Last summer during the stay at home order, I was at home deciding how many and what home projects I could complete. I had a ton of extra time at home with my family (which included my 1 year old daughter) so as a new mom, I couldn’t help but want to find more peace and good vibes at home while the space outside seemed so distant and chaotic. I have worked from home for several years now, so I figured the best place to begin was in my home office. I had an idea which became my GOAT (greatest of all time) wall of inspiration. While the name and content may change over time, a place to reflect and find courage and inspiration is what I will forever hope my new wall will represent for me.
The Inspiration and My Why for the Wall
Breonna Taylor’s untimely death & portrait actually started the wall. I bought the Vanity Fair magazine and will forever cherish and be both inspired and pained by the article written by Ta-Nehisi Coates about Ms. Taylor. It isn’t lost on me that Breonna was the first person to ever be on the cover of Oprah’s magazine or that the portrait was done by the same artist who painted the beautiful portrait of Michelle Obama.
The Athletic GOAT
The second person who I needed to be on the wall was Serena Jameka Williams. She embodies strength, both poise and control (especially when asked ridiculous questions – like this one in particular), advocacy, and tenacity. She lead the fight for equal pay for female players as her and other’s maternal health both before, during and after pregnancy. She highlights and talks openly about what some of us black mothers fear – the lack of care and the awful statistic that even when education, wealth, and socioeconomic stats are the same, black women still die during and after childbirth more often. She is drug tested more often than her peers and challenged with higher expectations and ridiculed with countless micro-aggressions from past and current athletes including tennis players, former US Presidents, and chair umpires. Her story is both relatable, desirable, incredible, and amazing. Even while she is tested (both testing her for drugs and testing her patience) more, she continues to excel and rise above all of these things. It is who she is. It is the epitome of black girl magic.
The Firsts
The first black First Lady – Michelle Obama – is the next on my wall. Kamala Harris is the first black Vice President of the US as well as the first Asian VP. She is also the first female VP. I truly enjoy celebrating firsts, but these women offer countless examples of why they were the firsts. Both are educated, accomplished in their careers, and can be celebrated for so much.
Insecure – Representation and It’s Authenticity
Issa Rae embodies a lot of things to me. Her TV series Insecure wasn’t my first exposure to her, but it is what sealed the deal for her entry onto the wall. She brought to life the on-screen version of much of my adult life experiences. Insecure seems to embody black culture and offers a tiny glimpse into who and what we are. From the bad dates to the block party Issa sheds light on how young black people in particular navigate various different spaces. She explains micro-aggressions at work, the dynamic range of adulting while black, and dispels many black stereotypes with ease and in a comedic way. Insecure feels like my experiences in the past and the present. Brava Issa.
The GOAT Creator
Ava Duvernay rounds out the unfinished GOAT wall. Some of her on-screen work includes When They See Us, the multi-cultural A Wrinkle In Time (go read the book AND watch the movie), 13th, Selma and one of my all time favorite episodes of Scandal. Ava’s reach, depth of her imagination, and desire to display the truth is phenomenal. Her talent is unmatched and she didn’t pick up a film camera until she was 32. The amount of care and precision when researching, directing, and producing her projects makes them not only amazing to watch but absolutely important as well. I have learned so much from these. I am geeked and cannot wait to watch and learn from her on-screen adaptation to my all time favorite book – Caste.
So who would you place on your GOAT wall? Maybe you already have one – who or what most inspires you on it?
