The Black List: 10 Accounts Every Black Professional Should be Following

Aight (and I realize that as a black professional, this is not the most professional word to start off with...but whatevz), so you’re in post-collegiate/graduate/professional school, and that in itself comes with its own woes. You're broke from loans, countless textbooks that you'll never fully read, endless tests made by a board full of rich men who literally have to find places to put more money. You've been wearing your hair in the same protective style cause you're low on time and energy.... that and you're the president of the aforementioned Broke Students R Us club. You've been wearing the same tired clothes, you have the same routine of going to work, studying x double-digit hours, staying up until the early morning, only getting 3-4 hours of sleep, and repeating this mundane regimen for months and months at a time without a break. I could continue on and on with these woes, but in short, you're in a rut.

To add that to the list, you're also short on motivation, and you're even shorter on the time and patience to find some on a network filled with the same pouty/flirty/yet blank stares into the camera, the same body poses, the same strapless push-up bra, the same waist shaper, and just like Badu's cypher, the list goes on and ON.

Welp, I definitely can't take care of the other problems, nor do I want to take on that task yet again in my life (I've already paid my dues!). But I can certainly take care of said lack of inspiration problem for you! Below are 10 accounts that provide a new light on natural hair, fashion, food and fancy eats, fitness, and remaining grounded in your people's culture and history! And don't worry, you can thank me later :)

1. @48laws757

Jermaine is a creator of an online black history community for which he educates over 58,000 followers daily about African American history and culture. Learn everything about your people from Henrietta Lacks to the origins of the Raggedy Ann Doll.

Now I will warn you, his posts are not for the typical scroller; they contain dense content that require more than the typical "pause for 3 seconds and then scroll right on by." But that shouldn't deter you from following; after all, our history DESERVES our attention, our time, and our respect. Our ancestors were MURDERED for reading, so reading through his posts, although longer than most, shouldn't be discouraging.

Remember, knowing your history is knowing your future. Let's help Jermaine make Black history the norm!

2. @DashOfJazzBlog

Slay in the kitchen and beyond with this Houston Blogger's take on all things food, culinary entertainment, and interior style. She is the epitome of supreme domestication!

Honey ginger lemonade

Breakfast pot pie

You'll find anything but ordinary recipes here... vanilla chai donuts, tequila mimosas, apple pie french toast. She even makes her own centerpieces! Perfect if you're hosting a a gathering for in-laws, professors, or anyone else you need to impress to further your career.

Vegetable rose tart

She also is an avid supporter of Houston Black Restaurant week, which I find super important in supporting our communities.

Do yourself and your tummy a favor, follow her!

3. @SimoneSaysEat

I know I've already featured a food blog on here, but hey, I'm from the South, these things happen. Simone Orijako (her friends call her "Simon") has a blog and IG full of recipes that are super dee duper easy peasy, and even more so, delicious!

Breakfast pizza

Pasta made with her home-made alfredo sauce

Chicken Pot Pie with puff pastry

What's great about her blog is that a lot of her recipes are made with super cheap ingredients. When I was in medical school, cooking was pretty much my only past-time. This, I can assure you from experience, can cut a hole in your wallet. So her recipes filled with readily accessible and cheap ingredients are great if you're like me and like to entertain on a budget!

4. @WorkoutRoutine

Young Ruave Suave and Mikey Diesel's page is one of my favorites! Not only are they eye candy, but their IG is FILLED with FREE workout routines, inspiration, and healthy food recipes.

We've pretty much worn out the fact that when you're in grad school, you're broke, on time and money. Not a lot of people can afford the time or money for a gym membership. But with all of the late nights and late quick meals filled with fat and grease, it's of utmost importance that you take care of yourself. Pages like this help you to stay fit, and to fill your body with healthy foods to remain alert in class and power through that test! Checkout their page for their vids!

5. @IAmYAB

This page is GREAT at highlighting black women doing it BIG in their respective fields. It truly helps you to remain positive to see black women uplifting other black women.

Sharing positivity on our TL: The Young, Ambitious, & Beautiful Oprah Winfrey is pictured hugging Sithokomele Mabaso, an alumna of the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls in South Africa. When the academy was opened, Sithokomele started as a 7th grader. Congratulations on your success Sithokomele!

Sharing positivity on our TL: The Young, Ambitious, & Beautiful Serena Williams has joined the Silicon Valley SurveyMonkey board to improve tech diversity. Congratulations on your latest venture!

Remember, the black woman is the most disenfranchised and disrespected being, so I think it's important, no, a MUST, to keep feeding our minds with anything but this ridiculous assertion, and I encourage you all to do so by following this necessary page.

6. @Reseau_Docteur

As you know, the medical profession is no joy ride through the park. Not really sure as to why one would be driving a car through a sandbox and swing set, but you get my point. It ain't easy! This page posts black and brown medical professionals and their respective stories as they power through their fields in medicine, dentistry, pharmacology, and more.

When we provide a people with the opportunity will we then bear witness to how truly valuable each member of the human race has become to their community. --- Check out these Harvard Medical students who are represented here as part of the Student National Medical Association. Excellence at its finest.

Erin B. Rigsby is a 3rd generation Howard University graduate hailing from Baltimore, MD. After earning her Bachelor of Psychology degree in 2012, she continued her education at Tulane University Law School. While at Tulane, she received her Juris Doctor, an International and Comparative Law Certificate and was certified in international negotiations at Humboldt University in Berlin, Germany. In addition, Ms. Rigsby received a Master in Business Administration from Tulane’s Freeman School of Business with a specialization in Energy and concentration in International Management. Currently, Erin B. Rigsby is an associate with Chehardy, Sherman, Williams, LLP in New Orleans, LA. specializing in Complex litigation, including Personal Injury, Multi-District Class Action, Toxic Tort, and Commercial Litigation. In her spare time, Ms. Rigsby is actively involved in her community through her involvement with the DocnLocs, Inc. Atypical Medical Student Hopeful (AMSH) Scholarship and her sorority Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.

This page is uber-inspirational and is definitely recommended if you're on that journey of "joy" through the medical field.

7. @CorporateKinks

I chose to inclue this page because I think it is super important to see yourself in the workplace. For ages we have been made to think that our hair needed to be pressed and slick down/back to be professional. I mean for Christ sake I was told that, and I quote, "[our] hair is so unprofessional." Well here's to finally breaking that mold!

FEATURED:
@thecurldiva | Internal Medicine Physician

FEATURED:
@teralyn.price | Service Member of the United States Army

FEATURED:
@azizaglass | Veterinarian

The other side will never accept what they don't understand or see...so give them a follow!

8. @RyanStylesNYC

Learn how to dress professionally with these inspirational photos! What I love about this page is that it keeps me up to date on men's style; this is important, even as a female, if you have male significant other or friends in grad school. It provides great insight on the best gift grad students need: professional clothes! Like I said, clothes can be really expensive for a grad student, or a black professional; both have cumbersome loans! But that doesn't mean you can't look fly while doing it.

Now I will say, some of his pieces are a little pricey, but I always just take his inspiration and find similar pieces at the thrift store, consignment shops, or online.

9. @JadoreFashion

Now ladies, here's some fashion inspo for you! I love how classy and chic Stella Uzo's styles are, they can be worn in the clinic, the office, the courtroom, wherever!

Once again, I encourage you to follow whether male or female for the same reasons above! Same goes as before though: if something is above your price point, let it serve as inspiration to find a similar piece, not a rule to go broke purchasing the exact same piece!

10. @OwnByFemme

Now one of my rules as a black professional is to travel well. That can be kind of hard with heavy loans peering over your shoulder as you search for "trips to Belize" online. But Renee does a GREAT job at hosting brunches and providing tips on how to travel for less...and trust me, she's ALWAYS on the move, so she MUST know what she's talking about!

Renee shares her secrets on where to buy these travel goodies.

Renee shares her photo on her trip to London.

She also has a second page, @femmeinbloom, which focuses more so on her travels. I chose to follow both, but @ownbyfemme is highlighted here because she also has great tips for curly hair as well. As a plus, she's pretty easy on the eyes! Insert heart eyes emoji*

I hope you all find some inspiration to keep going! As a black professional, your life and world is already filled with, "No you can't"; hopefully these accounts will motivate you to live a fuller life, and help make your non-professional life a little bit more easier to live. And if you already follow some of these accounts, don't fret my pet, I'll be back with more installments to keep your professional life motivated to do your best.

Please note that these pictures are not all of my own. I simply strive to inspire, and no copyright infringement was intended! :)