The Ultimate Black Love Gift Guide and Exclusive Interview with Black Love Day creator, Ayo Handy-Kendi
Black YouTuber LeShelle Smith interviews Black Love Day creator, Ayo Handy-Kendi
Nationwide — Black Love Day is celebrated on February 13th and has been every year since 1993 when it was created by, Ayo Handy Kendi. Handy-Kendi describes Black Love Day as a “holiday (wholyday) of atonement, reconciliation, celebration and a 24-hour demonstration of Black love.” Black Love is to be demonstrated through 5 tenants – LOVE towards the Creator, oneself, our biological family of loved ones as well as the Black Community as we represent the entire Black Race.
In an exclusive interview with YouTuber and blogger, LeShelle Smith – host of Minority Report featuring Black Owned Businesses, Handy-Kendi discusses why people from the African Diaspora need holidays, celebrations and rituals that promote unity and healing. Since Black Love Day was instituted, Handy-Kendi has been sharing the tenants of this holiday as an alternative to Valentine’s Day, which originated as day when white men would sacrifice and skin goats, exchange their clothing for the goat skins and spend the day striking naked women with skinless sacrificed goats. This holiday rooted in pagan gods and physical abuse spread throughout the globe.
The AAHA seeks shift a day of “love in action” from Valentine’s Day to Black Love Day. The 2017 theme is “Love and Unity to End Oppression”. The goals of this day are to “increase peace, stop violence, end self-hatred/racism, to offer a spiritual, African-centered, alternative to the commercialized Valentine’s Day.”
With the blessing of Ayo Handy-Kendi, LeShelle Smith, created The Ultimate Black Love Gift Guide – a coupon book filled with discount codes from Black Owned Businesses to offset the $20 billion Americans spend on Valentine’s Day and shift economic power back to the Black Community. Businesses currently participating: popular African inspired clothing designer and 5-star Etsy seller, LiLiCreations; hip-hop culture card game, University of Dope; all-natural skin care and hygiene line, Garner’s Garden and many more. Eighty Black owned businesses have provided a discount code to be used at check out when products and services are purchased on-online. Discount codes are valid from February 13, 2017 to February 12, 2018.
The Ultimate Black Love Gift Guide is an innovative way for consumers to shop all year-round with discounts from several BOB’s while honoring Black Love. This downloadable resource is currently available for $0.99 cents if pre-ordered and will be available on Black Love Day, February 13, 2017 at which time the price will increase. The Ultimate Black Love Gift Guide will be available for purchase at the “Minority Report featuring Black Owned Businesses” website, www.MinorityReportTVShow.com.
About Minority Report
Minority Report featuring Black Owned Businesses is a video blog on YouTube that highlights African American entrepreneurs, operating as the media extension of Smith Communication Services, LLC. The target audience consists of men and women, ages 18-45 who are interested in securing the Black Dollar and safe-guarding its circulation within the Black community. Watching Minority Report YouTube videos, reading the blog, subscribing to the Black Business Daily Newsletter, or connecting through social media is a highly interactive experience. Followers and subscribers can expect unbiased opinions before making a purchase and learn more about small business owners. Entrepreneurs can also secure start-up financing information and technology tips to help Blacks in business flourish and grow. Minority Report is a source of information where the African American perspective and economic empowerment is a priority. Black entrepreneurs can also partner with Minority Report as a way to connect, collaborate, and cooperate for Word of Mouth Marketing.
PRESS CONTACT:
LeShelle A. Smith
(717) 425-9951