Latest Stories
Most recently published stories in Viva.
Man vs. Woman
This age old question has had men and women arguing and fighting for decades. Which sex is stronger, more mentally and emotionally fit? More secure and balanced? Probing for an answer, I began to do some investigating of my own to settle the score and my beliefs.
Kat HerbertPublished 4 years ago in VivaMagic of Marie Kondo
Today was women's day. The day where we are supposed to look up to an amazing woman that changed your life and say thank you. There are many celebrities that we can look up to, the typical ones include; Oprah, Mother Theresa, Michelle Obama, and Marie Curie. I wanted to write about someone that inspires me, but not someone that pops into my head right away. That's when I spotted Marie Kondo, she is the one that came up with her method of de-cluttering your room and home. The idea behind her philosophy is asking yourself "does this bring me happiness?" and if the answer is no, you simply get rid of it. Many people can be confused and think that it is a minimalist way of living, but in fact, it is surrounding yourself with the things you love. I recently visited her web page and it states "As a young girl fascinated with tidying, I thought the goal was to get rid of as many things as possible. This single-minded focus on discarding had a negative impact on my health – one day I actually fainted from all the stress!" so you see it is not about getting rid of as many things as you can, it is simply getting rid of the things that do not bring you joy into your life. I recently, started focusing on decluttering my room, and I have so many "stuff" and I am never sure of what to get rid of. I grew up with my father, who likes to take stuff that is free and likes a good deal on anything. My dad's motto is to never throw it or it will come to use one day. My oldest sister says "every time, I think that one day it will come to use", she tosses it straight to the garbage. Unfortunately for me, I have the same mindset as my dad, so I tend to keep all this stuff, which I do not need. Then, I heard about Marie Kondo first from my oldest sister that said something about her method when she first started to move out and then again, from my other sister. This has been the hardest task for me, is getting rid of things that I do not need, so I have been asking myself "does this bring me joy?" if not, then straight to the donation pile. According to Marie Kondo, she had an epiphany where she wrote: "tidying is about what you want to keep in your life, not what you want to eliminate." This quote has changed my life in an instant. From reading that simple sentence and it brought everything to light.
Classic Black Beauties
Out of curiosity I was typing away at a Crossword Puzzle from "It's A Black Thang.com". The online puzzle bursted with historical facts of black past. There was one question that stood out! "In 1901 who was the first President to bring Booker T. Washington to a White House Dinner?" I was stumped! So, when I searched.. unsurprisingly it was Theodore Roosevelt.. husband of Eleanor Roosevelt pioneer feminist and the progressive politicians of our colored history. This led me to another fun fact. The first black artist to perform in the White House! ( Who I will reveal first...) Using this time for Women's Month I will chronicle the black beauties of our past.
SAYHERNAME Morgan SankofaPublished 4 years ago in VivaA Letter To The Hummingbird We Can All Learn From
Wangari Maathai, In a perfect world the beauty of the environment would shine true. The deep green leaves would sway against the rugged bark of the trees. The winds would whisper mad with passion. You gave us this glimpse of beauty. As time has progressed, I’ve began to see the world in a new light, with roots. Every map you find the waters dance along the page like the deep roots beneath a trees soil. In a way the world is run by roots, roots so deep seeded that sometimes we can’t even find them.
The Darkest SunrisePublished 4 years ago in VivaMY HORRIBLE 4 YEAR COPPER COIL EXPERIENCE
I had the T-safe copper coil in between June 2015 and May 2019. For those four years, I experienced myself getting steadily sicker and sicker, and descending into what I thought was madness. At first I did not connect the dots, nor know what was causing it. I was experiencing symptoms that increased in intensity as time went by, with no framework of reference to realise the coil was to blame. Like most, I had chosen the copper coil due to the fact it was a highly acclaimed non-hormonal birth control method, and all of the reviews and cautions centred only around having heavier periods, and a bit more pain.
Yasmeen DahdahPublished 4 years ago in VivaIWD: A plea to stop the female stereotyping
This is a rant, and a plea, and an angry stamp up and down kind of protest against the continual barrage of crappy female stereotyping we, and our children, are exposed to in a million ways every day.
Carole GroombridgePublished 4 years ago in Viva👋🏾Let’s Talk Women!!
We live in a day when women are struggling. They are fighting, tooth and nail, to prove something, to this world, and to themselves. We are living in a world, where the woman of old are looked down upon, considered as weak, second rate, hiding in the shadows of men.
Erik DeSean BarrettPublished 4 years ago in VivaIn Praise of Real Women This History Month
’You are our world and you carry it’s future in your hands’ This is a thank you to all the real women that cross my path on a daily basis. The women that enrich our world with their multi-faceted views, that recognise the beauty that surrounds us and that uplift us, not by focusing on the failings of others, but by seeking out the positive, to effect change in our world.
Robert TurnerPublished 4 years ago in VivaWomen suffer in silence
Women suffer in silence. Human beings are confined in their hypocrisy as usual, how can we celebrate women for one specific day only? The same woman who risked her life in order for you to be born, yet you dare celebrate her strength for only one day? In this so called world of equality where governments champion the bliss of achieving gender-equality and equal opportunities, women have to suffer in silence. The patriarchy is kicking and ever-present in our society, be it casual sexism or even the unwanted opinions that women have to listen to at work. We try to canalise our girls to accept the rules of the male dominated world by legitimating the inequalities that are produced by the bigoted norms of the patriarchy.
Muzammil GooljarPublished 4 years ago in VivaShades of Skin|3 Black Women Who Changed The Beauty World
Several makeup brands have misrepresented women of color for years. Personally, I do not wear a lot of make up. I'm a simple kind of gal who only beats her face for the occasion. I like to experiment with a little bit of concealer and foundation. Also, I crave lip-gloss and mascara. Unfortunately, when I shop for makeup it's hard to find my shade. Usually, I have to mix (experiment) with colors to find the match for my skin. I should have more options as a woman of color.
Zari's DiaryPublished 4 years ago in VivaQueen Haley is a woman to be admired
Alex Haley, the author of the best-selling book Roots. also wrote a book named for his paternal grandmother, titled Queen, the story of an American family. Each book was turned into a made for television mini series. Queen, aired over three nights in February 1993 on CBS. Alex Haley died before the book was completed and it was finished by his co author David Stevens. I’ve watched the mini series three times and read the book at least five times. I find the story of this woman to be simply fascinating. Since March is women’s history month I decided to celebrate this woman in American history who I believe is very inspiring. According to Wikepedia, David Stevens said he had hundreds of pages of notes that Haley’s left behind, but he completed the book mostly from the memory of conversations he had with the heroine’s grandson.
Cheryl E PrestonPublished 4 years ago in VivaThe Brazen and Beautiful Legacy of Strong-Willed Women
My maternal grandfather called us “strong-willed women”. It was a point of pride with him. I come from a long line of strong-willed women, on both sides of my family, and I am better for it. I mean, there is literally a park in my dad’s hometown named after my grandmother. Pennington Park was a piece of land, owned for many years by my grandparents. After my grandmother’s death, they turned it into a park for the arts and music. So let me tell you about the amazing women in my family.
Katherine FerryPublished 4 years ago in Viva