Happy Birthday to the Queen of Black Beauty, Alek Wek

Alek Wek is not a Supermodel because she can catwalk and she is not a Black Beauty Queen because she's dark, No. Alek Wek is a Supermodel because she used what she could do to help us do what we can do. She is a Queen of black beauty because she helped us all see the beauty of our own.

I could go on and on about how much Alek Wek has done in my life. She's Alek the inspiration. Today I, WE stand grateful you are here. Thank you for all you've done and still doing.

Happy Birthday Queen.

The Eunice Malath Show

It’s getting interesting for South Sudan’s Youth, the race for success is real. Author of “Love & Relationships, Guide for the Junubin Girl” Eunice Malath recently announced she will be hosting her own talk show "The Eunice Malath Show" which starts airing this April on KPAO T.V. Station in Omaha, Nebraska – USA.

Talent Of The Week: South Sudanese 7'0 Basketball Player Thon Maker

Name: Thon Maker
Birthday: 25th Feb 1997
NBA Position: PF/C
Class: HS Sophomore
Ht: 7'0
Wt: 205
Born: South Sudanese
High School: Carlisle School

Checkout this young man's talent on the video below... 

Dr. Sandra Banks Miss South Sudan 2012/13 Speaks on Being Light Skinned in Juba

I often, maybe always talk about skin tone; I mostly talk about dark skin because that’s what I was blessed with. Today I bring you a different point a view, the light skinned. Who better than Miss South Sudan 2012/13 Dr. Sandra Banks to tell us about being a light skinned in Juba? No one. Sandra shares a part of her daily struggle in Juba. I hope it inspires you to be a better person, she’s definitely inspired me.
 
1.    Often we hear people saying “Sandra is not originally South Sudanese”, tell us about your background and where you come from.

Sandra: A lot of people say I am not south Sudanese. I actually can’t blame them because I don't look like one especially my skin tone and hair texture. Well, truth is I am half South Sudanese, my mother is from the Nyangbara tribe with Rokon, Central Equatoria state as her hometown and my father is a Canadian. That’s the simple truth. I am born to a dark mum and a light dad and I happened to be brown like what most mixed race kids look like. I was born in Khartoum, Sudan where I have lived all my life and moved to Juba in 2011. I proudly hold the South Sudanese passport as well and I have not been denied it being born to a South Sudanese mother.

2.   What is it like living as a brown/light skinned woman in South Sudan?

Sandra: Living as a light skinned woman in South Sudan is not easy I have to say. I am always, always mistaken for a foreigner in the streets, the market even my workplace, everywhere. They always mistake me for a foreigner which is not a problem at all unless you are being kind of harassed because you happened to be one. Many people just think I am an alien and when I speak Juba Arabic they think I have bleached my skin. Traffic police stop almost everyday to check my license etc. and they initially address me in English and when I reply in Juba Arabic they get amazed, and get more amazed when they check the nationality on my ID. One of them was like  “Ita junubia?, lala yakhi, amshi yakh ma magoul’’ another was like ‘’aslu ma mumkin, ita jebu lon de min wein’’ I ended up having a few friends so when I come across them they wave hello and sometimes stop me to say hi and the other colleagues ask for my license and they go like no she is South Sudanese, and again you see the surprise. It’s kind of fun actually. There was once a time I got slapped by a police officer because he thought I was a foreigner, which I found very inappropriate because as a foreigner in other countries I don’t get slapped. It sends the wrong impression and no hospitality. When they found out whom I was, of course by checking my nationality ID and telling them my titles and place of work they actually apologized, but my cheek still hurt. Lol. At the market you get called all sort of names because of your colour and it being attributed to a certain character, sometimes I ignore, sometimes I just talk back in Arabic and they get quiet. The point is people shouldn't really be going through any of this. It would be better if people just acted normal towards each other.

“Hating skin color is contempt for God's divine creative imagination. Honoring it is appreciation for conscious, beautiful-love-inspired diversity.”

Another one was after winning the Miss South Sudan 2012/2013 title. I got a lot of criticism from social media and sadly from people who knew me as well saying I do not deserve to win the crown etcetera because first I am light skinned and second I am born to a foreign father. Other minor accusations were fake color and fake hair. Well, I just hope South Sudanese all over know that there are many light skinned people in this country like the Zande’s and people from Western Bahr-El-Ghazal. So stating that a South Sudanese must be dark is not logic and not reality either. Another thing, there are mixed race people all over the world. It’s not a crime and in normal situations they are accepted, but with the title of Miss South Sudan it wasn’t. It is not the skin colour that determines your loyalty to a country or your hair texture. Lastly, I was created by God, the same God that created all mankind, be them white, black, brown or yellow, no color is better than the other and no color is worse than the other, we are all human, people!

It is sad that people get to judge you by your skin colour, and it is sadder when it is a wrong judgment. I feel sorry for people who make these judgments because it shows how uncivilzed they are. The world is a big place and it is one world, a world for all of us, there is no room for discrimination. And I believe that I have love for this country just like my other dark South Sudanese brothers and sisters, because patriotism lies in your heart and not in your skin tone. And no matter how much they try they can take me out of South Sudan but they can never take South Sudan out of me.
 
3. What would you want to say to young girls about skin tones in general?
 
Sandra: A message to my sisters out there be them dark or brown or whatever colour God has given them; you are beautiful, embrace your skin colour. Do not wish you were any other tone except the one you are because God has created you in the best image, and if that tone didn’t suit you h wouldn’t have given it to you. To the dark skinned girls, you are truly blessed and black is a beautiful and gorgeous colour, love it and make it shine. Being brown I don’t see myself any better than any of you because it is not external beauty that counts, its internal beauty. Beauty comes in different forms. Last but not least, I love who I am and I totally accept it, and whoever mistakes me for a foreigner, well, there’s not much I can do about it. 

Last word for everyone out there “I hope that instead of judging someone by the colour of his skin, judge that person by the content of his character”. 

God Bless South Sudan.

Talent Of The Week: DJ AT(YAHUDE ENTERTAINMENT)

Atem Majak, after taking Juba by storm last year he finally made a name for himself as DJ AT who's currently an up and coming DJ.

I sat and had a chat with the charming 22 year old DJ AT and was very impressed by who he is and what he stands for. Ambitious and quite hardworking towards his talent and the message he believes is worth sharing through mixing music for people.

What I loved the most about talking to DJ AT was his intelligence. Ladies, Note his last words which were for you, & Men; Note what a real man would say. Enjoy.

Here is what DJ AT had to say:

Q. When did you find out you were interested in Music & that you wanted to become a DJ?

A. Music has always inspired me however, I didn't start playing music for audiences until later in my teens when I organised my own birthday party.

Q. What kind of Music inspires you & who do you look upto in the Music industry?

A. I get my inspiration from people. I enjoy watching people enjoy themselves, it is therefore my responsibility to i study the demographic of my audience which is very diverse. I hope the Music Industry becomes a haven of inspiration for the youth. I hopes it becomes a tool of empowerment in this times of trials and tribulations.

Q. How did your journey as a DJ begin?

A. I was 17 years old, and at that time, my step mother owned a beauty shop. She was organizing a fashion show to promote her shop. when the date to the event neared, her models started to rehearse at the house. Coincidentally at around this same my uncle had bought a small turn table as a birthday present. I played music at their rehearsals that week and the rest is history.

Q. Tell us about YAHUDE Entertainment & Why you chose the title "YAHUDE"

A. 'Yahude' stands for 'this is it!" Its one of those expressive words we use to encourage ourselves or recognize a "green light" moment. Yahude Entertainment is a movement! Its a revolution of its own. Music is food to your soul. A large majority of us are in conscious coma with the right vibes and energy we can all inspire and awaken each other. Yahude! If Yahude entertainment can inspire just one soul out there somehow, then that mission accomplished! Yahude

Q. Let's talk a little fashion, which designers would we find in your closet?

A. You will find a little of bit of everything in my closet. Usually when i go shopping, I just grab whatever my heart sees.

Q. What's next for DJ AT & what should your fans expect from you?

A. Things are as good as they get right now, but it only gets better from here though. So for my fans, just stay in tune. I am brewing something up for the festive season.. Christmas and New years.

*Any last words for the ladies out there...


DJ AT: As for ladies out there, only your opinion matters when it comes to what you think of yourself. So do not let anyone or anything try to define your beauty for you. My dark skinned Nubian queens learn to Love yourselves again. You are royalty! Yahude!

I hope you enjoyed getting to know and reading about DJ AT.
(BIG UPS DJ SOSA, DJ E & DJ SNOOP)..
YAHUDE!!

The South Sudanese Child - DYNAMQ

Yes, The South Sudanese Children again. I talk about South Sudan as much as possible because I must keep on building us up. A part of building this new nation is supporting one another, big or small we must support and let each other know that we are here & you are not alone. & Speaking of not being alone. I recently learned that Dynamq the South Sudanese sensation has been nominated for "SIX" awards at the Afro ENT Awards. Its always joy to my ears to hear about the achievements of my brothers and sisters back home and abroad so of course I have the links for you to vote & not just that but I also got the link to his new music video "Jere Jere". Check it out below:

Here are the Categories Dynamq is nominated for:

BEST MALE ARTIST
BEST SONG WRITTER
BEST MUSIC VIDEO
BEST INTERNATIONAL ARTIST
BEST TALENTED ARTIST & BEST MUSIC ALBUM

Here is the link to vote: http://afroawards.net/vote-here/
Select the categories above & Vote Dynamq.

"Jere Jere" is the name of his new music video, If you speak Arabi Juba; this song is about to be your favorite. Its basically a message to stop racism and tribalism, I love how he combined every race you could almost think of and each tribe you could think of in South Sudan. The song is #FANTABILOUS.

P.s... Ladies, Now I'm not sure if Dynamq is single & from my conversation with him I found out he isn't married. Wouldn't he be a catch? ; ) lol #IHADTO

Here's the link:

Don't forget to vote for Dynamq, it counts & we want at least SIX winnings out of the SIX nominations, we are not settling for less ;).