The first episode of ABC’s The Secret Millionaire is worth a peek. While the show supports some great causes and tells phenomenal stories, this episode also highlights the power of women. Dani Johnson is the millionaire who picked herself up by the bootstraps from homeless to a millionaire helping others. She introduces viewers to some diverse women making a difference in the lives of others.

The episode shows how one community has so many needs. Closed schools and dilapidated buildings characterize a broken community exacerbated by a national economic recession. But, Knoxville is also blessed with citizens who know that we can all be a helping hand to others. The everyday citizens showcased in this episode share their stories and their strength regardless if they are receiving or providing help to others. They are all heroes and an example of where real help comes from – inside the hearts of individuals.

Dani takes viewers on a very hopeful journey. She is the perfect choose for this episode because her life’s path is another example of hope. Don’t miss The Secret Millionaire Sunday at 8PM on ABC. You can’t miss the two old ladies who serve free dinners at Love Kitchen!

]]> http://www.divasranting.com/blog/2010/06/01/rant-sex-and-the-city-2/feed/ 204 http://www.divasranting.com/blog/2010/02/02/february-make-it-a-hot-month/ http://www.divasranting.com/blog/2010/02/02/february-make-it-a-hot-month/#comments Tue, 02 Feb 2010 18:46:10 +0000 admin http://www.divasranting.com/blog/?p=231

A recent RANT: Having sex is not romance:)

Ladies what are you doing to keep it HOT this month?

What is your strategy to get the love and attention you need?  How do you make that special time count? 

What are you doing to make yourself feel Sexy?  Beyonce is not the only diva with an alter-ego (Sasha Fierce)!

By Kelly A. Morgan …More about Kelly

www.coachkellyspeaks.com

“This is my year!” That’s what you told yourself, right?  A new year.  A new decade.  It’s the perfect time to set new goals.  So like you always do, you made your list of New Year resolutions.  You’re motivated and excited…at least you are right now.  Divas, since this is YOUR year, as opposed to leaving your success to chance, let’s try something different.  It’s time to put action behind your words!

It is possible to live the life you deserve and desire.  All you need is a plan for getting THERE.  THERE is your ideal place in life.  THERE may be a physical location, an emotional state of mind, or a dream realized.  Where THERE is will be different for everyone.  What is important is that you determine where THERE is for you.  Once you identify your THERE, you’re ready to start your journey to your “Destination THERE”!  To jumpstart your journey, here are 5 tips for Getting THERE:

Tip 1: Be specific. Often times our goals are too big, and consequently unmanageable.  In doing so, we set ourselves up for failure.  A common resolution is loosing weight.  To be more specific, indicate how much weight do you want to loose?  15 pounds? 40 pounds?

Tip 2: Create a Realistic Timeline. Think though all of the details that are needed to accomplish your goal.  For example, don’t plan to loose 40 pounds in one week!

Tip 3: Visualize Your Success. See yourself accomplishing your goal.  Write it down; create a vision board.  Imagine all aspects of how your life will be once you accomplish this goal; this dream.

Tip 4: Foresee Potential Barriers. When you anticipate what may get in your way, you have a better opportunity to either move around it or successfully move through it.  Even when obstacles arise that you did not expect, it will not shake you as much.  You can still keep moving towards your goal.

Tip 5: Celebrate Your Success! Acknowledge yourself once you have reached your “Destination THERE”.  Your celebration does not have to be elaborate. It is, however, a special recognition for your accomplishments.

Now you have 5 Tips, a roadmap, to follow along your journey to your THERE.  So what are you going to do?  Since we’re all Divas in this sharing community, I want to hear from you!

• Where is your THERE?
• What will you do different this year?
• How will you celebrate once you arrive at your “Destination THERE?”

Need help getting there?  Register for Kelly’s upcoming webinar January 25th: www.JourneyTHERE.eventbrite.com

By now we’ve all probably had a chance to view the Documentary by Chris Rock, Good Hair. There are mixed reviews on this film and I guess it depends on the viewer and the hair experiences they’ve had to endure.

To start, I’ll give Chris an A for effort. He introduced a topic that many are afraid to talk about for whatever reason be it good, bad, or indifferent. The film was entertaining, I mean it’s Chris Rock, so I had to laugh, however I was disappointed by it’s surface views. If Chris was going to “take it there” he should have “took it there!” More time was spent watching an Atlanta hair show competition than addressing the real issues. There was a scene when Chris was talking to a group of young girls. Only one of the girls had her hair natural and the topic of discussion was natural hair in the workplace. All of the girls agreed that this girl was going to have to change her hair if she wanted to find a good job. At that moment I was hoping he was finally going to get into a real discussion about a real issue for black people in the workplace, but instead the scene changed once again.

I’m disappointed because if Chris was going to share “secrets of black hair” he needed to explain all facets; the why, the why-not, the how, the everyday experiences from everyday black women, not just celebrities. Rather than explain to the white population why I don’t wash my hair everyday, it displayed black women and weaves. In my opinion, this has left the few white people that did see the movie thinking they now know all about black hair: Black women wear weaves.

Now, I live in a city with a white population of 92%, and an African American population of 2% so obviously I stick out like a sore thumb no matter what I do or how I present myself. I figured Good Hair would not be at any of our theatres, but low and behold about two months after it’s release it played for 2 weeks in a small privately owned theatre. Didn’t think white people would see it, but a handful did and now I get even more questions about my hair…Didn’t they watch the Oprah episode that said do not, I repeat, do not think you now have permission to go touch a Black women’s hair…Apparently they didn’t get the memo.

I’m new to the HR field and I work in an office with 8 other white people, 7 which are women. I’ve been natural for about 3 years but I’ve previously have the relaxer, the extensions,etc. When I wear my hair flat-ironed I get comments about how long and pretty my hair is. After spending that money, of course I keep it in this state for at least a week….No I don’t get up every morning, wash it and flatiron it again…but how can I or should I even have to explain that to my 8 white co-workers. It’s already hard enough being the only black person in the office, I will not have them thinking I’m dirty because I don’t wash my hair everyday. When I wash it the next week and have it in a “natural” pony tail, they ask me if I cut it because it’s impossible for it to be straight one day and curly another day….When I take the time to put individual twists in my hair, everyone wants to touch it and asks me what time I woke up in the morning to do it…”How long does that take” “You woke up that early” “I can’t believe you do all that every morning”…I smile and continue to my desk afraid of what I might say if I actually opened my mouth….One day I was talking to my sister about getting microbraids. That was a short-lived conversation because when I thought of all the questions I already get about my hair, I would never be able to explain why I have the same little braids, with fake hair, in my head a month later…Then there was the day I was bold and wore my hair in a sleek, and might I add very cute, afro ponytail. Never again…well at least not in this job, in this city, and in this state. As soon as I walked in the door they just stared. These are somewhat older people, so I think they had a flashback and thought Angela Davis walked into the building to make a political statement. Finally some 40-something year old lady walked over to me and touched the puff without asking, “It looks like a little bunny tail…lol.” No smile on my face. Then she proceeds to tell me that her niece is half Native American (I’ve heard that story 6 times) and has wavy hair. Apparently she thinks that because she has a half Native American and half White niece, she somehow can relate to this Black woman with an afro…Go figure.

I always think that maybe if I lived in Atlanta, or maybe New York my hair would be more acceptable. Maybe I wouldn’t think so hard about what to do with it every morning and if it’s going to be presentable in White America. Why do I have to spend so much time thinking about my hair just so I can feel at ease during my 8 hour work day? Does anyone else have these issues in the work place? Black President, Black First Lady and all, when will my Natural hair be accepted?

View pictures from our movie event, click HERE.

There is a lot of excitement and criticism of the upcoming release of Disney’s Frog Princess.  Parents who have gone through their daughter’s “princess” phase and struggled with purchasing Disney items with bold pictures of princesses without color are simply proud.  In addition, for women who spent their childhood seeking a definition of beauty that related to them, we are elated.  With a black president and beautiful brown girls living in the White House like royalty, maybe the new Princess Tiana is not as pivotal as when Disney announced the project.

Divas Ranting was able to see a long version of the movie trailer at the Blogalicious Conference in October. The room was full of diverse women of color who were wiping tears after experiencing the voices of the movie and the encouraging nature of its theme. Tiana being black was only part of the impact, the clip told our story in a way that too many of us could connect. It wasn’t simply a princess story, it was the story of hope, persistence and courage that have been in our struggles and successes. It was the message we all hope to give our children about a future they will create.

How does taking your little princes and  princesses to see the Princess and The Frog make you feel?

How does it make the little girl in you feel?