspaper articles for black Christian women for December but you don’t have be a black Christian woman to to check them out. As usual, let me know if you like my list! Enjoy and share!

1.  Miss World’s Win Means Five Black Women Now Hold the Top Pageant Titles — a Historic First” by Katie Mettler

Excerpt: The crowning of Miss World 2019 has closed out this year’s historic pageant circuit, marking the first time the titles for all five top beauty contests were won by black women. On Saturday, Jamaica’s Toni-Ann Singh was named Miss World, joining a 2019 cohort of advocates for prison reform, women’s rights and music education who used their platform to address conventional beauty standards: Miss Universe 2019 Zozibini Tunzi, Miss America Nia Franklin, Miss USA Cheslie Kryst and Miss Teen USA 2019 Kaliegh Garris. “To that little girl in St. Thomas, Jamaica and all the girls around the world — please believe in yourself,” Singh wrote on Twitter. “Please know that you are worthy and capable of achieving your dreams. This crown is not mine but yours. You have a PURPOSE.” See more at: washingtonpost.com.

2. “Another Black Woman Emerges Winner at Miss France 2020 Pageant” by Briefly Team

Excerpt: Another black woman has won a beauty pageant, joining the reign of black queens in major beauty pageants around the world. Miss Guadeloupe, Clémence Botino, was crowned in the 90th edition of Miss France pageant on Saturday, 14 December. See more at: briefly.co.za.

3. “Rosa Parks Statue Unveiled in Montgomery, Alabama on 64th Bus Anniversary” by TMZ

Excerpt: Rosa Parks was memorialized in the city where she was once arrested for refusing to give up her seat to a white person … and where a statue of her now stands tall. The bronze life-size figure was unveiled Sunday in Montgomery, Alabama with the help of Mayor Steven Reed — who recently became Montgomery’s first black mayor — as well as Alabama’s governor, Kay Ivey. There were other important people there too, though. Mary Louise Smith was on hand for the unveiling as well — she’s one of the original plaintiffs in the Browder vs. Gayle case that ultimately desegregated buses in Montgomery a year after Parks was arrested. See more at: tmz.com.

4. “‘The Clark Sisters: First Ladies Of Gospel’ Trailer: First Look At Biopic On Iconic And Influential Group” by Shadow and Act

Excerpt: Lifetime has released the first trailer for their upcoming film, The Clark Sisters: First Ladies Of Gospel. The trailer was unveiled in a promotional video for the movie, introduced by Kelly Rowland. Emmy nominee Aunjanue Ellis stars as the sisters’ mother, Mattie Moss Clark. The sisters are Christina Bell as Twinkie, Kierra Sheard as Karen (her real-life mother), Sheléa Frazier as Dorinda, Raven Goodwin as Denise and Angela Birchett as Jacky. The project is executive produced by Queen Latifah, Mary J. Blige and Missy Elliott. The description:  The Clark Sisters: The First Ladies of Gospel recounts the story of the highest-selling female gospel group in history and their trailblazing mother, Mattie Moss Clark. Credited with bringing gospel music to the mainstream, the five Clark sisters overcame humble beginnings in Detroit, enduring abuse, loss, rejection, betrayal and sibling rivalries to achieve international fame as icons of the gospel music industry. Christine Swanson is the director of the Sylvia L. Jones-written script. See more at: shadowandact.com. 

5. “Brooklyn Church Evicts Its Former First Lady Before Christmas and Defends the Action” by Nigel Roberts

Excerpt: DITMAS PARK – A dispute that centered in part on how Black churches should treat their pastor’s wife came to a legal resolution. The courts ordered the removal of former First Lady Paula Scarlett-Brown, widow of the late Archbishop Roy E. Brown who founded the Pilgrim Baptist Church in Flatbush, from her home that the church owns. While the legal dispute ended, a moral debate continues about first ladies. See more at: bklyner.com.

6. “Angela Brown, Viral Popeyes Chicken Sandwich Mastermind, is Our Internet Person of the Year” by Kahron Spearman

Excerpt: “There’s a lot of things that [as a Black person/woman] I’ll bring to the table that our team will bring to the table that our clients aren’t aware of,” she asserts. “I think people think that you can get a moment like this [without] people of color, or Black people. And the reality is you can’t. Every community is specific, and you just won’t find these moments without people who know how to find them, and know how to respond.” See more at: dailydot.com.

7. “Michelle Williams Says You Won’t Always Be Everyone’s Favorite Person & That’s OK” by Taylor Honore 

Excerpt: “I’ve done a lot of gospel, so I’m kind of insecure because mainstream [fans] don’t know my voice. And sometimes social media… it’s bad when you read the comments. I like engaging with people on social media. I don’t want to not talk to the people that are being gracious all because there are some mean ones out there.” See more at: xonecole.com. 

8. “6 Things To Consider Before Getting Into An Interfaith Relationship” by Shellie R. Warren

Excerpt: Being that I am a marriage life coach, I often get asked if I subscribe to interfaith marriages. Well, being that I am also a Bible follower (not an evangelical by any stretch, but I do strive for discipleship—John 8:31-32), I have to take into account that the Bible has interfaith couples. One that immediately comes to mind is Boaz and Ruth. He was Hebrew, she was a Moabite—there you have it; an interfaith relationship. (By the way, if you read the story, you might change your tune about “I’m waiting on my Boaz.” See more at: xonecole.com.

9. “New York City Ballet’s ‘The Nutcracker’ Casts First Black Marie” by Vanessa Etienne

Excerpt: At just 11 years old, Charlotte Nebres has made history. George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker opened Friday (Nov 29) at New York City Ballet, and for the first time in history, a Black girl will be playing the young heroine, Marie.  Charlotte Nebres was cast in the famous production which dates back to 1954. Charlotte was only six years old when Misty Copeland became the first female African-American principal at American Ballet Theater and recalls being inspired by seeing someone on stage who looked like her, The New York Times reports.  Now, Charlotte is a ballerina at the School of American Ballet and will be making a name for herself on stage in The Nutcracker. See more at: bet.com.

10. “Pioneering Black Woman, Who Designs Interior of Cadillacs, Shares Her Road to Success” by  Natasha S. Alford

Excerpt: The road to success has lots of twists and turns, but at least Crystal Windham knows how to ride in style. Her artistic talent and creative thinking are exactly what led her to become the first African-American woman Director of Interior Design at General Motors in 2008. While most people think of “interior designers” as style gurus who only beautify homes, Windham does the same for what she calls people’s second homes: cars. See more at: thegrio.com.

If you know of any black Christian women bloggers and or writers, please e-mail me at jacqueline@afterthealtarcall.com as I’m always interested in expanding my community of black Christian women blogs and websites. As I noted before, while this is a roundup of interesting blog posts and or magazine and newspaper articles for black Christian women, you don’t have to be one to appreciate these pieces  🙂.

Any thoughts?

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Candace Bushnell from ‘Sex and the City’ Has Endorsed ‘Destination Wedding,’ Which is Out TODAY!!!

My Book Launch Event Will Be at Auburn Avenue Research Library on Dec. 11!!!

Hello World,

DESTINATION WEDDING IS OUT TODAY!!! As the topic of Destination Wedding is love, romance and dating in the city of Atlanta (although the story is applicable to love, romance and dating wherever you are), I was thoroughly inspired by Sex and the City, which is about love, romance and dating in New York City. In fact, below is the first paragraph of the preface of my book.

In December 2009, after nearly seven years of preparing myself to meet THE ONE through prayer, self-help books, counseling, online dating, seminars, and on and on, I finally lost hope that he was even out there at all. I felt like Charlotte on my favorite single-girl television show of all time, Sex and the City, when she whined to her friends Carrie, Miranda, and Samantha, “I’ve been dating since I was fifteen. I’m exhausted. Where is he?” before dropping her head, face first, onto the table in front of her. A relationship that I had dreamed of having years earlier finally happened—only to dissolve like a dream too good to be true within a couple of months. I was devastated and despondent. After swearing off my small library of self-help books on relationships that I had lovingly acquired over that nearly seven-year period and declaring that not a single dollar would be spent on another one, I concluded that God’s plan for my life did not include marriage and I would have to be okay with that.

So I wrote the preface at the beginning of this year. When I wrote that, it never occurred to me that I could seek an endorsement from Candace Bushnell, whose Sex and the City column led to the creation of the wildly successful HBO series of the same name! And I’m a major fan of Sex and the City! Just this summer, I attended a Sex and the City pop-up event at a local restaurant. But beside that, I have been on the Sex and the City bus tour in Manhattan, I have the Sex and the City trivia game, I have seen every episode of Sex and the City three times and more…

Well, at the beginning of September, I attended The Potter’s House in Dallas, Texas where Bishop T.D. Jakes preached a sermon entitled “Grasping the Moment,” and it really inspired me! Fast forward to the end of September! I attended a book signing event for Candace here in Atlanta. She was promoting her latest book Is There Still Sex in the City? Y’all, prior to the event, I wrote a letter asking for her endorsement and put it in a package along with an advance copy of my book. So when I got to the location of the signing, I contemplated sitting in the front row as I got there early and seats were available there. But this verse came to me: “But when you are invited, take the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he will say to you, ‘Friend, move up to a better place.’ Then you will be honored in the presence of all the other guests.” Luke 14:10. Y’all, I sat in the second row, and one of Candace‘s friends, who lives in Atlanta, just happened to sit in front of me in the first row. We got to talking. I told her about my book. She introduced me to Candace after the event. And it went from there. Check out a picture of us together (ABOVE) and the tweet she sent me after the event (BELOW)! Talk about grasping the moment! I wouldn’t have thought to do that if I hadn’t heard that sermon weeks earlier!

Below is her official endorsement:

“It’s terrific!” – Candace Bushnell, New York Times bestselling author of Sex and the City and Is There Still Sex in the City?

Short and sweet, but the point is made. But she is not the only one who has endorsed Destination Wedding! My favorite childhood author of ALL time Brenda Wilkinson also endorsed Destination Wedding! You can read how I tracked her down HERE: Lost Southern Voice Brenda Scott Wilkinson, a Georgia Writers Hall of Fame Nominee, Has Been Found…

Since then, we’ve met, and I took her out to lunch. And she signed my copy of her book Ludell and Willie that I’ve had since I’ve had since I was a little girl. And this is what she said about Destination Wedding:

“The timing of Jacqueline J. Holness’ story is perfect as the subject of ‘black women finding a suitable partner’ becomes the main topic of conversation when three or more of us gather. I discovered this to be true even among senior black women. I was a guest at a book club of professional women in New York recently where they went way off topic bemoaning the lack of mates for their daughters and nieces…Indeed, it is hard out there for a sister – which is why her book is important.”  – Brenda Wilkinson, Georgia Writers Hall of Fame nominee and author of Ludell, Ludell and Willie and Ludell’s New York Time

And I’ve also been endorsed by three other authors that I respect for their work AND their character. Below are their endorsements:

“Jacqueline J. Holness has penned a delightful read that puts a new spin on the age-old dilemma of the beautiful, successful, single black woman finding a mate! Did I say beautiful and successful? Set in the Black Mecca – The ATL – Destination Wedding will have you asking, ‘Why is this so hard?’ I found myself in the moment, rooting for these women – and thoroughly enjoyed their journeys to happily-ever-after.” – Monica Richardson, author of the Talbots of Harbour Island series

“In need of a getaway? Destination Wedding is the read you need. Filled with characters that will remind you of your girlfriends and unexpected adventures,it’s the perfect vacation read.” Chandra Sparks Splond, author and blogger

“In Destination Wedding, Jacqueline J. Holness takes readers on page-turning twists and turns that hijack several friendships on the path to love. If you’re eager for an entertaining read that will leave you rooting for the characters as if they’re your friends, pick up your copy today.” – Stacy Hawkins Adams, multi-published author of Coming Home, Watercolored Pearls, The Someday List and more

Also, on Wednesday, Dec. 11, from 6-8 p.m., join me and Dr. Dianne M. Stewart, Emory University professor and author of the forthcoming Black Women, Black Love: America’s War on African American Marriage at a hub of African American culture in Atlanta, the Auburn Avenue Research Library on African American Culture and History, on Sweet Auburn.

We will discuss the hijinks in Destination Wedding AND systemic and structural factors that affect black women and black love in America from a research-based perspective –a robust conversation that is needed during cuffing season.

As this is the official launch for Destination Wedding, copies will be sold ($15 plus tax) and signed following the conversation.

To register for this event, go to Eventbrite.com.

To order your copy of Destination Wedding, click on one of the websites below!!!

                       

Yay Destination Wedding! Yay God! Yay Me!

Any thought?

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Julia Roberts as Harriet Tubman, Judge Joe Brown Mad About ‘Harriet’ Movie & More…

Hello World,

Y’all, from the time Harriet Tubman lived on this earth (1820 to 1913) till now, Harriet Tubman has been shaking things up! Did y’all hear that “Harriet” movie screenwriter Gregory Allen Howard said in a recent interview that when he tried to get the movie made 26 years ago, a Hollywood executive suggested that Julia Roberts portray Harriet Tubman! Below are his exact words from the interview:

I wanted to turn Harriet Tubman’s life, which I’d studied in college, into an action-adventure movie. The climate in Hollywood, however, was very different back then. I was told how one studio head said in a meeting, “This script is fantastic. Let’s get Julia Roberts to play Harriet Tubman.” When someone pointed out that Roberts couldn’t be Harriet, the executive responded, “It was so long ago. No one is going to know the difference.”

Isn’t that just preposterous? I love Julia Roberts. Who doesn’t? But c’mon?! That’s just crazy for many reasons…

And you know who else is crazy? Well, at least he’s crazy when it comes to this topic. Have you heard Judge Joe Brown’s comments regarding Harriet Tubman’s life being made into a movie and getting her on the $20 bill? Below is a what he said in an interview with Dr. Umar Johnson:

“…These feminists are trying to do this movie [‘Harriet’] so they can get a black woman put on a $20 bill. This movie is to soften the public up to the idea of taking a black woman who freed slaves by leading them to freedom by getting her or another one like her on the $20 bill. They can’t get a white woman, so they want a black woman. They don’t care. They just want a woman and it downs masculinity… I got a big problem if it’s on a bill before they put a black man’s face on one. I have a big problem with that because an ethnic group is determined by it’s men not it’s women. And you put a black woman on there before a black man and it’s insulting to the black race because you’re saying the men ain’t worth a d***, put a woman up there first…”

SMH…What say you?

I have my own Harriet Tubman story.

When I was a nine-year-old student at Pathway Christian School, my class dressed up as our favorite historical characters for “Character Day.” At that time in my life, I was obsessed with reading books about slaves. I think the fact that I was one of about 20 or so black kids in a school of about 200 or so white kids, I was starving for knowledge about black people.To my school’s credit, the library had a series of children’s books about slavery and important people during that time period. One of the books I read was about Harriet Tubman. I was fascinated that this woman persevered after getting knocked in the head with a weight by a slave master and was willing to sacrifice so much to usher fellow slaves to freedom.

So when it came time to choose a character to be on “Character Day,” she was my choice. My parents helped me fashion my costume including a head wrap as Harriet’s head was covered in the pictures I had seen of her and a drab brown dress as I imagined that slaves did not have access to the best and most colorful of dresses. I was so excited when a local newspaper photographer took a picture of me and another student and told us we would be in the newspaper. But when I saw the photograph, I was equally disappointed. The other girl’s character in the photo was correctly identified as Betsy Ross, but I was simply and incorrectly listed as an African woman. I’ve kept that newspaper clipping since then. I’m not even sure why. But I wish I could tell that photographer that Harriet Tubman deserved to be recognized as much as Betsy Ross did.  Not only was Harriet Tubman a hero for black people, she was a hero of the Christian faith, and I’m so proud that her story is finally being told on the big screen. Let’s just pray that she will be on the $20 bill as it was proposed in 2016. HERE’s an update on that proposal…

Any thoughts?