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Rahiel's Blog
Posted in: Global Matters, Life, Politics & Policies, Pop Culture, Rahiel's Blog, ReligionComments: One commentTags: Christianity, Election 2012, God, Rahiel Tesfamariam
WATCH: Rahiel's Biblical Message on Apathy vs. Anointing #VoteReady
UC's founder/editor-in-chief Rahiel Tesfamariam recently lead Come As You Are (CAYA), a young adult Bible study on social awareness and elections, at Alfred Street Baptist Church in Alexandria, Virginia. The message was entitled "What's the Purpose of Your Anointing?" Read morePosted in: Life, Rahiel's Blog, ReligionComments: 3 commentsTags: Careers, Christianity, Fear, God, Rahiel Tesfamariam
A MUST READ: Rahiel's Message on Success
Starting on Friday, September 28, 2012, I sent out a series of tweets related to success, purpose, fear and resilience that struck a chord with hundreds of people. I share them here in hopes that even more people will be blessed by this message. Read moreLupe Fiasco’s “B---- Bad” and the ongoing fight to protect the B-word
Lupe doesn’t always get it right, but I appreciate his meaningful, politically charged contributions to hip-hop. Read morePosted in: Race and Identity, Rahiel's BlogComments: No commentsTags: Michelle Obama, Race & Identity, Rahiel Tesfamariam, Washington Post
Michelle Obama’s Popularity and America’s Obsessive Gaze
While the role of first lady inevitably will lend itself to negative attacks, some of the criticisms surrounding Michelle Obama, unlike the women before her, have been deeply tied to racial stereotypes. Read morePosted in: Life, Race and Identity, Rahiel's BlogComments: 3 commentsTags: Films, Rahiel Tesfamariam, Relationships, Washington Post, Women
‘Think Like a Man’ Serves Up Patriarchy with a Smile
In an era when Black Hollywood faces big-screen famine, it’s almost instinctual to celebrate Steve Harvey’s hit movie “Think Like a Man” and its all-star cast as a major success. But here are my concerns with the messages the film invokes. Read morePosted in: Life, Rahiel's Blog, ReligionComments: No commentsTags: Christianity, Rahiel Tesfamariam, Trayvon Martin, Washington Post
Using Christianity as a Lens in This Trayvon Martin Moment
Christian ideals have long been central themes in America’s civil rights struggle. It should not be a surprise that they remain focal as the nation lives through this explosive “Trayvon Martin moment.” Read morePosted in: Life, Pop Culture, Rahiel's Blog, ReligionComments: One commentTags: Christianity, Rahiel Tesfamariam, Videos, Women
I Want Status for My 31st Birthday: Proverbs 31 Status To Be Exact [VIDEO]
I want 31 Status for my 31st year of life. The mission of 31 Status is to show girls around the world what the proverbs 31 woman looks like today. We hope you will be touched and inspired by the words of "Janette...ikz" in this amazing Spoken word piece. Read morePosted in: Life, Pop Culture, Rahiel's BlogComments: One commentTags: Media, Pop Culture, Rahiel Tesfamariam, Washington Post
Reflections on BET Honors 2012
BET Honors, a star-studded even which celebrates African American achievement, honored Stevie Wonder, Mariah Carey, Maya Angelou, Spike Lee, Beverly Kearney and the Tuskegee Airmen. Read Rahiel's reflections on what made the weekend unforgettable. Read moreLooking Back on Urban Cusp's 2011 Highlights
After celebrating the New Year and our 6-month anniversary on January 1st, we are excited to share our first post of 2012 with you. Read Rahiel's reflections on Urban Cusp's start-up journey in 2011. Read morePosted in: Life, Pop Culture, Rahiel's BlogComments: 48 commentsTags: Panama Jackson, Rahiel Tesfamariam, Relationships
The Don’ts of Dating: How to Lose a Good Thing in 8 Days (Part 2 of 2)
This is the 2nd part of a two-part series in which Rahiel Tesfamariam of Urban Cusp and Panama Jackson of Very Smart Brothas team up for a powerful and provocative "he said / she said" analysis of dating, relationships, and love. Read morePosted in: Life, Pop Culture, Rahiel's BlogComments: 7 commentsTags: Panama Jackson, Rahiel Tesfamariam, Relationships
The Don’ts of Dating: How to Lose a Good Thing in 8 Days (Part 1 of 2)
This is the 1st part of a two-part series in which Rahiel Tesfamariam of Urban Cusp and Panama Jackson of Very Smart Brothas team up for a powerful and provocative "he said / she said" analysis of dating, relationships, and love. Read morePosted in: Life, Rahiel's BlogComments: 35 commentsTags: Panama Jackson, Rahiel Tesfamariam, Relationships
The Man in Her Head: A Barrier or Motivation to Be Better (Part 2 of 2)
This is the 2nd part of a two-part series in which Rahiel Tesfamariam of Urban Cusp and Panama Jackson of Very Smart Brothas team up for a powerful and provocative "he said / she said" analysis of dating, relationships, and love. Read morePosted in: Life, Pop Culture, Rahiel's BlogComments: 26 commentsTags: Panama Jackson, Rahiel Tesfamariam, Relationships
The Man in Her Head: A Barrier or Motivation to Be Better (Part 1 of 2)
This is the 1st part of a two-part series in which Rahiel Tesfamariam of Urban Cusp and Panama Jackson of Very Smart Brothas team up for a powerful and provocative "he said / she said" analysis of dating, relationships, and love. Read morePosted in: Faith, Pop Culture, Rahiel's Blog, ReligionComments: 4 commentsTags: Christianity, Media, Rahiel Tesfamariam
The New Thing: Faith in the Age of Social Media
A reflective article written for Yale Divinity School's journal on the vision for Urban Cusp, ministry in relation to new media, intersections between Christianity and culture, and how the church must work to maintain relevancy in this digital age. Read morePosted in: Pop Culture, Rahiel's BlogComments: 7 commentsTags: Hip-Hop, Jay-Z, Music, Rahiel Tesfamariam
My Relationship with Hip-Hop: It's Complicated
My love affair with hip-hop has stretched me from a fascination with the gritty swag of Jay-Z and rebellious rage of Tupac Shakur to an admiration for the timeless depth of Lauryn Hill and passionate resistance of Lupe Fiasco. Read morePosted in: Pop Culture, Rahiel's BlogComments: One commentTags: Artivism, Pop Culture, Rahiel Tesfamariam, Spoken Word
Spoken Word: Painting Images Drawn from the Mouth
If we do not take more seriously the role of artistic and cultural forms in shaping the way people think and engage their world, then we will find that we have "slept through a revolution." Read morePosted in: Education, Rahiel's BlogComments: 4 commentsTags: Careers, Education, Fear, Rahiel Tesfamariam
Your Degrees Don't Mean You Have Heart
The problem with fear (like the definition of a ghost) is that it looms over us, haunting us, but yet we can't see it. We don't know its name and therefore can't simply demand that it depart from us. Read morePosted in: Life, Rahiel's BlogComments: 4 commentsTags: Careers, Families, Life, Rahiel Tesfamariam, Women
Women Go-Getters Juggling Careers and Babies
In recent years, I've begun to view motherhood as more of a looming threat than anything else- symbolic of painful professional sacrifices and loss of freedom and spontaneity. And I know why I feel this way. Read morePosted in: Global Matters, Rahiel's BlogComments: 6 commentsTags: Africa, Families, Rahiel Tesfamariam, War
