Times have been hard during these pandemic years, but that has not stopped the sports and entertainment industry from pushing forward and giving us quality content from incredibly talented and inspiring people. During this Black History Month, I would like to list 5 people that I think have impacted the world recently and inspire me.
1. Megan Thee Stallion is a worldwide phenomenon who has songs that have been streamed by the millions on Spotify, and during all this time, she was able to finish her college degree, a bachelor of science in health administration from Texas Southern University. She plans to use her degree by opening an assisted living facility, supported by her rapping career. I love that even though she really didn’t need to go to college, she finished her undergraduate studies and still aims at using it. It emphasizes how important education is, and it motivates me to not drop out of school, even though we all know we’ve thought about it more than once.
2. Silk Sonic and the genius that is Anderson .Paak have broken into the music scene to give us that old school Motown and funk vibes, and it’s exquisite. This one is a bit personal to me because it makes me so happy to see other mixed Koreans on top of their game in entertainment; it makes me feel like anything is possible for me as well. Also his music slaps so hard that it will leave a handprint for centuries.
3. Directing a movie is a hard enough feat in itself, but Jeymes Samuel went above and beyond by not only directing, but also composing most of the original soundtrack to his debut film, “The Harder They Fall.” I would have never thought that reggae and western movies would work well together, but Samuel convinced me that they were a good pair. How he got Netflix to fund his first feature film is beyond me, but I think it was a great investment. His love of cinema and music radiates in every scene; this film is hopefully the start of many more amazing projects from him in the future.
4. Mental health is becoming more normalized to talk about in public circles and Naomi Osaka decided to put herself first when she decided not to attend the press conferences during the French Open last year. She expressed that she has been suffering from depression ever since her win over Serena Willians in the US Open in 2018. Even though she eventually had to pay a $15000 fine for her decision, it sparked a larger conversation on the importance of taking time off for self care. Your mental health matters, even if corporate entities might not believe it.
5. When Lil Nas X came out with “Old Town Road” I thought that we were seeing another one hit wonder, but he has proved me wrong. I may not be a huge fan of his music, but the singular fact that he is a queer artist making it in a genre that has been dominated by traditional masculinity is impressive and inspiring. He hopes that his presence will usher in more queer rappers, and I hope the same.
The Student Movement is the official student newspaper of Andrews University. Opinions expressed in the Student Movement are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors, Andrews University or the Seventh-day Adventist church.