Weekly Motivation 10.23.11: A Lesson On Responsibility

Have you been watching Oprah's Life Class on OWN (The Oprah Winfrey Network)? If you have not been, and you have been feeling (like I have for awhile) that you are trying to "figure it all out", then you really should consider tuning in.

While I always learn from watching Oprah Winfrey and her all around fabulosity, Lesson 9 this week slapped me square in the face at a time I needed it most. For the past few weeks, I had been letting the thoughts and actions of everyone around me sour my mood. I was allowing other people's negative energy to creep right into my own soul and marinate. Many tears flowed, many stress headaches ensued, and I was wallowing in a very unhealthy dose of "why me?"

It was watching Lesson 9, entitled "You're Responsible For Your Life" that gave me the reminder that I needed. Especially in hearing the story of Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor and the evolution of her now famous quote, "Please be responsible for the energy you bring into this space." It was a reminder that regardless of the energy that others put off, I, and I alone, am the only person responsible for what I put out into the world. I am always telling the members of the Community Center I work for, "What you put out into the world is what you will get back into the world." As is (unfortunately) often the case with me, however, I was not practicing what I preached.

Between the quote and this clip from another one of my favorite business women, Ms. Paula Deen ("hey y'all!") I was brought to my own personal "aha moment". In the clip, Oprah asks Paula how she went from being a caterer who started with only $200 to having a $20 million dollar enterprise. Paula's answer: "So much of it has to do with God's generosity. I made a commitment to work and [God] blessed it."

Belle-Noir.com blogger and Belle-Noir Magazine writer, the Frugalicious Diva, has made me a believer in affirmations. So, I wanted to share with you the affirmation that I drew from Oprah's Life Class this week as this week's Weekly Motivation. I hope you will try it out and let me know if it is working for you, as it already has been for me.

My affirmation and motivation for this week:
"I accept responsibility for what happens to me and for me."

A Note from Ms. Aja B.

Hello. My name is Ms. Aja B. And I am a Fat.

As I am sure you have noticed, since the middle of December, posts have been few and far between. Some thought it quite odd that I had stopped posting right in the middle of my 12 Days of Diva Holiday Shopping Guide. Others just figured I just had fallen down on the job.

When I started Belle-Noir in 2003, it was because there were more sites about black bbws in adult videos & websites on the web than anything that would portray us in a positive light. We were not represented in magazines—not even the titles that were targeted towards the Black community or women of Color in general. I wanted plus size women of Color to have a place where they could go on the web and feel loved. Where they would see fashionable clothing that they could actually wear and fit into. Where they would read stories about other plus size women not letting their size define who they are. Where they could come and know that it was all about “Big. Beautiful. You.” And for a few years, even through many highs and lows, I feel Belle-Noir did that successfully. And in motivating other women, I was motivating myself. Yes, Big is Beautiful and I was proud to be a strong voice out there.

Until one day not too long ago, I looked in the mirror. And I mean *really* looked in the mirror. I had been buying clothing, and not really worrying about the size because dammit—big is beautiful, right? All over the web, plus sized fashion seemed to be ruling the plus size community. Fashion Weeks for plus size women were popping up right in my own backyard. Online magazines dedicated to plus size fashionistas were growing strong. I’m not knocking plus size fashion, plus size modeling, etc.—that is definitely another post for another day. However, I was feeling left out because--well--how do you review clothing that you personally can’t fit? Let’s be real—with the exception of a VERY few designers—once you get over a size 28? The options for really cute, trendy and “fashionista-esque” clothing start to get slim. It’s something that I’m sure my size 14-16-18-20 counterparts cannot relate to.

I was not curvy. I was not thick. I was not just full-figured. I had to look myself square in the eye and actually say it to myself out loud in the mirror:

“I am fat.”

Tears flowed with heavy sobs as I said it to myself over and over again. I had to take that hard stance because I was tired of lying to myself. My size 28 clothing was starting to get a lot snug. My coats & jackets were already a size 30 just to accommodate the flabby flesh hanging off of my arms. Routine things like going up and down the basement stairs was a chore because where I once would huff and puff at the last stair, I was stopping for a break half way up (please note: it’s only 13 stairs. You do the math). Not only that, but I had been sick no less than four times in a six month period whereas before, I had gone a good two years without so much as a sniffle.

I won’t fake the funk and say that vanity did not play a big part in this either—because it DID! Even as a Big Girl, I would get hit on a little bit. A guy in passing would say “hey sexy”. A guy would say under his breath “Mph! Love me a big girl!” as I walked by. Yeah—all that attention had been long gone. What replaced it was “damn, she is big.” “Yo, that B*tch is mad fat” “Mommy look at her! She is FAT!” Yes even the little ones were pointing me out like I was a whale out of water on display for the word to see. Or at least that is how I perceived it. It’s not like I hadn’t been teased growing up. I always have been fat. Fat child. Fat teenager. Fat adult. But now, all I was getting was the negative.

“I am fat. But I won’t be for long.”

I stopped posting on Belle-Noir. Shut down Belle-Noir Radio. I stopped looking for plus size fashions. I stopped looking for plus size anything. I removed myself pretty much completely from plus size happenings, save for anything I saw on Facebook. And even then, I let no less than 50 fan page and group invites sit in my inbox, not touching them. It’s not like I didn’t know what I needed to do to move the weight. This was not going to be some mere New Year’s resolution. It was going to be a lifestyle overhaul. No more bodega specials for breakfast. No more Chinese food for lunch. No more getting winded on the stairs. I started researching others who had lost weight—both those who did it through diet and exercise alone, and those who used that with additional help through weight loss surgery—to get some tips and information on what to do. What I have found is that weight loss is just like opinions—everyone has their own “my way is the right way” story. But I armed myself with the right tools, reactivated my gym membership, and on February 1, 2010, at 6:00pm, I was in the gym and on the treadmill.

I have a two year (minimum) plan that, for those who are interested, you can follow on my new personal blog. What I realize is that this new journey is going to take the same amount of dedication and love that creating and growing Belle-Noir did. Belle-Noir did not grow overnight, nor will the weight come off overnight. I will never be a size 4. Shoot—I probably will never be a size 10. But a “Size Healthy” 14? This Black Woman can live with that.

Belle-Noir Magazine is not going anywhere. I am working on a plan to bring it back to where it was before. However, it is going to take the voices of others to do it. Belle-Noir Communications and our events are not going anywhere either. I still feel that events like Curves & Cocktails and Phat Poetry have a place in the world. Our voices need to be heard. Plus fashion designers need an outlet where they can sell their clothing to their consumers directly when major retailers do not want to bring them into their stores. Perhaps some may see this as hypocritical. I struggled with even telling my readers my own personal story for that very reason. But my weight loss journey is solely about me—Ms. Aja B. Stubbs—and the face and body that I look at in the mirror and walk around with everyday.

So, things may still be a little quiet on the Belle-Noir front, although I do promise to bring you all the news on events going on around the country at the every least until I get my plan for Belle-Noir Magazine: Phase 3 completed. But know that it is because I am working on a better me. A “Size Healthy” me. I believe that in creating a better me, I will be better able to serve you. I do not think I have led my readers astray in the past, and do not want to start now.

I hope you will join me over on my personal blog for the time being and join me on my journey.

Peace & Love,

Ms. Aja B.

A Note From Ms. Aja B.: Back to Basics

"Always be a first-rate version of yourself,
instead of a second-rate version of somebody else"
~Judy Garland

Welcome to the 6th Anniversary of Belle-Noir.com! While I have tried to celebrate each of Belle-Noir's birthdays with some sort of flourish, none seems sweeter than this celebration.

November 2003. A time when print publications targeted to plus size women were folding. A time when you did a search on the web for plus size women or big beautiful women, the first results that were listed were that of adult porn websites. A time when even magazines that were supposed to be for women of Color seemed to neglect the fact that women of Color came in body sizes larger than a size 12. There were few--if any--blogs that were dedicated to showing love to plus size women. Fashion options for plus size women on line were limited to the usual suspects, with little in the way of fashion for those who wanted to be just as fashionable and in style as their thinner counterparts each season.

When Belle-Noir began as an e-zine on a Yahoo! Geocities website on November 1, 2003, it was a website I created in an effort to help my friends--and myself--have a place where we could turn to and find positive stories on plus size women of Color. I wanted Belle-Noir to be a place where up and coming designers could be featured right along with the major retailers, who were starting to get the idea that plus size women don't just want clothing that fits their curves; we want it to be stylish as well. Belle-Noir was going to be a website that featured plus size women who were entrepreneurs, top level executives, models, fashion designers, authors, journalists, work from home moms, stay at home moms--women who were living their best lives in a big and beautiful way. Our mission was to inspire, uplift, motivate, empower at a time when everything thing else on the Net relating to plus size women seemed to do everything but.

Turn the page to six years later. Plus size women are in the news, particularly when it comes to the fashion industry. There are online magazines, like Skorch, Gemini, Venus Diva and Plus Model Magazine, that all bring monthly content to plus size women looking to not only feel good, but look good! There are Full Figured Fashion Week events that are dedicated to making sure that fashions for full figured women are featured with just as much pomp, circumstance and flair as the shows in the tents in Byrant Park popping up in cities across the country. There are hundreds of bloggers who write about their likes, dislikes, when it comes to the plus fashion industry. Even Crain's New York Business is writing about the plus size fashion industry.

So where does Belle-Noir fit in with all of the changing times in the plus industry? As this change in the plus industry was taking place, Belle-Noir admittedly had its share of ups and downs. We switched formats several times. We gained writers. We lost writers. We had successful events, like Phat Poetry, a night of poetry that was for, by, and about plus size women and men. We launched a signature event, Curves & Cocktails, which was a socializing and shopping event created with the curvy woman in mind and at heart. But as the plus blogging scene began to grow, there was a need to keep up and keep current! We switched to a blog format for our newly dubbed Belle-Noir Magazine, but began to get lost in the shuffle.

We fell back on the stories that made us who were were--the Independent Woman column, Ask the Admirer--in an effort to keep up with other sites who were promoting fashion & beauty all the time. In short, Belle-Noir lost its voice.

Belle-Noir didn't start out as an "all fashion, all the time" website. And while we definitely want to bring the latest in plus size fashion to our readers both online and offline (i.e. Curves & Cocktails), there's got to be more. While we crave and covet that dress from the newest plus designer on the scene, who is telling her story? What inspired her to take that bold step and create her own line? What's more, did you know that her web designer and her publicist were also plus size women, making names for themselves in their respective industries?

This sixth anniversary of Belle-Noir.com marks the beginning of our "Back to Basics" initiative. We will definitely continue to follow the latest in plus fashion, but we also will go back to the root of what made Belle-Noir a successful and popular destination for plus size women in the first place. There are still stories to be told, and we intend to bring you a broad spectrum of what the plus community is all about. We will go back to featuring the entrepreneurs, the top level executives, the models, fashion designers, authors, journalists. We want to bring you the women behind the other sites you adore and let you get a glimpse into their lives outside of their blogs, online mags, websites. We're bringing back the Independent Woman of the Month, with the added bonus that at the end of one year, we will host an awards reception for the women you voted inspired you the most. Ask the Admirer is coming back as well. Even our beloved artwork from JNESS will be back (hence the homage to our 1st ever cover back in 2003 gracing our pages this month).

Mostly, we want to be the place where you can once again come to be inspired, uplifted, motivated and empowered as women.

To all of our dedicated fans, I thank you for your support for the past six years. The emails that you send, the comments that you leave are all received with love and gratitude. I hope that you will continue to let us know what you think about our new initiative. There are more ways than ever to get in touch with us. We are fully engrossed in the social media era--find us on Twitter, Facebook & yes even MySpace. Leave a comment on a post when it excites you--or even if it doesn't. Send us feedback via our Contact Us page. To quote former NYC Mayor Ed Koch, tell us "how we're doin'".

Welcome to the new--and not so new--Belle-Noir.com! Six years down--many more to go!

Peace & Love,
Ms. Aja B.
Editorial Director

A Note from Ms. Aja B. : Full Figured Fashion Week

Dear Readers,

Wow is all I can say about Full Figured Fashion Week, which busted down the door here in NYC June 25-27, 2009. Much applause and praise for Ms. Gwen DeVoe and her DeVoe Signature Events team for what I heard was a breathtaking and awe-inspiring Finale Showcase.


I can hear some of you saying "For what she heard? You mean to tell me that after all of the promotion and telling us that we need to be there, Ms. Aja B. herself missed the Finale?"


In a word: Yes.


Sometimes things don't work out as expected. My day job, life, family...all play a role sometimes in helping us make decisions that we wish we didn't have to make. But those that know me also know that my day job and family mean the world to me, and even something as fabulously eventful as Full Figured Fashion Week couldn't tear me away from them 100%.


I did, however, keep my word to my Curvy Collective Sister & new friend, Johara Tucker of Luvin My Curves, who did a phenomenal job in putting together, in conjunction with Ms. Marie Denee of The Curvy Fashionista, "The State of the Curvy Community" Panel Discussion and the too-hot-and-completely-awesome-for-words "Curves in the City" Shopping Soiree. I had a chance to meet Mr. Glen Johnson from Full Figure Plus, who was one of a handful of people in a Yahoo Group almost six years ago that helped Belle-Noir find her name and her voice. And I had a chance to meet two fabulous sisters our of Detroit--Cassy J. McBryde and Stephanie Danforth--who I am looking forward to working with in the very near future on some surprises for both Belle-Noir and Curve & Cocktails!




I will be giving full reports of these two events this week, as I think they were an equally important part to what was a wonderful week of plus size love and celebration. And as my Curvy Collective Partners in crime post their recaps of the events that I missed, I will be sure to post links to them! You can check out their blogs underneath the Curvy Collective Banner.


If there was one thing that I took away from Full Figured Fashion Week, it was that if we cannot wait for the mainstream to shine a spotlight on the plus community. We have to celebrate all that we are everyday! Kudos to Ms. Gwen DeVoe for always taking on the challenge, and coming out on top! The pictures I have seen so far, while beautiful, I'm sure do not do the event due justice. Can't wait until the next one, where I hope to be present from the Opening Reception until the DJ puts us out of the Finale Afterparty!


Peace & Love,
Ms. Aja B.

The Curvy Collective at the conclusion of "The State of the Curvy Community" Panel

Check out some of these Full Figured Fashion Week Posts:

• Describe Full Figured Fashion Week in One Word...I Can't [Luvin My Curves]
• Full Figured Fashion Week Recap [Full Figure Plus]
• ReDress Your Curves for Full Figured Fashion Week [The Curvy Fashionista]
• What J is Jonesin' For...FFFWeek Edition [Luvin My Curves]
  
  

***Edited 7/1/09 11:55am*** Bravo to Newsweek for being one of a few mainstream media outlets to cover Full Figured Fashion Week! Check out the clip featuring and interview with The Original Runway Diva, Ms. Sharon Quinn, as well as clips from the Finale and the Welcome Reception at ReDress NYC! If the video doesn't load on our page, you can also view it here.

In Memoriam: Michael Joseph Jackson (8.29.59 - 6.25.09)

(My favorite poster of Michael Jackson as a child.)

When I heard on Thursday that Michael Jackson had died, I literally cried. Michael Jackson was my first celebrity crush. At all of six years old, I just knew I was going to marry Michael Jackson. Thriller had just been released, and I was in love!

There are so many tributes to Michael Jackson out there. I won't go down memory lane. It is so much easier to say that we have lost The King. Condolences to his family and all those who loved him.

This is my favorite Michael Jackson video (among many):


Rest in Peace, Michael. There will never be another.

Presenting...The Curvy Collective

Editor's Note: Belle-Noir Communications is more than humbled to have been selected to be among the elite bloggers who will be covering the 1st ever Full Figured Fashion Week. Our appreciation goes to the Collective's Founders, Johara Tucker of Luvin My Curves and Marie Denee Leggett of The Curvy Fashionista for thinking of us and including us in something that is promising to be phenomenal--just like the women organizing it! --Ms. Aja B.

Full Figured Fashion Week Debuts Their Own Plus Media Division,
The Curvy Collective

New York, NY, 06/01/2009: What do you get when you mix Full Figured Fashion Week (FFF Week) produced by DeVoe Signature Events, with a group of elite fashion savvy plus size bloggers whose sole purpose is to capture up to the minute news related to a week of style, creativity and the recognition of talented designers who cater to the 40 million women that represent the plus size consumer? It’s called The Curvy Collective; a group created by bloggers, Johara Tucker, of Luvin’ My Curves and Marie Leggette of The Curvy Fashionista.

Comprised of some of the top plus size bloggers and media outlets, The Curvy Collective will have exclusive access to Full Figured Fashion Week events and the public. Through social networking sites like Twitter and micro blogging, The Curvy Collective will give new meaning to “event coverage.” In addition, The Curvy Collective will co-host some of the hottest events of Full Figured Fashion Week: “The State of the Curvy Community” at Ripley Grier Studios on Friday, June 26th, from 3 – 5:00PM and “Curves in the City” Shopping Soiree, at Ripley Grier Studios on Saturday June 27th, from 11AM – 3PM

The prestigious members of The Curvy Collective include: Belle-Noir Communications, Fatshionista, Full Figure Plus, Luvin’ My Curves, Manik Magazine, Style IT Online, The Curvy Fashionista Marie Denee, Venus Divas, and Young Fat & Fabulous.

For all press inquiries please regarding The Curvy Collective, please contact Marie Denee at
marie@thecurvyfashionistamarie-denee.com. For more information on Full Figured Fashion Week, please visit their official website at http://www.fffweek.com/.

A Note From Ms. Aja B.: World AIDS Day 2008

It was reading one of my favorite blogs that encouraged me to take part in this year's Blogger's Unite effort on World AIDS Day. 70% of all of the new cases of HIV/AIDS in America are Black Women. That number, to put it bluntly, scared the hell out of me.

There are so many good resources (aids.gov; blackaidsday.org) to find out more information (both statistical and otherwise) and HIV/AIDS in the Black Community, that I won't list any statistics here. What I will introduce you to is an initiative by the Black Aids Institiute, Test 1 Million.

"The Test 1 Million (T1M) movement is a call-to action for one million Black Americans to get tested for HIV by June 27, 2010.T1M is the Black AIDS Institute's signature mobilization campaign, in partnership with the Screen Actor's Guild, the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, and leading Black organizations and institutions. It builds upon the National Black AIDS Mobilization: a call to action to engage all of Black America, from individuals to institutions, in a community-wide effort to end the AIDS epidemic. The Test 1 Million movement is one of awareness, personal responsibility, and collective action." - from the website.

I hope that as we draw closer to National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day in February, that I will hear more about this in mainstream media. However, regardless of your race, everyone that is sexually active, or has been sexually active should get tested at least once a year.

Talk about it with your partner. If your partner isn't willing to go for an HIV/AIDS test, find another partner. If your partner isn't willing to use protection when you have sex, find another partner who will. Our lives are at stake. This is a serious matter.

My Freshman year in college, my friends used to make jokes about the fact that I always would tell them as they headed out on dates, "no glove, no love!" In seeing how the numbers of active HIV/AIDS cases are growing in the Black Community and for Black Women, I wish that more young ladies would have had a friend that told them the same thing.

Get tested. Be Safe. No Glove, No Love!

Belle-Noir Mag Presents: 12 Days of Diva

Greetings!

Belle-Noir Magazine is excited to announce that we will be hosting our first “12 Days of Diva” Holiday Shopping Guide! We always strive to bring our readers the best information. And who better to ask for their picks on the latest in beauty, fashion, electronics, music & more than those who blog about these products on a regular basis? That is why we are asking for your help!

Starting Monday, November 24 we will be offering gift suggestions in the following categories (note: we will email those interested in participating an exact list of what we are looking for in each category):

• Beautiful You: Fashion & Beauty



• Living It Up: Food, Fitness & Finance



• The Scene: Books, Music, Movies & All Things Entertainment



• Deep Inside: Motivational & Soulful

So what's in it for you? Glad you asked!

You will receive a direct link to your blog and/or website. As an added bonus, if you have already reviewed the product you are recommending, we will link directly to that post! If the product is from your company, we will link directly to the product's page on your website.

Here’s an example of how an entry will look:

For the Make Up Newbie
Cocoa Chic Beauty Basic Brush Set ($45.00; cocoachic.com): “This truly girly set of brushes includes everything to get someone new to make-up well on their way!” – Ms. Aja B., Belle-Noir.com [Click here for a product review]

Please note: this is not limited to just beauty & fashion bloggers. If you own a product that you would like featured, contact us and we’d be happy to discuss the details! We will try to list as many examples as possible on the site, and will also be creating a printable shopping guide at the end of the series which will feature anyone who we were not able to feature on the website.

We are also hoping to be able to offer a giveaway on each of the twelve days! So if you are interested in having your item raffled off, let us know!

We hope that you will take part in our inaugural feature for the holiday season! For more information and the breakdown for each category listed above, please email us! The deadline for participating will be Monday, November 17, 2008.

Thanks in advance for your interest!

Peace & Love,
Ms. Aja B.

A Note From Ms. Aja B: For My Sisters

"Sister, you've been on my mind
Oh, sister, we're two of a kind
So, sister, I'm keeping my eyes on you..."
-"Miss Celie's Blues", The Color Purple

The topic of womanhood has been a hot one throughout the blogosphere as of late. Particularly popular has been the argument of women being desperate and doing “any and err’thang” to keep a man and that this behavior by said desperate females only makes it harder for women who set standards when it comes to dealing with men. According to these blogs, men are becoming accustomed to women bending over backwards for them and doing everything just short of catching a case (although, according to some bloggers, they are doing that too), and all while the men give little to nothing back in return as far as love, affection, and respect.

One post that I agreed mostly with is that from a wonderful young lady, JJ, on her blog, Brownsugar28. It was recently reposted on another wonderful sister’s blog—A Belle in Brooklyn—and the comments from the women reading all equated to the same thing: “Amen!” to the sentiments of JJ, saying that no self-respecting woman would allow herself to be treated in such a manner, nor would she do any and everything to keep a man who just isn’t worthy.

And that, my sisters, is exactly the point. Cue Mary J. Blige:

“How can I love somebody else if I can’t love myself enough to know when it’s time…time to let go?”-MJB, “Be Happy”.

I think the issue is less about desperation and more about a lack of self- worth. Women who don't have positive self-esteem will take anything that is thrown their way in terms of "love" and "affection" and will, in turn, do whatever it takes to keep even the smallest bit of “affection” they receive in their lives because it is all they know. If you don't love yourself first, you will take some man's 10% because you don't believe that you are worth more than that.

It would be beautiful if all women had the self-confidence and self-assurance that Belle, JJ, and all of the ladies who have posted comments on that blog do. Sadly, it's just not the case. For some out here, it's all about being able to say they have a "man".

It is for those sisters for whom I agree with JJ 100%: “To all the desperate women out there: Stop it.” You are worth more than having to resort to measures that cause you to lessen your self-worth to have a man in your life. You are worth more than allowing yourself to be placed in precarious situations, and all to have a man who may or may not be worth it (note: a real man isn’t going to give only 10% to your 90%).

Why can I speak on this matter? Believe me, it is not coming from a “holier-than-thou” judgmental eye. You see, for awhile, I was one of those “desperate sisters”. I had a knucklehead who I was craaaaazy about. Loved him to death. Looked past the fact that he found it better to make money in the streets than at a 9-to-5. Ignored the little lies and half truths that he fed me about his whereabouts. Allowed him to play mind games with me, praising me for being in college and trying to get ahead, and then, sometimes only hours later, would get into screaming matches about how all of my time was devoted to school and how I “never had time for him”. And was completely okay with the fact that I knew that he had a woman on the side that when he and I would “break-up”, he would go running to in a heartbeat.

Being in that “relationship” only helped to weaken what was already a pretty low self-esteem at the time. So much so that when the perfect guy who loved me, flaws and all, came my way, I let him get away because I just couldn’t wrap my head around the fact that he saw so much in me that, at the time, I couldn’t see in myself. I like to say that I was “young and dumb” at that time, but truth be told, I think just “dumb” would more than suffice. I also wish I could tell you that after my dealings with Knucklehead, I quickly got wise to the game. I am wiser now, but not without bumping my head a few times.

Learn to love yourself first. No, it’s not as easy as 1-2-3. But in taking the time to learn to love yourself, you will learn that having a man is not the end all and be all of the world. There will most certainly be times when you get lonely. But that doesn’t mean you are alone. If you can’t stand being with yourself, then why would someone else want to stand to be around you? The more you learn to appreciate you, the easier it will become to find a man who will appreciate all you have to offer.

Peace & Love,
Ms. Aja B.

The Race 08: Michelle Obama

A Note From Ms. Aja B.

Hello Ladies & Gents!

I haven't discussed politics much on Belle-Noir Mag because I am admittedly very biased. I am a proud Democrat and while I would have voted for whomever was the Democratic presidential nominee, I couldn't be prouder that it is Senator Barack Obama.

I have been watching the National Conventions since I was old enough to vote. Bill Clinton was the first President I was old enough to vote for back in 1996. And I remember four years ago watching this young man from Illinois (whose name I admit to always reversing at first--calling him Obama Barack with enthusiam LOL) dazzle the crowds at that Democratic National Convention and wondering--maybe?

Who would have known then that my favorite part of his race to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue would actually be his wife, Mrs. Michelle Obama. A friend teased me the other day and said that my infatuation with her was because she is now a soror. While that might have admittedly increased the admiration, I was a fan. Long before the "controversial" fist bump, it was this picture that made me want to find out all the more about Mrs. Obama.

The love, the compassion--it was something that I didn't recall ever really seeing (nor believing) with the Clintons. But here they were: Mr. and Mrs. Obama, sharing the moment together. Husband and Wife.

For those who are unfamiliar with who she is, I'd suggest checking out the cover story article about her in Ebony Magazine, as well as the article on the Obama family in the recent Essence magazine as well. They provide insight into this family that might, in just a few months, bring this nation it's first Black President & First Lady.

I loved her speech last night. I think she definitely silenced her critics who keep replaying her mispoken comment in which she stated that this was the "the first time" she was proud to be American. I feel her speech truly got to the heart of how so many Americans are feeling right now (the part about the empty seat at the dinner table made me misty-eyed) and definitely spoke to not only unifying the party, but reminding the country that we have more in common than we have actual differences.

This morning on several female-orientated blogs, I have seen people (mostly men) come out of nowhere in comments sections still spouting the same old "oh, he's Muslim and she's a militant" rhetoric. I don't know if they just refuse to listen, or they are hearing something I'm not.

The rest of the Convention will be equally as interesting. Especially with the Clintons taking center stage tonight. I'd love to do the live blogging thing that folks do, but I think I will leave that to the wonderful people over at MichelleObamaWatch.com.

So what did you think ladies & gents? What did you think of Michelle's speech? What do you think of the commentary that has ensued?

P.S. Please note: the opinions expressed above are obviously my own. While I am definitely Pro-Obama, the most important thing for anyone to do in November, regardless of who you support, is to VOTE in November.

A Note From Ms. Aja B.

"It's been a long time, I shouldn't have left you
Without a strong rhyme to step to..." - Eric B. and Rakim, I Know You Got Soul

Hi Ladies and Gents!

I know that things have been a tad on the slow side here at Belle-Noir Mag for the past week or so. Blame the beautiful weather here in New York City (who wants to sit in front of a computer when they could be out getting some sunshine). Blame the TV season finally getting back to normal (Bones, Grey’s Anatomy & Ugly Betty, anyone?)

Or just blame life in general and needing to handle some stuff on the business side (and personal side) of things.

At any rate, we are back, and ready to rock and roll. We have some great new columns set to debut in the next few weeks, as well as a MAJOR announcement about an ultimate curvy girl event coming to a city near you this Fall.

Thanks for all of your support and don't forget to leave us some comments and let us know what you think about what we are posting. We are here for you!

Peace & Love,
Ms. Aja B.
& Team Belle-Noir

A Plus Size Movement

Dear Readers:

I recently blogged about the wonderful event that Miss Chanel Clark, Founder and CEO of the Miss NYC Plus Runway Model Competition held on March 15. Miss Clark is now undergoing the task of trying to get signatures for a petition to get a plus size show during NYC's fall Fashion Week. The signed Petition will be sent to IMG World, the producers of Fashion Week.

Miss Clark writes in her plea to both IMG World and the Plus Community:

"I am pleading with you, to please acknowledge us during Fashion Week. We are not asking you to give us the whole entire tent, but rather, just a segment of one of the shows. If there was a runway built exclusively for the plus models, and if each designer contributed one designer outfit as a special "project" towards the benefit of size acceptance, I truly do believe that it would be an asset to Fashion Week. The time is now because the average size woman is a size 12/14, and we have spending power. We are tired of being ignored by the fashion industry. Please stop ignoring us, we want to be included. Curves are beautiful. Please give us a chance."

Isn't it time that we see real women and fashions for real women at fashion week? If you feel like I do, click here to view and sign the petition. When you do, be sure to put your real name and a positive comment regarding a plus size runway show at Fashion Week.

Thanks in advance to all who help Miss Clark in her cause!

New Year! New Blog!

Hi everyone & Happy New Year!

Welcome to the brand new Belle-Noir Magazine Blog! Why a blog? Well, one thing that we at Belle-Noir have wanted to do since our inception is bring our readers up-to-date content, something that we haven't been able to do in our past with our bi-monthly schedule with the site.

By having a blog, we can now bring you up-to-date information (our friend Glen over at FullFigurePlus.com calls it "bakery fresh content") and also let you know of our progress as we re-build Belle-Noir.com to bring you an even better magazine for plus size women of Color.

So be sure to sign up for our RSS feed that will let you know about our most recent updates and welcome to an all new year and all new journey for Belle-Noir.com!

Peace & Love,
Ms. Aja B.
Editor-In-Chief
and Team Belle-Noir