7 DAYS AGO • 2 MIN READ

Sis, let your belly out ... this bowl is pure joy

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Life's Gumbo

Life is complicated. Culture is complicated. Healing is complicated. Sometimes we need somewhere to sit with all of it.Life's Gumbo is where I make meaning of the stories, systems, beliefs and everyday experiences shaping Black women's lives.

Hey, girl, hey


Hey sis,

Sunday we sat with some heavy things, and that was holy work too ... but, today? Today we let our bellies out.

This Wednesday bowl is lighter on purpose ... a little Beauty, some good TV, a day party in the QC, and all the joy that's still ours to claim.

Pull up a chair, exhale, and let's Get Curious together.

The HAWT List


The 2026 hair colors made for us Rich chocolate browns, caramel bronde, deep reds that flatter melanin, and yes ... natural gray as the whole statement.

Celebrity colorist Rita Hazan breaks down which shades add dimension this year and how to keep your texture healthy while you play. Consider this your permission slip to switch it up just because it’s fun.

Read on Essence

Your fall watchlist is stacked From Ava DuVernay’s “14th” to a new season of “Abbott Elementary” and Danielle Brooks in “If I Go Will They Miss Me,” The Root rounds up the Black films and shows worth clearing your calendar for. Cozy season is coming and the couch is calling your name. Bookmark this before somebody spoils it.

Read on The Root

Make the house feel like you HGTV gathered Black-owned home decor and lifestyle brands worth shopping this year ... art, textiles, and all the little finishing touches. A soft, styled home is its own kind of joy, and it lets us pour back into our makers at the same time. Save it for your next slow Sunday refresh.

Read on HGTV

Where grown Black women are making real friends Carmen Aziz built The Black Girl Social Club after one healing girls’ night, and it’s now 3,000-plus members finding sister-friends in cities around the world.

If adult friendship has felt hard to come by, this is your sign that low-pressure, face-to-face sisterhood is still very much alive. You don’t have to do this life lonely.

Read on Essence

Get into your coins, sis Wealth strategists Cassandra Cummings and Tela Holcomb make the case that you can start building real money habits with as little as $25 a month, debt and all, no fear required.

It’s a clear, encouraging breakdown of investing versus trading without the jargon. Think of it as planting something today that your future self gets to enjoy.

Read on Essence

Grab your girls and throw on your best moo moo Charlotte’s own DJ Fannie Mae is bringing back Moo Moos & Mimosas for Round 2 on September 5 (3 to 7 PM, 1111 Central Ave).

You can expect flowing moo moos, strong mimosas, R&B, line dances, good food, and pure carefree energy. It’s exactly the kind of daytime joy this issue is about. Round up the crew and come outside.

Read on DJ Fannie Mae

What’s in the Pot


This week’s spotlight: Latasha Mitchell. A Charlotte sister who’s almost 50, done with people-pleasing, and finally taking up all the space she’s owed, the kind of everyday joy and honesty that reminds you it’s never too late to come home to yourself.

She writes on Substack, and it’s worth the subscribe.

Follow and subscribe

A few more worth a follow:

The Black Girl Social Club | @theblackgirlsocialclub | sisterhood and real-life friendship, chapter by chapter.

Home and Texture | @homeandtexture | home and design inspiration made for us.

DJ Fannie Mae | @djfanniemae | Charlotte’s soundtrack for joy, day parties, and good vibes.

From the Soul LAB


Success Ain’t Solo: How Womanism Redefines Winning Together “Much like the diverse ingredients in a pot of gumbo, our narratives, when blended, create a rich tapestry of shared achievements and interconnected legacies. To stand alone at the zenith isn’t success; it’s merely solitude.”

Read on SoulMed

GET Curious


What’s one thing that made you laugh out loud this week?

Get Curious about how to make more room for it, more of that, on purpose, is a whole strategy for a joyful life.

In love + light ... Bea

Life's Gumbo

Life is complicated. Culture is complicated. Healing is complicated. Sometimes we need somewhere to sit with all of it.Life's Gumbo is where I make meaning of the stories, systems, beliefs and everyday experiences shaping Black women's lives.