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Doing what feels natural and trusting your gut are important topics we discussed during BGN’s interview with Gigi Lucas. Surfer, advocate, and founder of SurfearNegra and Surf the Turf.
Take me back to that first surf lesson. What were your feeling?
“To be honest, it felt so natural that it wasn’t even a second thought. I am a very logical person, and since it was second nature, I thought, why am I not doing this? The next thought was, how can I do this more?”
Lucas’s recap of her first surf experience made me reflect on how being in that natural state of flow and ease is something few people experience. Lucas responded by mentioning people, especially Black women, follow preconceived notions from society and do what’s expected of them. Hence, Lucas left her corporate job to surf in Costa Rica.
When you moved and started pursuing surfing, what were people’s reactions?
“I have this counsel of people who all think differently. The only question from my elders was to think about my financial planning. Go where your heart is but be responsible. I didn’t have anyone in my life who told me I shouldn’t do it. I’ve made it a practice to have people who will give it to me straight but not nay-sayers. Everything is possible, but it may not be possible right now. If I have people in my life who say I can’t do something, I ease on out. They don’t have a place in my life.”
We further discussed how to cultivate an environment of people who are supportive. Lucas’s advice was to trust our gut. Our instinct usually tells us when someone is good or bad for us, and it’s our job to listen.
Gigi continued to introduce a different point of view. She shared that an overbearing or negative voice can come from her instead of other people. She combats these moments by checking in with herself often and assessing what she is doing against what she wants the intended outcome to be.
What was it like being the only Black girl in the surf line ups when you started surfing?
“Being the only one wasn’t something new to me. Costa Rica is a diverse country. It wasn’t until years later that I saw African Americans traveling for vacation, and they would never get in the water. Every time people saw me with a surfboard, they were flabbergasted. And I thought why? I started to notice that there aren’t a lot of us doing what I’m doing. We think it’s natural to have no relationship with the water, but it’s not.”
Lucas also reflected on how the segregation in the south has contributed to seeing fewer Black bodies in the water.
What is an average day like for you? Are there any typical days?
I wish there was an average day [laughs]. The day flows based on what projects and events are coming up. I am a recovering type-A personality, and I like order. I try to find balance, but what we’re doing everyday changes.
Could you share some updates on SurfearNEGRA? How is it growing?
“The 100 Girls is cranking along. Even though the program will always be called 100 girls, we will add a zero to that. To get 1,000 girls in the water. We’re not quite there yet, but that’s the goal. As far as our land-based program, Surf the Turf, there are a lot of exciting things happening that will help us optimize our reach. We’re positioning the organization to be future-proof so we can deliver on our mission to make surfing accessible to any child anywhere.”
What transformations have you seen within the girls you’ve sent to surf camps?
“We’re on our fourth summer of sending girls to surf camps, and some of these kids are good and coming into their own. Their only passion is competing. They do it because they love it, and you can see it. They have their own style. They’re learning the tides and ocean safety to become ambassadors for the next girls.”
With this explanation, I imagined surfing as a canvas with endless creation. Lucas replied, “Surfing is a board, a swimsuit, and some wax. Yet there is so much you can do with it both in and out of the water.”
If you could play a song while surfing, what song would it be?
“Breezin’ by George Benson. The vibe reminds me of the first question you asked me. It feels natural, like it’s supposed to be there.”
What keeps you going, what keeps you inspired, especially when you encounter setbacks?
“I’m always remembering that it’s bigger than myself. Real entrepreneurs will tell you this. You have more hard days than good. What keeps me going is recognizing that I was called to do this. I’m thankful for my counsel and my circle of people. They help me keep everything in perspective. When I get those glimpses of one of the girls surfing and how it impacts their lives and who they are. It reminds me why I do this. This is more than me taking a pretty picture on the board. This is for our girls and the girls who grow up to be women who look like us and or them to know their power.”
In a segway of this conversation, Lucas referenced the civil rights protest in St. Augustine, Florida. Mentioning how freedom fighters of the past fought for something they knew they weren’t going to see. But they knew that it was bigger than themselves. Although surfing is not quite a civil rights movement, Lucas knows that there is importance in what she is doing.
How have you seen yourself expand over the years? Big and small expansions.
I’ve learned to use my voice and to speak the truth kindly, but not necessarily in a nice way, but in a fair way. I was very conscious of how people viewed me as a tall Black woman with a deep voice. I used to temper it a lot, but now I don’t. I heard a saying that says you don’t always have to be seen to be heard.
What would you say to our reader’s inner child?
With a thoughtful pause, she responded.
Do things that make your heart sing. Laugh often. It’s easy to get caught up in the quest to be perfect. Be present, laugh, and be joyful. When we’re there we are healthier, our minds are clearer. I can’t tell you how many women when they smile, I don’t care if they have one tooth, they are stunning. When they are living in joy and enjoying themselves, that’s when we are living life.
Doing what feels natural and trusting your gut are important topics we discussed during BGN’s interview with Gigi Lucas. Surfer, advocate, and founder of SurfearNegra and Surf the Turf.
Take me back to that first surf lesson. What were your feeling?
“To be honest, it felt so natural that it wasn’t even a second thought. I am a very logical person, and since it was second nature, I thought, why am I not doing this? The next thought was, how can I do this more?”
Lucas’s recap of her first surf experience made me reflect on how being in that natural state of flow and ease is something few people experience. Lucas responded by mentioning people, especially Black women, follow preconceived notions from society and do what’s expected of them. Hence, Lucas left her corporate job to surf in Costa Rica.
When you moved and started pursuing surfing, what were people’s reactions?
“I have this counsel of people who all think differently. The only question from my elders was to think about my financial planning. Go where your heart is but be responsible. I didn’t have anyone in my life who told me I shouldn’t do it. I’ve made it a practice to have people who will give it to me straight but not nay-sayers. Everything is possible, but it may not be possible right now. If I have people in my life who say I can’t do something, I ease on out. They don’t have a place in my life.”
We further discussed how to cultivate an environment of people who are supportive. Lucas’s advice was to trust our gut. Our instinct usually tells us when someone is good or bad for us, and it’s our job to listen.
Gigi continued to introduce a different point of view. She shared that an overbearing or negative voice can come from her instead of other people. She combats these moments by checking in with herself often and assessing what she is doing against what she wants the intended outcome to be.
What was it like being the only Black girl in the surf line ups when you started surfing?
“Being the only one wasn’t something new to me. Costa Rica is a diverse country. It wasn’t until years later that I saw African Americans traveling for vacation, and they would never get in the water. Every time people saw me with a surfboard, they were flabbergasted. And I thought why? I started to notice that there aren’t a lot of us doing what I’m doing. We think it’s natural to have no relationship with the water, but it’s not.”
Lucas also reflected on how the segregation in the south has contributed to seeing fewer Black bodies in the water.
What is an average day like for you? Are there any typical days?
I wish there was an average day [laughs]. The day flows based on what projects and events are coming up. I am a recovering type-A personality, and I like order. I try to find balance, but what we’re doing everyday changes.
Could you share some updates on SurfearNEGRA? How is it growing?
“The 100 Girls is cranking along. Even though the program will always be called 100 girls, we will add a zero to that. To get 1,000 girls in the water. We’re not quite there yet, but that’s the goal. As far as our land-based program, Surf the Turf, there are a lot of exciting things happening that will help us optimize our reach. We’re positioning the organization to be future-proof so we can deliver on our mission to make surfing accessible to any child anywhere.”
What transformations have you seen within the girls you’ve sent to surf camps?
“We’re on our fourth summer of sending girls to surf camps, and some of these kids are good and coming into their own. Their only passion is competing. They do it because they love it, and you can see it. They have their own style. They’re learning the tides and ocean safety to become ambassadors for the next girls.”
With this explanation, I imagined surfing as a canvas with endless creation. Lucas replied, “Surfing is a board, a swimsuit, and some wax. Yet there is so much you can do with it both in and out of the water.”
If you could play a song while surfing, what song would it be?
“Breezin’ by George Benson. The vibe reminds me of the first question you asked me. It feels natural, like it’s supposed to be there.”
What keeps you going, what keeps you inspired, especially when you encounter setbacks?
“I’m always remembering that it’s bigger than myself. Real entrepreneurs will tell you this. You have more hard days than good. What keeps me going is recognizing that I was called to do this. I’m thankful for my counsel and my circle of people. They help me keep everything in perspective. When I get those glimpses of one of the girls surfing and how it impacts their lives and who they are. It reminds me why I do this. This is more than me taking a pretty picture on the board. This is for our girls and the girls who grow up to be women who look like us and or them to know their power.”
In a segway of this conversation, Lucas referenced the civil rights protest in St. Augustine, Florida. Mentioning how freedom fighters of the past fought for something they knew they weren’t going to see. But they knew that it was bigger than themselves. Although surfing is not quite a civil rights movement, Lucas knows that there is importance in what she is doing.
How have you seen yourself expand over the years? Big and small expansions.
I’ve learned to use my voice and to speak the truth kindly, but not necessarily in a nice way, but in a fair way. I was very conscious of how people viewed me as a tall Black woman with a deep voice. I used to temper it a lot, but now I don’t. I heard a saying that says you don’t always have to be seen to be heard.
What would you say to our reader’s inner child?
With a thoughtful pause, she responded.
Do things that make your heart sing. Laugh often. It’s easy to get caught up in the quest to be perfect. Be present, laugh, and be joyful. When we’re there we are healthier, our minds are clearer. I can’t tell you how many women when they smile, I don’t care if they have one tooth, they are stunning. When they are living in joy and enjoying themselves, that’s when we are living life.
Writer: Tyler Burton Smith / Artist: Vanessa Cardinali / Image
Imagine waking up in a cold sweat from a terrible nightmare in which you are confronted with the sheer depravity of your own twisted soul that shakes you to the core. And then imagine that your nightmare is rooted in the waking reality as you find bloody, severed limbs in your fridge indicating your fugue state was not a delusion. Well, don’t worry about imagining, because Smith and Cardinali have written this so you don’t have to.
The opening interlude of Slumber #2 gives a brief refresher to what happened with Officer Finch at the end of last issue. As cartoonish as the comic style looks, Cardinali does not let you forget that this is a mature horror centric title, full of blood, bone, gore, and weird manifestations of the subconscious. The audaciousness of the pages is the kind of over the top black comedy that makes you laugh and then makes you wide-eyed at that fact you’re laughing as a visceral reaction.
Stetson’s main story starts off with a hard to please client and further looks into the trippy dreamscape and the sleep demons that inhabit it. We get our first bits of exposition into the shadowy figure that is at the center of the myth arc, and our two protagonists finally meet up and the blurred lines of the waking world and the sleeping ones begin to muddle in incredible ways. Smith’s handle of absurdist and dark comedy is fantastic and makes for many a riveting back and forth and all sort of segues and quips that help keep a brisk pace. Cardinali’s interpretation of the fantasy blended procedural is just pitch perfect in how it’s showcased.
Even though a lot of the violence happens in the brightly vivid dreamscape, there is still a sense of menace and mystery surrounding the shadowy woman that has brought Stetson and Finch together. Slumber #2 does fantastic at accelerating the plot and maintaining a sickly dark humor that manages to charm the reader. I’m convince that this comic isn’t going to be for everyone, but for those who have historically enjoyed characters like John Constantine or the antics of Invader Zim, with a stomach for the viscera, you’re going to have a grand time in the playground Smith and Cardinali have cultivated.
9.3 “Packed Fridges” out of 10
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The post Slumber #2 Review appeared first on Black Nerd Problems.
The Earth is home to over 7 billion people. Regardless of which part we come from, it’s everyone’s home. So, it’s probably a good idea to take care of it. However, not everyone experiences life on this planet with the same opportunities for a clean neighborhood, access to fresh food, and governments that support environmental safety.
April is Earth month and spotlights Earth Day on the 22nd. While it’s a day typically focused on doing activities that celebrate the environment, people often “suddenly forget” about their ecological endeavors as soon as the month is over. Earth day is a fad, not a lifestyle. From TikTok to themed Earth day activities that last a day, people are interested in the idea of being situational environmental advocates. This form of slacktivism needs to change.
Indigenous tribes had their lands colonized and, in turn, their colonizers created a culture of capitalism that oppresses Black and brown communities. In America alone, countless neighborhoods and cities are facing environmental racism. One-day activism isn’t enough to make a change.
The same goes for saving the bees, which pollinate the crops that provide us food. It’s vital to make saving the world a regular thing from the neighborhoods of color to the flora and fauna that inhabit the Earth. We’ve compiled 5 sustainable brands that have products that can help readers get started on their journey to build a better planet.
Each of these brands has a mission that goes beyond money and puts profit toward the causes that need them most.
Shea Yeleen is all about ensuring “skincare meets impact.” While creating exceptional skincare is the goal, so is empowering women around the world. Founder, Rahama Wright believes in clean beauty with fair trade shea butter while also pledging to use every purchase toward the financial empowerment of Ghanian women. From safe housing to helping over 268 children access education, Wright is on a mission to use her brand for a change. Her new Shea Yeleen Shea Butter Body Care Bundle is available on Beautyologie for $45. It includes a full-sized Lemon Verbena Pure Shea Body Balm, Coconut Melon Rich Shea Body Cream, and Lemongrass Clean Shea Bar Soap, which are all fair trade and ethically sourced.
This is a new brand focusing on how we as people have things “in common,” specifically a passion for supporting the common good. For them, this means working together to change the way we look at clothing. Their goal is to create clothing through better manufacturing, fair-wage employment, sustainable fabrics, and modern design. In Common even uses compostable mailers and bio compostable poly bags to make sure every part of the process is environmentally sound.
Combining better clothing with activism is key for their brand. They use 20% of their proceeds from the Saffron and Mineral Blue styles for donations to the World Central Kitchen (WCK) to help Ukraine. The WCK provides millions of meals to families in Ukraine and offers a safe haven amidst the dangers of the Russian invasion. They’ve also partnered with One Tree Planted to help populate areas with trees to support ecosystems. One of the best things about In Common is that they ask for suggestions about any and all possible partnerships that may align with their overall ethos.
Alaffia has made it a mission to take on social change in Africa on all ends, including health, education, maternal care, and environmental support. Fairtrade products are vital to making that happen with products like their new Chebe Deep Conditioning Mask for $about $10 at Target and more. The proceeds for quality products go toward material change.
While founder, Olowo-n’djo Tchala, has introduced many Empowerment Projects, their latest initiative is a partnership with Sista Midwife Productions, which is a birth advocacy organization that provides consultations with birth workers for Black families with children. They focus on education, training, and higher Black infant-mother survival rates. A portion of Alaffia’s proceeds is donated to the organization amongst others.
Not everyone realizes that birth care is inherently linked to environmental justice, as the environment in which pregnant women, infants, and families live impacts their short and long-term health. For Sista Midwife, “birth is a revolution,” and they need as many doulas and birth workers helping as possible.
When it comes to honoring the intersections between saving the planet and saving the disproportionately oppressed, Girlfriend Collective has us covered. Their overall mission is to provide eco-friendly clothing and use the proceeds to go toward important causes, like the Black Lives Matter movement and turning old water bottles into clothes.
In fact, they have leggings made out of recycled fishing nets and tees that are 100% cupro, which is made out of cotton waste. Their clothing is manufactured in Vietnam under the Social Accountability International standard that ensures workers are treated and paid fairly while working in ethical working conditions.
Their Regirlfriend program actually collects old Girlfriend Collective leggings and recycles them into new clothing items, that way, their leggings can be used forever without contributing to landfills. This kind of upcycling is how a single purchase can become a regular lifestyle of rejecting wastefulness.
We can’t help but smile when hearing about this eco-friendly Black woman-owned brand that’s all about rejecting colorism in the beauty industry. The Lip Bar was founded by Melissa Butler. Its mission of having a variety of 100% vegan and cruelty-free lip products that cater to many skin shades, not just the lighter ones.
The brand’s motto is to offer “maximum impact” with “minimal effort” for customers wanting gorgeous looks without giving up very much energy and time. One of their standout products is the Bawse Lady liquid matte, which comes in many shades for only $13. They also sell bronzer, eyeliner, mascara, blush, and eyeshadow palettes.
While brands are certainly not enough to solve the environmental issues that impact our daily lives, these businesses are advocating and supporting larger-scale initiatives that are doing everything they can to protect the Earth. With groups like East Yard: Communities for Environmental Justice and The Sunrise Movement protesting for policy protection for everyone, especially those most oppressed, there is so much work to be done. Every day is an opportunity to make a collective change that extends beyond a trend.
Whether you’re a sci-fi fan or not, you’ve likely heard of the cult-classic The Man Who Fell to Earth, which hit the big screen in 1976. Alex Kurtzman, Jenny Lumet, and Showtime are picking up where John Newton (David Bowie) left off.
Faraday (Chiwetel Ejiofor) is an alien from the same planet as Newton who continues the struggle of trying to save his species and his home. He seeks out beleaguered scientist Justin Falls (Naomie Harris) to help him build the equipment he needs to return to his planet with life-saving water. Earth, rife with energy and climate change issues, may also be saved in the process. Ejiofor and Harris bring their A-games in this deeply rich examination of human existence.
The series’s creators, writers, showrunners and executive producers Kurtzman and Lumet spoke with BGN via video chat to discuss their inspiration for reviving this story, what they hope viewers will take away from the show, and how Ejiofor and Harris brought the characters to life.
What inspired you to continue the story of The Man Who Fell to Earth?
Lumet: Sarah Timberman brought us the property of The Man Who Fell to Earth and I got us into it with absolutely no idea what it was gonna entail. Sometimes you don’t know why you do something until a couple of years later. You look in the rearview and you go, “Holy smokes!” I had gone through an enormous amount of personal loss, and the planet felt absolutely new. I felt absolutely new. I felt like I was walking on terrain that I didn’t know. Walter Tevis’ book, Nicolas Roeg’s movie, lets you ask the questions of, “Who am I now? Who was I before? Where am I and what’s going on?” I’m pretty sure those are questions that everybody can relate to.
Kurtzman: We started writing in 2018. We were looking at the world and were making less and less sense of what we were seeing. One of the great gifts of being an artist is that you get to use your work to work through the questions that you have about the world around you. The question is the first line of the show, which is, “How did we get here to this place, this moment?” We’ve obviously made all these choices. The choices that we’ve made have determined our current circumstances, and the choices that we make from here are going to determine our future. We create a lot of noise in our existence to obfuscate what’s really happening, and [Faraday is] just calling it out like he sees it because he doesn’t really know any other way. That was a really interesting way for us to articulate what we were feeling about the things we were seeing.
What do you hope the impact of the show will be on viewers?
Lumet: I hope folks who see this show ask a lot of questions. That’s the most valuable thing that almost anyone can do. Where are we going? What are we doing? What do we love, and what’s important to us? To remember that we have music and we have little kids. We have ice cream, and we have family dinners. We have all these beautiful things, and they’re important. Not everybody gets to live in that space, and we do. I hope they take that.
Kurtzman: You’ll see as the show progresses there’s a lot of darkness in the show, but we also wanted to present [Faraday’s] joy, the joy of that family, and the joy of what it means to be on this planet and to share real communication with people. That’s a theme that plays throughout the whole season.
What do you anticipate will be the audience’s reaction for those who experienced the original material?
Kurtzman: This amplifies what has been set up before. Hopefully, they’ll really like it because we did everything we could to honor the source material in both the novel by Walter Tevis and the film by Nicolas Roeg. The other truth is that you don’t have to read or watch any of that to understand the show. We did that very much on purpose. What would be lovely is if people love the show and actually go back to the source material because it’ll open up a different aspect of the show.
Did Ejiofor and/or Harris bring something to the roles that you were not anticipating?
Lumet: They brought everything to the roles. That they responded to the material — Alex and I were down on our knees thanking the drama gods because it’s kind of a murderer’s row in every part. Clarke Peters, Bill Nighy, Rob Delaney, Sonya Cassidy, Juliet Stevenson — a lot of actors who are supernaturally gifted. So to say that we were surprised and yet not surprised at their commitment and the levels of nuance and the power of their imagination…they’re better than your words, and they elevate it, and they are human beings. They’re the reason that someone’s gonna listen, so I’m pretty grateful.
Kurtzman: They’re both supernaturally gifted and in their processes very different. When you look at their films, there’s such ferocity on screen, right? They just grab the screen and hold on to it, and you can’t stop watching either. What was interesting, having directed a bunch of [the cast], was that before I knew them, I was really intimidated by just how extraordinary their talent was, and was nervous about whether or not I’d be able to raise their game in some way or help them get there. What I found so beautiful about the process with both of them is that they’re so collaborative. What happens as you work together, as you begin to stand in each other’s shoes together, that same ferocity that you see on screen becomes a process that you’re sharing in a funny way. I’m doing it behind the camera, and then I’ll cut and whisper something to Naomie. Usually it only takes one or two words; she is such an instinctual person. A lot of it is getting to know them really well and then knowing how to say as little as possible just to maneuver them in one direction or another.
The episode titles are named after David Bowie songs. Are there any other nods to the original movie or cast we should look out for?
Lumet: [There are] Easter eggs-a-plenty. We’re Bowie freaks like many other folks and anything that we could do to honor him and to feel his presence in this series we did shamelessly. [Laughs.]
Kurtzman: We didn’t choose the titles randomly. Hopefully, each episode captures the spirit of the song that we chose to name the episode after. That was a really considered process.
If you enjoy television shows that require your engagement and that make you think, be sure to treat yourself to this series. The Man Who Fell to Earth, produced by CBS Studios in association with Secret Hideoutand Timberman/Beverly, premieres April 24, 2022, on Showtime.