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LAX✈️OAK📍
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Black is the blueprint. Joy is the evidence.
Year 9!
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#blackjoy #blackjoyparade

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comm•UNITY | Black Joy

Grateful to lift our voices together at Sunday Spotlight with OMCA.

There’s something powerful about music, purpose, and people coming together in love.

I truly enjoy these beautiful human beings. 🌱✨

#blackjoy

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‘Up All Night’ is out now

Hopefully y’all enjoy it and here’s a 2025 photo dump lol

Produced, mixed, and mastered by: @laith_a9

Cover art photographed by: @michee.png

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Black Joy took over the green ⛳️✨
Because when we show up, we show out — loud, proud, and rooted in community. Every time @blackjoyparade gathers us, it’s more than an event… it’s culture, it’s connection, it’s us.

Year 2 of Golf & Grooves in the books — here’s to many more. Already looking forward to BJP 2026.

& special love to my BJP CHOIR 🫶🏾✨
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#blackjoy #blackjoyparade #golf

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2 Guys & A Girl ✨ !
Black joy looks good on us 🥂✨ Catching up in The Town never felt so good.

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L O U D & P R O U D but with JOY of course 🫶🏾!

Yesterday literally felt like a movie! I had more internal experiences taking place more than anything! The energy! The love! The beauty! The Creativity! The Heart! The spirit! The very essence of WHO we are is magical!! I’m proud every day and I needed every moment that the @blackjoyparade gave me & us! Shoutout to my @blackjoychoir family WE DID THAT! Serving this year on background logistics and giving the community something memorable is not something that I take lightly, I was & am proud to serve! Salute 🫡 to OAKLAND! ✊🏾 Salute to our Black Joy Visionaries and dear friends! To every core member of the Black Joy Parade every volunteer, vendor and especially to the Black community for making this simply amazing! ✨THANK YOU! My spirit& soul needed this!

✨This is also serves a reminder to follow your dreams and inner intuition. One dream, one hope has now impacted over 30k people and this is year 8! God is GREAT!

Sincerely,

A Proud Black Woman 🖤

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#blackjoy #blackjoyparade #blackjoymatters #oakland #blackisbeautiful #blackandproud
#BlackExcellence #BlackCulture #JoyInUnity #OaklandLove #BlackCommunity #BlackEmpowerment #CelebratingUs #OurBlackJoy #RootedInLove #LivingOurLegacy #BlackAndBeautiful #soulfulconnections

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I cant complain....2024 was a good year... Thank you to everybody that held me down. I love you all. Looking forward to what 2025 is bringing.

#peace #melanin #2024 #travel #love #blackmen #blessings #health #fun #trouble #party #losangeles #family #December

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Living Bigger Than my Dreams Ever Dared to Carry Me! Belize in a nutshell #blackboyjoy #2024 #happiness #travel #selfcare #lovingmebetter #vibes #belize #sanpedro #beach #water

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Hello there!! I wanted to get in touch on behalf of @gnarcyteam. We've got some seriously rad jewelry lined up, and I reckon you'd be the ideal candidate to rock our latest collection of tough accessories!

If you're up for it, we'd love to hook you up with 3 pieces on the house! Yup, you read that right – totally FREE!

Just shoot a DM over to our main account @gnarcyteam (if you dont see a DM button, just reply to any of their stories), and our guy Shawn will sort you out pronto! But hey, don't sleep on it – spots are filling up fast, and we'd hate for you to miss out on the action! Cheers, mate! 🤙

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👉 @gnarcyteam 👈

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How did I spend my Juneteenth weekend? By celebrating in the community and supporting/rocking apparel from black-owned businesses.

Shirts: @makeitpersonalomaha
Bag: @themelaningang
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#supportblackownedbusinesses #juneteenth #oaklandjuneteenth #goodtimes #goodvibes #goodfriends #oakland #bayarea #buyblack #locstyles #fashionista #ootd #instafashion #naturalhair #naturalmakeup #redlip #dreadhead #melanin #melaninpoppin

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They tried to bury us, they didn't know we were seeds. ✊🏾

👩🏾‍🎓

Four years ago today I participated in the GSE&IS UCLA Commencement ceremony after earning my PhD in December 2016. (We don't have fall commencement)

I almost didn't go! That's a long story I'll have to discuss with my therapist one day. LOL.

Here's some unsolicited advice: If you're struggling to complete your graduate program, reevaluate why you're doing it in the first place. If it's not a top 5 priority for you...it's simply not a priority at all.

𝐒𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐩𝐞𝐝 𝐦𝐞:

1) I was invested in THE WORK, not the title. This wasn't an "academic accessory" for me. I wasn't doing this to prove anything, be called Dr. Smith, or make my family proud. It was FOR ME to do what I loved doing and was a baseline requirement for my career aspirations at the time (professor).

2) I knew what I was myself getting into academically. My masters program was legit so I was relatively prepared for the rigor. I got a firm foundation in theory, writing, and social-justice work while I was at Kansas. #rockchalk

3) I had support systems within my cohort, program, across divisions, and UCLA fam in general. Outside support was greatly appreciated, but you NEED to have your in-house people.

4) I worked on other research projects BEFORE I started my dissertation. Dissertations are already A LOT so imagine it being your first real project. No thanks.

5) I went to my school of choice, not just one I could get into. That mattered TO ME.

Good luck out there!

#blackexcellence #blackphds #losangeles #uclabruins #westwood #blackandexcellent #motivation #graduateschool #phdlife #gradschool #goalsetter #goals #bruins #jayhawks #educationscholar #blackeducator
#blackjoy #blackgirljoy

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I want to thank my village for making this weekend extremely special!! I KNOW 30 will be amazing!!! 🖤 #MelanatedMillenials 🤎🤍🖤

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