Tag: Oakland

Drake Natural Presents: 2nd Annual Community Thrift Sale 7/31

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If you’re in the Bay Area make come check out the Drake Natural community thrift sale at the East Oakland Youth Development Center, Wednesday, 7/31 from 3-8 pm. 20% of the proceeds will go to the EOYDC Pathway to College Program and the rest will go to the Drake Natural fund which is a ethical marketing and event production company that’s dedicated to providing resources and raising awareness about sustainability in the fashion industry. The founder, Dominique Drakeford recently graduated from NYU with her masters and is working to build her brand and give back to the community. Show her and the youth in Oakland some love and stop by to shop and learn more about sustainable fashion.

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This week at The New Parkway Theater: An Oversimplification of Her Beauty

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Have you ever found yourself  in a situation with a guy/girl where you have been placed in the “friend zone”? What about if you’ve reached a grey area in your relationship and you have no idea how to get over that hump of emotions? Well, filmmaker Terance Nance makes an accurate attempt to display these emotions in his film”An Oversimplification of Her Beauty“.

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This past Friday I went to The New Parkway Theater to see the opening night screening of this film. (By the way… it was my first time at the theater and I happen to fall in love with this hidden gem in Oakland)  The film documents an interesting relationship between a man (Terance Nance) and woman (Namik Minter) where the guy is trying to get with the woman and make it official. This is not much of a spoiler alert because in fact, as you watch this disaster unfold you see the signs and emotions that any person would go through when the person they are falling for isn’t on the same page as you.  What struck me the most about this romantic limbo was Terance Nance did an awesome job with the visual effects, textures, and sounds.  The 1970’s animation was probably my highlight of the movie for me! Anyways, this film has sparked some interesting dialogue amongst my friends and then some.

If you’re in the Bay Area you still have a chance to support this film in Oakland on Wednesday 7/24!

For more details click here

MISSSEY’s 2nd Annual Inspire Change Gala – June 15th Oakland

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Hello Readers and Supporters! If you are in the Bay Area this month I encourage you to come out June 15th to MISSSEY’s 2nd Annual Inspire Change Gala at the Oakland Rotunda Building. MISSSEY (Motivating, Inspiring, Supporting, and Serving Sexually Exploited Youth) is an organization that advocates and facilitates the empowerment and inner transformation of sexually exploited youth by holistically addressing their specific needs.  They have direct services, training/workshops, mentorship programs, and even an employment programs that support at-risk youth.

This year they are celebrating their 2nd annual Inspire Change gala which will feature a live auction, feature two keynote speakers, Minh Dang, Executive Director of Don’t Sell Bodies and Jessica Midkiff recognized by Los Angeles County Probation Department and the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors for her work and dedication. A lot of leaders in the community have sponsored and supported this evening so the Rotunda building will be filled with nothing but positive energy.

If you’d like to attend, purchase tables, or would like to have your business/brand sponsor or donate please visit the gala website for more information. http://missseygala.weebly.com/

Make sure you follow MISSSEY on twitter @misssey_org and “Like” their Facebook page to get involved.

Celebrate Black History Month 2013! (Bay Area Events)

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Hey folks! I put together a list of Black History Month events I find interesting and which I plan on attending in the Bay Area.  I’m always looking for activities to keep my mind engaged so why not go to hair show, network with young black professionals, support black film, and sip cocktails at the same da– … you get the picture!

I  post to twitter of all the happenings I find out about– but here’s what on my #BHM itinerary so far.

Mills College Back History Month – “Please Don’t Touch My Hair”

Feb 11th 7 pm, Student Union

The Black Women’s Collective presents “Please don’t touch my hair,” an exciting and engaging hair show featuring diverse representations of blackness and black hair. A woman’s hair is her crown of glory and we’ll show you why. Join us as we explore Black women’s hair as it relates to their unique sensibility and complex identities. Hear personal experiences and stories from Black women and learn about the complexities of black hair choices and maintenance.

Ernst & Young – Black History Month Roundtable

Feb 28th 6-9 pm, The Kaiser Center — Oakland

African American Executive Business Leaders will join together to share knowledge, discuss diversity and inclusion business strategies and provide insight to their career progression. Pre-event networking includes appetizers, refreshments and entertainment. This is a free community event and all are welcome.

Featured speakers: Gregory A. Adams, President of the Northern California Region, Shellye Archambeau, Chief Executive Officer at MetricStream, Gina Wolley, EVP, RBG Administration at Bank of the West …and more! Great opportunity to network and meet new people!

SF Noir Remixology (for you party-goers)

Feb 21, 2013, Otis SF

Remix•ology is a SF Noir Food & Wine event that is sponsoring an evening where top African-American Mixologists create an original cocktail menu that is influenced by our diverse American culture as well as the African Diaspora. If you’re a cocktail enthusiast, you won’t want to miss this! Free admission!

Angela Y. Davis Book Signing

March 1st  6:30 PM , Marcus Books Store , Oakland

“The Meaning of Freedom and Other Difficult Dialogues”

List of other events going on at Marcus Books for BHM

Oakland Local has a list of BHM events to do for all 28 days here

Are you attending or participating in any Black History Month events this year? Share with us in the comment box below 🙂

NYE Recap – Erykah Badu @ The Fox Theatre Oakland

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New Years Eve has always been a nervous feeling me. Pondering plans on how I’m going to spend my last few moments of the year gives me anxiety; hell if you’re indecisive like me making plans in general will give you anxiety. While I juggled the club idea, couch potato idea, or the secret destination idea my thoughts brought me back to music. What better way to bring in the New Year in my hometown of Oakland, California with one of my favorite artists of all time, ERYKAH BADU. It was the perfect night to celebrate, dance, reflect, and of course scream and cry tears of joy and excitement.

Photo by Reesa

My best friend and I were front row in the newly renovated Fox Theatre and stood there for hours just five feet away from a phenomenal crowd pleasure, Erykah.   She was mid “yaaaayoooo” when the clock struck midnight and I couldn’t even wish everyone blowing up my phone Happy New Year cause of the musical trance she had put us in. Balloon drop, countdown, confetti, the beat drops, but no New Years kiss this time.  Just happiness and excitement for a new beginnings and another chance to be great!

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I’ve grown to hate writing concert reviews however I couldn’t pass up on this one.  So, instead of a long drawn out description you probably won’t read, check out these moments I’ve captured:

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Erykah9 Erykah10 Erykah5 Erykah

Photo By Reesa

photo by Reesa

Photos by Reesa

New Year, New Me, New You, New Us.  .  . .Can you say that again?

Young Adult Author Rita Williams-Garcia presents “One Crazy Summer” – Marcus Books Store (Oct. 12)

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Thanks to my aunt ( & author Dera Williams), just got word that award winning young adult author, Rita Williams-Garcia will be presenting her new book One Crazy Summer at Marcus Books store in Oakland, October 12th.  What makes this event so special is not only will it take place in the oldest black bookstore in the country,  but rather One Crazy Summer recounts the era of 1968 during the black panther party movement.  What better place to have it in Oakland!

One Crazy Summer is about three young girls from New York, who in 1968, visit their Blank Panther affiliated mother in Oakland, California.  This story is said to be rich in heritage and African American history. The book has one various awards; Newberry Honor Book Award, the Coretta Scott King Award, the Scott O’Dell Award for Historical Fiction, and was a National Book Award Finalist.

Williams-Garcia will be reading excerpts from One Crazy Summer and will do a Q&A session.

Event Details:

October 12, 2012 at 6:30 pm, doors open at 5 pm

3900 Martin Luther King Blvd. The phone number is (510) 652-2344.

Hiero Day 2012 – Instagram Recap

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If you were in the Bay Area this past labor day weekend, I’m sure you heard of lots of events happening whether through word of mouth or on social media.  The cloudy skies opened up on Monday and not only did sunshine bring happiness to Oakland, but the first ever Hiero Day; a celebration of independent artists in the community, kept us in warm spirits the whole day.  People of all ages, races, and cultural backgrounds gathered in downtown Oakland on labor day for a day of Hip Hop (and no work lol) put on by Hieroglyphics; an indie music empire. I had to do my homework on this one but instead of the normal google search I took to Instagram to find out how you guys enjoyed #HieroDay .

Check out some of my favorite photos from the instagrammers that captured some of the festivities:

Photo Credit by @mofozvisualz

photo credit @fstopssf

photo credit @rakarene

 

photo credit Rod Campbell (Dope Only)

photo credit @timheezy

photo credit @omgadrian

photo credit @trackademics

 

and of course, lima. the peruvian street food.

P.S. You're probably wondering where I've been... had to get my life together as usual but I promise I will post more. Thanks for supporting me and asking about my blog even when I've been ghost!

-Reesa

Black Girls Do Hike – Redwood Regional Park

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I hit the trails this past weekend for some much needed fresh air at Redwood Regional Park; which is located in the Oakland Hills. I invited my co-worker along for the hike and we found ourselves lost between the Redwoods (figuratively).  First of all, I am new to the hiking thing so as I was driving up Redwood road I stopped at nearly every staging area where I saw other cars just to see if the trail was okay for us.  Little did I know that all the “safe” hikes were inside the regional park grounds.  We past stables, horses, and even homes deep in the woods to get to our destination.

We paid $5 for parking and decided to do the “Stream Trail” which seemed to be easier since small children and elder people were walking it.  Of course since I had a first-timmer with me who was scaring me to death talking about the “Blair Witch Project” and how she had no signal and how we should leave a paper trail.  It was funny at first but then I got scared cause we were the only black girls out there that day. We soon got over it when we took a detour up the “Prince Trail” which was an uphill slope about half a mile.  It really kicked my butt and reminded me that I was there to work out.

We hiked a total of 4.66 miles on the stream and prince trail.  It’s a very scenic route where dogs and horses were allowed.  I would rate it an easy/moderate hike, its great for beginners. I really enjoyed the redwood trees and the stream that we walked a long.  My goal is to one day walk to the end …one day. Baby Steps.

Hiking has become my new found hobby that will help me to lose 20 more lbs by fall.  Hiking is great exercise and bonding time that is right in our very on Bay Area Backyard. Check back for more hiking adventures next week!

http://www.ebparks.org

Afro Chic’s Pick: Beautiful Textures (Review)

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Greetings! Yes, I know I haven’t posted on here in awhile but when life happens you can’t run from it.  With that being said, I’d like to share with you guys a quick product review that has my hair feeling so GREAT!

I recently attending my second natural hair meetup in San Fran with “Beautiful Textures” which was a conversation on natural hair, maintenance, and more.  I was able to meet more people with natural hair and also picked up on this awesome freebie.  Beautiful Textures is a natural hair care line claiming to provide amazing manageability and styling versatility.  Whether your hair is curly, kinky, coily, or straight their product line works for everyone.  I had a chance to try two products on the line; Tangle Taming Moisturizing Shampoo and Moisture Whipped Curl Creme.  Below you will find their claim and my results:

Tangle Taming Moisturizing Shampoo

Beautiful Textures Claim- Benefits:

  • Detangle ~ Restore Shine and Body
  • Improve Manageability
  • Soften and stretch natural curl pattern
Let’s face it. Residue and build-up on scalp and hair looks unhealthy and stunts the natural growth of your hair. To help ensure your hair reaches its full growth potential, cleanse, detangle and hydrate daily. Tangle Taming Shampoo can be the first step to achieving softer, more defined curls, healthier looking elongated coils, or simply silky hydrated hair with unforgettable body!
MY RESULT:  I will have to admit that after wear Senegalese twist after two months this did it’s job.  If you have the type of hair that is hard to detangle and breaks off easily I’d recommend this shampoo. I applied a generous amount to my hair and with two lathers I was able to comb through my hair from roots to tips without and breakage or hard pulling. The smell is lightly whipped so it doesn’t seem like you’re putting yogurt or ice cream on your hair.
Moisture Butter Whipped Curl CremeBeautiful Texures Claim- Benefits:

  • Soften and Nourish Curls ~ Silken Waves
  • Elongate Kinky Coils ~ Tame Frizzies

Dry, brittle, thirsty hair stunts natural growth. To help ensure locks reach their full growth potential, refresh and hydrate your mixed textured hair every day with Moisture Butter. Moisture Butter helps maximize the styling options of mixed textured hair by helping achieve softer, more defined curls, healthier looking elongated coils, or simply silky-smooth hydrated hair.

MY RESULT: Okay, hands down! My twist-outs have been A-MAZING! I was a little iffy with the title being “curl creme” that my hair will shrivel up but the best result is to to this twist out when wet.  It’s been almost a week and my curl definition keeps getting better over time.  My styling options are usually limited when I used my usual product but the silky smooth texture really makes my hair manageable and versatile.

So the question is where can you get a hold of your own Beautiful Texture?  Sally Beauty Supply of course!  All of their products are under $7 ….can you believe it?  For more info and to view their whole line visit www.beautifultextures.com

Natural or Knot Hair Mixer at J. Posh Design Studio

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This past Friday I went to my first natural hair mixer EVER! I had no idea what to expect, but I knew that I wanted to be surrounded by women that looked like me, with hair like me, similarities, and simplistic beauty that I possess even if were just for a few hours. The natural hair mixer was put on by Sheree Murphy of Natural Habitat Beauty Boutique. Two meetup groups “Naturally Beautiful” and “SF Naturals” from meetup.com were in attendance at a Oakland location at J. Posh Design Studio.  There were drinks appetizers, vendors, and warm spirits.

I walked into live music, spoken word, and visual artists who shared their love for black beauty. Not only did I mix and mingle with the guests I was able to check out the cool vendors. Natural Girls United had a display of beautiful hand crafted ethnic Barbie dolls.  Willie D’s & Mrs. Louise Boutique displayed their plus size lingerie and there were also Nique Cosmetics and M.Williams Accessories.  I enjoyed the variety of the vendors and was given a lot of information in the goodie bag given to me at the door.

The icing on the cake for me was when I won one of the door prizes; A gift basket full of goodies by Naptural Roots . Check it out!

I wish had more pictures however I’ll update once I get a hold of the photographers at the event.  I can really say that for my first time attending a meet up event with a bunch of people with your similar interest is AWESOME!  I recommend anyone looking to find fun things or to build your network in your area to check out www.meetup.com … It’s really THAT simple to do what you love =)