7/11/17 O&A NYC INSPIRATIONAL TUESDAY: Malcolm X- The House Negro And The Field Negro (2009)

Malcolm X’s The House Negro And The Field Negro speech was delivered in 1965 in Selma, Alabama. It happened while Martin Luther King Jr. was held in jail for his famous march on Selma. Malcolm X gave this speech to young protesters who received it very well. Continue reading

7/4/17 O&A NYC INSPIRATIONAL TUESDAY: Stars And Stripes- George Balanchine (New York City Ballet)

George Balanchine created Stars And Stripes  in 1958 to the marching band music of John Philip Sousa. The ballet evokes Fourth of July parades and it’s is one of several of Balanchine salutes to his adoptive country. Continue reading

6/13/17 O&A NYC INSPIRATIONAL TUESDAY PRIDE MONTH: RuPaul- “Walk with your head high and proud”

RuPaul Charles attended Toronto Pride to deliver a speech about acceptance and the importance of Pride. Continue reading

6/6/17 O&A NYC INSPIRATIONAL TUESDAY: Ariana Grande- Somewhere Over the Rainbow at One Love Manchester

In an especially moving performance, Grande closed the evening with Somewhere Over the Rainbow, from the MGM movie classic Wizard of Oz. The song holds a special place in her heart, because it was a favorite of her grandfather. It was also one she used to sing to him before he passed away. Continue reading

5/30/17 O&A NYC INSPIRATIONAL TUESDAY: To Be A Drum read by James Earl Jones

To Be A Drum read by James Earl Jones, written by Evelyn Coleman with illustrations by Aminah Brenda Lynn Robinson. Continue reading

5/16/17 O&A NYC INSPIRATIONAL TUESDAY: Kevin Doe- Persistent Experimentation

Inspirational-TuesdayKevin-Doe

Kelvin Doe was born in Freetown, Sierra Leone in 1996 as the youngest of five children. His creative instincts have been with him as a child and he would often dream of solutions to problems in his community. At the age of 10, he started scavenging for scrap electronics parts from dump sites after school for his inventions. Continue reading

5/9/17 O&A NYC WITH INSPIRATIONAL TUESDAY: Whitney Houston – Greatest Love Of All

The Greatest Love of All is a song was written and recorded to be the main theme of the 1977 film The Greatest, a biopic of the boxer Muhammad Ali. Eight years after George Benson’s original recording, the song became even more well known for a version by Whitney Houston. Continue reading

4/25/17 O&A NYC INSPIRATIONAL TUESDAY: Lupita Nyong’o- On Beauty (Love The Skin You’re In)

By Walter Rutledge

essenceom-honoree-lupita-nyongo-poses-with-her-award-at-the-7th-annual-essence-black-women-in-hollywood-luncheon-at-the-beverly-hills-hotel_520x520_54

The Oscar speech by Lupita Nyong’o was a historic moment; but her most powerful message was delivered during the 7th annual Black Women in Hollywood Luncheon sponsored by Essence Magazine. Continue reading