Taryn Delanie Smith is a friend in my head, y'all! Some people may know Taryn from the pageant world - in 2022, she became the first Black Miss New York to be crowned with her natural hair (meaning un-straightened and in its natural curly state... one day this will not be remarkable, I hope. But I digress.) https://buff.ly/3OvUZhW I know of Taryn because she is absolutely hilarious on social media. And she is a pure delight!
Taryn hopes to use her platform to focus on loving people. She uses humor, vulnerability, authenticity, and compassion to drive her content creation.
Taryn creates these wonderful characters, like Denise the heavenly receptionist https://buff.ly/42wwSFu. She holds a dance off battle in the middle of the New York streets with Johnny Gill https://buff.ly/3HXFnjf. Taryn celebrates chaos and revels in kindness and friendship. When I think of Black Futures, I want to embrace the silliness and joy Taryn embodies. It's a good reminder the power of spotlighting your own joy.
This #BlackHistoryMonth, I'm celebrating 29 Black women who have influenced me through the ways they pursue their own liberation. Black women's work is often unrecognized and not cited, and this month I'm determined to pass out a few flowers to Black women. #Day7 #29LoveLettersToBlackWomen #GiveBlackWomenTheirFlowers