Black girl joy is a powerful force, lighting up the world in unforgettable moments of triumph, love, and celebration. Throughout the decades, we have witnessed countless moments from Black women in entertainment, sports, and more. These moments, filled with grace, resilience, and unfiltered happiness, continue to uplift and inspire generations. Below are 10 remarkable Black girl joy moments from the last couple of decades.
Whitney Houston singing "Star Spangled Banner (National Anthem)" (1991)
Whitney Houston's rendition of the "Star Spangled Banner" has gone down in history as one of the best performances of the National Anthem.
Lauryn Hill winning 5 Grammys for ‘The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill’ (1999)
Lauryn Hill became the first Black woman to win five Grammys in one night.
Brandy becoming the FIRST Black Cinderella (1997)
This was the moment little Black girls everywhere saw themselves in a fairy tale for the first time. Not to mention,Brandy’s iconic Cinderella performance with Whitney Houston as her Fairy Godmother? PURE MAGIC.
Halle Berry becoming the FIRST Black woman to win an Oscar for Best Actress (2002)
Halle Berry’s emotional, joyful acceptance speech was herstoric: “This moment is for every nameless, faceless woman of color,” she said.
Serena Williams winning her first Grand Slam (1999)
A young, beaded-braid-wearing Serena Williams winning her first U.S. Open in 1999 was only the beginning of her GOAT status!
Oprah giving everyone a car (2004)
“You get a car! You get a car! Everybody gets a car!” Did Oprah know her joy and excitement would still be so memeworthy decades later?
Michelle Obama’s carpool karaoke with Missy Elliott (2016)
Michelle Obama rapping “Get Ur Freak On” with Missy Elliott on James Corden’s show? Just one of the reasons she will always be our FLOTUS!
Issa Rae’s ‘I’m rooting for everybody Black’ moment (2017)
Issa Rae’s unapologetic joy at the Emmys went VIRAL. The energy? The truth? The confidence? Chef’s kiss. Her viral became an anthem.
Mary J. Blige performing at the Super Bowl (2022)
Mary J. Blige SERVEDDD at the Super Bowl halftime show. With her iconic thigh high boots, fur coat, and legendary vocals, she showed us why she's the queen.
Beyoncé & Blue Ivy performing together at the Renaissance World Tour (2023)
Beyoncé bringing Blue Ivy out to perform with her during the Renaissance tour was such a sweet moment. Watching Blue Ivy carry on her mother’s legacy while living her best life was the definition of pure Black girl joy.
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Devale Ellis On Being A Provider, Marriage Growth & Redefining Fatherhood
In this candid episode of the xoMAN podcast, host Kiara Walker talked with Devale Ellis, actor, social media personality, and star of Zatima, about modern masculinity, learning to be a better husband, emotional presence in marriage, fatherhood for Black men, and leading by example.
“I Wasn’t Present Emotionally”: Devale Ellis on Marriage Growth
Devale Ellis On Learning He Was a ‘Bad Husband’
Ellis grew up believing that a man should prioritize providing for his family. “I know this may come off as misogynistic, but I feel like it’s my responsibility as a man to pay for everything,” he said, emphasizing the wise guidance passed down by his father. However, five years into his marriage to long-time partner Khadeen Ellis, he realized provision wasn’t just financial.
“I was a bad husband because I wasn’t present emotionally… I wasn’t concerned about what she needed outside of the resources.”
Once he shifted his mindset, his marriage improved. “In me trying to be of service to her, I learned that me being of service created a woman who is now willing to be of service to me.”
On Redefining Masculinity and Fatherhood
For Ellis, “being a man is about being consistent.” As a father of four, he sees parenthood as a chance to reshape the future.
“Children give you another chance at life. I have four different opportunities right now to do my life all over again.”
He also works to uplift young Black men, reinforcing their worth in a world that often undermines them. His values extend to his career—Ellis refuses to play roles that involve domestic violence or sexual assault.
On Marriage, Family Planning, and Writing His Story
After his wife’s postpartum preeclampsia, Ellis chose a vasectomy over her taking hormonal birth control, further proving his commitment to their partnership. He and Khadeen share their journey in We Over Me, and his next book, Raising Kings: How Fatherhood Saved Me From Myself, is on the way.
Through honesty and growth, Devale Ellis challenges traditional ideas of masculinity, making his story one that resonates deeply with millennial women.
For the xoMAN podcast, host Kiara Walker peels back the layers of masculinity with candid conversations that challenge stereotypes and celebrate vulnerability. Real men. Real stories. Real talk.
Want more real talk from xoMAN? Catch the full audio episodes every Tuesday on Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and don’t miss the full video drops every Wednesday on YouTube. Hit follow, subscribe, and stay tapped in.
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This Journaling Technique Is Designed To Help You Manifest the Life You Want
These days, journaling and I go together real bad. And while audio journaling will still be my go-to when I have to process something heavy, there’s another journaling technique that has quickly become a fave: best-case scenario journaling.
Like its name suggests, best-case scenario journaling is a form of journaling that asks you to focus on what you do want instead of what you don’t want, and by doing so, you set the tone for your day and lay fertile groundwork for manifestation. I first came across it while listening to an episode of She’s So Lucky (formerly Balanced Black Girl).
In the solo episode, host Les Alfred walked us through the practice that changed her life, and I must say, as a chronic overthinker and someone who tends to lead with her worries, especially as I process, best-case scenario journaling has opened me up in my life in ways I didn’t imagine.
It was author Joe Dispenza who once said, "Most people spend 70% of their life living in survival and living in stress, so they're always anticipating the worst-case scenario based on a past experience and they're literally, out of the infinite potentials in the quantum field, they're selecting the worst possible outcome and they're beginning to emotionally embrace it with fear." I don't know about you, but I've definitely been that person. Hell, I can still be that person. It's easy to spiral into what can go wrong in your life versus what could go right.
Joe has also said, "The best way to predict your future is to create it." And that is a sentiment that both Les and I can agree with. Because that is what best-case scenario journaling is about.
What Is Best-Case Scenario Journaling?
Now, instead of shutting down or crashing out when I’m overwhelmed or anxious, I choose not to feed the spiral. I let my desires script what’s possible instead. Not from fear, but from faith. The scenario where the story I pitched resonates with our readers. Where unexpected money finds its way to me. Where someone I’ve been thinking about calls. Where I feel completely at peace, exactly where I am, just as I am.
Best-case scenario journaling isn’t about ignoring the reality of your current circumstances; it’s more about calling in the most aligned version of your life through reallocating that energy into believing in a different story instead of the one shrouded in doubt, fear, survival, complaints, or disbelief. And more often than not, the energy I write in becomes the energy I attract. That’s when everything shifts.
So, how do you actually start this practice? Let's break it down.
How To Try Best-Case Scenario Journaling
As with any form of journaling, there's no one "right" way to go about it. This in part is what makes journaling such a gentle and intuitive practice. You can start with a simple prompt like, "What's the best possible version of the situation I am worried about?" Or even, "If all goes well today, what would my day look and feel like?" Allow yourself to lean into ease and expansion not by forcing positivity, but by rewiring your mind to imagine possibility. To believe in the other side of the coin when it comes to 50/50 chances.
In an interview with The Skinny Confidential podcast, Les Alfred shared how she incorporates best-case scenario journaling in her mornings:
"It's where I will write out either how I want the day to go, assuming all best-case scenarios, or if there's something that I'm worried about, that's stressing me out, that's on my mind, I will write out what I think the best-case scenario of that situation is. I'll do that in detail."
The She's So Lucky host continued, "Let's say I have a day where I'm doing a bunch of back to back podcast recordings and maybe I feel nervous about it, I will write out in detail exactly how I want it to go. Like, 'Me and this guest vibe so well, I get them to admit things they've never admitted on air before. The audience loves this episode. Like, I will write out what I want all of the outcomes to be for the day ahead." Her approach is a great reminder that abundant living lives in the details so script your days like you mean it.
Why Best-Case Scenario Journaling Works
There's something especially powerful about choosing to tell yourself a different story, regardless of your present circumstances, and your mind's default of filling any blanks with fear. Best-case scenario journaling gives the mind a new script, and as you intentionally focusing on what could go right, you're effectively doing the work to retrain your nervous system as well.
As a mindset shift, best-case scenario journaling allows you to build a new habit, one that feeds hope in your life more than trepidation. As a manifestation technique, it facilitates a shift in your frequency, one that allows you to better align with outcomes you actually want to attract.
As a grounding practice, it supports your mental health by acting as an anchor, one that gifts you with self-regulation, gratitude, and a deeper connection to your inner self. So at the end of the day, you're not just feeding your delulu, you're nurturing your well-being, your energy, and your ability to believe that there is always better because in life there's always more.
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