Our highlights this week are: the icon Frank Ocean, Learning how to stand up for yourself, and the online Black, Queer archive!

Song of the Show:

- As we spin the block on the ‘Blonded' album, we want to take a moment to just praise Frank Ocean. Whether it be with his voice or his pure creativeness, the world just cannot get enough. And although you should know who this is... if you don’t, we’re going to get you hip! Frank is most known for his debut album, Channel Orange, which featured the Grammy awarded, platinum single ‘Thinking Bout You’. 

- But that’s not all! He’s a singer, songwriter, record producer, rapper, photographer, and visual artist. He has written for John Legend, Brandy, Justin Bieber, The Internet, Beyoncé, Conor Maynard, Alicia Keys, James Blake, and more! And the most important fact: he doesn’t really like the public light. And we don’t blame him. As long as he comes back with another fire album, then he’s good in our book. 

Featured Story:

- With Ricky, the character shows us that it’s okay not to want to tell your story if you’re not ready. There may be moments in life where you feel that you are being forced to talk, or that you have to put yourself in a vulnerable space for other people. We’re here to tell you that’s not true. The moment’s where you #InviteIn other people to your personal business and life should always be your choice. It’s not anyone else’s.

- The journey is never easy, but these stories are here to show others that they are not alone in their intersectional experiences. We hope to continue fostering a deeper sense of belonging for our community and spreading more love with each story. 

Black & Queer @ The Table:

- This time we’re doing things differently — we’re talking about Instagram! And no, we are not talking about the jacked-up algorithm that messes up our follower feed. We’re talking about an online, virtual archive of photos. The Black & Gay, Back in the Day Instagram account is a digital community archive honoring and remembering the lives of Black, Queer folks in Britain. The purpose is to provide a space for the LGBTQ+ community to see a representation of what we looked like before digital cameras and webcams. Curated by the founder's Marc Thompson and Jason Okundaye, the archive highlights the moments of ordinary people and couples just living life, being Queer. This helps us to remember our history and to see where we come from. 

Resources:

- Queer Love in Color

- Netflix is bringing back Black sitcoms Moesha and Sister, Sister, and I cannot contain my excitement

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