stepping out solo {solange knowles}

reasons why we salute solange knowles in list format:

• she's such an amazing example of unapologetic carefree black girl status
• she follows her own path
• her style has evolved into pure black girl magnificence 
• she stands up for what she believes in (even if it may affect her pockets a little)
• she's talented
• {least of all} she's beyonce's cool little sis

beverly bond {our bond girl}

beverly bond has conquered practically every mission she set her mind to, it.  before turning to philanthropy, she was a successful model with an impressive resume, and an enviable record collection.  beverly soon ditched the runway to become a deejay.  and like all of her endeavors, she became a success, spinning for the likes of russell simmons and kimora lee, sean combs, hugo boss and numerous others.  it is no exaggeration to call her one of new york's most sought after deejays. later, bond's philanthropic efforts would lead her to create the non-profit organization known as 'black girls rock.'  it's mission is to empower young, black girls and provide them with the tools they need to thrive (sound familiar?).  beverly bond and black girls rock eventually began rewarding outstanding black women/girls who have achieved great feats within and outside of their communities.  BET network now televises the annual event so be sure to catch it.  it's more inspiring that i can explain.  as for ms. bond, for being a black girl who rocks and for shining a spotlight and providing assistance for other black girls who rock, we salute the incomparable bond girl: beverly.

every woman {whitney houston}

if you were around in the eighties, you probably can't forget whitney's infectious, groundbreaking pop hits even if you tried.  hit after hit after hit.  the nineties were no different. when i was in seventh grade "i'm your baby tonight' was major.  later on in high school (the latter part of the nineties), mrs. houston reigned supreme with the movie "the bodyguard" and it's phenomenal soundtrack.  "i have nothing" gave me and my teenage angst life.  whitney maintained her spot on the throne with the 'waiting to exhale' movie and soundtrack contributions.  by the time i was in college, she hit us hard with the 'my love is your love' album.  at that point, i recall working in a claire's accessory boutique in a mall.  the radio station was always glued to KTU and KTU was devoted to whitney.  it's not right, but it's ok, heartbreak hotel, my love is your love.  once again, hit after heavenly hit.  whitney was always a golden girl.  (check her grammy stats)i chose to include a picture of her wedding day with purpose. she loved bobby brown. he was her choice and, it appears it was something special and passionate. nothing for us to pass judgement on.

whitney was a part of several successful soundtracks, we know. we now know she was a part of THE most important soundtrack of all, the soundtrack of our lives. she's gone now. it's not right; it's NOT okay. i just hope she realized how much of a blessing she was to so many of us.

sweet gal {queen celia cruz}

azucar!!!!!!!!!!! 

that was the famous battle cry of the queen of salsa, mrs. celia cruz.  with it, she referenced the biggest import of her native cuba and the horrific history of the enslaved who were forced to work the sugarcane fields.  salsa is a male dominated genre and celia was the first to break through the proverbial 'glass ceiling,' the first female to become a superstar of salsa AND afro-cuban music.  from quite humble beginnings, celia would go on to help reinvent and popularize salsa in the heart of the disco seventies.  she would earn an honorary doctorate from yale, a star on the hollywood walk of fame, a statue in the hollywood wax museum and her name on several street signs.  yet, celia was always known as someone friendly and down to earth.  celia cruz seemed to never tire or slow down.  she continued to pursue her passion until her death in 2003 from brain cancer.  her departure was a big blow to all the fans who adored her and most importantly to the love of her life, her husband of 41 years, pedro knight.  he, too, passed away in 2007 and was buried beside her in the bronx.  

celia cruz was an accessible legend.  her intentions were actually to become a teacher but i think it's safe to say she taught us plenty.  the new york times writer, oscar hijuelos summed celia up best when he described her as 'a woman of worldly charms, good humor and much wisdom, the kind of gracious lady that we would love to have for an aunt, a fairy godmother whose tender-heartedness works a healing magic on even the most troubled of souls.'

triple threat {keke palmer}

keke palmer, 20, has already proven to be the perfect trifecta.  she's a great singer, movie/television actress and philanthropist.  it was very clear at a young age that keke was destined for the entertainment business.  after landing a role in the hit movie "Barbershop 2: Back In Business" with the likes of Ice Cube, Queen Latifah and Cedric the Entertainer, the young talent and her family moved to cali to pursue her passions.  keke soon landed the title role in 'akeelah and the bee' opposite heavyweights laurence fishbourne and angela bassett.  this was a rare role as it celebrated a spelling bee rather than the usual sports competition.  she also scored the title role in the nickelodeon sitcom, 'true jackson, vp' where palmer plays a fifteen year old who is vice president of a fashion company while still dealing with your average adolescent dilemmas.  
as for her music career, keke was signed to interscope records in 2010.  she has put out music on few different soundtracks.  keke has also released mixtapes to satisfy her hungry fans.  
helping others in need is a big part of palmer's persona.  she has worked with the boys and girls club, ycwa and the saving our daughters organizations attacking the crucial issue of bullying among other things. most recently, this gifted young lady brilliantly played rozonda 'chili' thomas from the important music trio, tlc.  it is reported that keke will be the host of her own talk show, a position perfect for her vivacious personality.  this bet show would make her the youngest talk show host ever.  keke is clearly doing big things and we hope her success continues.

lethal lyricist {mc lyte}

not only is mc lyte rap royalty, she is an integral piece of american music history.  without many female rap heroes to pave the way for her, lyte ( aka lana moore) was the first female rapper to put out a full album.  needless to say it was a success.  and she was only 17!!!  
mc lyte was laid back cool and when it came to her lyrical flow...she was brutal.  lyte is usually classified as one of the first hip-hop feminist, calling out misogyny and unnecessary machismo early on.  she had huge hits all through the eighties and nineties including 'paper thin,' 'cha cha cha,' 'poor georgie,' 'ruffneck,' and some major star studded remixes.  she was the first female solo rapper nominated for a grammy.  lyte also showed off her acting chops in numerous sitcoms and developed quite a resume with her voice over work.  many of her personal belongings from her prestigious  career have been donated to the smithsonian.  her foundation, hip hop sisters, which aims to promote positive images of women of color, gives away $100,000 every year in scholarship funds.  mc lyte has also been named musical supervisor for numerous television shows.  vh1 honored this legend for all her contributions to the culture at their annual hip hop honors as they should.  and today we honor her here.  

the voice {cree summer}

cree summer flies under the radar but like jim jones, she sure does fly high.  
perhaps you've seen her face.  she was an integral part of the classic sitcom "a different world," a show about a historically black college that convinced us all to apply to hbcu's asap.  she portrayed the bohemian black dippy hippie, freddie brooks, a character who fought passionately for the many causes she believed in.  if you're not familiar with her face, i KNOW you know her famous voice.  she used her unique pipes to provide for many of our beloved cartoon (and video game) characters since 1983.  there are just too many on cree's resume to name, so i'll just share a few of my favorites she brought to life: 

• miranda from as told by ginger
• elmyra from tiny toon adventures
• susie carmichael from rugrats & all grown up!
• tessa and vanessa from pepper ann
• penny from inspector gadget

like i said,this is just a drop in the bucket for summer.  she is also a musical artist, even opening up for her friend, lenny kravitz.  

cree summer is ridiculously impressive.  no one can deny her success and longevity in this tough business.  

karma chameleon {nicki minaj}

nicki minaj IS, in fact, a positive role model.  at first {perhaps judgmental} glance, many might conclude the exact opposite.  however, i doubt i've seen a pop star who is more pro-equality, pro-girl power and pro-education as nicki.  fans of minaj, affectionately referred to as barbz, often bring their honor roll report cards to meet & greets and concerts for her encouraging words.  i've even witnessed a fully grown fan show off her masters degree.  where (else)they do dat at?
there is no denying the impact ms. minaj has had on the pop culture world.  the rapper has clearly dominated the charts, selling over five million albums globally.  with several endorsement deals on deck (including MAC, ADIDAS & O*P*I nail polish), it's easy to see why she has become a fixture on the Forbes Hip Hop Cash 'Kings' list (the only female rapper to achieve this feat so far).  
while she is often used as a punching bag, nicki minaj doesn't deserve half of the flack that she gets.  is she absolutely perfect and uplifting every single day? nah!!!  but show me the individual who is.