It’s me. On a Sunday. In Providence. Yeeeeaaaahhhhh.
#rezarites #ambitiousblackfeminist #blackgirlmagic #carefreeblackgirl #rastagyal #providence #curls #coils #naturalhair
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After a month much different from our last few years, we are so glad to be able to celebrate #nationalpoetrymonth, the 3 AM IS THE NEW BLACK way. Hope you register and attend the following two events:
TONIGHT, Friday, April 22 at 7pm, and in celebration of Earth Day and National Poetry Month, join What Cheer Writers Club for “Earth in Verse” – an online showcase of nature writing from Rhode Island poets and writers. Tonight’s ONLINE event will feature local creatives read poems, essays, stories and hybrid work inspired by or in conversation with the natural world.
Register here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/earth-in-verse-nature-writing-from-rhode-island-poets-and-writers-tickets-288038810837
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This Sunday, April 24, catch the annual Langston Hughes Community Poetry Reading featuring community readers, youth participants, a featured scholar, and music. Please invite your family and friends to register and attend this exciting event! More information and details to assist your connection with us is available at www.lhughescpr.org or if you have questions please directly email LHughesCP2017@gmail.com.
Registration Link: https://provlib.libcal.com/event/8776260
#3amblack #3amblackpoetry #rezarites #poetry #providence #ambitiousblackfeminist #blackgirlmagic #blackwriters #blackpoets #blackwomenwriters #blackwomenwrite
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Had a great day today at the @farmfreshri Indoor Farmers market. Many thanks to all who visited and purchased specialty poems and other #3amblack products, and congratulations to everyone who donated enough to qualify for a @bakedbeanpvd coupon. Don’t forget we have one more Valentine’s Day #3amblack pop-up shop on Monday from noon-2pm at the @whatcheerclub headquarters, 160 Westminster St. FL 2, Providence, RI 02903. We will also be set up next Saturday, February 19, noon-4pm at the Sankofa Community Connection market, 293 JT Connell Hwy, Newport RI 02840. Plus all month long we will have coupons for goodies from our Black Bean PVD friends (with purchases/donations totaling 20 or more) Check us out!
#3amblack #rezarites #ambitiousblackfeminist #poetry #lovepoems #valentinesday2022 #digitalart #collageart #farmersmarket #freshfood #shoplocal #providence #pvd
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Hi friends, this Saturday, February 12, catch 3 AM IS THE NEW BLACK Founder/Publisher/Editor, “Reza Rites” at the @farmfreshri year-round farmers market, 9am-1pm at 10 Sims Ave in Providence, masks required. Reza will be (once again) set up with her typewriter and #3amblack postcards (stickers, bookmarks, etc.) providing, both, pre-typed and customized poems and greeting cards. In anticipation of Valentine’s Day, Reza will have a wide selection of pre-written love poems, but will also be available to custom-write cards. Mark your calendars and head out to enjoy locally-grown goodies, “food for thought, and poetry for you.”
For more information, or to peruse the “art, essays, and poems” produced by 3 AM IS THE NEW BLACK, search @3amblack on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, or check out Reza’s blogs: www.VenusSings.com and www.AmbitiousBlackFeminist.com.
For more on Farm Fresh RI’s year-round, indoor Farmers Market, visit in person, every Saturday from 9am-1pm, 10 Sims Ave, Providence, RI or use the following link for more information on the vendors, parking, Covid-safe protocols, and more: https://www.farmfreshri.org/programs/farmers-markets/simsmarket/
#3amblack #rezarites #poetry #farmersmarket #valentinesday2022 #digitalart #foryourpage #fyp #love #freshfood #shoplocal #providencerhodeisland #providence #pvd #blackhistorymonth #blackwriters #blackwomenwriters
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Enter the Portal of Self-Love
Definition of portal
Merriam Webster
1 : door, entrance especially : a grand or imposing one
2 : the whole architectural composition surrounding and including the doorways and porches of a church
3 : the approach or entrance to a bridge or tunnel
Everyone stumbles upon the body positivity movement in their own way. Props to Lizzo for being a modern and hyper-visible voice, but shout-outs go, as well, to the LGBTQQIA umbrella family, tattoo and body art world, and sex workers, who all remind folks about the importance of autonomy and choice in presenting, describing, transforming, sharing, denying, withholding, and protecting our bodies as they are and as we want them to be.
Some people land on body positivity almost effortlessly. There are those that land on it as children – blessed with some kind of self-esteem compass that guides them through the dark times or looks and aesthetics that match the approval of the social norm. Some people find it emerging from the torture chamber many call adolescence. Others find it as intimate encounters turn into better relationships with one’s own body and movement, or as we encounter peers who teach us directly, and indirectly, other definitions of self-love.
For those who grew up watching stars like Jennifer Aniston, Jessica Alba or Halle Berry being praised as curvy, who watched and heard girls in our class participating in rituals associated with anorexia and bulimia at the same time as the rise in the waif aesthetic in Hollywood and Milan, and whose souls were shamed when outsiders commented on certain parts of their (our) bodies or the way clothing fit them (us), today’s era of visibility, as far as different kinds of bodies, is the oxygen mask many of us needed. Yes, there is room for additional representation and subversive attacks on auto-norming “thick/thicc” bodies, – such as only featuring plus-sized models with flat stomachs and round hips despite bellies, guts, and fupas being common in women wearing similar sizes.
I am one of those people who grew up taking in, internally battling, and, to this day, working to fight the demons singing toxic songs about better bodies, inept beauty, acceptability, and respectability. But I scored a victory, recently, when I walked through a digital doorway and entered a new world, from which I haven’t turned back since: The Pink Portal. I think I know the person who posted the first announcement or promotion I saw. I think. Either way, as Merriam Webster describes in one of its definitions, portal means “the approach or entrance to a bridge or tunnel,” and this couldn’t be truer of the black women-owned lingerie shop. From the moment I saw the first graphic, I saw thighs that looked mine – or that of my friends and family members – breasts that fit bras and bodysuits in ways similar to mine – or that of my friends and family members – and intimate-wear outfits, makeup, and styling choices that reflected those I sometimes choose – or those chosen by friends and family members.
Like walking into a family reunion or popping up at a homie’s cookout, arriving at The Pink Portal page has a unique way of hugging you with a sense of familiarity, while also beckoning you to take bigger strides in loving yourself. It is because of this very personal reason that I have decided to use 3 AM IS THE NEW BLACK to highlight the work they’re doing, the product they’re selling, and the event where you can see it all for yourself. Enter the portal, and join the founders, models and supporters for “The Pink Portal Experience,” a gathering that will “showcase pieces and styles from [their] collection as well as other designers and boutique owners.” The event is scheduled for September 24, 2021, from 7:30-10:30pm in Providence. Tickets are available through Eventbrite (https://bit.ly/2WNalXp) or using the attached QR Code.
Browse their merchandise and read testimonials on www.thepinkportal.com. And follow @3amblack on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook all month long to follow our partnership with The Pink Portal, and to catch fun tidbits leading up to their September 24 event.
Sunshine and laughter,
Reza Rites, Publisher/Editor, 3 AM IS THE NEW BLACK
#RezaRites #3AmBlack #ThePinkPortal #SelfLove #BlackGirlMagic #CarefreeBlackGirl #BodyPositivity #fashion #Providence #RhodeIsland #NewEngland
It’s the first of the month, which means different things to different people. For us here, at 3 AM IS THE NEW BLACK, September 1 signifies the launch date of a new partnership we are happy to announce: a Media Sponsorship supporting and extending outreach for The Pink Portal. The Pink Portal is a Black woman owned company specializing in lingerie and adult wear with sizes for all – and models fully reflecting the inclusive catalogue and culture of the company. You can find The Pink Portal across social media sites, and on the world wide web at www.thepinkportal.com. Or see the action and feel the love in person on September 24 at “The Pink Portal Experience,” which is an event to “showcase pieces and styles from [their] collection as well as other designers and boutique owners.” The event is scheduled from 7:30-10:30pm in Providence.
All month long, here and across #3amblack spaces, we will highlight The Pink Portal, learning more about the founding and vision of the company, meeting models and hearing from Remi N – co-owner and “HBIC” of The Pink Portal – and sharing exclusive looks during the lead-up to the event. To activate the Critical Social Discourse tenet behind 3 AM IS THE NEW BLACK, we will also be highlighting other activists, spaces, and campaigns advocating for body positivity, Black business ownership, women entrepreneurs, and shame-free sensuality and sexuality.
Purchase your ticket or learn more about the September 24 event by visiting their Eventbrite page at https://bit.ly/2WNalXp. Or use the attached QR Code. Browse their merchandise and read testimonials on www.thepinkportal.com. Follow @3amblack on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook to follow our partnership with The Pink Portal, and for fun tidbits leading up to their February 24 event.
Sunshine and laughter,
Reza Rites, Publisher/Editor, 3 AM IS THE NEW BLACK
Venus Sings by Reza Rites 