Black Girl Magic Lit Up Colored Girl Museum's First Festival

Colored Girl Museum was beyond lit. Beyond fire. Set us all ablaze.

We needed the healing a special Saturday afternoon granted.
Underneath this spiritual umbrella, providing shield from the violence thundercloud of our country, the audience were raptly attentive to the woman gracing the stage.
Radiance shone bright. And yes, my eyes teared up, remembering not just Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, Alton Sterling, Philando Castile. Aiyana Stanley-Jones, Tanisha Anderson, Mariam Carey, Rekia Boyd and Sandra Bland, and countless other sistas we can never ever forget.
Now the Colored Girls Museum uniquely houses stories, experiences, and objects of the colored girl.

The Colored Girls Museum distinguishes herself by exclusively collecting, preserving, honoring, and decoding artifacts pertaining to the experience and herstory of colored girls. This museum shall serve as a clearinghouse of multidimensional arty-facts, objects and information about Colored Girls: equal parts research facility, exhibition space, gathering place and think tank. This Colored Girls Museum is the first institution of its kind, which considers memoir, in any form, as well as objects of personal and historic significance, as evidence with empirical value.

I have always wanted to visit. The Colored Girls Museum is opened on Sundays only.
And I work every Sunday.
Someday I'll go.
For now, I reminisce on the Colored Girls Festival at Fringe Arts and its magical medicinal properties.

Commendable hostess Ariadne DuBois wearing the Colored Girls Museum t-shirt in between introductions.

I missed Nikki Powerhouse. Her name alone resonates uplifting vibe to dwindled spirit. I wish I had seen her live. I did, however, find this to be wonderful-- The Art of I Am. Still, she's a local actress. Hopefully, a next time will arise.
M'Balia Singley strummed acoustic guitar, serenading with a combination of charming humor and sweet affection.
Jasmine Combs, an eloquent, brave poet threw out frustration with honesty and love in her barbs.
Maritri sang and struck her guitar, her voice like melodic honey dripping sap.
Blakbushe instructed through soulful song and cymbals to challenge patriarchy, to have sound mind, to love ourselves. With a touching tribute to Prince, taking her spin on "The Beautiful Ones," eyes mystified and it remained hard to hide how touched whole experience gave.
Poignant images flashed on the widescreen projection. These were women admired late in life. Eartha Kitt, Ruby Dee, Angela Davis, even a whole Serena Williams tennis match.
We were clapping and shouting bravo to our talented entertainers and women flashing on the screen.
That was all power, all strength.  
After last performance, DJ Ian Friday got the global soul dance party started. Maya Angelou's majestic timbre recited her impressive, always relevant poem "Phenomenal Woman" mixed with Chaka Khan/Whitney Houston's "I'm Every Woman." Perfection. She was alive again. Alive in soul, alive in spirit.
I captured several moments and compiled them together here: Colored Girls Museum Festival.
Please watch and share with others. These ladies will bring fire in your heart and joy in your steps.
I will be eternally thankful to them and the Colored Girls Museum. This was remarkable. And needed.
So very, very needed.

Treasure trove of dangling beads among African sculpture hummed diaspora melodies.

Fancy stylized earrings and vibrant patterned bib necklaces appear to be straight out of a glamorous African Vogue magazine.

Fabulous abstract designed, bold colored prints on tote bag purses.

Most epic way to showcase handcrafted jewelry.

Little girls seeing dolls in their skin tones? Beautiful moment.

"I've got to learn to leave the table when love's no longer being served."- Nina Simone

Co-worker/friend and I exiting the festival, spirits alive and joyous. What a gift!